tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23711399540957538552024-02-18T21:01:12.721-08:00Aretha BrightAretha Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16676301680980692046noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2371139954095753855.post-66482453672042066232014-10-10T12:24:00.000-07:002014-10-10T12:24:16.286-07:00Goodbye Dexter Nails<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello multi-color nails! It's been so fun since I got you this summer, but now it's time to say goodbye. <br />
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You were fun and happy, and many people recognized you from <i><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=dexter+nails&client=safari&rls=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=izMyVIqsFsSuogSmt4DIDw&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ#rls=en&tbm=isch&q=dexter%20nails%20ice%20truck%20killer&revid=2098422459&imgdii=_" target="_blank">Dexter</a></i>.<br />
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You lasted about 2.5 months.<br />
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You helped me "bond" with the grumpy post office lady, which was IMPOSSIBLE.<br />
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You withstood many ink explosions and paint splatters quite well. I think I will definitely be getting you again!<br />
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Thanks & Toodles. </div>
Aretha Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16676301680980692046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2371139954095753855.post-7040774522945872662014-10-09T19:22:00.000-07:002014-10-09T19:22:32.644-07:00Outlander - Brooding Scots Get Whipped and then Must be Bandaged and Sexed<b>I</b> was just talking about this with my mom the other day— people have been going absolutely bananas over the Outlander series, especially now that there's been a TV show adaption on <a href="http://www.starz.com/originals/outlander" target="_blank">Starz</a>.<br />
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Below, this is the <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=shirtless+outlander&client=safari&rls=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=NNkyVPD6J-mmigKr54H4Aw&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1502&bih=1190" target="_blank">steamy</a> "lass tending to the wounded man's bandages" scene before the epic sex:<br />
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Or something. I actually don't know anything about the book series at all, but I know it's a thing, and Scots are happening right now.<br />
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I know they just took a mid-season break until next year, which is LAME. I hate mid-season breaks.<br />
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But anyway. Who has watched this show?? How does it compare to the books? I want to hear your opinion.Aretha Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16676301680980692046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2371139954095753855.post-9197212981531127932014-10-08T12:42:00.002-07:002014-10-08T12:42:57.434-07:00BARF Gilmore Girls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>I</b> TRIED. I really did. </h2>
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All seven seasons of <i>Gilmore Girls </i>are available on Netflix now. I'd never wanted to see it before, but there's been such a fuss— I decided to watch the pilot and give it a chance.<br />
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It was as bad as I've heard! It was WORSE. I know it has a lot of fans and was super popular, but that mom is terrible. I couldn't get over how immature, childish, and selfish her character is... and she's supposed to be a "cool" mom who's friends with her daughter? Painful to watch. How on earth did they do 7 seasons of this?<br />
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I'm guessing the "good girl" daughter is going to have sex and it will be a disaster, the mom will find out, and "Oh my god, how could you?!" and big drama. "I don't want you to become pregnant like I did when I was your age!" Cue moral lesson.<br />
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Ok, how close am I? :P<br />
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The <b>COOL PART </b>was seeing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Padalecki" target="_blank">Jared Padalecki</a> (Sam from <i>Supernatural) </i>so young! And also <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Czuchry" target="_blank">Matt Czuchry</a> (Cary from <i>The Good Wife</i>). I had no idea they were on <i>Gilmore Girls— </i>surprise, surprise.<br />
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Grade: D<br />
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<br />Aretha Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16676301680980692046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2371139954095753855.post-34694756767903251562014-10-07T17:31:00.000-07:002014-10-07T17:31:29.471-07:00Vesti La Giubba - Pagliacci - One of my FAVES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/EIVbZtwRqIM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesti_la_giubba" target="_blank">Vesti la Giubba</a>" is a famous aria from the opera <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagliacci" target="_blank">Pagliacci</a>— </i>and one of my favorites. It's been used in so many things, I bet everyone's heard it at one time or another.<br />
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The above clip is sung by <a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=franco+corelli&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8" target="_blank">Franco Corelli</a>. He is amazing.<br />
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For those who aren't familiar with the opera, this scene is when Canio discovers his wife's infidelity, but must nevertheless prepare for his performance as Pagliaccio the clown because "the show must go on."<br />
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Smiling on the outside, crying on the inside.<br />
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If you want to jump right to the aria, it starts at 2:43.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
<br />Aretha Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16676301680980692046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2371139954095753855.post-85909834605242616892014-10-07T11:28:00.000-07:002014-10-07T11:28:06.339-07:00Peaky Blinders: Cillian Murphy Needs More Sex and a Sandwich<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0OgLkmYvJ9wekTAYaGBvwGujQO8sifyQF6SDdw_s41p8wkVYx-aIl6fusamPpRiHJu-A9QVcwetyR2j1ZOyEyq8FzCfBhyphenhypheneEHYb4GdngEnC_oVqm66rBqYBGtS-wB2VSa7L0wwZm-25m4/s1600/peaky-blinders-cillian-murphy-600-lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0OgLkmYvJ9wekTAYaGBvwGujQO8sifyQF6SDdw_s41p8wkVYx-aIl6fusamPpRiHJu-A9QVcwetyR2j1ZOyEyq8FzCfBhyphenhypheneEHYb4GdngEnC_oVqm66rBqYBGtS-wB2VSa7L0wwZm-25m4/s1600/peaky-blinders-cillian-murphy-600-lg.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></div>
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<i>Peaky Blinders </i>is a new Netflix Originals show— Season 1 went live Sept 30th, and Season 2 will be <a href="http://deadline.com/2014/09/peaky-blinders-netlfix-us-tom-hardy-video-840399/" target="_blank">coming</a> in November.<br />
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I have been loving Netflix shows lately<i>— </i>so I was totally on board to try another new one! So let's get into it: [SPOILERS BELOW]<br />
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It stars Cillian "Cheekbones" Murphy, who is normally gorgeous, but they make him look weird for this show— malnourished and super gaunt. WTH.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizV8oAGQ4MfPspy99iHTtuA5BXzxAQaEgWZBzM_JnXZTbCZoarL43tZl_JCpKOE1vF3Bxcl_PGdMDhWaneiDr50paT4F-onftcB39XU2GkmAf_7U4FCwZKAUPxefh432KpuJXmYxSWSGPa/s1600/cillian-murphy-peaky-blinders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizV8oAGQ4MfPspy99iHTtuA5BXzxAQaEgWZBzM_JnXZTbCZoarL43tZl_JCpKOE1vF3Bxcl_PGdMDhWaneiDr50paT4F-onftcB39XU2GkmAf_7U4FCwZKAUPxefh432KpuJXmYxSWSGPa/s1600/cillian-murphy-peaky-blinders.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyGRmzgCW8X-CjOcNAHbRuRy0ymzAD46AMHmj9Qvf7iz93QXMeFFfBKq_j-6cFb4h6rlriNkViVibWUE3Q_wTzYp6vnDSqkXhDF4jaJbQaLGiLaU_Omv_yBIO0wwoDZ-L0qqxBPz7uEjV/s1600/MV5BMjAzMzYyOTMyN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTc3MjM4OA@@._V1_SY317_CR3,0,214,317_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyGRmzgCW8X-CjOcNAHbRuRy0ymzAD46AMHmj9Qvf7iz93QXMeFFfBKq_j-6cFb4h6rlriNkViVibWUE3Q_wTzYp6vnDSqkXhDF4jaJbQaLGiLaU_Omv_yBIO0wwoDZ-L0qqxBPz7uEjV/s1600/MV5BMjAzMzYyOTMyN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTc3MjM4OA@@._V1_SY317_CR3,0,214,317_AL_.jpg" /></a></div>
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I can only surmise they did that because they didn't want his stunning looks to be too distracting.</div>
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He's also super grumpy. He's a grumpy criminal person in London, 1910ish, who runs books or something? Anyway, you know it's shady— and the whole family is in it. He's the leader. </div>
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I found the pilot a little confusing... but as soon as I saw Sam Neil, I knew I was gonna stick around: </div>
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I LOOOOOVE Sam Neil, who everyone obviously remembers from <i>Jurassic Park</i>, and more recently from <i>The Tudors. </i>He is the police captain in charge of busting Cillian Cheeks.</div>
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I'm so glad he's on this show and getting work, I want to see more of him everywhere. Unfortunately, I never got the feeling his character was ever a serious threat. They didn't give him enough time on screen. </div>
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Instead, we are left to ponder for 6 hours whether Grumpy is ever going to bone the barmaid-who's-really-working-with-the-police-undercover chick: </div>
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Played by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1834115/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t12" target="_blank">Annabelle Wallis</a><i>, </i>who was also Queen Jane on <i>The Tudors </i>as well. She is the boring love interest who CAN'T sing as well as she thinks she can— was it supposed to be slightly off-key? However she is super badass and is good in fights, no wilting flower. She also manages to get naked with Grumpypants and they have such great sex, his entire personality changes the morning afterwards. </div>
