Riot and Frolic

Songs That Haunt Me

Every once in awhile, there's a song that sticks.  In my head, in my heart, in my body.  And literally haunts my dreams.  Literally.

01 Suo Gan

 

This song, from the Empire of the Sun soundtrack, was in my dreams off and on leading up to V's arrival 4+ years ago.  I freaked out a little when we got a CD of lullabies with the same song on it.  

The idea of Christian Bale singing to me is moving no matter what, but I'm not sure that's why I still hum this melody to the ladies when they're sleepy many years after seeing the movie.  

"Shanty By The Sea" is :48 of loveliness in the midst of a rather violent, and clever, movie called Lucky Number Slevin.  Not only is Josh Harnett in it (and he's not too bad to listen to), but Lucy Liu is the most adorable, smart, quick-witted love interest.  The entire romantic interlude between Josh and Lucy takes place over this song.  

 

 

4-05 Adagio For Strings 1

 

"Adagio for Strings" would jump out at me (in a quiet, barely audible way) periodically while driving in my Honda Civic, back in the day.  I would be flipping through radio stations, and I would hear this, often arriving at my destination only to wait patiently in the car for the DJ to tell me what the song was.  But no, every time, there would just be more music and not the track listing.  In a huff, I'd grab my pager and go to work at Denny's.  

Fast forward to 2006, when I finally catch the title and composer and I download the shit out of it and then I meet The G and the first time we make out?  Yep, THIS SONG IS PLAYING!  EPIC.

 

As I walked into a big event last weekend, the soundtrack to Little Women was playing over the loudspeakers.  I might as well have started crying right there.  The soundtrack to a delightful movie adaptation of my favorite book by my favorite author?  Commence trance!  [Jo, you idiot!]  

 

Do you remember Gordeeva and Grinkov? They were the most beautiful pairs skaters EVER.  And they skated to "Reverie" by Claude Debussy and it was... everything.  And then he DIED, tragically.  So every memory of them is MORE... everything.

Are there any songs that put you at peace?  Or in pieces?

One year ago: LLLL, an awesome baby shower

Giving Up

It's Ash Wednesday and I'm Catholic, so you know I have to say something about Lent...

I guess...   Actually, I'm kind of surprised I'm mentioning religion here.  

...

On with the show!

For reference, I have been Catholic for... eight years?  For some reason, I decided I wanted to "get religious" that many years ago and not have my Sundays consist of sleeping in late, drinking 2 cups of coffee over 4 hours, reading the newspaper until it got dark out, and then go dancing until 2am.  Now I get up at a completely "AM" part of the day, put on nice clothes, and kneel for the better part of an hour and a half.

That's right.  1.5 hours.

Not to brag or anything, but I roll with, what people call, "the serious Catholics".  

Having been an agnostic, or just unknowing of any religion, for the other 26 years of my life has not made my transition to Catholicism easy.  I took the RCIA (Catholicism for Idiots) class at a nearby church, but that didn't really tell me much.  I've read parts of the bible, the cathecism, and various theology books, and I married into A Very Catholic Family, but I still don't know, or believe 100%, many of the dogmas.  

What am I doing being  Catholic then?  

Wow, personal question.  Buy a girl lunch first, huh?

Well, I like the community (you see the same people every week or more), the history (2000 years ain't bad), the code of ethics (10 Commandments, anyone?), the responsibility (the airing of greivances in reverse... confession!), and the calisthenics (up, down, kneel, stand up, sit down, fight fight fight!).  

You owe me lunch.

ANYWAYS, this year I'm going big for Lent (the 40 days preceding Easter where one traditionally gives up some luxuries and/or "diets"): I'm giving up The Facebooks.  And The Netflixs.  AND Pinterest.  

Basically, I'm giving up social media and watching t.v.

There ARE exceptions: 

• My blog posts automatically to FB, and I am not giving up MAH BLOG, so you should see a FB post every morning or so with my daily update.
• The G will be updating our KGB9Dance page with the pertinents.  
• America will be updating the Coffee Run page, because she is the co-President and likewisely awesome.
• I WILL watch Netflix or movies or television if it's for social entertainment.  Sooo, does anyone want to come over and watch Vampire Diaries with me... every week?  
• I'll use Pinterest to do searches (boys for the end of the blog, recipes, etc.), because let's face it, it's kind of the new Google.

Voila!

I figure there might be more crafts, more sleep, more yoga and running, more yelling, and more eventual peace of mind.  There'll probably be some shakes and nausea at the beginning.  I mean, remember when I gave up coffee?  

One year ago: Don't Judge Me

Possible Oxymoron: Dessert Fail

New recipes go against my personality.  I like routine.  I don't like new things.  I like repetition.  

Nonetheless, I've been looking up new recipes with abandon.  And then making them.  

Last weekend, I tried making a copycat recipe of the Starbucks Toffee Almond Bar.  Did anyone else eat their weight in these, like I did?  For some God forsaken reason, 'Bucks stopped making them a few years ago and every once in awhile I get a craving for the delicious blondie brownie, filled with huge milk chocolate, white chocolate, AND toffee pieces.  

