Things I Am Currently Obsessed With

I've been Debbie Downer on this blog a lot lately. Possibly because I'm one lost hour of sleep away from a nervous breakdown on most days. BUT I do have things (besides sleep) that keep me from that nervous breakdown which I thought I would tell everyone about. Because I can. And because it is abnormally slow at work today (knock on wood) and there isn't much I have to be doing right now. So, here are my random, yet happy-making, current obsessions.

• Ray LaMontagne - I love this man's voice. If you haven't heard him (which, hello, I'm always late to the music party, so you probably know him) I suggest you leave this page now and go listen to him on your choice of music providers. I find his voice extremely soothing; his is the go-to albums after a long day at work. Which means I listen to him pretty much every day. Songs I recommend: "Trouble," "Shelter," "Hold You in My Arms," "Hannah," "All the Wild Horses," "Let it Be Me," "You Are the Best Thing," and "Achin' All the Time." Just to start off with.

• Essie nail polish - I love the range of colors Essie has, specifically in the blue-green and red-orange spectrums. Also, the names are fun and the bottles are compact and aesthetically pleasing. The best part, however, is that the polish is thin and spreads really easily. It is not gloopy at all. Sure, it means an extra coat, but because it is thin and non-gloopy, it dries quickly. With a base coat and a top coat, my home-done pedicures last at least a week without touch-ups. A few touch-ups stretches that to two or three weeks. Which is fantastic, since I don't have time these days for doing weekly pedicures.

• Old Navy's plaid or gingham camp shirts - I apologize for sounding like a massive advertisement, however, I tried one of these on last week, loved it but put it back because I couldn't justify buying a shirt. Then I obsessed about it for a day or two and went back and bought one (the white with small red/blue/purple plaid). I received many compliments on it, plus it was just so comfortable. It was cut perfectly, with just a little nip at the waist to provide shape, but not too much so I felt like I should be wearing a corset with it. The bonus was I thought it was only a 3/4 length sleeve that had been rolled up, but it is long sleeve, which means it will be perfect for layering in the winter. So I went back and bought three more in different colors.

• Mystery novels set in Britain in the past - These are my brain-break books. When I need to check out, I will happily escape to the rarified (yet oddly dangerous) estates, manor houses, and small villages of England of the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. Agatha Christie is obviously a fave, however, I also recommend the Lord Peter Whimsey series by Dorothy L. Sayers and the Flavia De Luce series by Alan Bradley. I recently found a new series, the Honourable Daisy Dalrymple series by Carola Dunn. I read the first book Thursday night and enjoyed it. Imagine Agatha Christie's Miss Marple as a young 25 year-old impoverished aristocrat (complete with tragic tale of a brother AND a true love killed in WWI) working as a society writer traveling amongst characters culled from P.G. Wodehouse and Dorothy L. Sayers novels. It makes me wish I were British and could say things like "topping," "spiffing," "old thing," and "cheerio."

• Beets, edamame, and chickpeas in salads - I'm semi-successfully trying to improve my eating habits, specifically eating more vegetables and less non-vegetables, especially meat. If I had the means I would spend every lunch hour eating from the salad bar at a local grocery, because they offer fantastic things like beets, edamame, and chickpeas that make a salad tasty make dressings unnecessary. I've had to use frozen and/or canned versions of them to make my own, as it is far, far cheaper. Plus, it adds some heft to the salad. Add some crushed walnuts or sunflower seeds and you have got yourself a delicious and filling salad.

• Costume jewelry, specifically huge cocktail rings - For some reason I enjoy wearing a massive ring. It gives me a sense of power for some reason. Try it - they are just fun, plus they are a trend right now so you can find them for under $10 in most clothing stores.

• Doctor Who t-shirts from teefury.com - Teefury offers t-shirts loaded with pop culture-y goodness with a large helping of geek. The catch of the website is you only have 24 hours to order, then they print and ship. I've missed some fun ones, which are saved as bittersweet reminders in the gallery, but I also have a growing collection that I rarely have the opportunity to wear. But who can turn down a $10 t-shirt?

