I just wanna use your love tonight...

BTW, Kristen and I saw Bon Iver on Dec. 22 in Eau Claire. My second time seeing him this year, her third. We weren't allowed to take pictures, unfortunately. In fact, we saw someone get their camera taken away at one point. Lame!

Anyway, here's a video someone posted from a previous concert. MF HAWT cover of The Outfield's "Your Love." Gets cut off at the end, but it'll just force you to seek out the rest of his songs on YouTube, so I'm okay with it.

Christmas 2008

We celebrated our Christmas on Saturday. Here the girls pose with me before bolting off to dig under the tree.

Aaliyah was the biggest culprit. She couldn't keep her sticky fingers off the presents.

She soon got to open the first present: a Christmas moose from her great-grandma.

Then Jersey followed suit with her own gift from great-grandma, a teddy bear.

I got the girls each the softest little lamb from Bath & Body Works. I wanted to keep them for myself.

Jersey got a guitar and dropped all other clothes, dolls, and kitchen-set goodies to rock out.

Gram also got them this adorable pop-up tent with Dora the Explorer and Boots on the side.

But I think this was their favorite: a Barbie house with furniture, two Corvettes, a hot-pink bicycle, and a pink sparkly Barbie scooter.



In case you're wondering what goodies I received:

"Do I listen to pop music because I'm miserable or am I miserable because I listen to pop music?" ~John Cusack

While rummaging around in my closet today, looking for any Christmas presents I may have hidden away that still need to be wrapped, I found a great treasure: a shoebox filled with my old cassette tapes. Strap on your seatbelts, kids. It's time to take a ride through April's Musical Journey! Wheeee!!!

1) New Kids on the Block ~ Merry Merry Christmas. (As if you doubted I'd have that one.)

2) Garth Brooks ~ The Hits. (Yes, I used to listen to country. Quite a bit, I'm afraid. Don't worry; there's more.)

3) Christian mix tape ~ Titled "Lirpa's Mix," this tape held such hits as "Breakfast," by Newsboys (sample lyric: "When the toast has burned and all the milk has churned and Captain Crunch is waving farewell, when the big one finds you may this song remind you that they don't serve breakfast in hell." Awesome, right?) and "His Cheeseburger," by Veggietales, which I used to annoy the crap out of Krista by singing constantly.

4) 12-year-old April's mix tape ~ Featured gooey '90s sweetness, like Belinda Carlisle's "Summer Rain," Eric Carmen's "Make Me Lose Control," and Better Midler's "From a Distance."

5) Pearl Jam ~ Ten. I was in love with "Jeremy."

6) Aerosmith ~ Greatest Hits. I think they've had like eight different "greatest hits" compilations, though.

7) 19 Hot Country Requests, Vol. III. I really think this was my mom's.

8) We Welcome You ~ Praise and Worship Music Sampler. I got this as a freebie when I was a fundraiser for a Christian group in college. Never listened to it.

9) Culture Club ~ Colour by Numbers. Not an original; my mom copied it from someplace else. Then I stole it from her. :)

10) Celine Dion ~ "All by Myself" single. On the flip side "Because You Loved Me," theme song from the movie "Up Close & Personal." hahaha!

11) Sarah McLachlan ~ "Adia" single, also featured "Angel" and "I Will Remember You."

12) New Kids on the Block ~ Hangin' Tough. 17 years later, I finally made it to a concert.

13) Christian mix ~ Jars of Clay. I think I got this from my college freshman roomie. If I remember correctly, the other side has Matchbox 20 songs! ha!

14) The Best of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band ~ 20 Years of Dirt. In my defense, as a little girl I loved the songs "Mr. Bojangles" and "Dance Little Jean." That's a defense, right?

15) The Best of '60s Sock Hop. I used to be obsessed with oldies. This tape had two of my fave songs, "I'm a Believer," by the Monkees, and "Runaway," by Del Shannon.

16) Love song mix from my ex ~ Puke. They're all country, plus one song by Britney Spears.

17) Laughing Hyena ~ Jeff Foxworthy. Ugh. Yes, it's one of those "You Might be a Redneck if ..." tapes. My stepdad gave it to me when I was like 15. You're right, judgmental reader. There IS no excuse for having this tape.

