greenlight district

Buying panties in bulk is underrated (and other discoveries)

And no, I'm not talking about buying 5 for $25 at Vicky's, where's the fun in actually CHOOSING the specific pairs of underwear you want to wear anyways? I mean visiting your local Duane Reade (or for you out of NYCers, your drugstore or 'mart of choice) and picking up a 5-6 pack (7 if you're lucky) of undies. I did this for the first time in at least the last decade yesterday* and got much satisfaction out of it. I would suggest Joe Boxer for those gals in a pinch and near a KMart (aka in Astor Place). I was super satisfied with the end product: a perfectly packaged bundle of "low rise hipsters." (Sounds like the L train after last call heh heh) They were also surprisingly sexier than I thought they'd be...that might be because they were essentially cheap and flimsy. But I digress.

The other thing I have discovered this week is Pandora. I know what you're thinking: "WHERE WERE YOU ALL THIS TIME, LRAP??" Or maybe: "I thought, since you have mad dj skills, Pandora would be your virtual playlist playground-will you spin at my son's bar mitzvah?" I know this is new in the same way that Twilight was a brand new concept to my sweet/indie/artist/hipster friend Sarah Wolfe to whom I had to explain my job and the Jonas Brothers to. I think that my iPod has been feeling the heat from PDors as it has been playing some ridiculously sick mixes! Just now I put it on Shuffle and it played: Hanson, old school Britney, Nelly ("Pimp Juice," duh), and M.I.A. It usually tries to sneak in Celine Dion Xmas songs or all of that Goldfrapp, Artic Monkeys etc I have that I don't like to listen to on my commute. Don't worry, iPod, not even the magical Pandora can replace you.

And lastly, rounding out the green element: TV Carpooling! My friends and I don't have minivans and kids to take to soccer practice, but what we do have are TVs and shows we mutually appreciate. So our resource saving "pool" is a little bit different; instead of all watching our prime time programs alone we get together for weekly viewing parties! Gossip Girl with the Mulberry Broads, Idol/So You Think You Can Dance with the Chelsea boys - anything Twilight related with Annie, a trashy reality show once in a while with Molly Mouse. Not only is it a great way to save electricity - instead of several televisions/lights/etc on in three/four households, you have one -  but it's the best way to indulge in our group guilty pleasures. I also recently met someone who told me about a "Guacamol-Off" she had where everyone contributed their guac recipes to the party. Um, Gossip Girl Guacamol-Off to kick off the season 3 premiere anyone?

*this is what happens when you work in Jerz, live in BK and spend 85% of your week outside of your apt leaving no time to do laundry. I don't really expect any of you to need stashes of prepackaged panties otherwise...

Vegan for a Week

It's coming ya'll. I just wanted to warn you. As I go on my eco (and even newly veg) journey with all of you, one person has decided to follow along - for a week.

My roommate Joe moved in in August with a small UHaul truck filled with his dance clothes, a couple fannypacks, and a Costco supply of: Easy Mac and other Kraft noodle/cheese varieties, Chef Boyardee for days, instant taters, Crystal Light, hot dogs, Dunkaroos, etc. This was all complimented by our other roommate Kellyn's selection of similar products plus chicken noodle soups, Goldfish, Gushers, and an interesting concoction known as Que Bueno!. Their cabinets look like a screenshot straight out of my wildest nightmares/dreams/starchy carby heaven. Soon Oscar Mayer lunch meats, Wonder bread, and white pasta (prepared with ketchup and garlic salt) joined the troops. My previous roommate Mouse was veg so we lived the entire year with no meats in the apt, and even before I went vegetarian I ate pretty healthy so this was new to me.

I've been slowly introducing J to the veg scene, enticing them both with vegan baked goods every week - not wanting to pop his or her V-card too hard with an excess of tempeh and seitan masquerading as meats. Recently, he volunteered to go vegan for a week - all for the sake of greenlight! And your voyeuristic pleasure! What a sport! We'll spend a week keeping food journals (yikes! that's so eating disorder, I know, but chill out, peoples, it's for the sake of experimental blogging) of his usual habits then take a trip to the farmer's market and some health food grocery stores and embark on our journey. Any of you ever "converted" people or shocked friends and family with secretly meat-free meals? or egg/dairy-free desserts? The latter should pretty much be my j.o.b.

Stay tuned for Joe's journey through the unchartered territory void of animal bi-products!