taking the long way around...

Tomorrow I will officially be another year older.

What, might you ask, have I done in that year of time? Sometimes, I can't even answer that question, yet I feel like I need to write something down that marks the 25th year of my life. It's been a year worth noting, many interesting things happened to me, many good things, and thankfully, not too many bad things. I won't bore you all with the details, only to say this - I finally am at a point where I feel like a 'grown-up.'

Driving home the other day, I realized that this is indeed my home and my parents home is no longer my house. It's my neighborhood and my car, my bed, my kitchen, and strange as it is - this is something that has only recently occurred to me. I guess I never really felt like I left home - like I was away on some vacation or at college. But after two years, it's sunk in that there is no 'going home again.' To quote the storyhill boys, "Can you ever go home again?"

I'm not sure you can - and I certainly can't rewind the last year, so I shall put more effort into making this next year even better, hopefully with less mistakes, less craziness and more time to do things that I actually want to do.

That being said - this weekend was fabulous with a dinner at Sawatdee (love the green curry), ice cream cake with my parents, a Twins game and HARRY POTTER! (Yes, I read the entire book on Saturday...I'm a fast reader - don't judge.)

And now, I should get some sleep - because at the end of this very long and drawn out week, I am going on VACATION. And I want to be able to enjoy that, and not be sleep deprived.

Quote o' the day:

"Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings, not the great goals achieved. The real milestones are less prepossessing. They come to the door of memory." - Susan B. Anthony

I'm not so sure what this is all about

This is me on coffee. Awake.

I decided to get a coffee before class tonight since I've been ass-tired all day. I seriously am considering taking a day off just for me. However, this week and next, I've got at least two meetings each day. Which kind of sucks, but at the same time, it keeps me away from the craziness that is the fact that people keep asking me what we're doing.

I don't know people. You want to know - ask the boss. I'm sure she's got some kind of plan. But I've never seen it and probably never will. And the word on the street is that she's not working out so well (this from a coworker who hardly ever leaves her office, so it must really be bad). But we shall see if anything happens about that.

I've had some time to think about it. And I just don't know anymore what I want. But I guess that's all right for now.

I'm going to some AMA thing at St. Thomas tomorrow at 7:30 and will have to get up early, but am not sleepy and it's just kind of hot in my house.

So, that being said - here are some new music artists for ya'll to check out. If you want specific song names, let me know, but from what I've heard...these are fantastic (and in no particular order).

Sea Wolf
The Dears
Citizen Cope
Emilianna Torrini
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
The Mary Onettes (on myspace page right now)
the hereafter
Jarvis Cocker
Mae
The Winter Blanket
The Long Winters
Ingrid Michaelson

And I think that's it...for now.

Quote o' the day:

"the most wasted of all days is one without laughter" - e.e. cummings

there was pain that we talked about

Today I heard this song on the radio and I really felt the need to share it. Here are the lyrics. It's called "Everything Green" by Christine Kane.

They built a highway without much concern
And we cried for the hills and the trees that were burned
Back before hopelessness, long before greed
When everything must have been green

There was rain
And we danced in it
There was mud
And we ran in it
It was wild
Deep inside of everything green
There was pain
That we talked about
There was love
And we let it out
We were made
In the shade of everything green

We watched as they paved, as they worked, as they tore
You said, I have no faith in this earth anymore
Sounded like hopelessness, sounded like need
I grabbed you, we ran to the trees

There was rain
And we danced in it
There was mud
And we ran in it
It was wild
Deep inside of everything green
There was pain
That we talked about
There was love
And we let it out
And we prayed
In the shade of everything green

While stars turn to stardust
And angels talk to us
The world all around us can breathe

We have our guns, our machines and our swords
But I will not hate or destroy anymore
'Cuz after the hopelessness beyond the fear
We'll wake to the magic that's here
(and open our eyes...)
To the rain
And we'll dance in it
And the mud
Put your hands in it
In the wild
Deep inside of everything green
And the pain
We can talk about
And the love
Just let it out
We are made
In the shade of everything green

It is springtime, friends and I couldn't be happier.

