meat cake

If I were dating someone, the lucky sonuvabitch would get one of these for his birthday!

(Yes, that's assuming he eats meat -- but I've never dated a vegetarian, so I'm not sure I'm gonna start now.)

Update: of course, Martha did it first (and in my opinion, did it better.)

you are what you eat, development and events coordinator

Occupation: Development and Events Coordinator (translation: higher ed fundraising)

Relationship status: Perpetually obsessed with one unattainable man or another.

Gender: Female

Location: Cambridge, MA

What did you eat yesterday? Special K with lactose-free organic milk, lowfat maple-flavored organic yogurt, cherries!, 2 two-bite brownies, fusilli with marinara, vanilla ice cream, limeade, water

What do you never eat? I was going to say red meat, which is basically true, but as I mentioned the other day, I have eaten it (on purpose) relatively recently. There have been numerous times when I've eaten it accidentally (like the time I had a turkey wrap at a meeting and couldn't figure out what was in it that was crunchy, and it turned out to be...bacon. And then I was pissed because if I was going to eat bacon, I would have like to have been able to actually enjoy it.). Then I was going to say innards, but I did (only once) eat a fabulous meal that included lentils cooked in fois gras (also grilled salmon and baby brussels sprouts - it was fab). So I'll just say bugs. And beer, although beer is not technically something one eats.

In my refrigerator, you can always find: Brita full of water, lactose-free organic milk, pasta sauce, various standard condiments, a bottle of Westport Rivers sparkling wine that I will drink someday when I have a good reason to celebrate

In my freezer, you can always find: Ice, bread that's been in there far too long, peas, and usually ice cream even though I shouldn't

What is your favorite kitchen item? A Wicked Sharp Knife followed closely by a Wooden Spoon

Where do you eat out most frequently? Sadly, Au Bon Pain is the site of way too many lunches. I don't eat out anywhere "real" very often. Probably Casablanca in Harvard Square would be the next best answer, although I mainly eat from the bar menu there (mezze plate, fried almonds, that sort of thing), while imbibing with co-workers. Or The Bayside in Westport, MA, which is a stupendous combo of greasy spoon and organic/local/foodie food (it's a "green" restaurant, too) - the lobster roll is to die for.

World ends tomorrow. What would you like for your last meal? Probably donuts. I'd like to say it would be something really fabulous and gourmet, but honestly, a dozen from Krispy Kreme would do the trick. Or maybe apple pie a la mode.

you are what you eat, construction lady

Occupation: Construction

Gender: Female

Relationship status: Newlywed!

Location: Atlanta, Georgia

What did you eat yesterday?
You mean I have to remember all the things I ate yesterday? It's hard for me to remember what I ate this morning! Here is my best recollection...

Breakfast: Yogurt-Burst Cheerios & Diet Coke (must have Diet Coke after drunken night out before)

Lunch: With my best friends at Willy's! Humongous burrito with rice, black beans, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, black olives, and hot sauce. Also, chips with cheese dip and Sprite.

Dinner: Vegetarian beef stroganoff (leftovers), with vanilla ice cream and rainbow sprinkles for dessert.

What do you never eat?
Meat, mayonnaise, any form of cake-like item that could be called a "Danish", raw onions

In my refrigerator, you can always find:
Sparkling water, CHEESE (especially sharp cheddar), green leaf lettuce, carrots

In my freezer, you can always find:
The entire line of Morning Star Farms products, Ice, Eggo Homestyle Waffle

What is your favorite kitchen item?
My new Empire Red Kitchen Aid Mixer

Where do you eat out most frequently?
Chipotle, Mellow Mushroom, Panera, any Mexican Restaurant

World ends tomorrow. What would you like for your last meal?
I will go with the childish answer and say Mellow Mushroom pizza. I can't help it; it will always be my favorite food!!

I would also probably add a potato burrito from the Corona Mexican Restaurant in Greenville and one of my mother's cinnamon scones.

you are what you eat, marketing director

Occupation: Marketing Director

Gender: Male

Relationship status: In a relationship

Location: New York, NY

What did you eat yesterday?
Breakfast: Banana and Banana Nut Muffin, Iced coffee
Lunch: Turkey sandwich (L,T,O, Mayo) & Red Bull
Dinner: Brie Mac and Cheese & Green Salad, 2 Beers and Stoli O/Ginger Ale

What do you never eat? Eggplant

In my refrigerator, you can always find: Moldy food and tons of condiments

In my freezer, you can always find: Ice and coffee

What is your favorite kitchen item? Skillet

Where do you eat out most frequently? Usually falafel spots

World ends tomorrow. What would you like for your last meal? Filet Mignon topped with truffles and seared fois gras and a glass of Chateau Margaux, perferably from the 60s.

you are what you eat, lawyer

Occupation: Lawyer

Gender: Male

Relationship status: Habitual blind-dater

Location: Atlanta, GA

What did you eat yesterday? A Black Russian sandwich for lunch. A turkey and guacamole sandwich for dinner.

What do you never eat? Acorn squash.

In my refrigerator, you can always find: Ketchup, butter, beer.

In my freezer, you can always find: Microwave dinners.

What is your favorite kitchen item? My set of Henkel knives.

Where do you eat out most frequently? Mellow mushroom or New Yorker Deli

World ends tomorrow. What would you like for your last meal? I'm not sure I would have a preference. Maybe something comforting, like regular old Chinese food.

i am what i eat

I am introducing a new feature on O'Fever -- thank you, Ganda, for inspiring me to learn more about my friends...

I'm starting with myself, but each day I will attempt to post someone new (until I run out of responses, which may happen rather quickly.) Feel free to email me your own responses, if you'd like.

I think ol' Anthelme Brillat-Savarin's adage is true: Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are. (Well, I won't tell you, but perhaps it will be telling to others? Or, maybe not? Just humor me.)

First up...
Occupation: Nutrition educator

Relationship status: Single

Location: Manhattan

What did you eat yesterday?

Breakfast...
Starbucks coffee with splash of Silk Vanilla Soy Milk (my special treat -- I had to go back to it every once in a while!), Dannon Light & Fit peach yogurt

Snack...
One serving of string cheese

Lunch...
Health Valley Lentil & Carrot soup
An orange

Snack...
Mini bag of 100 calorie microwave popcorn

Dinner...
Half a nosh-sized serving of Garden (whole wheat) Mac & Cheese from S'MAC, two and a half pints of Bud Light

What do you never eat? Red meat (yet...)

In my refrigerator, you can always find: Sriracha sauce, low-sodium tamari, soy margarine, butter, vanilla soy milk, soy cheese slices, whole wheat bread, whole wheat flour (for baking impulses), bottled water, green tomato relish, spicy mustard, Annie's Goddess dressing, baby spinach, tempeh.

In my freezer, you can always find: Frozen vegetables, chocolate, pita bread, tofu.

What is your favorite kitchen item? My Calphalon non-stick saute pan -- or perhaps my mandoline, which I use very infrequently.

Where do you eat out most frequently? Lately, it's been Curly's Vegetarian Lunch, Burritoville, House of Pita, and Essex.

World ends tomorrow. What would you like for your last meal? Nine course chef's tasting menu with wine pairings at Per Se. Or my mom's homemade mac & cheese and some Better than Sex Cake. I'm flexible like that.

spicy hot

apparently, i cannot get enough heat in my life.

i'm reading this, had two spicy bloodys at yesterday's brunch, was pouring this on my tofu last night, am marinating some tempeh right now in a green curry concoction, and ate one of these from the dumpling house today -- and now cannot stop thinking about how i need to get my hands on a big jar of kimchi!

(that kimchi sandwich, by the way, was unreal: so delicious, and so ridiculously cheap. highly recommended.)

today's outing was to, among other destinations, the south street seaport, where a.w., kate moss, and i did our best pirate wench impressions. we also picked up some candy and wasabi snacks in chinatown on our way.

yesterday, scarny and i walked all over the city (three or four different neighborhoods, easily -- uptown, downtown, midtown, you name it) and discovered that though the geriatric set loves gerard something fierce, we certainly do not, and thus, skipped the crowds at the paris.

friday night, though it unfortunately included missing the billings' trip into town, was splendid: i was able to finally run into my brother's girlfriend (a student at f.i.t. as well as a bartender), a whole six days before our planned meeting over some mac 'n cheese. she hooked me up (and kate moss, naturally) with some yummy beers at her establishment.