18) Deana Carter ~ Did I Shave My Legs For This? Obviously country. But I loved the song "Strawberry Wine." I really wanted to be that high school girl who lost her virginity to the college boy. It was the Harlequin in me, I suppose.

19) Celine Dion ~ Self-titled album.

20) Mix from Cara in high school ~ Featured "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now," by Starship, "I Want to Know What Love Is," by Foreigner, and "Let's Hear It For The Boy," by Deniece Williams.

21) Hootie & the Blowfish ~ Cracked Rear View. I'm pretty sure I got it at a garage sale. Best find ever?

22) Boyz II Men ~ Cooleyhighharmony. I wore that bad boy OUT!

23) Jeff Carson ~ Country, of course. My mom got it for me because we like the song "The Car." It made her sad cuz I was going off to college.

24) "Cocktail" soundtrack ~ Who didn't own this one?

25) Tim McGraw ~ Not A Moment Too Soon. Fine. I admit it. I used to have a crush on him. Happy now, jerks?

26) Whitney Houston ~ "I Will Always Love You" single. Loved it. Loved "The Bodyguard." Loved her. Loved Costner. Loved it.

27) "The Sound of Music" soundtrack ~ Meow, Captain Von Trapp.

28) Meredith Brooks ~ "Bitch" single. I could swear and not get in trouble! It was awesome!

29) Bon Jovi ~ Keep the Faith. Only song I liked was "Bed of Roses."

30) Shai ~ If I Ever Fall In Love. Loved that song and its follow-up "Baby I'm Yours."

31) Ritchie Valens ~ I don't know why. I blame the movie "La Bamba."

32) Whitney Houston ~ I'm Your Baby Tonight. Great album. I love me some Whitney.

33) Mariah Carey ~ Self-titled album. Dudes, I totes sang along with this tape every night! My stepdad continually yelled up the stairs for me to shut up. But nothing could hold back my tear-filled rendition of "I Don't Wanna Cry."

34) Soho ~ "Hippychick" single. I have no idea why I got this tape, or how I'd ever even knew the song.

35) 20 Greatest Hits 1961 ~ Only song I even know on there is "Duke of Earl."

36) "Boomerang soundtrack " ~ I have a perfectly logical explanation for this, so put down your pitchforks and torches. I wanted the Boyz II Men album with the song "End of the Road" for Christmas. So my grandma went to Sam Goody (now out of business) and asked exactly for the tape with that song. And they give her this soundtrack, which does have the song, but it wasn't what I wanted. What would you have me do? Spit in my dear Gram's face? I think not!

37) John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band ~ "Eddie and the Cruisers" soundtrack. Shut up.

38) John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band ~ "Eddie and the Cruisers II" soundtrack. Shut up!

39) Toby Keith ~ Ay yi yi. I'm ever so regretful. I really liked the song "Should've Been a Cowboy."

40) "Les Miserables" soundtrack ~ Saw the show in high school. My stepdad bought me this tape in Eau Claire. Then on the way home, he fell asleep at the wheel and almost killed us. Ah, memories.

41) New Kids on the Block ~ Merry Merry Christmas. Duplicate from Kristen.

42) Mix from Jolene ~ Features "In the Ghetto" (I forget who sang that version) and "At Last," by Etta James.

43) College graduation mix from Jolene ~ Featured "April Come She Will," by Simon and Garfunkel, and "Alone," by Heart.

Now, return the favor and name some of your more embarrassing musical memories. I know you have some!

Bedtime Stories

Last weekend, Jersey slept with Gram (my mom) while her mother was partying with me and my friends. She was scared of the deer antlers on the wall, so to keep her mind off it, she and Gram made up bedtime stories.

Jersey: Once upon a time, there was a little brown dog named Brauny. And he was a pissin-on-the-floor, poopy shitster. He made poop piles everywhere with poop cherries on top. Your turn to tell a story, Gram.

Gram: Okay. Once upon a time there was a beautiful girl named April. And all the boys wanted to be her boyfriend.*

Jersey: And she had a very, very, very, very, very beautiful dress. And she was gonna go to the ball!

