Despite having my previous design for a new restaurant trashed (Dicarded Design Thrown in the Trash), yesterday I put the final touches on the site that has been up and running for about five months now. Overall, I am happy with the outcome, as it makes the client happy and did not end up too shabby.

I did not have any input on the photography supplied for use on the site, nor was I permitted to take any of my own.

In addition, toward the tail end of the project, I had a third party designer trying to muscle in on my territory using some nepotistic connections, which I quite forcefully quelled.

Despite the above average number of obstacles that I had to overcome on this project, I think it ends up doing a decent job for the restaurant.

So feel free to check it out: Park Cities Prime.

I would be interested to hear any feedback that you might have.

My mother-in-law brought over Baby Bellas on Monday night (thank you Mom!). She had had them for a day or so and did not foresee using them in the near future so we got hand me down mushrooms.

However, hand me downs have gotten a bad rap in general, these were great.

My wife sautéed them with oil, garlic, white wine and a bit of black pepper. Some smoked sun-dried tomatoes tossed in and a salad on the side.

Deeeelicious.

With one small problem.

Bizarre Foods.

If you are not familiar with the show: basically this guy, Andrew Zimmern, drags a camera crew around to various countries and taste tests the indigenous local favorites. We are not talking Pasta in Italy. We are talking head cheese.

I am innocently sitting on the futon watching TV eating my delicious mushrooms and salad. I think you can see where this is heading…

Mr. Zimmern is in Trinidad trying cow skin soup, chicken foot soup, conch penis (raw no less), and ox heel soup.

My face pales, and I sit there with sautéed mushrooms on the end of my fork. Mushrooms with the texture that I imagine roughly equates to gelatinous cow skin pieces or ox heel. I close my eyes, still my stomach and think of relaxing on a beach in the sun with a nice cool breeze while I finish my delicious mushrooms.

The meal was awesome. The evening’s entertainment attempted to terrorize me into not completing it successfully.

Go chew on a testicle Mr. Zimmern. Just do not make me watch.

It struck me as I was listening to Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” that my mind was playing around with the lyrics:

“If I only could
I’d make a deal with God
To get into small places”

I wondered what I would have of value to offer to God in return for the bestowing of this ability (surely he is not one of those sell me your eternal soul blokes right?).

Then I started thinking that it might be somewhat handy to get into small places. Like down around a car engine to get at the spark plugs. Underneath car seats to find lost coins. Through the keyhole when I have locked myself out (again). Into people’s ears.

Stuff like that.

Places my clumsy big hands do not currently allow ease of access should the need arise.

…

There has been a throbbing pain in my head since I ate my lunch (Lettuce Wraps from Chilis, and perhaps a little too fast, but it was so good), and the song that I am listening to currently (”Firewater” by BT) is thumping along at the same rhythm as the pounding in my frontal lobe, exacerbating the discomfort.

However I really like this song… so I am just bearing with the ache.

That is a twisted sort of masochism, my friends.

I mean, chances are I will get to hear the song again at some point in my life. In addition, probably at a time when the insides of my head are not doing a break beat jive of their own. Yet I persist as if I am making some sort of personal sacrifice to the song in order that it knows how good it is.

Ah, here come the men in white coats, right on schedule….

On Friday we bought a car for me. It was recommended to us by our BMW mechanic and good friend whom had worked on the car for as long as the owner, a friend of his had had it. And he was willing to sell it at a very reasonable price. I got to take it for a little bit of a spin around the neighborhood Friday evening, and I took it for a ride to the grocery store Saturday. Today I spent two and a half hours washing and detailing it. Then I went for a drive over to my in-laws to show it to them. They said that they really liked it… and mate, do I love it. I adore it.

So what is this new ride that I am all a-gush about?

May I present….

My BMW 528i
- Six cylinder
- 190 horsepower
- 18.5 gallon fuel tank
- Multifunction Steering Wheel (Cell phone controls, stereo controls, cruise control, heated steering wheel)
- Electronic vehicle immobilizer
- Valet key
- Central locking
- Remote control
- Huge ass trunk (three golf bags anyone?)
- Alarm
- Interior motion sensor

- Power windows
- Sliding/tilt sunroof with glass moon roof
- Electric power seats
- Electric power steering column
- Electric mirrors
- Rear view mirror automatic dimming
- All season Automatic Stability Control
- Automatic Climate control
- Heated Seats
- Black Leather and Burlwood interior

Barbed Wire Dreams by Scott English, Copyright 2007
Click for larger image.

Barbed Wire Dreams is a drawing that I did one day after a particularly disturbing dream in which I was running through a fog. Hidden within the fog, seemingly at every turn, were cruel villainous apparitions that threatened and followed me as soon as I stumbled upon them, and kept following - hence a sense of a growing threat as the murder of “crows” behind me grew. Then to make matters worse, hidden within the fog at various levels - some shin height, some neck height, etc - were runs of barbed wire…

Mom’s Tulip by Scott English, Copyright 2007″

A picture of one of the tulips in my mother-in-law’s garden. I always enjoy looking around her garden whenever I visit. There is always something new and neat to look at.

Her garden also has the most enjoyable ability to make me feel relaxed.

No problem Leonides, the least I could do for your 300.