eG Foodblog: CaliPoutine, MarketStEl & mizducky - The Shrinking

[MarketStEl]

Okay, the post after this one...

Question, which may have already been answered but I don't remember reading it...

For all three of you (Sandy, Ellen, and Randi), when you go out to eat, do you find that you eat your entire serving, or do you take some of your meal home? 

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I eat until I'm sated. Usually, this means that I clean my plate. But at restaurants that serve large portions, it means I take stuff home.

I had a minor revelation on my trip to Seattle last April: It doesn't take a lot of really good food to satisfy you. It's not that I've never eaten in a high-end establishment before, but I do so infrequently enough that I tend to forget the portion sizes at such places. In pictures, they usually look no bigger than a bite or two -- and truth be told, some of them are. But put three or four of these together, as you might in a fine dinner, and they're just enough. On the other hand, the typical chain sit-down restaurant, such as Chili's about four blocks north of me, serves portions so large you have to take some of the haul home with you.

[mizducky]

I also never cared if men found me attractive or not( it was always the black of hispanic men who came on to me, they like a little junk in the trunk).

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Damn straight! (Oops, sorry!)

You had me almost ready to quote Sir Mix-A-Lot!

Thank you, Sandy, I almost missed this line! And thank you, Randi, that line really cracked me up!

Speaking about Sir Mixalot--you know he's from my previous city of residence, Seattle, right?

Should I make it out to San Diego, Ellen, I will insist on meeting you at either Bourbon Street or Lei Lounge. Those two bars are owned by the same brothers (one gay, one straight) who own three of the most popular clubs in Philly's Gayborhood: Bump, which I featured in my first and second foodblogs; Pure, an after-hours club which also made it into foodblog 1; and Woody's, long the city's busiest gay bar (trivia stat: it's the largest purchaser of alcohol in the state, according to Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board figures).  The man whose nickname still graces the bar, Bill Wood, now runs an upscale restaurant called Knock in the Space That Eats Restaurants on the street floor of my apartment building right next to the building entrance. As Woody's reputation preceded him, this place will probably have a longer life than the restaurants that preceded it; the bar patronage alone will keep it afloat.

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Ahhhhh. I didn't know that the owners of Bourbon Street and Lei Lounge had a Philadelphia connection. Bourbon Street is one of my favorite bars in town. Very popular, very fun crowd, and some gorgeous antique wood bars. For some reason though I've yet to visit Lei Lounge even though it's right next door. That whole block is becoming a restaurant/bar row, including one of my favorite taco shops, El Zarape.

Edited January 11, 2008 by mizducky (log)

[MarketStEl]

Edited to add: The quote of the day was a commentary on the previous day's New Hampshire primary election results, or perhaps more accurately, the press coverage and the polls that led up to the event.

One thing about leading a jam-packed life: It offers many ways to go off a routine. Today offered some examples, and the next day another.

Of course, succumbing to temptation is one's own fault. And temptation leapt out and grabbed me by the throat when I went to get my salad at lunchtime.

I don't know who "The New Guy" is -- I thought that was me! I guess they must've made some more new hires -- but since he issued the invitation, I took him up on it.

So I nuked a slice of cheese pizza along with my salad. Behold the Lunch of Champions:

There is a toaster oven as well as a microwave in our kitchenette. Next time I need to reheat a slice of pizza, I'll use the toaster oven instead.

Wednesday evening is Chorus rehearsal from September through June, with about a month hiatus during December. On those nights, and on the nights when I have a Landmark Forum in Action seminar (only three more of those left now), I don't usually get to eat dinner early.

As I mentioned in my first foodblog, many Chorus members gather after rehearsal for socializing. There are two main groups, which I will call "the diners" and "the drinkers."

The diners head to the Irish Pub and occupy a string of tables along one wall. I usually join them, then, after eating, go over to Woody's and join the drinkers still imbibing for a pint of Woodchuck Cider. (I do intend to weigh in on the subject of drinking and weight, just not now.) This Wednesday, I chose to short-circuit this routine by skipping the food. Instead, I went to Woody's and had two pints with the drinkers.

I then went home and promptly scarfed down about 1/3 cup of cottage cheese, liberally doused with hot sauce, and about 12 Roasted Vegetable Ritz crackers with onion and blue cheese dips. Oh, and a couple of these:

I marinate asparagus spears in a vinaigrette -- this one contained rice vinegar, kecap manis, tarragon, basil, black pepper and mustard powder -- and eat them as a snack.

