power redheads

i have been labelled a 'power brunette' in the past. perhaps for the same reason that i have been labelled 'intimidating'. what that reason is, i have yet to learn.

but, i would argue that brunettes don't hold a candle to the redheads. they seem to lack inhibition in many ways.


ingrid michaelson.

i love songwriters that ooze truth. sometimes when i look back at my journals, i notice moments of truth. well, every word of her songs are like that. every single word.

my most recent favorite from her new album Human Again:
"I'm Through"

i know there'll come a time again
when everything will fit right in
and i won't have to see your face
in strangers on the street

but i would rather feel the sting
than never to have felt a thing
i'll always know you were the one
to rip me from the ground

it's all because of you that i'm through

alison sudol.
this singer of A Fine Frenzy is built of the same stuff as ingrid. they both have a distinctive sound by the way that they twinkle the ivories. yes, i meant twinkle.

my most recent favorite from her newest album Bomb in a Birdcage:
"Beacon

Burning beacon in the night
Can't feel its heat, or see its light
That single solitary guide, it must get lonely there sometimes

Let me stand by you
The honor is mine
Let me stand by you
Loneliest light, loneliest light, loneliest light

but by far, my favorite is "Almost Lover" from One Cell in the Sea
if you've ever had an almost lover, you will love this, almost. 
 
kate winslet.
titanic. need i say more? the most beautiful movie. she takes Rose and makes her real. just ponder that character for a moment. no seriously. do it.

how incredibly contradictory is her life. and how much guts would it take to do what she did. but she did it. kate turned her into the hero she had to be.

rachel mcadams.
the notebook. again, need i say more? she shows the difference in a girl's first love and a woman's last love.

growing up, i've re-watched that movie a million times. i get something different out of it every time. it brings back my first love all over again. as i get older, i realize the possibility of loving two people at once. i know it's possible now to be with someone with all the right qualities, and to be with someone with all the wrong qualities except for that one. and it makes me question the type of man  i want to be with. who would i choose?

i blame it on the hair.

the abc's of snowboarding.

i'm not coordinated. not one bit.

but, i have friends and family who are.

i have a person at school and a person at home who both dig snowboarding.

i dabble in surfing, but the idea of being strapped onto the board is petrifying.
one thing they have in common, however, is the lingo. (channel Reggie & Otto Rocket...)

i found this snowboarding dictionary online. it's an online forum, so boarders from around the globe like mr.penguin, DaSchiz, and IceFaceRider add their own entries. the best bit is, they give the definition in their snowboarder speak. you'll see.

thought i would quickly give you my favorite new vocabulary words.

ACCESSORY MAN

A snowboarder with every piece of snowboard gear imaginable. He has been known to use it all at the same time whether or not the circumstances call for it.  

Can you think of a percussionist you know like this? Seriously, how many triangle beaters do you really need?  

ARTIC COUGAR

An old lady who goes for really young guys on the slopes and in the lodge. 

BEEF WELLINGTON

Something that's hella big or tricky

The innuendo potential here is earth-shattering.

BETTY

A girl who can't ride (a poser who is a girl). Characteristics include: a Roxy snowboard, sideslipping through park, flirting, being loud and obnoxious, matching jacket, pants, hat, etc.

I think I would rather be an Arctic Cougar... Or just read Jane Austen.

BLASTED A DOOKIE

Seeing someone fall really hard while watching from the lift. e.g. "That kid blasted a dookie."

This is not what I thought it would be... *cue cymbals*

BLAZIN' RAISIN

The old man who's just gunning it down the mountain.

Dr. Martynuik.

CHUMPLES

A fat kid that has no skillz.

Your team.

DEATH COOKIE

A big snowball in the middle of a run frozen to the ground.

hahahahahahahahahaha.

FREAK A LEEK

To take a piss.

FRUIT BOOTER

A word used to describe a skier.

LAWN CHAIR AIR

To jump very high and then to collapse like a lawn chair upon impact.

Very different from the Folded Lawnchair. (Our drumline exercise, of course).

SALAMI SANDWICH

The ridiculously overpriced food at the lodge. i.e. "that food is so salami sandwich."

Stick with me, I'll pack you a gourmet lunch, but for free.

TENDER VITTLES

Young men who go for Arctic Cougars

Yum?

YARD SALE

When a boarder bails so hard that their hat/goggles/etc go flying.

