So many great things have happened and I've only been here for a day and a half.
Look how BIG Lizzy is getting!She loves playing hide and seek. She also loves going up to day trips to Montana, so we figured we would indulge her and give her what she wants. If that is not what an Auntie is for, well then I don't know what to tell you.We decided we would go up to West Yellowstone to visit the Bear and Wolf sanctuary. A few things: 1. It was snowing. 2. It was freezing cold. 3. We saw a bear fight! That's right. I got some cool footage. If you ask me nicely I just might share the first hand account. I am a witness. This is me and my seester Jen and Lizzie. We are so cute, making a frozen Lizzy sandwich. After we left West Yellowstone and all its' tourists, we stopped by the famous Frostop diner. Of course the only reason we stopped was because of the huge rootbeer mug. Put a big roadside theme item outside your place of business and you can ensure my patronage. I promise you that right now.They had yummy rootbeer and very very fried foods. And tots. Lots of tots. And on a totally unrelated note, this is Lizzy being sad. And cute at the same time. I don't know how she does it. We went to the store yesterday and Jenny saw a block of cheese that boasted "Aged 9 months". She looked at Lizzy and said, "Hey, Lizzy - this cheese is older than you!" It was so adorable. Babies and cheese. Heh.
I rented a car today from Alamo. They had the WORST customer service I've ever received. The person who helped me acted like I had interrupted her date with Jake Gyllenhall or something. She was making comments about how stupid all the renters had been that day and how they didn't understand anything. Then she said I couldn't rent a car without my flight itinerary and pointed to their 1 inch sign that said so. I calmly explained to her that I had my flight itinerary and she should ask for it before turning me away. Then she gave me the wrong rental dates and it took twice as long to go back through and change everything. Man, that was the icing on her cake. Sorrrrrreeee, lady. Go back to the back office and watch your General Hospital and eat your twinkies and frito pie.
If I have any problems returning the car, I'll...I'll...well I don't know what I'll do, but it'll be good!!
Alamo Rent-A-Car, you suck. Get better staff who actually offer a smile to weary-eyed travelers, or you just might become Dead to Me.
Last nights show was...AWESOME! Like spit on your face, kick you in the gut fantastic. Go buy the new album from Portugal the Man. Their music is fabulous to dance to. Stop reading this right now and go buy it. Also buy Rocky's new album, The Brag and Cuss. I already have it and it's fantastic.
I'm not really going to blog about Rocktober 2nd, because Iggy already did a pretty damn good job of it. And afterall, I don't want to be redundant after all. So go check out her blog, by clicking on my side link, The Best Friend. I can't seem to hook my links today.
I'm traveling. I'm actully sitting in one of my old favorite hang out spots in Salt Lake City, Nostalgia Cafe. It's so...nostalgic. Actually I've only been here 2 or 3 times, but they have really really large sandwiches. And amazing molasses cookies. No, I'm not even kidding. They are chewy, they have a sharp flavor, they are sprinkled with sugar. And if you check out yesterdays selection of cookies, they are only 50 cents! Woo! Wooooo!! Yah!!
I'll be here until next week, mid week. But I still will be blogging intermittenly. You don't have to stop reading, because I'll be hanging out with my sisters for the next week and interesting stories are bound to be blogged. Bound to be blogged, that's right.
Want to know how dedicated I am to skipping out of work for a week and having laughy times with my family? I woke up this morning at 3:15 AM. I walked 15 minutes with my suitcase to the train station. Took a 4:00 AM train to the airport (I love trains! Why haven't I taken them before??) Stretched out on the empty row and fell asleep on the first plane. Had a layover in Houston. Fell asleep on a chair by my gate. Luckily a woman was kind enough to tap me on the shoulder when the plane was boarding. Then I tried to watch Trainspotting on the flight to SLC. Oh my gosh, don't ever EVER watch that movie if you are as averse to drugs as I. Drug movies make me seriously nauseated. 3 things I don't like/scare me: 1. Spiders 2. Drug movies 3. Very tall people
Anyway I made it to Salt Lake by noon, 2pm EST. It's baby time. And whore time. Wow. That sounds bad. Sounds like I'm going to be having me a lot of lovin time, which is totally untrue. I'm going to be spending time with babies and whores. But not together. Oh geez. Never mind.
Carol Bui is a beautiful and extremely talented lady. She had her CD release party last night of Everyone Wore White, and celebrated turning 26. So we ate chocolate birthday cake as we nodded our heads to the lyrical stylings of Carol. Miss Bui if you're nasty. Carol opened her show last night with a vocal solo of a traditional Vietnamese song. It was perfect to engage the listeners and familiarize them with the reachings of her voice. Carol is a mix between a more resonating Fiona Apple, a higher voltage Rachel Yamagata, and maybe a more post-punk version of Joni Mitchell. I only give the Joni reference because she does a great job crafting her songs and lyrics.
