Currently… September 29, 2010

listening: to “gene simmons’ family jewels” on the tv behind me.

eating: saltines

drinking: diet dr. pepper

wearing: old navy tshirt, black yoga pants, espadrilles

feeling: sniffly and congested. I hate having allergies.

weather: dark, gloomy and raining, but I like it

wanting: for it to be 3PM so I can log off the computer and do something crafty

needing: to fold and put away last week’s clean laundry

thinking: i would kill for a red velvet cupcake right now

enjoying: having this new big monitor my honey gave me.

On Memories and Music September 24, 2010

Note – For some reason, I am unable to embed any videos or songs, so I’ve had to just include the links.

 

Everyone knows that Seattle is the birthplace of grunge rock and hyper-caffeination. However, if you were a Gen-X’er in South Florida during the late 80s to early 90s, you probably know we had a pretty neat little music scene happening locally as well. Of course, that was back before SoBe became “THE” spot for eurotrash and dance music junkies. Lincoln Road was still an open-air strip mall made up of tacky tourist shops, and Ocean Drive was more populated by leathery octogenarians than topless Latin American girls. A typical night on South Beach was not made up of an overpriced, under-portioned dinner at “Trendy Café du Jour” and all night dancing at “The Club the Jersey Shore Kids Couldn’t Get Into.” Rather it included cheap beer on tap and an overly amplified band on the stage of a tiny, dark, sweaty dive.

 

In addition to being an “alterna-girl”, I was also fortunate enough to have friends in bands, so I got to spend a lot time in these local spots (God, how I loved the Kitchen Club and Washington Square and Club Beirut), watching bands perform. Unfortunately, this was long before YouTube and cellphone videos, so a lot of those performances are nothing more than fun, distant memories. I still wanted to see what I could find online, and maybe feature of few of these great bands here, if for nothing else than to satisfy my own fond recollections of the time.

 

This first band is Humbert, my friend, Ferny’s, band. Ferny and I sat next to each other in music class in high school (yes, I took a music class. Yes, I am tone deaf. Don’t judge!) and he is totally one of the sweetest, most genuine people I have ever known in my life. He is one of those people that you just immediately like from the first moment you meet them, because they just exude good karma. Humbert (named after the pedophilic stepfather in “Lolita”) is actually the second incarnation of this band. Originally they were called “I Don’t Know” which made for a lot of fun at some of their shows. For example…

Random drunk guy: “Wow, this band is great! Who are they?”

Me: “I Don’t Know”

RDG: “I don’t know either, but they’re awesome!”*

(Yes, that totally happened.)  I also remember it was kind of a big deal when they got to perform in a local TV commercial for Macy’s (I think it may still have been Burdines at the time). Anyway, I found this video on YouTube of their song “Hugo.”

 

Humbert – “Hugo”

 

 

Another great band from the time was Quit. I didn’t really know them personally; it was more of a casual “hi again; great show!” kind of acquaintance. But they had a great pop-punk energy and seemed to be really down-to-earth, nice guys. They also had a version of the “12 Days of Christmas” that was awesome! I had it on cassette, but I couldn’t find it online. Too bad, because it was really great. Anyway, here is a link to some of their songs I found on MySpace.

 

Quit – songs

 

 

One of the more popular bands at the time were The Goods, fronted by brothers Jim and John Camacho. Jim actually went to Miami Dade College with me (back when it was still MDCC) and we’d run into each other on campus occasionally. He was really sweet and came across as somewhat shy. John, the brunette brother, was always a little more outgoing and a lot of the girls I knew had crushes on him. I also remember one of the other guys (Tony, maybe?) having a sweet mohawk! This is my favorite song from them, “I’m Not Average.”

