Spramp Shots: Blurry Chicago

Blurry Chicago (Source)

I'm pooped. My trip to the Midwest was a success. I spent a few days in Chicago for a conference where I met up with my man-toy, Mark (he's going to hate me for calling him that). We stayed at The Conrad - and we concluded that the hotel is a "hot tranny mess" (we really liked it!). Chicago is cool, though, at times it felt way too busy and touristy. Unfortch, I was way too preoccupied with the conference to really explore the city as I wanted. I did my mandatory shopping and Mark and I ate a some really yummy restaurants (Red Light was pretty good). I will not eat at another all-you-can-eat Brazilian place, no matter what Mark says. I'm through with skewered meat. After Chicago, we took a pit-stop in Columbus (don't ask). There's a restaurant there called Rigsby's Cuisine Volatile that I really wanted to return to for their fennel sardine dish that I had a few years ago. I still dream of that dish. I can't believe it wasn't on the menu anymore! I know the dish itself sounds pretty weird, but it was fantastic! Bring it back! The restaurant is fantastic, go and check it out. After Columbus, we finally made it to Ann Arbor, my old stomping ground. I do miss A2, though I'm really happy that I don't live there anymore.

Check it:
The Conrad
Red Light
Rigsby's Cuisine Volatile

Double Lives Bollywood Style

Tracey Ullman - State of the Union, Indian Viagra (Source)

My sincerest apologies for my lack of recent posts. Like most of you, I lead a double life of sorts. This life has taken me away from Seattle to Chicago for the past few days. The change of scenery was much needed, but like most trips that take me outside of Seattle, I find myself pitting my new environs against the Emerald City - I ultimately fall homesick. You get my point. Chicago really didn't do much for me. It's too busy, too touristy, too much honking of car horns, too many cars, too many building (though I do love the skyline, which is perhaps the best part of the city) - there's just too many "too many-s". I actually don't get back to Seattle for a few more days; currently I'm waiting for my melatonin to kick in before I call it a night. I'm with my partner-in-crime, Mark, in Ann Arbor (weirdness to be back), and all is oddly the same as when I left a few years ago. Change is slow in the Midwest.

I caught the funny show Tracy Ullman's State of the Union tonight - I don't get cable back at home, so I'm like a moth to a flame right now and have been plopped in front of Mark's TV for most of the evening. I absolutely fell in love with Tracy's skit in which she plays Padma Perkish, the Indian pharmacist/Bollywood star! I've embedded two of Padma's acts in this post. Funny, funny - and brilliant!

Even though I'm in the heart of flatness, I'll be attempting to be productive tomorrow and onward. So hopefully the lags will stop.

Here's to double-lives! xoxo. jan


Padma Perkish (Source)

Check it:
Tracy Ullman's State of the Union [Showtime]

Coffee, Tea, or Eisley

Telescope Eyes (Live Studio Recording @ Studio UGO) (Source: studiougo via Youtube)


I'm sitting here having a cup of coffee and pining for Seattle. Tis true, coffee doesn't taste nearly as good here as a cup in Seattle. I know there's no logical explanation for that, but whatever - bear with me, I have one more night in the big A2, and I'm ready for the calmness that is Seattle! Since I've been thinking about coffee for way too much time (more time than I'd like to admit), I want to share with you a super fantastic Web site I discovered. The other night I had a spell of insomnia and happened upon a documentary about coffee on the National Geographic Channel (dork that I am) called "Coffee: Beans to Buzz" at 3am. The documentary was surprisingly good for what it was worth. It was intelligent and actually covered a pretty good swath of coffee history - and naturally, Starbucks is prominently featured. During the program, the Web site Delocator (www.delocator.net) is featured. Delocator is a fantastic search tool for those of us who enjoy patronizing independently-owned and locally-based coffee houses (and bookstores, and movie theaters). Just type in your address and a whole slew of coffee houses in your area pops up! It's really a great way to discover new coffee places (and people)! Check it out!


