Music and Running....

I haven't run this week.  Monday it was crappy out, so I figured I'd run Tuesday.  Then my schedule changed, and I had an opening shift instead of a closing shift.  We had a meeting at night, and when I went home, it was storming.  I missed my run.  And today?  So far...rain, tons of wind...etc.  Looks like I could miss my run today, too.  Anyone know where there's a free indoor track around here I could use?  

All these rainy days have had me writing a little bit and playing a lot of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the 3DS (which, can I say, is amazingly new and nostalgic all at once).  Oh...and listening to music.  Of course, there's almost ALWAYS music on at home.  I was curious what my most played songs were, and the list was as follows:

1.  "Fuck You" by Cee Lo Green
2.  "Shame for You" by Lily Allen
3.  "Black Keys" by Andy Davis
4.  "Killing Me Softly" by the Fugees
5.  "Cryin'" by Aerosmith
6.  "(You Make Me Feel) Like a Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin
7.  "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak
8.  "Nervous" by Dryve
9.  "L.O.V." by Fitz and the Tantrums
10.  "Sadie Hawkins Dance" by Relient K

I was honestly a little shocked.   It's not entirely indicative of the music I feel I've been listening to.  I mean, "Fuck You" is a great song, and that one was no surprise.  It's been played WAY more often than any other song...of course, we listened to it, like, ten times when my brother was over right after it came out, so, you know.  

I can't even remember how "Shame for You" goes, s I can't believe it's second.  The next three are pretty accurate, though.  That Aretha song is one I can't remember hearing recently OR very often, but...there it is.

And the last three?  Hm.  Still kind of odd to me.  The Fitz and the Tantrums song should probably be higher on the list.  And I'm really surprised there's no Ben Folds on this list, considering they're my favorite band.  They made the top 25, but there's only one song clocking it at number 20, and it's not one I even love.  

Oh, and number 11?  "The Bed Intruder Song" by Antoine Dodson.  Yeah...guilty pleasure and a party song.  Sometimes I don't play DJ at my own parties; I just let whoever play whatever.  But, honestly, that one's mostly me.  Ha!

Out

 

Muddied...

Have you ever worked on something for so long that you kind of forgot why?

I've been compiling a playlist. When did I start? Oh...January, maybe? Perhaps earlier. And last night I was looking through my music and thinking to myself, "What the hell did I want to say in this list? Was it sexy or regretful? And...why?"

But now I've compiled enough songs that I might have to finish it. Not to mention that I'm basically hard-wired to listen for songs that might fit it after more than six months of doing just that. Everything on the radio, everything on my computer, every movie I watch, every music video someone links to...it all just goes into a little machine in my head that weighs the lyrics against a set of feelings. Do they match? No. On to the next one. Do they match? Maybe. It goes on the maybe list. There aren't very many yes songs. I think I've got six, maybe...

But I've been doing it for so long that last night I got confused...I think the story I'm trying to tell with the songs got a little muddied after being stirred so long.

And no. I'm not sharing the list just yet. Maybe once I decide on an actual title. Right now it's called Tanis Judique, which doesn't probably mean anything to any of you. It may end up being the name I choose, but...maybe not.

Anywho, that's what has been on my mind lately. I think I need a break from thinking about it.

Out

CAD

Our bank abbreviates everything, apparently.  So everyone was talking about CAD.  And I was like, "Computer Aided Drafting?"

No, no, no.

Customer Appreciation Day!  It's the second Friday of each month, and we provide breakfast, lunch, and a snack in the afternoon.  It's apparently quite a spread! 

They keep telling me how well this bank feeds its employees (and customers)...it sounds too good to be true!  Anywho, I'm skipping breakfast at home in favor of having something there.  Oh, and I get to attend my first sales meeting today...sort of as a fly on the wall, just to see how it works. 

So it should be interesting...and tonight?  I'm going to see Andy Davis with my friend Sabrina on her birthday!  We try to see him every time he comes to Chicago.  Check him out:



He's awesome...and kind of hot.

