Music, dirt and gigolos

Allo! The drive up to DC was an uneventful one. It’s about seven hours from NC but no good stories or anything. One of my biggest concerns is that I’m going to be bored with my music selection which is one of the reasons I long for XM Radio. But then whenever I think I want it I think about how I’m not in the car that much for me to justify getting it. With all this driving happening though, that may change soon because you can only listen to a cd so many times in one sitting.

A few of my favorites this time around were:

Mushroom Jazz 2

I just discovered this cd at my friends place and surprisingly liked it. I never considered myself much of a jazz person. Mostly because anyone that I know who likes jazz is old but this cd is great! It reminds me of the type of tunes you hear in an independent coffee shop and had a lot of funk tones to it so it wasn’t just straight up jazz.

If I Were a Carpenter

 

This cd reminds me of freshman year in high school. Yes, high school. I still have a bunch of cd’s from those days and refuse to throw them out. I remember buying this cd on a trip to NYC with my parents and anytime I listen to it, it takes me back to high school. It’s a cover cd of The Carpenters songs featuring  artists like Shonen Knife, Cranberries,Sonic Youth, Sheryl Crow and more.

Luke’s Hall of Fame

This is another cd that reminds me of high school and one that I haven’t listened to in ages. I listened to it for about an hour on the drive up and really listened to the lyrics. One question-why the hell did my parents let me listen to this stuff? Can we say vulgar?!

As soon as I knew it, I was in the DC area. I’m staying with Neyal for the next week and a half and excited to spend time with her. I’ve known Neyal forever (10+ years) so crashing her place for this long of time is totally acceptable (at least I like to think so) and told her I will cook and clean in exchange for room and board. Plus, I get to hang with Riley so that’s a big bonus.

Sigh, Riley and his ASPCA commercial eyes.

When I got to her place we caught up and  made dirt for dessert.  Basically, it’s crushed oreos (we added a few chocolate chip cookies since we are adventurous like that_, pudding and cool whip. You layer all three together and let chill then you have a fun little dessert to have. She was telling me when she makes it for a party she puts it in a flower pot, adds gummi worms and other cute stuff like that.

This stuff is absolutely amazing and I could have had it for my meal.Instead I stuck with a little bowl and had a conventional “meal” for dinner. We feasted on leftovers and hung out, it was a perfect night in.

Another random thing?

I learned about Gigolos on Showtime

Neyal told me about this show and we watched  a few episodes the other morning and all I can say is WOW. This show is graphic yet I can’t look away. But after four or five episodes I had to since it’s pretty much like watching soft core porn. The show follows five straight male escorts in Las Vegas who are the best of the best. They show a lot of their day to day gigs and  people who hire them and I’m somewhat surprised with that. I’m kinda waiting for the day that I watch it and see someone I know on there. Who wants to see their co-workers on there buck naked bumping uglies with one of these guys? That wouldn’t be a tad bit awkward at all. Yeah, it’s a reality show but it has an emphasis more on  “what” they do rather then what’s going on with their lives, the business, etc. Supposedly the second season is premiering tonight and I have a feeling that like any good wreck, I won’t be able to look away.

Have you ever made or ate “dirt”?

What’s your take on the Gigolo show? Have you seen it?

She’s gone country

The drive to Indiana started out ok.

I got my traditional breakfast of Dunkin Donuts egg white turkey sausage flatbread along with a cup of joe (but with an extra shot of espresso)

And I gotta say, not a fan of their flatbread they’ve been using recently. I noticed they changed it in the past year. The bread now seems tougher and lacks the flavor of the previously one used. Thank God, Lincoln was the only one in the car with me while eating this because it was one of the unsexiest things I’ve devoured. I was practically gnawing at the sandwich just trying to get one bite. I must write DD soon and voice my opinion because unsexy flatbreads aren’t good for anyone.

Homeboy looks confused why I am trying so hard for a little bite of food.

So, I drove. The drive heading west into Tennessee moved very slow due to the rain in the mountains but once we went across the TN border, it turned into a gorgeous and peaceful  day.

Until I turned on the radio.

