Rocha-chatter

Wikipedia says... " The formation of potholes is exacerbated by cold temperatures, as water expands when it freezes and puts more stress on cracked pavement." So living in Rochester, one just has to get used to having potholes around.

I hit a pothole so deep the other night, when I looked in the rear view mirror I saw my hub cap rolling off into the distance. There is a nasty pothole near my office that I try to avoid because I think my entire car would fit in it.

Last week, however I came across a road oddity that wasn't a pothole. I would call it a sink hole... (even though it isn't anything you read about that swallows entire houses). It was a round smooth indentation in the road that everyday became deeper and deeper. It never broke the asphalt like a pothole so you didn't see it coming.

And I liked it. I liked driving over it. As I drove over it one side of the car would smoothly roll down into it and wooop... back up. Wheeeee! It was like a roller coaster. My husband thought I was crazy when I would say... "Go this way and drive over the sinkhole!"

Then one day I drove towards it and saw this.
Apparently the city did not find the sinkhole as amusing as I did.

Pothole bad. Sinkhole fun.

Labels: roads

I just helped put Rochester on the map. Well... in the world of soup swaps that is.

What's a soup swap? You and your friends each make a big batch of soup, freeze it into six one quart containers, get together, SWAP, and everyone one goes home with six containers of different kinds of soup.

I first read about this on a blog I read. Her post led me to this soup swap post and then on to soupswap.com. Turns out there is a National Soup Swap day. I missed this day by a few months, but really... when isn't soup a good idea?

So I had my own soup swap and it was a great sucess. I didn't have to cook dinner all the following week. Jealous, hungry co-workers watched me consume tasty soup at lunch day after day.

I highly recommend having your own soup swap and perhaps Rochester can become the soup capital of the US. And as this comment from my blog when I wrote about my soup swap indicates...

"Right on for Swapping Soup! YOU FOLKS IN UPSTATE NY ARE WAY SEXY!!!!" - Knox Gardner of soupswap.com

Labels: food

I am so glad the snow is starting to melt. I enjoy snow and snow activities but I ready for spring. I have this little "situation" regarding the sidewalk plowing in my neighborhood that drives me nuts.

I appreciate that the city plows my sidewalk... don't get me wrong! I think it is fantastic that I don't have to go out and shovel a foot of snow each week. I am happy to see the plow guy go flying down the sidewalk in his mini-plowmobile. It's just that ... well, sometimes his aim is a little off. The path is plowed a few inches to the side and when all that snow melts there are big chunks of our yard missing.

My parents even gave me reflectors to post along the sidewalk to help guide the plow along the walk. After our first big snow I came home to find all the reflectors on the one side missing, mangled or twisted.

At first I was indignant (as I was replanting my yard with grass seed)... but really... it's not me out there tooling up and down the sidewalk everytime we have snowfall. And I appreciate that. So thank you sidewalk snowplow guy. Thank you for keeping my sidewalk clear.

Labels: snow, winter

Hello! What is this?! The Chocolate Bar?!!! I guess I haven't driven down East Ave in awhile.

We were driving by when I spotted this next to Bar Fly. The lovely glowing word C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E jumped out at me. I made my husband risk being a victim of road rage and pause a moment so I could snap this picture.

I am hoping this is what I think it is.

That being an establishment that serves all forms of chocolatey goodness.

In New York City I know of a couple "chocolate bars" where you can get anything chocolate.

One is Michel Cluizel cafe and the other is Max Brenner's... both serving chocolate desserts and chocolate drinks.

My husband went to Max Brenner's while in NYC on business... WITHOUT ME.

He reported back that they have delightful items such as chocolate fondue, chocolate pizza, popping candies chocolate lick, warm chocolate soup, urban smores and oh lordy... a chocolate mess.

Brilliant.

(update: we went to check out The Chocolate Bar and while they don't have a menu like Max Brenner's... they do have cheese fondue and chocolate fondue. I am good with cheese. )