Dandy Candy

I wanna Twin Bing. Along with Goodies (maple-y nutty mounds) and Rolos (chocolate covered sticky caramel), Twin Bings were something my mom always carried to give my sister and I. With the hot pink center the consistency of sort of dried out, rubbery frosting (fondant?) and the two blobs (twins) covered in milk chocolate and crumbled peanuts, it's sort of the perfect little girl food. When my aunt would visit from Louisiana, my mom would buy her a bunch of Bings and a few bottles of good old Nebraska Dorothy Lynch. The Bing was first produced in 1923, the Twin Bing (two Bings side-by-side) came along in 1979, just in time for me and little sis. There’s even a King Bing, which is three bings!!! Bings were invented in Palmer, Iowa which is probably why I can't find them here in Cloudsville. Hrm.

Celebrating 700 Years of Specs Appeal!

Ever since the early nineteenth century, the Theunissen family has had a strange obsession with eye wear and the mark they've made in the history of fashion. Over 35 years ago, the father of the museum's current owner decided to share his family's most beloved passion with the public.

The National Museum of Spectacles in Amsterdam is itself something of a spectacle, fittingly located above an old optician's office in a building that dates back to the mid-1600s. The house's two floors overflow with monocles, lorgnettes, and the once-beloved Roosevelt style pince-nez. Exhibits detail the 700-year history of eye wear and the role that spectacles have played in art and fashion. Included among the museum's extensive holdings are the glasses of such bespectacled luminaries as Buddy Holly, John Lennon, Elvis Costello, and Franz Schubert. Four eyes everywhere have reason to push their glasses up a little higher today. Sigh.

Refrigerator Raider

If you substituted the crumpled plastic bag for 15 jars of jam, and added 3 Cheez Whiz jars of homemade kombucha, you'd have an idea of what's happening in my own lonely fridge. I love checking out what people have in their refrigerators (and sneaking in plastic toy rats). It's a great way to see what people have or in my case, have not been up to lately. Mark Menjivar has done a series of photos of the insides of various peoples iceboxes called (pretty obviously) "You Are What You Eat". The one to the right is the fridge of a street advertiser in Texas living on a fixed income of $432 a month. See the personal narratives arranged in the great appliance at http://www.markmenjivar.com/

Grizzly Bears First Bachelor Pad

Claudia Kishi, You're My Hero!

I found this amazing blog today devoted to the one and only CLAUDIA KISHI!!!! Of all the savvy teenage business women in the world, when I was 9 years old, Claudia was the most amazing. In addition to being the vice president of a lucrative female only babysitting enterprise, Claudia was far and away the coolest of all the other BSC ladies. Living in the shadow of her brainiac sister, Janine (Read "Claudia and Mean Janine" September 1987 for details) Claudia carves out a place for herself with her A+ fashion, make-up applying know-how art and junk food eating capabilities. She studied in New York City with Mackenzie Clark in Super Special #6, New York, New York, but the majority of her classes are at the Stoneybrook Community Center. What a gal! So check out this blog for some sweet reminders of all the glorious outfits of the amazing Claudia and some in depth analysis of most of the books in the series by the great Ann M. Martin. And J.K. Rowlings? Eat a bag!
http://whatclaudiawore.blogspot.com/
And just in case you are not already navigating your way to an afternoon of laughs and gleeful head nods, let me give you a sample of what you are missing. Here is a cover illustration breakdown of #67 Dawn's Big Move: Our Heroine needs to consider wearing longer shirts with her leggings. But I'm a kind soul and I can forgive (unless you're Stacey). Especially since this outfit really sums up what The Kishi is all about: cowboy boots, wacky-ass patterns (her weapon in the war against normalcy!), side ponytails, and unattractive hats. (After extensive zooming, possibly also earrings the size of jar lids.) Work it out, girl. A+.

What I'm Reading This Week in The Discover America Summer Reading Club Program

I love the way this book looks like an old textbook. The inside cover has a map of the U.S. illustrated with highlights from each state. Each essay has a cover page of fun facts about the state to get the reader primed for excitement. My favorite so far is Arizona (I'm well into the Ns by now though, swear), written by a woman who moved there on a whim from New York City. Living 40 miles from Tucson in the middle of the desert, she writes about trying to fit into the local scene, a gas station called the Minit Mart. "I didn't want to be a class warfare cliche with my dismissal of all the Kools and Kid Rock CDs and necklaces bearing the flowery, gold-washed words Angel/Slut. I told myself I could reach an accommodation with these items. I tried to develop a companionable familiarity with them; I referred to the store fondly as the Mullet Market, started drinking four-packs of Red Bull, and sometimes stood in the parking lot for long periods of time doing nothing but smoking, quaffing my Bull, and leaning against the faded hood of my pickup watching traffic.

