Friday Random Ten – the Spring Break Countdown edition March 13, 2008 Jill I’m heading off to Puerto Rico on Monday, then heading to Ann Arbor after that (apparently weather extremes are in the cards for the next week and a half). Anyone have any PR advice? I’ll be staying near San Juan, not at any of the big resorts. I’d love to hear any suggestions. I’ll still be blogging while I’m gone, and there will be a fantastic guest-blogger showing up to keep content coming while I’m gone. Now, the FRT: 1. Beck – Hollow Log 2. Common – Come Close to Me 3. Radiohead – Sail to the Moon 4. Capstan Shafts – Elected Head of Her Anarchist Group 5. Guided by Voices – Twilight Campfighter 6. The Clash – Janie Jones 7. The Notwist – Off the Rails 8. Timbaland and Magoo – Up Jumps Da Boogie 9. The Pogues – Streams of Whiskey 10. Neko Case – At Last And Friday videos – one of my favorite love songs ever (aww): And my favorite I-hate-love song (I like Elvis’s solo version better, but I do have a secret thing for Fiona — and she’s so good at being pissed — so this works too): And in the same vein, just slightly louder: And just because this song feels like sunshine (and hopefully I’ll be on the beach soon):
oh and the weather is actually getting better (today it reached a high of 55) so it may actually feel like spring when you come.
You’re heading off to Puerto Rico?! Ohhh awesome, I hope you have fun. For shopping, I suggest you go visit Plaza de America. I’ts a mall, however it’s three stories and there are some interesting artwork pieces up and different vendors. I miss visiting there. Also, though the northern beaches are a bit dangerous as they are more turbulent than the calmer southern beaches, the water is a beautiful rich and clear blue and it’s very relaxing just to take a stroll and see the large waves :D. Luckily you’re in San Juan, so you won’t need to speak too much Spanish :D. Try the food, they are different food places that have arroz con gondules and pastelez and tehy are delicious! Seafood is another speciality; you can have a seafood meat like conch, crab or sphrimp with mofongo (mashed plaintain). Sorry you had me on a roll. I was born in Mayaguez and my family and I would visit Ponce to see more family members. Any more questions I’ll be glad to try and answer! Have a great time! Oh and wear sunscreen!
Random ten: Good luck in your travels! I have no advice at all. My only advice is to rock the fuck out. 1. Sleater-Kinney – Dance Song ’97 2. Monthy Python – Meaning of Life 3. The Pogues – A Pistol for Paddy Garcia 4. Enomo Atsuko – Be My Angel 5. Capcom Sound Team – Dr. Cossack Stage 1 6. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs – Una Ciudad Llamada Vacío 7. The Slits – Difficult Fun 8. Manic Street Preachers – Freedom of Speech Won’t Feed My Children 9. Throwing Muses – Civil Disobedience 10. The Extra Glenns – Somebody Else’s Parking Lot in Sebastopol
Sydney, is Dominick’s open yet for the season? No information on PR, Jill, but try to get some chocolate cherry bread at Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor.
Great to hear that you’re going to Ann Arbor! I’m a U-M alum (go Blue!) and I lived there for a few years after I graduated, so A^2 holds a special place in my heart. Ann Arbor, for a city its size (around 100,000), has a pretty good restaurant scene and I can give you some suggestions if you want. If you’re a beer girl, you can go to my favorite hangout, Ashley’s on State Street (if you’re not a beer girl, they’ve got a full bar and all that). 1. “The Gas Face”, 3rd Bass 2. “Telephone Line”, Electric Light Orchestra 3. “Funkytown”, Pseudo Echo 4. “88 Lines About 44 Women”, The Nails 5. “Space Oddity”, David Bowie 6. “Lucky”, Radiohead 7. “Money”, The Flying Lizards 8. “Time”, The Alan Parsons Project 9. “Somebody’s Baby”, Jackson Browne 10. “House Party”, J. Geils Band
What brings you to Ann Arbor?? I’m a 1L at UMLS 🙂 Are you attending an event or just visiting this happening city? I can tell you of all the places NOT to eat at 😛
Oh, god. The Brown Jug. You have to go to the Brown Jug. Something weird always happened at the Brown Jug whenever I went there.
Ah, the Jug. Our place for pre-football Bloody Marys. Mmmm… This is going to turn into the “reminiscing about Ann Arbor” thread. 🙂
Wow. I didn’t realize there were so many of us with fond feelings for AA. I definitely second the Zingerman’s suggestion. Delicious doesn’t even begin to describe it. MMmmmm. Oh, and Grizley Peak or Pizza House. Yum. I’m sort of partial to Conor O’Neils, myself. Or Old Town, if Conor’s is too packed. I really need to go to AA this weekend, I think. =P
What about skeepers? I was reading an article in that ABA magazine once about how various lawyer couples had met, and one of them talked about meeting at “Scorekeepers” and I was like “bwah.” Seva is good for vegetarian, afternoon delight for breakfast (the cinnamon raisin toast is out of this world), grizzly peak is my favorite of the breweries, and I second Zingerman’s. Oh, and Sweetwater for coffee. Ah, the brown jug. Site of many happy memories.
I’d advise Jill against having any pizza in Ann Arbor; she *does* live in New York, and AA pizza always seemed to me to be an unhappy compromise between New York style and Chicago style.
afternoon delight for breakfast (the cinnamon raisin toast is out of this world) Never been there. My preference is Angelo’s; they make their own cinnamon raisin bread and it’s wonderful as French toast.
