So I just came in from chasing my wretch of a dog around the park, because she just LOVES to eat the effing snow and ice, fill up her baby dog bladder, and have to pee every 35 minutes for the rest of the night. If I could have tazed her, or had a fist fight with her like a real person, I probably would have. Ready for a thaw...too bad it's months away.
I'm a graduate. 15 months of hard work and it's all over. The shenanigans that started this blog are now over.
So, I'm officially moving to Columbus. Found my apartment. It's in a great neighborhood. I'm excited about my new job, Express seems like a great company. I'm excited about a new chapter in life, but (as always) sad to close this one. Its different than when I left Birmingham. I can't really put my finger on it. I think I really felt like it was time for me to leave there...but I really thought I'd be staying in Chicago for a while. So much for planning anything in life. I'm proven wrong much more often than I'm proven right in my plans or predictions.
So I now sit in Chicago...excited, scared, happy, and sad. Sounds totally normal and stable. Though, Wingo told me I make friends as easily as rotten fruit attracts flies...so I guess that's good :)
I think this is a long-winded way to say that big kid life is hard....
Maybe the grocery store in Columbus will have an "I live alone." section.
I know I've been blogging a lot, but please bear with me as I add another post to the blog. so, LA, huh? it's been pretty goode so far. I'm feeling settled, but it's still a bit of an adjustment as each day is different as a result of not having an actual job. I'm kinda liking that schedule, but I would like it more if random buckets of cash with my name on them were sitting around the apartment. we only have one bucket, and we keep items like scissors, pens, lighters, note pads, etc. in it. speaking of the apartment, I really like it a lot, and I like our little area of town. I'll give a video tour soon...as soon as I clean it up a little bit.
I've been doing some extra work, and it's been pretty fun. look for me in the background of NCIS LA, Extra and Friends with Benefits. I mean, you're gonna have to look...hard. the nerdy part of me enjoyed doing the Friends with Benefits one, because the lead female is Rachel from One Tree Hill. Amy, I hope/believe you'll remember her. so I'll probably keep doing the extra work and the catering work...and then keep hoping that that'll be enough money to live off of.
now please enjoy these photos of Santa Monica. I took a lovely stroll along the beach one afternoon. it really is a gorgeous area, however the day took a bit of a dive when I walked up to my car as an officer was giving me a parking ticket. a photo of Officer Ramirez is not included.
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let's see, what else? I'm trying to work on some TV specs. I want to write a short and work with some people out here to actually get something made. I got to check out The Troubadour and see an Ingrid show! Allison, Ben, Alan and I spent halloween night with the crazies in West Hollywood. it was a fun, hot mess. I've gotten back into the coca-cola. I'm not having four or five cans a day, but I do have a fountain drink every couple of days. I saw Blue Valentine during the AFI Fest. it was really good--a touch intense and really well acted. and Ryan Gosling has yet to disappoint me on any level. I think I'm missing a "normal fall" a little bit, but the weather has been really great the past few days. my parents now have Skype. watch out, world. I want to get a fish. my favorite celebrity sighting so far has been Jodie Foster. there are two girls who live next door to us. one of them blasts chick rock-n-roll and the other busts out some techno-beats! I rock out to both in my apartment. I've gotten lost a lot, but I think that's going to help me out in the long run. I feel like I've been talking about myself a lot lately, so I will devote a whole post to, I don't know, some kind of history lesson soon. I miss you guys.
alright, here are a few more pics. I'll get better and more frequent with this fine blog. MUCH/ONE LOVE!!
one more thing...I'm fairly obsessed with this song:
Thanks to friends, I have realized that I’m pretty crazy. Not that I’ve tricked myself into thinking I’m normal-- I'm pretty awkward. Let’s talk about it and I'll keep it short. Try to stay friends with me.
1. I like ghost stories. They freak me out... so much so that my eyes water. I reluctantly told this to my brother and he said it happens to him too, but not as severe. When I listen to stories about ghosts or supernatural occurrences, my eyes water so much that I wipe away tears. It's an involuntary reaction -- weird reaction in my mouth, my jaw tightens, I shake my head and then my eyes start watering. Like that reaction in your mouth after you gag and your mouth starts watering... before you throw up. A slight version of that. But then tears. Oh you don't experience that and you don't know what gagging sensation I’m talking about? Well that brings us to our next subject.
2. I throw up a lot. Not because I want to…I have a very strong gag reflex. I can't swallow pills without gagging and then throwing up. It infuriates my mom and other people who tell me just to get over and be a real adult. Trying! Trying to be a real person. But I tend to waste a lot of medication every time I try. So I’ve stopped trying. Things that make me throw up: pills, laughing too much, getting hot, awful smells, other people throw up, waking up too early, spicy food, carbonated drinks, and nervous times. Whatever the occasion, I have no problem throwing up. I’m used to it... it rarely affects my day and I recover very quickly. It’s not a big deal.
3. Not everyone's face hurts when they get tired. I just realized this in Chicago. When I get tired, my face feels tired and achy, behind my eyes and in my ears and jaw. The feeling doesn't go away until I can put some pressure on my face, on a pillow or the nearest couch... or the nearest seat belt, if in a car. Wow, this sounds crazy now, but I just figured everyone's face got tired. Also, being out in the sun makes me tired... like it drains me faster than others. And it makes me sneeze. This is making my face hurt.