Out

Morning Stops...

I went back to interview again this morning. It was sort of awkward, because he sat on the same side of the desk as me. We were in Lori's office again, and she was sitting behind her desk. It was obvious he was unprepared for the interview. He kept shuffling through my resume and application at breakneck speed, sort of like studying ten second before the test hits your desk.

I can't really fault him, though, because I don't think they told him he'd be interviewing me today until he walked in this morning, and since the lobby opens at nine, and I showed up at nine-fifteen, I'm guessing he didn't walk in too much further ahead of me. Blah.

I didn't feel like this interview went as well, but maybe that was just because he wasn't prepared as much. I don't know, really. It wasn't as smooth. And I didn't really like him.

And I called Lori by the wrong name. I called her Lisa. Dang it. But they seemed impressed that the old job was trusting me to do leadership type stuff. So, who knows. I think that might balance out "the incident", as I've come to call the specifics of my termination. Blah. He seemed a little shaken by that whole explanation...with good reason, but...

I dunno. Lori told me that the hiring process there works very slowly. We shall see. In the meantime, I'll just keep looking, applying, and calling around.

Oh, and I stopped by the library today. I checked out Maus (they actually had the full volume, which I didn't know before--that should make you happy, Maureen). And then I got some CDs. This is a window into my musical tastes: I got Norah Jones, Moby, and Switchfoot. All new. And then I listened to Adam Lambert on the way home.

And now? I think I'ma play Cave Story on my Wii. If you have a Wii and you liked any Metroid game that has come out before Gamecube, or you just like that retro charm and a kickass game, GET IT! Download it on the Wii Shop Channel for 1200 points. It's totally worth it.

I'm...Out

It was the most gorgeous day yesterday.  And today?  It's supposed to be EVEN NICER!  So, as I've been itching to do since fall, I hopped on my bike and cruised through town.  Oh my gosh, it was lovely!  I happened upon some new graffiti on the trail, and it made me wonder if it was put there in the fall or winter or just recently, although it looks like someone tried to paint over it unsuccessfully a while ago, so my money is on fall.  Anywho:



"How many have to die?  STOP THIS WAR"

And about three feet down was this:



"Free Tibet."  Good advice.  I think I'll put it on my to-do list for the day.

And, close to my own heart, someone did this:



A cute little bird...oh, and my shadow.  You can't see it there, but the wind was doing tragic things to my WAY-TOO-LONG hair.  It was a wreck.

But I had this little gem to remind me that it didn't matter:





It says, "Whatever you are, it's beautiful."  I'm just glad they got the punctuation correct.

And then I headed past the old train depot,



And into the college multi-family homes area, the older section of town.  While I was riding I noticed this building that I've never seen before, despite living in this area my whole life:



It looks like an old school or a hospital, but it was completely empty with "No Trespassing" signs all over it.  How strange that it's not in use AND that I'd never seen it before...And here DeKalb is in an uproar about building a new school...they're not even using this one!

But I continued, on a beeline for where the Water Guy works.



I took no photos of his place of employment because I didn't want to seem like a creeper, but mostly because I already have some.  So you get this church steeple and this odd house:



I love that neon lime door.  How cute!

I'd never really been in this area, so I rode around for a while, taking some photos.  This house was all decked out for Spring, and I wondered if it always looked like that:



Cute. 

I was exhausted, though, and I had decided that I needed a hair cut.  Badly.  So, I rode home, past an inadvertently funny sign that's in a neighbor's lawn.  There's a back story here.  The county is discussing building a huge landfill somewhere in the vicinity.  So people are sort of in an uproar over it.  Signs have popped up all over in the lawns of people who oppose it, and this is what they say:



Yeah...it kind of makes me want to take a giant steaming dump in their front lawn.  Not gonna lie.  I snicker every time I see one.  And then I crave chicken and dumplings, because what's the opposite of a mega dump?  A dumpling!  I'll be here all week.

Onto the hair cut.  Here's my truly atrocious before photo:



I look wasted, and sort of stoned.  I was neither.

