Mid-C Frank's Profile

... the first sentence after the jump.

Great job. Lane furniture was great stuff ( i have several pieces) - good eye for a piece worth restoring.

Electronic (yet pre-digital) gadgets. I grew up in GE town, and some of our wealthier neighbors had houses with fairly elaborate light control systems -- e.g. they could switch off all the lights from the master bedroom, etc. And some folk had their houses "wired for sound -- stereo, of course". This was the sixties, mind you, when everything modern was welcomed -- but most of our houses were still pretty low-tech.

I never ever got poison ivy as youngster, and I know I would have been exposed to it running around the countryside in Western Mass. But now as an adult I'm quit susceptible to it -- apparently it is common that people become more allergic to it as they age.

Funny, I just happen to have a chunk guanciale in my fridge because a friend had just read about it and come over to make dinner just a few weeks ago, a recipe very similar to carbonarra but without egg (as I recall) and using percatelli instead of spaghetti. The guanciale is delish -- don't knock it 'til you try it. Plus I'm all for making recipes with authentic ingredients -- I think it''s very helpful to understand the original before making you own alterations and/or additions.

Of the things you listed, most can be found here. The big exception for me is the chocolate -- the homemade chocolate pods you can find there are superior to the commercial brands (like Abuelita, which can be found in the US). I like to bring back jars of Chile de Arbol -- great for quesidillas; and bottles of Sangrita (tequila chaser) which are hard to find in the US. I suggest hitting a supermercado and perusing bottled and canned products for interesting finds -- there will be many interesting finds and they are not a problem at the border. And definitely a molimillo, which my friend from Mexico calls a "shookah shookah" -- a childhood name. Use one and you'll understand why!

Hmmm -- something to look forward to!

CYNAR baby! And yes, Polish Bison grass vodka -- delish!

I don't understand why music reproduction is so lousy in this age of amazing technology. Glad to see that some young folk choose not to settle. In the meantime, I cling to my Lafayette amp and tuner and my Jensen speakers in spite of my partners pleas to toss them -- no way, jose!

Morelia is wonderful -- glad you enjoyed your trip. The first time this yankee ever had an avocado off the tree was in Berkeley, and I loved it!

Mexican food is so wonderful, and varies so much from region to region -- I wish they'd get a handle on the crime issues. Your next trip should be Oaxaca -- my favorite place (and amongst the safest areas, thank goodness!) I'd kill for a Oaxacan tamale for lunch!