Saturday, January 03, 2009

A Novel Of Sorts

Does anyone even read this anymore? Doubtful, but I'm going to waste my time anyways. I used to re-read my old posts all the time at my old job when I was bored but since I started my new one back in July, I hardly ever do. I've had nothing to do for the past few days so have been reading them and realized how much I love doing that because I wrote about shit that I would've never remembered had I not typed them down. So, this blog is basically purely for selfish reasons. Just had to get that out of the way in case you were wondering. Which you weren't. But I pretended anyways.

I'm still loving my new job, which I guess I can stop calling it that since I've been there almost six months now. I've gotten two raises already - who wouldn't love a job like that. My co-workers are awesome and have become more like friends, albeit friends that harass each other all day everyday - it's the only way we know how to get shit done. I may get made fun of for being a Southsider (everyone else is from the Northside) on a daily basis, but I can put up with that because I have FUN at my job. Who can say that? I look forward to going in because I know I'll laugh my ass off all day. I may still get incredible road rage coming home at least twice a week when I get stuck in traffic but it's a small price to pay. Not really because it's insane how bad traffic will make me so fucking crabby, but it can't all be sunshine and rainbows. I never thought I'd have a job I enjoy going to, but I do. I'm lucky yo.

One thing that's made the commute a tiny bit more plausible? My new car and the Sirius radio that came with it. Not having to listen to commercials or search endlessly while there seems to be only shitty songs on has made life a little bit more worth living. I'm not dramatic at all! It may suck making payments each month on my 2009 Ford Focus (which I can no longer say is from the future, what a shame) but mother of god, that Sirius radio is the SHIT. Especially channel 26, Left of Center Rock. I love you Jake Fogelnest!

I had a boyfriend for a few months, then lost him. It was great for a month but at the end it was like talking to a brick wall. A brick wall that doesn't acknowledge when you talk or even attempt to laugh at my stories. Pretty typical brick wall-ness I guess. Not crying over that guy, that's for sure. The only part I'm pissed about? He was tall! So damn tall! I could've worn stilts and still not have been as tall as him. If only I could have been fine with talking to myself for the rest of my life, it could've been beautiful. I think I'll give it a few more years before I start lowering my standards that much.

I went to a cousin's wedding in St. Louis back in October. Me and my brother and sister thought this wedding would be super lame because it was for my dad's side, and this particular family, his sister's, is ultra-conservative. As in, they really believed Sarah Palin was right for the job and will vote for anybody basically because they are anti-abortion. All of this equalled lameness for the wedding but it was not the case. Not the case at all. The other side of the family was fucking awesome and we drank all weekend with them. Plus there was one really cute cousin. What happens in St. Louis stays in St. Louis, right? So now I need more of my cousins to get married. Pronto. Forget that I'm the oldest cousin and am as far away from getting married as you can get, you younger ones, GET ON IT.

I went to Grant Park on Election Night for Obama's rally and it was so super cool to be there to actually witness history happening. I was nowhere near the stage, I was in the other section of the park just watching the results on jumbo-trons but it was still awesome to at least BE there. I may have been tired as fuck the next day for work, but it was worth it. What would have made it more worth it was seeing Brad Pitt there. Dang. Next time.

Christmas and New Years was great. My family spent a week in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan skiing/drinking for Christmas. It had been forever since we took a road trip like that and I hope the next one is in forever too. We had a fucking blast, but I could do without being crammed in the car for eight hours straight. For New Year's Eve I went to a party with Keri and her boyfriend Pat and J.P and his girlfriend Erin. At first I was wary of going but Pat promised me there'd be dudes there and not only couples so I went and had a good time. Also made out hardcore with the only other single dude there. Good thing that worked out or I woulda been pissed at Pat. Can't take me anywhere.

The Bears season was abysmal. All we had to do was beat the goddamn Texans and we would've been in the play-offs. Absolutely tragic. I went to a game a few weeks ago, a Thursday night game versus the Saints, the only game where a kick-off was returned for a touchdown and I missed it because we weren't in our seats yet. Motherfucker. At least they won though. I'm 2 for 2 in games these past two seasons where they go into overtime. I should probably go to all the games from now on. Or the Bears should JUST FUCKING WIN WHEN THEY NEED TO. God, it sounds so simple doesn't it. If only.

