Saturday, November 1, 2008
Boo-Yah's
Something that fascinates/encourages me is our ability to change each others' minds. It doesn't happen very often. Consider this: it is not every day that you are in the middle of stating your point to a person about something he or she disagrees with you about, and they say, "You know what? You are right." In fact, I am pretty sure this has only happened to me a few times (from what I can remember). To be fair, I cannot recall too many instances when I was the one to abruptly change my mind about something as a result of an intense discussion. Of course, this does not take into account all the times my mind was changed, but pride kept me from saying anything. I will admit the times I have done this, it has always been a positive experience. There were no "I told you so's," or "Boo-Yah's." It is refreshing to allow myself the freedom to think from a different point of view, rather than relying on whatever my immediate instincts say. I cannot count the times I thought I knew something for sure, and it turned out to be wrong. Assurance is relative and doesn't necessarily reflect what is true. The thing I am most sure of is most likely different than whatever other people are most sure of. For me, it is that there is a God; for someone else it could be that there is no god. It doesn't matter how sure we both are; we are not both right, and the truth is not affected by our belief or disbelief in it. It is what it is. This is not to say there is no place for guts and instincts when it comes to deciding what to think about things, but I know that we don't set them aside nearly enough when it comes to really listening to each other. Sorry to go all "Oprah" on you.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
I have this friend...
I would like to preface this by informing you that it is a waste of your time to read the following entry. I had fun writing it, but if your time is at all valuable in this moment, you have a life, or you would resent me for wasting your time with such foolishness, please stop now.
That being said, I am so happy you have continued...but don't say I didn't warn you.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a real-life love square on our hands. I have this friend. We'll call her Doris. This is someone I know really well out there in the dating world. She could make any guy the luckiest person in the world which is why, I fear, she is in this position to begin with. I write this post because I got to thinking tonight...she could write some interesting blogs about what she has going on right now. Unfortunately, she does not have a blog in which to entertain us with all her dating mishaps and victories so I have taken it upon myself to report.
The square consists of Doris and three gentlemen: Clark, Gabe, and Bailey.
CLARK: the oh so lovable "friend". He likes to invite her to hang out in groups and then always makes sure they spend a lot of one-on-one time together. Does this guy just really need a friend right now (who happens to be a nice, pretty girl), or does he need to get over himself and grow some balls?! Clark's slow but steady approach is intriguing but may get him into trouble if someone else sees the opportunity to swoop in.
BAILEY: the super-intense, over confident "suitor". He seems like the obvious last-place choice at this point. However, could his "we are meant for each other" pursuant behavior be just the kind of thing that lands him the girl in the end (think "Serendipity" or "Sabrina"). The exchange between these two has gone something like this:
GABE: likely to be an early fan favorite. He is adventurous, handsome, and has some guts. They have already been out a couple times, and find themselves talking and texting quite a bit. The problem: after only knowing each other for two weeks, he moved across the country for 2 months. Will their recent connection be enough to fuel their interest in each other until he returns?
While this is an honest example of what is going on in the single world these days, there are also other methods people like to use to find the right person. The online dating community has grown over the past few years and has been a real success for singles and even for non-singles. The internet has not only made it easier to discuss relationships in this fashion, but it has made it possible to actually form them. I suppose it provides a good alternative to the mess described above.
That being said, I am so happy you have continued...but don't say I didn't warn you.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a real-life love square on our hands. I have this friend. We'll call her Doris. This is someone I know really well out there in the dating world. She could make any guy the luckiest person in the world which is why, I fear, she is in this position to begin with. I write this post because I got to thinking tonight...she could write some interesting blogs about what she has going on right now. Unfortunately, she does not have a blog in which to entertain us with all her dating mishaps and victories so I have taken it upon myself to report.
The square consists of Doris and three gentlemen: Clark, Gabe, and Bailey.
CLARK: the oh so lovable "friend". He likes to invite her to hang out in groups and then always makes sure they spend a lot of one-on-one time together. Does this guy just really need a friend right now (who happens to be a nice, pretty girl), or does he need to get over himself and grow some balls?! Clark's slow but steady approach is intriguing but may get him into trouble if someone else sees the opportunity to swoop in.
BAILEY: the super-intense, over confident "suitor". He seems like the obvious last-place choice at this point. However, could his "we are meant for each other" pursuant behavior be just the kind of thing that lands him the girl in the end (think "Serendipity" or "Sabrina"). The exchange between these two has gone something like this:
SUITOR: Would you accompany me on a date this Saturday evening?
DORIS: I would love to hang out with you, but I wouldn't want to give you the wrong impression by calling it a date. I am not interested in you in that way.
SUITOR: That's cool. Let's go anyway.
-------------------------DATE NIGHT---------------------------
SUITOR: No, I insist on paying.
DORIS:Cool. Let's get dessert.
---------------THE DROP OFF FROM THE DATE---------------
SUITOR: When my I have the pleasure of a second date?
DORIS: Huh?
SUITOR: Tomorrow works for me. I can take you to a great little bakery by the water.
DORIS: That is fine, but...
SUITOR: Settled! Goodnight----> (leans in)
GABE: likely to be an early fan favorite. He is adventurous, handsome, and has some guts. They have already been out a couple times, and find themselves talking and texting quite a bit. The problem: after only knowing each other for two weeks, he moved across the country for 2 months. Will their recent connection be enough to fuel their interest in each other until he returns?
While this is an honest example of what is going on in the single world these days, there are also other methods people like to use to find the right person. The online dating community has grown over the past few years and has been a real success for singles and even for non-singles. The internet has not only made it easier to discuss relationships in this fashion, but it has made it possible to actually form them. I suppose it provides a good alternative to the mess described above.
Sunday in th City
I have lived in my new apartment for a few weeks now, but I am just starting to settle in. The place is still a mess. I have spent pretty much every weekend since moving working on it: painting, buying things, setting up, unpacking. It is just starting to pay off, and I am so happy with the way it is coming together.
This move has brought on a lot of changes for me, but there is one specific change that I am so pleased with that I feel my life will never be the same; I, for the first time in my life, have a DVR. I have no idea how I ever lived without one up until this point, but I will never be going back. Never again are the days of being stressed about getting home on time to see "The Office", missing a single episode of "The Colbert Report", or even having to watch commercials. When the presidential debate starts at 6:00 PM on a Friday, I can spend my Friday night elsewhere doing "young people" stuff (not that I actually did "young people" and didn't watch the debate last Friday night...but there is always that option). It is so comforting to know I may not always be there for my shows, but they are always there for me.
I like Sundays. My Sundays usually consist of things like the farmer's market, groceries, eating out for lunch, cooking dinner, maybe seeing a movie in the middle of the day, and going to bed at a decent hour. I think this one will be no exception, and I am about to get to it.
This move has brought on a lot of changes for me, but there is one specific change that I am so pleased with that I feel my life will never be the same; I, for the first time in my life, have a DVR. I have no idea how I ever lived without one up until this point, but I will never be going back. Never again are the days of being stressed about getting home on time to see "The Office", missing a single episode of "The Colbert Report", or even having to watch commercials. When the presidential debate starts at 6:00 PM on a Friday, I can spend my Friday night elsewhere doing "young people" stuff (not that I actually did "young people" and didn't watch the debate last Friday night...but there is always that option). It is so comforting to know I may not always be there for my shows, but they are always there for me.
I like Sundays. My Sundays usually consist of things like the farmer's market, groceries, eating out for lunch, cooking dinner, maybe seeing a movie in the middle of the day, and going to bed at a decent hour. I think this one will be no exception, and I am about to get to it.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Hollywood Assistants like stuff about Hollywood Assistants
I got my first taste of Hollywood assistantship during my time as an intern a few years back. I was still in school, and against my parents wishes and possibly my better judgement, I moved to LA for the summer to be an unpaid intern. Woohoo!
Internships in this industry don't even need the word "unpaid" to proceed them because I have only heard of one paid internship in the whole town (at my company). Job adds for unpaid interns usually read something like this:
Here is the breakdown of what this really means:
Looking for bright, self-motivated intern---SELF - motivated, not monetarily-motivated
to commit at least 20 hours/week---we will never learn your name for less than 20hrs
Great opportunity---great opportunity for US to get free labor...FREE!!!
to really get your foot in the door---and then right back out, more like dip your toe in the pool because there is no room for you here
and learn the basics of the entertainment industry---you get to listen to us do possibly cool things while you file stuff
!---we are fun and like to use exclamation points!
Looking for someone with a great sense of humor---to make up for our lack there of
ability to multitask---there are a lot of things we don't want to do that you will have to...sometimes more than one at a time
and eagerness to learn---we want you to be enthralled by all of our stories and what goes on here, what we do
Must receive school credit---we don't want to feel bad about not paying you...not that we would...oh yeah, and it's the law
This all sounds very cynical and is probably slightly unfair since I did have a really good time at most of the internships I completed when I was in school. One of them even ended up being such a great experience, I chose it as a career within the industry. I cannot say the others were not worth it because there is no other way I could have felt so comfortable completely eliminating them as career options for myself. The worst and/or most useless thing I had to do as an intern was count the number of trash cans that were scattered about the set of a reality show I was working on. To this day, I don't believe there was a reason for this. If there was, it didn't matter because when I went to report back to my supervisor the information I had so proudly gathered, she was busy and never asked for it in the future.
I guess I tell you all this because the theme of this post is true: Hollywood assistants like things about Hollywood assistants. This notion does not stop with assistants. In fact, this is just where it starts. It just grows and spreads the more years you are a part of it. I am determined to evade this level of self-importance and self-interest (as some are able to do), although I fear this post is not really proving my commitment to that determination.
