Jedi really outdid himself for Valentine's Day. He set a standard that I think a lot of guys would have trouble beating. When I got home from work he was already in the kitchen preparing 2 different pasta dishes from an America's Test Kitchen episode we had seen earlier that week. Our roommate/friend, The Brown One, and two of our friends were joining us for dinner. Least anyone ask why we did not choose to be alone, I say that we are quite casual in our household and enjoy sharing holidays and most events with friends very much. Plus we spend a great deal of time together and are blessed to having many friends in common. I'm sure there will come a time when we are so busy we will need to schedule date nights, but that time is a bit in the future.
The pasta dishes were magnificent. He made Penne with Toated Nut and Parsley Pesto
and followed it up with Campanelli with Asparagus, Basil, and Balsamic Glaze. Neither of these are dishes I would have tried to prepare on my own, but as demonstrated by Jedi they are not only quick to prepare, but deceptively simple as well. Plus they are vegetarian which is great since The Brown One does not eat meat. Who knows, I might have to try making the Spaghetti with Olive Pesto this week.
On top of this amazing meal my wonderful boyfriend was preparing, he had also bought me 2 gifts that proved to be very insightful. I received a gorgeous cymbidium orchid in full bloom, it was sitting on his dresser in the new room we share. I am not a fan of cut flowers in the least and would always prefer something living instead. Green foliage and flora are something I take pride in watering, repotting, and making thrive. Orchids just happen to be my favorite flower, I am certain Jedi must know that considering how much time I devoted to looking at them in Hawaii. They are exotic and difficult (for me) to cultivate.
If the flowers and dinner were not enough, Jedi had got me one more gift. He gave me a gift certificate for the Nitespa in Venice, CA. This is a spa that specifically caters to people who want to pamper themselves after work. It is in a little house right off Abbot Kinney, it is adorable and personal. Two nights after our Valentine's Day celebration, I went to Nitespa for their AfterParty Antioxident Detox Facial. It was FANTASTIC!!! Not only did it address my current dry skin (it is desert out here people!) and moderate acne problem, but the women told me I had well hydrated skin. I tell you, I felt like a rockstar when I was finished there and have been drinking gallons of water to keep my skin as hydrated as possible so I can get more compliments like that.
Jedi knew I wanted to be pampered and feel relaxed and he took the time and trouble to make that happen. Of course, he tends to be very sensitive to my needs and wants most of the time, but it was pretty special having that happen on a Hallmark Holiday like Valentine's Day.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Fashion Fantasy #47
Like many people out there I have a vivid fantasy life. I do not dream of sex or money, or even fantasize that some day I will be famous. Nope, I just want a pair of pants that fit. I mean is it really asking too much of the American clothes industry to create a decent pair of black or khaki pants that go from store to home fitting like a gem? Apparently so because I have yet to find slacks that are correctly proportioned for my body.
Admitedly, I used to believe that I had an "odd" body type, but as I look at my friends and fellow fashion victims I realize that either we are all "odd" or the perfect size anything person is the oddball. It has reached a point where if something is not too big or not too small and kinda fits ok, I buy it. This is not the way it should have to be to buy clothing! My closet is filled with a hodgepodge of clothes from Target, Nordstrom, Ross, Chico's, and Ann Taylor Loft that not only do not match, but do not flatter.
I know I am being superficial in the belief that my life would be easier if I were the subject of "What Not to Wear" or an Oprah Makeover guest. Afterall the problems in Darfur and affecting people in the aftermath of Katrina and the Tsunami are far more important a topic that I should think about addressing here and bringing to everyone's attention. These tragedies are not on my mind all the time. Being just as human as many people I want to look good, but more then that I want to feel good about myself. Stay tuned for how I figure out the economically sound ways to do this. It might not happen overnight, but all good things take time.
