I Want a Dog...

...Okay, maybe I don't. It's kind of how I think of babies right now; I totally feel my biological clock yearn whenever I see one (my friends can attest, I smile at ALL BABIES), but the idea of it pooping or crying or like, not being able to hold up its own head (alson probably the fact that I call a baby "it" isn't great) makes me think no, maybe I'm not ready yet. So, of course, the next logical thought is DOG.

Here's the thing: I am terrible with animals. Okay, not TERRIBLE, but I am kind of the same way with them that I am with people; I am completely terrified at first and assume the creature will only hurt me both emotionally and physically and then once I get to know them, I love them so hard that the idea of losing them EVER makes me not want to embark upon the relationship at all. What's worse about animals is that they can't speak, so like, you could have a dog that thinks you're really unfunny or a dog that is secretly a serial killer and you would NEVER KNOW.

So all of that said coupled with the fact that I live in a little artist's studio has prevented me from purchasing a dog (or a kid). I get my kicks when I walk around the reservoir and stand outside the dog park, watching other people play with their pets (yeah, Ron Perlman, that was me trying desperately to figure out which dog was yours based on how much they looked like you). But this past Saturday, it was so beautiful out and there were SO MANY good dogs, I almost kept walking right over to the pound. I was too afraid to take a picture of an actual dog, because I was worried someone would think I was a dog thief, or the other dogs would get jealous that I had deemed one dog the cutest, so I just took pictures of my walk:

This is a field where you can do whatever. I've seen people drink, smoke, play Cornhole, play Frisbee, play footsie, do yoga and make out. It's fun.

That is a lady jogging slowly. I was walking, because I didn't want to make her feel bad. Anyway, it was a stunning day out and I ended up road tripping to San Diego to visit my gorgeous and gregarious college roommate Anne. What happened in San Diego stays in San Diego, but I WILL say I had the best time. Thank you, Frost (private, special nickname for Anne)!

HE'S ALIVE!

Thank GOD (and thanks Lindsey for sending this to me), my love has returned to the scene:

http://jackwhiteiii.com/

It's Goddamned JACK WHITE.

Finally Friday

Blah, gross week. This cleanse has stopped working, work is annoying me, and I keep ripping holes into all my tights (I just don't have an incredible gentle touch!). But music never lets me down! here is some of it for your ears:

1) "Revival" by Deerhunter (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b0fDIPP-u4) I always forget how special this band is. I love them. This album, Halcyon Digest, will really blow you away, Strangers. This band has incredible range and they don't waste any notes. This song is jangly but also dark. LIKE ME.

2) "I Only Think of You" by The Horrors (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjTIbuaGozU) Skying was one of the best albums of 2011 and this band is the real deal even though they changed their image from Gothic clowns to Cure-like 80's weirdos. I think the distorted strings in this song are BEAUTIFUL and whoever made this video, I want to kiss them on the mouth part of their face, it's so lovely.

3) "About Today" by The National (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7T2135xCZQ) Yeah, I warned you, I am kind of in a MOOD. This song opened the super-underrated movie Warrior and really set the tone for the entire film with its string-infused nostalgia. Side note: the guy who directed Warrior, Gavin O'Connor, also directed the great sports movie Miracle, or as my friend Elisha and I like to call it, porn. Anyway, this band may be super grumpy, but they know how to create a melody.

4) "Hurt Like Mine" by The Black Keys (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSBMyGDB-6E) So this one is Lindsey's fault. We were just gripin' yesterday about how we miss the EDGE in the Keys' latest stuff. I appreciate that they're trying to change it up, and surf-rock is cool, and they told the NY Times that they didn't even like blues music (this is a crock of shit if I ever heard/read about one), but like guys, you sound better when you ROCK. Thickfreakness is such a raw, honest album and I basically like every song on there. This one has the simplest riff, but it just makes me DANCE in my chair. Yes, I'm sitting in my office.

PS Song) "Backwords" by Porcelain Raft (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1jGTFru4II) Remember how in my previous post I was obsessed with this music? WELL I STILL AM. Do yourself a favor and buy Strange Weekend on iTunes right now, the whole thing is like a dreamy, chimey, melancholy piece of CANDY. That makes sense.

Porcelain Raft ROCKS

Lil Strangers, I can't stop listening to Porcelain Raft! Duh, Noelia turned me onto it, but now I am a fan in my own right! It's just the kind of synth-y, sexy, sleepy shit I dig. I think Raft is just this cute, small Frenchman and his keyboard. I am going to see Raft live soon, so I will let you know. Here's a little intro play list so you can fall in love with this music too!

1) "Put Me To Sleep" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzd2CDKJ5fQ) Similar sound to The Horrors (who I ADORE), this jam had a gently building loop that really gets me into a trance. Which is good when I'm, you know, at work.

2) "Tip Of Your Tongue" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsKRNDaRN94) I actually cannot stop with this one. It contains YEARNING, which you know is my favorite activity. I also love how Lil Frenchie sings "teeeep of your tongue." So Euro!

3) "Come Closer" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePRJXavFt0k) This one is kind of mid-to-late 90's-sounding for me, and duh, that is an era I super-dig. This makes me think of a kind of hip prom (like in Angus with "Fade Into You" by Mazzy Star), where I am sitting on my chair alone, sad in a ethereal blue dress, when suddenly the bad boy I crush who was even gonna COME to prom, walks over to me and asks me to dance and we go cheek to cheek and a single tear runs down my face. No, YOU live in a fantasy world!

Salt's Cure Cures All

So I had a delightful weekend. On Thursday, I saw Pina at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood(GO...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinerama_Dome ...coolest way to watch movies EVER). Pina is Wim Wenders' 3D documentary-tribute to famous dancer/choreographer Pina Beausch and it is SPECTACULAR. It's a totally different way of using 3D and for anyone who is a fan of dance, this is a a completely unique way of experiencing it- you're on the STAGE with the dancers, you can hear them breathing, see their muscles pulsing...it's just rad.

