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As 2013 comes to a close, I am just thankful and grateful to all the family and friends that populate my surroundings everyday. I'm sitting in a hotel room in Chicago right now with Jesse while he practices for tonight's show, and last week was a wonderful few days spent with my family. These are the important things, and I just feel lucky and beyond fortunate. Here's to the next great year!

And to writing more - thanks for reading my sporadic posts. I'm working on my best of 2013 posts, too. Sometimes I feel a bit boring, but I always like writing.

Happy New Year!

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If we had a holiday card, this would probably be the picture used.

The holiday party was another roaring success despite the winter storm that landed in New York that evening. Many people couldn't make it, but all the important people did.

Observing/judging/the usual.

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I used Pinterest to inspire this signage for the photobooth and also layered red, green, and white jello shots. At thirty years old, I made my first batch of jello shots. And I got them WRONG. Seriously. I accidentally froze them between layers instead of refridgerated them and the vodka had separated when unfrozen and it was a liquidy mess that at least most people didn't care about and enjoyed because, obviously, free alcohol.

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I saw American Hustle the other night and I thoroughly enjoyed it, and also enjoyed its filming locations. The streets of my parent's current town, Worcester, MA, were the setting for most of the Camden, NJ shots. The train station my friend Rick and I used to arrive in Worcester for shows at the Palladium during college was used during a big party scene. And the setting of my walk into work every day in New York was the background for another scene. I was a bit distracted, but I tell you what, Amy Adams was glorious and steals the show. Steals it!

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What am I going to wear in Chicago on NYE? The ladies of MCS have all agreed we should dress up... usually at MCS shows we're like "yeah, jeans, ladies, jeans." (Nobody says that.)

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Tonight I am seeing Spike Jonze's Her and the rest of the weekend will be putting the finishing touches on gifts for next week and packing up for Massachusetts! I have to work Monday, but I've taken the rest of the year off through New Years and I'm so looking forward to family and fun!

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I've not deserted you. Here's what's happened, here's where we are. By we I mean me. It's always me here, isn't it?

Frito deciding to lease out Travis' lap space for the weekend. "MINE."

First, November is over and thus December has begun which MEANS everything is happening. Everything signifies: cleaning and planning for guests shortly after arriving back in New York from Thanksgiving; my brother and his fiancee visiting for a stellar weekend of shopping, gallivanting, and my husband introducing my brother to his first 'habanero pickleback shot;' my brother being appropriately hungover as he headed back to New Hampshire; a week of late nights at work trying to wrap up the busiest of busy seasons; date nights; big news from a close friend; trying to find time to rest inbetween; I've barely had time to continue S!; holiday shopping; and now currently still in the midst of: preparing for our 8th annual holiday party this weekend.

Got it?

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CATS:

Pee Wee deciding if he likes this tree encroaching on his space.

Voting by committee, the cats have decided they are okay with the tree and will keep it. Somewhat begrudgingly.

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I'm also working on my year-end lists. Music, television are pretty easy. But with film, some of these movies aren't released until the last few weeks of the year. I'm excited that Spike Jonze's Her will be playing next week in New York - that one's high on my 'to see' list.

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Relatedly, I have to go back and start writing my reviews on Letterboxd. I got lazy back in May and started just starring instead of adding words. I'm addicted to words and making things look complete, though, so back I go.

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It's 19 degrees today, a co-worker told me he signed up for an outdoor soccer league that starts tonight, and all I can think about is how cold will it be on New Year's Eve in Chicago?

My guess: very cold.

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Jesse and I are really, really, very bad at holiday cards. We've never made one, though we always say we will... but here we are, again!

Me: I don't have anybody's address, at least not updated since the wedding.
Kelly: What about xmas cards?!
Me: Kells, have you ever gotten a holiday card from me?
Kelly: Actually, no.

By the way, my fridge is chock full of Kelly's annual cards. Something to aspire to one day!

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Relatedly, in the opposite way, my friend Jess in San Francisco and I have decided to become snail-mail pen pals so that we can be like "women of letters" our favorite 'olde' authors were. I'm even shopping for stationary!

Sorry, holiday cards.

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In the midst of coming down from my brother's visit and in preparing for tomorrow's party, I've been able to catch some good things on Netflix.

