WEDDING CRASHERS

On Friday I felt horrible so I slept and slept and slept. I thought my allergies had gone insane but after I woke up this morning lying on a big old damp pillow I realized my fever had broken. What fever was my initial question but then I realized it was the fever that the night before I had dismissed as some warmth from a few beers. I feel much better now.

I thought I felt much better Saturday night when I attempted to attend a going away party for this dude and his lady. I made it to the spot just fine and was having a fine time discussing the first CDs we ever owned (one of this dudes was the score from Terminator 2, hence me calling him a dude and not putting him out there for all to mock. Yes I said score, not soundtrack, score.), mine was He’s The DJ I’m The Rapper, which is a fine album to this day. Chanda mentioned that she was hungry and as I hadn’t eaten in a good 7 hours I thought going with her to procure some snacks might be fun. And it was.

We went to this spot called El Cid and I got some cactus and cheese tamales. MMM. So rare to score a vegetarian tamale. While eating Chanda and I noticed that we have the same phone. We thought that was cool. We also selected the same blue patterned background for our screen. Chanda mentioned how funny it would be if we had the same ring so she called me…and immediately burst out laughing. I called her and laughed as well, it really was the best ring available. My phone does have a Lewis News ’08 sticker on it and hers does not but it was still pretty awesome.

As we are walking back to the bar we happen upon a group of dudes. They start talking, we talk back, I wanted to keep walking because I think random strangers are…strange but Chanda was really chatting it up so I rolled with it. Eventually they mention that they are at a wedding reception and invite us to come up. I would have just left but Chanda, being much smarter than me, said we would go in. It was AWESOME. Our friends were a bunch of West Indian Hindi guys and the bride’s family was from some Latin country that I can’t recall so the music was a mix of like reggaeton and bollywood. As soon as we got inside we were ushered into a conga line. We also learned how to dance to the bollywood type music.

1. Put one hand up, palm to the sky, as if you were holding a plate
2. Put your other hand up and screw in a light bulb
3. Shrug shoulders while holding the plate and turning the light bulb

Best. Dance. Ever.
If you don't want to screw in the lightbulb, twirling a napkin also works. The plate must remain in place.

We got introduced to everyone; cousins, aunts, uncles, parents, the groom and were welcomed pretty openly despite our obvious lack of knowledge of anyone and not particularly festive dress. As usual I was in a skirt (but not a fancy one) and Chanda had on jeans (but heels). At one point Monica stopped in to bring Chanda her camera and marveled at all the fun we were obviously having. Although we were asked to go to the after party we had to decline. It was far and we did have prior obligations. But we got a greap group photo!


Sadly, as soon as I got back to the bar the people I was going to share a cab home with were ready to go so I really didn’t do a very good job of going to a good bye party but so it goes. Instead I crashed my first wedding and had an excellent story to tell.

1. She says my ass hurts when I sit down/ She says my feet hurt when I’m standing around/ I think my body is as restless as my mind and I don’t think I can roll with it this time. Roll With It, Ani DiFranco. Identified by Brooke

2. I can’t believe that it’s real/ the way that you make me feel/ A burning deep down inside/ A love that I can not hide. Here I Am (Come and Take Me), Al Green. Identified by Brooke.

3. Well its hard enough to get there/ On your own/ And it’s always time to pay the rent/ When you’re home

4. Are you afraid to go outside/ Are you afraid of what you might find/ baby girl, I understand it/ I seen it too and I don’t recommend it

5.Well it’s all in your mind/ It’s all in your mind/ Well it’s all in your mind/ It’s all in your mind/ and I want it to be

BLOGGING ABOUT BLOGGING

So I haven’t had much to blog about in a little while and that is pretty okay with me. I just haven’t been felling it. I just decided that when something came to me I would write about it and when nothing did I wouldn’t force it. Plus, it’s the summer and while that should mean that I have tons to say about all the hot ass messes in Chicago that think they are doing something cute when they walk out of the house in the morning it doesn’t. Maybe I would have people to comment on if I carried a camera with me all the time, or maybe if I had a USB cable so I could plug my camera into a computer…maybe.

My sister has started to beat me at wordtwist. I find this slightly depressing. I think I may have to step up my game, maybe try to type properly for once or practice a ton. I don’t like my sister to beat me at things. I don’t care if my friends do but they aren’t my sister. Actually, I am just glad that I have another challenging person to play with. It would be better if I won more than I have been though.

Anyway, the thing that got me thinking I needed to blog was my blog. I opened my email this morning and got a comment from someone named Stephen saying I blogged about him and I was pretty confused because I don’t know anyone named Stephen. Then, I went to the post and it was the one about that VH1 show “The Pickup Artist” and Stephen was the guy Spoon that I thought was pretty awesome and was sad to see leave the show cause he was a pretty chill dude. This also means that he was googling himself, which shows me that he is a very normal guy. He also has the prettiest dog ever. Monica, go to his myspace page and look at his dog. It will make you die. Tony wondered that if Spoon invited me to be his myspace friend that he was maybe going to try his Pickup Artist skills on me. I kind of doubt it...dude has hella myspace friends.

That is all. I will reveal songs. I have no idea how long they have been there but I suppose it is long enough. Crap, I can’t find my list. I’ll do my best.

1. She feels like/ A stranger has come in the night/ And stolen her life/ And left her with this. Something I’m too tired to look up by Man Man.

2. Looking at the devil/ Grinning at his gun/ Fingers start shaking/ I begin to run. Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself, Sly and the Family stone

3. Oh so long/ For this night I’ve prayed/ That a star/ Would guide you my way/ To share with/ Me this special day. Ribbons in the Sky, Stevie Wonder

4. I love the time and in between/ The calm inside me/ In the space where I can breathe/ I believe there is a distance I have wandered to touch upon the years of/ Reaching out and reaching in. Something off Fumbling Towards Ecstasy by Sarah McLaughlin.

HOPES FOR THE WEEKEND

When I woke up this morning I could have sworn it was Saturday. It wasn’t. However, it was Friday, which is the day before my three day weekend. I have to give credit to my employer; their idea of summer hours is quite nice. You work 7 extra hours every pay period (45min a day) and get a three day weekend every other week. I have to admit that there are some days when the extra 45 min are a bit of a bummer to do but it all get cancelled out when I wake up every other Monday morning and don’t have to go to work. Also, Tony’s weekend is Sunday and Monday so it will be nice to get some extra time together. We’ll finally be able to go to the cemetery!

