Day Off

[cabenson]

Well I got my MRI results today and while it showed the disc is slightly protruding (L5/S1) the real bad news was the consistant deterioration along the entire spine. I mean, one of the disc appeared dessicated. I am fine with standing, have a light limp when walking, but sitting is a complete bitch. We are trying another round of steroids, continung pain meds and starting PT again. As long as it keeps me from enduring yet another spinal surgery, I'll try it. Work, to my surprise, is agreeing to let me work from 7am-2pm for the forseeable future. I was planning to cut back on hours this year anyway, so doing it now will help when it comes time to schedule PT.

Since I had today off for the weekend I didn't work last week, I convinced Mrs. CB to play hookie. We started the day at the doctors and after grabbing my meds, we went shopping. Our goal? New panties!!!!! I know you want to see what we bought, but it'll cost you dinner and a movie, just like everyone else.

After our little panty run, we went,courtesy of a beloved friend(you know who you are) to our favorite lunch place, Brio: *** not gonna cut because its just food pron and it's my journal...


We started with roasted red pepper and fresh mozzarella bruschetta, no cheese on Mrs. CB's side. She had a light Pinot Grigio, I had an ultimate cosmo with orange flavored Goose. Very tasty.


Mrs. CB ordered the lump crab and shrimp cakes with roasted veggies in a citrus/pesto butter. I am having some food allergy testing done in a few weeks, so I had to taste them. I still don't like seafood.


I had half a romano crusted chicken salad with bistecca insalata. Mrs. CB teased that all I ate from my salad was tho tomato/bacon/onion and blue cheese, but I did eat half the lettuce wedge. It was just huge!


For dessert we had a couple espressos and some tiny desserts: Mrs CB had wildberry peach crostada and I had a simple creme brulee.

It seems rather decadent to have such a luxurios lunch, but we both really needed it, and to just spend some time together. Between my back, her menopausal symptoms, and an ant invasion, it has been a hectic week. And we ARE joking about menopause cause really, that is the only way we are gonna get both of us through it. You are all gonna hit it one day too, so live and learn. Speaking of menopause, did I mention she has been thinking about adopting a Haitian orphan?


Guess which piece of reading material is mine? Also grabbed TSCC seasons 1&2. Planning a marathon if it rains tomorrow.


And yes, that is the new Vosges DARK chocolate, salt, bacon bar. I cannot describe my love for this bar. 1000 times better than the milk chocolate version. Crispy little pieces of bacon...shit, now I'm hungry again.

Got caught up on Venice the Series. Don't hate it as much as some peeps do. Last two eps are much better than the other offerings. For a web series, I think it has potential. Their website still sucks.

Really want someone to write a GOOD Otalia story where Nat and Gus were married, Olivia got a heart, but Gus was never in an accident and Frank was not central to the story. And they still fell in love. Any takers?

Okay, time for meds then sleep.

Be good!


Okay, gonna

Comments

[softeranswer.livejournal.com]

i don't know if i want to eat, drink, or eat bacon now.

thanks a lot! :)

[cabenson.livejournal.com]

It was all SO delicious. And the cady bar...exceeded my expectations by far!

[darandkerry.livejournal.com]

If I ever manage to find my way to your neck of the woods, I know the first place I want to go. What a spread!

Damn, sorry to hear about your back. It's truly hell to get old, ain't it? Hope the PT helps.

[cabenson.livejournal.com]

We will GLADLY treat you! Great food at reasonable prices keeps us going back time after time:)

The back, well it could, and has been worse, so I will take my lumps and work to make it as strong as I can. 2010 is the year I take my lafe back!

[shaych-03.livejournal.com]

good luck with the back!

i like venice all right... it's not otalia, but then... they're just getting their feet and need to stop trying to get the viewers to be telepathic.

however, they do bring the pretty...

[cabenson.livejournal.com]

Yes they do bring the prettay:)

[atfm.livejournal.com]

I love people who appreciate good food and I love your food pictures. Mmh.

Rittersport, just how much do you pay for that over there?

The bacon chocolate sounds interesting, something tells me you might like this:
http://www.zotter.at/en/chocolate-shop/hand-scooped-chocolates/crazy/detail/v/kaffeepflaume-mit-speck-basic-70-1.html

[stargazer1960.livejournal.com]

I got the German chocolate to go with my German Riesling. The bars are about $2 to $2.50 here. I have loved the Rittersport bars for a long time.

[atfm.livejournal.com]

Rittersport is fabulous. A store opened here recently, I so can't wait to drop by.

http://www.ritter-sport.com/#/en_GB/berlin/

[cabenson.livejournal.com]

I am a HUGE bacon fan and never thought of trying it with chocolate til they came out with the original bacon bar. I liked it, but I thought dark choc would make is stand out more. And OMG it does.

