Friday fun, Saturday cravings

These are some of the fun & interesting things I experienced last night:

1. A lengthy discussion on duality as it pertains to the human condition, and how now is the time to stake your individual directive, remain true to your stance, and expose it to the masses. Because every idea is just a dart thrown randomly at a board, it comes down to how hard you fight to prove you're closest to the bullseye.

2. Jam Band man at rock show, earring intact, doing his crazy beautiful dance to the ripping, soul-shaking cacophony that was Tok.

3. NYC-based band Lissy Trullie, out of tune and out of sight, a mash up of Syd Barrett, Chrissie Hynde and channeling Lou Reed circa 1977.

4. Dredge is the last swallow or two of beer in a glass, which should then be added to a new pint to make it whole. Thanks John - what would I do without you?


Things that I desire/need/wish/hope to have today are:

1. Large cup of chai tea latte or jasmine tea (doable)

2. Fresh mini-cini donuts from the Asian lady at Soulard Market (she hasn't been there in weeks, chances are slim)

3. Monkey House (this will happen....)

4. Reflexology (doubtful, unless it's self-applied)

5. A nap with the pup (definitely)

6. A snuggie (according to Jeff, they are on backorder...so I guess I'll have to muddle through with my cumbersome, ineffectual square blanket)

7. Pad Ped w/crispy spring rolls

Friday playlist

It's been a great day - licked my chores, caught up with wayward friends, and squeezed some reading in there as well. My mood is good, I'm jazzed about the weekend, and the following is what naturally came about as my soundtrack for today:

1. LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends
2. Starmarket - Carry On
3. The Immortal Lee County Killers - Boom Boom
4. Black Keys - The Desperate Man
5. Kings of Leon - Taper Jean Girl
6. Yaz - Midnight
7. Beastie Boys - Professor Booty
8. Gang of Four - Damaged Goods
9. The Buzzcocks - Why Can't I Touch It?
10. Cibo Matto - Know Your Chicken
11. Modest Mouse - Lounge (Closing Time)
12. Sonic Youth - Bull In The Heather

Rant #2

In an earlier post I ranted about people who contribute to the overpoplutation of this earth, through the use of fertility drugs when they already have kids.

Apparently the woman who just had octuplets ALREADY HAD 6 CHILDREN, one of them a set of twins.

Which, if you're any good at math, makes 14 FRIGGIN CHILDREN.

So I wonder how much of the stimulus package she'll be asking for.

Nightmare

I'm trying to remember if I ate anything close to bedtime last night - I don't think I did. I had the craziest nightmare, and I'm attempting to decode it. It's got to have some meaning. Maybe someone out there can help:

- I was a contestant on one of those Fear Factor shows, and I was doing the "swim underwater the length of a looong pipe and stop occasionally for air" challenge. I have this fear of being underwater and not being able to breathe, so there's no way in HELL I would agree to do this. THEN, when I finish, one of the producers runs up to me and says that they were monitering my brain waves during the challenge, and it looks like I have epilepsy and am disqualified. So my efforts were all for naught!!!

- After every contestant was out of the water, we received news that another contestant, who happened to be my friend John, suffered a head trauma and died. WTF?

- Crying, I walk back to my "Fear Factor post-challenge bungalow", and my friend Candace is there. I hear a noise, open the front door, and see that the moon is crazy-close to the earth, like I can touch it, and it's really loud and looks to be on a collision course with my little patch of green. It's like a bad Bruce Willis or Will Smith movie. I start screaming, grab Candace, and we go into the basement and hide under the stairs. All the while, I'm convinced I'm really going to die, and that aliens will be coming shortly for us. It's terrifying.

- THEN....John (alive and well but with a huge bloody scar that runs the circumfrence of his head) and some other friends of mine show up in fur coats with all of these shopping bags, and they apparently have been shopping on other PLANETS. My friend tries to spray me with perfume, of which I'm convinced is poison from the aliens, and she's chasing me around the shack while I scream for my life.

So, what can this all mean? I felt as if I was going to die in my dream - I don't believe I've ever had this feeling, in real life or dreams before so I'm really shaken up. I thought of aliens twice. Planetary collisions. Fear Factor. Dead friend. Fur coats and evil perfume.