And lastly, a convo I had with my mom yesterday while I was putting away the dishes in the dishwasher:

Mom: Aw Kate! Thank you!
Me: I'm done for the year now.
Mom: God, the guy who marries you in gonna have to be a strong guy.
Me: Yeah he is. I ain't marrying no pussy.
Mom: That's my girl.

I'm glad we got that cleared up.

Sunday, August 03, 2008

Lolla, Cubs, Bitchings Vol. 1 & 2, Sox

I finally did it. I bought a motherfucking ticket for Lollapalooza and it was probably the best thing I've ever done for myself. Except for the whole I-almost-passed-out-from-the-heat during Duffy's set (for real - I started seeing black spots everywhere and was basically like Frank from Old School pushing people out of the way when he gets shot with a tranquilizer because I needed to get to some shade and could barely see) BUT BESIDES THAT it was awesome. I had to pick between Bloc Party and the Raconteurs which killed me, but ended up seeing Bloc Party mainly because I'd already seen the Raconteurs about one and a half years ago, plus Bloc Party was playing on the same stage as Radiohead, thus saving myself a good 30 minute walk - it was too goddamn hot and humid out to do any unnecessary movement. It ended up totally working out in my benefit because Bloc Party was GREAT. They played Modern Love, Banquet, Helicopter and Hunting for Witches among others - totally worth seeing them over Jack White and Co. I thought. Seeing Bloc Party made me even pumped to see the even more famous U.K band playing after them, Radiohead. There was 75,000 people jammed onto the field to see them but I still had enough room to dance like idiot because, that's what I do best bitches. Radiohead was awesome. Mother fucking awesome. They played both songs I was dying to hear off the new album, House of Cards and All I Need, plus my other favorites Airbag, No Surprises, Natural Anthem and Idioteque. I've always liked Radiohead, but had never exactly sought out tickets to see them live. You can bet your bottom dollar I'm never gonna miss them again though. I talked them up so much that my brother just texted me today saying he bought tickets to see them tomorrow, Monday, in Ohio. Lucky bastard - I'd give my right arm to see them again. So, it took me four fucking years to finally go to Lollapalooza (and it's right in my backyard, that's embarrassing) butI finally did it. Thank you Duffy, the Black Keys, Bloc Party and Radiohead for making it worth my time and money, but next time, Duffy? Try not to play so early in the day on a stage making me face directly into the sun, k? Thanks girl.


I started my new job, which I love, love, love with a passion two weeks ago and just found out this past week that the owner takes everyone to a Cubs game every year, a rooftop Cubs game that is. (Some of the apartments across the street from Wrigley Field rent them out and you can watch the game from up there, with free food and beer, it's actually pretty cool, and that's coming from a diehard Sox fan.) So I didn't really want to go, since I'd be at Lollapalooza all day Friday and with the game being at 12:05 Saturday, I knew I'd be wiped out and just too lazy to go. But I sucked it up, thinking it would probably be the right thing to go, being one of the new employees and all - I don't want to do anything to fuck this job up. So I went, I was a big girl and took the train all by myself, and I got wasted. I didn't do anything that makes me embarrassed to go in tomorrow by any means, but it was still weird to be drunk in front of my new co-workers. Especially co-workers who are 50 years old with white hair, look older than your 55 year old parents, who tell you they want to take you and that they're a "good catch - never been married, no kids and own my own house". That's great buddy but there's probably a REASON you've never been married. He was definitely good for a few free beers and shots though, and I don't have to see him hardly ever since he's just an installer and never comes into the office. But anyways, you have no idea how much shit I got from friends and my brother for going to this game. I couldn't bring myself to wear a Sox shirt because I hate when I'm at Comiskey and some douche bag is wearing a Cubs shirt when they aren't playing the Cubs, but some of my other Sox fan co-workers are ballsier than me so I stuck my them all night. So I may have gone to a Cubs game, my first Cubs game, mind you, but I am not a traitor, I'm not moving to the Northside and I'm not losing your number J.P SO SHUT UP.