I am hoping that we’ll go this weekend but I don’t know if that will end up happening. It doesn’t matter though, we have all summer. In case any of you think it is strange that I am all geared up about going to the cemetery you just may be right. However, Graceland Cemetery is no ordinary place. Many of the great makers of Chicago are buried there and they have quite impressive looking gravesites. I think I was first inspired to make the trip by a post Blondie did about the place. She took wonderful pictures including one of “The Girl in the Glass Case” which captured my attention. She also mentioned there was a lake on site. Johnny Yen also had a nice post about the place and I learned from him that you can pick up guide books at the front entrance. I was hooked. This meancing looking fellow marks the grave of Dexter Graves, a hotel guy. I just think it's particularly awesome looking and wanted to include it.

So anyway, it should be pretty awesome. If I don’t end up going I can always finish up Heavenly Sword. That is one fun game (even though I can’t block properly for crap) and I'm finally becoming an acceptable shooter.

1. She feels like/ A stranger has come in the night/ And stolen her life/ And left her with this

2. Looking at the devil/ Grinning at his gun/ Fingers start shaking/ I begin to run

3. Oh so long/ For this night I’ve prayed/ That a star/ Would guide you my way/ To share with/ Me this special day

4. I love the time and in between/ The calm inside me/ In the space where I can breathe/ I believe there is a distance I have wandered to touch upon the years of/ Reaching out and reaching in

5. Something in the way you love me won’t let me be/ I don’t want to be your prisoner so baby won’t you set me free

ON CHEATING AND CELEBRATION

Happy Juneteenth Folks! If you don’t know what that means look it up, learn a little something. On this glorious day I will be celebrating by playing video games and eating a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup. Sure my actions will have absolutely nothing to do with the holiday itself but it sure will feel good doing them.

Monica and I have been taken over by a game called wordtwist on Facebook. If you happen to know this game and are awesome at it please, feel free to challenge us. If you are not awesome you will more than likely be destroyed. In our efforts to become even more awesome at this game (she is a little more awesome than me but we are essentially equal in awesomeness) we have decided to cheat at scrabble to learn more seven letter words. I know that cheating is wrong but since we are agreed on the matter and are using the cheating as a learning opportunity to better ourselves it is okay. Plus, if we are only cheating while playing each other and we are both doing it is it really cheating? Probably not.

The other day I watched Seven Samurai. I have no idea why it took me so long to see this film. It was pretty incredible. It was also incredibly long. For me to not get bored watching a 208min movie that is black and white and has subtitles something pretty freaking awesome must be happening. I’m not entirely sure why I liked it so much but those samurai were some stand up fellows.

The top chef reunion show was pretty bogus. No dirt was strewn about. I was somewhat disappointed. It was a happy-loving-huggy affair. I do kind of almost sort of want an “I have a culinary boner” t-shirt but I would never wear it so I don’t.

Oh! Sulu got married!!! George Takei and his partner looked so happy over there in California. It just made me smile. I love Sulu. I love the original Star Trek. I am pretty curious as to the new movie. I am not curious (no I am, I lied) about the Prince of Persia movie. While I am positive that Jake Gyllenhal is not the best guy to play the prince and I wish they had picked someone slightly swarthier I am not sure who the best person would really be. I thin I decided that dude who played the shrink in “Sunshine” (which I think no one has seen) is the best I have come up with. At least Jake is better than Orlando Bloom.

1. She feels like/ A stranger has come in the night/ And stolen her life/ And left her with this

2. Looking at the devil/ Grinning at his gun/ Fingers start shaking/ I begin to run

3. Come/ As you are/ As you were/ As I want you to be. Come As You Are, Nirvana. Identified by Mom.

4. Oh so long/ For this night I’ve prayed/ That a star/ Would guide you my way/ To share with/ Me this special day

5. Dawn is a feeling/ A beautiful ceiling/ The smell of grass just lets you pass/ Into a dream. Dawn: Dawn is a Feeling, The Moody Blues. Identified by Mom.

SADNESS REDEEMED

The weekend started off wonderfully. I went out for a quick drink with some co-workers, went on a nice walk, and had my Mom come pick me up so we could watch some basketball. I wasn’t all that excited about the basketball but my folks love the NBA and Kevin Garnett in particular. Even though he is no longer a MN player, he remains near and dear to their hearts. We watched the Celtics getting their butts kicked and then stopped and watched Ratatouille instead. The Celtics ended up pulling it out though and we saw some post-game coverage.

I had a day off on Friday and was happily lounging around my apartment when I turned on the computer and saw that Tim Russert had died. I’m not one to watch many politically focused talk shows, or any talk shows for that matter. However, if I had to choose three to watch it would have been; Charlie Rose, Inside the Actors Studio, and Meet the Press.

I never planned to see Charlie Rose, sometimes nothing else would be on and it was always a good standby. I also never planned to see Inside the Actors Studio but I would often notice it was on and see someone I wouldn’t mind hearing an interview with. Meet The Press was different. I certainly didn’t always plan to watch it and I often didn’t remember that it was on, however, if there had been some particularly juicy happenings during the week I would occasionally look forward to hearing what Russert had to say about it. I found him to be very fair, and rather funny. He was someone who I would love to just sit down with and hear him tell stories. I wouldn’t have thought that his death would make me as sad as it did but there really isn’t anyone out there that does what he did, or at least nowhere near as well. I’ll miss the guy.

Mom and I took a nice trip to Target and then we picked up Monica to eat at Irizu, a Costa Rican place. Monica made us try Oatmeal Shakes and I was quite hesitant but then very pleased. They tasted like cookie dough. The food was none to shabby either. On Saturday morning I awoke and called Mom to have her come and pick me up. When she arrived at the door I opened it only to find Dad heading up the stairs. The sun of a gun surprised me! It was wonderful to see him and we proceeded to have a fantastic weekend together. Sat night Tony, the parents, and I went for dinner at a Pakistani restaurant. I forgot it was Pakistani and thought it was Indian, because the food is so similar it was easy to do. The food was delicious but they didn’t have appetizers on the menu and that bummed me out. Also I thought I was ordering chick peas and I got lentils. Not that it really mattered because the food was very good and I like lentils. I think their mango lassi and naan were some of the best I have ever had. Mom took pictures of Tony and I that she must send to me because we have none and they are the best to date I think (hint hint). We came home and watched Sunshine, which is like a faster version of 2001 with a different plot and Cillian Murphy. It was enjoyable. Anything with Cillian Murphy is enjoyable. After my folks left Tony and I watched the new Rambo movie on Blu-ray. Can I just say BEST EXPLODING PEOPLE EVER! If you like to see people explode the last 30 minutes of this movie is a must see and the rest won’t make you mad either. If you like plot…maybe not your thing.

