Lazy weekend.

Last night I caught a nice little set from Johnny Gallagher in the East Village with my friends Louise and Rob, and then we hit my favorite Italian place followed by my favorite trashy dive bar.

I must say that my decision to wear cowboy boots was a great choice, and that Rudy's will stay classy forever. There was even a dance party to "Single Ladies" with a bunch of random cute hipster boys; my favorites were the trapper hat guy and the one who asked each of us who we were putting a ring on.

Today has been lazy, and I've loved every minute of it. In fact, I've barely left my room, let alone my apartment. I'll venture out into the icy air in a few to pick up some things, but aside from that it's a quiet night in HK, my friends. All the better to celebrate deadline week.

This is my favorite awards show.

Why are the Grammy Awards so fierce right now?

Seriously...
M.I.A. performing when her baby is due TODAY.
Radiohead being made of awesome.
Jo-Bros with Stevie Wonder (no worries, Nick, nobody noticed that you messed up the lyrics to Superstitious)
And Lil Wayne still to come.

Thank you, forces that be who put this show together. I was going to go to bed at like 8:00 tonight, but instead I spent the evening watching this epic win.

And I loved when Adele won and I announced to everyone that, "I totally went to the movies with her last month." :)

XOXO - I need you!

I am going into serious Gossip GIrl withdrawals. I need my weekly dose of Blair, Chuck, man bangs and Dorota. Not to mention my weekly snark from Daily Intel's coverage of "The Greatest Show of Our Time". Luckily, Gossip Girl's return to glory is just over a week away. In the meantime, I've been filling my need for media consumption in various forms, from the high-brow to the basest of interests.

Listening to: my old school Blair Waldorf playlist (told you I was having withdrawals; Lil Wayne, Bare cast album; Girl Talk

Reading: Serena, by Ron Rash; Entertainment Weekly; LJ posts from oxymoronassoc; and no, I swear I didn't finish rereading the Twilight series. okay, I lied.

Watching: Dexter (Season 1); College Football bowl games; The Dark Knight and various other findings from the local video store

Hark, the herald angels SING!

I know I should be talking about the holidays, since it's December 24 and all, but I have something different in mind. If you know me at all, you know that music is a very big deal to me. In fact, it might be my very favorite thing. I'm kind of weird in the way I listen to music, though. Maybe I have an obsessive personality, but I get on these kicks where I have a few favorite songs that I just listen to on repeat - over and over and over again. I don't even notice that I've listened to a song 50 times in one day until someone points out the fact that they might like to hear something else. Oops. So, since it's the gift giving season, I will give you the gift of my current playlist. I know, I'm so generous.

1. Supermassive Black Hole, by Muse
Sometimes a song just makes you feel like a superhero. This is one of those. Seriously, it comes on when I'm walking down the street and I feel like I can conquer anything. Needless to say, I have to put this one on at work a lot.

2. Are You There, from Bare
Any song sung by Matt Doyle is amazing in my book. There's just something so uplifting about this song, in which two very different people connect over sharing similar feelings of confusion and doubt. The song is beautifully composed and wonderfully sung. It also happens to be my current ringtone.

3. Cathedrals, by Jump Little Children
This song is so haunting. The sweet, simple melody and the poignant lyrics make it something I could listen to a million times and more. I've been working on playing it on the guitar and piano this week, and I think I've just about got it right.

4. All My Bells Are Ringing, by Lenka
I love non-traditional Christmas songs. Don't get me wrong, I will always prefer some O Holy Night or Silent Night, but you also need a little bit of upbeat Christmas goodness. Lenka's song has a great retro-vibe and makes me want to dance every single time.

5. Mannequin, by Britney Spears
Britney's back, y'all. I do love her entire Circus album, but for some reason this song sticks out me. I think that I'm noticing a vibe here at the end of this very short playlist. I like dancing songs. While Lenka's is great for Christmas, I feel like I will be doing a lot of champagne-induced moves to Britney on New Year's Eve.

