Mmmm... Mexican food

I'm not sure if it's because of my impending move to the East Coast, but lately I've been partaking in as much Mexican food as possible. I love Mexican food; it is the ultimate comfort food - the spices, the warmth, and the tequila or Mexican beer to go with it... even in hot weather it is so delicious.

Last night I had the most amazing meal at La Super Rica Taqueria in Santa Barbara. The building looks almost like a shack with a covered patio in the back, so you might dismiss the place if you didn't know better.



La Super Rica only serves tacos and tamales, and both are amazing. The tortillas for the tacos are made on site and are grilled right before they are served. There are about 20 different types of tacos, and you can order lots of different kinds (each small plate comes with two corn tortillas and enough meat, cheese, or veggie goodness to fill each tortilla).

The first taco we tried was a sauteed mushroom taco - which probably sounds weird but if you like sauteed mushrooms you would die for this taco. The mushrooms were sauteed in butter and cream (so you know, totally healthy), and it was probably the most delicious thing I've tasted in years.

We also tried a chorizo and queso taco. The chorizo was cut into bite-size pieces and grilled, then served with cheese over it (which melted from the heat of the chorizo). This was served in a bowl so that you could scoop up the buttery sauce the chorizo and cheese were sitting in... I don't know what was in that sauce, but it had to be butter, and some of the oil/juices from the chorizo, and some of the cheese. It was soooo yummy.

We arrived right at the dinner rush and during our time there (about 2 hours) there was a constant line out the door as people waited to order and enjoy the food. It was such a great experience and I'm so glad I had the chance to check it out!

Megan Fox needs to go back to obscurity

This is highly amusing...

Lucky you if you don't know about Megan Fox and Michael Bay. The former is famous for her roles in the heavy-hitting dramas, Transformers and Transformers 2. The latter is the director of such masterpieces.

Well, it turns out that the two of them have had a falling out, and it may or may not be because they screwed. We'll probably never know for sure.

The proverbial shit hit the fan when Fox upped the ante and called Michael Bay "Hitler." At that point, even crew members had to intervene and post a scathing letter on Michael Bay's website.

Some excerpts from the letter (read the whole sordid thing here):

Yes, Megan has great eyes, a tight stomach we spray with glycerin, and an awful silly Marilyn Monroe tattoo plastered on her arm that we cover up to keep the moms happy.

Michael found this shy, inexperienced girl, plucked her out of total obscurity thus giving her the biggest shot of any young actresses' life. He told everyone around to just trust him on his choice. He granted her the starring role in Transformers, a franchise that forever changed her life; she became one of the most googled and oogled women on earth. She was famous! She was the next Angelina Jolie, hooray! Wait a minute, two of us worked with Angelina – second thought – she's no Angelina. You see, Angelia is a professional.

We know this quite intimately because we've had the tedious experience of working with the dumb-as-a-rock Megan Fox on both Transformers movies.

*****

When facing the press, Megan is the queen of talking trailer trash and posing like a porn star. And yes we've had the unbearable time of watching her try to act on set, and yes, it's very cringe-able. So maybe, being a porn star in the future might be a good career option. But make-up beware, she has a paragraph tattooed to her backside (probably due her rotten childhood) easily another 45 minutes in the chair!

*****

She compared working with Michael, to "working with Hitler". We actually don't think she knows who Hitler is by the way. But we wondered how she doesn't realize what a disgusting, fully uneducated comment this was?

*****

On our first day in Egypt, the Egyptian government wouldn't let us shoot because of a permit problem as the actors got ready in make up at the Four Seasons Hotel. Michael tried to make the best of it; he wanted to take the cast and crew on a private tour of the famous Giza pyramids. God hold us witness, Megan said, "I can't believe Michael is fucking forcing us to go to the fucking pyramids!" I guess this is the "Hitler guy" she is referring to.

So this is the Megan Fox you don't get to see. Maybe she will learn, but we figure if she can sling insults, then she can take them too. Megan really is a thankless, classless, graceless, and shall we say unfriendly bitch.

David Lynch's Interview Project

You may have heard about DL's latest opus, Interview Project. The project feels like one part Studs Terkel, one part Richard Avedon.

