Thursday, August 13, 2015

Brain dump

As usual, linking up with Amanda's Thinking Out Loud Thursdays.


1. "Make no little plans." - Daniel Burnham
I was thrilled to learn that Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese are teaming up to create a movie version of the novel, Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.
I read this book many years ago when it was first published. It was a fascinating read. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the World's Fair in Chicago and about legendary architect Daniel Burnham.

I am inspired now to re-read the book prior to the film release. It'll be great to see how they adapt the story to the big screen!

2. "Did he know that I knew that he knew who I was?" - Don Tillman
Since we are talking about books, I read The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion for book club this month.


Love love LOVED it!!! There was so much humor woven throughout the story, both subtly and overtly. The main character, Don Tillman, reminds me of someone I once worked with who was extremely literal. (E.g., if you told him you needed a minute, he set his watch for exactly 60 seconds!) The conclusion had me guessing up until the very end, too.

3. "We need everybody to dance!" - Kris Versteeg
Blackhawks fans, you all know that Kris Versteeg likes to sing, rap, and have a really, really, really good time. (Bonus points if you understand my reference there. ;-) )

If you haven't already seen this video of him dancing at Devin Setoguchi's wedding along with Jason Demers, it is hilarious:

4. Insta-Twit-bots 
Recently I've experienced an uptick of folks/companies who follow me on Instagram or Twitter for a few days, then unfollow me. Is this the latest spammer/advertising strategy? And/or is this just a thinly veiled attempt for them to scrounge up followers?

5. Spiraling into oblivion
I finally jumped on the bandwagon and bought a food spiralizer!

Right now I'm working my way up the learning curve. I made zoodles and tried to saute them, but they became watery and began to disintegrate. I attempted to make apple spirals but they didn't hold their shape.

Next, I plan to attempt a healthified imitation of Arby's curly fries via this recipe. Here is hoping the finished product looks something (anything!) like this:

6. Mini-madness
Has anyone experienced what I will call rest-day madness? During a few recent rest days, I was a bottomless pit of hunger, underwent all kinds of random aches and pains, and felt heavy and lethargic. I think it's similar to marathon taper symptoms, but on a condensed scale. Keep the chocolate and fatty desserts/snacks away from me on those days!!!

19 comments:

  1. I have never read that book but I'm sure the movie will be great if Leonardo is in it. I love anything he is in. Never heard of the Rosie Project book either. Sounds like a fun read. I never thought I wanted a spirializer until I have been reading about it on other blogs. Now I want one. Looks like it could be very useful.

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    1. Agreed - both Martin Scorsese and Leonardo make for instant classics!!! The Rosie Project is such a quick, easy, and fun read. I highly recommend it. =) Just like you, I never had any inclination of ever getting a spiralizer until I started seeing others' gorgeous creations! And now at restaurants, I can tell when they use spiralizers for plating purposes. It is very true what they say about how you eat with your eyes first. =)

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  2. I think I'm going to reread Devil now too! OMG that dance is too much!
    Yeah I'm pretty tired of all the "follower flushing" that goes on. Pathetic. I'm pretty sick of how aggressive the wrap selling people are on IG too.

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    1. I wonder how much time Steeger and his buds spent practicing that dance, LOL. Seriously, who comes up with the follower flushing ideas? Now when I get a new follower that I don't recognize and has seemingly no connection to me, I'm already thinking, wonder how long this one will stick around? Would you believe that I haven't seen the wraps that folks are selling on IG? Sounds like it's a good thing!

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  3. I never heard about that book, but since Leo's in it, I probably won't see it. I'll have to wait to see the trailer though, but he's usually in movies I'm not interested in. maybe I'll get only the book and pass on the movie.

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    1. In general, I do believe that the book is always better than the movie. But I think it is cool to see how things get adapted for a motion picture. Surprisingly, I've only ever seen Leonardo in one other movie and that was Titanic! I used to watch him when he was a kid on Growing Pains, though. =)

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  4. I wonder if my mom would like The Rosie Project! It sounds like a fun book. Maybe I'll add it to my list, too. I read two books on vacation which is more than I'd read in months. I need another vacation in order to read more :-)

    I wonder why your zoodles didn't work. I've been wanting to try them myself for awhile now but haven't shelled out the money for the tool. Was it easy to clean?

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    1. I think you would really enjoy The Rosie Project!!! If you do read it, let me know what you think! And I will fully admit that I joined a book club because I wanted to motivate myself to read more. Vacations are some of the best times to do so, too!!! How was your trip, btw? Your pictures were stunning!

      In retrospect, I believe I over-sauteed the zoodles. I think I overlooked the fact that they aren't true noodles, and don't have the body to stand up to a lot of pan movement. The tool is relatively easy to clean, but there were a few little corners that took a little bit of work. I think a good toothbrush-type cleaning device would work wonders. In case you were curious, this is the spiralizer that I got:

      http://www.amazon.com/Spiralizer%C2%AE-Tri-Blade-Vegetable-Strongest-Heaviest-Gluten-Free/dp/B00GRIR87M

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  5. I was also very excited about hearing about The Devil in the White City! I also read the book several years ago!

    As far as zoodles, don't cook them too long, just a few minutes. I overcooked them on my first try to and they do become mushy. I also squeeze them out before hand with some paper towels to get all the moisture out. That said, I've only made them like 2 or 3 times. Ha!

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    1. Yay for Devil in the White City!!! Can you imagine how big the premier will be in Chicago?!?!?

      Ooooh, thanks for the tip on wringing out the zoodles beforehand to eliminate some of the water. I will definitely try that next time!!!

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  6. I NEED to read Devil in the White City. Honestly, the fact that I still haven't read it is totally unacceptable, given my obsession with history and, in particular, my obsession with Chicago history. Soon!

    Bethany @ Accidental Intentions

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    1. Ahhh, Bethany!!! YES on Devil in the White City - I think you would thoroughly enjoy it!!! It is such an eye-opener for the history on Chicago landmarks like Midway Plaisance and Jackson Park!

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  7. Almost done with the book! SO GOOD! It'll be a great conversation!

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    1. YES! I am really excited to discuss with everyone!!! I was lead astray by some of the interim occurrences and I want to hear everyone's theories. =)

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  8. I've heard so many good things about the book. I finally put it on hold at the library.

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    1. I got my copy from the library, too, and had to wait a few weeks to get it. =) Let me know what you think about it after you've read it!

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