One: The Fall. It's been on my queue for a while, but when I recieved last week's Entertainment Weekly calling it one of the year's ten best television series, I decided to get to it after my brother left while I rested. It's about a serial killer investigation in Belfast, Ireland led by none other than my favorite FBI agent Dana Scully. Just kidding, Gillian Anderson plays a different, British detective named Stella Gibson who is on the hunt for a killer of women. Splice this with a view into the life of the serial killer, who hunts his next victim. It's creepy, fascinating, and with Gibson calling out double standard bullshit as she sees it. I meant only to watch the first episode, but I stayed up late for another, and finished the rest the next evening.

Also, sidenote - the serial killer is disconcertingly attractive. That factor plays into the role, but was also uncomfortable given how despicable his character is. Kind of how Ted Bundy used his good looks? Anyway, afterwards I looked up what else this fine-looking chap might be in, and then I realized where I'd heard his name before. He's lined up to play the main character in Fifty Shades of Gray. I have no interest in that book, film, etc. But now? Maybe? I DON'T KNOW DON'T LOOK AT ME.

Two: Blackfish. Last night after grocery shopping for the needs of the party, I came home to start the first of a few recipes. This one necessitated layering and thus freezer time of 20 minute intervals, so I decided to watch the much-touted documentary about the life of orca whales in captivity, at places like SeaWorld. It's emotional from the onset - it begins with the death of the SeaWorld trainer in 2010 I remember hearing about. It continues with history, science, and enlightening interviews with former SeaWorld trainers. And it should be an impetus for change; I now understand the protests of the Shamu float in the Thanksgiving Day parade, and the many musicians who are bowing out of performing at SeaWorlds due to seeing this film. It's an important film.

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Tonight I continue my preparations for our EIGHTH annual holiday party! This means cooking, cleaning, decorating, etc. Kelly put together a little collage of four of the past holiday parties:

EXCITEMENT!

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Well, I failed in the final stretch of the month. I wasn't able to blog yesterday, but I've always thought blogging should be secondary to actual life activities, so I don't feel too bad. There was a lot of life happening!

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Let's start with Thursday.

Thanksgiving for my family means driving up to New Hampshire for a Parker reunion. Family members fly out from all over the states and it usually reaches upwards of fifty people. And this time we brought Jaime, and I did my best to warn her. She was greeted with lots of welcomes, as Parkers always do.

There were a lot of families with all their kids looking so much older than the year before and as always, lots of dogs. We had our grand feast which takes up four long tables in the house. Jesse and myself (like we do every year) strategically placed ourselves in the alcove that also had a television that would play the football game.

After the meal, the bravest of the attendees changed into their athletic gear for the traditional annual football game. Jaime and myself simply drove up to the field in the car and watched from the front seats - heated front seats. We did not envy those playing out there in 20 degree weather.

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That evening we returned to my parents home to let the tryptophan sink in and watch a movie, like we do. However, the quiet evening and great day ended on a sad note when we learned of the passing of the wonderful Miss Louise. She is at peace now, and she fought to the last, but she will be tremendously missed. Missed especially during these holidays, when we would see her most.

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The day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday to most, but Rhode Island Thanksgiving to us! Yup, we do it all over again the next day. But with a much more intimate crowd that just includes my Uncle Arthur and Tia Kim and their son James. My aunt always makes a grand meal, and this year the meal even went on under the news of the previous night; Miss Louise was Uncle Arthur's mother. But he and the rest of the family did not want to break tradition, because Miss Louise would have wanted it to go on.

The second part of Rhode Island Thanksgiving after the meal includes the rest of my Uncle's family gathering at the house for libations and good conversation. Given the news, the gathering was a bit more subdued without the presence of Miss Louise, but it was still a lovely evening in which we caught up, and mostly reveled in the good memories of this most outstanding woman.

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You can see now, I think, why I didn't take the time to sit at my iPad for a long stretch of time.

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One of my "cousins" (we feel like cousins though we technically aren't - she's my Uncle Arthur's sister's daughter), just returned from a semester in Ireland and brought back with her a liking for Jameson. So last night Katie was greeted we a giant bottle of it for the festivities. And everybody drank to the memory of Miss Louise, her grandmother.

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It was awesome to see and talk with everyone; the room was alive. 

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The ride home was raucous as well, what with my Rdio account streaming the hits, like Harry Belafonte's "Jump in the Line." The whole car was dancing the way back to  Massachusetts, some of us with Jameson to help.

