Topless coffee shops.

We need one of these in Richmond!!!!

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/27/topless.coffee.shop/index.html

Sarah P!/Curtis Marshall's 29th b-day

[Help me out Sarah P! There were two things I mentioned blogging about last night. What were they so I can blog about them? BLOG ON!]

So last night was a really good night with really good friends.
Seven of us made it out to Kitchen 64 for Curtis "Marshall" Fritts 29th B-day (which is really on Sunday FYI but he has to work :(). We all shared some nachos. I had a asian salad with grilled fish...delicious...ate too much as usual. Then we hit up Ipanemas afterwards. My sweetheart, Curtis "Wayne", met us there looking very handsome in a vest and tie. Some more peeps showed up to wish "Marshall" a happy b-day and we ate dessert and had some drinks!! Then "Wayne" and I went back home and ate nachos and lite sour cream and drank a glass of wine. Just a good feeling night. I wish I had remembered my camera...blarg! I have been bad about documentating my entire life lately...but trust me I will take many a "favorite animal party" pics tonight.

Blog on blog world
Amy L.
And now a random p.s. segment:
p.s. Go to the new Ellwoods coffee joint. So cute. So good.
p.s.s. I want to learn how to play the banjo.
p.s.s.s. I need to stop blogging and clean my house for the party.
p.s.s.s.s. You think that a vegan strawberry muffin would be good, but they aren't.
p.s.s.s.s.s. Curtis still likes me even though I told all of my facebook friends, via my status update, that I had diarrhea.
p.s.s.s.s.s.s. I drank too much coffee. This is why I am doing this. I am sorry.

Only in Richmond....

Only in Richmond can you and one of your good friends have "dated" the same 3 guys!

Only in Richmond...

And now...I begin a new blog topic called "Only in Richmond..." You know you've said it too many times before.

Only in Richmond...can your boyfriend have to clean up a shop for your ex-boyfriend's art show.

Now share yours!!!

That guy from hanson

Is in a new superband!
Check it!

Stocks and Sauces Part II

Last night was less butter and a lot more yummy food.

We worked on brown and white sauces. We also made a pomodoro sauce. The brown sauce came from beef stock that was made the night before. We added a brown roux and red wine with fresh rosemary. We grilled flank steak and topped it with the brown sauce.

The white sauce came from the chicken stock that was made last night too. We added white wine, sauteed mushrooms and onions, heavy cream, and a blond roux. We also grilled the chicken and finished it off in the oven. This recipe is called Chicken a la King.

For the pomodoro sauce we sliced Roma tomatoes, topped them with chopped garlic and herbs, added some salt, pepper, and evoo. Then we roasted the tomato's for 30-35 minutes. We then sauteed a green pepper and onions. Once the tomatoes are ready you let them cool and then chop up them all up along with the green pepper mixture. This ends up being a pomodoro sauce, which we added to cheese raviolis topped with asiago cheese.

It was a bit easier last night cooking. I definitely cooked things that I have never attempted to make. I grilled flank steak and sliced the meat for the first time. I don't know if I will use any of these recipes again because I don't really eat a lot of meat or beef stock. Overall, what I got of these past 2 nights was a lot of fun and good experience.

Good news for the day!

Daylight Savings MARCH 8th!!!

OMG, so excited! This means I can exercise more outside and less at the gym. This also means Spring and Summer are a coming!

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/daylight_time.php

Stocks and Sauces Part I

Last night I attended the first part of Stocks and Sauces. The cooking classes are held in this really nice "kitchen", which is a huge space full of ovens, stoves, fridge, a bar, counters, dishes, dishwashers......it's awesome. Anyways, the Chef first goes over the different techniques and recipes we all will make. Also, he introduces us to different types of ingredients and gives us useful tips. We pair into groups of 4 and have at it. My group was a lot of fun last night. There was this one boisterous, happy man who is from New Kent County. His purpose was to learn how to cook since he is retired and his wife is still working. Now he is running the household (role reversal, I love it!). So last night we made an Asian pear and Watercress salad with a kick ass dressing. The dressing had ginger, sesame oil, hot chili pepper sauce, rice wine vinegar, etc. You blend all of the ingredients up and out comes a yummy dressing. We then made a Béchamel sauce and a hollandaise sauce. I don't think I have ever cooked with so much butter in my life. Although the food was fun to make, it kind of grossed me out because of how rich those sauces are. Anyways we ended with:

Grilled Salmon with a dill hollandaise sauce over it.
Asparagus with an orange hollandaise sauce over it.
Cauliflower with a herb Béchamel sauce and panko crumbs
Cavatappi with a pesto Béchamel sauce

My opinion of this class is that learning how to make a good sauce is essential for a chef but I don't think I'll be working with that much butter again. Tonight we are working with less butter and different types of sauces and more protein. I'm excited:-)

My patients wearing on my patience.

