2/14/2007
So, today is Valentine's Day...
...and also became the worst day to have class. Didn't go to work. It's strange how we argue with ourselves. I'll say "I'm definitely, DEFINITELY going to work tomorrow." But the lax nature of my job, coupled with my lack of motivation, pretty much nips that right in the bud. So I ended up not even attempting to go to the lab. Jesus just didn't want me to be there. But some other things that have been happening:
It dawned on me that I'm incredibly ignorant when it comes to understanding how this world works. The games we play, the delicate balances of relationships, and how serious it can be. Today, boys were shuffling all over campus in the ice and snow to get to Happy Harry's, Main Street Florist - grabbing up candy and flowers in last-minute desperation. It never occurred to me how fascinating this is: these are nice gestures, but actually are hollow gifts on Valentine's Day. Any other day, they'd be a thoughtful gift, but on VDay it's more or less expected.
Busted the hell out of my patootie and hand on some black ice. And on the day after my birthday. Really? God was punishing me for translating Genesis into ebonics. I know he was. So, I'm repeating the mistake with Exodus. Thank you, Bib&Classical. Rachel thought it was funny, though, so she gets to go to hell with me.
I'm beginning my journey towards whistling victory. Apparently, it's comical to anyone that I've never been able to whistle. Andrea was the most helpful, giving me a couple pointers that have created an airy whooooo-ing sound instead of just air. I've been working on this spiritual quest pretty much all day. I will not give up or be beaten at this. I refuse.
We finished the mix to go with the AWE.SOME. macaroni art I'm sending to the Shmivejournalist. Now I just have to journey through ice and snow and ICE to the post office.
The birthday was pretty okay. Went to La Tolteca with Banana, Nick, G, Saroukos, Joanna, Tiffany. The employees didn't give me the chance to steal another sombrero. I received many squirrel-related gifts, and a lazy-ass garden gnome I named Marcus. And some glitter. And a pretty hand-painted box with my name on it. As nice as it was, it still came across as meh to me. Becca says it's all probably Mom. Which I imagine is very much so.
But that's pretty much it. Now Banana and Rachel and I Are getting together to watch some cheesy romantic movie and eat silly amounts of popcorn. Happy Valentine's to all!
Posted by Jess at 8:53 PM
All You Need Is Love (and Percocet)
I quote from Wikipedia:"The Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas. The association estimates that women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines."
85% BITCHES.
Are we coming across as needy or caring? Who the hell knows.
But there are some crazy ass bitches out on Valentine's Day:
Posted by Jess at 10:42 AM
2/12/2007
LOOK WHAT I MADE!
Posted by Jess at 10:23 PM
12/06/2006
And all the stars were crashing 'round...
Walking in the cold is something that I love to do. When it's cold outside, you bundle up in all the clothes you can find and walk fast against the cold. I always want to run like Pheobe in Friends - arms flailing, whipping your legs around in a "who the hell cares kinda way. There's that rhythm that you fall into - step, step, step - that keeps you in a kind of deep concentration. The cold makes me so awake sometimes that I wonder if I was sleeping before. But no - it's just that everything becomes clearer, the edges become sharp, and you're aware of much more than you give yourself credit for. And cold nights are even better. Winter lends itself well to the darkness, the stars, the streetlights. So if you're out and about, look for me, because I'll be on the streets, stepping out a rhythm all my own.
The Decemberists - The Crane Wife 1 and 2
CLICK HERE TO BUY SOME DECEMBERISTS CDS!
Posted by Jess at 7:40 PM
12/05/2006
All the glory when you ran outside, with your shirt tucked in and your shoes untied...
