Tag Archives: music
a milestone: 12, to be exact.
A half-marathon is no longer a stretch!!!
This morning, I ran 12 miles, and I’m so freaking proud of myself. I don’t normally express pride, but being able to run that far makes me feel strong and capable, and it’s simply a wonderful feeling. Two years ago I would never have believed I could do this.
Granted, the last 2 miles, a middle aged man with a beer belly passed me. That put a little dent in my hubris, which is probably a good thing.
I hope you’re having a lovely weekend. I’m trying to rally the energy to go to soul night tonight and dance. We’ll see. :) lv, molly
This mix kept me pretty entertained. And it didn’t hurt that it was pretty out this morning.
12-year-olds like the beatles.
As kids researched for a project today, I played The Beatles’ Abbey Road album, and the kids have rarely worked harder or concentrated more. A revelation!
Starting next week, it’ll be a “musical democracy,” and we’ll occasionally have work time accompanied by music that we’ve voted on. (Also, all the tables are different “countries,” so I’m totally running with this cheesy, mildly contrived democracy theme.)
Is it any surprise that they loved “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”? (Should I be concerned that at one point Maxwell hits a teacher with a hammer?)
One kid said, “This is better than Lil Wayne.” Yes. Thank you.
lv, molly
Sony sucks and prevents embedded videos from playing. Still, click below to go to youtube. This song is awesome.
velvet underground.
This song came on Pandora while I was lesson-planning, and I love it. It was a favorite song of mine in college, and I’d almost forgotten it. So pretty.
Hope this weekend was happy for you! Better finish that lesson planning… lv, molly
the day i cooked brown food + listened to natasha bedingfield.
More specifically, “Unwritten” 3 times. I probably shouldn’t admit that. It reminds me of my friend Lizzy and her old mercedes… and a chihuahua named Mokey. Good times.
Tonight is my friend Elana’s birthday party. Because I’m busy and stressed 90% of the time, I’ve done a fairly poor job as co-hostess/ organizer. Fingers crossed it’ll be awesome because this special lady deserves a fantastic birthday party.
The theme, if you want to call it that, is monochromatism. Everyone is dressing the same color as the food they bring.
I was assigned brown. Brown is arguably the grossest of all colors, but everybody loves brownies. And wheatberries are brown too. Should I point out other brown foods that you already know are brown?
Point is, I’m bringing a side dish I made and a dessert that I didn’t really make.
Here’s the recipe for the wheatberry salad. It’s really yummy– an old standby. The brownie recipe is only considered a recipe by the likes of Paula Deen and Bobby Flay. It is actually combining a box of mix with an egg and oil. lv, molly
P.S. Are supermarkets on Valentine’s steroids this year? I went to QFC and was bombarded by a series of helium-inflated heart-shaped objects with strings attached to them.
Wheatberry Salad
1 cup hard winter wheatberries
Kosher salt
1 C finely diced red onion, about 1 onion
6 Tbl good olive oil, divided
2 Tbl balsamic vinegar
3 scallions, minced, white and green parts
1/2 red bell pepper, small diced
1 carrot, small diced
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Place the wheatberries and 3 cups of boiling salted water in a saucepan and cook, uncovered, over low heat for approximately 45 minutes, or until they are soft. Drain.
Saute the red onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat until translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the remaining 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar.
In a large bowl, combine the warm wheatberries, sauteed onions, scallions, red bell pepper, carrot, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Allow the salad to sit for at least 30 minutes for the wheatberries to absorb the sauce. Season, to taste, and serve at room temperature.
And I’m going to be obnoxious and slow this page’s loading speed by embedding Natasha Bedingfield’s amazing song “Unwritten,” which isn’t annoying at all. (I previously posted her other annoying song because I got them confused. But no, it’s this one. This is the one that I listened to 3 times.)
running jams.
Two of my recent running favorites. I’m training for a half marathon. Have I told you? I try to run 5 days a week, but these last two months of student-teaching, I may end up running less do to time constraints. These songs (and plenty of carbs) have been fueling my runs and making them much more enjoyable; music is monumental in keeping me motivated and entertained as I run.
What are some of your favorite songs to listen to when you hit the pavement or the gym? lv, molly
P.S. This site is great for mapping runs! Thanks, Annika!
#1. For getting started, particularly on a cold morning when all I want to do is stay in bed. This makes me want to run fast.