 

The Goods – “I’m Not Average”

 

 

One of the local bands that was more rock than indie (we used to call it “alternative” back then) was Saigon Kick. Now this is kind of a sad story, and the details are spotty as this is one of those “heard it from a friend of a friend of…” deals. They were super popular locally, the hair metal scene in LA was booming and they finally got noticed by Sebastian Bach of Skid Row. This led to them being signed by a record label (just checked their wiki and it says Third Stone Records). BUT, sadly for them, this happened right at the start of the Grunge movement and they didn’t do so well. It’s too bad, really. I saw them live and they were pretty good. Anyway, “Love Is On the Way” was their biggest song and actually got a fair amount of play so here it is.

 

Saigon Kick – “Love Is On the Way”

 

 

My favorite local band was Forget the Name. They were really great performers and lyrically talented (I’ve always connected more to a song’s lyrics than anything else). Their singer, Rene, was also my personal crush because he totally gave off that broody, dark-and–twisty artist thing that I always liked in boys (when I was young and stupid). Plus he totally looked like INXS’ Michael Hutchence. I actually still have a CD from them that I listen to occasionally. Miraculously, I did find a recent video of them on YouTube! Yeah, that crush? Not so much anymore.) But this is still my favorite song from them (which, if I remember correctly, was also used as part of that Burdines ad campaign), “She Tried.”

 

Forget the Name – “She Tried”

 

So that was a fun, albeit a bit melancholy, trip down memory lane for me. *sigh*… Good times…

 

Peace out, yo!

What I would Tell Her* July 16, 2010

1. Value yourself more. You are unlike anyone else. You are God’s unique creation and He loves you.

2. Your mom is usually right. And your dad is strict for a reason. Don’t get mad at them. Understand that they love you and want what’s best for you.

3. You will never learn to swim. That’s okay.

4. You will always love books, you will always love reading and writing and poetry. Enjoy that.

 

 

5. Study, study and then study some more. You may not feel like it, but you will be grateful for it.

6. Even though it won’t feel like it, school will be over in a few years. And those jerky kids that make fun of you and bully you won’t be in your life forever.

7. Don’t worry about boys and whether or not they like you. You will learn that they are not worth the energy.

 

 

8. Save your money. You don’t need another handbag or pair of shoes. Also, don’t apply for credit cards. EVER!

9. You will never stop being shy around strangers. That’s okay. It’s part of who you are.

10. Don’t let other people lead you down the wrong path. You know what’s right and you have strong morals. Stick to that.

 

 

 

11. That drastically short, “Princess Diana” haircut you got in middle school? Yeah, DON’T do it. You’ll end up regretting it and trying to grow it out for at least the next two decades.

12. Go to college. Actually, go AWAY for college. And finish. It will seem scary and daunting, but you will be glad when you have a degree. It doesn’t matter in what, as long as you have one.

13. Don’t worry about fitting in or being popular. Just be yourself and be proud of that.

 

 

14. When your mom tries to teach you to sew, let her. Also, learn to knit.

15. As much as you’ll want to, do not dye your hair until it starts going gray. You will be stuck in a never-ending cycle of roots and touch-ups and color changes.

16. Resist trends. They are fleeting for a reason.

 

 

17. Do NOT marry that guy. He doesn’t love you and certainly doesn’t respect you. He will only cause you heartache and insecurity.

18. Learn to drive sooner.

19. That group of girls you’re trying so hard to fit in with? They are not your friends. They will talk about you behind your back and turn on you for being “too honest.” But don’t worry; you will eventually find a new group of friends. And they will be amazing, beautiful, talented and kind. They will love you and accept you exactly as you are, imperfections and all. Treasure this, because it only happens once in a lifetime.

 

 

20. One day, in the future, you will meet a cute German/Mexican boy. He will be funny and smart and sweet and he will appreciate you and accept you as is. Let the friendship happen naturally. Don’t rush it. Learn to love each other, before you fall IN love with each other. It will be good and you will be happy.

 

 

*If I knew then what I know now.

Back When MTV Actually Played Music… July 13, 2010

For the past few days I have been totally obsessed with listening to these old songs that I loved in my teens and 20s. I don’t know if I’m feeling nostalgic because my birthday is in four days or what, but truthfully, they are pretty great songs!