Things That Make Me Go Apeshit, Vol. One

I went to a wedding shower today for my cousin Gene and his fiancee Colleen. When you read that sentence, you probably pronounced "Colleen" the right way, they only way it is pronounced, like "Cah-lean". No, this girl pronounces it "Co-lean". I thought maybe at first she spelled it with one L, or one E or something but it's not. This really enrages me. It's like me insisting I'm not "Kay-tee", it's "Kah-tee". You just can't change the whole pronunciation of your name, says me. We really need to work this out before the wedding in October or else there just might be a beatdown in the church I'M NOT KIDDING.

Things That Make Me Go Apeshit, Vol. Two

A few weeks ago, when I was still at the UPS Store, my co-worker Kathy was listening to the oldies station, a station I can't stand because I hate Elvis and all that other shit that classifies as an oldies song. This station claims to be "the true oldies" station all the time. All the fucking time, it's their tag line or whatever. So this "true oldies station" plays an Eddie Money song, Take Me Home Tonight. Them playing this song stops me in my tracks, no. 1, because I like to get mad about stupid shit and no. 2, because I know for a fact Eddie wasn't around in the late 1950's and early 60's making music already. So because I am seemingly predisposed to raising my blood pressure over shit like this and not all the other injustices in the world like Darfur, I look up when this song came out, and it was in 1986. Nineteen FUCKING EIGHTY-SIX. How do you have the balls to call yourself the "true oldies station" but play a song from the 80's? I'm getting seriously pissed all over again. Thank god I have a new job where my boss listen to the rap/hip-hop station and I hear the stupid fucking "Don't Stress" song by who knows and "I Kissed a Girl" 9000 times a day! Upgrade!

Once in awhile when I get bored, mainly when I was working at the store and I'd read my old blog entries when I had nothing else to read. I tend to read October of 2005 more often because it was the month the Sox won the World Series. Seriously, reading that month gets me all excited and happy, almost as if it's happening all over again. I always remember that it was awesome when they won of course, but reading my entires from that whole month, when I obviously had no idea it was going to end as sweetly as it did just makes it all the more.....awesomer? I have no idea where I'm going with this, I just love it. With us offcially out of first place for the first time all summer, the World Series may not happen again, but at least I have October of '05 to read whenever I get down about the Sox losing. Blogger, saving Katie from suicide every baseball season.

It's been eons, my apologies. Not like you care anyways. I won't be so long in between hellos next time.

Monday, July 07, 2008

Sound Of Silver, Talk To Me

Keri bought me a $50 iTunes gift card for my birthday almost two months ago and I've spent about half of it so far. I loved the MGMT cd, then bought some new band, Fleet Foxes which was just so-so (I asked Ker for my money back on that one but it was a no-go) then today I bought the Black Keys album, Attack and Release. This album is great - I may not love every single song but it's close enough. They're from Akron, Ohio where my bro goes to school and I keep meaning to ask him to look them up for me because I could really use a boyfriend right now but manage to forget every time I talk to him, which really is probably for the better. I had been excited this band was gonna be at Lollapalooza even though I'd only heard two of their songs on the radio but now I'm even more pumped. They just sound like a dirty Southern rock band, although I told that to Keri's friend's boyfriend and he totally disagrees with me, but this isn't his blog now is it. He has some of their earlier stuff and I need to listen to that before Lolla so I'm not one of those annoying people calling out for them to play all their lastest shit. I will know their other albums and will therefore be better than 95% of the crowd watching them THAT IS A FACT.

I saw Stevie Wonder at the Taste of Chicago last Saturday and the crowds, my god THE CROWDS. You probably think you've been somewhere extremely crowded, but you have not until you've seen Stevie at the Taste. I pride myself on being a pretty polite, consciencious person (I don't really have much else going for me - although really only to people I don't know. My best friend Meg tells me I'm nicer to people I've just met and will never see again than I am to my friends, so maybe I don't even really have that going for me) but I can only take so much. We were all at the show to see Stevie. At the FREE show, mind you. Some people would just stare at me hard when I tried to get past and not move. Bitch, you're the one standing on the walkway where you are supposed to be WALKING, not STANDING STILL and I have to go pee, so get out of my fucking way. We all started out the night trying not to step on people's blankets, or walking around people when they said they weren't going to move anymore but after a certain point you had no choice. Stevie was awesome, playing all the songs you wanted to hear and more, but after a certain point I just wanted to get out of the fuck out of there. Stevie you're as wonderful as your name says you are but must you bring out all the assholes in Chicago at one time? Let's work on that next time.

