While many Sacramentans I know turn their nose up at eating at such a well-known place in Midtown, I don’t care. There’s a reason this place is popular, busy and well-loved: because it’s awesome.
Located on Capitol Avenue, literally in the heart of Midtown, Paesanos has been one of my favorite restaurants in Sacramento for years. In fact, it’s the first restaurant I ever dined at in Midtown—and ever since then, it’s remained in rotation for dates, birthday dinners and pre Second Saturday art walk festivities.
If I had to craft my ideal meal there, it’d be as follows: start with the Polenta Fries. Just do it. They are delicious. Also, be sure to get the gorgonzola dipping sauce. Lots.
After that, it’s a toss-up: I’m a big fan of their pizzas, namely the Vegetariano (every veggie you can dream of, cloves of garlic, goat cheese) or the Pollo y Patata (chicken, potato, garlic sauce, cheese). I’ve also had the risotto, which is amazing. Their salads are also fantastic.
I’ve only had dessert there once, because usually, I’m too busy enjoying pizza and polenta. Plus, I’ve never met a dessert I didn’t like, so I’m probably not your gal to tell you what to order and avoid in that realm.
My biggest tip is to go on a warm evening, sit outside, get a drink and take your time. The staff is fun and friendly, and the people watching can’t be beat. Eating at Paesanos makes me love where I live. It’s worth a visit, or a return visit.
Promise.
So, you can judge me all you want, but let me tell you what my reaction was after seeing this yesterday:
- Scream LOUDLY. Like, so loud that the custodian cleaning the classroom two doors down came rushing into my room to check on me, only to see me…
- DOING A VICTORY LAP. Complete with little hops and jumps and arms pumping and a TWIRL because I was wearing a very flouncy skirt (OMG, don’t judge me—if you had the skirt on, you’d do the same thing, promise).
- Call Andrew and leave him a breathless voicemail about WINNING; text my parents.
- Start crying, the happy tears.
- Feel a little bit ridiculous about being so emotional over an award on THE INTERNET.
- Stop feeling ridiculous when I realize just how much this site, 20SB and blogging as a whole has come to mean to me.
- Return to happy tears.
Seriously, you guys. YOU GUYS. Thank you. It took nominations, first. Then, it took votes. Mostly, it took people showing up every single day, reading my thoughts and attempts at humor and ridiculous stories. And for that, I can’t thank you enough.
Sometimes, my non-Internet-crazed friends think I’m an absolute wackadoo for having a blog. And I get it. But seriously, this site has changed me and my life for the better. It’s introduced me (in real life, and just online) to people I adore, people who “get me” and people who are just plain amazing. My online friends prayed for my dad while he battled cancer, and have supported me in my roughest days. The people and community I’ve met on my blog, as well as via the 20SB community are absolutely some of the most wonderful, loving, FUNNY, intelligent people ever.
I’m beyond lucky and grateful to know you guys and to have you here, reading my drivel every single day.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for voting for me and for making this a place that lights up my days.
Here’s to another epic year, with more stories, more laughing and even more love. Y’all are awesome.
Brandy is a friend, a fellow teacher and a lover of both dairy and CAPS ATTACK! I couldn’t resist posting this for her and her Hot Awesome Dude, who was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, an incurable cancer.
We love you, Brandy! And sadly. my blog is being temperamental and won’t post the video that accompanies this post…but, the important stuff is still there. Click over to donate to Love Harder.
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Our Plea
Our friend Brandy is a brilliant writer, a wonderful teacher, and a generous friend. And she is in love with a man who has just been diagnosed with multiple myeloma.
We are raising money for the Multiple Myeloma Research Fund in his name. For the price of a cinnamon dolce latte, half-caf, hold the whip, you can be part of an effort to cure a disease that affects approximately 750,000 people worldwide.
Every dollar brings us a dollar closer to a cure. And every donation brings a sliver of hope to a girl who needs all the hope she can get.
