the weekend was gray and drizzling
for two days i didn't see the sunshine
and that's a lot to say for San Diego
yet, it was a good weekend
my cousin JC was visiting
so we went to a couple of my
favorite places around the city
we visited again my favorite used
bookstore in the Hillcrest area (my prior neighborhood)
Bluestocking Books
this photo above is from this weekend
and here an older sepia photo of this beloved place of mine
i remember e-mailing this photo to the store owner
and telling her to use it if she'd like to
i think is the same photo she included on her website!
i am flattered!
and then we had a hot plate of Phở
at my favorite Phở place in El Cajon Blvd.
Phở Hòa
I have eaten Phở in other places
but this is for far the BEST Phở not only
in town, but after reading many online reviews
apparently is even better than many Phở in
Saigon itself, oh well well
no wonder why my mother insists on going there
at least twice while she visits
(here a sunnier shot of the happy cow)
and so it was a good weekend
but a little of tooth pain started sinking in
so today i decided to visit the dentist
only to confirm that i have an infected canine
and below a bridge, so with no more time to waste
and in the same visit the dentist tells me
i must have a root canal, the sooner the better
so, just like that, without being 'mentally'
prepared, nor prepared in ANY way
after what i thought might be an almost preventive
visit to the dentist, i had a root canal
only a couple of hours ago
of course there's the magic of anesthetics
sadly i had only local anesthesia, so i was
rather aware of the procedure
and as i type, i feel it wearing off
leaving turn to a mild strange pain
ah i just hope the Advil works so i can sleep
i guess i'll rely on the good moments of
the weekend, the mild rain in the morning
my fingers caressing the books at Bluestocking books
and the wonderful fragrance of a hot plate of Phở at
Phở Hòa
i still have many visits to the dentist until
this procedure is done, but at least the worst part
is behind... i truly hope this was my last ever root canal
i know i know
what a boring post!
but if you live in San Diego
(hint hint mister Smorg)
you have now the tip of where to eat the best Phở in town
and where to find used (and new) books in a lovely atmosphere
8 comments:
Hi, Bere. It is funny, I have to go to dentist too. I just realized that my tooth was chipped. No pain but I was touching my tooth and I realized the sharp edge. Oh, first I have to pick dentist to go... ha... I haven't been to dentist for a few years anyway... Did you get to go to Book off, that Japanese used bookstore in the mall with Mitsuwa?
Hola bella Bere,
Ouch! Sorry to hear about your tooth. I had my root canal when I was 16 (too much soda and candies, apparently) and still remember the experience. A weird thing... it didn't hurt much, just a strange feeling for the doc to be working on the thing after he had done away with the nerve and I could feel his pulling and pushing and stuff. :oP
You guys actually got rain on last weekend! We only got clouds down here. A perfectly sleepy weather. :o)
And we have the same favorite bookstore in Hillcrest! That's the only place around that actually has a basket of opera libretto tucked at a corner, I think. Really the most charming bookies' hide out around (much more charming than that bigger book place across 5th Avenue... and the labyrinth that is Wahrenbrock's on Broadway in downtown). I haven't been to Phở Hòa, though. Thanks a bunch for the tip! ;o) I'm dreaming of a sizzling bowl of Vietnamese noodle as we type.
Hope June has started well your way!
Smorg :o)
@ Lisa, hello dear Lisa, i've been thinking a lot about you and adorable Saskia, hope you both are doing fine! and YES do go to the dentist ASAP, well, when Saskia gives you a break, the longer you take to visit a dentist the more things he might find in your mouth. I have dental insurance through work, Guardian, and they have a pretty decent network of dentists in San Diego, the dentist i go to is mexican, which is comforting 'cause when you are in pain, it's easier to freak out and scream in your native language!!! i am sure you can find a japanese dentist in San Diego, so you can scream violently in Japanese in case of pain heh heh... as for the Book Off in Mitsuwa, yeah we saw that part of the celebration of the 16th anniversary of the store was the showcase of the bookstore, but i didn't even try to see them 'cause dunno i assume they were all books in Japanese, which i don't understand at all! I hope Saskia and you and Alex are having a good time and that you guys can take her out soon!
