3:37am

i'm finding it quite hard to stay awake right now. my eyes are watery.

i'm cold. but i think that if i put on my sweatshirt, i will fall asleep.

quietly listening to Crash Kings right now. they have been my main listen since seeing them live. i just love every song so much. it's hard to believe.

i really like '14 Arms.' it's very screamy and angry sounding. which surprises me because i like it. i really like all the different turns the song takes.

and when i was wasting time on youtube, i happened across a Crash Kings interview. and i was taken aback by how much Tony's speaking voice doesn't sound like his singing voice. his voice is so soft spoken and raspy when he's speaking. but clear and confident in the music. it's awesome.

i love him. i love

1. his soft spoken speaking voice
2. his red plaid shirt
3. his tattoo
4. that he can totally rock the clavinet
5. that his name is Antonio
6. he's from Boston
7. those glasses he sometimes wears
8. that kara and i were in line in front of his parents at the concert
9.
10.

those last two are TBD. no, i know what #9 is.

9. that he wrote the song 'Come Away,' which is a beautiful song about winter.

how many beautiful winter songs do you know without them being "christmas songs?" not too many, i bet.

now that leaves #10. i'll save that one for when i see them live again.

if i ever meet tony should i tell him that i had a random dream that we were doing tequila shots together? is that something you tell a rockstar when you meet them?

3:54am.

facebook and twitter are boring in the middle of the night. nobody is updating anything. maybe i'll update a million times and then when everyone signs on in the morning they will be BOMBARDED with julie.

that's a great idea.

i moved 'Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement' to number 2 in my Netflix queue. you are allowed to be jealous now.

i've never seen it!! i bet you can't believe that. but it's true. i thought they had gotten a different princess. but no! it's still Anne Hathaway. i had no idea.

ah ha!!! 4am!!!! on the nose. on the dot.

i can't wait to sleep all day.

man. i have gotten so lame. i can barely stay awake for 18 hours. that should be a breeze. piece of cake. no sweat. but right now it's like the hardest thing ever. and i still have 3 hours and 55 minutes to go.

ok. i'm cold. sweatshirt on.

i can't believe i forgot to pack my eye drops.

after i found out i had to stay up all night, i ran back up to my apartment IMMEDIATELY put on a pot of coffee, grabbed my backpack, packed my laptop, some dvds, paper, a pen, some snacks, water, blank cds, a book and some chapstick. it's like i'm camping out. but minus the sleeping part of camping. although, who can really sleep when you're outside? think of all the deer.

ok. 4:11am. i think that's all for now. i'll talk to you again soon.

be well.


<3

with a dream and my cardigan...

um, great. guess where i am right now...

the second floor lounge.

guess what i'm doing right now...

staying up all night.

guess what i was excited about earlier this evening...

going to sleep.

guess what i won't be doing until 8am...

going to sleep.

*

i had a great day that quickly turned into a not-so-great night. and now i have to be up until 8am. it's currently 12:49am.

but thanks to all those hard hours put in when i worked in the Airport Lounge, i am pretty good at killing time during the middle of the night. i think we all remember those days where i would blog for three hours straight.

i fondly remember those days.

poor Tuesday. i can hear her running around upstairs. i was really looking forward to cuddling with her tonight. i was away all day. and she was alone all day, and now she has to be alone all night.

SO - let me tell you about my day!!


i woke up at 10am. early. at around 10:30am, right in the middle of my waking up/getting ready routine, the phone rang. it was work. they said that the plow guys were here and i needed to move my car. great. just what i wanted to do. (except for not really).

so, i pull on my boots and put on a sweatshirt and head outside. brush off my car in 5 seconds and pull out onto the street. and then wait for about 25 minutes while they plow and sand and shovel the driveway. it took a long time. and now my "getting up early and getting out the door" plan was not going to happen.

so, i got back upstairs and continued getting ready. i was all set to be out the door by 11:45. i went out to my car, only to find that i was blocked in.

so i went and found the person who was blocking me in and asked her to move her car, please. she was busy and asked if i would do it. i said yes.

then i had to decide where to move her car. there were no other spaces in the driveway that weren't going to be in the way for when the dump truck came. so i decided that i would move her car, move my car, and then move her car into the space where my car was.

and that's what i did. that felt like it took a long time. because it was a lot of getting into cars and getting out of them again. i'm not a good car mover. i could never be a valet attendant.

anyways. THEN i was finally on my way.

and i went to the post office. mailed out a bunch of lovely things. and a bill. which was not so lovely. (but worth it, because it was for the new jeans i got).