Perhaps the greatest display of all this and my inspiration for this entry is this blog entitled, "Stuff Hollywood Assistants Like":
http://www.stuffhollywoodassistantslike.com/2008/09/brunch.html
And let me tell you something, it is dead on. I guess that is why it is so funny. It is like watching a gentle/tasteful roast of yourself, funny and strangely enjoyable. And who in LA doesn't enjoy a good episode of "Entourage"? Sure it is good television, but there is something different watching from this perspective.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On a completely different note, I am on Ron Paul's mailing list, and I got an email from him this afternoon that I wanted to share. This is just a small bit of it, but I thought it was interesting. It is on the economic crisis going on right now:
Internships in this industry don't even need the word "unpaid" to proceed them because I have only heard of one paid internship in the whole town (at my company). Job adds for unpaid interns usually read something like this:
"Looking for bright, self-motivated intern to commit at least 20 hours/week. Great opportunity to really get your foot in the door and learn the basics of entertainment industry! Looking for someone with a great sense of humor, ability to multitask, and eagerness to learn. Must receive college credit."
Here is the breakdown of what this really means:
Looking for bright, self-motivated intern---SELF - motivated, not monetarily-motivated
to commit at least 20 hours/week---we will never learn your name for less than 20hrs
Great opportunity---great opportunity for US to get free labor...FREE!!!
to really get your foot in the door---and then right back out, more like dip your toe in the pool because there is no room for you here
and learn the basics of the entertainment industry---you get to listen to us do possibly cool things while you file stuff
!---we are fun and like to use exclamation points!
Looking for someone with a great sense of humor---to make up for our lack there of
ability to multitask---there are a lot of things we don't want to do that you will have to...sometimes more than one at a time
and eagerness to learn---we want you to be enthralled by all of our stories and what goes on here, what we do
Must receive school credit---we don't want to feel bad about not paying you...not that we would...oh yeah, and it's the law
This all sounds very cynical and is probably slightly unfair since I did have a really good time at most of the internships I completed when I was in school. One of them even ended up being such a great experience, I chose it as a career within the industry. I cannot say the others were not worth it because there is no other way I could have felt so comfortable completely eliminating them as career options for myself. The worst and/or most useless thing I had to do as an intern was count the number of trash cans that were scattered about the set of a reality show I was working on. To this day, I don't believe there was a reason for this. If there was, it didn't matter because when I went to report back to my supervisor the information I had so proudly gathered, she was busy and never asked for it in the future.
I guess I tell you all this because the theme of this post is true: Hollywood assistants like things about Hollywood assistants. This notion does not stop with assistants. In fact, this is just where it starts. It just grows and spreads the more years you are a part of it. I am determined to evade this level of self-importance and self-interest (as some are able to do), although I fear this post is not really proving my commitment to that determination.
Perhaps the greatest display of all this and my inspiration for this entry is this blog entitled, "Stuff Hollywood Assistants Like":
http://www.stuffhollywoodassistantslike.com/2008/09/brunch.html
And let me tell you something, it is dead on. I guess that is why it is so funny. It is like watching a gentle/tasteful roast of yourself, funny and strangely enjoyable. And who in LA doesn't enjoy a good episode of "Entourage"? Sure it is good television, but there is something different watching from this perspective.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On a completely different note, I am on Ron Paul's mailing list, and I got an email from him this afternoon that I wanted to share. This is just a small bit of it, but I thought it was interesting. It is on the economic crisis going on right now:
To combat the depression by a forced credit expansion is to attempt to cure the evil by the very means which brought it about; because we are suffering from a misdirection of production, we want to create further misdirection - a procedure that can only lead to a much more severe crisis as soon as the credit expansion comes to an end... It is probably to this experiment, together with the attempts to prevent liquidation once the crisis had come, that we owe the exceptional severity and duration of the depression.
The only thing we learn from history, I am afraid, is that we do not learn from history.
The very people who have spent the past several years assuring us that the economy is fundamentally sound, and who themselves foolishly cheered the extension of all these novel kinds of mortgages, are the ones who now claim to be the experts who will restore prosperity! Just how spectacularly wrong, how utterly without a clue, does someone have to be before his expert status is called into question?
Oh, and did you notice that the bailout is now being called a "rescue plan"? I guess "bailout" wasn't sitting too well with the American people.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
rules for being naked in front of strangers
I have been going to the same LA Fitness since January. I go four days a week. As you might expect, there are people I see there on a regular basis. There are the people I feel like I know but have never talked to, people I talk to on occasion but know nothing about personally, and then those that I never necessarily notice. The way people relate at the gym is just fine with me as they mostly keep to themselves, but that is not what this post is about. This is about when people at the gym are all finished with their workouts, when it is time to clean up and get out. This is about "Locker Room Etiquette", or better yet, "Rules for being naked in front of strangers".
RULE #1 DO NOT MAKE EYE CONTACT: There is plenty of time throughout the day to look someone in the eye, let them know you are strong, confident, and you are a person who knows what she/he wants. The locker room is neither the time nor the place for this. Looking someone in the eye when you are butt-naked is like staring straight at someone's eyes when you both know there is a huge white-head at the tip of their nose. You both know how hard you are trying not to pay attention to what is going on outside of your direct line of vision. It is not that you want to look, but you are intrigued by how different your bodies are, and you wonder whose is more "normal".
RULE #2 ...OR CONTACT OF ANY KIND: Do not touch anyone, anywhere. Hand to shoulder, shoulder to shoulder, and so on are all inappropriate when one or both people are lacking coverage in the locker room. Sense of touch is simply heightened the less clothes each party is wearing.
RULE #3 DO NOT BE A BEAR: Bears are hairy. If you happened to share this quality with them, you should reconsider "baring" all.
RULE #4 KEEP QUIET: Contrary to scenes in movies and TV shows, locker rooms are not places to make friends and influence people. They simply provide a way for you to leave the gym clean and ready for the workday without the trip home to take a shower. Nothing you say to someone in the locker room translates into real life with any sense of normality so don't waste your breath...or more importantly anyone else's.
RULE #1 DO NOT MAKE EYE CONTACT: There is plenty of time throughout the day to look someone in the eye, let them know you are strong, confident, and you are a person who knows what she/he wants. The locker room is neither the time nor the place for this. Looking someone in the eye when you are butt-naked is like staring straight at someone's eyes when you both know there is a huge white-head at the tip of their nose. You both know how hard you are trying not to pay attention to what is going on outside of your direct line of vision. It is not that you want to look, but you are intrigued by how different your bodies are, and you wonder whose is more "normal".
RULE #2 ...OR CONTACT OF ANY KIND: Do not touch anyone, anywhere. Hand to shoulder, shoulder to shoulder, and so on are all inappropriate when one or both people are lacking coverage in the locker room. Sense of touch is simply heightened the less clothes each party is wearing.
RULE #3 DO NOT BE A BEAR: Bears are hairy. If you happened to share this quality with them, you should reconsider "baring" all.
RULE #4 KEEP QUIET: Contrary to scenes in movies and TV shows, locker rooms are not places to make friends and influence people. They simply provide a way for you to leave the gym clean and ready for the workday without the trip home to take a shower. Nothing you say to someone in the locker room translates into real life with any sense of normality so don't waste your breath...or more importantly anyone else's.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Sammy Days
It was brought to my attention by, well, me that my last post had a lot of simple errors. This is why it now appears as a new post in case any of you loyal readers were confused.
HAPPENINGS: I got a chance to catch the last half of the Gator football game this weekend. It was a fun time at our dear friends, Brian and Sue's, apartment. There we were, four UF alumni and a dog named Three-Hole Punch, cheering on our Gators from the opposite side of the country. I felt like I was back in Gainesville for a little bit, and it was nice. Three-Hole Punch peed twice in the apartment that night. I think she was just really happy about the win, and so were we.
I slept till 1:30 PM today, something I have not accomplished in a long time, possibly since high school when I would often take what my brother and I refer to as "Sammy Days" (much needed and deserved self-appointed days off or half-days from school which I suddenly feel the need to go into further later in this post). I am not sure. I cannot specifically recall the last time this happened. It was shocking and strange to see those numbers on the clock. Immediate feelings included disgust and shame, which later in the day slowly turned into self-satisfaction and ultimately pride. This might explain why I am still awake and writing this blog at midnight when I have work tomorrow.
Oh Sammy Days! In case you don't know me very well, "Sammy" comes from my last name and was a nickname that my brother and I both had in our respective high school years (although him more than I). Some people didn't even know my brother's name was Brian (since everyone called him Sam so much), while Sammy was mostly just the name people called me when I was playing sports since it was easier to say than my full last name when I was getting yelled at on the court/field. Anyway, the Sammy Day was invented by him sometime around 9th grade. I believe it was officially named years later, closer to when I would begin to use it as my own. A Sammy Day would be taken when stress began to build at school. In high school, my brother (who is four years older than me) and I both played almost every sport, we participated in lots of extra curricular activities, and we both made good grades. I don't remember what time school started, but I remember having to wake up at about 6:20 AM every morning (and I did NOT primp...I cannot stress that enough). There were mornings when I would wake up and be in the car in under a minute. With a busy schedule, late nights socializing, and staying late at sports practices/games, I would need breaks. Here is how it would work for my brother for his four years and then for me for my mine:
NIGHT BEFORE: Tell mom I am really tired, and not really feeling well. It didn't take much. We always knew she understood that we were taking on a lot, and we were smart enough not to let it affect our grades.
