getting there

johnny flynn was coming to town.

i had to be there.

this wasn't a question of IF i would go.

oh no.

i was going.

the question was how.

after many frustrating transportation options were exhausted due to my uncooperative finals schedule, i found someone willing to go with me.

my mom!

we had quite a time finding the vera project.

that is saying the absolute least.

it was a nightmare trying to find this place.

but we found it.

and we were only 25 minutes late.

johnny hadn't started yet.

it was still the first guy.

after him, blue roses went on.

we learned that one of their members had lost their passport, and so the whole group couldn't fly anywhere.

so they have to drive to dallas. in one day.

we will see if they make it!

but then.

then.

then.

johnny came out.

.
.

.

and he was awesome.

so.

awesome.

funny, as well.

he borrowed marcus' guitar, and said, "playing with someone elses guitar is like being in bed with another man's wife.... well... it isn't REALLY. uh.. i just got engaged. so i wouldn't know about that.... um. i'll just start playing now..."

so cute.

and- he is recording his new album in seattle. however, one of the songs he is working on requires a line of lyrics to be shouted by many people- and there are only 3 people in the studio. so he asked if we wanted to be on his album. he brought a recorder and recorded us shouting these lyrics. now we'll all be on his album- which is SA-WEET! :)

i wish that he would have played longer, but there were 4 acts that night.

i'm so glad that i got to see him at all.

especially since this was his only show in the whole U.S.

if you hadn't gotten my point by now, here it is:

johnny was amaaaaazing!

here are some pictures, and a regrettably short video clip:

JOHNNY.IS.COMING.

JOHNNY FLYNN IS COMING TO SEATTLE!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

December 7th at the Vera Project.

Could I be more excited? NO.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

la blogotheque creates beauty.

everything i have seen on la blogotheque has been beautiful.
putting artists out in the streets of countries like brazil, france, and spain just creates that raw breathtaking sound that envelops la blogotheque's takeaway shows.
case in point:
johnny flynn.
absolutely stunning.

Johnny Flynn - The Wrote and the Writ // A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

my gonzo

merde.

there they stand; ignorant to their own menacing nature.
engaged in seemingly mindless chatter while their body language speaks a different story.
arms akimbo. toes tapping. eyes wander to trees, clocks, anywhere but straight ahead.
the present is not sufficient as they look toward some more enticing future encounter.
i see them in their little friend circle.
you know it.
the circle people seem to automatically, perhaps magnetically, create. as if it is biologically required for survival.
seeing it i steer clear. i forgo the judgement circle for a friendlier shape.

life's (NOT) a journey.

if i hear the words "just a small town girl" blare out of another cell phone, radio, tv, or computer, I may lose it.

enough with the journey. its just enough. stop believing. thanks.

splice

splice: obsolete Dutch "splissen" - to split, separate.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

what is the catalyst of separation?
are we a species akin to loss, to brutal separations?
does it perhaps start at birth, with the notorious cutting of the cord?
is that why we cut the rest of our cords?
relationships gone sour.
marriages crumble until all that is left are those irreconcilable differences.
friendships run off the rails.
spli.ced.

why does it scare us to delve into deeper conversation than the occasional, "how's it going?"

because it does.

we all fear being exposed for who we are. or who we aren't.
perhaps exposure begets loss. separation. the chance of being spliced.

drizzle

the past few days have been filled with the sound of rain on the windowpane. there really isn't much that can compare with that sound. the seasons are changing and the rains are beginning. i couldn't be happier about it. opening doors and feeling the rush of cold air across your face. zipping up jackets and putting on hats. gloves, mittens, and hot chocolate. reading a book by the fireside with a myriad of blankets. the smell of apple cider wafting through the air. the end of sandals and the beginning of boots. the end of the beach novel and the beginning of something russian. dark mornings and dark evenings. pumpkins, turkeys, and christmas trees. being warm inside and watching the snow gently blanket the world outside. all of this begins with the rain i hear now. blissful.

Old....

