City Elf: Half Freak, Half Square

Good Night, And Good Luck.

2009-02-10T00:13:00.000-08:00

I've been feeling the need to start something new, so I've started another blog instead of getting a boob job or becoming a hobo.

In all likelihood, I won't be posting around these parts much more, but you can still visit me by heading on over to Seven Vices. Same boring content, brand-new name. And it even has a picture of me!

It's been good times here over the past four and a half years; I hope you'll visit me at the new digs.

xoxo
The Blogger Formerly Known as City Elf

I Love You, Man

2009-01-20T00:33:00.000-08:00

OMG, I want to see this movie so bad! Also I want to marry Paul Rudd AND be his best friend!

DUDE!

2009-01-14T15:36:00.000-08:00

- After a night at Remedy -

Tita: *squints at me as we enter well-lighted area* Hey, are you wearing...blush?

Me: DUDE! Just because I act like I have a dick doesn't mean I actually grew one or anything.

Dream A Little Dream Of Me

2009-01-07T21:41:00.000-08:00

So I re-watched my favorite movie ever – Waking Life – last week and decided that I am going to learn how to lucid dream and become an oneironaut.

I’ve actually been obsessed with the idea of lucid dreaming and being an oneironaut (even when I didn't know that word) for a long time. In college, when my then-boyfriend and I would go home for winter break and over the summer, we tried to astral project and have out-of-body experiences so we could see each other. It never worked, but we never stopped trying.

I’ve started doing some research and it seems the first step is to become aware of and remember your dreams. I’ve actually had some pretty spectacularly weird ones lately, including an awesome one last night with Henry Rollins, on whom I have had a HUGE crush for like a hundred years. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize it was a dream in time, otherwise I’d have been having some lucid fun with Henry. Damn.

Anyhow, another aspect of learning to lucid dream is knowing when you are dreaming (of course) and when you are awake. So I do reality tests pretty frequently, even when I’m sure I’m awake, mostly so I can engrain in my mind the act and then take it into the dream world with me. I figure if I make it a habit, then I’ll be able to continue doing it even when I’m asleep.

Anyhow, I'm only at the beginning stages, but I totally feel like I can get there if I focus. And I'm jealous of all of you who can do this without trying.

The Magic of Bacon

2009-01-05T11:43:00.001-08:00

So over the holidays, the fabulous TMC of Return to Rural welcomed me and Kimba of Kimbaland, along with Kimba's husband J, to her ancestral home to eat turkey soup, watch football, and play Scrabble. Good times were had by all.

During the course of the afternoon, we started discussing bacon. (What, like you don't have a conversation about bacon during every gathering?) Kimba and J mentioned that they had recently eaten bacon cooked with flour, and that it was exceptionally good, extra crispy and very flat.

I was, of course, intrigued. Bacon? Cooked in a manner that would further enhance its natural goodness? I needed to try this. I finally had the opportunity to do so yesterday. AND NOW I AM A BELIEVER. Delicious!

The trick is to add just a little flour - don't dredge it like you're making chicken parmiagiana; just sprinkle some on each side and flip over to lightly coat the bacon strip. Put it in the pan, cook as you normally do, and presto! Extra tasty bacon.

Thank you, TMC, for introducing me to Kimba; and thank you Kimba, for introducing me to better bacon. Please click here to see the manifestation of my gratitude.

Humble Pie

2009-01-02T19:40:00.000-08:00

I bought a sewing machine on Christmas Eve, and I was especially excited because not only did I have a 10% off coupon, it was on sale for $69.99!

Except when I looked at my receipt today, the price was listed as $89.99. WTF? I felt a surge of righteous indignation well up within me. I was screwed out of twenty bucks by Target!

I had to make a return anyways, so I drove to the Target by my house - which is not the Target at which I purchased the sewing machine - only to find out, OF COURSE, that I would need to go to the Pasadena East Target to get information on the sale price. (It was specific to the store, not in the flyer.)

Still seething, I drove to the other Target and went to the sewing machines to confirm that I had seen the sign. And I had! It was $69.99. FROM DECEMBER 21-24. Of course, the sign was up when I bought it, and California law requires merchants to sell the item at the lowest posted price, even if there's an expiration date listed. (God, how do I know these things?)

I was seriously considering standing in line and asking for my $20 refund until I overheard a woman and a man talking in the next aisle. It was clear to me I was listening to the middle of a conversation, but it shamed me nonetheless, because I heard the woman say, "You're at Target just looking for something to buy? I can't even imagine that. That must be like, like, some sort of HOLIDAY. Wow."

And I realized...I do that. I walk into Target with some minor thing I need, and walk out $200 lighter. I wander the music and books sections hoping that something will jump out at me. Sure, I tend to look for things on sale, but spending $12 just because I want to do so is a luxury - a small luxury for me, but it's not for a lot of people. Probably for most people.

I forget sometimes how lucky I am. I never want for anything, other than in the sense of lustful desire for things I don't actually need (a Wii, a bigger kitchen, a Vespa, Christian Bale). I never suffer from hunger; I never shiver from cold because I don't have heat or adequate clothing; I never want for a warm and comfortable bed in which to sleep.

In the grand scheme of things, I am a fortunate daughter of the gods. I'm going to work hard to remember that this year.

Merry (Belated) Christmas

2008-12-28T12:04:00.000-08:00

Yes, I realize I've been bad about posting lately. The holidays are such a busy time, I'm sure all three of you who read my blog can forgive me.

Here's a repost from Facebook, and I promise not to use this crutch very often...but it's something I would have shared here anyways. Enjoy!

I am finally, officially, a fan of Christmas.

For many years, I hated the holiday, or at least I said I did. I had one very traumatic Christmas when I was 20 that turned my world upside down, and it happened to be the first I’d ever spent in Los Angeles away from my family. I would never spend another Christmas in Indiana again.

I won't say this hardened my heart against the holiday, but it came to be a time of year that I dreaded. It brought up painful memories and jumbled emotions that I preferred to avoid. However, they say that time heals all wounds, and eventually I realized that the sorrow and misery I once felt when December rolled around had evaporated.

Each year, I found friends, and at one point, even a family that was like my own, with whom to spend the holidays. I began buying Christmas gifts for my family during my annual Thanksgiving pilgrimage home, a tradition that still brings me as much joy as it does my numerous nieces and nephews. I started decorating my home and humming Christmas carols. After many years of saying - and believing - that I hated Christmas, I fell in love with the holiday once again.

There are still things that mute my experience of Christmas - the anniversary of the death of someone I loved dearly in early December; the powerful sense of longing for my family that I feel after spending time together at Thanksgiving; the knowledge that I lost something important on that Christmas more than a decade ago, something that I can never regain.

But I also feel a sense of renewal, of faith, of love, of joy. At last, after so many years of feeling sad and alone in December, I can finally see the Christ in Christmas.

You Don't Get To Taste The Honey Without The Sting Of The Bee

2008-12-13T18:39:00.001-08:00

Despite this guy sounding a bit like the male version of Duffy, I loooooove this song.

It's "Nothing Ever Hurt Like You" by James Morrison. That's a damn sexy voice.

I Must Be Drunk

2008-12-10T21:47:00.000-08:00

Not only did I willingly go into Starbucks (to buy a gift for the "Secret Santa" exchange at work tomorrow, no less) but I bought a CD. *hangs head in shame*

And it was a Christmas CD! *blushes in mortification*

And I'm listening to it RIGHT NOW. *dies of embarassment*

Mmmm....David Gregory

2008-12-07T10:56:00.000-08:00

I was quite happy to read the news of the selection of David Gregory as the new host of Meet the Press. I think Tom Brokaw was a poor choice to serve as interim moderator of the show; as he's gotten older, his conservative bias and general crabbiness has gotten more pronounced. He's less a journalist than a commentator at this point. (I wanted to punch him in the face several times during the presidential campaign, particularly when he "moderated" the second debate.)

However, perhaps the LA Times could learn the difference between "predecessor" and "successor".

“Meet the Press,” the predominant political forum on television, entered a new era today as the network confirmed that David Gregory will take the helm of the NBC program, six months after the death of longtime moderator Tim Russert.

“We lost a legend this summer, and today we hand the program over to someone who has a true appreciation and respect for the 'Meet the Press' legacy, and a keen sense of what it needs to be in the future,” NBC News President Steve Capus said in a statement released this morning.

Interim moderator Tom Brokaw is expected to welcome his predecessor on today's program.

Guess all those cuts take their toll.

I Suck

2008-11-25T19:55:00.001-08:00

Drink and Ride

2008-11-21T10:42:00.001-08:00

For those lucky enough to live on the Red Line route, trains will be running until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays starting today through December 27th. The extra service is being sponsored by local businesses.

You have to give some love to Cedd Moses, whose Downtown businesses including Seven Grand, Broadway Bar, and Golden Gopher, as well as Cole's French Dip and Casey's Bar, are all on the list of sponsors. He's a smart man.

But shame on Hollywood and Highland for not having a single sponsor!

I'm excited about this while simultaneously being a little bitter, as I live just off the Gold Line, which stops running at midnight. Curses!

The Lost Art of Letter Writing

2008-11-20T00:19:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine recently moved to Michigan to go to grad school. Before he left, he had a going away party, at which he became exceedingly intoxicated. He walked/danced/stumbled me to my car when I was leaving, and in his drunken state, declared that he wanted to write to me.

"A real letter," he slurred. "That's so ROMANTIC and old-fashioned, don't you think? Like Kerouac! Send me your address and I'll write to you." I agreed, lest he puke on me or pass out under the wheels of my car before I could drive away. I was fairly sure he wouldn't remember any part of our conversation anyways.

The night before he left, I called to say goodbye and he once again promised to write if I sent him my address. I complied, and a few weeks later, a letter - handwritten! - showed up in my mailbox.