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All this star talent!!! Still, I found this show slightly lacking. It just needed... a little more. More explaining, more backstory, less "this criminal mastermind will never ever be caught by Sam Neil, so there's nothing to worry about," and thus no tension. I will be interested to see what's next in Season 2. </div>
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<b>Grade: C+</b>, but I'm openminded. More sex and food, less singing. </div>
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Your thoughts? Comments below! </div>
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Aretha Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16676301680980692046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2371139954095753855.post-19102482285607782682013-07-19T18:37:00.000-07:002014-10-05T20:05:15.496-07:00Saying Goodbye to My Nails<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A</span>fter three months of having the most beautiful, pointy, red nails, it was time to say goodbye.<br />
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On April 23rd I had my first set of gel nails put on, at Tootsie Toes in San Francisco. What color to choose? I looked at dozens of colors before settling on a blood red— "Can't go wrong with classic."<br />
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The process was a blur (a 2 hour blur) and afterwards, I got in my car— GIDDY with my new nails and just sat there, admiring them.<br />
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Here are my nails, minutes after I got them:<br />
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They have been so awesome, the best accessory ever. I can feel like an evil witch or I can feel glamorous, like Joan from <i>Mad Men. </i>It adds an element of femininity I've never had with my nails— it's like having long mermaid hair.<br />
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What was harder to do with long nails?<br />
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1. Texting<br />
2. Pushing the seat belt button<br />
3. Getting my contacts out<br />
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The first night I had my nails, I could NOT get my contacts out, and I just freaked. "What have I done?!" I figured it out eventually, though.<br />
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Here are my nails, after my natural nails had grown a bit, underneath. You can now see my nail beds and "moons":<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaUqrF5f3oM46_AKOiJk8dHBoS23pgDYiIjgsEjnpL8TS-3GjUeoH-5Qzq3IMZQPcNhD_hh06AmLSG0EitmIE2GbXdiVwT1P1TOOeBVDq_gwmUtQcq5GzORPoI57bQAxAmgOkjEF8SvfN/s1600/IMG_3198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaUqrF5f3oM46_AKOiJk8dHBoS23pgDYiIjgsEjnpL8TS-3GjUeoH-5Qzq3IMZQPcNhD_hh06AmLSG0EitmIE2GbXdiVwT1P1TOOeBVDq_gwmUtQcq5GzORPoI57bQAxAmgOkjEF8SvfN/s320/IMG_3198.jpg" height="320" width="264" /></a></div>
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<br />
^This was probably after a month and half. As my natural nail grows, the gel nails grow with them, so they start to get longer and longer— slowly.<br />
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I went back to Tootsie Toes to get a "fill." This means they file down the gel nail a little, strip the old color, and then re-paint. They never actually take OFF the gel nail, though.<br />
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This is what it looked like, afterwards. Slightly different red this time:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFbkxO9wRSffENutTsAk4JaqaHpaGIvuWaa_dNQ8yYIF2OKJd9Ia_afDjIGCAuB_Qzy-qWEcoRnbo0i_-Yr8H6CPeE0QK5P1pkV_MtyD7tDWZFg2E1jNdGoWbaTjgqtKZkLaHKPZlktIy/s1600/IMG_2695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFbkxO9wRSffENutTsAk4JaqaHpaGIvuWaa_dNQ8yYIF2OKJd9Ia_afDjIGCAuB_Qzy-qWEcoRnbo0i_-Yr8H6CPeE0QK5P1pkV_MtyD7tDWZFg2E1jNdGoWbaTjgqtKZkLaHKPZlktIy/s400/IMG_2695.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgGez5B_iIPNxYJuyuk28Ktx2ueWFigYMh2vJygbqmteDylJOn3NpkrJEVA4HcyIarQK__5ycryYHMBzITxFx3RLexA9BqmLNh10UYSPGYXmOPnCiOaeKrk_A1AXf_PWb9n0pqAVSWTXr/s1600/IMG_2696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgGez5B_iIPNxYJuyuk28Ktx2ueWFigYMh2vJygbqmteDylJOn3NpkrJEVA4HcyIarQK__5ycryYHMBzITxFx3RLexA9BqmLNh10UYSPGYXmOPnCiOaeKrk_A1AXf_PWb9n0pqAVSWTXr/s400/IMG_2696.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
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<br />
Just like new!<br />
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What was easier with long nails?<br />
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1. Tickling<br />
2. Typing<br />
3. Running my nails through my hair<br />
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I LOVED typing with long nails, feeling the "clack clack" noise they'd make on the keyboard.<br />
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Here are my nails in NY:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjac9_xBTomNx5mPsDzTKlWjhzVE-d3a9pfoSuZaHfCwn_BtrHGvUP2xye6-buGnU5k8dNWdwfUh8WibuPfM6nL9c4H-2JtGfXpSeH4lb6QIPek2fTKiX_yKrt0aHAD150Npj8vk42NIlHu/s1600/IMG_3250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjac9_xBTomNx5mPsDzTKlWjhzVE-d3a9pfoSuZaHfCwn_BtrHGvUP2xye6-buGnU5k8dNWdwfUh8WibuPfM6nL9c4H-2JtGfXpSeH4lb6QIPek2fTKiX_yKrt0aHAD150Npj8vk42NIlHu/s400/IMG_3250.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Then in mid-July, it was time to take them off. My real nails had grown almost as long as the gels, underneath. I had a couple incidents where the gels (now at their greatest length) got caught on the lip of the car door and also when opening a soda. SO painful. I was fortunate that my gels didn't "lift" off.<br />
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I made an appointment to get the gels taken off. I had the option to have a new set put in, but I'm going to let my real nails have a few cycles before putting gels on again. Keep 'em healthy and strong.<br />
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Taking the nails off took an hour, but was completely painless. The girl was very nice and filed the color off, then soaked the gel off in acetone, then cleaned up my nails and cut them.<br />
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Here's the color coming off:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg_tzl2u4oNm_-tsv6sEXWwPvuaUVLtTdfqvEaagV_3LXV_GgJvgAZPMYUfxZMw_y270s802q0YFgMg15m5-mSSebNtXCG7ZOztN6IJcDx9DdM69XaXCHqdB7vd0gdU2YOCsktvAQbBiQO/s1600/IMG_4081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg_tzl2u4oNm_-tsv6sEXWwPvuaUVLtTdfqvEaagV_3LXV_GgJvgAZPMYUfxZMw_y270s802q0YFgMg15m5-mSSebNtXCG7ZOztN6IJcDx9DdM69XaXCHqdB7vd0gdU2YOCsktvAQbBiQO/s400/IMG_4081.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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Here are the remains:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhNoHAQfp93HDI9upg8MXx4bsigxIeP9HAaj0gHHdR-vTH0ghy8sqLxrYOsqdmRsSMPPA3uuHJlLm1BdDA-3uq8SIPOLkv44zW2tXpK_8XQXF6G9aEybzrWstRun_BbAgkYd1XLmUkIjX/s1600/IMG_4087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhNoHAQfp93HDI9upg8MXx4bsigxIeP9HAaj0gHHdR-vTH0ghy8sqLxrYOsqdmRsSMPPA3uuHJlLm1BdDA-3uq8SIPOLkv44zW2tXpK_8XQXF6G9aEybzrWstRun_BbAgkYd1XLmUkIjX/s400/IMG_4087.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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I thought my nails were going to be yellow and disgusting underneath, but not really. Here they are, now. You can see the lines where the gels used to be, faintly:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7K_7GyMGqKk9DY1s3Cs_jf0Qmbbmkn4xjnyXen1TJoaw-zCAgMh6ErTvuceKoiftbmIy1G9u1U2irFUI0Q1TG76FyDiJflB1mKUnNAwENtzxb59FllTCxX1YfinpXuWFgrbjI6MEzWRBh/s1600/IMG_4088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7K_7GyMGqKk9DY1s3Cs_jf0Qmbbmkn4xjnyXen1TJoaw-zCAgMh6ErTvuceKoiftbmIy1G9u1U2irFUI0Q1TG76FyDiJflB1mKUnNAwENtzxb59FllTCxX1YfinpXuWFgrbjI6MEzWRBh/s400/IMG_4088.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<br />
So that is the end of my gels story. I can't wait to get another set! Maybe by Oct? I'm taking color suggestions :)<br />
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<br />Aretha Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16676301680980692046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2371139954095753855.post-81996855708238151452013-06-06T17:35:00.000-07:002014-10-05T20:05:38.190-07:00Goddammit Selena Gomez<h3>
I really didn't want to like Selena Gomez's new single "Come & Get It." </h3>
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The first time I watched the music video I just sat there cringing the whole time. "Poor Selena Gomez, how did she ever let herself be talked into this embarrassing, soft-racist vid shoot?" </div>
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Ok, that was a couple weeks ago. I accidentally heard it again on the radio a few days ago and I thought it sounded so catchy. Now I've listened to it 10x in a row. I still think the music video is HORRIBLE though: </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/n-D1EB74Ckg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Ugh, on a separate topic: Can you IMAGINE her and Justin Bieber having sex? Because I can't. </div>
