January 5th, 2017
Affirmation: “Happiness does not start when ‘this, that or the other’ thing is resolved. Happiness is what happens now, when I make the best of what I have.”
Word of the Day: frondescence (adj):
____
The flight attendants doted over throughout the course of the flight and despite the coziest airplane bed (completely flat), pajamas (soft, breathable cotton), fuzzy slippers, a comfort kit that included lavender essential oil, and plush sheets, pillows and a comforter, I did not sleep at all during the flight. I am not sure why. I think I was just so taken with the experience (and I felt like I ate more at dinner alone than most people do during the course of a day). I also ended up watching 4 movies on the flight. Yes, four. It was bad. I won’t write reviews on them for the sake of time but War Dogs (politics aside), was awesome, and The BFG’s animation was good and the story made me feel nostalgic (I read all of Roald Dahl’s books as a child). I really wanted to like Suicide Squad (mostly because I like the song Heathens), but it wasn’t good. And neither was Bad Moms.
I could probably write about the food alone, but in the interest of my readers, I’ll just let you guys read the menu and point out some highlights.
The opening champagne and chocolate were actually one of the highlights of the dining experience. The champagne was light and had just the right amount of subdued fruity sweetness I like. But the chocolate shone as the star. I told myself I would just eat a nibble to save my appetite, but I ended up eating the whole thing because the texture – the way it melted in my mouth – was too good to pass up.
I used to want to be a “wine person” – there is such a culture and social scene built up around it – but I’ve realized that I’m just not. And I’m ok with that. (Just like there’s a culture and social scene built up around golf and I’m ok not being a golf person, either). I wanted to like the Grenache blend the best, but I ended up liking the Cabernet the best – sweeter wines aren’t really my thing).
More warm nuts? Don’t mind if I do!
Black pepper tuna tartare, red quinoa apple kale salad, wasabi paste. (It was like deconstructed sushi!).
the garlic bread wasn’t warm enough or fully baked, but the cheese bread was crusty and nice.
Lots of lemon ginger tea to help with digestion and because it is warming and so tasty and I love it when traveling!
The lemon meringue was decent, and I wasn’t a huge fan on the tiramisu (but then again, tiramisu isn’t my favorite in general).
The apple tart was pasty and apple filling was too “hard” and under-baked and under-spiced.
And my favorite dessert were these salted caramel pretzel pecan brownie squares! I think that Starbucks used to sell a similar version. But they were exquisite. And the sweet and salty and creamy and chewy things they had going on was in perfect balance.
Before I left the flight, I was even given some more chocolate (I think the flight attendants recognized my dessert/ chocolate obsession).
Affirmation: “Happiness does not start when ‘this, that or the other’ thing is resolved. Happiness is what happens now, when I make the best of what I have.”
Word of the Day: frondescence (adj):
1. leafage; foliage.
2. the process or
period of putting forth leaves, as a treem plant, or the like.
Birdwings
Your grief for what
you’ve lost lifts a mirror
up to where you’re bravely working.
Expecting the worst, you
look, and instead,
here’s the joyful face you’ve been wanting to see.
Your hand opens and
closes and opens and closes.
If it were always a fist or always stretched open,
you would be paralyzed.
Your deepest presence
is in every small contracting and expanding,
the two as beautifully balanced and coordinated
as birdwings.
____
There is SO much I want to write about my experience flying
United Airlines’ new Polaris First Class, but I’m sure that I have forgotten a
lot from the actual day that I flew (from LAX to Melbourne – a 16 hour flight!).
I also don’t know where to begin…
I don’t want this blog to become scattered with needless
hyperbole and over-the-top exaggeration, but I did have the feeling that I had
died of something and gone to heaven when I stepped on board. I don’t want to
gush, so I will try and restrain myself for the rest of this post… I will also
let the pictures do a lot of the talking (read the "menus" if interested!).