(i have also gone running twice this weekend and god, i always forget how much i need it to stay sane -- and how much i love it.)

now, off to dream of sriracha -- and those beautiful lychees sold on the street near confuscious plaza.

tolerate mornings

i'm not sure if this is funny or frightening...

...but i'm totally getting a polyphonic spree vibe from it. yeah?

cookbook entries needed!

kate moss and i are working on a regional cookbook together and we'd like your input!

submit some of your favorite examples of u.s. regional cuisine, i.e.: whoopie pies (pennsylvania dutch), hush puppies (southern u.s.), fish tacos (southern california)...

just a name of a dish, a description (NOT a recipe), the region, and any special memories you have of eating the dish would be helpful.

food oddities

in the same vein as the luther burger and the hamdog, comes...

bacon cereal!

speaking of the aforementioned burger, my bro was going to make one in kiawah, but never got around to it. i think he just enjoyed the krispy kremes on their own. i pondered making a bread pudding out of them, but i'll leave that for another trip...

more disgusting indulgences to come.

independent contracting

on this list, a-cc was listed as #17 in cities with highest percentage of singles.

(of course, next year it'll happily be off the list -- what with this run on weddings and all!)

one sugar plum fairy, two sugar plum fairy...

finally finished up "lost" this morning -- that makes two seasons in less than a month, i believe. i've become completely obsessed. it's just that good. i don't know what i'll do for the next few months before season three begins, other than contemplate participating in the alternate reality game, "the lost experience".

(i've totally turned into nerdy gamer -- practically overnight!)

if you haven't watched it before, netflix season one. please. it's that good, i tell you.

moving on... scarnsworth and i went out last night to celebrate bastille day (the frogs!) -- first to drink veuve clicquot (FRENCH!) and eat piave cheese (italian) at chelsea market, then to consume spicy thai food, and finally to down a few drinks in backyard gardens. i wore a red & white striped top and he contemplated drawing a skinny moustache on himself, but then decided against it. (discussed "lost", mais oui.)

met again this morning at essex for brunch and consumed many a bloody, and again discussed "lost", but more extensively, as i had finished the season prior to our club meeting. following brunch, we headed to the film forum to watch an uplifting billy wilder classic about greed and exploitation, "ace in the hole".

since then? oh, y'know... just thinking about "lost". that's about it.

(ps- happy anniversary to overundulating fever!)

the bee's knees

last night, i was surprised by a comment made by ruth reichl.

of all the disgusting foods in the world, the only thing she won't eat?

honey.

(michael stern's answer was more understandable: chitlins steamed in vinegar.)

it was a great night. one of the best parts was the swag: i went home with a number of complimentary items, including a copy of gourmet's august issue, their literary supplement, a popsicle mold (complete with sticks and recipe) and an entire honeydew popsicle which i gleefully licked up on the way to the train.

cluck cluck

the day has finally arrived when i throw caution to the wind and begin thinking about my old friend, the chicken -- and how i want to eat him again.

i haven't a clue how to prepare chicken. i've always been told that my first venture back into chicken-eating (save for a bite here or there, usually while intoxicated and brave) should be at chik-fil-a. well, that ain't gonna happen this weekend, so...

any ideas? i think i'd actually like to prepare it with my own two hands. does anyone out there have a favorite recipe?

gas, food, lodging

ooh, boy -- last night, charlie went all ape-shit and tried to steal claire's baby and baptize him in the ocean!

("lost" -- best show ever, especially because i can watch it on my laptop thanks to itunes. or does this just render me thoroughly pathetic?)

so, yeah, folks... didn't take the job offer. couldn't, in good faith, screw over my current employer by not giving two weeks' notice, AND buy a car, AND find a roommate for my place in nyc, AND find a place in atlanta, AND maintain some semblance of sanity. on track to move at the end of november when our sublease runs out. i hope to find something in my field at that time, but even if i end up selling weight-loss packages to middle-aged women at jenny craig, i think i'll be less stressed.

or maybe not.

requisite foodie news...

tomorrow i'm attending a reading at the 92nd street y -- jane & michael stern and ruth reichl are speaking and i can't wait.

good book: "heat" by bill buford. makes me want to save up for the tasting menu with wine pairings at babbo... duck, venison, and all.

highlight meals in the last week and a half include seafood creole and seared tuna steak salad in kiawah, hibachi shrimp in atlanta, "pitza" and mediterranean salad galore in the east village with kb, scarny, and kate moss... and i must admit that did enjoy the company over some sweetwater i.p.a., hummus, and pita bread in decatur.

so, anyhow, back to the grind in nyc and you know what? it's not so bad.

offer

pro: job in my field.
con: less money than i had wanted. (we're talking $5k less.)
pro: more money than i made in atlanta last time.
con: would need to start in 13 days.
pro: atlanta.
con: no apartment, no car, no savings.

i am so torn. must make decision.

i would hate to leave my current job with less than 2 weeks' notice. would need to find a roommate for my apartment, find a place in atlanta, buy a car, move my stuff -- all before july 24th.

am i crazy? this is my first offer... haven't interviewed anywhere else yet.

someone needs to make this decision for me.

island time

my friends...

greetings from the #1 rated tennis resort in america (according to tennis magazine)! unfortunately, i do not play tennis.

it's beautiful here. i'll post pictures later, but as it is, i had to bike 2 miles to get internet access and i'm just not up to hanging out here in the resort market all day. suffice it to say, i've been taking long walks on the beach, riding more on a bike than i have in a decade, eating very well (and very poorly), enjoying the cicadas and the humidity, sunning myself by the pool, swimming in the surprisingly warm ocean, watching a magical fireworks display on the beach, attempting to dodge alligators and deer, and dreading my return to the concrete jungle that is new york.

speaking of which, i got a call from a major hospital in atlanta and they want to interview me for a major position on monday. next monday. the tenth. because i had a layover planned in atlanta on saturday, i'm just extending it and sticking around in the atl from saturday until monday. of course, i only have beach clothes with me and thus, i'll be hitting up somewhere to buy a suit for this impromtu meeting with the head of marketing. wish me luck.

you can't plan everything, i guess. (one would think i would have learned this by now.)

hope all is well on your end. wish you were here.

xoxo

with love,
jen

island fever

leaving at 5:45 tomorrow morn for kiawah and ladies and gents, i can't wait. will be there -- sunning, frolicking, bicycling, baking, eating -- until july 8th, when i'll return to a city graced with the presence of kb! can't wait for that, either (not necessarily the return from vacation, but the hangout time with kb, naturally).

i hope you all have the very best of independence days.

all i want is a muffin, freckles

made these last night because i hadn't baked in i-don't-know-how-long, and needed to use up an apple i had bought at the greenmarket. i cut the recipe in half (also decreased the sugar and increased the cinnamon) and baked them in my new mini-muffin tin instead of a traditional muffin pan. the halved recipe made 24 itty-bitty bite-size muffins. they were cute, but nothing to write home about.

(apparently, however, they were something to blog about.)

i decided to whip up a cinnamon-banana-agave nectar spread with which to pair a few of them for dinner (dessert?), and i'd have to say that the spread was the better part of the dish.

once the muffin-makin' was through, i settled in to watched disc five of "lost" and OMG -- i'm even more obsessed. one disc to go in season one and then what to do? season two doesn't come out until september! will i break down and buy it on itunes? what about my budget? is it worth it?

i need to get a life.

luther burger!

will someone in georgia please go to mulligan's in decatur, eat one of these, and report back?

please?

it's your world, baby

spent friday night drinking wine with kate moss. we watched a couple episodes of "lost" (a mutual new obsession) and had a grand ol' time.

saturday morning we trekked to coney island for the mermaid parade. tits galore, folks! let me show you. had a great time -- and took a ton of pictures.

saturday night we met up with scarnsworth and hit up alma, a mexican restaurant in red hook. i had the ceviche and drank many a cucumber margarita. those suckers were apparently strong because by the time we got to the bar after dinner, i was chattin' up strangers left and right. at some point, after resting my head on the table at the bar, i went outside and took a nap on the sidewalk -- and then pled with scarny to get me a cab. not pretty.

sunday morning i awoke and felt great! no hangover. (i'm just as confused as you are.) went to brunch and had a sub-par omelette and a low-sodium bloody. not the best brunch club meeting, though the company was superb. hit the train back to the city, stopped at tj's (sucessfully convinced scarny to pick up some triple ginger snaps, but he didn't need much convincing), showered, and hauled ass to the staten island ferry. met up with kate moss, a.w., and c.l., and had an outing to the staten island yankees game. convinced one of the furry mascots to help me get a date with the beer boy, to no avail -- he's taken. 'twas fun anyhow.

will be out of town the next two weekends while relaxing in kiawah, so i was happy to cram plenty of new york into two days.

general update:
still on budget (despite the ceviche, cucumber magaritas, many glasses of wine, and sub-par omelette).

still not sure where i may move next, though i recently discovered that my lease won't be renewed come december 1st, so i know it won't be manhattan.

a decision must be made: do i stay or do i go?

