The Moment

The last month of my life has been fucking crazy. I won't tax you with the details because it's unfair to the people involved and I don't want any blog to read "Whoa is me. My luck sucks. Wahhhh." because it doesn't.

If it did, I'd have no one to blame but myself. I made the decisions to get here. But to steal a line from Lemony Snicket, there have been a series of unfortunate events.

I couldn't be happier about it.

Every moment gives me a perspective. It could be a new one, it could confirm what I already believed to be true. Whatever the perspective achieved, the moment is something that can never be taken away from me.

And I can use these moments, these perspectives, however I choose. They've become more valuable to me than any material possession, because they help me to become a better person. Whether it is perceived as positive or negative, I will use it to be better myself in the future.

There is no such thing as wasted experience unless you forget about it.

My favorite moment?

The next one.

-S. Tobin Fitzpatrick

Christine learns of Laotian Noodle Soup from Felix, the Buddah Baby

Felix teaches our chef about Lao

I make drinks. I don't cook on anything besides a grill. That's about to change thanks to Christine Collins, the new resident chef in The Leisure Study. She is the founder/creator of The Cedar Kitchen, whose mission is to provide healthy, delicious, and affordable meals for you to enjoy in the company of your own home. We're going to feature the easy stuff that impresses, because then you have more time to do what you want, and that's what real leisure is all about. To learn more about Christine, The Cedar Kitchen, and for more recipes; click here. 

"Today we are in Durham, North Carolina with our dearest friends Dustin, Leya and their son Felix. Not only is Felix super talented in spinning, rock ‘n rolling and fist bumping, but he is also an incredibly talented ‘lil chef! Last night his mommy wanted a noodle soup, so Felix suggested a traditional Laotion version. I was shocked he even knew where Lao was, but who was I to say no?! Felix stayed home while we shopped for groceries, but was eager to hop up next to me while we made dinner. Don’t be intimidated by the list of ingredients either, it all gets thrown into one pot without much work. This soup is really comforting, fragrant and so easy a baby could make it…Truly!"

-Christine

Christine Collins :: Friday's Lady of Leisure

Please welcome the newest edition to The Leisure Study, Ms. Christine Collins. Christine is

A Lasting [Valentine's Day] Impression

I gazed at the cash register like a deckhand at a lighthouse; its glow a refuge from the tidal pool of people bustling around me. I had an hour to get lunch. I looked down at my watch. 

12:42. Five hours today and 10 more tomorrow, then I'd be up north and on the slopes. 

"$10.31," the cashier barked, snapping me back into coherence. I paid for lunch and scrambled back up Boylston Street towards my office, all the while knowing the few remaining minutes I had at my desk would be spent resembling a competitive eating contestant. 

The combination of shoes clicking against the sidewalk, tires on pavement, and the occasional blast of a car horn created white noise that was less chaotic than the sandwich shop. I called my buddy Lumpa to see how the conditions looked for the weekend. No answer. Bitch had probably skied the whole hill already today with no crowds. I called Bob, a mutual friend who could give me the same information. 

"Hey man," Bob flatly answered. 

"What's up?! How are ya?! Ready to rage it this weekend, guy?!" I recoiled with prototypical salesperson enthusiasm as anticipated weekend adrenaline coursed through my veins. 

Did I just drop the call? There was nothing.

"Oh shit," I heard on the other end. "You don't know. Do you?"

"What's up? I just tried to call Lump but he didn't feel like answering my call. You guys ready for this weekend?" I responded with blissful ignorance. I heard Bob exhale in my ear.

"Lumpa died last night."

I dropped my phone on the sidewalk. 

Luckily it didn't appear to have any damage. I quickly put it back up to my ear. I could tell Bob was trying to stay composed on the other end. He took a few breaths and then told me that Lumpa had gone on a snowmobiling trip. He had a free spirit and I thought a little sauce, triple digit speed, and some thick trees or thin ice when one realizes they're over the middle of a lake. The northern new england news outlets specialize in delivering that story about 35 times every winter. The anchors become proficient in displaying 30-seconds of generic sympathy by February. 

"He had an allergic reaction to food," Bob said. "They think it was escargot or caviar or something on top of dinner. His airway swelled up so people's CPR efforts didn't help. By the time they got an ambulance out there it was too late."

William 'Lumpa' Brett

I went through the natural processes of mourning a friend who is unexpectedly taken at an early age. The easy part about Lumpa was that he truly lived life to the fullest, always enjoyed himself, and because of that, made everyone he came in contact with happy in that moment.

He had a lasting impact by being himself. And he only had a fraction of a life.

Hindsight is 20/20. Looking back on the short time I knew Lumpa, I realize he introduced me and re-introduced me to a good amount of things I highly prioritize in my daily life: family, quality friends, sports (particularly golf!), enjoying whatever decision you make, and not caring about what other people think. I'm sure my memories of him are typical, but the anniversary of his passing being so close to Valentine's Day is a solid reminder of what people value. 

