Flower child decor

I love bananas, but this banana vase is a little much (or how about a boobs jar?). However, this reminded me that I really need to get one of these gun vases....and then, of course, I probably need to get some flowers. ;)
p.s. D'oh, I just realized that the guy that originally showed me this years ago had a crush on me. It triggered something in my brain and I finally connected the dots. Well, that explains a lot. I'm an idiot.

Pop culture

This is just a list of current sh** that amuses me:

• Wow, look at that awesome beard! The look is just not complete without a nice pair of those Kanye glasses, though. Has anyone tried those on? You can't see a thing, but I guess that's the price of fashion.

• ...Which reminds me, no one should be paying any price for harem pants ever again. I can't believe they are in style this season. MC Hammer should have taught us all a thing or two:
  1. You should only wear those pants at some rather ambiguous and unknowable "hammer time," and you still "can't touch" them.
  2. Don't build a ridiculous mansion that you can't afford right by your old ghetto. You'll never sell that thing.

• Whoa dude, have you seen this Denny's campaign? I have mixed feelings about it. I enjoy the fact that they're acknowledging and targeting the late night drunk/stoner customers, but it's almost too blatant and low-brow. Well, I guess no one claimed Denny's was classy. Their grand slams are still delicious, though.

• Having milk and cereal after a workout helps your muscles recover and synthesize protein better than a sports drink does. I thought when I had my regular bowl of cereal (typically dinner) after taiko that I was just being lazy, but it turns out, I was being smart. Go me!
  

• I've started calling the last bit of milk in the fridge "miracle milk," because the expiration date says May 9 and it's still not bad. Well, it doesn't smell or look bad. I've been afraid to try it for a few days because today is May 26 and something should definitely be wrong with it. Maybe I should commemorate this event with a holiday, like Hanukkah, only with milk. Sponsored by Maggie Moo's. I'll probably just get new milk when I go shopping tomorrow.

• Cheney and Limbaugh should just go away. Blah blah blah, I'm so over it. You failed. Either go cry in a corner or start contributing something useful.
  

• John Mayer played a song at his concert last summer that I really liked, but I tried looking for it later and could not find it anywhere. Apparently it was a Herbie Hancock cover and not on any John Mayer cds. I recently overheard it playing at a restaurant and my friend came to the rescue and finally told me the name of the song. This is only part of it, but he's also only partially clothed, so it evens out. Too bad he's a bit of a whore. Oh well, I could maybe make an exception, just this once:
  

• Don't worry, guys, I didn't forget about you: www.explosionsandboobs.com.
  

• Someone was talking about their first celebrity crush the other day and I wasn't sure about mine...Then I remembered "Today's Special" and this guy. He can sing and dance, he's smart, and he's magical. Hey, I was 4, but I still admire those qualities. And in case you needed more blackmail, I used to play with a hat like that. See, when you take it off, you turn back into a mannequin. I should see if that still works (on Cheney and Limbaugh first). Hours of fun!

Never forget

Even though I am a bleeding heart, peace-loving liberal, I respect the troops that fought and died for this country and who continue to do so. I do not quite understand that mindset in every case, but I respect the decision. My uncle died in Vietnam. It is the ultimate sacrifice and it affects so many people. However, especially in the cases of Vietnam and Iraq, I wonder why they must pay the price for the mistakes of politicians. In honor of Memorial Day, I decided to watch Rush To War, a documentary on Iraq.

Perhaps I am a masochist, or perhaps I am still grasping for a reasonable answer to the whole thing. I'm pretty sure that a reasonable answer does not exist, but I'm also pretty sure that the super neo-cons (Rumsfeld, Cheney, etc.) were just waiting for a catastrophic event like 9/11 to launch this plan (actually, there's a 1997 new ideology document that talks about how they would need a "Pearl Harbor type event" to "sell" the idea). As for the rest of America, this could suffice: "The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger." ~Herman Goering, Nazi Reichsmarshall

Gag reflex test

I got carried away with facebook quizzes again and one of the quizzes I came across was "Who is your perfect match?" I figure the result is too sickeningly cute and uncanny not to share, really. It's too cute for a facebook post, though. I mean, more than 3 people might actually see it there. I took it more than once, just to be sure that it wasn't rigged or something, but I got the same result. Try not to gag. :-P

