rants.

1. Gap Body cotton hipster underwear
My friend and I have the same problem: we LOVE this underwear. LOVE IT. Except...both of us have had pairs start to unravel after only a few washings. We want to buy more, but we know that they're just going to fall apart! What's a girl to do?

2. Myspace
Truth be told, ever since I've made my profile private I spend very little time on there. But on occasion I do like to check up on friends who insist on using the service - it's just the nature of the beast. Only whenever I try to open a message, see someone's new pictures, or read their blog, it takes FOREVER. And a day. How millions of people are completely addicted to a site that barely works is beyond me.

3. My shower
My apartment is old. It has charm, and it also has charm. My shower is the opposite of charming. Let's ignore the fact that it is low flow - that I can handle. The bigger annoyance is its completely manic temperature control. Scalding hot! Ice cold! And so I spend half my shower in the corner, trying to fiddle with the knobs enough so I don't burn/freeze myself. I never knew I could swear so much at falling water.

meet selby.

This is my new friend Selby. She's a cat! I got her a couple of weeks ago from the Humane Society. She is a play addict, is very affectionate, and can also be completely needy. She is living up to my grand theory called Selby Loves Everyone. It's been tested on three people so far. My friends say she's like a dog.

If you're wondering about the name, it's a street in my neighborhood. A friend and I went back and forth about cats named after streets, and which prominent Twin Cities streets would make the best names for cats. So, without further adieu, some lists with good and bad street names for cats.

Good names:

• Selby
• Franklin
• Cleveland
• Marshall
• Lyndale
• Emerson
• Dupont

Bad names:

• Payne
• University
• First Ave.
• Grand
• Summit
• West Seventh Street
• Ford Parkway
  

in other news

I think Micheal Pollan is my new hero.

The last page of his essay pretty much sums up all my food related resolutions, only much more eloquently than I could put it.

on books and beets.

Cook more. Eat better. Read more.

When I'm in someone's apartment for the first time, whether it's a friend or acquaintance, one of my favorite things to do is explore their bookshelves. (I also use that as a pick-up line..Hey baby, I'd like to explore your bookshelves....) I like running my fingers along the spines, noticing if they organize in any certain ways or if it's haphazard, and wondering if they have actually read all the books their shelves contain. But lately all I notice is, "Hey this person has way more books than I do!"

I have a few reasons for not buying books. The triple threat of the high price of new books, my somewhat frugal nature, and the fact that I'm a library fiend certainly don't help. But I've also come to realize a more crucial cause: when I buy books, I'm not very motivated to read them. I always think, "Oh, that book, that will be around all the time, like when I'm in the depths of despair with nothing to read. But this library book! This library book has a deadline!"

I'm not about to go buy loads of books any time soon, but I'm trying to change my outlook a bit. My most recent book purchase was The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, which is quite fitting with my current food obsession. I even started reading it!

Speaking of books about food, I still think one of my best reference books is the Joy of Cooking. I love the fact that you can get practical information about nearly any food, such as beets! Which brings us to beets. (oh transitions, I'm trying.)

So....going along with goals for the year, I've decided that I want to branch out more in terms of recipes and ingredients. And one food I haven't tried, or at least don't remember eating, is beets. Weird, huh? My first venture into the beet world ending up being a beet salad with goat cheese and candied walnuts on spinach. And it was yummy. The end!

(yeah, strong finish. I need to sleep.)

i resolve.

It's the 10th of January and I still don't have any suitable resolutions. I've come to the conclusion that if you want to be able to reach your resolution, it has to be measurable in some way. For instance...running a marathon. You either do it or you don't. (Or maybe you try and have to drop out along the way, but you get my point, right?) And so I'm stuck, as I can't think of any good quantifiable goals for the year. Instead, my "resolution" list ends up looking something this:

Cook more. Bake more. Eat better. Eat more local, more organic. Read more. Write more (correspondence). Write more (non-fiction, blogs). Listen more (music). Learn more. Internet less. Run more. Drive less. Walk/bike more. Sleep more. Socialize more. Create more. Travel more. Dwell less. Give more (time, emotions, money).