(oh, and i decided on "the corrections" by jonathan franzen as my beach read 2006 -- but thank you for your input!)

celebrate

big ups to kennie bloggins as he celebrates the beginning of his *33rd* year (right, kb?) today!

the market report

i made about six dinners on less than five bucks tonight. why didn't i document it in photos? GRRR. frustrated with self.

went to the greenmarket earlier this morning and picked out some produce: sweet potato, apples, onion, peppers (i know this is sounding like a rather autumnal meal, and how ironic on the summer solstice, but go with me), zucchini, summer squash. brought 'em home and chopped up all into evenly-sized pieces. sauteed the first four in my favorite pan for 5 minutes with a couple o' glugs of evoo.

meanwhile, i was warming up cinnamon, turmeric, madras curry powder, garlic, and sea salt in some evoo in another saucepan until it smelled all yummy-like. poured the spice oil over the fruit/veggie combo and added a can of garbanzo beans that had been rinsed and drained. also added the zucchini and squash. gave it a stir and let it simmer, covered, for a half hour. served it over some baby spinach i needed to use up from the fridge.

it really made a big ol' large amount. six meals, no problem, especially when served on the spinach. would also be delish tucked inside one of trader joe's whole wheat pitas (four for 99 cents!). i think the farmer's market is the way to go.

oh, and a peach sprinkled with cinnamon with a cup of trader joe's decaf chocolate tea is my dessert and it might just continue to be so for the rest of the summer.

tell me what to read

i'm heading for kiawah in less than two weeks and, folks, i need a really good beach read. i don't want something that is going to cause me to think. i want easy, breezy, beautiful dumbed-down literature.

should i choose...

something by john grisham? (i actually read "the firm" on another beach vacation and did enjoy it!)

something by jackie collins? (i'm thinking "hollywood wives".)

or should i finally get my mitts on "the da vinci code"?!

science!

while at home this weekend, i decided to make another angel food cake (no pictures this time, folks) but serve it with macerated strawberries, whipped cream, and mint. being the creative lass that i am, i decided to use orange juice instead of water in the cake recipe. bad idea. baking = science. the cake fell in the middle. after a quick taste test, however, we decided that the cake was delicious -- depsite not being easy on the eyes. what to do? turn it into a trifle! mom had some leftover chocolate pudding mix and so we made a half batch of that, cubed the failed cake, and layered it all with bananas. just to be sassy, we sprinkled the cake cubes with grand marnier, as well. so good and so easy.

see? you can't plan everything.

my frugal living is coming along swimmingly. this free food down at the clinic is a lifesaver. got a yogurt and banana socked away for breakfast tomorrow and having my afternoon orange now.

another new development: i just got into "lost". i mean, really into it. i know i'm a year and a half behind the times, but whatevs.

oh, and i just paid off a credit card. holla.

(two more to go.)

(and i know i you have already done this, but just in case you have not -- DO IT!)

(food, money, food, money...)

the deepest cut

on a totally different note...

because lately, among my friends, this seems to be topic du jour!

in a fog

first day without the 'bucks.

i refuse to drink the bitter swill they call coffee around here, and so i'm making due with some tazo tea (their 'passion' flavor) that i swiped from the clinic down the hall last night. it's not caffeinated, but my workday is pretty light, so i'm managing.

thank you for your money-saving tips thus far. keep 'em coming. (last night i was up until 1:00 am with my credit card companies getting my apr reduced. i know, i know, i should just consolidate onto a 0% apr card, and that's on my list of things to do, but until then, at least i'm saving a little bit... maybe?)

clark howard is my new crush.

heading to my mom's this weekend (another way to save money: spend time with family who will feed you) to lay by the pool and clear my head. like i've said, whether or not i move in six months, the chunk of change i accrue will be nice to have. i did, however, contact the department head of my grad program (who has acted as a reference for me in the past) and told him of my thoughts -- and he's putting together some contacts for me in the atlanta area. i guess it's nice to stay in touch with your professors!

update: here's a link to the ING savings account to which my ol' pal allison tipped us off.

yet another update, this time from my colleague: "FYI, (my boyfriend) had this account and recently was advised to cancel it because of something happening with ING's own stock (obviously, I have no clue about the details) that would cause the rate to go down. He now has a similar account with Fidelity, so you may want to look at them for a comparison."

that's it!

i'm giving up my $43.40/month starbucks habit. i'm no longer purchasing monthly $76 unlimited metrocards (when i usually walk everywhere anyways). no more netflix. no more dropping off laundry. instead, i'm going to save $200-$300 a month for the next six months for a possible move.

if i decide not to move? it'll just go to my-spend-my-30th-birthday-in-paris fund.

i can't believe i've lived in new york for this long and have never drawn up a proper budget!

any strategies you've employed to scrimp and save? all are appreciated.

(oh, and i found out that at our clinic down the hall, free leftover food is available at 3:30 pm every day -- just picked up a provolone sandwich and an orange for dinner and a banana and light yogurt for tomorrow's breakfast!)

overheard in new york

my roommate's amazingly flamboyant best friend is vacationing with us this week.

"should i wear the blouse? i'm not sure if i can wear it out of the house. it's very balenciaga. or military kitsch. but it's also smock-like. i don't know.

"i'm thinking the tighter the better. do you have any jeans that would be hot with these? do i need anything underneath it? i mean, is it too bare? is it like i'm not wearing a shirt at all?

"this is very 80s nouveau. this would be more galliano. this would be more sailor. i think i like that sillouette. flare or not to flare? i don't know!

"now, what do i do with my hair? i can't wear it smooth and pretty with this shirt.

"hmmm, i would like a belt that's black and big and has an alligator's head on it. do you have anything like that?"

i'm full

flew in thursday night and downed two bloodys with scarny. worked on a crossword puzzle. (tapin? tapig? tapir?)

s.m. picked me up and we high-tailed it to six feet under for their late-night menu. split a catfish po'boy and washed it down with chardonnay.

the next morning, i hung out in lil' five and fed gourmet trail mix to homeless men. spent $60 on ridiculous beauty supplies at target. enjoyed walking in the heat and near living, breathing foliage.

showered. napped. hung out with scarny.

amber bear and kb showed up and the four of us hit royal orchid for spicy thai and eventually made our way to the local for one gigantic reunion. the after-party was at ice's. crashed at s.m.'s.

the brunch club-nyc/atl/ath meeting was at carroll street and the bloodys were superb. had a frittata and potatoes with mustard that burned my nostrils.

hit the mall. napped. showered. got ready for the event.

the ceremony was beautiful. (i still can't get over laura's dress and just how gorgeous it was.) dj grinned the entire time, understandably. everyone cleans up well; i have good lookin' friends. hit up the reception. hugged z for the first time in over a year. ate dinner with drew, z, caro, s.m., amber bear, scarny, kb, griggs, and dana. danced, drank, enjoyed myself. spilled wine on my dress and didn't care. ended up at a pool party and promptly passed out on the concrete.

congrats to that amazing couple!

the next morning was spent eating a chimichanga the size of my forearm. after recovering from the food coma, drove out to covington for a baby shower with a makeshift appetizer of brie covered in fig preserves in hand. noshed on coffee krispies, raw broccoli, couscous. amy was glowing; lil' oliver is almost here.

many congratulations to both of his incredible parents!

decided that i hadn't yet eaten enough and so hit up madras for some indian cuisine, but after four bites, decided against it. got back to s.m.'s, packed, slept, hopped on a flight this morning, went to work, felt horrible, went home.

