Mmmm.

So that whole CD release shebang went REALLY well. And I had some freak out moments, even when we were hauling everything in with 50 minutes to get a PA system, merch table, and food table set up. But you know what? It was awesome. And do you know why?

I looked around the room when we were playing (I do that to keep myself busy, haha) and there were SO MANY people there who helped us out...from Eric who loaned us the recording equipment to make the CD and the PA system to use that night...to my cousin who sold CDs like a pro...to Writer who helped us set up and made the munchie of the century for people to take home...to Josh who found us the job that paid for the CD and helped plan the whole event...and on and on and on. And to all the people who heard our desperate pleas to show up because we didn't want to feel lame!!

The moral of the story is, the night was based around some music on a disc, but it wasn't about me and Ben or what guitars we played or how many brownies we had. It really showed me that nothin' in life is done...just by yourself. Even if you sit down a write a poem or a song from YOU, someone gave you those life experiences you wrote about. Someone has to be there to listen. So the night was all about how lucky and blessed I am to have this huge community around me, and I'm thrilled to be a part of it.

End mushiness.

AAAAAHHHH!!

So the big CD party is 26 hours away and I am low on gas (literally) but quite excited and not having any sort of fear or trepidation. More morbid curiosity. Who will show up? Will we have enough brownies?

THAT'S why I'm low on gas. I get things I need one at a time, instead of having one well-planned store trip. Oh well.

I was thinking you know you're in a good place when you come to the equivalent of a "test" and you're pretty cool about it. In school, I always studied and did pretty well on tests, but I ALWAYS had nerves beforehand. Nerves drive me nuts. They mess with my system. So, taking essay tests is probably not my calling. Having a big gig where anyone could show up? A test. And there will be butterflies, but that's supposed to happen. It's all good. Feeling ok.

I'll probably post later tonight from a fetal position weeping uncontrollably. ;)

Saturday Thots

I just found out what the new Starbucks drinks are...Spring brings about a Blackberry Green Tea Frappucino (blackberry being the *it* flavor), and Summer will bring a BANANA frappucino. Banana/Coconut or something, to be specific. This makes me happy. Must store up the bank account reserves, hehheh. They're also going to make the Green Tea latte a standard thing, which is awesome. I had one at a Seattle's Best in...Seattle, and it was quite good.

So I got a new CD by one of my favorite bands this week, and it's roller-coastered me. At first I was thinking nothing on it really matched the quality of previous albums...then I kept waking up in the AM with a new track stuck in my head, so it apparently passes the good melody test. Then I realized more lyrics are resonating with me the more I listen...I guess reading them in the liner notes alone does not do them justice. The music definitely adds to how things resonate. And I should know this by now, but I'm lame. So now I'm thinking it's all ok and love my band again. Good times. I hope I always care this much about my favorite artists, even if I have 5 kids and live on a farm. It makes life entertaining.

I'm having songwriter block. I am writing plenty down, but nothing is translating melodically or anything. I guess patience and persistence are the keys. Oh joy. BLAH.

Legends

After seeing Walk the Line this week and hearing Rosanne Cash's stellar new CD "Black Cadillac" -- which makes even more sense after watching the lives of her father, mother, and step-mother play out on screen -- I have been quite sad that I will never see Johnny or June Carter Cash on stage. Sometimes I think that "legends" have been built up in society's minds for so long that everything thinks they are good because everyone else thought they were good. I guess that is the definition of a legend. And I usually try not to buy into that...I find it almost akin to listening to Britney Spears because she's No. 1 on the charts (that means she's GOOD, right?). In reality, Britney is the most watered down, safe, useless artist on a heap of 100's who should be paid better attention to. I think the "legend" status might have some of that unfortunate popularity contest thought to it. The Cash/Carter family though...I don't see as being watered down at all. In fact, I see them as the All-American family...steeped in tradition (June's parents basically invented American folk music), full of issues (alcoholism and drug use and hating your father, anyone?), full of redemption (the God-kind and the people-kind), centered on music (or is that just me?), at one with the highway (that's very American), screwed up kids all over (at least one of June's kids has a heroin problem), with a great love story or 3 thrown in. Someone put Johnny on the quarter.

This legend-seeing-regret has also caused me to spend more money than I should on a ticket to see Bob Dylan.

Bob Freakin' Dylan. I am excited. Here's to many more legends to come.

