Eeeeee!

Went to see Paramore last night, and it RULED.  I love love loved it.  Hayley can really wail.  She was pretty flawless, though I think her vocals on "Let The Flames Begin" blew me away the most.  She wore like crazy leopard-print leggings that cracked me up.  Yay!

Sometimes, I like to go to YouTube to see if I can find any old videos that I used to watch or hear songs I haven't heard in a long time or find the person who put the entire Buffy musical "Once More, With Feeling" onto their site and listen to that (if for nothing else than to sing, "They Got the Mustard Oooooooout!").  Today, I looked up a song I used to play on my radio show just about every chance I got (which meant, about once every two weeks, or whenever Rachel forgot how long it had been since I'd last played it).  I found the video for it today, a beautifully stripped-down acoustic cover of "Bizarre Love Triangle" by a band called Frente!  Always remember the exclamation!

Oogamama for life.

This weekend, I attended the 10 year reunion concert for Low Key, an a cappella group at JMU of which I was one of the first members.  I have a self-proclaimed sordid past with LK, due to drama I more than likely inflicted on myself by being indignant about silly things and my big, big, non-filtered mouth.  I was definitely looking forward to the weekend for a long time, but I had some sour grapes before I got there.

To explain a bit of background, in the months leading up to the reunion, one of the current members contacted  me to help him find everyone from the group's past and asked if I wanted to sing my old solo for "Not An Addict" at the concert.  However, about 3 weeks before, he told me that they wouldn't be able to learn the song in time, so it was being removed from the set list.  Needless to say, I was very disappointed, because I truly TRULY loved singing that song and because I miss performing more than anything in my life.  I didn't take the "rejection" well, acting a little bit like a diva about it.  "Oh, I guess they just can't handle a complicated arrangement..."

Anyway, I went to the practice on Friday evening, and I quickly realized that those grapes needed to be quashed immediately.  I looked around Taylor 405, filled with current students and alumni I both knew and others I met that evening, and I saw that I had been concentrating on the trees, totally missing out on the forest.  We auditioned for this group in 2000 not to be a star, but to combine all that awesome talent into one place and simply just SING.

I was reminded of this when Hugh (the guy who started this whole nonsense) handed me something magical- a notebook containing the list of potential names, the old original contact list, and all the original AUDITION INFORMATION including CRITIQUES OF OUR SOLOS and our information sheets.  It was a total reminder of that 18 year old girl I was, bouncy and silly and desperate to sing again. 

In general, I looked around that room at the 50 or so people who had been affected by this group just as much as I had, and I was never more proud.  Everyone wants to feel like they've done something with their life, like they've left their mark on the world.  Seeing the faces around that circle, around the arc, in those rows, and I knew I had.  I was a part of this, from Day Freakin' One, and it made my heart swell.

In related news, I had also been in a long, long terrible fight with a guy in the group that had originally been one of  my closest friends before said fight.  However, we saw each other for the first time in (almost) 10 years on Saturday, and I have to say that it was pretty great.  I am tired of being angry, of holding hate in my body.  It's not healthy, and it's not a good look for me.  In fact, his presense was one of my favorite parts of the weekend.  After the concert, where almost all the alums gathered onstage with the current Keymates and we sang together, I got a little emotional.  (Hello, my name is Jessica.  I like to cry.)  I hid backstage for a second to compose myself, and I was totally busted by three former Keymates from my old days in the group.  They all laughed at me (as usual!), and I felt 19 all over again.  After a minute, all of them left me except that one fellow.  We made eye contact, and I wiped away a tear, and I know he felt like I did- young and nostalgic and like nothing had changed.  We laughed again and shared a quick hug, and it brought back a rush of the best memories.

To sum up, this weekend was exactly what I needed.  I have discarded all the old, bad feelings I have been holding on to, and I am concentrating on the fact that this group is awesome.  They kick so much ass.  They make me so proud.  They deserve all the praise they get.  Low Key had to start somewhere, and I'm glad I was there to help the group become what it is today- a family.  So much oogamama, I can't even describe it.

Watch LK sing here!

