"No, you were right, I was being morbid. Summer brings that out in me."
--Clarissa Vaughan, The Hours
"I'm reminiscing this right now."
--Neil Gaiman
Everyone who reads this blog knows that one of my primary modes is nostalgia; it's right up there with ambivalence. So today I finally lugged my fat ass out of the apartment to experience the world and buy ridiculously expensive moisturizers.
Today it was 73 degrees and sunny, just like summer, which is appropriate since Midsummer has passed, though everyone assures me that summer, de facto, doesn't come to the Pacific Northwest until July 4th--which I think is very patriotic of summer. It's time to break out my summer playlist. Anyway, I was enjoying the beautiful day sitting outside a Starbucks, reading The Iliad and sipping a black iced tea lemonade. And when I wasn't reading about Zeus calling Hera a bitch--how much do I love modern translations of Greek--I was reminiscing about past summers including the granddaddy of them all, Summer 2007--the gold standard by which I measure all summers.
And why did I love that summer so much? Let me tell you. But first I need to fix myself a Negroni, the nectar of nostalgia.
...
Ah, that's much better. So, where do I begin? Well, for starters, I was thin--the thinnest I've been in the last ten years. Ever since my last semester in college, I've been gaining weight, slowly but surely, something I hope to stop and even reverse this summer. And I loved walking the multi-mile Coal Creek Trail every few days and reading in East Canyon Park. It really was the perfect park/trail system.
I loved working at Iceberg Drive-Inn. No, really, I did. My very first job ever was at a Wendy's which also has the distinction of being the worst job I've ever had. So I was a little hesitant to work in fast food again, though if you've been to Iceberg, at least the one in Cedar, you know it's not exactly fast. However, I loved it. And as much as I bitch and moan about working, I'm usually a pretty kick-ass worker once I know what the hell I'm doing. And aside from a few annoying high school co-workers, it was fun, in the immortal words of Parker Posey. Just do the cones. See a lot of people come in--burgers, ice cream, anything. Cokes, just drive in a get a Coke if you're thirsty. And of course the fries--Iceberg has amazing fries!
The manager almost always left at 4:00, just an hour after I got there, so the rest of the time we were left unsupervised. My job performance and satisfaction improves greatly when I'm not being micro-managed or faced with inane corporate policies. I also got to gawk at my crush, who coincidentally was the brother of one of the team leaders. And since the store was attached to a Tommie's Donuts, I could take any leftover donuts home after closing since they would just be thrown away the next morning anyway. So I would always take some donuts to Ellen and we would watch Will & Grace before I went home, just across the street.
Ellen and I had a lovely time as neighbors when she wasn't driving off to Orem every other weekend courting her future husband, though that was when I used her account at Hollywood Video. I just loved living in quiet, little Cedar City over the summer. Every morning I would get a muffin (okay, cupcake) at the country store in the student center and eat breakfast in the Writing Center as I caught up on emails and gabbed with Chelsea. And I would read Virginia Woolf on campus, the beautiful campus.
I turned 21 which is such a great age, and even though I had a very modest birthday, I was young and legal all at the same time. I'm still young, I suppose, but every year we just keep getting older, and the moronic beauty of youth slips away, eluding us. I did have one major fuck-up that summer, which I didn't care about too much then being young and resentful, but that too has passed.
The coupe de grace, of course, was London. I won't get into all that; suffice it to say that London & Paris: amazing! Most likely the best two consecutive weeks of my life so far. While I was at home last week, my mother and I finally got all the pictures off my camera and selected the ones to keep in an album. It only took three years. Three years--it's a day and a lifetime.
I love summer, though it always brings out the nostalgia in me; perhaps that's why I love it. And while every summer provides me with great new memories and reading lists, I will always remember this summer. I'm reminded of the ultimate sentence of Little, Big: "Even the weather isn't as we remember it clearly once being; never lately does there come a summer day such as we remember; never clouds as white as that, never grass as odorous or shade as deep and full of promise as we remember they can be, as once upon a time they were."
