Day 7 - A photo that makes me happy.

Yes it's blurry, but it's a lot of people who made my life really pleasant in college. I could have picked a Vienna photo or a Wong photo or an ex-boyfriend-when-things-were-awesome photo or an Italy photo...yeah all those things made me super happy. When I randomly happen on this picture, I always smile. So many pianists! For once, also, we also don't look miserably tired or stressed.

This photo takes place after Tina (girl in the blue gown)'s Master's recital. Stephanie, girl in curly hair and black dress, her recital was the same day but right before Tina's! A lot of people in this picture had graduated and moved on to grown up life, but for a second, we were back at our old tricks, playing, and supporting each other.

Day 6 - One thing that tickles my fancy

Okay, I'm a little behind, so I guess I can afford another Day of Share. Besides, anything that tickles my fancy is more like my general ranting and raving anyway.

Currently, I'm listening to Matt Duke whose song "I've got Atrophy on the Brain" I really enjoy. However, I'm listening to a quick preview of his album "Kingdom Underground" on iTunes. As cute and as catchy as all his music is, there's a lot of the same tempi that keep popping up. I'm going to save my iTunes gift card for until after Wednesday night when I see him perform at Rockwood Music Hall, and hope it's just because I'm catching the similar snippets in a row. I recall seeing him at World Cafe Live nearly a year and a half ago (?) with Amber Rubarth and he was pretty spectacular so my expectations are high. Plus, he's super cute which never hurts.

I'm doing some super cleaning this break. Oh wait, did I mention I'm on break?! No school! Yes! I've decided some massive getting my life is in order. Meaning, paying bills, organizing papers, and last month I lost my wallet and now I'm going to fix all that, and get my car registered here...etc. etc. Tomorrow's missions are a) laundry b) get car inspected for insurance and c) go to a NJ DMV for a replacement license! oh and d) go to the post office. I can actually put that as b part 2 since I'm thinking on order. Yay for slowly getting life together.

Day 5 - My favorite quote

...honestly, I don't have one.

Maybe "Freedom, Truth, Beauty, Love"

I know it's simple but it's all I want in life. I'm making this a quickie so I can move on to some other shares. x.x

My year in song...

2009...music to describe my year, not necessarily what I was listening to but things that describe the events as well.

January
"Today 4 U" -Rent
"Blue Caravan" -Vienna Teng

February
"Daughter" -Vienna Teng
"Keep Breathing" -Ingrid Michaelson

March
"Panning for Gold" Ben Sollee

April
"Help is on the Way" -The Animators
"Novacaine"

May
"Movin' Right Along" - The Muppet Movie
"The Rainbow Connection" - The Muppet Movie
"How to See the Sun Rise" -Ben Sollee

June
"Without a Trace" - Deadbeat Darling

July
"The Way I Am" -Ingrid Michaelson
"Let it Be" -The Beatles

August
"I Know You Want Me" -Pitbull

September
"Love" -Alex Berger
"E60th and 1st" -Alex Berger
"1BR/1BA" -Vienna Teng
"Right Angles", The Paper Raincoat

October
"See Me, See You" -Bess Rogers
"Momma's Boy"-Elizabeth and the Catapult
"Defying Gravity" -Wicked

November
"Antebellum" -Vienna Teng
"Don't Be Afraid" - The Paper Raincoat
"In the Creases" -Alex Wong
"Answer" -Amber Rubarth

December
"Somebody to Love" -Queen
"Smile" - Lily Allen

New experiences

With t minus 3 hours to the end of the school day, I have reached a new level.


I have.

A sugar headache.

On the bright side, at least I'm not a diabetic yet.

Kids = Christmas saver

This year for Christmas I've been having an especially hard time. I've had multiple meltdowns regarding loneliness this year. It's my first year without the boyfriend I've spent the past five holidays around, and first of maybe multiple years without my family. But today I feel not so terrible! I've got a shit-ton of presents from students...one of the cute pros of being a teacher. Now I have an entire load of bath products to use for the next year. I never have to buy cute scented soaps, and have two pretty loofahs and like 15 lotions.

On a similar note, the office is filled with goodies today! I started off my morning with chocolate chip ginger cookies. Amazing and dreamy.

