Summer summer summertime!

Well, I've got some post-vacation activities lined up for us:

Bodied

The Mid-America Science Museum, in Hot Springs, will host "Our Body: The Universe Within" from June 14-Sept. 28.

This is a take-off on the Body World exhibit that's been such a worldwide phenomenon and source of scandal. The cadavers on display are preserved by a process called polymer impregnation, where tissue is permanently preserved using liquid silicone. Sounds like plastination.

Thousands will flock.

(C/P'ed from ARTimes)

That and camping. Summer!

U-Dub, I-Dub, we all dub for U-Dub!

I've been working up a little list of what I'd like to do whilst in the great Northwest.

• Uwajimaya (Bento box)
  
• Pike Place Market (Piroshky-Piroshky, Beecher's Handmade Cheese, coffee)
• Bauhaus Books/Coffee
• Experience Music Project (The dub room, duh. And architecture.)
• Koolhaas Library (Architecture)
• Flea Market? Thrift stores?
  
• Stanley Park (There are totem poles there!)
• Chinatown Night Market
• Eat
• Regional Assembly of Text
• Punjabi Market (Kim, textiles!)
• Native Indian Art

We've got at least one solid plan -- Quiet Village @ Nectar on the 4th of June. There will be ILXers there, so it's an inadvertent FAP. There's talk of a dinner before, too.

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Well, I've gone and booked a one-night stay in downtown Vancouver, BC! Spending two whole days & one night will hardly be sufficient, but since we're having to divide our time between Seattle & Vancouver, it'll do. From what I've read, Vancouver is naturally, breathtakingly beautiful. And that the sushi from there will ruin sushi from here forever. And the train ride is incredible. Oh, and it's CANADA. The next Winter Olympics will be held there, so there may be some municipal weirdness. Not too bad, I hope.

I said to ATM earlier that we'll need to remember to relax. I mean, I don't want to come home from vacation exhausted. Or maybe I do. Fug.

I've spent so many hours today & this evening researching the two cities. I've sifted through the Internets, looked at maps, gone through travel guides. I'm taking notes on napkins and little notebooks and post-its. I tried to look up things that may interest ATM & KMHD, but hopefully they both have an idea of things they'd like to do or accomplish. It'll be great and I'm certain that I'll gain an even twenty pounds, there's so much good food apparently.

It's been a long time since I've been that area, but I remember the trees, always. Big, beautiful, I always want to lug one home.

What is the first thing, besides Frasier, do you think of when you think of Seattle? The Space Needle? The Seattle Super Sonics? MotherLoveBone? Starbucks? You tell me! WOT IS QUINTESSENTIAL SEATTLE?

Victoria after midnight.

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Me & KMHD went out for dinner and a movie last night. Monday nights are good for this sort of thing -- it being Monday, it's likely that we had a weird/bad/crazy/ day. Too, we aren't really prepared for the weekend to just end like that.

We ate @ La Hacienda & watched Smart People starring SJP & Dennis Quaid. It was...meh. I mean, I'll have to think on it, let it soak in. It wasn't awful, though.

After the movie, we went to KMHD's home and had an unplanned pow-wow/therapy sesh regarding our father. All I can say at this point is, "Good grief". When it comes to Dad, I just don't know. Really.

Me & KMHD had a really lovely time & I think we're going to try to make it a semi-regular thing.  Going to dinner & a movie, that is.

Anyway...

ASIMO

I've wanted an ASIMO ever since I've heard of him. Today's article in the Dem-o-zette (In the Business & Technology section, of course.) only compounded these wants. Last week, ASIMO led the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in a performance of "The Impossible Dream" from Man of La Mancha. Watch ASIMO at work here. I found it to be moving & amazing. Kwanis said that it was the devil -- I can understand that, I mean, we've all watched A.I., but, we're eons away from that era! I need to petition Honda to let me have one for research purposes! I can give it simple tasks like cat-sitting, carrying groceries inside, and just hanging out with me. Awwwww, my heart melts, I <>

Emperor Tomato Ketchup

& Dots & Loops. Stereolab. Perfect for this Sunday.

