Prop 8 - On-line petition - Show your love

So i'm not usually in-your-face with this kinda stuff, but last night we all witnessed a world-shift, one for the better. But in the state of California we incurred a few steps back with the passing of Prop 8. Please show your support by signing this on-line petition:

http://www.petitiononline.com/seg5130/petition.html

There is no reason to deny our friends, neighbors, families --everyone! rights that should be automatic.

Snogging: does a person good

i feel silly. i feel like i've known this since the begining of consciousness. It is a fact --one that has been sadly outta practice in my book as of late; people, we need to be kissed. Plain & simple.

i know, i know, no shit.

But seriously, after a night of ridiculous snogging with some 22ish(?!?)-year-old who i will never see again, my outlook is shiny (literally, my skin is glowing!). Sigh.

So i've been saying it for months; that i want to kiss someone. Wish granted, in spades!

So go out and kiss somebody, people. Or if you are with the one you're with, forgodssake, kiss her/him!

xxxx,

PS: Extra bonus, for those of you who know me, no outbreaks! of course, he was a baby, so.... Hmm, Mis, i think you are on to something....

Tales of Sap Moss & Bad Customer Service

I can't believe it has taken me so long to recount this story! I had a wee bit of spare time before meeting up with peeps at Lucky Strike, so i popped into the Aveda store at Hollywood & Highland.

Now, back in the day i loved this product! --and my hair loved it too. it smelled earthy --not fruity. I also have a connection to it as my first grown-up [sic] boyfriend developed an addiction for this too, and nothing like a smell to make one remember, ahhh.

So i thought maybe it was time to return to Sap Moss... This is how my visit to Aveda went:

"Hello & welcome to Aveda, can i help you?"

"Hello & yes. Do you guys still carry Sap Moss."

"No, it was discontinued. This is our replacement product: [Vanna hands as she shows me the new product]"

"Does it smell the same?"

"No, it smells better. Especially as Sap Moss smelled like dirt."

"Okay, thanks. I'm good. Have a good night"

Nice, right? A customer goes into a store, looking for a product & the salesperson tells you that what you like basically smells like sh*t. Awesome.

So much for going back to Aveda products....

Gnome Invaders

Okay, so how amazing is this?

I guess the concept is anti-gnome, but in order for it to work/make sense you need a gnome!

So i'm not sure about the audience they are trying to reach...but i guess they found me!

To find out more about these rascals, see here.

Palin: inspiring chalk graffiti

Need i say more? I took this picture on Thursday as i drove to meet friends. It's on Highland just below Fountain.

I have to say i've enjoyed the Palin bashing, she makes it so easy. It is rallying the most unlikely bedfellows, er, bed-ladies? and i don't mean that sexually in the slightest. It is a comedy that on the wrapper looks like a strategic move for the Republican ticket. But then Palin opened her mouth; and reporters dug (they didn't have to dig much) and the results have me hooked.

For example, the NARAL is having a bumpersticker contest:

"There is so much wrong with the McCain-Palin ticket that we hardly know where to begin. We've been trying to come up with some ideas-- will you help us sum up what this ticket...means?"

NOW published a press release with their sentiments on VP pick Palin, titled 'Not Every Woman Supports Women's Rights.' I had to take a few snipets, 'cause they are awesome:

"Gov. Palin may be the second woman vice-presidential candidate on a major party ticket, but she is not the right woman. Sadly, she is a woman who opposes women's rights....

John McCain's choice of Alaska governor Sarah Palin as his running mate is a cynical effort to appeal to disappointed Hillary Clinton voters and get them to vote, ultimately, against their own self-interest....

Finally, as the chair of NOW's Political Action Committee, I [Kim Gandy, NOW PAC Chair] am frequently asked whether NOW supports women candidates just because they are women. This gives me an opportunity to once again answer that question with an emphatic 'No.' We recognize the importance of having women's rights supporters at every level but, like Sarah Palin, not every woman supports women's rights."