Another holiday saver is some of my first grade students. There's specifically one girl I'm thinking of who was originally a really soft spoken girl, and sort of shy. However, she's really opened up and has quite a powerful in tune singing voice for a first grader. Since she's discovered how great she is, she's been really happy, and literally writes me these cute first grade love letters every day. My wall of Children's Paper Gifts has been overtaken with papers with phrases such as (with accurate spelling) - "You so plit to pepul" (You're so polite to people) and "You are the beast musik teter! And you are pridy so pridy." (You are the best music teacher, and you are pretty, so pretty!) Cute ne?

My concert going schedule has been stunted because I'm tired a lot but I did have that great Joe's Pub concert -- for Vienna Teng and Alex Wong. A few nights ago I saw Alex Berger (who I have a massive musician crush on) at Rockwood late on a school night. The full band part of his show provided a lot of definition and depth, a great preview to what his new album is going to sound like. "E60th and 1st" is on my list of songs I'm very much looking forward to! Awesomeness all around. Hopefully with winter break coming up, I'll have more to see and more to do.

Oh and knitting! How could I forget knitting! I'm in possession of the greatest hat ever. No lie. Have you ever heard of Knitty? I'm a little obsessed with them and their gorgeous patterns, and it's provided a pretty awesome challenge. Just yesterday I finished my first lace patterned piece -- a hat/neckwarmer! Mine's in a beautiful alpaca/tencel mix from Berrocco and made to match this badass awesome coat that I own. This past year has been pretty special in leveling up in yarn. I recall this time last year I was just started to make really ghetto mittens and hand warmers and basic hats. This year, handwarmers are a breeze, I just did a pretty leaf lace pattern, I know how to cable, I've made three sweaters...sort of.

By the way, if anyone wants to get me Skacel Divine in Turquoise for the holidays, I could FINALLY finish this sweater and I'll be SUPER happy.

Day 4 - My favorite book

I have a special place in my heart for The Time Traveller's Wife by Audry Niffenegger. Like any true anime nerd girl fan thing, I have a soft spot for eternal perfect love, and this is that. It's really touching, adorable, and the one book where I couldn't read the end for a while because I knew I was going to cry. Actually, I think it's the only book where I've ever cried. It's also made me hungry, awakened my biological clock, shut down my biological clock...craziness. I have really physical reactions to this book and it's wonderful.

Things I enjoy

A short detour before I go back to my thirty days of sharing.

I've made it pretty clear that I'm in love with my iPhone right? Well. I've officially decided the BEST reason I love my iPhone. I can just access knitting patterns online that I'm working on and tote them around with me on the subway. WIN. May sound completely lame, but it's true. I've been working on this leaf pattern scarf-hat (I'll post pictures and it will sound less confusing, promise!) and I never remember the stitches I need to use because it's not really an easy one. But, yesterday I got to bring it up on my Safari browser, and just...knit on the train. Whoaaa.

I've also received my first Christmas gift from the school students. Way to make me feel loved!!

Lastly, it's Monday at school. I've decided that Friday is donut day, but Monday is Work Without Any Heat day. Officially. Brrrrr.

Day 3 Favorite Television Series

Three way tie.

1. Firefly. I just...LOVE Firefly. How could you NOT love Firefly? Seriously, guys, if you've never watched it, YOU NEED TO. It's so amazing. Space cowboys rock. I have mad hots for the doctor in the series.

2. Nodame Cantabile. This may be hands down my favorite anime show of all time. Also, the live action version rocks out too. It's about a pianist at a music school in Japan who wants to become a conductor, and meets a space cadet girl who happens to be a fantastic, but unrefined pianist who plays with so much emotion and soul. Of course, there are some other fun characters on the way too. My summary is much too serious than the show actually is, but some shows are just too amazing!

3. I just started watching this, and swear that once season 1 comes out on DVD I'm going to buy it. I'm talking about Glee. Yes. Stop laughing. Glee. The hype about it is so worth it. Any show that has me staying up till 3 AM having a solo hair tossing jam session dancey thing in my room completely ranks high on my list.

Day 2 - My favorite movie

I don't really have one but I've noticed I watch Howl's Moving Castle a lot. It's my go to filler movie. Also, the waltz is super lush and pretty. End.

Day 1 Meme!

My favorite song?

Hands down, Vienna Teng's "Antebellum". It just makes me feel happy, sad, tingly, and I cry and I sing, it's all just one big ball of horrifying emotion. Horrifying only because there are SO SO MANY of them, and it's so overwhelming. I heard it for the first time on a CD from Rockwood that my friend Dan brought me. Interestingly enough, I didn't totally love it. In fact, I was adamant that I wouldn't love it. Everyone loves Vienna's "Gravity" and I felt like "Antebellum" was going to be the new album's "Gravity" and I was adamant to be different.

