Does anyone else have the problem of not being able to mark text messages as unread?
If you are going to ask me a question or otherwise send me something which requires follow-up on my part, please do not do it via text message. Once I read it, I can't mark it as unread, and I can almost guarantee that I'll forget to do whatever it is you want. That's one of the beauties of email - it can overwhelm me later with all the things I need to get back to!
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
What I'm Reading Now -- Sugar In My Bowl
The title comes from a Nina Simone song, "I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl."
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Gooey Butter Cake and NY Magazine
I had a lovely Sunday morning this past weekend. Radar and I went for a long walk, during which I walked past Park Avenue Coffee. K and J were so kind as to get me a gift certificate to there for my birthday which I haven't used yet, and I didn't have anything on my agenda until Sunday afternoon, so I decided to try it out.
I had already made my own pot of coffee, but I packed myself up with a magazine and book and headed back to PAC for a slice of their gooey butter cake, which has gotten rave reviews all over town. I tried the Triple Chocolate, which was every bit as sweet and tasty as I hoped. However I'm used to gooey butter cake that's a bit deeper and more substantial.
In an effort to savor every bite of my slice, I settled in with my magazine (a Christmas stocking stuffer subscription from E) and read a few pages between tastes. I learned some fun things I have decided to share with you:
Women's salaries as a percentage of men's (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics):
- Chief executive: 69%
- Doctor: 79%
- College professor: 81%
- Architect: 85%
- Lawyer: 87%
- IT specialist: 106%
I'm happy to see that lawyers, conservative as we are, are not at the bottom of the list. (You can find more such info here.)
In an article about a documentary about Beyonce's life of overachievement (made by Beyonce, though she did not also write the article about the documentary she made about herself), I especially liked this bit from the intro:
"She spent the [Super Bowl] game's halftime show striding around like a Titan, clinching her status as American pop's reigning megastar; her performance inspired more tweets per minute than the half-hour blackout its energy demands were rumored to have cause. That rumor was a metaphor - a treat for anyone who wanted to believe Beyonce's feminine fierceness was so powerful it literally short-circuited the masculine ritual around it."
Mm hmm.
And last but not least, there was a photo of the new Giorgio Armani calfskin purse, priced at $2,280. That's ridiculous, but so is the process that goes into making it. From the caption:
"Each tote is crafted from 120 separate pieces by seven Italian artisans in a three-day process that involves 75 stages of dyeing, welding, galvanizing, hand-stitching, and sanding. A rivet even a fraction of an inch out of place is grounds for scrapping the whole thing and starting over."
At least you know that when you pay for perfection, you're getting it.
I had already made my own pot of coffee, but I packed myself up with a magazine and book and headed back to PAC for a slice of their gooey butter cake, which has gotten rave reviews all over town. I tried the Triple Chocolate, which was every bit as sweet and tasty as I hoped. However I'm used to gooey butter cake that's a bit deeper and more substantial.
In an effort to savor every bite of my slice, I settled in with my magazine (a Christmas stocking stuffer subscription from E) and read a few pages between tastes. I learned some fun things I have decided to share with you:
Women's salaries as a percentage of men's (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics):
- Chief executive: 69%
- Doctor: 79%
- College professor: 81%
- Architect: 85%
- Lawyer: 87%
- IT specialist: 106%
I'm happy to see that lawyers, conservative as we are, are not at the bottom of the list. (You can find more such info here.)
In an article about a documentary about Beyonce's life of overachievement (made by Beyonce, though she did not also write the article about the documentary she made about herself), I especially liked this bit from the intro:
"She spent the [Super Bowl] game's halftime show striding around like a Titan, clinching her status as American pop's reigning megastar; her performance inspired more tweets per minute than the half-hour blackout its energy demands were rumored to have cause. That rumor was a metaphor - a treat for anyone who wanted to believe Beyonce's feminine fierceness was so powerful it literally short-circuited the masculine ritual around it."
Mm hmm.