REALLY LATE NIGHT BEFORE: Make sure mom calls the school office. My mom is from Puerto Rico, and in case you don't know, that means she stays up really late. She would call the office and say I would not be coming to school the next day. This ensured that no questions would be asked since no one was there to take the call. Also, the late night phone call would make it sound more convincing, like I really was sick.
DAY OF: Sleep as long as possible. I think my record was 3:00 PM. Usually it was more like noon. I would eat some yummy food, watch daytime TV, maybe take a trip to the DQ down the street. It was never time wasted. I really made it a point to actually relax and savor the time I had that no one else did. It was almost like I need to take time off when no one else could or else I would always be tempted to be a part of whatever else was going on.
AFTER SCHOOL: I would definitely make it in if there was a practice of some sort, but if there was nothing going on, I would maybe go to the gym and work off the DQ before I grabbed some dinner.
A Sammy Day was never taken on a test day and certainly never taken on the day of a game (since you were not allowed to play if you were not there for at least half of the day). I probably averaged about one or two Sammy days each month. This may seem like a lot, but it felt perfect to me. My grades never suffered, and I was always rested if I really needed to be. It may sound irresponsible of my parents to allow something like this, but I think they just really knew what we needed, and I would be happy to work something like this out with my kids someday. If I change my mind about this, however, I may erase this blog.
THOUGHTS: We got to talking about cruises. Are they a good idea and why? I think there is much to be said on both ends.
Pro Cruise:
*cheap
*all-inclusive
*relaxing
*the ports
*tropical drinks (acceptable for men as well exclusively on cruises, e.g. Chris Ramenda and his pina coladas)
*unlimited food
*hot tubs
Cons for cruising:
*not being able to get off the boat
*boredom at times
*cheesy 80's decorations (mostly on Carnival Cruises)
*touristy port stops - rare to get in any real exploration
*terrible comedians
*sharing dinner table with people you don't know
*general lack of choice and interesting things to see/do
I think it just depends what you are going for. I have been on a few cruises in the past few years, each a very different type of experience. I have been with my family and also with my friends. While neither time felt similar to the other, they were both enjoyable. It would be a challenge to pay for a vacation of the same length and enjoyability with the money it took to pay for one of these cruises. However, it can be argued that they are not always the most memorable or enlightening types of vacations. I have been on weekend trips in California that I remember more clearly than the actual locations/food/activities from cruising. Anyway, I am finished talking about this. I don't even get vacation until I have been working at my new job for a year. What is the use?
HAPPENINGS: I got a chance to catch the last half of the Gator football game this weekend. It was a fun time at our dear friends, Brian and Sue's, apartment. There we were, four UF alumni and a dog named Three-Hole Punch, cheering on our Gators from the opposite side of the country. I felt like I was back in Gainesville for a little bit, and it was nice. Three-Hole Punch peed twice in the apartment that night. I think she was just really happy about the win, and so were we.
I slept till 1:30 PM today, something I have not accomplished in a long time, possibly since high school when I would often take what my brother and I refer to as "Sammy Days" (much needed and deserved self-appointed days off or half-days from school which I suddenly feel the need to go into further later in this post). I am not sure. I cannot specifically recall the last time this happened. It was shocking and strange to see those numbers on the clock. Immediate feelings included disgust and shame, which later in the day slowly turned into self-satisfaction and ultimately pride. This might explain why I am still awake and writing this blog at midnight when I have work tomorrow.
Oh Sammy Days! In case you don't know me very well, "Sammy" comes from my last name and was a nickname that my brother and I both had in our respective high school years (although him more than I). Some people didn't even know my brother's name was Brian (since everyone called him Sam so much), while Sammy was mostly just the name people called me when I was playing sports since it was easier to say than my full last name when I was getting yelled at on the court/field. Anyway, the Sammy Day was invented by him sometime around 9th grade. I believe it was officially named years later, closer to when I would begin to use it as my own. A Sammy Day would be taken when stress began to build at school. In high school, my brother (who is four years older than me) and I both played almost every sport, we participated in lots of extra curricular activities, and we both made good grades. I don't remember what time school started, but I remember having to wake up at about 6:20 AM every morning (and I did NOT primp...I cannot stress that enough). There were mornings when I would wake up and be in the car in under a minute. With a busy schedule, late nights socializing, and staying late at sports practices/games, I would need breaks. Here is how it would work for my brother for his four years and then for me for my mine:
NIGHT BEFORE: Tell mom I am really tired, and not really feeling well. It didn't take much. We always knew she understood that we were taking on a lot, and we were smart enough not to let it affect our grades.
REALLY LATE NIGHT BEFORE: Make sure mom calls the school office. My mom is from Puerto Rico, and in case you don't know, that means she stays up really late. She would call the office and say I would not be coming to school the next day. This ensured that no questions would be asked since no one was there to take the call. Also, the late night phone call would make it sound more convincing, like I really was sick.
DAY OF: Sleep as long as possible. I think my record was 3:00 PM. Usually it was more like noon. I would eat some yummy food, watch daytime TV, maybe take a trip to the DQ down the street. It was never time wasted. I really made it a point to actually relax and savor the time I had that no one else did. It was almost like I need to take time off when no one else could or else I would always be tempted to be a part of whatever else was going on.
AFTER SCHOOL: I would definitely make it in if there was a practice of some sort, but if there was nothing going on, I would maybe go to the gym and work off the DQ before I grabbed some dinner.
A Sammy Day was never taken on a test day and certainly never taken on the day of a game (since you were not allowed to play if you were not there for at least half of the day). I probably averaged about one or two Sammy days each month. This may seem like a lot, but it felt perfect to me. My grades never suffered, and I was always rested if I really needed to be. It may sound irresponsible of my parents to allow something like this, but I think they just really knew what we needed, and I would be happy to work something like this out with my kids someday. If I change my mind about this, however, I may erase this blog.
THOUGHTS: We got to talking about cruises. Are they a good idea and why? I think there is much to be said on both ends.
Pro Cruise:
*cheap
*all-inclusive
*relaxing
*the ports
*tropical drinks (acceptable for men as well exclusively on cruises, e.g. Chris Ramenda and his pina coladas)
*unlimited food
*hot tubs
Cons for cruising:
*not being able to get off the boat
*boredom at times
*cheesy 80's decorations (mostly on Carnival Cruises)
*touristy port stops - rare to get in any real exploration
*terrible comedians
*sharing dinner table with people you don't know
*general lack of choice and interesting things to see/do
I think it just depends what you are going for. I have been on a few cruises in the past few years, each a very different type of experience. I have been with my family and also with my friends. While neither time felt similar to the other, they were both enjoyable. It would be a challenge to pay for a vacation of the same length and enjoyability with the money it took to pay for one of these cruises. However, it can be argued that they are not always the most memorable or enlightening types of vacations. I have been on weekend trips in California that I remember more clearly than the actual locations/food/activities from cruising. Anyway, I am finished talking about this. I don't even get vacation until I have been working at my new job for a year. What is the use?
not so restless
As it seems, this new job thing has gotten in the way of my blogging. However, I think there is still hope for it considering the fact that this is a new post.
HAPPENINGS: I like my job. I have learned a lot so far, and I am not having trouble imagining myself staying here for at least the year they require of new assistants. It is not as similar to my old job as I thought it would be, but that is neither a good nor a bad thing. It is just different, and I am enjoying the things I am getting out of it so far.
Also:
1. I think I found a new apartment. I will be moving in a few weeks.
2. I am newly addicted to coffee, particularly McDonald's sugar-free vanilla iced
3. I am doing something super-fun this weekend
TIPS: I cooked a meal in a crock pot yesterday. It was quite possibly the best thing we have ever made, and I don't even feel like we "made" anything. We just threw things into a pot. It was chicken and sausage paella, and it was so delicious. If you want to try it, sear 2 lbs of chicken (drumsticks, thighs, breasts) in a frying pan in a couple tbsp of olive oil then throw the chicken, 8 oz of cooked turkey sausage (or whatever kind) in a slow cooker. Then pour in a 1/2 c of water and a can of low sodium chicken broth. Top it with 3 cloves of minced garlic, a whole chopped onion, 2 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/4 and cumin. Set the cooker on "low" for about 8 hours. In the last 5 minutes throw a package (or 3/4 package) of frozen peas, a chopped yellow pepper and two chopped Roma tomatoes on top. I think that is it. Serve over saffron rice (or whatever kind you want). Sooooo yummy.
THOUGHTS: I would first like to make it clear that I am definitely not voting for McCain. I don't really feel the need to explain. It would just be a terrible idea. However, I don't know about this Obama thing. I don't like the hype surrounding the guy. Obviously, the more logical reason I will probably not be voting for him is I disagree with about %80 of his political stances. I do like some things about him, but nothing I would ever base a vote on. Mainly, my problem is people's unconditional approval of him is annoying and much of the time undeserving. I am not saying all or even most Obama supporters are this way, but I think anyone will admit that he has more blind followers than anyone I have ever seen. I don't like the idea someone who may very well be the next president of this country has a sort of "can do no wrong" image with so many people. I do have to say I prefer him to Hilary for no other reason than I don't think I can take one more speech about the poor dying single mother she met on the campaign trail, the soldier that asked her to take care of him when he ships out the next morning, and the little boy that tugged on her monochromatic suit and asked her for health care for his mommy with diabetes. Do these people really exist? If so, I call on these people to reveal themselves. Also, when she speaks, she always sounds like she is yelling at me. Maybe she never understood the purpose of a microphone. As for me and my house...Bob Barr 2008.