I'm too scared to go back to bed without figuring out why I had such a nightmare. Because you know sometimes you get dropped right back into the dream where you left off. Can't let that happen....

Rant

Couple things....

$819 billion stimulus package. We are just a little bit screwed. It's not a repeat of the Great Depression. It's the Grand Depression.

Also - why is having 18 children a blessing? Especially when there are millions of children who need a home. And what's a Jinger? Really, now. Stop already. And cut your hair.

And finally, why, when you already have a set of twins, do you think you need to take fertility drugs and then have sextuplets? Well, I guess the answer might be cutting a deal with TLC for your own show and becoming a millionaire. Berating your husband on national TV and having a very bad foil job and schlepping out your family for money is awesome.

Good talk, mom. Thanks, I enjoyed it. :-)

What stinks?

My sense of smell is one of the keenest around, sometimes a curse, sometimes a blessing. And of late it's been a curse.

For the past few days, I've noticed a certain smell in the downtown/midtown areas of St. Louis. Like junkyard-dog-rotten-breath-landfill-poo.

At first I thought my friend's dog had thrown up in my backseat unbeknownst to me. Nope, not the case.

Then I thought I had dog doo on the bottom of my shoe. Lifted, checked...nothing there.

Today I read in on the STL Today website
that I'm not the only person to suspect there's something rotten in Denmark.

There are many refineries and sewage plants in close proximity to St. Louis, and they are claiming the odor is not of their doing.

The St. Louis Fire Department says that the air is safe, and they hope the smell goes away soon. Wha?????

How do they know it's safe if the source cannot be determined? That's the laziest cop-out I've heard in years. Nice job investigating. Idiots.

So, the odor is still there, but less so. But enough to make me wonder if we've all breathed in enough to make us sick, sometime down the line.

Guess time will tell.

My Family

I ran across this picture of my mom and brother taken on Christmas Eve 2007. It was taken at my aunt Deb's house. I'm sure my mom will kill me for posting this picture, but I think it's a really nice one of her.

That's my brother Jeff standing next to her. He doesn't always look that mental, he's playing it up for the picture. He's an orthopedic surgeon, and a darn good one. He's been to Iraq twice, courtesy of the USAF, and helped to save the lives of soldiers as well as Iraqi civilians and insurgents. He's out of the Air Force now, thank goodness, safe and sound in St. Louis.

My mom came for Christmas this year also, and I believe she is reverse aging. She looked about 15 years younger. I remember when we all met up at the Olive Garden the night she flew in, I sat next to her and was amazed at how luminous and wrinkle free her face was. She was radiant. Since I'm adopted, I won't be able to claim those good genes, but maybe I can attribute her healthy glow to growing up in ND, so that I can get in on the secret.

When it snows out, like it is doing now, I miss my home, and my mom. Even though I believe that my old room has been turned into the "computer room", I'm sure I could walk in that room and feel just right. I wish I could wake up there tomorrow morning, knowing it's a snow day by the sound of her in the kitchen making pancakes with the TV on listing the school closings. That's the best.

Then later, when we'd be playing Boggle, she'd put on the Chuck Mangione record. Something soothing like that.

So, I saw this picture, and it's the closest I'm going to get to home right now.

And there you have it.

Chilly Dog

Great morning - what an amazing sight, watching the dollops of white blanket the streets.

It always makes me miss my hometown - snow means no school, pancakes shaped like Mickey Mouse, Aggravation and Battleship, and falling asleep on the sofa watching movies.

Oliver loves the snow. He digs his nose in it, prances around and makes paw tracks.

Boy, he needs a trip to the groomers. Soon.....

Cuppa Joe

It's coffee time.

Almost every weekend my friend Mary and I meet up for coffee, sometimes breakfast, and catch up on the previous week's events. Girl time - it's something I really look forward to, appreciate, and knowing that it's coming helps get me through a tough week.

We've gone to many places, some good, some fair to middlin. Here is a short list of some of what I think are the good venues:

1. Olivette Diner - this diner is small, warm and unpretentious. It's the perfect place to sidle up to the counter, or snug up in a booth, and shoot the breeze for hours. It sits in a strip mall just east of Lindbergh on Olive. We've cozied up in the back for hours and were never given the evil eye to pay up and move on. Coffee is always good, hot and plentiful, wait staff is friendly, prices are cheap, and the food is just greasy enough to be called "diner fare". Oh, they don't take credit - cash or checks only. Sometimes the cook gets crabby and starts yelling, which only adds to the charm.