Hi blogworld! Hi Amy O! I know, I know I haven't posted on here in awhile. Whatevs.
I am at work...working a night shift...three night shifts in a row. It is 03:45AM and I am delirious. Actually not really, I am rather happy and content that I only have four more hours to go! I have six days off after tonight. Wahoo!
So I feel like I should say a million things because so much has happened in the last month, but I'll just say this...I am seriously happy. Thank you.
Okay so I have had the most hilarious most frustrating patient for the last three days. He is a "simple minded" man. When I say simple I mean basically an eight-year-old boy trapped in a large man's body, and when I say an eight-year-old trapped in a large man's body I mean Lenny from Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men". He says anything that comes to his mind. He is slightly paranoid. He does not follow directions. I have been very patient with him somehow...I don't know how.
I wish I could tell you all the hilarious things that have happened with him...but alas I can't...patient confidentiality.
I cannot wait to go home and sleep.
I cannot wait for the animal party on Saturday....I hope it goes okay.

M. Ward 2/21/2009

Jojo and Amy O's trip to see M. Ward play at the 6th & I Synagogue. It was awesome.

Played half solo and half with his five-piece band.

70 Minute set.

Opening band Vivian Girls (Who we missed)


Fuel for fire
Lets Dance
The Prodigal Son
Never had Nobody
One hundred Million Years
Poison Cup
Undertaker
Change is hard
Jailbird
To Save Me
For Beginners
Shangri-La
Bean Vine Blues #2

Encore:
Solo-Story of an Artist
With band-Magic Trick

Hilarious!!!

Okay so Amanda got me hooked on this lady this past fall. Our friend Matt just posted a link about her on Facebook. This reminded me just how funny the Fruitcake lady is! You all have to watch this clip, so so funny!

Repeat

I have no words so just listen.

There Is A Light - Great Lake Swimmers

I HAVE to do this

I have to stop smoking. I don't smoke every day but I sure do smoke a lot when I go out. It's disgusting, I know. It's bad for my health, I know. It harms other people, I know. We all know this but we still keep lighting up. Why? I think it is more of the association of smoking while drinking, or eating, or driving that gets us. Of course nicotine is the kicker but I think it is more about wanting to smoke while doing other things. So I went 6.5 days without smoking while drinking or socializing. Last night I gave away yet another pack of cigarettes but I had 2 before doing so. I'm hating myself this morning for being so weak. I have to thank Heather for trying to tell me that I didn't want one last night but I did. Ashley is right though that is better than smoking 20. So this week I'm going to go for zero. If I don't slip hopefully it will be only 1 this time. I am going to follow Heather's advice and simply not buy any. Now I just need to not bum any.....

Getting rejected by 7 different technologies

Yes, I'm going to admit I did go see, He's Just Not That Into You, last night. BUT I have to say I wasn't the stereotypical girl who went with a bunch of single girls, rather I went with my roommate who has a BF and my friend Des who brought along her BF Matt. SO that made me feel less like a single girl who is trying to seek hope in finding "true love" from a movie that portrays love and relationships in a unrealistic way. I have to say I am not one to really watch these types of movies these days, unless they come from the 80's and 90's (for some reason I think films like reality bites, singles, some kind of wonderful, pretty in pink were more real, am I wrong here). I did however think this movies was great because of how "real" and logical the premise of the movie is??? The analysis of relationships, combined with humor, and hot guys = an excellent chick flick! A lot of the advice this film gives to guys, girls, straight, or gay is so on point that I'm like "DUH!". For instance this clip below is funny and sadly so true! In any case, I guess what I'm getting down to is if you are in the mood to see a "romantic comedy" then this is finally a film that is comparable to the classic films of the 80's and 90's.

The little things

The little things that make me happy such as people at work who know how much of a dog lover I am and bring me in things for me and my dog!
I got doggy treats for Bailey from Deb(her dogs refused to eat the oral care good bites but Bailey will eat anything so she gave them to me).
Sally said that this box of chocolates reminded her of Bailey and I. Sally, thinks I am Woodstock and Snoopy is Bailey...I don't know but all I can say is that is just the way Sally thinks.
Anyways, my Friday is off to a great start:-)

Music and Friends

Although I find a lot of music on my own, I feel even more excited about discovering new bands if the introduction came from friends. More importanly, I think it is a wonderful thing to have friends who know so much about music and we can converse about it and/or go to shows together. I'm just thinking about music today because there is a crap load of shows coming around D.C. and Richmond that has gotten me very excited. Many of these bands, remind me of my friends who either introduced me to the artist(s) or vice versa. So when I think about all of the up coming shows I'm going to in the up coming weeks, I think of my friends who got me into these bands and thank them. You know who you are.
M. Ward
Bishop Allen
Great Lake Swimmers
Thao and the Get Downs
The National
Mates of State

Here is a song that I'm digging which may be something new or something old to you:

and everything stops

I need to do this more often.

