Bicoastally

Happy Weekend!

2012-01-27T11:17:00.000-08:00

This Friday's a little bittersweet for me, cause the past two Fridays have marked the beginning of a glorious three-day weekend . . . so this weekend already feels short. But I should stop whining, because the weather's already pretty again, and on Wednesday I get to have cheese again!

Today I have some tips for you:

1. I have a new favorite breakfast: a toasted wheat sandwich thin, sliced avocado, and Papalote salsa. The problem is, it has to be Papalote salsa. Here is what it looks like:

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I can't really explain it except to tell you that it blows any other salsa I have ever had out of the water. It's legendary around San Francisco, and frankly, it should be legendary all over the country. The good news is that you can order it here. I know it seems ridiculous to order salsa from another state (if you're in another state), but I promise you that it will be worth it. It will arrive at your door, you will taste it, and you will immediately email me and tell me how very right I was.

2. Lesley is my oldest friend in the world. Her mama and my mama are BFFs, and Lesley is 6 months older than me. She was waiting for me at the hospital when I was being born! So literally, we go back forever. Ha. In any case, she has recently quit her job to do two things: 1) stay home with her adorable & hilarious daughter Matilda, and 2) pursue her dream of creating and selling amazing wares. In the past, she's been very successful selling one-of-a-kind little girls' dresses, but recently she's started making these carryalls that have me swooning. This is the one I'm in love with:

Tiny Fete Pink Arrow Carryall

I tell you, I'm snatching that one up as soon as I can afford it! Check out her blog and her shop for other patterns/designs. I'm both in awe of her and jealous that she can make such beautiful things. What a talent!

3. And lastly, I recommend for you an article on Obama by Andrew Sullivan (the recommendation comes courtesy of my sister, Kate). It's a longish article about Obama's "long game," and it really puts into perspective that which he has done over the past four years, and that which he is putting into place for the next four. It encourages us to consider the context--the economic and political ambience into which Obama (and Bush before him) entered, which I think is crucial when considering a president's successes and failures. Whatever your political stance, I think this article will be informative.

. . . And after last night's GOP debate, I'm fantasizing about Newt and Mitt in a boxing ring (Mitt would bust him in the jowls and it would be over before it started).

Happy Friday!

This Week's Pros & Cons

2012-01-26T10:54:00.000-08:00

By Thursday, I'm always itching for the weekend. Friday is almost upon us, and I can feel the weekend beckoning. Sometimes I need to remind myself to stop wishing away the week days and enjoy each moment. I have a fulfilling job, lots of wonderful people in my life, and Jersey Shore comes on tonight. ;)

Some things I'm loving this week:

*My sister found the following sign at our grandmother's old folks' home. Crotchety old people are hilarious!

p.s. find me on Instagram (clairekiefer)

. . . or find my sister; she's funnier

*Speaking of my sister, she sent me this picture and it cracked me up. This is how she found her husband and their enormous dog the other morning. LOVERS, I tell you:

*This car was parked beside me in a parking lot Monday night! I almost creeped out and waited for him/her to come out of the store so I could bust out with "I went to Tulane tooooooo!" Solidarity, son.

*I had a date with Heather Tuesday night that involved wine, spaghetti, and making lots of little crafty treasures for Rowan's FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY this weekend. Can't believe that little guy is already one:

how cute are my cupcake toppers??

*Matt got me a Zone 3 literary magazine & wrote this inside ♥:

*My writing date with Diana this week was at Souley Vegan. I finally got that fried okra I'd been dreaming about!

Some things I'm not loving this week:

*A notice from our landlord that he is raising the rent. UGH.

*Monday night, I drove all the way out to San Quentin to teach my weekly class . . . only to be turned away at the East Gate by the mean guard who looks and acts like Ignatius J. Reilly because my prison ID had expired two days prior. No big deal that it's a 30 minute drive each way and a $6 toll. Homeboy is ruthless.

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There's a visual for those of you who haven't read A Confederacy of Dunces. But if you haven't, stop reading my blog and head to a book store or library immediately. Your life is incomplete.

*The combination of a sinus infection and insomnia. Misery cocktail.

Here's hoping the Pros list keeps goin' strong and that the rest of the week sails by breezily into the weekend. At least I have Snooki tonight. GTL!

Funny Dating Sites

2012-01-24T14:49:00.000-08:00

These days, we're all familiar with the 9,624,614 dating sites out there. There's J Date for Jewish folks, Adult Friend Finder for tryst-seekers, BBW Personals for plus size daters, Amo Latina for Latina women seeking older men, Gaydating.com, and my new favorite: SugarDaddyForMe.com, which is pretty self-explanatory. :) Man, are we a categorized people!

Despite knowing that these sites are rampant, imagine my surprise when I saw this email in my inbox this morning:

Hello,

I'm Ellie, and I own BestSeniorDatingSites.org. I noticed you've accepted guest posts on bicoastally.blogspot.com in the past, and I wondered if you'd extend me the opportunity to also write a guest post for you?

I can research and compose an original article specifically written for your site, on any topic of your choosing. I'd only ask that you let me put a discreet link to my own website, BestSeniorDatingSites.org, at the end of my post.

All you'd have to do is review/approve my completed article to make sure that it coincides with the theme of your site.

Please let me know if you are interested.

Thank you for your time and consideration,
Ellie Stevens
Blogger | Owner
Best Senior Dating Sites
P.S. If you would like to see some of my past work before deciding, don't hesitate to ask!

What?!?! Why on earth would the owner of BEST SENIOR DATING SITES think that her product was of any relevance to my blog? At least I got a chuckle out of it. ;)

(all images from)

Godspeed, senior daters!

What to do on a rainy, gray day

2012-01-20T11:22:00.000-08:00

I don't think I could ever live some place where it rains all the time.

Luckily, Bay Area weather is essentially perfect all year round. It's never freezing, nor blazing hot (though I've been oh so jealous of people posting snow pics lately!). But here in San Francisco, we're in the midst of a predicted 5-day rain streak, and I'm trying to keep my chin up and brainstorm means by which I can enjoy the rain. Here are my ideas:

Source: pattersonmaker.com via Jasmine on Pinterest

Hot chocolate with Kahlua! The other night, at an unreasonably late hour, I announced that I was having a severe coffee craving (but that I knew it was way too late for coffee), to which my roommate responded, "Have some hot chocolate instead!" I grumbled into the kitchen to start the kettle, when suddenly it dawned on me: I could add Kahlua to my hot chocolate, which would potentially satisfy my coffee craving! Et voila.

Source: 2.bp.blogspot.com via Taelor on Pinterest

A Modern Family marathon on my couch. They're just all so funny. Especially Cam. Lighthearted humor: a perfect antidote to relentless rain.

Source: 4time2fun.blogspot.com via Veronica on Pinterest

Stretching. Lately I've been feeling so tight and inflexible; usually I'm pretty limber! I'm trying to commit to stretching every night before bed (usually I stretch several times throughout the day) in hopes that it will help my vicious insomnia. How amazing is this picture? I suppose this pose could be the ultimate goal of stretching.

Source: thecurvycarrot.com via Thomas on Pinterest

Vegetarian French Onion soup . . . how incredible does this look? I've been all about soup lately: butternut squash, roasted tomato, minestrone, three bean chili. Unfortunately this particular soup (the veggie French Onion) will have to wait until February when I resume eating cheese, but you better believe I'm pinning it so I can make it the first week of next month!

Tell me: do you have any rainy day tips?

Why my Tuesday Night was Extraordinary

2012-01-19T12:10:00.000-08:00

I miss my family in Georgia a whole lot, but lucky for me, my daddy travels to the Bay Area for work a couple times a year (we got to see each other in Napa in November). He was in town this week for the Fancy Food Show 2012, and Matt and I got to have dinner with him Tuesday night . . . at Millennium, no less!

Millennium is one of San Francisco's premier vegetarian restaurants. I've heard people rave about it for years, but I had never been there myself until Tuesday night. And my two carnivorous companions were great sports about the vegan food (I'm not sure if Millennium is always completely vegan, but the menu was vegan on Tuesday night).

sitting between two of my favorite men!

We ordered lentil cakes and pickled vegetables as starters, and they bought us out complimentary brussel sprouts, which were my favorite thing of the night. They were halved, grilled (I think?) and teriyaki-flavored, and oh my goodness, I'm quite certain I've never had better brussel sprouts in my life:

this picture alone makes me want to go back right now

lentil cakes

Dad ordered a little gem salad, Matt had a three onion soup and a warm winter chaat salad (which was delicious and inventive), and I had the fried artichoke over cashew risotto with kale and sweet lentils.

the chaat: avocado on bottom, chickpeas, grapefruit on top!

artichoke

The best part of my entree was the kale. The fried artichoke was creative and pretty good (with salt), and I found the risotto to be quite bland, but I loved the kale. Big surprise there, haha. ;)

Daddy & me via instagram

After we dropped Dad back off at his hotel, Matt and I went a couple doors down to Top of the Mark, the famous bar atop the historic Mark Hopkins Hotel, from which you can see a spectacular view of the entire city. It's breathtaking! I don't know whether it was a blessing or a curse that I left my camera in the car . . . I didn't get any pictures, but it forced me to just enjoy a drink with Matt in a beautiful setting and not think about documentation.

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The above view doesn't even really do it justice, because from Top of the Mark, the view is panoramic, and you just can't get that on camera. Plus, it was really dark when we were there, and everything was twinkling. I could see all the way from one side of San Francisco to the other, which was a perfect compliment to my Rutherford Hill Merlot (Matt had whiskey).

Nothing like a little spontaneous romance. :) Happy Thursday!

p.s. It was so weird seeing the Bachelor take his ladies all around our city last week. I'd been everywhere they went, except for that random piano shop. Surreal.

Sportsmanship

2012-01-17T12:24:00.000-08:00

I dated a rugby player once who was all about sportsmanship. He gave talks to young players about the importance of sportsmanship, team unity, and being as humble a winner as you are a loser. I hadn't thought too much about sportsmanship until then, but it's really stuck with me.

I love the Saints. I love them because I love New Orleans, where I spent my very formative college years. I imagine that anyone who knows New Orleans in a deep way understands the grip that the city takes on you; it's the most spirited, unique, celebratory town I've known. New Orleans is a city that has undergone deep tragedy, and that has bounced back from that tragedy with an inspiring grace.

I recognize that as much as I love the Saints, other fans all over the country love their teams (whether it be football, baseball, basketball, etc.). All my football energy goes into rooting on my team, and frankly, I don't understand why people so viciously hate other teams. Even division rivals--sure, cheer for the other guys in order to advance your own team's standing--but straight-up hating on teams? I find it unclassy.

You can imagine what my facebook & twitter feeds looked like on Saturday; I'm a Saints fan living in San Francisco, home of the 49ers. I can't count the "Who Dat? San Francisco's DAT!" statuses I saw, as well as one guy I went to high school with commenting after the game: "YES! Now both LSU and the Saints went down!" I couldn't help but wonder: why does he hate Louisiana so much? For him, is his love for UGA and the Falcons buttressed by his hate for LSU and the Saints? I don't know.

from @Official_Saints twitter

Above is a picture of Saints coach Sean Payton, former Saint Steve Gleason, and quarterback Drew Brees. They're promoting ALS awareness, as Gleason revealed in 2011 that he had been diagnosed with neurodegenerative ALS/Lou Gehrig's Disease.

Drew Brees on the Saints and post-Katrina New Orleans:

"You can draw so many parallels between our team and our city. But in reality, we've had to lean on each other to survive and in order to get to where we are now. The city is on the way to recovery. And in a lot of ways, it's come back better than ever. For us as a team, we've used the strength and resiliency of the fans to go out and play every Sunday and play with the confidence that we can do it," he said.

For these reasons and many more, I love my team. Here's to being a good sport.

Oh when the Saints go marching in . . .

2012-01-13T01:10:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday, everyone! I'm excited that it's the end of the week and the beginning of a long weekend, but more than anything, I'm excited about Saturday afternoon:

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The Saints flew into San Francisco tonight (yes, I was tempted to stake out at the airport, but alas, I had to babysit), and my friend Annie just texted me to tell me she found out which hotel they're staying in! If only I had the day off and could sit around sipping coffee in their hotel lobby until I just "happened" to bump right into Drew Brees. Sigh . . .

Here are a couple other things I'm excited about:

*Checking out Souley Vegan with Matt, thanks to Groupon (you think Souley Vegan would be willing to give me free dinners in exchange for editing? Their website could sure use it). My friend Diana has been telling me about this place forever, and it's a wonder I haven't gone till now. Plus, it's next door to Beer Revolution, and you can even order Souley food from the Beer Revolution patio! Best of both worlds.

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I literally dreamed about fried okra last night, by the way.

