early bird gets the Jonas

son of a gun - WHY is Kevin Jonas so hilarious?!?! he makes me laugh so hard it's unbelievable.

man i love that show. and it's a GOOD THING i woke up early this morning because i had time to watch THREE NEW EPISODES before work. that's one hour of pure Jonas love.

and there was one episode where Joe sang a lovely song with just a guitar behind him. he has a really nice voice.

so then i decided that Joe and Kevin need to start a solo project without Nick. Joe and Kevin have the best singing voices - it's true. that's the honest truth.

Joe Jonas was in Disney World the other day, and he was at Epcot and he kept posting pictures of him and Demi Lovato "in Italy!" or, "in China!" yeah, i probably enjoyed it too much.

anyways - i could watch Jonas all day long. it makes me laugh so hard. and i really needed a good laugh.

okay, i'm going to be honest with you again.

so far, i have not had a good year. maybe it's 2010 getting back at me because i said how much i hate writing out those numbers. (but, i still hate it. it seems so pretentious.)

but last night i just kept thinking about New Year's Eve, when me and Andrew were on top of the parking garage in Portsmouth, NH and we were saying that 2010 would be the best year ever, and we would be totally awesome and things would be great. and then i got even more sad.

at first i thought i was just having a bad January. and then February started and it was great! not only did i ring in the new month meeting Tony, Mike and Jason of Crash Kings, but it was also my birthday month!!!! and everyone's birthday month should be the greatest month of the year.

and that first week was great. TWO Crash Kings shows!

and then things went to crap again. and now everything is blah again.

and the other night my cheeks were burning because i was crying so hard. and i feel like that's happening a lot. and not like, "oh i'm crying because Grey's Anatomy is so sad!" but like, really upset crying.

my mom is coming up this weekend and i'm really happy about that. and i'm happy i get to be with her on Valentine's Day. because last year on Valentine's Day i was alone in Panera watching everyone else be happy.

ok. i guess i just needed to say those things.

i have to work now. from 3pm to 10pm. and then from 10pm to 8am. the overnights have been pretty quiet. i've been happy about that.

i still really love my flip clock. and i've still really been enjoying being awake in the morning. the past three days i've woken up during the 10am-11am time. and it's not so bad after all.

Crash Kings and Paper Tongues are doing a show with OK GO in Kansas City tomorrow. that should be really exciting for all you Kansas City readers. which, i believe are zero.

here is a picture from when Crash Kings were in Providence at WBRU 95.5:




please notice the Dunkin Donuts bags and huge box of donuts in the background. the most delicious picture. for more than one reason...

yeah, i posted that on the Crash Queens facebook page. no, not ashamed. i love those girls.

ok. 2.48pm. i guess i should put the finishing touches on my outfit to get ready for work.

hope everyone is having a great friday. i'll talk to you all later!!

love. be well.


<3

you get back up and still you fall

i should have known a bad day was coming...


- went to bed at 3am very excited because kara was coming to visit me today!

- woke up at 8:53am to a text message. kara wasn't coming. and then we had a text fight.

- couldn't fall back to sleep.

- got up around 9:35am. suuuuuper early. was in a bad mood.

- then i checked my email and was in a good mood because of a wonderful blog comment i got! a fellow concert junkie was totally supporting my 'Crash King Concert Roadtrip Weekend.' i was so, SO excited to read this.

- just by talking about Crash Kings online i feel like i have met some great people. wonderful fans. and i'm very happy about this.

- then, i decided to find a home for my new flip clock. i cleared off the shelf above the sink, below the window and then dusted it. and then thought, "hm, where can i put all this stuff?"

- and then i remembered i have that cabinet next to the sink that i never use or open because it's full of harmful chemical cleaning supplies that was left here by the previous owners. and i thought, "i could probably move that stuff." and i opened up the cabinet, took out all the bad and moved it under the sink, which is a cabinet i never open at all because it's really gross looking under there.

- once all the bad was out of that cabinet, i scrubbed it clean with plant based cleaners! it's actually a really nice cabinet.

- then Ruby immediately hopped in. i had to coax her out with cat treats.

