d.o.c. (date of conception)

Tonight I must change up my live-blogging style. I think I was the only person watching last week that didn't see the picture of Ms. Hawking on Brother Campbell's desk because I was too busy typing. Yikes. Thank God for geeky podcasts. (Oh, Jay & Jack, how I love thee -- you make my commute to work on Thursday and Monday mornings so much brighter.)

So, long story short, I'm going to blog during commercials and keep both eyes on the screen while the show is on. Plus, half the episode will likely be in Korean and thus, I'll have to read subtitles to know what the hell is happening.

A little background on this episode: we know it's Sun- and Jin-centric. We will find out who the baby daddy is. My prediction: it will be Jae's baby and (oh, big sigh of relief!) good for Sun 'cause that means she conceived off-island and will live... but (oh, big groan of disappointment) bad news for Jin. I bet she won't even tell him. I've got such a soft spot in my heart for that guy.

Oh, and I assume we'll find out more about Naomi the parachutist (or, how some fans refer to her... Sanjaya!)...

Commercial Break 1:

Naomi has a branch in her side. Sidebar: I watched "Heroes" the other night (an early episode, actually) and was shocked by how graphic some of the scenes were -- like when Claire's head was impaled by that stick and she wakes up on the M.E.'s table with her chest sawed open. Jesus. (Oh, and have you noticed that the casts of both "Heroes" and "Lost" have a blonde chick named Claire, a heroin junkie, and a hot Middle Eastern man?)

Anyhow, back to the episode. Because they showed Jae in the "Previously on 'Lost', I assume this sets it up for us to assume he's the baby daddy...

Commercial Break 2:

SHUT UP! OMG! WTF?! Patchy is muthafuckin' alive! Patchy is muthafuckin' alive! The last we saw that dude, he was foaming from the mouth and bleeding from the ears!

I love how Juliet tried to play, "Oh, Sun? You're pregnant? Are you sure? How do you know?" Juliet, baby, you are on that beach because Sun is pregnant. You are on that beach because you're hoping that Kate is pregnant, too, because you and your Other cronies baited Sawyer with Kate-in-a-cage, just hoping he'd knock her up.

Juliet does have really pretty eyes, though.

Commercial Break 3:

I think this is when Juliet will figure out Sun's date of conception and thus, the father of the baby. My money is still on Jae.

It's only 10:24 and we're on our third commercial break. Sheesh.

Naomi has spoken Spanish, Chinese, and Italian thus far and was carrying a book in Portuguese. I'm not sure what this means other than she smart and shit.

(Update: Naomi translations here.)

Jin's father is so sweet.

Commercial Break 4:

I've noticed in this episode that Sun is kind of a bad-ass! I love it!

What did Naomi say? I know she didn't say "Thank you for helping me." And, wow, you know the writers are thanking the Lord for the 10pm time slot -- because they can now write in a blood spurting scene! Gross!

Commercial Break 5:

It's Jin's baby! Jin is the baby daddy! Sperm count on the island is 5x the average! That is heartwarming, except for the fact that Sun's been handed a death sentence. I suppose Kate won't end up pregnant after all -- the writers wouldn't write in yet another woman who gets pregnant on the island, right? Damn. I liked my theory.

I wonder where Patchy is sleeping? With Danielle?

Commercial Break 6:

What?! The plane has been found? There were no survivors? What? Huh?

I'm exhausted.

dîner avec mon frère

I have to toot my own horn for a second.

(Isn't that what a blog is for?)

Last night, I had my brother over for dinner. As we don't get together as often as one would think, I decided to go balls-to-the-wall and make individual 4" quiche tartlets with a from-scratch pastry crust.

Rather than going with the traditional flaky crust, mine included a bit of cornmeal for rustic texture and cayenne for bite. The filling was made with slices of red peppers I had roasted, scallions, spinach, cheddar, Greek-style yogurt, and eggs (mais oui). I also put together a simple spinach salad and made some of the best (vegan!) baking powder biscuit-y muffins (like a biscuit, but in muffin shape) ever:

(I think this is the recipe -- I'm going by memory.)

3/4 c. soy milk
1 t. apple cider vinegar (SM, I'm sure lemon juice could be used here.)
2 c. flour
3 t. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
1 t. dried oregano (This doesn't make them taste oregano-y but just gives them a lil' something extra so that they're savory... and so good!)
1/4 c. soy margarine, slightly melted

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Mix the soy milk with the vinegar/lemon juice and let sit for 10 minutes.

Mix dry ingredients together. Pour in milk mixture and margarine and combine until well-mixed. (At this point, I also threw in a few shakes of the leftover cornmeal I had on hand.)

Scoop dough into six well-greased muffin tins. Bake for 12-14 minutes.

Makes six yummy big fluffy light muffins.

Ta da! Delicious.

his favorite color is beige

Between beers at Abilene, late-night pajama jammy jam Sparks-induced dance party, shoveling compost for what seemed like hours, a rousing game of horseshoes at Pioneer BBQ, cinnamon cranberry pancakes, sunshine-sunshine-sunshine, finishing Season One of "Battlestar", being one of the boys, developing an authentic farmer's tan, chomping on greasy pizza, a group "Lost"-watching party at 8:30 AM, aaaaaand a trip to Coney Island...

...'twas the Best Weekend Ever!

PS: Should I get into "Heroes"?

fake empire

I was silly over The National back in late '05.

I'm so excited to hear that their new record, "Boxer" is finally being released on Beggar's Banquet next month.

Here's something that's tiding me over until then.

billions and billions

This isn't even one of my favorite pictures, but apparently the Village Voice liked it 'cause they asked for permission to use it and I'm on their site today.

With photo credit!

catch-22

Got off the phone with Kennie Bloggins tonight and I promised him a "Lost" live blog. I told him to live blog his evening: eatin' dinner, doin' some school work. Did you do it, KB?

Oh, it's on! I'm watching the last two minutes of "One of Us" and Juliet is giving me goosebumps.

There's no way that Jack has been duped by Juliet. He's got an ace up his sleeve. I have to believe this -- and I don't even love Jack anymore. I mean, yeah, he is Dr. Hero and all, but a touch boring.

"See you in a week," says Ben. Ominously.

Now, reader(s), we know that this is a Desmond -centric episode and apparently there's going to be some Nietzschean philosophy espoused... and here it goes!

Okay, "Previously on 'Lost'": We know that Desmond can see into the future. We know that he's trying to save Charlie. (Oh! Does this mean that Charlie's gonna die in THIS episode?! Fuck!)

Why does Charlie have his guitar on this trek into the jungle?

ljud;sg0238gflejjpf09urwuoujgruffldjfu949tjfwkfnldsjflasdfjlfjofo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HOLY SHIT! Okay, um, we just saw one of Desmond's flashes. Charlie got an arrow through his neck and gooey blood just oozed out of his mouth and... shit! Amazing. I love Desmond. "Someone's coming."

Desmond in prison. No, a monastery. His hair is so short. Taking a vow of silence. Your path has led you here, and now you're ONE OF US. "Welcome, brother." Desmond was a monk?

Hurley is the worst liar, albeit an adorable one. And I love his hair in a ponytail. Is that a scrunchie?

Does that cable go to the Hydra? (No, Jen, it went to the Flame before it was blown up.)

I've been wondering lately: did we ever see Sawyer on the plane? I rewatched the pilot episode the other day and there's just something that doesn't sit right with me. Maybe I'm looking for a twist. Was his name on the manifest? What if his name isn't really James Ford? Oh, look! Kate is half-dressed. Is this Sweeps time?

