For Love of Sandwich

17 Great L.A. sandwiches and/or sandwich joints to seek out and enjoy.

(Tip: I have been to the Oinkster and although I did not try the sandwich listed here, I think their made-from-scratch veggie patty is the best I have ever had. And their cupcakes are pretty tasty too!)

answer july

Welcome Summer!

Answer July by Emily Dickinson

Answer July —
Where is the Bee —
Where is the Blush —
Where is the Hay?

Ah, said July —
Where is the Seed —
Where is the Bud —
Where is the May —
Answer Thee — Me —

Nay — said the May —
Show me the Snow —
Show me the Bells —
Show me the Jay!

Quibbled the Jay —
Where be the Maize —
Where be the Haze —
Where be the Bur?
Here — said the Year —



Note: A little of this too please.

Lean In

This photo tickles me. I have gone back to look at it a few times.

(via Cup of Jo)

life lessons

I had this plan to post on behalf of my grandmother her analysis before each of the NBA finals games. But the stress of the hard-fought series made her clam up whenever I called her to discuss her team. You see she is a die-hard Lakers fan, rarely misses a game on TV or radio. She also watches tons of LA sports coverage and can usually be counted on to regurgitate some humorous basketball platitudes when she's put on the spot. So long as the pressure isn't too great apparently. My recent favorite basketball quote of hers came before game 1 and was in response to the question "Who do you think is the key for the Lakers besides Kobe?"
Grandma: "Ron Artest. I think he is key. "
Me: "Why? His Defense?"
Grandma: "Yes, his defense. Plus he's always good for a three. I like him this year. He's got a mean disposition, but I think he's misunderstood. And he's got soft hands."

Oh, this made me laugh for a number of reasons. First off, I can remember last year when Ron Artest was on the Houston Rockets and my grandma wondered aloud if he was mentally capable of living alongside stable citizens let alone being capable of playing basketball opposite such model citizens as Kobe Bryant. I'll not judge, I'll just turn the case over to the irony committee, thank you very much.

Second, it reminded me of my grandpa's famous description of the guy at the local recycling center. When taking aluminum cans and plastic bottles to the recycling center, my grandpa would engage The Recycler in conversation. He went out of his way to be gregarious and witty and just friendly. Without fail The Recycler would reply with what can liberally be described as a series of grunts. My grandpa would always walk away smiling as if they'd just had the most entertaining and engaging conversation. He'd get in the truck with me and without fail he'd say "Boy, that sucker has got the disposition of a snake." Man, that comment killed me. Early on, I loved it because it cracked me up to hear him use the word sucker. My mom often chided me when I tried to use the word conversationally. I once received a pretty severe grounding for replying to her query about whether I had finished my homework with "You betcha, sucker." To her it was a foul word, to my grandpa it was just one of the many colorful phrases he employed to our enjoyment. Later, I came to appreciate the snake metaphor he had used. It may have been my earliest appreciation of language. Now, I marvel at the memory for the resilience my grandfather showed. If somebody ignored me like that I'd be hurt and I sure as hell wouldn't go back to them the next time and try to talk to them all over again. Would I? Well, who knows what I would do. I feel all over the place lately. But, I do know that nearly every memory I have of my grandfather proves that he is a man beyond comparison; somebody who operated on quite a different level. I realize I romanticize his life a little but he sure isn't the worst person to have as a role model.

In stark contrast to my grandfather is the enigmatic, course and quite possibly insane small forward for the Lakers, Ron Artest. But last night, as my grandmother's beloved Los Angeles Lakers scratched their way toward their 16th NBA Championship, Ron Artest found himself in a position to succeed despite many previous failures in the series. For all his shortcomings as a basketball player and for all his lunacy (he thanked his psychiatrist in his post game interview) the man was what many of us struggle to be - he was resilient in the face of adversity. So the whipping boy for many of the Lakers struggles this year ended up saving their butts. In doing so I think he personified two classic John Wooden-isms:
-"Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming."
-"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."
In the end the Lakers won (Woohoo!) and my grandmother was proved right in her faith for the man many call "Tru Warier". Congratulations.

But let's not gloss over John Wooden here (pictured). The great UCLA basketball coach who influenced so many, including this USC fan in a small way, passed away recently. I really wish I could write a better farewell, but I really doubt I can add anything new to the discussion. Plus, I don't like it when people over-dramatize these situations to prove in some way that they cared more than the people actually affected. So I'll just say, that as a person who often looks for inspiration in the lives and words of some great individuals who did things the right way, I look often towards the words of John Wooden to help me try to live right and always improve myself. In particular his quote:

Adversity is the state in which man mostly easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.

has more than once lifted me way up when I was feeling way down. In a world in which there seem to be so few, he was one of the good guys. Thanks for that.

