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i decided to spice up an otherwise mundane day of work by getting some lunch at tacos lupita, the el salvadoran restaurant across the train tracks in somerville. i put on my puffy winter jacket for the very first time (it was around 15 degrees outside)

and navigated treacherous icy sidewalks until i made it to lupita. unlike boca grande or anna's tacqueria, lupita has a lazy laid-back feel to it. two women worked the kitchen and the cash register, their languid movements hypnotic. there were a few people eating at tables but the place wasn't crowded. while i looked at the bilingual menu above the counter (missing some letters, occasionally prices as well), a bunch of hispanic men ordered noisily. i finally decided on the huaraches ($4.25) - only because i had no idea what it was (that's how i roll) - and i went with the "lengua de res" - otherwise known as the tongue. i waited patiently as they made my order, listening to the spanish music, staring at the flowers on my table, feeling like i could drift off to sleep at any moment.

with much excitement i made it back home. the huaraches came with two sauces, both spicy, one that's sort of a chipotle, the other a mild jalapeño. the tongue was served on top of a fresh corn tortilla along with beans, cheese, lettuce, and cream. the serving could've been bigger (only because i was so hungry), but it was really delicious, not your usual flavors. the term "party in my mouth" has probably been overused, but i feel in this case it's valid. the choice of tongue is probably not for the squeamish, but it's really good, tender and crunchy, and occasionally you can see the taste buds (sort of like tripe, another one of my favorite mystery meat). i washed everything down with a cold tamarind soda. who would've thought that a taste of el salvador could be had so close to home? i plan on keeping the place a secret though, i don't want to spoil it.

each day i work on "birdie" i learn something new. it's like this complicated puzzle and i'm slowly unraveling its secrets. today i'm starting to figure out how the application imports data and what format it should be in. dare i say it? it's actually fun. i look forward to waking up in the morning and working. i don't even feel the temptation to screw around like i usually do. i'm so docile nowadays. maybe it has something to do with the weather being so cold. it feels good not having to go outside (unless it's to tacos lupita).

when evening came i took a hot bath. that's now my reward for a good day's worth of work. usually by day's end my body has lost so much heat (because i keep my place so cold) that it feels good to recharge. anyone who's ever been to my house during the winter knows that the bathroom is the coziest part of the house, all warm and fragrant. i like to fill the tub, slowing ease into the hot water, light an incense, drink a cold glass of water, and read a magazine.

i had a neighborhood christmas party to go to tonight. i wasn't in the mood but since i promised jeff i figured i'd just show up for 30 minutes then leave. i came with a bottle of sparkling apple cider (if i ever show up at your house for a party and you find mysterious non-alcoholic drinks mixed with your stash of booze, that's probably from me) and i was the first to arrive. besides jeff, the only people i knew were franz and jen from next door. i ended up talking a lot with mary jo from around the corner, then after jen left, i had a long talk with franz, travels and politics and religion, hot topics. jeff's beagle lola kept on trying to get at the food on the table and i saw her licking the cheese. what was supposed to be just 30 minutes turned out to be 3 hours.

i wanted to see the 1976 king kong on AMC but i missed it. not having seen peter jackson's remake yet, i want to go on record and say that the 1976 remake is my favorite. jessica lange! she used to be really hot.

i made some ramen for dinner and called it a night.