Love Harder,
Amy
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What You Can Do
Give. Be part of a worldwide effort to cure a disease that affects approximately 750,000 people worldwide. Every dollar helps.
Pass it on. Forward this story to five people. Share this blog post. Become our fan on Facebook.
Love harder. Life is short, love is unbending, and no one knows what could happen next. Tell someone you love them today.
Where Your Money Goes
The American Institute of Philanthropy recently named The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation one of the best organizations to give to in terms of their accountability and use of resources.
By working closely with researchers, clinicians and partners in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, the MMRF has helped bring multiple myeloma patients four new treatments that are extending lives around the globe.
The MMRF has advanced twenty Phase I and Phase II clinical trials. They need your support to advance these clinical research programs and accelerate the development of better, more effective treatments.
The MMRF’s Multiple Myeloma Genomics Initiative recently became the first to sequence the multiple myeloma whole genome in its entirety.
A whopping 98% of your donation to the MMRF will be used immediately to support high-priority multiple myeloma research.
With diminishing funding for early stage drug development and the next myeloma treatments not expected to be approved until 2011, the MMRF desperately needs your help.
You all had so many awesome questions—here’s Part 2 of the questions left on the original post(s). This will conclude the Q & A, but seriously, fellow bloggers—if you want to THINK, this is a great way to generate material.
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Have you ever written a post, published it and then felt “uh-oh, I shared too much this time”? Or one that has caused problems in your “real life”? What did you do about it? — from Sarah F.
This is where I reveal what a boring blogger I am and say NO. I am ridiculously careful about what I choose to share. I have written before about my Unbloggables and I tend to stick to those pretty hard and fast. Seriously, I have my parents, grandma and goodness knows who else reading (possibly students, co-workers, etc.) so I am really careful. Sometimes, there is more that I’d like to say, but I firmly believe that no blog post, as hilarious or cathartic as it may be, is worth upsetting those close to me. I want this to be fun, not a stressful thing. There are definitely posts where I’ve felt exposed, but I’ve rarely had a negative response to honesty.
What’s your favorite cold-weather beverage? — from Tabitha
I am a coffee ADDICT. Cold, hot, I don’t care—I just love it. My favorite fancy drink is a nonfat, stirred, caramel macchiato or a nonfat white mocha. Yum. I want some coffee right now, just talking about it.
Favourite song or movie? — from Margarita
There is no way I can pick just one. Seriously. I can give you my top 15,000 maybe. In another post. Suffice it to say that I love music and have an iTunes chock full of a ridiculous amount of songs. As far as favorite movie, I think that Before Sunrise and Before Sunset are my two favorites. I prefer to watch them back to back, with someone I can have deep conversation with afterwards, because those movies make me think about the Big Questions.
Have you ever had a near-death experience? — from That Kind Of Girl
Oooh, FANTASTIC question! The answer is YES! My first year of teaching, I was driving to work and my front right tire blew out. I spun out of control, across traffic in the middle of a very busy street. I crossed the median into oncoming traffic, and traffic STOPPED, a total miracle. A car that had been headed my direction had to BACK UP OFF ME so that I could open my driver’s side door. Seriously. To be in rush hour, spinning and nearly dying was the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced. I was in the middle of a rough patch, and holy cow that turned me around quickly. It seriously felt like a wake up call to LIVE and ENJOY and LET GO. I get chills just thinking about it.
How do you come up with SO MUCH MATERIAL for good story-telling? Does your life ever feel mundane? Are you ever all like, “I wish something epically stupid would happen right now so I can blog about it”? — from Andrea
Ha! First of all, this feels like a compliment-question, because I think that I lead one of the most boring lives EVAH. Seriously. I am one of the most mundane people I know, but I do try to find inspiration like it’s my job. And since epically stupid stuff happens to me all the time, I try and blog as much of it as I can. The rest comes from me making the little moments and things that I think about somehow sound semi-compelling. Sometimes, it’s surreal that ANYONE cares about my little internal monologue here, but I’m glad you guys do! I think that blogworthy stuff happens to EVERYONE (and more often to other people!) but I am always cognizant of trying to find an angle that will make it work for me. You’d be horrified if you knew how much time a day I spend recalling events and thinking, “Hmmm…can I blog that?!”
