And it just gets lower and lower...

I almost peed my pants when a friend sent this to me, so I thought I would pass the wonderfulness along:

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9589480368

A new low.

Today I got up early to start a paper five hours before it was due. I'm pretty sure I put the 'pro' in procrastination (and I totally stole that from this morning's comics). It's a good thing I only have three quarters left of classes because I'm kind of over this whole school thing. That's not true. I'm just over the whole papers, tests, and homework thing. Bleh.

Tag - I'm it!

I've been tagged!! The rules:

A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.

B. Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.

C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then go to their blogs and leave them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.


1) I'm a house stalker. No, it's true. There's a house for sale a few blocks from us that is AMAZING. It's also 2.2 million dollars. So, obviously not in our budget. But that didn't stop Ben and me from going to the open house a couple of weekends ago. We learned all kinds of fun facts that I won't bore you with, but which effectively made me obsessed with the place. So, funny enough, I find myself walking by it for some reason or another almost every day, pretending that I'm coming home.


2) I wish I could dance like Ellen. Or at all. But I'm a hopeless case. I can remember Tara trying to teach me how to dance in the bathroom of our high school cafeteria. And I really haven't improved much since then. But Ellen. That girl has style.


3) For not having any kids and not being 100% confident I'll ever want any kids, I sure do have a lot of opinions about how to raise them. I was at the mall today (first mistake) and found myself feeling disgusted on multiple occasions by what I witnessed. Like a six year old drinking a frappaccino. Or a nine year old getting his hair dyed. Or the little girl with the Louis purse. Seriously. Why not take away what little childhood they have? Why not encourage kids to grow up too fast?


4) I'm embarrassed by the tv shows that suck me in. For instance, as I type this I am watching The Real Housewives of Orange County. It is simultaneously absurd and fascinating. I've also spent an entire Sunday watching an America's Next Top Model marathon. WHY?!!!


5) Ever since grad school began, I have all of a sudden developed an interest in keeping a cleaner house and cooking. Can we say 'procrastination'?


6) I'm fully aware that this next statement will cause many people in the Midwest to develop a sudden desire to spit on me: I'm sick of sun. Living in So Cal means I have essentially one forecast: sunny. Forever and always. Without a break. I find myself leaving the apartment to walk to class and this thought goes through my head: "Ugh. The sun is out AGAIN." I have never longed for rain or clouds so much in my life. And every now and then I get my wish. Like today. Today was delicious - perfect soup and sweater weather. Oh, to have a snow day again...


Okay, now on with the show! Rather than six people, I'm just going to have all my friends (all 7 of you!) blog...even if you already did the 100 things one a while back. So, Tiffany, Lauren (and/or Andrew), Darcy and Adam, Mary and Adam, and Liz - you're all it. And GO!

Ways in which I could spend $37...

- 10 autumn flavored lattes
- 1.5 pairs of Steve Madden shoes from Ross
- 37 songs off iTunes
- 3 chick lit books (okay, maybe two chick lit books and one that makes me think)
- a new haircut (with bangs!)
- Christmas stocking stuffers for the animals (or Ben)
- afternoon tea and raspberry champagne at the Scarlett Tea Room
- new ski boots off of Craigslist

Gee...I wonder what's missing from this list. Oh, I know! A bloody parking ticket, that's what!

Say Cheese!

Taking a lead from Darcy, I decided to share our picture slide show. We had some shots taken a few weeks ago by our friend, Mary. She's incredibly talented and we can't wait until the day she becomes rich and famous for her work so we can say we knew her when. Enjoy!

www.maryrosenbaum.com/blair

A Sad Realization

Momma was right about something: coffee DOES taste better when someone else makes it. And while that idea is shoddy support for having one's ten-year-old daughter make the coffee every day, it does serve to help one understand my latte a day habit. Which is really starting to impact the old pocketbook.

Common sense suggests that a simple solution would be to just buy cheaper coffee. But common sense, well, we've just really never seen eye to eye. For example, explain why I feel more guilty buying a $1.75 cup of joe compared to a $3 one. Easy: the cheaper coffee taste a lot like my own French press; the expensive one is a creation that far exceeds my homemade capacities. Thus, why would I spend even a little bit on something I can make myself? My tall carmel latte, on the other hand, is a treat. And I'm very good at finding reasons to treat myself these days. Here are the actual reasons by which I justified such frivolous purchases this week:

- Three WAIS tape viewings in a row? I totally deserve some caffeine.

- Being nurse, then student, then chauffeur, then wife, then TA, then student again in a matter of hours? Bring on the nectar of the gods!

- Attending my New Testament 2 class and actually paying some attention to the questions the idiots in my class asked? Gold star and a nice pick-me-up, thank you very much.

- Did you SEE that awesome parking job?! A two-point parallel masterpiece, it was. Let's celebrate at Coffee By The Books!

This last one was when it hit me that things may be getting out of hand. And I realized my TA paycheck is only serving to support my latte habit. That's depressing...on a number of levels.

I think I'm Old, Part Two

The other day I was driving down the freeway, just minding my own business, and listening to some music on a popular local radio station. It's the kind of station that makes me roll my eyes, yet sucks me in, just the same. You know - the kind that plays "hit" songs again and again and again until you want to slam your head against the steering wheel, but then what purpose would that really serve since you'd still have your ears and the misery would just continue? Side note: Hey There Delilah will always and forever be the perfect song to sing along with, no matter how many times it is played.

As I was saying...I was cruising along when the most disgusting, vulgar sound began emitting from my speakers. It was akin to nails on a chalkboard, yet oddly familiar. What the...? NO...it couldn't be! Someone has massacred a classic! I was listening to a rendition of Mrs. Robinson by (I think) the Lemonheads (a name no less disturbing because of its similarity to my beloved Lemon Warheads). Anyway, they didn't even have the decency to make it their own - the just added more beats and called it good. Sigh. Shouldn't some things just be off limits? Paul and Art, you deserve better.

Which brings me to my point. I think my music tastes make me old. In fact, there was a time in junior high/high school when I was certain I was born in the wrong decade. When all of my friends were enjoying boy bands, I was delighting in the Beatles. When Brittany was hot (think hard, you can remember those days), I was listening to Peter, Paul, and Mary, Bob Dylan, and my mom's ABBA records. Needless to say, I was not the cool girl. I still feel lame when friends break out into an Insinc tune. But I can belt it out with the best of them if you break out the Eagles or CCR.

But times, they are a changin' and I feel I am in the midst of a (contemporary!) music period that is blowing my mind. There are so many talented artists I've been exposed to of late - I can't get enough! When LA is really on my last nerve, I just have to remind myself of all the amazing venues within a short metro ride and I am happy once again. Then I turn on the radio and my heart leaps for joy when they announce it's 90's at noon on KROQ. A flood of memories wash over me, as only songs from the past can cause, and then it hits me. Crap. All these songs are 10-15 years old. Wow.

One last thing - we just watched Reign Over Me this weekend and I was touched. Great story, great cast, and...you guessed it...great music. And man oh man! What a depiction of how we use music as an escape, for good or bad. You should check it out.