*Playing old school Mario Bros. on our new wii. Jen's boyfriend Jacob gave us his wii (since he has some other fancy game system), and basically all I wanna do is play this:

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Diana and I had our poetry workshop last night, and we spent about 15 minutes on poems and about 2 hours on Mario Bros. :) Jen says she feels like we're high school boys (minus the reefers). I'm hoping the novelty will wear off sometime soon so that I can resume my normal life . . .

Until then, happy weekend!

Bad Nails

2012-01-11T11:42:00.000-08:00

Last night, when I should have been prepping for a meeting on equity and teacher inquiry, I was browsing Pinterest looking for some nail inspiration (naturally). Now, my sister would tell you that my taste borders on tacky, at times; I like sequins, gold, bling, and lots of color. However, some of my findings left me . . . befuddled. For instance:

heading to the casino, are we?

Chanel = classy. This = opposite.

I'm really hoping this is a child with extra large hands

oh look, it gets worse!

If your obsession with labels goes this far, then I don't know what to say

WTF

(all images via Pinterest)

I know it takes all kinds to make the world spin and all that, but daaaaaaaaamn. Those are some fugly "manicures." I'm also kinda ready for that ring finger trend to be over--everywhere I look, I see a hand painted one color with the ring finger a different color/design.

cliche (noun): something that has become overly familiar or commonplace

Okay, done with my bitchfest. I'll be back tomorrow with something less whiny . . . in the meantime, link up here:

Gimme Your Food Ideas!

2012-01-10T11:34:00.000-08:00

You might recall that I am spending January 2012 cheeselessly. (Haha, "cheeselessly"). When I mentioned it on my blog, I immediately got the following text from my good friend Shelly:

I giggled when I got her message, but there is a great truth in her words; at this point, I'd venture to say that a life without cheese would be a miserable one! It's so good and a pretty essential food for this vegetarian. However, I think lessening my dependence on cheese is ultimately a good thing, and this cheeseless January is showing me that I can actually enjoy (some) foods without cheese. GASP.

(This is not to say that I won't go running back in February . . . just hopefully with more restraint and some new ideas).

I made this veggie soup the other day that turned out SO GOOD. I sauteed diced peppers, half an onion, and garlic in the bottom of my stock pot, and then just added pretty much all the veggies, etc. I had on hand (carrots, baby yukon potatoes, kale, cabbage*, canned tomatoes, garbanzo beans, fresh corn). I used a couple cubes of Knorr veggie bouillon, water, dried oregano & basil, chili flakes, a smidge of chili powder, and Tony Chacere's (which I put in everything I cook). Thanks to a suggestion from one of my besties, Lesley, I added a can of pumpkin, which thickened the soup into a stew . . . it was amazing!

*the cabbage was my favorite part

My carnivorous boyfriend and roommate loved it too. The kale is tough enough to not get slimy in soup, and it was just spicy enough. Make this! You won't regret it. :)

This morning, my sweet friend Amy sent me a link to this Oh She Glows recipe:

Easy Creamy Tomato Barley Risotto

I'm definitely gonna try it--Amy made it and said it was delish.

So here's where I ask for all your vegan (or mostly vegan) ideas! Although, I can use a chicken substitute in pretty much anything, so if you have ideas that contain chicken, send em my way. Just no cheese, please.

If you have a Pinterest recipe board, let me know! Or if you post food pics on Instagram, let me know that! I need all the healthy culinary inspiration I can get.

P.S. Check out this giveaway at Little Girl in the Big World. $25 to Erin Condren . . . cause I need me a planner!

Smooth Criminal (Robert Downey Jr.)

2012-01-09T13:21:00.000-08:00

In continuation of the "Hot and Busted" them from last Friday's blog post, I wanted to talk a little today about one of my very favorite "hot and busted" celebs: Robert Downey Jr.

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Some Fun Facts:

*RDJ has said that the safest he's ever felt was when he was in jail.

*He had a relationship with Sarah Jessica Parker from 1984-1991:

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*Studied classical ballet at age 10.
*Starred in the music video for Elton John's 2001 hit, "I Want Love"

So . . . what do y'all think? Link up with Leeann:

Hot & Busted, or, How Well My Friends Know Me

2012-01-06T12:10:00.000-08:00

This morning, I received two emails from Jason, one of my best friends (we grew up together). Jason, his boyfriend Adam, and their puppy Johann are some of my favorite people/canines in the world. Plus, Jason is the only person who willingly accompanies me to Swinging Richards on my biannual trips home to Georgia (even though I've embarrassed him there a time or two . . . ).

Jason's first email was a link to an article entitled, "The Secrets Gay Men Don't Want Straight People to Know."

The second? A site called Hot and Busted, featuring sexy mug shots! Under the "About" tab, the site proclaims:

"Hot and Busted presents mugshots of young and photogenic male arrestees." HA!

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I'm willing to bet this guy is Jason's personal fave. Apparently, he was arrested for failure to appear after committing the grave crime of failure to produce a saltwater fishing license.

And now the ultimate question: why the hell didn't I think of this website???

Happy Friday!

Pictures from my Holiday in Georgia

2012-01-05T11:37:00.000-08:00

These are long overdue, but at last, here's what I was (mostly) up to while I was home visiting family and friends in Georgia over Christmas:

obsessing over Ashley's baby, Emma Kate

petting dogs at my dad's

posing with my mama and sister in front of my aunt's Christmas tree

(I know, I know, horrible picture quality, but it's all I got)

catching up with my old friend Mike

loving on my huge nephew, Leon

(with my brother-in-law, Leon's dad, here)

buying Scotch for my 91 year old grandma

wrapping gifts late at night

enjoying girls' night with my cousin & sister (and mama and aunties)

hanging out with my best friend on Christmas Day

playing with my favorite little girls:

Matilda on left, Aria on right

giggling at my dad and stepmom's Christmas card

shootin' guns with a friend from high school, Tyler
(our deal: I agree to go to the shooting range with him;

he agrees to read book about women in prison)

cheering on the Saints in my new snuggie from Lane

Also: drinking sweet tea, reading books, playing board games, overbooking my days, spending lots of time with family, and not blogging. ;)

Let's Make Good Things Happen, 2012!

2012-01-03T12:12:00.000-08:00

My, how I've missed blogging (& reading your blogs)! I've been swept up in Christmas/New Years/family stuff/getting ready for school to start again . . . but now it's back to the grind, and back to regular blog posting (whew!).

I still have stories & pictures from my holiday in Georgia to report, but that will come tomorrow . . . today, I want to talk about New Year's*! What did everyone do?? I have to admit that seeing everyone's pictures of glittery outfits and fingernails sorta made me want to go out on the town, but my instincts (and meager, post-Christmas bank account) took over and we (me, Matt, roomie Jen, & two friends) had an awesome, champagne-soaked, uproarious night in. See below:

clockwise from top left: Jonathan, RJ, Jen, Matt

*via diptic, one of my new favorite apps!

Our evening involved vegan chili, beer bread, lots and lots of sparkling red wine and champagne, hilarious board games (my current faves: Loaded Questions and Say Anything), and end-of-the-night karaoke. And I wouldn't have had it any other way. :)

As for resolutions . . . I've learned (the hard way) that setting year-long goals isn't exactly for me. Ha! Last year, I saw that some bloggers were setting month-long goals, which seems waaaaaay more feasible to me, so that's what I'm doing this time around. My goals aren't exactly overly ambitious, but I think they're conquerable. The first one, however, is depressing.

January 2012 Goals:

1. no cheese

2. clean & organize closet

bonus: clean & organize car

And that, my friends, is it. Trust that abstaining from cheese for an excruciating 31 days will be hard enough! What are your goals?

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see you in February . . . in lesser quantities

p.s. Did you have your black eyed peas and collard greens on New Year's Day? Gotta get that luck & money!

(my New Year's food)

*Matt: I believe that New Year's, with a possessive apostrophe, uses the correct grammar, as there is an implied "Eve" after "Year's" that belongs to the preceding "New Year's." ;)

Milo's Letter to Santa

2011-12-31T10:53:00.000-08:00

Dear Santa-

Come down the chimney over the fire but don't get burned. Never! Bring presents please. Skiers and skaters would be great. Please bring presents for Jude too. You have to be Santa to come down the chimney. And loved. Enjoy the cookies, milk, and that's it. Give your reindeer the celery and carrots.

I love you,

Milo

Christmas Pics Part 1: Pre-Christmas

2011-12-27T10:40:00.000-08:00

Goodness gracious alive, have I fallen behind as a blogger! I've had pictures and stories for the past two weeks about which I've thought: "I gotta blog about that!," but in the end, I've been swept away in Christmas festivities and family time. But I'm back at it, and have some pictures to share! These are just pre-Christmas pics (before I came home to Georgia on the 20th); Georgia pics coming soon!

I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday. Tell me about what you did/ate/gave/received!

me & Jen at the Union Square ice rink:

oh how I love San Francisco at Christmastime!

view of the ice from the top of Macy's (p.s. it's open till Jan. 16th!)

downtown San Francisco

Matt opening Christmas gifts from his mom :)

holiday crafts with Claire and Jude!

a very festive cable car: again, how I love SF at Christmas!

stockings at my house

stockings at Matt's house (I KNOW! Some are for pets . . .)

I'm in Georgia for two more days, and until then, I'll be missing these three handsome boys something serious:

Merry Christmas, etc.! I'll be back with pictures from Georgia ASAP. Hope everyone else's Christmas was as wonderful as mine.

Hello from the Trenches of Final Exams

2011-12-15T13:04:00.000-08:00

I will return to the blog world (and the human world) after semester grades are submitted tomorrow at 3 pm. In the meantime, a red pen will serve as an extension to my right hand, and while I'm grading said finals (and various other assignments I'm behind on), I will be simultaneously stressing about the fact that I haven't finished writing Christmas cards, still have shopping to do, and have to get my house in order before I leave for Georgia on Tuesday.

Hopefully by tomorrow my desk will no longer look like this:

Hope everyone is having a less chaotic holiday season!

Why Am I Still Single + Giveaway Winner

2011-12-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

Matt's roommate, Molly, has introduced us to a wonderful new world:

Gone are the days when VH1 simply showcased music videos that were slightly-less-edgy than those on MTV, as we are now living in the days of increasingly silly reality TV. But the silliest thing about this show isn't its subject matter . . . it's the host's name.

I mean, either she seriously pissed her mother off while in utero, or maybe she intends to be an advocate for kids who will surely be ridiculed in school for their names. Either way, how awesome is it that her name is SIGGY FLICKER?

from

Siggy's name isn't the only entertaining thing about the show. There are hot twin stylists, sassy date-scouters, and uppity clients who can't be pleased no matter how hard you try. Plus, last week's episode featured this guy. I wonder why he's still single?

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Thank God for mindless entertainment. Sunday afternoon, Matt had the audacity to flip to the Discovery channel. I immediately got all pissy and wanted to chirp, "TV is not for educational purposes! It's for watching Siggy Flicker find dates for folks with ridiculous hair styles!"

I mean, hey--I spend my days teaching high schoolers about the Prison Industrial Complex and its stakes in poverty, racism, and oppression in general . . . suffice to say I need some levity in the evenings. Cue Siggy Flicker!

**Thanks to all who entered the Lilo Prints giveaway! The winner, chosen by random.org, is . . .

Chic 'n Cheap Living!

Emailing you right now with details. Congrats!

Hells Angels with Hearts of Gold

2011-12-12T10:22:00.000-08:00

This weekend was brimming with excitement. I had my favorite Burmese food, saw experimental art & music with Matt, attended a holiday party in Berkeley with dozens of my favorite people, and had two separate encounters with Hells Angels. That's right.

Late Friday night, I headed to the Ruby Room with my roommate and some pals to meet up with an old friend of hers from high school. Imagine my excitement when, upon leaving, I brushed past at least four Hells Angels at the door! Of course I postponed my exit, and chatted them up about the authenticity of Sons of Anarchy for 20 minutes (they approve!). One of these guys was the Vice President of the Santa Cruz chapter, and the other was the Treasurer of the Oakland Hells Angels. Pretty bad ass.

Even more thrilling was what Matt and I did Sunday morning. We headed to this divey watering hole in Santa Rosa:

Wagon Wheel

where we attended the 13th Annual Sonoma County Hells Angels Christmas Toy Run! The bikers collected toys from 9 to 11:45 am at the Wagon Wheel, and then commenced their annual ride, ending up at the clubhouse (where they invite the community and local underprivileged kids to come pick out toys for Christmas).

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Suffice to say, I was giddy the whole time. They had a biker dressed up like Santa (!!!) and the sweet sound of Harleys in the background.

vroom vroom

I'm willing to post this terrible picture on the internet

since I'm posing with a Hells Angel

my favorite shot of the morning--HA cut!

