31

Okay, I was looking at these song lyrics, because I really like this song. Particularly, "well As for now I'm gonna hear the saddest songs and sit alone and wonder how you're making out. But as for me, I wish that I was anywhere with anyone
making out..." is a marvelous lyric. BUT look at people's "reviews" below the lyrics on this page. Am I the only person surprised by the level of, well, personal-ness being revealed, here?

In all honesty, I read about five of these and now am rather concerned.

30

In case you were wondering what I was singing in the shower this morning:

Lightspeed Champion, "Dead Head Blues"

I saw them/him performing "Madame van Damme" on Dinner with the Band, and now I am addicted to the "Life is Sweet! Nice to Meet You" album.

PS: I'm so proud -- I cropped that picture all by myself! Hahaha.

29

Happy Birthday, Beatrix Potter.

I recently reread your Peter Rabbit. Much love.

28

The Avett Brothers, "Weight of Lies"

Disappear from your hometown
Go and find the people that you know
Show them all you good parts
Leave town when bad ones start to show
Go and wed a woman
A pretty girl that you've never met
Make sure she knows you love her well
But don't make any other promises

The weight of lies will bring you down
And follow you to every town
Cos nothing happens here that doesn't happen there
So when you run make sure you run
To something and not away from
Cos lies don't need an aeroplane to chase you anywhere

27

It just amuses me how people are obsessed with being "local". Local produce, local bands, local this and that and the other thing. And how when they ask you (a fellow local) your opinions on these things, it's like you're being asked where your loyalty lies.

I love my town and all, but I could use a trip out of it about now.

26

Two songs that popped into my head this morning. As in just now.

Giant Drag, "Kevin is Gay"

3, 65, 7, 50
You're all I need
You're all in me
Don't keep me clean


Röyksopp, "What Else Is There?"

Roads end getting nearer
We cover distance but not together
I am the storm I am the wonder
And the flashlights nightmares
And sudden explosions
I don't know what more to ask for
I was given just one wish

25

(Photo: Joyce桐)

I swore I would never get into Starbucks stuff, but this ice cold beverage is THE way to beat the heat.

I got the recommendation from a friend. Twice now, I've gone by myself to declare I want "one of those passion-fruit tea strawberry lemonade things", leaving with a venti.

24

Do you ever feel like you're just being a drag? Like you are becoming an unpleasant person for others to talk to, or that you ought to lighten up for everybody's sake (and your own)?

I have been feeling like that off and on lately.

My goal is to immediately stop -- as in stop being such a drag, for myself and everybody else. And stop being so bizarre and distracted. My friends deserve better than that.

Time to let my problems fall to the wayside.

23

My iPod revealed these while on shuffle:

I Am Oak, "Don't I Know Enough?"

2 listens in, I had already decided it is crucial that EVERYONE hear it. Okay, so maybe just a few seconds into the first listen...

and, MORE IMPORTANTLY:
Natureboy, "Pariah"

"Who's gonna be your next kiss?"

Hits that special place.

22

Just some random songs I have been listening to a lot lately. Thought you could do the same. Click the image above to see the album cover I made for it in more detail, y'all.

1. Sean Flinn & the Royal We, "Patient Heart"
2. Kid Cudi, "Pursuit of Happiness"
3. Best Coast, "Boyfriend"
4. Lightspeed Champion, "Madame van Damme"
5. Bodies of Water, "These are the Eyes"
6. Jay-Z & Alicia Keys, "Empire State of Mind"
7. ceo, "Come with Me"
8. Hard Mix, "Memories"
9. Dr. Dog, "Jackie Wants a Black Eye"
10. Devendra Banhart, "Wake Up Little Sparrow"
11. Owen Pallet, "E is for Estranged"
12. Grizzly Bear, "He Hit Me"
13. Jefferson Airplane, "Somebody to Love"
14. Molina and Johnson, "All Falls Together"
15. Minuit, "Vampires"
16. Kings of Leon, "Use Somebody"
17. Family Trees, "Dream Talkin"
18 & 19. Forest Park, "Houses" & "Portland"
20. Perfume Genius, "You Won't Be Here"

(You're welcome.)

21

I surprised myself by how much I like this stuff. Well, I like most of it. I could live without the items with the c-word on them.

@ MetalTaboo

20

Buy me stuff?

@ UNIQUE ART PENDANTS

19

Vespertine Live. It was almost a week ago that I finally watched it. And I am still kind of smiling about it.