If I haven't ever mentioned it, I LOVE MAIL. I go through my mail with an eagle eye each day, sorting it into piles: trash mail (junk mail, mail with other people's names on it, past due bills), shred mail (anything from a credit card company that has my full name on it, because I'm paranoid), interesting mail (sales at my favorite stores, free samples, pornography), and REAL MAIL (the most rare mail of all - something addressed just to me, not machine-generated, from a real person). I even shake out the trash mail just in case a piece of REAL MAIL might be hiding inside of it.

So it was pretty freaking exciting to get the letter. Of course, instead of quickly reciprocating, it took me a month to write him back, because I'm a dick. In the ensuing wait for a second letter from him, I became impatient and had to call, despite our agreement to try the writing thing for the sake of...I don't know, being Luddites? We've since been in touch on Facebook and occasionally over email, but he did FINALLY send me a second letter which arrived today.

While it was typed, instead of scrawled in longhand like the first letter, it elicited the same squealing happiness as before (perhaps even moreso, since the entire thing was actually legible) and I giggled at his stories, imagining him making faces and gesticulating wildly as I read. Is there anything better than a letter from a friend?

My favorite part of the letter would be that he signs off "Sincerely", except that this time he had to use butterfly and bumblebee 41 cent stamps, which made the letter a thousand times funnier. Man, I miss that kid.

I Feel Smarter Already

2008-11-17T21:22:00.000-08:00

Remember that Seinfeld episode, The Abstinence?

Elaine: Portuguese?

George: Yeah, my cleaning lady's Portuguese. I must've picked it up.

Elaine: How come he's gettin' so smart? I stopped having sex with Ben three days ago and I don't know no Portuguese?

Jerry: Are you all right?

Elaine: I don't know. It's just the last coupla days my mind has been, not good.

Jerry: Wait a second, I know what's happening. The no sex thing is having a reverse effect on you.

Elaine: What? What are you talking about?

Jerry: To a woman, sex is like the garbage man. You just take for granted the fact that any time you put some trash out on the street, a guy in a jumpsuit's gonna come along and pick it up. But now, it's like a garbage strike. The bags are piling up in your head. The sidewalk is blocked. Nothing's getting through. You're stupid.

Elaine: I don't understand.

Jerry: Exactly.

I'll just say that today was my most productive day at work in several months.

And if they want more out of me, they should hire a garbage man as my new assistant.

Get In Mah Bellah!

2008-11-17T16:46:00.000-08:00

Christ, I fell off the "eating healthy" wagon, hard. So hard, in fact, that I bounced into the "chow down like a fat ass" truck that was driving in the opposite direction.

I've had an assortment of bad choices* find their way into my digestive system lately. Today I had a meatball sub! And yesterday I had chorizo con papas y huevos! (That's chorizo** with potatoes and eggs for all you gringos.) The day before that? Bacon and eggs. I had Arby's last week, people. ARBY'S.

I'm kind of afraid to step on a scale and find out if I've gained back all the weight I lost. I think I'll wait until after I have my pepperoni and sausage pizza for dinner.

* Bad...but delicious.

** What's English for chorizo?

Reading Is Fundamental

2008-11-13T23:10:00.001-08:00

So I joined Meetup, not because I need more friends - I have plenty of friends, thank you very much - but because I am wont to stay indoors and curl up like a cat, given the opportunity, and less likely to do mentally and physically stimulating activities* unless they are scheduled in my Blackberry. I'd like to hike more and read more (the latter, I realize, being much less physically stimulating than the former) and I know there are a lot of groups with those interests on the site.

Tonight I went to a book swap Meetup in Silver Lake, which I did enjoy, even though only four of us came, and our organizer didn't bother to show up. I walked away with several new** books and gave away my second copy of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and a book I half-heartedly enjoyed, Wobegon Boy. (I thought the ending was a bit lame and the book itself, overall, a tad aimless and self-indulgent, not unlike much of Keillor's work.)

The other attendees (Meetuppers?) included a librarian, a scientist, and a marathon team trainer, all of whom were interesting and intelligent women. We shared reading recommendations and discussed the books we brought; in the end, we swapped everything and nobody had to take anything they had brought back home.

I ended up with short stories by Julie Orringer, an autobiography of Kirk Douglas, a book on philosophy, and the follow-up to Wicked.

I'd totally go to one of these again, but I wonder, aside from the hiking groups (which I may or may not participate in, given my general clumsiness and lack of athleticism), what other Meetup groups I should check out?

* Mmmmm...physically stimulating activities.

** New to me, anyways.

I'll Be The Cake, You Be The Frosting

2008-11-12T23:59:00.000-08:00

So I made a birthday wish, and I made it out loud, and everyone said it wouldn't come true because it was supposed to be a secret.

But they were ALL WRONG! Because apparently my pheromones are flying out into the universe and bringing men to me in droves. Take that, naysayers!

Old To Gold

2008-11-11T12:22:00.000-08:00

God, I freaking love the Raconteurs.

Found via BoingBoing.

So This Made Me Feel Better Today

2008-11-10T23:48:00.001-08:00

You Say Tomato, I Say Persimmon

2008-11-09T16:35:00.003-08:00

Conversation between me and Wendy on the way to the ladies room after too much wine at Madeleine's Wine Bar on Election Night

Me: Is that a plate of tomatoes? *hic*

Wendy: They're persimmons! Not tomatoes.

Me: Should I take one? Are they any good?

Wendy: Here, take this one, it looks ripe.

Me: I better not, I think they're for decoration.

Wendy: No, take it! Take it! It's ripe!

Me: Okay, fine. Let's go. (puts ripe persimmon in purse)

The next day

Me: What the hell is this orange stuff all over my sunglasses case? (wipes it off)

Me: What the hell is orange stuff this all over my wallet? Did I drop pasta sauce in here? (wipes it off)

Me: OMG, there's an exploded persimmon in my purse! (eats a little bit and finds it quite delicious)

The moral of the story: do not put ripe fruit in your purse when you are drunk. Also persimmons taste good.

Cripes

2008-11-08T12:22:00.001-08:00

Less than a week in, and I already missed a NaBloPoMo posting. Oops!

Does it matter that I thought about posting yesterday?

Better Living Through Dentistry

2008-11-06T15:38:00.000-08:00

So I finally gave in and got a night guard.

Not the one that my dentist wanted to custom mold for the low, low price of SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS (!!!), but rather the one I found at Target for $19.99 that looks like this:

Look, a malleable plastic hocky puck! Just boil and bite to prevent the nighttime grinding* that will wear your teeth to nubs and cause unbearable headaches.

In good news, it's making me sleep better, despite feeling like I'm wearing orthodontic headgear again.**

In bad news, I'm probably absorbing phthalates or bisphenol-A and as a result will have early on-set Alzheimer’s. Also I can't imagine wearing it to bed with someone beside me.

* Mmm, nighttime grinding...

** Yes, I wore headgear. It was humiliating.

Yes, We WILL

2008-11-05T00:04:00.000-08:00

Because today, as joyous and wonderful and unbelievable as it has been, is not the end of our journey - it is only the beginning.

Here's to our President-Elect Barack Obama and to all of you who made it happen. Our time for change has come at last!

City of Los Angeles Eases Parking Restrictions on Election Day

2008-11-04T11:52:00.000-08:00

From the press release from the Mayor's office:

Mayor Villaraigosa is directing LADOT and the Los Angeles Police Department to observe the following parking rules within one block of designated polling places:

1. Motorists seeking to park their vehicles will NOT be required to deposit money in parking meters.

2. Time limits at the parking meters will NOT be enforced.

3. Street Cleaning parking restrictions will NOT be enforced.

4. Preferential Parking restrictions (i.e. permit parking) will NOT be enforced.

So all you LA residents, get out there and vote!

P.S. Even better than looking for parking - walk or bike to your polling place. :)

Election Day!

2008-11-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

It's FINALLY Election Day! YAY!!!

FIND YOUR POLLING PLACE - LOCATION AND HOURS
Los Angeles County voters can find their polling place here. If you live in another California county, you can find information about your polling place on the Secretary of State website.

Polls here in California open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. (Note: one site I checked mentioned that some cities may close polls at 7 p.m. without listing which ones. You can find out what time your polling place closes by looking at your sample ballot.) Remember: if you arrive at your polling place before it closes, you can still vote, even if you have to wait in line past the closing time.

If you reside outside of California, you can look up information on your polling place location and hours at Vote411.org or at the Vote For Change website.

TIME OFF TO VOTE
Think you don't have time to vote because of work? California law requires employers to give their employees time off to vote in statewide elections if employees do not have time to vote outside of their normal work schedule. The law provides for a maximum of two hours of paid leave for the purposes of voting. (Employees can be given as much time as they need in order to vote, but only a maximum of two hours is paid.) In some cases, your employer may require advance notice or require time off to be taken only at the beginning or end of the your shift. You can find out more about the "time off" provision on the Secretary of State website.

ELECTION QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS
If you are a California voter and you have election questions, you can call the Secretary of State hotline at 800-345-VOTE or 800-232-VOTA (Spanish) or email Secretary of State Debra Bowen.

No matter where you live, if for some reason you have problems at your polling place - it isn't open on time or closes early, for example - call 866-OUR-VOTE or visit the Election Protection website for guidance on what you should do and to report the issue.

Now get out there and vote!!!

All Politics Is Local

2008-11-03T11:16:00.000-08:00

For those wondering my stances on two local measures - Measure R (Los Angeles County) and Measure TT (Pasadena Unified School District) - here's my take.

