to do #121: insert clever title here

Chickpea & Kale Soup

2009-01-07T21:47:00.004-05:00

Without a doubt, one of the best parts of my job is getting to cook everyday; the downside being that I'm not cooking for myself and I don't get to eat the fruits of my labors--But that's a minor detail. Unfortunately my everyday life has become so busy that cooking is a luxury often relegated to the weekends. However cooking is a *requirement* for work, and with open-minded adventurous eaters, I couldn't be happier.

I think of the work kitchen as my test kitchen, a place I can buy unusual ingredients and try out new recipes with abandon, and with the goal of improving my skills and building my recipe resume. When you have dreams of opening a restaurant someday, there could be no better situation; unless of course I was independently wealthy and able to bypass that whole "job" thing, but that's not the case.

One of my proudest accomplishments in the test kitchen is begin to perfect the art of Soup. Soup is something my Gran always fell back on for a simple supper, but it seemed so elusive and down-right difficult to me. I now see what she was talking about all those years, and darn I wish I could re-live our conversations about Soup and take notes!

For supper the other night I decided to try a simple Chickpea & Kale soup I adapted from a recipe I found online. The good news if you don't like chickpeas or kale is that their flavors can easily be toned down by simply pureeing the soup as a final step before serving. In this way the flavors just meld together and become nice and creamy. Yum!!

I'm not strict on recipes, so the loose guidelines are below...

Saute:
-2 medium onions, a couple stalks of celery and a couple tablespoons of garlic for 10ish minutes until they are soft & fragrant.
Add:
-10 to 12 Roma tomatoes roughly chopped and turn up the heat cooking for another 10ish minutes until the tomatoes have broken down and become juicy.
Add:
6 or so cups of chopped kale, 2 large boxes of vegetable broth (or chicken/beef broth if you don't desire a vegetarian soup) and 2 drained cans of chickpeas.
Season:
with salt & pepper, thyme, herbs de Provence and a little paprika for some zip. Simmer for 40 minutes or until the kale is tender and the flavor has come together nicely.

If you like your soup broth-y you can leave it as is. Alternately, you can partially or wholly puree the soup with an immersion blender to create a creamier version.

Argh...

2009-01-05T00:07:00.004-05:00

So people are always telling me I need to blog again, I need to write again; they love my blog, they love my writing; it's so funny, it's so interesting; I'm so talented...okay, you get it. Of course when I say "people", I actually mean my family/friends/boyfriend, so clearly they are biased and likely just want to read the secret inter-workings of my mind and not my writing at all!

But they are right, and maybe that's why I resent hearing the comments. I *did* enjoy blogging. I *do* appreciate the creativity of writing and of having an outlet to express it. But it's also *so* much pressure when you have a blog! Or at least it is for me, being a perfectionist and all. I like to have a formula: relevant photo, interesting topic, long post, good writing. I like to repeat that formula each time, and I hate when I don't stick to it.

So, who knows if I am back. But I am at least writing this, and considering it....

Shoe Wardrobe

2007-12-15T00:06:00.000-05:00

Now that I am between jobs, I'm finding myself with quite a bit of extra time. I am so used to being productive, in the work sense, that it's difficult for me to fill my free time with frivolous activities. Thus, my email boxes have been gone thru, as well as all my drawers, closets, stacks of paperwork, cabinets, etc. There is not a square inch of my home that hasn't been sorted, organized and pared down. Which is where my latest inspiration struck.

I have always been a shoe lover. I don't recall when it began, but I certainly remember having a closet full of shoes by my middle school years. There was a time when I had a huge Chuck Taylor Converse collection, which I some days wish I had held on to! That's a pretty unusual feeling for me though because while I dearly love my shoes, I also don't mind parting with them in order to make way for new ones. I'd say my shoe wardrobe has a pretty high turnover rate. I take that approach with many of my consumer purchases, which I suppose can have an upside and a downside. It satiates my ever-changing and evolving tastes, which I swear is part of my DNA-makeup to never be too attached to "things". However, I also know that some of those closest to me find this behavior appalling and wasteful, at best. And so I suppose I have rationalized it by becoming the ultimate bargain-hunter and deal-finder. When I haven't spent a fortune, it's easy to recycle my goods via Goodwill in search of new goods. But I digress...

I found myself sitting on the floor of my closet the other day wondering how many pairs of shoes I own. I even asked my boyfriend who was sitting at the desk in our room, and he couldn't even venture a guess. Neither could I- I wondered if it had grown too big and needed to be purged. I immediately identified two pairs I wasn't particularly attached to and deposited them into the omni-present Goodwill donation bag on the floor of my closet. Then I got to thinking- I have so many cute pairs of shoes, but often fall into the rut of wearing the same three or four pair day after day. Wouldn't it be fun to challenge myself to a new pair each day (did I mention I have quite a bit of free-time these days?!?). In doing this I might purge the collection a bit and pare down to the those I like most, are most comfortable and go with the most in my wardrobe.

Starting Monday I will begin my challenge! There will obviously be some shoes I won't be able to wear in the chilly December weather (strappy sandals, etc), but I have plenty of shoes to get thru before that becomes an issue. I think I'll start out posting a picture of the shoe and any info I recall on their purchase; maybe I'll even get fancy and include voting buttons so you can help me decide their fate. Stay tuned!!!

to do #7: have fun with shoes.

Happy Feet

2007-08-23T23:22:00.001-04:00

Okay, I understand the above "photoe" (hehehe) might be somewhat creepy, but I just had to share how happy my feet are tonight. I "kicked" (ha! okay, I'll stop) off my first of four vacation days with a much needed mani/pedi. These used to be a staple in my life, but the past year my manus and pedes (look it up!) have been sorely neglected.

I decided to try out the place across the street. Not because I'd heard good things about it, or had even peeked through the store window, but simply because it is really close and I was feeling really lazy-- a total stroke of luck on my part! It was a typical nail shop on the inside: a bank of pedicure stations on one side, rows of nail tables on the other and a cadre of cute, skinny Korean women buzzing around. But, these cute, skinny Korean women were all wearing adorable white lab coats! It was such a sweet touch. They stocked a great line of polish, used brand new sealed tools, took forever massaging my feet & legs, softened my cuticles in a plastic baggy with a ton of goop inside a heating pad, used a nice warm towel to wash all the goop off my hands & arms and all for THIRTY DOLLARS! Wow. There is no money better spent, and it was honestly one of the best mani/pedi's I've had.

So I know this was a total fluff piece, but dang I just can't stop staring at my hands & feet tonight!

to do #6: find my new favorite nail spot

p.s.: if any of you are in the Atlanta area, the spot is Hammond Nails & Spa

Chocolat

2007-08-08T23:15:00.000-04:00

I've only got a second, but I wanted to show you guys what I've been up to lately! As many of you know I've been working on getting my chocolate business off the ground, and it's going well. I've got a photographer coming this weekend to take photos for my website, so I've been busy making samples all week. I'll be sure to share the photos with you once I have them!

to do #5: make chocolate samples

Therapy

2007-08-01T16:06:00.000-04:00

I've already got a link to Apartment Therapy along the side to the left, but I am going to plug them again because they featured yours truly on the site today. Okay, maybe "featured" is a too grand, but they did mention me and my now-lovely dining room. Enjoy! And bookmark them, they really are a great site. :)

to do #4: shamelessly plug AT and my dining room.

The Bistro

2007-07-30T23:20:00.000-04:00

We've taken to calling this little area outside the back door "The Bistro". It used to just be an empty and sad-looking stoop, a place we barely paused at on our way into the house. But, considering it is a part of the house, as small as it may be, we want to make good use of it!

First there was the addition of the barbeque grill. A cheapie charcoal version is what we opted for, and amazingly we had to put it together on our own! Quite a project. We're still working out the kinks though, as I'm accustomed to the flavor of a gas barbeque, and he prefers charcoal. We compromised and bought natural charcoal bricks which I thought imparted an excellent flavor, but he didn't like the burning quality. So we tried the regular commercial brand charcoal. He loved the burn, and I hated the flavor. We even nick-named the resulting chicken "lighter fluid chicken" because of the overwhelming chemical flavor the charcoal & lighter fluid gave the chicken. So, like I said, we're still working out the kinks, but it's always fun to experiment with cooking outside of the kitchen.

Next came my little garden gnome I had been lugging with me from apartment to apartment. He was a gift from my gran and while I haven't had a yard in ages, he's just too cute to part with and he adds charming to otherwise un-charming spaces.

I've got big ideas for the greenery in this little area, but I decided to start small with a huge coleus. I figured since I didn't have a lot of space I needed a big plant! And at 8.99, I felt like I got my money's worth. I transplanted it from a small hanging basket into a larger pot, and I think it's doing relatively well!

Last came the table and chairs. The table was recently exiled from the dining room when it was replaced with a larger version. While the table is itself a bit too large for the small stoop, I thought it better to re-purpose the table than go out and buy something new. The chairs were a bargain find at a rare Ikea sale for 9.99 each (you'll find more around the new dining room table!).

While it's not much, I feel like we added another living space to our small place, which is invaluable! The Bistro is a great spot for reading or chatting or waving at the neighbors. I'm sure it will evolve in the coming months as the weather cools off and the wheels in my head keep spinning. I can already see a few more containers out there with herbs & flowers, and maybe a few hanging baskets, I've always loved those cute tiki torches, and maybe another garden gnome or two...

to do #3: open a bistro.

Labels

2007-07-29T00:51:00.000-04:00

A lot of things have changed since I was blogging last! One of the things I'm most excited about is the addition of the "labels" field in the post creation template. I always longed for a way to organize my posts in the past, and now I can! I spent waaaaaaaay too much time going through all my old posts and adding labels, but I just wouldn't have been able to sleep at night if I didn't. So, now you can re-read old posts by topic, I know this is just music to your ears! Anyhow, I've exhausted myself with that task and am calling it a night. I have several posts in various stages of composition though, so stayed tuned. And in the meantime, feel free to browse my new labels section to the left.

to do #2: label my old posts

I'm baaaaaaaaaaack...

2007-07-23T23:10:00.000-04:00

Hi all, just a quick post to let ya know I'm back to blogging again!! I'm still trying to figure out my angle & my format this go around; but, I've got lots going on and instead of staying up 'til all hours of the night with random thoughts keeping me awake, I thought it might help to put them out there. So, get ready to get in my headspace!

And p.s., don't forget to show me some love! I want more reader participation this go round---that means You. :)

to do #1: get my blog going again

Chamillitary Man

2006-04-05T03:06:00.000-04:00

To the chagrin of many of you, I've been on a bit of a hip-hop kick recently, but I may have been cured of that tonight. I went to my first true hip-hop show, and I can honestly say it's one of the worst shows I've been to.

In the name of exploring other music genres and expanding my horizons, I've been delving into hip-hop lately. I've always sort of had an interest, but hadn't pursued it much beyond the really popular radio songs or music videos. But, the last few months I've been trying in earnest to see what's going on in the world of hip-hop, and I've been fairly impressed. I wouldn't say that I'm a whole-hearted fan, because I probably don't like 75% of what's out there, but I can say there are some really cool things going on in the genre that I can get behind, and shake my booty to. I'd downloaded a few Chamillionaire songs and liked what I heard, so when I saw he was going to be coming to town I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to round out my exploration and go to a hip-hop show. And so I did something I almost never do, I went out and bought Chamillionaire's album, The Sound of Revenge, in preparation.

To say I was impressed is an understatement. Granted, I wasn't expecting a lot, but the album is solid. The guy is great when it comes to lyrics, and the beats and hooks are tight as well. There are the obligatory songs about chicks, weed, slabs, etc., but there are also some pretty great songs about religion and life and death. Interesting topics to explore on a hip hop album, but he does so successfully. In fact, after I put the CD into heavy rotation I found myself skipping over the popular radio songs in favor of the rest of the album. While the radio songs (Turn it Up, Ridin') are catchy as hell, I wouldn't say they're the strongest on the album. It's pretty obvious after a few listens that Cham isn't your average rapper; he's smart, he's funny, his lyrics are clever and his flow is tight- perfect for my first hip-hop show.

I was happy to see Cham would be performing at one of my favorite concert venues, but I wasn't too thrilled with the ticket price- $25! That's pretty steep for this venue, tickets usually run 15-20 bucks, but I ponied up, all in the name of experience. Chamillionaire was the headliner, to be accompanied by Lil' Flip and Pokafase. I had no idea who Pokafase was, and didn't care much about Lil' Flip, so when the person I was going with wasn't going to be able to make it until 9:00, I wasn't worried. Usually shows start around 7:30/8:00, with the headliner coming onstage around 9:30/10:00. But apparently things work differently in the world of hip-hop. By the time we made it into the show at 9:30, Cham was onstage. We arrived in the middle of a song, and then heard Ridin'. And then he left. What!??! I was totally fucking puzzled. Apparently we missed the whole damn performance. But not to fret, Lil' Flip was still to come. What kind of shit is that?! An opener comes on after a headliner? A headliner is finished with his performance at 9:45? I was a teeny-tiny bit pissed. But okay, I was there, I may as well enjoy. Pysch.

We stood around waiting for Lil' Flip's ass to show up for over an hour. In the meantime some other rapper came on and performed a couple songs, but we weren't feeling this guy at all. His flow was weak and his beats were even weaker. I've never been so bored at a concert in all my life. Finally at 10:45 Lil' Flip decided to come on stage to a pretty excited audience. And here's where I came to a very definite conclusion about hip-hop shows- they aren't for women. Granted, we were fairly close to the stage, and thus in the thick of the action, but the vibe is totally masculine. Testosterone seemed to be oozing out of every crevice and every pore of that venue. Dancing was next to impossible with all the dudes bouncing. I felt like I was in a mosh pit. Luckily I had a bit of protection in the form of a male companion, but even still, I was totally uncomfortable. On the positive side, I was pretty impressed with the production of the songs. The beats and vocals sounded great, something I was a bit wary about coming in.

The night ended with Chamillionaire coming onstage to perform Turn it Up with Lil' Flip, a song they also collaborated on in the album version. Again, the sound was great but the vibe wasn't. For me, anyhow. The guy I was with enjoyed himself immensely, and the other dudes around us seemed to be having a great time as well. The group of girls to my right who kept getting shoved and stepped on by drunk dudes didn't seem to be having as good of time though. So consider yourself warned: don't show up late, and don't even bother to go if you're a chick unless you're prepared to get stomped.

to do #201: go to a hip-hop show.

Note, though this was a disappointing experience, I'd still recommend Cham's album The Sound of Revenge. It's pretty fantastic!

Happy Birthday To Me

2006-03-21T17:59:00.000-05:00

Yours truly just celebrated a certain milestone birthday over the weekend. Due to the thoughtfulness of my many family and friends, it was a great day! Thanks so much for all of your calls and well-wishes. Since a lady would never directly reveal her age, I thought I'd give you a fun little math problem to work out if you're so inclined...

((2x6+3)(9/3)(7-12)) +255 = ???

Did you figure it out?! If not, you can always short-cut it and check my blogger profile. Hahah.

to do #319: celebrate my birthday

These Boots Were Made For, ah you know...

2006-03-03T00:16:00.000-05:00

It's funny how sometimes happiness can come in the most random or simple form. For me, this week, happiness is a new pair of cowboy boots.

I should verify with my parents, but I vaguely remember having a pair of cowboy boots as a little girl. I wouldn't bet money on it, but I think they were of the knee-high light brown leather variety. But, I may just have that image in my head because a great majority of the pictures of kids who grew up in the late 70's and early 80's, like me, feature them wearing brown leather cowboy boots. Ah, I digress...

That I stumbled on these boots seemed like fate, or at least it's how I justified the purchase. I had been thinking lately I would like to own a pair of cowboy boots. Not because I'm a western gal, or because I'm in an upcoming rodeo or anything, I just thought they were cute & fashionable. Around the same time I also read an article in a fashion magazine about how cowboy boots were making a fashion comeback. The article was complete with pictures of various celebs sporting their boots. I'm sure we all remember how much I cared about the celebs I shared my pink Razr with, so when I saw celebs were wearing cowboy boots, that sealed the deal for me- I needed them.

A few days later I was in TJ Maxx looking for some shower gel when I decided to quickly browse the shoe section before leaving. Y'see, I'm a gal on a budget and I'm trying really hard NOT to spend money- I should be saving every penny for my impending move across country. But, sometimes shoes talk louder than my budget. I was in luck when I perused my size and nothing caught my eye. Then, I thought, I better check clearance, just in case! And there they were- my gorgeous new Guess brown leather cowboy boots. I tried them on, and they fit like a glove, and for the price I didn't even have to debate whether or not to buy them. I am proud to tell you that this gal on a budget found these particular boots for a whopping $14!!!! That's right! They retail at over $200, so I got them at what, a zillion percent off the retail price?! Though it was a minor blip in my budget, I'd say they were worth it, wouldn't you?

to do #284: own a pair of cowboy boots

#3121

2006-02-25T06:09:00.000-05:00

It's my last night in my apartment and while I should be packing a few final things before the movers arrive in a couple hours, instead I find myself compelled to sit at my desk one last time and blog. I've begun to feel quite nostalgic about my apartment in the last few weeks as I started the process of dismantling it and packing it up. In leaving, I realized just how much this place has meant to me over the past two years. And so, I thought, what better way to spend my last night here than taking a little trip down memory lane and paying proper tribute to my beloved 3121. I am going to miss you dear friend...

I've lived in 3121 a few months shy of two years, and while I remember the day I moved in like it was yesterday, I feel like I lived an entire lifetime here. The person who walked through the door the first day is a very different person than the one who will be locking up tomorrow. I came into this apartment absolutely terrified. I was newly separated from my (now ex) husband, I was living on a new side of town where I didn't know anyone, and for the first time in my 28 years, I was living alone. I feigned excitement at the prospect of having my own place and getting a little space from my husband. I reasoned that once we did this he would quickly see what a mistake the separation was, and we'd go back to living happily ever after. Happily, this never happened. I can say that now, but it didn't come easy. The first seven or so months here found me vacillating between despair and hope. As I tried to untangle myself from our marriage I began to realize how far I had strayed from the person I once was. It wasn't until I separated myself from the man I'd spent almost every day of the previous 8 years with, that I started to figure out who I was. And so began my transformation.

I brought little with me into the apartment, which proved to be a wise decision. Although my family and friends thought I was crazy for selling our house and most of the things we had in it, I knew in my heart it was the right thing to do. I suppose maybe I knew even then that things would never work out and I would need a new beginning. I brought the bare minimum from my old life, and thus didn't have many constant reminders of that old life. Instead, I had the opportunity to begin a new life, and one that was mine alone. I took months to find the perfect couch, I sanded and repainted all the furniture I brought with me, and as I found them I bought new things to fill in the spaces. The things felt like me. The more I surrounded myself with the things I loved, and the things that I felt better represented who I was, the more at home I felt.

I also began to make new friends. New friendships can be hard, but mine flourished. I was eager to fill my life with people who didn't know me as part of a couple, but as my own person. I began to realize close friendships were a huge part of my life I had previously sacrificed, but one that I wouldn't be willing to sacrifice any more. My friends are some of the most important people in my life, and I value their companionship a great deal. This would be one of the cornerstones of my new life.

The times I spent here in 3121 with my friends were some of the greatest of my life. We went through good times and bad here. When I was down, my friends brought me back up. When I struggled, they supported me and reminded me of how far I'd come. But mostly, we just had a great time! Proudly, 3121 became the official hang-out spot. Instead of going out, we'd come here. Instead of going to someone else's place, we'd come here. We drank, we ate, we talked, we laughed, we solved all the world's problems, and we created a few new ones. In the company of my friends I felt like I was finally becoming the person who I'd always needed to be.

The memories I have of the times I spent with people here in 3121 are priceless. Whether they were ecstatic or good or mediocre or devastating, they all moved me to where I am now, which is a woman who knows who she is and what she wants and is about to embark on her next great adventure!

I know that many of you read my blog and never leave comments, but I'd love to ask you to make an exception to that lurking rule and leave me a comment if you've been to 3121 with a memory or a tribute of your own!

to do #122: pay tribute to my beloved apartment.

ps, I want to thank, from the bottom of my heart, three very special people who made my last two nights here so memorable and so special. You know who you are, but please know that it meant the world to me. :)

How To: Change Your Own Car Battery

2006-02-23T01:26:00.000-05:00

I considered naming this post 'How to: save yourself a few bucks while at the same time taking your car out of commission for three days and causing yourself a multitude of headaches', but I figured it was a little too long for the title field, and so I settled on the above title instead. Not as dramatic, but to the point.

Early last week I was heading out to an appointment when I put my car key in the ignition and was greeted by a lovely clicking sound. The engine didn't even try to crank, all it could muster was a series of clicks. Fortunately the appointment wasn't urgent, so I canceled it and decided I wasn't going to deal with the car issue just then. I had enough on my plate for the day, and working from home meant I wouldn't need the car right away. That night I talked a friend into coming over the next day to give me a jump. It had been a while since I'd had a dead battery, but if memory served the local Costco had been much cheaper than taking it in to a shop for a new battery. So before my friend arrived I called to see if I needed an appointment, or if I could just come right over. But, apparently the Costco on this side of town didn't install batteries, they just sold them. A quick google search rendered instructions on installing a car battery, and it looked very easy! Why hadn't I ever considered installing my own battery in the past, I wondered? I'd soon find out why...