On Sunday I showed Dad the last 30 minutes of Rambo because I know he likes exploding people and we tried the new Uncommon Ground by my apartment for brunch and were incredibly happy with our decision. Best Sweet Potato Fries I have ever had! The chili was okay but I’ll order something else next time. Then we went on a shopping extravaganza that completely tired me out. We stopped at the cheesecake factory for a snack and ended up with a meal. The Fried Macaroni and Cheese was very tasty but I could have used a little more macaroni in mine. Not that I’m complaining. Ever since I saw Alton Brown pull that treat of death off I wanted to try some. The Avocado Eggrolls were delicious and I was a little iffy on warm avocado. It wasn’t too warm though. We also got some fire roasted artichokes and they were quite good but I wasn’t incredibly happy with either of the dipping sauces they came with. We got cheesecake to go cause we were so full and I still have the better part of my piece in the fridge at home. MMMM Key Lime Cheesecake. I eat a lot when my parents are in town. We watched the game Sunday night and it was a pretty good battle but unfortunately the Celtics couldn’t pull it out. I almost want to watch other games in the series now because they got me into it…almost.

1. She feels like/ A stranger has come in the night/ And stolen her life/ And left her with this

2. You always felt like Suede/ there are days I feel your twin/ Peekaboo/ Hiding underneath your skin. Suede, Tori Amos. Identified by Brooke.

3. I’m a pixie/ I’m a paper doll. I’m a cartoon/ I’m a chipper cheerful free for all and I light up a room. Pixie, Ani DiFranco, Identified by Brooke.

4. Well there ain’t no/ Ain't no telling baby/ when you will see me again/ But I pray it will be tomorrow. Ain't No telling, Jimi Hendrix. Identified by Brooke.

5. Looking at the devil/ Grinning at his gun/ Fingers start shaking/ I begin to run

WEEKEND RECAP STUFFS

This weekend I went to a silly party where we dressed as people from the 80s and tried to solve a murder mystery. It was a rockin’ good time. The murder was apparently solved within the first minute or so but wasn’t divulged so that people could continue to play. Some people were in possession of clues and some people had to do dares to get clues. This was a bad idea because people I know are evil.

I dared Patrick to give Monica a wet willie because it would completely gross her out and was an inside joke.

Patrick dared Monica to give me a wedgie, which was completely awful and also had to be done repeatedly because Patrick just wouldn’t look. At least one of them was real.

I dared Patrick to run around the table and go “Woo Woo”

Patrick dared Monica to walk around with a beat box saying “I am a chicken”

I think the point was to dare people you didn’t know to do stuff but being painfully introverted that wasn’t going to happen. It was still a fun party. So fun that I slept until 5pm the next day because every time I woke up before then I decided that it was too unpleasant to be alive.

Tony and I have decided that our television is too big to watch some regular TV program on. Certain channels are fine, Top Chef looks great. However, some programs don’t have particularly good resolution. This makes them look extra horrible on our very large TV with excellent resolution. Most of the things that I really enjoy watching look good though so I don’t have too much to complain about. Since Food Network, HGTV, and most premium channels have HD offerings I’m pretty good. Last night we watched Billy Madison on demand in HD and seeing Adam Sandler paddling around on his floating pool chair was more hilarious than ever before. I thought he was going to paddle right onto our couch. I still can’t figure out why the 120hz doesn’t seem to be on though.

Mom is coming tomorrow and I am incredibly excited. However, my house is not ready for her. We cleaned the living room yesterday but the front room is a disaster and the kitchen and bathroom could use some serious work. I know what I’m doing tonight. She graciously offered not to come inside until it was clean but I would like her to be able to visit the inside sooner rather than later. I have to make her brussel sprouts.

1. We’re in the movies/ Watching some people move their mouths/ And a religious figure/ Whose not really a religious figure/ Cause he’s an actor. The Opera House, Olivia Tremor Control

2. It never really mattered too much to me/ That I was just too damn old to MC/ All that really mattered is if your rhymes was ill/ Girl that’s all that really mattered to me. Great Day, Madvillian

3. Tulip Baroo/ Tulip Baroo/ The magnetic roller-skater wears a bonnet of blue/ Bonnet of blue. Tulip Baroo, of Montreal

5. Girlfriend/ I’m gonna tell your boyfriend/ Yeah/ Tell him/ Exactly what we’re doing/ Yeah. Girlfriend, Michael Jackson

LET'S GET THIS TOGETHER

I almost forgot the primaries were on last night. Tony and I were watching Gilmore Girls (I know, I know) and were pretty oblivious to the outside world. After a few episodes I remembered it was a pretty big night and turned on the TV to see the primary results. They were pretty much what I had expected to see. I was a little surprised to see the check mark next to Obama’s name showing him as the presumptive nominee. I smiled and went back to my mind numbing show.

I haven’t heard the full speeches that were given last night by any of the candidates but I have heard clips and have seen plenty of commentary (not that you can really trust commentary). I certainly think the next few days will be interesting. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if HRC takes it to Denver, although I do think that it would be ill advised. When the opportunity for a graceful exit comes along it generally should be taken.

Regardless of what happens it is important to remember that history has been made, just as it would have been made had Hillary won the nomination. A lot of work has to be done to reunite the party and I feel that the biggest thing that should be on the minds of those who are thinking of leaving the party and voting for McCain or not voting at all should be the Supreme Court. We’re talking up to three new appointments in the next presidential term and that carries decades of weight. I hope we can come together and do what’s right.

1. We’re in the movies/ Watching some people move their mouths/ And a religious figure/ Whose not really a religious figure/ Cause he’s an actor

2. It never really mattered too much to me/ That I was just too damn old to MC/ All that really mattered is if your rhymes was ill/ Girl that’s all that really mattered to me

3. Tulip Baroo/ Tulip Baroo/ The magnetic roller-skater wears a bonnet of blue/ Bonnet of blue

4. When you sleep/ Where do your fingers go/ What do your fingers know/ What do your fingers show.

5. Girlfriend/ I’m gonna tell your boyfriend/ Yeah/ Tell him/ Exactly what we’re doing/ Yeah

WHAT MY MIND HAS BEEN FILLED WITH

I have been so incredibly full of stimulation that I haven’t had any idea what to write about. For someone who generally has nothing happen to them, the past week has been overflowing with stuffs and it isn’t over yet. Last Thursday, Monica, Jamie, and I went to dinner and to see Avenue Q. I loved it. There were times when I wasn’t as into it as others but overall it was incredibly fantastic. Monica and Jamie were sucked into the cute world of the Bad Idea Bears, and I liked them too. The bears were hilarious, they had very bad ideas and convinced people that they were good ideas by their powers of cuteness. Come to think of it, Natalie as a child had a lot in common with the Bad Idea Bears. Maybe it was because of that fact that I was not taken in by them. I was immediately in love with Trekkie Monster the second that his hairy face appeared on the stage. Here is a glimpse of him in all his horny glory.


