I went out with a guy last night...
...and I think it's the first first date I've had in a long time that inspired me to actually want to see the guy again.
He's really funny. He's really smart. He's really tall. He's really down-to-earth. He's really into sports.
He kinda reminds me of Chris-in-Texas.
As this is doing double-time as an informal "Lost" blog, various individuals are using Google queries to find it...
I like the person who queried "Jin's the baby daddy".
PS: If you haven't listened to Guns'N Roses' trilogy ("November Rain", "Don't Cry," "Estranged") lately, do it. Particularly on full volume while riding the train home from having beers at happy hour with one of your BFFs. You'll thank me!
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.
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.
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"?
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.
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!
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.
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.)
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.)
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.
"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.
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!
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...
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.)
(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."
