“Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead"
-Louisa May Alcott
I love Christmas Eve. It's the best day because you are full of the anticipation of Christmas. Everyone is in good spirits getting ready for the holiday.
It's a day of family. I love hanging out with my family on Christmas Eve and going to Mass with my mom. Christmas Eve Mass is the best. We usually go to the children's mass around 4PM, which is adorable because they have the little children reenact the Christmas story. Too cute to see little kids playing Mary, Joseph, angels, shepherds, etc.
Then we go to dinner at my sister's house. That's a relatively new tradition. We started it when she moved back from Florida. It's nice though because it helps break up the work so that my mom does not have to prepare everything.
Then at 10:45 PM, I watch the last 15 minutes of It's a Wonderful Life. Usually, I've watched the whole movie earlier in the season. But the ending gets me every time. I will cry the minute Harry says "to my big brother George, the richest man in town." That line basically sums up the greatness of the movie for me. George is not rich in wealth but he is rich in character and that's more important than money.
Recently, there was a poll that ranked all 50 states and DC in order of their happiness. I think that this poll is really interesting because apparently if you live in the South or the Midwest, you are much happier than coastal people. I think that's odd.
I also found it hilarious that DC ranked higher than Maryland and Pennsylvania. I just do not see that.
Anyway this list is below. States I've lived in are in red. I guess based on this poll, I am not a happy person! But, they did not poll me so maybe I would have changed up the rankings. :)
It's no secret that I love Christmas music, but what may surprise you is that I really like songs that kind of make fun of Christmas. As long as it is tongue-in-cheek and not in a mean way, I think those types of songs are hysterical.
One of my new favorites is the Christmas Can Can by the group Straight No Chaser. It's an all male a cappella group. Most of their songs are done in a funny and clever way.
I found this animated video for the Christmas Can Can online. It's hysterical. I have no idea who did the animation but it was someone who really got the cheekiness of the song!
I had another great weekend but in a completely different way.
Friday involved my favorite activity - shopping - as there was a giant sale at Ann Taylor Loft. My friend and I hit up the stores in Friendship Heights and had a blast.
Saturday involved MUCH cleaning and cooking as my parents were coming to visit in the evening and I had company coming on Sunday. Mike helped out with both which was fun. Why is it that mundane activities like cleaning become more fun when someone else is around?
That night we went to dinner with my parents and then to the Kennedy Center to see the National Symphony Orchestra Pops perform their Holiday concert. We had a great time. The NSO Holiday show is one of my favorites. And, there was this amazing singer that performed with them - Jonathan Ansell. He's kind of a British Josh Groban (yes - April and Lori I know that is probably your worst nightmare come to fruition). Needless to say, I went home and bought his CD off of ITunes right away. It's awesome.
Here's a clip of him singing "Oh Holy Night." Turn up the volume though - the recording is not the best.
On Sunday, I hosted book club. We had a decent discussion of the book - The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I think it's the first book that my club unanimously liked. Of course, the discussion lasted about 10 minutes and then we talked about lots of other stuff. It was a fun afternoon. I have a ton of food leftover but oh well.
It started on Friday, when we went out to celebrate. We went into DC and had dinner at the The Palm (yummy) followed by a showing of Jersey Boys at the National Theater.
Then we wandered around downtown and looked at some of the pretty Christmas decorations. We wandered around the lobby of the Willard Intercontinental Hotel. It's right next to the White House and just looked beautiful.
Next, we walked over to the National Christmas Tree. I was only able to quickly snap the photo above. We planned to take more but the lights went out at 11PM (unbeknownst to us). Mike promised that we will go back so hopefully I'll have better pictures to post soon.
After that, we just wandered around some of the monuments. I did not take any more pictures - I'm terrible I know - but that's ok. I remember it all in detail. And it was perfect.
The city looked really really pretty. I love this time of year when everything is decorated for the holidays. There is just something magical about it.
Plus, we did not look so bad ourselves. Mike looked extremely handsome - as always. And, I was able to wear my new dress. Ok, ok I say "able" like I did not intentionally buy this dress to wear for this evening but whatever. You get the point. It looks like the one to the side. I really like it so if you see me at any fancy event - you'll be sure to see this dress too. :)
On Saturday, we put up the Christmas tree at Mike's house (we did mine last weekend). That was a lot of fun. After a quick trip to the store to buy more lights, ornaments, and garland (plus a star - I still cannot believe he owned a tree but no topper), the tree looked amazing.
To top it all off, it SNOWED on Saturday. I could not imagine better weather for trimming a tree than a snowy afternoon. It was just all so perfect.
On Sunday, I finished up my Christmas shopping. I think that I had an angel looking out for me this weekend because I really did not hit any crowds and I met the most wonderful salespeople. I ended up getting some great gifts so it was worth the trek to the mall.
All in all, it was a fantastic weekend. It's definitely one I'll remember - the perfect kickoff to the Christmas season.
Once Thanksgiving is over, I kick into Christmas mode. I love decorating for the holidays, shopping for gifts, singing Christmas songs, etc. It's the best time of year.
This weekend, we were putting up the tree and I mentioned the Seinfeld episode about Festivus. I am not the greatest Seinfeld fan, but I love the Festivus story (among others). It just cracks me up - "A Festivus for the rest of us." Whoever came up with that idea was just really really clever.
Anyway, I found a video on You Tube that includes Festivus clips. It's just too funny. How these guys say this stuff with a straight face. I will never know.
It's Thanksgiving. The day of family, food, and football (the last refers to others not so much to me). Thanksgiving is one of my all time favorite holidays. Why you may ask? I'll tell you.