YES on Measure R – Traffic Relief. Rail Extensions.
While Measure R adds a 1/2 cent sales tax - bringing Los Angeles County's sales tax rate to 8.75%, matching the highest of any county in our state - it's in support of infrastructure that we need in a dire way. Measure R will fund new rail expansion and street improvements, while accelerating those projects already underway - of the funds generated, 65% will go to transit, 20% to highways, and 15% to local government for improvements such as pothole repair and synchronization of traffic lights. Measure R will help us get the "subway to the sea" and increase light rail in the San Gabriel Valley, as well as busways and other public transit improvements in the region. Increasingly bad traffic is bad for the well-being of our communities, impacting public safety and the environment, not to mention creating a lot of crabby people. Bottom line: we need better transit options, and this is a fair way for all of us to pay for it.
More info on Measure R

NO on Measure TT – PUSD School Improvement Bond
This was a tough decision for me. While I support funding for schools, Measure Y provided funding for improvements just over a decade ago, and it appears that some of these funds were mismanaged due to lax oversight. I reviewed the projects on the Measure TT website and was disappointed to see that almost every school's first priority was upgrading the cafeteria/kitchen. I understand that the list of projects isn't finalized yet and may actually require less funding than the $350 million that Measure TT would generate. In addition, enrollment in PUSD is declining and some campuses are closing. Thus, it doesn't seem as urgent to me as the proponents would suggest.
No on Measure TT editorial from Pasadena Star-News

“The most important political office is that of private citizen.” – Louis D. Brandeis

2008-11-03T02:17:00.000-08:00

Friends, Americans, Californians – Lend me your eyes.

I come to share with you my overbearing opinions on the election. I know for many of you, campaign season has dragged on for an eternity. For those of us who are political junkies, there is no such thing as “too long” when it comes to this sort of thing.

PRESIDENT – Barack Obama
I’d like to start with the big one on everybody’s ballot – it should come as no surprise to you that I’m supporting Senator Barack Obama for President. As President, I believe he will consider how policy will impact our everyday lives, think carefully before he takes action, work to strengthen the economy and improve our standing around the world, and lead in a way that will encourage us to create change in our own communities. On every issue – from health care, to the economy, to the war in Iraq – he has outlined policies that will make us a better, stronger nation. For more information, visit his website.

Now, on to the California ballot!

Quick summary
YES on 1A, 2, 11, and 12
NO on 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10

YES on Prop 1A – SAFE, RELIABLE HIGH-SPEED PASSENGER TRAIN BOND ACT.
I’m still a bit torn, since this is a bond and California is broke. However, it builds our infrastructure; it will improve existing rail lines and bring electric-powered high-speed passenger train service from San Diego to San Francisco and points in between. We need transportation alternatives in the state. Prop 1A also creates thousands of jobs and does not raise taxes.
More info on Prop 1A from the Secretary of State

YES on Prop 2 – STANDARDS FOR CONFINING FARM ANIMALS.
Look, I admit it, I eat meat. I love meat. But do I want the animals that provide that meat to be abused in the process of being raised for me to eat? No. This measure would require that calves raised for veal, egg-laying hens, and pregnant pigs be confined only in ways that would allow the animals to lie down, stand up, fully extend their limbs, and turn around freely. That doesn’t sound extreme to me. Family farmers – that is, farmers that aren’t giant agri-businesses and conglomerates – support this measure.
Yes on Prop 2

NO on Prop 3 – CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL BOND ACT.
Wow, what kind of jerk is against children and hospitals? Me, I guess. I’m not against these things in principle; it’s simply that as I mentioned earlier, California is BROKE. And while this is a very worthy cause, I can’t defend spending on one small segment of the population in such tough times. (Whereas transportation benefits us all.) Sorry, kids.
More info on Prop 3 from the Secretary of State

NO on Prop 4 – WAITING PERIOD AND PARENTAL NOTIFICATION BEFORE TERMINATION OF MINOR’S PREGNANCY.
As the current No on 4 ads say, think outside your bubble. Many girls who become pregnant do not have the luxury of understanding parents with whom they can discuss their options or from whom they can receive support. They feel trapped and desperate and if Prop 4 passes, they could turn to dangerous options – unsafe, illegal back alley abortions or even suicide. The safety of these girls is paramount. Vote No on 4.
No on 4

NO on Prop 5 – NONVIOLENT DRUG OFFENSES. SENTENCING, PAROLE AND REHABILITATION.
In theory, this proposition, which would allocate more funds for drug treatment for non-violent offenders (instead of incarceration), is well-intentioned but extremely expensive ($1 billion per year). It updates Prop 36, a law passed in 2000, but Prop 36 has not been wildly successful. More money for a program that hasn’t been proven to work? I just don’t think we can afford it.
No on Prop 5

NO on Prop 6 – POLICE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT FUNDING.
Again, more spending…and this time to build new prisons and jails, not to put more law enforcement on the street. It would cost $1 billion in the first year, and again, not one new cop…another law we can’t afford.
No on Prop 6

NO on Prop 7 – RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATION.
It would seem odd that major environmental groups – including California League of Conservation Voters, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Sierra Club California – would come out against an initiative for “green” energy…unless that initiative was poorly written and would actually increase energy costs while slowing the development of renewable energy. This bill is seriously flawed, and voting no is the smart thing to do.
No on Prop 7

NO on Prop 8 – ELIMINATES RIGHT OF SAME–SEX COUPLES TO MARRY.
Any initiative that starts off “eliminates right of” can’t be good. And this is DEFINITELY not good. Not many people realize that it was just over 40 years ago when interracial couples gained the right to marry…a right that no one should have been able to prevent in the first place. Same-sex couples have the right to marry in California today and passage of Prop 8 would strip that right away. Voting no on 8 won’t change anything in the education system nor will it force any church to marry same-sex couples. No person or group should suffer discrimination. Please vote NO on Prop 8; it's unfair, wrong, and we deserve better.
No on Prop 8

NO on Prop 9 – CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. VICTIMS’ RIGHTS. PAROLE.
While victims’ rights are important to me – especially having worked with the families of murder victims – Prop 9 is both duplicative and dangerous. Californians already voted for a victim’s bill of rights in 1982. Prop 9 repeats pieces of that initiative and then places some administrative duties (like handing out a card with information on victim’s rights) into the State Constitution, making them almost impossible to fix if there are errors. I’m going to quote the LA Times editorial, which states my case regarding the danger of Prop 9 more eloquently that I could: “The American legal system intentionally and properly distances families from prosecutions; the goal is evenhanded justice. The level of punishment a criminal receives should not depend on how persistent a particular family is in pleading for punishment or blocking parole. Civilized justice rejects vendetta and instead places retribution in the hands of the entire society. It may seem depersonalizing, but that's a goal, not a defect, of our system.”
No on Prop 9

NO on Prop 10 – ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLES AND RENEWABLE ENERGY.
Like Prop 7, Prop 10 purports to be “green” but in actuality, it’s about greed. Prop 10 would be a taxpayer boondoggle that would do nothing to reduce carbon emissions – it would give people rebates to purchase vehicles that create “no net material increase in air pollution.” It would rely on future tax collection to pay back bonds, meaning we would be subsidizing “alternative energy” vehicles that could pollute as much as current gas-powered vehicles.
No on Prop 10

YES on Prop 11 – REDISTRICTING.
Currently, California State Legislators, Democrats and Republicans alike, draw their own legislative districts. This ensures a 99% re-election rate for our state legislators, even as they refuse to take action on health care, education, the water crisis, and the state budget. Prop 11 will create an 14-member independent citizens commission based on strict non-partisan rules in an open and transparent process. We can’t afford political gridlock and we deserve to have our elected officials be accountable to us. Vote YES on Prop 11.
Yes on Prop 11

YES on Prop 12 – VETERANS’ BOND ACT OF 2008.
This act provides for a bond issue of $900,000,000 to provide loans to California veterans to purchase farms and homes. We already make these loans through the Cal-Vet loan program. Californians have voted 26 times to continue funding this program. The non-partisan Legislative Analyst's Office states that all of that previous bond debt and operating costs have been covered by the veterans' mortgage payments. There’s no reason to believe this would change.
More info about Prop 12 from the Secretary of State

I’m open to hearing your opinions, so feel free to leave a comment. (If you're not one of the usual suspects: please be respectful. Vitriol will be deleted.) And as always, regardless of your stances on these issues, I encourage you to get out and vote on Tuesday, November 4th.

I leave you with two quotes:

“If liberty and equality, as is thought by some are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost.” – Aristotle

“Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.” – George Jean Nathan

Want Or Need?

2008-11-02T23:30:00.001-08:00

Cool lamp, originally uploaded by City Elf.

Saw this lamp at Camilo and Diana's and I can't stop thinking about buying it for my house.

Día de la City Elf

2008-11-01T00:04:00.000-07:00

Yay! It's finally my birthday!

I'm old, but I totally don't care. I still love having a whole day that's all about me (though I am sure some of my ex-boyfriends and probably my siblings would argue that I think EVERY day is all about me) and I definitely will never get tired of cake.

I'm having dinner with some of my lovelies tonight, and should be cooking and cleaning even at this late hour, but the lure of my new boyfriend the Internet is strong.

I have spent the entire day doing exactly as I pleased (even though most of it was pretty boring, to be quite honest) which was my birthday gift to myself. That, and also I paid off my car...take that, bank bitches! Happy birthday to me!

Thinking...

2008-10-25T20:27:00.000-07:00

I know the Trader Joe's package said "mushroom risotto" but it tastes suspiciously like Rice-A-Roni to me, especially re-heated two days later.

Not To Brag...

2008-10-24T13:52:00.000-07:00

But I'm going to see Paul Krugman (who was recently awarded the Economics Nobel) speak at RAND tonight. Yay!

As my friend Diana, who is my lucky date, wrote to me, "Nothing says 'crazy Friday night' like a talk on economics!"

I fully realize I'm a nerd. But so what? I embrace my nerdiness!

Sí Se Puede!

2008-10-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

Te amo, Barack Obama!

I made A teliscop for YOU!

2008-10-24T10:26:00.000-07:00

"What are you doing right now, let's see...are you and Todd okay?"

Next She'll Admit To Watching Ellen

2008-10-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

From CNN:

Also Thursday, Palin addressed the Republican National Committee's purchase of $150,000 in pricey clothing for her, telling the Chicago Tribune that most of the clothes are still in her campaign airplane.

The designer clothing she has worn, she said, will be returned, auctioned off or donated to charity.

"If people knew how Todd and I and our kids shop so frugally. My favorite shop is a consignment shop in Anchorage, Alaska, called Out of the Closet," she said. "It is not Fifth Avenue-type of shopping."

