positronically charged

time for positivity. time to think of things that are good that make me happy now, especially in the summer.

dr. bronner's peppermint soap: it's been just muggystickyhellhot. by then end of the day, i feel like i painted myself in maple syrup and did the log roll in my garage. the folks at dr. bronner's improved the 40+ year-old recipe so it's less watery and more emollient. it literally has a lasting cooling effect, so you feel very clean and slightly refrigerated. no joke. if you have short hair, you can use it on your head, too. and guess what else? it's 100% biodegradable and one bottle lasts forevah.

comet sandwiches: i stole this ingenious sandwich recipe from riverview tavern, one of my favorite places to go get lunch in the neighborhood. they pair it with a nice fresh shredded romaine salad with diced tomatoes and cukes, carrot ribbons, and a yummy balsamic vinaigrette...um, or really kick-ass fries you can drown in malt vinegar. here's how to make the sandwich:

• french bread, french roll, or hoagie roll
• some romaine, spinach, or other leaf you like
• half of a tomato
• half of an avocado
• two slices of mozzarella
• pesto [the kind in the tube is great]

slice the bread in half and toast lightly. cut the tomato into a few manageable, cross-wise slices. slice the avocado lengthwise and fan the slices so they all spread uniformly across the sandwich. when the bread is done, spread a small amount of pesto on both slices. the secret is to lay the ingredients in an order that will keep the contents from squishing out, so here's what i find works. do tomato, cheese, leaves, cheese, avocado. enjoy!

buzzin' fly, volume 2 - ben watt: i plug my ipod into the red sled's tape deck [no cd player], crank both windows and sun roof open [no a/c] and drive to and from lush green evanston. volume 1 was more latin-based and a little more downtempo. the second edition has a little bit more energy to it with out being mm-ch! mm-ch! mm-ch! and features some indian, african, and portuguese vocals and instrumentation. good stuff on a summer road trip.

what's rocking your face off these days?