Make It Special

Everyone - tomorrow is Halloween. Make it amazing. It is too important of a holiday to waste. If you live in Illinois, come to our massive party. If you don't, go to a massive party. Or go to the cemetery and just stay there for like 5 hours and freak each other out. Or go to the parade in NYC. Or maybe see a messed up horror movie in theater or home. Or you could literally go and scare children...I am okay with all of this behavior. Just honor the day, okay?

Heeding the Buzz

So Chicago has been completely buzztastic about a restaurant that opened up in September called XOCO. For example, here is a typical review by The Chicago Reader. When pretty much the only bad thing a person can say about a restaurant is that it has a ridiculous like 24 hours a day, then that is a restaurant I will try.Because it was downtown, I needed an excuse to go. Christine (Asian #1) and FIANCE!!!! Ryan were in town from New York, so I begged them to let us go. They had just had Frontera that week, so they were actually pretty excited to try a Rick Bayless low-price option. First let me say that it was so great to see these guys. I don't realize how much I miss the amazing friends I have in NYC until I see them...and then my little heart melts. We had a lot to talk about...and did so over our amazing meals.I went conservative because I was planning on having a meal with Caitlin later that night. I ordered the Vegetable Caldo, which is basically a stew type meal with lighter broth. Get this people: Woodland mushrooms, zucchini, potato-masa dumplings, black bean broth, spinach, avocado, Serrano chile for $10. Um, yes I will. I was really jealous of Christine's short rib red chili soup as well...ridiculously flavorful.And there is me. Wait, look at me. Stop looking at RICK BAYLESS in the background! I'm better looking, albeit less famous, accomplished or wealthy. Oh fine, look at Rick Bayless. You would. Christine almost erupted from excitement when she saw him. Serious, emotional eruption of adoration and lust. Cooks are so macho.

Caitlin and I will be going there this weekend with Trace Face. Caitlin has made that clear.

The Great Pumpkin Of Stop Action

I'm sure many of you have already seen this, but I needed to post it because I think Collin has outdone himself this time. I am a lover of the stop motion, and Collin is a purveyor of the stop motion. His newest venture is in the world of Halloween, and I applaud the pumpkin work. I particularly enjoyed the baby pumpkin. Was he alluding to my baby? Maybe.

Check it out.

Back to His Roots

Little NYC Bro recently moved away from NYC and went back to his roots as a hard core Idahoan. While he is currently on the job search, he has also taken some time to reacquaint himself with what it means to be from Idaho. It is my personal opinion that he has accomplished this through his most recent action in the picture below.

Mike (aka Potato King aka Po' King) spent Saturday selling bags of potatoes on the side of the road. Word on the street is that he was mega successful in unloading his inventory - possibly through sexiness.

Good work Po' King. You do Idaho proud (while at the same time shaming your NYC roots).

Pimpin Out French's - and Jana

I'm all about pimping other people out right now. This time, I'd like to pimp Jana. If you don't know the Phiggity Phatwoods, then you are lame. I guess not "lame" per se, but more ignorant. Hmm, maybe ignorant is too strong. Maybe I should say you are a fart face. Yeah. That's it.

But you can get to know them by reading their blog! Also, you can help Jana out by voting for her to win a cooking contest. Jana was recently a national finalist in a burger invention contest (see mad props from the National bestselling newspaper the Idaho Statesman). She's at it again with a contest for French's.

Here is where you can go to see her ham and swiss sushi rolls. Vote for them every day HERE and you can earn Phatwood's love and affection, and possibly their third born (no guarantees that they will have a 3rd born, but its yours if you want it).

Oh Joy!

For those of you who know my friend Smashley, then you will be happy to know the following information that can be found on her blog! Click here!

Caitlin and I are super proud of her. We burst with pride, even though we didn't do anything to contribute to her accomplishments in this situation.

Um, Delicious.

Um, delicious. That is all I have to say about the new Taco Bell Black Jack Taco. I went in for my (minimum) weekly visit to Taco Bell and decided that I would be adventurous and not get the number 9 that I always get. Instead, I took advantage of the $1 large soda with the purchase of the Fully Loaded Nachos. I was worried that that wouldn't be enough food to get me through service marketing, so I added on one of the new Black Jack tacos for 89 cents.

The nachos were good. The taco was great. The sauce is wildly scrumptious and I wanted another one. That hasn't happened to me since I had my first Crunchwrap Supreme (surprise! its the number 9 combo).

So if you are listening out there Taco Bell - bravo. There is finally something on your value menu that I am really excited about.

What a Difference One Year Makes

Remember this picture? This was Caitlin and I on our first day together in Chicago back in May 2007. We were just two good lookin' kids enjoying a weekend to find an apartment in what would be our new home - the Midwest. Little did we know what would happen to us. After only a year in the grasp of the Midwest, this is what we have become:

Babies 'r Us parking lot at 1pm on a Saturday. Yes, those are my pajama pants and a Scrabble t-shirt. People - it doesn't get any better than this.

