dinerjunkie

A Rad Thing (Promises)

2011-09-25T15:18:00.000-04:00

I vow to never use the term "hubby."

Nearly Three Weeks

2011-08-20T09:31:00.002-04:00

Loving our new place.

Cats, too.

The change was very much welcome, though a teeny bit stressful.

We got this.

Flea markets and record stores today.

Other things, tomorrow.

And the days after that.

Like I said, WE GOT THIS.

I Don't Wanna Wait (for 2011 to be over)

2011-05-15T11:33:00.000-04:00

Last time I wrote was six months ago? Really? Wow.

Damn shame, I tell ya. I've been watching a lot of Dawson's Creek lately.

2010-11-30T13:44:00.000-05:00

It's my birthday, yo.

Breakfast at Honey's (best chocolate chip pancakes, people! best!) has already been had. The plan for the remainder of the day is lounging and reading while D gets his work done, and then putting on my fancy new cat print dress and going out for fancy pizza and fancy dessert! (Photos to follow, obvs.) I prefer simple birthdays to all out craziness.

And if that photo is indicative of anything, it's that I've been TOTALLY RIDICULOUS since the old days. And by old, I mean the late 70s.

What's up, 33? Bring it.

Delayed Post (the weekend in photos)

2010-11-09T13:22:00.000-05:00

Basically, we consume a lot of tomato-based products, our house is drafty, our cats act like sulky teens (mostly just Brother), leftover Halloween candy is my best friend, and Bloody Maria's at home aren't quite as tasty when you forget them on the coffee table for over an hour. Also, I discovered the pleasure of listening to NPR's live concert streams in my headphones while cooking and the comfort of jean leggings ("jeggings" makes me cringe, guys!).

Final thought: weekends aren't long enough.

Suddenly, I'm Drained

2010-09-21T19:40:00.000-04:00

It is truly exhausting to be around people all day. There are some days when I don't know how I do it. Today wasn't one of those days but for some reason, as soon as I walked in the front door, I started searching around in my head for the OFF switch.

I need quiet alone time to recharge and right now that time is being interrupted by the neighbor's irritating voice and the cats who won't stop romping around the house, chirping and mewing like goddamn freaks.

Everything that's moving and talking and rustling about, please stop!

And all I really want is the two cheeseburger meal from McDonald's. (This is me, sighing.)

The Weekend

2010-09-19T17:18:00.000-04:00

Busting Out The Old Gals Today

2010-09-17T14:49:00.000-04:00

A Note To Myself: GET OFF THE DAMN INTERNET AND GET THIS SHIT DONE.

2010-09-07T12:40:00.000-04:00

Today's goals include:

Folding the laundry that's been sitting in the dryer for a week
Vacuuming up cat hair (it is everywhere)
Writing an actual post that does not involve a to-do list
Finishing the book I'm currently reading
Taking a walk (in the shitty heat)

This list makes me look like the most boring person on earth. Really? Ugh. Why does seeing something like this—WORDS WRITTEN ON MY SCREEN THAT TELL ME WHAT TO DO—make me feel more inclined to actually, um, do something?

To make this post a little more worthwhile, here are some links to D's show! His name! In credits! On the television! Pretty cool, dudes.

Awesome Etsy Things

2010-08-25T15:08:00.016-04:00

So many things over on Etsy are catching my eye. It's kind of a good thing I don't have a regular full-time job right now. (Side note: working as a temp is a great way to practice financial self-control. You never know when you might be out of an assignment for a few weeks!) And since I'm pretty good at money-managing and prioritizing, I can't let myself spend electric bill money on animal figurines or another tote bag. Because, you know, having electricity (without which, I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TEMPT MYSELF BY BROWSING ON ETSY) is awesome. Right?!

Gah! I'll shut up now. Look at these things!

(via Batwings & Battleaxes)

(via Babooshka)

(via Brown Bag Vintage)

(via Shagpile)

(via Edor – I love all the necklaces in this shop!)

(via fifthquadrant – lots of fun stuff at this shop!)

I especially love the little panda because he looks like he's just kickin' it, like super duper chilling the eff out. I think he needs a beer.

(via Today Tomorrow Always)

A family of squirrels! Can't take the cuteness!

(via The Petite Chouette – animal sleeve t-shirt? Yes, please.)

(via Moop)

And I'm still loving Moop's Market Bag.

I should really stop browsing now and do some laundry. Instant buzz kill. Bleh.

A Rainy Thursday

2010-08-12T11:21:00.001-04:00

What are the chances the rain will bring the temperature down from over 90 degrees to something a bit more bearable?

Ha-ha-hardy-har-har, that's what I say. We'll see. Anyway, ever since watching all four seasons of Friday Night Lights in a less-than-two week period I've been on a new (to me) music discovery kick. And I can't get this song out of my head:

All This Time - Heartless Bastards

Also ALWAYS awesome (not related to FNL, by the way) are the songs of yesteryear. 90s R&B videos are the best and so is this song:

What are you guys listening to these days?

Style Comparison

2010-08-08T03:23:00.001-04:00

1998 (or so)

2009

Floral print dress and Doc Martens? Yeah, things haven't changed much. Weird.

Test Test Test

2010-07-24T11:57:00.005-04:00

This is a test post. I'm trying out the NetworkedBlog app on Facebook because I'm not satisfied with how the site currently imports blog posts into the Notes section. Lost formatting! No direct link to the blog! Blah blah, nerd stuff.

Sa-Sa-Saturday!

2010-07-24T09:37:00.007-04:00

(via whaas987)

Did I say Saturday? I meant CATURDAY. (That never gets old for me.)

It's so hot outside and it's only 9:30 in the morning. I can't let that keep me from running errands, though. I think a glass of iced tea and a little music will help get the day started.

A new Rogue Wave Daytrotter session! And a Regina Spektor cover:

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Convo Snippets

2010-07-20T09:23:00.002-04:00

Regarding the cat purring and headbutting his way in between us:

J: Brother, you sound like a pigeon.
D: His asshole doesn't look very good.
J: What do you mean it doesn't look very good? Stop looking at it.
D: It's like he's got problems with his anal glands or something. It looks like it exploded.
J: ...

Good Morning, Grrr ...

2010-07-20T07:22:00.005-04:00

I've been awake for four hours. I'm hungry. I have an interview. I am really looking forward to my afternoon nap. If I don't take it, I'm going to have to put on my crying mask.

(via akiko@flickr)

I'm just like a toddler, stomping around all pouty-faced and dramatic.

Insomnia

2010-07-20T04:50:00.005-04:00

It's 4:39 am. Can't sleep. Did sleep, from 10(ish) to 3:30 or so.

The things I think about at 4:39 in the morning:

Too many clothes, not enough closet space. Really, it's a problem. This house severely lacks closet space and that drives me insane. Clutter and disorganization are major contributors to anxiety, for me. I've been sitting here trying to think of better ways to utilize what we've got and even using that much brain power is not tiring me.

Derek's snoring. Any snoring gets under my skin but someone RIGHT NEXT TO ME is enough to 1) keep me awake, 2) make me really fucking cranky, and 3) go from cranky to full of rage. Cranky rage does not equal peaceful sleepy time. Ugh. Sometimes I think about signing D up for a sleep study, make sure he's not going to stop breathing in his sleep and all.

Things gone unfinished. Whether it's the kitchen that is only half cleaned/straightened up/whatever or the pile of books next to my bed, it all bothers me. This is pretty much just the first bullet point, extended.

Finances, but that's a pretty normal concern. Right? (I don't get into things like that on here. Boring!)

I think I'll just stay up and wait for Honey's to open so I can worry about more things and obsess over dumb shit while enjoying one of their delicious chocolate chip pancakes. Pancakes make everything better.

Nicknames

2010-06-29T11:19:00.008-04:00

Sometimes I like to call my cat C.C. (as in Deville, of Poison) because every once in awhile she gets all crazy and acts like a goddamned fallen angel.

Checking In

2010-05-16T09:15:00.002-04:00

It's been so long. I'm itching to write here again. Is it possible that I'm sick of the Internet?

Hi, World!

2010-03-04T14:24:00.011-05:00

Things I'm loving at the moment:

pops of yellow (a new desk lamp! a lovely cocktail ring via Etsy!)
alternating between Orange Pekoe and English Breakfast teas
dreaming of springtime
biographies
colored tights
English muffins with St. Dalfour's Red Raspberry & Pomegranate fruit spread

Things I am most certainly not loving:

stupid eye injuries (a corneal abrasion, to be specific)
being cooped up in the house in order to avoid bright lights
the runny nose I've had for weeks

Things I'm looking forward to in the near future:

D's birthday dinner (one with his fam in NYC and the other with me in Philly)!
a visit with Megan, Nick and sweet baby Cora!
getting the Etsy shop up and running!
finishing Jean Madeline!
the beach! (and summer, in general)
other things!

I had to use exclamation points in those statements. They're exciting!

Carry on, my friends.

Wowza! It's Been Months!

2010-01-16T18:27:00.008-05:00

Happy 2010, folks!

I started writing an entry just before the start of the new year but in true lazy-bones fashion, I never finished. Excuses, excuses, I know. But! I've got a busy schedule and I'm finding it hard to make time for myself, for the things I enjoy: reading, cooking, taking photos, BLOGGING, re-arranging furniture/organizing every nook and cranny of my house, having a social life. My schedule is so crammed that I've reached a point where I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed, anxious, and frustrated. I know it's not necessarily a bad way to feel but it sure does make the day-to-day a bit challenging. Not having time to center myself and do the things that bliss me out makes me cranky and a little sad. Then I get all "WHATEVER, PEOPLE! GO AWAY! I CAN'T THINK STRAIGHT WHEN I KNOW I HAVE KITCHEN CABINETS TO RE-ORGANIZE!" or some dumb shit like that. Know what I'm saying, Internets?

So, yeah. That's my life lately. And I'm really digging The Thermals, too.

(Hi, Aunt Bev! You're probably the only person reading this!)

I'm Here! Remember Me?

2009-08-09T16:21:00.006-04:00

Oh hey, guys. It's been a while. (Duh!)

Big post coming up. BIG, I tell ya. But not today. I'm too busy having a fun, lazy, no-pants-wearing, sprawl-on-the-couch-and-watch-old-episodes-of-LOST kind of day.

Summer rules.

It's a Ghost Town 'Round Here

2009-05-19T10:40:00.005-04:00

Mostly because I've been too busy enjoying life ...

(with this guy, of course!)

Two Posts in a Week?!

2009-04-03T19:38:00.005-04:00

Friday night, I typically lounge around and watch shitty television (What Not To Wear and Ghost Whisperer, to be more specific). I think I'm gonna skip that tonight and instead, do the following: clean the litter boxes, dust, vacuum, take a shower, wash my face, and get cuddled into bed with the cats and my computer AT A REASONABLE HOUR! Plus, I have a ton of photos to upload to Flickr, over a 1000 posts in my Google Reader to browse through, and a resume to touch up.

I really better get moving on this stuff before the couch grabs me and forces me to reach for the remote control.

Have a blissful weekend, friends!

Boo! Guess Who?

2009-03-29T10:26:00.007-04:00

It sure has been a long time, huh? Man, there is a lot to update about but I've got a major case of writer's block. It has been a particularly challenging couple of months 'round these parts for a number of reasons, all of which I'll probably get into at a later time.