4. I am haunted by the number 23. It started in high school or early college. Every time I went to bed, I would look up at my clock and it was 23 minutes after the hour. It progressed into seeing a few 23 minutes after the hour when I would check the time. No big deal. Kind of didn't let it bother me for a few years, but it has returned lately. I would say at least 85% of the time I look at the clock during the day, it's 23 after. Not a few minutes before or 24... 23. Work, car, home... 23 after. But it's not just the time, it’s seeing the number other places, counting things, dates. (And no, this is not because of that movie 23 and his fear of the number... this was long before that.) Most common: 11:23, 7:23 and 4:23. I was pretty convinced that I would die at the age of 23. Well, that has half to do with me thinking I would die young. 5. I’ve always thought I would die young. I used to daydream about my funeral or wake, Tom Sawyer-style. I guess I thought it would make things a little more interesting if I died young. I don't know why, but I don't shy away from death, the dying process, hospitals, cemeteries and my own demise. I have had a lot of dreams about dying and it just weirded me out. It’s just always been hard for me to imagine my adult life or my future or whatever. Maybe I just don't ever want to get old. Not because I’m vain or afraid of wrinkles…old people make me sad. I can't watch Wheel of Fortune or the Price is Right with old people on it. I don't want to be pitied like I pity old people. I don't want to be dependent on others. I don't want to be embarrassed about my frailty.
6. As much as I don't worry about death, I worry about heaven. It weirds me out. I should have peace about it and know that it will be a place of comfort, but it terrifies me. When I think about eternity and spending it in heaven, the image that comes to mind is a continuous line that spirals down into a tornado until it fades out of sight. It makes me dizzy and my heart starts racing. I feel panicky and I have to stop thinking about it. It makes me feel claustrophobic. Am I the only one that is scared by spending an eternity somewhere? Am I afraid of the commitment? Am I completely selfish and ridiculous? Maybe I don’t understand heaven, but what the crap am I going to do forever? Stare at glowy face Jesus? Float around as a spirit on the new earthly kingdom. Just hope we aren't like ghosts or else I’ll spend my eternity with watering eyes. Oh geez. I hope dinosaurs are involved in this new heaven.
7. Oh I’ve never mentioned my love for dinosaurs? I LOVE dinosaurs! I love everything about them... tiny T-Rex arms, the mystery of their existence, the possibility of them being cool colors. Did they live with humans did? What happened to them? Were they kinder than we think of them now? Will God tell us what happened to them when we get to heaven? Will I ever know what it would be like to coexist with them? Can I pet one? I have a feeling that they aren't super gentle, so I’m glad we don't live with them, but I’d just like to be informed about what had happened.
Please tell me that you can relate to at least one of these. No? Ok well…
Well, talk about a few things. My life has been a tad ridiculous, so let's just hit the high points. Where did we leave off? So, I moved to Huntsville and started a new job. Melissa wrote me a really nice poem for the event and I'd like to share it with you:
Twelve years we've been friends,
Don't even say perudo.
Maybe it seems longer,
'cause you're my monkey hero.
Good times were had,
in this ol' Birmingham.
Larry Langford stole money.
We're not so much greedy
and don't need the big bucks,
Just give us some Golden Girls
and of course some woodchucks.
Now you're off to Huntsville,
it's a really good land.
I've actually only been once,
but it seemed pretty grand.
Hang out with other peeps,
like Brian White's wife.
You know Diana,
you ruined her life.
Start a new job
and impress your new boss.
They're sure to love your sarcasm
and if not, hey, their loss.
We'll miss your arms,
We'll miss your smarts.
But perhaps most,
we'll miss discounted art.
Blow a kiss to the warehouse;
Say goodbye to SL.
I won't picture you at The Office,
shipping things like Darryl.
Excited for this adventure,
but will miss you a lot.
Be sure to get on gchat
or text if you're in a hotspot.
You're the absolute best,
but let's not get too heavy.
I guess what I'm saying is, I still miss you already.
I'm not sure if anyone's ever written me a poem before. Definitely not this long anyway. Um, I really liked it a lot, so thanks, MJ! Then a week after I started the job, we went to Chicago to visit Ashley. Hip Hip Horray! Here's proof, in case Ashley forgets we actually came to see her... a year later.
On the way home, thanks to my car-mates indulging me, we stopped in Indianopolis to see the country's 3rd largest cemetery... Crown Hill. Resting grounds of mobster, John Dillinger, US President, Benjamin Harrison, and poet, James Whitcomb Riley. This delay was just one stop of many in a 14-hour trip home to Birmingham. Good times... might not try to make that trip again anytime soon. But thanks to Ashley for being a great host and showing us around Chicago! We had a lot of fun.
Then there was Artwalk last weekend. I'd give it a B+. I sold several small things, so it was good to get rid of some inventory. Now, let's just try for Magic City Art Connection. I haven't been in Huntsville one weekend yet, and won't for at least a month. But once I figure out this new place, I'll give a full report about what it's like.
Now it's MJ's turn to leave. So we'll be sending her off to a small place called LA. Let's get an update on that... Ok? Let's call it quits for now so I can go find Diana and ruin her life. BW!
It's amazing that moving 700 miles away from everything familiar and comfortable makes you reevaluate everything, things that you thought were just fundamentally who you were.
Exhibit A. NEVER have I been active, never. I was the kid in high school that would barely run the mile in time to not fail in PE CLASS. I had accepted the fact that I’m just not an active person, and now I'm training to run a 1/2 marathon. I didn’t start running because I was bored, trying to lose weight, or trying to begin my career as a marathon runner. I realized that I often played it safe, and didn't try for things that might lead to failure. I really wanted something that was going to be a challenge every day, and something that I push myself to do. As seen by my pep talks that I give myself during my 7:30 am Saturday runs, this is doing just that. Funny thing is that I feel better than I have in a long time. This challenge/accomplishment thing has really shifted my perspective of what I'm capable of doing. It's an exciting feeling.
Exhibit B. I've been giving thought to this whole "nice guys (girls) finish last." I really think there is truth to the theory. Not because the rest of the world is mean and like to beat up on nice people, but because nice people give up too much control in exchange for a relationship. This often leads to the “nice girl/guy” to be taken for granted. Allow me to explain.