On Saturday Tony and I got a wonderful delivery, our 52inch Samsung Touch of Color Series 7 arrived! Tony was at work and when I saw the TV being carted off the truck I gasped because it was really big. When they set it up on our entertainment center I was still amazed at how big it was. It fits and everything but MAN is that thing big. After I finally got the closed captions to turn off (thanks Dad) I settled down to a weekend of television glory. The picture is amazing, so amazing that we watched golf simply because it was beautiful. Video games are unreal on this thing. I pulled out Uncharted: Drakes Fortune because the graphics were amazing on our old TV (which is still a perfectly fine piece of machinery) to see what it would look like and I was amazed. It’s so real. The only thing is we can’t figure out how to make the 120 Hz stay on. I think it might only kick in for certain things because the TV says it is on but then the info still says 60 Hz. Oh well, I’ll figure it out. Don’t even get me started on the blu-ray stuffs. Man I love my TV.

I guess the fact that an incredibly over stimulating time consisted of a play and a television delivery should maybe make me reconsider my measurement of over stimulating. At least the next few days will be busy.

Tomorrow night I will be going to see Jamie Lidell, again with Jamie and Monica. It will be different from the last show we saw him do because he will have a band. I am very interested to see how it will work. Here’s a glimpse of the last show.


Thursday is my birthday and that is probably the least eventful thing that is going on. I just don’t care about 29. I’ll care next year. On Friday Chanda is having a murder mystery party and I am pretty excited about it. Tony’s mom might be coming into town for Blues Fest this weekend and Mom is going to be coming in for a conference next Tuesday. The stimulation just won’t stop.

1. We’re in the movies/ Watching some people move their mouths/ And a religious figure/ Whose not really a religious figure/ Cause he’s an actor

2. It never really mattered too much to me/ That I was just too damn old to MC/ All that really mattered is if your rhymes was ill/ Girl that’s all that really mattered to me

3. Tulip Baroo/ Tulip Baroo/ The magnetic roller-skater wears a bonnet of blue/ Bonnet of blue

4. Let's all get up and dance to a song that was a hit before your mother was born/ Though she was born a long long time ago/ Your mother should know. Your Mother Should Know, Identified by, Michael.

5. When you sleep/ Where do your fingers go/ What do your fingers know/ What do your fingers show.

AN EMPTY MIND

There hasn’t been much on my mind lately. Tony and I got our TV, which is pretty exciting to us but not so much to the vast majority of the human population. It is getting delivered on Saturday and I have a lot of work to do tomorrow night getting everything ready for it. Tonight I am going to see Avenue Q with Monica and Jamie and that should be wicked awesome. I suppose I’ll have more to say about that tomorrow.

Basically I have been walking around with my head buried deep within Atlas Shrugged and being a total recluse. It’s pretty cool. Atlas Shrugged is basically the same book as The Fountainhead but longer. Although I am only about 400 pages into it I can safely assume that my assumption is correct. There are people motivated by industry and construction, people who punish themselves for having sexual desires contrasted with those who revel in them, Government type folks who just can’t seem to leave those bloody capitalists alone, Sentences dripping with the absolute horror of any remotely socialist ideals, and tons of self-righteous boobs of all sorts running around. It’s wonderful.

1. We’re in the movies/ Watching some people move their mouths/ And a religious figure/ Whose not really a religious figure/ Cause he’s an actor

2. There’s a man I’ve found who could bring us all joy/ There’s a doctor I’ve found could cure the boy. There's a Dr. I've Found, The Who. Identified by, Mom.

3. It never really mattered too much to me/ That I was just too damn old to MC/ All that really mattered is if your rhymes was ill/ Girl that’s all that really mattered to me

4. Tulip Baroo/ Tulip Baroo/ The magnetic roller-skater wears a bonnet of blue/ Bonnet of blue

5. Annie’s twelve years old in two more she’ll be a whore/ Nobody ever told her it’s the wrong way/ Don’t be afraid with the quickness you’ll get laid/ For your family get paid it’s the wrong way. Wrong Way, Sublime. Identified by Mom. Mom, I'm kind of sorry that you know this one. Maybe I can blame it on Sisterhead.

THE BEST THING ABOUT MINNEAPOLIS

I haven’t had much to say lately, which is strange because I feel that I have been very busy. I guess I have enjoyed playing word games on Facebook more than blogging lately. Therefore, during my lunches I sit down to have a quick game of something and then notice an hour has passed and I have no time to write anything. Again, not that anything interesting would be said. Maybe I should change my blog name back to “I Have Nothing Interesting To Say: Read Me”.

I had a wonderful time in Minneapolis, as I always do. It is truly a great city. On Thursday I went out for Thai food with Roxanne, my oldest friend. She isn’t the oldest of my friends but I have known her since I was about 6mo old so she is really more like family than friend. I mean I’ve known her longer than my sister. It is amazing that we still enjoy each others company as much as we do. Anyway, the point of my story was that we went out for Thai food and I got to eat mock duck. I don’t know what it is about Minneapolis that every Thai and Vietnamese place has mock duck on the menu but it is a wonderful thing. Maybe there is a mock duck factory in the twin cities somewhere that I have never heard of. What I wouldn’t do to get some proper mock duck here in Chicago. Sure my family lives in Minneapolis. Sure I love the quiet vibe of an ever more cosmopolitan city. Sure I get to see old friends who mean the world to me. Regardless, mock duck is quite possibly the best thing in Minneapolis.

Of course I have no idea if the mock duck tastes anything like real duck but I do know that it tastes delicious. It’s moist and firm and chewy all at the same time. It has a fantastic flavor and it makes me incredibly happy. I ordered mock duck pad thai at a level five spicy out of five and didn’t even need to put more hot sauce on it, although I could have. It was nice and red with spice when it arrived on my plate. It even had big tofu pieces along with the mock duck! Usually they just put some little crap pieces in there if it isn't your main "meat". I have to do some research and find out where I can get some of this wonderful product and make my own mock ducky dishes. I actually just did a google search for "mock duck chicago" and found a restaurant that serves the stuff. Dharma Garden here I come. I should also mention that the first entry on google was from someone who went to college in Minneapolis and was lamenting the mockducklessness of Chicago.

On Friday the entire family (parents, aunts & uncles, cousins, and grandparents) went for dinner at Cristos, a Greek restaurant. The food there was incredibly delicious as well. I ordered dessert, which I never do, and tasted a little piece of heaven called milopita. This thing was filo dough wrapped around baked apples in a ricotta/cream cheese mixture. There was some kind of sweet wonderful sauce all around it. I won’t want another one for about five years because it was incredibly rich but it was certainly something wonderful to store in the back of my, “delicious things to eat” corner of my mind.