And after?



Much better!  I got so many compliments on the beard at church last night...it's a little overwhelming.  So...there.  Welcome to my day yesterday.  What you didn't see?  Three hours of Final Fantasy II, and me dancing along to Adam Lambert in my car.  That's about it.

I hope you take some time to get outside and enjoy the weather, if it is, indeed, nice today.  My old college friend Derek (derektb) is coming out here in the afternoon and we're going to drive to our old Alma Mater with the windows down and the music on and then meet some people for dinner later.  It'll be a hoot.

Out

What Do You Do With a BA in English...

Yes, friends, today I secured tickets (thanks to my lovely and amazing boyfriend) to go see Avenue Q!! It's not till may...but until then, I'll be watching these videos. Check them out if you're uninitiated!



Or this one:



Or this one:



I'm so excited I could pee!!!!

Out

Woodwind Hootenanery...

I had a dream last night that the bank got robbed. At clarinet-point.

I have to stop eating Tim Tams before bed.

In other news, we put up our Christmas tree! The cat seems not to care one bit. That's great news, considering we both have a history of cats that like to dive into or out of the tree, knocking it over and casuing damage to walls, floor, tree, and ornaments. But Marble seems content to sleep on a blanket on the couch and lick himself. Fair enough.

I'm sure I'll post photos of said tree once I take some worth sharing. Horribly lackluster, my photo taking skills as of late. Boo on that.

My Christmas shopping as half done. Robb is shopped for, as is my mom. Thank God for Amazon.

Oh, and if you're wondering what to get the blogger that seems to have everything? He doesn't have squat and this is what he would like: [click here].

Oh the weather outside is frightful, and the heater is so delightful,
And since work is fivem inutes from home,
Let it snow,
Let it snow,
Let it snow.

Out

Music Talk

Top 5 Tuesday will resume. Just not this week. Work is eating my face. Moving on.

Does anyone else feel like that Owl City song on the radio sounds like it was written by a four-years-old boy at church camp? I think the lyrics are ridiculous and idiotic. Write a song that makes sense, Owl City. I think maybe I'm the only person who isn't absolutely gaga over them right now. Am I deficient? Maybe I've reached that age where new music isn't appealing anymore. But then, I've heard a few songs in the past few days that I've really liked...so much so that I added them to my Amazon Wish List.

That was a shameless plug, by the way.

But really...what's the appeal there? Is this one of those cases where the song on the radio is the worst song on the album or something...or are all their songs this ridiculous, lyrically?

Help.

Out

She Stuck Her Voodoo Pins Where My Eyes Used To Be...

Disregard the title. I've been listening to the new Mika album nonstop. It's wonderful.

And...I accidentally posted Top 5 Tuesday on my other blog yesterday, so...I may as well do it here today, right? Nothing like missing the mark entirely! It took me 3 hours before I realized it was Wednesday yesterday.

In other news...I'm driving to see the boy at work and having lunch with him. I love being a good boyfriend. It happens so infrequently.

Anywho...Top 5 Tuesday: Pinball Edition

Guess what, friends?  It's the triumphant return of Top 5 Tuesday!

I'm sure we've all spent a few quarters in a pinball machine in our lives.  Me?  I've spent more than anyone ever should.  I could probably buy every machine on this list with the number of quarters I've used playing pinball in my lifetime.  But some of you may not know where to start.  That's where this handy list comes in!  If ever you see one of these in an arcade, you'll know it's worth the quarters!  I give you the top 5 pinball machines I've ever had the pleasure of playing:

5) Tales From the Crypt



I remember playing this game in the general store of a campground we used to visit every year.  It's been probably close to fifteen years since I've played it, but I remember it being one of the most fun pinball machines I've ever used.  The Cryptkeeper was your guide through the game, and despite his creepiness, he never fell short of having a good quip when you failed.  The ball launger in the form of a doorknocker-representation of him was a nice touch!  I also remember this game having the loosest match numbers at the end of the game of any pinball machine I've ever used...and that means more free games!

