Some words about enlightenment

As an avid list-maker, you can be sure I friggin lurve this article.

The New York Times talks about different people and different goals on their life lists. They claim that lists are becoming widely popular among the "harried masses." Oh the snobby Times. How I love thee.

I have multiple life lists. I have a list of things to do before I'm 30 for my own personal fulfillment. Every year Drew and I make a list of things we want to do together that includes traveling, reading, cooking, etc. I have a career list with hopes that it will keep me focused and progressing.

Check out the article--especially the comment section. Lots of people have posted their personal lists. Totally fascinating. I can't believe how many people have "write a book" on their list. Many people also have "fall madly in love." It doesn't get more "harried masses" than that.

Memories

Remember the days when I used to blog? Yeah. Me too. I miss those days.

But currently I am preparing for my comprehensive exams--a grueling process which requires me to have two publication ready papers and the ability to defend any and all theoretical perspectives in my field. And I have to do it aloud. In the face of five professors. Awesome. Can't wait.

ANYWAY....instead of thinking of funny and cutting commentary to entertain you all with, I'm stuck in a black hole. A hole that means I put a pot on the stove and forget to turn on the burner. A hole that forces me to spend so much time alone that I start talking to myself. A lot. A whole lot. A hole that looks a lot like a glowing computer screen of endless word documents.

The worst part is that after it is all said and done, I won't have any champagne to celebrate any success I may attain. There is a global shortage of champagne. For those of you who know me outside this virtual world, you know how bad this is. Running. Out. Of. Champagne. OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD. How will I live?

Wish me luck....

Some words about judging and being judged

As you know, I spend a lot of time in coffee shops. I do work, spy on people, judge coffee orders of fellow patrons. The usual. I become enraged by one or more of the following things: when people refer to the man/woman behind the counter as a barista--aloud, order anything with soy, ask to see the size of the cup before making a decision, and/or refuse to let others order ahead of them even though they clearly do not know what they want. Rage. I also get very angry when the workers at "my" coffee shop act like they don't know my order. But that is a completely different post.

In short, I dislike high maintenance coffee shop patrons. Which makes this quiz even more funny. Oh the Oracle of Starbucks, you funny, funny little sh*t.

My rating:
Personality type: High Maintenance

You pride yourself on being assertive and direct; everyone else thinks you're bossy and arrogant. You're constantly running your mouth about topics that only you would find interesting. Your capacity for wasting other people's time is limitless. Your friends find you intolerable, that's why they're plotting to kill you.

Also drinks: Water. Bottled, chilled, with four ice cubes, a twist of lemon, in a crystal glass.

Can also be found at: Trendy martini bars

Now, I don't go to Starbucks. I go to local places. Local places that probably don't offer their employees insurance. I'm okay with that because those employees don't remember my order. My very high maintenance order.

I'll let you guess the drink. You probably already know the bossy, assertive, arrogant thing.

Some words about movies

In our ongoing attempt to acclimate to the 21st century, Drew and I finally bit the bullet and joined Blockbuster.com. We've held off because we weren't sure we watched enough movies to justify the cost and we like going to our local, non corporate movie store. But, alas, all standards come crashing down. Now our nights are spent building our queue and debating about television series.

Should we add Fraggle Rock?
...I don' t know. Would we actually watch it? Like sit down and watch all of Fraggle Rock?
....I don't know. Doubt it. But we might as well add it to the list.

We've realized that we have a queue filled with things that we would never, ever, ever pick out in a "real" movie store. Mostly because we'd have to face an actual human while checking out. Oh the freedom that comes without public shame. Our inner nerd is free to surface. We can finally watch all the documentaries we want without the clerk looking sadly at us as we exit the store. We can watch bad t.v. Bad. TV. We can watch movies that we should have seen long ago without the clerk thinking "These people haven't seen this movie yet? Wow. Wow." The service also allows us to have our [somewhat comical somewhat crazy] debates about movies in public. I won't even go into the development of our elaborate ranking system that involves IMDB and other assorted subjective standards.

Thank god for the internets.

But we still like to go to the movies as well. We'll watch the publicly acceptable movies in public. In the theatre. We aren't those blockbuster.com people --the people who will "just wait for the movie to come out on video." No. At least not anytime soon.

Although, who am I kidding...eventually I'll be the type of person who never leaves my house. That's the way I envision it anyway. It started innocently enough--pay bills online, get movies in mail, order groceries over the internet and then BAM never leave house again. Sit around making lists and watching Fraggle Rock. Good god.

Anyway...here are some good movies on the horizon.
Dedication
Dan in Real Life
The Darjeeling Limited
Rocket Science
August Rush

Some words about singing

I'm not sure how you all are going to feel about what I'm going to say.

*nervous cough*

I. Really. Really. Likekaraoke.

Yes. Karaoke.

I always have. I received my first karaoke machine when I was in jr. high. I used to costume my friends and we would perform for my family. Parties, family game nights, after dinner. Didn't matter the time, you could count on some singing. At that time, my favorite tune was Garth Brooks Two of a Kind. I could belt out some Garth Brooks. I've always loved to sing. In my dance class when I was 6, my teacher yelled at me (in front of the whole class) for "singing more than I danced." Whatever.

I still love to sing. I've been a regular karaoke'er since my junior year of college. I had a group of people that I regularly sang with. I moved up from Garth to Four Non Blondes and Neil Diamond. I fancied myself quite good. I even remember a few nights that my friend Maeve and I would drunkingly heckle the other singers for not being up to snuff. See, it isn't that I'm a good singer. I'm really not. Rather, I throw myself body and soul into the performance. I have a good time. I get the crowd involved.

Case in point. A couple years ago, I returned to my (very small) hometown. I went to the ONE bar in town on karaoke night. I ran into people I had not seen since high school. It was awkward. It is safe to say that I was a bit of an outcast in my tiny, conservative town. Still am, I guess. But nothing a few drinks couldn't fix. It got to be the end of the night. I hadn't sang all night. I grabbed my sister, a couple friends, and gave Drew the camera. It was legendary. Me+Journey+shots=yelling at the crowd to put their hands together. Me+Journey+shots+not enough crowd participation=screaming at the crowd as I approached their seats demanding they put their hands together. Most people did.

It is all in the performance.

Karaoke is really getting popular now-a-days. There is a video game. There is this internet service. There are tv shows (which I watch religiously). There is a new bar in the ATH that offers karaoke Japanese style. Oh yeah. Just like Lost in Translation. You and a bunch of friends rent a room and sing your hearts out while strange Korean videos play on a screen. It is brilliant. Needless to say, I LOVE IT.

What's that? You want pictures? If you insist.

* More pictures worthy of some viewing at my shutterfly