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Utah
Early, early Wednesday morning I got up at 4 am to be ready for the shuttle van that was arriving at 5 for my flight at 7. Only, I really woke up at 3:15 am, and by woke up I mean I got up because I hadn't really slept when I went to bed at midnight, and by midnight I mean 12:45 because my copy of The Absolute Sandman Vol. 3 had arrived earlier that day, and well...I had to start reading it.
I bought The Sandman as a gift for myself for finishing the quarter and the year. I also bought Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything which I'm very excited about. I've actually spent a lot of money lately including buying a new suit--it's two-button and taupe. My first and only other suit I got for junior prom when I was considerably heftier and even then it was a bit big on me. In college, taller and slimmer, I looked like a little kid in his dad's suit. This one's better except the legs are a bit baggy apparently because the pants have pleats. Only GQ occasionally (occasionally) features suits with pleats and the legs are still more tailored. Anyway.
I landed in SLC at 10:30 which is why I booked the 7 am flight in the first place. It had been six months, the longest time I have ever been away from home though I'm not exactly sure what home means now. I was enthusiastically greeted by our dog, Scout. I also began an epic game of Risk with my brother and younger sister, a game that took three days and lots of fights--ah, family bonding. I also went a little crazy from not sleeping; Elise, the insomniac, informs me that this is called disorientation.
On Thursday, I went to The Pie with Elise, Jesse, and Kristen which was a bit of a waste because Elise and Jesse don't like Pie pizza which is inconceivable to me. But I enjoyed it. Afterward, Kristen and I went to Trolley Square, or the Death Box as Kristyn O. likes to call it, for Williams-Sonoma so I could buy my mother a Microplane zester and make lemon bars. What I learned is that Kristen and I should not be allowed to visit fancy, grown-up stores like Williams-Sonoma together. We then visited Cabin Fever, a kitschy store that seemed to suit us much better. Trolley Square is also under massive construction, along with downtown, and I don't know why because when the Gateway opened those places saw a lot less traffic.
Thursday was also my elder sister's 22nd birthday so the family went downtown to the Macaroni Grill which was lovely. Afterward I saw my cousin James for the first time in years (years!) which is a real shame since he's always been my favorite of the Burbank cousins. Besides, we gay cousins have to stick together. We went to the Beerhive Pub because five days with the family and I was going to need a drink. It's so nice that Utah has bars now--and the Beerhive Pub is an excellent one. We had a few beers and discussed life--it was wonderful.
On Friday, I finally made the lemon bars which were delicious. I'm totally on a lemon kick right now--aren't lemons just a miraculous fruit and so summery? I just saw a recipe for Meyer Lemon Ricotta pancakes, and even though Meyer lemons are out of season, I'm going to make it anyway. Later that day I went to Jessica's wedding reception which was the impetus for the trip and the suit. They had a photo booth for the guests which is such a fantastic idea. There was also an ice cream bar. A very fun, youthful, yet classy affair. I also saw a lot of people from high school as well as Elise and Kristen P. who went a little baby crazy.
On Saturday, I woke up bright and early and drove to Matt and Dixy's house where we meet up with Ellen, Justin, and Christopher. Then we all drove down to Provo, where I haven't been since high school, to go to Seven Peaks water park. We spent a lot of time in the wave pool and the lazy river, and I got a nice base layer for all the tanning I'll do this summer in Seattle. That evening we had a barbecue at Matt and Dixy's and watched Alice in Wonderland which I had just seen a week prior at a second-run theater. You would think Tim Burton was the perfect director for Alice, but I don't know, I kind of like the original story better. and the film made too much sense.
Then it was Sunday, Father's Day, and I got my dad a tie (how traditional) and The Simple Art of Murder by Raymond Chandler--I had to make up for Christmas since his gift never arrived. We had a nice dinner, and then it was time to take me to the airport, and a few hours later I was back in Seattle watching True Blood.