@ Smorg, dear Smorg, yeah! i did get some rain over the weekend, mostly drizzle, i am not sure by Lisa's area (Sorrento Valley) if it rained, but i am surprised you didn't get any drizzle in downtown since i always think the closer to the sea the more chances of rain, i guess not
as for the bookstores, yaaaaeeah! you do have good taste in bookstores, i must admit i do LOVE Wahrenbrock's in Broadway but you are right, it tends to be TOO big? Bluestocking is rather cozy, I used to live in Hillcrest and any time i was overwhelmed i'd go to Bluestockings books and immediately calm down, there's like a vortex in that place that transports you back in time...
as for the Pho, yeah! visit the place, Lisa who commented above has been there with me a long time ago, and even if we have 'decent' Phos all over town, this is the BEST i've tried for much!! it shows they specialize in Pho since most of their menu contains at least 20 kinds of Pho, ALL beef Pho, as the original is, you don't find here your fake Fish or Chicken Pho, the varieties are from different choices of cuts of meat, flank, tendons, tripes, etc. delicious stuff, i want a plate now ;)
well, it seems that today we head for another gray day, so hope you enjoy! we have few of these per year, so better enjoy before the sun hits us hard again
hugs to you both!
bere
Oh, Bere, it is not the bookstore in Mitsuwa but it is the bookstore where San Diego tech bookstore used to be in the same shopping mall with Mitsuwa and Staple. Bookoff is the other side of Staple. (Right side if you are facing to Staple.) They just open a year ago or so, I think. They have tons of used book in English as well as Japanese. Yeah, the one in Mitsuwa is normal bookstore with new books and some old magazines. I hope you will find time to go to Bookoff.
hola dear Lisa, thank you! for the clarification on the bookstore, now i know which place you were talking about... and I thought it was still a technical bookstore
I will sure visit it when I go to Mitsuwa again! thank you for the recommendation and hope you are having a good day with little super-cute Saskia :D
Oh, I love Phở!! It has been one of the greatest additions to my menu since our moving out to international waters (that and Thai and Malaysian!) Also the fantastic Vietnamese coffee, hot or iced, mmmh!!
Dentists must be the most feared and hatred of any characters in the story of life; fortunately my dentist in Mexicalpan is one of my best friends, so I can threaten him about mysterious "happenings" him and his family might come across with if I fell the slightest pain when in consult with him hahaha!
This must be a very well read cheese:
http://jerle.free.fr/blog/images/restaurant-alimentation/vache_qui_rit.jpg
hola dear Beto beto! oh so glad you've enjoyed the glories of Pho... and yeah i was introduced to Pho here in San Diego too, i don't think in Mexico City we had a Pho place, I know Thai food is getting 'popular' there now, but I can almost bet there's NO Pho in Mexicalpan de las Tunas, yet another reason why I'd NEVER like to leave California, we get food here from all over the world, as i bet you do in Vancouver too!
and yes!! that Vietnamese coffee, the one that is super strong and has condensed milk, right? yep! a delight too... oh man! after reading and writing all this i almost wanna go for some Pho tonight, if you and mrs. Gaby come over to San Diego, i'll surely take you to this place, you'll love it, it's very low key NOT elegant at all, and the waiters (all Vietnamese men) barely speak English, once you get inside with their retro 50's mirrors from wall to wall and old chairs you feel like in a lost tale in Asia, great little place
and yep!! it seems that the cheese cow is relative to the Asian smiling cow, her cousin from Swiss?? heh heh
as for the dentist, yeah! mine here at least are all mexican, so when the time for swearing at them comes, i don't have to stress over the translation ;) heh heh
take care dear Beto and glad to know you are a-Pho-cionado too ;) enjoy! y glad to see you around here
Hola Berenice,
As the saying goes "wat is dem einen ne Eule, is dem anderen ne Nachtigall". Smorgy likes rain, he thrives on it.
As to the dentist, here is my unsolicited piece of advice. Buy a powerful water tooth cleaner and use it at least two times per day. Those projections clean away food rests thus rolling back infections.
I've had tooth trouble all my life and this is the very best solution.
Cheers
Georg
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