Getting into the holiday spirit

In keeping with the holiday Rico pictures, I had to post this little Christmas miracle.

'tis the season!

Happy Halloween, From Little Rico

Indulgent cute photos for Halloween. I've humiliated my little dog and currently saving up for his therapy.

Here, Rico.

After nearly losing a finger last night to a crazy, pajama eating dog, I decided to run his little ass off today so he'd sleep for a week. I'm still trying to get Rico used to people, so I brought extra baby carrots for strangers to give to him as bribes.

I figured Sugarhouse park would be filled with people just ready to help feed my dog, but was surprised to run into a Hispanic birthday party of epic proportions.

Ever wonder what happens when you yell, "get here now, Rico!" when you're walking through a Hispanic birthday of epic proportions? Just hang out with me on a Sunday.

Here's Rico watching a potato sack race:

They still do potato sack races?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Caesar Cheese

Since starting my new job, I've learned that I have to leave the office to find lunch. I can't just walk down to the path and get a Beastro salad or even a frosty Diet Coke from the Coke machine. It's a little shell shocking.

Today I visited our fine friends at Quiznos Subs because they have chicken noodle soup and salads. Though they do have Pepsi products which is a bummer.

I ordered the Caesar salad, no dressing, tomatoes or onions. When the salad maker girl asked me if I would like cheese, I asked, "Um, what kind of cheese?"

Rather than replying with "shaved Parmesan" as is usual fare, she said, "Caesar cheese." Which to me sounds like something you'd contract from someone wearing a dirty toga.

Guess that's better than "Fromunda cheese."

Behold, Caesar cheese salad:

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Puppy class blues

Tonight was Rico's first puppy class and he and I are both frustrated as shit. Not only was he labeled the problem pup within 30 seconds of walking through the door, but he and I both spent most of the class sequestered in a barrier.

In the corner.

I tried explaining to Rico that I got 4.0s in college, but he wasn't listening.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Scary

I'm terrified of clowns. "Puppet People" a.k.a. scary-looking mascots and the folks who wear them make me uneasy. (With the exception of Jazz Bear, who I'm positive is real and not a human in a mascot costume.) But this was something extremely scary staring me down in the windshield.

And this is coming from someone who has hit a giant deer while driving a Ford Escort. This was almost scarier than having a couple of antlers aimed over your car hood. Because it was in broad daylight.

I shudder to think of the giant, sticky cotton candy this big baby would eat. Or the diaper. Think of the giant diaper, and the contents therein.

Yeah, but still...

I just got done looking at an apartment because I think I'd maybe like to move to someplace new. I want a place that's light. I want a place that is maybe remodeled. I want a place that isn't drowning in wood paneling.

The guy showing the place told me that cats were allowed. I said, "I have a three-pound dog, he's very cat like." He replied, "No dogs, there's no yard." I said, "There's a whole school with a park across the street. I don't need a yard."

He says, "Well yeah, but dogs bark." I said, "Cats meow loudly." To which he replies, "Well yeah, but still."

Oh I see!! The old "Well yeah, but still" defense! Could you see that in a court of law?

"I didn't kill that guy officer."
"Yeah, you were standing by the body."
"I was just walking by and found him. That's why I called you."
"Well yeah, but still."

Makes sense to me!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

It's true...

I've been MIA for a couple of months. Between starting a new job and getting a dog all within a few weeks, it's been a little crazy and stressful. But I've got lots of stories and I've been taking a bunch of pictures with a new camera lens I just got, so be prepared for more from "Beyond the Air," I feel nearly rejuvenated enough to begin writing again.


Until then, here's Little Rico Tubbs:

Horny Face Care

With all of the recent news about volcanoes, I have learned that volcanic ash can be useful! On your face! Apparently the ash contains essential vitamins and minerals... and stays crunchy in milk! Okay, I added that last part, but apparently volcanic ash contains vitamins and minerals that will make your face clearer and look younger.

Maybe only in Japan though. This volcanic goo is only available in Japan. And when you visit the website (notice the new AP style has changed "Web site" to "website" so I'm going with it) it's all in Japanese. Thank goodness for Google translation! At first I thought something was lost in translation, but I guess that shooting this "creamy lather" on your face will make you clearer, younger...