2. Cafe Ventana - Mary found this little gem, and it's a great place. Located on Pine, off the beaten path in the CWE, you wouldn't know it was there unless given directions. They have great specials that cater to the SLU students, and are also very cyclist-friendly. The decor is a bit more upscale than a Bread Co, but still comfy. Seating ranges from counters, tables, and couches, and original artwork is showcased and for sale on every wall. They mix a mean chai, and their selection of fresh fruit is eclectic (pomegranates, starfruit, prickly pear) and they make fresh beignets.

3. Soulard Coffee Garden - Love this joint. It's located in Soulard, and has a unique feel to it. Kinda like home. It's like a diner but not greasy, laid back, good selection, various places to sit (downstairs, upstairs, deck, patio/garden), and good portions of food. It's comfortable. A little dirty, but not in a bad way. Great coffee. And when I'm not in the mood for breakfast, I can order up lunch at 8:00 in the morning. Flexibility - that's important.

4. City Coffee House & Creperie - this place cracks me up. Pretty much from open to close, they are packed. Located in the heart of Clayton, it sports tiny little tables, no room to walk, and a small order counter - cramped beyond belief. Sometimes, the line is so long it's out the door, and if you're at a table close to the line, you'll be eating your crepe with someone's ass in your face. The thing that wins me over about this place are the crepes. Fantastic. Buckwheat. Fruity. Meaty. Tarty. Tasty. Just good stuff. So if you can handle the chaos, it's worth the wait.

Weekend Playlist

1. Jolie Holland - "You Painted Yourself In"
2. The Kills - "Pull a U"
3. Asobi Sesku - "New Years"
4. Charming Snakes - "Love Life"
5. Sons & Daughters - "Dance Me In"
6. Lou Reed - "What's Good"
7. World Party - "Way Down Now"
8. Poi Dog Pondering - "The Hardest Thing" and "Complicated"
9. Icicle Works - "Whisper To A Scream"
10. The Stratford 4 - "Where The Ocean Meets The Eye"
11. Dar Williams - "February"
12. Swearing At Motorists - "Losing Mine" & "It Came Out Of Nowhere"
13. Sigur Ros - "Ára bátur"
14. Margot & The Nuclear So and So's - "Light On a Hill" & "Talking In Code"

Stupidity (one hot mess)

Around noon today, I was on Skinker on the far south end of the park, right by the Hi-Pointe. The few cars in front of me braked suddenly, and then slowly started to proceed again. I looked ahead to see what the problem was, and I saw a car was on fire in the far right lane (closest to the park).

Surreal. The car looked to be a gold/tan older sedan. There were flames coming from two places - under the hood and under the vehicle (a little less than what's depicted in the photo I attached, which isn't the actual car but an example). Moderate flames, reaching fairly high.


As I drove slowly past, giving the car as wide a berth as possible without getting into the lane of oncoming traffic, I thought to myself, "I wonder if it will explode?".

Der. Der, der, der.

Good thing I drove so slowly and close to it.

My only excuse for this tremendous stupidity is being from ND - I'm well equipped for a cold emergency, but not a hot mess.

Jeez Louise.

Book Review

Astonish Yourself: 101 Experiments in the Philosophy of Everyday Life

This book by Roger-Pol Droit is a little pretentious, but if you can get past that it offers some very interesting exercises on self-exploration. Depending on the type of person you are, you may discover something new about yourself, someone you know, or the human race in any of the suggested 101 activities.

It makes for an interesting conversation piece.

It might make you smile.

Stuck In My Head...

So I'm not only a stalker, but also a fanatic about some things. Like my favorite movies.

There are some movies I've seen so many times that I've memorized the lines, the looks, the songs, the soundtrack. You know, those movies that when you see them on your cable guide or are flipping through channels, you just sit and watch at whatever point they're at because every scene is a pleasure?

A few of mine are Some Kind Of Wonderful, Shawshank Redemption, 40 Year Old Virgin, Out Of Africa, Broadcast News, The Big Chill.

