Happiness is a warm brownie

What’s happening, bleeps? Me, I’ve just been doing what I normally do. Sleeping. Eating. Not blogging.

I am trying this new thing, though. It’s called “positive thinking.” Apparently, you can change your life just by thinking positive thoughts and choosing to be happy. I didn’t even have to read any pop-psych/new age-y drivel like The Secret to figure this out. It just took years and years of being unhappy and going to therapy. So ha! Joke’s on you, The Secret et al.

But seriously, I am trying to be happier, more positive, and more active. I’m trying to figure out what’s best for me, and not beat myself up over stupid stuff. Just, you know, let go. Accept. Be open and receptive and all that jazz. The biggest thing missing from my life right now is a creative outlet – didn’t I have one or two of those as a kid? Where did I lose myself? Doesn’t matter. I’m slowly (slooo-o-o-oowly) taking that journey back toward a fuller life. Maybe I’ll blog more about that later, if those last few sentences didn’t just bore you to tears.

But wait! Speaking of happiness, have I got a recipe for you. I was reading Southern Living (yes, I read Southern Living. Don’t give me that look), and I found a recipe for brownies that were advertised as “The Best Brownies.” In fact, they are called “So Good Brownies.” Now, that’s quite a claim, I thought to myself. So I made a batch. Overall, I’d say they were a success. They’re damn good. Like, really, really good. Like, maybe I should go get one right now good.

Anyway, I want to share the recipe in the hopes that you will agree these are some pretty tasty brownies. Next time, I think I’ll add some caramel bits before baking. Whoa. My head just exploded that was such a good idea.

So Good Brownies (or: Holycrapthesebrowniesareawesomethat’snotjusttheliquortalking Brownies)

4 1-oz unsweetened Baker’s Chocoloate squares
3/4 cup butter (yessss)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (like whoa)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar (that’s right – TWO kinds of sugar!)
3 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract (I used Madagascar vanilla – it’s better)
1/8 tsp. salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom of an 8-inch pan with foil, allowing 2-3 inches to extend over the sides; lightly grease the foil.
2. Microwave the chocolate squares and butter in a large bowl at HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30 second intervals (it should look like Willy Wonka’s chocolate river). Whisk in granulated and brown sugars. Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking just until blended after each addition. Whisk in flour, vanilla, and salt.
3. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
4. Bake for 40-44 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Lift brownies from the pan, using foil sides as handles (clever!). Gently remove foil and cut into 16 servings (or two large servings, whatever).
5. Give your mouth a brownie-gasm.

It’s that time again…

You guys. For serious.

Have I mentioned how awesome my friend/coworker/mastermind behind the Bleet-Up Tolly is? That chick gets stuff done, you know?

This Bleet-Up is going to melt your face off. I am vowing, here in front of the Internets, to try and be more social and fun at this one. Vodka will help. So, if you see me there, please buy me something that contains vodka.

My tastes are as varied as they are sometimes misguided

What’s happening, bleeps? Your lives are probably infinitely more interesting than mine, so please let me know what you’ve been up to, so that I may be totally jealous live vicariously through you.

I…well, I’ve recently become involved with Mad Men.

Hello, I'm very attractive.

Maybe I’ve mentioned that I don’t really watch a lot of television. At least, not current television. I tend to watch all television on DVD, which means that I’m behind the general television-watching population. So NO, I do NOT want to know what’s been happening on Lost, and I do NOT want to know what Don Draper did in last night’s episode. I’m sure it was sigh-worthy.

I’ve been doing a lot of sighing lately, come to think of it. Most recently because J. and I watched I Love You, Man (ohhh, Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, please be my friends?) and 17 Again* last night.

It should be illegal. All of it.

I’m not going to talk about Zac Efron, or the things I may have said/thought during the viewing of the aforementioned film, or about how much I enjoyed Google imaging him for this post. Let’s just…let’s just gaze at the pretty picture, and forget about how stupid his hair usually looks, and that maybe he’s a little too pretty, that maybe all the teenage girl crushes are misdirected jealousy. But: so. pretty.

Dear Lord, help me.