...and horny!!

Salsa Brava Live at the Zephyr, November 1993

I hit the mother lode of nostalgia boxes today after I had lunch with my mom. Twenty years of my dad's music on cassette tape; latin, jazz, fusion, experimental stuff. Today I found hundreds of cassettes, and all of the recordings contain my dad's saxophone playing in various bands from 1980 to 2001.

My plan is to digitize all of them so they will never fade away. Tonight I started with a recording of Salsa Brava taken live at the Zephyr Club in Salt Lake City in November of 1993. I always said it's hard to be sad when you're listening to great Latin music, that is, unless you're feeling extremely nostalgic.

You can hear one of my favorite merengues, Enamorar, by clicking the link here or the play button below.

Nice try, eh?

Yeah, it was an ambitious try to do a 365-a-day photo blog. I think I made it to, what, a month? At least I'm consistently inconsistent. The ultimate juxtaposition.

I've been in a play, so my blog and social life have been in a bit of a holding pattern. I went out of town for work, I became really introspective, I drank some wine. But I'm back in town, the play's over, and now I'm just down to wine and introspection. Hence, more regular blog posts.

So, to bring you up to speed on a few things that have happened in my life over the past couple of months... I steered away from emotional vampires, I cooked a few great dinners without catching the kitchen on fire, and I've survived strangeness. The brakes in my vehicle went out on the way to work the other day, and I emerged unscathed. $500 later I was pissed, yet proud, that I took care of it all myself.

Beyond that, I'm trying to figure out exactly how to be happy. I don't think it's an exact science of "activity a + mindset b= happiness" but since math is hard I don't necessarily deal in exact sciences. So, I'll figure it out. I'll go out more. I'll not burn down the kitchen. I'll get through another vehicular snafu.

I will continue to drink wine. And I will write.

Yeah, I know

I need to write more. The photo thing was never meant to replace the writing, rather offer a different perspective to fill in the gaps between inspired writing and shit.

I watched a documentary tonight that left me feeling inspired. The message was to do what you love, and to make more time each day for those things that you love. I love writing, and I don't do it nearly enough.

My new computer helps make it feel fresh again, so I hope to have some inspired writing here soon.

In the meantime, watch Lemonade and see if you get inspired too.

365 Photos- 29/365

That big ball in the sky? That's the moon. It looked much better in person, and somehow it also looked better earlier this evening than it did later tonight. Still, it is beautiful.

It's bigger than anything else right now, and that's comforting. Things are in a state of unrest, there's flux, but somehow I can look at that big damn ball in the sky and know that there are things that are constant.

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I'll take the good camera out this weekend.

365 Photos- 28/365

Very long week at work, I know my photos have slacked. But I figure since I took a few Banksy pictures last week that makes up for the pictures I slacked on this week. It's like fuzzy logic.

I call this photo, "A few of my favorite things."

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365 Photos- 22/365

I made this on television today with Chef Bryan Woolley. Note the decorative edge, I made sure he taught me how to do that with a fork.

I also learned you shouldn't say, "pound the potato" when mashing a giant pot of them.

Who knew?

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For the full recipe for Chef Bryan's "Pot Pie Puffs," click here.

365 Photos- 21/365

Yeah, I missed a photo yesterday. I know. But not without good reason, I got a new computer and it's been time consuming setting everything up. Fear not! I've got a great photo for today!

One of my favorite artists right now is Banksy, an unknown British street painter who travels the world creating beautiful works on otherwise dingy, abandoned spaces. His pieces are much more than just a can of spray paint on buildings, they provide poignent social insight sprinkled with, sometimes, a sense of humor. I was first turned onto his artwork shortly after New Orleans sucked the water out of their city after Hurricane Katrina. Banksy's works showed up throughout the area, and I wanted to know more.

Apparently nobody knows this masked painter's identity, kind of like Batman with Krylon, but one thing's for sure, he's becoming a cultural phenomenon. Banksy has allegedly shown up in Utah to promote the secret showing of his new documentary during Sundance. The evidence? Banksy-esque works showing up in places from Summit to Salt Lake Counties.