- and then again with a toy, after she immediately hopped back in.

- and then i moved my cutting boards down there along with my.... what's it called?

KEVIN: The bowl with the holes in it!
JOE: It's called a kah-line-der.
KEVIN: It's a calendar!
NICK: It's a COLANDER!!

oh, it's a colander. thanks, nick.

and then i moved ALL my plant based cleaning supplies under there too! it looks so neat and organized.

- then i moved my clock to the shelf! put some of the stuff back up there. just made it more nice looking.

- i was quite pleased with my kitchen accomplishment of the day. then i made some coffee.

- and then i talked to my dad on the phone! i was happy about this. he's going to start taking a class every wednesday at a local college! it's called, Core Canadian Values:

The core Canadian values are peace,order, good government, and respect for diversity. How are these abstract ideals articulated and honoured when applied to core institutions such as the family, work, health, business, military, the arts, education and the environment? Readings, guest speakers and class discussions will shape how we express our diverse perspectives. Listening with respect is a requirement, but our democracy doesn't expect 100% consensus.

great! i'm really excited for him. he started today!

- then i got sad because he's on the Canadian west coast and i'm here and i miss him.

- then i started getting text messages from Kara that made me think we were no longer fighting. she was telling me she was going to open up a Dunkin Donuts. i said i would support her as long as she hired me as a flatbread sandwich/apple fritter maker and she carried the Dunker's Vanilla Chai in the store. she said yes to both of these things.

- but then i guess we got into a fight again. which left me crying for like, an hour and half.

- then i decided to watch 17 Again because i figured it was nice eye candy, and would take my mind off of everything.

- and i was productive during the movie! i set up a large file folder to start using to file my important things away. i made homemade tab dividers out of teal paper. that was good.

- then my mom called because i had written her an upset email. which caused me to become upset again. but, she's coming up to see me this weekend and i'm really excited about that.


- and now i'm blogging and eating Spree. that yummy candy. i like the flavor of the outside part, but i don't like sour things. but, i'm eating them anyways.

i burnt my tongue yesterday on tea and it still hurts.

OH, what also still hurts is the huge slice i have on my hand from Ruby Tuesday this morning! she was in one of her crazy scary moods and decided to take it out on my hand, as usual.

it was a surprise attack. i was sitting at the kitchen table and she jumped up from the floor, latched onto my leg, i went to push her away, and she sliced my hand instead.

it's a huge scratch from below my middle finder to beyond my pinky finger. on my right hand. it bled a lot. and it still hurts.


i'm tired. i assumed i would take a nap today at some point because i got up so early. but, nope.

and, ya know what? it was actually pleasant to be awake during morning hours. like, between 10am-noon. especially because i got something accomplished.

i can't remember the last time i was happy to be awake so early. and willingly awake! and i feel like i've been awake a whole day! like, morning, afternoon, and now night. it's strange.

maybe i'll go to bed early tonight and do the same thing tomorrow.

i made popcorn today. that was fun.

actually, i might have to get up early either tomorrow or friday. because i have to go to the grocery store before my mom gets here saturday morning. i'm running low on coffee and didn't realize it until today. and i might be working tomorrow night. and i'm definitely working friday night.

okay. i think that's all. that JoBros clip made me really happy. everybody should follow @joejonas on Twitter because it's really funny. and he's always talking about how him and Robert Schwartzman hang out everyday. which, is weird, yet really hott.

oh! i know something else i accomplished today!

i figured out how to tweet photos from my phone and have them show up on twitter! this was something that amazed me, but i couldn't figure out how to do it. this was my fourth attempt. and i got it!!!!!!

i really don't like my phone. it kind of reminds me of Hampshire College's "The Hub" online system. it was really inconvenient and unnecessarily complicated.


oh, speaking of Hanson, here is something else that makes me happy!

wait, i wasn't just talking about Hanson. was i? hold on.

nope. i was talking about the Jonas Brothers, but looking at a picture of Hanson on Twitter. (they just tweeted that they're all having dinner together. and there was a photo.)

which made me think of Tulsa, Oklahoma, where they're from. which made me think of the recent Crash Kings tweet that said, "on our way to Tulsa!" as well as the recent Paper Tongues tweet that said, "we're headed to Tulsa!"