THEN, i needed to go get my oil changed and my headlight fixed. so i headed over to Jiffy Lube.

i pulled right in and talked to the guy. told him i needed the headlight fixed and he seemed excited about fixing it.

i sat in the waiting room with everybody else while they worked on my car. i like it because they have a giant glass window in the waiting room that overlooks into the car fixing room, so you can see what they're doing. it's like a huge machine. a well-oiled machine. and also like a ballet. and auto ballet. i really like watching other people do their jobs.

so, Scott checked me all into the system. again, we figured out what i needed. he said that i really needed a transmission flush and a radiator something so the car doesn't freeze up. they were $129 and $79 dollars, and i said that i would have to wait.

then he said i also really needed a new engine filter, or something, and he showed me how dirty it was. i okay'd that one, which only set me back an extra $20.

so, i sat in the waiting room, watching them dance around my car and then Scott finally came out again.

SCOTT: Ok, you're all set.
JULIE: Great!
SCOTT: The only thing we couldn't do was the headlight. It was the only one we had out of stock.
JULIE: ......Really?
SCOTT: Yeah, sorry about that.
JULIE: Ugh, okay.
SCOTT: I'll tell you what - you head down to Advance Auto and tell 'em Scott sent you - they're take care of you down there.
JULIE: Really!? That's great! Thanks so much.

now, i really didn't want to head over to Advance Auto, but i didn't want to get pulled over again. and i was pretty mad that Jiffy Lube didn't have my headlight. the only one that was out of stock? come on.

that's like when i went for my brake job last winter and the guy was like,

MIDAS GUY: On most cars this part costs $20 a piece, but on yours for some reason it's $70 each.

oh, great, thanks for that uplifting info.

geeze. do i not have the cheapest, worst car in the world? yeah. then why does it suck so much to have it fixed???

UGH!

anyways. so, i headed down to Advance Auto. went inside. it's like a store full of car parts and i have no idea what's going on or what anything means. so, i head to the cash register.

AJ: How can I help you?
JULIE: Hi. So, Scott from Jiffy Lube sent me over because I need to have a headlight replaced, but they were all out of stock and he said you would have it.
AJ: Make and model.
JULIE: Hyundai Accent.
AJ: Year?
JULIE: 2001.
AJ: High beam or low beam?
JULIE: ........
AJ: Is it the same?
JULIE: .....Low beam.
AJ: (goes into the shelves and picks out the bulb, brings it back and i buy it for $10.99) Now, is Scott going to put this in for you?
JULIE: Ummm.....I...don't....know.....Can....you....do....it?
AJ: No, we're not allowed to do that kind of stuff.
OTHER EMPLOYEE: What kind of stuff?!?!!?
AJ: Fixing headlights and stuff!
OTHER EMPLOYEE: That's not true! We're allowed to do headlights as long as it's not in back of anything!!!
AJ: I don't think so! That's not what I heard!
OTHER EMPLOYEE: Well, I heard they were losing business down there and now we're allowed to do things like that.
AJ: Are you sure?
OTHER EMPLOYEE: That's what I read!!!!
JULIE: (standing there totally confused)
AJ: Ok, ok, alright, I'll go out and see what I can do.
JULIE: Um, that's great! Thank you!
AJ: (goes to get his coat)

and then we head out to the car.

AJ: Ok, pop the hood.
JULIE: Ok! Thank you so much for doing this!
AJ: Yep.

and then he proceeds to fiddle around with it for like, 10 minutes. and he finally looks to me and says,

AJ: Yeah, I can't do this, my fingers are too big. I can't get around to unscrew it.
JULIE: Um....oh.
AJ: You'll have to take it back to Scott. I'm sorry.
JULIE: .....Well, thank you so much for trying. I really appreciate it.


and so - i left yet another car place with no headlight fixed. by this time it was like, 1pm. i needed to get on the road and so i decided that i would not go back to see Scott.

TWO CAR PLACES and neither of them could fix a headlight. i was pretty frustrated.

but! i stopped at Jake's and got a coffee and a raspberry muffin and headed on my way to Hudson, NH to see my dad!

it was a good drive. good thing it was daytime and sunny so i didn't need my headlights.

arrived at his house around 2:30ish...maybe. i don't really know. maybe 3ish.