Another is The Wizard Of Oz. Probably my second favorite movie ever, It's A Wonderful Life being numero uno.

Being the nerd that I am, I talk and sing along with every scene. I probably drive whoever watches with me nuts when I do this, but whatever....they'll just have to deal.

The following is my favorite song from the movie:

Munchkinland Musical Sequence

Six minutes worth of pure fun.

I have this on my iPod now, and have to be careful not to sing along while at the gym. I can dork out at home, but try my best not to in public.

A Reason To Greet The Dawn (under cover of darkness)

I love my gym. My new gym.

I recently moved downtown, and had been trekking out to the South City YMCA, which was decent - has a great lap pool, okay cardio, early spinning classes, friendly folks. Pretty quiet in the morning, not a lot of chatting, in & out is a breeze. Which is one wants at 5:00 in the morning, right?

I recently found out that there was more I could want.

And needed.

And desired.

I went to the Downtown YMCA one cold winters morning, and got the grand tour. Rooms and rooms of spanking new equipment, spacious and well-lit rooms, a lap pool, a sauna, two steam rooms, a highly-equipped spinning room (mama like), and........

.....wait for it.......

...a row of Expresso Bikes.

Hold on, I need to grab a towel. I always salivate a little when I think about my new best friend.

The Expresso Bike is amazing. Truly. It's interactive in the best sense of the word. You can choose between different levels and rides, some are more hilly/level than others, so your workout varies. It challenges. It thrills. And what I absolutely love about these bikes is, in a word, the videogame element.

You have the ability to steer the bike in whatever scenario you choose - you could be dodging/passing other riders, attempting to stay on the curve of the trail, or escape certain death down a steep and snowy slope.

It's loads of fun.

AND (it just keeps getting better) there's an element of competition, as you log in and can track your rides, miles, performance, etc., while competing against other riders all across the country for prizes.

It's good fun. And great motivation for getting up at 5:00 a.m. - I think alternating these rides with spinning classes will add some flavor to my triathlon training. Or at the very least, get me ready for some summer centuries.

Ride on.

I Am A Stalker

So, I saw this incredible film, Reprise, just before Christmas, and I officially became a stalker.

There are two male leads in the film, both just charismatic as hell and easy on the eyes. When I watched the Special Features from the DVD, there was a section that showed how the two leads, who didn't know each other before being cast, attempted to "bond". So sweet.

I think that's when I decided to "friend" via Facebook Anders Danielsen Lie. No, that's exactly when I decided to "friend" him.

And officially became a stalker.

I didn't have high hopes that he would take notice, or even "friend" me back.

He did.

And while I can't understand, read, write, or speak Norwegian (even though it's my heritage), I always smile a little inside when I see a post from him on my Facebook.

Never mind my pathetic adoration, check out the film yourself. It's quite amazing - it's got a documentary/Danny Boyle/Trainspotting feel with some voiceover. Also, some nice little surprises on the soundtrack - The Jam, Joy Division, New Order, Le Tigre.

For a real treat, check out Anders' website - he's a musician, it's beautiful stuff, really.

He also has a MySpace page.

Yes, I am a true stalker. Already planning my trip to Oslo.

Enjoy.

Shout Out to the Smarty Redhead

Congratulations to my friend Margaret "Maggie" Frost - she just got accepted to the Washington University Law School.

This gal is a supa smarty. She just graduated this December with a B.A. in Advertising, and currently works for Rodgers Townsend....as an intern.

She decided, one day, that she wanted to go to law school. So, she studied for less than 3 weeks for her LSAT test, and the only study guide she used was a book she picked up from Borders (and it wasn't published by the Princeton Review or Kaplan).

And guess what happened?

She scored in the top 3% on her LSAT. Whoa!

She received a slew of invitations from top law schools to apply to their programs. Natch.

She narrowed it down to a few, SLU and Wash U being two of them. Nice.

Wash U came through with the first offer - they are ranked at #19 by U.S. News. Good school.

So, whether or not she chooses to matriculate at Wash U, I just wanted to give this gal a shout-out, as she deserves all the best this world has to offer.

In the meantime, and in light of her recent major accomplishment, perhaps it's time for that raise.

Go Mags!!

Scientists closing in on cloak of invisibility

Had to bring this story to attention.

