If yesterday’s late night insomnia gave me the taste of the vampire life, today’s sleep-deprived shambling no doubt approximated the daily travails of your average zombie.
It started promisingly enough with dinner at Wilbur’s Mexicana where I was joined by my long-time nemesis and occasional writing partner, Tara Yelland. The Wilbur in Wilbur’s Mexciana is Wilbur Scoville, the American pharmacist who devised the Scoville scale for testing the relative heat index of peppers…
You know how most places have salad bars? Well, this place had a hot pepper bar offering some six dozen assorted bottles of hot sauces ranging from “mild” to “you’re screwed”. Given my high tolerance for the stuff, I elected to go with a couple of hot – but not insanely so choices: scotch bonnet and orange habanero which both clock in at 150k – 325k scovilles. Compare to the wimpy jalapeño that comes in at somewhere between 2500 to 8000 scovilles.
They were spicy – but not inordinately so. In hindsight though, that after-dinner ice cream craving was telling. But, instead of ice cream, we headed to Buca Bar where we split a dessert platter that included samples of every sweet creation on the menu. With the exception of the pistachio zeppole that I ordered anyway.
In a misguided effort to avoid any late night stomach upset, I decided to forego alcohol in favor on a double espresso with cream and coffee sugar.
By the time we left, it had stopped raining and I was feeling like a million bucks!
By the time I got home ten minutes later, it was more like a buck and change and the remnants from the sandwich bag of dog kibble I try to pass off as “treats”.
Wired by the caffeine (I’m not a coffee drinker), I felt awake enough to watch Director Ron Murphy’s terrific cut of episode #109. I turned in at a somewhat late but still respectable 12:30, setting my alarm for 7:00 a.m. so I could head into the office early and write up my notes for the editor.
Right about 1:00 a.m., I headed downstairs and popped an antacid, figuring I’d curtail my burgeoning indigestion and still manage to get in about five and a half hours sleep.
When I headed down for a second antacid at 1:30 a.m., I wasn’t feeling any better – but I was nevertheless optimistic about a good five hour sleep.
Around 2:00 a.m., as I lay wide awake in bed, a thousand thoughts blazing through my head, my stomach simply blazing, I began to grow concerned about my possible four and a half hours of shuteye.
By 3:00 a.m., I was well past concerned and headed downstairs for a home remedy of apple cider vinegar and carbonated water – which actually helped the indigestion. But didn’t help my sleeplessness.
When 3:30 a.m. rolled around, I decided “Screw it!”, got up, took my laptop into the next room, and worked. By the time I was done and had copied Paul and Ivon on my edit notes, it was some time after 5:00 a.m.
I’m pleased to report that I did eventually fall asleep at 5:30. And, since I’d already completed those notes, was able to sleep in until a lazy 7:30.
Despite my sleep-addled stupor, I was able to get you the following pics. So, as my father used to say: “Don’t complain I don’t get you anything!”
Akemi bakes up pies for the cast and crew: pecan, and sour cream apple accompanied by sweet and unsweetened whipped cream. Both were gone by the end of lunch, the pecan in less than ten minutes!
Akemi helps me deliver the pies to the car.
Director Martin Wood takes time off from shooting episode #111 to check out the Miss Hawaiian Tropic pageant happening across the lot.
While, upstairs, Director Andy Mikita spent much of the afternoon trying to explain the True Detective finale to VFX Supervising Producer Lawren Bancroft-Wilson.
And that’s it! It’s an early night for me. Tomorrow = the press junket!
Nighty-nite Joe
Elminster
Oh Joe. I used to be able to eat all that hot stuff too (and still do, sometimes) but in the last couple of years I’ve found it aggravating my acid reflux more and more. Almost to the point where it’s not worth it. Sad part of growing older, I guess.
Personally, I hate trying to function on little sleep and I feel after my flight home on Sunday night/Monday morning that I’m still kind of recovering. I was on a conference call this morning that I *almost* (maybe did?) fall asleep!
@Akemi rocks!
I hope you sleep well tonight. 💤🌚🐏🐏🐏
Akemi is a sweetheart. But you knew that.
Rest well, Joe.
You have a two story apartment?
Those pies look heavenly!
Thanks for the post. You are awesome.
Wow! Impressive attempt at blowing up your insides! I can’t even eat onions or green peppers without needing to go to the ER. Not kidding. What’s the ratio of apple cider vinegar to baking soda, please? Might need it some day if I stupidly eat something hot or spicy.
Akemi is so good to your cast and crew, and to you. Pecan pie wouldn’t last long around here. Those look delicious. 🙂
Joe – thought you might like this one
http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/A-real-world-Stargate/2015/04/23/article2777727.ece
Happy belated birthday to Akemi! And as always, thank you for your tireless (or perhaps for today, tired) effort put into this blog. I love reading about Dark Matter as it develops.
Next time you can’t sleep, try reading The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien. That thing puts me to sleep before I can finish a single page…every time. I’ve been working on that book for 30+ years and I’m only about a quarter the way through it.
Akemi – The pies loooooook YUMMY!
I’m not great with peppers personally. A bit too much Piri Piri on something in the past was enough to kill the fun for me, mouth burned lol.
That guy behind Tara’s Right shoulder in the first picture probably had a similar night. He looks like he just tried a really hot pepper.
Spicy food and lots of caffeine, might as well threw in some alcohol, what could it have hurt at that point. 🙂 Better stick to something simple today.
Poor tummy. I hope you get some rest soon.
Mmmm, beautiful pies!
I love hot peppers and have never had a tummy issue with them, though they do tend to come out just as hot as they went in! 😛
TMI??
😉
das
I can’t think of anything worse than having an upset tummy on a caffeine buzz, Wow! Okay, maybe childbirth, but that’s it!
Just wondering, with all the yummies you eat, are you still getting exercise? You haven’t mentioned any trips to the gym and with your busy schedule, I imagine you’d need to have found a time travel device to fit it all in.
Wow, those pies are perfect! Pecan pies are my kryptonite, I will never say no to it, and when it vanishes I could Viking on whoever ate the last slice, even as I say “oh that’s okay, you should have it.”
My mom made her own hot sauce and always wore gloves when handling the Scotch bonnet peppers; it was so good but lethal in anything beyond a few drops. The only thing that cuts that heat is milk, ice cream is the best; I’ll even chug a shot of half ‘n half to fight the burn.
I think anything around 175,000 Scovilles should be classed as OMFG. I bet most people would feel that way after trying one for the first time lol. I was just reading about the Naga Viper Chilli, anyone who tries something like that is insane and brave.
Had a friend at work who sold hot sauces on line for a second job. He brought in some ghost Peppers one day. I do and can heat Hot stuff (I amaze Thais on this foreigner’s ability to eat “hot”). IT was amazing to have so little be so hot. A local butcher shop made habanero meat sticks. Great taste, but two hours later my stomach felt like it had a blow fish in it. Remedy, (sweeten) soi milk.
Those Pies Do Look good. Very nice work. As a kid I rejected Pecan pie on its looks. Have had it as an adult. Now on my favorites list. Apple pie must have.
My apologies if I had not recognized in earlier posts if I didn’t recognize Mr. Wood would be directing for you this season with Mr. Mikita. Have they committed to possibility to returning for a continuing season?
Why would someone want “unsweetened” whipped cream when you have those delicious looking pies? I’d probably pass on the apple–just not an apple pie fan–but the pecan? Oh my.
As far as that list of hot stuff, my limit is pimento. LOL.
Hello Tara!