SO, the plan was this: GET A CARDIGAN FOR KARA.

(back story)

(this may seem unrelated, but i promise it's not.)

a couple weekends ago i was on the website for the high-end, Los Angeles boutique clothing store Ten Over Six. now, this was no random act.

Jason Schwartzman's wife Brady (a.k.a. not me), works at this store. it totally looks like a super cute store. a pair of sunglasses costs like, $80. what could be better? but, it's all totally hip and trendy. like, people who wear fancy party dresses with work boots. ya know? yeah.

so, i was on this website and ended up on their blog. i read a headline that said something about Target, and decided to see what it was about.

i click on the link and it takes me to this picture of Brady looking all gorgeous and hip and modeling some clothes for this line called Rodarte, which will be available at Targs.

so then i start looking into this clothing line more by going to target.com. and they are selling the clothes that she's modeling! no way. the clothes are "designer looks, but without the runway price." or some kind of catchy "wow, i can afford this!" slogan. they have some really cute dresses. and all of the dresses are worn with this lacy cardigan over it.

(if you click on that link above, Brady is wearing the lacy cardigan in nude. it also comes in yellow and black.)

it's very pretty.

SO. flash forward to this past weekend when i was home.

Kara had asked me to bring home some dresses that she could possibly wear to a wedding that she's going to this upcoming weekend. i brought home the dress i wore to Kerianne's wedding in Ireland (black) and the dress i wore to Amy's wedding and also the my Oscar/Birthday party (royal blue).

kara and i had a fashion show one night and she modeled the dresses for me.

after long debate, we both decided that the royal blue dress looked better, and worked better. we had to take everything into consideration, the shoes she had, the jewelry she had, etc.

and the hard part, was that it's a strapless dress (sweetheart cut) and it's winter time. so, she needed to wear SOMETHING over the dress, but the question was WHAT.

and then - i thought of it. the picture of Brady wearing the lacy cardigan.

and i was suddenly brilliant:

JULIE: There is a lacy, black cardigan at Targs that you can wear. It's really pretty and you can wear it with a thin belt. And then you can still wear your black flat shoes. And, instead of black nylons, wear black tights. And wear your fancy black jewelry that you wore with that hott pink dress you have. OMG, you'll look amazing.

i semi felt like Stacy London.

so then i went to my computer and immediately looked up the cardigan at Targs and also the picture of Brady to show Kara. she was pleased with the look. and we went to the "search your store" option to see if the cardigan was in the store in somersworth, nh - the one closest to our house.

it wasn't.

in fact, it wasn't anywhere. it seemed that every store in new england was sold out of this cardigan. and there was not a buy it online option. strange.

but then we saw it: 'limited availability' in the targs in Smithfield, RI. kara lives in providence, so it was perf! the store was a short 7 miles away. great.

tension was high. would we be able to get the cardigan? would it still be there when she went back to school on monday? classic suspense story.

now, i had to make this look happen. i had it soooo set in my mind that Kara would look totally perfect at this wedding. we needed to get that cardigan.

so, i went back to my apartment on saturday night. and i continued searching. i entered my zip code and some targs came up that weren't showing up when we entered our maine zip.

NASHUA. nashua, nh also had 'limited availability.' YES.

i told kara this and immediately made plans to meet up with my dad on monday and go to the target.

FOR REALZ - out of new hampshire, massachusetts, and rhode island, the only two targets to have this cardigan were in nashua and smithfield. was it fate? would we be able to get the sweater??!??

continue reading!!!!!!


so, now me and my dad are on our way to the target. anticipation is high.

we pull into the parking lot. out of the car. into the store. cart. women's section. Rodarte section.

my dad spots it first. the black cardigan. not just THE black cardigan, but THE ONLY black cardigan there. and guess what? it's in the right size.

DAD: The only one in North America.

i quickly inspect it. yep - it's great. so pretty. lacy. black. fancy. chic. in the cart it goes. and i text kara, 'GOT THE CARDIGAN!'

it was a great moment. finding the cardigan. i really felt excited.

this cardigan got 14 5-star reviews on target.com. the people have spoken - and they love it. and walking around with that cardigan in our basket, i felt just a tad cooler than everyone else in the store. (true story)

i also got kara and pair of tights. could not find a belt. or, the best which is also featured in the Rodarte section. the "bow belt." i'm still currently brainstorming ideas about the belt.

but! i will be packing up this cardigan and the tights and mailing them to kara. to arrive in maine on friday. and kara will go to that wedding look super hip and chic and without a doubt the best dressed there. (besides maybe the bride)

what a great story, right! a success story!!! people love those. when the underdog comes out on top. you'll see Cardigan Story turned into a movie one day.

a trying tale of a father and daughter in search of the perfect cardigan. will they find it? or will fate have another path?

