(3 out of) 4 day weekend coming up! ?!

yes, that's right, la pauvre lorider has to work on the monday before independence day, isn't that silly? how am I supposed to feel patriotic when I have work distracting me in the middle!!!!! shoot, I was planning on watching the following movies to get me in the mood... now I'll probably have to watch them twice!

1. Independence Day
2. Born on the Fourth of July
3. Independence
4. Magoo's Glorious Fourth
5. and the ever american Superman in Superman Returns


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then I'll go watch my little bros set off fireworks.......
boom, BOOm, BOOM!!!!!!!
;P

happy birthday, Dad!
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woohoo! Violeine is in the paper!!

here's an article that came out in a local paper about Vi and her new furniture store! Marie commented that the quotes in the article "really sound like Vi" - it's true! I can really picture her saying those things.... :)

Congrats, Vi & meilleurs voeux!

double dinner weekend

on Friday, I cooked dinner and Marie came over (thanks for helping me with my resume, Marie!!!! you rock!!), and Olga joined us.... then on Saturday, Olga made dinner for some friends and I joined them. both dinners were awesome and so fun! I'm almost re-thinking my plan of becoming a hermit..... anyway, we ate out in the backyard, it's super-relaxing back there. we also met our behind-us neighbors- I stood on a chair to see over the fence and Olga hopped up and down and said: "(hop) hi! (hop) I'm (hop) Olga!"

Saturday morning, we went to the local farmer's market (I think the Sunday headline read: "3-year Royal Oak resident and self-proclaimed 'environmentalist' finally makes it to farmer's market that is 1 mile from her house"). I bought some lettuce plants, basil plants and yellow pear tomato plants... all for a whopping $4.

Olga got one (1!) grape tomato plant, and is fearful she may be overcommitting herself (haha, now I know what to get her for her birthday...!! *evil smirk*)

after we plant our little balcony-garden, the next project will be to make a kitchen shelving-unit, so we can have a bit more storage.... I designed it yesterday, now we just have to get wood and screws and paint, and convince some unsuspecting neighbor to help us cut the lumber with their circular saw (hence the recent fence-hopping)...... wish us luck.......

oh, and I also made a cherry pie for my uncle Bernard, who has been sick, so all in all, it has been a very home-y weekend....

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(brainon, I'm so glad you're back! let's get drunk!
*in my head, that phrase sounds like owen wilson.
but it comes from my heart....)

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happy solstice (before)

oops, I totally forgot to wish everyone a happy solstice!

more cowbell, baby!

should I get some free lawn tickets to Blue Oyster Cult next week?

wednesdays with Lord Chesterfield

why not? it's been a while.....

The mere brute pleasure of reading - the sort
of pleasure a cow must have in grazing.
-Lord Chesterfield

update: wow, dad and britew, I'm thinking you might
just love this website: "LibraryThing is ... often
described as "MySpace for books..." I guess it's where
books post risqué photos of themselves and engage in
chats with other books that are much too old for them.....


(welcome home, britew!! I want to hear
everything! you'll be so proud- while you've
been away, I've been reading War & Peace)

I like it when it rains...

quick hits: I'm going to the doctor today, so I'll just throw down a few thoughts...

#1 - there's a great solo-guitar blues by Ronnie Earl called "I like it when it rains." I really like the piece, and I also really do like it when it rains. it's absolutely pouring right now and there are little thunder-rumbles every few minues - I love it!

I wonder why?

#2 - this has been going around the inter-tron... it reminds me of a series of posters called la mutation d'une ville that my mom gave to me when I was little. it's about 10 posters and it shows the development of a French town over the course of about 25 years. it's kind of like those "find the difference" puzzles, but it's an artistic creation, so it's very beautiful and very intricate. there are a hundred or more stories in each poster.... so cool.....

me love TV. me hate commercials.

honestly, I HATE advertising. this is what a typical commercial sounds like to me:

"are you insecure &/or want to have (more) sex?! well, why not try american consumerism/pharmaceuticals? for example, did you know that (lie) and (lie), ...Lease Pull-Ahead Program (large dollar amount), (lie)! we CAN MATCH your kitchen tiles... get yours today!"