 

“Disappear” – INXS

Man, I loved INXS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serously, listen to the lyrics of this song: “…But when I see you coming I can take it all, You’re so fine, Lose my mind, And the world seems to disappear, All the problems, all the fears, And the world seems to disappear.”  Love conquers all, baby! *swoon*  I was lucky enough to see them live at the old Miami Arena downtown, and Michael Hutchence ran down into the audience and passed right by me and my friend, and I remember thinking “wow, he’s so short!” But totally gorgeous. I was so sad when he died. =(

 

 

“Desperate But Not Serious” – Adam & the Ants

I looooved this song!! This was popular in the early days of MTV, but my parents refused to get cable, so I remember my neighbor and I would go to her house every day after school (this was probably around 7th or 8th grade?) and just wait for this video to come on. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In retrospect, I wonder if the character of Captain Jack Sparrow wasn’t at least a little bit inspired by Adam Ant, yeah?

 

 

“Sweet Sixteen” – Billy Idol

Awesome. Just a perfect, perfect song. AND (bonus trivia for South Floridians) it’s about our very own Coral Castle! Which I have yet to visit. (Maybe later in the year when being outdoors doesn’t feel like walking on the surface of the sun!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also saw Billy Idol live at the old arena. His opening act was Faith No More! Remember them? With the goldfish? That was a fun show.

 

“Dirty Boots” – Sonic Youth

This song is 100% responsible for making me want to wear Doc Maartens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plus, Kim Gordon is just about the coolest female on the planet. I’ve never had the chance to see them live though, so that sucks.

 

 

“Vienna” – Ultravoxx

So, so cool. Haunting, almost. This was definitely a standout for me amongst all the other synth-pop, New Wave of the time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Midge Ure was a such a great frontman. Beautiful voice.

 

 

“South Central Rain” – REM

I really wanted to marry Michael Stipe. Heck, I probably still would.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m totally blanking out on whether or not I ever got to see REM live. I want to say I did, I feel like I did, but I honestly can’t recall.

 

Ahhh… good times. Alright, the trip down memory lane has come to a stop.

 

Peace out, yo!

Rant. Sort of. July 1, 2010

Work, bills, laundry, groceries, Target, errands.

And repeat: Work, bills, laundry, groceries, Target, errands.

And repeat: Work, bills, laundry, groceries, Target, errands…

 

What the f—k has happened to my life??

 

This sucks.

Exactly One Month… June 17, 2010

Until my birthday! You know what that means… Wish List Time! (And as always, I don’t actually expect to receive any of these items. This is purely for fun.)

 

Books:

‘The Madonnas of Echo Park’ by Brando Skyhorse

 

 

The ‘Pretty Little Liars’ books by Sara Shepard

(I had never heard of these books until I started watching the new ABC Family tv show based on the series. The show is pretty good, so I want to read the books in order to have the complete back story. Even though they fall under the YA category, the show is pretty racy.)

 

 

The remaining Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood) novels

(I have books 1-3, but I still need 4-10.)

 

 

 

 

Crafty Stuff

Martha Stewart Doily Lace border punch

 

Stickles All That Glitters trio pack

 

Maya Road Dress Form chipboard book

 

 

Girls Paperie Paper Girl clear stamp set

 

 

Girly Stuff

Vintage Estate Earrings in white (from Vintageandglam on Etsy)

 

Madelyn earrings in red (from onceuponapeony on Etsy)

 

 

Tech-related Stuff

Silicone cases for my (new!!) Blackberry Curve 8530 (because I know myself well enough to know that I will drop it or something, and it WILL get effed up), These are all from Amazon and they are really inexpensive (under $2 each compared to $15.99 each at Best Buy!) and I pretty much want one in every one of these colors. So then I can be all Paris Hilton-like and change them to coordinate with my outfits… Just kidding. Maybe.

 

Digital Concepts TR-60N Camera Tripod

 

And, of course, gift cards from Target, Starbucks or Barnes and Noble are always welcome.

 

That’s pretty much it, I guess. Not too bad, right?

 

Peace out, yo!

