Some of My Favorite Things

So it's the end of the year. I've been watching things like The Year with Katie Couric and looking at things like the 45 Most Powerful Images of 2011 on Buzzfeed. (Also on Buzzfeed the 30 Most Important Cats of 2011.) I got my Entertainment Weekly issue of the Best & Worst of 2011. Film critics everywhere are making their Top 10 lists. And some of my Seattle friends are making their Top 10 book lists. So I thought I would share some of my favorite things from this year.

Books
My book list features only two books published in 2011. It also features more nonfiction than usual.
Top Ten
Pictures at a Revolution: Five Books and the Birth of the New Hollywood by Mark Harris
Comfort Me with Apples by Ruth Reichl
The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Blood, Bones & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton
Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman
Stuck Rubber Baby by Howard Cruse
Is Everyone Hanging Out without Me? by Mindy Kaling
Girl Meets Boy by Ali Smith
The Passage by Justin Cronin
Runners Up
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
Currently Reading
By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham
The Tale of Telsharu by Valerie Mechling and Samuel Stubbs
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
Excited For
Habibi by Craig Thompson
Bossypants by Tina Fey

Movies
I actually did not see that many movies in the theater this year, so I do not have a full top ten list.
Favorites
Midnight in Paris directed by Woody Allen
This (somewhat thin) fable was thoroughly enchantement as Owen Wilson realizes that the l'age d'or of the 1920s was not all it was cracked up to be. This movie hit all my buttons: Woody, nostalgia, modern Paris, 1920s Paris including such luminaries as Hemingway, Dali, the Fitzgeralds, Stein, and more. It was the most fun I had at the movies this year.

Drive directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
This neo-noir thriller with a boss synth soundtrack was my favorite movie I saw this year (so far). It's destined for cult classic-ville. And I wanted to climb Ryan Gosling like a tree.
Notables
The Descendants directed by Alexander Payne
I didn't love it as much as I loved Sideways way back in 2004. It's still a very good (and Paynesque) movie. Clooney is great, as always, and Shailene Woodley is a revelation.

Beginners directed by Mike Mills
This is a lovely little jewel of a film, as a father (Christopher Plummer), recently out of the closet, and son (Ewan McGregor) look for love. The father embraces his new lifestyle while his straight son is more trepidatious in embracing a new love--Melanie Laurent, who is refreshing and wonderful in what could have been just another manic pixie dream girl role.

The Help directed by Tate Taylor
This movie, a huge hit, is not without its problems, nevertheless it's notable for all its wonderful actressing. Viola Davis surely deserves an Oscar nomination.

Bridesmaids directed by Paul Feig
This was another smash success starring women who were very, very funny and (dare I say it?) ballsy. Kristen Wiig is wonderful as the lovable, pathetic loser whose life is falling apart as her best friend is getting married. Melissa McCarthy steals the show in a batshit crazy performance.

Crazy, Stupid, Love directed by Ficarra and Requa
I love and will watch anything with Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, and Steve Carell. Their plot lines were mostly great, however, I really didn't care for the son/babysitter plot line.
Excited For
Melancholia directed by Lars von Trier
Young Adult directed by Jason Reitman
Hugo directed by Martin Scorsese
Shame directed by Steve McQueen
The Artist directed by Michel Hazanavicius
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo directed by David Fincher
The Iron Lady (only for Her Streepness) directed by Phyllida Lloyd

Music
Favorite Albums
21 by Adele
What can I possibly say that hasn't been said? It's the number one record this year. Adele also has the number one single this year, "Rolling in the Deep;" number one video, Live at the Royal Albert Hall; and a boatload of Grammy nominations.

Ceremonials by Florence + the Machine
I've already discussed my love for this album. It's been playing on repeat in my car's CD player since it came out.
Excited For
Tori Amos
Tori released her twelfth solo studio album this year, Night of Hunters. I did not buy it because her last four albums have not been super great (especially the last two). However, this tour is apparently "amazeballs." I'm so upset that she's not coming to SLC this time. I did ask for the CD for Christmas. So I hope I get it and that I love it. What I really want for Christmas is Andreas Ottensamer, the impossibly hot Austrian clarinetist that accompanies her.
I love/hate him. You know, I used to play the clarinet, but I'm not the super hot, super talented one playing with Tori.


Television
Oh my god, I love TV. There were a lot of great shows this year. Here are five of my favorites:
Parks and Recreation on NBC
It's one of the best and funniest sitcoms on television and it has Amy Poehler, so you have to love it. I especially love the romance between Poehler and Adam Scott.

Downton Abbey on PBS
It's the most amazing Masterpiece period show EVER. The cast is superb, especially Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess Violet, and it's so elegantly plotted. I'm rewatching season one and SO excited for season two coming in January.

30 Rock on NBC
Tina Fey's brainchild is another awesome piece of comedy. The fifth season, which wrapped in the spring, had several standout episodes. I'm rewatching all five seasons to get ready for season six coming in January.

Revenge on ABC
It's this year's dishiest nighttime soap taking its cue from 80s titans like Dynasty and Dallas. It's a loose reworking of The Count of Monte Cristo. Watch it for Madeleine Stowe and its complex, episodic plotting.

Happy Endings on ABC
Ignore it's fairly horrible title. Happy Endings is about the lives, loves, and travails of six friends living in Chicago. Entertainment Weekly writes, "If you're not watching Happy Endings you're missing the sharpest, funniest, giddiest show about six friends since that other show about six friends." Not every episode is amahzing, but when it's on, it's on.

P.S. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
It's only came out in 1997, but I finally watched all seven seasons of this landmark television series this year. That was a helluva good time. Highly recommended.

Ghosts of Turkeys Past

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. In fact, I'm going to my first of three dinners this Sunday. It's the annual "Apartment Thanksgiving" with my college friends, only none of us currently live in apartments. I will be making cranberry sauce (it's my thing), pumpkin roll, brownie cheesecake (for Ellen who dislikes pumpkin and pies), and spinach dip. The big day itself will be hosted at my house with 20-30 relatives from both family sides. Ugh. We'll have two turkeys--one oven roasted, the other deep-fried. I'm making rolls and cranberry sauce. The final meal will be at Elise's the Sunday after. It will also be the only boozy one. In addition to the sauce, I'll be bringing dressing and some sort of pie.

When I was younger, Thanksgiving was not my favorite holiday. There were relatives to contend with, televised parades to ignore, football games to avoid, and homework to procrastinate. But once I got to college, there were also friends to celebrate with and from many Friendsgivings, it has become one of my favorite holidays. Besides, I love to cook and eat. So here are my top five Thanksgivings.