I either change channels or mute during commercials. this article (via mr brown) explains about P2P & BitTorrent & the future of television watching. I'm so excited to be able to access anything, anytime & sans commercials (as soon as I get my inter-doodle hooked up at home). I think the author makes a great point that TV has trained us to expect free and immediate entertainment gratification, so they better find ways to go along with the technology that takes those principles that to a whole new level now.

if, as according to his theory, the 'bug' becomes the advertising method (you know, that station id thing they now show in the corner the whole time?), honestly, I can live with that. I'll just stick a post-it over it.

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ah..... tha family feud.....


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Bastone-y

the extra -y at the end indicates how much I lurve ma lil Bastone! I realized I've never posted any photos of my fav hangout, so here's a few, depicting the great points about Bastone..........




outdoor seating!









cool people hang out here! (they're so cool, they can throw signs while holding a beer!! wow!)









yummy bière!






great food! (oops - I was so excited to eat my mussels, I forgot to take a pic.) read about the food here instead.

ma's b-day

I had a fun time this weekend. Saturday was my mom's birthday (53, and still getting mistaken for a 25-year-old). we met at ChinaTown buffet in Dearborn - my mom, me, my two brothers, two of their friends who are also 13 & 14, and my mom's co-worker, Ameena, who is a riot. Ameena is a real purse-and-bargain lover, like myself, so we swapped tips about local stores. (by the way - my roomie said that my habit of carrying nice purse is very ladylike. so HAHA suckers, I'm A LADY!!!)

my mom liked her gift and we had a great dinner. the boys are so fun to watch, they are independent and had their own conversation going. when their friend Sanjay opened his fortune cookie, he read "'you will share a surprise with loved ones'.... I'm pregnant!" haha they're so quick and funny, and also very sweet.

oh noes!!

I just found out that our downstairs neighbors got campus housing (mrs. downstairs neighbor teaches at a ritzy private school near us) and they'll be moving out this summer! this is excellent news for them, but now the new-neighbor lottery is on! I hope we get 1st prize!!!

it's important to me, because we'll share a lot of things, like the basement, the washer/dryer, the water bill, and a floor/ceiling. these guys have been aces, so I'll be really sorry to see them go. hopefully, they'll invite me to their new house to eat cookies alot. in honor of my wonderful neighbors, here's a pic of the littlest neighbor when we went to the zoo last month:














cute! as you can see, today is photo-posting day, so be sure to visit tha bloggie photo album. laterz!

Ides of Blog: tha lorider saves you money at weddings....

hi! are you broke? do you have friends who you want to treat to a fab gift on their wedding, but you're also trying to figure out how to make your student loan payment this month? well, then follow tha lorider as I give you a tour of the gift-solution mecca otherwise known as: TJ Maxx!

I highly recommend TJ Maxx for gifts with one caveat: all Maxxes are not created equally. the majority (at least in my area) appear to be poorly managed warehouses with trod-upon merchandise scattered all around the store. invest your time in a three-minute stroll around each store near you and you will save yourself a lot of heartache. if you find a good one (in metro Detroit, it's the one at Southfield & 13 Mile), you will find untold gift-giving riches in the housewares section.

there is all sorts of cookware like Cuisinart and Le Creuset and other good stuff, picture frames, plates, serving platters, vases, chic storage containers, gourmet spices, cookbooks, garden furniture, etc, etc. but the best part is that these really nice things are affordable!!! I got a lovely ceramic platter for a wedding gift that I think my friend will love for.... well, she reads this blog, so I'll just say that the first number is 1 and the last is 0 and there are no other numbers. I can't really post a picture, either, for the same reason, but I'll add it after I give it to her.......

happy shopping! you can thank me later by getting me something nice for my wedding - I dreamed twice this week that I was getting married, so it must be coming up soon! wish me luck! :0


update: here's the platter.... (she liked it!)

graduation and pancakes weekend

update: the handsome graduate!!! that's our aunt on the right - she's a teacher, can you tell?