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Only two more days left of this vacation! Today is the last day of November, and though I didn't reach my goal, I definitely got back into the swing of blogging. I will continue, but posting a blog a day may not be feasible with all the December activities!

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Cool I just spent some time writing around 8 paragraphs about yesterday and then the Blogger app on this ipad quit without saving my post. Since blogging shouldn't deter one from their valuable time, especially doubly, I've decided not to rewrite it. 

So it was a really fun and cheeky post and also included a paragraph about how un-charismatic Charlie Hunnam is because we watched him be a dud in an otherwise decent movie Pacific Rim, but it's all been lost in the technology.

Happy Thanksgiving - back to the festivities!

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Hello from my new iPad mini! Jesse was supposed to give me his old iPad when he returned from tour because he got a Mini. But then he surprised me and didn't pull out his old iPad but a new Mini for me! It's like an early Christmas present! He didn't wait until Christmas because he says I would've been angry from now until Christmas that he sold off his iPad when it was promised to me. He's probably right.

Now we are on a train with Jaime heading towards Massachusetts for the long weekend! Hurrah!

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Sometimes you spend all day at work staring at a computer screen so much that your eyes hurt and the last thing you want to do when you go home is get back on a computer -- especially if your husband just got back from tour last night.

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Mike, Amber, hostess Erica, Kells, Jon (and gravy love).

Me, host David, Tyler, and Jiscilla

Yesterday began a new tradition among my best friends: Friendsgiving. Erica and David invited us to their Clinton Hill apartment where they provided the feast, and the rest of us the peripheral accoutrements like appetizers and drinks (I'm not even sure if that is the right word). I decided to make Jesse's famous deviled eggs as an appetizer, as we were meeting at noon so it would be a little breakfast before the large lunch. (I would post a photo, but I avoid unprofessional photos of food.) The eggs were proven a hit once again, as we gathered around the living room sipping on hot cider and catching up. Even the vegan among us ate a couple!

 

Erica carved her first turkey with aplomb and we settled at the table. There were many jokes, praise of the food and hosts, and ghost discussions. I'm not sure why most Curbside gatherings devolve into conversations about ghosts, but I'm not mad at it. Mike's old band apparently used to play a song about sexytimes with a ghost, and he also believes his apartment with Amber might be haunted. He insisted that one time when he was changing, a ghost de-pantsed him. This led our host David to tell one of his legendary 'dad jokes,' something along the lines of "Was it the Ghost of Christmas Pants?" I photographed this exchange:

David standing up, setting up, and delivering his joke. (Tyler reaching for food)

David and Tyler quite satisfied with the dad joke.

David watching NFL Red Zone alone post-joke.

The meal was truly fabulous, and we were all murmuring about being stuffed and the effects of tryptophan. Jon even tried to make a joke, but it lacked David's dad joke presentation skills. He's working on it, though, and one day he threatens to create a joke blog. He's like the Jack Handey of our friends, and we love his jokes. Some more photos 'round the table:

Tyler and Jiscilla, telling it like it is.

Mike and Amber, always looking like they freshly murdered someone.

Kelly, Jon, and my semi-permanent third wheel self.

After the meal we played our long-standing tradition of Celebrities, or Notables. This was the first time, however, we were playing Women vs Men, which we gave them an out, but they took the challenge. We knew we would beat them, so we gave them a handicap of longer time by double. We still beat them.

 

Tyler didn't even know many celebrities and just put in the members of Black Eyed Peas over and over and over again. I now know all the members of Black Eyed Peas and I feel cursed.

 

One strategy to get points when you might not know who is written on the paper is to rhyme. The boys were given Zac Efron and the best rhyme was played: Snack Jeffroni. Another rhyming clue for Tiffany Amber Theissen began with Timberly. You can see why they lost, right?

 

The last slip of paper left in the bowl was a name I put in: Idris Elba. And nobody could guess it! How do people still not know who Idris Elba is? You might be reading this and not know. But he's a great actor, and I even discussed his good-lookingness with Amber a few weeks ago. She relies less on names than on images, I guess. He'd be my vote for the next Bond post-Daniel Craig.

Kelly's delicious cake, Amber's cookies, cider, Celebrities playing, and the scoreboard.

This is what happens when you ask the men to take a picture of the women.

The only non-blurry photo from the thirty they took.

 

My friends are the best! I'm always amazed and grateful to have these wonderful women in my life! They are as close to sisters as I've ever had, considering I don't have a biological one. My love for them is endless.

