585. Chocolate, Cheese, Cadbury Creme (Eggs), Coffee...

I love the letter C.

Surely you've heard of San Francisco's famous Fog City Diner?

No? Well, next time you are in town, we'll meet there for a drink. The waiters and bartenders are cute, the food is delish, and it is the place to watch locals via the regulars-and-staff interactions.

"I'm so sorry that your regular table isn't available, Mr. Magoo."

"The usual, Mrs. Smith?"

"Yes, I do believe that the woman who is currently staring at us, eavesdropping and sitting in the next booth--even though she is quite cute--IS a blogger. Pity."

I was the only non-regular eating dinner at the Fog City Diner tonight.

But, tonight is the last night I will be an outsider! Tonight is the last night I will be a non-regular! Tonight is the last night I will be a blogger! (Well, no, I can't promise that. I'm sorry, but you're just going to have to suffer me until they pry my G4 and G5 out of my dead hands. I guess you can always click "Next Blog." Go ahead. I won't cry. Too much. *sniff*)

Where was I?

Ah, yes.

It is my goal to eat at Fog City Diner every week until I move. Why?

Well, there are many reasons.

Reason #1: Frustration.

My luck in the kitchen hasn't been that good lately. Last night my electric can opener died and I had to finish the job with a butcher knife. (Chicago Cutlery rocks! Granted, I may have to sharpen my blade more often than usual.)

Sure, it was fun opening a can in a nonconventional way,
but boy! was it messy.
(Good thing they don't make cans as thick as they used to.)

Reason #2: I want to belong.

Fog City Diner is teeming with brass plates engraved with the names of their regulars. I want to be a regular before I leave for Europe.* I want to see my name in black on shiny brass. It's been a life-long dream of mine, only I didn't realize it until tonight.

Four polished brass plates with the
names of Fog City Diner regulars.

Reason #3: Did somebody say chocolate?**

OK. This is actually the only and real reason why I am going back to Fog City Diner. I needed the above reasons so as to appear thoughtful, logical, and rational, and not at all like the chocolate obsessed freak that I am.

Who am I fooling, though? Really.

Certainly not you.

Ghirardelli Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.
Chocolate bliss in its liquid and solid form on the outside,
whipped, creamy smooth peanut butter mousse on the inside.
Fresh whipped cream that's never seen the inside of a can.
Heaven is not on earth. It is on this plate, and it has a twin.

Remember the post in which I described the Cosmic Orgasm? It's the one that only so-called "enlightened beings" experience? Well, guess what? The experience is just one Ghirardelli Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup bite away. The experience was so powerful, that I could only eat 2/3 of one Ghirardelli Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup.

When I got home, I put the left-over dessert in my refrigerator, and it is groaning in ecstasy as I type these words. (It better shut-up by the time I decide to go to bed, or I'll be forced--forced, I tell you!--to eat the remaining chocolate peanut butter heaven bliss cup.)

The waiter recommended the dessert to me. When he came back around to see how I liked it I said through a big smile, "I hate you." He said, "Well, then my work here is done. I hope you come back." I told him he could count on it. Bastard. That's how they get you, you know.

It was a beautiful night tonight in San Francisco. When I got to my car I decided that the only acceptable way to end the evening (besides going home and writing a blog post) was to drive home with the top down. I turned on KFOG, our local rock radio station--Get it? K-fog? SF is foggy? Oh, never mind. I never thought it was very clever either-- and was happy to hear a new song by Regina Spektor called Fidelity. I heard it for the first time two days ago on a video featured on a fellow Sports Racer's MySpace page. I knew that I would share the video with you, because it has replaced A-Ha's Take On Me as my new absolutely favorite musical video. It's precious. I hope you agree.

.....
* Yes, it's true. I'm going to spend some months in Europe before I move to Kentucky. Spring in Europe... Brrr! and Yipppppeeee!

**I learned another interesting bit of information at my meditation group. Buddhist monks don't eat after noon. They can only consume medicine after noon (or maybe it was 11 am?), and they consider goat cheese and chocolate to be medicine. I'm seeing a career change in my future. The pay stinks, but you can't beat the health care benefits.