so... friday was Omari's graduation. now we officially have two high-schoolers in the family! the graduation ceremony was somewhat fun; I was excited when Omari walked across the stage, but it definitely went well beyond the hour and 15 minutes it was supposed to run. many of the 250 13-year-olds who crossed the stage seemed to have borrowed their outfit from Lil Kim, so it was kind of fun to see what the next kid would wear. also noteworthy were the guest speakers, who were way better than last year, and the jazz band, who did a very decent rendition of "Watermelon Man." then the kids got to go out onto the athletic fields for the rest of the day for games and cakes.

as to the gift..... ummm, no, cookie, it wasn't that amazing. I got him an MLB key-ring, he's a fan of the Red Sox... he can get a big gift from me when he graduates from high school. but my mom got him an aluminum frame 21-speed mountain bike, and he's totally psyched about that.

then over the weekend, I made buckwheat pancakes, ate at Inn Season - a local veg restaurant, and went for a long walk with Olga in our neighborhood. oh yeah, and I napped.

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have fun in Colorodo, brainon!!!!!


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my brother graduated from 8th grade!!

I'll tell you about the graduation on Monday. over the weekend, why not check out this clip of neenja kittens? enjoyz.

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meanwhile, I'll be getting some pancakes.


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CONTEST: name that pet! WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!

oh dear, I've gone and done it -- I adopted another pet!!! but don't worry, Maria won't have to learn to get along with this one.... it's an adorable lil digital tiger cub who will live at the bottom of this page - awwwwwwwww! :)

(ruh-roh, I think I may hear tha lorider's street-cred eroding)

anyway, feel free to visit the little guy - you can pet him, play with him and feed him steaks! as you get to know him better, please do suggest a name for tha little kitty-witty in the comments section - whoever's name is chosen will win a 1209 anarchists tee-shirt!!

it was a tough decision, but here goes.....

britew, you are the lucky winner of the 'name that pet' contest ..... congratulations!!! tha little tiger shall be heretofore known as:

"leonard p. lorider, 12o9 mascot"

anon, that means you're off the hook, mascot-wise. I'm sure I can find some chores around here for you, though....

britew, since you already have a 1209 anarchists tee-shirt, you will win a fabulous 12o9 anarchists mug!!!! enjoyz!

nobody visits my blog on Thursdays, I can probably get away with this...

okay! it's like a riddle.....

I've been surfing around the net lately, and... I dunno - maybe it's just me... but everywhere I go, there seems to be a common theme. does anyone else see a common theme in these posts?

#1 office etiquette story

#2 marriage decision story

# 3 birthday cake story

IKEA is coming, IKEA is coming!!!!!

oh. my. god. people are losing their minds in Southeast Michigan - IKEA is opening tomorrow in Canton and people have been camping out in their parking lot since yesterday! apparently, they'll give away an $80 chair (unassembled, mind) to the first 100 people.

I mean, I was kinda excited when I first heard that IKEA was coming. I do love tha meatballs and tha lingonberry! and I used to go to IKEA with my Dad, so I got a warm fuzzy feeling remembering... plus, goodness knows, they have great furniture and it's better priced than any other store.

but excuse me. to get that excited about the opening of a store - in the USA. where we already have access to absolutely anything we could possibly need at any time of the day or night...? and then dedicate 48 hours of your life to it? (ps - I don't care what kind of job you have, I'll bet you can earn $80 within 48 hours....)

so whatever, anyway. live and let live, right? I guess I'm cool with people being excited over a chain store, even if I think it's stupid. it's a free country and I'm glad about that.....

but then. I was listening to the radio this morning and the station sent somebody over to talk to these people. they woke up the lady who's first in line, and she tried to get flip with the radio guy and she's all, "hey, you know, you're laughing but we're all out here together and it's wonderful and it's like Woodstock." WOODSTOCK!!!!

I know that everyone was not raised around hippies and Leninists and Trotskyists and Gray Panthers, like me. but wtf?! how in the hell can someone think that buying furniture from a multinational corporation is anything like Woodstock? I wanted to cry. people have no f***ing clue anymore. 6-6-06 indeed.

my 1 political post for the month: don't worry, it's shorter than this title.

wow. just wow. the status of democracy in Bagdad.

it's just falafel!

(via Ivan the Terrible)

tha lorider's pals - unmasked!!!

(don't worry, it's not you, anon.)

two of my inner circle have agreed to have their identities revealed on this blog......