(here's a pic of the cardi in black)

i think i would like Harrison Ford to play my dad. i would like Emmy Rossum to play me. i think.

if i knew of a 'paint program for mac' then i'd create a fake movie poster. i enjoy doing those. oh, i guess that would be like, photoshop. hm. which i don't have. and costs like, a lot. ah well.

i picture the black lacy cardigan on a hanger, hanging from a tree, in a corn field. blue skies and a worn, white fence in the background. on the bottom of the poster, a picture of Harrison and Emmy running through Target like someone's chasing them. (because clearly it will be an action movie) and then in some sort of script font, it will say, Cardigan Story.

directed by Michael Bay?

i don't know. sorry. that was LONG story. i think we should move on.

so, we bought some other items at targs. i needed ruby tuesday food. and black eyeliner.

then we left.

i had told my dad all about my headlight fiasco and he said we could stop at the place he takes his car to see if they would put in the headlight.

this would be try #3 to get my headlight fixed. and it was getting dark....

we pull in. talk to the guy. "sure, have a seat in the waiting room and we'll fix that for you."

GREAT. we sit for like, 5 minutes. guy comes in. "all set!" EVEN BETTER. they fixed my headlight. AND didn't charge anything to put it in.

which worked out better than if Jiffy Lube had fixed it. Scott had originally told me that a headlight would be an extra $18.99.

i then ended up buying the headlight at Advance Auto for $10.99.

and then this guy put it in for no charge.

THANK YOU to that guy who put in my headlight. in Hudson, NH. at that car place. you, along with some lucky shopping at targs, have made my day. i truly appreciated you today.

and then we went back to my dad's house. ordered some food. ate supper. my dad was going to go grocery shopping after i left, but i said, "no, let's go now!"

so, we drove over to stop and shop. i took my own car so i could leave right from there. did some shopping. drove across the street to Dunkin. got a coffee for the road. said goodbye to my dad. and was on my way.

i had a great day with him. we always have a lot of fun. <3

my drive home was fine. i was able to take my time a little bit, which was nice. and the road conditions were fine, which was a nice change.

i arrived home around 8:30pm. quickly tried on the cardigan. loves it. it's super cute and nice. fancy, but casual. designer look without the runway price.

fed Tuesday. she was so happy to see me!!!!

hung around online until 9:25pm. then i got the call. "julie, sorry for having to call you....but can you come to work early? we may have a long night ahead of us."

and the rest is history.

2:30am. currently. still in the lounge on the second floor. i'm tired. i drank some coffee. and i'm killing this box of Cheez-its.

i was excited because there is a television with cable in here. and i thought tonight was the night that Julian Casablancas was performing on Letterman. but, i checked his twitter and it's not until wednesday night. i'm still excited! but i will just have to wait until the next day to catch it on youtube.

i brought lots of Entourage with me. the rest of season 2 and all of season 3.

but now, the challenge will be this: making it to the post office. originally my plan was to go before staff meeting at 12:30. but now, since i won't be going to sleep until after 8am, i think the plan might change. the window at the post office doesn't open until like, 10am, i think. and i doubt i'll be able to stay awake just hanging out for two hours after not sleeping all night.

i could go to the post office after staff meeting. or i could just go on wednesday.

i am so excited about buying the cardigan. and now i have to mail it away.

anyways. 2:38am.

i think i might make some itunes playlists. and then watch entourage.

man. i'm really tired. i'm super bummed that i'm not sleeping tonight. i was actually getting on a pretty good sleep schedule. i had been going to bed around 2am or so. that's early.

i really love that i have a cd burner now. or, one that works. i've burned a couple cd's already. super fun. and it takes like, 5 minutes! the one in my old computer would take 20 minutes, and then stop working halfway through the burning process.


ok. here's what i want to do.

take all the pictures i have of the airport lounge. enlarge them to be really big. especially the ones with the gorgeous sunrise. then paste them around me. if i recreate the airport lounge, i think it would be easier to stay awake. or maybe i just need a super cute pub safety officer doing security walk-throughs.

yeah, i think that second one will be enough.

ooooohhhhh. so many heart breaking, bittersweet memories.


i mean, i'm supposed to stay up in this lounge. right? but, what if i need to go downstairs to the kitchen and make a bagel sandwich?!?!?! am i allowed?!?

