Andrew WK live chat

Every Monday night Andrew WK does a party chat on stickam. He's been doing it for months and months, and more often than not it is the highlight of my week. He usually gives out prizes. Ranging from stickers and air fresheners, to shirts and live phone calls from Andrew himself. One time there was even an iTouch giveaway. You win these things through live contests Andrew decides then and there. Lately they have been the first person to correctly identify a picture of someone. I haven't won yet, but it is always entertaining to play.

More fun than the contests though, is interacting live with Andrew each week. He talks about anything and everything. Sometimes he'll have a topic ready to go, and other times he'll answer questions from the fans. In addition to this he also always does massive shoutouts to members on the livechat. This is probably what I enjoy the most. There are many people who are there for almost all the chats, and Andrew definitely remembers. He welcomes old, new and everyone in between. He sincerely wants everybody to have a good time. And it is always amazing.

Lately there have been computer problems on his end, which usually only result in some sound or video lag, but the last 10 or so minutes of today's party chat were utter chaos. The sound sped up and sounded crazy robotic. Simply watching Andrew is just as fun though. I think he realized the sound was messing up, so he just started being himself.

The following are a few screen shots I was able to grab.

(this was before the sound went crazy. He was showing us some of the post-it notes he keeps. The "I LOVE T.V." made me smile)

(this is when the sound was messed up. he started with just a finger in his cheek)

(finger tricks)

(the accompanying robot noises made this even better)

(invisible burger?)

(this is a good look for Mr. AWK)

Things I took for granted part 1

Throughout all of my childhood my mom did my laundry for me. I lived in a magical world where my drawers would suddenly be restocked with clean clothes on a regular basis.

In high school I started doing most of my laundry myself, but every so often I would come home to clean piles of clothes folded neatly on my bed. Don't get me wrong though, I definitely did appreciate it and am fairly certain I thanked my kind-hearted, amazing mother each time, but I'm sure some part of me still took it for granted.

In my first apartment away from home I had a washer and dryer right down the hall. I knew what I was doing and it was free. No big deal. Sometimes dirty laundry would stack up, but it was a pretty easy fix. I could leave it overnight in the dryer if I wanted.

The next apartment I lived in had the washer and dryer in the basement. You had to pay 50 cents to use the washer but the dryer was free. It was a minor inconvenience to haul my laundry down two flights of stairs and knowing that at least 10 people were sharing two machines, but it was still not a huge deal. The worst part of this was getting all of my laundry ready, bringing it downstairs and finding out that there were two loads ahead of me. The other bad part was having my favorite laundry bag taken and it never being returned.

I'm currently living in an old apartment building on the third floor. The laundry room is in the basement. To get to it though, I have to go outside and around the building, cut across the parking lot, go down the stairs and use a key to open an old metal door that leads into a giant cement room.

(at least there's a "safety light")

There are two washers and two dryers in this room. The washers cost $1.75 and the dryers cost $1.50. They only take quarters and you better believe there is no change machine down there. I try to save as many quarters as I can through regular shopping, but every few months I have to go to the bank to get rolls of quarters and store them in my hall closet like a squirrel.

The good thing about these ridiculously expensive machines is that they are a pretty decent size (thank goodness I only have to worry about laundry for one) and that they are pretty quick. Each machine takes roughly 40 minutes. So at least that’s one plus.

A minor negative is that the washers are far away from the dryers. God forbid I drop a wet sock on the journey to the dryer, because that sucker will be covered in filth.

I usually don't mind doing my laundry here, but since it's getting a lot darker a lot earlier, the giant cement room with the old metal door is getting creepier and creepier. The room is 85% empty. The only objects are the washers, dryers, a big sink, a trashcan and an old plastic chair. There is a locked door in one corner and another locked door labeled "GAS ROOM" against the other wall. There is one more door in the room but this one is open. There is nothing in this tiny cement closet except cobwebs and despair.

(spot the two non-working giant electrical boxes and the GAS ROOM)

(so much empty space)

There are some broken electrical boxes and the occasional non-offensive sharpie messages on the wall. There are also a couple signs that would be perfectly normal if they weren’t written in my landlord’s creepy squiggly writing.