ANYWAY. I totally skipped out on ACL this year, like always, and I heard it was muddy. So, no regrets there. Fall, my favorite season, is kinda sorta upon us, and I baked chocolate chip cookies over the weekend to celebrate. All I want to do is eat, so winter must be coming soon because my body is clearly telling me that it needs a few extra layers of belly fat in order to survive. Duly noted, body! Have another cookie.

This weekend I’m going to Chicago for the first time ever, and it’s kind of all I can think about right now. As I do before every trip I take, I’ve been planning outfits in my head. Outfits that will never materialize, because I keep forgetting I’ll only be there for three days and probably don’t need two suitcases. If you’ve been to Chicago and have something awesome to recommend I do/see there, leave me a comment!

*For J.’s sake, I will state that watching 17 Again was TOTALLY MY IDEA and he had NOTHING TO DO WITH IT and I practically TIED HIM DOWN and MADE HIM WATCH IT against his very WILL. He didn’t laugh once, nor did he admit that Zac Efron did an okay job. This is all true.

Quick update with a Recipe!

Oh where oh where have I been? Home, mostly. Being a homebody, which is what I do best. NOT blogging, which apparently is something else I do best. I would apologize, but you are used to it now. Right?

I saw Julie & Julia a couple of weekends ago. It was cute, Meryl Streep is AH-mazing, and dear Lord did I have a powerful craving for Boeuf Bourguignon after watching that film. I still haven’t attempted to make it, but I want to. Someday. But! The most notable thing about that movie was that I went and saw it by myself. Yes, for the first time in my almost 30 (gasp!) years on this planet, I went and saw a movie alone. On a Saturday afternoon. In an almost-packed theatre. It was wonderful.

Oh yeah, I wrote a review of East Side Show Room (I still don’t know if it should be four separate words, or two words, or what) for EatDrinkAustin. It’s a lovely little establishment that I hope does well here in Austin.

And last night I made a delicious meal. So delicious I want to share the recipe with you – I wish I had pictures, but I keep forgetting to take them before I eat (scarf down) the food. This will feed two people but can easily be increased for more. I can’t remember where I found this recipe. I cut it out of a magazine. That should narrow it down for you.

Lemon-Garlic Shrimp w/ Vegetables

2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 medium red bell pepper, diced (I didn’t quite use the whole thing)
bunch of fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tsp lemon zest
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp cornstarch
Juice of 1/2 medium lemon
parsley (fresh or dried), salt, pepper to taste

Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a large pan. Sautee bell pepper, asparagus, and lemon zest (salt and pepper to taste) until veggies are tender. Remove veggies to a bowl and cover to keep warm. Add remaining tsp of olive oil and garlic to pan until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add shrimp; stir and cook about 1-2 minutes, until slightly pink. Whisk together chicken broth and cornstarch until it is smooth, then add it to the pan. Cook shrimp and broth until shrimp are cooked through, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and parsley to pan (this will cause the sauce to thicken more). Stir, add salt and pepper to taste. Pour shrimp and sauce over vegetables.

I served this with whole wheat linguine lightly coated in butter (as I learned from Julia Child, butter makes everything better). It’s a very light, healthy meal that even the boyfriend loved. Try it!

More girl crushes…and what I had for dinner!

You might recall that a while back I talked about my girl crushes. I’m serious about these; I have a lot of girl crushes on people I know and people I don’t know. It doesn’t matter if we are acquainted or if I must admire you from afar. If you’re smart/sassy/hot/stylish/adorable/clever/whatever, I’ll have a crush on you. It’s human nature, people. But I’m not bisexual. I’ll wait until my big Hollywood career ignites before I admit to that.

Today I must add a couple of ladies to the list.

Bat for Lashes (Natasha Khan)

It’s not really fair that this woman should be blessed with such beauty and style and talent and an ethereal voice to boot. Gah. Must purchase this album.

Christina Hendricks

Confession: I do not watch Mad Men. I KNOW, okay? I know. I should, it’s a great show, blah blah blah. I get it. All I’m trying to tell you right now is that I loved Christina Hendricks from the moment she played “Mrs. Reynolds” in Firefly. To see her all gussied up ’50s style, well, that’s just more incentive to keep loving her. She also seems cool and low-key in real life, but I’ll need to do more research to confirm this. This may or may not involve (more) Google image searches.