That's it for now. Be prepared for several new posts in the next few days, because I'm only 8 away from hitting my goal of 100 before 2009!

All I want for Christmas...

I feel like since Christmas is just over two weeks away, I should probably fill you guys in on my wish list. I mean, that way you have time to scour the stores to find the best deals. Here are my top three Christmas wishes:

3.




















2.















1.



















Thanks in advance. I mean, I have been so good this year. And just remember:

A little bit random.

A few things I'm currently loving:

1. Britney's new CD - It's all great, but I especially enjoy "Blur" and "Mannequin."
2. Sour Patch Kids - The yellow ones are my favorite.
3. Robert Pattinson's singing voice - It's definitely not expected. There's something gritty about it that I really love.
4. The weather in NYC - The cold is my friend, when I'm bundled. As long as the rain stays away while I'm outdoors.
5. August: Osage County - I saw it last night and it was seriously the best play I've ever seen.
6. The Christmas spirit - I haven't grimaced at a tourist all week.
7. Festive nail polish - By this, I don't mean snowflakes and trees drawn on. I mean, deep reds and greens.
8. Counting down the days until I get to go home for the holidays! Not counting today, 13 days (only 9 work days)!

I've decided I want to hit 100 posts by the new year. This one is #80, so expect a little less than a post-a-day between now and then. It's Christmas-Blog-a-Palooza! Sure, I might sacrifice content, but it's not like I'm going for a Pulitzer here.

Pictures are worth a thousand girl talks...

There's going to be a massive Facebook picture post going on this week. Hopefully it'll get done later tonight. For now, here's a preview:

Terrific Tuesday

I promise that I will post an update about the amazing weekend I just had as soon as I find adequate time. I'm only posting at all because I need to document for posterity how amazing today is going to be:

1. Wall-E comes out on DVD. It's only the best movie ever. I actually doubt that I will even be near somewhere to buy it, but just knowing it's out there makes me happy.
2. The Gossip Girl Daily Intel comes out. That happens every Tuesday, but I still get excited weekly.
3. Third Eye Blind releases a new EP. Yeah, seriously, it's for real this time. My obsession level will definitely be kicking back up.
4. I have a project at work I'm pumped about getting started.
5. I'm going to a GIRL TALK concert with three of my fabulous ladyfriends.

I think that's enough wonderful for one day. Get excited, y'all.

P.S. Speaking of Gossip Girl, I really wish Vanessa would die in a fire. Seriously?!

I'm fading in and out...

"Red", by Sara Bareilles, from the album "Careful Confessions"

I’ve been down, I’ve been out. I did it all on my own.
Seems growing up didn’t take long.
Feel strange, I feel good. I feel better with you.
You’ve changed, you should. Cause I think I did too.

Made my mistakes, and did a few things right
But it will take what it will take, baby that’s life
You cannot change what you do not own, everybody knows.
But if you live deep and love strong you get pretty damn close.

It moves fast and it scares me. I close my eyes, oh but I still see…

I’m fading in and out. What are you supposed to do save me now
From all of this danger? You don’t know how and I’ll find my way out.
When I’m in the red listening to strangers inside my head
The darkening angels beneath the bed, I still see everything you said,
Painted in red.

I shake and I smile, cause you said
Baby girl it may take a while, but take the good from the bad
And never minds are never sure so never leave them wanting more
What are you waiting for?
How you love is who you are.

I dive in and I sink in. And I find new colors to think in…

I’m fading in and out. What are you supposed to do save me now
From all of this danger? You don’t know how and I’ll find my way out.
When I’m in the red listening to strangers inside my head
The darkening angels beneath the bed, I still see everything you said,
Painted in red.

In the distance is a line defining where I’ve been the state I’m in
And ever since it began to slip from my two hands I’ve been
Taunting fires, touching wires, been believing liars, everything they said
Painted in red

I’m fading in and out. What are you supposed to do save me now
From all of this danger? You don’t know how and I’ll find my way out.
When I’m in the red listening to strangers inside my head
The darkening angels beneath the bed, I still see everything you said,
Painted in red.