Beginning June 1st, and continuing every few days for a few months, you can watch each 3-5 minute interview of the 121-part series at the project's website. One installment is located here (I had trouble embedding it or else I would have posted it directly). Enjoy!

Antelope Canyon, Arizona

I haven't done much exploring of Arizona since moving here in August 2007 (oh law school). I have managed to go to Sedona and Flagstaff - even managed to visit a federal prison in Pioneer recently!

But one of these days I need to trek northwest through the state to the Utah border to visit Antelope Canyon on the Navajo Reservation.

There is a collection of breathtaking photos from the canyon here one of which is this one (hard to pick a favorite):


Photo by Luca Galuzzi

Hana Highway, Maui

Little article about the Hana Highway, complete with more pics.

The article doesn't mention Mama's Fish House, though (watch your volume if you click on that link).

Missing Suzie Q already!

This weekend I had a lovely time chillaxing with Ms. Suzie Q - it was a good weekend to decompress and to try and do as little as possible. Perfect for me since the new semester starts tomorrow!

After she arrived on Friday night, we headed to Thai Basil in Tempe. Aside from some of the odd peeps in the place, we had some yummy panang beef curry. We then went back to my casita and had a stiff greyhound cocktail before going to bed. Yay!

We started out on Saturday at a simple but good day spa in Mesa. Suzie got a much-needed massage and I had an amazing pedicure - I even got a mask for my feet! It was lovely. Later that day we had some yummy sushi in Tempe before heading to the mall for a marathon shopping afternoon. We found some cute makeup, I found some great shoes for work on sale, and Suzie got a ton of gifts for Dexter at the going-out-of-business sale at KB Toys.

We spent the evening drinking and chowing with some law school friends at AZ88 a fun/funky place with delicious cocktails and amazing burgers. I only had one cocktail since I was driving (the Fleurtini - vodka, framboise liquor, lots of citrus, topped with champagne) and Suzie and I split the Burger Au Poivre II. It was intense and delicious! We also had the Golden Gate Cake for dessert - we wanted to die afterwards but it was yummy while we were downing it.

On Sunday we did absolutely nothing and it was everything we hoped it could be. We had some breakfast at home, followed by some 30 Rock, movie watching, junk food snacking, cocktail imbibing, cupcake baking, then reading, then bed. It was glorious.

Now I have to transition back to a responsible existence - suckage. ha! Thanks for visiting Q!!!

Dispatch from the great Northwest

Ahh, Portland.

Within 4 hours of my plane landing on Monday I was intoxicated. Amby and Joosh took me to Jake's for happy hour - where the yummy (and substantial) appetizers start at $1.95 and the drinks are divine. We had several of what they called a Gin Delicious (I think... my memory is hazy) which were essentially gin mojitos. Delicious is right.

We then moved the party to Tugboat, a small micro-brewery located off an alley not far from Jake's. The bar-keep (and owner) cheers when you enter (and others join in) then they boo you when you leave. They have good beers and yummy nachos. Yay Tugboat!

The next day Amby and I took a road trip up to Seattle to visit the Bakkens in their new home. We had a yummy pasta dinner and chocolate lava cakes for dessert, washed down with a lot of red wine and topped off with at least 3-4 hours of Rock Band, Holy crap is that game fun. I discovered I can sound like Joan Jett and the guitar is my instrument of choice. It was glorious.

On NYE we cooked dinner with the Watsons and had a relatively mellow evening. We played Cranium over multiple white russians, which led to much laughter.

On new year's day, we got a late start, heading out for a lovely "breakfast" at Bijou, more drinks at my favorite gin joint, Ringler's Annex, then movie watching (Wanted) at the Watsons.

Friday was another mellow day... got to have a girls' day with Mrs. Watson, which started with a yummy lunch at Bread & Ink Cafe. We then strolled(in the rain) to Presents of Mind, a store full of never-ending goodness. From cute baby clothes, to endless cute cards and stationary, to one-of-a-kind jewelry - you can get overwhelmed by the cuteness. I got out of there only spending $10 (I purchased a pendant made from a mah-jongg tile) but I almost bought this.

We popped into Peet's before heading back home for another evening of chillaxing. A group of us played Blokus (so fun) and had several Rum & Cokes - which again, led to much laughter.