Feel free to disagree here, but I'd say that in friendship and relationships that I tend to be a "nice girl." (Though both of you have seen my temper at times). Anyway, I think that I place such high value on relationships, people, and what they add to my life that I'm willing to sacrifice things that I need in a relationship just to keep the other person in my life. Now, this sounds kind of pathetic, and it's not supposed to. I allow others to negotiate the terms of our relationship while withholding some of my needs or preferences to keep the peace. What? You want to hang out with some other person for 3 months, and then come back to be BFF with me? Sure, we'll forget that whole 3 months of crappy friendship ever happened. So my thoughts are that nice guys/girls can still be the nice person, invest all they want into relationships and love people all they want, but they have to take charge and make sure that they are helping to negotiate the terms and rules of relationships. In the end, I think it will make the other parties respect and appreciate them even more.
Anyway! New life, new leaf! I've decided to start making a conscious effort to take charge of my life and my relationships. I'm nervous just thinking about it.
So there you go, those are my 2010 changes thus far...and I hope you've enjoyed the ramblings that normally stay in my head.
Hey blog! I don’t have much to update you on other than the stupid details of my life, so get excited. Theme of the month: I’m single and my life isn’t headed anywhere awesome. Now, don’t assume I’m super Debbie Downer about either of these things. It’s just a theme and I’m trying to work it out.
We had our family vacation a few weeks ago and that was a lot of fun. Mass chaos + sun + goodbyes = Amy’s worst nightmare. But it was good to see everyone and see Forest’s kids one last time. They’ve grown up so much in the last year and are real, operating kids. (I’m a real boy!) Here’s a picture of the some of the oil we enjoyed:
Um, so the best part of being the youngest of 5 kids is that you are the last single one in the family. It’s a spot that earns you the foldout couch with the kids, back seat in a crowded van, a chair at the kids’ table, and out of the making-plans loop because it’s just me, so why would I care what we do. I think it just hit me the second night on the couch with Caleb and Josiah, when Caleb kicked me in the face, that I am single and it’s not working out for me.
You know what else makes me feel really single… buying Just-for-One frozen veggies. I get home and my broccoli and cheese one just has 2 of the 4 single trays. I guess they realized that I wouldn’t make it to the third meal in my lame life. It’s cool, Walmart, just rub it in. Maybe they should just make a “Hey, I live alone!” aisle in the very front of the store for all to see, featuring half loaves of bread, individual vegetables servings, 1/4 gallon milk, 2 scoops of ice cream and small cans of fruits. Hopefully I would run into some of you on that aisle and not feel so alone.
As for the “my life is going nowhere” part -- I think we all know about my job situation, so we don’t have to elaborate. But it’s just added to my life confusion of where I should be and when. So I’ll keep you posted and let you know if I have any great epiphanies about how to be an adult.
Things that cheer me up:
1) I got an old camera from my parents’ house while I was at home. I asked if I could steal it to find out if they make film for it still. It’s a Kodak Brownie Bull’s-Eye and I did find some film for it, one color and one black and white. So it’s loaded with the color and we’re ready to go. It belonged to our grad school mascot and my great-aunt, Aunt Maline.
2) Found out from Melissa yesterday that I got into Artwalk 2010 (September 10-11). Thanks for letting me know, MJ! I’ll be in the same place as last year and evidently they have cleared out the building, so I’ll be in there with 8 other people. I already know someone that has the same address, so that’s cool.
3) I'm starting my Mixed Media art class at Sammy U tonight. I told MJ yesterday that I feel like it's a community college class, and that I WILL start up my own study group and pick on the improv comedy class kids. I just hope we have an Abed in the group. I take that back; I hope I am Abed. I'm kinda nervous about the class, but that's good for me, because it means I'll be doing something outside my comfort zone. You might be saying, "But isn't this your comfort zone?" Yes, but alone. I've never done this in front of or with other people, so we'll see how it goes.
I hope you enjoyed my song. What? You better know this song. I linked a really dramatic live version. enjoy. I hope Melissa's future husband wears a denim cut off vest like that. Amy, yours will wear jorts.
SO. I survived family visit...and I'm pretty sure they had a good time, which means my tour guide skills are getting better. By the time you ladies visit, we'll be in good shape. I will ask that you wear your walking shoes though :) MawMaw didn't. Photos for you to treasure forever.
I started training for the Chicago 1/2 marathon this week. It's kicking my butt, but I'm excited about the challenge. September 12th...here I come.
We started our summer residencies this week. We had 2 days of workshops to start the program...which was less than exciting. Client meeting tomorrow, so I'm starting to get excited.
Currently reading: The Tipping Point
Most Recent CD purchase: The Swell Season (they're playing here july 22nd. think i'm going)
I've been trying to spend time outside to enjoy my 4 months of sunny, warm weather, but the humidity is turning my hair into effing cotton ball hair. noooooooo bueno. so, Ashley will be single 4 life living in Chicago with her cotton ball hair, so I call flower girl at both of your weddings :)
Not much else to report. I'm glad to see that life is continuing as usual in B'ham. Melissa doesn't answer OR return phone calls, Amy is enjoying time with Sophie...the usual :)
hello and happy Friday to you all! as P (exlamation point) ink would say, I'm ready to get this party started. and by party, I mean weekend. I'm heading to St. Simons to see the fam and to celebrate Mama Jordan's birthday. I haven't been home since Christmas, so I'm excited to spend a few days there (and have some time off work)! some things I hope we'll do: hit up the beach, make mom drink a margarita, hear some music at the local coffeehouse, go to a restaurant where they do something embarrassing in order to make you feel special on your birthday. something I know for a fact my mom and I will do: go to Jacksonville to see Brandi Carlile in concert! ooooooooooooo OOOOOOOOOOOO! I'm very pumped to see her again, but I'm really excited my mom is getting to see her perform live for the first time with me. I've turned her into a pretty big fan, so it should be a pretty awesome time.