I think I ate a little worse than I would have if I had had dinner. But given that I don't always order salads at the Irish Pub, I may have still consumed fewer calories overall today.

Edited January 11, 2008 by MarketStEl (log)

[CaliPoutine]

Good Morning,

Robin surprised me this morning by actually going to work. I thought for sure she'd call in sick today. I had to rush this morning to get her snack box and lunch together since I didnt do it last night.

She took the leftover canned salmon, a pita and a bowl of salad for lunch and of course her serving of chips.

I'm feeling a bit hungry this morning so I'm going to look up the points for an egg mcmuffin and then decide if thats worth it or not.

Catch ya later.

[CaliPoutine]

For all three of you (Sandy, Ellen, and Randi), when you go out to eat, do you find that you eat your entire serving, or do you take some of your meal home?

That depends on where I'm eating out. My first year on Byetta, I always took half of it home. I wasnt hungry at all. It also depends on how soon I eat after taking my shot. I find if I wait 15 minutes, I'm not as hungry

When we were in Florida, I found the portions really large and I always took half of it home. Here, restaurants are not so generous with their portion sizes.

[prasantrin]

Egg McMuffin--6.7 points

Sausage McMuffin--9.4 points

Sausage and Egg McMuffin--priceless

Actually, it's a whopping 11.2 points.

I'd go for the sausage mcmuffin, even though their sausage gives me the creeps!

Do you find servings in the US, in general, are larger than in Canada?

[Shelby]

Who had to mention egg McMuffins. Now I'm hungry

[CaliPoutine]

So I did go out and get a Mcmuffin. Its not a problem for me to not order a value meal since I really dont care for the hashbrowns. I'd rather have grits!!

According to Dottie's weight loss zone an egg mcmuffin as 6.5 points. I'll just round up to 7. I'm sure mine has more because I always get the folded egg instead of the egg it normally comes with. I can't eat any runny yolks or I burp!!( TMI I'm sure).

I also had a serving of this reduced carb OJ, and look, it even has the WW points on the container( I bought this in Michigan). I drink it because it is reduced carbs and not because it's WW approved. President's Choice( Canadian brand) also makes a reduced carb OJ.

I'm working at home today which is always a challenge foodwise. Its just too easy to snack.

I think I'll make a minestrone soup today so I can use those borlotti beans and the sausage.

[CaliPoutine]

Do you find servings in the US, in general, are larger than in Canada?

Oh yes I do!! Thats a running joke between Robin and I, we're always comparing our two countries.

[prasantrin]

Reduced carb orange juice? How does that work? I can see on the label that it has less sugar--does that mean they add less sugar, or they remove some of the sugar naturally present?

eta: I just noticed it also says at the bottom "Light Orange Juice Beverage". Does that mean it's not pure orange juice? Or would that be a "Light Orange Juice Drink"?

Edited January 11, 2008 by prasantrin (log)

[CaliPoutine]

think the only one of us who does not live in a "gay ghetto" or gay-identified neighborhood is Randi -- and for all I know, there's one of these in Exeter too.

Ha, don't I wish!! I've heard there are probably 7 lesbians in Exeter. Of course, I'm sure there are a few that aren't out yet. For a country that is so progressive ( translation: Gay Marriage) there are still a lot of backwards people here. Although, I admit I havent run into any predjudice( that I know of) in this town.

I remember when I first moved here, my gaydar was constantly going off. I was wrong though!! I was reacting to very low maintence soccer mom's.

I did move here from Long Beach, CA where 10% of the population is gay. I used to live very close to a neighborhood known as " The Gay Ghetto".

[Shelby]

So I did go out and get a Mcmuffin. Its not a problem for me to not order a value meal since I really dont care for the hashbrowns.  I'd rather have grits!!

According to Dottie's weight loss zone an egg mcmuffin as 6.5 points.  I'll just round up to 7.  I'm sure mine has more because I always get the folded egg instead of the egg it normally comes with.  I can't eat any runny yolks or I burp!!( TMI I'm sure).

I also had a serving of this reduced carb OJ, and look, it even has the WW points on the container( I bought this in Michigan).  I drink it because it is reduced carbs and not because it's WW approved.    President's Choice( Canadian brand) also makes a reduced carb OJ.