By the way my summer reading hasn't been going well at all. I started The Iliad after finals, and while it's great, my attention span has been greatly curbed by the 21st century. I also started reading Lowcountry Summer which is terrible! I have been very disappointed in contemporary fiction lately. Is it so much to ask for Shakespearean, psychologically realized characters and inspired prose? Perhaps. Dorothea Benton Frank loves to tell me things instead of showing them and has an obscene love with the exclamation point. question marks too. It's ridiculous. The protagonist is semi-unbearable. I don't even want to read it anymore, but I still need to know how it ends. It's like trailers for movies that I don't particularly want to see, but I want to know the story anyway, especially for horror movies. Maybe I'll just skim the rest of the book.
So that's me. Tonight I need to finish watching 8 1/2 and this week I need to find a job. The minimal structure grad school gave me is gone, and my roommate's in Indonesia for two months. I could rot in my apartment and no one would even know. Plus, I really need money, especially so that Meagan and I can drink our way through Seattle. Those should be some fun posts. Until then.
I bought The Sandman as a gift for myself for finishing the quarter and the year. I also bought Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything which I'm very excited about. I've actually spent a lot of money lately including buying a new suit--it's two-button and taupe. My first and only other suit I got for junior prom when I was considerably heftier and even then it was a bit big on me. In college, taller and slimmer, I looked like a little kid in his dad's suit. This one's better except the legs are a bit baggy apparently because the pants have pleats. Only GQ occasionally (occasionally) features suits with pleats and the legs are still more tailored. Anyway.
I landed in SLC at 10:30 which is why I booked the 7 am flight in the first place. It had been six months, the longest time I have ever been away from home though I'm not exactly sure what home means now. I was enthusiastically greeted by our dog, Scout. I also began an epic game of Risk with my brother and younger sister, a game that took three days and lots of fights--ah, family bonding. I also went a little crazy from not sleeping; Elise, the insomniac, informs me that this is called disorientation.
On Thursday, I went to The Pie with Elise, Jesse, and Kristen which was a bit of a waste because Elise and Jesse don't like Pie pizza which is inconceivable to me. But I enjoyed it. Afterward, Kristen and I went to Trolley Square, or the Death Box as Kristyn O. likes to call it, for Williams-Sonoma so I could buy my mother a Microplane zester and make lemon bars. What I learned is that Kristen and I should not be allowed to visit fancy, grown-up stores like Williams-Sonoma together. We then visited Cabin Fever, a kitschy store that seemed to suit us much better. Trolley Square is also under massive construction, along with downtown, and I don't know why because when the Gateway opened those places saw a lot less traffic.
Thursday was also my elder sister's 22nd birthday so the family went downtown to the Macaroni Grill which was lovely. Afterward I saw my cousin James for the first time in years (years!) which is a real shame since he's always been my favorite of the Burbank cousins. Besides, we gay cousins have to stick together. We went to the Beerhive Pub because five days with the family and I was going to need a drink. It's so nice that Utah has bars now--and the Beerhive Pub is an excellent one. We had a few beers and discussed life--it was wonderful.
On Friday, I finally made the lemon bars which were delicious. I'm totally on a lemon kick right now--aren't lemons just a miraculous fruit and so summery? I just saw a recipe for Meyer Lemon Ricotta pancakes, and even though Meyer lemons are out of season, I'm going to make it anyway. Later that day I went to Jessica's wedding reception which was the impetus for the trip and the suit. They had a photo booth for the guests which is such a fantastic idea. There was also an ice cream bar. A very fun, youthful, yet classy affair. I also saw a lot of people from high school as well as Elise and Kristen P. who went a little baby crazy.
On Saturday, I woke up bright and early and drove to Matt and Dixy's house where we meet up with Ellen, Justin, and Christopher. Then we all drove down to Provo, where I haven't been since high school, to go to Seven Peaks water park. We spent a lot of time in the wave pool and the lazy river, and I got a nice base layer for all the tanning I'll do this summer in Seattle. That evening we had a barbecue at Matt and Dixy's and watched Alice in Wonderland which I had just seen a week prior at a second-run theater. You would think Tim Burton was the perfect director for Alice, but I don't know, I kind of like the original story better. and the film made too much sense.
Then it was Sunday, Father's Day, and I got my dad a tie (how traditional) and The Simple Art of Murder by Raymond Chandler--I had to make up for Christmas since his gift never arrived. We had a nice dinner, and then it was time to take me to the airport, and a few hours later I was back in Seattle watching True Blood.