My friend arrived and we proceeded to try the jump to make sure it was a dead battery and not some other more costly problem. We attached the jumper cables and I gave my car a crank. It clicked. Damn! I tried again. It didn't even click. Double damn! Then I remembered the last time I helped a friend jump his car there seemed to be an order by which you were supposed to attach the cables; lo and behold there were directions right on the side of the jumper cable bag. Now just in case you find yourself in a dead battery situation without jumper cable directions, let me refresh your memory: it's 1- positive cable to bad battery, 2- positive cable to good battery, 3- negative cable to good battery, 4- negative cable to bad battery. With the cables properly attached I crossed my fingers and gave it a crank. My car did its best to turn, but it was having some trouble. I stopped, said a little prayer, and tried it again- it started!! Knowing I only had a dead battery was a huge relief. Now, to replace it.

My friend kindly offered to drive me to Costco to pick up a new battery. The damn thing weighed a ton, but was only $40, so I wasn't complaining too much. I cleared my afternoon schedule, copied down the basic directions from the website, grabbed some tools and donned an outfit worthy of working on a car: jeans, sneakers and a tube top. Hey, it's Arizona and I didn't want to get any of my nice tops dirty! This would prove to be a very questionable choice later...

And so the process of changing my car battery began. I was optimistic. It was a beautiful day, I was saving myself a ton of dough, and I got to get a little grease under my nails. This all changed in the first few minutes when I wasn't able to get the nuts loose on either of the screws holding the connectors to the battery. Damn! See, in theory, changing a car battery is as simple as: 1- clean the connectors of any corrosion, 2- loosen the screw holding the negative connector to the negative battery terminal, 3- loosen the screw holding the positive connector to the positive battery terminal, 4- loosen the screw to the hold-down bracket, 5- remove dead battery and replace with new battery, 6- attach screws in reverse order. And voila! The only problem was, I didn't have the right tools. I had your garden variety adjustable torque wrench, but what I really needed was a socket wrench. I just couldn't get a good grip on the nuts with the torque wrench, and even if I could I didn't have the strength to loosen the severely corroded screws. Damn! The little afternoon project was turning into a little afternoon headache. I spotted a male neighbor and asked if he had a socket wrench set. I then proceeded to explain to him what a socket wrench was. This wasn't looking good. I continued to persevere under the hood and managed to loosen the nut on the negative connector, but the positive connector wasn't budging.

Now I have to take a moment to mention that during this time several men crossed my path. These were young healthy men that, if not car savvy, were at least fit enough to be capable of loosening the nuts which were giving me trouble with relative ease. But do you think any of them offered to help? No! They were too busy staring at a woman in jeans and a tube top working under the hood of a car. That's right, not one offered their help! I can't fault men for oogling, I'm sure I've oogled a man from time to time, and I'm a modern woman who doesn't necessarily need a man to rescue her, but who are these men that don't know what a socket wrench is and don't offer to help a woman with car trouble?! Their mothers would be ashamed!

But back to the nut that wouldn't budge...I sprayed it with WD-40, I brushed off the corrosion as best I could (resulting in little bits of battery acid flying onto my bare arms) but that nut wasn't going anywhere. I finally went in search of one of the maintenance crew at my apartment complex to see if they had a socket wrench set. Of course they didn't. One of the guys happened to have a socket wrench in his car and gave it to me, but the only socket he had with him was too big. He offered to come back the next day with the rest of the socket set and help me. My one and only offer of help, and what do you know, he never showed up!

By this time I'd been working a while and was way too frustrated to continue, so I decided to call it a day and hit my friends up for socket wrench sets that night. I ended up with a set and a back up set just in case the other didn't come through. A male friend dropped off the set in the late morning and didn't even offer his help. Is this an epidemic?! Granted, he had other things to do that day, but a half-hearted offer would have sufficed. Are men intimidated by women who seem to know what they're doing under the hood (and let me remind you I had no clue what I was doing until I googled for instructions!), that they simply stay out of her way and stand back gawking instead? I realized if I wanted to make a small fortune I should gather a few of my girlfriends and open an all woman mechanic auto-garage. But, that's an idea for another day.

The socket wrenches turned out to be a dud. The set was too cheap to include a spacer and the screw was too long for the socket to reach the nut. I was beyond frustrated at this point and started to wonder why the hell I hadn't just called AAA as everyone I talked to about my battery trouble had suggested. I decided to give the nut one last go, and it gave! I had somehow mustered the strength to loosen it. After that, the removal and installation was easy. I tightened all the nuts and tried cranking the engine, and it turned!! In that moment I felt so much pride. Although it had taken three days and seemingly endless obstacles, I had managed to install my own car battery completely by myself. I'm not sure how much money I saved, or whether it was even worth it, but at least I can now say I've done it, which is apparently saying more than most of the men I know.

to do #274: change my car battery (without help!) (or proper tools!!)

Moving Chaos

2006-02-21T02:04:00.000-05:00

It figures I would time my debut back to the blogging world in the midst of packing up my apartment and moving my things into storage. And did I mention I'm also starting a second job this week? Yes folks, I have a great sense of timing. While I have all manner of stories to relate and things to tell you guys, I am spending most of my waking hours carefully taping together the seams of boxes, meticulously wrapping glassware in unprinted newspaper and trying to fit all my possessions into boxes like a puzzle. Those of you who have moved recently know this is no small chore; those of you that haven't moved in a while, like me, don't realize how quickly we forget how awful packing is! It's only been two years since my last move and I'm just living in an apartment, so I didn't have too much time to really get settled in and comfortable here, but as I started my first night of packing I almost quit on the spot and vowed to stay here forever. Luckily I made it through that night and, relatively speaking, the packing has gone pretty well. The singular thought that is keeping me going is that I'm moving on to bigger and better things. More on that soon, I have packing to get back to!

to do #372: take a quick break from packing

Razr

2006-02-15T02:30:00.000-05:00

I sit at my iBook tonight typing to you with my head hung low. As I contemplated returning to the blog world I wondered if anyone would even read my blog anymore. It'd been ages; I figured all the site traffic I had gained was lost. Surely my friends and family had long since abandoned me, they don't even mention my blog anymore. There had been all manner of distractions and excuses to keep me from blogging: men, family visits, men, the holidays, men, vacations, ennui, oh and did I mention men? But with many of the distractions cleared out of my life I was thinking about giving it another go. I missed blogging- both writing mine and keeping up with others. So after two months I sheepishly checked my site traffic to see how bad it had gotten. What I saw both amazed and shamed me. There was a bit of a drop-off, but my stats have remained steady. For some reason you guys are sticking with me. Wow, what optimists you are! Or maybe you're reading through the archives, reminiscing on the good 'ole days when I actually updated several times a week. Even the search engines have been kind to me with lots of referrals. After that little boost of confidence, how could I not give blogging another go? In the wise words of Juelz Santana '...I can't let my peeps down...they need me out there...I can't let the streets down...I'm back!...'

As I thought about my return to the world of technology I knew there would be no better post topic than my latest technology obsession- my new pink (!!) Razr. Yes friends, I have arrived. I am now amongst the likes of Jessica Simpson, Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan and scores of techie girl geeks who are all sporting the pink razr. Kill me now. Actually please don't, if you did I wouldn't be able to use my favorite new phone anymore.

I hate to admit how much I love this phone. Or do I? I can't think of one person I've been in the company of lately that I haven't whipped out my phone in front of to show off all its cool features. I've spent hours, yes hours, on the phone, and not talking. First, learning all the features and setting it up, then reading the news and checking my email and IM while I sat on the couch no more than twenty feet from my computer where I could have easily done all those things. I updated my contacts list adding in multiple phone numbers and email addresses for everyone in my address book. And finally, I spent eons browsing ringtones. Now I'm not talking about monophonic or polyphonic ringtones, I'm talking about real song digital clip ringtones! How cool is this phone? I finally settled on my current song obsession, for now- Rodeo by Juvenile. I know, I know. But hey, it's my phone!

I never thought I'd be so enthused by a piece of technology, and a cell phone no less, but I am. What that says about me, I'm not sure. Perhaps that I've gained membership into trendy pop-culture by means of a cool new cell phone. Um, like, that's hot.

to do #19: get a pink razr

Ozomatli

2005-12-12T12:26:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone!!!! For those of you that are still hanging in with me (I hope there are lots of you- I'm too scared to check my stats!) I'm sorry for my recent disappearance. As I mentioned in my last post, things have been so crazy around here with my family visiting and the holiday parties. After the last of my visitors were gone, I fully intended on getting back into blogging and visiting all my favorite blogs, but ended up hibernating in my apartment instead. I think my busy social agenda finally caught up with me. As most of you can probably relate to, the longer I took to get back to blogging, the harder it was to try to get back to blogging! But, I have buckled down today, and I'm writing here whether I like it or not. I have lots to catch you up on, and many half-started posts await you in the coming days and weeks. So, on with it...

On Saturday night three friends and I went to see Ozomatli at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe. Before I tell you about the show, let me give you a little of my Ozomatli history. I first saw them on Later with Jools Holland several years ago and I was instantly drawn in by their energy. I don't remember the performance very well, but I do remember lots of band members and lots of energy and a huge sound. They style was also so unique- a latin/hip hop/rap band from Los Angeles with black, white, latino and asian band members! But for some reason I never got around to checking them out, and pretty much forgot about them over the years. That is, until a couple months back when I was at a show and saw a poster for an upcoming Ozomatli show. I remembered the Jools performance and made a note to myself to check them out. I borrowed their most recent album (Street Signs) and a recent live album (Live at the Fillmore) from my local library and instantly fell in love. I put the cd's on high rotation, got a few friends hooked as well, and so the four of us went to see them Saturday night...

If you've been reading my blog for a while you're pretty familiar with how obsessed with music I can be, and how obsessed with the details I am at shows. I take a little moleskine notebook with me to write down the set lists, and fully immerse myself in the experience of the show. If I go alone I'm usually right near the stage so I can see everything the band does and take it all in. I'm like a musical sponge. I notice the details and I love it. I didn't used to be this way, but the more shows I go to, the more I appreciate the intricacies and the effort it takes to produce the music, and it just awes me. Now, I say all this in preparation to justify why I am going to give you a terrible account of the Ozomatli show. It's not because I don't know how, or I'm not practiced in the art of observing and relating a story, it's just that I was too busy having waaay too much fun!

My friends and I arrived a little after 8, in the middle of the opening band's set. The opener was scheduled to be Salvadore Santana, but I'm not sure whether it was or not because I'm not familiar with his/their music. From what we saw the music was decent, and the crowd was fairly into it. It was nothing I'd run out and buy, but the music seemed to be a fitting opener for Ozo.

Ozomatli took the stage around 9 pm to a crowd of around 250-300 people, which was less than I expected but turned out to be the perfect size. The venue appeared full, but there was still enough space around everyone that you could dance and not be right on top of the people next to you. The guys took the stage one at a time, which I always think is a great touch because it gives the crowd a chance to recognize each band member individually, and it makes for a really cool build up of the sound (and with 10 band members it takes a while!). Dos Cosas Ciertas is the perfect song to do this with, and is a great opener because it's so upbeat. The crowd went totally crazy, and pretty much never stopped going crazy the whole night. The crowd often times has the power to make an average show great or an average show awful, and this crowd definitely made the show great. Everyone was totally into the music and sang and danced their asses off.

After the first song, the details are a bit fuzzy. I was just so busy having fun that I didn't pay attention to what was happening on stage, which I sort of regret now because that's one of the things I love most about going to see live music. There are some great highlights I do remember though...The band played several new songs, beginning with the second song of the night. They asked the crowd if they'd mind hearing some new songs, and of course no one seemed to mind. The new songs were really good, and probably mean a new album is due out soon. At one point toward the beginning of the show the band asked everyone to introduce themselves to their neighbors and give them a hug whilst they played the theme song to Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. I think people enjoyed singing along with this goofy childhood tune as much as they enjoyed hugging the strangers around them- good times! The set was long, about two and a half hours, and included almost all of my favorites, especially Ya Viene El Sol. The night ended with their 'End Samba', which entails all of the band members bringing a percussion instrument or horn down into the crowd and playing right in the middle of the crowd while the crowd chants "O-zo-matli, Ya se fue, Ya se fue". This went on for ages, while the band snaked through the crowd playing their instruments, and then ending up in the lobby of the venue. They also played the classic football chant "Ole, ole ole ole, ole, ole...." and the goofy Hokey Pokey. After the music ended the band stuck around in the lobby to visit with fans and sign autograghs and take pictures. This amazed me. I've never been to a show where the band was so humble and willing to get to know their fans. Even local bands seem to be too cool for school these days, so this totally impressed me.

This was a great show and a great night! Seeing a band for the first time when you only own their cd is always a gamble because you don't know what you'll get. Music can be fantastic on a cd, but not translate well live. I'd say the opposite is true of Ozo. The cd's are good, the live show is amazing. There are ten band members who are all incredibly talented on their respective instruments, and somehow each is highlighted in the live performance and equally shares the spotlight. I think that in itself is a testament to how good their music is. So, go out and buy their cd's and see them live!!!!

Following is the setlist, as best I could piece it together from my notes. Often times my notes are a little hard to read because it's dark in the venue when I'm trying to write, but when I looked at my notes from Saturday night I had to laugh, because they looked like they'd been written in another language!

Setlist:
1. Dos Cosas Ciertas
2. City of Angels - new song
3. ?- new song
4. Eva
5. ?- new song
6. Ya Viene El Sol
7. Street Signs
8. Believe
9. ?
10. ?- new song
11. ?
12. Elevation
13. Cumbia de los Muertos
14. Saturday Night
15. Déjame en Paz
16. Como Ves
17. La Misma Canción
18. End Samba

to do #78: see Ozomatli (and get my ass blogging again!)

Happy Thanksgiving

2005-11-26T01:58:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! It's been a hectic few weeks around here, and I've found very little time to be in front of my computer. I mentioned my brother was here for a visit, and during his visit we threw the pre-Thanksgiving bash. It was a great time, and a great excuse to have yummy Thanksgiving fare twice in a month. Two days after he left, my sister and nephew arrived. Having a two year old around is nothing less than a whirlwind of chaos. Having a sick two year old around is nothing less than a nightmare. I quickly realized how accustomed I'd grown to living on my own, and living without children. Consequently, I've been spending a LOT of time at the gym! But, having said that, there isn't a little guy any cuter than him, and having him around is fantastic, especially now that he's feeling better.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving and I decided to cook another turkey (pictured above) for us and a few friends. I didn't realize how gross turkeys look pre-roasting until I saw that picture. Unfortunately I forgot to take another picture after the roasting, but I can promise you that it was nothing short of perfection! Our day was filled with lots of friends and eating and drinking and general merry-making- a perfect day in my opinion!

So, just wanted to give you a little update on my whereabouts. I hope that those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving had a wonderful day! My sister & nephew will be leaving next week, which will give me plenty of time to get back to being a blogging nerd again! Till then...

to do #146: celebrate Thanksgiving

My Morning Jacket

2005-11-18T02:43:00.000-05:00

Tuesday night I saw My Morning Jacket at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe. A few years ago when their album It Still Moves came out I was an instant fan. Jim James has such an amazing and unique voice. Of course some of that is because of the vocal effects and album production, but the airy/ethereal/spacey quality of his voice makes for a pretty distinguished sound. At the time I couldn't get enough of the album. When their latest album was released this year I was ready for something even better than the last, but was so turned off by the sound I barely gave it a few listens before I decided they were a one-album wonder for me.

But, despite my disappointment I still wanted to check them out when they came to town in hopes that they'd play lots of the older stuff. I wasn't expecting much, except maybe to get my live music fix, so I was totally surprised at how great the show was. Not only did they play some of the old songs I love, but the new songs totally took on a different sound. They didn't seem cheesy anymore, they were fantastic. MMJ played for about an hour and a half and played a good mix of old and new stuff. The sound was spot-on and captured his voice perfectly. Several of the songs extended into long jam sessions, which under normal circumstances I'm usually not a fan of, but in this case I absolutely loved, especially Dondante with the saxophone solo at the end. Seeing the new songs performed live totally got me into the new album, and now I can't get enough of it. I'd recommend you definitely check it out, and check out the band if they come to town. I know the album can be a bit tough to get through the first few times, but stick with it, it's excellent!

The setlist:

1- Wordless Chorus
2- It Beats for You
3- One Big Holiday
4- What a Wonderful Man
5- Off the Record
6- Golden
7- Sooner
8- Gideon
9- Lay Low
10- Dondante
11- Runthru
-encore-
12- Bermuda Highway
13- At Dawn
14- Anytime
15- Mahgeeta

to do #263: see My Morning Jacket

Koi

2005-11-14T04:00:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! I hope that you're still sticking with me- I've been a terrible blogger lately. My brother came for a visit last Wednesday and is still here, then we had the big Thanksgiving bash yesterday which was fantastic, so there hasn't been much free time to write or to read your blogs. I have lots to catch you up on, but for now I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know I'm still alive. Above is a picture from the local Japanese garden we visited today. The koi were gorgeous!

to do #139: feed the local koi

Amores Perros

2005-11-06T04:37:00.000-05:00

I realized something disturbing tonight. I watched the film Amores Perros with some friends. I was the only one who hadn't seen it, but they all loved it enough to see it again. I'd heard it was an excellent movie, and I liked 21 Grams, so I was sure I'd like it too. I can honestly tell you if it weren't for being with my friends tonight, I may have turned off Amores Perros after the first fifteen minutes because I was so disturbed by the violence and gore. I never thought I'd say that about a movie. Not that I love violent films, but violence in films has never bothered me. Not until tonight. And the reason I was bothered by the violence bothers me even more than the violence itself.

One of the storylines in Amores Perros involves dog fighting. The dogs are vicious and often end up getting killed in the fights. Now, I'm not an uber-animal lover. I love my dog, and I pretty much like other people's dogs, but that's about as far as I go. But watching dogs fight and kill each other was way too much for me. I had to turn my head and really wasn't sure that I could handle it. But I soldiered on for my friends. (I'm glad I did, the film is excellent!) After the movie it dawned on me that I've seen people in films and TV doing the same and worse, but it rarely causes a reaction in me anymore. To say we are desensitized to violence from our exposure to it on film and TV is an understatement. Very disturbing.

to do #178: see Amores Perros

Earworms

2005-11-04T11:02:00.000-05:00

Today is Earworm Friday over at SwissToni's Place, and yours truly is the guest editor this week! I hope you'll pay me a visit, and stick around his place- he's got a brilliant blog over there.

Referrals

2005-11-03T22:34:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I think of looking at the referring pages to my blog, and when I do I'm almost always cracked up. Today someone searched the words science fair todo with animals hearing on MSN search, and my blog was the number one search result. Seriously! Check here. I wish I could have offered some help on a science fair to do with animal's hearing, but alas, I have no advice to give on that subject matter.

to do #299: find the oddest referral to my blog

Traffic School

2005-10-31T02:37:00.000-05:00

You may recall a few weeks ago I was up against a deadline on traffic school, and decided to go to a concert instead. Lucky for me, the court took pity and gave me an extension. Not wanting to get myself in the same predicament, I buckled down and spent the better part of the afternoon and evening doing online traffic school. The price I paid for speeding is that I've wasted a perfectly nice Sunday evening, and that I am utterly exhausted. Traffic school is boring as hell but with online traffic school you actually have to pay attention because the quizzes can be pretty tough! I'm a fast reader, and it's taken me approximately four hours to complete six sections. I still have four sections to go. Ugh. It has been entertaining though. I started to really like online traffic school in section three where it got very zen-like, saying things like:

Focus on where your power is. Your power lies in your ability to control what you do, not what others do. So, instead, concentrate on being removed from the outside world and move into the inside world of peace and tranquility. Stay in the "eye of the storm." When the hurricane is blowing at its fiercest, the inside center of the storm is calm and serene. Don't go outside, where you have no control. Stay inside in the "eye of the storm," where you have control. Stay in your "center."

It even amused me at times with things like:

Drivers who focus only on the bumper in front of them join the "Stupid Club." The Stupid Club gathers members who do dumb things and have crashes.

And of course there were many 'helpful' suggestions like:

If you tend to be oblivious when driving, one good suggestion is to place an easily seen note on your visor that says, "Am I paying attention?"

Alas, it is still boring and I'm only 60% of the way through. I'm too tired to continue tonight, and the thought of more traffic school tomorrow has me so excited I can hardly wait to go to bed. The lesson in this? Don't break the law. As I learned tonight, the average person breaks 400 traffic laws before they get caught. I suppose after 14 years of driving my number was up.

to do #307: attend online traffic school

UPDATE: I passed my final exam with a 100% score! What can I say, I'm a perfectionist, even in traffic school.

My Music History: The Early Years

2005-10-28T02:47:00.000-04:00

Thanks for sticking with me through my blogging drought; I just haven't felt like writing much lately, hence the lazy personality test posts and the extended absence this week. However, in the absence of posting I have been spending a lot of time thinking. It all started with trying to compile a list of the top five shows I'd been to. I like making these sort of mental lists: my top five albums of all time, top five songs of all time, favorite albums of the current year, etc. So as I thought of my top five shows, I began to take a trip down memory lane. I have a pretty good ticket collection from the shows I've been to, so I pulled them out to help me reminisce. All this led me to thinking about how it'd all begun--my earliest music memories. I was surprised at how well I remembered these mundane moments of my past, their common thread being music. So I thought I'd share a few of them with you...

Some of my earliest music memories are of riding in the car on Sunday mornings listening to Casey Kasem's Weekly Top 40 on the way to and from church. I believe this began around the tender age of seven, on through about ten or eleven (about the time we stopped going to church!). I don't think I've listened to the show since then, but I can still remember that intro: The weeeeekly top fortyyyyyyy. I also knew at that early age the long distance dedications were cheesy as hell- just play the music!! We'd catch the top of the countdown on the way to church and we'd be out just in time for the good stuff on the way home. I'd usually catch the end of the countdown in my bedroom on my shiny silver boombox, and can remember dashing around the house to find a blank tape in order to record one of my favorite songs of the time- Van Halen's Jump when it hit number one. I recall sitting there wondering, will it be number one, please oh please I hope so!! (A little googling just revealed it was a top 40 #1 in 1984, which would've put me at 8!) I also remember that after I successfully recorded Jump, I listened to it over and over again. To make the rewinding easier, I put a little ink mark on my tape on the exact spot the recording started. (OH MY GOSH, you won't believe it: I pulled out my tape collection in order to take the picture for this post, and what's on top but the aforementioned Jump tape. I kid you not. Check it out here. I can't believe I kept that tape all these years...)

