What's New on the Avenue?

To the best of my knowledge, I drank the following Italian wines tonight:

John Carman — Thu, 10 May 2012 03:32:29 +0000

Cantina Di Sorbara Lambrusco di Sorbara 2010
Prosecco Treviso Extry Dry DOC 2010
Le Macine Pinot Grigio IGT 2009
San Felo Il Viaggio IGT 2010
San Felo Le Stoppie Vermentino 2010
San Felo Frosal Maremma Toscana 2010

Carnivores, look forward to a new restaurant on Pittsburgh’s South Side named “Truth” which opens on Friday. Herbivores, the fried risotto balls are delicious. Truth.

The linen & leather closet came in handy.

John Carman — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 05:52:44 +0000

Remember how I’ve been saying that I don’t need a real bed because I can just sleep on the inflatable bed or the couch? Well I got that bed. G finally tricked me into going to “look at mattresses,” and it turns out that a twin size mattress and box spring fit inside a Subaru Forester pretty easily with free tie-down service.

Truth be told, I’m pretty excited about sleeping on a bed that doesn’t need to be inflated, and is wide enough for both of my arms. Oh, and the leatherware in the closet are my shoes, belts, wallet and business card holder. Sorry to disappoint anyone who found this page through search.

I wrote an essay.

John Carman — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 19:13:51 +0000

If you’re cool enough to know that zines aren’t dead, you may want to check out the Brooklyn Zine Fest at the Public Assembly on April 15. If you’re not that cool, do your taxes instead.

I’m very proud of my brother and Kseniya for co-organizing this event, even if I’ll be too busy doing taxes to attend. But if you can’t attend, you should still buy their zine. Each issue of I Love Bad Movies is themed, and this issue’s theme is “Early & Late Roles” or “Before & After They Were Famous.” I LOVE BAD MOVIES Vol. 5 is available on Etsy for $5.00, and it’s worth the price even if you just read the lead essay!

I wrote the lead essay. You’re probably thinking that I wrote about Sylvester Stallone, but you’re way off. I wrote about Arnold Schwarzenneger. And seriously you guys, I had to watch Hercules in New York ALL THE WAY THROUGH, often rewinding to watch scenes during which I had zoned out, in order to write this review. So even if you think I’m probably going to give you a free copy, support the arts people.

Albeit brief, I hung out with the Monongahela Mermaid last night.

John Carman — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 22:05:10 +0000

Repin Like

John Carman — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 17:30:50 +0000

I don’t pin much myself, but lately I’ve enjoyed browsing Pinterest more than Facebook. I ignore most of the cute empty carbs, and scan for what inspires me. A lot of it is cliché, but it reminds me of those cliché days in college when I was inspired more than sarcastic. Like when I first started getting high, and would sneak away from whatever was on BET to watch Easy Rider in my room.

I’ll be at the silent auction tables, watching you bid, silently.

John Carman — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 02:49:30 +0000

Thanks to my Bloomfield area friends who came to BBT for the first monthly Bloomfield Mixer on Tuesday, especially Andrea, who got there too late for the free food.

Tomorrow, I’ll be at the Lawrenceville Gourmet Spaghetti Dinner from 4:30 to 9:30, and I’d like to see some of you there. Proceeds will benefit the Bernard Dog Run, a community initiative to build an off-leash dog park in Lawrenceville.

Tonight was a disaster.

John Carman — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 06:00:32 +0000

Andrea Disaster invited me to an improv show and PHI, didn’t tell me it was an all-audience participation show, made me pay admission, then didn’t take me to PHI. It was perfect.

MLK Day 2012

John Carman — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:10:05 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

They look so small. That’s what she said.

John Carman — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:10:50 +0000

I just bought a pair of indoor soccer shoes. I haven’t bought shoes that fit in years.

You don’t need to shake at all.

John Carman — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:32:29 +0000

When we adopted Ginger, they told us she is a Miniature Pinscher/Jack Russell Terrier mix, but we think there’s some Chihuahua mixed in. And like a Chihuahua, she tends to shake when she’s cold, or nervous, or wants Taco Bell.

At a rest stop on the way home from visiting family this Thanksgiving, I was petting and talking to Ginger as she stood in the boot of our car, shaking. I told her that she doesn’t need to shake so much, that she doesn’t need to shake at all. And as soon as I said that, I realized that God has been trying to tell me the same thing when I worry. And as my dog continued to shake, I thought about God’s patience with me as I continue to worry.

I worry, a lot. I worry about all sorts of things that I don’t need to worry about, because I don’t understand why I don’t need to worry about them. And every time, God pets my head and tells me that I don’t need to worry. In Philippians 4:6–7 (New International Version), Paul wrote

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The first verse is the instruction, and the second verse is the promise. And the part that tells us that the peace of God transcends all understanding, that helps us to accept the promise. I think about my dog shaking in the back of a car in a strange place, and how much she is unable to understand about her situation. I think that we must be a lot like her, not able to understand why we are here or why things happen. But unlike my dog, we can know that we don’t need to understand God’s peace in order to accept it.