More Midweek Musings
Happy Hump Day! It's a rainy, overcast morning here in Biltmore Park; the perfect conditions for sipping some hot coffee and gabbing on what's currently occupying my mental space...
Rent Oral History
Fact: I'm a huge Broadway musical fan, and Rent is my favorite show of all time. In high school, I sang in the chorus and we were invited to sing in St. Patrick's cathedral, such a huge honor. While in NYC, we got to see a play every night of our stay, and long story long, the Rent ticket office messed up the order for one of the nights so they comped our entire group tickets for a Sunday night show! Were it not for that mistake, I would never have gone to see it. As a 15 year old, I wasn't immediately won over by the show's summary - twentysomethings battling poverty and AIDS in Alphabet City circa 1989 - so I elected to see other hits of the time, 'Bring On The Funk Bring On the Noise', and 'A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum' starring Whoopie Goldberg. Anyhow, I went to Rent and was TO-TA-LLY mesmerized! I saw members of the original cast perform: Adam Pascal, Taye Diggs, Jesse L. Martin...still can't talk about how I missed Idina Menzel as Maureen but glass half full, right? I've seen Rent three of four times total, and can't wait for it to come back to the Great White Way. If you're a Rent nerd like me, New York Magazine just ran an oral history of the show and it's a can't miss.
Coffee Creamer
Confession: I like my coffee on the sweeter side. T'were I the kind of gal who drinks black coffee like a boss, but I'm not. Thankfully, the Natural Bliss line makes delicious creamers without all the hydrogenated BS and I'm OB-SESSED with the new Salted Caramel flavor. Like, I can't tell if I'm craving coffee for the coffee itself or because it's a vehicle to drink this creamer. Try some if you haven't yet!
Gwyneth Paltrow's New Cookbook
Been hearing so much about the latest release from her Goop-ness, "It's All Easy." I wasn't immediately swayed because I think fan girling Gwynnie and her whole lifestyle is kind of a trendy thing to do, but I think this cookbook is actually meant to be, well, easy! (She never said anything about affordable though, so we'll see about that!). Aside from looking at delicious recipes on social media, I read this neat article in which the author tests Ms. Paltrow's assertion that her meals can be made before you can order delivery and have it arrive on your doorstep. Turns out she's right! I have it in my Amazon cart but I haven't purchased it yet. Anybody tried out any recipes yet? Thoughts?
Asheville Real Estate
I started with Rent and will end on a rant: what the darn is up with Asheville's real estate market?! In case you don't live here, I'm here to tell you it's certifiably bananas. I thought prices were elevated in Charleston, but the Holy City's got nothing on Beer City. Prior to moving back, I read some complaints from locals regarding affordable housing and I honestly thought the tirades were politically motivated. Um, no. You basically have to choose between an apartment or a $600K+ house. Anything else flies off the market in a matter of hours, IF it even hits the market at all. That s**t cray. Here's a recent article citing a national study finding the Asheville housing market unsustainable. Let's hope they're right!