1. We went to the Grand Opening of the Junction Bridge yesterday -- it was fine. I mean, it's a lovely addition to the cities, but I guess I was really put off by all of the cyclists. I stand behind their cause and, you know, GOOD FOR THEM, but is it necessary to ride out there on opening day? They were in the way! There wasn't enough room to accommodate them and the pedal-people.  Maybe if a few showed to rep the group?  It seems that cyclists are the new road/sidewalk bullies. Argh. Redeeming quality about the opening? I really liked watching the drummers from Park View High. I should've brought water and wore a hat because I think being there in the raw sun contributed to my heat exhaustion.







2. From the Junction Bridge, we went to Levy to hit up the butcher for steaks and to get lunch @ Las Delicias, my reigning favorite Mexican restaurant. This place is a true hole-in-the-wall. The food is perfect. Are we new regulars? Yes. We've become more comfortable there, getting our own drinks, looking at the groceries while we wait for our food. I was bummed that they didn't have churros that day, maybe next time.

3. After lunch, ATM worked on the Volvo and I washed the other car. We both washed the Volvo. By the time we were finished, I felt AWFUL. A little bit of heat exhaustion, I had to sleep away most of the Saturday afternoon. When I finally got out of bed, ATM had started a beautiful steak dinner. It helped me get on the path to recovery, for sure. We had perfectly grilled rib eyes! And corn! And portabella mushrooms! And ATM's world famous mashed pots! It's no secret, we live wonderfully and it's appreciated.

4. Today @ noon, we went to the annual Greek Food Fest. This year, we had calamari, falafel, & loukanika. As usual, the food was really delicious. We didn't stay long, eating being the primary objective. Too, I didn't want to overdo being out-of-doors, contributing to my existing ailments. I bought two packages of baklava to take home, half of which is already gone. Maybe I'll share w/ ATM, we'll see.

5. On the way home, we stopped by JTDesigns whose slogan is "Yesterday's styles...Today's interiors." I really enjoyed it, it's like you've stumbled across a super-duper garage sale. They've got fabrics, old dish sets, cute coffee cups, vintage tables & chairs. I ended up buying a cake holder, which was great because I was going to bake a cake anyway. JTDesigns is where ye olde speedometer shop used to be on 2223 W. Markham. I recommend using your lunch break to go peruse the goods!



6. So, I tried baking a cake yesterday. FAIL. Maybe it was me, but I'd like to think that I had a dud box of cake mix. I tossed the failed cake and thought that maybe I could make one from scratch? I referenced the Joy of Cooking -- I didn't have cake flour, so it was a bust. No cake. I'll try again later this week.

Ready for trip to Seattle! Can I call it a vacation?

Just give me weekend!

I feel so damned...annoyed that an annual Greek Food Fest is kicking off right now & I am stuck here @ work. I am working myself up into a om-nom-nom-nom-nom frenzy! Baklava! Sausage & feta! Falafel! WANT! We are going to go on Sunday, but I am wondering if I can hold out that long? This is a divine test of the will.

Ahhhh, here she is, the weekend.  What are we going to do?  Wash the cars?  Weed the flower beds?  Go garage salein'?  We should grill something.  I should bake something.  I'll do a little cleaning up and organizing, I mean, we're still settling in around here.  The first thing I'm going to do is streeeeeetch.   

ATM will be practicing this evening, so I'm going to watch a movie.  I borrowed Stephen King's THE MIST from Kwanis.  Look at me upping my scary movie tolerance!  

Get Bent(o)!

This post is inspired by last night's meal. ATM treated me to Mt. Fuji and it was most excellent -- we both tried new things. For an appetizer, I ordered agedofu, which is fried tofu that sits in a sauce topped with green onions and what I hope was dried shredded ginger -- the ginger was a bit off-setting because it moved. It just curled and uncurled and never stopped! Creepy garnish aside, it was so delicious and fragrant, I'll be getting it again. ATM got octopus sushi and ate it before I even noticed, so he must've enjoyed it. I don't know, if I got octopus, I would've demanded all eyes on me, a bit of fanfare and a parade.