2:55am.

i think i'll waste some time on youtube.

see you in a little while. have good sleeps.


<3

"all the little pieces of the world come together so well"

oh hi!! i didn't see you there!

i figured i'd start my first post of 2010 with my favorite greeting. it's just the best greeting. you have to admit.

so, wow. it's a new year. i had a great new year's eve. let me tell you about it!!

i woke up thursday morning and it was snowying. (that's a typo, but i'll keep it. because, it was both snowy AND snowing, so technically it makes sense.) i was bummed about the weather because i really wanted to go home. and i hate when the weather controls my life.

so i decided that this hatred overpowered my common sense to not drive in the snow. and i packed very quickly left.

i met two of my coworkers at the bottom of my stairs. they were very worried about me, since i was driving.

DIANE: I just came in and the roads are very slippery.
SUE: Well, you have snow tires, don't you?
JULIE: Nope. I have 2nd gear and low gear.
DIANE: And a shovel?
SUE: And a scraper?
JULIE: Scraper.
DIANE: Have you called someone to let them know you're leaving?
JULIE: No, but I will.
DIANE: Good. Do you have a hat, mittens and scarf?
JULIE: Yes, and warm socks.
SUE: Do you have a snack?
JULIE: ...Yes.
DIANE: Ok, well, call us when you get there.
JULIE: Yes mom.

funny. and nice. they were worried. i called my mom when i got in the car to let her know i was leaving.

and the drive out of lebanon was TERRIBLE. the roads were super slippery and slushy. but, i got on I-89 south and it was much better. and i was able to go like, 45 mph until Sutton, NH.

and then we stopped. and there was an accident. i think a 2 car and a truck accident. and we were stopped in front of the 89 south rest stop for about 30 minutes. i took this time to update my facebook status.

now, this was the absolute worst possible place for a car accident during a snow storm, and i didn't realize this until we started driving again.

between exits 9 and 10 on 89 is the longest space of miles. meaning, the most distance. why can't i articulate this right? the most space between exits on I-89 is between exits 9 and 10. there?

sometimes i'll be driving north and get to that space and think, 'wait a sec, where am i? did i pass exit 17?' it feels like you're driving nowhere.

so, when there's an accident on a snowy day, there are no cars passing through, meaning the ground gets covered with snow. also, it means that no plows or sanders pass through because there are no on or off ramps.

so when i started driving again, there was a clean coat of snow and slush on the highway. and it was bad. i actually didn't think i would make it. and i kept thinking i was going to die. and my two thoughts were:

1. would it totally ruin my fantastic month if i died on the last day?
OR
2. have i had a fantastic month because i'm going to die on the last day?

and then i kept thinking,

1. oh crap, i haven't made a "funeral playlist" on my new laptop
AND
2. i want all my teal items to go to Kara

there. mini-will. all my teal items go to Kara. why? because everything teal is automatically my favorite thing. because i love teal. and Kara is also my favorite. out of everything. so, naturally, i think it makes sense.

anyways. so, back to my drive.

i had to get to exit 9. i knew that once i passed exit 9, things would get better, because they would have hopefully cleared the main roads.

and i was semi-right. it took about 30 minutes to go the five miles to get to exit 9. but once i did, things got better.

normal time on I-89 = 1 hour
this time on I-89 = 2.5 hours

it was a long time. once i got to concord and on that long road to route 202, things became fine. and it actually went by very quickly.

once i got to rochester, nh, it was like a joke. i was actually laughing to myself because the roads were so fine and clear. and i was angry that these people had no idea the horrible drive i just had.

anyways. i got home.

my mom came home shortly after. i helped her unpack groceries.

then i made plans with Andrew! and around 5:45 left to go meet up with him. so i get in my car, turn on the lights and BAM - a headlight goes out.

JULIE: Son of a gun!!

i say to myself. and then i remember that it is new year's eve and there will be a ton of police out. so, i go inside and get my mom's keys. and i tell her that i'm going to take her car. she says okay.

so now i really leave. and i meet andrew at our normal meeting-up place - Hollywood Video.

and we head to Barrington, NH to go see Sherlock Holmes.

