In which I pretend I am Kate Winslet

I'm taking a break from musically themed posts this week despite the fact that it's the first week of Jazz Fest and I would rather be listening to music at the Fairgrounds than going to work. Such is life. Instead we return to this year's quest: to be the leading lady of my own life.

This entire quest is inspired by the wonderful character Iris from the delightful movie The Holiday. I love this movie despite the fact that it is highly improbable that any of the events in the movie would actually take place in real life. However, I also love Xanadu so my ability to suspend disbelief for cinematic enjoyment is pretty strong. I identify most with Iris in the movie (Cameron Diaz is a bit difficult to identify with for lots of reasons). Iris works for a newspaper writing a wedding column and pining (artistically) for Jasper Bloom, her colleague and general bad boy of the movie. When she finds out that Jasper is engaged, she has a mini-meltdown which involves crying and wearing very comfy looking sweaters (it's England and winter). Across the pond in L.A., Cameron Diaz is also having guy problems having just thrown Edward Burns out of her house (she probably watched his terrible movies) and is unable to cry about it. The only solution: house-swap for the holidays.

Because that is how life works. Additionally, Jude Law is Iris's brother and Jack Black is a composer who befriends Iris in L.A. Now we have the potential of meet cutes, awkward kisses, my second favorite coffee drink (see above photo), and a video store. This movie has a lot going on. Side note: Jack Black is surprisingly good in this movie. There are some bits of "Jack Black being Jack Black" but he's fairly subdued and has several of the best lines in the movie. (My favorite: "Iris, if you were a melody... I'd use only the good notes.")

In addition to befriending Jack Black, Iris also befriends her elderly neighbor Arthur (played by Eli Wallach). I love, love, love, love Arthur. He tells Iris about meet cutes and explains to her the concept of being the leading lady of her own life. In these few words, Arthur gives Iris the push she needs to be herself and live her life and stop the pining for Jasper. Two of my favorite words, gumption and moxie, are also discussed. 

So I've been attempting to do a better job of being the leading lady of my own life this year. I feel like I've been making progress: making bolder fashion choices, going out more with different groups of friends, getting involved with volunteering again. Dating is one area I haven't made much progress on but the year is still young so I'm sure this will change at some point. Or I'll resign myself to wandering the Earth alone like the Incredible Hulk.

Fashion and dating are a small part of the leading lady quest. June will be the true test of whether or not I can do this.  I'm finally going to Paris. After years of talking about it, I'm finally doing it. This week I will book my flight (finally) and decide where to stay. I had considered staying at a hotel (which is perfectly normal) but then I remembered The Holiday. Why stay at a hotel when I can stay in a lovely (hopefully) apartment in the neighborhood of my choice? While it's not house-swapping, the idea of staying in an apartment in Paris makes me sublimely happy. I've already gotten some recommendations from friends who have done it and I'm on my way to finding the right place. It's seems more affordable than a hotel and I think it'll be more conducive to my desire to experience Paris rather than just visit the city.

I've been spending time on both airbnb.com and housetrip.com to find my ideal Parisian apartment. It's fascinating looking at apartments in another country. I complain about the tininess of my apartment but it's a mansion compared to many of the Paris apartments I'm considering. It's possible that my closet is larger than the apartment I will eventually settle on but it doesn't matter. No one goes to Paris to sleep and stay indoors.

What matters is that in a month and a half I will be the City of Light and enjoying whatever happens while I'm there. While I do have a short list of things to see and do, my plan is to see where each day takes me. Like Kate, I will embrace the people I meet and become the leading lady of my own life.

And possibly have a moment exactly like this:

Images from  http://www.thecinemasource.com/blog/movies/the-holiday/ (top image) and
http://www.fanpix.net/3089509/012041774/the-holiday-2006-picture.html

Clearly Metro does not appreciate Record Store Day

I hope that everyone got out and enjoyed Record Store Day 2013. I had a wonderful RSD although a very different one from what I've experienced in past years. This was my first DC area RSD and the first time I had company. Normally, my RSD trips are solitary events - not because I'm antisocial but because I enjoy going to record stores alone. While I don't dislike company, I tend to focus on what I'm doing and forget that people are with me. Then I feel sort of like a jerk.

Anyway, this RSD I was joined by my friend Anita and two friends from work and one of them brought a friend so really I had sort of a RSD gang. In addition to having people with me for the first time, I was also introducing one of my oldest friends (Anita) to new friends. If I'm not mistaken, it was everyone's first RSD so I'm not entirely sure what their expectations were for the day.  I'm also not the best at bringing my social worlds together - I guess at least I had the benefit of a shared love of music to bridge any odd gaps.

