Summer Night

Midnight
Kayak
Three hours
Full Moon

And a great friend.

Spring forward

I've been living on my own for a while now. Will admit that I'm still partially spoiled because Pat does all the cooking for me. In return, I try to stay loveable and sweet, and that means permeating great energy and being a good sport.

Last week I started reading On the Road. Immediately I felt this uncontrollable itch to get up and explore. Everything began screaming at me to LIVE LIFE and learn new things. Although I am financially limited for now (but its accumulating!) I know I'm still capable of finding fresh discoveries everyday.

Some to-do crossouts so far:

1. Finish watching a show I started 3 years ago. Never got to catch up with Skins because of college. But I love Nicholas Hoult and always had it in the back of my mind. Since graduation last year, I had other priorities first like Mad Men and Big Love, haha. It's also been a while since I've liked a high-school ensemble cast. Last one I liked was Empire Records, and that's from 1995.




2. Go camping. Duffy, DB, and Moshe played at a music festival in the rural fields of Pennsylvania during Memorial Weekend. It's very hard for me to adjust to the great outdoors. Don't judge =(. But nonetheless it was a good experience, despite the bugs.

3. Make kite. The kites weren't exactly a success but still had a grand time. Made them with my friends during my birthday picnic in Central Park. It was actually suppose to rain that day, but the sun was very kind to me. (The wind, not so much.)







4. Cut back on spending. It's really hard living in a city cultivated by art. I'm a huge concert junkie and the past two years have been very brutal to my wallet. This generation of gentrification has taught me to value my past. I miss the sweet memories of $10 concert tickets and friendly crowds. Sometimes I'll splurge but that's if I can't help it. However, it's gotten me to discover new and underground music again, which I'm always up for. Plus, I can still enjoy my shows.


Strand of Oaks


Fredrik

5. Lastly, find a job I actually like. I'm very selective when it comes to people, and thankfully, so is my boss. He's very good at choosing the right candidates because environmental energy is everything! Oh yes, AND I'm employed!

So summer's just started and there's tons of things to look forward to. I'm so glad I finally picked up Kerouac because things were pretty down for me. Now I feel refreshed and ready to embark the next few adventures waiting for me! And who says books can't save lives?!

Smoothie

A guide to the finer things in life.

Servings (3)
Ingredients: 8 ice-cubes, 6 strawberries, 2 tbsps of peanut butter, 1 tbsp nutella, 2/3 cup yogurt, 1-2 banana(s), 1 cup milk, 1 cup assorted berries, 2/3 cup assorted nuts (with cranberries and granola), 1/4 cup pineapple pulp, one orange, one chocolate truffle.

And BLEND.

Birthday on the Green

So it was an amazing picnic. Thanks everyone, for coming. =)

Happy Birthday!

To my favorite actor, Daniel Day-Lewis.

Morning Playlist

"Isn't this a lovely day to be caught in the rain?"

Fred Astaire, Top Hat (1935)

1. Neil Sedaka- Laughter in the Rain
2. The Hollies- Bus Stop
3. The Cascades- Rhythm of the Falling Rain
4. BJ Thomas- Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head
5. Gene Kelly- Singin' In the Rain
6. Blind Melon- No Rain
7. Bobby Darin- Rain on My Parade
8. The Cowsills- The Rain, the Park, and Other Things/ Flower Girl
9. The Sound of Music- My Favorite Things
10. Creedance Clearwater Revival- Have You Ever Seen the Rain

I refuse to let this rainy day and Monday bring me down!

These Days

Yesterday was gorgeous. I took a long walk in the sun's love and thought about this summer to come. I met up with Pat at his apartment and we went to the grocery store to buy bananas and milk. Since we both were okay-hungry he made a steak sandwich for us to share and it was delicious! For dessert, we had smoothies filled with bananas, strawberries, cranberry juice, yogurt, nutella, and peanut butter. We put on SNL: Best of Dan Akroyd and watched until our eyes drooped.

Last night I had a dream that my roof had a major leak. And the first thing I did was grab all my books to protect them under the bed. I thought of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind when Joel's childhood memories were caving in and he sings row row row your boat to Jon Brion's soft melody. The film never fails.




Tonight is Tallest Man on Earth at Highline Ballroom.

Joy

"Opportunities create more opportunities."- Workin' It!: RuPaul's Guide to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Style.

Today clearly defines that. =D

Dinner

A bit earlier, I went on Netflix to look for a light movie. Julie & Julia. But 15 minutes into it my mind started wandering off. Just when Amy Adams serves her tomato bruschetta in the film, I paused the screen and put on my shoes. Ran downstairs and got some plum tomatoes, green peppers, and chicken at a grocery. I've never had bruschetta with chicken, but I diced some anyway and put it on the baguette. Now it's baking in the oven. How can you resist this clip?



Edit: Still watching the movie. It just got up to the part when Amy freaks when cooking lobsters. It reminds me of Annie Hall when poor Woody flips out during the lobster cook scene, hahaha. Hm, now I have the sudden urge to watch the B52's Rock Lobster music video.

Tenn99

During my last semester of high school, I took a drama literature class. Of course no one took it seriously. My teacher wasn't so great, and everyone was diagnosed with senioritis. I couldn't bear his lectures and spent most of the time studying or doodling pictures. One of the plays we studied was The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. My teacher made Tennessee a bore but I still enjoyed the read. I love reading about faulty people and finding out where the flaws come from, whether its pride, insecurity, or materialism.

As part of (what would've been) Tennessee Williams's 99th birthday, LAByrinth Theater Company staged a marathon of readings. It's was a 24/7 event that began on Friday and went on until Sunday midnight (just a while ago). Many actors took part of this celebration including Ellen Burstyn, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Michael Shannon, Sam Rockwell, and Michael Stuhlbarg.

My Sunday freed up last minute and I was able to go! We got there just in time for Period of Adjustment. What I really love about Williams is how you can read a character in the matter of minutes. Within a couple of dialogues, an entire person's life is revealed. Where they come from and how they are the way they are. It definitely helps me understand people much better in life. You can read a lot about a person without them saying so.

One of my favorite plays is Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. It's the story of a family gathering for Big Daddy's (the grandfather) birthday. But in reality they all know that he's dying and were there to brown-nose for his inheritance. All but Big Daddy knows that he has cancer. It definitely relates to the obligation of family gatherings and the fake smiles everyone puts on in life. Tensions run high; everyone knows each other too well. Isn't that why we hate our family sometimes? We can't seem to hold onto our masks. Above all, the play is about love, and the fight for it. Sometimes nature does win over nurture, money can't buy love.

I appreciate Tennessee Williams and the brutal honesty he forces people to accept. I only wish he wrote a play about bad high school teachers. Then they'll have to teach the curriculum without being hypocrites.