Lisa's Pieces

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Everyone's A Critic

What a gig! I always thought being a food critic would be a great job. Tables at all the hip, new restaurants. Plus the old faves. Somebody else's budget. Lots of adoring friends. Big sunglasses and wigs. Heaven, right? Tonight I got to be one of those extra orderers. One of those people you read about that gets the appetizer and the soup and the salad and the entree and the dessert and wonder how they ate so much. My host, a talented chef and writer, tried to focus on the positive, wanted it to work out, wanted the experience to be good like the last time she hit the place. But it was hard. A self-described high-bar gal, the negativity crept in early. We all agreed on the stunning setting, the good vibe on a gorgeous night, the remodeled to perfection locale, the Martha Stewarty drinks. But then the appetizer showed up and it smelled like dog food. Apparently there's some secret food critic rule about sending something back. Don't do it. Don't cause a fuss. First, you don't want to be recognized if you write about it later and, if they take it off the bill, it's pretty hard to complain. We got the waitress, who just loved squeezing shoulders and saying "Sweetie" to leave it at the table, even after telling her about the unusual aroma. She said that's just how it smells. Maybe it's out fault. Ten minutes later a bus girl told us the same thing. Said, maybe you shouldn't get those anymore. Once the criticizing began, we had tasteless, bland, boiled, greasy, overcooked, nursing home-like, an asked-for twice drink, a twenty minutes late entree, and, finally, a free dessert that seemed leftover from a weekend wedding as we picked at it for half an hour before getting some attention as the place tried to close down, wondering if we jinxed the situation somehow, letting our fearless leader get the worst treatment. Whine, whine, whine. Being a critic is hard. I'm usually such a glass is half full character. Especially here. Blogger (bragger).com where everything is all perfect and shiny, spiced up just right. I won't leave out all of the fun we had tonight. All of the laughs. And how if you ever need a warm body to fill your table and give out free, oh-it's-not-that-bad opinions, I'm available.

Health (no)Care

On the way to work this morning I heard on NPR that an estimated 40,000 Americans will die this year due to lack of or insufficient health care insurance. So sad, I thought. It got sadder once I got to work. Shawn told me about one of our patients. Nice lady. Younger than me. Works for the state (sucky insurance, huge deductible). We watched the family barely get through last year when their teenage son died in an accident. Hospital bills piled up. She needed a follow-up test which she put off for over a year since she couldn't afford it. She finally had it done and we got it back today. Cancer. Dr. Everythingwillbealright said it's bad. Then yours truly had to call her.

Something needs to change. The latest solution in the current budget war circling around Washington involves cutting even more money (Go Mr. Ryan! What's up with Wisconsin lately? Too much Koch in the water?), reducing eligibility, giving more power to insurance companies. Today I got a list of some of our Medicaid patients that are due for an Adult Preventative Health Screening - "Based on our claims records as of January 31st the adults shown in the attached listing are now due for a preventative screening before April 30th. Please use this information to help schedule a visit before the due date and help maintain high rates of timely preventative care for your patients." Great idea. Thanks for the list. Then this. Asterisk ******

*****Adult preventative care is no longer a covered benefit.

At least NPR will be going off the air shortly. Fewer negative statistics in my brain and lots more funds available for health care. Right?

Upcoming Movie Madness - In A Better World

Academy Award Winner for Foreign Film

Monday, April 18th 10:20 at Camelview

Monday, April 4, 2011

2012

It's official. He's in.

Movie Madness - Win Win

Yay! Hilarious! A perfect movie!

From the guy that brought us The Visitor and The Station Agent (one of my all time faves).

It's a total win, win situation.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Where's Waldo?

Where's Shana?

Watch out, Barcelona!

Shana, Laura and Shannon arrived in Barcelona around midnight on Thursday and headed straight to the hostel to their cozy 14-person room. They headed out on Friday to a hop-on-hop-off bus tour and spent all day touring the town, getting off at the beach (still sunburned) and all over town, ending up with some friends from the hostel at a club, dancing until 4:30am. Sleeping until 9, they headed to the Farmer's Market and loaded up on bread and pesto, etc. and hit the bay, watching a ski competition, then more partying until 5:30am at the beach. She'll sleep when she's old, I guess. Shana's blond hair is quite the attraction, hearing frequently "rubia! rubia!" as she walks by and now there's a silver ring on her wedding finger. Trouble in paradise with her bff, now "Negative Nancy" who can't seem to keep the same long hours as the rest of the gang. But they had fun at The Optimum Bar and Shoko. Winding up a Saturday night dance fest, early Sunday am on the beach, Shana's purse was stolen. She summoned her new Supermen hostel friends who ran the thief down and got it back for her. Yay, new friends! Maybe I should mail her an attractive fanny pack.

Next adventure - Monday field trip to a Spanish cooking class with her school, which means mom's in charge of the 6am log on registration appointment to sign the globetrotter up for Fall 2011.

How will next semester ever compare?

Friday, April 1, 2011

April Fools!

100 degrees today.

Not funny.

Octopus

Wet, wild and willie-d tonight at the down and dirty Stray Cat Theater for Octopus. Incredible acting, great characters, heartbreaking, out of the bubble, love story and a sea creature from the bottom of the ocean. Wow.

Fun din din at the always amazing House of Tricks.