Hong Kong

Our flight to Hong Kong left at 7:40 AM. We got up at 4:30 AM to get to the airport on time. We didn't go to bed until about 1 AM the night before, so we were all quite tired. Our final Taiwanese breakfast was something John put together quickly, but was still delicious: wheat buns eaten with dried fish powder, buns with taro filling, wax apples, jujubes, tangerines, and Asian pears.
Our flight to Hong Kong was uneventful. I slept most of the way. The only high point was breakfast. We had fruit juice, a warm roll, and noodles with egg and ham. It was quite tasty. From the Hong Kong airport, we took a shuttle to our hotel, the Marriott Hong Kong Sky City hotel. The hotel was practically within walking distance of the airport. It just opened the week before. One of the benefits of a newly opened hotel is that the staff are falling over themselves to help you. We checked in early - around 10 AM, so they did not have the room we'd reserved available. To "help" us, the staffer put us into a deluxe suite on the top floor. Our suite had two rooms and two bathrooms! The bathroom in the living room had a toilet and sink - a powder room. The living room had a couch and some comfortable chairs with a flat screen TV. The bedroom had a king-sized bed and another flat screen TV. The bathroom had a bathtub and a shower. The shower had two heads: one conventional shower-head and one located on the ceiling above the shower. Everything in the room was high quality furnishings. The room also had a beautiful view of the harbor.

After freshening up, we took the MTR to Hong Kong station. Directly next to the station is the International Financial Center (IFC). The IFC consists of two skyscrapers and a mall filled with designer shops. The 2IFC is the tallest building in Hong Kong and the seventh-tallest building in the world. It is 415 meters tall and has 88 stories. In the IFC mall, we saw my favorite London sandwich shop, Pret a Manger. I insisted that we eat lunch there. I had a smoked salmon & rocket (arugula) sandwich and Scott had a Swedish meatball wrap. We also had a mango/passion-fruit smoothie and a package of chocolate chunk cookies. We both thought it was a good lunch. Scott approved of my love for Pret a Manger.



After lunch, we walked from the IFC to the Peak Tram station. We walked through Hong Kong's financial district. Next to the IFC is Exchange Square, home to the Hong Kong stock exchange and an impressive-looking building. Down the street is the HSBC building. Built in the 1980s, it is notable, because it has no internal support structure. It is supported by five exterior steel modules. Inside it is very open. You can see to the top of the building from the base.

L: The Exchange Building on the left, 2IFC on the right; R: HSBC Building

The Peak Tram station has a large cable car that takes passengers to Victoria Peak. The Peak is the highest mountain on Hong Kong island, at 1,810 feet. In the late 1800s, the Peak area became a popular place for wealthy British residents to build their homes. The path up the peak was so steep, that it could only be traversed by sedan chairs carried by local Chinese residents. The Peak Tram opened in 1888. It is a large cable car, holding up to 120 people, that runs on a 1300 meter track. The track is very steep - at some points it seems almost vertical - although the steepest part is really only 27 degrees. It takes about 7 minutes to reach Victoria Peak. At the Peak, are two shopping malls, mostly filled with cheap tourist junk.

The Peak Tram Car

We walked around the Peak Galleria for awhile and bought some cheap souvenirs. Then we walked up Mount Austin Road to the Victoria Gardens. Many expensive apartments are located along Mount Austin Road. We saw numerous Mercedes, Lexus, Audi, and BMW cars in the apartment garages. We even saw a Maserati. The Victoria Gardens were not particularly impressive. There were some pretty flower gardens and many people were there with their families and dogs. What made the Gardens impressive were the views - simply incredible. There were fabulous views of the harbor, of Hong Kong's Central district and the entire city.


R: 2IFC Tower

Tsing Ma Bridge

After taking lots of pictures of the view, we walked back to the shopping area and looked around the mall. We had a light meal of clam chowder, garlic bread, and a chocolate chip cookie sundae at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. I was a bit embarrassed to eat at a very American chain restaurant in Hong Kong, but the view made it worthwhile. We had a table next to a window that directly overlooked the city. It was gorgeous. We also spent a lot of the meal talking to two British tourists who were sitting next to us. They were on the first leg of a month-long trip that was taking them to Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia, and Los Angeles. After dinner, we went up to the Sky Tower, located outdoors on the roof of the Peak Tower. The view was fabulous. Hong Kong at night is gorgeous. I took many pictures and a few turned out well. It was very windy and uncomfortable on top of the Tower, but I so enjoyed the view that we stayed longer than we would have otherwise.