I also saw two movies, Iron Man and Prince Caspian, which is insane because I never go out to the movies. It was great fun even though I took a benadryl, which never make me sleepy but miraculously did that day, before going to see Iron Man and dosed a little bit. Oh well, just gives me more reason to see it again. I now have to reread Prince Caspian because, while I think it was similar to the book, if it didn’t follow the story closely it was a total Two Towers rip off. Then again, the first one was very true to the story so I’m not really sure why it wouldn’t be. If anyone remembers and will let me know so that I can continue to read Atlas Shrugged (which I am enjoying immensely although not as much as The Fountainhead) and not have to bother with minor literary distractions. Then again, literary distractions can be cool as I just read a book called Running With Walker, which was a father’s memoir of taking care of his autistic son and was incredibly glad that I did.

Now for the song reveal

2. Now for all ya’ll who ain’t heard of me/ Mr. M-O-E the Barre Baby/ I’m a South Side living legend/ A third ward /bone hard/ Street veteran. Barre Baby, Big Moe.

5. They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom/ For trying to change the system from within/ I’m coming now I’m coming to reward them. First We Take Manhattan, Leonard Cohen

PACKIN MY BAGS GOING AWAY

Tomorrow I am getting on a plane and flying to Minneapolis. I hate the journey to the airport but I love when the doors to the plane close and we take off. I know I’ll be home soon.

This trip is a pretty big one. Mom is graduating with a Masters degree in something that I don’t understand and took her about three sentences to explain to me and I still don’t get it. I think it has something to do with education and community development. Needless to say, I am incredibly proud of her. If I recall correctly this is actually her first graduation. I could be wrong but I don’t think she walked in High School or for either one of her Bachelor’s degrees. This is a pretty big deal and I am so glad I get to be there.

I love Minneapolis. It’s a great time of year to be there. It would be better in about a month but this will do. The city is beautiful and I can’t help but smile as I drive around and see all the green and the blue. They weren’t kidding when they called Minnesota the land of 10,000 lakes. Even though there is a big old lake on the East side of Chicago I don’t get the same watery satisfaction here that I do at home. It’s a serene place.

I’ll hang with the family, see some friends, and relax as much as possible. It should be a good couple days. Sometimes I wish that Minneapolis was as close as Evanston but most of the time I am glad of where it is because I can truly go away and still feel at home.

1. I know I should get next to you/ You’ve got a look that made me think you’re cool/ But it’s just sexual attraction/ Not something real so I’d rather keep wackin’. Why Bother, Weezer. Identified by Monica

2. Now for all ya’ll who ain’t heard of me/ Mr. M-O-E the Barre Baby/ I’m a South Side living legend/ A third ward /bone hard/ Street veteran

3. Oh Baby Baby how was I supposed to know/ That something wasn’t right here/ Oh Baby Baby I shouldn’t have let you go. Baby One More Time, Britney Spears. Identified by Brooke.

4. Make of our hands one hand/ Make of our hearts one heart/ Make of our vows one last vow/ Only death will part us now. One Hand One Heart, West Side Story. Identified by Mom.

5. They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom/ For trying to change the system from within/ I’m coming now I’m coming to reward them

SHAKING THINGS UP ON A FRIDAY MORNING

So there I am, sitting in my office, and a strange voice comes over the loudspeaker.

“Everything is clear, you may return to the building.”

I was a little flummoxed. I hadn’t left the building. If I was supposed to leave why didn’t anyone tell me? I know I keep to myself somewhat but not to the point that people would forget that I work here. Seconds later the voice spoke again.

“This is a bomb threat.”

“Really,” I said as people started to grab their things and leave the office. I grabbed the iPod, my bag, and a coat and headed outside.

For the last few weeks the University has been talking about their new safety alert system. They did a test last week and I got a voicemail message, a text message, and an email. I left my cell phone at home today so I don’t know if I got the text or voicemail but no one else did so I am guessing no. I certainly didn’t get an email.

We all went outside and pondered why we were evacuated and got no alerts. We also wondered why only five or six people actually heard the announcement. Some people heard garbled mess, others heard nothing. It was clear as a bell in my office so that is good to know. We wondered why so many of the evacuated people were standing directly outside the doors of the building. Our staff was across the street at a parking lot. I suppose that we may not have been far enough away but at least we weren’t directly in front of the doors.

After about ten minutes someone came by and mentioned that it was simply a mistake. Someone must have accidentally hit the “bomb threat” button on the loudspeaker. We were all allowed back inside. The day continued and all is well.

Random song time

1. Been spending most their lives living in a pastime paradise/ Been spending most their lives living in a pastime paradise/ Been wasting most their time glorifying the days long gone behind. Pastime Paradise, Stevie Wonder. Identified by Brooke

2. Snow can wait I’ve forgot my mittens/ Wipe my nose/ Get my new boots on. Winter, Tori Amos. Identified by Brooke

3. I know I should get next to you/ You’ve got a look that made me think you’re cool/ But it’s just sexual attraction/ Not something real so I’d rather keep wackin’

4. Now for all ya’ll who ain’t heard of me/ Mr. M-O-E the Barre Baby/ I’m a South Side living legend/ A third ward /bone hard/ Street veteran

5. I/ hurt myself today/ To see if I still feel/ I/ Focus on the pain/ The only thing that’s real. Hurt, Nine Inch Nails. Identified by Brooke

LOOPTOPIA PART DEUX

On Friday, Monica and I decided to venture to the festivities that are called Looptopia on Friday night. After the debacle that was last year we didn’t hope for much. We scoured the activities and had a rather difficult time finding anything we were incredibly inspired to do. We decided to walk to Daley Plaza and figure it out more from there.

We sat by this sculpture thing that one of the creators described to us an an inefficient system. It was made up of three inflated beach ball type things that were slowly deflating. Atop said balloons sat a city and the whole contraption was hooked up to three stationary bikes. You had to pedal the bikes to keep the balls inflated or the city would fall. It was about cooperation. I think it was a metaphor for the entire evening.

While at the plaza it rained a little but not too much. We decided to head to the cultural center, a place of madness the year before, and check out this sketch comedy thing. One side was locked so we went to the other. Believe it or not there was a line to get in that wrapped around the building. AS IF!!! We decided to walk to some bars and see if old co-workers were hanging out.

We passed some people doing strange performance art type things in the windows of Macy’s and then heard a noise…it sounded like…Assholes! They were obnoxious, they were hollering, they were not the real Obnoxious Hollering Assholes but they were pretty cool. The group was about five people in orange jumpsuits making noise and marching down the street. Monica and I fell in line behind them and did little dances and went Woo! Eventually she busted out her kazoo and played along. I don’t think they even noticed. We followed them for about five blocks or so until they stopped. It was the best time of the evening.

