The Skunkeye Consumer Guide

URBAN GARDEN

My alley urban garden post-Ikea trip and usual Sunday Farmer's Market purchases looks really nice. I hope the crackheads do not help themselves to the new furniture and ceramic pots, not to mention the plants themselves. I stained and weather-proofed the bench and now I can sit and smoke and look at my plants and flowers and the rats running by. I managed to save my roses and they are doing really well. Some of my geraniums are looking wan- I think they need more sunlight than the space allows. I've given up on herbs for the season and put pansies/inpatiens in. My generous hibiscous is slowing down - it has been flowering since April. My neighbor's 16 month old Jonah is really into me and I'm afraid I'll be a bad influence on his young mind with my cigrettes. I'll be sorry to see them go. I wish I could buy their house (475K!).

POTOMAC MILLS

Saturday we went to Potomac Mills on the spur of the moment. I have not been there in years but for some sick reason had the urge. When we arrived in the Food Court I remembered how scary that place is. Despite the sinking feeling I really wanted to shop.
Here are some tips and highlights:
*Benneton outlet has little or no men's stuff
*Sparky's looks really tacky and frightening but actually has a lot of European/Italian funky/unique men's clothes and it is cheap. I've passed that place often and not gone in. Friends in NYC apparently shop there and like it. Do go in, you might be surprised. Unfortunately they had a lot of what I'm not allowed to buy right now (jackets/coats and flower-print shirts - I've overstocked on those items)
*The air-conditioning at H&M wasn't working. It is bigger than the one in Georgetown but the stuff is pretty crappy. Why do they have to use such awful-feeling fabric. And they need to change/diversify their collection more. (on a side note, Zara is opening in Georgetown soon)
*The Saks outlet is still expensive and the stuff on sale was really out of date.
*Many of the stores aren't really outlets or that much cheaper and you can find most of them closer to town
*Although I am disgusted by the masses of ugly America waddling through the sprawl, one thing I find somewhat endearing about Potomac Mills are the rural/hillbilly sorts who work at the shops. My shop assitant at Donna Karan was nicely turned out and sweetly helpful but had a few inches of roots and was misisng a few teeth.
* Nordstrom is as boring for men as the one at Pentagon City and is also a huge mess. It's all Dad clothes.
*The AMC movie theater was showing every bad movie imaginable - Gigli, Freddy vs Jason, Uptown Girls, American Wedding, Bad Boys II.
*IKEA needs to be a separate visit. We went at the end of the day and I really could lose myself there even though I know anything I purchase/build is going to fall apart in a few months. I did go crazy on the graden supllies/planters and bought a bench but that was the only area of IKEA I visited.So you can imagine the damage I could do if I actually went upsatirs to the rest of the store.
*The traffic was really bad exiting Potomac Mills. I didn't realize it was such a popular weekend activity.

That said, the only thing I purchased besides garden supplies was a pair of Donna Karan boots. Brown suede, like riding boots, with a flap/protector that goes over the lace-up, and buckle. Now I know why they were on sale. I'm wearing them today. They took forever to put on with all the laces and buckles and they are kind of stiff and really too warm for my hot-blooded feet. Too high maintainence for me.

I did have a hilarious moment in Nordstrom when I was spotted by Biddy. We both felt like we had been caught doing something naughty. Like shooting up.

THE DINNER PARTY

Dedided to have the diinner party after all. MJ brought her housemate F who I'd never met and is very a very simpatico artist. I made my usual pasta, pine-nut, pesto, chicken, grape tomato thing with fresh asparagus and ice cream with blueberries and Vermont maple syrup. It was really mellow and relaxing. I took photos will post when I have the capability.

Shirt

My new shirt. I think it looks a cockfight. Or bloody flowers. It scares Biddy but every one else likes it.

BERT BERNS PROJECT

Need to work on draft of script for my new project THIS WEEKEND. I'm planning an "American Originals"-type series for work. Highlighting American songwriters/performers who have had an impact on popular music. Trying to focus on overlooked or older artists. First subject is Bert Berns. His children have been amazing, sending me CD after CD of rare and wonderful stuff. Bert Berns wrote Sloopy, Twist & Shout, Under The Boardwalk, Brown Eyed Girl,Piece Of My Heart,Everybody Needs Somebody To Love and fostered artists Van Morrison, Neil Diamond, Solomon Burke, Ben E. King, The Drifters, The Isley Brothers, The McCoys. He died at age 36 of heart failure after writing hundreds of amazing songs - its a real American story.

I'm also planning series on Lee Hazlewood, Scott Walker, Jackie De Shannon, Ellie Greenwich, and others.

Basically I feel our services are playing pretty crap music. I'm really excited about this project but I'm afriad I'm going to be lazy.

Azul

AZUL
Bought this album last night on the home out of boredom. Its on the Tricatel label which I like. I've been seeing it Melody Music fro years and just passed it off as cheesy europop ala Celine Laura Paussini or annoying bad rock like Mylene Farmer and then I saw it was produced by Katerine and on Tricatel so I decided to gamble and give it a try. Then I got home and my sister called on her way to the airport to tell me about the stupid blackout. And then I found the moldy squash and the nasty overflowing garbage and talked the Indonesian Girl about the stove and then watered the plants and said hello to little Jonah and checked out the unit at 1717 Seaton Place and then it rained. I don't think I was in the mood for the album. Her voice isn't all that special and I really have to be in the right space for that Astrid Gibelrto lite stuff. It also sounds VERY 2001. Also sounds like hanging out with Fil and the gang at the Michel in Malate and that seems like so long ago. But it does have a cover of Deshabillez-moi. which is kinda cool.

At any rate, I'll have to give it another shot. Maybe tonight if Mariju doesn't come over and I won't be sweating in the kitchen. I becoming such an alienist!