While I love the fact that so many artists put out special releases for the day, I go to support local stores and fill out my collection of albums and CDs. I buy special releases but they're not the focus. You have to get up early to get most of the special releases and we didn't do that. Given that Metro started weekend track work again this weekend (after a month-long break for the Cherry Blossom festivities), getting anywhere early was a challenge this weekend. Anita and I took a shuttle from Clarendon to Rosslyn, an orange line train to Metro Center, a red line train to Farragut North and then a second red line train to Dupont Circle. Then we walked to Adams Morgan to meet everyone else at Smash! Records, our first stop of the day. Normally, Metro craziness would annoy me but it was totally fine. I thought it was super easy to get around (just mildly inconvenient). Maybe it was the excitement of Record Store Day - sort of like a zen state that allowed me to ignore annoyed Metro riders and those trying to push their way to an empty train that's waiting for them. Seriously, no need to rush.

Our start at Smash! Records brings me to the second new element of RSD 2013: celebrating in DC. My past experiences were in Alameda/Oakland and New Orleans. Records stores like Amoeba and Rasputin (where I went last year) and Peaches and Louisiana Music Factory in New Orleans are larger and designed for optimal browsing. They also have live performances during RSD (and throughout the year) which make it all seem more like an event. Stores like Smash! and Crooked Beat Records (our second stop) are tiny. There was a line outside of each one and as a person left, another one was let in. It was a totally different experience. I also found that there was way less record store clerk snark this year than last - I had great conversations with staff at all of the stops. It was refreshing.

I have to commend Crooked Beat for their organizational style. They kept all the special releases behind the counter. You looked at the list and asked for the records. It wasn't as chaotic as other stores I've been to and you could actually find what you were looking for. It also allowed people to browse in the rest of the store without feeling like they were in the way. My favorite quote of the day happened here as well. One of the clerks was complaining to the owner about the CD that was playing (Miles Davis) and asked when they could change it. The bag check guy replied, "I've been listening to indie rock and punk since 9 am. You can't sit through one Miles Davis CD for me?" This got a lot of laughs.

Our group went separate ways after lunch and Anita and I returned to Virginia for our last two stops: CD Cellar and Galaxy Hut. Crooked Beat was my favorite store of the day but CD Cellar is my actual local record store and I love the fact that I can say that. I found some great used CDs here to fill in the gaps of my collection and had a nice chat with the clerk about The Dirtbombs, a great band out of Detroit. He saw their most recent tour; I saw them a few years ago. Apparently, they're still making bad choices when it comes to their opening acts. There's a job I would like: helping bands select opening acts. I think I would kill at this.

CD Cellar is a few blocks away from my office. This is both awesome and dangerous. I'm going to try to visit more often and use it as a place to go if I'm having a bad day. It's better to take a short walk and browse through the records and CDs for an hour than to stew over something.

We finished our day at Galaxy Hut. This is not a record store but a dive bar right in the heart of Clarendon. It has become my favorite bar and I thought it was the perfect place to end the day and enjoy some good music (they play excellent music), beer, and tater tots. You can't go wrong with tater tots (unless they're sweet potato tots - I hate sweet potatoes).

The only negative thing that happened all day occurred while Anita and I were waiting for the rest of the group at Smash. There was a short line outside the store and all the punks and indie kids put on their finest for the day. Two preppier girls (leggings, short sweaters, large Starbucks coffees) walked by and one stopped to ask someone in line what was going on. Her friend was mortified by this and when one of the kids in line told her, she laughed in his face and walked away. As they were passing Anita and I, they both made snarky comments about nerds and how stupid it was. Anita's response was perfect: "You can judge me when you wear real pants." This should be on a bumper sticker.

All in all, I thought it was a great day. As much as I missed the larger stores like Amoeba, I really enjoyed my experience at the smaller stores. It felt more personal and the staff was more likely to talk to you than just move you through the line. I hope my friends enjoyed their first RSD and will either join me or go on their own in future years -thanks for going with me everyone! I hope the Starbucks girls realize the error of their ways and also invest in some real pants (Anita suggests culottes or gauchos). Most importantly, I've got a whole bunch of "new" music to listen to and enjoy over the next few days.

If you missed the RSD Bad Shakespeare/Island of Misfit Toys crossover, make sure you take some time to read them both. Read Bad Shakespeare's list here and my list over on Bad Shakespeare's blog.

All released in 1979! Great year for music.

 

 

 

Pumpkin approves of my choices.