The show went on late for a school night. Library Chick, Iggy and I quickly went from looking like this: To this:
Carol kept us awake and entertained by singing a few older songs from previous CD's but she mostly stuck to her new songs. Her sound is really haunting, dark at times, but the rich vocal tones and the cello keep her music from sounding like a neolithic skeleton parade. Any time there is a cello in the band, there is a strong to quite strong possibility that I will love your band. Her band was really powerful and they played really well together. Carol is another emerging artist on the DC scene with comparisons to Mary Timony and Jeff Buckley. Give her a listen. She'll rock your world.
I kicked off Rocktober this weekend by doing what any good music loving snob would do. I went to 3 shows, barely slept, and drank energy drinks to sustain myself.
This weekend was seriously action packed. From the minute I left work on Friday to late last night, I was in a constant state of motion. Like an atom or space matter.
Friday started off with what I thought might be a bang. Unfortunately, I was very wrong. Exhibit A: Brandi Carlile. Man, I had such high hopes for this show. The opening band was A Fine Frenzy, who've been getting a lot of good press lately, but the stage presence wasn't really enhancing their semi-weak sound. The vocalist had this brilliant red hair and was a very soulful singer, but it was clear that they were still not completely comfortable in front of a large crowd. And it was a large crowd that showed up for Brandi. Brandi, why must you torment me? Your voice - it's amazing. It's so rich and deep and you totally could channel Janis Joplin. But you don't. I think the thing with Brandi Carlile is she plays the same song over and again, just with different words. Her voice is what sets her apart, but she really plays it safe with everything. I would definitely recommend buying her next CD, in the hopes that she would've developed her sound a bit more. Maybe she wrote these songs for the label -- I'm not sure. But I would love to see her take a few more risks and really explore her voice. That being said, the best part of the show was this song, which I think showcases her voice very nicely: We left the show early because it was that boring. Got some cheap Chinese food and ate it on the street next to a very talented street musician playing the saxophone. Totally made up for the crap concert.
Saturday TH and I woke up at 6:30 am to get to the garage sale at REI. We had to get in line early for the big sale. The merchandise that is sold at these garage sales are things that have been returned. Some have minimal damage (like a broken strap that can be replaced) or just a little wear. I scored a Thermarest for $30, a laptop case and some rock climbing shoes. All that for less than $85. Not bad.
We got a delicious breakfast at Wegman's, which is a ridiculously huge supermarket. I don't think I'll be going there anymore. It's too big and I feel overwhelmed. It seems wrong and strange to have so much perfect looking food under one roof. It was like a Martha Stewart sponsored grocery store, only without all the prison stuff.
Lunch was at Checkers. I ate fries, which is about all I can eat there, unless you count cherry coke, then I also ate that. So good, but so gross.
After a very hectic morning and afternoon (keep in mind I'm running on about 4 hours of sleep) we ran over to 9:30 club to see my boy, Sam Beam. Sam Beam, of Iron and Wine This is the 3rd time I've seen my boyfriend, Sam. We have a great relationship, it's just long distance because he's always on tour, you know. Iron and Wine just came out with this great new album, The Shepherd's Dog. Check it out, ya'll. The honey laced, gentle voiced Sam Beam leads the 7(?) piece band, with backing vocals done by his sister, Sarah. I love his new songs - Boy with a Coin, Carousels, and Love Song of the Buzzard are all beatifully melodic. But his older songs are the ones that really resonate with me. He sang a quicker version of Upward Over the Mountain and I actually cried. The song is directed to a mother, written from a son's perspective. The part where he slowed down had these lyrics:
Mother remember the night that the dog had her pups in the pantry Blood on the floor and the fleas in their paws And you cried 'til the morning
So beautiful and haunting. My love affair with Sam continues. Oh, the opening band for Iron and Wine was Arthur and Yu. Check them out. They're a Seattle based band, and actually labelmates with the band we rushed over to see after Iron & Wine had finished playing.
This is probably the longest post of my life, and maybe yours. But there is only one more thing. Le Loup. They had their CD release party on Saturday at the Black Cat! Finally! I have been waiting for their CD since I saw them in the spring at the Velvet Lounge for their first show. I've seen them at the Black Cat before and the sound there is unparalleled. They were amazing on Saturday. It's easy to see the confidence they've gained after playing many shows around town and as far as the midwest to open for Andrew Bird! They sounded so powerful, even during the slow moments of the songs. At one point, the keyboardist/french horn player started chasing around the lead guitarist with her drum sticks. The band was having a blast and we were all so excited to see how well they've developed as a band, and how quickly they've cemented their place on the DC music scene. The Black Cat was totally packed. Nicole and May sold me their CD. They are both adorable and totally cool girls. Can we hang out sometime, guys?