Somewhere

I have been waiting for this movie since I first heard about it, which seems like years ago. Maybe it was.

It's been awhile since I've been excited for a movie.

I can already hear the haters chattering away but I don't care. I love Sofia. Any of you, hipstery haters who partake in talk such as Wes Anderson is overrated or too derived or that Sofia is a hack...are entitled to your opinion but it's a little too jaded for me. I have enjoyed their movies immensely and look forward to whatever they do next.

On a side note, when we were thinking of names for Anita, Cleo was on my list. Tad didn't like it that much, I think because of that psychic on t.v. a few years back. But I liked it and thought it sounded good with our last name. Anyhow, I probably have to take it off the list now.

Hogwarts Express

I am beyond a geek when it comes to Harry Potter. I am the first to admit it. I am so excited for the new theme park. I am having trouble getting my husband as excited. Despite his own love for the books. I have been trying not to beg, stomp my feet, or constantly badger him about buying tickets immediately. I think I have been much more subtle about it. 2 weeks ago I left a review for the new theme park in Entertainment Weekly casually sitting open on the couch, on top of the remote, which I new he would be looking for because soccer was on. And this morning, after finding this I left it up on the computer because I "forgot to close the page". I'll let you know how this pans out.

Football!

Soccer Fever is at an all time high in our house now that the World Cup is in full swing. Have you been watching? The U.S.A. vs. England, Germany vs. Australia and Italy vs. Paraguay games have all been fun. It's always more fun for me when I can recognize some of the players from their club teams and have a team to root for. Go USA! Today we have the the Portugal vs. Ivory Coast game to look forward to. For you soccer newbies (like, I am some expert, ha!) I came upon this list of soccer reading that might be just what you need if you are searching for an introduction to the sport captivating the world right now.

Listening...

I am by no means an audiophile or music expert. But I do like music. And thankfully so does our little bird. I have a habit of listening to something over and over again until I can't listen anymore and Anita seems to have inherited that habit as well. Our current fave on repeat rotation is the new Black Keys album. I have read criticism for this album that it is "too polished" or "too studio". As I said, I am no expert but I did not notice this and/or it did not bother me. Also, I read a criticism saying that they sounded too different from their early albums. To that I can only say that I like when a band evolves and I certainly don't want them to sound exactly the same on every album. I don't think it is so different really, certainly not in a bad way. My non-expert criteria for liking this album and any album is do I want to cook/bake to this and do I want to listen to this on my 2 hour weekly drive to visit my Grandma? I can say with certainty that this album passes both tests. I would say that a new criteria would be will I mind when Anita picks her favorite song (track 14 on this album) and she asks me to repeat it again and again.? No, I didn't mind at all. :)

2010 Resolutions updated

So since June marks the half way point of the year (can you believe it?)I thought I would take this time to evaluate my progress and effort towards the resolutions I set for 2010. Here it goes...

1. Stand Up Straight

Doing pretty okay on this one. Slouching still seems to be the default mode for me but I catch myself quite often and feel like at least once a day I remind myself to straighten up.

2. Make Decisions

Um. Maybe? This is a tough one for me. But I have caught myself in certain situations avoiding a decision and then pushed myself towards saying yes or no. I would definitely say I am getting better with this.

3. Be the Best Mom to Anita

I'll have to wait about 20 years to see how this one pans out. I definitely suffer from the stereotypical mother's guilt and pretty much everyday feel like Anita deserves better. Fingers tightly crossed I pull this one off.

4. Study Spanish

Failure. I have not done a single thing for this. Well, I did look into buying some language programs but um, $450? What? I already own one, so I figured I should probably just save the dough and see if I actually use and benefit from that one. Took me awhile to locate it...and I have yet to use it.

5. Eat More Vegan

I ate vegan for the entire month of January. And I came to the conclusion that it is not for me. I did not find it difficult as far as will power or anything but my energy levels absolutely plummeted while eating this way. And I did it the right way, eating lots of fruit and veggies and veggie protein (but not the processed, chemically kind). Not just onion rings and french fries. But I just did not thrive on this type of diet. I believe everyone is very different with different genes, backgrounds, lifestyles and this diet works well for some and not for others and I am one of them. But my goal was not about becoming a vegan. I simply wanted to clean up my diet and become a bit more conscious of my food choices since I felt like after being vegetarian for years and then moving away from that I had become less conscious of my dairy and meat consumption. The vegan thing doesn't suit me but I have been conscious of my consumption this year for sure.

