You're so Vain, You Probably Think this LJ is About You

For some reason I am reading like four books at once, which was fine when I was young and sharp but now I'm just confused and grumpy. Also, my attention span keeps getting shorter and shorter as I get older and older. Verrah scary.

I felt like posting, but I really had nothing to say. So, yeah. Here's what I came up with...


Things I Am SO Ready For

1. The muthafuckin' weekend
2. Taking JP to see Esther's Follies Friday night (which also means hanging out in Austin, woo woo!)
3. Visiting the Kid and his wife in about 6 weeks (San Diego, here I come!)


Things I Am SO Over

1. Eating healthy (so. difficult. especially after a whole year of eating crap. delicious crap.)
2. Work. Do not get me started - it's just depressing.
3. Getting my finances in order (I know it's important, but boring!)

I am listening to Nelson's (Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection. I approve of their use of parenthesis.

Ugh. Wild fires are raging 15 miles north/northeast of us and everyone seems to be losing their shit over lack of containment/drought conditions exacerbating the situation/etc. I am going to sit here and pretend I am a pretty, pretty princess until I can get a grip. What made it real to me was that my work just instituted their "Red Alert" system, where they call you and tell you that there is bad weather/dangerous conditions/the Apocolypse happening and to be careful. I just got 2 voice mails and 2 text messages from some creepy disembodied voice. 

Two weeks to go until I depart for the family cruise. My parents, Paul, and I are flying to Los Angeles to meet up with the Kid and Traci to go on a Carnival cruise. I am looking forward to spending time with my family, but preparing for the trip has been a pain because everyone keeps asking me questions, but I can't remember 5 minutes ago, much less 5 years ago (also JP always took care of planning our previous cruises and no one seems to want to ask him anything).

All this plus my own planning and the thought of navigating my parents through airports and onto the ship just makes me want to lie down. And never get up. Wah, wah, wah - me and my middle-class, first world problems, eh?

The local playhouse is putting on Xanadu: The Musical and I have already bought tickets! I don't have...high expectations, but if someone wants to put on rollerskates and pretend to be a Muse while singing Magic and Suddenly, then I am honor-bound to go and watch them do it. Yay!

Okay, time to go be a grown-up or something.

The gods did not want me to watch the Grammys. Less than an hour in and Nay-nay called. She just had surgery on Friday and was sitting at home all bummed out and in pain, so since I am not a heartless monster, I muted the show and gave her my mostly undivided attention. We talked for almost 2 hours, so now I am surfing the interwebs to try and find out what I missed.

I have no idea why I am so interested in the Grammys this year, other than I am looking for new artists/music to buy with my iTunes gift cards from Christmas. Just earlier today, I purchased The Road of a Gypsy and sent it to the Kid as a nostalgic postcard reminding him of one our favorite movies in the entire universe, Iron Eagle. Yeah, you read that right. That movie is badass.

In searching for Grammy performances, I stumbled on Aretha Franklin's Nessum Dorma from 1998, where apparently she was a last minute replacement for Pavarotti. Pardon my language, but that lady has some big balls. Wow. You go, Aretha!

I loved Muse's performance and although I am not a Miranda Lambert fan, I really like that song. Eminem and Dre sounded great. Who else should I look up?

I am nervous about work! Announcements, offers, new things, scary things in the offing. Sometimes I feel like such a little girl.

The best line from Idiocracy:

Rita: You think Einstein walked around thinkin' everyone was a bunch of dumb shits?
Pvt. Joe Bowers: Yeah. Hadn't thought of that.
Rita: Now you know why he built that bomb.

I don't know why I am thinking of that movie, but it always seems to be in the back of my mind every time I read the news or take a gander at some forum or community not carefully moderated.

Just watched Clerks. Oh, happy memories! I remember when that movie was considered the epitome of wit and the voice of our generation. Now it seems that every other kid is dying of ennui and a desperate need to be this clever. Fail. Fail. Fail.

Speaking of being a Gen X-er, Stone Temple Pilots is coming to Austin next weekend, but it's my brother's birthday and we are having a late lunch/family party for him on the day of the concert. Oh, well.

Um. I bought new underwear today? Yeah, that's all I got. Later, taters!

I just watched Xanadu for the first time in a long time and you will all be relieved to know that it still ROCKS. Seriously, I totally had good taste as a kid when I watched this movie like 30 times in a row. I mean, they have a freaking 68-year-old Gene Kelly tap dancing AND roller skating; the soundtrack is completely Olivia Newton John and ELO; they quote Coleridge; there is a Don Bluth animation sequence; ROLLER DISCO MUSICAL. What more can I say? It took me back to a time when all I wanted was to be a rollerskating queen like Olivia Newton John, with her strangely sexy apron dresses and hair ribbons. *le sigh*

Hope all the mommies on my flist had a good day! We went to my parent's house and my sister bought enough food for 20 people, even though there were only seven of us. *urp*

Dad is looking good, although he is not what I would call a good patient, always trying to do too much and pretend like he did not just have major surgery. His machismo is something to be reckoned with. The older he gets, the worse he will be - I am thinking of my grandfather, who was an ornery ol' cuss and my dad will probably go that way as well. *sigh*

I have been going through concert withdrawal or something. I haven't gone to one in forever. I really wanted to see Lady Gaga, but all four of her shows in Texas sold out by the time I realized I wanted to go. The Toadies will be in New Braunfels in August, but that isn't quite the same as a crazy, over-the-top Gaga extravaganza. Who else is touring this summer?