Rock N Roll "Cage Match" - I still don't like Billy Joel

Today is Record Store Day! Kids, records stores were the iTunes back in our day, but rather than being able to download an infinite number of songs at a moments notice, you had to actually go to a store. It was also difficult because if you didn’t hear what the name of the song was when the DJ announced it, you were stuck trying to hum it to a guy who really didn’t know it, but was going to point you in the direction of some shelf to keep you from talking to him.

           

I joke, but Record Stores were places where people could get together and enjoy music. It was more than just a place to buy music, it was a community.  It was a different time. Back then, Nicki Minaj was called “Lil’Kim”, the boy bands were boy bandier, and no one was quite sure what a Simon Cowell was and he wasn’t responsible for 40% of the Karoke contests on television.

In honor of Record Store Day, The Island and I wanted to discuss what music means to us. These aren’t necessarily my favorite songs, these are the ones that mean something to me. So here they are. They aren’t in any particular order, unless you’re paranoid and you want to see something in it. Maybe it spells out the name of where I buried the treasure.

1.  “River of Dreams” by Billy Joel. I’m a huge Billy Joel fan, and I could name pretty much any Billy Joel song that he’s ever written. I’m always saddened that he doesn’t seem to get as much respect as he deserves. Listening to Billy Joel is like listening to history. (Fact: He wanted to be a  History Teacher, and it shows in the music he writes. Yep. Writes. Not comes out of the compu-writer 7000) But “River of Dreams” was the first Billy Joel Album I owned. It was the first song I heard of his that I discovered on my own. I’d heard other Billy Joel that my parents listened to, but this was different. This was one that I heard. It was my song. I couldn’t get enough of
2. “Nicole’s Song”/”The River 1873” by the Virginia Coalition. I’m doubling up! Yes, I’m cheating on someone else’s blog! These are from the same album, VACO (as the cool kids call them)’s very first. I was given the pleasure of reviewing their first album for my college paper. I really enjoyed it, but these two songs just really affected me.” The River;1873” is a work of art. It’s a story within a song, and I’ve listened to it a million times and I just can’t wrap my brain about it, and I keep wanting to enjoy it.“Nicole’s Song”, I discovered much later, but it just evokes so much perfect emotion. It’s a beautiful, devastating song about love. One of the best love songs that’s out there We’ve all had feelings for someone but the timing just doesn’t work out for whatever reason. We’ve all felt like in another world, another time, if just something would work out... we could be together. It’s a devastating, haunting, beautiful feeling.
3. “Birdhouse in Your Soul” by They Might be Giants. How can any life changing list exist without They Might Be Giants? Blue Canary in the Outlet by the Lightswitch/who watches over you... Fantastic lyrics, fantastic fun that hides a deeper meaning. They Might Be Giants taught me that you can do something deep... but hide it in something amazing. 
4.  “Vienna” by Linda Eder. You’d expect more musical type songs from me, who’s a musical type, and while this song isn’t from a musical it’s got that “musical” quality. It’s a story song, written from the point of view of a lover that is looking back on better times. A lot of songs look back at better times. A lot of songs look back on former lovers. This one manages to combine it into a coherent story. And it’s not a musical. It’s just an amazing song that needs to be experienced, not really listened to.
5. “Cineplex Carmex” by My New Mixtape. My New Mixtape isn’t so much a band as is an experience. It was started by a member of the Virginia Coalition, and features a lot of different local artists. While again, they have a large stable of excellent songs, but I picked this one because the first time I heard it, I had to listen to it about seven or eight more times to make sure I got it. It’s another relatable song... it’s about a first date. But the whole thing is done with a robot voice. (They joke that it’s a robot love song.) But the robot voice forces you to focus on the words... (Words are important!) I dare you to listen to this one just one.
6. “Cologne”/”Best Imitation of Myself”/”Evaporated” by Ben Folds/Five. I picked both eras, where Ben Folds was solo, and back when he was with the trio of Ben Folds Five. At any time, he is still one of the best songwriters in the world. I could go into a lot of detail on this, but again, it comes down to the words. These are some of the best written songs that have ever been written, particularly the wordplay of Cologne and Evaporated. Evaporated was one of the songs that got me hooked on Ben Folds. Both can be torn down to their essence and enjoyed. The greatest is still “Best Imitation of Myself” which again, speaks to me at a certain time. Sometimes the hardest thing we can do is be ourself. But sometimes we have to wonder if we make the face until it stuck.
7. “1000 Goodbyes” by Captain Tractor. What? You mean you don’t listen to a lot of Canadian Celtic Folk Rock? 1000 Goodbyes. It’s a song about being leaving, and being terrible about saying goodbye. Who hasn’t done that? As a military brat, I’ve done it a lot.
8. “Hail Mary” by Eddie From Ohio. I have to include EFO on here, which again is a local (ish) band. But this song speaks to me as well. It’s a retelling of the Prodigal Son story, but in a way that anyone can relate to. Plus, just try not to enjoy a line that says, “I’m a buck twenty five from being broke and a Hail Mary shy of redemption.” It just breaks things down in a way that I hadn’t thought of before.