6. Walk More (stop accepting that I no longer live in a good walking neighborhood as an excuse)

Nope. Another "F" on the report card. See, we moved from a very walkable neighborhood, that I loved, to a not at all walkable one. I hate it. I really love to walk but the motivation is just not there when I feel like I have to go through an obstacle course to get anywhere. I love walking and I miss it and perhaps I will do better now that summer is here and the sun is shining. Hopefully, maybe. I've got 6 months to go on this one.

7. Meditate Regularly

What exactly did I mean by "regularly"? Well, I have meditated but not everyday and not on any set schedule. I have just sorta randomly done it at moments, say, at the end of the day when Anita is down for the night and I find myself with a few spare minutes. I think I purposefully was vague on this one because I didn't want to set myself up for failure by saying meditate everyday or every other day or 3 times a week. I am going to clarify and say that I want to meditate twice a week.

8. Give Blood on Regular Basis

I just made an appointment to do this again. Pat on the back. :)

9. Be the Best Wife, Sister, Granddaughter, Niece, Cousin and Friend

Jury's out on this one. I have my good moments and my not so good ones.

10. Eat In Accordance With My Insulin Issues

Nailed it! I have been doing really well with this one, especially the last 2 months or so. Now, the next 6 months involve travel, bday and the holidays so I know I am in for some tricky times but overall I have done very well in this regard.

11. Read/Study Science

Um, well,I have caught a few episodes on the science channel. I still have 6 months so I am not too worried about this one.

12. Volunteer for Beach Clean Up with Anita

Not yet, but I was kinda waiting for better weather. Yeah, I know that's not what it is about and is pretty selfish. But I've been busy too - have you seen how long this list is?

13. Take Pictures

Again, I was a little vague on this one. Have I taken a picture or two this year? Yes. Everyday, weekly, bi-weekly? No. I need to be better about this one. I am going to have the camera more accessible and resolve to take a picture at least one a week.

14. Practice Daily Mindfulness

This is a tough one and tricky to gage but I do attempt to practice daily mindfulness. I am not always successful, I think that is impossible, but I am happy with the effort.

15. Work On My Expectations Of Perfection (seriously, let-it-go)

I am indeed working on this and feel like I am improving. My mind still goes to "perfectland" but I have been very conscious of it and am usually able to talk myself out of it.

16. Commit to Gardening

This seems to happen in fits and spurts and the point was to be consistent. The biggest obstacle for me is that we do not own our home and I just hate to make too much effort on anything that is not going to benefit us in the long term. But I should try and use this time as a learning opportunity for the day that we do have our own yard. So that I will be a master gardener who totally knows what she is doing when the time comes to work on a yard of our own that we can enjoy for years to come.

17. Master 3 New Recipes

Yes, and counting! I wanted to master a few classic recipes and I will say that I have become quite good at roasting a chicken and also roasted potatoes (I figured out how to get them perfectly crisp and caramelized and delicious!) My devil's chicken is pretty much heaven, chocolate chip cookies are always a hit and the pizza dough I have been making from scratch is turning out pretty darn good. I have been having a lot of fun with this one.

18. Listen to Music Everyday

Yes, it's hard not to do this with the little demanding music lover I have always by my side. I can't say that the music is always that varied of a selection since she has her favorites, as do I, and we tend to stick with those but the boy of the house keeps us on our toes.

19. No T.V. till 8p.m.

Not so much on this one. Other than Sesame Street the T.V. stays off all day and sometimes till 8 p.m. but other days I am folding laundry and it is only 5:30 but I know I have Dear Genevieve tivo'd so I will put it on. Or Tad will come home and put on soccer or Keith Olberman and he is not beholden to my resolutions and (apparently neither am I because) I inevitably will start watching too. Work in progress...

20. Eat at 10 New Restaurants with Tad

We aren't at 10 yet but we are well on our way. This one is an easy peasy one for me and truth be told is more like a resolution I forced on Tad. He is a tremendous creature of habit and picky eater so if I left him to it he would eat at the same 5 favorites everyday for the rest of his life. Yet, we always have fun when we actually try something new. So this is good motivation to kick him out of his comfort zone.

21. Take a Vacation

Yay! Yes, we leave next week for Seattle. Cannot wait to get outta dodge.

22. Floss

Again, I was not that specific with this one. Yes, I do floss. And I did before. But not that often. I guess I am flossing more often, but still not as consistently as I should.

23. Be Honest and Forthcoming, No More Biting My Tongue or Little White Lies

I think I have been good with this one. Let me state for the record that I am not a raging liar or anything. I just feel like I tend to bite my tongue, downplay things or hold things back or say something is okay when it's not in order to avoid being uncomfortable or a confrontation. So I am trying to be more direct and honest about things and I think I am doing better. I am more mindful about it, certainly, and I recognize progress, similar to my attempts at being more decisive.