My giant silver boombox...I believe I got this one year for Christmas (around the same time as Casey Kasem's Top 40) and I thought I was the absolute shit with it. I was awesome. I rocked out. No one could touch me. I remember making my younger brother and sister and some of our friends choose songs from amongst my tape collection (Michael Jackson Thriller, Lionel Richie Can't Slow Down, Huey Lewis & the News Sports, Cyndi Lauper She's So Unusual, Prince Purple Rain, Madonna Madonna are among some of the ones I can remember) that they (or I) liked, and then memorizing them, while I choreographed a dance performance for them to go along with the song. I'd extend the antennae from the boombox to use as a microphone, and we'd perform the songs. I have some spotty memories of being very bossy when it came to these performances, but I'm sure it was all in the name of accuracy!

Around the same time I was also obsessed with all things Michael Jackson. I had Thriller and remember how thrilled I was to see the video on MTV for the first time. I vaguely recall being a little scared of the zombies, but also just being so enraptured with the story set to a song I loved. I, of course, also had a pair of black parachute pants I got for Christmas one year, and a white t-shirt with black short sleeves and red glitter on it that somehow went with the parachute pants and completed the Michael Jackson ensem. I was smokin' hot, let me assure you, and there are pictures to prove it (and if I have anything to do with it, none of you will ever EVER see these pictures!!).

It was also around this time that McDonald's (yes the fast food chain) came out with a series of oldie's tapes. I begged and begged my parent's to buy them, and once they did we'd listen to them in the car on roadtrips. As I recall, they were great 50's and 60's tunes; two songs I distinctly remember are Dell Shannon's Runaway and the Chordettes Lollipop. What kid wouldn't love to sing along to those songs?!?

It wasn't till 1986 that I was first exposed to 'cool' music, that I'd still consider fairly cool today- The Beastie Boys. I was fourth grade, and remember the boy that sat next me, Chris Martin (no, not that one), singing Brass Monkey.
Brass monkey, that funky monkey,
brass monkey junkie, that funky monkey
I can only figure he had a cooler older brother because I don't think any fourth grader would have come across the Beastie's on their own, but I thought it was cool (probably because I thought Chris Martin was cool!). He made me a copy of the tape, I listened to it all the time, and then we'd sing the songs during class. Luckily I was an ace student, so I never got in trouble for these little singing sessions.

Well this pretty much takes you through my elementary years, and is probably enough for one night. I have lots more to share, so stay tuned. In the meantime, I'd love to hear some of your earliest music memories, no matter how embarrassing. I think I've shared enough embarrassing music information for years and years of comic fodder.

to do#183: take a stroll down music memory lane

FYI, Windex Doesn't Kill Scorpions

2005-10-25T02:52:00.000-04:00

But, the bottom of a shoe works very well-- this is the unfortunate lesson I learned tonight. Since I had an earlier bug *ahem, arthropod* post, I thought I'd share this information with you all, lest you be home alone late on a Monday night with a scorpion on your balcony and a bottle of Windex in one hand and a shoe in the other. I've just saved you the trouble of cleaning up a half-bottle puddle of Windex, and from dashing around your home like a mad-woman (or man) looking for a more lethal weapon.

I must at this time also give mad props to my scorpion-hunting canine pal for spotting the danger in the dark from the opposite side of the closed screen door, and then whining incessantly until I let her out onto the balcony, only to run directly back into the house sneezing and shaking her head from side to side. It only took me two or three times of this before I got the message and went out to investigate. What can I say, I'm a bit slow. But, you readers will surely not make the same mistake now that you've been armed with my advice. And, you are more than welcome to the services of my scorpion-hunter; she's also quite good at hunting crumbs, clean laundry and used kleenex.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, those white-ish spots you see on the bottom of my shoe are in fact the remnants of the said, and now pulverized, scorpion.

to do #217: how not to kill a scorpion

I am also...

2005-10-22T16:06:00.000-04:00

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

I figured while I was at it, I may as well see which famous leader I am too. As you can imagine, I was both shocked and honored to be Mother Teresa. I mean, I'm a nice person and all, but Mother Teresa?!

And last night, Mother Teresa was lucky enough to host two Bill Clintons and Saddam Hussein at her house for dinner. Yep, that's right, Saddam Hussein. I can tell you, it's all fun and games until someone is Saddam Hussein! Who knew Mother Teresa and Saddam Hussein could be such great friends? Now I'm dying to find out who my other famous friends are. Don't be shy, take the test and leave a comment. Hey, how can you say no to Mother Teresa?

to do #374: find out which famous leader I am

I am...

2005-10-21T13:46:00.000-04:00

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

I don't usually do tests like these, but I came across this one on another blog, and being a movie fan, I had to find out which classic movie I am. So, Easy Rider? Cool. Which classic movie are you?

to do #373: find out which classic movie I am

Pro: Skies

2005-10-20T02:38:00.000-04:00

As I contemplate my impending move away from Arizona, I have been keeping a little running tally of pros and cons, to make sure I'm making the right decision. So far there haven't been many ticks in the pro column for Arizona, but I do have to admit to one I've noticed outside my sliding glass door the past three days as I've sat at my desk working: the skies. Arizona seems to have some of the most beautiful skies. Is that enough to keep me here? No. But it's something to appreciate whilst I bide my time.

to do #49: find a pro for living in Arizona

Traffic School or Iron & Wine?

2005-10-17T02:57:00.000-04:00

This is the conundrum I was presented with when I contemplated how to spend my Sunday evening. If you recall, a few weeks ago on the way back from Vegas to see Oasis I was issued a traffic ticket for speeding. Said traffic ticket needs to be taken care of with online traffic school before October 19th. As is my typical fashion, I planned on doing it all weekend but put it off till Sunday night. That is, until a friend called to say he had a couple tickets to the Iron & Wine show he wasn't going to be able to use, and would I be interested? It took me all of a few moments to contemplate: Traffic School or Iron & Wine? Those of you that know me know that traffic school had no chance. And so it came to pass I went to see Calexico and Iron & Wine tonight, and put off traffic school another day.

Earlier in the week I had contemplated getting tickets for the Iron & Wine show because I was going through a bit of live-music withdrawal. It had been ten (*gasp*) days since the BRMC show, and I was dying for another music fix. But the pragmatic side of me won out, and I decided to skip the show. Afterall, I'm not a massive fan, nor very familiar with his music, though I was sure it would be a good show. Never one to happily capitalize on the misfortunes of others, I would be lying if I said I wasn't happy I didn't buy a ticket and that my friends who did were now unable to go. As they say, one man's misfortune is another man's fortune. Do they actually say that? No, I don't think that they do. Anyhow...

Oh, and before I give you a show review, let me just tell you something I realized tonight- I have no concept of what music is popular in Phoenix/America right now. I didn't think Iron & Wine was very well-known, and thus assumed the show would be pretty empty, especially on a Sunday night- wrong. The place was packed, probably around 700 people! This isn't the first time I've grossly under/over-estimated the turnout for a show. Kings of Leon come to mind: a friend and I gave our two extra (free!) tickets to the ticket-taker at the door because we couldn't find anyone to give them to, and there ended up only being around 100 people at the show. And Wilco, I waited until a week before the show to buy my ticket because I was certain there wouldn't be many people there, and the show had already sold out. Clearly my finger is nowhere near the pulse of the music listeners here. I know what I like, and I figure everyone else should like them too.

So, tonight at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Calexico was the opener for Iron & Wine. I was somewhat familiar with the band, but had never seen them, nor do I own any of their music. They're a semi-local band, from Tucson, and have a couple core members and lots of guest musicians. They were incredible, and I wouldn't hesitate to see them again. Their music straddles so many genres, going from an indie rock sound to a highly Mexican influenced sound complete with trumpets to an alt-country sound with lap steel guitar. Their collective of musicians were amazing and the resulting sound was so unexpected and beautiful. Which is probably why Iron & Wine recruited them to be his opener and his backing band. They played the initial set of 8 or 9 songs from 8:45 until around 9:30. Iron & Wine then came out around 9:45 and played the first couple songs on acoustic guitar with a female back-up singer. For the rest of the set, the guys from Calexico were the backing band, with as many as 12 people on the stage at once. The resulting sound was deep and layered and gorgeous. There were two or three percussionists, a harmonica, a lap steel guitar, a bass, two or three guitarists, two trumpets, a xylophone, and those are just the instruments I can remember.

My main issue with Iron & Wine, and the reason I never really gave the cd's I have much play time, is that the songs tend to all sound the same after a while. An acoustic guitar and him singing. You can only take so much before you want a little variety. Because of this sparseness, I wasn't sure what to expect tonight. But performing alongside the members of Calexico was such a wonderful surprise. The result of their collaboration is an indie jam band. With so many musicians and such a variety of instruments, the songs often extended into long instrumental jams punctuated every now and then with singing from Iron & Wine. Jams aren't usually my style because I find them to be self-gratifying and boring, but I was never bored tonight. It may have been the lap steel or the trumpets or the harmonica but I was always captivated and excited about the music. The hour and a half passed quickly, and I was sorry when it was over, as I always am. Luckily for you, Iron & Wine and Calexico have recorded an EP together that was just released, so you can hear their collaboration too. Enjoy!

to do #237: see Calexico and Iron & Wine

Emissions

2005-10-14T01:53:00.000-04:00

Today I did the equivalent of rolling down my car window and tossing into the wind a twenty, a fiver, two ones, and 3 quarters. Yep, I gave the state of Arizona $27.75 to tell me my 2000 Honda Passport passed its emissions test. Now I'm not so insulated I don't realize many states require vehicles to be inspected and pass emissions every year, but the thing that annoys me is that this was totally random. Arizona doesn't require vehicles, especially newer ones, to pass emissions each year, and in the nine and a half years I've lived here, I've only taken one car to be inspected once. The car was an old dilapidated piece of shit, so I can perfectly understand why it would need to prove itself worthy to be driven on the streets of this fair city. But a five year old car? In the grand scheme of things, $27.75 isn't a lot of money, but considering the price you pay for the privilege of registering your vehicle, why should you need to pay extra for an emissions test? It should just be factored in!

Ranting aside, the actual test was quick and painless and mildly entertaining. The state has gathered together an odd band of characters to work at the location I visited today. As I pulled in I was met with four possible docks to pull my car into. I chose the one with the most people standing near it, and as I got closer a lady began directing me into the dock. I was concentrating very intently on her hand motions because I hate pulling into these sorts of places where you have to align your wheels correctly and stop them at a certain point, lest I'm unable to follow their vague and lazy hand gestures or unable to correctly eyeball the positioning and then I look like a completely inept vehicle operator. I'm not sure if I've actually failed to do this correctly once and it's scarred me for life, but every time I pull into a car wash or an oil change or a car garage, the same can-I-align-the-wheels-correctly-and-stop-in-the- correct-spot paranoia hits me.

So while I'm concentrating on this woman, a portly fellow rests his arms on my car window ledge and greets me, which scares the hell out of me. Don't know how I didn't see him coming, but I didn't. He informs me I have the option of sitting in the passenger seat or in a booth for the duration of the inspection. I chose the booth because it seems weird and cool. I get into the booth, after some confusion on how exactly to get into the booth, and another fellow comes by to point to a sign in the booth and whispers to me that it will cost $27.75 in either cash or check. The whispering really threw me for a loop- it wasn't loud, so why whisper?? I retrieved my checkbook from my bag, and I must have looked at the sign a second too long, because the hand gesture woman came by to explain the payment options again. (It's suddenly becoming clear why I had to pay the $27.75--there are too many people working at this location and they all need to be paid!) No sooner did I have the check written, than they motioned for me to come back out.

I got into my car and was told to pull it forward to the next computer. There I was met by a middle-aged middle-eastern man. I handed him my check and he asked for my driver's license. 'My what?' I asked, because he was mumbling. 'Your drivers license.' 'Oh, okay', I said, and fished it out of my wallet. He fussed around in his computer and then came back to my window, unlocked and opened my door, looked around, shut the door, and then asked for my drivers license again. 'I gave it to you', I said. 'No, I need your driver's license', he said. 'That is my driver's license', I said, puzzled. 'Oh, I know', he said chuckling, 'I was just kidding'. Haha, I fake-laughed. What sort of a joke is that?! He fussed around on the computer again and then came back with a piece of paper. 'Well', he said, 'I'm sorry to say...' (pause for dramatic effect, okay that would have been kinda funny)...(pregnant pause, which is not so funny anymore)...(he's been pausing so long that now I'm actually getting annoyed and ignoring him)...'Your car passed inspection' he said and chuckled again. This guy has got the worst sense of humor, I thought, and peeled the hell out of there. Certainly not the worst experience in the world, but definitely a waste of $27.75.

to do #246: have my car emissions tested

Invites

2005-10-11T18:20:00.000-04:00

The highly sought after and much coveted invitations for my pre-Thanksgiving bash went out today. In a few short days you will discover if you've made 'the list'. If you haven't, well, there's always next year. Hope to see you there!

to do#307: send out Thanksgiving invites

Consulting the Oracle

2005-10-10T01:47:00.000-04:00

Today I sat down with a very wise and omniscient source for answers to all of life's burning questions. I was a bit nervous to receive the truth, but my iPod was gentle and kind and put me right at ease. Yep, my iPod. I read about the idea over at SwissToni's Place and was instantly intrigued. As you might expect, the answers were part insightful and part hilarious.

For your own answers, put your iPod on shuffle and ask away, but be prepared for the gems you'll receive. For those of you without an iPod (*gasp*, you say you're cool enough to be my friend?!), I'm thinking of opening a storefront and charging 5 bucks a pop for this valuable insight, so stay tuned...

1. What do you think of me?

Hallelujah- Ryan Adams

If I could have a simple love
How would it feel
And what would it mean
I'd only trade you away
For Mary Magdalene

Aw, you're so sweet iPod! I wouldn't trade you away for anyone less than Jesus himself.

2. Will I have a happy life?

Rock and Roll- Spiritualized

Rock and Roll
Keep playing for me
It's easy to see
That I love you
Love you

Yes, it's true, I do love my rock 'n roll. So if I stick with it I'll have a happy life? Okay by me.

3. What do my friends really think of me?

The Electric Version- New Pornographers

The sound of God is the screech of tires
Lights and magnets
Bolts and wires
Strayed from the road
This very one

Hmm, it sounds like my friends think that I'm a bit crazy. Or that I'm an electrician. But I'm not. They don't know me at all!

4. What does my significant other think of me?

Strung Out Again- Elliott Smith

Standing, smiling from fantasy island
Moving with my lost reflection of me
The tide's coming in
And I'm strung out again
Strung out again

This confirms a suspicion I've had for a while, my dog clearly misunderstands me. I'm not on drugs, this is my personality! Maybe we need counseling...

5. Do people secretly lust after me?

Wild & Lethal- Paul Westerberg

Just like a common thief
I'll get you everything you ever need
But by the evening, you're gonna want some relief
Cause I'm wild & lethal

I think that's a resounding YES. Wild & lethal, what more could you ask for?

6. How can I make myself happy?

Me and the Major- Belle & Sebastian

I think the Major's going quite insane, he goes
Along the pavement and comes back again, oh yeah
I think the Major's going quite insane, he goes
Along the pavement and comes back again
Like he is on parade, and he is on parade
At least he thinks so

Okay, I'm sensing I wouldn't be happy if I joined the Army. You're getting a bit cryptic, iPod.

7. What should I do with my life?

What Did I Ever Give You?- Kaiser Chiefs

Disgraced, back to my place
I'm a complete waste of your time
I'm asleep before the first sheep
Until the last bleep of all time

Hmm, I'd say my future isn't looking too promising. Maybe joining the Army isn't such a bad idea afterall.

8. Why must life be so full of pain?

Lullaby- Pedro the Lion

Rest in me, little David and dry all your tears
You can lay down your armor and have no fear
Cause I'm always here when you're tired of running
And I'm all the strength that you need

Well the iPod just got all religious on me. Interesting that it turned to religion to answer this question, just like so many people do when they go through pain. Maybe there's something to religion afterall- if the iPod says so, it must be true.

9. What advice can you give me?

In the Backseat- Arcade Fire

I like the peace
In the backseat
I don't have to drive
I don't have to speak
I can watch the countryside
And I can fall asleep

So you're saying I should let others drive and sit in the backseat? That's invaluable. Thanks!

10. What do you think true happiness is?

Monkey Heart and the Horses' Leg- Preston School of Industry

Every change is good here
Change is good for us
Well that's the way it goes, I guess
Well that's the way it goes , I guess
Was it the monkey heart, fueled by the monkey brain
or the horses' leg
that left you so insane
I'm not satisfied
No, I'm not satisfied

True happiness is change? Or monkey hearts? Or monkey brains? Or horses' legs? Oh iPod, I'm so confused. I'm not satisfied with your answer. No, I'm not satisfied.

11. Will I die happy?

Within You Without You- The Beatles

We were talking about the space between us all
And the people who hide themselves behind a wall of illusion
Never glimpse the truth then it's far too late when they pass away

We were talking about the love we all could share
When we find it to try our best to hold it there
With our love
With our love we could save the world
If they only knew

Try to realize it's all within yourself no one else can make you change
And to see you're only really very small and life flows on within you and without you

We were talking about the love that's gone so cold
And the people who gain the world and lose their soul
They don't know, they can't see, are you one of them?

When you've seen beyond yourself then you may find peace of mind is waiting there
And the time will come when you see we're all one
And life flows on within you and without you

For all the goofy answers you've given me, iPod, this one was worth the wait. I couldn't agree with you more, following Eastern philosophy is probably a pretty good way to ensure you'll die happy. Thanks George Harrison, and thanks iPod!!

to do #119: have my fortune told (by an iPod).

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

2005-10-07T02:53:00.000-04:00

Tonight I went to a great show at The Clubhouse in Tempe: Mark Gardener opening for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. I'd never heard of Mark Gardener before, but apparently he was the frontman for a band called Ride, which I'd also never heard of. I googled Mark Gardener earlier in the day to see what I might expect, and started reading up on him and his history. It appears that in the early 90's I must have been living under a rock to not be familiar with Ride and their shoegazing style. Actually, I should give myself a little credit, I wasn't living under a rock in the early 90's, I was just beginning to come into my own as far as music goes. I was catching up on the old stuff via my dad's record collection with bands like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and Peter Paul & Mary. And I was also sorting out what current music I liked by dabbling in R.E.M., The Cure, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Violent Femmes, Nirvana, The Dead Milkmen, and many more. Nevertheless, it seems like by now I should have heard of Ride, or at least shoegazing, although, now that I have, it makes a lot of sense why BRMC would choose Gardener as their opener- their sound, especially their early sound, was heavily influenced by shoegazing (Shoegazing is characterized by the use of distortion and the fuzzbox, droning riffs and a Phil Spector-esque wall of sound from the noisy guitars. Vocals are typically subdued in volume and tone, but underneath the layers of guitars was often a strong sense of melody.). I don't think you could more perfectly describe the backbone of BRMC than with that sentence. Anyhow, I'm off on a tangent...

Mark Gardener was decent enough. He reminded me of an older Robbie Williams in looks, which kept cracking me up, I'm not sure why. His band consisted of him on guitar & vocals, a keyboardist/back up vocalist and another guitarist/back up vocalist. They played about seven or eight songs, all of which were acoustic and all of which all three of them sang on. They were good songs, but nothing really stood out. Actually, there was one thing that stood out, which is that I think the sound mix was screwed up. The vocals were entirely too loud, especially the keyboardist, and especially since all three of them were singing at the same time. Otherwise, it was a good set. I'm not sure that I'll run out and buy the new album, but I may check it out when I have a chance.

BRMC took the stage around 9:30 to a crowd of maybe two hundred people. The set started with just Peter on the stage with guitar and harmonica. He played three of the more acoustic songs from the new album and the band joined him at the end of the third. This was my second time seeing BRMC, the first time being back in 2002 when they opened for Spiritualized. At that time I was a fan of their music but didn't know anything about the band. I left the show absolutely blown away by their sound, and by the fact that three guys created it. Their songs were so intense and were literally a wall of sound. It was amazing. After hearing the latest album, Howl, I wasn't sure what to expect when seeing them live because their sound had changed so much. Again I left in amazement, this time for two reasons: 1, at how much they've evolved and 2, at how much each song is a cooperative effort between Peter and Robert. They both sing, they both play guitar and they both play bass, and often all on the same song. It's amazing to watch these sounds recreated live because you really have no idea what goes into each of them.

I had a great spot up near the stage in front of Peter, so it was cool to see what an amazing guitarist he is (not that I know much about playing guitar!). He switched guitars on almost every song and was doing all sorts of stuff with the various pedals and the sound board at his feet. He also played harmonica on several songs, bass on As Sure as the Sun, keyboards on a few songs, trombone on Promise and a strange accordian/organ instrument on Open Invitation. Most of the time Robert played bass, but he played guitar on several of the songs as well as piano. He's such a cool bass player because he plays the bass almost like a guitar. His fingers are all over the place and he picks the bass instead of thumping it, like a lot of bassist do. Their songs can be so bass-heavy, so it's really cool to watch him play. Their drummer, Nigel, is pretty average as far as drummers go, but he works really well with them.