Yes, there’s more than 10. I cheated. I’m priceless. I hope you take this opportunity to download and listen to some of these songs.

The Island responds:

Happy Record Store Day! I hope that you take the time today to go out to your local record store and buy some music. Music is the great connector and places like record stores create communities of people that probably wouldn't be if left to their own devices. There's a great book, Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon, that tells this exact story (read it-you'll love it). If you love music and your local record store, you should be out today enjoying the day and basking in the music nerd love of RSD. I'll share my RSD experiences later this week.

Onto the list. I would like to point out that Bad Shakespeare cheated - there are more than 10 songs on this list. But in the spirit of RSD and because music makes us all do crazy things, I'll let this slide. I'm cool that way. The other thing that you have to realize is that there is no winner - both of our lists are perfect. They're perfect because music is a very personal experience. Even when you're at a concert with hundreds or thousands of other people, you're still connecting to the music in a personal way. This is one of the many reasons I both love and hate sharing music with other people - I know how I feel about it and I love hearing their reactions. But I also get a bit paranoid and possessive - I really don't want them to ruin the song or band for me. I'm fine if they hate it but I don't want my experience to change because of their reaction. This is all part of the musical journey that we take and why I don't talk about music on first dates.

Has Bad Shakespeare convinced me that Billy Joel is the greatest? No, he has not. But I would never begrudge or judge his love of the Piano Man. I think his experience with "River of Dream" is very similar to my experience with "Little Earthquakes" or "Thirteen"; these were songs I discovered on my own and became foundations for the way I think about and approach music. I always thought Billy Joel's music was my parents' music (even though neither of them listened to Billy Joel). Billy Joel is a hugely talented musician but his music has never spoken to me the way it does to Bad Shakespeare. So I will not be purchasing a Billy Joel album or CD today as I enjoy RSD. I will, however, stop rolling my eyes when someone tells me just how much they love Billy Joel.

What's awesome about this list is that I haven't heard the vast majority of it until today. I love They Might Be Giants (saw them in concert recently) and Ben Folds Five. Ben Folds is an exceptionally good songwriter and I am putting my name into be the next Mrs. Ben Folds. I've heard Eddie from Ohio before but never got into the band. I've never heard songs by Virginia Coalition, My New Mixtape, or Captain Tractor (I didn't even know Canadian Celtic bands were a thing). While Bad Shakespeare hasn't changed how I feel about Billy Joel, he's given me some new bands to listen to. To me, that's a win.

Head over to Bad Shakespeare to see my list and read his response to my songs. Happy Record Store Day!

Lazy Movie Weekend: What's with today today?

Where do I even begin with Empire Records? There are lots of movies about music that are wonderful and probably way more "important" than this movie but there's something perfect about Empire Records. Maybe it's because it existed in a very specific time (1995) when wild things were going on in music. People still bought actual music. We didn't download songs - we went to record stores, browsed through the stacks, and walked out with a bag of awesome. We'd go home, open our albums or CDs (which inevitably included not getting all of the label off so you struggled to actually open the case) and listen to the music while reading the liner notes. And then we'd listen to the record or CD again and again. And probably make a mix tape for someone.

I love this movie. When I was a teenager, I loved it because it was cool. I remember reading somewhere that it was only released in New York and Los Angeles (I have no idea if this is actually true and can't find an article or anything to support this). I thought that was badass. I wanted to dress like Corey but act like Deb. I had a huge crush on Lucas. And Joe (the wonderful Anthony LaPaglia) was the ideal boss - dressed like a rock star, played drums (to my favorite AC/DC song), and genuinely cared about his employees even if it didn't always seem like it. I wanted to work at Empire Records, be their friend, and marry Lucas. That was my dream.

