Bloody Mary Quest: The Raymond Restaurant

I've discussed my quest for the perfect bloody mary before, and I'm here to tell you that I am still continuing my search.

Today's (well technically yesterday's since it's past midnight) bloody mary quest happened at The Raymond Restaurant in Pasadena on Fair Oaks Ave.

It was delicious!

Beautiful presentation too.  Big celery stick, lime wedge, two olives, and a cocktail onion.

I've never had a cocktail onion before, so I felt very proud of myself for trying it since I normally don't like onions very much.

Now for the negatives:  I can only think of one big negative.  The price.  It cost me $13.  Granted, it was a big drink and I was really happy with it, but I just don't want to pay that much for a bloody mary.

Overall, I think it was a great experience (even though they ran out of the apple fritters my friend and I wanted) and I would go back again if I had money to spend.

Stuck in a Knee-High Obsession

The time has finally come to admit that I have a problem. I can't resist the urge to buy and buy, and it doesn't help that my friends and family support my obsession. Yes, the obsession is socks. Lots and lots of socks. I love all kinds of socks. The cuter the better. I ESPECIALLY love knee-high socks. What are some of my favorite types of knee highs? Well, I am a firm believer that you can't go wrong with argyle. I love them and I just can't get enough of them!

I bought two pairs today at Target. They are awesome! Once I get my camera up and running I will put up some pictures. My excuse for buying them? Halloween! I need to have socks for Halloween right? What would my feet do without them?

In the last month or so, I have received four pairs of socks from friends as gifts. My dad got me a pair of puffin socks (that is, socks with a picture of a puffin on them) from Alaska. My friend Nikki got me a pair of light blue socks with cute pictures of buttered toast on them. My mom got me a pair of argyle socks from Harvard. And finally, my friend Mindy gave me a pair with wolves on them! How lucky am I?

I just thought I would mention this because I notice that a good portion of my dresser drawers are full of knee-high socks. I have a drawer designated to knee highs. It's that bad.

I don't really think it is a bad obsession. My feet need protection, and socks do wear out over time. It least they're cheap! Plus, they are easy to hide since I only wear pants.

So to all you knee high lovers out there, I'm out! I am a knee-high sock lover! I admit it. I am 100% committed to making my ankles and shins comforted with soft cotton. I encourage the rest of you to try the same.

My inner Soprano

So, as I mentioned in my last post, I have a new car. Everyone told me that I have to come up with a name for my car, and frankly, this was a big decision for me. I didn't name my last car, which could be the reason why it was never nice to me.

I spent about two weeks driving my Civic Hybrid around with the constant question in the back of my mind. What shall I name you?

I spent hours driving it down the street and on freeways. I even spent some quality time with it just sitting in the car, relishing in the fact that I own something that's worth something. I was about to give up on the name, when I asked my friend Margaret to come with me to The Hat. In case you don't know, The Hat is a burger joint that just smells like good greasy fun.

Anyways, I was driving down a small street doing what I do best, clowning around. I was doing my Tony Soprano impersonation. Margaret then reminded me that I nicknamed her a character from the Sopranos. It was then that it hit me. Both Margaret and my car have the same name! If I am Tony Soprano, Margaret and my Civic are my sidekicks. They are my go-to guy, the person I turn to for help, and to get things done.

At that moment, I told Margaret that the name of my car was Silvio. It made perfect sense! Silvio is always faithful to Tony, and he does what needs to be done for the greater good of the family. My car is the same. I turn to it to get me places, and to be there when I need it. I'm not going to ask my car to whack somebody or anything, although it certainly has the capability to do so. It's a reliable car, just like Silvio Dante.

Not only that, but this gives me the perfect chance to let out my inner Soprano. I can curse at people in Italian when I'm driving, and give stupid drivers rude gestures. After all, it's only my right to do so since I am driving in Italian car. (I know it's a Japanese car, but it has an Italian attitude!) I am completely happy with my decision, and Margaret informed me that she has no problem sharing a nickname with my car. (I told Margaret she reminded me of Silvio because she stands like him sometimes when she's trying to be funny. What was funnier to me at the time was that she didn't know she was doing it until I pointed it out and showed her a clip from The Sopranos.)

Well, that is my big announcement to all those readers out there. I have named my car! It took me a while, but I'm glad I finally got there.

As soon as I get my camera working again, I will post a picture of good ol' Silvio.

