30 December 2009

“The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul."

-- G.K. Chesterton

so, here it is. my grand list of things i have done in 2009:

- started a new blog
- got an ear piercing
- saw Kate Winslet finally win an Oscar
- became trained in water safety
- became first aid certified
- became certified in CPR for infants, children and adults
- officially became a resident of a new state
- traveled around Ireland
- was a bridesmaid in a wedding
- helped to deliver a baby
- got a new laptop
- was excited for an entire month (december)

hm. that's pretty good, i guess. considering my 2009 horoscope said i would have 9 unfavorable months.

and a (tentative) list of resolutions for 2010:

- read more
- wear more red plaid shirts
- write more letters
- write more fiction/one creative thing a day

great! i'll enjoy doing those four things for an entire year.

wow. that's a pretty good 2009 list.

and i JUST finished the first season of True Blood. whoa! Courtney is watching the first season on HBO on Demand. can't wait to talk to her about it once she's finished. aahh!!! so good.

and now, i'm going to watch more season 1 of Entourage. love. that. show.

talk to you later!!!!

in 24 hours it will be a new year!! now that's crazy.


<3

walk sweet

OMG. i can't believe i haven't blogged in almost a week. i am sorry.

and the most disappointing thing, is that i don't even really have that much to tell you!

(i'm sure i'll find something...)

oh yeah - christmas!

so, saturday morning, i woke up. checked the weather. checked the weather again. and checked the weather again. it wasn't snowing or doing anything outside. yet, the computer was telling me that it SHOULD be snowing. but, it wasn't.

so, i took a risk, quickly packed some stuff. got Ruby Tuesday's things ready. packed up some christmas presents to take home. and then i left!!!!!

stopped at the Citgo for gas first. and then was on my way. with a great new playlist.

the roads and general weather conditions were perfectly fine until i got to Barrington, NH. and then it started snowing. but, the snow didn't actually start to stick to the ground until i got to "downtown" Berwick, ME. ya know, even though there is absolutely nothing in downtown berwick, maine, i am always so happy to see it.

and my car slipped once as i was turning onto my street. but that was to be expected.

Chowder came running to greet me when i opened the door. that was exciting. i was happy to see her.

my mom and kara were both at work, so i had time to wrap presents. which was tricksy because Chowder was so curious about the boxes and wrapping paper and ribbon.

then i put the presents under the tree. NOW i was excited for Christmas.

and then my mom came home from work around 4:30, maybe. so nice to see her.

we went out to get chinese food around 7pm. kara came home at 7:30. sister! she's the best, for realz.

we ate delicious chinese food and then moved into the living room to open some presents.

my mom went first. kara and i got her a new "work bag," which was a lovely icy blue Hampton Tote from Coach. it's been sitting in my apartment for like, a month, and i'm so totally jealous of it. i looove it. so classy and pretty. she was very excited to get it. (i hope she's actually USING it...)

then me and kara opened presents.

i got a hot water bottle!!!! to help keep me warm!!! i used it last night!! it's great. although, it kind of has that "new hot water bottle smell." ya know? haha. that makes me laugh. new hot water bottle smell. haha. i didn't realize it was funny until after i wrote it. maybe you don't think it's funny. whatev. it smells like rubber. but, it's very warm.

i also got some beautiful flannel sheets. SO NICE. i put them on last night also, because it was super cold. ooooo it was the best thing ever getting into bed. so cozy. and clean feeling. and nice flannel pillowcases too. yeah, it's awesome.

i got a SUPER HOTT Jonas Brother 2010 calendar, which i have hung in my apartment. it adds a certain touch of sexy to my kitchen that was missing.

AND! i got the first 5 seasons of Entourage!!!!! super excited to watch it all again. i had wanted to move to LA before seeing Entourage, and now after seeing it, it's like, times 1000. i'm thinking Fall 2011. who's with me?

oh, Ari Gold. he's just the best. so, whoever wants to watch Entourage with me, just say the word and i'll come over. or, you can come over. whenever. wherever. Entourage all the way.

then, from Kara, i got a super awesome Che Guevara bobble head doll!! i'm very excited to display him in my apartment. i might set up a little scene with him next to the Che-Mobile. or, Che- Rolet. it's great.

AND THEN!!!! also from kara, i got the two Coconut Records cd's!!!! now, i know what you must be thinking.... "julie, didn't you already have the two Coconut Records cd's??" and the answer is, "yes." but!! i had bought them on iTunes, therefore i did not have the packaging, or any of the free stuff that comes when you buy it from the website. (free poster, free sticker, free postcard.)

PLUS - on each CD, not only are there all the tracks that i already have, BUT, there are alternate versions of pretty much every song. which is AWESOME to hear. basically it's like a raw version where Jason Schwartzman is just like, sitting at the piano, or playing the guitar, counting off, and singing a little bit of the song. but sometimes the lyrics are different, or the melody has changed. it's like a practice version. there's one where someone's cell phone randomly goes off. um, it's the best.

and let me tell you about this poster.

if i could turn this poster into a blanket so i could wrap myself in it every night - i would. it's the best display of Jason ever in the world.

on one side of the poster is just a huge picture of him being really hott. and on the other side, it's tiny polaroid pictures of him being hott in all different places.

because when Coconut Records first released the first CD, if you bought the CD online, you got a random polaroid picture taken by Jason. (why i didn't do this - i cannot explain.) and so, on the back of the poster i got, i think they just took some of the best ones, and put them all together.

if you think this sounds like the best thing ever - IT IS. i cannot explain how happy it makes me. i will take a picture of the poster and show it to you. trust me - you should be excited. maybe i'll do that when i get home from work.

so, christmas was nice. my present to kara was taking her to the Rooney concert. and buying her the t-shirt and the sweatshirt. and i also wrapped up the Rooney EP that she got all the guys sign. and i also made her a little ornament with the words, "Robert Schwartzman's chest" to remind her that she got to touch his chest. if that's not the best christmas present anyone could ever get, then i don't know what is.

probably that poster, actually. :)

so, it's wednesday. "i can't believe it's only wednesday."

OH! that reminds me of a dream i have to tell you about.

so, yesterday morning i was getting dressed for staff meeting and put on the Crash Kings song, 'It's Only Wednesday.' and the minute i heard the song, i thought, "wow, i had a dream about this guy last night." meaning, the lead singer, Tony.

and i can't exactly remember what was happening. only that he was there. and he was wearing the red plaid shirt that he was wearing at the concert.

and, i remember when they first walked out on stage i thought, "oh, he's wearing a red plaid shirt. that's cool."

and then after i had a dream about it it became, "WHY don't i have a red plaid shirt!?!?!!" and i was THIS CLOSE to buying one in Gap last week in Hanover when i was there with kara. but, for some strange, unknown reason i didn't.

oh actually, i think it was because they didn't have my size. and they were like, $30. yeah, that's two reasons not to buy a shirt.

UGH but now i want one. and so now it's my mission. i'll let you know if i complete this mission.

i'll make it a new year's resolution: wear more red plaid shirts.

so, yeah.

i've recently been helping out the residents here get songs on their iPods, or burn them cd's. i don't mind doing it, because it's just sitting at my computer listening to music. but some of these songs they want? yikes. i'm like, sitting alone in my kitchen thinking, "i hope no one can see me searching for these songs." just the song TITLES contain words that i would never say. and that i will not print in this PG blog. i cant' believe it.

kids. and their music. geeze. i feel bad saying this, but it doesn't even feel like music. i can't stand listening to it.

one night, one of the residents said to me,

RESIDENT: Ok, so just charge the iPod and then put on any country or hip hop music that you have. I don't care what it is - just please put it on.
JULIE: Yeah....I don't have any of that music.
RESIDENT: Country?
JULIE: No.
RESIDENT: Hip hop?
JULIE: Nope.
RESIDENT: Um....nevermind...

i should have put on all my Broadway soundtracks. or, movie scores.

so. oh!