I liked the agedofu so much that I searched the internet for recipes. I didn't find a one, but I did find blogs that piqued my interest. They are about Japanese "cuisine" or Japanese-inspired foods. Apparently, a good way to spice up plain steamed rice is by using furikake. I found a recipe that would probably be appreciated by me and mines. I mean, why not? It looks good, it's made up of ingredients that I like and use frequently. Also, it's a good alternative to fried rice, which I love, but need to eat less of. Then there's this blog. I'd post photos of her dishes, but you should just go look for yourself, there are A LOT and I don't want to borrow photos w/o asking. Please note the pumpkin pie muffins, the Bollywood curry, minestrone with pesto, dahl-ling! (get it?), and the spicy carrot soup. Good lord, I want to cook cook cook! I'm always happy to try new (and good for you) foods. Om nom nom nom nom!


Spicy curry furikake:


Agedofu:




Last night, I started researching restaurants that I want to eat at in Seattle. I started with Korean because ATM has never had Korean BBQ. We need to remedy that! All night, I dream't of Korean food. All night. It was wonderful! The Stranger, Seattle's free weekly, has the best restaurant guide. KMHD is looking at it now, scoping out Ethiopian restaurants. We're off to a good start: Korean & Ethiopian.

Tonite: spa-gheddi. And LOST.

Yr Really Hot! (NO CLASS)

Here's a rarity -- going out on a Monday night! I couldn't resist, Stacy Mackey, the Crisco Kids, and the Buttons were playing a Thick Syrup gig @ Sticky Fingerz.


My best shot of the eve:


Stacy:


Stacy:


And introducing Little Rock's very own...BUTTONS! I'm a fan.






Here's a crowd shot. I need to do that thing that they do like on the back of the Do They Know It's Christmas?'s single where they label who is who. Those I know: ATM, TJ, Collins, Big C, Malik/Peter Pan, James, Weasle, Stacy Broadstone, Rett, Antoine (singing), TC, & Kyle (partial), and Zuko. There was a Matt Riley look-alike, too.



Tonite, we're going to this. I've got some gifts for Suzi that I think she'll like. I'm giving her one of my handcrafted crane-shaped soaps and some Topps brand Duran Duran trading cards. From the 80's!!!

I was really amused watching those my age (or a smidgen older) go wild over the Buttons last night. Well, why wouldn't we? As Gabe Sanchez's dad says, "EXCELLENTE!" The second drummer was doing stuff that should be classified as obscene. As in obscenely awesome! And his guitar work (he did double duty -- guitar and drums) was sublime in some parts, too. They had a laughable song title -- Statutory -- but it was my favorite tune. Antoine is a good front man, kinda just wandering/pogoing into the crowd, all over the stage, working his best snarl. Strong work, dudes!

Apologies to the Crisco Kids (who released their album on 8-track!) for being old and needing to go home and go to bed and missing their set. I'm sure it was legendary.

T-2 sweded

Just fucking watch it. It's funny! The guy who plays Sarah Conner is totally hilare!

Three Tents For Every Pad! (In the tune of Jan & Dean's 'Two Girls For Every Boy')

Let's get the business part out of the way: There's a show tonite @ Sticky Fingerz featuring Stacy Mackey, The Crisco Kids & the much anticipated Buttons. Starts at the usual show time and costs $4.
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The camping trip was a success! Roll call: AiLien, Andrew, Rett, Keiko, Collin & Delores. It was a well-blended mesh o' folks. Basically, it was a group of old friends who need to hang out together more.

Highlights include: Laughing, eating (natch), seeing a fox, deer, baby ducks, a pelican-thingy, and a luna moth, and riding around the back of Collin's pick-up truck. The kayaking was fun, but it only made me want to swim, which I was not prepared for.

Lowlights include: The others having to leave after one night. And then me & Andrew having to leave two hours after they all take off because of scary, bad weather.

We made tentative plans to take Rett's parent's boat out to an island on Lake Quachita to camp. WANT! Sounds like big fun! Call us, Rett! I'll bring a wine bottle opener!