(thank god i don't eat like this all the time and thank GOD i walk four miles a day.)

so, here it is: starting to seriously consider moving back to atlanta in six months. want to live alone and couldn't do it in nyc. need trees. want a car. need porches. want southern hospitality.

we'll see.

kiawah grille

last night, my bro and i designed our menus for this trip to kiawah. we even put together an actual menu using microsoft word's template.

night one:
bruschetta appetizer with cannellini and walnuts

seafood risotto with clams, calamari, and shrimp
broccoli rabe with red pepper

chocolate biscotti with fresh strawberry granita

night two:
tortilla chips with fresh mango salsa

grilled catfish tacos with plum tomatoes and avocado
baby greens salad with cilantro vinaigrette

flourless orange chocolate cake with fresh vanilla whipped cream

so, i've never made biscotti, a granita, or a flourless cake (with 18 ounces of good bittersweet chocolate!) before, and thus, i'm both excited and nervous.

i have also decided to make a batch of gold rush brownies; my grandma chica used to make them for every family get-together. the only ingredients are semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, graham cracker crumbs, and sweetened condensed milk.

can't wait.

shalom in the home

brunch club-nyc meeting #3 was at essex and ohhh, what a good choice! i had the fresh spinach, tomato, sheep's milk cheese, and chive omelette with mixed greens and scarny (my b.c.-nyc p.i.c.) had a potato pancake with house-cured salmon gravlax, poached eggs, and salmon caviar. tres bourgeois! love it! we also had three bloodys a piece, all included in the price of the meal. we'll definitely return.

after the meeting, we attended movie club and saw this. quite good. recommended. thoroughly depressing.

brunch club-nyc goes on the road on thursday, folks, as we'll be traveling to atl for THE wedding of the season (...well, one of several). picked up two different dresses for the occasion, but will be returning one. decisions, decisions.

we'll be imbibing with some bloodys on the plane, even though we fly in at 10:15 pm.

what else?

my brother finally used the i.c.e. gift certificate that i gave him for his birthday over six months ago and drank plenty of wine and cut up a rabbit. he's inspired! we've decided that for our trip to kiawah in july, he's taking charge of two dinners and i'm taking charge of two desserts. (he's the chef de cuisine and i'm the pastry chef, i suppose?) i'm slightly obsessed with bundt cakes right now (especially rum cakes and ESPECIALLY this) and so perhaps i'll do that one night, and grilled angel food cake and pineapple and strawberries with vanilla whipped cream the next? or do i want to do a chocolate layer cake with peanut butter mousse frosting? or a basic cherry crisp? or should i go all middle-america and make this?

what else?

my supervisor asked me today if i was dating anyone and i laughed.

nola weekend, pps.

for those of you (handels!) who have inquired, or who have some time and are able to make it down to new orleans, volunteers are still desperately needed.

check out this site for more info.

housing and food are provided for the length of your stay.

nola weekend, ps.

if only i had done some wikipedia-ing before my trip!

A bronze statue of Ignatius J. Reilly can be found under the clock at the Chateau Sonesta Hotel in the 800 block of Canal Street, New Orleans, the former site of the D.H. Holmes Department Store. The statue mimics the opening scene: Ignatius waits for his mother under the D.H. Holmes clock, clutching a Werlein's shopping bag, dressed in a hunting cap, flannel shirt, baggy pants and scarf, 'studying the crowd of people for signs of bad taste.'

in my down-time, i could have made a pilgrimage.

nola weekend

exhausted.

day one: awoke at 5:00 am, decided to pack camera, took train and bus to airport, barely caught flight, flew in at 11:00 am, took cab from airport, drove past superdome, spied workers on the roof, listened to hurricane statistics rattled off by driver, arrived at one of the city's oldest african-american churches in central city where i'd be staying, dropped off gear, ate pb&j on white bread, met becca & alyssa, drove to the elementary school, donned safety gear (suits, goggles, respirators), SWEAT, gutted school, SWEAT, gutted school, SWEAT, met tiffany, returned to church, showered, took cab to quarter, ate catfish, drank beer, ate beignets, took cab home, fell asleep in bunk, was awoken at 2:30 by bunkmate snoring, slept more.

day two: awoke at 6:00 am to steely dan, ate golden grahams without milk, explored the garden district, took pictures, drank sweet tea, attended two hour-long church service, sang "amazing grace", shook hands, held hands, cried, ate pb&j on a bagel, planted sunflowers, painted signs, napped, read "a confederacy of dunces", ate spaghetti and ice cream, attended community meeting, signed up for kitchen duty, spent two and a half hours helping to scrub industrial-sized pots, played a brief game of scrabble, chatted with ladies, fell asleep in bunk.

day three: awoke at 6:00 am to bob marley, ate golden grahams without milk, said goodbye to alyssa, shared cab with becca to airport, bought treats to bring home (coffee with chicory, a single praline for my bro, hurricane mix for the top tier, creole seasoning), boarded the plane, read "a confederacy of dunces", ate carrots, drank coffee, listened to kcrw's "good food" podcast, touched down in newark, said goodbye to becca, hopped bus to manhattan, got off on 42nd and lex, walked south, bought broccoli and tempeh, arrived home, made dinner, uploaded pictures.

exhausted.

save americorps*nccc

i'm breaking out the hippie attire, folks, and hopping on a plane to new orleans this weekend. i'm bringing a backpack, a pair of jeans, a bandana (for christ's sake! a bandana!), steel-toed work books, and some respirator masks.

not my camera and not my hardened liver.

from the time i get off the plane and hop a cab to our volunteer headquarters, until the time i hop a cab from the headquarters to the airport, i'll be doing god-knows-what: some demolition work, some mold removal, some cooking for displaced community members, some community outreach work. or not. who knows? i'm showing up and doing whatever they want me to do. i've got a bunk with my name on it and i'm there until monday night.

i've been given this opportunity because i am an americorps alum (liberty hill, texas 1999-2000). bush has proposed cuts to americorps funding in his fiscal year 2007 budget -- including dismantling the americorps national civilian conservation program (nccc). alums are heading to the gulf coast beginning this weekend for a month of service. goals of our presence are as follows:

1. Showcase the necessity of AmeriCorps*NCCC and AmeriCorps to the media and to legislators.
2. Showcase the power of AmeriCorps Alums and the lifetime commitment they make as a lifetime return on investment in AmeriCorps.
3. Provide opportunity for AmeriCorps Alums to lend a hand in the Gulf and play an important role in the rebuilding of our country.
4. Provide support and fresh inspiration for the AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps*NCCC members who are serving in the Gulf.
5. Support the two Hands On Network Gulf sites in their efforts to rebuild Biloxi, MS and New Orleans, LA, and the St. Louis Safety Service Corps’ work in rebuilding Pass Christian, MS.

i'm looking forward to a good weekend.

chocolate halo

this cake was damn good.

it was a standard angel food cake recipe, but i added coffee and cocoa to the batter and then frosted it with a blend of chocolate pudding and whipped cream.

pictures came out a'ight, too.

phish food.

does anyone have any thoughts on burlington, vermont? been there? enjoyed it?

on a budget.

so, it's not haute cuisine, but...

one box of carrot cake mix
+
one can of diet sprite
+
one quarter cup of raisins
+
15-20 minutes at 350 degrees in a muffin tin
=
delish.

ginger weekend.

friday night was spent at mama's, the delancey, and crudo with two cnn employees and many vodka sodas.

saturday morn: BRUNCH CLUB! who knew you had to have a reservation at essex? who knew that a place that usually has a line snaking around the block even took reservations? not i. we hoofed it to the sunburnt cow and began to form the rules for brunch club:

1) one must wear loose-fitting clothing
2) one must sit outside (if possible)
3) one must, after attending a brunch club meeting, attend a nap club meeting
4) if you haven't spent $30, you're doing something wrong

i had a salmon and avocado eggs benedict and many bloody marys. scarny's benedict came with crab cakes. v+ had the steak sandwich.

saturday night was spent celebrating an engagement with a variety of former and current georgians, a too-sweet $10 ginger cocktail, and many glasses of wine at happy ending.

today? whole wheat ess-a-bagel with sun-dried tomato tofu, a diet cherry coke, and doin' laundry. (oh, should i just drop it off? or should i spend the day in the laundromat? decisions, decisions...)

between all that and brainstorming ideas for the brunch club logo, i'm exhausted.

ps- is it just me, or does eleanor clift have a voice like fingernails on a chalkboard? i mean, really, eleanor. shut up.

make it to the border of mexico...

will be having a drink or two with ms. dykes and mr. scarborough this saturday. scarny will join me. it'll be my first trip to happy ending and i'm looking forward to it.

sixteen days until i leave for new orleans.

brunch club meeting #2: this weekend!

just purchased a ticket to atlanta for june.

my brother and i baked beer bread last night, watched the "top chef" reunion, and got shit-faced on bad wine. beer bread has got to be the most dangerously easy thing to make EVER. here is the recipe, my gentle reader(s):

3 c. flour (i use 1/2 whole wheat pastry flour and 1/2 unbleached white flour, but do as you wish)
1/3 c. sugar (i use organic brown sugar, but do as you wish)
1 T. baking powder
1 1/2 t. salt
1 12 oz. bottle o' beer (i've used newcastle and dos equis, but do as you wish)
other stuff... nuts, oats, dried fruit, if you wish (i've used dried cranberries and dried bing cherries)

mix it up. pour in loaf pan. put in cold oven. turn to 375. bake for 60 minutes.