SHERLOCK HOLMES REVIEW:

At first, I wasn't sure about this movie. All the little things about it didn't seem to fit together. Some parts were big, loud, and epic. Others, were in slow-motion and very detail oriented. The main theme of the film was also very quiet, which I thought didn't really fit with anything else. I still think the music didn't really fit, which was the first time I actually noticed that it didn't really make sense. Which is why I decided that it didn't fit.

The rest of the film definitely fell into place as it got more into the story. It definitely had a different feel than other action movies. Slash comedy movies.

And, one thing that immediately jumped out at me was a reference to Alice and Wonderland. They talked about "going down the rabbit hole" and as soon as they said this, I thought to myself, "wait a sec, was that book written yet?" And I thought about it for probably a whole minute. And I looked it up later on, and YES, it was written. So, it made sense. Don't worry.

It was very funny. Jude and Robert went very well together. I REALLY wanted them to make out. Rachel McAdams was kind of weird, both me and Andrew thought that. Her voice sounded weird and high-pitched. What was her purpose? Can't really say. It seems like she would have more of a role in the sequel.

Back to the music. You know how with each of the Harry Potter movies the main theme has gotten bigger, louder, and fuller? Like, if you watch the most recent trailer compared to the first movie trailer, the main theme at the end is very different sounding. It changes with the films. The films get darker and more complex, and so does the theme. Brillz, right? Yep.

Well, even though Sherlock Holmes was only one movie (compared to 6 HP's), it seemed like it covered every aspect on the scale of epic-ness. From the very slowed down, detail oriented scenes, to the huge explosions. There was lots of everything. And I really wanted the main theme to build with the film, but I never felt that it did. There was lots of big music UNDER the main theme. But I was never satisfied.

Now, what I'm about to tell you may shock you. Are you sitting down? Ok. Ready. The movie score was composed by.... Hans Zimmer. I KNOW. I know!!!!!! Hans!! Zimmer!!! One of my favorite, and the best movie composers ever. I have THREE movie scores on my laptop by Hans Zimmer.

1. Black Hawk Down (probably my favorite movie score ever.)
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (um, Davy Jones' theme, HELLO!!?!??!)
3. The Dark Knight (scored with James Newton Howard. GREAT score.)

I mean, the guy can score movies. He also scored Angels and Demons, which I should probably purchase because I LOVED it. But, I regret to admit that I was disappointed with Sherlock Holmes.

But, all in all, I really liked the movie. And I'm giving it FOUR STARS.

Sherlock Holmes - ****

(i also thought the opening and closing credits were strange. more the opening then the closing. it was a few minutes into the movie, which i totally love, but it was weak and quick, which i didn't love. i wanted:

wanted: BAM SHERLOCK HOLMES!!!! YEAH!!!!!! GET EXCITED!!!! BAM!!!!!!

actual: Oh yeah, this is Sherlock Holmes if you haven't figured that out already.

it wasn't very exciting. ok, that's all.)

moving on.

after the movie, we were hungry. it was 9ish pm. andrew asked what i wanted to eat and i told him that all throughout the movie all i could think of was eating a sandwich. which was true. and he said that he wanted a burrito, like always.

we settled on Margaritas, in dover, nh. i had chicken quesadillas and andrew had a chicken burrito. i also had a coconut lime margarita which was DELISH. andrew had some pina coladas, which at first he loved and was raving about, but by the end of the second one, he wasn't feeling it anymore. too creamy, he said.

then it was 10:30ish. we didn't know where to go. so, he started driving. he took us to Rye, NH to his favorite spot. EVER. it's a great spot. i had never been there before. a tiny spot overlooking the ocean. we heard the water, but couldn't really see it because it was dark. only illuminated by the moon, which was full. (and also a blue moon, btw.) we saw a barge, a rather large one. a large barge. (ha!) and decided that we would both like to:

1. go to the moon
and
2. work on a barge

in that order. because then, while we're on the barge staring up at the moon, we can recall all the good times up there. makes sense, right? i think so.

we didn't stay very long because it was totally freezing. so we went to Portsmouth, NH instead.

got a space right on Congress St. they were having a First Night thing, but it was pretty empty. we stayed there for like, a minute and then decided we didn't want to be at First Night. but, it was like, 11:55pm. so we had to do something cool.

so andrew said,

ANDREW: Let's go to the top of the parking garage.
JULIE: ...Okay.

and that's where we went. to the very top, open-air level. overlooking all the building tops. and the church steeple. and THAT'S where we rang in the new year. it was great. really great. we talked about what we want from this year. hopes. dreams. everything in between.

it was a great night. one of the best new year's.

then, he dropped me off and i went home!