Your Result: Intelligent Thinker
Your perfect match is someone who is kind, creative and quiet. This person is a thinker, someone who enjoys observing and analyzing the world. This type of person is content to let you do all the talking, yet is intelligent and bright and can contribute a wealth of knowledge to any conversation. While this person might seem aloof or even shy, once you get to know them, they are incredibly interesting, full of life and their serious side will compliment your more out-going nature. The top traits they are looking for in a mate include someone who is supportive, compassionate and understands their introverted nature. While this person might be somewhat skeptical that love exists because they are not big risk-takers and they choose their friends cautiously, deep down they are ready and eager to fall in love and will fall deeply for you, forming a deep and eternal bond.

Best week ever

This has been a great week so far and I'm pretty sure it will extend into the weekend. My sister graduated on Monday. *sigh* She was in the top 10 of her class (out of...130?), too, which is pretty cool. However, she said something like, "I didn't think I would get it. I only have a 3.9. I've gotten like 4 B's"...In her entire high school career. Too bad she hates school and seems to lack ambition. I'm sort of Miss Over-Achiever and she's Miss Apathetic. Later that night, she went to the lock-in and I went to an impromptu blues bar. Good times were had by all...

Tuesday was taiko, as usual. I ended up teaching the group a new song by default after the leader of the group had to leave. It worked out pretty well and looked so much better by the end of practice. We need to do that more often, with all the songs. It often feels like I'm the only one commenting on sloppy choreography, but I guess I'm also the most attuned to it. They don't call me the "arm nazi" for nothing.

Wednesday was dinner and "girls night out" with my sister at the glass factory. We got massages and made glass paperweights. I'm not sure that my papers need weighting, but hopefully it will at least be a nice little decoration. I'll find out when I pick it up in the next few days.

Last night taiko performed at UMSL's "Spring To Dance" festival. A guy from my flamenco class and a hip hop instructor that I keep seeing around town happened to be there, as was the crazy interpretive dancer lady that shows up at these kinds of events. The group got two tickets to the real show, and since I'm the dancer, they went to me! Well, me and uh...a mystery person, I guess, in the group leader's mind. When a (practically) former group member/my guest showed up for the dance show, the leader assumed it was a complete coincidence (because, you know, this other person loves dance so much). He said, "Oh, you should have told us! UMSL gave us two tickets and we gave them to Julie." Uh, yeah...I knew the leader was clueless, but I thought maybe he would put 2 and 2 together. I don't think that he ever did. I was amused.

Tonight is a free beer party at the dueling piano bar! Yes, FREE beer from 5:30-8 and no cover. Pretty ridiculous if you ask me. I responded to an email from the place for a chance to win this party, and I guess I won. I reserved a table for 12 and it should be almost full. I'm pretty excited because it's always a good time.

Speaking of winning, they should be pulling my name out of a raffle at work any minute now. It was "employee appreciation week." We had flying pancakes on Monday (we had to catch them on the plate) and a surprise on Tuesday (a really nice picnic blanket with a handle, perfect for summer concerts). Plus, my boss brought me back fancy chocolate from her recent trip to Switzerland. Thursday was half a day and then a picnic at Creve Coeur Park, and today they're drawing names for 22 different prizes. I'm shooting for the 2 round trip airline tickets.

Tomorrow's a birthday party, Sunday is Third Eye Blind, and Monday is an extra day off work. Awesome.

5 Things Happy People Do

I consider myself to be a pretty happy person, and it has a lot to do with my attitude and perspective. I choose to make the most of what I have and consciously appreciate it. I came across this article called "Five Things Happy People Do," and while I haven't mastered any of these (maybe the best friends one), I think I generally follow these basic rules. I am not a motivational speaker, but here's my summary, based on the article:

1. Find your most golden self. Passive, pleasure-oriented contentment is okay (relaxing on a beach, etc.), but eudonic happiness (pursuing excellence) works better. Actively strive for personal growth. Know your unique talents and potential and do something about them.
2. Design your life to bring in joy. Spend less time on things you hate and more time on things you like. Everyone has obligations that aren't exactly pleasant, but they don't have to consume your entire day. Even a small shift in the balance can help, so take action.
   