Aretha Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16676301680980692046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2371139954095753855.post-32806912781569683042013-06-04T17:14:00.000-07:002014-10-05T20:05:54.508-07:0010 Things I Hated/Liked About New York<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Of course I ♥ NY, but I happened to visit during the worst heat wave ever...</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Five Things I Hated About New York</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1. The WEATHER. This easily makes my #1 on the list. It's way too fucking hot! Not like "Gee, isn't this sun great?" hot, but unbearable, in utter misery hot. And no wind. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It got to the point where the entire day would be planned around the heat. On my (1) day off from work, I just spent the entire time in my hotel room with the AC on. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2. The NOISE. I am NEVER going to ever watch a movie that takes place in NY the same way ever again. It's fucking bullshit— there was never a moment where car horns weren't <i>constantly </i>honking and beeping. I have never witnessed so many overzealous, insane drivers. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3. The RUDE PEOPLE. There def seems to be a "rude culture" thing going on in NY. They are just not as nice and relaxed as Cali people! [And I'm not biased at all...]</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">4. The $$$$-COSTS. Everything is so expensive!! </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">5. The SIZE. It's just too fucking big. It's like a small country, and there are so many people it's insane. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Totally overwhelming; it must be hard to meet new people. </span></span>Hair stylist confirmed this by saying the dating scene in NY sucks because everyone is just waiting for the next best thing to come around the corner— why settle down with (1) person when there's so many people to choose from?? </div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Five Things I Liked About New York</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1. Saying "I'M GOING TO NEW YORK" gets everyone in Cali all excited. It's cool to say you've been there. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">... </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I'm having writer's block right now and can't honestly think of anything that I liked, specifically, about "New York" on this latest trip, so for #2-#5 I'm going to list things that I absolutely loved when I visited NY when I was 10 years old. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2. The HOTDOG I got in Central Park. It was at the top of my "NY Trip" bucket list. My mom and dad took photos and everything. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3. The MUSEUMS. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">4. The STATUE OF LIBERTY. This was back pre- 9/11, when there wasn't crazy security everywhere. It was a great day trip and we wore our liberty crown hats all day. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">5. The CENTRAL PARK. I know we have our great GG Park here in SF, but Central Park was something else. It was so beautiful in spring, with tons of cherry trees in bloom. My mom and I tugged a huge low branch and it just started raining petals. </span></span></div>
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Aretha Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16676301680980692046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2371139954095753855.post-85968344841858536232012-08-22T14:29:00.000-07:002014-10-05T20:06:17.056-07:00ArmChair Birder<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>The Armchair Birder: Discovering the Secret Lives of Familiar Birds</b>, by John Yow</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghgxXZhcOsl9n-HxNVSbBEmo173Mrwd2kXp4sciOnIo-jTzud1qz6SUoUs9o46M3L1zsdyIFbYVxwu8vw8PcV6Cex6Px1lQmO0lVbpzdwGYCk4yRnqPiAH-SvICWveTUT4u5gwgXSTVHrE/s1600/SetWidth224-BMImg_33905_33905_Yow_armchair_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghgxXZhcOsl9n-HxNVSbBEmo173Mrwd2kXp4sciOnIo-jTzud1qz6SUoUs9o46M3L1zsdyIFbYVxwu8vw8PcV6Cex6Px1lQmO0lVbpzdwGYCk4yRnqPiAH-SvICWveTUT4u5gwgXSTVHrE/s320/SetWidth224-BMImg_33905_33905_Yow_armchair_web.jpg" height="320" width="193" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #0225a3; text-decoration: underline;"><i><a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B008X8SBZC&qid=1345664935&sr=1-1">The Armchair Birder</a></i></span><i> </i>is about a niche topic that is written so well, and with such charm and wit, it would captivate the most bird-indifferent imagination. For birders, especially the casual and recreational, Yow is the bee's knees. </span></div>
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The great thing about Yow’s book is that it’s all about <i>familiar </i>birds—what we see and hear about everyday, not the exotic. Bluejays, woodpeckers, mourning doves, eagles, wild turkeys, owls. </div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The anecdotes alone make for a memoir not soon forgotten. Yow talks about bird feelings and behaviors— as if they were humans, almost! Such a colorful array of bird personalities was fun to read about, as if the birds themselves were talking to Yow and sharing all their secrets. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>The Armchair Birder Goes Coastal: The Secret Lives of Birds of the Southeastern Shore</b>, by John Yow</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The sequel to <i>The Armchair Birder, </i><a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_2?asin=B008VGLQZI&qid=1345664980&sr=1-2"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #0225a3; text-decoration: underline;"><i>The Armchair Birder Goes Coastal</i></span></a> was another success. Yow's great wit and dry humor strikes again! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I will NEVER judge seagulls the same way again— I feel like I’ve been much too hard on them. Yow wrote the most sympathetic chapter on seagulls, it made me feel like a bad person. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Aren't you curious, now? </span></div>
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</span><b>Game, Set, Match: Billie Jean King and the Revolution in Women’s Sports</b>, by Susan Ware </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppJkcI15ph9YLT2sHVXWcxUG00NRkAMuQPlFeHH6voo4dAASC5C-JDVV7DRm9w6WvhINrG2iBx7FM7wiBaT0QBhoj8RYMnrOF9Pd4rtW71ztpGm8lGk0FPMHvzHPWf3oAjn7rzeciU1oq/s1600/10341469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppJkcI15ph9YLT2sHVXWcxUG00NRkAMuQPlFeHH6voo4dAASC5C-JDVV7DRm9w6WvhINrG2iBx7FM7wiBaT0QBhoj8RYMnrOF9Pd4rtW71ztpGm8lGk0FPMHvzHPWf3oAjn7rzeciU1oq/s320/10341469.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This is one of those books about a legend— the whole time you’re reading it you’re thinking, “Wow, Billie Jean is AWESOME.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #0225a3; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B008VGMFGC&qid=1345665026&sr=1-1"><i>Game Set Match</i></a></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i> </i>is a biography about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billie_Jean_King"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #0225a3; text-decoration: underline;">Billie Jean King</span></a>, the woman who "made" women’s tennis, and helped bring the world’s attention to women’s sports. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">She was also a closeted lesbian for a long time, and then later came out, before it was the least bit fashionable. Balls! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A great under-dog story, fantastic build up, with a satisfying end! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> <b>Border War: Fighting Over Slavery Before the Civil War</b>, by Stanley Harrold</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV6E7vZZTH2b7hKmjkljJaFfQxSMBYkyb6cwUyGFAzi6fBuwJ-3vKk0nyYaTNiPSVpQ3qlZoWixWOCw4PNIvz9rzmb-26pRzwHtxewmvnIiLKTvyOxqdgw0zRnv5ZZ87dsPahGf6APNEP8/s1600/harrold.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV6E7vZZTH2b7hKmjkljJaFfQxSMBYkyb6cwUyGFAzi6fBuwJ-3vKk0nyYaTNiPSVpQ3qlZoWixWOCw4PNIvz9rzmb-26pRzwHtxewmvnIiLKTvyOxqdgw0zRnv5ZZ87dsPahGf6APNEP8/s1600/harrold.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If you’ve ever seen a popular film or TV series about the Civil War, this book is catnip. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #0225a3; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_2?asin=B008X8SLQG&qid=1345665163&sr=1-2"><i>Border War</i></a></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> delves into how the border southern states had the highest slave runaway rates, so they came up with the most bizarre laws to stop it, and the ensuing struggles and debates were ferocious. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">There's plenty of action, and the "back-in-the-day" atrocities are entertaining, if you have the stomach for it. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Making Marriage Work: A History of Marriage and Divorce in the Twentieth- Century United States, </b>by Kristin Celello</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHeX_SPl0qO9kerUWYLwWorFP6e_4tAA_wNUyIUFok3fbcpBCA8gFLYKM14uMxCtbBtVxHjFMMXpe_y71sRL3HaMxPM41y8rGOdB4wNl_9DyFr4rRbHZb8VVTCTb9fwB5Xo3-B4nZRdLMe/s1600/19780807832523-193x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHeX_SPl0qO9kerUWYLwWorFP6e_4tAA_wNUyIUFok3fbcpBCA8gFLYKM14uMxCtbBtVxHjFMMXpe_y71sRL3HaMxPM41y8rGOdB4wNl_9DyFr4rRbHZb8VVTCTb9fwB5Xo3-B4nZRdLMe/s1600/19780807832523-193x300.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This book that really blows the lid off of the whole divorce “crisis.” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Remember Laura Kipnis’ <i>Love Polemic? </i> It was a diatribe of romance and monogamy, but <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_3?asin=B008VGMFCQ&qid=1345665223&sr=1-3"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #0225a3; text-decoration: underline;"><i>Making Marriage Work</i></span></a> is a great balance— tremendous research and investigation, but it’s not out there to judge you. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It has a wealth of information that will make you think about how the <i>idea</i> of marriage has evolved and been changed by political, environmental, religious, and cultural influences. This is a book that will be nodded to for a long time to come. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Work </i>is about how marriage has been defined not nearly so much by romance as by labor… a wonderfully provocative idea.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>The Price of Defiance: James Meredith and the Integration of Ole Miss</b>, by Charles W. Eagles</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithrdjEWlKs41Vy77oD_b5ydfSkM6vSSKiE8IZW0UxYb2IYksmwC1ADCdNIGcckcRJ8lNLHucDogzrF_sNDZtuLA9lJgMaEjnPyPRTKcQWF2nUjZZumNPS08JgzmxHh-cT2Jq81_EpXPMr/s1600/9780807832738_500X500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithrdjEWlKs41Vy77oD_b5ydfSkM6vSSKiE8IZW0UxYb2IYksmwC1ADCdNIGcckcRJ8lNLHucDogzrF_sNDZtuLA9lJgMaEjnPyPRTKcQWF2nUjZZumNPS08JgzmxHh-cT2Jq81_EpXPMr/s320/9780807832738_500X500.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This book is like the “college” of <i>Remember the Titans, </i>(2000) with Denzel Washington<i>. </i>Too bad he couldn't narrate! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #0225a3; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B008VVLQRG&qid=1345665270&sr=1-1"><i>The Price of Defiance</i></a></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i> </i>sets the scene of the white college life in Mississippi during the early 1960s: beauty queens, sororities & fraternities, keg parties, football, etc. Might sound familiar to a lot of colleges today? Except only white students were allowed to enroll at the University of Mississippi, or as they called it, <i>Ole Miss. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Everything hit the fan with the integration push in 1962 to allow African Americans to enroll at Ole Miss— a total page turner with awesome heroes to cheer for! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #0225a3; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Meredith">James Meredith</a></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> was the first African American to enroll at Ole Miss, and the day before the first day of school was so explosive, there ended up being fatal riots. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The children and grandchildren of alumni during those years can recount the stories, it completely impacted the community, even generations later. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Author Charles Eagles, a Mississippi historian, writes <i>Defiance</i> like a screenplay— great plots, characters, action. Is there a movie deal yet? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Not to be missed! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Music From the True Vine: Mike Seeger’s Life and Musical Journey</b>, by Bill C. Malone</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7y3KqQrjLIcpVBDrEmx7P-nZpndExGFE7ZPOnWyKlfMie4522SrGPhbSNcrxtCh1mHTvYUQLhrGExeSYQAfFXHxQUO65pRAAn7mGgo_Q2g0IKzC6k7BnpP9cO2zN1gNHyF2fddM0atJO/s1600/Music_from_the_True_Vine__11182_zoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7y3KqQrjLIcpVBDrEmx7P-nZpndExGFE7ZPOnWyKlfMie4522SrGPhbSNcrxtCh1mHTvYUQLhrGExeSYQAfFXHxQUO65pRAAn7mGgo_Q2g0IKzC6k7BnpP9cO2zN1gNHyF2fddM0atJO/s320/Music_from_the_True_Vine__11182_zoom.jpg" height="320" width="222" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">An audiobook for music-lovers. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Seeger"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #0225a3; text-decoration: underline;">Mike Seeger</span></a>, founding member of the influential folk revival band <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Lost_City_Ramblers"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #0225a3; text-decoration: underline;">New Lost City Ramblers</span></a>, along with his brother Pete Seeger ("We Shall Overcome") transformed American music, from the grass roots up. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">From the Introduction, by Bill C. Malone: </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Who is Mike Seeger? </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i> I was asked that question far too often after mentioning that I was writing his biography. And a second question frequently followed: "Is he related to Pete Seeger?" Trying not to show my irritation, I generally responded with, "Yes, he's his half brother, but he's a much more talented musican than Pete." </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>It is difficult to provide an adequate conversational, sound-bite assessment of Mike, though, when most people are very aware of the almost iconic status that his brother Pete occupies in American popular culture. Mike, on the other hand, always went about his work quietly and mostly below the radar of public recognition. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But there’s not an American folk or country music fan, there’s not one American rock or pop critic, who hasn’t paid homage to this man or fallen in love with his many songs and musicial discoveries. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Finally we have a biography that has all the humor, warmth, and campfire-style story telling that marks everything Seeger has been involved with turn into legend. </span></div>
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Aretha Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16676301680980692046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2371139954095753855.post-67142847212175041972012-05-14T09:00:00.000-07:002014-10-05T20:06:33.083-07:00Pupusa Quest: Balompie Cafe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyaxuXYoaBoHYz_pEiYM_4DU-L3cxRGzloerwMNpm9QgEWDBKK2f3snXHXIOXJsPTeTOA3CX1YbTdQHCZ_hHZ3Qnm9DqLxQ4U0RQNQG8J2JNqzz7FWy32dPzZ3wFke5tAw4kV1E1AA420T/s1600/2012-04-19+15.29.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyaxuXYoaBoHYz_pEiYM_4DU-L3cxRGzloerwMNpm9QgEWDBKK2f3snXHXIOXJsPTeTOA3CX1YbTdQHCZ_hHZ3Qnm9DqLxQ4U0RQNQG8J2JNqzz7FWy32dPzZ3wFke5tAw4kV1E1AA420T/s400/2012-04-19+15.29.19.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">W</span>elcome to <b>Balompie</b>. This restaurant is officially in the running for Aretha's #1 Favorite Pupuseria!<br />
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I didn't remember that I'd been here with Edher before on one of our first dates. I was distracted and nervous about ordering "the right thing"— I didn't want to make any faux pas! This time when I went to Balompie, it felt like the real first time.<br />
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Why did I like it so much? Combination of the food, variety, staff, location, and interior.<br />
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<b>Location:</b> It's located on 18th St between Capp and Van Ness, so super easy to find and right next to a million pub transpos.<br />
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<b>Interior: </b>Lots of tables. The middle of the restaurant is set up "family style" with 7 tables all placed together in a row. Big windows.<br />
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<b>Food:</b> Hands down, one of the best zucchini pupusas I've eaten yet. Subtle flavor but the cheese tastes more yummy w/ the zucchini than without. Trust me, it's amazing— and I'm mostly a meat eater. I also liked the beans and cheese, and the plain cheese was good, too.<br />
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<b>Variety:</b> This pupuseria has a larger variety of pupusas than other restaurants— that was fun!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hhvVJmb2Vz_0mOX5GbndM8ojoLnT1H1ScAfmaHRPVzWk-ei3tSQGDI5TkrijAkHWa3n3PYM0Gjq1iEp2hvEkNUsI0t_77cW1ieGkudYtF9G9diBhyphenhyphenRFXDZXL7nb8u_PSXPgFjpw4pNZn/s1600/2012-04-19+15.22.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hhvVJmb2Vz_0mOX5GbndM8ojoLnT1H1ScAfmaHRPVzWk-ei3tSQGDI5TkrijAkHWa3n3PYM0Gjq1iEp2hvEkNUsI0t_77cW1ieGkudYtF9G9diBhyphenhyphenRFXDZXL7nb8u_PSXPgFjpw4pNZn/s640/2012-04-19+15.22.36.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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Edher ordered the Camaron y Queso, Pescado y Queso, and Mariscos y Queso. He liked them all — (Disclaimer: Edher likes everything.) I found out that I don't like seafood pupusas— but a shrimp burrito can bring me to my knees.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFlPSHfxH0nW3lbSBF_iklZsh3R8rzI0xjWtcD60UCGHhcc33u3W-Qsx2_5NVQimTVHTa-199b5NuEEQHzI7uMzZRWFXhkrp1MAllISX9RxxyLzPIUepEQ2tJ0Q_Kx1Ag5NmlWCtzVDhpf/s1600/2012-04-19+15.29.33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFlPSHfxH0nW3lbSBF_iklZsh3R8rzI0xjWtcD60UCGHhcc33u3W-Qsx2_5NVQimTVHTa-199b5NuEEQHzI7uMzZRWFXhkrp1MAllISX9RxxyLzPIUepEQ2tJ0Q_Kx1Ag5NmlWCtzVDhpf/s400/2012-04-19+15.29.33.jpg" height="332" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mariscos Pupusas</td></tr>
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The beans and rice were fine, but honestly after three pupusas I was so stuffed I couldn't really enjoy them. I took them home to-go!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37eUujpSU09xRKJsGApDauvsZIP2jQ1Stdks2Ko1NHCJLRIg1ZZUBcFiCjjt9C9sszwOdRJ_dEy8ag429vKTI7WW6Emv1WKBJG4ZymLzAELJ3RJ8We54gXepG9Oq9ThVNJhK4tT18Ggl_/s1600/2012-04-19+15.29.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37eUujpSU09xRKJsGApDauvsZIP2jQ1Stdks2Ko1NHCJLRIg1ZZUBcFiCjjt9C9sszwOdRJ_dEy8ag429vKTI7WW6Emv1WKBJG4ZymLzAELJ3RJ8We54gXepG9Oq9ThVNJhK4tT18Ggl_/s400/2012-04-19+15.29.45.jpg" height="281" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beans & Rice </td></tr>
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<b>The Staff:</b> I developed a HUGE crush on our waitress. She was nice and laughed at all my dorky jokes. She made me feel cool instead of an awkward <i>gringita.</i> We were the only people in the restaurant so we got to talk to her a lot; I told her about my Pupusa Quest and she thought that was hilarious.<br />
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I'll be back soon!<br />
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Also: most people on <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/balompie-cafe-san-francisco" target="_blank">Yelp</a> also agree this place is pretty awesome. </div>
Aretha Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16676301680980692046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2371139954095753855.post-83247396010645710052012-05-12T17:58:00.002-07:002014-10-05T20:06:51.420-07:00Pupusa Quest: El Majahual<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitlGifR6W2KAWZKiYQSW_100wU1Hc5HmIharnndx17ih54QOebyhacZzQs8rfKjSqZqwLLhxAhCDP5GHUQQwLzUshzqyVuB2b4Gpve2CJL7IJPvZytvjlQ5a6fD7bk2GbR8l1lz-kyRrBc/s1600/CRW_1095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitlGifR6W2KAWZKiYQSW_100wU1Hc5HmIharnndx17ih54QOebyhacZzQs8rfKjSqZqwLLhxAhCDP5GHUQQwLzUshzqyVuB2b4Gpve2CJL7IJPvZytvjlQ5a6fD7bk2GbR8l1lz-kyRrBc/s400/CRW_1095.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Majahual<br />
1142 Valencia (Between 22nd & 23rd)<br />
(415) 821-7514<br />
Open Mon-Sun 11am-9pm</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">E</span>l Majahual is right in the middle of everything— a great location in the Mission. Arrived at 3:30pm on a Sunday, and it was full of people.<br />
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We were given our menus right away, but the overall service was slow... Edher had to go back in the kitchen to wrangle the waiter so we could place our order. It looked like there were only 2 people working there, a little understaffed, even for a small pupuseria.<br />