And last but not least, there was a photo of the new Giorgio Armani calfskin purse, priced at $2,280. That's ridiculous, but so is the process that goes into making it. From the caption:
"Each tote is crafted from 120 separate pieces by seven Italian artisans in a three-day process that involves 75 stages of dyeing, welding, galvanizing, hand-stitching, and sanding. A rivet even a fraction of an inch out of place is grounds for scrapping the whole thing and starting over."
At least you know that when you pay for perfection, you're getting it.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Microbrewery: Schlafly Bottleworks
Craft beer has become a thing here. There are loads of microbreweries around town, each just brewing away, doing their thing. And we keep drinking their beer! I've made it my mission to drink more of it.
Over the weekend, I went for some food and beer at Schlafly Bottleworks, one of two restaurants operated by St. Louis's biggest and probably most loved microbrewery.
My first beer was the Tripel, which was very light and reminded me of their summer ale, but with more alcohol. Then I had the Singel, which was a bit more substantial than the Tripel, with a slightly nutty flavor. My last taste was the Scotch Ale, a dark, warm chocolatey half-pint of richness.
For eats, I had the Mortadella & Egg sandwich. (I had to use the power of the internets to look up mortadella before I ordered.) The sandwich arrived on a huge brioche roll with four slices of bologna-looking mortadella sliding off the melted cheese onto the plate. I restacked everything but needed to cut the monster in half just to be able to get a grip on it. Of course, as soon as I did that, the yolk from the fried egg ran everywhere, soaking the already soggy bun.
I dove in, knowing that this is the type of sandwich you can't put down once you pick up, because it will fall to pieces on the plate and you'll end up eating it with a fork (not an acceptable method of sandwich-eating); that's another reason I cut it in half, so I could have two gos at it. By the time I was finished, I was a mess - egg and grease running halfway up to my elbows. It was probably the least healthy thing I've eaten in a long time, but every bite was heart-attack-inducingly delicious. To boot, I got it with a side of sweet potatoes with pecans, and I was happy to see they didn't skimp on the pecans a bit!
Over the weekend, I went for some food and beer at Schlafly Bottleworks, one of two restaurants operated by St. Louis's biggest and probably most loved microbrewery.
My first beer was the Tripel, which was very light and reminded me of their summer ale, but with more alcohol. Then I had the Singel, which was a bit more substantial than the Tripel, with a slightly nutty flavor. My last taste was the Scotch Ale, a dark, warm chocolatey half-pint of richness.
For eats, I had the Mortadella & Egg sandwich. (I had to use the power of the internets to look up mortadella before I ordered.) The sandwich arrived on a huge brioche roll with four slices of bologna-looking mortadella sliding off the melted cheese onto the plate. I restacked everything but needed to cut the monster in half just to be able to get a grip on it. Of course, as soon as I did that, the yolk from the fried egg ran everywhere, soaking the already soggy bun.
I dove in, knowing that this is the type of sandwich you can't put down once you pick up, because it will fall to pieces on the plate and you'll end up eating it with a fork (not an acceptable method of sandwich-eating); that's another reason I cut it in half, so I could have two gos at it. By the time I was finished, I was a mess - egg and grease running halfway up to my elbows. It was probably the least healthy thing I've eaten in a long time, but every bite was heart-attack-inducingly delicious. To boot, I got it with a side of sweet potatoes with pecans, and I was happy to see they didn't skimp on the pecans a bit!
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Goal #8
Goal #8: that last computer hard drive.
Attacking this last computer is either going to be really interesting or really easy. If the computer actually functions (not likely), it'll have some interesting old stuff on it from college and maybe even high school. If it doesn't work (more likely), there's not going to be a lot to tell.
Recap of goal #7: another computer down! Score!
Attacking this last computer is either going to be really interesting or really easy. If the computer actually functions (not likely), it'll have some interesting old stuff on it from college and maybe even high school. If it doesn't work (more likely), there's not going to be a lot to tell.
Recap of goal #7: another computer down! Score!
