Hockey, Food, and Foliage

The NHL and the NHLPA are going back and forth again, which is potentially good but also might lead to absolutely nothing but falsely raised hopes. Ahem. God bless NESN, they're showing a Bruins game tonight. I recently caught a re-run there that they had billed as part of the Quest for the Cup, meaning that it was part of the playoff run from 2011, and this is, too. Hockey! Bruins hockey! Just when it's getting cold and dark and hockey should be on TV, and it isn't, but here it is, kind of. Far, far better than nothing. (And beating Montreal! Knowing the outcome of the game isn't all bad. Far less stressful than the first time around.) Just hearing hockey noises is so great, even from the other room.

Now, on with the show! Believe me when I tell you that I am fully aware of the irony inherent in the contrast between what I'm writing about today and what I wrote about yesterday. I hope that the coming months will be more about yesterday's topic and less about today's, but in truth I have enjoyed today very much. I'm stuffed, though! Yes, it's all about food today. I even finished the day with grocery shopping!

First, you may recall that this summer I mentioned getting a cake from a local bakery via a Groupon, and how delicious it was. The same bakery ran another Groupon, and this time I decided to treat my co-workers to a cake. There are about 20 of us in the office now, and aside from my own birthday there are two others that I know of, a wedding, and an anniversary all in October. And Halloween, as someone else mentioned! Plus, it's really good cake, and I wanted it again. So why not?

Damn, it was good. And there's still half a cake left for tomorrow. Happy Friday! Hey, it's still October.

Then, I mentioned that one of the birthday-related offers I received was from Not Your Average Joe's. I don't actually eat at NYAJ's that often, but their food is good, and I was willing to give them my e-mail address in exchange for such offers. I looked at the date the offer expired, and at my schedule and plans, and decided that an early dinner tonight, right after work, was about my only chance, and would fit in well enough before my trip to the grocery store (both are nicely convenient to work, in fact, and by the time I was ready to head home, the highway traffic was reasonable). I had nice mustard-crusted chicken, with garlic mashed and green beans and bread and a salad, and crème brûlée cheesecake, and leftovers for lunch tomorrow, all for $15 (which included a tip on the full amount, don't worry). Very nice.

It's not all food all the time here, though. The trees are just gorgeous this fall. There's a red tree I pass on my way to work that looks like it froze just as it burst into flame, and an orange tree at work that simply glows, even on a cloudy day. It's a good year for foliage, and I'm constantly tempted to stop for photos. Here are a few I've managed to capture.

This time of year may be getting colder and darker, but it's beautiful, and the air smells so good. I love it.