So whoever wished me luck on my two job interviews and date, you got half the job done. The date, I thought was good until my friend Diana told me the guy called me a prude after I left. Um, what? I go on one date with you (and not even a real date-date, we just met up for some beers), and you're the one who chose to stay out with your friends when I wanted to go home (at 2:30 am). You didn't even GIVE me a chance to show you if I was a prude or not. Not like I would have slept with you that night but for chrissake. You're the unemployed 28 year old who lives with your grandma WHY IS IT ONLY DEGENERATES THAT ARE ATTRACTED TO ME. Seriously, this shit needs to stop. BUT, on the other hand, I got a new job. I don't start for two more weeks and won't make much more than I make at the UPS Store right now, but after one-three months it should go up. Plus I get benefits which is awesome cause that insurance-runs-out-at-25-years-old deadline was looming ominously. So the pay isn't that great and it's kinda a hike, at 50 minutes to an hour away but me and my new boss hit it off from the moment we met so I really think it's going to work out. It just better because I am slowly losing my will to live at the store and this is my ticket out. So, next time I wish for luck, concentrate on the boy department but more importantly on the hope-he-has-a-job department. Who knew that was so hard to find, and if you did know WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME.

This new job shit is really going to cut into my book reading, a fact I am seriously down about because I am pathetic. I've read some good ones recently too, like The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields (just a really good story about a seemingly normal girl), I, the Divine, a Novel in First Chapters by Ribah Alameddine (my new favorite author), Are You There Vodka? It's Me Chelsea by Chelsea Handler (hysterical), When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishigro (Ms. Mac, you'll love it. I did, after I got used to the formal-ness of Christopher) and Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (god I don't get him but I love him). Since I've been keeping track of the books I've read this year, I feel like I'm in a constant race with myself, and with the library (to return them on time) to read as much as I can as fast as I can (it really annoys me that I feel like I have to beat the clock or something but I can't help it - does any of that make sense.) I'm at 34 so far and'll probably be lucky to break 50 by years end. Wah wah, is this what getting olds all about, getting a real job that interferes with my reading? Cause if so I WANT NONE OF IT but seeing as I can't even find a guy with A job, let alone a GOOD job, looks like I better get used to it.

Alright, I'm done whining. Here's some pictures, just cause I haven't put any up in eons, in no particular order.


My best friend Megan, me, Keri and cousin Hallie in Vegas before mom and dad renewed their vows. My dress made me look pregnant, a fact I discovered after I came home and saw the pictures. C'est la vie.


Me and Pammy in an EXTREME CLOSE UP, still in Vegas.


I want to live in the Bellagio. I was obsessed with these umbrellas they had hanging everywhere.


Me, Lauren and Diana at Blues Fest, supposedly seeing B.B King but the goddamn speakers weren't working by us so it coulda been a skinny white guy up there with a guitar for all I knew.


Keri and I at her boyfriend's house after a Sox game back in April. He, for god knows what reason, likes to cut the sleeves off some of his shirts, so we of course have to wear them when we go over there. Maybe it's for that reason I'm hardly invited anymore, WHO KNOWS. Or is it my wanting, NEEDING to play the drums at 2:00 am, I'll never know.


Saturday at Blues Fest. It rained. But we still had a good time. Pretty self-explanatory.


A group shot with my dad and Keri copping a feel on my mom. He claims he wasn't really, but this picture, the only evidence, states otherwise.


Keri does a much better Elvis impersonation than me. My lips are incapable of the upwards movement needed, it's just embarassing.

It is fucking hot in my room. Just had to tell someone so I picked all of cyberspace, don't you feel lucky!

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Shock Me Like An Electric Eel

1. Last night was finally, FINALLY the Swell Season concert we had gotten tickets for back in March. Worth that wait? That AND MORE. The Swell Season is comprised of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova who were in the movie Once that came out a little over a year ago. The song from it, Falling Slowly, actually won the Oscar for Best Original Song this year at the Academy Awards. Glen is also in another band, The Frames, who Keri introduced me to when she was in Ireland a couple years ago and they've grown into one of mine and hers favorite bands since then, who I've seen twice and her three times. They of course played mostly songs from the soundtrack but then at the end they played, with his original band The Frames backing, Fitzcarraldo, which is easily one of my top five favorite songs ever. THEY PLAYED IT LIVE. I can most definitely die happy now. If you ever get a chance to see them, go, GO without even a second thought because they put on such a great live show. And because I said so. Reason enough right there.