Who is your favorite comedian and why? — from Ally
I am not a huge live comedy person, though I do like going to the comedy club occasionally. Other than that, I’m a HUGE sucker for the Chapelle Show and Jim Gaffigan. I think they’re both absolutely HYSTERICAL. Dave Chapelle’s Prince skit kills me every time, and I laugh every time I see a Hot Pocket thanks to Jim Gaffigan. I don’t know what it is, but those dudes slay me.
If you had to pick one post that essentially defines you, which one would it be and why? — from Mandy
Gah, hardest question EVER! I wish I had a simple answer or one post that defines me, but I don’t think I do. I think that my life experiences make me really unique, especially at age 26—I’ve been through a lot, and seen a lot, and grown up a lot. I think that the post I’m most proud of is this post that I wrote about getting through a difficult time. It didn’t have the most comments, or the biggest response, but I think that what makes me proudest of it is that I could write such a list at all—that I’ve been through a bad time, and lived to tell about it, and have hopefully helped others thrive as a result.
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Seriously, those of you that asked: THANK YOU! You’re the best, and this was so fun!
Happy Wednesday!
Once upon a time, I was one of those hot yoga people. The kind who woke up every morning and attended a 5:30 am class. The kind who talked about it as a religious experience and loved every minute of it. Due to a variety of issues, I had to stop attending, and then started going once a week with a friend. When that friendship fizzled, so did my yoga commitment. I missed it desperately, but I wasn’t sure I’d ever go back. I’ve gained some weight, it’s a financial commitment and quite frankly, a lot of hard work.
Andrew had attended a class or two with me, and had mentioned how much he wanted to go. As part of his Christmas gift, I got him a month of yoga classes. With my new-ish commitment to running and getting healthy in general, it seemed a perfect time to go back. So, last night, we went.
When I’ve returned in the past, I’ve been nearly immediately victorious: my body remembered the heat and the poses came back with ease. I have sort of smugly thought I was just naturally good at hot yoga and as someone with very little to brag about in the way of physical activities, I was secretly proud. I could do this.
Until last night.
Last night’s class was agonizing. Even someone who was very clearly a regular remarked that the room was hotter than they’d ever felt. I felt choked and disgusting, even as we started the first poses. I had a dull headache within the first two minutes of the standing series. Worst of all, I felt defeated. I couldn’t get into poses I used to love, namely, standing bow pulling pose—my favorite.
As the class progressed, I found myself feeling irrationally angry. Angry at myself, for letting myself get so far from health and yoga. Angry that I couldn’t do things I wanted to do. Angry that I wasn’t instantly successful. As I was reminded over and over to return to my breath, to slow down, to focus on my body and what I could do, to be patient with myself, I had to actively work to silence my inner critic.
If you’ve been reading for awhile, have met me for 5 minutes or know me at all, it’s probably apparent that I like to be good at things. I’m a perfectionist in many things in my life, and I am self-critical. The thing that makes yoga such a challenge for me is that it’s NOT about self-criticism. Over and over again, we’re reminded that all we need to do is try the right way, to keep showing up, to keep posing, to stay in the room.
And we’re promised that it will get better.
This lesson of doing things even though I’m not perfect at them, of staying “in the room”, of going on journeys instead of constantly seeking a destination, of going back week after week, seems to be my lesson this year. I’m taking on running, hot yoga, and a variety of other pursuits where there is a definite learning curve. I’m trying to be patient and to finally learn this and let my body and mind understand that while it may take time and patience, I can do it. I want to learn how to do this and how to be gentle with myself. I want to learn to let my body, my mind, myself be enough, right where I am, all the time.