What are you gonna do? No way for you to save me.
What are you gonna do? Everything that you gave me is painted in red.

I'm gonna lose all kinds of indie cred for this...

Katherine has her heartsongs, and Megan has her theme songs. So my hybrid version of two (for the current moment) is this amazing album I had forgotten how much I loved.

Please buy, burn, DL or otherwise treat your ears to Keep It Together, by Guster. If you aren't already super music savvy, that is. (And you could even be behind the curve and still be up to date on this one; the album is from 2003. I can vividly remember buying this at Best Buy in McKinney. Weird.)

Some key listens that particularly speak to me:

"But you can't hide standing under these stars.
They know everything - they know where you are.
You're in your head you're all turned around with it,
And they're shining down their light to bring you back again."
- Careful

"Ramona, you're Miss Oklahoma,
and you miss Oklahoma.
I'll get you what you want."
- Ramona

"And the boats went out at night,
and the choppers in the sky,
They searched but they could find no trace of us.
So far away from everyone
and everything starts today."
- Keep It Together

"I'm awake, you're still sleeping.
The sun will rise like yesterday.
Everything that we are now
Is everything we can't let go
Or its gone forever, far away
I hope tomorrow is like today."
- I Hope Tomorrow Is Like Today

I know this post is random and out of character, but remembering that I had this little gem on my iPod just saved me from pulling my hair out during a very stressful day at work.

So consider yourself educated, retroactively. I'll consider myself tranquilized.

Nothing to do but daydream of John Mayer.

"My baby takes the morning train.
He works from nine to five and then
He takes another home again
To find me waiting for him."
-- Sheena Easton, Morning Train

When it comes to getting work done, I've always been pretty efficient. I was usually the first person to finish every test, I can knock out an A-level five-page paper in a couple of hours, etc.
That is, I'm efficient once I make myself sit down and start a project. I tend to subscribe to the philosophy of "works best under pressure", which is a fancy way of saying, "I like to procrastinate, but I'll still get things done and on time."

So imagine how weird it feels to be sitting here on my second day of work writing this little blog to you at 9:30 in the a.m., not because I'm putting off some action item, but because I really have done everything I need to do. At least without other teammates sending me their pieces of the project to put together. It could have something to do with the fact that I worked 11 hours yesterday. At the time, it just seemed easier to get the job done rather than set it aside and come back, but now I've learned my lesson. Thought it was nice to stroll in this morning, knowing there was nothing big looming over my head.

Now that I think of it, I haven't told you anything about work, have I? Well, I absolutely love my coworkers, for one thing. It's probably a good thing that a certain few of us have desks spread around the office, because this level of efficiency would drop drastically if I was constantly surrounded by those crazy new friends of mine. Speaking of desks, mine is HUGE. As in, I don't even use half of it. With two phone lines. And it's in a pretty nice location, though I'm slightly jealous of Justin's giant window view.

So far, it looks like a typical day of work for Emily is going to include plenty of time on the headset phone, lots of Pandora stations (a QuickMix of Jason Mraz, Sara Bareilles, Arcade Fire and MIKA is my favorite), more Excel spreadsheets than should be legal and, not to be punny, but tons of legal pads. I like that. I also like walking past Madison Square Garden on my way to work every morning. It just keeps a little of that "I'm working in NYC" magic going.

Okay, hopefully that was a more satisfactory post than the last couple. I'm going to try to fill the hours until my call this afternoon with decorating my desk, scrounging around for spare office supplies and sharing my newfound SLX skills. Not to mention the activity mentioned in the title of this post. ;)

Many the miles.

