Spaghetti Carbonara

It’s good.  First had it in Venice.  I made it today.  I’m really proud of myself because although it wasn’t nearly as good as the first Venetian restaurant where I had it, it was certainly better than the Roman restaurant that we ate at on our last night in Italy.

On an unrelated note, my lower back is killing me.  I suspect that I have an inflamed nerve…the pain goes down my right leg.  Wonderful.  Doctor appointment tomorrow.

This past weekend was my birthday.  The big 2-5…quarter of a century.  I got a few gifts…very heart warming.  On Saturday, my family bought me a giant fruit tart from Sogo bakery–always a good choice.  On Sunday, some folks from church got me huge a cookies ‘n’ cream ice cream cake from Baskin-Robbin’s…mmmm…I was really touched.  Then my family took me out to Vivande for dinner…the best Italian food I’ve eaten in the U.S. so far.  On Monday, my in-laws took me out to Koi Palace where we waited for two hours to have wonderful dim sum.

Is this blog scatter-brained enough for you yet?

Leaving for the Dominican Republic tomorrow.  I was looking forward to it until I read a Frommer’s review.  Even with all my talk about “the poor”, I don’t deal well with filth, poverty, prostitution, and shady men eyeing my possessions.  Isn’t it wonderful how I’m travelling to a dirt-poor country that was recently ravaged by a flood–not to do relief work–but to escape to a resort town to retreat.  How ironic.