HAPPENINGS: I like my job. I have learned a lot so far, and I am not having trouble imagining myself staying here for at least the year they require of new assistants. It is not as similar to my old job as I thought it would be, but that is neither a good nor a bad thing. It is just different, and I am enjoying the things I am getting out of it so far.
Also:
1. I think I found a new apartment. I will be moving in a few weeks.
2. I am newly addicted to coffee, particularly McDonald's sugar-free vanilla iced
3. I am doing something super-fun this weekend
TIPS: I cooked a meal in a crock pot yesterday. It was quite possibly the best thing we have ever made, and I don't even feel like we "made" anything. We just threw things into a pot. It was chicken and sausage paella, and it was so delicious. If you want to try it, sear 2 lbs of chicken (drumsticks, thighs, breasts) in a frying pan in a couple tbsp of olive oil then throw the chicken, 8 oz of cooked turkey sausage (or whatever kind) in a slow cooker. Then pour in a 1/2 c of water and a can of low sodium chicken broth. Top it with 3 cloves of minced garlic, a whole chopped onion, 2 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/4 and cumin. Set the cooker on "low" for about 8 hours. In the last 5 minutes throw a package (or 3/4 package) of frozen peas, a chopped yellow pepper and two chopped Roma tomatoes on top. I think that is it. Serve over saffron rice (or whatever kind you want). Sooooo yummy.
THOUGHTS: I would first like to make it clear that I am definitely not voting for McCain. I don't really feel the need to explain. It would just be a terrible idea. However, I don't know about this Obama thing. I don't like the hype surrounding the guy. Obviously, the more logical reason I will probably not be voting for him is I disagree with about %80 of his political stances. I do like some things about him, but nothing I would ever base a vote on. Mainly, my problem is people's unconditional approval of him is annoying and much of the time undeserving. I am not saying all or even most Obama supporters are this way, but I think anyone will admit that he has more blind followers than anyone I have ever seen. I don't like the idea someone who may very well be the next president of this country has a sort of "can do no wrong" image with so many people. I do have to say I prefer him to Hilary for no other reason than I don't think I can take one more speech about the poor dying single mother she met on the campaign trail, the soldier that asked her to take care of him when he ships out the next morning, and the little boy that tugged on her monochromatic suit and asked her for health care for his mommy with diabetes. Do these people really exist? If so, I call on these people to reveal themselves. Also, when she speaks, she always sounds like she is yelling at me. Maybe she never understood the purpose of a microphone. As for me and my house...Bob Barr 2008.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Blessed
I am in Florida right now. I just had my daily bowl of oatmeal and a cup of coffee, something I do everyday. However, this time I have my awesome family running around my parents house in Tampa, and I couldn't be happier. Since moving away, time with them is more rare and special than it's ever been before. I don't take one moment or even the fact that I have this family that I love so much for granted. Christy and Becky are also stopping by in a few minutes to say hello before I leave to the airport. As far as I am concerned, this is a great day.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Top 100
As my first order of business at my new job, I am required to create a "top 100 movies" list, and I thought I would share. The movies we like are something that people are judged by everyday in this town. I think these choices do say a lot about a person, but try not to judge too harshly one way or another...
1.West Side Story
2.The Lives of Others (Germany)
3.American Beauty
4.Match Point
5.Little Miss Sunshine
6.Strangers on a Train
7.Hannah and Her Sisters
8.The Counterfeiters (Austria)
9.Traffic
10.Monster
11.Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
12.Babel
13.Juno
14.Volver (Spain)
15.Crash
16.Knocked Up
17.Little Children
18.Liar Liar
19.Once
20.Friends with Money
21.Virgin Suicides
22.Notes on a Scandal
23.Fargo
24.Everything Is Illuminated
25.The Life of David Gale
26.Spanglish
27.Rear Window
28.Aladdin
29.Sixth Sense
30.Back to the Future II
31.Chicago
32.Now and Then
33.The Upside of Anger
34.The Orphanage (Spain)
35.Meet the Parents
36.Ocean’s Thirteen
37.Center Stage
38.One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
39.Shakespeare In Love
40.The Shawshank Redemption
41.All the President’s Men
42.King of Kong (documentary)
43.Kramer vs. Kramer
44.Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
45.The Devil Wears Prada
46.Mean Girls
47.The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (France)
48.Pan’s Labyrinth (Spain and Mexico)
49.10 Things I Hate About You
50.The Crucible
51.Girl Interrupted
52.Wedding Crashers
53.Good Will Hunting
54.Sabrina
55.Taxi Driver
56.Eastern Promises
57.Arlington Road
58.Children of Men
59.The Exorcism of Emily Rose
60.Full Frontal
61.Jerry Maguire
62.An Affair to Remember
63.Blue Car
64.Sex, Lies and Videotape
65.Being John Malkovich
66.Erin Brockovich
67.Life as a House
68.Annie Hall
69.Margot at the Wedding
70.Baghead
71.Jesus Camp (documentary)
72.The Usual Suspects
73.Titanic
74.Network
75.Castaway
76.Romeo and Juliet (Baz Lurhmann)
77.The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
78.Annie
79.The People vs. Larry Flynt
80.Princess Diaries
81.The King of Comedy
82.Funny Games
83.The Labyrinth
84.Psycho
85.Badlands
86.The Hours
87.Sex and the City
88.Casino
89.Death at a Funeral
90.Boys Don’t Cry
91.Bubble
92.The Three Faces of Eve
93.The Breakfast Club
94.40 Year-Old Virgin
95.Back to the Future I
96.When Harry Met Sally
97.Solas (Spain)
98.The Family Stone
99.Mrs. Doubtfire
100.How the Grinch Stole Christmas
1.West Side Story
2.The Lives of Others (Germany)
3.American Beauty
4.Match Point
5.Little Miss Sunshine
6.Strangers on a Train
7.Hannah and Her Sisters
8.The Counterfeiters (Austria)
9.Traffic
10.Monster
11.Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
12.Babel
13.Juno
14.Volver (Spain)
15.Crash
16.Knocked Up
17.Little Children
18.Liar Liar
19.Once
20.Friends with Money
21.Virgin Suicides
22.Notes on a Scandal
23.Fargo
24.Everything Is Illuminated
25.The Life of David Gale
26.Spanglish
27.Rear Window
28.Aladdin
29.Sixth Sense
30.Back to the Future II
31.Chicago
32.Now and Then
33.The Upside of Anger
34.The Orphanage (Spain)
35.Meet the Parents
36.Ocean’s Thirteen
37.Center Stage
38.One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
39.Shakespeare In Love
40.The Shawshank Redemption
41.All the President’s Men
42.King of Kong (documentary)
43.Kramer vs. Kramer
44.Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
45.The Devil Wears Prada
46.Mean Girls
47.The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (France)
48.Pan’s Labyrinth (Spain and Mexico)
49.10 Things I Hate About You
50.The Crucible
51.Girl Interrupted
52.Wedding Crashers
53.Good Will Hunting
54.Sabrina
55.Taxi Driver
56.Eastern Promises
57.Arlington Road
58.Children of Men
59.The Exorcism of Emily Rose
60.Full Frontal
61.Jerry Maguire
62.An Affair to Remember
63.Blue Car
64.Sex, Lies and Videotape
65.Being John Malkovich
66.Erin Brockovich
67.Life as a House
68.Annie Hall
69.Margot at the Wedding
70.Baghead
71.Jesus Camp (documentary)
72.The Usual Suspects
73.Titanic
74.Network
75.Castaway
76.Romeo and Juliet (Baz Lurhmann)
77.The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
78.Annie
79.The People vs. Larry Flynt
80.Princess Diaries
81.The King of Comedy
82.Funny Games
83.The Labyrinth
84.Psycho
85.Badlands
86.The Hours
87.Sex and the City
88.Casino
89.Death at a Funeral
90.Boys Don’t Cry
91.Bubble
92.The Three Faces of Eve
93.The Breakfast Club
94.40 Year-Old Virgin
95.Back to the Future I
96.When Harry Met Sally
97.Solas (Spain)
98.The Family Stone
99.Mrs. Doubtfire
100.How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Sunday, August 17, 2008
The Other Side
HAPPENINGS: I think my blog audience will be proud to know that I am starting a new job tomorrow. And by my blog audience, I refer to the nine people I am sure have read this: Zach, Brian, Sue, Katie, Luke, Christy, Zach's mom, Zach's dad, I think Zach's sister. Of course, eight of these nine people already knew this bit of information so I suppose I am working under the not-so-humble assumption that there are others.
For the past month or so, I have been unemployed (excluding the few temp jobs I did here and there) after quitting my last job at the casting office. I left because of other possibilities that turned into impossibilities soon thereafter. I think that is all that needs to be said about that, and it turns out that I am happy with the transition even though things didn't turn out exactly the way I had picture them. My new job will be as an assistant to an agent at a talent and literary agency in Beverly Hills. I am anxious to get settled in there and see what the "other side" is like. I think it will be a good place for me to see what else is out there and open up to more possibilities. I will be leaving behind a life of two-a-days to the gym, Sex and the City DVD's, meeting Zach for lunch everyday, and the stress of unemployment. As nice as most of that sounds, I think I am much better off with a nice clean routine for now. Anyway, I cannot say much more about that. I haven't even started yet.
TIPS: Pineapple Express...eh...it was okay. I certainly laughed, and James Franco was darling, but it was slightly disappointing.
