I have that giddy holiday feeling. You know the one, all warm and fuzzy inside for no reason. I also have a bit of nerves. I absolutely love the holidays. Not only will I be going home on Saturday to spend the holidays with my family but Tony will be joining me on Christmas Eve. After 4.5 years of being a couple we will get to spend Christmas day together. This is pretty freaking exciting. Although, I think after finally getting incredibly comfortable with my family and the new people nerves having worn off, we just might scare him with our slightly nuts and painfully happy festivities. Oh well.
Last week I was talking to him about our trip home and I was saying how he would get to go to the Christmas Café (just our table) and get breakfast and he said, “I don’t’ want to have to go to any Christmas Café. I just want to hang around the house.” Once I explained that he would be hanging around the house and would get to be served breakfast with my parents by Sister and I he was more agreeable. Although, I swear he knew the Christmas Café existed. I think he doesn’t listen to me sometimes. I then pictured him flying in and being accosted with Harry Connick Jr. singing “This Christmas” (cause it’s hilarious) and Sister draping him with tree decorating stuffs. HEHEHEHE. I’ll get pictures.
Plus, Hanukkah starts while I will be home. This means that I will NOT forget to light candles this year. Last year I had every intention of lighting my menorah. I took it out of the drawer got it set up nice and pretty and went to get the candles...get the candles…where were the candles? I spent the next eight days reminding myself to go to the store and buy candles. I failed completely. After the holiday break I returned to work and told my Jewish colleague of my failed menorah attempts. Amusingly enough she had candles but no menorah. That gave us a good chuckle. Tony should also enjoy lighting the menorah. Although he was raised Catholic, he has a strong affinity for all things Jewish. I think he knows more Yiddish than I do.
At this point all the presents are ordered and the planning is done. Well, most of the planning. I am having thoughts about the traditional Christmas Pizza. We usually do two big pies with different toppings. I will have to check it out with Sister because Christmas cooking has kind of become our thing but I think that we should do more, smaller pies this year, thus maximizing our flavor variations. I have all kinds of wondrous pizza ideas milling around in my head. A Mexican pizza with beans and salsa as the base, a pesto pizza like we had last year mmmmm, a caramelized onion and apple pizza with brie, a normal pizza, a wild mushroom pizza with some kind of delicious sauce. Oh, Christmas Pizza, why must you be so far away?
I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season and all the wonderful things that come with it. Hooray!
Showing posts with label Sister. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sister. Show all posts
Monday, December 15, 2008
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
MUSINGS ABOUT STUFF
I’m sitting here eating this “eating right” bar of the peanut butter crisp variety and I am really wishing that it was a Tiger’s Milk Bar. It almost tastes like one but it isn’t. When I was young, I would go on trips to Sears with Mom and Sisterhead and we would go to this section where there were treats and I would get Tiger’s Milk Bars and this absolutely divine red licorice that I think was slightly raspberry flavored and it had a panda on the box. Sears, like many of my childhood memories, is Sepia toned. The yellowish nature of the memory could also be due to cheap fluorescent lighting. I have no recollection of what was around this section of the store but I do remember shelving and these brightly colored treats staring at me from the dull metal shelving.
I wonder if Mom had other reasons for going to Sears. Was there generally other shopping involved? Did we just go there for Tiger’s Milk Bars and Licorice? Was it even Sears? Were there other treats that I don’t remember as well? Luckily, Mom reads the blog so she can probably answer some of these questions.
The building that was once Sears isn’t anymore. I don’t know if it is anything. I don’t know if it is even standing. I don’t know much about how the old neighborhood looks. Whenever I go home I rarely stop by. There isn’t much there and what is there makes me a little bit sad. I remember driving past the condo where I lived from age 2ish until right before my 10th birthday. I turned into the alley and everything looked so sad. It was dirty, silent, and empty. It wasn’t the way I remembered it at all. I remembered running though the “yard” and down the sidewalk with friends. I remembered hiding throughout the complex and all the friends Sisterhead and I had living nearby. It didn’t look like the place I played.
The house we moved into after leaving the condo is where my parents live today. It’s a happy place. The yard is lush and green, there is a garden. There are trees I used to climb and it looks better now than it ever did before. When we moved there, Sisterhead and I didn’t want to go. We loved our new house but there was something about the old one that was special. Sisterhead was born there. I had my first room that was all my own there. Our friends were there. I never really hung out with the neighborhood kids at the new place. Sisterhead found a few friends there but it wasn’t the same. Then again, I was a teenager and playing tag in the backyard didn’t have the same feel to it. There were different things to do and the world was larger.
Now that I am older the world seems small again. Going home doesn’t seem to take too long and when I get there things are just where I left them, but with some minor changes. My home in Chicago seems closer to my parent’s house than my parent’s house seems to the old neighborhood and Sears. I guess that is just part of life changing.
1. Horses in my dreams/ Like waves like the sea/ They pull out of here/ They pull they are free
2. Oh here we go again/ It’s time for the same arguments about/ About that and a little bit of this
3. What about the time/ You were rolling over/ Fell on your face/ You must be having fun
4. Unexplainable things will happen when we really see into each others eyes/ Right/ So why is it we rarely find the time to see each other in the eyes
5. You consider me the young apprentice/ Caught between the scylla and charybidis/ Hypnotized by you if I should linger/ Staring at the ring around your finger. Wrapped Around Your Finger, The Police (well actually it was a Tori Amos cover but have The Police version too and it is by them) identified by Katrina
I wonder if Mom had other reasons for going to Sears. Was there generally other shopping involved? Did we just go there for Tiger’s Milk Bars and Licorice? Was it even Sears? Were there other treats that I don’t remember as well? Luckily, Mom reads the blog so she can probably answer some of these questions.
The building that was once Sears isn’t anymore. I don’t know if it is anything. I don’t know if it is even standing. I don’t know much about how the old neighborhood looks. Whenever I go home I rarely stop by. There isn’t much there and what is there makes me a little bit sad. I remember driving past the condo where I lived from age 2ish until right before my 10th birthday. I turned into the alley and everything looked so sad. It was dirty, silent, and empty. It wasn’t the way I remembered it at all. I remembered running though the “yard” and down the sidewalk with friends. I remembered hiding throughout the complex and all the friends Sisterhead and I had living nearby. It didn’t look like the place I played.
The house we moved into after leaving the condo is where my parents live today. It’s a happy place. The yard is lush and green, there is a garden. There are trees I used to climb and it looks better now than it ever did before. When we moved there, Sisterhead and I didn’t want to go. We loved our new house but there was something about the old one that was special. Sisterhead was born there. I had my first room that was all my own there. Our friends were there. I never really hung out with the neighborhood kids at the new place. Sisterhead found a few friends there but it wasn’t the same. Then again, I was a teenager and playing tag in the backyard didn’t have the same feel to it. There were different things to do and the world was larger.
Now that I am older the world seems small again. Going home doesn’t seem to take too long and when I get there things are just where I left them, but with some minor changes. My home in Chicago seems closer to my parent’s house than my parent’s house seems to the old neighborhood and Sears. I guess that is just part of life changing.
1. Horses in my dreams/ Like waves like the sea/ They pull out of here/ They pull they are free
2. Oh here we go again/ It’s time for the same arguments about/ About that and a little bit of this
3. What about the time/ You were rolling over/ Fell on your face/ You must be having fun
4. Unexplainable things will happen when we really see into each others eyes/ Right/ So why is it we rarely find the time to see each other in the eyes
5. You consider me the young apprentice/ Caught between the scylla and charybidis/ Hypnotized by you if I should linger/ Staring at the ring around your finger. Wrapped Around Your Finger, The Police (well actually it was a Tori Amos cover but have The Police version too and it is by them) identified by Katrina
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
CALL ME, I'M YOUR ROBBER
As many of you may have heard, the stupidest criminal ever resides in Chicago. This fool had the nerve to go rob a store and when he found out that the present employees couldn’t open the safe he left two phone numbers and told them to call him when the manager got in. He said if they didn’t call he would shoot them. Of course he was called back, and when he arrived at the store was met by plain clothes policemen. They shot him in the leg while he was waiving his gun around trying to rob folks.
This isn’t the first time I have heard of criminals leaving numbers. The fool who stole my sister’s cello was also a number leaver. After he stole the cello he brought it to a music resale shop. The merchant had a pretty good idea that the instrument was stolen so he gave the guy $50 and said they would call him when they found a buyer. The shop was right down the street from their apartment building (yes this fool lived in the same building as my sister) so it was one of the first places she checked. She came away with her instrument, and the name and number of this fool. She promptly called the police to press charges. Even if she hadn’t pressed charges the state would have because it turns out cellos are expensive and the amount was large enough for the state to prosecute.
I guess the moral of these stories is a simple one. If you plan to go around robbin folks don’t leave a number.
1. The Bloom/ The Swoon/ The Sugars on your block/ The Planets land in flesh in the corners of New York. Nickel Bags, Digable Planets. Identified by Monica
2. I want you/ I want you so bad/ I want you/ I want you so bad/ It’s driving me mad. I Want You/She's So Heavy, The Beatles. Identified by Mom.
3. Blue moon/ You saw me standing alone/ Without a dream in my heart/ Without a love of my own. Blue Moon, Identified by Mom. This version happened to be Billie Holiday but there are so many it doesn't really matter.
4. Sit around and watch the tube but nothing’s on/ Change the channels for an hour or two. Longview, Green Day. Identified by Danielle
5. You had all of them on your side/ Didn’t you/ Didn’t you/ You believed in all your lies/ Didn’t you/ Didn’t you
Wow, my iPod must have intuited that songs were getting a little obscure. These should be a breeze.
This isn’t the first time I have heard of criminals leaving numbers. The fool who stole my sister’s cello was also a number leaver. After he stole the cello he brought it to a music resale shop. The merchant had a pretty good idea that the instrument was stolen so he gave the guy $50 and said they would call him when they found a buyer. The shop was right down the street from their apartment building (yes this fool lived in the same building as my sister) so it was one of the first places she checked. She came away with her instrument, and the name and number of this fool. She promptly called the police to press charges. Even if she hadn’t pressed charges the state would have because it turns out cellos are expensive and the amount was large enough for the state to prosecute.
I guess the moral of these stories is a simple one. If you plan to go around robbin folks don’t leave a number.
1. The Bloom/ The Swoon/ The Sugars on your block/ The Planets land in flesh in the corners of New York. Nickel Bags, Digable Planets. Identified by Monica
2. I want you/ I want you so bad/ I want you/ I want you so bad/ It’s driving me mad. I Want You/She's So Heavy, The Beatles. Identified by Mom.
3. Blue moon/ You saw me standing alone/ Without a dream in my heart/ Without a love of my own. Blue Moon, Identified by Mom. This version happened to be Billie Holiday but there are so many it doesn't really matter.
4. Sit around and watch the tube but nothing’s on/ Change the channels for an hour or two. Longview, Green Day. Identified by Danielle
5. You had all of them on your side/ Didn’t you/ Didn’t you/ You believed in all your lies/ Didn’t you/ Didn’t you
Wow, my iPod must have intuited that songs were getting a little obscure. These should be a breeze.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
RANDOM UNCONNECTED THOUGHTS
Yesterday was a very strange day. I actually forgot that Top Model and Project Runway were on. Luckily I turned on the TV at 9:03 so I didn’t miss much Project Runway but Top Model is a mystery. No worries. That show blows anyway. I must say I am a little bummed that Rami “made it” to Bryant Park. Really, are there avid watchers of the show that don’t know that the top five actually showed at Fashion Week? Did I think Rami’s collection was better than Chris’s? Sure, because it was but that doesn’t mean I wanted him to win. Since Christian “overwhelmingly won the fan favorite,” I think Jillian is a shoe in for winning the show. They won’t let Christian win everything and Jillian’s collection is awesome. Still, the show has surprised me before and anything could happen next week.