3. Avoid "if only" fantasies. Live in the present, not the future. Don't expect some future occurrence to miraculously solve everything. Once (if) you get that, the excitement will eventually wear off. Instead, switch things up to keep it interesting--try a new hobby or a new spin on something familiar.
4. Put best friends first. Social engagement is important, obviously. You get more joy from spending longer periods of time with a close friend, though, as opposed to a bunch of acquaintances. You don't even have to get into anything heavy, just spending time together does the trick.
   
5. Allow yourself to be happy. Don't feel guilty. Sure, you should take care of others, but don't forget yourself. Happy people tend to be more open to helping others and they live longer, too.

They grow up so fast

I'm in a writing kind of mood, but nothing specific is coming to mind. Maybe something will magically form as I'm typing. Let's see...today I went to my sister's "Rose & Candle Ceremony." It's an awards ceremony and also a symbolic thing where the seniors pass the torch (candle) on to the juniors. Kind of nice, kind of long. I'm glad I went, though. She got some awards and I saw her in her graduation gown for the first time. She graduates on Monday and she'll be going to college in August! I can't believe that. As I always say, I (thought I) was so much older at that age.

Since I'm 7 years older than her, she has kind of always been my pseudo baby. We have sort of a love-hate relationship--sometimes we're so goofy and affectionate that it's rather sickening and sometimes we drive each other crazy. We're pretty close, though, despite the age difference and relative lack of things in common. Our similarities don't extend too far beyond our looks, music, the occasional movie, and our secret gangsta swagger (hehe). Her school did a "senior sendoff" variety show and she was in a skit. I saw a video of it and was thinking "Which one is she?" until...out of nowhere, someone threw up a gangster-style peace sign and got the girl next to her to do some sort of (sitting down) hip hop move! Okay, we are related. :) I hate to see her grow up and "leave the nest," so to speak, but I think it will be good for her.

I happened across my yearbook from senior year the other day, and I had no idea that this was my senior quote: "Wisdom has two parts: 1) Having a lot to say 2) Not saying it." After I saw it, though, I remembered that I found that on the inside of a Dove chocolate wrapper. Actually, if you think about it, that is rather fitting.

Tips for spicing up awkward English phrases

Why don't they make videos like this for people learning Japanese? I could totally learn it this way. I'll let you know if at least the dances translate in Japan. The "diarrhea" and "it's your fault that this happened" phrases might be essential (in any and all languages, really).





Wait..."hasta la vista?"

Countdown to happy hour...

I think that I might relate to men more often than I relate to women (as scary as that sounds), or I at least usually "get it." Sometimes I am still baffled, but for the most part, I guess the following result makes sense. All those years of studying must have paid off. ;-P

You Have Your PhD in Men

You understand men almost better than anyone. You accept that guys are very different, and you read signals well. Work what you know about men, and your relationships will be blissful.

How Well Do You Understand Men?

You are a Romantic Realist

Okay, so you fall in the middle. You know that love isn't like a greeting card... Yet you can always find a greeting card to describe your feelings. You are the best of both worlds Girly yet independent, dreamy yet serious. Almost any guy can find balance with you.

Are You a Romantic or Realistic Girl?

Oh yeah, Happy Mother's Day

If you haven't seen this yet...well, where have you been? I've had this song in my head all day. Enjoy!