It's time for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. You always know where to find me between 9-12 on Thanksgiving morning. I LOVE the parade.
Usually my family does not fight on Thanksgiving and that's a huge plus.
Yummy dinner - my mother's cooking is always fantastic, but she outdoes herself on Thanksgiving.
So many things are cranberry flavored, and I heart cranberries.
It's time for Christmas music!
And Christmas decorations!
And Christmas shopping! (are you sensing a theme here. . .)
Fun Thanksgiving themed episodes of my favorite TV shows.
Pie
And last but not least - A FOUR DAY WEEKEND. WHOO HOOO.
In all seriousness, it's been a great year so far and I have much for which to be thankful. Thanks to all of you who have helped to make this year so amazing.
Lady Gaga fascinates me. I'm not really sure why. I think it may be because she is just so bizarre that I find it intriguing that someone can maintain that persona at all times. I mean her outfits alone are deserving of my fascination.
Like this one. What's up with the mask?
Or this one. Can she even see?
And let's not forget this one. Just plain weird.
I mean each one is crazier than the last. It makes me wonder does she designs these herself or does she have an equally bizarre fashion designer friend that she works with? But, they make her unforgettable.
I think I just really admire that she is who she is and does not care what other people think. If she wants to wear a bizarre outfit - she will. If she wants to bring a Muppet as her date to the VMAs - Kermit is there. She's the definition of avant garde.
It also helps that her music is insanely catchy. And when she sings live, you realize that she can actually sing. Somewhere beneath her bizarre exterior is a really talented singer and songwriter.
As you can probably imagine, she's also very theatrical. Her video for Paparazzi is like a mini-movie. Granted, a very strange mini-movie but it's still really cool.
Happiness is a funny thing. It kind of sneaks up on you. I do not think that the average person - myself included - is happy at all times. I think that normally people are content and true happiness is something that comes upon us on occasion. If we are lucky, those occasions are frequent.
I do not at all mean that being content is a negative state. I think that it's a very good thing. If people had a dopey grin of happiness at all times, they would cease to be productive members of society. Contentedness is a great state - it means that you are satisfied with your life and in a state of peace.
I also think that most people do not sit around thinking about the state of their happiness. I know that I don't. But during the most random moments - driving the car, shopping for groceries, etc - you realize that you are truly happy. When that realization dawns, it's quite a treat. You feel a certain glow come upon you. It sounds cheesy, but I've experienced it and it's definitely true.
I wish that you could bottle up that feeling. It would be nice to be able to experience it whenever you wish. Bad day at work? Take a nip of happiness and you are good to go. Sadly, life does not work that way.
But maybe, that's to our benefit. If people felt that glow of happiness at all times, it would cease to be an incredibly special feeling. And that's what makes it such a joy and something to be treasured.
This week, I went to see Rob Thomas in concert with a friend.
It was AMAZING.
I'd seen Rob Thomas with Matchbox 20 a few years ago but seeing Rob Thomas solo was just as good. Plus, Carolina Liar and One Republic were the opening acts so it was just a great night of music all around.
For me the highlights were the acoustic version of Ever the Same, a cover of That's Alright, and the acoustic version of Bent.
What I love about seeing Rob Thomas in concert is that he sings the songs you love in a new way but you still recognize and love them. It's not like some concerts where the people do things in such a new way that you do not even recognize the song. I hate that.
Anyway, here's a treat for Friday - the acoustic version of Ever the Same. Enjoy!
Taylor Swift was really funny on SNL. I was not sure she would be good when I heard that she was hosting. But, she was really able to make fun of herself - which I think is necessary for the host.
I loved the opening monologue with her Monologue Song (la la la).
Check it out. It's funny. (Plus she disses Joe Jonas which makes me really happy because I have an irrational hatred for the Jonas Brothers).
I've been thinking a lot about what makes a family a family. Over the past few weeks, the question seems to be following me through personal relationships, books, and television shows.
In the current book club book, a man who has no biological relationship to his ex-stepdaughter feels and acts like more of a father to her than her adopted father. People in his life think that is strange. But if he loves this girl as a daughter, why should he not treat her as such? (the fact that she's a manipulative brat has no bearing on this conversation but it does impact my enjoyment of the novel).
In both the TV show Brothers and Sisters and in the situation of a colleague, a gay couple is having a baby via a surrogate. I think that this is great. They are making their own family - biology mostly aside. Why should families only be traditional? As long as people are happy and children are loved, how can that be bad?
I've decided that family has little to do with biology and everything to do with personal connection. A great example of this is my immediate family's current relationship with my father's extended family. Basically, we no longer have one - and I don't miss them. How can you miss people that are cruel enough to throw a 90 year old woman (my grandmother) out of the house?
What I have realized is that my extended family is now my friends. Biology has nothing to do with my connection to these people, but they are family all the same. In the end, your family consists of the people that you can count on. If I was in trouble, I would never call my cousin Maria for help, but I would call one of my close friends. Why? Because I know that they would be there and that's what family does. Biology has nothing to do with it.
Aside from the Olympics, I'm not a huge sports fan. But, I do like the World Series. It's probably because baseball is one of the few sports that I really understand.
I've been watching bits and pieces of the current World Series - and yes I hope the Yankees win - and I've been really impressed by Johnny Damon. I think he's scrappy. Every time he comes up to bat, he seems to just be really invested. And, he takes chances which I think is cool. I don't like when people play things too safely.
Anyway, this one play left me with my jaw hanging open. He stole not one but two bases on one pitch. CRAZINESS. You have to watch it to believe it.
