Archive for the ‘ Lists ’ Category

1
22
Sep

Awesome Summer Adventures // Part 2

Hey y’all!  Remember that little post I did about my trip to Chicago this summer?  And remember how I kind of implied that there was more to come by naming it “Awesome Summer Adventures // Part 1“?  Well, since autumn is right around the corner, it might be about time to introduce the next episode.  So I’ma gone ahead and do that…

Cleveland

Yes, you read that right.  Cleveland.  Perhaps not the summer adventure you may have thought of when you read the title of this post.  In fact, Cleveland was not my idea of a summer adventure either.  But some old school friends of the hubs from Florida were gonna be there for a week or so and Jeffrey and I had a long weekend to spare, so off we went.  To Cleveland.  Horray.

As it turns out, Cleveland wasn’t nearly as desolately boring as the 5 hours of Ohio we usually drive through in order to get the hell out of Michigan.  It was green and lush, had a glorious breeze, and was home to some surprising swankiness.  In case you don’t remember your geography, Cleveland is lakefront property.  Actually, more like oceanfront property if you’ve never seen a great lake before.  As a Michigan resident, OF COURSE I’ve seen a great lake before.  But not one as vast, serene, and beautiful as this one.

Another really awesome thing about Cleveland is all of the charming little neighborhoods and old brick buildings.  I’m a sucker for old ass buildings.  Especially old ass brick buildings.  And boy, does Cleveland got em.  We dined in Little Italy (and overdosed on cannolis) and drove around the old downtown areas that have clearly been there since god was a boy.  Since the whole point of the trip was to spend some QT with Jeffrey’s friends, we even had some time to get some silly kodak moments with our buds.  FYI, this is generally what life is like in Ohio:

IMG_1610

The absolute best part of our trip to Cleveland was our day at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  I must admit, when I first learned that it was in Cleveland I was like, “WTF! You mean to tell me that the world’s largest rock and roll museum is in some BFE town like Cleveland?  Cleveland, OHIO?!”  But y’all, for real.  Even if the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is the only reason you visit Cleveland, it will be worth every minute, every dime, every boring mile you spend driving through the state of Ohio.  (Sorry for all the anti-Ohio stuff… I am a Wolverine after all)

The one shitty thing about that place was this: NO CAMERAS ALLOWED.  Seriously.  Even cell phones.  But, being the outlaws that we are, we snuck a few.  Like this one:


Johnny Cash’s git-fiddle!

And this one:


Jimi Hendrix’s quilted outfit of awesomeness!

I think my favorite part of the museum was the special exhibit they had goin on entitled “Women Who Rock”.  Of course, all of bitchin ladies you’d expect were highlighted… Debbie Harry, Joan Jett, Kim Deal, Tina Turner, Madonna, Siouxie Sioux, Patty Smith, Janis Joplin, etc, etc.  I did have to do a major double take when I saw some imposters in there though.  Nelly Furtado?  Rhianna?  Are you KIDDING me?  I’m not saying they aren’t good at what they do.  I’m just sayin they ain’t worthy of the adoration true female rock and roll icons are.  At least they had the good sense to include my teen idol Kathleen Hanna in there:

Anyhow, it was fascinating to be within a mere 6 inches of rock and roll–nay, AMERICAN–history and I highly recommend a trip to anyone who can make the drive.  Chances are, Cleveland will surprise you just as much as it did me.

xo Em

PS – Oh yeah, and since I’ve never done more than get out of the car to pee in Ohio, I considered this a visit to a brand new state.  Which means, I crossed off #84 on my 101 in 1001 list.  Hells yeah.

0
25
Aug

Awesome Summer Adventures // Part 1

Chicago

I do believe I mentioned it before, but I started off my summer travels with a long weekend in the Windy City with my GCKB comrade and BFF, Jenny.  She lives in Atlanta and was heading there for the HOW Design Conference because she’s a bad mamma jamma Creative Director now.  Since Chicago is a mere 5 hours away, I hopped on a train to join her for the weekend.  It turned out to be a splendid trip because not only did I get to see her beautiful face, share in her design learnin, and check out (some of) the wonders of a new city, but my train ride to Illinois knocks off #79 and (almost) #84 of my 101 in 1001 list.

Unfortunately our time in Chicago was limited, so I stuck to the touristy Loop area while she was in sessions so we could meet for lunch.  Nevertheless, I got to check out some of the downtown Chicago greats like the Bean (or Cloud Gate, as it is officially called), Millennium Park, and the collection of badassery at the The Art Institute of Chicago. Check out my crappy picture of their awesome lions:

I also muscled up the courage to step out onto the sky decks on the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower. I didn’t get too far, though. There were 47 people crammed onto a 3×6 glass ledge and, well, I just didn’t trust it enough to hold us all for very long. Here is proof that I do have some balls:

103rd floor.

Look at that fantastic view!

What a view.

