La Vie en Curlsz Part One

As I have stated before, I hate malls, particularly depressing are the mall rats. Droves of people that wander up and down the mall, just wandering. Not really shopping, not really doing anything - just wandering.

Every mall has it's culture - weather it's the teenage clique, the soccer mom and kids, or the ladies lunch and shopping club.

Saturday Casey and I decided to do a little shopping after lunch - specifically a brave venture to a shop called Forever 21. Brave for two reasons. One it is located at Highland aka "Ghetto" Mall, and two it is known for it's trendy yet very cheap clothing at the expense of quality.

Basically Casey and I stood out like sore thumbs. It was obvious we did not fit in. Apparently we were missing the following criteria.

1. Four inch high hills
2. Shorts or skirts where our buts were hanging out.
3. Bra's as tops or tops that could have been bra's, either way.
4. 5 lbs of makeup
5. VERY large jewelry
6. A cell phone attached to our ear at all times
7. Our bellys showing - rolls or no rolls it apparently didn't matter
8. Most importantly, there were only two of us. We really needed about 6 more girls with us to make our pack.

Conversation overheard inside the dressing room.

Girl A "I look like a Mexican"
Girl B "You are a Mexican"
Girl A "I mean I look like a senorita"
Girl B "You are a senorita"

I'm sure there was much more interesting conversations after that.

Finally - ITunes US has Adele's full album for purchase - I have been waiting a month now for this - ITunes UK had it but apparently American's are not allowed to purchase from the UK sight - guess ITunes doesn't believe in world wide commerce.

Anyway - check out the album it is GREAT!! Pay particular attention to "Hometown Glory" and her version of "Make you feel my love"

Basically I depend on a few institutions to regularly feed me- Central Market, ZuZu's and The Soup Peddler.

The Soup Peddler is awesome - you go online place your order, pay, leave a cooler on your porch and viola food delivered to you - various soups, casseroles, quiche, dessert and various other dishes.

So imagine my surprise when I get this disgusting menu today! (I'll give the highlights) PS they totally had me going for a bit - and luckily if you try to order a jester pops up with the April Fools message - b/c if you want any of this you would be a fool!

Buttered Toast - A bit of do-it-yourself culinary from the Soup Peddler brain trust. We think that Soupies should take an active role in cooking their dinners... we deliver fresh, already sliced white bread and pats of good old-fashioned pre-portioned butter and all you have to do is toast it and butter it up, et voila. Breakfast is served! Fat-free, gluten-free

Ambergris Bisque (Feeds 2-4)... $1,200
A Soup Peddler first... our entry into the Guinness Book for most expensive bowl of soup, eclipsing the record by over $200. One of the rarest, most incredible ingredients known to man is ambergris, or whale snot. Primarily used as a scent for cosmetics and perfumes, we use it to flavor this delicate and delicious bisque...

Primordial Soup (Feeds 2-4)... $11
Fresh from the bacterial pools of prebiotic Earth, we whip together the essential ingredients in the recipe for life... a carefully heated mixture of pantoyl lactone, beta-alanine, and the surprisingly delicious cysteamine yields us... anyone? anyone? Right! It yields pantetheine. Nothing like a little abiotic synthesis of biomolecules to round out your weeknight dinner... Enjoy!

Cat-Chatore (Feeds 2-4)... $13
Ever wonder how certain foods get their names? Sometimes the derivation comes from the most obvious source... you simply cannot imagine what sorts of deals you can get on protein down at the pound these days! We pass the savings on to you...

Pig Heads (Feeds 2-4)... $11
Everyone has leftovers, even butcher shops... however we believe in the waste not/want not ethic that is so integral to the soupmaking spirit. Admittedly, we're serving this New Year's tradition at the wrong time of year but what rational person can limit themselves to pigs heads just once a year?

Rhesus Feces (Feeds 2-4)... $11
And for dessert, an excellent culinary treatment of the original inspiration for the classic Reese's product... do not miss this! Surprisingly delicious...

This is so great!

I just stumbled upon my friend Kate's "new" photography blog. She has a special talent for shooting children in my opinion (pictures of her niece even make me want to have a child!). And since I don't enjoy shooting portraits I often refer her when people ask me to photograph their family shots. It's just not my cuppa tea...