I think this Huey Lewis thing is actually working. I keep seeing him pop up everywhere. It could be because I’m looking but I don’t think so. I think that something is actually happening with it. This morning there was a casual mention of Huey in the Red Eye. As half of the world has seen, Huey was featured in Kimmel’s “I’m Fucking Ben Affleck” video. This can’t be all about coincidences. It’s like that thing The Secret that some people believe in. Maybe it’s real.
I have had urges to sing more Talking Heads at karaoke. Since I failed so miserably last time I attempted one of their songs I have no idea where this urge came from. Regardless, I was listening to Stop Making Sense and couldn’t help but picture myself taking on “Once In A Lifetime” with the chorus sung by my little sister while we were both doing David Byrne moves from the video. Man would it ever be a disaster. Same as it ever was.
1. So messed up I want you here/ In my room I want you here/ Now we’re gonna be face to face/ And I’ll lay right down in my favorite place. I Wanna To Be Your Dog, Iggy Pop. Identified by Chatty Knitter2. I’m coming up man-sized/ Skinned alive/ I want to fit/ I’ve got to get/ Man-sized
3. Close my eyes/ feel me now/ I don’t know how you could not love me now
4. Now Peter Piper picked peppers/ But Run rapped rhymes/ Humpty Dumpty fell down/ That’s his hard time. Peter Piper, Run DMC, Identified by Monica
5. Come down off your throne/ And leave your body lone/ Somebody must change/ You are the reason I’ve been waiting oh so long/ Somebody holds the key. Can't Find My Way Home, Blind Faith. Identified by Dad
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
A SPOOKY MEME
I found this meme over at Katrina's blog and just had to take it. I am like totally trying to get in the spirit.
1. What's the scariest movie you've ever seen?
Hands down it was the original Amityville Horror. That was easily the scariest thing ever created. It was based on a true story which made it even more terrifying. The new one was horrible, I fell asleep in the theater.
2. What was your favorite Halloween costume as a child?
Voltron, I was wicked awesome. I had a mask and a Blazing Sword that talked. I had big old shoulders made of cardboard.
3. Given enough money what would be your fantasy Halloween costume?
I really want Tony and I to go as Ernie and Bert because he is tall and I am short, I have a roundhead and he has a long one. It shouldn’t be that hard to do but since we love Ernie and Bert so much we would want it to be perfect and since I don’t have time to shop for the perfect striped sweaters or make a very very long paperclip chain I would want to hire someone to do this for us.
4. When was the last time you went trick-or-treating?
I want to say I was 14 or 15. I was far too old for it.
5. What is your favorite Halloween candy?
As far as traditional Halloween candy goes I would say candy corn. It is incredibly disgusting and tastes as if chalk were made of marshmallows but I still like it.
6. Tell us about a scary nightmare you once had.
Well the scariest are the nightmares about the Blue Meanies. If you want true horror click on the link. My first nightmare was of a HUGE monarch butterfly wearing high top turquoise Chuck Taylor’s stomping around my bed and looking at me. It sucked.
7. What is your supernatural fear?
The guy outside the window. He has a long long beard and fucked up teeth. He has wispy long falling off hair and he cackles. He looks like he spent way too long out at sea. I swear I have seen him outside my bedroom window many many times. The thing is that my bedroom is almost never on the first floor. He also doesn’t generally have a body.
8. What is your "creepy-crawly" fear?
Pede-like creatures are the worst of all creatures. You know em, those really fast centipede type creatures that can swim so you can't drown them in the toilet. Ugh.
9. Tell us about a time when you saw a ghost or heard something go bump in the night.
Other than the headless old man at the window I would have to say in the Marshall Field Music Building at SLC. It has always been said that the building is haunted. People would get trapped in practice rooms or other strange things would happen. The stories of where the ghost originated are vast and unconnected. One day I was in there with my sister and her friend Corey and I went into this dark back stairway for some reason. The door slammed shut on me (no one was around because they were on a different floor) and it wouldn’t open. It was pitch black and utterly terrifying. I pulled and pulled and pushed and twisted the knob but all in vain. Then it just swung open. Very strange.
10. Would you stay overnight in a real haunted house?
I might say that I would but if something real fucked happened I would be out the door.
11. Are you a traditionalist or a creative carver of your Jack-O'Lantern?
I haven’t carved a pumpkin in a really long time but I like to think that I would do something creative. Then again, I would probably try but not be happy with it and then just cut some triangles for eyes and a crooked mouth to cover up my errors.
12. How much do you decorate your house at Halloween?
None. That is for people with kids.
13. What do you want on your tombstone?
I don’t really expect to have one because I am going to live forever.
1. My dick costs a late night fee/ Your dick got the HIV/ My dick plays on the double feature screen/ Your dick went straight to DVD.
2. Slippin’ on through the sensors/ Trippin’ over rails and fences/ Slippin’ on through the sensors/ Made of the mist in the abyss.
3. I feel unhappy/ I feel so sad/ I’ve lost the best friend/ That I ever had.
4. I really know how it feels to be/ Stressed out stressed out/ when you’re face to face with your adversity
5. Sucking on my titties like you wanted me calling me/ all the time like Blondie/ Check out my chrissy behind it's fine
1. What's the scariest movie you've ever seen?
Hands down it was the original Amityville Horror. That was easily the scariest thing ever created. It was based on a true story which made it even more terrifying. The new one was horrible, I fell asleep in the theater.
2. What was your favorite Halloween costume as a child?
Voltron, I was wicked awesome. I had a mask and a Blazing Sword that talked. I had big old shoulders made of cardboard.
3. Given enough money what would be your fantasy Halloween costume?
I really want Tony and I to go as Ernie and Bert because he is tall and I am short, I have a roundhead and he has a long one. It shouldn’t be that hard to do but since we love Ernie and Bert so much we would want it to be perfect and since I don’t have time to shop for the perfect striped sweaters or make a very very long paperclip chain I would want to hire someone to do this for us.
4. When was the last time you went trick-or-treating?
I want to say I was 14 or 15. I was far too old for it.
5. What is your favorite Halloween candy?
As far as traditional Halloween candy goes I would say candy corn. It is incredibly disgusting and tastes as if chalk were made of marshmallows but I still like it.
6. Tell us about a scary nightmare you once had.
Well the scariest are the nightmares about the Blue Meanies. If you want true horror click on the link. My first nightmare was of a HUGE monarch butterfly wearing high top turquoise Chuck Taylor’s stomping around my bed and looking at me. It sucked.
7. What is your supernatural fear?
The guy outside the window. He has a long long beard and fucked up teeth. He has wispy long falling off hair and he cackles. He looks like he spent way too long out at sea. I swear I have seen him outside my bedroom window many many times. The thing is that my bedroom is almost never on the first floor. He also doesn’t generally have a body.
8. What is your "creepy-crawly" fear?
Pede-like creatures are the worst of all creatures. You know em, those really fast centipede type creatures that can swim so you can't drown them in the toilet. Ugh.
9. Tell us about a time when you saw a ghost or heard something go bump in the night.
Other than the headless old man at the window I would have to say in the Marshall Field Music Building at SLC. It has always been said that the building is haunted. People would get trapped in practice rooms or other strange things would happen. The stories of where the ghost originated are vast and unconnected. One day I was in there with my sister and her friend Corey and I went into this dark back stairway for some reason. The door slammed shut on me (no one was around because they were on a different floor) and it wouldn’t open. It was pitch black and utterly terrifying. I pulled and pulled and pushed and twisted the knob but all in vain. Then it just swung open. Very strange.
10. Would you stay overnight in a real haunted house?
I might say that I would but if something real fucked happened I would be out the door.
11. Are you a traditionalist or a creative carver of your Jack-O'Lantern?
I haven’t carved a pumpkin in a really long time but I like to think that I would do something creative. Then again, I would probably try but not be happy with it and then just cut some triangles for eyes and a crooked mouth to cover up my errors.
12. How much do you decorate your house at Halloween?
None. That is for people with kids.
13. What do you want on your tombstone?
I don’t really expect to have one because I am going to live forever.
1. My dick costs a late night fee/ Your dick got the HIV/ My dick plays on the double feature screen/ Your dick went straight to DVD.
2. Slippin’ on through the sensors/ Trippin’ over rails and fences/ Slippin’ on through the sensors/ Made of the mist in the abyss.
3. I feel unhappy/ I feel so sad/ I’ve lost the best friend/ That I ever had.
4. I really know how it feels to be/ Stressed out stressed out/ when you’re face to face with your adversity
5. Sucking on my titties like you wanted me calling me/ all the time like Blondie/ Check out my chrissy behind it's fine
Thursday, October 11, 2007
HAPPY BIRTHDAY HEAD
I write about a lot of things on this blog but have noticed that in the 252 posts I have only mentioned my sister, Shoshana, in seven of them. I find that to be very odd. Maybe it is because I am so protective of her that I don’t want to put Shoshana stuff out there for everyone to see. Maybe it is just because when we talk it is often in code and doesn’t make sense to other people. Either way, I think today is a good time to talk about her because today she is one quarter of a century old.
I remember running down the hall when she was being born. I remember holding her afterward and just being amazed at how much she was like me. I don’t remember the actual birth, it was probably too gross to remember or maybe I wasn’t in the room for that part.
She was a horrible baby. She was huge and mean and would push me off our mother’s lap when we were both trying to sit on it. I still loved her though. She got better as she got older, more fun to play with and easier to push back. You can’t go around pushing a baby when you are three. It’s just not right. She had this impish quality to her face and her eyes were always twinkling with mischievous intent. That quality hasn’t entirely left her. There is nothing quite as worrisome as Shoshana with a glint in her eye and a cackle on her lips. It means she will probably want me to do something. Or else that she just farted. She loves farting and general crass behavior but I don’t think she realizes that most people don’t. A weird one is that Shoshana.
She is the only extrovert in a family of introverts and sometimes that makes her incredibly annoying. She has these urges to go out and do things and has the energy of a ten year old. I would rather sit on my ass most of the time. I will say, however, that when I go to visit her she brings out the doer in me and when she comes to visit me I bring out the sitting on the couch and watching TV in her.
Some of my favorite Shoshana memories were while we were on summer vacations. We would watch MTV and The Box for hours and hours. We would play games and run around the yard. I would cook burritos for us for lunch. I would try desperately to make home friend potatoes but didn’t quite understand how long a potato had to cook and over what heat. I always made her eat what I made. I got better. Those were the days. There were also the days years later when I would come home form college and pass out in bed only to awaken to her snuggled up next to me. It creeped me out and I wanted to kick her but Shoshana has never been one to go light on the affection and I knew she just missed me.
We were always very close, even when fighting. We could always count on each other for some good game playing or Lego building. If I wanted to play Lego tomorrow she would be the first one I would think of. Unfortunately, she lives across the country and I don’t get the chance very often.
For her age, Shoshana has done quite a bit. I usually don’t think of her achievements as all that special because she’s my stupid little sister and so what. She has taught High School, worked as a community organizer, designed a new High School that opened in The Bronx, and most recently up and moved to LA to join Americorp and work with Habitat for Humanity. She’s made a difference to so many people in her life and is working on influencing more. She may even become a firefighter. I still can’t keep a straight face when I think of that prospect but if it is what she really wants I am sure she will make it happen. That’s the kind of kid she is. I’m proud of her. Even though I rarely say it I hope she always knows.