The show was amazing, but I have to say, reluctantly, that the CD doesn't really showcase their talent like I hoped it would. It still sounds like Le Loup, but very bare. Still, you can download their music on iTunes, and I totally recommend you do. But definately get to their show to get the real Le Loup effect. Thank me later.
I'm so excited for Rocktober. If you don't like music, you might not enjoy reading my blog for the next month. But - deal with it. I hope you will check out some of these new and emerging artists. I'll totally help you stock your iPod.
The roommates and I recently decided that we needed a little redesignin in the front room. The front room consists of the kitchen, the dining room and the living room. We felt there needed to be a little more division between the spaces, in order to make a house a home. Or whatever.
Anyway I thought it would be a great idea to turn the table to face the wall and create a little space for dining or studying or using a laptop. The table was in this position for several days and I hadn't seen anyone sitting there. I decided it was time to break it in. I invited Teen Heartthrob over dinner. As you may or may not know, I love to cook and bake. This love has increased greatly due to my recent purchase of the Apron Sent From Above. So I threw on my apron, whipped up a delicious and simple whole wheat pasta with tomatoes, olive oil and parmesean. I set it down on the Table and invited TH to come over and partake. After surveying the table, he questioned me.
TH: You want me to sit at the table? Me: Of course. What? You don't want to? TH: No, no. Umm...I'll sit here. Me: Good. It's a nice table. I think you'll really enjoy it.
TH sits down and I sit on the couch next to him and begin to read a magazine. Enter Arizona roommate. She surveys the situation and begins to laugh hysterically.
Arizona Roommate: TH, what did you do? Why are you in time out? Me: He's sitting at our new table! TH: I don't know why. She hates me. AR: Ya'll are whack.
Why doesn't he like the table? Why is the table the time out spot? Why do I hate TH?
I don't know.
Let's move on.
Everyone knows that white walls are boring. Being surrounded by white walls is my own personal hell. My alcatraz. So what better way to cure the alcatraz blues then to paint the wall?? I love painting! We decided to tape off some blocks in order to pretend we are avante-garde snobs or something. I don't really even know what that means, but who really cares? Our walls look amazing. That color is so warm!! Look how pretty! I think the blocks turned out really cool.
I love home improvement. I should go apply to be a Tool Time Girl.
I can't seem to keep away from the center of the universe lately. I'm sure you know, by center of the universe I mean The White House.
Because my roommate is awesome and loves me, she continues to invite me to fun White House events. Whereas normally I would shun all this political shoulder-rubbing (esp. with scary carnivorous republicans!), my roommate has shown me the light of appreciating the glamour and excitement of being involved in the DC arena.
Last week, we went on a West Wing tour. We saw the press briefing room, where Iggy and I discovered that free cheeseburgers are offered to all republican white house staff. This is how they ensure party loyalty. I knew it! Teen Heartthrob and I took prom pictures in front of the rose garden. In case you can't tell, we are very adept at color coordinating our outfits. We saw the Eisenhower executive office building, wherein I coveted the black and white tiled marble floors.Teen Heartthrob and I also had a very important meeting to hold, so it was extremely convenient when we happened upon this conference room with comfy chairs. You might think we are just exchanging pleasantries here, but TH actually just sat on a whoopie cushion (the posture gives it away). Jokes are sooo much funnier in the west wing. Fast forward to yesterday when I attended the arrival of Marine One! Iggy and I love this new hairspray we bought. It totally holds our hair in place like this all day! I'm striking a pose, because that is what happens to you when you're at the White House. You might be seeing a lot more of this if I continue hanging out at 1600 Penn. I gotta keep it hawt for G Dub. Thanks, roommate! I'll see you at at Book Week with Laura!
Now that Senator Craig has returned to Capitol Hill, do you think he'll shy away from using the bathrooms? Or do you think he'll just pretend like nothing happened?
Do you think his buddies will be making hand signals under the stall towards him? Or maybe he will just have these installed to make all that hand gesturing a little easier. Nobody wants carpal tunnel syndrome.
The pencils were sharpened today after a week of silent protest. I think my point really uhh...came across. Yes, I'm sure this will never happen again.
Meanwhile, my resume looks so beautiful. Minus all the tears of joy shed onto the paper, it is basically perfect. Although, the tears could be mistaken for sweat and toil, which demonstrates how hard-working I am.
OVer Labor Day weekend, I was fortunate enough to visit the family in Charlottesville. We had a blast, and even got some good QT with the baby. Love you guys, let's go camping soon! For those who are not fortunate enough to live nearby, these pictures are for you.