Here's a prime cut:
Björk, "Pagan Poetry"

18

I work work work in a library. I'm always there. Allll daaaaay loooong. [singing this]

Random things related to my job:

1. After doing an hour of inventory, one of my co-workers informed the rest of us that our best copy of the Kama Sutra is missing!

2. I hate answering the phone.

3. The last half hour of the day always feels like a mental apocalypse. You can tell in our eyes, we are barely keeping it together.

4. I once did the "the library will be closing in fifteen minutes" announcement in a semi-funny accent. It was half accidental. I kind of got in trouble.

5. The basement is floor ZERO.

6. Cool Hand Luke is almost consistently checked-out.

7. Good luck getting the right volume of anything when ordering from other libraries.

8. I have begun spending my fifteen minute breaks playing the grand pianos in the practice rooms of the music building nearby.

9. Once in a while, us office people talk about making a library-themed musical. I think I'm the only one seriously considering the idea.

10. Roughly forty DVD's were stolen last school year. I remember that Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Blazing Saddles were among them. They shall pay for taking Jimmy Stewart, my true love.

11. Strange things occur up on the top floor. Let's just say some very "scientific" things have been spotted occurring among those science books.

12. We carry Rolling Stone magazine.

13. There is nothing more amusing than watching workers clean and/or move the Chihuly piece. It is quite the operation.

14. One of my co-workers hosts concerts in her basement.

15. Why are circulation desks so high?

17

(Photo: Myself)

I couldn't agree more.

16

(Photo: 4AD)

When I found out that the Mountain Goats was releasing a limited edition DVD in honor of Record Store Day, I knew I had to have it.

It was only available in selected indie record stores on Record Store Day. Of course, only Seattle stores had it. After several phone calls and begging a very friendly manager to hold a copy for me, I got my hands on it the day after.

I finally sat down and watched it in its entirety tonight. Beautiful. Something about the intimacy of watching a man playing a song all by himself, getting choked up at the same time you do about a song he wrote about the death of a loved one.. Something suspended in and apart from the ticking clocks of time in all that.

Here's just a taste:
the Mountain Goats, "Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace"

15

Like when I bit into that delicious slice of pizza last night and (consequently) burned the roof of my mouth.

To those bittersweet things in life. To that give-and-take.

More on this later.

14

(Photo: Eating in Translation)

Mi vino falso (my false wine). This beverage is what dreams are made of. This, a firm love of MGMT, and one really badass poem I wrote... Those are pretty much the only good things I can recall getting out of my relationship with my ex.

Luckily, I can now sip this wonderful refresco mejicano (Mexican refreshment) without thinking about how disgusting my first kiss was.

Suck it, ese.

13

"Are you okay?"

It's a good question. One I have been asked a lot over the past year.

My grandmother, in particular, has asked me that question a LOT lately. I don't mind it from most people, because it shows they care. But I can't take her accompanying look of pity. Or the repetition.

And it's the last thing she said before she left the other day. I couldn't take it anymore. I shouted "stop asking me if I'm okay!" to the shut door. And my mother, seated just several feet away, decided to inform me that it is a rather apt question.

She decided to tell me that, over the past year or at least last few months, I have begun to look "well, sickly". Apparently, everyone is "worried". And, apparently, even my dad has mentioned to her that starting to wear some make-up wouldn't hurt me in the least.

Great. Just great. As if I didn't have enough problems.

At least I have these:

Best Coast, "Boyfriend"
ceo, "Come With Me" <- awesome video
Department of Eagles, "Herring Bone"

12

Damn Shyamalan and his best idea in a long time: Steal an already successful idea of someone else's.

While I distrust him based on The Village and Lady in the Water, my shameful love of the Avatar: The Last Airbender show trumps that distrust. Shyamalan, your ploy is working, much to my chagrin.

Also, I just admitted on the internet that I watch that show... CURSE YOU, M. NIGHT!

11

For no particular reason, for you:

Cloud Cult, When Water Comes To Life

Maybe it's the heat out here.

10

(Photo: myrecipes.com)

Sometimes, it takes a piece of cake to remind us that world isn't so bad. For me, today, a piece of Tres Leches cake did just that.

A co-worker of mine brought in this cake, aware that she would never be able to finish it herself, and offered it up to all of here. She made it with her grandmother, and it is delicious.

