four simple goals

I caught up on some blog reading today and came across this post by Elsie of A Beautiful Mess. I have been following ABM for a while and hadn't participated in past "Four Simple Goals..." so I thought I'd try it since I've been crushing things this year (365 project, 35 books in 2013, etc). Here is to me continuing to crush goals, even the simple ones.
YOGA: A few months back, I posted about how I was beginning yoga and trying to make it a more consistent part of my life. I'm still struggling with consistency. I blame working a lot and getting used to a new schedule. I'm making excuses, but I hope that I can break my bad habits and keep trying. I refuse to quit.
NEW RECIPES: My mom and I go back and forth about who should cook and what we should cook. One day, Matt and I made beef and broccoli from scratch. It was a rousing success and I'd like to try to experiment more with cooking new dishes. Fresh ingredients and picking things up same day seems to make a huge difference.
READING: Like I said, I have crushed my goal of reading 35 books in 2013. I don't want the completion of that goal to cause me to lose momentum. I want to keep knocking books out from my collection, as well as what is added to the collection in the coming months.
SCRAPBOOK/JOURNAL/DRAW: Once again, I need to stop making excuses and just make time. I keep track of my movie tickets and everyday items with my Smash Book. I doodle and draw in my sketchbook and I have a journal for random thoughts. I'd like to maintain all three more consistently than I have been so once a week is a good place to start.

I'll update from time to time on my progress with my goals. Despite all this goal setting today, I have not forgotten today is Halloween. I LOVE Halloween and made a separate decorations post over here as promised.

on the shelf: the sweet life in paris

The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz
ISBN-13: 9780767928892

Synopsis: "Like so many others, David Lebovitz dreamed about living in Paris ever since he first visited the city in the 1980s. Finally, after a nearly two-decade career as a pastry chef and cookbook author, he moved to Paris to start a new life. Having crammed all his worldly belongings into three suitcases, he arrived, hopes high, at his new apartment in the lively Bastille neighborhood.
But he soon discovered it's a different world en France.

From learning the ironclad rules of social conduct to the mysteries of men's footwear, from shopkeepers who work so hard not to sell you anything to the etiquette of working the right way around the cheese plate, here is David's story of how he came to fall in love with—and even understand—this glorious, yet sometimes maddening, city."

Review: Ah, this book. What a delight. I rarely read in public, but I made the mistake of reading this book in waiting rooms and while catching a cup of coffee alone. It's one of those books that makes you laugh out loud because you're not expecting the little quips David Lebovitz lobs at you. Each chapter is followed by a recipe or two. I bookmarked several, yet have only tried one. It was the chocolate spice bread and it was the most rich and delicious chocolate confection I have ever made. I look forward to making the carnitas (technically not French, but there was a chapter about the lack of burritos in Paris that preceded this recipe).

Not only were there wonderful recipes, but the book also taught me a few things about Parisian culture. What mannerisms are frowned upon and to always greet everyone when entering a shop. Those little things are something that will warm a person up to you. I think I enjoyed this book quite a bit, not only because there were recipes in it, but it also showed how life changed for an American as he moved to Paris. Of course, there are adjustments, but it's interesting to see just how different things can be.

on the shelf: office girl

Office Girl by Joe Meno
ISBN-13: 9781617750762

Synopsis: "No one dies in Office Girl. Nobody talks about the international political situation. There is no mention of any economic collapse. Nothing takes place during a World War.
Instead, this novel is about young people doing interesting things in the final moments of the last century. Odile is a lovely twenty-three-year-old art-school dropout, a minor vandal, and a hopeless dreamer. Jack is a twenty-five-year-old shirker who's most happy capturing the endless noises of the city on his out-of-date tape recorder. Together they decide to start their own art movement in defiance of a contemporary culture made dull by both the tedious and the obvious. Set in February 1999—just before the end of one world and the beginning of another—Office Girl is the story of two people caught between the uncertainty of their futures and the all-too-brief moments of modern life."