The Slug Returns

I am back on blogger. I'm sad that I didn't update this sooner, and I apologize to my one, maybe two fans out there.

Here is an update on the happenings in my life since I've last blogged:

1. Went to the ER...twice! That wasn't a whole lot of fun. I learned some good lessons in that time. One: Trust your gut. When something feels wrong, most likely something is. I went with my gut that something was wrong with me, and I was right. Two: Ease off on the stress. The reason I was in the ER was because I was stressing myself out, and I needed to learn how to just let things go. Three: I have wonderful family and friends. You never know how much you're loved until the bad things happen. Both times I got a good kick in the pants from my friends and family who supported me through what was a really horrible painful time.

2. I did some filming which hasn't been fully edited yet. I've been editing this thing for months now, and I hope I'm doing a decent job with it. My insecurities have crept in and I am beginning to doubt myself.

3. I am living on my own now! I've learned how to live alone and love it.

4. In very recent news, I have said goodbye to my old Chevy Cavalier, and hello to my wonderful Civic Hybrid. I'm loving the feeling of driving a car and not being embarrassed of its constant rattling and shaking, and just plain old awfulness.

....

More updates coming soon! With pictures!

9/2/09: It Might Get Loud

I finally saw It Might Get Loud.  I really really enjoyed it.  I thought it was well made, and I learned a lot about not only the guitarists, but about music in general.  I knew a lot about the Edge, but just to watch him play guitar and talk about the time in which their music was created was pretty awesome.  It was just an amazing thing to see three guitarists come together and just talk about music and explain what inspired them.  Some of the best scenes were the scenes where they were just playing.  It's very inspiring to see these musical artists clearly loving their craft, and appreciating other fellow guitarists.  They respect the music, and they respect the art of making music.   Each person approaches music in a different way, from their style of playing guitar to the types of guitars they use.  

This movie struck home to me in many ways.  I've always loved music, and it is a HUGE part of my life.  It affects my daily life, and it was great to see a movie that captures that love on film.  One of my favorite parts of the movie were the scenes where each guitarist was listening to music.  The way Jimmy Page listened to The Rumble by Link Wray was great because the love of the song and the way it was played just shone through Jimmy Page's eyes.  The same with Jack White and the song Grinnin' In Your Face by Son House.  It was almost beautiful in a way to see how much a song affects someone.  Everyone has their own reasons for loving a certain song, and it was nice to see someone relive that moment when they first heard a song.  

Anyone who loves either one of the guitarists Jimmy Page, The Edge, or Jack White should see this movie.  I also think any guitarist should watch this movie.  It deals a lot with how songs are played and how those sounds came about.  

9/1/09: Inglourious Basterds

I absolutely loved this movie!  If you haven't seen it yet, go out and see it now!  Also, don't read the rest of this blog if you haven't seen it.

Tarantino is great at creating suspense and tension even when it's just two or more people sitting in a room talking.  The opening scene made me feel so uneasy, and I couldn't wait to see how the scene was going to end.  

The cast was amazing. I totally have a girl crush on Melanie Laurent.  She is gorgeous and her character is great.  Everyone does a great job.  Christoph Waltz was an AWESOME villain.  He is one of those villains that you just love to hate.  Brad Pitt was funny, and BJ Novak was funny too, although he wasn't in the movie too much.

There was a good amount of blood, but I honestly thought there would have been more.  However, I think all the scalping scenes made up for it.  I have a lot to say about this movie, but I can't seem to put it into words right now.  Perhaps I will visit this topic later when I have processed it better in my mind.

8/31/09: Oh True Blood

I finally have HBO!!  At last, I can watch all those shows people talk about.  It's too bad I'm just getting it now, and not during the time of The Sopranos.  It least I get to see True Blood.  I can't believe how much the second season has strayed from the books, however, it's interesting to see what changes they made.  Plus, I can't wait for more Eric!  He is one of the best parts about the show.  OK OK.  Part of it is because he's really easy on the eyes, but I just think he's a great character in general (in both the books and in True Blood).

My point here is that I'm so glad I get to watch True Blood now.  I'm also a fan of Hung.  I'm not a huge fan, but it's amusing.  I'm also very very happy about watching Entourage.  I feel like I've missed so much that I really have to catch up.

I am going to start watching Mad Men.  I keep hearing great things about it, so I've decided to give it a chance.  I borrowed the first season from a coworker of mine, so I'm all set.  

If I'm missing any other great shows, please tell me.