2005
I was a sophomore in college living in the Villa apartments with five other guys. Gross. I was also working at Convergys where employees were guaranteed only one of the Big Three holidays off: Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years. I got Christmas off, which meant I would be on my own in Cedar City for the holiday and working. But it actually was really fun. Work was really slow, so we played games like Ten Fingers (I Have Never) and bounced bouncy balls all over the call room. The few people who did call in always wished me a Happy Thanksgiving. Then I went home to an empty apartment--all mine. I don't remember what I had to eat, but I did drink an entire bottle of Meier's Sparkling grape juice (that stuff is seriously good guys!) while watching The Rules of Attraction (something of a guilty pleasure). After the movie I was so wound up--sugar rush!--that I went cruising Cedar's Main Street (a favorite pastime of mine), and the street was decorated and lit up for holidays and Christmas music was playing on the radio. All in all, it was a lovely way to spend Thanksgiving by myself.

2010
Last year I hosted my first Thanksgiving with Heidi. We were going to feed all the iSchool orphans who didn't have family in the area, but in the end they all decided to fly home for family Thanksgivings anyway. (Even my dad called last minute, offering to fly me home for the weekend, but I didn't want to leave Heidi all alone.) This did not deter me from making an entire feast including my first turkey (well turkey breast--nobody was coming and Heidi's vegetarian). Heidi made the mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and a pumpkin spice cake. I made everything else--we had rolls for days. In the end Chloe and Cameron were are only guests bringing cranberry bread and sparkling pinot noir. We had plenty of wine and plenty of food. After dinner we played Trivial Pursuit. And then I did have to finish an assignment that I didn't understand (on Thanksgiving! evil!) drunk. The other nice part of last year was that campus operations were suspended Monday evening (just as I was leaving work) due to a little snow and cold weather that resulted in two snow days. No class for a whole week. It was a Thanksgiving miracle.

2008
The year before I left for Seattle, I had a Friendsgiving at Chez Whitney's. There was much drunkenness so I don't remember a whole lot of the food, except that it was delicious. Pecan pie, yum! There was even a fight/breakdown which just means that it is officially the holidays. We ended up watching Pieces of April drunk and doped out on fat calories. Good friend times. Dain, Whitney, Alex, Elise, I miss us.

The Gang (not on Thanksgiving)

2006
This was Apartment Thanksgiving my junior year. After dinner we moved all of the couches outside, huddled under blankets, and sang Christmas songs. It was very cold. and fun.

The furniture is outside!

Huddling under the blankets with Valerie. It was cold!

1995
This was one of the more unusual Thanksgivings I've had. We went camping in the Nevada desert outside of Boulder. My step-grandfather's nephew owns an old gold mine there, so there we went. It was also my first time eating deep-fried turkey. We kids explored the caves, shot potato guns, and went on a wild treasure hunt on ATVs.

(Dis)Honorable Mention
2007
My senior year I lived in an apartment with an oven that didn't work properly. It turned out one of the heating elements was broken. We did not realize this for the longest time. Even after the turkey had been roasting for quite some time, it still was not cooked. So we took the turkey over to Ellen's apartment, but in the end, Melissa carved the bird up and cooked the pieces in a pan. If it weren't for her, we may have all died or at least gotten very sick.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Ten Things

Is it November already? When did this happen?! And what's all this white stuff on the ground? Now that I again live (for the meanwhile) where snow happens, I hope we all have a milder winter than last year.

1. Ceremonials, the sophomore album by Florence + the Machine is no slump. If you enjoyed Lungs, I think you'll like this. If, however, you're no fan of Florence, this is not for you as it's Flo in overdrive--dark, sonic anthems full of harps and unrelenting drums. The BBC's critique that it's "all grandeur without any grace" may be legitimate; it is relentless, but I find it more exhilarating than exhausting. And it's provided excellent opportunities for awesome kitchen dancing in front of god and everyone. My favorite review is from the A.V. Club: "Ceremonials is Welch barreling off a cliff on wings made of dear-diary sentiment, art-school theatrics, and pure-cut sincerity, and somehow, against all odds, she manages to soar." Some of my favorite tracks include the singles "Shake It Out," "What the Water Gave Me," "No Light, No Light" as well as "All This and Heaven Too."

(image source)

2. I am loving the nonfiction book Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood by one of my favorite critics Mark Harris (who is married to Tony Kushner--what a power couple!). The book traces the five Best Picture nominees of 1967--In the Heat of the Night, Bonnie and Clyde, Doctor Dolittle, The Graduate, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner--just as the old Hollywood studio system was crumbling along with the Production Code. It's a brilliant piece of cultural history with fascinating profiles of key players such as Warren Beatty, Mike Nichols, Dustin Hoffman, and Sidney Poitier.

3. With the Halloween jack-o-lanterns moldering and the advent of snow, Christmas commercials have already begun. Ugh. Two full months of soul-crushing consumerism run amok.

4. Speaking of Halloween, my group of friends went as old people. I did not choose this theme as I found it borderline offensive and being old is not really a costume--it's something that happens if one is lucky to live long enough. Anyway, I ended up looking a bit like my uncle Richard. So this is probably what I'll look like when I'm sixty, god willing that I live that long and keep all my hair. Yes, I am wearing a tracksuit.

5. Speaking of Christmas, I may be jumping the gun, but I'm looking forward to making this year's playlist. As much as I enjoy effervescent pop like Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You," I really love melancholy Christmas music--you know, like "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "River." So I'm kind of excited by the spare and bluesy sounds from A Very She & Him Christmas, the latest offering from Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward.

6. This mock vintage Inception poster. I want it.

(image source)

7. These applesauce oat bran muffins adapted from Martha Stewart Living. They're so moist, chewy, spicy, lightly sweetened, healthy, and delicious. A note: they are not very quick to whip up, plus you'll have to buy things like wheat bran, ground flax seed, and dried dates. Still, excellent. They keep well and they'll keep you regular.

8. If you were planning on reading Death Comes to Pemberley, yet another Austen sequel/reworking, you can just read this digested version from the Guardian. It's hilarious, so you should all read it, even if you're not an Austenhead. You're welcome.

9. The Occupy Wall Street movement has filled me with hope and on occasion tears (of joy). In my own small way I am in the middle of transferring my money out of the big bank Chase to the more regional Zions. One day--when I have a job and don't live with the parentals--I plan on using a credit union.

10. I wasn't really planning on seeing the upcoming film Immortals, but these two things have (mostly) changed my mind.
a) The truth in advertising of this commercial:

b) Henry Cavill naked and dirty:

(image source)

10 Things

(Sometimes I hate Blogger--your rich text editor is kinda terrible.)