Review: I breezed through this book. I loved every minute of it. It just moved quickly, especially since some chapters were just a paragraph or sentence long. There were little illustrations and photographs. I enjoyed it immensely. It kind of made the reader feel in on their movement. The only other Joe Meno book I have read is Hairstyles of the Damned. That was about seven years ago, but I do remember enjoying reading what he wrote. I enjoyed the second book I have read by Meno and look forward to possibly going through all of the things he has written. It should be fun since I've heard good things about The Boy Detective Fails.

must destroy all!

When I have a day off and nothing to do, I go through the blogs I follow and read updates from the past week. The top of my list is The Sartorialist. I have been following The Sart since high school and have always been inspired by Scott Schuman's work. The first thing I noticed was the subject: Re Post: On the Street...27th St, New York. I thought that was interesting so I continued reading. He addressed a comment someone made about his photographs becoming stale or not dealing with fashion at all. I was kind of astonished. Here is a photographer I greatly admire and he's being criticized unabashedly for all to read. I continued reading past posts and came upon the original post. I took a gander at the comments and wow. I couldn't believe how mean these comments were. "This is not special?" A couple of those and then the ones that Scott addresses in the re-post.

I guess what I'm bothered by is just how unnecessary these comments tend to be. The Sartorialist isn't the only blogger to deal with criticism. A lot of bloggers do. I have been fortunate not to, but I'm sure the day will come soon. I could see if it was something like,"It'd be great if we could see her face," or "This shot isn't typically my thing, but technically speaking, the light looks wonderful." Something constructive and not cutting or rude. I don't know. I guess I've never been so bothered by a blogger that I felt the need to tell them they suck rather than just stop visting their page. That just seems to be the logical thing to do. Silly me. Logic clearly just doesn't work here.

The photo in question via The Satorialist

on the shelf: wild lost & found on the pacific crest trail

Wild: Lost & Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
ISBN-13: 9780307592736

Synopsis: At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother's death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life: to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—and to do it alone. She had no experience as a long-distance hiker, and the trail was little more than “an idea, vague and outlandish and full of promise.” But it was a promise of piecing back together a life that had come undone.

Strayed faces down rattlesnakes and black bears, intense heat and record snowfalls, and both the beauty and loneliness of the trail. Told with great suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild vividly captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

Review: Once I started this book, I didn't want to put it down. The very first day I started it, I plowed through the majority of it and realized that it was 3am and I had to wake up at 6am. That is how good this book is. I like how she wove all the stories together so that it's not one part life before the trail and one part life on the trail. It is all life on the trail with anecdotes and memories that are stirred by the vistas and hardships. I guess I could relate to Cheryl in the sense that she felt like everything in her life was collapsing around her. She didn't know how to regain control of her life and was struck by the idea when she ran across the book Pacific Crest Trail Volume I: California at an REI. It takes her a while to come back and buy the book, but the seed had been planted.

In the beginning, she only wanted to be alone. She thought that being alone was key to her putting herself back together. I can understand that. I usually don't like to burden the people around me with my thoughts, so I take to my room and do art or read. Sometimes, being alone is all that you need to bounce back. She proved to herself and everyone else that she had the endurance and mental capacity to achieve her goals, despite never having done long distance hiking. That reminds me of when I started running; I never ran distance and now I love it. She follows up with a little bit about her life after the trail and her life now. It's a wonderful story about solitude and finding yourself when you feel like all hope is lost.

on the shelf: The Rules of Attraction

The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis
ISBN-13: 9780679781486

Synopsis: Set at a small, affluent liberal-arts college in New England at the height of the Reagan 80s, The Rules of Attraction is a startlingly funny, kaleidoscopic novel about three students with no plans for the future—or even the present—who become entangled in a curious romantic triangle. Bret Easton Ellis trains his incisive gaze on the kids at self-consciously bohemian Camden College and treats their sexual posturings and agonies with a mixture of acrid hilarity and compassion while exposing the moral vacuum at the center of their lives.
Lauren changes boyfriends every time she changes majors and still pines for Victor who split for Europe months ago and she might or might not be writing anonymous love letter to ambivalent, hard-drinking Sean, a hopeless romantic who only has eyes for Lauren, even if he ends up in bed with half the campus, and Paul, Lauren's ex, forthrightly bisexual and whose passion masks a shrewd pragmatism. They waste time getting wasted, race from Thirsty Thursday Happy Hours to Dressed To Get Screwed parties to drinks at The Edge of the World or The Graveyard. The Rules of Attraction is a poignant, hilarious take on the death of romance.