1. If this world were mine/ I would place at your feet/ all that I own/ You’ve been so good to me
2. I prayed to/ Heaven today/ Bring its hammer down on me/ And pound you out of my head/ I can’t think with you in there
3. I spend the afternoon in cars/ I sit in traffic jams for hours/ Don’t push me I am not ok
4. Fish heads/ Fish Heads/ Rolly polly fish heads/ Eat them up yum. Fishheads, Barnes and Barnes. Identified by Johnny Yen.
5. I am intrinsically no good/ I have a heart that’s made of wood/ And I am only biding time/ Only reciting memorized lines. The Hem Of Your Garment, Cake. Identified by Brooke.
I remember running down the hall when she was being born. I remember holding her afterward and just being amazed at how much she was like me. I don’t remember the actual birth, it was probably too gross to remember or maybe I wasn’t in the room for that part.
She was a horrible baby. She was huge and mean and would push me off our mother’s lap when we were both trying to sit on it. I still loved her though. She got better as she got older, more fun to play with and easier to push back. You can’t go around pushing a baby when you are three. It’s just not right. She had this impish quality to her face and her eyes were always twinkling with mischievous intent. That quality hasn’t entirely left her. There is nothing quite as worrisome as Shoshana with a glint in her eye and a cackle on her lips. It means she will probably want me to do something. Or else that she just farted. She loves farting and general crass behavior but I don’t think she realizes that most people don’t. A weird one is that Shoshana.
She is the only extrovert in a family of introverts and sometimes that makes her incredibly annoying. She has these urges to go out and do things and has the energy of a ten year old. I would rather sit on my ass most of the time. I will say, however, that when I go to visit her she brings out the doer in me and when she comes to visit me I bring out the sitting on the couch and watching TV in her.
Some of my favorite Shoshana memories were while we were on summer vacations. We would watch MTV and The Box for hours and hours. We would play games and run around the yard. I would cook burritos for us for lunch. I would try desperately to make home friend potatoes but didn’t quite understand how long a potato had to cook and over what heat. I always made her eat what I made. I got better. Those were the days. There were also the days years later when I would come home form college and pass out in bed only to awaken to her snuggled up next to me. It creeped me out and I wanted to kick her but Shoshana has never been one to go light on the affection and I knew she just missed me.
We were always very close, even when fighting. We could always count on each other for some good game playing or Lego building. If I wanted to play Lego tomorrow she would be the first one I would think of. Unfortunately, she lives across the country and I don’t get the chance very often.
For her age, Shoshana has done quite a bit. I usually don’t think of her achievements as all that special because she’s my stupid little sister and so what. She has taught High School, worked as a community organizer, designed a new High School that opened in The Bronx, and most recently up and moved to LA to join Americorp and work with Habitat for Humanity. She’s made a difference to so many people in her life and is working on influencing more. She may even become a firefighter. I still can’t keep a straight face when I think of that prospect but if it is what she really wants I am sure she will make it happen. That’s the kind of kid she is. I’m proud of her. Even though I rarely say it I hope she always knows.
1. If this world were mine/ I would place at your feet/ all that I own/ You’ve been so good to me
2. I prayed to/ Heaven today/ Bring its hammer down on me/ And pound you out of my head/ I can’t think with you in there
3. I spend the afternoon in cars/ I sit in traffic jams for hours/ Don’t push me I am not ok
4. Fish heads/ Fish Heads/ Rolly polly fish heads/ Eat them up yum. Fishheads, Barnes and Barnes. Identified by Johnny Yen.
5. I am intrinsically no good/ I have a heart that’s made of wood/ And I am only biding time/ Only reciting memorized lines. The Hem Of Your Garment, Cake. Identified by Brooke.
Friday, April 27, 2007
INTERVIEW PART 2 AND A HIDDEN FOODIE FRIDAY
Part two in the interview game comes from Johnny Yen. His questions required some serious thought.
1. You’ve been asked re-record your favorite album with whoever you want, living or dead. What album is it and who would you choose?
This was by far the hardest question. My favorite Album would have to be something so completely cohesive and wonderful that most of the newer albums wouldn’t do. I then had to think if I would want the album done by a band with a completely different style, which would be cool but could possibly suck or if I wanted to go with a similar artist that would potentially end up sounding too much like the original. I am still not sure if I have made the right decision. For the album I chose “Blonde on Blonde” because it’s pretty much perfect and although I love listening to Bob Dylan, many people don’t and therefore miss out on the wonderment. I thought about “Electric Ladyland” or “Abbey Road” but I don’t think anyone doesn’t like listening to Jimi or The Beatles. I was incredibly close to having Belle and Sebastian redo the album but then realized that, while I adore their music, I am not the hugest fan of their covers. I also thought very seriously about choosing Camera Obscura but I thought the female touch might be a little too strange for me I didn’t want to pick them just to be different. Therefore, Of Montreal will be covering Blonde on Blonde.
2. A scientist develops a machine that will allow you to be transported into the past and live for a year in any time you want. What timeframe do you choose and why?
This was by far the easiest question of the bunch, I’m going to be a total cheeseball and say 1969 because I want more than anything to go to Woodstock and roll around in the hippie filled love mud.
Chicago has built five new schools. You’ve been asked to name them. What five names do you choose and why?
I’m going to assume that they are going to be five themed charter schools because it makes my answers more fun.
The Robert Heinlein High School of Scientific Humanism- I probably chose this because I just finished rereading Stranger in a Strange Land. This school would have a science focus but also be concerned with philosophy and how to apply science to the betterment of humankind.
X Elementary- This school would be focused on radical social movements, not only African-American as the name may suggest, and would teach children the importance of speaking out for their communities.
You Are Different; So Are We High- The name comes from the brochure Sarah Lawrence sent out to prospective students. While the high school would have to have a few more required classes than Sarah Lawrence did, students would be able to plan their curriculums and classes would be taught in the conference style.
We Know Trades and Will Make Lots Of Money High School- This school will focus on getting people into the trades. It is hard to get the proper information on how to enter these lucrative fields and such a school would directly funnel low-income students who may not plan for college into high paying careers.
Natalie’s Elementary School of Stuff- I had to name one after me. This school would incorporate teaching styles from Open, Montessori, and traditional schools into one cohesive wonder of education and learning.
4. If you could have a dinner with five people, living or dead, who would it be and what dinner and drinks would you serve?
Being an incredible book nerd I’m going to go with five authors. So that I can contribute to the discussion I’ll have to pick people whose body of work I am pretty familiar with. I’ll take Dostoyevsky (and somehow he will magically speak English), Tom Robbins, Saul Bellow, Toni Morrison, and Ralph Ellison. I thought about inviting Kurt Vonnegut but since I couldn’t also invite Monica because I am selfish and that would mean one less author I figured it would be better not to include him than to ruin a great friendship. Obviously these people have very different writing styles but all of them write about the turmoil of being human. I think it would be a fantastic discussion. I would need to serve a large meal with many courses so that we can sit and talk. I find Mexican food delicious and easy to make in large amounts so that is what we will eat. We’ll have some fine Vodka to drink with various mixers. I know Vodka isn’t usually paired with Mexican food but we have to do something to make Dostoyevsky feel a little more at home.
Appetizer- Yucca Frita, I have never made it but man that stuff is delicious and it can’t be that hard to fry yucca.
Salad- (Here comes Foodie Friday) Nopalitos salad with cilantro lime vinaigrette (this recipe makes about four salads)
-Two hearts of romaine sliced in thin strips
-Two Scallions (the green part) sliced into .5 inch tubes
-Four thinly sliced radishes
-Two cups nopalitos (pickled prickly pear cactus)
-¼ cup crumbled queso fresco
Dressing-
-3tbsp lime juice
-3tbsp olive oil
-3tbsp balsamic vinegar
-1 clove garlic
-1 small jalapeno (chopped a little)
-2 tbsp cilantro
-Pinch of salt
-Grind of pepper
Place ingredients in food processor or blender and whir it up.
Soup- Gazpacho recipe from Mom
Main Course- Tacos (I made delicious and very rustic tortillas this week which was incredibly fun and easy and would be a great dinner party food) with homemade salsa and guacamole. I would cook some black beans and get Tony to prepare some meat
Dessert- Ben and Jerry’s Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream Ice Cream.
5. Like my wife, you grew up in Minneapolis-St. Paul, and now live in Chicago. What are the pros/cons of living in each place?
Minneapolis (I did NOT grow up in St. Paul) is a wonderful place to grow up. It has a small town feel although there is enough to do so that you aren’t relegated to the two small town young person entertainments, driving around and getting drunk (not that we didn’t do plenty of that). The lakes are beautiful and you can swim in them without feeling disgusting. Chicago has some parks and obviously a huge lake but nothing to compare with the looking for fossils along the banks of the Mississippi and the general greenery. Unfortunately, the people there think they live in a much bigger city than they actually live in and that can cause some inflated assumptions about how great and cosmopolitan Minneapolis actually is. As you get older, there isn’t as much to do and you need to stretch your legs. Chicago’s hyper-segregation is the hands down worst thing about this city. Minneapolis seems to be more segregated by class than race, although the two often go hand in hand. However, the museums, theater, and shopping in Chicago leave Minneapolis far behind (not that there aren’t great places to do those things in Minneapolis, don’t get all naming places Mom). Chicago is a true big city, and if you want that type of environment it is the place to be. If you want the attractions of a big city, albeit on a smaller scale, and the ease of small town granola crunching life, Minneapolis is the place to be.
I still have two slots open if anyone else is game.
Bucktown, Smif-N-Wessun- I have nothing to say good or bad about this. It is relatively standard sounding mid 90s decent rap.
The Chronic (Intro), Dr. Dre- THis always takes me back to the summer of 92 watching MTV videos with shoshana while the parents are at work. This wasn't on the TV but it just gets me ready for all the wonders of The Chronic to take me back.
You Shook Me All Night Long, Tori Amos- Tori is another one of those artists whose covers I am not particularly fond of. Purple Rain is pretty good though. I thought about having her cover a great album but iknow exactly what it would sound like so no. However, if anyone wants to buy me a present I hear she is about to come out with a new album.
1. You’ve been asked re-record your favorite album with whoever you want, living or dead. What album is it and who would you choose?
This was by far the hardest question. My favorite Album would have to be something so completely cohesive and wonderful that most of the newer albums wouldn’t do. I then had to think if I would want the album done by a band with a completely different style, which would be cool but could possibly suck or if I wanted to go with a similar artist that would potentially end up sounding too much like the original. I am still not sure if I have made the right decision. For the album I chose “Blonde on Blonde” because it’s pretty much perfect and although I love listening to Bob Dylan, many people don’t and therefore miss out on the wonderment. I thought about “Electric Ladyland” or “Abbey Road” but I don’t think anyone doesn’t like listening to Jimi or The Beatles. I was incredibly close to having Belle and Sebastian redo the album but then realized that, while I adore their music, I am not the hugest fan of their covers. I also thought very seriously about choosing Camera Obscura but I thought the female touch might be a little too strange for me I didn’t want to pick them just to be different. Therefore, Of Montreal will be covering Blonde on Blonde.
2. A scientist develops a machine that will allow you to be transported into the past and live for a year in any time you want. What timeframe do you choose and why?
This was by far the easiest question of the bunch, I’m going to be a total cheeseball and say 1969 because I want more than anything to go to Woodstock and roll around in the hippie filled love mud.
Chicago has built five new schools. You’ve been asked to name them. What five names do you choose and why?
I’m going to assume that they are going to be five themed charter schools because it makes my answers more fun.
The Robert Heinlein High School of Scientific Humanism- I probably chose this because I just finished rereading Stranger in a Strange Land. This school would have a science focus but also be concerned with philosophy and how to apply science to the betterment of humankind.