 

  

i intentionally left a bunch of good ones on the site. what's your favorite?
http://www.abc-of-snowboarding.com/snowboarddictionary.asp

root of the root

this is going to be the quintessential new year's blog post. i'm sorry to do it to you. kind of.

2011 was good. definitely good.

Spring

Spring of 2011 was an awesome semester. It was the first time in years I had been single for an extended period of time. I didn't have to worry about anyone or anything except me. Selfish, maybe. Refreshing, definitely. I was crazy with schoolwork, and I loved it. I felt so free to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I realized that you should feel like that even with  a boy in your life, or maybe even better.

This was also the semester that Megan Hall became my best friend. It's a long story, but it wasn't until our second semester living together that we realized we were in love. You would never tell, you would think we were friends since birth, because we act so stupid around each other. But seriously, I've never had a friend who gets me like that girl.

It was also the semester of David James. I think we first talked via Megan Hall's Skype. He is the perfect 'nice guy.' He's going to kill me for writing that. (What a contradiction!) It's lovely to know that people like him inhabit the world. 

Finally, it was the semester of Rebecca Wojtaszek. I'm so glad there is someone as quirky (and IBSy) as me in Cogswell. She's so strong. In her beliefs, in her friendships, and in her work. Really and truly, one of the most amazing people I've ever met.

Lastly, it was the semester that my cymbal ladies graduated. How daunting.

1. I have to do college without them.

2. I have to do bayund without them.

3. They're going on to do life. 

I mean, no matter what, Kerry and Sarah make my life easier. They always set the path one year before me, kind of giving me hope. Kerry and Sarah did it. I can do it too. That sort of thing.

Summer

This summer was the greatest learning experience I've ever had. My DC internship blog is one of my greatest accomplishments (in my opinion).

http://hideyourbadge.blogspot.com/

Fall

This fall, was also one of my greatest accomplishments. Just the sheer fact that I made it through. The volume of work I did was incredible, in addition to living with dudes, not being able to eat anything, and holding down a job. 

That being said, it was one of the best semesters ever. 

I got to know Cam & Sarah so well. I really needed them this semester, and do not know how I would have fared without them. For life.

I had a kickass drumline. Rookies '11 = Rookies '08. Grace will lead you home.

There were a ton of leadership lessons. Apparently I'm intimidating? 

I produced the Gen/Choral Assembly. Which no one, unless you've done it, really understands. Especially my parents. I try to explain it, but they just don't get it. I also sang in front of people. Which was absolutely, 100-percent, totally and completely petrifying.

Winter

This winter began the winter of trips that we, as a group of friends, will go on every year (hopefully.)

We went to Orlando. And I fell in love with these people all over again every day.

Kerry, Megan, Sarah, my new friend (Shane), Bean, & Cameron.

They each teach me new things all the time. It's really incredible. 

My new year's resolution is to be...

...as dedicated as Megan.

...as honorable as David.

...as strong as Rebecca.

...as thoughtful as Cameron.

...as caring as Sarah Shreve.

...as loyal as Kerry.

...as faithful as Sarah.

...as brave as Shane.

...as good a teacher as Bean.

living with gentlemen. no wait, boys.

i had the pleasure tragedy experience... i lived with boys this past semester.

why? well, because of certain circumstances i had to.

i found a cheap apartment for us... all 5 of us... (4 boys + 1 me = ApPpartment #4). it isn't the nicest of places, but it's in a decent location and it's cheap.

i had decent expectations, i think. i knew it would be dirty. i knew i could get woken up in the middle of the night. i knew the bathroom would probably always be disgusting. i also knew that i would have a pretty good time. boys are less drama, right? and they generally tell you what's up?

well, i was kind of right and kind of wrong.

the good
we really did have fun. in a way that's completely different than girl fun. i laugh with my current girl roommate/best friend, but it's not in the same way. boys are just ridiculous in the stunts they pull. boys do funny things while girls use witty words.

they were great about being straight-up about everything. there was little to no passive aggression, with the 'little' coming from me rather than any one of them. if they had an issue, they told me. if they were excited about something, they told me that too. if i needed relationship advice, they'd give that to me straight too.

it also helped me understand differences between boys and girls. for example, the guys would show me things all the time, have me check things, etc. 'look, raj! isn't this cool.' it was like i was the mom, and they needed approval. chicks don't do this. they look for approval, just not so bluntly.

one of the guys was an ex. weird that this is under 'the good', right? well, no. we had a terrific relationship, that i think got better after moving in. it is possible to have a super positive relationship with an ex, which was really refreshing to discover

we hosted parties... and they were the best parties i've been to while at school.