Isn't Matt such a good sport for indulging me in my obsessions? He even admitted that he had fun. ;) And see--goes to show you that just cause someone's a 1%er outlaw biker doesn't mean he doesn't care about the children. Right??? Heehee.

p.s. have you entered my giveaway? Only one more day to enter!

Giveaway: Lilo Prints

2011-12-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

In the timeliest of manners (just in time for Christmas!), my dear friend Lindsay has opened up an Etsy shop! She makes subway art-inspired prints and other original, gicleè prints, the proceeds of which will go toward college funds for her adorable twin babies.

Lilo Prints on Etsy

Lindsay's description of her prints:

"All giclée prints by Lilo Prints are printed on high-quality, eco-friendly, acid-free fine art paper. Printed with professional archival pigment ink."

Lindsay has generously offered one Bicoastally reader a $25 shop credit. You can choose from one of her designs, or request your own quote/kids' names/etc. in the color of your choice:

Lindsay sent me a print with one of my favorite quotes, and I can't wait to hang it in my office:

Here's another of my favorites:

if I had a kid, I'd hang this print in his room!

And one for couples/families:

Aren't they neat? And if there isn't one that suits your fancy, you can request your favorite quote/saying and Lindsay will whip it up for you. Perfect for your home/office, or if you're feeling generous, as a Christmas gift!

Each of the following counts as one entry:

1. Be a follower of Bicoastally

2. Follow Lindsay's blog, Undomestic Chica

3. Tweet about this giveaway (@clairekiefer, @undomesticchica)

4. "Like" Lindsay's Etsy shop on facebook

5. Favorite Lilo Prints on Etsy
6. Blog about this giveaway/Lilo Prints

Pretty please leave a separate comment for each entry, so that I may be able to use random.org to pick a winner. I'll post the winner a week from today.

Lindsay is offering 10% off anything in her shop with the code CLAIRE10

Chewy

2011-12-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

I have an obsessive personality. I've been known to listen to a song on repeat for a month, google every minute fact about a celebrity crush's life, binge watch whole series of tv shows.

One of my obsessions is Jude Freitag, son of my friends Cari and JJ (and whom I babysit, along with his brother Milo). Witnessing him discover language is amazing and hilarious. Most recently, he's been saying a word that is SO FUNNY.

chewies

These are Jude's vitamins. He calls them "chewies." And when he says "chewy," I crack up. Here are some of the many videos I have taken of me trying desperately to get him to say it:

Prettttttttty adorable, right? Luckily, Matt is as obsessed as I am. Therefore, we've basically been saying "chewy" (or as Matt thinks is the most accurate spelling for Jude's pronunciation: "chwee") to each other for the past week, sending each other tweets, audio notes, emails, etc. all referencing this one, toddler-uttered word: chewy.

PS: stay tuned for a giveaway tomorrow!

Tree-hugging & Egg nog-guzzling

2011-12-02T04:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, the first of December, something beautiful happened: we got our Christmas tree! Jen and I had her brother RJ and Matt over for a properly festive evening, complete with spiked egg nog, jazzy Christmas tunes, gingerbread cookies, & lots of decorating (and we ordered Thai food, since I'm still not ready to cook yet after the Thanksgiving marathon kitchen sesh).

there it is! I think that's the one, anyway . . .

all done up

Matt doing the honors

close up

I'm so excited! And I've loved reading all about your Christmas trees, too. Keep 'em coming!

For the next month or so, you can find me on my couch, gazing at the tree. My dear friends Heather and Serkan (+ baby Rowan!) are coming over tonight to hang out with Matt and me for some long overdue catching up, and I'm so excited to show off the new fir. It's Christmas on 55th St.!

I still don't think I believe it.

2011-11-29T12:23:00.000-08:00

My friends Cari and JJ have been watching Simon Cowell's latest singing contest show, The X Factor. Because I spend so much time at their house, I inevitably caught some clips of the performers. I had all the typical reactions: he's amazing, they're annoying, she's another Mariah Carey wannabe, blah blah blah. But then I saw this guy:

Leroy Bell

I can't even pay attention to his voice, because I'm too busy being shocked by the fact that he is sixty years old. 60. WHAAAAAAT? How is that possible? Is there really such thing as a fountain of youth? What is his secret??? He says that if he reaches 100,000 twitter followers that he'll post his birth certificate as proof. But even then, I don't know that I could really believe it--I mean look at this guy:

I mean, 60. Seriously??

The Morning After

2011-11-25T12:41:00.000-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving is almost as wonderful as Thanksgiving itself, cause you get to guiltlessly lie around and eat delicious food without having to cook anything! It's already 12:30 here and Matt's still sleeping--neither of us have a thing to do until this evening. Which is blissful.

We had a ridiculous spread yesterday. My Filipina roommate's family came over with all kinds of Filipino food in tow (none of which I ate since it was all meat stuff, but which looked incredible nonetheless), and I cooked my tail off (making traditional Thanksgiving fare). I made macaroni & cheese, greens, stuffing, vegetarian gravy, squash casserole, and sweet potato casserole. Seriously, look at this:

I couldn't even get it all in one picture--you can't see my cranberry sauce! :)

I miss my family in Georgia a lot at Thanksgiving, but we had a quick skype session yesterday so I got to see all their faces. :) And it's just one short month till Christmas, when we'll all be together!

Today, I'm focusing on leftovers & avoiding anything Black Friday related. Mobs of crazed shoppers give me anxiety. In fact, I think I'm going to have a piece of apple pie & crawl right back into bed. Happy holidays!

(link up with Meghan, et al!)

My Sister, the TV Star

2011-11-21T08:46:00.000-08:00

This is my sister, Kate, and my brother-in-law, Andy:

from

And this is Kate and Andy with their giant dog, Leon:

Tonight, they're gonna be on House Hunters, and it's gonna be awesome. Their episode airs at 10 pm Eastern time . . . not sure what time it's coming on in California, which is why I'm recording all episodes until I get to see this one:

HAHAHAHA! Kate and Andy are already pretty disgruntled that they're being described as difficult "Atlanta hipsters," but I for one cannot WAIT to see this shit on national tv.

Set your DVRs, folks!

Tell me about your Thanksgiving plans

2011-11-18T09:46:00.000-08:00

What are you doing for Thanksgiving??

Source: etsy.com via Nico on Pinterest

I always have Thanksgiving at my house (probably because I become an obnoxious control freak around the second week of November as people start talking about what to cook for Thanksgiving). Maybe it's cause I'm so far away from my family in Georgia, so I want to replicate everything I grew up with . . . but I get on my high horse when it comes to Thanksgiving dishes!

I'm responsible for:
stuffing
macaroni & cheese
squash casserole
cranberry sauce
greens

and possibly sweet potato casserole since I like it just like my Nana's. She makes it with sweet potatoes, butter, and crumbled pecans/brown sugar on top . . . which means I look down my nose at a sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows. Ha.

My roommate Jen is making the green bean casserole, and we're figuring out the rest (Jen's brother is a great cook, and Matt's willing to make whatever is delegated to him).

What are your Thanksgiving traditions? Essential dishes?

Happy Friday. :)

Thankful for the Blogoverse

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

Meghan & co. are spending two weeks blogging about thankfulness (here are their specific topics). Today's is Why-I'm-Thankful-for-the-Blogoverse, and I knew I had to post, because Lord knows it's given me much to be thankful for.

Since I started blogging nearly two years ago, I've been lucky enough to meet several lovely bloggers in person, some of whom are now among my closest friends:

in New York with Summer

with Marianne, Jessie, and Micaela in Napa

at lunch in Berkeley with Leeann

at Folie a Deux/Napa Cellars in Rutherford with Shelly

in Atlanta with Katie

**plus, I ran into Camilla at yoga once :)

Had someone told me that this would happen--that I'd come to cherish friendships with people I'd originally met "on the internet"--I would have surely scoffed. Maybe it's the changing (increasingly internet-reliant) world, maybe it's a case for open-mindedness . . . but my life is fuller thanks to some of these girls, and I'm thankful.

I'm also grateful for blogging in general. It's so immediate, like news: we're catching up with people, events, lives--and all in the moment (which is why I'm not into reading bloggers who schedule posts WAY in advance, since it takes away the newness/immediacy). I've discovered blogs that have introduced me to new ideas & concepts, perspectives, recipes, workouts, companies, and stories. Thanks to this blogger's advice, for instance, I got a plane ticket for almost $100 cheaper the other day. See? My life is constantly enriched by this community.

click here to link up

Rituals

2011-11-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

They're so important to me. Spontaneous as I can be, I'm also a creature of habit, and I'm really attached to rituals. Here are a few of my favorites:

~stopping at Cumaica (formerly known as Martha & Bros) every morning for my coffee. The ladies who work there are so nice. They always shout, "Good morning, Clairita!" when I walk in the door, and they have my large coffee waiting for me by the time I get to the register.

p.s. do y'all know about Stampt? It's a free "loyalty card" iPhone app. I love it! It detects all the businesses around you that use Stampt, and basically, it keeps all those buy-10-get-one-free cards on your iPhone. I've already gotten a few free coffees since Cumaica uses it!

~stretching. I do it all the time. Feels so good. Butterfly (hip) stretches are my fave.

~Tuesday night Sons of Anarchy-watchin' with my roommate.

our living room tonight. excuse the strange black thing in the top left.

We look forward to it all week. I almost cried 2x in tonight's extra-long episode. Kurt Sutter is a genius. I don't know anyone who has started watching this show and not gotten hooked--it's that brilliant.

Tell me about some of your rituals!

Also, sweet Christianna featured me in her Any Friend of Mine blog post Monday--check it out here! And then check out Matt's cute post. See why I like him? . . . Kinda? ha!

Wintry Experiments in the Kitchen

2011-11-14T09:34:00.000-08:00

I normally prefer to cook in my own kitchen (I know where everything is, which tools I'll need, how hot my oven runs, etc.), but I have an exception: I love cooking at Matt's, because his roommate Molly has WAY BETTER KITCHEN STUFF than me! I suffer from a serious case of knife envy, and she's got every gadget & contraption you could dream up. So yesterday, I set out to make butternut squash soup & kale salad.

As much as I love butternut squash, I had never attempted this kind of soup before! I looked up several recipes and sorta blended them together with my own little touches, and at the risk of sounding all kinds of arrogant, it was so good!

Ingredients:
2 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
a few cloves of garlic, chopped
1 medium potato, cubed small
1 tsp thyme
salt & pepper
1/3 stick butter
veggie bouillon (I used two Knorr cubes, plus some of Molly's homemade stock!)
1 large butternet squash (halved, seeded, & roasted)

Directions:
~preheat oven to 400. Roast the halved & seeded butternut squash face down in a baking dish (I sprayed Pam on the dish below the squash so it wouldn't stick). Remove when soft & brownish.
~heat butter in your soup pot (I used Molly's Le Creuset Dutch Oven), and saute chopped onion, celery, garlic, and potato.
~peel and cube roasted butternut squash; add to pot.
~after all the veggies cook for a while, add enough veggie stock to cover them. I used Molly's homemade stock, and then added 2 Knorr cubes for extra flavor.
~cook until everything is well blended together, add salt, pepper, and ~1 teaspoon thyme.
~blend soup with a hand blender (I love these magical wands!), or if you don't have one, put soup into a blender and mix mix mix.

Seriously, it was DELISH. And the perfect compliment was Rutherford Grill's kale salad that I attempted to emulate:

I can't tell you exactly what I did on this one, cause it was one big experiment. But here's my best shot:

Ingredients--Salad:
raw green kale, finely chopped (kinda like longish strips)
raw cabbage, finely chopped
green onion, chopped
mint
parsley
diced (teeny!) jalapeno
S&P
chopped peanuts

Ingredients--Dressing:
peanut oil
rice vinegar
brown sugar
peanut butter
garlic (chopped)
S&P
chili flakes
chopped peanuts

With the dressing, I basically just kept adding & whisking until it tasted right. It wasn't exactly like Rutherford Grill's, but it was pretty dang close! I'm excited to make it again, although admittedly, it was EXTREMELY LABOR INTENSIVE with all that chopping!

My Saints won yesterday in a highly stressful overtime against the Falcons, so it was an especially good day. :) What did y'all do this weekend?

All I can think about is Free People

2011-11-10T09:11:00.000-08:00

and for once I'm not talking about prisoners. ;)

It's precisely when my bank account is at its most dismal that I begin fantasizing about all the clothes and shoes I desire. Which is what led me to the Free People site a few days ago, where I proceeded to gaze, gawk, and gasp over all the beautiful things. Check it:

New Romantics Mesh Poncho, $128

Long Sleeve Pailettes Dress, $525

(why hello, New Years Eve dress of my dreams)

Casablanca Cape, $148

Dolan Sequin Pullover, $328

Embroidered Flutter Sleeve Top, $128

(I'd even wear coral for this top)

Mia Chain Fringe Bracelet, $298

Rizzo Spike Heel, $250

It's like a boho-Gypsy-semi-homeless-shimmery dreamworld. Which is why, when I was at Marshalls yesterday, and I stumbled upon a single Free People dress on clearance (and in a medium), I had to buy it:

It's loose & drapey and oh so pretty with a cardigan & booties

And now I must direct you to the Free People homepage, where you'll need to wait patiently for about two seconds until the pug walks onscreen. Proceed to watch the pug throughout the day, as my sister and I did upon discovery.