4)  The Simpsons



This machine has eaten far too many of my quarters.  I would say that of all the games on my list, this one is the most unforgiving.  There must be something about the pastel paradise of Springfield under the glass that drives balls to the no zone.  It's not a fantastic pinball game, but, like everything else that has the Simpsons' name on it, people play it no matter how much it sucks.  I think maybe there was a little too much going on under the hood, but that's what makes it so much fun and captures the zaniness of Springfield.

3)  Hook



This game lands itself on the list because it's the easiest pinball machine I've ever played.  I'm no pinball wizard, but even I have trouble losing a ball in this one.  And with scores totaling in the hundreds of millions, it makes even the worst player feel like a big shot!  The skill shot at the beginning is a great touch and keeps me coming back to nail just one more launch.  The fact that it has an instant replay feature which gives you one free ball if you truly suck or have terrible luck on a ball is enough to set it apart from any other game on the market.  The icing on the cake?  Hearing Captain Hook say, "I hate, I hate, I hate Peter Pan!"

2)  Fire!



I know what you're thinking:  A pinball game based on the Chicago Fire?  How on earth does that work?  Quite well, let me tell you!  It's one of the only pinball machines that I've ever been able to figure out, goal-wise.  You're supposed to bep utting out the fires and saving the citizens of the city one flick at a time.  There's a rather loud fire bell on the top of this machine that rings every time you hit the multiplier, which multiplies your bonus at the end of a round by how many times you hit it.  That means huge bonuses and free games for people who can keep the ball going.  A great feature of this machine is a certain ramp that captures a ball and tells you a firefighter is trapped.  You're tasked with raising the ladder to the burning building and launching the ball up the ramp, triggering a multi-ball, the joy of pinball enthusiasts everywhere!  It's mayhem; it's loud; it's fun; it's Fire!

1)  Taxi



We've come to the top of my list, the cream of the crop, the best damn pinball game there is, in my humble opinion.  Doubtful?  Let me tell you this, then:  Nowhere else can you find Mikhail Gorbachev, Marilyn Monroe, Santa Claus, Dracula, and Pinbot in one place!  In one taxi, no less!  They're your targets in this madcap game with a sense of humor, and y'all know how I love a game with a sense of humor.  Your bonus at the end of every ball depends on how many of them you can cram into your taxi without losing.  Fill it full and take a joyride, and the points shoot through the roof!  Each character has their own voice and will call out when you're close to picking them up, and each shot gives you points depending on how many times you can "spin out" in the ramp off the main shoot.  It's a riot, and I've spent enough money in this thing to buy the machine!

So there you have it, my list for the top 5 pinball machines of all time.  Have you played any of these?  What would you put on the list?

I Wish...

I've been thinking about my brother a lot lately...



At least three times a day I wish I could send him a text message, a terrible song lyric by Skee-Lo or some other crappy R&B singer from the 90s...

Iraq feels further away than it ever has before.  The last time he was there, I never had a cell phone, so I couldn't just fire off a text and wait for a laugh.  I had to write letters and wait a month for a phone call. 

I wrote this poem because I was disillusioned the night before he left from his last visit:

Shooting

This horror floated ashore from the sea of memory,
a corpse that looked too familiar to ignore
too much like myself.
It was only drunk talk on a Saturday night
guys shooting pool
shooting the breeze.
(But my own brother--
builder of snowbank forts
screamer of obscenities
bestower of bruises
the same man who stood up for me--
crossed a line.
"There is nothing"
he says
"like pulling the trigger and watching the guy fall down.")
shooting my image of my only brother.
He is never coming back.
---------------

My image of him was blown.  Completely.  And yet, all I can think about is how much I'd like him to sing "I Wish."  I wish I were a little bit taller; I wish I was a baller.  I wish I had a girl who looked good I would call her.  I wish I had a rabbit in a hat and a bat....

Out

I don't know if anyone has been observant enough to notice that I've been silent on this issue for the most part, but I figured it was a good time to break the silence. I don't really talk about my dad...for personal reasons. We don't speak, he and I. I haven't actually seen him in...maybe five years...I dunno. It's been a while.