X Elementary- This school would be focused on radical social movements, not only African-American as the name may suggest, and would teach children the importance of speaking out for their communities.
You Are Different; So Are We High- The name comes from the brochure Sarah Lawrence sent out to prospective students. While the high school would have to have a few more required classes than Sarah Lawrence did, students would be able to plan their curriculums and classes would be taught in the conference style.
We Know Trades and Will Make Lots Of Money High School- This school will focus on getting people into the trades. It is hard to get the proper information on how to enter these lucrative fields and such a school would directly funnel low-income students who may not plan for college into high paying careers.
Natalie’s Elementary School of Stuff- I had to name one after me. This school would incorporate teaching styles from Open, Montessori, and traditional schools into one cohesive wonder of education and learning.
4. If you could have a dinner with five people, living or dead, who would it be and what dinner and drinks would you serve?
Being an incredible book nerd I’m going to go with five authors. So that I can contribute to the discussion I’ll have to pick people whose body of work I am pretty familiar with. I’ll take Dostoyevsky (and somehow he will magically speak English), Tom Robbins, Saul Bellow, Toni Morrison, and Ralph Ellison. I thought about inviting Kurt Vonnegut but since I couldn’t also invite Monica because I am selfish and that would mean one less author I figured it would be better not to include him than to ruin a great friendship. Obviously these people have very different writing styles but all of them write about the turmoil of being human. I think it would be a fantastic discussion. I would need to serve a large meal with many courses so that we can sit and talk. I find Mexican food delicious and easy to make in large amounts so that is what we will eat. We’ll have some fine Vodka to drink with various mixers. I know Vodka isn’t usually paired with Mexican food but we have to do something to make Dostoyevsky feel a little more at home.
Appetizer- Yucca Frita, I have never made it but man that stuff is delicious and it can’t be that hard to fry yucca.
Salad- (Here comes Foodie Friday) Nopalitos salad with cilantro lime vinaigrette (this recipe makes about four salads)
-Two hearts of romaine sliced in thin strips
-Two Scallions (the green part) sliced into .5 inch tubes
-Four thinly sliced radishes
-Two cups nopalitos (pickled prickly pear cactus)
-¼ cup crumbled queso fresco
Dressing-
-3tbsp lime juice
-3tbsp olive oil
-3tbsp balsamic vinegar
-1 clove garlic
-1 small jalapeno (chopped a little)
-2 tbsp cilantro
-Pinch of salt
-Grind of pepper
Place ingredients in food processor or blender and whir it up.
Soup- Gazpacho recipe from Mom
Main Course- Tacos (I made delicious and very rustic tortillas this week which was incredibly fun and easy and would be a great dinner party food) with homemade salsa and guacamole. I would cook some black beans and get Tony to prepare some meat
Dessert- Ben and Jerry’s Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream Ice Cream.
5. Like my wife, you grew up in Minneapolis-St. Paul, and now live in Chicago. What are the pros/cons of living in each place?
Minneapolis (I did NOT grow up in St. Paul) is a wonderful place to grow up. It has a small town feel although there is enough to do so that you aren’t relegated to the two small town young person entertainments, driving around and getting drunk (not that we didn’t do plenty of that). The lakes are beautiful and you can swim in them without feeling disgusting. Chicago has some parks and obviously a huge lake but nothing to compare with the looking for fossils along the banks of the Mississippi and the general greenery. Unfortunately, the people there think they live in a much bigger city than they actually live in and that can cause some inflated assumptions about how great and cosmopolitan Minneapolis actually is. As you get older, there isn’t as much to do and you need to stretch your legs. Chicago’s hyper-segregation is the hands down worst thing about this city. Minneapolis seems to be more segregated by class than race, although the two often go hand in hand. However, the museums, theater, and shopping in Chicago leave Minneapolis far behind (not that there aren’t great places to do those things in Minneapolis, don’t get all naming places Mom). Chicago is a true big city, and if you want that type of environment it is the place to be. If you want the attractions of a big city, albeit on a smaller scale, and the ease of small town granola crunching life, Minneapolis is the place to be.
I still have two slots open if anyone else is game.
Bucktown, Smif-N-Wessun- I have nothing to say good or bad about this. It is relatively standard sounding mid 90s decent rap.
The Chronic (Intro), Dr. Dre- THis always takes me back to the summer of 92 watching MTV videos with shoshana while the parents are at work. This wasn't on the TV but it just gets me ready for all the wonders of The Chronic to take me back.
You Shook Me All Night Long, Tori Amos- Tori is another one of those artists whose covers I am not particularly fond of. Purple Rain is pretty good though. I thought about having her cover a great album but iknow exactly what it would sound like so no. However, if anyone wants to buy me a present I hear she is about to come out with a new album.
Friday, April 13, 2007
AND MAMA COOKED THE BREAKFAST WITH NO HOG
Mama never cooks breakfast with hog and she is in NY with Sisterhead anyway. So is Dad, by the way, which makes me very jealous because he did not come to visit me last time mom came because he was “too busy,” whatever. Regardless, I am still having a good day. What is good about me having a good day at 10am is that it seems as if the day will get better and better as the hours pass. This is making me rather excited.
Yesterday was not a particularly good day. It was also not a particularly bad day although it threatened to be as we were scheduled to have two overnight guests. Now our couch is big, two people can easily sleep on it comfortably. However, it helps if those two people don’t mind getting a little cozy. Our guests were not the cozy type. Not that they have any problems with each other but they weren’t going to snuggle.
Tony and I were a little concerned about how it was all going to play out but we really couldn’t tell either person they couldn’t stay with us. Both are good friends. Tony tried to go to sleep to avoid the situation but I told him I was not answering the door for his friends and that he had to deal with it. Our first guest went to sleep pretty quickly after he came by. He didn’t take up to much space on the couch, which is amazing as he is one big dude (over 6ft over 300lbs big). When the other showed, he Tony and I gathered in the sunroom, the greatest and most underutilized room in the apartment, and commenced to drink and play games.
We started with rummy, and then moved to a game and a half of scrabble. We would have finished but I thought I had to go to bed and went to lie down but then realized I couldn’t sleep and in the two minutes it took me to get back to the game room they no longer wanted to play. I must say that I got an incredibly high scoring word “absolute” and it went over two triple word scores and I used all my letters and I felt really special (we're talking 131pts here people). The game we stopped playing was actually really close and the guys had a chance to really give me a run for it. The best word I couldn’t put anywhere was “ovulate”. I was a little sad about that but “absolute” fixed it.
We then started talking about Monopoly, which would usually get me really excited but as it was well past 2am at that point and I did have to get up for work I knew a three player game was not something I should get into. Instead I acted as banker, real estate agent, and payment reminder to the guys as they played. I wonder how they did after I went to bed. As I often needed to remind them about properties they owned and to pay each other I have a feeling it was a silly game. Although this fun stuff happened yesterday, it was late enough at night that we can technically call it today.
I was terrified of getting up and coming to work this morning. I knew it had been a late and ruckus night and I am not as young as I used to be. When the alarm went off the first time I was not happy. I didn’t think I could possibly get enough sleep in the next 30min to compensate for how I felt. I was wrong. 30min later I woke up to an abnormally sunny sky, a wide awake happy feeling, and a warm bathroom. It was so sunny I thought I woke up at the wrong time. But I didn’t.
When I got to work, things were still happy and I was ready to rework my contract. I just learned yesterday that some of the income guidelines I had been using were incorrect so I may be able to add a few people to my contract thus bolstering my retention numbers, which would be awesome. When I got here, Lakeiya came to my office with her hands behind her back and asked me to pick a hand. I chose correctly and she produced a brown paper bag with a small cylindrical container inside. I felt it, “could it be,” it was. A pint of Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream was inside. We have been talking about eating this ice cream since Tues March 6th and, although we have both looked, we haven’t been able to secure a pint. I can’t wait until lunchtime. *It is now after lunch and I am happy to say that the ice cream did not dissapoint. It truly was an Americone Dream. *
After work, I have a dinner party to attend at Dave E. Wo’s house. How fun is that going to be. Dave always has great food. Speaking of food, I just realized it is Foodie Friday. Having been especially poor this week I ate nothing particularly exciting. Well I did have enchiladas but I already posted about how to make those. The other meals were so lame there isn’t much to pull from. Alas, Foodie Friday will have to wait.
Another Sunny Day, Belle and Sebastian- This is a perfect theme song for today. Belle and Sebastian I actually pretty good theme music for most days, as long as you find the right song.
I Am Somebody (Part 2), Johnnie Taylor- I don’t think I have ever heard part one of this song. If it is as funky as part two it promises to be awesome.
Que Onda Guero, Beck- I never really “got” the Guero album. This song sounds a lot like Cypress Hill but more “alternative” I don’t not like this album it’s actually pretty groovy at times. If it were by another artist I may have been more impressed. However, I know that Beck has much better to offer.
Yesterday was not a particularly good day. It was also not a particularly bad day although it threatened to be as we were scheduled to have two overnight guests. Now our couch is big, two people can easily sleep on it comfortably. However, it helps if those two people don’t mind getting a little cozy. Our guests were not the cozy type. Not that they have any problems with each other but they weren’t going to snuggle.
Tony and I were a little concerned about how it was all going to play out but we really couldn’t tell either person they couldn’t stay with us. Both are good friends. Tony tried to go to sleep to avoid the situation but I told him I was not answering the door for his friends and that he had to deal with it. Our first guest went to sleep pretty quickly after he came by. He didn’t take up to much space on the couch, which is amazing as he is one big dude (over 6ft over 300lbs big). When the other showed, he Tony and I gathered in the sunroom, the greatest and most underutilized room in the apartment, and commenced to drink and play games.
We started with rummy, and then moved to a game and a half of scrabble. We would have finished but I thought I had to go to bed and went to lie down but then realized I couldn’t sleep and in the two minutes it took me to get back to the game room they no longer wanted to play. I must say that I got an incredibly high scoring word “absolute” and it went over two triple word scores and I used all my letters and I felt really special (we're talking 131pts here people). The game we stopped playing was actually really close and the guys had a chance to really give me a run for it. The best word I couldn’t put anywhere was “ovulate”. I was a little sad about that but “absolute” fixed it.
We then started talking about Monopoly, which would usually get me really excited but as it was well past 2am at that point and I did have to get up for work I knew a three player game was not something I should get into. Instead I acted as banker, real estate agent, and payment reminder to the guys as they played. I wonder how they did after I went to bed. As I often needed to remind them about properties they owned and to pay each other I have a feeling it was a silly game. Although this fun stuff happened yesterday, it was late enough at night that we can technically call it today.
I was terrified of getting up and coming to work this morning. I knew it had been a late and ruckus night and I am not as young as I used to be. When the alarm went off the first time I was not happy. I didn’t think I could possibly get enough sleep in the next 30min to compensate for how I felt. I was wrong. 30min later I woke up to an abnormally sunny sky, a wide awake happy feeling, and a warm bathroom. It was so sunny I thought I woke up at the wrong time. But I didn’t.
When I got to work, things were still happy and I was ready to rework my contract. I just learned yesterday that some of the income guidelines I had been using were incorrect so I may be able to add a few people to my contract thus bolstering my retention numbers, which would be awesome. When I got here, Lakeiya came to my office with her hands behind her back and asked me to pick a hand. I chose correctly and she produced a brown paper bag with a small cylindrical container inside. I felt it, “could it be,” it was. A pint of Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream was inside. We have been talking about eating this ice cream since Tues March 6th and, although we have both looked, we haven’t been able to secure a pint. I can’t wait until lunchtime. *It is now after lunch and I am happy to say that the ice cream did not dissapoint. It truly was an Americone Dream. *
After work, I have a dinner party to attend at Dave E. Wo’s house. How fun is that going to be. Dave always has great food. Speaking of food, I just realized it is Foodie Friday. Having been especially poor this week I ate nothing particularly exciting. Well I did have enchiladas but I already posted about how to make those. The other meals were so lame there isn’t much to pull from. Alas, Foodie Friday will have to wait.