I was impressed with the new sound and how well it translated live. I was also pleased with how well the old songs blended with the new. Whereas old BRMC was a loud, brash, in-your- face sound, the new BRMC was more diversified. There were still plenty of loud guitars and heavy basslines, but there was also an element of soul in the acoustic guitars and harmonica and vocal melodies. The most noticeable album divergences were an acoustic rendition of US Government and an electrified Sympathetic Noose. Overall this was a great show with a really good setlist...

The Setlist:
1- Complicated Situation
2- Fault Line
3- Devil's Waitin'
4- Shuffle Your Feet
5- Ain't No Easy Way
6- Weight of the World
7- Love Burns
8- White Palms
9- Punk Song
10- As Sure as the Sun
11- Rise or Fall
12- Howl
13- Still Suspicion Holds You Tight
14- US Government
15- Sympathetic Noose
16- Promise
-Encore-
17- Spread Your Love
18- Stop
19- Gospel Song
20- The Line
21- Open Invitation

to do #314: See Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

UPDATE: I love interconnectedness in life. I was just reminded by a friend that I have, in fact, heard of Ride because Andy Bell (the bass player for Oasis) was a member of Ride. Duh! That explains why Mark Gardener, when he saw a guy in an Oasis shirt, dedicated a song to Andy Bell. This feels vaguely like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, except with Oasis. All music can be related to Oasis within six degrees. Try it! I dare ya.

House

2005-10-05T02:51:00.000-04:00

I love the show House, which is broadcast Tuesday nights on Fox. For a person that doesn't log much time in front of the television, I try not to miss an episode (though strangely I've missed the last few weeks for one reason or another). I happened to catch it once last year mid-season, and have been hooked ever since. I've also recommended the show to family and friends who've all found themselves instantly hooked as well.

The best way I've found to describe this show is that it's a medical mystery: part CSI and part ER. Each new episode focuses on some odd malady that other doctors, thus far, have been unable to explain. The lead character, Gregory House, is a brilliant doctor with a keen ability to suss out the root cause of the illness over the course of an episode. He uses mostly unconventional, and sometimes borderline unethical, methods, making him simultaneously well-respected and loathed among his patients and peers. On his team are three fairly young doctors who bring their own specialties, personalities and opinions of House. The characters on the show are interesting and well-developed, and the actors do an excellent job, especially Hugh Laurie who plays House.

So, this is all great information if I were doing a pitch commercial for the show, but where I am going with this, you may be asking yourself. Here's the thing: invariably whilst or shortly after watching House, the self-diagnosing wheels in my brain start turning and suddenly I begin wondering if I too may have the mystery malady featured on the latest episode. This is crazy, I know, and I'm not a hypochondriac, really, but the illnesses on the show and their various symptoms are just vague enough to make you want to connect some imaginary dots. An odd ache or pain, a weird headache, a moment of dizziness or fatigue or nausea or upset stomach all suddenly become possible symptoms and cause for concern. And actually, I have no idea if the conditions on the show are even based in fact--maybe my MD friend can help with this? Oh, who am I kidding; she's too busy saving real lives to be watching this silly show or reading this silly blog!

Since I've never lost (much) sleep or plan on discontinuing watching the show, I've just come to accept this ridiculous temporary hypochondria as the side-effect of a great TV show. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) tonight the baseball finals disrupted the scheduled episode of House, so I narrowly escaped crossing #317 off my list: diagnose myself with disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (I found this on the House site! hehe), or some equally bizarre illness.

Firefox

2005-10-03T02:48:00.000-04:00

Tonight I decided to switch my internet browser from Safari to Firefox. I'd been wanting to try out Firefox for a while but, as you recall, I had been staying away from downloading anything while I was in my hard-drive-space-crunch. Now that I've got all the space in the world, I've been fixing up my little iBook G4 like crazy. Okay, maybe not like crazy, but I have done a few things.

I was perfectly happy with Safari and think that it's a great browser. My motivation for switching to Firefox is mostly for you people-- you see, Blogger is more fully supported on Firefox than it is on Safari. Which, leads us to this post: it's really just a test post to see how much my functionality has improved, and improved it has! I can now use bold and italics at will, I can do bold italics if I choose. I can create links with the touch of a button. I can even change the color of my text. Oh yes, the days of trying to remember html code in order to do these things are long behind me. I am a happy girl. Now if only I could get my bookmarks to import, I'd really be a happy girl...

Okay, apologies for this boring and pointless post, like I said, I just wanted to try things out. More to come soon, but I'm still crossing off #275: switch to Firefox.

Hard to Beat

2005-10-01T01:00:00.000-04:00

You know how when someone has an annoying song stuck in their head they feel like it's their mission in life to get it stuck in everyone else's head too? Even just a mention of the song title instantly lodges the tune into your psyche, and it takes something of a miracle to extricate it. Along the way, though, you also feel compelled to pass along the now-stuck song to as many people as you can. The bad news is that I am about to do this to you, dear readers. The good news is that the song isn't annoying. Quite the opposite, actually.

Now before you get your hopes up, let me assure you this is not the next Stairway to Heaven or Hey Jude or Sympathy for the Devil. It is, however, a perfectly crafted and infectious-as-hell pop song. The band may ride the top of the charts (in England of course, not in the US) with this catchy tune and never be heard from again. It's okay though, because in the meantime we have this addictive tune that sinks its beat infested hooks into your brain and doesn't let go. It compels you to dance and sing along and put it on infinite repeat until you've committed every word and every beat and every note to memory and you're able replay them in your sleep.

Without further ado, here's Hard-Fi's Hard to Beat. Proceed with caution, and don't say I didn't warn you. My mission is complete; I can cross #219 off my list: infect as many people as I can with a ridiculously catchy tune.

NOTE: The link above will expire in seven days, so don't delay. If you do, you will regret it for the rest of your life. Or at least until you ask me to e-mail it to you instead.

The Frames, minus Josh Ritter

2005-09-28T02:54:00.000-04:00

I'm writing to you a little disappointed tonight, because I was supposed to see Josh Ritter open for The Frames at the Rhythm Room in Phoenix, but alas, there was no Josh Ritter. Instead there was a guy named Andrew Lloyd Swordfish. I have no idea if that's his real name, but if it is I'd be fucking amazed. He was entertaining enough, and played a relatively short set of quirky ditties, alternating between him on guitar and him on keyboards. He was goof-rock at it's local musician best, with a tune about a trashman killing himself, another proclaiming he doesn't want Michael J. Fox to die, and another beseeching the president to raise the minimum wage. The crowd enjoyed him, as did I, but he was no Josh Ritter.

The Frames took the stage around 9pm to a crowd of about eighty people. They seemed happy with the turnout and commented, 'We're The Frames, we're from Ireland, we didn't know if anyone would show up tonight'. I'm not too familiar with the band, having only one of their cd's Set List, which is a live recording of a show they did in their native Dublin in November 2002. I enjoyed several of the tracks, but never gave it much play time in my ever-changing rotation of music. That was my first mistake- this is a great band that deserves more than just a casual listen.

They are five musicians that clearly love what they are doing and their enthusiasm translates into really beautiful music that at times is soft and melodic and swooning with soft whispery vocals, and at other times heavy and loud with plenty of guitar reverb amid wailing vocals. They truly run the gamut, and they have the formula perfectly mastered. In unison they will bring songs to a halting quiet and then quickly raise the tempo to twice what it had been. It's a pretty amazing sight to see out of a band that's been around so long, their fury seems more teenage garage band than seasoned rock band. Their influences, or comparisons to their sound are hard to pinpoint, but they are obviously influenced by traditional Irish folk music, especially with a violin player as a full-time member of the band. Their sound hugely benefits from the violin, which gives the songs a soaring quality. Ah, as you can see, I can't say enough about The Frames. I'll definitely be checking out their catalog of music, and I recommend you do the same, or better, check them out if they come to your town. I did just that, which means I can cross #194 off my list: go see The Frames.

**Two songs into the set I decided to try and keep track of the setlist, as per my habit, though I wasn't very familiar with their songs, so it will take me a while to sort out the song titles, but I'll post an update when I do...

The Setlist:
1- ?
2- ?
3- Lay Me Down
4- What Happens When the Heart Just Stops
5- God Bless Mom
6- Pavement Tune
7- Fake
8- Your Face
9- Revelate
10- Star Star
11- Santa Maria
12- Red Chord

Maps

2005-09-26T22:08:00.000-04:00

Nope, this isn't a post about the Yeah Yeah Yeah's song by the same name, it's a post about my cool new map! Though I suppose the lyrics could be relevant:

Wait, they don't love you like I love you
Wait, they don't love you like I love you
Ma-aa-aa-aa-aa-aa-aa-aa-aa-aa-aa-aps

Does everyone love gigantic maps? No. Do I? Yes! Okay, that was a bit of a stretch, but every time I look at the title 'Maps', I think of the song. Anyhow...

I decided to disregard my previous advice and visit my new favorite Goodwill store a few weeks after my last visit. As was expected, my friend and I had cleaned out their stash of cool stuff in our last visit and they had yet to replenish it. I was breezing through the aisles when I noticed an art section against the back wall that I hadn't seen in my previous visit. Closer inspection revealed countless pieces of bad art destined for their resting place on the Goodwill shelves from their very conception. I was about to leave the aisle as quickly as I'd entered when two large rolls of paper caught my eye. Could it be? No, no way could these be old school maps. Or, could they?? Indeed, they were! I was giddy. I could barely contain my excitement.

I began to unroll the first and revealed a gorgeous wash of faded turquoise and aged cream. I was in heaven. I unrolled the entire map and found just one small tear, no big deal. I had even higher hopes for the second, but found instead a garish mix of map pinks and yellows and pale greens. Yuck. And there was a sizable tear along the bottom dowel. Though I didn't know when I'd run across another find like this, I decided to pass on the second map. The aesthetic just wasn't right for me. But the first, I wasn't going to let that baby out of my sight! I carried it around the store as I made my final inspection, receiving lots of odd glances and nearly decapitating several people, and then I headed to the check out. I dare you all to guess what I paid for the map. Go ahead, guess. Did you guess $3.99? If you did, you're correct!!! Can you believe it?!? I couldn't even use my cheapskate 20% off coupon because I hadn't spent the requisite $10.

I hurried home, plotting the whole way on where I might hang this gigantic find. I finally settled on the most logical wall in my apartment, and after taking some measurements and making some calculations, I hung it here. I think you'll all agree it looks pretty damn cool. And if you don't, then I suppose you are the one they were singing about. You really don't love maps like I do, do you? With another successful Goodwill trip and a gigantic map of L.A. and Orange County, I'll cross #74 off my list: start a map collection.

The Seagate

2005-09-25T18:21:00.000-04:00

A few months back I started receiving a strange error message on my laptop. It seemed to occur most often when I was in Safari browsing the net. It was something about my start-up disk being nearly full. I had no idea what the start-up disk was, and thought maybe it was just one of those strange spyware pop-ups. It continued to appear on my screen without any predictable frequency. I trouble-shooted (is that a word?!) the problem as best I could: I searched my computer for a start-up disk, I browsed the Mac help topics for any mention of start-up disk, I pulled out my user manual and did the same, but all to no avail. I finally wrote down the message verbatim and called the Mac helpline. I repeated the message I had been receiving and explained when I found it most often occurred. Oh, he said, you're almost out of space on your computer, that's what the message means. IMPOSSIBLE, I said, I've had the computer for less than a year! Lets check, he said, and check we did, and wouldn't you know, he was right. I was dangerously low on hard drive space, with just a few hundred available megs.

Even after checking a half dozen times, I was in denial. No way could I have filled up my laptop in less than a year. It had to be a mistake. I checked and checked again. I recruited a friend to check with me. It was official, I was out of space. The culprit? Music. Copious amounts of music. But I wasn't about to part with even a single track of my hallowed music. I scoured my files for music I had back-up copies of and deleted those files off my hard drive. I deleted all the music videos I had downloaded and anything else I could part with. I freed up about a gig of space and then spent the last couple months frighteningly aware of the little amount of space left on my computer. I refused to upgrade to newer versions of applications lest they require any of the precious space. I resisted the urge to download any new music and tried to content myself with the 13 gigs of music I already had. But I started to grow weary of my self-imposed discipline. And so it came to pass that I finally broke down this weekend and bought The Seagate.

The Seagate is my new external hard drive and boasts an impressive 300GB of storage capacity. That's equivalent to 5,000 hours worth of music or just over 208 days. Holy shit, that's a lot of music! I have no current need for such a ridiculously large hard drive, but I'm a gal that loves a good deal. I was looking to spend no more that $150. The Seagate, normally $279, was on sale for $199 with a $50 mail in rebate. Voila, $150!!

I surprised myself by navigating through the set-up with relative ease, reformatting the FAT32 file format to a more Mac readable format ( I have no idea what this actually means, but I did it anyway!), moving my music files to the drive, and then setting up iTunes to look to the external drive for my music files. I even set-up Limewire to save to the new drive. I'm feeling geekier by the moment!

So you may wonder then why I still received that start-up disk message this afternoon. The short answer, I'm paranoid. My relationship with The Seagate feels like it's moving too fast. I've hardly acquainted myself with him, how can I entrust him to house and protect my treasured collection of music?! I know; I need to just get over myself and delete the music files on my hard drive before I crash my computer. I'm sure I'll be going all the way in a few short days, much to the happiness of my hard drive, but for now I can cross #172 off my list: buy an external hard drive with massive amounts of storage capacity.

Corn & Pasta

2005-09-25T02:43:00.000-04:00

Corn and pasta are two ingredients I wouldn't think of pairing, but tonight I did so with fabulous results. The inspiration for this dinner came from a recipe on Amateur Gourmet, one of my favorite food blogs. I read about it last week, and have been salivating thinking about it ever since. Tonight I had a friend over for dinner, and it seemed the perfect occasion to try this simple pasta dish.

Adam's recipe came from the Alice Waters cookbook Vegetables and is called Summer Squash and Corn Pasta. I deviated from the recipe quite a bit to use what I already had, but the structure of the recipe is basically the same. Corn, zucchini and mushrooms were surprising bedfellows in this dish, but complemented each other amazingly well. The smoothness of the zucchini, the crunch of the corn and the juiciness of the mushrooms collaborated in each bite, not to mention the beautiful contrast of color and texture. Though summer is coming to an end in most parts of the country, it's still in full swing here in Phoenix, so this dinner felt like the perfect summer meal- nice summery ingredients in a light sauce.

See Adam's website for the original recipe from Alice Waters' cookbook. What follows is the modified recipe I prepared.

Zucchini & Corn Pasta

3 zucchini, diced
8 crimini mushrooms, diced
3 ears of corn, corn cut off the cob
1 jalepeno pepper finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
a handful of Italian parsley, chopped
1 box of fettucine pasta

Saute the zucchini in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for several minutes and season with salt & pepper. Add the corn, garlic and jalepeno and continue cooking for several minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, the parsley and 4 tablespoons of pasta water (the water the pasta is boiling in). Cook for another minute or two and then add the cooked pasta.

Though I love to cook, I'm not very adventurous when trying new recipes. I tend to stick to my arsenal: the recipes I've been making for years and know like the back of my hand. My excuse is that when cooking from a recipe I end up spending a fortune on groceries I don't already have around the house. However, that wasn't the case tonight. I had all the ingredients on hand except the corn, jalepeno and parsley, and at .59 cents each for the corn, .50 for the jalepeno and .50 for the parsley, I'd hardly qualify that as spending a fortune. This dinner certainly opened my eyes to combining ingredients I wouldn't have traditionally thought to combine, and also allowed me to cross off #57 on my list: add another recipe to my arsenal.

Oasis x2

2005-09-19T03:50:00.000-04:00

I hate to be a complainer, but after having just seen Oasis in Vegas, and knowing the potential their music has to transform into the best show I've ever seen, I was disappointed to see them tonight in Phoenix. Not that it was a bad show, it wasn't. The set was exactly the same and the lights and sound were amazing, but the venue sucked and the crowd was lame.

When the Phoenix show was announced I marked my calendar for presale and was online a moment after the presale tickets went up for sale. To my dismay, I couldn't get a ticket. I kept trying and trying to no avail. A friend was also buying presale tickets in those first few moments, so after he secured his tickets he was able to get one for me. We had 33rd and 32nd row, respectively. What the hell? These are what you get on presale?? Ah well, we were content to have Oasis tickets. But we were fools. Turned out a guy we talked to tonight walked up to the box office before the show and asked for a ticket, best available, and he ended up with a front row seat for the same price we paid. Screw that guy. Anyhow...

So, with our lame 33rd & 32nd row tickets we planned on ditching the assigned seats and rushing up to the front of the stage with the rest of the mad-crazy Oasis fans. Mistake #2. There were no mad-crazy Oasis fans. And the security people wouldn't have it anyway. We were scolded for standing in an aisleway by a railing behind the section we were assigned to. Apparently it's a fire hazard to have people standing in aisleways at a concert venue. Go figure. Okay, I suppose I've ranted enough on the lameness of the Dodge Theatre and their Nazi-esque employees. The show.

Kasabian opened with a short set. It was the same set they played in Vegas, which is really a great set. It's their most stand-out songs from the album, and a new song to get us excited about a forthcoming album. I really felt sorry for them, though, because they were playing to a bunch of duds. The venue was almost empty, and the people that were in the venue were just sitting in their seats. Ooops, I seem to be ranting again...

The set:
1. Reason is Treason
2. Cutt Off
3. The Stuntman
4. 55
5. Processed Beats
6. L.S.F.
7. Club Foot

This really was an excellent set. The band was great even though they were playing to practically no one, and their sound was right on.

Next up, we went outside in a failed attempt to con the ticket sales guy in the box office to release a few more front row seats. He wasn't having it. But, we did run into a guy that wasn't able to sell his two club level seats and he just gave them to us. Sweet! We really had no use for them since they weren't as good as our row 33 & 32, so I made a few calls and found a friend who'd be able to come down last minute to use one of the tickets.

By this time Jet had started their set. I'm not really a Jet fan at all since I find them to be a bunch of rip-off artists, so I wasn't in any hurry to get in and check them out. However, I have to say that when we finally did make it in, they weren't too bad. The crowd was clearly very into them, and they seemed to be putting on an entertaining show with a pretty decent sound. It was about this time we were scolded for standing in the aisleway so I went back outside to meet up with my friend to give her the recently acquired ticket. This is when the night started getting weird...

While I was outside waiting for her I started talking to a guy selling tickets. He had 15th row center stage tickets. He wanted $50 apiece. Hell no! But, I'd give him our tickets and $20 each in exchange for his tickets. We had a deal! So I went back inside to find my friends and see if they agreed. He'd wait for me outside. We all agreed it'd be a great way to spend twenty bucks, so we went back outside to find the guy. I told him we had a deal, we just needed to pull cash out of the ATM. No prob, he said. So we stood in line at the ATM. The guy behind us started in on a confusing conversation about where we were sitting and other random things. Then the strangest thing happened. A woman said to me, I know this is going to sound weird, but my husband has a cigarette butt stuck in his ear and I was wondering if you would get it out for him since I noticed you have fingernails and I don't. WHAT THE HELL?!?!? And she was serious. Whoa. She went on to explain that they had seats near a speaker and he had stuck the butt in his ear like a make-shift earplug. Weird. I checked out the guys ear just for curiosity sake, and that butt was barely visible. Gross. Anyhow, by the time we pulled out our cash we looked around for our ticket guy and he was nowhere to be found. We looked all over, but he was gone. Weird. We were resigned to our 33rd & 32nd row tickets once again. Meanwhile, I found my friend and gave her the free ticket. She had somehow come across a couple guys who were talking a mile a minute asking me if I worked for a radio station and if I had backstage passes. Huh? Weird.

Back inside we sat in row 33 and waited for Oasis. They came out and played a great set. It was the same set as Vegas, with plenty of song dedications and chatter with the crowd. I have to say, I was disappointed with Liam's voice. It sounded great on the first song and on the encore, but for most of the rest of the set it sounded scratchy and rough and forced to me. It wasn't terrible, but again, comparing it to Vegas it was disappointing. It was so spot-on and perfect in Vegas. But, the light show was amazing. The House of Blues is such a tiny venue that there is really no space for complex lights, but the Dodge did shine in this area (ooh, pun). The guys sounded great and Noel seemed more present tonight. There was a funny moment when he noticed that in front of him there was a man doing sign language for a (presumably) deaf person. He asked if he was, in fact doing sign language. Then he commented, only in America. Ha. Oh, and the crowd. I was just so shocked that all these thousands of people would be content to stand in their little assigned space and barely move whilst in the presence of great music like Oasis. Sad. They did seem to be into the songs though, including the old stuff, and I think lots of them were singing along, though it was hard to tell because of the acoustics of the venue.

The set:
--before they took the stage, Fuckin' in the Bushes--
1. Turn up the Sun
2. Lyla
3. Bring it on Down
4. Morning Glory (for all the junkies)
5. Cigarettes and Alcohol
6. The Importance of Being Idle
7. A Bell Will Ring (for Mohammed Ali)
8. Acquiesce
9. Live Forever (for New Orleans)
10. Mucky Fingers (for all the deaf people)
11. Wonderwall (for the ladies)
12. Champagne Supernova
13. Rock 'n' Roll Star (for Jet & Kasabian)
--as they left the stage, Fuckin' in the Bushes--
14. Guess God Thinks I'm Abel
15. The Meaning of Soul
16. Don't Look Back in Anger
17. My Generation

Okay, this post has gotten waaaaaaay too long, so I'm going to wrap it up. Did I have a good time? Yes. Am I happy I saw Oasis tonight in Phoenix? Yes. Do I think the Dodge Theatre is a lame place to see a rock concert? Yes. Am I even happier now that I saw Oasis in Vegas? Yes. Do I get to cross off #211 on my list: see the same band (Oasis!) twice in the same week? Yes. Will I pull a cigarette butt out of your ear if you stuff it in there as an earplug? No.