Para-awesome Activity

Last night I was able to con some people into going and seeing the film Paranormal Activity with me in downtown Chicago. Actually, I didn't have to do much conning - about 10 people were really excited to go.

You may have read my post where I praised the director of this film for being able to scare people without relying on traditional Hollywood scare tactics. Well, last night was my chance to validate that statement.

I am happy to announce that this film was ridiculously awesome. While it definitely makes the audience jump - the focus of the fear is on true anxiety and uneasiness. Similar to Blair Witch in both style and "mode of fear," the film effectively kept a packed audience on the edge of their seats for one hour straight. When I say this film had nearly no effects, I'm not kidding. They scare you with sound, lighting and subject matter. Its massively impressive of a feat and I strongly recommend this film.

Warning - At least 20 people were congregated outside the theater at any given time due to fear and four of them puked. If ghosts or "whats in the closet" scares you - then this film will seriously mess you up.

In terms of the marketing campaign, it is working. The film just opened up in a few more theaters here and they filled three huge theaters on a Thursday night at midnight. Someone is going to be very rich this year - unfortunately it is probably Paramount and not the filmmakers.

GO SEE THIS MOVIE for Halloween!

Halloweener

Caitlin and I have this uber-important costume party we are attending in two weeks. You may remember it from last year's blog post? Basically, we need to come up with something ridiculously dope.

As you know, Caitlin is preggers maneggers - so any costume ideas should take that into account. Help us. We'll take your ideas. We are kickin' a few things around, but its just not that easy to come up with the best pregnant focused costume of the century that is reasonable to put together.

Oh Great Idaho of Olde

Idaho. A freakin' magical place of wonder. After having a great time in east coast Idaho, I drove over to west coast Idaho to party with the Mulcock parentals. Our first day of freedom included a fantastic hike at Crooked River. Stephen and Mike will remember this as a core camping/fishing spot with dad growing up.Big D used to take us camping here and then we'd walk down Crooked River Trail to dad's most favorite fishing spot.

Behold! The glory! That little pool of water after the big rock was always teaming with rainbow trout. I still remember dad bashing their little brains out with some tool. Tender memories, really. Michael looks on majestically at the majesty.

Apparently they have extended the trail and built this big bridge over the water. Convenient for extending hiking. I wonder if this was someone's Eagle project? Seems too intense...

Some consider Idaho water the Fountain of Youth. Just in case they are right, we dipped our feeties in the water.

Speaking of youth - this was the end of the youth for this frog. A snake is swallowing this frog like its nobodies business. Idaho also can show you the harsh realities of life. Seriously - Idaho is teaming with lessons left and right.

Our next day's project (also my birthday) was to go golfing. Big D took us out for some clubbin' and showed us how to do it. I will never beat my dad at golf.

My form is not that bad...I just have a wicked slide. Probably because of my sexy sway in the swing.

Mike's short game was on fire, though I'm thinking he missed this putt. PS...Mike treats golf like the old days. He dresses up.

My birthday lunch involved the consumption of The Big Carl. I like to support new fast-food offerings, and the Big Carl is one I can't get to easily in Chicago.

Special indeed!

I consumed it with much vigor. Very tasty, I must say. I think Carl's Jr. is highly underrated. What a delicious establishment.

You know what else I like to consume? German chocolate cake!!! 31 years old deserves a special cake with many candles. You may wonder why I am getting my cake so early in the day. Its because I had a date that night with Built to Spill.

I went and saw Built to Spill for free downtown. It has been at least a decade since I saw B2S in Boise, their hometown. The rambunctious crowd of Boise High jocks added to the normally indie crowd that is associated with B2S. I think they only played one song from their new album that just came out YESTERDAY (go buy it, I did). I seriously cannot get enough of solid B2S concerts. They bring me joy - particularly on my bday. Unfortunately that is all the pictures I got that night. It was full of peeps and Mario Kart 64 and craziness.

Saturday was also action packed (as any day in Idaho is). We went bike riding down the greenbelt. Pam and Dave pose like the posers they are. I can't tell if my dad is yelling at me in this picture or not. He might have been.

Look at all the fun we're having!

You know what wasn't fun? The fact that my wheel was dragging against the bar the entire time. I guess that is what I get for riding my SISTERS BIKE that she got like 15 years ago. Seriously...my sister is 5'2". There is something wrong with this picture.

A successful day. We finished up just in time to hit an amazing meal at Red Robin and then head down to the Shakespeare Festival.

We do enjoy some good culture from time to time. I really had a great time with the parents and was fortunate that Caitlin let me stay a few extra days while she went back to work all pregnant and cute. We won't be going anywhere for Thanksgiving or Christmas, so it was nice to get some days in with the parentals and Mike. Thanks dudes.