2. The other day, while working with my 50-something co-worker, I overheard her on the phone pricing something for somebody sending a package to Alaska. To preface things here, if you are sending something international, you need a customs form that says exactly what's in the package and the value of it. For international items only. ONLY INTERNATIONAL. And she knows this because she's been here longer than me. So anyways, after she hangs up the phone she goes, "Wait - do you need a customs form to send something to Alaska?" Me: "No....it's one of the 50 states." Maybe it doesn't matter how long she's worked here, she just needs a goddamn geography lesson.

3. Speaking of work, the other day some older dude came in the store and says, "So you're growing your hair out huh?" I had my hair in a messy ponytail with my bangy-thingys swept to the side - how the fuck did he even know how long my hair was. Plus, have I ever seen you before? No? Didn't think so. Then as he was leaving he says, "So the next time I see you, is it gonna be longer or shorter?" Not sure dude, but I'll be sure to call you to give you the big update before I do anything to my hair, promise. Weirdo.

4. Sox - Cubs this weekend, CAN'T WAIT. Too bad I have to listen to the Friday and Saturday games at work, but at least it makes the day go by faster. Even though the Cross-Town Classic games are always explosive, with both teams in first place, I think it adds a little bit more meaning to the games. Who knows, Sox vs. Cubs come October? That's all everybody talks about here, and yeah it would be awesome for us to beat the Northsiders ass in the World Series. FUCKING AWESOME. Let's go White Sox.


5. Speaking of the Sox, I was listening to the game here at work today (they won, 13-8, it was awesome) and right after they won, when I'm on my White Sox High Horse, some dude, who comes in here all the time walks in with his Cubs shirt on. I ask him, you getting excited for the games this weekend? Usually you expect to banter back and forth for a minute over who's the better team, your team blows, we're gonna kick your ass, etc., but this guy just goes, "uhh....not really. This is just a t-shirt my ex-girlfriend got me, I had nothing else to wear." Wow, you are lame. A boy who doesn't like baseball? BLASPHEMY. I'm never asking him anything ever again.


6. Ms. Mac, this is mainly directed at you: I finally finished The Power and the Glory today, and you were totally right, the book did pick up as soon as the priest got on the run. I was almost surprised at how much I liked it and totally did feel all intellectual-ly when I was done. In my mind, any priest would be willing to die for his religion than renounce it, so it almost made him more human to me that he was terrified of how much being shot was going to hurt, cause that's all I would be able to think about too. I liked the Lieutenant character - how he was willing to get the other priest so the whiskey priest could confess and how he gave him the five pesos as he was getting out of jail. You are the best at book recommendations so thank you thank you thank you. When We Were Orphans is my next book - I actually already started it here at work today. When I get a real job and have to work all day instead of read I'm going to cry.


7. Musical obsessions of the past month: Cat Power's Moon Pix and Duffy's Rockferry. I've been all about the singing vaginas lately. Somebody must have burned me the Cat Power cd years and years ago because I found it randomly with a bunch of other burned cds in my closet. I decided to put it on on a whim and was obsessed for a good week or two, especailly with the song Say. Totally not a rocking out cd, it has more of a I-want-to-sit-at-home-and-slit-my-wrists kinda feel but I love it. Then my sister bought Duffy and even though I really didn't think I'd get into it, it's a great cd. Especially the first three, Rockferry, Warwick Avenue and Serious. I thought it would kinda be too boppy or something but good lord does Duffy have a voice. Also the MGMT cd is pretty awesome, it always makes me feel like dancing as I'm getting ready to go out. Which is not a pretty sight kids, not a pretty sight at all.

8. Duffy, Cat Power, the Black Keys, the Raconteurs, Bloc Party AND Radiohead all play the Friday date at Lollapalooza. I swear on the FUCKING BIBLE I am going this year. Not all three days cause the other two days are hit or miss but I am not missing all those bands on Friday. I SWEAR TO GOD.