Wowsers. You've seen the interviews with her; she makes a very scary Halloween costume, my friends. One that is made even more terrifying by the reality that this could happen.

As my mother said tonight, and i'm paraphrasing:

"Well, if McCain wins, he'll have a heart attack and we're stuck with Palin. If Obama wins, white supramasists will probably shoot him, so then we have Biden. This is an election based on VP nominees."

Wow. With that said, my mother now just may vote Democrat! Not exactly the optimism that we'd like to find with the Obama campaign but if it sways Republicans... I know morbid, morbid. Meh. For now, i'll just wait & enjoy what the most masculine candidate for '08 does next. I bet it is a doozie.

anniversaries

i don't think i've really ever celebrated an anniversary of my own... i've never been the "Oh, it's been one month, or six." And i guess i have not really had the opportunity to celebrate a true milestone, 365 days, until today.

August 3rd marks my one-year anniversary with Jack. Yup, i survived --rather he survived 12 months with me.

So even though he prefers to pee on the couch or my bed when left alone for more than 5 hours and the fact that he likes to escape and will only run to strangers, we're doing alright.

Vertical vs. Horizontal Stripes

i want to help people, really i do.
You know the Jefferson Airplane song, White Rabbit:

One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small

The same thing goes for stripes: Horizontal stripes make you larger.
Now, if you are a waif, this could be a good thing. But for the rest of us, looking larger isn't so desirable.

Also, not all horizontal stripes are bad. Just make sure they work before you purchase/forage out in public. Get stranger's opinions, and believe them. Stay away from stretchy, tight stripes that wrap around, uh, the more bulbous parts of your body.

The other thing about horizontal stripes is that they can make one dizzy, if they must stare at you. Again, if you want the attention, go to young gal/lad.

Vertical stripes make you longer, leaner. They are happy stripes on all shapes and sizes. A standard in happy men's button-down shirts, for example.

So please, choose your stripes carefully. Thanks.

so it happened sooner...than later

So as you might have gleaned, i'm riding my bike to work, whoo-hoo. Last week was my first full week, awesome. Everything was beautiful, until Friday morning:

Now you know these parking arm thingies like the one above, right? well, there is one at the top of the driveway into work. There is also a bike entrance, but on Friday morning a big 'ol truck was blocking bike access. The only way in was under The Arm.

So i was on the right flank of a vehicle, thinking i'd just pop in with the maroon honda. WRONG. Instead The Arm came down, like swift justice. i glimpsed it just before it dropped upon me, glancing off my left jaw, neck and collar bone. Amazingly, i kept my balance on my bike and was able to fling The Arm over my head. i did a sweep of the grounds and although there were plenty of people around, i worked with none of them, whew.

Also lucky was that the press-wood arm was cushioned a bit, by one of those water noodle toys kids play with in the pool. It seemed that a water noodle had been sliced down the middle and half used to hug the bottom portion of The Arm. Thank goodness for water noodles.

So i park my bike, laughing at my stupidity (isn't it usually our own stupidity that get us into trouble? YA.) and go to start my day. Now at this point i was unsure if i wanted to reveal to the masses about my attack with The Arm, but then something made it necessary to share: as the very edge of The Arm had scraped me, it now looked like i had a hickey at the base of my neck (i wish).

So i told the story umpteen times at work, taking on a romantic air as if The Arm was my futile enemy that attempted to unseat me from my creamsicle bicycle, ha! as if. It seemed better to make fun of myself to all than to welcome speculation if my 'scar' was the result of wrestling a vacum cleaner....

So there you have it, my first bike riding incident. Not too bad. Hopefully the only one for a long time to come, as this hickey does not seem to be going away anytime soon. Thanks.

Darn those dark-washed jeans

Super cute jeans, right? Right!

Sadly, i'm the girl that has to wear her new clothes immediately. None of this pre-wash crap! (Save the intimates, dear friends) --clothes never look so good once washed, am i right? pretty darn. So i don my spiffy new jeans and head to the office.