There are those times in your life when you think all is lost. You are a hopeless college graduate, a career failure, incapable of maintaining lasting and meaningful relationships, and forget about that dream about ever having a puppy because you are too weak willed to care for it.
Then there are the times when you see through the murkiness of the situation and everything begins to fall into place.
This is the moment when you start to take back your life.
Things to realize: 1. I am not stuck in my job. If I hate it, I will pursue other options. Big deal. 2. I am smart, dammit. First of all, I'm totally gifted and talented. Don't forget about the time I made a papier-mache mummy in my egyptology class! I also went to 3rd grade reading when I was in 2nd grade. I even wrote the best paper in my anthropological theories class senior year of college! 3. I can be in a relationship, and maybe even have it last longer than 2 months! As long as I'm getting my dinners and movies paid for, I'll be in a relationship with anyone. 4. Puppies are overrated. They poop on the floor, they cry all night long, they won't allow you to leave for vacations without them. You'll get one when you move out of the city. Goals to set: 1. Start running. Yesterday I embarked upon a goal to run 10 days in a row. That is so easy. That is so attainable. When the 10 days are up, I will decide what to do. I'm not committed to this long term, I tell myself. Just 10 days. 2. Study for the GRE, because you are taking it in a month. I signed up for it about 3 weeks ago because I knew it would just be something I talked about if I didn't just bite the bullet. 3. Compile a list of graduate schools and programs and professors with whom I would like to complete research. This, I've already begun to do. I am going to write some professors next week to beg them to let me do whatever it takes to get on their good side, so I can be funded for my masters at their university. Please keep fingers crossed for me. 4. Know an amazing person who totally hooks you up all the time with job opportunities, networking contacts, and gives you a real massage every night because you've had such a hard day what with all your goal setting, running and blogging efforts. 5. Get pictures of puppies and put them on your fridge.
You know, sometimes in life you just have to scream out: I'm the BEST G.D. DANCER IN THE AMERICAN BALLET ACADEMY, WHO THE HELL ARE YOU? Nobody.
10/1 - Carol Bui 10/2 - Rocky Votolato 10/9 - Josh Ritter 10/11 - Yonder Mountain String Band 10/15 - Cat Power 10/18 - The New Amsterdams 10/19 - Eisley 10/20 - Stars 10/21 - Rodrigo y Gabriela 10/26 - Damon and Naomi 10/27 - She Wants Revenge 10/28 - The Annuals
And these are just the shows that I am definately buying tickets to. Who knows what other shows might pop up?? (OK, I seriously might have to cut down, but how?!)
When did we start closing our ports and lands from seafaring people? What if someone is lost-at-sea or is trying to swim across the sea and needs to make it back to land, but can't reach land because of these barriers? And does this mean that people shouldn't be able to lay claim to ocean waters? How far down do ocean water claims go? At what sea level are you trespassing?
As the days pass and bring us closer to the weekends, I'd like to propose weekly celebrations by the institution of Friday Funnies. Fridays are awesome. I get free breakfasts, get to wear my jeans to work, and make weekend plans filled with candy, movies, and caviar dreams.
Today's video is brought to you in conjunction with one of my favorite television show growing up (right there with The Cosby Show and Small Wonder), The Wonder Years.
This is one of my favorite scenes from the series. Maybe because I'm just a little choir nerd at heart. Or maybe it's my insatiable desire for pre-pubescent/adolescent humor. Either way, please enjoy. Oh and enjoy the special cameo made by the man himself, Screech Powers.
I'm SORRY I swore at you so robustly last night in my dream. But you should know that you shouldn't eat your sisters entire batch of banana pancakes without asking! Geez...have a little courtesy.
But then again, I can't fault you for wanting to eat my delicious buttermilk banana pancakes. They are quite good.
Buttermilk Bananacakes
2 c. flour 2 TBSP sugar 1 tsp baking soda 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt
Mix together and add:
2 eggs 2 c buttermilk 1/2 c milk
Stir, just until moistened. Let sit for about 5 minutes.
Cut up 2-3 bananas into nickle sized slices.
Pour pancake in griddle to your desired size. After about 10 seconds, add slices of banana, enough to cover the pancake. Watch for air bubbles popping, flip and cook for another 30 seconds.
Spread with butter, jam, or fresh maple syrup and enjoy!
I find the entire show completely contrived in a very C-list celebrity style. Of course, only the demonic networks can both appease themselves and out-of-work washed up has-beens. It's pathetic and, with the exception of tuning into the Heather Mills Leg spectacle, I haven't watched a single episode.