Review: The second book I have read by Ellis actually features a relative of the infamous Patrick Bateman. It is his little brother, Sean. The story revolves mostly around Sean Bateman, Paul Denton, and Lauren Hynde. At certain points in the book, Paul was an unlikeable character. I dreaded his chapters because he was such a drag. Everybody else, it seemed, had issues that shaped their characters. Paul was just there to stir the pot with a little bit of crazy, but other than that, he was kind of useless.

Player Sean had some redeeming qualities. He seemed mysterious. As the reader, though, I got a good sense of what kind of guy he was. He wasn't terrible and of the three main characters, he was the most thought out and likable.

Lauren was kind of scattered and erratic. She changed majors every time she changed boyfriends! However, she always pined for Victor as she bedded other men. Victor seemed like a weiner so I don't get Lauren's fascination.

All in all, this was another good book by Ellis. I am excited when the time comes to read American Psycho. I know a tiny bit about it, but I've never seen the movie so it'll all be fresh.

music monday: mad men

One of my co-workers last night said that we needed a Mad Men soundtrack. Before and after Christmas, we did have one. I think everyone hates Lisa, George, and I, though, for wanting it to play all the time, hah. I can listen to songs on repeat if I feel a certain way about it. Joe recently said about a playlist,"Why is this song always playing when I come in here." Shuddup...I've just been playing the same one for a month straight. No big deal. In my defense, though, my playlists are usually pretty long so I don't know why a particular song is always on when Joe walks in the room. My iPod anticipates his presence? Doubtful. Anyways, I digress.

The Mad Men soundtrack is two cds long. TWO CDS?! However, the songs are pretty short so it's really not that long. I condensed the soundtrack down into this Mad Men essentials-type playlist this Music Monday. When listening to this, you must remember that the music embodies the time. Someone was irritated by the song "Wives & Lovers", which probably wouldn't even make the Billboard charts in this day and age, but back then, it was number one. If you watch the show, the songs are very fitting. If not, maybe it'll push you to watch it. The fifth season is currently on every Sunday night on AMC. Seasons 1-4 are available on Netflix instant play. ENJOY!

turn on the light

Last night, I had an epiphany. There is something about the quiet that allows me to think better (although, according to the Jonah Lehrer book I'm reading, more distractions can cause greater insight). I just wanted to start over. I had the insane idea to delete everything-- my twitter, my tumblr(s), my facebook, even this blog...yes, I had a crazy moment. As I thought more, I realized that I didn't need to be that extreme to start over. I just needed something small to restart my brain (and my life). I don't know if you can tell, but I am in a major rut. There was a respite when I was in California and inspired by all the new things around me. That was amazing, but I can't leave town every time I need to be inspired. I wish I could; that would be wonderful! I decided that I just need a little bit of organization and positivity.

The first picture is of the new journal I've started to write in. I have kept a paper journal since I was seven. I remember (and still have) my very first journal, which I got for Christmas one year. It is a small square white journal with a lock and a pattern of rainbow hearts on it. I spelled the word basement phonetically so it actually reads baseMINT. It makes me laugh every time. My last journal was full of a lot of negative things and thoughts. I would try to purge things from myself and it all came out so negative. I have grown sick of it. I think negative things sometimes. It happens. I'm not going to prevent myself from not being honest in my journals, but I need to spin things so that they are more positive. Maybe then, I will feel better and be more motivated to go out and do things. I'm a homebody. I can't help it. My mom is always scolding me, though. "You're too young to be like me." Rather than having that be a weekly conversation when I see my mom, I'd like something new. I need something new. So, here's to new beginnings and getting those ideas that push you ahead.