BECAUSE, Crash Kings and Paper Tongues are playing another show together TOMORROW, the 11th, in TULSA.

so, all you Tulsans who read my blog - get out to the show. it will ROCK.

and that's what makes me happy.

anyway. ok, i'm done.

hope you all had a good day. i guess my dad was overall good, but sputtered with bad. that's better than overall bad, sputtered with good.

sputtered? is that the right word? is that even a word at all? spattered? is that the right word?

ah, i don't care.

ok. have a good night. and a good day tomorrow. take care.

with love.



fake a smile and only guarantee that nobody knows the difference...


<3

"if you're lonely you can talk to me"

hey GUESS WHAT?!

Crash Kings posted a video yesterday of them covering a Beatles song. i know - it sounds crazy, right?

WELL. i watched the video and the only thing 'crazy' about it is that it's CRAZY good. like, really good. (duh, what else would you expect from Crash Kings?!)

i tried to post the video right in this blog, but that never seems to work. so, i'll have to give you a link...

Crash Kings cover 'HEY BULLDOG'

i think it rocks. it's actually a music video. like, a real one. the guys are all acting hott and being funny. all while rocking, of course. the best part is when Tony rocks out on the air piano.

great song.


anyways.

i finished the show Tell Me You Love Me this afternoon. so good. and after i finished it i discovered that there is only 1 season! and then it got canceled. i am sad about that and don't really understand why. because, i really liked it. really good characters.

but, i guess the last episode was an okay ending to the series. vague, but hopeful.

tonight i think i'm going to watch New York, I Love You. it's an instant watch on Netflix. and i want to see it.

so, my bathroom feels empty since i turned it into a spa-like retreat. there's no more clutter! i mean, i like it and everything. it just feels bare. but i looooooove the orange bathmat.

i decided i REALLY like orange. it's actually a really great color. and i feel it's underappreciated. at least it has been by me. but not anymore. i will try and integrate more orange into my life. starting with my bathroom accessories and my still-to-be-finished scarf.

i haven't finished the scarf because i decided i don't really like it. it's too stiff, or something. and i think it's too wide. and i wish it was softer. and more delicate looking.

i don't know. i guess i should finish it just to finish it. but i might have to create another one to be fully satisfied.

Ruby is sleeping on top of the cabinets right now. it must be warm up there because of the heater. same reason why she likes to sit in the window.

last night (or maybe it was this morning....) i thought the ceiling in my bedroom was going to cave in. i was laying in bed and then all of a sudden i heard this loud "cracking" sound. like, something was splitting. like, a piece of wood. or a wall, or something. and i thought, "oh crap that can't be good." but then nothing happened. the ceiling hasn't caved in yet. the bed hasn't fallen through the floor yet. so i guess i'm okay for now. but it was weird.

i'm hungry. i think i might eat supper now. it's early. 10:35pm. i feel like usually i don't sit down and have supper until like, 1am. i mean, it's not like i'm doing anything of dire importance. usually either blogging or wasting time. procrastinating supper, that's what i'm doing. because i procrastinate everything in my life. hooray!

i got a thing in the mail the other day from the City Clerk's office. i had no idea what it was. and for some reason i kept thinking, "i hope they're not kicking me out..." like, of the city. can people be kicked out of cities? i don't know. but that's what i was worried about. and then i thought, "or maybe they owe me money!!" and then i got excited because i thought they might be sending me a check!!!! kind of like a, "thanks for being an awesome citizen! here's your reward!!!"

but, i opened it and it was a letter reminding me to register my car this month. BORING. and they were telling me how much money THEY want from ME. definitely not as cool as a 'good citizen reward check.'

$40 to the city
$73 to the NH dept of motor vehicles

CRAP. how much CRAP is that?! i swear it used to cost me like, $70 total to register my car in Maine.

