Though I did participate in an MS Walk a few years ago, when I got an e-mail from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society about their MS Auto Rally, I was intrigued. Could this be an experience on par with the action depicted in the fine feature film Midnight Madness?

Well, I am hoping so, at least. Together with my husband and trusty friend millionaire anime translator Neil Nadelman, we shall ride around in our car through Concord, MA doing deeds!

You can even give our team Golgo 13 and the Solid Snakes one whole American dollar if you like!

The organization’s fundraising goal for this event is $35,000, but right now they’ve only met 18% of that goal. With a couple weeks to go, I’m feeling bad. I’ve made my (initial) goal and wouldn’t mind raising more dollars for them because they are an extremely deserving charity. I know from experience! Take it from a satisfied customer, they make a big difference. But yeah, sales pitch aside, I am really looking forward to this. It was hard to settle on a team name. I went back and forth between the two names (Golgo 13 and the Solid Snakes, which is our Rock Band band name, and Toyota Prius and the Recalled Brakes which I just thought was funny) for a while. This sounds like so much fun: you get clues and you drive around obscure parts of Concord, MA. So yeah, it could indeed end up like the plot of Midnight Madness. Will Christian stash marshmallows inside of the navigation computer? We’ll see!

Tonight was the fourth time we’ve given the Friendly Toast in Kendall a shot at our dining dollars. So far, it’s been pretty inconsistent. I maintain that the one in Portsmouth  was better in terms of food quality, service, and consistency; husband says it was just as inconsistent The mojito milkshake in Portsmouth is full of lime, vanilla, and fresh mint flavor (or it was); the one in Cambridge tastes more like mouthwash-mint and has not even a hint of lime. We got our almond joy pancakes in two shifts. They were good, but I’ve had them fluffier and cooked just right instead of just about the other side of overcooked. Homemade hash was very tasty, no complaints from me. I dunno. Maybe I’ve been putting an unreasonably high standard on it, but I am pretty sure that the Portsmouth location’s been better. After almost a year, I’d like to see them work out the dang kinks a bit better. Is it because this area lacks the gutterpunk work force that’s present in Portsmouth? I do not know. The only way I think this is going to be settled is to go up to Portsmouth. I’d like to see how they’ve redecorated the Portsmouth location. The first time I went there, it was a few years ago on a Sunday morning with my parents and I tell you, I felt more of a spiritual connection with that place than I ever felt in church. It was like a glorious palace of all that is good in the world in terms of decor, menu, atmosphere, even location.

There was a nutty storm overnight. I am told that we didn’t get it nearly as bad as they did elsewhere on the coast of the Atlantic, and judging by photos I’ve seen, this is nuthin’.

I was pretty sick this past week from various and sundry MS-related symptoms and treatments, so I don’t have any more truffle photos to share, just experiences. People loved ‘em, or they were humoring me in a very convincing manner. Today: making more green tea truffles!

I’ve been following the Korean cooking blog of a lady named Maangchi, and today I am going to make pickles using her recipe. I love watching her videos! She apparently does occasional meets in the tri-state area and takes people shopping at H Mart so they can learn how to source produce well. I’d like to try to go at some point. Something else she’s got me wanting is to buy some new cookware so I can better make bulgogi at home that isn’t so much grilled as broiled.