watching anthony bourdain, 2009 vietnam epi, as he tours around hoi an looking for someplace to -live-, it's almost painful. hoi an is maybe my favorite place in the world. for now. although, i'd rather live in saigon (really, someday hope/plan to). i'm dying to get back over there. southeast asia is something that crawls under your skin and grows there. i still dream about the red dirt of cambodia. my younger brother has moved to thailand, and is getting his first moto - how awesome would it be to hop on the back and have him almost kill me in traffic? and the food. don't get me started on how bad i want a hot roadside bowl of pho and a 333. cao lao. hot vit lon.
don't get me wrong, i'm super hyped for switzerland. i've never been to europe. well, i went to ireland long ago with coyle, for 3 weeks. but mainland, nope. and i'm going very soon, which is starting to sink in. for me, before excitement comes stress.
and, i would like to paint. i'm up to my eyebrow in yarn and felt, and need to break into drawing and paint soon before i go bonkers. dividing up my time is difficult. i dont want to stop sewing, i have a lot more to experiment with there. i dont know.

i want a lot, and just need patience.

when the brain scatters, i cook things.

normally i hate cooking. but, chopping and smelling fresh things always makes me feel better.

...ok, maybe i don't hate cooking, i just prefer eating.

CELL PHONE CAMERA DUMP!
speaking of food, and vietnam, this is what chubby and i get by on:

take out from Luong Loi, which is a pretty good vietnamese place downtown wheaton. That's my typical lunch from there, Banh Xeo and Spring Rolls.

i don't trust any man with a lamb cake.

seriously, look at that face. on both of them. ...evil.

if you've ever wondered how to make your own Tootsie Monster, this is all you need to know:


this pretty much sums up how i have been feeling lately:

(insane and bitey and with a head full of french accordion music)
(i can't believe i waited so long to get this dvd. i listened to the commentary 2x this morning while sewin')

finally,
I know what I want for my birthday this year
Scott H Biram
Jul 26 2009
Empty Bottle
Chicago, IL

let's go.