Delocator Web Site
But on another note, I've been listening to one of my fave songs on repeat while philosophizing about coffee and Seattle. At the top of this post is a YouTube vid of the fantastic band Eisley performing the song "Telescope Eyes" live at Studio UGO. I absolutely love this song! The song is off the 2005 album Room Noises. Eisley is a family affair, comprised of four DuPree siblings and a Dupree cousin, who are all very cute and sweet-looking. But as you listen to the song, you can feel the depth of their emotive angst. Their voices come together seamlessly and with a melancholic force that makes you want to hit that repeat button again and again. I have heard two versions of "Telescope Eyes," both having different tempos. I prefer the faster version (or the one performed in the YouTube video), which I think has more lyrics than the slower version. Regardless, I do love me some Eisley any day, and this song will forever remain one of my favorites.

Telescope Eyes, Eisley, Room Noises (2005) (Courtesy of Cicles of Concrete)

I [Heart] Eisley (Source: Eisley Myspace)
Eisley is due to release a new album Combinations on August 14, 2007. The first single out is called "Invasions," which you can listen to in its entirety on their MySpace page. I've now listened to it a couple of times, and I love it too. Check it out!

Invasion, Eisley, Invasion - Single (2007)

Anyone want to come with me to see Eisley on July 23, 2007 at the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle? I need more coffee and more Eisley!

Food ... My Name Is Glutton!

Dinner at Eve w/Mark, Ann Arbor (2007) (PEBL photo)
Looks like things are finally coming along over here. I finally got my laptop back. Even though I was only without it for a day, it felt like ages. AppleCare is a godsend! If you ever decide to purchase a Mac - and I hope you do! - don't be a cheapskate...get it! And go for the 3-year package! I've had my Powerbook for close to 3 years and have gotten the monitor replaced, the hard drive replaced 3 times, and now the optical drive, which have all been covered under AppleCare. You just need it. Period. [The word in the repair shop is that Apple is considering releasing a 12 inch Mac Book Pro. Now this is the second time I've heard this rumor, the first being from my cousin Sean who works for Apple. I'm beginning to think that the rumor might have some credible wings! Shall I wait for it or get that gi-normous 24-inch iMac? Decisions, decisions! ]

[Addendum: Check out Engadget's confirmation that the 12-inch Macbook Pro rumor is indeed floating around: "MacBook Pro 12-inch ultraportable rumor resurfaces," July 11, 2007. I'm sooo intrigued! I hope this rumor comes true!]

So now that I have my laptop back, I'm finally feeling a bit more motivated. I've gotten a lot of my academic crap taken care of. And I feel like I'm in cruise control and now just going with the flow. Last night Mark and I went to one of the better restaurants here in Ann Arbor called Eve. I highly recommend! I'm normally tepid about eating French, but Eve manages to weave flavors together that both satiates and titillates. I like eating away from the hustle-and-bustle of Main Street; and lucky for Eve, it's located in the cute Kerrytown district (the queer enclave of Ann Arbor). Check it out if you are in A2. The prices are a bit high for Ann Arbor, but worth the splurge.


Brunch at Webers Restaurant w/Mark (2007) (PEBL photo)
Because of my blogging hiatus, I forgot to write about brunch at Weber's Restaurant! I love me my Weber's, a classic, old-school, restaurant attached to the Weber's Hotel. If you want a good, home-style, brunch in a classic '50s modernist space (I think it's modernist), then Weber's is for you. I cannot get enough of the corn-beef hash! This past Sunday when Mark and I went, the pianist was playing - I kid you not - all the classic Depeche Mode hits, mixed with a little Erasure and Dead or Alive! Can we say, SPRAMPy?!? I told Mark that I thought the pianist was totally subversive - half the folks in there were totally unaware of his musical choices, but were all clearly enjoying the piano version of "Enjoy of the Silence." That made me laugh out loud! Go to Weber's for brunch!

Dinner tonight is with Sarah. We're doing Thai in Ypsilanti: TupTim! It's been ages since I've had Thai. I can't wait.

