Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Curry, Broad City, and Rebel of the Sands

I can't believe that basically a month ago I turned 24. March happened in a blink of an eye. I know we still have a week of it left, but it doesn't feel that way. Spring always does this to me. It works on super speed. The end of summer and beginning of fall fuse and meld into winter like melting chocolate on a double broiler. It takes FOREVER. And then all of a sudden it's spring and I get really busy, like I'm making up for being a slow, lumbering hermit for four months, and before I know it it's the summer and I'm laughing and living and sweating but the sweating feels good--like I've worked hard for it and everything has been building up to this moment.

Anyway, happy spring to you.

Last week I got paid (I get paid every week) (but as I'm saving money, this pay period was specifically for grocery shopping) and I went grocery shopping, and I spent $20 AND GOT ALL OF THE VEGETABLES, because Quality Food Center has this amazing discount shelf where they bag up really ripe stuff in .99 cent pouches, and they also mark down anything that's on its way out, AND they have a section in the back where you can get dented canned food for like .43 cents. So, I took my loot home (strapped to my back as I biked) (yes, I'm trying to make this sound more epic than it actually, probably was) and made curry for the first time.

I'd gotten a Whole Foods voucher for my birthday, so in my pantry tomato paste, curry powder, and canned coconut milk were already waiting for me. What I really enjoyed was taking the time to cook a hearty, amazing-smelling meal. Chopping vegetables. Simmering the onions with the tomato paste. Cooking down the squash and parsnips. Etc. (I don't know if there is a "real" way of making curry, so I'll omit a step-by-step rendition to avoid offending anyone). By the time it had finished cooking, I was excited to eat my late lunch (it tasted delicious) AND at that point I had two weeks of food to get through. I put half of it in the freezer and I have been slowly making my way through it.

Last weekend was crazy. I did ALL THE THINGS, it seemed like. I got a stout with Emma and Aaron a day late to celebrate St. Patty's day. Then I slept over, got coffee with Dane, then we met up and got lunch with Emma before going to the Aviation Distillery gin tour and tasting, then Emma and I had another cocktail, then we went back to her apartment to have grilled cheese and watch Futurama, then Aaron and I took my bike to the bike shop, then Aaron and I met Laura and Tyler at Apex and had drinks and nachos, and then I went to Laura and Tyler's to try Laura's red velvet pancakes, then I slept over, then I hung out with Laura, Penny, and Stella while Laura made zucchini bread, then I ate her zucchini bread, then I biked home and made a YouTube video, then I relaxed and read before this crazy week started.

This week I've had extra hours at work since the kids are on spring break. After work, I have had no energy for anything besides eating and curling up into a ball to watch TV or read. I have been watching the third season of Broad City and if you haven't checked it out I say you should. It's a semi-sketch sitcom of two best friends living in New York City, and it's sort of the more realistic middle-class, aware of its privilege, funny version of GIRLS, but totally its own thing. It's produced by Amy Poehler and really great fun.

I've also been reading Rebel of the Sands and oh my God, I just finished it earlier this evening (you can read my review here), and I loved it. It's everything I want out of YA and more. A girl from the desert is desperate to get to the city her dead mother always used to talk about, but when the opportunity arises and she finally escapes her small town, she is swept up into the legends of her people and the war of her time. Boom.

READ IT. Do it. Doooooo ittttt.

That's what I've been up to, people. These next couple of weeks I am going to lay low, copy-edit, and chill until Tom comes to visit. TOM IS COMING TO VISIT IN BASICALLY A WEEK AND A HALF. I'm super excited! We're going to take over Portland by storm.

More soon. Xx.

Two weeks ago I went to a beer and doughnut festival if you can believe it!

David visited me in Portland and we drank wine and ate abandoned peanut brittle. This may or may not have been on a bus. We also did lots of other fun Portland-y things!

Emma and Dane at the gin tasting!

A LITER OF CHOCOLATE STOUT. YES.

Friday, March 4, 2016

Slow TF down.

This morning I woke up with the worst head cold and sore throat I've had in many a year. I don't think I have a fever, but I am currently experiencing what could be politely called a heat flash. I have been drinking orange juice all day, sleeping, and I chewed through an entire bag of Ricola lemon-mint cough drops (the best part of being sick). I also re-watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and I get it now. It's a good movie. Visually, story-telling-wise, sound track. Just, Ferris is a dick. Has anyone noticed that? He takes advantage of and manipulates the people in his life to have a good time. Yes, they usually experience something awesome that they otherwise wouldn't have, but still. Using your friends is dumb. He sort of redeems himself at the end when he apologizes to Cameron for getting them in trouble with the car. But do the ends justify the means??!!?!??!!?! Answer me that, blog-reader friend.

Sanne at booksandquills on YouTube recently made a video about Helmiku--this series of videos she does every February. The video is a vlog in which she and Marion go to Brick Lane AND GET RAINBOW BAGELS. I have always been attracted to colorful foods, despite the fact that food coloring does not enhance taste or texture in any meaningful way. But let me live out my rainbow food fantasies in peace, please. In my half-awake, half-delirious state, I have googled "rainbow bagels portland." This is what I found:


Portland Bagel Company makes a rainbow bagel. It's not the same as the one on Brick Lane, but the shop's cream cheese flavors are promising and--

Oh my God. I was going to talk about how I never go to NW Portland and it would be good to have a reason go adventuring up there. But I just realized this place is in North Bend, OR. It's not even in Portland. It takes three hours to drive there by car.

Wow. Now half of this blog post is irrelevant.

You know what? I don't even care. Basically, I wanted to tell everyone that it's important to listen to your body and relax. Because if you don't slow down, your body will. And then you'll be bed-ridden, writing shitty blog posts about rainbow bagels you cannot even get to realistically. Although, if Ferris has taught me anything today, it's that I should live a little. Anyone up for a road trip? After I've recovered, of course.

Sending out my love!

A