Sunday was a funday. obvi. i first watched a few episodes of Glee with my mom - she's totally into the show now and i'm very excited about this. and then! i made plans with my friend Jenn to go see Up in the Air.

she lives right across the street. and i've known her since...forever. like, my whole life. and i hadn't seen her since she came to visit me with her sister Tammy back in July.

actually, it was the day of the Vomditioner. oh, that day. the day i made homemade banana honey hair conditioner. also known as - the day Jason Schwartzman got married.

anyways! so, i hadn't seen her for a long time. so, we get to the movie theater and it's PACKED. like, there are no parking spaces. so, we park a little ways away. and then get to the theater and the show is sold out. so, we debate about what to do. and decide to buy tickets for the next show, at 7:35pm.

and then we went to Cold Stone. yum. i got coffee ice cream with oreos and raspberries. my fave. we stayed there a long time.

and then we went to this new store called Five Below. it's like a $5 and under store. we were only in there a second because they were closing in like, 10 minutes. then we went to Old Navy. they were also closing in 10 minutes, so we didn't stay there long.

and then we went to Barnes and Noble, which was open until 10. we sat in the 'New Age' section and read astrology books. there was this AWESOME book about what the day you're born says about you. WOW. it was creepy.

so, 25 February is the "day of the higher cause." and it says that i will devote my life to doing good things for other people. (does blogging count?)

my lucky number is 7. which is 2+5. and the number 7 is ruled by the planet Neptune, which is really cool, because Pisces is also ruled by the planet Neptune. so that's like a double strong thing. and it's even more cool because Neptune is the "dreamy" planet. it actually said that most of my life i am living an "active unconscious." which i think is absolutely true.

all the books we read said that the older i get, the better my life will be. it said that my teenage and early adult years will be stormy. but that my 30's and 40's will be great, and that is when i will discover my "purpose."

it was very enlightening. i really love being a Pisces. i think it fits me perfectly. or, not that it fits me, but that i fit it.

i just find it all very interesting. some people think it's frivolous and silly. maybe you do. but, i don't.

then we saw the movie. it was great. i really liked it. totally enjoying. and The Cloonster was totes handsome. i've never really been attracted to George. like, i could see that he was a handsome guy and everything. but seeing him in this movie, wow. yeah, he was desirable. and i started watching him and i kept thinking, "did i just see a George Clooney movie?" and then realized i was thinking of Fantastic Mr. Fox.

yeah, it was really good. Anna Kendrick was really good. she was one of the people who led me to Julian Casablancas. i read an interview with her and it was like, "which celebrity are you crushing on right now?!" or something like that. and she was like, "Julian Casablancas!!"

and the SOUND was really good. you know how ever since i predicted that the Bourne movie would win Best Sound Editing (predicted that in august, may i remind you) i have been obsessed with sound? yeah. all the zipping of suitcases, the rolling of suitcases, taking off jackets, taking off shoes, taking off belts. that was all really sharp and well done.

good movie. see it.

UP IN THE AIR - ****

after the movie, we were hungry. we tried iHop, but they were closed. so we headed over to Applebee's. good food. we stayed there like, 2 hours talking. Jenn is one of those people who i can talk about anything with. like, nothing is too personal.

talked a lot about normal things like boys.

and then we left. got back home around 1am, i think. it was a really nice time.

and then i stayed up for a while planning a wedding. i realized that since i want to live in Los Angeles, i should have a place picked out that i want to get married at. if i get married.

and so i ended up finding this website that's totally cool. Green Wedding Shoes. i decided that i want a totally untrad wedding. possibly with breakfast for dinner.

and i decided that if i get married in the wintertime, i want to wear an ice blue dress. with silver shoes. why does the dress have to be white, anyways?

i didn't find a venue yet, though.

anyways. enough pathetic-ness.

ten minutes until i have to work. Ruby Tuesday is taking a nap on my bed.

my dad came to visit this morning!!! he arrived at exactly 11am. and stayed until about 2pm. it was great!!

i got up at 10am. made croissants. chocolate ones. and cream cheese ones. um, they were delish. and made coffee.

Ruby Tuesday was so excited to see him!!!! she immediately started doing "the paw thing." it was insanely cute.

it was a nice little visit. we talked about going to Canada. which, i hope happens. because i really want to go visit my Canadian half.

ok. i have to go. i have to tell you about Taking Woodstock. but, that'll wait for another time.

hope you have a nice evening, friends!!! any hott plans??

OH!!! i also have to do my year-end list. that'll come later too. but not too much later because we've only got one day left.

crazy, right? only one day left of 2009. and then it's a different year. enjoy it while you can.

i'll have a good night. you'll have a good night. and then we'll report back to each other!!!! wow, what an awesome plan.

take care, friends.


<3

25 December 2009

wish it was christmas today

oh wait, it is! happy christmas, dear readers.

i'm just starting to feel like i'm crashing. i got into bed at 2:20am. fell asleep by 2:45. woke up at 7:20am. down to work at 8! and now it's 11am.

it's been a hectic morning. running around, helping to get the little girls ready so they could get out the door with their mother. breakfast and bathtime and getting dressed and carseats in the car. yikes. they looked so pretty in their christmas dresses.

so, they just left. the other resident is upstairs. i could take a nap right now.

i couldn't wait any longer last night and had to give Ruby Tuesday her new toy. it's this bird that you throw, and when it hits the ground it makes a chirping noise. OMG. she LOVES it. and it has a jingle bell on it. it was all over the house last night, chirping and jingling.

and Ruby finally discovered the open window above the sink that goes into the bathroom. she was sitting up there most of the night. and then again this morning. and when i went out into the kitchen to wash her bowls so i could give her some breakfast, her leopard print toy that she loves so much was in the sink. i laughed a lot. she carried it up onto the counter with her!!! aw she's so cute.

ok. i'm tired. it's 11:05am. 11 more hours of work today!! and then i can go home. and hopefully go to bed early.

at least the morning went by quickly. that's the part that i was worried about. once it hits afternoon, we'll have stuff to do.

mornings just go by so slow. because nobody should be awake. that's why. it should be sleeping time at least until 11am.

so, we're going to see Sherlock Holmes today. i'm looking forward to it. Jude. Robert. yeah, that's nice. i think the show is at like, 7. and we'll try and eat beforehand, i guess. she still wants pizza. and i still don't know if pizza places are open today. i guess we'll find out.

i made coffee this morning before i left my apartment. so that was nice. and then i made a bagel when i got downstairs. that was nice too. a never have bagels so it was a nice christmas treat.

i really hope i can go home tomorrow. it's supposed to be "ice pellets" all day. that's what it says on the weather website. i don't want to drive if it's bad weather. if i don't end up going home, i guess i'll call my boss tomorrow morning and tell her that i don't need the night off. i hope i can go home.

what else?

11:27am now.

so remember how yesterday i said that i "liked" Julian Casablancas? yeah. not true. i love him. i can't stop listening to this one song. 'Out of the Blue.' LOVE IT. "how can you be so perfect for me?" great lyric.

and, while i was reading about my new friend Julian, i learned that he is married to a girl named Juliet. isn't that perfect? Julian and Juliet Casablancas. it's like, the best. it's official - they have the most beautiful names ever. and they are expecting a baby next month! i am very excited for them. maybe it will be born on the same day as Ned's baby.

and last night at dinner, i was whistling the tune of a Julian Casablancas song to the little girls. and they loved it!!! they had the biggest smiles. i think it was more due to the act of whistling rather than the tune. (they both made kissy faces and started blowing. it was the cutest.)

but still! Julian Casablancas - babies love him. what a great personal slogan.


OK. we're going out for Chinese. i just tried calling the pizza place and there was no answer. chinese it is!!!

so, we're headed into Vermont. yum.

i'm sure i'll talk to you later. i still have 10 hours of work before my overnight 10 hours of work.

have a great day!!!


<3

24 December 2009

Snowed In

FINALLY. finally. fine. ah. lee.

Paste Magazine has named Hanson's Christmas record, Snowed In, THE BEST CHRISTMAS ALBUM EVER.

yes, i think it will be a merry christmas.


