Something In My Head Yesterday...

Some of my favorite clothes
Are hand-me-downs
Lost and founds
Thrift store finds
And left behinds
But baby I'm glad I found you.

[not sure what this means... how well it hangs together... but there it is]

Inspired By "Keep Calm, Carry On"

Love it. Buy it here.

A Harrowing Realization

Trolling through I-Tunes I realized several of the artists I was drawn to were on the same I-Tunes Essentials mix. That's one of the themed mixes that I-Tunes offers with multiple artists within a genre, such as "70's Dance Party" or "Italian Dinner Party". I clicked on this mix, and sure enough I already own at least a third, if not more, of the tunes on there.

What freaked me out was the title of said mix:

"Soccer Mom Chillout"

Ouch. I neither have kids, nor do I own a mini-van, nor frequent soccer games. Please say it ain't so. Apparently, according to musical taste, I am, at heart, just like a soccer mom who likes to chill out. It's not how I'd like to think of myself, to be honest. Aren't I hip, sophisticated, and young-for-my-age?

No. The answer, according to I-Tunes is a firm no.

I fit a far more "average" demographic than I'd like to admit.

Well, if the mom jeans fit...

Oh Blue Chair, wherefore art thou?

I'm trying to sell a pair of these chairs. They are blue. Blue leather. I didn't pick them out. I guess my mom did back in the day, and now that my dad is retired, we don't need them. We had a pair of brown leather chairs that sold in an instant. But not these. I think I get it. When it comes to leather, blue is a very particular choice. And, apparently, since 1985, not the choice of many. I've even reduced the price a couple of times. Still no takers. I don't even know if I can blame the economy. Surely someone in the greater metropolitan Atlanta area would like 2 chairs like this along with another blue leather desk chair on wheels. Surely. Anyone?

Needle-less to say...

I had acupuncture today. Also suction cups. It was for my neck and shoulders. We'll see if it makes an impact. Some say acupuncture is simply the "placebo affect." But my MD friend thinks there may be some legit things going on with it. I don't know. But I don't have a fear of needles. So that's good.

Streams of Travelers

Streams of Travelers
Originally uploaded by Ettubrute

This is the 2nd time lapse of his I've uploaded. Enjoy.

Bad Combination

I went to Blue Ribbon Bakery last night for the first time. I really enjoyed it while I was there. We were seated in a timely fashion, the waiter was friendly. And I ordered a horrific combination. Not that the flavors tasted bad, or, for that matter, in combination. But immediately after the meal I was filled with regret. Regret and bloating.

The following should not be eaten together in a "meal". Limit yourself to a combination of no more than 3 of these foods at a sitting. At least if you are going to have the portions I ate.

1. Brussel Sprouts. These were roasted.
2. Hummus

3. Assorted breads and butter

4. A cheese plate featuring 1 each of goat, sheep, and cow's milk cheese. The goat, in particular, was excellent. It also came with raw Mexican honey which I completely consumed.

5. Chocolate-chip bread pudding with vanilla ice cream and very rich chocolate sauce

All washed down with a glass of red wine and several glasses of water.

I know. I should have seen this coming.

Flight of the Conchords - good, cheap, fun.

My friend has a thus far failproof technique for getting cheap or free tickets to sold-out shows. No, no scalpers are involved. Just normal show-goers who want to help a girl out.

We saw Flight of the Conchords on April 15th.

3 of us showed up to Radio City Music Hall without tickets at 7:45, and after a little waiting, smiling, hoping, and slight negotiation, got 3 seats together, front of the 1st mezzanine, $20 each, which was $40 below regular cost with service charges. Not to shabby. And a funny show!

Great Poster, Great Music

Tyler James' song "Stay Humble" is a near perfect song. Lyrics, sound, everything. And I dig the poster, too. The stars have been crossed everytime I knew he was playing in NYC. One of these days I'll get there.

Do I wish I was cooler? More Ironic? Like this?

Let's Talk TACOS

I recently returned from a trip to LA, where I consumed vast amounts of Mexican food. Probably I should say "Mexican" food. Because so much of what we eat and call Mexian has been adapted and changed, hasn't it?