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Fun Stuff around St. Louis
I've been doing some fun stuff lately, so I thought I'd share:
- Rock climbing at Upper Limits and So iLL
- Trapeze class at Bumbershoot Aerial Arts
- Shooting at Bullseye
And I'm about to start a series of posts (since I'm out of weeks for dresses, although I do actually have a couple more dresses) which will take me to local microbreweries. Tomorrow it begins. Wish me luck in my drinking adventures!
- Rock climbing at Upper Limits and So iLL
- Trapeze class at Bumbershoot Aerial Arts
- Shooting at Bullseye
And I'm about to start a series of posts (since I'm out of weeks for dresses, although I do actually have a couple more dresses) which will take me to local microbreweries. Tomorrow it begins. Wish me luck in my drinking adventures!
Friday, February 22, 2013
Dinner at Olio
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about my dinner with Dad at Elaia. On Wednesday night, I was joined by my friend M for dinner at Olio, Elaia's wine bar counterpart. We had delicious food: olives as a started, I had the red pepper and ricotta sandwich and M had the Wednesday night lasagne special, and a chocolate cake with coffee gelee and espresso cream for dessert. Delish.
As for the wine, I first asked our waiter to bring me a glass of something red, old world, not too heavy. It was good. For my second glass, I perused the list and picked out a rosy Giacomo Vico nebbiolo. "Interesting choice," the server said. "Oh yeah?" "Yeah, that's the one you just had."
I guess it was a good fit.
As for the wine, I first asked our waiter to bring me a glass of something red, old world, not too heavy. It was good. For my second glass, I perused the list and picked out a rosy Giacomo Vico nebbiolo. "Interesting choice," the server said. "Oh yeah?" "Yeah, that's the one you just had."
I guess it was a good fit.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
What I Watched -- Zero Dark Thirty
That is not to belittle the excellent job done by Jessica Chastain as Maya, the tenacious CIA agent determined to find "UBL," as they call him, and certain that she finally has. It's only at the end that the military operation begins, but it's exciting once it does.
Recently, the Center for Investigative Reporting and Esquire magazine put out a piece called "The Shooter," based on a series of interviews with the still-anonymous SEAL Team 6 member who pulled the trigger which fired the bullet that killed Osama bin Laden. It's interesting to hear his side of the story, it's sad that he's ended up where he is today, and it's tough to say whether he should have said anything in the first place.
But he did, and the movie and article make nice complements.
Bottom line: not all about the thrills, but Jessica Chastain keeps it interesting. A military action worth taking some time to appreciate.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
What I Watched -- Babel
I must admit, this movie was not quite what I expected. I thought it would be about American tourists trapped in war-torn Afghanistan. Why you would be a tourist in Afghanistan at the present moment I do not know. Regardless, that's what I was waiting for.
No dice. Babel is actually set in a number of places, none of which are Afghanistan: Morocco, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Mexico. And rather than being about a war-torn country, it's the story of a troubled marriage and the people whose lives are tangentially related to it - sort of Love Actually-style, but a couple of the connections are a little more attenuated in Babel. Some are close, but some are akin to the butterfly effect, and I didn't quite see how they fit together until the very end. There is also a little bit of a time warp aspect to it too.
The title for the film comes from the biblical allegory of the tower of Babel. The tower was a construction project of a united people, all of whom spoke the same language. When God realized that nothing they sought would be out of their reach so long as they were united, he "confounded" their tongues and scattered them across the Earth. The word babel is Hebrew for jumble or confusion.
The title for the film comes from the biblical allegory of the tower of Babel. The tower was a construction project of a united people, all of whom spoke the same language. When God realized that nothing they sought would be out of their reach so long as they were united, he "confounded" their tongues and scattered them across the Earth. The word babel is Hebrew for jumble or confusion.
Bottom line: a seriously heavy version of Love Actually. With guns.
Monday, February 18, 2013
The Wonders of a Good Shower
Something amazing (I guess) happened this weekend. For three days in a row, I got to take a shower in my own house.
This sounds like a strange thing to be excited about, and a not particularly notable one; I get that. But most days I shower in the locker room after I work out. I'm lucky if I get one or two showers a week at home, and there are more great things about it than I realized until I didn't have it every day. So here, in an ode to my awesome apartment, are the wonders:
1. It's clean. Someone, namely me, is responsible for keeping it clean. Someone, namely me, also tries to prevent it from getting too dirty in the first place. Neither of those things are true of the locker room, and I get out of the shower feeling, well, not clean.