Chickens don't clap!

Arrested Development Chicken Dances - Watch more Funny Videos

...in a good way.

For Administrative Professionals' Day, the entire OA staff was treated to lunch on the Downtown Mall and even bonus Appreciation cake :)  I ate way too much, but in that good way.  I also just changed the background on my iGoogle to the Crumbs Bake Shop background, so I feel like I'm about to go into a diabetic coma.  Also, in a good way.  (P.S. way to my heart = bypass Jack + Crumbs Red Velvets... HEAVENLY!)

Every night when Hubs and I eat dinner, we always turn on the TV and find something to watch while we eat (since our dining room table is only used as a desk and for fancy occasions).  Usually, Law & Order or Bones or something is on, so we'll watch that (unless the Bones is at the beginning, because that's when they are the grossest and not for dinner watching).  Last night, though, nothing worth watching was on... until we reached the Starz! section.  Then it was like biggity-bam!  Mallrats!

It's been a smoking, burning, hot minute since I've watched Mallrats.  Usually, if I'm feeling Kevin Smith-y, I just pop in Clerks cartoons (the fave of the Hubs) or Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back.  So, we're watching Mallrats, and I'm cracking up like I haven't seen it hundreds of times.  We were quoting lines left and right, even with perfect inflection.  And Jason Lee looks like a wee little baby!  Granted, it's probaby due to lack of 'stache, but still... loves it.  Freakin' loves it.  Made me feel very high school... in a good way.  Since that is apparently the theme of this blog.

I know I haven't mentioned the most epic hour of television ever yet in this blog, which is strange considering how I feel about my own personal brand of heroin (aka GLEE).  Instead of gushing about how much I loved it or talking through all the best points, I will simply say...
watch it!

"The whole [bleeping] world's against us, dude, I swear to God!"

On my lunch break today, I went to the Local Blue Store With The Giant Yellow Tag to buy the new Glee/Madonna ep, as well as FINALLY get the new She & Him album.  While there, I saw Party Down for the low, low price of $15 (woot woot!), so I picked that up.  Then... THEN... OH MERCIFUL ZEUS, THEN...

I saw that the LBSWTGYT had the entire Buffy and Angel catalog on sale for $20 each season.  TWENTY.  DOLLARS.  EACH. 

Wasn't it just a few months ago that I had to order the entire series of Angel from Amazon because it was available in NO STORES?  Anywhere?  EVAH.  And, don't even start with Buffy...

Now, suddenly vampires are all popular again, so there it was, plain as day, MOCKING ME with its LOW LOW PRICES.

I got the 3rd and 6th seasons (3rd since it's the last one with my most fave DB, 6th so I can watch Once More With Feeling on reeeeepeeeeeat). 

In other news, I heard this song on the radio today.  Can't imagine why... my favorite part is "everybody solo!"

Party Down!

In honor of the fact that one of my new favorite shows is coming back for a new season on Friday, I am posting one of my favorite clips.  This is by far not the funniest thing that's ever happened on the show, nor is it particularly that indicative of the show's quirky and off-color humor.  However, I have loved Ken Marino for so, so long, and his delivery of just the word "no" always gives me a smile.  It's so basic, yet just so perfect.



See here for my most favorite line delivery by Ken of all time: Tenement: "THE STATE classes things up with dramatic turn, though they did have to soften the language a bit for television."

Tweet!

I'm signed up for Twitter, and mostly what I do on it now is read the tweets of celebrities (and occasionally reply to them).  It may be lame, but I still like it.  It's a great way to get some one-liners, and it makes me feel like I'm actually friends with John Cusack.  Either way, it's what I do.  I usually only reply when they say something particularly reply-worthy or if I can think of a witty response. 

One of those aforementioned celebrities I follow is Julie Benz, known most famously for her roles as:
Angel's sire Darla

Dexter's wife Rita and

Robin, the loveable stripper on Desperate Housewives.