Get Yourself a Christmas Ornament!

2011-11-09T11:47:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to blog about this for the past week, but better late than never:

If you are anywhere near as into Christmas (and all things Christmasy) as I am, then enter my darling friend Micaela's ornament swap, PRONTO! There are only two more days to enter, so hurry. :) She will pair you with a partner, and you will exchange ornaments in time to hang them on your tree. Last year, I got two gorgeous Anthropologie ornaments from Lauren and I can't wait to hang them again this year.

Meeting the Parents. And Kale Salad.

2011-11-08T10:01:00.000-08:00

This weekend, I took a lil drive up this direction:

cause my dad & his colleagues were in town for the annual culinary conference at the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena. They had a sweet house right off St. Helena Highway, aka my favorite stretch of the wine country (home of Cakebread, Sequoia Grove, Peju, Coppola, and three of the best restaurants in Napa).

I was apparently too busy to take many pictures all weekend, but it was fun! I had Matt, my roommate Jen, and her brother RJ in tow, which meant it was time for Matt to meet the parents. Well, parent. All four of us worked on Friday (Jen, RJ, and I in San Francisco, and Matt up in the north country), so we headed up individually after work. Matt was a very brave soul and, knowing he'd arrive at the Napa house a couple hours before I did, drove straight from work, meaning that he met my dad without me (!!) and cooked with him for a couple hours before I arrived. Pretty bold, right? Good thing my dad's just about the least intimidating guy in the world. When I arrived around 6 pm, Matt and Daddy had a delicious vegetarian pozole waiting for me--who knew Mexican meat soup could be made with veggies only?

On Saturday, Matt, Jen, RJ, and I went to my favorite Napa restaurant, Rutherford Grill, and it was totally worth the hour long wait (as usual):

They all loved it as much as I do (although I'm hesitant to believe that anyone's meal was as good as my house-made veggie burger). Most importantly, Rutherford Grill offers one of the best dishes I've ever had at any restaurant: kale salad. It's so good, in fact, that I ordered an extra one to go so I could bring it home to my dad & his colleagues so they could deconstruct/recreate it!

I'll post a recipe after some trial and error, but this is what we've figured out: (raw) kale, cabbage, green onion, mint, parsley, finely chopped jalapeno. And for the vinaigrette: peanut oil, rice vinegar, sugar, crushed peanuts, black pepper. I'm gonna do some experimentation and will report back!

Hope everyone's week is off to a good start. It's cheery round these parts, cause we have Friday off for Veterans' Day!

*Matt blogged about our weekend here. Check it out, please. :)

Mua and the Birthday Girl

2011-11-02T07:10:00.000-07:00

My dear roommate Jen turned 28 this past week (lucky youngster!), so on Saturday night we hailed a cab and headed to Mua in Oakland to celebrate. Mua was in full festive Halloween glory! Sadly, I wasn't. But it was fun to see everyone else's costumes!

*as I'm still exploring (& trying to understand) Instagram, I'm experimenting by using all different lenses in the pictures below. Any tips? I remain opposed to the lenses that just make pictures look blurry.

the birthday girl & me

Jen started out with the goal of dressing up like a "hipster," but her efforts resulted in some sort of hilarious hybrid of various subcultures, haha.

Skeleto-Michael & RJ (bro of the bday girl)

an uncostumed Matt & Claire

The food was good! I was torn between the grilled cheese & tomato soup and what I eventually decided on . . . butternut squash "mac & cheese." No cheese! Just butternut squash. And delish!

coulda fooled me . . .

Matt, however, went a different route and ordered the bone marrow:

I'll just focus on the presentation of this dish

& ignore the face that it's bone marrow

I hadn't been to Mua in a couple years, but Saturday night was a reminder to go more often. It's got such a fun ambience (avant garde art on the walls, hip DJ), really great cocktails (I went with a basil/lemon concoction . . . a few too many times), a loungey area upstairs, and a versatile menu.

Happy birthday, Jenwoww!

Halloween Night Perfection

2011-11-01T11:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks to an ongoing struggle between "the northern Mexicans and the whites" (straight from the mouth of a guard) at San Quentin, my class was once again canceled last night. Although I was disappointed since I haven't been able to teach in three weeks because of this . . . predicament, I was happy to hop in my car after work, stop at Walgreens to buy an unnecessary amount of Halloween candy (we never get trick-or-treaters), and head home to my roomie for a scary movie fest.

Jen rented B.T.K (Bind Torture Kill), based on this real serial killer. It's a creepy ass story (and the actor really does look like Dennis Rader), but the movie was LAME-O. Not remotely scary to me or my roommate (and she's more easily-scared than I am).

Next, we started Case 39, which promised to be scary except that I fell asleep 30 minutes in. This is what our evening looked like (plus a huge bowl of Halloween candy):

spider goblets & scary movies

Though I think the highlight of my day was receiving a picture from my stepmom of Ignatius in the Halloween costume I sent him:

Inmate Ignatius

HA!!! How was your Halloween?

p.s. speaking of inmates, did you see my jack-o-lantern?

Scare me to death, please

2011-10-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

Last Halloween, I went on a quest to find THE SCARIEST MOVIE EVER. I did a little research & solicited recommendations, and when multiple people suggested The Strangers, I jumped on it, cause Liv Tyler is my very favorite actress, and I've had a longstanding crush on Scott Speedman (since his Felicity days, duh).

But it didn't quite do the trick. I uttered nary a shriek, and I slept just fine that night.

So here's where you come in: I need your best suggestions at bone-chilling movies that will make me terrified to peer under my bed. I'm talkin' face-buried-in-the-pillow, panic-inducing movies that will make me feel like it's actually Halloween.

Here are some criteria based on what does & doesn't scare me:

★ No zombies, werewolves, vampires, or aliens (has to be something that could feasibly happen to me)
★ Needs to be somewhat psychological
★ The chances of terrifying me are greater if the movie isn't too old.
★ I remember being scared by Cape Fear (original one? remake? can't remember). But that kind of thing is what will do it for me, I think. Silence of the Lambs was pretty spooky, too. Serial killers are the best bet.

Okay, give me your best suggestions! Happy (almost) Halloween :)

Inside this Place, Not of It

2011-10-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

Almost a year and a half ago, I wrote about my experience interviewing some incredible women in the South.

It was for the new Voice of Witness book, Inside this Place, Not of It: Narratives from Women's Prisons, that I was lucky enough to work on. The book tells the stories of women who suffered "egregious human rights violations" while incarcerated, and will leave you overwhelmed with the beauty & resilience of humankind.

In it, you'll read about:

a woman who, 6 months pregnant when sentenced to prison, was shackled to an operating table and forced to have a C-section before she'd shown any signs of labor;
a woman who was misdiagnosed with HIV in prison and given 9+ years of rigorous HIV drugs, only to discover she'd never had it in the first place;
a 22 year old incarcerated woman who was unnecessarily sterilized during a routine cystectomy (and who didn't discover her sterilization until years later)

among many other compelling stories.

This book is a result of almost two years of incredibly hard work (and lots of bravery on behalf of the women telling their stories) . . . and it's finally here!

If you order it now, co-editor Ayelet Waldman will donate $10 (per book ordered!) to Scholarmatch (an organization that connects donors with students to provide funding for college). And you'll have some amazing reading material, as well as my undying gratitude. :)

We had an incredible reading & book release last week at 826 Valencia, and there will be many more events to come, so keep your ears pricked!

Order the book here.
Check out Voice of Witness here.

If you get ahold of the book, let me know! I'd love to talk about it.

Why I Teach High School

2011-10-25T12:12:00.000-07:00

(some of you may have seen this on twitter, but it was too funny not to share):

Yesterday in 5th period . . .

student: Ms. Kiefer, what are ovaries?
me: Female reproductive organs.
student: Oh. I thought they were shorts (motioning straps).
other student: No--those are overalls.

Sometimes it takes everything in me not to crack up laughing at them.

62

2011-10-24T12:25:00.000-07:00

is how many points my team scored last night.

(from)

Here's a summary:

The New Orleans Saints bullied the Indianapolis Colts for three hours with no mercy. When the beatdown was complete, the scoreboard read Saints 62, Colts 7.

One more time: Saints 62, Colts 7.

(from)

There was a fleeting moment during which I felt sorry for the Colts. Specifically, for the Colts' second string quarterback, Curtis Painter, who must have been mortified as Peyton Manning looked on, grimly, from the sidelines.

But that moment was indeed fleeting, as I quickly shook my head and reveled again in the glory of the game, as the Saints tied the record for the most points scored by a winning team since 1970:

from

It shaped up to be a pretty tip-top weekend (after recovering from my deathly stomach virus). I had a lazy Saturday morning, ran some errands, drank some coffee (first coffee after being sick = oh so sweet), and drove up to Sonoma, where I continued to have a relaxing weekend with Matt that involved lots of lying around, grilled cheese & tomato soup, and my favorite pjs (my dad's Allman Brothers shirt from circa 1975, ha).

Matt & his lookalike son, Jasper

(I finally gave in & started playing with instagram)

lil (but growing) Rex

I also discovered "my new best thing," as Deena would say: falling asleep with Matt while watching Sons of Anarchy. :) Happy Monday!

Nothin' like a pig in the shower to recharge a stomach virus . . .

2011-10-21T18:44:00.000-07:00

Last night around 8:20 (immediately following the first earthquake in 8 years that has legitimately scared me), I came down with a gnarly stomach virus. My friend Cari had it the evening prior, and although I was at her house (babysitting her kids), I was super careful not to get anywhere near her. So much for that!

Basically, in both our cases, this particular stomach virus involved about 4 hours of misery, followed by another day of massive headache, unsettled tummy, achy limbs, etc. Finally, this afternoon (after calling in sick & laying around/napping all day in my Tim Riggins jersey), I started to feel like I was really on the upswing . . . I ate a crumpet, drank some electrolytes, and bleached the hell out of my bathroom.

But then I saw some facebook posts from my family in Georgia. First, Ignatius's status (he's home! and doing better!!):

Ignatius R. Kiefer
Home at last....just in time for the Pig Roast tomorrow. Gonna be tough to be as stealth as I used to be. Maybe I'll get some sympathy pig

And then my stepmom's. This was the fatal one:

Amy Hutsell Kiefer
You never know what you might find in your shower when you are married to a chef. — with Kit Kiefer.

Annnnnnd I think my stomach virus is back.

Does He Love Your Chairs?

2011-10-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

My stepmom and I are a lot alike. We're both bold, passionate, independent, social, and wild-by-nature (though she's tamed now that she's in her mid-40s, haha).

Claire + Amy-Stepmama

When she read my blog post last week about old & new relationships, she commented, "Does he love your chairs??" Most of you know I'm not a movie person, so this reference was lost on me. When I asked her what on earth she was talking about, she sent me the following message. I think many of you will find it as insightful as I did:

Hey -- so here's my metaphorical chairs story....

The year was 1996 (I can see you rolling your eyes right now -- ha ha).

I had quit my job at the law firm and moved in for the summer with Christoph and Sheryl in Queens and was taking some classes at the International Center for Photography. I left my BF of 5 years in ATL. That relationship was sort of ending, but I was confused b/c I thought I loved him, etc.

My daily routine was to take the subway in to Manhattan, attend my classes in the AM and bum around taking photos until about 4 or 4:30 and then head home and make dinner for C & S. I had learned not to wait until 5 and try to get to Queens on the subway - MISERABLE.

So, one day I realized I had lost track of time and it was 5:00. I would seriously do anything to avoid going under the East River in a tin can packed with people.

I happened upon a movie theater and a movie called Phenomenon was just starting -- so, I decided watch the movie and I called Sheryl and tell her I would be home after rush hour.

I don't really remember what the movie was about, but there was a scene in the movie that changed my life. A total "ah ha" moment as Oprah would call it.

John Travolta played a guy in a small town that owned a gas station. Kyra Sedwick played a local artisian type that made chairs and John Travolta sold them for her in the parking lot of this gas station. Every week he would call her and tell her that she had sold 2 or 3 chairs and she would bring him more chairs. She didn't realize that he was in love with her. So - towards the end of the movie, (for some reason) she has to go to his house unexpectedly and she sees all the chairs she thought she sold to other people on his front porch. -- like 20 or more of them. She is really mad and disappointed b/c she thought people liked the chairs -- but as it turns out no one really liked them b/c they were uncomfortable. So, JT tries to explain to her that he loves the chairs b/c they represent what she is about to him... her creativity, her passion -- everything inside her. And yes, he even loves the fact that they are uncomfortable b/c the represents her imperfection.
So, I started thinking about my BF in that moment and I realized that I had spent 5 years with a man that did not love my metaphorical CHAIRS! I vowed to never get married unless I know for certain the my husband loved my chairs. That is why I married your father.