However, I feel all that is about to change. For the upcoming season, they have cast both Marie Osmond and Jane Seymour!! Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and "Valley of the Dolls" Osmond!
I will now be tuning in, in hopes that Marie will partner up with a china doll to the Cha-Cha or that one day, please God please - my boyfriend, Sully will show up to sweep Dr. Quinn off her feet and they will waltz away in the prarie, their fires of passion burning for each other like a consumptive fever. I cannot wait!
Seriously, when I used to skip out on awesome Saturday Night Fun to watch Dr. Quinn with my mom, I was only doing it because my boyfriend needed my support. You would do the same if they had episode after episode of Sully getting hurt out in the wilderness and being forced to go to Dr. Quinn's office to take his shirt off so the doctora can check out his abs. I mean wounds. Wounds.
And it's totally ok, me and Dr. Quinn have an understanding. She patches him up and gives Sully closed mouth kisses on TV, I take care of the rest of Sully at home.
At first I thought the trailer for Lars and the Real Girl was about me and my old college roommate, Lars. After watching it, however, and discovering the presence of Ryan Gosling not to mention his co-star - A Mannequin, this movie looks quite good.
As I was running through my neighborhood last night, I couldn't help but think: I cannot wait for autumn! Now the funny thing is (and I'm sure you could discover this by reading my blog history), toward the end of every season I am always dying for the next one to arrive.
Spring: I'm so sick of all the rain and summer teasers. Let it be hot already! Vacation! Summer: It's so bloody hot, I swear I could melt on this very sidewalk. Give me some cool autumn breeze. Autumn: Enough of all these nasty leaves all over the ground and the rain. I want some holiday snow! Winter: Holidays are over, February is the worst, if somebody doesn't warm things up around here I am moving to India.
As I was musing over the fact that I wish I could just go to the places of the world where the weather is always pleasant (what am I - like 80 years old?), I realized that we have seasons for a very good reason. I'm sure most people really desire change in their lives. Most people choose a place to live and permanently settle in this area. They move into a home, send their children to a good school, and get comfortable in their lifestyle. If the weather was always 75 and sunny with a light breeze, you would want to go somewhere else to experience a little climate change, right? I think that is why seasons are so brilliant. You are able to feel like you live somewhere different in a snow covered world compared to the swealtering summer heat.
Plus, seasons help create a feeling of nostalgia. When it is cold, I always want to cuddle up inside with hot chocolate and watch old Cary Grant movies. When it is hot, I want to be lazy or play in the lake and eat slurpees. There is always a drink involved in my nostalgic memories. I guess autumn is tea or chai and spring would have to be juice. There you have it.
But seriously, South America for the winters and Alaska for the summers! Who's with me?
Yesterday I was talking with one of my Virginia friends about travel in North America. Here's how the conversation went:
Nomadic Gnome: What is the furthest north you've ever been? Friend: Toronto NG: What is the furthest east you've ever been? Friend: umm...Seattle. {awkward silence} NG: Uhh... {more awkward silence} Friend: Oh! Yeah...um New York.
One of my favorite memories while living in Logan was all the icy sidewalks and the falls that took place as a result of these icy pitfalls. In the morning, people are always walking briskly in an effort to make it to class in time. Sometimes, that briskness turns on them.
One minute you are cruising without thought, clutching your backpack straps, looking at your watch to make sure you are making good time, and trying not to focus on the cold air that is cutting your throat with every inhaled breath. Next thing you know, you hit a patch of ice, hands fly in the air, books fly out your hands, hair is tossed around and there is not enough time to grab onto anything. There you are on the ground, embarrassed and just trying to laugh it off. Now try getting up. You can't. You slip. Everyone around you is snickering. You see one girl with medium length brown hair wearing a Virginia is for Lovers letter mans jacket. She is laughing her ass off. Yep, that's me. I have no heart. I am a cruel mistress of the icy tundra. I laugh at icy follies. It's what I do.
If you don't know what I'm talking about, or if you think I'm a jerk, I propose you watch the following video. A different kind of fall, though equal in humor, is a 4th of July parade fall on stilts. Stilts falls are in their own category of funny. Just watch the first 10-15 seconds.
If you think that is funny, watch this: Not the best clarity, but you get the idea. When people fall, it is hilarious.
Question: Where can you go to marvel at clay houses, eat spicy chocolate and die a long drawn hot death from heat exhaustion? Answer: New Mexico, baby.
Mark and I went to the great southwest this past weekend and other than suffering from several heat strokes, it was quite enjoyable.