By the way my summer reading hasn't been going well at all. I started The Iliad after finals, and while it's great, my attention span has been greatly curbed by the 21st century. I also started reading Lowcountry Summer which is terrible! I have been very disappointed in contemporary fiction lately. Is it so much to ask for Shakespearean, psychologically realized characters and inspired prose? Perhaps. Dorothea Benton Frank loves to tell me things instead of showing them and has an obscene love with the exclamation point. question marks too. It's ridiculous. The protagonist is semi-unbearable. I don't even want to read it anymore, but I still need to know how it ends. It's like trailers for movies that I don't particularly want to see, but I want to know the story anyway, especially for horror movies. Maybe I'll just skim the rest of the book.
So that's me. Tonight I need to finish watching 8 1/2 and this week I need to find a job. The minimal structure grad school gave me is gone, and my roommate's in Indonesia for two months. I could rot in my apartment and no one would even know. Plus, I really need money, especially so that Meagan and I can drink our way through Seattle. Those should be some fun posts. Until then.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Ad Proximum Convivium
So life right now is just a series of assignments and all the much more fun things I do to distract myself from said assignments.
A few weeks ago I went to the ALISS Open Meeting. After the meeting we went to The Zoo, which is in fact a dive bar and not a zoological garden. This has been very confusing in the past. We had many much beer and some of us, which did not include me, played shuffleboard. After the Zoo, some of us continued on to the party at Jeannie's apt which was jungle themed. I had a couple of strong drinks as well as a couple of shots so that I could participate in Wizard Slapping, which was renamed Safari Slapping. I got very tired and emotional and sick, which I haven't been in years. It's true what they say: beer before liquor. Plus, an empty stomach didn't help.
The next week, I think, I went downtown to see Amanda Palmer in concert. It was pouring, and I got super drenched. I had to take a couple of hours in a coffee shop to get warm and dry. By the time we were lined up outside the ShowBox, the weather was lovely again. After getting a gin and tonic and a seat, it was time to wait. Then Sxip Shirey came onstage and he literally played bells and whistles. yeah... Then Evelyn Evelyn came on. Evelyn Evelyn is a conjoined sister musical act where the twins are played by Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley in one giant dress. Webley describes the twins as similar to the Andrews sisters if they had grown up in a circus and listened to new wave music. If that doesn't paint a picture for you, then I don't know what will. After the twins were done, Jason Webley played a few songs. Then Amanda Fucking Palmer came out in all her glory during which her boob almost popped out. She laughed and fixed herself. She's promoting her new solo album Who Killed Amanda Palmer? I bought the album and have been enjoying it very much. She took one request from a girl who was celebrating her 19th birthday. The girl requested "Oasis" which is an ebullient song about rape and abortion (it is, of course, satirical). And during the bridge, we all sang happy birthday. Amanda also sang "Do You Swear" which you can hear and download for free here. At the end of the night, we all sang a drinking song after spinning around 12 times to simulate drunkenness for those who had not already reached inebriation with the assistance of alcohol. And the super-hot roadie stripped off his shirt. So I was happy.
Here is the picture taken of us. And because the concert was eleventy hours long (or at least five), the buses were no longer running when it ended, and I had to take a cab home. It was a pretty epic day.
Then on Saturday, Lillian and I went to see the local-favorite Seattle band, Hey Marseilles, and they were AMAZING! They were playing to a sold-out (and crowded) audience at a rather small venue, The Tractor, where I had a PBR tallboy because it was just that kind of place. A couple of other local bands played before, and they were pretty good too. Hey Marseilles is a seven-man band that plays amazing travelogues and has the European sound down replete with accordion, mandolin, viola, cello, and horn in addition to the guitars, keyboard, and drums, of course. I downloaded their album To Travels & Trunks back in the fall, which apparently was just their EP and is no longer up on iTunes. They are (re)releasing their album later this month, and let's hope that gets on iTunes eventually. You can download their biggest hit "Rio" on their MySpace page and listen to some of their other songs too.