For now, I'm trying to dig deep and find some inspiration. Hopefully, with a little time and some motivation, I'll feel less overwhelmed and more inclined to blog away!

Soon, my friends, soon.

In the meantime, here's a photo of the cats doing what they do best:

They sure are bums, aren't they?

Holy Crow!

2009-02-07T12:23:00.004-05:00

Has it really been three weeks since I last updated this thing?

It's What We Do

2009-01-18T03:30:00.002-05:00

Weekends are fun.

A Snippet of a Post

2009-01-06T12:08:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I had all these plans for tonight, like going to the gym and brining some pork chops and, heck, maybe even cleaning up that clothes pile in the back room.

Fuck that. All I feel like doing is going home and getting under the covers. Bleh. I think I'll go eat an egg.

Grumpy But Cute

2009-01-06T09:23:00.006-05:00

After waking up later than planned, snagging my tights on the velcro on someone's bag (which was thrown carelessly on the chair), I got to work in a foul mood. But! I'm feeling much better because of this post on Cute Overload.

I feel like that middle cat most days.

He (or she) is exceptionally cute in that fifth picture, too—right?!

A Note to 2009

2009-01-05T15:04:00.010-05:00

Hey, 2009, you are off to a good start!

The only thing I resolve to do this year is save money. And maybe read more but I'm mostly concentrating on the money thing. I think that's a much more reasonable resolution than the other ten or so I could come up with, right?

There are some exciting things to look forward to in the near (and not so near) future:

concert at the Kimmel Center this Friday (a very thoughtful Christmas present from D; our first time at the Kimmel and I get to wear my new Anthropologie dress!)

seven years on February 15th (it's still fun and not at all stale)

dinner at Buddakan again, perhaps for that seven year celebration? (mama got us a gift card!)

D's birthday (not 30 yet)

tax season means I will actually be busy at work (phew)

another new baby will be joining the family this summer (Missy keeps popping 'em out)!

I'm sure I'll be able to add more to the list as the days go by. For now, I'm keeping it short. I just had to get my first official list of the year going.

Continue on, '09.

Favorites of 2008: Music

2009-01-01T21:52:00.013-05:00

Ah, January. I guess it's finally time for me to list my favorite albums of '08. Most people tend to make this sort of post in December but what can I say? I procrastinate? Most likely.

Anyway, I couldn't narrow it down to just ten favorites. So here goes:

Favorite 15 (+1) albums of 2008

16. Beach House - Devotion
15. Human Highway - Moody Motorcycle
14. The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
13. Albert Hammond, Jr. - ¿Cómo Te Llama?
12. The Notwist - The Devil, You + Me
11. Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
10. Weezer - Weezer (Red Album)
9. She & Him - Volume One
8. Little Joy - Little Joy
7. The Kills - Midnight Boom
6. Okkervil River - The Stand Ins
5. Mates of State - Re-Arrange Us
4. Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst
3. Santogold - Santogold
2. Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line
1. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

I had a difficult time deciding between Bon Iver and Ra Ra Riot as my #1 favorite album of the year. For a long time, I was dead set that The Rhumb Line was my shit. And up until about three weeks ago, it was. Then I really started listening to For Emma, Forever Ago and it suddenly just hit me. Goddammit, it's just one of those records that gets to me. Sheesh, I can't explain it any better than all those other people who've been gushing over it since it came out. It really is that good.

Until next year . . .

(I've got $75 worth of gift cards for iTunes so I'm definitely ready for the new music of 2009!)

I Started Work This Morning in a Pissy Mood

2008-12-22T15:44:00.006-05:00

But now that Best Week Ever listed its 20 Geniously Retarded Gift Ideas for Under $20, my day is brighter. I am no longer annoyed by incompetent business owners simply because of this photo of a hamster eating popcorn while wearing pink wedges:

The shoes! The tiny tail! The. Fuzzy. Butt.

All previous annoyances are forgotten. Thank you, fat little hamster. You are a gem. A bearer of joy. A freakin' awesome little piece of the Internet.

Did I ever mention that I had hamsters as a kid? Well, I did and they ruled. Peaches, Pumpkin, Precious, Richie T. Starr, Queenie, Snowy, Daisy, and some others. Oh dear, I'm nuts.

Consider This Your Warning: Photo Heavy Post Ahead

2008-12-19T14:27:00.026-05:00

I finally took photos of our tree! I'm stoked, you guys. It turned out just right. It usually does, but the tree is real this year so that makes it even better. Better, I tell you!

I think I mentioned previously that I've never strung popcorn before. Isn't that something every kid does at some point during his or her childhood? I thought so, even though it wasn't a tradition in my own family. I like the look of it on trees; it has this sort of old fashioned, warm and homey kind of look and feel to it. While it was pretty time-consuming, I might just do it again next year. And the following year. And so on and so on for as long as I put up a tree. I also like eating it as I go.

I also put candy canes on the tree every year, something I remember my Grandmom Johnson doing when I was a kid. I always liked stealing candy canes from the tree.

Unrelated to Christmas - I think I might have enjoyed the thrill of stealing things as a kid.

Some of the dumb shit I stole in my childhood:

newspapers from all my neighbors within a three block radius (April and I were pretending to be papergirls) which my grandmother made us return;
soda from the truck my uncle drove when he worked for a local soda company (he stopped in for lunch, my cousins and I swiped a few cans each);

and the big scandal . . .
about 30 costume jewelry rings from K-mart that I stuffed into my mom's purse as she pushed the cart (with me sitting in it) around the store. She didn't discover the rings until after we got home but was too embarrassed to go back to the store for fear of someone thinking her four-year old was training to be world's youngest klepto. I won't even mention all the scrunchies and pens I stole from the Berlin Mart during my very short-lived rebellious adolescent years.

Jesus, you couldn't pay me to steal something from a store today. I'm such a chicken shit.

I did not steal that ornament. Or any of the others. I swear.

I did succumb to the Persuasive Powers of Target, though. I cannot go into that store without buying shit. Even if it's just some really adorable prickly wooden creatures. I'm still not sure if these are supposed to be squirrels. They remind of groundhogs, kind of.

I'm working on building an ornament collection instead of using the glass balls. I should try to find all the ornaments I received as gifts growing up. I know some of my family members would buy one for me every year but I'm not sure what happened to them. Maybe they're packed away with my grandparents' Christmas stuff. That's something to look into.

I love snowmen. They're so cute. I just wanna eat 'em.

This video game boy cracks me up. It was a gift from D a few years ago. It's supposed to be him playing video games. As usual. Pretty funny. But not quite as funny as what we decided to put on the top of our tree this year. I don't like the angel we've used the last few years and I didn't feel like going out to buy a star, so . . .

We went with a Boglin. A Boglin wearing the Santa hat and beard that we bought for Miles. Totally ridiculous but awesome. I love it. Best idea in a long time. And the cat likes it, too. Now he doesn't have to be humiliated in that stupid get-up.

Less than a week until Christmas! I'm excited this year!

Hot Spicy Candy, You Are The Devil

2008-12-19T12:16:00.005-05:00

After eating handfuls of cinnamon hearts three days ago, I think my taste buds are finally able to do their job again.

Cinnamon hearts are so good but damn them to hell for burning off my buds.

Hey Look, A Teeny Tiny Post About Stuff

2008-12-15T16:47:00.006-05:00

I promised myself I'd sit down and write a real post this week. You know, one about all the places in the city where I want to eat but haven't yet, or how I made a popcorn garland for the first time ever in my entire 31 years of life. Oh, or even that top ten albums of 2008 list. But honestly, I'm just too excited about the fact that I'm damn near finished my Christmas shopping and there's still over a week until the big day. (I tend to wait until the last minute, even though I always say I'm going to start early. I just really dislike being around Christmas shoppers.)

I ordered quite a number of things over the Internet and they should all be arriving this week (I hope!) so all I'll have left to do is wrap 'em and mail 'em (some of them, anyway).

It will be so very nice to not have to go out and deal with the rest of the morons doing their last minute shopping on December 24th. Hopefully—fingers crossed I don't forget anything.

PS. Apparently, I love parentheses.

This is When Rain Boots Would Come in Handy

2008-12-11T10:00:00.004-05:00

I'm sour as hell this morning. My pants, shoes, and socks are damp from the rain. I'm tired. I don't have much to do at work. I have a headache. I feel like doing one of two things: punching someone in the face, or getting into my bed and pulling the covers up over my head.

I'm done bitching now. Had to get it out.

Wait, no. I'm mostly annoyed by my damp pants and shoes. Fuck off, rain.

Okay, that's better. Proceed.

Is It Really That Time of Year Again?

2008-12-10T13:28:00.011-05:00

Over the last few days, I've been back to reading the good ol' music blogs. I kind of took a break from reading them for a while because I found I didn't have enough time during the day to sift through the crap to find a real gem. But now everyone's going crazy, blowing up the Internet with their lists of favorite albums of 2008, so it's been interesting (and easier to see what I might've missed that just might be worth listening to).

I'll probably get around to making a post about my favorites—and I've got quite a few of them this year—but for right now, I'm revisiting some of the albums of '08 that I listened to less than regularly. (Beach House's Devotion, anyone?)

Let's see if I can actually pick a top ten list. Stay tuned . . .

In the meantime, here are a few videos of songs from albums that are, without a doubt, on my top ten list:

What's on your list? Tell me!

Motherfucker (and every other expletive I know)

2008-12-03T13:27:00.004-05:00

I am pissed!!!

I turned on my work computer this morning and noticed it didn't look right. All my settings were messed up and it pretty much thought I was a new user. I couldn't open programs and my Outlook email wasn't set up. I thought that maybe we upgraded our system or something. I ask my co-worker if I'm the only one having this problem. Apparently, I am.

I restart. Things look normal again. Everything works. Or so I thought. Around 12:30 or so, right before lunch, I open iTunes and notice there are no songs. No a single one. Nothing. I look in the My Documents folder. Nothing! No more folders. WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK? Did I do something to the computer while I was clicking around looking for things the first time I turned the damn thing on? I don't even know! Maybe I did.

I've been trying to search the computer for lost files. No luck. So while I'm sort of hoping the personal folder that was in the My Documents folder—the one that included reading lists (read/to-read) from the last four years, old school work, photos, and music—might magically reappear, I'm faced with the shit-ass bitch of a reality that I'm going to have to start anew.

I'm going to get this freak out over with right now so I can stop thinking about how annoyed I am at the fact that I lost all my lists. Lists!!! I write them because they help me feel organized. They help me remember things. I feel so thrown off track right now. I don't even care about losing music files because I have most of that stuff on my Mac (or on cd). Actually, I'm only concerned about the lists of books I read over the years. I don't think I emailed those to myself recently. (That's my form of backup for this shitty work computer.) Ugh!

FUCKINGFUCKINGFUCKER. I HATE YOU PC. THIS SORT OF THING HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME ON MY MACBOOK. I HATE YOU, COMPUTER. I HATE YOU!

Okay, I'm done. I'm not even spell checking this asshole post.

Something I Noticed About The O.C.

2008-12-01T22:19:00.008-05:00

Okay, a couple weeks ago, D and I stopped in Best Buy and happened to pick up The O.C. - The Complete Third Season (and the fourth season, too). It was on sale for $14.99—you really can't beat that, right? And while I'm not a big dvd buyer in general, I am a sucker for quality teen dramas. Plus, we already own the first two seasons. (Must. Complete. Things.)