The above picture is another thing I am working on, which is to stay organized. I have my features of my blog tabbed in the composition notebook so I can jot down ideas and plan ahead for my blog. The purple journal is where I handwrite all of my articles I write for Inner Condition. I like to write everything out so I can see my mistakes in my handwriting and when I type it out, I edit as I go. I started using these tools at the beginning of the month and they have helped immensely. Organization & motivation are key!

on the shelf : northern lights

Northern Lights by Tim O'Brien
ISBN-13: 9780767904414

Synopsis: Originally published in 1975, Tim O'Brien's debut novel demonstrates the emotional complexity and enthralling narrative tension that later earned him the National Book Award. At its core is the relationship between two brothers: one who went to Vietnam and one who stayed at home. As the two brothers struggle against an unexpected blizzard in Minnesota's remote north woods, what they discover about themselves and each other will change both of them for ever.

Review: My first Tim O'Brien book was The Things They Carried. I thought I would try something that wasn't set in a combat zone. In a sense, it was a combat zone...of the mind. I had to will myself to finish. I can't lie about that. I have a horrible habit of not finishing books I end up not being too thrilled with. I wanted to find out what the great revelation was that they had while stuck in the wilderness. It wasn't anything that jumped out at you. When I finished the book, I was unsure if the book delivered what the synopsis promised. Upon closer inspection, in a quiet way, the book did fulfill the discovery of self and each other. It also fulfilled an unexpected mission, which was to leave a lot of loose ends. I don't feel like Northern Lights had the same impact as The Things They Carried. The latter, I devoured. I couldn't get enough of his writing. Since this was his debut novel, I won't hold it against him. I even bought a different title of his to try again because I want that feeling I had when reading The Things They Carried. So, if you want a Tim O'Brien title to read and not sure where to start? Don't start with this one. Maybe leave it until the very end of your venture into the world of Tim O'Brien. Definitely start with The Things They Carried.

SIDENOTE: I know it's supposed to be "Wordless Wednesday", but I'm not prepared (fail) and I have too many words . What that means is I have a backlog of books I have read and have yet to review so I'll be trying to catch up on that.

every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end

I spent the day trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with my car. After breaking down several times out of frustration and irritation, I stepped back, took a shower and said,"Fuck it. I'll look at it tomorrow." After my shower, though, I thought, let me have another crack at it. Oh, and I fixed the bastard! Me. Just lil ol' me. No one was really helping me. I thought my cousin would, but he clearly has other things to worry about than my piece of crud of a car. I also am doing NaPoWriMo. That link will take you to my writing tumblr. NaPoWriMo is National Poetry Writing Month where you challenge yourself to write a poem everyday for thirty days. I got pretty far in my 365 poems...petered out around 57 or so. Oops. I think I can handle thirty days. I already have the two for today posted so check them out.

Some new things will be happening this month. I'm introducing a music monday post tonight. That will follow this post. I am trying to redesign my blog and I will post with a BIG REVEAL some day, soon. I'm also going to be doing more themed Wordless Wednesday posts. I like the one that I did with the doors so I thought I would practice serial photography and shoot different things for each week. I'm also trying to figure out a shop situation. I'm between bigcartel and society6. I'm leaning towards society6. Has anyone else used different sites for selling their prints online? If I could get feedback, that'd be great.

Last week Tuesday, I found the most amazing thing in a box at work. It's a Fujifilm Discovery 312 zoom. It has new batteries and works well. I have a roll of black and white in it and I'm excited to finish up the roll so I can get it processed. For now, I'm just having fun.

on the shelf : an object of beauty

An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin
ISBN-13: 9780446573658

Synopsis: "Lacey Yeager is young, captivating, and ambitious enough to take the NYC art world by storm. Groomed at Sotheby's and hungry to keep climbing the social and career ladders put before her, Lacey charms men and women, old and young, rich and even richer with her magnetic charisma and liveliness. Her ascension to the highest tiers of the city parallel the soaring heights--and, at times, the dark lows--of the art world and the country from the late 1990s through today."

Review: Lacey Yeager is a brash and sexual young up-and-comer in the art world from the early 1990s to present day. The narrator of the story is her art writer friend, Daniel. Steve Martin can write, is all I can say. I really enjoyed the crap out of this book. Not only does the paperback feel like canvas, but the writing is wonderful. Straight forward. I love the personality that he gives Lacey, even though she's not really the narrator. She shines through all of her stumbles and triumphs, but always falls short. Why is that? She is a go-getter, that is for sure. Things end differently than one thinks they will. At least, it ended up differently than I thought it did. It made me think about the consequences of everything Lacey did. Every action had a reaction. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but I must certainly say: buy the book. You'll love the feel of the rough canvas in your hands every time you pick it up. Trust me. Unless you think that's weird. If so, then just buy the e-book, heh.

my valentine's day!