In food news, I have christened Monday – that most dreaded day of the week – as “Taco Monday” at my house. You know, to make Monday seem more lovable. Tonight I made some delicious tacos, along with a signature beverage, and I will share with you my simple methods, should you care to observe Taco Monday in your own home. As with all of my “recipes,” measurements are approximate. Adjust to suit your own tastes!

Turkey Tacos
1/2 pound ground turkey (I used white meat)
1/4 yellow onion
1/2 large bell pepper (I used red for color)
1 clove garlic
About 1 tbsp canola oil
Ground cumin (comino)
Chili powder
Ground coriander
salt, pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 small lime

Sautee onion, bell pepper, and garlic in oil until onions are slightly translucent. Add ground turkey, lime juice, and spices to taste until turkey is browned and cooked through. Spoon mixture into toasted taco shells or tortillas. Top with grated cheese (I used sharp cheddar – good flavor with turkey), diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, avocado (a little salt+pepper on top goes a long way), salsa, and/or whatever your heart desires.

“Monday Spritzer”
1 shot tequila (I used Hornitos)
3 oz (1/2 small can) of Dole pineapple juice
3 oz club soda
Squeeze of lime
Dash of salt

Combine all ingredients over ice. Drink. Repeat.

We came, we saw, we bleeted

That’s Laura from Dining in Austin, yours truly, Liz, and Wade (the masterminds behind EatDrinkAustin). We’re a super bunch.

It was a party alright. Austin Eavesdropper’s Bleet-Up on Wednesday was, in my humble opinion, a success. And TRIO at the Four Seasons downtown totally brought it. I mean, I wasn’t able to sample all the appetizers (I’ma comin’ back for YOU, truffle fries), but I did scarf down some tasty chipotle mac ‘n cheese. As a result of this event, I’m currently trying to devise a way to live at the Four Seasons without going bankrupt. I’ll keep you posted.

I did get to sample one of MisoHungry’s divine cupcakes. She also made a chocolate mousse that you ate by dipping bacon in it. Did you just read that? Yeah, yeah you did. You dip the bacon into chocolate and eat it. Survey says: she’s a genius.

I met a few cool people, including John who likes windsurfing, and Jake Holt, who is a badass photographer here in Austin. I also got to see a couple of familiar faces from ye olde alma mater, Southwestern: the fabulous Cordes-Selbins, Zoe and Helen. We roasted marshmallows and ate s’mores together, which isn’t really a suitable activity for a 103 degree day, but there you go.

I wish I had met more people, but I must blame my social ineptitude. Maybe next time? I hope there’s a next time.

Thanks again, Tolly!

Hello there.

Okay. Well.

Apparently yesterday’s post about Twitter has attracted a few readers. Like, more readers than I thought my blog would ever attract in my lifetime. So, um, hi everyone! Thanks for stopping by. Please ignore everything I’ve written about Harry Potter and Robert Pattinson. Unless, of course, you’re into those sorts of things.

So, get this: in a cruel, ironic twist of fate that only a spiteful cybergod could conjure, I seem to be having some trouble with my follower/following counts on Twitter. As in, they have been drastically reduced. I think (hope) this is just one of those adorable Twitter glitches and it will soon be fixed. Nevertheless, what a moment for THAT to happen. The girl who’s all, “Hey, I know a thing or two about Twitter!” currently has like, three followers on Twitter. I’m the person I’ve been warning you about!

Just kidding.

I guess this is another good social media lesson: don’t rely on just one platform. Have multiple platforms, so that if one fails you, people can still find you, and you’ll still have an outlet to help you communicate.  Look at that! Lemons into lemonade!

Thanks again for visiting! Hopefully my Twitter problem will be resolved soon, and then we can all be Twitter friends (twiends).

How to Not Suck on Twitter

So I’m going to step outside of my normal “zone” (i.e. teen literary/film phenomena, Robert Pattinson, et al) for a moment here and talk about something that’s, well, probably equally as geeky: Twitter.

I have a love/hate relationship with Twitter. I actually joined Twitter roughly two years ago, before anyone knew about it, and it made no sense to me. (Isn’t it funny how our minds adapt or don’t adapt to rapidly changing technology?) So I deleted my account. Then I joined again back in January of this year, and I’ve been “tweeting” ever since.

