September 26, 2008

TGIMFF

I hope you can figure that abbreviation out on your own.

I've discovered that my morning routine involves a lot of cussing. Probably because my eyes tend to stay half shut until after showering/face washing. Plus I should not be expected to function before coffee. OK so lots of things drop. That requires lots of fucks and craps and damn its. Other than these choice words, I do not speak much before 9am.

Someone has been taking my parking space at work while I'm away at lunch. I park in the same spot every day: the row facing the building, third space down. (The row not facing the building is directly under a telephone wire, which leads to much bird poop on windshields.) When I get back from lunch a tan Jeep Liberty, Columbia edition has somehow ended up right there where my Holly stays. Really this is not a big deal. The parking lot is never full and I usually find a space two down from mine. It's really more a thing of principle. Why take a spot that wasn't yours this morning? Why not just park in the same spot you did when you got here? I do not understand.

September 25, 2008

Princess Puppies and Cupcakes

It's fall!! Does a season require capitalization? If so, then...It's Fall!! I celebrated by drinking lots of hot tea and making chai tea cupcakes. The cupcakes are pretty good. Not fabulous but the icing is phenomenal. Plus, I think they're pretty!

The recipe is from a cupcake book Sam let me borrow. 500 cupcake recipes. I foresee much baking in my future.

In other photo news, we played dress up with one of my boss's dogs last week. Toby makes a very lovely princess, don't you think? I hope we haven't contributed to any gender confusion on his part...though I have a feeling he's already confused since his dog buddy Yoda humps him.

September 23, 2008

New Music Thursday

I love love love that I can listen to music basically for free on the internets. I mostly use Rhapsody, on which I have two accounts plus the "you don't have to sign in" account, which equals 75 free plays a month. MySpace is pretty good as well, though until recently, artists only posted a smattering of their music. I logged in today to discover that MySpace Music is getting a facelift. Artists will be posting entire collections, every album they've recorded, on their pages. YAY! I realize that all this free music floating around on the internet could be worrisome in that now fans won't be as inclined to buy the actual albums. Unless you're awesome and can figure out how to get files off of MySpace, etc and onto your computer, then you still have to buy the music to actually have it. I like having the stuff I listen to online on my iPod also. It transfers better to the gym and into the car than my entire computer. So I think the music industry is safe. For now:)

More free music was aquired this weekend from some of A's friends. Included are Cold War Kids, Ghostland Observatory, MGMT, Silversun Pickups, The Black Keys, Vampire Weekend and The Hold Steady. On the way are The Shins. Plus, PLUS, a dj friend of A's recently lost his job (radio station got shut down I think) and he got to take the station's entire library with him! That is 27,000 classic rock type genre songs friends. Holy my goodness.

Last thing, a mention of one of my favorite musicians, Matt Nathanson. Marnie, Sam and I went to a small Howie Day concert at IU (OK now I'm not sure if it was Howie Day...regardless) and this guy with a guitar, a cello player and a great sense of humor opened for him. So began my love affair with Matt Nathanson. Four years later he's still rocking my world and finally getting serious radio play. Maybe you've heard his single Come On Get Higher. But did you know that he released his first album in 1993? That's right, 15 years ago (I did my math correctly, right?). Granted I think it was one of those during college albums, but still. How a guy like him manages to float just below the mainstream music radar for so long is beyond me. He's one of VH1's You Oughta Know artists right now, and yes, you oughta know (says Alanis Morisette). So please go check him out. He's even going to be at the Music Mill here in Indy on Sunday night.

September 22, 2008

Julia is...

fed up with Facebook statuses.  Yet again.  

I seriously feel like I rant about the same thing over and over again.  I am considering quitting the Facebook yet again.  I am also considering smacking the next person who complains about Sarah Palin in the Goddamn face.  

OK, that's a bit backwards.  Let me just start by saying that, as I am a staunch Obama/Biden08 supporter, I obviously dislike Sarah Palin.  Her political views are just a bit too conservative and, well, crazy, for my taste.  This does not mean though that I want to discuss how she obviously is an antifeminist, a religous extremist, anti gay marriage and whatever else the media is calling her these days.  The woman has been in the public eye for about a month now and I'm already sick and tired of her effect on every single on of my liberal friends.  No one can seem to have a deeper conversation about her than the aforementioned antifeminist, etc topics.  I know I can't.  I have no desire to.  The people who agree with me are already voting for Obama, so no work needs to be done there.  Those who don't agree with me don't need to be convinced that Sarah Palin is the wrong choice, but that Barack Obama is the right one.  I don't want to tell them why their choice sucks, but why mine might really be better and more beneficial.  Just my opinion.