I do not get political too often, but certain topics get me riled up. One of them is definitely gay marriage. I do not understand why people feel that it is their right to deny a legal union to someone else. Who are you to pass judgment on them?
I don't even understand how it is illegal. Marriage is a union between two people. What does it matter what sex they are? As long as both people are willing and able, it's their choice to make. It's a personal decision that should not even need to be voted on by a government.
Below is an Irish commercial that conveys this sentiment perfectly. A man goes from house to house asking for his partner's hand in marriage. Because sadly it is up to the people - who vote in the legislators - to decide if this man is allowed to get married. That's just insane.
It's a powerful message. I think that they should make an American version of it. Maybe it will bring the point home for those who disapprove.
All I have to say is that I will be terribly disappointed in the USA if Ireland legalizes gay marriage before us.
My new obsession is the show Glee. I just love it. It's so hilarious.
I also love that they pick a random variety of songs to feature. Although I must say, it has not been great for my budget as I like to go to Itunes and buy songs after watching the show. Oh well, at least they are not that expensive.
One of my favorite moments so far is the Glee version of Gold Digger. I've featured it below. Enjoy!
As promised, it's time to talk about female literary characters. The UK did not do a poll about the most romantic female characters. I think this is because people do not tend to look at the female characters as being the "romantic" ones in literature.
So, I'm listing the 10 feistiest female characters - in my humble opinion of course. Feisty seemed to be a good counterpart to romantic.
Anne Shirley of Lucy Maud's Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables - she's the best. No doubt about it.
Marianne Dashwood of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility - I love Marianne. She's so free spirited and not afraid to leap into life. It ends up almost destroying her, but I still admire her for it.
Becky Sharpe of William Makepeace Thackeray's Vanity Fair - A scheming opportunist for sure but still a very strong female character.
Scarlett O'Hara of Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind - the ultimate strong female character. She's a survivor.
Jo March of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women - she turns down Laurie and conventional life in search of finding her own identity. That's pretty cool!
Isolde of Tristan and Isolde - Tristan is totally to blame for the downfall of this couple.
Jane Eyre of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre - not many women could handle crazy hidden wives, gypsies, illegitimate children, and public scrutiny and still come out swinging.
Beatrice of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing - She gives Benedict such a hard time and I love her for it!
Elizabeth Bennett of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice - She doesn't settle and I admire that.
Lily Mars of Booth Tarkington's Presenting Lily Mars - a little known book but a great one
Honorable mentions - these aren't quite "literary" characters but I love them anyway.
Hermione Granger of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series - Harry would have been in deep trouble without her.
Becky Bloomwood of Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series - I want to be Becky Bloomwood. Enough said.
Mia Thermopolis of Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries series - I swear when I read these books it's like Meg Cabot knows how I think.
Tatiana Metanova of Paullina Simons The Bronze Horseman - She goes through A LOT in this book and survives. That's feisty.
Last week, I had my annual performance review. It's no secret that I hate any kind of evaluation and I always have. My nerves always get the better of me no matter how confident I feel about my performance.
Lately, I've been thinking about the line between confidence and arrogance. This came up because before every annual evaluation, each employee is asked to fill out a self-evaluation. Self-evaluations are always tricky.
Is it ok to list tasks that you've completed and their impact in all their glory or should you temper it so that you do not appear arrogant? I think this is especially a conundrum for women. Many women are raised not to be "braggers." And in effect, a self-evaluation is exactly that - a place for you to brag about yourself.
It also gives you the chance to remark on where you can improve. But, I think that people tend to focus too much on listing improvements. They don't want to be seen as someone who cannot recognize their own faults. However, they then run the risk of being too hard on themselves and listing weaknesses that might to be considered weaknesses. They can hurt themselves in the long run. Maybe in the end it's better to focus on the positive.
So is self-evaluation time the one time a year that you should throw all thoughts of decorum to the wind and let loose and brag about yourself? I suppose so because if you do not promote yourself to your employer, no one else will.
Recently, the British Telegraph conducted a poll of the most romantic heroes in literature. I personally think that the results of this poll are garbage. That's not to say that the heroes listed are not romantic - some of them definitely are. But the order is all wrong and some fantastic literary characters were left off.
This is the original list - with my color commentary of course.
1. Edward Rochester of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre- Romantic for sure but he's not my number 1. 2.Richard Sharpe of Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe series. - I don't even know who this is. 3. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice- Yes, he should be on the list 4.Heathcliff of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights- No way! Heathcliff is the worst hero ever. 5.Rhett Butler of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind- Hell yeah. But, why is he #5? 6. Mark Darcy, of Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’ Diary- Considering he's the modern day #3, I think that this is cheating 7. Captain Corelli of Louis de Berniere’sCaptain Corelli’s Mandolin- yeah, no. 8. Henry DeTamble of Audrey Niffenegger’sThe Time Traveler’s Wife- I love this book but I actually would not include him on this list. Plus I'm not sure this book counts as "literature" 9. Gabriel Oak of Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crow - I never read this book so no comment. 10. Rupert Campbell Black of Jilly Cooper's The Rutshire Chronicles - Yeah, I never read this book either.
I am still not sure how a British poll could completely exclude Shakespeare. That just seems bizarre to me. Regardless, I've decided to right the wrong of this poll and devise my own list. Here we go!