I have a few days left here in P-town, which will involve more drinks (of course), yummy food, and sweet friends... I wish it didn't have to end!

Space freaks me out

From the interwebs: "Life of a Star: 12 Billion Years in Six Minutes"

Track: "Hayling" by FC Kahuna

I hate people. Not all people, but lots of them.

I'm not sure why every year I find myself shopping for Christmas presents at the last minute. Today's venture involved a trip to the local shopping mall, where I parked - oh, say, a half mile away from the mall's entrance only to be met with throngs of what might be called the Barbarian Horde when I finally got inside.

As I was leaving I noticed that some mother trucker scraped the driver's side of my car with theirs. This was surely some SUV/monster truck-driving asshole who backed out sans depth perception. It doesn't look dented, but it is heavily scraped; I will have to talk to the 'rents about what one does in this situation - I surely don't want the effing car to start rusting. Merry Effing Christmas everyone!

Two years ago my car was hit in another shopping center parking lot on Christmas Eve (another Christmas miracle!) and that required me to turn it in for repairs. The entire back portion of my car had to be replaced, which was awesome because all of those dents and scrapes I got in the bay area during my many years of tricky parallel parking were erased! Yippee!

In any event, at least my shopping is done and my car is now safely parked in my parents' driveway. Time for the spiked egg nog.

Happy Holidays to all of you out there who I don't hate (and if you're reading this, you are one of them) XO!

Woefully behind on blog posting

OK, so I've been publicly shamed for not blogging, so here goes.

It's been a whirlwind since Thanksgiving - the parents came to visit for the long weekend and it was a blast. The first night they were in town we went to this little divey Mexican restaurant I love (the typical plate-o-greasy-food kinda place).

For Thanksgiving we decided not to cook, but go out to eat, and had a fabulous 4-course meal at Elements, a beautiful restaurant tucked in the midst of a resort. A couple of friends from Oakland happened to be traveling through Arizona that week and they joined us for dinner - it was great to see them and for them to meet the rents!

I wish they still had the menu posted, but I can give you an idea of the dinner:

To start: Vanilla Violet Collins cocktail (first things first!): Violet-infused Sapphire gin (yes, it's as amazing as it sounds), vanilla bean (you could see the bean in the drink!), collins mix, topped with a fresh orchid. I was concerned it would either be too sweet or too earthy (given the flower-infused business) but it was absolutely perfect (and it didn't surprise me that the drink won awards at some competition, can't remember what).

First course: Fig and Blue Cheese Tart - amazing and savory; the tart was buttery and flaky, the fig and blue cheese were mellow, and the whole thing was topped with caramelized onions.

Second course: Butternut Squash soup (I'm sure it had a more appetizing name) - the presentation was awesome: They bring out this large bowl in the middle of which is only a crouton and some creme fraiche accompanied by a small carafe filled with the piping hot soup. They place the bowl down, then they pour the soup over the crouton/creme fraiche in front of you. It was delicious!

Third course: Traditional Thanksgiving: It was a heaping mound of starchy deliciousness. The turkey was amazingly moist and drenched in a delicious gravy. The potatoes were perfectly mashed and the stuffing was delish. There was a little smidgen of cranberries (perfect amount since a little cranberry goes a long way for me). I would have licked my plate if I could have.

Final course: Cinnamon bread pudding. I usually don't go for the bread pudding but it was calling me and it was worth it. Others got the Pear Tatin with fresh vanilla ice cream and I was a little jealous but still happy with mine. Yumm.

The next day, we took a day trip up to Sedona to see the famous red rocks and have a yummy lunch at Copper Pot Cafe. Some pics:





The last night they were here I hosted a little soiree with some law school friends so they could meet the 'rents and vice versa. My parents helped me decorate for Xmas (a first for me, usually I have no interest in that) and they spent some mad ducats at Costco on huge vats of alcohol (gin, vodka, wine, whiskey (for egg nog of course). Perfect for studying, right? Ha.

It was a lot of fun but of course I got no studying while they were here - so as soon as they left the studying began. I'll be buried until one week from now, at approximately this time, when I finish my last final. Wish me luck!

A new, "certified, pre-owned" vehicle?

I wanted to wait until after law school to get a new car, but my current one feels likes its on the edge of a nervous breakdown.