Last night, she posted a tweet asking what made us smile this week, as we all need a reason to smile on Tax Day.  I replied that I had sent a care package to my cousin in college, containing some snacks and CDs, and that I hoped said cousin liked the package.  About an hour later, I saw this:
juliebenz: @jbsheehan I'm sure he will!! what a sweet gesture!!

Therefore, I now say... BAM!  I have officially made it.

Or something.

Nostalgia is mine!

I've been re-watching Buffy on Netflix, because the entire Whedonverse has been added to Instant Watch!  I freakin' love it!  As does The Hubs, who appreciates the fact that I don't have to buy the DVDs immediately... Either way, I feel connected to the Scooby Gang at times, because they are the "same age" as me, and the 3rd Season in particular makes me nostalgic.  Why?  Because it takes place in 1999, both mine and their senior year of high school.

I'm up to the next to last ep of the season (if you count Graduation Day as one 2 hour ep, which I do).  It's called "The Prom."  Buffy and Angel break up (so Angel can go help the helpless for the next 5 years in a version of LA that looks suspiciously like Vancouver), but he shows up at the prom so Buffy can have that one Normal High School Girl moment that she's craved since she became The Chosen One.  I love love love this scene, because it's so true to life AND because the song choice is so spot-on it hurts a little bit.

Unfortunately, no one on Youtube wants to make my life easier by having a video of JUST the prom scene, therefore, please enjoy this hilariously awesome verison of the Buffy/Angel saga set to one of my most favorite songs of all time.


(sigh...) I need a life.

Breaking the first rule of Salad Club...

Some of the other office ladies and I have started a Salad Club.  Each Friday, we sign up for ingredients to bring in, and on Tues, Wed, and Thurs, we lay it all out buffet style and make our own salads.  This week is the first week of this amazing club, and I must say that it might be the best idea ever created in the history of salads.  I know it seems kind of crazy for me to be this ridiculous about salad, but dude.  It was delicious.  And I ate a salad yesterday BUT made a totally DIFFERENT one today.  This is so simple for me to be this excited about, but I am.  Everyone here is trying to lose weight (just like everyone everywhere), and this is a fun, easy, and cheap way to socialize and eat well for lunch.  Today, I had lettuce, tomatoes, red & yellow peppers, cucumbers, hard boiled eggs, zucchini, a sprinkling of cheese, a couple bacon bits, some BBQ tuna, and honey dijon dressing.  It. Was. Awesome.  Someone brought in some strawberries, so I had those for dessert.  Sometimes, eating healthier makes you feel really good.  Today is one of those days.

WHICH, hopefully makes up for the Cake Batter ice cream I had last night.  Seriously, it's from a homemade soft serve place in Harrisonburg called Kline's Dairy Bar, and it made my life.  Even if this doesn't make up for it, I don't really care.  That ice cream was TOTALLY worth it.

Also, last night, I watched a Lost that finally FINALLY lived up to my expectations (maybe because they have gotten lower?), and a brand spanking new GLEE that made  me... gleeful.  I had to miss out on Parenthood (aka Lorelai Gilmore & Casey McCall in California), but I can catch that online or possibly on demand... Either way, Tuesday is shaping up to be my new favorite day of the week.

Planning on working some more on the socks tonight.  I haven't done anything on them since Spring Break, but hopefully I'll have a chance soon.  Maybe in the car on the way to the wedding we're attending this weekend...

Monday Morning HEE

So I'm doing my usual Monday morning stuff- checking weekend emails, sorting mail, catching up on entertainment news- and E! Online has links to the Details cover spreads of the True Blood stars.  I'm reading up about my most favorite Nordic vampire, and the following video is included.  I've only seen this movie once, and I've never been one of those Blue Steel lovers, but you gotta admit-- this brightens up a Monday.

Glen Hansard is trying to capture my soul.

Listening to WNRN (indie station in town) right now, and they played a song by the Swell Season, the "group" featured in the amazing, beautiful, subtle and perfect movie "Once."  It's a modern day musical/love story that gives me chills just to think about.  My favorite part of the movie comes very close to the beginning, where our hero (the unnamed Glen) sings this heart-wrenching number on the streets of Dublin.  He sings with such fervor, such emotion, that it never fails to catch my breath and stop me in my tracks.  This kind of goes without saying, but I love this song.  I think it's one of my top 5 songs ever.  It goes back and forth with Falling Slowly, the song from "Once" that won them an Oscar, but this one is much deeper, less well-known.  It's... making me speechless, and that DOESN'T happen often!  Just watch and learn, champs.