I have recently joined the league of those who bike to work, yeah! So this morning i go to work, it's a lovely ride, no biggie.

My ride home; it's warmer, i'm weary & wanna get home super-fast, so I pedal,pedal,pedal. I get home, get the bike into the back and, crap! i've blue crotch on my new white bike-seat.

MEH. Yes, suddenly the yummy wash of the jeans to your left bled color. Not so unusual, we're familar with this situation, right ladies? But usually it's a tint to my underwear, perhaps a slight discoloration on my leg.

Today took it to a whole new level:

New, dark-wash jeans + heat + sweat + white bike seat = blue seat.

So not fair. Sigh.

Wall-E: The robot with puppy-dog eyes

I heart Pixar, more than ever. And i didn't think the love could grow anymore after Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo & The Incredibles (And probably the chef rat one too, but i somehow missed that one).

In my very first film production class at USC, we went around the room introducing ourselves and stating the single most important component of a film. My response was two things that go hand-in-hand: Story and the dialogue.

This was my first lesson in filmmaking: dialogue is the last thing that truly makes for good cinema. I couldn't agree more and Wall-E is living proof.

I don't want to talk about the film; you need to experience it on your own. I will say that having some Kleenex on-hand, is wise.

Later on, I'll blog about why i feel this is such an important film, but if you know me & have seen the film, you will already know.

It's just kinda ironic that a hunk of adorable metal is the best spokesperson and humanizer (i know, i'm making up words again) of what is truly needed in this world: each other and compassion, among other things.

So rock-on Pixar. i'm gonna wear my Wall-E tee with pride.

Got Shake?

You know when people take things for granted? here i thought In-and-Out's shakes were kinda eh. And then yesterday a whole new world was opened up to me: Neapolitan shake.

That's right, they mix strawberry, vanilla & chocolate all in one shake. Brilliant, right!?

So of course i went and got my very own today & let's just say this is a secret i probably should have never been privy...oy!
So the next time you are ordiner your double-double animal style with animal fries, do not forget that Neapolitan.

PS: Thanks to Andrew's blog-post about the shakey-shake, take a peek here. i've borrowed his snap shot.

Corporate Speak Got You Down?

Holy cats, people. This article is absolutely quack-tastic: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7457287.stm

Major kudos to the BBC, they've outdone themselves (not so unusual).
An acquaintance at work floated this to me the other day, and I was weeping with gratitude.

Now whether your office is partial to terms such as "challenges" or "low-hanging fruit" [mine is, and I shudder every time I hear it! I picture punk-y kids vandalizing with clubs and punching people in the gonads.], the above piece is a must-read. This article brings up so many more anger-making phrases that the people who coined them should be publicly humiliated by being made to wander the streets naked while being pummeled with dictionaries.

I think this is my favorite:

"My employers recently informed staff that we are no longer allowed to use the phrase brain storm because it might have negative connotations associated with fits. We must now take idea showers."

It doesn't get any better than that, my friends.

How My Body Rejected Arizona

It's true, Arizona & I aren't friends. It's too bad, 'cause there were some things i really liked about Az, that i would consider to visit again except that that space turned me into a mucus monster (so pretty!). i have never, in my life, experienced such a negative physical response to a space.

and it wasn't as if i wasn't prepared, i had allergy meds, nasal steroids and advil galore! additionally i added the netti pot and other homeopathic remedies that finally began to work by Monday morning, yes, the day we left.

other than that, the time was lovely! met lots of interesting people, played with cameras and got to hang out with my best pal for three days. uber-nice, right? --oh, and i didn't get sunburned, miraculously! (as that really would have added insult to injury).

so if you plan to visit the south west & you already suffer from occasional allergies, i recommend going with a battalion of weapons to combat that desert air. ooh, and a preemptive strike is also a wise idea.

Jack's 1st Birthday -

Well, there were fajitas, margaritas, banana pudding & doggie cupcakes.