• Finding surprises for my nieces and soon-to-be-born nephew - I love being able to spoil them and since their birthdays (and births) are all happening in the next few months, I get to spoil them rotten! Also, how can I resist buying superhero onesies when I find them at Old Navy? Start the geekifying young!

• Adding the color orange to my wardrobe - After years (possibly decades? Am I really that old?) of dying my hair a dark auburn, I let it go back to something resembling my natural color. I think. It has been a while. Anyway, now that my hair is not auburn, I have found I can actually wear colors in the red-orange/orange/coral family. Which is fabulous. I love the color, especially paired with turquoise or green-blue. I have been adding quite a bit of it to my wardrobe recently. Dresses, shirts, tanks, anything really. I'm now on the hunt for orange shoes because I want to recreate this look Obviously also in the hunt for a similar dress, but that really has nothing to do with anything.

• Tall, skinny, British men who act - This isn't necessarily a new obsession (see: Tenant, David and  Grant, Cary) but I've found some new ones to obsess over. Also, it isn't necessarily the fact they are actors that is part of the obsession, but they are the only tall, skinny British men to whom I am exposed, seeing as how I still haven't found a way to move to England. The latest additions to this sub-genre of the Fantasy Boyfriend League are Benedict Cumberbatch (who has, perhaps, the best English name ever!) and Tom Hiddleston. Benedict Cumberbatch is best known for being Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series. Also, he has a dreamy voice. IF you don't believe me, listen to this. Mr. Cumberbatch will next be heard as the voice of Smaug in The Hobbit in December and the villain in Star Trek next summer. Tom Hiddleston is best known for his role as Loki in last year's Thor and the record-breaking blockbuster that is The Avengers. He also played F. Scott Fitzgerald in Midnight in Paris (which you need to see if you haven't already - the movie is genius.) Mr. Hiddleston is currently working on adaptations of Henry IV (parts 1 and 2) and Henry V, which should be on British TV for the build up to 450th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth in 2014. Hopefully it will cross the pond shortly thereafter. He will also be part of Thor 2, which was announced recently. I can understand that if you are not attracted by men who are slightly (or more-than-slightly) unhinged and your only exposure to him is as Loki, you might not get my new obsession with Mr. Hiddleston. To which I say, do a Google image search of recent photo shoots and photo calls for The Avengers. You can thank me later.

Aural Obsessions

The way I listen to music probably annoys other people, like my roommates, who have to hear what I play on a regular basis. I tend to get obsessed with a handful of songs and listen to them repeatedly for however long the obsession lasts. The songs aren't necessarily new, often the are songs that have been in my collection for ages and have heard on a regular basis, but something changes and they become all I want to hear. My fixation on a song can last anywhere from a few days to months and there really is no rhyme or reason to how or what catches my attention. I thought I would share the songs I'm currently obsessed with, so enjoy.

And So It Goes by Billy Joel

Coffee and Cigarettes by Michelle Featherstone


Ever Fallen In Love cover by Pete Yorn (originally by the Buzzcocks)


Between the Lines by Sara Bareilles


Orange Sky by Alexi Murdoch

What A Difference A Week Makes

First of all, thank you to you all for your wonderful thoughts, prayers, cards, calls, good wishes etc.! I was at a personal nadir, and it helped to know there were people out there who care. I did do what ZB suggested and it feels like a load has been taken off of me. I still have a lot of responsibility and a lot of demands on my time, but some of the things that have been haunting me for the past couple of years have diminished. Part of it was just saying it (or rather publishing it) out loud. And I took some time to do things that make me happy. Like turn off my cell phone and read a book that has nothing to do with school or church or anything but my love of mystery novels set in England. I downloaded some music. I played. And I feel better.

Some of the things I enjoyed:

• Reading the incredible Doctor Who recaps in the archives at Television Without Pity. They have some incredible writing and make me want to re-watch the show starting with the Pilot looking for all the things I totally missed.
• The return of the rain and the end of the sunshine. I like that it hasn't gotten over 65 degrees for the past 3 days.
• Showing off the Bellingham area to my awesome family.