Collin pulling his "Dad" face:


Keiko, Collin & Rett. Rett's being corny! Wokka Wokka Wokka!


Andrew, gathering:


Andrew, Collin & Keiko:


An amazing photo of Keiko & Delores:


Just a swangin':


Cute couple photo op:


Delores, Collin & Keiko:


Andrew, Rett:


Keiko, Rett:


Keiko, Rett:


What we came home to:



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I'm still settling into our new arrangement. There are still things everywhere needing to be tossed out or given a place to sit and collect dust. I think I need to go back and purge more more more. I want to simplify, but it's hard to do. Especially when you tack on a special memory to every little thing you own, clutching on to the past with one firm grip. Why do we do this? For the past couple of years, I've been documenting, on camera, my mundane and special moments. For the most part, a photograph helps me remember things I've done with a bit more clarity. Too, photographs are easier to keep up with. I'm willing to care for an archive of photographs than lug around junk that I have no use for. Too, after Victor left this realm, I realized that I didn't have enough photos of our time together. I mean, you'd think five million photos of a friend is enough, but it really isn't. Awwwww, Victor.

I'm trying to keep my "stuff" limited to things I actually use. CK has a "perishables as gifts only" policy. It makes sense! You aren't left with JUNK. Especially if it's a nice cheese or a nice bottle of Champagne!

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Big ups to Mayumi, our stepmother. She really stepped up when our parents stepped down. Because of her, I say things like "Please" and "Thank you" and "Yes ma'am". Dad being a total figurehead, she ruled behind the scenes. Well, she's been exposed! We know who truly reared us and I'm thankful for it! <3>

Etc.

For those who know CK, hear this: He & Prissy just got a kitten. Ha! What?! I can't even imagine it! He seems so pleased about it, though. They named him Omar Little. Hee. I wonder if he pets it & stuff.

I'm not avoiding ye olde blog, I'm just trying to catch up on other things. I may just post a lot of photos & hope that passes as a proper post. As if any of these posts are proper.

This evening, a grand event is planned -- A Hot Dog Dinner @ Kim's abode! It was inspired by a television show about hot dogs (and their various toppings) we watched this past weekend -- WANT. We decided on relish, mustard, and onions for our toppings this eve. With a side of crinkle cut fries. She forwarded this interesting bit to me moments ago:

A Chicago-style dog is topped with yellow mustard, dark green relish, onions, tomato slices, celery salt and served in a steamed poppy seed bun. Additional common toppings can include sport peppers, a dill pickle and sauerkraut.

New York serves them with steamed onions and pale yellow mustard sauce.

In Detroit, a Coney Island dog is served with chili sauce (coney sauce), onion and mustard.

In Atlanta and other areas of the Southern U.S. you'll end up with your dog "dragged through the garden", or, topped with coleslaw.

In Kansas City they're served with sauerkraut and melted Swiss.

The Rockie Dog - served at Coors Field, the home of the Colorado Rockies - is served with grilled peppers, sauerkraut and onions.

The Fenway Frank served at Fenway Park is in a New England style bun with mustard and relish.

Chili, cheese and jalapenos make the Texas Dog the favored item at Minute Maid ballpark in Houston.

Around the globe, people get even more adventurous with their dog toppings...

In South Korea, vendors coat them with sugar.

In Denmark and Norway, hot dogs, or "pølse", are served with bacon and or cheese.

In Quebec, Canada, "Michigan"-style hot dogs are served with spaghetti sauce.

In some parts of South America, known as perros calientes, they are often served with potato chip crumbs, sliced onion, Colombian country cheese, honey, ketchup or mustard (and sometimes a little cooked quail egg on top).

In Chile, street vendors sell completos, literally meaning complete, topped with diced tomatoes, saurkraut, ketchup, sweet mustard, and mayonnaise. The vendors often provide ají, a spicy red pepper sauce to accompany the completo. Replace the saurkraut with guacamole, and you've got an Italiano.