Jana's Fake Italiano Chicken

I knew I was cooking dinner tonight, and I knew it involved chicken...but I wasn't sure of anything beyond that. I discovered that we had a box o' cherry tomatoes and some parmesean cheese. That screams Italian to me! Here's what I did (for a serving of 1, to make life easy):

1 chicken breast
3 cherry tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
oregano and basil (to taste)
parmesean cheese (to taste)

Preheat the oven to 375. Right. So just slit the chicken breast to make a little pocket. That sounds gory.

In a bowl, mix the cherry tomato halves, 1 tbs of olive oil, and however much of the oregano, basil, and cheese you'd like. Stuff the chicken!

Put it in a greased pan, drizzle the remaining olive oil on the chicken, and add some cheese or oregano/basil on top for cuteness purposes.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes. I served it with some olive oil-y pasta and a touch more oregano on that...quite good. Try it.

The Road Trip Song :)

My life is just an ocean
Crammed into a wishing well
I am no deeper than a map dot
But I am curious as hell
So I will take a penny for your thoughts
And give you back your change
Cause there is nothing to be said;
This town will never feel my pain

I know...I know

Gas station roadmap
Got the whole world right there laid out flat
I won't get lost nowhere
The folks back home all said their prayers
The only thing I own
Is where these four wheels kiss the road
So wherever I am
I am home

I wandered like Columbus
Lost and fearful of my world
There's a lot to conquer
For a 5 foot five inch girl
And I thought I'd found my bearings
Out in North New Mexico
But you can't get through Santa Fe
If you ain't got the soul

I know...I know

Gas station roadmap
Got the whole world right there laid out flat
I won't get lost nowhere
The folks back home all said their prayers
The only thing I own
Is where these four wheels kiss the road
So wherever I am
I am home

There are roads I have not traveled
That are probably just as good
Where the hills are just as pretty
If they don't say Hollywood
I will try and beat the traffic
In the early morning haze
I just cross my fingers and my heart
And hope they point the way

Gas station roadmap
Got the whole world right there laid out flat
I won't get lost nowhere
The folks back home all said their prayers
The only thing I own
Is where these four wheels kiss the road
So wherever I am
I am home

(c) 2006

Mmmm Heat

Hello people. Or people. Or maybe just me, whoever reads this blog. I have returned from wandering and will maybe post about that later. Right now I just want to post SOMETHING.

So I will wax poetic about my top culinary love, HOT STUFF. I mean...chile. The best way to indulge this is to attend the International Fiery Foods Show here in Albuquerque, with hundreds of vendors all selling and sampling the best of the best. I found out through my heat loving buddy Beth that I would be in town in time to attend the last day. After two scoops of ice cream, tearing up, wheezing continously, and losing my taste buds for a while...it was so worth it. We probably tasted 30 kinds of salsa, plus a wide array of BBQ sauces, marinades, and some other interesting things like Jalapeno hot chocolate and red chile pecans. Glorious, all.

Least favorites: Spicy ketchup. Like...why? Also, there is a brand of salsa for kids, who don't like hot foods. So their label that says "hot" is really a mild salsa at best...what's the point? Just buy mild salsa. They marketed it saying you could actually taste the flavors of the salsa. Too bad the flavors were not stellar to begin with and the point of salsa is TANG. Harrumph.

BEST: http://www.greenbandit.com - The Green Bandit Guys. They are great. I remember their Cilantro Habanero Sauce from 2 years ago and have regretted not buying it, so when we say them we got really excited. I think they were flattered or something, because we walked away with a great deal on all of their flavors plus free t-shirts.

Why is it so good? It's basically a vinegar sauce with habanero (not too much), and a BUNCH of cilantro. Like...it looks like soupy mulched cilantro in a bottle. But their herbs are all fresh, not dried, and they bottle it so that the freshness stays put. Whatever they do, it works. I put some on my stir-fry last night and it was glorious. They have a non-hot version too, for the straight up cilantro lovers.

Huh

I gotta say, this road trip thing is pretty spiffy. Lots has been done, and there is some left to do. I feel rather detached from many a thing. I feel rather open to do whatever I want. I feel like I miss my people back in Burque, but I know I'll see 'em soon...so I can hang around here for a bit and be ok.