Sawyer's tryin' to get laid again. "You need me to make you a mix tape?" Um, Sawyer, I wouldn't need a mix tape from you.

I swear, Hurley's gotten BIGGER since being on the island.

So, Desmond wants Charlie to die -- or, rather, he wants to fit all of the pieces into a puzzle because the flash included Penny, and if he gets all of the other pieces together, Penny must be that "someone" who is coming? Am I following this correctly? Desmond-centric episodes are a bit of a mindfuck.

They're whistling the theme from "The Bridge On the River Kwai". I should know more about that movie other than that tune.

Moriah wine. Let's wiki that shit, too. while we're at it.

"I'm sure something will go wrong soon enough." No shit, Jack.

Kate is totally hitting on Jack. What a little tart! Oh, but look at Jack cozying on up to Juliet. Kate, honey, you should have thought of that when...

Oh, well look at this. Kate and Sawyer again. This girl is gonna end up knocked up within about ten minutes. I know that this is Juliet's plan: she needs Kate to get pregnant. She needs to do whatever she can (i.e., getting close to Jack) to drive those two fertile kids together.

OMG, something just fell into the ocean.

OMG.

WTF?

Was that a UFO?!

(How many three-lettered acronyms can I use in a row?)

LOL.

Okay, we're back. Who the hell is Ruth? She looks young enough to be Desmond's daughter and she was his fiancee?

Oh, look at this ping-pong pissing contest! "Finally! Something I can beat you at!" Aw, Sawyer. I heart you.

Penny's picture in "Catch-22" in the tree! Is Penny on the island? Are we just gonna bring everyone to the island? (Speaking of which, I have not forgotten about you, Anthony Cooper. Where are you? Where is Locke? Are you partying on that sub that wasn't blown up?)

Awww, Sawyer! He brought Kate a mix tape! "Why'd you jump me last night?" Um, it's because she's jealous AND 'cause the Others need to get her preggers stat! One pregnant Lostie is not enough, you see.

So, it's confirmed: Desmond is gonna let Charlie die so that he can see Penny. Something's gotta give, though. There's gotta be a twist. 13 minutes left.

(Sometimes I forget that the Losties want to get rescued. We don't want them to get rescued. Nothing's been explained yet!)

Okay, here we go, back in the jungle -- the flash that Des saw at the beginning. He sees the arrow. He sees the wire. Will he do it?! Will he let Charlie die?!

He saved him! He saved him again! This is truly a no-win sitch for our friend Des.

Now they're splitting up to find this beacon (aw, and I thought it was a UFO!). Des explains that saving Charlie is pointless because it's like God testing Abraham.

Um, wait. There is someone in the tree.

It can't be Penny, right? It's gotta be, oh, I don't know, that hottie Christian Shepherd or Eko, or Smokie, or Ana Lucia (I really miss her) or someone that we're not expecting. The writers are setting this up too well. It won't be Penny. It won't be Penny.

It's...

Who the hell are you?!

(BTW, that link is a spoiler.)

geekin' out

a) I have a total girl crush on Katee Sackhoff.

b) I cannot belieeeeeve that Jay & Jack didn't broadcast my brilliant theory on today's "Lost" podcast.

c) I'm ready to start on my costume for ComicCon, a year in advance. I'm going as Sexy Alex from "A Clockwork Orange". Who's comin' with me?

nor'easter island

I'm going stir-crazy.

Unlike KM, I decided to stay inside my apartment all day long, lest I be subjected to the harsh weather realities that would menacingly greet me. KM, on the other hand, went to see "Grindhouse".

How did I celebrate the storm? I made peach pancakes, baked hamburger buns, and officially got hooked on "Battlestar". (Damn fine show, by the way. You really should check it out. Yes, you, Mr./Ms. Yeah-but-I'm-totally-not-into-Sci-Fi. You'll still like it.)

Yesterday brought (working backwards), a lil' vino with T.Rich, much overdue quality conversation, a trip into the city, some cell phone trouble, some afternoon beers, a walk around Brooklyn, a much-needed nap, a bagel and coffee from Starbucks in the Slope, and an attempt to maneuver in 3" heels at 9am.

It feels like it will never stop raining.

i never slip, i never fall

While we're on the topic of lists, I present to you fifteen of my favorite words.

1. viscous
2. vapid
3. onomatopoeia
4. tchochke
5. yes
6. vacillate
7. myriad
8. precocious
9. kumquat
10. conundrum
11. vacuous
12. parenthetical
13. juxtapose
14. chiaroscuro
15. undulate

Tonight brings beer drinkin' and birthday party celebratin' in the LES. Cheers to KM's roomie, Josh, for living 29 years.

chowhound

Psmee recently posted her top ten favorite restaurants. It's hard to narrow it down to a mere ten, and I'm sure the second I post this, I'll think of ten more.

In no particular order...

1. The Grit (Athens, GA) -- too many memories to mention but a few of my favorites include me and Mariana, hungover, sportin' sunglasses.

2. Curly's Vegetarian Lunch (New York, NY) -- the best vegan Cuban sandwich I've ever had, and they give you crayons with which you may draw on your paper placemat.

3. Devi (New York, NY) -- a handful of my best friends in the world + the best brother a girl could have + a 30th birthday + halibut that makes you wanna slap your mama.

4. Six Feet Under (Atlanta, GA) -- I'm in Atlanta for a mere four hours and I find time take SM to lunch before catching a flight back to NYC. I just can't get enough of those catfish tacos.

5. Five & Ten (Athens, GA) -- the place for gettin' all fancied up for dinner with the girls; it's not just good by Athens standards, it's good by foodie standards.

6. Freebirds (Austin, TX) -- it's certainly not the best, most original, or the most authentic Mexican restaurant around -- in fact, it's a local burrito chain -- but I had many memorable meals with Chris-the-Ex-in-Texas here.

7. Joya (Brooklyn, NY) -- huge portions of spicy Thai, cheap wine, and good times with Kate Moss.

8. Dumpling House (New York, NY) -- standing in line for a $1.50 kimchi sandwich never sounded so good.

9. Union Square Cafe (New York, NY) -- my first birthday in NYC, and I celebrate with a forkful of foie gras and wine pairings.

10. Nuevo Laredo Cantina (Atlanta, GA) -- when I think of Atlanta, I think of rice, beans, beer, chips, salsa, and Holy Tacos.

one of us

Did you know that Juliet was a plant? (I did.)

Did Rachel's cancer really return or was it all a part of a con by Ben to keep Juliet on the island? (I vote for con.)

Kate better hope she ain't pregnant.

Sun better hope that baby ain't Jin's.

Ben must have been conceived off-island but born on-island, just like Aaron and Alex, right? (Yes.)

Is Juliet at the Losties' camp for Sun? To use as another control case? (That's my theory.)

Did I get a little weepy when Sawyer hugged Kate? (Yes.)

Who the hell is Jacob?! (God only knows.)

who dat is?

TEAM BIRKHEAD, y'all!

warm and spicy

Too much baking.

I love it, as you know, but the sugar turns me into a crazy woman. This weekend I was chained to my KitchenAid mixer: I made pumpkin mini-muffins for TH's potluck, Anadama bread and hot cross buns for KM's potluck. All vegan.

All jam-packed with refined sugar.

All making me nutsy-cuckoo.