1. Gilbert Blythe of Lucy Maude Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables- He's truly the perfect hero. Anne is basically a total spaz throughout all the books and runs him around in circles but he still never gives up. 2. Rhett Butler of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind- Who doesn't love a rake? 3. Colonel Brandon of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility- He's so patient and that helps him eventually win the girl. How could you not love that? 4. Edward Rochester of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre- The ultimate tortured soul, which is always romantic. 5. Benedict of Shapekespeare's Much Ado About Nothing - Because he makes me laugh and that is an important trait in my book. 6. Edmund Dantes of Alexander Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo- Because revenge just makes him that much more attractive 7. Theodore "Laurie" Laurence of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women - Because I cry every time he gets his heart broken when Jo turns down his proposal. 8. Yuri Zhivago of Boris Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago - This book is Russian and tragic so basically it was written just for me. It does bother me that he cheats on his wife though which is why Yuri is down at #8. 9. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice- I'm a big fan of the whole fight./flirt literary device. 10. Charles Ryder of Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited - Poor guy can never win.
Honorable Mention: Alexander Barrington of Paullina Simmons' The Bronze Horseman - This is not considered "literature" but it's one of my favorite books and he's awesome so he gets an honorable mention.
I'm an equal opportunist so I'll post soon with a list of my 10 favorite female literary characters. Stay tuned!
Yesterday, I was finishing up the dreaded task of cleaning out my closet. To make this chore more palatable, I decided I needed music. So, I put my IPod on random.
I LOVE when I rediscover music that I forgot about. It's such a nice surprise because you rediscover something fun without actually having to pay for it.
In this case, I came across the song Where I Stood by Missing Higgins. I have no idea where I first heard it but at some point, I downloaded it from ITunes.
It's kind of a sad song (big surprise that I like it, I know) but it's very poignant. Anyway, the music did help me finish up the closet cleaning. Now, it's on to my dresser. . .
After 5+ years of working with the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, the sign above horrified me. I saw it while I was recently in Pittsburgh.
It's an ad for a gun show and the tag line at the bottom says "Get Your Guns While You Still Can."
This annoys me for several reasons.
Who is trying to take their guns away? Not the Brady Campaign. They just want you to buy them legally and pass a background check. And - we can barely get that law enforced. So current and future NRA members of America have no fear that one day guns will be outlawed.
What makes these people think that there is an imminent threat to take away guns? The gun control lobby has been trying to close the gun show loophole for years and nothing has happened. Plus, even if the loophole is closed that does not mean you cannot buy a gun - it would just mean that you have to actually pass a background check to buy it. I'm sure this sounds like a terrible law - we would not want to be able to actually block criminals or terrorists from buying guns. That would be a tragedy.
Does this country really need a "run" on guns because people want to stockpile them in case they are not available in the future? That would make me feel safe. A bunch of people with their own arsenals.
This past weekend, I went to see the play Jersey Boys. I had seen it a few years ago on Broadway and loved it so much that I could not wait for it to tour through DC.
Aside from the great music and story, I think that I really love the play because it is about the culture in which I was raised - that is the New York/New Jersey Italian-American culture. Even though I moved to Maryland when I was 10, my parents brought the culture with us. Plus until a year ago, I had my grandmother to influence me and she definitely was the quintessential little old Italian lady.
On the way home, I started to feel sad. I realized that should I ever have kids, much of that culture will be lost. Most likely, I'll still be in the DC area so that odds of any child of mine visiting the Italian New York neighborhoods are slim to none. He/she will never sit at my grandmother's table in Corona while Lena from next door brings Neapolitan pizza for us to eat with a heavy dose of gossip included. He/she probably will not understand random words in Italian (this knowledge to me was courtesy of my grandmother) since neither my parents nor I speak it. He/she won't be able to enjoy real Italian antipasti complete with capocolla and mortadella - and of course REAL Italian bread not the garbage that they try to pass of as Italian bread south of Jersey.
I guess that's what happens when generations become more and more American. I'm a third generation American, and it would make sense that future generations would become less ethnic. I mean I'm 75% Italian, but unless I were to marry a fellow Italian, my kids will not even be half. That's just so funny to me.
In the area of Jersey where we lived and the areas of New York where my parents grew up, people were pretty much either Italian, Irish, Jewish, or Polish - and everyone knew what they were. Moving to an area with a more blended population, most people did not know their ethnic heritage. This was a huge culture shock to me when I first moved to Maryland since growing up, being Italian was such a part of my identity.
I suppose this identification was helped because I look pretty ethnic. With the exception of my ridiculously pale skin, I'm kind of the poster child for Italian-American women. Plus, my last name is a dead give away. To be honest, I like having those distinguishing factors. It makes me happy to be separate from the pack - I do not like to be just like everyone else.
It will be up to me to try and carry on some of these traditions. For sure, any children of my sister or mine will be told stories about my grandmother growing up in Little Italy. They are going to learn about our connection to John Gotti's incarceration (yes - this is true), and they will be exposed to good Italian food. Any kids related to me will NOT think that the Olive Garden is authentic Italian food. And they will learn how to pronounce Italian names. Nothing annoys me more than when people butcher my name.
So enough venting for today. I'll leave you with the clip for the Jersey Boys' Tony Awards performance.
And yes, I'm already trying to figure out how/when I can see this show again. . .
It was brought to my attention that I missed one of the signs when I posted this article on 9/28. Whoops. Below is the revised post complete with all 9 signs. #7 is the new one. :)
I found this article on yahoo called "9 signs a guy is a keeper." Of course I had to read it! I found it really interesting because sure enough guys that I have dated that failed in these categories were certainly not keepers and vice versa.
Here's the list and my color commentary.
He has his act together - THIS IS SO TRUE!!!! There is nothing worse than dating someone who has no direction or ambition. Plus guys who have not grown up enough to take on responsibility are never going to make for a worthwhile partner.