So - the gentlemen in your blog did not love your chairs. Or if they did -- they didn't love them enough. The right man for you will love your passion for social justice, will be interested in your poetry, love your capacity for emotional depth, etc. Only you can really define your chairs... that's just my perspective.

As women, we all learn that it is easy to attract a man for the wrong reason. A man will be with you for physical reasons, because he likes how your look.... or he likes the things you do for him. But - a man who truly loves your chairs is hard to find. So, if you find a man who you REALLY REALLY believe DOES love your chairs... that is a relationship worth fighting for. Crazy and boring Amy story for the day!

***

This is gonna be churning around in my brain for a while. Thanks, oh wise stepmama!!

The Sexiest Form of Exercise?

2011-10-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty enamored with AcroYoga since I first discovered it. Don't get me wrong: I've never tried it (I mean just look at the pictures), but is it not the sexiest thing you've ever seen (short of naked Jax Teller on Sons of Anarchy)?

from

According to AcroYoga.org,

AcroYoga blends the spiritual wisdom of yoga, the loving kindness of Thai massage, and the dynamic power of Acrobatics. These three ancient lineages form this practice that cultivates trust, connection and playfulness. There are 7 main elements that make up the practice: circle ceremony, asana, partner flow, Thai massage, therapeutic flying, inversions & spotting, and partner acrobatics. Our highest aim is to bring individuals into a state of union with themselves, with each other, and with the divine. From this place of mutual support the true self can be realized, celebrated and shared for the benefit of all.

from

how is this possible??

from

I found a beginners' class near my house, but it's on Thursdays from 12-1 pm. That always puzzles me; don't most people have jobs that preclude mid-day yoga? I suppose if you work nearby, it's right at lunch time. Looks like there's another class on Sunday afternoons . . . which may interfere with my football schedule. ;)

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Mine was delightful, except for the Saints' loss on Sunday. I was watching at a sports bar in Sonoma, and the waitress brought me a shot of Patron when the game was over and said, "Sorry for your loss." ha!

On Dating

2011-10-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

What do these men have in common?

Aside from the fact that they've all been in relationships with me? NOTHING. I'm in the process of learning a really hard lesson: not all men are the same.

I'm a Leo and a firstborn and a pistol, and I have unbelievable pride (of the once bitten, twice shy variety). Historically, I've sought after men who aren't totally available; I'm sure a therapist would tell me that it's safer that way, less to lose. Perhaps my playing-it-safe technique can be attributed to the sum of the following:

~One of these handsome gents proposed to another woman while we were dating;

~Another of them told me over the phone, two years into the relationship and after I'd literally traveled across the world to be with him: "Claire, I'm not in love with you;"

~Two of them dropped off the face of the earth mid-relationship & out of the blue (both were long-distance). Suddenly, no returned phone calls, emails, texts, anything. In both cases, I feared they were dead/seriously hurt. Turns out they were fine; it was just radio silence, post "I love you."

I've never been a walled-off type of girl, when it comes to love or relationships or friendships or anything else. I'm pretty much willing to go with my gut/heart & plunge into whatever feels the right-est. However, lately I've noticed that I anticipate disappointment like it's sure as sunset. It's like I'm waiting for the ice to crack, preventing me from just purely enjoying what's in front of me and experiencing happiness. Call it PTSD or abandonment issues or just plain ol' jaded cynicism, but it seems I don't know how to be with someone without expecting them to let me down.

A couple months ago, I started (unexpectedly) seeing someone. We've been friends for years, so we know each other pretty well. Still, that doesn't ease my anxiety about ultimately getting hurt. I find myself squinting at him, skeptically, awaiting some sort of bombshell bad news, when often he's just trying to tell me something sweet.

(Matt)

He says my "flight" reaction is intense. He says that I yank away from him any time he says something I find slightly off-putting. He says I overanalyze everything to its death, and that my emotional histrionics can be . . . a bit much. ;)

But last night he said, "When you try to flee, I'm going to chase you." And damned if that's not the most reassuring thing I've ever heard.

Don't get me wrong: this man lives in a house surrounded by approximately 862 red flags. The road to forever-happiness with him is dimly lit at best. But my lesson is to try to live in the right now, cheesy as that sounds. The other day I had a conversation with my dear & wise friend Jessie, who reminded me that now is underrated. Matt or I or any of us could die in a car crash tomorrow, so is it necessarily wise to extinguish whatever's making us happy now, for fear we'll get hurt in the un-guaranteed future?

In the meantime, I'm challenging myself to repeat these mantras:

*Every single person is unimaginably unique.

*It's unreasonable to saddle anyone with the pain that someone else caused.

*History does not necessarily repeat itself; we're constantly evolving.

Humans are biologically changed by what endangers us. Over time, we develop resistance to that which threatens us harm (melanin in our skin, calluses on our feet). I know this to be indisputable, and yet I also know that each new person we encounter deserves the same chance at newness & faith that we gave the first one.

It'll be a balancing act, but here goes.

A Hop, Skip, & a Jump

2011-10-13T16:54:00.000-07:00

Today you can find me over at Leeann's, discussing everything I love about San Francisco. :)

Come say hi!

The Fulfillment of a Dream: Adventures with Shelly, Part 2

2011-10-12T12:57:00.000-07:00

Just cause yesterday I told you about our brush with the Hells Angels doesn't mean I didn't class it up with Shelly, too. :) I'm all about the juxtaposition of experience, y'all.

Of course, I took her to Napa:

And we obviously visited my favorite spot in San Francisco, Baker Beach:

But most important was our dinner Monday night. From the earliest planning stages of our trip, Shelly'd said, "The only thing I'm dead set on is having dinner at Chez Panisse." She's a serious foodie, and Alice Waters is her hero. So on her last night in the Bay, I canceled my San Quentin class and we trekked up to Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto for the finest dinner East of San Francisco.

Imagine her surprise when, chatting over Zinfandel & incredible appetizers, Shelly looks to her right and sees none other than . . . Alice Waters. She was there, at her very own Chez Panisse! On a Monday night! Suffice to say, we got a picture:

(one for the record books)

See? You can do it both ways. The world's most notorious biker gang one night, and the East Bay's finest dining establishment another!

A Walk on the Wild Side: Adventures with Shelly, Part 1

2011-10-11T06:44:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about living in the Bay Area is that everyone wants to come visit you. This past weekend, it was my friend Shelly, a.k.a. my only girlfriend as obsessed with biker gangs as me. :)

So it should come as no surprise that on Saturday night, after a lovely day in Napa, we googled a certain address and staked out here:

You'll have to excuse the grainy picture. It was taken with my iPhone while sitting in my car across the street and attempting some level of subtlety (who am I kidding).

I desperately wanted to go knock on the door, but Shelly wasn't going for it. But I was going to at least investigate . . . so I walked across the street and snapped a few more pics:

the little alley way alongside the clubhouse

my favorite capture of the night

the Hells Angels aren't known for the accuracy of their punctuation,

but at least they have their own Bail Bonds co. for when they catch a case!

After my little photog escapade, I got back in the car--windows down--where Shelly and I sat for another 20 minutes or so (brainstorming reasons to knock on the door). Just when I was about to summon the courage, Shelly nudged me, wide-eyed. I looked to my left and saw a huge, angry looking "Angel" staring at us from the clubhouse door, likely wondering WTF two girls were doing posted up outside the Hells Angels clubhouse snapping pics like paparazzi.

I rolled up my window and sped off without a second look.

Despite our brush with Tiny, this was a big deal for me, people. Do you realize this Oakland Hells Angels clubhouse is the original? Like, where it all began? Next time I just need a more detailed plan. Any ideas? ;)

Oh, and one of the best parts:

HA!

Let's Talk about Bling

2011-10-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

Lane and I have been friends since we were wee young 7th graders. Our mamas went to high school together, so we'd known each other longer, but we became attached at the hip on the school bus in middle school.

We've been through many adventures together: college, travel, deaths, relationships, weddings, heartbreaks, grad schools, illnesses, etc.

I could fill books with pictures of the two of us. Those above are a mere fraction.

Here's where I need your help. Lane and I both turned 30 this summer, and we decided that we'd mark the occasion (and 18 years of friendship!) with matching necklaces. The problem is, we can't decide on one! So I need you to hook me up with your favorite jewelry designers/sellers. Here are some criteria:

*We're looking to spend around $100
*Needs to be something that will last a long time/not turn green/not break/etc.
*I like gold better, but will go for silver if it's the affordable option
*No cheesy hearts or stars ;)

I like these, for instance:

from

(but Lane already has a wishbone necklace)

from

an option, maybe?

So help me!!! If you have any ideas for jewelers, websites, etc., hook me up! Lane and I have been going back and forth for a couple months now and can't seem to find the one.

Brainstorm: GO!

Happy Things

2011-09-29T11:13:00.000-07:00

Sometimes--for instance when you're in the midst of assigning quarter grades, managing a brand new class 7 weeks into the school year, reeling from a recent execution and a possibly dying pet, and your car's in the shop--you need to focus only on beautiful & happy things. :)

Like these shoes I'm crushing on pretty hard:

from

And the fact that I keep seeing on twitter that it's National Coffee Day (honestly, what better thing to celebrate?). Even better is that thanks to my new schedule at work, I took the morning to finish grades at home and got to slowly sip my coffee at my dining room table. Being able to drink my coffee slowly (out of a mug and at my apartment) is one of my favorite luxuries.

Thursday means I get to hang out with these folks tonight:

from

My friend Matt and I fondly call Deena "pony." Doesn't she kinda look like one? Also, Matt does a killer DJ Pauly D impression. (And can we talk about the fact that Pauly has a DJ PAULY D sign hanging on his twin-sized bedframe?).

Anecdote: Once, when I was in college & working in the English Department, I walked out of the building to head across the quad to the Architecture School (which had a coffee bar on the first floor). A man was walking across the quad with a pony on a leash (yes). I stopped and kinda laughed and said, "Oh my god--you are walking a pony!" And he said, "Oh, no--it's not a pony. It's a miniature horse."

Lastly, my roommate Jen and I stayed up late last night drinking wine and laughing hard and talking about the men in our lives. That, right there, is the stuff of life. ;)

Happy almost-weekend. Mine's gonna be full of cute babies, cute football players, cute boys, and one extremely cute kitten:

heehee.

Emerging from my Rabbit Hole

2011-09-26T11:29:00.000-07:00

Well, that was quite a blog break there, wasn't it? Last week was one for the record books, and I was in no place to share any thoughts with the world. But today's a new day (and a new week), and things are feeling a little less burdensome. Plus, my team won yesterday. That always helps.

Weighing most heavily on my mind last week was Georgia's execution of Troy Davis. Here is a really compelling piece written by the former GA Department of Corrections Commissioner, Allen Ault, on the true cost (emotionally, psychologically) of executions. I urge you to read it, but if you don't have time, here is just one quote I find particularly interesting, given that it is coming from a former warden/DOC commissioner:

Having witnessed executions firsthand, I have no doubts: capital punishment is a very scripted and rehearsed murder. It’s the most premeditated murder possible.

My family was at the vigil for Troy Davis outside the prison in Jackson, GA. Although I wish I could have been there with them, I was pretty proud that they were there. My stepmom, sister, and brother-in-law updated me with haunting pictures as we all awaited the ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court:

I'm ashamed and a little bit heartbroken that Georgia executed Troy Davis, but the fight for justice continues. If I didn't believe it were possible, I wouldn't keep up the struggle. May we all be proactive and fight for what we believe in, whatever that may be.

In other sad news, this guy isn't doing well:

Ignatius has arthritis, Cushing's Disease, and is in a lot of pain. He is currently receiving pain medication at the vet's office, but it's just a matter of time. I've been struggling a lot with this, as he's been the center of all our family's stories for the past 11 years. I can't imagine us without him. Ignatius is my very favorite non-human and my attachment to him is pretty deep. It's even harder being so far away right now . . . the idea that I will never see him again is eating away at me. :(

I'm trying to dig myself out of the sad hole, though. Talking to my girls a lot, takeout Chinese with my roommate, spending my weekends in the wine country. All of these things help, though death is never an easy struggle.

I hope all of you are doing well--I'm eager to catch up on your blogs. I've missed you!

Fist Pump for the Weekend

2011-09-16T11:48:00.000-07:00

So, what did everyone think about the meatball makeout session on Jersey Shore last night? My roommate and I gagged a little. Just seemed a little too . . . incestuous or something. Lesbehonest, Snooki & Deena are like sisters. Weird!