I hope Amy has blogged about our trip to Decatur, because it was pretty spectacular. uncle Bob and aunt Mary are by far two of the coolest people I've ever met. very good times last weekend. I think we need to make a trip back there soon, visit with them and catch a show at Eddie's Attic. I've always wanted to see a concert there, so, let's do that! I'm going to work the merch table for the 3 out of Tenn show at WorkPlay on 6/13...Trent Dabbs, Andrew Belle and Andy Davis. kind of random, but I saw a tweet that they needed help, and I replied. sell some t-shirts, listen to some music, I can deal with that.
In other news, I hear that McDonald's recalled 12 million Shrek glasses. so, sadly, y'all are gonna have to get those out your mouth. well, that's all from me for now. y'all have a fantastic weekend! Ash, I'm glad you'll be done with classes for a while! and I think that means akschell and I will be visiting soon!
Hey, blog. Long time, no see…sorry about that. It’s been a crazy few weeks, but I think things are starting to settle down. This past weekend, we went to Decatur to visit my aunt and uncle and to see the local Decatur Arts Festival. She wanted me to scope it out for a possible venue for my stuff, so we went. It was great weather and we had a good time with them. I bought this from the hands of Kreg Yingst: It’ll go up next to my Alex Leopold piece in my office. It looks a lot like this one:
Seven minutes after pulling in their drive, my uncle had a spread of cider and cheese ready for us. Don’t miss it, seven. Out of control, and that’s how the rest of the time was, just ask Melissa. Visited a restaurant my sister had recommended from her trip to Decatur, Leon's. It was a pretty special trip-- got a burger with salad and great fries. Sort of like a FLIP place but more homey and housed in an old refurbished service station downtown. Then Sunday we were off to Lawrenceville for a wedding outside and of course it started raining/sprinkling during the ceremony. This is what I was busy doing afterwards: Got back late Sunday and got right back in the car Monday morning for a 6-hour lovely journey to LaTech in Ruston, LA for work. Came back on Tuesday just in time to start my summer internship of Sophie Care. That’s right, for the next 2 months, it’s me and the Sophs. Don’t be jealous.
After I pick up the last roll of pictures today, I’ll post some of the latest and greatest photos from my grandfather’s camera. Ashley, I have a good one of you and Bella, so get excited. Oh also, check out Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. It’s my newest purchase and was suggested by my aunt. They are pretty great. Oh snapfish, we haven't talked about LOST. I'll have to show y'all some pictures from the sweet party we had, fully decorated house and LOST food. I'll save it for next time! BW!
I was just talking to my dad, and I said, "Ya know, I keep thinking that things will eventually get easier and less dramatic as I get older, but then I do crazy things like move to Chicago, or decide to end a relationship after 8 months." It's so true.
You girls know life has been a goat show, which I guess I can only say, it's a good way to end my 25th year with a bang? It started with a quarter pounder and drinks on the patio of Little Savannah, which I don't think any of us liked them.
Life isn't getting any easier and I have yet to be able to navigate it gracefully. However, I will say that I think I've learned to roll with the punches, learn from my mistakes, and enjoy every day just a little more.
It's like a cold winter here has made me appreciate the warm sunshine of spring exponentially more. Tough times and rough weeks always make you appreciate the blessings you have in life.
I'm convinced that I'm blessed to have the best friends in the world...and a pretty stinkin' awesome family.
Update: I'll be doing a summer residency with a company called ReachMD that is based here in the Chicago area. I'm really looking forward to it. The project description looks like I will develop a lot of the skills I want to develop over the summer so I'm pumped.
I can't believe that May is already here and I'm almost 26. I'm OK with it. I'm not old.
You both should check out the Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons CD. really great. You should also look into the Away We Go soundtrack. I need new music suggestions, so send 'em on over.
Thanks for the package again. It has literally made my week. I loved the break up CD. Especially that this song made the cut.
I think the rest of May is going to be a whirlwind of school work and playing outside (if it'll ever get warm again).
it's no secret that I've been very neglectful of this blog (kind of like that friend who only calls on your birthday). a legitimate reason for this is that my internet connection has been uber sporadic lately. I would love to complain about that, but I steal the internets so I don't think I can do that without sounding like that guy referenced in Liar Liar who was robbing that lady, fell through her skylight, landed on a knife, and then he decided to sue her and won lots of money. I digress, but what a fun movie that was.
so to sum up, I'm not sure how far back I should go to fill you in on what's been going on in my life. I will say that things have been going pretty well. I finally got to go to Charleston with my mom and Allison last month, which was a blast. that city has something about it, and I really loved it. we went on a tour of homes along the battery, and middle school Melissa (who wanted to be a realtor) was really loving that. we had some pretty fantatstic meals, saw some great art galleries and toured some really beautiful churches. I'll post some pics when I have a little bit more time.
SUBJECT CHANGE: we have our second to last softball game tonight. please wish us luck. this is most likely our best chance at winning tonight. if not, we can at least have a sno-cone at the eeeeend of the gaaaaaame! well, or an adult beverage.
I'm thinking about getting a second job pretty soon. I don't want to lose my free time, but I want to actually be able to start saving money, so I think it's time to suck it up. even though a second job might actually suck it up. any suggestions on what I should do?
FINAL SENTENCES: I've been sorting through a ton of my old CDs recently. some of the more embarrasing ones include: O-Town, Coyote Ugly soundtrack, Hanson Christmas CD, Will Smith's Big Willy Style and Joey McIntyre's Stay the Same. I'll be honest with you though, I was really pumped to listen to a few select songs from those albums. I'm about to pre-order Jennifer Knapp's new album Letting Go, coming out May 11. I hadn't listened to her older stuff in a really long time, but I'm pretty excited about the new album. I recorded Stone To the River (if that's the correct title) at her show at WorkPlay and have been listening to it a lot lately. powerful voice and lyrics...