<3

300!!!!



this is my 300th post!!!!!  hooray!  congratulations to you and to me!!!!  this is very exciting.  300.  wow.  since march.  i believe the end of march.  that's pretty good. 

and in other news, i'm at work.  it's currently 5:40pm.  christmas eve.  it's been a good day at work so far.  although, i hear a screaming baby.  she's not screaming anymore.  

it's especially awesome at work tonight because Courtney's mom made a lot of delicious baked goodies.  and i have eaten many of them.  it's wonderful.  

it might be Sherlock Holmes tomorrow.  

i have a feeling tomorrow will be a long day.  not like, a long and stressful day.  just a loong day.  you know?

ok.  i took a break from blogging.  6:38 now.  i'll talk to you later!

enjoy the evening.


<3

coast to coast like butter and toast

i am so excited to talk to you today. i can't figure out why, because i don't really have anything to tell you. but i seem to always find something. so, let's go.

first of all, (i guess i do have something important), let me tell you about my new friend, Julian.

yes, that's right. Julian Casablancas and i have finally met. and i'm now following him on twitter, so it's official.

i came home from work last night at 10:30. sat down in my kitchen, and bought his cd on itunes for $5.99.

and i listened to it all the way through once. and i really liked it. and then i listened to it again all the way through. and i still really liked it.

and so let it be known that i am a Julian Casablancas fan. now he can stop following me around the internet.

but! i think i figured out WHY he was the number one search on Yahoo yesterday: he performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon!!!

AND!!! not only did he perform, but he performed the SNL Christmas song with Jimmy and special guest Horatio Sans!!!!!!

you know the skit where they wear red sweaters and hold musical instruments and be silly while singing the song? YEAH!!!!

and! he has a recording of the song, which i also bought and added to my Christmas playlist.

SO, what YOU MUST DO, is watch this video. because now that i've finally figured out who Julian Casablancas IS, and now that i know his songs and like his music, YOU must embrace this with me. and, come on, we all love the SNL christmas song.

Julian, Horatio, Jimmy and The Roots, "I Wish It Was Christmas Today."

yes!

i think he sounds like Rufus Wainwright. and he kind of looks like him too. and in the digital liner notes for the cd, he special thanks Drew Barrymore and Jason Schwartzman. so, that made me super happy.

OH! speaking of Schwartzman.

Happy Birthday Robert! today is Robert's birthday. christmas eve. he is 27 today. a glorious day for music.

two people wished me Merry Christmas today!

1. the postal worker who gave me my mail (not the ruggedly handsome one)
2. the man who held the door for me at the post office

i promise you - the people in the post office are the best. i have had so many good encounters there. it's a place of peace and happiness.

and then i had to go to JoAnn Fabrics. it was a semi-madhouse to be driving around. i had to park really far away. but it was okay, because i am in such a good mood today.

like this entire month. there has not been a bad day since december started. remember? i was so excited for it to begin. and then i have just been so happy and excited ever since.

it's currently 2:15pm. i watched an episode of True Blood this afternoon. because nothing says Merry Christmas like blood and sex.

man i did not want to get out of bed this morning. i set my alarm fro 10:15am. which is like, the middle of the night. and i kept hitting snooze until 11am. Ruby was right in my face for like, half an hour trying to get me up. she was a hungry girl. and i REALLY debated whether or not i wanted those Netflix.

but, in the end, something came over me and i jumped out of bed, got ready, and left.

and i got some wonderful things in the mail!

1. card from my mom for me and Ruby
2. card from Kerianne and Noel
3. present from Kerianne and Noel!!!!!

Kerianne sent me a wonderful gift of clip on earrings!!!! all her old ones!!!!! because she now has pierced ears!!!! so now i have some fantastic new earrings!!!!! i am very excited about this. i think i will wear a new pair to work tonight.

at 3:30pm today, in just 70 short minutes, i start my marathon 40.5 hours of work!! straight through!!!

3:30pm thursday until 8am on saturday.

i think Christmas day will be a very low-key day. possibly including chinese food and going to see a movie. and there are some people who want to come over and bring presents. i don't know who they are.

last night i was thinking about christmas. and how this is the second time in my life that i haven't been home. (last year i had to work too) and how it's just really one day. and i will have christmas this weekend with my family in maine. but, it will still be special, even though it's not happening on friday.

and yeah, i'll be spending christmas at work. but it will still be special.

i hope you have a wonderful day. wherever you are. however you celebrate. whoever you're with.

i had a bad headache last night. and it went away. and then i woke up with another bad headache. i think that was one of the reasons i didn't want to get up. i also had a sore throat again.

but the headache. man. not fun. i took some ibuprofen and it went away.

so! besides Julian Casablancas, there has been another celebrity popping up everywhere in my life.

Lizzy Caplan. aka Janis Ian from Mean Girls.

she is on Party Down, which i've been watching. and then! she shows up on True Blood!! i wasn't expecting that. she looks so different from Janis Ian, it's crazy.

i guess that's only two places i've found her. unlike Julian, who followed me everywhere. but still, it's funny.

AND NOW, i would like to leave you with a quote. something to think about this holiday season. it may brighten your day. it sure did mine. it's a beautiful, elegant quote and speaks to the very depths of my heart.

enjoy,


"I think the next part of my life, I'm just going to be incredibly hott and sexy. Kinda like that dude in the movie. George Clooney. I'll just be him for a while."

--Joe "Mr. Sexy" Fenstermaker



<3

23 December 2009

um, best!!

i'm at work right now. things are super quiet. but, something awesome happened and i needed to tell you immediately.

so, i was taking care of the two little girls for a little bit until their childcare came. and, when i walked into the living room to check in with their mother before she left, the little one reached her arms out to me like she wanted me to hold her.

and even her mom said, "wow, she just reached out to you!"
yeah, it made me really happy.

and then, i was sitting in the rocking chair and the girls were playing on the ground, and the older one came over, threw herself onto my knee and said, "MY JULIE! THIS IS MY JULIE!!"
yep, the best.

and then i picked her up to sit on my lap, but the little one came over immediately and pulled herself up on my leg and wanted to be picked up too.

i'm just so popular. but, it was really sweet and made me very happy.

so, yeah.

to update you on my hair saga, i ended up straightening it with a straightening iron today. AND, i'm not gonna lie - it looks pretty awesome.

last night i caught up on some Private Practice. MAN. the episode where Addison and Sam are hiking and find the couple who have been in a car accident?!?! and on top of everything, the wife is pregnant and then goes into labor WHILE still trapped in the car!!!!!

wow. it was pretty incredible. like, drama-wise, and over-the-top-wise. everything was just so bloody. it was super intense, though.

and i learned that you should always go hiking with one of the world's best neonatal surgeons.

and then Addison and Sam made out afterwards!!!!! that was a long time coming. i kind of wish they would hook up. they're both so hott. especially Taye Diggs. oooo yes. that smile...

tonight i will either keep watching Private Practice, or Party Down. or heck, maybe both.

ugh. i forgot it was Big Chore night. i just had to make up the chart of big chores.

no baby tonight overnight. i am happy about that. hopefully i can get a good night's sleep. that way i can get up "early" to go to the post office. i also need to go to JoAnn's. are they open?
is Christmas Eve a holiday? are things closed, or do they close early? it's weird. christmas feels weird this year.

OH.

i was on Yahoo this afternoon reading about how Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon have been split up since summer!!! CAN'T believe it. and it made me sad. i liked them.

but, i always look to see what the top searches of the day are. guess who was number one?!?

1. Julian Casablancas

i swear this guy is following me around. it seems like in every odd place, there he is. so, i went to his website. saw this his cd is $5.99 on iTunes. also saw that he is coming to Boston on 8 January.

both of these things are interesting to me.

i MIGHT go home tonight and buy his cd. i feel like i have to force myself to love his music since he's following me around.

i did not buy concert tickets. he's playing at The Paradise. which i know i've been before, but can't remember if that was for Ben Kweller or Rooney and Ben Lee.

anyways, i read all about Julian Casablancas. his early life. his parents. how he formed The Strokes. and now about his solo project. it's great.

and so again, i call to you, my friends. does anyone listen to him? will i like it? do you like it??
i will make it my Christmas mission to listen to his cd and report back. YES! an assignment.

anyways. what else can i tell you?

i have to carry a microwave down to the basement tonight. we got a microwave as a christmas present.