I know. I hate using words like “tweet.”

At first it all seems really pointless and self-indulgent, and I can certainly understand why Twitter has its detractors. But what I’ve discovered (through quite a bit of reading and practice) about Twitter is that there are ways to make it work for you, and it can be a lot of fun. Now that Twitter has infiltrated the public sphere, so many little communities and niches have been created around common interests and people who are willing to share relevant information with others. I think it can be an incredibly useful tool – IF it’s used properly.

This makes me sound like a huge dork, I realize. But I’m on Twitter to connect with and learn from people, so I don’t want to be attached to someone who doesn’t reciprocate. When someone “follows” me, I don’t automatically follow them back. I go to their Twitter page with a few expectations and then make a decision. Now, I’m not claiming to be an expert on Twitter. However, I have noticed a few things some people do that go against what I think is the spirit of Twitter (or at least are big no-no’s if you actually want to engage with people).

No “tweets” and/or no bio.
Like I said before, if you follow me on Twitter I’m going to check out your page. If there are only one or two tweets (or worse, none at all), I’m going to think twice about following you back. That’s because you haven’t put much time or effort into building your Twitter profile; in other words, you haven’t created useful content that other people want to read. If you have no tweets, how will I know what kind of stuff you’re interested in, and if I’d be interested, too? Before you start following a bunch of people, you should update your page several times to get things going. Also, Twitter allows you to create a short bio that appears in the sidebar of your page (you can add a website URL, too). The bio is important because it lets me know what you’re all about, where you’re located, etc. If you’re located in my city, I’m more likely to follow you, but it doesn’t matter as long as you tell me a little about yourself. If there’s nothing there, I have a hard time caring.

Boring tweets.
Everyone who’s not on Twitter assumes that everyone who is on Twitter is just talking about what they had for breakfast. Sadly, sometimes this is true. I do not follow those people, however. Occasionally learning about other people’s daily lives is interesting, but if that’s all you tweet about I will not follow you. I mean, sheesh, that’s what LiveJournal is for.

Protected updates.
This irks me. Twitter allows you to protect your updates so that only your confirmed followers can see them. I understand that some people want their privacy (although, if you’re on the Internet in the first place, privacy is a quickly dwindling luxury). But Twitter is not about privacy, it’s about connecting and being open. If I don’t know you in real life, I will not follow you if your updates are protected. Again, how will I know what you’re all about? Why should I care? And what exactly are you saying that you don’t want everyone to see? I shudder to think.

You’re following 1,200 people, but only 7 are following you.
The people who fall into this category typically fall into the “no tweets” category as well. A large following isn’t built in a day – it can take weeks or months of steady work. This just shows me that you’re far too eager to get followers, and you’re probably not interested in taking the time to build an informative, relevant Twitter page. Next.

Tweets that all link back to the same page on your spammy website.
Plenty of spammers have discovered Twitter, and admin is fairly good about rooting them out eventually. But some normal-looking people are deceptive spammers. Their tweets seem informative, but if you click on the links embedded within them, each one goes to the same page on their website – and they’re almost always selling something. This is lame. Sure, a lot of people are trying to sell stuff, and Twitter can be a great brand-building tool, but this is not the way to do it. Being purely self-promotional is a huge turn-off. On Twitter, you must earn people’s trust. You must prove that you actually care, that you want to share and listen and converse with others. The minute you try to sell me your consulting services directly over Twitter, we’re done. There are major companies on Twitter who just plain don’t get this, but there are also companies that really do. And quite frankly, I have a little more respect for the ones who get it right. Will this translate into sales for them? It might.

No @replies or RT’s
Twitter is like text messaging the Internet, so think of it as an ongoing conversation. You should be replying to people, retweeting (RT) what other people are saying, and providing your own input in order to create a good balance of information and a rich profile. It’s not a vacuum, so if you’re not speaking to people or trying to spread content that you find interesting, then what’s the point of being there?

These rules are pretty basic, but I think they’re the most important ones I’ve learned during my time on Twitter. Some people might say that Twitter’s jumped the shark, but I think that as long as you don’t mess with the celebredouches (I’m looking at you, John Mayer and Ashton Kutcher), you’ll find that there are some incredibly smart and interesting people out there. Twitter gives you an outlet to connect with them and even talk directly to them. So just be your awesome self, reach out a little, and they will find you.