I have been inching my way through the past three or four days. I looked back over a month and some days that I have wasted by sitting by the telephone and checking my FaceBook. These are supposed to be the best years of my life. That is what this cake caused me to remember.

Well, sort of... Ok, so mostly it was just a really good piece (or three pieces...) of pastry.

9

I don't know how I feel about this. I guess let him have his cake and eat it, too?

8

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot is one of my favorite poems of all time. We read it in high school, and it has always stuck to me. I came across it again today. Still pretty much love it. It so well encapsulates, well, a lot.

There will be time, there will be time
To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;
There will be time to murder and create,
And time for all the works and days of hands
That lift and drop a question on your plate;
Time for you and time for me,
And time yet for a hundred indecisions,
And for a hundred visions and revisions,
Before the taking of a toast and tea.

You should read the whole thing. In fact, it's right here, if you are so inclined.

7

Owen Pallett, I kind of freaking love you. I'm glad you opened up for the Mountain Goats last year in your urban nightgown.

Seriously, the HEARTLAND CD is one of the few things currently holding me together.

6

Finding myself once again speechless, I am leaving up to others to write this blog for me. In other (plainer) words, I am going to make a little collage of song lyrics that have struck me lately. If you want to know where any of them are from, just ask.

x What I have is what you need and I'm never gonna give it to you x You know, it ain't so hard to say "would you please just go away?" x Oh my God, I've nothing left to say to you, not anymore x Make a decision with a kiss x You've been waiting around to get your mind in the gutter, hoping late late nights will mend you x Let's go back to the start x Typical me typical me typical me, I've started something, and now I'm not too sure x I'm looking out for number one x I cheated myself like I knew I would x How long must I slide, and separate my side x Semen stains the mountain tops x It's true. I get depressed and fancy hotel rooms, undressed, with nothing to flaunt but my loneliness x Our Hell is a good life x When you are gone, you are gone x That's not true, that's a mean thing to say. That's a damnable lie, that's a damnable lie x I feel like I'm evolving x Old habits die hard when you got a sentimental heart x Baby, I'm afraid to let you go x I need water, yeah, and love love love x

Interesting.

5

Plans.

Lo! may they come to fruition.
I await a sign.
Tick, tock.

In any case, I declare this to be the song of the day:
Grizzly Bear - "Ready, Able"

From last year's VECKATIMEST. Enjoy.

4

I was looking up photos of the "country", because I really want to get away from it all. Thanks to a photo I tripped upon along the way, I officially have much more incentive to go. Haha.

3

(Photo: samie.shake)

BOOKS.

I have seen so many lately.

2

For the first time in I-don't-even-know-how long, I mounted my bicycle yesterday.

I mounted it with the intention of avoiding the immediate, exiting the present. And it worked.

In fact, I rode right into my past.

I rode down the street I walked along to elementary school and around the field. I saw the place where I stared at the clouds, the place where I got beat up, the place where I sat alone, and even the place where I got hit across with face with an accelerating tether-ball. There were children playing with their mother there.

I rode past where I took piano lessons until my teacher moved to England to support her husband's efforts to get his degree in theology. There was a new family there.

Then I rode past the place where I stood and watched fireworks on more than one occasion. There were joggers jogging there.

I felt like a child, inserted into years that I had long ago put behind me. I felt uncertain on a bicycle that I had long ago stored away. Every turn was a lesson in trusting my own coordination and its primitive memory.

I pedaled and pedaled. I pushed and pushed. I pushed past my limit, and I pushed past the barrier that keeps me from true nostalgia. I ended up right next to the church in which I had my piano recitals. Right where there is a perfect view of the sea. There were people there.

That's when it struck me: No matter where I go, someone else has already been there. No matter how much I pedal, or how hard I push. People play on the playground, people move into houses, people run along sidewalks, people gossip in the courtyard. I was in all these places once, and now they are there. And there were others there before I was.

And it isn't comforting, but the truth is this: As unique as it feels when I have an identity crisis, someone else has had the same problem. And someone else will after me. As solitary as it feels fighting for a cause and losing, someone else has lost a similar fight. And someone else will after me. As alone as we feel experiencing anything in particular, someone else has probably been there. And others will most likely follow.

Almost renders "you wouldn't understand" invalid.

Now, somebody slap me for making that way more philosophical than it needed to be.

1

FaceLess.

I recently realized why, in the little instant messaging window on the social networking site I use, a link is provided to the profile of the person you are "talking" to.

So that you can remind yourself exactly who it is that you are speaking to.