The flight attendants doted over throughout the course of the flight and despite the coziest airplane bed (completely flat), pajamas (soft, breathable cotton), fuzzy slippers, a comfort kit that included lavender essential oil, and plush sheets, pillows and a comforter, I did not sleep at all during the flight. I am not sure why. I think I was just so taken with the experience (and I felt like I ate more at dinner alone than most people do during the course of a day). I also ended up watching 4 movies on the flight. Yes, four. It was bad. I won’t write reviews on them for the sake of time but War Dogs (politics aside), was awesome, and The BFG’s animation was good and the story made me feel nostalgic (I read all of Roald Dahl’s books as a child). I really wanted to like Suicide Squad (mostly because I like the song Heathens), but it wasn’t good. And neither was Bad Moms.
I could probably write about the food alone, but in the interest of my readers, I’ll just let you guys read the menu and point out some highlights.
The opening champagne and chocolate were actually one of the highlights of the dining experience. The champagne was light and had just the right amount of subdued fruity sweetness I like. But the chocolate shone as the star. I told myself I would just eat a nibble to save my appetite, but I ended up eating the whole thing because the texture – the way it melted in my mouth – was too good to pass up.
I used to want to be a “wine person” – there is such a culture and social scene built up around it – but I’ve realized that I’m just not. And I’m ok with that. (Just like there’s a culture and social scene built up around golf and I’m ok not being a golf person, either). I wanted to like the Grenache blend the best, but I ended up liking the Cabernet the best – sweeter wines aren’t really my thing).
More warm nuts? Don’t mind if I do!
Cabbage, bok choy, carrot, and mango.
The salad was underwhelming and the mango was under-ripe.
Black pepper tuna tartare, red quinoa apple kale salad, wasabi paste. (It was like deconstructed sushi!).
the garlic bread wasn’t warm enough or fully baked, but the cheese bread was crusty and nice.
Lots of lemon ginger tea to help with digestion and because it is warming and so tasty and I love it when traveling!
Seared Turbot with basil beurre blanc, mushroom fava bean risotto, and braised cherry tomatoes.
The turbot literally melted in my mouth and the risotto was tantalizingly creamy, warm, and rich.
International cheese assortment (Brie, white Cheddar, and blue cheese) served with grapes, crackers, and port.
Side note: I loved the blue cheese the best! I thought I would have preferred the brie but there is something about that tart taste of fermentation (i.e. Kimchee! Sauerkraut! Tart yogurt!) that I love. And I liked the crumbliness of the blue cheese, too.
a) “Signature” sundae with vanilla gelato, maraschino cherries, walnuts, whipped cream, hot caramel topping, and hot fudge sauce.
b) Warm apple pie tart.
c) Salted caramel pretzel pecan brownie squares
d) Tiramisu shot.
e) Lemon Meringue shot (I wasn’t feeling the strawberry cheesecake shot).
Ok, I had to side note on the dessert, too. I have a sweet tooth. Chocolate over chips any day. But this was excessive – even for me. But it was wonderful. I literally had 7 desserts. After my multiple course dinner. It was insane in the best way.
I was disappointed that the gelato was half melted (I like frozen sold ice cream), but the toppings were spot ON. Especially the hot caramel and the hot fudge sauce with congealed into thick ribbons of fudge bliss.
The apple tart was pasty and apple filling was too “hard” and under-baked and under-spiced.
And my favorite dessert were these salted caramel pretzel pecan brownie squares! I think that Starbucks used to sell a similar version. But they were exquisite. And the sweet and salty and creamy and chewy things they had going on was in perfect balance.
2 different fresh fruit plates; cereal; Greek yogurt; Asian pear; croissant with butter and preserves (not pictured because I only had a bit and wasn’t feeling it).
Compared to dinner, breakfast felt routine and comfortable, which was nice in it’s own way. The Asian pear I requested was worth noting – I am not usually a pear person, but this Asian pear was the juiciest, softest-without-being-overripe piece of fruit I’ve eaten in a while. It tasted like refreshing nectar.
Before I left the flight, I was even given some more chocolate (I think the flight attendants recognized my dessert/ chocolate obsession).
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