trapped.

twin falls, idaho.

highlights to look forward to while home ala Delta website.

wonky's whoppers.

Scott says...

Burger King released an Internet based documentary titled "Whopper Virgins." It is about their team traveling the world to get an opinion about their Whopper.  Their task seems to be to have people decide if they have a good product.  However, the majority of verbal critiques, within the footage, from the research team is dripping with social paradigms pointing out the savagery of peoples from the far flung areas of the world.  One moment they show a montage of Asian people eating a burger in slow motion, where the voice over analyzes the consumers having no idea how to 'properly' hold a burger.  This video is riddled with racial assumptions, advocating the viewpoint of savages made famous by Hegel, Kant, and Conrad.  May I suggest the true savages are the ones idealizing the eating of food with hands.  I love eating with my hands, but in this same vein, giving native Bosnians, Inuits, and Thais an overly processed food that has been shown to have given rise to many problems in the US of A and other western societies health problems, only catalyzes and trivializes Burger King as a company.  If anything, this seems like a method to culturally assimilate the world into believing a burger is the key food to bring us all together.

While in Asia, I can only assume I looked just as awkward trying to eat fermented duck eggs, and chicken's feet, yet these regional delicacies are foods these peoples have been consuming (and not wasting I might add) for centuries.  The American burger was invented around 1891, and has since seen a bastardization of the food with the over processed, calorie injected food.  I mean, yes, I love hamburgers, but America is the primary consumer of this delicacy, but why I want to know did Burger King have to show such a anti-diverse documentary?  Outraged I am, dumbfounded, and extremely forlorn to know people have yet to realize their faults as racial moderators.

Testing. Tested. Testee

The last two weeks have been busy in both of our insignifgant lives.  Micaela is ready to go back to CO for winter and Mimi time; I to Idaho to see my little beast of a Boston Terror.  Micaela has been busy getting some last minute work in and I had a German translation test.  Both of us felt the stress last week but were at easy since we pulled off our first holiday party.  The music was pleasant, the mulled wine was a flowin', and mustache's were worn as respect to Woody Allen's  "Everyone Says I Love You..." and as the ironic counter-part to Williamsburg's sudden on slot of ironic facial hair. Here are the party highlights.

Justice does happen

Now if only they would place him in real prison. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/09/nyregion/09lawyer.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

There goes the neighborhood

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/08/nyregion/08greenpoint.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=nyregion

...and so it began. Then to November.

Scott Says...

I lot has happen since we've came to the island between the East and Hudson Rivers. Micaela arrived, started work, and proceeded to acquaint herself with Manhattan while I sat in Seattle, plotting my move. Then May 7th, the day of unity for the two of us.

Apartment hunting in this city began. It was surprising what shit holes are out there and what some people would assume you are willing to endure. Some examples are: no bathroom in the apartment, a piece of plywood placed in the center of the room thus making it a 'two bedroom', or my favorite an apartment that came with a box of mousetraps, 'to keep away the vermin' said the potential landlord to me. But, one fine day we found our new home situated in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

We have the whole second floor, and two living rooms. From the front we see the Greenpoint Islamic Center, the back windows we see our landlords pool. After signing the least we prepared to go on vacation with my friend Rachel.

Rachel is from Long Island, so we went and borrowed a car from her folks. The original plan was to go camping up north, see some mountains and some quaint little towns of upstate New York. Four hours driving in a Jeep, we discover that Rachel's dad was not lying when he said the exhaust does leak into the cab. This explained the silence from the peanut gallery and also the second Micaela and Rachel got in the car were out cold, aw silence and road is all I need. Four hours away from the city, and about two hours from our final destination, we change our minds, and decide we want to stalk the Amish in Southern Penn.

