Getting way too comfy...

Catching Umo in the act of being totally lazy (on my bed).

Fresh Direct

So lately I’ve been motivated to do some crock-pot cooking. When winter rolls around, I am rarely in the mood to get creative after a long day of work, and I usually just want to curl up on the couch. For Christmas, Matt decided to buy me an All-Clad slow cooker. Our apartment building had been without gas for about 6 weeks, and both of us were getting sick of eating takeout and Lean Cuisine’s.

Not having any experience with slow cooking, I figured I would try the basics first. Matt’s mom had once cooked us a whole chicken with vegetables in her crock-pot, and I figured that can’t be too difficult to accomplish. You just chop up some veggies, season the chicken, let it sit all day and presto you have a complete meal waiting for you.

I decided to run to Whole Foods yesterday afternoon, to pick up some needed groceries and my dinner supplies. As I was perusing the poultry section, I came across two different types of chicken. One chicken was labeled “air chilled”, meanwhile the other (cheaper) whole chicken was just labeled “whole chicken”. I was curious as to the meaning and price difference, so I asked the butcher to elaborate. She went on to say the “air chilled” chicken was freshest because it had yet to hit a freezer. I figured since I didn’t want to go through the trouble of defrosting a bird, I might as well shell out the extra $2 bucks and go with the air-chilled one.

This morning as I prepared all of my ingredients and chopped up the potatoes, celery, and carrots, I took a minute to give the chicken a good rinse. My mother used to say you can never be too careful when it comes to chicken. The last thing you want is salmonella poising from a bad bird. So as I unwrap my “air chilled” chicken and turn it over onto its side, what do I find?…TWO feathers still attached to its back side!

I couldn't decide to be completely grossed out or extremely glad that my chicken really was the freshest possible. Unfortunately now all I can think about is that poor bird probably getting its head chopped off only a few minutes before I brought it home. Maybe this is why people become vegetarians?

I (heart) Synthpop

Totally digging the synth sound with a hint of Morrissey and The Killers.



Artist: LCD Soundsystem
Title: All My Friends

Making Change!

$97 dollars to be exact.

Do you know these people?

We recently went to a NY Knicks game to watch them play the Washington Wizards. I haven't seriously followed the NBA since Michael Jordan was still with the Chicago Bulls. I have no clue who these guys are. The highlight for the evening was taking paparazzi shots of Spike Lee sitting directly across from us near center court. You can see him right next to the referee in this shot, just left of the free throw shooter. Side note: I still don't know who actually won. We left early.

From Knicks Game

Not a fan....

I might not be the most fashion-savvy girl in New York, but I think I've learned a few things along the way. Most importantly, I've come to realize there are a few fashion faux pas that every girl should avoid.

For your enjoyment (and reference tool) I have made a list to keep handy.

1. Blonde hair does not equal black eyebrows.

Let's be real for a moment. We all know Madonna's natural hair color isn't really blonde. In fact, more than half of the natural blonde's on the planet, really aren't platinum blonde. So if you are going to go to the extent of dying your hair an un-natural color, please, please, PLEASE don't forget to lighten your eyebrows too. There is no better giveaway for being a bottled blonde, than having brows that don't match the mop on your head. Just because Madonna did it in the 80s, doesn't mean you can do it too.

2. Leave the micro-mini at home.

I don't care what the runways are showing or how much the fashion experts are talking up the micro-mini. It's just not office appropriate! Yeah maybe you have awesome legs and want to show off a little. I get it... doing hours of lunges, squats, and leg exercises deserves a little recognition. You just don't want the recognition to come from the office perv, who loves to also look at your underwear as you stroll down the hall to the water cooler. You'll get much better use of your micro-mini at the club. At least you know there you can get some free drinks out of it.

3. Oompa-Loompa orange.

We've all seen this girl. The one who just doesn't know how to give up the fake tanner and bronzer. She can't bear the thought of ever looking pale or pastey. I know being able to reflect light off your skin in not attractive, but neither is looking like an orange crayon. Case in point: please witness exhibit A.



4. Thong control.

Ladies it is no longer 1999. The thong although cute for your boyfriend, does not need to be exposed to the folks riding the 6 train with you. The boys on your block might think it's hot, but unless you're collecting singles at a gentleman's club please pull your pants up! This goes for the guys too! The reason why they are called underwear is because they go UNDER your clothes. If it's that hard to keep your pants from falling, then put a belt on.

Thank you for your cooperation.

-Management

Baby it's cold outside...

From Bronxville in Winter

Totally Genius!

I personally don't have this problem, since I already own a cat, but in Tokyo local residents have a new meaning to a little friendly companionship.

As reported by the BBC; There are more than 150 companies in Tokyo which are licensed to hire out animals of various types and sizes. It cost's about $10 dollars an hour to rent-a-pet, and some renters go as far as taking their pet home for a few hours of quality time together.

With the hustle and bustle of most Japanese schedules, many entertainment industries now offer an enormous variety of opportunities to exchange money for company.

If only someone could develop a rental agency to borrow children. Imagine not ever having to worry about a dirty diaper. You could always take it back and say your kid was defective.

Read more here: http://tinyurl.com/9ee75n

California dreaming...

From Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Every winter I dream of the days when I used to stroll down the beach and enjoy the California sunshine. There is no place like home.