There was a long line of people waiting to go down the tram. To prepare for the cold and windy wait, we bought hot chocolates from Starbucks. It helped some. We had planned on checking out some of the areas of Hong Kong known for nightlife, but were too tired. Instead we took the bus back to Hong Kong station and went back to our hotel. We had also planned on staying up most of the night to help prevent jet lag, but the hotel room bed looked far too comfortable. We slept from about 1 AM till 7 AM. I think we both fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow. In the morning, we worked out at the hotel's fabulous exercise room. Each piece of exercise equipment had a TV attached to it. I walked the Phoenix (FBR) Open on TV while listening to my iPod.


Hong Kong Airport from window of hotel gym

We arrived at the Hong Kong airport around 9:30 AM. It was not crowded, so we passed through security and customs quickly. We ate breakfast at one of the restaurant in the food court. I had a delicious glutinous rice ball wrapped in a large leaf and filled with chicken and pork. Scott had a macaroni soup with ham and egg (he didn't think it was that great). And we split a pork/seafood congee dish.


Our plane left at 11:30 AM. Due to a tail wind, the flight was an hour shorter than our flight to Asia, about 14 hours. They showed four movies, Night in Rodanthe, The Duchess, Flash of Genius, and The Secret Life of Bees. I watched The Secret Life of Bees - quite good. The food was not very good. Our first meal was a roll, salad w/1000-Island Dressing, beef and potatoes, and some kind of berry/chocolate cake. Our "snack" was a ramen bowl with a lemon cookie. Our second meal was teriyaki chicken noodles (the chicken was awful) with a stale pastry/danish. Both Scott and I intended to sleep through much of the flight, but after our excellent sleep the night before, neither of us were very tired. Scott slept 5 or 6 hours, but I only got about 1 hour of sleep. As a result, once we got back to Minnesota, I was very tired. We went to bed around 8 PM.

Our trip to Taiwan and Hong Kong was absolutely fabulous. I can't wait to go back.

Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

For the past six months, I've had a package of cut-up chicken in my freezer. The other day I decided I should actually use it rather than let it sit there as decoration. I made a fabulous roast chicken and potato dish last night based off a recipe from Everyday Food. I served it with leftovers of the escarole saute I made on Monday.

Roast Chicken and Red Potatoes

1.5 lbs red potatoes, cut in large chunks
3 T butter, divided
Salt and Pepper
2 tspn Herbes de Provence
1 chicken, cut into eight pieces

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees
2. Layer potatoes in roasting pan and dot with 1.5 T butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and 1 tspn Herbes de Provence.
3. Bake potatoes for 20-30 minutes.
4. Place chicken, skin side up on top of potatoes. Dot with remaining 1.5 T butter, salt and pepper, and 1 tspn Herbes de Provence. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until done.

Dinner: Beef with Broccoli and Dessert: Pecan Tassies

I made dinner and dessert last night while blaring music over my iPod at high volume, because the fire alarm in our bedroom was going off. The past two days, I have arrived home to five blaring fire alarms. No fire, no smoke, just annoying beeping. The only way to stop the noise is to physically remove the fire alarms. I can't figure out what is setting them off. Perhaps the cold weather has something to do with it, but I'm not sure. Of course, as my luck would have it, the fire alarm in our bedroom is too high for me to reach, even with a ladder. Luckily I could tune it out with music. But it was a long few hours until Scott got home.

Here are recipes from last night's dinner and dessert (belated Christmas baking):

Beef With Broccoli Stir-Fry from www.recipezaar.com

25 min | 15 min prep

SERVES 4

3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
1/2 cup water, plus 2 tablespoons water, divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lb boneless top sirloin steak, sliced thin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 cups broccoli florets
1 small onion, sliced thin
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
hot cooked rice

1. In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water and garlic powder until smooth. Add beef and toss.
2. In a large skillet or wok over medium high heat, stir-fry beef in 1 tablespoon oil until beef reaches desired doneness; remove and keep warm.
3. Stir-fry broccoli and onion in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes. Return beef to pan.
4. Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and remaining cornstarch and water until smooth; add to the pan. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Serve over rice.

Pecan Tassies

Makes 24

3 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup flour
1 egg
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 tspn vanilla

1. Mix cream cheese, butter, and flour until it forms a dough. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
2. Mix remaining ingredients.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
4. Form dough into 24 small balls and shape into small muffin tins.
5. Spoon filling into dough.
6. Bake 25-30 minutes.