I have harvested nothing by tearing through you/I try and I try and I try as I do/I've bloodied my fists trying to keep my own plans/oh the damage I've done to my fellow man.
alright, I promise I will increase the frequency of my posts. I'm also trying to eat more fruits and veggies, so keep me accountable with that too. it'll make my mom happy, and I know you all love her.
I usually have the best dreams, and by “best” I mean impossible and too odd to explore. My childhood reoccurring dream was of me being chased forever until I got to a red brick wall and was stuck. My teenage and early adulthood reoccurring dream was of me at my childhood home that was being burglarized. But I would escape each time by going to our “secret room” attic closet and jumping from the roof. I would then run on all fours and almost transform into a cheetah and run super fast into the woods toward the barn. And yes, running on all fours doubles your speed. I had a really crazy dream last night and it was the last in series of weird dreams this week. Usually I can only remember the highlights of my dream, but last night’s was all highlights so I’ll share. It included the following in no particular order: I’m at work, just for a regular day, but our IT department (which included people from SU that don’t work at SL) was acting like it was St. Patrick’s Day. I knew in the dream that it wasn’t still March, so it made it even better that they were all dressed in green clothes and hats racing by on razor scooters. As I followed them into the call center, I was surrounded by their friends…leprechauns, who were a mix between real ones and others with oompa loompa-style hair and clothes. They were all VERY happy and were singing and dancing and laughing hysterically while eating chocolate moon pies. There were some other things like midgets or kids or something that sort of hung out with the leprechauns, but I don’t remember that part. There may have been confetti; it was wild. Also, Eron had picked up smoking and was already super addicted and her fingers were turning yellow as she smoked all over everyone’s cubicle. But she left because she had to go to her after-work job at a discount Disney store at the mall, which of course was located through a tunnel from our editorial suite. Two doors down in another meeting room, the area transformed into a cozy cabin/house as Ridds invited me in. She introduced me to a few family members of a little cub scout. He looked like Augustus Gloop and his rosy round-faced family matched. Ridds wanted me to volunteer my time to helping this scout, but I kindly declined as I wondered over to the Disney store to pick up a few things.
I thought it was a great way to start off Friday. I would like to blame this dream on the creepy song from the preview of next week’s LOST. Thank you Gene Wilder!
If you are still reading, I would also like to briefly share that we went to the Jennifer Knapp concert this past Friday and it was pretty interesting. We had a nice little chat with her and she signed some stuff for us. J.Knapp has officially come back to the music world and also came out to Christianity Today. I think there was a lot of speculation around the topic and now it’s over. CNN has also posted a story about it. We had a lively discussion at work about the whole thing and I’m curious about what you think… any thoughts?
Also, I was introduced to Lala, a new music site, by a co-worker. It’s like a web-based iTunes. You can upload your music library on there and listen to it from anywhere via the Internet. You can also buy web-fed music for very cheap, and also buy real albums and mp3s cheaper than iTunes. I like the idea of it, but because I don’t have a laptop or other transportable devices, I don’t know how much I’ll use it. Does anyone use this or know more about it?
Well well well, ladies. Look who's back to revive the blog!
In the news: We had beautiful sunny weather...which I enjoyed a bit too much and got sunburned. Never fear! no skin cancer here! (hey that rhymed) Then Old Man Winter decided to come visit and bring some t-storms, rain, sleet, and yes...snow. womp womp. GOOD news is that sunshine is back and it'll stick around for a little while.
Lollapalooza announced their lineup. While I was initially underwhelmed, the non-headliner bands look pretty sweet. Too bad I'm poor. Trying to figure out a way to get tickets.
I just bought a Groupon to get a discount for Mado. Pretty pumped about it. Going this weekend.
Bella is on a diet. she seems pretty pissed about it. hopefully she'll start slimming down soon and appreciate what I'm doing for her.
On to voluntary torture: I went to my very first Spin class yesterday. It was my first EVER spin class and I must say it totally kicked my butt. I'll probably go back, but it's tough stuff. Oh, but that's not all folks! I also decided to do a body pump express class...which is aerobic weight lifting right after spin. My body feels like it wants to give up on life. Does that mean I'm fit?? I dunno.
Sunny weather brings hope to my fitness goals, and I plan to sit outside and read a lot over the next few weeks.
This just in through the Schell grapevine (and from Relevant)-- Sigur Ros’ frontman, Jónsi Birgisson, is working on a solo album that will be out this April. Word on the street is that they were almost done with a full-length album when this all took off for ol’ Jónsi. He’s the high-pitched backbone of this group, so this should be a fun album. It’s going to be in English, not syllables from an obsolete Icelandic language, but even so, it still might be hard to make out the words from his baby bird/angel voice. The tiny bit of sampling that is on his website, and the youtube music video sound pretty fun. If you are not currently a fan of Sigur Rós, then you need to re-evaluate your life. This is a band Andrew introduced me to 2002-ish and they’ve had some good music since then. Check it out.
Also... Watched a great movie on HBO a while back with MJ… “Temple Grandin,” starring Claire Danes (as Temple) who sports some Shirley Temple locks. I have to say; she did a great job and as fellow HBO star Big Edie would say, she was an autistic smash. She’s a fine cowgirl and may have introduced herself in the following way: “Are you a scientist? Hi, Temple Grandin, nice to meet you. Are you a scientist?” This reminds me of when Karen Lesser busted in my room freshmen year and asked me if I was a poet. I told her that if I was I didn’t know it. She told me she thought I was anyway. Yep, Karen also said Hitler was “a famous man from the Holocaust,” so I didn’t listen too much to her predictions about my life. I’d like to see an HBO special on her life. I don't know anyone that wouldn't.
Finally, as promised, here are some pictures that I've taken on my grandfather's old camera. They are in order and you can see the art grow as we go. I think we've finally figured out how to use it properly and here are some of my favorites so far:
I'm still a little surprised that the camera works and I've been very pleased with this fun discovery. I took some sweet pictures of Frank with it while in NOLA but we'll have to wait and see how they actually turned out.