Vegas Baby, Vegas: Kasabian & Oasis at House of Blues

2005-09-17T18:09:00.000-04:00

On Thursday night I was at the most amazing show. This show was so great I think it will take something of a miracle to surpass it. Not that it can't be done, but it will be damn difficult. The show was Oasis (with Kasabian opening) at the House of Blues in Las Vegas.

I bought a ticket for the show a few months ago. I was super-excited when the Vegas show was announced, as I'd already bought a ticket for their show in Phoenix, but wasn't too thrilled with the venue choice. I knew the House of Blues would be a great venue for Oasis after seeing Gomez and the Zutons there last year. Seeing them in Vegas would also be a bit nostalgic since the only other time I'd seen them was in Vegas. The ticket was expensive (85 bucks when you added on the services charges), but I figured I'd go totally budget on everything else: a cheap plane ticket a few hours before the show, cab fare to the venue, cab fare back to the airport where I'd spend the night and then take the first flight back to Phoenix the next morning. In theory it sounded great. But as I'm inclined to do, I procrastinated on the plane ticket and totally missed out on the cheap fares. Plan B: drive to Vegas, sleep in the car somewhere and drive back the next day. Plan B would have been put into action if Plan C hadn't come around...A friend had recently left her job and I suggested she come along. She was up for it! And so Plan C became: drive to Vegas in her rental car, stay in a room on the 28th floor of the swanky Mandalay Bay resort & casino (where the band was staying as well!), valet the car, spend way too much money on food & drinks, laze away the morning in bed on Friday, and then drive back to Phoenix on Friday whereupon I'd be issued a ridiculously exaggerated speeding ticket 50 miles outside of town. The trip was great except for that last bit, thank God for online traffic school! Anyhow, I got way off on a tangent there. The show.

The show was amazing. We arrived at the hotel a mere 30 minutes before the doors to the venue were to open. We checked in, dropped our bags off, ooohed and aaahed at the magnificance of our room, and then headed down to the House of Blues. My friend didn't have a ticket, so we were in search of scalpers. There were none to be found, or they were deep incognito, so I was on my own. I quickly scouted out the scene inside: it was packed. It was about 7:25 and the place was nearly full. I bought a drink and then squeezed my way through the crowd on the floor near the front left side of the stage. But, I was dissatisfied with my spot so I decided to roam around a bit (this is one of the huge benefits of going to a show solo- you can squeeze in anywhere!). This was the best decision of the night because I ended up with a great spot near the front on the right side of the stage which is where the brothers Gallagher were positioned for their set. Yay! I killed a little time drinking and text-messaging before Kasabian, who promptly took the stage at 8:00. They played a super short, but exciting set. This being my third time seeing them this year, I knew what to expect and I wasn't let down. The crowd was fairly into them, though it didn't seem like many people knew the songs.

Their set list:
1. Reason is Treason
2. Cutt Off
3. The Stuntman (a new song)
4. 55
5. Processed Beats
6. L.S.F.
7. Club Foot

It was during the first few bars of the first song that I realized I'd left my little black notebook at home in which I usually write the setlists. I had a pen but no paper, and I didn't dare leave my prime spot in search of a piece of paper. Just then the guy standing in front of me started to leave. I asked if he was going to the bar, and if he'd bring me a napkin. A few minutes later he returned with a huge wad of napkins. I was saved! Kasabian's set only lasted about thirty minutes. During the break I thanked my neighbor for the napkins and explained their purpose. We got to talking and it turned out he was a huge Oasis fan. He'd seen them about twenty times. So, we killed time talking about all things Oasis until they took the stage at 9:00.

I can't even begin to describe how amazing the show was. The whole place was packed, and on the floor we were as tight as sardines. But the crowd was great and I had a perfect vantage point, so it was no bother to me. The most impressive element of the crowd was that everyone seemed to know all the songs, not just the new ones. Everyone sang along at the top of their lungs, and were so happy to hear the old stuff. Liam was in top form bantering with the crowd and just being an ass. It was great. Noel was practically hiding behind a speaker from what I could see, but I was pretty far to the right. Zak was unbelievably amazing on drums- it makes you realize they actually have a drummer now (I loved Whitey, but there's no comparison between the two)! Both Andy and Gem are pretty subdued as far as stage presence, but they sounded phenomenal. Gem's harmonica solo on Mucky Fingers was amazing, and Andy kicked ass on the bass solo's in My Generation. The set was about an hour and a half, with Liam leaving the stage three times for Noel's songs. They played one encore and ended the night with an amazing cover of the Who's, My Generation. When the show was over the lights came back up and the Beatles, Let it Be came on the PA. The whole place sang at the top of their lungs again on the way out. It was an incredible end to the night.

The setlist:
--before they took the stage, Fuckin' in the Bushes--
1. Turn up the Sun
2. Lyla
3. Bring it on Down
4. Morning Glory
5. Cigarettes and Alcohol
6. The Importance of Being Idle
7. A Bell Will Ring
8. Acquiesce
9. Live Forever (for New Orleans)
10. Mucky Fingers
11. Wonderwall (for the ladies)
12. Champagne Supernova (for the kid)
13. Rock 'n' Roll Star
--as they left the stage, Fuckin' in the Bushes--
14. Guess God Thinks I'm Abel
15. The Meaning of Soul
16. Don't Look Back in Anger
17. My Generation

All in all, just an incredible show. I can only hope that the show in town tomorrow is a fraction as good. The atmosphere will be totally different, which was a huge contributing factor to the success of the Vegas show, but if there is a way to get out of my assigned seat in row 32 and up to the front of the stage, you can bet I will be there! I'm psyched to see them again, but for now will be content to cross off #196: see Oasis again in Vegas, and end up going to the best show of my life (no exaggeration!!).

Cleaning the Oven, or How to Burn Down the House

2005-09-14T00:45:00.000-04:00

Today I had one of the scarier experiences of my life. It began innocently enough when I noticed that the oven in my apartment has a self-cleaning mode. I hadn't taken notice of this before, and it suddenly seemed like an excellent idea to clean my oven. I hadn't cleaned it in the time I'd been living in my apartment, and I figured it could use it. Not that I use my oven very much, or that it was even very dirty, but I had noticed a few charred bits on the bottom of the oven that I could do without.

The first red flag went up when I looked for the latch to lock my oven before switching it to Clean mode. There was no latch. I hadn't missed the latch, but it now seemed rather odd that I didn't have it. No worries, I thought, I don't have a kid running around that might open the oven door while it's cleaning (what other purpose could there be for the locking latch?). So, I flipped the dial to Clean. The digital read out began a countdown of 3 hours and 30 minutes. That seemed like a long time to clean the oven, but I had nothing planned for the afternoon except work. And maybe working out and a shower. No big deal.

After fifteen or twenty minutes, the apartment began to smell a little. Not too bad though, and this is to be expected when you're cleaning the oven. I decided to take a little break from working and stretch my legs. I got up and walked around the apartment. Then I noticed I could really smell the oven smell. I wondered how I'd be able to work amidst that smell for three more hours. I walked back near the kitchen when some little orange flames caught my eye- MY OVEN WAS ON FIRE! I did my best not to panic. I flipped the oven from Clean to Off. I grabbed a mug from the sink and filled in with water. By this point the flames were growing- they reached the top rack of the oven. I could feel my adrenaline flowing, but I was trying not to panic. I'll just douse the flames with water and have a little mess to clean up, I thought. I had the mug in hand and grabbed the oven door. I pulled, but it didn't budge. I pulled again and again. I set the mug down and started pulling with both hands. Nothing. It was locked. I looked at the digital read out, and it read "Cool Down". What the hell?!? I grabbed my phone and debated between calling 911 or my apartment office. I called the apartment office. No one answered. I noticed that the flames were beginning to die down. I continued to pull on the oven door, in vain, until the last flame extinguished.

I sat down and realized I was shaking. Badly. I started to go over the events of the previous few minutes in my head and realized the gravity of the situation. My oven was on fire, and I had no way of putting out the flames. What if I had gone to work out or taken a shower or walked to get the mail? Would my apartment have burned down? Needless to say, those little charred black bits at the bottom of the oven didn't seem so bad anymore. And with that I crossed off #372 on my list of things to do: clean my oven (or don't.).

Exercise, Part Three

2005-09-11T16:19:00.000-04:00

Did someone ask for another exercise update? No? Well I'll give you one anyway, if only for my own record...

Things are still going strong and I've gotten myself on a pretty regular schedule. I workout for three days in a row: two days on the bike, one day on the treadmill, then I take a break for a day. I'm also doing some weight machines and free weights daily. In the last couple weeks I've started feeling like I've reached a plateau, which as one of my friends pointed out, probably means I need to push myself a little more. I had been doing 8 miles on the bike, which takes about 25 minutes, or 30 minutes on the treadmill, which works out to a little more than 2 miles. Now I've upped it to 10 miles on the bike or 45 minutes on the treadmill. We'll see if that solves the plateau dilemma. Otherwise, I feel great! Working out definitely isn't a chore anymore, it's just a regular part of my day. Even while I was on vacation I worked out a few times (which was a first for me!). There haven't been any drastic changes for me body wise; I've lost some pounds and I think I'm more toned, but then again, it can be difficult to notice these changes in oneself. The most noticeable change for me was when I went to the dogpark and threw the tennis ball- I launched the ball so far across the park, it was amazing!

With each day I continue to work on #14 on my list. I don't think it will ever be a goal I cross off, rather one that I continually revisit and revise, which is okay with me!

Arthropods

2005-09-07T02:28:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I hate living in the desert. And sometimes I hate living in the desert alone. Tonight I arrived home after a trip to the local bookstore and was greeted by a giant centipede on my living room floor. I've never seen a centipede outside my apartment, nevermind actually in my apartment. At first I thought it was a scorpion, which is a sight I'm sorry to say I've experienced many times before. But on closer (and by closer I mean there was at least 5 feet between me and the creature) examination it was no scorpion, it was a centipede and it was ALIVE. I quickly grabbed a little plastic tupperware container and put it over the centipede. It didn't seem to like that at all and started thrashing around under the plastic. I put one foot on the container and stretched to grab my cell phone to call a friend for advice. Yep, that's a centipede she said. Creepy, huh? Uh, yeah! When she realized I still had my foot on the container she suggested stacking some heavy books to weight it down instead. Good idea, I thought, but the heavy books wouldn't balance on the little container. A bigger container...ah, a pot! I grabbed my pasta pot and covered the plastic container, and then stacked books on top. If that centipede was going anywhere he'd have to be one determined fucker.

I got off the phone with my friend, but the idea of spending the night with a live centipede really started to freak me out. A few minutes later a neighbor friend called. There was a little small talk, but then I blurted out, 'can you please come over, I'm having a bug emergency!!!'. I don't think he knew what to expect when he saw my make-shift centipede prison, but he braced himself with one of my Sketcher tennis shoes as I began removing the books and the pasta pot. I left the plastic tupperware container for him to remove. At one point amid the swats I screamed as it thrashed about and seemed to be getting a little too close to me for comfort. I'm not sure how many swats of the tennis shoe it took to decimate the centipede, but it was upwards of five.

As to not leave you out of my horror, here is the centipede after it met the bottom of my tennis shoe and here's a picture I found on the internet of the centipede before. Man, those Scolopendra h. arizonensis are one nasty species.

Though I am relieved not to be spending the night with the centipede, I am still rather freaked out that it was here in the first place. Thank goodness for friends who live in the same apartment complex and don't mind coming to the rescue in a bug emergency. And at least I can cross off #403: meet another Arizona arthropod.

Goodwill

2005-09-04T21:19:00.000-04:00

For most people, Goodwill is a place to drop off castaway clothing, unwanted housewares and dilapidated furniture, and pick up a nice little tax write-off on the way out. But for a few people like me, and a good friend of mine, Goodwill is a treasure haven waiting to be explored. We relish picking through the relics and the junk in hopes of finding something perfect for us and something that henceforth we can not live without.

Recently, in a conversation with my fellow Goodwill treasure-hunting pal, she recounted some of her latest Goodwill finds, among them a set of Johnson Bros ironstone dishes. As she talked my mind began to wander to our favorite Goodwill in the posh area of town, and I tried to recall how long it had been since my last visit. Then she revealed her latest score wasn't from our favorite Goodwill, but from her new favorite Goodwill, a store they had opened on our side of town a few months ago! I knew about the new store, but had paid it little mind since I assumed it couldn't stack up to my tried and true favorite. But my friend insisted it was better: cleaner, larger, and best of all- within minutes from both of our homes. With our blood now pulsing for bargains, we quickly agreed to drop the coffee date we had been planning and meet up at the local Goodwill instead. In thirty minutes. We aren't gals to waste time when there are bargains to be had.

She was right. The new store was cleaner, and much larger, and it proved to be home to some new-found treasures for the both of us. After nearly two hours of rummaging, her finds included (another) set of brick red French country dishes (shhh, don't tell her husband), an adorable little single serve coffee pot, a small CorningWare casserole dish and a gorgeous glass fruit bowl. As for me, I've taken the time to photograph each of my finds for you, and am willing to reveal the prices I paid, all in the hopes of convincing you to start some Goodwill treasure-hunting of your own!

I started out with small and large glass Pyrex mixing bowls, the small was $2.99 and the large $3.99. Next was a lovely white quiche /tart dish for $2.99. I found a large cream serving platter for $2.99. A whimsical set of eight turquoise drinking glasses for $7.99. A large white soup tureen for $5.99. And my most prized find, a stainless steel hot & cold server, complete with little embossed penguins all around the dish, for $3.99. I have no idea how often I'll use this little gem, but I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. The total for my purchases was a whopping $23.62. If you're doing the math at home, you've realized the numbers don't add up-okay math whizzes, I will now share with you a secret so shameful that if mentioned to me on the street I will vehemently and unequivocally deny it: I used a 20% off coupon. Yes, that's right, a coupon at Goodwill. How low can you go, you ask? Hey, we're all on a budget, especially yours truly! I'm not sure if you've ever noticed, but on the bottom of your donation slip is a 20% coupon. How wonderful and tacky is that?!

Now, if I've intrigued you, I should also warn you that there is a bit of science involved in Goodwill treasure-hunting, so these guidelines should be kept in mind: One, the quality of the goods is directly proportional to the area in which the store is located. I hate to be the one to say it, but in the wealthier parts of town the treasures are far more plentiful than in the less wealthy parts (aka where I live). So, you may have to travel a bit, but it will be well worth it. And two, don't visit too frequently. If you check in regularly, you might luck out and find something great on the day it was put on the shelf, but more often than not, you're just going to come across the same old junk you've already picked through. I like to wait a few months between trips in order for the stock to completely turn over. This could just be a personal quirk though, so feel free to visit as often as you like if that's your thing. And one last thing, don't forget your 20% off coupon! Don large sunglasses and a cap if you must, that extra 20% is what makes this a real bargain! With that, I cross of a tri-annual #282: shop for bargains at my new favorite Goodwill.

House Guest

2005-08-31T21:25:00.000-04:00

I've had a visitor in my home the last few days. She's been as pleasant as could be. She was quiet and unobtrusive, yet she brought life and personality to my living quarters. She asked for very little from me, just a bit of water when she was thirsty, a nice sponge bath every few days and some sun to warm up to. In return she gave me company, fresher air and a nice spot of color. My guest's name was Lily, and she is none other than a peace lily!

A friend of mine went out of town for a few days and asked if I would plant-sit his precious Lily. Having no plant life in my apartment, I happily agreed. I quickly realized that having vegetation in your life is something you don't realize you need when you don't have it. But once you do, it becomes inconceivable how you could have lived without it. As a friend who visited my apartment aptly pointed out, 'I didn't realize you needed plants in here until I saw Lily, but now that I see her in here, you need some greenery!'. I concurred.

In the days that have followed, I've been contemplating my options. One thing I'd like to try is a 'roof-top garden' on my balcony, complete with window boxes, some hanging planters and a tree or two. I'd also like to try an herb cutting garden. I think I'll need to wait a few weeks for the temperatures to drop, but in the meantime I have time to shop and plot and dream of my little green oasis. To temporarily satiate my newly acquired green thumb I bought my first plant tonight- a fragrant little basil plant. I've yet to name her, but I'm looking forward to tending to her and watching her grow. And eating her. Pesto, anyone? With that, I cross of #273 on my list: bring a bit of green into my life.

Tough Times

2005-08-27T01:43:00.000-04:00

It seems that all around me friends and family are going through tough times. Some have expectedly or unexpectedly lost loved ones, others have been sick or in the hospital, in car accidents, going through divorce or break-ups, facing unexpected pregnancies, caring for sick family members, struggling with unemployment or job difficulties or money issues. It's a bit odd that so many of the people I care most about are going through these trials at the same time, and it's hard to watch them struggle knowing there isn't much I can do to ease their burdens.

I've tried to reach out to each of you individually, but I want you to know again that I'm always here for you, and I think of you every day. Life can't stay difficult forever, so just continue to forge ahead and call on me anytime. I love and care for each of you dearly.

As long as I'm able, reaching out to loved ones is something that I'll never cross off my to do list. But for the sake of blog continuity I'll mention that it's pretty high up on my list, say #3.

Elderberry Blossom Wine, Wildlife & Produce

2005-08-25T15:58:00.000-04:00

I'm back from summer vacation, and as suspected spirits run higher whilst anticipating, versus reflecting on, vacation. Nevertheless, my spirits are in pretty good shape after having had a wonderful time.

Though it was just a trip back to the heart of the Midwest to visit my place of birth, and the city most of my relatives still call home, it was as enjoyable a vacation as I've had. The weather was a perfect respite from the furnace I now call home, with daytime temperatures in the mid-70's and nighttime temperatures in the mid-50's. I quickly adjusted to the cooler clime, and was even beginning to be convinced of an impending fall season, however that rug was pulled out from under me when I stepped onto the jetway back in Phoenix to a 99 degree evening.

I spent my vacation days sleeping in, lazing around the house, visiting with family and eating copious amounts of locally grown produce. This is a distinct advantage to Midwestern small town living that I had somehow overlooked on my previous trips, but that made quite an impression on me this time. It seemed everywhere I turned there was an abundance of local produce being offered up. Family or neighbors with too many zucchini or tomatoes or sweet corn that were happy, almost grateful, to share it with you. And these weren't your grocery store variety produce, these were zucchini the size of my calf and super flavorful tomatoes and corn on the cob that was juicy and sweet. I was in heaven.

Apart from the local produce, I was also treated to some local wildlife. I had my first encounter with a mole, and it scared the shit out of me. I actually screamed when it ran past, I kid you not. If you've never seen one of these creatures for yourself, click here. I think you can understand now why I screamed, right? Creepy! I was also treated to a visit from a opossum. It wasn't as close range as the mole, and it wasn't my first time seeing one, but man are they creepy too! As my gran accurately pointed out, they look prehistoric.

Another highlight of the trip was hearing about, and sampling, elderberry blossom wine* that my gran & grandad brewed themselves back in 1949. I think at this point it would be more accurate to call it liqueur, or extremely strong alcohol, rather than wine, but it was tasty nonetheless and certainly the oldest (or should I say the most aged?) alcohol I've ever sampled!

Though my vacation is over, it feels great to be back knowing that I spent some good quality time with family, and so I'll go ahead and cross that #159 off my list: go on summer vacation.

*Note: The picture above is of the elderberry blossom wine, specifically, of us filtering out the sediment from the wine. The green bottle is the original bottle. Cool, huh?

Bon Voyage

2005-08-18T13:26:00.000-04:00

The red suitcase is packed, the boarding pass is printed, and the dramamine has been taken. I'm going on vacation! I'll catch up with you next week when I (begrudgingly, I'm sure) cross off #159: go on summer vacation.

Crying Over Burnt Rice

2005-08-13T16:46:00.000-04:00

Lately, I've been making an effort to be more self-aware. I'm already a pretty cognizant person, but I've been trying to learn and appreciate a little more about my strengths and my flaws--to examine the inherent parts of my personality better, and take them less personally. My approach, thus far, has been two-fold: first, I've tried to slow down a bit and really be aware of what is going on around me and my part in it, and second, I've tried to spend more time reflecting on my day and the things that have taken place in it. If I haven't lost you yet, then you are probably thinking that I am spending way too much time thinking. And you are probably right. But nevermind that, it's been interesting, and I've been enjoying it! Which brings me to the subject of this post...

Last night I had the opportunity to cook for friends again. I decided to make kung pao chicken and fried rice. This is a relatively easy dinner, and one that I've cooked a million times. The key to these two dishes is preparation. They cook fast, so it's imperative that you have everything organized and ready to toss into the respective pans at the proper times. Fortunately for me, organization is one of my strengths! I had everything organized: my vegetables were chopped, my ingredients were pre-cooked, measured and mixed. I even had the ingredients separated out, with those for kung pao chicken on the left side of the stove and those for fried rice on the right side. Like I said, organization is one of my strengths.

Things were going well. My friends were keeping me company in the kitchen. We were drinking wine and talking and laughing (they a little more than me, I did have to concentrate on the cooking!). They were commenting on how delicious everything smelled, how effortless I was making it look, and how they felt like they were at one of those restaurants where they cook the food at your table all fancy-like (aren't my friends sweet?!). I was soaking up the compliments, multi-tasking between the two sizzling pans, and all the while insisting this was an easy dinner anyone could whip up. It was about this time that the chicken required more of my attention. I took my eyes off the rice for only a few moments, but in those moments rice began to burn. By the time I got back to the rice and stirred, the bottom of the pan was scorched. I grabbed the pan off the burner and began picking out the burnt bits, but there were too many. I dumped the unstuck rice into another pan, and resumed the cooking.

