I Eat At The French Laundry, Fo' Free

My friend Heapie called me Saturday at 9AM. His wife was sick and he and his friends had a reservation for 4 at The French Laundry that night. Did I want to come?

(Reader's Note: I have been trying to eat there for nine years.)

So I said HELL YES and hopped on a plane (thanks mom!) and flew to up SFO and my brother picked me up at the BART station and gave me his car (thanks bro!) and I drove to Napa, changed in the car on a deserted back street, put on my makeup in the bathroom of the Vintage Inn, and rolled into one of the best restaurants in the United States, right on time for our 5:30 reservation.

Duuuuude....it was 9+ courses of bliss. Plus great wine and excellent company on a beautiful crisp hazy golden Northern California autumn night.

Thank you Heapie, from the bottom of my heart. You are the new King of Dirt. (One who has no fear of photographing his food while wearing loud print shirts in formal restaurants, thank god.)

I, however, am the Queen of Spontaneity, which I have often found to be the secret to The Best Life, Fo' Free.

This and Barack Obama in the same week. Damn.

Hope

I know it's a few days after the fact, but I've been really sick. I guess I had to physically expel the last eight years from my system as well as get rid of it electorally.

So here it is. The best of us.

For me, it was the best day of my life. I'm not talking about personal stuff; more like, it was one of those days in a lifetime where you believe that the whole world can be a better place and you literally feel history shift and you know that you were a part of it.

Turns out that hope is what makes us fo' free.

Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States.

I love my country.

Here We Go...

The email thread between me and my friends:

>We'd like to open our house up to anyone who would like to watch the results with friends. P&J

>>Can I make pumpkin risotto at your house during the gathering? I always cook when I'm nervous... Colette

>>>Can I eat Colette's pumpkin risotto at your house? I always eat when I'm nervous. GH

>>>>...and I always clean when I'm nervous so I'll have the dishes covered. GJ

>>>>>And I always drink when I'm nervous, so I'll bring some hooch. CN

>>>>>>Glad to see our collective neuroses synergizing so beautifully. GH

>>>>>>>Fuck, I'll just bring the ativan. CC

>>>>>>>> Well, it looks like all this eating, drinking, and ativan could well leave me crumpled in a dumpster behind TJ's, so I'll be bringing my wife as my spotter. AK

>>>>>>>>>Ok …looks like I'll just bring the valium. BE

>>>>>>>>>>and if worst comes to worst by the end of the night, i'll mix the kool-aid. TJ



Talk to you tomorrow. It'll be a new world one way or another.

Newsflash! Free Krispy Kreme and S'bux and Ben & Jerry's on Election Day!

Yay Krispy Kreme! And fo' free coffee at Starbucks and a fo' free scoop at Ben and Jerry's! Just show your "I Voted" sticker and get free food!* A Dirt Alert classic!

I love this country.

*Actually, law forbids these companies from rewarding anyone for voting, so everyone can get the stuff fo' free. But seriously, damnit, vote.

VOTE! The Dirt Alert Endorsements.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know tomorrow is Election Day. Make sure you vote in what is truly the most important election of our age. This is the one your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews etc. will ask you about. Find your polling place here. And double check your ballots before turning 'em in - you saw what happened to Oprah.

And here's The Dirt Alert endorsements. Steve did all the research; thank god, because I'm too nervous to focus on much of anything.

PRES:
Obama / Biden 2008 !!!

CA STATEWIDE PROPS:
Proposition 1A: YES
Proposition 2: YES
Proposition 3: YES
Proposition 4: NO
Proposition 5: YES
Proposition 6: NO
Proposition 7: NO
Proposition 8: NO
Proposition 9: NO
Proposition 10: NO
Proposition 11: NO
Proposition 12: YES

LOS ANGELES:
Proposition J (LA Community College District): YES
Proposition R (LA County): YES

Los Angeles County Judicial races

Office 72 Hilleri Grossman Merritt
Office 82 Cynthia Loo
Office 84 Lori-Ann C. Jones
Office 94 C. Edward Mack
Office 154 Rocky L. Crabb

Bjork and Bad Fairies

Hope your Halloween was as good.

Note the Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros in the front row.

And my wings were fo' cheep.