P.S.: I'm working on an art project for a work video. For those who don't know, it's a stop motion (flip-book style) movie of scenes I'm painting. It's about 1600 screens for a 2 minute curriculum video. So stay tuned for that because I'm finishing it up tonight. Probably can't post it but might try to show it to you soon.
It's finals time, so everyone has their nose in the books, except for me. I'm not sure what's gotten into me, but I just can't motivate to study for the two finals that I have tomorrow.
The past few weeks have been filled with ups and downs.
I was SUPER excited to have sunshine and 40 degree weather for a few days. I think my S.A.D. is subsiding. I can only hope the same for Liz Lemon.
I've finally recovered from the plague. My black lung cough will sometimes resurface when I'm outside, but I'm otherwise healed. Get excited.
I've had a really hard time missing out on the birth of baby Emma. I'm not really sure why, I missed Jon and Sarah's wedding, so it's par for the course! I guess it's the first realization I've had of the trade-offs that I'm going to have to make in my life. I definitely don't regret moving to Chicago. I guess it was just my first realization that I'm not going to be physically beside you celebrating the great moments in your lives, and supporting you during the difficult ones. I guess this sentiment is fitting to the blog. I still miss you guys already :)
I went to see Citizen Cope Friday night. God love him...he's so messed up during a show, I'm just impressed that he's able to stand the entire time.
I just bought the Mumford & Sons CD and plan to buy tickets to see them at Lincoln Hall on the 24th of May. Thanks Melba for the tip.
Pooja also gave me Oren Lavie - Her Morning Elegance, I forgot how much I liked that song.
I bought chocolate covered, peanut butter filled pretzel bites at Trader Joe's last week. Pretty sure they should put a warning on those about how addictive they are. good grief.
I've been listening to Jump Little Children a lot lately. If you haven't listened to them in a while, do yourself a favor...go listen to them. now. go.
I'd like to start by giving Amy kudos for keeping ISMYA alive recently.
Sorry friends. This quarter has been filled with tons of group work, which leaves me little motivation to open a computer once I get home.
I'm ready for Spring.
I've had the cold that won't die for a week and a half now. I finally sound normal again, but it's still hanging on by it's little fingertips.
I went to Louisville with Clayton for valentine's day, and that was fun times. We ate tapas, Persian food, an awesome brunch, went to the Louisville Slugger Museum, AND Churchill Downs. So, fun-filled weekend! I haven't unpacked the bag I took yet...oops.
Bella is a wretch and only wants to eat snow, so I'm definitely ready for a thaw.
I'm getting ready to mail Frank's b'day present....already almost a week late. fail. I was hindered by the inconvenience of a post office, lack of scotch tape, and the devil cold. :)
Better late than NEVER!
Just 5 more days of class this quarter, then we're on to finals. Bring it.
Citizen Cope March 5! Clayton visits March 16! Finals END March 16th!
Amy, are you ready for your b'day??? It's rapidly approaching!!!
Hog log frog, ham lamb spam, bull beef bear… ring any bells? Anyone?
Okay, well as you know, I went down to see my sister for the weekend. The collapsed family vacation in New Orleans actually worked out well for me because it happened to be Mardi Gras weekend. I’m very familiar with this holiday because of living near Mobile and getting out of school for it, but NOLA celebrates just a tad differently. I went to 5 parades and found out the hard way that they do not throw moon pies there. But I caught a lot of beads and stuff for T-Frank, lost my camera and ran after a float with Big Frank to catch six intact BAGS of beads… awesome. What I learned, you don't have to push and shove and being from out-of-town helps you get more beads. Despite their governmental struggles, New Orleans does a few things well and fortunately for me that’s fun and food. I’m going to bore you with my weekend menu because it was ridiculous.
1) Vietnamese “3 Happiness Restaurant” (the Chinese restaurant is 5 Happiness, so I guess this one has the mopes): crab rangoons, wonton soup, egg rolls and cook your own chicken and shrimp rice paper roll-ups. This was a real feast that was almost missed because Conlee tried to get us to get up and leave abruptly before ordering. I vetoed this.
2) Sunday lunch with family & friends: crab & shrimp bisque/creole, seafood gumbo, rice, fried chicken, garlic bread, BBQ, Zapp’s chips and chocolate king cake.
3) Blue Frog Chocolates: chocolate covered gummy bears, sweet potato chips dipped in chocolate, and specialty chocolates like fresh peanut butter and strawberry jelly inside of chocolate.
4) Patois (a fancy dinner for Conlee and I): Almond crusted Flounder with roasted potato galettes, green beans and Satsuma meniere (whatever that is) with a Fleur de Lis martini… yes please.
5) Oak Street Café: a 50-minute wait for a bacon/egg/cheese biscuit and some great hot chocolate. They claim to have donuts all day but the donuts “had the day off” when we went. (There was also an emo guy outside with a giant Mick Jagger head on advertising for more people to come to the café, even though it was PACKED.)
6) Tried to go out to a second Vietnamese place that is in Kenner’s Little Vietnam but it was closed for Chinese New Year. They like to get special Vietnamese Po’ Boys from there, but instead we went to a creepy bakery “French” bakery that is not run by the French or any English speakers. (Side note: When I saw their business card with the French name I made a “can I have your number?” reference in my head but since I gave up cussing for Lent, you’ll have to figure that joke out yourself.)
7) Around the house: Fancy pork nachos (9pm dinner), specialty cheeses and strawberries, spicy cheese grits, Frank’s special rare burgers (gross) and then Conlee gave me John Besh’s first and only cookbook that came out in the fall. Looking forward to cooking out of it.
