23.7.09
iWantone
I have had 3 iPods, none of which were purchased by me. Actually the people who gave them to me didn't even pay for them. Number one was given to me via my Dad via his company and I was oh so cool--the first person I knew to have one back in 2004...Number two was left in an Oakwood apartment that I was inspecting at my old job by the MTV employee who was living there. When I called her to tell her I had found it, she told me to keep it as MTV had upgraded her to a newer one. Since old 2004 was about to die, I gladly accepted. A few years later and my big, old bodied iPod numbers 1 and 2 are on the brink of death. Fortunately, my mom won an iPod shuffle at the grocery store...I know, we are a blessed family. I think she was the 100th customer or something. Anyways, the point of all that is that perhaps due to my past iPod experiences, or perhaps simply because I have entitlement issues, I feel like it is unfair that no one has yet handed me a free iPhone. I don't know why exactly I feel like I NEED one, as literally all my friends that I hang out with often have one, so it's not like I can claim I will get lost or not be able to look up a movie time. I have my own computer, as well as a work computer that I can bring home with me. But none of the that is the point. I WANT ONE and I want it now. I have 4 very close friends whose husbands/boyfriends gave them one, so maybe I'll add that to my list of entitled hopes: boyfriend approaches, riding on a narwhal on the tumultuous seas, holding out an iPhone towards me as I wait on the shore, my long black locks waving in the winds of change...
22.7.09
The then and now
Yesterday I was thinking about all the fun games I used to play as a child, and discovered that ironically I am still playing most of them today. The only difference is, now it doesn't feel a lot like playing. For instance:
THEN: My sister and I used to close all the doors in our little upstairs hallway, cover the floor with pillows, turn out the lights and then proceed to run around and continuously fall over with all our friends. It was a chaotic, squealing, laughing good time which usually resulted in running into a wall and/or each other. NOW: I run around having no clue what job to take, who to date, where to live or what I'm doing half the time--often falling down and ALWAYS running into walls.
THEN: My mom (bless her) used to let me make "recipes" in the kitchen which always, without fail, resulted in a creation of brown disgusting soup/goo into which I would then pour copious amounts of sugar and add sprinkles on top. My mom would then taste it with me, always encouraging me to keep up my "efforts" in cooking. NOW: I still love to cook, but now it's more about is this healthy, when will I have time to make something before work, and why are groceries SO expensive?
THEN: I would spend hours playing outside with my friends. The dogwood tree was a boat/fort/castle/time machine and the swing set was a huge catapult with a slide that led to a pool of lava. NOW: I feel guilty if I don't work out 5 days a week, I complain about sore muscles and keep waiting to wake up looking like Cameron Diaz in Charlie's Angels II...still waiting...
You get the idea. It's not that I'm not a joyful person, in fact I am an idealist and an optimist who can normally have fun doing almost anything. It's just that, compared to all those things when I was a kid, the day to day activities seem to have lost a lot of their carefree joy. Instead of playing, I work out. Instead of inventing, I cook dinner. Instead of embracing the uncertainty of running around a tiny room with pillows covering the floor, I fear the unknown and take tiny baby steps towards my dreams. I was trying t0 pinpoint what the difference is between the THEN and the NOW. Although I had about as near to a perfect childhood as one could ask for, it still was far from perfect. I had fears then (of course most of them involved wondering if my guinea pig Laura would live forever as I hoped she would) and I have fears now. I had problems then as I do now (mainly my sister locking me out of her awesome room of wonders and sticker books). But back then, despite my child-size trials and tribulations, at the end of the day I knew my mom and dad would take care of me. In my mini-Lexi mind I knew that they could solve anything. My dad (the fix-it-up-Chappie) and my mom (the Queen of our household, reigning in love and mom-wisdom) always knew what to do. But here's the thing: I may be a grown up now, and my mom and dad (who will of course always be hugely a part of my life) aren't running the show. But. God. Is.
And that is what can make all the difference. It frees me up to play and dream and create. Yes I have bills and go through suffering and doubts which is a part of being an adult. But I don't have to lose that child-like faith that at the end of the day, I know God is in control and will take care of me.
And just think of all the time that will free up to run around outside playing with dragons...
THEN: My sister and I used to close all the doors in our little upstairs hallway, cover the floor with pillows, turn out the lights and then proceed to run around and continuously fall over with all our friends. It was a chaotic, squealing, laughing good time which usually resulted in running into a wall and/or each other. NOW: I run around having no clue what job to take, who to date, where to live or what I'm doing half the time--often falling down and ALWAYS running into walls.