Anyway, I wrote a poem today.

---------

Father's Day

You always were the funniest man I knew,
hat backward
arms flapping at dinner
never afraid to tell a dirty joke
to your adoring fans:
children.

Long drives waiting for
"a flash across the sky"
Flash Gordon's ghost will never die
Your taste in music disseminated.

Last night a woman I'd just met told me
I should take my comedy
on the road.
As hard as I try
to be nothing like you
I fail.

Just like you expected me to.

Happy Father's Day.

------------------

Out

Viva La Love Story...

Viva La Love Story...
Who knew that one and one could add up to so much? Check out this YouTube video. It's pretty amazing. And this guy's story kind of made me tear up a bit. I think it's that fatherly care thing...

[for some reason my video won't load]
[*yells* "TECH SUPPORT!"]

Try going here, where I had no issues: http://viewtiful-justin.xanga.com/703208824/viva-la-love-story/

Stupid Blogger...

Amazing.

Out

Our Song...

So, I'm trying really hard to focus on positives lately. I'm willing my life into the positive. And if you know me, you know that's hilarious. I'm not New Age-y at all. But I've been reading a blog called "Five Rules to Life," and almost anyone who has anything remotely true to say says that if you focus on the positives, you'll be happier.

It's pretty self-explanatory. So, I'm working on it.

Prepare for a happier blog. OR a colossal meltdown. Whichever.

Anywho, that wasn't the original intention of this post.

What I was going to say is that THIS GUY:



And THIS GUY:



Do not have a song. Never have. And or those of you not in the know, that's me in the first photo and the boy in the second. The more you know...

We've talked about this topic several times, and we can never come close to resolving this issue. I think the closest song we have to an "Our Song" is "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds.



But he thinks the closest we have to our song is "Lady in Red" by Chris de Burgh



No. I say no to that one. We both like that song, but it's not our song.

My question to you is as follows: How does one go about getting a song?

Also, do you and your significant other have a song? What is it? And why?

Thanks!

Out

The Power of Ten--or Fifteen...

My friend Melissa (check her out) ran a feature on her blog today that I think it would be fun to emulate.

She did a "10 Things About My Disability" post that I thought was very informative and witty. And while I don't have a disability, per se, I do have a unique perspective. So I thought it might be fun to tell you fifteen things about myself.

So, onward!

1. I am not contagious. I know, this was Mel's first point, but really. You can't catch gay. What you can catch from hanging out with me, though, is well-timed humor and maybe a laugh or a yawn.

2. I am a bibliophile. My room is filled with stacks of books in front of shelves full of books. And on top of those shelves? Books. I adore them, how they look and smell, the sound of turning pages, the magic of words passed through time. It's a vacation in the comfort of my home, and I love it.

3. I always wanted a Chia Pet. Since the first time I saw the commercials during Thundercats and Transformers when I was just a tiny Viewtiful_Justin. I asked my mother to get me one. I wanted them for birthdays and Christmases every year for what felt like ages. And I never got one.

4. I have a thing for firefighters. It's true. Joe Regular? Meh. But when I find out he's a firefighter, his hot points go up five-fold. The hat, the coat, the trucks...all of it. I don't know any reason why this is. I've tried to explain it, and I've plumbed the depth of my childhood. Nothing. But I do.

5. I have an irrational fear of being abandoned in a public place. I don't care if it's a grocery store I go to three times a week and I'm the one with the car keys; if I look up and I can't see you, I get nervous. Anxious. And I have to stop shopping and come find you. I've never been abandoned in a public place. I've never really been abandoned anywhere. But if I can't see you...I'm afraid.

