I don't wanna sound too gaggy, but . . .

it sure is good to have Biggie Head with Fries around. Now if it would only stop raining! Obviously I'm a bad person who is never satisfied. I mean Portland was 107 yesterday, so I should quit whining. And I will -- soon.

For all you Uticans and former Uticans who come back for visits and love pizza as much as I do, here's mini review of Antonelli's (sp) in the North Utica Shopping mall, the depressing one with the Price Chopper.

The crust is amazing: crunchy, light, almost thin enough, and it has the whole dusted with semolina thing that I like (a lot). The sawsage was cut correctly (long ways), and while it was not great sawsage, it was good enough for me. There was too much sawce, but I'm sure they'd adjust it if you asked. We got a pizza with too many toppings, so I can't make a final decision until I have a sawsage and thin sliced onion one with less sawce, but it says on the menu that they'll work with you. Next time I'll ask for the crust a little thinner too. But overall, a really good pizza, not as good as Daryl's though.

You must wonder why anybody would actually eat pizza with me because I'm such a pain in the ass about it; I know I do. I consider it one of the worst character flaws of the New Jerseyian, that we are such pizza snobs, and I wish I wasn't one. Pizza is just a personal (and regional) idiosyncrasy, but pizza also = love, so I guess it's just so hard to eat a crappy pizza, like dating a guy all your friends know is a loser and knowing that they know and knowing that they're right.

Oh well, next up Joe's in Whitesboro.
Any other places I just have to try?

Well I'm Back Again

and in a much better frame of mind, I'm happy to say. In part, my new found euphoria (okay, I'm overstating that one) is because Big is coming from Portland tomorrow. I am so excited that I might even forget what a horrible summer it's been.

And, I'm putting out a query to all you CNYers. What should we do while she's here? So far I have blueberry picking at North Star Orchards, trying a new pizza place in North Utica (Antonelli's I think it's called), trying Joe's Pizza in Whitesboro, and going to Green Lakes. I think she'd also like to go to Saratoga Springs because she sounded pretty excited when I told her I'd gone there the other day. She'll probably want to go to Nine Cornered Lake, and I've got a trick card up my sleeve because I found another cool lake nearby that we could do in the same trip -- Jockey Bush Lake. What else should the Big and I do? I guess a Utica Monday Night is in order, and maybe I'll even break down and go to a Saranac Thursday. Big loves beer with a fervor I don't share or understand but do respect. I guess it's due in part to the fine Portland microbreweries and the fact that she gets a discount on the stuff at work.

Any other suggestions?

She will also want eat cannoli, another passion I do not share, but hey it's her vacation. Here's a potential soundtrack I could be singing on the way to the airport:
Licia's Comin' -- sung to the tune of Eli's Coming and with word changes
I'll Be There -- nice and cheesy
Mother and Child Reunion -- also super cheesy

That's all I can think of for now.

And, btw, if anybody's still looking at this blog and knows Rochester, that's where I'm going today. So far I have the Eastman House, the U, the "beach" and a Mexican place called Selena's (sp?). But if you know of other fun, or a great restaurant, please let me know.

To my western friends who read this blog (if you still do) I hope you find ways to stay cool. It sounds like it's crazy hot back there.
Happy Tuesday

There is such kindness

Well, these haven't been the best of times for me. That's all I'll say about that. But sometimes something happens, some tangible reminder that you mean something to someone and the little axis of all that is spins a bit better. To the person who left Fire To Fire on my doorstep the other night, thank you.

To hold a book and know that somebody thought enough and knew enough that it could be an anchor -- I am such a lucky person and I'd better start remembering that.

If I put into words all that Daryl has done for me the words would make it all sound trivial, invaded by what we have to do to say things and somehow wrong because of that.

I am a lucky person.