Sunshine

The blowing wind

The feel of grass beneath the feet

Eyes closed

Deep breaths

Thoughts

Silence

Solitude

Tip of the day

Go buy this album now.

1 For Beginners (AKA Mt. Zion)

2 Never Had Anybody Like You (feat. Zooey Deschanel)

3 Jailbird

4 Hold Time

5 Rave On (feat. Zooey Deschanel)

6 To Save Me (feat. Jason Lytle)

7 One Hundred Million Years

8 Stars of Leo

9 Fisher of Men

10 Oh, Lonesome Me (feat. Lucinda Williams)

11 Epistemology

12 Blake’s View1

3 Shangri-La

14 Outro (AKA I’m a Fool to Want You)

Wow

There was actually something in a law book I was cataloging today worth reading....

Life is good

One of the best things about life is seeing live music. GOOD live music.
Six of us piled into my car (Emily, Amy L, Curtis, Gillian, Sarah, and me) and we hit the road to Charlottesville. We had amazing Mexican food at Mono Loco. Seriously, I haven't had fresh Mexican food like that since Austin or Tampa. Good times eating, drinking, and talking (Milan's and Amy's exchange about Lee's Chicken and the GRTC = classic). Then off to the show! The Heartless Bastards tore it up at the Gravity Lounge! Damn, if it is not the best thing to see a female musician with a powerful voice and awesome guitar playing skills. The venue was decent too! It was an intimate setting with books everywhere, pockets in the walls with little lamps nestled inside, and elfs in the background. A great band, who were loud enough to block out any talking in the background, and great friends = a wonderful night!

Need a laugh?

Amy L. let me borrow the 1st season of 30 Rock and it is HILARIOUS! My favorite character is Kenneth, the NBC Page. Kenneth is beyond ridiculous and I think I'm a little bit in love with him. Anyways, if you need a good laugh, check out 30 Rock. The end.

B & A

Do you have that one friend who makes life seem so sweet and light? My cousin Briana, is that person for me. We have a great friendship and bond that in some ways goes deeper than a great friendship, maybe b/c we are family?As deep as our relationship is at the same time it is very light. Meaning, we get into the most wild circumstances and have the best memories of our many crazy times. The fun and crazy times is what keeps things real. However, when it's time to throw down and let it all out we either go to a bar, have some drinks, and smokes and release everything we've been holding in. Or we will go on a long walk and talk and talk and talk...I can't tell you how many times this girl has changed my perspective on aspects of my life, or people, I have questioned. She has been the biggest supporter of many choices I have made and has never second guessed me on anything. When I need that one person to look at me without any type of judgment what so ever, she is that person. She accepts me and all of my flaws without any questions. People like Briana are rare to come by because not everyone is as kind, non-judgmental, and selfless as she is. So tomorrow she is coming to Richmond and will be in town for a long weekend. I fucking can't wait to see this girl! It's been about a year and a half and this visit is waaaay over due. We are going to get into trouble (inevitable), laugh, talk, cry, and overall just have a great weekend. Cheers to you B!

Winter Trip 2009

Probably one of the best trips I've ever taken with friends. We really didn't even do that much but we sure did have a lot of fun eating, drinking, laughing, playing games, talking, and dancing.
Highlights:
The smell of fresh air, the silence, the moon, and the view
Heather, Curt, and Amanda telling their stories about meeting the locals
Jolinda taking a shot of tequila, bite of spaghetti, shot of tequila, bite of lasagna, shot of tequila...
Aaron with this "special olympics" hat on, sitting in the corner, and feeling the vibrations
Ladybugs everywhere
Dancing all night
Playing games all night
Sulphur smell
Karate, Gun, Gorilla
The best lasagna I've ever had
Curt-Cowboys
Sarah-Dinosaurs
Aaron-Toga
Sarah-feeling the ear poke by Amanda
Taboo-It's just a game guys
Gillian saying "titty-pump"
Spanky-licking feet
Apple's to Apple's-Heather next time I'm sure you will get at least one green card...
Bus shuttle-singing country music, finding Waldo, and really sticking out in the crowd of snowboarders and skiers
Snow volleyball
Test tubing
Overall Snowshoe adventure-snowball fight, drinking, eating, walking,
and not skiing, nor snowboarding, nor tubing
2 am showers
Weird dreams
Lots and lots of laughing

I can't wait for next year!