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One big highlight for me is that it was a nice place to sit and eat! It was clean, with light coming in through the windows and lots of people-watching action on the street outside. Inside, the restaurant is filled with bright colors and cute little tables.<br />
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They offer primarily Salvadorean and Columbian dishes— menu is pretty big!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGY7jjSbDL2fsdFpFmJq8r_wixRtcn6uSleiFiJ1b5UPZMqgkV7_fYcg4IKbvsnV7YaLbO625lmmKNS1JJUNoW2Xo2MrRlOpHALyAw9vWXYqyvHQzh07EmsmszcUexJ36RAwli1fNibaJ/s1600/IMG_1088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGY7jjSbDL2fsdFpFmJq8r_wixRtcn6uSleiFiJ1b5UPZMqgkV7_fYcg4IKbvsnV7YaLbO625lmmKNS1JJUNoW2Xo2MrRlOpHALyAw9vWXYqyvHQzh07EmsmszcUexJ36RAwli1fNibaJ/s400/IMG_1088.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pupusa Section of Menu </td></tr>
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The results?<br />
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-Water was ice cold (nice), and the horchata was sickeningly sweet (bad).<br />
-Chips were stale.<br />
-My pupusa revuelta was <b>amazing</b>. Perfect blend, leaves you wanting more. <br />
-Rice and beans were above average.<br />
-The cheese pupusa barely had any cheese in it! WTF<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVmefgOM5IRurGv8dBGbrDYyyqyBKun-ka7I7VMj7B2rkSnugD9etdCD0wAg32-eCTSPIW8D5u8v3MOg0nqt9fu5zQfUh-VziguzeZOef57xi0lvxXD23FR19u5wKlFtzVACdM-4jjxfw/s1600/CRW_1094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVmefgOM5IRurGv8dBGbrDYyyqyBKun-ka7I7VMj7B2rkSnugD9etdCD0wAg32-eCTSPIW8D5u8v3MOg0nqt9fu5zQfUh-VziguzeZOef57xi0lvxXD23FR19u5wKlFtzVACdM-4jjxfw/s320/CRW_1094.jpg" height="279" width="320" /></a></div>
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Conclusion: Go back and get 10 pupusa revueltas, skip the horchata. Don't go when you're starving and/or cranky— you need a patient mood to enjoy this place.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdfiNMhpt4CKFII_8ZxamaUObDeCARL0SPUECt9qMImGvwNZ3_eEkoQ4UFyCz38FYJmSFb9Ehq0nInWHJfPAl23R-cOzjAYg54eAgaJjfPnir1_c6pijnX7FSesBLniMk9HkqUfY98yIZb/s1600/CRW_1097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdfiNMhpt4CKFII_8ZxamaUObDeCARL0SPUECt9qMImGvwNZ3_eEkoQ4UFyCz38FYJmSFb9Ehq0nInWHJfPAl23R-cOzjAYg54eAgaJjfPnir1_c6pijnX7FSesBLniMk9HkqUfY98yIZb/s400/CRW_1097.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Benito & Chicken were also at the luncheon</td></tr>
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Aretha Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16676301680980692046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2371139954095753855.post-18749389372894143172012-05-10T14:48:00.000-07:002014-10-05T20:10:45.478-07:00My FIRST Book! My New Baby :)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I</span>'m thrilled to announce the debut of my first book:<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Mother/Daughter Sex Advice</span>" by Susie & Aretha Bright! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKS0NhuzG7U65FSFnFL2jjIptf24iyfpqf58bIge5wkiGRz2jm4e1BU1zoECaGK6SOXZsDzr3txBXnA7RVGGZwkeQRAlrwpUF9_iXtLbw7vhxj1m54_p_b9wGVLNo5TUU94FVi8HpcQR6J/s1600/MDSA+pink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKS0NhuzG7U65FSFnFL2jjIptf24iyfpqf58bIge5wkiGRz2jm4e1BU1zoECaGK6SOXZsDzr3txBXnA7RVGGZwkeQRAlrwpUF9_iXtLbw7vhxj1m54_p_b9wGVLNo5TUU94FVi8HpcQR6J/s320/MDSA+pink.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 13px;">Welcome to the "girl-talk" you thought you'd never hear in public!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 10pt;">Now available on Amazon:<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/ASIN/B0080A92QK/?tag=susiebrightcom" style="color: #005599; text-decoration: underline;" target="_self"> Mother/Daughter Sex Advice.</a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 10pt;">We are a Mother/Daughter team of veteran columnists from Jezebel.com, whose readers flooded them with explicit dilemmas about sexual pleasures and disasters, body issues, dating, relationships, and young marriage. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 10pt;">Chapters include: </span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 30px;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 10pt;">“Dumped After 4 Years... and Still a Virgin”</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 30px;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 10pt;">“Will I Ever Get Used To Anal Sex?”</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 30px;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 10pt;"> “I Have A Tendency To Throw Up Every Time My Boyfriend Comes In My Mouth”</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 30px;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 10pt;">The Boy Who Didn’t Like Doggie</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 30px;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 10pt;">“How Can I Get My Girlfriend to Shave Her Pubic Hair?”</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 30px;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 10pt;">“I’m A Girl Who Comes Too Fast”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 10pt;">We were 52 and 19 when the column started. Was their advice column going to be an unending nightmare of <em>TMI</em>? We had to open the envelope to find out. Each took turns with the same questions, and that’s when the eye-opening arguments began! </span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 10pt;">If you want cutting-edge sex advice that goes beyond pregnancy-and-disease-control, if you’re ready to hear family conversations about sex that are real and refreshing (if not always agreeable!)— if you’re primed to move beyond<em> Our Bodies Ourselves</em>— this is the book for you.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/ASIN/B0080A92QK/?tag=susiebrightcom" style="color: #005599; text-decoration: underline;" target="_self">On sale now for $8.99</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 12pt;">Wanna Write a Review? </span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 12pt;">WIN an Iron Chastity Belt— or Hitachi Magic Wand! (Your Choice) </span> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 10pt;">1. Post a quick customer review on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/ASIN/B0080A92QK/?tag=susiebrightcom" style="color: #005599; text-decoration: underline;" target="_self">Amazon</a> by May 25!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 30px;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/ASIN/B0080A92QK/?tag=susiebrightcom" style="color: #005599; text-decoration: underline;" target="_self"></a><a href="mailto:motherdaughtersexadvice@gmail.com" style="color: #005599; text-decoration: underline;" target="_self">Email us</a> a link to any <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/ASIN/B0080A92QK/?tag=susiebrightcom" style="color: #005599; text-decoration: underline;" target="_self">Amazon review</a> you post about our book, and we’ll put your name in a May 28 drawing for a deluxe iron chastity belt! — Or a Hitachi Magic Wand. (Your Choice). </span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 30px;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 10pt;">Yes, the chastity belt is <em>real</em>. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 10pt;">2. Take your shot on GoodReads-- deadline May 25! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 10pt;">Do you write about your reading list on Goodreads, Library Thing, Reddit, The Well?</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 30px;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="mailto:motherdaughtersexadvice@gmail.com" style="color: #005599; text-decoration: underline;" target="_self">Send us</a> a link to your review and we’ll put your name in a May 28 drawing for a complete set of Susie and Aretha’s <a href="http://susiebright.blogs.com/mother_daughter_sexadvice/%20http://susiebright.blogs.com/mother_daughter_sexadvice/recommended-reading-.html" style="color: #005599; text-decoration: underline;" target="_self">7 all-time favorite sex-advice books</a> .</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 10pt;">3. Attn: Blog Sluts Who Can’t Shut Up & Journalists Under Fire </span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 30px;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 10pt;">Yes, we want your critique, your dissection, your interview.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 30px;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 10pt;">Let’s make a date to run a story and we’ll give you all the goodies you need: photos, excerpts, uncensored interviews!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 30px;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 10pt;">We’re available to you all this month, until May 28. <a href="mailto:motherdaughtersexadvice@gmail.com" style="color: #005599; text-decoration: underline;" target="_self">Email</a> us: motherdaughtersexadvice@gmail.com</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;"><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://susiebright.blogs.com/.a/6a00d8341c5e4053ef0168eafd8605970c-pi" style="color: #005599; text-decoration: underline;"><img alt="Chastitybelt" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341c5e4053ef0168eafd8605970c" src="http://susiebright.blogs.com/.a/6a00d8341c5e4053ef0168eafd8605970c-320wi" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Chastitybelt" /></a> </span></div>
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Aretha Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16676301680980692046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2371139954095753855.post-38013207309644877072012-04-27T21:37:00.001-07:002014-10-05T20:07:12.193-07:00Falsies: Love/Hate<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNNAfSrNyDssvE1BLxHEAkXcrGQA1tUobrlhPmnHNSeCBxF7o1K6WS5H7S3JPhxCyRQqpD5ImL-pQeSi6ZcoLFVDBCYanZbUxKRJiMyOGeLMFVU5t8EFIGDhogXy6pm2bIU0CsPSVXpou/s1600/Photo+on+2012-04-27+at+20.28+%237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNNAfSrNyDssvE1BLxHEAkXcrGQA1tUobrlhPmnHNSeCBxF7o1K6WS5H7S3JPhxCyRQqpD5ImL-pQeSi6ZcoLFVDBCYanZbUxKRJiMyOGeLMFVU5t8EFIGDhogXy6pm2bIU0CsPSVXpou/s400/Photo+on+2012-04-27+at+20.28+%237.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Falsies Headache</td></tr>