9. Can't think of ten. I've got a date tonight and two job interviews next week. Wish me luck!

Friday, May 16, 2008

Two Posts In One Month! Boy Are You Lucky!

I have butterflies in my stomach right now, like I'm excited about something. Yet I have nothing at all to be excited about. No plans yet for tonight. I even have work tomorrow. Maybe my butterflies are caused by the UNKNOWN! What COULD happen tonight! Or maybe it's because this is my 309th post. That must be it. Me and Blogger - who'd of thought we'd make it this far although I'm getting a little impatient over here waiting for a ring.

I was downtown with my mom a couple Saturdays ago to see an exhibit at the Art Institute. That didn't happen though, seeing as the line was out the door to get in, plus already sold out. So we decided to make the most of our outing and just walked around trying to find some free stuff to see. We found a Polish Fest going on in Millenium Park (people besides Irish people celebrate themselves?!?!?), walked around the Chicago Cultural Center, saw some American Idols performing on Ellen who was taping in Chicago that week (although not really cause it was ending because of the shitty weather by the time we tried to get close) and went out to eat at Bennigans (to complete the true downtown Chicago experience!). As we were walking towards the train after that, some people, obviously from out of town, we were walking behind us and said, "It's so weird to see there are 7-11's in Chicago too". Why. Why is god's name is it weird to see 7-11's in Chicago. Doesn't everybody need a place to buy a Slurpee? Or a place to buy a bag of Doritos at 3:00 am? For the rest of the day my mom and I kept saying, "Subway! A SUBWAY! In Chicago of all places! Who knew!" or "GET OUT OF HERE, THERE'S A WALGREEN'S HERE TOO?!" Chicago, it truly is a magical place.

I tend to fall asleep listening to my iPod at night and usually wake up to the cord wrapped around my body, disconnected from the iPod itself or to the cord in a bunch of knots because of the (I guess crazy?) way I sleep. The other day I topped myself though - I wake up, with the earbuds still in my ear, but no iPod at the other end. I find the iPod somewhere in the bed with the part of the earphones that plugs into the iPod still in it. I had ripped the earphone cord basically in half. In my sleep. Now no longer do I only randomly sleep walk in my sleep, but I destroy things. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

I got my rebate check from the government Friday May 5th, and also got paid that day so I was RICH, bitches. I paid off some of my Old Navy bill with it (I would be in serious trouble if I had an actual credit card - I can't even control myself in Old Navy for chrissake), went to Target about 80 times (seriously, I think I was there more last week than I ever have been in my entire life) and bought a new monitor for my computer, since I finally have the internet in my room (hello porn!), only two years after Keri and I bought the wireless internet thingy. So, not only did I essentially boost the economy all by myself by spending $200 on a new monitor, my dad told me the new one uses less energy than my old one. Saving the economy and the Earth in one fell swoop IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN'T DO? Here I come to save the daaaaaaaaay.

I was buying gas Monday, and before I started pumping (ha ha, that made me laugh out loud. I am sad) I noticed the car ahead of my had gotten $3.82 worth of gas. The price for a gallon at this station was $3.93. What, couldn't make it around the block?

I've read a bunch of good books so far this year. I've kept a list so I don't forget what I've read and so far I'm at 26 for the year. I think I've read my favorite so far though, or at least my tied-for-first-favorite, along with What is the What, which was The Hakawati by Ribah Alameddine. It was a random find at the library and I LOVED it. It a story of a family set in Beirut, Lebanon of a man, Osama, who comes back to his country after being in the United States for two decades because his father is dying. It was that story, mixed in with other stories of Abraham and Sarah, Fatima and other mythical heros from the Middle Eastern culture. It took me a minute to get into the other stories because it was would be one story, then someone else in that said story would start another story and I couldn't keep track at first but after really getting into it I could easily remember who was who and couldn't stop reading it. Sometimes a 200-300 page book can take me a week to read, even if it is really good, but this one was a little over 500 and took me three days. It made me laugh outloud and cry - you can't ask for anything better in a book. It was just an eye-opener. I guess I think of people from anywhere over there being totally different from me, but then I read this book and realize they're not. They have the same conversations, fights, problems that anyone anywhere else in the world has. People are people, I'm just figuring that out for myself.

