Silversun Pickups - Growing Old is Getting Old

So I happened upon this song about 2 weeks ago, downloaded it on iTunes and it is quickly climbing its way into my top 25 most played list. I absolutely love Silversun Pickups and this song is just incredible. I love how it starts out slow and the builds up throughout and has a very powerful ending. I can never explain in words how songs make me feel, but this one definitely makes me feel powerful and gives me major goosebumps. Definitely on my top 10 favorite songs ever (which is a hard feat considering how much I love music).

Tailgate Treats

One of the things I love about tailgating is the delicious food everyone makes and contributes. In the past we have been cooking up French toast, lamb burgers and pulled pork sandwiches. Well, this week I wanted to see if I could recreate my favorite Chilean barbeque classic CHORIPAN! And I have to say, I did a good job! It is super simple to make, all you need is bread, chorizo (best quality can be found at Whole Foods) and pebre. I looked for a few pebre recipes, but I ended up combining a couple to make my own and it was so tasty so I will share it with you below.

Pebre:
1/2 bunch of chopped cilantro
3 minced garlic cloves
1/2 diced white onion
2 medium diced tomatos
3 diced jalapenos
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
1/3 cup olive oil

I recommend combining all the ingredients, except the olive oil, and putting it in the fridge overnight so all the flavors can combine and then add the olive oil when it's serving time! Just pile loads on top of your chorizo and you're good to go. Enjoy!

Happiest Hour

I was reading the newspaper the other day and saw an article that featured Il Fornaio, a restaurant in downtown Seattle, that was talking about their happy hour. While they do have a happy hour menu, it's apparently usually ignored because of their buffet of food that is FREE!! That's right. They have continuous little appetizers or amuse bouches during happy hour that are all free with a drink. And the drinks are not expensive either! $3 beers, $4 glasses of wine. So my friend and I definitely had to check this out. We expected it to be pretty crowded on a Friday and after the article, but it was a tolerable crowd. And while the food wasn't super incredible, it was definitely delicious and, hey, can't really complain about free food right? Try it out! Happy hour is from 4:30 - 6:30pm.

Another Husky Win!!!

In an incredibly unbelievable ending, the Huskies managed to take down Arizona for their third win this season!! We are now 3-3 and you gotta admit, that's pretty impressive coming off a win-less season last year. Especially considering who we've beat so far. We're halfway to a bowl game!! Keep it up Dawgs!! (P.S. How awesome is this vintage button that I just found? I really like the picture of the KFC Colonel on the top...)

24!

Last Saturday I turned 24 and am very excited about what a new year will bring for me. 23 was a great year, the highlight of course being my trip to Chile, so I only hope 24 comes with some awesome adventures (and amazing people) as well! Here's to the countdown to a quarter-century!

Two Book Reviews

So with all the flying I was doing, I've read quite a few books in the past months, but these two definitely deserve kudos in my blog.

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
So this book can seem a little intimidating when you pick it up, but don't let that stop you. Even though it is written at over 1000 pages at probably around an 8pt font, it is definitely worth taking the time to read every page and every word. It's a great story that keeps you interested the entire length. When people ask me what it's about, it's definitely hard to explain. More or less, it's about the lives, choices and corruptions of company big wigs. If you like philosophical books, check this one out.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
I could not read this book fast enough. I LOVED it. I am pretty sure it now tops my list of favorite books. I heard about it last year and read that it won the Pulitzer Prize so I had it on my "To Read" list, but I met a guy on the bus who was reading it and he said it took awhile to get into. We must have very different taste because I was pulled into this book immediately and could not put it down until I was finished. The story follows the life of a boy named Oscar and his family who are from the Dominican Republic. One thing I absolutely loved about it (aside from the story) is that it throws in a lot of Spanish words and phrases that reminded me of being in South America. It is a story full of ups and downs, but it definitely gets two thumbs way up from me. READ IT!!

My Life Update In One Blog

Yeah, it has been awhile, but I'm back to the blog! I took a little September sabbatical from writing to concentrate on some other things, so here is what I've been up to since being back from South America.

Almost immediately upon my arrival back home, I attended the wedding of a very good friend of mine. The wedding was so beautiful and I only wish I was a little less jet-lagged and could have enjoyed it a bit more! I didn't think the time difference was that big of an issue, but I guess after two days of traveling, I hadn't quite caught up yet. But it was a wonderful week, especially because some of my friends who I hadn't seen in a long time were in town and we were able to enjoy dinners out.

In the first week of September, I started looking at concerts that were coming to the Seattle area and seeing what the line-ups were for this fall. I noticed that one of my favorite bands, Band of Horses, was going to Spokane, WA and then Vancouver, BC but not Seattle! But since I had some spare time on my hands, I decided to make the trek to Spokane to see them and, more importantly, see my best friend who I hadn't seen in 9 months! We had a great time at the concert and it was so nice to see her again, FINALLY!

After hearing (a lot) about the passing of MJ while I was in Chile, I came back home to find out that a couple of his famous outfit pieces were featured at the EMP. A few of us took advantage of Free Thursday, a program that allows all visitors to go to museums free on the first Thursday of the month, and decided to go check out his sparkley coat and of course, the glove.

And of course, my most favorite part about the fall, FOOTBALL SEASON!!! That has definitely been taking up my weekends and I am so happy to have the Huskies back in my life. They have begun their season with a great start so far including a win against USC which was the most amazing game I think I have ever seen. Plus, the vibe at the tailgates has been incredible since we have won a couple games and we've been stepping up our culinary skills and included French toast one morning! The next game is tomorrow and I am stoked! I feel another win coming!