DAILY MUESLI: Fresh Chili Paste

Good morning.

As some people know, I have to move out of my apartment temporarily for two weeks next month for a renovation overhaul of the electrical and plumbing systems. It's an old building, and the mechanical systems do need upgrades. It won't be that bad as I just have to move all my stuff out of my bathroom and kitchen into the living area. So I'm happy I don't have to totally move out.

But there is one problem: the fridge. Everything must go, so what do I do with stuff like an 8 oz. container of Sambal Oelek Ground Fresh Chili Paste that's only half-consumed. I have been using it quite a bit over the past few months and I consider it an essential item for cooking. But it can only go so far. To finish off the container, I would have to use it everyday in odd places, like cereal. But I don't think that'll work. If anyone has any bright ideas on how to consume it in a semi-normal way without killing my taste buds, please let me know. (I'm thinking about thawing some frozen salmon and coating the whole thing in chili paste, or at least will be generous with the chili paste.)

So what else is going on?

1.) Does this mean that I'll be getting cheaper flights back to Michigan during bankruptcy restructuring?

2.) Forget Paris: Gourevitch evacuates the Upper East Side and heads to Tribeca, says the NY Observer.

3.) Tom was having trouble with the CTA in Chicago, trying to get from O'Hare to Belmont. He recounts his story of trying to get to the Purple Line. My CTA experience consists of a couple of trips on the Red Line between the Loop and Howard, but I think if I remember correctly, the Purple Line only runs rush hour as an express. The rest of the time it only links Evanston to the Red Line at Howard.

4.) Speaking of Tom's other half at Unrequited Narcissism, I know everyone at DCist will be missing Catherine tonight at DCist's one-year birthday party. I wish her all the best in Chicago. Catherine was the first person to respond to my subtle call-out for writers July 2004 for a "group-blog" I had hoped to form. Exchanging e-mails with her she said it'd be totally cool if we could create something like Gothamist. Unbeknownst to her, Rob and I were already posting secretly to DCist's beta, and we didn't want to let the secret out quite yet. So Catherine, I'll miss you. Come back to D.C. real soon.

5.) In other Chicago-themed news, the man once known as DCSOB, Mr. Thrown for a Loop, has easily transitioned to a new blog. But I must respectfully disapprove of his weekend law school groupie excursion to John Barleycorn's in Wrigleyville. I was not a fan of that place. Head across Clark Street to the Goose Island brewery or anywhere else than that block of Clark Street.

5.) One, two, three, four, who declared the blog war? (This is all quite funny, and exhausting. And it has generated more than 50 comments on DCist.)