All country, all the time. Ok, I lie, all country and Christian rock music. These Christian rock folk are sneaky too. I would be jammin to the song then all of a sudden I listen to the lyrics and hearing about sacrificing, loving Jesus, etc. I am all for the J man but not with music. Especially when I was listening to Nine Inch Nails “Closer” a half hour before. So the country came on and  I listened Mostly because I was too lazy to grab a cd or turn on Pandora. I like torturing myself like that. Then “Strawberry Wine” by Deanna Carter came on. I haven’t heard that song in ages and wore out the cd “Did I Shave My Legs For This?” when I was in high school. I actually still use that saying whenever I have a bad date. I’m not a country music gal at all but I did go through a small stage in high school and time after college where it’s all I listened to. I blame this on working at Roadhouse Grill as a hostess and dating a guy from Texas, respectively. I listened to the country station after that and heard a song and thought it was cute. I was thinking to myself “Please don’t be Taylor Swift, please don’t be Taylor Swift” and yeah, it turned out to be “Mean” by the Swift bunny. Grrr. I don’t like that girl. I don’t know if it’s because she is so tall, lanky, looks like an evil bunny rabbit (I affectionately call her Donnie Darko), that we share the same birthday or that she does the love sign with her hands all the time when I was doing it way before her but I just don’t like her. Yet, I was jammin to her song and contemplated downloading the song.

Maybe I can get on board with country music?

Not only was the music a let down, the snack department was disappointing. I grabbed this Oikos greek yogurt from the fridge since I  could always use a container of protein loving

I think I’ve been spoiled by Chobani because no other greek yogurt comes even close to theirs. Like the Yoplait yogurt I tried a few weeks ago, I wasn’t a fan of the Oikos.

I brought a coconut water with me

Nasty as well. I struggled just to choke down 1/3 of this and poured the remainder out at a rest stop. It wasn’t overly sweet or tart, it was just nasty and not like other coconut water I’ve tried. I will be staying away from the passion fruit flavor in the future.

In true Frugal Friday fashion, lunch was free! When in Kentucky, I stopped for gas and when I went in to go pay for a Diet Coke, I saw this sign

Oh, it was on. Gas station pizza may not be the best option for lunch but I’m not one to turn down pizza.

Look at those mini puddles of grease sitting on the pepperoni, yum.After a few blots of a napkin, Lincoln and I shared the piece then went on our way through Kentucky.

The drivers in Kentucky were crazy—the speed limit was 70 mph and I was going 80 mph but I felt like everyone else was going at least 90mph. I kept getting over in the right hand lane to let people pass and I’m not going to go off on a rant but some people out there really need to learn that the left lane is passing lane. You don’t just sit there and hang out. If someone is behind you, move over and let them go. I cannot stand the coasters.

I was getting a bit worried because I had a coupon for Chick Fil A that I wanted to use for a free dinner but didn’t see any in the state.

I kept thinking to myself “What is Kentuckys beef with Chick Fil A?” and then bam-I saw a billboard for it. And the angels were watching over me because I saw there was a Starbucks at the same exit and believe I raised my hands in the air while exiting saying “Praise Jesus” which I never say. I blame this on Melissa from Real Housewives of New Jersey and her Jesus talk. I got my salad to go, along with a cup of ice to keep it cold since I wouldn’t be eating it until later then got some caffeination.

For those of you who want to see what Louisville looks like, here you go:

 

 

That cup of ice that I got at Chick Fil A came in handy big time. When I was an hour south of Indianapolis, traffic came to a dead stop and went to one lane then slowly started to move again and went back to two lanes. Why not do construction on a major road leading to Indianapolis on not only Memorial Day Wknd but Race Wknd as well (Indy 500 is on Sunday) So, we were back at two lanes but 20 minutes went by and we didn’t move at all. I start to get a little agitated with this, not only do I have to pee, my butt was asleep and there was a creepy trucker next to me waiving at me. I looked up traffic online and turns out that there was a big rig carrying hazardous materials heading south on I-65 that overturned and went into the northbound lane, so northbound was completely shut down. We sat there for another hour before traffic returned to normal and I could do the minimum speed again. All I could do was stare at Lincoln and wish that I could have someone driving me around (and that I had a furry bed like his)

I got to my sisters house and took a bubble then enjoyed my salad.