OUT OF THE CLOSET? Why does Sarah Palin support the radical left-wing terrorist socialist subversive homosexual agenda?

My Own Two Wheels

2008-10-23T19:13:00.000-07:00

I rode my bike to work today!

Okay, maybe that's a little misleading. I did ride my bike, and I did ride it to and from my office, but that was after the workday was already over. But still!

I haven't ridden in a long time, so long, in fact, that my tires went flat. (Really flat, like couldn't-pump-them-up-myself flat.) I took Ranger* in to Pasadena Cyclery on Monday night and Matt changed out my flats and even gave me a tutorial in some bicycle basics. (I am ashamed at how ignorant I was [and still am] about my poor bike.)

I was supposed to go out tonight, but plans were cancelled and I thought I'd take the opportunity to go for a quick ride. I started out heading towards Washington Park and quickly realized it was uphill from my house. So yeah, I scrapped that plan about halfway between my house and the park, turning around and coasting downhill.

Then I realized that if my house was downhill, then my office was also downhill. And I thought to myself, "Self, you can totally bike a mile and a half downhill." And then I did! It was quite exciting.

The ride home was a little less exciting, as it involved more physical exertion and less feeling the wind rush against my face and shouting "woohoo!", but still, I felt pretty good about myself.

Now I just need to do this on a workday morning...

* I'm trying to figure out my bike's real name. 'Ranger' is a placeholder but it doesn't really work because that's emblazoned on his side (he's a Schwinn Ranger); it's almost as bad as just calling him 'Bike'. My sister's bike is Skippy but I think my bike needs a more manly** name. Feel free to share ideas in the comments.

** Maybe I should name him Christian Bale. I'd like to ride him all over town.

Can't Stop Messing With The Danger Zone

2008-10-22T16:10:00.000-07:00

Good Lord, I need to get laid. I'm starting to worry that I'm going to wake up one morning and find my clitoris* laying on the floor, the victim of a tragic onanistic accident, or even worse, rubbed clean off like a pencil eraser.

If only JJ had the proper equipment, I could stop searching for the perfect mate (or lay) and settle down. *sigh*

* Sorry to my readers who don't want to read in gory detail about my no-no zone. But did you know there isn't a decent synonym for clitoris? I'm not about to call it my "pink jelly bean".

Show Her You're That Type Of Guy

2008-10-22T00:11:00.000-07:00

I am so in love with these two.

This is the completely awesome Chromeo doing Fancy Footwork.

I Like Candy, I Like Corn

2008-10-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

Man, I love Fall.

Fall means Halloween and Halloween means CANDY. I was wriggling with excitement during a recent trip to Target when I realized I could buy a bag of candy corn. NOM!!1!eleventy!!

I was heading towards the Halloween section when I ran into my friend David, who works at the store, and he walked me over there so we could hang and talk for a bit. There were stacks and row and bins of EVERY KIND OF EFFING CANDY EXCEPT FOR CANDY CORN. What the hell? Is candy corn not the definitive candy of Halloween?

We went up and down every single aisle and couldn't find it. I began to fear that the government had used all the candy corn to make candy ethanol and now there was none left for human consumption. Finally, we found two bags of candy corn hidden away in a corner. TWO BAGS! Maybe there was some sort of candy corn run before I arrived.

I just ate about twenty little niblets of it. There's no fat in candy corn, but the first four ingredients are corn syrup, sugar, salt, and honey. Of course, the second four are candle wax, orange crayons, yellow crayons, and white crayons. Still, very delicious.

However, the problem with candy corn is that a little goes a long way. I already feel vaguely ill. I think of candy corn as the deviant porn of the candy world. At first it's like, yeah, alright, this is awesome! Bow chicka bow bow! But pretty quickly, you're like oh, my stomach hurts. I totally didn't realize there was going to be a donkey involved.

No on Prop. 8

2008-10-14T21:57:00.000-07:00

I would vote against Prop. 8 no matter what, but the most important reason is that it will give me the illusion of hope that I could someday marry Rachel Maddow.

Damn, she is a class act.

W. T. F.

2008-10-09T21:58:00.000-07:00

Seriously, my head is all jangly right now. I've been weepy and grouchy all day. And my cycle, which technically started and ended two weeks ago, has returned. Um, body, perhaps you would like to once again become normal and stop being all nutty and ruining my life? Because this is not so much fun.

In better news (I think), all of the tests I've had so far have found nothing wrong with me, which means I guess I don't have the cancer or a cyst or something else horrible up inside my lady parts. (I just typed "lady party", which in times past would more accurately describe my lady parts, but not for quite some time now.)

I still feel like something isn't quite right, but you know what? I am not going to keep going to doctors until someone diagnoses me with chronic craziness. If something's really wrong, I'm sure it will turn up on a test at some point in the future. And if it's all in my head or it's no big deal, then it will go away on its own. (I think this line of logic may actually describe the substance of McCain's health care plan.)

Having had two and a half glasses of wine and a Vicodin, it may be time to go to bed instead of worrying about things over which I have no control.

What Floor?

2008-10-04T15:25:00.000-07:00

From 2004:

From CNN today:

'Space elevator' would take humans into orbit
By Mike Steere
For CNN

LONDON, England (CNN) -- A new space race is officially under way, and this one should have the sci-fi geeks salivating.

The project is a "space elevator," and some experts now believe that the concept is well within the bounds of possibility -- maybe even within our lifetimes.

A conference discussing developments in space elevator concepts is being held in Japan in November, and hundreds of engineers and scientists from Asia, Europe and the Americas are working to design the only lift that will take you directly to the one hundred-thousandth floor....A cable anchored to the Earth's surface, reaching tens of thousands of kilometers into space, balanced with a counterweight attached at the other end is the basic design for the elevator.

It is thought that inertia -- the physics theory stating that matter retains its velocity along a straight line so long as it is not acted upon by an external force -- will cause the cable to stay stretched taut, allowing the elevator to sit in geostationary orbit.

The cable would extend into the sky, eventually reaching a satellite docking station orbiting in space.

The response to the story from a CNN reader - and so clearly, one of those Williamsburg NIMBYs - made me laugh out loud: "I just think that it'll be a waste of time, resources, and money. It'll be a maintenance nightmare." (Italics mine.)

Um, yeah, I'm sure that's the biggest problem with this project. Also, this isn't a "new" project as CNN says...see here.

The Accidental Vegetarian

2008-09-30T19:49:00.001-07:00

I just realized I haven't consumed any meat since Saturday night. (Of course, in a fit of protein-deficient mania that night, I ate a Wendy's hamburger [and a Krispy Kreme donut] but still, it was three whole days ago!)

I'm not on a diet or anything. I actually don't do diets, because they make me crabby and hungry and sleepy, which, come to think of it, is how I usually feel, only moreso. However, I am trying to eat healthier and have discovered I really like salads, so I'm eating them once or twice a day. I make them at home using copious amounts of baby spinach and lots of vegetables from the farmers market, plus sunflower seeds because they are the best thing ever on salads.

Without realizing it, I've actually started eating less every day and sometimes finish a salad and don't have something else for my "real" meal. (Originally, I would start with a salad and have a small portion of something else - a sandwich or some pasta.) I've also been having oatmeal for breakfast every day, mostly because my cholesterol is still higher than it should be, and eating a piece of fruit or two most days.

I haven't gone crazy with this health kick - I still have something sweet every day, even if it's just a couple of miniature chocolates - but I am excited that I've lost five pounds without trying, or even exercising. (Which is kind of sad, because I really want/need to exercise. I've been busy and admittedly lazy.)

Anyhow, it's sort of cool to realize that I am eating a lot less meat. I feel better and I think I look healthier and best of all, I'm reducing my carbon footprint. Yay, me!

Deep Thoughts

2008-09-29T19:40:00.001-07:00

I've decided that what I like best about bananas is that they come individually wrapped so I don't have to wash them. The time I spend washing fruit and vegetables is time that could be better spent eating them if only they all were as conveniently (intelligently?) designed as the banana.

Bodily Malfeasance and Rascality

2008-09-25T22:34:00.001-07:00

My internal organs seem to be feeling a bit under the weather these days, but in spite of the surely unhealthy amounts of radiation with which I have allowed medical professionals to bombard them, they have kept the source of their displeasure hidden.

Judy and Wendy helpfully suggested that perhaps I am constipated or have gas (neither of which is the case, thank you very much). We also ruled out the chance of an ectopic pregnancy with two at-home pregnancy kits, one of which was a total fail since the control line never appeared. (Let this be a lesson to you: buy the name-brand pregnancy tests, not the el cheapo Target kind.) I was already absolutely certain I wasn't with child considering 1) a lack of sex in the past couple of months and b) a pretty regular menstrual cycle, thanks to the Pill (even though I was late by a few days this month despite that, which I think points to my ovaries as the angry internal culprit in my medical saga).

I look forward to figuring out what the hell is wrong with me and getting it cured. In the meantime, if you see me shifting around in my chair and massaging my abdomen and lower back, it's because I feel like my kidneys are growing horns and stabbing me from the inside.

Shear Madness

2008-09-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

I had a terrible nightmare last night, one that left me crying uncontrollably in my dream (and in real life as well, since I awoke to a little sea of tears on my pillow).

What was this horrible dream, you might ask?

I went to a salon and a very giant and snooty male stylist cut all my hair off! I was just heartbroken. I told him not to cut it too short and he sheared me like a sheep! It was pretty awful, though in retrospect, one of the funnier nightmares I have had. I'm not quite sure why it made me so emotional.

It's possible my subconscious is still processing the fact that I recently got a haircut, a result of me accidentally-on purpose cutting my own bangs. (I'm very open to the power of suggestion and Corazon cut her bangs a while back. Of course, hers looked super-cute while mine looked like...well, like I cut them myself.)

At any rate, I was glad to find my hair still there when I woke up.

The Sum of These Days Is My Life

2008-09-13T10:30:00.001-07:00

Me: Wendy, I'm kind of freaking out. Ever since I got back from DC, I've been getting really OCD. I can't stop washing my dishes.