"How far do I have to go to get to you? Many the miles.
Send me the miles, and I'll be happy to... follow you."
- Sara Bareilles, Many the Miles

I thought this lyrics was appropriate on several levels. First of all, it's been stuck in my head for the past few days. I'm sure the citizens of New York are simply loving hearing me randomly burst into this refrain as I'm walking down the streest. Eh, whatever. It's also relevant to the fact that I've traveled a long way to get to where I am, and how happy I am to be here. Another layer of meaning is that I am many miles from what used to be "home" and all of the people in places like Texas, Oklahoma and Tennessee who mean a lot to me, but that I'm still connected to them all. And finally, it could refer to the many, many miles I have probably logged in footwork across this city over the past few days. Seriously, my legs are going to stay in great shape.

Obviously, a lot has gone on since my last post. Now that I'm done diseccting song lyrics like I'm in literary criticism, I'll try to remember all the crazy happenings I've partaken in and fill you in on all the important stuff without boring you with extraneous details.

This weekend was a whirlwind of activity, mostly focused around finding an apartment. For those of you who don't already know, this is an intense process, much different from apartment hunting in Norman, or any other town for that matter. We spent hours upon hours pounding the pavement, jetting across multiple boroughs to go to open houses, meet with brokers, etc. It was a long, arduous and extremely tiring process, to say the least.

However, at the end of it all, I'm glad that we did all of the city scouring that we did. It helped me appreciate even more the volume of people and how varied their lives are in this city. And if I hadn't gotten lost in Bushwick (eek!) or crossed the heart of Harlem on foot, I might not appreciate the amazing neighborhood I found the way I do.

I guess that jumped the gun a little. The big news is -- I now have an NYC address. I'm an Upper East Sider, y'all. And I'm so excited. The neighborhood is adorable, and my apartment is HUGE, much bigger than the shoebox* I was imagining. Though we did see our share of shoeboxes. For instance, in Hell's Kitchen, we were welcomed into our lovely new potential home, complete with the shower in the kitchen. Classy. Not to mention that in this same building, rather than buzzing us in, the super threw the key down into the street from her window. Gotta love that. There was also one with a really cute loft-style layout; however, one of the bedrooms would barely fit a twin bed. Maybe. Then of course there were the open houses we never actually made it to, because the area seemed far too sketchy to be worth venturing very far into.

Let's see, what are some other things that I've learned? I'm quickly becoming an advanced subway rider, so that's going to come in handy. I have also already developed a growing contempt for the gawking tourists in Times Square. Mom says that I'll fit right in because of that. I can't help if I get annoyed at people who don't understand what symbol means "go" at the crosswalk. I've also really come to love the Upper West Side. I could walk up and down the 70-90 blocks of Broadway over and over again. When you come visit me, we'll explore. That's one thing about this place - whether you're an obnoxious gawking tourist, a newly minted Upper East Sider, or a lifetime resident, there's always something new to see and experience.

Of course, though my trip has been primarily devoted to the tedious apartment hunt thus far, that's not the only thing I've been doing. Some highlights from the more laid-back, fun parts:

• I mentioned Spring Awakening already, but it will always bear repeating. I love that show, and I was so impressed that there wasn't a single actor whose performance I could be critical about upon the curtain call.
• My mom and I visited the TFA office. It seems like a very productive and fun place, and I'm really looking forward to getting started there.
• My friend Brian, Mom and I hit up SoHo and fell in love with this little organic/vegan bath product store called "Lush." Seriously, one whiff of the air around it and you're in bliss. Brian and I both got soap called "Sexy Peel." How cute is that?
• New York may be famous for its pizza and cheesecake, but we were also huge fans of the sangria in Little Italy. We'll just have to take care not to "Waldorf it**.
• It's not common knowledge, really, but I have this deep love for all things Alice in Wonderland. So, I was delighted today when we found a tea room called "Alice's Tea Cup," which was themed in everything Alice. So cute.
  

