Joy

There is no joy to the California bar. This I know.

So that is why I take what little joy I can get, wherever I can find it. The web is a good place (oh, not like that) because it reminds me that some people are bold enough to travel around the world and to film themselves dancing in a totally goofy, totally endearing way. I first saw "Dancing 2008" at Mrs. Priest's, but then I read about it today in the Times. Matt Harding might be my new hero.

Next to Joanne Chang, of course. She's my #1 hero. Because the kitchen is another place I find joy - tremendous joy, in fact. Today I took a page from Mark Bittman and made myself cold peanut noodles for dinner. The dish was so simple and so tasty (made with ingredients bought at my local farmers' market!), that I momentarily forgot about my vortex of worry. Fantastic.