I got my birthday wish!

Rewatching the end of last week's Top Chef, I'm again impressed with the class and dignity that Manuel departed with. A lot of time those humble speeches sound fake and full of rhetoric, but his show of humility and accountability was admirable.

This week's quickfire challenge examined once again the concept of the The Pepsi Challenge. Even trained palettes cannot always identify the best ingredients from a mere taste, since the quality of many products are based on reasonable consumption, not small doses.

Zoi got rightfully sent home, fulfilling my birthday wish...and yet she and Jenn never faced the truth that she was only on the show because of the television value of featuring a lesbian couple. I agree that it is a nice twist, but I'm sure there are plenty of better ones out there in the talent pool.

The post-elimination outburst may have been the classic moment of Top Chef. Here's the play-by-play: Spike tore into immune Antonia because she talked their team out of making a soup, leading to their loss. Jenn then tore into Spike because her lover Zoi got the axe, as if it wasn't well deserved and long overdue. Dale threw in his two cents on Spike's behalf, Lisa yapped like a little dog, and Dale lit her up. Can't wait to watch it again next week!

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Now, onto more important things...the kittens got me a blue polo shirt for my birthday. Des got two little cakes for us, and she got me with the old trick candle! First time for that, and it was kind of cool. We split an Avery Pale Ale and a Dock Street Amber we've been saving from Total Wine in Delaware. Both were excellent. I'm a lucky guy! Thanks to everybody, friends and family, who sent birthday wishes!

-S

Update on the lost shoe

So apparently one of my classmates saw the shoe that I lost yesterday (see below) at 30th and Market Sts - right across the street from 30th St. Station. She thought 'hey, that looks like Desiree's shoe' but decided against picking it up, because who wants to pick up a random shoe on the street? I don't blame her at all! Unfortunately, the shoe wasn't there today, so it must be lost for good. On the other hand, I don't think I would have picked up the shoe even if I saw it there today and started wearing it again... yuck!

D

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to Steve
Happy Birthday to Steve
Happy Birthday dear Ste-phen
Happy Birthday to Steve

Tomorrow is Steve's birthday - April 9. He'll be turning 29, so everyone tell him Happy Birthday and console him for no longer even being able to pretend that he is in his mid-20s.

Unfortunately, he has school tomorrow and won't be home until almost 10. But at least he has Top Chef to look forward to! And on Friday I will be taking him out to Bridget Foy's for a birthday dinner.

On a different subject, I lost a shoe today! I had two interviews for a co-op this summer and I also had school. So I wore a pair of comfortable flats to walk around in and carried my heels so my feet wouldn't hurt and the heels wouldn't rub off from walking on pavement. At the end of the day, I was walking from school to the train station and had my heels sticking out of my open briefcase-type bag. When I got on the train, I only had one! So if anyone happens to see a size 7 black heeled shoe somewhere on Market St or in 30th St Station, please let me know!

D