New Year and New Books

The first week of the year was eventful for Scott and me. On New Year's Eve, I awoke to a bad ear infection and went to the doctor for a prescription for Penicillin. On New Year's day, I awoke to the itchy realization that I am allergic to Penicillin. This was a surprise, given that I've taken the drug numerous times before. At first, I thought I might be overreacting, because I had strong memories of last year's allergic reaction to a different antibiotic. But by the end of the day, I was pretty sure that I could add Penicillin to my list of allergies. The physician's assistant started me on a low dose of Prednisone on Friday, but by Wednesday the reaction was getting worse instead of better. So I switched over to a high dose of Prednisone. I'm currently weaning myself off the drug, but I'm at the point now where I'm feeling the side effects - extra hunger, extra energy, and screwy sleep patterns. I'm definitely on the mend now, but no more Penicillin for me.

Scott opened up his new year with a cold. After hearing people rave about their Netti Pots, he decided to try it. He says that it works pretty well, but it's not a cure-all. The sight of him pouring water into one nostril and seeing it flow out the other is, to me, hilarious. Personally, I'd rather suffer than have the self-drowning feeling of pouring water down my nose. But that's just me.

Here are reviews of a books I've read since Christmas:

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

A spell-binding book. The first in a trilogy, Hunger Games takes place in a post-American world where the country is divided into twelve districts. To punish citizens for prior revolts, the government requires each district to send one boy and one girl each year to the Hunger Games. This is a Survivor-type reality TV show where the participants fight to the death in a wilderness course. The winner is rewarded with wealth and status for their entire families. Katniss is from the poorest of the twelve districts. She volunteers to participate in the games in the place of her young sister. Her companion from her district is Peeta, the baker's son. The Hunger Games is a fascinating spectacle of show, bravery, competition, and sheer brutality. Katniss has to learn whom she can and cannot trust, or perhaps most importantly, just to learn to trust in anyone at all. The ending is inconclusive, obviously setting up for future books. The world Collins created has a lot of holes in it, but I am hoping that future books will clear up some of the poorly developed facts. Rating 4/5

Revelations by Melissa de la Cruz

This is the third book in the Blue Bloods series, which I wrote about in previous posts. I don't really have much new to say about these books. The third one is just as shallow and fluffy as the others. The storyline still intrigues me enough to continue with the series, but I was not as interested in this book as the other two. Rating: 2/5

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

This is the third book in the Vampire Academy series. All these books are an easy, thoughtless read - not as stupid as the Blue Bloods series, but still pretty shallow. Rose continues to mature in these books, becoming less annoying with each one. She was depressed most of this book. I felt bad for her rather than wanting to strangle her. The ending was really depressing and I'm hoping there is some sort of twist to the next book. I'm looking forward to continuing this series. Rating 2.5/5

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Princess Academy is a sweet, innocent book probably most appropriate for girls ages 10-12. The main character is a 14-year old girl named Miri, who lives in a poor mining community of a great kingdom. Tradition dictates that the prince choose a wife from a region of the kingdom named by the astrologers/priests. When Miri's region is selected as the location of the prince's future wife, all teenage girls are required to go to a "Princess Academy" for a year to train them to be proper princesses. The academy starts out with a fiercely competitive spirit which gradually changes as the girls grow closer and come to rely upon each other. The book ends with a little bit of action and a nice conclusion. All in all, it was a satisfying book, although nothing too special. Rating: 3/5

Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson

A prequel to L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gable series, this book covers Anne Shirley's life before she arrived in Avonlea. It begins shortly after her parents marry and ends as she is leaving for the Bright River train station. The beginning of the book, before Anne was old enough to have a personality, was slow and boring. But the book picks up as Anne gets older. Wilson envisions Anne being placed with people who mean well, but are too busy or downtrodden to do anything but treat her badly. She is essentially a servant from the time she is a toddler. The book stays very loyal to Montgomery's series, although it lacks some of the innocence and hope of the Green Gables series. Perhaps this is due to the era in which Wilson wrote her book but I think it is mostly due to the fact that Anne's childhood had little joy in it, except for what she created herself. Rating: 3.5/5

Sunday Dinner and Leftovers

Sunday I made a tasty, improvised soup with sausage, beans, and spinach. Other than chopping up a bunch of vegetables, it was very easy. And I made my favorite pop-overs to go with the soup.