THEN: My mom (bless her) used to let me make "recipes" in the kitchen which always, without fail, resulted in a creation of brown disgusting soup/goo into which I would then pour copious amounts of sugar and add sprinkles on top. My mom would then taste it with me, always encouraging me to keep up my "efforts" in cooking. NOW: I still love to cook, but now it's more about is this healthy, when will I have time to make something before work, and why are groceries SO expensive?
THEN: I would spend hours playing outside with my friends. The dogwood tree was a boat/fort/castle/time machine and the swing set was a huge catapult with a slide that led to a pool of lava. NOW: I feel guilty if I don't work out 5 days a week, I complain about sore muscles and keep waiting to wake up looking like Cameron Diaz in Charlie's Angels II...still waiting...
You get the idea. It's not that I'm not a joyful person, in fact I am an idealist and an optimist who can normally have fun doing almost anything. It's just that, compared to all those things when I was a kid, the day to day activities seem to have lost a lot of their carefree joy. Instead of playing, I work out. Instead of inventing, I cook dinner. Instead of embracing the uncertainty of running around a tiny room with pillows covering the floor, I fear the unknown and take tiny baby steps towards my dreams. I was trying t0 pinpoint what the difference is between the THEN and the NOW. Although I had about as near to a perfect childhood as one could ask for, it still was far from perfect. I had fears then (of course most of them involved wondering if my guinea pig Laura would live forever as I hoped she would) and I have fears now. I had problems then as I do now (mainly my sister locking me out of her awesome room of wonders and sticker books). But back then, despite my child-size trials and tribulations, at the end of the day I knew my mom and dad would take care of me. In my mini-Lexi mind I knew that they could solve anything. My dad (the fix-it-up-Chappie) and my mom (the Queen of our household, reigning in love and mom-wisdom) always knew what to do. But here's the thing: I may be a grown up now, and my mom and dad (who will of course always be hugely a part of my life) aren't running the show. But. God. Is.
And that is what can make all the difference. It frees me up to play and dream and create. Yes I have bills and go through suffering and doubts which is a part of being an adult. But I don't have to lose that child-like faith that at the end of the day, I know God is in control and will take care of me.
And just think of all the time that will free up to run around outside playing with dragons...
20.7.09
500 Reasons why I loved 500 Days of Summer
Ok, I'm not going to list all 500. But I could! (NOTE: I don't think this post gives away anything about the movie you wouldn't know from seeing the trailer)
1. My love for Zooey Deschanal borders on stalkernesss. Except that I don't stalk her. But I do love love love her and sort of (completely) want to be her. I'm sure you all feel the same.
2. There is a psuedo musical number mid-movie (which I won't explain more of in hopes that you will all go and see it) but needless to say, that sort of thing happens in my life (mind) all the time, complete with animated birds (unicorns). Love it!
3. The movie is set in LA but I thought it was NYC for the first 2/3 of the movie. AND I've lived here for 8 years. So basically they succeeded in making LA into a magical new city that I can't wait to go and take part in (hopefully this new expedition into LA life will include my own personal Joseph Gordon-Levitt?)
4. I love movies that are told out of order--especially since this movie is about a relationship and that is so often how we remember things
5. The movie completely validates my previous post on love/love lost--Utter romantic character falls in love and when it doesn't work out questions everything he believed about soul mates/destiny/love. Ain't love grand? GO SEE IT!
1. My love for Zooey Deschanal borders on stalkernesss. Except that I don't stalk her. But I do love love love her and sort of (completely) want to be her. I'm sure you all feel the same.
2. There is a psuedo musical number mid-movie (which I won't explain more of in hopes that you will all go and see it) but needless to say, that sort of thing happens in my life (mind) all the time, complete with animated birds (unicorns). Love it!
3. The movie is set in LA but I thought it was NYC for the first 2/3 of the movie. AND I've lived here for 8 years. So basically they succeeded in making LA into a magical new city that I can't wait to go and take part in (hopefully this new expedition into LA life will include my own personal Joseph Gordon-Levitt?)
4. I love movies that are told out of order--especially since this movie is about a relationship and that is so often how we remember things
5. The movie completely validates my previous post on love/love lost--Utter romantic character falls in love and when it doesn't work out questions everything he believed about soul mates/destiny/love. Ain't love grand? GO SEE IT!
