My Diner

I'm not sold on Los Angeles. The winter's not winter - I'm from the East Coast (capitalized, thank-you-very-much), really the Mid-Atlantic, that nether world of Maryland where no one will claim us. When I lived in the South, everyone assumed I was a Yank. When visiting New England, people claimed I had a Southern accent. You just can't win when you're from the great small state of MD! But we DO have seasons. Seasons that I can get down with. Just when you're really done sweltering from the terrible humidity, fall breaks the heat and releases you from the stress of having to take at least 2 showers a day, because you immediately start sweating after the first one. And then winter comes, and you curse it because blah, blah, blah there's ice and it's cold and my lips are chapped and my hands turn to to the coarseness of a paper grocery bag...but at least it's different and you have lots of excuses to spend the day wrapped in a blanket drinking hot things in mugs and praying that it snows so you'll have a good excuse to be late for work, but of course it never does because you're in the Mid-Atlantic which is halfway between Antartica and Florida (approximately) and it only really gets that cold and precipitous roughly 3 times a winter, if you're lucky. But it's a change, is the point I'm trying to make. A change that kills ants and other squirmy things so they don't climb into your kitchen and try to attack your freezer on a balmy January day. Which is what they do when you live close to Mexico.
Which really is where I live these days, and will for the next few years, thanks to hubby's job/perpetual schooling, so I'd better learn to like it and get over the whole seasonal thing (I do prefer deciduous trees....but that'l be another post.)
One thing that is helping me get over my aversion to this coast is the local coffee shop Brad and I have discovered. The Coffee Table in Eagle Rock is blissful. Free refills, helpful staff, good diner food, it's what I crave. We are always glad to find a coffee shop that is successful and not struggling (we seem to always work at the flailing ones) and we seem to end up at the Coffee Table at least once a week, which consumes the meager 'going out' part of our budget, but it's well worth it. It's always nice to have that one place you can count on.
Like last night, we got a little adventurous and tried out a Chinese place. If I knew a good Chinese swear word, I would insert it hear, but I don't, so please just use your imagination. Our food was expensive and made us feel overstuffed after three bites. And if there's anything I hate it's not getting your money's worth. If there's anything I hate even MORE is not getting your money's worth and feeling like crap after.
I always feel like I get my money's worth of The Coffee Table and rarely feel like crap, so I'm going to go with that. LA's got my Luke's, my Caffe Pronto. Life out here just might be bearable.

Puppy Cuteness

Broadcasting Live with Ustream.TV

If I can't have a puppy, this is the next best thing. As my husband says "Oh! For Cute!" Seriously -- puppy TV?! This is genius.

New favorite blog

The Writer's Almanac

Visiting and reading this blog always makes me a little happier each day. If you try it and like it, then definitely get his book "Good Poems". It'll make your brain feel good.

Frugal Cartoons

Ouch. I think this guy cut through all the BS and media hype surrounding this plumber sitch and hit a nerve. I mean, who likes taxes? But, as Randy Newman sings, 'This is my country, these are my people.' So we should take care of America and we should take care of AMERICANS. Maybe I'm only a bleeding heart liberal because I live teetering above the poverty level, and understand that government is sometimes necessary to HELP people. That's what I want from my government! And that's what I expect out of our leader.

Now, I understand this country is in the fiscal shitter, but I know that the government needed to step in with taxpayer money to dig these douchebag bankers out of the potty or else soon we'd be renting out our concrete patio as an 'outdoor sleeping oasis' just to make ends meet. We, as Americans need to start living within our means! I for one didn't step up to buy a house I couldn't afford. I don't have thousands of dollars in credit card debt (only school debt, tee hee). I cut coupons, take public transport to work, don't buy plastic water bottles, and buying a drink at a bar nearly sends me into a writhing, foaming-at-the-mouth seizure like state. What I'm saying is, my husband and I basically live within our modest income and we try really hard to be frugal. But I do work, I try to give a little back to my community, I save what I can and I pay my taxes!

Oh, Colin Powell...you fickle, but well-spoken man!

My dad showed this to me this morning. I don't think anyone has laid out such a logical explanation for why McCain should not be president. This speech is so fantastically lucid. It cuts through all the crap that the political pundits spin day in and day out. I'm so glad MSNBC gave C. Powell airtime.

GOBAMA!

OK, L.A., you win!

I am about to eat my words. Last week I complained about the weather here in the city of angels, but this weekend has totally won me over. It's been BEAUTIFUL in Los Angeles this weekend. Crisp, breezy, clear. Very fall-like for a 'right coaster' like me. Now if I could only get the leaves here to change color and for the cast of 'Friday Night Lights' to live in my neighborhood.....

Also, Brad and I got together with some of my college friends for an un-Homecoming and 5 year reunion for those Furman '03 grads that live in L.A. We headed to Venice to this GREAT barbeque place called Baby Blues. The food was A-mazing. Brad and I sat at the bar while we waited for the friends I hadn't seen in 5 years. They serve PBR in cans, which is just how we like 'em. I got the sweet tea just to make sure it was authentic (it was). The woman who was plating meals at the grill showed us the greatest hospitality by treating us to several little nibbits of food. The mac'n'cheese? Out of this world buttery and downright terrible for you. But that's what you want in southern mac'n'cheese. Am I wrong? A sweet potato mash that will make you slap your momma. Oh, and she grilled us some shrimp that could kick your ass and take your lunch money. The ensuing meal was equally as good.

The reunion was fun and just the right size - only four of us showed up! But it was great to see people again and remind myself that I have a lot to do to use my education to it's fullest potential (damn overachievers!). Hope everyone at real Furman Homecoming had as much fun as we did here in L.A.!

Jumping the Shark

Uhhhggg! I've had it. I have to break up with them. All of them. Those crappy things I've been devoted to that just aren't producing.

I'll start with the one that bugs me the most: Blender Magazine. This magazine disappoints SO much that I actually groaned when I opened the mail box today. And you know why I groaned BEFORE I open the mag? Cause they put Miss I-don't-own-a-pair-of-pants Katy Perry on the cover. E-gads fellas. I know you're owned by Maxim and have a line item in that contract to put hotties on the cover, but Pink doesn't wear pants, rocks harder than Katy Perry and has a new album out. Plus, she's way quirkier and I'm almost SURE she's kissed a girl, she just doesn't have to sing about it. The other reasons I'm done (READ: FINISHED!) with Blender is that they have lost most of their quirkiness that makes them so damn likable. Where are the brilliantly silly captions? Where are the random song lyrics scrolling the bottom of each page? What about the latest celebrity arrests? But honestly, it's the captions I miss the most. Wherever the old caption guy went -- get him back! He was genius! That's about 85% of the reason I renewed my subscription. When you get him back, I might think about reading you again.

Heroes. I'm done. Can't watch. They have absolutely jumped the shark. I understand that it's hard work making good TV. But come one! You can do so much with super heroes! I got miffed last season when you just kept introducing new characters just to have them killed off by Sylar. Whatever happened to the girl from New Orleans? Was that a lame attempt to get a more diverse viewing audience? Heroes -- you make me sad. And I just can't have that kind of negativity in my life right now. I'm sorry, but it's over.

Fall Heat. Gross. So sue me-- I'm not in love with SoCal weather. I'm from the east coast and really enjoy Fall. I would go so far as to say it's 1 of my top 4 favorite seasons. Colors. Swetta Weatha. Chilly mornings and football games! It's going to be 96 in LA tomorrow! Jeesh! Shame on you L.A. for making me sweat when I'd rather not.