I hate that my excitement now comes from cooking, shopping, and restaurants

I've been busy on my 101/1001 list here lately. I'm excited because if I get around to the post office before it's too late tomorrow, I will officially complete a goal. One that actually required work. None of this "Smile at a stranger once a day" crap (yea, I know, it's on my list, it's not crap, but it's much easier to complete than say, filling out an entire application, complete with essays, transcripts, and deadlines... which apparently I crave because not a day after I finished putting that application together, I decided that I'm going to apply to grad school and fill out yet another complicated application). But more on this tomorrow, when I complete the task.

First up. 

12. Have a "family dinner" once a month

Alexis has started a weekly tradition of these at our apartment that tremendously helps me with this goal. When I first mentioned the idea to my two roommates, I could tell they were less than enthused about the idea. Particularly Wes, who won't cook for me no matter how much I beg, and then Alexis rarely actually cooks and is usually working. But then her mom came in town and we had taco night and all of a sudden, Alexis changed her mind. This might be partially due to her desire for a certain boy, and dinners seem to be her new excuse to invite him over. What usually happens is this: Alexis tells people to bring specific items, buys the items to be provided by us, and then I cook. (Usually with help). While swatting everyone else out of our moderately sized kitchen and to the other side of the "bar" area.

First was taco night, where I got out of cooking but ate a ton.

Second was pasta night, where I browned the meat and we had spaghetti. Alexis made puppy chow for dessert.

Third, this week, we had Breakfast for Dinner, which included pancakes, bacon, juice, and again, puppy chow (it's made out of cereal... and chocolate, peanut butter, powdered sugar, and butter... but CEREAL)

Wes makes bacon almost everyday, whether in his extensive breakfast or when he has said breakfast as his dinner (he can only make like 3 meals but they always smell so yummy), so I asked if he would make the bacon while I made the pancakes... a reasonable request, right? Considering he DOES live there and partake in these dinners... so who made the bacon? Me. But Beth helped me by making the pancakes (which is just as well since I made us pumpkin pancakes last week - from TJ's, <3 - in the pan and they didn't turn out the best... she claims that she was only better because she had the griddle, but whatevs). So bacon. And what did I do? Splash bacon grease on my foot.

Hot, sizzling, burning bacon grease. On my foot.

Ouch.

And then what did Wes do? Steal half the bacon.

Boys.

Second.

17. Try 8 New Restaurants

The scene: Last night, Westwood, Jerry's Deli.

Alexis texted me yesterday, asking if I wanted to third wheel on her dinner with her college friend/best friend's ex/unrequited love's bestie/too many descriptions, and after numerous texts of "are you sure? you don't mind? will he be mad? I don't want to be a bother" later, I was finally convinced I would not be a nuisance and was, in fact, being more of a nuisance asking those questions than I would be while attending dinner. I just didn't want to be in the way... they've been friends awhile and I wasn't sure if they were going to talk about how he's not over his ex/her best friend, who has another boyfriend. Apparently I'm just neurotic. But I have this thing where I don't like to invite myself (not that I was, because I didn't even mention wanting to go before being included with an invitation), and don't like to overstep myself. It can be my best friends and I still expect them to actually ask me if I want to come. This annoys some people because they think I assume I'm invited when they talk about it in front of me, but with others, they get annoyed when it was supposed to be this super small thing and all of a sudden there's 30 people there and nothing gets accomplished and everything gets too complicated. So yea, neurotic. So if you want me there, invite me.

Anyway, dinner. We met there after our respective workdays ended. Parking sucked, as it always does in LA, and took me a good 15 minutes of left turns and circling the block before I gave up and turned in the next parking deck I saw. Gah. $2 for every 15 minutes. And the validation we so thankfully got at Trader Joe's was only good for an hour (The Americana and The Grove are much better about this), so I had to pay another $6 on top of the $3 for the Edamame crisps at TJ's... saving me a total of like $5. On top of the $15.50 I spent at dinner. Woot. We ate at Jerry's Deli, which is like Canter's, which is basically, your classic Jewish deli. Complete with free pickles!

I've come to find the wait-staff at both of these are sub-par, though. And usually have bad hair. At Canter's, the guy had the Newman fro... the guy last night was just trying too hard. And I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. Alexis and Michael were quick to hate him, but I know how much service jobs suck, and make excuses for bad service. In retrospect, there's a reason he works Wednesday nights, when the two-story deli is deliciously empty. He checked in on us too often, like he was rushing us out of the emptiness, but then was late in taking our empty plates and delivering us the check. On top of that, which I excused, he was generally cold in his stifled conversation and failed to mention the special that was advertised at the door, which Michael could have gotten, and even gave him the opportunity to mention, but no.

The food was what you'd expect, but not bad. I finally tried matzo ball soup, which one of my friends has been raving about since I met him last year and I might have to actually order it next time I go to a deli, or am sick.

Third

60. Take myself out on a date once a month

Everyone needs a little "me" time. I tend to relish mine. But with 40+ hour work weeks, plus an ample amount of travel time, on top of my new attempts at running, I don't have a lot of free time anymore, much less time for myself. This is where I become slightly "I want to have and eat my cake" because when I have too much alone time, I complain of loneliness, but when I don't have enough, I complain of that as well. So Saturday, after a lovely, relaxed morning of conversing with Beth, I took some time alone, and what better way than shopping? I went to a used music store in Silverlake, then the bank, then The Grove, where I walked around, ate alone at Chipotle, and people watched. Good times.

Fourth.

52. Buy one album for every 10 downloaded

I'm a sucker for old-school, used record stores. Especially the ones that smell dusty, have vintage posters hanging about, and operated by employees who are constantly judging you with their pretentious music tastes. No matter what I pick up, I immediately feel shamed. If it's a classic, it's why don't I already have it? If it's currently on the radio, I become one of "them," someone who only listens to mainstream music and doesn't "get it" or appreciate "good" music. I am neither of these. I am a connoisseur of music. I have no judgments (I can't really, considering Hanson is my personal favorite band), and I'll listen to almost anything. But that doesn't mean I'll actually spend money on it. Jonas Brothers? They have enough teenage girls to buy their albums. But if they're a musician I truly support, that's indie and not as well known, or I know I'll love every. single. song. I'll buy the album. Or, if I'm in a used record store where CD's sell for roundabouts of $5 because CD sales are dying.

The place: Rockaway Records on the edge of Silverlake, near where I used to live. I enjoy, every few months, going to the Starbucks across the street then perusing the racks of pathetically alphabetized albums, scavenging for deals. I usually leave, $50 less in my dwindling bank account, bag full of items in tow. This trip was no exception. Not having any specific cd's to look for, I picked up a live Ben Harper album and checked out the foreign and Criterion collections in the DVD department... His Girl Friday ($3), A Very Long Engagement ($6), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Criterion ($12), and Jules et Jim - Criterion ($20). Good deals... at least half off what I'd normally pay for each, and Criterion nonetheless.

Dwindling down the list. Well, not really. But sort of. A lot of them are partial, in progress completions, so I don't feel the same relief and euphoria of being able to bold the item, crossing it off the list, but it's a start. It's only been a month, not too shabby.