Reading is Sexy

Caution: After reading this blog, you may question your friendship with me. That is if we have one.

I'm a nerd. So there, it's out there.

Recently, I've been in the throws of Stieg Larsson's "Millenium series" or better known to others as "The girl...(1)With the Dragon Tattoo, (2) Who Played with Fire, and (3) Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest."

About 20 minutes ago, I finished book 2 and unlike book 1, it ended on a major cliffhanger. I have little patience or room for uncertainty in my life and whenever it can be found, I'm on it.

I put my request for the third book into the library a couple days ago. For those novices or virgins of the library, you can go online and hold books at your local library with your card number (yes, you must have a card first). When they're ready, they email you, you go in to pick it and bam. All for free. Life is just that simple sometimes.

Being that I hadn't received an email from the library, I looked up the prices at B&N, since it is conveniently located about 2.5 blocks from me. If it was in paperback, I'd consider purchasing it however, I hate the idea of not owning an entire series and just having the third book. It's a part of set and I had borrowed the other two from the library. I was two steps from walking down to B&N when I decided to look at my library account.

I signed on and clicked on the check status of requested materials tab. And there were the most perfect words: Available for pick-up ::Cue in the angelic voices:: Then I saw that the library closes at 6pm on Fridays. What? Does nobody study in the library on Fridays anymore?

[I actually don't think through all of my years of schooling that I ever did homework on Fridays. Seriously, ever. It just didn't seem right and felt like I should be having fun. You don't see Rebecca Black singing about "we..we...we...gonna study." No, it's "we..we...we...gonna party."]

It was 5:44pm.

I literally switched sweats for jeans, grabbed my keys, left my phone, and ran to my car. I parked in a "loading only" zone and jogged into the library to the hold shelf. And there was my book. Just waiting to tell me the rest of the story.

Needless to say, I got back home at 5:59pm.

Boom.

Thoughts on Vinyl.

As much as I would describe myself as a pretty modern girl, I have my traditional side. I like to read books that have actual pages to turn (Kindle=Fail), I like a boy who opens doors, and I have a slight obsession of listening to music on a record player. I may still own an iPod and I can't say that on occasion I can't be found snuggling up with my iPad in bed listening to iTunes. Spoken like a true single girl of the 21st century.

[Yes, that is 'Master's of The Universe.' My namesake comes from that cartoon, so no making fun.]

While my collection is quite modest (I'm working on it), these are artists and songs that I truly love. BEATLES. Billy. ELTON. Simon & Garfunkel. MICHAEL. Temptations. WHITNEY. Listening to them with the imperfections of the needle meeting the spinning record makes me feel like I'm living in an entirely differently world. And my thoughts spin right around with it to that other place. But even though I may wander, I'm here. In it.

I learned this phrase in one of my favorite movies, "Garden State," which coincidentally features one of my favorite artists found in the picture above (guesses on which one?). Sam, Natalie Portman's character, makes the following statement to Zach Braff's character, Andrew, when she sees him trying to work through something internally:

"You're in it right now, aren't you?"

I feel that I am constantly "in it." This is probably abnormal and not a common experience of the greater humanity, but I've come to terms with my eccentricities. Seldom is it that I let any moment fleet without some recognition for its presence. I contemplate it, I read it, I write it, and stew in it. This is both a blessing and a curse. Never will anything be taken for granted, I live by the seat of my pants and I try to find reasons of why to do something rather than why not to do it.

-Go to Greece to Study Abroad for a term? Sure. Thanks Kristen, Megan, Sarah, & Jenna

-Stand in a freezing crowd for Obama's HistoricalInauguration? Wouldn't miss it for the world. Thanks Carey, Ashley & Ryan

-Spend Thanksgiving with the most famous ginormous balloons in all of the land for the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade? I can't think of anything better. Thanks Carey, Hether, & Steph.

-Go watch some films at the Sundance Film Festival? Sounds fun. Thanks Sarah, Hether & Kristin.

-Go Ziplining in the WINTER through Whistler? I guess I'll put my fear of heights aside. Thanks Derrick and Jamie.

-Road trips to Crater Lake, Palm Springs/Disneyland, Canada, San Fran? Who's car are we taking? Thanks Marci, Kris, Sarah, Nicole, Chris, Lisa, Keegan, Mandiy, Renee, Cimone

Sidenote: Being "in it" is made easier when you have fantastic family & friends along for the journey

We arrange things in our schedule to make it fit in. We talk about it. We plan for it. We save money for it. Then for one reason or another, it won't happen and we'll find ourselves looking at just one more thing we didn't do because of whatever other bothersome task was on our desk/inbox/mailbox/doorstep. Then the fatal classic line is uttered: "Well, maybe some other time."

[and the record spins....]

I despise this way of living. Wait, that's not strong enough. I hate this way of living. And I hardly use the word "hate", unless I am talking about the mushy nastiness and bitterness that is inside the firm and misleading fruit(?) of the tomato. I understand that planning must take place for certain tasks and adventures, but it's the lack of follow through that I see way too often that makes me shudder. What are we waiting for? You could wake up dead tomorrow.

