the way to live, man.

There was a time when I lived out of a Honda Civic hatchback - with two roommates. To be fair, we were on a bit of a roadtrip departing from our current homes in the northwest. The three of us decided it was time for a change of scenery on a Sunday and departed for the trip on Wednesday. We mailed some small things to destinations we knew in time we'd reach, aka our parents' places, and permitted ourselves each a small backpack, a very small backpack. It was liberating. It was total bliss. 

Skip ahead a few years and I found myself on another sort of 5 week adventure period. I won't exactly have a permanent address, but you know I'll be somewhere between Brooklyn and Jamaica. I'm getting rid of as many material possessions as possible and holding on to old photographs of people I've never met. It's completely brilliant. I mean, why do we have such odd connections to inanimate objects like chairs and plates? I've often felt that I should rid myself of all of my material possessions, but at last I have an excuse to do it! Needless to say, the flannel shirt you've seen me in everyday for the last few weeks will be my staple shirt for the next 5 weeks and when I come back from Jamaica I'll probably where a bikini top underneath it for no reason at all, except for I think it's a good look.

In other news - I just noticed that they've been roofing the building across from me all day. I never close my giant 3 x 6' windows. And I actually showered today. Sorry to everyone who thinks visually.

Reasons why I will not respond to your room/share on craigslist.

It's New York. We all compromise a bit just to be here. I lived in a hallway for a year. I've eaten lentils and rice for months at a time just so that I would have the funds to buy a plane ticket out of here. My friend has 6' ceilings in his studio. Luckily, he's not quite 6' tall. Seriously. Below are a few things I just can't go for.

skate ramp in the living room

My girlfriend and I . . . 

Share my Queen size bed!

Sex positive 

Couch available! $50 per night

submissive girl wanted 

eat meat? deal breaker

I should actually admit, I got a bit desperate. I responded to skate ramp and the vegans, but neither panned out. In the end, I did find a place to live. I just need to wait a month to move in.

Life is good . . .

(the return of tomato plant)

when you have a variety of Sharpie pens on hand. Today I have the chisel tip, standard fine point, extra fine point, and the latest in Sharpie technology - the Sharpie pen. Oh man, this and a beer with the sun shining. Forget it. Mission accomplished. Actually mission not accomplished - mission just began. Utilize all four tips in the 6x6 plan I have. 

I responded to this ad.

Live on a boat.

Everyday is a battle.

This post was going to be a list of reasons why I haven't posted since Wednesday, but instead I'll tell you about my new favorite indulgence - and the main reason - Super Coffee.

Everyday I wake up and everyday I make myself breakfast which involves, without fail, coffee. Specifically, I make a small pot of stovetop espresso and concoct a sort of soy latte minus the foam. At some point this past winter, I would have a coffee+liquor drink just right to start your Saturday night. The recipe varied, but effect was always the same. Since the winter, I invested in some supplies to make a super coffee at home and have even purchased supplies for friends so that they might have a little treat before heading out for the evening. 

Skip ahead more time. Every morning I wake up and see the Kahlua sitting next to the challah bread (fyi - I'm not Jewish, I just love the food). It's tempting. Just a little bit in the coffee. Maybe a little vodka. Perhaps a shot of Jameson or Bailey's. It seems innocent because coffee is a socially acceptable addiction. It also is easy to drink on the sidewalk or in the train because it goes into your travel mug without seeming super tacky. I wasn't going to give in despite all of the reasons to do it. I mean, I work from home, so what's the big deal? Who cares if I become a morning alcoholic? Who cares if I dance in my room to Whitney Houston at 11 am drunk on whiskey? These are the reasons I should not do it. I will want it everyday and I will not get anything done because I will dance to Whitney Houston at 11 am while drunk on whiskey and thoroughly caffeinated from the coffee. 

Alright. I've been strong. But yesterday was Sunday. 

Super Coffee, you win.

The Wardrobe Issue.