Wendy: [laughs] I think you're fine. Wait. Clean ones?

Me: No, but now that you've planted that idea, probably. It's just that at first I needed to wash the dishes every day, and then a few times a day, and now I have to wash every single dish as soon as I'm done using it. Is that normal?

Wendy: [looking around house, which is still fairly dirty despite my "OCD"] Uh, I think you'll be fine. I thought you were going to say something horrible was happening with you. I don't really think your cleaning is excessive yet.

Me: When I was washing my dishes from dinner, I was sort of afraid I was going crazy. And then I thought, maybe this is what adults are like. Maybe this is what adults are SUPPOSED to be like. And somehow that made me way sadder than the idea that I was crazy.

Blah Blah Blah

2008-09-09T22:10:00.001-07:00

I am drinking hot cocoa before I go to bed. I believe this means summer is over. Weather, you have been officially put on notice.

I have made dinner at home twice in a row. Well, tonight I actually ate leftovers, and both nights I made salads, so perhaps "assembled" is a better word. But whatever, yay for me!

I am so getting shit done this week with doctor appointments and workers comp follow-up and insurance stuff and all that sort of nonsense. It's life's busy work but it is making me feel productive.

My shoulder still hurts like a mofo but Vicodin is helping. Surprisingly enough, so is Extra Strength Tylenol, and in fact, doing so way better than the copious numbers of Advil I was popping up until this afternoon. I'm still sort of afraid all the pain relievers I've been taking are going to either eat through my stomach lining or ruin my kidneys, though. In semi-related news, if you have a headache, those people in the Excedrin commercials are not effing around with you. That stuff works.

I bought the new Thomas Friedman book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded, and I'm very excited to read it. Not so much so that I'll start it tonight (because I don't want to read it all drowsy-like) but nonetheless quite eager.

Since this is all pretty random stuff, I'll end by saying Richard Lewis was on my connecting flight (Phoenix to Burbank) on my way home from DC. I somehow think the minor porn star sitting next to me was recognized by more people than he was.

Chills and Thrills

2008-08-28T19:03:00.001-07:00

Tonight is a night that I barely dared to dream would ever come.

I am already fighting back tears of joy in anticipation of Senator Barack Obama's acceptance speech.

This is a major step forward for our country - as it will be when he is finally President.

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." - Barack Obama

Bluuuuuurgh

2008-08-20T00:38:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to go to the lab this morning to have blood drawn, as I promised Wendy last night I would finally do so. I need to figure out if my constant hot flashes are a symptom of early menopause or perhaps a sign that I am developing a superpower, which would be the ability to combust at will if the temperature around me fluctuates by more than one degree Fahrenheit.

Instead I woke up at 7 with a sore, scratchy throat and clogged right ear. NOT GOOD. My body can only handle so much stress before it freaks out and expresses itself through sickness, and almost always those sicknesses are sore throats, terrible colds, phlegmatic coughs, and inflamed sinuses. (Sometimes all of the above!) Given that Michael is still in the hospital, plus last week was the anniversary of Martha's death, and work is a horrible thorn in my side, and Romeo's birthday is coming up this week, and Ken is not only moving away, but was in the hospital yesterday and likely will have to have a pacemaker installed very soon...I AM VERY STRESSED OUT.

I was due to get sick. I only hope I can get well quickly, but I kinda feel the sore throat migrating down into my lungs. We'll see how I feel in the morning.

I can't really take anything for a cold like this unless I go to the doctor and she prescribes antibiotics, but I'm holding off on that until tomorrow (only if I feel worse). So for today, I've settled for Robitussin and Nyquil.

I actually took the Robitussin in the middle of the day, despite its clearly marked label that reads NIGHTTIME alongside a picture of a crescent moon and three stars. Because my body is semi-impervious to sleep-inducing agents*, it took about two hours for the ginormous swig I drank to take effect, right in the middle of a game of Eight Letters in Search of a Word (they really need an editor for that title, seriously) which resulted in me trying to lose and somehow not being able to do so until I closed my eyes in the middle of a round. I felt like one of those angry bears being shot by tranquilizers that finally falls out of a tree and into someone's kiddie pool.

Oh, I did actually go get blood drawn, and it was quick and fairly painless. (For me at least, though not for the little boy who screamed in terror throughout his blood draw, begging for mercy, and then weepily told his mother afterwards, "I just want to go home please.") I ate like a giant seacow afterwards but this must be excused because I hadn't eaten anything all day and it was already three and plus isn't it feed a cold, starve a fever, or is that the other way around?

And now I've taken some Nyquil and would like to go to sleep but probably won't be tired for hours.

* Isn't it odd that someone who loves sleep as much as me has a body that fights off soporifics? I believe that's ironic, Alanis.

Happy Birthday, Social Security!

2008-08-14T16:44:00.000-07:00

Seventy-three years old today! Just barely older than John McCain, who wants to destroy it. Social Security will be here long after he's gone, no thanks to his ilk, and will continue to keep millions of seniors out of poverty.

For more information on Social Security and its long-term solvency, check out this article from AARP the Magazine or the website of the Campaign for America's Future.

It Only Makes Me Love Her More

2008-08-13T23:50:00.000-07:00

I always suspected it, especially after reading "My Life in France," but confirmation came out today: Julia Child was a spy!

Damn, was she the coolest woman who ever lived or what?

snarf

2008-08-13T17:23:00.001-07:00

This made me feel better today.

Picture swiped from the Guardian. See moar here.

Speechless

2008-08-09T15:05:00.000-07:00

I've tried numerous times to come up with something to write on here over the past week and I just couldn't do it. I did post updates on Twitter a few times but that's sort of the blogging equivalent of texting someone when you say you'll call, if that makes any sense.

I'm still sort of on edge about things, but every time I see Michael and/or talk to Wendy, I feel a little better. He seems to have made a bit of progress even though his temperature was still elevated yesterday. He was able to respond to commands yesterday when they pulled back on his sedative, which made me really happy. I visited him last night and just missed Wendy and Judy, but I hung out and chatted with him for a while.

I told him about the Olympics starting, reminded him Nick and Nora were getting married (probably around the time I visited, in fact), and just talked to him about what I'd been up to this week. I know he can't hear me, but I want to believe he knows I'm there. It's a lot easier to talk to him than write on here right now.

Be Still And Know That I Am God

2008-08-01T10:51:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I'm overwhelmed by something beautiful and I pray spontaneously and with joy.

Sometimes I'm crushed by sorrow and I pray through tears.

Right now, I am crippled by fear and I can't seem to pray but by begging, in desperation, repeating the name of a beloved friend as though if God hears me say it enough He will save his life without me having to ask explicitly for Him to do so.

Michael is in the hospital following a massive heart attack and emergency surgery in which he recieved both an LVAD and an RVAD (Left and Right Ventricle Assist Devices). Once he stabilizes, he'll be on the list for a heart transplant.

He's been so incredibly strong, fighting like a trooper, but the road ahead is long and arduous. I'm trying really hard to balance optimism and hope while knowing that the odds aren't good. I'm trying to put this in God's hands while fighting the urge to tell Him I don't trust Him with this one, because if He really knew what He was doing, Michael would be just fine right now.

A Cuppa Joe

2008-07-30T19:46:00.000-07:00

How is it that I make coffee every single day and yet I can't make it taste the same every day? I certainly don't understand how people can consistently make bad coffee, but I also don't understand how I can't consistently make good coffee. Some days it's so perfect I want to shake myself until I confess what I did to achieve something so delicious. Other days, like today, I want to give myself a kick in the shin for making it so strong my esophagus spasms when I drink it. Perhaps this is a solid argument for buying the coffeemaker that takes pods.

The Hammer Is My Penis

2008-07-29T18:31:00.001-07:00

YAY for Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog being available on MySpace! It's pretty much one of the best things EVAR, and certainly one of the best things anyone has made just for the interwebs. I love Joss Whedon and Neil Patrick Harris.

Also, how awesome is it that it's brought to us by the National Crime Prevention Council? Irony much?

EARTHQUAKE!

2008-07-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

Well, that was a surprise. It happened right as I was finishing up my last post.

Apparently it was a 5.8 (felt bigger than that) centered in Pomona. We already felt a few aftershocks as well.

I can't get through to anyone on my cell, but emailed the fam to let them know I'm okay. I should probably go home and check on the kittens; they are assuredly terrified.

Oh My Goodness!

2008-07-29T11:38:00.000-07:00

Food critic and writing demigod Jonathan Gold likes my Yelp reviews! I'd heard about this from a couple of friends who know him, but to see it in writing for myself was quite exciting. Okay, he actually says he likes the energy I bring to my reviews, but I'll take that to mean I'm obviously next in line for the Pulitzer. Oh, happy day!

1001 Uses For Leftover Garlic Bread

2008-07-28T19:17:00.001-07:00

I get the feeling I'm going to be eating a lot of garlic bread sandwiches this week. (In fact, I bought salami and pepper turkey for this express reason.) I'm also planning on making garlic bread pizza. If I get super-adventurous and still have any leftovers, I might try my hand at croutons. What else could I do with an (almost) entire loaf of garlic bread?

With Friends Like These

2008-07-28T19:13:00.001-07:00

Well, that's not very WWJD if you ask me.

Spaghetti And Sadness

2008-07-27T22:30:00.001-07:00

I used my kitchen as God intended tonight - Ken came over and we cooked dinner together. We decided on spaghetti, so we went to the market and then I insisted on doing most of the work myself and bossing him around for the rest. He's a very obedient sous chef, I must say.

We sauteed Italian squash (aka zucchini), graffiti eggplant, and red bell pepper in garlic and olive oil and combined this with store-bought Barilla marinara. We also heated up some garlic bread (because what's spaghetti without garlic bread?) and made a salad of mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and sunflower seeds. I wish I'd thought to buy eggs because hard boiled eggs are my current addiction and they taste so good in salads.

