Musical Memories

I've been listening to a lot of Pandora Radio ever since college (the undergrad years), and it's definitely gotten better over the years (complete with fewer commercials). My favorite station is the one I created based on the band She & Him; they end up playing a lot of Belle & Sebastian, Phoenix, Billie Holiday, Kate Nash, and a whole lot of Rilo Kiley. Today I've been hearing a good deal of Death Cab for Cutie: a band I haven't listened to for a few years. I loved them to pieces a few years ago, but then I got tired of the same songs playing over and over again through my ipod headphones.

But even after years of abstaining from Death Cab, whenever I hear certain songs of theirs, I am automatically transported to a strong memory. Sometimes this memory is just me walking home from work, feeling excited because I was going out with someone or a couple someones. Other times I suddenly remember being on a long train ride (probably to Altoona) on on a bus from Reno to Lake Tahoe. And I think how funny it is that one song can bring you back to that moment and the person that you were when you first heard those opening lyrics.

He's Not Heavy; He's My Brother

Besides being extremely cute and able to grow a full beard by the age of 16, my little brother Jake is quite helpful around the house. Well, he doesn't live at my house, but every now and then I can get him to come by and help out with things (some physically demanding and some not). During my Insane Summer of Work Travel, Jake and his girlfriend Emily (Jemily, collectively) were sweet enough to drive me to the airport at 4am. Two. Weeks. In. A. Row. Saints, they are.

Yesterday, Jake was back to help me take out my air conditioner and put the storm door in.  It takes him 10 minutes to do something that would take me 2 hours and lots of swearing to accomplish. And, of course, he even brings his giant purple van, known as "The Tank", to haul away said air conditioner to be stored in my parents' basement until next summer.

(He walks through doors too)

In the process of moving things around, I was stupid enough to accidentally break one of the legs on one of my antique end tables. It was bad. But who is going to save the day and fix it? Jake, of course!

That Place with the Food

Today a friend from work (and fellow red-head) and I went to lunch. We went to one of the best lunch places in the city: European Republic. They have the best wraps, and the incredibly addicting fries/frites come with any flavor of dipping sauce that you can think of (and some you never would have thought of).

Of course, we don't call it by its actual name; instead, it's "the wrap place."  Other eateries included in this category are "the noodle place" or "the place with the avocado sandwich." Many times all you have to say to someone in the office is, "Did you go to the wrap place?" and even if they're a co-worker that you hardly speak to, somehow they know what you're talking about.

Gourd-eous

I am continuing to embrace fall/autumn and its crisp weather. I am fine with crisp and cool; just not cold or freezing (which seems to be the constant temperature of the office). 

Yesterday I went to the farm stand with my mom to buy a pumpkin. It didn't take me that long; I pretty much chose the first one I saw. He just seemed perfect. So now I have 20 lbs of pumpkin hanging out by my front door, but I'm not sure if I want to carve it or just draw a face. I do, however, need to get the seeds and bake them....pumpkin seeds are one pretty nice consolation for the end of summer.

(20lbs of pumpkin)

I've also been collecting some gourds, which I love. They have such personality, and they're a good decoration for both Halloween and Thanksgiving. Some of them, though, can be downright weird.

(One of these is not a real gourd)

(Gourds have hair too)

And my apartment smells like apples and cinnamon, to boot.

Stationary

I am often sad to find that you can't just go out to a shop and find nice stationary. Not a lot of people in my life feel the need to write letters anymore, but I know a few people who do. One friend in particular likes to send me letters stamped with the cute little stamps I have bought her for holidays past.

Today I found this wee shop on Etsy: Paper Pastries. So many fun little stationary and stamp sets! This is probably the only place I've seen in years where you can get a real, wooden stamp like my dad used to use.

Someone definitely just got a Christmas gift out of this...and it's not to me, from me. :-)

Hank v. Bedsheet, Part Deux

Tonight Hank staged another attack on the sheet that (sometimes) covers his cage. He was sitting on the top of the cage happily chirping and squeaking away. I turned my head away to focus on my studying, and BAM! He lunged toward the sheet and started screeching and biting at it. This happened several times over the next hour. And every time he acted like it was the sheet that started it.

