March, 2010

  1. 34 different kinds of rootbeer, in my fridge, right now, waiting.

    March 27, 2010 by ms. xandra

    It’s true:  there are 34 kinds of rootbeer in the fridge, in preparation for the forthcoming Rootbeer Tasting Soiree (the rootbeer will be accompanied by what is certain to be a terrible (where”terrible” means “wonderful”) film, starring Rock Hudson as a young soda jerk in love with Piper Laurie.  Sounds great).  Also, hilariously, Mr. John Nese, owner of the Soda Pop Stop, helped us carry our collection of exotic rootbeers to the car, because he is gentlemanly.

    There are few things in the world that are better than having 34 different varieties of rootbeer in the kitchen.  However, there have been other good things going on as well.  I just got back from San Diego, where it was hazy and sleepy and I did a lot of swimming in a hotel pool in the nighttime.  We saw a baby panda at the zoo, but, alas, the slow loris was hiding somewhere in its enclosure and wouldn’t come out to shower us with cuteness.  Luckily, the internet continues to deliver.

    Also, I’ve been planning my girl group class, which starts this week and is going to be wonderful fun.  We’re starting with Gidget.  I feel that it’s important for the undergraduates to see excerpts from Gidget Goes Hawaiian, the  moral of which is “don’t talk to anyone, ever, or everyone will think you’re a slut, also, try surfing,” as it provides important context regarding representations of girl identity in the early 1960s.

    Discussion Questions:

    Who is cuter?  Slow loris or Maru, the internet’s best greatest cat? (Category of “internet’s greatest cat” was bestowed upon Maru by a non-partisan panel of internet cat video experts, consisting of myself.)

    How much rootbeer would a slow loris drink if a slow loris were larger than a bottle of rootbeer?

    Why is Gidget played by a different actress in every Gidget movie, when clearly Deborah Walley is the best Gidget?  And why is It’s a Bikini World (hilarious, quasi-feminist beach party movie, involving a skateboard race, and cameo from the Animals who perform “We’ve Gotta Get Out of This Place” at the Haunted House, which was once a monster-themed club with giant papier mache lizard creatures, and is now a porn theatre , her Greatest Film Ever, not available on DVD?

    Who wants a postcard with a panda on it?  I have three left, I’ll even sign them with a lipstick kiss so your mailman thinks you’re getting love letters from a Hollywood starlet.  Ooh, gossip and excitement could circulate about you in your very own hometown!

    Category Adventure | Tags: | 4 Comments

  2. Monsters and burgers and pie, oh my.

    March 16, 2010 by ms. xandra

    You know that scene in Ghost World (aka Still My Favourite Film After All These Years Because I Remain an Angsty 17 Year Old At Heart) where Enid and Rebecca are in the diner and Melorra, that really irritatingly earnest girl who is exactly like every perky human that I hate (because actually I am a Cynical Old 76 Year Old At Heart) comes in and is like “this place is so funky”?  HERE LOOK, I found you that scene in case you forgot – the part I’m talking about starts at 2:30:

    This basically actually happened in real life the other day.  We were at Pie ‘n’ Burger and this girl came in and she WAS Melorra and she said to the dude she was with “I love this place!  It’s so…retro!” in exactly that perky, uncynical tone of voice that I so often fail to understand.

    So anyhow, that was hilarious.  And Pie ‘n’ Burger was basically a dream come true.  Look at how photogenic this cheeseburger is!  I honestly cannot stop looking at this picture.

    And then I had a slice of butterscotch meringue pie (I KNOW, right?) that was so delicious that I forgot to take a picture.  You will just have to go to Pie ‘n’ Burger and see for yourself!

    And then we went to the monster park in San Gabriel!  (See this post I wrote for Metblogs for further details.)  Here I am conquering a giant cement octopus in the name of all womankind:

    And here is Nikki, taming having just tamed the wild pink whale:

    I love giant things made of cement.  They’re the one thing I can actually be earnest about in this day and age.

    Category Adventure, Awesome, Food | Tags: | No Comments

  3. Look at what’s in store for SCIENCE!

    March 8, 2010 by ms. xandra

    HEY EVERYONE HAVE YOU SEEN THIS:

    Yeah, so, that’s a Cherpumple.  I’m going to make one!  Maybe later this week or sometime next week!  And obviously this process will be live-blogged, because I haven’t done any cardiac-inducing science experiments for the internet for a while.  So you have that to look forward to.  Awesome, right?  If I had my druthers it would be dessert following a main course of a giant boiled ostrich egg, sliced like a ham.  Sadly, though, I do not always have my druthers, nor do I have an ostrich egg because they were charging $40 for them at the ostrich farm.

    Ok, other awesome:  saw a screening of the Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts the other night and they were so great.  In my opinion, though, the Irish were ROBBED of that Oscar by the French, but what do I know?

    Category SCIENCE! | Tags: | 1 Comment

  4. Someone give this lady a cookie.

    March 4, 2010 by ms. xandra

    This quarter could end just about now, as far as I’m concerned.

    I did my exams!  Writing my exams was seriously the best week of my entire life.  Imagine, if you will, being given seven days in which you do not have to go anywhere nor talk to anyone whom you do not wish to; imagine that during those seven days your task is to write and write and write about the things that you love the most in the world; imagine that during this time people just bring you food so you don’t actually have to cook anything; imagine that it is really the way you would live your life, given the opportunity.  Basically, it was so good.  My exam questions were great and made me feel really happy about my dissertation committee, and I got to write about Dusty Springfield and Lady Gaga in the same essay.

    So, the transition back to real life has been weird and stupid, mostly.  Mostly I resent all the dumb crap I have to do even more than I did before, and I’m so stressed out that my entire body hurts, and all I want to do is finalize the goddamn reading list for my class next quarter, but do you think I have time for that?  Of course I don’t have time for that.  ALSO, I am mad at the post office because apparently my mailing address has become a black hole into which things that are mailed to me (ie:  Valentine’s presents special ordered for Gentlemen Callers, polka-dotted vintage dresses from Etsy, birthday cheques from Grandmothers) disappear, never to be seen from again, which is obnoxious and stupid.

    On the bright side, this movie arrived in the mail today (I had it sent to me at school, where mail still works, despite the budget cuts), and, when I finally have time to sit down and watch it (ie: when my dissertation is finished) I’m sure it will be the best night of my life because it is the Lost Skeleton of spy thrillers:

    Oh, I feel better knowing that I’ve blogged.  I’ve been feeling majorly angsty about not blogging lately.  What a weird thing to feel angsty about!  Could I be addicted to the internet?  Oh, heavens no.

    THINGS THAT ARE GOOD THAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO:

    Friday night quality time with best friends Mulder and Scully;

    We are going to San Diego over spring break and I get to go see panda bears at the zoo;

    Making Out!  Let’s hear it for making out with a nice beardy boy on a regular basis;

    Gin martinis!  These exist, thank the lord.

    Oh, also, THINGS THAT WERE GREAT THAT HAPPENED EARLIER THIS WEEK:

    Met Marilyn Wann!  Super duper fat activist who invented the muumuu of the month club and is thus a true heroine, if ever there was one;

    Ok, fine, I’m going to bed now.

    Category Uncategorized | Tags: | 2 Comments