Anyway, what I was getting to . . . Ryan Atwood. Why, in the third season, is he, like, the Lord & Savior of Orange County? Everyone comes to him with their problems, look up to him like he's the dad, etc. He takes the Cohen's Range Rover at the drop of a hat (or anytime one of his lady friends is in distress). Whatever he says goes. All the damn time!

WHY? WHY? WHY? Ugh. Now I remember why this show started sucking halfway through the third season.

But! Gossip Girl, on the other hand? So, so good. (So far! We'll have to see if it gets stuck with the Third Season Curse.)

Well, folks, that's it. You can resume your quality blog-reading now, thanks.

(Okay, wait. Seth Cohen just said " . . . touch my pooper." Nevermind what I said before. Redeemed!)

Tuesday Morning: The Flashback Edition

2008-11-25T10:08:00.027-05:00

I am not going to deny that as a tween, I was into Bobby Brown. I loved his album, Don't Be Cruel. It had all the gems: "My Prerogative", "Roni", and my favorite, "Every Little Step". Though I loved Bell Biv Devoe, too, Mr. Brown was probably my favorite of the ex-New Edition fellas. I can remember many afternoons swinging on my swing set with Missy, listening to Bobby on my little pink boombox. (Swinging on the swings while listening to that boombox was probably one of my absolute favorite things to do as a kid. I'm pretty sure Missy and I had all of our oh-so-important pre-teen conversations during those swinging sessions.) Those pop stars of the eighties produced the soundtrack to my youth.

Anyway, I'm thinking of all this stuff because I somehow got one of Bobby's later songs stuck in my head on the way to work. I have no idea how it popped into my head. Maybe I heard it right before I walked into the door to my office building, after removing my earbuds, from a car on the street or something. I don't know. But now I can't get it out of my head. And it isn't even one of his songs that I enjoy. You wanna know what it is? Huh? Huh?

Yeah . . .

"Humping Around". Worst song. So dumb. And for as much as I liked Bobby Brown during the Don't Be Cruel era, I lost interest shortly after his third (studio) album, Bobby. It just didn't do it for me. Or maybe I just found something new to latch onto.

Anyway, Bobby Brown. I didn't follow his drama through the Whitney years or watch that crazy reality show he had on MTV (was it MTV?), but I can appreciate a little trip down memory lane every now and again. Back to when tween pop songs were actually kind of decent.

Here are a couple more vids:

PS. Oh wow, he has a book coming out about his life. Now you can read about the Whitney drama!

What I Think About During the Work Day

2008-11-18T11:20:00.007-05:00

Tuesdays are kind of shitty. Wait, every day has been kind of shitty lately. But I'm not going to get into that right now.

I'm trying to decide what I want to do later. There's a free violin concert at the Curtis Institute, a (nerd alert!) celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Oxford English Dictionary at the Free Library, ballet exercises and trampoline-jumping in my living room, or the mighty allure of my couch, a book, snuggly arm warmers, and a hot cup of tea. Too many things, I tell you! I am indecisive! Always.

What do you normally do on a Tuesday night? Especially if you're fighting off the blues? (I'm putting that lightly. Very lightly.)

The People in My Cell Phone

2008-11-17T12:03:00.004-05:00

Last night I was cleaning out my voicemail—there were 18 messages—and I came across not one but two messages from Pizza Hut. Yes, Pizza Hut. It was some crazy automated Pizza Hut guy who sounded like he just took some speed, telling me all about the AWESOME SPECIALS GOING ON RIGHT NOW! HURRY UP! DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE FOR . . . blah blah blah. There was so much excitement in his voice, I sort of wanted to cry.

When did Pizza Hut start calling people on their cell phones? Twice in one night? And how on earth did they get my number? Derek's always the one who calls to order, and we don't even get Pizza Hut very often!

It was weird. Almost as weird as that time Puffy (or was he Diddy in '04?) called and threatened my life if I did not get out and vote.

Cleaning The Bathroom With My Monster Friends

2008-11-16T18:26:00.008-05:00

The most productive thing I've done all weekend.

If You Have a Song Called "Hump 'Em N' Dump 'Em", I'm Sorry But . . . I Win!

2008-11-11T22:37:00.018-05:00

I'm glad it's cold out but I refuse to turn on the heat this early in the season. So I'm sitting here with my gloves, scarf, and hat on while I type. Okay, they're fingerless gloves but whatever. I've got all the important parts covered.

I started backing up all my music onto an external hard drive tonight and let me tell you, it's fucking time-consuming. I started in reverse alphabetical order and I'm only on W. To clarify, I'm putting all my cds (remember those? with all the downloading I do, I nearly forgot what one looked like) onto my computer, copying them onto the external drive, then wiping them off the computer again. I think I'd like to eventually box them all up in big ol' plastic containers and store them in the basement so I have more room on the bookshelf for records and, well, books. Besides the tons of cd storage boxes on the shelves, I've got those Case Logic cd books filled with discs whose cases have disappeared over the years. Oh and let's not forget all those burned cds, too. And D's Wheatus* cd.

Jesus, this project might take a while. I might even need to get an additional external hard drive.

I hate talking about my dreams, mostly because I can never remember enough detail to make an interesting story, but an ex-boyfriend of mine showed up in my dream last night and it's been bugging the shit out of me all day. It wasn't anything racy but it was weird because I haven't seen or spoken to this person in nearly ten years. Naturally I've been trying to Google his ass and find him on Facebook but UGH! I'm having no luck. The only conclusion(s) I can draw from his lack of Internet presence is that he's either still fucked up on drugs/in rehab/etc. or he's technologically challenged. I highly doubt the latter is true, though, since I vaguely remember him once telling me that he scammed people online and also created fake IDs for classmates at his New-England-college-which-I-will-not-name. By the way, he was long out of my life by the time his own went down the toilet. I don't date losers. But I still can't help but wonder what he's up to now.

Damn, my ass hurts from sitting. Time to stop reminiscing and get back to organizing those cds.

*I remember liking that one song, "Teenage Dirtbag", but after listening to the rest of the album this evening, I really need to know why anyone would buy that piece of crap. Why?! And more importantly, who gave those guys a record deal?!

This is Dedicated to All of Those (and Things) I Love

2008-11-09T17:48:00.004-05:00

I love Fall! I love the Standard Tap. I love Tom Welling indie rock bartender look-a-likes. I love brunch! I love whiskey! I love Derek! I love everyone! I love barbecue chicken! I love cats! I love Sunday! I love Philadelphia Brewing Company's Walt Wit! I love Philadelphia! I love Fishtown! I love you guys! I love our new president! I love ice cream! I love Little Britain! I love books! I love reading! I love libraries! I love music! I love asking Derek to explain and introduce me to music I don't know very well (classical!)! I love our hour-long conversations about the different classifications of classical music! I love feeling like I just got schooled in my musical knowledge. I love my cats. I love dogs—friends' dogs, strangers' dogs, shelter dogs, dogs on the Internet, puppy cam dogs.

I love everything.

I Think I've Said "Oh My God" Over 200 Times Tonight

2008-11-04T23:54:00.002-05:00

This is awesome, you guys.

I'm also completely stoked that our new Vice President looks like the missing third character from Beavis and Butthead.

Yeah, boy!

PS. Derek is making our cats chant "No More Bush!" over and over again.

Awww Kitty Kitty

2008-11-03T13:38:00.017-05:00

Yes, the subject line references a terrible dance/rap/mashup type song from the nineties. Guilty!

But hey, how about we talk about the fact that it's been over a week since I last wrote?! I have my reasons. It was a week that just wiped me out, both physically and emotionally. Boy, let me tell you.

As I mentioned previously, D & I spent last weekend in Brooklyn visiting friends. That was fun and low-key and I could go into more detail but I won't. I never did meet up with people I was supposed to call and maybe try to meet up with, mostly because I can't shake my tendency to avoid certain social situations. Sorry, folks.

Anyway! We came home on Sunday night to a sick cat. A very sick cat. I noticed a few days before leaving for NY that Brother was looking kind of thin and his fur was pretty unkempt. We were home for no less than an hour and he puked three times. He was also pretty lethargic and just plain out of it. He wasn't eating or drinking. I was freaking out, not quite sure what was going on. I called the vet on Monday and D took him in for me (I was at work) to get checked out. The doctor said his liver counts were high but his blood would go to the lab for further analysis. By Wednesday, he was still ignoring his food and water bowls and was in pretty bad shape. I took him back to the vet in order for her to show me how to do a fluid treatment for him at home. He was also prescribed a steriod pill to take, along with the antibiotic that he'd been taking for two days already.

Fast forward to now. D and I have been sticking the little guy in his back for the past five days, twice a day, in order to re-hydrate him. He finally started eating and drinking water from his bowl on Saturday and it seems his appetite is increasing each day. It's definitely a good sign but I don't think we're in the clear just yet. I gave him his last fluid treatment this morning and he's still getting the pills until they run out or until the doc says to stop. I'm waiting to hear back from her about our next step.

Pets are pretty easy to deal with until they get sick. It's hard taking care of a pet who needs needles and pills and stuff. It got me thinking about how hard it must be to deal with a sick kid. So much work. So stressful. So fucking time consuming. Oh, and have I mentioned emotionally draining? I don't know how parents with sick kids do it. Especially if they have other kids to take care of as well. Shit, it's been difficult just to fend off two other cats while waiting for what feels like forever while Brother takes his grand old time eating his food. If he were to leave his food unattended for a second, Sydney would devour it. She's a big fat pig. She acts like the little matchstick girl or something. It's pathetic. And Miles isn't much better. I watch those two eat and I feel like I'm watching some show on Animal Planet about lions hunting prey or some shit. If they were human, I'm pretty sure they'd be the Dahmers of 2008.

So as I was saying, I feel so bad for Brother. He's been pretty good about the needle but he absolutely HATES taking the pill. He acts like it's torture. Oh well. If it's helping him to recover (from whatever it is/was that he's got), I'll fight with him to take the thing every day. He's so brave. And he's also still a little unhinged in the brain. The other day, he was trying to bat around a small Tupperware container filled with water. He does dumb shit like that often. It's a sure sign he's feeling a little better. :)

Enough about sick cats . . . it's November! My favorite month. And not just because my birthday is in November (it's the last day) but also because, for a few weeks, I actually enjoy the shorter daylight hours. (By the time winter rolls around, forget it. I'm over it and ready for spring.) Oh, and Thanksgiving. Mmmm . . . we'll be spending the holiday in Connecticut with D's family which should be nice. But more on that stuff when it gets closer.

Are you guys excited for tomorrow? I don't know what I'm feeling but I'll be tuning in tomorrow night as the results roll in, armed with a beverage (or many) to either celebrate or cry into. I wonder if the Obama supporters in Philly will go as nuts as they did for the World Series?!!

We'll see . . .

New Jersey, I Still Love You

2008-10-24T10:07:00.009-04:00

I woke up this morning and thought there was a fire on our block. Nope. It turns out the pine barrens are still burning.

It's been a couple days since the fire started and it has now spread across 1,900 acres of land right near my hometown. The schools in Hammonton and the surrounding area are closed due to the smoke. And hell, it's so strong that I can smell it inside my office building. In Philly. Yuck.