Are you on Twitter? What do you think of it? What lessons have you learned on Twitter?

Nerd Alert! Thoughts on Harry Potter and That Other Guy

Question for you, bleeps:

Have you seen Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (henceforth referred to as “Film 6″)?

Fair warning: I’m about to get all white and nerdy on you. I’ve seen Film 6 twice (don’t look at me like that, you knew this would happen), and I have some opinions. I’m sharing them in this post, and I must alert you to 1) SPOILERS and 2) well, nerdiness, as previously mentioned.

SO. If you haven’t seen Film 6 and want to be surprised, STOP READING NOW. If you haven’t read Book 6 or seen Film 6 and want to be surprised, STOP READING NOW. If you don’t give a rat’s patoot about Harry Potter or any of the books and films, STOP READING NOW (also, you are dead inside).

Fellow nerds, are you still with me? Excellent! Onward!

THE GOOD:

Harry and Hermione. I love guy/girl friendships. They make me think of having a sweet, protective big brother, which I’ve always wanted (I have a younger brother, whom I love, but it’s just not the same). I think Film 6 created some really touching moments between Harry and Hermione (who I found much less annoying this time around). The scene with Hermione crying on the stairs after watching Lavender kiss Ron for the first time was well done. I’m glad Film 6 set these two up well for the next film, when they will be spending a lot of time together and their friendship will be tested.

The Acting. The talent has gotten better across the board, save a few characters here and there. The three main kids seem to be owning their roles a lot more, their timing is improving, and you can sense a real camaraderie. Luna Lovegood steals the show. The girl who plays Lavender Brown is fairly spot on. I even liked Draco - Tom Felton is lean, very pointy-faced (which is exactly how he’s described in the books), and he’s perfected his sneer.

Dumbledore. When Michael Gambon replaced Richard Harris as Dumbledore, I was very disappointed. It was clear he was trying to put his own spin on the character, and it totally didn’t work. Dumbledore became manic, shouty, and looked a little filthy. In Film 6, Gambon finally gets it right, or at least pretty close. And then he dies.

The Scene in the Cave. It’s verrry close to how I pictured it while reading the book. So creepy, so quiet – just lovely. However, I thought Dumbledore’s breakdown while drinking the mysterious potion fell a little short in the film. While reading the book, I cried during this scene. It was just so heartbreaking. In Film 6, they get close to capturing that agony, but it felt a little rushed to me. Although, the whole film felt rushed (see below re: pacing).

Special Effects. They’re pretty damn sweet.

Daniel Radcliffe. Rawr. That is all.

YEAH, NOT SO MUCH:

Ginny and Harry. In Books 5 and 6, Ginny really comes into her own. She’s smart, funny, and capable, and you can see why Harry likes her.  I think the reason why Harry and Ginny’s relationship falls totally flat in Film 6 is partly because of the actress who plays her, but mostly because the previous films have done a horrible job of developing her character. This is a big deal! It’s his best friend’s sister! Our hero needs an awesome ladyfriend! Film-version Ginny does not fit the bill. Their kiss is all wrong – it happens quietly and quickly (though sweetly) in the Room of Requirement, not after a victorious Quidditch match in the Gryffindor common room with a “blazing” look on Ginny’s face (a description that I loved). The two are officially dating (with Ron’s blessing) at the end of Book 6, which makes Harry’s leaving in Book 7 all the more dramatic and sad. None of this is made very clear in the film, so the Harry/Ginny pairing is a failure, which is a damn shame.