Make Space for Space Burgers

So - I am finally reporting on our trip to Idaho in September. I finished my internship on 9/11 and promptly headed home so that Caitlin and I could run to the airport. We arrived in SLC to a perfectly dry and cool evening - at which point we ran to Cafe Rio for a fix. Kernsters was nice enough to house us for the night so we could be fresh and ready for a baby shower on Caitlin's behalf. I will be reporting on the baby shower later. After the shower on Saturday, we drove up to Idaho Falls for Caitlin's cousin's wedding.
The happy couple. Tender moments were enjoyed, including an extremely nice moment when Caitlin's grandparents danced to their song. You have know idea how great of a moment this was.

We returned to Pocatello for the next few days. My focus on this trip was eating. Eating to the point of pure happiness. Meal one was focused on making sure I got a new burger experience.

We went to Tasti Treet! This place is no ordinary mom&pop grease shop. It has two very unique items:

Item #1: The Space Burger! This is a burger cooked within a special metal contraption that seals the juiciness and goodness in on all edges. Its kind of like a grilled cheese sandwich with all the burger fixin's inside. It was bodacious.

Item #2: The Boston Shake! While this does not exist in Boston, nor have I heard of it elsewhere, it exists in Pocatello. This is a full shake (in which I mixed Reeses Peanut Butter cups and chocolate) with an entire scoop of ice cream and fudge on top. You are getting multiple consistencies of deliciousness here. Um, I basically loved it.

Guess who else loves it - my peeps Lids and Abs! Lids was pounding down ice cream as fast as she could. That is a child I can love.

Abs is no stranger to dairy herself. Another important element of our trip was crafting stuffs. Halloween is upon us and crafts are an important part of that. So we made pillows and dish towels. Caitlin shows her crafty beaver ways.

I was the principal designer on our team. I think it shows in the completely dope witch hat.

Carley, Caitlin, Judes and (sort of) myself worked like mad.

These are obviously not the finished product - but you get the gist.

That night we partied hard with a picnic in the backyard. Aren't sisters precious?

We attempted to make space burgers of our own. Lynn and I investigate the complexity that is space burgering. We chose to put steak, blue cheese, pineapples, chicken, BBQ sauce, hot sauce, etc in ours. I would say that we rule.

Then the crew surprised me for my upcoming birthday with molten lava cakes!!! I love those things. I need Lynn's recipe. Oh, and Caitlin is so cute pregnant - wouldn't you agree?

The rest of my time was spent playing my heart out with Abs. In this picture I have playdoh all over my eyes. There was chasing, movie watching, rolling, screaming and all other sorts of craziness going on at all times. We had a great time in Pocatello. From there I went to Boise, which I'll report on later. Caitlin went back to be the bread winner in Chicago. Sorry love!

Paranormal Movie Watching Activities

Last night we kicked off October right by hitting the Red Robin and then watching The Eye. I know, not the scariest of fares - but a horror film nonetheless and one we enjoyed. As we began to discuss what movies might be of interest to us this month, an exciting new film came up.

The film is Paranormal Activity. Have you heard of this film yet? If not, start by watching the trailer:

Directed by no-name Oren Peli, the film cost a mere $15,000 to make and has no major special effects, gory blood, or other of the basic Hollywood horror crutches. It was a Slam Dance film in 2008 and was picked up to launch in 13 college towns. Then they basically launched a word-of-mouth campaign where you can request the film to be brought to your town. Based on how many people request to have the film in their area, they will open it up in your town. So now it is in New York City. It just opened in Chicago last night. It is not open in Washington DC - apparently they don't like horror movies enough.

Its crap like this that makes me idolize the Sam Raimi's and Peli's of the world. I have $15,000. But could I make this film? Most likely not. But I value someone who can make you scared by simply understanding what scares the shiznits out of people. That is what a movie like The Eye missed. They think darkness, or loudness, or blood in-and-of-itself is what scares people. I think those things help, but when grounded in true human fear. Let's be honest, you don't want spirits messing with you in your bed in an intimate, real-life scenario. You really don't.

One movie I probably won't be able to see this month, unfortunately, is Scare Zone. Its been circulating around film festivals - but I don't think it has been picked up yet. I love the concept.

This is going to be a great month.

Its Time...

I'm freaking out. Its October 1st...which officially starts horror movie watching season. I honestly cannot believe it is finally here. I am fully determined to get some good horror movie watching in this year, even if it means I have to watch them alone. I have only seen two horror movies in 2009 so far (they were humdingers though - I highly recommend them both: The Strangers and Drag Me To Hell).

So I am going to correct this problem. I think I'll start tonight. Some movies I really want to see are The Descent, Scare Zone, some movie my friend Jason mentioned that sounds amazing. I also need to bring in some classics and maybe a solid foreign horror. I have one from China that is supposed to be super rad.

Heaven. Are they any good ones coming out? Has anyone seen any good ones?