(man i wish you could see Ruby Tuesday right now. she's squeezed in the space between the top of my stove and the shelf above my stove. i think she's on some sort of mission, but i'm not totally sure what's going on. before the top of the stove, she was in the cabinet and before that she was on top of the fridge.)

SO.

new year's day was great. it was spent in my pajamas hanging out with kara and my mom. we watched Four Christmases. funny! i was expecting it to be not funny. but it was really good. i liked it a lot more than i thought. Kristen Chenoweth and Reese Witherspoon?!!!? YES.

then kara went out to a friend's house and me and my mom went out to get pizza. Sal's Pizza. a new pizza place next to the new dunkin donuts in somersworth. by wal-mart and targs.

i really liked the pizza. my mom thought it wasn't as good as La Festa, in dover, nh. and that's my pizza review.

we got home and watched episodes of Glee. so good. my mom really likes the show. oh, it's so awesome. we watched 3 episodes.

then my mom went to bed. kara wasn't home yet. so i watched the Rocky marathon on Encore! YEP. ROCKY. MARATHON. i caught it at the end of Rocky 3 and watched about 3/4 of Rocky 4. i really liked the fourth one. i think i liked it better than the first one. it was faster paced, more drama and a really long montage set to a cheesy 80's song.

it makes me want to watch Rocky 2. and the first 3/4 of Rocky 3. the rest of Rocky 4. all of Rocky 5. and then all the rest of all the other Rocky's. i have no idea how many there are.

MAN, though. i was teary in Rocky 4! (when Apollo is killed!) spoiler alert. that was harsh. i also couldn't believe the house they were living in!!!! MAN. Rocky and Adrian moved up in the world. remember his little crap apartment in the first one? YEAH. now they like, live in a huge mansion. and they had a son! i was happy about that.

and Talia Shire still looked totally gorgeous. especially in the end of 3. i think she had on some rockin' blue eyeshadow. and i still think she has gorgeous skin. and that Robert Schwartzman looks sooo much like her. more than Jason does, i think.

anyways. Rocky = real good.

then Kara came home. we started season 1 of Entourage. she immediately liked it. unlike me, who didn't like it at first but then TOTALLY LOVED it.

and then at around 3am we went to bed.

i got up at 9:38am. got dressed. got ready. and then went to have breakfast with MARIA!!!!! yes. my bff. it was super nice. we went to Strafford Farms. classic breakfast place. so awesome seeing her and catching up with her. i always have the best time. we go together like pears and sweet tarts. i think that's what we used to say.

it was starting to snow and slush again when we were leaving. that was a bummer. the roads were fine though, UNTIL we entered Berwick, Maine. of course. it was like all the plows and sanders had the day off. maria said,

MARIA: I think the Berwickians see the plow as a sign of weakness.

i laughed really hard. great quote. one for the books. that's what they should put on the 'welcome to berwick' sign. instead of,

Welcome to Berwick! Home of Prime Tanning.

Prime Tanning closed. it's now a huge empty factory in the center of "town." they should change it to.

Hey, you're in Berwick! Where the snowplow is a sign of weakness.

that'd be more fitting.

anyways. then we got to Maria's house and i got a mini-piano recital given by Maria's little sister Joshie. she opened with the piano classic, Freight Train. and closed with another classic, Can You Feel the Love Tonight? it was awesome. i heart every member of that family. and i hope maria's older brother Dave is reading. he's usually one of my readers. Hi Dave! and Renee! and Maria?!

they're the best.

THEN, i went home. fell asleep on the couch, which i didn't mean to do. and left later than i wanted. as always.

it only took me 3 hours to get back. it's usually 2. the drive home was 3.5. my longest drive was last winter where i clocked in at 4 hours.

i was pretty much slip slidin the whole way. kind of scary. i listened to the Crash Kings cd a couple times through.