I'm working at home today which is always a challenge foodwise.  Its just too easy to snack. 

I think I'll make a minestrone soup today so I can use those borlotti beans and the sausage.

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You're killing me

[CaliPoutine]

Reduced carb orange juice?  How does that work?  I can see on the label that it has less sugar--does that mean they add less sugar, or they remove some of the sugar naturally present?

eta:  I just noticed it also says at the bottom "Light Orange Juice Beverage".  Does that mean it's not pure orange juice?  Or would that be a "Light Orange Juice Drink"?

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It's only 42% juice. I like it call it Orange Juice, but I guess it really isnt. The ingredients are Filtered water, not from concentrate OJ, natural flavors, acesulfame potassium and sucralose( splenda). It has 50calories and 13g of carbs per 8oz.

[markemorse]

...(I do intend to weigh in on the subject of drinking and weight, just not now.)

Ooh! As a fellow DIY sobriety guy I think I know the answer to this one....especially if you're talking about drinking and weight loss...

[tammylc]

We're totally saving our flex points for this weekend.  We've already discussed where we want to eat out on Saturday.  We're aiming for Prince Albert Diner in London.  They have wonderful veggie burger's( Yves) that will somewhat fit into the plan.  THe majority of our points will be used on fries( and maybe some onion rings).

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I love, love, LOVE, Prince Albert Diner. I can't believe it's still there! And apparently still good? That was one of my chief hang outs when i was living in London in my 20's - my ex and I lived just a few blocks away.

The poutine was my favorite. Not real poutine, because they use shredded cheese instead of curds, but i loved it all the same. Their fries are amazing.

Thanks for the memories. Poutine and a chocolate shake - those were the days...

[Kouign Aman]

Re body image, dieting etc, it seems to me its probably a component that

straight women, gay men want to be sexy to men

straight men, gay women want to be sexy to women.

Regardless of gender, if the target audience is the same, the methodologies are probably too.

California does seem to have more than its share of body obsession. Is it the beach, or Hollywood, I wonder?

A bunch of small meals reminds me of Gone with the Wind, and Mammy forcing Scarlet to eat before the party at Ashley's folks, so that she'd only be seen to 'eat like a bird' in public. Maybe that helped those Southern gals stay whip slender as well?

[Pookie]

think the only one of us who does not live in a "gay ghetto" or gay-identified neighborhood is Randi -- and for all I know, there's one of these in Exeter too.

Ha, don't I wish!! I've heard there are probably 7 lesbians in Exeter. Of course, I'm sure there are a few that aren't out yet. For a country that is so progressive ( translation: Gay Marriage) there are still a lot of backwards people here. Although, I admit I havent run into any predjudice( that I know of) in this town.

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There is not even one in London - nearest town - 400 000 people. You need to head to Toronto before you get a "gay" neighborhood. We do have a few clubs and a parade during pride week though.

[CaliPoutine]

I've started the borlotti beans using this method.

Anyone know why some float up to the top? I need to find a minestrone recipe. I like to look at a recipes for guidance, although I'll probably be making some major substitutions based on what I have in my fridge.

[MarketStEl]

Re body image, dieting etc,  it seems to me its probably a component that

straight women, gay men    want to be sexy to men

straight men, gay women    want to be sexy to women.

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Exactly!

And it's my impression that women pay more attention to what's inside than what's on the outside, and men vice versa.

The sort-of in-joke about what a lesbian brings with her on the second date (answer: a U-Haul) touches on this difference, albeit clumsily.

Just remember what I said upthread about the body part men confuse for their brains. (WARNING: ARROGANCE ALERT!*) I guess that's one of my problems: I tend to think with my actual brain.

*Inside-baseball aside that Ellen will pick up on immediately: Candidates for membership in the Harvard Radio Broadcasting Co., Inc. (WHRB, 95.3 FM, Cambridge) had to go through a probationary period (Harvard's other undergraduate media at the time, The Harvard Crimson and The Harvard Independent, which has a history of drawing Pembroke-Country Day grads to it (the editor-in-chief of The Hilltop my freshman year at Pem-Day (I was EinC senior year) was the editor of the Indy my freshman year at Harvard (I was an Indy staffer but never rose at the paper), had -- and still have -- the same initiation process). During this time, current members share their evaluations of the candidates in a "candidates' comment book" ("CCB") that the candidates are forbidden to read. So, of course, we candidates did everything we could to sneak a look at it. I managed to get my hands on it shortly before the members were to vote on who they'd accept, and as I paged through, found a comment from a fairly pompous and full-of-himself member whose chief asset was his golden radio baritone calling me "the most arrogant a**hole I have ever met at Harvard." Luckily for me, one of my advocates managed to have a chat with me shortly before the election that probably saved my candidacy. Confidential to Ellen: Think you know who I'm referring to?