I have been re-watching Ouran Host Club and just laughing my ass off. It's holding up better than I thought it would. And speaking of anime, I really want to buy Special A and I would love to find Lovely Complex on DVD as well, although I do not believe the anime was ever licensed in the U.S. (???). I know I sound soooo 1999, watching anime on DVD, but the truth is, I don't like watching stuff on my computer (torrents, etc). Call me an old-fashioned girl, but I likes my anime on discs that I can watch on my semi-big screen TV and then put the cases on a shelf to admire.

What else? Oh, I found the cutest dress at Target but they had every size except mine (curses!). I also really want this dress (the back is beautiful), but again, it's not in my size and also I will not pay $60 for a dress because I am le cheap when it comes to clothes. I did, however, buy these incredibly cute sandals because it is practically summer which always means new shoes! Just like the beginning of every other season...

Okay, back to regularly scheduled Sunday night...ugh back to work tomorrow.

I have been having some trouble getting out of bed and going to work (post holiday blues mixed with sporadic crippling insecurity) so I have taken to listening to Jimmy Eat World's The Middle on the way to work to bring my mood up. It actually works most of the time - the tempo is upbeat and the lyrics...well, they are not poetry but they are words I think you need to hear sometimes.

Hey, don't write yourself off yet
It's only in your head you feel left out 
And looked down on. 
Just try your best, 
Try everything you can. 
And don't you worry what they tell themselves 
When you're away. 

It just takes some time 
Little girl, you're in the middle of the ride. 
Everything, everything will be just fine, 
Everything, everything will be alright, alright. 

Hey, you know they're all the same. 
You know you're doing better on your own, 
So don't buy in. 
Live right now and 
Just be yourself. 
It doesn't matter if it's good enough 
For someone else. 

It just takes some time 
Little girl, you're in the middle of the ride. 
Everything, everything will be just fine, 
Everything, everything will be alright, alright. 

It just takes some time 
Little girl, you're in the middle of the ride. 
Everything, everything will be just fine, 
Everything, everything will be alright, alright. 

Hey, don't write yourself off yet, 
It's only in your head you feel left out 
And looked down on. 
Just do your best, 
Do everything you can. 
And don't you worry what their bitter hearts 
Are gonna say. 

It just takes some time, 
Little girl, you're in the middle of the ride. 
Everything, everything will be just fine, 
Everything, everything will be alright,alright. 

It just takes some time, 
Little girl, you're in the middle of the ride. 
Everything, everything will be just fine. 
Everything, everything will be alright.

The meme is on hiatus for the moment, mainly because my weeks have been running together in a 
tired, slumpy blur. I hope to pick it up soon, though.

I know this has been mentioned on LJ many times, but I don't think it can be said enough: Transformers 2: Electric Boogaloo BLOWS. Robot fights were cool and of course, Peter Cullen's totally awesome voice makes everything better. But other than that, zip zilch nada. Story, humor, characters all reeked. Although, JP found this HILARIOUS FAQ for those of you who might have questions about the WTF?! plot of this movie. Spoilers warning!

You know what else blows? Going to a baby shower and getting babies shoved at you, followed by the inevitable, "Don't you want one?!" It's almost as much fun as getting asked about my marriage plans. Oh, well. At least there was cake and crazy Melinda asked me if I would consider going on vacation with her sometime. So the day wasn't a total bust. Oh, and I also won the 'put a paper plate on your head and draw a baby' contest so that was cool. Apparently, no one minded that I drew the baby's face on its tummy. The cake was delicious.

I am starting to get obsessed with David Cook's pre-idol band, Midwest Kings (I know, I am always late to the party). The lead singer (Andy Skib of Cook's current band) has such a distinctive voice and some of their stuff sounds so like the mid-90s: a later Alice in Chains, Toadies kind of vibe which is just sooooo my type of music. Ah, college days...

Lady Gaga and the Veronicas are performing in Austin and the theme of the night is 'Second Chance Prom' and all attendees are encouraged to wear prom/formal attire. FUUUUUUN!!!

I just love goofy stuff like this and Austin is the perfect place for such wacky shenanigans...I wish I was younger, richer, and had friends who liked to attend all these concerts. As it is, I get occasional 'grow up, Melissa!' lectures for many of the choices I make.

For real, I hope I never lose this intermittent need to be a teenager again.

David Cook shoutout on AI! Wot, wot! Kris Allen sang one of my all-time favorite songs from the movie Once, but Kris - you are no Glen Hansard.

I keep making Japanese curry! I can't stop! I have a problem!

Really, Melissa? This is all you've got? Well, I can't talk about work because I will get all 'le-boo-hoo' so, the answer is yes.

This weekend is Taste of New Orleans: belly dancers, beer, no shade to speak of, and some of the best damn fried bread EVAR. Also, turkey legs!!! I don't think I have devoted enough time here to explain in detail my great love of smoked turkey legs. Another time, perhaps...

I am totally excited about the following things:

Death Cab for Cutie (May)
David Cook (June)
Wicked (June)

For now, Coldplay and NINJA tour are off limits. BUT time will tell...