In Venezuela, street vendors offer "perros con todo", or "dogs with all" with finely chopped cabbage, potato chip crumbs, chopped onion, white cheese, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and tomato sauce. Additional condiments offered include salsa, tartar sauce, Tabasco, guasacaca, cheese sauce, garlic sauce, onion sauces, and American BBQ sauce.

In Austria and parts of Germany, customers at hot dog stands have the option of eating sausage on a plate or having it served in "hot dog form", which comes in a hollowed out baguette.

What it sums up to is this: If you choose to have an international hot dog day party, following are the toppings you'll need to have on hand to cover your bases. We hope you have enough serving bowls!:

* Mustard
* Ketchup
* Chili sauce
* Mayonnaise
* Tomato sauce
* Salsa
* Guacamole
* Tartar sauce
* Tabasco
* Guasacaca (Venezuelan avacado salsa)
* Barbecue sauce
* Relish
* Dill pickles
* Onions, steamed and raw sliced
* Peppers; sport, grilled green, and jalapeno slices
* Sauerkraut
* Coleslaw
* Finely chopped cabbage
* Honey
* Sugar
* Bacon
* Several kinds of cheese, including melted swiss, nacho cheese sauce, and Mexican white
* Potato chip crumbs
* Quail egg
* Diced tomatoes
* Garlic sauce
* Chili

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Kwanis had hot dogs for lunch today. Naturally, I was all "OMG" because we've been talking about hot dogs and how we'd like them for days. His had chili, cheese, jalapenos & slaw. Oh, and BBQ chips. Nice touch.

Photos as promised:

Chang & his newly aquired kingdom.

Maxxin' & relaxxin'

Smoking a cigar!

ATM helpin' with dinner. Please note the beautiful new spice rack. Another project completed! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. Please note, too, the new kettle. Thanks, KMHD, for not buying it.

Skinny jeans!

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!

Yesterday was exhausting! Cleaning and moving things around and dust everywhere and machine-gun sneezing and having a mini-mental break down and not feeling well and still avoiding that middle room.

I feel pretty good this morning. Coffee's on, NPR's on, I'm working up one of my famous lists - - we are going shopping today! I've got my eye on some chairs for the porch, which needs filling out. Too, I'd like to finish my spice rack. Too, we need groceries. I'm going to attempt to make supper tonite, our first homemade meal as ATM & AMD's house.

(House) Space Is The Place!

Well, KMHD has vacated the premises and now it's time for me to prep the back room for it's new tenant. Does anyone know how to clean filthy mini-blinds? I thought about just buying new ones, but that's the easy way out, innit? I suppose it will take much-dreaded elbow grease and the will -- I'm a little short on both.

We may be going to T.J.'s "Cool Shoes" this evening @ Downtown Music. As ripped from the ARTimes:

Friday night is all about dancing to jams provided by Deeter and Casey Stuart, looking at cool art by Ike Plumlee and Cameron Holifield, and head nodding to a one-song live performance by Rockst*r, who'll be unveiling a new single.

My biggest concern is which pair of shoes should I rock? Maybe I should wear two different kinds?

May Day

He recites it annually - - allow me to quote my boss: "First of May, first of May, outdoor fucking starts today." Stay classy, man!
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Well, I'm excited.
1. KMHD is packing & moving into her new home! The one that she owns!
2. Me & ATM will move a few of his belongings into 508 this evening. We are going to live together!
3. We've got a camping trip lined up. There will be pals, too. I even have ideas for my camping mix.
We need to stencil our coat of arms on our gear boxes!

Over lunch, I got to see how much progress KMHD & ZR has made. The bed's gone, the television/entertainment unit is dismantled and packed away. She may actually pull this "do it in one day" thing off! Poor Chang is confused and a bit anxious. He comes up to me often with this, "What the hell, man?!!!" look on his face. Awwww.

When I get home from work, I'm going to prep the living room for our new shelf-thingy. I believe that if I can get that & our new speakers set up, it'll be ready to have things put on/in it, which will get things OUT OF THE WAY.

I suppose I can show ya'll what it's looking like around here:


Empty room.