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This was on the corner of the building on 300 South where the Zephyr used to be in downtown Salt Lake. I was a little awestricken as I took the photos, for more you can check out my flickr page here.

And for even more, here's Banksy's official home page and a recent Tribune article about Banksy's emergence along the Wasatch Front.

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I'm currently frustrated with technology. Therefore here's a good picture of me that I didn't take. Enjoy while I take the easy way out tonight.

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365 Photos- 18/365

Thanks to the fantastic Amy Allred (and her whole family, which this project took up their home and lives for several months) I have learned to make a quilt out of old radio station t-shirts from many of my past lives. Not only does this represent many sweet memories of former jobs, but it also keeps me mega-f***ing-über warm. (Yep, that's a technical term)

I am wondering if I enter the quilt into the fair, will I get struck by lightning? I'm not a domestic homemaker, I do not make fruit preserves and I think we went through several bottles of alcohol in order to tie this stupid quilt. Does that go against the spirit in which the Utah State Fair was intended?

If so, I don't want to be right.

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This photo is crap, I know. But it was taken with the camera phone because all I want to do is crawl under said quilt and go to sleep. Still, it looks very cool and it's much nicer than a giant stack of memories sitting in a closet, unworn.

365 Photos- 17/365

As my mom and I were leaving lunch today, I noticed across the parking lot another way of eating lunch. Though I didn't partake of the Mexican food myself, I did noticed that they also serve up the HCG Diet next door. This way, you can go and gorge yourself on refried beans and spicy meat and then go shoot up semi-experimental weight loss hormones to counteract the burrito bomb.

Why do so many gyms/diet establishments exist in strip malls next to fat fast food joints? One dance studio I frequent is sandwiched between a donut shop and a Maverik. My gym is next door to one of my favorite pubs. The pilates place where I take Zumba makes me walk past House of Bread. Though willpower is on my side, it's sometimes easier than other times.

Those other times being when I stuff a donut, beer and crusty bread loaf in my piehole.

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365 Photos- 16/365

I took a trip to Big Lots today to find some cheap, blank DVDs and was amazed that I found so much more the store had to offer! I found a case of Ultra Douches (douchi? What's the plural of douche?) stashed on a shelf next to a case of Performance Energy Powerbars and laughed out loud. Of course! If a person is going to crack into a case of Ultra Douches, of course they're going to need a bunch of energy to do that! I'm so glad to see that Big Lots is sensitive to what is likely to be a fairly extensive process.

Upon further inspection of Big Lots items, I found probably the cutest box of tampons I've ever seen. Dittie tampons are, "the first premium brand of tampons that give women superior quality, ultimate reliability, diva-worthy style and a whole lot of fun..." And they even make you feel like you're a better person with their "mood uplifting messages printed on each and every tampon."

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Who's the crazy lady taking a picture of Big Lots tampons?

365 Photos- 15/365

Friends don't let friends buy street corner blankets.

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365 Photos- 13/365

This is my friend Natalie. I haven't known her for very long but she's an amazing person with contagiously uplifting energy. We had a Keytarmy rehearsal tonight and it was her birthday. On Saturday she's leaving for two months in India so we all had cupcakes and wine.

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More on Keytarmy coming soon...

365 Photos- 12/365

I don't know what's worse...
This store torso's perky nipples, or my trying to pinch them through the window by using photographic magic.

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No mannequins or nipples were harmed in the making of this blog post.

365 Photos- 11/365

Continuing onto the wine theme from last night. My decanter, how I love it so. I know that must be strange to think so fondly of a decanter, but it's my Princess Decanter and it makes me smile. Every time I walk in and see that shiny pink diamond on top I feel sparkly and pretty. And when I drink the wine I feel like wearing my tiara.

And opera length gloves.

And bust out my scepter, on the jerks who live next door and won't turn down their damn bass.

Remember what happened to the last guy who didn't turn down his bass next door? But I digress. I love my Princess Decanter.

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365 Photos- 10/365

There's something to be said about a good glass of Bitch wine. However, it poses the question: Are you really what you eat?