(about 15 minutes before finished, i brush top with a bit of soy margarine, but this is optional.)

especially good hot out of the oven, drizzled with honey. OMG, SO GOOD.

also, kate moss and my bro were attempting to convince me last night to put together some sort of portfolio of my pictures, which i find laughable. my brother is dj'ing at a bar next week and would like me to hang some of my stuff. hiLARious. (i'm curious, though, gentle reader(s), if you had to choose one picture you like, what would it be? if you think they are all shit, i don't blame you.)

email me.

update: thank you to all who voted, but sadly, polls are closed until i start shooting in high-res. see? totally not a real photographer. at all.

two prunes and hobbesian philosophy.

friday night was spent avoiding mexican food: we ate indian cuisine and drank ourselves silly at an irish pub. we played a raucous game of 'telephone' in which, inevitably, the words "auspicious" and "fuck" made their way into the final phrase.

saturday began with a visit to the first prune. scarny and i tried their famous bloody marys -- his had beef bouillion and mine, a pickled brussels sprout. i had buttered breadcrumb-encrusted eggs over spicy chickpeas and garnished with olive paste. it was a pricey meal. we then ate gingerbread and relaxed in union square park. soon enough, a.w. showed up and we headed uptown to check out the second prune of the day.

after a trip to the coke den that is scarny's temporary residence, we headed out to red hook and had a most unfortunate meal. fries were beyond crispy, hamburger was half gristle. the only thing that saved the evening was an impromptu party back at the pad, the highlight of which was when a dude named porkchop showed up at 5:30 in the morning with a six-pack of sparks. this morning's recovery brunch was spent at curly's. i had the vegan tofu rancheros, a coffee, and sangria.

AMAZING WEEKEND.

hysteria.

last night i saw two sets of breasts.

went to an off-off-off broadway performance of some dramatic shorts, one of which was directed by an ex-athenian and her boyfriend. had a great time; it was invigorating to mix up my routine a bit.

some pig.

please, someone tell me all you know about this:

calculating opportunity cost.

according to barry schwartz of swarthmore college, the more choice one has in one's life, the less happy one will be when finally making a decision:

As Americans, we assume that more choice means better options and greater satisfaction. But beware of excessive choice: choice overload can make you question the decisions you make before you even make them, it can set you up for unrealistically high expectations, and it can make you blame yourself for any and all failures. In the long run, this can lead to decision-making paralysis. And in a culture that tells us that there is no excuse for falling short of perfection when your options are limitless, too much choice can lead to clinical depression.

i don't necessarily think this is nonsense: for instance, my coworker enjoys casually dating -- when she finally does choose someone with whom to share a committed relationship, she feels antsy to break up, ostensibly because she feels she's missing out on something else.

this "paradox of choice" is further explored in the new yorker:

It helps explain why so many people at age thirty are still flailing about, trying to choose a career—and why so many marriageable singles wind up alone. You await a spouse who combines the kindness of your mom, the wit of the smartest person you met in grad school, and the looks of someone you dated in 1983 (as she was in 1983) . . . and you wind up spending middle age by yourself, watching the Sports Channel at 2 a.m. in a studio apartment strewn with pizza boxes.

see more here.

do it! with reckless abandon

check out my flickr site for pictures from this weekend...

what i ate
salmon tacos at nuevo laredo
bagel with lox and cream cheese, capers, and tomatoes at carroll street cafe
tofu baja burrito with chips and cheese dip at taco stand
tofu and veggie platter at the grit
catfish tacos at six feet under
freshly baked peanut butter cup cookies with vanilla soy ice cream at s.m.'s
(and okay, OKAY, so yeah, i also did a round at the olive garden in gwinnett county.)

what i drank
pinot grigio at s.m.'s
margaritas on the rocks at nuevo laredo
bloody mary at carroll street cafe
stoli orange and soda at the nowhere bar
many many many beers at a myriad of places
lemon drop shot at the 40 watt
mimosa at the grit (my first grit mimosa ever, in fact)

time to detox, my friends.

THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR A WONDERFUL WEEKEND. (it was definitely all-caps-worthy.)

i was especially happy to see a number of those individuals whose blogs are on my list of very important persons.

so, yeah -- see you again in june.

southern-bound.

and so on friday, i begin a number of months during which i will take several flights:

on this last friday of april, i will fly to atlanta and attempt to not drink myself dead. fingers crossed! in new york, i hardly drink as hard or as often as i do when i'm in georgia; there is something about that state that turns me into a lush.

on a saturday at the end of may, i will fly to new orleans and spend the weekend helping to demolish mold-ridden remnants of the ninth ward. i will sleep in bunk beds with strangers and eat the food they hand me.

on a friday in the middle of june, i will fly back to georgia to celebrate the marriage of two friends.

on a saturday in july, i will fly to south carolina for the first vacation i've had with my father in 13 years. i will ride a bike across kiawah island and prepare my family avocado and citrus salad, grilled jerk-spiced portobello mushrooms over cumin rice, green apple salsa, and coconut milk bread pudding.

on the other weekends? i will sip bloody marys with scarnsworth and kate moss and we will sun ourselves at beaches in queens.

salsa that ends your search.

where i will be in seven days!

as long as she ate the mouse, she can't see nor hear.

this one's for s.m.!

it's the most delectable dessert -- vegan treats' chocolate peanut butter mousse bomb cake. found at curly's and atlas and teany. i'm bringing s.m. a piece when i fly in next friday but i can't wait that long, myself: i'm hitting up curly's tonight!

yummers.

in other food-related news, scarny and i had a farewell (until i see him next weekend) at bao noodles last night. i had the curry tofu and he had the pho; we started it off with vegetable spring rolls. quite good. ended the night with a hofbrau lager at rolf's -- known for its exquisite (and a bit over-the-top) decor around the holidays.

stuck!

i was just telling scarny the other day that he should take a trip over to roosevelt island via the tram. it offers some of the most beautiful views of the city and for only $2 on one's metrocard.

well, take the train, scarny.

chicks and bunnies.

calorically-dense carnival foods -- unmasked!

after my last post, i thought i'd post a few more tasty tidbits about the foods found at the fair:

5 oz. fried snickers bar: 445 calories
5 1/2 oz bag o' cotton candy: 625 calories
4.5 oz. soft pretzel (sans mustard): 340 calories
average plain funnel cake: 760 calories
20 fl. oz. orange julius: 490 calories
nachos (40 chips with 4 oz. cheese) 1100 calories
8" churro: 325 calories
13 oz. chili cheese fries: 745 calories
18 oz. pork ribs: 1360 calories
10 oz. kettle corn: 1200 calories
8 oz. peanuts in shell: 930 calories
16 oz. dippin' dots ice cream: 600 calories

oh, i'm so evil.

chop-lickin' yumminess.

because this page does part-time as a food blog (when not being a dating diary or a knit-along, or a travel journal), i must bring to your attention the BEST easter candy known to humankind:

the cadbury mini-egg.



as paddy o'poppycock wrote somewhere on the interweb:

"I don't remember exactly where I was the first time I had Cadbury Mini Eggs, but I remember the sensation I felt the moment I bit through the candy shell. It was as if I'd tasted chocolate for the first time, that all previous chocolate was just preparing me for these mini-eggs. I wouldn't realize just how great these oval nuggets of nirvana really were until years later when I first partook in lovemaking. Or as I called it at the time, "The physical act of two people nearly replicating the pleasure of eating a Cadbury Mini Egg."