Here's the lamest part: people actually think that posting an angry Facebook status about Sarah Palin will, I don't know, do some good?  OK, probably not do any good, I don't think my fellow Facebookers are that dumb.  I just don't get it.  Of all the places to uselessly rant.  We all know what your political views are if you are politically inclined at all.  There's a spot for it in your profile.  Mine clearly states "Obama/Biden08."  Sometimes I'm embarrassed to call myself a liberal or a Democrat.  

Moral of this story: I hate politics.  

September 5, 2008

Top 10

Turns out I have slowly been turning into something of a foodie. Most likely on the lower end of the foodie chain, but nonetheless, I'm there. (As a sidenote we got this book in at work, Foodie Babies Wear Bibs. I love this series of books. I got Eco Babies Wear Green for a friend. I want babies for the sole purpose of buying all these books for them.)

Anyway, I was searching for Indianapolis Dine, a food magazine, when I came across a message board post of Indy folks' top 10 reasons for loving this city. A well timed web find as I thought to myself earlier today that, in all reality, I do like Indianapolis, despite all the North Carolina moving talk I do. So I'm going to make my own top 10 list.

Reasons to Love Indianapolis
1. My parents. They live the perfect 20 minute distance from me. I can do laundry there, watch the occasional movie and have them watch Mira. Plus, I love my parents:)

2. My friends. I've found myself a wonderful little circle of great friends who I wouldn't trade for the world.

3. Downtown. I truly appreciate it. (and hate it at the same time.) I'm going to list a few things within this one that are downtown. The city market, the canal, White River State Park, yummy restaurants like Buggs, Yats, Hoaglins, Barcelona Tapas, Bazbeaux and Mojo's Coffee.

4. Cheap living. Really, I live in a super cute neighborhoood (true, it's surrounded by semi-sketchiness) in a cute and small but nice apartment for practically nothing.

5. Goose the Market. Hands down my favorite new place in town. Great local butcher/market. All Indiana meat and produce plus fresh fish on Fridays plus gelatto plus sandwiches and coffee. And the owners are super nice.

6. Not too far from Chicago, which, if I need a big city fix, is perfect. Oh plus Marnie and Mere live there.

7. The music scene. It's actually really good. Radio Radio! The Vogue usually has decent shows too. And Luna? Best record store ever.

8. The art scene. For realz. It's growing. First Friday downtown every month, one in Zionsville(!) now, lots of galleries on Mass Ave and in Fountain Square. Penrod, the IMA, the Herron Art School.

9. The weather. Yes I hate how muggy it can get in the summer and how cold it can get in the winter but the spring and fall more than make up for those less than pefect seasons. Besides I like a little sweat and some cozy sweaters.

10. I grew up here. My dad grew up here. We have roots and we know people. This is home and will always be home no matter where else I go. Even if North Carolina is my other home:)

September 3, 2008

Easy Silence

I like that we can just sit on the boat and not say a word for 45 minutes.

Missed Connections

I'm looking for two stunningly beautiful women. One has long brown hair and a friendly smile. The other has short brown hair and four tattoos. I know they were both in Bloomington this past weekend, as was I, but we missed each other. We were all there, our little yellow house was there, but we were not together on the porch of the yellow house. All is not right in the universe. Everybody knows it sucks to grow up and everybody does and so weird to be back here. Let me tell you what the years go on and we're still fighting it. {Ben Folds}

We went to Lake Monroe this weekend to play on Adam's parents boat. Exactly what I needed. A few days away from work, parents, stress. I'd forgotten how much I love lakes and trees. OK, that's a lie, I never forget how much I love being outside and away from buildings and cars and general busyness. All felt right as I paddled around in that lake, peeing without regard for anything, drinking beer, and floating away on my back as the sun blinded me. Saturday night Adam and I stood under the clearest night sky I've seen since camp. I spotted a shooting star and we marveled at the Milky Way. (I remember when I first spotted the Milky Way and realized what it was last summer at final party. I ran around telling everyone what I had seen, only no one was excited as me. This weekend I was thrilled when I got to share this solar tidbit with Adam.) I love feeling small in the midst of nature. I hate feeling small in comparison to people.

I have unfortunately discovered my favorite summer drink at the end of the summer: sangria. Best sangria ever at Plum's in Zionsville.

Oh, bee tee dubs, Mira's new favorite summer treat is cicadas. Yes, those nasty bugs that hum incessantly in a steady rise and fall all summer long. She eats the little fuckers right off of the ground. She sometimes even carries them in her mouth until we return from our walk to the apartment where she runs to her pillow to devour the buggie bug. Sick dog, sick.

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