Notice I did not include my own photo of these treats.  That's because my version did not look not taste like the original (or possibly even what the recipe intended).

I blame the toffee pieces.  I bought Heath's "milk chocolate toffee bits".  In the words of Pretty Woman, "Big mistake...  Big."

When I opened up the bag, mostly toffee dust emerged.  Lacking options (and being too lazy to call their customer service hotline or return them to Target), I threw the few toffee bits and their overwhelming majority of dust into the blondie batter and stirred it up.

What emerged from my oven was delicious, but not the S.T.A.B. 

OMG, best acronym ever!

Next time, I'm going to buy a bunch of Heath bars and chop them up into big, fat chunks of awesome.  

Question: aren't blondie brownies just chocolate chip cookie dough, without the chips, in a pan?

List of Last Week's Labors of Love

- cooked and baked all the things.  Seriously, I've been cooking 2-4 meals a day.  If I'm making a chicken so-and-so, I make the other chicken whatsit I have planned for later that week and throw the 2nd one in the freezer.  I have sooooo much food everywhere.  IT'S FANTASTIC!

- said "screw you, healthy eating" and ate all the things.  Like, things I haven't eaten in months.  I had McDonald's AND Little Caesar's in one day.  So disgusting.  Don't get me wrong, it was delicious for a minute, but then I felt like HELL.  Processed food is weird, man.  

- have slowly turned into a total hippy.  See above.  Did I mention I also do yoga and compost?

this is not what hippies have looked like in my experience

- on a related note: who wants to go to Wanderlust with me?  I'm seriously flirting with the idea of heading out to Whistler in August and filling my quota of barefooted-kefir-drinking.  Oh, you didn't know there was a quota?  There is.  

yoga and music and canada, what's not to love

- or could I go to the SeaWheeze?  I'd run 13.1 in Vancouver.

running and vancouver, what's not to love

- basically, I'm just looking for a reason to go to the Pacific Northwest and hang out.  

- HOW 'BOUT I DO BOTH?!

What'd you do last week?  What have you been eating?  Any big travel plans for 2013?

Things I've Learned From Facebook

I'd love to say "nothing", but it's just not true.

- What's funny is funny.  Baby laughing at bubbles?  There's a reason it goes viral.  IT'S FUNNY!

 

- What's inspiring is inspiring.  The disabled veteran dude who "never, ever gave up"?  It's been viewed 7 millions times.  IT'S INSPIRING!  

 

- Politics are the WORST.  You are either with Them or you're an IDIOT.  And it's Their job to tell you WHY you're an idiot.  Often.  With vehemence.  It's one thing to have an honest conversation with someone, it's another to make sweeping one-sided statements and expect the other side (or ones undecided or people still debating or anyone who's willing to discuss things) to accept what you're saying.  Most often, political FB rants just entrench everyone's beliefs further.  

it's just the worst

 

- No one likes a complainer.  *scroll*

- Oversharing, however, is not so bad.  Some far-flung friends have shared cancer treatments and their side effects, others have shared pregnancy/parenthood stories, some have disclosed other big-time woes (or wins).  Since I don't get to see most people these days, it's actually great to hear about the big stuff (bad or ugly as it may be) that one might feel weird about throwing out on the internet.  As much as I'd like to know what you had for lunch today, I'd rather know you had a 503 hour delivery and you're tired as shit and I'll bring you some dinner (or at least order a pizza to be delivered to you).

- Birthdays are the best.  

all the feels

- Morgan Freeman is NOT dead.

still kickin'

- Nothing will happen if you type "jump" in a comment.

he doesn't get eaten either

- Someone will always take an awkward photo of you.  And post it.  AND tag you, just to make sure everyone sees how awkward you are.  Relish the awkwardness.  Make it more awkward by posting an awkward comment.  It's now a game.  Which you are, duh, winning. 

duh

- I'm a racist.  And a classist.  And an ageist.  And a genderist and every other kind of "ist" there is, I guess.  I believe one's ____ often gives them certain characteristics.  Nature/nurture sort of business.  For example, I'm anal-retentive and have a hard time shaking my booty (because I'm white).    I also worry constantly and have food on my shirt (because I'm a mom).  Of course there are exceptions.  Are all Asian people bad drivers?  No!  Are many of them?  Yes!  But seriously, I don't think most Europeans, Americans, or Australians are very good drivers either.  I wasn't even aware that I perpetuating stereotypes.  Most times I do it in jest.  Most of the time with those people standing right next to me.  I mean, why would you make a blonde joke unless a blond is right there?  If they're not there, then  you're being mean.  But seriously, I'm going to cut that shit out.  Unless you're standing next to me.  And then I'll make a joke about how white men can't jump.  

 

wait, how'd he get up there?

Until Facebook ends, I'll gladly post riveting status updates ("After a delicious breakfast, I treated myself to a really sub-par dinner."), ask intelligent questions ("What's the difference between a muffin and a cupcake?"), share my food pictures, roll my eyes at rants, and generally feel a little more connected to a lot of interesting, different, and  lovely people.

Peace, yo.

 

miss you already, mr. jordan

One year ago: The Finisher.