Admitedly, I used to believe that I had an "odd" body type, but as I look at my friends and fellow fashion victims I realize that either we are all "odd" or the perfect size anything person is the oddball. It has reached a point where if something is not too big or not too small and kinda fits ok, I buy it. This is not the way it should have to be to buy clothing! My closet is filled with a hodgepodge of clothes from Target, Nordstrom, Ross, Chico's, and Ann Taylor Loft that not only do not match, but do not flatter.
I know I am being superficial in the belief that my life would be easier if I were the subject of "What Not to Wear" or an Oprah Makeover guest. Afterall the problems in Darfur and affecting people in the aftermath of Katrina and the Tsunami are far more important a topic that I should think about addressing here and bringing to everyone's attention. These tragedies are not on my mind all the time. Being just as human as many people I want to look good, but more then that I want to feel good about myself. Stay tuned for how I figure out the economically sound ways to do this. It might not happen overnight, but all good things take time.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Happy V-day
As a tribute to this romantic holiday I would like to tell you, my dear reader about my wonderful boyfried Jedi. He has a plethora of attributes that would recommend him to many women as an ideal man. He is kind and generous, loves to cook, and has an appreciation for arts be it a concert, musical, exhibit, or graffiti. He is open minded and fairly liberal in life and politics, which suits me well as I fancy myself to be like-minded.
But all these things are fairly generic, not that they aren't vital, but these are not the stand-out reasons why I love him. Jedi has a singular passion for music that brings joy and excitement to everyday. Music by diverse groups of artists, both mainstream and little known bands capture his imagination and inspire him to quiet reflection, frentic dancing, joyous revelry, and boisterous singing. A soul of music and light is what attracted me to him.
Once upon a time, not all that long ago, Jedi worked as a deejay. Weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, School Dances, you name it, he spun the records for it. Even though he has not worked professionally for some years, when we started dating he would occasionally put some CDs up and use his equipment to mix dance music, adding beats, crossfading, scratching, the whole nine yards. When I moved in last month, there was very little room for my stuff in his apartment (because one of his roommate who was moving out still had her stuff there). One day I came home from work and low and behold, Jedi moved all of his gear so that my dresser could be setup and I would have a little space to call my own. To me, that is romance.
Our common adoration of food provides many opportunities for trying new items at the grocery store, at restaurants, and at friend's homes. Jedi is meticulous in the kitchen, he buys materials suggested by his favorite commercial producer come celebrity chef, Alton Brown. Two years ago, The Brown One, my second roommate and friend, collected funds to get Jedi the first several seasons of Alton's cooking show, Good Eats. He refers back to episodes frequently. My favorite of the AB recipes that he has tried are the pork ribs (no big surprise there huh?), pancakes, meatloaf, and turkey. I am hoping he will soon try to take on Mr. Brown's onion soup, or I may just be up to the challenge myself.
My boyfriend is a dedicated worker too. The meticulousness in the kitchen is probably a hundred-fold more when he is working. Admittedly, I did not have a good understanding of his job as a Computer Consultant until we were in Hawaii where I experienced his work ethic up close and personal. It was a side of him that I had not seen before and brought out a level of professionalism that I admired, especially since it proved to be a difficult situation. His patience knows no bounds when he is trying to relate certain problems at work to me, much of which I have trouble understanding. Proudly, I consider myself better educated in computer networking from these discussions and am even capable of solving problems sometimes on my work computer from what I have learned.
Valentine's Day really isn't an important holiday other then the fact that it gives me the chance to tell everyone about my Valentine. Okay, I don't mind the chocolate either...
But all these things are fairly generic, not that they aren't vital, but these are not the stand-out reasons why I love him. Jedi has a singular passion for music that brings joy and excitement to everyday. Music by diverse groups of artists, both mainstream and little known bands capture his imagination and inspire him to quiet reflection, frentic dancing, joyous revelry, and boisterous singing. A soul of music and light is what attracted me to him.