I'm in the process of trying something new. After years of collecting clothes, I'm trying to minimize my wardrobe to the barest of essentials. This is uncommon for the ladies, but super normal for guys. I have friends that literally own one pair of pants and when those pants die, they replace them. It wouldn't even strike me as odd if they threw the old pair away in the store and wore the new ones out which basically makes them look like a homeless guy because everything else they have on is torn to shreds, but they have brand new $1 or - or $100 + pants on. If they have more than the six items they are typically seen in (medium condition sneakers or boots, no wait, always sneakers if they are this kinda guy, ok, so, sneakers, old jeans, token t-shirt, thermal shirt, usually zip sweatshirt sometimes pull-over, and some sort of windbreaker/leather jacket/denim jacket/or other variety of random pull it all together jacket so their mother doesn't worry. Oh - but guys love socks. What's that about? I could go on a serious tangent here, but I'll resist. I'm supposed to leave my apt in 4 minutes. Now I could go on a tangent about the common tardiness of New Yorkers - but I won't.

Sidenote - Why do men of all ages get a haircut before they see their mother? And if they don't, why do the mothers force the haircut on them? Shaved heads do not apply. 

In any case - I think I still have somewhere around too many items, but I'm trying to wear the same things. I have to say it makes getting dressed easier. High waisted blue jeans - we encounter the first problem - high pants mean I need heels. As I don't wear high heels everyday I already need two pairs of shoes. Wait. 3, I need 3 pairs of shoes. Heels, boots, moccasins. Grey tank top - problem 2. I'm a girl and should smell nice and wearing the same undershirt everyday leads me to smell more like a teenage  boy than desirable mid-twenties lady. Zip sweatshirt - the only problem here is that I have two zip sweatshirts I love and the one I like less has sentimental value - that's right boys. Chicks hang on to clothes because they have sentimental value. I don't know, we're sick and we need options. Or we're victims of a consumer based culture. Whoa. Not often do we/I (I am medium style) pull those tricks out of the bag.

 I gotta go. Let's finish the discussion at our next meeting.

The Bachelorette: The Final Rose

Friday night I went to bed at 5 am. Saturday night my cab dropped me at my door at 8 am. Right now, my body is good to go even though I was awake at noon. So, after an hour of tossing and turning and attempting every position possible (insert 'That's what she said' comment) I decided to give the people what they want. The final post in what will go down in history as medium style's The Bachelorette blog post trilogy.

It all comes down to one night. Will he propose? Will she accept?

After too many dates to too many New American Brooklyn restaurants and a lack of hot tub scenes, I've narrowed it down to two. Volvo guy and Whiskey guy. Here's the lowdown.

Volvo guy - he owns a car, reason enough to keep him.

Whiskey guy - Whiskey guy and I fell in love when I learned of his super coffee recipe. As you might have expected, there's a little whiskey in it. He wears really well loved black jeans and eats meat. We both have daydreamed about going to Nova Scotia since we were 8 and learned it existed. He makes money by making stuff and contributing to various media outlets with his vast knowledge of beverages. He makes me really nervous in a really good way which results in a lot of bad small talk, mostly by me.

It's the night I've been waiting for. I stand on a Brooklyn rooftop, better, a Queens rooftop near the airport. Throughout the evening planes fly yards above our heads. Volvo guy climbs up the ladder that leads to the expansive Queens rooftop. He sees me in the obvious Greenpoint girl gear, vintage floral dress, boots, and crazy hair blowing in the wind.

Before he has an opportunity to get down on one knee, I ask him for his keys to the Volvo. He passes them off and I say, cool, see ya. Limo interview goes down. He's sad and I've just swindled his car from him.

Whiskey guy pops up from the ladder and walks towards me. I smile from ear to ear because that's what girls do and say, "I choo choo choose you!" 

At which point he says, "Amazing! Is this like Joe Millionaire? Can I trade you in for cash?"