Frankie’s South Beach Hide-a-way April 26, 2010

Last weekend, Fanless and I were walking down Washington Avenue (on South Beach) on our way to pick up lunch at a local taco place (fyi: it sucked). On the way we passed by a place that had a sign in the window that caught our eye (“Salisbury Steak Special $4.95”). We joked about stopping there, but kept going as we had tacos on the brain (specifically fish tacos… which are on their website… but they don’t actually have. But, I digress).

 

Anyway, on the way back to his place, while grumbling about what a letdown our lunch had been, we passed by the Salisbury Steak place again. This time we caught a glimpse of the name: Frankie’s South Beach Hide-a-Way. Fanless said “maybe we should have gone there.” Oh well. Lesson learned. When we got back home, I went online to google Frankie’s and see what we could find out. The place had just looked like a tiny bar from the outside, but it turns out we were wrong. What I found out was that Frankie’s is actually a sports bar with a really interesting menu, and it had pretty favorable reviews. We decided that we definitely wanted to try it out soon. Well, we finally got the chance to do so yesterday.

 

(source)

 

I met up with Fanless and a few of his friends at Frankie’s South Beach Hide-a-Way for an early dinner yesterday. It was the first time any of us had been there. When I walked in, the four of them were already seated and had beers and hot wings on the table. There was a really nice lady talking to them about some of the menu items and after she walked away, I was told that she was Frankie’s (the owner) wife, Margaret, and that she had explained that they had only been on the beach for a couple of months. (I thought the name sounded familiar and later found out that they were previously located in the Doral area, where I used to work many years ago.) 

 

Frankie’s South Beach Hide-a-Way is not at all what you would expect to find on South Beach. It’s not at all pretentious, and its ambiance is more of a laidback, midwest sports bar, than a SoBe nightclub. The decor is dark and warm, with several high-top tables and stools, and flat screen TVs all over the place with every sport you can imagine playing at the same time. They have a full bar, and on Friday and Saturday nights they have local bands playing classic rock covers, rather than techno DJs spinning the same electronica you hear everywhere else on the beach. Margaret explained to us that they’d like to become THE place for locals over 30, rather than rowdy Spring Breakers.

 

 

 

As I mentioned before, the menu was simple, but really interesting. I, personally, didn’t try the wings (I don’t like spicy food) but everyone else raved about them. Margaret had explained that they took twice as long to cook than regular wings, because of the grilling and seasoning process that their chef uses. Fanless and I decided to order the Seafood Nachos, and they were to die for! Instead of tortilla chips, Frankie’s uses fried wonton chips topped with a very generous helping of shrimp and fish, mixed with black olives and tomatoes lightly tossed in a buttery alfredo sauce, and sprinkled with red pepper flakes. The wontons were light and very crispy and didn’t get soggy under all the toppings. They are completely unlike traditional nachos, but I wanted to lick the plate, they were THAT good.  I also ordered a BLT sandwich, a nice and simple classic, but the chef sprinkled the tomatoes with a mix of secret spices and seasonings that lent just the perfect savory touch to the sandwich. The flavor wasn’t so strong that it overpowered the classic BLT flavors, but it did add just a hint of “mmmm, what is THAT??”

 

Our friends ordered spaghetti and meatballs, cheeseburger sliders and – get this – grilled fish sliders!  The burger patties for the cheeseburger sliders were hand-formed and grilled to perfection, with a nice crust on the outside, but still juicy inside. The fish sliders were made with fresh fish (I think either Mahi or Tilapia; I forgot to ask), which was white and flaky, and all were topped with fresh lettuce and tomatoes. They were perfectly sized if you wanted to eat one and take the other home.

 

The spaghetti and meatballs was served with a traditional savory marinara sauce and Margaret informed us that they make their own fresh meatballs, never frozen ones. The portion was extremely generous and definitely enough for leftovers.

 

While I just had a soda, the boys had ordered a pitcher of Frankie’s own No Crying Ale (“No Crying” is the restaurant’s motto). I tried it and it was really good. It was a little darker than most ales and one of our friends described it as having a “grainier flavor”, but I found it to be smooth and even a bit sweet. Whatever it was, it was good!