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<b>I</b> love looking at false eyelashes in the store— I fantasize about having real lashes that are that long and thick. I can't really complain because my lashes are <i>fine. </i>They are long "enough" by anyone else's standards. Well, that hasn't stopped me from dabbling in falsies, anyway.<br />
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I've gotten my individual lashes, half-sies, and full eyelash sets from Walgreens. Yeah, I know. I'm not really going out of my way to get the best stuff. Some of lashes from Walgreens has been great and cheap. I haven't had a lot of luck w/ their fullsies— I can't tell I'm wearing them, and they don't bend around the shape of my eye well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmboFI46qqhXexIpPvwuT2MkX8j9fzH0U8tfdpCG1Q6_aFNn2vhrQxOeGTuGOhrCjTZLVwPngE9faaAZ0nIm4ylUQCnfM3kBta7GMCmjiUghoT-4t_acRl4CDx9qeqE-4VDu8RiYI77lc/s1600/IMG_0591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmboFI46qqhXexIpPvwuT2MkX8j9fzH0U8tfdpCG1Q6_aFNn2vhrQxOeGTuGOhrCjTZLVwPngE9faaAZ0nIm4ylUQCnfM3kBta7GMCmjiUghoT-4t_acRl4CDx9qeqE-4VDu8RiYI77lc/s320/IMG_0591.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My real eyelashes</td></tr>
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I stepped in Good Vibrations around the Valentine season and fell in love with this HUGE pair of falsies. I convinced myself that $10 wasn't too much to spend, and that I would make them last (I usually spend like $5 at Walgreens). They were soft like a big feather, and were almost two inches long.<br />
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I never wore them because they just looked so theatrical and I figured I'd had to wait for the right event/date. Well, that turned out to be tonight. I was listening to Adele and getting all teary (who doesn't?) and it just happened. It took twenty minutes to put them on, and I know it was 20 minutes because I listened to "Someone Like You" 5x while I was putting them on.<br />
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It was as hard as I thought it was going to be. They were just enormous and hard to hold in place while the glue dried. They were being jerks... is there anyway better to describe it? The one on my right was particularly uncooperative. I'd have it in place, my tweezer nudging one end perfectly in the corner of my eye, and then all of sudden it would "spring!" out of place. I tried putting the <i>glue</i> on my eye, and <i>then</i> putting the falsie on top. That didn't work.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOoQRjl72fnO64OPCbvvh9LppPw1laBwnH3brebQQ2hJy8eP6Seja7BCRSiKn8V1lD1Pak35DpspdBhJy6WPfCpamUKuxR1O7v-BCqiKhNgm3akVl8Ho503QvlmLhKNztnxJUjehxqoFKe/s1600/Photo+on+2012-04-27+at+20.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOoQRjl72fnO64OPCbvvh9LppPw1laBwnH3brebQQ2hJy8eP6Seja7BCRSiKn8V1lD1Pak35DpspdBhJy6WPfCpamUKuxR1O7v-BCqiKhNgm3akVl8Ho503QvlmLhKNztnxJUjehxqoFKe/s400/Photo+on+2012-04-27+at+20.17.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Heh. I finally got them on."</td></tr>
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I finally got them to stay. I blasted "Good Feeling" by Flo Rida and enjoyed them for 15 minutes.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMJisO4cwxdJ2u-6cO47oDhg5S3JNzXhmPkCBlMQH2I5cZAX_ENGuGaMjxBCel1vN6f-Tubqs4BgKYZLomGgey0KyHyiYvOh93dcOItAcuUpEF1sfe4VcQ4y4Kqp3kKoawl1oMHIDLeiw/s1600/Photo+on+2012-04-27+at+20.25+%232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMJisO4cwxdJ2u-6cO47oDhg5S3JNzXhmPkCBlMQH2I5cZAX_ENGuGaMjxBCel1vN6f-Tubqs4BgKYZLomGgey0KyHyiYvOh93dcOItAcuUpEF1sfe4VcQ4y4Kqp3kKoawl1oMHIDLeiw/s320/Photo+on+2012-04-27+at+20.25+%232.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sigh... Looks pretty, right? My right eye is in pain.</td></tr>
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Then they felt too uncomfortable so I peeled them off (and they had started to fall off a little). I'll be shopping for more in the future... I'll find the right size eventually! Not discouraged.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Angry Monkey" Aretha. Lol my left falsie is coming off... </td></tr>
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<br />Aretha Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16676301680980692046noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2371139954095753855.post-91338414278769149502012-04-23T12:18:00.000-07:002014-10-05T20:10:18.837-07:00Everett & Jones BBQ: Tyra Banks Approved<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everett and Jones BBQ<br />
126 Broadway, Oakland, CA<br />
(510) 663-2350</td></tr>
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<b>M</b>y second restaurant venture in West Oakland w/ Honey was at Everett & Jones BBQ. When we arrived there was already a line waiting to get in— and the hostess was having a hard time managing.<br />
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It smelled great inside, and it was loud. The crowd was unlike anything you'd normally see in SF— middle and upper-class African-Americans, almost exclusively. Families, couples, SATC quartets, everyone was there.<br />
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There were these three girls sitting across from us in the lobby, all on their phones, all in their "zones." I could tell they'd been to this place before.<br />
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Every table had a sunflower and a red gingham tablecloth. I liked the decor a lot! We got a window seat in a slightly quieter section. </div>
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We had already scoped out the menu while we waited and decided on the 'Four-Way Combination Plate' which "feeds two people." </div>
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Don't forget about the 'Tyra Approved' Photo on the menu. </div>
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I got lemonade and Honey got 'Saucy SISTAH Ale.' Honey said she felt tipsy after 3 sips. Likewise, I thought the lemonade was super strong. What did they <i>put </i>in there? </div>
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When the food arrived, we were both appalled (in a good way). It's a LOT of food! We had ordered the macaroni & cheese, cole slaw, and baked beans as sides. </div>
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The ribs were the best, hands down. There were fantastic! Tender tender tender. The sauce was thick and strong. Chicken slid right off the bone. Macaroni lasted 30 seconds. We ate and ate until we couldn't eat anymore, and there was still plenty left. </div>
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My hands were covered in BBQ sauce so I excused myself to the bathroom. There were already two girls at the sink, and there were having heavy chow-chow gossip time. One of them had been sitting right next to Honey and I with her boyfriend— guess it wasn't going so well— she had a lot of sour things to say about her man. She was incensed that she "always" had to pick the restaurant, manage the conversation, and "do everything." She and her friend (who was on her own date?) both agreed that men suck. Then she whined that she looked fat in her outfit (she didn't) but I don't blame her because that food was <i>heavy</i>. You don't come to this restaurant in your skinny jeans. </div>
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I had already feigned washing my face so I could eavesdrop, so I had to leave the bathroom and go back out. When I sat down I felt like I should say something to the boyfriend— a warning, maybe? I didn't say anything. </div>
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Honey and I went to the Boardwalk next, and the view of the port was stunning. There was jazz music, tourists, and trains rumbling by... a nice way to end the evening. </div>
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Don't forget your sunscreen! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, sunburned</td></tr>
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<br />Aretha Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16676301680980692046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2371139954095753855.post-61450556095281436472012-04-22T16:00:00.000-07:002014-10-05T20:09:58.167-07:00Pupusa Quest: Oakland Port<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comalapa Restaurant<br />
1498 7th Street, Oakland, CA<br />
(510) 763-1467</td></tr>
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My Sunday in Oakland was a blast. My godmother, Honey, is a recent transplant in West Oakland and has begun to scope all the good restaurants around town! She had told me that there was a great pupuseria right next to the West Oakland Bart. She had brought me a couple pupusas from there before a few months ago, but it was kind of a distant memory. She also told me there was a good BBQ place nearby called <b>Everett & Jones BBQ</b>, which serves drool-worthy ribs. We decided to try both restaurants in one day, and hang out at the park down by Oakland's ports.<br />
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The pupuseria is called <b>Comalapa Restaurant</b>, and it's right across the street from the Bart station. It's small, with a couple of tables inside. There were some women already patting pupusas when we walked in. We ordered (3) pupusas; beans & cheese, chicken & cheese, and zucchini & cheese. I took some snaps of the menu.<br />
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The women were super friendly. We decided to walk down the street while we waited. We ventured into a hipster cafe called <b>Revolution Cafe & Brewing Co.</b> It had tons of interesting things on the walls, a piano, a harpsicord, lots of cushy arm chairs, and a lovely outside patio for smokers. The owner's name is Miriam, and she couldn't be a day over 35 yrs. She looked so young! Both her and the barista were charming and welcoming. They host parties in the <i>back</i> back yard, which is usually closed to customers. I got one of their menus too!<br />
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Back at <b>Comalapa</b>, the pupusas were done. Smelled great. We took them to-go and drove to Oakland Port, where the huge park is—think Dolores Park w/ a view of the bay, but completely empty. We found a picnic table right by the water.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pupusas/ Oakland Port/ View of </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken pupusa & Bean pupusa</td></tr>