In other news, today I decided to play the part of a grown-up and begin investing in a mutual fund. Between that, my ING savings account, and my contribution to my 403(b), I don't think I have enough money to eat.

(Which is a good thing -- see paragraph one.)

One refreshing highlight of my weekend, however: I talked to a hot lil' piece of 24 year-old tattooed musician action for quite a while Saturday night -- and he called to invite me to his show.

He's adorable.

...in that "Oh My God I Am Totally Thirty Years Old and You Were Totally Born in the 1980s" I-want-to-pat-him-on-the-head sort of way.

peter & una

"Blackbird" was simultaneously insanely satisfying and emotionally draining.

The relationship (if one wants to label it as such) between a 40 year-old man and 12 year-old girl was not black and white.

Is it possible for a 12 year-old to truly love this man? Is it possible for he to love her? Is it possible for it to not be predatory? If one serves time for committing a crime and is released, should he be able to move on with his life and find happiness again?

What I found most interesting was the woman's (as she is now a woman, 15 years after the incident that led to his incarceration) ultimate interest in becoming physical with the man yet again -- and his interest in becoming physical with her. After so much rage and sadness and shame, their desire to rewrite history was overwhelming.

into the light of the dark black night

Tonight brings one of the more cultural outings for myself in a while.

Going to see "Blackbird" off-Broadway (which is still in previews), thanks to my roommate who scored me a seat and a plus-one.

Actually not sure who will be my guest as of this hour, but even if I go solo, it promises to be a good time.

Jeff Daniels!

ballin'

Knicks game tonight!

My first NBA game.

(Well, I saw a Bulls exhibition game back in 1994 but that's nothing compared to being in the Garden.)

Fingers crossed we are brave enough to sneak court-side and hang with Spike Lee.

Update:

A mere minutes after posting this, I found out that we're actually not going. Long story. I like this pic of Starbury, though, so I'm gonna keep it up. Guess I'll be able to watch "Lost" after all...

accomplished

1. Finish watching both "The Grapes of Wrath" as well as "Tupac: Resurrection".

Finished "Tupac" but just got a bit into "Grapes". Need to finish it in the next day or two.

2. Complete at least two collages worthy of framing.

Started on one, and it may be finished, though it may strike my fancy to add more to it. Started another.

3. Attend my 11:00 AM Total Body Conditioning class.

Check. Did it and it felt great.

4. Shop for and bake cookie recipe to bring to co-workers on Monday.

Check. Made ginger-molasses cookies and ate far too many of them by myself at home (Big Tangerine is a hazard to my health). Did indeed bring in some for co-workers today and they thoroughly enjoyed them. (If I, however, see another cookie this week, I may hang myself.)

5. Attend party in Prospect Heights with KM while laying low on the vino.

It is of this I am most proud. I did attend a party with KM and imbibed in merely one and a half small bathroom-sized Dixie cups (think just a smidge larger than a thimble) of the homemade wine offered up. Prior to party, we hit up a bar and I had soda water and lime. Stayed sober the whole weekend, including during my prix-fixe brunch with a virgin Bloody Mary. Drinking more in moderation is something I've been contemplating and I'm happy that I've started down that path.

6. Check out the UU church in Brooklyn Heights.

Check. Received my palm frond to remind me to work on self for the year.

7. Walk the Brooklyn Promenade.

Check. Took pictures on a cloudy day.

8. Start a new book (an impulse buy this afternoon).

Check. Cannot get enough of this book. Highly recommended to everyone, especially if you're interested in travel, true crime, Yale, feminism, the justice system, PTSD, bicycling, serial killers, the 1970s, camping, the West, AND/OR the memoir genre.

9. Take self out to lunch.

Took self out to brunch, instead. (See above.)

10. See "Blades of Glory" with KM.

Good god, was this movie terrible.

(Oh, and I'll also try to fit in a couple episodes of "Intervention", a load or two of laundry, and some b'ball-watchin'.)

I watched the first half of the G'town/UCLA game before scampering off to meet up with KM. (I'm totally out of the tourney but I wish the best to KB, J.Ro, and Caddy, all of whom are in contention to win the whole thing.)

Did two loads of laundry. I love how Gain smells.

I watched two hours of "Intervention", which did nothing but reinforce my desire to cut back on the vino. (See above.)

monster mash-up

(No "Lost" spoiler -- just a theory.)

Something to think about:

After discovering the episode's script among Nikki's things, Hurley is shocked to learn about Mr. LaShade's deceit and true identity as the Cobra. He describes the Cobra as "this big bad guy" whose identity "has been shrouded in mystery for four seasons."

Mr. LaShade : The Cobra :: ? : Jacob

Perhaps Jacob will be someone we already know -- and when his identity is revealed, we will feel shocked and deceived?

Oh, and check this... but be patient for 00:56.

short-term goals

Tasks to be completed by weekend's end:

1. Finish watching both "The Grapes of Wrath" as well as "Tupac: Resurrection"
2. Complete at least two collages worthy of framing
3. Attend my 11:00 AM Total Body Conditioning class
4. Shop for and bake cookie recipe to bring to co-workers on Monday
5. Attend party in Prospect Heights with KM while laying low on the vino
6. Check out the UU church in Brooklyn Heights
7. Walk the Brooklyn Promenade
8. Start a new book (an impulse buy this afternoon)
9. Take self out to lunch
10. See "Blades of Glory" with KM

(Oh, and I'll also try to fit in a couple episodes of "Intervention", a load or two of laundry, and some b'ball-watchin'.)

TGIF.

unanswered questions

If you follow "Lost" and have not seen "The Man From Tallahassee", stop reading now.

Do you have theories on these mysteries? (Coke Bref? Scarny? KM?)

1. Why hasn't the island cured Ben of his tumor?
2. What happened to Kate during the unexplained time after lunching with Ben on the beach?
3. How did Cooper get to the island?
4. How did Patchy know that Locke had been paralyzed?
5. Why was Locke soaking wet after supposedly planting the C4 in the submarine?
6. Is Cooper the "real" Sawyer?
7. Is the "magic box" metaphorical?
8. Who is on Jacob's list and why?
9. Was Danielle once an Other?
10. If the Others were considered Hostiles by DHARMA, and DHARMA has been purged from the island, why do the Others continue to acquire DHARMA food drops? And how do they acquire fresh (rather than the typical canned DHARMA-labeled) food?

Yeah, this is what I think about.

not likely

edibles

I've pretty much shelved my food blog but that doesn't mean I haven't stopped loving food. Oh no. I still love cooking it in my spacious kitchen and I still love trying out new restaurants.

My brother really stepped it up for my birthday this year: he purchased for me a private cooking lesson with a personal chef. 'Twas amazing. We made a shrimp, cod, and veggie kielbasa gumbo (which included making our own seafood stock -- and I loved making the dark roux in my new Crueset), dirty basmati rice, and cauliflower with Indian spices. A bit of Cajun-Indian fusion, yes? I still have a good portion of the gumbo (sans seafood) frozen, and I'm thinking about throwing it in an 8x8 pan and topping it with cornbread batter and baking it. A Cajun tamale pie of sorts.

On Wednesday, I made a trip to the Hong Kong Supermarket, two blocks from work. Having more items than you can shake a stick at (and most in a language I couldn't read), this place filled me with awe. I settled on purchasing some lemongrass, ginger, tofu, shitake mushrooms, Thai chilies, and coconut milk and whipped up my vegan version of tom yum soup to enjoy during an hour-long date with Jack, Sayid, and the rest of the cast of "Lost".