• The album 19 by Adele, specifically the song "Hometown Glory."
• Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate Brownie mix.
• Fireworks.

Again, thanks for everyone's care and support - I appreciate it!

Recipe For A Perfect Single Valentine's Day

• A good night's sleep.
• A service project that gets you out in the spring sunshine for a couple of hours.
• Doing your taxes and finding out you are getting $1100 back this year.
• A convert baptism into the ward.
• A fantastic dinner made by Flower Child consisting of wild rice, mahi mahi, and steamed broccoli.
• A pan of brownies made from the Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate mix you get at Costco.
• Watching delightful romantic comedies that contain musical gems that induce giggles and inspire awesome dance moves like this:

I Think iTunes Hates Me

Because it was one of those days that you spend trying not to resent other people's happiness (even though you should be content because you just got into grad school) while attempting to mentally draft a cover letter for your application for the graduate assistantship you hope to get so you can actually afford to go to graduate school, but self-promotion has never been your strong suit and the part of your brain responsible for drafting said cover letter keeps getting overpowered by the voice that is constantly shouting about how you are 29 and single and will probably die alone and eaten by Alsatians after spending your golden years yelling at the TV, eating frosting straight out of the container, and ballooning to 330 lbs. Which really defeats the whole 'trying not to resent other people's happiness' objective. So you get home and try to brainstorm while cooking a nutritious, non-fattening dinner which you are just putting on the table when your cell phone alarm goes off, reminding you that you have a visiting teaching appointment with the one lady with whom you can never schedule an appointment, so you grab your Ensign and race out the door (leaving your dad to eat a nice warm meal) and walk half a block to her house, only to realize as you ring the doorbell that it is starting to drizzle.  By the time you are done with said visit, it is really raining, but you decline her offer to drive you home because, really, it is only half a block.  So you walk in the door shivering and wet and inhale a slightly dried-out dinner (because your dad thoughtfully put it in the oven to keep it warm, but the heat also made it a little dry) and then blow all your new self-imposed dietary goals by also inhaling a piece of ice cream cake leftover from your dad's birthday, thus putting you, like, 1200 calories over your goal and one step closer to the being the 330 lb. woman with a front butt that you fear you will become. And when you finally give up, put on your pajamas at 6:45 pm and sit down to finish the cover letter, your iTunes decides to play Stacey Kent's version of "Too Darn Hot" and you realize it is maliciously mocking you because you are neither hot (in either sense of the term) nor do you have a 'baby'.  Which is when you start a rambling diatribe of a blog entry and make iTunes play ABBA's Gold album because a) you can sing along to it without wanting to cry and b) you are really excited about the film of Mamma Mia coming out this summer.  Because who isn't excited about watching Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Firth singing ABBA tunes?  I think $8 is totally reasonable sum for the privilege of watching Mr. Darcy belt "Our Last Summer," don't you?

I Wish I Could Share The Experience With You All

Our stake decided to put on Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for the community and have been working at breakneck speed since January to have it ready to open Wednesday.  I went to see it last night with some friends from the ward.  The show itself was quite well done, especially considering they had only been rehearsing since January. Everyone did so well, I only rolled my eyes a little when the audience gave them a standing ovation.  

Before the curtain went up on the show, there was some 'pre-show' entertainment, which was an a cappella group.  A cappella isn't really my cup of tea, but I wasn't too worried as it wouldn't last long.  The seven gentlemen walked out on stage and started "Silhouette On the Shade," which I think is a fairly standard a cappella song.  Feel free to correct me if I am wrong. What I have not heard before with a cappella groups is having one member who sole duty is beatboxing.  But they had one. Which I found odd.  No one else seemed to find it odd.  Their second number was "Breakfast At Tiffanys," which was performed in a disconcertingly upbeat manner considering it is a break-up song and contains the phrase "I hate when things are over."  Their last song choice kind of blew my mind, in that it was Toto's "Africa," a song which kind of depends on being a little over-produced.  One of the a cappella group's members was solely tasked with making the weird little trilling part of the song, at which he was only moderately successful.  The audience seemed to love it, but I just sat there wishing I could have recorded it and shared it with all of you.  Because I'm fairly sure I will never experience something like that again.