Tomorrow night, you’ll find me on that yoga mat. My yoga may not be perfect, but it will be mine, and that will be enough.
Just like me.
It was a long, lovely weekend. I have decided to never work another Monday, though I doubt that my boss/students would appreciate that. Still, being off work an additional day was glorious. So, what did you do this weekend?
I spent my Saturday morning at running club (you can read more about that over at Skinny Titch!)
I spent my afternoon at coffee with my favorite pseudo-Italian gal, Carolina, before spending a Saturday night with wine, sushi and miso with my dear friends Leslie and Steph.
On Sunday morning, I had breakfast with Elizabeth + family. No, we didn’t eat a basket of lemons, but she gave these to me and I thought they looked gorgeous and spring-like, so I took pictures.
Sunday night was the biggest celebration of all—my dad’s “cancer-free” celebratory dinner, where we had delicious food and even more delicious cheesecake to celebrate him receiving the all-clear from doctors. We are so beyond blessed and hopeful that his cancer will stay gone. Once again, I was reminded of just how blessed I am to have the family I do.
I spent Monday going for a run, working a bit, posting over at Style Lush and watching the Golden Globes, which I DVR-ed.
How about you?
So, wow. You guys had some awesome, creative questions! Here are a few of them, and my answers.
How many friends do you really have, you know, the ones you can call anytime and just chat? — from MaryJo
Well, first of all, you should probably know that I am not a phone person, like, at all. BUT…I think I know what you’re getting at. If I needed something, do I have friends that would be there? And the answer is a resounding YES. I guess I don’t often write about my real-life friends, but I think like most, I have friends from different things, including childhood/high school/college time. Other friends are people I used to work with, but have kept in touch with and still spend a lot of time with. Now, I am friends with people I teach with and have met through other friends. I try and make time to be social with friends between 2-3 times a week, and I love those times. I like to think I’m good at keeping in touch and being a friend in general. I don’t know the exact number of people I can call to chat, but I do know that between friends and family, I am never, ever without support. I am the luckiest.
What is your favourite city & why? — from Kyla
Ooooh, tough question. I love Sacramento, but I think my favorite city ever is Portland, Oregon. I don’t really know what it was about the city: I visited my friend Jamie there a few years ago, and I’ve never forgotten how much I enjoyed it. The public transit is easy to use and really clean. The coffee was delicious. The wine and food was fantastic. The art and creative scene was incredible—I visited the Saturday Market and absolutely loved it. Best of all, the people were really friendly and easy to hang out with—everyone was great. And? POWELLS. Ahhh, a block-long bookstore?! YES, PLEASE.
Describe the “perfect Sunday”… do you like to be out and about, or just get cozy at home? — from San
My perfect Sunday would include sleeping in late (hopefully because I had a great Saturday night!), going to breakfast with Andrew. I’d then come home to read, watch crappy TV, read blogs and take a nap or take a long walk near the river. Then, I’d meet a friend for coffee. Afterwards, I’d go to my parents’ house for dinner and games. Andrew and I would grab fro-yo on the way home before going to bed.
I’m lucky because many of my Sundays include at least a few of these elements. I love Sundays.
What one song is GUARANTEED to get you up on the dance floor? — from Paula
It’s a little know fact to some of you, but I really love to go dancing. It doesn’t take much for me to get out on the dance floor, though I am partial to “Love Shack” by the B-52′s and most Madonna. But seriously? Anything will do. I just like it.
Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Are you generally mistrustful of people, or do you open up pretty quickly? Describe your personailty. Are you the jealous type, are you doting, or both? — from Caitlin
On my About Me page, it used to say that I was an introvert masquerading as an extrovert, and I still think that’s one of the best descriptions of my personality. I love spending time with friends and family, but I also absolutely crave time alone and am content to be home by myself. I know myself well enough to know that on weekends, I need at least one block of time to be alone, but I also try and see friends and family a few times a week. As for whether or not I trust people, I generally DO trust people, sometimes more than I should (cue emo kid music here). The older I get, the more willing I am to guard my heart and feelings and sort of be careful about who I let in. Finally, am I the jealous type? Yes. It’s not a quality I am proud of. I am a lot better about being jealous in friendships than I used to be, and since Andrew and I have been together forever now, there’s not much for me to be jealous of any longer, but it’s definitely still there.