I kind of liked that new documentary, American Teen. It is strange in some parts, but I think it captures some really genuine moments that we have all experienced in high school. The movie follows four high school kids through their senior year: a popular girl, a band geek, a basketball stud, and an artsy outsider girl. While I still felt that parts were possibly edited or presented slightly out of order (not that I have any proof or special knowledge of that happening), something about it felt very true and reminded me of specific moments in my high school experience. Go Lancers.
For the past month or so, I have been unemployed (excluding the few temp jobs I did here and there) after quitting my last job at the casting office. I left because of other possibilities that turned into impossibilities soon thereafter. I think that is all that needs to be said about that, and it turns out that I am happy with the transition even though things didn't turn out exactly the way I had picture them. My new job will be as an assistant to an agent at a talent and literary agency in Beverly Hills. I am anxious to get settled in there and see what the "other side" is like. I think it will be a good place for me to see what else is out there and open up to more possibilities. I will be leaving behind a life of two-a-days to the gym, Sex and the City DVD's, meeting Zach for lunch everyday, and the stress of unemployment. As nice as most of that sounds, I think I am much better off with a nice clean routine for now. Anyway, I cannot say much more about that. I haven't even started yet.
TIPS: Pineapple Express...eh...it was okay. I certainly laughed, and James Franco was darling, but it was slightly disappointing.
I kind of liked that new documentary, American Teen. It is strange in some parts, but I think it captures some really genuine moments that we have all experienced in high school. The movie follows four high school kids through their senior year: a popular girl, a band geek, a basketball stud, and an artsy outsider girl. While I still felt that parts were possibly edited or presented slightly out of order (not that I have any proof or special knowledge of that happening), something about it felt very true and reminded me of specific moments in my high school experience. Go Lancers.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Was he a historical figure?
Everyone is on vacation:
Sue and Brian are on vacation somewhere with...
her family who is on vacation.
My parents just got home from a vacation in Italy.
Zach's family is on vacation in Los Angeles, and even took...
me and Zach with them out of town last weekend for a mini-vacation.
HAPPENINGS: My vacation was to see the Hearst Castle. This castle in the mountains is about four hours north of LA and overlooks the ocean. It was built by William Randolph Hearst who not only inherited his father's fortune in the early 20th century, but also built his own publishing empire. His castle was built on thousands of acres of Hearst property on which WRH would camp with his family as a boy. The castle took about 30 years to complete. That seems like a long time except when you compare it to the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, a cathedral that has been under construction since 1882...and still is. Anyway, this place was grand. I didn't know what to expect because castles are usually old. I had never really heard of a modern castle. It was beautiful, the kind of place no one deserves. It was full of artwork, structures, fountains, tiles, and tapestries from all over the world from different time periods. The view was the best view I have ever seen from a place that could be considered a residence. I won't go too in depth because I imagine you just have to see it, and any description of mine would never do it justice. It is just always really nice to take little trips in California because there are so many places to go within a reasonable distance, and this is definitely one of them.
INFURIATING: Zach beat all of us in a round of 20 questions with "Deep Throat". After concluding that this alive, famous, and American man was a historical figure but not a political leader, we starte running around in circles.... not even close. That is a good one.
TIPS: For one of the best steaks I have ever had, I would recommend The Lodge Steakhouse on La Cienega. This place was recommended to me by Jesse a while back when Zach and I were looking for a place to go for Valentine's Day. We went, and it was so good. We also saw Donald Faison with his girlfriend, Cacee Cobb, there (we had actually seen the two of them before the only other time we had gone to a nice steak place...weird). Anyway, I had the pleasure of going again when Zach's family took us last night for a sort of farewell-for-now dinner since they were leaving this morning. It was just as good, if not better, than I remember. While I would suggest saving it for special occa$ions like people in town or Valentine's Day, it is definitely worth a try.
Sue and Brian are on vacation somewhere with...
her family who is on vacation.
My parents just got home from a vacation in Italy.
Zach's family is on vacation in Los Angeles, and even took...
me and Zach with them out of town last weekend for a mini-vacation.
HAPPENINGS: My vacation was to see the Hearst Castle. This castle in the mountains is about four hours north of LA and overlooks the ocean. It was built by William Randolph Hearst who not only inherited his father's fortune in the early 20th century, but also built his own publishing empire. His castle was built on thousands of acres of Hearst property on which WRH would camp with his family as a boy. The castle took about 30 years to complete. That seems like a long time except when you compare it to the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, a cathedral that has been under construction since 1882...and still is. Anyway, this place was grand. I didn't know what to expect because castles are usually old. I had never really heard of a modern castle. It was beautiful, the kind of place no one deserves. It was full of artwork, structures, fountains, tiles, and tapestries from all over the world from different time periods. The view was the best view I have ever seen from a place that could be considered a residence. I won't go too in depth because I imagine you just have to see it, and any description of mine would never do it justice. It is just always really nice to take little trips in California because there are so many places to go within a reasonable distance, and this is definitely one of them.
INFURIATING: Zach beat all of us in a round of 20 questions with "Deep Throat". After concluding that this alive, famous, and American man was a historical figure but not a political leader, we starte running around in circles.... not even close. That is a good one.
TIPS: For one of the best steaks I have ever had, I would recommend The Lodge Steakhouse on La Cienega. This place was recommended to me by Jesse a while back when Zach and I were looking for a place to go for Valentine's Day. We went, and it was so good. We also saw Donald Faison with his girlfriend, Cacee Cobb, there (we had actually seen the two of them before the only other time we had gone to a nice steak place...weird). Anyway, I had the pleasure of going again when Zach's family took us last night for a sort of farewell-for-now dinner since they were leaving this morning. It was just as good, if not better, than I remember. While I would suggest saving it for special occa$ions like people in town or Valentine's Day, it is definitely worth a try.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Johnny Depp and Cell Phones
HAPPENINGS: It has been a good week since the quake. Zach's family was in town this weekend, and they were kind enough to allow me to be a part of the Weissmueller clan for the whole time. It is always nice to have people in town from Florida because it gives me a chance to step back and look at the city again from a new perspective. We went to a lot of the places that we have grown to appreciate since moving here. Some of these places include:
The Griffith Park Observatory - We like to picnic up there with what I refer to as the best sandwiches in the world from a wine shop in a little area close by called Larchmont Village. There is a nice view of the entire city and the "Hollywood sign" along with some carpet quality grass to sit on and some nice hiking trails.
Melrose Shopping - While Zach sat this one out, I had a good afternoon with the ladies strolling down Melrose in it's entirety. I was very good and did not buy anything, but it is always nice to look! I really like the vintage shops that sell used pieces that range from the tackiest thing I have ever seen to beautiful/classy lacy things.
UCB- The Upright Citizen's Brigade is a great comedy place. This weekend was the second time I have been, but I see myself going much much more in the future. I believe they do mostly improve shows there, and there is this one troupe called ASSSSSSSSCAT that is awesome. There is one guy in particular that makes me laugh every time he opens his mouth. The last time we went, Jenna Fisher (Pam from "The Office") was the guest host. This puts my "Office" celebrity sightings at two. I think the person I would most want to see next from the show would be Kevin. Also, we possibly saw Johnny Depp on our way out of the theater. The possible Johnny Depp was sitting at a table outside of a bookstore with a trendy hat tilted to hide his face a bit. No one was looking at him. Zach pointed him out to me, but by the time I looked, he was covering his face too much with the hat. We thought it might be something he was doing to research for a role, observing the "comedy scene". His mom independently thought it might be him as well so we sent her to walk back by to get a better look. By that time, he was mysteriously gone. So we either saw Johnny Depp or some weirdo pretending to be Johnny Depp so people would think they saw him.
Farmer's Market (Santa Monica) - Arguably my favorite place in the world is the Santa Monica Farmers Market. Oh it is so delicious! You can sample pretty much anything from fresh fruit to cheese to pesto sauces. I always get fresh squeezed orange juice (tangerine and blood orange juice is also available) and a huge omelet. Sometimes Zach and I split an omelet and a huge blueberry pancake. Everything is so good, and if you have been there, you know exactly what I mean. It is sunny and perfect all the time. They sell tamales, sausages, corn on the cob, fresh coffees, breads, crepes, and some more yummy things. I bought some weird purple potatoes to try cooking with. The farmer described them as more "nutty" than regular potatoes. I made them yesterday, and they pretty much tasted like normal potatoes except they were bright purple and not like beet purple but like crayon purple. I was almost scared to try them, but they were just fine.
Getty Center - This is a huge art museum on a hill. It is also an architectural landmark, but my favorite thing about it is the beautiful gardens. You can walk through a really nice area with some strange looking but beautiful flowers. The grass is like carpet, and there are also great views of the city. It is a nice relaxing place.
Restaurants...all the favorites: We wanted to show off our LA restaurant expertise after a year of long hard research. Some of the favorite include:
Toast (trendy, good menu..lots of choices...everything yummy)
Bosa Nova (Brazilian cafe)
Larchmont Wine shop (best sandwich in the world)
In-and-Out (where we have been known to sit a a table for 4 hours at a time discussing important issues with Sue, Brian, Natalie, and Brian McGuire...and by important issues I mean Dark Knight, how people we know are stupid, fool-proof Survivor strategies, who would make it the farthest on Survivor, how we could all get on Survivor without them knowing we all knew each other if that is even possible and then if we could all get on, how we would all make an alliance to get one of us to the end and agree from the beginning to split the money if we won.)
The Village Pizzeria - The best Slice in the city.