[JanMcBaker]

I've started the borlotti beans using this method.

Anyone know why some float up to the top?   

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Perhaps they're the gassy ones...? Sorry, I couldn't help myself!

[CaliPoutine]

Lunch today.

Leftover tuna stuffed in half a pita with leftover salad, some baked Lay's and a deit dr. pepper.

I'm just getting around to eating lunch now( at almost 2pm). I know it was because I had that egg mcmuffin. I guess there is something to be said for having protein for breakfast.

[Pontormo]

I also had a serving of this reduced carb OJ, and look, it even has the WW points on the container( I bought this in Michigan).  I drink it because it is reduced carbs and not because it's WW approved.    President's Choice( Canadian brand) also makes a reduced carb OJ.

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Hi, Randi. I've been skimming through this joint-blog and wish all of you success, or should I say continued success in deference to the impressive results Mizducky has reported in the past.

Last year when I decided to do something about over a decade of slowly accumulating pounds, I chose simply to modify the amount I ate and to impose a few restrictions while exercising more. Granted, I am not counting WW points, nor concerned about limiting carbohydrates, but in researching various words of advice about weight loss, I decided to heed something I read over and over again: Don't waste calories on beverages.

I switched from my beloved glass of grapefruit or orange juice in the morning to eating fresh fruit with the exception of transitional weeks when citrus fruits get dry and bitter and melons are not yet in season. Half a grapefruit has half the calories of a glass of juice. Since even "home-style", heavy pulp juices have 0% fiber, the fiber in the fruit is probably more filling, too, and I find it sweet enough to not require additional sugar.

Also, I guess I'm bothered by the fact that Tropicana is asking you to pay for water, and adding artificial sweeteners to mask a watered-down taste. (Coco-Cola owns the company and is starting to narrow the gap between its premium, un-reconstituted fruit juices and its soft drinks.) You'd save money purchasing a carton of regular orange juice and mixing it with water yourself, as in 1 part juice to 2 parts seltzer, which is something I adore in the summer.

Sorry for sounding so Pollanesque. The grace of prescribed diet plans is that they impose discipline and permit some degree of freedom within a clear set of guidelines that you're not following all on your own. Whatever works for you works.

Re body image, dieting etc,  it seems to me its probably a component that

straight women, gay men    want to be sexy to men

straight men, gay women    want to be sexy to women.

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And straight women and gay men want to look good to themselves and other women, kind to animals, sweaty to other runners, hip yet authoritative to their teenager's friends.... It's all so very complicated.

* * *

Dried beans rise when there's air in between the skin and the legume within. Often, you'll see the skin is wrinkly, the bean tiny, and it's best to throw the floaters out.

[mizducky]

I've started the borlotti beans using this method.

Anyone know why some float up to the top?    I need to find a minestrone recipe.  I like to look at a recipes for guidance, although I'll probably be making some major substitutions based on what I have in my fridge.

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I was always taught that the ones that floated to the top had probably gone "off" a little or dried out too much, and should be discarded. I usually give the floaters a closer inspection, and if they look okay anyway, leave 'em in.

*Inside-baseball aside that Ellen will pick up on immediately: Candidates for membership in the Harvard Radio Broadcasting Co., Inc. (WHRB, 95.3 FM, Cambridge) had to go through a probationary period (Harvard's other undergraduate media at the time, The Harvard Crimson and The Harvard Independent, which has a history of drawing Pembroke-Country Day grads to it (the editor-in-chief of The Hilltop my freshman year at Pem-Day (I was EinC senior year) was the editor of the Indy my freshman year at Harvard (I was an Indy staffer but never rose at the paper), had -- and still have -- the same initiation process). During this time, current members share their evaluations of the candidates in a "candidates' comment book" ("CCB") that the candidates are forbidden to read.  So, of course, we candidates did everything we could to sneak a look at it.  I managed to get my hands on it shortly before the members were to vote on who they'd accept, and as I paged through, found a comment from a fairly pompous and full-of-himself member whose chief asset was his golden radio baritone calling me "the most arrogant a**hole I have ever met at Harvard."  Luckily for me, one of my advocates managed to have a chat with me shortly before the election that probably saved my candidacy.  Confidential to Ellen: Think you know who I'm referring to?