In short, it was a lovely time.

Jack was absolutely spoiled, as gifts were lavished upon him.
Of course, his favorite that day remained to be his old, icky blue tennis ball , but since then he has been rotating playtime with all of his new, squeaky-toy friends.

So, even though it was a tad cuckoo, the doggie b-day was a success, and ultimately really about the peeps that came to visit! Thanks to all the rockin' peeps that rallied for this momentous occasion (either in person or in spirit!).

(*And yes, that is my dog, in a SC visor, eating his doggie cupcake.)

Got towed?

Ah, if only it was this warm & fuzzy; to get towed.

So last night i was visiting a pal who lives in Park La Brea. We totally forgot the time, but apparently PLB's security didn't. When i wandered out to the parking lot at 12:20 AM something was missing, my car. OOPS.

So i get it, i screwed up. So i go speak to the security guard, who is very put out by my dilemma. (sor-ry i had to interrupt your music-listening session and you have to work for 2 minutes, jeez!) He found it necessary to point out the signage about towing to me, as if i was illiterate. My response was something like (and controlled, i swear!) "I understand. I just need to fix this." I guess he was bracing for a fight, but honestly it was my mistake, so let's get on with it. I get the address of the towing company, which is over on Mansfield, South of Santa Monica/East of La Brea. I'm currently at 6th & Hauser, awesome.

And with that i hit the pavement. Hey, i'm a DIY kinda gal.

About 10 minutes later & i'm almost to Melrose, i get a call from my pal. So i'm chatting while power-walking up Martel & he notices i'm breathing a bit heavier than normal.

I get the question "Are you walking to your car...?"

"Uhm, yeah, kinda." [i am not a good liar when asked point blank & it's 12:45 in the AM]

"What do you mean, 'kinda?'"

"Well, uh, funny story. It seems my car was towed, so i'm just walking to the impound."

Let the games being! After much arguing, guilt tripping & being called "a crazy lady" for about five minutes, i acquiesce & let him pick me up & drive me to the car-pound. (I think it was the "i'm gonna get in my car & just start circling the streets" is what got me. and i was too tired to continue negotiating!)

So soon after my white steed arrived (in the shape of a Celica!) and off we went to find my poor car.

By 1:20 AM i had my car (139 smack-er-oos later!) and was on my way home, thanks to my hero!

And so I'm hoping my dumbness has been semi-entertaining & also moral-filled: read signs.

(of course anyone living in LA for more than 5 minutes knows this, but i guess i've gotten complacent! not anymore.)

Subway's newest TV Ad

WTF.
That's all i have to say. i mean, the foot-long sandwhich has always been open to inuendo, okay more obvious than ineundo, but this newest ad, had my jaw dropping.

Take a peek.

Right, what? I don't even need to say anything else; the magic of advertising.

Pet Narratives

i'm a little worried.

i'm beginning to speak & write in the first person-- well, first dog.

in what seemed like an innocent move, signing Jack up on Dogster.com, i've done the inevitable; i'm speaking as if i AM Jack.

Now, this makes sense, i like to write, i am creative & i have a dog. Oh, boy. now that line makes this sound even crazier.

I am comforted by the fact that i'm not alone in this semi-creepy endeavor. people talk/email Jack as if his puppy paws could scribe-out an answer so i respond in kind. but now i'm taking the initiative. i'm even toying with setting up a jack blog... heavens-to-betsy.

well, there are worse things i could do, i suppose.

A true lady doesn't swear -

She sure as hell can, goddamnit.

This was what i was told when i was 12, and not that i needed any encouraging, but this made me wanna swear all the time as loud as possible. I was never the 8th grader that said "Yeah, well that suck-- i mean, uh, that f*cking sucks." Oh, no. I could turn an obscenity with eloquence and grace.

My Science teacher had a sign that said "Swearing is the crutch of the English language." I always thought that meant he didn't like swearing, but then the mug that held the scientific rulers had the Play-boy bunny etched on its side and i decided the phrase was encouraging us to swear.