It's still under 100K and the trade-in value is still somewhat strong. Of course, I don't want a car payment while I'm in law school but I think I could swing it if it were around $200/month or so.

I found this nifty auto loan calculator that helps me figure out what I can afford to keep my payments that low.

I'm thinking of getting a certified/pre-owned volkswagen (yes, another goddamn VW!) but I'm open too, since it will be a temporary thing until I'm working and can afford a higher car payment.

Updates

Life has been hectic... but fun!

I went to Portland this last weekend to visit some peeps. X-Files disappointed me, but The Dark Knight was amazing and emotionally taxing. I loved it!

I had a great time in P-town... got to drink several lovely drinks here, here, and here, plus a visit to the Farmer's Market and the Saturday Market.

Work has been going well. I've been trying to figure out how to summarize the experience without revealing where I work (it's best to keep some modicum of anonymity at this point). Working in a large law firm is great: the pay is good, the perks are awesome and the work is amazing. But even as a summer associate they work you. And with the social events they organize, you always have to be "on." It's more tiring than I expected but I'm not complaining, because that seems ridiculous. It's just that I think I need a vacation from my summer vacation, if you know what I mean?

I'm looking forward to being home this weekend and sleeping in... only one more week of work, then a trip to the VTA before school starts again! God, I'm not ready to be a student again. UGH

Vegas, Baby, VEGAS!!

I just got back from a great weekend in Vegas! It was a perfect time to go; I just wrapped up a challenging (but fun) assignment at work and was 100% free and clear to do whatever the hell I wanted! Woo hoo!

Also... I got my first paycheck on Friday. It was effing huge and oh so glorious. Since I'm already $45K in the red with law school loans, I plan to be frugal and reasonable this summer despite the huge payouts every two weeks.

However... a girl can only be frugal for so long, so I decided F it: I'm buying a Coach purse in Vegas! I found the perfect one... my heart leapt when I saw the lining:



It's so divine.

Vegas was great... I ate too much yummy food and had an abundance of alcohol. The Sapphire & Tonic at Gallagher's was by far one of the best I've ever had made for me by a bartender.

The first night I did really well on the penny slots at Paris. I put in $20 and it lasted me 3 hours! At one point I was up $27 but then I lost it of course (so much dashed hope there in Sin City). I did get three free SoCo & Cokes while I was sitting there (it tastes like cherry coke, I'm not kidding. it's dangerous).

Saturday I bought the aforementioned handbag and walked around several casinos drinking a margarita out of this. I could've opted for a plastic eiffel tower-shaped container for my margarita but by my estimate it contained the equivalent of 4 margaritas and honestly I didn't want to get that shitfaced at 1pm.

On Sunday we had brunch at the Bellagio and it was delish! Thank god we got there right when the line was short... the food was so good and so amazing. Thanks to Ren for the tip!

Here are some pics!

The Conservatory at Bellagio:














The "O" Theatre at Bellagio ("O" is great but I think I liked "Ka" better):






A fountain outside Bellagio:




I have to stay at the Paris next time... it's awesome:

California vacay

After finishing up my first year on May 10 I've been doing mostly nothing, and it's been incredibly divine.

I spent the first few days decompressing (including getting a haircut, highlights and my eyebrows waxed - FINALLY), before driving to the VTA with Frankels.

I then flew up to Oakland for a few days to attend the baby shower for Karen & Denis, whose baby ("Baby Bruno") is due in June. They are keeping the gender a mystery but the consensus is BOY. Sadly, tho, "Bruno" will not be his name.

The first night I was in town we ate dinner at Townhouse, one of my all-time favorite Bay Area restaurants. After two of their perfect mojitos and some garlic fries I was loving life. YUM.

Karen and Suzie hosted the shower at Karen's new place, an adorable cottage in Oakland. The weather was perfect (70s) we had a yummy lunch outside under one of the several trees in the yard... very California. It was awesome and while I had a lot of wine, I didn't get drunk. I think. (?)

On my last day I stopped by Peachpit and got to see several people I hadn't seen in ages. It was great! I wish I had more time to chat with people... maybe next time.

I flew back to SoCal for a few more days in Ventura... I slept in, shopped, ate out, and saw two movies. Perfect! One of the movies was Iron Man, which I LOVED! The other was Indiana Jones, which was a disappointment. Oh well!

