The Long Drive Home

I'm old school when it comes to the small things, the pleasures in life that make us giggle or guffaw out loud. I like writing down notes on a clean sheet of notebook paper. I'd send you a love letter in the mail with a stamp if I thought you'd appreciate it.

I hate technology and nothing anyone can do or say would make me want to trade in sunshine, shade, and a paperback book for the dark depths of an ugly room with no sunlight and an expensive computer screen. I hate it when people pay more attention to their Blackberry than the person that's sitting right in front of them. It's all so impersonable and cold. It leaves me with a sense of emptiness and longing all that technology bullshit.

 I stick to my own old ways and ignore the contemporary when I can. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I don't use technology. I have a Facebook, I text message other people, and obviously I have my own blog, but it's because I have to in order to keep up with the times. I have to be a well-rounded person with well-rounded skills. I'd never be able to write again if I totally tried to deny the larger than life evolution that is technology and internet. But I still prefer staring into the face of another person when I'm talking to them to see their reactions to certain words. I'd rather kiss you than text you, and nothing makes me feel more warm and fuzzy inside than that blank sheet of notebook paper and a pretty pen. Again, I'm old school, which brings me back to my original thought about the simple pleasures in life.

 I took the long way home today. I drove for no reason at all. I had my window down with the heat on. The strange combination of the cold wind blowing in from outside and the warm air from my car's interior made me feel safe. There's just something about being in my car that creates this pensive mood. Songs on the radio evoke all sorts of feelings and thoughts. I start thinking about my past, the one that got away, the one that should've never let me go, my favorite quotes, my future, my goals. My car is the epitome of a thinking tank. It's a safe haven.

And today my safe haven gave me a much needed moment to myself. We're all always running around without ever really taking a moment to enjoy the simple things in life. We get to a point where we have to tell ourselves to slow down and just take a breath. So here's my breath and my reminder. Here is everyone's reminder to remember what makes you happy and soak it in as much as you can. Find your simple, old school pleasure and embrace it.

Maybe I'll take the long way home more often.

Pear Pie and Whipped Cream With a Side of Auditions

Today's Word of Mouth: CKB Arts and Communications brings you local audition notices for:
1.Teatro Dallas's American premiere of Arístides Vargas's "The Maiden of the Used Books"
http://www.teatrodallas.org/Home/Auditions.html
2.UNT's advanced film class.
 (look underneath the heading that reads: Short Film Open Casting Calls)
http://www.theaterjones.com/auditions/

You could smell the pie I made from miles away. The juicy filling. The cinnamon. The rugged crust. The carefully placed whipped cream from a can on top. It was utterly sinful.

Pies are an intimidating culinary task to tackle and getting just the right consistency between the filling and the crust is an art form in itself.

My own personal latest tweet tooth venture was an absolutely delectable dish from a little magazine company called Edible Dallas/Ft. Worth. A branch of the nationally known Edible magazine, this publication knows how to get your mouth watering with its appealing pictures and sophisticated layout. It covers everything from seasonal recipes to farming to people making a difference in the culinary art world.

 Delicious and environmentally self-conscious. We like that.

Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=23920543#!/group.php?gid=124682125563

Belly Dancing and Other Art Forms

Today's Word of Mouth: Teatro Dallas presents its February showcase: Domingos Fantásticos. All through the month of February enjoy international dance, music, and theater that transcends all culture and language barriers. Dance and music acts will take place on Saturdays and a production of Leona Vicario will run on Sundays. Opening night is February 6th. Tickets are $8-20. You can purchase tickets at http://www.teatrodallas.org/Home/New.html. (Photo is courtesy of Teatro Dallas)

Here is the listing of the official lineup: 
Sundays:
February 5, 13, 20, and 27 at 3pm 
Leona Vicario by Tomás Urtusástegui
An independent woman struggles for love and freedom during the fight for Mexican independence
(the play is presented in Spanish with English synopsis)
Saturdays:
February 12 and 19 at 8:15 p.m.
The Danielle Georgiou Dance Group presents: Love and Vices
A mixed media of dance, video, and theater about love, sex, and women in World War II.
Saturday:
February 26 at 8:15 p.m.
Jamal, Alia Mohamed and Jonathan Jones present: The Dark Magnolia of Your Womb
An Arabic-Spanish show of music, belly dancing, and Garcia Lorca poetry.

Don't Go the Distance...Unless You're Driving to the Art and Music Show

Today's Word of Mouth: Art is pleasurable. Music is pleasurable. And of course, we all know drinks help stimulate our feel good senses. So where can you go to combine all three? To the Art and Music show, duh! Check out all the local artwork, listen to some groovy beats, and enjoy drink specials all night long at Estoerica Studios, 941 Foch St. in Fort Worth on January 16. Doors open at 9 p.m. and tickets are $5.

 It's about time you get off your bum and start celebrating the new year and a new cause.

On a less positive note, I warn all you Drew Barrymore fans to steer clear of Going the Distance. To spare you some time and a few boring grunts I'll just break it down plain and simple: the long distance relationship movie is way over played and even the stupidest of romantic saps won't find it cute or entertaining.There's no plot.You'll feel like you're sitting in front of the television watching your everyday life play out in front of you over and over again with no off switch to speak of. Not exciting. If you need a Drew fix I suggest watching some of her older films like Ever After and 50 First Dates just to name a few.

White Russians and Monogrammed Mugs

All I can really think of to say to reunite myself with my blog is well, it's been a while....remember that song all you Nickelback fans? Ok, bad joke I know, but you're smiling on the inside. Don't you deny it.

Happy New Year, Everyone. While you all were getting jiggy and roasting and toasting I too was wishing for a better and stronger year to come with 12 celebratory grapes, 3 monogrammed mugs (See photo. Aren't they cute?) and a few White Russians (Got Milk? Or better yet, got Kahlua?).

2010 was often at times one giant headache. I graduated from college and without fail hurled myself into the deep, dark depths of the unknown adult world. I worked two jobs, struggled to pay bills, searched high and low for a chance to share my writing, and eventually started working a full-time night shift job. Let's not forget moving into an apartment in 105 degree heat and the overflowing bathtub and broken toilet that came with it. Oh, did I also mention pay cuts and a car accident? I went through interview after interview and faced rejection after rejection, and in the words of a friend of mine, I just kept on truckin'.

But with the bad comes good too, and I certainly cannot forget the more positive opportunities I was given this year. From Avenue Q to the celebration of the first Dallas Observer Artopia party to the discovery of the delicious and ever classy Bronx Cafe to The Breath of Death, I've certainly been blessed with the opportunity to continuously culture and educate myself.

So here's to a new year, a new outlook, and new opportunities. It's going to be a doozy.