I want popcorn. NOW. :)

Phoenix

Day One:

A lovely drive. I know it's only the first leg, but so far I like this road trip. We saw a giant cereal truck with Tony the Tiger, Toucan Sam, and the Rice Crispies dudes on it parked in Holbrook. Phoenix was not hard to drive through, surprisingly, and we saw a good sunset. Palm trees and cacti. Dirt. Flagstaff was pretty.

Tomorrow: San Diego!

Harrumph

Packing is now an official pain. I am out of boxes, which is sad because I thought I had plenty. This means I have too much crap to put in those many boxes...and from what I can tell, the collection frenzy only gets worse as you get older/settled/richer, etc.

I was discussing the proposition with my roommate the other night that someone brave enough should take the Two Month Challange. Neither of us is that brave soul, but it would be an interesting experiment. The rules:

1. In one two month period, document everything you own that you actually USE -- a lot, a little, no matter.

2. At the end of the two months, if you haven't used it...chuck it.

3. There are obvious exceptions and caveats: photo albums and stuff like that should be exempt. Photos and pictures on the wall...do you "use" them because they are hanging there? I say yes. Then again, this is not a reason to keep that snow globe from the Florida vacation in 1986. Be discerning.

I suppose people could adapt this to any time period they want...one month for the really ascetic, maybe a year for those who really want to be sure. Perhaps the next move I make will involve a more rabid going-through of my belongings. Until then...boxes.

Last.fm

I have joined the revolution...all the bloggers are doing it. While I don't consider myself a *real* blogger (yet), I decided to be ahead of the curve on this one.

Hence, you can now see whatever I play in iTunes...though I think they only show the full tracks played, which is an issue because I skip around a lot. Oh well.

There is also a "label page" where you can preview (and soon...download) stuff from my own CD. Yesssssss.

http://www.last.fm/user/janapo/

A Reese's Review

According to Ashley, my new food reviewer, the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup With Caramel does not improve on the original. Take it away, Ashley.

"I am of the religion of eating the chocolate around the peanut butter before the peanut butter. So it gets in the way a fair amount. But there's more chocolate around the peanut butter (or less peanut butter/caramel) to keep it from leaking."

Final grade? B-

Cute People

I was perusing my old emails, because Gmail lets you keep them FOREVER. I heart Gmail. I found one called "Quotables" I had sent to Beth when I was in Seattle the last time. It consisted of cute things my nephews and niece said. I will reprint them here.

Philip: I tried to burp the alphabet and I got up to B.

Philip: (gigantic belch down the hallway)
Patrick: Can you do that again, Phil?
Philip: No, my burp-o-meter is not high enough.

Patrick: I don't like showers, they creep me out.

Philip: When I say I'm choking, then give me some root beer.

Phil (in a whisper): Jana...I changed my computer password. The password is...winter. And the hint is...."the season after fall."

Heather: Patrick and Philip are really happy you came but when they found out Beth was not coming they got MAD.

Heather: I can chew mashed potatoes...with my TONGUE.

Jana: Can *I* go to Boy Pioneers with you?
Patrick: No.
Jana: Well why not?
(pause)
Patrick: Because you're not a boy.

Amazing

African Guitar 1
Originally uploaded by Czech Girl.

My good buddy Steph is now back from the Peace Corps after two years of me not shutting up about it. Yaaaaaaaay! I can't believe it's been that long...and then sometimes it does seem like forever ago.

So Steph, in all her glory, brought me back a present. She had one of her students in Malawi MAKE this guitar. I'm not exactly sure how old he is, but he's not that old. Grade school, k? It's no prop guitar, either! Everything works on it! The detail is amazing. All I could think of when I got it was that if you asked an American kid to make you a guitar, he would laugh and hand you a credit card. Or something. It's amazing. That is all.

Worlds Collide

I was wandering the streets today and decided I needed some caffeine, so I popped into Starbucks with the intentions of getting a tall cinnamon dolce latte, because that flavor is like coziness in a cup. Standing in line, I note that a lady in front just got a Venti something, with one of Starbucks' "The Way I See It" quotes on it. And I see in tiny print (because I am oh so observant) that the quote is from Mary Chapin Carpenter. No way. MCC on a Starbucks cup.

I need that cup.

So I have like now quadrupled the amount of caffeine I am consuming, and while the cinnamon dolce is still an option, it is about 50 cents more across the board because it is "limited" and "special." So I opt instead for the GiantAss (TM) and cheaper almond latte and walk home proudly with my Mary Chapin Starbucks cup. It is now washed out and sits on my desk. I am a tool, but a happy one.