John Mellencamp is the Friday Feature artist on XRT. There is a god, and he just so happens to hates me. Damn you Andy, DAMN YOU for thwarting Jim's plan to propose to Pam in The Office's season finale. Still have the butterflies! And still have no plans for tonight!

Friday, May 02, 2008

Vegas, Convo, Books, List, Summer!

I went to Vegas. I survived Vegas. I came home from Vegas. I want to write about everything we did, but feel like I can't. Not because "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" because let me tell you, herpes will happen anywhere, but it's just too much. Words don't do Vegas justice - you just have to go there and experience it for yourselves. God I can't wait to go back.

I went to my first Sox game of the season last Saturday, and tailgating, TAILGATING. WHY IN GOD'S NAME HAVE I NEVER TAILGATED BEFORE. I was waiting in line for the porta-potties at one point (probably one of the eight times I peed in two hours - I seriously must have a problem) and had the following conversation with the young-ish black guy in line behind me:

Me: Don't worry, I'm a really quick pee-er. I'm in and out in 30 seconds.
Him: It's fine, you take your time. You guys have parts that we like, and we got parts that you like, so take your time in there.
Me: Well it's a good thing I'm not a lesbian or else I wouldn't be agreeing with you right now.
Him: Even if you were, I'd still be telling you the same thing.
Me: It doesn't hurt to try, right?
Him: Exactly - you could learn to like the dark meat.

How did that happen? How did I end up having a conversation about sex with a guy I had known for 60 seconds? In the porta-potty line at that. I amaze myself.

Book report: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls was a book about a dysfunctional family and how the author managed to turn out alright even if she has homeless parents who won't accept help. It was pretty good and a quick read but the short chapters annoyed the shit out of me. It just felt like it wasn't cohesive because every chapter was only two-three pages long. But overall a really good book. Just elongnate those chapters Jean Genie. I am pretty much like Goldilocks though because the book I just finished today had chapters that were too long, WILL I EVER BE SATISFIED. (The only reason I bitch - I always read before I go to bed and if the chapters are too short, I just keep convincing myself "one more chapter....okay, one more then....really, one more and then I'll go to sleep" and it never ends. With the longass chapters, it bugs the shit out of me to stop in the middle, so I try to read until the end of the chapters but then they prove too long and my eyes won't stay open, okay, anyways, there are worse things I could whine about, like world hunger or how much I want ice cream right now - two terrible, terrible problems). The book I finished today was Three Junes by Julia Glass which just kinda started out as a filler book but I ended up really liking it in the end. It has three different stories, one set in Greece, one in Scotland/New York and the other in New York. I didn't really like one of the main characters, Fenno, because he seemed so stuffy and humorless, but it was a good read. And lastly, The Book of Daniel by E.L. Doctorow. I loved this book, even though it took me over a week to read, being only 303 pages. It was about an American couple accused of treason (a la Ethel and Julius Rosenberg) and how it affected their kids fifteen years later. Loved the background stories about Communism and spies. Longest paragraph ever, sorry.

I saw Baby Mama with my mom and sister yesterday and it was super cute. I saw it with my mama and my baby sister, plus I'm my mama's baby so...... I have no idea where I'm going with this. Just go see it, it was funny. And touching. And heart-warming. AND TOTALLY MADE ME WANT A BABY. Goddamnit.

Obsessive song du jour: Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis. Whenever I'm in the car all I do is change the stations hoping to catch it on. The other day I was driving, looking for Leona of course, and heard Reign O'er Me by the Who and I'm jamming out to it. Then Touch My Body by Mariah Carey comes on another station and I turn it up even higher, singing to it. I dabble in a little of this, and a little of that. Mariah and the Who - I'm thinking duet!

Things To Look Forward To:
My birthday, May 12th
Gaelic Fest, Memorial Day weekend
Sex and the City: the Movie, May 30th
Blues Fest with B.B King, mid-June
the Swell Season concert, June 18th
Taste of Chicago with Stevie Wonder, early June
Diana's block party, last Saturday of July
Lollapalooza, Auust 3-5th (will she? or won't she? most likely the latter, let's be serious here)

Summer is almost here! Or has kinda already started in my head. Loves it!