Like the dawning of a day once past
Your spirit is deeply rooted within me
Although it may seem a far too distant lingering
I suppose it is best to live in the present
Though all my passion for life and love is so far behind me
A wanderer could pass by these thoughs and never once blink
While another, not so uncommon, could dwell here an eternity
The wanderer, perhaps, stumbles upon the truth.
If only for an instant.

(8th grade) - The Wanderer.

maerdot

i want to sit on a grungy london rooftop and look down at the city lights. i want there to be someone next to me playing guitar; playing like they play every night as they watch the city, the people, and the lights from above. but up on the rooftop, the noises are muted. an occasional laugh from the street is heard. this whole mental portrait is colorless. black and white. but not emotionless. this is what i want. it's what i've always wanted. london rooftops with blankets and a guitar. staring into the abyss that is the looming monster of the city - but we are so far removed from it's gilded appeal. it's what makes me believe that "you can't miss what you never had" is a false statement.

eb.reven.llahs.wonk.i.tahw.rof.esromer.htiw.nedal.epoh.etihw.dna.kcalb

vumania

i am sitting here in the VU like i do most days. sitting on the fifth floor, by the elevators, the table nearest the glass case where all the posters are. im staring out the window, across the street, over the houses, into the bay, and into the soul of bellingham. the sailboats are gliding across the open water, leaving ripple marks and white foam in their wake. the lovers are laying on blankets on any open green patch they can find. the girls are wearing huge glasses and short shorts. guys are on their roofs, not feeling it necessary to don shirts. pet owners have dusted off the leashes and are taking their dogs for a walk. i suppose these are the days that make people grateful to live in such a beautiful place. the days where nature can be taken advantage of in a way that lift spirits and apparently hormonal balances. the days that make people angry that they put off their papers, studying, etc. and are now forced into a room looking out into a weather condition that they can not take part in.
i see the sun, the glasses, the short shorts, the abundance of yet-to-be-tanned skin, the frolicking, the laying on blankets, and i can't wait for the night to show its face, the temperature to cool, and then sun to set. i do not cherish being indoors during such days, i just wish such days would cease to exist, so that i could be outdoors in the weather that i prefer: rain, clouds, and a moderate 55 degree temperature.
today is not that day.

hardwork?

soooo....i am continuning down the road of cinematic excellence in my LOST endeavor. currently on episode 11 of season 3. thats something like 50 episodes in less than 2 weeks. it's just so good. i can't imagine waiting a whole week in between each episode to figure out what happens next. i salute those of you who have been watching since the beginning and have to live your life in such a manner. truly respectable.

in other news... I attended the Shins concert last night. it rained. it poured. it was awesome. delta spirit was amazing, too. i hadn't heard anything of theirs before the show, but i really, really liked them. guys infront of us smoking pot, guys behind us smoking pot. everyone smoking pot. that kinda sucked. my clothes smell like pot now. but i will wash them, and everything will be good again. shins didn't play 'so says i', which was the first shins song that i ever heard. i was a little upset by that. but i'm glad that they even played at all in the conditions they were forced into by our lovely weather.

in other, other news.... i'm reading "the brothers karamazov" by dostoevsky. it's really good so far. after i finish this book, i will be 1 book closer to finishing my "100 Greatest Books of All Time" list. I will finish it, i hope. 11 down, 89 to go.

that's it.

and found.

LOST is completely, 100% contrived. these shenanigans would just never happen in real life. polar bears? magic kids? others? world-saving buttons? being lucky enough to be stranded with matthew fox? no way. but that's okay, because i'm completely addicted. 26 episodes in 4 days. I started from the first episode of the first season, and i'm well into the second season now. its captivating. i just can't stop. i can't tear myself away from the others, the island, the smoke monster, jack, charlie, and the numbers. i need more lost. i need to inject in intravenously. pressing the "stream in HD" button is the closest i have come to the feeling a heroin addict has second he shoots up and the drug enters his bloodstream. or hers.

that's a bit dramatic.

Question Guy

You know him.
Question Guy.
In miraculous situations, a class will be devoid of question guy.
Econ 207 is not one of the said situations.
I just have a few things to say to QG.