1. I HATE frosting/icing, don't you? It's so sickly sweet. Gag. I also hate confectioners' sugar--I'm not sure if I hate it because I hate icing, or if I hate icing because I hate confectioners' sugar. (Also, I don't like powdered donuts.) One time I did make a French buttercream frosting--it was pretty good though also very labor-intensive. I made it for a birthday cake for a combined birthday party for Ellen and me. in the summer. in the park. where it melted. because it's mostly butter. It was still pretty decent.

2. I am rereading Great Expectations which is my favorite Dickens novel. I'm reading it with my good friend Lillian from UW who is a lover of nineteenth century literature. It's her first time with GE. Naturally, I am also listening to Tori Amos's song "Siren" which she wrote for the modern adaptation starring Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow. By the way Charles Dickens's bicentennial is next year.

Currently I'm still reading Frankenstein, The Catcher in the Rye, and rereading The Golden Compass.

3. Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott) as Batman on Parks and Recreation. It was the greatest thing in the world; I about died. I think Adam Scott is sexy adorable, I love the character of Ben, and I love Batman. Super hawt! The whole episode "Pawnee Rangers" was excellent. Treat yo self to it!
4. Socks. That's what Ben Wyatt treats himself to, and you know what, socks are awesome! I ran around the whole summer in bare feet and flip-flops and that's one of the things I love about summer. But now that autumn's here and the days are colder, I get to treat my feet to warm, soft, comfortable socks. I hate the standard white crew sock, and for a while I was into the whole no sock fashion look, but now I just love a colorful (solid, stripped, patterned, argyle) dress or boot sock.

5. Zachary Quinto. He just officially came out even though it really wasn't a secret. I've had a crush on him way before he played Sylar or Spock. It was when he was Tori Spelling's gay best friend on the pretty terrible TV show So NoTORIous.
6. Mizithra cheese. If it were physically possible to make love to a cheese product, this would be the one. I haven't had mizithra in years, but it has returned to my life, and we are so, so happy together.

7. In other food news, how good are French dip sandwiches? Amahzing. The best one I ever had was at Hell's Kitchen in Minneapolis. The Robin's Nest in SLC also makes a good one. I like to top mine with Swiss cheese and pickles, yes pickles. It's delicious!

8. I recently made a Tarte Tatin, an upside-down French apple tart. I wish I had taken a picture because it turned out so brilliantly. I was nervous because it looked so intimidating, but like so much French food the impressive results belie how easy and simple it actually is. I used the recipe from The New Best Recipe Cookbook which I adore. Try making one sometime. I'll send you the recipe if you want.

9. My fingertips are currently peeling. I'm not sure why, but I think I've ruled out leprosy. But I'm just a librarian, not a doctor. According to some web forums I've looked at, it may be a bacterial or fungal infection. If it doesn't get better soon, I guess I'll have to see the doctor. It's weird, and kind of gross.

10. Horror films. 'Tis the season. I just saw Carrie--who knew the scariest parts were after she killed everyone at the prom (*spoiler alert*)? Man, oh, man. Currently, I have Manhunter at home. I'm also trying to decide whether to Exorcist or not to Exorcist. On the one hand I love Ellen Burstyn and "Tubular Bells" (as played by Tori Amos, anyway). On the other hand, demonic possession terrifies me (which I guess is kind of the point). I'm not even sure why really since in my personal experience the Mormon church doesn't really focus on possession (though they do believe it can occur), so it wasn't a huge childhood concern. But I would much rather watch a ghost story and/or a psychological thriller.

Anyway, I thought I would list my top five scary movies. Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is a masterpiece. The (original) Haunting is the scariest film I have ever seen. El Orfanato is a wonderful ghost story. The Innocents is a ghostly thriller story based on James's story "The Turn of the Screw." Those children are terrifying! Finally, the gloomy and turgid Interview with the Vampire for its homoeroticism between Cruise and Pitt, Dunst's uncanny performance, and that ending scene which scared me for the longest time.

I thought you might enjoy this macabre animated short of Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" which was nominated for an Oscar (1953) and narrated by James Mason.

TV, How Do I Love Thee

Did you watch any television yesterday?
No.
Gosh, what was yesterday like?
--Calvin & Hobbes

As you all know, I love television. Probably too much, but, hell, what's too much? Just because I no longer read books, watch movies, apply for jobs, or talk to real-life people...

Anyway, I love fall for many reasons, and one of them is the fall lineup of new and returning television shows. So here's what I'm watching.

On Mondays, we have the fifth season of Gossip Girl on the CW. Sadly, none of our television sets receive the CW for unknown, tragic reasons. So I have to watch Gossip Girl on the Internet. Still plenty of gossip, secrets, and drama.

Since I can't watch Gossip Girl when it airs, that means I can watch How I Met Your Mother and 2 Broke Girls on CBS. However, I haven't seen HIMYM for a few seasons. 2 Broke Girls is kinda funny. We'll see.

On Tuesdays we have New Girl and Raising Hope on FOX. (Following Glee which I stopped watching halfway through last season.) I thought the pilot of New Girl was adorbs (yay Zooey Deschanel!), but I didn't love the second episode. I missed the third episode last week, and now you can't watch online until eight days later, unless you have Dish Network or Hulu Plus. Ridiculous. Last year, I stopped watching Modern Family when one of the episodes was Hulu Plus only. If I can't watch New Girl until weeks later, I might forget about it. People (the media) told me I needed to watch Raising Hope, so I did. I don't really get it. I'll give it a few more episodes, but if I'm not loving it, I'll stop.

Wednesdays is a banner night of television on ABC! First there is Modern Family (I'm watching again) which swept the Emmys, and is always reliable for a laugh. Then there is Happy Endings which may be my new favorite show. Ellen showed me half of the first season last week, and I laughed out loud. a lot. Anyway, it's amahzing. Then we have Revenge which is a dishy, soapy drama starring Emily VanCamp and Madeleine Stowe--and when they face off it's spectacular. You need to watch it from the beginning, but Emily has moved to the Hamptons to exact revenge against the powerful and wealthy who framed her father who died in prison. Some have compared it to The Count of Monte Cristo (which I have read, unabridged, twice), and there are some similarities.

Also on Wednesday nights is American Horror Story the latest offering from Ryan Murphy (Nip/Tuck, Glee) on FX. Sadly, we do not have cable, but happily they are showing episodes (at least the pilot) on the FX website and Hulu. Here are the creepy opening credits:

In this hot mess of a show, Connie Britton left her happy marriage to Kyle Chandler on Friday Night Lights for a troubled one with Dylan McDermott (who is frequently naked in the pilot). After suffering a miscarriage and catching her husband having an affair, the family has moved to LA for a fresh start in a very old, haunted house. I can't wait to see what happens next.

