I can haz hug?

It's been a tough couple of days over here, with a slew of bad news and tragedy happening to friends and classmates. I've found that a big, heartfelt hug is the best thing I can do for my friends and peers and for myself.  I've been hugging and squeezing a lot over the past few days.  The affection within them is so strong--an affection that is healing and needed in times of mourning and hope, but also just as welcome when all is well and good.  People forget that sometimes. I am lucky to have many incredible friends who will give and take a hug at at anytime, and for that I am grateful.  (If any of you guys are reading this, thank you!).

I encourage anybody who comes across this post to go out and give somebody a hug today.  It can be anybody. You can even follow this guy's lead, who started the Free Hugs Campaign.

(edit:  I removed the video box because it was freezing up my page.  Apologies if that happened to anyone else.)

(icanhascheezburger.com)

I say po-tay-to.

My kitchen and cupboards have been full of lovely (and some unlikely) surprises lately.  These wonderful and unique discoveries made me extra glad I have taste buds.  I hope that you, oh-mighty-reader, either already have or will experience at least one of them in your lifetime:

- My microwave has a baked potato button.   A big, fat button that says "BAKED POTATO."  And it heats a patoot to perfection.  INGENIOUS! How I've been living in this house for a few months unbeknownst to the baked potato button, I don't know ... especially considering the borderline unhealthy percentage of my diet that is potatoes.  All I know is, this button will probably change the way (and significantly reduce the time, effort and skill) I prepare my beloved potato.  And when the blessed day comes when I need to buy my very own microwave, I now have a feature that will make or break my purchase.

- Baked Lentil Chips.  Yes, Lentil chips.  Chips made out of lentils and adzuki beans (whatever those are). But they are crunchy, healthy, and delicious, and go wonderfully with everything from hummus and french onion dip to sandwiches to soup.  They are also gluten free, all natural, and full o' fiber.  Whodathunk?!  Thanks for being a health freak, mom!

- Trader Joe's Pounds Plus Dark Chocolate.  It's just like what it sounds.  A full 1.2 pounds of nothing but solid, sweet, dark chocolate.  So thick that it takes some muscle to break off a piece and strong teeth to bite your selected chunk, but the effort is totally worth it.

- Imagine Natural Creation's organic creamy soups. Cream-free vegetable soups more delicious than any of that condensed business.  And it comes in box, which in my experience, always yields better soup than a can.  And they come in so many of my favorite creamy soup flavors including broccoli, butternut squash, tomato (sprinkled with some pepper and basil with a grilled cheese sandwich for dipping = perfection), and of course, po-tay-to!

... Does anyone actually say "po-tah-to"?

Guster is Gorges

It's November?  What?!  When did this happen?  I'm not complaining, though.  I find November to be quite the mediocre month.  A pretty solid balance between the happy and the sad.  Happy November = big sister's birthday, the prime time of crunchy and colorful leaves, leftover Halloween candy, the end of obnoxious political ads on TV, killer sales on fall clothing, primetime Facebook material of Halloween photos, and the anticipation of Grandma's Thanksgiving mashed potatoes.  Not so happy November = Black Friday is forecasted to come WAY early and this year I'm working in retail, Republicans are looking likely to take over the New York political scene, and snow tires.  And really, Mother Nature, you couldn't hold back the half-hour of sharp sleet until the kiddies were done trick-or-treating last night?  Cruel.

Guster.  My hands down favorite band since 9th grade.  Why do I love them?  Because they make videos and songs like this and people use their songs to make videos like this.  Last weekend marked my 5th time seeing the boys play live.  And on this monumental occasion was the opportunity to get up close and personal with Ryan, Brian the ThunderGod (he plays with his hands!), Adam, and their newest member Luke Reynolds!  Thanks to familial connections (through marriage, Luke Reynolds and I are related!) and a coincidental run-in in downtown Ithaca, I got the chance to hang out with Luke a little bit and meet Ryan and Brian after the show, get autographs and pictures, and even taping a video message for my twin sis, a fellow Gusterrhoid who missed the show since she's doing awesomewaycool things like teaching English in South Korea.  To put it lightly, I flipped.  After running into Luke Reynolds in front of the State Theater the afternoon of the show and introducing myself (despite the fact we're family, we hadn't met yet) and making plans to have a meet-and-greet after the concert, I was on a crazy high for the rest of the day.  Shaking and heart pumping and all that.  ```Not only was I still psyched that I had a personal connection, but I get crazy star-struck. This was probably the equivalent of any 13-18 year-old girl meeting Robert Pattinson (sleezeball) or my friend's mom meeting Bruce Springsteen.

Jammin' on the State Theater Stage

Luke Reynolds!

Sup Ryan Miller

It was also a balmy 70 degrees all weekend, making for a perfect day for idol musican meet-and-greets and thrift-store shopping for my Halloween costumes.  A kick-butt weekend indeed!

Less materialistic highlights of the weekend: photographing my grandma's house and the incredibly eco-friendly community where my one of my sisters lives.  There's nothing like Ithaca in the falltime, I'm telling you:

(more on my flickr photostream)