Mashed Potato, Ya Ya Ya

Feel the groovy beat now...
First day back to school today and we had a warm up activity for team
buildingto wake-up.
This is Bat Spud, unofficial mascot to the English department.
English > math

Staring at the world...

...just looking back at the world from another level...

This is my view, from the top of the University of San Diego, at lunch today.
I devoured the view of trees and the not so distant ocean while I
drank sunshine in and sipped the ocean breeze.
The last of summer.

Looking for my lost shaker of salt

Sounds random, but my kids' swim instructor Allison (she freelances in
the valley over summer, but lives in SD) invited me to "Taco Tuesday"
in Old Town San Diego. Now, I'm old enough to have been her very cool,
hip, young babysitter growing up, so I'm very flattered to have been
invited. After mentioning it to my sister in law, it seems that "Taco
Tuesday" is something of a ritual among the current and former San
Diego University set (NOT the University of San Diego crowd. Big
difference). Cheap tacos and $4 margaritas in Old Town; why not? We
dined al fresco/el bar at Fred's, a funky Mexican joint. The defining
characteristic of Old Town restaurants is hand made tortillas by
senoras ubiquitously placed along the front sidewalks of restaurants.
Tacos may just be tacos, but these homemade tortillas are the chewy
and buttery wrapper to tasty fillings. I had one carnitas taco and one
veggie taco. That kind of balances things out in the universe. And my
digestive system,
This just may be the tacos talking, but, "Viva la Taco Tuesday!"

Got myself in a terrible jam/way down yonder in Vietnam

USD has the coolest, international food court. Although the calzones
looked yummy, I decided on pho, a personal favorite I don't get too
often. This bowl is huge. Fishbowl huge. I'm afraid I've already
consumed too many noodles and will try to sleep during the afternoon
session (not due to boredom-this material is awesome! Feels like
college again, but I'm better dressed). The broth has a subtle flavor
and noodles cooked to perfection. Chicken's a bit dry...oh well. I'm
full of regret for not splashing some hot sauce on this sucker to
enhance the flavor, but I feel too carb-enduced sluggish to get up.
How do the Vietnamese work so hard with a tummy full of noodles???

1-2-3 what are we fighting pho?