Mark and I have been eating fairly well, a bonus really since Ann Arbor is a bit drab in general. Maybe my attitude's just poor. I'm still not thrilled to be here, and probably will never be since I'm now living in Seattle, and well, you know how I feel about Seattle.

Speaking of Seattle, I just received word that I'll be teaching at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle! Yay me!

There's always more forthcoming. xoxo.

Restaurant Locations

• Eve Restaurant, 415 N. 5th Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 734.222.0711
• I had the soft shell crab main course, which was delightful! I love soft-shell crab!
• Try the "Inspired Nacho" appetizers. Yummy!
• Check out the Menu!
• TupTim Thai Cusine, 4896 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI, 734.528.5588
• Weber's Hotel and Restaurant, 3050 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 734.665.3636
  

I'm Melting

Finally, a moment to myself, and luckily indoors. I'm not a fan of Michigan summers!

I've been running around my Alma mater all day (the University of Michigan), trying to get as much done here as I can before I head back to the pleasant climate of Seattle. I had lunch with my fantastic friend Sarah at Mr. Greeks on State St.; she's here teaching this summer. We both agreed that it's pretty depressing being back. I just spent the last hour or so walking around central campus with my eyes dilated. Silly doctor forgot to give me those ugly shades to protect my eyes from the bright sun. My eye-sight, by the way, has degraded further. I'm now officially closer to blind ... but on a positive note, I'm back to wearing contacts. A relief really, since summers are no fun if you can't accessorize with sunglasses. Half-blinded by my dilated eyes, I walked into Urban Outfitters on State St. and found myself in the sunglasses section. I'm a big fan of wrap-around sunglasses, which Urbans has many of, but my eyes were hurting so much that I basically grabbed the first pair that looked half-way decent on me. They look a lot like these, but mine are a really slick blue-ish gray:

Black Wrap Sunglasses, $18 (Source: Urban Outfitters)
Yah, they're cute. They'll last me for most of the summer before I inevitably lose them. If you are near an Urban Outfitters' store, you may want to hop inside. The one in Ann Arbor is having a 50% off on top of the already reduced sale prices. I bought a cute pair of skinny jeans for $14, reduced from $29, and that reduced from $50. Not a bad deal. And in full disclosure, I own Urban Outfitters stock (URBN), not that it's been doing well at all this year ... grrr!.

I finally gave up my laptop for repairs. I heart my 12" G4 Powerbook, even its lousy condition. I just couldn't take it anymore and realized that getting it repaired at the University would probably be more efficient than getting it done at a Genius Bar at an Apple Store. So I handed it over to a totally gorgeous man working at the repair place on campus. I hope he does a little snooping on my laptop and clicks on the Spramp bookmark and reads this post (call me!). At any rate, I'm without my baby for at least three days (the most I've ever had to be away from him). Though I did stop by the Computer Showcase at the University and immediately fell in love with the 24" iMac - that sucker is huge! I heart it, and I may wind up lugging it back with me on the plane to Seattle.

Other than that, I'm listening to some new music these days and will post on that later today. It's been a whirlwind of a week, and basically I need to get my ass organized before I can Spramp-on with these posts.

More forthcoming. Stay hydrated!

Back to A2

It's been a bit of a whirlwind past two days. I've been meaning to post, but have been too preoccupied with recovering from jet-lag and trying to celebrate the long weekend fully with my guy-pal Mark. We've both mutually decided that we're going to cut our trip to Chicago short by one day and head back to lovely Ann Arbor, Michigan, tomorrow - where I will be for the next week or so taking care of loose ends. And hopefully I'll have more time to generate some blog posts from there. Chicago's been fantastic! I've eaten so well and managed to fit in some museum time, a dinner-cruise around Lake Michigan, and a concert at the House of Blues. But more details on that in the next few posts ... because we've managed to fit in so much in the past three days, we're going to call it a successful break and get back to some normalcy in good ole A2 (that's Ann Arbor to the lay-person). Stay tuned.