Drew Barrymore's ex-boyfriend was in The Strokes, right? the.....drummer?

what else can i tell you?!

Craig Ferguson had his 1,000th episode last week. it was exciting. Jason Schwartzman was a guest. and also Kristen Bell.

my nose is stuffy again. it's a bummer. i still feel better than i had been, though.

i think we're going to go see a movie on Christmas day. i would see either Avatar or Up in the Air. or Sherlock Holmes.

man, it looks like Up in the Air is going to do pretty well this awards season.

i'm just rooting for Fantastic Mr. Fox all the way. best picture? yep. animated feature? sure. art direction? why not!

ok. enough now. i'm all out of words.

i'll talk to you later! have a great night.



<3

sippin' on sunshine

hey guess what!? i think i might be getting better. as in, finally starting to get over this cold. i woke up this morning and my throat didn't hurt! and i've been awake for over an hour and it still doesn't hurt!

i'm still all stuffy and gross looking, though. and last night was the first time i took cold medicine and thought that it might have actually worked. because all the other times i have taken it, it didn't really seem to do anything.

but, today marks day 6 of this cold. day 6! of feeling crappy. with really no sign of improvement until just last night! that's rotten, ya know?

although, it's not like, a totally horrible cold where i can't do anything. it's more of an inconvenience cold. so that's good.

so. tonight starts my holiday work schedule. here goes:

wednesday: 3:30pm until 8am on thursday
thursday: 3:30pm until 8am on saturday

that's a long stretch. 3:30pm on thursday until 8am on saturday. i'm working straight through! all by myself!!

ah well.

the baby has been here the past two nights. monday night he was up four times! ugh.

12am.
2:30am
4:30am
7am

but last night was nice.

11pm
6am

yes! that's what i like, baby. to only get up twice, but to get paid for the whole night. yes please.

so, kara came to visit! she arrived on sunday night and left tuesday evening!!! we had the best sister time. did lots of great hanging out. finished watched season 2 of Veronica Mars. MAN. i still can't believe it. it's still a total shocker. there's really no way anyone would ever guess.

and again, i'm really appreciating the hottness of Dick Casablancas soooo much more this time around. man, he is good looking like a lot.

and i still can't believe how much Logan looks like the guy from Tally Hall. yellow tie. that's funny.

but yeah, we had a really good time.

monday night we got indian food and then watched The Darjeeling Limited. great combo. great food, great movie.

and kara LOVED my tree. she was so surprised that i had it. it looks so beautiful. it's only been knocked over once since the first time. i'm happy and impressed with Ruby's self control.

i've been trying this thing where i blow dry my hair straight.

because i got a new hair cut. last monday. kara and i went to Super Cuts. and, it's a great hair cut. probably one of my favorites. although, i can't really get it the way i want.

it's 2 inchs shorter. with lots of layers. and angles.

let me tell you - i looks freaking awesome when i walked out of the hair place. like, if i had gone to the Rooney concert looking like that, things might have ended up differently between me and Matt Winter. or Taylor. or Robert.

and then i went out and bought fancy hair stuff. like, mousse and spray. things i have no idea how to use. i even bought combs and a brush.

a BRUSH!!! let me tell you about the last time i owned a brush.....

i can't! because i can't remember. because i haven't brushed my hair in a really long time.

and now i bought this fancy thermal brush and my hair is all like, "um, what are you doing?" and it's not cooperating.

because, i've been trying to blow dry it with the round brush for maximum volume and hottness. and so far, i can't do it. i've watched many youtube videos to try and learn. but nope. i can't seem to get it right.

any tips? anybody know how to do this correctly?

it's like, coming out fairly straight. but, it just looks frizzy and fried.

so, i guess i'm out of ideas. i was pretty excited about this new hair cut because i thought it would inspire me to actually do stuff with my hair. and now i'm trying, and nothing is working. so, it's a bummer.

anyways.

i have to be at work in an hour. and i'm eating leftover indian food and listening to the crash kings.

i really hope it's an easy night at work. it kind of should be. there will only be two residents. and one of them will be out for most of the night.

i meant to go to the post office tonight. i mean, this afternoon. but, i slept late instead.

are post offices open on christmas eve? probably closing at noon, right? UGH.

okay, tomorrow i'm getting two netflix. plus the one i have waiting for me. so tomorrow, i HAVE to go to the post office before noon. HAVE TO. i will make it my goal. that i have to reach.

are pizza places open on christmas? on christmas day it will just be me and one other resident and i asked her what she wanted to do and she said, "get lots of pizza."

i think i will see if she wants to go to the movies. and i will probably bring down lots of movies.

ugh it's just so early. 8am. who does things at 8am? 8am until 10pm. that is a long day, my friends.

so, how weird is this Brittany Murphy death? it's like, crazy, right? yeah. crazy. i couldn't believe it when i heard.

i JUST watched Riding in Cars with Boys and i also JUST watched Spun. and now it's really weird that she's dead.

i can't remember why i watched Riding in Cars with Boys. i just felt like it, i think. i hadn't seen it in a really long time. and i rented Spun because Jason Schwartzman is in it. him and Brittany Murphy are really sweet in that movie. even though it's about crystal meth.

but then! i was thinking about everything later on, and had TOTALLY FORGOTTEN that Brittany Murphy is in one of my favorite movies - Love and Other Disasters.

i love that movie. it's so funny and cool. and she has the BEST clothes in it. and then i was sad. that was the movie i watched last Christmas. everybody should see that movie. it's very good.

hm. alright. i have to get ready for work now. figure out something to do with my hair.

i'm actually feeling even better than i already was. i haven't had a stuffy nose in like, 20 minutes. good sign.

alright! have a great day.

man, since we're on recommending great things: the Crash Kings cd. the whole thing is so good. like, every song. great band. great cd. hear it.

MOVIE OF THE DAY: Love and Other Disasters.
CD OF THE DAY: Crash Kings, by Crash Kings

there.

ok. enjoy your day. i'll talk to you later maybe? hopefully?

oh!! and one more thing:


BEST PART ABOUT TODAY: It's ELIZABETH'S BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! happy birthday dear friend. i miss you. i love you. i am looking at my "Poe" button and i love it. i hope you have a lovely day. <3


<3!

20 December 2009

so this is christmas!

ok hi. first of all:

KARA: The subject of the entry below this is a quote from Princess Diaries. Mia's next door neighbor who won an Emmy for tv show writing says it.

DAFE: I listened to the All Songs Considered podcast! Thanks for this info. It's very exciting to hear people talk about Coconut Records. And of course, I strongly encourage you to check it out. Just let me know if you want me to burn you a cd!

ok. i think those were all my messages to people.

now on for a great entry! you'll enjoy this one.


but first, some backstory:

SO. i received a lovely facebook message from my bestest friend Maria telling me that she had sent me something in the mail. i hadn't been to the post office because i was away last weekend, so i planned to go on wednesday.

i have THREE package slips in my mailbox! it was super exciting.

first package slip = netflix. (true blood)
second package slip = new jeans i ordered. (they're great!)
third package slip = HUGE FREAKING BOX FROM MARIA!!!!

it's seriously the biggest box in the world. and i can't even imagine what's inside. it's not too heavy, so it makes me even more curious.

and it was probably hilarious watching me try to get to my car. it took some thinking.

so i get it upstairs and i'm soooo excited. Ruby is so excited too. immediately she uses the box as a face scratcher.

i open the box and it's full of tissue paper. i begin to pull out the tissue paper and what is underneath????

a tiny christmas tree!!!!! and christmas decorations!!! AND chocolate!!!!!!!

and this is not your ordinary christmas tree - it's a SILVER christmas tree with BRIGHT GREEN decorations!!!!!!

no, it is not your ordinary christmas tree - it's the PERFECT christmas tree for me.

it was a very exciting time.

the only crap thing, was that the cord to plug in the tree is like, a foot long. and my apartment is the worst for outlets. so i needed to get out and buy an extension cord before the tree could be plugged in.

and last night, i went out and got the cord. and i came upstairs, made a christmas mix,*

*this was the other thing i wanted to ask. if anyone can find a recording of Happy Christmas by The Polyphonic Spree, please let me know. i can't find it on iTunes and there's a not so great one on youtube.

and then me and Ruby sat in the living room and we decorated the tree. and then came the big lighting. it was as grand a lighting as one could expect. comparable to the one in rockefeller center, i'm sure.

and then, we had a photo shoot. and so now, i present to you,

CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING starring RUBY TUESDAY featuring JULIE


LOOK!!!! how pretty and perfect. this is without the flash.




this is with the flash. it looks like a different tree!




and the whole christmas scene.






close up of the awesome tree and my beautiful green seahorse ornament. which i totally love.