I'm hoping the Cone of Silence will be released soon.

Charlie Sexton/Some Kind Of Wonderful

Couldn't end the afternoon without hearing this classic, Beat So Lonely, but Charlie Sexton circa 1986.

The song was featured in one of my all time, favorite movies, Some Kind Of Wonderful, starring Eric Stolz (king of indie cool in the 90's) as Keith, the cool but dorky, lone art student who doesn't fit in but doesn't care. Mary Stuart Masterson stars as his asexual buddy Watts, the little drummer girl who hides a soft heart beneath a wrenching bravado.

This is a movie completely made up of one-liners...

-It's a party, it's not the end of the world. (Hardy Jens to Keith)
-It's better to swallow pride than blood. (Watts to Keith)
-You look good, wearing my future. (Keith to Watts)


This particular song was playing when Keith and his new detention skinhead buddies broke up Hardy's party and declared victory over the cool kids. Elias Koteas played the lead skinhead, a dreamy sort of fellow, who later went on to star in Cronenberg's Crash, a fairly controversial film at the time of it's release (I'll save this for a later post).

Anyway, let's enjoy this song and end this Thursday workday on a good tempo.-

70's Saturday Morning Fun

Since I've been strolling down memory lane with Burger Chef, Streets of Fire and the Stains, I thought back to how much I looked forward to Saturday morning cartoons. I did a little search, and came up with some of my favorite shows from 1976:

Isis - What I do remember about Isis were her wicked cool lace-up sandels, her shiny crown and that cool amulet/necklace that gave her special powers. From mild-mannered science teacher to superhero, she was what I aspired to be for Halloween.

Electra Woman and DynaGirl - So much fun!! It was like Batman and Robin but with better hairstyles and accessories. I believe I played this out in my backyard with the neighborhood girls - I was always Electra Woman. Natch.

Land Of The Lost - Ahh!!!! So good. Chaka - I always wanted a little paleolithic buddy. Will, Holly, Marshall, the Sleestacks, and the T-Rex always bugging them at the entrance to the cave. Why don't they make shows like this anymore?

Then in 1977, you had shows like Bigfoot and Wildboy, Grape Ape, JabberJaws.

And finally in 1978, the Bay City Rollers brought their feathered good looks and Rock 'n Roll Love Letter to you. The best lyric from that song? "I'm gonna keep on rock and rollin' till my jeans explode." Jeez....what could that mean? I believe I ran around the house singing this - dirty even back then.

Nippy

It's 2º outside. That's dang cold. Frost on the windshield cold. Cover your ears cold. But not so cold that I can't hack it...read on.

In my hometown of Dickinson, ND, it's currently -27º. That's butt cold. Frost on your eyelids cold. Cover every piece of exposed flesh cold. Stay in and make soup because it's too dangerous to drive to Bonanza for chicken friend steak cold.

They expect a warming trend this weekend - it will be a balmy 0º. Break out the grill, we's having a BBQ.

Growing up, when the weather got to be at least 50º, we would wear shorts and vests (no coats) to school. Oh, ya, that was like summer to us, don't ya know. You betcha.

If the weather was above 0º, we would do something outside for gym...even in HS. Like going for a half-hour run to the park and back...in 1 1/2 feet of snow. Or going cross-country skiing. I kid you not.

Sometimes, instead of running in that retarded cold, Jan Selle would pick us up (she had free period) and drive us to Hardee's for a Mushroom-n-Swiss which we would eat in her car, listening to Poison or AC/DC. That was back when Hardee's hamburger patties were spongy-greasy-good, not huge hunks of dead charred cow like they are today. Mmmm - not so much.

Anyway, it's cold out there. Be safe - keep warm.

Diane Lane circa 1980's

I am not tired in the least, so I rummaged through my movie dresser and pulled out my bootleg copy of Ladies And Gentlemen...The Fabulous Stains (LAGTFS to us true fans).

Great movie.

Grrrrl power all the way.

I remember when I first saw this flick, I think I was 11 or 12, and it was on Night Flight. Does anyone remember that program on USA? That was where I was first exposed to punk and underground films. Great songs like "I Want Candy" and "Fish Heads" by Barnes & Barnes. For a sheltered little Dakota girl, it was eye-opening stuff.

I digress.