(Or I will murder you)

As it gets darker and darker, earlier and earlier I continually get more paranoid. I can only hold onto the fact that daylight savings time will be here soon enough. It could very well be worse though. I could have to go to a Laundromat.

I want to write more blogs

This one doesn't count.
I have ideas.
And really, I should have the time.
I just need to do it.

There are some blogs that update every single day no matter what.
I don't know if I'm that ambitious (or interesting).
But maybe, just maybe.
We'll see.

When It's Time To Party We Will Always Party Hard

I wasn't going to go to Warped Tour at first. The closest one was in Maryland, which was very hard to get to and it was on a Tuesday. I must have went through every scenario in my mind dozens of times. Different ways to get there and my reasons why. The main reason I wanted to go was to get the chance to see Andrew WK play with his full band. Eventually the pros definitely outweighed the cons. (In the end how much does money matter anyway? Plus I had vacation days I needed to use.)

So I made the decision, bought my ticket and anxiously awaited July 20th.

During this time I read about all the different "orders" on the Andrew WK street team site that I'm part of. Simple tasks such as posting a video link earns points, but dressing as Andrew at Warped got you 500. Now, I've dressed like Andrew before just for fun but never around this many people who would actually know what I was trying to pull off.

So the hunt for white pants begun. I must have tried on at least 10 different pairs. None were right. Too tight, too see-through, wrong material, too expensive. I almost gave up, but on a whim decided to try ebay. Jackpot! They arrived the day before the concert and fit perfectly.

The night before the concert I packed a ridiculous amount of things into my backpack. Energy bars, sunscreen, paper, phone, camera, chapstick, bandaids, tide pen, canned vegetables, etc. It was a bit excessive.

It was hard to sleep that night. I've been to Warped Tour before, but that was back in high school. And I've seen Andrew twice before, but I knew this crowd was going to be way more into it. I did eventually get some sleep and woke up feeling ready.

I went through my normal routine. Shower, coffee, cereal, make a sandwich, get ready to go. I take everything I need and head to the metro. I reach the end of the orange line and buy my MARC train ticket for the next leg of the journey.

Somewhere in between the purchase of my ticket and Snapple and the walk up to the trains I see a man stop in the middle of the big walkway. He is talking to me, but I can't really understand him at first. I do hear the word "beautiful" though, so of course I stop. He tells me that he just wanted to let me know how beautiful I was and that I don't need to be a tall blonde to be that way. He seemed genuine and I was glad to get such a compliment dressed like Andrew WK. He went on to tell me he just got out of jail and hasn't seen a beautiful woman in a while. He said his named was 88 Fingers and proceeded to show me the tattoo reflecting that on his bicep. He then asked if he could buy my Snapple from me for $1. I declined saying I just bought it and had to catch my train. He said that that was fine and then asked if I had a boyfriend. I told him I do and he was also fine with that. (The best part is next) He told me that some areas around here are rough, so if I ever had a problem I should tell them 88 Fingers is my boyfriend and they will RUN. He laughed and wished me well.

Got on the train safe and made it all the way to the BWI airport. From here my options were to take a 90 minute shuttle to the mall across from the venue or take a cab that would take 20 minutes. Time is more valuable than money, so I got in a cab.

It was probably the nicest cab driver I have ever encountered. Before he started the meter, he figured out the fastest and cheapest route to get me there. We had a non-stop conversation that lasted the entire ride. He was interested in what I had to say and shared some good stories as well. He got me to the venue in no time and also wished me well.

I started walking to the front gate and the line was massive. Gates didn't even open for another hour. I found the booth that took the food donations and received my "skip the line" wrist band. They pointed me in the general direction of where I needed to go, but that just led me to the box office. So I asked them and they told me vague directions to find a security guard. There was no security guard. After sitting around and watching other people I saw a path off to the side. I followed it through a parking lot, which actually took me to the other side of the venue. And there was the (much shorter) line for people with the wrist bands.

