I'm pretty sure this was an iTunes featured song or something, and that's how I heard it. However it happened, I LOVE this song. As much as I really love pop music, lately I've been craving something a little bit grittier, and this fits the bill.

While on the phone with my mom this past week she asked what I was eating. Not at the moment (since I don't eat on the phone) but in general. This is sort of a general concern of hers, as I imagine it is for all mothers who are thousands of miles from their children and haven't laid eyes on them in six months.

I realized I didn't know. I can tell you that I eat cereal for breakfast, but other than that, I have no idea what I eat during the week to survive. I'm pretty sure it's a lot of turkey sandwiches (I kind of have a thing for turkey sandwiches), but I couldn't really confirm that or even tell you where they come from.

So in response to that scary fact, I decided to go grocery shopping after grading some papers, in an attempt to buy real food that I would cook and eat so I don't die of scurvy. Which would suck.

But do you know what I ended up with? Nothing super helpful. Witness, below, the pathetic shopping of a single, mid-20s grad student:
-string cheese
-cinnamon rolls (in a can. I've never bought these, but they sounded appetizing.)
-milk
-cereal
-ramen
-one bag of spring mix lettuce (now sitting in the lettuce graveyard in the fridge, where other bags of lettuce go to die)
-ice cream
-cat food

Seriously, going to die of scurvy.

New song. Love it.

"Dance if you can/dance cause you must"

Don't you hate how one minor thing going wrong can make it feel like the whole world has gone wrong?

Yeah, me too.

I'm a sucker. And I can admit it. I love Valentine's Day. I love the candy, and the sappiness, and the romantic comedy marathons, and the pink decorations.

So, in honor of today, a special edition of Music Monday complete with several of my favorite love songs. Because it's my blog and I can do that.

Eric Clapton w/ Wyclef Jean - Wonderful Tonight (it's a reggae version, not the original, but still good)


Billy Joel - Just the Way You Are


The Beach Boys - God Only Knows


Stevie Wonder - I Believe (When I Fall in Love)


And, my hands down favorite song of all time:
Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody


Happy Valentine's Day!

We have cats. I have mentioned this before, correct? Gus (a brown tabby) and Hazel (a Russian blue).

They live upstairs. I live downstairs. We are separated by a door. A noisy one. So in the mornings when Kristy leaves and I am still being a lazy grad student in the basement they are all alone. And they can't come walk on my face like I know they want to because of said door.

Every morning when I finally come upstairs and they hear the door open, I can hear them running full tilt from wherever they are to be in the living room when I get there. Which is really very sweet. But the best part is that when they get to the living room they very suddenly slow down and act like they were there the whole time, and didn't run to come see me. Because they are cats, and like to pretend like they don't need us. Like "Oh, you're here now? I had no idea, I've just been sitting idly here for hours. But I guess if you're here and you want to rub my tummy I wouldn't say no..."

And this happens every day.

The bad news is: I have part 1 of an exam tonight. An exam I do not feel prepared for despite having read all the required reading and and watched the required films. It could be that I just don't like European Art films.

The good news is: my hair is awesome today.

These days, I'm learning to take happiness where I can get it.

Yes, Hanson. I'm serious.

They came out with this new song/video a while ago, and even though I hate when people describe music as being infectious, that's the only word I can think of that fits. I just love everything about it: the lyrics, the sound, the styling of the video, the fact that the Hanson brothers can't really dance but they do it anyway...

Try not to dance along. I dare you.

I'm a teaching assistant for an intro film class, which means a ton of students in a big auditorium in a really old building. There are a variety of things I do for this class, including holding discussion groups, grading papers and tests, etc. But honestly, the thing that gives me the most trouble is turning on the lights.

Seriously.

It's not just flipping a switch. There are these two knobs with a bunch of numbers on them that control various sets of lights in the auditorium. And it's my job to turn them off and on. It's harder than it sounds: you have to push in and turn back and forth (I think at one time you just turned in one direction), and I can never get it to work right, so the professor always comes over and does it, and then makes some slightly patronizing comment about how they are hard to get the hang of. In his defense, he's British, so the patronizing part might just be his accent.

It's just....so embarrassing. I do the same thing he does every time, and they just won't work for me! And then I feel all awkward and unqualified to be in grad school because how could I possibly film a movie if I can't even turn on the lights properly? So for the next few months I'll have a twice weekly dose of minor humiliation.

Would it be weird if I went in there early to practice?

Folks, I survived Sundance. I should get that put on a t-shirt or something. Like those bumper stickers that say 'This car climbed Mt. Washington'

It was an amazing experience, and I have been so inspired lately, which is exactly what I needed. Even though it's hard to take two weeks out of your life, sometimes that's just what is called for. A mini-break from life.

And now it's February. I'm so glad, because 2011 and I sort of got off on the wrong foot, and I feel like February is my second chance. To be honest, every day feels like a second chance lately, as sappy and motivational-speaker as that sounds.

Don't judge me, I have film festival hangover.