shalom?

Went rummaging through my mum's closet today and found some goodies: fox fur headband (new) that makes me feel uber Russian when I wear it, wooden bead clutch from Indonesia, fun flashy jewelry, a vintage Dior purse, a beautiful fountain pen that my dad gave to my mom as a gift some 25 years ago (never been used, and still in its case!!) and a cute country bumpkin bag that my grandmother made for my mom when I was born. It's red with ducks and lace *squeal*

Also, I found an old list that I had started compiling some years ago of all of the places I want to visit someday and added a few new ones onto it: Argentina (specifically to see the Aconcagua and Patagonia mountains), Moscow/St. Petersburg/Kiev/the Caucasus, Tibet/Nepal/India/Himalayas, Brazil, Peru, London (and countryside), Switzerland, Japan, United Arab Emirates, San Francisco (never been!), Spain, Morocco, Greek Islands, Egypt, Ethiopia, Australia (I used to be obsessed for some reason but now, eh), China, Thailand, Indonesia, Hawaii, New Zealand, Ghana/Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Netherlands, Vienna, Venice, Rome, Berlin, Amsterdam

I think that's it for now. Christ, splitting headache still here from when I left the theater (King Kong) so I'm going to pass out.

"way to plant, ann!"

Last night I cooked dinner for six: chicken parmesan, haricot verts, and garlic bread. It was the first time I had made chicken parm or garlic bread, but everything came out fantastically. Which is surprising. But I'm quite proud of myself.

"Tainted Love" just started playing on iTunes...I didn't even know I had that song. Fun.

I'm super excited for study abroad next year. Just need something new...and my friend Rita was telling me about visiting another Spencie in Prague and was telling me about little wine and cheese bars, and 80s/90s-themed discoteques. I just want to get out of the states, and familiarity.

Watched "Little Women" the other day, it's like a ritual whenever I come here....mmmmm so good I love that movie. And it's probably the only movie where I can tolerate Kirsten Dunst.

I need a project here - the whole 'quality family time' thing wears off after a few days, even though I haven't seen my parents since the summer. Maybe I'll start redecorating the rooms, I've been meaning to do that, this house is a wreck...

chronic(what!)cles of narnia

Sienna Miller is such a hottie mchotstein.
Now that she's chopped off her hair and declared bohemian-ism over, hopefully this means I won't be seeing those goddamn cowboy boots that are EVERYWHERE. (Although I wished the same thing with UGGs, but they're still around......ugggggghhhhggrossss)
I mean, it's nothing against cowboy boots - they're like the Strand bag; they're both fun and fabulous for a while, until you begin spotting them on every. single. person. on. the. street.

The lake froze over amazingly this year; it's like a huge pane of smooth glass just plopped itself over the water. I can't skate, but that isn't stopping me from running around like a fool, all bundled up. The other day, someone was wind-skating or para-skating, whatever it's called. It looked like so much fun. These Alaskans, so creative. Or bored.

p.s I haven't actually seen Narnia yet, but I did see the SNL music video with chris parnell and the new guy, and it basically got stuck in my head. And made me crave magnolia cupcakes, boo.

farmhouse

I was half asleep on the car ride back home from the airport/2 am dinner at a chinese restaurant when someone or other in the car poked and prodded me until I was awake enough to look out the window at a blurry greenish haze in the sky. It was exciting, even though it didn't really have the pretty ribbon shape that I see in the calendars. Oh well.

Raaawwr my brother got the video ipod and it's very pretty and I want it. Oh but it's fun because when my music comes up, the album cover shows up next to it! It makes me feel like a legit musician, a-woooot.
AND the bro has both seasons of Arrested Development so.......yay.

Hope everyone's having a jolly holiday. I think this may have been my first Alaska christmas EVER with no snow. NO SNOW ON CHRISTMAS DAY IN ALASKA???!! I didn't global warming was catching up with us so quickly, gosh darn dangnabbit.

un.a.mused.

OKAYIHAVEONEMOREFINALLEFT.
TOMORROW8AM.
NATURALSCIENCE"EINSTEIN'SUNIVERSE",FUCKYOU.
BUTNOTYOU,EINSTEIN,BECAUSEYOUKICKASS.
(ANDTHENI'MHOMEFREETHANKTHESWEETLORD)

epiphany!