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I love that it's a good 2005 vintage.

365 Photos- 9/365

Did somebody say "shredded beef?" I don't think so.

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365 Photos- 8/365

I had a rehearsal for an 80s band I'm dancing in and choreographing. One day soon, we'll perform. Until then, my knees are screaming in pain. Hello Kitty makes it all better.

And reminds me it's Friday.

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365 Photos- 7/365

I'm going to brag for a bit here: I lost five pounds over the holidays. I know what you're saying right now, but save it because it was no easy task giving up desserts, fattening foods and even drinking less alcohol than I would have liked. So in my plan to continue last year's healthy eating into the new decade, I've taken up bananas.

I never really liked bananas, it's a textural thing, to where any more than over half a banana hits the gag reflex. (Insert joke about gagging on a banana here.) But they are really good for me to eat during the first part of the day, and I've noticed the potassium helps out with keeping my post-workout muscle aches to a bearable level.

Now let's talk banana color, shall we? I only like yellow bananas that are ever so slightly green on the tips. If the bananas are too brown and spotty, I am immediately turned off as my spidey sense tells me the insides have turned to squish. I feel the slight green tip color lends itself to a firmer banana, a texture that is less likely a culprit in triggering the gag. (Fine, insert another joke here.)

Tonight, I saw an entire grocery store display of probably the most disgusting bananas I've ever seen. There were rows and rows of completely green, icky, unripe bananas; a shade of green so disgusting I've never seen it in reality. (Of course, I've never in my entire life changed a diaper of a baby who has consumed curry, so perhaps it does exist somewhere in reality. Or in India.)

And then I noticed the sign over the hideous zombie banana display read, "Golden Ripe Bananas."

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I hate grocery shopping.

365 Photos- 6/365

Red Sox garden gnome is already gearing up for spring training...

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365 Photos- 5/365

Shameless self-promotion. I'll write more this week. Later.

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365 Photos- 4/365

My neighbors were very ambitious after this last snowstorm. While I did get a feeling of "stranger danger" when I stepped onto my porch and saw this out of the corner of my eye, it was alleviated when I noticed that Mr. Snowman was wearing a fedora.

And the bottom of him was sprayed pink. That was weird, so I just concentrated on his fedora-clad happy face.

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365 Photos- 3/365

I'm a fairly healthy eater, but in the past couple of weeks have fallen off the food wagon by trading in real meals for easier, stress-free food like Triscuits and Laughing Cow cheese. A bag of Red Vines and microwave popcorn is apparently not a good dinner. A whole bag of pistachios is apparently not lunch. Fine. I understand that, and went to the grocery store this afternoon armed with a plan for cooking this entire week, in search of items to help me win the battle against eating like total crap.

In everything I've read, you should always start with fresh ingredients to make the end dish taste even better. Today at the store I found something even better than fresh ingredients, I found fersh ingredients!

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Imagine my surprise to find a fersh bunch of green onions! And two fersh bunches for just one dollar! Just what I needed to add to a fersh soup I'm planning on making. I am excited to start cooking with these fersh ingredients, and I'm hoping that by using those fersh items I will make something really fersh and pleasing to my tastebuds.

365 Photos- 2/365

I had the pleasure of trying a new beer on New Year's Eve, Delerium Noel, and very much enjoyed it! For more of my thoughts on the actual beer, you can check out my beer blog over at The Brew Darling but if you don't feel like reading it then just bask in the glow of this happy bottle. Yep, that's a pink elephant wearing a Santa hat on the label. Holiday flavors! Pink elephant on the label! Beer containing 10.6% alcohol! What's not to like?

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365 Photos- The Beginning 1/365

I've always wanted start a photo a day project which I plan to add to this blog in addition to more regular written posts. It seemed daunting at first, but then I realized I want to take better pictures to force me into learning new things about my own creativity through photography. I don't expect all the pictures to be winners, but they'll at least get my brain thinking with shutter clicking.

So, here goes number one of 365. I'm soon beginning rehearsals for Eurydice at The Grand, opening in March 2010, so here's the woman I've already been curling up with as I start to learn more about the amazing script and playwright, Sarah Ruhl.

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