2. It's warm. My apartment is heated to something higher than 45 degrees. Warm air is awfully nice when you're stepping out of the shower.
3. Hot water. That's right, there's enough hot water for my entire shower when I'm at home. And, brace yourselves here folks, I can even run the washing machine at the same time! It's getting crazy! Seriously, it's nice to be able to enjoy the water until I want to get out, rather than being forced to get out when the water gets cold (which is about four minutes after it gets warm).
4. Towel warmer. Indeed, I have a towel warmer. K gave it to me a couple of years ago, and there's not a lot better when you get out of the shower, even if it's not 45 degrees, than a nice, warm towel.
5. Stuff. On those lovely days that I get to shower at home, I don't have to drag all my stuff around in various duffel and shoulder bags like a hobo. Seriously, my friends laugh at me when they see all the stuff I carry down to my car every morning. But there are no lockers in the "locker" room and I've had stuff stolen before a couple of times, so I can't leave anything there. It all has to come and go when I do.
6. Counter space. In order to get ready for work, I need to be able to get to the aforementioned stuff. In a regular bathroom, which mine is, there's a counter on which you can put the things you're going to need: lotion, toothbrush, hairbrush, deodorant, makeup, etc. Not in the locker room. I can use the benches, but then I'm constantly trekking back and forth from the sink to the bench across the dirty floor, only able to take as many things at a time as I can hold in the hand I don't need to use. This is inconvenient and a waste of time.
7. Privacy. Yeah.
All these things just add up to a feeling of not-quite-put-together-ed-ness (that's a technical term) when I'm walking out of the locker room and heading to work.
Basically, the simple (and hygenic) pleasures of being at home are totally wicked.
This sounds like a strange thing to be excited about, and a not particularly notable one; I get that. But most days I shower in the locker room after I work out. I'm lucky if I get one or two showers a week at home, and there are more great things about it than I realized until I didn't have it every day. So here, in an ode to my awesome apartment, are the wonders:
1. It's clean. Someone, namely me, is responsible for keeping it clean. Someone, namely me, also tries to prevent it from getting too dirty in the first place. Neither of those things are true of the locker room, and I get out of the shower feeling, well, not clean.
2. It's warm. My apartment is heated to something higher than 45 degrees. Warm air is awfully nice when you're stepping out of the shower.
3. Hot water. That's right, there's enough hot water for my entire shower when I'm at home. And, brace yourselves here folks, I can even run the washing machine at the same time! It's getting crazy! Seriously, it's nice to be able to enjoy the water until I want to get out, rather than being forced to get out when the water gets cold (which is about four minutes after it gets warm).
4. Towel warmer. Indeed, I have a towel warmer. K gave it to me a couple of years ago, and there's not a lot better when you get out of the shower, even if it's not 45 degrees, than a nice, warm towel.
5. Stuff. On those lovely days that I get to shower at home, I don't have to drag all my stuff around in various duffel and shoulder bags like a hobo. Seriously, my friends laugh at me when they see all the stuff I carry down to my car every morning. But there are no lockers in the "locker" room and I've had stuff stolen before a couple of times, so I can't leave anything there. It all has to come and go when I do.
6. Counter space. In order to get ready for work, I need to be able to get to the aforementioned stuff. In a regular bathroom, which mine is, there's a counter on which you can put the things you're going to need: lotion, toothbrush, hairbrush, deodorant, makeup, etc. Not in the locker room. I can use the benches, but then I'm constantly trekking back and forth from the sink to the bench across the dirty floor, only able to take as many things at a time as I can hold in the hand I don't need to use. This is inconvenient and a waste of time.
7. Privacy. Yeah.
All these things just add up to a feeling of not-quite-put-together-ed-ness (that's a technical term) when I'm walking out of the locker room and heading to work.
Basically, the simple (and hygenic) pleasures of being at home are totally wicked.
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