He puts you first - I think this is true to a point. It's great to know that a guy is considering you when he makes decisions, but occasionally you do need to put yourself first. That goes for both members of the relationship. It's give and take.
He's not afraid of your germs - very true. Nothing worse than having someone avoid you when you are sick and already feel awful. That's when you need someone to show up with orange juice and chicken soup.
He's a family man - This is very important to me as my family is extremely important in my life. Interest in my family garners major bonus points. Plus, you can definitely tell someone's character by how they treat their own family.
He makes time for your friends - If the boyfriend and friends are a bad mix - the relationship is in trouble. Enough said.
He's your biggest cheerleader - I agree with this one a lot. It is important that you feel your partner is happy when you are successful. There is nothing worse than being afraid to tell someone that something good happened because you are afraid of his jealousy.
He remembers the little things. - I have to admit that it is nice when someone remembers small stuff like what you have planned for the week, what kind of wine you like, your favorite song, or where you last went on vacation. Stuff like that shows that he pays attention when you talk. That's nice.
He's happy when you are happy - In general, I think this refers to compromise. The guy should be willing to do something that he does not want to do just because the girl wants to. And vice versa.
He makes you the best you can be - This is very important. The guy should help build you up not knock you down. When you are with him, you should feel confident and happy not insecure and miserable.
I definitely think that these apply to women as well. As much as it would be nice if everything revolved around the girl (i.e. me), that's not going to make for a successful relationship. It has to be a two way street!
I have more to say about Bright Star. Yes, John Keats' decisions did annoy me - see yesterday's post - but the story of his love for Fanny Brawne is also incredibly romantic.
This is the poem he wrote for her (she was his bright star).
Bright Star
Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art-- Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night And watching, with eternal lids apart, Like nature's patient, sleepless Eremite, The moving waters at their priestlike task Of pure ablution round earth's human shores, Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask Of snow upon the mountains and the moors-- No--yet still stedfast, still unchangeable, Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast, To feel for ever its soft fall and swell, Awake for ever in a sweet unrest, Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath, And so live ever--or else swoon to death. - John Keats
All I have to say is that it is no wonder she was never able to get over him after he died.
Last night I went to see the movie Bright Star. It's about the romance and eventually death of the poet John Keats. Needless to say, I cried like a baby.
This movie is a great example of one of my giant pet peeves about the male psyche. It drives me insane how men think that by being noble and self-sacrificing they are somehow going to save women pain. Well, a newsflash to all men out there - IT DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY.
John Keats was a great example. He falls in love with Fanny and then realizes that they can never marry because he has no money. So he tries to push her away. Then he realizes he is dying and comes back to her only to leave her again because he does not want her to watch him die.
There are many things wrong with this situation.
Once you are involved with someone, you are involved. There is no room for second thoughts. It's not like he suddenly was going to come into money and poof problem solved. If he knew he could never marry, then he should have stayed away from Fanny. Don't start something that you cannot finish!
Why oh why would he think that she would care that he had no money. When a woman loves a man, she will not let anything get in the way. She finds a way to make it work. In this situation, John Keats had such a narrow focus. He could not think outside the box to figure out a way for them to be together so instead they both remained miserable.
Why on earth would he think that going to Italy to die would make things easier? It just cheated them out of their last moments together. It's not like Fanny was able to be like "oh I don't love John anymore because he is in Italy." Being apart probably made his death harder not easier for her. In effect, John did her a great disservice.
This stupid idea of nobility does no one any good. It only makes things harder for the couple involved. Stopping a relationship out of some misguided sense of self-sacrifice does nothing but create misery. Is either party really going to be able to just flip a switch and move on? No. They are just going to suffer apart instead of working on things together.
In my opinion, this idea of separating for the good of the other person is a point of weak character. It shows that 1) the person is not willing to find a way around the obstacle and 2) the person does not believe enough in the relationship to think that it can survive outside of ideal circumstances.
Truly, Keats sold Fanny short. And sadly it has been a theme throughout history and literature. Maybe I'll write a novel where the guy actually does the correct thing - i.e. talk to the other person and work out the problem.
But, I guess no one would read that book or see that movie. It would not have enough drama. I mean I did pay $10 to cry my eyes out while watching Keats die and Fanny have a breakdown over his death. It would not have had the same emotional punch and it been a movie about conversation instead of miscommunication. . .
I am not a huge fan of January Jones - the actress or her character on Mad Men - but I absolutely LOVED her outfit in last week's episode. This is the outfit that she wore during the Rome sequence of the show.
It's just so chic. The shoes, dress, jewelry, even the 60s hair just work so well together. I'm inspired!
Here's to hoping that the show has more European sequences so that we can see more awesome clothes!!
Ever since I first saw the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I've wondered if I had the opportunity, would I chose to erase some memories?
To be honest, I go back and forth.
At times, I think that I would erase the most painful ones. Why relive them in my mind if I do not have to? I do tend to dwell so if I can forget terrible, humiliating, or painful things that have happened to me, wouldn't I be better off? Only having positive and happy memories with which to focus sounds like a great thing to me.
Other times, I think that experiences and memories make you the person that you are. Remembering unpleasant times, helps you to better appreciate happy times. Also, you grow as a person with each experience - good or bad - so in effect you are the sum of your memories. If you cut out a whole bunch of them, does that make you less of a person?
I also wonder if I would end up like Kirsten Dunst's character in the movie. Her character erases bad memories and then ends up making the same choices that lead her down the unpleasant path. Would that happen to me? If I did not have the bad memories to learn from, would I be doomed to repeat the same mistakes?