But in my mind, it was too late. My friends continued to drink and chat and laugh and effuse on the delicious smells, but I was far far away. I was sulking in the corner of my mind, so pissed that I had just ruined a perfectly simple dish to prepare, and that I was going to have to serve the resulting ruined dish to my friends, the friends who were going to be too nice to tell me how disgusting it tasted, because they were already being too nice about how delicious it smelled. Suffice to say, my night was ruined. I was pissed. And all over a little burnt rice. Then something miraculous happened. We sat down to eat with plates full and dug in, me a little less heartily than them, because I was of course anticipating the worst. But the worst didn't come. The rice tasted perfectly delicious. I was shocked, and relieved, and embarrassed. I realized at that moment that my friends had surely noticed my change in mood, and why? Because of a little burnt rice? I also realized at that moment that I am a terrible sport when things don't go my way. As laidback and flexible as I try to be, when I have a well-laid plan, I expect it to work! And so I shared these revelations with my friends. We laughed about them and they commiserated, and then we went on to enjoy a great night.

But they've stuck with me, much like the rice that was still stuck to the pan the next morning after soaking all night in water. Though I can appreciate the side of my personality that is an optimist and has very high hopes and expectations, I know the result can be immediate and overwhelming disappointment at the first perceived flaw in the plan. So I've got something to work on. Fortunately for me, I also love a challenge! I'm going to continue crossing off #119 because I'm enjoying it and learning so much: dissect my personality.

*I have to mention we drank the most excellent bottle of wine. Not sure about the pairing with kung pao chicken & fried rice, but none of us were complaining! The wine was a Louis Jadot Beaujolais, 2003 vintage. I highly recommend you go out now and buy a bottle of this wine, and then come directly to my place to share it with me!

**For the record, I didn't actually cry after burning the rice. I just want to clarify that.

Music Quiz

2005-08-12T01:57:00.000-04:00

Today a friend of mine asked me a few really thought provoking music questions. Not the tired (though interesting), what are your top 10 favorite songs, or what are your five favorite albums from the 90's, or what are your favorite summer songs, etc. Nah, these required a little more thought. I enjoyed them so much I thought I'd share them here, along with my answers.

Questions:

1. Who would you bring back to life?
2. Who would you save from creative oblivion?
3. Who would you preserve for all eternity (alive & making music)?
4. What song do you wish you had written?
5. If you had a cover band dedicated to just one bands music, which band would it be?

My answers:

1. Though it feels like the obvious and cliched answer, I'd bring back John Lennon. He's the dead musician I've thought most often about. I wonder what sort of music he would have made, or if he would have made music at all. I wonder what influence he would have on present music & musicians, whether he would have started a record label and sussed out some cool bands. And of course, the most burning question, I wonder how long it would have taken him to drop Yoko.

2. This question is still stumping me! I can't think of anyone I really care about that has sunk into creative oblivion. Bjork? She's in creative oblivion alright, but I never really liked her. Cat Stevens (aka Yusuf Islam), that guy is definitely in oblivion, but creative? Probably not. Don't have an answer on this one yet...

3. I'd want to preserve Jeff Tweedy (Wilco, Uncle Tupelo) for all eternity. In my humble opinion, this guy is an absolute genius and responsible for some of the most beautiful compositions.

4. Two songs come to mind. I'm allowing myself both since I can, and since I thought of them for different reasons. The first is Sandusky by Uncle Tupelo. It's strictly instrumental, and really a masterpiece. I wish I had even a fraction of the musical ability it took to compose this song. It blows me away everytime I hear it. The second is A Day in the Life by The Beatles. Not sure why, it's just the first song that came to my mind, and one of my all time favorites. Woke up. Got outta bed. Dragged a comb across my head. You've got to love it!

5. The cover band question is tough. The first band that came to mind is Oasis. They are far and away the band whose entire catalog of music I'm most familiar with. They're the band whose music I can hear a few bars of, and then sing the entire song to. But, the band who I think would be the most fun to cover (though I have to state for the record that I don't think two albums makes you worthy of having a cover band) is Kings of Leon. I love the dirty, gritty, Southern rock style of their music, and think it would be immensely enjoyable to try and duplicate it. Not that I have any musical talent, but I can always dream...

If you have any more cool questions, or want to share your own answers, feel free, I'd be interested to hear them. For now I'm excited to cross #318 crossed off: pick my future cover band.

Wedding Crashers

2005-08-08T02:29:00.000-04:00

The way I see it, I have two choices. Either: 1, stop going to see big budget Hollywood movies or 2, stop expecting them to be any good. Knowing me, I'll take option two; but knowing my optimistic and forgiving nature, it will be difficult to sustain the low expectations and then I'll be right back in the position I'm in today- sorely disappointed at a movie I desperately wanted to be good.

It seems like lately all I do is bitch about Hollywood movies. If you're getting tired of all this bitching, don't worry, I am too. I don't want to hate them, honestly, but they leave me no choice. They are sloppy. They're filled with bad acting and bad writing and bad storytelling and bad everything else that you can think of. They are just bad. Wedding Crashers is no exception. My love for Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson couldn't even save this movie. Sure, if you were sitting next to me in the theatre you would have caught me laughing a couple times. But a few laughs does not a good movie make. You could tell in the first ten minutes that this movie was going to suck. It was solidified about twenty minutes in when they went into a way too long (I'm talking at least 5 minutes) montage of scenes from various weddings the pair crashed set to the beat of loud annoying music, a la what you might expect to see in a trailer or a teaser for the movie. But this wasn't a trailer or a teaser, this was the actual movie. Dumb.

Just so you don't think I'm a movie snob, I adore Vaughn and Wilson's work. I love Vince Vaughn in Swingers (one of my favorite comedies), Old School and Dodgeball; he was even pretty amusing in Mr & Mrs Smith. And Owen Wilson, he's one of my favorite actors. He's phenomenal in all the Wes Anderson films like Bottle Rocket and Royal Tennenbaums and Life Aquatic. His cameo in Meet the Parents was hilarious, and I'm ashamed to admit I loved Shanghai Noon and Shanghai Knights. So being a genuine fan I hoped for the best going into this film. And I got the worst. Vince Vaughn's long fast-talking monologues can be hilarious. They can also fall flat- that's what these did. The same with Owen Wilson's quirkiness, it can be hilarious, or it can just be dumb- this was dumb. There were weird choices in this movie- weird character traits (Vince Vaughn's over-eating), weird characters (the gay brother), weird makeup (Owen Wilson looked like a woman at times, it was caked on so thick). I could go on, but honestly I'm tired of hearing myself complain about the same things in movie after movie, and I'm sure you are too.

I'd have to give Wedding Crashers two and a half stars. There were some times I laughed, but I'm not sure if I was laughing because it was funny, or because I felt bad that other people were laughing and I wasn't. I'm beginning to wonder how I've strayed so far off the mainstream, where critics are giving this movie three and a half stars and popular opinion is giving it four and a half stars, and I can barely muster a chuckle. Ah well, that's a topic for another post. For now I'll just cross off #249 from my list: see Wedding Crashers.

Pork Perfection

2005-08-06T20:39:00.000-04:00

I realize the picture above looks a little more disgusting than delicious, but you're just going to have to trust that it depicts absolute pork perfection, if I do say so myself. No one likes a braggart, I know, but maybe this is because they haven't tried said braggart's delicious pork tenderloin. Maybe if they sampled the tasty pork, not only would they like the braggart, they'd love the braggart and beg her to invite them over to her meager digs in order gorge themselves on copious amounts of pork tenderloin. Hmm, okay, I think I'm going way off on a self-indulgent tangent here...

Last night I had the pleasure of cooking dinner for a few dear friends. All week I excitedly mulled over possible menu choices, and finally settled on a pork tenderloin as the main course. It's a dish I've been making for ages, but I couldn't recall the last time I'd made it. (Cooking a whole pork tenderloin isn't exactly something I'm in the habit of making just for me!) I thought I remembered the details of the 'recipe', but there was one hitch: I was to be working in the office the day of the dinner and wouldn't have time to cook the pork in the oven as per my usual habit. But by mid-week when I realized the hitch, I was really set on making the pork. Then I remembered a little-used cooking apparatus housed in my kitchen's lazy susan, the crock pot. Some people swear by these appliances, but I hardly use mine, and hardly know how to use it. Surely, I thought, it would be capable of cooking the pork, but would the recipe need to be modified to include more liquid? Would cooking it on the low setting all day be too much time? Would the pork release too much juice and overflow the pot? Would the pork even taste the same as my tried and true oven method? I agonized over these questions, but in the end decided the pork was worth it, and I'd just do the best I could.

I prepared the marinade the night before and tried to make a little extra in order to have enough liquid for the cooking process. This plan worked beautifully and there was no need to add any extra liquid for cooking. I marinated the meat overnight and then cooked it all day on low. I arrived home to an apartment that hadn't been burned down by the crock pot and hadn't been flooded by any excess crock pot juices, but it smelled deliciously, as if I (or some magic cooking fairies) had been slaving away in the kitchen all day long. When I finally served the meat to my ravenous dinner companions, it had been cooking a full 12 hours. It was so juicy and flavorful it nearly melted in your mouth- no knife required. We all agreed it was tasty as hell, though I effused a little less than them, for modesty's sake.

Here is the recipe for my pork tenderloin if you'd care to duplicate pork perfection in your own crock pot (after seeing how well it turned out in the crock pot, I'd highly recommend it over the oven). Please be warned that this is a very loose 'recipe', and I'm just estimating on the quantities. Use your best judgment if the consistency of the marinade isn't quite right, or if you are making a smaller or larger quantity.

Teriyaki & Orange Pork Tenderloin

2.5 lb pork tenderloin trimmed of really excess fat (do leave some fat because it contributes to the tastiness factor!)
whole cloves

marinade:
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
3 cloves of garlic, minced
juice from 3 juicy oranges and some of the pulp and zest too (why waste all that yummy orangeness?!)
2 tbsp orange marmalade

Mix together the ingredients for the marinade and set aside. With a sharp knife pierce the tenderloin all over. Insert whole cloves into the holes. (I'd suggest maybe 10-20 whole cloves, depending on how much you enjoy their flavor.) Place the meat in the marinade and leave in the refrigerator overnight. The next day place the meat & marinade in the crock pot and cook on low for 12 hours. (I'm sure you could get away with cooking it a lot less than 12 hours, so just use your best judgment here.) Serve & enjoy!

With a belly full of leftovers, I cross off #99: prepare pork tenderloin for wonderful friends and savor their compliments as much as the pork itself.

*I paired the pork with mashed potatoes** and green beans*** for the ultimate 'comfort food' dinner. We also drank a bottle of Blackstone Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 vintage. Though the wine was delicious, it was a bit full-bodied and a tad dry for my taste. I'd recommend Blackstone's Syrah over the Cabernet.

**I used organic white creamer potatoes and boiled them (skin on) in free-range organic chicken broth with a little water, then drained and mashed with a stick of butter, several spoonfuls of sour cream and a bit of salt. Yum!

**I used fresh organic green beans, trimmed the stem end, parboiled for 2-3 minutes, drained and sauteed with a little olive oil, shallots and the juice of 1 orange for 2-3 minutes and then served topped with toasted pine nuts. Yum!

Exercise, Part Two

2005-08-04T01:41:00.000-04:00

I am sure that you are all eagerly anticipating an exercise update. Have I kept up with my routine? Have I continued to find motivation? I am happy to report that yes, I have kept up my routine! Don't worry, I am as shocked as you are. I'm quite sure that fifteen days of working out is some sort of record for me. Equivalent to an Olympic medal or a Nobel Peace Prize. Truly. It's astonishing. And what's more astonishing is that I'm actually beginning to enjoy myself.

As you recall, it began innocently enough on July 20th after feeling like the ultimate slug in the company of a friend who is a workout maven. One of those rare individuals (are they so rare afterall?) who enjoys working out. It seemed that everywhere I turned people were beginning sentences with 'When I was at the gym...' or 'After I workout...'. With every mention of the words 'workout' or 'gym' I could feel myself slowly taking on more slug-like characteristics. I never used those words; they were no more a part of my vocabulary than 'lima bean' or 'dirty diaper'. I couldn't take it anymore. I had to do something. So I worked out. And then I wrote about it. Somehow announcing my intentions on the blog solidified them and made me feel I'd have to be accountable to someone if I quit.

But I haven't quit. Quite the opposite. Each day I've looked forward to working out. (I have to mention this is likely due in large part to the fact that I usually workout when I should be working. Anything to avoid work, that's my motto.) It's been a non-negotiable part of my day. I haven't considered not doing it. And now I wonder what made it such a challenge in the first place? I haven't found that 'runner's high' yet, but I'm feeling good. Whether it's the endorphins or the sense of accomplishment of doing something I've never really done before, I'm not sure. Of course, it's not all roses. There are challenges. In the last week or so I've been able to begin interspersing my treadmill walking with jogging (this was an absolute revelation for me!). My lungs are able to handle the exertion, but my legs tire quickly and turn from mere legs into pillars of lead. With their sudden unbearable weight they beg me to slow down to a comfortable walk for a few minutes in order to regain their original mass. And just when they are getting comfortable, I jolt them to a jogging pace again. This means at the end of thirty minutes they are dead tired, and climbing the three flights of stairs back up to my apartment is a slow and painful agony. But I'm not discouraged. A few swings of water and a banana later and the pain is a fairly distant memory.

So where do I go from here? I keep at it! At the suggestion of a friend I may try to alter my routine a bit, which is made more difficult by the oppressive Arizona summer, but I'm sure I can come up with something. I may also incorporate some weight training with the cardio. I've been doing a bit of free weights for my arms, but I'm thinking doing legs may help build up my jogging endurance. I don't want to count my chickens quite yet, but I have to say I'm pleased. I still consider #14 on my list a work in progress, but exercise and I have gotten to know each other a little more with each passing day, and we're becoming fast friends.

March of the Penguins

2005-08-01T02:35:00.000-04:00

Since the week I saw War of the Worlds and Fantastic Four, I've been on a break from seeing movies in the theatre. I think it was the combination of the mediocre movies I'd been seeing, and the prospect of more mediocre movies in the future that kept me away. But, it was Sunday afternoon, and I started to miss my old friend, the movie theatre: it's sub-zero temperatures, the sickening aroma of fake buttered popcorn and floors sticky with spilled soda. I just couldn't stay away. Luckily for me there was actually a movie playing that I'd been wanting to see- March of the Penguins.

I'd seen a preview for March a month or so ago, and it looked absolutely adorable. I must admit I'm a sucker for nature/animal documentaries, especially when they involve an animal as cute and cuddly as penguins, and March did not disappoint. It was filmed by a French documentarian, Luc Jacquet, and is the story of a year in the life of an Emperor Penguin in Antartica. The movie follows the 70 mile trek the penguins make to a common mating ground, and the subsequent search for a mate, laying of an egg, trek for food, hatching of the egg and the hatchlings first swim. All this amidst the brutally harsh winter storms. The film is beautifully shot with amazing footage of the frozen Antartic. The penguins' story is endearing and the shots of these animals are gorgeous. My only complaint was that since the film is rated G it was filled with parents and their kids. I'm not sure if it's being marketed as a kids film, but I honestly think it's way too slow/boring for kids, and will result in what I experienced: kids and parents talking through out the entire film. A bit annoying and distracting, but otherwise a great experience. I'd give this film 3.5 stars.

With my relationship with my local movie theatre temporarily redeemed I cross off #283: see March of the Penguins.

New Identity

2005-07-27T20:14:00.000-04:00

I'm a new woman! Or at least the same woman with a new name! For whatever blatant or sub-conscious reason, it's taken me ten months since my divorce was finalized to go get a new driver's license to reflect my name change. I like to think it was out of sheer laziness and the anticipation of huge lines and long waits at the MVD that I put this off for so long. But nevermind that now, I did it, it's official, I'm back to my maiden name, and pretty happy about it too!

With a new identity I cross off #134: change my name on my driver's license.

Illusions

2005-07-27T01:21:00.000-04:00

Okay, I know it's technically cheating, but I don't care. I started a draft of this post the middle of last week, along with several other posts, and I'm going to post them with their original dates. I've been lazy with my writing this past week, but I'm going to attempt to catch up in one evening. Let's see how I do...

For the past week or so I've been reading a book by Richard Bach called Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah. Judging from the copy I checked out from the library, it's passed through many hands in the years since it was published in the mid-70's. It's a short and easy read; I actually paced myself and just read it while I sat at my table eating. I'd heard people say this book changed their lives or their thinking in some profound way. Maybe I'm too cynical or maybe the message is getting to me thirty years late, but I have to admit this didn't happen to me. I did enjoy the book though.

A brief synopsis: Richard is a barnstormer, a man with a small private plane who flies from town to town in the Midwest landing in fields and giving rides in his plane to locals for $3 a pop. He happens across another barnstormer, Donald Shimoda, who also happens to be a retired Messiah. The two spend enough time together for Richard to learn the tricks of Messiah-hood from Donald and from his 'Messiah's Handbook'. The book is peppered with quotes from the Handbook which can be thought-provoking, my favorite being 'Your friends will know you better in the first minute you meet than your acquaintances will know you in a thousand years'.

Overall, this is an enjoyable and easy read dealing with questions and possible explanations of spirituality. It offers you some opportunities to think, or you can skip the thinking and enjoy the story, as you wish. And so with life and mind unchanged, I cross of #319: read Illusions.

Pesto

2005-07-24T02:07:00.000-04:00

I'm no expert, but I consider myself to be pretty competent in the kitchen. Most dishes I try turn out successfully. I can follow a recipe with ease, and know how to make educated decisions when it comes to measurements and substitutions. Having said this, one dish I've never felt comfortable tackling was pesto. It looked difficult! I was aware it had only a few simple ingredients, but it seemed that there must be magic involved to turn them into something so rich and delicious. I couldn't have been more wrong. I'm now embarrassed to tell those of you that have made pesto that I used to buy the jarred stuff. The jarred variety barely resembles the real thing, which is far more peppery and flavorful. It's so simple to prepare, and nearly impossible to make a mistake. If you add a bit too much of one ingredient or not enough of another, it's likely no one will ever notice. The uses and possible variations are endless. I'm begging you, if you've never made fresh pesto give this recipe a try. You won't believe how simple and delicious it is.

Pesto

3 cloves garlic
2 cups fresh basil
3 tbsp pine nuts
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
salt & pepper

In a food processor (I used a mini one), blend the ingredients in the order above, adding one by one. If the pesto is too thick you can add a little pasta water (if you are making pasta to go with the pesto) or just plain water. Serve as a sauce for pasta or pizza, or as a dip with bread or crackers.

Thanks to a dear friend who opened my eyes to the ease of pesto, I can see this being the year of pesto for me. If you invite me to your house, I'm bring pesto. If I invite you to my house, I'm serving pesto. I can't imagine myself ever tiring of the flavor or the aroma. I'm already thinking of making it again. And thus I cross off #229: learn how to make pesto.

*I'm no expert on wine pairings either, but we drank an excellent Sauvignon Blanc with the pesto from Blackstone Winery (2004 vintage) which I would highly recommend.

Exercise

2005-07-21T03:11:00.000-04:00

Exercise and I have never been best friends. Actually I'd say we're barely acquaintances. Maybe because we were never properly introduced in our early years. While my brother and sister were busy on the t-ball and basketball and soccer and swim teams, I was busy becoming a future nerd with my glasses and my stack of Nancy Drew books. Having a slim athletic frame probably didn't help me either- why should I exercise, I could eat whatever I wanted and was still a beanpole. This isn't to say that I wasn't an active kid. I ran and played and rode bikes like everyone else, but when it came to sports I was happier to officiate or keep score. I did a little stint of club soccer in high school with a bunch of my friends, but I'm honestly not sure that I contributed much to the games, if at all. But then life starts to catch up to your slim athletic frame and you are suddenly not quite as slim nor athletic (not that I ever was!).

With a few extra pounds following me around I decided to formally acquaint myself with my foe, exercise. It's funny how motivation can be found in the strangest places. A friend of mine talks about exercise in the most admirable and inspiring way. The laps he swims, the miles he runs. I could feel myself turning more and more into a slug with every word until I finally couldn't take it anymore. It seems like this exercise buzz is all around me. Everyone is going to the gym, everyone is working out. Never one to mindlessly follow trends, I know this is one I need to get on board with. Intellectually it reasons it out perfectly, it's just getting the motivation to get off my ass.

Thanks to my friend, I've found that motivation two days in a row. I've heard it takes three weeks to make something a habit, so with 19 days to go I cross off #14: introduce myself to exercise and commit to being his friend. I'll keep you posted on our friendship...

Ray LaMontagne

2005-07-20T04:14:00.000-04:00

Tonight I saw Ray LaMontagne at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona. It was one of the strangest shows I can recall going to in quite a while, both for the performance and for the crowd. First, a bit of history. I first saw Ray last October 14th as the opener for Badly Drawn Boy at the same venue. I'd never even heard of him before that night, but was instantly impressed with him. His band was a three-piece: him on acoustic guitar, an upright bassist, and Ethan Johns on drums (!!!!). He played a great upbeat folky acoustic set. He chatted with the crowd, seemed pleased that people knew who he was and took lots of song requests from the crowd. I was convinced and got his cd Trouble soon after, and have been loving it ever since. When I heard he was coming to the Marquee again so soon, and as the opener this time, I was looking forward to checking it out.

Rachael Yamagata opened. I'm familiar with her name, but not her music. It was pretty decent. She has a great voice, but the music was just average and not too polished. Not that folk-ish music needs to be polished, but there was something lacking. She was a decent opener though, and the crowd was really into her.