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I PMed you my off-the-top-of-my-head guess, though now I'm having additional thoughts--you didn't specify whether it was an underclassman or a "ghost" (WHRB slang for those alumni who stuck around as active volunteers at the station).

ETA: Sandy just PM'ed me to tell me my first guess was right!

Trying valiantly to drag this college reminiscence back on-topic, I'll note that WHRB was the instigator of a whole lot of diet-busting behavior, mainly through a social practice known as a "feed". No, not the kind of feed that pipes in audio from a remote location event, but the kind of feed in which a bunch of crazed students, usually having worked into the wee hours at the studio or whatever, all pile into somebody's car and head off in search of mass quantities of greasy-spoon fare, thus combining the best features of road trips and diner hangings-out in one wacky ritual.

I'm trying to piece together the following memory--whether it was a WHRB feed, or just some random assortment of students making like a feed--but the story went that a bunch of Harvard classmates of my acquaintance all piled in the car heading out for food. Someone sitting in the back, when polled where he wanted to eat, named a deli in New York City, and then nodded off. When he woke up, he discovered it was four hours later and they were pulling up at said deli. Ah, to be young, silly, and equipped with a car.

As a matter of fact, my Harvard years were also a time of continuing stuggle with my weight and eating, a struggle that had been going on since early childhood. There's a photo of me from kindergarten in which I am already decidedly plump--and also wearing cat-eye frame glasses. Yep, all through school I was The Fat Too-Brainy Girl With Glasses, and thus the instant target of seemingly every bully in every class. Among other things, this piled huge amounts of additional angst about my weight onto my child-psyche, the kind that can keep one messed up about weight and dieting for decades afterward. And it did.

That's one of many reasons why I view the current "War on Obesity" public health efforts with a certain amount of ambivalence, especially proposals for programs to be implemented in schools. These things have to be done very carefully with school children, because the risk of winding up with scapegoated fat kids is huge, and I don't ever want another kid to go through any of the hell I was subjected to.

Edited January 11, 2008 by mizducky (log)

[Smithy]

That's one of many reasons why I view the current "War on Obesity" public health efforts with a certain amount of ambivalence, especially proposals for programs to be implemented in schools. These things have to be done very carefully with school children, because the risk of winding up with scapegoated fat kids is huge, and I don't ever want another kid to go through any of the hell I was subjected to.

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I wouldn't wish that sort of bullying and ridicule off on anyone, so I agree with you on that point. I would ask, however: how would you see such a program making things worse than they are already, with regard to finding scapegoats? If such ridicule still happens now (and I suspect it does), how would attempting to teach children proper nutrition, so they can stay more fit, be counterproductive?

[MarketStEl]

As I began to post this, an e-mail landed in my box with the subject line "Sales donuts from new reps" and the text "are in the food cube (Justin's old cube)." Justin was one of the two younger, less experienced writers I replaced. They're now calling his cubicle (edited to add: which, you will recall, is right next to mine) "the food cube." I'm in trouble, folks. So, while I enjoy a late dessert, let me show you:

Also known as Pretzel Day.

Every Thursday, a terse e-mail appears shortly after the start of the workday stating simply, "The pretzels are in."

This is the signal for people to make their way to the Customer Support department at the north end of the building, where the setup pictured above materializes. New York Times Magazine readers may recall a tale of a guy who delivers bagels to offices around the Washington area, leaving an honor box with his deliveries, and the lessons in economics and sociology the guy learned over the years (one being that about 85 percent of the population is honest). You will note that these are also made available on the honor system, and that most people here are honorable (pretzels are 25c each).

I should have mentioned soft pretzels in my second foodblog, for they are as much a Philly Phood Icon as cheesesteaks and hoagies. The Philly Soft Pretzel Factory, whence these came, is a relative newcomer to the soft-pretzel market, but they have grown rapidly from a single location in the Mayfair section of Northeast Philly in 1998 to nearly 150 franchised stores from New York to Florida. I think the secret to their success is that each store bakes its own pretzels on the premises, continuously throughout the day, guaranteeing everyone a hot (or at least warm), truly soft pretzel. The big commercial pretzel bakers like Federal Pretzel in South Philly usually bake in huge batches while the city sleeps and then truck their wares to convenience stores and other retailers, where they quickly become cold and gradually become hard.