Ruby was very curious. and i made it my mission to get a good picture of her with the tree.




apparently the tree was delicious.




and the garland was a fun toy.





and her new favorite, the shiny green balls.






awwww, but look how sweet she is!!!!




this one is good. she's so pretty!





and this one is good too.








sleepy tuesday.





yay!!!!





GREAT, right!??! i love it. i love it so much.

THANK YOU MARIA!!!!!!! you are the best ever. and i can't wait to see you next weekend.

also, in the last picture, in the messy background of my kitchen, see that blue window at the top?? THAT'S the window above the sink that i talk about. THAT is how the heat gets to my bedroom. the heat rises up through the window and sails back to the bedroom. the window goes to the bathroom though, which makes it a little strange.

alright. well, that's my christmas tree. and the lighting of the christmas tree. i was so excited.

and then i woke up during the night because i needed a drink of water and i went out, and the tree was in the middle of the living room and all the shiny green balls were everywhere.

so, i had to take the decorations off. apparently they can only be on during supervised times with Ruby Tuesday. she just loves playing with things!

i bought her a new christmas toy last night.

ok. i have to go to work now. i'm so excited.

no, not really. because i don't feel good and i have a sore throat.

ok. have a great night. if you don't have a tree, i give you permission to enjoy mine all you like. i know, it's pretty great.

alright! love you! miss you!!

talk to you soon.


<3

19 December 2009

the elegant european woman didn't stay for tea...but the promise of tomorrow hung in the air.

soo...yeah. i have a sore throat. and it's annoying me.

i woke up on thursday with a sore throat, and then by thursday night it went away. same was true for friday. but today, it did not go away.

i've been drinking a lot of cold water. and a lot of tea. i drink a lot of cold water in the middle of the night when i wake up and realize, "aw man my throat hurts a lot!" so i go to the fridge and get my water and drink it.

(this is really interesting, isn't it?)

the past few nights i've gotten up at least three times in the night to drink cold water. and then it momentarily makes my throat feel better. and the tea usually helps too.

but last night was really annoying. i kept waking up because i had to sneeze. it was horrible. because it sucks when you wake up and immediately sneeze. it's like the most abrupt, awkward thing when you're so disoriented.

ugh. it sucked.

i am going to take some cold medicine before i go to bed tonight. i bought a new kind at walmart tonight. it's for sore throats too. that was the deciding factor.

i really wanted lasagna tonight. so after walmart i went to the grocery and bought a little frozen one. it was pretty good. and i have leftovers for like, three days! well, probably two. and then i curled up on the couch with Ruby and the lasagna and watched Party Down. on netflix. i really like that show. it's pretty funny. and there are lots of people from Veronica Mars. i know i've already talked about this.

ok. i'm tired. it's 2:23am. last night i slept for like, 11 hours. and there was one other night this week where i slept for 12 hours.

i had to buy tissues tonight because i am almost out, and i bought a fancy kind. like, a nice kind of tissue. usually i just buy shaw's brand. and i buy them because they come in pretty boxes. and because they are $1.

but tonight i got them at walmart and there was this three box pack of really funky, bright colors. and i got it. and i didn't totally look too close at it. and also my eyes were watery. because they've been really watery lately. and then i got home, and realized that one of the boxes has these cartoon monkeys on it. and i was like, "what?!" so now i have a tissue box with cartoon monkeys on it. i mean, they're cute, i guess. they're like, swinging from trees. eh. whatev.

i have great pictures to show you!!!!! not now, but hopefully before i go to work on sunday. i'm working 3:30-10pm. and then kara is coming to visit!!!!! i'm SUPER excited.

but also bummed because i have to be up for feedings with the baby. which i already don't want to do. uugghhh. and i'll have to have the monitor on allll night.

okay. i'm going to go to bed now. i'm pretty tired. yeah, really tired.

aw, my fave Crash Kings song just came on. funny that less than a week ago i had never heard their music, and now i can't stop listening to it. again, i highly recommend them. the best songs are:

- Come Away
- It's Only Wednesday

yeah. love those a lot.

ok now i'm going to bed. have a great sunday. ooooooo SUNDAY FUNDAY!!!!!

oh, i also wanted to mention this thing.

so, today is December 19. actually, i guess yesterday was december 19. Avatar was released yesterday. december 18. now, december 19 is the day we all know as the day Titanic was released in theaters.

strange?!?! that the two most recent James Cameron movies are released within one day of each other!?!? only like, 12 years apart.

i thought Avatar was being released on christmas. anyways. i just thought this was pretty amazing.

i really liked when Vince was in the James Cameron movie on Entourage. Aquaman! one of my favorite episodes was when all their moms came to the premiere. OH i miss Entourage.

okay. now i'm probably really going to bed. because now i'm really tired.

goodnight! have a great day. i'll talk to you soon.


<3

18 December 2009

is my amp too high?

NO TURN IT UP MORE!!!!!


ok. quickly now.

andrew came up today! so fun! we went to Salt Hill for lunch. it was packed! why was it so crowded? we couldn't figure it out. our table was next to these huge professional guys wearing suits and eating big burgers. we both had black bean and chicken quesadillas. they were delish. AND, we got Bulmers. or, Magners in the states. the irish hard cider that we drank non stop in irelnd!!!! ooooo it was so delicious and nostalgic. it made me think of Billy and his mom and his grandma.

then we went to go see Brothers. the Nat Port/Tobey Maguire/Emily's boyfriend Jake movie. it was pretty good. there wasn't much dialogue. and it was different than i expected. and i kept wondering throughout the whole movie what it would be like if it was the way i thought. i still can't decide if it would have been better or worse.

saw a trailer for Salt. that Angelina Jolie movie. i hadn't seen a trailer for it yet. i was surprised. it looked okay. she's all like,

ANGELINA: Do you have information that a Russian spy is going to kill the president?
GUY SHE'S INTERROGATING: Yes. I know the name.
ANGELINA: Tell me the name!!!!!
GUY SHE'S INTERROGATING: The name of the spy is.....Evelyn Salt.
ANGELINA: Haha, no. My name is Evelyn Salt.
GUY SHE'S INTERROGATING: Then you are the Russian spy.

then she books it down the hallway and has to dye her hair and everything because now everyone is after her. i think she's the spy.

anyways.

it was a fun day with Andrew. Ruby Tuesday was excited to see him. he calls her Rosebud.

it's been really cute. all night Ruby has been laying on the kitchen floor in front of the heater. just like, rolling around. and one time she actually went up and curled up right around it. which made me really nervous because there's a flame in there.

so. what did i do tonight?

i tried to watch The Office, but it wouldn't work. so i watched one episode of 30 Rock. it was terrific. and then i watched 24 minutes of Heroes and then fell asleep.

so, i took a nap from 7:50 to 8:25pm. then finished watching Heroes.

thursday night i thought i was getting the flu. i was really achy and my skin hurt. and i was really worried that i was going to have to cancel on andrew.

so i went to bed early. and when i woke up i was feeling better. still all stuffed up. and i took some cold medicine during the day. i wasn't feeling so great again tonight. but, i'm going to go to bed soon.

then tonight i watched an episode of True Blood and two episodes of How I Met Your Mother. i finished season 3!!! or, season 4. which ever is not this season, but the last season. it was really good. that show is super funny. i think it should win awards for writing because i think the writing is very clever. and it's great because there's all kinds of references to past episodes and future episodes. it's kind of crazy. it's like if Lost were a sitcom about living in New York.