[macayagirl.livejournal.com]

Wow! Your meal looks amazing and now I am jealous and must find new fancy pants place to eat. Or maybe I'll just make crab cakes.
The boys at my job are bacon fanatics--someone sent them a Vosges bacon bar and they passed it around like a doobie. I wasn't so impressed. Maybe I'll like the dark bar better.
Also, this is officially the year of the panty for me. You are the 6th person I've heard went on a panty run, not including the one I've been meaning to go on for myself. Apparently 2009 was rough on the drawers.

[theholyinnocent.livejournal.com]

And I was just thinking the other day I need new panties, and macy's was having a sale...

[cabenson.livejournal.com]

Well, there WAS that panty raid at your house last October...

[cabenson.livejournal.com]

You know, Brio isn't that fancy, it just seems that way. Or maybe we go so often we think of it as the "place down the road".

The panty run was only approved after I promised to go through and toss out the old ones. When we got home yesterdy, we hauled our drawers full of drawers to the living room and sorted while watching BSG "The Plan" and drinking wine:)

[heartsways.livejournal.com]

Jealous of the food. And also very hungry right now. Thanks.

On a serious note, I'm really glad you're moving forwards with your medical help. :)

[cabenson.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It's a chronic issue I have had for 2 decases and I just need to accept that it isn't gonna get better until I do something :)

[sravenk.livejournal.com]

Michelle showed me pictures of these cupcakes with candied bacon on top that she had seen at a cupcake contest in Brooklyn. She tried them and thought them disgusting, but her friend scarfed about three of them down in quick succession.

[cabenson.livejournal.com]

Love bacon but not sure I could do the donuts. What I really want is a deep-fried, bacon-wrapped hot dog.

[mantaraggio.livejournal.com]

Hahah, it's true that I couldn't handle the bacon cupcake, but I recently had a dark chocolate and sea salt bar put out by Lindt and I have to say, it was quite delicious. But then, I also think the Elvis sandwich is delicious, so what do I know of fine foods?

[cabenson.livejournal.com]

Ah! Candy bar twins!! I am working on that bar right now!

[sravenk.livejournal.com]

Mmmm, with cheese in the middle? Back when I lived in Edmonton, that was one of the menu items at my favourite watering hole. I believe they dared to call it the Philly Cheese Hot Dog. But I just called it the Heart Attack Special for short.

[theholyinnocent.livejournal.com]

Oh, your damn back. Here's hoping the steroids and the PT do the trick! Your hooky day is just the ticket, though. I think my missus & I could use something like that.

Food looks fabulous! (Except I think there was way too much bleu cheese on that salad.) I think bruschetta is the most perfect thing ever. I think I'm in the minority on the Vosges milk chocolate/bacon bar--I liked it. But I suspect dark chocolate probably works better with the bacon, so I'm looking forward to trying it.

AND SWEETIE DARLING I'LL GET BUBBLE STARTED ON THE ADOPTION RIGHT AWAY....

[cabenson.livejournal.com]

Back is better today, just need to get it stable. At least I didn't pinch a piece of the disc off and paralyze my leg like I did in 2005.

I liked the original Mo's bar too, but damn this dark chocolate one? I have this thing going with dark choc and sea salt bars...add these little tiny pop rock like bacon pieces and I am done for!

I think the screaming, misbehaving ankle biter at the grocery has restored her to sane thought again.

[sandytherese.livejournal.com]

I love a truly satisfying trip to a lovely restaurant! Yummm!!! I have to confess that out of all of this food pron, the main thing I got was how much I really wanted to have a wedge of lettuce... the whole thing though looked amazing. Love the pictures! I'm a veggie, but I have a friend who is completely addicted to the bacon/chocolate combo and swears it's a beautiful combo... I can imagine it is!

Sorry about the back though... bloody discs... I hope you find that happy (drugs) medium to make you at least more comfy!!

[cabenson.livejournal.com]

I love a good wedge salad, and this one had a creamy parmesan dressing that neutralized the richness of the gorganzola.

Yes the bacon choc combo is to die for, but it comes in 2nd to my choc/sea salt fascination. I think I have tried just about every variety of that combo that exists:)

Thanks for the back thoughts. I actually hate taking the meds which often leads to worse pain issues, but I am trying to be a model patient this time :)

[reefermadniss.livejournal.com]

Sorry you got bad news about your back. Playing hooky and indulging in great dining and food porn was a great way to roll with the punches...thanks for sharing! Trying to be a model patient is a good thing. I have to keep a close eye on Mrs R because she's a born backslider.

My menopause adventure involved getting fired from my job three years ago because the hormonal swings killed the efficacy of my antidepressant. I was 42. It's been an ongoing struggle between meds levels and managing stressors ever since. According to my doc, this is a potential problem for any woman on antidepressants. Hope y'all have less of an adventure with it!

I love a good wedge salad myself.

[commasplice103.livejournal.com]

that sucks about the back. Hope the treatments can make you feel better.

bacon and chocolate. darnit, you have me curious now.

[morningloryblue.livejournal.com]

Oh, Vosgues how I adore thee! Oh Brio, how I adore thee! This is a weekend of bliss, CB!