On NBC Thursdays there is Parks and Recreation the very funny show created by Amy Poehler. And later there is Prime Suspect the American remake of the British Helen Mirren vehicle. It stars Maria Bello--the entire reason to watch--as a tough homicide detective who has recently transferred to a new, good ol' boys squad. If you're interested in this procedural drama, I would recommend the pilot just to orient oneself. And should I be watching Community?

I'm looking forward to the midseason premiers of 30 Rock and Mad Men (though again with the cable). I still actually need to see the last few MM episodes from season four.

What are you watching this fall?

October Fest

Oktoberfest may just be ending in Germany, but pumpkin month is just beginning! I heart October. Megan made her own October list, so I decided to make one as well.

I don't know if I'll be able to find any good pumpkin beer this year, Utah being what it is and me living with my family. But I'll try.

I'm excited to make some pumpkin treats. Last year, Heidi really went overboard with the pumpkin, but I loved it. And Megan is cooking up a culinary storm. I think I'll be good with just some pumpkin chocolate cookies and some apple cider.

I am going to keep Netflix for another month so I have stuff to watch. I am in season seven of Buffy and season four of Angel. Maybe I will also watch Twin Peaks which is sure to be disturbingly Lynchian.

I have several movies in my queue right now. This includes Manhunter based on the novel Red Dragon. Michael Mann's movie came out five years before Silence of the Lambs and is supposed to be a lot scarier. Also, I've never seen Carrie so I thought this year would be good for that. Elise lent me Young Frankenstein so that will be good for some laughs. I was trying to decide between the cult classics Halloween (Michael Myers), A Nightmare on Elm Street (Freddy Krueger), and Friday the 13th (Jason Voorhees), because I don't think I could all three in one year--I'm not a big slasher fan. Currently, I'm planning on Nightmare. Both Let the Right One In and Let Me In are streaming on Netflix. I'm also thinking about Paranormal Activity, Night of the Living Dead, and The Shining which is my favorite horror/thriller movie.

Elise is performing in a couple of plays this month including Baby with the Bathwater this week, and Sweeney Todd closer to Halloween. And I think we'll all go to a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

In honor of Banned Books Week which ended last week, I picked up The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Catcher in the Rye from my library. I never did read Catcher in the Rye when I was in high school or college, so maybe I'll be too old for such an angsty book. For Halloween, I think I'll read Frankenstein which I've never read either. I think it will be more haunting that scary.

10 Things

1) Today is the first day of Fall. Yay! Still it was a pretty warm day; those are nice. It will be cold and wintery soon enough.

2) I went and saw Drive today. Midnight in Paris has been the most delightful film I've seen this year, but I would have to say that so far Drive is the best film I've seen. The movie is entirely in control of itself. It's amazing visually, which is good because Ryan Gosling's character archetype doesn't even have a name (i.e., it's not a talky character piece). It's neo-noir, the visuals are surreal, the violence is brutal, the casting is superb, and the soundtrack is unexpected and interesting and effective. Go. See. It.

3) Ryan Gosling. He's so hot. and perfect. *sigh* I still haven't managed to see Crazy, Stupid, Love (must change that soon, before it leaves theaters), and I'm looking forward to Ides of March.

4) Did you see the Emmys? I love television, and I love awards shows. The best moment happened when the best comedy actress nominees staged a beauty pageant. And Melissa McCarthy won for Bridesmaids Mike & Molly.

Also, Kate Winslet now has an EGO. Time to get that Tony, Kate! Also, Downton Abbey pretty much swept the miniseries category; Poor HBO. If you haven't seen Downton Abbey, you have an incredible seven hours of TV ahead of you! I can't wait for season two to come to PBS in January.

5) Amy Poehler. Sadly, I missed last night's premiere of Parks and Recreation as I was having drinks with Kristen. But that just means I have an episode to look forward to very soon. Yay for the Internet.

6) New Girl. It's the new show starring Zooey Deschanel. The pilot was so great, I've watched it three times! Even though it has a few problems, I'm sure those will get ironed out soon. Check it out!

7) Seattle. Yesterday, I was trying to find a bar in SLC, I thought of all the many bars I knew and loved in Seattle. And earlier this week, a couple of Mormon friends asked me what they should do when they go to Seattle in a few weeks--I couldn't think of anything except bars. But later, I did think of lots of non-alcoholic things to do and sent them a very long itinerary. It made me just a little homesick(is that the right term?) and a bit newstalgic. I hated grad school, but it turns out I kind of liked Seattle.

8) Stupid Jobs. I still have not found a job yet. Boo. However, there are some entry-level jobs opening up at the San Francisco public library. Yay! I'm not getting my hopes up, but how awesome would SF be? And I don't even want to go to California. By the way, did you know that San Francisco is a consolidated city-county?

9) Facebook. Every time Facebook changes, people bitch and moan, and then other people bitch and moan about the first bitchers/moaners. I just tried to put my big girl panties on and adapt to the changes, because sooner or later we all do. Resistance is futile. But now I'm really not sure how to use Facebook anymore. and the Ticker thing pisses me off to an unreasonable degree. Lame.

10) Ten...ten...ten..? I don't know. Oh, Tori Amos's latest studio album came out. I have not bought it. yet. It's a song cycle riffing off a lot of classical pieces (she is a classically trained pianist), I've listened to some of it; none of it has caught my attention. Too arty. Tori can do what she wants, but I wish she would get back to her roots and make an album similar to those circa 1992-2002. Or stop making albums and just tour a lot. Also, the Netflix/ Qwickster thing is pissing me off. Oh, and I had Arby's today for the first time in .... well, a really long time. Delicious.

Fall Reflections

With the changing of the seasons, it's time for a new playlist. Summer is the time for loud, energetic anthems about the sun and surf. For fall, I enjoy softer, moodier, and darker songs of melancholy that allow for reflection. Here are the songs with an autumnal atmosphere, at least I think so.

New(ish) Additions:
Honey Come Home by The Head and the Heart
"oh god, I love my vices / but they've taken me to places / that I'd never thought I'd go / and I am ready to be home"
Fun fact: I saw The Head and the Heart open for Hey Marseilles. They were both awesome. Sometimes I miss Seattle.

Dead Hearts by Stars
"was there one you saw too clearly? / did they seem too real to you? / they were kids that I once knew / now they're all dead hearts to you"
Fun fact: I first heard this song on the Like Crazy trailer.

9 Crimes by Damien Rice (with Lisa Hannigan)
"it's the wrong kind of place to be thinking of you / it's the wrong time for somebody new / I give my gun away when it's loaded / is that all right, yeah? / if you don't shoot it how am I supposed to hold it?"