It was a long, hot wait filled with smoking teenagers but all of us got to go in 15 minutes early. I rushed around the entire venue to find the big display sign that had all the set times. (There was no way I was paying for a paper schedule when I could just write it down myself). All the way back at the front of the venue I found it. Andrew WK at 12:55 and Sum 41 at 7:45. Perfect!


Next step was to find Andrew's merch tent and take a picture next to it with his set time.


Next it was time to stake out my spot and to wait for Andrew. I rushed to the mainstage and got to the front row, off to the left. Anarbor came on first and were good. I haven't really heard them before but really all I was thinking about was how awesome Andrew WK was going to be. During the set change I demolished my sandwich and most of my bottle of water. Then, Andrew's band started coming out. The chants of "It's. Time. To. Party." started and the crowd went crazy. I knew this was going to be amazing.

I was blown away. Seeing Andrew backed by a full live band was awesome. And the addition of his wife Cherie Lily just took it over the edge. She stayed so intense the entire set and really got the crowd amped. New role model? I think so.

(love)

My favorite part wasn't just singing along as loud as I could or being with all those people. It was getting to see how much fun they were having on stage and knowing they wanted all of us to have just as much. Andrew WK shows are genuine non-stop parties. Andrew considers his fans his friends. There is never a dull moment and you can't stop smiling, even after it's over.

During the set they threw t-shirts and guitar picks into the crowd. I didn't get one, but knew I would have my own soon.

(best purchase of the day)

After this excitement, it was time to explore. I ate a power bar or two, paid way too much for a gatorade and found as many freebie tents as possible. Free condoms from Trojan, free candy from Wonka and free chicken wings from a 7-11 truck. Awesome.

I tried to make it to the Sum 41 signing, but apparently they "sold out" of the meet and greet passes. Lame.

I decided my best bet would be to sit and wait until it was time for Andrew's singing. I got back to his tent and there was already a couple of people forming a line. I knew I made the right decision. I set up camp and waited. During my wait I met a few of the coolest people I talked to all day. We were all brought together through our love of AWK. And the general consensus was that my all-white Andrew inspired outfit was pretty spot on. (I did see at least one other guy dressed up).

The time was finally right and Andrew arrived. After patiently waiting it was finally my turn. During the past few weeks I had come up with all kinds of potential questions to ask him. All of that went out the window and all I could think to do was walk towards him with outstretched arms and a big, goofy smile on my face. Andrew was seated but he once he realized what I was going for he stood up and completed the hug. I mumbled about how amazing he was and asked if he could sign something for me. While he was preparing that I told him (on a complete whim) that I had a present for him, but if it's too weird he doesn't have to accept it. I pulled a slightly bruised banana out of my backpack. He seemed excited (if you follow Andrew on Twitter you know how much he loves bananas) and sincerely thanked me for bringing him a nutritious snack. After he wrote me a loving thank you about the banana we took a picture together.

(notice the banana in the mug)

After that it was more walking around, catching glimpses of other bands and some really good people watching. I came back for the guitar giveaway, but came out the same way I came in. Which is fine, because now I don't have to learn how to play guitar.

More snacks and shenanigans later, I found myself at the Glamour Kills Stage waiting for Sum 41. Haste the Day and Pennywise put on good shows but Sum 41 is always a crowd pleaser banging out all of their hits. That was definitely the rowdiest crowd I was part of all day. It was definitely good shows and good times all around.


Leaving the venue was a little funny. I must have asked 5 different staff members which exit would be the best to walk to the nearby mall. I was pointed toward a path in a forest. I followed that and eventually found my way to the mall and the correct parking lot where my wonderful boyfriend was waiting to take me home.

I may be several years older than the average Warped attendee, but I definitely would do it again in a heartbeat.

• For more pictures check out my facebook album
• To listen to Andrew WK music, check out his myspace

I'm not going to ask if you know the muffin man

Ever since I was old enough to lick a spatula I've been obsessed with baking. I've always loved baked goods, but I think I just might like having other people enjoy something I've concocted even better. (As long as I get to try the first bite.)