I'm very tired from a long weekend of searching and a long night of celebrating. And there's still more to come for the week, like cleaning the apartment, finishing my TFA homework***, and of course continuing to explore. I might try to make it over to Connecticut before I head to Baltimore for our training conference next week. In any case, things are certainly moving right along.

*Speaking of shoeboxes, one of the greatest things about my new apartment is that my closet is actually big enough to keep most of my beloved shoes in their boxes. So I'm gonna hold on to that little bit of crazy. =)

**This phrase, patented by Brian, refers to an excessively inebriated state in which one thinks that one is a rich celebrity and gets a room at the Waldorf rather than a cab home. Poor choice, but makes for a great story to hear afterwards.

***I've always worked best under pressure, right?

I will find a way to [Jason Mraz] if it kills me.

Music makes my world go 'round. Seriously.

In case some of you reading don't know me as well as others, here's a list of my favorite artists:
John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Third Eye Blind, Something Corporate/Jack's Mannequin, MIKA, Rufus Wainwright, Sara Bareilles, Arcade Fire, and any musical by Jason Robert Brown.

Today, my topic of conversation is Jason Mraz's new CD, "We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things." If you haven't heard this yet, you've failed at music. I'm obsessed with every song. He has the gift of melody and for the creative turn of the tongue. Seriously, I could gush on and on about how great this CD is. But you still wouldn't understand if you couldn't hear it.

So go download it. Or at least get these songs: Live High, Coyotes, Details in the Fabric, and If It Kills Me. Or, if you're really cheap, message me and I'll mail you a burned CD. Because I feel that strongly about how much you need to hear this music.

(Also, the new live Mayer CD is absolutely amazing as well. But I've filled my music obsession quota for the day.)

My Torrid Love Affair with Stephan Jenkins

"Visions of you on a motorcycle driveby -
The cigarette ash flies in your eyes and you don't mind.
You smile and say the world doesn't fit with you.
I don't believe you; you're so serene -
Careening through the universe, your axis on a tilt.
You're guiltless and free. I hope you take a piece of me with you."

It's no secret that I am absolutely obsessed with Third Eye Blind. However, I've noticed that my love for all things 3EB always grows stronger in the summertime. I think the sunny, roll-the-windows-down vibe that their music gives off has something to do with it. In any case, I have been blasting their albums a lot lately. It brings back some very good memories - from camping out after high school graduation at Beaver's Bend to standing mere feet from SJ at the Tulsa concert last summer.

One of my favorite quotes ever comes from their front man, Stephan Jenkins:
"I think if it's not monumental, there's no point."

Well said. I mean, SJ is seriously the man. That's why I lovingly refer to him as "my future baby daddy." Be jealous, Kathy. Now, I just can't wait for their new project, Ursa Major, to be released.


In other news, I move to New York in less than two weeks. It's exciting/scary/nerve-wracking/heart-attack inducing/dream come true all wrapped into one strange ball of emotions for me right now. And something that is very encouraging about this whole situation is how excited I am to start my job. Honestly, at first I was worried that I wouldn't love it as much as I loved the idea of it. But as they continue giving me insight and assignments to prepare, it seems like the pieces I loved most about my PR classes, my job at PSS, and my experience on executive committees all hand-picked to give me the perfect place to start. That's so cool. Also, I'm bound and determined to make the transition into New York without an awkward tourist phase. I've already seen the sights on other visits, so that's out of my system. Now, the trick is to know my way around. I bought a book of maps of the city today, which I'm going to study like crazy. At the very least, I'll know what subway to take.


(And despite what SJ might say in Motorcycle Driveby, I don't believe that "New York City is evil.")

Places I Love: Part Two

"Well, I've never been to heaven.
But I've been to Oklahoma."
- Three Dog Night

I'm known to hyperbolize, but I'm not going to compare the state of Oklahoma with the kingdom of heaven. There's no comparison, but like the song says, I've never been to heaven, yet I have been to the little slice of life known as Oklahoma, USA. And I miss it.

