Flavor Tripping and Fate

Do you believe in fate? I am not sure if I do. Sometimes, I feel that it is hard to deny…or perhaps if you listen hard enough, the universe answers your internal questions. Like when the sermon in church is exactly what you need to hear or the first time you heard the Fray's "Over My Head," because seriously, haven't we all been there…perhaps you are just more in tune to your surroundings. Hmm…

I digress.

What I want to talk about is “flavor tripping” and the series of events that surround it and me. Late night last week, Adam and I are channel surfing and happen upon this show on the Planet Green. It’s some [kinda out there] chef explaining this berry powder product he is calling “Miracle Fruit.” From his description, he says that this berry temporarily rewires the brain to taste sour as sweet. Huh…fast forward to a montage of kitchen staff gorging themselves on lemons, goat cheese, hot sauce, guiness…and to the untrained eye they were arguably acting pretty crazy. Then, they plan this whole gourmet menu of mums, aloe vera, cactus and grass for their restaurant, Moto…chef goes on to talk about ending hunger with this miracle fruit by making seemingly inedible plants edible with the help of “miracle fruit”…and it is with all of that mumbo jumbo, that I’m done.

I’m a total ”miracle fruit” skeptic and Adam and I turn that garbage off. The real "miracle" is that this nut job got on TV. Next day, I’m still intrigued, so I do a quick little Google search that surprisingly leads me to some credible articles about “miracle fruit”…and not just ones on Wikipedia, y’all…we are talking the NY Times and CNN. It’s true! There is a teeny tiny berry, Synsepalum dulcificum, from West Africa that does do what crazy chef says! In fact, in NYC and L.A. there are parties where this berry is the guest of honor and people pay to ‘flavor trip’ and go wild with their taste buds. Additionally, the berry was presented as a sweetener to the FDA in the 70’s and is popular in Japan with the diabetics! Whodathunkit?

The very next morning, in my inbox, Scoutmob has invited me to ‘flavor trip’ and meet my miracle berry at Three Sheets ATL, where coincidentally I have been jonesin’ to try. What are the odds of this bizarre series of events?Miracle berry why do you taunt me?

Fate? Probably not. I think that fate is probably reserved for meeting the love of your life, or finding that dream job or last pair of shoes in your size…

I’ll let you know how it goes.

Catching the Worm

Up, exercised, showered and caffeinated by 8:00 am on Saturday? It can be done! I've got a very busy exciting Saturday and thought I'd share my morning motivation from the Wood Brothers. Pour some coffee and soak it in! Happy Weekend!

Step into my office...

As per the usual, I have shirked my blogging duties...but it's ok because disappointing my 3 readers doesn't really seem like THAT big of a deal (there's only 3, right?). I tell you what, life has been out of control recently and I mean that in the most positive exciting way. Parties, car woes, applications, acceptances, vacations, birthdays, holidays, Wednesdays, weddings, yard sales, late nights, early nights, fireflies, laundry, jazz, heat waves, oil spills...and it continues well into August.

A couple of big things. I have perfected the shrimp scampi and will be sharing the recipe. Adam was hired! And, I am leaving my job. Most people have a set plan when they leave one employment and move on to different things...but, I have multiple. In addition to all of the life that has been going on, I have been juggling a handful of different opportunities, each unique and more wonderful than the others. I am beyond myself with enthusiasm, up for the hard work that will ensue and hopeful.

I have a list of things to blog about...and I will definitely get to them by the end of this year :)

Charleston...

River Dogs Game

Oz on the Beach

Addy in disguise

Tearing it UP

Addy and I at the Water Front Park

Summer Camp or Bust!

Ok, ok, ok...its been a long time since I have blogged. I really don't feel all that bad because there are only three people that read this blog so really, who cares? And so you three, I dedicate my lunch break to you...

Life has been BUSY! Not only have I been working, I have also been doing some charity work on the weekends, both parents have had birthdays, and then there has just been a whole lot of life stuff...hair do's, puggles, dentists, groceries, house troubles, dinner parties...etc. That being said...things have been going really well. I just want a little breather! I am really looking forward to the beach for 4th of July! I am not looking forward to more frequent bathing suit wear. That is neither here nor there.

I've been thinking a lot about childhood or simply being a child. I think that there should be a summer camp for adults. I was riding my "new to me" bike last weekend with my dad and I was talking about how much I miss summer camp. I am not really athletic so all of the physical things I don't care about. (I didn't even attempt to ride a horse until I was 17). I could really use a week of someone dropping me off somewhere with structured activities and preplanned menus and just allowing me to have at it! What a mental break that would be! I don't have to worry about paying for things or getting anywhere, I could eat some snack, I could do a little arts and crafts, maybe go for free swim, tool around on a canoe, eat food someone else has made and unplug from the world. Sign me up! Need to get in touch with me? Write a letter! Yeah!

