Shang-ra-la-la in LB

once again, Elvis and i will be spinning vinyl @ the Pike on Sept. 30th. Come down and get your groove on. Cheap drinks, good food, great crowd. See you there!

for some of my picks in the meantime, check me out on Blip.fm

September 11

i'm watching my mom's dog right now which i've been enjoying on many different levels. one of them is the am and pm walks we've been taking through my neighborhood. i've met a couple neighbors from distant blocks....and their dogs and have discovered streets and houses i've never noticed before.

two nights ago i turned down a street and came upon this house. at first i was puzzled. "why would they set this up in their front yard. kind of strange...." and then i took a closer look and it hit me that September 11th was days away. #1, where has the year gone and #2, WOW.



8 years ago, i was living in Eugene, Or. i was teaching pre-school. i had a father that just suffered a massive stroke months earlier and i was at a crossroads in my life. i was trying to figure out what to do next? move back to California to be closer to my family? push myself out of the cocoon of safe Eugene and get back to the "real world"? bingo. the events of this day reminded me that life is fragile and short. my family is not going to be here forever and i wanted to make sure i "soaked em up" while i can.

my life since then has ventured on many paths and has currently placed me in Long Beach. i've found such joy here. amazing friends, LOVE and close proximity to my parents and sister. if something major happens, i'm now a car ride away.



so as these neighbors have a memorial of their own today, remembering the lost lives of Engine Company 343, i'm having my own day of reflection; where i've been these past 8 years and where the next 8 will hopefully take me.

RIP to all of those that lost their lives in this tragic event as well as all of those who have died in this unfair war. but from it all, i think i've learned to love harder and appreciate the simple things in life like walking a dog in the sun, by the beach in a beautiful neighborhood full of smiles and hellos.

i LOVE the mail

i get so excited when i come home and see a thin, square box on my front doorstep. this can only mean one thing....NEW VINYL!!!! well the past two days have brought me three gems. i usually find my gold on ebay and sometimes it takes awhile for them to show up....ah hem $5.99 shipping and handling! but it's all worth it when it's arrives. the smell of old vinyl sometimes reminds me of rose oil. maybe it's from the hippies i buy it from, but i love it. and to see that shiny black wax without a scratch or warp in sight makes me ponder who owned it. someone that has kept it safe and respected the tunes inside. maybe they thought they'd pass it down to their kids one day as i do...but instead it was sent to their surrogate child from afar.

mirror mirror on the wall.....

who has the coolest laptop cover of them all.....

delicioso!

i made these last night. big hit @ mi casa, even with a 12 year old. no pics because we ATE IT ALL UP!!

Grilled Tuna Rolls

Ingredients

nocoupons

• Good olive oil
• 1 pound very fresh tuna steak, 1-inch thick
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lime, zest grated
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
• 1/2 teaspoon wasabi powder
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 5 dashes hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
• 1 firm, ripe Hass avocado, medium-diced
• 1/4 red onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced scallion, white and green parts
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 9 hot dog rolls, grilled or toasted
• 1 bunch baby arugula, washed and spun dry

Directions

Heat a charcoal grill with hot coals. Brush the grill with oil.

Brush both sides of the tuna with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Cook the tuna over the hot coals for about 2 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate. The tuna should be seared on the outside and raw inside. Allow to cool and cut into cubes.

(If you don't want to heat a grill, you can sear the tuna in a dry saute pan over high heat. Heat the pan for 2 minutes, add the tuna steaks and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side until seared on the outside and still raw inside.)

For the dressing, whisk together 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the lime zest, lime juice, wasabi powder, soy sauce, hot sauce and 1 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Toss the avocado in the dressing and then add the tuna, red onion, scallion, and sesame seeds. Line the rolls with arugula leaves, fill with the tuna mixture, and serve.

THANK YOU INA GARTEN!

where i'm @

tiny bubbles gets some Apartment Therapy

Cool Recipe: Grilled Salad Nicoise Long Beach Style
Stay Cool!

Name: Jennifer
Location: Long Beach, California
How are you staying cool? Two of my fav's in the summer: BBQ'in outside and all the tasty local produce in season at my local farmer's market. This recipe incorporates both.

thanks Apartment Therapy for posting my digs. for the full article: look HERE

WOWzers

Time Lapse Test: Station Fire from Eric Spiegelman on Vimeo.

maybe this has something to do why i can't breath lately.

summer heat

nothing left to do but strip down to the bare essentials, crack a cold one and play a game.

1st of tha Month

mama needs to get PAID.