| Bonus of $560 |
[Jul. 29th, 2009|05:38 pm] |
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I was not expecting that much of a kick to my finances. Hooray for spices! |
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| Madison culture shock. |
[Apr. 25th, 2009|05:30 pm] |
Man, last night I realized that I have become very accustomed to not being in large crowds of douchebags. The state street /UW area is a solid square mile of water street. There used to be okay people sprinkled amongst the din of mediocrity. No more... |
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| Corned Beef!!! |
[Mar. 19th, 2009|11:55 pm] |
After two weeks in the brine my corned beef has been boiled in the $60 20 quart stock pot I purchased today (never say I'm not doing my part...). Oh my God, this is THE corned beef. I know it's late for St. Pats, but I don't give a fuck about that. I will be broiling it tomorrow night if any one feels the need for some of this stuff feel free to come over! Text me and let me know of course... |
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| ugg |
[Feb. 24th, 2009|08:35 am] |
Started running again... it hurts. |
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| ah Yaffa |
[Feb. 11th, 2009|09:24 pm] |
I went out for my last meal ever at Yaffa this evening. I can say with confidence that I had my two best meals in MKE there. Tonight was pretty fucking good too... But post-valentines day they are changing their format due to the downturn. They are going to a more affordable bar bistro format and changing the name. Tonight wasn't as great because they we're testing the new menu and while it was good, it wasn't great. The owner and cooks are all heartbroken about the change. They've been loyal customers to the Spice House since they opened. I really hate to see the best restaurant MKE has, in my humble opinion, have to go that way. On the up side I can afford their food now on a more regular basis. But I'm also not going to get perfectly done rabbit... |
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| Obama WTF? |
[Feb. 10th, 2009|01:53 am] |
Support for a bush-era missile shield? WTF? I don't get it...There is NOTHING about this administration that has upset me in a major way until Biden stated the administration's support for star wars. FUCK THAT... |
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| oH! the Nordic girls |
[Feb. 2nd, 2009|11:22 pm] |
I've been nurturing this crush on nordic pop stars lately. Firstly, and most importantly, Stina Nordenstam from Sweden makes me shit my pants and I wish more of her stuff was available on iTunes (I get two records... that sucks). Then there is Norway's Anja Garbarek, and holy shit her stuff is making me reconsider the returning to Norway clause in my heritage.
And pop star nonsense aside I'm thinking (again) of submitting my resume to my family's hotel in Norway before my lease comes up this August. If there is one thing I can do truly well it is cook. I'd like to do it in Europe and what better way than to take advantage of a family connection. I didn't intend this post to end up on this topic but, hey, I really need to stop dragging my feet at this point... |
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| Vacation Brain! |
[Jan. 22nd, 2009|09:36 pm] |
I've decided to go to Austin this spring to visit my friend Kaleb! I do need to get out of town for a bit and he offered. Warm weather in winter would be a good thing for me.