I totally just had an epiphany, while procrastinating from writing this Russian Lit final paper.

It started out with me mulling over the fact that I'm only attracted to gay men.
Then, I remembered seeing Tucker Carlson on The Situation the other day with his bowtie undone and how I thought it was hilarious that Julia and I were in love with him back in high school.
Tucker Carlson is probably the closest thing to a genuine douchebag.
And yet, I'm attracted to Tucker in all of his asshole-Republican-bowtie-wearing glory.
Tucker is straight.
Ergo, if I am ever attracted to a straight man, he is most likely a douchebag. Maybe sans the Republican-bowtie-wearing-ness, but still a douchebag.
So basically, I hate douchebags but am attracted to them.

That probably didn't make sense to any of you, and I realize how ad-hoc the whole thing is, but just let me cling to my feeble "why deb is still single" theories, okay? Okay.

naked as we came

She says "Wake up, it's no use pretending"
I'll keep stealing, breathing her
Birds are leaving over autumn's ending
One of us will die inside these arms

Eyes wide open, naked as we came
One will spread our ashes round the yard

She says "If I leave before you, darling
Don't you waste me in the ground"
I lay smiling like our sleeping children
One of us will die inside these arms

Eyes wide open, naked as we came
One will spread our ashes round the yard


I was fine, and then Iron & Wine caught me at the wrong moment.
Memory is a bitch, and I guess I'm weak.
But then the wave of self-pity passes and I go on acting like I actually have control over my mind & emotions.
Well, who the hell am I kidding here?

finals? pfffffft. (part deux)

Last night we watched Batman Begins and Fargo and played Risk until close to 5 am. I conquered Africa and the Middle East.

Who am I???

finals? pfffffft.

Last night, we all got trashed.
There's really no other way to put it. We were all just trashed.
We all tried to peer pressure Elena into taking a shot, but she's a stubborn one.
I don't even know.
"Oh dear lord, am I outside???"

But the best part is, this morning Kelsey and I got up after very little sleep - hungover, maybe still a little drunk - and went to see the 10 fucking AM showing of "Little Women," the play Emily stage managed/acts in.
There were 4 people in the audience, including Kelsey and myself.
10 fucking AM. We were out of here by 9:15 and I kept calling it the Christmas Miracle that either of us were functioning at all.
We even got McDonalds breakfastttttt (yessssss so gooooood).

So....basically, last night/this morning/now has just been hilarious.

OHHH! And on our way back we saw Anne Hathaway a block away from the dorm bc she lives in The Archives. She was talking on the phone so it was like a two dimensional celebrity encounter - because usually you just see the person. Anyway, whatevs. She's a bad actress, but she was cute, hiding behind a mountain of shopping bags - although kind of sad because the Fendi shopping bag caught my attention before she did. Ohhhh I cna be so judgmental. But I dont take any of that back.


Aaaaaaand - I need coffee.

now that i think about it...

...I don't really have a reason to leave the apartment today.
I didn't set my alarm last night because I marked today my "day off" and as a result, I woke up at...1 pm. Sweet.
Also, I think today is one of those days for staying in, drinking tea, and watching reruns of America's Next Top Model (some season I haven't seen). I don't care what people say about that show - all I know is that it's addictive. I'm not saying it's a show with substance, but it's still addictive.

Oh and I got the Crosby Stills & Nash - "Crosby Stills & Nash" LP yesterday for $2. That's probably less than what I paid for "Deja Vu." I'm slowly but surely building myself a little library.

Last night I stayed in, Levent brought over "40 Year Old Virgin" which I hadn't seen (I loved it - the extras made me love it even more), had Lemongrass takeout for din, made chocolate crinkle cookies with the suitemates to celebrate the end of classes. Maybe if today I'm feeling extra productive I'll start my Russian Lit final (another paper aalshwieifj!!!) but......we'll see.
Oh wait there is something I need to do - I have to write a fucking statement for my U.N seminar. That's right folks, they're making us waitlisted kids send a statement to the professor saying why we want to take the class and what we would contribute; apparently she'll pick the best ones and let them in. If they just expanded the class by 5 people, I would be in. But now I'm "competing" against 13 other people. Yeah....fun!

