To the spiders outside:

Enough with the fucking webs already! Seriously. That is why I spray the hose at you when I water the plants. Every day I walk outside you 'spin' your webs to catch food, but I have to destroy it because I don't like webs in the face. One of you learned after the 4th or 5th time I took down your web that was right over the walkway, to maybe put it up in a different spot that us humans don't have to walk through.

So, spiders, I know we can coexist if you stop being such douchebags. You out number me, but I'm bigger. Let's erase the hate. Let us walk peacefully from our home to the street, and in return I'll stop spraying you with water. Deal?

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I am almost completely surrounded by gay men right now. They are all in small t-shirts and running shorts, and they are drinking coffee and eating scones.

I had a few interesting thoughts over the past couple days. I has to do with the idea of being 'indie' or a 'hipster'. I have occasionally found myself unwillingly slipping into these categories. The original idea of being indie or independent, in my opinion, seemed more to do with rebelling against consumerism and rejecting traditional mainstream thoughts that the majority subscribe to. But recently, I get the feeling that these definitions have shifted. Identity based on consumption. I think people who identify with what they buy are strengthening the idea of consumption. I don't think there is anything wrong with buying things. But I do think that it is meaningless, and that more benefit can come to both individual identity and collective identity by giving more importance to things like patience, understanding and love.

Now, time to go shopping...

WTF Mate?

Molly Moon's Ice Cream

I had this idea to write an awesome review of Molly Moon's Ice Cream shop. Something near and dear to my heart. And then I read a review in Seattle Weekly this past week about the "Best Ice Cream Shop" and realized that I should have written it - you know - when I thought to write it.

But then I was inspired by Ronald Regan, and decided that, being the moth after National Ice Cream month, it would be "socially acceptable" for me to write about Molly Moon's Ice Cream shop. Most of what I'm writing here is paraphrased from said article.
Molly Moon worked in an ice cream shop when she was in college, and was inspired and always thought one day she'd open her own. She then worked for Music for America, an organization that spread voter awareness by bringing booths to register voters to music events. Then she opened up the ice cream shop in Wallingford, which over the past month or so has been extremely successful; the first two weeks of opening they sold out of ice cream every day. She worked until 3am making more for the next day.

It makes sense, having an ice cream shop in Wallingford. There is really no other 'gormet' type ice cream nearby, which is a surprise given the walkability of Wallingford. It is probably one of the cheaper things to do. Which sorta makes it difficult, for me at least, to walk by and not stop in for a scoop. (Note to self, to get in shape, just stop eating so much ice cream)

Walking into Molly Moon's shop is like walking into any other ice cream shop. Except that it is really hip looking. And they have flavors that challenge social norms like balsamic strawberry, cardamom, ginger, honey lavender and thai iced tea. And they're awesome. They have the staple flavors also, but feel free to try a sample of whatever suits your fancy on their compostable sample spoons. My recommendation is a double scoop of either scout mint + salted caramel OR vivace coffee + chocolate.


p.s.

and we're back...

I figured since it has been a while I'd hit you with two. This first one is dedicated to my undergraduate degree. Thank you for keeping me focused on my future, and not having sex. Because as everyone knows, only virgins can become engineers.