Cravings

I’m pregnant and I’m allowed to have cravings … I don’t know if it’s my pregnancy hormones, or today’s rainy day weather, or the fact that it’s such a slow work day that I’m sitting at my work desk with nothing to do … but I have some pretty strong cravings (from vacations, to books, to stuff, to food, etc).

VACATION CRAVING:
1.) I want a weekend in Napa Valley – good food, awesome views, nice weather, and just a relaxing time away from it all. Unfortunately now that I am 8 and a half months preggy, it is not advisable for us to travel.
BOOK CRAVINGS:
1.) A good fiction novel – believe it or not, I haven’t had a good read in a really long time. Lately all I’ve been reading are baby and parenting books (which is informative but also has the tendency to make me a little paranoid about how unprepared I am). So enough baby books! I need fiction! I haven’t been to Barnes & Noble, Borders or even Amazon in a long time – I haven’t even updated my book wish list in almost 6 months!
2.) Baby Sign Language: Find Out What’s on Your Baby’s Mind (by Karine Rosenberg). Okay, I have room for one more baby book on my shelf and this one I really want to teach Jamie to do as soon as possible.
3.) The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (by Steig Larsson). I actually already read the book and watched the Swedish film version. I just want a copy of the book so I can have a complete set of the trilogy for my library. So far, only the hardcover copy is available and it doesn’t match the copies I already have of the first two books.
STUFF CRAVINGS:
1.) Super comfy flats that I can wear to work. Sort of like Tory Burch flats but not as “flat”. I need flats with a bit of a stacked heel all around. These days I’ve almost given up on wearing heels but I need dressy shoes that I can wear to work. They have to be comfy enough without looking matronly or looking like school shoes. Jojo and I were shoe shopping on Sunday and my theory is that when you are looking for a particular type of shoe, it is just impossible to find.
2.) Dwell Studios' Dots Chocolate Weekender Bag. I love Dwell Studios patterns. I wanted to decorate Beanie’s nursery in their stuff but they only come in sheets and window treatments – and it would have been impossible to find coordinating stuff. Anyway, when I got my instructions to start preparing my overnight bag to bring to the hospital for when I deliver, I immediately wished I had a Dwell Studio bag.
3.) An antique writing desk. I still like my oversized work desk in my home office but I’ve always wanted an antique writing desk with a hutch. I like the Victorian styles with intricate carvings. Having a romantic desk like that, I can almost imagine myself writing the next great American novel … or at the very least make bill paying a little bit more classy!
4.) A stainless steel fridge. Our current fridge is still working (which is why I feel guilty about buying a new fridge) – the only problem is our current fridge has a white façade which no longer matches our stove and microwave (which we upgraded to stainless steel). Actually more than just the fridge, I’d really like a kitchen make-over!
FOOD CRAVINGS:
1.) Gloria Maris hotpot! The other day, Jojo took me to lunch at Shin Sen Gumi (where they serve Japanese shabu-shabu). It wasn’t the same – Shin Sen Gumi had such healthy food (very lean cuts of meat, lots of leafy veggies, tofu and clear soup). I need Gloria Maris’ version – with a variety of fat-filled dumplings and spicy sate soup! I also like the way I make my own dipping sauce (with lots of fresh garlic and chili).
2.) Casa Armas’ conchinillo. I have my best friend, Les, to blame for this … she took Jojo and me for dinner there during our last visit to Manila. And since then, Jojo and I have been dreaming non-stop of that succulently, roasted baby pig. Melt in your mouth goodness. We still talk about it all the time.
3.) Philippe’s French dipped pork sandwiches with spicy mustard. So, so yummy! Why does Philippe’s have to be located in downtown LA where traffic and parking is horrible? Why couldn’t they be located in Torrance where it would be so much more accessible (to me)?
4.) My mom’s home-made, fresh Chinese lumpia. If you’ve tasted my mom’s lumpia … then you know why an explanation is not necessary.
5.) Cheesy puffed corn. It’s not popped corn but rather puffed corn. Like giant, air-filled cornicks. It comes in a clear plastic bag and it is only sold in Unimart. My sister, Joy, and I would buy several bags and eat it every night while watching DVDs. That was my ultimate treat at the end of the day.