Gram: When she got to the ball, all the boys wanted to dance with her.**

Jersey: (gets ornery look, narrows eyes) But she couldn't dance with anyone. She couldn't even hug 'em cuz ... (evil look on her face) ... cuz her arms were too short!

*Obviously a fairy tale.
**Obviously.

Reason #4,381 I don't have a boyfriend

A few weeks ago when either Kristen was coming to visit me or I was going to visit her, I wrote in the email "See ya son!" I meant "See ya soon," but it spawned a phase where we've begun referring to each other as father/son.

Here's a conversation via Gmail chat from today. I was commenting on K-Lo's Gmail status, where she'd written "happy birfday april!"

Me: Awww, thanks for changing your gmail status just for me!

Kristen: Any time, son. Any time.

Me: You're a good dad. I don't care what anyone else says.

Kristen: I try my best, son. You know I couldn't always make it to your basketball/hockey/tennis games, but I was there in spirit.

Me: You were indeed. And the times you were there, well, you were drunk and obnoxious, sometimes even cheering for the opposite team. But I knew you meant well.

Kristen: I get confused sometimes, son. The crack doesn't help either.

Me: I told you to buy a belt.

Kristen: But you know I'd only whip you with it. That's why I only wear suspenders.

Me: True. You're always thinking ahead, Pop.

"I'm not together, but I'm getting there."

Life goes by fast. Ten years ago I was a sophomore in college. I was majoring in English literature, with no real plans for a career other than triumphantly exclaiming "I want to be a writer!"

I spent my spare time reading. I avoided homework. I had a mad crush on a boy I'd nicknamed Hot Boomer.

Fast forward to 2008.

I still want to be a writer, and though I do belong to a writers group, I avoid doing the work for as long as possible. I spend all my spare time reading (with the occasional Guitar Hero). And this summer I bumped into Hot Boomer (still hot), resulting in a renewed crush.

I guess that old adage is true: The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Click, Click, Click

This is going to be a lovely post about my adventure to the Twin Cities. I'll take you on a pictorial tour of St. Paul. Here we have the beautiful state library.

Wait. What's this? My sister and I at a concert? Hmm. What concert could it be?



Oh, that's right. NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK!



Face time with Donnie Wahlberg.

Showing us they still have the right stuff.

For you closet Joey Mac fans.

Look! It's my boyfriend Jon Knight with his brother Jordan!

Jon and Joe. So close, yet so far away.

They surprised the crowd by popping up in the middle of the audience with a piano on a turning stage. It was hawt. I also have video, but I haven't listened to it to see if you could actually hear them and not just screaming fans (i.e. me).

Official concert verdict? Awesome.

So, I guess there was no tour of the Cities. Sorry. We did eat at a pricey restaurant with substandard fare, though. And it was totes awesome to see two college friends again, Jessica and Carolyn. I'd post their pic, but I didn't ask for their permission. I'm sensitive like that.

Opening act was some chick I'd never heard before. Teri Chynn or something. Up next was Natasha Bedingfield, who was pretty good. And NKOTB rocked the house, yo. It was the longest concert I've ever been to, and they were high-energy the entire time. And really funny, actually! The only bad thing was that the couple to my left were the biggest sticks in the mud ever. They never cheered, never sang along, never threw their hands in the air and waved them like they just didn't care. They sat through the first half, the girl lounging on her boyfriend's shoulder. Second half, they stood hugging and staring blankly. WTF? Don't go to a concert if you're going to act like that, lamies!

Carolyn and Jess had cheap seats, so they were on the other side of the Xcel Center. Amanda and I had awesome seats! Despite what it may look like by my crappy camera, we were actually quite close. Close enough to see facial expressions without looking at the giant screens.

If you have the opportunity to see NKOTB, but you're holding off because you're afraid they'll only play their new songs or that it just won't live up to your previous, 11-year-old expectations, fear not! They were so good! My sister and I knew almost every song, and Carolyn and Jess, who didn't know any of their new songs, had a great time. Carolyn, who is the last person you'd think of going to one of their concerts, kept repeating how awesome it was and that she was surprised at what a good time she had. So get off your butts and grab some tickets!

"I swear I've seen a lot of things in my life, but that... was... awesome! But sorry about your car, man. That... that sucks."