 

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After a hearty goodbye and thanks, we parted ways and I headed home to hang with Pee Wee, Frito, and the end of Greenberg with my friend Adam. By the way, I really didn't like it.

 

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Next up was the Patriots versus Broncos game, Brady versus Manning(face), and by the looks of the first quarter I started interchanging that disaster with another one depicted, Apollo 13. The Patriots managed to turn it around and then the game had my rapt attention. I scared Pee Wee a few times with my yelling, as he was curled up in my lap. I had a stress headache by the end of the game, and erupted with glee when the Patriots clinched the win. PHEW!

 

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Tonight?!?! TONIGHT?!!? WHAT AM I DOING TONIGHT?!?! I SHALL RETURN HOME TO JESSE BACK FROM TOUR!!!! He's been gone a full three and a half weeks, which is one of the longest times we've gone without seeing each other. It's exhausting. But I will see him SO SOON!

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I spent most of yesterday waiting for the superintendent to come fix the toilet. I watched four movies and made deviled eggs at one in the morning for Friendsgiving.

Only God Forgives - maybe the worst movie I've seen this year. I couldn't even finish it. I don't get people's obsession with Drive, but at least it was okay. This movie's from the same director, but somehow Ryan Gosling has LESS lines. OGF was garbage and Gosling should know better. Utter crap. It's been a bad year for Gosling what with this, that gangster movie, and that overly ambitious but wanted-to-like-it movie about boys and their fathers? I can't even remember the names of these (something about Pines?), they were so forgettable.

Arbitrage - I'd heard many good things about this film during the 2012 Oscar race but I don't think it was nominated for anything. I don't really like Richard Gere but I gave this a chance and I liked it a lot. (Or perhaps after OGF I was thankful?) It's a good little movie with intricate storytelling. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Dredd - my friend Adam came over and we had a good time with this one. Honestly it was a little obtrusive how many shots were ONLY good for 3D versions of the film (something I don't have on Netflix Instant!) and the fact that the drug at the center of the story was called "Slo-Mo," aka actually a film technique was a bit hokey. But it was straight action and good action. Also, gross (slo-mo death scenes galore).

Greenberg - after recently obsessing over Frances Ha, I decided to watch another Baumbach/Gerwig collab (she didn't write this one though) and though I fell asleep watching it, I'm not so sure I'm going to like it. Ben Stiller is really good at being unlikable, right? I just don't know if I want to continue seeing Stiller being a neurotic asshole. Maybe I'll finish it before this Pats game starts...

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Today was Friendsgiving but, you know, tryptophan and whatnot makes me not want to sit on my computer and write about it. I'll write about it tomorrow with photos...

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This post a day thing is getting exhausting, sorry to say.

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Jesse's back tomorrow!

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PS the super finally made it this morning of course as I was getting ready to leave the house. OF COURSE.

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I accomplished the feat of cleaning my closet last night! In the middle of the activity, with Jaime over for moral support and also so that she could finally see Thor because she hasn't, I found a bag of catnip. I decided to pour some in the foot of some tights I was throwing away and create a little playtoy for Pee Wee. Little did I know how crazy he was going to get. I decided to take away the toy, but that didn't deter Pee Wee from continuing to go nuts on the bed. See video above.

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In other news, the toilet broke and I've spent most of today waiting for the superintendent. EXCITING!

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Tomorrow is Friendsgiving with my Curbside family. I've been looking forward to it for weeks!

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I'm resisting the urge I have to delete the last post. But, that's my stream of consciousness. Experimental blogging!

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Obviously: last night was fun.

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The similarities between Scandal and ALIAS continue... S6-13 = SD6, their fathers, their mothers (maybe?), etc. You know, except Sidney Bristow was a spy. I'd really love Jennifer Garner to show up in spy-costume (like, as the red-wigged sister of Bradley Cooper's character) and trade a line with Olivia at a coffee shop.

Again: my brain.

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Tonight I'm going to continue the great winter clean-out. It's like a life cleanout. I just have far too many clothes in my wardrobe that I don't wear. Why do I need clothes I haven't used in over a year? Exactly. I'll be filling up donation bags!

Perhaps I'll take some pictures of the things I haven't worn in years; could get scary. I have a tendency to keep things with "emotional value" that I don't use. I need to seriously get over that. Sadly that means all those Monty Are I shirts I kept for posterity's sake are probably going to be donated. I also get sad when I've been gifted something that I simply don't wear. I think I have a few shirts from over 10 years ago that I can safely donate now...