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Lucky Number Seven

1. Yesterday I was helping a lady here at work and she says to me, "You have very pretty hands." I always get weird compliments on my body. Like the guy who told me he "really liked my eyebrows" or the lady who told me my eyes looks "Scandivavian" or my sister who told me the other day that I had "skinny calves." Gotta take what I can get, right? I may never get the "wow, your abs look like a washboard" because they look more like a "bowl full of jelly", but to those people with the aformentioned abs, do you have pretty hands? Probably not. Suck on that.

2. When my brother was home over spring break a few weeks ago, March Madness was starting and I made a bracket out of his Sports Illustrated issue. I really went overboard and tooks HOURS to make the bracket. Or I just picked which team name I liked better and was done in three minutes, same difference. The main point here: I picked Kansas to win, without even knowing they were a number 1 seed, even though as my brother so nicely pointed out as he was looking at my picks, the seeds were right next to the team names in paranthesis. Not so smart am I. I may have never before paid attention to NCAA basketball but I was in this one to WIN IT, baby. It was sweet when they beat UNC cause that was J.P's pick but it was even sweeter when they won against Memphis because lordy was that a good game. And what here did I win folks? Pride. And bragging rights against my brother. It doesn't get better than that.

3. I just finished the book "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah last night. I don't know what it is with me and Africa, but I realized I read four child soldier/civil war books about Africa in the last year (it must be the warm, up-lifting spirit of each story that makes me keep going back for more!). While What is the What is still my favorite, this one was great too, considering this was strictly non-fiction, not fiction intertwinely with non-fiction like What is the What was. The best part of this book in the last paragraph. I tried to find it online because I wanted to put it here but I can't find it and I left the book at home so you'll all have to read it for yourselves. It's always so disconcerting for me to read these books in my bed at night. I get lost in the book, then have to get up to go pee or something and realize (this is gonna sound corny) that I'm in my house and safe. I don't have to worry about the RUF storming my house, killing my family and setting it on fire, or run for my life and stray bullets, or not know how I'm going to survive from day to day. Seriously, some of the shit that people have survived and lived to tell the tale about is beyond my comprehension. It boggles the mind, bitches.

4. At this time tomorrow I will be in Las Vegas with 33 members of our family/friends of the family to help my parents celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary and renew their vows. And how are they celebrating their anniversary? Why in class of course, with Elvis doing the honors! God, how white trash does that sound, but it's going to be fun, and almost as expensive as their original wedding my parents are coming to find out, with the dinner for all of us afterwards. But who cares about that cause I won't b e paying for it, right. This trip is going to be awesome - my best friend Megan is coming, Keri's boyfriend Pat, a bunch of our cousins and a shitload of other people. I may want to kill myself because there's going to be five of us crammed into our room, but who spends time in the room anyways WHEN THERE IS DRINKING TO BE DONE! Oh lordy, watch out Vegas, the O'D family is coming and we're going out in style.

5. I had a really rough week last week, and went through something I hope to never experience again, but all I really want to say about it is I have great family and friends. The best there ever could be! And will ever be! For ever and all eternity! I AM NOT EXAGGERATING.

6. I love the show Reba AND I AM NOT ASHAMED TO ADMIT IT. Last week my dad saw me watching it and goes, wow, must really be desperate to watch something, huh? No Dad, I fucking love this show and am watching it on purpose. I dare you to watch it and NOT laugh: impossible. A few days earlier Keri had caught me watching it and made fun of me for it too. And then a minute later she laughed at one of the jokes I didn't even laugh at. How now brown cow? You make fun of me and then laugh before I even do. One more Keri-is-queer-story: I came home from work Tuesday and she was watching Monday night's episode of The Hills. She asked if I had watched it already, I said yes, and she goes, "You know, I don't even want to say this cause you're gonna laugh at me, but Heidi has really.......grown up. Hasn't she?" Yes Ker, and right before our very eyes too! She is turning into a mature young woman and I couldn't be prouder. God are you queer. (But seriously, I totally agree with you.)

7. Before this lady who was just in the store left, she couldn't find one of her gloves and goes, "I'm like Michael Jackson - missing one glove!" And then I laughed hysterically. Loves it!