Summer Loving

The new bug love videos are out! I can't stop laughing at "Why Vagina?" my favorite of the bunch. Watch them on The Sundance Channels website so we can all talk about how much we love Isabella Rosselini. Show your love for paper mache and science!

If I were a praire girl, I'd be a very cold one

I finally opted to harvest my bed pillows and get this monkey off my back. Har Har. There isn't a craft store anywhere in this town. Where's a girl gonna get her polyfill and googly eyes need met? But I was sick of looking at that deflated monkey with no eyes somehow glaring me down. Sewing by hand is insane, even sweat shops provide machines for crying out loud. Laura Ingalls Wilder was one hardcore motherf*****. I'll bet I still beat Spencer, who was last seen wearing his sock monkey.

Here I Go Again on My Own. Ba Da Da Daaaaaaa

Today I'm heading to NE Portland to collect some Kombucha fixings so I can start brewing my own vinegary soda for the summer.

Over the river and through the mall area we go

Sampling

The lady I got the scoby from has about 10 different brews going and wanted me to sample full cups of each. I felt like I was going to blow up but I also got the impression that she wanted to make sure I am actually into brewing my own tea before she handed over the slimy stuff. I packed it all into a jar cushioned with winter scarves and peddled to the nearest store to buy five pounds of sugar to get the scoby party started.

Tea Party

I used black tea with this brew because I was sick of drinking it. I normally like to use green because it gives the kombucha a lighter flavor. The tea turned out mega dark, I am nervous this is going to taste too intense.

My New Jam

It's the caramel frappacino wolf in a sheep's suit of the tea world. I can't even remember how it happened but this is my third bubble tea of the week. I'm so ashamed.

Anything over 75 degrees should be a holiday

My apartment is blazing hot today. I'm melted to my chair eating tamarind candy. The girl across the courtyard is flinging sunflower seeds out her window and I'm chasing them with tamarind stones. The block has turned into a summer camp movie. This might be a good time to finally ask if she wants to institute that tin can phone system I've always dreamed of.

Picnic in Washington Park. Memoral Day Rolls On

While setting up the Scrabble board on the picnic table top, we decide to scrap the whole thing and head out to the beach instead. I love holidays.

Picnic

The strawberries are fairytale quality this time of the year. I'm going to turn pink from all the berries I've foraged these past few days

Best Bridge in Town

We stopped to check out Cathedral Park and take a stroll around the St. Johns area on the way out to the water. I can't wait to run over this bridge with Spencer this fall. It's so pretty! We got some coffee and went to a deli to see if we could scout out some kombucha cultures but didn't have any luck.

Where the Waters Mix

We laid out on my awesome college sheets and got some rays while watching the waters of the Colombia and the Willamette mingle. Across the water, on a small island, a nudest party did their thang.

Actually, I was never a Girl Scout

In my excitement over the prospect of drinking wine out of my Kool-Aid Man mugs two days in a row, I somehow overlooked packing a wine key. Luckily, D's parents signed him up for Boy Scouts when he was a lad.

Watching the Barges Pass

Memorial Day!

M and I decided to have a picnic on the beach to celebrate memorial day and kick off three days of a solid diet of picnic food. We stopped at this dock on the way to the beach to check out some boats. After walking along the docks for about a half hour we started up the boardwalk to head back to the summer fun mobile and found ourselves locked in! Yikes. There was literally a 15 foot gate closed between us and the Camper Van Summer, topped with barbed wire. We looked at our picnic sitting in the van and had a mini panic before a man that was wearing a white captains hat gave us the code to let ourselves out.

On the Beach

Kites

M always keeps a kite in the VW, just in case. This guy knows how to live.

Flying on the Beach

Holmes Sweet Home

I'm so glad to be home to the good coast. Q and I met up on the waterfront for a bike ride to our favorite bum spot in Ladd's Addition. Before we made our way over, the bridges were raised to let a barge through so we were forced to hang out and eat popsicles while that biz was taken care of. I am so giddy to be back in the real world I even wore a flower in my hair. Geez.