10 cups vegetable broth
2 stalks lemongrass, minced
2 thumb-size pieces ginger, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
4 small chilies, minced
4 carrots, chopped
1 package tofu, pressed and cubed
2-3 handfuls mushrooms, sliced
1/2 can coconut milk
3 tablespoons tamari, or to taste
Sliced scallions
Chili sauce
Lime

Place broth in a soup pot along with lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and chilies. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium.

Add the carrots. Allow to simmer 2 minutes.

Add tofu and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes longer.

Turn down heat and add coconut milk and tamari.

Serve with sliced scallions, chili sauce, and a squeeze of lime.

Serves 6-8.

Next time I'll add kaffir lime leaves and garnish with cilantro.

I used Big Tangerine to whip two egg whites and a half-cup of superfine sugar to stiff peaks and then piped them onto a Silpat. I baked at 225 degrees for 60 minutes and then left the oven door ajar and let the cookies cool for another hour. Voila! Meringues.

Sunday brings another cooking class, this time at ICE, thanks to a gift certificate from Mom & Jim that I received as a Christmas present. We'll be making Hot and Sweet Sesame Nori Fins; Watercress Salad with Cucumber and Green Mango in a Lime-Peanut Vinaigrette; Galangal, Lemongrass, and Kaffir Lime Leaf-Baked Tofu Medallions; Baked Salmon with Fresh Thai Curry Paste; Spinach-Thai Basil and Yellow Pepper-Coconut Milk Sauces; Red Bhutanese Rice with Roasted Vegetables; Indonesian Sambal; Crispy Rice Noodles; and Mango-Lemongrass Ice Cream Parfait with Lemon Tuiles.

Oh, yummy yummy yummy.

you know this

9:44 left to go in the 1st and Butler is up by 6.

Posted on the boards by my sweet friend, J.Ro:

...[I] suspect a bunch of you fuckers are gonna be welchers and in the off chance Jen wins this thing (oh dear god how i pray that will happen if i can't win ...not cuz i don't love Jen, but because i love the idea of someone who knows nothing about basketball crushing a bunch of shittalking dudes who think they know everything about everything in something that they obviously all suck at alot) is gonna have some trouble collecting those dollars.

Fingers crossed I win this fucker and everyone pays up.

Update:

9:22 PM -- Florida just beat Butler, though damn if that team didn't look good for an upset. God damn. I'm out. For reals this time.

the architect and the sith

The White House won't allow Rove or Miers to voluntarily testify under oath.

So, the Judicial Committee will issue subpoenas.

So, Rove and Miers will plead the Fifth.

This is fucking ridiculous. Three scandals in the last month (Libby, Walter Reed, Gonzales) and we have not revolted yet. Clinton was nearly destroyed for much, much less.

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

breaking out the big guns

My parents stepped it up this year for my big 3-0.

Dad and Rachel presented me with my pride and joy, a gorgeous kiwi-green Le Creuset dutch oven...


And Mom and Jim honestly made my dreams come true by purchasing this fantastic tangerine-orange KitchenAid stand mixer...


(My Mom said, "You were either going to get one when you married or turned 30, whichever came first.")

I made dinner for KM and Scarny on Saturday: a seitan and Guinness Irish stew with potatoes and carrots and a loaf of beer bread with raisins and walnuts to sop it all up. KM contributed a delicious salad with radicchio, apples, and poppy seed dressing and Scarny brought over some Killian's Red brew. We ended things with green tea soy ice "cream".

Having the right equipment in the kitchen makes all the difference. If you're reading this, you have a standing invitation for dinner at my place any day of the week.

we fly high

Because things won't stay this way, I had to keep this screen capture for posterity.

Unfortunately, I had Wisconsin going to the championship.

It's been fun, yo.

the big dance

Whoo hoo! I'm currently ranked 10th 8th in a pool of 17.

In honor of me not being in last place (yet) with my NCAA bracket, let's watch some muthafuckin' NBA action.

Can you feel it?



By the way, I know nothing about basketball.

legalese

Those of you who went to law school: what would you have done differently, even from the beginning?

Would you have taken an LSAT prep course, if you didn't?

Taken the LSAT more than once, if you didn't?

Would you have gone to a different school?

What do you regret, if anything?

small town secrets

Regarding the alleged D.C. Madam case, does anyone have bets on who the "reputable and respected investigative news organization" is? And who the alleged clients are?
Palfrey ran the organization from her Vallejo, California home -- Vallejo is adjacent to my hometown of Benicia, California, known to be the site of the first Zodiac killing.

A few years ago, Benicia High School suffered the loss of one of their teachers who was murdered by her son. He strangled, beat, and stabbed her -- and then stuffed her body into the trunk of her car, parked in their garage.

His name is Patrick Scarpaci, his family lived across the street from mine, and I used to baby-sit him when he was a kid.

cook 'em in a pot like gumbo

I forgot how good this song is. (If, y'know, you can get over all the misogyny.)

Totally NSFW without headphones, kid.

taking up head space

* Spinner.com's Sailing Away and XM 70s stations

* "Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001"

* "The Sound and the Fury"

* Jonestown

* The slanguage of "Variety"

* Three of Cups' whole wheat pizza

* Impact evaluation instrument design

* Seattle

* A.C.

* Frosted Shredded Wheat

* The gym

* Hawaii

* Making a dark roux with the private chef who is coming to my apartment tomorrow night

* "Lost" theories

* Chuck Hagel's possible run in '08

onward, christian soldiers

"Jesus Camp" has got to be the scariest fucking movie I have ever seen.

everybody steals from everybody; that's hollywood

Seems I've been all up in L.A.'s grill lately:

* Gearing up to read the biography of Louis B. Mayer

* Having just watched "Hollywoodland", thinking about re-renting "Mulholland Dr." (a mind fuck, yes)

* Skimming Craigslist for pictures of charming bungalows

* Learning more about the town in which I was born (betcha didn't know that I am a bona fide born-in-the-Valley girl)

*Dreaming of a trip to the LOST Weekend Fan Party in Hollywood

*Pining for sunny weather during a couple of bitterly cold New York days (though it's warming up soon -- upper 50s next week!)

And on and on...

...BUT this documentary was an educational respite from all of that cushy L.A.-ness.

It's a film directed by Cle "Bone" Sloan, a member of the Bloods from the neighborhood of Athens Park and he delves into the history of gangs in L.A. with an insider's eye.

If you have HBO on Demand, I recommend you check it out before it's removed on March 11th.

(So, um, Crogers? I'm, like, gonna come visit, a'ight?)

sky rockets in flight

I bought a bottle of Shiraz in which to indulge tonight because...

a) I just spent two and a half hours at the gym (in which I took a total body conditioning class AND a cross-training cardio class AND ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes -- a bit excessive, I know, I know)

and

b) because "Lost" is on tonight (!) and I'm hoping that the episode will single-handedly make up for the last two weeks of disappointment and lack of plot progression. (Right Deeg?)

Update:

10:24 PM: This episode is f'ing awesome so far. KM argues that it's due to Sayid's presence and I don't discredit that, but I noticed that Damon and Carlton wrote it and I think their writing is the last great hope for the show. (Oh, and though I have grown tired of Sawyer's snarky comments, the whole "Who are you?" to Nikki made me chuckle.)