Sausage and Bean Soup

1 small onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2-3 stalks celery, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
8 oz turkey kielbasa, sliced thin
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) cannelloni beans
6 cups chicken broth
1 sweet potato, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tspn Italian seasoning
pinch rubbed sage
1 tspn salt
Pepper
3-4 oz chopped spinach

1. Saute onions, celery, carrots, and garlic in a bit of olive oil until soft. Add kielbasa and cook until sausage is slightly browned.
2. Add rest of ingredients. Cook until potatoes are soft.
3. Add spinach.
4. Serve with grated Parmesan.

No-Beat Popovers

I found this recipe last year on www.recipezaar.com and make it frequently. I usually forget to add the salt, but it really is better with salt. You won't find a simpler pop-over recipe. I served this with homemade honey-butter.

2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/2 tspn salt

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Mix together ingredients. Pour into pop-over pan (you could probably use a regular muffin pan, but the baking time will likely differ).
3. Bake for 30 minutes.

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On Monday, I mixed the rest of the sausage with a package of Asparagus Risotto from Trader Joe's. For a side dish, I made a dish out of escarole. I had bought a head of it to put in Sunday's soup, but when I got home, I wasn't sure if it actually was escarole - I thought it might just be lettuce. I looked it up on the Internet today and realized that I had indeed purchased escarole, so I found a recipe to use it.


Sauteed Escarole, adapted from a recipe on www.recipezaar.com. The balsamic vinegar adds a lot to the dish. Don't leave it out.

1 onion, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 head escarole, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1 tspn salt
pinch red pepper flakes
Balsamic vinegar

1. Sautee onion and garlic over low heat until soft.
2. Add escarole, chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Increase heat to medium-high until escarole is wilted.
3. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar to taste. Add more salt and pepper as necessary.

New Furniture and Meals

Saturday morning I went to a craft day at church. It was great fun. I painted wooden Christmas trees and stamped a snowman design onto tiles to create coasters. But by far, the highlight was the basket. I weaved my own basket! It took 2-3 hours. It was really fun. There were a few difficult, tedious parts, but overall it was surprisingly easy and enjoyable. I'm so proud of my little basket!

We got a dining room set this weekend. Our kitchen table is the perfect size for two people, but rather uncomfortable with more than that. So we've been search for a nice dining table that wouldn't break the bank. We found this set on Craigslist. It was at an excellent price and in good condition. It's solid wood, North-Carolina-made furniture. I don't know if we'll keep it forever, but I really like the simple, traditional lines of the table. It's also really nice to have a hutch and some extra drawers with the buffet table. The only downside is that the chairs need to be re-upholstered. I think I'd prefer to get some slip covers.

I've also made a number of really good meals.

Red Curry with Chicken and Eggplants
This is a recipe I adapted from one on http://www.recipezaar.com/, but is, at least partially, mine. It's different from the other curry with chicken and eggplants posted below.

1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
6 thai eggplants, cut into eighths (these are small, round, green eggplants - about the size of a plum)
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
2 T red curry paste
1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
1 lb chicken, poached and shredded

Stir-fry red bell pepper and onion in a little olive oil over medium heat until both vegetables are soft. Add eggplants and cook until those are soft. Add chicken broth and curry paste. Bring to a boil and simmer about 5-10 minutes. Add chicken and coconut milk. Simmer another 5 minutes or so and serve with rice.

Double-Tomato Pasta from Health magazine

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup sliced red onion
2 lbs seeded tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
8 ounces farfalle pasta (bow-tie pasta)
1/3 cup sun-dried tomato, packed without oil, sliced
1 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese, divided (about 4 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add onion. Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes, salt, black pepper, and red pepper. Reduce heat and simmer 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain into a sieve over a bowl; add sun-dried tomatoes to reserved pasta water. Let stand 10 minutes; drain. Combine pasta and sun-dried tomatoes.
Combine pasta mixture and plum-tomato mixture in a large bowl; stir in 3/4 cup cheese and parsley. Divide pasta evenly among 4 bowls; garnish each with 2 tablespoons Parmesan.