Check Your Local Listings. STAT!

I just finished watching a presentation of the 2006 Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's Company on PBS's Great Performances. You all need to check your local PBS station to see if/when it is being re-aired, because it was amazing. I have never seen it before and the only song I had heard from it was "Not Getting Married Today" but I have totally fallen in love with it and am very, very tempted to buy the DVD from the PBS website. Oh, and it is in the PG-13 realm for you readers with young ones. Or easily offended old ones. Also, the lead, Raul Esparza, would not be out of place among the Fantasy Boyfriend League. I'm just saying.

Melodic Memories

Today whilst driving home for lunch, I was flipping through radio stations and the oldies station was playing "You Sexy Thing" by Hot Chocolate. Immediately I was transported back to 2002 in Washington D.C. in the Commons area of the 3rd floor of the Milton A. Barlow Center watching my friend Elizabeth -- a usually dignified pre-law student -- recreate a commercial she had seen, involving a mouse singing this song to some cheese. Needless to say it was late at night and hilarious. Anytime I hear that song, I think of that night and of Elizabeth. So I thought I would share the music that has the power to viscerally transport me back to a certain time and place.

• Sunshine On Leith, The Proclaimers -- I bought this CD in the early 90s, sometime between junior high and high school, but it always reminds me of my senior year in high school when I was half in love with a boy who declared this to be one of his favorite albums. I listened to it a lot. I don't know if it was because I thought it meant something, or would give us something to talk about, or if it simply made me feel closer to someone who barely acknowledged my existence, but the music is irrevocably melded in my mind with that boy, his Mustang, and Mr. Robertson's College English class, in which we sat by one another.


• "Here With Me", No Angel, Dido -- This song takes me back to the second year Parker and I were roommates. We would listen to this song on repeat as we lay in our respective crappy beds under The Shrine to David Duchovny that took up three of our walls. We listened to this song ad infinitum because we were just a little bit obsessed with the first season of a show called Roswell about 3 aliens masquerading as teenagers in Roswell, New Mexico. One of the actors playing an alien was a clone of David Duchovny. I think he is on CSI: Miami now, but the obsession died a quick death the next year and I only really think about it when I hear this song. Sorry if I outed a little too much of our geekiness, Parker.

• Details, Frou Frou -- Parker and I became preoccupied with the song "Let Go" on this album after hearing it on the Garden State trailer, so one day she came home with the soundtrack to the movie AND the Frou Frou album it came from. We listened to both fairly regularly. So everytime I listen to this CD, I am back in our freezing living room in that first apartment in Salt Lake, also known as The Rat Hole, reading Anthropology of an American Girl. I never actually finished the book, but I'll remember it forever, thanks to the music.


• A Cheap and Evil Girl, Bree Sharp -- This CD and the book Bridget Jones's Diary entered Parker and my apartment the same week during the spring of my junior year at BYU. Because of the song "David Duchovny" the CD became an instant hit with us. The rest of the CD is great too, so it was constantly playing for about two weeks, until we were forced to return it to the friend who lent it to us.. The book was just hilarious and we spent a lot of time laughing hysterically over various passages while Bree was playing in the background. So now the two are inextricably linked in my personal narrative.
  


• "Why Does It Always Rain On Me", The Man Who, Travis -- I first heard this song on the radio when I was living in London. I loved it instantly and it became my Karma Hates Me theme song. Everytime I hear it, I'm back in London, walking down the sidewalk between the Notting Hill Tube stop and Palace Court Road, where the BYU London Center is located. On the other side of the road I can see Hyde Park and I feel the humidity and smell the acrid combination of bus exhaust, urine, and garbage that permeates most metropolitan streets. The song always makes me homesick for London, but in a pleasantly melancholy way.

So there you have it, a little peak into my odd little psyche. Feel free to share any music-memory associations you have.