Update:

11:01 PM: Best episode of this mini-season yet! Did you see the preview for next week? It may be the obvious guess, but my money is on that the "surprising connection" between Losties is that Jack and Claire share a father. (At least, that's what fans have been suggesting on the boards for over a year now...)

lolz

My love for this website is like a sickness and I blame Scarny!

After bringing the site to the attention of others, I'm surprisingly not getting the "OMG I is in luv with innerweb lolcats!" response that I had hoped for. Nevertheless, I just can't stop laughing.

It brings me joy.

Nooooo they be stealin' my sockses!

to catch a predator

Call me crazy or insensitive or a nut-job civil libertarian, but will one of the number of attorneys I know (Huevos? Psmee? Il Gato?) please explain to me how it is possible for Dateline NBC to be in-cahoots with law enforcement and have these men arrested for merely chatting with decoy children?

They are disgusting pedophiles, yes, and I'm sure they're in need of serious counseling, but haven't they yet to commit a crime? Or is it a crime to chat with and bring condoms to an individual that you THINK is a minor? How is this constitutional?

Just school me. I'm not justifying their behavior at all. I just feel like I'm missing something here.

Update:

In doing some research, I have found that US Code: Title 18, §2422(b) states:

Whoever, using the mail or any facility or means of interstate or foreign commerce, or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States knowingly persuades, induces, entices, or coerces any individual who has not attained the age of 18 years, to engage in prostitution or any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title and imprisoned not less than 5 years and not more than 30 years.

So, key words here are interstate commerce, entices, individual who has not attained the age of 18 years, and sexual activity.

HOWEVER, the decoys were not minors, and so the behavior falls under the "attempts to do so" clause?

I don't know. I'm no lawyer. I'm just wonderin'.

in the kitchen, i found the answers to all my curiosities

What we ate at Devi on the birthday night:

APPETIZER:
Shakarkandi Ki Chaat (sweet potatoes, toasted cumin, chaat masala, lime juice)

MAIN COURSES:
Vegetarian:
Khatte Meethe Baingan (baby eggplant, sweet & sour tomato, tamarind sauce)
Mirchi Ka Salan (green bell peppers, hot peppers, coconut, peanuts and tamarind)
Green Bean Poriyal (green beans, mustard seeds, curry leaves, coconut)

Seafood:
Mirchi Walee Machi (halibut, tandoor baked, roasted pepper marinade, rice)
Goan Spicy Scallops (spiced radish rice, balchao sauce)

Meat:
Tandoor-Grilled Lamb Chops (pear chutney, spiced potatoes)

...and for dessert, a homemade vegan peanut butter, coffee, and jelly cake (sounds like an interesting pairing, yes? It WORKED.) made with love by Kate Moss and SM. The waitstaff presented it to the table, candles illuminated -- and after Scarny and I had made our wishes, plated it for us.

An amazing meal, indeed.

powered by the cute and insane

Oh, good lordy, y'all.

I'm just worn out. It's been the best birthday celebration ever.

Between the fancy Indian food, the multiple vodka sodas, the gifts, the Prosecco, the peanut butter and jelly cake, the multiple walks across bridges, the shopping-'til-dropping, the sleeping on floors, the shoulder rubs from Scarny (the most action I've had in a while), the shrimp enchiladas, the 2 Live Crew, the wasabi peas, the tulips, the Steve Keene art, and the bloodys, I need a vacation to recover from my elation.

If you want to see a ridiculous amount of pictures of me either attempting to kiss my friends and/or look sassy and/or keep from passing out (unsuccessfully) check it here.

Maybe more about the plentiful good times later, but sheesh: some people say they have the best friends in the world, but it's the damn truth for me. I'm a lucky bitch.

(A lucky 30-year-old bitch who's happy to live in Brooklyn and who will still rock a babydoll dress [despite being almost 6 feet tall in heels] and some bangs on a birthday.)

Ahem, "thaaaaaat's niiiiiice!"

30

I'm all growns up.

are secrets a tunnel to a dreamworld where you control events?

SM arrives today and Kennie Bloggins arrives tomorrow for what shall be an amazing birthday weekend, surely. On the big day, Friday, Scarny and I are having dinner with four others (SM, KB, Kate Moss, and my bro) and then shall scurry to a bar in the East Village before ending the night at an old local favorite.

I feel really good about turning 30. I feel really lucky that I have such an amazing group of friends and family.

In less celebratory news, last night's action included me spending four hours attempting to put together a recently-acquired chest of drawers. The instructions clearly stated: "This piece is HEAVY. Two people are REQUIRED for assembly." Who was I to call, however? This is probably the only time in the last year that I wished I had a boyfriend or some shit.

(I never did finish assembling the thing. I sliced my thumb open, bled all over its nice white finish, and installed a drawer upside down. I'm pretty sure it's a lost cause.)

In the course of putting the dresser together, I had forgotten to eat dinner and thus, scarfed down two steamed dumplings (small, cold) covered with Sriracha sauce while standing in front of an open refrigerator at 11:00 PM.

Bring on vacation.

initial impressions

I warn you: I really know nothing about fashion. Nonetheless, some thoughts about tonight's red carpet stroll:

I think J.Lo looks aMAZing. I've heard she's done the Grecian goddess thing quite a bit lately, but who cares? She pulls that shit off.

Rachel Weisz does NOT need that necklace.

Penelope Cruz's dress is incredible.

I'm digging Cameron Diaz's white dress and green drop earrings. ANTM's Jay Manuel didn't love the hem, but I disagree.

Maggie Gyllenhaal is rockin' two Fall '07 trends: feathers and black & blue. I looooove it.

Nicole Kidman looks like a Christmas present.

Naomi Watts is obviously pregnant.

Jennifer Hudson's jacket is distracting.

Meryl Streep? Yawn.

More soon. Maybe.

go fly a kite

Boy, last night's "Lost" sucked.

I'm not the only one who thought so.

I think I threw up a little bit in my mouth when I saw Bai Ling and her obvious double-sided tape utilization on the beach. Gross. What the hell does this do to move the plot along? And why didn't they give us any more info about Cindy and the kids? And could I care less about Kate and Sawyer right now?

I hate to say it, but it was a waste of an hour.

let's play hardball

Counting down to "Lost" time, y'all. To live blog or not to live blog?

(Much love to KB.)

The Veep and I exchanged cell phone numbers today. He initiated the exchange, of course. We had a twenty-minute discussion after work about where I'm headed in the company. He gently discouraged me from beginning a doctoral program in the relatively near future, as he says (and I quote!), "You are definitely going places here. I give it six months: you won't be sitting where you're sitting now."

It sounded a lot less dirty when he said it, though. Don't worry.

(Oh, and I wasn't really thinking of getting a doctorate anytime soon. I just casually mentioned that it's something I might pursue in the future.)

We also discussed such thrilling topics as how fast we can run on the treadmill, his suave phone voice, and my love/hate relationship with public transportation. He said (and I quote!) "We need to get you a car."

Um, yes, Veep. We do.

Finally, my horoscope:

Money issues can either be very good or quite difficult during the next weeks, but either way, you want to spend to have fun. Just remember that what you can spend may necessarily limit what you are able to do.

Oh, hell no. Ain't gonna be no limits on nothin' -- not when KB and SM are flying into town in a week to spend days of debauchery with me, Scarny, and KM for the big birthday bash.

Charge it!

your boyfriend is younger than my boyfriend

Brunch Club NYC was resurrected today with a meeting at Enid's, an old haunt I would frequent with the Agent back in a former life. Joining me and Scarny were KM and former Athenian (and delightful artiste), SD. 'Twas a good time all around, what with fried grits for Scarnsworth and Hungry Bear pour moi.

