I checked the mailbox today where I discovered a note from Canada Post informing me that they tried to deliver a package yesterday morning but no one was home. If I wanted to pick up the parcel, I could do so at the nearby post office. “Package for me?”asked Akemi as I walked back into the house.
“No,”I said. “It’s for me.” And showed her the note. It read: “Akemi’s Joseph Mallozzi.”
“But the package is for me,”she insisted. “It’s from my father in Japan.”
“Maybe,”I said, “but it says Akemi’s Joseph Mallozzi. And since I am YOUR Joseph Mallozzi, that means it’s for me.”
“Do you think I’ll have to show my I.D. to pick it up? Or should you bring your I.D.?”
“I think we should both bring our I.D. You have to prove you’re Akemi and then I have to prove I’m Joseph Mallozzi. After all, I could be anyone’s Joseph Mallozzi.”
So we went to the post office and picked up the package which ended up containing items for both of us: lipstick for her, green tea for both of us, and…
Joe and Hers chopsticks. Check ’em out. They have my name on them. “Why my name is not on the other chopsticks?”wondered Akemi.
Beats me. “Maybe he forgot your name?” She frowned but I cheered her up by promising to etch her name into her chopstick with my exacto knife later this week.
Also in the package, for me, were this set of hiragana/katakana/workbooks.
I imagine that, at some point last month, the family was going through all the signatures in Akemi’s sister’s wedding book and came across what no doubt looked like a child’s scrawl, or the Japanese script of a plucky dimwit. Upon closer scrutiny, however, they no doubt realized it was neither A nor B but C) A spirited attempt to spell the name “Joe” by yours truly. Clearly horrified, they decided to send me these in preparation for the next big family event.
I’m thinking of starting an occasional Best of Vancouver column in which I highlight the city’s best. The best place to go for chocolate. The best place to go for chocolate desserts. The best place to go for hot chocolate. The best place to go for non-chocolate anything. One of the places that may well make the list of Best Places to go for a cheap eats is the Congee House on East Broadway. The other day, Akemi and I stopped by for a tasty lunch of…
Crispy pork on rice. How do they get the skin so light and crispy? Every attempt we’ve made to replicate our pork skin has failed miserably – and, in some instances, painfully.
Congee. I like mine with those century eggs (that, it sadly turns out aren’t 1000 years old at all but just a few months old as that’s how long it takes for the egg to incorporate aspects of the clay and ash in which it’s been preserved).
And back on the home front…
Akemi loves making this phyllo-layered pastry pizza.
While I tried my hand at gumbo.
And, since Akemi was in the mood for something raw – tuna sashimi with avocado on rice.
In the spirit of Dogs Eating Ice Cream, I present Dogs Eating Phyllo Crisps…
It never fails. No matter what she eats, Jelly invariably ends up with food on her face.
Today’s entry is dedicated to blog regulars Das and birthday boy Woody Woodward!
Jelly is so cute though, it doesn’t matter if she wears her food. They were all pretty cute chomping on that phyllo crisp.
Happy Birthday Woody Woodward 😀
TV ALERT: Our favorite surviving Go’auld, Cliff Simon, has a guest role on THE AMERICANS (FX cable in USA) tomorrow night and next Wednesday.
Happy Birthday Das and Woody!
The video was so cute! ………sorry. Had to watch it once more! I can watch videos like that all day! For my birthday, I caught up on some tv shows that I enjoy. Worked out and thank friends who wished me Happy Birthday ( Thank you Alexis!) And bought a book “The Rich and the Dead ” as I heard it’s the next read, and since it was released on my birthday, it must have been a sign right? Well, time to hit the rack…after all, I did turn 60. lol
Good night Joe! Thanks for the dedication.
@TAM DIXON
Yes that was me in the video lol. I’m still here, I just lurk and don’t post all that often.
Special thanks to Mr. M for reposting the video/column though. Means the world to me.
Miss you guys so much. Hoping to post here more often (and hoping the regulars still remember me from ’09 ’10) 😛
– Adam B.
Awww, Joey…thanks. (And thanks to everyone who had a kind word for me yesterday – I really appreciated it!)
Still pretty busy (and now pretty tired), but I just have to address this:
Joey…wielding a knife? Akemi, what’s the Japanese word for ‘kindling”? Because I’m pretty sure that’s what you’ll end up with. 😛
das
Joe! Put the exacto knife. Down. Don’t you dare do it! You’ll just cut your finger off!
Hey don’t make fun of Jelly. I’m getting old too and end up with stuff on my face too. (mostly whiskers 😀 )
Hi Major D!
Feel better Das! I never could get into Kent McCord. He needed to lighten up a bit, don’t be so stiff, and grow his hair longer. Oh, I just described Randoph Mantooth, whom I loved!