17.7.09
I love it/I hate it
Here's a fun game: what is one thing you love and one thing you hate today? Here is my example, I hope you will all post your own.
LOVE IT: Hardware stores. What's that, you say? It's true! Today I went to three hardware stores in search of some illusive air filters and something about the chaotic but systematic organization combined with the smell of who knows what (wood? tools? metal?) just makes me feel like I'm in a happy small town and I'm about to walk outside to get my Bernese Mountain Dog who is waiting patiently by the parking meter and take her to get an ice cream cone. Or something like that. I think my love for small, non-chain (well actually they are all owned by ACE--who you can now follow on Twitter according to their website...what the heck do they post? Hammers have now dropped in price from 9.99 to 7.89, come on down--@drillbitwoodshavings) Don't get me wrong, I love a good trip to Home Depot when you need something obvious, but these smaller hardware stores are really where it's at. They remind me of going to the hardware store with my Mom on the main street in the town where I spent the first 7 years of my life and feeling like all was right in the world because the nice man behind the counter gave me a lollipop while mom picked out an outdoor light bulb. Today, for instance, at Busy Bee Hardware in Santa Monica, the 100 year old man behind the counter let me go in the employees only section with him to locate the air filters and then climbed up a ladder and dropped them down to me. Where else can you find 100 year old employees climbing ladders so gracefully, so cheerfully? He even gave me a discount--I think I may be the only female who ever comes into the store. Either way, I think local hardware stores may be the key to feeling that home-town feeling in a city as big as LA.
HATE IT: Fox's up and coming show More to Love. (for those of you who Tivo past all commercials, it is essentially The Bachelor with all the women contestants being on the heavier side) OK people, here comes a rant. FIRST of all, since when is it OK to define "real women" as either size 2 or size 14? Last time I checked I was a real woman (or at least that's what Shania told me) and I am in between. Second of all, and what I hate the most, is that this show parades itself as some sort of friendly, accepting, "finally letting the big girls have their moment in the spotlight" show, while really objectifying those very women and doing so in front of the whole world. I could go on and on, but here is my main point. Obviously shows like that are anything but real anyways (this coming from someone who actually likes watching The Bachelor/Bachelorette), so why even bother trying to claim that this larger version is any more "real"? Corralling 30 women into a mansion to compete for a man's attention so he can propose and then later break-up with her (or vice versa with Bachelorette) is not generally the way real people fall in love, so let's just call this show the shock factor factory that it is. Honestly, my heart breaks for these women, who have some how been convinced that they will feel better about themselves if they confess their deepest insecurities about love/their bodies/etc in front of millions of viewers. Reality dating shows can be fun to watch, but honestly this latest version makes me sick.
LOVE IT: Hardware stores. What's that, you say? It's true! Today I went to three hardware stores in search of some illusive air filters and something about the chaotic but systematic organization combined with the smell of who knows what (wood? tools? metal?) just makes me feel like I'm in a happy small town and I'm about to walk outside to get my Bernese Mountain Dog who is waiting patiently by the parking meter and take her to get an ice cream cone. Or something like that. I think my love for small, non-chain (well actually they are all owned by ACE--who you can now follow on Twitter according to their website...what the heck do they post? Hammers have now dropped in price from 9.99 to 7.89, come on down--@drillbitwoodshavings) Don't get me wrong, I love a good trip to Home Depot when you need something obvious, but these smaller hardware stores are really where it's at. They remind me of going to the hardware store with my Mom on the main street in the town where I spent the first 7 years of my life and feeling like all was right in the world because the nice man behind the counter gave me a lollipop while mom picked out an outdoor light bulb. Today, for instance, at Busy Bee Hardware in Santa Monica, the 100 year old man behind the counter let me go in the employees only section with him to locate the air filters and then climbed up a ladder and dropped them down to me. Where else can you find 100 year old employees climbing ladders so gracefully, so cheerfully? He even gave me a discount--I think I may be the only female who ever comes into the store. Either way, I think local hardware stores may be the key to feeling that home-town feeling in a city as big as LA.