Quote o' the day:

"Long stormy spring-time, wet contentious April, winter chilling the lap of very May; but at length the season of summer does come." - Thomas Carlyle

burdens of intuition

Well, it's done. I officially have done my reading for class. And it wasn't as scary as I thought it might be. I just didn't look up the whole time. And now, as with last semester, I'm finding that now that it's the end of the semester I'm just starting to know, trust and like these people. It's too bad. In a lot of ways.

Tonight I also let my sister read something of mine - which is probably a first for me. I had written a poem about her, and most of it was about how a sisterly bond is a strong one. But there were moments when I could see her possibly feeling bad about it. And I hope she doesn't - because this poem came out of a day that I needed her and wished she was home.

There has been a lot of things going on and I've been missing these chats with all of you - because, as Colleen says, blogging completes me. I feel like my day is officially over when I've written my thoughts, good or bad, and anything else that I want to throw into the void of the internet out there.

Tonight I'm mostly just excited about what I've written this semester - about 40 or so pages of work. Some poetry, some essays and some just random thoughts. But it's exciting nonetheless. And I'm excited about all that I got accomplished at work today, and what the rest of the week brings.

But... the thing I'm most excited about is - drumroll - my new Teva sandals. They are the most freaking comfortable things I've ever put on my feet. I want to wear them all the time.

And I think that can be it for tonight. I've got lots of other things that I should/could/would write about, but I'll leave you all to guess at them for now.

Quote o' the day (because I know you all missed it):

"You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time." - Abraham Lincoln

just a small annoyance to get me through...

One of the most annoying things, I’ve found, is when the ‘now playing’ information doesn’t actually show what is ‘now playing.’ Of course, this happens most frequently when you’ve found a song that you really like and want to know what it is.

For the last two days, the ‘now playing’ song on the Current has been Orange Juice – Moscow. Luckily, the play list portion is correct. Otherwise I’d be even more bugged.

It’s only 9:30 and this day is going far too slowly. And the coffee I got this morning is not serving its purpose as it should.

Quote o’ the day:

"I finally figured out the only reason to be alive is to enjoy it.” – Rita Mae Brown

just a passing moment gone

Friends, all of the sudden, I've been finding new musical artists and loving them. Here are some that you simply MUST listen to:

Rocky Votolato
Au Revoir Simone
Haley Bonar
Roma Di Luna
Thomas Dybdahl
Maria Taylor
Andrew Bird
Dan Israel

And if you don't like listening to the Current, then you probably won't like these artists, but I DO. :) Even if you only check them out of your undying affection for me, I'll be happy. These are things that make me smile.

Tomorrow is our Focus Forum event, so I have to be awake at like 4:30. I tell you, this is going to suck. And all 146 people that are registered better show up just because I want to see the look on KG's face when there isn't "30% attrition." And that's all.

Since I've promised bagels and coffee for those there early, I'd best get to bed. Au Revoir!

Quote o' the day:

"Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy." - Anne Frank

even your emotions had an echo in so much space

I broke my promise today.

I ate at McDonald's. Please don't judge me. I had to eat before class and well, that was the best option given the time that I had. And I remember now...those fries are damn good. And the crispy chicken wrap is not too shabby either.

Class this week was super emotional for some reason - we just read The Known World and I tell you, as beautifully painful as that book is, if you haven't read it, you need to. And read some interviews with Edward Jones and just soak it all in. Times like these I remember why I want to marry a smart writer man so that I can spend the rest of my life reading freaking great literature. And I do mean Literature. But all in good time.

And I'm getting annoyed with the dancing iPods on my screen so I'll be done. And I know you all were waiting for something profound, so here it is.

Quote o' the day:

"Solitude is the profoundest fact of the human condition. Man is the only being who knows he is alone." -Octavio Paz, The Labyrinth of Solitude, 1950