hello hello.

Last Thursday's big-ass thunderstorm + thunder + power surge = broken cable modem, broken car cd player.

Sad times. I do, however, manage to update my tumblr every day on other people's computers. Skillz.

Comcast has given me a new modem though I haven't been home to install it.

Side note, if you are are in the DC NW area today, you are welcome to join me (and kennedy. and bates. and brittle.) for some Durkl block party fun.

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

photo via flickr

Thursday morning

Ricotta and honey. You have no idea. So good.

Wednesday evening

+ I made: grilled pork chops (brown sugar & cumin/chili spice rub) and a warm dijon vinaigrette potato salad. Fresh oregano and thyme is where it's at.

+ Around 10:30 PM, boredom hit me HARD and I text a good ten people to see what they were doing. Most of my friends sleep early. The others live far away. Then there are those who live far away and sleep early. I ended up going for a 30 minute drive with the windows down and Billie Holliday/M. Ward/Stan Getz playing. That was nice.

+ Liz sent me a video about teen werewolves. "Gangs are posers." Girl, them's fightin' words. Black lipstick too? Yeah...

+ I just watched Jake Gyllenhaal and Jimmy Fallon singing and dancing about karate. He's pretty and I like his stubble.

bonne nuit, mes amours.

photo from sandra juto

I have decided against a ricotta tart. I am now shooting for a strawberry compote fruit tart situation. I have to buy berries. And cream. Hah!

Good job, Johnny-come-lately

Bates: What if collapsible bikes existed? That would be nice.
me: What the hell, Bates. They've had collapsible bikes for awhile.
Bates: You mean bikes you can unfold and ride somewhere?
me: yes.
Bates: Holy shit! I didn't know that! I need one now.

Wednesday

+ gym.
+ marinate pork and other food prep. make sure we have charcoal.
+ laundry.
+ hedge forsythia.
+ clean?
+ new tubes for Pa's bike? Target! 
+ find that cord for the bicycle rack
+ clear excess books and such from the car
+ plant tomatoes.

Ultimate goal: Go read in a park! I'm thinking Occoquan Regional. I like being near water. If not today then definitely tomorrow.

Tentative dinner plans:
+ grilled pork chops (dry rub or marinade?)
+ potatoes? If couscous then no potatoes.
+ salad? Do we have arugula or watercress? Parsley salad? Couscous maybe?
+ dessert? We have ricotta, Bartlett pears and kiwi. I could make a tart. Or just vanilla ice cream and some kind of compote/caramel situation.

I just read

“I don't remember the art on her wall, the color of her dishtowels or the quality of her table, but I do remember that first bite of fluffy cake and the look of pride on my grandmother's face as she witnessed our pleasure.”

 and now I want cake. 

via little brown pen 
photo via the thinking tank

Just Roo it

AND Gael García Bernal? Yes.

Lugubrious! That's a fun word to say!
Go ahead, Law & Order Criminal Intent!
I'm all impressed with your use of ten dollar words.

Ghosts!

I like ghost stories. I like recanting ghost experiences. I like horror movies. I like scaring myself and, believe me, I scare easily. Please don't watch me watch a horror movie. It's not pretty. My palms sweat. I plug my ears and cover my eyes. The audio scares me more than the visual. Liz, Justin, and I have been watching Ghost Adventures while we work (or not work) in the studio. I would go much more into detail but the Lady Gaga Glee episode is playing and I'm finding it hard to concentrate on spirits and singing.

[via text]
me: I've been watching Ghost Adventures for awhile. The sidekicks are forever getting possessed.
Justin: Seriously. That's because they're paranormally easy.

More on this later, guys.

Old bicycles, new gardens, and Boston Terriers

Killing time before meeting Danielle

Today, Justin and I met with Danielle of GMU’s Organic Garden. She took a look-see around SoA Green and gave us great input/ideas on what to do next. Like us, Danielle is a “learn as you grow” gardener so it looks like our gardening skillz will be growing (pun!) together though she’s more advanced than we are at this stage. We were able to see her amazing garden (the one we tried to find last month but ended up getting lost and then eating away our sorrows at Southside) and discuss potential joining of forces, grants, free mulch and horse manure, and possible gardening areas around the SoA. The powers-that-be of GMU have plans for the sculpture yard so we can’t plant there just yet. We will, however, soon start digging around the ramp/stair area on the east side of the building. If anyone likes tilling dirt and shoveling, please do not hesitate to come forward. No, really, I’m serious. Anyone? 

