While at Border's the other night, I gazed longingly at their collection of Moleskine notebooks. I told my sister that I feel an almost physical need to buy them. I restrained myself as I have an unused one at home. Let me explain. I love journals. This was the subject of my very first blog post. I collect them, but find them very hard to use. It's as if I don't have anything important enough to say to deface the first page. One day the Washington Post ran a story on the reemergence of Moleskine notebooks. They have been used for the past two centuries by everyone from Van Gogh to Picasso to the most international avant-garde. In 1986 the manufacturer closed it's shutters forever, but the business was bought by a Milanese publisher in 1998, who brought the books back. (I'm paraphrasing from the literature that came with the book.) This story delighted me, and when I found these notebooks in my bookstore last year I was hooked. I bought two for my friend Kit, who used them right away, and one for myself. It has been in my night table, untouched, for almost a year. Is there a reason for this story? (besides not wanting to talk about my basement?) Yes. I took out the Moleskine today. I wrote on the first page. I stuck Avery write on tabs on the pages with the different rooms in my house written on them. I'm writing down everything that I need to do to each room to get it in shape in case I sell my house. Then, I told Emily about the plans for the notebook. I told her it was her notebook too. This got her very excited. I told her she can write whatever she wants in it. It would be ours. Her first entry? 'Take It or Trash It'. Mine? 'This, but Mostly That'. The mother/daughter journal has begun. So, La de da.

I spent the day in the basement. It was not a pretty sight. Emily spent the day photographing many of the things we'd like to sell and then posting them on Craigslist. She got feedback right away on a few things and two people came to the house and bought an ice tea maker and an under-the-cabinet light. She is so happy. We could make a fortune selling all the stuff we have! If only...

I'm home alone on a Saturday night. The house is totally quiet, but brightly lit. I want to catch up on some TV shows after I write this. If I ever finish. I've had this screen up for over 2 hours. Not writing all the time, but still...

Work was just fine. Busy and uneventful. I went to Border's afterwards and didn't have to wait for an available table. I read the new Cook's Illustrated magazine (which I'd highly recommend) and PC World. There wasn't a wait for tables so I didn't feel guilty staying a long time. Emily's at her friend's for the night, so there wasn't a rush to get home. I had a large latte with an extra shot (4 shots of espresso) instead of my usual medium. The caffeine always keeps me up...what's one more shot? I bought a wall map of Maryland that I'll tack up on the wall leading down to the basement. I have no sense of direction, and I think having a visual will help me. That and the GPS. It's funny that I read computer magazines in Borders. Most people who know me would find that surprising. I'm a 'book smart' kind of person, though. I'm fascinated by computers and technology and information, but I don't put my knowledge into practice. I'm just not good at it. Does anyone here remember my post about Moleskines? Well, this is what I do with my pocket Moleskine: I sit in Border's and read computer magazines and write down web addresses for places I want to check out. Or recipes. Or, let's say, all the tips in Consumer Reports on how to buy a HDTV. And then I never open my Moleskine again till the next time I see something I want to write down. So, the book is filled with a trove of information that I never follow up on. Recipes I never make. Notes from haircutting classes that I don't review. How to's. Note's from the meeting with my parent's lawyer that I finally looked at today. Just because I'm writing about the notebook. Interspersed are little notes I don't remember writing like this one I just found: "It's times like this I wish I were the single friend and not the mother." I wonder what that was about? Here's a picture I just took of the first page:


Of course I didn't remember that was on the first page. Because I only look at the next blank page. I guess I'll have to do something about that now that I see all the interesting things my book contains. And yes, I am filling it up.

I was very hungry when I left Border's and decided to look into a new restaurant near by: Cosi's. It's a chain, but I think the first one in the area. I knew they had free wi-fi, and brought my laptop with me in the morning just in case I wound up there. I had a great dinner: some sort of baked eggplant with a wonderful house salad and homemade bread. I read some blogs while I was there, and was happy. What can I say?

So, here I am, 9:13 at night and I'm totally wired on caffeine. I think it's going to be a long night, but that's OK. I have plenty to keep me occupied.

Something for Sunday when it's almost Monday

Yesterday found me at Border's, as usual. I had two lattes. Living large, huh? Read good magazines and took notes in my little Moleskine with new iPhone apps or cool websites to visit. I came home for a while then left again to get a veggie burrito from Baja Fresh that I ate outdoors in front of Starbucks while cruising the web. It was a gorgeous night.

I walked this morning. It was great to be outside on a beautiful spring morning. I'm way out of shape, though. It was a start. I'm thinking I'll like walking now that the weather is getting better. I hope.

Today was book club. The book was Love in the Time of Cholera. I read maybe 30 pages. I just couldn't do it. The food theme was tapas. Little dishes. At first I stressed, then came up with a great idea. I don't know why it popped into my mind, but it did. I've talked about how I love a particular salad at Mimi's Cafe. I've never bought Belgium Endive, but I thought of how the separated leaves looked like little boats, and that I could recreate the salad in these leaves. So, here's a picture. I tore a fancy lettuce blend into little pieces and put it in the endive. Then added pistachios, Craisens, chicken, strawberries and feta, and sprinkled the boats with home-made balsamic vinaigrette. Easy to pick up and eat in two bites. This one's a keeper.


All of the food was delicious, as usual.

Only 3-4 people read the book. Most started but couldn't finish. I was relieved that it wasn't just me. The next book is The Book Thief by Marcuz Zusak. It's been on my list of books to read, so that worked out. I'm the next book-chooser. What will it be?

I have a 10:00 appointment tomorrow at the Apple Store. Somehow I deleted all the contacts in my iPhone. That's bad! So I'll bring my laptop with me and hope for the best. Should be interesting. I'll pick my mom up first and afterward we'll go out to lunch. It's what we do.

I'm up way too late. Till the next time, ado.