 

We had raved to Margaret about how good all our food was and how much we liked the location (walking distance from both Fanless’ home and his office) and the atmosphere of the place. After we paid our tab, we were just sitting there chatting for a little while, and the chef came over to our table to introduce himself and thank us for the compliments. That was a really nice moment and, as Fanless said to me later it “made him feel special.” I definitely agree with that. Margaret was so sweet, she kept coming over to chat with us, and even brought us a complimentary piece of tiramisu to share. We just though that was the nicest thing ever! And let me tell you, that tiramisu was sooo good. I tend to shy away from ordering tiramisu in restaurants because it usually tastes preprocessed and sometimes the coffee flavor is overpowering. But Frankie’s tiramisu was delicious! It’s homemade at the restaurant, not frozen, and it was light and airy, with just a hint of espresso flavoring. It was perfect.

 

If you happen to be on South Beach and looking for a nice, pretention-free place to enjoy a good meal and a couple of drinks without shelling out big bucks (our meal came out to roughly $15 per person), you should definitely check out Frankie’s South Beach Hide-a-Way. They also offer takeout and delivery, if you’re just wanting to pick up something to eat after a day of sunbathing on the beach. For late-night cravings, they are open until 5AM, and even have late night BYOB (Build Your Own Breakfast) after midnight.

 

I give Frankie’s two thumbs up, a high five AND 10 points. This is definitely a place we’ll be hitting up frequently.

 

Here’s a link to their MENU.

 

Frankie’s South Beach Hide-a-Way

754 Washington Avenue

South Beach

305.397.8284

How About You? April 16, 2010

From Rachel Denbow’s blog:

 

1. When do you feel happiest?

Probably when I’m with my boyfriend. He is just so funny that I’m always laughing when I’m with him. It’s pretty hard to not be happy when you’re laughing.

 

2. How do you take care of yourself?

Err… not sure how to answer this. Physically? Mentally? I need specifics.

 

3. Are you internally (by yourself) or externally (by others) motivated?

Both. Most of the time I”m self-motivated because I know there are things that need to get done and I am the one that needs to do them. Other times I might see or read something that inspires or pushes me to do something, like a read a particular book or watch a specific movie.

 

4. What do you do for fun?

I am such a nerd. My idea of fun is reading a good book, scrapbooking, playing computer games, or watching TV or a movie. I do enjoy going out with my BF to eat at a new (to us) restaurant or see a band play live.

 

5. What intimidates you?

Talking to strangers. I have a perpetual case of “stranger danger” and I hate having to talk to people I don’t know (like at dinner parties and things like that). I am very much a wallflower in those situations.

 

6. What is something you’re proud of?

I really have no idea.  

 

7. Finish this sentence. I never _____________.

I never eat mushrooms, if I can help it. Yuck!

 

8. Favorite vacation spot.

I am not a “lie on the beach and tan” kind of girl, so I prefer going to places where I can do a lot of sightseeing, particularly historical places like Washington, DC. So far, my favorite vacations have been to DC, Seattle and St. Augustine, because I got to do a lot of touristy stuff.

 

9. Today is a (rate from 1 – 10).

About a 5. Ish.

 

10. Finish this sentence. If you knew me really well you’d know_____________.

That I am painfully shy and insecure, and I try to overcome that with sarcasm and humor.

 

That’s it, I guess.

hello, Friday! April 2, 2010

It’s Friday. I have absolutely nothing new to share (it’s been very same shit, different day around here lately). So, inspired by a couple of recent posts from my girl crush, Stephanie Howell, I am sharing A) a list of 20 confessions, and B) an extremely embarrassing adolescent photograph.

 

1. I love watching documentaries on History and Discovery Channels. My favorites are historical, religious, or anything having to do with serial killers.

2. I am addicted to “Law & Order:SVU” and have watched the reruns of every episode so many times, I usually know exactly which episode it is before they even get to the opening credits.