So last night Carol and I went to see Tom Farley, brother of the late Chris Farley, speak about his book "The Chris Farley Show." He was funny, as one might guess. After mocking one teen boy about his improv performance, he said, "As far as you know, I'm joking." ha! I laughed a lot at that.

Afterward I got my program autographed. His pen hovered above the paper as he contemplated what to write. I told him, "'You're awesome' will do just fine." Cuz I'm cheeky like that. Instead, he wrote, "To April: HOLY SCHNIKIES! -Tom Farley." It was perfect because Krista and I used to quote Tommy Boy all. the. time. in college. I bought a copy of the book as a Christmas present for Krista, but I won't tell you what he wrote inside since I have to let her have some surprise when she opens the present. It's perfect, though. And in the copy Carol got for the library, he wrote, "No library fines on this book! Just donate heavily to your public library."

Also, when Tom saw my "Living in a van down by the river" T-shirt, which I even forgot I was wearing because I was all excited to meet him, he just grinned. "Great shirt!" he said. "Love it! Great, great shirt!"

Then I passed on a story to him about a girl I knew from college who had met Chris when he frequently came back to the high school (where she went as well) guidance office to talk, and how he tried flirting with her but she didn't know who he was. Tom nodded his head. "Yup, that was Chris. That's where he was comfortable, where his roots were. That sounds exactly like Chris."

I walked away smiling, but it was sad, too. Chris Farley was my idol. In college, Krista and I were the dorky girls (sorry, CK, but it's true) whose idea of fun wasn't partying and drinking, it was watching Tommy Boy and saying each line at the same time it was being said. We were in love with every moment of that movie, and each time we watched it we'd find something new to crack us up. I've heard people say that Chris Farley only did the same character over and over, but it wasn't the characters that we loved. It was him.

"I found a dead cat on the side of the road so I took it home and put some honey on it and I cooked it and I ate it, is that bad? do do do doooo"

Friday night Kristen and I watched some total cheesy/horror movies that she'd Netflix'd. First up was House on Haunted Hill, with Vincent Price. I started the weekend's joke-off by making "Pew! Pew!" sound effects when Vincent Price held a wine bottle like a gun. After Kristen finally finished laughing, she said "April one, Kristen zero." It only got worse from there.

The second movie was It's Alive, about a deformed vampire-esque baby who killed people. Top of the line, my friends. We thought about how hilarious it would be for people trying not to bring up the word "baby" to parents with a monster child. So began three days of coming up with awkward conversation. "Yeah, last night I ate baby back ribs--awwwww!" "My favorite veggie is baby carrots--awwww!" "Sorry about your monster baby--awwwww!" (Dudes, if I had a video blog, you'd be crying with laughter right now.)

Also, when the movie switched to the baby's point of view, it was really blurry, so every time I sang "Double vision." Every. Time.

At Cranberry Fest, an old lady called Kristen Dorothy. And as we were trying to leave, a cop walked up to my car and said "And how can I disappoint you ladies today?" hahaha!

Saturday night at the drive-in, we watched Cave Women on Mars, a recently made, 1950s-style B movie. It was horrible. From the so-called futuristic way they called computers "comp-yuter" to the frequently remarked "What is this [fill in blank] you speak of?" And they had a character named Orla.

Highlights: I got some video on my cell phone of Kristen reading from Jane Eyre in a "British" accent and later meowing an operetta. If only she'd allow me to post it. And when a guy walked by eating Skittles, Kristen said she wanted to taste his rainbow. She got points for that one!

Also, I just have to say that Kristin Wiig on SNL made me laugh so hard in this Lawrence Welk Show skit that I was actually crying.

It's a war on war

Yesterday, for two hours, I stood in the median of an extremely busy intersection during rush hour to protest the war in Iraq.

I was nervous. My knees were shaking.

But my friend Sharon and I were soon joined by about 10-12 others, all well-seasoned in protests. I was the only newbie. The banners/posters were all variations on the theme of ending the war. My friend and I held a long banner reading (if I remember correctly) "We stand in silence for lives lost in violence."

For the most part, people were really supportive. We got lots of good-natured honking, thumbs up, smiles, waves, and a few people shouted positive things. One carload of teenage boys started chanting "BARACK! BARACK! BARACK!" It kinda sounded like they were barking, but whatever.