Ray came out around 9 to a pretty big audience. There were definitely more people in attendance than were at Badly Drawn Boy, which was a big surprise to me. But, the crowd totally had me confused. Being folk music I was expecting a low-key emo crowd, but instead it was packed with loud obnoxious people. People that talked through the first five songs when he was playing with no drummer and really required a quiet audience. People that sang words loudly in my ear, made out with each other practically on top of me, talked to me incessantly about how they were going to put me on their shoulders, bought me bottled water, and danced to the beat of some music that wasn't coming from the stage. In summation, they were annoying as hell. But nevermind, it was the music I was there to see, not the crowd.

Having seen Ray already, I was expecting (read: hoping for) a longer version of the show I'd seen him put on a mere nine months prior. However, this isn't the show I got. In this show he seemed like he was on the brink of insanity or suicide. He was quiet, withdrawn, hardly spoke to the crowd at all and when he did he muttered so that we could hardly hear him. He played an odd collection of songs with tons of new songs mixed in. Even the most upbeat song on Trouble, How Come, was super mellow and stripped down. There were two highlights of the night. One was a new song which he played the electric guitar on and totally rocked. It was the opposite of his folk stuff, but his voice could easily command the rockiness of the song. The second highlight was when he appeared to totally be losing his mind during the encore. I've never seen anything like it. He came out for the encore and mumbled to the crowd about how he felt weird. And how he'd had a weird day. He said weird about 10 times. Then he played a song. Then the band left and he started mumbling again. He said something about forgetting words and forgetting chords. More incoherent mumbling. Then he thanked Rachael. Someone in the crowd yelled out for her to come out, and so he motioned her out. They conferred on the stage for a while and I swear he looked like he was going to cry. Then he gave her his guitar and left the stage. She fumbled around with it for a few minutes and tried talking to the crowd a bit and then the audience started yelling for Ray. He came back and strapped on the guitar he'd given her. A few more minutes of conferring and they decided to 'try an experiment'. He played a new song that was super soft and rather depressing and she sang a bit of back-up vocals with her back to the audience facing him and sharing a mic. When the song was over he looked relieved to be getting the hell off the stage.

I have no idea what was going on tonight. It was still a good show, but such a stark contrast to the show I'd seen less than a year ago. It can also be really tough to get into a show when there is so much material you are unfamiliar with. But, with that much new stuff in the set I imagine there is a new album around the corner.

Geeking out with the set list:
1. Burn
2. New song
3. New song
4. Narrow Escape (sung with Jennifer Stills)
5. Jolene
6. Hold You in my Arms
7. Shelter
8. New song- You Got What I Want
9. Hannah
10. New song- So Empty
11. New song- You Should Belong to Me
12. Trouble
13. How Come
-encore-
14. New song
15. New song- Can I Stay

With an all around entertaining night, I cross off #174: see Ray LaMontagne again, in a totally different way.

Movie Reviews

2005-07-19T04:52:00.000-04:00

As you may or may not have noticed, I've been quite a slacker this week in keeping up with my blog. But where I've lacked in blogging I've more than made up for in movie watching. In the past week I've seen six movies. Instead of writing separate reviews for each I'll just get it all over with in one post. Get ready for (mostly) a list of movies not to see...

My movie watching jag started last Sunday with War of the Worlds, probably the most disappointing of all the films. Apart from the hype the entertainment magazines have been doling out on this movie, I had it on pretty good authority from two of my most reliable film obsessed friends that this was a great movie. So I went against my better judgment and Tom Cruise loathing and saw it. That was my first mistake. It was terrible. Awful. It goes without saying that the special effects were incredible, but special effects couldn't save poor writing and poor storytelling. It would have taken so little to tighten the story up a bit, but alas, it was sloppy and lazy. This one gets two and a half out of five stars.

Next up, on Wednesday, An American in Paris. Having had an off-again on-again love affair with Paris for a few years, and knowing that it was one of AFI's top 100 movies, I felt it was my duty to see An American in Paris eventually. I'm happy I did, but I think I clocked it at 14 minutes into the movie that I first wanted to turn it off. And the feeling never really left me until the final credits rolled. But, this film had a strike against it to begin with, in that it's a musical. Not my favorite genre. As one of my friends recently said to me, as soon as they start singing I stop paying attention. I second that. This film gets two and a half stars.

Thursday was the Fantastic Four. By now you might be wondering what the hell I'm doing picking movies that seem destined to fail in my eyes. With this film I can honestly say I had no choice. It was part of a day of teambuilding with work colleagues. The teambuilding involved painting pottery, so I rallied a small resistance group against painting pottery and we ended up seeing a movie (Yes, I am aware of the irony in that it was a teambuilding activity. What can I say, I'm not a team player.). The only movie playing at the time we arrived was Fantastic Four, still, we were happy to be out of painting pottery. The movie was actually better than expected, and dare I say the story was even more cohesive than War of the Worlds. Yes, I am serious. The movie was chock full of ridiculous movie cliches, but it actually started to crack me up (a dalmation in a fire truck, the giant half-rock half-man creature, Thing, stopping in a Big & Tall Men's store for clothes, etc). Pretty cheesy but better than teambuilding whilst painting pottery, this one gets three stars.

Saturday night found a friend and I looking for an interesting movie. Distant looked promising. A Turkish film set in Istanbul chronicling the days of two depressed men. Wow, not what we were expecting at all. This movie was down right numbing. Probably the most striking thing about this film was the lack of dialogue. Minutes would pass with not a word uttered from the screen. It was heavy on sound, but not dialogue. The discomfort of the characters was practically leaping into the living room through the television. We had to laugh when we realized the two men were watching TV in silence, and that the program they were watching on TV also had no dialogue. Ah, kill me now! At the time I really didn't enjoy the film, but I've had some time to reflect and realize that though it was difficult to watch, it made it's point about loneliness, despair and the distance between people in these conditions brilliantly. Three stars for this film, but know what you are in for.

After a movie like Distant you are so shaken and depressed you need a pick-me-up. An injection of life and entertainment. And so we watched The Count of Monte Cristo. I didn't know much about the film, and was thus pleasantly surprised. It's a visually appealing and engaging drama with a well told story (based on the book of the same name by Alexandre Dumas) and good acting. There's also a nice revenge twist. It accomplished what it set out to do: entertain without being mindless and boring, three stars.

To cap off my week of movies, tonight I watched Maria Full of Grace. It's a Colombian film recommended by a Colombian friend, which instantly gave it some well-deserved clout. It's by far the best movie of the week. An excellent story of despair and hope and rising above the constraints of your up-bringing. The film is tense and difficult to watch at times, but is such a well-acted and well-told story. Four stars for this film, and a hearty recommendation that you see it as well.

Although there were some disappoints and many mediocre moments of film-watching this week, I'm happy to say I saw all these movies. Loving movies as much as I do, I appreciate the bad as much as I appreciate the good because I feel like a more informed viewer, and more easily able to spot a really excellent film. And so I cross off #289: watch a mixture of good & bad films, and be able to tell the difference.

Who I Am

2005-07-13T04:02:00.000-04:00

I discovered something pretty funny about myself the other day. Most days I put on a great game face and BS with the best of 'em. I can be sweet and polite and well-mannered. I can be thoughtful and soft-spoken, and sometimes I can even use big words. I can clean up my act in front of family and colleagues and others who I perceive may not approve, but in the end, I am just a girl with a terrible potty mouth.

I woke up a few nights ago in agony. I had a charley horse in my calf. I hadn't had one in ages, and forget how paralyzing they can be. Since I was alone in bed with no one to massage it out and allay my pain, I knew I had two choices: writhe in pain forever or get my ass up and stretch it out. You're probably thinking, what's the big deal? We've all had charley horses, am I that big of a baby? Well yes, I am that big of a baby, but here's the funny part. I awoke from a deep sleep to this unbearable pain and began yelling *(warning to sensitive readers)* Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, Motherfucker, Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, and on and on- you get the point. The inner dialogue I detailed above took place after I began yelling the obscenities, for they were the FIRST thing to come to my mind, and to my lips. As I was out of bed stretching my leg and still flailing Fuck around, I wondered if any neighbors might have heard me. And then I had to laugh. There's nothing like a crisis situation in the midst of deep sleep to bring out your true colors. And apparently my true colors are peppered with my favorite F word. Sorry mom. I am who I am.

Though I endured some serious, albeit temporary, pain, I am happy to cross off #268 in the process: find out my favorite curse word.

Screw Early Risers

2005-07-12T10:38:00.000-04:00

I was 4 or 5 paragraphs into a post I had titled 'Early Risers'. It was all about my foray into waking up early for a change of pace from my typical 8:45 am wake up on a weekday, and my 11:30 am wake up on a weekend. I was cheerful, I was enthused, I was witty--I was doing some great writing! And what happened, you ask? My damn internet browser froze up and then unexpectedly shut down. Had I saved the writing as a draft? Hell no. Do I feel like re-creating all that cheerfulness again for the sake of a good post? Absolutely not. Now I am pissed.

I'm pretty sure I'm a night owl by birth, and I don't think you're supposed to mess with your internal time clock. At least that sounds like good justification to me. Yeah, the sunlight streaming into my room and waking me up felt better than the jolt of an alarm clock beep. Yeah the cool air at 6:00 am felt great. Sure, the 45 minute walk with my ecstatic dog through the quiet neighborhood streets was invigorating. And okay, a bit of the cheerfulness of the fellow early risers I encountered on my walk rubbed off on me and I was feeling rather happy about being up so early. But obviously, my laptop knows best. It wasn't used to being woken up at such an un-godly hour, and it wasn't happy. It humored me for a bit, but in the end it said screw you, I'm going back to sleep. And so I must concur. Screw the early risers, I'll take being a night owl any day of the week.

Grumpy and going on only four hours of sleep, I cross off #139: try waking up at 5:45 am (and fail miserably).

Comfort Music

2005-07-09T01:13:00.000-04:00

As I was sitting here listening to my favorite playlist in itunes and thinking about what to write, I started thinking about the playlist itself. It started out a few months ago as an attempt to capture in a playlist the songs that had most moved me over the years. The songs that not only had been my favorites, but the songs I had been OBSESSED with. Every now and then a song will come into my life that begs me to play it over and over and over again. The scenery has changed over the years, but the habit hasn't. As a teenager it was lying on my bed in my parent's house blasting Going to California on my record player or Good Feeling on my tape deck. In college it was lying on my single bolster bed in my dorm room blasting Live Forever or In Your Eyes on my CD jambox. There have been countless crappy apartments and many upgrades to the music format and equipment since then, but the formula stayed the same: play the same song repeatedly at the highest volume possible and preferably lying down with eyes closed.

So what's with this bizarre habit of mine? It suddenly struck me that this is my comfort music. This is the music that makes me feel good. With my eyes closed and the music blaring in my ears, it envelopes me like a cocoon, occupying all of my headspace and leaving room for nothing but comfort. And so it makes sense when I'm down or stressed or worn out that I turn to these songs to relax and revive me. And I never tire of them. Ever. Loving them as much 15 years later as I did when I was a teenager speaks volumes to their personal meaning.

My soul bared, here is my beloved playlist:

Bittersweet Symphony- The Verve
Laid- James
Good Dancers- The Sleepy Jackson
Get Miles- Gomez
Lonelily- Damien Rice
Sandusky- Uncle Tupelo
Going to California- Led Zeppelin
Golden Brown- The Stranglers
This Year's Love- David Gray
Intervention- The Arcade Fire
Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl- Broken Social Scene
The Scientist- Coldplay
Good Feeling- Violent Femmes
Classic Girl- Jane's Addiction
Live Forever- Oasis
In Your Eyes- Peter Gabriel

Readers, if you have songs with similar significance, I'd love to hear what they are!

With headphones on and headspace filled I cross off my list #57: Find a name for my favorite playlist (comfort music!).

Little Pink Pills

2005-07-06T21:11:00.000-04:00

There are few things worse than being sick when it's summertime. While everyone else is outside having fun, you're stuck inside feeling miserable. Okay, who am I kidding? It's Arizona, everyone is inside feeling miserable. But at least they don't have a dull headache on the left side of their face from their temple down to their jaw and across their cheekbone to their nose. A headache that magnifies when you chew on the left side or press your tongue against the roof of your mouth, but only on the left side. A headache that started Saturday night and has been with me ever since, even when I wake up in the morning. It's not phased by 600 mg of ibuprofen every few hours or massive quantities of hot green tea or that dumb headache remedy you do by pressing your thumb and forefinger into the webbed part of your left hand.

I'd had enough of the headache, and the accompanying watery, bulging eyes from the pressure inside my head, so I paid my doctor a visit. The diagnosis: a bad sinus infection. The remedy: little pink pills (antibiotics), lots of liquids, and hot moist compresses twice a day. So far things aren't any better (okay, it's only been 5 hours, 1 pink pill and 1 compress), but I have to report the compresses feel amazing. Even if you don't have a sinus infection you should try it: stack two folded washcloths on top one another, get wet, ring out, microwave for 20 seconds, and press on your face. Ah, sweet (temporary) relief...

With only 29 more little pink pills to go, I'm on my way to crossing off #132: cure mid-summer sinus infection.

Fireworks

2005-07-05T02:23:00.000-04:00

I adore fireworks. They never fail to stir up a mixture of excitement, anticipation and wonder in me, and put a grin on my face. My eyes stay transfixed to the sky awaiting the next explosion of lights. Even the noise doesn't bother me. It never has, even when I was a kid. In fact, I kind of liked it, it was part of the fireworks experience. My favorites are the ones that give you a little more than you expect- the initial bloom of color and light, and then the surprise sparkle or burst afterwards. I especially adore the white glittery fireworks, the ones that shimmer and sparkle in the black sky and then disappear into wisps of white smoke. My least favorite are the glaring red and green fireworks, but even least favorites are still pretty great as far as fireworks go. And the grand finale, well it's bittersweet. It's the part I anticipate most for the non-stop spectacle of beauty. The 'works overlapping and layering on each other with each successive firework trying to surpass the one before. All stops are pulled. You can't look away. But you know that soon it will be over. A distant memory in a now smoky night. And then you have to wait until next year to have this feeling again.

And so, I've crossed off a yearly #91 and am already anxiously awaiting next years spectacle: see fireworks.

Saving Face

2005-07-04T02:58:00.000-04:00

Today I saw the movie Saving Face, by Alice Wu. Although I love foreign films, Chinese films usually aren't among my favorites. I think the harsh sound of the language is distracting and a bit too foreign for my ears. However, Saving Face looked interesting enough so I decided to give it a try.

Out of 5 stars, I'd give this film three and a half. It's a nice light romantic comedy, but also examines some of the cultural issues facing Chinese-Americans. The movie takes place in New York City and chronicles the struggles of two women, mother & daughter, to live up to the old Chinese cultural standards. The mother is a forty-eight year old widower living with her over-bearing parents after the death of her husband who suddenly finds herself pregnant. The daughter is a promising twenty-something doctor who endures the efforts of the community to marry her off though she is a lesbian. When the mother is kicked out of her parents house for becoming pregnant, she moves in with her daughter, which is where the long road to understanding begins. The two are able to find common ground and build a strong bond despite sometimes being ostracized by the tight-knit community they live in. And in the end love and understanding prevail. Despite some cliches, it's an enjoyable and entertaining movie.

Though I still have reservations about Chinese films, I'm happy to have crossed #217 off my list: see Saving Face.

Ennui

2005-07-03T01:59:00.000-04:00

mus

In a recent lunch with a friend I was diagnosed with a malady. I had ignored all the warning signs. Had pish poshed all the symptoms. Didn't put two and two together. But, it's official. It's ennui.

This explains my recent lapse in blogging. It explains my disinterest in movies (Mr. & Mrs. Smith, anyone?). And it explains my major boredom with music lately. Even the new Oasis album has lost a little of it's luster. Coldplay = nap time. I've been longing for some good summer tunes, but was too lethargic to comb through my music catalog to put together a playlist. This was until I got my hands on the latest Josh Rouse album, Nashville. Ennui hasn't been fully cured, but it's getting some pretty heavy treatment.

I've never been a huge Josh Rouse fan. I have his album 1972, but found it to be average at best, it's greatest assest being the cool cd insert design. However, I'd heard a few songs off Nashville when it was first released, and enjoyed them, so it went on my infinite 'music to check out list'. I finally got the album this week and I'm impressed. It's short, just under 40 minutes, but in my present condition this is probably a good thing-any longer and my attention may wander! I'm not sure what genre he falls under. In itunes it comes up as Americana, though I have no clue what sort of music that might be. Despite the title and steel guitar in a few of the songs I don't think it's country enough to be alt-country. And it's a little too layered to be folk though most songs feature acoustic guitar. I hate to say it's pop, because this just makes me think of Britney Spears. Maybe I should stop trying to figure it out and just say it lies somewhere between all those genres and it's fantastic. The lyrics are beautiful, his voice is gorgeous and just floats along each song. The guitars, piano and various other instruments featured sound amazing, and I'm always a sucker for hand-claps in songs. Stand out tracks are It's the Nightime, Winter in the Hamptons and Middle School Frown.

Without realizing it I stumbed on the perfect summertime album. And I'm on my way to crossing off #78: cure ennui.

Java

2005-06-30T02:17:00.000-04:00

Java, originally uploaded by carriemcm.

I feel a bit bad admitting this, especially while looking at the picture above. Nonetheless, there are times when I think of opening my front door and bidding farewell to my beloved german shorthaired pointer, Java. Today was one of those days. Like her innate ability to track birds, she seems to have an innate ability to drive me insane.

It started this morning on our way back from our morning walk. As we climbed the three flights of stairs to the apartment, she spotted a bird sitting on the second floor landing. She stalked it until it flew away, and then she watched it fly down to the first floor stairs. I coaxed her up to the apartment, but she wasn't too happy about that. The bird was right outside the door and she knew it. For about an hour straight she paced between the front door and the patio door whining. That lasted until...

I decided to hard-boil a couple eggs. She adores eggs and was in the kitchen before I even had them out of the cardboard container. The next forty-five minutes were a combination of whining, pacing, jumping up to the countertops, and finally begging for the finished product. There's nothing that annoys me more than dogs begging for food.

Next up was the toy pile next to my desk chair that seemed to grow exponentially as the day passed. Working from home is both a blessing and a curse because to Java this means I'm available to play all day long. Soon it wasn't just toys she was bringing me but washcloths, dust cloths, flip flops, shredded kleenex and paper towels, and a potholder. My apartment looks like a tornado blew through, or at the very least, a two year old toddler blew through.

The whirlwind of activity lasted until about 9:30 tonight. In between there was also the barking jag at some perceived noise outside the door, standing on the arm of the couch staring at me while I ate dinner, and pulling my bath towel around the living room. But she finally crashed. And when she did I fell in love with her all over again.

Today I narrowly avoided it, but tomorrow if you see a brown and white dog whizzing by you on the street chasing after a bird with a smile on her face, you'll know I crossed off #156: let Java runaway from home.

Netflix

2005-06-28T03:19:00.001-04:00

Netflix, originally uploaded by carriemcm.

Sometimes, for no logical reason at all, a movie will arrive from Netflix that you just don't feel like watching. It was on your queue and at the top, no less, but still, you're not in the mood. You hang on to it for a few days thinking that the time just hasn't been right. You hang on to it for a few more days thinking what a waste it would be to send it back now. And before you know it, you've had the movie since June 1st. At this point there's no way you are returning it without watching it, and so you buckle down, pop in the dvd and get comfortable.

The movie is L'Homme du train/The Man on the Train, a French film made in 2002 starring Johnny Hallyday and Jean Rochefort. When it comes to foreign films, French films are among my favorites. In French films you can expect the old standby's of breathtaking scenery and the lovely poetic sing-song quality of the language. L'Homme du train did not disappoint. The cinematography was striking from the first frame and never relented. It was an integral part of the storytelling and perfectly conveyed the moods of the characters and the film in general. It also ensured that even the shots of bathroom toiletries were gorgeous. The story was interesting and the storytelling straightforward and simple. No fancy twists or turns, no overly complex storylines or complicated characters. Just well written and nicely delivered lines. And the characters, they were an unlikely and charming team. You'll fall in love with Rochefort's kind and generous heart, and will be simultaneously mesmerized and creeped out by Hallyday's blue eyes, gruff exterior and tender interior.

Out of five stars, I'd give this one three and a half. It was a great afternoon movie, and I'm proud to send it back having actually watched it, even if it did take me three and a half weeks!

Yesterday Mr. & Mrs. Smith left me unsatisfied, but today I am happy to report I've seen a good movie, a movie worth recommending. And so I cross off #108: watch my damn Netflix.

Mr. & Mrs. Boring

2005-06-27T03:09:00.000-04:00

Mr & Mrs Boring, originally uploaded by carriemcm.

Being a woman and having a pulse pretty much means I think Brad Pitt is uber good looking. It also pretty much means I'll see whatever crap movie he's in, which is what I did today.

Maybe saying Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a crap movie is a bit harsh, but I thought it had some pretty huge flaws. The first being character development. You leave the movie hardly knowing the characters at all. Is that part of the whole 'we're spies and we're married and we don't even know each other' aspect of the movie? Cause if it is, that was idiotic. We're the audience, we're supposed to know these characters. And speaking of knowing the characters, that brings me to my second issue with the movie: story development. In a word, it sucked. The story was so unclear- are they spies, are they assassins, are they good guys, are they bad guys, who is Vince Vaughn's character, and more importantly, what the hell is Adam Brody doing in this movie?! All questions that deserve answers, and none of which are answered through the course of the movie. Now, maybe I should take a second to pause and remind you of the previously mentioned adoration of Brad Pitt. It's entirely possible that I was so enraptured with his presence on screen that I missed out on the finer (and broader!) details of the story, and for the sake of the movie let's hope this is true.