 

Sock!

To use an unfortunate pun, this thing is taking shape.  (Booooooo.)  It is actually looking like a sock.  Hopefully, it will continue to look like a sock.  It's making me feel good about my knit-ability.  It's the first thing in a long time that I've been able to pick up pretty quickly & naturally.  I feel like the last time that happened was when I learned how to play the clarinet in the 6th grade.  And that just ain't right.

Oh crap, "Slam" by Onyx is on the radio!  I'm a b-boy, standing in my b-boy stance...

In other news...

I'm knitting socks!  So far, I've done this.

That looks like the cuff of a sock, right?  I hope so :)  Once I get a little more done, I'll post updates.  However, it's the beginning of the Eclipse socks.  You can judge me all you want but a) I don't really care and b) you're just jealous because YOU want socks that look like the cover of a book written for 13 year old girls...

Lost?

I love Lost.  It's one of those shows that consistently blows my mind.  The first season is still without a doubt the greatest, and it's one of the greatest first seasons of TV ever.  I've been looking forward to watching this last season pretty much ever since it was announced that the 6th would be the last season.

However...

I find myself confused week after week.  I'll hear the buzz that it's a particularly mind-blowing episode, and then I watch, and I find myself... whelmed.  This past Tuesday's Desmond-centric mindscrew called Happily Ever After had a LOT of buzz around it, and I was really excited to see what would happen.  In general, everything that happened completely made sense to me.  I wasn't terribly surprised, I wasn't blown away (except for the "Not Penny's Boat" flashback, which gave me chills)-- I simply watched.

The thing is, maybe I've watched TOO many shows in my life, and now everything is predictable.  I know I'm that way with sitcoms, so I can't watch any average sitcom without wanting to gag and die of boredom.  Sometimes, it's nice to see the same plot line over and over, giving me a sense of stability in the world (Saved By the Bell, I'm looking at you!).  However, a show that is well known for its ability to go kookoonutty should not seem predictable to me.  And yet, it was.  All of the reveals that were "supposed" to make you say WOW, they just left me hanging.  It was all kind of Duh to me.

You've only got like 7 shows left, Lost.  Please don't disappoint.

Trying to Stop the Whiny

I feel like I need to quit whining about life.  I have a job, right?  And a husband who loves me?  And a dog who usually tolerates me?  Awesome family that loves me unconditionally even though I'm an idiot?  My car runs, I have clothes and food and shelter and a kick-ass DVD collection and a pretty TV and friends who like to see me.  Sometimes, you get so bogged down in what you don't see that you can't pay attention to what you have.  So, today, I'm concentrating on the good.  We'll see how long this lasts.

It's Spring Break here in the county, and today the office is totally dead.  Hardly anyone is here.  The phone has rung 3 times, one of which was a community member asking if schools were closed.  My plan is to knit this week, but I didn't bring it in today for fear of actually having something to do.  I brought a book instead, which will make its way out of my bag and onto the table to read in the next as-soon-as-I-finish-this.  Hopefully this week will be a good rejuvenation week, regardless of the fact that I'm actually working.

very frustrated

I can't really say why or what or whatever, but I'm growing increasingly frustrated with life.  I don't feel like I'm anywhere I'd like to be, whether it's personally or physically or mentally or anything.  Feel like I've been stuck in a holding pattern for many, many years, never moving forward.  Don't really have any way to change it.  Don't have anyone to talk to about it.  Not happy.  Grr, argh.

Will go live inside my head some more.  Can't even verbalize anything.  Not even typing in full sentences.  Even this blog entry isn't what I want it to be.  I can only take charge of so many things before I break.

"It's the sort of thing,
That makes you think too much,
It's the sort of thing,
Makes you lose your objectivity."