Curried Bean Salad - A truly fabulous recipe from http://www.101cookbooks.com/

2 (15 ounce) cans beans
1 cup cooked black lentils (I find some already cooked lentils at Trader Joe's)
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced into crescents
3/4 cup celery, chopped
1 garlic clove>
1/2 teaspoon of fine-grain sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1-2 teaspoon freshly grated gingerroot
1/2 lemon, juice of
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Wash and pick over the lentils. Place them in a large saucepan and cover with water using 2-3x the quantity of lentils. Bring to a boil, scale back the heat a bit and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until lentils are tender but not splitting apart. Salt to taste at this point. Remove from heat and drain any remaining liquid.
In a large bowl toss the beans, black lentils, red onion, and celery. Make the curry vinaigrette by mashing the garlic clove with the salt into a thick paste. In a bowl or jar whisk together this garlic paste, the curry powder, fresh ginger, lemon juice, and olive oil. Whisk well, taste, and add adjust flavors/salt if needed. Pour about half of the dressing over the beans and give it all a toss. Add more dressing a bit at a time until it is to your liking. Taste, make sure the salad has enough salt.

Cilantro Noodle Bowl - Another tasty recipe from the always dependable http://www.101cookbooks.com/

8 ounces dried soba noodles
2-3 cups broccoli florets, chopped
1 lemon, zest of
2 cups fresh cilantro, chopped
2 large garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
14 ounces firm or extra firm tofu

Cook the soba in a big pot of rapidly boiling salted water just until tender - but about 20 seconds before the pasta is done cooking add the broccoli to the pot. Cook it until barely done. Now drain and rinse under cold running water. Sprinkle with lemon zest and set aside.
Make the dressing by combining the cilantro, garlic, cayenne, salt, and olive oil. Blend in a food processor or chop by hand. Taste, adjust for more salt if needed and set aside.
Drain the tofu, pat it dry, and cut it into rectangles roughly the size of your thumb (1/2 inch thick and 1 inch long). Cook the tofu in a dry nonstick (or well-seasoned) skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes, until the pieces are browned on one side. Toss gently once or twice, then continue cooking for another minute or so, until the tofu is firm, golden, and bouncy. Remove from skillet, let cool a bit and if desired cut into matchsticks (as seen in the photo), sometimes I don't bother and use larger pieces instead.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the soba, broccoli, and a couple big splashes of the cilantro dressing. Toss until well combined. Add the tofu and gently toss again, add more dressing and a couple pinches of salt if needed. Turn out onto platter and crown with a couple pinches of cayenne and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Mango Pork Stir-Fry - A good recipe from Taste of Home magazine (my lovely mother-in-law was kind enough to give me a subscription to the magazine)

2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 small head bok choy
1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh gingerroot
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 green onions, thinly sliced (I omitted)
1 medium mango, peeled and cubed
1 teaspoon sesame oil

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, broth, and soy sauce until smooth; set aside.
Cut off and discard root end of bok choy, leaving stalks with leaves.
Cut enough leaves into 1-inch slices to measure 2 cups. Cut enough stalks into 1/2-inch pieces to measure 2 cups. Save remaining bok choy for another use.
In a large skillet, stir-fry pork in 1 tablespoon oil for 3-4 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm.
Stir-fry bok choy stalks in remaining oil for 2 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and bok choy leaves; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add water and pepper flakes if desired; cook 2 minutes longer or until bok choy is crisp-tender.
Stir cornstarch mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the green onions, mango, and reserved pork; heat through. Stir in seame oil. Serve with rice.

Snickerdoodles - This recipe is a variation on the Simple Sugar Cookies recipe from the King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion.

1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8-1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or cinnamon, to taste
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the shortening and sugar until smooth. Add the buttermilk and vanilla, again beating until well combined.
Add the nutmeg/cinnamon, flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients and beat until the mixture forms a cohesive dough.
Place about 1/2 cup cinnamon-sugar (1 teaspoon cinnamon mixed with 1/2 cup sugar) in a shallow bowl.
Gather 1 tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball. Place the ball in the bowl or bag of cinnamon sugar. When you've got five or six dough balls in the sugar, gently shake them until they're completely coated. Place them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet, leaving about 1.5 inches between them. Using the bottom of a glass, flatten each cookie until it's about 1/2-inch thick.
Bake the snickerdoodles for 12 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool them on a wire rack.

When the Husband's Away, the Dog Will Play

Scott is working nights this week. He worked a 24 hour shift on Sunday and is working from 5 pm to 6 am Monday through Friday. And then on Saturday Sept. 20, he will work another 24 hour shift.

It's a little odd to be on my own for the week. But I'm taking advantage of it. I've been watching DVDs at night and playing with Snowbird. And, of course, cooking! I made a tasty curry Monday night and a really good pasta salad with fresh tomatoes. I will post recipes and pictures soon.

Scott made me swear up and down that Snowbird would not be sleeping in the bed while he was gone. So I, the obedient wife, e-mailed him these photos last night: