Clarity updated!

Back in November, I blogged about how good it felt to buy tickets to Jimmy Eat World plays Clarity to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of its release.  

Sure the music's great.  But I can't even listen to it objectively anymore.  All I hear is the last 10 years.  The nights in the dorm I fell asleep to Goodbye Sky Harbor.  The days I walked around Washington Square Park wondering if I will ever feel like they felt in "For me this is Heaven", and if I would, who would be the one?  All the times driving down 287 to a show listening to Lucky Denver Mint.  In many ways, it was a lonely decade, but Clarity was always there.  This album was instrumental in keeping me who I am, despite having shelved it for a year or two in the middle because I was "too cool".  

So back in November, it felt great just buying the tickets.  Yeah try going to the show, and you will have Clarity too.  It was seriously, for real, one of the best nights I can ever remember, even though I had the flu.  It didn't matter, because I was there with my one, my friend, my "for me this is heaven."  I was there as myself, which was even better.  They played every single note of Clarity, all in order, and all tremendously.  They basically played every single sound of my youth, only without the bum notes.  I know this is getting a little tautological, but I just drank in every moment.  

For me it was heaven.

IT'S SQUIRRELS!!!

I swear I don't have a squirrel obsession.  In fact, if you know my even a little bit you know I was dangerously close to growing into a "bird lady" (similar to a cat lady, only with more parasites).

It's almost spring and nature's abound.  Living in a deciduous ecosystem, I see lots of migratory birds, stinkbugs, and squirrels.  For a while, in our old apartment, we had a mouse problem.  They were everywhere and really difficult to get rid of; quite often I would have rodent-related nightmares.  One night, Mike was fixing his keyboard, I was asleep, and I jumped out of the bed and hollered, "IT'S SQUIRRELS!!"

Cranberry Kugel

I've been on hiatus.  And now I'm inspired: http://cranberrykugel.blogspot.com

Enjoy!!

Desperate times call for...

Lolcats.

more animals

I am George McFly

How many times have you ever said the phrase to yourself: "I just don't think I can handle that kind of rejection"?  I didn't even realize I was George McFlying myself until just recently, and it took such a long time probably because I had been doing this subconsciously.  I've been way too much of a chameleon at work and otherwise, and frankly I'm getting sick of trying to be the person I think those in proximity want me to be.  It's tiring.  I can't pretend anymore I give a shit about American Idol, office newsletters, OR1-4, how people do my job function in other parts of the world, or pretty much anything else at my job.  In fact, if I was a little more honest with myself a year and a half ago, I would have NEVER even accepted the offer.  I only show this one side of me at work and I'm getting really tired of hiding.

When it gets down to it, there is more in my life like my job than I realize, whether I do things I don't care for to pay the rent, pass the time, or serve as a distraction.  I don't think I'm ready to embark on a life overhaul, and I don't think it's particularly necessary,  but I guess I can start by being a little less scared of what people will think.  I started another blog, Drive Straight Home, which is something I'm SOOO not ready to share with people, but I guess it's my way of trying to change the future, to say to Biff, "hey you, get your damn hands off her."  When I am ready to share, I hope it might help one or two people, even if it's just me.  

It's all well and good to write about cookies, and I think it's very important to do so, but it's equally important to share the burnt underside sometimes.  Plus, I like burnt cookies.

Merde....Il Peut

Before I continue describing the wonders of last night, I need to reflect on this afternoon.  I was just leaving my house to go to the folks' when I found this on my front stoop:  

It was a package from Cheri in France!!  I quickly opened it and discovered more than I could have ever wished for: awesome candy, a toothbrush, an umbrella from the umbrella capital of le monde (Aurillac), and my favorite: a handwritten letter!

 

 I wish I could have sent her more than just a handwritten list of the contents when I sent her package (sorry Cheri), but I had to get to the post office before it closed.  So anyway, I loved the letter, candy, and the toothbrush looks awesome.  But here's the thing.  This umbrella is the best umbrella EVER for the following reasons:

 

a.  It has a curse

b.  It has a curse in a foreign language

c.  It has a curse in a foreign language about the rain

d.  It hilariously states the obvious.

I LOVE my new umbrella!!!

Merci, Cheri!  Je t'aime!!  

Speaking of India

So here are some pics last night from Neha's Sangeet.  It was AMAZING!!  I had the best time, and I can't wait to have time to write ALL about the amazingness.