OH. and, my headlight is out, right? remember it went out on new year's eve? yeah. I GOT PULLED OVER. yep. right before the big traffic circle with the mcdonald's and wendy's on that road between 202 and 393.

here's what happened:

so, i'm going pretty slow because of the bad roads. and i'm coming to an intersection, and all of a sudden, this big SUV in front of me pulls over to the side of the road. WITHOUT a signal. and i get mad and think, "what is this guy doing? he's just sitting on the side of the road?" and so i go through the intersection and pass him and then he immediately pulls out behind me and puts on the blue lights. i didn't even know it was a police officer. i'm so bad at recognizing authority vehicles.

at first i think, "nah, that's not for me" and then decide that it is. so, i very carefully pull off to the side. where it is more slippery. and turn down the music. it's my fave Crash Kings song, Come Away (which, coincidentally is playing right now).

and then the police officer comes up to the car. i had already decided that i was going to pretend like i didn't know my light was out.

OFFICER: Hi, how are you?
JULIE: Good, how are you doing?
OFFICER: I'm pretty good. You have your license and registration on you?
JULIE: Sure. (take my license and registration out. i always want to remember to ask them what the problem is BEFORE getting these things out. but i never remember.)
OFFICER: It's because you have a headlight out.
JULIE: It's not? (i thought he said, "it's not because you have a headlight out.)
OFFICER: No, you do.
JULIE: Oh! Okay.
OFFICER: I wouldn't have pulled you over if you didn't!!
JULIE: Great!! Thanks for letting me know!
OFFICER: You still live on Abbott Street?
JULIE: Yep. That's where I'm headed right now.
OFFICER: Ok, I'll be right back with this. You sit tight.
JULIE: Great.

now, this guy was so sweet. and super nice. and had a great smile. and cute little glasses. i really liked him. BUT. i was worried that when he ran my license plates and license he would see that i MAY OR MAY NOT have an unpaid parking ticket from august. i'm neither confirming nor denying this. and i was SUPER freaking out the whole time he was gone.

but then he came back to the car, all smily and lovely.

OFFICER: Ok, you're all set!
JULIE: Thanks so much. Hey, do you know how the roads are on 89 north?
OFFICER: 89 north? Hm. Well, when I came to work they weren't so bad, and I would imagine they'd be pretty cleaned off since it's a main road. Not like these back roads.
JULIE: Ok, great. Thanks.
OFFICER: You drive safe!
JULIE: Thank you! You too!!

it was such a pleasant interaction. probably the best time i ever had being pulled over. here are all the times i've been pulled over:

1. license plate light out. wells, maine. weird guy. asked if i had an explosives or bazookas in the car. for realz.
2. headlight out. berwick, maine. young guy. thought i was going to lebanon, maine even after i said lebanon, new hampshire.
3. headlight out. (most recent)

not bad, eh? for having my license since my senior year in high school. anyways. nice police officer. if he's reading this, thanks for being so nice and smiley.


WOW. this is getting long. i've been straight blogging for over an hour. i'm really hungry! it's 12:51am monday morning and i havent' eaten supper yet!!! i should do that now.

i think that's all i have to tell you.

OH OH OH!!!!! i wanted to give you a dream update.

so, remember my dream from last week with Tony from the Crash Kings? and he was wearing that red plaid shirt which i'm now obsessed with? remember we talked about this? yeah. WELL. when Andrew and i were at Margarita's the other night, i was looking at the list of tequila brands and SUDDENLY it came back to me! the dream!!

remember how i said that i knew Tony was there, but that i couldn't remember what we were doing!? WELL.

we were doing tequila shots. YEP. and i saw the list of tequila and had a dream flashback.

i've never:

1. had a dream where i've done tequila shots before
and also
2. i've never had a shot of tequila

weird, right? that it would come in the dream about Tony from the Crash Kings wearing the red plaid shirt.

it was strange. and i explained the whole thing to Andrew, who also thought it was strange. so..yeah.

OK. i came back to work last night after a wonderful weekend at home and a horrible drive back and had to deal with a million things. it was super quiet and then BAM super crazy. and let's just say that i ended up talking to THREE MORE police officers that night. two of them at the house.

yeah. whatever.

and now, i'm done. i think i've blogged myself out. this is long. i apologize. i think it's pretty good though, no?

busy day on monday. going to get my oil changed and my headlight fixed. then heading to see my dad to make a trip to targs. excited about that.

ok! i hope you had a wonderful, safe new years!!! what did you do?!?! have a totes fun night, i hope.

have a great week! it's MONDAY!!!! that means the week is full of possibility. and EVER MORE SO because it's the first full week of a new year. ANYTHING and EVERYTHING could happen. let's hope it's ANY and EVERYTHING good.


"all the broken pieces of the world fit together again
when you're taking me home, you're taking me home."


<3

“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

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

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

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!

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