Ah, that could be true, zuzu. I forgot that aspect. I think of Chicago, New York, and Detroit/AA pizza as being very different beasts, but, then, I’ve lived in MI my whole life. How could I forget Seva?! Best sweet potato fries ever. And the lasagna? Gods above… so good. I have to admit to having an intense dislike of skeepers, though. Ugh.
omg you’re coming to Ann Arbor?! I’m a 3L at UMLS. If you wanna have a drink, let me know! I’m visiting a friend and it’s going to be a quick trip (just two days) but if I have any spare time, I’ll let you all know! I had no idea there were so many Feministe fans in Ann Arbor 🙂
Puerto Rico has some gorgeous places. If you’re into outdoorsy stuff, and can get around on the island, I’d recommend Rio Camuy Cave Park (I think they are only open on certain days). The cavern is amazing. El Yunque rainforest is another beautiful place. The south coast has nice beaches and a bioluminescent bay – it’s best on a moonless night. I can’t remember which town is nearest, but you can easily find a tourist boat to take you out to the bay.
My suggestion for Puerto Rico, visit the island of Vieques. It is an inexpensive cab ride from San Juan to Fajardo where you catch a Ferry to Vieques. You arrive in the largest town on Vieques and there are a lot of resorts there. I went to the south of the island which is much smaller and very quaint. There are some resorts there but there are also some nice motels. I actually brought a tent and sleeping bags and my girlfriend and I pitched our tent on the beach at the nearby state park, right on Sun Bay. The water and views on the south of Vieques are spectacular, and right there is a bioluminescent bay. We kayaked and swam at night in the bioluminescent bay through an outfitter and it ws well worth the cost. San Juan’s cool, too, but you can enjoy it in a few days. A side trip might make the whole thing more memorable.
Linnaeus, You HAVE to try it. It is amazing. It inspired one of my two best law school friends to endow the place with the sobriquet “Toast Heaven.” Sooo Amazing. (Schemes about how to fly to AA before baby sister graduates from EMU….)
The Jug is horrible. For a bar, go to Ashley’s (if you like beer at all). I’m just throwing my hat in the ring as another Ann Arbor Feministe reader.
Good gog a mighty, is Dominick’s still operating? Definitely hit Zingerman’s, and Al Amar. (They’re still open too, right?)
Ahhh, many good evenings have been spent drinking sangria from a mason jar and playing Eukre at Dominick’s. I don’t know Al Amar, but Shalimar is still there.
Who knew Feministe had such a big Ann Arbor and Ann Arbor Alum readership… very cool. I will try to coerce my friend into taking me to all the places you mention. And I’m sure he’s always looking for new places too, so I’ll send him this thread.
Actually, I’m a new resident in AA and am still looking for a way to *truly* like living here. Any ideas (other than those already presented)? Oh, and my absolutely-must-do recommendation would be to get pecan pie at Zingerman’s – its to die for!
NormaJ: Are you looking for places to eat and drink, or things to do, or just generally a “what’s around the area” kind of thing? If you’re looking for something to do, and you don’t mind being around children, I think that the Hands On Museum is one of the coolest places I’ve ever been, period. It’s got all kinds of really cool… um… hands on experiments and things that you can play with that basically demonstrate science at work. It’s definitely a very very kid-friendly museum, so if you’re not inclined to be patient with running and yelling children, I’d stay away, but otherwise, it’s always fun. Also: there are two really great theaters in town- the State and the Michigan. The Michigan Theater- which turns 80 this year- is almost always showing something really interesting. They do classic movies, indie films, and art cinema. They also use real butter on the popcorn, if that matters to you (it does to me =P ). One of the coolest things about the Michigan is that they still have a functioning Barton Organ inside the theater. They’re one of the only theaters anywhere that still have their original organ functioning and in use. When I saw the silent version of Phantom there, the organ was a really nice touch.
Ismone, Next time I’m in A^2, I’ll give Afternoon Delight a try. NormaJ, It might just take some time. I grew up in Michigan, so for me, Ann Arbor is hallowed ground. Go around and explore, and you’ll find something you like. What sort of things are you looking for? Oh, one more thing: Grizzly Peak is good for craft/microbrew beer, but I prefer Arbor Brewing Company.
Arbor Brewing Co. definitely has the better beer, hands down. I go to Grizzly Peak for the food. The’ve got a great menu, and the cheddar ale soup is to kill for. Gods.
Hey Zuzu- Dominick’s is definitely open for the season. And if you think the Sangria’s good you have to try the constant buzz. 5 different types of alcohol but it has a ton of fresh fruit so you think you’re drinking a slushie. I promise you, its the best drink ever. Jill, all the suggestions here are great (except for skeepers–the place is so not cool) but you have to try and catch Sunday brunch at Aut Bar in Kerrytown. Its sooooo yummy! Other good brunch places are Northside grill, broken egg, cafe zola, and angelos. Oh if you’re a beer drinker, you should go to Ashley’s because they pretty much have any beer you could think of available. But i’m guessing wine will be more your scene so Vineology on Main street might be where you’ll want to go. as you can see, I’ve spent almost zero time actually being a law student. Instead I’ve chosen to hone my food and drink skills. Norma J, we should talk. It seems like we go to the same school and I definitely have some tips on how to enjoy Ann Arbor. (Step 1: avoid events titled law school prom or bar night at ricks; Step 2: go main street and 1st street bars and have brunch as often as possible). If you want a longer list (or coffee) let me know and we can meet up.