Hello friends! In my very first issue of currently obsessed, I’d like to share some things that I’ve recently been consuming/listening to/lusting for. As you can tell from all the picks, I am in study mode. Non-mechanical #2 pencils? Check! Candy and coffee? Double check! (Note: My productivity is correlated with candy consumption. Legit.  Kind of like Felicity’s pre-med roommate and her M&Ms, minus the pre-med part.  Or, Michael from the Princess Diaries and HIS M&Ms. ) The Life Aquatic violates this set from being completely study-related (I can only intake a limited amount of David Bowie. Especially when I’m trying to “critically” read.), but this is currently obsessed…so no discrimination allowed. Ciao!

  • I got a pack of Ticonderoga tri-writes last month. They are wonderful! I hold writing utensils awkwardly and incorrectly (it’s not my fault!) (my hand basically looks like it is itching to punch someone…I know you were trying to picture my awkward-looking hand…). They sharpen very well (I love my Maped sharpener!). As the name implies, the pencil is triangular- a built in pencil grip! Also, these pencils don’t run away when you throw them down in frustration. How obedient!
  • Trader Darwin (Joe)’s Gummi Vites are the best! I have a really difficult time taking vitamins. I never remember, and when I do, I cringe when I see the submarine-sized pills. Bleh. These make taking vitamins so much fun! They might be too much fun, however, because I have definitely been taking more than the recommended amount. :( Trader Joe’s, $4.99 for a bottle of 70.
  • Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about Bill Murray. As part of the Chicago Air & Water Show a month ago, he jumped out of a plane. I thought it was particularly funny that the Chicago Tribune chronicled his jump, minute by minute. The search feature of the Chicago Tribune website is stumping me right now (as is Chicago Tribune’s distasteful usa-todayification…which re-affirms the New York Times’ superiority…REALLY? DO YOU THINK I’M AN IDIOT AND NEED A PAGE-BAR TO NAVIGATE A NEWSPAPER?), but here’s the gawker article that mocks the Chicago Tribune’s Murray coverage. Just last week, Bill Murray was in the news again in regards to his apparent approval of an upcoming Ghostbusters film. Anyways, with all this Bill Murray nonsense, I realized that I still did not have the soundtrack to The Life Aquatic. I have been listening to it since I got it this past weekend, and it’s pretty good. I’m not ready to declare where it falls in my personal Wes-Anderson-soundtrack rankings (Royal Tennebaums and Rushmore are exceptionally tight), but this one is great.
  • At Trader Joe’s they sell this licorice in 1lb tubs. When you put a twisty chunk in your mouth? Utter bliss. Inspired by this post on Mindy Ephron’s blog, I went searching for a tub of Kookaburra at Trader Joe’s.  Although it may not be Kookaburra, the licorice still tastes like the best masticated-fruit roll up ever.  I can finish a tub, by myself, in less than a day. :( Trader Joe’s, $3.99 for a 1lb tub.
  • This is one of the most clever devices that I have ever seen. The Pentel Handy-lineS Memorization Aid Highlighter Set (whew! what a name) includes a green highlighter, an eraser marker, and a piece of red film. As you can already tell, this is not a normal highlighter. So let’s say that you have this monstrous exam on world capitals. You have in your notes, “Thimphu is the capital of Bhutan.” While you’re studying, you highlight “Thimphu,” because you want to make sure it is ingrained in your head. Also, highlighting keeps you from falling asleep. After you’ve reached Zimbabwe on your list, you’d like to test yourself to see how much you’ve retained. Instead of awkwardly covering up your highlighted capitals with your fingers, all you have to do is cover your notes with the red film. Result? The film masks your highlighted text, and you can’t read it! Test away! When you’re done studying, you can even un-highlight test using the eraser. MAGIC! Available at JetPens, $5.70
  • Moonstruck Chocolate Company is one of the best chocolatiers. They make really great truffles, and their chocolates are always well-balanced and not too alcoholicy (like Godiva). There used to be a lovely company-owned Moonstruck Cafe on Michigan Ave., but it closed. Womp womp. As a result, one of the only places you can get Moonstruck chocolates downtown is Macy’s. Moonstruck has a few cute signatures, including their ice cream cone collection, cupcake truffle collection, AND critter truffle collection. Similar to their iconic critter truffles, “Election Collection 08″ features elephant and donkey truffles! How patriotic! The elephant is a dark chocolate extra-bittersweet ganache, and the donkey features Moonstruck’s Mayan Ganache (milk chocolate, almonds, cinnamon). Also of note, the last time I was at the State Street Macy’s, the only election truffles left were elephants. I find this amusing and very telling. Available at Moonstruck, $15 for a collection of four.
  • Sometimes I go to Caffe Rom twice a day. It has gotten so excessive, that I feel like they know me pretty well. I think I’m on my way from becoming “medium americano girl” to “Tricia.” This graduation is sort of exciting, and sort of embarassing. However, this is one of my favorite places to get coffee. It reminds me of my ex-barista days, and the espresso is good. I gave Intelligentsia a chance (actually two chances), and it was pretty gross. Unwelcomingly sour. And, whenever I go to Starbucks, I always spill. Probably because the hippie free trade coffee gods are trying to punish me. Karma is a bitch when you are wearing something non-black.
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