Up Stream And Loving It

I feel like a little salmon swimming upstream to spawn. And today I think I made it. Or at least I made it to a nice resting point on my journey upwards.

Everything is feeling so good today. The hot hot summer is a little cooler today.

(Inspired by Ellen) Here are 10 happy things in my life:

1. I went for my morning swim, which I haven't done since last week because of business.
2. I reconnected with two west coast friends yesterday that I have been out of touch with. One of them is Riva and I know we haven't been out of touch, but it's been A WEEK since we talked and that's just not right.
3. I bought a bicycle today. I already have one but I don't like it. Tomorrow I start riding my bike to work with my coworker, Adrian. He lives across the park from me and I just know he's going to be a great bike-riding buddy. The bike I just bought is white, which is something new to me, but I think I'm really going to love her. Now, I need a good name for her.
4. I listened to Prince. Not much else I need to say about that.
5. My manuscript is coming along (although I'm supposed to be spending two hours on it and I haven't started yet).
6. The librarian was nice to me and she knows me. She said I get more holds than most people and I felt proud to be such a good citizen.
7. I had a breakfast quesidilla this morning. Frenchmeadow Bakery is the place to go. Plus, the tortillas are a great source of fiber.
8. I've been coloring in my anatomy coloring book, which the owner of the bookhouse gave me for free since some of the pages are already used. It helps me get in the creative mood to start writing.
9. No more flying mammals.
10. I smell like wood from the sauna at the Y.

And one more for good luck:
11. I had my favorite coffee from French Meadow this morning. It's really sustaining me. They do it up right.

Two Things: 1. Flying Mammals 2. Matt M's Mix

At three in the morning, Cornelius started running around in circles. That's when we knew there was a flying mammal trapped in our new home. (If you don't know what a flying mammal is, it rhymes with Pat.) Miles escorted me to the bathroom where I locked myself in while he shuffled the flying mammal out the back door/patio area.

We have this little white box that you plug into the wall. Apparently rodents don't like the vibrations it puts off and it sends them running from the building. It really works.
I think that officially ends our major problems with the apartment. From here on out, I'm hoping for an easy living experience.

Secondly, the CD player in my car has been busted forever so Miles and I finally broke down and bought a tape player. Right now, an old mix tape from Matt Morong is on repeat. We both like it a lot. It's good singing along music.
Highlights include:
Angel From Montgomery
I'm Coming Out
Tupelo Honey
The Swimming Song
The Weight
Second That Emotion

So big thanks to Matt.

Almost Famous Parents

I am freaking out because I just read my parents' blog and they were chatting with Mark Ruffalo this past week. (RIVA, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!?)

For more information on how my parents are almost famous, check out their blog: http://betweenshows.blogspot.com/

I Want To Know, Have You Ever Seen The Rain?

After a hot and humid day of cleaning and clearing Evil Karl's house, we officially finished moving into our new home, which we have named Bruce LaBruce, though I can't remember why.

Last night, in exhaustion and dehydration, we drove to the Longfellow Grill (on the Mississippi River) for dinner. While we were there, an amazing summer storm struck down. There was something so comforting and snuggly about being in a room full of people while all around us there was lightning and thunder. I can't explain why, but it just felt good.

Our first night in the new house was not great. We don't have any curtains yet, so there's lots of sunlight in my room and with all the windows open, it's pretty noisy (compared to our suburban life four blocks away). Cornelius was chatting for a lot of the night. She's still trying to figure out where we are.

Still, I like being in Bruce LaBruce and I think this was a really really good move.

Sorry to those I've neglected to call this week. It's been super busy, but things are going to get back into a groove soon.
Today, I strongly suggest listening to Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Still Shaking

Karl, the landlord that I can't stand (from the place we are moving out of) just wrote an email to me about how frustrated he is with us.
I wrote him a long email back about what a horrible landlord he's been and how I think he is awful at being in a position of power.
My hands are still shaking. I can't wait to get out of this house. I am going to miss it, but I'm not going to miss him.
We are leaving tonight at midnight. I really didn't want things to end like this. I wish we could have ended on a fake-friendly note, but it's too late.
I made the mistake of emailing him yesterday and saying it sounded like he was frustrated. That was a can of worms I really wish I had left sealed.

raisin industry blues

I miss the California Raisins. Since I didn't watch much television as a child, they were more peripheral than present, but still, there's something comforting about raisins wearing sunglasses and playing jazz. Especially their incredible version of "I heard if through the grape vine". That was a great marketing campaign. Also, I think there must have been some sort of talent show at some camp I went to, maybe the JCC, where youngsters dressed in trashbags with sunglasses and pretended to be the California raisins.