the bad
one time they blew up Ramen in the microwave (it caught it on fire), which was then put out with our fire extinguisher causing an ashy apartment at 3am. i slept on my windowsill trying to breathe.

they let one of the other guys we know live in our apartment for free. all semester.

i live next to the bathroom, so when you yell, "i gotta take a shit," then do the deed, and don't wash your hands... i know... when you do this everyday, it is almost mandatory that i would notice.

the ugly
did i mention they were all drummers? no? well they were. don't get me wrong. drummers/percussionists are all my friends. seriously. my best friends.  in fact, now that i think about it i have only ever dated drummers. sheesh.

i knew this going in. i knew that there would be constant drumming. i didn't know it would be on the hard side of the drum pad, all hours of the day and night, in the living room. i took 10 classes this semester. like 22 credits. so when i finally get to sleep, i should get to sleep. i earplugged, i listened to music, i slept with a pillow over my head. it worked out ok, i guess.

the dishes, though, were by far my greatest battle. if you dirty a dish, clean it. if you can't clean it now, clean it in a reasonable amount of time, so that others who come behind you can clean their own dishes without a clogged up sink full of dirty dishes... also, so that my really nice pots and pans don't get ruined.

i lost this battle.

when i left, there was a huge under-bed storage container full of dirty dishes... from weeks before thanksgiving. i left mid-December.

next semester, i'm living with my bff, a lady. when she took me out of the apartment to move me into her house, i felt like an woman being rescued from an abusive home. i didn't know i had so much anxiety about it until that moment, when i felt that. it was a huge sigh of relief.

i suppose i can't really blame them. i mean, as it got more and more gross, i stopped hanging out as often, and kept to myself when i was in the house. they resented me for that a bit, i think. i didn't feel welcome anymore. but now that i don't live there, they can't really have any expectations for me... so perhaps i'll bake a cake for them now and again... as long as i can make it in my own clean kitchen with an empty sink.

what's the wedding obsession?

my friend got engaged yesterday. she's lovely. as is he. it's the perfect time, it's the perfect couple. it's perfect. i could not be more thrilled for her. really and truly.

she sent me a sweet little text message... 'i'm getting married!'
this is what she's been waiting for, and because i know her so well, i know that it was the happiest day of her life. she gets to officially spend the rest of her life with her best friend. if everyone could be so lucky.

in the end, this is what it's all about. the marriage. the love.

it's not necessarily about the wedding.
from mainstream society, you wouldn't be able to tell that it's about the love. i question the emphasis that we put on the dress, the ring, the everything. you may argue that everyone questions these things... but i'm not so sure. there are 18 tv shows listed on bridestelevision that have to do with brides, bridezillas and weddings, but that's not counting shows such as the Bachelor/ette or Kim's Fairytale Wedding. (it was a little painful to look up the name of that, btw.)

i don't know the ratings, but on my own personal Raj-o-Meter, i would say that they are quite high, simply by the reasoning of how many of my girlfriends love Say Yes to the Dress (myself included)...

why are we obsessed with the wedding? women are stuffed with this desire for a beautiful wedding from the days of disney princesses and polly pockets. normal girls want the poofy dress, the rock of ages, and, eventually, the prince charming. (who is very handsome with lots of money)

it's not necessarily about the checklist.
cue Charlotte York. those women who can't move on to the next step without being married first.

sure, you want to be married. you want to share your life with someone. fine. wait. but don't stop living. i cater to my man/boy/date/whatever as much as the next lady, much like that Destiny's Child song. (if you don't know it, shame.shame.shame.) but, i almost pity the Charlotte Yorks who don't see themselves as more than a bride or wife.

why are we obsessed with the checklist? again, women are stuffed with this right process of life. school. job. marriage. kids. repeat. doesn't exactly leave a lot of room for those of us spontaneous folks. there's nothing wrong with the checklist, as long as it's not a crutch.

it is about the love.
let's face it, we love love. we love the idea of love. the real thing. falling in love. maybe even falling out of love. we love feeling anything to do with love. it makes you live aloud. it makes you feel alive.

and it's available in our favorite songs, our favorite photos, our favorite videos. it's everywhere.

Casey + Brandon from Fancy Rhino on Vimeo.

i love love too.

i haven't planned my wedding. i haven't even planned my checklist.

but i plan for love.