Holy randomness, Batman!

So I don't do this very often but I'd like to give a shout out to my recent obsessions. I think it's because I'm particularly enamored with the current crop of them and because, right now, I really don't want to be formatting Excel spreadsheets.

And here...we...go...

Anything related to The Dark Knight specifically box office returns, Oscar buzz, and mass acclaim.



Big Soda and Nachos at the theatre



Yeah that's right. Having gone to see The Dark Knight three times in five days, this has become a staple in my diet. Horrifying? Yes. Delicious? Absolutely.

Mad Men



I caught the Season 1 marathon this past Sunday and yeah, I'm hooked. It's just a stellar show with one of the most phenomenal ensemble casts I've ever seen. Especially...



Vincent Kartheiser who plays Pete Campbell. Okay so he's a total a-hole but man, am I in love with him.

the Prince Pandora station



Prince, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson. So glorious. And it definitely gets me through all the workplace BS.

Twitch from So You Think You Can Dance



A killer dancer with a big heart and a sweet body? Doesn't get much better than this, people.

All things Joker related







It's no secret that I've got a bit of a thing for the Joker. And when Zeetlebee has a thing for anything, the wallet is the first place that gets hit. So Christmas may come a little earlier and you know what? I don't feel guilty. Not...one...bit.

Moved to tears

New York fits you / I imagine you are happiest here / as an exhilarated child in Times Square looking up at the light of your dream / Playing matador with taxi cabs is dangerous but not as dangerous as standing still / the ultimate torture /
handcuffed to a banal production / one that never closes / and that your role is servant to lesser bodies

Yes that is hell but is not New York / there are subways here that echo your sensibilities in huge copper whistles OPEN ALL NIGHT / like the diners you frequent / Diners that attempt nostalgia but achieve exposed nails / and you know New York / sometimes you are gone for days at a time / on happy dry benders / See the Jaguar opened on Broadway / closed after five performances / You rode your motorcycle and didn’t need food / The Immoralist opened / they flung flowers at the door / New York stays up late / today is a different sentence / but the stage door remains / still has dents of the flowers they threw

You ride your motorcycle enjoying hamburgers and beer / women / men / the city is yours and you know it / you can always live in it / matadors have innumerable alleys in which to dodge bulls disguised as taxi cabs / so many alleys to wander down / there is no alley that will suffice / only solace in movement

Most of the strangers we see here / are caught up in the momentum of being estranged / go / as you no longer need the artificial light to know where you are going



Thank you, Heath.

Culinary Zelights has begun!

Alrighy, folks, the long-awaited lauching of my food blog aka #18 on my 25/25 list has arrived! Well, that's only partially true. I'm sure no one has been waiting and it also hasn't exactly arrived, at least not in full force. The blog is up and the recipes will follow shortly. For now though, take a look and stay tuned.

June hodgepodgery

Well I think this month was saved by me cram-packing some stuff in at the end. Because up until about a week ago, I pretty much had done nothing! I've decided to make a few changes in my life, however, and I think those changes will definitely make me crank harder on my list.

So here we go!

1. Finish notes on all Hitchcock films

Yay, I DID try harder in June. I finished notes on three films this month :)

The Lodger



Secret Agent



Sabotage



Before I started working on this project, I hadn't seen any of Hitch's films from the 1930s. Having seen the majority of them now, I must say that it is an incredible decade of work. It's interesting how many of his films from the 30s are much more representative of his style and signature than many of the later ones. There is also a great deal of humor, sexuality, and violence that you probably wouldn't expect from cinema over 70 years old. Hitch is great that way :)

13. Eat at one new restaurant every month

This month I ate at Swig and Osteria del Mondo. At Swig I indulged in what was probably the tastiest thing I've ever had...the Lobster Stuffed Roasted Poblano Pepper. And at Osteria, my sis and I decided to go the antipasti/salad route rather than the entree route. I got the grilled tiger shrimp with a white bean puree and lemon caper sauce, and the caprese salad with grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, and aged balsamic vinegar. AMAZING.

15. Donate $5 to 1-3 charities of your choosing every month

This month I donated to the International Rett Syndrome Foundation. For those of you who do not watch So You Think You Can Dance, there's a choreographer on the show by the name of Jean-Marc Genereux. His daughter, Francesca, suffers from Rett Syndrome so he decided to choreograph a routine inspired by her. It was beautiful and incredibly moving. It also happened to be danced by one of my favorite couples, Kherington and Twitch. Because I was really inspired by Jean-Marc's ability to turn something tragic into something beautiful, I made my donation in honor of his daughter.

16. Take up meditation/find a serene place in the city to meditate

While I have yet to actually meditate there, I did notice while walking with my sis along the lakefront on Saturday how many amazing and peaceful areas there are to just chill out. So as soon as I get some more free time, and that will truly be the challenge, I plan on heading down there.

21. Watch at least one documentary every month

This month I watched The U.S. vs. John Lennon, a documentary about John Lennon's peace activism in the 60s and 70s. It also deals with the attempts made by the U.S. government to silence him and get him kicked out of the country. John Lennon has been and probably will always be my favorite Beatle. This feeling was only intensified when I had the privilege of seeing the John Lennon exhibit at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Being inches away from that famous pair of glasses and seeing the splatters of blood up close, it definitely made an impact. So while you may not have agreed with his politics, his method, or his attachment to Yoko Ono, you can't not be inspired by his passion to do good.


So there you have it! While I slacked a bit on some things, I think I did a fairly good job this month. I already feel like I've got the drive and energy to do more in the month of July. The summer's only going to get better from here.