What's not to love about this movie? I could have gone on for pages and pages but tried to pick the best of the best for this LMW:

• The movie takes place in Delaware. Yes, Delaware. 
• April 8 = Rex Manning Day. Mark it on your calendars and make sure you prepare accordingly in the future.
• Nothing good ever happens in Atlantic City.
• "I'm guided by a force much greater than luck." Lucas - I'm convinced that Lucas is a ninja.
• Coyote Shivers (the guy that played Berko) was married to Bebe Buell at the time of filming. This made him Liv Tyler's stepdad.
• The bridge is the same one used on the show One Tree Hill. Thank you, Katie!
• "My dad sad there's 24 usable hours in a day."-Corey. I should tattoo this somewhere.
• The video for "Say No More, Mon Amour" - on the Remix version of the DVD (which I own), I can watch the entire video. I will never, ever do this.
• The Remix version of the DVD actually has extra scenes cut into the film (you don't have to watch them separately). I haven't yet decided if they're all worth the extra time or not.
• It's possible that we glued quarters to the floor of the theatre's paint room in high school because of this movie. 
• The only Dire Straits song that matters: "Romeo and Juliet"
• Robin Tunney really did shave her head. And looks amazing.
• A.J.: I have to tell Corey that I love her by 1:37. Lucas: That's an excellent time.
• "What's with today today?" Lucas is the best character.
• "Well Sinead O'Rebellion. Shock me, shock me, shock me with that deviant behavior." Gina
• Holy purple shirt, Rex Manning! 
• "Let me explain it to you. Mitchell's the man. I'm the idiot. You're the screw up. And we're all losers. Welcome to Music Town." Joe
• Ethan Embry's sister is in this movie (autograph girl) and Maxwell Caufield's stepdaughter is the ballet dancer.
• "I don't feel that I need to explain my art to you Warren." A.J.
• A friend recently told me that he doesn't like the song "A Girl Like You" by Edwyn Collins. His reason is because he doesn't like the sound of Edwyn's voice (I can sort of get behind this argument but not entirely). I would argue that it could be because it's the song that plays when Gina hooks up with Rex. To me, this implies that "a girl like you" is sort of slutty. Also, the song unnecessarily uses a xylophone (or at least something that sounds like a xylophone). It could also be the "y" in his name.
• Whether or not you like Edwyn Collins, the soundtrack is still pretty great. Gin Blossoms, Better than Ezra, Evan Dando (covers Big Star!), Drill, and Toad the Wet Sprocket to name a few. Of course, the best songs are not on the soundtrack itself and before the world of Shazam, I had to read the credits to figure out the name of the Throwing Muses song and the two Cranberries songs. 
• Two plotlines that seem odd: Corey's diet pill addiction and Joe's adopting/big brothering of Lucas. We never really get any details or enough information to really know what's up with either. 
• "I made you a tape last night for educational purposes." Eddie
• Deb's buttons - I've always wanted a button maker and this is why.
• "I don't know. I'm either going to jail or to hell. I can't decide which." Joe
• "This music is the glue of the world, Mark. Without it, life would be meaningless." Eddie (Probably my favorite quote.)
• Deb's funeral: did they really just have all that stuff around the store? I'm not sure that I could throw together an impromptu fake funeral or wedding or any party at work with just the materials on hand although I do have an inordinate amount of post-its so I'm sure I could figure something out.
• "Damn the man. Save the Empire." Mark
• The grandmas in curlers at the party - they are my favorite.
• Gina sings! This is actually my favorite Renee Zelweger movie but I hate this song.
• A.J. fixes the sign, the Empire is saved, Corey loves A.J., and we finish by dancing to the best song of the movie, "This Is the Day" by The The.
• Lucas is a ninja.

Empire Records is not really about a record store. I mean, it is about a day at a record store (and was written by a former Tower Records employee who based the characters on people she worked with) but it's actually about the larger ideas of community and family. Lucas says it best, "A.J., she's in the store." He's talking about Deb's suicide attempt - if she's in the store, she's safe. Throughout the whole movie the group functions like a family - they take care of one another, fight, dance around the store to the worst song ever ("Say No More, Mon Amour"), and band together to save the Empire from the man. Even Warren wants to work at Empire - he comes back because he wants to be part of it not because he's a stupid punk. These are not the record store clerks of High Fidelity. They don't make you feel bad about your awful taste in music. They just want to be your friend.

Next Saturday is Record Store Day. If you have never experienced RSD, I highly recommend that you do so this year. Go to an actual record store. Hang out with other people who love music, small businesses, and the independent spirit of rock and roll. Buy an actual CD or album. Take it home, open it up, and sit and listen to it while reading the liner notes. It could change your life (like Anita told William in Almost Famous) and it might just make you feel connected in this otherwise disconnected world. As my friend Katie pointed out to me recently, no one need Facebook or Twitter to go to the party to save the Empire. They just needed the music.

Image from Facebook
Video from youtube.com

At least I don't look like Nancy Reagan

Confession: I watched seven episodes of season two of Gilmore Girls on Wednesday night. Seven episodes in one night! I started when I got home from work, as I waited for food to be delivered, and way past the time I should have been in bed. I could have just skipped to the episode that I wanted to watch (episode 7) but that would be cheating.

Episode 7 is entitled "Like Mother, Like Daughter". In the episode, Lorelei and Rory are both scolded by Headmaster Charleston for not being as socially involved as they should be at Chilton. Since Rory lives in quirky Stars Hollow not near her school, Headmaster Charleston doesn't see her friends and life away from Chilton's hallowed halls. He calls her a "loner" and basically says she won't get into Harvard unless she makes some friends (which is crazy and totally incorrect). Eventually, Rory gets recruited by a secret sorority called the Puffs and gets in trouble for being in the school after hours. Lorelei, in a fit of parental rage, goes to Chilton to have it out with the headmaster and gets shamed into joining a parent club because Lorelei hasn't been involved enough either. Lorelei joins the booster club and agrees to help organize the annual Fall Fashion Show at the inn. She also ends up being one of the models along with her mother, Emily. Like all things involving the Gilmore girls, there's a little sassiness, a bunch of awesome, and Cyndi Lauper.

Today, I participated in my first fashion show. The women's club my mother belongs to at her church has an annual spring tea and fashion extravaganza (they don't call it that but maybe they should). I missed it last year since I had not yet moved back to the area. My mom invited me to go with her this year and I was looking forward to the tea because going to a tea is fantastic. There's something magical and lovely about dressing up, eating tiny sandwiches, and drinking out of pretty cups. Teas appeal to the girlie side of me.

I was not planning to participate in the fashion show. However, I was asked to do so at another function at my parents' church by the president of the club. I didn't want to say no to her (she's just so nice) and I figured it would make my mom happy if I participated. When this came up, the first thing that came to mind was the Gilmore Girls episode. I just couldn't get it out of my mind. Of course, I strive to be more like a Gilmore girl so I agreed, went to the Dress Barn in Stafford, and selected two different looks for the show.

I didn't expect to have as much fun trying on clothes as I did. Like my mother, I don't like to shop. I know, it's crazy - two women who don't like to shop. But neither of us do (we also don't like having our pictures taken). There was a very helpful woman at the store who was in charge of helping us pick out our clothes and accessories. She told me I have a tiny waist and encouraged me to wear a blazer - this makes her my new favorite person. We put together a dressy look and a more casual but it could be dressy look in bright colors with super fun shoes. I guess all my clothes changing as a child finally paid off. Anyway, I was happy with both outfits and went on my merry way.

Many of my friends have found the whole fashion show thing amusing. You have to understand - this is what ladies in women's clubs do. They have tea, enjoy a little fashion, and help others. I decided it would just be one more experience in the quest to be the leading lady of my life. My mom even enlisted one of her friend's daughters to model - she looked fantastic and it was nice to see her. All the women who modeled looked amazing and were very nice and complimentary of one another. One of the ladies, seated at our table as well, recently lost 40 pounds and you could just see how proud she was of her accomplishment. I like hearing stories like hers. You could see the confidence just radiate off of her. We were all a hit and my shoes were particularly popular (sorry, no picture but here's a link because they're awesome). I'm even considering purchasing some of the items because they are in line with my plans to be more adventurous and daring in my fashion choices. Kate Winslet would be proud of me for wearing a blazer and rocking some jewelry.

I'm not a particularly religious person (much to my mom's disappointment) but I appreciated the spirit of the event today and the opening remarks from one of the priests. In addition to thanking the Columbiettes, (that's the organization my mom belongs to) he also talked about the importance of women as leaders and as the heart of communities. I can't remember his exact words but it was something along the lines of women like the Columbiettes are why things happen in a community. They care, they give their time, and they set an example of strength and leadership. Obviously, he was referring to the community of the church but really his comments could be applied anywhere. It can be challenging to stay positive when there's so much negativity placed on the women's roles in communities and the world. Recently, I've found myself so bogged down in all the negativity. It was nice to spend the afternoon with a group of people just enjoying themselves and particularly to spend the afternoon with my mom. She did a lot work to make the event a success and I hope she's proud of herself. She always tells me how proud she is of me so I will say how proud I am of her and how nice it is to see her involved and enjoying herself.

These ladies did a remarkable job of creating a lovely afternoon for all who attended (90% of the food was homemade!). I hope they enjoyed the day as much as I did. I guess with St. Joan of Arc as one of your group's patronesses, you can't go wrong.

You are what you read...