Yes, there were a few dissenters. They showed their disapproval in the form of thumbs down, shaking heads, scoffs and revving of engines (I assume this meant they thought there was an unlimited amount of oil). One really pathetic creep stuck his head out the window and started screaming really vile racial epithets. I won't repeat them. I told Sharon it was a shame we couldn't cure ignorance.

One guy rolled down his window and yelled "Get a job!" at me. I was tempted to yell back, "I would if the economy weren't so bad!" But instead I saved all my snarky comebacks for Sharon, who laughed appreciatively.

Within five minutes of our arrival, a man in full military uniform drove by. He didn't acknowledge us in any way, positive or negative, but my first reaction was embarrassment. I fervently hoped he didn't think we were judging the actions of soldiers. I put that thought out of my head, though, because I think the best way we can support our soldiers is to bring them home. Or at least make sure they have the proper equipment and gear to survive and a clear objective in order to win a war. I think as it is, all those brave men and women who signed up to serve their country after 9/11 are having their sacrifice taken for granted by the government.

I guess there will be another protest next month, this time on a larger scale in a mall parking lot. A group of veterans against the war are supposed to be there as well. I'll update later with more information.

I had a comment on Facebook from someone who knew me, saying she was surprised to see me, a "mild mannered librarian," at a war protest. I am shy in crowds, and I hate confrontation--especially when it comes to election season and an issue with such polarity. I was nervous as hell, I don't mind telling you. But I'm hoping that gives you confidence to get involved somehow.

YEEEEESSSS!!!!

Dear Every Tourist Who's Come To Town This Summer,
this card is for you.
Love, April

"There's only music now. There's only music now."

Here are a few videos I keep coming back to:

Speaking for myself

I went to an Obama rally today with a couple of friends: Rachel (co-worker) and Sharon (former co-worker). We also found another friend, Ray (former co-worker), there as well.

This election year's rally was different from the 2004 rally I attended at the same place in that this time there were a few picketers with signs about abortion and gay rights. Because surely the issues I care about as a Democrat--health care, the economy, an end to the war, quality education, etc.--are worthless if I also believe a woman should have the final say over her own body and that two adults of the same sex can have a loving and committed relationship together if they so choose.

Politics--it's a hot topic that no one wants to touch. Not that I blame them. I've just edited the above paragraph three times so as not to overly offend anyone. But whatever. It's my blog and I'll outcry if I want to.

There were some great speeches made today. I especially liked one of the district representative's comments about Democrats too long turning the other cheek to Republican lies and that it's time to get angry and stand up to the bullying. I paraphrased, but it was quite moving. I'm tired of getting anti-Obama emails from people who think they're educating me but who in fact are just forwarding another person's propaganda, which always ends up being quotes taken out of context or just flat-out lies anyway. Educate yourselves, people! Don't believe everything sent in an email or what your neighbor says. Go to the source if you can, beginning with local and state representatives. Or visit offical Web sites that are approved by the candidate you're researching, so at least you know if he/she regards the information as truth.

I don't care what you believe in or for whom you want to vote--just don't get involved with the dirtyness of it all. Just know that someone else may have a different opinion, and that's not a reason to attack them.

Remix

Labor Day weekend -- not much to tell.

I spent hours (hours!!) revising my story for the writers group. If they don't like this revision, I give up.

I spent hours (hours!!) figuring out which songs I wanted to change on my Hot -n- Creepy 2.0 mix for my friend Pete and finding the perfect balance of quiet yet not snooze-inducing tracks for TOWR's indexing mix.

I spent hours (hours!!) searching the Internet (mostly Etsy, Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Lush, and Sephora) for those perfect Christmas presents for friends and family. I figure if I buy one or two pressies per paycheck, then I won't be stressed when the holiday finally gets here. Some of ya'll (Azucar, RC Cola) are tough to shop for! Some of ya'll (Laura Llew, Kristen), there are waaaay too many goodies I'd love to get you. You'd have the bestest Christmas ever if I won the lottery. Fo sho!

I spent hours (hours!!) watching Season 5 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. What can I say? It's addicting.