We tried one bar and found no old co-workers. It started to rain a bit so we busted out my umbrella and started walking to the other bar. On the way we made up a new band. Monica is in the Assholes and I am not exactly in the Assholes but sometimes I make appearances. The Assholes do not have lyrics and I prefer bands that do. As the two of us have written awesome songs before, it is only fitting that we have a band that sings actual songs. Look for us, we’re called That One Band Right There. Forthcoming songs include; That One Song, That Rap Song, The Song that Goes Like That, and our soon to be smash hit single Insideoutafied. We thought about selling tapes out the back of our pockets but then realized it would be better to have people send us money and then we would email them mp3s of our songs. As soon as we get a closed door creative type song writing session scheduled it’s on. We may even cover Emo Boy, a wonderful song by our other band that used The Dead Milkmen’s “Punk Rock Girl” as inspiration. That One Band Right There is headed for stardom.

Anyway, our co-workers weren’t at the other bar either and it was raining like crazy so we went home. One of my co-workers said that Looptopia was rumored to be a roaring party and a smashing success. Maybe it was, but I missed it.

1. Horses in my dreams/ Like waves like the sea/ They pull out of here/ They pull they are free. Horses in my Dreams, PJ Harvey

2. Oh here we go again/ It’s time for the same arguments about/ About that and a little bit of this. ShadowBox, The Ponys

3. What about the time/ You were rolling over/ Fell on your face/ You must be having fun. Slippery People, Talking Heads

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. Eyes, Apollo Sunshine

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

HOW STRANGE TIMES TURN OUT WELL

I had a most wondrous Friday night. I must admit it started off rather disappointing but it was all nice in the end. I met Monica and Jamie for a quick stop at “free happy hour” at Howl At The Moon. While there were free creepy nacho fixings, that were okay but if I opted not to get seconds when free food was involved they couldn’t have been that good. The free drinks actually cost $1 and I vowed not to drink one on principle. Monica and Jamie offered to get me drinks but I told them that it wouldn’t jive with my stand. There were some INTERESTING people there. The place was full of people in their 40s who were just having a swell old after work time and people in their 20s who were dressed like scandalous hot messes and couldn’t wait to get picked up by the first standard frat boy that offered to buy them a cosmo. I can’t remember the last time I saw so many people who were wearing clothes that didn’t fit them, heals they couldn’t walk in, and thought they were doing their thing. What can I expect from a place that played dueling piano versions of Gin and Juice and that Soulja Boy mess?

After that we went and got tickets for Avenue Q!!!!! Hooray!!!! Although I don’t know the songs how can I not enjoy such gems as: What Do You Do with a B.A. in English?, Everyone's A Little Bit Racist, The Internet Is For Porn, and I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today? Then when you add on the fact that the cast is full of Muppets you realize that this must be the best play EVER.

Jamie and I headed back North so I could meet up with Dave and go to Cake Chicago, a live music review that takes place on the last Friday of the month at the Red Line Tap (behind the Heartland Café). I must admit that I wasn’t particularly looking forward to it. I tend not to like music I haven’t heard of and hate paying covers, even $5 for said unknown music.

The first act was spoken word, and I was certain I would be in for a long night. The second act was a guitar/harmonica playing lady who was pretty good. The third act was this lady named Ripley who organizes the event and was also pretty good. We ordered some Nachos & Guac from Heartland drank plenty of beers and I was feeling like my night was worth the $5.

It suddenly got better. The last band, The Gwen Mitchell Experiment, was amazingly outstanding. Dave and I have big old crushes on Gwen Mitchell. After the show Tina told Gwen and Gwen’s girlfriend that the gay boy and the straight girl were completely hot for her, which was a little embarrassing. The thing is that Gwen is totally hot. I thought she was pretty cute when she got on stage but as she was performing she went from cute to amazingly hot. That girl really gets into her rock star persona. Look at her, she’s adorable. She kind of looks like Kevin Barnes. The band is a Chicago group made up of drums, bass, guitar, and electric violin. They have this kind of funk/gypsy/chick/Celtic/jam band/rock kind of thing going and it was absolutely wonderful. Tina and I bought the CD. I can’t remember the last time I bought a CD at a show, if ever. I must say the CD was a little less funky than the live show but there are a few cuts where they really do their thing. I think they are awesome. If you are in Chicago and they are playing it will be totally worth it to check them out.

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. This old sun is slowly sinking down/ And the moon is slowly rising. And this old world must still be spinning round/ And I still love you. You Can Close Your Eyes, Richie Havens. Identified by Mom.

4. What about the time/ You were rolling over/ Fell on your face/ You must be having fun

5. 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

THE IMPLICATIONS ARE STAGGERING

An old professor of mine sent me an email talking about some legislation that just passed the appropriations committee and is headed to the full House in Arizona called measure SB1108. It would ban public schools from teaching materials that "overtly encourage dissent" in regard to core American values. Another piece would bar teachings, or organizations affiliated with public schools, community colleges, or public universities that are "based in whole or in part on race-based criteria," I find this incredibly terrifying.

From what I have read in the emails that have been going back and forth as well as this article, the target appears to be a La Raza studies program that focuses on cultural history and instilment of pride in that history. Some of the texts used in the program have rubbed people the wrong way.

It is one thing to complain about a text or two used in a program and maybe even talk to the school to get those texts removed or to choose laternate texts. I’m not saying I think this is necessary in this case because I don’t have all the information, I haven’t read the texts, I don’t know about the student organization mentioned, and so I honestly can’t comment on their ethos. However, I certainly can comment on the implications that type of legislation could have statewide.

Imagine a world where the only culture allowed to be taught is the dominant culture. How fundamentally un-American is that? While the article states that teaching about cultures would be acceptable, “race-based” classes would not. I can just see Asian Studies, Diaspora Studies, Chicano Studies, etc. disappearing from Arizona’s public universities and it makes me want to cry.

The language is so vague. I think if you asked ten people what it means to "overtly encourage dissent" from the values of American democracy and Western civilization you would get ten different answers. Debates could come to a raging halt. Any sentiment of radical change or even not so radical change could be squashed out of the brains of many children and young adults. People could essentially be taught that everything single thing about America is right and good and I am certain that type of thinking will only do our country harm.

Since Mom guessed all the songs yesterday here are five new ones

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. Moon Sammy walks/ Across the floor/ Below the floor/ There is a wall. Moon Sammy, Soul Coughing. Identified by Mom.

4. When apple leaves fall/ You may feel something in your mind’s eye/ When the earth drinks in squall/ You may plan to escape on the sly. Apple, Cibo Matto. Identified by Jamie

5. It’s coming on Christmas/ They’re cutting down trees/ They’re putting up reindeer and singing songs of joy and peace. River, Joni Mitchell. Identified by Chatty Knitter.