Which brings me to my next point: I read this amazing children's book at work at one of the bookstores. It's called Raisin and Grape. It's the story of a grape and his grandfather, the raisin. And if I remember right the grape's grandmother is a prune. Truly worth a read.

I feel like right now I'm in the middle of everything. Here's a list:
1. mid-move. Mostly everything we own is at our new place but we're still living at the old place until Thursday.
2. mid-story. I'm really into the piece I'm working on. (I called it a "piece" because that's what writers do to prove that they are truly writers.)
3. mid-hiring. the bookhouse is hiring a new person. we found someone but she still doesn't know and she still needs to be trained.
4. mid-life. okay, not really. just wanted to throw a curve ball.
5. mid-schooling. again, not really. i'm really in the pre-schooling stage or the prep for schoolling stage, but i wanted the list to be longer.

It's getting hotter everyday here is sunny Minnesota. Cornelius is spending most of her time in a self-induced coma.

To go along with the i heard it through the grape vine theme, the song of the day is marvin gaye's "aint that peculiar". What a sad, true story of falling in love and being taken for a ride. And a great tune to kick off the summer. Let's hear it for long hours of sunshine.
Don't forget to eat your raisins!

Food, Glorious Food

As Aimme pointed out in the comments of one of my blog postings, I am writing about food a lot lately. Maybe it's because life is so busy and chaotic and food tends to be one thing I don't miss an opportunity to have. Yes, I think that's it.

So here's another food post.

Last night I went to Matt's Bar for the first time. I was avoiding Matt's even though it's only two blocks from my house because:
1. I thought it was a bar and I have a fear of bars, especially straight people bars.
2. In the winter, I saw a car skid and hit a pole right outside Matt's and I thought it was a sign.
3. I didn't think I was in need of greasy food.

I don't know what I was thinking. All of my assumptions were debunked hence making an ass out of you and me. (I don't know why that makes an ass out of you, but whatever.)

Matt's is so delicious. For $4.50 you get a juicy lucy which is a hamburger cooked with the cheese inside of it! Someone's a genius and I'm going to take a wild guess and say it's Matt. I had one juicy lucy, half a basket of fires, and a root beer.

The problem with this perfect picture is two-fold.
1. I drank SO much coffee yesterday and I'm trying to cut back that by the time I got to Matt's, I was dehydrated, too hot from the summer weather, and starving.
2. I had to get back home in less than an hour because I had to see the season finale of America's Next Top Model (which was heavenly, by the way, since Danielle is a goddess). So I ate at top speed and after we shovelled all our food into our mouths, we had to speed-walk back home.

So here's what I'm saying. Matt's is a really really good place. I am ignorant and need to be open to the fact that just because a place is called a bar doesn't mean it actually is. This has been a beautiful lesson in humility.

And to top it off, we're moving even closer to Matt's. Well, kind of. Maybe it's equadistant. No matter, I'm definitely going back.

2 Buck Chuck and Me

Today is a really good day. I am thrilled to announce:

TRADER JOE'S HAS ARRIVED!!!!

According to sources in the know, there is now a Trader Joe's in St. Louis Park, which is a suburb of Minneapolis.

Life is soooo good.

Steinsky's Bagels

Miles and I have come up with a new business venture. Instead of all this nonsense schooling we're embarking on, I'm thinking I'll have better luck and more fun opening up a bagel stand at the Minneapolis Farmers' Market. We can make all the bagels on site and sell them to eat as you walk around or you can choose to buy a dozen to take home.

DO NOT STEAL THIS BRILLIANT IDEA!!!

This could happen. I just need a food license and I need to learn how to make bagels. Simple. Plus, I'm not sure if this is the kind of thing that can be done without a large oven.

Here's some of the key points:

1. Minnesotans love Jews. Sure, they don't know any and many may hae never even heard of bagels, but they really seem to like the idea of Jewish people and this could be our golden ticket.

2. We've got a major corner on the market, as they say. There are no bagels that are currently being sold at the farmers' market. Plus the only good bagels in Minnesota are in Saint Paul and this would be a Minneapolis business.

3. When people find out we're two Jews making bagels, we'll be famous. The New York Times Styles Section will want to do a spread (pun intended) on us to talk about the hip Jews in the midwest. Or better, the Travel Section will write about us as a must-see when visiting the midwest.

4. Here's how Miles came up with the business name. His ancestors shortened his last name from Ottenstein to Ott and my ancestors shortened my last name from Warsettsky to Warsett. Hence reclaiming the last names Stein + Sky = Steinsky.

5. You'll get to tell all your friends that you know two quirky people in the midwest who make bagels for a living.

Good times. Great oldies.

This morning we went on a march for NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill). There were over a thousand people there. It was nice except I had to pee the whole time and since I refuse to use a porta-potty, I had to hold it for an hour and a half. At the end of the walk we got nice bracelets (for free) that say NAMI Walks Boston 2006.

