blog

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11/14 6:28 am

I think I identified a bird the other day. This is a picture from my phone (no time to grab the camera). I'm pretty sure it's a black drongo based on the head shape and the long tail feathers, plus it's a very common bird in this area. It's pretty exciting for a first bird, I think.

There's lots of birds right outside our apartment but actually trying to look at them I realized that I was a little foolish for thinking I could try birding without binoculars. Human eyes are pretty bad. I guess I was thinking of seeing pigeons milling about on the street, but birds in trees are actually pretty damn far. Anyway, we'll have to go onna quest for binoculars soon, or else our sudden desire to become birdwatching will float away.

I also spotted this cat at our favorite bar a couple nights ago. He had to figure out how to eat with his cone on. I liked his energy but he didn't come over and say hi. The music was good, and the feeling was the same as it was the first time we came here almost 6 years ago, so it's probably the most consistent place and feeling I've experienced in recent history. The cats I meet have changed throughout the years though :(

When I order food late at night, I count the lizards on our apartment building. Last night I hit a new record of 10 lizards, all within one minute. That's a lizard less than every ten seconds, which is exciting in the moment but makes the rest of the day kind of a letdown. The food I'm ordering a lot is Lebanese food, which I actually want to order every day because it tastes so good. My favorites are their dolma and eggplant baladi.

Anyway, it's pouring outside and the light is coming in, so I need to head to sleep, or read, which I'm putting off again. I'm getting my paycheck tomorrow and I really wanna blow a bunch of it on makeup even though I keep running out of room for more lipsticks.

Watching: x files (season 4)

Reading: the fox wife

Listening: cocteau twins serpentskirt

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2025/09/12 friday 3:32 AM

today we visited this amazing italian restaurant polipo for the second time. isn't polipo an adorable name? we first ate there sunday night- which is when i got these pics. it's small but deceptively big inside with lots of tables. sunday night there were lots of big families, even a birthday dinner with candles. i'd probably describe it as bustling, the staff are really running around to check on everyone and carry really yummy smelling dishes by me so my mouth is watering the whole time. there's also lots of italian on the wall saying "grazie" and stuff from real-deal italians. and lots of soccer jerseys which feels very italian to me. anyway when we went on sunday we started with campari and limoncello sodas and homemade bread. i'm still getting used to this camera so i couldn't get any good pics of the bread, but it was really fresh with a nice char on it. then we got margherita pizza as our main dish and OMG

the pizza was SO GOOD! it was better than probably half the pizzas i tried when i was actually in italy. which were mostly hit or miss because i can't tell where is gonna have a good pizza when there's so many options. the sauce was really flavorful, with lots of garlic and i feel like high quality tomatoes. and there wasn't too much cheese which is my big pizza pet peeve! the best thing in italy was the plain sauce pizzas, which i forget the word for. then we had to get dessert, which seems like their specialty as they had a lot of options.

i felt awkward asking about the dessert menu even though i was memorizing it the whole time, but luckily the hostess (owner?) cheerily asked if we wanted any dessert and proceeded to explain everything. i still wanna try the tiramisu and pistachio brulee. i was too full of bread though so i got the pistachio gelato which WAS better than any gelato i had in italy, unequivocally.

we also tried the homemade limoncello with local lemons which was also the best limoncello i've ever had for sure. i think the owner (hostess?) made it herself with god knows how many lemons. it was definitely the highlight of the entire experience and she was really excited for us to try it. sooo good.

the owner/hostess was so friendly, and even though her voice is sweet and cheerful it's kind of booming, which makes it a more authentic italian experience i think. i was trying out my new digital camera taking pictures of all the food, so i wonder if she thought i was a food blogger or something. anyway, we came back today and she recognized us, it was so nice! she looked at me and said "pistachio gelato?", which is not a bad nickname. i forgot to bring the camera this time, so no pics. :( but we tried the seafood pasta that we were jealous of last time, with mussels, shrimp, squid, and thick homemade noodles. it was also, unsurprisingly, delicious, but the pizza is probably the best. on a weeknight there were mostly couples and it was quieter but still pretty full.

also i tripped on the stair leaving both times

i don't think i'll usually write this much, but i guess i just had a lot to say about this yummy food. i should probably be working, on which i am behind, or read, on which i am also behind. i'm 75% of the way through thomas pynchon's vineland, which i am enjoying and also assigned for the book club myself, so it's a little embarassing i'm lagging behind...but i think i just hate being beholden even if its by myself, lol. and i've been pretty busy. i wanted to visit the art museum tomorrow but here's huge thunder and lightning bursts coming from the window behind me so maybe i'll read when i wake up if it's raining. i read all day yesterday when it rained but then i kept falling asleep suddenly and taking little sneaky naps by accident- even though the book is really funny! i'm just a sleepy reader who hates being told to read, even though it's the only way i read.

reading: vineland - thomas pynchon

listening to: promise - sade (plus a thunderstorm!)

watching: poker face