Shopping - The Agony and the Ecstasy

My shopping exploits over the past couple of days have been mixed. Yesterday I got two Diane von Furstenberg suitcases for under 200 bucks at TJ Maxx. They don't match, but the bright colors should prevent going home with the wrong standard-issue black rollaboard. Score!

On to Bloomingdale's for suits - completely struck out. The merchandise either fit poorly or was way too expensive, even with coupons. Plus, I could barely get cropped jeans up my thighs. I'm having a Bloated Day. ARGH!

Always having to end on a positive, a package of clothes arrived at my parents' today. The bathing suit and summer dresses fit almost to a T. Whee!!! I'm getting set for a rocking stylish summer.

Spring Cleaning

Today I started cleaning my apartment, top-to-bottom. I got throug the bathroom and the changing area, and the vacuuming. Now I am completely exhausted, but I figure the effort is worth it so that my apartment can be immaculate and guest-ready if friends or parents drop in unexpectedly. All I have to do now is get into the habit of making my bed.

It seems the time is right for cleaning out the clutter of my life. In addition to paring down my calendar, I think I will start separating the wheat from the chaff where friends are concerned. [rant] I'm getting sick and tired of "frenemies" who are constantly namedropping and playing the top-this game, or who do spiteful and mean things and think I don't notice or don't care. Heads up, biatches, I do notice, but I don't care enough about you to bitch the way you might. I have bared the claws in the past, and it is not pretty, hence why I do so sparingly and only in extreme situations. I am losing my tolerance for people who meddle in my affairs, try to make me feel like I'm not being current or good enough, blow me off to do "something more important", subject me or my friends to verbal abuse, or call me only when they need something. Eff that. Lose my number, I already deleted yours. [/rant]

Back to scrubbing...

Bibliophilia

In the last week, I have acquired over 10 books, between the Queens Public Library (Forest Hills branch), Half.com, and Buy.com. Not to mention, I currently have over twenty books on the To-Read stack here and at my folks' house. Does this qualify as an addiction or an obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Isaac Hayes is a Jerk

Thank you to the South Park creators for putting this brainwashed freak in his place. Scientology shouldn't try to impinge on free speech and humor because it makes them look stupid. If you follow a "religion" created by a sci-fi writer on a bet, then you should expect this. As he is trying to expel his internal aliens, he is alienating his fans.

Proof I Can Cook

Sunday dinner went well. This was a Chrismukah gift to J since it's his favorite dish, and I invited friends to treat them as well and minimize the amount of leftovers. I cooked the sauce and meatballs under my mom's supervision with my great-grandmother's pot, which proved interesting for transporting back to my apartment. Luckily, I managed to get home without spilling very hot tomato sauce in my car with light gray interior. As a plus, I got a Sicilian twist from Joe's Sicilian, where I worked in high school (more on them another time). There was only enough pasta left over for one serving, and, more importantly, he didn't break up with me. Yeay!!!!! He even helped me clean everything up, which was a huge help.

Chris and Heidi brought me Pasta Red from Knapp Vineyards, which they bought at the Finger Lakes Wine Festival last July. It was good. This year, I think I will buy a case as well. It's a good complement to marinara sauce and is smooth and easy to drink.

Afterwards, J and I watched the Sopranos. This episode inspired a lot of mixed emotions. All HBO original series are all over the place in the first episode. As my friend Argun describes it, it seems like Chase is "masturbating all over the screen." There is too much going on. They focused too much on peripheral characters, and the tie-in to the guy from Celebrity Fit Club got really stale. I saw the suicide coming a mile away. I miss Adriana. Drea De Matteo is from Whitestone, gotta support the hometown gals. There are so many product placements but no really good ones like the Uncle Ben's inspiring a panic attack with Meadow was dating Noah. Besides the obvious ones like the cereal, the new cellphone, and the Porsche, Carmela wore that Vera Wang flower pin to death. There were a couple of holy-shit moments tho, one of which should make the rest of the season really interesting. Janice having a baby? Charmaine and Artie back together? Junior shooting Tony? Holy shit!

Big Love was, for lack of a better word, eh. I am really not interested in how (HBO thinks) polygamous couples live in Utah, with the ED, budget problems, secrecy, and all that stuff. It wasn't that engulfing. Random sighting: Pedro's girlfriend from Napoleon Dynamite plays one of the fast-food joint servers.

Next Sunday is the Feast of St. Joseph, so I think I will have folks over before the Sopranos for some good ol' sfingi and zeppole. If you've never had them, all you need to know is they are cream puffs on steroids that beat the hell out of corned beef and cabbage ;)

Random Thoughts

• Guns Germs and Steel: It's refreshing to read a book that explores why the haves and have-nots are that way, without blaming their genes or their skin color. I'll save you all the 400+ pages of reading; like real estate, it's all about location, location, location.
• Churrascaria Plataforma: after visiting the Met with my mom, cousin and aunt, we arrived for a 6:30 reservation at 5:15. However, we were not seated until 6:50. The caipirinha we each had to tide us over was REALLY strong. Then after the salad bar line that wound around the table once, we barely had any meat. Having only been there once before about three and a half years ago, I think it's best to eat there no more than once a year.
• Nieto 2003 Malbec: I got this Argentinian wine at my housewarming, but I can't remember who brought it. Last night I cracked it open post-Plataforma with a friend. The verdict? Oaky, dry red (really close to purple) with a bite. Not my favorite, but I didn't want to pour it down the drain.

Cooking a traditional Sunday dinner of pasta and meatballs for Jason and some friends; the sauce is cooking as I type. Looking forward to the first episode of the Sopranos in what seems like an eternity. Bada bing, baby!

Labia is Beautiful

I never thought I'd have this conversation:

my friend in LA: "My vagina looks weird. I saw other people's post-op pics and they look so much nicer than mine. I hate looking at it."
me: "Sweetie, I'm sure your new vagina looks wonderful. Besides, if anyone were to look at it and say that it looks weird, you should kick them in the teeth and just leave."
LA LA: "Just wait, I'll show it to you."

Will seeing her surgery results lower my purity score?

Car of the Week: Hyundai Sonata V6

At least I did not get another gas-guzzler. This week I learned how to drive a car with Tektronic transmission, so it was kinda like a manual without the pain-in-the-arse clutch. I didn't think the gear switching was that responsive tho. Plus it handles like crap in the rain with normal automatic transmission.

Happy Bday Li'l Bro

My brother is 25 years old today. Wow, we are old.