"But in her dreams she is far away, in Oklahoma USA."
- The Kinks

Now, I'm a Texas girl by heart and by birth, but I'm a Sooner bred. (And when I die, I'll be Sooner dead. Go ahead, you know you were singing the song.) When I moved up to Norman for school freshman year, I would have told you that I loved OU, but I didn't care a bit about the rest of the state. Over time I learned that you simply can't have one without the other.

"It blowed away, it blowed away. My Oklahoma home blowed away.
But my home is always near; it's in the atmosphere, My Oklahoma home that blowed away."
- Bruce Springsteen

Now that I'm removed from the home I made there, I find myself missing things - some strange and small, others much more significant - such as:

1. The wind - even if I did curse it while I was there. Sure the weather tends to be perfect here lately, and gosh-darn-predictable, which is nice when you're planning for the weekend, but there's something about that wind that you can't find anywhere else.
   
2. The food. I'm going to be in for a real culture shock in NY if I am having withdrawals from my Norman eateries while still in the South. I mean, I know it's no Classic 50s, but they don't even have Sonic up there! And don't get me started about Cafe Plaid. ;)
3. The way you can drive for miles and still see where you started from. Don't get me wrong, I think the landscape here in limbo is much more lovely than the flat plains, but they have their endearing qualities, you know?
4. The University. Boomer Sooner. Enough said.
   
5. The people. I've touched on my disdain for the manners (or lack thereof) here in Tennessee, so you'll understand why I miss the smiling faces of the general Oklahoma population. But then of course, there are the specific people in Oklahoma whom I love and miss dearly.
   

"You're the reason God made Oklahoma, and I'm sure missin' you."
- David Frizzell

Now here's the part where I get just a wee bit sappy. I would assume that most of the people reading this blog are people whom I met while at OU. With the addition of my family and a few select friends from my hometown, you are the people who best shaped me into who I am today, and helped put me on a path to what I will become tomorrow. So that's probably the number one reason that Oklahoma makes it onto the list of "Places I Love" - because of this state and its university, you all are a part of my life. Did I really just type "you all" instead of "y'all?" Gosh, I need to get back to Oklahoma/Texas soon.

"You be good and come to see us. Don't forget to write sometime.
Wake up in Oklahoma, where the chilly wind still blows.
Wake me up in Oklahoma to the only love I know."
- Jim Ed Brown and the Browns

Yeah, about that... If you're in the Norman area, I AM coming to see you. Very soon, in fact. And I'm VERY excited about it. Facebook/text/call me for more details, because I'm definitely not putting all THAT out there on the bloggy for any-old-body to see. But I can't end this post without saying one more, very important thing. Though I proudly claim the state of Oklahoma, I'm still 100% Texan, and there's nothing that will change that. I thought the following lyrics were wholly appropriate:

"Well now I don't mind going to Oklahoma. I never met an Okie that I didn't like. I don't mind New York City. Those Yankees talk funny but they're alright. ... Yeah I'm a hell-bent 100% Texan 'til I die." - Kevin Fowler

And so I'll leave you with this:

I love Jesus, but I drink a little.

For Sam, every Wednesday is educational day. For Team Spice Up Your Life, Sunday is the weekly roundup. For me, Fridays are going to be my day to wrap everything up in a nice little package to tell you how things are going for me. (We'll see exactly how long I keep this up.) But here's round one of "yet to be titled series of posts" - suggestions welcome.

I have...
25 days until I leave for the City. And while that sounds like an eternity to me at first glance, upon closer examination it is coming up crazy soon. Heck yes.

I want...
to go on a shopping binge at Sephora, really badly. That store could be my budgetary downfall, if there were one nearby. I'd go online, but it's just not the same as gliding into the glistening glory of beauty supplies that lies within those black and white walls.

I need...
to find an apartment. And to figure out how to get my stuff moved up there. And to finish going through all my junk. Blah, logistics bore me.