sadly, i have yet to find them in the city.

spicy sweet succulent

made some cinnamon-oatmeal-orange-cranberry cookies last night, and made 'em vegan just because. my coworker (THE coworker, of times past) asked me if eating them magically made him a vegan and, of course, i told him he better know where to pick up some birkenstocks in nyc, hippie.

he then told me that he "passed gas and it smelled like... love."

work is odd.

quite excited about my trip to atl/ath at the end of the month. so excited, in fact, that i bought a kelly green cotton eyelet strapless sundress at h&m yesterday just because. i probably won't even bring the damn thing, but it felt like georgia to me and so i just had to have it.

oh, and i treated myself to some vietnamese cuisine with a trip to bao noodles last night (scarny! bao noodles!) and had some rice vermicelli with spring rolls, cucumbers, bean sprouts, cilantro and sweet soy sauce. washed it down with a glass of pinot grigio and read the article on muzak in this week's "new yorker".

what else is important to me at this time?

running three miles three times per week, visiting my mom, roasting vegetables, smiling more, laughing more, being more pleasant au generale, walking two miles to and from work every day, watching movies in bed, listening to kcrw's "good food" on my ipod, reading "the year of magical thinking" by joan didion.



spring has sprung, despite the snow.

commencement.

sadly, the agent and i have parted ways. don't wish to say much more than that.

in happier news, i have decided to grace the lovely peach state with my presence between the dates of april 28 and may 1. oh! to return to the land of taco stand!

this weekend was beautiful and glorious: ran three miles on saturday, got a sassy new haircut (i'm rocking long bangs now, folks), did some shopping at the greenmarket (purple carrots! blue peruvian potatoes! garlic chives!), watched "the future of food" on dvd, drank orange-infused vodka at mama's, ate yummy sushi with kate moss and her sister, had brunch with my brother (though, sadly, the bloody marys were sub-par), walked-walked-walked all over the city and enjoyed the sunshine! i had forgotten how much i love sitting on the east river promenade with a whole wheat bagel and a cup of coffee and the times. even got a bit of a burn on the right side of my neck. my skin hasn't seen real sun in some time.

in the happiest news of all, scarny is about to become a full-fledged resident of our lovely city. can. not. wait.

'tis all.

nature's candy!

folks, my vote for best new fruit would be the kumquat. now, it's not new to the plant kingdom, but rather new to my palate -- or i should say, new-ish. my grandparents had a kumquat tree in their backyard in monrovia, california and as a wee lass i would gather up the kumquats and pop 'em into my mouth. i hadn't had one in about 25 years until last night (and they're already out of season, sadly).

kumquats are a citrus fruit and have a tart, slightly-sour flesh but a sweet skin -- and you eat 'em whole, like a grape. you chew-chew-chew and they become sweeter as you do. they're delicious. they've got about 12-16 calories per fruit, for those of you who are watching your waistline.

hurrah! kumquats!

more on that-which-is-currently-blowing-my-mind here.

the eternal battle.

one of the most moving documentaries i've seen in quite some time is being released on friday -- and i highly recommend you see it when it comes 'round.

(thanks to a.w. for getting me in for free tonight.)

it's touching and tragic and inspiring and worthy of the accolades already being bestowed upon it. so go see it.

in other news...

remember this pic? an old friend may use it in his band's album artwork. it's still up in the air, but i was flattered that he asked.

contemplating part-time culinary school. one wednesday and one saturday per week for 10 months. $17 grand. worth it? you tell me.

despite my contemplating a career change, i'm enjoying my job again (amazing what an extra 15% will do for one's spirit).

walking to work more -- training to run a 5k in june may.

oh, and i went to trader joe's tonight and bought pitas, hummous, veggie chik nuggets, bananas, apples, beans, chili, soup, two boxes of cereal, a bag of baby spinach, diet root beer, soy cheese... and spent THIRTY DOLLARS. i felt like i had stolen the food. unbelievable.

almighty dollar.

i got a raise today. a fifteen percent raise. snaps for me.

perhaps now i can actually afford to live in new york. god only knows how i've been doing it up to this point.

that's all.

fuck, this blog is boring.

cute as all get out.

i wanna put it it my mouth and swallow it and keep it in my belly!

(thanks, cute overload, for bringing a smile to my face on a regular basis.)

huff and puff.

folks, i'm really cutting back on the smoking.

i ran this morning and after not having a cigarette in a few days, it felt great. the true test will be when i drink, though i've been pretty good at limiting my cigarettes to one a night, even while plastered.

(see my new quitmeter at the bottom of this page.)

i remember when i smoked a pack of marlboro menthols a day -- back in the summer of '95 -- because they were refreshing.

(oh, and if you're bored -- check out my updated daily reads to your right.)

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

i have really felt off my rocker lately. totally unbalanced.

i will perhaps win money at the craps table on friday, though i've never played craps in my life. or should i choose roulette? how do you play craps?

the agent better not be playing skee-ball tonight without me.

kate moss is a world traveler and invited to every wedding under the sun.

scarny and i sat across from each other tonight at dinner and he chowed down on a rice and pea pinata. delish, it looked. oh, and hummus is yummier than babaganoush.

i cannot get enough of "frontline" online.

work has tested my patience, but i convinced someone to stop smoking today and, lo and behold, i enjoyed it.

my mom is still hobbling around on one foot.

my brother was hit by a cab today and didn’t miss a beat – kept on running.

i need to do laundry. i need to go running.

my father gave me a $100 starbucks gift card for my birthday and i’m pretty sure i can burn through the rest of it in about five days. my blood is thick with coffee.

i bought another hair dryer because i’m tired of schlepping the only one i have back and forth to the agent’s place. it’s reminiscent of those times when i was 11 and inevitably the scrunchie i wanted was at the opposite parent’s house: must have two of everything.

a few weekends ago, i gazed at munch's "vampire" at the moma for what seemed like hours.

i need a pedicure. i need spring to arrive. i need patience.

i need a trip on the cyclone and i need to show the agent that roller coasters aren’t something to fear – except the cyclone, that is. that shit is scary.

me me me

my 29th year began this morning with a delicious breakfast in bed: pancakes with rum-soaked cherries and coffee, whipped up by the agent.

nothing better.

jolly good.

on the way to work, i decided to pick up some weetabix.

delish!

try pouring vanilla soy milk over two biscuits and sticking the bowl in the microwave for 30 minutes seconds (thanks, kb). the biscuits break down and turn into a porridge-like consistency.

(i feel so british.)

tonight, the agent and i are going to a screening of a film about ultimate fighting, where they will serve mountain dew cocktails.

(i feel so white trash.)

a relationship, i think, is like a shark.

the agent and i had a very alvy and annie moment last night while dealing with a small kitchen fire:

"um, what do i do?!"

"um, i don't know! do you have a... um...!"

"um, oh my god!"

"um, wait, do you have one of those, um..."

(jen! it's called a fucking fire extinguisher!)

the agent then blows on the fire (occurring in the toaster oven, i should add), presumably to put it out, and this just fans the flames even more...

i dump out my wine (horrors!) into the sink and start to fill up my glass with water, presumably to dump on the electrical appliance in order to put it out...

but then at the last minute we actually make an intelligent decision and decide to unplug the damn thing and close the door.

the fire's out.

the apartment filled with smoke and we were left fanning the place out for the next half hour, in between fits of laughter.

needless to say, that toaster oven is toast.

brrrr rabbit.

a ton of snow was dumped upon our fair city saturday night.

i was being a baby and didn't feel like trekking out into it, but the agent (and some wine) changed my mind. after seeing "match point" and chowing down on some sushi, we hit the merc for the comas show. (i think i just about fell asleep standing up at said show, but that's not a dig on the band.) took a cab back to the 'burg and then continued our streak at enid's for brunch (complete with bloody marys) the next morning.

spent the rest of the snowed-in sunday playing cards and watching tv and what not.

had yummy pad thai for dinner and the agent finally tried the fruity fried rice with chicken.