hopefully i can get to the post office on saturday before noon because i should have Taking Woodstock waiting for me. and i want to see that. also i need stamps.

anyways. okay. i think i might try and go to bed.

oh! today in the movie theater, when we bought our tickets, they informed us that the heat was broken in the theater and we were like, "yeah, that's fine!"

it was FREEZING. like, so, so cold. i couldn't feel my feet like, halfway through the film. and it doesn't help that it takes place mostly during winter. so it looks cold on the screen. it was sooooo cold. it was probably in the 40's. no joke. because we walked outside and it didn't feel that much different. it was a good thing that Jake Gyllenhaal was there. he added a few degrees.

alright. 1:43am. saturday morning. and i think i am going to bed. i have to go get an extension cord today. because my apartment is severely lacking in outlets. for realz.

i think i am also going to put up my other sets of twinkle lights today. in the dark, front room. that would be a good room for a vampire to sleep in because it is so dark and creepy. hey, i'm just saying, if either Stephen Moyer or Alexander Skarsgard wanted to sleep there - they could. heck, even Anna Paquin. she's totally hott.

i think they were making snow on the mountain behind my house last night. or, early friday morning. because i woke up at 6am and looked at the star on the mountain and there was this other bright light moving up and down the hill and there was a giant cloud of snow in the sky. it was strange.

ok. now it's 1:49am. now i'm going to get into bed. because i'm tired and still don't really feel great. and kara is coming to visit on sunday and i have to be better.

UGH i also have to get up with the baby again starting on sunday. UGH UGH. not looking forward to that very much.

okay. i hope everyone has a great weekend! a great saturday! i'll talk to you later, i'm sure.

i'm really looking forward to saturday. i can't quite figure out why. i think it will be a beautiful day.


!!!<3!!!

17 December 2009

things i forgot/just thought of

1. i want a hot water bottle for christmas!! one like Merritt had. so i can take it to bed with me and be warm. and also carry it around the house and be warm. at 10pm my heat was set at "4," and now it's at "7," but i'm moving it to "8" before i go to bed.

2. i wore my Rooney sweatshirt to work tonight. because it's warm and super awesome. and makes me think of wonderful things. and, me, courtney and diane were sitting around in the living room and courtney was telling this story that involved getting the movie Princess Diaries for christmas! and so i said,

JULIE: You know, the love interest from Princess Diaries is the lead singer of Rooney!
COURTNEY: No way!
JULIE: Yes!!
COURTNEY: Who is the lead singer?
JULIE: Robert Schwartzman.
COURTNEY: Any relation to Jason?
JULIE: They're brothers!
COURTNEY: Wow!!

it was great!


3. i talked to aliya and joe tonight on the phone! it was terrific. they were on speaker iphone in south carolina. they are on their way to delray beach from amherst, massachusetts. and tonight they were in south carolina. and as i was talking to them they crossed over into georgia! it was a momentous moment. momentous moment. yep.


4. i am sitting in my bed. my tea is about to be ready and i am going to watch Glee. i have one more episode and then i'm all caught up!! very excited.


5. ok! nice talking to you again. have warm days. have lovely days. and i'll talk to you again soon.


<3!

a kick and then a scream

hey friends.

i meant to update wednesday night, but i had no idea how tired i was, until i fell asleep on the couch! while watching True Blood!!! how does that happen??

anyways. it's freezing in here. there was frost on the INSIDE of my bedroom windows this morning. yeah. cold. like, i woke up and looked outside. there was all kinds of frost on the window, so i felt it. and it was on the inside. and i said, "aw that's a bummer."

and it's freezing right now too. and i'm too scared to open the window above my sink to let the heat to my bedroom, because i had it open last week for one night and Ruby tried to jump up there like, 15 times. and i'm scared she'll get stuck.

maybe i'll open it when she's not looking and then she'll never notice.

anyways. i also woke up stuffy and with a really sore throat. i wonder if that had something to do with the temp of my room, or from standing in the freezing rain waiting for Rooney. if it was from Rooney, then it's worth it. bedroom temp = not so much.

anyways.

i guess i don't really have much to say.

OH YEAH. wait a sec. yes i do.

so, it's the end of the year. end of 2009. and, that means lots of people are putting out "best of 2009" lists. well, 'Davy' the second Coconut Records cd is making all kinds of 'best' lists!!!!!

1. #45 on Myspace's Top 50 Albums of 2009. and i quote, "It's a gorgeous pop album that will stand the tests of time."

YEAH.

2. #6 on Amie Street's Top 25 Albums. and i quote, "Jason Schwartzman fuses the voice of the Beach Boys with the musicality of the Beatles to create a positively low-key, SoCal sound."


YEAH!!!!! how awesome and exciting is that!?? i am so happy about this. it was an exciting day on the Coconut Records twitter.

that myspace quote is pretty freaking good, right?

alright. i know i have more to say. but i have to do some tidying up. Andrew is coming to visit on friday!! that's tomorrow!!! or today! depending on when you are reading this. i am quite excited about this.

but, i have to straighten up. which i am not very excited about.

and then!! KARA is coming on sunday!!!! to stay for a few days. i am also very very excited about this. so is Ruby Tuesday.

alright friends. how has your week been? i hope well.

mine has been good. both nights at work were good. tonight was much more quiet than last night.

it's just going to be me and one other resident here for christmas. i think it will be very quiet. and probably strange. i'll ask her what she wants to do.

ok. have a great night! i am going to clean, then make dinner, then probably watch either Glee or True Blood, drink some tea, and then go to sleep.

i have been very tired this week. last night i got into bed at 1:30! and i slept until 1:15! with only two interruptions during the night.

alright for real. have a great day. and a great weekend.


love!

15 December 2009

WILD ONE

my sincerest apologies for not updating over the weekend. it was pretty crazy with family and everything. it was my grandmother's 97th birthday. my uncle from florida and my cousin from massachusetts came up. it was fun fun fun. really great seeing everyone.

we went out for pizza on friday night. saturday we drove into york, maine for a nice dinner out. totes delish. although, towards the end i had some kind of weird allergy thing at the restaurant. then we drove over to the lighthouse to see it all lit up. then had cake! and coffee with bailey's. yumm.

then back to our house. me, my cousin and my uncle went outside to watch for meteors, because there was a shower this weekend. it was SUPER cold. like, really cold. but it was perfect viewing conditions. i only saw maybe like, 8 meteors. which, was awesome. but, it was supposed to be like, 100 an hour. definitely not that.

ANYWAYS. sunday everybody left, which was sad. no idea when i'll see them again. although, possibly around christmas. and kara came home from work at noontime because...

SUNDAY WE SAW ROONEY!!!!!

yes yesyes. ever since i saw Rooney for the first time, i had been waiting for this day, to see them again. i saw them in Boston without really knowing much of their music - they instantly became the best band i've ever seen live - and i had totally hyped them up in my head ever since then. for like, three years. i just had this idea that nobody could live up to seeing Rooney live. because they were so freaking good.

and now, i would be seeing them again. this time with Kara! we were pretty freaking excited.

and of course, there had to be a snowstorm as we were leaving. heavy, slushy snow. we had to drive really slowly until about the Dover tolls. once we got there, the snow turned to rain. and kara drove the whole way. she is awesome.

so, we drove from maine to cambridge and parked at Alewife. we were going to The Middle East, in Central Square. parking at Alewife seems to always be the easiest option.

we parked. bought the charlie cards. hopped on the train. got off at Central Square. super easy breezy. and it was rainy. not so much cold. but very rainy.

we figured out where we wanted to eat in relation to where the club was. we did this by looking up the two different addresses on kara's phone. and then i did this really weird thing were i thought that 625 was bigger than 649. so, at first i sent us in the wrong direction. we needed to find 700, but we walked towards the 400s. this was confusing. i can't exactly remember what i was thinking. but, my explanation was simple: 'i am blinded by the Schwartzman.' i mean, it makes sense.

so, we eat at this super loud place with a million tv screens on the walls. not at all the place it looks like online. each tv screen had a different football game. and then we REALLY needed to leave and the waitress took a super long time getting the check.

