Morning Light

Our pretty garden window area. Pretty, even if most of our plants are dying just a little.
Saddam Hussein got punched by two clerks yesterday, I thought that was worth noting.

The Boyfriend's Pork Roast..Take 2

I was walking home after a pretty long and not wondrous day...barking dogs, cold wind and snow, three hour night class...feeling very tired and grumpy when I saw a blur of black on my right (where the street was). When I turned my head I saw a man running at me, smiling madly like he knew me. I thought 'well here it is, I'm going to be attacked by a crazy man' before realizing that it was the boyfriend. I yelped a little then told him how much he had scared me. He hadn't meant to scare me, he had meant to meet me as I walked home to give me some Hot Chocolate. How nice is that? How crazy am I?

Dinner was served around 11:30pm. The boyfriend made pork roast marinated in red wine vinegar, bay leaves, cloves, sage and rosemary then lightly breaded and pan fried. He also sauteed wild rice. It was tasty.

Yeah. I watched The Pacifier. It wasn't funny. Not even in the 'it's so bad it's funny' kind of funny. Though it followed the tough guy hangs out with kids (a la Kindegarten Cop/Three Men and A Baby) formula right down the line.

Vampires

Yesterday I finished reading Anne Rice's The Tale of The Body Thief. Back in college a photography professor had given me an excerpt she thought related to my work. I liked the excerpt but didn't read the rest of the book.

I find that I've been reading a lot of easy fiction these days. In fact I'd say I'm exclusively reading easy fiction: mystery novels, Nick Hornby novels, chick lit, vampire tales and the like.

I really don't have much to say about the Anne Rice book. I like Lestat...he's so bad and moody and charming. What it really is, is that I have a small obsession with vampires...or rather, I like biting people and I wish that I could fly. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a good show, no? Yes.

Icy Sparks

Last week I read Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio. It is the tale of a mountain girl struggling with some mysterious ailment that makes her pop her eyes out and swear. It is about secrets and shame and overcoming all of it.
It is an Oprah's Bookclub book.
I have had many conversations since arriving in Chicago about the merits of Oprah's bookclub. In general I think it's pretty great when people read...being a writer and all. In general I think it's pretty great that Oprah gets women (and men) to read William Faulkner and John Steinbeck. In general I think that even the contemporary books Oprah picks aren't so bad...though not destined to be part of the same literary canon as Faulker and Steinbeck. Anyways. My point is that this book wasn't bad but I didn't like it very much either.

Angry About Snow

There are these tiny little white flakes floating through the air. You need to look very carefully to see them...but they do exist. And I don't like that one little bit.

So I image googled "angry about snow" and this was the first image.
File name: Yurble_Snow_Baby.



There were more images in bewteen but this was the second image that really spoke to me.
File name: quiggle_snow_baby.



This was a ways down on the first page.
File name:083104_GOP_sign.





This was the last image on the first page and I am especially fond of its title:angry-sherpas
-at-base-camp.

I need a time out.

Dinner At Home

After much hemming and hawing (not to mention a desperate want of sushi), the boyfriend and I had a rather sedate meal. Cheese ravioli, steamed broccoli along with a cheese and cracker plate.


I do like Gilmore Girls. Sure do.

Wine Night...Don't Stop Believin'

Another excellent wine night. Complete with birthday cheese and cake.
The cheese to the left was a really nice 'mountain' sheep's cheese, very mild and yet flavorful...not what I usually think of when I think 'sheep cheese'.
Trader Joe's fresh salsa makes me happy....as do salt and vinegar chips.
Cheers...this was done solely because I wanted to take a picture.
A writing student's mom made this very delicious pastry.
Look carefully and see the rabbit. First Chicago rabbit I've seen. Weird coming from TN or upstate New York where you couldn't go far without running into a gaggle of the suckers. Is there a country rabbit/city rabbit story? Or a story about a rabbi rabbit? If not perhaps I'll combine the two into one really great children's book.

I woke up this morning and thought it had snowed. But it hadn't. It just looks like crap outside.

Quizno's

After work I met the boyfriend at the el station. We took the train in the general direction of where wine night was. I had not eaten much at work so I was on the look out for some quick and easy eating solution. The solution came in the form of Quizno's...I remembered the really funny ads they had about three years ago (with talking faces?) and how I had never actually tried em out. So last night I did. A little messier than Subway but still a good fast sub...too many mushrooms for my taste.

Egg Salad Sandwich With Avocado

Well. I had taken photographs of my gourment egg salad sandwich but somehow those photographs don't exist anymore. So imagine it, a toasted English Muffin with a thin spread of goat cheese, two slivers of avocado, a dollop Egg Salad (eggs, bit mayo, salt and pepper, chopped olives and chopped hot peppers) and more slivers of avocado on top. It was pretty to look at.

Above is Phoebe a very cute puppy of Labrador heritage.
Below is Sadie a miniature Shnauzer (sp?).