Blinding by Florence + the Machine
"no more calling like a crow for a boy, for a body in the garden / no more dreaming like a girl so in love with the wrong world"
Fun fact: While most of Lungs has disturbing imagery, especially of death, this is the track that I find most creepy. OK, so that was more of an opinion than a fact.

Quelqu'un m'a dit by Carla Bruni
"que tu m'amais encore, me l'a-t-on vraiment dit / que tu m'amais encore, serait-ce possible alors?"
Fun fact: Carla Bruni, First Lady of France, appeared in Midnight in Paris as the Musee Rodin guide.

Down in the Valley by The Head and the Heart
"Down in the valley with / whiskey rivers / these are the places you will find me hidin' / these are the places I will always go"
Fun fact: The Head and the Heart's self-titled album is awesome. If you like Mumford & Sons, check them out.

Monster (and monstrous) Love:
The Horror of Our Love by Ludo
"I want you stuffed into my mouth / hold you down and tear you open / live inside you / oh, love, I'd never hurt you"
Fun fact: Based on Salvador Dali's quote about his wife, "I love Gala so much, if she dies, I will eat her."

The Curse by Josh Ritter
"long ago on the ship, she asked, 'why pyramids?' / he said, 'think of them as an immense invitation' / she asked 'are you cursed?' he said, 'I think that I'm cured' / then he kissed her and hoped she'd forget that question"
Fun fact: After Tori Amos (268), I have more songs by Josh Ritter (55) than any other artist (excepting compositions by Chopin). Thanks for introducing him to me, Rae.

Howl by Florence + the Machine
"a man who's pure of heart and says his prayers by night / may still become a wolf when the autumn moon is bright / if you could only see the beast you made of me"
Fun Question: Have you heard the new singles What the Water Gave Me or Strangeness and Charm?

Possession by Sarah McLachlan
"oh, you speak to me in riddles / and you speak to me in rhymes / my body aches to breathe your breath / your words keep me alive"

Songs Not About Food:
Caramel by Suzanne Vega
"so goodbye / sweet appetite / no single bite / could satisfy"

Honey by Tori Amos
"he liked my shoes I kept them on / sometimes I can hold my tongue, sometimes not / when you just skip-to-loo, my darlin' "

Lullabies:
Be Here Now by Ray LaMontagne
"don't look for love in faces, places / it's in you, that's where you'll find kindness"

Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap
"spin me around again and rub my eyes / this can't be happening"

Change of Time by Josh Ritter
"I had a dream last night / and when I opened my eyes / your shoulder blade, your spine / were shorelines in the moon light"
Fun fact: Ritter just published his first novel back in June.

Somedays by Regina Spektor
"I've gone away, don't call me don't write / Somedays aren't yours at all / They come and go as if they're someone else's days"

Old Favorites:
Spark by Tori Amos
"if the divine master plan is perfection / maybe next I'll give Judas a try / trusting my soul to the ice cream assassin"

Poses by Rufus Wainwright
"I did go from wanting to be someone / now I'm drunk and wearing flip-flops on Fifth Avenue"

Sometime Around Midnight by The Airborne Toxic Event
"and the band plays some song / about forgetting yourself for a while / and the piano's this melancholy soundcheck / to her smile"
Fun fact: this band's semi-ridiculous name is taken from Don DeLillo's masterful postmodern novel, White Noise.

Northern Lad by Tori Amos
"I guess you go too far / when pianos try to be guitars / I feel the west in you / but I feel it falling apart too"

Thoughts in the Presence of Fear

I recently learned about this essay by Wendell Berry available on Orion magazine's website. It is also one of three essays in his book In the Presence of Fear and Citizenship Papers which I will be reading posthaste. It is an incredibly thoughtful and prescient essay of 27 points regarding technology, the economy, the environment, education, politics, culture, society, and a way of life. I highly encourage everyone to read it in its entirety. Nevertheless, here are some highlights:

IV: The “developed” nations had given to the “free market” the status of a god, and were sacrificing to it their farmers, farmlands, and communities, their forests, wetlands, and prairies, their ecosystems and watersheds. They had accepted universal pollution and global warming as normal costs of doing business.

VIII: Nor did we foresee that the weaponry and the war science that we marketed and taught to the world would become available, not just to recognized national governments, which possess so uncannily the power to legitimate large-scale violence, but also to “rogue nations”, dissident or fanatical groups and individuals - whose violence, though never worse than that of nations, is judged by the nations to be illegitimate.

XII: Or we can promote a decentralized world economy which would have the aim of assuring to every nation and region a local self-sufficiency in life-supporting goods. This would not eliminate international trade, but it would tend toward a trade in surpluses after local needs had been met.

XIV: This is why the substitution of rhetoric for thought, always a temptation in a national crisis, must be resisted by officials and citizens alike. . . . But the talk that we are hearing from politicians, bureaucrats, and commentators has so far tended to reduce the complex problems now facing us to issues of unity, security, normality, and retaliation.

XV: We are not innocent of making war against civilian populations. The modern doctrine of such warfare was set forth and enacted by General William Tecumseh Sherman, who held that a civilian population could be declared guilty and rightly subjected to military punishment. We have never repudiated that doctrine.

XXI: What leads to peace is not violence but peaceableness, which is not passivity, but an alert, informed, practiced, and active state of being. We should recognize that while we have extravagantly subsidized the means of war, we have almost totally neglected the ways of peaceableness. . . . We have ignored the teachings and the examples of Christ, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and other peaceable leaders.

XXIII: We must not again allow public emotion or the public media to caricature our enemies. If our enemies are now to be some nations of Islam, then we should undertake to know those enemies. Our schools should begin to teach the histories, cultures, arts, and language of the Islamic nations. And our leaders should have the humility and the wisdom to ask the reasons some of those people have for hating us.

XXIV: Starting with the economies of food and farming, we should promote at home, and encourage abroad, the ideal of local self-sufficiency. We should recognize that this is the surest, the safest, and the cheapest way for the world to live.

XXV: We should reconsider and renew and extend our efforts to protect the natural foundations of the human economy: soil, water, and air.

XXVI: Education is not properly an industry, and its proper use is not to serve industries, either by job-training or by industry-subsidized research. Its proper use is to enable citizens to live lives that are economically, politically, socially, and culturally responsible.

XXVII: The first thing we must begin to teach our children (and learn ourselves) is that we cannot spend and consume endlessly. We have got to learn to save and conserve. . . . An economy based on waste is inherently and hopelessly violent, and war is its inevitable by-product. We need a peaceable economy.