Another Sunny Day, Belle and Sebastian- This is a perfect theme song for today. Belle and Sebastian I actually pretty good theme music for most days, as long as you find the right song.
I Am Somebody (Part 2), Johnnie Taylor- I don’t think I have ever heard part one of this song. If it is as funky as part two it promises to be awesome.
Que Onda Guero, Beck- I never really “got” the Guero album. This song sounds a lot like Cypress Hill but more “alternative” I don’t not like this album it’s actually pretty groovy at times. If it were by another artist I may have been more impressed. However, I know that Beck has much better to offer.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
THE AWFUL MEDIA AND A NICE INTERVIEW
Why does the media insist on making my life horrible? I am usually ok with the media. Sometimes the media pisses me off but I understand it is a godless-lack-of-information-machine set to only deliver half the news. I am aware of this and accept it. However, when the media trespasses on my good fortune, I have serious problems.
Case in point, the current North Side expansion project on the CTA was blasted all over today’s Redeye paper. For the past month, we have been told that on April 2 the 2-year expansion project will start and it could as much as double commute times. People have been bombarded with messages to leave early, leave late, take alternate routes, etc.. I was not looking forward to this.
Yesterday morning I got up at my regular time and left at my regular time. I wanted to see how awful this expansion was and would then adjust accordingly if need be. I got to work 5 minutes earlier than normal. The train was far less crowded than usual (which doesn’t matter to me since I live far North enough to always get a seat) and people seemed calm and relaxed. On my way home I left at the normal time and arrived home about 10 minutes late due to some sitting, no biggie. The train was much less crowded and people seemed calm and relaxed. I thought the golden age of transit had arrived.
As you can tell, I did not post about this phenomenon yesterday. It would have fit in well with the whole branch theme (branches of transit) but I wanted to keep this glorious redline change a secret. I have a few readers in Chicago and, while I love you guys, I didn’t want this good news getting out. Selfish yes, stupid no.
This morning as I am taking my leisurely ride on my incredibly un-crowded train (it was a brown line car with fewer seats than the red line ones and nothing filled up until Sherridan) I began to read the red eye. There were two separate articles on how great the commute was on the train. Are they trying to ruin me? If people find out that the trains are great now they will stop taking alternate routes, leaving late, leaving early, and the commute times will double. It’s not smart to advertise things that will cause problems. I fully expect my 15 minute early arrival this morning (despite leaving at the normal time) to be my last. Tomorrow all those people who read the articles will be back on the trains and I will be late to work.
On a happier note, Sandra of Sunshine Scribe has been sending interview questions out to various bloggers and I wanted to post our interaction for your reading pleasure. Enjoy.
1. What is the first concert you ever attended?
The first concert I was at was technically a Yanni concert. I don’t know why my parents were there. They generally have pretty good taste in music. I was a small baby and cried until they had to leave. The first concert I remember was an outdoor Stevie Wonder concert. That was really awesome.
2. If you were recouperating in a hospital, who would you want in the bed next to you, excluding your relatives?
It really depends on what I am recovering from. If it was a surgery on my abdomen I would need someone not very funny, if it was for any other reason I would need a funny person. Tony doesn't count because although he is not related, he is family. I would probably say Brooke, my partner in crime from the college days. She can make me laugh or talk about the deeper philosophies of life. she probably wouldn't make too much fun of me for being in the hospital, but she might. Not to mention she plays a mean Monopoly.
3. What is your least favourite word?
Being a lover of linguistic expression I honestly can’t say that I have a least favorite word. I think every word expresses something and was put into the language for a reason. Even the words that incite riots and wars are important to me. I may not say them, but every loaded word elicits some kind of emotion and that is what living and expressing yourself is all about. Part of what makes life so tragic and so beautiful are the bad things in it. We couldn't laugh without pain. Everything has its place.
4. For what do you think you would be willing to lay down your life?
My sister is the one thing that pops into my head immediately. I have a real protective thing with that girl and hate to see her in pain. While political causes and social justice are important to me, I think that I can effect more change in those areas alive than dead (at least in this day and age). My life is pretty darn important to a lot of people.
5. What reality TV show would you kick butt on?
America’s Next Top Short Plus-Sized Model. This show obviously doesn’t exist. I don’t think I would be all that good on any reality show. I tend to have a relatively dry sense of humor and I don’t know if it would really translate well to a wide audience. I also tend to be a jerk sometimes and it would probably get me kicked off pretty quick. Once this girl dragged me along to a casting for The Real World and they asked me what I would do when embarrassed and I said I didn’t get embarrassed (which at that point was actually kind of true I made a fool of myself often and didn’t much care) because nothing was that important. A girl next to me said something about walking into a wall in front of a cute boy. I said I would get over that (I had a big habit of doing stupid things in front of a particular “cute” boy who got less cute over time) and I was telling the truth. They thought I was no fun and I got no call back. Then again, I would assume few people do.
1. What happened to/ The world we knew/ When we were dreaming, scheming/ Whiling the time away.
2. Megan/ She don’t eat bacon/ She never killed a sweet innocent little piggy to get bacon.
3. And she was lying in the grass/ And she could hear the highway breathing/ and she could see a nearby factory/ she’s making sure she isn’t dreaming. And She Was, by Talking Heads. Identified by hospital buddy Brooke.
4. It's a hard world to get a break in/ All the good things have been taken/ But girl there are ways/ To make certain things pay
5. I’ve got a delicate mind/ I’ve got a dangerous nature/ And my fist collides/ With your furniture. Regrets, by The Eurythmics. Identified by Dad (much better than Yanni)
Case in point, the current North Side expansion project on the CTA was blasted all over today’s Redeye paper. For the past month, we have been told that on April 2 the 2-year expansion project will start and it could as much as double commute times. People have been bombarded with messages to leave early, leave late, take alternate routes, etc.. I was not looking forward to this.
Yesterday morning I got up at my regular time and left at my regular time. I wanted to see how awful this expansion was and would then adjust accordingly if need be. I got to work 5 minutes earlier than normal. The train was far less crowded than usual (which doesn’t matter to me since I live far North enough to always get a seat) and people seemed calm and relaxed. On my way home I left at the normal time and arrived home about 10 minutes late due to some sitting, no biggie. The train was much less crowded and people seemed calm and relaxed. I thought the golden age of transit had arrived.
As you can tell, I did not post about this phenomenon yesterday. It would have fit in well with the whole branch theme (branches of transit) but I wanted to keep this glorious redline change a secret. I have a few readers in Chicago and, while I love you guys, I didn’t want this good news getting out. Selfish yes, stupid no.
This morning as I am taking my leisurely ride on my incredibly un-crowded train (it was a brown line car with fewer seats than the red line ones and nothing filled up until Sherridan) I began to read the red eye. There were two separate articles on how great the commute was on the train. Are they trying to ruin me? If people find out that the trains are great now they will stop taking alternate routes, leaving late, leaving early, and the commute times will double. It’s not smart to advertise things that will cause problems. I fully expect my 15 minute early arrival this morning (despite leaving at the normal time) to be my last. Tomorrow all those people who read the articles will be back on the trains and I will be late to work.
On a happier note, Sandra of Sunshine Scribe has been sending interview questions out to various bloggers and I wanted to post our interaction for your reading pleasure. Enjoy.
1. What is the first concert you ever attended?
The first concert I was at was technically a Yanni concert. I don’t know why my parents were there. They generally have pretty good taste in music. I was a small baby and cried until they had to leave. The first concert I remember was an outdoor Stevie Wonder concert. That was really awesome.
2. If you were recouperating in a hospital, who would you want in the bed next to you, excluding your relatives?
It really depends on what I am recovering from. If it was a surgery on my abdomen I would need someone not very funny, if it was for any other reason I would need a funny person. Tony doesn't count because although he is not related, he is family. I would probably say Brooke, my partner in crime from the college days. She can make me laugh or talk about the deeper philosophies of life. she probably wouldn't make too much fun of me for being in the hospital, but she might. Not to mention she plays a mean Monopoly.
3. What is your least favourite word?
Being a lover of linguistic expression I honestly can’t say that I have a least favorite word. I think every word expresses something and was put into the language for a reason. Even the words that incite riots and wars are important to me. I may not say them, but every loaded word elicits some kind of emotion and that is what living and expressing yourself is all about. Part of what makes life so tragic and so beautiful are the bad things in it. We couldn't laugh without pain. Everything has its place.
4. For what do you think you would be willing to lay down your life?
My sister is the one thing that pops into my head immediately. I have a real protective thing with that girl and hate to see her in pain. While political causes and social justice are important to me, I think that I can effect more change in those areas alive than dead (at least in this day and age). My life is pretty darn important to a lot of people.
5. What reality TV show would you kick butt on?
America’s Next Top Short Plus-Sized Model. This show obviously doesn’t exist. I don’t think I would be all that good on any reality show. I tend to have a relatively dry sense of humor and I don’t know if it would really translate well to a wide audience. I also tend to be a jerk sometimes and it would probably get me kicked off pretty quick. Once this girl dragged me along to a casting for The Real World and they asked me what I would do when embarrassed and I said I didn’t get embarrassed (which at that point was actually kind of true I made a fool of myself often and didn’t much care) because nothing was that important. A girl next to me said something about walking into a wall in front of a cute boy. I said I would get over that (I had a big habit of doing stupid things in front of a particular “cute” boy who got less cute over time) and I was telling the truth. They thought I was no fun and I got no call back. Then again, I would assume few people do.
1. What happened to/ The world we knew/ When we were dreaming, scheming/ Whiling the time away.
2. Megan/ She don’t eat bacon/ She never killed a sweet innocent little piggy to get bacon.
3. And she was lying in the grass/ And she could hear the highway breathing/ and she could see a nearby factory/ she’s making sure she isn’t dreaming. And She Was, by Talking Heads. Identified by hospital buddy Brooke.
4. It's a hard world to get a break in/ All the good things have been taken/ But girl there are ways/ To make certain things pay
5. I’ve got a delicate mind/ I’ve got a dangerous nature/ And my fist collides/ With your furniture. Regrets, by The Eurythmics. Identified by Dad (much better than Yanni)
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
REVISITED TIMES
Ok so I should probably give this memory thing a rest but Lizza mentioned in her comment yesterday about how things that were very important can suddenly be triggered by something in our life and we wonder how we could have ever forgotten. Just yesterday that happened to me twice.
The first was while reading that cursed memory book on the train. Schacter wrote about how we can hear about events in other people’s childhoods that trigger recollections in ours, for example pushing the paring brake and the car rolling. I froze. That had happened to me. I was terrified at the time. My younger sister and I were in the car and Mom had to run into the house to get something quickly. I remember Shoshana was in her car seat (although I could be wrong about that one) and I had short hair, which would make me about five. I climbed into the front seat of our Lynx and started steering. Somehow I tripped the parking brake. The parking spot at our condo was on a slight incline but to me it was enormous. The pavement leveled at the alley and then there was another parking space and a drop to a yard below. The drop seemed huge. I have no idea how big it really was maybe 15 ft? As the car started to roll I though we would gain speed as we were going down the “hill” and then roll over the edge and down the “cliff”. I knew I had to save my sister. She was far too young to die and she was my responsibility. I turned the wheel of the car and it ended up in the alley parallel to the drop, we were safe. I was still very shaken. Mom wasn’t happy. In my mind this event took a long time, in reality it couldn’t have been more than one minute. I was shocked that I had forgotten an event that had scared me so much.