I love the pine barrens. A little piece of me dies on the inside when I hear about it burning away.

This Took Entirely Too Long and It Kind of Sucks

2008-10-22T09:35:00.015-04:00

I have been a busy gal these last few days. Let's backtrack, shall we?

Last Friday night was Dave's 30th birthday shindig at South Philly Tap Room, which turned out to be a good ol' time. There was a nice turn out and people were showing up in shifts, which didn't leave us too cramped at the tables and provided quite a variety of conversation. I wanted to order the wild boar tacos but wasn't hungry when I first got to the bar and as the night progressed, I just kind of forgot about food. Until the end of the night when the last few of us left at the table decided to order some tasty desserts (smores! and something else, I can't remember!). Wohoo Dave, welcome to the 30 club!

Saturday was the Read-a-Thon. As I mentioned in my previous post, I only read three books but hey, that's a start, right? I wouldn't normally read three books in one weekend so I'd say my mission was accomplished. Maybe I should start devoting every Sunday morning/early afternoon to reading one entire book. It's kind of therapeutic.

Sunday was, well, nothing too exciting. I hung out with my mom downtown, had some lunch, bought some shoes (my weakness, lately), and ended the day on the couch with a bowl of pasta and True Blood. I also watched that movie Funny Games which I found made me feel uncomfortable and I decided later that I didn't like it. And I find Michael Pitt to be odd. And kind of annoying. And he still acts like Henry from Dawson's Creek! Ugh. Over it.

I'm also kind of over this day-by-day recap of events in my life. How boring! But I'll continue, on to the rock shows:

Monday night was Ben Kweller at Johnny Brenda's and he was awesome. As usual. His new stuff is very country but not the bad kind of country. The freakin' awesome rocking kind of country! And he still looks like he's twelve, wearing his teenage sister's jeans or something. The show was surprisingly not as packed as I thought it would be and we were lucky enough to stand right in front of the stage. Wohoo for small venues! Getting the full effect of the rock music!

Tuesday night was D's band's show at Tritone. They were good! I hadn't heard much of their songs prior to the show so I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but it was not disappointing! I took some photos, which I haven't gotten around to uploading to the computer yet, and I even took a little bit of video. Unfortunately, my video-taking skills are less than adequate. I didn't realize the mic volume on the camera was turned all the way up (the last time I used video on my camera, it was to record a mock interview for a class last year) so the sound is rather shoddy. Oh well. They've got another show next week and I'll be sure to brush up on my skills, yo.

Today's Thursday and I wrote most of this entry yesterday and I'm suddenly just not interested in finishing it. I feel sort of scattered lately. Lack of concentration and all that shit.

We're heading to Brooklyn this weekend to visit Justin and Rumi. We haven't seen them in a while and they have the cutest cats! Plus, I'm bringing the Scrabble. Good times, I tell you.

Final Read-a-Thon Thoughts

2008-10-19T19:20:00.004-04:00

I ended up finishing my third book this morning but didn't get a chance to update until now. I got super tired last night, probably because I didn't get enough sleep the night before, so I called it quits. I think three books in (about) 24 hours is pretty good for my first time doing the R-a-T.

I spent the day walking around downtown with my mom, just enjoying the chilly weather. Oh, and visiting the cats at PAWS. I was due for my weekly visit. Those cats needs love, too. (My favorite boy, Sebastian, was still there. Someone needs to adopt the sweetie already!)

Until later . . .

Read-a-Thon Post 2

2008-10-18T19:18:00.005-04:00

I'm further behind than I thought I'd be at this point—I'm only on my third book! Touching From A Distance: Ian Curtis and Joy Division by Deborah Curtis is sure to be a fairly quick read, which I find typical of most music biographies.

I took a pretty long break this afternoon to run errands and go to a late lunch. That sucked up three hours worth of reading time but oh well. Things had to be done! I'm back to the books now, armed with a delicious chocolate bar and a pumpkin pie tart for later. Mmmm . . .

There's still quite a lot of time left and I think I can definitely get through all six books.

I haven't even gotten the chance to really check in with other folks to see how they're progressing. Later, I guess.

The Introduction Meme

2008-10-18T10:10:00.005-04:00

Heck, I'll do this intro meme real fast. Then I'll get back to reading.

Where are you reading from today?
My house. Currently I'm on the couch with one of the cats, Sydney. I'll probably move around the house a bit to avoid getting all cramped up and shit.
3 facts about me …
I'm left-handed.
I cannot whistle to save my life.
I have never owned a dog (but really want one!)
How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
Six for now but I've got plenty more on my bookshelf that I haven't read. There's a chance I might switch things up a bit.
Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?
No, not particularly. This is my first read-a-thon so I'm just excited to be doing it.

I didn't answer the last question because it didn't apply to me. But, Yay! For reading!

Read-a-Thon Post 1

2008-10-18T09:53:00.004-04:00

Well, I got off to a little bit of a late start with my reading (about 45 minutes or so) since I was out later than I expected last night.

I decided to start my day with a library book: The End of the Alphabet by C S Richardson. It's a short one, only 119 pages, and I'm on page 47 right now.

I just sent D off to Rocket Cat for coffee and bagels. Need brain fuel. Now.

I'm going to try to take notes here and there so I don't have to keep popping back online too often. I'll probably make a few detailed posts later in the day but for now . . . back to reading!

24 Hours of Reading

2008-10-15T11:10:00.015-04:00

This Saturday, starting at 8 a.m.(EST), I will be participating in a 24 Hour Read-a-Thon. For fun. Just because I feel like doing it.

This blog is far from a book blog (or any other specific type of blog) but I read tons of book blogs and always find myself wanting to do challenges and stuff. And what could be more challenging than starting with 24 hours of nothing but reading? Though, I doubt I'll be reading the entire time. I can't imagine not napping or eating every so often. (Showering, pffft! I can do without that.) But I'm looking forward to checking in on other bloggers' progress and maybe even updating my own blog throughout the day. Woooo! Here's to the small goals in life!

I'm semi-stoked for this experience. I say semi because I'll be out celebrating Dave's birthday on Friday night and depending on how many tasty beverages I consume, my ability to function properly at 8 a.m. could be limited. I might just roll right over and hit my friend, Snooze, about ten times. At least.

So, we shall see.

In other news, it's only Wednesday. At least I've got some fun planned for later this evening. No, not the debate. (I'll hear plenty about it tomorrow, I'm sure.) D and I are going to JB's to see Ra Ra Riot, who've put out one of my favorite albums of the year. It should be a fun time but I'm so hungry for lunch right now that I can't think straight. Or tell you any more about . . . anything?

Hey, have you guys seen the dog jumping on the trampoline?! It's too awesome for words.

Incognito

2008-10-09T10:28:00.025-04:00

I'm not a huge fan of Martha Stewart but I love the gallery of pets in Halloween costumes over at her site.

My personal favorite, as of right now:

Tank, the fighter pilot ferret!

Oh my god, the cuteness is unbearable. I look into those tiny black eyes and my heart melts. And the tiny ears! Popping out of the hat! The scarf! Everything about this just kills me. My entire day has been made by this little guy. I just wanna squeeze him and love him! Weeee!

Animals are awesome.

Dreams: They Really Can Come True!

2008-10-08T10:38:00.013-04:00

I know my birthday is still over a month and a half away but I've already started thinking about things that would make it awesome.

A day at the spa (I'd settle for a one hour deep tissue massage)
A cake with an airbrushed picture of a gangsta cat (a plus if it's Brother)
Dinner (anywhere; I'm not too hard to please)
The Oxford English Dictionary (a 20-volume set—not gonna happen)

Okay, I really only want the airbrushed cake. It kills me to think about it. Hilarious! (Or maybe it's only funny if you know my cats.)

Turning 31 is no joke, peeps!

Fall, You've Finally Arrived

2008-10-07T09:44:00.032-04:00

It's been brisk for the past two days. I like. But I can't understand why people are dressing like they're in the Arctic. Seriously folks, winter coats and scarves? Whatever.

I ordered new boots yesterday. After wearing the same pair of Dr. Martens for the last, oh, thirteen years, I decided it was time for a new pair. I wanted another pair of Dr. Martens because they're quality boots that last forever and also because I'm stuck in 1995. No really, my calves are not narrow and lace up boots are my only option. So I splurged on these:

I promise I won't be wearing them with a flowered baby doll dress. For real. (And holy crap do those elves over at Zappos work fast. The boots were delivered to my desk as I was typing that last sentence! I only ordered them yesterday afternoon!)

I guess I'll be making a stop at Daffy's during my lunch hour so I can purchase some higher socks to wear with these babies. And maybe some fun tights, too.

Other bits and pieces:

My Fall Reading List:
North and South - Elizabeth Gaskell Touching from a Distance: Ian Curtis & Joy Division - Deborah Curtis The Mysteries of Udolpho - Ann Radcliffe Gothic Tales - Elizabeth Gaskell Ruth Hall - Fanny Fern Les Miserables - Victor Hugo (Let's see how far I get through this one.) What are you guys reading these days? Any suggestions?
It's soup season and I love it. Nodding Head Brewery makes an amazing baked potato & bacon soup. D and I stopped in yesterday to try it and we were not disappointed. I'm definitely going to have to try making it at home. What's your favorite kind of soup? (I'll take the recipe, too, please.)
The last episode of True Blood: WTF?! The ending? I bet it was the creepy bartender! I can't stand him. But I love that show.
I'm sick of hearing/seeing political stuff. But you already knew that. I can't wait till election day comes and goes. At least the volunteers for voter registration are off the streets of Philly as of yesterday. One less annoyance during the day.
Do any of you get the word-a-day emails? I do but I don't always read them. A friend and I were chatting yesterday about some of the words we can't stand and those that we love. Tell me, what are your favorites? Most hated? I'll post a list of mine one day.

MUST INTERRUPT THIS POSTING . . .

I need tea. My brain has stopped functioning. Caffeine, please.

The Little Things

2008-10-02T20:47:00.005-04:00

Oh it's so sweet to have a cat who lovingly greets me at the door and then promptly starts licking his balls like a maniac.

Life is awesome, isn't it?

PS. I got a haircut and it is fabulous. As always.

Let's Backtrack, Shall We?

2008-09-26T10:16:00.022-04:00

Is anyone else loving this Intro to Fall weather as much as I am? Seriously, I don't even mind the rain. And even though it makes me want to stay home under the covers, tea in one hand and a book in the other, it makes me pretty happy. In a sort of depressing-but-happy way. Maybe because it's easier to make depression fit into your lifestyle when the surroundings aren't all sunshine and warmth? I dunno. Fall actually makes me notice the effects of depression less, probably because my normal extracurricular routine this time of year tends to be reading, lounging and generally laying low, which right there is a great big package of Escape From Reality—all tied together with a pretty bow. I'm not complaining; I'm embracing.

Wow. I really set the tone, huh? I'm actually not feeling as droopy as it might seem. I was lounging on the couch the other night with D—him on the computer, me reading—and I felt totally blissed out. It was good. It was real good. Like I wasn't burdened by the typical worries and stresses and other things that seem to work my nerves on a daily basis. And man, let me tell you, I love those here-and-now moments of total bliss. I think it made my whole week.