Sooooooo psyched it's Friday, even though my weekend will be filled with kids, kids, kids. At least one of them will be this little guy, aka love of my life. Check him out "singing" his current favorite song, "Grow, grow, GROW!!!"

Jude, you restore my faith in men

Yesterday I bought a knit headband/ear warmer?, which may mean that I've fully embraced Fall. Football's started, it's getting (marginally) chillier outside, and I'm starting to see Thanksgiving decorations in stores. I even had a pumpkin spice latte the other day to see what all the hype was about (I won't be doing the same when it comes to Missoni for Target: that's one trend I just don't get).

Things making me happy this Friday:

my current favorite cheap wine

OPI Texas, Guy Meets Galveston

(these are not my nails)

Marianne and Micaela sent me this color last month!

my 2nd period students interacting with each other on the board

(prompted by this essential question)

Thank you for indulging me in what might be my most disjointed, random post to date . . . and happy weekend!

The Moon-y Blues

2011-09-14T12:05:00.000-07:00

A friend posted on facebook yesterday that the moon is in Pisces, wreaking havoc on our emotions. Maybe that's it. Or maybe it's the recent full moon? Or maybe it has nothing to do with the moon at all. In any case, I've been a huge crybaby the past couple days. I feel like there's something afoot (over which I have no control), and nothing brings on emotional exhaustion & anxiety for me like powerlessness.

And part of it may have to do with the upcoming execution in Georgia. Yesterday after work, I went with the Campaign to End the Death Penalty folks to the Lake Merritt BART station to set up tables & hand out information about Troy Davis (for me, doing this type of work is always simultaneously important/empowering and terribly sad). Georgia is scheduled to execute Troy Davis a week from tomorrow; he was convicted in 1991 of killing a white police officer, but since then, 7 of the 9 witnesses have recanted (there's no physical evidence). One of the remaining two witnesses is the other principal suspect.

from

(Here's a link to Amnesty International's efforts to stop this execution).

When I'm in a mood like this, I always face the following decision: Do I indulge my wayward emotions and give into the melancholy by listening to sad songs, taking long baths, etc.? Or do I buck up and go to the gym, listen to clips from my favorite prank caller, and force myself to snap out of it?

I think one of the curses of being an extrovert is the longing for others to make you feel better. It takes so little to cheer me up; therefore, my inclination is to think Ugh, if only she would do this . . . or, if only he would say that. Which is ridiculous. People can't read minds.

(Speaking of which, I've been listening to the Killers' Read My Mind on repeat for days).

Here's hoping for a halted execution, a shift in the moon's path, and cheerier days. After all, we're barreling toward the weekend.

My Cup Runneth Over

2011-09-12T11:46:00.000-07:00

Just a lil biblical reference for your Monday morning.

It seems like there's always something so exciting about Fall. Things get stirred up a bit, somehow, and everything's all afluster, and the weather's changing (unless you live in San Francisco), and the holidays are coming, and for whatever reason, there's all this newness (for me: new roommate, new school year, new football season!). I think someone rustled up the cosmos or something.

All these happenings have left me so far behind on all my to-do lists . . . especially my oh-so-daunting to-read list. Whatever happened to reading? Here's what I'm working with, book-wise:

I bought this last week at Green Apple Books and it's my new favorite anthology

my friend Matt lent me this book by his favorite author, who happens to be a Georgian

Memoir by Kenneth Hartman, who is serving life without the possibility of parole

Plus several more novels, a guidebook on curriculum development, countless books of poetry and literary magazines, a host of teaching books, and a friend's manuscript. The only solution, I think, is to take a week off work, turn off my phone, and hole up in my apartment for two weeks until I get through it all.

And then, of course, there's writing. I'm working on a new series of poems based on criminal offenses (sort of) . . . too many things swarming my brain right now.

Hope everyone's Monday is off to a harmless start. I think I'm ready for Large Coffee #2.

p.s. It's true, Baby Harper Seven Beckham is all kinds of precious.

Thanks for gracing us with your presence, Friday.

2011-09-09T13:25:00.000-07:00

True to form (of weeks with Monday off work), this week has flown by. With such speed that I am now concerned that suddenly I'm going to wake up and be 65 years old. How is it September already??

Speaking of September, the only reason I am accepting its arrival is that with it comes football. Tragically, my team lost last night. But they put up a damn good fight at Lambeau Field . . . and the Packers are on top of their shit when they play at home. 42-34 . . . a seriously high-scoring game. And although the night ended with my head in my hands, I loved seeing these two quarterbacks go head to head. A fine match, gentlemen.

from

While I should be spending the next two days scouring my filthy house, planning curriculum, and basking in the sun, instead I will be hanging out with boys all weekend. Specifically, these two:

in cute news, Jude says "Claire" now

Also, I officially put the Hells Angels Pimp & Ho Ball on my google calendar. That makes Friday a little more palatable. And I'm looking forward to an early October visit from this girl. What's making your Friday manageable?

(BFFs) and the City

2011-09-07T13:24:00.000-07:00

I just got back from dropping Tiffany off at the San Francisco airport. :( That, combined with the fact that I have to wait a whole 'nother week till Sons of Anarchy is on again, makes me feel like it's the day after Christmas! Plus, there's one other thing that's eating away at me that I'll tell you about in a minute.*

We had a great time together! It had been over a year since Tiffany and I had real BFF time. We grew up together in Georgia, went to college together in New Orleans (we were roommates all four years), and then went in opposite directions: Tiff moved to Pittsburgh, I moved to San Francisco. We both went to MFA programs in Creative Writing.

When we're home at Christmas, we have to share each other with our families (plus, Tiffany has a daughter now, so they're really in high demand). Which is why this time together in SF was so needed!

(excuse the terrible pic)

Serendipitously, one of our other best friends from high school was in town this past weekend, too! Tiffany and I met up with Kent and his wife, Crosby, at Farmer Brown on Sunday night for a mini-high school reunion. So much fun! Plus, my vegetarian jambalaya was divine.

(current favorite winery--try their '06 Cabernet if it's the last thing you do!)

On Monday, we skidaddled up to Napa and hit up some wineries: Cakebread, Sequoia Grove, and Peju.

I discovered a new favorite lunch spot in Napa, the Rutherford Grill. Sooooooo good.

We hiked at Land's End . . .

Tiff & the fog-enveloped Golden Gate Bridge

plus hung out with some of my friends, hit up some favorite Berkeley & SF spots, watched the season premiere of Sons of Anarchy (!!!), drank bubble tea, shopped at my favorite bookstore: Green Apple Books, and generally explored. Yesterday, Tiffany checked out the Picasso exhibit at the De Young while I was at work, and today she came with me to Balboa and sat in on my classes. Cute!

I'll miss her, but I know she's excited to get home to her sweet girl. Come back soon, Tiff! SF isn't the same without you. ♥

*I found out that Charlie Hunnam aka Jax Teller was in attendance at a Hell's Angels party in Oakland this past Saturday. I can hardly discuss how devastated I am that I wasn't there, too.

My Bestie's Coming to Visit!

2011-09-02T12:33:00.000-07:00

Nothin' like a long weekend to get your spirits up on a Friday! Even the kids are dancin' through the halls 'round here. Weeks without Mondays = exponentially better!

This weekend is particularly exciting to me, because my bestie's coming to town!!! We haven't seen each other in OVER A YEAR (the longest we've ever gone in our lives), and now I get her all to myself starting in just 34 hours!

We have had many adventures together over the past 16 years, including brushes with a Chinese massage parlor/brothel (and an angry Chinese pimp!), a philandering minister (whom we tried to "expose" by writing a booklet about and placing it all around town), etc . . . and there was the time we showed up to high school wearing only trench coats because we had a crush on our Latin teacher. I mean, when you grow up in the country suburbs of the south, you have to entertain yourselves somehow, right?

(I am literally omitting some of our "adventures" lest the objects of them discover this blog).

So we'll see what kind of trouble we can get into in San Francisco. Doubly exciting is that one of our best friends from high school will be in town with his wife, so we get to have a reunion dinner Sunday night. Partying like it's 1999 . . . literally.

Happy weekend!

A Text that Made my Day

2011-08-31T11:53:00.000-07:00

Most of my friends know about my obsession with bikers, outlaw motorcycle clubs, and pretty much anything that reminds me of this guy:

But only a few of my friends are willing to feed the obsession. Which is why I was over the moon today when my friend Matt sent me this:

My friend Shelly (my only friend as obsessed with bikers & MC culture as I am) will be visiting me that weekend, and you best believe we're trekking up to Santa Rosa for this spectacular soiree! :)

p.s. the new season of Sons of Anarchy starts next Tuesday, 9/6!

Comforting Things & A Hunk

2011-08-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a bit of a bruiser. It started on Friday when we got this bad news about a former student. Heartbreaking. This triggered a little existential work crisis within me: what good am I doing if my students get shot, incarcerated, have babies as teens, etc? It can be overwhelming since we mostly hear about the tragedies and not the success stories. Ugh. I'll shake it off, but I'm still pretty sad about it.

Dealing with that + helping out a good friend who is going through a really rough time = need for comfort! What do you do when you need comfort? Here are some things that I find comforting:

♥ Grey's Anatomy reruns

♥ spaghetti

♥ my old blue & purple blanket

♥ flowers from the farmers market

♥ bubble baths

♥ Nightswimming by REM

And speaking of Grey's Anatomy reruns, here's a little Man Candy for your Monday a la Leeann's fun series :)

Jesse Williams aka Jackson Avery

I dare you to tell me you don't think he's gorgeous.

Hope everyone's Monday is moving along speedily and without great injury or stress! ;)

Inmates: Aren't they just the sweetest?

2011-08-25T11:03:00.000-07:00

When I got to the prison on Monday night for my poetry class, my students had a little surprise for me: a birthday card they'd commissioned from the "card man." You see, prisons are like little villages--there's someone who does everything! One of my students is the "laundry man," which means he goes around and picks up guys' dirty clothes, hand washes them, hangs them to dry, and then returns them. Of course the prison has a laundry system, but evidently it isn't regular enough; thus the need for the "laundry man." Ha. In any case, they hit up the card man for this:

"I asked him to draw a motorcycle, but he didn't know how."

"You can't critique the poem on the inside of your card!"

awwwwww.

I mean you work with what you got, right? :)

My family is beautiful and talented: WEDDING PHOTOS

2011-08-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

Back in July, I blogged about my cousin Stevie's wedding in Georgia. (Southern weddings are the best, by the way; her signature drink was Firefly sweet tea vodka & lemonade!). My very talented brother-in-law, Andy Lee, photographed her wedding, and the photos are up on his website today. I am awestruck! Both at how incredible Andy's photos are, as well as how gorgeous my cousin is. Check out his site for all the photos, but here are some of my favorites:

Check out more of Andy's photos (of Stevie's wedding and otherwise) here. Unbelievable talent, I tell you . . .

p.s. Remember my sister Kate & Andy's wedding photos? OMG. No wonder they were featured in Brides Magazine and Green Wedding Shoes.

Sometimes, it's more about the chase.

2011-08-23T11:41:00.000-07:00

I mean yes, I think Ben F. of Bachelorette fame is a fine specimen of man. No doubt about that. But if I'm totally honest, the thrill of hunting him down and finding him is just as exciting as the man himself. Which is why on Friday, after school, I hightailed it up to Sonoma for a "Bottle Signing" with Ben F. and Mike Benziger (of Benziger family wine fame).

When I walked into Sonoma Market, there they were, behind a table set up with Evolve wine. Strangely, it didn't seem "weird" at all, and we chit chatted about wine, the Napa growers they use (as Ben told me, they don't have their own winery; they have contracts with various growers around Napa), Chop Bar in Oakland (where I first tasted Evolve wine), and Ben's dying iPhone. How tempted was I to snatch it and scroll through the contacts for any semblance of Jennifer Love Hewitt??? Pssssh. Jennifer Love Who?

I snapped this picture:

and here is one of the bottles I purchased from these two fine gents:

Admittedly, leaving Sonoma Market after a mere 15 minutes left me feeling slightly . . . anticlimactic about the whole experience. But it was fun/tickling meeting Ben, and I left four bottles of wine richer. One of which I opened an hour later with my friends Matt and Monica, who enjoyed the wine, although perhaps didn't totally understand why I made such intense efforts to get it. ;)

p.s. If you haven't read Cup of Jo's post today, do so here. Especially if you're a single girl. I found it . . . timely and resonant.

Righting a Profound Wrong: It's Just the Beginning . . .

2011-08-21T11:35:00.000-07:00

In the fall of 2003, I lived near the Western Addition in San Francisco. Right there on Divisidero St. was a small, independently owned video store (remember those?) called The Film Yard. One night, I was browsing through the documentaries, when the video store clerk chimed in with a recommendation for Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills.

