It's been a busy Monday. Jesse and Eko relax.

He was a good man and now he's gone.

I've decided to do as my friend Liz does on Fridays, and provide a Friday Playlist. I was walking into work this morning and a series of extremely walkable music came on. You know what I mean? Like, The Killers "All These Things That I've Done" is the quintessential walking song to me, mainly because of its march-like drum beat. Not all of these have that kind of drum beat, but they have the face-up, leg-moving, maybe-you'll-smile flow. As if you've got a Sorkin/Schlamme camera set-up in front of you on a cart. (Okay, that was a mighty dorky reference - kudos if you get it.) I've rounded out the rest of the songs at work - it's Friday! Also, today's my two year anniversary of working in this place. Not too shabby!

Friday Playlist

M. Ward - Requiem (I'm kind of obssessed with this song at the moment)
Brandi Carlisle - The Story
Bright Eyes - Road to Joy
Coconut Records - West Coast
Dandy Warhols - We Used to Be Friends
The Format - Inches and Failing
Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine
Foo Fighters - Hey, Johnny Park!
No Doubt - Excuse Me Mr.
The Gaslight Anthem - Meet Me By the River's Edge
Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light
Ray Lamontagne - You Are the Best Thing

What are you listening to today? Anything I should be looking into? Besides Lily Allen & M. Ward's new albums, I haven't gotten into anything new. And you know I'm always on the lookout.

Finally - it's the WEEKEND!

And since Jesse left yesterday for the Midwest, I was writing him an e-mail this morning before work (during my Cheerios!) and little Keanu wanted to say hi, too. We miss him!

Chuck Bass spotted.

Just received this e-mail from my friend Jaime who's seeing Morrissey tonight at Carnegie Hall. I cracked up because she would be the person to take the dude's picture while he's looking directly at her.

Response: "Affirmative."

Hey you with the wedding dress on.

Warning: this post is going to be completely random. I'm just writing it all out, segues be damned.

I'm still working on that epic post. It's just...I think I need to be in the right mood to press "publish."

My layout! It's different! I mentioned this a few posts back, but I think I'm pretty happy where it is right now. I may still make a header (if I find the time!), but there's nothing too drastically different besides the colors. I did add a couple of sidebar features - firstly, the "Currently Reading" box has a picture of the book I'm reading and links to the book's page on Goodreads. Right under that is the "Recently Read & Reviewed" box, which displays the last four books I read, and if you click on the cover, it'll take you to my review of the particular book. Of course all this would be easier if you just signed up for Goodreads and became my friend.

Speaking of which, yesterday I finished The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and I recommend it to everyone. I'd heard about it for so long, and not until Jesse unpacked it from his storage space did I remember it. Inside the cover of his old paperback, a girl had written a note of passing the book on to Jesse. I asked Jesse who the girl was, and he didn't remember it was so long ago. I love finding things like this in old books. I'm going to try to write notes on the inside of books I gift to people, and maybe they...or some stranger...years down the line will remember or...wonder who that Jessica is, too. And why she loved that book enough to pass it along to someone else. The novel itself put me in a very pensive mood, and I like being in pensive moods. I'm now reading Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go, and I'm excited as I already feel myself diving deep into another well-written book. There's a thrill there, for sure.

I really need to see Sunshine Cleaning. Perhaps this weekend.

Gossip Girl has turned from a guilty pleasure into a guilty non-pleasure. I keep watching, but it's soooo bad - my latest hour of eye-rolling was during the episode which centered on a play of one of my favourite books, Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence. Groan. Also, just an FYI, the rebooted 90210 has actually been pretty good as a guilty pleasure - it just needed to find its stride. None of these teen dramz compare, of course, to the this-feels-a-little-too-real show of Friday Night Lights. I'm astounded by how much I'm reminded of my own high school memories from that show - not the football stuff, just the students and the relationships and interactions. Ridiculous.

Wedding planning is a-okay, but I've been having this recurring dream of eloping. Ah, simplicity.