TIPS: If you order a salad at a restaurant or even a faster service type place like Panera or Corner Bakery, you may want to check out their website for nutrition facts beforehand. If you are ordering a salad in the first place, I assume you are trying to be healthy, but you may be doing the opposite. I ordered the harvest salad with chicken from the Corner Bakery last week in an attempt to keep my calorie count for the day under 1700 give or take. I ate it. It was delicious, but not as delicious as say the chicken pesto sandwich with chips and maybe even a cookie would have been. I looked up the amount of calories in my healthy treat and found that I had just scarfed about 1100 calories in a stupid salad. Also, somehow, they managed to squeeze in about 70 grams of fat! I don't think I could do this if I tried when I make a salad at home. I cannot imagine what in that salad would be 70 grams of fat. I know the dressing is a lot, but the nutrition facts for the dressing were 300 calories and about 15-20 grams of fat. I cannot fathom where the rest came from. Sure there were some blue cheese and walnuts sprinkled about, but I feel like you would have to eat a lot of that stuff to equal so many calories, and there is really not that much in this salad. This selection just so happened to contain more calories and fat than almost everything else on the menu including the pesto chicken sandwich and a bunch of heavy pasta dishes. Note to self and others: eat more pasta and sandwiches.
INFURIATING: The hand held use of cell phones while driving was banned in the state of California; the law went into effect July 1st. Only hands-free devices are acceptable now. This means that if I am driving my car, it is illegal for me to hold a cell phone up to my ear. However, if I am driving, it is perfectly legal to eat a sandwich, put on makeup, text message google for directions to the nearest Best Buy, and close my eyes all at the same time as long as I can do it well and continue to drive safely. This is a serious problem. I am not by any means trying to say any of the previous things should be outlawed. In fact, I am reminding myself what is at stake. I know it may sound like a good idea in theory, and there are those of you who would say, "Well, at least it will prevent accidents!", and you are wrong. There is no evidence that the act of holding a cell phone to your ear causes any more accidents than using a hands-free device. In a study at the University of Utah, researchers found that the likelihood of a driver on a cell phone causing an accident is the same when using hand held and hands-free devices. It is the conversation, not the use of the cell phone, that causes accidents. Should the use of cell phones in the car be eliminated completely? It is a more logical approach than simply getting rid of the hand-held devices. However, if it is the conversation and not the cell phone that is the distracting factor, should we get rid of conversation while in the car? Should having a passenger (especially a crying baby or a rowdy child) in the car be outlawed? Is listening to the radio a problem suddenly? And what kinds of other things should we get rid of? Should any and all distractions be removed by force? This is a step in the wrong direction.
The Griffith Park Observatory - We like to picnic up there with what I refer to as the best sandwiches in the world from a wine shop in a little area close by called Larchmont Village. There is a nice view of the entire city and the "Hollywood sign" along with some carpet quality grass to sit on and some nice hiking trails.
Melrose Shopping - While Zach sat this one out, I had a good afternoon with the ladies strolling down Melrose in it's entirety. I was very good and did not buy anything, but it is always nice to look! I really like the vintage shops that sell used pieces that range from the tackiest thing I have ever seen to beautiful/classy lacy things.
UCB- The Upright Citizen's Brigade is a great comedy place. This weekend was the second time I have been, but I see myself going much much more in the future. I believe they do mostly improve shows there, and there is this one troupe called ASSSSSSSSCAT that is awesome. There is one guy in particular that makes me laugh every time he opens his mouth. The last time we went, Jenna Fisher (Pam from "The Office") was the guest host. This puts my "Office" celebrity sightings at two. I think the person I would most want to see next from the show would be Kevin. Also, we possibly saw Johnny Depp on our way out of the theater. The possible Johnny Depp was sitting at a table outside of a bookstore with a trendy hat tilted to hide his face a bit. No one was looking at him. Zach pointed him out to me, but by the time I looked, he was covering his face too much with the hat. We thought it might be something he was doing to research for a role, observing the "comedy scene". His mom independently thought it might be him as well so we sent her to walk back by to get a better look. By that time, he was mysteriously gone. So we either saw Johnny Depp or some weirdo pretending to be Johnny Depp so people would think they saw him.
Farmer's Market (Santa Monica) - Arguably my favorite place in the world is the Santa Monica Farmers Market. Oh it is so delicious! You can sample pretty much anything from fresh fruit to cheese to pesto sauces. I always get fresh squeezed orange juice (tangerine and blood orange juice is also available) and a huge omelet. Sometimes Zach and I split an omelet and a huge blueberry pancake. Everything is so good, and if you have been there, you know exactly what I mean. It is sunny and perfect all the time. They sell tamales, sausages, corn on the cob, fresh coffees, breads, crepes, and some more yummy things. I bought some weird purple potatoes to try cooking with. The farmer described them as more "nutty" than regular potatoes. I made them yesterday, and they pretty much tasted like normal potatoes except they were bright purple and not like beet purple but like crayon purple. I was almost scared to try them, but they were just fine.
Getty Center - This is a huge art museum on a hill. It is also an architectural landmark, but my favorite thing about it is the beautiful gardens. You can walk through a really nice area with some strange looking but beautiful flowers. The grass is like carpet, and there are also great views of the city. It is a nice relaxing place.
Restaurants...all the favorites: We wanted to show off our LA restaurant expertise after a year of long hard research. Some of the favorite include:
Toast (trendy, good menu..lots of choices...everything yummy)
Bosa Nova (Brazilian cafe)
Larchmont Wine shop (best sandwich in the world)
In-and-Out (where we have been known to sit a a table for 4 hours at a time discussing important issues with Sue, Brian, Natalie, and Brian McGuire...and by important issues I mean Dark Knight, how people we know are stupid, fool-proof Survivor strategies, who would make it the farthest on Survivor, how we could all get on Survivor without them knowing we all knew each other if that is even possible and then if we could all get on, how we would all make an alliance to get one of us to the end and agree from the beginning to split the money if we won.)
The Village Pizzeria - The best Slice in the city.
TIPS: If you order a salad at a restaurant or even a faster service type place like Panera or Corner Bakery, you may want to check out their website for nutrition facts beforehand. If you are ordering a salad in the first place, I assume you are trying to be healthy, but you may be doing the opposite. I ordered the harvest salad with chicken from the Corner Bakery last week in an attempt to keep my calorie count for the day under 1700 give or take. I ate it. It was delicious, but not as delicious as say the chicken pesto sandwich with chips and maybe even a cookie would have been. I looked up the amount of calories in my healthy treat and found that I had just scarfed about 1100 calories in a stupid salad. Also, somehow, they managed to squeeze in about 70 grams of fat! I don't think I could do this if I tried when I make a salad at home. I cannot imagine what in that salad would be 70 grams of fat. I know the dressing is a lot, but the nutrition facts for the dressing were 300 calories and about 15-20 grams of fat. I cannot fathom where the rest came from. Sure there were some blue cheese and walnuts sprinkled about, but I feel like you would have to eat a lot of that stuff to equal so many calories, and there is really not that much in this salad. This selection just so happened to contain more calories and fat than almost everything else on the menu including the pesto chicken sandwich and a bunch of heavy pasta dishes. Note to self and others: eat more pasta and sandwiches.
INFURIATING: The hand held use of cell phones while driving was banned in the state of California; the law went into effect July 1st. Only hands-free devices are acceptable now. This means that if I am driving my car, it is illegal for me to hold a cell phone up to my ear. However, if I am driving, it is perfectly legal to eat a sandwich, put on makeup, text message google for directions to the nearest Best Buy, and close my eyes all at the same time as long as I can do it well and continue to drive safely. This is a serious problem. I am not by any means trying to say any of the previous things should be outlawed. In fact, I am reminding myself what is at stake. I know it may sound like a good idea in theory, and there are those of you who would say, "Well, at least it will prevent accidents!", and you are wrong. There is no evidence that the act of holding a cell phone to your ear causes any more accidents than using a hands-free device. In a study at the University of Utah, researchers found that the likelihood of a driver on a cell phone causing an accident is the same when using hand held and hands-free devices. It is the conversation, not the use of the cell phone, that causes accidents. Should the use of cell phones in the car be eliminated completely? It is a more logical approach than simply getting rid of the hand-held devices. However, if it is the conversation and not the cell phone that is the distracting factor, should we get rid of conversation while in the car? Should having a passenger (especially a crying baby or a rowdy child) in the car be outlawed? Is listening to the radio a problem suddenly? And what kinds of other things should we get rid of? Should any and all distractions be removed by force? This is a step in the wrong direction.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
becoming regular
I have been in Los Angeles for a year. The move here kick-started adult life for me. It made me a contributing member of society, and with that came a lot of responsibilities: bills, taxes, becoming a more educated voter, rent, getting things like the cable/Internet set up, taking care of my health and especially my teeth since I don't currently have dental insurance, worrying about things like insurance and what type of plan to get, and more. Dealing with these types of things really gets you in a sort of routine. I pay each bill at the same time every month, I have started cooking the same meals over and over again, I grocery shop every Sunday, and I do laundry every two weeks. There is something comforting about this responsibility routine. I think what I like about it is it gives me a sense of accomplishment to which I must reward. This is a tribute to all the things I do to reward myself for being an adult at which I have become "a regular":
GYM: This does not sound like a reward type of experience. I guess most people would think of it more as rewarding experience, but I actually like going to the gym. Zach and I go to the same gym 4 days a week in the mornings. I like spending that time together and making fun of people doing weird things on machines, but I also like the feeling it gives me to push myself on each machine. I also specifically like the gym we go to. It is possibly the lamest/smallest/nothing to it LA Fitness in LA, but it feels comfortable to me. We are friendly with the trainers there, and I like seeing some of the same people there everyday. We get tips from trainers who know we are "regulars". We have been going there for enough time now that I actually see results in other people's bodies, and I tell them. Is that weird? Also, the occasional BJ Novak (Ryan from The Office) sighting is enough to keep me going there for a long time to come.