For dessert we had Breyer's Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream in waffle cups. Those cups are tasty, but packaged very deceptively so as to appear much larger than they are once you open the box. I'd buy them again anyways. The ice cream is also amazing, by the way - super pepperminty!

We had a really nice evening, but eventually we had to acknowledge why he'd come over. He wanted to spend some time with me so we could talk about his potential move back home to the East Coast. Nothing's set in stone yet, but it seems he'll probably be leaving California within a couple of months. I'm absolutely miserable about it.

I can't imagine my life here without him nearby, the way he's been since I arrived in Los Angeles. I want more time together and I tell myself that would make it easier for me to let him go. But I know that's not true - no matter how much time we spend together, it will never be enough for me. He's the best friend I've ever had, the person who sees me like nobody else ever could. I miss him already.

FAIL

2008-07-26T10:09:00.000-07:00

So I missed posting yesterday. Sorry, NaBloPoMo. I was going to do it before I left to go running with Jenny, Bill, and Cole, but I thought for sure I'd be home before midnight. Of course, Jenny and I stayed up talking until 1:30 so by the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything but take a shower and crash.

I did have a post planned for yesterday - a follow up to my original Donut Man post, in fact. I drove 40 miles roundtrip to Glendora because I read on Yelp that it was the last week for strawberry donuts. (Stupid me, I heard Masa say they were gone but I thought he just meant for the day, not the year.)

I kind of knew I was in for disappointment when I drove up and saw a guy painting a sign for fresh peach donuts on the wall of the place. Eric, the guy behind the counter, told me they'd just finished with strawberry season two days earlier. Curses! I asked him what I should order instead and he recommended a cream cheese and raspberry topped donut. I also took an apple crumb for good measure; I figured the fruit is why they're best-known so I couldn't go wrong. (He also mentioned that they serve cream cheese pumpkin donuts in October and November. NOM!)

I haven't come close to finishing the half of each donut I kept for myself (I dropped off half of each one for the Ex on my way down to Lakewood to put in the offer on the house) but they are pretty good, if not exactly what I was craving. I'm not sure they were worth the drive, though.

The Donut Man

2008-07-24T23:46:00.000-07:00

I've wanted to try the strawberry donut from The Donut Man for over a year. I still haven't had one, but I need to try to make it out to Glendora this week, as it's the last week of the season.

However, thanks to the ever-fabulous Masa, I did try the peach donut from there tonight during Bill's birthday celebration tonight. I don't think the fruit is perfectly ripe yet - the peaches were a tad firmer than I would have liked - but man, those are some damn tasty (and huge) donuts.

It's a good thing I'm planning on running with Bill and Jenny tomorrow night. I've had way too much good stuff to eat this week.

Yet Another Reason To Go To Portland

2008-07-24T00:03:00.000-07:00

Something about this song takes me back to the early '90s when Bob and I used to stay up late to listen to Nocturne on WSND 88.9. Ah, those were the good old days! I still have the incredible mix tapes she made for us from those shows.

This is The Helio Sequence doing Keep Your Eyes Ahead.

The Rich Girl's Diet

2008-07-23T16:05:00.000-07:00

One of the absolute pleasures of traveling for work (at least with my job) is that I get to eat at some fairly nice establishments and I don't have to foot the bill. My company is pretty generous in terms of expenses for meals, and while I don't exactly take advantage, I pretty much never eat on the cheap (for dinner, anyways) when I'm on the road.

I'm not traveling today, but I do have a colleague in town with whom I love to spend time, so she's taking me out courtesy of our company tonight. We're going to Cafe Santorini, and yes, I chose it because I haven't Yelped it yet.

I'm so spoiled.

There's No Place Like Home

2008-07-23T14:25:00.000-07:00

My realtor and I went out over my lunch hour to view some houses. I'm finding more and more places in my price range and I may have lucked out today.

We visited a 3 bed, 1 1/2 bath house in Alhambra, just south of the 10 up on a hill. The place is in fantastic shape - it still has tenants - and located on a quiet street. It has a nice kitchen, lots of storage, and a huge (though mostly hardscape) backyard with two lemon trees!

It's not in Pasadena, which is unfortunate, but it's pretty close (20 minutes without traffic). Anyhow, frankly, I could never afford this place if it was in Pasadena.

My realtor is calling the selling agent this afternoon to discuss next steps. I'm trying hard not to get my hopes up because it's a short sale, and that means it could easily fall through for any number of reasons, especially if someone outbids me. However...I really like this place a lot so, okay, my hopes are totally up. Pray for me!

Lip-Lickingly Luscious

2008-07-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

The first time I ever tried pat bing soo was in Dallas, of all places, courtesy of a Korean friend I met thanks to Yelp. Let me just say, those Koreans know what they are doing with the frozen desserts.

For the uninitiated, pat bing soo (or patbingsu) is a popular Korean dessert of shaved ice and red beans with sweetened condensed milk, covered with sliced fruit (usually kiwi, strawberries, and bananas) along with mochi. The best kind, in my opinion, incorporates (vanilla) ice cream as well. I do not like cereal on it, as I learned when we ventured to a place in Koreatown that served it with melty strawberry ice cream and Fruity Pebbles. Yuck!

Anyhow, fortunately for me, I found a little slice of heaven right here in Pasadena. Sandwich Story serves pat bing soo, and while it didn't have ice cream on it, they said could totally work that out for me next time. (I am in love with this place already.) I am very happy right now.

Hulk Smash!

2008-07-21T21:14:00.000-07:00

Then Hulk engage in rough sexual congress with you!

I am in the throes of PMS, which means I am totally angry, hungry, and horny. Those are not three great tastes that go great together, by the way.

I needed to go to Target tonight and since I was already in Alhambra, I thought I'd stop by the Target there. BIG MISTAKE. Whoever designed their parking is either a complete masochist or flunked all their urban planning classes. That is one fucked up parking lot. After driving in circles for ten straight minutes, I left in a fury before I popped a blood vessel or burned the store to the ground (a threat I shouted out the window as I drove by the entrance of the store, startling several shoppers).

By the time I got back to Pasadena, I was somewhat calmer and managed to park and enter the Target there without any tears or violence. However, not being able to find the paper towels that were on sale enraged me, as did my momentary belief that Target had suddenly stopped carrying Equal.*

Then there was this hot guy I kept bumping into in the store, until I was a seething pool of sexual energy and had half a mind to accost him in Electronics. (Cleanup in aisle 6, cleanup in aisle 9.) Lucky for him, my attention was distracted by the fact that The Notebook, which was supposed to be on sale for $10, was actually $13. I think this is when my skin turned green and my pants shredded around my massive thighs.

I managed to leave the store without killing or sexually assaulting anyone, but to soothe the savage beast within, I had to stop for a Neapolitan shake at In-N-Out. Mmmmmm...it's like the opposite of gamma rays. I highly recommend bringing me one of these if you think you might upset me this week.

* I actually did harbor a belief that perhaps Target had stopped carrying Equal for some sort of moral reason when I couldn't find it next to the other sweeteners in the store. A few weeks ago, Jenny told me Equal was originally developed as a neurotoxin to kill ants. I'm still not sure if I believe this (or if I care, since it tastes AWESOME) but I was pretty panicky when I thought I'd have to settle for Splenda instead.

Someone Told Me

2008-07-20T20:46:00.001-07:00

I know that right now most French consider her nothing more than the reviled wife of their much-loathed President Nicolas Sarkozy, but I find her music absolutely lovely.

This is Carla Bruni singing Quelqu'un m'a dit.

Although I Also Thought There Would Be More Recess

2008-07-20T20:34:00.000-07:00

Corazon and I had Tarantino's for dinner on Friday night. As we were eating, I mentioned that I usually have pizza once a week. (This could explain why twice-a-week sessions with Melody aren't making me any skinnier.) Corazon thought that was totally awesome, which made me realize: a) I really am awesome; b) I need more friends who admire me for having so little self-control that I eat pizza once a week; and c) along with eating dessert first, eating pizza once a week was always kind of my dream of what being a grown-up would be like.

Would You Get Down On Your Knees And Scrub Me?

2008-07-19T14:46:00.001-07:00

I remember the summer night I first heard this song. I was seventeen and hopelessly in love with my very first real boyfriend and every word reminded me of him. I even sang this to him over the phone.

He's still my favorite person in the entire world and the one I think of when I hear songs like All I Want Is You by Barry Polisar (which is actually his ringtone on my phone).

Anyhow, I was thinking about the Lemonheads yesterday and remembered this song, one I hadn't thought about in ages. I wanted to post it because after all these years, he still makes me so incredibly happy. I love you, Ken.

The song is Being Around by the Lemonheads.

The Taste of Summer

2008-07-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine from back home was in town the other night and somehow we started talking about Nelson's Golden Glow barbecued chicken. (I'm pretty sure that lucky bastard had eaten some recently.)

Every time I'm home, I drive around looking for Nelson's Golden Glow, aka Porta-Pit. It is seriously the BEST. CHICKEN. EVER. It's usually available at portable bbq stands by the side of the road during the summer, being sold by church groups or Boy Scouts trying to raise money. It smells and tastes amazing; I can't even explain how good it is.

There's almost nothing worse than hoping to get some Nelson's and not being able to find it. (Except for buying chicken because it smells like Nelson's but then it doesn't taste the same - that really sucks.) But now, thanks to the wonders of the Internet, I'll be able to hunt it down the next time I'm in Indiana. Almost makes me want to use my free roundtrip on Southwest to schedule another visit home.

I Would Give Anything To Have You As My Man

2008-07-18T18:54:00.001-07:00

I'm in love. She's like Bjork blended with Mirah and Kylie Minogue. Sounds weird, but it so works.

This is Lykke Li singing Little Bit.

Look! A Wagon Wheel!

2008-07-18T14:41:00.000-07:00

I have been remiss in my food blogging duties, as I failed to mention any of the grilled cheese concoctions I consumed last Saturday night.