Kimberley's friend, Eliana Sugarman, who she's known since she was eight years old is in town to celebrate Kimberley's birthday. Right now she's napping.

Tonight is Kimberley's birthday party and dinner. I'm excited to meet all her friends and hang out.

I am convinced my right foot is broken from all the walking I've done in the past two days. (Yesterday I walked from Porter Square to MIT and back.) My dad says it's not broken but I may sue him for malpractice if it doesn't feel better soon.

Yesterday during the day I listened to over three hours of acapella put on by the many talented youth of the Harvard undergraduate class. I didn't like acapella in college and now I know I still don't but at least I had free entertainment for three hours. It's been really hot and gorgeous outside so I've been tanning as much as possible.

broken

is my blog broken? it's not working in boston and miles reported that he can't read it in minneapolis. this is an experiment.

New England Pride

I took a long walk this morning in the hot Boston sun. I walked through Somerville and Cambridge and I saw a fair share of East Coast college bumper stickers on the back of Volvo station wagons.

What is up with people and thier college stickers? Is there some kind of collective pride here where everyone feels warm inside when they see a Harvard sticker on someone else's car? Or a Tufts sticker? Do other drivers grin and smile and wave? What am I missing?

Who is the audience? Who cares? I'm not sure what kind of feeling I'm supposed to get when I see someone else's car plastered with four or five ivy league logos on the back. Can you help me out with this one?

I Admit I Have A Lot of Time On My Hands Right Now

I know I just posted but I found out Louis Rukeyser, died Tuesday. He was 73.

You may not be familiar with him. Growing up, we never watched television at my house. But my dad made an exception for his favorite business report given by Louis. I always called him "George Washington" since they look like twins.

Rest In Peace, Louis.

First Stop: Trader Joes

As soon as I got in the car, here in Boston, we sped off to Trader Joes. ("Sped off" is kind of an exaggeration since Boston traffic never moves, but whatever.)

I loaded up on groceries since for some blasphemous reason there's no T.J.s in the Twin Cities. (They plan to have one built by 2009, I think.)

I have bad news for Miles: they are out of bbq chicken pizza. I'm hoping they'll have more before I leave for home, but they couldn't tell me for sure.

Anyway, I got some old faves: black-pepper cashews and three bars of oatmeal soap. Best part: it's all paid for by the parents. I love free money.

Now I'm hanging out at Kimberley's apartment which is quite lovely while the three of them go see some boring author reading. Then we're all off to dinner.

So far, no horrifying Boston moments to report.

Boston Frightens Me

Even though I'm scared of Boston because it's such an annoying city, I'm going there tomorrow for Kimberley's 30th Birthday.
I can't believe she's turning thirty.

Enough Said

Productivity Is Not An Option

I'm home from my really fun and relaxing and silly trip to Portland.

I need to buckle down (gross expression) and work on school stuff, preparing for my first semester, which starts in two months. But the real me, the little me inside of the bigger me doesn't really feel like doing anything. Even if it is on the planner.

So I'm not. Doing anything, that is.

It's a nice rainy day and I just got home from a day of staring out at the wet streets while womaning the register at the Bookhouse.

Ho hum.

Song choices of the day:
Mellow Yellow by Donovan
I Don't Do Crowds by Camera Obscura
Walking In Memphis covered by Cher

Book I would be reading if I felt like doing anything:
Ways of Seeing by John Berger

Special note to Riva:
Excuse me, where did you get your belt?

Chin tuck

As many of you know, I have an abnormally long chin which tends to get cut off in pictures due to its length. I used to want reconstructive surgery to take care of the problem. My new idea is to tuck my chin down towards my neck. I think I hold my chin out in front of me too much. If anyone has any tips for how to prevent chin sensory overload, please let me know.

I'm in Portland. Specifically I'm at Portland Community College where Riva is busy learning from some of the great academic minds of our generation. What a snob am I.

For those with extra time on their hands, I really recommend watching this amazing commercial filmed in SF for European audiences. My thanks to Riva for opening my eyes to another pop-culture-not-to-be-missed-by-those-with-information-anxiety-like-me-and-my-mom-gimic: http://www.bravia-advert.com/

We will miss you.

Shika Abui Addo
June 18, 1976 - April 18, 2006

Change of Plans

Kimberley's friend who lives in Minneapolis just comitted suicide so Kimberley is coming to visit tomorrow. They are friends from Stanford. I've never been to a funeral and I'm going to this one on Friday. Saturday I leave for Portland. Kimberley is going to stay at my house until Monday and hang out with Miles while I go west. Suddenly everything is so busy and intense. I'm glad I can be there for my sister right now.