No Pasa Nada

It’s all fun and games…

By nopasanada | Published: August 30, 2010

“The alternative to a vacation is to stay home and tip every third person you see.” ~Author Unknown

…until someone doesn’t get a vacation and then loses her shit all over everyone she knows. Or something like that.

I literally ran out of my office today. I threw my heels to the side and contemplated buying scissors in Target in order to get the GD spanx off. I didn’t but here I sit with three bathing suits in a bag and some flip flops. That’s all that one really needs on vacation is, right? So off I go for five whole days away. On a beach. With clams. And my mouth is already watering as I think about the possibilities for dinner this evening.

This summer has been an adventure to say the least. I’ll write all about it after Labor Day but for this last week it’s nothing but me with sun, sand and surf. Have a fantastic last week of the summer and I will catch you all on the flip side.

Posted in Va-cay-cay-cay | Comments closed

Life List #82: Write More About Politics

By nopasanada | Published: August 26, 2010

“Follow your passion, and success will follow you.” ~Terri Guillemets

I’d say that I’m doing this due to popular demand but I’m not really that popular. Regardless I have started a new venture(!!); Poliogue.com where I will discuss politics in my normal irreverent/having a conversation with my friends type fashion. I feel that politics and politicians should be accessible or at least give the illusion as such. I think what makes people feel so disconnected from what is going on in the political process is that everything on blogs or newspapers is either dumbed down or is written in such a way that it’s almost too inside baseball with polling results and to the point where one would need to know the entire career of whomever is being talked about. How about a happy medium? How about writing in such a way where you’d be speaking with your girlfriends or at a dinner party casually about what is going on in this country? And that’s where Poliogue comes in. I want it to be that space where you can discuss without feeling as if you’re about to go into battle with Charlie Cook and Bob Schieffer. It’s all me talking to you about politics in my normal No Pasa Nada fashion. I might even say ‘fuck’ once in awhile. There will be interviews and podcasts and the occasional vlog (ewww, that word sucks but, hey, what can you do?) post all in the name of bringing you politics in a fun and approachable fashion. Sound good? I hope you enjoy because I’m excited already and it’s been less than 24 hours.

Another huge thanks to Dawn Blanchfield and Sweet BlogDesign for being magical people who get shit done. Love it.

Posted in Life List, Poliogue | 3 Comments

French 75

By nopasanada | Published: August 23, 2010

“Everybody should believe in something; I believe I’ll have another drink. ” ~Author Unknown

Many many moons ago a group of us had drinks at the Warwick hotel in Manhattan. And like any other evening of drinks with girlfriends, we sat among each other laughing and catching up until the server arrived. The server, I still remember as he served two of us again months later, asked for our drink orders – and so far all of this very typical night out – and that is when dear Alexa chimed in that I should try the French 75. What could that be? I wondered out loud and read the description of gin, champagne and a little bit of sugar. Why yes! I exclaimed. For it was a balmy summer evening, I shall have one of those. Moments later the server returned with a champagne flute full of my drink. I put the glass to my lips as my mouth curled into a smile. Oh, that is good. And from there a love was born.

Later in the summer while in New Orleans and then Seattle I was surprised at the popularity of the French 75. Why yes, all bartenders responded, of course I can make that. And if you’re looking for true excitement, said a waitress in Seattle, We also have the Seattle 75 and Seattle 76. It seems they like to mix things up when mixing things up in Seattle. With each sip out of a flute and with my pinkie up, I spent two weeks of the summer drinking this divine champagne cocktail accompanied by raw oysters. For two weeks things were delectable.

But oh, there is always a sad bit to every story. In this story it is the return home to a town without oysters. A town that thrived on wings and burgers. Which is fine but I craved. Oh did I crave my French 75. And so to every bar I went asking tip hungry bartenders if they could make me one. What is that, they’d reply. And I’d shrug and request a deep red wine. Forever leaving my mouth unhappy as what it wanted was nowhere near by.

One evening I went to the Volstead. Perhaps you’ve heard of it? A bar in midtown Manhattan. There was a full rager going on there. The weekend had been solid so of course I’d be able to get my drink of choice to end the weekend in style. So I sauntered up to the bar – already full of liquid courage – and asked for a French 75. Hmmm, the bartender said. I’ve never heard of it. I’ll show you! I said eager to see if I could remember and remember I did. Some gin! And then some lemon! Now simple syrup! And shake it! Now pour it into a champagne glass. Pour the champagne on top. Add a twist.

Here, he put the glass towards me and I sipped. So?

Perfect.

I carted my drink around to friend after friend proud of my new skill to remember how to make a drink – or anything for that matter – without having the directions directly in front of my face. I offered sips and each friend found what I had in my hands to be remarkable. Gin? AND Champagne? Who would have thought of this? Surely not I but I was glad to bring it to the masses. Oh and that bartender, he was thrilled. I tipped him 50% and told him to remember me.

Weeks later I was walking from the Upper East Side back in the direction of Midtown and was parched. My iPhone led me to Uncorked where I sat down and politely requested a French 75, please. The bartender said sure. So I sat and we chatted about tattoos and he made me two(!) more.

What follows here are photos of a bartender making a French 75 after you’ve already had a French 75 and this what they call the ‘Lush Effect’ on Hipstamatic:

1 1/2 shots of gin

1/2 shot lemon juice

1/2 shot simple syrup

Shake, shake, shake!

