twenty-four

The 81st Academy Award nominations have come out. And this year is probably my most pitiful viewing year in terms of Oscar nominations. I'd like to chalk it up to my move to NY and now being ridiculously broke. But a lot of the Oscar fair this year didn't interest me like last year's did. Besides Rachel Getting Married, Wall-E, Vicky Christina Barcelona, and The Dark Knight (along with a few one nomination films) I didn't see very much, nor have I really been that interested. I don't know if last year was a dry year for great movies, but I don't feel any excitement over The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The art direction looks incredible, and Cate Blanchett can usually get $8 - 10 out of me, but I just can't bring myself to care this time. Oh well. I'll be hoping this year will bring more movies like Wendy & Lucy and more actresses like Rosemarie DeWitt.

twenty-three

After an uneventful night of babysitting in the East Village, I trekked back to Brooklyn through what felt like the arctic tundra. Even waiting on the train out of the frigid night air it was still obnoxiously cold. I have never inhabited a place where having any skin exposed hurts upon immediately exiting whatever building I am in. I suppose the temperatures, although not as cold as some parts of the country, feel much worse here due to the amount of time we spend outside walking to and from the subway and waiting on the bus. Or it could be the tall buildings acting as wind tunnels. Or, it might be that this is my first real winter. Whatever the reason, it is cold. And I don't think I'm a fan.

twenty-two

Last night I launched my etsy site. I made my first sale today to Lauren (THANKS!!!) who bought a journal I made from an old VHS tape of The Princess Bride. If you, or anyone, you know would like to buy something I would greatly appreciate any sales/word of mouth.

Now that I have finished hawking my wares to my friends and family (sorry), it is so frakkin' cold here. Seriously. Freezing. Friday the high is supposed to be 13. I have never inhabited a region where the high on a given day was 13. I'm used to complaining about humidity, not below freezing temperatures. And I would say that the cold is fantastic for my hair, but that is only true when it isn't snowing. Brrr...

Other than the cold, I'm pretty excited about Battlestar Galactica starting back on Friday. I've been having debates with friends and with myself as to who the last cylon could be. And if you aren't a Battlestar Galactica fan, first, don't judge me, I probably know the dorky things you love and will not turn the other cheek, but judge you Old Testament style. Secondly, this is my favorite show. I like it better than LOST, Veronica Mars, Gilmore Girls, Arrested Development, Flight of the Conchords, or whatever show I have ever professed love for. Which, in my very humble opinion, speaks highly of it. Third, give it a shot, but start from the beginning. Don't be like Josh Carroll and come over one night and watch it in the middle of season 4. That will do you no good. And fourth, since I've come back to promoting unnecessary things, check out my etsy shop and possibly buy something or get someone to buy something for you.

twenty-one

New Year's Resolution:

Get a job.

twenty

nineteen

After being in a car for over 10 hours the past day with no iPod or cds for entertainment I have a few observations about radio...

1. As much as I love NPR, I no longer have any warm feelings for All Things Considered. The show-runners are boring and no matter how interesting the segment is, I can't seem to pay attention.

2. Eight times of listening to the David Bowie/Bing Crosby version of Little Drummer Boy is eight times too many. (Although, the video I linked to is creepier to watch than actually listening to it.)

3. I don't think it is possible to find a station playing Christmas music at night that doesn't have Delilah as well.

4. Drops of Jupiter is the most nonsensical song I've heard 4 times in 5 hours. Or ever.

5. This is the first Christmas that I have not heard a single Mannheim Steamroller re-make. It is pretty great.

Aside from my radio observations (er, complaints) my short trip to Louisiana was really nice. I wish that I had been able to spend more time there, but my lost luggage abbreviated my stay. Driving was pretty great even though I think I might have had my fill for a couple of days. Now, if only the stars will come out I will have done everything that I wanted to do/see.

eighteen

After over an hour of delays at LaGuardia, a missed connection in Atlanta, an added trip to Tampa, and a lost suticase, I made it home.

seventeen

This time tomorrow I will be getting off a plane in Gulfport, Mississippi, a 45 minute drive from my house, and beginning the 9 days of loving harassment I will experience at the hands of my family. I'm pretty excited.

Things I'm looking forward to:
1. Good food. I guess 24 years of living in the South, more explicitly 18 years on the seafood laden coast of Alabama and 6 years immersed in Cajun cuisine, has made me a little partial to the food I abandoned over 4 months ago.
2. Playing games. I finally corrupted my youngest sister about 2 years ago with the joy of board games. She became a zealous convert. Now, she requests that we play games all the time. I couldn't be prouder.
3. Making coconut balls. I miss my grandma. She is so cute and sweet. And the best grandma ever. She sends me cards just to tell me she is thinking about me. Also, she makes the best breakfast in the world.
4. Walking outside without a coat. And scarf. And gloves. And hat.
5. A fire in the fireplace. And maybe convincing my parents that making smores is a great idea.
6. My bed. I miss it.
7. Keeping my gifts a secret this year from my step-mom. She always manages to find out what everyone is giving everyone else. But not this year. Yeah, you read that right, woman. I'm not telling.
8. Listening to Christmas music in the car. I'm so excited to be riding in a car for 9 days and not sitting next to two people making out and taking up so much room you are crammed against the bar in the middle of the bench. That happened last night.

I know I'm going to miss NY. I'm beginning to fall in love with the city. But I also miss my family. I miss how slow things are in Mobile. And I think 9 days is a welcome respite from the craziness of the last month.

sixteen

Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.
- Teddy Roosevelt

fifteen

Today I found out that I will be celebrating the new year alone in NYC. I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. It is a weird feeling trying to figure out what to do with yourself on holidays when you've never really spent them alone.

A quick FYI - I lost my phone Thursday. I'm going to AT&T tomorrow to see if I am due for an upgrade. If not, I suppose I will be sans cell phone for a while. Which, in my opinion, could be quite nice. I feel so attached to this inanimate object that sometimes I think it controls my actions. That feeling really bugs me. I don't ever want to feel that a cell phone is necessary to my existence.

I am also out of a job. After telling me how fantastic I am and how they couldn't have made it through the past month without me, I was let go. I'm not that upset about it. Actually, everyone I've told about it is more upset than I am. I do lament the lack of income I am once again faced with, but this job would have sucked my soul. 50 - 60 hour weeks are never good for anyone. They did say that they would be in contact with me in the new year for some freelance work, but I'm not holding my breath.

I'm not quite sure what I am going to do with myself this week. I'll be applying for jobs again, but I think I need to start researching how to sell things I can make. At least that will supplement my lack of income for a while. Maybe.

I miss everyone and can't wait to see all of you in 6 days!