If a biopic were written about your life, who would play you? Who would play Andrew? Why? — from Suburban Sweetheart
This question was amazing, mostly because we spent a long time discussing it. Andrew is literally a clone of Larry David from Curb Your Enthusiasm (not in looks, THANK GOODNESS!) but in personality. When I watch that show, it’s exactly the way Andrew operates. As for me…the only celebrity I’ve ever been told I resemble is Elisabeth Shue—and several people have said it. I’m gonna go with her. I think. Another friend suggested Drew Barrymore, and a few said Amy Adams. Who do YOU think should play me?!
What do you like most about yourself? How do you harness this positively? — also from Suburban Sweetheart
Several people asked a version of what I like about myself. It’s hard for me to answer this one, mostly because I’m usually making fun of my ridiculousness, not praising myself. I think that what I do like about myself is that while I am sarcastic and silly and self-deprecating and weird, I think that I really do try and make people feel comfortable around me. I am genuinely interested in the people around me, and I think that shows in most of my interactions. Sure, I might poke fun at someone or crack a joke, but I’m willing to do it to myself, too, and for me, it’s really all about showing people that I relate to them, I “get” them and we’re all a lot alike. My life experience has lead me to understand that everybody has their flaws and their crap, and I think life is better if we can be nice and understanding towards one another, but also laugh at ourselves and the world. I try to make others see that and make a genuine connection when I spend time with people—because I really do care about others.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? — from Stephany
This is a tough question. I think most of my goals have to do with things I’d like to do by that time, since I’m settled into a career. In 5 years, I’d like to be thinner, to have been to Europe, to be writing more. By 10 years from now, I hope I’m married and a mom to at least one kiddo. I hope I’m still teaching, but have explored other things I’d like to do.
You’re a great writer: any tips for the rest of us? — from Nora
I recommend the book Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott. A few tips from her: “Write straight into the emotional center of things. Write toward vulnerability. Don’t worry about appearing sentimental. Worry about being unavailable; worry about being absent or fraudulent.” She–and just about every writing teacher I’ve ever had—emphasize the importance of writing, of writing a lot, and writing every day. I’ve been writing since I was a little girl, and do it often. I really think you get better with working on it.
What is your BIGGEST pet peeve? Just one Amy… I want to know THE ONE that is the Major No-No in Amy’s life… — from Gina, a real-life friend who knows that lots of things irritate me, hahahaha.
Sheesh. It’s hard to pick one—I mean, there’s loud chewing and slow drivers. I think the things that frustrates me the most in other people is something I call “idle bitching”: complaining and moaning about things without doing anything about it. I feel like most of us have the power to change things if we so choose. I wish more people did it instead of just talking about it. Myself included.
I will DEFINITELY answer more. So…what do you still want to know?! Ask away…
So, I’m curious: what do YOU want to know about ME?
I figure that everyday, I come here and FOIST information upon you all, whether you’re interested or not. I’ve seen a few other bloggers do this, so I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon. What do you want to know? Barring any sort of icky, NSFW question, or a very specific work question ask and I’ll answer. I may even do a vlog, just to add to the awkwardness. So, what do you want to know?! Stuff about me and Andrew? Family? Friends? My awesome mullet as a child?
Leave me a question in the comments, and well…I’ll answer.
And it’s with a pair of pants.
