A Thousand Different Versions Of Yourself

I bought The Shins new album Wincing the Night Away last Friday and haven't stopped listening to it since (besides for the moment right now when my Ipod is on shuffle and "What a Girl Wants" by Christina Aguliera is on, but I won't mention that). The last four songs are kind of forgettable, but the first seven? Awesome. Just fucking awesome. Especially "Sleeping Lessons" and "Sea Legs". You must buy (like me because my dad won't let me steal music on his computer THE NERVE) or illegally download this album and then thank me later.

I first heard about the book 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die on Ms. Mac's blog (though I'm mad too that the Kite Runner isn't included because it's the best book ever) and have since kind of become obsessed with reading the entire list. I can cross off 41 books right off the bat, which really makes the task so much less overwhelming now. If I even made it to 500, I'd be happy with that. There's a couple Jonathan Franzen books in it and just having finished The Corrections about 30 minutes ago, I think I'll cross the rest off his books off the list. It was okay, just okay. It didn't even make me cry and was basically a story I feel I've read 30 times already about grown up children being annoyed by their elderly parents and fighting about stupid shit. I don't know how to explain it, it was just a disappointment. A 568 page disappointment. IS IT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR A BOOK TO MAKE ME CRY, GODDAMNIT. If Atonement doesn't do it, I've sworn off reading for good.

Yesterday, at the last of three bars I went to during the course of the night, I saw Brad, my boss' son I went to Amanda's wedding with back in June of 2005. I don't think I had seen him since then so we talked for a majority of the night which was kind of surprising because usually when we saw each other at the bar we would talk for a minute or two then say bye. About 20 minutes into the conversation he asked "Have you lost weight?" (I knew he looked confused when he saw only two double chins on me instead of four) and I said yeah, a little and he said "You can tell - you look really good." That pretty much made my night right there. Year even. Seriously I think I would be the most easy to please girlfriend/wife. Just telling me I look like I've lost weight would pretty much get you off the hook for anything. I hope my patheticness is properly conveyed here. But anyways, thank you Brad, from the bottom of my heart. Call me.

Last night I came home at 5:30 am and since our stupid ass garage door opener won't work in the freezing cold, I had to go in the house, hit the open button in there, then start the car back up to put it away. As I went back out to the car, Bailey followed me out, probably because she hadn't been out since 10 pm or something. I came back in the house, ate the food I had gotten (the answer to the "have you lost weight question" will pretty soon be a "no" with the way I've been a bottomless pit lately) and then went upstairs to bed. My mom woke me up this morning telling me I had left the dog outside until 8:00 am when she woke up to her barking. I left Bailey out in the freezing cold for about 2 1/2 hours because I am a monster. She probably hates me now, which really is no big thing since I've never liked her in the first place anyways BUT I DIDN'T DO IT ON PURPOSE, I'M SORRY BAILEY. Oh my god, the guilt. I can't deal with it.

I burned my hand with scalding hot tea today and now I'm a cripple. I'm insanely jealous of the 100+ inches of snow New York got. Kerianne, I swear I'll finish your sister's post soon when I stop being so lazy. I am extremely pissed about how little money I'm getting back from my taxes. Keri and I are seeing The Frames on April 18th, hell yeah. I have a crush on Nate from Beauty and the Geek - christ, who knew that show was so addictive. The Southside Irish Parade is coming up so soon I can already taste the corned beef and cabbage.

I saved the best news for last: I FOUND A PAIR OF JEANS THAT FIT. I went shopping last Friday and in the first store ( New York and Company), the first pair of jeans I tried on fit like a motherfucker (do you even have ANY idea how well motherfuckers it? Almost as well as gloves). They were dark and long enough for me and pretty much completed my life. I hope all of you experience half as much joy these jeans have brought to my life at some point in your lifetimes.