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Jesse gets back on MONDAY!!!!

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I'm late! I'm late!

But still under the wire!

Work today was a bit hectic; and I have a standing every-other-week happy hour with my best gal pals (haha, "gal pals") that I just returned from.

[Ending a sentence in a preposition (almost said proposition!), still makes me cringe!]

Needless to say, I've had one martini.

Last night I cleaned out my closet. Not in the Eminem way, but in the for real way.

This is a stream-of-consciousness post and I think I'm doing okay so far.

In a few minutes my friend Jaime will be coming over to watch this week's episode of Scandal.

Yeah, I can still remember to italicize in my state. And also, spell the word italicize without help.

Did you know that Seth Cohen and Blair Waldorf were dating? I didn't and was somewhat blindsided by the fact that they just got engaged. Obviously this news affects me greatly.

[How do I feel about ending a sentence with an adverb?]

Last night Pee Wee scratched my wrist with four distinctive scratch marks because he freaked out for a reason unbeknownst to me. I felt like co-workers might think I'm a cutter and made sure to wear long sleeves.

But last night I was watching Thor and then The Avengers and then I thought this could be Spiderman-like and I'd turn into a cat-powered woman. Like Catwoman but not. Also, Spiderman is not in either of those movies. Also, last night I was not drinking. That's just my brain.

My cat is a dick. Sometimes.

Perhaps I'm manic right now because it's been three weeks since I've seen Jesse.

Where is Jaime? This post is getting long and I should stop before things get dangerous and also that door buzzer will surely make me stop and press "publish" no matter the resistance I feel in the back of my brain.

Here is me right now:

Still no buzzer, but press publish I shall.

[Who still uses "shall?"]

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Last night I had a wonderful evening catching up with Zan, and our conversation of course ran the gamut from the pros/cons of living in New York, movies, television, and most importantly: books!

She just finished Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch and I am about 25% into it. I love it so far. We started talking about the way Tartt writes, how no matter the story she has a way of enveloping the reader in the atmosphere at hand. I read The Secret History earlier this year and remember vividly the clobbering cold, the corduroy-clad haughty students on a Vermont campus. It's the same with The Goldfinch, except it's set in New York. The main character at one point walks the same stretch of a block that I do most days and it's on point. I'm engrossed.

Zan also informed me that the titular piece of art is an actual painting and happens to currently be displayed at The Frick. I mistakenly thought it was a piece of fiction since it's so central to the novel, but Carel Fabritius and "The Goldfinch" existed! I plan on buying a ticket to see the collection soon; the tickets are already sold out for the times I can go this weekend.

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I came home after our great martini meet-up and flipped on Netflix to watch Frances Ha which I had just added to my queue. And Zan had just highly recommended. So I delved into the black-and-white indie and, quite honestly, fell in love.

Here's a film about a woman in her twenties trying to figure it out. And not through men. Most movies about young, straight women seem to think that if she can just find a good relationship she'll be fine. Not this one. This movie's about a woman coming-of-age these days and also about her best friendship.

Try as I might to be annoyed by Greta Gerwig for the hype, she's just too charming. She's lovely. I loved the character Frances through all of her messiness and mishaps and "undateable!" I find it impressive how she played a character that could you could so easily be angry or annoyed with at points - but you're still rooting for her. I'm not sure who else could play the character. It wouldn't fit. Greta co-wrote the film with her reported boyfriend, director Noah Baumbach. Good job, you two. GOOD JOB.

The film will probably be near my top 10 of the year, if not in it. I highly recommend it if you're in the mood for something interesting and unlike most of the formulaic stuff out there.

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Oof. It's already been a trying day. It's always a trying day when you have 10am appointment to fill a cavity! Half my face is still numb; even one of my nostrils, which hasn't happened before. By the way, I get a lot of cavities. Whenever I look in a mirror with this numbing I expect to see half of my face slack, just a little melted-looking like my nerves are taking a rest. Thankfully I look normal, but I keep thinking people are staring at my drooping lip...which is not drooping.

Hey, people, what are you looking at?

Okay, does novacaine affect the brain?

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LET'S NOT TALK ABOUT THAT PATRIOTS GAME LAST NIGHT.