Dear Question Guy,

Questions are good things to have.
You seem to have an abundance of them.
Fine.
However, your questions are ridiculous.
Please utilize office hours to have some of your inane, tangent-inducing questions answered.
I do not recall paying hundreds of dollars to hear you speak about your economic theories and beliefs.
No, I do not remember signing up for your class.
If you could please stop interrupting after every slide, that would be awesome.
The guy next to me who shares my sighs when you begin to speak would appreciate it as well.

Hey, thanks.

---------

Bobbing Knees

Tuesdays bring the promise of something more.

Today -

I was thinking about the relationship that I have with certain people in my life.
I have known some people my entire life, and feel like I have no real connection with them.
Mindless chatter when we happen to pass.
And then, there are others that I have known for mere days.
And the extent of our relationship is the thing that we say to each other every time that we see each other.
But somehow, that relationship seems deeper to me than the empty one that I have had for years and years.
Because I know what our small little relationship is based on.
And its more important than anything I could have cultivated in a decade long friendship.
At least, to me.

------

Its strange how priorities change over time.
And they do.
Drastically in some senses, not much in others.
But as sure as the color of the leaves in the fall, priorities change.


You know, its true what 'they' say. Music really has the power to bring you back to specific moments in one's life. There are a few artists for me where this holds so true. Everytime I hear a Sister Hazel song, I am immediately reminded of the 2005-2006 boys basketball team. I can feel the excitement in the Tacoma Dome, I can smell that unique gym smell, I can hear the tennis shoes squeaking all along the court. I can hear the swish of the basketball through the all-important net. I can see the swooping figure of Spencer Hawes ruining our dreams. I can see the dunk he executed as he looked at our side of the stands and grinned at our crushing defeat. When I hear matchbox twenty, I think of such a different time in my life. Middle School. High School. Loving Rob Thomas. Living my life through the lyrics of YOSLY, MS, and MTYTYA. Smiling anytime I saw a "Push" sign on a door. Spending hours on the matchbox discussion boards waiting for any news on a tour. Getting mad at my dad for making fun of Rob's hair. Staying up late to tape matchbox on Leno, Letterman, and Conan. Waiting for Rob to sing on Ellen and Oprah. Waiting outside the Paramount Theater, hoping for a glimpse of Rob on his solo tour. Completely freezing up when it was much more than a glimpse and he began talking to me. Trying to retain any remnants of composure during that conversation. Trying not to hyperventalate after he left and entered the theater. Thinking that I would never, ever, love anything more than I loved matchbox's music and it's members. Feeling like a horrible fan when Amy told me that I didn't love them as much as I used to. Realizing that it's okay not to be as in love as I was. Realizing that I will always and forever have a place for them. Smiling and thinking about that time in my life whenever I hear matchbox on the radio.

-------

"Everyone here is wondering what its like to be with somebody else Everyone here is to blame Everyone here gets caught up in the pleasure of the pain
Well everyone here has shades of shame Well looking inside we're all the same, we're the same
And we're all grown now. Yeah, but we don't know how To get it back to good"

First

First blog.
How many will see this?
Not many, if any, I would venture to guess.

The last few days have been the first few days of sunshine.
The type of weather that lures people from their rooms, tempts them to throw frisbees, forces them out into parks, grass, benches, anywhere that isn't the dull confines of 4 walls.
Not me. I cringe when the bright, blinding, hot sun comes out. My own personal enemy. I do not like hot weather. People raise eyebrows, and make assumptions about my state of mental health when I tell them that I would much rather be in 50 degree weather all year around.
"Are you depressed?"
No. I just like the cold better than heat.
"Depressed people don't like sun"
Interesting. Thank you.

To most people, Facebook seems like the appropriate way to declare their love for the recent meterological conditions.
"________ (Name) just enjoyed the last few days in the sun"
"Lovin' the sunshine!"
"Going to the park instead of doing homework"
"Trying to get a tan in the beautiful sunshine"

Ugh.
And it was only 68 degrees today.
I have 5 more months of heat to endure.
Then I get my 7 months of happiness.

"Are you depressed?"