3. I love Pad Thai. I could eat it every single day of my life.

4. The first LP (that’s a 12” vinyl record for those of you born after the 80s) I ever bought for myself was “Dare” by the Human League.

5. I am extremely sensitive and cry very easily. Especially when I’m angry or hurt.

6. I love to read, but I go through phases. Sometimes I can go through a few books in just a matter of days; other times, I get lazy and it take me forever to finish one.

7. I save all my patterned paper scraps, but I never remember to use them.

8. I love notebooks and writing utensils. If I had to guess, I would say that I currently have at least 500 pens/pencils in my possession. (It might be more.)

9. Sometimes I snort when I laugh too hard.

10. I daydream/fantasize/obsess about moving to Washington state someday.

11. I have never, not once, in my life thought of myself as pretty or attractive. I will only say of myself that I am “cute, with makeup.”

12. I know that I would have made a great mom, but I’m glad I didn’t have kids with any of my exes.

13. I am totally, butt-crazy, in love with my boyfriend. He is absolutely my favorite person on the planet.

14. I hate sorting and doing laundry, but I like folding it when it’s done.

15. I’m pretty sure that if I ever met Drew Barrymore, we would be best friends.

16. When my ex-fiancé dumped me, my first thought was “thank God I won’t have to put up with that pain-in-the-ass kid anymore” (his son from his first marriage). Seriously, that kid made Damien seem sweet.

17. I can not stand having long nails.

18. I have several scars from abdominal surgery, but I kind of like having them. (Weird, I know.)

19. I hate roses. Especially red ones.

20. Because of blogging, I was able to meet my awesome boyfriend and one of the best friends I’ve ever had.

 

Okay, on to the photograph…

 

I believe this was in 1980 or ‘81 (I was around 12 in this picture, and those are my paternal grandparents, both deceased). Not only was I sporting the big-ass Kid Cudi glasses, but check out the oh-so-stylish General Hospital t-shirt AND high-waisted jeans.

 

I was actually pretty obsessed with GH at that time. It was when Rick Springfield was on “General Hospital” as Dr. Noah Drake, and this song was on the radio all the time (“Paging Dr. Noah Drake to ICU to treat a case of heartbreak”). Oh boy.

 

 

Ahh… good times, good times.

 

That’s it, y’all. Peace out!

Random March 22, 2010

I don’t have a lot to share lately. Just a lot of “same shit, different day” around here (well, with the exception of this cold/cough that I’ve been trying to shake for over a week). But there were two moments this weekend that I wanted to make note of.

 

#1: Fanless and I were watching one of the many, MANY college basketball games, when the camera panned around and showed a few of the cheerleaders being all peppy at courtside. All of a sudden Fanless says “whoa, was that a Lulu cheerleader?” (He calls me Lulu; I think it’s completely adorable.) So I looked up and was all “what? where?”  He rewound a few seconds and pointed out a cute, blonde cheerleader and said “she looks just like you!” I just looked at him as if he’d suddenly sprouted two heads and said "that’s what I look like to you?” And he said yes (it was kind of in that “well, duh” tone of voice). I was completely dumbstruck. You see, I’d had a really difficult self-esteem day recently, so having my boyfriend offhandedly comment on my appearance (or rather, what he sees when he looks at me), and have it be something really good (for real, she was totally adorable), it really made me happy. Especially since it was so unexpected.

 

#2: While we were watching a movie in the living room, I got up to go to the restroom, which is at the end of the hall. The view into the living room as you’re walking back is obstructed by a wall so as I was coming around the corner, I was semi-distracted telling Fanless about something. When I got to the end of the hall he jumped out from behind the wall and startled me and I actually jumped back clutching my chest. Now I know it doesn’t sound that funny, and is really one of those “you had to be there” moments, but I swear we must have laughed for about 5 minutes afterwards. Even now when I think about it I giggle. Ahh… I love when we have completely random, silly moments like that.

 

Alright, that’s all I’ve got. Peace out, yo!