OK. I'm at work, and I'm still excited about the coming DE winter, and I'm a little peeved that it's taking so long. Marisa was bummed about not being able to stay inside with hot chocolate and our friend Lethargy, away from the snowy PA winter. Becca played in the snow in Rhode Island with one of her friends - during work. And my only consolation was the fact that I had to wander out for class, and snow would pretty much have eliminated any possibility of that happening. Since it's snowing everywhere else and it might snow sometime soon here, I feel the need to talk about Sufjan Stevens. I know everyone already loves him, but when it gets cold I can't help but think about how much I enjoy this music in the winter. There's something sparkling about his songs - shimmery is more appropriate. Things are whispered and fade, bells ring out into a hollow space. It's really gorgeous. Not to mention the homemade costumes he wears at concerts. Hopefully I'll get to see him soon and take part in the amazingness that is Sufjan. But until then I scour the web for b-sides and live sets and any mention of his name. And can we please talk about how great the Christmas boxed set is? If you don't already own it, GET IT. So I'll just sit here at work, listen to Sufjan, and do a little snow dance in my mind. Please snow please snow please snow...
(update: you totally missed out. files have been taken down.)
BUY SOME SUFJAN NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Jess at 5:18 PM
I don't know what to say...
Registration for classes is the end of my life. Especially when you get kicked off eight thousand times. I'm not going to lie to you guys, this morning i threw a hissy fit, angry-danced, cried nervously, shouted obscenities at my computer, and seriously entertained notions of taking a dump on our new Dean's front lawn. I can't defend my self with anything other than telling you I was in a very bad place. But I happened upon the Sneeze website, where Steve posted the traditional holiday song of Sneezedom: the CRazyAsS O Holy Night man. I laughed so hard I even forgot about the bumbling IT idiots here at UD. So for your Christmasey joy, I give you O Holy Night:Crazy Man - O Holy Night
Posted by Jess at 11:18 AM
12/04/2006
Highways always say what's on their minds...
Before I rush off to class this morning, I thought I'd drop a post. We're all rushing around here, getting papers done and studying for thousands of finals. For some reason, I can't help but feel this fight-or-flight instinct, this crazy knee-jerk to drive off and find something less stressful. But, since I'm possessed of some fairly useful common sense, and I realize that I can't do that, I'll just jam/dance/sway/sing it out. You should have seen me rockin' out to Vehicle. But that's another story. For a calming bit of distraction, I give you Justin Rutledge . This Canadian bit of pretty does the whole alt.country thing, which I really enjoy. This song seems silly at first, but evolves into something far better - something opens up, breaks apart, and everyone begins to sing. Even me. (UPDATE: LINK HAS BEEN REMOVED)
Justin Rutledge - Don't Be So Mean, Jelly Bean (live)
Posted by Jess at 10:36 AM
12/01/2006
I'm dreaming of a mildly temperate Christmas...
I'm starting to dig through my Christmas music as the cold wave is finally about to hit lil' old Delaware. It's hard to believe that this time last year, we were mid-calf deep in slushy mess as we walked to class. I don't even know how to handle the fact that I wore a t-shirt today. But I need to get into the Christmas mood, regardless of weather, because it's finally December.
I love Holiday music...it's catchy, inane, overly-sentimental pop that I can listen to and actually love myself in the morning. Christmas gives us all that special opportunity to rock out to the holiday ditties of Mariah Carey and Hanson with minimal-to-zero self-loathing. That, my friends, is the beauty of the holidays. But for those of you who aren't ready for the one millionth listen of N'Sync's "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" I offer up some holiday music that doesn't leave that sting of pop overload. Some of these I'll admit may not be traditional, but it's all about the love. So, as the night air chills for a true winter and I leave my window open because it's a bugger to get shut, I'll send some love your way. But act fast, these links prolly won't stay up too long! UPDATE: I took the links down. You totally missed out.
Sufjan Stevens - That Was The Worst Christmas Ever!
This is a song I stumbled upon my senior year of high school. I was knee-deep in snow and ice in the boondocks, and my Dad decided to spend a ridiculous amount of time tending to the woodstove because a) he's a MAN and b) he loves to beat winter at her own game by saving on the heating bill. I don't blame him at all. This song is my record of that time - I even remember hearing the bit about the father "throwing the gifts in the woodstove" and getting very nervous. But Sufjan takes a stressful, dreary, hopeless Christmas and turns it into a lo-fi gem. And he loves Jesus. A lot.
Rose Polenzani - It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
This is a perfect Christmas song...simple, quiet harmonies. It's practically begging you to sing along. DO IT.