New Favorite Song

Check out Bubbly by Colbie Caillat. I can't get enough of it!

Lucky 13

I did an inventory of sorts on my blog archives and realized I have become negative in the extreme. Not that it hasn't been a magnificently unfortunate summer or that I should sugar-coat my blog entries, as it is the closest thing to a journal I will ever have. It is just that negativity is cyclical and can drag one down if you let it. So in honor of today, the 13th, thirteen having always been a lucky number for me, I will share 13 things that make me smile.

1. My Season 2 Supernatural DVDs, which I pre-ordered way back in June, are somewhere between an Amazon.com warehouse in Kentucky and my mailbox. That little box contains 22+ hours of the deliciousness that is Dean Winchester. Huzzah!

2. I realized that when I look at my closet I am satisfied with its contents. There isn't really anything I feel I am lacking, except of course that beautiful suit from Banana Republic I blogged about a while back. And maybe one of those cute shifts with the pintucked scoop necks that all are the rage this fall. But really, I'm content fashion-wise AND shoe-wise. That is something.

3. Public libraries and the lovely people like Miss Nemesis who staff them. Without these wonderful institutions, I wouldn't be able to afford my book habit. And also, any place that encourages children to slow down, turn off the noise and think is truly fantastic.

4. All my lovely friends and family who are embarking on new adventures great and small. They inspire me.

5. Having a positive bank balance five months running, being responsible enough to keep the check book balanced AND having my running balance match my banks. That hasn't happened in years.

6. My upcoming trip to California. I cannot wait to spend a week with The Accidental Housewife, Mr. Big, and their dog, Dudley. It is on the calendar at work, which means it is official, come hell, highwater, or jury summons.

7. Teaching 14-15 year-old girls at church. Sure they can be giggly and easily distracted, but listening to them reminds me of how big the world was then and the rush of feeling you could conquer it. Adolescence is hard, I still bear the scars, but it is also a time of never-ending hope and when I listen to them chat I wonder when exactly that was beaten out of me and what I need to do to reclaim it.

8. Rediscovering country music. I went through a country phase during junior high, and I previously commented on how even now I am drawn to it when I'm sad or not feeling well. So I have been listening to it a lot lately. And I realized I do like some of it. So here are some songs that you should listen to, just once, because they make me smile: Something's Gotta Give by Leann Rimes; Free and Easy Down the Road I Go by Dierks Bentley; Suds In The Bucket by Sara Evans; All My Friends Say by Luke Bryan; Online by Brad Paisley. You should really check out the video for Online for the cameos alone. Especially you Seinfeld fans.

9. Facing a weekend in which I neither have to travel anywhere, nor have anything scheduled. I will probably clean the house, as it is verging on seriously nasty, but I can do that in my pajamas.

10. The hint of fall in the air every morning. It won't be too long now until I can pull my beloved turtlenecks out of confinement. Also looking forward to opaque tights, knee-high boots, and leaves turning beautiful colors.

11. 13 days, 23 hours and 35 minutes until The Office returns to my television set.

12. Halloween falls on Wednesday, which means there will probably be a Church activity, giving me an excuse to bust out my seriously awesome Daphne (from Scooby-Doo) costume.

13. The thought of making a hair appointment to make my hair a lovely dark(er) auburn. It may not be natural, but I think it was the color I was born to wear. I'll post pics when it is done.

This Is Where I'm At

Things I'm Finding Infinitely Enjoyable:

• Saturdays with no scheduled events. It has been at least a month since I've enjoyed a lazy Satruday morning. And even though I just spent 3 hours cleaning the kitchen -- the heavy duty cleaning that involves the oven AND the deep, dark depths of cupboards -- I did it on my terms and because I felt like it. Which is a lovely feeling. Too bad I can't get around to cleaning Mr. Rochester's bowl.

• The following songs: Hey Julie by Fountains of Wayne, Creepin' In by Norah Jones and Dolly Parton, You Make Me Feel Like Dancing by Leo Sayer, Mexico by James Taylor, Have You Met Miss Jones by Robbie Wiliams, and Baba O'Riley by The Who. I think you should all check them out for yourselves if you haven't heard them.