Burning of the Burrow. Okay. WTF. Bellatrix and freaking Fenrir Greyback show up at the Burrow and lure Harry and Ginny into the surrounding field (why, exactly? Nothing comes of this), and then the two baddies BURN DOWN THE BURROW. This doesn’t happen in the book. Now the Weasleys are homeless, which is NEVER addressed again in the film. Also, sub-issue, the Burrow is the site of Bill and Fleur’s wedding, which occurs at the beginning of Book 7. Bill and Fleur are totally absent from Film 6 – no mention, nada. I’m wondering if they’ll cut out the wedding altogether, although I think it’s kind of an important scene for multiple reasons. I guess they could always magic the Burrow back into existence (they are wizards, after all), but it’s just so lame and pointless to destroy it in the first place. I recall reading somewhere that the director chose to include this scene because it adds drama, since they cut the HUGE fight scene at Hogwarts at the end. Which brings me to my next point:

They Cut the HUGE Fight Scene at Hogwarts at the End. Draco spends a good portion of Film 6 (and Book 6) mending a Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement so that he can sneak a group of Death Eaters into Hogwarts. On the designated night, the Death Eaters arrive to witness Draco perform the task that Voldemort ordered him to do: murder Dumbledore. He can’t do it, of course, so Snape does the deed for him. Murdering Dumbledore and Death Eaters at the school? Uh, that wouldn’t go unnoticed. In Book 6, the Order of the Phoenix shows up, students start fighting, chaos ensues, and it’s quite exciting. In Film 6…homeslices just WALK. OUT. There’s no fight, no chaos – everyone else just sleeps right through it. What’s the point of sneaking in the group of Death Eaters, then? Couldn’t Draco and Snape have handled it on their own? Harry follows the group out of the castle, having witnessed the whole murder scene, but that’s it. Just Harry. His confrontation with Snape is pretty good – it’s similar to how I pictured it while reading the book. However, Snape’s confession that he’s the Half Blood Prince is highly anticlimactic, seeing as we kind of forgot about that little mystery for part of the film, and oh, wait, that’s the TITLE of the movie, right? I guess we should throw the audience a bone and “solve” it for them, while offering NO explanation as to why he calls himself that.

UPDATE: After reading another review of the film, I have to add one more thing that I failed to mention but did notice while watching the film. In the book, Harry is invisible and immobilized by Dumbledore during Dumbledore’s death scene. This is important because a) it shows that Dumbledore knew what was coming and b) he knew that Harry would never be able to stand aside while Snape murdered Dumbledore, despite the presence of several Death Eaters. That sort of foolish, endearing bravery and loyalty is an extremely important character trait that Harry possesses. In Film 6, Harry is neither invisible nor immobilzed during this scene – he just stands by, hidden and quiet, while the Death Eaters arrive and Snape kills Dumbledore. His reaction isn’t even that severe at first. Totally, totally wrong.

Pacing. Okay, all the films move too fast. I realize that they have to, but seriously. Obviously these movies are for fans of the books who understand what’s going on, who pick up on nuances, who can (kinda sorta) forgive discrepencies in the plot, but anyone else watching Film 6 will be fairly lost, I think. There are also some awkward moments/needless shots that could have been removed in favor of keeping more important stuff, or elaborating on details (like, say, I don’t know, the fact that Snape is the Half Blood Prince).

So, fellow HP fans: what did YOU think? Embrace your inner nerd and let’s discuss in the comments!

Sometimes I Leave My House

So, I’ll be going to this:

My friend and co-worker Tolly (who is the genius writer behind Austin Eavesdropper) has been kind enough to give me a reason to mingle with people who are not a) my boyfriend and b) my cat. She tells me there will be “appetizers” and “wine specials,” which are three of my favorite words in the English language. How can I resist?

The answer, my friends, is I cannot. I simply cannot.

Now, I realize that this party is for bloggers, and I’d be hard-pressed to call myself a blogger these days. I mean, yes, I have a blog. I’ve even been posting a bit on EatDrinkAustin (have you been reading? Read it! For serious!). But I’m not the most consistent of bloggers, a characteristic I will own up to when cornered.

BUT! I really, really want to become a better blogger. I must stop judging myself and my words, and I must not abandon posts halfway through them, and I must strive to be interesting and relevant. That’s hard when all you want to do is watch episodes of How I Met Your Mother. Which I’ve been doing. God, I love Neil Patrick Harris. Like, love love him.

Anyway, my hope is that the Bleet-Up will provide some inspiration – that I will meet so many interesting and wonderful people I’ll be rushing home to blog the night away! So if you’re a blogger here in Austin, won’t you come and be my inspiration? If that doesn’t persuade you, um…APPETIZERS! WINE SPECIALS!

It works for me.

RSVP for the Austin Bleet-Up: austinbleetup@gmail.com