From my last move

Every time I move, I count of the number of boxes I use for books. In my last two moves, I ended up with 12 boxes of books. This may not seem like a lot to some people but for me, it's huge. I'm one person and have amassed 12 boxes of books. It seems insane. This is even after I do a book purge as one of the phases of packing. I don't even have the appropriate space in my apartment to house all my books. Books are stacked on my coffee table (there are 15 books there now: ten that I haven't read yet, one that I just purchased yesterday and sort of started, one that's in progress but no where near finished, and three Paris related books). My two bookcases are seriously stuffed, books stacked in all different ways. I guess they're cozy.

Back in December, I read this review in The Washington Post about books about books. I was shocked by the first sentence - the average American reads four books in a year. FOUR BOOKS!? What is wrong with America? (Don't answer that.) I've been trying to wrap my head around this statistic since I read the article and have shared this with numerous people (also avid readers) and I still don't get it. Now I know we're all busy people and have various levels of access to books (in real book form or electronically) so maybe reading four books in a year is totally normal and I need to just stop thinking about it. But I can't. Much like I don't understand when people tell me they don't like music, I don't understand people who don't read. And I said "don't" not "can't" - literacy is a completely different issue. This is a topic for another day.

Reading is fundamental friends - it  makes us better writers, communicators, and humans. Even the fluffiest piece of chick lit has the ability to take you out of the normal of your daily life and make you believe in love and meet-cutes. Reading is magic.

My mom once commented on the old FB that my brother and I both carried books around like stuffed animals when we were younger. This is an image I can get behind although I seem to remember having some stuffed animals I carried everywhere too. I loved summer reading more than summer itself - I would read through my list way too fast and then the librarian would have to find other books for me to read. Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, and Ann M. Martin were early favorites. Having an older brother meant that not only did I get to learn about The Cure and Metallica before most of my friends, I also got to read Stephen King before it was probably appropriate.

My ideal bookshelf

One of the books mentioned in The Washington Post review is a book called My Ideal Bookshelf. I picked this book up before I read the review and it's a lovely tribute to the books people love. In  2007, artist Jane Mount began a project chronicling people through the books they love. She paints the books arranged as a bookshelf. Jane joined forces with Thessaly La Force to create a book that combines the illustrations with interviews conducted by La Force. Among my favorites chronicled are Dave Eggers, Drew Gilpin Faust, Kim Gordon, Pico Iyer, Chuck Klosterman, Patti Smith, Mira Nair, and Thomas Keller. Each shares their "ideal bookshelf" and talks about the books and the influence they've had. I like that I've read lots of the included books. I also ended up with a two page list of books I "need" to read. I even tweeted a picture of my ideal bookshelf to the authors (as they encourage you to do so at the end). They retweeted and commented that they weren't aware of one my books and were going to check it out. Success! If you're thinking ahead to my birthday and are wondering what to get me, I would suggest this.

One of the other things that came out of this review is my new obsession with tracking the number of books I read. In January alone I read more books than the average American reads in a year. I also have an "in progress" list (since sometimes I stop books in the middle but come back to them) and a "need to read" list that is a bit staggering in volume.

The count so far:

• January - 6
• February - 4
• March - 4 (with two days left in the month - I'm in the middle of Jennifer Egan's A Visit From the Goon Squad and could potentially have it done later today) 

Not only am I tracking my books, I'm also tracking actual versus Kindle books (4 out of 14). Getting a Kindle was either the worst thing I've ever done (it was a lovely gift from my parents) or an excellent life choice. I haven't been able to decide which. I like the ease of traveling with a Kindle but I miss the smell of a book and the heft of reading an actual book. Also, cover art is awesome. I feel about book art the way I feel about album art.

I guess this all just means that one day I'll be an old lady surrounded by books and albums and CDs. And probably cats - lots of cats.

Postcards from Charlottesville

"I am constantly roving about, to see what I have never seen before and shall never see again."

-Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was an incredibly well-traveled man. His travels are reflected in his writings, his home, and his beliefs all manner of things from governing and liberty to architecture and gardening. When he traveled he often took the following with him:

• ivory leaf notebooks 
• a lap desk
• a small telescope
• a compass
• a thermometer
• drafting instruments
• an architect's scale
• a pocket knife

While my random knowledge of American history is pretty vast, I didn't just know this about Thomas Jefferson. I learned it at Monticello, the first stop on my most recent road trip. I like to think that I was as prepared as Jefferson with my cell phone (also my GPS and camera-multiple purposes! Jefferson would have loved it.), a notebook and pens, a book just in case I stopped somewhere for coffee, a car charger, and an iPod filled with an epic mix/playlist entitled "Postcards from Charlottesville."

