November 2011
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Lesson Learned: "Chai"
I made chai buttercream frosting (for pumpkin cupcakes and then reprised for chocolate-spice cupcakes) and chai simple syrup last weekend (for cocktailing). You could say I was on bit of a chai kick.
While working out how to do these things, I did a bit of research on the stuff and learned, to my surprise, that “chai” is actually the word for just “tea” in much of South...
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'Tis the Season for Fall Cocktails
Pumpkin chai cocktail, anyone? That’s what I thought you’d say.
I’ve had some pumpkin vodka infusing for a couple of weeks: a liter of Ketel (anything Smirnoff or Svedka and above would be fine), a can of pumpkin, a few whole cloves, cinnamon sticks and black peppercorns. Keep it in a cool, dark place, and shake every so often to mix it up.
I’ve been saving it for...
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October 2011
3 posts
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Swiss Chard Pie
Considering turning this long-dormant URL into a food blog. For now, this is what I had for lunch today. I had some CSA vegetables lying around, desperate to be used, along with some extra pastry dough in the freezer, so—voilà.
It’s quite pretty in real life; please pardon my lack of photog/art directing skills.
Anyway, let’s get to it.
A note: the eggs are meant as a binder;...
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Oatmeal: A Love–Hate Thing
Ode to Oatmeal: a Haiku
You nourish, delight.
But sometimes, I get so sick
of you, I might puke.
I spend my falls/winters eating oatmeal every morning. It’s easy, warming and satiating. But I forget sometimes how cumbersome it can become. At times I find it repulsive and can’t swallow another bite. I guess that’s a classic symptom of Oatmeal Overdose Syndrome.
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Grade School Romance in 25 Words
I entered a writing contest sponsored by Aryn Kyle and Alison Espach, via Alison’s “Other Things” blog: 25 words about an elementary school crush. I am pleased to say my story was a finalist (out of how many entrants, I have no idea). Check it out:
He asked me not to tell anyone his middle name: Vernon.
A secret too good to keep — my best friend told EVERYONE.
He dumped...
April 2011
1 post
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“But then, he hated most places that were not New York; away from it over any...”
– Truman Capote, Summer Crossing
February 2011
2 posts
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On Daily Office Life
Office drone's partner: How was your day? Do anything interesting?
Office drone: Oh, it was fine. Spent the day reaching out, touching base and circling back. Pretty typical.
Office drone's partner: No checking in today?
Office drone: Oh yes, of course—how could I forget? Plenty of checking in. All before COB.
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Which Decade is This?
Spotted on the F train this morning: a woman with headphones poking through her tote bag, pulling out various cassette tapes, many hand-labeled, “CBS Mystery Theater.” She finally settled on a Simon and Garfunkel tape, which she then inserted into her first-generation Sony Walkman.
January 2011
1 post
October 2010
10 posts
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How to Be Grown Up, #3: Ironing
Learned 10.27.10
Iron your clothes once in a while. You never know when you’re going to need to not look like a total effing slob.
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How to Be Grown Up, #2: Shoe Holes
Learned 10.26.10
If your shoe has a hole in it, throw it away or get it fixed. Do not wear it with the hole intact. Especially to work. Particularly if the hole is on the bottom and you wear that pair of shoes without socks, sickie.
Possibly the Best Halloween Idea. Ever.
In trying to choose a Halloween costume, particularly for Slice magazine’s villains party, it occurred to me that the easiest thing to do would be to pick a character played by someone I’m told I look like. Then I’d be halfway there and the actual costume part wouldn’t really matter.
In other words, I hope Helena Bonham Carter continues to play creepy/awesome characters...
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(I Ate It Anyway)
I made my lunch last night after a glass or two of wine too many.
Apparently I thought a pile of taco meat slopped onto soggy squash fries and topped with a slice of chorizo and one of prosciutto for good measure, seemed appetizing.
I hate myself.
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How to Be Grown Up, #1: Home Alone References
Learned 10.07.10
Note to self: “Home Alone” references are not likely to be understood or appreciated by most people. Particularly people in a staff meeting.
(In case you’re wondering, it was, “Bring me back somethin’ French!”)
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How I Almost Got "Saved" Yesterday
A young, sane-looking woman stopped me on the street, looking like she needed directions. “Excuse me,” she said, reaching toward my arm to show she was talking to me. “I wanted to ask if you had ever heard of God’s mother?”
She had a lisp. Or it’s possible she was actually asking if I had ever heard of “God the mother,” the way you hear, “God...
May 2010
3 posts
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The Anti-professional
This morning at 10:30am, a potential employer called me, and asked, “Did I wake you?”
My head clouded in sleep, I accidentally said yes instead of lying. Oops.
How does a person grow one of those professional filter things?
April 2010
2 posts
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A Little Update
…since my last post, which was oh, so long ago.
And which was about my car—which I have since sold. (Yay!) My dream is to never have to own another car for the rest of my life.
Luckily, as of May 1 (landlord approval and lease finalized TODAY), I will live in a city that will make that possible (if not forever, then at least for a while): New York. Brooklyn, specifically. Park Slope, to be...
February 2010
3 posts
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My Delightful Drive This Morning
Know this: I hate driving.
Once in a while, however, the right music mix makes the ride quite lovely. This morning featured just such a mix, made from a combination of a CD and an assortment of Detroit radio stations.