To which I respond, "No. This isn't FOX, it's medium style and I didn't want you to propose anyways, I just wanted someone to make coffee in the morning."

"Oh, so you just want me for my vast knowledge of beverages?"

At the same exact moment, a plane flies nearly 20 feet above our heads. I don't hear a single word out of his mouth.

"What?!"

"OH, SO YOU JUST WANT ME FOR MY VAST KNOWLEDGE OF BEVERAGES?!"

"Maybe I do! So what?"

Before we decide to move in together after knowing one another for approximately 2 weeks. Stereo guy returns and drops this 4' high steel stereo speaker on Volvo guys toes on the street below. He thought I chose him. Lucky for whiskey guy.

"Whiskey guy, what's your name anyways?"

"Otto."

"I like an Otto. Word. Let's be friends"

"Ok. So we don't have to get married or anything?"

"As long as you don't need a green card or something."

"No, I'm cool."

I'm a hundredaire.

I have hundreds of dollars.

The Bachelorette: Episode in the middle.

I had way too much fun writing the Bachelorette post and, since having already admitted my guilty pleasure, will revel a bit more in the pleasure I have writing about it as if I were on the show by writing a second post! I'm solely writing this post for the pure fun of it and the two people whom commented on the initial post.

Word. Skip ahead a few episodes from season premiere. I'm down to 6 guys and me. So far I've elected to keep the following, heck, let's give them nicknames like I do in real life:

1. Whiskey guy

Whiskey guy is the guy that walked out of the car with whiskey in hand, and not just any whiskey, Bulleit Whiskey, my whiskey. 

2. Volvo guy

He drove up in the Volvo station wagon featuring a worn away KEXP sticker on the back bumper. I used to have a crush on the car and wonder about the guy that drove it. He is the guy. (Note, I recently learned this is a unique thing that to my knowledge, only I do. I see an incredible 80s automobile and daydream about the owner.)

3. Stereo guy

He made me the the 4' high stereo speaker sculpture the first episode. He made me dinner the second episode. He wrote me a love letter the third episode. He asked my Dad if he might have his blessing the fourth episode. Every episode I try to get rid of him, but he just won't go away. (One year later he will be married and I will stalk him.)

4. & 5. I call them the 2 am guys because they showed up notably late, 2 am late, the first night. However, I am the girl that sometimes shows up for the best of the party and then rides the wave down with everyone. Sometimes, it's cool. Other times you just want to pass out. See me above with 2 am guy numero uno.

6. Re-try guy

We dated 3 years ago. He showed up, asked me if I made cookies. I did. The rest is history.

So, these are the six. Of the 6, none have children. 5 of them have seen Reprise. 4 have filled their first passport and are on their second. 3 drink too much and 3 drink too little. 2 might be gay. 1 is a vegan, but I'm pretty sure I saw him eat a piece of bacon. He must have commitment issues.

I'll let you know the final two soon enough. If I can't think of anything to write about, it could be before the end of the week.

Music worth checking out.

Recently I heard a song by Riceboy Sleeps on the 'Dark was the Knight' CD that's had more than a little attention (at least by the blogs, e-mails, and people I know). It's quite mellow and has a bit of an ambient/Sigur Ros sort of feel. While writing my nightly notebook piece, Riceboy's song 'Happiness' came on. I was then inspired to create a small playlist for bedtime. I'm alone in my bed writing in a notebook with a pot of chamomile tea on my nightstand sort of bedtime.

1. 'Happiness' by Riceboy Sleeps

2. 'Dull to Pause' by Junior Boys

3. 'Music for Airports' by Brian Eno

4. 'Staralfur' by Sigur Ros

5. 'Another Green World' by Brian Eno

*note. i did not add any images to this post because dark knight, aka batman images, kept coming up and this disappointed me. plus, i can't spend all day searching for the perfect image of a cd cover or a man known as riceboy, though he creates beautiful music.