Happy birthday Woody!
I would definitely be interested in that ‘best of Vancouver’ column. I’m always looking for new places to check out.
G’day
Happy belated Birthday to PBMom and Woody.
I hope things settle down for you Das. Take care.
Hey Joe, if you’re a regular, maybe Congee House will give you the recipe for the crispy pork. It’s worth asking.
Hope you feel better today Das. sending you some Florida sunshine(we finally got some) 🙂
Happy birthday to Woody!
~~and Joe, exacto knife,,hmm, put the chopsticks down and slowly back away. danger danger will robinson,,, aww the pups are soo cute.. The phyllo-layered pastry pizza looks the best to me, thanks for sharing.
Hang in there, das! I hope life settles down soon and in a positive direction.
Ooh, more mysteries! Are you reading the books or watching the show?Netflix has one series from 2004 and another from 2008. A little light and engaging entertainment sounds like just the thing.
@Major D Davis: of course we remember you!
You know that day in late winter, when you finally peel off your boots and layers of socks and get a good look at your feet for the first time in ages, and realize that somewhere along the line your toenails somehow morphed into the cashew-shaped talons of a 75-year old homeless man?
Yeah. Today was that day. 😛
das
Wishing a happy “Stargate” birthday to Woody and to das! Waves from New Jersey ~~~~
I really like the idea (and image) of that phyllo-layered pastry pizza. Can the recipe be shared Akemi and Joe? Pleez-z-z-e?
Smooches from Basil & Stash to your furry threesome =^-^=
2cats
OMG, that food porn was soooooooo good looking! I’ve thought about phyllo for pizza dough but does it turn out crispy? It’s also great that her parents sent both of you a gift. They like you! A good thing with “in-laws”. Yes, I know it’s not legal yet but still. They like you!!!!
Sweet little Jelly… She’s completely over the last surgery. Her smile would light up a room.
Das: Sending you a big hug! I’ve go through depression sometimes. Hopefully, the weather will turn warmer and you’ll be out fixing your garden. Everyone is different but exercise helps me a lot! That’s why I’ve worked up to 2 miles swimming some mornings. It works better than Zoloft. (I know, I tried that and it made my heart race.) You said your job is changing, are your parents retiring? Vent away! I’ll just swim more laps or hit the dummy in Karate class. 😉
Major Davis: Waves back and I’m so glad you’re doing great!
Happy Birthday Woody Woodward! How was the birthday cake PBmom?
Happy Birthday Woody!
@Major Davis, Your video is amazing Adam. I look forward to the episodes review. 😀
@Akemi. Ithink you’ll need this.
http://www.wikihow.com/Give-First-Aid-for-a-Severed-Finger
Just to clarify – it’s not me birfday. No one knows when that is (‘ceptin’ it’s in da summertime…personally, I try to forget). 😉 Joey was just trying to cheer me up. Thanks for the well-wishes anyway! It’s all good. 🙂
@ Tam Dixon – If I can get my house organized and cleaned it’ll help. It will be one less thing to focus on (my inability to focus long enough to get things done is one of my biggest problems). I know there’s a pill for that, but I don’t want pills. I want fewer distractions. 😛
das
Das: Good plan. Want to come down to Mississippi and do my house?
“Akemi’s Joseph Mallozzi.” does sound a bit odd to put on a package. It probably would have been easier for them to just address to you Joe. I guess they wanted to get both names on the package, the thought was there I guess lol.
Anyway on that renewal/cancelation thing from last year, the prediction thing. Just NBC and ABC left to go for renewal/cancelation announcements, as CBS/CW/Fox have done virtually all of theres now. I think I probably have a few incorrect predictions anyway lol. On Fox the Family Guy renewal is just a formality, everything else not renewed looks grim. The Following being renewed seems odd now, if not a catastrophic mistake, it dropped to under 4 million and a 1.4 recently, which is lower than Almost Human which stayed above a 1.5 during its run and over 5 million.
The fun will come from seeing which way some of the mediocre rated NBC shows will go. Shows that have rated well enough not to be pulled off the air but not enough to say conclusively they’re coming back.
Also Happy Birthday Woody, hope its a good one.
I donae like the new smilies… 🙁
das
I donae like them either… 😉
That smiley is suppose to be winking. That’s pretty sad. It looks like it has one eye that is dilated.
I’m catching up (I know it is what I ALWAYS say) but I already wished Happy Birthday to Woody.
How COOL was that of Akemi’s family to get you engraved chopsticks? How very thoughtful.
And the dogs are very more adorable. Is there anything they don’t try? I bet you they were thinking– “Hey, this is like eating newspaper, but tastier!”