OH! i remember what i wanted to tell you.

there was a scene in Tell Me You Love Me today that took place in a gas station convenience store, and i saw it and thought, "wow, that's awesome." and then i thought about it some more...

how great are gas station convenience stores? they're like, way better than normal stores. i can't quite figure out why. i think it's like, "hey, i'm getting gas, and now i'm going to go get a hot beverage! or a snack!" how fun is that!? and they always have a really odd selection of hot food. like, hot dogs. hamburgers. some have a soup selection.

but isn't going into buy something from a gas station convenience store so much fun?? and if you're with someone else you can be like, "hey, while you're pumping gas, i'm going in to get a snack!" now that's TWO things accomplished! gas and snack time!

it's just so great. and now i want to write a short story that is set in a gas station convenience store.

someone should start a website about convenience stores at gas stations. like, where are the best ones in the country. just how convenient are they? clean bathrooms? extra features such as Dunkin Donuts, Tim Horton's or Subway?

it could be useful. and it would be in the travel section at the bookstore. the perfect roadtrip companion!

oh wait, i said 'website.' well, there could also be one in book form.

i think it's awesome. i want to write it. anybody in? i feel like there should be a group of people doing this. not just one or two.

AWESOME. oh, i love this idea. how fun!?!?!? a group of people, traveling around together in a bus or van, hunting down each awesome gas station convenience store.

i wonder where this fits into my life plan. maybe just before 'security guard for major hollywood studio lot.' (oh yes, mr. scorsese, come right through!)

awesome.

ok. now i think i'm gonna go. eat supper. now it's almost 11pm. Ruby is still sleeping on top of the cabinets.

hey - don't forget to watch that video! Crash Kings cover The Beatles! there's a great shot of Tony's tattoo. you can really see the blue on his hand.

ok. have great days! great WEDNESDAYS!!!!! my second favorite day of the week!!!! (after Ruby Tuesday, of course)

take care. be well.


<3

undiscovered

i discovered these things today/recently:


1. the song '50 Ways to Leave Your Lover' by Paul Simon. loves it!
2. that the main guitar riff in 'Superstition' by Stevie Wonder isn't actually a guitar at all!! it's a clavinet! who knew?!
3. i really like the overly dramatic music of Joshua Radin. sorry, but it's true. the song, 'When You Find Me,' aw come on, it's pretty.


off topic but of nonetheless blogworthy:

4. Crash Kings say that if you follow them on Twitter they will guarantee you punch and pie. hey, it sounds like a pretty good deal to me. and they say they'll sort out logistics later. (if i were you, i would do it)



and now i'm stuffy, sneezy, scratchy, and feel like i'm getting sick. i think i'm going to use my Neti Pot in my spa-like bathroom and then go to sleep.

i've been waking up early lately. sunday it was 10:57am and i woke up and thought, "uuugggghhhhh too sunny." and today it was 11:35am.

anyways. ok. i'm going to bed. 1:52am. have great days!


<3

interstate freeway green light GO

OH HI!!!! i didn't see you there.

i know i've been super lame about blogging! i don't know why. it's not like i have anything going on in my life right now. i have some things to tell you about and to keep order, i will make a list. i think this worked well the last time i did it.


1. BUG
2. Buck
3. bathroom
4. sushi and cheese
5. mind crazy
6. CLOCK


ok. for the most part, they might be in that order. but, i'm not promising anything. let's get started, friend:


1. BUG. Remember a few weeks ago when i thought my apartment was going to explode because i thought i smelled a gas leak coming from my oven??? and remember how i kept waking up in the night thinking, "oh good, i'm still alive." but i also thought it might be a stink bug due to the quickness of the horrible smell happening. WELL. i can't believe i kept forgetting to tell you this. BUT. i went into my bedroom one night long after i stopped smelling the horrible smell, and i thought i saw something out of the corner of my eye. so i looked, and what was it!?! A FREAKING STINK BUG. yep. there he was. just sitting on a cord. i have never been so happy to see a stink bug. if it's between dying in a firey explosion or finding a stink bug - i would choose bug. i hope we all would. so, i figured i couldn't squish the bug because then he would start to smell again. so, i got some chemical filled bug killing spray and killed him. sorry all you bug enthusiasts. he had to go. an amazing end to the horrible smell story, no?