Or I could just put it as my friend so eloquently did: "I want to be less dumb!" And isn't that what self improvement is all about?

best of.

It took me over a year to realize it, but the day my car stereo and many of my cds were stolen was the day the music died. I saw the Decemberists that night. I was planning to see the New Pornographers the next day, but it was canceled. That was the last show I went to. This was in 2005. I bought two cds in 2006 - Andrew Bird and the Blow. I still listen to music at home a lot, but my car remains silent.

But thank god for mp3 blogs and best of lists. I am discovering all sorts of music that I was supposed to be listening to all year! Hey, better late than never.

So...in light of all this, I am making a promise to my good old friend, Music: Things are going to change between you and me, I swear! It will be different this time! I'm going to get a fancy stereo even though my car is rusting out! I'm going to buy cds! Maybe even stay out late for a show on a school night!

p.s. My lady Khaela is getting some good press. Check out The Underrated and Pitchfork's Top 100 songs.

good things as of late

A hideously autumnesque dinner
Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup and spinach craisin salad. [Oh, and I hate Rachael Ray and the fact that I can't even buy wheat thins without seeing her face, but I read Shelterrific and I can't help it that they keep linking good looking recipies by RACHEL RAY.]

Paper Television, The Blow
So so good. Pretty soon this blog will become "Reasons why I love the Blow." Best CD I've bought this year! (Ok, there's only two on that list.)


Common Good Books
So, Garrison Keillor himself opened a new bookstore in my neighborhood. Now, I'm not a huge fan of Garrison. But I gotta say, his bookstore is damn cute. Of course it's filled to the brim with Garrison books, a Garrison director's chair, and uh...Praire Home Companion was playing while I happened to be there. But! If we can get past that, I love it. It's bright and airy even though it's in a basement, and it's small enough to actually facilitate browsing. If I go to Barnes and Noble I just become overwhelmed and flustered unless I have a specific goal in mind. But not here, oh no! I could go through the entire store and find goodies I've never heard of! So hooray for an independent bookstore that might actually stand a chance of staying afloat solely due to its connection to Garrison* himself.

*I'm disgusted that I managed to namedrop him so much.

my lunar love affair.

Every month I fall in love with the moon. At first it's a sliver that doesn't really catch my eye. I shrug my shoulders and look away. As it grows and grows I just go about my normal ways, fairly unenchanted with what's in front of me. And then when I least expect it, it hits me. I see it, full and glorious, and I gasp as if a lover has touched me in just the right spot. And I am entranced, my eyes wide, following whatever path I need to just to have it in my view, staring through my sunroof while I drive, almost wanting to drive off the road so I can gaze with my mouth agape. Sometimes I run to find a camera, to get a picture to remember it by, but it never comes out right. And so my brief tryst remains secret and mysterious, to be forgotten as quickly as the moon wanes.

adventures in atitlan

One of the places I really wanted to see in Guatemala was Lake Atitlan, which is a crater filled lake outlined by volcanoes. Very pretty, there will be pictures soon I promise. The only problem was...I didn't want to go alone, and I was having trouble finding travel companions. Eventually I found Steve from my school...he had a couple of friends coming in this weekend, and they wanted to go too. I met up with Steve around 11:30 on Saturday morning, and we sat around waiting for his friends for about an hour. We got some food, then headed to a travel agency to find a shuttle. They said they had one that left at 4, but they ended up calling about 12 places before they actually found something. Then they asked for our address so they could pick us up, and they said Steve's street did not exist. Right. Somehow Steve convinced them that it did, so we headed back to his house.

We started waiting around 4...and waiting, and waiting. We called the agency, gave better directions, and finally at 4:45 the shuttle came. Only we still had to pick up 8 more people at about 5 more stops, and our driver had only been to Antigua twice. Steve helped navigate through the heavy Saturday afternoon traffic, but we ended up driving around the cobble-stoned streets of Antigua for 45 minutes or so, which gave me a major headache. FINALLY we were on our way to Panajachel, always following cars and buses with noxious fumes.

We got to Pana around 8, and the streets were full of people. It was fun to see, since it's way different than Antigua. We found a place to stay, ate dinner, wandered around some more and then went to sleep.