Kay Starr - I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (Stuhr Remix)
A nice, jazzy standard remixed with a hip-hop beat always wins. It's a formula nobody can beat. That's why this song conjures images of partygoers drunk on serious eggnog and good cheer, dancing on/stumbling on/falling onto/crashing through/attempting to repair/abandoning your sofa. But don't worry - you've got Kay Starr to keep you warm.
Otis Redding - White Christmas
There's nothing like Otis Redding during the holidays. In the midst of so much hollow-voiced pop tunes (and I'm not ragging on them, but Celine Dion needs to get the hell out of my face with that), it's necessary to hear something stronger, deeper. That is what Otis is for. He not only wishes for a white Christmas...he begs for it. You can hear it, that freedom - it's the sound of opening presents, making snow angels when you're almost twenty (!!!), and waddling around a snowy yard like a toddler, dressed in godknowswhatkindof poofy snow gear. Otis knows all of it, and he wants to give that gift to everyone.
Sufjan Stevens - Get Behind Me, Santa!
I'm not going to justify this one - it's off Sufjan's new boxed set. He really gets into Christmas - why shouldn't you?
The Decemberists - The Crane Wife 1 and 2
The Crane Wife is without a doubt my favortite album of the year. It's filled with beautiful images and stories. It just so happens that my favorite track from the album (which is 11 minutes of perfection - but I digress) also has a winter setting, so BADOW! It goes into the winter mix. The gorgeousness of this song is doubled by the beautiful japanese folktale it's based on. You can read a rough outline of the story here . This song jingles with the falling of snow and the speedy treading through the cold wind and snow that we college folk know all too well.
The Honorary Title - Snow Day
"Catching the snowfall under a beam of streetlight / and I'm praying for accumulation all through the night..." We all know that feeling, hoping for a few more inches, just a few more inches and we can stay at home. It's beautiful to think of that childhood desperation - the snow had to cover everything, it just had to, or the world would end. And you'd wake up the next morning and you'd just know. You knew that your prayers had been answered: the whole world had stopped mid-step and you had a whole new world to play in.
Auto Escape - Falling Asleep In The Snow
I've never fallen asleep in the snow. I have no idea what would drive someone to the point of laying down in the frost outside someone's house, but it must be pretty serious. I stay outside for an hour and I'm suddenly very aware of my body and its need for heat. What would make someone that crazy? Oh yeah...love. Of course.
Midlake - It Covers The Hillside
It's getting cold. That means we don't have long to wait for snow. If this cold sticks, we can have a real winter. And once the snow starts, we'll come out of our dorm rooms with study-wearied eyes into the blinding light of the sun on the snow. We'll twitter with excitement, call our friends, and turn into little children again. Some things never change.
Josh Rouse - The Whole Night Through
I watched a documentary about Josh Rouse, and this song was laid over a shot of Josh riding in a car at night. There was snow all over, and the streetlights streaked across the windows. Everything looked cold and cozy and blue-grey. All I wanted to do was wrap myself up in a blanket, sit by a window, and listen to this song. I recommend you all do the same.
That's the mix - from me to you. Hopefully you'll find something that tickles your fancy, and I can get back to drinking too much Vault and having heart palpitations as I debate whether or not to close my window. It's getting a little bit cold. I'm so excited. Happy Holidays!
Posted by Jess at 11:22 PM
This is a foreign land of the sprayed-on tans...
I can't remember the first time I heard the Shins. I can't even remember which pants I wore yesterday - or, frankly, if I wore pants at all. Nuff said. But if I could reconstruct that first listen, it would be more alive than this moment, full of swirling vocals and sparkling instrumentation. Now, the Shins are releasing a new album, Wincing the Night Away. And I can't wait for January 23rd, because I can't wait to get another chance to remember that first-Shins euphoria. I'll lay on my bedroom floor with my headphones and let it all come back to me. So start getting excited...because it's definitely worth it. But don't take my word as gospel - courtesy our friends over at SubPop Records, you can download one of their new songs! (UPDATE: YOU MISSED OUT. SONG HAS BEEN TAKEN DOWN)
The Shins - Phantom Limb