Of course, junior high wasn't where it all started. Oh, no. Picture me as a 4-year-old:
"Daddy, can i ask you a question?"
"Of course you can, you can always ask me anything."
[Pause]
"Is Jesus-f*cking-Christ a bad word?"
[Astonished pause]
"Yeah, yeah. That's a bad one. Let's not use that one."
"Okay."

I do feel swearing is a freedom & a hard-earned right of speech. I also think there is a time & place. Such as one shouldn't swear around children (i'm so guilty, even though i censor! i try very hard to censor. i often get 2/3rds of the word out & then clasp my mouth shut). The workplace is fine for the occasional, well deserved swear but on a whole not a good idea. Church, also not wise (but kinda funny, sorry).

Now, y'all probably think i'm a big potty mouth. And i don't think i am, i hope not. i'm a thoughtful and particular user of the English language's crass offerings. i am a fan of phrases that require hyphens.

All that said, take a peek at the Swear Jar.

cell phones + public restrooms = not okay

There has got to be a way to stop this insanity.

You know what i'm talking about: People on their cell phones in public restrooms. What the hell?

Now, i don't know if this is a female-only phenomenon (guys?), but honestly, is the call that important that you can't take 2 minutes to pee sans ear piece chirping?

And again, i don't care what you do at home, that's everyone's choice, but in public?

And you may be thinking, "i don't see this really as a problem, christine. i don't know what public restrooms you frequent, but...." Well, you don't work where i work, 'cause where does this happen the most? for me, in the work bathroom. At least twice a week i'm popping-a-squat while someone is yakking on the phone.
Delightful.
i'm going to print signs & post them in the loos, i swear.

So ladies, please, hang-up the goddamn phone, please. Thank you.

Original? Or maybe not so much

So i have this fantastic pal who thinks i am way hipper than i actually am (i mean leaps&bounds here, people). He sends me fashionista gossip (i can barely pronounce most of the designer's names), updates to avant garde film fêtes and then the occasional piece of relatable, tangible news that is suited for moi. (and by no means, stop sending me these things! They seriously make me feel hip just to think that someone even imagines i get this stuff! in short, it is excellent for my ego.)

Okay, so i've set the tone? yes. So the other day i get this piece of fun in my inbox & immediately think, "oh, boy!" as in wonderment i connect to this winsome link.

And voilà i am--
i'm relating! i actually am relat--, oh, wait i'm relating too much. stop! stop readin', christine. Noooooooooooooo.

This site is amazing. it's a blog all on "stuff white people like" [click on that title now, if you missed the 'winsome link' clue earlier.] and it is dead-on, balls accurate-- to quote the only watchable Marisa Tomei film.

Outta the 87 or so items on this list, i can honestly say all but about a dozen or so of them do not apply to me. And when i got home tonight & i was thinking about The List & me & bloggin' about it, i started to feel a wee bit, well, okay a lotta bit, gulp, generic. Now i'm not a true child of the 80s (i wasn't double digits in that decade, really), i don't hate my parents & i didn't know what Duran Duran was until i was 14-15 years old (Ordinary World!). Most certainly not a generation Xer. i have always kinda thought of myself as different & unique. Which I am, no one can take that away from me! --but not for the reasons i sorta thought made me stand-behind that statement.

Now this is not a pity-party, no sir! But me, myself, the one i've worked hard on constantly, seems a bit run-o'-the-mill, weak-sauce, unoriginal.

BUT at the same, exact time I feel a-part of something. I know, mushy-ickyness, but seriously. I've always marveled at the amazing peeps i've surrounded myself with & soak in their cultures, lifestyles & histories and have been a tad envious. i've contented myself since i was a young kid that my traditions were familial, based within my close-knit, lovely fam, not time-honored customs with origins based on other continents.

