Reading: Don Quijote

Watching: Sopranos

Moving: pretty much nothing

House: pretty much nothing

Garden: guess

7 October 2002: Carvel

We loved watching the Sopranos because it ranked on Rhode Island. I expect you can find plastic-covered furniture anywhere, but Carvel! I have to tell my Carvel story. But I can't. Also, a Carvel joke? Surely only New Englanders or Northeasterners understand the reference?

Okay, the Carvel story. One December evening, we were at one of our favorite restaurants, the mostly French Le Central, with another couple, debating dessert. Throughout the meal one half of the couple had been pronouncing "crème brulée" as "cream brool." We sucked this up until the dessert menus actually arrived, which (since it was December) included a buche de Noel, a Yule log. As if Person had never heard of a Yule log before, she asked what it was. A spongey sort of cake spread with custard and rolled up, I said. "No," Person contradicted. "Not custard. It's ice cream in the middle."

I know I'm an elitist, but jesus. I was dumbfounded, I admit, by such blatant...um, blatantness, and glad that RDC wasn't. "No," he countered, "that's buche de Carvel."

See? Not funny if you don't know what Carvel is, if you don't have a childhood's worth of Carvel birthday cakes behind you.