Now I'm back in AZ, getting ready to start my summer job. I'm nervous about it, but excited too. It should be great!

Spring Break in the VTA

I've been in Ventura ("VTA") this week... mostly been studying (read: catching up on my reading) but I was able to have some fun while I've been here.

On Wednesday night I went to a lovely dinner at The Gardens on Glendon in Westwood before heading to see Angelique Kidjo perform at Royce Hall on the UCLA campus. She was great and had everybody out of their seats... she is amazing! BTW, Royce Hall was beautiful. I really have not spent much time at all on the UCLA campus and really found it to be gorgeous!

I also loved the opening band, Dengue Fever. They are an L.A. band and the singer is originally from Cambodia and occasionally sings in her native language (Khmer? Cambodian?). I really liked them... they are like a 60s pop band with hints of Jane's Addiction and Death in Vegas... very odd but oddly familiar at the same time.

I really liked this song (more impressive live methinks):

My Portland Trip, Part One

During Karen's wedding weekend in Portland, Ren and I stayed at the Ace Hotel.

This place was absolutely incredible, in a very low-key hipsterish way. And I say that will the utmost love and affection.

First, right off the lobby was Stumptown Coffee, which serves the most amazing cup of coffee you will have in your life. The coffee is brewed to order, meaning they take the whole beans you choose (and they have over a dozen different selections each day) and grind the perfect amount, and brew it in an individual coffee maker for you.

I'm pretty sure the coffee maker is filterless, which is absolutely the best way to drink coffee. When coffee is filtered, all the oils from the beans is strained out, reducing the flavor substantially. Enough about my coffee fetish!

The lobby has a nice chill lounge area, photo booth, and a record player. On floor 1.5 (seriously, the "half" floor between the first and second floors) there is a lovely little enclave where you can check your email on the MacBook they keep there, or just hang out on the benches built into the wall (adding to the cozy factor).

The rooms are all unique; they kept a lot of the existing 1920s-era fixtures (such as the old-style sinks, molding) and added sleek, low-key simple furniture. For example, the beds were on low-level wood planks, and the "night stand" was a block of wood:



The bed was soooo comfortable. The sheets were crisp and the Pendleton flannel blanket provided the perfect amount of warmth.

On the opposite wall was a large, screen-printed (I think) image of an old ad for matches:


Here's a pic looking out to the street; we were right by Living Room Theater and Powell's Books. It was a great place to stay, reasonably priced, and perfectly located:

America's Most Miserable Cities

A slideshow! Enjoy!

Some recent pics!

My sister's birthday cake - scrumptious!


Jamison Square Park, Portland




Mallards near Amby & Joosh's place, Portland


Jakob, at his preschool, Portland


Jakob, like father like son.


Jakob and mom, Genies Cafe, Portland

Happy 2008!

I'm here in Portland (pictures forthcoming) and having a great time with Amby, Josh and the Watsons!

We've been taking it incredibly easy (my favorite thing), venturing out into the cold to grub on the deliciousness around the city. My first night in town we had an amazing sushi dinner. The next day out at breakfast it started to snow! Lovely.

On New Year's we had a yummy dinner at Stickers and then headed to The Blue Monk for more drinks... only to realize by 11:15 we were ready to had back home and watch 30 Rock. We may have started a tradition... now I can't imagine ringing in the new year without Jack Donaghy.

New Year's Day was lovely and chill. We strolled around downtown, grabbing some coffee from Peet's, a delicious thai lunch, then checked out Powell's. I picked up one book, resisting the urge to buy three - at least until we shop there again later this week. I love Powell's - it's impossible for me to resist all its temptations. It's like a crack house for bibliophiles.

In the VTA

Franky and I are in Ventura ready to celebrate Christmas!

It's awesome having barely anything to do. Here's how my week is shaping up:

Finish two scholarship applications;
Shop for gifts at K.B. Roberts and/or Casa California;
Hang out with and/or do some work for AC (I want to get some more spending $ for my Portland trip);
See Juno with my sister, possibly at the Arclight;
Sushi with K or L;
Look forward to all the delicious fattening food I will be eating on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Yummmmm.