Last night Tony and I were talking about “big kids” and how, when we were young, they seemed so grown up and so out of reach. I went to a K-8 school so there were plenty of big kids around and they seemed like grown-ups. Even if they had missed a grade or two, the biggest of them couldn’t have been older than 15. While in kindergarten I don’t think I came in contact with the “big kids” too often. We were relatively isolated. By 1st grade, however, I saw them much more often. I suddenly remembered that my friend Claire and I were mugged by “big kids while walking home from school. She was younger than me so I was probably in second grade when it happened. We only lived about three blocks from school so it wasn’t a far walk at all. As we were walking two “big kids” came up to us and had a switchblade and told us to give them all out money. I had no money and told them so over and over. Claire also told them that she had no money. They made us turn out our pockets and were extremely scary. After what seemed like forever, but was most likely not even a full minute, they let us go. After we were a little way away Claire turned to me and said, “I have a dollar”. I was so pissed. I couldn’t believe that she wouldn’t have given these mean kids her stupid dollar because who cared that much about a dollar anyway. We could have been killed, although I doubt that would have happened. I went home and told my mom and she called the cops and they took us back to the playground to find the muggers. I can’t remember if we found them or not, I guess that wasn’t as important to remember as the fear. What I did remember, however, was that I rode in the back of the police car to look for them. Just a few weeks ago someone (or maybe a myspace survey) had asked if I had ever been in the back of a cop car and I said no. Obviously, the retrieval clue for the experience had nothing to do with the cps, they were a second thought. It was all about the “big kids”.
It just goes to show that you really need the right retrieval clue to access some of your memories. It makes you wonder how much is stored in your brain that, depending on what you encounter, will surface and show you more about your past. If we had all the right clues would it be possible to remember everything? Probably not, things had to have a strong impact to be stored for that long or at least I would think. Both of the above memories had a strong emotional component to them and that is what made them memorable. Even so, I am sure there are things locked inside that I may never get out. That makes me a little sad.
Ok I promise I’ll get off the whole memory trip, at least for a while. It’s somewhat depressing and that isn’t cool for too many days in a row. All five songs were guessed yesterday and they weren’t even super easy. Good job people. Here are five new ones.
1. Everyone’s feeling pretty/ It’s hotter than July/ Though the world’s full of problems/ They couldn’t touch us even if they tried. Master Blaster (Jammin'), Stevi Wonder. Identified by My Parents. (on a side note I used to LOVE this song and ask for Ja-men all the time)
2. It’s raining/ It’s raining/ There’s nothing you can do/ It doesn’t only rain on you/ But you’re acting all upset/ like you’re the only one that’s wet.
3. Darling I/ I can’t explain/ Where did we lose our way/ Girl it’s driving me insane.
4. Just the thought/ Of our bed/ Makes me crumble like the plaster when you punched the wall beside my head. Out Of Range, Ani DiFranco. Identified by Brooke.
5. Ain’t it just like the night/ To play/ Tricks when you’re trying to be so quiet. Visions of Johanna, Bob Dylan. Identified by Jaclyn
The first was while reading that cursed memory book on the train. Schacter wrote about how we can hear about events in other people’s childhoods that trigger recollections in ours, for example pushing the paring brake and the car rolling. I froze. That had happened to me. I was terrified at the time. My younger sister and I were in the car and Mom had to run into the house to get something quickly. I remember Shoshana was in her car seat (although I could be wrong about that one) and I had short hair, which would make me about five. I climbed into the front seat of our Lynx and started steering. Somehow I tripped the parking brake. The parking spot at our condo was on a slight incline but to me it was enormous. The pavement leveled at the alley and then there was another parking space and a drop to a yard below. The drop seemed huge. I have no idea how big it really was maybe 15 ft? As the car started to roll I though we would gain speed as we were going down the “hill” and then roll over the edge and down the “cliff”. I knew I had to save my sister. She was far too young to die and she was my responsibility. I turned the wheel of the car and it ended up in the alley parallel to the drop, we were safe. I was still very shaken. Mom wasn’t happy. In my mind this event took a long time, in reality it couldn’t have been more than one minute. I was shocked that I had forgotten an event that had scared me so much.
Last night Tony and I were talking about “big kids” and how, when we were young, they seemed so grown up and so out of reach. I went to a K-8 school so there were plenty of big kids around and they seemed like grown-ups. Even if they had missed a grade or two, the biggest of them couldn’t have been older than 15. While in kindergarten I don’t think I came in contact with the “big kids” too often. We were relatively isolated. By 1st grade, however, I saw them much more often. I suddenly remembered that my friend Claire and I were mugged by “big kids while walking home from school. She was younger than me so I was probably in second grade when it happened. We only lived about three blocks from school so it wasn’t a far walk at all. As we were walking two “big kids” came up to us and had a switchblade and told us to give them all out money. I had no money and told them so over and over. Claire also told them that she had no money. They made us turn out our pockets and were extremely scary. After what seemed like forever, but was most likely not even a full minute, they let us go. After we were a little way away Claire turned to me and said, “I have a dollar”. I was so pissed. I couldn’t believe that she wouldn’t have given these mean kids her stupid dollar because who cared that much about a dollar anyway. We could have been killed, although I doubt that would have happened. I went home and told my mom and she called the cops and they took us back to the playground to find the muggers. I can’t remember if we found them or not, I guess that wasn’t as important to remember as the fear. What I did remember, however, was that I rode in the back of the police car to look for them. Just a few weeks ago someone (or maybe a myspace survey) had asked if I had ever been in the back of a cop car and I said no. Obviously, the retrieval clue for the experience had nothing to do with the cps, they were a second thought. It was all about the “big kids”.
It just goes to show that you really need the right retrieval clue to access some of your memories. It makes you wonder how much is stored in your brain that, depending on what you encounter, will surface and show you more about your past. If we had all the right clues would it be possible to remember everything? Probably not, things had to have a strong impact to be stored for that long or at least I would think. Both of the above memories had a strong emotional component to them and that is what made them memorable. Even so, I am sure there are things locked inside that I may never get out. That makes me a little sad.
Ok I promise I’ll get off the whole memory trip, at least for a while. It’s somewhat depressing and that isn’t cool for too many days in a row. All five songs were guessed yesterday and they weren’t even super easy. Good job people. Here are five new ones.
1. Everyone’s feeling pretty/ It’s hotter than July/ Though the world’s full of problems/ They couldn’t touch us even if they tried. Master Blaster (Jammin'), Stevi Wonder. Identified by My Parents. (on a side note I used to LOVE this song and ask for Ja-men all the time)
2. It’s raining/ It’s raining/ There’s nothing you can do/ It doesn’t only rain on you/ But you’re acting all upset/ like you’re the only one that’s wet.
3. Darling I/ I can’t explain/ Where did we lose our way/ Girl it’s driving me insane.
4. Just the thought/ Of our bed/ Makes me crumble like the plaster when you punched the wall beside my head. Out Of Range, Ani DiFranco. Identified by Brooke.
5. Ain’t it just like the night/ To play/ Tricks when you’re trying to be so quiet. Visions of Johanna, Bob Dylan. Identified by Jaclyn
Monday, January 08, 2007
THE DECLINE OF THE UNITED STATES
I have not made a new post in the last few days because my next post will be my 100th post and I am working on something that takes a long long time. I hope you are all very excited.
Ok so I obviously wrote this post some time ago because the final aired on the 23rd but I still like the post so whatever. Additions are in Italics
With the Grand Prix Final airing this coming weekend (although the competition was over on Sunday) it’s time to talk figure skating again. I don’t believe the US team has had lower expectations to do well on the world scene since 1961 when the entire Olympic team died in a plane crash. I realize that may have been an insensitive statement but my point is that US skating this year is hopeless on the International scene.Although Sasha Cohen didn’t compete in the grand prix this year (I am hoping she retired but have since found out she is just stepping off the scene for a few years to refocus and will be back for the next Olympics), not a single US female qualified for the Grand Prix final. Not even reigning World Champion Kimmie Meisner, pathetic. Granted she didn’t make the final last year and won worlds but it doesn’t bode well. Maybe she is just a late season skater. However, being that the American women have been such a dominant force for years, I have serious misgivings about the continuance of that legacy at this point. I think things are changing and the Japanese women have taken over the sport. They certainly deserve it. I haven’t seen a field that deep since those pictures of flooding on An Inconvenient Truth. There have to be at least five skaters that could take a title on a good day. Unfortunately, most of them aren’t incredibly consistent. Then again, at least one of them will skate cleanly on any given day. Not to mention Yu Na Kim from South Korea coming in and taking over.
Looking at the men’s competition, the Americans seem to be faring a little better. Two skaters made the Grand Prix final, Evan Lysacek and Johnny Weir. Unfortunately, Lysacek pulled out before the competition and Weir pulled out after the short program. I’m not sure why but I’ll fill in after I watch the event, injuries that’s why. After those two there is nothing. Lysacek is known as the come back kid because he seems to mess up his short program and then make up a lot of ground in the long. However, that kind of strategy can never win gold. Weir, although the US champ three years running, has never won a world medal-which only proves my point. He can skate wonderfully but is incredibly inconsistent and can’t come back after a mistake. Once again, the Japanese skaters are coming and the world had better watch out. They are wonderful and I can’t say a single bad thing about them if I try. They are also younger than most of the rest of the field. I am guessing the reason is that figure skating in Japan is getting huge and they are not the types to make fun of boys who want to skate. Stupid Americans. I sadly forgot the French; they are also on the come up. That Brian Joubert can’t be beat if he skates cleanly and that one goofy guy isn't bad either.
Throughout my love affair with skating, American Pairs have never been at the top of the heap. Inoue and Baldwin have come onto the scene and begun to change that, maybe. The fact that they became the first and only to do a throw triple axel is fantastic but their side-by-side jumps leave something to be desired. See, Baldwin became a pairs skater because with his 17 or so trips to the nationals he never did all that well because he fell all the time. Now, as a pair, he still falls all the time. He doesn’t even have to do the hard triples and he falls all the time.
American dance was thought to be on the come up. When Belbin and Augosto won the silver at the Olympics it was thought that a new era might have begun. There are two other US dance teams, one made it to the final, who I thought were far more interesting to watch than Belbin and Augosto, I don’t remember their names though. One did a somewhat Arabian themed program that was very avant-garde and the other did an Adam and Eve themed program that I also thought was beautiful. Belbin and Augosto did some tired dance number type ting that made me want to die. They need to beef it up if they want to stay on top of the world. They also withdrew from the Grand Prix meaning that Inoue and Baldwin were the only Americans that actually competed. I must be getting old because I have started to like dance again. Or else, dance is finally getting to where it was headed in '88 more modern dancelike vs. ballroom dance. Therefore, more interesting. I'll go with this vs. getting old. Even though I feel old. It’s definitely the artistry and interpretation that I like. Sister agreed with me that the dance was awesome to watch.
Things may be changing, however, for US skating. Apparently, American skaters in all events dominated the JR Grand Prix. Jr. ladies USA went 1-4, the men were 1 and 2, pairs 1, 3-6, and dance 1-2. However, Jr. skaters don’t always succeed on the Sr. level so it isn’t always the best of indicators. It gives some hope though.I just realized that this post is all about US skating, and while that was my original intention I don’t want to be seen as someone who only roots for athletes from my country. In fact, in skating, I have always rooted for the best skater regardless of where they are from. This season I am rooting for Japan more than any other country because their skaters are simply better. Oh yeah and that German pair cause the man is a brother. It is pretty rare to see world-class skaters of color who are not Asian. I think I could count the ones that made it to the world stage since ’88 on one hand. Wow, how sad. That’s a whole different post waiting to happen I suppose.