6. I used to have a great memory, but now...not so much. I was a vault. Lock it away and never lose it. Now? It's more like a sieve. Lots of holes...I put something there, and when I go to look for it again in ten minutes...gone! Names, dates, ideas...gone! That is, unless I write it down. If I put pencil to paper and make those marks,

7. I had a great one for number seven, and then I forgot it while writing the last one...hrmmm....oh! I got it! I was going to say that I love to sing. And I do! If there is a song on the radio that I know, I will be singing along. Not well, mind you, but singing along nonetheless. And if I don't know it? I'll be singing along by the second chorus. And, because of that, I judge a lot of music based on its singability. If it's not fun to sing along, I probably don't like it.

8. My feet are cold. Unless I am wearing shoes, I can guarantee you that my feet are cold. I'm sure it's poor circulation, although I've never been diagnosed or even checked out. But I've heard "Your feet are like ice!" enough times to know it's true.

9. I try to figure you out. When I am in public and I see two people together or a group of friends are all around one table at a restaurant, I try to figure out the dynamics of the group. I like to see if they seem like they're on a first date or it it's someone's birthday, if it's a work group or a school study date. I love figuring people out. People watching...to the extreme!!!

10. I find rudeness deplorable. When I say hello to a cahsier, I expect a response. When I talk to someone, I expect their attention. I hate seeing people come through the drive at work while they're on their cell phone. It bothers me even more to see them talking while they're inside and I'm waiting on them. I can't imagine how people could think that it's okay to do this. It's rude, and it's unacceptible. It's important to be polite.

11. I have written three novels. Each year I participate in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and every year I've participated, I've won, which means I've finished three 50,000 word novels, each in 30 days in the month of November. It's crazy amouonts of fun. But...the funny thing is that I've never edited one of them. Never even gone back and read them.

12. I'm a gamer. Many, many hours of my childhood were spent (not wasted, spent) in front of the television with a Nintendo controller in my hand. Not Sega. Not Playstation. Nintendo. I am and have always been a die-hard Nintendo fan...although right now they're working very hard to lose my affections--what with their lack of games for true gamers and their mountains of shitty shovelware crap. But, I digress. The fact is, I play, and I always have.

13. I like pirate slang. When I greet people, it's "Ahoy-hoy." Sometimes when I finish packing things at work I say, "Thar she blows." And sometimes, for no reason, I let fly with a "Yarrr." But I don't particularly care for pirates or the Disney Pirate movies. It's just...a love for the sound of it all.

14. It's a texture thing. This is the line I use when I don't like a food. I love cheese, and I love yogurt, but cottage cheese? Those little lumps turn me off. Baked beans, kidney beans, navy beans? Grainy texture. Ick. Same with peas. And marshmallows? Don't even get me started on marshmallows! I don't understand how something can be simultaneously puffy, slimy, chalky, and squishy at the same time. Eww. Add Peep's crunchy sugar coating and you've got the most revolting thin on the planet.

15. I love. There is so much hatred in this world, and only love can set it straight. I want to try to do my part to reverse the ravages of hate. So, I love. I love people and animals. I love quirks and mannerisms, accents and hair colors. I love facial tics and fashion, expressions and emotions. I just try to love. And I fail at this regularly, but I'm always trying. And really, that's all that matters.

What are some things that people don't know about you? Post them up and let me know about them!

Out

Take Your Nickel Back...

A song came on the radio today while I was at work, and my automatic gag reflex started. It was one of those songs about cherishing the day you have, because what if it was your last...you know, kind of sappy and bad like "If Everyone Cared," by Nickelback.

And then I thought...wait a minute...this IS Nickelback. Ugh. The gag reflex made sense.

Are they still making music? Is there anyone out there who still listens to them by choice? I mean...I assume that if they're still making music SOMEONE is buying their albums. But...who?

I'm sorry if you like them. I have pretty much hated them since...well, since that time in the early 00's when EVERY band sounded like them. Do you remember that week? Why weren't THEY one of the bands that went away? Anywho...

This rant really doesn't have much of a point, aside from raising awareness of the suckiness of a band that needs to grow up or get out. If I have to hear one more song by them that reminds me of a Barney lesson, I'm going to hurl. A brick through their collective faces.

And now, "Don't Stop Believin'" is on. I must go worship.

Out