Heart Attack Grill

I heard on the radio yesterday that for the 2nd time in 2 months, someone collapsed while eating at the Heart Attack Grill. I googled it when I got home to check it out further. This place is insane. The menu features such items as the "quadruple bypass burger", consisting of 2 pounds of hamburger and 20, yes, TWENTY slices of bacon and the "butterfat shake" which is advertised as "literally pure cream". Oh and if you weigh over 350 lbs, you eat for free. Yikes. I feel like I need to diet just from reading the menu.

Chimes of Freedom

I'm about 3 months late to the game on this but while checking in on some music blogs, I came to discover the Chimes of Freedom - The Songs of Bob Dylan album that was released in late January. I wouldn't consider myself to be a huge Bob Dylan fan, but there are some fantastic artists on here that do a beautiful job covering his songs. I haven't taken the time to listen to each one, but a few that drew me in include "With God On Our Side" by K'Naan, "Mr Tambourine Man" by Jack's Mannequin, and "Blowin' in the Wind" by Ziggy Marley. You can check out all of the tracks here. $0.59 from each sale of individual tracks and $11.90 from each sale of the album go to Amnesty International USA.

The Bachelorette

Saturday Les had one last "hurrah" as a single girl. We started the party off with a private shower, where we drank Sangria and other wines and indulged in cheese plates, bruschetta, cheesecake stuffed strawberries, cookies, and cake pops. Then we headed off to Trostel's Dish for dinner, where we again indulged - this time over LOTS of tapas like lettuce wraps, arancini, tuna tataki, edamame, mac 'n cheese, sushi, and more. And then we headed downtown to dance techno-style at Lime Lounge.

It was such a fun evening and I was so happy to be celebrating with my bestie (who was looking hot, btw!) You can view some non-incriminating photos on flickr :)

Camry-Toe

Colbert Report is one of the best shows on television. I usually don't get to watch when it's on at night because I'm already asleep, but every now and then I'm able to catch the re-run. Today I was crying I was laughing so hard during the opening segment. I highly recommend watching this entire clip, but if you don't have time, at least watch from about 2:18 - 2:50. Hilarious.

The Colbert Report
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Are You Serious?

Last week, writer Samantha Brick was slammed for the article she wrote entitled, "Why Women Hate Me For Being Beautiful." In it, she describes that because of her good looks, she gets paid great attention by men who do everything from holding doors open for her to buying her bottles of champagne and bouquets of flowers. However, her beauty, she says, is also a curse because women "hate [her] for no other reason than [her] lovely looks."

I'll admit, after reading this, I rolled my eyes and thought, "is this girl for real?" I'm all for self-confidence, but this article reeks of narcissism. I can hardly believe that hundreds of women snub her day after day simply because of her looks. At the risk of sounding judgmental, I can't help but think she has a personality trait(s) that make her less than desirable to be around.

Anyway, she appeared on the Today Show last week and I had to laugh when Ann Curry's first question to her was "are you serious?"

I Dreamed a Dream

The Civic Center announced their 2012-2013 season line up, which includes the musical I've been wanting to see for YEARS - Les Miserables!! It runs October 2-7 and I cannot wait!!!!!!! You can see the full lineup here.

Everything is Great, Everything is Grand

I received "The Muppets" from Netflix and watched it last night. You cannot help but feel happy after watching a movie like that. It's so cheerful and fun. Loved all the cameos, the clever jokes, and the music, my favorite song being "Life's a Happy Song". I couldn't find the full video but here's a fun sneak peak:

April Fools

Temps in the mid 80's on the first day of April was no April Fool's joke and I've got a sunburn on my back to prove it! Jake and I took advantage of the nice day by visiting several parks. We started out in the A.M. going to Walnut Woods to walk on a nature trail and do some birding. Even though I am afraid of birds, I'm okay with looking at them through binoculars and can appreciate all the different kinds of birds there are out there. Some have such vibrant colors. I can only remember a few that we saw - a mallard duck, cardinal, robin, yellow-throated warbler, woodpecker, and a black-capped chickadee, I think. (Jake had to identify all of them besides the robin and cardinal :) ) Next stop was the Maffitt Reservoir and then onto Lake Ahquabi for another nature trail (hardly any birds to be spotted there) and we ended the day with a picnic, consisting of grilled chicken, chips & guacamole, strawberries and blackberries, and oreos. And before heading back to Des Moines, I requested a tour of Simpson College and Jake obliged. I'd never been there before so it was fun to see where he and some of my good friends spent their college years. Definitely a fun day!