If you live in New York, and even if you don't, check out Sweet Emily's on 51st and 8th Avenue - it's one of the most delicious dinners (and drinks) I've had in a while. Jesse found it online, and we decided to take my mom and all of her friends there. Jesse thought it would be a good fit because it's American comfort food mixed with Latin dishes. My mom and her friends are all Latinas, so the chef came out to talk to them about the arepas and how they each made them. They were delicious, by the way. Emily herself came out to wish us a good meal, and mentioned that they'd only been open a month and to spread the word. So that's what I'm doing. The atmosphere was calm and perfect for dinner conversation - not overwhelmingly loud like most New York dinner spots. I can't wait to go again!

Jesse leaves tomorrow for a couple of shows this weekend. It's been quite nice having him around and getting into a stride, as most of our relationship before this break was short bursts of his time home between long stretches on the road.

I loved I Love You, Man - and though it's in the same genre as most of those Apatow-y, same-cast movies like Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Zack and Miri, etc., I thought it rose above them. I think I probably only liked Superbad more. Okay, also, I have to make the distinction between this "crew" of comedians making movies, and the others - the older, popular "crew" of Ferrell, Stiller, etc. Apatow-y movies are different than Tropic Thunder and Step Brothers and Zoolander. So, in just the Apatow-y movies (started, I believe, with The 40-Year-Old Virgin), I would rank I Love You, Man WAY up there. Because it did manage to surprise me while making me laugh hysterically, and also, it was one of the only comedies in years that didn't really offend me as a girl. And yes, I can't deny Paul Rudd and Jason Segel's charms. Seriously. I love them. I mean, I've loved Rudd since 1995.

"I know, right?"

Also, that paragraph about the movie may not make any sense at all in retrospect. Apologies.

Hey oh, who's going to see a Red Sox exhibition game in a couple of Fridays with my friends? THIS GIRL. (IS STOKED)

Baseball games are also a sign of better weather...or the promise of, I suppose. I'm unbelievably excited for such, as I already know this summer is going to rock because of impending nuptials, but ALSO because I'm seeing No Doubt (at least) three times, we already have tickets to a Brooklyn Cyclones baseball game, and Erica and I have already planned Saturday and Sunday mornings on the roof. Oh, and I'll be spending ten or so days out of the country in a tropical locale with my future husband - SUMMER 09 I LOVE YOU ALREADY! So, if you could just hurry up and get here already, thanks.

Post Script.

Ridiculously epic post on hold;
will save for a later date.

Ridiculously epic post imminent.

In lulls during work today, I've been working on a post that started as a quote, then became an exercise in storytelling as I'm trying to piece together a history in written form that I mostly tell verbally with another person. It's quite long now. But, I'm working on it diligently and it should be up tonight. It's a story a lot of commenters have asked about, so I hope I detail it just right.

This weekend my mother visited with her friends, and we had a SPEC-TAC-U-LAR time of it. Jesse made us dinner, we ate at a great restaurant (seriously, this warrants an entirely separate post, which I will try to get to after Epic Post). I also continued my couch time getting over food poisoning by catching up with my old friend Sydney Bristow, Michael Vaughn, Will Tippin and Arvin Sloane...you know. Alias. I really do love that show, and seeing it in retrospect to JJ Abrams' post-Alias show LOST, it's just another level of interesting. (JJ Abrams loves important numbers, Locke was Agent Kendall, hey ohhh.) Also, I saw I Love You, Man and I really really love Paul Rudd and Jason Segal....man.

In other news, there hasn't been many Ryan Adams udpates here in a while, and I thought I should let you know that my obsession hasn't waned since hearing he was retiring from music. He's already written another book due out this year, and um, did you hear he got married? To Mandy Moore? Right?! I love it.

[I mainly blog about RA consistently for Jonah's sake.]

STAY TUNED!

It's Friday, people!

Jesse continues selling his record collection! This batch ends this weekend so get on it if you're into vinyl from these bands -

Pixies/Pogues/Sugarcubes split
Three Mile Pilot (12)
Thrice
Tool
Tortoise (10)
Trans Am (3)
Transplants
Travis (2)
2 Live Crew
Turbonegro
Unkle
Unwound (6)
UFO or Die
VSS
Tom Waits (13)
The Walkmen (2)
Weezer
Wilco (3)
Rocket from the Crypt (5)

Remember, 10% of the proceeds is being donated to Andrew McMahon's Dear Jack Foundation. Do it!

