Ode to Tomatoes

Ok, so at this time last week Erika and I were resolute Manhattanites. But after only one short week, we are falling quickly under the spell of California. For me, it's being able to lay around in the sun, outside, where I can keep a close eye on those birdies and the House Cat, Montana.

For Erika, it's the tomatoes. She and Martin made a trip to the California Avenue Farmer's market on Sunday and could not resist loading up on all kinds of organic fruits and vegetables (And eggs! And black cod!). Artichokes, broccoli, yellow wax beans, dried slab apricots, fuju persimmons, Watsonville strawberries, all kinds of weird green and yellow summer squash, cherry tomatoes, and... heirloom tomatoes. It is a crime to give the name of "tomato" to those hard, salmon-colored orbs that they sell in most supermarkets. Tomatoes can be so much more! We got little green zebras, big yellow-red "pineapple" tomatoes, early girls, some unnamed dark purplish variety, and everything in between. Erika slices them up and eats them with salt and pepper, or gently places the tomato slices on top of cheese on top of bread and pops the whole thing under the broiler for a few minutes. Today's tomato cheese toastie got the added benefit of a bit of fresh oregano from the Lins' garden. Martin just pops the cherry tomatoes in his mouth one after the other - yellow, red, orange, red, yellow...this is the way to live! I'm not crazy about them myself, but I am enjoying nibbling a bit of that California lawn each day to get my greens...

Sunning in the Suburbs

We made it!!! Flying first class is Not Bad, especially when I get to ride on Erika's lap instead of the sub-zero floor of the aircraft. I was certainly not crazy about waiting in the airport, or actually taking off in the plane, but once I treated my fellow passengers to my full range of vocal expression (at top volume), I settled down and was happy to just doze, with an occasional glance out the window. Martin was at the airport to greet us with a box of chocolates and a fully functional automobile. (How about that German engineering?) His trip was very enjoyable - they decided to blow off Vegas in favor of camping out by the hot springs on the East Side of the Sierras and driving through Yosemite Valley. Highlights of the trip were apparently the hot springs and of course the Memphis barbecue.

We are now quite comfortably settled in a lovely cottage in Palo Alto with a large yard and flower garden, humming birds, squirrels, and even another cat (Montana). We are not friends yet, but have established a truce which involves daily staring contests from our respective doorways. Erika has spent the week remembering how to get around the Bay Area and taking long, sunny walks in the Stanford Hills. Martin is learning all about his new job and how people do business differently in California. Example: No 9am meetings. If engineering is involved, no meetings before 11am. He is already quite enamored, mostly by the free mochas and the casual dress policy. California is Cool!

With thanks again to the Lin family, who found our current abode, we are signing the lease on an absolutely lovely flat in Bernal Heights (San Francisco) on Friday and will move at the end of the month. Yay!!! You can read more about Bernal Heights here and here.
The commute from SF to Sunnyvale is actually not bad. Martin has 3 options: the train, the company shuttle (complete with wireless connectivity and free snacks!), and driving. From here, we will start our search in earnest for the goat farm and attached dream house. Life is good. Now I see a butterfly I need to chase if I can tear myself away from this sunny spot...

NEWS FLASH: PAWLENE IN REHAB

Erika here, filling in while Pawlene recovers from her latest catnip binge. It's partially my fault - I left a few tea bags of catnip on the dining room table, right on top of my to-do list so that I would not forget to pack them for California. When I returned from a brief errand, I discovered the carnage depicted in the photo (catnip EVERYWHERE) and Pawlene, remorseful, staring out of the bedroom window.

In other news, Martin had dinner in Santa Fe, New Mexico last night with Renee Zellweger. Hmmmm. Last I heard he and Neil were headed for VEGAS, BABY!

I've been trying to amuse myself over the last few days with food, naturally, and one Broadway Show (Spring Awakening) that I just couldn't miss after cousin Andrew's enthusiastic review. It captures teenage angst and sexuality like no other movie or play I have seen. In the food department, I've been alternating between our local favorites (Lassi and Cafe Asean, whose roast Long Island duckling with coconut creamed corn I just polished off) and heavy hitters such as Gramercy Tavern (a perennial favorite) and, finally, Babbo. It is every bit as good as everyone says it is. Aside from dinners I have been subsisting on the Rogue River blue cheese that Neil brought, lovely end-of-summer cherry tomatoes, radishes, and young coconut. Clearly the plan to cook a grand meal or two using everything left in the fridge and cupboards has been trashed. Movers come tomorrow and take away the plates and silverware, so I'll be forced to eat the rest of my meals out. I've got the breakfasts lined up. Tomorrow I'm enjoying cafe con leche and the best Puerto Rican oatmeal (introduced to me by a friendly tow truck driver years ago when Charlie and I had a blow-out on the George Washington bridge). On Saturday, a leisurely good-bye brunch at Prune with Andrew, and finally, on Sunday, my last trip to Jack's (our beloved local cafe) for a bagel and some of that patented Stir-Brew Coffee before I get on the plane. Luckily, I'm not moving to a culinary wasteland, although apparently Portland is where it is all happening these days.