A MAJOR DECISION

Tony and I have decided to buy a television. To those of you who have frequented my house and seen the television that we already possess you might be wondering why we would do such a thing. Although not top of the line or huge, out television is certainly quite a nice piece of equipment. When we purchased it we said we wouldn’t need to get another TV for 10 years. We were wrong.

Although it has HD capability, it must be like on of the very first HD type TVs because it doesn’t have a place to plug in an HDMI cable thus making our HD not as awesome as it could be. It runs at 1080i and at 420 but not at 720 or 1080p. Because of these specifications we cannot enjoy our PS3 to its full abilities. Most games run in 720 and we have to view them at 420 instead. Some of the ones that run at 1080 will run optimally but not all of them. It really is rather frustrating.

Last night we took a trip up to the Evanston/Chicago border (because Tony didn’t want to get on the red line and insisted it wouldbe an easy commute) to try out a Greek restaurant up on Howard street and then take the bus to Best Buy in Evanston. The food was pretty good but we both ordered the wrong entrée. I think others would have been better than pretty good. The appetizers were AMAZING. We hopped on the bus and saw this big conglomerate suburban edifice that contained a Jewel/Osco, Best Buy, Office Max, and Target. It was wonderful. I really wanted to go to Target but we didn’t really have time.

Best Buy is a wonderful place full of big pretty televisions. While we aren’t completely sure if we will end up getting one from there, Internet shopping could possibly be an option, we needed to scope things out. After looking around for a long time we basically found the two TVs that had the best picture. Picture quality is really the most important thing. Both of them were a little out of our target price range but we can always save a little more. One was a 40in Sony Bravia LCD screen. I had never seen such picture; it looked like I could reach in and punch Spiderman in the face. The shots of video games were amazing, they showed Drake’s Fortune and it looked like a completely different game than what we had been playing. We started to drool. However, it was a little small for us to. To put out new TV the way we want to in our living room we’ll be sitting at least 12ft back from it. Since we know we’re going to plop down a nice chunk of change we want it to look big from 12ft back, not just up close. The other one we liked was a 52in Samsung LCD the picture was essentially the same but it wasn’t showing any video games so we were left a little in the dark. When we got home we realized we just should have put the DVD that was playing on the Sony into the Panasonic but we didn’t do that. Right now we are leaning toward the Panasonic. To get the Sony in the size we want would be SERIOUSLY out of price range rather than a little out of range. We already feel a little silly paying so much money for a stupid TV. I mean, seriously.

Although a very helpful salesman tried desperately to have us buy the TV last night it wasn’t going to happen. We need to save some money and completely rearrange our living room before we’ll be ready for the TV. It was tempting though. My sound Financial Fitness hat must have been on though because I was able to say no. This time last year I probably would have got a TV. Yeah for being somewhat financially responsible.

Oh, after we were done at Best Buy we went to wait for the bus to go back to the city. One passed on the other side of the street and told us that we would be waiting for about an hour unless we went three blocks east and took another bus. We got to the other bus stop as our bus was pulling away and had to wait another 20 minutes or so for one. I knew it would have been easier to go to the one off the red line.

1. Love Love Love/ Love Love Love/ There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done/ Nothing you can sing that can’t be sung. All You Need is Love, The Beatles. Identified by Mom

2. I am/ Doll eyes/ Doll mouth/ doll legs. Doll Parts, Hole. Identified by Mom

3. Two weeks in a Virginia Jail/ For my lover/ For my lover. For My Lover, Tracy Chapman. Identified by Mom

4. I ain’t gonna work on Maggie’s farm no more/ No I ain’t gonna work on Maggie’s farm no more Maggie's Farm, Bob Dylan. Identified by Mom

5. It’s more fun to compute/ It’s more fun to compute/ It’s more fun to compute. It's More Fun To Compute, Kraftwerk. Identified by Mom

I THINK I MIGHT WIN THIS ONE

So I was playing Scrabulous with this dude on Facebook that I won't name because I don't know if he would want me to and he proceeded to kick the pants off of me. It was somewhat embarrassing. Not having too many games going, I decided to start another game with him and keep my fingers crossed that I would lose not quite as badly as I did before. He has quite the impressive record. The first set of letters I got were

MN?UEDW

I thought, “Huh, those look like promising letters.” I began to think of words and came up with "mewed", the noise a cat makes. The remaining letters were “un”. I wondered if unmewed was a word. I put it on the board, although not in the smartest place cause I didn’t really think it would work. It worked. The definition doesn’t have anything to do with the cat sound. Apparently, "mew" means to confine and to "unmew" means to set free and therefore someone can be "unmewed". Nifty, I scored me 78 points, learned something, and got my next letters.

TORANIE

I thought, “Huh, these look like very promising letters.” I really wanted to spell “anterior” but the other r was nowhere to be found. However, there was a D on the board and “rationed” soon appeared on the board netting me another 70 points. I don’t know if I have ever scored two seven letter words in a row and certainly not the first two moves of a game. My opponent wrote an “aw HELL no” after my move. I just smiled to myself and got my next letters.

TESET?O

I thought, “Huh, these look like very promising letters.” I mixed them and mixed them and wasn’t having much luck. Then I thought ETTE is a pretty common ending of things. I mixed the rest of the letters around and was oh so glad I watched Project Runway like a mad woman because “rosette” was suddenly staring back at me. I couldn’t believe it. It even fit on the board, and over a triple word score. I netted another 70 points.

There the game sits. Three moves in and I have a score of 218. The last time I played dude I had a total score of 274. After his first two moves he is sitting on 60 points, not a shabby score at all. While he could catch me I think I might have this one wrapped up. I don’t have another seven letter word on my board though; at least I don’t think I do.

EDYOEED

No, "doeeyed" isn’t a word. Even if I had one and you saw it I couldn’t accept help cause that would be cheating and cheating is for losers. Then again, since I have been all self-congratulatory on my blog I will probably lose anyway due to overconfidence. That would suck.

1. Well I’m reading this poem and it’s so profound/ and I/ I like its rhythm/ and I/ I like its sound. Lies, Violent Femmes

2. Can I come over/ Tonight/ Can I come over/ Tonight/ What do you think I wanna do/ That’s right/ Can I come over/ Tonight. Real Cool Time, The Stooges

3. I got bullets in the clip/ So what you want/ I got a lyric I can spit/ So what you want. Ghetto Pop Life, Dangermouse and Jemini

4. Andy would bicycle across town in the rain to bring you candy/ and John would buy the gown for you to wear to the prom/ With Tom the astronomer who’d name a star for you. The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side, Magnetic Fields

5. Loyal fans and new found followers/ What’s up ya’ll/ Hello how are you doing out there/ You chillin/ I’m winnin/ Oh by the way the album’s out/ Go get it. Here We Go Again. DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince

6 THINGS ABOUT ME

Colleen tagged me with the Six Quirky Things About Me meme. I am struggling with the idea because I can’t think of anything I haven’t already talked about before. I’ll give it a try though. Who knows, I might come up with something new. I just spend about 20 minutes not being able to come up with anything so I decided I am going to narrow things down and stick to quirky food things. This too may be hard.