Take the time to read

I respect musicians even more for taking the time out of their busy schedules to respond to their Fan's emails....

Mia and Jonah said: sorry for the wait. been busy w/a new album and our upcoming valentines day show.here r the lyrics:( i am so flattered that u r interested)

Song: Water In a Teapot
Album: Shine I

Its summer time and colder
than a wounded lover's shoulder
and the smile i knit together
for this weary winter weather
is wearing thinner than the promise
of tomorrow as a beacon
and hope it rains hard on the pane
it causes just by speaking
cause you could be a pathway with a hole dug underneath it
and if I fall and find fear one more time
I might decide to keep it
so I am trying to step lightly
but heavy just happens to me
and I am not afraid you'll bite me, but you could slay me with your beauty
cause time is water in a teapot and you swear you hear it whistlin
is it calling you away from me
can i persuade you not to listen
i will fill your ears with music to distract you from the sound and if you've got to go than go
but know i hope you stick around
the cherry blossom trees are growing naked in their meadows
and i think i am like the branches and you are the pink petals
I am rooted to the soil the wind calls and I stay grounded but one word and you're off like a bird and I am stranded here confounded
I have read your constitution
Your honesty is commendable
but your eyes don't seem so resolute
baby maybe your truth is bendable
I will not strip away your boundaries
Just let me stretch them like a moonbeam
and I'm not asking for forever just a key to a room in your dreams

1st chorus again...
Now I am getting in my sailboat and I am unfurling the sail
maybe I'll win this round with distance
You've seen me way beyond the pale
Baby forget those words I told you
It was late and we were drinking
And it just felt so good to hold you
that I started over thinking
Cause time is water in a teapot and I swear I hear it whistlin
Oh, and drinking while the water's hot is the only kind of livin
so I'll untie my sailboat from the shore of your familiar sound,
and if you have to go than go but know,
I hope you stick around


here they are!love is all!mia

HAHAHA, I want this book!

I love this topic because it makes me laugh and have uncontrollable giggles! Now there is this great book for kids but I think it's best suited for adults who are truly a kid at heart ;-) The best thing is that I found out about this book today on my weekly "American Libraries Direct" email, ha! Librarians are awesome.

Book Description:

"Sure, everyone does it; but everyone tries to hide it a little differently. "Farts: A Spotter's Guide" will help you pinpoint he (or she) who dealt it every time. In the spirit of the famous and bestselling "Fart Machine" (No 2), this hilarious book features an attached battery powered fart machine that accurately reproduces ten common wind breakers, from the gentle hiss of the Silent-but-Deadly to the rip-roaring flatulation of the Seismic Blast. The text describes the habitat, range, voice, and 'field marks' of each emanation, and grossly hip 2-colour illustrations by The Fudge Factory's Travis Millard depict the offenders and offenders in brilliant detail. Printed on durable card stock, this is pure, unbridled entertainment for the giggling child in all of us. Let 'er rip!"

I forgot what nice and sane was like.

Ahhhh......this feels great.

I want to go to Italy, or maybe I'll just move there

This song is featured in the fabulous Italian film The Orange Thief. What a magical evening that was Amy. I'm researching Italian folk music curently while I'm suppose to be working...

Going going going....

For the past five days I have had made plans and have hung out with all the various friends I have. I am exhausted right now. I want to remember these past couple of days because it was so much fun! BUT I need to stop at some point or just slow down. Why is moderation so hard for me?

Wed. Amanda, Carolyn, and me at Avalon discussing religion, men and women, life and death over martinis. Heavy but perfect.
Thur. Amy, Gillian, SP, Jo, Milan, Aaron and me all at IPS, then to Czar (Great music), and then back to IPS . Great night hanging out, listening to music, meeting people, catching myself up with old friends Ashley and I used to hang out with, and having self-reflective conversations with Jo and SP.
Fri. At my place and Jo and Amy came over. Us 3 hung out for awhile, which was cozy and fun. Then off to cous cous with Amanda and Jo and met up with David and Matt. Fun times sparring with Matt, eating tapas, and having drinks.
Sat. Fabulous night with Miss. Lackey-Drinks at Havana, Italian Film Festival (beautiful), and then met up with everyone at cous cous and then ended the night doing a little dancing at IPS.
Sun. Finally Desiree, Cristina, and I were able to meet up for brunch. It was great catching up. A bonus was eating at Joe's which is so cheap and good. Love it.
Fun times at Ashley's and Aaron's watching the game, eating food (prepared by Basmajian/Ring's), drinking wine from Honduras (thanks Ash! the "$144" bottle of red was yummy).

Today it has all caught up with me. I'm going home and passing out.