Now for the first guess that shuffle of the new year. This is where the first line of a song goes upand people comment on what song it is and who the artist is. In case I have any new readers, but that is unlikely.
1. Golden rose the color of the dream I had not too long ago. One Rainy Wish, Jimi Hendrix. Idntified by Brooke
2. When I met you I was just a kid hadn’t built up my defenses. Requiem for OMM, Of Montreal. Identified by Monica
3. Give me time to realize my crime. Do You Really Want To Hurt Me, The Culture Club (or are the just Culture Club? less the "the"). Identified by Jaclyn and Shadowfalcon
4. She lives on Love Street lingers long on Love Street. Love Street, The Doors. Identified by Jaclyn
5. Life used to be lifelike now it’s more like showbiz. Dialate, Ani DiFranco. Identified by Brooke.
Ok so I obviously wrote this post some time ago because the final aired on the 23rd but I still like the post so whatever. Additions are in Italics
With the Grand Prix Final airing this coming weekend (although the competition was over on Sunday) it’s time to talk figure skating again. I don’t believe the US team has had lower expectations to do well on the world scene since 1961 when the entire Olympic team died in a plane crash. I realize that may have been an insensitive statement but my point is that US skating this year is hopeless on the International scene.Although Sasha Cohen didn’t compete in the grand prix this year (I am hoping she retired but have since found out she is just stepping off the scene for a few years to refocus and will be back for the next Olympics), not a single US female qualified for the Grand Prix final. Not even reigning World Champion Kimmie Meisner, pathetic. Granted she didn’t make the final last year and won worlds but it doesn’t bode well. Maybe she is just a late season skater. However, being that the American women have been such a dominant force for years, I have serious misgivings about the continuance of that legacy at this point. I think things are changing and the Japanese women have taken over the sport. They certainly deserve it. I haven’t seen a field that deep since those pictures of flooding on An Inconvenient Truth. There have to be at least five skaters that could take a title on a good day. Unfortunately, most of them aren’t incredibly consistent. Then again, at least one of them will skate cleanly on any given day. Not to mention Yu Na Kim from South Korea coming in and taking over.
Looking at the men’s competition, the Americans seem to be faring a little better. Two skaters made the Grand Prix final, Evan Lysacek and Johnny Weir. Unfortunately, Lysacek pulled out before the competition and Weir pulled out after the short program. I’m not sure why but I’ll fill in after I watch the event, injuries that’s why. After those two there is nothing. Lysacek is known as the come back kid because he seems to mess up his short program and then make up a lot of ground in the long. However, that kind of strategy can never win gold. Weir, although the US champ three years running, has never won a world medal-which only proves my point. He can skate wonderfully but is incredibly inconsistent and can’t come back after a mistake. Once again, the Japanese skaters are coming and the world had better watch out. They are wonderful and I can’t say a single bad thing about them if I try. They are also younger than most of the rest of the field. I am guessing the reason is that figure skating in Japan is getting huge and they are not the types to make fun of boys who want to skate. Stupid Americans. I sadly forgot the French; they are also on the come up. That Brian Joubert can’t be beat if he skates cleanly and that one goofy guy isn't bad either.
Throughout my love affair with skating, American Pairs have never been at the top of the heap. Inoue and Baldwin have come onto the scene and begun to change that, maybe. The fact that they became the first and only to do a throw triple axel is fantastic but their side-by-side jumps leave something to be desired. See, Baldwin became a pairs skater because with his 17 or so trips to the nationals he never did all that well because he fell all the time. Now, as a pair, he still falls all the time. He doesn’t even have to do the hard triples and he falls all the time.
American dance was thought to be on the come up. When Belbin and Augosto won the silver at the Olympics it was thought that a new era might have begun. There are two other US dance teams, one made it to the final, who I thought were far more interesting to watch than Belbin and Augosto, I don’t remember their names though. One did a somewhat Arabian themed program that was very avant-garde and the other did an Adam and Eve themed program that I also thought was beautiful. Belbin and Augosto did some tired dance number type ting that made me want to die. They need to beef it up if they want to stay on top of the world. They also withdrew from the Grand Prix meaning that Inoue and Baldwin were the only Americans that actually competed. I must be getting old because I have started to like dance again. Or else, dance is finally getting to where it was headed in '88 more modern dancelike vs. ballroom dance. Therefore, more interesting. I'll go with this vs. getting old. Even though I feel old. It’s definitely the artistry and interpretation that I like. Sister agreed with me that the dance was awesome to watch.
Things may be changing, however, for US skating. Apparently, American skaters in all events dominated the JR Grand Prix. Jr. ladies USA went 1-4, the men were 1 and 2, pairs 1, 3-6, and dance 1-2. However, Jr. skaters don’t always succeed on the Sr. level so it isn’t always the best of indicators. It gives some hope though.I just realized that this post is all about US skating, and while that was my original intention I don’t want to be seen as someone who only roots for athletes from my country. In fact, in skating, I have always rooted for the best skater regardless of where they are from. This season I am rooting for Japan more than any other country because their skaters are simply better. Oh yeah and that German pair cause the man is a brother. It is pretty rare to see world-class skaters of color who are not Asian. I think I could count the ones that made it to the world stage since ’88 on one hand. Wow, how sad. That’s a whole different post waiting to happen I suppose.
Now for the first guess that shuffle of the new year. This is where the first line of a song goes upand people comment on what song it is and who the artist is. In case I have any new readers, but that is unlikely.
1. Golden rose the color of the dream I had not too long ago. One Rainy Wish, Jimi Hendrix. Idntified by Brooke
2. When I met you I was just a kid hadn’t built up my defenses. Requiem for OMM, Of Montreal. Identified by Monica
3. Give me time to realize my crime. Do You Really Want To Hurt Me, The Culture Club (or are the just Culture Club? less the "the"). Identified by Jaclyn and Shadowfalcon
4. She lives on Love Street lingers long on Love Street. Love Street, The Doors. Identified by Jaclyn
5. Life used to be lifelike now it’s more like showbiz. Dialate, Ani DiFranco. Identified by Brooke.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
I WUPPED RAINBOW BUTTERFLY'S ASS
Yes, yes I did and i only needed one try but I may have to do it again because apparently I was supposed to take a picture of the butterfly before I killed it and the pictures I took weren’t good enough. Stupid cute looking game. Then I stopped playing for the night because good TV was on and I had a lot of food to cook. Sometimes, when Tony and I are broke, we have pasta salad for lunch. It is easy to bring places, filling, not all that bad for you, looks fancy, and makes a bunch of food for not all that much money and keeps you fed all week. I spent last night making pasta salad. We also had a yummy pesto dish for dinner. Needless to say I was elbow deep in pasta. See I made two bags of pasta, one for the salad and one for the dinner (planning on leftovers of course) but didn’t really divide it equally when cooked so I ended up with a huge pot and a big bowl of pasta salad, not to mention the separate bowl I made in case Monica wants some tonight when she comes over for TV time. See she can’t eat anything and our bowl/pot have beans. Beans make her die. The other food we have in the house is soy. Soy also makes her die. I would give her leftover pesto dish but I think the pesto I bought has pine nuts in it which make her die, I also but beans in the dish because they were made and I love white beans in a pasta dish and, as you know, that makes her die. I like Monica and do not want her to die.
Since I can’t think of much to post, I am going to tell you how to make Natalie and Tony’s Poor People Pasta Salad. It’s really good. It also changes every single time it’s made because sometimes we have ingredients that we don’t have other times. As you will see, Natalie doesn’t generally use normal recipe stuff like measurements and the like. Only for Mushroom Pie MMMMM, maybe I’ll post how to make that sometime.
1. Cook or buy some small white beans. I prefer to cook them (Tony actually cooked them yesterday because he was home earlier than me, thanks Tony) While cooking them, add 6-8 cloves of garlic to the boiling water. Too much garlic you say? Relax. It gets mild and mushy (like when you roast it but without all the oil) When the beans are done, mash garlic into them for a fantastic taste. Use as many beans as you like.
2. Cook up however much pasta of whatever shape you want. I prefer spirals. You just want it to be some kind of hearty shape like a shell, or macaroni, or ziti so that it will hold juices well and not get mushy. On the mushy note, be sure to cook al dente or your salad will suck. When done cooking rinse pasta with cold water to halt the cooking process (again mushy is bad) coat with a tad bit of olive oil to prevent sticking (also bad) and put in fridge to cool for about an hour.
3. Start choppin’ veggies in bite sized bites and chop enough so that you salad is more veggie than pasta or at least half and half. Otherwise you get too much pasta and it’s much worse for you.
Since I can’t think of much to post, I am going to tell you how to make Natalie and Tony’s Poor People Pasta Salad. It’s really good. It also changes every single time it’s made because sometimes we have ingredients that we don’t have other times. As you will see, Natalie doesn’t generally use normal recipe stuff like measurements and the like. Only for Mushroom Pie MMMMM, maybe I’ll post how to make that sometime.
1. Cook or buy some small white beans. I prefer to cook them (Tony actually cooked them yesterday because he was home earlier than me, thanks Tony) While cooking them, add 6-8 cloves of garlic to the boiling water. Too much garlic you say? Relax. It gets mild and mushy (like when you roast it but without all the oil) When the beans are done, mash garlic into them for a fantastic taste. Use as many beans as you like.
2. Cook up however much pasta of whatever shape you want. I prefer spirals. You just want it to be some kind of hearty shape like a shell, or macaroni, or ziti so that it will hold juices well and not get mushy. On the mushy note, be sure to cook al dente or your salad will suck. When done cooking rinse pasta with cold water to halt the cooking process (again mushy is bad) coat with a tad bit of olive oil to prevent sticking (also bad) and put in fridge to cool for about an hour.
3. Start choppin’ veggies in bite sized bites and chop enough so that you salad is more veggie than pasta or at least half and half. Otherwise you get too much pasta and it’s much worse for you.
- This time I used
Shredded carrot (sometimes I chop myself but it wasn’t that expensive to get shredded)
Tomato
Vidalia onion
Broccoli
Zucchini
Black Olive
Heart of palm
Mushroom
Red pepper
I often use little cheese cubes or grate some cheese but I didn’t this time. I have used many types of cheese and don’t think it really matters what kind you use except that it should be relatively firm
4. Fold beans and veggies into pasta. Shake in some seasonings (like garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, etc.). I generally store the salad at this point and add dressing pre eating, it helps keep things firm)
5. When ready to eat, dress with fat free Italian dressing (in moderation). Sometimes, for a creamy change, I add a little bit of fat free yogurt in with the dressing to get a delightful creamy texture (a trick my mommy taught me). You will have easy lunches to take wherever for a while and people will say “Wow, that looks really good,” and they will be right.
In case anyone was wondering, the pesto dinner dish had onion and mushroom sautéed with some smashed boiled garlic (man I love that stuff). Then I added some tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and of course white beans and sautéed some more. Then I added in some pesto and the pasta and enjoyed.