CHINABOY EXPRESS: There is no other place I would rather be on a Thursday night than at Zach and I's favorite hot-spot, Chinaboy Express. If for some reason we are not able to go on a Thursday night, we will actually have a make-up night although Zach is much more serious about making sure he gets his than I am about getting my weekly fix. The ladies there know us. And by that I mean they know what we order, and my order is the most complicated, specific thing ever....we are talking half orange chicken but not a full half portion because I won't eat it all, half spicy chicken and veggies, two scoops of fried rice, and only the broccoli from the beef and broccoli. In fact, the last time we were there, I started to tell one lady what I wanted and the other pushed her aside and told her she knew and would take care of it. We can walk there from my apartment. This place is so obscure that I couldn't even find a picture of it online. While it is a place we really look forward to visiting every week, I wouldn't expect to go if you come to visit town on a Thursday night. I decided it is not a place I like to see through other people's eyes if you know what I mean.
BLOCKBUSTER: I visit blockbuster regularly no matter where I live in the world. There are three Blockbuster stores in the U.S. where I have at some point been "a regular". The one here is my favorite store. The regular staff consists of a sweet-but-talks-way-too-much-when-you-just-want-your-effing-movie-gay-guy, a smooth-talking-hits-on-me-every-time-Zach-is-not-there-even-though-he-knows-we-are-dating-Irainian-guy, and a very unpleasant-almost-angry-for-no-reason-seeming-Hispanic-girl with penciled-in eyebrows. I have an unreasonable sensitivity to judgement from Blockbuster employees so I feel it is important to establish good relationships with them. And by good relationships, I mean make sure they know you have good taste in movies before you start renting fluff. I have noticed that when I am new somewhere, my renting habits tend to be more quality. It is not until I feel like I have established a good sense of superiority with these people when it comes to movies that I will go for the occasional Nanny Diaries type titles, quickly followed by or possibly along with some Sundance-selected documentary. The Blockbuster in Gainesville was actually much more overall judgemental seeming than the one I go to here, surprisingly.
ACTIVIA: Of course this is probably too much information, but aside from becoming a regular at the above places, I have also become regular in the don't-you-wish-you-had-stopped-reading sense of the word. Activia is this yogurt that is designed to assist your digestive system. I fell victim to a promotion when a lady at the grocery store handed my two yogurts as a free sample last week. I was not even having particular digestive problems. I tried them, and they tasted so good, I decided to take the "two-week challenge" advertised on the back. I am eating one little 4oz tub everyday for two weeks, and I was promised results or my money back. I will just say I will not be needing my money back from the activa people.
GYM: This does not sound like a reward type of experience. I guess most people would think of it more as rewarding experience, but I actually like going to the gym. Zach and I go to the same gym 4 days a week in the mornings. I like spending that time together and making fun of people doing weird things on machines, but I also like the feeling it gives me to push myself on each machine. I also specifically like the gym we go to. It is possibly the lamest/smallest/nothing to it LA Fitness in LA, but it feels comfortable to me. We are friendly with the trainers there, and I like seeing some of the same people there everyday. We get tips from trainers who know we are "regulars". We have been going there for enough time now that I actually see results in other people's bodies, and I tell them. Is that weird? Also, the occasional BJ Novak (Ryan from The Office) sighting is enough to keep me going there for a long time to come.
CHINABOY EXPRESS: There is no other place I would rather be on a Thursday night than at Zach and I's favorite hot-spot, Chinaboy Express. If for some reason we are not able to go on a Thursday night, we will actually have a make-up night although Zach is much more serious about making sure he gets his than I am about getting my weekly fix. The ladies there know us. And by that I mean they know what we order, and my order is the most complicated, specific thing ever....we are talking half orange chicken but not a full half portion because I won't eat it all, half spicy chicken and veggies, two scoops of fried rice, and only the broccoli from the beef and broccoli. In fact, the last time we were there, I started to tell one lady what I wanted and the other pushed her aside and told her she knew and would take care of it. We can walk there from my apartment. This place is so obscure that I couldn't even find a picture of it online. While it is a place we really look forward to visiting every week, I wouldn't expect to go if you come to visit town on a Thursday night. I decided it is not a place I like to see through other people's eyes if you know what I mean.
BLOCKBUSTER: I visit blockbuster regularly no matter where I live in the world. There are three Blockbuster stores in the U.S. where I have at some point been "a regular". The one here is my favorite store. The regular staff consists of a sweet-but-talks-way-too-much-when-you-just-want-your-effing-movie-gay-guy, a smooth-talking-hits-on-me-every-time-Zach-is-not-there-even-though-he-knows-we-are-dating-Irainian-guy, and a very unpleasant-almost-angry-for-no-reason-seeming-Hispanic-girl with penciled-in eyebrows. I have an unreasonable sensitivity to judgement from Blockbuster employees so I feel it is important to establish good relationships with them. And by good relationships, I mean make sure they know you have good taste in movies before you start renting fluff. I have noticed that when I am new somewhere, my renting habits tend to be more quality. It is not until I feel like I have established a good sense of superiority with these people when it comes to movies that I will go for the occasional Nanny Diaries type titles, quickly followed by or possibly along with some Sundance-selected documentary. The Blockbuster in Gainesville was actually much more overall judgemental seeming than the one I go to here, surprisingly.
ACTIVIA: Of course this is probably too much information, but aside from becoming a regular at the above places, I have also become regular in the don't-you-wish-you-had-stopped-reading sense of the word. Activia is this yogurt that is designed to assist your digestive system. I fell victim to a promotion when a lady at the grocery store handed my two yogurts as a free sample last week. I was not even having particular digestive problems. I tried them, and they tasted so good, I decided to take the "two-week challenge" advertised on the back. I am eating one little 4oz tub everyday for two weeks, and I was promised results or my money back. I will just say I will not be needing my money back from the activa people.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Oh Arnold
I have already started to slack off in my blogging frequency. I pumped out a whole three in the first week, and then nothing. I hope this was a major disappointment to all.
HAPPENINGS: There was an earthquake today. I am not sure why, but I realized I am unreasonably calm about the possibility of a major earthquake. I realized during the one today. I was on the tenth floor of a glass building. At first it felt like someone was jumping up and down next to me. Then it began to feel like a really fat man was skipping down the hall. The building began to sway and things on the tables began to shake. At the most intense part, it felt like a wave was going through the building. I think the intensity of it was heightened because I was so high up in a tall skinny building, but overall it wasn't too bad. It lasted about 30 seconds. The moment I realized my abnormal state of calm was when people in the building were getting in doorways, and I went to go answer the phone. I guess I didn't freak out for the same reason people do freak out; there is absolutely nothing you can do about it, and there is no way to see it coming or plan for it. I think I am more likely to worry at least a little more about something that can be foreseen like a hurricane because it is hard to tell how much is enough when taking the proper precautions.
INFURIATING: My governor has decided that our tax dollars should go to funding the production of non-smoking adds to be placed at the beginning of PG 13 movies that include scenes with smoking. The next step will be placing anti-speeding ads before movies like 2 Fast 2 Furious, or adds that depict the dangers of jumping from rooftop to rooftop before films that glamorize it like Batman and Spider Man movies. Then we can start placing anti-shooting-your-lover-because-he-wants-to-leave-you-and-then-lying-about-it-and-pretending-to-be-pregnant-so-you-win-your-trial ads before movies like the PG 13 Chicago. I would rather our money go to PSA's before movies like Fool's Gold warning us how stupid what we are about to watch actually is.
TIPS: If you live in Koreatown, you should make sure no one is inside of the dumpster before you toss your trash in there.
Also, I just finished the first season of Mad Men on DVD (compliments of Natalie). I would recommend it to anyone except people who are or once were addicted to cigarettes. The show just makes cigarettes look so, well, just so cool. Unfortunately for those susceptible, it is not prefaced by any anti-tobacco spots. It is a show about advertising executives on Madison Ave in the early 60's. It is funny, it looks great most of the time, and it is interesting. Something else I really like about it is that it is a cable network series. I am getting really excited about the fact that cable series are beginning, in the past few years, to do so well. In a perfect world, all programming would come from premium channels like HBO and Showtime who can be more innovative with their projects since they don't solely depend on individual programs' ratings. Censorship by no means destroys television, but it dumbs and dulls it down. Something like 24 could be a much better show on HBO or even FX.
INFURIATING: My governor has decided that our tax dollars should go to funding the production of non-smoking adds to be placed at the beginning of PG 13 movies that include scenes with smoking. The next step will be placing anti-speeding ads before movies like 2 Fast 2 Furious, or adds that depict the dangers of jumping from rooftop to rooftop before films that glamorize it like Batman and Spider Man movies. Then we can start placing anti-shooting-your-lover-because-he-wants-to-leave-you-and-then-lying-about-it-and-pretending-to-be-pregnant-so-you-win-your-trial ads before movies like the PG 13 Chicago. I would rather our money go to PSA's before movies like Fool's Gold warning us how stupid what we are about to watch actually is.
TIPS: If you live in Koreatown, you should make sure no one is inside of the dumpster before you toss your trash in there.