I've always thought Valentine's Day was a pagan holiday, created by retail companies to boost quarterly earnings during a short month (I'm such a romantic). At least I've never broken up with someone because I'm too cheap to get them a gift! (All 14 of my readers just felt bad for a minute)

Whether or not you have a significant other doesn't matter, despite what Hallmark wants you to believe. What matters is letting the people you love know it. It can be simple or extravagant, but it should be genuine, because regret sucks. At least I think that's what I could picture Lumpa saying. 

That, and, "You want another beer?"

Kate Upton is Friday's Lady of Leisure

To see Kate in way less clothing, click here. You're welcome. 

Unsquare: The Quest for Simplicity.

I read an article recently about new, trendy cocktails you should try the next time you go out. I hate these articles. I don't know why I read them. Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partner, sometimes I feel like my only friend I should be 'in the know' as a bartender that can deal with pretentious clientele. 

Afterwards, I felt the same way I always do: simple is best. 

Don't get me wrong; I watch Top Chef and the like, and there is a time and place for creative cuisine and inspirational drinks (i.e. celebratory occasions). In regards to routine behavior,  however,  a simple martini or booze+rocks is a decision the unflappable gentleman makes. It shows far more character than anything requiring over 4 steps to concoct. There is beauty in the simple. It displays an acquired taste. There is also mystery, for it begs the question how one went about acquiring that taste.  

I guess I should have prefaced the aforementioned by stating, 'this is assuming your affection for said alcohol/spirit is genuine. Otherwise, stop bullshitting yourself and be proud of your malibu baybreeze or basil/lavender/sage/frankincense/parsley/sage/rosemary/thyme, etc mojito. To thine own self be true, right?'.

Reading helps me unwind, along with music, and as I finished the article my feelings on simplicity were reaffirmed. 

The staccato emanating from the speakers was almost primitive. Like most music I've been listening to recently, it had to be either jazz or funk inspired. Hand claps, a drum that's being played mostly on the rim [like someone playing on a wooden table], percussive piano ], and something slightly askew. The simple resulting in a beautifully layered sound. I got up and looked at iTunes: Unsquare Dance by Dave Brubeck. The piano was a dead givaway, but the time signature was different than the typical 4/4 used in most all popular music. A quick check on wikipedia yielded the following: 

Dave Brubeck's liner notes: "Unsquare Dance, in 7/4 time, is a challenge to the foot-tappers, finger-snappers and hand-clappers. Deceitfully simple, it refuses to be squared. And the laugh you hear at the end is Joe Morello's guffaw of surprise and relief that we had managed to get through the difficult last chorus".

I want to be deceitfully simple. Growing wiser as you grow older is a choice. You have to be conscious of all experiences to keep them in context and evolve.

The internet is great. None of this would be here if there was no internet. But; as great as it is, as much as it's streamlined things, it also gave us more sizzle than steak. It's sped everything up, changed the game as far as how we receive information, it's become a race to see who can inundate us with as much stuff, as quickly as possible, in an attempt to keep our attention for more than 30 seconds. All of this in an effort to convince advertisers it's worth giving them money based on your attention rates. What the fuck happened to content? We're living in an age of specialization where most people specialize in telling you why you shouldn't listen to the other specialities.

Coffee. Used to put loads of sugar and cream in it. Now it's closer to black [especially the better the quality]. Same can be said for alcohol and all other vices. The older I get, the less filter I need, baby! I don't want infused vodka. How about you make a vodka that tastes good enough on its own? Miles Davis famously said, "Don't play what's there, play what's not there." Then I hear this guy, Skrillex, is popular and I want to smash my face into the closest table.

At the beginning of the year, I posted something that said, "In regards to purchases, buy things that truly and consistently improve your life rather than make it grow in size." I even posted a Rorshach test with it to expand upon the idea of looking at something differently to improve instead of accumulating things and wasting money. (You missed that part, huh? It's cool, you can look at it again here.)

I've been posting stuff under The Leisure Study's umbrella (Blogspot, .com, tumblr, twitter, FB) for a year now and I feel like I'm just offering you my real voice. I get lost in the flood from time to time, just like anyone else, so please don't feel as though I think I'm immune to the aforementioned criticisms on behavior. I'm trying to get better. I'd like to thank all of you that have stopped by the last year, shared posts, written emails, followed on twitter, liked on facebook, etc.

There's nothing better than sharing something with someone than knowing they appreciate it.

You guys are awesome!

It's all about Outlook

This is such a great three minutes that I had to post it. I think what Jonah Lehrer says at 1:39 regarding Picasso, Dylan, creativity, persistence, and mood is phenomenal.

Friday Lady of Leisure :: Bérénice Marlohe

see more pics of the new bond girl here.