2. BUCK. i was talking to my mom on the phone the other day and she said,

MOM: I can't believe that Buck was on that guitar pick!
JULIE: OH MY GOD I KNOW!!!!!!!
MOM: That's so weird!
JULIE: Don't you think it means we're supposed to be married?????
MOM: Well, I don't know about that....

she was even excited. i still can't believe it. BUCK. on the guitar pick. from MIKE. amazing.


3. BATHROOM. i woke up this morning, went online, read an article titled, "Turn Your Bathroom Into A Spa-Like Retreat" and immediately said to myself, "yep. that is what i'm doing today." and i did. i successfully turned my bathroom into a spa-like retreat.

here are the steps i took:
1. bought a set of plastic drawers for $7. turns out they fit perfectly in between my sink and tub.
2. got rid of my pink bathmat with a brown hair dye stain on it and bought an ORANGE bathmat that matches my orange porcelain tub and orange pipes on the ceiling.
3. bought some fake flowers
4. bought a tiny glass jar at a thrift store for $.50
5. came home
6. cleared off my bathroom floor. thoroughly swept. thoroughly mopped. put down the new bathmat and drawers.
7. cleared off/organized my bathroom shelves. putting most of it into the drawers. organized the shelves in my bathroom mirror
8. scrubbed the tub. scrubbed the sink. scrubbed the mirror. scrubbed the shelves.
9. arranged my new fake flowers in an old, glass, spaghetti sauce jar. put them on my nice clean shelf.
10. admired my new spa-like retreat!!!!

that's TEN STEPS!!! in just ten simple steps you too could have your own spa-like retreat. i love it. my bathroom looks probably 95% better than it used to. it's cleaner. more organized. and i think the orange accessories make it semi-hip. the bathroom walls are green. nice, right!? i was very proud of myself for doing this day project.


4. SUSHI AND CHEESE. so, last week all i wanted to eat was melted cheese. it didn't even matter what i was eating with it - as long as there was melted cheese. it was very weird. and i've had this sushi craving for a while now, but now that i've actually eaten sushi twice in the past week, it's in full force. so today, while i was out running my "spa bathroom" errands, i decided to stop at the grocery store to buy some sushi. i couldn't take it anymore! and so, that's what i'm having for supper tonight after i finish this blog. MAN. sushi and melted cheese. sooo freaking good. i haven't tried them together, and i probably won't. and i'll also make sure not to end up with mercury poisoning like Jeremy Piven did...


5. MIND CRAZY. i am going through a crisis right now. i'd like to say it's a minor crisis, but i think that would be downplaying it. it is MAJOR crisis. i think i am losing my mind. i don't know what's happening to me. let me explain:

- remember in my Crash Kings concert review from Providence i posted a link to a video from Providence that wasn't mine, but it was super good?? and i said it was from someone else who had a waaaaay better view? yeah. i don't know if you watched that video - but you really should.

- anyways.

- then i was on the Crash Kings main youtube page reading comments their fans have posted for them, and i noticed there was a comment from the person who posted that totally awesome video. and they were like, "i first saw you with Tally Hall at The Middle East, and then saw you at Great Scott last weekend, and then again in Providence....."

- and i was like, "holy crap, i've been at THREE shows with this person!" because I also first saw them with Tally Hall (although, i was there for Rooney), and then at Great Scott, and then in Providence. weird, right?!

- i posted a youtube comment on that video because i literally couldn't stop watching it. i'm smiling right now just thinking about that video. and then i just said that i had read the comment on their main page and that i was also at those three shows!

- so then she comments back to me all totally excited about the video and the Providence show in general and then she's like, "are you going to the next Boston show?! what about the shows on the 6th and 7th? i'm looking for people to carpool with!"

- so immediately i look at the tour dates and they'll be with JET all those dates in March. Clifton Park, NY on the 6th, Sayerville, NJ on the 7th, and then Boston on the 9th. and so, we're commenting back and forth for a little while and i'm just thinking, "how freaking awesome would it be to go on a roadtrip for a Crash Kings concert weekend?!?!?!?!" it'd be totally awesome, right!?