Sausage and Peppers Part 2

For dinner I made turkey sausage and peppers. Turkey sausage seems to be less juicy than pork sausage, still flavorful though. I used one orange pepper and two anaheim peppers...not to mention one third of a white onion and one half of a shallot.

Costco

After dim sum and a quick respite at the apartment, the boyfriend and I braved the outside world and went to Costco. It had been a while since I had been in a Costco and I forgot how crazy/scary/wonderful a wholesale warehouse can and cannot be. We got enough wine to last us til spring time, a five pound bag of frozen corn and a variety of other things in mass form. As we were leaving I saw somebody with a 100 set of gel pens and really wanted to run back in and get me some of those. But I didn't.

As we were leaving a young woman was walking towards the entrance with a look of pure agony...really she looked like she was about to cry....I overheard her, as she paused outside the door, say I really hate this place.

Dim Sum c/o Furama Part 10

Oh dim sum, how I love thee. Thee I love with strength and conviction.
(I don't know what that's about).
Another lovely dim sum yesterday. We had enough people to get a (as the tired boyfriend said) 'spinning Jenny' which was fun to twirl around and what not.
Really though, dim sum makes me very happy.

Crap-o-theque

Our evening passed by nicely. A college friend of the boyfriend (and one of his friends) came over and played with us. More beer was had, my writing friend went home and then we lost our minds and went out. We went to Sonotheque and that was dumb. There was this whole drum and bass crap music going on and I thought it was silly. My favorite part was speaking with a woman in the bathroom about the lack of toilet paper.

I don't know who this guy is...but he sure is digging the drum and bass.

There's nothing like a couple making out against the oh-so-cool dj booth.

Then I ate this sandwich.

Ethiopian c/o Ras Dashen and General Lunacy

After the movie we went to Ras Dashen Ethiopian Restaurant. It was my first time eating any kind of African cuisine and I was little scared...of what I don't know...maybe just scared of not knowing anything about the food. Our waitress was nice and funny and I stopped being scared.
I had an African beer which was very good and Yebeg Tibs (spicy lamb) and some spicy beef. The food came on spongy bread called injera (spelling?). I will go back. To those who are scared...don't be this place is great.
After dinner we went to our place and drank beer, played college drinking games (silly us) and ate a pomegranate.


Circle of death. And no, I'm not eighteen.

Humble Middles

After never actually seeing a single grave but walking a long time along a wall, we met up with a writing friend and some of her non-SAIC friends. We drove to Evanston...which was quite the adventure because no one actually knew where we were going...the driver of the car we were in called someone in another state for directions. We arrived close to twenty minutes late for the movie Jarhead. I really really would rather not be late to things, especially movies, but that's not the story I'm going to tell.

In fact I'm not going to tell much of a story. Just that we watched Jarhead. I liked it, most everybody else seemed to like it a lot less. There's a dream sequence where Nirvana is played and I remembered that I really like Nirvana and no I'm not thirteen years old so that's okay.

Cute men with ripped bodies.
I have thoughts about war movies...but now is not the time.

As we were walking to the parking lot after the movie I overheard a man and his young daughter speaking. Here is my favorite part of their conversation/the only part I really paid attention to:

Little Girl: What's a hardware store Daddy?
Father: That's where men buy their tools, honey.
Moving on.

Modest Beginnings

Yesterday early afternoon the boyfriend and I went on a little walk. When the boyfriend joined up with a bank they gave him a gift card to Starbucks. This works out quite well for me because the boyfriend doesn't like coffee and I do. So we went to Starbucks where I ordered a cafe au lait then proceeded on our walk. Originally I thought we could go to St. Bonifacius (sp?) Cemetary, which is very close to where we live. But instead we decided to check out Rosehill cemetary....or did we? Da da da<----that's supposed to be spooky like in mystery movies...dum dum dum?
We walked along a community garden path which was nice. Then for, no joke, close to a mile, we followed the cemetary wall. Following the cemetary wall was simply ((to us)) the most obvious way to getting into the cemetary and walking around. But it seems that the southernmost sector of the cemetary twists and turns for a freakin long time then ends a little something like this:
If you don't know why the below picture could be funny, well you don't and I'm not going to explain it to you.
Pretty milkweed.

Age Changing Presents

These are just a few things I'm wishing I owned.

Smart Wool socks. The boyfriend is tired of me stealing his smartwool socks and I'm tired of them being too big on my feet. I need calf length ones so I can wear them with my boots...The boyfriend also has a complete set of smartwood long underwear I envy...he even has a balaklava (or however you might spell it).

Yes folks, I'm still trying for an ipod. Either a 1 GB shuffle or a 30 GB ipod original...with ear buds and case please.

Black picture frames for 20x24 photographs.

That's all I can think of right now.
The boyfriend got up before me this morning and started making pancakes. Then realized that we didn't have any maple syrup. He asked me to go get some, and I said no...cause I'm a bad person...and so he went. And he's been gone for a--nevermind he just got back.