the doors opened at 7:30 and we didn't leave the restaurant until then. i had wanted to be there by 7:15.

so, we find the club and there is HUGE long line of people out the door. and now it's pouring. so, we get in the back of the line. and have to wait like, 20 minutes until we finally get inside.

there was a schedule posted on the door:

ROONEY - 10pm
Tally Hall - 9pm
Crash Kings - 8pm

those were the two opening bands. so, we walk inside and Kara overhears this older couple say that they are the parents of the Crash Kings. this is exciting.

there was a HUGE line at the coat check, but not a huge crowd on the floor. so we immediately get on the floor and are semi-close to the front. like, if the stage was 100 and the back of the room was 1, we were probably in the lower 70's.

and there's like, only 5 minutes before Crash Kings go on. and then it starts! they come onstage. super hotties.

the lead singer says, "it's so great to be home!!" apparently they are an LA based band, but they grew up in Boston. so, that was really cool. and the lead singer and the bassist are brothers. and then there's a drummer. Tony, Mike and Jason. Tony and Mike are the brothers. Jason is the drummer.



this is Tony. he sang and played keyboards. and him and his bro are really gorgeous.


i'm assuming it was their parents that were at the show. now, our camera was super frigged up at first, so the only good pictures of Crash Kings i got were of Tony. (kara actually ended up taking a lot of the pictures overall because she is taller)



i totally loved their music. i bought their cd and i'm listening to it now. they had a song in the movie Zombieland. it's a great song. i actually love it.

so, DEFINITELY recommend this band. Crash Kings.



this is what they all look like.

and then! Tally Hall came on at 9. they had a lot of setting up to do. and then they soundchecked. this took about 15 minutes ish.

and then they got onstage and explained that they had JUST gotten to the show because their trailer carrying the equipment blew a tire and they had to load everything onto the bus, and then race to the gig.

they were all dressed up. they had on white shirts, black shiny vests, and each member had a different colored tie.

they looked exactly like they do in this press photo (plus black shiny vests):


i overheard in the crowd that they started out as an acapella group. which would explain their awesome harmonies. and, what was really cool was that every member of the band sang. it wasn't really like there was a "lead singer."




although, this guy was kind of the lead, i guess. and he TOTALLY reminded me of Logan from Veronica Mars. (he's the one on the far left, yellow tie, in the promo photo) and the guy in the red tie reminded kara of Gael Garcia Bernal.




look how dapper they look! they were also really great. they have this great song called 'Welcome to Tally Hall.' they all rap in it.

overall, they reminded both me and kara of The Format. they were kind of whimsical. very good, though.

and it was cool because some of the fans there were JUST there to see Tally Hall. i heard some people behind us say, "i've never even heard of Rooney."

and there were definitely also people there that was super excited to see Crash Kings. and that was a pretty interesting thing, i thought, and it was really nice to see people so excited for the opening bands. normally it seems people (myself included) sometimes have this, "come on, get to the real band already." and it definitely wasn't like that for this show.




yep. he had a microphone. i mean, megaphone. aw, they're just so cute.


AND THEN, it was 10pm. and the crowd was getting more crowded. kara checked her twitter before the show started and Robert had tweeted that it was a sold-out Boston show. that was exciting.

and during Tally Hall and Rooney, we actually moved up quite a bit in the crowd. i would say that when Rooney started, we were like, lower 80's.

and we're all just waiting and waiting and waiting. and the backstage door keeps opening and people keep walking in and out that are not Rooney. one of the stage managers, Josh, i recognized from a Rooney video diary. i love when that happens. like when Jenny and I saw Travis at a Phantom Planet show. that was really exciting.

and then kara turns to me and says,

KARA: OMG I think I just saw Robert walk by the door!!
JULIE: REALLY?!!?
KARA: Yeah. I saw a guy who looked like Jason, and figured it must be him.
JULIE: !!!!!

and then just a few short minutes later - the Rooney boys entered.



they opened their set with the song 'Blueside,' which is featured in the movie, The Princess Diaries. it's the scene when Anne Hathaway goes to see her car in the garage. and Michael's band (Rooney) is practicing. and there are M&Ms everywhere. great song.



there he is, ladies and gentlemen. Mr. Robert Schwartzman. oh so lovely. he came out and i immediately saw the blue wristband on his wrist and thought, "omg he's wearing his Coconut Records bracelet!!!!" which, he wore in a video diary and is that shade of blue. but, the more i stared, the more it started to look like a theme park bracelet, or something. probably from another gig.



MATT WINTER. bass player. oh how i love Matt Winter. i think he's totally gorgeous and mysterious. normally he wears sunglasses whist performing. but not this night. lucky me.






this might be my favorite. he looks so dreamy.



matthew b. winter.



Taylor Locke. former boyfriend of Mischa Barton. i had never really thought Taylor was attractive until this night. give a boy a guitar and unexplainable things happen.




Louie Stephens is on the far left. he plays keyboards. and Josh, the guy who i recognized from the video diary, is on the far right. nice!



ooooo i also really love this one. he's such a great performer.




during the song 'Losing All Control' i must admit, Taylor and i were making eyes at each other. for serious. it got pretty sexy. yeah. for realz.




good picture of the three front boys. Matt does this thing a lot where he'll walk back into the shadows and play. he doesn't like to be up front, i guess. i think he's shy. but all the more sexy, right?



Mr. Ned Brower on drums!!!! Ned is married to Brothers and Sisters actress Sarah Jane Morris. and they are having a baby boy next month. i totally love Ned. he sings a song on their EP called Wild One, which the tour is named after. it's a really beautiful song. BROWER POWER.







look at Kara's awesome photo skillz!!! i have this picture as my background right now. they look great!




during 'I'm Shakin' Robert jumped down from the stage and was walking around in the crowd. immediately the crowd MOBBED him. and, i am happy to say, that my sister, Kara, was one of those girls.

she lunged over, reached out her arm, and GRABBED onto his upper arm. then, (in a moment i am totally so jealous of), she SLID her hand up his arm and onto his chest.

yes, it's true. kara touched schwartzman chest. she totally rocked the fangirl moment. much like the time i reached up and touched Alex's (from phantom planet) hand.

we talked about kara touching Robert's chest pretty much the whole rest of the night. it was a great, great moment.





for the encore, their first song was Keep On Rocking in the Free World, Neil Young cover, and Ned was up front singing!!!!!! and Robert was on drums. now, i knew that he was also a drummer (because the schwartzman guys play every instrument possible), but i didn't know that he was an awesome drummer.



it was pretty exciting. and Louis Stephens came out from the keyboards to play guitar next to Taylor. i think that's him to the right of Ned.



only picture with all the guys. and someone's annoying cell phone.


Louis on the right, Taylor on the left. Louis is also very mysterious. he stays pretty much behind the keyboards with his head down. but, we still love him.



Taylor, looking emotional.




Ned, smiling. love this one.


AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!!!!! Rooney, A Concert in Photos.

but wait! there is more. oh, there is so much more....


SO.

after the show, we walk over to the merch table to buy some merch. the deal was if you got either two sweatshirts or two t-shirts, you got a free EP. so, we did that. we each got a sweatshirt and we each got a t-shirt. and then we each got a free EP.

here's the most awesome part:

the EP's were secret tickets to a MEET and GREET.


so now, our two sisters find themselves in a Meet and Greet line. freaking out.

now, i had brought along my hott pink Rooney shirt for them to sign if the opportunity arose. or, if we stayed around long enough to meet them. they always say that they are around after shows and love meeting fans. so, i had my shirt just in case.

but here we were, actually in a line to MEET them. not just harass them after the show. but a formal MEET.

and then they walk out from backstage. in a line. all of them. Rooney. just walking around.

and, kara and i are at the back of the line. so, they had to walk directly next to us to get to the front. and as Matt Winter is passing he says,

MATT WINTER: Hello ladies.

now, i never thought the day would come when i had a Matt Winter dialogue section in the blog. but i am happy to say, that day is NOW. i was so in shock that i couldn't actually say anything back.

so, the line moves pretty quickly. i am flipping out. kara is staying more calm than me. she offers to go first.

man, i can't even describe this. this next part is so freaking awesome, there are no words. i would have to make up my own words to try and convey this to you. the emotion i was feeling. it was like, excitement times 1000. the most excited i've ever been - X1000. and also quite nervous.

so, we make our way to the line. the band was in this lineup for meeting: Ned, Louis, Taylor, Robert, Matt.