I'm obsessing over...
Edward Cullen. If you need to ask, you wouldn't understand. But Jes sure does! :)

I dislike...
the fact that even though I'm in the South, people have no manners here. Rude treatment in New York, I'll slough off. But these people in Tennessee could use a lesson or two from a Yellow Rose of Texas.

I'm reading...
Lamb, by Christopher Moore, at the suggestion of one Mr. Jordan Carlton. And I'm finishing a book that was a gift from Sarah, called What Would Audrey Do? It's delightful - naturally so, since it's all about Audrey Hepburn.

I'm watching...
TV on DVD. All my shows are over for the season, so until the new Project Runway kicks off, I'm making do with Will & Grace, Sex & the City, Grey's Anatomy and The OC.

I'm listening to...
MIA, Katy Perry and Lupe's disks on repeat. And it wouldn't be summertime if I wasn't blasting 3EB's Out of the Vein. But my current favorite track is "Your Love" by The Outfield. It's exceptionally 80s-esque and full of happiness. Katy Perry even did a cover/remix, but I'm digging the original still.

I'm Googling/YouTubing/StumbleUponing...
This cracks me up every time. It's an oldie, but a goodie. Enjoy.



I'm remembering...
Some great inside jokes from the past couple of years by reading my Wall-To-Wall on FB with various people. I have to include a handful, just to see who remembers them:
PATNB. TDB. Toast! Jorge. Barbie on ice. Man-giggle. PeterAnswers. McEngineer. "You KNOW I'll win." 1,2,3 and A-Z. Sister Fact.

I love...
sitting at the piano, playing my showtunes. It's still the best part of my days this summer. I've pretty much mastered my favorites from Chicago, Spring Awakening, Rent, Wicked and Camp by now. If only I could memorize them.

I'm thankful for...
the gorgeous weather we've been having.

Well that was fun! Look for round 2 next week! And don't forget to help me think of a name for this new ritual. Loves it and you.

Hello, lover.

Remember when Carrie Bradshaw in Sex in the City saw those perfect shoes in the store window and cooed those now famous words"? Yeah, that's the relationship I have with my shoes too, which is why it pained me so to go through the gut-wrenching procedure of paring down my collection of prized pumps, fabulous flats, wonderful wedges, stupendous sandals (and even a few snazzy sneakers).

I began the afternoon with a mildly-impressive 70 pairs, and now I'm down to a somewhat satisfactory 43. I'm sure that will be quickly remedied when I get to the city, however. I'm forcing myself not to shop until then - you know, being frugal and everything. It helps that there's no such thing as Shoetopia in Tennessee.

Taking a turn to a completely different topic, I've started on my second summer playlist, which reminded me that I never posted my first. Check out these songs and tell me what you think!

Emily's 1st Summer Mix of 2008:

1. Handlebars - Flobots
2. Any Way You Choose to Give It - The Black Ghosts
3. Blankest Year - Nada Surf
4. Graveyard Girl - M83
5. Holiday from Real - Jack's Mannequin
6. Elvis - These New Puritans
7. That's Not My Name - The Ting Tings
8. Rain On Young Folks - Phillip Dillon
9. I Wanna Deadbeat You - The Night Marchers
10. Rich Girls - The Virgins
11. Sour Cherry - The Kills
12. Head Rolls Off - Frightened Rabbit
13. Ladies of the World - Flight of the Conchords
14. Love on the Rocks - Sara Bareilles
15. Daft Punk is Playing at my House - LCD Soundsystem
16. Abandon - French Kicks
17. Impossible - Shout Out Louds
18. Big Guns (Dave P. and Adam Sparkles It Hot Remix) - Holy Hail

By the way, all of those wonderful free links came from this cool Web site called Songza. It's "the music search engine and internet jukebox." Pretty cool. Unfortch, I couldn't find the last song on there, but it's on iTunes.