So I had hardly seen Maggie all quarter, and now I'm getting a major dose which is good. On the day I saw Amanda Palmer, I got my first real taste of Indian fare with her as my guide. Later that week, there was another happy hour, where I didn't drink anything, and then we went to Thai Tom on the Ave which has amazing Thai food. Yesterday, we went and saw Robin Hood and then got pizza at Pagliacci's. Robin Hood got a lot of bad reviews, but I enjoyed it if only because I haven't seen a movie at the theaters in months! Plus, Maggie bought the tickets. You definitely get a better sense of the history than the Disney version (which is my own beloved Robin Hood) of which Maggie, the medievalist/early modernist history major, approved. The liberties taken enhance the fairytale/legend aspect of the story. It is a major war movie from Ridley Scott and an origin story of how Robin Longstride/Loxley became Robin Hood. Watching Eleanor of Aquitaine and Prince John interact made me want to watch The Lion in Winter (the original film with Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn) which is amazing--check it out. After the movie and pizza, we got ice cream and discussed how Russell Crowe is aging in reverse.
Earlier that weekend, specifically at 5:00 on Friday, after submitting yet another assignment and finishing the WEEK OF DOOM, I watched Into the Woods and tried to get drunk, but three cocktails and nothing. That was sad. On Saturday, Meagan and I went shopping at the GAP because my entire wardrobe pretty much comes from the GAP (just as in college my entire wardrobe came from American Eagle). I am moving up in the world. Now I usually cannot shop a sale for the life of me, but I got some great deals. I got three polo shirts for $15 each (that day only!) which are normally $30. I got two pairs of jeans both in the clearance rack and two belts which were on sale. I also bought flip-flops and a madras shirt. In addition I got 25% off everything, except the flip-flops, as a GAP card member--sometimes debt does pay. I also bought a linen shirt and a blazer online which were both 25% off, and I got free shipping. Booyah! And I look fantastic.
I still need to get a suit for Jess's wedding--I cannot wait to come to Utah!--and I'm not sure what I'm going to wear to the iBall on Friday. But school's not over yet, kiddies. I have the second part of my 521 final which I will be doing tomorrow morning. Then on Friday my teaching philosophy/statement is due. If it has three or more typos/grammatical errors it will receive a failing grade--harsh! It's been awhile since I was a grammar god in training, but I'll be fine. hopefully. Next week I have to write the final part of my prospectus for an info literacy program and a final group paper on the future of reference. And then I will be done! With my first year. I'm already terrified of graduation.
And if you're wondering just what it is that iSchool students do (I'm still not sure actually) perhaps you've already seen this viral video starring faculty and fellow students.
A few weeks ago I went to the ALISS Open Meeting. After the meeting we went to The Zoo, which is in fact a dive bar and not a zoological garden. This has been very confusing in the past. We had many much beer and some of us, which did not include me, played shuffleboard. After the Zoo, some of us continued on to the party at Jeannie's apt which was jungle themed. I had a couple of strong drinks as well as a couple of shots so that I could participate in Wizard Slapping, which was renamed Safari Slapping. I got very tired and emotional and sick, which I haven't been in years. It's true what they say: beer before liquor. Plus, an empty stomach didn't help.
The next week, I think, I went downtown to see Amanda Palmer in concert. It was pouring, and I got super drenched. I had to take a couple of hours in a coffee shop to get warm and dry. By the time we were lined up outside the ShowBox, the weather was lovely again. After getting a gin and tonic and a seat, it was time to wait. Then Sxip Shirey came onstage and he literally played bells and whistles. yeah... Then Evelyn Evelyn came on. Evelyn Evelyn is a conjoined sister musical act where the twins are played by Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley in one giant dress. Webley describes the twins as similar to the Andrews sisters if they had grown up in a circus and listened to new wave music. If that doesn't paint a picture for you, then I don't know what will. After the twins were done, Jason Webley played a few songs. Then Amanda Fucking Palmer came out in all her glory during which her boob almost popped out. She laughed and fixed herself. She's promoting her new solo album Who Killed Amanda Palmer? I bought the album and have been enjoying it very much. She took one request from a girl who was celebrating her 19th birthday. The girl requested "Oasis" which is an ebullient song about rape and abortion (it is, of course, satirical). And during the bridge, we all sang happy birthday. Amanda also sang "Do You Swear" which you can hear and download for free here. At the end of the night, we all sang a drinking song after spinning around 12 times to simulate drunkenness for those who had not already reached inebriation with the assistance of alcohol. And the super-hot roadie stripped off his shirt. So I was happy.