Roomie loves these too, which may not be as bad a problem as it looks: there's probably less total sodium in those big salt crystals sprinkled on the pretzels than in most savory/salty snacks, Utz potato chips possibly excepted. (Look on the nutrition label on the back of the bag if you live in Utz territory: a serving of their regular chips has only 90 mg of sodium, the lowest among all the major chip brands and low enough to qualify as a low sodium food, I think.)

On Wednesday, one of these was my breakfast. Unfortunately, the bottle of spicy brown mustard my boss brought in for purposes of dressing the pretzels was AWOL from the fridge, so I had to settle for plain yellow mustard.

The pretzel set the tone for the day. I never ate the salad I packed -- it's still in the fridge even now; you'll see why when I get to posting Friday. Instead, I grazed throughout the day -- two cookies from the food cube here, a handful of almonds there, a couple of cups of coffee, a gulp or two from the water fountain. This is probably the closest I've come to approximating the many-small-mealettes approach Ellen follows, which I understand is actually a more effective way to control your appetite to shed pounds.

I left the office early in order to head to another grazing site: an open house fundraiser for the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund, which makes grants to fund organizations that serve queers throughout the Greater Philadelphia region. (If you go to the "Mission" section of the site, you will see that the Chorus is among the fund's beneficiaries.)

After I made that post yesterday, I power-walked up to the Wawa to draw some cash from the ATM, walked back down Main Street towards the train station, realized as I passed West College Avenue that I had left my camera on my desk, walked back through the office, grabbed the camera, headed out the back to the golf course, then high-tailed it down the street leading to the train station, where I saw the 4:00 train pull out as I entered the parking lot. Oops! I had read the schedule wrong.

After cooling my heels for 52 minutes at the station -- okay, I walked back to the Wawa and bought a V8 juice, thus ensuring that I got some vegetables inside me -- I did catch a train that got me into the city in enough time to still attend the fundraiser before my 7 p.m. seminar.

It was held in a model home in a townhouse development at the intersection of Yesterday and Tomorrow in an area of South Philadelphia that is slowly gentrifying. Long a mostly black neighborhood -- famed soprano Marian Anderson lived not far from where this development is going up in the 1900 block of Kimball Street, just north of Washington Avenue -- it's experienced an influx of young, relatively affluent whites along with a housing construction boom in Center City, to which real estate agents have been assiduously trying to annex this neighborhood. (They began calling the general area "Southwest Center City" in the late 1980s. Due to this area's proximity to the former Graduate Hospital, hipsters have taken to calling it "G-Ho.")

The hosts and guests were far more mixed than that paragraph would let on, though most of the blacks were women and most of the men white, and vice versa.

The hors d'oeuvres -- prepared in the house's large kitchen -- were tasty, and all of them would have probably eaten up my points allowance were I counting points. They included:

Shrimp cocktail

Grilled asparagus, peppers and zucchini

Crab balls and clams stuffed with bacon

Lamb chops

Prosciutto and Cheddar cheese (pictured), mortadella, bologna, Asiago and Parmesan cheeses (on the platters in the first photo)

I had a little of everything but the mortadella and bologna, a little more of the cheeses and shrimp, and a pink martini. As I helped myself to the prosciutto, one of the other guests told me he had had better. The guest was right.

I hung out on the roof deck for a while, where I took in a stunning view of the city skyline, which has gotten far better ever since Liberty Place broke the informal height limit in 1987. I also got into a discussion of parking and city building codes with one of the developers and had a chat with Billy DiBruno, whose other half was not in attendance.

I tipped Billy off to the Jamón Iberico thread I had started (he does know about eG; most food professionals in Philly do now) and told him I wanted to organize a syndicate to buy a pound. He got a laugh out of that.

Then I told him that I'd probably ask for some as a 50th birthday present this fall. "You're almost 50?" he said. "I'd never have guessed."

That's right, girl, when ya got it, flaunt it, flaunt it! -- "I'm Beautiful"

Edited January 11, 2008 by MarketStEl (log)