Except that I was super excited (by myself on the couch) when I heard Motion City Soundtrack's "Inside Out" play during an outro from the game! Hurrah ESPN! Way to go! Woo!!! I said to myself, last night.

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You'll be happy to know I found my sweater! It was shoved in the back of a sweater drawer that was being used for--you guessed it--Jesse's stuff. All of his wonderful glasses and lenses and cases. I think he was trying to hide it from me. I shall wear my man-repellent sweater and care not! MARRIED, DEAL WITH IT.

By the way, Jesse, if you're reading this all the way out there in California, I'm wearing a new dolman sweater today that you've yet to see! Mwahahahaha!

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Obviously that is the only way I can address Jesse at this point in time since I am going crazy (not novacaine related, hopefully) missing him. Last week he played a show in New Mexico and sent me photos from Breaking Bad filming locations! And so now I share them here with you because sometimes all I do is look at pictures of the mister:

At Walt's car wash

 

Better call Saul

In front of Walter White's house; I'm thinking of the pizza

He grabbed some coffee at Tuco's lair

So if you're ever in Albuquerque (which I hope never to spell again), the fictional meth-laden locales are there for you to enjoy!

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Tonight my friend Zan is visiting from Ohio and I'm so excited to catch-up! We used to do a happy hour every once in a while when we worked blocks from each other, and we'll be heading back to our haunt after work, even though now she lives miles away. Yay!

1223

Here are some important footnotes from the weekend that Blue is the Warmest Color probably took off my mind...

My brother Travis and my dad went on a The World's End-like pub crawl in my dad's hometown for his birthday. Ultimate bro-down it would seem. During the night (probably towards the end I would gather from the non-photo texts I recieved...) they sent me the following picture:

True to my best friend Kelly's nature, we did our best to recreate it at the housewarming to send back in playful, gentle mocking:

My brother was none too pleased, I quote: "I do not quite understand this photo nor do I approve of it. That is all." Um, bro we're just imitating you. He then texted, "False, we look like studs, not sketchy tools, fact, maybe a little bit tools, but that's not Dad's fault."

There you have it, my brother thinks Kelly and I look like "sketchy tools."

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I'm getting a little nervous because I can't find my favorite sweater of all time. Coincidentally, it is also Jesse's least favorite sweater (he doesn't get dolman-style) and I'm wondering if there has been some sort of sinister masterplan at work in the sweater-offseason among our things. I plan on doing a full-out search this evening before the Patriots game.

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Here is how Pee Wee has been reading with me of late, with his head buried in my armpit:

 

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Tonight: Go Pats!

1222

I spent most of yesterday reading S. It's become a loving weekend ritual to wake up, cuddle with Peesy, and delve back into the mystery at hand--in my hand. It's a book necessary to read slowly, but I think I'm also reading it slow deliberately, because I'm not sure I want to reach the end. It's good that the novel is something with a high re-readability factor. Halfway through, and I know there are things I've missed.

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Last night, Kelly, Jon, and I ventured out to New Rochelle to visit Mike and Catie's new apartment. To say 'apartment' is probably misleading -- they live on the top two floors of a house, but it has five bedrooms and more space than two ex-city-dwellers know what to do with. They each have an office. There was definite storage envy among those of us that traveled north to take in their new place. We had a nice time and I was home by 10pm; like we're all adults or something.

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Today's ritual of reading continued, and then I traversed rainy, humid Brooklyn via shuttle buses to make it to a viewing of Blue is the Warmest Color with Amber and Jaime. My hair grew in volume three times over by the time I reached the theater. We were seeing it at one of my favorite venues, Nitehawk, which you can order food and beverages during.

The movie itself is heartbreaking. It's a French film, notorious because of it's central lesbian romance, the sex scene, and the actresses feud with its director. The film won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, and it was the first time the award went not only to the director but also to the two stars, Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux. Completely deserved; those actors were superb. It may be about a lesbian romance, but the coming-of-age and first love relationship qualities can be understood universally. Jaime, Amber, and I discussed much of this on the way home.

Every relationship has their dramatics in different ways, and love intensifies them all the more. The initial throes, the comfort, the usual jealousies. Have you ever predicted, at the end of a relationship, the next person the other would be with? We (Jaime, Amber) all have. I've seen it happen a few times. All too predictable, and oddly, made me relieved--I felt less crazy and glad I was out of that.

Of course, there was that one time that we hadn't ended it yet.

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Tomorrow is Monday, how depressing!