I really don't have too much to say today, but I've gotten out of the habit of blogging and I feel a little bit guilty. I'm at a friend's house in the Spokane area right now, pursuing both business and pleasure. Thoughts of late:
- I've been obsessed with a few songs over the last few weeks: "Waiting For You" by Seal (which I've gotten quite good at lipsynching... And let me tell you, Seal's voice sounds pretty incongruous coming out of my mouth), "Chains of Love" by Erasure, and "Stay Beautiful" by The Last Goodnight. Surprisingly, I'm also quite fond of "With You" by Chris Brown. That's definitely not my genre, but I like it anyway.
- As someone who has been called a shopaholic, a cocaholic (Coca Cola...not anything else Coke related...), etc., I've decided that I need to get myself addicted to exercise. I've heard of that happening to people in a negative sense, but I don't think I could ever manage to be that far gone. I figure if I can be addicted to shopping I could be addicted to a treadmill and a few pounds lighter for it. Maybe? I'm sure it would behoove me.
- "Plato and A Platypus Walk Into A Bar" is a very enjoyable book. It gives brief descriptions of different philosophies juxtaposed with classic jokes related to them. (Pascal's Wager can be a hoot!) Very fun, even if (especially if?) you're not a big fan of philosophy, which I'm not.
- I enjoyed an evening at a paint-your-own-ceramics shop yesterday called "Color Me Mine". Besides getting to make a beautiful Fiestaware-style pitcher (which I need to go back tomorrow to finish), I got to enjoy quality friend bonding time and watch them create art as well.
In other news, it's summer, it's delightful, and I've got XM radio. For all it's trials, life is teeming with simple pleasures.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
Hey Nineteen Sixty-Nine
Currently I'm listening a collection of my Dad's music, presently "Hey Nineteen" by Steely Dan, to be followed by other songs of the pop, rock, soul, and just-plain-random variety. The 1969 part? My curious discovery about my love for male celebrities born in that year...most recently averred by my drooling over Jason Bateman in "Arrested Development".
Other Celebrity Thesis Fodder: Matthew Perry ("Friends"), David Boreanaz ("Buffy" and "Bones"), Hal Sparks (as depicted on "I Love The 80's" et. al., as opposed to "Queer As Folk").
Celebrities Making Me Question This Thesis: Horatio Sanz, Cate Blanchett, Verne Troyer.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Sunday in the Park with... No One Named George
I'm bothered that I haven't finished writing about my trip to Chicago, so, nearly two weeks later, I finally will:
Despite a very long night Saturday (I was up until about 3:30 a.m.), I was determined to go to the flea market I'd seen next to Target. I'd learned they'd be opening at six, so, with the determination usually only reserved for flight departures, I actually arose before seven, dressed for any tournament work I might do, then went to the flea market. It was HUGE.
I didn't even get to see all of it, but the things I saw were worth the price of admission. Among them: Boxes of cattle femurs and other assorted bones I didn't bother to read the tags on. An album by Ringo Starr where the former Beatle was pictured with a naked dwarf cartoon. A guy's booth that sold pretty much only tape. A collection of "Beware of Dog" signs, not unusual but for the addition of a sign tailored to households with "Attack Rats" (really?).
I also saw cool things that I was actually tempted to purchase, like old board games. In the end, though, I only bought $5 worth of albums: The Ventures (Telstar et. al.), The Kingsmen (Louie Louie!), and a collection of children's Christmas songs (I mostly purchased it for the cool retro cover that I figure I'll frame and put up as festive decor. Bing Crosby even sings on it though!). What's interesting about these Chicago purchases? All three of the artists I mentioned were Washington residents. The Kingsmen and Ventures were some of Seattle's major contribution's to 60's music, and Crosby attended Gonzaga University in Spokane for two years. Funny how things work out!
Despite wanting to see more of the flea market, and despite feeling my cold creeping back into my throat, I dutifully returned to wait with my fellow trivia volunteers. But there wasn't anything to do right away, and the sore throat and mere three hours of sleep were taking their toll. Wearily I told the guys that I was going to back to sleep and for them to call me if there was anything important to do.
-Three Hours Later-
Lunch at IHOP! That IS important!
After that, Paul, Paolo, Nathan, Frank, and I went downtown. We had five hours to kill before needing to be at the airport, so we went and explored Millenium Park, including the impressive Cloud Gate sculpture. For a while, we just sat on the grass near the park's amphitheater and chatted. It was a beautiful day and I couldn't ask for more. Frank said we reminded him of a group he'd hung out with before "One headstrong woman and three very goofy males." I joked that if we had a show together it would need to be called "Threve's Company". (If anyone doesn't get the reference, I recommend watching Saturday Night Live's Celebrity Jeopardy.)