(Oh, and two Bloodys a piece.)

Post-brunch brought the requisite meeting of Movie Club with Scarny and we saw this. Who knew pedophilia was so hot? Oh, that's right: Nabokov.

I think it might be time for a meeting of Nap Club now.

hieronymus

This will only appeal to "Lost" viewers.

Some Easter Eggs I either missed due to live blogging or was too dumb to figure out -- that I've read on the blogs...

The word "namaste" is written backwards on the painting of the polar bear in Penny's dad's office

Another painting in the office is the same painting done by Claire's boyfriend off the island

The delivery guy says he has a package "for 815" = "4 8 15..."

The guy with the red shoes dies with his feet sticking out a la "The Wizard of Oz" -- obviously, not the first time the movie has been referenced

The Dharma logo was on the red shoes the guy was wearing

Ads for Bubbies diapers, the Hanso Corporation, Oceanic, and Apollo candy bars can be seen at the football stadium on TV

We know that Charlie sings "Wonderwall" to Des, but the exact lyric is "You're gonna be the one who saves me"

And an exciting Easter Egg from "Not in Portland":

During the "Clockwork Orange" scene, if you play the film backwards, there is a woman repeating the phrase "Only fools are enslaved by time and space"

So, Scarny, you posit that when Des woke up after turning the key, it was akin to Bill Murray waking up on G'hog Day -- and Des will continue to go through his life, again and again, reliving the same thing up until the point he turns the key, until he "fixes" something?

great ideology creates great times

Scarny and I dream of a birthday celebration like this...

flashes before your eyes

Live blogging "Lost"!

I've had two and a half beers and a two hour-long political discussion with my mom, who just admitted that she is now a registered Independent! Hurrah! (Better than being a registered Republican, IMHO.)

Just turned on "Not in Portland". Last eight minutes.

Kate realizes she's (in the words of Gob) made a big mistake. Off they go with the dude who was Alex-ized (in "A Clockwork Orange" terms) to the beach, leaving behind Juliet and um, Alex.

Oh, shit. This is when eyeliner-man and Ethan Rom (Other Man!) appear.

Did I mention that I dig Juliet now? I wasn't sure what to make of her in the first six episodes of Season Three, but yeah, I dig her. I like the juxtaposition of her attitude off-island (sheep) with her attitude on-island (bad-ass). But, y'know, not really bad-ass, 'cause she's a captive, too. But, indeed, she was a captive off-island: a captive of her ex-husband, of her relationship with her ex-husband, of her sister, of herself. I'd like to know when she turned the corner on-island.

Fuck, what is this? Literary analysis?

Here's eyeliner dude!

Why does my roommate insist on spending all of her time in her room? Even when she knows that I love "Lost" and she watches it and I'm more than happy to watch it with her in the living room and...

"Hit by a bus!"

...anyhow, maybe my roommate doesn't like me.

Okay, here we go. Back to the beach. I think it's gonna be Desmond-heavy and I'm happy as a clam.

Hurley! I've missed you so much. Desmond, too. All we need is Sayid and Locke... Locke! There you are! Oh, this is a great episode already and we're merely watching flashbacks from earlier seasons.

SAYID! LOCKE! TOGETHER WITH HURLEY! and Charlie.

Just got a text message from Kate Moss that reads: "Sayid!!!" Indeed.

Oh, Desmond is off! Running like a maniac. Strippin' off the clothes. Swimming. What's he doing? Swimming towards someone! There's Sun with Aaron. Oh God, it's Claire. Drowning. Oh shit. Hurley still hasn't lost an ounce of weight. How did Desmond know that she was out there? WTF. Not breathing. There she goes. WTF. He's psychic!

Hurley says, "He sees the future, dude." HMOG.

I love this show.

Kate Moss text: "Wow!"

Indeed.

Commercial Break One: Was that just a Kleenex commercial capitalizing on Hurricane Katrina? Okay, that deserves a HMOGWTF.

We're back and Desmond is pining for Penny. Claire looks like she wasn't almost-dead. Her hair is shorter or something. She looks different. Charlie is skeptical.

"If he could predict the future, he wouldn't have ended up here would he?" Good point, Brit. Unless the bloody island made him psychic! Duh. If it cured Locke of his paralysis and Charlie of his withdrawals and Sun of her infertility, surely it can cure someone of their inability to predict the future.

Desmond is hot. I totally wanna hang out on a beach with DESMOND! AND HURLEY! and Charlie and drink whiskey and sing songs about drinking and fighting and girls with one leg and a heart of gold.

Oh no! The numbers! Flashback to all-hell-breaks-loose at the end of Season Two.

Desmond flashback.

Wait, huh? The island was a dream? A drunken hallucination? Desmond wakes up with red paint after turning the safety key and he's in his flat with Penny? Are they pulling a "Dallas" on us?

Commercial Break Two: A boring KY ad.

Oh, off topic: I'm reading "The Devil in the White City" and it's pretty damn good. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in history and/or true crime. It was a finalist for National Book Award. J was a huge fan and recommend I read it over a year ago and I'm just now getting to it, between "Lolita" and "White Noise".

Okay, we're back.

The beeping. The microwave. Sounds like the Hatch. WTF is going on? Okay, wait: are his dreams a glimpse into his future? And thus, he's in a constant state of deja vu? I think I'm going to have to scour the fan boards tomorrow, sadly. Is this show too smart for me or are the two-and-a-half-beers getting to me?

Okay, the race around the world... yes, he's dreamed the race, he's dreamed the island, and now he wakes up, and everything that he has dreamed is coming true. Right? Agreed?

I just texted KM: "I think he dreamed his future of the island and now he's living his present and the island is his future!" HMOG, again.

Charlie! Singing Oasis songs! This shit is getting so good. I am so happy that I love this show and watch it on a regular basis. Best show on television. (Besides "60 Minutes", of course.)

Commercial Break Three: KM makes a good point: If this is Desmond's past, wouldn't Charlie remember Desmond from England after they were on the island? Ah, yes. Maybe the island has fucked with the memories of everyone? I mean, I know they can remember some things, but perhaps they've developed selective memories -- in such that they can't recall anyone whose paths they've crossed prior to arriving at the island? This is a mind fuck, indeed. Oh, and I'm not paying attention to the commercials.

Okay, we're back.

Desmond swears that he wasn't dreaming his future, but I'm not so sure. "There's no such thing as time travel, Des. From what I understand, true love can be just as unlikely."

Oh, god. The jeweler is psychic. This is freaking me out. Must call KM.

Commercial Break Four: Of Montreal goes to Outback, tonight... KM thinks that he's on the island, he's dreaming, and he's dreaming of his past, albeit a distorted past.

Okay, we're back.

Scary jeweler. Scary, psychic jeweler.

It's back to free will vs. destiny. This topic has woven itself throughout the last two and a half seasons and it's been one of my favorite themes. He sees the picture and he realizes that the jeweler was right: he'll be going to the island and that is his destiny. He breaks up with Penny.

Ring. Into the river.

Commercial Break Five: I'm tired. Zzzz.

Okay, we're back.

So, Desmond was unconscious this whole time... dreaming after turning the key and imploding the hatch. KM was right! Smart lady.

"Please, let me go back. Let me go back one more time. I'll do it right. I'll do it right this time. I'll change it."

