The Hive

I worked a 12 hour shift last night,slept a mere 4 hours today, and doubt I will have much culinary energy tonight.( Though I have been surprised before by a second wind out of nowhere). I work in a part of downtown Nashville that I call the Hive. Here one is never more than 15 seconds away from another siren or 5 minutes away from an another Lifeflight helicopter. Vanderbilt Medical Center looms to the east.Some people call it the Wonderbilt, and the students in the dorms around it call their campus The Vanderbubble. To the west is Centennial Hospital, flagship of the Frist empire. And in the middle is Baptist- The hospital that straddles Church Street and which in its history has consumed many city blocks, then spit them out as parking garages. Let us not forget the Hutton Hotel, the Loew's Vanderbilt, the Red Ball Garage, the Cathedral of the Incarnation, The Jack in the Box ( Preferred after hours hangout of the city's taxi fleet), a Taco Bell, an Indian restaurant,several gay bars, and of course the corner Krispy Kreme. I never see the Metro police at any of these eateries. Not surprising. An old cop guarding a prisoner who was a guest in the Catholic Hospital I once worked in told me his fellow officers only ate at places they were certain no one would feed them ground glass. Yes- Hayes Street has intriguing aromas. An intoxicating combination of curry, exhaust fumes, and sugary donuts. I love it. Ah- city air! I love it.

And back to this morning's most interesting incident. I looked out of one of my patient's windows just before dawn today , and I saw dozens of really large black birds wheeling around over the garage. I knew they could not be vultures, though I was disappointed by this. I love a cheap and easy metaphor as much as any other writer, and who would not jump at the chance to mention vultures in the same sentence as Bill Frist, HCA, cut throat Nashville hospital politics, dying downtown restaurants, and decline in general? No such luck. The birds were crows, who I am sure were dumpster diving and patrolling for french fries dropped in the parking lots. I had never expected crows to prove to be so urban, but then again who would have thought Peregrine Falcons would nest on the Nashville Electric Services building and feast on fat pigeons. Or that an old friend- the dear and late Jennesse Aurandt- would hear scratching at the ICU back fire escape door one night at the Catholic hospital in town and would find a possum trying to get in .

I may post later tonight for I have found recipes from the original Trader Vic's restaurant in San Francisco. I found them in another 2 buck bargain from McKay's- Mrs Doris Muscatine's "A Cook's Tour of San Francisco" published in 1963. I now have recipes for Rumaki and Bongo-Bongo Soup. I intend to cook the latter this weekend after I am paid. I have to buy canned pureed oysters, A-1 sauce, MSG, whipped cream, and Gerber's spinach baby food, though the recipe does not specify how many jars. Doesn't it sound good!

Lastly I found two small buttercups blooming today at Edwin Warner park. This was in the bottomland along the Little Harpeth River. Winter is not for long in Tennessee!