Anyway - I want to pass this along - she's a "starving" artist and the photography road is a long and bumpy one, especially in an artistic community such as Austin where their are 2 of each form of artist on every corner.

But if you need a portrait done - you'll know where to find her. And p.s I believe her work is currently being locally displayed at Central Market.

This is classic don't judge a book by it's cover - I am not sure why she is into children's colorings and making herself look like she is an adult trapped in a child's head - but her music is AMAZING. And it doesn't fit at all with this random image she is literally "painting". So check her out - I have literally listened to her album over and over.

WOW!!!!! You'll catch yourself mentally saying "this is too cool"...

Official U2 3D Site

Bob Bullock IMax Showtimes

Favorite Alberto Moments

The flower in his toes
The Barbie Pencil
Living in his imagination a little too much - ya think?
The Nails
The Constant flipping of the hair
Simon - "Well I didn't have a great moment but you have to keep the two things separate"
Alberto: "I don't know you kept interrupting me Simon"
Simon: "Where's my fan?"
The running with the giant fan
The Spanish "march to the guillotine"music

1. Spotting Erik McCormack (Will & Grace) in Times Square then following him to Sephora to snap this pic with my phone - he never knew....

2. Running into Paul Giamatti while he was filming The Owl in Daylight - we're strolling down Madison Ave I believe and I see a camera crew then further down the street this guy is just standing there and I'm thinking, I know him - I realize who it is about the same time I hear "action Paul, Paul action"

3. Winning tickets to the Letterman show - Monday night show he shaved - that was pretty hysterical, guests were Mike Huckabee and Tom Hanks.

4. The apartment we stayed in had amazing views and was in the Theater District in the center of it all!!! (pictured to left is the actual view - great job Casey)

5. Mamma Mia, Alter Boyz, Spamalot - all great!!! Alter Boyz definitely great for those that grew up listening to bands like DC Talk and going to summer camp (band members were Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan and Abraham - "the Jewish One")

Side note: we decided we are magnets for drunken idiots or crazy people in the theater. Whatever show we went to they found us. Row behind us - singing and seat dancing along with the music, two rows in front of us at second show - loudly commenting on everything and repeating all the lines to each other. Row in front of us at the third show, repeating all the lines and full body heaving as they laughed. If you are any of the above types of people - DON'T do it - it's beyond annoying, everyone around these people hated them!!!

6. The Guggenheim - such an amazing museum - architect of the building and collections itself.

7. Restaurants and Shopping - Sarabeth's, John's Pizzeria (building used to be a Gospel Tabernacel Church in the late 1800's), H&M, Bloomingdales, Zara - so fun! (Two thumbs down on Serendipity - more hype than anything else I have to say - we were crammed in, it was so hot we ended up leaving and not even ordering)

8. Tribeca - loved this area of Manhattan- and it's near Chinatown - purse shopping in Chinatown was a bit of a low but made for a great story!! (let's just say following the Asian woman into her secret room with a steel door that is padlocked was an experience)

And the endless amount of laughter and stories, great stuff!!

One of the best films I've seen in a while - and absolutely hysterical!

Clips

Official Site

Headphone cap - run, walk whatever all while your music is playing in your cap - how cool is that?!

To see click here

Some of my first readers may recall when I giddily blogged over my new state of the art, coffee snob, coffee maker - The stainless steel Cuisinart with a thermal carafe (see story here).

I admit, it was ridiculous how excited over this gadget I was - and how I thought it would change coffee as I know it (kidding). But the fantasy quickly became a nightmare - the bloody thing was horrible to clean - and even worse it was very hard to keep it clean. Mr. Cuisinart also proved to be very high maintenance when it needed new water filters and constant deep cleaning rituals performed. And the coffee was never very hot.... I quickly became disillusioned with my gadget but found others that shared my disillusionment and thus felt resolved. Resolved to dump him and get a simpler model....

Therefore the Cuisinart has been buried and a newer far simpler coffee maker has been introduced into my life - wish us luck.

p.s. I also found a far different gadget that knocked my socks off today - I'll tell all about that later, a hint though - the music is in the hat...