I guess I learned this way of thinking from my wonderful mother who lives in it. She left for Barbados today. To live. All because of the timing of putting her job application into a pool on a random weekday back in November, not thinking much of it besides, "well that might be interesting and fun." And here she is today, as my fingers type these letters, in an aircraft, soaring over the Caribbean, with what I hope are highly caffeinated pilots working with even more caffeinated air traffic controllers. I wouldn't have done HALF of those previously mentioned items had it not been for you telling me to go and do it. You really have no idea the space your presence takes in my heart. I couldn't of dreamt of a better life.

And so I challenge you friends, stop participating in America's favorite past-time of procrastination. And be in it for the moment, and do it. Because mom says it's okay.

Whatever your "it" is.

"The only limits are in our minds."

-Colum McCann "Let the Great World Spin." -Not read on an eBook :)

HappyThankYouMorePlease

I moved to Seattle just a few short weeks ago, but today Portland required my attendance.

My one and only big brother turned 30. My family wasn't expecting me as I excused my presence with the obligation of my first day of work the next day. Everyone understood, of course. But for me, work doesn't come first. My family does. And if that means driving 350 miles in a day, I'm at the wheel. Especially when I have my good friend to accompany me one way of the trip.

Let's take a look at this weekend.

It started off with an AM phone chat with my mom over coffee about her upcoming move to Barbados. I wanted to solidify my visit before her departure. So my ticket to visit her for TWO WHOLE WEEKS has been booked for June. I could not be more excited.

After the chat and a run, I headed to the train station to pick up one of my oldest (in tenure, not in age) girlfriends who had hopped on the Amtrak on Saturday morning for a 24 hour trip to come see my new home and give me some decorating tips. She has outstanding taste and happens to make her living off her talents and interests as an interior designer. We didn't get much done on that front, but we did manage to watch about 1.5 of our favorite movies. Except she didn't make it through the first one:

"I didn't even see Pippi make it to land."

[One of my favorite quotes of the weekend]

Her, my other oldest friend that lives up here, and I, have more laughs in a 2 hour span than the funny bone ever intended or thought the body could allow.

Sunday was my brother's 30th birthday. His lovely wife had planned a little surprise family get-together for that evening. I threw both my mom and dad off course on Sunday morning phone calls that consisted of a faux plan of the day that included spring cleaning and prepping for my first day of classes tomorrow at my new job. In reality, I was headed to "Tubs," my brother's very favorite sammy place that happens to now be down the street from me and then hitting I-5 South to make it in time for birthday festivities.

When I pulled up to my brother's, I was giddy just as the sight of seeing the cars of my family members. I'm a sucker for family get-togethers and really love having us all in the same space, even if just for a little while. My brother was oh-so surprised for his Tub's sandwich... and to see his little sister of course. I was equally excited to see my 30 year old brother and the face of my very favorite person in the world that belongs to a certain 5-month old.

Simply can't get ENOUGH of my niece. I marvel at her every action. She grabs. She drools. She talks (in her very own language). She fixates. She smiles. She cries. This last part has been dubbed "pulling a Teela" as I apparently did this a lot as a child when my mom was out of my peripheral.

She is incredible and makes my heart fill with an uncontrollable amount of love.

As we continually make this vertical climb on the age ladder (the next rung seemingly quicker than the previous years), if we're lucky, we come to take nothing for granted. Not the five-minute phone call to say hello, not the thought of knowing you have a handful of spectacular people in your world that would literally drop anything they were doing for you. Like buying a last minute $50 train ticket to see your friend for 24 hours.

I've realized that I have people in my life that it excites me to be in the company of and am indebted to be apart of their story. People that you want to take little pieces of and place them in your heart for safekeeping. Their wonder is awe-inspiring and you wish that you could elongate these moments and move horizontally instead. One of these people is my big bro. He's my one and only sibling, the one who completely understands my history as he lived by my side underneath our blanket forts we systematically constructed over the Nintendo/Sega and created the silly games that only children can imagine up. Like slithering across the living room floor in a given path while trying to elude ones self from the alarm system. Alarm censor light blinks=You're not winning. Or agreeing to help me make Kool Aid without the supervision of the parents on Sunday mornings and not ratting me out when more of it ends up on the floor giving it a nice sticky pink glow, rather than the destination of the pitcher.

We've celebrated many birthdays together and today his daughter got to help him blow out his birthday candles. Drooling, blowing air, they both extinguish flames and our signature birthday cake from Helen Bernhard's is just as sweet if not sweeter.

Driving back to Seattle at day's end with the joy of the last couple hours I got to spend with my family was evident. It wasn't until I noticed my face getting sore that I realized I had been smiling for the past hour.

Oh, and now I have this to play with.

[iPad!]

I guess in the true nature of a younger child, I get presents on my brother's birthday too.

[Blog Title Credit: Josh Radnor, star of CBS' "How I Met Your Mother" & writer/director of "HappyThankYouMorePlease." Premiered at Sundance 2010, hopefully coming to DVD/BluRay soon.]