You can get great food anywhere - even Texas - so that is not what I will miss the most about New York City. This place inspires me like no other. All it takes is a walk down the sidewalk side by side with every size, shape, and color of person you can imagine. Yesterday I saw a man who was *completely* covered in tattoos, even the insides of his ears were illustrated. But I digress. All of these people, moving with such PURPOSE. I get sucked into the powerful current that runs this city and it just CHARGES me with my own creative energy and purpose. I can't wait to connect and contribute and collaborate with these passionate and driven souls.

Living in New York City is hard. You have to really want to be here. The weather is relentlessly hot or freezing cold. The streets and subways are crowded with masses of people who push and move fast - you have to go fast too, or you get run over. It's expensive - everyone is out to make a buck and if you don't stand up for yourself, you get run over there too. But living here feels like being part of something important. People take their civic duties seriously - we help tourists find their way, we say a friendly hello to the flower guy, coffee guy, and baker whose shops we walk by every single day, we support the arts in myriad ways, and generally we take great pride in our identities as New Yorkers.

Don't get me wrong - I'm looking forward to putting down roots in California - literally and figuratively. I might eventually get tired of the hustle, the concrete, the noise, and the hard work of living in New York City, but I haven't yet. To me, it will always be the greatest city on earth. But for now, it's time to turn to the other side of my personality - the side that wears overalls instead of stiletto boots. The side that loves growing things, and listening to crickets at night, and being able to see the stars. Maybe, once we get really settled and I have long forgiven Pawlene for the mess on the dining room table, I'll even grow a little patch of catnip for her to roll in, tear up, and destroy.

Autumn in New York

Billie Holliday had it right - Autumn is the best time of the year to be in New York. Mornings start out crisp, blue, and sparkling, and by noon it is in the 80s and everyone is outside, in shorts and sundresses, marveling at the good fortune of Indian summer and outdoor dining. I am viewing all of this from the window next to the dining room table, where I am normally not supposed to be, but all bets are off since we are moving at the end of the week. Autumn seems an especially appropriate time to do this - leave while the party is still going, but heed the early warning signs, like the leaves slowly disappearing from the tree outside of the bedroom window. I remember that sun in my eye from May, when we first moved in here and the trees were still bare.

I tried out my new rolling cat carrier for a journey to the vet yesterday - just two blocks across the bumpy slate sidewalks of Greenwich Village and I was miserable. I did get my Certificate of Health though, and am ready to fly, drug-free, to California. It's only 6 hours, I think I can make it. Erika is not so sure. That plane had better be on time.

Erika is not so ready to fly - she has almost achieved her goal of visiting every Danny Meyer restaurant in New York. An incredible birthday dinner at Eleven Madison Park almost sealed the deal. Only Blue Smoke, the BBQ restaurant/jazz club remains. Hopefully San Francisco will catch on to the whole Texas BBQ trend, so that another visit to Texas can be avoided.

A quick visit from the Willett parents last week ensured 3 days of Very Good Eating - Lombardi's (the oldest pizza parlor in America) was disappointing, but August for Dad's birthday was amazing (Schwarzwalder Kirsch Torte for Oktoberfest!), and the pastrami sandwich at Katz's Deli never disappoints. A visit over the weekend from Uncle Neil brought its own culinary delights - a 2-lb block of Rogue River Blue from Oregon!

Neil and Martin were last heard from 12 hours after they departed New York City. They had just dined at the "Vegas" restaurant in Pikesville, TN and were determined to reach Memphis by midnight. That's over 1000 miles from NYC for those of you who are following along on a map. Those crazy boys...

Top 5 Reasons to Move Back to the Bay Area

I spent last week keeping Caroline the Cat Sitter company while Erika and Martin looked fruitlessly for a place to live in the Bay Area. We move into a temporary place in Palo Alto (thanks Deanna and Lois!) on September 30 and the search will continue...In the mean time, it's a whirlwind of activity closing up shop in New York(Our last brunch at Prune! Our last coffee at Jack's!) along with visits from the Willett parents and Uncle Neil, and the height of Birthday Season.