I arrived with a cooler full of ice, a bottle of wine, and popsicles left over from the previous week. Unfortunately, there weren't any sandwiches ready when I walked in. I stood around for a bit complaining about being hungry and hoping someone would make one for me, but no one did. I finally gave in and made my own using some Gruyère that Corazon brought, sliced tomatoes, and the garlic/rosemary olive oil that Sofia made. Ohhh, nom nom nom....so tasty.

Then Nick started making open-faced grilled cheese on Texas toast with cheddar. Also quite delicious! Corazon made a Gruyère, garlic spread, and sliced apple grilled cheese with ~~a Parmesan crust~~ bacon (sorry for the memory lapse, darling) that was divine. I kind of blacked out on cheese at this point and don't remember any other sandwiches, though I'm sure I tasted a few more. (The blackout may also be attributed to the half bottle of Stella Rosa wine I drank.)

Based on this event, I have decided I would like to marry a cheesemonger. Not only would he give me unlimited access to cheese, but isn't that the coolest job title ever?

Just A Kiss On The Lips

2008-07-17T21:58:00.000-07:00

I realize this song is just a blatant rip-off of AC/DC (though the vocals are nowhere near as killer as Angus Young's) but that's kind of why I love it.

This is Jet doing Cold Hard Bitch.

I Should Have Had The Biscuit

2008-07-17T15:02:00.000-07:00

Had a sausage McMuffin and a hashbrown along with some very suspect "orange juice" (tasted mysteriously like orange drink mixed with watered-down juice to me) from McDonald's this morning, watched the sky turn pink as the morning light crested the mountains, and then climbed into bed and fell asleep. I don't know if I can stay awake for a steak dinner at Ruth's Chris tonight; I'm already zoning and it's only 3:00. McDonald's is so not the breakfast of champions.

The B Does Not Mean Bad

2008-07-16T16:28:00.000-07:00

I went to Philippe's yesterday for lunch with my friend Eric, who had only been once before. We ordered our food and polished it off in less time than we had spent waiting in line. He had the ham & cheese and I had the beef double-dipped. (I also had a piece of blueberry pie.)

He said the sandwich was great, but after we finished eating, he looked up towards the front door and a look of alarm came over his face. "Oh, man, did you know this place has a B?" he asked me nervously.

A few years ago, that might have fazed me. I used to think a B was a sign that a restaurant was really dirty. (I actually thought the B stood for Bugs.) Now, I won't even step foot in a Chinese restaurant that doesn't have a B. (That's how you know it's good!) And for sure I'd still eat at Philippe's even if they had a C. I reassured him he'd be fine, since Philippe's has been feeding Angelenos for 100 years.

I think they probably had their grade lowered just for the mustard pots. First they went after the bacon-wrapped hot dogs, then the taco trucks, and now the mustard pots. What's next? Outlawing Animal Style at In-N-Out? Those damn Health Department people are trying to ruin my city!

This Little Piggy Stayed Home

2008-07-15T20:47:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make dinner at home tonight, since I've been spending an absurd amount of money eating out the past few weeks. (And I continue to do so, considering how many lunches and dinners with friends I have planned for the week.) I have totally blown my bi-weekly budget.

After my workout last night, I stopped at Zorba Chicken on the eastside of Pasadena to pick up a shawerma wrap for dinner. It was nearly nine and I seemed to be the final customer of the night, so the owner offered me an entire rotisserie chicken (plus three pitas and some garlic paste!) for free. Free? That's my favorite price!

I thought I'd make something at home out of the chicken, and since I've been wanting to make rotisserie chicken soup for a while (hmm, somehow that desire seems really boring when I type it out) I went ahead and made that tonight. Being too lazy to go to the market, I made do with what I had in the house:

* 2 cans of chicken broth
* 1 cup of water
* about 1/4 lb of chopped baby carrots
* about 2/3 cup of long grain rice
* dash of rubbed thyme, sprinkle of oregano, generous amount of ground black pepper, and a bay leaf
* 1/2 of a rotisserie chicken
* juice of 2 lemons

I brought the broth and water to a boil, added the rice, carrots, spices, and chicken (removed from the bone) and let it all simmer about 25 minutes. I added the lemon juice at the end and of course, took out the bay leaf.

It came out pretty good, though a little more lemony than I would have liked. I also wish I'd had some celery on hand. Next time, I'd just use one juiced lemon, along with one can of broth and two cups of water to reduce the saltiness/lemony-ness. I'd also cook about 20 minutes instead of 25; the rice seemed a little too soft. Oh, well, live and learn.

On the upside, it tasted good enough that I ate a bowl and a half. On the downside, I have two full containers of soup left and I really don't think I can eat six more bowls of it.

Stuff I Love

2008-07-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to a new feature here at City Elf, 'Stuff I Love'. It's just what you think it is.

I am a total brand-loyalist. If a product works well for me, I will buy it in bulk. I will stockpile coupons for it. I will hector stores that don't carry it to order it for me. I will rave about it to everyone I know. Thus, I want to share with you a few products that I use all the time and absolutely adore.

* Thomas O'Brien Vintage Modern bath towels in Deep Chocolate from Target - I actually just bought these a month ago and they are my favorite towels ever. Super soft, super absorbent, and surprisingly affordable.

* Johnson's Baby Lotion - I am allergic to 90% of skin products AND I have really dry skin. It took me forever to find a lotion I could use every day, but Johnson's baby lotion is a dream. It doesn't cause me to spontaneously break out in hives and also leaves my skin soft, plus I smell like a baby! When this is on sale ($2.99 or less), I've been known to buy six bottles at a time.

* MD Formulations Glycare Acne Gel - Yes, it's $30 for a 2.5 oz tube, but it's SO worth it. It lasts forever (I've probably had my current tube for 2 years) and works amazingly well when I start to get a pimple. (Aren't I a little old for pimples anyways?) I don't use it as a mask or anything; it's just spot treatment.

* Fresh Step Perfume & Dye Free scoopable cat litter - After trying dozens of litters over the years, I finally have one that clumps really well, doesn't track, AND doesn't stink. Tidy Cat, by the way, SUCKS ASS. This is probably why they have a coupon in the paper for it every week.

* Boots No 7 High Shine Lip Gloss in Berry - To be honest, I'm not sure I got all the girl chromosomes I should have been allotted in the womb, as I can only achieve two hairstyles (straight or up in a ponytail) and have about as much skill with makeup as Bozo the Clown, God rest his soul. I have to have really good products to hide my shortcomings. This lip gloss fits the bill - great color, extra glossy, and less than $8 at Target, plus easy to apply because it comes with a little wand and one of those soft applicator tips (not the brush kind). I keep it in my purse all the time and use it if I need to look fancy. (Is it sad that I consider putting on lip gloss the equivalent of slipping into an evening gown?)

Hey, why are you still reading this? Shouldn't you be out buying these products - if not for yourself, for me? Go jump start the economy, you!

Proof That God Loves Us

2008-07-14T15:33:00.000-07:00

The LA Wine Fest had more than just wine. The beer pours were generous and we found a few we really liked.

Good: Firestone Walker Brewing Company Double Barrel Ale

Light on the palate and easy to drink. Caramely but not too sweet.

Better: Coney Island Albino Python White Lager

Brewed with ginger, orange peel, fennel, and coriander. You can smell and taste the ginger right away. Nice summer beer.

Best: Green Flash Brewing Company Imperial IPA

Super ultra hoppy, fresh and clean tasting. Smells good enough to smoke.

Bad Burger Mojo

2008-07-14T12:48:00.000-07:00

There's almost nothing worse than a crappy burger, except for a crappy overpriced burger. I've had a couple in the last few weeks.

The first was at the celebratory dinner that Leila and I shared in honor of having completed the March NaBloPoMo. The company was stellar, but the burger, not so much. We went to the Larchmont Grill on a Wednesday, which is Burger Night. I ordered the Kobe Beef burger on a sourdough roll expecting to be blown away. While the burger wasn't bad, it also wasn't even close to great. I was expecting something much more flavorful. This was a mediocre burger at a ridiculous price.

The second letdown was at 25 Degrees last Friday night. I had very high hopes, but once again, the burger was nothing special. They should be ashamed to serve completely unseasoned ground sirloin. Even the Midnight Moon cheese and roasted tomatoes I ordered as toppings couldn't liven it up. To add insult to injury, the meat was overcooked and slightly dry. A cow gave its life for this? The fries were ass-kickingly good, but that doesn't excuse the burger travesty.

To apologize to my taste buds, I went to Fatburger yesterday and had a plain hamburger. It was perfectly cooked, still hot from the grill, and deliciously juicy. Larchmont Grill and 25 Degrees, perhaps you should visit and take notes.

Blurgh

2008-07-13T23:12:00.000-07:00

I am tired, but I can't sleep.

I'm also hot, but I can't cool down.

I have no idea how it is possible for one person to generate so much damn heat. Whenever I shift positions, the spot I was just in is practically on fire. Maybe I can start generating my own electricity.

Thinking

2008-07-13T20:42:00.000-07:00

There are a few food items that make everything they combine with better:

bacon (duh)
garlic
feta cheese

Coincidentally, two out of three of those things make my stomach hurt but I still love them.

Wine also makes everything better. LA Wine Fest was awesome. *hic*

That's My Stomach You Hear Grumbling

2008-07-12T18:35:00.001-07:00

I'm leaving for the Grilled Cheese Invitational shortly, and I could eat my own arm right now. I had breakfast at Andy's around 11 and then a soda and a mini candy bar (100 Grand, yum!) a couple of hours ago. I really should have had something else between then and now. I hope there are a lot of sandwiches ready by the time I get to Fran's.

I'll Gladly Pay You Tuesday

2008-07-11T15:50:00.000-07:00

So the besty and I are headed to Ricky Gervais tonight (in case I hadn't told you fifteen times already) and Leila kindly reminded me that the only acceptable place to eat after an evening at the Kodak Theatre is 25 Degrees.

I'm thinking the Number Two sounds pretty good, though maybe naked is the way to go. I suppose as long as I have a beer and fries with it, I'll be so happy it really won't matter.

