Thursday, August 13, 2009

What's Wrong With Me?

I'll tell you what's wrong. Too many things going through my head, that's what's wrong. It's all happening, I tell you! It's.ALL.Happening. I went out of town last weekend, will again this weekend, am quitting my job on Wednesday, going home Thursday, then when I come back I go to two concerts, orientation, and then school starts. Oh and I must meet my deadline of finishing all Harry Potter books by the time school starts. AHHHHHNEEDABEER!.

Ahem...

In honor of the fact that I can't keep a single thought in my brain without thinking: "Ahh! I have to finish my work before I leave and pack up my desk and oh my goodness how can I take home all of my stuff when I have such an amazing social life that I have something planned every day after work?" to "Can't wait to watch the Steelers!" to "I need a part-time job/internship. I wish there was a Bob Evans around here." to to "GET ME OUT OF THIS JOB I AM SO SICK OF MOVING BOXES AND FILING AND MOVING BOXES SOME MORE!" to "What's Harry going to do if he's expelled from Hogwarts?" to "Aw. I can't wait to be home doing absolutely nothing in my basement wearing performance fleece eating Pizza Hut with my cat who hisses at me." to "wahhhhhhh I need to run more I'm fat" to...get the picture? If I wasn't so exhausted I'd be up all night going senile with all of these silly thoughts.

[Deep breath]

I decided to go all "25 Things" from Facebook because I can't flush out any of these thoughts to be a good entry. Please enjoy my stream of consciousness. I have to admit, the stream is rather entertaining when I have a small moment to reflect on what I just thought - before I go all crazy again.

If you are unfamiliar, Facebook has a note that was widely popular, where people listed 25 things about themselves that people may or may not know about you. Since I'm a jerk, however, I wrote things such as these few back on 1/27/09:
"4) I enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
5) The only time I enjoy work is when I'm doing anything but working (i.e. writing my first note, talking all day to Calshine because we are fantastic procrastinators, lunch with my co-workers, online shopping, etc.)
6) My favorite apparel is Old Navy Performance Fleece. If you haven't tried it, you should. If you're judging me right now, you're wrong.
*****
10) I am growing increasingly weary that my butt has formed the shape of my desk chair due to the intense amount of time I spend sitting during the day.
11) Thankfully, I still play sports in my pathetic attempt to salvage any of my "glory days" from when I was the Bench Captain of my high school volleyball team. Yes, I capitalized that. My coach told me senior year that I was to be Bench Captain.
12) I am not a quitter. No matter the situation, or the title (i.e. BENCH CAPTAIN, Sorority President, etc.)
***
22) Someday I'd like to leave the country. hmmm...Maybe I should change that to, "Someday I'd like to own a passport." Good goal. Aim high.

And so on...

Here I go! 25 Random thoughts going through my head that I couldn't work into real entries. Sorry I'm crazy. You were warned.

1) My boss just called and said she's still in denial I'm leaving. Then she asked me to get her coffee and, in turn, I got free coffee. She really is the best boss ever. My other boss is a close second.
2) Britney Spears' "Circus" was playing at Saxby's, so I shook my rear while I waited on my free coffee. Now I can't get that awful song out of my head.
3) My stationmate lent me some CDs so I can add them to the iTunes "illegally" on my work computer to then add to my iTouch. I am currently listening to the Black Eyed Peas to accomplish two things: keep my rear shaking (it was fun at Saxby's) and getting Miss Spears out of my head.
4) 2birds1blog.com is the funniest blog ever. Co-workers invited Meg McBlogger, one of the authors, to my going away happy hour next week. If she comes I'll be star struck. She's by far the funniest blogger ever. In fact, quit wasting your time reading my rubbish. Her blog is better. Enjoy and you're welcome.
5) I am inviting tons of people to my happy hour. If five people come I will be disappointed and will drink a lot.
6) If everyone or most people come then I will be very excited and will drink a lot.
7) I already planned the outfit I'm going to wear to orientation. Yes it includes wearing pearls. I think I'll fit in.
8) I really think that Ron and Hermoine should hook up already. All of their fighting is making Harry (and me) uncomfortable.
9) On the bus to New York last Friday I almost got in a fight. First of all, I was super hot and was sweating profusely. The sun was also shining on my side of the bus AND my lap top was on my lap. Hence, hot and bothered. So the broad next to me decided to be brilliant and blast her music so that I could hear it through Almost Famous that was playing at a reasonable volume from my headphones. So the dude in front of us not once, not twice, but THRICE accused me of being the loud one. Um, pardon me. I don't mean to stereotype, but the chick next to me was speaking Spanish as she walked on the bus and the music that was loud was clearly Latin jams. Honestly I liked the tunes. But don't accuse me, sir. The music playing on my computer at the moment he turned around the third time was Elton John's "Tiny Dancer." Show some respect, calm down, and point fingers elsewhere. Man I almost threw down.
10) When I got off the bus I waited on my friend at the Sbarro right next to the stop. I walked in to grab a drink and the guy behind the counter goes, "Hey Blondie, what can I get for you?" When I told him he goes, "Alright, sounds, good, can I have your number?" I (Graphic Heart) NY
11) Later that night we started with a LITER of beer each from an amazing Brooklyn German bar. Glorious.
12) The next day we saw Altar Boyz, an off-Broadway comedy musical about a boy band and the show was their concert. I was in tears from laughing. Please see it if you can. You can thank me later.
13) Later that night I stepped on a dead rat in Brooklyn. Then we went to a dive bar where we played Erotic Photo Hunt.
14) I'm still shaking my rear to the Black Eyed Peas. I can't understand what they're saying, but the beat is rocking my world. Party at my desk per usual.
15) Today for lunch the entire 9th floor is taking me out as a good-bye. It's very touching and I feel so special and I'm very sorry to sound annoying because I'm so happy.
16) I'm going to a wine bar in Chinatown after work and then to the Steelers bar on the Hill for the first pre-season game! HERE WE GO STEELERS HERE WE GO!!!!!!!
17) Tomorrow I'm taking a road trip to Rhode Island. I can't wait to be on the beach with a few of my closest co-workers.
18)I have a list of things I want to do before I'm 30. On that list is that I want to go to Las Vegas, wear a sequin dress, stand next to the craps tables so some old fellas can buy me martinis and I'll blow on their dice for good luck. It could happen.
19) Anyone wanna go to Vegas for my 25th birthday?
20) My friend from home just texted me saying she's driving around, belting out *NSYNC. I can't wait to go home.
21) I made dinner twice this week. I can't remember the last time I did that. You know what? I'm an awesome cook.
22) Also, Whole Foods is super cool. However, I am slightly disturbed that I spend $5 on low-fat peanut butter. On the other hand, PB&J sandwiches make up for it.
23) Did you know there's a restaurant in NYC that only sells PB&J and milk? How freaking cute is that?
24) Did you also know that it's Beer Week in DC next week followed by Restaurant Week?
25) How about this: did you know that now that I'm a poor college student without a job that I can't afford to do anything fun but I do anyway? Yay loans. And for paying them off until my dying day.

Okay, so it lost its luster as I continued, but those really were my thoughts for the last few minutes. Excuse me while I go move some boxes again. Four days and 6 hours left!!!!!!

Monday, August 3, 2009

Aw, Flashbacks Are Fun

With 12 days and 45 minutes left at my job I figured I should spend my time wisely. Of course I downloaded iTunes and made playlists. Hey. I'm a hard worker. Currently I am literally rocking out 9th grade-style to *NSYNC. That's right. Their music does it for me.

Truth: I was obsessed with *NSYNC from 7th grade-present. Not even kidding, if they ever revived and did a charity concert or a pity concert somewhere, you bet I'd take a plane, train or automobile to lose my voice screaming to those matching velcro outfits and sick dance moves. In no way am I ashamed of this. There you have it. I was THAT girl in junior high and high school. I boast seeing them four times. My room? Completely covered in pictures. I used up all of the family computer color ink printing out pictures. I entered the "*NSYNC *N Your School" contest, where I made all of my closest friends buy Herbal Essence Shampoo and other such products so we'd have the minimum proofs of purchase. Then we made a commercial which was also required to enter the contest. I sang a song in it. I was convinced I would win, they would come to my catholic high school to perform, JC would see me and instantly fall in love with me, and I would quit school, tour with them, we would get married on stage at a concert, and live a life of bliss. I was 14. On vacation one year I had to get the No Strings Attached album when it came out so my parents drove to Wal-Mart in the wee hours of the morning and listened to it with me in the car before we got breakfast. Another vacation I had to see the HBO concert but we didn't have HBO in our rooms, so they arranged for me to watch in one of the hotel area's conference rooms. I love my parents. I mean seriously. If permitting your daughter to openly be obsessed with men older than her isn't love I don't know what is. Oh and I also wrote to J.C. when I was in 8th grade telling him that I think we would be so great together and that I hope he'll wait for me until I'm 18 (and, uh, he'd be like 27).

I swear I have a brain.

It pains me to write this. But there you have it.

So all of these memories kept flooding back, I smiled, I quivered at my silliness, and then I was brought back to reality as I listened to the lyrics of the No Strings Attached album. Um...yeah.
Let's break it down.