How to Dispose of a Demon

Don't ask me how to kill a demon, for that you'll need a slayer or a vampire with a soul. Or a bazooka. But once it's dead--to keep it from coming back--there's just a few steps to follow. Incinerate the body. Douse the ashes with holy water. Divide and bury the remains in separate plots. No more demon redux!

(Isn't "redux" a great word? Also "avuncular"--though it's a bit weird too. What if my uncle isn't like your uncle? I guess it mostly means a kindly uncle. Is there a word that means aunt-like?)

Anyway, I've been watching way too much Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel lately. It's taken over my dreams. I am addicted and obsessed. I decided to watch the first season of Angel to see what was going on, but I actually like it on its own merits, though I still like Buffy more.

For more vampire/werewolf fun, check out The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger. It's ridiculous, silly, stupid fun. It's a paranormal romance/mystery series set in an alternate Victorian steampunk London. I read Soulless back in March, liked it and then forgot about it. But I got an itch and am now reading book two, Changeless. I'm giggling a lot.

I just finished reading Blood, Bones & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton, chef/owner of Prune in NYC. It is an excellent memoir of a hard-lived life. It didn't have the same joy I felt reading Julie & Julia or Comfort Me with Apples, but I think it's a better written book. If you enjoy food writing, I would recommend it. I've also stated A Clash of Kings book two in the Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) series. They are very long, intricately plotted books, and once I finish this one, I'll take a long break before continuing the series.

The last movie I saw in theaters was The Help. Have you seen it? I thought it was a pretty good movie, though it got a little long. I think it was well-intentioned, but Hollywood added some pastel colors and sanded down some splinters of the Civil Rights era. I think it is for white audiences especially women. A way to assuage white guilt, pat ourselves on the back, and ignore contemporary racial injustice. Nevertheless, I enjoyed watching some great actresses doing great work. What is your take on The Help?

Speaking of The Help, Mark Harris has begun his Oscar column on Grantland, discussing early contenders for Best Picture. Like he says, 'when it comes to the Oscars, obsessive overkill is part of the fun [and] this post-Labor Day moment is the last opportunity to weigh in before things get complicated." It's a really good, funny piece, especially if you like movies and awards.

So summers is over. My family went camping over Labor Day, and I stayed home and watched Buffy. I think camping is more fun with friends and beer, less with family and no beer. And I like having the house to myself. Anyway, it's time to get serious with job hunting. No more staying up till 2 and sleeping in till noon, and doing absolutely nothing. I haven't written much all summer, because I haven't done anything all summer. It was really lame. So here's to being a more productive person, getting a job, and perhaps even writing more posts. And to fall--I really love fall.

Blast from the Past

On this Monday, when I should be looking at library job postings, I am being endlessly diverted by Facebook, YouTube, blogs, emails, etc. Anyway, I don't really have anything to share lifewise, but I do have a couple of 90s songs stuck in my head, so I thought I'd share. Most of the 90s in my iTunes is devoted to the alt female songwriter ToriSarahAlanisLizAni. The songs I'm sharing are not those. These are the gloriously cheesy pop songs that I grew up listening to on my mom's soft rock radio station.

"I Don't Want to Wait" by Paula Cole

You're welcome! (I only recently found out this was the theme for Dawson's Creek, somehow as a gay teen in the late 90s/early 00s who watched a lot of The WB, I never watched the Creek.)

"Stay (I Missed You)" by Lisa Loeb

I'm not sure the lyrics make sense except in the contradictory senses of love, relationships, and loss. This song's left an indelible impression on my brain.

"Tonight and the Rest of My Life" by Nina Gordon

OK, so it came out in 2000. It haunts me.

One more: "Foolish Games" by Jewel. zomg! That was one of my most favoritest songs in high school.

If that wasn't enough, Garfunkel and Oates skewer these and other songs in their Worst Song Medley.

It's ok if you like some (or all) of these songs in spite of yourself.

Happy Monday.

A Year in the Life

Wherein I take inventory of the large and small milestones of my twenty-fifth year.

I watched all three seasons of Veronica Mars in two weeks. It was intense.

I rewatched Battlestar Galactica. It was frakin' awesome all over again.

I read most of The Iliad. That is one long-ass book. I suppose there is still time to finish it before my birthday...

I went to Mount Rainier with lovely ladies Maggie and Lillian. It was fun except for the whole nature part.

While I was unemployed last summer, I watched a lot of movies. Thanks Netflix (by the way, I may be breaking up with you next month).

When summer ended, I moved to the Lake City neighborhood with Heidi who was the Best Roommate Ever! Love you!But before that I went to IKEA for the very first time to furnish my new apartment.

My Poetry Study Group celebrated another anniversary. I'm going to miss you guys so much and reading awesome poetry every month.

For Halloween I carved a cat jack-o-lantern. It ended up looking like Hello Kitty. My costume was a fairy/butterfly/glitter queen.I had Nancy Pearl for my adult genres class. It was delightful, and I fell (more) love with comics/graphic novels.

I have hosted Thanksgiving before with other roommates, but this time I made the turkey--my first. I got a little carried away making a feast since there were only four people at the table.

Many of the recipes were from the Pioneer Woman--an obsession that helped heal the lack-of-Food-Network wound in my heart.

I finished fall quarter, the hardest quarter/semester of my academic life. (Until winter quarter came, that is.)

I celebrated Christmas in Utah, where I caught a cold, and rang in the new year in a kitchen sink.I survived my cataloging class and made a digital portfolio.

Heidi graduated early, moved back to MN, and got a job. I was sad, and the kitchen was never clean again.

I had Nancy Pearl again. Yay!

I dropped my first class ever. I got a "W."

I made sushi for the first time. Mostly, I watched other people make it, but it was delicious. and none of us died.
I started a Pilates regiment.
. . .
And two weeks later, I stopped.

I partook in Royal Wedding Madness. and played King's Cup for the first (and probably last) time.I learned more about Charles Dickens, serial publication, and David Copperfield than is reasonable for one person.

Heidi came back for the iBall. It was so much fun.
Kristen came to visit me. I went to Canada for the first time, and we got lost.

I graduated with my Master's degree. Hallefrickinlujah!Recently graduated, unemployed, and nearly 25, I moved back in with my parents.

Then I went to Lake Powell for the final, final, final time with my extended family. It was fun, though I banged my knee up pretty bad.

And in one week, I will start a whole new year. My goals are to get a job, move out, and get a (new) life.

Summer Playlist

A week after solstice (which is either the start or mid of summer) I'm almost kinda finally ready to post my summer playlist. Every year there are a lot of new "summer" songs that take over the airwaves and bbq playlists which means that tried and true summer favorites get edged out. Edged out only because I like to burn the playlist to a CD to listen to in the car for road trips or zipping around town--and a CD can only hold approximately 20 songs. So I think this year I might make two playlists: one for new stuff and one for my old favorites.