For me, my touchstone taco comes from eating at Jalisco's in Atlanta, GA as a child. All other tacos are compared to theirs. Specifically in Buckhead (Taxco's and El Azteca being close seconds and thirds). This was a basic crispy shell, ground beef, shredded white mild cheese, lettuce. That's it. I still love Jalisco's. It's an affordable, family friendly, table-service place. And, extra bonus, there's a Baskin Robbins next door. Like lots of places in Atlanta, it's in strip mall, but we will overlook this.

I was pleased and intrigued to try Tito's Tacos when I visited L.A. It lived up to it's reputation. Like Jalisco's this is Mexican food for an American palate. You order at the window, and there's some sort of system there that I couldn't quite figure out. Their tacos have a thick shell, mild yellow cheese, and ground beef. I could get used to that. Be prepared to wait in line, but not regret it.

It's interesting that you can't really find places in NYC doing these kind of tacos. I mean, I guess there is Taco Bell, but it's so oily, so bad... and otherwise you are left with "burrito based" places (as I would call them) that have tacos as a side, or fancy-shmancy Mexican like Rosa Mexicano. Love it, but for totally different reasons (not the tacos!).

I'll be honest. I prefer the crispy to the soft tacos. I know that's inauthentic and that really I should be eating tostadas. They are the real crispy fried corn tortillas one finds in Latino markets. Normally, I prefer the "real" thing. Not so, in this case.

Ryhme in Progress...

[to a slowish beat]

I swear I think I saw Bill Gates on the subway
I wasn't lookin' for him
He was lookin' my way
I said, "Can I have a million dollars"?
He said, "Okay.
I'll write you a check and I mail it to you Monday."

I swear I think I saw Lil' Kim in the drugstore
She was buyin' makeup
I was like, "What is that for?
Don't they give it to you free at the Mac store"?
She was like, "Naw, they don't do that for me anymore."

(to be continued...)

Gasp! [trying to keep her nose above the water]

Where's the "Clicker"?

Remember when the remote was literally a clicker?

Like it actually clicked?

Limited features, as well. Simplicity.

All this one did was change the damn channel. Nice.

Why Newspapers Are Going Out Of Business

Finally, people have had enough. They are fed up.

They will not stand (or pay for it) any more.

The reason why newspapers are going out of business?

Two words. I mean one word.

NEWSPRINT

They hate getting newsprint all over their hands

and the smudges on white clothing.

They've had it. Shut 'em down.
If newspapers could figure out a way

to rid the world of this blight,

and still give us paper news,

i am SURE everything would turn around.

Because I hate blackened fingers.

Don't you?

tonight i tried to make yogurt. awaiting results!

Fancy French MRE (Meal Ready To Eat)

I was at my local market the other day. These guys have the most interesting eclectic variety of foods. They had St. Dalfour Gourmet To Go Meals on sale for $2.50 each. I bought a few to try out, kind of because of the container. They seem like the perfect thing to leave at the office when I forget to bring my lunch. They are surprisingly good, but not quite enough food! The can is even microwavable, and it comes with it's own spork. Gotta love that.

BBQ Meals on Wheels

I've had a deep appreciation for taco trucks for a few years now. My local, beloved truck was, in fact, written up in the NY Times in 2007 and has even won some awards.

But I recently read about the Koji BBQ trucks out in L.A., and I am psyched to give them a try this weekend. I'll be staying in Venice for a few days, not far from where they often stop at night.

They've apparently taken the concept to a new level from the quality and preparation of the food, to actually Twittering their location. (Finally, a good reason to Twitter!)

I think the gourmet "taco" truck has huge potential in cities all over the U.S., not just New York and L.A. We'll see if it catches on. As a fan of cheap-but-good food, I hope it does.

To find out more about Koji click here for their site. Or find them on Twitter... if that's your jam.

Birds on Wire, again.

It's, like, becoming a blog theme!

Looks Delicious

I want to try making this. It's pseudo-ricotta/farmer's cheese.

The recipe is available at Cooking Books.

Genetically Predisposed to Pack-rat-ism

I am a keeper.