I'm back at work and feeling a bit better - hope everyone has a great weekend!

They've been very good nurses.

(The best one, Jesse, not pictured.)

I got food poisoning Tuesday night and I became the actual BARFTIME for the past couple of days. I think I'm just about getting over it - thanks to Jesse and the kitties keeping me company and rubbing my back or making me smile.

If one piece of lettuce in your salad looks even a little brown, DO NOT EAT IT!!!

And we'll never miss a party.

So, my dear friend Liz turned me onto this other blog she runs, called Twenty Something Writers. This week they had a very interesting prompt, and I thought I'd join in the fun -

If you were able to communicate with your younger self, what would you say? Would you warn yourself of the things that are to come? Would you tell yourself to avoid certain people? Write a letter to yourself at a younger age. Feel free to tell yourself anything that you’d like to. Let us know what age of yourself you are writing to.

Dear 17-year-old Jessica,

You're a senior in high school right now. Fresh out of the moving van to a high school in little Carlisle, Pennsylvania. I know - it's kind of tough. But anything's better than that school in Virginia, right? Right. You're used to being The New Girl. And you know what? You're going to have an amazing year - it will have its downers, but you will also meet some of your best friends...ever. You know, ones that will be your bridesmaids. (Yeah, there's a wedding to look forward to - your current thoughts about never getting married don't quite stand the test of time.)

And DON'T WORRY - the groom is not that tool you're dating right now. I wish I could tell you not to date him, but you honestly learn a lot from what amounts to a crap relationship. In the end you'll learn why your friends are your friends.

I'd say keep focused on school, but you already are because you're a giant nerd (that doesn't change). Continue to take pride in your school newspaper staff position, and keep up that idealistic attitude about going to college for journalism. It doesn't quite pan out as you'd hope, but I can tell you that you're entirely happy now.

Oh, and I feel like I should say listen to your parents. But you already do. Man, we were total squares. We never snuck out once! But hey - they're the best and they STILL are.

Okay, next - if at all possible, try to learn some computer code while you're still in high school, and along with all those journalism, film, and women's studies classes you take in college, take some computer programming. Think of website ideas...I know you have dial-up, but the future brings faster connections. Take these words to heart: Social Networking. Get on that gravy train stat, and maybe you won't end up in the cubicle I'm (you're?) in right now...just kidding - you're happy! Really happy! Promise. Just, some people who are twenty-five these days have a lot more money than you do because of The Internet. Take heed, child.

Also, Nelly Furtado's career doesn't really go in the direction you think it's going to. I hate to break it to you, but that debut album you're spinning right now is as good as it gets. Still really great though, I know!

Love,

Your 25-year-old Self

PS Don't be alarmed.

Man how we used to tear apart this town.

Good morning!

I'm feeling good and refreshed after a weekend spent in Massachusetts with Jesse and my parents. The weather's getting better so I even put on heels today (as opposed to my winter flat boots). And since I'm wearing heels and a cute skirt/blouse outfit, I also decided to sport a little bit of red lipstick. It's always a good day with the red lipstick.

On Friday, I got out of work early and came home to find my father and Jesse ready to drive to Massachusetts! And though I spent half the trip squished into the backseat with some boxes (my shoulders, they were in pain), the trip wasn't too bad once I switched with Jesse to the front seat (mwahahaha). Then we had our traditional Friday night dinner at Zorba's, a great local pizza place. We always order the giant pizza, and we make it our goal to finish the entire thing. Now, I believe the first time I brought Jesse home, my dad ordered two giant pizzas, and Jesse, being the "new guy," had to finish the pizza that was left. And so began our wonderful tradition - through my dad's torture. [Sidenote: we talked about how THIS was a year ago Friday and how quickly a year passes!]

On Saturday I did the important stuff like laundry, and also continuing my parent's journey into the new love in my life - Friday Night Lights. Last time I was there we watched the second season, and I figured they should see the first season. Out of order, but still great! Seriously...I can't even get into how good this show is right now - it deserves it's own post - and I'll probably get to that when I complete the third season (which is airing right now).