Enjoy:
“Little Bit,” by Lykke Li
“Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems,” by Biggie
“Just What I Needed,” by the Cars
“Crazy on...
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"People of Walmart" in Real Life
I went to Walmart yesterday because I had a gift card and needed some milk. While there I was affirmed in my heretofore avoidance of said store.
I was in the fitting room trying on an adorable $7 dress. It was purple with a very short, tutu-esque, black tulle skirt, part of Miley Cyrus’ line. After much deliberation I decided, defeated, that I’m too old to dress like a 16-year-old....
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"Sling Couture" is a Real Company
…and they sent me this spam email blast today:
Yep. A fashionable arm sling provider. Sequined cast covers?! Awesome.
The icing: their magnificent tagline—
Now THAT’S good copywriting.
January 2010
5 posts
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It's (Apparently) Never Too Early to Join the AARP
I received this in the mail today—at work, nonetheless, where I usually receive nothing. I guess it was a mistake, or maybe they have a “halfway there” policy for inviting potential members.
The letter states, “Your admission is guaranteed if you’re 50 or over, whether working or retired.” It does not say, “Your admission will be denied if you’re under 50”—at least as far as I can tell. Does...
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Dead Snowman
Yesterday I walked out of work to find this in the parking lot:
I think it was someone’s idea of a snowman, made out of gross parking lot snow. Now, I guess this makes me a snow murderer, but it felt pretty good to run this little guy over.
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Sorry, We're Jiggy
(Via, by way of @mbsnyder.)
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Vegetarian-Friendly Sea Slugs?
Have you guys heard about the half-plant sea slug? This story is so crazy. MSNBC reports, “The sneaky slugs seem to have stolen the genes that enable this skill from algae that they’ve eaten. With their contraband genes, the slugs can carry out photosynthesis—the process plants use to convert sunlight into energy.”
They apparently obtain chloroplasts from the algae they eat,...
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Spelling Lessons for Your Enlightenment
A couple spelling-related things have circulated my office today:
10 Words You Need to Stop Misspelling
Learn to Fucking Spell
Both seemed more than share-worthy. (Granted, I’m a spelling/grammar/syntax geek; so much so that I once broke up with a guy for spelling it “tomarrow.” Well, combined with the fact that he posted John Mayer lyrics on my Facebook wall. Ew.)
December 2009
3 posts
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My Mom Texted Me the Other Day...
Mom: Did you start a new blog?
Me: Huh?
Me: You know what a blog is?
Mom: My m6 is a style icon! I found it yesterday
Me: Your m6? What is that?
Mom: MOMisastyleicon. sorry im driving and shouldnt be texting
Great role model.
Anyway, this is the site she meant: My Mom, The Style Icon. Not bad. Moms are pretty fantastic; I’m totally for promoting their awesomeness.
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Oh, Hello There
Oops. I sort of forgot I had a blog.
Then my friend Kristy mentioned it on my Facebook wall the other day, which reminded me.
Then I Facebook-stalked Kristy, which led me to Kristy’s Etsy store, Imagination Nation, as well as to style rookie, a fashion blog by a 13-year-old girl named Tavi with sweet clothes and a refreshing perspective. These two places led me to buy a pair of...
October 2009
3 posts
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Apparently It's 1909
We realized today that our office phones are afflicted with the Y2K bug. The date on the phones’ digital display shows up as Tuesday, October 16 (instead of Friday) — which would be correct if it were 1909.
Funny.
In the news today is the story of a Louisianan interracial couple who was denied a marriage license on the basis of the justice of the peace’s “concern for any...
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Gross or Cool? (A Poll)
This is not Photoshopped. A dude had an ear grown from his stem cells. Then he had it implanted into his arm. He calls this “performance art,” but I don’t see where the performance part comes into it — or the art part.
It seems like people shouldn’t be allowed to do things like this. I’m not sure why, but the idea of weird body part growth and strategic...
“At present the United States has the unenviable distinction of being the only...”
– Progressive Magazine, January 1917 (Via, by way of.)
September 2009
4 posts
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The Most Despicable Creature on the Planet
(Image from dragonstouch.co.uk, a website I obviously frequent.)
Meet the Komodo dragon.
A creature of island gigantism, this guy weighs in at 100 pounds (not including undigested food).
He eats a little of everything red. A sampling of their dietary delights: Monkeys, baby Komodo dragons, insects, humans and human corpses (if they can dig their way into a grave), miscarried deer remains — as...
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Close Talkers Are the Worst
A notorious close talker at my work called to say he’d be in late today because he was up all night sick. The announcement was met by a collective office groan with the certainty that anyone he close-range talked to/breathed on would end up getting sick too.
The biggest problem with close talkers is that they don’t know they do it. Or maybe they do and they don’t realize...
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August 2009
3 posts
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Role Models?
I was watching “Top Chef” (which I really like, even though I’ve always sworn to hate reality shows until the day I died) last night, and all the Bravo commercials for “Real Housewives of Wherever” made me embarrassed to be a girl. These housewives are celebrated figures deserving of their own show and of an audience — for what reason? Because they’re married to...
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“America has become a country filled with people who stubbornly continue to...”
– —”Daydream Believers,” American Journalism Review