Yeah let me tell you about how that worked out. I don't even know when I started loving it but I did and eventually, when I heard the album version, so lush and full with its string arrangements, I just couldn't help myself.

At the same time, my boyfriend at the time, he was interested in singing the countermelody while I wailed away in the car/shower/kitchen/everywhere, so that was also a great initiative.

Just yesterday I had it on loop to attempt to cure my little soul.

For your listening pleasure!

Memes!

I'm going to do this!

Day 01 → Your favourite song
Day 02 → Your favourite movie
Day 03 → Your favourite television program
Day 04 → Your favourite book
Day 05 → Your favourite quote
Day 06 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 07 → A photo that makes you happy
Day 08 → A photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 09 → A photo you took
Day 10 → A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Day 11 → A photo of you taken recently
Day 12 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 13 → A fictional book
Day 14 → A non-fictional book
Day 15 → A fanfic
Day 16 → A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17 → An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
Day 18 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 19 → A talent of yours
Day 20 → A hobbie of yours
Day 21 → A recipe
Day 22 → A website
Day 23 → A YouTube video
Day 24 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 25 → Your day, in great detail
Day 26 → Your week, in great detail
Day 27 → This month, in great detail
Day 28 → This year, in great detail
Day 29 → Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 → Whatever tickles your fancy.

Friends

Friends.

I need to make some that can hang out a lot and that don't suck and make promises they can't keep.

Outlet

I'm in a really horrible mood. I have no idea why, the day was fine, and just now, I've begun feeling extremely dark. I sort of twittered in anonymous-ness, and luckily, I can blog in that way too. But I can't tell the best friend I hang out with all the time, I can't Facebook it for pity...I hate feeling like this!

I think it's because I'm spending time dwelling on the past right now. It's a tendency that I go to every time I feel insecure or alone, and it's really easy to do that when I'm not constantly around people. But it's silly, because one can't be always surrounded by company, and it's not like I don't treasure my alone time.

I don't really know what else to rant about, but I think I'll just be coming to terms with wanting to cry a lot today. Please let something get better today.

Why I Blog

I blog when I'm bored a lot and blog when I have a general sense of placid contentment. I enjoy lists and favorites. I do a lot of blogging at work, when I'd rather be doing something else, and at home when I have virtually no social life.

Side note: "The Same Old Things" came on, followed by "In the Creases". Emotional scaryland! Bad iPhone!

I guess that's what makes this blogging difficult, more so than usual. In the past I liked to rant drama, but I've found really heavy emotions are really not conducive to blogging. I don't blog when I'm really sad, but on the same token, I don't do a lot of blogging when I'm super happy. Recently I've been experiencing some of both, but when I'm not, I'm discovering this social life thing -- places to go, people to see, which really results in omgz, Apartment to Clean!

And now, on the iPhone? Alex Berger's "Love". Go see him on 12/21 at the awesomeness that is Rockwood Music Hall!

Vienna and Wong's Joe's Pub show post coming soon. :)

Overflowing

Despite another Home Arrival Time of 2:30 AM, I saw a whole bunch of lovely folks at Amber Rubarth and Adam Levy's EP Release Show at the Living Room last night! (Alex Berger, Alex Wong, Vienna Teng, Ward Williams...just to name a few of the awesomesauce!) It's always exciting to see them, because they're the awesome casual friends that I never get to see or really get close to but it's exciting to be around them anyway. Make sense? Yes/no? Meh.

I am also currently eating the tartest cranberry pie I've made to date. I smashed up an orange pretty bad because I didn't know where my juicer was, and threw in a handful of dried raspberries and it's even making me wince a tiny bit after many bites. Perfect. God, I love cranberry pie. A side note -- during the holiday season, my mother used to buy those cans of cranberry sauce for me? Yeah, she knew I liked them so much I would eat them like jello. Gross yet AWESOME.

Also, I've been having these bursts of really intense positive emotions. Because I've constantly been working on self control, I'm having a hard time not letting these feelings explode out of me in a giant wave of happiness and joy. It's such a pretty secret but what I'd love to do instead is tell everyone how wonderful I feel and how giddy my heart beats. :) (Stray Italian Greyhound me, please.) Essentially, I've told the blogosphere and hence the world, right? Does that count?

Vienna Teng and Alex Wong live album recording at Joe's Pub tomorrow!