I also helped my dad organize some stuff in the basement, which had the added bonus of finding my old Christopher Pike books! Seriously, I had every book of his I think. I STILL DO. I couldn't find the first Remember Me, which was the first book of his I read, but I did find The Last Vampire series, which I brought home because I can't wait to re-read it and compare to that other vampire series I read in the past few months. I think it will be fun to see the stuff I was reading in elementary, middle and high school (I read Remember Me in 5th grade, and I know I kept reading his books through to his adult books). Again, more on that when I get to it!

Jesse did some practicing for the upcoming MCS shows while I sorted through my adolesence in book-form. Then my mom and dad grilled up a great dinner on Saturday night, and my Tia Kim and cousin James joined us. We followed the smorgasbord with some Wii. So much Wii, that my mom and dad both had to give it a rest for fear of putting their arm muscles in jeopardy.

On Sunday we had a delicious brunch at Cracker Barrel (fried apples yum) and then went to do some food-related wedding stuffs. I KNOW: ALL I DID THIS WEEKEND WAS EAT.

And what did you do?

Get off my lawn!

Sean has a thrash band. Jesse played bass for Sean's thrash band on Tuesday night. Please meet, BAZOOKA CHRIST:

And watch it until the end!

Also, you may want to watch the other video Jesse has of us at my parent's house last summer. Starring Jesse, Sean, my brother Travis, his friend Andrew, Gaby, and I and some track medals. In a garage, playing flip cup. I'm not usually that bad at flip cup, I promise.

Where is my mind.

More records!!!! This batch ends this weekend so get on it if you're into vinyl from these bands -

Rocket From the Crypt (30!!! YEAH!!)
Pitchfork
Rodan
Shins (4)
Shudder to Think (4)
Sigur Ros (3)
Sloppy Seconds
Smashing Pumpkins (6)
Song of Zarathustra (5)
Sunny Day Real Estate (4)
Smoking Popes
Sugarcult
Superchunk
Superdrag (2)
Supergrass
Jimmy Eat World
Nine Inch Nails
Pixies

Remember, 10% of the proceeds is being donated to Andrew McMahon's Dear Jack Foundation. Do it! In other news, the Motion City Soundtrack website went under a makeover and they now have a TUMBLR! If you do too, start following it!

And because I feel like today is Friday, even though it's not, but I have that "Friday Good Mood at Work" feeling - here is a picture of zany Keanu from the other day when he was being absoutely nuts. Seriously, his back legs were acting completely independently of his front half!

You come in, I can read you.

How's my 52 Books in 2009 going? Well, February was a little slow, given that I've been reading Anna Karenina (which is amazing; I'm roughly 200 pages away from finishing it!). But I'd like to bring your attention to another book I read in February -

Every year I read a book called The Best American Magazine Writing. It's a selection of the previous years winning magazine pieces. I don't read every magazine out there - but usually this book gives me a great compilation of things I may or may not have missed. The great thing about magazine articles these days, is that you can usually find them online. In fact, I tend to look up many of my favourite articles from the book, since it doesn't come with pictures. In some profiles, like the one below about a girl named Cynthia who ends up in Atlanta - I just want to see the face of this extraordinary person. And, I can easily share with anyone who might be interested in these stories, as well. So below I've picked out just a handful of the articles from the book, and if you ever feel bored or in the need for a look at good writing (if so, why are you here?? - ha), I hope you look into some of these.

"The Black Sites," Jane Meyer for The New Yorker

"Specialist Town Takes His Case to Washington," Joshua Kors for The Nation -

All of the soldiers interviewed passed the rigorous health screening given recruits before being accepted into the Army. All were deemed physically and psychologically fit in a second screening as well, before being deployed to Iraq, and served honorably there in combat. None of the soldiers interviewed during this eleven-month investigation had a documented history of psychological problems.

Yet after they returned from Iraq wounded and sought treatment, each was diagnosed with a pre-existing personality disorder, then denied benefits. As in Town's case, Army doctors determined that the soldiers' ailments were pre-existing without interviewing friends, family or fellow soldiers who knew them before they were wounded in combat.

"You Have Thousands of Angels Around You," Paige Williams for Atlanta Magazine - Probably my favourite in the book; I got quite emotional reading it -

"Out in the Cold," Mike Kessler for 5280 Magazine -



"I Am Joe's Prostate," Thomas E. Kennedy for Newsletters [PDF, 4 Pages] - hilarious essay in second person, unfortunately only part of the article is available here.