Yesterday all the songs were guessed in one post. I am pretty happy about that. They weren’t super easy like last time either. Cool people just happened to be reading. Since I have a blank slate, I am going to put up some songs that I really like to sing with people. If the people I am thinking of read this, and many of them do, it will be another easy to guess post but it will be fun and full of love. I am going to add a few extra songs in here today because I am just so full of love and fun. (Apologies to bedtime songs from Mom that aren't included because I couldn't decide which one to include so I included none although Stay Awake, The Fox, and The Circle Game were strong contenders. Apologies to all the other songs Monica and I sing (particularly Tender) but I had to go with the one that has proper choreography)
The first five are songs that I sing with my sister and I want to give her a little shout out as it is her birthday so HIPPITY HAPPITY BUTHUFTATHUFTA SISTERHEAD. I think and hope that you are 24 today. If you aren’t then mom will yell at me cause you don’t read this cause you are too busy. I hope you read this one though since it’s all about love for you (and pasta).
1. Sister, you’ve been on my mind. Oh, sister, we’re too of a kind. Yes, sister, I’m keeping my eye on you. That song from the Color Purple that Shug sings. Identified by Julie
2. An only kid and only kid my father bought for two zuzim. Had Gadya, Traditional Passover song. identified by Mom
3. I kept the right ones out. And let the wrong ones in. Got an angel of mercy to see me through all my sins. Identified by none other than the birthday girl herself (cause i made her read it) and also by ShadowFalcon
4. I’m just average common too. I’m just like him the same as you. I’ve everybody’s brother and son I ain’t different than anyone. Ain’t no use in talking to me. Just the same as talking to you. (I like to sing this with some other people too not just Head but she introduced it to me and subsequently us. Everyone loves this song.) I Shall be Free #10., Bob Dylan. Eloquently identified by Brooke. I just wanted to add, He's a weird monkey, very funky.
5. I ain't puttin’ no boogie in nobody's butt. That's nasty, man. What you talkin’ about? Boogie in Your Butt, Eddie Murphy. Identified by Mom (and she should cause it is apparently her and Dad's song)
Now for songs that remind me of friends. Not that Head isn't a friend but she is a special kind of friend.
6. The goat chewed up, was a tin can. The goat shat out, was a ford sedan. I like an eyeball. I like a square cut. I like a funny car. I like a monster truck. Disseminated, Soul Coughing. Identified by Brooke. Inspired by Brooke and I sitting on the new dorm stairs like a couple of fools singing a goofy song and doing dances that can't really be called dances because we were sitting.
7. Oh I could hide ‘neath the wings of the bluebird as she sings. The six o’clock alarm would never ring. Daydream Believer, The Monkees. identified by Mom. Inspired by the lovely dances a la Monica and Natalie.
8. I don’t know what it is that you’ve done too me. But it’s caused me to act in such a crazy way. Weak, SWV. Identified by. Monica Inspired by nights on my On Demand kereoke that included such good people as Jamie, Monica, Cheryl, Tony, and Dave and Jamie and Brooke's B-day bash with a bunch of people.
9. ECUADOR!!!! (I actually don’t know what song this is or any lyrics other than this one but I think someone out there does. I was just thinking about it the other day and it had to be included. I think some people will smile) Ecuador, Sash. Identified by Brooke. Inspired by Jaclyn's hell car.
10. My defenses, become offences. Now I’m stumbling. I change my face up.
Monday, August 07, 2006
LETTING GO OF THE LITTLE THINGS
Last night I was talking to my precious little sister and she told me about one of her students who stopped to say hi to a friend he hadn't seen in a while on the street and while saying hello his friend and the person his friend was with got shot in the legs. That is just kind of creepy. Lucky for her student the shooters didn't miss, unless they weren't aiming for the legs that is. So the poor little baby (Sister not student) has now developed a fear of stray bullets. That is the kind of fear that really sucks. I mean there is nothing you can do about it. You can't get a little closer to stray bullets every day until one can whiz right past your head and you don't blink. That is very impractical. That is why I say let go of the little things. Stress and fear are not healthy. You don't want to walk around everyday expecting to get shot. People just aren't made for that. You also can't walk around every day thinking that some terrorist is going to blow you up. That’s why I feel particularly bad for people living in countries where that kind of thing is so prevalent. Think of all the cortisol running through people's bodies over there. They are going to swell up like little terror balloons. Then there is all this talk of WWIII. I mean technically the US war in Iraq may as well have been called that from the get go what with the coalition of the willing and all but maybe I am reaching with that one. I hate the thought of WWIII. I mean I was raised to believe that WWIII would mean the end of the world. And not in that rapture kind of way. It would be kind of nifty if all those types get whisked from the planet though; they really get on my nerves. Think about it. Gay people could marry all over the place, stem cell research in every lab, and abortions without all the extra drama (as if those women need any more). I mean it would be a better world for all us "normal" people.
Well that was a bit of a downer so let’s talk about pie. I made two delicious pies this weekend. Not fruit desert pies, oh no, but vegetable dinner pies. One may think I am stupid and am talking about quiche but I'm not. These pies contained one egg each and no such quiche would exist. They also had delicious hearty crusts, another quiche no no. The first was a mushroom pie with a spinach crust taken from "The Enchanted Broccoli Forest" and I made it for a gathering consisting of Jamie and Dave and me and Tony. I forgot they don't like mushrooms. Oh well, more delicious pie for Tony and myself. I mean who doesn’t' like mushrooms. Had it been Monica and Brooke over that pie would have lasted like two seconds. Luckily I had delicious feta spread that my mom makes but I added grated cucumber and a few smashed cloves of boiled garlic, which is incredibly mild and squishy if you didn’t already know, and served it with fresh bread sliced tomatoes and fresh basil (take that mommy). I also made a yummy fruit salad (with no strawberries) and a nice yogurt type dressing MMMMM. Tony and I liked the first pie so much that we though about a second one. Unfortunately we had few of the necessary ingredients. I then decided to use the pie skills I gained from the night before and my creative cooking skills to make a new pie. I then constructed a carrot and cucumber crust (which turned out surprisingly well) and filled it with a carrot, mushroom, and corn filling. Also delicious. Man pie is cool. Mom, if you are reading and not mad at me about the feta comment, I need the recipe for pizza rustica. This is a pie-like dish that is basically like a lasagna/pizza in a piecrust. It was one of my favorites growing up and now that I can make pies I want to make it. I can't wait until lunchtime when I can eat some leftover veggie garbage pie.
On a side note, the back page of the red eye this morning spoke of other stars coming out to support Mel Gibson. Maybe it's just me but that seems stupid. Don't they know the Jew run media will come get them too? I did like how Jodi Foster said, and I don't quote, He is a raging drunk but no anti-Semite. Again, drunkenness may let your prejudices come out but it DOES NOT create new ones.
On another side note, things worked out just perfectly on Friday in regard to Lollapalooza. Tony and I decided we were too poor to both go, a kind of sad decision. So we went out to dinner at Pegasus a delicious Greek Restaurant. While there, Tony’s friend Chris sent him a text message seeing if he would be at the concert so they could meet up. I was like "dude, I thought you wanted me to go case you didn't have anyone else to go with, go get yourself a ticket and have a fun night". It turns out he just wanted to go with me because he likes me around, go figure? So I went home, watched movies, started to clean the house so I didn't end up on Dave's blog as a messy house person (although Frankie certainly did point out where some sweeping was lacking), and caught up on Soap on demand. Now for some people it may seem like Tony got the better end of that deal but to me, not so much. And really, that's all that matters. I very rarely get to sit at home by myself so it really turned out to be the best decision possible. I love it when things work out.
Lets do the Shuffle
Music is My Radar, Blur- I miss Monica. Blur is always a good time. Videos, singing on the trains, streets, anywhere where singing could happen. It's got a good beat and you can dance to it.
Everybody Wants To Rule The World, Tears for Fears- I love this song. I want to rule the world. It’s funny that two tears for fears songs have shown up since I began this thing. I am not a huge fan of theirs or anything. In fact, I only have 3 of their songs in my player.
Dawn Is A Feeling, The Moody Blues- I have loved this song for as long as I can remember. I believe it was on my sister’s baby tape so that means my mom listened to it a lot when I was about 3. I also think it is very sexy. I also used to think the Moody Blues were black. See the baby tape was pretty crackly and they had these deep voices and sounded cool so I just assumed they were black. I think I figured it out in my mid teen years. That’s a little silly. But come on, how many people (including me) thought the righteous brothers were black.
Well that was a bit of a downer so let’s talk about pie. I made two delicious pies this weekend. Not fruit desert pies, oh no, but vegetable dinner pies. One may think I am stupid and am talking about quiche but I'm not. These pies contained one egg each and no such quiche would exist. They also had delicious hearty crusts, another quiche no no. The first was a mushroom pie with a spinach crust taken from "The Enchanted Broccoli Forest" and I made it for a gathering consisting of Jamie and Dave and me and Tony. I forgot they don't like mushrooms. Oh well, more delicious pie for Tony and myself. I mean who doesn’t' like mushrooms. Had it been Monica and Brooke over that pie would have lasted like two seconds. Luckily I had delicious feta spread that my mom makes but I added grated cucumber and a few smashed cloves of boiled garlic, which is incredibly mild and squishy if you didn’t already know, and served it with fresh bread sliced tomatoes and fresh basil (take that mommy). I also made a yummy fruit salad (with no strawberries) and a nice yogurt type dressing MMMMM. Tony and I liked the first pie so much that we though about a second one. Unfortunately we had few of the necessary ingredients. I then decided to use the pie skills I gained from the night before and my creative cooking skills to make a new pie. I then constructed a carrot and cucumber crust (which turned out surprisingly well) and filled it with a carrot, mushroom, and corn filling. Also delicious. Man pie is cool. Mom, if you are reading and not mad at me about the feta comment, I need the recipe for pizza rustica. This is a pie-like dish that is basically like a lasagna/pizza in a piecrust. It was one of my favorites growing up and now that I can make pies I want to make it. I can't wait until lunchtime when I can eat some leftover veggie garbage pie.
On a side note, the back page of the red eye this morning spoke of other stars coming out to support Mel Gibson. Maybe it's just me but that seems stupid. Don't they know the Jew run media will come get them too? I did like how Jodi Foster said, and I don't quote, He is a raging drunk but no anti-Semite. Again, drunkenness may let your prejudices come out but it DOES NOT create new ones.
On another side note, things worked out just perfectly on Friday in regard to Lollapalooza. Tony and I decided we were too poor to both go, a kind of sad decision. So we went out to dinner at Pegasus a delicious Greek Restaurant. While there, Tony’s friend Chris sent him a text message seeing if he would be at the concert so they could meet up. I was like "dude, I thought you wanted me to go case you didn't have anyone else to go with, go get yourself a ticket and have a fun night". It turns out he just wanted to go with me because he likes me around, go figure? So I went home, watched movies, started to clean the house so I didn't end up on Dave's blog as a messy house person (although Frankie certainly did point out where some sweeping was lacking), and caught up on Soap on demand. Now for some people it may seem like Tony got the better end of that deal but to me, not so much. And really, that's all that matters. I very rarely get to sit at home by myself so it really turned out to be the best decision possible. I love it when things work out.
Lets do the Shuffle
Music is My Radar, Blur- I miss Monica. Blur is always a good time. Videos, singing on the trains, streets, anywhere where singing could happen. It's got a good beat and you can dance to it.
Everybody Wants To Rule The World, Tears for Fears- I love this song. I want to rule the world. It’s funny that two tears for fears songs have shown up since I began this thing. I am not a huge fan of theirs or anything. In fact, I only have 3 of their songs in my player.
Dawn Is A Feeling, The Moody Blues- I have loved this song for as long as I can remember. I believe it was on my sister’s baby tape so that means my mom listened to it a lot when I was about 3. I also think it is very sexy. I also used to think the Moody Blues were black. See the baby tape was pretty crackly and they had these deep voices and sounded cool so I just assumed they were black. I think I figured it out in my mid teen years. That’s a little silly. But come on, how many people (including me) thought the righteous brothers were black.
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