1)I eat my pizza like a weirdo
I prefer to eat my pizza with a knife and fork. Although a little strange it is certainly not unheard of. However, utensils are only the beginning of my pizza neurosis. I always start by cutting off the crust, or ripping it off if there are no utensils. I do this because it is one of my least favorite parts of the pizza. I then cut (or rip) a one inch strip from directly below the crust. If there is some cheese that has crept upon the crust and gotten nice and brown I will generally take it off and put it on the side of my plate to eat later. As I pick up little squares of pizza to eat I bite the crust part first, put down the fork and then eat the cheese part. Sometimes I try to eat cheese and crust together but I invariably separate them in my mouth. After I have eaten the top third of the pizza slice I turn my plate and work at it from the tip up. Eventually I am left with the middle third of the pizza slice. This third is where most of the toppings and goodness tend to be. I will peel the cheese off in one big chunk, eat the crust, and then savor the last wonderfully full cheesy bite. It doesn’t matter whit kind of pizza it is the process will be the same. This process may be why deep dish is one of my least favorite pizzas. It can be very hard to separate the cheese and crust because of the way they are constructed. Stuffed crust is easier. With that I usually will eat away the bottom crust and eat the top crust and the stuffing together. I despise pizza being cut into squares because it really messes up my flow.

2)I will always save the second best nacho.
If eating nachos, I will find the one with the second best combination of toppings and set it to the side of my plate. The best nacho should be eaten immediately while everything is nice and hot and melty. If there are tons of nachos and I won’t finish them in one sitting I eat the second best nacho just as I am about to be full. I will eat nachos as leftovers but they are never as good as the first time and I don’t want to waste my perfect one. My little sister, Shoshana, has this nasty habit of stealing my second best nacho. I don’t blame her, it is the best one left on the plate. For a while, she tried to play it off like she thought I put it to the side because I didn’t want it but that only worked once or twice. She will still try to steal it though.

3) I eat my burgers and sandwiches from the outside in
Yes, they are veggie burgers. I always start by nibbling around the edges and then slowly making my way to the middle. I bet you can guess why…the middle has the best mix of all the yummy goodness. With a sandiwch I try to leave the center for the last bite as well. Sometimes this can be hard because of all the things in the sandwich. You can bet my last taste won't have any crust though.

4) For most of my life I would turn down desert for more dinner
I didn’t have a huge sweet tooth but I sure loved a savory dish. Typically I would rather have a taco or some pasta than a bowl of ice cream. However, lately I have been craving sweets to end a meal. This has been a bit of a problem because I have never really kept sweets around as I would rather have some cheese. I’m going to have to make some changes.

5) I eat candy bars in layers
Chocolate is certainly not one of my favorite foods. I do like candy bars though. I like to meticulously eat as much of the chocolate from around the edges of a bar as possible so that I am just left with whatever is inside. This I particularly easy with things like Kit-Kat bars and Twix bars. Twix may be the easiest. With those I like to eat the cookie part separate from the caramel part. I like the caramel part better. They separate quite nicely.

I have just realized that most of food quirks revolve around getting the best bite possible. I wonder if they are all that quirky. Doesn’t everyone want the best bite possible? Anyway, I tag anyone who wants to do the meme.

1. Well I’m reading this poem and it’s so profound/ and I/ I like its rhythm/ and I/ I like its sound

2. Can I come over/ Tonight/ Can I come over/ Tonight/ What do you think I wanna do/ That’s right/ Can I come over/ Tonight

3. I got bullets in the clip/ So what you want/ I got a lyric I can spit/ So what you want

4. Andy would bicycle across town in the rain to bring you candy/ and john would buy the gown for you to wear to the prom/ With Tom the astronomer who’d name a star for you

5. Loyal fans and new found followers/ What’s up ya’ll/ Hello how are you doing out there/ You chillin/ I’m winnin/ Oh by the way the album’s out/ Go get it

MEETING DAVID WILSON

So this Friday I watched the documentary Meeting David Wilson on MSNBC. It was about this young Black man, David A. Wilson who was researching his family history and came discover not only his own family history but that of the white Wilson family who once owned his own. Turns out there was a guy still living in the same town where the plantation was who was also named David B. Wilson. David A. calls up David B. and says something along the lines of, “Hi, I think your family used to own my family,” and David B. says, “Well that could be.” They then proceed to have a short conversation about the weather. Eventually they decide to meet.

This was one of those documentaries that tore me apart. I couldn’t turn it off but I couldn’t stop crying. Slavery really messes with my head. I cried because he found this guy. I cried because he wanted to meet him. I cried because he went down to the plantation and found an old shack in the slave quarters and stood inside thinking of the joy and the tragedy that must have happened inside. I cried because the two Davids got along. I cried as they got both Wilson families together for a mini reunion even though DNA showed no relation (that didn’t make me cry though, it made me happy). I cried as David A. went further back in his roots and traveled to Ghana, as he stood inside a slave castle looking at the “Door of No Return” and thinking of how long it took him to go back to his ancestral home. Mostly, I cried because I never could have done it.

As I mentioned, slavery really messes with my head. I get incredibly angry. When I get angry I cry. I could imagine myself having that conversation. It would have been full of cursing, name calling, shouting, and tears. I probably would have been hung up on. Then again, I probably wouldn’t have ever made the call because I already know how the conversation would go. It wouldn’t be healthy for anyone involved. It would bring back the recurring nightmares I had as a child of being chased through dense woods by dogs. Whatever poor white person I called and went crazy on would have nothing positive to think about and would probably look down on Black folks and think we were raving crazies after our interaction.

The Davids touched on a question that I have heard so many times. Although I think that it was worded less offensively than I am doing here in the film, “Do you think you have more opportunities living in an affluent society here in America than if your ancestors had never been brought here as slaves?” David A. gave an awesome answer, “America wouldn’t be the affluent society it is if it hadn’t been for slaves.” That comment was one of the few things in the film that made me smile.

1. Well they say that birds do it/ Bees do it/ Time the freak Money B gets to it. The Freaks of the Industry. Digital Underground.

2. If the music make you move/ Cause you can dig the groove/ Groove on/ Groove on. Do Your Thing. Isaac Hayes

3. Went down to the mountain I was drinking some wine/ Looked up in the heaven lord I saw a mighty sign. One More Saturday Night, Greatful Dead.

4. What’s the matter/ Why don’t you answer/ What’s the matter with me. Stockholm Syndrome. Yo La Tengo