The city was also extra crazy because of the big Super Bowl win. The team parade was last week and then the regular parades followed. I don’t understand it quite yet, but the Who Dat nation has their own soundtrack from this victory that everyone knows and plays but I don’t know where it came from. These are mostly just older songs with Saints-adapted lyrics. This is all I listened to all weekend and it was always cranked to eleven. Featured on this are U2/Greenday’s “The Saints Are Coming,” Baby Boy da Prince’s “Saints Song 2009” and my favorite-- Ying Yang Twins “Halftime” a.k.a. “Crunk” to which old and young jump up and starting getting crunk… it’s a-mazing! There are CDs sold but I don’t know where they are produced or if it’s legal, but everyone knows the songs and the bands in every parade played “Crunk.” Of course I’m still listening to it, but the whole thing is still a mystery to me. Sorry I lost my camera or else I could have shared a video of some of this playing out. Please explore these songs in your free time.
So my parents’ anniversary is on Valentine’s Day this year and every year. But this year marks the 40th time they’ve been able to celebrate their marriage. They have been married for 2/3 of their lives. I want to take a minute and congratulate that because I think it’s more of a feat than we think. My grandparents were married for 53 and 61 years, so I have a good family legacy of people keeping it together. My maternal grandparents were married for 15 years before my grandfather was paralyzed. He remained married and unable to care for himself for 46 years. What? Can you imagine what stick-to-it-ness that took? I can’t; I really cannot fathom what it would even mean to be paralyzed and eat mush for 46 years, much less care for someone that long. But back to my parents… This union has produced three great sons and one sassy daughter. (And yes I have a sister from another mother) My dad has built at least one house for my mom and my mom has sacrificed to make sure my dad’s dreams came true. I’ve had my share of not being thrilled with my parents’ relationship, but after forty years, I guess some things tend to happen. Sometimes I get mad that we didn’t have much to talk about at dinner time, but when you think about it, that’s 43,680 meals (minus a few breakfasts here and there), so I guess it makes sense. And despite any frustrations I’ve had, this is pretty great and I would “like” it on FB if that was an option. But let’s be honest, I just realized that my mom will give us that opportunity if you just keep an eye on her status updates.
I know it might be weird, but we grew up in a house where we celebrated my parents’ anniversary with cards and presents. So my brothers and I are trying to put something together for them as a sweet present to remember 1970 and what it held for them. Thought about just putting a bow on the Electrolux vacuum they got that year that is still used, but instead I’ve compiled some old notes and letters from my dad to my mom. They met at GM&O Railroad in Mobile and so I went down last year and took some pictures of this really great building. I’ll group these things plus some other GM&O memorabilia in shadowbox frames. Let’s just hope they like it (and actually hang them up). In making this and in recent conversations with my family, I’ve found out a lot about my parents that I never knew. It’s weird to think about my dad being a dad before he met my mom. It’s weird to think about my mom driving a sports car and having a wildly decorated apartment. It’s weird to know that your parents used to be young and crazy, but they were. So in celebration of that and more, here’s to Bonzatron and Johnny No Ice – thanks for all the memories!
I’ve slacked on blogging lately, so you are about to find out what’s been going on:
Ups:
We had a joint birthday party for Seth (2) and Josiah (3) this weekend. Seth is Josiah’s size but not as tough… for many reasons, but mainly age and exposure to violence. I really hope Josiah wished for growth when he blew out his candles. The party was a circus theme so Forest and I had the task of taping up streamers to resemble a circus tent in the dining room. It was awesome and I was thankful for the streamer experience from MJ’s birthday a few years ago. Then we went to the circus, which was my first exposure to such things. It was sweet, but I have to say that the BJCC just makes for a sad circus tent. That night, I went on a shopping spree with Sarah for the girls’ birthday presents. I walked out with 3 sets of clothes and one pair of awesome white patent leather mocs/loafers. (They already had another set of dresses at my house.) I feel justified in doing all of this because I won’t get to do it again for them in a while. I’m going to miss those kids.
Saw John Caparulo from the Chelsea Lately show at the Comedy Club. He was fun… good times and another first for me.
Went to FLIP, Richard Blais’ restaurant that newly opened at the Summit. Sorry I haven’t reported on this sooner, but it was awesome! Glad we finally got to go and the chocolate salted sweet potato fries were great. But they weren’t as great as the toasted mini marshmallows that topped my smores milkshake. Oh snapfish! I had the Farm Burger and it was pretty delish. Go to there!
The LOST debut this week! What the crap? When Richard got neck chopped I laughed and when the group went through the temple hole and were taken into Swiss Family Robinson pirate land, my SFR prediction came true. My favorite two island stories are now bound for eternity.
Going to New Orleans next weekend to hang out with my sister (during Mardi Gras). Don’t be jealous, it’s invite only. Who wants to go back with me in the fall?
Bought a GPS system with the monies I got from selling some art to Wingo.
Dropped off my film on Wednesday and I’ll get one back on Friday and one next week. We’ll see how badly I ruined this great opportunity for making awesome photos. I’m getting prints and digital copies, so I’ll post some if they turn out at all.
Downs:
I went on a shopping spree with Sarah.
My dad’s doctor thought he had a heart attack, but it turns out he didn’t. That was a scary week, but not as scary as knowing my dad thought he’d several and hadn’t been to the doctor about them. Side note: I took them to Five Guys while they were in town this weekend.
I didn’t catch up with LOST before it started again. I didn’t even finish re-watching Season 2. No comments needed.
The trip to NOLA was supposed to be a sibling vacation. It’s hard to have a family vacation without the family. I think everyone’s bailed on the trip, except for me, but especially the one that planned it. Awesome!