 How did we get to Danielle’s garden? We rode old bicycles, of course! Ben, and I don’t remember how exactly but it was totally legit, acquired a bunch of old bicycles from around DC. I think he’s planning some kind of bicycle co-op or rental situation. Bicycles make me happy. I rode the red bicycle in the foreground and was so happy to discover that I didn’t have to tilt the bicycle to get on. My own bicycle is built for a taller person but I love it so much that I refuse to get another.  No, I can not adjust the seat. People suggest this like the concept has never occurred to me. Do you know how to weld? Ok then. I also discovered that my orange paisley dress is not the best for a bike riding situation. Just sayin’.

Green Schwinn hotness!

On a final note, here is a wholly adorable video of some interspecies love.

What the hell?

photo via flickr

As American as apple pie

me: I think I'm going to have some apple pie and ice cream.
Wheatley: What kind of pie?
me:  Dutch apple crumb
Wheatley: Vanilla ice cream?
me: Yes. Vanilla bean ice cream.
Wheatley: mmm good choice.

Side note: I can't believe I'm saying this but I'll be eating pie while I watch Avatar. You have no idea how painful it is for me to say that. I resisted for so long. *sigh. Pocahontas Smurfs.

Update: Whoa there, it is almost one in the morning. Avatar is three hours long. I usually wouldn't have a problem with that but Justin and I are meeting with the head of GMU's organic garden in the morning. Maybe I'll watch it tomorrow. Maybe.

photo via flickr

I need the beach NOW

me: are there any good beaches worth daytripping to?
liz: not that I know of, most are at least 3 hours away which makes them not daytrips in my mind
me: yeah, true.     
 nah three hours isn't too bad
 I'll drive six hours for the beach
  
Wheatley: haha, what beach is day trip distance away from here?
me: Delaware? Some parts of MD? 
Wheatley: Delaware is like 4 hours away. I know, I looked.

photo via blue hour

Parallels between Lost, Gilligan's Island, and Titanic

me: I always think of Lost like Gilligan's Island: The New Generation.
Yathrib:  yaaa it really is like Gilligan's Island, isn't it?

well in the end it turns out Jack dies and meets up with everyone

 me:  like everyone dead?

Yathrib:  cuz everyone else all eventually dies and they're in this place

me:  Dude. That's like Titanic. 

Yathrib:  like to remember their real lives on the island

Titanic? how so?

me:  Rememberrr when the old lady died and she shows up at the ship. Everyone's there to greet her and they're all clapping. 

Yathrib:  the chick throws the diamond off the boat. That's all I remember.

me: How you gon' miss the last two minutes?

Yathrib:  haha dude, i dunno!!

               cuz that's what i do

               I was pissed after she tossed the diamond

You're just a cannibal and I'm afraid I won't get out alive

The lead singer's hair is, uh, interesting.

I'm on my way to the garden, kids. I WOULD take a photo of our only red strawberry but someone ate it. It was apparently sour. That's what you get for not waiting! Justin did plant all of the lettuce (I can't wait for the lettuce to look like this) so he deserves to have the first strawberry.

Happy Monday, everyone.

“As Harold took a bite of Bavarian sugar cookie, he finally felt as if everything was going to be ok. Sometimes, when we lose ourselves in fear and despair, in routine and constancy, in hopelessness and tragedy, we can thank God for Bavarian sugar cookies. And, fortunately, when there aren't any cookies, we can still find reassurance in a familiar hand on our skin, or a kind and loving gesture, or subtle encouragement, or a loving embrace, or an offer of comfort, not to mention hospital gurneys and nose plugs, an uneaten Danish, soft-spoken secrets, and Fender Stratocasters, and maybe the occasional piece of fiction. And we must remember that all these things, the nuances, the anomalies, the subtleties, which we assume only accessorize our days, are effective for a much larger and nobler cause. They are here to save our lives. I know the idea seems strange, but I also know that it just so happens to be true. And, so it was, a wristwatch saved Harold Crick.”

Happy moods during sad titled songs

Today I did that thing where I discovered a song that’s been in my itunes for at least three years. Feist is so cute. Go find the version of this song with Mocky. S’better. You’re welcome.

Also, I happen to read a crazy large amount of blogs. No, I’m not exaggerating, a crazy amount. I sometimes wonder if Google Reader judges me for having over 1000+ unread items. I’m sorry, Google Reader! Right now the number is 676, the lowest it has been in awhile. Anyway, I have decided to share with you (don’t worry, a few at a time) my favorites blogs to read. This could also prove useful should anything happen to my Google account (catastrophe!!) and I lose all my stuff.

Green Frieda garden and DIY projects (thanks, Justin!)
seesaw. daily inspiration
Not without Salt “well-seasoned” (haha, cute!) recipes and photographs
I love Typography self-explanatory
tennis served fresh tennis AND fashion, whaaat?

You think that's a Schwinn?!