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The pupusas were <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">AMAZING. </span>If I lived in Oakland, the pupusa quest would be <i>over</i>. I mean, these were just insane. Cheese was perfect, and the flavor knocked me on my ass. My favorite was zucchini, but they were all super close. The chicken was marinated to perfection and juicy. We shared the three pupusas and I felt like an idiot— why hadn't I ordered 10? I'm dying for some right now as I type this.<br />
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Nothing will beat the nostalgia and memories of my beloved <b>Brisas de Acapulco</b> (RIP) but <b>Comalapa</b> wins for taste and service! I can't wait to go back again, and this time I'm ordering a dozen just to take home for later.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oakland Port Park</td></tr>
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Honey and I walked around the park and looked at the views of the bay and the port. It felt like something out of <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wire_(season_2)" target="_blank">The Wire: Season Two</a>. </i>Where was the union boys and the Greek mobsters? It was very quiet– typical of a Sunday.<br />
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There were Canadian geese everywhere, and they're fun to watch. There was this couple eating grass next to us, and they both had distinctly different personalities. One was hyper alert and kept glaring at us. The other was completely unconcerned w/ everything except eating, and snipped all the grass around it, never raising its head or looking up.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hungry Goose & Grumpy Goose</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grumpy Goose against the City </td></tr>
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The park was lovely, and as we were leaving, there was a huge Mexican family throwing a party— it looked like there was around 100 people. Good times! I'll be back :)<br />
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<b>Up next: Everett & Jones BBQ. </b><br />
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Aretha Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16676301680980692046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2371139954095753855.post-28842196622849525602012-04-21T16:53:00.000-07:002014-10-05T20:09:20.761-07:00Papusa Quest: Alemany Farmer's Market<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pupusas & Tamale... all gone! </td></tr>
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Today is the most beautiful sunny day of the year so far, right?! When I woke up at 8 o'clock there was already sun shining on my room through the curtains. Weather prediction: 83º degrees.<br />
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Edher and I had a breakfast date— destination unknown. We went through Glen Park first and window shopped... everyone was out w/ their shorts, summer dresses, and sunglasses. I wanted to find somewhere in the Mission to eat, but on the way there we saw a sign for the Alemany Farmer's Market and decided to take a detour. </div>
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Edher was starving and we were both thirsty so we headed straight for the back of the market where all the hot food tents were. Empanadas, huaraches, tacos, pizza, pupusas— so hard to choose! We decided to go with <b>Estrellita's Snacks</b>, which served tamales and pupusas. There was a short line and lots of people waiting for their orders on the side. Looked like a good bet. I ordered a pupusa revuelta and a chicken & cheese pupusa, Edher got a chicken tamale. We waited a long time and baked in the sun. We wandered over to a food stand selling spreads and afghan breads/naans. The samples were amazing! My favorite was the naan stuffed w/ potato in pesto dip. </div>
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Back at Estrellita's, there was a little girl and her mom waiting for their pupusas, squeezed into the small patch of shade that everyone was sharing. It made me so nostalgic to see them— I remember being that age and coming to the Farmer's Market with my godmother, Honey. I don't remember the food so much as I remember being face-to-face w/ lots of knees, and watching the street performance shows. I could tell this little girl was getting impatient waiting for the food, so I amused her by making faces when Edher tried to put sunscreen on my face. </div>
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Ok, now for the food judgement: The drinks we got were good— the piña juice I got was super refreshing and just the right amount of sweetness. The pupusas sucked! The cheese was not up to par— tasted watery, not enough of it, mediocre taste. The other ingredients tasted bland, and the flavors were just not right. Edher ended up eating the rest of my chicken pupusa because I didn't want to finish it. That is a first-time for me! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flower from Farmer's Market</td></tr>
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The good news: The tamale was excellent. Chicken, potato, no bones, great masa. Next time I'll get two of those. YUM. </div>
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We walked up and down the hills in Bernal Heights till we got to Mission St, and then we did errands. While we were walking, we passed by a house that had a white teddy bear that was sitting on top of their brown bin trash can! The bear looked a little dirty, but definitely not worth throwing away. The trash bins were in a gated enclosure, it might as well have been this teddy's death row cell. We broke him out! Dusted him off, and brought him home. He will get a bath later today. I've decided to call him 'Nieve' (Snow) for the time being. He is very soft, and has a nice face. He got a few compliments on the bus. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edher & Nieve waiting for the bus, outside 'El Gran Taco Loco'</td></tr>
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I have so many teddies and babies already, I can't really keep this one, but I will be a foster parent in the short term. Does anyone want a nice bear? Let me know! He needs a permanent home. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nieve on the 49 Mission Bus</td></tr>
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Aretha Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16676301680980692046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2371139954095753855.post-60545480500512329342012-04-08T22:57:00.000-07:002014-10-05T20:08:59.777-07:00Why Couldn't Jesus Have Hurried Up?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I</span></b> was so excited to see the Hunky Jesus Contest today in Dolores Park. Edher and I got there super early, when the little kids were hunting for eggs. We brought our bear "Benito," who was very popular with the children. We ended up using him as a double pillow on the lawn.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edher & Benito </td></tr>
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A couple hours later the whole place was PACKED, with "special cookie" vendors combing the crowds. Beautiful sunny day. Perfect for a party.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Ok— it doesn't look sunny, but it was. </td></tr>
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There was pumping techno, live bands, burlesque, and an Easter Bonnet contest, which was awesome. It seemed like every man there was wearing an awesome hat.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHY_vMBl9Gljd04ZtvVzunrWs4tagxwjBier0tleE6LwgTOYIE7Y3jk14a2bQMG1JjcJZY5aNV1tK9swKUWiDmc_bYE8wayzoXEVlIzP3gZkEwaLNMhWcuyXXVPTdYFZEun6dLpc5Nz6au/s1600/IMG_1029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHY_vMBl9Gljd04ZtvVzunrWs4tagxwjBier0tleE6LwgTOYIE7Y3jk14a2bQMG1JjcJZY5aNV1tK9swKUWiDmc_bYE8wayzoXEVlIzP3gZkEwaLNMhWcuyXXVPTdYFZEun6dLpc5Nz6au/s400/IMG_1029.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flower Disco </td></tr>
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Some people took it to the next level... </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyXI5Zxs-Rf_WW3R29x6lIn4ZbsNgupKI45cnV7UVoUAspKKWiKUF-JEC5VcKAWJR_oQmOG9aT__Oz4CYzZ-VpKn-WPNzhfAHoQQ5MtHfr0lJa3CVGuNP09NRSU2__zvNo7Exi07rng7H/s1600/IMG_1052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyXI5Zxs-Rf_WW3R29x6lIn4ZbsNgupKI45cnV7UVoUAspKKWiKUF-JEC5VcKAWJR_oQmOG9aT__Oz4CYzZ-VpKn-WPNzhfAHoQQ5MtHfr0lJa3CVGuNP09NRSU2__zvNo7Exi07rng7H/s400/IMG_1052.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ken Barbies Lounge</td></tr>
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Most people who staked out a spot on the grass were clearly veterans. Ice chests, tents, beer, burritos, chips, dip, etc. Me and Edher just brought Benito. </div>
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We socialized and watched all the entertainment, holding our breath for the Hunky Jesus Contest to begin. We took a nap. We got sunburned. By 2:30pm we were starving so we bailed and got pupusas on Valencia St. It was delish! Then we got sleepy and decided to go home. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisnZ_vxQQp0iGWE_6Qmm6s3HEQYjD3k6D1GanWArSZgXOQZOU0o01_RP8061XNYVaKWZKbW1-7Diu7E1xbLHi3CGekZeYlrJESYIowF3htymBQ_yCEKnfA3u8mKkdNS0W2wZ0SEhxcTxpr/s1600/IMG_1112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisnZ_vxQQp0iGWE_6Qmm6s3HEQYjD3k6D1GanWArSZgXOQZOU0o01_RP8061XNYVaKWZKbW1-7Diu7E1xbLHi3CGekZeYlrJESYIowF3htymBQ_yCEKnfA3u8mKkdNS0W2wZ0SEhxcTxpr/s400/IMG_1112.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edher & Me on Bart going home :) </td></tr>
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It was a wonderful Easter! Sorry Hunky Jesus, we'll catch ya next year. </div>
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Aretha Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16676301680980692046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2371139954095753855.post-57425325237262263072012-04-08T09:31:00.000-07:002014-10-05T20:08:42.641-07:00Easter Basket<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPZeeVDfMnfWpwn0aawdTh5mxWvpH5XV3tZ_-TZzMwglsD6WHyYnB9VCyhVXAvYwqkKi_O7Z0OqAgbi6J6IiPL4oAk8VAjkXatFhcH2_ag1wyEJKHxlwFyRH0EBORzzipp-2Zb_t-Yqsi/s1600/bunny-206391-300x225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPZeeVDfMnfWpwn0aawdTh5mxWvpH5XV3tZ_-TZzMwglsD6WHyYnB9VCyhVXAvYwqkKi_O7Z0OqAgbi6J6IiPL4oAk8VAjkXatFhcH2_ag1wyEJKHxlwFyRH0EBORzzipp-2Zb_t-Yqsi/s320/bunny-206391-300x225.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bunnies I wish I had</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>H</b></span>appy Easter Everyone : )<br />