These are the glorious pants I referenced yesterday, and they are from Gap. In case you are searching, they can be found here. They are basically amazing—soft (they don’t call them the Supersoft Lounge Pants for anything!) but not fleecy, warm but not heavy. They also sell matching sweatshirts. As a sweats person (I change into them immediately when I get home!) I love comfy pants and definitely needed to replace some grubby old ones. These fit the bill beyond my wildest dreams. Even better, a sweet friend gave them to me…so I didn’t have to pay the $34.50, which is a bit stiff. BUT THEY ARE WORTH IT.
Go forth and buy. And no, I’m not some brand enthusiast or anything, but I’D LOVE TO BE.
Since I’m telling you what to wear, you should probably take my advice about what to listen to as well. My workout playlist is up over at Skinny Titch.
So, what’s on your agenda this weekend? This lovely THREE DAY WEEKEND, I should say. I’ve got a busy weekend ahead! Happy hour today, running group tomorrow morning, a date with a long-lost, far-flung friend, wine night, breakfast with dear friends, and hopefully some family time, too. Oh, and sleeping and reading. I’m going to need another three-day weekend to recover from the awesome one I’ll be having!
But, if you’re looking for a great way to spend any day, I thought this adorable pic from here was pretty perfect, though I’d substitute something chocolatey for the cheesecake:
Happy Friday, friends! Hope you spend every moment awake. Or at least napping in some awesome pants.
As you may or may not know, I live near Sacramento, California. I grew up in a tiny town about 20 miles away before moving into the heart of Midtown Sac at age 21. I loved it there, but when Andrew and I got an apartment together, we chose to live in the suburbs because…I don’t really know. I’ve been out of the city for almost a year, but in May, we are planning on making our epic return. I CAN’T WAIT. I miss the busy feeling of Midtown, the people and the abundance of things to do. It feels like home, and I love it there.
Sacramento gets a bit of a bad rap, simply because it can’t compete with the likes of San Francisco and Los Angeles, the big name cities in our state. Still, I absolutely adore Sacramento. It’s an urban city, but with a small-town feel and it’s exactly my pace. I love the budding art community, the music scene and the food. Sure, it’s not nearly as huge as the big-name California cities, but everything I need, want or long for is within walking distance. It’s close enough to my parents for me to be nearby, but also much, much closer to work, making it the perfect place for me. As a young 20-something, there is plenty to do and see and oh my goodness, I just want to move back tomorrow.
As I countdown to us moving “home” I thought I’d highlight bits and pieces of the city I know and love every Thursday, so maybe YOU can grow to love it to, at least vicariously. So, without further adieu, my first feature: Cornerstone!
The first time I went to Cornerstone, I was like, “The hell? This place looks TERRIBLE.” The decor appears to be straight out of the 70′s and there is NOTHING FANCY about the place. My dining companion assured me that no, it was worth it, despite the “greasy spoon” look and feel.
He wasn’t kidding.
The food is definitely greasy, but perfect for a morning-after breakfast. They have all the breakfast staples: good eggs, omelets, pancakes, french toast, and the best thing is that they will let you make just about any combination, substitutions and all, with no complaints or price increases. One of my close friends is a vegetarian, but LOVES Cornerstone because they have awesome veggie entrees, too — if you can resist their perfectly crispy bacon, something I’m unable to do. The coffee is good, and the staff seems to realize the total importance of keeping cups filled.
I’ve been eating at Cornerstone for several years now, and the staff never seems to change. They are kind without being condescending or annoying and they know their stuff. On occasion, I’ve had to wait awhile before being served, but that’s nothing I mind too much on a lazy morning, especially when I have a full cup of coffee.
I think my favorite thing about Cornerstone is it’s ridiculously cheap prices, especially during the week. If you arrive before 8 AM, you can get just about any combination of three items—MORE than enough—for $4. It’s amazing. During my breaks from teaching, my aforementioned vegetarian friend (also a teacher!) and I love, love, love going during the week for cheap food.
The only thing you should be well aware of is that it’s a cash-only joint, so be prepared.
So, there’s my first glimpse into Sacramento life! More to come!
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