After finally syncing my iPod to my current music library, I am shown the new additions under a play list entitled, "recent downloads". According to this play list, my new musical cravings span the list of the following artists:
Sigur Ros
The Beach Boys
Otis Redding
The Black Keys
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
and John Doe
Some may call this eclectic. Some bipolar. Me - a voracious delving into the world of music in an attempt to match my current mindset to my surrounding environment. ....Or something to that effect.
On an entirely separate note, I have finally just secured the first of many legs of travel that will take me to South Africa this November. Motherland, here I come!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Burgers = Boredom
I may have potentially hit a low point in my life. As rock bottom as I would like rock bottom to be for my time here on earth.
I have become known to my roommates as the "Burger Lady".
"I swear Sam. If I had to pick a food for you, it would be burgers. Give you a burger, and you're set."
This is quite possibly the most disappointing news I could have received of myself. I say this, because I have every bit of history with, exposure to, and appreciation of culinary diversity from multiple countries and cultures, that I should rather be known for my constant search for, and appreciation of fine foods. Instead, I have recently succumbed to the convenience, and practicality of the burger.
As this was pointed out to me by a roommate, I came to the somewhat obvious, yet shocking realization that, burgers = boredom. I eat burgers as a result of my under stimulation, disinterest, and general lack of consideration that my current lifestyle has brought upon me. My work requires little to no thought, I have no life to speak of after the working day is done, and as much as I try to keep reading and seeking interesting news and knowledge, it no longer surrounds me and stimulates me on a daily basis.
The burger comes as a materialization of this lack of creativity, and enthusiasm. I can prepare one with just about anything I have stashed away at home (and in under 15 minutes), and it presents just about every food group that one should get in a meal - whole grain bread, red meat, various veggies, and usually some sort of dairy-based condiment. This, at least, is the excuse I have created in order to justify this boring meal.
I am hopeful that the near future will bring with it my old excitement, restlessness and constantly flowing ideas for jobs to have, places to live, food to enjoy, and general pursuit of life that this most recent part of my life has evidently replaced with tedious days at the office, long evenings at home, and burgers for dinner.
I have become known to my roommates as the "Burger Lady".
"I swear Sam. If I had to pick a food for you, it would be burgers. Give you a burger, and you're set."
This is quite possibly the most disappointing news I could have received of myself. I say this, because I have every bit of history with, exposure to, and appreciation of culinary diversity from multiple countries and cultures, that I should rather be known for my constant search for, and appreciation of fine foods. Instead, I have recently succumbed to the convenience, and practicality of the burger.
As this was pointed out to me by a roommate, I came to the somewhat obvious, yet shocking realization that, burgers = boredom. I eat burgers as a result of my under stimulation, disinterest, and general lack of consideration that my current lifestyle has brought upon me. My work requires little to no thought, I have no life to speak of after the working day is done, and as much as I try to keep reading and seeking interesting news and knowledge, it no longer surrounds me and stimulates me on a daily basis.
The burger comes as a materialization of this lack of creativity, and enthusiasm. I can prepare one with just about anything I have stashed away at home (and in under 15 minutes), and it presents just about every food group that one should get in a meal - whole grain bread, red meat, various veggies, and usually some sort of dairy-based condiment. This, at least, is the excuse I have created in order to justify this boring meal.
I am hopeful that the near future will bring with it my old excitement, restlessness and constantly flowing ideas for jobs to have, places to live, food to enjoy, and general pursuit of life that this most recent part of my life has evidently replaced with tedious days at the office, long evenings at home, and burgers for dinner.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Brass Tacks
Blogging has been an infrequent, if not totally absent, pastime of mine for the last few months now. A bad habit I mean to remedy immediately.
In the time that has past since relocating back to the wine country just north of Santa Barbara from the cement jungle that was Los Angeles, the calmer, less plaguing existence has lead to my participation in life, and not that of the internet. That's not to say that I am about to retreat back to my cave and do nothing but blog again, but there will be more of a balance. Let's recap, shall we??
June 2008 - Said "adios" to the City of Angels, and the lifeless desk job to move back to wine country. Took a 1 week traveling holiday to catch up with a friend in N.Y. and to have a mini university reunion with 3 good friends in San Francisco
July - August 2008 - Immersed myself into the winery, enjoyed several small but gratefully accepted promotions, and began enjoying life in this beautiful valley.