It sounds fun...right? I believe that I am just having a hard time adjusting to complete adult life. This is my first summer as a working adult, completely self sufficient and it is a major adjustment. While I am sitting at a desk crafting an email my friends that are still in school or the mass of friends that are unemployed/underemployed are tweeting about the pool and Braves games at 1:00pm. Ugh...unfair. I had my time though. Summer time just makes me wish I had taken my sweet time getting through school. Hah!

Ok, unrelated tangent...Mumford and Sons are my jam right now!

All Hate for Bono Aside...Great Commercial!

The World Cup commercial on ESPN is one of the best advertisements I've seen in a while. It gets me hyped for the World Cup...it is soccer right? Enjoy...and UNITE.



This post is inspired by Advertwisting...where you can find all kinds of editorial about great advertwisting and marketing ideas.

I'm Not Gonna Write You a Love Song

I had one of those days yesterday...the kind where I disasterbate and launch into my quarterlife crisis mode..."Who am I? What do I want? How do I get there? Why can't I get there faster?"

Surely all two of you that read this can identify. Any how, I feel a lot more at peace today. I can't really tell you why...the questions and uncertainty remain, I just feel confident that life will work it out. Plus, I am taking the day off tomorrow...for a mental break, so today is technically my Friday. We don't have a lot of days on this earth. Roughly 30,000 if you expect to live until at least 80 (check out the mister's extremely well written post on it, here). Spending too many of those days stressed out about the subsequent days does seem like a total waste of precious days.

So whether or not the place I am in is right or wrong for me. Whether I end up making everything work the way I plan or wait tables...I really need to take it one day at time. Which is much easier to write than practice!

I'll leave you with this. I love DMB like most 15-35 year olds, been to several shows...and I've heard "You & Me" tons of times before...but this weekend, while cleaning the house with my honey, I really "heard" this song. Such a beautiful love song. I want my life to sound like this song...

The Most Annoying Things on Social Media, ever.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my social media. I’m all about checking status or perfectly crafting the most witty update (lame, but I admitted what everyone else won’t). In fact, I have pretty much made my career out of being really well versed in online marketing initiatives and communication via social media. I’m not calling myself an expert but you can feel free too. As such, because I spend ungodly amounts of time on social media I have an opinion on some really annoying practice that a lot of people do. And because this is my blog and I can talk about whatever I please, I am going to share them with you.

1. ANY VARIATION OF PROPER TYPING REALLY IRKS ME! ArE yOu YeLlInG oR cOnFuSeD?

2. Bogus invitations to attend things in states that I do not live in or plan on visiting. Double annoyance points if you are inviting me to vote for something at a school I don’t attend. Or never did.

3. Club promoters. Sorry dude, I’m not “thirsty” every single Thursday! Geez…

4. Bands that invite you to become a fan of them every single day. That is a great way to get defriended! If I have to reject you every day, we need to seriously re-evaluate our friendship.

5. Status updates 24-7 on Facebook. If you want to tell everyone every step you are taking or what you are eating for lunch, join Twitter, it is better for noise. I don’t need to see you twice on my feed.

6. This one is a bit hypocritical. Complainers! I do in fact realize that I am complaining, but still! Quit complaining! You are on your iPhone complaining about traffic with a full belly, you are doing better than most of the world.

7. Weird baby things. I get mixed reviews on this one, but I really don’t need to see all of your sonograms and your alien child. With the prevalence of parents on the book now, I can see the need. But seriously, don’t need to know that you are about to get induced or see a picture of your first response pregnancy test. It is weird!

8. Ok, no brainer—Farm anything. I don’t want to join your gang, don’t want to water your crops don’t want to make a virtual pie, etc.

9. Countdowns. 76 days to Germany. 75 days to Germany….every single day! Newsflash, no one that is on your facebook is going with you to Germany and needs to know more than once or twice you are going! Boarding the plane to Germany. Gimme a break!

10. Auto reply or auto follows. Swear to god, one day I talk about losing weight and within 5 hours I have 10 new followers that want to talk about weight loss! My lips are sealed, sister!

What do you find the most annoying things on social media? This post?

P.S. Kinda failed at blogging last month, and sort of all year….but I’m bbbaaaaacccckk and I have a sah-weet new computer so expect great things from me (if you already weren’t).