 

I was disappointed with the salad. The lettuce didn’t taste fresh and it was meh at best. And don’t think just because I was on the road I didn’t score some condiment loving

 

 

 

I leave you with two items that I can’t wait to try:

 

Do you like country music?

What do you do to pass time when you’re stuck in traffic?

Frugal Friday: On the road again

Happy Friday all! I am rolling back up to Charlotte today and not looking forward to the 11 hour drive. I am driving back from the west coast of Florida (recap coming soon!) and am excited for a new route to take but nervous since I’ve never come from this way. Maybe one of these days I will finally put out the money for a GPS? Until then, it’s Google Map directions all the way.

Am I the only person who still uses paper directions? Maybe I haven’t bought into the whole GPS thing is because I have a problem with authority and don’t like people telling me what to do?

Some tips for saving money while road tripping:

*Bring a lunch box with you. I like to bring one with one or two ice packs so I can bring drinks, yogurt and other perishable items

*Instead of buying snacks at gas stations, stock up before hand. I raided my parents cupboard before I drove to my sisters and snagged some trail mix, soda, fruit and granola bars.

Holy crap, my parents are hipsters and now organic!

*Check your local newspaper for deals. I found a coupon for a $19.99 Mani/Pedi comboo—unhead of!

So there was a catch with this deal.

The place was huge however it reeked of old people, Aqua Net and moth balls.

Seriously, this troll looking senior was off her rocker. She kept talking about how bunions ran in her family but she was blessed because she didn’t have any. From the look on her nail tech’s face, she was lying.

I was the youngest person in there so that boosted my ego for a few minutes until I sat down and figured out what the deal was with the cheap price. You can get a regular pedicure (the one with the $19.99 combo) or a spa pedicure. The spa pedicure is like a normal pedi–chair, hot water, bubbles and all. The regular? Not so much. Instead of going into one of the comfy chairs, they brought me a foot bath to soak my feet in. It’s all gravy b/c you would think that it would be plugged in so the water would be kept warm right? Negative. So my feet sat in the foot bath while the water quickly went cold. Nasty. WTF??
There was one lady who shelled out the extra $5 to get the spa pedicure and the other old ladies scowled at her since apparently, she was a big spender. I wish I would have followed her lead and spent the extra $5. At least I got my nails did and they looked good.

*Go to local thrift stores for new digs, books, knick knacks, etc. I went to a Habitat for Humanity thrift store on Thursday and found this Nine West purse for $1

Do I need another purse? Hell to the no but for as many purses that I have, I don’t have a plain black one. I think it’s $1 spent wisely.

*Itching to work out on vacation? Check out the gyms in the area you are going to visit. I belong to the YMCA and checked out the one in Florida and my membership allowed me to go 14 times at another branch outside of my metro area. I checked into LA Fitness which offers three day passes for free and Life Time Fitness offered a one day pass. I ended up not going to either one but Life Time Fitness was a bit pushy about me coming in. Homegirl slice is still emailing me and even offered to buy me lunch if I went in!

*Rely on the kindness of strangers. Ok, maybe everyone shouldn’t do this. But if you know me, I am a social bird and a talker. I often chat it up with strangers when out and I was at a bar the other night and a guy overhead I was from out of town and bought me a free drink. Score. Bonus points if they buy you a mixed drink on $1 beer night!

*Go to the local supermarket or discount score to get goodies for the ride back. I went to Big Lots on Wednesday night and got the following for under $7:

Hello Bear Granola! I haven’t tried this brand yet but it’s been on my list of must try’s

Happy savings!

What’s the longest road trip you’re made?

Anyone have any fun road trips planned for the summer?

Why hello there Pennsylvania

Greetings from the Keystone state! Lincoln and I made it to our final destination (read: Pittsburgh, not death) last night around 830P and it was one long day!

I woke up earlier than planned on Wednesday so I packed the car, made sure everything was turned off (because even though I have an awesome memory, I can’t tell you if I turned my curling iron off or not) and were soon on the road.

I picked up a bagel + cream cheese from Brueggers with my free coupon and a Death charge from Caribou. A death charge is basically a redeye-a coffee with a shot of espresso also with it. Plus I like saying Death charge, I feel really bad ass when doing so (or feel like I am a Star Wars fanatic)

I love the marketing person for Caribou, their napkins and cups always bring a smile to my face

As soon as I knew it, it seemed like we were in WV, the border is only three hours away but I always feel like it should take longer. Lincoln was relaxed, I had some good jams playing and it was an all around gorgeous day.