• Ballet flats. I love the fact that you can find them everywhere these days and have acquired a basket full of them already this summer. They are perfect for work, especially in an office where every day is jean day.

• Target.com. I am 70 miles from the nearest Target and it makes it bearable to browse the store's wares from my bedroom. Also I ordered this adorable pair of ballet flats and this new messenger bag. My old messenger bag (the one I bought in a shop called Oasis in Whitely's in London) followed me through the past 8 years and has been to England, Ireland, Scotland, Washington D.C., Utah, and Washington state with me. Sadly it has seen better days and I would like to keep it as a souvenir, rather than let it disintegrate into oblivion.

• My bed. I know I've talked about how lovely it is before but I thought I should reiterate how much I love my bed. I'm seriously not in it enough and part of my reasoning in saving for a laptop is that I can be on the computer in bed.
  

• I'm hearing that there will be 30 episodes of The Office next season. How wonderful is that? I'm obsessed with the show and having that many episodes of Jim & Co. will make it so much grander.
  

• Still being able to be irresponsible. Thursday night I stayed up WAY past my bedtime to see John Krasinski on Conan. I'm sure staying up until 1:30 am is not the best thing for me, but not only is Mr. Krasinski rocking his new, shorter, hair, I also got to hear a story about George Clooney. That is killing two obsessions with one stone! Check out Give Me My Remote for the video.

• Graham crackers. I never bought them when I lived on my own and I forgot how much I liked them. It really is the simple things in life.

Things That Annoy Me To No End

• Overly air-conditioned offices that require you to wear winter clothes to work just so your hands don't turn blue and fall off.

• The band Hinder. Their lead singer always looks like he is in the middle of a seizure and they sing stupid songs about being two-timing toolbags. This only serves to remind me about my friend's two-timing toolbag ex whom I loathe with the passion of a thousand fiery suns.
  

• Making life-altering decisions. Even the smallest decisions -- like where to get my hair cut -- fills me with confusion. Making huge decisions about where to go and what to do with the rest of my life just make me want to curl into a ball under the covers and hide.
  

• People who insist you make friends with their children. Especially when said children are much younger and live very sheltered lives. It is also annoying for the parents to nag you about it at your mother's funeral. Incidentally, these are the same people who thought it appropriate to highlight my Singleton status at the funeral. Good times.
  

Movie Rec

This past weekend Miss Parker and I went to see Dreamgirls and were blown away. We are both fans of the Motown sound and movie musicals, so we were pretty sure that we would like the film but it was above and beyond our expectations.

Everyone involved does excellent work. I never really cared one way or another about Beyonce, but she does an excellent job, which you don't really recognize until her solo near the end of the movie. However, the most amazing performances come from Jennifer Hudson and Eddie Murphy.

I remember being impressed by Jennifer Hudson's voice when she was on American Idol a few years ago, but she so totally embodies her character and is such a vocal powerhouse that I felt like giving her a standing ovation at least twice during the film. And I don't give standing ovations freely.

Eddie Murphy is known for comedy so humorous moments in the film were expected. However, it is his portrayal of a man fighting against being a has-been, a man who is flawed and self-destructive but still hoping for a better future that surprised me. And I think the depths of his expressiveness will surprise you too.

So, if you enjoy great music and good storytelling, I would definitely recommend seeing this movie. Oh, and fans of The Office, keep an eye out for a cameo by John Krasinski!

Keep 'Em Separated

I have a confession to make: I am a Christmas music segregationist. Either the song is religious or secular and never the twain shall meet. The artist should sing about snowmen and jingle bells and Santa Claus or it is about the Nativity and the Holy Night and angels singing to shepards. There shouldn't be any inter-mixing of topics. Which is why the following is my least favorite Christmas song (I do not recognize any Christmas song written after 1970):

Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)
(Words & music by Autry - Haldeman)

Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus,
Right down Santa Claus Lane.