But guess what? i've been deeply fooling myself; i've been part of something all along. Ding, ding, can we say denial?! Now this 'something' has certainly not always been great and definitely has a past & present that needs some major rectifying but hey, i'm white (aka self-dubbed american mutt), and there are bunches of us. And it took a smart, funny blog to make me realize the motivations for a lot of the things i do are rooted in my american heritage.

So on that note, i'm so moving to Canada.

Falling for the right type...or not

What does that even mean? i know we have control over our little universes, but when feelings & brain are at odds, what is a girl [or boy] to do?


I mean, i know my past boy-pals have been wrong for me. And yet there is this patteren where the outward packaging differs from each past example, yet underneath it all they have all been the same, and i've known from the start; not right for me.


So here is to breaking the patterns of bad decisions; time to make some NEW bad decisions. YES! Who is with me?


Right, mr. rice?


Or you can sit on chimneys
Put some fire up your ass
No need to know what you're doing or waiting for


Coconut Skins ~

Oh, the moon~

i mean honestly. what is more reassuring then the moon?
And when it pulls the occasional neat trick of eclipsing, wow.

No wonder centuries upon centuries of people have praised, worshipped and written about this calming entity.

I sat on my back stoop tonight, and even in the hub-bub of la-la land (where there are usually more planes than visible stars) i watched her full, baleful eye wax and wane as she slowly waltzed with the earth's shadow.

All of us in different timezones, places (in the western hemisphere that is, see nasa if you want the sceintific scope) witnessed this awesome event; connecting us momentarily with a similar feeling of awe as we craned our necks to take note, as our most mindful guardian passed through the night sky.

Okay, enough waxing poetic, christine. Leave the moon to shakespeare, gosh


Midsummer Night's Dream - Act I, Scene I:
And then the moon, like to a silver bow
New-bent in heaven, shall behold the night

Othello - Act V, Scene II:
It is the very err of the moon;
She comes more nearer earth than she was wont,
And makes men mad.

Winter's Tale - Act 1, Scene II:
By all their influences, you may as well
Forbid the sea to obey the moon

Julius Caeser - Act IV, Scene III:
I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,
Than such a Roman.

And my favorite:
King Lear - Act I, Scene II:
This is the excellent foppery of the world, that,
when we are sick in fortune,--often the surfeit
of our own behavior,--we make guilty of our
disasters the sun, the moon, and the stars: as
if we were villains by necessity; fools by
heavenly compulsion; knaves, thieves, and
treachers, by spherical predominance; drunkards,
liars, and adulterers, by an enforced obedience of
planetary influence; and all that we are evil in,
by a divine thrusting on: an admirable evasion
of whoremaster man, to lay his goatish
disposition to the charge of a star!

i know what to expect from chocolate

Right? i know it'll be yummy, will not disappoint and make me smile.
No wonder the opposite gender is such a let down.

Ah, me. Valentine's Day. Really, just a holiday to celebrate chocolate and the lovely clash of pink & red harmoniously emblazoning the brain. i've always taken the 4th grade approach to V-day; the conversation hearts (aka chalk candy, excellent for chucking at people), passing out foil v-day cards & chocolate.

And I don't mean to be bitter, nor do i even mean to whine; but honestly, I've got to stop what i've been doing. That is not to say that what i've been doing during my twenties has been the same, but as this decade starts to really come to a close, i thought a recap of my boy-madcaps would prove educational and perhaps expose a template to start this new decade fresh:

• The development of the scarlett o'hara complex -- wanting someone, but them not wanting me. then they did want me but i didn't want them any more, i was tired. This was basically high school, college and my early twenties. (if only i'd blog then!) This pattern shows up in future bullets as well.
• There was the "eff it all" and have a one-night-stand that evolved into an eight-month relationship with the health-nut, green-tea drinking, three-cell-phone "entrepenuer." I know, Miss, he was hot.
• There was the three-year crush that was like a roller-coaster of hints, inuendo and manipulation that had me crying at, well, anything. Damn you, scarlett.
• Throw in ONS #2, who's scruffy beard irratated the skin on my chin into a hideous mess (really, it looked like a rug burn on my chin. or that 7-year-old knee scrap on the pavement.)
• Let's see, then there was the "get to know him phase" which just resulted in these weird platonic tangos that left me deflated and confused. oh, and frustrated.
• Back to rollercoast crush, 'cause that just couldn't just go away! oh, no. Here is where i decided to "be an adult" and just tell him how i felt. yeah. except i wasn't dealing with an adult. This round ended with the most horrific sex story i will ever experiene (fingers crossed).
• Then there was the co-worker who asked me "to go out for a drink" which i thought was friendly. And it was, but a bit too friendly. not to say it wasn't a good time, it was. but it was completely unexpected (i naively thought i was getting a new friend at the office!) and then ended the same day it started, apparently, for him. Yet guess what happened? Yup, you guessed it! that darn southern hussy complex rolled back in, backwards this time.
• Lately i've been of the "just have fun with it" mind-set. It hs proven to be semi-effective, but the problem is the reason i never was like this before (see bullet 2), was because i've always known it'd never be satisfying. Sure the drama is nice and the occasional text messaging and the ability to booty-call, but this gets old very, very fast. Plus we all know this isn't going to go anywhere from the start.

So, as Stan would say at the close of South Park episode, "I think we've all learned something here today." And i'd agree. I am at exactly where i started when i was 25 and decided to "eff it all." Interesting. I've also learned that this isn't working. But what to do? i go out to bars, clubs, museums, bookstores, grocery stores, karaoke spaces, dinners. I do the occasional speed dating type scenario. i go to movies. i take classes. i have friends who have friends (y'all need to make MORE friends!!). None of this seems to be working. And i know, if i don't think about it, dwell, the whole "when you least expect it" kinda thing... but see above, a lot of those were in that spirit and see how well they've panned out, eh?

So, i'll just go back to my chocolate-covered rice krispy treat this V-day and it will all be just fine.

Juno & that addicting soundtrack!

Do, do-do-do, do-do-do, do-do-do-Do!

Everybody!

Do, do-do-do, do-do-do, do-do-do-Do!

Jeez. I am hooked. The CD is in my car. My iPod is charging next to bed, cued up to Juno, as its very own playlist. My computer doesn't play anything else. It's a music addiction! One that i've not experienced since i first got hooked on the whitestripes.

I sing it in the shower. The car, humming at the ATM. We sing it in the office, for crying-out-loud. It is bringing us closer together as we verbalize snatches of verses in an off-key way that is accurate!

Nothing like some simple music, simply sung with clever lyrics to reverberate among us. If you've not seen the film, please do. If you don't own the soundtrack, that should probably be rectified quick-like.

We sure our cute for two ugly people

I don't see what anybody sees, in anyone else...

But you.

Do, do-do-do, do-do-do, do-do-do-DO!

Jabba Time -

Time is a funny thing. Absense too.


I think of all the adages that apply to these two concepts and grow weary.


For those of you close to me know that for some time i was a complete mess over Jabba the Hutt (yes, that's a codename of course. & yeah, that may be fodder for another post, on how that name came to be. it isn't quite as mean as it sounds.). I think i can safely say that three years were spent hoping, wallowing and waiting over this particular person, one who i saw on a regular basis.

I then made the decision that I wasn't too proud of; I had to stay away.

This was a mix of emotions because eff it, just because someone is a jackass doesn't mean i have to stay away. That would mean that he won. But it got increasingly harder all the time, so i stopped. Originally i thought it was temporary, then it became a habit and then it was how it was. It has been over 2.5 years that i have stayed away. Oh, yes, there was the almost-sighting (i ducked, dork.) and there was opportunity, but i took the "this is your dance space, this is mine" to whole new levels.