WTF?

2008-07-11T09:23:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure I even want to know the reasoning behind this.

Planning Ahead

2008-07-10T22:59:00.000-07:00

I may not have had the most interesting meals this week, but I should have a pretty solid menu next week:

Tuesday - Philippe's for lunch (mmm, beef double-dipped...)

Wednesday - Elements Kitchen for lunch (I hear the mac & cheese is to die for)

Thursday - Ruth's Chris for the Summer Celebration dinner (steak!)

Friday - Saladang for lunch (I love their lunch specials)

Let me know if you see me out and about.

Hypnos, Nyx, and the Oneiroi

2008-07-10T11:31:00.000-07:00

When I opened my eyes this morning, I could tell by the way the watery light filtered through my window that it was at least two hours earlier than I needed to be awake. I reached for my Blackberry and hit the backlight button: sure enough, 5:38 a.m.

I wanted to go back to sleep, but alas, I was wide awake, mainly because I had to pee. Reluctantly, I got up, grumpy at my bladder and my stupid tendency to drink a liter of water before bed. I did my business, admired my sleepy-sexy hair in the mirror, and crawled back under the covers to face the worst part of taking two Tylenol PMs the night before: I couldn't go back to sleep.

I shifted this way and that, from my side to my back, tucking my blanket and pillows into the various nooks and crannies I created, but nothing worked. I wasn't exactly fully awake at this point, but I was all too aware of time passing and morning bearing down on me.

A normal person would probably have given up this exercise in futility, but I'm not a normal person. I like to sleep. I LOVE to sleep. If I didn't have to eat and use the bathroom (and work), I'd probably never leave my bed.

And as much as I love sleep, I hate mornings with an equal passion. I try not to get up until the last possible moment. I add up the least amount of time it will take me to make a pot of coffee (10 minutes, including washing the carafe) and take a shower (8 minutes, plus 12 for blowdrying) and drive to work (7 minutes); determine the latest possible time I can arrive at my office without raising eyebrows; then I decide what time I should wake up. God forbid I have anything else to accomplish before I leave, because it's probably not getting done. (This is why I hate it when I'm out of cash or my gas tank is on empty in the morning. One more errand throws off my delicately balanced schedule.)

How do other people wake up early and function in the morning? What is wrong with them? And it is just coincidence that my name is vaguely similar to Aergia?

Best Weekend Ever?

2008-07-09T21:33:00.000-07:00

I have eaten nothing exciting over the last few days, mostly due to being sick. As much as I love my yellow curry, I'm a little curried out after having it three days in a row. I could go for some honey pork from Daisy Mint, though. Mmmm, apple salsa...

Fortunately for me, I will be attending the Grilled Cheese Invitational this weekend and can look forward to a vast array of delicious cheesey sandwiches. Totally worth the lactose-intolerance induced agony I'm sure I'll be in for the remainder of the weekend. I'll just have to work through it though, because I'm going to the LA Wine Fest on Sunday. Wine! Cheese! Plus I'm seeing Ricky Gervais live on Friday night!

Damn, I need to hurry up and get well.

I See You, Baby

2008-07-09T14:37:00.001-07:00

Oh, technology, how you've ruined the days of anonymous stalking.

Remember the advent of *69? What I liked best was how it made it possible to return calls to people who didn't even want to talk to you in the first place.

Now you can see who checks out your MySpace page. Okay, I admit I don't know how to do this one, but honestly, I don't use MySpace that much. Seeing who visits your blog is also incredibly easy...she said ominously.

Yeah, there are ISPs and IP addresses I don't recognize that show up in Sitemeter. There are also some that I recognize because they're the usual suspects who love me and my insane ramblings. (Hi, Leila, Corazon, and Michael!) And then there are people who would never admit they blog-stalk me but I know they do, thanks to the wonders of the interwebs.

Just a little friendly reminder that nothing you do online is private anymore.

(Yes, this is directed at ONE PARTICULAR PERSON. Is that too passive-aggressive?)

I Was Deceived!

2008-07-08T22:51:00.000-07:00

I popped my Tommy's cherry tonight, only because I was already driving and wanted a quick burger. I didn't go to In-N-Out because there are always like a dozen cars in the drive-through and I just wanted to hurry up and go home.

To my credit, I didn't get any chili on my order, yet it was still disgusting. The burger was flat and semi-burnt; the bun was both stale and overtoasted. How can they have been in business for sixty years selling this crap?

Next time I'll just wait in line at INO - at least I'll get a Neapolitan shake out of it, and not just heartburn.

I Broke The Seal

2008-07-08T18:17:00.000-07:00

I wasn't all that hungry today until I finally ate around 1:30. I had leftover yellow curry (of course) and an orange popsicle. Then I was starving an hour later but I staved it off until I had two pieces of toast around 4:30. Now my stomach hurts and I've still got a cold. Being sick sucks!

Ugh

2008-07-08T10:35:00.001-07:00

Blurgh! I'm sick! I woke up this morning and my nose feels like someone poured rubber cement into it all night. My throat doesn't feel so hot either.

I haven't even had the energy to get up and make some coffee, which I probably couldn't taste anyways. I had a glass of orange juice instead.

I actually had a dentist appointment scheduled for this afternoon, so I called to cancel. The lady I talked to had the nerve to say they prefer 48 hours notice. I was like, uh, first of all, that would have been Sunday so you would have been closed, and secondly, I'M SICK, not psychic. Grr.

Also, my return key is all fucked up and I have to hit it like three times to make it work. Blurgh!

Comfort Me With Curry

2008-07-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

Everyone has their own special comfort food. Of course, I, being a fat ass, have myriad comfort foods: homemade tortillas with butter (or even better, refried beans); chicken soup of almost any kind, though I really like it best with either rice or kreplach or both; toast (I know, kind of weird); pot roast with lots of potatoes and carrots (it should be illegal to serve it any other way); and the most recent addition to the list, the yellow curry from Daisy Mint.

I order this probably 90% of the time I eat at DM. In fact, I called and ordered it tonight and picked it up on the way home from working out. (Yes, their number is totally programmed into my phone.) It's not that it's the best item on the menu - though there are so many good ones, it would be hard to pick a "best" - but rather that it's just perfect no matter what. It's spicy, but not overly spicy; the chicken is fall-apart tender; and you can cut the carrots and potatoes with the gentlest push of your fork. John, the owner, told me that the curry stews all day, which is why I love to order it for dinner (even though I often order it at lunch as well). I've had yellow curry at a lot of places, but this is the only one I crave regularly. Somehow the stress of my day just melts away whenever I savor this dish.

Today wasn't really a long or bad day, but my sinuses were/are driving me crazy and my hamstrings are sore and I just needed a pick-me-up. My Daisy Mint yellow curry, which I've been eating while writing this post, already has me purring. All I need now is a hot shower and I think I can curl up and go to bed happy.

BlaCkmAiLz

2008-07-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

i haz teh back of Ur ceLL pHone

an uR foLdin chaIr

U givEz me ten doLLarz an sum bacons

or u wiLL never see them aLive agaiN!

Hello, Lover.

2008-07-06T23:46:00.000-07:00

My new favorite thing:

So very lovely and delicate and delicious. Why can't I have this for breakfast every day?

The Day After, Part II

2008-07-06T20:51:00.000-07:00

I still have a ridiculous number of hot dogs left at my house (compounded by the fact that we started to run out and I had Fran and Sofia pick up more) and quite a lot of wine. On the upside, we drank 90% of the beer I had on hand. On the up-upside, I mysteriously have an entire bottle of dark rum that someone brought! On the down-upside, the 42 Below honey vodka Frank's friend brought was delicious, but we drank it all. And on the down-downside, I am exhausted and my throat hurts. The end.

The Day After

2008-07-06T10:26:00.001-07:00

I am so effing tired. Yet my cats woke me up repeatedly all night (they were mad because I locked them up in the office yesterday during the party), so I finally decided to get up about an hour ago.

And either I am very stuffed up from running the a/c last night, or I am congested and coming down with a cold. I kind of get the feeling it's the latter. Ugh.

A Lot of Work

2008-07-05T14:26:00.001-07:00

Holy crap, I forgot how much work it is to throw a party.

I have a refrigerator stuffed with hot dogs, buns, beer, limes, watermelon, water, soda, along with a freezer filled with vodka, rum, ice, and popsicles. I'm only halfway done cleaning my house and I'm sweating like a mofo.

At least I have a new dress to wear. That kind of makes it all worth it.

I am currently making pasta salad: tri-color rotini, broccoli, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, Italian dressing, and feta cheese. Never let it be said I don't love my vegetarian friends; I nearly cut my finger off making this salad last year.

Breakfast of Champions

2008-07-04T12:04:00.000-07:00

In the past, I wasn't much of a breakfast person. I've been a coffee-in-the-morning person for many years, but aside from that, I didn't think much else was needed to jumpstart my day.

However, I attended a seminar for work last year regarding nutrition and one of the things the presenter said stuck with me: "If you're not eating breakfast, essentially you're saying you don't need your brain for the first four hours of your day." I don't know about you, but I kinda like my brain to be working when I'm in the office. (Mostly because if it isn't, I'm unable to think of creative excuses to foist my work on other people.)

After that, I started eating breakfast fairly regularly and it's become the one meal I have at home almost every day. I brew some coffee and usually pair it with at least toast. (I know, toast is not breakfast...unless it's 10 o'clock and you have a meeting at 10:30 and you haven't showered yet.) I try to mix and match those two basics with yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, fruit, and/or - on very rare occasions - eggs or pancakes. I actually am not a fan of cooking in the morning, so I try to stick with things I can microwave, put in the toaster oven, or just pour milk over.

This ritual hasn't by any means made me a morning person (writes the girl who woke up at almost 11 o'clock today) but it has made my mornings more productive and focused and kept me from eating like a starving street dog at lunch. (Well, sometimes.) So yay, breakfast! It may not be the most important meal of the day (I mean, come on, it's the only one that doesn't have dessert), but it's pretty high up there.