"You can't change it. No matter what you do. You can't change it."

"When I turned that key, my life flashed before my eyes and then I was back in the jungle and still on this island -- but those flashes didn't stop. I wasn't seeing Claire, Charlie, I was seeing you."

"I tried, Brother. I tried twice to save you, but the universe has a way of course-correcting."

"I'm sorry 'cause no matter what I try to do -- you're gonna die, Charlie."

WOW!

letters and sodas

My bro has an obvious affection for the mid-1990s, as well.

some kind of wizard or something

Bill Cosby has one.

My mama has one (see left).

Tonight, the sweet Dandie Dinmont Terrier, owned by the Cos, got some props by scoring Best in Group (Terrier) at the 131st Annual Westminster Kennel Dog Show.

Mom told me that Maggie could care less because she was terribly busy with her squeezy frog toy.

It's understandable.

Tomorrow night: Best in Show.

Update: (9:03 AM, February 13, 2007)

Headline spotted on the train this morning, while reading over the shoulder of another:

"HOT DOG IS A COS CELEB!"

the breaking of a wave cannot explain the whole sea

I'm so tired of dating. So, so, so very tired. I'm taking a break from it all.

Tomorrow night, however, I have a date with an old friend (Al!) with whom I haven't spent a lick of time since the Summer of 1999 (also known, to many of you, as the Summer of Action). Will we even recognize each other? I do hope so 'cause we're meeting in Midtown West and there are few places less enjoyable in which to walk around, lost and confused, searching for your dinner partner.

Last night's Book Club meeting was a whole lotta fun, actually. We met here and had pizza and salad and wine and conversation. Out of the ten or so women who are in the club, a rousing three showed. Ha! 'Twas still a good time, however. as we actually discussed the book (!) but discussed men and work and the city and what not, too.

Next book? I'm pushing for any of the following:

"The Sound and the Fury"
"Catch-22"
"Don Quixote"
"Uncle Tom's Cabin"
"Song of Solomon"

...but I'm not sure what the others have to say about my Oprah-like choices.

done her morning duty

It may have been the four beers...

Or the fact that I was in my warm, safe living room (albeit with all lights off)...

Or the fact that I was with a Georgia resident whose ex dated my ex...

Or perhaps because it just ain't that scary...

But I watched "The Descent" last night and wasn't frightened at all! In fact, those cave creatures made me laugh, not unlike...

In other boring news, I'm off to my first book club meeting. The novel in question? That naughty piece of smut entitled "Lolita".

it's the stoli talking

It's no WDE like Caddy's, but it's up there.

We meet at Robin des Bois and he seems nice-looking enough -- was still wearing suit and tie from work (he's a civil attorney in midtown; former criminal prosecutor). I get wine, he gets a martini.

Large martini #1.

We chat about work, our families, and the other usual topics of first date conversation. He seems animated and confident at first, but as time goes on, he begins coming across as a wee bit arrogant. He seems to boast quite a bit about his accomplishments and his once-charming sarcasm was now, by large martini #2, turning annoying and off-putting.

I had the sneaking suspicion that he wasn't even that interested in me at this point but was just going through the motions, drinking his large martinis, hoping to get laid.

Despite acting like I really was lucky to be out with him, he begins constantly touching my leg from under the table, causing me to have to shift left and right to avoid him. After large martini #3 (I'm only on my second small glass of wine, by the way), he suggests we get one more drink at Zombie Hut. I honestly want to go home, but figure one more drink wouldn't kill me, especially because he's paying. We both get beer. Brooklyn Lager.

At some point in front of the fireplace, he begins relaying a story about a frat brother of his (yes, frat brother) and unabashedly remarks, "Man, that fag!" to which I respond, "Um, what? Fag?"

Oh, he loves this. He can tell that I'm slightly offended by his language. He goes off on a 10-minute diatribe about how all straight men call each other fags when women and gay men aren't around. I tell him I disagree. He says I'm fooling myself. He argues that we, as a culture, are getting far too sensitive about language and because he has no malicious intent behind the word, it's harmless. He also states that his mother is a lesbian who has been with her partner for 17 years and that he has had two gay roommates, both of whom are friends of his, so this proves he cannot be homophobic.

I don't really give a shit at his point if he's homophobic or not, and I'm all for free speech, but I do think it was poor judgement to be so loose-lipped on a first date. I suggest that we leave the bar, as it's now 12:45 in the morning. He demands that I take a cab home and I say that no, I'm fine with the train, which is a block away. He demands that "at this hour" I take a cab and that he'll pay. Um, okay. So, we get into a cab, the cab driver drops him off at his place, he leans in for a brief kiss, and then tells the cab driver to take me home. He stuffs $40 in my hand and I give him back a twenty.

The door closes and I tell the cab driver to drive me back to the train and I pocket the rest of the cash. When I get home, there is a text from him:

"Despite what you may think, I'm interested in you."

Update:

Emailed me this morning:

It was a pleasure meeting you last night. You seem like a really nice girl with a lot going for her. I'm sure you're going to do great out there in the singles market.

However, due to a number of reasons, I don't think it would be productive for us to see each other again.

Seriously, though, you seem all right. ;-) We should do it again. I'm trying to weasel out of my Saturday plans right now. If I'm successful, why don't I cook you dinner that night?

"lost" post

Oh, and I watched "Lost" last night!

I still get creeped out by the site of Ethan. Was Juliet's sister a man? Ben got it on with the French chick. "A Clockwork Orange" was referenced. Kate realized she made a mistake by choosing Sawyer. I miss Sayid and Hurley and Locke and Desmond. I hate watching the show with commercials. I hate that we have to wait another week. Sawyer's snarky comments slightly annoyed me. Couldn't they just swim to the other island? Didn't a commercial come on every three minutes? Or was it just me? How did Dharma get the bus to hit Juliet's ex-husband? We do assume that Ethan and Ben = Dharma, right? Oh, and that dude who was trying to recruit Juliet wore way too much eyeliner.

(There you go, DJ!)

Update:

Found this interesting comment:

Did it strike anyone as odd that Juliet's sister was named Rachel? Rachel, is after all, the biblical name for Jacob's wife, who despite having problems bearing children (aha!), eventually did give birth to Joseph and died giving birth to... Benjamin.

...here.

hands down

I'm altering the birthday plans a bit.

Dinner will be intimate: six people, tops, I think (though I still need to discuss this with Scarny). Drinks with a bigger group to follow. (Thank you, Kate Moss, for your input.)

I have reservations now at this place and have posted on Chowhound to get other recommendations. I've asked how Tao compares to Kittichai and I've found that those who have responded prefer Tao.

Oh, and celebs prefer Tao, too.

Date tonight here.

Date tomorrow here.

Therefore, date with myself on Saturday here.

downtown chic, fun, hip

I'm torn.

My 30th (and Scarny's 28th) is quickly approaching and all I want is to have a memorable dinner with my friends and family. I'm going to choose the restaurant and Scarny will choose how the rest of the evening plays out. (Scarny, should we hit up Bungalow 8? Bed? Duvet? Sway? Milk & Honey? Lotus? Employees Only?)

I made tentative reservations here, but am starting to think that it's not special enough. Have tossed around Buddakan, primarily, but also Kittichai in my head this evening.

(With one eye on the game, of course.)

Where should I go? Some of you will be there (and of course, if I know you, you're invited), so weigh in.

Kittichai?

Buddakan?