Erika has put together a list to help me get used to the idea of moving to California. You can tell Erika made this list because 3 out of the 5 items are food-related:

Top 5 Reasons to Move Back to the Bay Area

1. Great friends and family members abound
   
2. It's Its (only available West of the Rockies)
   
3. Banana peanut butter pancakes and a glass of milk for breakfast at It's Tops (in keeping with the "It's" theme)
   
4. Independent book stores (what happened to all of the book stores in NYC?)
   
5. Dungeness crab (read it and weep, expatriate Willetts)
   

ANOTHER SIDE NOTE from Erika:
I've seen some great bumper stickers lately. My favorite is on our local Greenwich Village fire engine (station 18). It's an "I support our Troops" sticker, but someone has removed the "Tr" in Troops.

Also of note is the tribute to September 11 as shown on the Defective Yeti blog.

The Big News

Ok, so maybe you've heard the rumors and just laughed them off in disbelief. Well, it's official - we are leaving New York at the end of September and headed to...
The San Francisco Bay Area!

For those of you who have been following along, YES this means a complete clockwise circle for Erika (NYC -> SF -> Portland -> NYC -> SF). YES, we swore we would stay in our dreamy Greenwich Village apartment for at least a year. YES we are afflicted with compulsive nomadic disorder. It also means we will be paying taxes in 4 states this year (Oregon, New York, New Jersey, and California). In Erika's defense, this move was not her idea. Martin, who never really warmed up to the East Coast, got a job offer out of the blue from [large internet company] that was just too good to pass up. The job is in Sunnyvale, but we will not be living in Sunnyvale. Where we will reside is TBD at this point - Erika and Martin will spend the next week searching madly for an apartment with plenty of sunny spots and windows that overlook bird and squirrel habitats. Any leads will be enthusiastically received.

I'll be making my first plane trip on September 30 from JFK to SFO. [Side note from Erika: All of you who told me horror stories about driving cross-country with cats and were right, PLEASE just keep silent about flying with cats - I don't want to know.] Martin will pick us up from the airport after driving 3000 miles in the Audi with dear friend Neil. Yes, the same Audi that has lost a part on each road trip we have taken it on. Martin figures, all the parts that were going to break or fall off (windshield wiper, tire, belt that drives the alternator and water pump) have now broken or fallen off and he should be good for the duration. Erika is confident that he will make it for 3 reasons:

1. This car is 7 years newer than the Buick that got us out here AND it has the advantage of German engineering.
   
2. Martin can fix anything.
   
3. Neil can talk his way out of anything.
   

We have mixed feelings about this move. Erika truly believes that New York City is the greatest city on earth and has thoroughly enjoyed frequent contact with her dear cousin Andrew, but we still wanted to end up in California eventually. Just not this soon. Martin is excited about the return to real mountains and desert, getting back into flying, and his new job! Erika is excited about seeing all of her favorite West Coast people, being close to Yosemite, and hopefully staying in one place for a while (no promises this time). I am excited about all that sun, and the possibility of going Outside again! I'll save all the things we will miss for another post...

It's a Jungle Out Here

I haven't been online for a while due to an unfortunate accident with a vase of flowers that Martin brought home for Erika. I thought they were for me, and while I was trying to get a better look at them, I accidentally knocked the vase over onto Erika's laptop. RIP Dell, Welcome Home MacBook! Yes, we've crossed over to the light side. And despite the strange keyboard (I really must get my claws trimmed), it's pretty cool! I'm typing on it right now! Those Apple people seem to know what they are doing in the world of user experience. Yes, I know, I'm like 10 years behind all my cool friends, but hey - I'm just a cat!

In other news, our apartment has been infested (ok, two sightings - one alive, one dead) by "house centipedes". According to the Cornell Cooperative Web site, these centipedes are much scarier looking, but less venomous than their common, outdoor-dwelling brothers. "The house centipede differs ... in that it is fragile, gray to light brown, long legged and about 1 inch in length. It is the only common house infesting centipede. It is sometimes observed running across floors at great speed. House centipedes prefer to live in moist areas, but they forage actively at night and may be found in drier areas of the home as well. They are predaceous, feeding on insects, spiders and other small animals." I think I'm safe, since despite my 3-week diet, at 18.7 lbs I remain solidly in the large animal category.