What I'm Into Right Now, Pt. 3

I am having a really hard time pulling it together today, dudes. I've had a shit ton of coffee. I keep making all these typos because my fingers keep tripping over themselves, like a kitten that is still learning how to run. No segues are springing to mind, so, umm, here we go!


1. Flight of the Conchords



This was another Mindy Kaling recommend (She is never, ever wrong, guys. Seriously.). I don't have cable, so I tend to be a little behind on a lot of great shows. I am so glad that I have caught up! I really enjoy Novelty Music, and so much the better when it is laid down by cute dudes with adorable accents. Rent it!!


2. All Purpose Pizza

This isn't so much something I am into right now, it's more something I am obsessed with all the time. All Purpose makes the best pizza I have ever had in my life. I know I am prone to hyperbole, but this shit is no joke. A couple weeks ago, I had a bite that was so perfect I very nearly cried. Over pizza. Here's the deal: the crust is sourdough, so it has this delicious tanginess to it. The sauce is made with reduced red wine, and I am drooling a little just thinking about it. My favorite topping of theirs is carmelized onions. The meatballs are great, too. And the website has really charming animation, though it is kind of a pain in the ass to navigate.


3. Slash



Slash is the coolest person who has ever lived, hands down. I am currently reading his autobiography, and it is awesome. Did you know that his mom had an affair with David Bowie? And that Slash was an insanely cute kid? Check this shit out:


Oh my god, right? When will they get cloning technology worked out so I can have a Baby Slash? I will pay top dollar.

3. Polyvore

I like to strategize my wardrobe several months in advance. Usually it's not too specific; a color scheme, or type of dress, or a concept, like, the Incognito Waitress. But that was before I found out about Polyvore. I'll let them explain it to you:
" Polyvore is a unique, easy-to-use web-based application for mixing and matching products from any online store. Items are pulled together into a visual set of products that can be shared with anyone. Each product within the set is then linked back to the online store where it is available for purchase."

The other day I decided I really want a pot leaf t-shirt, right? But I wasn't sure how I would wear it. "What goes with a pot leaf t-shirt?", I asked myself. So I went to Polyvore and worked it the fuck out!

Bam! Business taken care of!

Beverage Update!

So, I got around to tasting one of the Hi Ball energy drinks, and I gotta tell you, it is a keeper. It just tastes like sparkling water with a careless whisper of citrus-y goodness. Also, the carbonation is very light, like, the bubbles are super tiny, so it doesn't overwhelm your mouth the way cheap sparklers do. All in all, thumbs up!



p.s. I just want you guys to know that Google image searching "thumbs up" was one of the funnest things I've done all week. And this has been an exceptionally fun week. I suggest you try it the next time you are feeling down.

Lost In The Supermarket

I do pretty much all my grocery shopping at an all-natural co-op. I love it there; all the food is organic, or at least preservative free, which I am an asshole about. But frankly, I have some needs that they will not fulfill, like Gatorade and cheap frozen pizzas, so sometimes I go to one of the big chains. Today I was in search of a drink called Zenergize, recommended by Mindy Kaling in one of her amazing blog posts. It's like Emergen-C powder, only it's a tablet that you add to water. Like if Emergen-C and Alka Seltzer (which I also adore) made sweet love and produced a delicious vitamin baby. I was unable to find it, even though I looked in two grocery stores, a drugstore and a bodega. I think they just keep more shit like that in stock in L.A. But! I did find a couple of super fun beverages I was heretofore unaware of.

1. Lipton Tea To Go



I am so into this whole "to go" thing. My mom sent me some of those Airborne To Go packets, and for like a week my greatest delight was hearing someone say they felt kind of sick so I could whip out one of those puppies all slick-like. I'm gonna throw a couple of these in my purse and just wait for someone to say they'd love some iced green tea. I'll be all, "Oh, really?" and get that shit down their gullet before they even know what's what. Being prepared rules.