Somewhere else?

it's history

Yesterday I wanted to run to Chicago with Susie and campaign for Obama.

Today I want to be a Social Studies teacher.

Tonight, post-Pilates, I have a date with a fellow who worked on the Dean campaign.

(Oh, and despite losing my mind for 2.5 days, I feel better about the J sitch -- I know that total abstinence is the way to go. I know, I know... it just takes me a long time to really accept things.)

12th street

She said he's like a drug and I believe her. She said I act abused and I agree. I just need to turn it off. I just need to meet someone new.

chillin'

As I lay in bed this morning, Soterios Johnson warned me that it was nine degrees outside and that the wind chill would be negative ten today.

Negative ten!

style wars

I may have another date tomorrow night. I say "may" because he emailed me this morning and has yet to confirm. This, of course, will be looked back upon as what-they-call-"a-red-flag".

Tomorrow night is a big night for someone I know. This someone may occasionally read these here musings. (Okay, that narrows it down to what? Two? Three people?) If you're reading, I'm thinking of you.

I may have another date next week. I say "may" because we've yet to confirm a date and time and location, but his emails have been long and winding and interesting and chock full o' questions about me. He said "I can't get over your smile" which I thought could be looked back upon as what-they-call-"a-red-flag", but I kinda dug it.

The wind is howling outside. The wind chill is zero. Old Man Winter has truly arrived.

My muscles ache from the multiple sessions of weight training at the gym and from once-a-week yoga and from once-a-week Pilates but I know that they ache in a very, very, very good way.

I'm makin' some grub for Kate Moss and Scarny on Saturday; after much thought, I've decided upon the menu: the best damn chili in Brooklyn, the best damn cornbread in my 'hood, and the best damn maple apple crisp to ever come out of my kitchen. They're supplying the booze.

Y'all jealous?

grapevine left

Picture this, if you will...

Me.

Taking my first step aerobics (yes, step aerobics) class since 1992.

That is some Dance Dance Revolution shit if I've ever experienced it.

(How the fuck did I used to do it?)

I ultimately just stood in the middle of the floor, arms crossed, in awe. Had to take an extra hour-long weight training class afterwards to make myself feel like I got a decent workout.

(Note to self: no more step aerobics. Ever.)

Now my limbs are stiff and aching and I'm in bed, listening to "Hissing Fauna" and wondering who Eva (of "Bunny Ain't No Kind of Rider" shame) is. Athenians? Please divulge.

sweet pleasure

At some point last night, I brazenly introduced myself to a stranger on the sidewalk. I invited Scarny, AW, and my bro to a dinner party next Saturday and then promptly forgot doing so. I spent $40 on two different cab rides, the first of which included driving around in circles as we made our way from the Lower East Side to the East Village. I shared my miniature bag of Mini Eggs with my second cab driver and had him drop me off so far from my apartment, I still needed to walk 18 minutes to get home. I woke up wearing only socks, underwear, and a hand-knitted scarf. I did two loads of laundry and 45 minutes of yoga before 10:00 am this morning.

Kate Moss fell asleep on the train and ended up in Queens.

We found a new favorite bar, where apparently the liquor comes with crazy pills.

2008

It's getting good, folks.

What with this...

and this morning, this!

reasons to move to brooklyn

The following are portions of emails sent to me from my old co-workers, whom I saw yesterday:

"Seriously, you were just radiating..."
"I can't tell you how nice it was to see you looking both confident and happy..."
"It was so good to see you... you look great and happy..."

Apparently, Brooklyn does wonders for your mood and looks!

go out on a limb

I have done my good deed for the week: I have officially set up the friend and the guy.

He's interested, she's interested, and he's contacting her soon to set something up.

Hopefully this helps with my romantic karmic balance.

everything old is new again

Remember this time last year?

I'm having lunch with J today.

(I can hear you groaning from here.)

hypothetically speaking

Let's just say you meet someone.

He's intelligent, nice, successful, ambitious, interesting, attractive, and attentive. Let's say you go on a few dates and enjoy yourself, but after the third date, you cannot shake the feeling that this person is just perfect...

...for your friend.

She, too, is intelligent, nice, successful, ambitious, interesting, attractive, and attentive. She's single and though has actively dated, hasn't really found anyone special. He and she would be great together, you think.

(You don't mind this at all -- you're pretty sure that you and he [in Caddy's WDE's words] don't have enough in common to sustain a relationship, but you're pretty sure that he and she might.)

Is it acceptable to play match-maker?

brutha man lends his two cents

"I'd suggest not dealing with rock 'n roll cats. They're all pretentious and shallow. From my experience, they're all assholes."

(I know he ain't talking about my friends, though.)

i can't be up to my eyeballs in tchotchkes

Is my snarkiness always a defense mechanism?

Does possessing a beard mean you're a hipster asshole?

Does possessing hot tattoos mean you can treat me like shit?

Why start a scarf for someone you've known for two weeks?

Why is Kate Moss always right?

Why can't I embrace the word "ciao"?

Why does my supervisor have such a sad face?

Can I eat trail mix for lunch every day?

Is it going to snow?

Can I bring up the war on a third date?

Why am I so trusting?

Why am I so guarded?

Was it ever possible for J to clone himself?

Will I grow my hair long?

Should I quit smoking?

Is Caribbean food sufficiently festive enough for my 30th birthday?

Will Bay Ridge Sunset Park ever feel like Rockefeller Center?

(Feel free to answer.)

note to self

a) Don't talk about the war on a second date.
b) Trust your instincts.
c) Leave your local coffee guy a big tip tomorrow.

my worst fear

I want to shake this man's hand.

thanks, emma

1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
Developed a love of spicy hot food; moved to Brooklyn.

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more
for next year?
I have no idea what my resolutions were last year; this year they have
already been broken.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My former co-worker gave birth to baby Eden.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.

5. What countries did you visit?
Only the USA.

6. What would you like to have had in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
A more spacious apartment.

7. What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
December 3.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting a new job; getting a new apartment; getting a new life.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not continuing to run on a regular basis; trusting too much.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No.

11. What were the best things you bought?
My anchor necklace from an artists' fair in Soho; plane tickets to
Georgia; cast-iron panini press for my mom.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My own.

13. Whose behavior appalled you?
J's.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Food.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
A trip to Kiawah Island; moving out of my apartment; J.

16. What song will always remind you of 2006?
"Ride Like the Wind" by Christopher Cross (though actually an 80s gem).

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

i. happier or sadder? happier
ii. thinner or fatter? the damn same!
iii. richer or poorer? richer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Road tripping.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Waiting for someone to change their mind.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
With family in New Jersey.

(21?)

22. Did you fall in love in 2006?
Not really.

23. How many one-night stands?
Two.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
"Lost"

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No, I don't hate.

26. What was the best book you read?
"Candide" by Voltaire.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Yacht rock.

28. What did you want and get?
A gift certificate to an Institute of Culinary Education cooking class.

29. What did you want and not get?
An orange cast-iron Le Crueset saute pan.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
"The Science of Sleep"

31. What did you do on your birthday?
Had brunch in Tribeca with the Agent, visited Roosevelt Island, ate Thai
food with many friends, drank beer lattes at the Greenpoint Tavern in
W'burg.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
See 19.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
Tight.

34. What kept you sane?
Kate Moss & SM.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Bill Clinton.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The war.

37. Who did you miss?
Coley, Caro, Z.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Monique.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006.
You create your own happiness.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I was a hero / early in the morning / I ain't no hero / in the night.