September 2008 - Made a trip to Buffalo, NY (yes, people do visit) to celebrate the first official college football game of Australian punter (and good friend), Peter Fardon with his parents, fresh off the boat from Brisbane.
Moved into a great house share with 3 other girls from the winery, and proceeded to engage in many nights filled with good food, drink, and conversation.
November 2008 - Made my first move into Central America by making a 10 day trip starting in Cancun, Mexico, and traveling across the border into Belize. I spent an amazing week on an island off the coast called Ambergris Caye, exploring the outlaying reef, islands, and climbing my first Maya pyramid. *see below
The New Year has brought with it all new ideas, goals, and motivations to read, write, travel, photograph, and explore this amazing life. Don't worry, not all my blogs will be so grand and vague. I intend to make this a more regular, and thereby (or at least hopefully) a more interesting documentation of my thoughts and movements.
Skip, out.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
And the battle rages on....
My roommate has just returned from visiting her parents in Florida for the holidays, and has brought with her, some of her most prized possessions - her books. Well, not all her books, but a good number that she had been missing, and some that had recently come into conversation in regards to things I might be interested in. One of these being the novelette, "Shopgirl", by the great comedian and grammy-winning banjo player (yes, true story), Steve Martin.
The book was made into a film also staring Martin several years ago; a quirky tale of a young, lost and only slightly poor young woman who works at the lonely glove counter at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills. One day, she is approached by the older, and much more successful businessman played by Martin, and an offbeat semi romance ensues.
Martin's writing is not exquisite, although poignant, and at moments seems to perfectly illustrate the phenomenal misunderstanding that inevitably and repeatedly happens when men and women have "the conversation".
Example:
"'I think I should tell you a few things. I don't think I'm ready for a real relationship right now.' He says this not to Mirabelle but to the air, as though he is just discovering a truth about himself and accidentally speaking it aloud.
Mirabelle answers, 'You had a rough time with your divorce.'
Understanding. For Ray Porter, that is good. She absolutely knows that this will never be long term. He goes on: 'But I love seeing you and I want to keep seeing you.'
'I do too,' says Mirabelle. Mirabelle believes he has told her that is bordering on falling in love with her, and Ray believes she understands that he isn't going to be any body's boyfriend.
'I'm traveling too much right now,' he says. In this sentence, he serves notice that he would like to come into town, sleep with her, and leave. Mirabelle believes that he is expressing frustration at having to leave town and that he is trying to cut down on traveling."
As entertaining as this may sound to readers of either gender, it is disturbing to me just how familiar this conversation is. No one out to hurt the other, and every effort made to make this conversation, this relationship, the first to sail on hassle-free. Every decision made, every outcome reached to be totally and completely mutual. In other words, impossible.
Bravo Steve Martin.
The book was made into a film also staring Martin several years ago; a quirky tale of a young, lost and only slightly poor young woman who works at the lonely glove counter at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills. One day, she is approached by the older, and much more successful businessman played by Martin, and an offbeat semi romance ensues.
Martin's writing is not exquisite, although poignant, and at moments seems to perfectly illustrate the phenomenal misunderstanding that inevitably and repeatedly happens when men and women have "the conversation".
Example:
"'I think I should tell you a few things. I don't think I'm ready for a real relationship right now.' He says this not to Mirabelle but to the air, as though he is just discovering a truth about himself and accidentally speaking it aloud.
Mirabelle answers, 'You had a rough time with your divorce.'
Understanding. For Ray Porter, that is good. She absolutely knows that this will never be long term. He goes on: 'But I love seeing you and I want to keep seeing you.'
'I do too,' says Mirabelle. Mirabelle believes he has told her that is bordering on falling in love with her, and Ray believes she understands that he isn't going to be any body's boyfriend.
'I'm traveling too much right now,' he says. In this sentence, he serves notice that he would like to come into town, sleep with her, and leave. Mirabelle believes that he is expressing frustration at having to leave town and that he is trying to cut down on traveling."
As entertaining as this may sound to readers of either gender, it is disturbing to me just how familiar this conversation is. No one out to hurt the other, and every effort made to make this conversation, this relationship, the first to sail on hassle-free. Every decision made, every outcome reached to be totally and completely mutual. In other words, impossible.
Bravo Steve Martin.
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