Question: why? Solution: jam, cheese, and awkwardly dressed kids with awesome hats and bonnets, duh. However, we were not the smartest tourist, as we arrived on a Saturday evening. Hmmmm, Sunday they don't do much besides pray for the sinners that descend on Lancaster to gawk at the 'old, simple life of years yonder'. Camping had turned into car camping in a trailer park. Some people summer in Europe, or the Hampton's, but the one class we never think about are the elder folks who purchase the largest camper social security can get them. Growing up my neighbors, the Kings, had one yet they used it during the winter to migrate to Arizona. Reflecting back, it was not an issue of vacation time, but of realizing their fragile, fossil-like frames could not stand the bitter Idaho winters. These campers situated in the humid south of Pennsylvania were complete with the kitschiest, most emasculate lawn ordaments. Some croaked, some were adorned with American flags, it was beautiful.  Since we all realized the boring features of the Amish in their natural habitat, we headed to Rachel's house 5 hours away to grill with her brothers and camp out in the backyard.

So, between three of us we consumed a 3 liter box of wine.  I decided it was bedtime, grabbed my sleeping bag and passed out on the back lawn.  Micaela, an hour or so later joined.  We snoozed for maybe two hours, then I get woken up by Micaela, "IT'S RAINING!" This sudden knowledge awoke me, and right as I peaked my head out of the wondrous cocoon I had created for myself I come to find the rain was not rain but the automatic sprinklers coming on.  I only discovered this after peaking my head out right as the sprinkler head passes over my right side of the face, cleaning out my inner ear and thoroughly soaking me.  

I now fully understand the meaning of the ironic poster of the cat, drenched, hanging from a rope with the phrase "hang in there" above.  It is not about persevering but about realizing you will never ever ever ever do that one thing again to have the same outcome.  For the cat, it might have been falling into a bucket of water, or being conned in to getting a bath, for me and Micaela, we will always remember to make sure the automatic sprinklers are turned off when suburban camping calls.
Right after moving in, the worst part of summer in the city happen, a heat wave.   This was something we both were not prepared for at all.  Micaela slept on the wooden floor, "it was to hot to do anything so I just slept," sums up this miserable experience.  I remember awaking, standing in the scorching kitchen and hearing Micaela awaking by the sound of sweating flesh being peeled off the wooden floor.  The only way to escape the heat was to pretend to be grocery shopping for 4 hours a day!  Summer came, Micaela worked like a dog, I worked and interned at the Avedon Foundation.  Summer ended, then fall began.

  

Fall in the city is perhaps the most amazing time of year anywhere.  For 2 months, the weather was perfection.  The trees slowly turned their magnificent shades denoting the chiller months are close.  

Again, Fall has been a rather uneventful time for the both of us, lots of down time, brunch and panic of jobs.  It has been amazing here so far and we hope you enjoy our adventures because we both love getting into mischief!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

FALL

Tupheaquoi?

As an anticipatory post to our massive update, I'd like to discuss Thanksgiving.
Micaela went to Florida leaving me alone. After I wiped my tears, and Carol King's Tapestry soothed my loneliness into a state of feminism empowerment, I hopped on my bike and headed south as well, but to Fort Greene, Brooklyn. So, those tears never came, and Carol King was not there for me when i needed her, and really, who needs feminism ideals crooning you to sleep? (I secretly would love that everyday!) Thanksgiving was a preemptive experience planned a week in advance. Two friends and myself concocted a feast of monumental proportions, we took on the task of making a Turducken. For those of you unfamiliar, this is bird of all birds this is the infamous Turkey stuffed with a Duck stuffed with a Chicken. We changed ours, or rather 'kicked it up a notch' and supplanted a Pheasant for the Duck (the middle bird) and a Quail for the Cornish Game Hen as the innermost bird. Naturally, a Turkey had to be used for the largest bird. These once feathered friends assembled inside one another saw the birth of Sebastian (Seb for short) our delicious Tu-phea-quoi.
One massive day of de-boning, which was the most amazing experience(I plan on only de-boning all my meats henceforth in this fashion) and a day of gluttony complete with every side dish you would possibly imagine was present.
the images do a good job in describing the feast. Oh we wore costumes as well.

Scott

Finally!

Now that we have your attention, what is another few days of waiting going to do to you; certainly not kill you.   

Things we did today:

bought mustaches

looked for jobs

went to aquacise

watched gossip girl

made this blog

We are working on a post of the last seven months (seriously its been that long?) complete with commentary and lovely lovely pictures.  

STAY TUNED!

xoxo

O'Leary & Valentine