The next morning we headed on a boat to San Pedro, which is across the lake from Pana (about a half hour ride). Steve and I were planning to take the 4pm shuttle back, which gave us about 4-5 hours in San Pedro. Steve and his friends were set on doing a hike, and the travel agency we stopped at said the shortest one (up to a peak called Big Nose) was 5 hours, which was cutting it close. But somehow they managed to find a kid on the street who said we could do it in 4 hours. I was skeptical but somehow willing to take a chance (oh, how trusting one becomes when they travel). We walked to the kid's dad's house, where his dad came out with a machete. No worries! He's got a machete! (A lot of the hikes around the area are considered unsafe because of robberies, etc.) So we set off. I immediately thought I wouldn't be able to make it, since I knew there wouldn't be a lunch stop and I had eaten a plaintain and half a baguette for breakfast. But we kept going and it got much better, and as we got higher and higher I really appreciated the views of the lake from above. At one point I stopped to change into my boxer shorts because I was so fricking hot and sweaty.

It got progressively harder along the way, and Steve needed to stop to get some air here and there. We finally made it to the top, took in the views for a few minutes, and then started to book it back down the hill. I almost fell about 7 times, but always managed to stay up. By the time we started getting back to town, it was nearing 3pm and I was starting to freak out since I wasn't keen on spending the night in San Pedro or Pana. We kept walking, and I tried to go faster, but Steve was struggling. At one point we split up so I could find a bathroom to change in (I was feeling a little ridiculous walking around town in my pajamas) and also a place to buy some water. We thought Steve would catch up but he wasn't coming. Eventually his friend showed up, saying he couldn't make it and was going to stay the night. I knew I needed to go fast if I wanted to make it home (which I did), so I got on the boat straight away. It left about a minute later at 3:30. The water was really rocky and every bump in the ride made my head pound. We got to shore a few minutes before 4. I knew we weren't near the main street where most of the travel agencies were, so I started to run but really couldn't get the energy together to do that. I walked briskly and was about the head towards the center of town when I saw it - a travel agency! With shuttles! The man immediately said, Antigua? Si. He only had one space left. At that point I was about ready to collapse, since I was so grateful to have a way home for the night. I grabbed some snacks from a bodega and got on the shuttle.

Today my muscles are very sore and my shoulders are sunburned but all is good. I haven't heard back from Steve, but I trust he's in good care with his med school friends and I should see him tomorrow. Less than 2 days left in Antigua! Ay....

a normal day in antigua

I've realized after talking to friends and family that hardly anyone has any idea what I'm actually doing in Guatemala. So, let's fix that, shall we? Here's a timeline of an average weekday.

6:30 - roll out of bed, take a shower, and get ready.
7:15ish - breakfast is served by Margarita...I eat with my housemates Jake and Beth, except now only Jake since Beth left yesterday. Breakfast is usually eggs or weird oatmeal and cornflakes. And sometimes bananas, which I take para llevar. After breakfast we go to the corner cafe, where the workers have memorized our order. It's kind of funny that the only place I've become a regular is in another country. Oh well.
8ish - We walk to school, and usually get there a little late since we're finally on Guatemalteco time.
8-12 - Spanish classes. The classes are one on one. My teacher is an old man who likes to tell jokes of varying hilarity (they're all funny to him, of course). We usually talk for a while about various subjects including his former alcoholism, movies, the news, health insurance, and drogas! ¡Hay muchas drogas en Antigua! I've been learning a lot, and I will obviously come home fluent and subsequently quit my teaching job to become a diplomat.
12-1 - This is changing now because Beth is gone, but usually Jake and I would wander around until lunch, around 1. We'd either check our email or run errands or whatever.
1ish - lunch. Sometimes good, sometimes...well, food.
Afterwards Beth and I would be free for the afternoon. Jake is taking 7 hours of classes of day because he's crazy. Some days we have excursions with school, and other days we would go to the gym, take naps, or just wander around.
7 - dinner. After dinner we usually go out so Jake can augment his dinner, and I can get my Gallo (cerveza) fix. For a while we would try to tell stories in Spanish but somehow that's fallen to the wayside. Oh well, I guess I can't be a diplomat after all.