Tonight's baking adventure started mainly due to my recent desires to eat the things in my fridge before they go bad. Pretty logical, but it has also lead to some pretty weird meals (like the bowl of baked beans next to the bowl of green peas I had tonight...). While gazing upon my nearly bare refrigerator shelves I noticed a large tub of sour cream and a little bit of orange juice left.

I immediately (and when I say this I mean after dinner and a movie) jumped onto AllRecipes.com and clicked on the Ingredients tab, typed my two main contenders and not even halfway through the results I found my destiny: Orange/Sour Cream Muffins

Now of course I made my own modifications, just because I like things to be a little more personal. So below is the recipe I ended up using:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 6 tablespoons shortening
• 1/2 cup orange juice

And you know how recipes go. Mix the dry ingredients, then in another bowl mix the wet ingredients then add the smaller bowl to the bigger bowl. Easy as pie. Or in this case muffins. (You see what I did there?)

These baked for the full 20 minutes at 375 degrees F. As soon as they were out of the oven I transferred them to a wire rack. While the muffins were cooling (and smelling absolutely divine) I was already on a hunt for a good glaze or frosting.

Luckily in my fridge I had a random 2 oz. chunk of cream cheese. I'm also a girl, so of course I had chocolate on hand. Which lead me to chocolate cream cheese frosting. Which in turn took these treats from muffin to cupcake. Muffcake.

Here are my modifications:

• 1 (1 ounce) square unsweetened chocolate
• 2 ounces package cream cheese
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons half and half
  
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon custard powder
  (I totally eyeballed most of these measurements)
  

There are so many modifications because midway between mixing the melted chocolate into the room temperature cream cheese I was horrified to discover I didn't have any confectioners' sugar. I thought it was all over. But I think quick on my feet. (Let's just add other tasty powdered things!) So that's when I added the custard powder and cocoa powder. Made it tasty, but it still needed to be sweeter. I decided to say screw it and ended up using granulated sugar. It made a tasty frosting, but I won't lie, there is a crystal crunch to it. I don't mind it at all though.

I put the frosting in a ziploc bag and snipped off the corner. There was a lot more of it than I initially thought. I probably could have just covered all 12 of muffcakes, but I went for something a bit more fun. And to finish them off I placed a single chocolate chip on top of each one.

They are easily the best random muffcakes I've ever made.

moist and fluffy inside, chocolaty crunchy outside

O' Canada

I love holidays and any excuse to bake tasty treats for other people to enjoy. And since I am Canadian (born and raised for more than a decade) I had been thinking about how to celebrate Canada Day for a pretty long while.

It started with my sweet hookup from the Canadian Embassy. When I first moved to DC I found the Connect2Canada booth at a local festival and signed up to be on their mailing list. For two consecutive years now I've registered on their Canada Day party site to receive a free Canada Day party pack.

The excitement for Canada Day started when I received my party pack a couple of weeks ago. It contained balloons, temporary tattoos, a 16ft flag banner, Tim Horton's coffee, a trade and partnership map, a t-shirt, a tote bag, beer koozies, bottle openers and a bag of tiny Canadian Flag toothpicks. Perfect party starter.

To crank it up to 11 I decided to bake homemade maple cookies as well as the always delicious Nanaimo bars. I've made these insanely good bars before, but the maple cookies were a new recipe. They turned out pretty tasty and fooled me into thinking I had just eaten pancakes.

(om nom nom, so good!)

To make everything even more of a spectacle I brought in an Olympic bear as well as Canadian plates and napkins (courtesy of both my aunts). I completely decked out my pod. And to top it off I compiled a list of trivia questions for co-workers to answer for prizes. I'd like to think today was a success. (And also a really great way to *almost* start the 3-day weekend ahead)

Happy Canada Day!

First Entry

I really don't like having an empty blog, so why not write my first entry at 1 in the morning?

I think this will be a good place to share my ridiculous obsessions. It might be about new recipes I try, some crazy project I'm working on, the websites I can't stop refreshing, hopeful vacation plans coming to fruition, the latest comedian/musician I've seen or just something completely random that tickles my fancy.

I love having an amazing plethora of people, places and things that make me even more excited about life than I already am.

Jeez, time to sleep now.