Sisters

My sister came to Madison to pick up a dresser I had and to satisfy a pasta craving that was deep and wide. For both of us. We ended up on at Tutto Pasta on State Street.


Sarah in town 009, originally uploaded by Darwin's Daughter.

Our table was wonderful. We shared a bottle of Wollersheim's Prairie Fume which Sarah, the non-wine drinker, enjoyed.



I was impressed with Tutto. The dishes were savory and plentiful.
It was no Papa Phil's, but...hey.



Most of the pictures from the day are blurry. I think it's because Sarah and I were so jazzed up to be out on the town without any babies, or boyfriends, or MOM.

Lookit that smile!

Adventures of a Teenage Groupie

My first rock and roll crush (aside from Bon Jovi) was on Ross, the rhythm guitar player for a Christian rock band called Lazarus. He was blonde and had a baby face. I remember other details about him, too, like his last name and his former address and stuff, but I won’t post that here. I would hate to “out” Ross in the unlikely event that someone would recognize him. He may not be as proud of his rock and roll/Christian past as he once was. We all fall out of love sometimes.

What made me think of Ross? I have no idea. But, when I do take that trip down memory lane I instantly think of my high school friend, Jessica. She had a crush on the bass player, Jason. He had the Slash hair thing going on, and his heart was full of love for the Lord. Hot.

Then I remember that Jason had a girlfriend named Kelly. Kelly was very pretty and probably 17 or 18 to Jessica’s 13 or 14. Jessica would glare at Kelly any time she was around. More than that, she would shoot Kelly crazy hate vibes through lasers in her eyes. Jessica would very loudly proclaim her love for this girl’s boyfriend. She was going to steal Jason away from “that tramp” and have like 100 of his babies. Again, loudly. Sometimes while looking in the same mirror as Kelly.

That Kelly and her crew didn’t kick our little asses is a true testament to the power of God’s love.

The other thing I remember about Lazarus is that their lead singer must have been pushing 40. Everyone else in the band was early 20’s, but the lead singer was really old. And, he thought he was David Lee Roth. I always secretly questioned his commitment to Christ. He looked like a smoker.

The truly embarrassing part is how I stopped having a crush on Ross and being a groupie. I had been selling candy bars to support the band and I had about 25 bucks put together. I also had a crush on a really cute necklace that cost about the same. I guess my immature, hormone addled brain figured Ross was not going to fall in love with me and sweep me away. He was unobtainable fruit. But the necklace could be mine.

I never went to another Lazarus show. They may have broken up any way because I never heard anything else about the money or the candy bars. We all fall out of love sometimes.

This one's for you!

“I won’t leave you, you tell her. I won’t. I love you. You try to look concerned, but you’re not. Not really. Or rather, if you area concerned, it’s about her crying, not about her secret. You know by now that these secrets that always make a woman fall to pieces are usually something along the lines of doing it with an animal, or a Mormon, or with someone who paid her for it. I’m a whore, they always wind up saying. And you hug them and say, no you’re not. You’re not. And if they don’t stop crying all you can do is say shhh.
…She hesitates and then she asks: What if I told you that at night I turn into a heavy, hairy man, with no neck, with a gold ring on his pinkie, would you still love me? And you tell her of course you would. What else can you say?”

Excerpt from “Fatso” from The Nimrod Flip Out: Stories by Etgar Keret


Without spoiling the rest, the guys girlfriend is a hottie until the sun goes down. Then she turns into a real guys guy and they go out for steaks, watch soccer, and chase skirt.

I urge you to get your hands on anything Etgar Keret has ever written. He is "Israel's most acclaimed young writer". I just call him genius.

I'm feeling...Stabby.

If you haven't yet, please...please check out The Bloggess. I almost peed.

Big Girl Boner

I am in love with Windsor Smith.

No...I want to be Windsor Smith.

No! What I really want is to be able to afford Windsor Smith. To have Windsor come to my spacious Italianate loft conversion. She'll admire all the windows and light. We'll talk fabrics. I'll offer her some wine. Eventually, she'll show me her swatches. Then she'll blow my mind with an open kitchen and dining schematic that has a little of this and a little of that.

Then we'll spoon.

And, I'll never let her find out that Candice was in my bedroom. Never!

(I have a thing for edgy traditional, slate blue, and chandeliers. Sue me.)

The Dog Days of Summer

fp4, originally uploaded by Darwin's Daughter.

I applied for a second job today as a waitress at Bluephies. My odds of getting the job seem slim right now when work and school are taken into account. My availability is so specific. But, we'll see. Either way, it's time to buckle down.

I hate buckling down.

But, I will remain positive. There are still a few weeks left for sailing on the Lorka.

For enjoying a fire pit on a crisp night. For scavenging the forest for anything dry to burn so I can keep the comfy going.

And, for taking the Tuff to the park.

They say all good things must come to an end, and this summer has been one of the best.

Thank you and amen.

Rebel Yell

I feel dangerous these days. I feel the need to do something completely rebellious and unsavory. Usually I'm able to scratch such an itch by doing something to my hair, but I have a feeling that won't cut it this time. I need a brick to throw. I need someone to post my bail.

Doesn't that just make sense? When life gets to be sweet and good I'm either checking the sky for meteors, or looking for ways to stir the turd.

I'm sick.