But, that doesn't explain my third issue with this movie- bad acting. Brad Pitt may not be the best actor in Hollywood, but he's done a good job in some great movies: Kalifornia, Seven, Fight Club, Snatch and Ocean's Eleven, just to name a few. I was trying to think if I'd ever seen an Angelina Jolie movie, and the only one I could think of is Gone in 60 Seconds, which hardly qualifies as an Angelina Jolie movie, but merely a movie she was in. So, I have nothing to compare her acting to. Is she normally a good actress, or is she just a nice pair of legs and great tits? I'm not sure. But in this movie, I'd say that's all she was. Between the two of them, I was so bored. It was as if the director said 'in the majority of the movie you're going to act disinterested in each other' and they took it to heart, resulting in flat acting and an audience who was totally disinterested in them. Where is this 'chemistry' everyone is buzzing about? I must have missed it.

For me, the best part of the movie came during a scene where John (Brad Pitt) shows up at Jane's (Angelina Jolie's) office. Jane flies off on a zip cable between two skyscrapers. They'd both had the chance to kill each other but John hesitated and Jane ran. From across the building John yells 'Chickenshit!'. To which Jane yells 'Pussy!'. To which the 6 year-old kid across the aisle from me says 'She's a pussy!'. 'Shhhhh', his mom said, but too late, we all heard it and we all cracked up. And this was the best part of the movie.

Out of five I'd have to give this movie two and a half stars. Brad & Angelina should be grateful Brad's marriage broke up because I think that's why people are going to see this movie- to check on the 'chemistry' between them (okay, how pathetic is that?!). At least that's what I've heard. I wouldn't say people are going to see it because it's good.

So with a Brad Pitt craving satiated and a good movie craving still in the lurch I cross off #145: see Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

Orzo + Fruit = ?

2005-06-26T03:02:00.000-04:00

Orzo + Fruit = ?, originally uploaded by carriemcm.

I've had a box of orzo in my pantry for about a year now. When I saw it on the shelf at the grocery I couldn't resist buying it- a tiny box of even tinier pasta- it was so cute! But, I had no idea what to do with it. I'd never made orzo, except in the form of my favorite Lipton Rice Sides mushroom packet with rice and orzo. So to the back of my pantry it went never to see the light of day until...

Last weekend in a fortuitous conversation with my sister she told me about a new favorite recipe she was making for fruit salad featuring an unusual ingredient, Orzo! I was instantly excited to try it because I love fruit salad, and I already had the star ingredient. But, I had none of the other ingredients, and we all know of my recent issue with going to the grocery in a timely manner. With each passing day I dreamt about the fruit salad: how delicious it would be, and how great to have finally found a use for my beloved orzo!

Last night I began part one of the fruit salad recipe since it required an overnight chilling in the refrigerator. I had high hopes, and was actually a little ticked that I couldn't eat it right away. But, I was patient. This morning I completed part two of the recipe, and still, I had to wait for it to chill another 2-3 hours. Finally after an hour I was fed up of waiting and dug in. But to my surprise and disappointment, I didn't like it! I couldn't identify what it was I didn't like, but there was a flavor I just wasn't crazy about. All day I moped over the fruit salad- what was I going to do with the vat of it in my fridge, how could I not like it since I liked each ingredient individually? I mourned the disappointment and started plotting how to pawn it off on friends. Then I decided to give it another try. Low and behold, I liked it much better this time. I didn't love it, but I think the flavors had more time to mellow and get to know each other a little better, and it resulted in a pretty interesting dish. So while this won't be my go-to recipe for orzo, I will keep it in mind. And for all my friends who are nearby, look out- a tupperware full of fruit salad will be coming your way!

In case I've whet your appetite with all this orzo talk, following is the recipe. And caution, I halved the recipe and it still made a huge quantity. Those orzo may be tiny, but they soak up liquid like a sponge and become quite plump little fellows.

Rosa Marina Fruit Salad

1lb box orzo 2 large cans crushed pineapple 2 large cans mandarin oranges 2 beaten eggs 1 1/2 cups sugar 3 tbsp flour 1 tsp lemon juice 1 large tub cool whip

Cook & drain orzo. Combine eggs, sugar, flour, lemon juice, and the juice from the canned fruit in a saucepan. Heat until boiling. Combine with the orzo and refrigerate overnight. Next day, mix in fruit and coolwhip. Refrigerate another 2-3 hours (or longer, that made a huge difference to me).

I will continue looking but for now I cross off #289: find a use for those adorable boxes of orzo.

UPDATE 6/28/05:
The salad is getting better each day, or maybe I'm just getting used to it. A few suggestions though, if you're going to try the recipe: Unless you really love canned pineapple, you may want to try fresh pineapple and supplement some pineapple juice for the liquid portion of the recipe. Or, I can see it being really yummy with no pineapple and double the amount of mandarin oranges. Or maybe a variety of fresh fruit and some fruit juice for the liquid. Mix and match, and let me know how it works out!

Groceries

2005-06-25T03:47:00.000-04:00

Groceries, originally uploaded by carriemcm.

Remember the aversion I had with going to the post office recently? Until tonight I had one going with the grocery store too, but worse, far worse. I hadn't been to the grocery in nearly three weeks. With each passing day the refrigerator and pantry grew more bare, and my food options grew more bleak. There were lots of cherry chocolate chip bread (yes, I still have some!) breakfasts, cereal or cheese quesadilla lunches, and hamburger helper dinners. I ran out of fruit and vegetables, and still, I wouldn't budge.

I set lots of dates with the grocery: we'll do lunch tomorrow, how about Thursday after dinner, I could squeeze you in after drinks tonight. But I broke them all, and without much regret, until it came time to make the 5th quesadilla of the week. I even contemplated the idea of shopping online. I was told a certain local grocery chain offered free delivery on your first order. Sign me up, I said! But online grocery shopping, at least at this particular store, was a pain in the neck. And so I broke that date as well. But tonight on the drive home from work, enough was enough. I couldn't bear the thought of one more pasta dinner, and so I braved the after work grocery crowd, the sweltering grocery carrying heat, the three flights of stairs with grocery bags looped on both arms from wrist to shoulder, and I went grocery shopping. Now, I figure I'm good for another three weeks.

And so, with a fridge and pantry stocked to the rafters, I cross off my tri-weekly #201: go to the damn grocery store already!

Drinks

2005-06-24T03:00:00.000-04:00

Drinks, originally uploaded by carriemcm.

Sometimes drinks with a friend are just drinks. And sometimes they're not. Sometimes they take you out of your comfort zone. Sometimes they reveal more than you expect. And sometimes they change your perspective. Sometimes you laugh, and sometimes you cry. And sometimes they make you admire someone for asking a friend to have a drink.

To do #29: have drinks with a friend.

Oasis

2005-06-23T03:29:00.000-04:00

Oasis, originally uploaded by carriemcm.

Thanks to the clever Play Count feature in itunes I discovered today that I've listened to the latest Oasis album, Don't Believe the Truth, 30 times. I usually keep the play count feature hidden. This is because I like to pretend that I'm not an obsessed music fan, and thus I hide the evidence from myself. But every now and then curiosity gets the best of me, and I peek at the play count, or worse, at my top 25 most played songs.

Not surprisingly, at 30 plays the Oasis album is nearing the top of my top 25 most played. But, the 30 plays is only counting the times I've played it on my computer. Add to that the times I played it on my ipod, in my car, and on my stereo, and I'd say you could conservatively add 15 more plays. But maybe I should put this in context. The album was officially released on May 31, 2005. Twenty-three days ago. Now that's not to say May 31st is the day I got my music-grubbing hands on it. I have to admit it was in my possession a few weeks prior. So, I'd say that I'm averaging a play a day, and let me assure you, I see no end in sight.

With each play I love this album more and more. You couldn't ask for more from an album: a diverse collection of songs each with something unique to offer. There are love songs and fast rockers and flag waving anthems. Their beauty is in their ability to take you back to the Oasis that you knew and loved. For me it's like 1995 all over again: Oasis were kicking ass and taking names. Ten years later they've matured. They may give you a sidelong glare instead of kicking your ass. But their music is still going to kick your ass, in a good way, of course.

So if you've been living under a rock the past twenty-three days and haven't heard this album, I suggest you get it asap. You won't be disappointed. And if you are, well what do you know?! As for me, I've got my headphones on and am working on crossing off #47: listen to the new Oasis album another 30 times.

Prayer

2005-06-22T03:01:00.000-04:00

Prayer, originally uploaded by carriemcm.

It came to me with good intentions. The best of intentions, actually. And love. Lots of love. It's not the sender I blame; they were just passing on a message, and clearing some clutter off the kitchen table. No, it's the writer. The anonymous writer. Who could this person be? What sort of life and experiences have they had? But most importantly, what were they thinking when they composed 'A Prayer For Those Who Live Alone'?!

At first, it was amusing. Then, insulting. Then assaulting. Who does this guy (likely) think he is?! Has he ever lived alone? If so, what was so terrible about the experience that it required writing a prayer for those in the situation? An informal poll conducted amongst some of my (single) girlfriends revealed a consensus that the prayer should have been written for those that live with someone, not those living alone (surprising?), for their job is far more difficult. There are challenges to both living situations, and as a person who has lived both, I can assure you that living alone isn't a scary situation in need of a special prayer. It's freedom. It's liberation. Or is this just me trying to justify my lonely existence?! Maybe. So in the end, I suppose I will just take the prayer in the spirit it was sent to me: that it's nice to know God is looking out for me (no matter what my living situation may be!).

And so without further ado, I present the (highly anticipated, I'm sure) Prayer For Those Who Live Alone, author unknown...

I live alone, dear Lord, stay by my side. In all my daily needs, be Thou my guide. Grant me good health, for that indeed, I pray, to carry on my work from day to day. Keep pure my mind, my thoughts, my every deed. Let me be kind, unselfish in my neighbor's need. Spare me from fire, from flood, malicious tongues. From thieves, from fear, and evil ones. If sickness or accident befall, then humbly, Lord I pray, hear Thou my call. And when I'm feeling low or in despair, lift up my heart and help me in prayer. I live alone, dear Lord, yet have no fear, because I feel Your presence ever near. Amen

With head bowed and hands clasped in prayer, I cross #167 off my list: debunk the myth living alone requires a special prayer.

Fan Mail

2005-06-21T03:52:00.000-04:00

Fan Mail, originally uploaded by carriemcm.

Fan Mail. Not something I've ever written and hardly something I've been encouraging others to write. But this is different. Sure there are similarities; your fan mail could be going to a handsome young guy (or lovely lady), and they may not mind if you profess your love for them, or at very least your admiration. But where this differs from the typical fan mail experience is that these letters are going out to active duty US troops. A pretty interesting concept, huh? Probably not something I'd have been motivated to do on my own, but it didn't take much to convince me (men in uniform, you need say little more!).

My Gran, along with a group of her friends, each wrote a 'fan letter' and then turned them over to an organization, who in turn distributed them to active duty soldiers. A few weeks ago a letter arrived from three sailors who'd received her letter. You can't imagine her excitement, and it was a bit contagious. Reading their letter made this endeavor real for her. These sailors are practically kids. They're out on a huge ship, in the middle of an ocean, far away from their family and friends, and they're doing it for us (and the college money of course, but let's not get off track). No matter your feelings for our current president and his foreign policy, your heart has to go out to these troops. They are fellow Americans who are far from home and could use a little company (and a care package wouldn't hurt!) to remind them of home.

And so, with the names and stories of three mighty sailors in mind (Mark, Nick & Daquan!!), I crossed #264 off my list: write fan mail.

Update...
I can't attest to these organizations, but here are a couple doing the work I described above:
A Million Thanks
Letters From Home

As well, you can send mail to the U.S.S. Jarrett which is the ship that recieved my gran's letter at:
U.S.S Jarrett (FFG-33)
Div. OC (Troop Fan Mail)
FPO, AP 96669

One last word of advice, if you are sending a package you'll need to fill out a detailed Customs Declaration form, which you can pick up at the post office.

Happy fan mail writing!!

Traveling Pants

2005-06-20T03:10:00.000-04:00

Traveling Pants, originally uploaded by carriemcm.

When it comes to movies, the chick flick is not my genre of choice. It's not my back-up favorite, or even the back-up for my back-up. But every now and then we all love a feel-good movie, including yours truly, so this afternoon I grabbed a fellow chick and we went to see The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

Out of five stars, I'd give the movie three. It was successful as a feel-good flick, and apparently to the majority of the audience it was quite a tear-jerker. But it also required the audience to suspend a pretty sizable chunk of disbelief, which is where I have to take issue. The story itself is good, albeit one you've likely seen before: a gang of friends from varying backgrounds form a bond of friendship which is tested and survives adversity whereby making each individual and the gang stronger. Add to that the classic coming-of-age story, and you have the Traveling Pants in a nutshell. The story is engaging; the characters are very different from one another and therefore the audience can easily identify with a particular character or her situation; the cinematography is average (though the scenes in Greece are pretty stunning); and the dialogue, well here's where the aforementioned suspension of disbelief is required. The characters in the movie are 16 years old, yet if blindfolded, you'd think they were Yale intellectuals. Okay, this may be a bit of an exaggeration, but c'mon, I was sixteen once, I know what the conversations with my girlfriends sounded like, and they were nothing like this. Wise beyond their years, and beyond the likelihood of any sixteen year old. They had amazing depth of thought, clarity of emotion and articulation of those thoughts. Pah! I'm twenty-nine and rarely have these sorts of exchanges with friends. But maybe I'm just jealous. Oh, and don't even get me started on the sage twelve year old in the film, it's so far beyond the scope of reality, it's laughable.

Having said all that, I did enjoy the movie. It was the perfect Sunday afternoon movie to share with a girlfriend, and was successful at injecting a bit of feel-good into my life (along with a healthy dose of cynicism!). And so with a nice balance of the two I cross #357 off my list: see The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

Writing

2005-06-18T03:02:00.000-04:00

Writing, originally uploaded by carriemcm.

With only five posts to my name, I am suddenly feeling the pressures of blogging. Have I run out of fodder so soon? This is an almost laughable thought, yet it feels very real. I'm going to blame it, in part, on being a Pisces. I have the tendency to begin a project with a full steam ahead attitude, only to find myself running out of steam, and interest, pretty quickly (I think some people also call this adult ADD!). Nevertheless, there are plenty of constants in my life, and no reason my blog can't be one of them.

Last year, for the first time in my life, I kept a journal on an almost daily basis. Many days, especially near the beginning, writing was a chore, but there were many other days where writing was a catharsis. And almost every day writing gave me a sense of accomplishment: that I had followed through on something I'd set out to do, no matter how tired I was (my preferred journal writing time was right before bed). Looking back, I'm pretty certain that keeping it helped me to work through a difficult time in a pretty healthy way. And so, I know the possibilities for reward in keeping my daily blog date.

I'm also feeling the pressures of keeping to my format. It started with the title of my blog which I hardly gave any thought to. Then a few days later with my first blog entry. And before I knew it, the angle on which I had been wondering what my blog would take had grown organically right before my eyes. However, I'm now finding myself thinking throughout the day, what am I going to blog about today? What can I accomplish, take a picture of, and blog about in an interesting way today? Whoa, talk about over-thinking something that began with the very idea of not over-thinking. The only remedy I can think of is to chill the fuck out!

Keeping up with my blog is important for a number of reasons, the most practical of which being, it gives me a ready answer to the question I dread receiving the most- 'What have you been up to lately?'. So with a sixth post now to my credit I cross off a daily #221: write.

Thumbs Up

2005-06-16T03:56:00.000-04:00

Thumbs Up, originally uploaded by carriemcm.

In general, I find the thumbs up sign to be a very annoying and trite gesture reserved for use only by morons, and typically accompanied by a wide and toothy grin. But, today I am giving myself a big two thumbs up (get it, the shadow), along with a pat on the back, a round of applause, a stamp of approval and every other cheesy euphemism for doing something well. I dealt with an issue today that has been plaguing me for a while and which, up until today, I chose to privately bemoan instead of taking action and doing something about. I didn't kick anyone's ass or anything, if that's what you're thinking. But I did stand up for a pretty important person, myself, and I like to think I did it with professionalism and grace to boot. It feels good.

So with thumbs high in the air I cross #107 off my list: you know what you are.

Correspondence & Conspiracy

2005-06-15T03:05:00.000-04:00

Correspondence, originally uploaded by carriemcm.

For some reason, I've had a particular aversion to the post office lately. I've been driving around with a package to be mailed in my car for at least two and a half weeks and a graduation card to be mailed (and written in) for almost a month. But with Father's Day looming and a stack of cards to be mailed, I couldn't avoid the post office any longer.

On the drive over to my local branch I pondered why I'd been avoiding my dear friend the post office. Anyone that knows me knows that I adore receiving mail. Recently a close friend has sent a few unexpected cards and each time I relished them, saving them to be opened after all the junk mail and bills. And I love knowing that I may bring the same experience to my family and friends with the cards and packages I send them. So what's my excuse? I boiled it down to two things: One, email and instant messenger are just too darn convenient. Why spend the time getting out a card, my fancy pen and address book when I could send an email from my computer that is likely already turned on? And two (or maybe this is just an extension of one), I am lazy. Not always, I do have my moments, but in general I am. There, I've admitted it.

Now, onto the conspiracy. I did my Father's Day card shopping a few days ago while the selection was still good, and picked up a variety of cards appropriate to each person (I'm lazy, but when I am going to make the effort to send a card, I take pride in doing it well!). Most of the cards were the typical greeting card size, but two were slightly larger. Nothing fancy, just normal cards. I filled them out, licked 'em closed and off I went to the post office. (I should preface the rest of this by saying, if I had a book of stamps, I would have put a stamp on each and sent them merrily on their way.) After my package was weighed and posted, I requested 5 stamps for the cards. The man behind the counter eyed them suspiciously and asked if any of them were heavy. 'Nope', I replied confidently, but he wasn't convinced and took the stack to weigh them himself. And what do you know, one of the two larger envelopes required TWO stamps! There were no photos or clippings enclosed, nothing at all except my well wishes, and apparantly those wishes weighed an extra stamp on this particular card.

What's more disturbing is the man behind the counter told me this is often the case with larger cards and when they only have one stamp affixed they'll attach a postage due sticker for the receiver to pay the difference. So now the receiver of the card has to pay for the happiness of receiving it! I'm sure I've been guilty of afflicting this double-edged sword of card receiving happiness on my family and friends more than once. All because I had no idea of the conspiracy between Hallmark and the US Post Office to milk us unsuspecting well-wishers out of an extra stamp just because the larger cards are sometimes cuter! Well I've blown the lid off that little secret, feel free to pass it on.

With a new conspiracy theory under my belt, I cross (for now) an on-going #32 off my list: be a better corresponder.

Cherry Chocolate Chip Bread

2005-06-14T04:13:00.000-04:00

Cherry Chocolate Chip Bread, originally uploaded by carriemcm.

It all started last week when I bought a bag of cherries, an innocuous purchase, or so I thought. The gorgeous bag of cherries quickly turned into The Cherry Dilemma: what is one person to do with so many cherries?

They were delicious- juicy and sweet with an ever so slight tart tang. A few days and a few handfuls didn't make a dent in the bottomless bag of cherries, so I turned to friends and the internet for ideas. I found there are surprisingly few recipes featuring fresh cherries, most call for the jarred or dried variety. And so it was with a leap of faith that I decided to re-work my favorite banana bread recipe into cherry bread. Then I remembered one of my favorite icecream flavor combinations: cherries & chocolate. Cherry bread evolved into cherry chocolate chip bread.

I had originally thought all my friends were going to be receiving a loaf of my experimental bread, but once pitted (my fingernails were stained red for days) the yield was far less than I expected. It was just enough to produce twin loaves. However, as you can see, the loaves are most certainly fraternal twins. The first loaf was the guinea pig, and though it left half it's goodness in the bottom of the pan, it paved the way for a near perfectly formed second loaf.

With crumbs on the keyboard and chocolate on my fingers I cross #79 off my list: what to do with way too many cherries.

Kasabian

2005-06-13T04:32:00.000-04:00

Kasabian, originally uploaded by carriemcm.

I was entertained by the band Kasabian tonight at The Clubhouse in Tempe. They are the most danceable band I've ever seen live. If you have a pulse I don't see how you can't help but groove- you have no choice, your body makes you.

This was the second time I've seen them, the first being back on March 15th of this year. I don't think I've ever seen the same band twice in the same year. However, if things go well, I'm slated to see Kasabian three more times this year. I think I will have full groupie status by that point. And who can blame me, just look at Serge.

Cause I'm a geek, the setlist:
1- I.D.
2- Cutt Off
3- Reason is Treason
4- Test Transmission
5- 55
6- Butcher Blues
7- Processed Beats
8- Nightworkers
9- ??
10- L.S.F.
11- Ovary Stripe?
12- Club Foot

Oh, ah ah ah ah ah ah...

And so with ears still ringing I cross #294 off my list: See Kasabian (again).

Numero Uno

2005-06-12T04:11:00.000-04:00

numero uno, originally uploaded by carriemcm.

It's my first blog entry.

I know I'm a little late to the party, a lot late actually. Does better late than never apply to blogs? I hope so.

What am I trying to accomplish with this blog? What's my angle? I haven't quite figured that out yet. Will I remain anonymous or will I give the blog address to friends & family? Will I wax poetic on a single subject or will I be all over the place? Will I use this as an online journal or will I edit myself? All questions that deserve answers, or consideration at the very least. I didn't think much about the title of my blog, it was just the first thing that popped into my head. Which may be indicative of my current mindset. I have a running to do list a mile long, and it doesn't seem that much is being crossed off.

So, for now I will bask in the happiness of crossing #368 off my list: create a blog.