Slagle Town, U.S.A

Kickstart My Subway Line!

I can't believe I forgot about this until now (sorry Nick!) but I wanted to give a shout out to an artist friend of mine named Nick Azzaro (http://www.fotoazzaro.com/). Nick's currently working on raising funds for an art installation in the Chicago Blue Line subway tunnel between Clark/Lake and Washington stops. I think this is kind of like what the New Jersey Path trains do with advertising, but cooler. He's gotten the company Submedia to agree to install his animation "flipbook" for $18,000, the cost of materials only (no labor costs). The idea is that there are hundreds of images and spotlights in the train tunnel, and the speed of the train will turn his artwork into an animation that 150,000 riders will get to view out of the train windows every day.

Anyways, Nick doesnt have the $18,000 lying around for this project, so he's gotten the backing of a program called Kickstarter where people can learn about the project and make donations. The way it works is that if you donate any money, you won't actually get charged for it unless he meets his funding goal by September 1. Check out the video and if you can, please consider supporting the project. Either way, it would be just dandy as candy if you could please pass this along to friends.

Here's the Kickstarter link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fotoazzaro/the-chicago-blue-line-animation-project

Here's an article about Kickstarter in the NYTimes: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/technology/start-ups/25kick.html?_r=1&em

2 Days 'Til Minnesota, and Counting...

I know, its a silly, silly thing to be taking a vacation when there is so much wedding stuff to do but I SWEAR we planned this trip last fall - before Mike proposed. So, there.

Not too much to report here, other than our impending trip to MN (complete with a week at Rainy Lake!). We're going to try and jam pack the first couple of days with tedious wedding-related activities. But, other than that, I'm looking forward to lots of time spent on the water, and time spent relaxing. One of the hardest (and dorkiest) decisions for me is which books I should bring. I am nearly finished with the Omnivore's Dilemma, so that one will inevitably stay home. My library book (three cups of tea) is due next week so that one needs to stay too. But, I've got a couple on my bookshelf that are still waiting to be read, so I might bring a couple of those. Or, I'm #1 on the hold list at the library for Blood Meridian, so I'm crossing my fingers that it will be ready before tomorrow. Not holding my breath though.

Just a couple of photos here today for you folks. This first one is from Jeremy and Erin's going away BBQ this past Saturday on Shannon's roof. Unfortunately, I only had my cell phone on me to take pictures, and you can't see a thing. But, I assure you the view (and the company) was stunning!

Jeremy, Erin, Shannon, and Mike enjoying a warm (and dark) summer night.

This is a random photo from last Thursday in Chelsea. That white pointed building (Credit Suisse, I think) is actually illuminated by a stray beam of sunlight on an otherwise cloudy evening. So pretty.

The ESB on the same night, also sharing some of the day's dying light.

I took this one on my lunch break a couple of days ago. Shows one of the "jumper" statues on the roof across from MSP and the Flatiron Building. Some good, Michigan-style clouds too.

Springtime in the City

Howdy folks! I know I have been slacking in the blog post department, but this time I actually have a valid excuse - planning our wedding! Crazy, no?

Just wanted to take some time and share some recent photos. I just got a new phone and this one actually has a camera in it (yes, I know, I have been living in the dark ages) so its waaaay less time consuming to upload photos.

Lovely, rat-infested Madison Square Park on a gorgeous day.

Meekerino, posing as our nation's first president.

A terrifying view of this grand city on a gloomy day.

Me, on Laundry Day.

Meeker, equally pleased to be laundering.

The stars of the show, themselves.

This is actually the view from my window at work. I caught this little twerp trying to steal valuable industry secrets!

Wine Tasting Tonight

False! There is, in fact, no wine tasting tonight. But, when I was walking home tonight I saw a sign stapled to a tree next to the curb and I read it as "Wine Tasting Tonight" but it actually just said "No Parking Tuesday." Now, I don't want to jump to conclusions here, but I just googled "free alcohol dyslexia" and nothing came up. So, I may have just discovered a new and free-wheeling form of dyslexia. I'm going to continue to monitor my condition, and I will keep you posted.

Anywhoo, after a freakishly cold summer, it is now freakishly balmy outside so I've decided to take refuge in my breezy apartment, make some dinner, and attend to my blogging duties. And, what is dinner? I know you gourmet foodie readers out there are DYING to know. What will Mayor Meeks be feasting on tonight in Slagletown, USA? Well, I'll tell you: Corn.