It's been kind of a long week. I'm still sniffling a bit from that nasty cold I had last week, the one that stole my voice and confined me to the couch for a few days. I'm sure glad we have cable again; it was my best friend last week. (I blame television for my lack of updates here.) I indulged in some of the shittiest television, including old episodes of 90210 and The Devil Wears Prada, while eating crackers and soup. I also started watching that new vampire show, True Blood, and now I'm totally hooked. I like vampire stuff! And hell, it's the perfect time of year for it.

Anyway, I'm a little behind on reading the blogs but I've starred a bunch of stuff in my Google Reader to go back to later. Maybe then I'll have more to talk about. For now, I'm going to take advantage of a quiet day here in the office and do some stuff. (Read, surf, you know. The usual.)

Capital "S" for Slacker

2008-09-15T09:56:00.019-04:00

Has it really been a whole week since I last wrote? Jeez. I have no excuse. I'm on the Internet every damn day. But there was that thing. And that thing. Oh, and, possibly that other thing. Yeah, yeah. You get my drift. I was busy in a very non-busy way.

Whatever. Over the course of the week, my arm started feeling a little better but now I'm fighting off a cold. Sort of. I mean, I've got one but I'm trying my best to keep it from working its way down into my chest. I do not want that horrible cough that comes with a chest cold. D's got it right now (hence my lack of sleep—coughing keeps everyone awake at night) but so far, I haven't felt anything in my own chest. Thank goodness for that. My head, on the other hand, feels so full of snot. Ugh. It alternates from the right to left side, depending on the time of day or how I sleep at a night. I'm currently in a Cold Medicine Fog that keeps me from caring when someone at work asks, "Are you having fun yet?" (No! I'm not! Ever!) But if the CMF prevents me from giving a shit, well, GIVE ME MORE MEDS, PLEASE!

Ugh! Lack of concentration! I'm cutting this short. My head is not clear enough to get the rest of this post together. I've got more to talk about but it'll have to wait 'til later.

Clicking Around (some links)

2008-09-08T17:13:00.023-04:00

100 Things You Should Eat Before You Die. I've only tried 23 of the 100, possibly 24 if you count prickly pear in the form of a margarita.

The 33 most Overrated People, Places, Trends and Other Junk in Rock. I'm going to have to disagree with numbers 18 and 23. Oh, Blender, I love my lists.

The "I'm Chuck Bass" Fitted Tee. Just . . . wow. That's going a bit far now, right? I think I'd die laughing if I saw someone wearing it. Unless, of course, it was Chuck Bass. Infatuated by a fictional character much?

Big Macs and OCD? Where do they find these stories? Why is this even news? Next . . . !

Yet Another List of Music Related Blogs. These are supposedly the Top 100. Like we aren't already reading half of those listed. (By they way, some of my favorites aren't there! Phooey to that. Stay in the dark, why don't ya?)

Not link-related: Why did I join Tumblr? I don't even use it. Also, I wish I could magically fast forward to next Monday night at 8:00 p.m. because it looks like Blair and Chuck are gonna spice things up on GG. A big fat double YAY! (YAY!) My reason for living. (I kid. Sort of.)

Wow, the ER is Really Interesting at 1:30 a.m.

2008-09-06T14:35:00.009-04:00

Last night I ended up going to ER because of the excruciating pain in my arm. I signed in at 11:18 p.m. and didn't get out until well after 3:30 a.m. It would have been even longer had I stayed and checked in at Jefferson's ER (which is a total dump, despite having an excellent reputation as a first-rate medical facility). I figured I'd try Jeff first since my regular doctor practices out of there and I think she's great. But anyway, since it's a trauma hospital (and we are in Killadelphia!), the wait is super long in the ER. So it was off to Pennsylvania Hospital (they just opened the newly renovated ER yesterday) a few blocks away. In the rain. Fun.

(Sidenote: Everyone on staff was helpful and friendly, even at three in the morning! I was impressed. I'm seriously considering finding a new primary care physician in their network. And the hospital itself is now part of University of Pennsylvania Health Systems, so that's a good sign.)

The doctor that checked me out said it's most likely a bad muscle pull, though some of the pain could be from a pinched nerve in my neck where I've got a lot of muscle spasms. I figured as much and probably didn't even need to go to the hospital but hell, I have insurance for a reason. Might as well get some use out of it, right? Plus, the Advil wasn't really cutting it and the label warned me to not take more than six pills a day unless directed by a physician. Ha! I got the okay to take four pills every six hours, plus a Valium to help with the spasms. Wohoo! I'm a spaz! Maybe I'll be able to sleep comfortably for the next few days. Finally. I should feel better in a few days. Maybe a week. But for now, I have a dumb sling to help limit the movement of my arm. Dork!

Oh, right. Did I mention how many drunk people there were in the ER last night? Jeez. College is definitely back in session because there were mad drunken fools all over the place, looking fairly busted up. Glazed-over eyes and popped collars, how attractive! I love me some eavesdropping so I was pretty content with my waiting room experience. I learned that some freshman girl puked all over a dude and then fell on her face or something but none of her friends would bring her to the hospital so the puke victim and his buddies did. Nice friends, girl. You might want to find some new ones. Then there was some drunken-looking hipster girl who had a bloodied hand (a bike accident, maybe?) and was being pretty annoying and whiny. Ugh, I wanted to buy her some new jean shorts and a bottle of shampoo. Oh right, and then there was the whole slew of (probably) underage sorority girls, dressed like Hooker Barbie, gathered in the corner waiting for one of their friends who got brought in on a stretcher for god-only-know what reason. Apparently, when I was in the back getting checked out, one of the girls passed out on the floor. Ha! Kids.

I swear, I've been pretty drunk before but never to point that I've needed to go to the ER. What is wrong with these kids?! Am I old? Do I just not understand anymore? Should I even give a shit? Ugh, people, learn how to handle your booze! I'm probably half your size and have never been in one of those so-called emergency situations. Wah!

I can't think about it anymore. I'm going to go watch more Gossip Girl or read a few more chapters from Breaking Dawn, pop a Valium and take a freakin' nap. I can't be bothered with anything else today.

Thank goodness it's raining.

Wow, I'm Off to a Good Start

2008-09-05T09:27:00.004-04:00

Today is mildly shitty, despite the fact that it's Friday. I should be like, "Oh yay! Weekend! Wohoo!" . . . shouldn't I? Whatever.

I've had this awful pain in my left arm, mostly in the bicep/elbow area but it extends up to my shoulder and down to about mid-forearm. It's been so painful that I've been popping Advil like crazy and not sleeping very well. It's got to be a pulled muscle which either occurred last Friday night when I was moving furniture around (pushing and pulling a big bookshelf, with all the records and books still on it, was probably not a good idea), or when I did a drunken handstand on the steps up to Dave's apartment. I'm putting my money on the pushing/pulling of the ridiculously heavy bookshelf. Anyway, it kills and I've been semi-miserable for the last three days. The pain of a pulled muscle tends to worsen as the days go by and let me say: I'm over it. It feels like I've got a gimp arm. And to make things worse, it's my left arm (I'm a lefty). Eff this shit.

I've also got a viewing to go to tonight so I'm dressed rather uncomfortably since I need to leave the city right after work in order to get there on time. Can today just be over already?

Hey, You

2008-09-04T12:29:00.003-04:00

Raise your hand if your sick of seeing political commentary on everyone and their dead mother's blog.

Man, I liked when the Internet was much more lighthearted and fun.

XoXo

2008-09-03T09:27:00.004-04:00

I take back what I said about Chuck in my last post. I love him! He's my favorite character on the show! I love the Chuck/Blair thing! I love the whole entire scandalous show!

Oh my god, I'm hooked on Gossip Girl. I don't even have anything else to write about today because all I want to do is look up stuff about the actors on all my favorite gossip sites. Nerd!

I'm a Sucker for Teen Drama

2008-08-29T11:03:00.009-04:00

I started watching the first season of Gossip Girl last night. Dear lord, what am I getting myself into? I think I hate almost all of the characters but I already love the show. Derek, on the other hand, thinks it's awful. I think he's just salty because it reminds him of the kind of kids he went to private school with—rich, totally full of themselves, and overall genuinely dicky.

Whatever, D. You'll grow to love it. I can tell. Shows like this have a way of sucking you in and turning your brain to mush. At that point you can't ever go back to quality television programming.

One more thing: I think that Chuck guy is a complete tool but I have a feeling he's going to be my favorite love/hate character. Ugh! Why?!!!! I want to punch him in the face except, sometimes, I think he's kind of funny.

I'm losing it. Stay tuned . . .

Why I Love the Internet (in Links)

2008-08-27T09:41:00.061-04:00

The Ten Best Episodes of Dawson's Creek! The best part of the episode in which Abby dies is when Jen Linley stands up at the funeral and gives her remembrance speech: "Abby taught me how to do tequila shooters . . . with one hand behind my back!" Fucking classic. Cracks me up every time. And to this day, I hear that line in my head EVERY SINGLE TIME I do a shot of tequila. God damn you, Linley. Way to ruin my tequila shooting experience. Bitch.

Quit your job, play Guitar Hero professionally. Or, if you're still in high school, drop out! You'll never use calculus in real life, anyway. This whole story is just crazy. I don't even know what to think except . . . $80,000?! For playing a video game?

The superiority of a Special Edition Reese's Cup to the regular cup is undeniable. I love when other people get fanatical about Reese's. Slashfood blogger Kristyn knows what's up: the Easter Reese's Peanut Butter Egg is, by far, at the head of class when it comes to ranking the Special Edition Cups.

More Prince Chunk commentary. Ah, Philadelphia Will Do, you keep me entertained daily.

Philadelphians, big tippers? I should ask D what he thinks about this one.

I Still Love Sundays (even if I'm doing a whole lot of nothing)

2008-08-24T19:06:00.012-04:00

I managed to tackle most of the things on my weekend to-do list! Cleaned house? Check! Read magazines and updated iPod? Check! Changed the light bulbs (sort of)? Check! (I only changed the kitchen bulbs, still need to change one in the living room and two in the upstairs hallway.) And you better believe I jumped on the mini-tramp. Boy, that thing is fun as hell! Derek even likes it, and he was sort of busting on me for wanting to get it in the first place. I love that it keeps track of how many bounces you do, and also how many minutes you bounce and calories you burn. It's totally flippin' awesome. It makes me feel like a kid bouncing on the bed. Except I can't do seat drops or flips or anything because it's not made for that. But super fun, nonetheless. Soon, there will be videos. Of the cats. Jumping. I bet you can't wait!!! (Neither can they.)

The Food Network has been playing ice cream themed shows all afternoon. It's driving me crazy! I love ice cream so much! We've got two flavors (black raspberry and vanilla fudge swirl) in the freezer but I'm not in the mood for either of them. Grrr . . . Hey, did you know that having vanilla as your favorite flavor does not, in fact, make you a boring, lifeless lump of doo? IceCream.com says it actually means just the opposite—you are dramatic, colorful, a risk-taker! I suppose now I can be proud of lovin' me some Breyers Natural Vanilla, right? Douse that in chocolate syrup and I'm happier than the cats when they hear me open a can of tuna. And that's really effin' happy.

I should turn off the Food Network now. It's evil.

Here's a fun song: "The Bubble Gum Song (nana-nana)" - Cafe Con Leche

The Weekend is Finally Here!

