You call THAT clam chowder???

So I went to the cafe across the street from my office to get some lunch and ordered the soup of the day, New England clam chowder. The place had gotten pretty good reviews but when I got the clam chowder, it was a watery, bland, almost tasteless concoction. There weren't even any clam chunks in them, but there were carrots (!). I should have known better. Being a native New Englander, I've been spoiled by really creamy, chunky and flavorful clam chowder available at any roadside shack along Cape Cod or the Maine coast. And now that I'm out in California, I can find any ethnic or organic health food I want, but when it really counts, when I crave comfort food, the best they can whip up is this sad, watery concoction. *Sigh* now I'm homesick. For that matter, I kind of miss the blizzards like the kind that is now blanketing the Northeast with snow...

By the way, sorry for the infrequent and banal posts. I've been utterly swamped in my new research job, teaching and prepping for the prelim exam in 4 1/2 weeks. Can't wait to slow down once it's all over...