I guess running into "that person" is inevitable. It happens eventually. I should be grateful it wasn't as i was leaving the gym, or running to the store for a last-minute ingredient wearing gnome flannel. i saw him at my company party, which i decided to treat like prom and actually put some effort into dressing the part (i had shiny, straight hair, false eyelashes, and a gold skirt. so i looked good, i think, but much more importantly i felt great.). It went fine, 1 minute of polite inquiries (once i recognized him after talking to him for 30 seconds) & a swatch of conversation later on & it was done.



And i thought; not too bad.



Until the drive home. Word to the wise, false eyelashes plus gobby-pent-up-unexpected tears equals not so much fun. These were the worse kinds of tears, a lethal combination of pity, anger at myself, frustration, lost time, more lost time as the waterworks continued to flow. As the mascara ran, i thought how a good cry is necessary. And it is nice to know i do have hidden emotions.


Sunday brought spasms of uncontrollable tears. In the middle of my voice lesson i completely broke down into hiccupping sobs (and we were staying away from love songs, especially ones of unrequited love!). Ironically, it was a good lesson, apparently i sing better when i am distracted.



My three best girls got to hear all about it (And it was really nothing). Thank you, M, S & S.

Today is calm and lovely. The rain has subsided, the sun is shining off the plump grey clouds & i've lunch plans, so that's nice. Jabba is miles away. Maybe that was closure. Maybe it was time.



Sorry for the stereotypical-girl lament. i just thought writing about it would be cathartic.

You must witness the Nokia Theater

No, really. You have to go & the sooner the better.
Even if i only sorta-kinda liked a group, i would go if they played this venue.
I've seen other postings that did not so-love the space. We sat about 30 rows back, dead center and well, friends, it was fan-freakin'-tastic. We were pretty damn close & the sound was absolutely amazing.

Last month i was able to see The Pretty Lady sing at the Nokia (Otherwise known as Tori Amos).
Now, i've been a devout fan since 14 to ms. tori and have seen her play in about four other venues. This, by far, was the best sound/show i've ever seen. So i will use the rest of this posting to go on about the show, but what really what made it stand out was the venue (We saw her peform the week before in OakTown & it was nice, but nothing. nothing. like this). The Nokia is the future of performance spaces; and the malt balls weren't bad either.

YouTube has an impressive list of numbers played, i'm getting chills listening to them as i type... And the fact that someone's iPhone recorded these and they sound pretty damn good third generation on my so-so computer speakers---Enough said.

One of the most amazing songs ever written about the ending of a relationship is Cooling, and this clip is awesome (There is an interlude, which for me is not my favorite, but the rest is bliss.).

Others worth checking out (really just because they are the best quality clips i could find):

Hey Jupiter.

Bells for Her

Yo George
Precious Things

Smokey Joe

Big Wheel Turning

Bouncing off of Clouds

The Waitress

So, we waited two years for this tour and it was definitely worth the wait. It seems there won't be another one for some time, sigh. Next time we are all going. To witness this genius woman do her thing is something i cherish and almost makes me believe in gods.

What the New Year Means to Me (A Short Essay)

2008! Great.

I hope you & yours have a kick-ass year! Hey, you survived the holiday season, so you are already off to a great start! So I thought i'd kick things off with "What a New Year means for Christine."

1) I will continue to write "2007" on all correspondence until March
2) I will have a list of resolutions that i will keep in mind, but not follow fully.
Example: Eat healthy & lose weight.
What that really means: I'll continue to eat healthy, but i'll also continue to eat chocolate, so.... there it is. And the smart thing to do would have "Ban chocolate eating." or "Cut-down on chocolate." But for those who have witnessed Christine cut-out coffee, it ain't a pretty sight. Chocolate would be, uhm, well, much worse.
3) I will weigh the pros & cons of internet dating and once again almost create a profile.
4) I will leave up the holiday decorations until the last week of February (White lights are for Valentine's Day too!).

And there it is, ladies & gentlemen. Not pretty, but that's my January in a nutshell.