A Romantic Dessert

A new *friend* brought over this chocolate espresso tart and plated it with raspberries. The raspberries were spritzed with lime juice, which just made the whole thing - the taste, the look of the food, and the thought that went into the preparation - quite amazing!

Ride to Live, Live to Ride

Seriously?!

I see now why people love riding motorcycles! This image on the right is similar to my the look of my new motorcycle helmet. Hee! There is something so awesome about cruising along a winding river in the countryside, passing acres of green cornfields, and feeling the wind on your face and through your clothes while sitting on the back of a motorcycle.

My first independent jewelry project. A pair of brass earrings!

If You've Got A Dollar Bill In Your Hand, You've Got A Friend

That's a lyric from a blues song I'm listening to right now. Hmm. So true -

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Yesterday I saw a squirrel wrestling a humongous sunflower trying to... I don't know take it to his hibernating place?? He was trying so hard to drag it, but it was probably twice his size and would have last him all winter. Eventually, he gave up and now it is just sitting in shambles in the backyard.
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The Place to Sell Junk for Cash

Receipt from the scrap yard.

Metal junk, that is.
I had to revive the Fridge Smellification Committee earlier this week in order to dispose of the old office mini-fridge that didn't close. I did extensive research (10 phone calls) to find out where I could dispose of the mini-fridge to ensure that it would be recycled. I found a scrap collection business (Bucktown Recycling) that reportedly would recycle a mini-fridge, and arranged with a coworker to drop it off there.

We drove up to the joint, which was an organized mayhem of scrap collectors with their shopping carts full of cans, abandoned car mufflers, burned-out alternators, and all kinds of metal stuff. There was sort of a line where people waited to put their metal on the scale to weigh it, and then they would get a cash payout based on the weight and type of metal. Our mini-fridge weighed in at 54 lbs. of "iron", which I thought would result in a decent payout based on what I could see other people getting. The guy behind the glass handed me the receipt above, and counted out $1.62 for my efforts.

Fresh plums and armenian cucumber.

Things Are Looking Up

These past two weeks have been really tough. There was a lot of crap I was trying to deal with in almost every aspect of my life - my living situation, my job, my friends. To top it off, I got a summer cold in the 95 degree heat. I was starting to feel uber-depressed, cry, have insomnia, etc., etc. and I just didn't feel like myself. Finally, the wave broke today and things are looking up. I can't say exactly what helped me turn the corner - perhaps it was taking three hours last night to immerse myself in cooking a delicious and complex arroz con pollo recipe. Perhaps it was the cheer up summer 2006 music mix I made for myself. Perhaps it was taking enough Wal-phed to have the clarity to notice these beautiful flowers. In any case, thankfully, things are looking up!

More Cheap Crap Made In China

I went to a warehouse sale for American Science and Surplus today. What I was expecting was really cool tools, bubbling beakers, odd contraptions that would salt my food for me, all on sale.

What I found was bunch of cheap crap made in China.

A backpack without a top: $2.50. A blue light-up plastic Buddha for the dashboard: $1.00. A rubber rat bean bag: $0.75.

I'll admit that I put a few of the blue light-up Buddhas in my basket for about 2.2 seconds. At first I thought: they might make a great gift for someone. But who? Someone that I hate? And since I've been trying to reduce the negativity in my life, I put them back on the shelf.

Creeps on the Train, Hot Weather Breakdown

It has been so hot for the past week and people's patience is wearing thin.
The trains have been slow and packed and having some sweaty person's backpack pressing up against you while you're pressed against the door sometimes is just too much. The hot weather and short tempers make everyone on the train a creep.

Guy with a backpack: creep.
Guy doing crossword: creep.
Lady with imitation YSL bag: creep.

I can't wait for this heat to break.

Floating Islands at the Diversey Avenue Turning Basin

I helped install this project last week. Cruise by and see it - it's a really cool thing for the Chicago River.