In the end, I do not know what I would do. I have a ridiculously good memory, which I often say is both a blessing and a curse. For although I do remember good things, I also remember in excruciating detail all of the bad and painful things in my life. By this fact alone, I know I would be extremely tempted to erase those bad memories. The very thought of never having to relive them would be too tempting. But, I am also an overly cautious person so I would problem fear losing the good memories with the bad. In the end, I'm not sure what would win out - temptation or caution.
It's a tough question and one that I think about a lot. I guess I'm lucky that this technology does not actually exist. It can remain a hypothetical debate in my head.
This game is addictive. I read about it on Twitter and stupidly clicked on the link. Now I am completely obsessed. It's a lot of fun though. Check it out!
Over the last week, I saw two amazing Irish Bands in concert.
On Friday night, I went to see Snow Patrol. They were incredible. They sang my favorite song of all time - Open Your Eyes - which made me super happy. We also had pretty good seats which were a plus.
The Plain White T's opened for them, and they were also fantastic. It did kind of suck that we sat in the wrong seats for the entire opening act and had to endure a bright light in our eyes for no reason but whatever. The music was good so that's all that counts.
On Tuesday, I went to see U2 in concert. It was AWESOME!!!! I think that Bono is the epitome of cool so to have the opportunity to see him perform live was just amazing.
They sang such a good mix of music too. Lots of the old stuff and a few of their newer songs which I like - Vertigo, Elevation, etc. The encore included Where the Streets Have No Name and With or Without You, which are two of my favorites. In my opinion, With or Without You is one of the most romantic songs ever written.
During the show it was pretty cold outside, but we did not care. It was worth a little discomfort and a ton of traffic to see the show. And as a plus, the opening band was Muse. They sang the 2 songs that I really like so all was well.
What are the odds of seeing 4 amazing bands for the price of 2 and hearing all of my favorite songs by each band? What a fantastic week.
Here's a clip from the U2 Concert. This is With or Without You. So awesome.
Last week, I watched the premiere of the much-hyped new TV show - Flash Forward.
I am not ashamed to admit that the main reason I watched this show was because Joseph Fiennes is in it. I love Joseph Fiennes. I think that he is one of the greatest and most under-appreciated actors of his generation. In many ways, I think that he is better than his brother Ralph, but Ralph is more famous. Oh Joe how I love thee, let me count the ways. . .
He plays Robert Dudley in the movie Elizabeth. Sad but true it is this movie and Joe's character that inspired my honors thesis when I was in college. Granted after spending a year entrenched in Elizabethan history, I lost the desire to watch the movie. BUT, it is slowly coming back.
He is perfect in Shakespeare in Love. He's funny, charming, romantic, and handsome. It made me want to fall in love with him. In fact he is the only reason why I watch the movie given that I hate Gwyenth Paltrow and she is truly awful in it. The Oscar should have gone to Joe not to Gwyenth!
I love war movies - random I know - and one of my favorites is The Great Raid. As much as possible, this is an uplifting war movie as it is about a rescue mission (POW camp in the Philippines during WWII). It's a great movie and Joe is fantastic in it. He even steals the spotlight from my beloved James Franco. Sadly, Joe's character does not have such a happy ending in this movie.
He's also in Enemy at the Gates which is a great movie and under-appreciated. Another WWII movie but this one is about the battle of Stalingrad.
His next movie is a bioepic about Vivaldi! How cool is that?!
He does a really convincing American accent in Flash Forward. That's impressive to me as I cannot do a convincing English accent.
He dated Catherine McCormick who is one of my favorite actresses of all time. This shows that he has good taste in women. :)
He does a lot of theater work, which in my book makes him super cool.
It's no secret that I love Shakespeare. I took a class called Shakespeare on Film when I was in college. It was my favorite class and it was a pure elective. We read various Shakespearean plays and then watched various film versions of them.
One of the best speeches ever written was Henry V's speech before the Battle of Agincourt. This speech is so full of passion. You understand how it motivates the soldiers. Plus, the battle itself was a really interesting point in history as it was one of the major turning points of the Hundred Years War. There was no way in hell the English should have won - they were completely outnumbered. But they did and kept the French from invading England.
Plus, the term "band of brothers" comes from this speech which is really cool.
Kenneth Branagh is the best at delivering this speech. Here's a clip from the movie. And if you look closely you can see Christian Bale as one of the young soldiers.
Recently, there have been some interesting billboards popping up in metro stations. They are part of a new campaign by Avaaz.org. You may wonder what Avaaz stands for - I know I did. Apparently it means "voice" in many Middle Eastern languages.
This organization states their mission as "a new global web movement . . . to close the gap between the world we have, and the world most people everywhere want."
Their current campaign revolves around closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay. I think that the billboard (pictured below) is very clever. It certainly caught my eye and made me want to look up more about the organization.
Avaaz.org states the purpose of the campaign as follows: "Inspired by sustained support for an end to torture from the world community and a clear majority of Americans, Avaaz.org is launching a metro billboard ad campaign to remind policymakers that torture is illegal, unethical and a top recruiting tool for the terrorist leader Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda network. "
I think that this campaign is quite thought provoking. But, I'm not sure it is going to work. I doubt politicians will take this movement seriously unless they hear about it overwhelmingly from their constituents. Maybe I'll be surprised. If enough people are like me and are intrigued by the billboards, it could work.
Friday was Mike's birthday. We had a fun celebration and had an interesting discussion about celebrations in general.