2008-08-22T18:59:00.023-04:00

It has felt like a slow week in these parts. It took nearly all week for my body to recover from that gymnastics class. There was a whole lot of soreness and probably some pulled muscles. My back and chest were so sore, I was having a little trouble with simple things, oh, such as coughing, sneezing and breathing. Yeah. Anyway, I'm looking forward to a productive yet relaxing Saturday. I have a list of things I really want to do:

1. Clean the house. The kitchen only takes about 15-20 minutes and then I just want to do a quick dusting of things that are dusty and vacuum the little piles of cat hair that are starting to make our floor look like a field of tumbleweeds. Three cats equal a lot of extra hair EVERYWHERE. Especially if you're lax when it comes to vacuuming, like me. I think it might be my most hated chore. Oh well.

2. Replace light bulbs. Yes, we have light bulbs in the living room, kitchen and upstairs hallway that have been burnt out for (many) months. How is that for lazy? Tomorrow, I will replace all of them, despite being too short to even reach them on a step stool. If I don't change the bulbs, it's likely they'll never get changed until god-only-knows when. Derek isn't the most motivated person when it comes to keeping house and doing maintenance-type stuff. Whatev! He's much better in the kitchen (where he belongs).

3. Update my iPod. I have a bunch of new music to add to the iPod, to replace what I'm going to take off. I'm sick of bunch of crap I've got on there that only ends up getting skipped whenever it comes up on shuffle. It's nice to refresh things every so often. I re-joined eMusic a couple months ago so I've got some albums that I haven't even listened to in their entirety yet. A few of those are Moody Motorcycle (Human Highway); Conor Oberst (Conor Oberst, duh); and Rook (Shearwater). I think tomorrow will be a good day for devoting a couple (or more!) hours to just chilling on the couch with the Mac and the music.

4. Read some magazines. They are piling up! I canceled all my magazine subscriptions a couple years ago, when I went back to school, because I didn't have time to read them. But now that I've got free time again, I went a little crazy with the magazine subscriptions. Hey, it's still cheaper to buy a subscription than to buy a magazine every month for an entire year. Anyway, I love magazines. Always have. I especially love free magazines subscriptions. You can find them if you just do a little online searching. Along with the mags I pay for, we get SPIN and Metropolitan Home for free. I also love food magazines like Gourmet, Bon Appétit and Cooking Light. I think I know what I'll be doing while listening to those albums mentioned above . . .

5. Eat some vegetables. I've been eating a lot of crap lately and I'm really just craving a big dinner full of grilled vegetables. That is really all I have to say about this. (It makes me hungry just thinking about it.) I guess I'll hit up a farmers' market first thing tomorrow morning so Derek can cook up a lovely vegetable medley! Oh, and maybe even grill some fruit. Mmmm . . .

6. Bounce on the trampoline! Did you guys know I'm twelve?! Really! I am! And what twelve-year-old doesn't like bouncing around like a goof? Pfft . . . none! I sure as hell like jumping. In fact, I think I'd go so far as saying I LOVE JUMPING. It's fun. And it's good for you, too. Now I can strengthen my core by doing tuck jumps! Who needs crunches? (Boring.) I'm slowly getting small pieces of equipment that I'll actually use for home workouts. The pull up bar is next. :)

So there you have it, my very planned out, low-key weekend. Wow, I'm fairly boring.

Jam-Packed Weekend Adventures

2008-08-18T10:02:00.010-04:00

The weekend was one of the busiest I've had in a while. Drinks with friends on Friday, beach on Saturday, and gymnastics class yesterday. I'm still pretty exhausted. So much so, I don't even feel like writing about any of it right now! Plus, my entire body feels like it was thrown out of a window. I'm sore in such odd places, too, like the front of my neck (under my chin) and the arches of my feet. Muscle cream and Advil are my buddies.

Last night I was trying to talk Derek into going to the Abs class at the gym today but I realize now that the tumbling must have jostled my brain a bit. Who am I kidding?! There is no way I'm doing anything physical today, except maybe some light stretching.

I'm even going to skip date night in favor of sprawling across my bed and passing the hell out.

PS. Does anyone want to take a circus class with me?! It looks like a lot of fun!

I Meant to Write About Date Night . . . Last Week

2008-08-12T10:09:00.066-04:00

Lately, Monday has been date night. It's a perfect night to go out since most places aren't crowded, which leaves us with little pressure to eat-and-run. It's really nice to have plenty of time for lounging around, enjoying the food, drinks, and atmosphere.

Last Monday night we hit up the old stand-by, Continental in Old City, for a light meal and some drinks. Typically, I don't order fancy cocktails at restaurants or bars. They just aren't my style. I prefer beer. But we were told that the restaurant recently added a whole bunch of new cocktails to their menu so we figured we'd consider ordering one. Boy-oh-boy! They did not disappoint! Before we even made our selections, our first round was sent out by a manager D worked with at Midtown, and it included the South Pacific (mango, passion fruit infused vodka, fresh orange and champagne with a raw sugar rim) and the Strawberry Fields (vanilla vodka, strawberries, balsamic vinegar and basil with a balsamic sugar rim).

The South Pacific was awesome! It wasn't too sweet—I hate super sweet fruity fancy drinks—and the flavors worked really well together. Passion fruit is just wonderful, whether it's in a drink or dessert or anything, so naturally, this drink had DELICIOUS written all over it, from the start. I especially liked the way the champagne gave it a little extra zing. The drink was like an updated version of a mimosa. But better. I would order this at Sunday brunch, for sure.

The Strawberry Fields, on the other hand, I found to be a little too sweet for me. I think it might have been the vanilla vodka that did it. Other than that, it was good. The aroma of balsamic when you pick up the glass to drink it—fantastic! Too die for, even! (I fucking hate that phrase—it reminds of robot waitresses at Olive Garden or some other chain restaurant, but I had to use it!) I wanted to like this drink so much more, simply because I love strawberries with basil and balsamic vinegar but the sweetness that hits you after you sip it, well, it wasn't working for me. Both the manager and our server claimed it to be their favorite new drink on the menu. D liked it a lot, too. I probably wouldn't order this one again, unless they made it a little less sweet.

First round of drinks aside, it was time for food. We ordered the special, a fondue platter with hangar steak, tempura vegetables, toasted bread, and sliced apples. I'm not sure what kind of cheese was served with the platter but it was delicious. Fondue is fun! We also ordered the tuna tartare (my favorite thing on the menu) and the wasabi mashed potatoes. It helps to know people because we somehow also ended up with an order of cheesesteak egg rolls. I didn't try those because I really do not like mushrooms and they were stuffed in there with the meat. But D found them to be much tastier than the ones they serve at Midtown. Apparently, the presentation is much prettier, too. But enough about those . . . on to the rest of the drinks!

For our second round of cocktails, D had the Aloe-Ha and I had the Blackberry Mojito Martini, both of which were keepers. The Aloe-Ha (I can't get over the name! Love it!) is made with Hendrick's Gin, aloe, fresh watermelon, and cucumber. I know, this drink sounds kind of bizarre. Aloe? In a drink? Really?

My initial reaction: it smells like Bath & Body Works! Cucumber Melon! No kidding! I instantly felt like I was amongst shelf after shelf of lotion, body splash and other smelly skin stuff. And the taste . . . it even tasted like lotion! But in a good way! Seriously! (I swear, I am not a lotion-eater, I'm just excited about this drink, can't you tell?) I felt like I was drinking a cocktail while taking a shower or something. This seriously needs to be the summer drink. It's very light and refreshing. And lotion-y! A++! It was so good that we even stopped laughing (for a minute) at the girl sitting diagonal from our table who was wearing a dress so small and short that it could've fit my 8-year-old cousin. And at one point, I think I saw her vag. But hey, at least we had delicious cocktails! Bottoms up! (Except for hers, please.)

Now, my Blackberry Mojito Martini. It did not disappoint. At all. I admit, I've never had a mojito. Yeah, yeah, whatever. I don't care for rum. I think it all goes back to one time when I was out with my cousin April and her friends and whole bunch of rum & cokes. Anyway, rum. Can't stand it. But I really wanted to try a drink with blackberry, which is my ultimate summer fruit this year. I love blackberries. So tart, yet still sweet. Mmmm . . . Anyway, I figured if I hated it, I could just shove it off to D and order something else. Of course that wasn't necessary, though, because it was wonderful. I believe I made some kind of strange noise during my first sip and suddenly had Gollum eyes, which D took to be a good sign. I think I could drink a whole pitcher of blackberry mojito. It went down like punch. Tasty, tasty minty blackberry punch. I would absolutely order this again. And again. And again.

What on earth am I going to do once summer is over and the appeal of fruity or crisp and refreshing cocktails has fizzled? Scotch, maybe? I don't think I'm there yet.

At this point, we were thinking that maybe we should end our cocktail tasting party since those things really add up! But then we rationalized that "it's date night!" so we ordered another round, along with dessert.

Drinks round three: a blueberry martini and the Mexico City (Grand Marnier, tequila, lime, and cranberry juice). The blueberry martini was very much like drinking a pint of blueberries. If you like blueberries, that is a very good thing. If you don't, well, you're screwed. It was really good, though, despite the fact that I'm still working through my love/hate relationship with blueberries. The Mexico City was good by default because it's a tequila drink. Enough said.

Continental Midtown has some of my favorite desserts in the city but the last couple of times we dined at the Old City location, we were impressed by their re-vamped dessert menu. The desserts are now served in tall shot glasses and the server brings the whole tray over to the table for you to choose which ones you'd like. We picked out two: the Milk & Cookies—panna cotta with two tiny Cookie Crisp-sized chocolate chip cookies on top (I am a sucker for adorable desserts); and the Chocolate Cake with Rasberries, which has layers of bittersweet chocolate (mousse, I think), a dark chocolate brownie-ish square, raspberries (duh!) and cake. Both were scrumdiddlyumptious.

I think I could eat those desserts every day. Gimme! Please!

To top off the evening, our check came out surprisingly (very) low—perks of D working where he does—and our waitress got a nice big tip out of the deal. :) Good times all around! We ended up leaving with full bellies, a slight buzz, and money left over. (Not for long, though. We ended up stopping by Johnny Brenda's on our walk home for a couple date-ending beers and use of the bathroom. Mostly, the bathroom. A thirty minute walk is no fun when your bladder feels like it's going to explode.)

I love date night!

Date night!

Love it!!!

Coming up: What Not to Wear ~~Anywhere~~ to a Nice Restaurant Unless You Are Trying to Look Like a Cheap Hooker.

Five Current Loves

2008-08-10T16:49:00.012-04:00

1. Sly Fox Royal Weisse - I noticed as I was reading reviews of this beer online that not one person mentions how much it tastes like BUBBLEGUM. You know, the individual pieces of original flavor Bazooka gum with a comic on the wrapper? Remember those? I think you can still get them in the 10¢ bin at Wawa. Anyway, yeah. Bubblegum is the one thing that comes to mind when I drink the Royal Weisse and I LOVE IT. (Who doesn't love bubblegum?! Really.) I especially love that a lot of the bars I frequent have it on tap this time of year. Hooray!