Speaking of Saturday Night Live, our afternoon was capped by a delightful excursion: We visited a place called the Billygoat Tavern, the place on which the famous SNL skit "Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger. No Coke, Pepsi. No Fries, Chips," is based. (I tried to find a clip on YouTube, but to no avail.) Except, at the original Billygoat, they actually have Coke instead of Pepsi, which made me very happy. The lead cook was just like SNL had depicted. "I'd like a cheeseburger," I said. "DOUBLE?!" he asked. "No, just a single," I replied. "DOUBLE??!!" he insisted again, and I relented. But it was exactly what I'd been hoping for. It's hard to explain the joy of being forced into an order for the sake of pop culture relevance, but anyone who watched Seinfeld's Soup Nazi would also understand :-) But he was right and, for the record, it was one of the freshest, most delicious cheeseburgers I've ever had.
Before too long Paolo was on a train back to Milwaukee and Paul and I were on a plane to Seattle. Chris was there waiting for us at the airport, ready for some Memorial Day fun on Monday.She took us to a delightful area of West Seattle. We had lunch at the Elliot Bay Brewing Company, which was yummy, then went to a two-story neighborhood record store called Easy Street Records. They even had a wide selection of LP's! I bought some 60's records that I hope to eventually frame, as well as some CD's. I've got to get back there... I'm sure I could spend hours! For our final stop, we visited Cupcake Royale and bought some confections for the road. A perfect end to a perfect weekend.
Current Mood: Relaxed.
Current Music: The Beatles "Hey Jude"
Despite a very long night Saturday (I was up until about 3:30 a.m.), I was determined to go to the flea market I'd seen next to Target. I'd learned they'd be opening at six, so, with the determination usually only reserved for flight departures, I actually arose before seven, dressed for any tournament work I might do, then went to the flea market. It was HUGE.
I didn't even get to see all of it, but the things I saw were worth the price of admission. Among them: Boxes of cattle femurs and other assorted bones I didn't bother to read the tags on. An album by Ringo Starr where the former Beatle was pictured with a naked dwarf cartoon. A guy's booth that sold pretty much only tape. A collection of "Beware of Dog" signs, not unusual but for the addition of a sign tailored to households with "Attack Rats" (really?).
I also saw cool things that I was actually tempted to purchase, like old board games. In the end, though, I only bought $5 worth of albums: The Ventures (Telstar et. al.), The Kingsmen (Louie Louie!), and a collection of children's Christmas songs (I mostly purchased it for the cool retro cover that I figure I'll frame and put up as festive decor. Bing Crosby even sings on it though!). What's interesting about these Chicago purchases? All three of the artists I mentioned were Washington residents. The Kingsmen and Ventures were some of Seattle's major contribution's to 60's music, and Crosby attended Gonzaga University in Spokane for two years. Funny how things work out!
Despite wanting to see more of the flea market, and despite feeling my cold creeping back into my throat, I dutifully returned to wait with my fellow trivia volunteers. But there wasn't anything to do right away, and the sore throat and mere three hours of sleep were taking their toll. Wearily I told the guys that I was going to back to sleep and for them to call me if there was anything important to do.
-Three Hours Later-
Lunch at IHOP! That IS important!
After that, Paul, Paolo, Nathan, Frank, and I went downtown. We had five hours to kill before needing to be at the airport, so we went and explored Millenium Park, including the impressive Cloud Gate sculpture. For a while, we just sat on the grass near the park's amphitheater and chatted. It was a beautiful day and I couldn't ask for more. Frank said we reminded him of a group he'd hung out with before "One headstrong woman and three very goofy males." I joked that if we had a show together it would need to be called "Threve's Company". (If anyone doesn't get the reference, I recommend watching Saturday Night Live's Celebrity Jeopardy.)
Speaking of Saturday Night Live, our afternoon was capped by a delightful excursion: We visited a place called the Billygoat Tavern, the place on which the famous SNL skit "Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger. No Coke, Pepsi. No Fries, Chips," is based. (I tried to find a clip on YouTube, but to no avail.) Except, at the original Billygoat, they actually have Coke instead of Pepsi, which made me very happy. The lead cook was just like SNL had depicted. "I'd like a cheeseburger," I said. "DOUBLE?!" he asked. "No, just a single," I replied. "DOUBLE??!!" he insisted again, and I relented. But it was exactly what I'd been hoping for. It's hard to explain the joy of being forced into an order for the sake of pop culture relevance, but anyone who watched Seinfeld's Soup Nazi would also understand :-) But he was right and, for the record, it was one of the freshest, most delicious cheeseburgers I've ever had.