I LOVE celebrations but only if they are not focused on me. I'm not a huge fan of being the center of attention. But I love to make a big deal out of birthdays and holidays for other people.
That's not to say that I do not love my own birthday. It's always a blast to go out to dinner with friends or family. I really like that my friend Lori's birthday is close to mine so we can kind of celebrate together. My mom's birthday is also close to mine so we usually combine the family celebration. It's more fun for me that way. I still get to enjoy it without the pressure of having people stare just at me.
My favorite celebrations are around the holidays. I love Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's just so much fun to get everyone together. I love all of the decorations too. There is nothing more fun for me than decorating a tree. I like to take out each ornament and remember when I bought it or a memory that I associate with it.
Yes, I am a very nostalgic person.
But it's more than just decorations. Usually people are much happier around the holidays and I like that. There is a certain sense of fun that is not always present throughout the year. It would be great if we felt festive all year round, but I guess that is a pipe dream.
I recently had a conversation that contained a few mythological references. This made me so happy! I love mythology and I love when I find someone who gets my random references. That's very cool.
One of my favorite myths is the Sword of Damocles. I actually refer to this a lot when I feel that there is impending doom. It's kind of like knowing that something bad is going to happen but not knowing exactly when it will strike. The sword is hanging over your head by barely a thread and will fall eventually.
I remember when I first learned about this myth. It was in conjunction with reading Edgar Allen Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum. I love Poe's short stories. They are always so captivating and vivid. They are usually also violent and The Pit is no exception.
But I digress.
In the actual myth, Damocles envies the life of a King. The King offers to switch places with Damocles for a day. Damocles lives it up - women, luxury, drinks, food, etc until he notices a sword hanging above his place (the king's place) at the table. It is hanging by a single frail thread. Damocles quickly realizes that being the powerful King is a precarious position to have and not really all it is cracked up to be. To live each day knowing that the sword will fall but not knowing when, is to live in hell.
I really like this myth because it teaches you:
Envy is worthless because the grass is not always greener on the other side
Perception is misleading because you may think that someone is happy and has it all but on the inside they feel very differently
Anyone who knows me knows that I love Josh Groban. He's just awesome. There's no doubt about it.
This week Josh Groban had a guest starring role on Glee. He played himself and was in the show for all of 5 minutes. His role on Glee showed the side of him that I like best - his ability to make total fun of himself and his image. Most people do not realize how funny and self-deprecating he can be, but if you read any of his blog posts or see him in interviews, then it's very obvious.
Josh has been on Ellen numerous times, but his appearance where they sang a duet was just too funny. Josh and Ellen just ham up Total Eclipse of the Heart - which as it is a super melodramatic song is ripe for a parody. Ellen has a surprisingly good voice too! Anyway, it's my favorite television appearance of his ever. Here it is:
I also really liked when Josh sang the TV theme medly at the Emmy's. I think it surprised a lot of people that he would immitate the voices on South Park and rap to the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. As I said, he does not take himself too seriously.
Maybe his next CD should be a spoof on classic songs. That would be funny.
I had a pretty lousy day on Thursday. A situation that happened at work made me realize something very important.
NEVER volunteer to help someone at work because somehow it will go badly for you. You may have the best of intentions, but inevitably something will go wrong and you will get blamed for it. People always forgets that you were providing assistance for THEIR work. It does not matter that you were trying to help them, in the end you will come out worse for wear. It is better to keep your head down and let them figure out the situation on their own. If you are asked or ordered to help, that's one thing - but don't volunteer.
But, my day perked up a bit because I had a jewelry and chocolate party to go to that evening. What could be better than hanging out with friends, trying on jewelry, and eating chocolate? Mudslide martinis and chocolate covered almonds make a fantastic dinner combination.
Plus, I got to buy this awesome necklace. I want it to come now.
I have no idea what I am going to wear it with, but I'll figure it out. It was just too awesome to resist. And I needed to buy myself a present to make up for the crappy day. . .
A friend and I were having an interesting conversation about what your home says about you. Many people - myself included - feel that their home reflects a lot about them. If you look closely, it can be a peek into one's soul.
The question becomes - how closely do people look? I tend to be observant about these things and pick up on the vibe of a place. I notice the presence or absence of photos. The choice of wall color. The selection of art on the walls. Does the person have knickknacks? If so then in my opinion, they are probably sentimental and attribute memories to each item.
The other question is who do you allow to have this glimpse into your personality? I really hate when people come to my home and then start judging my stuff? "Oh that painting is . . . interesting." "I'm guessing that yellow is your favorite color."
On the other hand when someone is like "that's a really cool painting" or "I love this book too!" It makes me feel closer to them. I suppose it's a double-edged sword.
I asked my friend what she thinks my place says about me and this is what she said, "I think your apartment says you like yellow, Broadway, books, and movies that you are an organized and friendly person and very bright and warm." I am not sure I would have used these same words to describe my apartment - although they are very flattering. Maybe each person who visits has a different perception.
If that's the case, it will be interesting to see what others think! I hope it's all good stuff. . .
Fall is here, and I'm super excited. Yes, I know that Fall has not officially begun, but the weather is getting cooler and it's after Labor Day so that's good enough for me.
I love Fall so much. It's the best of the seasons. Oh Fall how I love the let me count the ways:
The weather is neither too cold nor too hot
Apples are in season! yum.
It's cool enough to eat soup.
Everything smells so good - a mix of apples, spices, pumpkin, etc
Thanksgiving!!!!
The new National Symphony Orchestra season starts.
I can wear coats and jackets.
It's time for boots!!!!!
I get to take out a new fun leather handbag.
There are new episodes of Gossip Girl to watch.
