Mexican Night at Chez Macaroni

There's only one thing to do in SoCal when you pass a whole mess of ripe avocados on sale in the grocery store. You make guacamole! You also buy some tortilla chips to go with that guacamole, and then you realize there's no way you can complete day #1 of your diet, so you do what you're really good at. You put off day #1 until tomorrow. Again......

So the trip up to Oakland on I-5 was boring, just as I expected. But the trip back was more interesting because we passed several of these:

They're trucks loaded with oranges. I figure the folks who load these trucks know just how many to put in so as to avoid spillage on the highway. These must be different folks than those who load the tomato trucks, because when tomatoes are in season the highway looks a little like the roads in Connecticut during deer season. Just kidding.....

My sister-in-law did not disappoint with her Korean barbeque. She had quite a few side dishes to go with, including pot stickers, some kind of yummy veggie pancakes, sticky rice, and a spicy squid dish.....just to name a few. On Saturday night, she made prime rib with all the trimmings and then shared a big box of Valentine chocolates. So today I have guacamole guilt and well I should.

While in the Oakland area, I accompanied my nephew to the local Barnes and Noble--the biggest one I've ever seen. I noticed a Starbucks coffee counter in the store, and thought a special coffee might taste good. I know I've said I don't like Starbucks, but I kind of developed a taste for those sweet coffee drinks while on the cruise. I told the nice lady behind the counter that I wasn't a Starbucks regular, so maybe she could suggest something I'd like. After a few minutes, she came back with something under $3, so I knew she didn't figure me for a big spender. So far, so good. I ended up with a coffee-chocolate-whipped cream blend that was just right for browsing the cheap book aisle.

Actually, I didn't spend much time in the bargain section, but headed over to the magazines instead. I found the latest issue of Art Doll Quarterly that I love to look at for inspiration. I don't buy them often, but this issue had some wonderfully creative dolls. I was especially taken with one that was dressed in chocolate candy wrappers.

The dollmaker had covered the torso with gold squares from Hershey Miniatures and made the petticoat with bubble wrap. She decorated the shoes with Ferrero Rocher truffle stickers. Gold foil was wadded up and glued on for the neckline. She peeled off the lining from a candy box for the gold outer skirt. This is such an amazing piece of creativity that I find myself inspired to the point of wanting to go to the local See's Candy store (there's one just around the corner) for some craft supplies....