2. Hi Ball Energy drink



God, I am such a sucker for adorable packaging. I haven't tasted these yet, so they might be totally gross, but they are unsweetened which is a definite plus. My sweet tooth is basically nonexistent, unlike 98% of Americans (It's a fact. I checked. Okay, not really). Finding beverages that aren't either packing like 48 grams of pure sugar, or some sick Splenda-type whatever is nearly impossible, so I drink coffee and lemon water pretty much exclusively. I'll let you know if this guy gets added to the rotation, but even if they are gross, I might just keep one around to look at. So pretty!

Let me know if you have seen Zenergize anywhere in Seattle. I still totally want to try it.

What I'm Into Right Now, Pt. 2

In the last post I told you about the things that are keeping me from being depressed. Now I wanna talk about the things that take it to the next step up, which for me is Totally Fucking Stoked.

1. Black Mountain


(I used this picture because Black Mountain is a Beard Band, and I wanted to communicate that clearly. Of course, if a picture is worth however many words, this whole aside is unnecessary. I think I might be gilding the lily. Or whatever.)

A couple anecdotes about this band:
a) I've been a door girl for almost four years now (jesus!) and this is the only band whose set was so awesome that I had to buy their CD at the end of my shift. This is huge for me because I
hate pretty much everything, especially if it's forced on me, ear-wise. This was about two years ago, when they still had me selling tickets at the entrance to the showroom. Now I'm in what the owners call the Box Office, and I call a hole in the wall. I'm separate from the showroom, which is good because I don't have to suffer through whichever awful band is playing. It's bad in the winter though, because I am basically Outdoors, and it is balls-ass cold at night.
b) Last week I was working in the box office for the Cave Singers show when a man appeared in front of me. He was very tall, very lanky, and very bearded. Also, he had on one of those weird hats that I associate with that dude from The Black Crowes who married Kate Hudson. (Do you know what I'm talking about? I just googled the hell out of that dude and couldn't find any images of him wearing hats. Maybe I'm thinking Shooter Jennings. Anyway.) You know what? He looked like this:


So. Homie stands there for a second, looking at the set times posted behind me. "Oh, maaaaan," he drawls. "I'm at the wrong show!"
"What are you looking for?" I ask, not because I don't know, but because I try not to profile customers to their faces.
"Black Mountain."
"That's on Thursday."
"What day is it?" (YES!!!)
"It's Saturday, buddy."
"Oh! Well, at least I didn't miss them."
I tell this story to illustrate that Black Mountain will make you wanna smoke so much weed that you no longer know what fucking day it is. I have been listening to their new album, In The Future, three times a day. Today is Thursday. It's gonna be a fun night. I hope I see that dude in the hat at the show.

2. George Saunders

Mindy Kaling, one of the writers from The Office, also writes a blog called Things I've Bought That I Love. I love it, but more importantly, I've realized that her tastes are shockingly similar to mine. So I decided, after noticing that she mentions George Saunders kind of a lot, that it may be worth my time to check him out, right? Right!! He's great! So funny, so smart, so good. And just look at his little face!


Seriously.

3. Uli's Sausages

Madison Market, where I do most of my grocery shopping, carries a few types of these delicious sausages, but in order to get at their awesome and varied complete selection you have to go to their tiny little counter at the Market. Like most Seattleites, I never go to Pike Place Market. Tourists clog up the joint and walk way too slow. The Flying Fish guys make me feel stabby. Occasionally I'll dodge into DeLaurenti for some of their phenomenal fresh mozzarella, because that can be done without venturing into the real bulk of the market, but mostly, I've been avoiding the market entirely for the last 6 years or so. And I have been missing out. Me and Landon went down there a couple weeks ago and got the Mexican Chorizo, Sicilian Bratwurst and the Heavy Garlic chicken sausages. We then proceeded to eat nothing but sausage-centric meals for two full days and we LOVED IT. They also have some lamb sausages that I am dying to try. I will definitely be making a trip to the Market this weekend. Oh yeah, and this may or may not be Uli himself.



4. This Picture:





Have fun, you guys!