We started off in Albuquerque, drove up to Santa Fe through the charming little town of Jemez Springs and near the once super top secret government town of Los Alamos. After a quick visit to Santa Fe, it started raining crocodile tear sized rain drops, so we quickly hopped in our kick ass rental Kia and drove back to Albuquerque. Some of things we saw along the way:
What we did for the remainder of the weekend: Contra Dancing, Diner eating, Thrift Shopping, Cat Petting, Eating Mexican Food, etc.
Food: Apparently, the New Mexican question is "Red or Green"? This is referring to the type of chile pepper. I chose green and never looked back. Sopapillas with honey, delicious spicy chocolate, jam empanadas. Oh. My. Gosh. I gained like 10 pounds this weekend.
We also went to the Very Large Array in central New Mexico. Satellites every where, I think there were 27 total. It was very 1950's sci-fi futuristic, except we were there experiencing it, in the future.
I went on the best vacation of my life this past weekend. It was the best vacation because while I may have spent loads of money on my plane ticket, food, gifts, rental car, etc., it was completely reimbursed in my purchase of these shoes.
While they are listed for $450, I got them Brand New for $40 + tax. I bought them in white. They are beautiful. I am totally a label whore now, but you should see the way women look at my feet. They know. Atleast, they think they know. I would never spend such a ridiculous amount of money on sandals, let alone any pair of shoes ever. But they don't need to know that...
As promised, here is a quick review of this past weekend, my first full weekend staying at the new digs in DC. Friday went shopping with Holly in Chinatown. We went back to the apartment, all ready to go out...but got a little sidetracked. We had so much fun dying Iggy's hair, we decided to do it TWICE in one night. We are seriously awesome.
I made the absolute worst banana bread of my life. It was burnt on top, not cooked in the middle, and the top of the bread caved in. I was so ashamed, but no worries, I will try my hand at the culinary arts later. We picked apart the edible parts of the bread and crashed in our respective beds.
Saturday morning I woke up bright and early to a beautiful, hardly humid, breezy day! My roommate and I had decided to go to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. The lotus blossoms are only going for another week or so, so we definately wanted to scoot over there. The blossoms only open in the morning when it is still relatively cool outside. We spent about 2 hours there and it was amazing!!
Lotus blossom pods Blossom Field of Lotus Blossoms
We went to Eastern Market for brunch, which I forgot to take any pictures, I was too busy scarfing down my savory crepe filled with tomatoes, onions, basil, and gruyere cheese. I only stayed for about an hour because I had to meet my mom across town to go see a matinee performance of The Phantom of the Opera at the Kennedy Center. It was amazing. I cried. I laughed. I nearly slapped the girl next to me who was singing along for some parts. I had never seen it before, and it was a breathtaking performance!
After the show, we went to Rosa Mexicana, a fancy Mexican restaurant where they make fresh guacamole at your table, with the requested amount of heat. I got a jicama salad with pomegranete vinegrette dressing and crab empanadas with mango dressing. I recommend this place to you DC foodies. We were able to sit outside in the shade and it was still a perfect breezy evening.
After all the afternoon madness, I rushed home to meet up with my roommates and go to Adams Morgan for our favorites...the Washington Carver at Tryst! The most delicious chocolate peanut butter shake you'll ever have. After we were bursting with chocolate-y goodness, we walked over to The Black Cat, where The White Rabbits were playing. They are amazing and they put on such a good show. I had a hard time not dancing. So...I spent the majority of the night doing just that. The other part of the night was spent kickin it with the band...or atleast pretending to! Greg from The White Rabbits
I sunk into a very deep sleep that night, but woke up in time to go to church, renew our sentiments for the Washington Carver, and take a decent 3 hour nap. Oh, and go to a send off party for our friend, Chris, who was accepted to the Religious Studies program at USU. Congrats Chris! I'm so excited for you to live in one of my favorite little mormon valleys!
What an exhausting weekend! And things don't really seem to be slowing down either. I love living here.
I have to wait till tomorrow to upload pictures because I'm indecently unprepared for this Blogging Shit, but totally for reals stop by tomorrow. You'll be glad you did. Till then, feel free to kick it with my new homies, The White Rabbits. They are seriously good and will totally make you dance, even if you hate dancing. I didn't get to go backstage with them like SOME PEOPLE, but I did get my CD autographed, which I appreciate very much.
Those who remember and analyze their dreams and those who Just. Don't. Care.
