A nice day out: gym; D et al.

I got out fairly early, and after a stop at the local Greenmarket with cattitude (who took home half a gallon each of apple cider and apple/raspberry juice), went to the gym. This was a good workout, though another half hour might have been nice.

From there, I went out to Brooklyn to meet D (WINOLJ), Cattitude, roadnotes, and baldanders for lunch and socializing. The subways were being slightly annoying subways (weekend rerouting and random delays); useful though the automated/recorded announcements may be when they're saying "This is a Brooklyn College/Flatbush Avenue–bound number two train", they are entirely unconvincing when apologizing for delays.

When I got to our rendezvous, it turned out that Moroccan Star is closed, with a sign urging us to "watch for Grand Opening." This would be more plausible had they not (re)opened in the new location some time ago. We eventually wound up a block away, still on Atlantic Avenue, at Fountain Cafe, which had the best shwarma any of us has ever eaten [1], the apricot pudding I remembered fondly from a previous visit, and real tea.

After lunch, we took one look in Sahadi's and decided there was nothing we needed enough to brave the crowds, so just walked around downtown Brooklyn, because it was a nice day and D misses New York. Velma and Soren went home moderately soon, and the remaining three of us wandered down and then back up Court Street, with stops to wander at length through a used book store, to buy clementines and other useful produce, and for me to buy a peach pie. After which I told them not to let me into any more bakeries: I'd already gotten two pistachio bird's nests at Damascus, and we still have chocolate chip biscotti that I bought a few days ago. The used book store was fun: I got a guide to identifying North American grasses.

Somewhat sore of foot, we got the F train at Bergen, and talked subways and history thereof while waiting for the train and then on the ride into Manhattan. Porto Rico Coffee and Tea Importers has a coffee/tea/hot chocolate stall at the back now, and they'll sell you a cup of any loose tea from the large selection on the wall. I tried the only Assam they had in stock. It was tea, but will not replace McNulty's Golden Assam in my estimation, so I got a tin of Twining's Ceylon Breakfast. Cattitude got coffee and coffee filters, and D got coffee. And then we headed to our respective homes (well, D headed to her parents' home, not immediately to the other coast).

A very pleasant afternoon; I don't get to spend as much time with D as I'd like, geography being what it is.

[1] ETA: I asked the waiter to tell the chef this.

( click here for workout details )

A nice day out: gym; D et al.

I got out fairly early, and after a stop at the local Greenmarket with cattitude (who took home half a gallon each of apple cider and apple/raspberry juice), went to the gym. This was a good workout, though another half hour might have been nice.

From there, I went out to Brooklyn to meet D (WINOLJ), Cattitude, roadnotes, and baldanders for lunch and socializing. The subways were being slightly annoying subways (weekend rerouting and random delays); useful though the automated/recorded announcements may be when they're saying "This is a Brooklyn College/Flatbush Avenue–bound number two train", they are entirely unconvincing when apologizing for delays.

When I got to our rendezvous, it turned out that Moroccan Star is closed, with a sign urging us to "watch for Grand Opening." This would be more plausible had they not (re)opened in the new location some time ago. We eventually wound up a block away, still on Atlantic Avenue, at Fountain Cafe, which had the best shwarma any of us has ever eaten [1], the apricot pudding I remembered fondly from a previous visit, and real tea.

After lunch, we took one look in Sahadi's and decided there was nothing we needed enough to brave the crowds, so just walked around downtown Brooklyn, because it was a nice day and D misses New York. Velma and Soren went home moderately soon, and the remaining three of us wandered down and then back up Court Street, with stops to wander at length through a used book store, to buy clementines and other useful produce, and for me to buy a peach pie. After which I told them not to let me into any more bakeries: I'd already gotten two pistachio bird's nests at Damascus, and we still have chocolate chip biscotti that I bought a few days ago. The used book store was fun: I got a guide to identifying North American grasses.

Somewhat sore of foot, we got the F train at Bergen, and talked subways and history thereof while waiting for the train and then on the ride into Manhattan. Porto Rico Coffee and Tea Importers has a coffee/tea/hot chocolate stall at the back now, and they'll sell you a cup of any loose tea from the large selection on the wall. I tried the only Assam they had in stock. It was tea, but will not replace McNulty's Golden Assam in my estimation, so I got a tin of Twining's Ceylon Breakfast. Cattitude got coffee and coffee filters, and D got coffee. And then we headed to our respective homes (well, D headed to her parents' home, not immediately to the other coast).

A very pleasant afternoon; I don't get to spend as much time with D as I'd like, geography being what it is.

[1] ETA: I asked the waiter to tell the chef this.

( click here for workout details )