• Dreams of musical genius

    While playing a board game with friends, I was asked: If you could learn to perform one piece of music on a guitar, which song would you choose?

    Tough question, right? There are just so many wonderful choices. In the end, I narrowed it down to these two:

    “Classical Gas” by Eric Clapton

    “Big Love” by Lindsey Buckingham

    But after additional consideration, I’d also add “Mario Takes a Walk” by Jesse Cook to the list.

    Which one do you like?

  • In which Dan Pashman makes me eat things

    I’m incredibly suggestible when it comes to food. Mention pizza, and suddenly, I have a craving. If I just hear the sizzle of fajitas as a waitress walks by, I instantly want some. And don’t even get me started on the evils of bakery scents. I could walk into a bakery, totally full from a meal, and the moment that delicious yeasty, warm bread-y smell hits, I’m a lost cause.

    So you can imagine how well I resist the urge to devour treats while listening to Dan Pashman’s podcast “The Sporkful.” In particular, the episode titled, “Donuts Old School, Donuts New, Donuts Glazed, Donuts Blue.”

    Needless to say, I didn’t resist at all. Next thing I knew, I was in the kitchen, prepping dough, mixing a bowl of cinnamon and sugar and heating up the oil. At 4 a.m., with the rest of the world asleep, man… those doughnuts were good.

    Thanks, Dan.

    Photo by Cheryl Leinonen.

  • Books

    Seasonal slump, a quest for home and bookstore ruminations

    So Summer has arrived and well… blech. But I shall endeavor to keep my seasonal grumpiness to myself. Just know that I dream of central air conditioning.

    In recent weeks, M and I have been house-hunting and preparing to apply for mortgage applications. The first activity is fun, the second incredibly stressful. We really want to embark on to the next phase of our life, and that will involve moving, so both activities are required.

    One thing I’ve learned during this process is how compatible we are. I knew we loved each other and got along fabulously, but our tastes are very similar too. Where they diverge, the differences are minor.

    We also share a desire to make the other happy, which comes in handy while examining potential abodes. Best of all, after more than nine years together, we know each other’s likes and dislikes intimately, so much so that I’d feel entirely confident sending him out into the world to find us a home. Whichever place he picked would be perfect for our family. Knowing this type of relationship is so rare just makes me appreciate it all the more.

    In other news, I miss bookstores. Oh, they’re still around, there’s just not enough of them. Bookstores call to me when I’m bored or curious or determined, when I’m killing time between movies or when I want to look at books that I don’t already own and the library’s closed.

    Lastly, I wish time would stop whenever I read a book. Can someone make that happen? Thanks!

  • Orange flowers from yard

    Quote of the day

    “When the last tree is cut, the last fish is caught, and the last river is polluted; when to breathe the air is sickening, you will realize, too late, that wealth is not in bank accounts and that you can’t eat money.” –Alanis Obomsawin