As was my paternal grandmother and my father before me.

I am still young, and can fight it, for now.

But someday it will win.

I will keep things that I do not need.

That historians will not want. That will serve no purpose.

I will think them a gift to future generations. Future generations will throw them away.

(This lovely picture is available for sale, for just $20 for a high quality archive print here.)

Signs of the Times

Until fairly recently, the owner of this building on my block diligently fought the graffiti tags with regularly applied fresh coats of paint. Several months ago, I guess he gave up. I don't know if it is a sign of the recession, or something else, but I suspect we'll be seeing more of this sort of neglect-to-decay in the months and years ahead. I acknowledge that there can be beauty in that urban ugliness, too. I don't hate all graffiti, but there's something particularly foreboding about this to me. Someone has been unable to hold their own, and others have noticed, taken advantage of it for their own ends, and we are left with something less than what we started with.

Human Limitations

Portuguese straight line
Originally uploaded by PtitBen

"Out of the crooked timber of humanity, nothing entirely straight can be built."

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)
from Akademische Ausgabe

Prociutto Palace

Tonight we ate at Salumeria Rosi on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It lived up to the hype. The various Italian hams were delicious, as were all the other small dishes we tried. The torte, the lasagna, the onions... all excellent. AND a dude we met paid for our dinner. Cha-ching. (nope, no strings attached!)

Headphones

Red Headphones
Originally uploaded by beech_design

Despite what you think at the time, you actually do NOT look cool mouthing the words that you are listening to on your headphones.

Textually Active

Cell Phone
Originally uploaded by JonJon2k8

My roommate got invited out on a "date" tonight via text. I put the word date in quotes because, depending on your standards and how you count it, it might not, possibly be a date.

Women say things like this because we believe somewhere out there there is a tribunal that decides what counts as a date and what doesn't. And whether or not something is a date MATTERS. Sometimes, nowadays, dates are difficult to have an accurate ruling on. It takes deliberation. And then the decision is written into a very impressive, large, leather-bound book next to your name.

Because, classically, a date would be a phone call or a face-to-face ask, followed by dinner or drinks, for which the man pays. This is the minimum, bare bones classic.

But what if it is intitiated via text? What if it becomes "meeting up"? These are what tribunals are created for. Because texting can be totally fine and friendly, or a little wussy. Like, are you afraid to call? Afraid of the awkwardness? Afraid of rejection? Or do you want to give the impression that it's "no big deal?"

And meeting up can be good, at the beginning. No pressure. Public place. Casual.

But both of these, especially when repeated, become not-so-good to really bad. And then, you'll find yourself heading out of your apartment on something less than a date. Not worth the trouble of shaving the legs, or the time it took to get ready.

It's 11pm, and she isn't home, so I am thinking it was datey enough tonight that she stayed out. Or she made the best of a mediocre situation. Time will tell. This is why roommate stay up writing blogs, so that they can hear the story when the roommate comes home.

Women love stories.

UPDATE: IT WAS A DATE. (She just walked in the door)

Jump for Joy

Life isn't always like this, so let us seek to savor the moment, and the memory.

Let It Snow.

Snow makes everything look like Narnia.

My dad tells me it's snowing where he is.

They are predicting snow here tonight.

This picture was taken where I used to live.

Maxed Out

Wait, who thought this ad campaign was a good idea? And I'm not even going to talk about the size and thickness of this pad. See for yourself on another from that era. (mid 1980's?)

I discovered these relics cleaning out our mountain cabin.

This would pretty much be a vote against ever wanting to time travel to the past. Yikes.

I Am David (not me, that's the name of it)

I just saw "I Am David" on IFC. It's not the type of movie I would have gone to see in the theaters, but perfect for a lazy Saturday (see my previous post, Mood Movies). This film is about a boy who escapes from a prison camp in Bulgaria in the 1950's. One of the key characters is played by James Caveziel (a.k.a. Jesus). This casting tells you that there may be Christ-like sacrifice and redemption ahead. Sure enough, those suspicions are proved true. I won't give away any more, but I recommend it. Here's the trailer.