24. Send a Card to someone 1x month

This one is far easier than I thought it would be and is really rewarding because people really like getting mail. Hopefully, I can keep it up for the next 6 months and beyond.

25. Say Yes, Do Something You Wouldn't Normally Do -Especially If It Scares You or Make You Nervous.

This is another one like trying to be more decisive or more forthcoming that is tricky to gage but I definitely see progress. There have been a few times where I found myself wanting to retreat from a situation or experience but, this little resolution I made popped into my head, and I pushed myself to move past it. Nothing major, I didn't swim with sharks, speak in front of a crowded room or visit a nude beach but I still have 6 months to go so stay tuned!

Deer's Foot

This is hilarious. Ladies, this is for you...Camelflage for your Cameltoe. This is too hilarious. I cannot believe that someone spent enough time thinking about cameltoes to actually come up with an idea on how to avoid one. That is, an idea other than the most obvious one, which is mentioned.

Summer Viewing

Summer is here and I can't wait to enjoy it to it's fullest. Goodbye cold, gray skies, hello sun, beach, ice cream, picnics and popsicles. Something I will be missing however, is some of my favorite t.v. shows*. Around here we tivo our fave shows and then 2 nights a week (sometimes 3) we watch all of them. This week I definitely felt a bit of a void when I checked the tivo and it was pretty much empty. Now, I know that World Cup 2010 is going to definitely help fill that void (we have serious World Cup fever around these parts) but as exciting as it is, I don't know that, for me, Wayne Rooney is going to be as endearing to watch as Liz Lemon. Sorry Wayne. When its not all soccer, all the time, the summer is when we usually take the time to watch one of our favorite series on DVDs and/or introduce ourselves to a new series that we may not have caught yet. We've been discussing what we should check out this year and Breaking Bad Season 2 (we watched Season 1 last summer) and Mad Men (never seen a single second of it, but hear it about it constantly) are lead contenders. This got me thinking about my favorite series on DVD and I thought I would list them here for you in case you might be looking to fill your own Liz Lemon void.

Best TV Shows of all time that you should check out this summer if you have not already or just re-watch if it has been awhile....

The Wire. I am sure I am not the first person to tell you this but this was the best show on television and it requires (multiple) viewing.

Deadwood. I resisted this show for a very long time and I was such a fool. Al Swearingen is one of the best characters of all time and the show is just damn good. And for you ladies out there who think you aren't that into westerns - watch it anyway, it's better than you can imagine.

Freaks and Geeks. My love for this show knows no bounds. It's perfection. This is a fun one to watch towards the end of summer to get ready for fall and the school year. The Halloween episode is possibly my favorite and always makes me excited for my favorite holiday.

Band of Brothers. Totally amazing and compelling miniseries based on the true story of Easy Company during World War II. Wow. I must have said that a million times while watching it. Just, wow.

The (British) Office. I think this might have been the first show that got us into watching television series on DVD. It is freaking awesome. Ricky Gervais is so funny (and embarrassing) it hurts. Yes, I watch the American version but it is no comparison to the original. If you haven't seen this you don't know what you are missing.

Big Love. Man, this show is good. This latest season was admittedly not its very best and a bit of a disappointment for me. But the previous seasons have been fantastic. Everyone in the cast is perfect and the story of these people attempting a polygamous lifestyle is just so utterly fascinating. And so much of the show is based in fact and real situations and circumstances which is just mind blowing and scary.

Gilmore Girls. I love Lorelai and Rory and I don't care what anyone says (you know who I'm talking to!) The Jess years are definitely my favorite but I love it all. I love the weird little universe they live in (Stars Hollow), their relationship, their 40's screwball comedy, lightening speed dialogue, clever pop culture references and even the clunky music name dropping. I love it all.

Shows not on DVD but I pray someday they will be:

These may not deserve to be anywhere near a list with The Wire and Deadwood but they made for some good t.v. and I still think about them...

Paradise Hotel. Holy Cow this was such a trainwreck (in the best possible way) of a show. Why oh why is it not on DVD? I would pay top dollar.

Sorority Life/Fraternity Life. Now, this aired so long ago that I am not sure it would live up to what I remember in my head but it was pretty awesome. Another train wreck. Did any of you watch it?

*Our fave t.v. shows/shows we tivo, include: Modern Family, Community, Parks and Recreation, The Office, 30 Rock, The Bill Maher Show, The Ricky Gervais Show, Treme. Oh, and The Daily Show. Parenthood and Justified are on the list too but they are kinda like guilty pleasures mine and his. They don't quite make the must-see list. And yes, this does look like a long list but when you fast forward commercials shows are like 20 minutes long! So you know, stop judging me will ya?