And okay, sidenote: I'm not a fan of TIME magazine, but we had a copy lying around on the table so I was flipping through while I was eating; by the way, this issue was The Best Pictures of 2005 or something.
I have to say, I didn't really enjoy seeing a two-page layout picture of a corpse floating face down in the New Orleans floodwater. It definitely wasn't "Best Picture" caliber, and obviously they put it in there for shock value, aaaand basically it was just disgusting.
So what's my point here? Oh right, fuck TIME magazine.

from my heart flow

So about the Dave concerts. Apparently they were kick ass and I'm still bummed that I wasn't there, but John burned me both concerts, so I'm pretty chipper about that. But just listening to them, I know if I was actually there, I probably would have reached enlightenment or something. Dave is amazing.

Went to a screening for Match Point yesterday....there were parts that I didn't like, but overall I enjoyed it. Matthew Goode and Emily Mortimer were at the Q&A session afterwards, and frankly, I thought they did a better job than Johnathan Rhys Meyers or Scarlett (okay Scarlett wasn't that bad, and I still think she's amazingly super sexy hot) so that was nice. And Matthew Goode is so pretty.

Finished a new piece, "Gingerbread House" (oddly fitting, given that it's almost Christmas...totally didn't even think of that) Lyrics are up, as usual.

Mmm what else........classes are over; two papers down, one more to go, and two finals. Then Alaska! Hurrah.

It's freezing outside. I don't like it.





p.s I think I completed my 3 & 1 list:
Hommes: Colin Firth, Topher Grace, Adrien Brody. Femme: Scarlett Johanssen

old dirt hill

Dave Matthews is playing the Garden tonight and tomorrow night.


I'm not there.


Which makes me sad. But I have to say, I am not a fan of the Garden.





But it's DAVE!!!! AWOUEIGFHLSJKDHGFOIUGEOFUHSL!!!!! I love Dave.

uptown, it's another world

Why is it so goddamn impossible to find some Arizona Peach Iced Tea in this city??? WHY???

I saw a homeless man digging through garbage cans today, wearing feather angel wings. It definitely left a lasting impression.

Went to the Spence Winter Choral Concert today with Elena. Wels called us up to sing a song with the Glee Club. I had no idea what the song was, and there was step-touching & clapping involved. It was funny, but sadistic on Wels' part. And he knew it. Overall it was good though - Geraldo was there, as usual. For one song, a bunch of girls ran out into the audience and dragged their parents out into the aisles and were dancing. Geraldo is an awkward dancer.

And goodnight.

ivory keys and a new beat

For years, it was Dan Smith who wanted to teach us all guitar, with his flyers all over the city.

Today, I saw a similar ad, but this time it wasn't Dan Smith, it was...JEFF REED!!!
Or John Reed, maybe.
What is with the monosyllabic guitar teachers taking over the city??

I really wish my left arrow key would work. It made my life that much easier...'dont' it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till its gone'....oh how right Joni Mitchell is. RIP, left arrow key.

Finals are coming up, which effectively means that the number of posts on this blog will exponentially increase in the next week or two. Are you ready? Because I DON'T THINK YOU'RE READY!

friendly fire

There's a storybook moon out tonight: the perfect shade of yellow & the perfect crescent shape.
Maybe it's the snow that made it so pretty. Yeah that was random, waking up to snow this morning.

So I updated my Mozilla and it's really throwing me off, this new layout. Fonts are different, keys are different, ahh. Too complicated.

This weekend pretty much flew by...thursday night I stayed in with Elena and we watched Erin Brockovich (it was my first time seeing it) - I actually really liked it. Go Julia Roberts with that Oscar of hers.
Friday night was un peu insane...beer bottle graveyard in the apt, then we all went to Smalls, where the chardonnay really sent me over the edge. There was a late night jam session going on, and while they were taking a break my friends asked the owner if I could play something on the piano...apparently he said okay because then I remember stumbling through 'Silent Film' - I'm surprised I even remembered all of the words. So technically I can say I played at Smalls - albeit it was 2 or 3 in the morning and I was gone, but who cares. Mike had to escort me back because...yeah. Still didn't get sick though, yay me & my track record of not puking.

...but the hangover the next morning was intense. Oh well.

