Safar Coiffure

I feel human again.  I finally got my nails done today at Safar Coiffure, a very pretty spa/salon in South Pointe.  Of course I used a Groupon, but normal prices there aren't TOO outrageous-$50 for a mani/pedi.  My awesome little place is only around $25 for the same but it's impossible for me to get there most days...I could walk to Safar during my lunch hour.
I had a talkative Ukranian woman do my nails who kept up a running commentary about anything should could think of (Shaquille O'Neal is nice, Janice Dickinson is not) but somehow she wasn't annoying-she was childlike in a charming sort of way.  Foreigners can get away with so much.  She did an adequate job on my nails but not amazing-she did little for cuticles and calluses, which is what I really care about.  My theory (and I have a theory about everything) is that places that are strictly nails only do a better job because the owners make sure that the services are standardized among their staff.  Hair salons and spas seem to just hire any licensed person to do nails and then not really worry about what the technician actually DOES.  She wasn't awful, I just wasn't impressed.  There's another place that's close by that's nails only with similiar pricing-even though it's not anywhere as pretty as Safar (in fact, it's downright grubby)- and they do a much better job.
But, I'm just happy to have a pedicure again.  I hate open toes shoes with unpainted nails, and since I have a foot fetish to support, I got to step up my game.  I actually remember that the last time I did my nails was December 30th, when I normally can't remember my address properly.  Gotta represent, ya know?

King Kone Hand Rolls

This is blog number 69.  Snigger.

My diet has been crap lately.  I haven't felt like grocery shopping, much less like cooking, and honestly, nothing has really seemed appetizing anyway.  Times like this I wish we had dog food for humans.  Just a nutritionally complete people-kibble that would taste reasonably good and I could live on it alone.  Eating can be such a chore.  I wish I was an air plant.  Or a robot.  I wish I could teleport nutrition into my belly, bypassing my mouth altogether.

As a special little treat for myself, I went to King Kone Hand Rolls for lunch today.  Mind you, this is a special little treat I planned out last week.  Making sure I have three meals a day arranged is one of my tasks.  I can't simply open up the fridge and snack on something; this requires careful planning and utilization of my meager resources.  I mean, I have to put something in my stomach regularly or it starts to, like, hurt.  And stuff.

I had a Groupon for this place so I ordered quite a bit of food, too much food, actually.  I had to throw some of it away, something I wouldn't normally do but sushi doesn't keep.  I had a ceviche hand roll, a dragon one, some seaweed salad, and something called sunomono which is cucumber salad with kimchee sauce, or so I was told.  Everything was pretty much fine.  Not thrilling, but fine.  Well-priced.  I really don't like the seaweed hand rolls come wrapped in so I ate the filling with a fork.  It was basically a mound of rice with chopped veggies, fish, sauce and toppings...pretty good but not exquisite.  And only superlative awesomeness is tempting my fickle palate lately.  I mean, the paper thin slices of white tuna, garnished with scallions, dipped in ponzu sauce, that I had at Mr. Yum recently was exquisite.  "Pretty good" is just puppy chow.  Must.  Regain.  Food.  Mojo.

Sublime

Went to Sublime for an unfashionably early dinner with GS yesterday.  I had pregamed at his house with wine because I'd had a crappy day, one of those days where it seems every asshole in SoFla crosses your path, so by the time we got there I was smiling.  Yes, you can tell I'm tipsy when I smile.

The place is huge and my first thought was, can this place possibly be in the black?  I know it was 6:30pm on a Wednesday but still, I can't imagine that it was fiscally worthwhile opening at all that day.  It's very pretty and elegant in a cold way, or pretentious as GS opined, but the menu is pretty down to earth.  It's vegetarian and touted as natural and organic and all those foodie catch words.  Everything on the menu appeared recognizable and edible but maybe a bit too safe and boring?  The menu also seemed extremely limited for a restaurant of that size; it was more of a bistro type menu where you'd assume they'd  change out dishes regularly.  I imagine Sublime doesn't do that.

The wait staff was extremely attentive and deferential which is, I suppose, better than rude and standoffish but it didn't ring quite true.  I guess I was throw off by the prison tattoos on my server's neck.  I imagine the reason, at least partly so, for the great service was the presence of the owner haunting the restaurant.  She insisted on speaking to everyone at their tables, which I guess was a nice touch if I didn't freaking hate that kind of shit.  At least I was tipsy enough to not be completely cold and uncomfortable.  She opened up the conversation by welcoming me back.  Umm...I've never been there.  She then asked GS if he had been in recently...umm...negatory.  Seriously, lady, you don't recognize us.  You don't know us.  IT'S OKAY.  Luckily she finally went away.

We both ordered pizzas: GS got a carmelized onion with mushroom and I got a "cheddar", BBQ sauce and onion one.  Yes, I understand I just complained about how dull the menu choices were, and then I went ahead and ordered the safest choice.  Sue me.  My pizza was much better than GS's, which was bland and not nice on the tummy.  I guess vegan food doesn't go down well.  The vegan coconut cake was really good, and I took all the leftovers home because, with the two pizzas, cake, and a couple drinks, the bill came to $56 before tip.  GS paid the remainder after my Groupon took care of $50 off the bill, and left the tip.  He said that he was glad the bill was so low because he would have felt really gypped paying full price for the meal...I did remind me that I paid $25 for that $50 Groupon, so the bill was actually around $31 before tip...reasonable but not a huge bargain.  I guess the meal was worth that much but not more.  I'm glad I went there because I had been wanting to for close to a year, but I'm also very glad that I/we didn't pay full price.

Biutiful

Go see it.  Today.  Now.

Be prepared to cry: not that silent, dignified weeping, but outright sniffly bawling.  There was not a dry eye in the theater.  Yes, the men too.  It's one of the best movies I've ever seen.  It's definitely the most sad.  Amazing.  And, beautiful.