Also, I just finished the first season of Mad Men on DVD (compliments of Natalie). I would recommend it to anyone except people who are or once were addicted to cigarettes. The show just makes cigarettes look so, well, just so cool. Unfortunately for those susceptible, it is not prefaced by any anti-tobacco spots. It is a show about advertising executives on Madison Ave in the early 60's. It is funny, it looks great most of the time, and it is interesting. Something else I really like about it is that it is a cable network series. I am getting really excited about the fact that cable series are beginning, in the past few years, to do so well. In a perfect world, all programming would come from premium channels like HBO and Showtime who can be more innovative with their projects since they don't solely depend on individual programs' ratings. Censorship by no means destroys television, but it dumbs and dulls it down. Something like 24 could be a much better show on HBO or even FX.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Will Arnett the next Batman?
I went to see The Dark Knight on Sunday afternoon. Although I was there with four other people, I had to sit by myself because the theater was so crowded. This movie broke a box office record, selling $158 million opening weekend. I don't tend to like superhero movies. I didn't go see Iron Man after being disappointed over and over again by movies like Transformers and Spider-Man 3. I feel like I have been trying for a long time to make myself enjoy these kinds types of movies, and it hasn't worked so I decided to give up and stop wasting my money. I am not going to tell you that The Dark Knight changed all of that for me, but what I will tell you is that it was the best superhero movie I have seen. My basis for judging movies usually consists of me asking myself how many other movies would I rather be seeing for the first time instead of the one I am watching. In this case there are several, but that definitely does not include any other superhero movies that I can recall. For what it was, this movie had interesting characters, and I think that was the biggest difference for me. Heath Ledger's performance didn't disappoint me even with all of the hype surrounding it. I guess my biggest complaint was the way Christian Bale talked when he was Batman. I heard his voice may have been digitally altered when he was playing Batman to distinguish his voice from when he was playing Bruce Wayne, but I feel like it sounded ridiculous. I thought it was a joke. I just don't know who to blame: Christian Bale or the digital sound guy. It pretty much sounded like Gob from Arrested Development's voice or maybe like the voice of the guy that narrates all the movie trailers. Anyway, overall it was a good experience which is more than I can say for anything else I have seen with comparable subject matter.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
It's not like it's that hot.
HAPPENINGS: I went to the zoo today. If you know me, you should know that I love the zoo. If you don't know me, it is weird that you read my blog. I don't even know why I like it so much, but I have been to different zoos about five or six times over the past 3 years. Today, Zach and I went to the awesome one in San Diego. It was nice to get my mind off of the job search which is a little slow right now. We were supposed to drive down into Mexico after the zoo and grab some tacos and a bottle of our favorite tequila, Don Fernando, which is sold in LA for $100 and in Tijuana for $20. When we were half-way to San Diego, we realized we forgot our passports at home (which you now need to cross the border) so we had to settle for Fred's Mexican Restaurant in downtown San Diego and a tequila bar nearby that was selling an ounce of Don Fernando for $25. We did not enjoy any Don Fernando on this trip. However, as dull as Fred's Mexican Restaurant sounds, I would certainly go back for the steak fajitas.
THOUGHTS: Walking through the zoo, there was a stretch of area where each animal seemed to be sleeping in its den area towards the back. I know not everyone knows this, but being the zoo expert that I have become I know it is rare to actually get a good look at the lions, tigers, and bears in their respective areas because they are always sleeping out of plain sight. As we passed the lions' area, the girl behind us said, "Why are they back there? It's not like it is that hot." She was right. It wasn't that hot out. It was a nice day, but it was stupid what she said. Zach and I laughed at her as we often do at people who say stupid things to each other around us in passing, or how we laugh at the guy at the gym who grunts almost in a sexual way when he lifts an unimpressive amount of weight. I guess it goes back to the elementary school mentality that we never really grow out of when it makes us feel smarter to laugh at someone we perceive as stupid. It makes me wonder how often I am giving people something to laugh at. I will speak softer from now on when in public.
TIPS: I watched a documentary last night entitled, My Kid Could Paint That. You may have heard of this, but it was about that 4 year-old girl who began painting abstract art. She was selling pieces for as much as $300,000 at one point. The subject matter was pretty fascinating as far as the value of art and the role the artist plays in the value of art is concerned. However, the documentary itself, was the most uncomfortable thing I have ever seen. At some point in the movie, the family is watching a special 60 Minutes did on their adorable little genius daughter. The documentarian is filming these people watching the special as it turns from a news story about the girl's talent to an investigation into integrity of the artwork the daughter is producing. They brought in an art expert who suggests the pieces that are being sold in the girl's shows in no way reflect the artwork she produces in front of their hidden cameras. The expert suggests that someone must be polishing the girl's work. At this point the family begins to get paranoid around the documentarian, wondering if he is out to "falsely expose" them the way the program was. He then breaks the 4th wall, and becomes a character in his own documentary, trying to walk the line between wanting the family to continue cooperating with his filming and getting down to the truth of what is really going on. It is really very bizarre, but maybe now I have intrigued you.
THOUGHTS: Walking through the zoo, there was a stretch of area where each animal seemed to be sleeping in its den area towards the back. I know not everyone knows this, but being the zoo expert that I have become I know it is rare to actually get a good look at the lions, tigers, and bears in their respective areas because they are always sleeping out of plain sight. As we passed the lions' area, the girl behind us said, "Why are they back there? It's not like it is that hot." She was right. It wasn't that hot out. It was a nice day, but it was stupid what she said. Zach and I laughed at her as we often do at people who say stupid things to each other around us in passing, or how we laugh at the guy at the gym who grunts almost in a sexual way when he lifts an unimpressive amount of weight. I guess it goes back to the elementary school mentality that we never really grow out of when it makes us feel smarter to laugh at someone we perceive as stupid. It makes me wonder how often I am giving people something to laugh at. I will speak softer from now on when in public.
TIPS: I watched a documentary last night entitled, My Kid Could Paint That. You may have heard of this, but it was about that 4 year-old girl who began painting abstract art. She was selling pieces for as much as $300,000 at one point. The subject matter was pretty fascinating as far as the value of art and the role the artist plays in the value of art is concerned. However, the documentary itself, was the most uncomfortable thing I have ever seen. At some point in the movie, the family is watching a special 60 Minutes did on their adorable little genius daughter. The documentarian is filming these people watching the special as it turns from a news story about the girl's talent to an investigation into integrity of the artwork the daughter is producing. They brought in an art expert who suggests the pieces that are being sold in the girl's shows in no way reflect the artwork she produces in front of their hidden cameras. The expert suggests that someone must be polishing the girl's work. At this point the family begins to get paranoid around the documentarian, wondering if he is out to "falsely expose" them the way the program was. He then breaks the 4th wall, and becomes a character in his own documentary, trying to walk the line between wanting the family to continue cooperating with his filming and getting down to the truth of what is really going on. It is really very bizarre, but maybe now I have intrigued you.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Rants
I guess this is starting because I keep going to read Zach’s blog, and disappointingly, there have been no updates. It’s not that I don’t know what is going on with him. We see each other quite often, but I guess there is something about it that makes it even more interesting to read. Also, I have been reading other people’s blogs too (no, you don’t know who you are), and it has inspired me to take this step. Now, I am not committing to anything. By writing “taking this step” I mean writing this single entry. I won’t talk about the blog itself too much right now because I think when you set out some huge guidelines at the start, it is less likely to last.
THOUGHTS: That theory doesn’t just go for blogging either. Some other things I would apply that statement to include: dieting/exercise, learning a language, committing to cook at home more often, or most goals that require you to take things one day at a time. At least for me, anytime I have become consistent about doing most of those types of things, I didn’t necessarily map out the entire process from the very beginning. I just decided to do it, and then the rest followed day by day. An exception for me would include: saving money. There is a definite plan where that is concerned, but it is mostly carried out by the bank.
That was probably boring.
HAPPENINGS: I am in a new stage of my life here in
TIPS: There are not many movies out in the theaters right now. Although there is the much anticipated Dark Knight movie that I have yet to see. I saw the Sex and the City movie a few weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised. I never watched more than a couple episodes of the show here and there, but I thought the movie was good. It was funny. There were many emotional scenes that I laughed through. This was not because they were stupid and I was laughing at them, but it was because they managed to keep a good sense of humor even in very emotional scenes. I started watching the show after I saw the movie, and I just finished season one. I wouldn’t recommend it to just anyone, but I am enjoying it.
Something I would recommend to anyone would be the HBO miniseries, John Adams. It was just nominated for an insane amount of emmys today and rightfully so. It has incredible production quality, well above average historical accuracy, and awesome performances. I am considering buying a bunch of copies and sending it to people I know will like it. It is that good.
I also watched an older movie recently that I think has become one of my many favorites. It is a Woody Allen movie called Hannah and Her Sisters. It is funny, insightful, and had really good characters.
Without mapping out meals for the rest of the year, I have been cooking at home a lot. Sometimes, I cook simple things like meat, starch, and veggie. Sometimes I get a little more creative, and maybe you want to try this one. It is inspired by my old UF roommates Christy and Laura who were ultimately inspired by the Italian restaurant, Carrabba’s. I believe Christy made it once at our apartment and it is one of Laura’s favorite dishes of all time. This is not really great recipe form, but I think it is pretty simple.
- cook chicken breast (I cook it by searing both sides until brown) and then putting in my confectioners oven on 325F for 20 minutes.
- At the 15 minute mark of the chicken cooking, take it out and smother it with sundried tomato paste or a thick sauce (you can also use a thick pesto sauce/paste if that sounds better to you), and top it with some sliced goat cheese. Stick the chicken back in for the rest of the cooking time.
So good!
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