Okay Pandora. When I created a new station entitled 'Smashing Pumpkins Radio', I did not mean for it to be an open invitation to play every single shitty song from the late 90's in addition to Pearl Jam's "Rearview Mirror" greatest hits collection and Nirvana's MTV unplugged album. All. Day. Long.

Granted, the Pearl Jam and Nirvana, I am happy with. But, do you consider the Smashing Pumpkins to be similar to Sublime and Cake? Eagle-Eye Cherry? Really? Aren't you supposed to be choosing other songs on a 'Sounds Like' basis? I guess if I had to pick a band with 'similar' sound to the Pumpkins I couldn't really do it since they did have an eclectic sound. So, is your decision based solely on the 90's Alternative genre? In that case, then why the onslaught of 90's one-hit wonders? Hello Third Eye Blind!

Perhaps, you are trying to mock me Pandora? Are the mid-90's suddenly passe and we are currently only nostalgic for the 2000's? Or is it the 80's that are still cool? Are you saying my taste in music is that of some average 90's teenager who only liked Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and shitty songs that I could drive my beater car around my one-horse town trying to alleviate the boredom of my high school days? Well, if that is the case then you may be partially correct in that assessment. However, I also liked Aerosmith.   

Furthermore, the Pumpkins have an entire catalog of music beyond 1999. They came out with at least 2 maybe 3 albums that I cannot remember the names of, but they were released! On CD and maybe even iTunes at some point. And I'm sure somebody out there listened. I also read somewhere recently that the Pumpkin's are releasing a new album sometime soon. Where are the songs from that?! The article stated that Billy Corgan is now in his mid-40's and still cranking out the hits with his unique brand of teenage angst with a self-indulgent grown-up twist. No? Still not interested?

Then, fine. I give up and will go back to my Beatles Radio.

 

Day Drinking Diversions and Dangers

My weekend was an unusual one. Normally, I tend to keep myself pretty busy but this weekend I found myself with nothing to do so I was left to meander aimlessly around the city with no plans. And what happens to me when I find myself in situations of extreme boredom? I go bat-shit crazy.

Friday night, my husband and I on a whim invited some friends to go to Fish Bar down the street from our condo. Unfortunately, Fish Bar is pretty popular and since the idea was last minute we were not seated for a table until 9:30pm. Which, actually is fine for me since I am accustomed to eating later. However, for one friend, this wait time was not quite so acceptable and Polly Piss-Pants came out in force. Granted, my husband and I are the few in our crew with a regular 9 to 5 and most of my friends need to work early on Saturday and Sunday mornings. It also didn't help that we were told that the wait for a table would be 1 hour at the least so we wandered across the street to Vaughn's for a beer only, as we found out as we stumbled back to the restaurant, that our name was called, and passed, several times. But on a positive note, the Lobster Roll was still awesome.

After dinner, our friends departed back to Logan Square so they could get up to work in the morning and my husband and I were left to our devices and full stomachs. Naturally, he passed out within minutes of hitting the couch and I was left alone. And to while away the hours until I was finally tired, I broke into a bottle of wine, hung out on my back porch and googled randomly until 4am.

The next morning, i.e. 2:30pm, my husband wakes me up and bribes me with brunch. So I bolt out of bed and jump in the shower. I get dressed in record time, if I must say so. Either I was hungry, or I just really enjoy breakfast cocktails. Since it was truly a weekend without a plan, we discussed our normal brunch locations like Deleece or La Creperie, and finally settled on trying something new so we went to Kanela up on Clark St. A mixed green salad and two glasses of wine later, we were still discussing how to spend our day. A walk up to the Spice House in 90 degree heat? Continue day drinking? Go to the beach (and continue day drinking)? Since the possibilities seemed daunting and entirely endless, and all including some form of day drinking, I decided that the best way to kill some time would be to go up to Walgreen's and get my passport photo updated. Mind you, I'm wearing my favorite brunch outfit. A green strapless cotton sundress from J. Crew, some gold necklaces, giant Prada sunglasses, and my hair is in a top knot. Perfect for brunch. It turns out, not so perfect for a passport photo.

Buzzed, I wander into Walgreen's and make my way to the photo counter. I sit down for my picture and begin to wonder if a tube dress is the smartest ensemble to be wearing when I am having a picture taken from the shoulders up. Deciding to throw caution to the wind, and reasoning that my passport is really just for foreign countries, most of which have a more accepting stance on nudity anyway, to proceed with my picture. Pleased, that I actually got something done on a Saturday, we made our way home to spend the remaining afternoon on our back porch with another bottle of Charles Shaw Merlot and to send off the form and picture to have my last name on my passport updated.

Now today, as the weekend buzz is a couple days removed. That in a few weeks when I get my passport back. I WILL LOOK NAKED!! DAMNIT!!! 

 

Today having been an unusually slow Wednesday, I decided to actually take a lunch break today and walk up to State Street and do some window shopping. Normally when I make this trek I almost always end up at the Block 37 Anthropologie and come back to work ashamed of that fact that I probably spent more than I could have possibly made that day. But today, I went the other direction and decided to stop into Nordstrom Rack. I almost never dare to walk in there, if only for the simple fact that the first floor of the place always looks like a mob scene and the line is almost out the door. Personally, I don't really like department store shopping that much. I don't care what place it is from Neiman Marcus to Bloomingdale's to the real Nordstrom, I just feel like it is over-whelming and crowded. But today, it didn't seem so bad, so in I went, and all I can say is WOW! All of the great Nord's clothes like Free People, Juicy, Splendid, Theory.... it was ALL THERE! And the Jeans Department! J Brand, Seven's, Joe's, Citizen's, racks and racks of jeans! Wide legs, skinny, cropped, and shorts and in a size 26!!!

I could not believe my eyes. Why on earth have I not discovered this place before? Why at 31, is it the first time that I have ever moseyed in here to look around? Could this be the great discovery of the year? Last year, at 30, it was my real shoe size. Don't ask the details, but it turns out that I'm actually a size 7 and not a 7 1/2 like I previously thought and it has totally revolutionized my ability to walk in pumps and high strappy sandals. Is 31 the year that I finally realize that I can buy the same $180 pair of Citizen's at Nordstrom Rack for a mere $90? Why would regular Nordstrom even still exist? It's right up the street. Are people that excited to drop twice as much cash on the same pair of jeans? Nordstrom is a racket I tell you! Shop Nordstrom Rack!

And the savings makes the shopping bag walk-of-shame back to work so much less shameful...

I'm Back and Arguably Still Bitter...

It's been a long time since my last post. And I'm happy to say after several prodding messages from well-meaning friends... and my own self-deprecating pep talks, I am ready to re-commit myself and questionable talents back to blogging. Also, mere moments ago, I logged into this account for the first time in over a year and realized to my horror the absolute crap that I had previously posted. So, I've deleted the rushed and ill-thought out posts of the past year and am ready to start anew, with more rushed and hopefully more slightly well-thought posts.

Cheers!