Reward:
I am grateful that you friends read through my thoughts on here, so I want to reward you. These are some featured shots from some scanned pictures from my uncle. I think they are from the summer before I started kindergarten or even before (1988-89) when my aunt and uncle hung out with us one weekend. Ladies and gents, this might be the closest you get to seeing me in a bathing suit.
hello dear family, friends and maybe a few randos,
well, this weekend has been fairly lazy for me, but I did manage to go to a pi-yo class on Saturday morning. turns out it's a pilates/yoga class. I actually enjoyed it a lot. it focused a little more on the pilates side, so I'm definitely a little sore today. out of shape, party of one, your pi-yo class is now ready. the studio is in Homewood, and I really like the place and the teacher who taught the class. I'd like to try out a few of their other classes, but I'm thinking about doing a temporary membership. and I'll be going to a hot yoga class downtown tomorrow night. I don't know that I'm as excited about this one, but I have no doubt that it'll be an interesting experience. some girls from Luckie are going, so there may be more "haha's" than "ohms" but we'll see.
I've really been trying to get on a healthier, happier, more focused kick as of late. I've nearly cut out coke from my life, which is a very strange thing but it's been pretty easy. I'm drinking tons more water everyday, trying to eat healthier and apparently going to yoga. and I'm a full-fledged LOST fan, and if that doesn't fulfill your life there's not much more you can try. super pumped about the premiere on Tuesday!
I got to see Garrison Starr play Bottletree a couple weeks ago! it was pretty sweet to see her in an intimate setting, and since it wasn't super crowded we got to chat with her for a good bit afterwards. she was insanely nice and didn't seem to mind that I bugged her about her other musical venture, Among the Oak & Ash. I finally got to hear "Gardenia" live (another benefit of seeing someone play a smaller venue: they listen when you shout out requests). I recorded it on my phone...apologies for not the greatest of audio. but I love this song and have always wanted to hear her play it live. she's always had real honesty and rawness in her voice and lyrics. I like that. (tried to upload it here, but it wasn't working so here's a link to my mobileme gallery if you'd like to take a look...and a listen.)
Ash, I'm always a little jealous of your town when I see your pics. but I don't think I could handle the cold. I'm already uber ready for spring here in the 'ham. hope you're acing all your classes and keep making the rest of us look like IMC riff-raff. and I hope you'll learn how to cope with no more OMG texts about LOST coming to you all the time!
enjoy the week, kids! it starts off with Monday, but I hear it gets better. and LOST is back on Tuesday. what...a fan I've become!
Let's start with a confession. I watch Hoarders and I'm convinced that I'm one personal disaster away from being one. So... I’ve been rearranging/reorganizing my room since last weekend and it's almost done. I’ve added in a 2x8’ chalkboard-- well it was a piece of wood that I made into a chalkboard with some help from Lowe’s. I'm very excited about a new room and I might just have to add in a new purchase from the holidays… a map. It’s an old classroom roll-down map that I got at an antique store when I was staying with my aunt and uncle. I’m thrilled to own it and if I can’t put it in the living room, it will be going up in my bedroom. If the big map goes in the living room, then my other map that I’ve had framed since 2005 and have never hung will go up, maybe beside Aunt Maline’s creepy portrait. I'll also be making room for my Paul Cordes Wilm piece, so stay tuned.
My trip to see my aunt also produced good fruit other than the map purchase. She passed down my grandfather’s camera to me and I was super excited about it because I had never seen or heard about it before. I did some research and it’s a 1935 Zeiss Ikonta 530/2. He got it in Germany before the war and I’m not sure how much he used it but it’s in great condition and I have 3 lenses for it too. So I finally bought some film for it and have taken 2 pictures so far. It’s super sweet but takes some time to actually take the picture and get everything ready. It might be an expensive attempt to test it out, but I’ll let you know when I get the film developed. They should be pretty cool pictures even if they contain lame subject matter, but we will not be wasting film on stupid faces.
As for SAD, you know the treatment, Liz Lemon: Sun, St. John's Wort and human interaction. Oh and don't live in Chicago or Seattle. If you need actual attention, we can work on that or Casey Clardy can reply with a treatment plan.
Ashley, you asked for some reviews, so here you go:
Fantastic Mr. Fox: Greatest movie I’ve seen in a while and I went to see it again last week. It’s very clever and fast and not as predictable as I thought. Great soundtrack and it’s amazing to see how much work they put into making movies of this style. It's a cuss of a lot better than others I've seen this year, but that might be because I can’t remember other movies I’ve seen pre-October. Go see it!
Vampire Weekend's "Contra": They’ve been getting a lot of press lately and some interviews have said the new CD was going to be great. This was much anticipated for me (because I like them a lot), but I feel like I didn’t know this album was coming out until 2 weeks before it did. I know… shocker. Reviewers said VW is known for their unusual African beat and I almost thought they were crazy until I bought the new album myself. Yep, African beat is a good way to describe it, and it’s almost a little “islander” in the rest of the percussion. It’s really good so far and I’ve been listening to “Cousins” since they released it as a single and it’s one of the fastest from the album. "Contra" is a good slow one and "Diplomat's Son" is really good. This album is just as upbeat as the last and maybe even more so. We're still just talking and becoming friends, but I think it will compare well to the previous release. Buy it!
Buyer's Remorse: Dead Weather's "Horehound" - it should be awesome with all-stars under Jack White's lead, but it's not... sorry. I'm more mad than anyone that this didn't pan out.
Semi-remorse: The Beatles "White Album" - Okay, before we begin, no I don't think this was a bad purchase or bad album, but I wish I could buys single songs from them on iTunes because let's be honest, who knows all of the songs on this album? You don't, don't act like you do. So I bought the #1's and that helped. Don't get me wrong, I love the Beatles more than you, but I don't have money for songs I'm probably not going to listen to that much. Upside: great album to add to my collection when Jesus judges me on my musical taste. Yes, that's going to happen, read your bible.
I have some other updates on the organization known as my family, but those will have to wait. Okay Tina, I'm out. Miami 2014!
We are 3 friends trying to stay friends. We refuse to let distance or boys separate us. And until we move back in together in 40 years, these are some things we tell each other. Thank you for being a friend.