"Casualties of War," Steve Oney for Los Angeles Magazine

Anyway, hope you enjoy these. And if you do, you should check out past issues. My favourite piece I've ever read has stuck with me over the years, and I can't find it online. It's from the 2003 anthology, and called "Lucky Jim." It's about a marathon runner who survives two near-death accidents, both which leave his body with permanent damages. I re-read it every year. It's also by Elizabeth Gilbert, yes - that Elizabeth Gilbert who wrote Eat, Pray, Love, which I picked up but was unable to continue. I didn't care for it. I'm getting carried away here!

My 52 Books continues, and I'll probably be reading shorter books after Anna as a "break," and then get into the other thicker contenders like 2666 and A Storm of Swords. I haven't decided exactly, but I have 22 unread books on my shelves - probably The Unbearable Lightness of Being and Never Let Me Go. I'm also always open to suggestions, even though I already have 192 books on my "to-read" list and continue to add every day!

You're locked in here with me!

On Saturday morning, a slew of us got together bright and early at 9AM to take in Watchmen. While most of us had read (& loved) the source material (Adam, Sean, Keller, Katie, Perry), others were not quite finished (Erica), and one of us had not even read it at all (Jesse). So, buzzed on coffee, we had varying degrees of expectations going into the film. And being that I simply can't review a film without taking the Watchmen graphic novel into account, that is what I'm going to do - and so, spoilers ensue --

Still, I sit here staring at the screen with so many thoughts about the movie, but with no idea where to begin. I'll start with a succinct summary: I enjoyed watching it, and it was impressive to a degree (not wholly), but it had one major dealbreaker.

I was extremely excited when I sat down in the IMAX, with great seats. The opening sequence of The Comedian's murder reeled me in, and the credits were fantastic. Seriously, some really tremendous work in those credits with the montage of the history of the Minutemen and Watchmen and the parallel and skewed universe these "superheroes" exist in. My excitement was bubbling.

Zac Snyder, fanboy that he is, really didn't stray much from the novel. It was practically the drawings come to life - which, was interesting, but, as someone who read it, it kind of distracted me for all the visual recognitions being conjured in my head. It was so close to the book, that I didn't gain anything new. Which is fine, I can settle for a serious fanboy adaptation, because it's incredibly spot-on, and I'll admire it only because I probably would have wanted to do the same thing and not mire the inherent awesomeness of the novel. And so many directors translating from comic books have tried to do it before - bravo, Snyder, for getting it almost right.

Almost. Somewhere between the written page and film, something was lost. I don't kow if it was because the brevity of the dropped storyline (being released on DVD later this month) really did affect the whole, or maybe Snyder's stylistic choices weren't necessarily right for many of the sequences. Let me just say - this movie would have perhaps been only two hours long (instead of 2:40) if he had given up some of the slo-mo. But again: neither were dealbreakers.

Here's what was: the music. It distracted me, and took all the needed seriousness out of every scene. The music did the opposite of what I think it intended to do - I think the musical supervisor chose certain songs for their recognition and iconic status. But it didn't help anything - instead, I was cringing most of the time (perhaps only the opening credits' Bob Dylan-set montage was music well-chosen). The worst, obvious to anybody who saw the movie, was obviously playing of "Hallelujah" during a sex scene. From "99 Luftballoons," to "The Sounds of Silence" during The Comedian's funeral - ugh!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't think I've ever been so disgusted or disappointed with music choice - because I've never been so distracted to think about it too much! The thing is, we all relate to these songs because they're so iconic, and in this alternate America, it doesn't pull my senses in to relate to it - it simply makes me shake my head because I'm thinking of Blondie's feathered hair or @&#%#*$^ Forrest Gump. And the choices weren't just limited to these giant pop songs; there was also a score thrown in every now and then, and holy crap, when they decided to set Dr. Manhattan's emergence over Vietnam to "Ride of the Valkyries" ?!?!?! REALLY, MUSICAL SUPERVISOR? REALLY? Horrendous. Like I said - dealbreaker.

Okay, I have to step back from the ranting, raving Jessica - I know, I know. I'll get back to some of the good parts; because yes, though the music choices were mish-mashed and quite awful, I'm still able to recognize all the great things about the movie.