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

Fun things to do this summer

I'm always looking for something fun and different to do around town, and I usually find it. I tend to write ideas down on scrap paper periodically to keep track, but I thought I'd just try to collect my thoughts in one place, right here. There's nothing wrong with the typical bar and music scene, but these things will break you out of your routine. "There's nothing to do" is no excuse, you just don't know where to look! This should get you through July, anyway. ;) Feel free to consult the list and let me know if you're interested in going with me--if I'm not already there, I'll probably want to go (time is the only issue...). Oh yeah, did I mention these things are all either free or $10 at most? Bonus. Here we go:

Outdoor Concerts and Festivals

• Belleville Art on the Square (this weekend)
• Spring To Dance Festival: May 21-23 at the Touhill (inside, but whatever)
  
• Rib America: May 22-24 (Third Eye Blind on Sunday!!)
• Fabulous Fridays (jugglers, fire dancers, guitarists, etc. on the street): starts May 15, 5-10pm, Central West End
  
• Clayton's "Parties In The Park:" third Wed. of the month
• Shakespeare In The Park: May 20-June 14, 8pm except on Tuesdays
• Jungle Boogie Friday Night Concert Series: 5-8pm at the zoo, starts on May 22
• Twilight Tuesdays: free concerts outside the history museum, 6:30pm until May 26
• Whitaker Music Festival: free concert on Wednesdays (June-July) at MO Botanical Garden, 7:30pm
  
• St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival: June 5 & 6 (new addition, and ok this one is $30 before June 4)
• RFT Music Showcase: June 7, 1pm-midnight, various places in The Loop
  
• "Live On The Levee:" weekends July 3-Aug. 1
• Soulard Bastille Days Festival, July 17-19
• "Girls Night Out" at Third Degree Glass Factory (how fun is that?!)
  

Spring/Summer Activities

• Drive-In Movie (Fri.-Sun.)
• "Frontyard Features:" free outdoor movies at various locations
  
• Boathouse, Forest Park
• The Muny, June 15-Aug. 9
• Arch Rival Roller Girls
  
• Ghost Tour of Alton
• Katy Trail
• Botanical Garden
• Bocce Ball, Milo's Bocce Garden (The Hill)
  
• Laumeier Sculpture Park
  
• Horse races
• Car races
• Grizzlies or River City Rascals baseball game
  

All Year Round

• Funny Bone (Westport)
  
• Mini golf (blacklight mini golf? St. Louis Mills)
• Ice/Roller Skating
• Archery/Canoeing at Creve Coeur Park
  
• Art Museum
• Horseback riding
  
• Theology at the Bottleworks (Schlafly), third Wed. of the month
• Jive & Wail (6-8 on Fridays in June, FREE beer and no cover)
• Third Degree Glass Factory Open House, third Friday of the month
  
• Dave & Buster's
  
• Laser tag
• Paintball
• City Museum
  
• Albino Alley Cat Revue

Unfortunately, I can't do it all, but I like to try. This does not even include other concerts and family/friend things I have planned! I have made a hobby out of keeping myself entertained. :)

Dear former self

I read an article about someone who decided to write a letter to his former, 16-year-old self. It inspired me to do the same:

Dear 16-year-old Self,

This is an especially tough year in terms of family crises, but you are stronger than you think. Things get better (well, it comes in waves). Don't brood over it too much and be nicer to your mom. You are wise beyond your years in many ways, but don't rush the maturation process. Party and experiment more in college and even a little in high school--within reason, of course, but I shouldn't have to tell you that. (For starters, mysterious blond guys and alcohol are an interesting mix.) You have a lot of potential and many people will encourage you, but it won't do you any good until you start believing in yourself.

Most relationships are overrated and transitory, so there's really nothing wrong with you for deciding that you have more interesting or important things to do. In almost all cases, you actually do. This philosophy seems crazy to some people, but it will make you a more well-rounded, independent person in the future. Plus, you bring more to a relationship this way. Believe it or not, you can be independent and paired up at the same time, under the right circumstances.

If you like a guy and you think he likes you back, he almost definitely does. You don't have to do anything about it, necessarily, but don't avoid taking a risk for fear of "ruining the friendship" or [insert bs excuse], either. If he doesn't make a move and you move on, he is much more likely to regret it later and . . . well, you probably won't regret it at all, but you will be kicking yourself for second guessing your intuition once again. I'm pretty sure those don't work out for a reason, though. Which reminds me, do yourself a huge favor and always trust your initial instincts. You cannot and should not trick yourself into thinking or feeling otherwise.

Also, don't work so much. That hard work in school pays off for a while, but it won't last forever. You can still be good at your job and maintain a social life on weekdays. Those jerks (the jerks that make decisions) won't appreciate the effort, anyway, not really.

