my headache diary is a pret-ty good read

I was just paging through, making a lil note, and I thought I'd pull a few selects for you:

1/27/11

4pm Headach (sic) = 2

No reason.

2/7/11

Felt a little feverish today -- probs the drop from 50mg to 30mg
No headache until I ate a lollipop though. Now at 2

6/5/11

Stinky Cheese + Sun --> 3

6/17/11

Mint Choc Chip Klondike Bars --> 3

7/27/11

Drank two old-fashioneds, took pills late -- NO HEADACHE!!

8/6/11

5pm --> 4

Yoga or Blue Sno Cone?

I smell a book deal. 

Can anyone put me in touch with Maira Kalman?
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Have realized that on my scale of 1 to 10, I generally rate a pretty fucking sucky headache a 4. It has to get BAD for me to give it a 5/6. (Here's hoping I never make it to 8.)

IS IT MONDAY??

New York is kicking my ass.

Last night I consumed 3 bourbons + 1 panini sandwich* and i tossed and turned and tossed and turned dreaming about MODELS.

I know I tweeted it, but I don't think I mentioned on this here blog.... I'm directing a short film in collab with the Catbird ladies.

WOOT!

We shoot this Thursday, which is why I've got models on the brain. A herd of em are coming through my apartment tomorrow to show us their stuff ;)

Photo is of K Mattis
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*i know. WHEAT WHEATY WHEAT WHEAT. i have to eat it every once in a while just to remind myself, "WHOA. I CAN'T EAT THAT."

I am a person who makes muffins

I don't mean to brag... But on Sunday I made muffins for, like, the second time in two weeks. I whipped up* Rachel's lemon-ginger muffins (using a mixture of chickpea flour, corn flour, cornstarch and tapioca flour in place of the dreaded wheat flour) and H-town dubbed them World's Best Muffins.

Hey, we don't get to eat baked goods very often. I think I'd actually forgotten how good baked goods are. 

(Image via FFFFOUND!)

*And by whipped up, I mean: preheated the oven, chopped ginger and cooked it up with sugar, realized I didn't have any eggs, walked to Vons, bought eggs along with party size bag of barbecue potato chips, and proceeded with recipe while I ate barbecue chips dipped in ranch dressing. The butter for the muffins got nice and soft while I dilly-dallyed, which made for super easy hand-mixing. Who needs a KitchenAid?

I may have caught the holiday spirit.

Mock me if you must, but I think it happened somewhere between getting my hair cut on Fairfax and using an old credit (!) to buy two PERFECT presents at Buffalo Exchange on La Brea. Guess I ought to venture west more often.

Today I'll be cleaning house, roasting spiced pecans and attempting pomegranate champagne punch.* I'm more of a bourbon girl, as you know, but we've got a bottle of "California Champagne" languishing in the cupboard that was an anniversary gift from the Madonna Inn and I'm damned if I'm gonna let it go to waste.

(Image via fine little day)

*Unless anyone's got a better champagne punch recipe? I was planning to substitute organic vodka for the rum because a) organic = NO HANGOVER and b) what do I want with leftover rum?!

I am not a housewife

But I am also not the wage-earner at present. Even though H-town insists it's my job to focus on creative projects, I feel incredibly guilty about spending the whole day sitting in front of my computer without the immediate promise of a paycheck. Or going out into the field without the immediate promise of a paycheck. (Okay, I feel less guilty about that.)

So I tell myself I ought to take on more of the shopping and cooking and cleaning. The, um, housework? I think they call it.

Some days I get satisfaction out of this. I manage to go to the farmer's market and Trader Joe's.* I (gasp) wash dishes. I feel all wifey and proud of myself.

And some days I feel resentful of the burden I've taken on. I let the dishes pile up.** I warm up chicken taquitos (if I find them in the back of the freezer), which aren't really enough dinner, and we end up hitting the 7-11 for potato chips and ice cream at one am because there's nothing left in the fridge.

There's got to be a happy medium right? I definitely haven't found it. And the bungalow is so small that one day's clutter = a complete mess.

(Image via Hollister Hovey)

*Yeah, Whole Foods has been relegated to specialty items. Still sad about that.

**Note: the idea that I personally have "let the dishes pile up" is all in my head. H-town certainly does not expect me to do more than my share of the housework. In fact, he believes he's a superior dishwasher.

Echo Park Is Not Dead

This article has inspired three people so far to send me their condolences. I know it's confusing. Eagle Rock, Echo Park. East Side hipsters. "Whatevs," you're thinking.

Just so we're clear: I don't live in Eagle Rock. I don't hang out in Eagle Rock. I don't even know how to get to Eagle Rock.

Why would I? When I can walk, from my Echo Park bungalow, to:

1. The Friday night farmer's market. That's right, Friday night. Who wants to get up early to buy vegetables?

2. Two Boots Pizza. Okay, I can't eat the pizza, but the fact that this indie chain has branched into my neighborhoods on both coasts makes me weirdly happy. It's time for a gluten-free option, you guys.

3. Chango. The most effing hilarious hipster-watching. I can't actually vouch for the coffee (I drink mine before I leave the house), but the Arnold Palmer rocks.

4. Echo Park Lake. According to this wee adorable map by Laura, the loop around the lake is just under a mile. I should start running around it. Or walking around it. Or just sitting and feeding the ducks. I really like ducks.

5. Little Joy (pictured). I used to love this bar, but the last time I was there the patrons were all 21-going-on-16. Way to make me feel like an old married lady.

Footsie's is my new favorite bar.* A "dive" with great lighting that serves Booker's. Way to make me feel like a grupster. And yes, it's in Cypress Park (wherever that is). Don't bother with the Echo Park bars on the weekend. So. Not. Dead.

*In the interest of full disclosure, I should tell you that my rad neighbor is part owner. When H-town told him how much we liked Footsie's, he gave us two tokens for free drinks. Maybe one night we'll actually get out of the house and use them. And we srsly plan to ask him where he bought the vintage fixtures.

(Image courtesy of Meltwater)

Am I turning into a hippie?

I was standing in the bulk aisle of Whole Foods the other day when I decided I needed to make my own granola.

Let me explain.

I just figured out foods that are very high/extremely high in salicylates give me hives.* Raspberries, strawberries and green peppers seem to be the worst. And I will never touch fresh tarragon again.

But suddenly I'm wary of everything on the list. (Poor H-town is so frustrated. He doesn't know what he's allowed to cook.) Every effing granola in the bins at WF contained almonds or dried raspberries or dried cranberries or almonds.**

So here's what I bought:

1. Raw oats
2. Whole, raw cashews
3. Pumpkin seeds
4. Banana chips

Anyone have a recipe I could modify? Of course honey is also on the extremely high list. Can you even make granola without honey? Would it be sacrilegious to use good old fashioned sugar?

*This I need on top of a wheat sensitivity, right?

**Yes, I was consulting the list on my iPhone in the middle of the Hollywood Whole Foods (which has wifi, b/t/w). I was having a grupster moment.***

***Phew. I'm not a hippie.

(Image courtesy of my whimsy)