Vixen, Blitzen, all his reindeer
Pulling on the reins.
Bells are ringing, children singing,
All is merry and bright.
Hang your stockings and say a prayer,
'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight.

Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus,
Right down Santa Claus Lane.

He's got a bag that's filled with toys
For boys and girls again.
Hear those sleigh bells jingle jangle,
What a beautiful sight.
Jump in bed and cover up your head,
Because Santa Claus comes tonight.

Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus,
Right down Santa Claus Lane.

He doesn't care if you're a rich or poor boy,
He loves you just the same.
Santa knows that we're God's children,
That makes everything right.
Fill your hearts with Christmas cheer,
'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight.

Well, here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus,
Right down Santa Claus Lane.

He'll come around when the chimes ring out
'It's Christmas morn again.'
Peace on Earth will come to all
If we just follow the light
Let's give thanks to the Lord above,
'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight.

'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight!

I have never understood why we should be giving prayers of thanks for Santa Claus's impending visit, rather than the actual Christmas miracle. Secondly, what exactly does Santa knowing "that we're God's children" make right? And why does anything Santa do have to be made right? Finally, what light are we supposed to follow? Is it a religious light or is it the light of Rudolph's nose? Every spiritual reference in that song is murky and makes the whole song a little sinister, at least in my mind. Any Christmas songs you readers find worrisome, disturbing, or just plain bad?

Basically Anything That Is Awesome

Wednesday night was the Evanescence concert at Saltair and it was awesome. You'll have to check out Miss Parker's blog for pics, since I don't have the mad computer skills necessary to link the iPhotoBooth session we indulged in when we got back from the concert. Plus she knows the guy who photographed the concert, so she also has a link to the actual concert pics. The concert was crazy fun, although it was a constant battle to not let my natural apathy towards humanity make me insane from all the unwashed masses pressing in on me. Luckily I found a spot behind a very tall young man who was like a brick wall. I could see over his shoulders and no one tried to mess with him. so thanks, Tall Guy, hope you had fun at the concert. I couldn't really tell since the only time you moved was to raise your hand and give the 'horns' when Amy Lee & Co. would start rocking exceptionally hard. Also, anyone up for seeing 30 Seconds to Mars at Saltair in November? It's Jordan Catalano (aka Jared Leto) in eyeliner!

This Is What Happens When You Leave Your Comfort Zone

You find yourself trapped between a bay window and a table while everyone around you oohs and aahs over the Stampin' UP! lady's wares and begin contemplating crawling under the table to escape. You then listen to Metallica, Garbage, and 30 Seconds to Mars while driving home in an attempt to induce some sort of feeling other than self-pity. Until you give up, indulge in a pity party, and end up listening to Stacey Kent sing "They Can't Take That Away From Me" and posting pathetic missives on your blog in the middle of the night. All because you decided to go to a Stampin' UP! party at which you were the only single person in attendance and couldn't even drown your sorrows in the chips and salsa, because someone had put cheese in the salsa. I miss cheese.

Sting Is Dead To Me

I never really thought I would say such a thing because a) I like his music and b) he seems like a genuinely nice and socially conscious individual. But it can't be coincidence that on Saturday, when my alarm went off, interrupting a dream in which I was on a date with my #1 Comedic TV Boyfriend Jim Halpert, it was a Sting song. A Sting song was also on the radio last Monday when my alarm went off, interrupting a dream in which I was flying with my #1 Dramatic TV Boyfriend Dean Winchester. Coincidence? I think not. Therefore, Sting is Dead To Me. As is whatever station my radio was set on those mornings. Because I have enough bad news these days, I could use a few more TV Boyfriend populated dreams.

I did hear back from the firm I interviewed with and while I didn't get the position, they did say they were impressed with my interview and that they would keep my resume on file if anything else came up. Which could be what they tell everyone, but it did make me feel pretty zen about the whole situation. In fact I'm pretty zen about my life right now. It could be that a continued lack of sleep has robbed me of my senses (Insomnia is mean, people!) or a preternatural apathy about work in the first place, but I'm not nearly a stressed as I thought I would be. In fact it has been kind of nice to have time to read book for hours or do research for my planned novel or just walk around downtown and people watch. I guess I was far more miserable at my old job than I thought.