Yes, that's right, corn. Corn is one of my all-time favorite foods, right up there with pinto beans. Mmm! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. I don't believe Meeks is a big a fan of corn as I am, or a fan of corn at all. But that's okay, because he's a good sport, and he will eat anything if he's hungry enough.

Today's corn comes fresh from my grocers' freezer. Rather, it came fresh from my grocer's freezer about 6 months ago and has been slowly petrifying in my freezer since then. I've taken it out of the deep freeze to eat for dinner tonight, along with some other random fridge finds.

Slagletown Supper Corn

Ingredients

1 bag of frozen corn - mine was originally 2lbs, but I had already opened it and used it in random dishes over the past few months, so it was probably down to a little more than a pound
Some limes - Mike has been on a tequila kick lately, so we have an abundance of limes just hanging out in the fridge, waiting for an assignment
Sriracha sauce - we always have a big bottle of sriracha in the fridge. Its just this orange chili sauce stuff in a squeeze bottle. It tastes good on everything.
Cotijo cheese - dude, I don't even know when I bought this. I was cleaning out the fridge last night and the cheese drawer was full of all kinds of moldy monstrosities and then there was this perfectly pristine wedge of cotijo just sitting back there, innocently twiddling its thumbs. It was already opened, so I must have used it at some point. Anyways, I smelled it and it kind of smells like feet. But, I think its supposed to smell like that.

Directions

Plop the corn in a pan with a little bit of tap water and melt it down until its the consistency of unfrozen cooked corn. Stir it around until its hot, then remove it from heat. Spoon some corn into a plate, bowl, or other food receptacle. Squeeze a generous amount of lime juice on top. Squirt some sriracha on it. Then, sprinkle the whole mess with some cotijo cheese. I like to run mine through the microplane to get it nice a fluffy. Mix it all up and voila! Slagletown supper corn.

Also on the menu tonight is black beans. I don't have a clever name for the beans. They're just black beans. A few months ago Mike made friends with a guy on a plane whose high score at Brickbreaker was something like 40,000 (no joke). They had some beers, one thing led to another...and next thing you know the mailman is showing up at my door with 15 lbs of beans! Yeah, turns out the Brickbreaker master works for some a seed company out in Wyoming and so he sent us 5lbs of black beans, 5lbs of pintos, and 5lbs of yellow beans. Nice guy!

I also don't have an interesting recipe for the beans. Just the usual - I take 2 and a half cups of beans, sift em for stones, wash em, soak em for 8 hours, and then throw them in the crock pot overnight with a clove of garlic. Once they're nice and done, I add some salt. Not very interesting, but magically delicious.

Meeks, in the middle of one of his trademark home runs

Two rainbows above McCarren park

Simon & Alice forge their wedding shackles

So, Mike's friends Simon and Alice recently got married. Mike used to work with Simon, but I only met them for the first time on the day of the wedding. The wedding itself was gorgeous, and that's really the reason for me posting these photos. For the benefit of mankind - so that those who are currently planning weddings may see these photos, and steal from them.

You can thank me later.

The wedding took place at the Staten Island botanical garden. Some sort of "asian" theme going on here. The wedding guests sat in a little pagoda across a pond full of koi. I thought that was a nice touch.

Post-ceremony, frolicking in the bamboo garden.

Isn't my dress just fabulous? I had the sleeves removed because Mike told me that I looked like a beer wench. And, my tailor agreed.

What a great idea - paper lanterns and floating candles with single orchids.

That's Mike with a guy whose name I can't remember. He was really nice though, and gave us a ride home.

Late night shot of the cake, with Denise on the right.

It's been a long time, baby.

Whooooaaaa.

Its been a while since I've blogged anything on Slagletown. Why? Well, because we've been busy round these parts. There's been a lot going on around here. Too much to put into words, really. But, they say a picture is worth a thousand words...so I've decided to do a photo montage instead, to explain where we have been these few months. You know. Just to get y'all caught up.

And then I promise PROMISE I won't slack off again. Not much, anyways.

So, here is what we've been doing, in reverse chronological order, backwards through time. Fasten your seatbelts!