Couch, heavily used, kinda boring (South Minneapolis)

2009 September 22

I like that this guy probably spent 15 minutes writing about a couch from his past that he is trying to get rid of. I wish this was the way I spent my time. If I needed an ugly oversized couch I would be quick to stuff this couch into my Honda Fit Read below:

I pulled this couch out of my basement Odeon where it had been sitting, un-sat-upon, for several years. Before that it was in my living room when I lived in a nice, yet inexpensive apartment across the Street from the Uptown Pizza Luce (I was forced to move when the building was sold and the new owner raised everyones’ rent a ridiculous amount – but that’s not important right now). Some years before that it was part of a sectional in my parents’ basement (this was of course, back before they were divorced – which must have been around 1995, give or a take a year – but that’s also not important right now).

The important thing is that I no longer have the need or the space for this couch. Therefore, it is available to any scavenger or self-proclaimed treasure hunter who cares to cart it away. It’s not a hide-a-bed (those things are murder!) so it doesn’t weight half a ton. It is, however, a “team-lift” item. If I’m home I’ll happy help you stuff it into the back of your VW Golf. Otherwise you should plan on bringing a compatriot. They don’t have to be a professional weight-lifter, but your twelve-year-old nephew probably isn’t going to have the muscle to get the job done.

Anyway, it’s not a very good couch. Did I mention that? Well, it’s dry – it hasn’t been rained on. I’ve probably spilled a bunch of things on it over the years but I always try to clean up my messes. The springs and mattresses aren’t in very good shape. And some of the structural 1×2s in the back are sticking out at slightly askew angles.

But don’t let that stop you. This couch has lots of potential uses. You could put it in your garage and store some tools on it. You could let your pet wolverine tear into it and make a nest. You could attach it to a crane and have a really great view of your neighborhood. You could put it in your backyard, light it on fire and… wait, no. That’s a terrible idea. Don’t set couches on fire. They let off lots of unpleasant fumes.

Double anyway, it’s in the driveway behind my house at 3945 Pleasant Ave. I’ll remove this posting in the unlikely event that it disappears.
Semper Fi!

The Culprit

The Culprit

Several things to look forward to this month.

2009 August 19

The biggest fashion holiday of the year is quickly approaching and there are several upcoming dates to look forward to.

Yesterday: Gossip Girl Season 2 comes out on DVD. $35 at Target in MN, $50 at Target in NY. One reason MN>NY. However, cost of living in higher in NY and Gossip Girl certainly needs to be factored into that cost.

Now: I have just been informed that the September issue of Vogue is on newstands. I have yet to receive my copy, but I am anxiously awaiting the day my 3-pound issue appears squished into my little mail slot. 

August 20-21: A very important  biannual sale is occurring at an undisclosed location in Minneapolis. Ask for details, because I cannot disclose this to just anyone, especially those with size 6.5-7 feet. Hint: this sale last winter put a pair of Proenza Schouler heels on my feet for $55.

August 28: The September Issue is in theaters. Anna Wintour stars as herself and we all get an inside glimpse into the life of the god of fashion in this documentary.

September 10-17: New York Fashion Week. Marc Jacobs, Thakoon, Proenza, Lela Rose, Ralph Lauren, DVF, Isaac Mizrahi, Hayden Harnett, Zac Posen, Badgley Mischka…the works.

September 13: Anna Sui’s line hits Target’s stores, featuring affordable “Gossip Girl” looks.

September 14: Gossip Girl Season 3 premieres! And it looks like Little J will be back without her mullet (plus one), but Hilary Duff will be cast as Dan’s potential fedora and baggy t-shirt clad love interest (minus 10). And Chuck and Blair will finally be together (plus one hundred, minus one thousand that I am not Blair).

Would you take a bullet for Anna Wintour?

2009 August 10
by lissyjon

 

courtesy Alex Perron

courtesy Alex Perron

My friend, Alex would. And I am living vicariously through her right now, because last week she was in the presence of Miss Anna Wintour for CFDA’s Fashion Night Out on 7th and 39th in the Garment District of New York. She smiles!

The Twitter Blackout of 2009

2009 August 10

 

courtesy of twitter

courtesy of twitter

 

For those of you socially disconnected individuals that did not know about #whentwitterwasdown…

Millions were hurt by an act of social terrorism that happened last week. Someone hacked into twitter. The great social network crash, like the New York City Blackout of 1977, happened in a time of deep economic downturn. And like the NYC blackout, (virtual) disorder erupted soon afterward.

For those several scary hours after the event, I was unsure how Heidi Montag was doing with her dance practices for the Miss Universe Contest and how the Kardashian’s workouts were going.

People were considering doing actual work at their jobs, rather than just  continuing to update their statuses. 

In other news, people began to appreciate facebook again.

A pro-Georgian blogger is said to be the target of the attacks, which was timed to the one-year anniversary of the Russia-Georgia conflict.

don’t stop ’til you get enough.