Happy Valentine's Day! Or as several of us said today,"Uh-pbbbbt :P" Yep. I'm glad I wasn't the only one! I thought it was funny that Erika was also in all black with a fun scarf. HC's unite! Steph took this fun picture of us as I was leaving today. The first one she took looked really creepy, as if I was sneaking up to attack Erika. Much better the second time. Nothing going on for me this year. Yes, you read correctly. No boyfriend. It's weird to type that. I hope that doesn't damper your day. It doesn't damper mine! He's still one of my best friends and we still talk and hang out. We have one of the weirdest relationships, that's for sure. I think things would be weirder if we didn't talk. Living with my best friend and having amazing support really helped me through everything. And also, still being able to talk to Alex about everything and anything.

on the shelf: less than zero

Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis
ISBN-13: 9780679781493

Synopsis: "Set in Los Angeles in the early 1980s, this coolly mesmerizing novel is a raw, powerful portrait of a lost generation. They experienced sex, drugs, and disaffection at too early an age, and lived in a world shaped by casual nihilism, passivity, and too much money.

Clay comes home for Christmas vacation from his Eastern college and reenters a landscape of limitless privilege and absolute moral entropy, where everyone drives Porsches, dines at Spago, and snorts mountains of cocaine. He tries to renew his feelings for his girlfriend, Blair, and for his best friend from high school, Julian, who is careering into hustling and heroin. Clay’s holiday turns into a dizzying spiral of desperation that takes him through the relentless parties in glitzy mansions, seedy bars, and underground rock clubs, and also into the seamy world of L.A. after dark."

Review: For those of you who don't know, Bret Easton Ellis also wrote American Psycho, The Informers, and The Rules of Attraction, which, along with this book, were also made into movies. I have never seen any of these movies nor read any other Ellis books. I thought I would start with his first. I was hooked from the beginning. The style reminded me a lot of when I would read Chuck Palahniuk. It's straight-forward and kind of graphic. It makes you cringe at times, possibly even physically uncomfortable. But that's okay! That means that it is well written, so well written that it has caused physical discomfort! I devoured this book in two days. I didn't want to put it down! The next one on the list for this author is Rules of Attraction, but maybe I'll pause to read some Tim O'Brien.

on the shelf : The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt

The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt by Caroline Preston
ISBN-13: 9780061966903

Synopsis: "For her graduation from high school in 1920, Frankie Pratt receives a scrapbook and her father’s old Corona typewriter. Despite Frankie’s dreams of becoming a writer, she must forgo a college scholarship to help her widowed mother. But when a mysterious Captain James sweeps her off her feet, her mother finds a way to protect Frankie from the less-than-noble intentions of her unsuitable beau."

Review: If you enjoy looking through scrapbooks and vintage memorabilia, read this book. I felt like the story itself was a bit generic. The plot, where she must sacrifice her future for her family and then said family tries to screw with her love life, seems like it has been done before. She then must rebel and becomes an ex-pat in France, where she lives above Shakespeare & Co. I'm not saying it is a bad book; not at all. I'm just saying if you're looking for a meatier storyline, this isn't it. If you're looking to enjoy some vintage memorabilia with a story behind it, then definitely read it.

on the shelf: the silent woman

The Silent Woman by Janet Malcolm
ISBN-13: 9780679751403

Synopsis: "From the moment it was first published in The New Yorker, this brilliant work of literary criticism aroused great attention. Janet Malcolm brings her shrewd intelligence to bear on the legend of Sylvia Plath and the wildly productive industry of Plath biographies. Features a new Afterword by Malcolm.

From the moment it was first published in The New Yorker, this brilliant work of literary criticism aroused great attention. Janet Malcolm brings her shrewd intelligence to bear on the legend of Sylvia Plath and the wildly productive industry of Plath biographies. Features a new Afterword by Malcolm. "Rich and theatrical."--The New York Times Book Review."