Let's begin with the new 2011 songs:
Where Not to Look for Freedom by The Belle Brigade
This was not one of my favorite early runners in the TBTL Song of the Summer contest, but it grew on my and is now possibly my favorite of the new songs. The Belle Brigade is an LA band fronted by a brother-sister duo, and this song is about the allure of the road.
Oh and is the only way to find a free feeling on the road / Where you go wherever you want whenever you want

Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People
I already wrote about this song. New twist--if you listen to the lyrics, which is hard because they are mumbly, you will learn that this is about an alienated kid going on a shooting spree. Huh. However, the music video is of the band on the beach and performing to a bunch of dancing hipsters.
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks / You'd better run, better run, outrun my gun

Rolling in the Deep by Adele
Adele is going to win the Grammy and the pennant and the cake. I love car dancing to this soulful song.
You had my heart inside your hands / And you played it / To the beat

Price Tag by Jessie J
I heard this playing in a mall when I was still in Seattle. It's a lot of fun. And this summer as I'm unemployed I would like to forget the effing price tag of my education.
We just wanna make the world dance / Forget about the price tag

You Are Not a Robot by Hoodie Allen
A pretty fun hip hop song, and I don't even like hip hop very much.
Sometimes I'm just feelin like a robot / Sittin round, hopin that you'll show up

MoneyGrabber by Fitz and the Tantrums
It's a pretty fun soul song, though it also sounds a little generic. Still they generate a lot of sound all without a guitar.
Don't come back anytime, you've already robbed me blind / This is your payback, money grabber

Turn Off This Song and Go Outside by The Lonely Forest
This is a Washington band from Anacortes and their album Arrows was produced by Death Cab's Chris Walla.
Turn off, turn off this song / Find someone to love

Nothing Ever Happens by Rachel Platten
Dain shared this song, and I really dig it. An excellent lighthearted pop song perfect for summer.
Nothing ever happens if you play it safe! / Make a little space / And get out of your own way!

Speaking of the TBTL Song of the Summer--it may have been hijacked by Bruno Mars fans as the winner was The Lazy Song. I don't really like the song, and neither did TBTL so they gave the honorable mention to Well OK Honey by Jenny O. and I don't really care for that song either. Lady Gaga's Edge of Glory had a lot of votes too, and while I do like that song, I don't know if I'm ready to own any Gaga.
...
OK, I'm ready and Edge is going on the playlist.

Other newish songs:
City with No Children by Arcade Fire
The Suburbs came out last summer, but I'm going to hold this song over for another year.
Do you think your righteousness / Can pay the interest on your debt? / I have my doubts about it

Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes
I loved this song so much last summer, I have to keep it.
Laugh until we think we'll die / Barefoot on a summer's night / Never could be sweeter than with you

Long Shadows by Josh Ritter
I really like this short and sweet song from his latest album So Runs the World Away.
I'm not afraid of the dark when the sun goes down / And the dreams grow teeth and the beasts come out

Fader by The Temper Trap
I just heard "Sweet Disposition" on the radio today, and while I do love that song, it's so overplayed. So how about this less famous song from the same album?
So hold a hand for cover / Hold a hand for cover from harm

Girls with Accents by Fences
This is an indie Seattle band that sounds a bit like The Decemberists and Rogue Wave (or so I've heard). The album was produced by Sara of Tegan & fame.
And now's my chance to finally kiss you / But I got drunk and I passed out / I'm fucking up, I'm fucking up, I'm fucking up everything

Florence + the Machine
I came to the Lungs party late, but I love that album SO much! Even though it came out in '08, it really blew up last year. I can't decide which song to put on the playlist: Hurricane Drunk, Heavy in Your Arms, Rabbit Heart, Kiss with a Fist, Swimming, Drumming Song, My Boy Builds Coffins? All of them? I don't know.

Mumford and Sons
I heard The Cave on the radio earlier today, but I also love Little Lion Man. Conundrum.

Blue Skies by Noah and the Whale
I heard this song about a month ago at a Great Harvest, and it made me realize how much I like this song which had been on my 2010 spring playlist. I don't know if it's the most summery of songs, but I'll take it. (Of course, their new album just came out, so maybe I should check that out too.)
I don't think that it's the end / But I know we can't keep going / But blue skies are coming

I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked by Ida Maria
This was a TBTL contender a couple of years ago. LOVE it!
What the hell do I do that for? / You're just some guy! / OK, you're kinda sexy, but you're not really special...

Rio by Hey Marseilles
This is a Seattle band that I've raved about before. I think this is a great, wanderlust-y kind of song.
Drink 'til tomorrow becomes yesterday / Think of the shorelines you have yet to see / Men who will hold you with eyes you believe

So What by P!nk
So what if it's a few years old, it's still awesome.
I'm still a rock star!

That's about it for new songs though I do have some free space left if you care to make any suggestions. Now we move onto The Ultimate Summer Playlist.

All I Really Want by Alanis Morissette
White Houses by Vanessa Carlton
Bouncing Off Clouds by Tori Amos
California by Rufus Wainwright
Daylight Robbery by Imogen Heap
That Time by Regina Spektor
Soak Up the Sun by Sheryl Crow
Boys of Summer by The Ataris
Los Angeles by Sugarcult
Mr. Brightside by The Killers
Vindicated by Dashboard Confessional
Sweet Darlin' by She & Him
Downtown by Petula Clark
5 Years Time by Noah and the Whale
1901 by Phoenix
Oxford Comma by Vampire Weekend
Dark Blue by Jack's Mannequin
Read My Mind by The Killers
If It Makes You Happy by Sheryl Crow
Summer in the City by Regina Spektor

O Canada and Other Stories

So when we last left off, I was in the middle of finishing my final paper and thus completing grad school. Well, I finished the shit out of it, turned it in early, and got a 3.8 on it. Not too shabby. To celebrate, I ate an entire pizza, drank an entire bottle of wine, and watched Moulin Rouge! to celebrate its 10e anniversaire.

Earlier that weekend, I picked up my former roommate Heidi and her fiance from the airport, which meant I had to clean the apartment for the first time since spring break when she moved out. (That is only mostly true.) Anyway, they had come out for the iBall, which is the big library dance party, like prom! only with (legal) alcohol. I got very drunk (I was also packing my flask) and danced my little heart out and caught up with everyone. It was a blast. On Saturday we all went to lunch with Caroline and since the day was so nice and sunny we dined al fresco. By the time I got back from dropping them off at the airport, I noticed my arms were bright red. Really, Seattle?!?