And that's about it. I finally had a weekend where I didn't have plans, didn't have to hang out, and didn't have to spend money. It was rather nice, and I'm already dreading tomorrow because it's deadline day at the newspaper without all the extra regular work hours to complete stories. It's going to be s-t-r-e-s-s-f-u-l. I'd better get to bed early.

Show me the meaning of being awesome...

The weather at the Minnesota State Fair was spectacular: sunny with a cool breeze. We decided to first check out the rides. Here is Amanda and my mom (Darla) before Mom and I jumped on the Fighter ride, which promptly made me want to vomit.

Then Amanda and I went on a ride called the Crazy Mouse, where I got a bruise on my right arm and she walked off with her pants unzipped. So, it was definitely an appropriately named ride. (That's me with wild hair sticking out of the top of the booth.)

Krista and I awaiting for the start of the concert.

Unfortunately, the first act was Girlicious, which they made sure we knew by repeating their names 42 times. Here are Amanda and Krista's reactions to the scantily clad, fake-haired, gyrating whores (pronounced Hoo-ers).

Cute pic of my sis as BSB time got nearer.



Sidenote: I made three random strangers laugh while at the fair. A fair (no pun intended) day's work, I must say.

The concert was pretty fun and wild. There was a great mix of guys and girls, and everyone screamed their hearts out and heads off. Aside from some jerky creeps in the section next to us who kept making comments to every girl who walked by, spilled their beer all over, and were obviously drunk and/or high, the crowd was awesome. The guys eventually were hauled out of the grandstand, to the delight of all around them.

I was too far away from the stage to take decent pictures, but here's one clip if you're interested.

BSB put on a very high-energy, exciting, and visually stunning performance, complete with several wardrobe changes and a solo by each group member. After the encore, fireworks burst in air to conclude the show.

Aaaaaand we're spent.

Also, today is Grandma's birthday. Happy 78th, Grandma!

"Now all your love is wasted? Then who the hell was I?"

So Friday night Kristen and I went to the Twin Cities to see Bon Iver, with opening act AA Bondy. I wasn't sure I'd like AA. His CD didn't do much for me. But he's better in person and was actually quite funny. For example:

AA Bondy: "I don't believe athletes at the Olympics should be tested for drugs." *crowd cheers* "Personally, I want to see how fast they can go." *strums guitar* "This is a children's song."

Maybe you had to be there. It was pretty hilarious, though.

And Bon Iver? So MF awesome. Kristen and I managed to stand right up at the gate in front of the stage. She'd been to that venue before, so she was clever and knew exactly where to stand. At first we were behind another row of people, but before the concert even started, this guy and his girlfriend in front of me decided to leave their spot. He bent down and said loudly "Go for it!" And go for it I did, swooping in on that coveted gate spot like a vulture on roadkill. Now, it's possible that he was actually talking to someone else, but I didn't care. I heard "Go for it!" and nothing was stopping me.

The girl to Kristen's left kept elbowing her, dancing like a hoochie, and bumping her. The girl to my right annoyed me greatly by talking in a little girl voice, telling her guy friend "Feel my rock hard abs!" But she kept laughing at things Kristen and I said or did, so I forgave her for being everything I'm not. Plus, she knew one of the guys in the band, so I was kinda hoping we'd get to follow her backstage. (Didn't happen. She disappeared before the end of the encore. Her spot was swiftly snatched by a dorky guy who'd been yelling things all night like "That was very nice!" "Fantastic!" and "WONderful!")

I can't really tell you how spectacular Bon Iver was. There I was, just six feet from him, beating out 1,500 other people to be that close to him. He was funny, too. After we'd cheer for him, he'd bashfully shake his head and say "Thanks, yo." One time he tried to shush us, which just made the crowd cheer even louder. I yelled "Opposite!" Eh, maybe you had to be there. Here are some pics I took with my cell phone.

Also, in the dream I had later that night when telling other girls about how hot Bon Iver's music was, I may or may not have used the phrase "You'll cream in your jeans!" Also, I suffered from man voice all day Saturday due to screaming so much at the concert. But it was totally worth it.