I glanced at the case and saw that it was about a strange triple homicide and the teenage boys who were accused and convicted of the crime . . . perhaps wrongfully. Given that the prison system/injustice/wrongful incarceration are right up my alley, I snatched up the film and made my way home.

I watched this documentary at the edge of my couch, and then immediately watched the follow-up film, Paradise Lost 2: Revelations:

And then I became obsessed. These documentaries tell the gripping, haunting, absolutely appalling story of a gross injustice. I started feverishly researching the case, and discovered that one of the accused boys, Damien Echols, was still on death row in Arkansas, and the other two were serving life sentences.

So I began volunteering for Free the West Memphis Three groups, embarked on a big "awareness" project through one of my graduate classes, and wrote a letter to Damien. He wrote back quickly, and we began corresponding about poetry.

You've probably heard of this case, as it's garnered (inter)national attention over the past 20 years, and has quite a celebrity draw: Eddie Vedder, Metallica, the Dixie Chicks, Neil Young, Margaret Cho, among others, have committed themselves to freeing the West Memphis Three.

And you probably know that they were released on Friday. I don't even know how to begin to describe how incredible a feeling this is: I feared that I'd never live in a world in which they were free. Last year, I taught a big unit on the case--my students and I read Damien's memoir, Almost Home, watched the documentaries, and worked on advocacy: they called the Arkansas Supreme Court, wrote letters to each of the WM3, created posters and brochures to inform people about the case, etc. It was an incredible experience, and they were really into it . . . and I gotta say, I am really looking forward to redesigning my curriculum now that they've been released.

The work isn't over: Damien, Jason, and Jessie were released via an Alford plea, in which they had to plead guilty, while still maintaining their innocence. It seems to be a complicated legal maneuver in which the WM3 were essentially forced to publicly concede "guilt" in order to gain their freedom. These men (having served 18 years in prison for a crime they didn't commit) have a long way to go when it comes to clearing their names and earning the formal exoneration they deserve, but freedom is a damn fine first step.

I've talked about the WM3 before here.

Read the New York Times article here.

Find the WM3 website here.

Suri's Burn Book

2011-08-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my friend Doro changed my life by sending me the link to Suri's Burn Book. Many of you are aware of my long-standing obsession with celebritot Suri Cruise . . . and now it's reached a whole new level.

Suri's Burn Book is a tumblr account in which Suri posts pictures of celebs & their kids and comments on them. And makes fun of her parents, Tom and Katie. And OMFG is she hilarious. Exempli gratia:

August 18, 2011

While we’re on the subject of famous Swedes, here is a photo of Elin Nordegren and her two children, Sam and Charlie. This family has become kind of reclusive post-Tiger, but they were recently seen out and about in Miami.

I am disappointed that Sam and I missed each other on our Miami vacations, because I completely approve of her fashion choices—from that fun headband to that slimming belt!—and would have loved to have her over for tea. We also would have a lot to talk about, like having embarrassing fathers and the challenges of having moms who wear denim.

HAHA! Embarrassing fathers and the challenges of having moms who wear denim!!! Suffice to say I spent quite a bit of time yesterday browsing Suri's files, and will continue to do so via her tumblr and twitter. I suggest you do the same.

Happy Friday!

Birthday Pictures!

2011-08-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

First of all, thanks for all the love! All the well wishes via facebook, twitter, email, my phone, the mail, blogs, etc. made me feel way less nauseous over turning 30. And it turns out 30's not so bad, anyway. ;)

My dear friends came out to celebrate with me at the Lake Chalet last night, and we had lots of fun! I highly recommend Taco Tuesday. You get to sit on the water, drink 1/2 price margaritas, and enjoy plentiful $2.50 tacos. Sweet!

the venue

me and Diana: one of my favorite people in the world

Meagan and Amanda on the lake

me and Doro: almost birthday twins! (she's 8/13, I'm 8/16)

table on the water + tacos + margaritas!

Timmy and Trav: a stand up pair

thank goodness for Cari--no idea what I'd do without her.

(p.s. she is mama to Milo and Jude, regulars on this here blog)

a contemplative Raul surrounded by margaritas

neighbors and friends: Diana and Adam (plus Crouching Claire)

Mani and her handsome lil Mateo

flanked by twins: PJ on the left, AJ on the right

We had a blast, although I wish my faraway friends could have been there as well. Yay for celebrations and drinks and friends and flowers!

Two more things:

1. Please keep my dad's horrendous beagle, Ignatius, in your thoughts/prayers. He has a suspicious lump and I am sick with worry.

2. Speaking of pleases, please check out my friend Annie's new blog, Tough Little Cookies. She's finally started a blog about raising her three hilarious and adorable daughters in San Francisco. Please remember how it was when you first started blogging and go show her some love!! :)

Sunday Brunch & some Stalktalk!

2011-08-14T22:47:00.000-07:00

In a valiant effort to postpone the end of summer, I spent pretty much the whole weekend eating and drinking with friends. From a dive bar with my teacher friends on Friday night, to a biker breakfast on Saturday morning (you heard that right!), to an impromptu Japanese dinner in Berkeley on Saturday night with my friend Helen, to today's brunch with my college friend, Tara, at what I think might be my new very favorite place:

Chop Bar, Oakland, Jack London Square

my friend Tara with her bloody mary

she's from the northeast, she can't help her snark ;)

ask me what I'm drinking and I'll tell you:

BEN F'S EVOLVE WINE

see?

Not only was Sauvignon Hottie delicious, but so was the food! Tara and I shared chilaquiles & eggs ala cazuela with a grilled veggie mojo sauce . . . YUM. I confessed to the waitress that I ordered the Evolve as part of a Ben F. stalking mission, and she said, "That's so funny, he was just in here a couple weeks ago!" I'll catch up to him someday. It'll happen. And if you're curious as to whether I tweeted that picture of me drinking Evolve wine to Ben F . . . the answer is immediately.

isn't it cute in there?

Hope all of you had as decadent a weekend as I did. Lord knows I'm making up for it now, since it's the last day of my 20s and the first day of school. Wish me luck with my '11-'12 monsters! Can't wait to meet them. :)

The Back to School Spirit?

2011-08-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

Teachers had to report back Wednesday (seriously? August 10th? Earlier and earlier my dear . . . ), and my summery-rested body has been in a state of shock! This whole waking up at the crack of dawn thing is for the birds. And not only waking up early, but plunging into academic discourse about the achievement gap and special education test scores and improving our practice . . . just give me Jersey Shore!!

I'm sorta kidding; it's been great to see all my co-workers and get ready for school, but not gonna lie, I'm missing waking up at 9:30 and being in my bathing suit and watching Jax's sexiest scenes on repeat.

This is what we did after the first day back to school:

(same plan for today)

Other things I'm excited about:

*My stalking plans: Heading up to Napa/Sonoma Sunday . . . but I've learned that Ben F's Evolve Wines doesn't have a tasting room/public "winery." So that leaves me no choice but to attend this next Friday.

*My latest nail polish find:

*I ordered this to celebrate the arrival of football season!

from

*My BFF is coming to visit me Labor Day weekend and I cannot wait!!!

us in . . . 2006? 2005?

Oh and speaking of Jersey Shore (several paragraphs ago), my friend Matt and I tweet each other every Jerzday with funny #s about our favorite guidos and guidettes. Examples:

#getcrazy

#letsspreadsomemono

#whatbeardVinny?

#juiceheadsonvespas

#fistpumpinpope

#guidosatthevatican

Got any to contribute? Happy Friday!

The Very Last Week of my 20s.

2011-08-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

A week from today, I will be 30, and I'm sorta petrified.

I know better than to let the "norms" get to me, but lately, they've started creeping in. Aren't I supposed to have gotten married by now? Had a kid? Bought a house? Saved some money? Maybe that last one would have been possible had I not decided to move to the second most expensive city in the country.

The scariest part is that the other day, I remembered a conversation I had with a co-worker at Balboa several years ago, and it felt like yesterday. We were talking in my office, and I said, "Sometimes I just feel like I want to up and move to Argentina or something!" He laughed and said, "How old are you?" I said, "25." And he said, "Yeah. You're so young. That's why you feel that way."

1. OMG how was I just 25 what feels like yesterday? How on earth have 5 years passed by in the blink of an eye?
2. I still feel that way, sucka.

Here's how I've spent my summer, for the most part:

With some travel, visitors, good exercise, lots of time with Milo and Jude, and puzzling out a relationship thrown in. Oh, and wasting a decent amount of time playing Tiny Tower.

I'm not a "bucket list" kind of person in the least. I kinda feel like all of life is an adventure, and I have continuous goals/dreams/etc. that will span out my whole life . . . and they can't be diminished to a checklist of things I want to have accomplished by a certain age. And yet, somehow, this coming week is shouldering a lot of pressure! Last week of my 20's! Anyone want to go to Vegas?

Man Candy Monday: Stalker Edition

2011-08-08T10:54:00.000-07:00

So Ashley picked JP, which I think is fitting, given both of their propensities for whining and effusive displays of insecurity, but my heart belongs to the fiiiiiiiiine Ben F:

hottie with a body

duh, I'm way better for you than that beezy!

He's dark, he's shaggy, he makes wine, and he allegedly lives in my vicinity. And so, of course, I've put my stalking skills to use, and found out that this is his winery. Who's up for a Sonoma trip? I'm not kidding. ;)

link up with Leeann!

True Life: I'm a General Life Blogger!

2011-08-05T13:18:00.000-07:00

Do you have types of blogs that you prefer to read? Is it awful that I mostly like to read blogs that are similar to my own? I guess that's sorta to be expected: Mommy Bloggers like to hear what other Mommy Bloggers have to say, etc. And I like to hear about travel, food, funny things, pretty shoes, and hottie celebs!

Which is why I'm linking up with Fabulous but Evil and Mrs. Monologues in their True Life series . . . so I can meet more bloggers to entertain me on the regular. ;)

There really is nothing like discovering a new blog that you love & connect with. Throughout the past year and a half, I've met (in person) six spectacular blogger ladies, learned lots of new recipes, gotten great book recommendations, participated in some fun swaps, and laughed my ass off at some of the funniest people in the blog world.

So for those of you visiting from the link-up, hello! Here are things I like to discuss:

*Tim Riggins and Jax Teller (tell me: which is your fave??)

who's it gonna be, ladies???

*Food & Recipes

check out the link to tomato recipes that drollgirl emailed me today!

*Books

what I'm reading now, for instance

*San Francisco (and how awesome it is to live here)

Baker Beach: one of my favorite places on earth

*My hilarious high school students

* . . . And all about ridiculous people & things, for example:

found on Tosh.0 with the caption "Permanently Proud"

Plus how much I love the Saints (come on, football season!) and impressive footwear. If you're here from the True Life linkup, let me know so that I can come check out your blog, as well! Happy Friday, and thanks to Fabulous but Evil and Mrs. Monologues for hosting!

p.s. Please go wish my darling friend Leeann a happy birthday!! I ♥ fellow Leos. Rawr.

All You Need . . .

2011-08-03T12:27:00.000-07:00

to make the most delicious summer pasta (sauce) is this:

well and this:

Credit goes to my friend Anna for the development of this delicious sauce!

Steps:
*Get thyself to the farmers market. Buy the sweetest, smallest, thinnest-skinned cherry "sunburst" tomatoes you can find (doesn't work with thick-skinned or unsweet tomatoes).

*Wash them and remove the pesky little stems (I used one pint for this sauce).

*Chop up a good bit of fresh garlic (your discretion--I use a lot!).

*Saute minced garlic in olive oil on low for a few mins. Then add the darlin' little tomatoes.

*Patiently stir/watch 'em cook until the wee tomatoes start to burst. Stir stir stir. Sauce begins to develop (orangey in color with garlic flecks and some whole/partially whole tomatoes).

*Add salt & pepper to the pan.

*When done (takes at least 20 minutes, sometimes longer), pour over angel hair pasta, or in my case, fresh, handmade garlic-parsley pasta from the farmers market (though honestly, angel hair might be better).

*Top with parmesan.

Voila, your new favorite dinner:

I Left My Heart in Cabo San Lucas: Beach Pics

2011-08-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting at Peet's (coffee shop, for those non-Californians among you) working on lesson plans today, daydreaming about being back at Capella. Here are some pictures of our time in Cabo from Cari and JJ's camera. Feast your eyes on the beauty & preciousness (of Jude).

*you may have to enlarge these since I can't figure out how to make pics bigger on my blog.

Jude and me upon our arrival in Cabo

Cari and Milo in the Capella lobby. Check out his scrunchy face.

JJ and Milo having dinner at "The Office." So sweet.

