"I will never, ever, ever grow so old again"

Well, I wonder which song they're gonna play when we go.
I hope it's something quiet and minor and peaceful and slow.
When we float out into the ether, into the Everlasting Arms,
I hope we don't hear Marley's chains we forged in life.
'Cause the chains I been hearing now for most of my life.

Did you hear the '59 Sound coming through on Grandmama's radio?
Did you hear the rattling chains in the hospital walls?
Did you hear the old gospel choir when they came to carry you over?
Did you hear your favorite song one last time?

And I wonder were you scared when the metal hit the glass?
See, I was playing a show down the road
When your spirit left your body.
And they told me on the front lawn.
I'm sorry I couldn't go,
But I still know the song and the words and her name and the reasons.
And I know 'cause we were kids and we used to hang.

Young boys, young girls, ain't supposed to die on a Saturday night.



March 1, 2009.

Goals for the Advancement of Self:

1. Stay apprised of global happenings.
2. Read more non-fiction (specifically Imperium, Freakonomics, and Jihad)
3. Learn the name and location of every country.
4. Go to as many museums as possible as many times as possible (Museum of Science and Industry, The Art Institute, The Field Museum, The Planetarium, The Museum of Contemporary Art, The Chicago History Museum, the Aquarium, and any other museum I can find).
5. Go to at least one Unitarian service at the Castle.
6. See the Chicago Symphony perform (hopefully more than once).
7. Purchase a double bass and practice often.
8. Learn how to play the mandolin.
9. Develop friendships (both existing and in the pursuance of new friendships).
10. See a play and/or opera.

I'm sure more items will be added as the summer progresses, but as it stands, this is my "to-do list" for the coming months.

"It never gets old, huh?" "Nope."

p.s. Brian Anderson's birthday is tomorrow!

Ugh.

Today has just been such a downer. I come home from school to find out that my dog got a cast put on her front right leg because her arthritis has gotten so bad she can barely walk. Then my car won't start when I have to go to Oak Forest for a doctor's appointment and my mom kept saying that I must have done something wrong and was just being a jerk. As a result I had to take my mom's car and then she needed it to go to a wake so I had to cancel my haircut appointment. Also I am heartbroken over the fact that I'm going to have to give my turtle away when I go to college because he can't come live in my dorm with me and my mom said she's not going to take care of him. This may sound stupid to some people, but I really really love my turtle and I can't imagine not having him by my bed and wishing him goodnight and telling him I love him before I go to sleep and saying good morning to him when I wake up. Even thinking about just makes me cry and I'm hoping there's some way for someone to look after him just for like the nine months I'm going to be in school and hopefully after my first year I'll get an apartment or somewhere Mikey could come live with me. I got him when he was just a baby and have had him for over two years and there's a good chance he'll live for another 30 years and I want to keep him for all of them.

Mobiles give you Cancer!

So my dinner party last week was exceptional. It seemed like everyone had a good time and I received many compliments on my cooking, which I was really excited about. I ended up making Roman style chicken, sun-dried tomato risotto, and spinach linguine with basil-cilantro pesto, and for desert I made espresso frappes, which were delicious. I didn't get a chance to take any pictures because I was too busy playing hostess, but Geena did and I'll post some as soon as she sends them to me. I'm really glad it went as well as it did and I am predicting a future repeat.
Yesterday was my grandparents 61st wedding anniversary. Insane! We had a relatively small gathering at my house to celebrate, and we also included my birthday into it (which isn't until the 15th), so I got a bunch of money from my family. I wasn't expecting anything from my parents because I know we're going to do something on/around my birthday, so I was really surprised when I went up to my room and saw a card and a jewelry box sitting on my bed from my mom. She gave me the most beautiful necklace with green stones in it, it's absolutely gorgeous. My mom is just the sweetest person ever.
As for today, Sara came over to tell me about Soxfest, particularly Brian Anderson, who is my absolute fave despite the fact that in his blog during the playoffs he could barely sting a sentence together. She got me this poster of Obama wearing a Sox hat, a picture of Brian Anderson making his infamous catch during the blackout game, and a ball signed by Boone Logan. I was absolutely shocked, I couldn't believe that she got me all that stuff and I almost started to tear up. It was the best thing ever.

Pay heed to your heart and not to your wit.

So I got my hair cut on Thursday, and as of yet, not a single person has noticed. And I got a good two-three inches cut off too. Not even my mom noticed, and she made my haircut appointment and gave me money to pay for it. I don't know. It just bummed me out. I'm also starting to get oddly melancholy, and I can't explain it. Who even knows.

Bada Bing Bada Buddha

So I won tickets to go see Mike DeStefano at the Lakeshore Theater on Friday. Alyssa and I ended up going, and we got there at 5 for an 8 o'clock show. So we went to Argo and drank delicious tea while people watching and then went to grad some eats at a Thai place across the street. I got the Pad Woon Sen, and it was not good. It was terribly bland and kind of greasy. After dinner we walked down the block to the theater and got our seats. There were three comedians on before Mike, and they were all pretty funny. After an intermission Mike came on, and it was so much fun! He was really irreverent and vulgar, and it was awesome. After the show he was selling a little book he had of various one-liners and sayings (not unlike Christopher Gutierrez' "Guide to Living Deliberate") and he would sign them and take pictures with anyone who asked. So I buy the book and he asks me my name so he could sign my book. I quickly stuck the book in my bag without looking for it so that we could take a quick picture with him.


So we walk to the car and I drive Alyssa home and then go home myself. Once I got home I take the book out of my purse and read what he wrote:


I may or may not have peed a little after seeing this.