So even though I am actually enjoying the free time that goes with being unemployed, I must get back to the thirty job ads I emailed myself last night. Or maybe I'll have words with my alarm clock. It can't be interrupting my best dreams like that.

Friday I'm in Love

Well, not really in love becuase my current real-life crush moved without so much as an exchange of pleasantries, let alone a declaration of undying love, and I'm now back to obsessing about TVboyfriends like I did when I was 12. But I am desperately wishing it were Friday. Seriously, Thursday afternoons are the WORST. Especially Thursday afternoons following a night of vampire dreams that kept waking me up.

So, I wish it were Friday. Mostly because it would mean that I was almost free from this office and wouldn't have to face it for 48 whole hours. But also because I am ridiculously looking forward to the new Will Ferrell movie, Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. I really have no idea why, other than I need a good laugh and I find Will Ferrell's brand of absurdity particularly funny. And how can you not see a movie that promises characters named 'Walker' and 'Texas Ranger'? Chuck Norris jokes are gold. Gold, Jerry!

Therefore, in my patented whine, Why can't it be FRIDAAAAYYY!?! At least I have reruns of The Office and my guiltiest guilty pleasure Supernatural to look forward to. Because if it can't be Friday, at least I can enjoy a pint of Soy Dream fake ice cream (flavor: MINTCHOCOLATECHIP! of course) while watching the funny and the pretty TVboyfriends.

Blame It on the Rain

Yes, I did just quote a Milli Vanilli song. No, I am not sorry that the song is now stuck in each and every one of my readers' heads. It is stuck in mine too. But that is not the point. The point is that I must be the opposite of every SADD person out there. Because yesterday was an extraordinarily happy day for me. Sorry if you were without power or had property damage or whatnot, but I was just thrilled not to have to see the smug face of the sun. It was wonderful to feel the cold in the air, to smell the rain, to be able to NOT spontaneously combust when getting in the car after work. I made a fervent wish that it would last for more than a day. Which is why I woke up on the worst wrong side of the bed this morning and cursed the sun and the climbing thermometer. I want it to stay below 80, to have a hint of fall in the air, and to spare me the misery of any more 100+ days of heat. And yes, six months from now I will be issuing a complaint about the cold, the lack of sun, and the fact it isn't warming up fast enough. If the weather can be fickle, so can I.

For You Music Aficionados

Or those who are just really sick of radio. I'm sure I'm the last person to know about this, seeing as I am not on the cutting edge of technology, but I heard about this site called Pandora. It is easy to use and has far fewer commercials than Yahoo LAUNCHcast. Enjoy!

OCD Like That

Recently, I became disenchanted with the radio station I usually listen to at work. There are already a limited amount of ‘work-appropriate’ non-country radio stations to choose from. And I absolutely hate shuffling between radio stations on the manual tuner alarm clock that sits on my desk. So I registered for LAUNCHcast streaming radio from Yahoo. It is free and allows one to create a personalized station. I thought it was the answer to my work-time music woes.

In adding variety and personal choice to my music options, it is a dream. But there is also a dark side. See, the program allows you to rate songs, artists, and the albums from which the songs come. Which is great for crafting my own personal play list, but it really exacerbates my OCD tendencies. There is such pressure in deciding which rating, from ‘Do Not Play Again’ through ‘Can’t Get Enough’ applies to each song. Is it too harsh to judge an artist by one song? If I hate the song, should I still give an unknown artist an ‘It’s OK’ just in case they might have another song I could love? Will the unknown Powers That Be laugh when I profess my love for Bowling For Soup, while giving a classic Eric Clapton song an ‘It’s OK?’ Can I really 'Not Get Enough' of any song or artist, or does that just mean it becomes part of the permanent rotation? Some days, I just can’t deal with the pressure and have to resort to the listening to the old radio station while I alphabetize my Post-It notes and organize my M&Ms into color-coded pyramids before I eat them.