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I have a tradition in my family for Easter morning. My dad would always hide my easter basket and leave a string trail for me to follow. A lot of times it involved me crawling under things, going outside, etc. I have found my basket under the sink, under a pile of laundry, and in the dog bed.<br />
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This year I did the same with thing with my boyfriend, Edher. This was his first Easter basket ever!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitVCXUpcO2vUKky_rJEfClOXV1vX_R6Cdw85VG4Ojms8WqfdcWk9_kHyItS53Abhgq3Mf9HgSGVDba-Ulbg4jUfcc2AVtTYH7ozVd7HPlCoRZxG8oYDCrDOZgwVGAy2Z0nN-MJZuCEFKHn/s1600/tricolor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitVCXUpcO2vUKky_rJEfClOXV1vX_R6Cdw85VG4Ojms8WqfdcWk9_kHyItS53Abhgq3Mf9HgSGVDba-Ulbg4jUfcc2AVtTYH7ozVd7HPlCoRZxG8oYDCrDOZgwVGAy2Z0nN-MJZuCEFKHn/s1600/tricolor.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tricolor Ice Cream </td></tr>
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There's a clip from Gabriel Iglesias' show called "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbppTv4pCGQ" target="_blank">Racist Gift Basket</a>." Edher LOVES this clip, we've both watched it a million times. I decided to do a Peruvian version. I went all over SF yesterday getting little peruvian things like Tricolor Ice Cream, little panflutes, Lucuma flour, a little llama baby, and more.<br />
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I woke up at 6:00am this morning and hid his basket, leaving a complicated string obstacle course trail (w/ eggs and presents along the way). Well, <i>I </i>thought it was complicated. Edher easily stepped over things that I was crawling under and getting rug burn.<br />
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It was cute to watch, and Edher immediately wanted to try his ice cream.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzsqhmTi7gaRQjw0UrBYugHFAZ-VE9qxA8eCZRIX5fmPxiqu-ROPD8vq4k0Ve7payFNCLClHCvBwNLc0G4mwg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter Day! <b>Up Next: Hunky Jesus Contest </b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Tricolor Ice Cream </i>Photo By Omega Zero </span></div>
Aretha Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16676301680980692046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2371139954095753855.post-2681823840518803352012-04-07T08:00:00.000-07:002014-10-05T20:08:25.912-07:00Papusa Quest: El Salvador Restaurant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Ru1Kf0JV-aa22-3b6UbLlBkvbcTu10Eh9mYLxZOm_kmJcKok_E8cUg5zp-fNnO5Dmocu4eqElihfCxIt0Er2igiggXE2u6vi3oikvnjWho9_Zd_msbhpXpRPCYeyg5QLxO5sU5zRveNM/s1600/IMG_1858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Ru1Kf0JV-aa22-3b6UbLlBkvbcTu10Eh9mYLxZOm_kmJcKok_E8cUg5zp-fNnO5Dmocu4eqElihfCxIt0Er2igiggXE2u6vi3oikvnjWho9_Zd_msbhpXpRPCYeyg5QLxO5sU5zRveNM/s400/IMG_1858.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Salvador Restaurant<br />
2278 Mission St. (Between 18th & 19th)<br />
Hours: Mon-Sun 8:30am-7pm</td></tr>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I</span></b> began my Pupusa Quest yesterday on Thursday, April 5th.<br />
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One of my favorite things to do is to look up restaurants on Yelp and look at food porn or read all the really bad reviews. I started my pupusa search there.<br />
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My search criteria was that the restaurant be at least 3 stars, and in the Mission. '<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/el-salvador-restaurant-san-francisco" target="_blank">El Salvador Restaurant</a>' came up at the top of the list, had 4.5 stars, and looked good. Edher and I went there in the afternoon, around 3pm, on a sunny and windy day. Right between lunch and dinner time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTkZyS4KunnLPZQkrdKklcXQlaEwfydoaQGdMg_7Zawl6yAZw-a0GNYv3UfygP5ahp-YmW9KhRfHut60-ELI_QLk3tVJbd0hZmF85HLXeSMtpcjF4d8aDuigbAMJ9iv3Xyn0HbWVtmE3V/s1600/2012-04-05+15.50.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTkZyS4KunnLPZQkrdKklcXQlaEwfydoaQGdMg_7Zawl6yAZw-a0GNYv3UfygP5ahp-YmW9KhRfHut60-ELI_QLk3tVJbd0hZmF85HLXeSMtpcjF4d8aDuigbAMJ9iv3Xyn0HbWVtmE3V/s320/2012-04-05+15.50.54.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me w/ Chicken at El Salvador Restaurant</td></tr>
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It's small, with about 8 tables or so inside. The kitchen is surrounded by brick and looks like an enclosed little fort— it's cute. Nothing fancy, just casual off-the-street vibe. One waitress, who seated us and gave us menus. There were a few other people there who looked like regulars.<br />
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I ignored the rest of the menu and went straight for the pupusas. Two pupusas with rice and beans, one cheese, one zucchini. Done. Edher took a little longer with the menu. I started to worry about whether I was going to order in English, Spanish, or if Edher would just order for me. This always happens when we go to latino hole-in-the-wall places. Edher flat-out refused to help me, and I ended up blurting my whole order out in English. Embarrassing. Anyway...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25Fyl6x8TMCH-HIKKADiK9bFtIvyzhg6ZL6RSurZmfIkdRFG3inhvHR6cawMhOiTYaXCsePGW2Nb1UCF79ioWgS_7Vv4SnXTPgnoD1acMOEaFFra7gers4yKuJvRYjTBc4KSTcVq1fZFh/s1600/800px-Loroco.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25Fyl6x8TMCH-HIKKADiK9bFtIvyzhg6ZL6RSurZmfIkdRFG3inhvHR6cawMhOiTYaXCsePGW2Nb1UCF79ioWgS_7Vv4SnXTPgnoD1acMOEaFFra7gers4yKuJvRYjTBc4KSTcVq1fZFh/s320/800px-Loroco.JPG" height="214" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Loroco</i></td></tr>
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Edher got two pupusas with <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernaldia_pandurata" target="_blank">loroco</a>.</i> We didn't know what it was— turns out it's a kind of flower!<br />
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We waited maybe 15-20 minutes. We played Scrabble. We got served a tiny little cup of chips w/ salsa. The chips had no flavor and were stale, but whatever.<br />
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When the pupusas came out they were super hot and looked great. My cheese pupusa was tasty. Zucchini one was good, too. Yum yum yum. I tried Edher's <i>loroco </i>pupusa but didn't like it. (He did, but he likes everything.) I liked the rice, but the beans were just o.k., maybe a little more lard next time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD24N9XMCy6znBZfCmH9OJclydKoXJyeLJHaGOYNc5IUpC_jwm1o4OWxlj34rxppcUahbq6Gzf_h7b3mH304MMXD0rDKravtQ4NBqiprtT4nMRp4fXRTnkPKQomLTizI8rc7v4OcwcuTG7/s1600/IMG_1859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD24N9XMCy6znBZfCmH9OJclydKoXJyeLJHaGOYNc5IUpC_jwm1o4OWxlj34rxppcUahbq6Gzf_h7b3mH304MMXD0rDKravtQ4NBqiprtT4nMRp4fXRTnkPKQomLTizI8rc7v4OcwcuTG7/s320/IMG_1859.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Loroco</i> Pupusa</td></tr>
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I'm totally going to come back to this place again. It's a nice little place to hang out, which is a super bonus for me. Waitress was nice. Pupusas were like $2.25 each, and $6.75 for two pupusas w/ beans and rice.<br />
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I knew from the first bite that these weren't going to be 'the one' pupusas, but then again, that wouldn't be fun if I found the perfect place on the first try! I'm just happy to find a good alternative.<br />
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<b>Next on Pupusa Quest: Elsy's Restaurant. </b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Loroco</i> Photo by Luis Mario Morales </span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span>Aretha Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16676301680980692046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2371139954095753855.post-64212465145524032882012-04-06T20:25:00.000-07:002014-10-05T20:07:50.658-07:00Pupusa Quest<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkSAEPQQrU8K-D4ReBwd8jWQSOg1lImGiteoiQt5XpmNEh5Vv9mnxs8Kry00TiwM12QMKI00pao6sAVM-0a9R-CVGOGrihlVODsVKd3OIa5b0SStMHAklYdChqFu9flXzL1gOTuu_8QsT/s1600/l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkSAEPQQrU8K-D4ReBwd8jWQSOg1lImGiteoiQt5XpmNEh5Vv9mnxs8Kry00TiwM12QMKI00pao6sAVM-0a9R-CVGOGrihlVODsVKd3OIa5b0SStMHAklYdChqFu9flXzL1gOTuu_8QsT/s320/l.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brisas de Alcapulco<br />
3137 Mission St.<br />
San Francisco, CA. </td></tr>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I</span></b> love pupusas. Ever since I was able to <i>walk</i> my godmother Honey Lee and I would go to our favorite neighborhood pupusa place, 'Brisas de Alcapulco.' I always wanted "just cheese" pupusas— I was very fussy about that! Usually we would take them home to eat, maybe watch <i>Godzilla. </i><br />
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Good memories.<br />
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I would have been happy to continue that same routine till the day I died, but then Brisas de Alcapulco CLOSED. It was horrible. First, they said they were "only temporarily" closed for repairs till 0ct 31st, 2011. Well, Halloween came and went, and it still wasn't open. I knew something was wrong. Months later, some <i>completely different</i> restaurant had bought them and opened as some fancy-shmancy Argentinian joint.<br />
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RIP Brisas de Alcapulco.<br />
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I was curious, so I went in one day and looked at the menu. They called them "polpusas" (or something), and they were 4x more expensive than the original ones at Brisas. Ugly paint color. I refused to even sit down. I grilled the new owner about what exactly had happened, and why the old owner had sold. I couldn't get any info out of him. I was so passionate about the whole thing I must have weirded him out.<br />
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I am on a mission to find my new favorite place to get pupusas. I will not rest!<br />
<br />Aretha Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16676301680980692046noreply@blogger.com0