2009 August 5

(500) days of summer

in alissa’s finance-induced absence from keeping us regularly entertained through her blog, i know i’m not the only one feeling abandoned and short of distraction. therefore i’ve taken matters into my own, hopefully very capable, hands…and if you show enough love, i could be making a regular appearance.

summer, for me, used to be that three-month long melting of carefree days into ‘crazy’ nights (for lack of a better word to describe high school nights filled with parking lots and harmlessly trespassing on beaches with your best friends), putting off that AP english reading list until, literally, the last hour possible, and okay fine, the occasional work day involving trips to the beach with a brigade of children i spent the whole time frantically counting. but this summer, the summer after college graduation during these tough times, as every other person i talk to never fails to reminds me of, was quite different. to keep things short and simple, the biggest decision of my day became what to eat for each meal, a thought process that, at times, required list making, taking polls of roommates, and assessing the strength of the fire extinguisher underneath the sink. however, there is one thing i did this summer that i recommend you do too.

go see ‘(500) days of summer.’ just do. director, marc webb, has created something definitely worth your time and hard-earned money; i challenge you to find one person who leaves the theatre disappointed. zooey deschanel is ridiculously charming, as usual, and joseph gordon-levitt will impress you with his boy-next-door good looks and charisma, making you simultaneously fall in crush and wonder why he looks so familiar. if that’s not enough, the soundtrack is pretty impressive as well, featuring zooey’s own band, ’she & him,’ the president of france’s wife, carla bruni, and a song that refuses to get out of my head, ’sweet disposition’ by the temper trap. so go enjoy something great.

until next time,

s

p.s. just because i know you’re looking for another way to spend 4 minutes and 25 seconds looking busy and important at your job, not checking your email to see if someone decided to give you an interview, if any of your friends love you enough to even comment on your facebook status, or whatever else may be on your pressing agenda…might as well visit this link to take a look at a pretty fantastic dance video featuring the above mentioned: click here

So Phelps finally loses and it’s blamed on a bodysuit.

2009 July 28

Michael Phelps lost a race at the World Swimming Championships Tuesday. Bumtown. In fact it was his first loss since 2005. Congrats? Well no, but Congrats to that quick, hairless German man that beat him.

Phelps’ coach was not happy. He was very angered at FINA (the rule-makers when it comes to anything swimming) for letting swimsuit technology get so out of hand. Heaven forbid! He also threatened to take Michael Phelps out of swimming altogether if this new fangled swimsuit technology is not banned soon. That’s like taking the cream-filling out of an oreo.

Other people also swam in other events Tuesday and won them.

A MN couple gets funky.

2009 July 25

My aunt Mary passed this video along. She has some connection to the wedding couple. The wedding couple and party are now appearing on several talk shows. Chris Brown’s song Forever is also climbing the charts. Here’s a wedding I would not have been bored at…

No Big deal, the Bunny Lady just got arrested again…

2009 June 17

Miriam “Bunny Lady” Sakewitz, 47 of Portland, Oregon was arrested again for hoarding more rabbits in her hotel room.

In October 2006, police found & confiscated 250 rabbits in her home & 100 dead ones in her freezers and fridges. Problems started here.

Sakewitz was put on probation after this for five years & banned from owning rabbits. She was also banned from going within 100 yards of a rabbit. 

Suspicions also rose in August of 2007 when a half empty 10-pound bag of carrots was found in her home. She was in jail three days later. 

Her probation this time around will include volunteer work at a local animal shelter.

Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds has lupus.

2009 June 17

The drug LSD was not the original Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds. Lucy Vodden is. I guess that is debatable though. It was The Beatles and it was the 1960s.

The psychedelic song was influenced by John Lennon’s son, Julien Lennon, when he brought home a picture he drew in school around the age of four. Julien named the picture “Lucy in the Sky With diamonds,” after his friend Lucy Vodden.

Vodden was diagnosed with lupus about five years ago after suffering complications from other serious health problems.

Julien has been by his old friends virtual side via text messaging since he found out about her health condition. He has also been sending her gift certificates to a nearby gardening center which he knows is a hobby she loves.

Get well Lucy.

A day in pictures.

2009 June 1

I have been very busy with my class and trying to see everything Paris has to offer in three short weeks. I only had class from 9-11 today and spent the rest of the day walking around the city, having lunch and working on my next paper. A bunch of us ate lunch at Les Deux Magots in the Saint Germain area, which is a famous cafe in Paris, known for its artisty clientele, including Picasso and Hemingway. I had the best salad of my life today. Fresh mozarella and tomatoes. I never wanted it to end.

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But then it did…

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My next stop will be Cafe de Flore next door for desert! After lunch I had a coconut and dark chocolate macaroon. Delicious. I am going to miss the food here so much when I head home.

Spent the rest of the afternoon listening to a couple musicains perform on a bridge over the Seine River and shopping around in Shakespeare and Company Bookstore.

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Also saw this cute beagle on a small street on my walk home.

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That was my lazy Monday in pictures. Unfortunately, the rest of my night will be consumed with paper writing. Tomorrow our class is going to Chartes for the day to see the Cathedral. It should be a fun day. I am going to Barcelona next weekend with 4 other friends and I couldn’t be more excited to see the city and eat the food!