Once upon a time, not all that long ago, Jedi worked as a deejay. Weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, School Dances, you name it, he spun the records for it. Even though he has not worked professionally for some years, when we started dating he would occasionally put some CDs up and use his equipment to mix dance music, adding beats, crossfading, scratching, the whole nine yards. When I moved in last month, there was very little room for my stuff in his apartment (because one of his roommate who was moving out still had her stuff there). One day I came home from work and low and behold, Jedi moved all of his gear so that my dresser could be setup and I would have a little space to call my own. To me, that is romance.
Our common adoration of food provides many opportunities for trying new items at the grocery store, at restaurants, and at friend's homes. Jedi is meticulous in the kitchen, he buys materials suggested by his favorite commercial producer come celebrity chef, Alton Brown. Two years ago, The Brown One, my second roommate and friend, collected funds to get Jedi the first several seasons of Alton's cooking show, Good Eats. He refers back to episodes frequently. My favorite of the AB recipes that he has tried are the pork ribs (no big surprise there huh?), pancakes, meatloaf, and turkey. I am hoping he will soon try to take on Mr. Brown's onion soup, or I may just be up to the challenge myself.
My boyfriend is a dedicated worker too. The meticulousness in the kitchen is probably a hundred-fold more when he is working. Admittedly, I did not have a good understanding of his job as a Computer Consultant until we were in Hawaii where I experienced his work ethic up close and personal. It was a side of him that I had not seen before and brought out a level of professionalism that I admired, especially since it proved to be a difficult situation. His patience knows no bounds when he is trying to relate certain problems at work to me, much of which I have trouble understanding. Proudly, I consider myself better educated in computer networking from these discussions and am even capable of solving problems sometimes on my work computer from what I have learned.
Valentine's Day really isn't an important holiday other then the fact that it gives me the chance to tell everyone about my Valentine. Okay, I don't mind the chocolate either...
Monday, February 13, 2006
I am a Spam Fan!
I have a can of Spam Lite in the trunk of my car. Yes, I admit it I am a fan of Spam. It was a long forgotten guilty pleasure of mine until my recent trip to O’ahu where the prevalence of the product and its many serving styles bring a smile to my face. In Hawaii Spam is a staple of many local restaurants, it is a breakfast favorite often accompanying eggs and Portuguese sausage. However my favorite Spam recipe is for the very simple, quick, and tasty sushi-nigiri-like dish of musubi. Basically it is sticky slightly sweet rice with a slice of soy marinated Spam on top. It is a perfect companion food with beer or as a good start to the day. Not exactly the breakfast of champions, but the comlpex carbs and protein add up to enough fuel to walk around the island for several hours without my tummy complaining.
Back to the can in the trunk. I had the intention of bringing it into the house and creating some musubi this weekend, but alas my plans feel through. Plus Jedi was making pancakes, and there is nothing on Earth as good as those (he uses Alton Brown's recipe complete with butter and buttermilk...for that very reason these are not a daily indulgence for us). So, it will perhaps take a trip with me to Northern California this weekend, maybe I could get the family at large to appreciate the pleasing taste and texture of canned pork.
I have added a few cute pictures from the Spam website. They have everything a Spam lover would never think to get, like Spam brand keychains, hats, even a Spam can costume, unbelievable!
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Great Music
If you like music in the style of Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, or Matchbox 20 then you might like The Mundaze . They are based in Northern California, but 2 of the members were down in SoCal for NAMM (for those of you not in the industry, be it music or entertainment, that would be the National Association of Music Merchants). They have a convention every year in Anaheim for musicians, audio engineers, and recordists.
I am hoping they get some gigs down here since it's sometimes hard to get up to the Bay Area for weeknight shows. Thankfully, we have some of their albums already, including a live recording that is exceptional both in enery of the performance and the audio quality.
I am hoping they get some gigs down here since it's sometimes hard to get up to the Bay Area for weeknight shows. Thankfully, we have some of their albums already, including a live recording that is exceptional both in enery of the performance and the audio quality.
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