What I'm Into Right Now, Pt. 1

Seattle winters are the worst because they're so uneventful. Granted, last year we did have that crazy windstorm, ,which was scary and awesome, but normally it's like it has been this winter. Flatly dreary, with a snow shower or two, and the occasional sunny day. And normally, this weather leads me to ask not whether I will fall victim to Seasonal Affective Disorder, but at what point it will peak and how disruptive it will be. But this year I dodged the bullet! I feel great, dudes!! I'm sliding down rainbows with my ass in the air! So, in honor of my awesome state of non-depression, here is a list of some of the things that get me out of bed in the morning. They may or may not be responsible for my lack of the SADs.

1. Online Scrabble



I use an application on Facebook called Scrabulous to get my wordplay fix. I have like 12 games going on with various buddies in all parts of the country. Kerri and I have played somewhere around 7 games together. It's great because you get to do something with friends without having to brave the rain or even put on pants.

2. Coffee/ Bodum cups

Every night before I fall asleep I think to myself, "When I wake up, there will be coffee!!" and then I doze off with an expectant joy in my heart. Part of why I enjoy my coffee so much is that I have these awesome cups, made by Bodum . Not only are they gorgeous, but they are the perfect shape and feel great in your hands. The double layers of glass are seperated by air so they are never too hot to hold.

God, coffee is so great. Supposedly some recent studies said that coffee causes miscarriages, but I don't buy it for a second. And frankly, I'm not so sure I want someone who doesn't like coffee crashing in my uterus for nine months anyway. (Kidding. Just Kidding.)

3. Music from hot-ass countries


I have a theory that if you listen to music that sounds like sunshine you can trick your brain into thinking that maybe the weather isn't so suck-ass shitty after all. Or something. So I made a playlist of music from Jamaica, Cuba and Brazil (with a pinch of France for texture) for when I need to do shit around the house. Here it is!
Homebody Playlist

Give it a listen, and let me know if it does anything for you.

4. Making the Bed



I have only recently become a Person Who Makes The Bed, and I gotta say, I'm loving it. Another theory of mine is that while my early twenties were about figuring out how to keep myself alive, my mid-to-late twenties are about figuring out how I want to live my life. Making the bed is a small act, but it makes a huge difference in how I view my home and as an extension of that, how I view myself.

5.Fancy Olive Oil

My buddy Sam works at this rad olive oil store in Pacific Place called O&Co. I went down to visit him one day and he had me taste a bunch different oils, each one more delicious than the last. He also dropped a hefty dose of science on me. I had no idea, previous to this visit, that extra virgin olive oil was not for cooking things in (shame on you, Rachael Ray!!), but is for finishing foods with. I left empty-handed that day, but about a week later I had to come back for the O&Co basil-infused olive oil because I simply could not stop thinking about how delicious it was. I'm so glad I did, too, because now I put it on everything. I think next time I'll get a lemon-infused oil to sprinkle over my couscous. Oh my god, it's gonna be so delicious.

Bacon Waffles

A couple weeks ago, on the way back from Eastern Washington, me and my buddies stopped for breakfast at a Family Pancake House. I capitalize it because that was the actual name, not just the type of establishment. That's the kind of place I can get behind, y'know? Call it what it is. And they didn't stop winning me over there. The entire staff was Mexican. Not just the cooks, or busboys. Everyone. Well, everyone except for this waiter that appeared to be about eleven years old and had red hair that looked like a hat. Kind of like this:




But, y'know, eleven, and, um, human.

So, we get the menus, and what do i see? Bacon Waffles. Not bacon AND waffles. Bacon Waffles. It's exactly what it sounds like; waffles with bacon crumbled into the batter. Awesome. They also had Ham Waffles, but why get ham when you can have bacon? God, I'm hungry.

Not only were they fucking delicious, they were time efficient to boot!! No time wasted going back and forth; bacon, then waffle, then bacon, then waffle. Bacon Waffle, Bacon Waffle, Bacon Waffle. I'm a busy woman. That's just how I roll.