Other highlights of the weekend:

~Bought Guitar Hero Aerosmith. I played it for two hours last night. Pro: they have a ton of guitar choices for characters and not every song is actually by Aerosmith. Con: When you play as Aerosmith, the design on the neck on screen where the fret buttons come down makes it super difficult to see the actual colors of the fret, so prepare to screw up a lot.

~K-Lo and I went to Michael's in Duluth so she could order matting for her Bon Iver poster, and we made the boy working there laugh several times. I got him started using the phrase, "In my professional opinion." Then after we found out that K-Lo's contact number at the store was still her parents' home number, we all made up an imaginary conversation about her mom calling to tell her Michael's had called. This is all of us speaking as Kristen's mom.

Boy: Um, somebody named Michael called. He wants to do arts and crafts with you?

Kristen: He wants you to come over right away.

Me: *excited voice* Are you dating someone? When do we get to meet him?

Boy: He sounds really nice!

~We saw "Tropic Thunder" in Duluth. It was pretty funny for the most part. The best thing of all was that Kristen ordered pretzel bites with nacho cheese at the concession stand before the movie started, and at first all she saw was the guy filling the container with enough cheese to drown a moose. "Why the crap is he giving me so much cheese?" she asked. I shrugged. Then he filled the rest of the container with the pretzel bites--there were about 30 of them the size of a fat man's big toe. We stared in horror. And then couldn't stop laughing. We ate like seven, total.

~I had breakfast at Hell's Kitchen in Duluth. Never been there before. It was excellent. And in Minneapolis, we had dinner before the concert at an Irish pub, where Kristen's sandwhich was called the James Joyce. My sandwich didn't have an awesome Irish name, so I renamed it the Flannery O'Connor.

~Bought a shload of Christmas pressies for my sister, which I'm using as an excuse to give her an early present. I can't tell you what it is yet because she might read the blog. But I'll tell you soon, dearies.

~Went to a craft fair at Glensheen Mansion in Duluth. It was a little "meh." Though I did buy a cute little vase. I'll take a pic soon. Anyway, we had to ride a schoolbus to and from the parking lot. On our return trip, this woman behind us had her nephew with, a toddler, and she kept asking him questions nonstop throughout the ride. Each new question was said in a progressively higher-pitched tone. "Are we on a bus? Is it yellow? Are you sure? Do you see the water? Where's the water? Do you see daddy? Is he behind us? Do you see your uncle? Is that his truck? Are you tired? Are you sleepy? Do you need a nap? Are you sure? Do you have the hiccups? Should I scare you? Boo. Did I scare you? Did I scare you? Boo. Did I scare you?"

UGH. So annoying. But then for the rest of the day, Kristen and I kept saying to each other "Do you have the hiccups? Should I scare you? Boo. Did I scare you?" And while we were playing the new Aerosmith Guitar Hero I bought, she did it again. Two minutes later, she got the hiccups. We couldn't stop laughing. Then she'd hiccup again in the middle of talking or laughing, and it made us screw up our game cuz we were laughing so hard.

~When I got home Monday morning, waiting there for me was the newest issue of Paste magazine, with the delish Bon Iver on the cover. WONderful.

~Friday night, Krista arrives. Saturday night, Backstreet Boys concert at the Minnesota State Fair. Will be boy band-alicious.

Birthday weekend

It was Aaliyah's birthday Saturday, but she was sick and stayed at her mother's house. So we'll have presents for her next week. Jersey's birthday is technically tomorrow, but had a big lunch and cake and presents today. First we played outside. Here's Brauny next to one of Jerz's numerous lizard toys.

He likes getting his belly rubbed. But then, who doesn't?

Jerzy and Brauny like the sandbox.

Action shot. Look at that sand fly!

Her stripper name is Sandy Bottoms. hahaha! Er...no? Oh.

MWAH! Thanking Uncle Skunkle (that's what we call my brother) for the Play-doh.

Bruce the shark bubble blower from Gram.

New outfit from Gramps and "Little Gram."

Testing out her bubble-making skills.

What does it mean when a boy asks if you plan on bringing someone with you to zombie night?

Aaliyah turns 2 on Saturday. I got her a musical Dora the Explorer See and Say.

Jersey turns 4 on Monday. I got her a (cheap) digital camera with three interchangeable face plates in various shades and designs of pink.