Like some of those actors! Seriously, Jackie Earl Haley as Rorschach was spot on. And I believe he needed to be: Rorschach is one of the best characters in literature (I'm serious). Snyder knew this - if he had to get ANYTHING right in the movie, it had to be him. And hiring Haley was a smart choice. He brings to the screen all the raspy condescension and disgust that Rorschach embodies. A note - some people were saying his voice was very Christian-Bale-as-Batman - but Rorschach's speech bubbles were wavery, so I always had this growly voice in my head, Batman or no Batman. Just because last year's best comic book movie had a raspy voice, doesn't mean Rorschach shouldn't. And let's be honest, Haley did it better. Also, regardless of whether he was wearing his mask or not - Haley delivered.

Patrick Wilson, with all his nerdiness and flab, perfectly captured Nite Owl II - sex scene or no sex scene. Billy Crudup's detached Dr. Manhattan, the grizzly near-inhumanity of The Comedian by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and even Matthew Goode turned his not-like-the-book look into something believable as Veidt. Silk Spectre II was one-note, as Malin Ackerman tends to be in her roles. She fit the look, though. The original Silk Spectre (her mother), played by Carla Gugino, was well-done, but her on-screen presence always felt brief.

Speaking of looks, I have to share this post-movie conversation we all had, because it was so funny -

Keller: So who was good?
Me: I think they did a really good job with The Comedian...
Keller [laughing]: OH! Jessica likes Robert Downey Jr! What a surprise!
[Everybody stares at Keller, then -]
Many people: That wasn't Robert Downey Jr.
Me: He was that dude in Weeds and Grey's Anatomy...he's always the dead dude...
Keller: What? Seriously?
Me: He looks like RDJ. Meets Javier Bardem. Jeffrey Dean Morgan! And he was engaged to Mary-Louise Parker, who was pregnant with Billy Crudup's baby when he left her for Claire Danes...and hm, they had scenes together...[trails off...]

Keller was seriously dumbfounded. Also, I don't know how I really store all this information, but it's there.

Back to the topic at hand! I did enjoy the movie - it didn't feel like two hours and forty minutes, even with all the slo-mo. It kept going, and I kept anticipating the next scene simply because I had read the book. There were some great scenes (though my favourite is still probably the credits, which apparently you can find online now). I thought the funeral scene with The Comedian flashbacks was great, the initial Dr. Manhattan-on-Mars scene (NO MUSIC THERE!), and Rorschach in prison for delivering that great line. There was also a lot of gore, and I definitely looked away a few times. I don't think it was unwarranted; the book itself is a bit gory, but I think the impact of seeing it "realized" makes it much more in-your-face. Plus, Snyder loves that stop-action, slo-mo, sped-up sequence during action scenes. So you get every detail. It didn't annoy me that much - at least he was consistent?

The ending, though different, wasn't too bad. I understand where it needed to be changed, but it seemed to stretch. There were too many snippets of endings; it felt a bit haphazard. Also, the ending in the novel is far bloodier than in the movie - surprising, I know. There was one part that I did like better than in the book. [Serious Spoiler!] When Dr. Manhattan vaporizes Rorschach, his blood and guts leave an imprint on the snow; this didn't happen in the novel - he simply vanishes. I liked that touch.

So, I could go on and on AND ON about this movie, but I will conclude here. Snyder did an accomplished job at bringing the comic to life; I'm not sure if anybody else's attempt would have been as good. It's too hard to translate every meaning the book gets across, in my opinion. The movie comes across with less impact, and becomes just a movie to those who haven't read all the insinuated commentary and layers of the book. Because the book is anything if just a book. And for just a movie, it was good. Not great, but good enough. Again, Watchmen almost gets it - I think I would have had a much higher opinion of the movie if the music hadn't sullied my experience.

What did you think?

Got a body like a battle-axe.

How was everyone's weekend?! Mine was quite spectacular.

Friday night, Jesse and I stopped in at a new art gallery around the corner called Eastern District. They're currently exhibiting the works of a comic book artist known as Juan Doe. It also has some Kaws art and clothing. Our friend Jesse Lee works there, and I usually only see that girl out in the city, so I'm excited that she's like a "new neighbor." Next month Eastern District is exhibiting the works of Poster Boy - the guy who remixes subway posters.

