Toodleloo, summer. It's been real.

This post is borderline irrelevant, since summer is almost over, but we have at least a month of hot weather left and I'd like to note some ways to stay "chill" (get it?).

1) The city pool. Words can't describe how much time I've spent at the pool this summer. There is something very old-fashioned about a city pool, especially in Pittsburgh. For one, it costs, like, two cents to get in. Once there, it's just you, a snack bar on wheels, a towel, and the lifeguards that range from age 14 to 52 (though all of them will hit on you). It's also great for people-watching. My Pittsburgh BFF Kelly and I have seen all walks of life these last months: a man with elephantiasis, a mother telling her young son, "Fuck you," and a pot-bellied snack bar worker who tried in vain to convince me to buy a funnel cake by saying, "Nice and round, nine inch ones. Good round funnel cakes," as though the roundness was particularly unique and appealing.


2) Popsicles. Need I say more? I mean, I will, but I don't think I need to. Fruit flavored. Icy. Ideally from Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. Low calorie. All around keep-cool deliciousness.




3) Good tunes are cuh-RUCIAL for summer chilling. I've been going through a Neil Young phase this summer, but other diddies include:

Matt Pond PA - "New Hampshire"
The Microphones - "I Felt Your Shape"
The New Pornographers - Challengers
Bonnie "Prince" Billy (I saw him live with his brother Ned Oldham and they were incredible)
The Four Tops - "Walk Away Renee."


I'm not saying you need these tunes in particular to have a good last month of summer, but I am saying you're probably retarded if you don't like them.

Happy Pura Vida,
Smashleigh

CT, Wheat Tortillas, and 24.

Times are hard here at HMPV. Nobody blogs anymore. I guess we are all just so busy chilling that we don't have time to blog about chilling. Funny how that happens.

Here is the deal, folks.

I challenge all people that live la pura vida to post a blog. It can be about anything your heart desires. For instance, I love baklava and I ate a ton of it this week. If I wanted to, I could tell you more about it . . . in a post! But I will wait and put baklava in a decadent dessert post- coming soon! Let's talk about my favorite subject:

The Cocteau Twins.

Right now, I am supposed to be working on med school applications. Snoozefest! You know what gets me through it? Elizabeth Fraser's voice. Her ethereal voice and CT's hypnotic melodies are the perfect background music for productivity.

In fact, I have cherry-coloured funk and ella megalast burls forever on my "being productive" mix. Dig it.

Moving on, I just wanted to talk about wheat tortillas. I always eat them! I buy the high fiber ones and lather them with guac or mayo. Then I stuff them with delicious veggies or scrambled eggs. For some reason, I feel like I am being "healthier" by stuffing my face with tortillas instead of pillowy white bread.

Also, I just finished season 1 of 24!! So tight. Except for Terry, she sucks. For anybody who hasn't seen 24, you don't know JACK. For reals, go stream that shizzy off surfthechannel.com.

Yello.

Dudes,

I don't have cable anymore. Let the blogging begin!

Love,
Kiks