I totally care and analyze the living goodness out of all my lucid and non lucid dream experiences. When I was younger I had an unhealthy obsession with it, which probably directly influenced my younger sister into also becoming a Dream Freak. I can say this with confidence because I bought her a Dream Book. It has topics and categories of different dreams and even a Dream Notebook, in which to record all your dreams as soon as you wake up. Because folks, if you don't write it down when you wake up chances are you will quickly forget. I used to try and steal my sisters Dream Notebook in order to find out what a huge psychopath she was, and how much she also felt repressed in our home. Anyway, every time I go back home, I manage to find this book and research all my latest dreams in order to discover what a psychopath I am becoming. Last night I had a dream about moving. I packed up a huge moving truck with all my belongings and left it, locked up, in front of my house. There were rumors of Moving Truck Thieves running around my dream neighborhood. I didn't listen though, and to my great astonishment I looked out my window to see 2 guys hitching my moving truck to their truck. I ran outside, cursing at them. I can honestly tell you that I have never said the F Word so many times in a repeated fashion in my life. Unless you count the time I missed my flight to Peru because I completely overslept. But that is a completely different story that involves Bears, Crepes and Front Porch Couch Make outs. We won't discuss that here.
Anyway I woke up, mid swearing and mid chasing the bad guys, to my alarm thinking - Screw. That. I've got a dream to finish!! I went back to sleep and was fashionably late for work this morning.
So forget about my tardiness. The important thing here is that I am noticing a trend in my dreams lately. This is not the first time I've had a bout of the Dream Swears. I swear like a little sailor. Like a Sailor in a Guy Ritchie movie. It's becoming a problem, due to the fact that I wake up wanting to swear at everyone in my way. Not a good way to make friends in town.
I will, however, tell you what IS a good way to make friends in town. Carry around a plate of cupcakes. You will get so many smiles and Ooooo's and Mmmm's. Seriously, just give it a try.
So, I am interested to know - what are some of your reoccurring dream patterns?
Because I know you all went directly to your kitchen after reading my Curried Colcannon recipe and sweated heavily over the stove whilst whipping up dinner, I also know that you might have leftover cabbage from this venture. What can you do with cabbage anyway? {Besides hang it from a string and let the cats bat at it, of course.} I want to share another cabbage recipe to ease your troubled minds. And the name by which this meal shall be known on this earth is:
Asian Cabbage Slaw
Salad for two:
Ingredients: Salad: 1/4 head Shredded Cabbage Diced Apple 1 c. Mixed greens/herbs Toasted almonds
Dressing: 1/4 c. Rice Vinegar 1 TB Toasted Sesame Oil 1 tsp Sugar dash of soy sauce
Toss the ingredients of the salad together in a medium bowl. Whisk together the vinegar, oil and sugar. Chill for 5 minutes.
An absolutely fresh and deliciously crunchy summer salad! Play around with the ingredients until you get the taste you like. I think I'll make it again tonight, this time with oranges!
The best part about this week is that now I'm not afraid of eating cabbage anymore. It's so easy to cook with!
Sometimes I seriously, seriously freak myself out. I know I am always saying I have superpowers and insisting that I can control life on earth with these superpowers, but this time, I'm not joking around. My superpower has to do with mind control. And not just mind control, but syncing all the minds of those around me in order to get what I need at that exact moment.
Please allow me to explain.
I was sitting at my desk, feeling the 3 o clock munchies attack coming on. Suddenly, I had an overwhelming sensation that I needed chocolate. And I'm not one of those crazy chocoholic women or anything. But I knew that I needed it right then and there.
About 2 minutes later, my coworker came over and sighed heavily and gave me the I'm Tired and Cranky look. I was like - I know what you need. You need some chocolate. And she was like YES I DO! She then proceeded to tell me that about 2 minutes before coming to my desk she had this intense craving for chocolate and even had the taste in her mouth! Crazy. So as we are talking about this chocolate craze, another coworker hears us and comes running over with a HUGE SNICKERS BAR!!
She told us how she had pulled out a king sized snickers bar not even a minute before we started talking and just stared at it, thinking "how am I going to eat all of this" and then she heard us bitching about needing the chocolate fix. So we all went to the kitchen to split our prized hunt into three equal parts. We stood silently on the linoleum floor as we inhaled the nougatey goodness before any crumbs even had a chance to fall on the floor. It was pure divinity.
Oh my word, how can you not believe I have superpowers in mind control after a life changing experience like this one? Please. I'm pretty sure that everything in my life that I have done has all been leading up to this very day and to this particular experience. Now that I've realized this gift, what should I do with these powers?
4 Jobs I have had:- 1. Fire fighter pimp 2. Museum exhibit designer 3. Pots and pans salesperson (seriously. I carried around a suitcase and made presentations like on late night infomercials.) 4. Waitress at Tucci's!