And Erica got her hair cut!!! She looks RAD. (That's her above with Jesse Lee!)

On Saturday morning, Jesse, Erica, Sean, and I headed to the 72nd Street IMAX at EIGHT AM from Brooklyn. We met up with Keller, Perry, Katie, Adam, and Eli in a giant-email-threaded meet-up. Seriously, we've been planning this for three weeks. We got there an hour before Watchmen, and there was STILL a line!

Of course, my thoughts on the film will be brought to you in a separate post, lest some readers don't care for all the details! Anyway, it was such a wonderful weather day that we decided to walk all the way from W 72nd Street and Broadway to E 14th Street and 3rd Avenue. That's about 65 blocks on foot. And it was glorious!

On Saturday evening, Jesse took me out for our two-year anniversary dinner at Peter Luger's! If you don't know, Peter Luger's is a fantastic steak joint in Brooklyn, that I've seen profiled a zillion times on the Food Network, and has won the New York's Best Steakhouse prize every year since like 1985...or something. It's very hard to come by a reservation. And it didn't disappoint! Jesse has the pictures (maybe I'll add later!), but we got the steak for two and it was HUGE but we finished it all - even the meat of the bone. It's that kind of meat that just melts in your mouth...yummmm. A food coma ensued, of course.

That night, Erica and I went to Kelly's luau where there was some epic renditions of classic songs via karaoke. And everyone was dressed up in beachwear - even a dude in board shorts and a long-sleeved wet-shirt or whatever they're called. Amazing.

I finally made it to bed (remember, still Saturday - I had woken up at 7am!) and on Sunday I clean, clean, cleaned. Then Jesse and I met up with our friends Dan & Kristy, who were in town for Dan's show (he plays in OkGo). We went to dinner with them, Alexa and her boyfriend, Kafi, and Tim (the bassist). It's always so much fun to hang out with Kristy! I look forward to every time she's in town! Exclamation points don't do it enough justice!!!

Okay. After the catch-up, we went to the Music Hall of Williamsburg for the show to see openers Longwave. Then OkGo took the stage, and I couldn't help but dance. They played a lot of new songs, all of which ROCKED. And yes, there was lots of fun paper confetti! I couldn't make the afterparty (given my jobby job job), so I headed home. And thus concludes the adventure that was this weekend.

In other news - I'm messing around with the design of this page, so it'll be changing for the next few days until I find a way in which I like it! Thanks!

Jesse and I in the elevator. He has bigger feet.

We got here over an hour early for Watchmen.

Giant line already. Welcome to movies in New York.

Watch the world as it flocks.

A whole group of us are going tomorrow morning to see Watchmen in IMAX. We originally wanted to see it tonight, but as soon as tickets went on sale two weeks ago they were sold out. So, 10AM tomorrow morning, I will be wearing my stoked-face on the Upper West Side with eight or nine friends. Remember when I first read the comic?

Also, Jesse and I are celebrating our two year anniversary with a date, and then we're going to Kelly's Luau. Yeah, she's having a luau for her official birthday party, what of it?

On Sunday, Jesse and I get to see Kristy & Dan who are in town for Dan's show (he's the drummer for OkGo). Man, after writing all this down, I have to say - MY WEEKEND SOUNDS AWESOME!

And what are you doing?

Now they're just trying too hard to be models.

Getting spacier than an astronaut.

Jesse has another batch of vinyl that ends this weekend!! Like he's proven with his past couple of weekend sales, his collection is quite amazing, and there are a lot of rarities and original pressings and whatnot.

Here's a list of what's included, and you can see them all on eBay HERE! There's TWO pages of records!

Monster Movie, Morphine, Mum (5), Murder By Death, Nada Surf, Nine Inch Nails (9), No Knife, Pearl Jam (9), Piebald, Promise Ring (4), Portishead, Plain, Coldplay (2), Elvis Costello (2), Hot Hot Heat (2), Jawbreaker, Jimmy Eat World, Phantom Planet, Pixies (9), Q and Not U (2), Radiohead (12), Rancid, The Rapture (3), Rex (3), Refused, Kill Sadie, and Milemarker (4).