HATE IT: Fox's up and coming show More to Love. (for those of you who Tivo past all commercials, it is essentially The Bachelor with all the women contestants being on the heavier side) OK people, here comes a rant. FIRST of all, since when is it OK to define "real women" as either size 2 or size 14? Last time I checked I was a real woman (or at least that's what Shania told me) and I am in between. Second of all, and what I hate the most, is that this show parades itself as some sort of friendly, accepting, "finally letting the big girls have their moment in the spotlight" show, while really objectifying those very women and doing so in front of the whole world. I could go on and on, but here is my main point. Obviously shows like that are anything but real anyways (this coming from someone who actually likes watching The Bachelor/Bachelorette), so why even bother trying to claim that this larger version is any more "real"? Corralling 30 women into a mansion to compete for a man's attention so he can propose and then later break-up with her (or vice versa with Bachelorette) is not generally the way real people fall in love, so let's just call this show the shock factor factory that it is. Honestly, my heart breaks for these women, who have some how been convinced that they will feel better about themselves if they confess their deepest insecurities about love/their bodies/etc in front of millions of viewers. Reality dating shows can be fun to watch, but honestly this latest version makes me sick.
15.7.09
Today's Blue Plate Special
Today's Blue Plate Special:
I am excited today/this week/in general about new albums coming out soon from A Fine Frenzy and Imogen Heap. YAY for great music and female singer/songwriters!
Also amazing: Any company that doesn't come up with an original logo that has anything to do with their actual product or service, and instead uses some form of a smiley face. Way to go, lures me right in.
Harry Potter: I'm jumping on the sin wagon and seeing the latest Harry Potter flick tonight! I love love love the series and although I haven't been obsessed with any of the movies, I do love to see them opening day and bask in delight of seeing grown muggles dressed up in red and yellow scarves and robes. (PS: if you don't get that I'm joking about the sin wagon bit, you and I should have a talk soon about my general ideas on how all great stories contain good vs. evil, the hypocrisy of loving the Narnia books or Lord of the Rings trilogy and yet claiming Harry Potter is a bad influence, or about how just because a book is marketed for children doesn't mean you have to let your 2nd grader read it and then blame witchcraft for his nightmares...I digress)
My Parents: have you met them? They are amazing. So is their boat, and I love when they come and visit and we sail the tumultuous seas together. I'm on a boat! (snl.com--check it)
I am excited today/this week/in general about new albums coming out soon from A Fine Frenzy and Imogen Heap. YAY for great music and female singer/songwriters!
Also amazing: Any company that doesn't come up with an original logo that has anything to do with their actual product or service, and instead uses some form of a smiley face. Way to go, lures me right in.
Harry Potter: I'm jumping on the sin wagon and seeing the latest Harry Potter flick tonight! I love love love the series and although I haven't been obsessed with any of the movies, I do love to see them opening day and bask in delight of seeing grown muggles dressed up in red and yellow scarves and robes. (PS: if you don't get that I'm joking about the sin wagon bit, you and I should have a talk soon about my general ideas on how all great stories contain good vs. evil, the hypocrisy of loving the Narnia books or Lord of the Rings trilogy and yet claiming Harry Potter is a bad influence, or about how just because a book is marketed for children doesn't mean you have to let your 2nd grader read it and then blame witchcraft for his nightmares...I digress)
My Parents: have you met them? They are amazing. So is their boat, and I love when they come and visit and we sail the tumultuous seas together. I'm on a boat! (snl.com--check it)
10.7.09
I don't know your life (******)
I was in Starbucks buying some tea today and having a serious chat on the phone with one of my best friends. I usually hang up when I'm in a store, but I didn't want to be rude to my friend who was in the midst of an important story. Well the cheeky guy behind the counter picks up a banana (which by the way they sell now for .99 and they're all really pretty and not over-ripe) and starts pretending he's on the phone with it. I start to laugh and say "sorry", but he says "that's ok, I'm on the phone too". Although it was borderline awkward, since he was blantantly trying to make me feel bad for being on the phone, I found it to be quite amusing and well done. I remember working at Anthropologie and feeling like I was someone's servant while they chatted away on the phone and never acknowledged my presence as I rung them up and thinking it was pretty rude. Granted, I would have gotten in serious trouble for doing what he did, but hey--he was cute and it was clever and it made me laugh. Well played, Starbucks man, well played.
Beans and Hippos
A lot of people say they have the cutest kids (or in my case niece and nephew). I have the distinction of actually having THE CUTEST niece and nephew in all the land. Here are some pics from their recent trip to KY for the 4th.
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