It Just Won't End And I'm Getting Wordy

I am currently watching Gus Van Sant's Last Days. I am finding it so interesting that I am inspired to multi-task. That is to say that I am finding it pretty effing boring and would rather write about how little I like it than actually watch it anymore. Ooop, now there's man sex....with his glasses on, that's industrious....there went the glasses.

I hadn't realized that the actor playing a Kurt Cobainesque musician on the brink of suicide was none other than they guy who played Henry on Dawson's Creek...if that illuminates absolutely nothing for you, feel lucky and blessed. In fact, repeat to yourself, "I am lucky and blessed". I mean, don't think you're too special or anything....feel worse if you know him as the guy in Murder By Numbers the not Ryan Gosling one. Oh nevermind.

Another reason I don't like this movie: The Kurt Cobainesque character is constantly changing his clothes. And as of right now, one hour and six minutes into the film, he has yet to say a single coherent sentence.

Also, it is important to note that since the very beginning of this movie the boyfriend has been doing New York Times crosswords...he didn't even give it a forty five minute chance.

This is the pizza the boyfriend and I ordered from Pizzeria Aroma. The Aloha...pineapple, canadian bacon, olives and that's it. The crust was 'thick' but kind of airy in a non-pleasing way. We did get a free order of mozzarella sticks for the purchase.


I would also like to mention that the boyfriend is doing a NY Times crossword that he has been saving since June 26, 2005.

Dig Dig! Ya Dig?

Last night while the boyfriend was at 'game night' I watched Dig! Dig! is a documentary chronicling seven years of two bands' careers. The two bands were The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre.
It was very interesting, this movie.
The frontman of TBJM was positively riveting in his craziness, musical genius, chronic drink/drug taking and overall inability to decide whether he wanted fame or self-destruction. There are many scenes of this guy, Anton, just being a jerky jerk. You should watch it because it is well done as a film and the characters are just plain amazing.

Pad Thai

Yesterday was rather busy. I worked with the dogs and registered for classes then had a 6-9 class. Registration went smoothly. I got the classes I wanted but not the graduate advisor. Give a little take a little, I guess. I had a sandwich before work, which was more like breakfast than lunch (the time not the sandwich). During class I scarfed down a ziploc bag of wasabi peas...mmm wasabi peas. Then came home at ten to find that the boyfriend had made a obscenely large amount of pad thai (see small portion below).
Early morning class day. I need to clean our bathroom. Considering the fact that there is no cat in this apartment....there must be a ghost cat....what? It's early. Let it be.

Mmmm, wasabi peas.

Who Needs It

This is weird. Death Mask. Hmmm.
"A 3D film version of Thomas, recreated from his death mask, old photographs and voice recordings will read Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night." Click on the title to read the BBCnews story.

Pork Roast

Yesterday I thought I had to register for classes but I was mistaken...that's today...I spent all my freaked-out-ness and am eerily calm. I did a lot of reading as well.

This is the pork roast, potato spuds and broccoli I ate for dinner. The boyfriend made the pot roast and potatoes on Monday...still very good. Tender and well seasoned, it was.

Today I have work and then a night class. Urgh.

Freaked Out

I'm freaked out. I googled 'freaked out' for images and this was the first one in the pile (the pile?). I think that it is an accurate picture of how I'm feeling. This is because today I'm registering for next semester's classes and that's a big deal. I've worked out all these different schedules and have no idea how it'll work out. Hopefully well. But who knows in times like these?

Also. I miss my cat (see above).

Movies Of Late

The other night I went to my local video store and started an account. The video store guy was very nice...he's my new best friend...okay no he's not.
I watched The Perfect Man starring my (truly) bestest friend forever, Hilary Duff. It also starred Heather Locklear and Chris Noth. Not to mention a young actor whose name I'm too lazy to look up...he's in the mold of 'the cool artsy guy' who, for some reason, likes the blonde perky girl. Grr, blond perky girls.
This movie was stupendous. Complete with unnecessary lies and supposedly funny prat falls. My favorite narrative device was Hillary's blog/voice over. I think I will use it in my art history presentation. Charming. So very charming. Don't watch it unless you know you like this kind of movie. Also, Heather Locklear's face is frightening. The little sister character seemed to exist just to drop her mouth in surprise a lot...which she did...and not very well. Oh and Chris Noth is surprisingly not exactly like his Mr. Big character, though still charming.

I also watched Rock School. A documentary about the man who (I believe) inspired School of Rock. The guy, Paul Green, is fascinating. He yells a whole lot. He tells 9-17 year olds to love Satan and did I mention he yells a whole lot. We meet a number of the students at Rock School, including nine year old twins Tucker and Asa, Eeyore-esque Will and earnest/amazingly good at playing guitar twelve year old C.J. There are moments where the music is really bad, but the fact that there are two nine year olds dressed up like Ozzy Osbourne makes up for it. This one you should watch.