- BUT THEN, i thought, "holy crap - the Academy Awards are on the 7th." and then i immediately said to myself, "oh, well, you can't go."

- but THEN, i just kept thinking about how much FUN it would be to be at a concert, having met new friends! for a whole weekend! instead of sitting on the couch alone, watching tv.

- i'm feeling so torn about this. i mean, it's probably not even going to work out getting the nights off, because of the baby being due right around then. but could it hurt to ask?

- i guess the mind craziness comes in me thinking that it would be okay to miss the Academy Awards. my SECOND favorite night of the year. i mean, what!?

- but then i also feel like i haven't really been excited about Awards Season this year. i mean, i've hardly seen any of the movies. i hardly know any of the buzz. and i can't explain it! WHY??!?! what's happening to me?!! thinking about getting a tattoo?? thinking about missing the Academy Awards?!?

- i mean, i wouldn't miss them. i would have someone tape them for me so i could watch them at a later date. (how come they never came up with a fancy word for taping things onto VHS tapes?) but, i'm saying i would probably know the outcome before watching the show.

- I DON'T KNOW. talk me through this, friends. it's probably not going to happen because of the baby, and i have to keep reminding myself that.

- UGH but it'd be sooo awesome to go on a crash kings roadtrip weekend!!!!! with new friends!!!!!!! from my online stalking of other Crash Kings fans, it seems that many people have become friends while attending concerts, roadtripping, etc. and i want that too!!!!! how awesome is it to make a new friend? it's awesome. but if it's over Crash Kings it's automatically 100 times awesomer.

- and this is when i have thoughts that my job interferes with my life. and this is when i wished that i didn't work at nighttime and i had weekends off.

- maybe i could convince Crash Kings into doing matinee shows! then i could attend! everything cool and super fun happens at night. UGH.

- but then i think, "well you can't just leave your job because it's also where you live." and then i think, "oh yeah."

- so, i don't know what to do. i mean, i know there will be other times for Crash Kings. but what if they tour in Europe?! what if they become super famous next week and their tickets start costing $60?!!? (i mean, it's a give-in that they will become super famous) and i want NOW.

- yep. it's a crisis. MAJOR.


6. CLOCK. also today in the thrift store i bought A FLIP CLOCK. now, Maria had gotten me a 'rolling flip clock' a while back because i couldn't find one anywhere. and i love that clock. i've used it ever since she got it for me. it's currently sitting on top of my tv! rolling and flipping away! it's great! AND, it has a backlight! which my new one does not have. but this new one is an actual flip clock. where the numbers flip. and it's in super great condition. and i don't know where to put it, but i love it. it's currently in the kitchen. it might stay there. i thought i wanted it in my bedroom, but my outlet situation in my bedroom is quite depressing. anyways - GREAT purchase! $6!!!


(i'm adding a #7)


7. IT'S ONLY TUESDAY. (see what i did? i took a popular Crash Kings song ('it's only wednesday') and changed it so it applies to my cat, Ruby Tuesday, who's name also contains a day of the week!)

i would like to show you her new favorite place, which makes me a nervous wreck:



yes. that is the very top of the cabinets she is on. she has really been trying to get up there ever since she moved in, back in the summer. she will sit on top of the fridge and cry, cry, cry up at those top cabinets. she'll sit on the fridge and do "the paw thing" up at those cabinets - she wants it so bad. and then, one day, she decided to take the leap.




she was so excited. look how close she is to the ceiling!!!!

and then, tonight, just after i started this very blog entry, she was up there, and she got sleepy.....





and she fell asleep. on top of the cabinets. for like, 45 minutes. sleepy tuesday! she's so cute!!!! but i was so nervous she would stretch and roll over and fall off.

don't worry, i coaxed her down with a piece of cheese.


ALRIGHT. we've completed the list and then some. i'm kind of feeling lousy right now. not like, sick lousy. but like, just, eh. eh.

i'm going to go eat my sushi. and i think i'll make rice with that. and watch a movie.

have a great tuesday! a great morning! a great afternoon and night and everything in between!!!!!

i'll talk to you later :)


<3,
J.