I turn 30 in three months. Kristen's making me a quilt because Lord knows I won't have anything else keeping me warm at night.

Bon Iver/AA Bondy concert in 10 days. Will attend with Kristen. We may also have another SingStar/Guitar Hero party

Backstreet Boys concert in 17 days. Will attend with Mom, Amanda and Krista. I know you can't wait for all the pictures I'll be taking.

Still revising ending of short story, but the writers group absolutely loved the new direction I'm taking it. I commented that it's difficult to write something in a more sinister way without making it cliched, like a villain twirling his mustache. They laughed. D says, "No, you wouldn't do that. That's something I'd do. You're way too talented for that garbage." I will accept that compliment. :)

Got my awesome T-shirt from Laura Llew that in blue sparkly embroidery reads "Team Edward: Cooler Than a Werewolf." I'm a million times more satisfied with the shirt than the actual book, even though I'm only halfway through reading it. Quite disappointing. Thank goodness the final Harry Potter book wasn't crappy like this. Ah, well. At least I have the movie "Twilight" to look forward to.

Please help me. I've become addicted to Facebook. And really, it's not even as good as MySpace because you can't listen to music or anything. But I can't. stop. checking. it. Also, I've found so many high school and college friends on there. People I haven't seen or spoken to in years! I actually got teary-eyed after I found a couple of old friends.

Anyway. Amanda and I went to see the new X-Files movie today. I liked it while I was watching it, but reflecting afterward, it wasn't that great. I mean, it was ... but it wasn't. Wow, enlightening review, isn't it? I think Gene Siskel's job is safe. Er ... he's the one who's dead, isn't he? The other guy, then.

I bought these bowls online from Urban Outfitters yesterday. They're for my future kitchen. (Can't stop daydreaming about own place. Now, if I could only find perfect full-time job in my field of expertise.)

I was also tempted by this dinnerware, but $14 per plate? As Chris Rock playing a homeless man in an In Loving Color sketch once shrieked, "Good LAWD, that's a lotta money!" (Dudes, I totally dropped an old-school comedy reference on your collective asses.)

Also, currently obsessed with all things Adele. I especially love the song "Daydreamer."

"Wonder Boy, what is the secret of your power?"

Rachel from work and I went to see "Batman: The Dark Knight" at the drive-in Friday night. It was pretty excellent; we were both pleased with it. There were several cringe-inducing moments that Heath Ledger's Joker gave us. And stupid freaking Matt Lauer gave a crucial plotpoint Thursday morning on the "Today Show," so I unfortunately already knew one thing. Ugh. Stupid bastard. Other than that, two thumbs up for the movie.

My mom got a new puppy at the house. He's a mix of Boston terrier, a Shih Tzu, and a chihuahua. His name is Brauny, named after my mom's favorite Milwaukee Brewer.

He's adorable and tiny and bite-y.

Mom made dessert the other day. As she was pulling the pan out of the oven, Jersey came up to her.

Jersey: What kinda cake is this, Gram?

Gram: These are lemon bars. Do you like lemon bars?

Jersey: Oh, yes. I love lemon bars! Except I haven't had them since military camp.

Jersey and her mom walking outside:

Jersey: Mom, what are those cracks in the sidewalk called?

Amanda: I don't know, Jerz. They're just cracks.

Jersey: No, according to my science book, the cracks in the sidewalk are made of needles. And needles are very dangerous.

I recently purchased a print from the LauraGeorge Etsy site, titled "Four Bookish."

I just picked it up from the frame shop yesterday and hung it over my bookcase.

Here's the other wall with my Gorjuss print, along with Jersey's handprints, a framed robot card from Kristen, and my fave photo from when Jersey was in the cutest baby contest:

I finished writing my second story for my writers group. I haven't had their reactions yet, but we meet Monday evening. Amanda, Mom and John loved it, though. After Mom quit crying, she croaked "Mediocre." ha!

My fave professor from my alma mater will be conducting a reading from his newest book at my library Wednesday night. I volunteered to make cookies. (Not just any cookies. They're chocolate mint cookies, and they're delish!)

My only other exciting news is that I joined Facebook. I know, quite the fascinating life I lead, isn't it?