New shoes and inner tubes!
Now for some 4 year old birthday party fun!

Lift with your knees: Moving day for Steph & Raquel

Highlights
+ so. many. stairs.
+ high school boys who do all the heavy lifting.
+ five big-ass pizzas.
+ Steph: Oooh! We can put Violet on the windowseat!
   me: Who's Violet?
   Steph: Our violet plant.
+ Finding and listening to 'N Sync. Don't hate.
+ me: Damn, Steph! Why is this box so heavy? What's in here?
   Steph: oh. Scarves.
+ Learning that hobo means homeward bound.

SoA Green's first potluck!

Highlights
+ Dining alfresco. Always a pleasure.
+ 10 PM snack run!
+ Paris, Je t'aime, Ghost Adventures, and Boondock Saints.
   My favorite part of a party is when the party dies down.
+ Justin looks adorable when he's sleeping!
+ Tipsy Liz is hilarious. You just don't know.
+ "For the record, vina, I was NOT rolling on e."
    Mmmhmm. Ok.
+ Wine. Lots of it.
+ Starting a compost pile! Avocado pits and papaya bits.
+ "Did you check to see which summer session it was?"
   "oh..no. sorry."
+ "Let's go look for haunted houses!"
+ Wheatley: How's the gardening going?
   Me: well, I'm watching Justin garden.
+ The "save me" text.

In between Law & Order SVU episodes and making cream of broccoli and watercress soup, I found this:



Rush hour in the Netherlandswhere more than a third of the people commute by bike. Oh snap!

I love it when Asian people yell at the top of their lungs

Hey, remember that time I started baking pumpkin whoopie pies at 1 in the morning? Side note, I never knew there were so many recipes for buttercream.
The things I do for you people.

Tonight:

+ writing lists for what I need to bring for tomorrow.
+ attempting to make pumpkin whoopie pies.
+ listening to this (but the DeVotchKa version), this, and this while I slave and toil in a hot kitchen.
+ probably sleeping very late and waking very early. Like that's new.
+ don't forget to charge the cameras.
+ bring extra socks.

Guilty pleasure & ear worm alert!

Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!

Traveling via SMS with Steph and Amie

May 12 Greetings from Ohio! It's frightfully flat.

May 13
10:29 AM Greetings from Indiana! It's still frightfully flat.
2:30 PM Greetings from Illinois! Bird country huzzah.
5:46 PM Greetings from Iowa! So far it's just like all the other states starting with the letter "i"
10:11 PM Greetings from Minnesota! Dontcha know.

May 14 
11:22 AM Greetings from South Dakota! It's so Calamity Jane out here.
8:46 PM Greetings from Wyoming! Feels just like South Dakota.
10:02 PM Greetings from Montana! Gimme gimme gimme gimme MO gimme MO

May 15
3:40 PM Greetings from Idaho! No, u-da-ho.
4:49 PM Greetings from Washington! Or the Starbucks or the Starbucks or the Starbucks.
10:05 PM Greetings from Portland!  Weeeee! Seacrest out manggg

May 18
Steph: Guess what I ate today
me: doughnuts?
Steph: Macaroooooons- key lime and chocolate cinnamon. and then Earl Grey truffles!
me: Earl Grey truffles?!
Steph: Yeah! We have to go to this place. It's called The Pix. I had a goat cheese and onion tart. Also, I took a pic of a hipster on a bike for you hahahaha.

“and see how that light you love now just won't shine? There might just be another star that's high and far in some other sky”

Productivity? Not really.

1. Took down Liz's senior show. Productive!
2. Wegmans. Justin bought a papaya.  Not productive.
3. Thai food. Pad see ew. Delicious. Undecided.
4. Yesterday's Rose. Old records! Typewriters! Not productive.
5. Trader Joe's. Avocado & things for Wednesday's potluck. Productive!
6. Sit on a futon drinking Prosecco for four hours talking about anything/anyone we can. Not productive (but oh so nice).

Mmmhmm.

Bro #1, concerned: What the hell happened to your face?
Bro #2, dazed: What? (pause) Oh. I fell asleep on a decorative pillow.

via Overheard in New York

Today:

1. Farmers market/thrift store.
2. Gym.
3. Clean my car.
4. Garden.
5. Clean my room.
6. Read on the roof.

I capture the pancakes

Pancakes (makes ten or so):
2 cups of flour
2 cups of milk
2 Tbsp. melted butter
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt
pinch of sugar

Mix in bowl until well combined. Make pancakes. Hopefully you know how.

Apricot-strawberry-mango compote
1 mango, cubed
diced strawberries (I think I used 8)
1/2 cup dried apricot, diced
water (I'd say half a cup to one cup)
honey
splash of Cognac
Chrysanthemum tea leaves

Put in pot. Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer. Stir often to prevent sticking. Simmer until gooey and delicious-looking. Fin.