It's only a few months until Christmas.
To celebrate my favorite season, I've posted a picture of Prince Edward Island in the Fall. PEI is beautiful all year round but my favorite place during my favorite season is just too much to resist!
Patrick Swayze died yesterday and he was only 57 years old. That is younger than my parents which kind of scares the hell out of me. I kind of start to panic when I realize that the people I love are truly mortal. Somehow it's easier to think of them as immortal or to think that I will be gone before them so that I do not have to deal with their passings. I'm a bit of a coward in that respect.
Cancer is such a vicious disease. It's horrible to think that some people are diagnosed and then basically have the sword of Damocles hanging over their head. Knowing that death is imminent but never entirely sure exactly when it will strike. I must say that I thank god every day that my father's cancer has not come back.
For all accounts, Patrick Swayze seemed like a really nice guy. He loved his wife completely, which in my book is the ultimate mark of a good man. His movies may not have been great but they made a lot of people happy.
I cannot count how many times I have seen Dirty Dancing. When I was a kid, I used to watch the Time of Your Life end dance sequence over and over again. I will still stop and watch every time that it is on TV.
Last night the VMAs were on. This award show is always a lot of fun and usually has some kind of drama associated with it. And this year was no exception!
Here were my favorite moments:
Lady Gaga arriving with Kermit the Frog as her date
Pink arriving on a fire truck (I love Pink - she's the badass I wish I could be)
Leighton Meester just being there. She's Blair Waldorf so having her show up anywhere makes my day. Her video Good Girls Go Bad with Cobra Starship is awesome too.
Taylor Swift handling what was probably one of the most awkward moments of her life (on live TV having Kanye take the microphone away from you to say that you do not deserve your award) with class and grace. This is why I love her and yet another reason why I hate Kanye.
Taylor's performance on the subway. Very cool especially since she had to do it immediately after her embarrassing moment with Kanye.
Learning that Lady Gaga can actually sing. I was really pleasantly surprised with her live version of Paparazzi.
Loving how every time Kanye's name is mentioned the crowd boos and chants "Taylor, Taylor."
Getting to see Muse's first US TV performance. And they sang Uprising. I really like that song.
Tyson Ritter (lead singer of the All American Rejects) performing shirtless and with body glitter/paint. I kind of have an odd thing for him - it must be the bad boy vibe. . .
The Tracy Morgan/Eminem/Cyndi Lauper skit. One word - hysterical
Pink doing Cirque du Soleil moves during her performance.
Beyonce showing that she has amazing class as well as a ton of talent. So awesome that she had Taylor come out again so that she could have her moment.
And last but not least - Lady Gaga's outfits. She wore I think 4 or 5 different ones and each was crazier than the last.
Here's the video for Good Girls Go Bad by Cobra Starship. It's my favorite new song of the night.
I just finished the book The House at Riverton by Kate Morton. It was a really good book. Slow to start but I eventually got really into it.
What bothered me about the story is that everything would have worked out if the characters had just TALKED to one another. Shocking concept I know. If Grace had told Alfred her fears and her suspicious, they would not have had to wait 40 years to be together. If Hannah had been honest with anyone, the tragedy that happens at the end might not have occurred. Everyone was unhappy because no one knew the full story.
I suppose it's easy to sit back and judge others for failing to communicate. It's hard to lay your feelings and thoughts out there for others to pick apart. I think that as human beings we fear rejection and mockery too much to be that open. But if we could be, it would solve so many problems.
I am guilty of this myself. Rarely do I tell others what I am truly thinking. Usually I manage to internalize many of my own thoughts and feelings in an effort not to cause trouble for others. Occasionally, I get so upset or aggravated that it all spills out, but that is definitely more the exception than the rule. I wonder if my failure to be completely open and communicative has lead to misunderstandings with people. If so, what have I missed out on? Or what did I make someone unintentionally think?
Those kind of "what if" questions will drive me nuts.
So I took an informal poll yesterday and was SHOCKED to find out that no one really likes Bruce Springsteen. How is this possible? He's basically an American institution. His songs are so much a part of pop culture that I actually studied them in one of my college classes.
Anyway, I love you Bruce. I may not be able to recite all of your songs but I will totally rock out in my car to Born to Run, Dancing in the Dark, Hungry Heart, or Radio Nowhere.
Springsteen is actually one of the five people chosen this year to receive the Kennedy Center Honors. That is so cool. I wonder if they will get Bon Jovi to be one of the tribute performers. That would make my day.
On a more serious note, sadly today is the anniversary of the September 11th attacks. It's hard to believe that they occurred 8 years ago. In many ways, it seems like yesterday. In memory of those attacks, Springsteen wrote The Rising. It's a good song but not my favorite. However, it seemed approproiate to post in honor of the day.
From some people who read my blog, there has been surprise that Open Your Eyes by Snow Patrol is my favorite song.
The song is amazing so I'm not sure where the surprise comes from. Maybe it is because it was not one of Snow Patrol's most famous songs.
Aside from the song just being awesome, it became my ultimate favorite when it was used at the end of the pilot of the Black Donnellys - one of my favorite TV shows of all time. The music just fit so perfectly with the last 5 minutes of the show.
There is so much drama and tension in this ending. Tommy throws away his own life dreams and ambitions to protect his family. He gets sucked into a word that he never wanted to be a part of. It's just so good!
Below is the clip of the ending. My favorite part of the song comes 3 minutes in. It's just an awesome riff. And, the director of the episode timed the climax of the scene perfectly with it. It's cinematic brilliance!
It's my favorite day of the year!!!!