Perfect Day for Lounging in the Sun

Q and I had a heated game of dots and I told him all about the east coast and he told me all about San Francisco. There was a bum behind the bushes telling his views on life and his voice sounded just like an old duck. Mallard Bum kept repeating "Get a Job, Get a Job". We moved to the Press Club on Clinton and ate crepes that made me feel like I was punched in the stomach before making our way up to Mt. Tabor to listen to Green Day on a split set of headphones like two bad 8th graders in love.

I'm So Glad to See You!

Gambit ran out of my brothers car and attacked me with puppy love at the airport. At home he promptly got wasted on not having to sleep in a kennel and proceeded to pass out on my bed for three days. Professional dog.

Airports Make Me Feel Like a Prisoner

After a grand fair well with Spencer, I waved from the train and settled in for my commute to Newark to head home. As the doors slid shut I realized I was departing from JFK and had to claw myself out and run like hell to get a cab. Luckily I ran into Spencer in the lobby of Penn Station so he kept me company until I could find a driver willing to take me clear to JFK. I rolled my eyes at myself and crumpled the ticket I had just bought for the train into my pocket. The ride took forever and I had to cling to the shirttails of an angry Portland mom to fight my way onto the plane in time for take off. After eating wasabi peas all day, peanuts were a nice change and as filling as a Thanksgiving dinner at that point in my desperation to wriggle free from the airport. Crazy Portland mom lady kept saying "This is my last time in this bullshit city". I think she has a good point.

Sunnyside Up

Toast Sneaker

Skid and I buddy up on achieving Clean Plate Club membership on my last day in NYC.

Horror Rat

I leave Spencer a little surprise to make him smile (and pee his pants) later

Chillaxing

I made Spencer some raspberry iced tea and we hung out on the fire escape and listened to some mixes he made for me. Below, a bunch of high school kids loitered around and made three cops nervous. Spencer and I watched a Sassafrasy girl in the shortest dress in history prance around the cops.

Yea, New Music!

Spencer making labels for the many mixes he sent me off with. Note he is wearing his sock monkey project, bum.

Waiting Room

While Spencer got his teeth cleaned and drilled out, I walked around this giant produce market, taking important pictures of things like barrels of olives and mountains of dead fish.

Taking Care of Biz

I followed Spencer to drop off his laundry. I felt like totally old school, doing my own laundry and all. I like the shelves and shelves of the bags but they aren't nearly as amazing as the conversations overheard. Too bad I couldn't capture those for you, bloggies.

Thyme Life

My belly likes this deli, Shelly. It's kind of like a two story Open Harvest except it is full of New Yorkers talking about important New York stuff.

I'm looking that Gift Horse Square in the Face

Spencer got us this awesome vintage sock monkey making set. The thing is, to get the monkey you have to sew BY HAND all these little pieces. It's a real T.V. watching kill if you know what I mean. The pictures are so adorable, I am trying to make myself pull through. Upon the advice of J. Wenz, we are watching Pineapple Express while we cut out all the pieces. That man is dead to me.

It's Alive-ish

My Dawgs are Howlin

While Spencer goes to work everyday, I try to power walk around the city as far and long as I can to see as much as I can each day. I've still not learned my lesson about wearing ballet slippers as my main form of transportation, despite the heckles from my bum enemy (more on her later). Today Spencer and I found these crazy shoes to solve a few problems. They make us look like old ladies, you have to push your money maker out and tread extremely slowly. Mostly, I just like the way they look. They feel terrible but in a helpful way. Know what I mean?

Shucks, Sigh and Ditto

Jake and Alisa in Portlandia!!!!!

Andy and I were super excited to pick up J+A, we decided to get a huge box of donuts to surprise them. We also decided to dress to impress, the theme being "this is what I'd wear to work if I had a job". After a series of near death experiences for a handful of pedestrians, trying to get out of downtown Portland, we ended up taking the longest route ever, Sandy Boulevard. I realized if you pull out most of the trees along the sidewalks, Sandy is Grand Island, Nebraska. It is also kind of Hasting, like near where the Kool-Aid museum is. We shared some bismarks and pointed out all the nasty things we could see that might also fit in the state of Nebraska, my favorite being a huge jug shaped building that is a strip club. What the hell, Sandy?
This is us eating pizza at Roscoe's. After the donuts, it seemed like the entire trip turned into a huge American eating contest. What more could a girl ask for? I love these guys!

The Art Show

LIving the Life

That's right, free Red Vines.

Andy Explains Art to me, or something

And to Alisa