LOST tonite. And some moving. Forgive me if I don't post for a few days.

Q: You Down With O.P.P.?

A:  Yeah, you know me!

I'm starting a new blog called O.P.P., which is short for "Other People's Pussy".  It's a collection of photos that I took of other people's cats!  And dogs.  And other pets.  I mean, I guess I could call it "Other People's Pets", but that's just not filthy and vulgar enough!

The link is here.  Be warned, it is under construction and does not look the way I intend, I just wanted to get it started.  

I have to do this, you know.  I mean, what else am I going to do with all of these pictures of animals that belong to friends?!

Pre-

PRE-
26 April 2008
Fayetteville, AR

We left LR and got to Fayetteville at about 12:30-ish. First order of business: PIZZA. After a nice lunch @ Tiny Tim's, we sat in the town square to have a cigarette. ATM spotted Mark Ibald walking up the street. That's SY sighting #1. We wanted to go to the Dickson St. Bookstore, so we decided that we'd find really good parking off Dickson, close to Zach's house, and walk to the bookstore from there. As we walked past Zach's, we run into he, Wes, Stacy, and Antoine. Totally! We decide to forgo the bookstore, momentarily, and hang out. Which we do. For a couple of hours. Eventually, we decide to walk through the crowds of Spring Fest to get a feel of the crowds, get cash from an ATM, get lemonade & funnel cake, some of us had to get tickets to the concert, and THEN go to the bookstore. I saw Lee Renaldo and said hi to him on the street. That's SY sighting #2. There were rumors that Thurston Moore was going to be at a post-concert house party. Naturally!

ITEM! NEWS FLASH! This interruption is to note that KMHD JUST BOUGHT A FUXXIN HOUSE! Big time!

After walking around and all that, Stacy, Wes & Antoine go to her house to eat. Zach goes to work. Me & ATM stop and get a bottle of champagne and go back to the patio for more hanging out. Eventually, we run into Emily. Eventually, An calls me, he's in town with his friends, Frank & Victor (Nice gentlemen). Eventually, we all just kinda come together.




Maybe it was the lovely company or the excellent weather or the fact that we had "carnival foods" readily available, it was a really nice day. And I knew that it would end well, what with the Sonic Youth concert and all.

Having hung out ALL DAY, I was really anxious and ready to get out and about. Me, ATM, An, Frank & Victor head toward the stage and it's surrounding areas. The boys take off (a.k.a. ditch us losers) leaving me and ATM to be thoroughly freaked out by Michael Frenti's fans. The fungus didn't help. So, we hang back and eat street vendor food and take in the scene from a nice, safe distance. We run into Straw, which, at that point, I spot Steve Shelley and say hello. That's SY sighting #3.

Stacy didn't have the funds for a ticket, but Antoine got her in, so after even more hanging out, we finally find a nice spot on the left side of the stage and wait for SY. See blog entry "PUT IT ALL BEHIND YOU, NOW IT'S BEHIND YOU" for further details.

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After the show, we decided to go to our room @ Motel 6 to enjoy snacks and a king size bed (Don't be a perv, Perv!) and cable - - we didn't go to the post-show house party. After eating leftover pizza (not advisable), we pretty much went to sleep. We got up at a reasonable hour and drove to Ft. Smith in hopes of scoring some Irish Maid Donuts - - BUST. We did get lunch at Taco Mayo - - I used to work there as a teenager LOLOLOLOL! After lunch, we walk next door to what appeared to be a karaoke/recording studio/Cricket phone dealer. It wasn't open, we just peered into the dirty windows, had a cigarette before taking off to go home. This, painted on the window of above-mentioned establishment, cracked me up:

It's me & ATM!!! Obviously, I don't have a svelte waistline, but everything else is pretty spot on! What the hell?

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I suppose I should go ahead and eat my words and testify that I, AMD, had a really good time in Fayetteville. I didn't think it was possible! But, with the right cast of characters (It should be noted that most people we hung out with were from LR), the right weather, the right atmosphere, you can have a nice time in hell. Or Fayetteville! WAU!