#1. my new roommate! whose actual name is ..... Olga (gasp!). she is a med student at Wayne State University, the same University at which tha lorider endlessly pursues her master's degree...... Olga is actually going to earn a combined degree (MD/PhD), so she is incredibly smart! she plans to specialize in OB/Gyn (I know, I know, anon, why didn't you think of that???) and she's doing research in embryo implantation this summer. in her spare time, she is a member of the University Choral Union. hello, she won a grammy in 2004! (do you know anyone who has won a grammy??? well, I do! HA HA!) this weekend, in between trips to the lab, she sang Mahler's Third with the DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA! this girl is the shit! and, guys, she's single!!!

#2. next to be revealed is....... my new pal Violeine. I met her through my other Frenchie friend, Marie. Vi was the other witness at Marie's civil marriage ceremony a couple of weeks ago. Vi is an entrepreneur who recently opened an awesome furniture store in Ferndale, MI. it's called um.... UPDATE: Beautiful Home. (thanks, M!) it's on Woodward six doors north of the nightclub, Boogie Fever. it's all hand-made wood furniture, very nice pieces from the Ivory Coast. I'll link to it as soon as she has her website up. she's the shit, too (starting her yoga practice!) and hot, hot, hot! but sorry guys, she's off the market, married to the lucky Ryan......

I'll add some pics in the bloggie photo album soon....

verlet rocks!

Dad, I thought you especially would like to see this verlet integration demo. it's made by the guy who designed my new pet tiger. for the rest of you non-techies, it's a really fun toy:






guess what animal it's for.......

all new! girls, girls, girls!

now that I've got your attention, let me say that the ides of blog is officially dead. I'm not a champion-surfer, so I'm not going to try to show a monthly selection of amazing sites anymore; plenty of other people do that better than me. so what is tha lorider's talent, her special skill she can share with the masses.... something she has mastered through years of practice.....?

yes, that's right, as my friends and family already know: it's eating. but I realized that I'll get too hungry at work if I'm always typing about food. so I'm going to focus on my other skill: being cheap. as the saying goes, I know how how pinch a nickel until the indian rides the buffalo (sorry to any indians or buffalo who read my blog.) what can I do? I'm of Scottish extraction (sorry to any Scots.) as of today, I'm going to start sharing my special tips and tricks with you, my adoring public... no, no, please, hold your applause, folks :D so here's my first installment, wherein:

tha lorider saves you money.... at fuddruckers!

if you've ever been to fuddruckers, you know that it is a restaurant. to all you foreigners, it is more specifically a restaurant chain that specializes in hamburgers.... but not any hamburgers - expensive hamburgers! I thought I'd like a burger the other day and was shocked by a prominantly displayed banner just inside the entrance. the gist of it was that you can get a 1/2 pound burger combo on special for only..... $8.88! hahahahahahahaha!!!!!!! why the hell would I spend $8.88 when I can get a burger combo at Wendy's for about $4.40?

apparently because at Wendy's, I have to simply sit in my car and list off what I want on my burger, whereas at fuddruckers, I have the added entertainment value of being able to pick up my burger at the counter and then walk to the 3 different condiment tables to put what I want on it.....? what? wait, that sounds like less service for more money.... or am I missing something?

anyhoo, I got a 1/3 pound burger, picked up some fries at Wendy's and then went home and got a soda out of the pantry, so right there, I saved a few dollars. however, they did get me to spend an extra dollar over what was strictly necessary, and this is what I'm going to clue you in on today, cause that extra dollar turned out to be a total waste.

money-saving part:
it sounded so good - 50¢ for grilled onions (yum!!) and 50¢ for cheese - pricey, but come on, how can you turn down grilled onions and cheese? well, next time I will (the burger was good enough for return visits, but definitely $trictly for $pecial occasion$). the onions were doused in black pepper and some other taste I couldn't identify but was was yucky, and were undercooked so that there was no sweet taste, which is the whole point of grilled onions. so save your money on that. also, when I picked up the burger, I noticed that there is a hot-cheese machine for putting on your fries, but I could have used that instead of ordering 50¢ cheese.

and that's it, folks... that's how you save a dollar, or several, at fuddruckers. you can thank me later by talking me out for a burger!

:( now I'm hungry.