Here is the picture taken of us. And because the concert was eleventy hours long (or at least five), the buses were no longer running when it ended, and I had to take a cab home. It was a pretty epic day.Then on Saturday, Lillian and I went to see the local-favorite Seattle band, Hey Marseilles, and they were AMAZING! They were playing to a sold-out (and crowded) audience at a rather small venue, The Tractor, where I had a PBR tallboy because it was just that kind of place. A couple of other local bands played before, and they were pretty good too. Hey Marseilles is a seven-man band that plays amazing travelogues and has the European sound down replete with accordion, mandolin, viola, cello, and horn in addition to the guitars, keyboard, and drums, of course. I downloaded their album To Travels & Trunks back in the fall, which apparently was just their EP and is no longer up on iTunes. They are (re)releasing their album later this month, and let's hope that gets on iTunes eventually. You can download their biggest hit "Rio" on their MySpace page and listen to some of their other songs too.
So I had hardly seen Maggie all quarter, and now I'm getting a major dose which is good. On the day I saw Amanda Palmer, I got my first real taste of Indian fare with her as my guide. Later that week, there was another happy hour, where I didn't drink anything, and then we went to Thai Tom on the Ave which has amazing Thai food. Yesterday, we went and saw Robin Hood and then got pizza at Pagliacci's. Robin Hood got a lot of bad reviews, but I enjoyed it if only because I haven't seen a movie at the theaters in months! Plus, Maggie bought the tickets. You definitely get a better sense of the history than the Disney version (which is my own beloved Robin Hood) of which Maggie, the medievalist/early modernist history major, approved. The liberties taken enhance the fairytale/legend aspect of the story. It is a major war movie from Ridley Scott and an origin story of how Robin Longstride/Loxley became Robin Hood. Watching Eleanor of Aquitaine and Prince John interact made me want to watch The Lion in Winter (the original film with Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn) which is amazing--check it out. After the movie and pizza, we got ice cream and discussed how Russell Crowe is aging in reverse.
Earlier that weekend, specifically at 5:00 on Friday, after submitting yet another assignment and finishing the WEEK OF DOOM, I watched Into the Woods and tried to get drunk, but three cocktails and nothing. That was sad. On Saturday, Meagan and I went shopping at the GAP because my entire wardrobe pretty much comes from the GAP (just as in college my entire wardrobe came from American Eagle). I am moving up in the world. Now I usually cannot shop a sale for the life of me, but I got some great deals. I got three polo shirts for $15 each (that day only!) which are normally $30. I got two pairs of jeans both in the clearance rack and two belts which were on sale. I also bought flip-flops and a madras shirt. In addition I got 25% off everything, except the flip-flops, as a GAP card member--sometimes debt does pay. I also bought a linen shirt and a blazer online which were both 25% off, and I got free shipping. Booyah! And I look fantastic.
I still need to get a suit for Jess's wedding--I cannot wait to come to Utah!--and I'm not sure what I'm going to wear to the iBall on Friday. But school's not over yet, kiddies. I have the second part of my 521 final which I will be doing tomorrow morning. Then on Friday my teaching philosophy/statement is due. If it has three or more typos/grammatical errors it will receive a failing grade--harsh! It's been awhile since I was a grammar god in training, but I'll be fine. hopefully. Next week I have to write the final part of my prospectus for an info literacy program and a final group paper on the future of reference. And then I will be done! With my first year. I'm already terrified of graduation.
And if you're wondering just what it is that iSchool students do (I'm still not sure actually) perhaps you've already seen this viral video starring faculty and fellow students.
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