2. White/dark interiors - I'm not talking about the black and white craze that seems to be going on right now in the interior design world, but rather white and dark wood pieces (I like the modern-meets-earthy look). I've been trying to incorporate more white in the house because it really works well with the dark wood floors while also brightening things up a bit. My beef with row homes: two windows in the front and a kitchen window in the back, on the first floor, does not make for a very bright and cheerful living/dining area. It really irks me because I love lots of light in a room. Oh well, I can't be too picky since we're just renting anyway. (The light thing is one of the very few negative things about the house we rent.)

Some photos of white/dark interiors that I like:

3. Brookadelphia - I love the jewelry on this site, all of which is made by Amber and Heather Zezeck of Brooklyn and Philly. Have something to say? Want to wear it proudly? You can! They customize! Seriously, people, how great is Etsy? So many gems to be found there.

By the way, I bought one of the necklaces. Can you guess which one?

4. The Golden Girls - With the recent passing of Estelle Getty, who played Sophia Petrillo (my personal favorite GG), I was inspired to add the first season to my Netflix queue. After watching the first disc of the season (eight episodes) and remembered how much I loved the show when I was a kid. Maybe it's because I'm an old lady on the inside? Or is it that I find old lady humor to be pretty damn funny? Or maybe it's just because Sophia reminds me of my Aunt Mary, with her biting remarks and petite stature? Probably all of the above. I'm already finished with the second disc of season one so it's time to move the third disc up in my queue. Wohoo!

5. The Weather! - The past few days have been gorgeous, temperature-wise. Low eighties? I'll take it. I actually thought about fall the other day. I know there's still over a month of summer left but I'm looking forward to cooler weather already.

Monday, You Aren't Even Bringing Me Down

2008-08-04T11:27:00.041-04:00

So . . . buttermilk. I have to say that I've never made anything using buttermilk before. Not a big deal, I realize. The thing is, I only needed a small amount of the stuff for the cupcakes I made yesterday and now I have nearly a whole container of it sitting in my fridge. I suppose I could make buttermilk biscuits. Or find another cupcake recipe that calls for buttermilk. What do you guys do with buttermilk? (Other than pancakes because I don't make pancakes during the week and I'm not sure the milk will keep until the weekend.) If any of you (three readers) have a tasty but not too complicated recipe for something that contains buttermilk, please, send it my way.

Now, the cupcakes. I finally got around to making the chocolate & bacon cupcakes that I mentioned in a previous post. Despite being a huge chocolate lover, I'm not a big chocolate cupcake fan. In fact, chocolate would probably be the last flavor I would choose if I was in a fancy cupcake shop. I typically prefer vanilla or something like that for my cupcakes. (Though, I do love red velvet.) For me, when it comes to chocolate and baked goods, a chewy dark chocolate-y brownie will always come in first place. I think I might even like brownies more than cupcakes but that is a whole different post altogether. (Later, people, later.)

Anyway, the bacon cupcakes turned out to be pretty dang tasty. I love the sweet/salty combination (dark chocolate covered pretzels, anyone?) and could not resist when I first saw this recipe. Plus, bacon. Bacon makes everything better. These cupcakes are proof! I wanted to use fancy sea salt on top of the cakes but I didn't have any so I used fancy sugar and a tiny bit of kosher salt. And it is not as bizarre as it might sound. The flavors are quite complimentary. I wish I could send a cupcake off to all my cupcake loving friends. (Dave, I did set one aside for you.)

Is this turning into a cupcake blog?! Jesus. It seems to be all I ever talk about.

But here, take a look at the finished product:

The chocolate I used was not the Hershey's Special Dark that the recipe calls for—I could not find that stuff anywhere! Nor could I find any suitable dark chocolate unsweetened cocoa! So I settled for regular Hershey's baking cocoa and called it day. I think the dark chocolate would have taken these bad boys up a notch in the rating scale but they were still good, regardless.

You want one now, don't ya?

Oh yes, you do.

I didn't spend my entire weekend baking. I also went to my aunt's 40th surprise birthday shindig in Jerz. It was great—eating and drinking and all-around good times. Plus, I got to wear my lovely new yellow shoes. I wish I had an outfit to wear with them every single day because they are pretty fabulous.

Are they not?!

Dinner was at Sakura, a Hibachi restaurant in Turnersville. Let me just say, Hibachi is a great way to give my large family a reason to hoot and holler, loudly, in public. (And it was a really great idea, by the way.) I've only been to a Hibachi restaurant once and I don't remember it being nearly as lively as it was on Saturday. There was food being thrown, sake being squirted down people's throats . . . total mayhem. But good mayhem. I found it especially endearing to see my grandparents and Marcia's mom getting bits of rice and broccoli thrown at them, all the while keeping a smile on their faces and laughing pretty damn hard. Total team players.

(Notice the rice stuck to my Nan's face. Hilarious.)

I think head-in-your-hands laughter means that throwing food is fun. Or, that getting food thrown at you is even more fun.

More photos from the evening can be found here. I start laughing to myself just thinking about the whole event.

Edit - After looking through all the photos again, I realize just how non-Italian I look compared to everyone else in my family. I'm such the odd woman out, all pale and full of freckles. Ha!

Completely unrelated to cupcakes or rice-throwing, it's really freakin' gorgeous outside today. I wish I could skip the next three hours of work and just laze about in the park. Stop reading this and go outside, people! Enjoy it for me!

I Cry When The Weekend Ends (only on the inside)

2008-07-28T09:47:00.017-04:00

I really should do something about the fact that I wake up every Monday morning and curse the entire week. I think I'm due for a more optimistic outlook on things.

Ah, well. Shenanigans!

I had a pleasant weekend and I didn't want it to end. I think that's why I've got—nevermind, I was almost going to say something in office slang. Ah! Shoot me! But yes, the weekend. It was very productive and relaxing and fun all at once. My basement looks like a whole new place! I got rid of a ton of old clothes and other junk (my mom made about six trips to the thrift store to drop off the donations), and come Thursday evening, the trash pickers in Fishtown will be having a fiesta with all the garbage bags I'll have out by the curb. You know, cleaning and organizing is probably my favorite form of therapy. And it's free! Just knowing the house is less cluttered makes me feel a little more sane. I don't know, that's just how I function.

Anyway, I picked Derek up from 30th street station last night and we ended up at Monk's for a bite to eat. I really, really like Monk's. The beer list is amazing, though a little overwhelming with so many things to choose from, and the food is great, too. Last night we had the Steak Frites Salade (marinated, grass fed, organic sirloin steak over a bed of greens with a mustard dressing) and the Brussels Mussels (fumè, tomato, fennel, herbs de provençe and garlic) which also came with fries. I can officially say that I like mussels! I know, I've declared that before but last night was the third time I tried them and I'm definitely over my fear of the texture. My only issue with the ones we ordered last night was that the thyme was a bit too strong. I think I'd just had enough of thyme, considering I made a carrot thyme soup and those thyme cupcakes last week. But everything else about the mussels was delicious. And mussel broth . . . oh yes, mussel broth, food doesn't get much better than that.

As I was chowing down, I noticed that mussels sort of taste like the beach and I don't mean in a fishy kind of way either. It was more like just a hint of the ocean or something, which made me feel sort of nostalgic for all those times I swallowed salt water while one of my cousins was dunking me under, quite possibly trying to drown me (hey, I could be sort of bratty at times!). I know it's not some amazing discovery—that's what good seafood should taste like—but it's a new thing for me. I was a slow-to-warm baby and I think I'm pretty much the same as an adult, in terms of trying new foods. It takes me a few times to realize that I might actually love something that isn't a taco! Amazing! In a year from now, you might find me saying, "I love mussels!" just as often as I say, "I love tacos!" And if you know me and tacos, well, you know me and tacos.

Next cuisine to explore: Indian! I've only eaten Indian food a few times and it was okay. I like samosas and tandoori chicken but I'm looking forward to trying other things. Lamb, perhaps? And what better place to do it than the new Indian/Pakistani restaurant that opened in our neighborhood?! Ekta offers takeout and has been getting decent reviews from various Philly bloggers so that's enough to get me to try it. Well, that and the cheap prices. :)

Hmmm, maybe that'll be tonight's dinner.

Another Example of Idiocy on MySpace

2008-07-24T14:48:00.022-04:00

Philadelphia MySpacers have been pretty popular in the news these days. First there was the guy who hit the two tourists from St. Louis, killing one and severely injuring the other, and then wrote about it on his MySpace profile. (The best part of Philly.com's report on the whole ordeal: they quoted some of the comments found on the guy's profile, word for word, most of which were written in completely ridiculous, seizure-inducing Internet-speak! I can't take the funnies sometimes!) I have to agree with Phillyist when they call this guy Asshole of the Week.

Then there's this post that I just read, directing me to an article in today's Metro. The images are a bit disturbing and it makes me wonder if I've met any of the gun-wielding MySpacers while interning at the Youth Study Center. (I'm glad that's over.)

What the hell is wrong with people in this city? I know this kind of shit goes on in lots of other places, and while I don't always sit around reflecting on the actions of at-risk youth in the city in which I live (and love!), it just blows my mind sometimes.

I Keep Thinking Today is Friday

2008-07-24T09:21:00.020-04:00

Boy, this week sure seems to be dragging on by. Yesterday I kept thinking it was Thursday; today, I'm thinking it's Friday. I will most definitely be disappointed when I wake up tomorrow and realize it is not Saturday and I still have one more day left in the work week. Boo. Oh well.

The thunderstorm last night was insane! I just read on Philly.com that there were over 4,000 lightning strikes. We were standing at our kitchen door watching it and it was just one flash of lightning after another, along with very heavy rain and some hail. My poor hollyhocks look like they might have taken a beating. I grew those suckers from seeds and they are so pretty! And alive! I'm so terrible at keeping plants alive, so naturally, I was concerned for their safety. Stupid storm. The thunder totally spooked the cats and we all know what that means—a sudden transformation from sweet but sneaky cats into crazy-eyed, bushy-tailed, chirping little goons! Bring on the insanity! They should have their own reality show, the freaks. (I'm really only talking about Miles and Brother; Syd is so laid back the entire house could fall down and she wouldn't blink an eye.)

Yes, I realize I just got way too in-depth in my discussion of the cats. Be glad I don't have a baby to talk about. I imagine that could be worse.

Anyway, I hope the weather is nicer over the weekend. While I don't have any outside activities planned, Derek's going out of town to do some family stuff in Connecticut, including a Tibetan festival and possibly other outdoor stuff. That leaves me with the house and the cats alllll to myself. I'm planning on cleaning out my basement, baking, watching movies, and who knows what else. It should be a good time. Maybe I'll even go the gym. (Ha! Yeah, right. I'm not that motivated.) I'd also like to fit in some quality reading time this weekend, too. I've got three (1,2,3!) library books out, two of which I haven't even started yet, and a number of magazines from the past few months that I haven't even skimmed through. So yeah, I've got options.

So much to do! I love making lists! That was my (sort of) to-do list for myself for the weekend. I'm crazy.

In other news, Juliana Hatfield's new album, How to Walk Away, comes out on August 19th. Yipee! Love her! There are a couple songs from it on her MySpace page but here's an old video:

Should I buy tickets for the September 10th show at the World Cafe Live? I've never seen her live, nor have I ever been to that venue. I wonder if it's worth it.

Most Exciting News of the Day!

2008-07-23T15:11:00.004-04:00

Ben Kweller is playing at Johnny Brenda's on October 20th! Derek just ordered our tickets. I can only imagine how rockin' that show is going to be.