(the more time i spend with the agent, and the happier i am, the more this blog will suck. i didn't realize it could suck any harder than it had already sucked, but i think i found out a way to make it suck the hardest: start seeing someone.)

here's a silly story that i just shared with both kate moss and the agent via email:

i returned from the agent's this morning to get ready for work. the top lock was bolted on my apartment door and i don't have a key. i banged on the door to try to wake my roommate up but then this big, chubby, bald dude with a moon face (and i say that in the nicest way) answered the door with a comforter around his (obviously naked) body. he looked at me as if to say, "um, who are you?" and i was like, "um, i *live* here." apparently the roommate had already left for work and moon-face thought i was the roommate, coming back to retrieve something.

it was a bit uncomfortable, to say the least.

away! away! for i will fly to thee

i've almost killed my second venti coffee of the day, folks. that's 40 ounces. 5 cups. i can't sit still.

the agent and i have started a book club, of which we are the only members. our first book shall be f. scott fitzgerald's "tender is the night". has anyone read it? i was thinking "the beautiful and damned" should be first, but the agent's suave persuasion won me over.

smokestack lightning.

post-hip hop dance class, i'm thinking cardio-striptease.

i'm-a work that pole, bitches.

oh, and when i scrap the real career and start earning my rent in the dirty thirties as a dancer, "fire woman" by the cult will be my signature song. (of course, i'll need to learn to breathe fire for full effect, but don't worry. i'm on it.)

i am the new black.

the agent and i are so far outside the friend zone, it's almost laughable. still, we can't date. wouldn't work. would end in a bloodbath. we both know it.

how the fuck did this happen?

the thought of dating absolutely petrifies me. kate moss thinks this might work if neither of us label what we do or what this is. ever. EVER.

(by the way, agent, i know you're reading this. how was the date with kristina with a 'k'?)

getting famouser all the time.

look who linked to me.

i won't fuck us over / i'm mr. november.

if you do not have this record, you must. i can't stop listening to it.

update: the band, interviewed, by p'fork and published on monday.

benefits package.

yikes! the agent and i crossed the line out of the friend zone!

a look over the shoulder.

my worst fear.

Half submerged in New York's collective unconscious, alongside dirty bombs and dark-alley robberies, is the nightmare of somehow winding up in the path of an oncoming train.

i can't help but feel that this somehow makes me more of a "new yorker."

(though it probably does not, as i've only been here for 13 months.)

what did make me feel like a real new yorker was taking in an event at the 92nd street y last night: pete hamill and tom wolfe (the respective voices of new york's working class and bourgeoisie) having a conversation for those of us who paid $25 a head.

(ed koch was a few rows in front of me. that, in and of itself, made me feel like i had finally made it to new york.)

i told the agent that i was a real jew now: i'd made it to the y on the upper east side! he said i was still a shiksa. then he started getting all yiddish on me, saying something about shmaltz and being his bubee.

law & order: special valentine's unit

i need these.

so, it may not be poppin' and lockin'...

...but it's a hip-hop-esque/funk dance class nonetheless. think less this and more this.

anyhow, today i can barely move.

started my 8-week class yesterday and child, let me tell you: inTENSE. so much fun, though. i can't wait to show off my finished routine to anyone who will watch.

this weekend was nice. went to the show with the agent on friday night, but really only watched annie hayden -- we then proceded to get drunk-as-fuck on cheap-as-fuck beers at the greenpoint tavern on bedford in the 'burg. 32 ounces of budweiser for $3.50 $3.00? i mean, it's criminally cheap.

i think it's where i may go after my "i'm turning 30 in a year!" birthday dinner. speaking of which, check out the sweetest yes-rsvps to my evite thus far. (yes, people plan this far in advance in this city.)

roommate one: i'll bring a "60 and over the hill" balloon to help ease the pain even more.
coworker one: i'm always down for drinks during the week...and celebrating birthdays
the agent: don't worry - you don't look a day over 29 ...
roommate two: lol. i was all confused about your age. i like your trauma-reduction plan...
cutie coworker: yes. yes indeed.
my boss: awh, my favorite little planner-aheader... i wouldn't miss it.
coworker two: i'll be there as soon as i get out of class!
my bro: i'm there yo
kate moss: yes, but if i get a hot date with one of the wilson brothers, i'm out!

still waiting for six more replies.

so, anyhow, we hung with the guitarist from denali at the tavern and whoo-hoo-hoo is he a cutie. and super nice. and tall. and cute.

after the bar i (stumbled toward and) stayed at the agent's apartment. the next morning we dragged our hungover asses to enid's for brunch, where, because i know a waiter, we procured free bloody marys. thank GOD. we then returned to the agent's place and i forced him to watch three hours of "projrun." now that's what i call friendship.

sunday was the aforementioned dance class... and 5, 6, 7, 8...

good weekend!

cheers, revisited.

why warren st. john was at rififi on thursday.

lamester.

kate moss wants to start an online community called "lamester," in which you can place the top 8 people you think are lame on your homepage.

she proposed these groups for her top 8:

-People getting married.
-People in relation"shit"s.
-All exes.
-All people who have had any relation"shit" with exes.
-Anyone who has ever called us a bitch.
-Anyone who looks better in our clothes than we do.
-People who don't love Polly.
-People who don't want to be our friends.

ain't she adorable?

cheers!

last night, while attending "welcome to our week" at rififi, i spotted warren st. john saddling his way up to the bar. not one to be shy, i decided to say hello.

i touched his arm gently and asked, "warren st. john?" lest he be a look-alike. nope, it was him. he smiled broadly and said, "yes!" and then words just tumbled out of my mouth.

"i loved 'rammer jammer yellow hammer," i said. he replied, so modestly, "get OUT!" and chuckled a bit.

"no," i said, "it was great -- i went to the university of georgia and i'm a football fan and..."

"oh, my mom's from savannah!"

"really? well, just wanted to say i really enjoyed it. that's all."

"thanks!"

i then slithered back to my table. a few seconds later he walked by, raised his drink to me and said, "cheers!"

oh, and the comedy show was good, too.

it's a muthafuckin' walk off.

so many gorgeous shots (action and still) of the city in tonight's episode of projrun. loved the idea of the challenge: take pictures of new york, choose one that inspires you, and design a garment around it.

i have spent many a day in the past year walking around the city for hours taking pictures of graffiti, signs, buildings, people -- now, if only i could parlay some of that creative energy into pattern-making!

santino looks so much like the villain from superman 2. or was it superman the movie? either way, not an original thought. i think i read that first on fourfour.

or maybe craftmuffin.

oh, god, is nick going to throw the competition? or will zu-zu go home tonight? that bitch stole nick's gorgeous model!

an elongated marshmallow! tim gunn! so rude.

(i'm starting to realize that i'm live-blogging this episode.)

give her hell, nick. even with the model with the gumby legs who can't walk worth a shit. send zu-zu home. look at her: shiesty. you are shiesty, zu-zu.

"it's nothing personal, it's just business." zu-zu! wrong show.

santino's impression of tim is dead-on. andrae is simply delectable and adorable in this ep -- and i loved his dirty water inspiration.

ooh, god -- kara. badbadbadbadbad. stop and rethink that garment.

kate moss and i have a super-crush on daniel and his garment looks delicious thus far. he's too cute.

nick: "for a moment i wanted to cut her. you wanna fuck me? well, you can't." HOTT. oh, zu-zu's going home tonight, 'cause they've got her talking about what she'll do with the money when she wins. too bad, missy. take yr shiesty ass home. even your gorgeous stolen model doesn't like your dress.

oh, but then i saw kara's dress again and *egad*, it's bad. what will the twist be? who will be out?!

