la-z-tater

really, i have zero motivation these days. i don't wanna do anything at all except sit and surf the internet all day long. even when on the internet, i have zero motivation to participate. blankly stare at stuff? yes. window shop? yes. read blogs? yes. actually blog? no. post thoughtful comments on others' blogs? not really. actually buy things? no. the only reason i'm blogging right now? because i'd rather blog than pack. pack?

YAY!
we're moving. the current place is cheap, we like our landlord, and it's met most of our needs. however, there are cons about it that finally drove us to casually search craigslist.

boo.
i hate moving. HATE. i am so grumpy no matter what i do to try to trick myself into making moving tasks fun. the bear and i fight a lot during it. i love purging, but the awesome high from purging only lasts 1/2 a second. then i'm back to grumpy potato with constant black cloud over her head until everything is moved and in its new place.

YAY!
the new place meets almost all of our needs/wants.

• detached house (although there is another house in the back of the property, it's a yard and driveway away).
  
• separate bedrooms (so i can work in the office all night long while the bear sleeps, unlike in our current place that has no real walls).
  
• 2-car garage with lots of storage.
• our own washer and dryer.
  
• utilities included in rent.
  
• quiet neighborhood that is less ghetto than our current one and doesn't have fire trucks roaring up and down it every hour on the hour all throughout the night.
  
• little, private yard big enough for a BBQ and space to grow some peppers and herbs (which i will probably kill pretty quickly).
  
• it's a mini, cute craftsman bungalow with what realtors (and craigslist posters) like to call character. there is plenty of storage.
• fits our budget.
• so-far-so-good landlords.
• wood floors in the living room.
  
• new fridge, new stove, new washer/dryer.
  

boo.

• "lots of character" = it's old.
  
• the master bedroom closet is weirdly configured and on the small side. see first bullet point in this section.
  
• the cabinets are old and musty. anyone want to come clean and deodorize/de-mustify them for us? so far, my friend google has advised scoring the super old contact paper then pouring coke on to dissolve the adhesive, then washing the shelves (i'll definitely re-cover with contact paper just in case AND put that grippy shelf liner stuff in, too). google advised that i then put activated, non-self-starting charcoal in to absorb all the mustiness. blergh. getting grossed out thinking about doing all that. i don't even know if all the shelves can come out.
• i don't love the "designer" paint color, and even if we can re-paint, i'm too lazy to do so.
• the kitchen is a decent size, but its configuration and counter space are lacking. i think a commercial, stainless steel work table will solve that, though. we looked at a few today, and i'll look at a few more this week on the westside and in sgv. they alllooksame but are not all created the same.

so today, we shopped 'til i dropped for the new place. i don't know how i used to do this as part of my job.

first, we hit up a few kitchen supply stores to check out their work tables. if you are or know someone just moving out, send them to chefs' toys to outfit their kitchen. forget ikea/target/walmart/kmart. you can get commercial, well-priced kitchenware including dishes, glasses, martini shakers, bakeware, etc. the bear and i wished we had known about kitchen supply stores when we were just starting out. you can buy a dozen melamine noodle bowls for $5.60 (instead of $3 each at 99 ranch) to eat all your ramen in. it's more no frills, and it's more about the equipment (the bear and i drooled over the giant convection ovens and deep fryers) and less (actually no) food products than surfas. they also have a used/consignment area for commercial kitchen equipment like those mixers with bowls i could take a bath in and one work table that didn't have adjustable feet and was wobbly. pass.

we then dropped by restaurant depot but left upon encountering the "not open to the public" sign. boo.

we liked the quality and price of the work tables at 2000 plus better than those at chefs' toys. the service was more personalized service, too, as it's smaller but still well-stocked. the bear steered me away from dawdling too long and walking up and down every aisle like i wanted, unfortunately.

we then went sofa shopping. ugh. that is all i have to say about that. our ikea sofa is kaput after 2 years already. one day, i will have a more permanent place so i can save up for decent upholstery and hopefully won't be moving every couple of years so that i can buy nicer furniture without fear of it getting too beat up from frequent moves. let's just say as soon as we walked into la-z-boy, we walked back out again (although it did give me inspiration for the title of this post). i also saw way too many ugly recliners, and the bear enjoyed sitting in them way too much. ew.

oh yeah, and we enjoyed a nice brunch with boba and boba bf this morning. we went to starling diner in belmont heights. cute, country french-ish decor. cheap beer and wine specials. healthier takes on comfort food-ish breakfast and lunch with really fresh ingredients. the bear even enjoyed his vegetarian lentil soup that was packed with flavor from lots of spices and fresh veggies, and he is usually anti-veggie. biodegradable midget cups for water made of corn. some sidewalk seating outside for groups of 2-3 if you prefer eating al fresco.


motto


cute and clean inside


$3 beer special
a hoppy belgian ale with a creamy, sweet finish with hints of caramel
(yeah, i just BS'ed that. i know nothing about beer.)


corn cup


the bear's french pizzette.
dangit, it's not on the online menu, and i don't remember which one.
(a pizzette (mini pizza! mini!) on french bread. get it? boba figured that one out for us.)


boba's dish
their take on eggs benedict w/ smoked salmon and spinach, no english muffin.
my bite was good.


boba BF's pot roast scramble


MY broiled san francisco stuffed toast with fresh seasonal berries.
a baguette stuffed with sweetened mascarpone, dipped in custard,
broiled, then topped with a vanilla sauce, powdered sugar, fresh berries,
and fresh whipped cream.
yeah, you can't go wrong with baguette + cheese + berries.


the after

i guess i did feel like blogging after all judging from all the brain barf above. thanks for sticking with me, if you're still reading.