Review: This book surprised me. I was expecting something that just praised Plath and bashed Hughes. I was totally wrong. Malcolm did an excellent job exploring different people's memories of Plath. She is sympathetic towards Hughes and explores other biographers' inability to penetrate the inner world of Sylvia Plath. I was surprised at her sympathy towards Hughes, but I understand it. People blame him, thinking he had driven her towards suicide because of his affair. Plath had problems long before Hughes. Their relationship probably didn't help, but I wouldn't say it was the cause. I can't imagine how he probably felt after her death and under the scrutiny of the literary world. It probably was not a good place to be.

stuck

Normally, if I am uninspired, I get out my inspiration posts where I post about other photographers who inspire me. I actually have one drafted that I could queue up for later this week, but I just wanted to inform readers that I am stuck. I feel uninspired. I should be out and about, taking photographs of everything. This winter is rather mild for Wisconsin. When I leave for work in the morning, I can hear birds. It's kind of weirding me out, but I dig it. Alex, Jessica, and I walked to Alterra for lunch the other day. It was sunny and slightly windy, but still in the 40s. I don't know if that is what is throwing me off or the fact that I finally have a car. I have a car. Did I tell you?

It's a total junk car, but I love it anyways. When I say "junk car", I don't mean,"Oh, it's an old car, slightly dented, blah blah blah." No, I do not exaggerate at all when I say this is a junk car. The inside of the passenger door is covered in plastic. The heater just barely works. Just barely to the point that I have to layer so I don't freeze at night in the car. My car is "warm" when I can no longer see my breath. Hmm, let's see what else? Oh! One of the struts rusted through so I've got a fun contraption my cousin built to keep it from sticking out in the trunk. Mind you, this car was a gift. I've never had my own car. How have you been getting around? a co-worker asked me. My best friend is the bestest friend in the whole wide world and let me use her car when she didn't need it. My mom also helped me out and let me use her car on the weekends when Jessica worked. It was a pain in the butt, but I got through the past three months that way. Now, it just feels weird to have a car and because it's super junky, I'm almost afraid to over-drive it, aside from necessity. Also, gas is expensive. Not that I didn't know that already, but it's another factor as to why I'm not driving around town everyday.

So there it is. That is what is going on in my life and why I have been absent from my blog. As soon as I get my mojo back, I will post regularly. I promise. For now, enjoy my favorite song from Fleet Foxes' Helplessness Blues album. It is called The Shrine / An Argument.

ch ch ch ch changes

I am terrible at writing my blog posts. My day to day activities usually aren't anything to talk about. You'd just be witnessing the routine/rut I'm in. Because of the anxiety I feel when trying to come up with words to go along with my photos (and a post title, too!), I decided to do something weekly that would allow me to relax a little bit and just showcase some photos. Even this little bit is really difficult for me. Ahhh! So I'll keep this short. Check back for more awkwardly worded posts and Wordless Wednesday.

blog neglect; INDIE e-conference

while i post the photos that i shoot and this is a blog to keep my thoughts and my photography, i am, in no way, a professional blogger. is there such a thing? there are several blogs i read on a daily basis and they're mostly based on style. (on the right hand side, they are called "dailies") i made a promise to myself that i wouldn't post until i had new photos to share, but upon reading some things for the INDIE e-conference, i realize i am being too strict on what i'm allowing myself to post, and when. it's prevented me from posting frequently and gaining momentum on something that i think could be great for me. even if no one really follows or reads my blog, i want to do this for me. i think that is the most important thing to learn, in life and in things that you do is that at first, it must be for yourself. otherwise, you won't be so motivated to create posts, spend time on design, and doing photos.

i greatly enjoy both Tieka and Elizabeth's blogs. They seem like they're really neat people and what they're doing with this INDIE e-conference is fantastic. while i don't plan on making this a style blog, i think what they have to say about blogging in general is true and can help my blog to become something that i love to do.

and so this isn't just a text-y post, i do have some photos to share from SUPERBOWL SUNDAY! WOO WOO WOO! go pack go! (side note: i don't really like american football; i'm a football/soccer fan all the way. however, i have great state pride and now that i understand the game, i think it'll be more enjoyable)

i can't deny that i make amazing taco dip. a little spicy, but sooooo good.