Lincoln and I stepped out at the New River Gorge Bridge Visitors Center  to get some fresh air and take a look at the scenic view. I’ve driven by this a number of times but I’ve never stopped so no time like the present, right?

And it was a bit windy out

Soon, we were in Summersville, WV to meet up with one of my friends from college who lives there. Um, there’s not a lot going on in Summersville so when I suggested meeting up for lunch, she asked if Bob Evans was ok. I am not a huge fan of the chain restaurants but A) They aren’t too many non chain places in Summersville B) I haven’t been to Bob Evans since my college days and was excited to me reunited with Bobby.

I got the same thing I got eight or so years ago, the Wildfire Chicken Salad.

It was as delicious as I remembered it and I really like how they offer a savory size if you don’t want a full salad.

I got schooled in the bathroom

Seriously, how I am 31 and didn’t know this? You bet your ass I’ll be singing this from now on!

After that, we stopped by Wal Mart so I could find some WVU gear for cheap. I refuse to go to the bookstore in Morgantown and spend $30 on a t-shirt. That is just insane. So I stuck to my frugal ways and checked out Wal Mart but sadly, they didn’t have anything. I did find some nifty Nicholas County gear (the county where Summersville is located) and was nothing short of excited

Lincoln and I hit the road yet again after that and our next stop was Morgantown, where WVU is located and about two hours north of Summersville.

I went to Morgantown and was happy to see it was a ghost town. Hooray for them being out on spring break because I honestly could not deal with more traffic at this point. It was so surreal, driving around and seeing how everything had changed from the time I’ve been there. The old, crappy house I used to live in was finally condemned and driving down frat row brought a smile to my face. Oh to be young and very stupid again!

I met up with one of my sorority sisters who lives in town and we went to Lavender Cafe. This is a newer place and is located where a Chinese take out place used to be. It’s very unassuming but quite cozy when you walk in, decked out with a lavender door and all and was hopping for a Tuesday night in Morgantown while the area was under a tornado watch. Oh, I forgot that part, didn’t I? Yeah, we just won’t even go there with how the driving went. 

I liked their menu because not only was it one type of Asian cuisine–they had Thai, Chinese and Japanese food. My friend said their sushi was amazing and as you all know, I am team sushi all the way however I didn’t feel so confident about ordering sushi in Morgantown. I’m a sushi snob, there I said it! Not feeling like a gambler, I stuck with old faithful and got the Chicken Pad Thai.

It doesn’t look like much but the portion sizes were out of control–so much food in such a small plate. I ate every bite up and couldn’t have been happier. It was one of the best pad thai’s I ever had and they even listened to me when I said I liked it spicy. The spice was there but didn’t overtake the peanut flavor which happens most of the time with me.

My friend got the Godzilla Roll and I admit, when I saw it I had a bit of food envy. I tried and roll and again, it was fabulous. In the off chance one of you is ever in Morgantown, WV, I highly suggest Lavender Cafe!

About an hour and a half later, we were finally in Pittsburgh at my friend’s apartment and greeted with a much-needed glass (ok, three glasses) of homemade Sangria

The flowers on the glass matches her tattoo if you’re wondering about the picture.

And mimosa cupcakes! The way to my heart is via coffee, sushi or sweets so I had to try one. If I didn’t I would be a rude guest and I am all about the manners. Plus combining two tasty items like mimosas and cupcakes doesn’t hurt either.

They fantastic with a moist cake and sugary sweet frosting. My friend is an amazing baker and I seriously need to take some tips from her. She does birthday and wedding cakes on the side so if any of you Pittsburgh peeps need someone to baker some goodies for you, let me know and I’ll get you her info.

After I scarfed down the cupcake, I had to check on little Lincoln to see how he was doing with his surroundings. Lincoln is very skiddish (but not Yiddish) and gets nervous around new folks and places. I looked and found him prancing around sniffing the heck out of everything and getting used to his new home for the next few days.

As for this morning, even though it’s my “vacation”, I woke up at 5A. WTF? I couldn’t get back to sleep so figured I may as well roll with it and start the day. Lincoln was right by my side and did his early morning stretching to wake up

And then that is when my life changed forever thanks to this contraption.