(The attack in progress)

Of course, Hank got wise to me pulling out the camera every time he attacked the sheet. He'd suddenly act like everything was fine; he doesn't attack under pressure.

(An uneasy truce)

City Walls

You are never too old to have a field trip.

Today we went on a work field trip around the city on the Mural Mile Tour. Our guide from the Mural Arts Program took us around Philly on foot, and pointed out several murals. We learned about how they are made, who helps put them together, and we even discovered a mural that didn't look like your typical mural (and a parking garage that didn't look like your typical parking garage).

If you come to Philly and are looking for something different to do, I would highly suggest the Mural Mile Tour. They also do a summer tour called "Ale and Arts"  which is something that sounds like the beginning of a lovely evening.

Yes, ale is included.

Some of my favorite murals are below:

(photo by Debbie Lovell)

(photo by Debbie Lovell)

Steve Martin Tweets

About two posts ago, I said that I thought Twitter was kind of a waste of time. I am standing by that statement. However, if you're going to waste your time in this manner, you should go the way of Steve Martin. His Twitter feed is the perfect blend of random, sarcastic, hilarious, and satiric.

More people need to be properly satirical about Twitter.

Living Differently Abroad

I think it would be fun to live in an oddly shaped home...at least for a short time. Nothing as intense as a treehouse or a house made entirely of windows, but I do like the idea of something far removed from the cookie-cutter mansions and ranchers that are mass-produced today. I mean, this is coming from someone whose house is technically a refurbished garage.

Looking on Wednesday's New York Times, I found this tall, skinny townhouse in Belgium. The outside alone caught my eye immediately. But if you take a look at the slideshow, you can peek inside. All the rooms seem like cozy little nooks, and I'm always a sucker for a spiral staircase.

Just one question/concern, though. Would the yard be enough for the giant Dog O' My Dreams?

Sadly, I don't think leasing this house is an option....

For the Love of David Sedaris

David Sedaris is quite possibly my favorite living writer. Finally he has put out a new book called Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary. I really shouldn't say "finally a new book" because  it hasn't been that long since the last one, but I guess it just seems like a long wait when the man is so hilarious.

Here is a lovely interview with Mr. Sedaris

NPR Gets It

My sister recently showed me a fake Twitter page of famous events in history (which I can't find anymore). It was hilarious especially since

1.) I think of Twitter as kind of a waste of time

2.) I enjoy snarky humour
and

3.) Tweets were along the lines of: "Thomas Jefferson posted 7/4/1776: Declaration signed! Suck it Britain!"

Today one of the students in my class posted the following article from NPR on Facebook Statuses from Hamlet:

Something Rotten in the Facebook Statuses

Oh NPR....I love it.

A Royal Audience

What would you do for a chance to meet someone like Her Royal Highness, The Queen of England? I would do almost anything because I have royal-itis. This subject came up between myself and my esteemed work colleague (who is also a red-head, incidentally) this afternoon. 

Our most recent company newsletter focused on how a few members of the UK staff met Her Majesty at a recent event. We found it extremely unfair that our UK colleagues get to have all the fun, and both of us agreed that meeting the Queen was better even then meeting the President (any President ever, though I might make an exception for Abraham Lincoln).I feel as though I've done a lot for the company: week-long trips to middle-of-nowhere conferences in Illinois, being forced to sleep in a shady Chicago hotel because my flight home was canceled and the cast/crew of The Dark Knight were taking up all the good hotels, flying to the West Coast every other weekend...surely that warrants a meeting with the Queen!

me at Buckingham Palace (2005)

The closest I have ever gotten to royalty is viewing a pear tree planted by Prince Charles in the gardens at Hampton Court Palace and walking through the great hall where Henry VIII had his lavish parties and hung expensive tapestries. Still amazing, though...

The gardens at Hampton Court as viewed from the Queen's Quarters

But the fact remains that I have yet to meet anyone royal, and until I do, what can I add to the monthly newsletter at work? Meeting the pope might get us close, but it's still not the same.