Also, he's sending up a picture of me from when he visited me in China over Chinese new year that I've wanted for a long time. It is a picture of me, in Kaleb's words, at my most despairing. We had just spent the previous evening with a Hmong family at the top of this beautiful rice terrace just outside of Longsheng in the middle of winter. The house was unheated and I had the flu. That didn't stop me from partaking in the home-brew moonshine and partying late. Trying to sleep that night was one of the most awful experiences of my life. I've never shivered more while covered in many blankets and a North Face jacket. The following morning we went down the hill to catch the bus back to town. The road back to town ran along a dirt road on a cliff side. As it was feb. in Guangxi it was raining...think mud. We got on the bus and after a mile or so I knew that the douchebag driving had very little idea how to pilot a mini-bus. He was driving way to fast. I chimed in with "man yidiar" (basically slower dammit in this context). My protestations went unheeded. As we were coming up on a corner the bus lost control. The bus went sideways and got stuck between the cliffside an a little hut that was up on stilts over the river 300 feet below. If we had lost it 40 feet in either direction you would have been reading this description in my obit. We then had to push the bus into a forward pointing direction. The picture was taken while we were taking care of this. Upon boarding the bus every little Chinese grandma that had kept their mouth shut earlier was yelling at the driver. I at least got to feel a bit vindicated in my previously socially inappropriate outburst. Did I mention that on the bus back to Guilin (where I was going to school) from Longsheng we had a breakdown whilst standing up on a 6 hour bus ride for lack of space? Thanks for visiting K! |
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| Haven't had a nightmare in a long time... |
[Jan. 20th, 2009|08:38 am] |
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I had a messed up dream last night. Sorry the description seems seems rambling. I just woke up, am not all together yet and I don't recall much about the beginning. It started out in this mall like complex and I was with my friend Brian from high school. I was waiting for this interview, something regarding Chinese language use. I get up stairs where the interview is and the dream switches to this out law running from the authorities scenario. Anyhow I'm on my bike riding through the forest and crossing a highway I lose a wheel. So then I drag the bike along and I come upon a version of my uncles cabin. When I go in all of my dad's side of the family is there. My mom says something about having some cold cuts "they're very expensive." I turn to my cousin, whom only has one nostril for some reason, and he tells me he's going home at 8, he can give me a ride. I say that I want to go out on the lake for a little while then. So I grab a rubber boat throw a few things in it and row out in to the lake. When I get a bit away a wind whips up, capsizes the boat and dumps me in the lake. I wake up as I'm struggling to get everything and myself back up in the boat. I then look over at my kitten who was on the pillow beside me. She's staring at something above me. Then she starts hissing. I start to roll over to look at the cause when someone grabs me and starts choking me. Then I wake up. |
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| Top ten 2008! |
[Dec. 15th, 2008|01:14 am] |
1-Au: Verbs
They hit this on a long shot. Had Au not stayed at my house after their show with Deerhoof this fall it is doubtful I would have heard this record. As it stands they did stay with us and wow did they make a great record. This record is completely unconventional. At times "Verbs" sounds like a marching band and a high school choir having premarital sex, at times they make the most blissful music this side of Sigur Ros, at times it sounds like Brian Eno masturbating. All I can easily say about this record is that it hit me at exactly the right time. Au is what I needed to hear to keep my faith.
2-Deerhunter: Microcastle
I listened to this record for the first time WANTING to hate it. Their previous record had been a mess. It sounded like the ambitions of a producer with an ambivalent band pounding through what they were being told to do. I had a moment of pause when I saw them play pitchfork festival a few years back and they were really good live. As it turns out the hype was justified on this one. It's absolutely fucking great.
3-Rahim: Laughter
At first I was resistant to this record. "Laughter" didn't follow the tight musical foundations of their first full length "Ideal Lives." After repeated listens, a rare thing hit me; I enjoy this record because of its lyrics. "Laughter" some how distills millennial tension to the head of a pin. Rahim could play one chord over and over again and as long as their lyrics remained as insightful as they are, I'd be happy. Not that the music is droll by any means, but it's no "Ideal lives."
4-Deerhoof: Offend Maggie
Deerhoof is a serial repeat offender on my list. No need to justify the inclusion of this one...
5-School of Language: Sea From Shore & The Week That Was: S/T
Two records in the number 5 position...huh? Well, here is the thing: the leaders of each of these bands used to be in a band together called Field Music. Field Music had become one of my favorite bands of the aughts. My feeling is that if these two folks had put aside their differences and put out another Field Music record, instead of breaking up the band, they would have ranked a bit higher this year. But as it is they put out two pretty good records that are amazing in places. alas...
6-Mae Shi: HLLYH
If their show at the Borg Ward this summer wasn't enough their new record is better than anything they've put out.
7-TV on the Radio: Dear Science
What everyone else says...
8-Stereolab: Chemical Chords
Welcome back to my list Stereolab! They've condensed their meanderings and made pop songs again. Hooray!!!
9-Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago
Wisconsin shack atmospherics. I'm a sucker for a place and a story. What can I say?
10: Secret Shine: All of the Stars
Long forgotten, recently discovered... |
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