Last night was Elena's choral concert, in which she had a solo, yay!
Howwwever. I came to the conclusion that I am NOT a fan of jazz choirs. I got all excited when I saw Count Basie, Chick Corea, and Ellington in the program, and then when I heard the arrangements...being sung by musical theatre kids...it was obviously weird and disappointing. I'll just leave it at that.
Afterwards we all went out for a late dinner & desserts, and when we came back to the dorm, there was a crazy trivial pursuit soiree going on. Someone brought a bunch of Magnolia cupcakes, and that makes me happy. I plan on devouring one later.
Anyway, we joined in on the festivities (i.e drank) and danced around a lot. And played Mario Kart, of course.

Kelsey was sick this morning, boo. But now she's better, hurrah. She's funny when she dances.

I have a lot of work, and as you can see, I don't want to do any of it. I should do some work before Grey's is on though. Speaking of hospital shows, LUCA FROM ER IS AMAZINGLY HOTTTTTTT. That is all.


Yeah.
Maybe I'll have that Magnolia cupcake now...

sometimes, i'm a douche.

Well, it's true. At least I admit it.
Also, it's fun calling people out on being douchebags, because first there's the laugh and then they realize I'm being serious.

Happy December, by the way. Ugh, winter.

Bookstores are such havens.

I don't like Starbucks. Of course, when someone offers to get me a peppermint hot chocolate with their declining dollars, I can't say no - I'll make exceptions for the peppermint hot chocolate.
But really. Not to be a coffee elitist (who am I kidding, I've become a total coffee elitist), but I feel like there's no excuse for Starbuckses in the city when there are so many fantastic little bistros and cafes right around the corner. They're cheaper, and infinitely better (i.e. you dont' feel like vomiting up the insane amount of sugar in the drink after you down it)

I was up ridiculously late last night. Doing work? Pfffffffft, please. I was up making the most awesome-random-party-playlist EVER, obviously.
You know I have random music taste. But this playlist is the epitome of random. I'm throwing a party sometime this weekend just so I can play the playlist. For serious. I excluded jazz and classical, just because it would REALLY throw it off and throw it into another dimension of random, but it's still 12.5 hours of crazy.

And since I have nothing better to do while I breakfast on leftover chinese rice, I'm going to play a round of magic 8-ball with the crazy playlist. It's fun - you have iTunes on shuffle and ask it questions, and it will give you answers (yeah it's completely ad hoc, but it's the same thing as going to a fortune teller, in my opinion).
READY???? HERE WE GOOOOO!

Q: Will I end up an old maid?
A: "Deja vu" - Crosby, Stills & Nash
hmm. true.

Q: How do people view me?
A: "Everything Is Everything" - Phoenix
how profound.

Q: Am I meant to be a gay man?
A: "Dont Cha Wanna Ride" - Joss Stone
oh christ.

Q: I don't know what path to take in life...tell me what to do.
A: "Lonely Day" - Phantom Planet
so I guess I'll go be a hermit? thanks, itunes.

Q: How will I be remembered after I die?
A: "Southbound" - The Allman Brothers
there are many possible interpretations, including some really funny ones....

Q: Will I meet the love of my life here, or abroad?
A: "American Girl" - Tom Petty
so I guess here?

Q: Tell me iTunes, am I to be plagued all of my life with fickle people?
A: "#41" - Dave Matthews Band
I think I've encountered more than 41 fickle friends, but alas.

Q: What is the key to happiness?
A: "Falling" - Ben Kweller
falling....on my face? in love? BE SPECIFIC, GODDAMNIT!

Q: How will I make my mark on the world?
A: "Lullaby of Birdland" - Ella Fitzgerald & Duke Ellington
oops I lied there is a little bit of jazz on this playlist.

Q: Am I doing the right thing by going abroad for a year?
A: "Mo Money" - Puffy feat. Mase
word.

Q: What does ______ really think of me? (sorry, this one's a little private)
A: "Dreamgirl" - Dave Matthews Band
ahhh!

Q: Will I ever find a job in the real world?
A: "19th Nervous Breakdown" - The Rolling Stones
um.....great.

Q: What is my biggest flaw?
A: "Get On Top" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
awesome. i'll keep that in mind.

Q: Any last pieces of wisdom?
A: "Never Know" - Jack Johnson
thank you, oh wondrous and mighty iTunes.