LAGTFS had a great lineup - Diane Lane, Laura Dern, Ray Winstone, and members of the Clash, the Tubes and Sex Pistols. Incredible. Mixed various genres of music, like ska, metal and punk. I so badly wanted "white stripes", or even to wear makeup, like Corrine "3rd Degree" Burns. Magic. I loved the ending, where they did a "flash forward" of what the Stains were up to years later, looking like they just stepped out of a Glamour Shots studio a la Go-Go's, all New Wave and grown up. Too funny.

On a side note, it's my opinion that the White Stripes derived their name from this movie. Diane Lane's character dyes her hair with "white stripes" on the side, and wears only black and red clothing. Sounds a bit too familiar, dontcha think???

Second side note - another much-forgotten Diane Lane gem is "Streets Of Fire". Great cast - Michael Pare, Rick Moranis, Amy Madigan, Willem Dafoe, E.G. Daily (from Valley Girl).

"My dear guests, I am Mr. Roarke, your host. Welcome to Fantasy Island."

R.I.P. Ricardo Montalban passed away today at age 88. When I was little, I would watch Fantasy Island and I thought he was so debonair. Some of those plotlines were way too scary for a little kid - I remember there was a Jack The Ripper episode, I probably shouldn't have seen it but it was usually a pretty benign show.

He was pretty good in the Star Trek movie as Kahn. The bug in the ear thing, with the blood, was creepy. That's about all I remember, not much of a sci-fi fan at that age (um, or now either).

I keep thinking that maybe he showed up in one of the many 007 movies...either way, his passing just makes me feel a little bit older.

Farewell, Mr. Roarke.

KoKoNut

KoKoNut is the dog my former fiance decided we needed to BUY New Years Eve 2004. Her papers FROM THE BREEDER (*shame*) say that she is a Pekingese, but we later found out that she is actually a Tibetan Spaniel. Tibbies are in the same family as Pekes, they have a more lean and agile body and a not-so-smushy face. They are known for their stubborness, as is KoKo.

She is a very loving dog, she likes to give lots of stanky kisses, jump up and bite your butt when you get home from work (or wherever), and she will come over and plop down next to you when you're laying on the bed, floor, couch, etc. and keep you warm. She does all these things, but only on HER terms.

She doesn't share or play well with others, so when Oliver Smallville comes to visit, whatever toy he attempts to play with is quickly stolen away by the deadly little Nut jaws. Oliver, being the sweet soul that he is, acquiesces and chooses instead to stare longingly at the toy that was once his, if only for a brief moment.

KoKoNut was born of the Devil, we think, and for the first six months of her life, she just spewed fluid to the four corners of whatever room she inhabited. Pee, poo, vomit, drool, snot - you name it. Finally, it got to be too much, life was getting to be intolerable with her presence. That said, I was dispatched one Saturday morning to the pound to relinquish said Devil spawn. During the car ride to the Humane Society, I told her why we made the decision, and looked at her to see if she understood. She chose, at that very moment, to lay down on the front seat and give me a look that melted any hatred I had for the little white puffball of evil. Her eyes turned from a devil's milky, bloodshot yellow to an angelic clear blue.

I turned around just blocks from the HS, and as I headed back to our house, my phone rang. My fiance, assuming I had already dispatched the furry fiend to the shelter, pleaded with me to go back and retrieve her. When I told him of the exchange that had just moments before happened between me and the now fuzzy angel, he said he would be waiting at the front door with open arms and treats galore.

From that day on, the spewing, shitting, dribbling, dropping and drooling ceased, and our little devil has been (mostly) a gift from the heavens above.

The attached picture was taken one April morning at the fountain in downtown St. Louis. She's a happy dog.

Oliver Smallville

My dog Oliver, whose first Adoption Day is approaching fast, continues to delight me with new and interesting traits he chooses to expose me to at random.

Last night, he curled up in a ball next to my head, with his butt in my face. Sleeping so soundly, I didn't have the heart to move the little fella. Well, needless to say I kept waking up to noises and smells that were not meant for this earth. Of course, he couldn't be bothered to apologize, so when I turned over he got up and repositioned himself so that his back lay against the length of my back - a reverse spooning, so to speak.

This act more than made up for his "rear assault" earlier in the evening. Forgiveness was granted.