Beef always beats turkey

I may be enjoying my wife's summer vacation more than she is: I've had the pleasure of eating Loco Moco two nights in a row thanks to the additional time she has right now to cook up some delicious dishes from her home state of Hawaii. For those unfamiliar with this dish, I refer you to Wikipedia:

Note: This is a Google'd image, I consumed my actual dinner before I could take a pic

"Loco moco is a dish native to Hawaiian cuisine. There are many variations, but the essential loco moco consists of white rice, topped with a hamburger patty, a fried egg, and brown gravy."
Yea, not exactly what I'd categorize as "lighter fare", but it hit the spot after getting back from the gym (and probably cancelled out any benefits from said workout).

I've had writer's block since early July and I'm thinking of narrowing the topics my entries. I find myself asking, "Does the world really need another food blog, worship blog, or electric guitar gear blog?" because the overlap of folks interested in those topics is slim at best.

Lastly, Ron Swanson of NBC's Parks and Recreation is a new hero of mine. He would no doubt enjoy a good Loco Moco. Seeing clips of his scenes on YouTube was the sole reason I checked out the show, surely a testament to his greatness, thus I leave you with the Swanson Pyramid of Greatness (click to zoom in):

Tuesday's Tunes: Repo Man by Ray Lamontagne

Repo Man
By Ray Lamontagne

I heard the word,
It's goin' all around town.
Looks like your latest toy gone an
Put you down.
Well it won't be long,
'Fore you come crawling on home.
Like some old dog with your tail on the ground.

I'm listenin' to your Beg and your Plead.
Don't fill my heart with no pity.
What makes you think I'm gonna take you back again,
I ain't your Repo Man.

Used to be,
Just you and me.
So young and in love,
Just like it was meant to be.
Well it didn't take long,
Fore' I begin to see,
That you got eyes for every man on the street.

I'm listenin' to your Beg and your Plead.
Don't fill my heart with no pity.
What makes you think I'm gonna take you back again,
I ain't your Repo Man.

It's like you think I got revolvin' doors on my house,
Like you can just come and go as you please.
I'm 'bout to do what your daddy shoulda done,
I'm gonna lay you right across my knee.

I work like a devil,
Every night and every day,
Bustin' my back,
Just to make my pay.
Now where is your woman you ask,
'Cause, as they say, while the cat's away...

I'm listenin' to your Beg and your Plead.
Don't fill my heart with no pity.
What makes you think I'm gonna take you back again,
I ain't your Repo Man.

Tuesday's Tunes: Fix You (Live) by Coldplay

Fix You
By Coldplay

When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down on your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down on your face
And I...

Tears stream down on your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down on your face
And I...

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you 

A very broad update

And time for another quickfire update on life:

My family came up to visit over Memorial Day Weekend. This is the first time my parents' have visited Boston since Taryn and I were married and it was the first time they saw our condo. It was an all-star showing for meals that weekend, which included Friday night dinner at the Daily Catch in Brookline, Saturday brunch at Neighborhood Restaurant, a late lunch at Roy Moore Lobster Co. in Rockport, and a quick stop to Flour Bakery in Cambridge before they left for NY. Because we all have a lot of different interests and sometimes clashing personalities, I always look forward to meals with my family and it was fun hosting them for a weekend.

I've been hitting the movie theaters more as of late, seeing both Thor and X-Men: First Class in the theater and catching Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and Taken at home. I really enjoyed them all and thought its kind of funny how I go through cycles with what media I want to consume. I haven't really figured out a pattern to what causes these shifts, but let's call it "being fickle" for now. I really need to finish the last Harry Potter book before the last movie premieres on July 15th. We'll be traveling the two weeks leading up to that date, so I'm very tempted to buy a digital copy of the book even though we have the gigantic (heavy) hardcover.

Also, I've fallen in love with Parks and Recreation and it's wonderfully funny cast. I don't know why it took me three seasons to catch on, but I thank Netflix for having the first two seasons available through streaming.

So I have a confession to share with you, my dear readers: I'm a male shoe-whore. I have more pairs of shoes than my wife and now that I've owned up to it, here are two pairs that I've added to what I like to call my "summer collection":

Clarks Desert Boots



Converse Jack Purcell's

Thank goodness for the availability of deals online, these actually didn't hurt my wallet...too badly.

Lastly, Taryn and I are excited for some summer travel coming up soon, so while I haven't been the most consistent blogger, expect a more sporadic posting pattern for the month of July. We have Atlanta, Seattle, and Alaska in our crosshairs and can't wait to explore (and eat) or way through these cities.

What locations or activities await you this summer?

PM Dawn, bring this post home...

Tuesday's Tunes: Desire

Desire
By: Phil Wickham

I'm running through the gates of love, as fast as I can
I can't wait to see You I'm a desperate man
You made the light and sent it down
To show us who You are
Now It's bursting out my heart

My desire is burning like a million stars
And I'll keep reaching out, reaching out for You
My desire, is burning with the fire You sparked
And I'll keep reaching out, reaching out for You

I'd be nothing without You, yeah I would die
If I didn't have Your hand if I couldn't look into Your eyes
Jesus if Your love's the fuel then I'm the desperate flame
That's screaming out Your name

This is glory rising, over a new horizon
I See Your love, I feel Your smile
Your in my heart and I will run with all I have to You