So nice they made it twice

Axe adverts are always on point (ohhhh, quadruple alliteration action!).

oh so much facial hair action!

me: Eh, Pa. I saw on some blog that these sisters got matching tattoos. Not that I think we should get these but I like the idea of sister tattoos.
Pa: Do you see yourself as half full or half empty?
Me: half full.
Pa: ...well it doesn't work if we both agree, now does it?

photo via Fuck yeah, Tattoos!

This made my day.

Road dogs

Highlights:
+ Jessica Lea Mayfield singing Buddy Holly's Words of Love.
+ watching the headbanging aka hairtography of Futurebirds
+ Amsterdam Falafel, always delicious. That garlic cream, damn.
+ “Watch the table” apparently means “I'm gon' peace out for a bit while some hipster girl's ass is in yo face.”
+ secret alley parking.
+ “They're flipping out because they got stopped at the light.” “Uh, turn on your headlights.” “Oh.”

I got a, I got a, I got a, I got a pocketful of sunshine

Green wall hotness

via dwell

"um, you best shoot me if I'm ever desperate enough that ____ starts looking good to me"

"you be all like, "_____ and I found love! I be like, oh girl, we is gonna have an intervention"

<3. this is why we're friends.

I don't know why this made me laugh so hard.

Clouds from space!

from wired via wheatley

Tomorrow night: Jessica Lea Mayfield! Futurebirds! DC9! Be there!

String gardens!

via string gardens

White guy #1: Whoa, so you're gonna fight me?
White guy #2: I think I'm gonna fight you... And maybe that tree.

via overheard in new york

This gave me such a laugh. 
a. I pictured some guy in an imaginary tussle with an oak tree and his poor friend watching and pretending not to know him. 
b. It is 3:30 in the morning and I'm trying to figure out how to print iron transfers onto plates. Well, not really since I'm blogging about guys fighting trees. Side note, according to Liz, there's some kind of powwow in the print studio bathroom. 
c. I might be on a late night microwave brownie and strawberry high. 

You and I, we know the secret to life; it's butter.

Oh dang, someone up and done started a site about butter:
butter through the ages

"Indeed, recent studies reveal just how important butter is to a healthy diet. It supplies our bodies with vitamins and minerals; boosts our immune system; helps hormone production; and supports our bones, organs, and most importantly, our brain. Good natural butter is satisfying and can even help with maintaining a healthy weight."

"In Mexico a few years before the turn of the 20th century, native people were still placing cream in a bag, the whole taken behind the saddle of a spirited horse, and a tour of a few miles horseback undertaken by the rider. When the journey was at an end, the churning process was supposed to be finished."

"The word butter comes from bou-tyron, which seems to mean "cowcheese" in Greek. Some scholars think, however, that the word was borrowed from the language of the northern and butterophagous Scythians, who herded cattle; Greeks lived mostly from sheep and goats whose milk, which they consumed mainly as cheese, was relatively low in butter (or butyric) fat."

for reals. i love butter. 

photos via flickr

I give a shit about the bassist!

Bobby: I still got it. I just, I dunno, I was getting sick and tired of being one of the 500 million dudes in the ‘burg who plays the fucking guitar. I mean, have you ever noticed that? Like, every guy in this whole God-forsaken neighborhood plays the six-string. I was talking to this girl at Larry Lawrence last night, and she was telling me how girls, like, judge dudes based on what instrument they play.

Michael: Seriously? Like, how?

Bobby: Well, apparently drummers are like fucking spazzes — ADD as hell — keyboard players are just freaking Kryptonite, bassists are mysterious and shit, and lead singers slash guitarists are preening, narcissistic assholes. So… you know… I don’t wanna be a spaz or an untouchable or be perceived as some kind of asshole. It would be cool to be mysterious, but — let’s face it — no one gives a shit about the bassist.

via Stuff Hipsters Hate

After show alfresco!

[no need for extra words]
Daniel: wine?
me: no.
Daniel: jam?
me: fig.
Daniel: knife?
me: (hands him the knife)
Daniel: thanks. cheese?
me: bleu.

and,
congratulations to all my graduating artsy fartsy friends.
I'll miss the socializing.

happy mother's day!

Oh but they're weird and they're wonderful

Hipster #1: I'm not a hipster. I'm a bisexual Jew with a penchant for interning at alternative magazines and weeklies.

Hipster #2: You've got the words "bisexual, Jew, penchant, interning," and "alternative" in a single sentence. Dude, that is the definition of hipster.

via Overheard in New York
photo via Look at This Fucking Hipster