Judebug with our butler, Victor (aka guacamole master)

plunge pool on our patio, overlooking the resort & the Pacific

I got the boys shirts to match their eyes :)

me & my piggies getting some sun

view from my elliptical in the fitness center

(totally untouched iphone photo)

who wouldn't work out every day if this was the view???

me, Cari, and the boys

infinity pool numero dos: on the beach

terribly grainy picture of me and JJ
before a debauched night out starting at Cabo Wabo
(you don't wanna know where it ended)

just a pirate ship, no big thang

Cari and JJ: on our patio pre-date night
(side note: I fell in love with that dress but it didn't fit me so I got it for Cari!)

oh Capella, how I long for thee
(another unedited iPhone pic taken from patio)

If you're even thinking of going to Cabo, I can't recommend Capella highly enough. Just click on that link and you'll start salivating. I'm sure you can imagine how hard it is being back home after 8 blissed out days there! Only regret: not getting pictures of the cute waiters/resort staff.

Here's to being able to return in 2012!

What I'm Workin' With

2011-07-27T16:44:00.000-07:00

The idea of leaving Capella (our resort in Cabo) is downright depressing. So I just won't think about it. The physical beauty here is astounding: our back patio, complete with a private plunge pool, overlooks the resort and the Pacific, which rages onto the beach day & night. The water is teal-clear. We have a two-level white couch covered in colorful pillows. We each have our own bedroom and shower (that's not entirely true; I'm sharing with Jude). :) Our butler makes us homemade salsa, guacamole, tortilla chips, and decadent meals.

When we started to run low on Corona, another case was delivered promptly. Today Jude woke up with swimmer's ear, and a doctor came to our condo and had antibiotics delivered within half an hour.

And the staff. They run around with towels and bottles of water in bins of ice. They are so friendly (and some of them very cute!). I wish this could be real life. Here are some pics:

view from our back patio

one of the three infinity pools (the adult pool with swim-up bar aka my favorite one)

Cari enjoying our newest discovery:

the spicy mango margarita with chipotle salt rim

More pictures to come. All of these are just iPhone pics--totally unedited. Cari and JJ have a really nice camera, so I'll share more pictures when they upload those. In the meantime, I am happier, tanner, and more well-rested than I've been in ages. Trying to figure out a way to move here . . .

Quiet Time

2011-07-24T19:32:00.000-07:00

It is damn near impossible for me to sit still.

I should ask my mama if this has always been true, or if it's a (bad) habit that I've cultivated over the years (and through an increasingly technology-dependent world). If I am being honest, I will admit things like:

1. I don't really like to go to the movies because it requires me to sit still (and with decorum) for two hours, and

2. I get anxious during massage/acupuncture/anything like that--we're talkin' even LUX SPA TREATMENTS HERE--because I have to be motionless and quiet. So mostly, I don't do these types of things.

Same goes for meditation. I've tried it, repeatedly, as I know it would be so good for me & my restless soul. And yet, my mind gets the best of me every time. I can't stop thinking about the next moment. Right now, I'm sitting on our incredible patio in Cabo San Lucas, looking across our private plunge pool into the rowdy Pacific. I'm in a loose tank top and drinking a really good glass of red wine (that JJ shipped here from San Francisco). This should be the most calming environment EVER, right?

I'm pretty calm right now . . . in Claire terms, anyway. But still, my mind races with these thoughts:

~should I put on my cardigan or not?
~can't decide if I want to read blogs or read my book (Little Bee, btw)
~I think I left my dish in the sink & it's rude to leave it for the mayordomo
~tomorrow, would I rather run on the beach or go to the fitness center?
~I should be lesson planning

Etc., etc. I'm not sure that I've ever just been IN THE NOW for more than two minutes. I literally bob my leg up and down when I am sitting. Constantly. CANNOT BE STILL.

Anyone else have trouble with this? Specific ideas for overcoming this incapacity for calm?

Hope you're somewhere as beautiful as I am right now.

hola de hermosa Cabo San Lucas!

2011-07-23T06:10:00.000-07:00

Hola from Cabo! Suffice to say, it is breathtaking here. I can't post pictures yet, because we haven't loaded any from the camera, and I can't email them from my iPhone lest I receive an otherworldly phone bill. But here's how it's gone down so far:

~we were greeted at the airport by a friendly gentleman who packed us into a van and handed us Coronas with lime for the ride to the resort

~upon arriving at the resort, a very friendly staff showed us around the grounds (teal ocean, infinity pools, restaurants on the beach) and took us to our villa. . .

~ . . . in which our sweet butler, Victor, had tamales, guacamole, and pico de gallo for us on the dining room table!

Can't wait to walk down to the beach today. Though the view from my room is almost as exquisite as the view from the plunge pool on our balcony. ;)

Only regret: abandoning my Spanish when Jaime and I broke up. I had actually been getting good, and then just quit cold turkey. I hate thinking that I could be fluent by now if I'd kept it up!

Pictures coming soon, but for now, this is where we're staying. Seriously.

Guess what I got to do???

2011-07-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

Dad took me for a ride on his Harley! Too bad we didn't have a side car for this guy:

Ignatius watched us ride off from the driveway

Between riding with my dad and my stepmom handing me down a family heirloom--her biker chick jacket from the late 80's--I'm well on my way to being "scooter trash." Jax Teller, here I come!

Alive and Well in Georgia!

2011-07-18T12:26:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I'm back from a totally unintended blogging break, which was the result of accidentally leaving my backpack (including my laptop) in San Francisco! I had it all packed as my carry on--laptop, books, work, phone charger, etc . . . and left it in the car when I got out at the train station. Thus, I've been sans internet for a while . . . can't wait to catch up on all your blogs!

As soon as I got home, my mama, sis, and I headed to Tybee Island for a little beach trip. It was good, redneck fun. ;) I'm really grateful to have had time to spend with them--we never get time just the three of us! Plus, the overcast weather led to much Sons of Anarchy watchin.' :)

We drove back on Saturday for my cousin Stevie's wedding:

my beautiful cousin, Stevie, and her new husband, Josh

Mama, Kate, and me at the wedding

the bride with her two sisters (we're all girl cousins on my mama's side!)

sisters: Aunt KK, Aunt Pat, my mama

uncles ;)

Daddy and me

The wedding was beautiful and fun, and the next day I got to hold this sweet baby (my cousin Jennifer's half-sister's brand new daughter):

Emma Kate: 6 lbs 12 oz of CUTENESS

Today, after accompanying Jason, one of my bffs, to his radiation treatment (he has testicular cancer; he's gonna be fine, and he has the most incredible attitude about it), we stopped for brunch at Social House, where I had the southernest of breakfasts:

fried green tomato crepes, cheese grits, sweet tea

And then I spent the afternoon with my 91 year old grandmother, who advised that instead of seeking romance and passion, I begin to look for a man who is "rather dull."

Off for a ride on my dad's Harley . . . so grateful he's willing to feed the obsession!

On my Nightstand

2011-07-08T10:08:00.000-07:00

Currently, I'm in the middle of several books . . . I justify it since they're all so different:

The Namesake, Jhumpa Lahiri

I'd been meaning to read this one for a while (ever since I saw the author speak at San Francisco's City Arts & Lectures a few years ago). I'm thoroughly enjoying it, despite having interrupted it upon the arrival of my next book in the mail:

Hell's Angel, Sonny Barger

By now you all know why I'm reading this. Love it. Wanna know everything about MC culture. I also ordered a book about a federal agent who infiltrated the infamous Mongrols MC, so I'll let you know about that one when I'm done, too. ;) I know you're all chomping at the bit.

the new black, Evie Shockley

I stumbled upon this new book of poems on a trip to City Lights, and I LOVE IT. She uses a lot of traditional form (even a ghazal!) but modernizes them into a collection of poems about gender, race, identity, history, etc. Evie Shockley might be my new fave.

Next up is this:

First they Killed my Father, Loung Ung

Kristin sent me this (along with two others!) for the book swap, and I can't wait to read it. It's obviously going to be really intense, but I can balance it out with:

Something Blue, Emily Giffin

Novels the color of Easter eggs = guilty pleasure.

I know it's Friday, but I couldn't resist linking up with Meghan since her Top Five Thursday topic was books, so here it is a day late!

Some Random Notes

2011-07-06T18:49:00.000-07:00

In high school, my best friend Tiffany and I carried around these neon pink notebooks, in which we would record "observations." I still have them; there are 20 volumes (not exaggerating). So in honor of our "Pulsar Pinks," here is a list of totally unrelated notes and observations:

1. These days, I'm really into Hanging with Friends on the ol' iPhone. Please play with me! (clairekiefer)

2. I spent the past two days in a workshop at SF's Juvenile Justice Center entitled Trauma and Recovery, and then came home and slept. Normal, right? It was an excellent workshop with an excellent trainer, and I learned very acutely that I am not comfortable with silence!!! ("Be comfortable with silence" was one of the counseling "dos"). I am talkative and fidgety and silence? . . . can't handle it.

3. Talk about dichotomous activities: after spending the day in a Trauma workshop, I spent the evening devising a grocery list for Cabo. Someone will go shopping for us and deposit our groceries (and tequila) in our villa before our arrival. What??? June 22 can't get here fast enough.

4. Mesmerized by this picture:

smokin'

5. What does one do when one's 30th birthday falls on the second day of #$@!ing school? Need ideas.

6. My hair doesn't hold curl. It's naturally wavy, but when I blow dry it and attempt to use a curling iron? FALLS RIGHT OUT. I lamented this fact while my girls were visiting SF last month, and Jessie recommended this curling iron . . .y'all, it's life-changing. Best $24.99 I ever spent. I can brush my hair, sleep on it, put it in a bun, and it STILL has curl. I'm so into it:

Remington T Studio curling wand

Okay, that's all I got. I'm off to the gym . . . but only because I've promised myself a trip to Yogurtland on the way home.

Bicoastally

Happy Weekend!

This Week's Pros & Cons

Funny Dating Sites

What to do on a rainy, gray day

Why my Tuesday Night was Extraordinary

Sportsmanship

Oh when the Saints go marching in . . .

Bad Nails

Gimme Your Food Ideas!

Smooth Criminal (Robert Downey Jr.)

Hot & Busted, or, How Well My Friends Know Me

Pictures from my Holiday in Georgia

Let's Make Good Things Happen, 2012!

Milo's Letter to Santa

Christmas Pics Part 1: Pre-Christmas

Hello from the Trenches of Final Exams

Why Am I Still Single + Giveaway Winner

Hells Angels with Hearts of Gold

Giveaway: Lilo Prints

Chewy

Tree-hugging & Egg nog-guzzling

I still don't think I believe it.

The Morning After

My Sister, the TV Star

Tell me about your Thanksgiving plans

Thankful for the Blogoverse

Rituals

Wintry Experiments in the Kitchen

All I can think about is Free People

Get Yourself a Christmas Ornament!

Meeting the Parents. And Kale Salad.

Mua and the Birthday Girl

Halloween Night Perfection

Scare me to death, please

Inside this Place, Not of It

Why I Teach High School

62

Nothin' like a pig in the shower to recharge a stomach virus . . .

Ignatius R. KieferHome at last....just in time for the Pig Roast tomorrow. Gonna be tough to be as stealth as I used to be. Maybe I'll get some sympathy pig

Amy Hutsell KieferYou never know what you might find in your shower when you are married to a chef. — with Kit Kiefer.

Does He Love Your Chairs?

The Sexiest Form of Exercise?

On Dating

A Hop, Skip, & a Jump

The Fulfillment of a Dream: Adventures with Shelly, Part 2

A Walk on the Wild Side: Adventures with Shelly, Part 1

Let's Talk about Bling

Happy Things

Emerging from my Rabbit Hole

Fist Pump for the Weekend

The Moon-y Blues

My Cup Runneth Over

Thanks for gracing us with your presence, Friday.

(BFFs) and the City

My Bestie's Coming to Visit!

A Text that Made my Day

Comforting Things & A Hunk

Inmates: Aren't they just the sweetest?

My family is beautiful and talented: WEDDING PHOTOS

Sometimes, it's more about the chase.

Righting a Profound Wrong: It's Just the Beginning . . .

Suri's Burn Book

Birthday Pictures!

Sunday Brunch & some Stalktalk!

The Back to School Spirit?

The Very Last Week of my 20s.

Man Candy Monday: Stalker Edition

True Life: I'm a General Life Blogger!

All You Need . . .

I Left My Heart in Cabo San Lucas: Beach Pics

What I'm Workin' With

Quiet Time

hola de hermosa Cabo San Lucas!

Guess what I got to do???

Alive and Well in Georgia!

On my Nightstand

Some Random Notes

Ignatius R. Kiefer
Home at last....just in time for the Pig Roast tomorrow. Gonna be tough to be as stealth as I used to be. Maybe I'll get some sympathy pig

Amy Hutsell Kiefer
You never know what you might find in your shower when you are married to a chef. — with Kit Kiefer.