SOMETHING NOODLY AND DELICIOUS

There are days when I forget to eat till late afternoon. I'm surprised how busy I am now that I am no longer employed at the company where I worked for twelve years. Both yesterday and today have been days like that.

Yesterday I rushed out of the house frantically, to get down to Chinatown in time to have dinner at a certain restaurant. They close at eight, and I did not want to inconvenience them by being the last customer sitting.

Today I am rather at a loss. It's nearly six o'clock and early evening now, and even after being up for over ten hours I have yet to feel peckish.
Hot coffee, tea, and a pipe.
Repeated at intervals.

So, just not hungry.

Plus it's bitterly cold outside.

Makes one rather want to stay indoors and go into hibernation.
Except that both caffeine and nicotine stimulate.
And require one to be awake.


I've been wondering lately what it would be like to eat with another person. Just one other person. Someone who wouldn't mind going to a local restaurant that we both knew. Casual, relaxed, and completely at ease in each other's presence.
A familiar and comfortable thing to do.

"Are you hungry?"

"Yes, a bit....."

"Let's go eat, shall we?"

"Okay!"

You'll agree that that sounds very nice. And it presupposes that we would have spent time prior to the rise of peckishness around each other.

Like with all fantasies, problems present themselves.

The first one is that I've been so very busy today that I haven't even bathed.
Which does not necessarily mean that I've been wandering around all stinky, leaving traces of unclean wherever I went, but rather that the other person would either have to patiently wait while I made myself more presentable -- an imposition, you'll admit -- OR that she would have to be equally 'casual' at this very moment.
Which is highly unlikely.

The second problem is that such a person would have to live fairly close by, as a phone call containing the invite for a bite to eat suggests sudden whim rather than preplanning, and hunger now rather than one hour from now. 

The third is that she would have to be a woman. In this scenario I can imagine myself spontaneously eating lunch or dinner with a woman.
Especially at some place in the neighborhood.


There are several zones where bites may be found in this vicinity.
Polk Street: where all the brash young party animals tend to go.
Hyde Street: which has many charming little bistros and U-Lee.
Chinatown: my favourite haunt for casual dining and good food.
Northbeach: where one may rub elbows with tourists and pizza.
Fillmore Street: a lovely walk, as well as interesting restaurants.

As you can see, the possibilities are well nigh endless.
Except for the problems I mentioned.

And, it's a fantasy.


Perhaps I'll load-up a pipe while contemplating this matter. Another smoke before a quick shower. After a refreshing bowl of Rattrays, I may be hungry.
And I'm sure I can find someplace with hot food on the other side of the hill.
Something noodly and delicious.
With ginger and scallions.

 

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