Favorite TV Show:
“Dead Like Me”
An episode to get you started:
Pilot (S1, E1)

“Dead Like Me” is perhaps one of the most overlooked gems to come from Showtime. The basic premise of the show is this: An 18-year-old college dropout named George gets killed by a toilet seat that fell from outer space and she becomes a grim reaper. She spends her undead days hanging out with other grim reapers, taking souls and holding down a job at temp agency called Happy Time. Sounds stupid? Well, it surprisingly wasn’t. I’d call it quirky.

“Dead Like Me” is hilarious, in a dark sort of way. But it’s more than just dead person humor; the show would get introspective (but never pretentious) and took a look at what it’s like to deal with loss and living from the perspective of both the reapers and George’s grieving family.

Plus, Mandy Patkinson played the reapers’ boss, so you know it’s gotta be good.

Favorite Artist:
Windsor Drive
A song to get you started:
“Chasing Shores”

Windsor Drive are the golden boys of Wausau, my hometown, and needless to say, I love them. Listening to Windsor Drive reminds me of home, but you don’t have to be from central Wisconsin to like them.

Windsor Drive is piano pop that sounds a bit like Something Corporate, or Keane, minus the British-ness. The often romantic and dreamy lyrics would normally be too much for me to handle, but we’re listening, not reading. It’s the sound of Windsor Drive that keeps the lyrics from being too over the top: bright piano that’s never overpowering, with gliding guitars and vocals that are soft and downright gorgeous.

Favorite Local Restaurant
Acoustic Cafe
A menu item to get you started:
Tomato-basil hummus pita sandwich

Honestly, I don’t go out to many restaurants here in Eau Claire. I live on campus and have a meal plan, so the majority of what I eat comes from the cafeteria or the Marketplace. Hey, it’s food I’ve already paid for; why waste it? I do venture over to Barstow to stop by Acoustic Cafe once in a while, though.

Yes, Acoustic is a coffee place, but they have food, too! The sandwiches there are yummy, and vegetarian-friendly. I think the pita sandwich made with tomato-basil hummus is easily the greatest (but messiest) sandwich I’ve had in a long time. And there are meat-friendly options as well, so no worries. Just make sure you grab a green tea smoothie to go along with your sandwich, because dang, those things are good.