#2. For cooling down. A Welsh man I dated briefly in my early 20s (who happened to have the sing-song-y-iest voice) introduced me to Joanna Newsom, and I was originally put off by her unique voice. Over the past year, I’ve developed an appreciation for her beautiful melodies. At the end of a run, I find myself smiling as she sings La la la la.
smooth criminal.
I’m training for a half-marathon! Have I announced that yet? I’m excited, but it’s 6:15 a.m.; I need to leave for school soon; and Michael Jackson is way more exciting than talk of marathon-training. So let’s save that for later.
I was running yesterday with my iPod on shuffle, when this old jam came on. I totally picked up my pace and was probably sashaying my hips embarrassingly. I LOVE this song, and it totally makes me happy whenever I hear it.
Surely, many of Michael Jackson’s songs are better (… “Billie Jean,” anyone?), but I still have a soft spot for “Smooth Criminal” and his dancing in its awesomely cheesy video.
Happy Wednesday! Today is a Michael Jackson and cake-baking kind of day (see recipe below). lv, molly
happy weekend!
A few things that have made me smile recently. Enjoy your weekend! lv, molly
This impression of R. Kelly. Amazing.
This song by Foster The People. I heard it on KEXP when I was driving to school at 6:30 a.m., and I couldn’t stop dancing in place; I LOVE catchy songs with whistling.
Totally adorable father and daughter singing “Home.”
Black Bean + Sweet Potato Chili.
This book. Maybe I was too snotty before because there’s some serious entertainment to be found in trashy books.
all the words sound so accidental.
Just a song I stumbled upon that I’ve kept playing on repeat for days. It’s so pretty and sweet. (And I like her headband.)
Read about her on NPR here. Happy listening! lv, molly
some lucky night.
Have I ever mentioned my love of M. Ward? I’m sort of in love with him, you know. I bet he’s smart, sensitive, the kind of guy who makes you waffles and then plays you a song on his old guitar while sitting in a breakfast nook that’s made out of old wood and has cushions. So by “love,” I mean that thing you call ”love” that’s really just a crush… A crush on someone famous who you’ve never met but with whom you’d like to eat waffles and drink black coffee while listening to him play guitar.
And now I’ll cease musing on what an affair with M. Ward would be like because that’s just silly and elementary (even mildly creepy?) of me. I must return to an assignment now, but enjoy this little gem… lv, molly
I know when everything feels wrong
/
I’ve got some hard, hard proof in this song
/
I’ll know when everything feels right
/
Some lucky night
yesssss!
I’m so happy. Tomorrow marks the first day off I’ve had forever, and I really can’t wait to sleep in, run, and clean my carpets. [The latter indicates that I'm no longer a spring chicken.]
What are you up to on this lovely Friday? I think champagne on a rooftop in Capitol Hill is in order. And kale chips. I made these recently, and they’re bomb– crispy with just the right amount of salt.
I’ve always wanted to like kale more than I do, but these chips make it so f-ing amazing you hardly realize you’re eating something that’s really good for you. After all, according to Gawker, kale is the only thing Gwenyth Paltrow ate while filming Iron Man 2, so it must be good for you, right?
Happy happy happy weekend. xo, m
Kale Chips
1 large bunch of kale, rinsed and dried
1 Tbl. olive oil
Kosher salt to taste
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Rip up the kale into chip-sized pieces. Remove stems and tough bits. (I didn’t remove the stems because I had neither the time nor the patience; the chips were still delicious.) Toss the kale with the olive oil, and put a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 20 minutes, and listen to this song and smile because IT’S THE WEEKEND!
it’s elephant’s.
My friend David is in a band whose name is the title of this post. I met David at NYU, and he’s wonderfully talented, and I thought he and his band should get a little shout out here. You can hear them on Last FM, where they’re described in these loving terms: “With a few pop-stoner guitar riffs, some witty bass lines, a spot-on set of skins, one piano, several horns, and a lap slide guitar, It’s Elephant’s will blow your mind. Literally. (Okay, maybe not literally.) The recently turned four piece don’t allow their ambitions to get in the way of their unbridled enthusiasm for making full, heady, and downright lovable music.” Listen here.
In addition to playing good music, this band is full of cute boys.
The band is based in Atlanta, but they travel extensively, and I think they might be playing in Portland in the near future… so I’m excited about that. Enjoy, and congrats, David! xo, m