Pour

Add Champagne.

Et voila! Enjoy.

Here’s the recipe on Esquire.

Posted in "The Pot Licker", Just Add Alcohol | 10 Comments

The Mosque in the Room

By nopasanada | Published: August 18, 2010

“This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness. ” ~Dalai Lama

Every election there’s the inevitable Thing – from here on known as The Thing. It’s The Thing that drums up controversy but has nothing to do with what is actually going on in the real world. It gives something a little more exciting and enticing for voters to talk about: This Thing that can either make or break an election to an unwitting candidate. Could you imagine being Kendrik Meek in Florida and being forced to comment on something that is located a thousand miles away nowhere near the Gulf of Mexico where you have actual problems? But alas not, this Mosque and positions on it will be the cross to bear of politicians this year. Well, the Mosque and jobs but unemployment figures don’t pack quite the wallop as “Did you hear that they’re building a Mosque ON Ground Zero?”

You can read anywhere that the Mosque isn’t physically on Ground Zero. It is near Ground Zero and requires walking and perhaps a stop at Duane Reade on the way there. But who cares about those minor details. The Mosque is not being built because the ‘terrorists will win’ it’s being built because there was probably space. I dunno, cheap space, perhaps? It is Manhattan after all. And they figured why the hell not? I truly do not know. What I am very well aware of is how this Mosque that is NEAR and not DIRECTLY ON TOP OF Ground Zero is taking away from the real situation at hand. It’s a diversion of sorts where the magician wants us to focus on his right hand as he pulls a bunny out of hat with his left.

This midterm seems not more volatile but more out there and in yo’ face than any other midterm I have experienced and there are still 77 days to go! Midterms are usually quite boring unless you a) are in politics for a living or b) there is a brand new President and this midterm is the bellwether for his entire presidency. Or something. But that is an entirely different post. What happens to be driving me crazy right now is not just general discussion about Mosque and the debate on the Mosque from the right (They aren’t real Americans and people who agree with having a Mosque ON Ground Zero aren’t patriots) and the left (Well, everyone has their freedom of religion and they should be able to worship where they’d like) and the Tea Party (Well, I mean, yeah that whole defend the constitution thing but do we still want to defend the constitution when Muslims are allowed to practice the First Amendment? Have we decided on that one yet, guys?) It’s just that it seems so very constant. So! Instead of discussing a real solution to the unemployment problem, whether or not a July 2011 is actually feasible to be out of Afghanistan, what USDOE would like to do to public education or did I mention the 9.5% unemployment? Instead of discussing all of these very real issues we keep talking about the Mosque that realistically will not directly affect 97% of us. Because quite frankly the former aren’t all that sexy but a Mosque? HOOO BOY! Pass me a fan.

I have received several emails about the Mosque and my feelings on it and whether or not I wanted to debate the merits of “Having Hamas right next to Ground Zero” and I have to politely decline. To me it’s just The Thing. It had to happen soon enough and if we’re lucky we might get another Thing in the next 70 plus days but right now just watch and listen and politely turn the conversation back to jobs, jobs and more jobs.

Mosque related reading if you are so inclined (or bored):

Ted Olson, Former Bush Solicitor General and Husband of 9/11 Victim, Backs Obama on ‘Ground Zero Mosque’

Pelosi’s Preposterous Pontificating On the Ground Zero Mosque

Gibbs: Mosque by Ground Zero a Local Matter

Posted in Poliogue | 9 Comments

Still Loquacious After All These Years

By nopasanada | Published: August 11, 2010

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” ~Marcel Proust

On Thursday evening I sat – more like splayed – on the couch in a suite. Everyone else was milling about over wine and cupcakes the size of my noggin. The laughter was plentiful and despite the din I was having a peaceful, contemplative moment. Alana came to check on me.

“Are you ok?”

“Yes. I’m just…I’m thinking.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. It’s just that these people…they’re all here and all day I’ve seen these people that I genuinely adore. I’ve gone from gathering to gathering and I’m just happy. I have these great friends and people in my life.”

She paused. “Well, I understand. Especially after college when you don’t know how or when you’ll ever make close friends like that – you know, good friends – again.”

“I’m terrible at making friends. I have like four at home. And I never thought it would happen like this”, I replied with a wave around the room.

“You found the spice”, Alana said. Then went off in search for more wine.

The following evening I was doing a quick interview and let’s just say that I’m terrible with the public speaking. So instead of saying what I really wanted to say there was more blathering and wild gesturing and lots of “um” – ing. What I wanted to say is this: If you had asked me five years ago when I started this here little blog o’ mine, what my site would be like in five years I would have said – and I quote – “fuck if I know”. I probably would have shrugged and figured that in five years I wouldn’t be here in five years. It’s just a fad, I would have said. I’ll probably be bored in five years and moving onto something else. I wouldn’t have imagined all of This and all of you. What I meant to say in my interview is that I love blogging because I love that these women are nothing like me, they live in all corners of the country and yet here I am with them and so very happy. I adore them and this has been far more than I ever could have hoped for.

I’m full of pithy cliches right now but it’s all true. And you all have been pretty fucking fantastic. I’m having way too much fun in this space and I have you, my readers, my people, to thank.

So cheers and here’s to five more.

Posted in Blogology | 10 Comments