On Monday, I picked Kristen up from the airport. We caught up and talked so much that we had nothing else to discuss for the rest of the trip. But first we went to a moderately-price family-friendly (American) Mexican restaurant where we both got margs even though we hate tequila and the word margs. Then we went to the grocery store and bought way too much food especially since we ate out so much, and in the end I had to throw most of it away when I cleaned out my fridge.

On Tuesday, we were going to go on an impromptu road trip to Canada, but then I realized I had my poetry study group that night, so we delayed the spontaneous trip. Instead, we hoofed our way across Seattle largely due to a logistical error on my part. I'd rather not talk about it. After walking forever, we got lunch at Specialty's Cafe which is the most amazing sandwich chain on the west coast (and Chicago). And you have to get an item from the bakery case. I got the most amazing cinnamon roll I've ever had, and I don't even like cinnamon rolls. Later we went to poetry and read a Frost poem that was plagued with awkward syntax and then a Mary Oliver poem and realized she is a total hardass. Later that night we made mac n cheese, and then we got incredibly tired and emotional. very emotional.

So on Wednesday, we did go to Cananda and that was an adventure. Kristen had brought her passport, so we thought let's go to Vancouver, especially since I had lived in Seattle for nearly two years and had never made it to The Great White North. We had our GPS on, even though I was planning on just taking I-5 all the way to the border. However, the GPS in its infinite wisdom decided we should enter by a different way, we mere humans obeyed of course, and I'm not really sure where it took us, but we eventually made it to the border. The Canadian border patrolman drilled us (and not in the good way) and when we told him that we were from Seattle and going to Vancouver, he asked us why we had taken this very indirect route. And once we had been let in, the GPS promptly shut off. Obviously, this is because Canada doesn't have satellites. or maps.

We did find an east/west highway, Highway 1, so we took that going west and eventually we did make it to Vancouver. So then we chose an exit at random and popped off the freeway and tried to make our way to all the tall buildings. We finally made it, and found some supposedly "public" parking at a business building. Once we exited the parking garage, we realized we were completely lost. But we did find a food court, so we decided to eat lunch. We were then directed to the Waterfront Station, where we were probably supposed to take some sort of bus to Granville Island, but we were futzing around with the sky train fare, when an incredibly nice man helped us pay the fare and direct us to the station we needed to get off at. Then we had to take a little motor boat to Granville. It was a very long, arduous process. Then we arrived.

So Granville Island is basically a huge market. It's the Pike's Place of Vancouver. I also realized I am not a market man. We had already eaten and had limited Canadian cash, so we didn't hit any of the food stalls. That left us with handicrafts, mostly jewelry, and I don't know about my fellow gay men, but I don't really care that much about jewelry. Kristen, however, loved the jewelry and the touristy shops. She eventually bought a large bottle of maple syrup for her mom, only to realize it was too large to take on the plane. After a Very Long Time at the market, we decided to head back on our boat and then sky train. A bus would have been much faster and probably cheaper. This is why it's helpful to do a little research even before an impromptu road trip, especially to a foreign country.

By the time we got back to the city, I was ready to go--and we didn't even get to see the library! So once we figured out where we had parked, we had a few scary moments. First we realized we didn't have enough Canadian money for the parking fare, so we had to go find an ATM really far away. Then we realized the business building was closed. So we entered the garage through the car way, and then we realized that, yes, the parking garage was locked. There was a number for the company that owned the garage, so we called it, but they were closed. PANIC! Then we saw a number for the security guard. So we called him, dragging him away from the Canucks game, and he was able to let us in. Thank god!

However, we still had no idea how to get out of the city or even the name of the freeway that would take us home, because we had entered the "wrong" way and our GPS didn't know where the hell it was. If only we knew how to hack into our GPS. Also, did I mention there was a Canucks game? so traffic was pretty crazy. Eventually we found a bridge a drove out of the city--a really, really far way with no freeway in sight. So then we drove back toward the city this time finding a sign for BC 99 North. Now, we wanted to go south, but we had found the highway we wanted, even if it was going the opposite direction. So we drove all the way back into the city, got off 99 North, made several left-hand turns in congested traffic, and . . . we drove a really, really far way out of the city--but this time with signage! We eventually did make it onto BC 99 South and back into the country--I could have kissed the tarmac (if there was one and I was the Pope, but there wasn't and I'm not)--and drove all the way back to Seattle.

On Thursday, we went to the Elliott Bay Book Company. I was planning on buying Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? but that apparently doesn't come out until November. Lame. Then my parents arrived, and I had to get ready for my convocation. I made myself pretty, and we took a taxi to the campus. I sent my family off to the Ave for food while I caught up with people at the reception. At the ceremony, our speaker was the CEO of Costco. He didn't say anything relevant to librarians, but his speech was blissfully short. I did learn that Korean cuisine doesn't really contain bread, tomato products, or cheese, but that the Costco in Seoul sells more cheese pizza than Costcos anywhere else in . . . Asia (or was it the world?). Then I was hooded, fluffed, and graduated. Dirty.

On Friday, Kristen, my family, and I went to the Space Needle and the EMP|Science Fiction Museum. Then I had to go to a wedding, leaving Kristen with my family which I think was traumatic for me, Kristen, and my family. I suited up and went out to dinner with Maggie at our favorite Wallingford Pizza House which proved to be unnecessary because they had so much good food at the wedding. We arrived seconds before the ceremony started. The wedding was short and so beautiful. So we socialized and then we ate and then there was dancing, but I had to cut that short to rescue Kristen. and my family.

On Saturday, we all went to the Seattle Aquarium where they have the cutest otters, and then on a harbor cruise/tour which was actually lovely. I took Kristen back to SeaTac, and my family came to my apartment to start packing. So much packing. And on Sunday, the packing. and the cleaning. On Monday, my family was supposed to arrive around 10 am with the U-Haul, only that turned out to be more like 6 pm. It's a long story. We loaded everything in, made one last stop at Dick's and drove all the way to . . . Yakima! We woke up early the next morning and drove all day during which my sister left her purse in La Grande, OR and we finally made it home in Utah around 9:30 pm. And that my friends is the story of my last week (plus change) in Seattle.

This Ain't No Party, This Ain't No Disco

This ain't no fooling around.

My final assignment/paper, perhaps my final academic assignment EVER, is due tonight at 11:45. It it to be 4,000-5,000 words long. I am currently at 2,500. Not to worry, all I have to due is write another 1,500+ words, edit and revise, and complete a works cited page. Easy breezy lemon squeezy, or whatever the covergirls in Britain say.

Then I'll have finished this effing program.

So here's a little video about grad school:

So funny and so painful.