4 Movies I could watch over and over:- 1. High Fidelity. 2. Jeremiah Johnson 3. Waiting for Guffman 4. The Sound of Music
4 Places I have lived:- 1. Manassas, Virginia 2. Logan, Utah 3. Fairbanks, Alaska 4. Capitol Hill, DC
4 of my favorite foods:- 1. Punjabi chole 2. 18th street pizza 3. General Tso’s tofu from Sunflower 4. fresh berries
4 Favorite TV shows:- 1. Good Eats with Alton Brown 2. Grey’s Anatomy 3. The Colbert Report 4. The Office
4 Places I would rather be right now:- 1. Hiking the Appalachian Trail 2. At the Kenilworth Gardens to see the lotus flower blooms 3. In a large room with a piano 4. Walking through the plaza de armas in Arequipa, Peru
I have been wanting to start posting some of my culinary feats for awhile now. Unfortunately, there haven't been many. However, last night I stumbled upon something simple and spectacular.
I am calling it Curried Colcannon.
It's essentially Irish Colcannon, with a dash of garam masala in place of salt and pepper.
Ingredients: 2 Potatoes 1/2 cup Cabbage 1/2 small Onion 1 TB Butter 1/2 tsp. Garam Masala salt to taste
1. Cut up potatoes and place in pot of boiling water for 7-10 minutes, or until tender. 2. Add cabbage and onion {I sliced both into portions about 2 inches long} to boiling water. Let cook for about 5 minutes. 3. Drain well. 4. Mash together, while adding butter, salt and garam masala to taste.
It was so easy to make and it is also low in fat and calories. A little starchy, but perfect for a good comfort dinner! It was seriously so so yummy! I can see this becoming a winter staple in my kitchen.
I don't have any money. Or not nearly as much as I would like. *Cue the violin*
I mean, what's the point in being so drop dead sexy if you are not rich? I have to cover these gorgeous feet with expensive shoes! I need that new wool winter coat with the darling buttons, even if it is 97 degrees outside! I need to be surrounded by beautiful things and eat healthy, organic, foods that cost atleast $12 a pound!
After musing over these thoughts all day yesterday I came to a conclusion. I am the worst kind of consumer. I am a Consumer in Denial. I didn't realize how much I have been spending and wanting and thinking about silly things to buy all the time, until I saw this video.
And so, I am putting myself on an August Diet. No purchases of frivolity for the entire month. No shoes, no clothes, no trinkets for my desk, no new frames to hang on my walls, no candles, no expensive restaurants, no movies, no NOTHING! If I'm going to save for South America, I need to start somewhere. Mark my words, I will not purchase anything for the remaining 25 days {barring any unforeseen circumstances and/or trips out of town where I might have to splurge a tiny bit}.
Have you ever been making out and are having a super great time until you realize OH SCHNIT, I TOTALLY HAVE A HICKEY!!!
Well, I haven't either.
I don't really understand the nature of a hickey or how it comes to pass. I mean, I understand how its given and received. However, I have a hard time believing that after experiencing it once or twice, that it continues to be a constant presence in ones life. In high school, there was this couple that used to be covered in hickeys. And I mean covered. The girl would always wear low-cut clothing and lots of necklaces to maybe distract from the hickeys? It was seriously gross. Cut to 5 years later.
While I have never received a hickey, I have been the fortunate bestower of the hickey ***THIS WAS 2 YEARS AGO***(much to the chagrin of other party). Before you go pointing fingers and forcing me to wear a large red A on my chest, I want you to understand something. It was really, really, really funny. Call me a whoremonger, but giving a hickey was one of the funniest things I've ever done to anyone. After an innocent sleepover, I woke up the next morning to the violent swearing of Other Party.
Me: {bleary eyed and in a panic}Oh my gosh, what's wrong? Other Party: My f***ing neck! My neck! {points to red bruises on neck} Me: What the hell is that? Are you allergic to something? OP: You! I'm allergic to you! This is from you! Me: {Still confused as to what it is, having never actually given or received hickey before} What? OP: {points to neck}Hickeys! Me: Oh. {sheepishly throws covers over head and begins to laugh as OP runs around looking for a shirt to cover up "bruises"}
We go to the kitchen to have breakfast and his roommates enter. They immediately ask him what happened to his neck and OP just points at me. Bam. Doesn't even try to make excuses. So for the remainder of that day, I was known as Hoover.
The moral of this story is that I learned what to do to avoid giving hickeys. So, gross people of the world, why can't you do the same? And if you can't, invest in some freaking turtlenecks, for goodness sake. Have some dignity!
She loves playing hide and seek. 
We decided we would go up to West Yellowstone to visit the Bear and Wolf sanctuary. 
That's right. I got some cool footage. If you ask me nicely I just might share the first hand account. I am a witness.
This is me and my seester Jen and Lizzie. We are so cute, making a frozen Lizzy sandwich.
They had yummy rootbeer and very very fried foods. And tots. Lots of tots.
And on a totally unrelated note, this is Lizzy being sad. And cute at the same time. I don't know how she does it.