The world won't end when things don't go as you planned. Go with the flow and see where it takes you. Appreciate life's many processes and know that the only constant in life is change. You are sure to be surprised.

Love,

Your 24-year-old Self

p.s. Get renter's insurance and don't jump at the first opportunity to go to New York.

Weekend update

I should be packing. Right now I'm in the "throw everything on the floor/bed and consider putting it in a bag" stage. Okay, "everything" is an exaggeration, but try telling that to my messy room. I have one set of clothes figured out and at least a good portion of my toiletries so far, so it's a start. Usually I wait until the last minute, but I already know saving it all for tomorrow is out of the question. Since I'm only bringing a carry on, I have to make sure all the liquids are less than 3oz. I'm not bringing too much, anyway, since I will only be gone a few days.

This is the weekend that I'm going to visit Melissa in Baltimore! This is her final grad school book reading, and I'm pretty excited that I'll finally get to see what she's been working on. Plus, of course, it will be good to see her.

This is also the last weekend I will be able to leave town until the end of June. After this, my Monday dance class will move to Saturday until recital, and I'm pretty sure I have at least one additional thing planned all of those weekends, too. Spring marks the beginning of festival season! I love it.

I feel sort of guilty for skipping some taiko practices, but there are too many fun things going on. Last night Joel took me to the Cardinals game and we ended up on tv (Fox Sports Midwest, wherever they show that)! Like, they zoomed in on us for several seconds. Originally, I thought the camera was focused on his cute cousins in front of us and we happened to be behind them, but it turns out that we were actually the focal point. That strikes me as odd, though, because I thought they pretty much liked to zoom in on either cute kids or attractive girls (often blondes) with minimal clothing, so I'm not sure where we fit in there. Maybe they were trying to decipher my hand gestures. I guess that means the secret's out, though...if, in fact, it was a secret and if, in fact, more than one of my friends or acquaintances watches the game that closely. Ha. Yesterday was also Cinco De Mayo, and I'm considering celebrating the 5th of every month with a gigantic blue margarita from now on. Hey, why not?

What else happened this week? I'm behind on my writing...oh! I finished teaching the dance to my class. Um, yeah. They don't really know it yet, but they at least learned it. We can spend the rest of the month cleaning it up, even if it means stopping my flamenco class in order to have more review time for hip hop class. They'll get it, I think. I hope. They have to...or else! (uh, or else...they won't know it and I'll feel bad. Yeah!).

Oh, I guess I'm not going to Off Broadway tonight. An old Momentum coworker invited me because it's sponsored by them (well, one of their brands), but I feel like I'll barely know anyone there anymore. Besides, I already went to my weekly happy hour event. Actually, these days, every hour that I spend outside of work (dance doesn't count as work) seems to be pretty "happy" (with or without the alcohol). :)

"Empathy" is a four letter word?

A supreme court justice just announced his retirement last weekend, and Obama said he would pick a replacement judge that has "empathy." According to Fox News, this means that Obama wants an "activist" judge, which in turn makes him/her "pro choice." Obviously, "empathy" and "activist" can only describe bleeding heart, crazy liberals...? What does that say about conservatives? Is Fox News implying that pro choice people are more empathetic than pro-lifers?

Somehow, I doubt it, but then I fail to see their logic. I must be missing something. Of course, I am just speculating as well, but maybe, just maybe, Fox News would have manipulated his words regardless of what he actually said. Maybe they jumped to conclusions a little too soon. *gasp* Obama may go with a pro choice judge, sure, but his speech didn't actually reveal anything specific.

I am more surprised at the fact that empathy in a judge is considered such a terrible thing. Maybe I'm naive, but I thought our constitution was at least partially built on empathy, and that empathy and the law can actually co-exist. In fact, if they were mutually exclusive, I'm pretty sure we would be living under some kind of dictatorship...or at least another administration.

P.S. In case you were wondering, that last statement is not meant to imply Bush or anyone in particular. Bush is disqualified, since I'm pretty sure his administration was mostly devoid of both the constitution and empathy. :-o (haha, zing)