Before too long Paolo was on a train back to Milwaukee and Paul and I were on a plane to Seattle. Chris was there waiting for us at the airport, ready for some Memorial Day fun on Monday.She took us to a delightful area of West Seattle. We had lunch at the Elliot Bay Brewing Company, which was yummy, then went to a two-story neighborhood record store called Easy Street Records. They even had a wide selection of LP's! I bought some 60's records that I hope to eventually frame, as well as some CD's. I've got to get back there... I'm sure I could spend hours! For our final stop, we visited Cupcake Royale and bought some confections for the road. A perfect end to a perfect weekend.
Current Mood: Relaxed.
Current Music: The Beatles "Hey Jude"
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Cosmo-Not
So my friends Paul and Margaret and I did bar trivia tonight. I don't drink, and thus seldom go to bars, so this was a fairly new experience for me. But I love trivia, not to mention Paul and Margaret, so I knew I'd have a blast. It was at a place called The Blue Spark. It had tons of retro movie and album art (besides the standard beer signs), and they played pretty good music. (Though I didn't take advantage of it, the place even had a digital jukebox! Neat!) However, my beverage of choice, Coca-Cola, was not on the menu. Seriously, how many restaurants have RC Cola as their vendor of choice? With my standard out of the running, I decided to have a nonalcoholic spritzer of my own making. So, I skipped up to the bartender with my request:
Me: Hi, could I get a cranberry juice and 7-up please?
Bartender: Sure
Me: And could you put some sugar on the rim to make me feel special? (I asked this giving him my most winning smile.)
Bartender: Sure! (Smile returned.)
He shook the contents with ice and poured them into an adorable sugared glass, and charged me only a dollar. But later, I go up to the bar and it's a different bartender. I ask for the same thing, which he starts to put into a plain paper cup. Dismayed, I mention what I had before.
Bartender: No, we only do that for alcoholic drinks.
Me: He did it before...
Bartender: Well, there must have been some alcohol in it.
Me: No, there wasn't.
::He asks the other guy about it. When he confirms what he served me, Bartender #2 throws the paper cup and ice he'd started to prepare across the floor and angrily flings my spritzer into a sugared pilsner.::
Bartender: $1.50 (and I wasn't about to quibble).
The point of the story is this: I understand if they're keeping track of inventory or something, but don't us teetotalers, designated drivers, etc. deserve fun glasses too? Don't we deserve to be treated like any paying customer? I spent plenty there, considering I got a pizza for dinner as well. But...
This story is only part rant. It's also a nod of appreciation for bartenders that don't treat temperant customers as annoyances, or even go the extra mile to prepare a virgin special. Kudos to the guy at The Blue Spark tonight. I wish I could have afforded to give him a bigger tip.
And in case you're curious, we missed winning a prize by 3 points, but we still had fun. And I won some Samuel Adams glasses in a raffle.
Me: Hi, could I get a cranberry juice and 7-up please?
Bartender: Sure
Me: And could you put some sugar on the rim to make me feel special? (I asked this giving him my most winning smile.)
Bartender: Sure! (Smile returned.)
He shook the contents with ice and poured them into an adorable sugared glass, and charged me only a dollar. But later, I go up to the bar and it's a different bartender. I ask for the same thing, which he starts to put into a plain paper cup. Dismayed, I mention what I had before.
Bartender: No, we only do that for alcoholic drinks.
Me: He did it before...
Bartender: Well, there must have been some alcohol in it.
Me: No, there wasn't.
::He asks the other guy about it. When he confirms what he served me, Bartender #2 throws the paper cup and ice he'd started to prepare across the floor and angrily flings my spritzer into a sugared pilsner.::
Bartender: $1.50 (and I wasn't about to quibble).
The point of the story is this: I understand if they're keeping track of inventory or something, but don't us teetotalers, designated drivers, etc. deserve fun glasses too? Don't we deserve to be treated like any paying customer? I spent plenty there, considering I got a pizza for dinner as well. But...
This story is only part rant. It's also a nod of appreciation for bartenders that don't treat temperant customers as annoyances, or even go the extra mile to prepare a virgin special. Kudos to the guy at The Blue Spark tonight. I wish I could have afforded to give him a bigger tip.
And in case you're curious, we missed winning a prize by 3 points, but we still had fun. And I won some Samuel Adams glasses in a raffle.
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