The Way I See It #52

"True Story: Recently I eavesdropped on a conversation between two twenty-something employees at a local Starbucks. I listened as the barista mused about his taste in music. Then the cashier asked him if he had ever heard the song "Strawberry Fields Forever." After a pause, the barista answered, "No, I can't say I've ever heard that one before." That's when I knew there really was such a thing as a generation gap." - MCC

Authors. Really.

DH Lawrence Ranch 09
Originally uploaded by Czech Girl.

This weekend my buddy Jamie and I decided we wanted to drive somewhere, and picked a spot on the map that happens to be Taos. We have a fascination with hippies and communes and all things 60's, and Taos is good for that. The weather is freakishly warm for January (or October, even) so it was lovely.

Jamie is an uber-learned English major and took a course in Brit Lit, so we decided a trip up to the D.H. Lawrence Ranch was in order, as well. D.H., while a famed British author, apparently fell in love with New Mexico in the 20's and spent a bit of time living/writing at this ranch. Upon obtaining some literature, we found out that the chapel memorial on the ranch was built by Lawrence's wife after he died. It turns out he had 2 other women who, according to the biography, "competed for his attention" living at the ranch as well. How this worked out, I don't know. His poor wife.

So anyway, after he died in England, he was cremated. His wife had the remains shipped to New Mexico to be with her at the ranch. Apparently, the other two women (dare we call them mistresses?) thought D.H. should be scattered out over the ranch. The wife disagreed. So vehemently so that she is rumored to have taken the ashes, thrown them in a wheelbarrow full of wet cement, and used the cement to make this little altar in the chapel...saying, "Let's see them get his ashes NOW!" What people will do for love. Or jealousy. Or both.

God Bless America

So it has come to my attention that the newest in Starbucks flavored goodness is the cinnamon dolce latte. Hello! Sign me up. I'm going to go get one today. I think after years of coffeehouse hanging out, and many an inconsistent latte (oddly I have had the wekeast latte ever and the much-to-syrupiest-ever at the same place), I appreciate Starbucks because it's so regimented and well executed. Giant chain? Yes. Same mocha every time? Yes. Some might call it unadventurous, but when I pay 3-4 bucks for it, I want to like it. And there you have it.

Music Mania

PC290645
Originally uploaded by Czech Girl.

Even though I was hit hard by an oh-so-snarky-and-timely head cold (at it's worst on New Year's Eve? Come on...), and have spent a good deal of my life in bed or on the couch as of late, much has been done in the past week that I can cross off my list.

- a new website is in the works, which corresponds with:
- the new ALBUM (finally!), thanks to my beloved guitarist Ben who is mixing with skill:
- which means I'm designing cover art and liner notes...it's more fun than I thought:
- and I also bit the bullet (where did that expression come from?) and bought a new acoustic guitar. Mmmm. After having my other one fall into a bit of disrepair, I realized any serious acoustic guitar playing gig warrior should have two. I should probably sell my firstborn (which I don't have yet) or something. Oh well. That's what graduation money is for!

Still more to do...posted I will keep you.

Pumpkin Oat Scones

scones
Originally uploaded by Czech Girl.

These are my favorite things to make, ever. Simple and oaty, a bit sweet but not too much. Like lumps of biscuity goodness. This is a good recipe for those of you who can't stand donut/danish sweetness in the morning.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.

2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center.

3. In a small bowl, beat egg until frothy, and stir in melted butter and milk. Pour into the well, and mix to create a soft dough. Mix in the pumpkin as well.

4. Pat dough into small balls, about 2 inches across (or as big as you want your scones).

5. Bake 15 minutes until risen and browned.

Notes:

You can make any type of scone you want, I've added peanuts, chocolate chips, green chile flakes, and pecans in various endeavors. If you use a dry ingredient for flavor, though, add in 1/3 cup of milk to the egg and butter mixture. I left it out because the pumpkin conistency seemed to do just fine without milk.

Adapted from an allrecipes.com recipe.

Hello Hello

What is this blog? This is the post-college blog of wonder. We will not be waxing philisophical about our lives here, oh no. This blog will be made up of some sort of mixture of a) random observations, b) life goals, c) lists, d) recipes, and e) other things. Sorry I can't be more specific with "e." Oh, and photographs. Carry on, wayward ones. It's a big, big world.