After a few days of goofin around as tourists, eatin well at Ginos and The Purple Pig, and lounging around in our dope hotel suite, we wrapped up the trip with a boat tour of downtown Chicago architecture. Which was a lot cooler than it sounds. Here go Jenny… ain’t she a beaut?

jenny

I had an awesome time.  However, thanks for the final memory of my trip goes to the girl who was giving her boyfriend a hand job across the aisle from me on the train home.  Way to go, kids.

x0, Em

PS – If you’re lookin for a more in-depth tourist review of Chicago, check out Gala Darling’s International Playgirl’s Guide to Chicago.  She actually did stuff.

4
24
Aug

Awesome Eats // My Top 50

Mac n cheese

When I first saw CNN’s list of the world’s 50 most delicious foods, I was like ughh.  I mean… they got some stuff right.  But damn if it doesn’t look radically different than MY list of the top 50 most delicious foods.

So here you go, internet.  My list of the top 50 most delicious foods I have ever eaten.  AKA: the top 50 reasons I am fat.

I included beverages.  Because… mmmmmmm.

  1. New York-style thin crust cheese pizza.
  2. Lasagna and/or manicotti, but only if it is made by my mother.
  3. Chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream icing.  Again, only if made by my mother.
  4. Chocolate ice cream.  To go with the cake.
  5. Panang curry with chicken.
  6. Tom kha gai (Thai coconut milk soup).
  7. Veggie sushi with lots of wasabi.
  8. Fried calamari.
  9. French toast, especially when made by my dad.
  10. Bacon.
  11. Goi cuan (Vietnamese summer rolls).
  12. French bread.
  13. Rib-eye steak, medium rare.
  14. Lobster, with lots o’ melted buttah.
  15. Caesar salad, but only when made traditionally.
  16. Red peppers.  On anything.
  17. Warm cinnamon sugar cake donuts, especially from this place.
  18. Squash casserole.
  19. Fried okra.
  20. Peanut butter cookies, but only when made by yours truly or my mom.
  21. Feta cheese.  On anything.
  22. Biscuits.  Southern style.
  23. Honey baked ham.
  24. Caprese salad.
  25. Roasted or grilled asparagus.
  26. Apples.  Prepared in a variety of ways, including as nature intended.
  27. Cheese.  Many kinds, especially cheddar.
  28. Sausage.  All varieties.
  29. BBQ Pork.
  30. Macaroni and cheese, again, as prepared by my mother.
  31. Carrot cake.
  32. Chicken teriyaki.
  33. Fruit salsa and cinnamon chips.
  34. Dr. Pete’s Praline Mustard Glaze over cream cheese, with crackers.
  35. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
  36. Grilled cheese sandwich.
  37. Soysage, egg, and cheese breakfast burritos, but only when made by my BFF, Jen.
  38. Grilled flank steak with my mother’s secret marinade.
  39. Mashed potatoes, only made by me.
  40. Garlic.
  41. Hummus, all varieties.
  42. Beer, almost all varieties.
  43. Fudge, especially when made by my mother.
  44. Chocolate chip and toffee cookies.
  45. Cheeseburgers.
  46. Green bean casserole.
  47. Chicken fettuccine alfredo, especially when made by my bestie Amy.
  48. Fried chicken.
  49. Bowman burgers!  Act like ya know!
  50. SUGAR!  Prepared as candy, many varieties.

What are YOUR most deliciously awesome eats?

xo Em
0
25
Jun

The Top 3 Most Awesome Podcasts

Once upon a time I didn’t really give a crap about podcasts.  Well, I guess it’s more accurate to say that I was ignorant to the awesomeness that lies within the little ear nuggets.  But there came a time when my iPhone playlists had bored me and I needed some auditory entertainment.  One  early morning bus ride through Atlanta and I was hooked.  The diversity of content and style, as well as relatively few “commercials” made me an instant fan.  Now podcasts are on heavy rotation in my earbuds.  I’ve got several I keep up with, but I decided to narrow it down to my top 3, the ones I never miss.  If you’ve never given them a listen, do yourself a favor and download, buddy.

The Moth Podcast

The Moth Podcast

I LOVE storytelling.  I mean, I REALLY LOVE storytelling.  That’s why I love television and movies so much… I just love a good story.  But what I love even more than a good story is a TRUE story, told to me by someone who has lived it.  That is the beauty of The Moth Podcast.  Live (true) storytelling in front of a crowd.  Often funny, always interesting.

Stuff You Should Know Podcast

Stuff You Should Know

The great thing about the Stuff You Should Know podcast is that you won’t even realize you are learning something when you listen to it.  Hosted by two moderately funny guys from Atlanta, each podcast defines, describes, and explains one (or more) of life’s mysteries.  I now understand the BCS college football rankings and venomous snakes like never before.

Savage Love Podcast

Savage Love

How could we possibly have a top 3 list without some kind of advice/call-in show?  And how could anyone possibly include an advice/call-in show that wasn’t Savage Love?  Dan Savage answers any love or sex related question callers can come up with, from how to handle a polyamorous relationship to what exactly is a male chastity belt?  He is super sex-positive and doesn’t sugar-coat anything.  Great advice no matter how you like to get it on.

Got any podcast gems in your iPod that you think ought to have made the cut?

xo Em