1) Bye Bye Bye - the dance move has lasting power, but really?
"I'm giving up I know for sure
I don't wanna be the reason for your love no more
(Bye Bye)
I'm checkin' out
I'm signin' off
Don't wanna be the loser and I've had enough
Don't wanna be your fool
In this game for two
So I'm leavin' you behind
Bye, bye, bye..."
Toodles! PEACE.

2) It's Gonna Be Me
"Every little thing I do (ohh...)
Never seems enough for you
You don't wanna lose it again (don't wanna lose it)
But I'm not like them
Baby, when you finally (baby when you finally)
Get to love somebody
Guess what (guess what)
It's Gonna Be Me."
I know that crooning would win me over. Especially if someone echoed everything my suitor said.

3) Space Cowboy (Yippe-Yi-Ya)
Um, do I really need to post lyrics? Yes, actually I think I do.
"See I've got my eyes on the skies
The heavenly bodies up high
And if you're in the mood to take a ride
Then strap on a suit and get inside
If you wanna fly, come and take a ride
Take a space ride with the cowboy, baby"
I used to know the whole rap portion by Left Eye, as well.

4) Just Got Paid
First of all, it totally sounds like "Just Got Laid" throughout the song. I ignored this when I was younger, but you can't help but notice:
"Check the mirror, lookin' fly
Round up the posse, jump in my ride
Radio rockin', hottest jam
Feel the rhythm, pump up the sound
Feelin' so good
Don't you know, I'm just groovin' to the beat
Groovin', yeah, groovin', oh, oh, oh, ohhhh
Just got paid, Friday night
Party hoppin', feelin right
Booties shakin', all around
Pump that jam, while I'm gettin' down"
Ohhhhh yeah. They look fly alright.

5) It Makes Me Ill - my favorite song of the album
"Call me a hater, if you want to
But I only hate on him 'cause I want you
You can say I'm trippin' if you feel like
But you without me ain't right (ain't right)
You can say I'm crazy, if you want to
That's true-- I'm crazy 'bout you
You could say I'm breakin' down inside (inside)'
Cause I can't see you with another guy
It makes me ill
To see you give
Love and attention at his will
And you can't imagine how it makes me feel
To see you with him"
It makes you ill. We get it.

6) This I Promise You
Good ballad, just cheesy as all hell
"And I will take
You in my arms
And hold you right where you belong
Till the day my life is through
This I promise you
This I promise you"
How sweet. This song makes me ill, actually.

7) No Strings Attached - very catchy, but really? Really.
"Take it from me
It's a lesson to be learned
Even the good guys get burned
Take it from me
See I would give you love
The kind of love that you've only dreamed of
Baby you're not the only one
You don't have to be afraid to fall in love
And I know that you've hurt in the past
But if you want it, here's my heart
No strings attached"
Yeah, I'll take it from you, Justin.

8) Digital Getdown - this album came out in 2000, so I get the whole "let's chat about what's new and happening"...but when your audience is mainly tweens and young teens? My guess is you shouldn't promote talking to creeps online. "Getdown" isn't a word, either.
"Baby baby we can do all that we want
We're gettin nasty nasty, we're getting freaky deaky
Baby baby we can do more than just talk
Cause I can hear ya hear ya, and I can see ya see ya
Baby baby we can do all that we want
We're getting nasty nasty, we're getting freaky deaky..
Digital digital get down just you and me
(You may be) Twenty thousand miles away but I can see ya
And baby baby you can see me
Digital digital get down just what we need
We can get together naturally
(We can) We can get together on the digital screen"
I believe this prompted parental controls.

9) Bringin' Da Noise - not even posting lyrics. It's just dumb. Catchy, but dumb.

10) That's When I'll Stop Loving You - meh. Cheese cheese cheese. Sweet, but it's highly unlikely that a guy will never make her cry, like the lyrics suggest. Thanks for giving women everywhere expectations of men. Thanks a lot.

11) I'll Be Good For You - again, nice sentiment, but not a good song. There was a reason they never sang this in concert. It was clearly a filler song for the album.

12) I Thought She Knew - hands down, amazing. Yes. I love this song. It's so depressing and real and all about unrequitted love. Thank you for all of your a cappella glory.

So that's my way-too-long-wow-Mare-you-are-pathetic assessment of only one of my favorite boy band's albums. I probably won't do it again because the realization is depressing, but it's fun to remember how silly I was/am for them and how I belt the lyrics without even thinking. At work. Maybe I should skip "Digital Getdown" next time I play the album unless I want to get fired before my 12 working days are through.