I had to take some time off this month (it's use it or lose it time for PTO) so I decided that I would do a bunch of random things with my time including a day trip...somewhere. I usually go to Baltimore but I wasn't really feeling Baltimore this time around. Instead, I decided to take the 2-ish hour drive south to Charlottesville - home of Monticello and the University of Virginia. It's also the setting for one of my favorite books, Love is a Mix Tape. I've talked about this book before and will now admit something a little crazy: I have read this book 12 times. I can't help myself - it's just that amazing. And sad - you know how I like sad things. I sort of idolize Rob and Renee so this trip was a bit of a homage to them. The playlist (100 songs, 6 hours of music) was inspired by Love is a Mix Tape and includes songs referenced in the book as well as my own takes on the artists and songs I thought that Rob and Renee would love. It began with Frankie Valli, Liz Phair, and Martha & the Vandellas - always a good way to start a day.

I decided to start at Monticello because Thomas Jefferson is my favorite Founding Father and he's certainly my favorite part of the musical 1776. He wrote the Declaration of Independence (which is amongst my favorite government/historical documents). Yes, I have a favorite Founding Father and favorite historical documents. That's perfectly normal.
I like the tone of the Declaration of Independence and the boldness of its statements. I haven't been to Monticello since high school so it felt like time to visit again. There are several ways to get to Monticello from Arlington. I opted for the route that goes through Chancellorsville and the Wilderness battlefields and connects to the Constitution Route (VA-20). As I entered the Chancellorsville battlefield, the first Big Star song played on my iPod. Big Star is the band that brought Rob and Renee together (and they happen to be responsible for one of my top five songs). I took this as a sign of a good day ahead - Big Star would be sprinkled throughout the day but for my favorite song to be so early in the trip just felt right. If I had been so inclined, I could have stopped and seen the place where Stonewall Jackson's arm was shot off by his own men during the Battle of Chancellorsville (it was an accident). There's a white historical marker on the side of the highway so you can stop. I was not so inclined today. I also did not stop at the Battle of the Wilderness historical shelter but I did enjoy "Ring of Fire" as I drove through.

One of the things I love most about road trips is organizing the music (in some cases this is the absolute best part of a road trip). I'll be honest, I may have taken this trip just to organize this playlist. I sang along to "I Am...I Said" (not realizing just how sad this song really is until today), belted out "Stand By Your Man" as I turned toward Monticello, realized that Steven Tyler sounds nothing like Steven Tyler anymore, and came to terms with my complicated feelings towards Sir Mix-a-Lot's opus "Baby Got Back". I also finally decided that I am Kate Pierson (if I have to pick a B-52) and that both "Dance the Night Away" and "My Little Corner of the World" would be excellent first dance songs (for a wedding) despite the fact that they are probably really terrible to dance to in real life. I don't think Thomas Jefferson would have been offended that Missy Elliott's fantastic "Get Ur Freak On" was the song playing as I drove up Monticello Loop to the visitor center. I thought it amusing when "I Feel Like Going Home" came on as I kept getting turned around trying to leave downtown Charlottesville (stupid phone navigation). Even more amusing was the fact that "Supermodel (You Better Work)" came on just as I was passing by the exit for Stafford on my way home (amusing because this weekend I go back to Stafford to try on clothes for a "fashion show" that I'm in later in April). I think I'll just keep RuPaul in the back of my head while trying clothes on tomorrow (something I dislike doing) and while I actually participate in the show. It'll keep me amused.

I made it through 87 of the 100 songs before I got home (and I didn't skip or repeat any songs). Had I actually hit traffic either way, I might have made it through the whole list. Roxy Music's "More Than This" was the last song I played and it ended almost exactly as I pulled into a parking space at home. I turned the iPod off so as not to start a new song. I didn't get to the Notorious B.I.G. ("Hypnotize") or Tom Cochrane or Lou Reed or the last Big Star song or the saddest Matthew Sweet song I've ever heard ("Your Sweet Voice" - I think it's sad although it's probably not). And that's okay. The remaining 13 songs will be played before the end of the weekend.

I have a friend who doesn't see the point in road trips. For him, travel is about a destination not how you get there. I don't agree - I think that's a simplified argument and leaves out a lot of what goes into traveling: the nuances and navigation of travel, the need to communicate to fellow passengers (if there are any), getting lost. Every travel writer I've read or have heard speak doesn't ever just focus on the destination - they'd have no story to tell if they did. Interesting things can happen along the way to somewhere. Or to nowhere. That's really the point that my friend is missing - sometimes there isn't a destination at all. Sometimes it's just a journey. You might stop at places along the way but it's really about being out in the world and not really worrying about where it is you'll end up at the end of the day or road or whatever.

As long as you have one more song to listen to, you'll be fine.