Ned came first. Kara asked him to sign her EP. then she told him she liked his plaid shirt. it was great. then it was my turn:

NED: Hey, how are you?
JULIE: I'm good, how are you doing?
NED: I'm doing good.
JULIE: Hey, will you sign my t-shirt?
NED: Yeah, sure! (takes shirt) Wow, I haven't seen one of these shirts in a while.
JULIE: I've had it for a few years.
NED: We didn't have these shirts for very long. There weren't many of them made. It's unique.
JULIE: Wow, that's awesome.

and then Ned passes the shirt to Louis,

NED: Hey, look at this shirt.
LOUIS: This is an old one.
NED: Yeah, that's what I said.
LOUIS: (to me) Hey.
JULIE: Hi! How are you?
LOUIS: Good, you?
JULIE: I'm good.
LOUIS: What's your name?
JULIE: Julie.
LOUIS: (holds out his hand) Nice to meet you.
JULIE: (shakes his hand) You too!

Louis passes the shirt to Taylor without saying anything.

TAYLOR: Oh, hey. How are you?
JULIE: I'm really good.
TAYLOR: Oh, this is an old shirt.
JULIE: Yeah, that's what Ned said. I got it in Boston a few years ago.
TAYLOR: Nice.
JULIE: Yeah.

(now, i was actually a pretty excited (nervous) to see Taylor, since we had been making eyes at each other through an entire song.) (mmm. that was a hott moment in my life.)

so, i hold out my hand to him, and he takes my hand in both of his, holds it for a minute and says,

TAYLOR: You have a great night.

now, let me just repeat that for you so we can all understand what happened.

i held out my hand to shake Taylor's hand. he takes BOTH of his hands, wraps them around MY hand, holds it for a moment and says,

TAYLOR: You have a great night.


yeah. yeah. that happened. yep. and then i had to move along to Robert. worst. possible. time.


so, i feel kind of bad. i was so freaking flustered from my encounter with Taylor, and Robert was the only thing standing in between me and Matt Winter. here's what went down...

ok, imagine me, nervous, giddy, flustered, excited. (the giddy and flustered part is the most important.)

JULIE: Hey man!!!! (holds out my hand)
ROBERT: Hey, how are you!? (shakes my hand)
JULIE: I'm great!! How are you doing?!
ROBERT: Good!
JULIE: ......will you sign my shirt, please?!
ROBERT: Yeah, of course! (signs shirt)
JULIE: Thank you so much!!
ROBERT: You're welcome! Have a good night.

and i didn't even tell him to have a good night back. i was so excited to get to Matt Winter.

BUT, did you hear me?!?! I CALLED HIM 'MAN'!!!!! i just went up to Robert Schwartzman and said, "hey man!" as i was saying it i was thinking, "what are you saying?" kind of traumatic. i might as well have called him 'pal.' or, given him a high five and called him 'bro.'

"hey man!" geeze. but, hey, i shook his hand.

and then came Matt.

JULIE: Hey Matt!
MATT: Hey, how are you?
JULIE: Really good, how are you?
MATT: I'm good. What's your name?
JULIE: Julie.
MATT: Julie, it's nice to meet you.
JULIE: You too.
MATT: Have a good night.
JULIE: You too. Take care.

today i was sitting in staff meeting and i was thinking about my encounter with Matt Winter. and then i suddenly remembered how close i was standing to him. like, seriously close. i can remember looking up at him and being really close. he must have been totally freaked out by this.



and this is what i ended up with. my already awesome shirt just became 100 times more awesome.




they each signed above their outlines! super cute.

from L to R: Louie Stephens, Taylor Locke, Robert Schwartzman, Matt Winter, Ned Brower.

YEP. that's MY shirt. doesn't belong to anyone else. i'm looking at it right now. it's awesome. it's soooo the most awesome thing ever. and, according to Ned, not a lot of people have this shirt. which makes it THAT more cool.

i can't even tell you how much fun this night was. i had the best time with Kara. i think she had a pretty good time too.

she was telling me that she was super nervous to meet Robert since they had already shared the intimate chest-touching moment. oh, we made jokes about it all night. and most of monday.

so, here's some concert videos if you're interested. the camera is kind of shaky. hey, it's hard to film and dance AND sing along all at the same time. the first one is the second chorus of Daisy Duke. i love the second chorus because at the end he goes up and sings high. and i like it.





the second video is MOST of When Did Your Heart Go Missing. i don't know if you've heard this song before. it's in the credits of Nancy Drew. also, although i don't remember this, it was the theme song for the tv show Beauty and the Geek. and i heard it once in Old Navy.




i have more videos, but these are my fave. kara took a tiny video of 'I'm Shakin' and in the beginning when Robert is introducing the song he says, "go Celtics!" and then he tells this story about how the last time they were in Boston the Lakers were playing the Celtics. and the Lakers totally lost.

so, i posted promo pics of the other two bands. here's what Rooney looks like when they're not bathed in red lights:


now, add up all the boys in the other pics. YEAH. that's what we saw. live in person. lots of gorgeous hipster musicians.

Rooney pic L to R: Louis, Matt, Robert, Ned, Taylor.

they clean up nice, eh?

Robert is just a little guy. i don't know why i was expecting him to be really big and tall. i guess he just seems it from the video diaries. jason is little too. i like that. but i also like matt winter. and he's a big guy.

alright. i think you've successfully re-lived the night with me. that's all i can remember right now. maybe more will come back to me.

but, i didn't want to wait to do this entry too long, because i might forget things. like Taylor holding my hand. yeah that was awesome.

wow. that was really awesome.

aw, i had fun with you tonight. telling you all about my concert.

kara and i came home sunday night and Robert had been on twitter and they were already on their way to Pennsylvania, where they were playing on monday.

alright. it's taken me a long time to do this entry. my first big, long picture entry on my Mac. i have to get used to iPhoto. it's not that different. it's just different from what i'm used to.

so. it's 1:19am. i haven't eaten supper yet. so, i'm gonna go do that.

but i have soooo much more to tell you about!!!!!

1. my new haircut
2. my new hair products
3. GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATIONS

the nominations came out today! well, tuesday!! it's pretty much the season of Meryl.

- lead actress in a musical or comedy nom for Julie and Julia
- lead actress in a musical or comedy nom for It's Complicated
- Julie and Julia nominated for best picture musical or comedy
- It's Complicated nominated for best picture musical or comedy
- Fantastic Mr. Fox nominated for best animated feature

SO EXCITED about Mr. Fox. maybe jason will be there??! Bored to Death didn't get any nominations, which i was sad about. Glee got some. 30 Rock got some.

anyways, i'll give a more complete recap of my Globe nomination reaction. i have some feelings.

OH! i also wanted to post this picture i took today. it's the first picture i took with my new built-in webcam!!!!!


how CUTE are we?!?! there's a flash on the camera, which i wasn't expecting. she has been climbing all over me and sitting on my lap ever since i've gotten back. such a sweetie. that picture was taken in my kitchen, where i'm sitting right now. those are my pots hanging.

ok. everyone please have a lovely wednesday. i'll update you more later on those few other matters.

today i have to go to the post office. and then i am working from 3:30 to 10pm. and then 10pm to 8am. nice!

Andrew is coming to visit on friday!! and kara is coming to visit on sunday!!!! what a great week i have ahead of me.

OK! hope you are enjoying your wonderful day.

love you.
miss you.
talk to you soon.



If there ever was a day that you should get away
I feel it in my bones I think today's the day
And you can't back down
Take the chance to leave behind
A single dance in the snow
Between the trees
You will know the sound of nothing

Come away on this winter's day
We are going to ride again
And buckle in get you suited up
Its time to fly



<3