Friday, I had some buds meet me at the Thirsty Crow, and while I will always love that place and go as it is across the street from my apartment and they serve my favorite drink, the venue was less than ideal. They said they were at capacity when the bar didn't seem crowded at all, so I had a bunch of friends in line and some gave up and went home. Then, when I asked the bouncer if I could go talk to my friends in line, he told me they "didn't want traffic walking in and out," so I would basically have to get in line if I left my own party. But our waitress was lovely and I had the whole back area no problem, so if you're having a SMALL gathering (maybe not on a Friday), this place is still the tits.

Saturday, I popped by my friend/neighbor/hero Jason's in the day and did everything in my power to avoid the delicious meats they were grilling up for his brother Rob's birthday, because after hanging with Anna for a while, a bunch of us went to Salt's Cure (http://www.yelp.com/biz/salts-cure-west-hollywood) in West Hollywood for dinner and my world was rocked forever. I totally broke my diet, but then yesterday I was good, so whatever, WORTH IT. Anyway, Salt's Cure is a SMALL place, so we did have to wait like 45 minutes for our table of 7 (and we had a res), BUT, the host brought us a free bottle of wine/round of drinks and was very apologetic (hey, sometimes people take a long time to eat their food). We also got a pickle plate with the most scrumptious, lightly brined pickle slices, soft/warm pretzel bread and homemade mustard. Then we sat down and the real eating began. We got a cheese plate with three distinctive cheeses (an insanely tasty and salty hard cheese, a semi-soft and semi-stinky little number, and the best cheese I've ever had in my life, which was a blue, sort of in the vein of a Humboldt Fog) and some pistachios and jams.

The way it works at this place is that they always have the same appetizers, but the main menu consists of about ten items that change daily based on what's fresh and then are posted on a big chalkboard at the back of the room. Emily got this beautiful farmer's salad with soft cheese and the freshest (but ripe) avocado I've ever tasted. PRETTY:

I know, I know, IT'S DARK I NEED AN IPHONE. Then I ordered this raw beef sprinkled with arugula and parmesan (I THINK), which was basically a really delicate carpaccio:

Mmmm. Anna and Lindsey got amazing looking bacon cheeseburgers and Brett and Noelia got pretty-pink flank steaks; Noey's with a side of baby broccoli and Brett's came with FRIES (the fries come with mayo, which I adore, but they also make their own ketchup, if you want to order that...OF COURSE THEY DO). Kyle got a moist-looking (ew, moist) crabcake and a side of squash with a creamy hunk of maple butter on it. Emily got beautiful, HUGE grilled oysters and a side of the buttery-est mashed potatoes you've ever seen. I got a chili pork shoulder and then died and went to Heaven. Behold:

Obviously this pic doesn't do this entree justice. It was a giant, fatty, pillow-tender hunk of shoulder, marinating in a soup of its own juices with white beans and kale and I actually wanted to wash my hair in the bowl it smelled/tasted so wonderful. Also, the wine selection isn't super extensive, but after sort of a metallic red blend, Kyle ordered a DELICIOUS cab that helped send me into the food coma that followed this meal. We got this smooth, cold chocolate pudding:

How cute are those baby mason jars? They also brought me a slice of grapefruit pie with a candle in it, which we were all resistant to order but then DEVOURED as it is really a spin on a key-lime pie, except with grapefruit and therefore, fabulous. It was perfect.
Yesterday, it was a rare gray day, and I took a good, long solo-walk around the RES and kind of felt old and wistful, but in a weirdly good way. Then I went to my friends Julia and Jack's place (perfect Venice house, PERFECT funny/smart couple) to watch my Giants MAKE IT TO THE SUPERBOWL BABY!!! Jack won't let me post the photo of him getting "excited" (sounds way scarier than it was) about an intense moment of the game, so here is the TV:

Great TV, Jack and Julia! Then I went and saw Haywire with Kalen and I can't even talk about it because I love Soderbergh and this was...not good. But thanks for the memories, everyone!

It's My Birthday And I'll Scat If I Want To...

Yeah, I'm old. To fight depression on this scary day and to avoid going to the kitchen at work and eating like, 7 doughnuts, I am going to jam out to these songs all day. Don't judge me, just dance with me:

1) "Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)" by Scatman John (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cnQCk0u49w&ob=av2e) Just be honest with your life and enjoy this song. It is SO FUN.

2) "Tonight I'm Fucking You" by Enrique Iglesias (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDtYkOrV4-E) So this song is very honest and direct. I really appreciate how CLEAR Enrique's lyrics are. Okay, so this song is a little scary, but it's fun to dance to! I just want to dance! Just let me dance!

3) "International Love" by Pitbull (featuring that DICK Chris Brown) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdXesX6mYUE&ob=av3e) So I won't support Chris Brown anymore and buy this song, but I do love Pitbull and this is a jam. Like, it has a good message, you know? If I had one birthday wish, it would be for international love. Okay, it would be for a boyfriend, but that's the same, right?

A Meme

So, I don't even know what "meme" MEANS really, but I am pretty sure I am about to post a meme for you. This particular meme is totally played out, what with "Shit Girls Say (parts 1 & 2)," "Shit Bartenders Say," and "Shit Your Painful Crush Says" (the last one doesn't exist but honey, I could make 7 parts, EASY) all over the interwebs.

However, as someone who hails from NYC, this one in particular made me chuckle. Co-worker Rob sent it to me by prefacing with "UGH, this is so YOU." I'd like to think he was paying me a beautiful compliment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRvJylbSg7o