*Enter in a choir of angels singing*

Ok, so I’ve heard about the Keurig, how amazing it is, blah blah blah but just thought everyone who told me that full of it. My friend showed me how to use it last night and I needed some coffee this morning and here we were. She had a nice selection of coffees o try ranging from Caribou to Kona to Emeri’s coffee but I settled on this

I waited for it to warm up, dropped the coffee cartridge in  (not sure if that’s the real name but I like how that sounds) and pressed the button and it started brewing

Less than two minutes later, I had a cup of hot coffee in my hands

Bottom line: I need a Keurig in my life. STAT!

Do you have a Keurig?
Is there anything you’re a snob about? For me, I am  definitely a sushi snob and kind of a coffee snob as well.

 

Road trip essentials

Hello all in less than 12 hours, I will be leaving for spring break 2011!

Not to be confused with spring break 2001 Negril Jamaica….the best spring break ever!

Dear skin: I’m really sorry for not using SPF in my younger days

But spring break this time around doesn’t consist of free shots, all you can drink from 8 to 11P or endless hours of tanning and frolicking in the Caribbean. Oh no, this is spring break Pittsburgh style!

(source)

Yes, spring break Pittsburgh style. Ok so maybe not your traditional spring break but I’m not a traditional girl nor am I a college girl anymore. Just taking a break from the norm to see some friends and check out a potential city.

Before I start with listing my road trip essentials just wanted to say thanks for everyone’s input on my Creative or Weird post. It’s interesting to see what people make and use (or don’t use out of their kitchen) and it seems like Mexican food was the overall winner of creative meals.

I agree, especially since I made one last creative, use-everything-up-that’s-going-to-go-bad item in my fridge, like this wonderful Mexican bowl!

 

With this, I’m going to have all the essentials with me!

*Coffee

Need I say more? I usually make a half pot at home and will down a cup while getting ready and take one for the road. If I’m feeling really saucy (which I usually am), I will stop for coffee a few hours later.

*Music–I got some cd’s from the library and will be ready to jam!

I was planning on having this side with me as well

It was my hands, I was ready to go. And then an incident happened at the GPS section of Best Buy. Combine said incident with a long wait with a dash of disappointment when the one employee in Best Buy was assisting people  with an ill fated trip to Target. At Target  some lady cut me in line when there were only two cashiers at 7P at the one Target in me area, I *may* have called her a “protein whore” since she cut me off with a cart full of canned protein shakes. But it was my stomach talking, as soon as I got some food in my tummy, all was right in the world. Sorry protein whore. Anyways, I forgot the cd at Target as well and refused to go back into Best Buy because the parking situation is horrible at the location I go to. I am planning on picking up the cd somewhere along my travels tomorrow though! Five years since they put out their last cd and I got that one on the first day. Fail of a fan I tell you.

*A companion-Lincoln is hitting the road with me and he is a great and calm travel mate.

Even though tonight he was looking a bit skeptical about our trip

*Food-I try to bring as many snacks as possible so I can reduce the amount of money I spend on road food. This usually consists of chips, fruit and Crystal Light to drink.  I’m going to be grabbing a free breakfast tomorrow thanks to Bruegger’s Bagels to start my day off on the right foot.

*A good nights sleep-This is difficult for me since I’m so jazzed up for my trip but I try to cut down my caffeine intake the day before so I won’t be all wired vacation eve.

*Comfy clothes-there’s nothing worse than being uncomfortable while driving so I usually drive in yoga pants and a hoodie my uniform in life) and change right before I get to my final destination.

*Breaking it up-I used to drive 18 hours straight from WV to FL but now? No way in hell, my back is not having any of that! I like to break up the trip by stopping every three or four hours to get out and stretch. I’m going to be meeting up with one of my friends from college lunch in Summersville, WV then a few hours later will be stopping in Morgantown, WV to see some of my sorority sisters. Pittsburgh is only an hour away from there so soon enough, we will have made our final destination!

There is so much to do when I’m there and so many people to see–I can’t wait! We have a lot of plans and one of them….well let’s just say it involves one word: midgets. It’s so on.

What are your road trip essentials?

What was your best spring break?