I'm too excited to talk about anything else right now!

FUCK YEAH!

Whatever Gets You Through The Day

2008-07-21T15:29:00.008-04:00

I really cannot stop thinking about cupcakes right now. Patty mentioned that she wants to try every recipe on Cupcakeblog.com and I think it's a great idea. I might have to take the cupcake challenge myself.

Between that site (plus a number of others) and the two cupcake recipe books I have on my bookshelf, I've got plenty to choose from. It's all so totally exciting!

Up next: Dark chocolate with bacon. BACON. Mmmm . . .

PS. I have a dentist appointment in less than an hour. I'm sure he'll be pleased with all my cupcake consumption.

Domestic Engineering is Hard Work!

2008-07-21T10:26:00.031-04:00

Okay, not really. But it certainly is time-consuming. I spent the majority of yesterday doing around-the-house kinds of things: cooking, baking, laundry, straightening up. And I even had my mother's help. I don't know how people do all of that and then have kids on top of it! Regardless, I had a pleasantly surprising fun time doing said things. And I enjoy quality time with my mother, too.

We were initially going to go to the beach but decided it was too hot and opted for an early brunch (more like breakfast) and a day spend indoors. We were in and out of The Royal Tavern in less than an hour before making our way over to Ikea and Target to scope out storage containers for some of the crap in my basement. But back to brunch—Royal has a great brunch menu! And while everything looked rather tasty, I ended up ordering Breakfast #5 (two eggs, toast, bacon and home fries). The portion was just the right size so I didn't leave feeling overly stuffed, nor did I leave half my plate full. Awesome. I like normal-sized portions!

So on to shopping . . . Ikea is Ikea but Target is the devil! I swear, that place can really make a person blow their whole paycheck! I did not, fortunately, but I did end up with a new shower curtain and a new dress, both of which I did not originally set out to buy. (But a cute dress for $19.99—who can resist?!) I can't find a picture of the dress on the Target website so I guess I can't post it. Ah, well. Target love anyway . . . ahhhhh.

I spent the rest of the ungodly hot day in my nice, cool, air-conditioned house. Except, wait . . . I was baking. Forget what I said about the nice, cool, air-conditioned house. My tiny kitchen gets pretty toasty when the oven is in use. Yesterday was no exception. Did I care? Not really. Why? Because look at these beautiful cupcakes:

Gorgeous, right?! You can see the rest of them here. You can also make some for yourself using this recipe. It is so worth it.

I guess you could say it was my first fancy cupcake. Now I'm hooked. I want to make a fancy cupcake every weekend. Since I used the fresh thyme from my patio garden, I don't see why I shouldn't find a recipe calling for some kind of basil cupcake. Or peppermint. Or cilantro. Oh wait, our cilantro plant isn't doing so well these days. Hmmm . . . but yes, fancy cupcakes are The Shit. Derek even went so far as to say the PB&T cupcake tasted better than a Brown Betty cupcake. Whoa! Their cupcakes are AWESOME. Anyway, hooray for me!

Oh yeah, remember that carrot soup I made on Saturday morning? Yeah well, it was just as tasty as I thought it would be. I topped it off with homemade croutons and served a side of roasted potatoes, too. Super delicious dinner, my friends. Super.

Man, my skills are greatly improving. I want to host a dinner party just so I can cook for people besides just D and myself.

Ugh, it's only 11:23 and I'm already hungry for lunch. I need to cut this short before my stomach starts really grumbling.

Preparing Dinner at 9 a.m.? Sure!

2008-07-19T10:15:00.026-04:00

Last Saturday, D and I spent a couple of hours at the Berlin Farmers' Market, one of my favorite flea markets in the whole wide world! We got there pretty late in the day (late according to flea market hours, anyway) and only ended up having time to do a quick once-around, mainly browsing the used movies and fresh produce stands. There were some fun movies to be bought but more importantly, delicious Jersey produce! We saw these enormous carrots and immediately began rattling off things we could make with them, ". . . carrot soup! your mom's carrot salad! carrot cake!" (except I don't think anyone actually said that last one). Goodness, the carrots were just calling out to us to be purchased. I don't even like carrots but there was no way to resist these big babies. I mean, really, just look at it:

Such a fat little fella, right?! So we ended up getting a bunch, along with a few cucumbers and four ears of corn. (I love summer produce!)

As of today, the corn and the cucumbers have been devoured. Mmmm . . . buttered corn. Naturally the carrots have been sitting in the fridge for the past week. Neither of us have had much time, or desire, to do any real cooking lately. Aside from the corn, of course. Mmmm . . . corn. But all that changed this morning. I woke up bright and freakin' early (even after another late night at the carnival in Jersey) and started whipping up some carrot soup. I used this wonderful recipe that I found via my good friend, the Internet. And guess what? It turned out amazing. High five to myself, not simply because of the tastiness of the soup but because the whole process, including clean up, was completed before 10 a.m.!

I'm definitely looking forward to the soup. I've got half of a two-day-old whole grain baguette left that I'm going to break up, drizzle with olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and toast in the broiler for a few minutes. Perfect croutons, people! Oh boy, we are going to have a very satisfying lunch or dinner today! If I can even wait—I'm so hungry after writing this post! Too many exclamation points!

Photos to come . . .

One Thing Work is Good For

2008-07-18T12:06:00.004-04:00

I noticed that this site looks much better when viewed in Firefox. Stupid work computer and its Internet Explorer crap. Bleh!

PC yucky! Apple yummy!

Who Doesn't Love Mail?

2008-07-17T21:32:00.021-04:00

I got my kitty purse in the mail today! Yes, the cute one I posted about previously, the one totally suited for a woman of thirty. :)

It's very adorable and fits the following: cell phone, iPod, 1 Neutrogena tinted lip balm, small mirror, 1 pack of Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets and a pen. If I had a tiny digital camera (I don't), I imagine I could put that in there on occasion instead of the iPod. (The iPod isn't necessary if I'm going out to a bar or restaurant or doing non-solo activities in the city, but the camera would be!) All in all, I'm quite pleased with my $8 purchase!

I realized I have no direction for this here blog so I'm just going to go with whatever I feel like writing about on any given day. These days, I'm really into browsing Etsy for cute gifts I'd like to get for myself even though I know I rarely act upon my Internet window shopping. Maybe I can justify all the time spent browsing by pretending I'm looking for gifts for other people. Whatever works, I guess.

I love simplicity and purple, therefore I'm digging this purple pendant necklace:

And have I mentioned how fun it is to come across interesting, and sometimes tacky, vintage drinking glasses while thrift shopping? It makes me wish I hadn't lived in so many different apartments over the years because I would probably have a much bigger collection now (moving means losing/breaking things . . . grrrr!). Well, my oh my, Etsy is the place to go when you don't feel like dirty-ing up your hands in a thrift store.

Look at these fun finds:

Who says your glassware needs to match? Phooey to that! Those pieces would certainly liven up and add some character to a kitchen—my kitchen.

Because it's getting late and my brain is still in a bit of a haze from not getting enough sleep last night (long story involving NJ, a carnival and shitty beer), I'll leave you to check out a really awesome Flickr set I found the other day. Such a great theme!

Night, folks!

Wait, I'm an Adult?

2008-07-14T13:02:00.021-04:00

It is perfectly acceptable for a thirty-year-old woman to carry a wrist bag that looks like this:

Isn't it? I think it's much better than some gaudy designer bag (I'm looking at you, Coach, Gucci, and all you other craptastic bags) with unoriginal letter logos spewed all over it. Plus, I like cats. Also, I'm thirty.

29 Olives is a great little site I found recently while skimming through the Internet looking for cute things. The boutique promotes small, indie artists and designers and has (among other things) a really swell $15 and under gift section! (I love a bargain!) I think it's one of my new favorite spots on the Internet. I especially love their selection of notecards and notepads.

And of course, the spider computer screen cleaner:

I'm telling you, the site makes me "Squee!" with joy. Lots and lots of joy.

But on to more important topics . . .

One of my absolute favorite childhood activities was playing office. Yes, I played office. Complete with my grandmother's old office supplies, a computer than ran nothing but DOS, a very vivid imagination and a personal assistant (a secretary, if you will) who was none other than my cousin, Missy. Anyway, long story short, I just got a call at work from D telling me he just walked by two little girls in the neighborhood and THEY WERE TOTALLY PLAYING OFFICE! Outside, on the sidewalk. Complete with a desk and notecards and one bossy girl telling the other one to file something for her. Suddenly my boyfriend no longer thinks I'm crazy for playing office!

See! All along, I've been saying it's totally normal to play office! Right? Shouldn't little girls aspire to have careers, too, instead of solely dreaming about weddings and babies and Prince Charming?

I think so.

After all, if those girls don't start practicing office life now, how will they know how to avoid doing work and sneakily browse the internet for cute animal purses when they're thirty? It's a skill, girls. Get busy.

Why The Internet is My #1 Source of Entertainment

2008-07-11T10:20:00.024-04:00

I was contemplating copying and pasting an entry I just posted in my LJ but then felt that would be very "oh I'm leading a double blog life" of me. So heck, I'll write something else. Sort of.

(Bye the way, about that LJ . . . I just can't quit it. Same goes for ice cream, salt and picking my nose.)

I'm extremely tired today. I stayed up very late, 'til nearly 2 am, watching hilarious You Tube videos. I can't believe how many people make lip syncing videos! Is lip syncing all the rage now? I remember in elementary school when kids would do lip syncing routines in the talent show. Does lip syncing qualify as a talent? I'd say no but it sure as hell is highly entertaining.

It seems that the best lip syncing videos are those that contain three factors:

a very catchy, get-stuck-in-your-head top 40 pop song (or any dance song)
someone who appears to not be the typical listener of said song
an Asian kid (or multiple Asian kids--they have the best dance moves!!! I'm envious!)

Just look at these examples:

"Damaged", Danity Kane

"I Want It That Way", Backstreet Boys

"Run Away", Real McCoy

I especially love when people get their pets involved. I bet that cat hates those two goofs for making it dance to Real McCoy ON THE PUBLIC INTERNETS!!! Oh no!

I feel delirious. I really, really need to start going to bed earlier. Especially if I'm going to have the energy to do my own kickass lip syncing/dance routine in the near future. Hmmm . . . now, to find the perfect song. I should ask my cats because you know they'll be begging me for a part in the routine.

I should really do some work now.

Still Here, Really

2008-06-10T13:17:00.003-04:00

I didn't forget about this blog. But I haven't been motivated to write anything. Making the move from LJ over to here is more of a challenge than I originally thought.

There will be more soon, I promise.

I"m still trying to figure out just what I want to do with this blog.

Little Things

2008-03-27T20:27:00.020-04:00

Earlier today I sent Nicole a photo text message of my cats snuggling. Her response: a photo text message of her cats snuggling.

Awesome.

Making The Switch (sort of)

2008-03-25T10:42:00.031-04:00

I signed up for this blog a while ago but I never got around to posting anything. I've been keeping an online journal for almost seven years on Livejournal but I feel like it's time for a change. I'm not abandoning my old journal completely; I have a nice little group of online friends over on that site and I like reading about their lives. But I want to put this blog out there for others to read. Maybe use it as a way to keep my family members up-to-date on what's happening in my life. (Or something like that.)

Anyway, I'm here. We'll see how often I keep up with this thing