Get ready for a rambly post and some crappy, filtered iPhone pics.
Grilled octopus and sausages at Telly’s Taverna in Astoria. ↑
Last week was…a bit off for me. One minute I was high, the other I was low. I had a lot of things on weighing on me while I was at work and it was hard to focus. So I got up from my desk, went downstairs and called Bob to vent (but mostly, panic) about, well…my life. Our lives. But Bob is so cool and collected and he quickly calmed me down and said, “It’s going to be okay”, plus some other very reassuring things. But it’s what I needed to hear. He didn’t make light of my worries or tell me I was being psychotic (even though I knew I was). He was reasonable and level-headed, when I couldn’t be. But after some time, I was able to better see things for what they were and later sent Bob a message saying “Can we forget my earlier meltdown? I’m just tremedously hormonal right now and that’s what I’m going to blame it on, okay? It wasn’t me! It’s the hormones’ fault.” Whatever we need to tell ourselves, right?
But the weekend was nice. I was in the right headspace again so I was able to enjoy it. I hung out with my friend Val on Friday night and we had dinner and dessert at Vanessa’s Dumplings and Momofuku Milk Bar, respectively. We encountered a lot of weirdos that night, but none weirder than the guy who stood right in our path and literally screamed, “Aaaaargh!” in our faces. That was interesting.
Thrift-shopping: a favorite pastime. ↑
The next day, we went to Bob’s mother’s house and I learned the secret behind her pasta sauce. It’s all in the meat! Figures. So Bob and I made a deal: I will learn his mother’s sauce and he will learn my grandmother’s mofongo.
When thrifting, Bob goes straight for the books section. I like to rummage through racks of clothes first. Found 2 tops for under $10! ↑
We put an offer on a house. It’s that small fixer-upper I was telling you about last week. Hoping for the best, preparing for the worst.
Branzini feast for one! ↑
As someone who lives in Astoria, I feel it’s my duty to once and for all do a Greek food hop and find the best Greek in all the land! But as it turns out, the quest is proving to be difficult in that there are so many fantastic Greek restaurants out here, including Agnanti which I’ve adored from the beginning. Last weekend, we went to Telly’s Taverna for lunch, which we haven’t been to before. Incredible food! Creamy frappes (loooove), grilled octopus, lemon potatoes and I watched carefully as the server quickly and seamlessly deboned my grilled-to-perfection branzini*. But I’m still determined to get to Taverna Kyclades which always has the most ridiculously long line to get in. Funny because there’s a Greek place directly across the street that is always depressingly empty when we pass by. No joke! The wait will be an hour for Taverna Kyclades, while the place across the street has less than 5 patrons in it. I think that speaks volumes to how great TK is!
*As I type this, I’m having leftover octopus and lemon potatoes for breakfast. Breakfast of champions!
Anyway, I’ll stop rambling and we’ll leave off with this: cross your fingers that we get this place…at our offer price (ha, fat chance). And with that, another week of emotions begins!