But you never make me scream.

Okay, okay, okay my neglected patrons - I promise to be back later with a full recap of my weekend. It's been swirling about in my head, I just haven't had the time to type it all out! Just know that I had a great one, and I have some choice words to share about that number one movie in America.

MOVING ON! Tonight I'm going to see LILY ALLEN at Bowery Ballroom! Jesse was fortunate enough to get us on the guestlist, though it's free - I wouldn't want to miss out if it reaches capacity. Good thing Motion City played one of those MySpace shows a couple of years ago!

I know I haven't done the Monday Music thing in a while; it's mainly because I've been doing way more reading than listening during the day (hello, Anna Karenina) and also I think I got a little burnt out on music at the end of last year. Oh, and nothing's exactly grabbed by attention this year. Except for Lily's new album It's Not Me, It's You - which, while not as ska-happy and blistering as her debut, is definitely funny and cheeky like Lily. I dig it. And I haven't seen her live before, so I'm rightfully excited!

AND, if you're wondering what I'm doing afterwards, I'm sure you've already figured out that I'll be heading to Trainwreck to see my fave DJ team start the dance party! It's the wonderful Allison's birthday! Allison is Erica's cubemate and I usually see her on Friday afternoons when I visit their cube downtown with Wendy's in hand. She's what we like to call around these parts "good people." And to document the birthday party? Jiscilla's in town!

I'm sure you have an idea about how stoked I am. Who's coming with me?!

And you leave me with my jaw on the floor, hey!

Feeling a lot better today! My elbow still stings, and my back and bum are sore, but I'll manage to do the laundry tonight. Unfortunately. (I think laundry, unless machines are accessible in the very house or apartment you live in, is the lamest chore ever.)

By the way, the illustrious Zan left a comment in the more positive post from yesterday about that doorman - and apparently, he's been written about before! Check it!

Anyway, I must now write about the wonderful time I had last night with Beth from Bethis. [Sidenote: if you're not reading her blog, you should be!!] She's visiting from Rhode Island and stayed at a hotel near where I work, so we met up at a classy place called Whiskey Park for the hilarity. And, I can tell you, she is as funny as her blog. I was dying.

The great thing about meeting up with a blogger is getting to share all the stuff you DON'T write about and the reasons why. Secrets, secrets - are fun, when they're innocent, and you'd rather share them with a friend than a google searcher. I think the main question I would ask of any blogger would be about their past; our blogs tend to reside in the present, and every now and then the blogger will tread back for a memory or two. But getting to talk face to face makes it all the better, and Beth and I talked about where we grew up, went to school, etc., etc., etc. Also, she's been living in Rhode Island for over a year and we don't have any mutual friends! That's surprising for two people who have lived there, just saying.

And that's about all I can say about what we talked about. Mwahahaha.

So after the hour and a half of laughing at the bar we had to part ways - her to another swanky bar, and me to my own tragic crosswalk fall. Beth, you better come back for more hangs!

A bit different from my morning.

So, after meeting up with a friend at Whiskey Park after work today, I was walking briskly across 6th Avenue in the sleet/snow and suddenly slipped and landed on my back and elbow. In the middle of the crosswalk. Three men were walking in my direction when it happened, and as I lay stunned on the ground (it took me a good second to realize what had just happened), two of them laughed at me. Seriously, like out of a movie where they slap each other's shoulders and point at me LAUGHED as I blinked, lying in a puddle on a crosswalk on 6th Avenue. The third man was nice enough to help me up, and grab my metrocard which had fallen under a nearby taxi. I thanked him, and had to fight back tears on the way to the subway because my elbow was (and still is) in incredible pain.

And Jesse's earlier flight got cancelled, so he won't be in until past midnight, and my elbow hurts so bad I can't lug the laundry downstairs.

In slightly funnier news, when I sat on the subway wincing and holding my elbow, I scooted over for a girl's friend to sit next to her. She didn't sit, and I wondered why until I looked down and realized that when I had scooted over the seat was all wet - from the fall, the back of my coat and dress were soaked with rainwater. I looked up at her, almost ready to explain and apologize, but her and her friend avoided my stare. At that point I almost started laughing and crying out, "I didn't pee! I didn't pee!"

I found the light in the tunnel at the end.

Every morning I walk past the Plaza Hotel on my way into work. At the entrance stands a congenial older doorman, who always has a smile on his face no matter the weather conditions - I've seen him smile while sidways sleet hit the side of his ruddy red cheeks. He remembers the regulars who pass by and nods his hat towards them, or says good morning, or remarks on the weather. Today I walked past and smiled up at him on the top of the stairs and he said, "Good morning, you look lovely today! I like the purple!" (I'm wearing purple tights.)

I continued walking with a smile on my face. Because that's a great way to start the day: with a compliment, and a smile. On some days I remember this and pass it on. I'll tell a girl on the subway I like her purse or her coat, or whatever it is that I do genuinely like. I've said "great book" in passing to somebody reading a book I like. And these types of small comments always come back with a smile.

Sometimes I can be so grumpy on the train rides in - just this morning I was annoyed by the loud mouth-smacking of a gum-chewer who sidled up next to me while I was trying to read (and concentrate on) Anna Karenina. How rude, I thought. And I probably scowled for most of the ride as the taped voice-over conducter repeatedly announced, "We are stopped because of train traffic, please be patient..." I probably scowled and definitely grumbled about the lousy start to a day.

As soon as I got off that train, and felt the wind on my face and saw the sprinkles of snow cling to my coat and hair, and I looked up at the cheerful doorman, it changed. I walked the block and half to work with a smile, and the positivity of one small moment really can change a day. At least the beginning of one.

52 Books in 2009 Update: January.

It's the first day of February, and so I must count up my reading for January. I ended up reading six books (though 10 volumes of Y: The Last Man I count as one book). I FINALLY FINISHED THAT DAMN TWILIGHT SERIES!! I finished Breaking Dawn last night, and I can't tell you how happy I was to be done. Especially with this book with all it's I'm-carrying-a-demon-baby-that-breaks-my-bones nonsense. Hurrah! If you couldn't tell, I really don't like them. They're quite horrible, but I had to read them to be able to say that - wouldn't want to be unfair!

Let's tabulate:
01 A Clash of Kings, George R.R. Martin (01.05.09)
02 World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, Max Brooks (01.18.09)
03 Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer (01.20.09)
04 The Road, Cormac McCarthy (01.22.09)
05 Y: The Last Man, Brian K. Vaughn (01.27.09)
06 Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyers (01.31.09)
07 Infinity Blues, Ryan Adams (CURRENTLY READING)
08 The Best American Magazine Writing 2008 (CURRENTLY READING)
09 Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy (Future Sean/Jessica Book Club Book - FSJBCB - started TODAY!)

Sean also just came over for the superbowl and we are coincidentally both on same page of Anna on it's first day: 14! What? It's a long book, but it's only the first day! Of these books, I strongly recommend The Road by Cormac McCarthy. It's entered the realm of my favourite books, ever. For thoughts on the other books, they're all reviewed and up on my Goodreads page! Has anybody read these books? I'm still taking recommendations, too.