Again, 10% of the proceeds are being donated to Andrew McMahon's Dear Jack Foundation. Thanks!!

My world's full of people.

Me and fellow blogger Gaby at the Single Bloggers Mixer at Trainwreck last night! Notice that engagement ring? Ha.

So this photographer, from Guest of a Guest (a kind of NYC social/socialite website?), handed his laptop out to his subjects to look like we were "liveblogging." I mean, I kind of was from my iPhone (see Kells below!). I thought it was hysterical when he handed it to me, thus - a picture of me grinning like a kook and pretending to type and Gaby shocked by my scandalous writing on the very black screen.

Let me back up - Erica and I met up with Gaby and Kells for dinner to celebrate the Birth of Kells. It was grand fun, and I have found a new favourite restaurant. The Cuban food reminded me of my mom's cooking and Panamanian food, from platanos to patacones to empanadas. We all devoured our meals. I must go back, and soon.

Afterwards, we headed to Angels & Kings for the Single Blogger Mixer and the usual Tuesday night dance party. I didn't do much "mixing" as I'm engaged, and I love people-watching. We had some fun reading the body language of a very forward-sitting girl who was obviously crushing on a very turned-away from and disinterested hoodied boy. I wanted their blog addresses! But, I didn't want to intrude on the natural progression of their waxing and waning conversation.

Erica's cubemate Allison was there, who told us of her day in which she accidentally hung up on Mandy Moore, and Kells shot back with the day she was answering Matt Lauer's phone during her page days at NBC and she unknowingly asked George Bush Sr how to spell his last name. My friends, they're awesome. And the Brothers Matusow showed...well, the twins Ben and Aaron did. I've known them for years under their other moniker, The SuperNice Guys, so you can guess how awesome they are. And they are quite single, though unfortunately, not bloggers. We discussed their new apartment and their past and present dating lives - funny stuff.

Then Mike came as another celebrator to Kells' birthday shennanigans, again, he doesn't blog, and told me he works with that supergroup Tinted Windows now! Which, I've been hearing all sorts of awesome things about as its made up of James Iha, Taylor Hanson, and Adam Schlesinger. And they're opening for No Doubt on one of their tour dates...oh snap!

After some fun dancing, and throwing my blog tag at Erica in the DJ booth, which ended up on the turn-table and accidentally remixed whatever song was playing (woops), I decided to call it a night. Another successful Tuesday!

Happy Birthday Kells!!!

Eko is peeved at Keanu's elevated status!

SINGLE BLOGGERS IN NEW YORK!

WHAT'S UP?!

Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY KELLS!

More on this tremendous lady's birthday later - we're celebrating with some dinner and dancing tonight, so I'll have updates then! We'll also be stopping by this single bloggers soiree, and though I'm not technically "single," I wouldn't miss THAT fun.

Yay birthdays!

Keanu Robot napping rituals.

Keanu tends to climb on me and sleep when I'm on my computer.
He used to be small enough to just sit on my chest by my neck -
but now he sleeps in my hand and forearm.
Yes, he sleeps like this.

Keanu wakes up groggily. I'm sure not happy about this photo session...

Keanu hears Jesse go for the food...
And leaps out of my arms!

My weekend home!

My brother and I!

My lovely mother and father!

Things I learned:

My mom now has a direct line to Panama, which required a special phone. This phone does not have a headset jack, and therefore, she makes do with a rubber band in order to keep her hands free for cooking and other general things she needs to do around the house. For instance, in this picture, she's sitting on the couch.

For Christmas, my mom, brother and I pitched in to buy my father a motorized snowblower/remover thingamajig for the constant snowing that occurs in the New England winters. I'm happy to know that he loves it very much, and when even a sprinkling of dust has settled on the asphalt, he's out there ready to banish it!

I also got to hang out with Emily over some coffee and it was as awesome as I knew it would be! We met as we're both friends with those Monty boys, and we're also both getting wed this year! I don't think we stopped talking for two straight hours. Her blog's amazing, hilarious, and she's totally right about the voice thing when reading!! Emily - can't wait to hang again!

And now I'm back home and the weather today was so horrendous there's nothing more I want to do then curl up on the couch with the kittens. And my computer - of course.