I figure I'll forego the lyrics on this post since I gave you a lot of music to listen to instead. :)

--edit--
This is hard. Twenty days down, but nearly 40 to go. I thought the longer I was here, the easier it would be to deal with not having my people close by, but some days it feels like it's just getting harder. Missing people hurts worse when you don't have a countdown to count on.

We should get jerseys...

'cause we make a good team.



A certain Relient K-loving friend of mine is off on a brand new adventure today. I miss him already, but I know that he'll keep me informed of his exploits in Espana, and then come visit me soon when he gets back into the states. (And don't think I've forgotten about those date party plans, mister!)

In his honor, here's one of our favorite songs. Quite appropriate, I think:







I made a habit
Of never making promises
That aren't easy to keep
And there you have it
But now I'll make you one that is
To keep you here with me

‘Cause every second that goes by
I feel is just a waste of time
If I'm not with you

If home is where the heart is
Then my home is where you are
It's getting oh so hard
To spend these days
Without my heart

So I'm taking you with me
Anywhere that I
Could ever wanna be
For the rest of my life
I want you there with me
And if there ever comes a time
When I should have to leave
I hope you know that I
I'm taking you with me

And so I'm trying
To hold it all together and
Make it through the day
When I'm just dyin'
To drop it all and take your hand
So we can run away
From all the miles and the hours
That seem to endlessly devour
The time that I could be with you

If home is where the heart is
Then my home is where you are
It's getting oh so hard
To spend these days
Without my heart

So I'm taking you with me
Anywhere that I
Could ever wanna be
For the rest of my life
I want you there with me
And if there ever comes a time
Where I should have to leave
I hope you know that I
I'm taking you with me

Every second that goes by
Is one more second of my life
And it couldn't be more clear
That I would die without you here
And every second that goes by
Is one more second of my life
And it couldn't be more clear
I'm dying without you here
Yeah every second that goes by

So I'm taking you with me
Anywhere that I
Could ever wanna be
For the rest of my life
I want you there with me
And if there ever comes a time
Where I should have to leave
I hope you know that I
I'm taking you with me

-- Relient K, "Taking You With Me"

Places I Love, Part 1

"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent."
-- Victor Hugo

"If music be the food of love, play on."
-- Duke Orsino, in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night

So, I've decided to begin a little series of posts in the vein of places where I enjoy being. Hopefully this can continue when I move and I'll tell you guys about all the cool places I find and grow to love in the city, but for now I'll touch on places that are in my life right now, or have been in the past.


One of my most beloved places to be in the world is at that piano bench. I grew up rehearsing - albeit not nearly enough to please my piano teacher and second mother, Mrs. Hardy - at this piano since I was in kindergarden. Here, I grew from my beginner's books to more advanced performance pieces, and then on to popular music. I don't claim to be super talented; I know dozens of people whose piano skills put mine to shame, but it's something I've always enjoyed. I might not sit down to plunk away chords at just any public piano, but this one is mine, and it's where I love to play. And there's something about playing that piano in that room that makes every note sound record-worthy. Luckily, my family doesn't seem to mind that I spend hours each day squinting my way through new sheet music or perfecting the syncopation of some chords I scribbled down from a tab site. And of course, it wouldn't be Emily relating to the world through music if I wasn't belting right along the entire away.

I'll end this post with an excerpt from the beautiful words of Arthur O'Shaughnessy's poem, "Ode." You might recognize the first phrase from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I was lucky enough to sing an arrangement of this work in a TMEA choir in high school, which I count as one of my all-time-best musical moments in life. And the thing is, thanks to the love instilled in me at that piano bench, there are a lot more of those moments on their way for me.

For the full text of the poem, click here.

We are the music makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams;
World-losers and world-forsakers
On whom the pale moon gleams:
Yet we are the movers and shakers
Of the world forever, it seems.

P.S. Right now I'm perfecting "Love on the Rocks" by Sara Bareilles and "Here's Where I Stand" from Camp. They should be done by the end of the week. Any suggestions/requests for what to tackle next?