(predication: daniel will win this challenge.)

ooh, looky look: jay from projrun-one is back to be a catty bitch to the contestants.

i really love andrae's dress.
i really hate kara's dress. i mean, no creativity whatsoever.
i think santino's piece is beautiful.
lovelovelove daniel. that blouse is fantastic.
chloe's dress? snooze.
not nick's best work. i feel like he didn't try.
zu-zu has a great model, but the dress? not so much.

who do i think ruled the runway? daniel. or andrae. zu-zu's out. no, wait, kara. no, zu-zu. no, for real: kara.

kara's sweating bullets.

michael kors says it's "literal." i agree.

oh no! austin scarlett grammy dress! he's right! i feel an itsy-bitsy bit sad for santino. i loved his inspiration.

so, kara out. daniel wins. or andrae. let's see how smart i is:

the winner is... DANIEL. i have a genius eye.
who's out? ZUUUUUUUUUUU-ZUUUUUUUUUUUU! well, hmph. interesting.

now maybe nick can snag his model back.

god, i'm exhausted.

tra la la.

last night at craft night, i got into the stupidest fight ever with kate moss. it was all resolved after an hour or so, and i suppose we were due for a fight, but i instigated it and this leads me to believe that i just feel like fighting as of late. when one doesn't have a significant other with whom to fight, it's gotta come out somewhere, right?

i'm becoming dependent upon my bff-ship with the agent already. we're emailing lots and (sigh), if only there was a spark or something. i mean, i already tried that and i'm not going to attempt to convince myself that i want to be with him, but i guess (sigh), it just feels really good to have a guy friend again. what, with after the drama with the coworker.

that drama is ka-put, btw. i haven't even seen him today. i think we're having lunch on friday, but who knows? it may not even happen. i'm so whatevs about the sitch.

ummmm, what else? oh, this is lame: i've taken initiative at work and am conducting a "lunch & learn" on january 31. i'm educating fellow coworkers on healthy snack options! i believe it was partially advertised as, "do you have a regular afternoon date with the vending machine? always tired and hungry around 3:00 pm? learn about healthy snack options from our resident health educator!"

good god. can you believe this shit?

19-naughty-4

the agent and i are friends! just friends! we bro'd out last night, had a good time, and both realized that we could be buddies. i'm loving this idea. plus, he's an agent and has many a plus-one to shows in this city and i'm taking advantage of one next weekend.

(funny story about that band that involves an evening three summers ago, lots of alcohol, some weird flirtation, some jealousy, and a touch of drama. boy, do i miss those days.)

a real, live male friend in new york! it's great.

yay.

random thoughts from the basement of my brain.

i'm having dinner with the agent. remember him? thanksgiving? i'm not sure why i'm doing this. i sought it out. i want to see how he's doing -- it's been a month or so since we split. i'm also a little bored. i do hope that we can be friends. we'll see how things go over some thai food in the 'burg tonight.

found out that i'll be going to the plug awards (for free, even) this year. i'm excited about seeing the national, as i've been listening to quite a bit of "secret meeting".

caught up with both kb and sm this weekend, though sm needs a new cell phone battery. i don't remember the last time we ended a call with "bye".

everyone is engaged.

running along the east river on a beautifully sunny winter day whilst listening to "you are a runner and i am my father's son" by wolf parade has to be just about the best way to spend a morning. oh, that, and then hitting up ess-a-bagel for an order of sun-dried tomato tofu on whole wheat.

it struck me while running that i don't want to live anywhere else.

finally.

photo: the national and cyhsy celebrate after playing soccer. too cute. here's the source.

clap your hands say sold out

...in 45 minutes.

(but we got tickets!)

oh my rockness!

fingers crossed i get my clap your hands say yeah ticket today for the april show. the ex was making fun of me yesterday for liking them. tres jaloux!

(all of a sudden, i give a shit about music again. who knew it was possible?)

other bands of interest...
tapes 'n tapes
art brut
we are scientists
lolita bras
my best fiend
wolf parade

what are you listening to?

(and by "you" i mean the four people who read this blog occasionally.)

my own worst enemy.

do you care about the golden globes? i think i might but i'm not sure. i think i might say that i care so that i can feel guilt-free about drinking a bottle of pinot as dinner rather than eating the whole wheat pasta i have collecting dust in my cupboard. pinot seems celebratory. the 'globes are celebratory. hmmmm.

ah, if you do not do so already: listen to "is this love" by cyhsy at least five times in a row every day. every day!

i am in the market for designer denim. tag jeans or true religion? you make the call! weight is melting off of me and i must reward myself. one would think it's may 2002 again, except without that unfortunate addiction to cough syrup and pbs.

HOLLA.

if you wanna hang out, you've gotta take her out.

today, kate moss and i had ART DAY! went to ps1 at which i saw the most amazing video/kinetic sculpture installation by jon kessler. truly incredible. photographs by peter hujar and stephen shore also blew me away and reminded me that i need to go to b&h at some point to price cameras. post-ps1, we meandered to the 'burg to check out steve keene's gallery, and each picked up three new pieces. (sorry, kb, no tupac or bob marley paintings this time.) almost bought the cutie coworker a painting of rush, but decided against it. good decision, right? right! so, yes, now i own five pieces of sk's and these new ones, "l.a. freeway", "silver jews", and "cds", will go nicely next to the pieces, "challenge" and "you & me", given to me years ago by crogers.

tomorrow i will awaken early and run along the east river before work. i

apparently, my place of employment has never heard of a man named dr. king.

and, again: ten things i did today.

1. bought my ticket to georgia: 4/28 through 5/1, y'all.
2. accepted an offer to go to happy hour here with the cutie coworker.
3. wore a kimono top that i usually despise due to its unfortunate way of making me look pregnant.
4. listened to m.i.a. on the 40 minute walk to work.
5. heard myself tell a patient (with a body mass index of 35) that "everything we do in life either moves us closer to our goals or farther away." sometimes, i'm not sure where the hell i get this shit or if it's even true.
6. contemplated why i flirted hard-core with that ex yesterday.
7. did a little wikipedia-ing on chalabi.
8. considered being knocked up by vincent gallo. (i'd have a reason to wear this kimono top every day, i suppose.)
9. gazed at "i and the village" by marc chagall.
10. attempted to decide, for once and for all, as to whether i am rooting for team aniston or team jolie.

ten things i did today.

1. flirted hard-core with an ex.
2. signed up for a hip hop dance class series (8 weeks!) at broadway dance studio.
3. planned my itinerary for a trip to atl/ath in late april.
4. fit into my skinny cords.
5. ate a bowl of a brand of chili i once deemed too spicy.
6. made an appointment to get my hair did.
7. walked to chelsea (in heels!) to catch the train rather than being lazy and and taking the l to the f from gramercy.
8. confirmed that i will be helping to paint a mural at a high school in a week.
9. blew off my wishy-washy cutie coworker.
10. bought a ticket to see tom wolfe speak on the 31st.

my hobby.

i decided that '06 would be the year that i started taking photography somewhat seriously, and this is a good way to start it out.

now, if only i can get my mitts on something other than a point-and-shoot.

okay, i'm out.

so, i don't know what's happened, but within the last few months, this blog has turned into an embarrassing display of my dating debacles.

i went on yet another date tonight and it was just bad. worse than the belgian, worse than the second date with the agent, worse than anything that happened with jack falcon or juan carlos. worse than the tool from the 'post'. worse than the bore back in february '05, worse than the closeted gay boy in december '04. (i won't say worse than than the drama of summer '05, but, whatevs.) just achingly bad through and through. i couldn't get through my beer fast enough to get the hell out of the bar. he put me on the defensive from second one, drilling me about my profession and my political ideology and my intellect. all i wanted to do was get home to watch the rest of a documentary on the iraq war on pbs.org/frontline. (it's called "truth, war, and consequences" -- and it's highly recommended.)

so, um, yeah. i'm on hiatus (from dating, that is).

i'm fucking exhausted, y'all. i've dated more in the last two months than i have in my entire life and while at first it was fun, now it's just hellish.

(kb, it kills me to say this, but you were right.)

(ahem.)

next!

oh...

...and here's this nonsense:

http://www.nypost.com/dating/d2.htm

btw, those aren't my words.

i can breathe for the first time!

two average- and one mega-sized dirty vodka martinis in my belly. dancing (or, rather, hopping around maniacally) to "since u been gone" on the dance floor at bally's. meeting jeff & cheryl, probable swingers. losing ten bucks in 30 seconds at the nickel slots. walking on the beach at 1:00 am. telling some poor, unsuspecting soul that my name was sandra and i was there with my friend, cindy. black-eyed peas, collards, and cornbread the next morning. stressing about the lack of texts from my crush (who shall be known as juan carlos, though his actual name is not as exciting), but then receiving texts and wondering why i had stressed.

that was my new year's eve weekend, folks. atlantic city! caesar's palace! the trump taj mahal! (oh, i didn't go to that one! but, still!) i felt like a beauty queen.

anyhow, juan carlos and i are having dirty vodka martinis on wednesday because we realized we both think they're yummy. saturday, we're going to zabar's to get food and then hitting up "match point" because we're both woody allen fans. still swooning, but actually trying to play it somewhat cool. that can be hard for me when i like a boy.

heh.