Bitch Slap!

The ShamWow dude is my hero! Only this guy can say "You're going to love my nuts" to sell a product.

Becoming a little (anti) social....

MySpace, Facebook, Hi5, it's all the same really. Teen adolescence all over again, but in the form of a digital space instead of the awkward feeling you would get when you walked into the cafeteria for lunch in junior high school. All the cool kids sat by the snack bar and rarely ever ate the healthy lunch.

My solution to the problem; pick up a slice of pizza and a Mello Yellow, so I could eat outside (usually alone, but that was intentional). I've never felt like the type of gal who "fits in". I usually don't. Maybe it's my sarcasm or my immediate instinct to be cynical about people, but who can blame me? The reality is we all put up a façade of sorts, to give us the appearance we think other people want to see. I'm not really down for it anymore.

I've decided it's elimination time. My reality show is ready to kick you off the island. I have some really great friends and some really not so great "wannabe" friends. Hopefully you won't take it personal, when I decide to delete you from my friends list. You only added me to be nosy anyway.

Just look at it like me switching lunch periods. I never was a fan of eating by the snack bar.

I guess money really can't buy happiness....

(CNN) -- German billionaire Adolf Merckle, one of the richest men in the world, committed suicide Monday after his business empire got into trouble in the wake of the international financial crisis, Merckle's family said Tuesday in a statement.

Merckle, 74, was hit by a train in the southwestern town of Ulm, police said. His family said the economic crisis had "broken" Merckle. He was number 94 on the Forbes list of the world's richest people. He had fallen from number 44 on the Forbes 2007 rich list as his fortune declined from $12.8 billion to $9.2 billion in 2008.

read more here: http://tinyurl.com/93pjl3

Amped up!

Loaded up on sugar cereal and rocking out to iTunes. I love Sundays!

Late entry....

On occasion I find myself adding on new resolutions midway through the year. I may throw a few more out there for good measure.

6. Be serious about school.

I do this all the time. Over and over I've said I intend to go back to school. There are so many subjects that fascinate me, but I never make a concerted effort to actually study them in a classroom setting. I've wanted to enhance my japanese skills, learn to build better websites, perfect my photoshop skills, etc. The only problem has been my ADD getting in the way. Matt calls it my "two week" syndrome. I'll have interest in something new for about two weeks, and then move on to the next thing. He should feel honored... we've been together over 2 years and I haven't moved on to the next thing (yet). Only kidding sweetheart!

This year I'm going to be real with myself and go back to college. I've already enrolled at The New School, and lets hope this leads to a Master of Arts in Media Studies. That would be awesome!

Jam session...

The true Hero of all preserves and jam spreads. Try a little strawberry preserves with cream cheese on an english muffin and your mouth won't know what hit it. 

I really mean it this time....

Let's start with the formalities first. HAPPY NEW YEAR! I know this is the time of year when we all sit around and laugh at ourselves for making ridiculous resolutions we could never possibly accomplish.

Well I see no reason in ruining the tradition, so here goes my list for 2009. I'll spare myself the humiliation and not mention how many pounds I intend to lose. The truth being that I've been working on the same amount of weight since 2006, so there really is no need to go there.

1. Get ahead of the game and make life happen.

I have found that through the years life has sort of just fallen into place. Not that it's a bad thing or anything like that, but for once I really would like to have a game plan and stick to it. This whole it happened by chance thing could take a really bad turn and land me in some random situation I might not like, i.e, broke, unemployed, jail, ready to jump off a cliff, you get the point.

2. Be fashionable.

I don't mean following the trends or wearing some ridiculous outfit because it was in Vogue. I just think it's time I step up the wardrobe a bit and make an effort to wear a different style of shoe other than loafers, flats, or riding boots. I've become way too comfortable wearing black and gray day after day after day. It might be nice to change it up a bit. *Note: It's day two of the new year and I'm wearing black loafers, slacks, and a black turtle neck sweater. We might need to roll this resolution into 2010.

3. Fix-up my apartment.

Now I don't live in a dump and I have a pretty awesome place to begin with. One thing I did say I would do though, when I moved in, was at the very least paint and remodel the bathroom. Well I bought the apartment almost a year and a half ago, but no luck on the upgrading. So far I've managaed to install a light fixture and that's about it. I'll be sure to post my progress and add some pictures. So those are soon to follow (pinky swear).

4. Go to Mexico.

You're probably saying to yourself "Who the hell wants to go to Mexico?". Well I do. I've wanted to for the last 15 years. I was thirteen the last time I went with my family, and I honestly miss it. It's hard to remember all the details now, but I think it would be an experience of a lifetime. I have many, many, many relatives I'd love to meet and others I'd love to see again. Let's hope this is the year that I make it happen.

5. Write more.

I've mentioned once before, this blog existed long before I recreated it. Something that I didn't mention was the reason for having deleted it in the first place. I was in a bad place and having a hard time (mentally) so I took to writing as a form of release. I'll be blunt. It sucked. Not the writing so much, but the emotions behind the words. I re-read everything I put together and felt like it was time to start fresh with a new perspective on life. God is good and life is great. I need to remind myself of that, so I intend to yell it from the hilltops via keyboard.

Here's to a blessed and blissful 2009. Cheers.