I was doing a little online shopping - and went to Macy's.com - I suppose everyone else had the same idea tonight because their sever was a bit busy - and this is the message that appeared on my screen (rather than the customary website is down message)

How diplomatic and creative you are Macy's...

We'll be right with you.

It's a little crowded in here right now, and to make sure everyone enjoys shopping with us, we're asking new visitors to wait here a few moments while other shoppers finish up. We'll refresh your browser and welcome you in momentarily. Thanks for your patience!

I'll be in NY in just a few weeks - so I'm taking suggestions. Restaurant you think I'll die if I don't go - dept store, fun find, amazing gallery, great club - all suggestions send them this way.

Also we are in heavy debates (not really, just very indecisive or non committal) on which Broadway show to see - I've already seen Wicked - any other suggestions?

(disclaimer: I am not a tourist trap person - so if a swarm of tourists donning fanny packs and Lady Liberty foam crowns are within a 10 mile radius count me out, thus one reason I'll be sleeping while others are trying to catch a 5am glimpse of Al Roker's bald head)

You know the lovely women of Great Nails did such a fabulous job that the nail biting freak I am hated to destroy their hard work - since I was there for an hour and half (see story here)!!

Yes I am a nail biter - I have resigned myself to this - I doubt it will change - but I really tried - and I painfully went almost two weeks without biting my nails. And discovered my nails grow like they are on steroids. I swear every day I was filing away trying to not look like I was on Dynasty.

But I discovered life is harder with nails. It's harder to take my contact out without stabbing my eye. It's harder to dial my phone, to type on the laptop. And they are harder to take care of.

So as of today I decided I am a short nailed girl - they are gone and I couldn't be happier!

FREE concerts on ITunes Podcasts - Now you may have already discovered NPR's All Songs Considered - and if so, congratulations - you get the cool kid of the school award.

This is so flippin great - Concert's I have listened to this past week include:

• (currently listening to) Death Cab for Cutie
• (just finished) Spoon
• Jose Gonzalez
• Travis
• Andrew Bird
• Au Revoir Simone
• Nickel Creek
• Broken Social Scene
• Neko Case
• The French Kicks
  
• The Frames
  

Best part to my little at home concerts, no annoying teenagers or pot heads in front of me obstructing my view - and the beer isn't $5 a bottle.

No but I'll take it...

That's right - believe it or not Midland got several inches of snow for Thanksgiving - it was awesome.

Now flying out of Midland in the middle of a snow storm - NOT so awesome. They had to de ice the plane twice.

Love Southwest Airlines:
6:50 pm This is your captain speaking, bear with us as we de ice the plane we should be taking off momentarily.

7:30 pm This is your captain again, as you can see we have managed to find us in the middle of a snow storm, the wings may be icing over. I'm going to duck out of the cockpit here and check it out to see if I can see any ice.

- Me to neighbor - "did he just say he was going to try to see if there was ice - is that really the way we're going to handle this?"
-Neighbor - sniff sniff, blow nose and hack - yeah I guess so - man this just figures I really need to get home - hack hack

Pilot comes barreling down the aisle - looking out of the tiny passenger windows to see if he can see ice - now mind you it's DARK and SNOWING and the windows are all of 10 inches wide - great plan!

7:35pm - We're going to need to apply a level 4 de icer to the plane - now you may be asking why we didn't use a level 4 to begin with - simply put - it costs more.

8 pm - we finally take off - we were supposed to take off at 6:30 pm but who's counting. And it was a bumpy ride... but home at last!

I have to share this story with you - my good friend Casey posted it on her blog - it's her story but it made me cry - it's too sweet. I had also just finished a very teary section in the book I'm reading- that's my cover at least.

Casey's Story:

My students were analyzing their reading benchmarks today and looking for the correct answers on the questions that they missed. One student sat with me for 45 minutes and tried her best to make the corrections. Whenever I saw the frustration growing inside of her, I told her that we had done enough for today. I could see the tears starting to form in her sweet little eyes. I gave her a little pep talk of encouragement and with tears rolling down her face, she said, "Your job is to teach me. My job is to do my best. I'll keep trying." OH. MY. GOODNESS. Just let it be known that her teacher cried with her. All I could muster up to say was, "I know you can do it. We're going to get there. I promise."