The day after Christmas Blues

I hope there's a lot of snow this winter. I'm so bored today, and slightly to mostly angsty. I've turned 15 again. Sorry 15 year olds, your life sucks. You can't exist in high school and truly believe in the happiness of life, it's true. See? This is me today. Aren't I lovely?

A glimmer of non-bitterness is this new Sigur Ros song. Wow. You guys can sweep away all my self-imposed gloom and doom, rip the cigarrette out of my mouth and replace it with candy canes and gumdrops.

Of Fire Trucks and Color Schemes

The fire truck which wound around our building and parked unexplainably out front just drove away. My first thought was, "oh no! Did I accidentally punch that emergency button in the living room when I plugged in the Christmas lights?" Ben said more likely our homeless neighbor probably had an incident on the sidewalk. Which is really sad. I want to bring him blankets, and keep trying to think of camping things he could have in order to stay warm.

The color scheme found in the remnants of my wedding bouquet is outstanding. I want rooms of these colors, I want this feel to everything. It's warm and buttery and pleasant. Much to Ben's chagrin I kept smashing into his brand new glasses while trying to take the picture, to which I say, tough. Art is pain. But not mine.

Basquiat I love you but you're bringing me down

I'm done. Fini. Honestly, I have so much more respect and knowledge of this painting having put it together as a puzzle than I think I ever would have seeing it on a wall in a museum. Maybe I should study art through puzzles. So nitty gritty.

In other news, our orchid saved from clay pots and Kroger is getting ready to bloom again! I imagine the excitement I feel for this blooming orchid is the same excitement some people feel about pets or children. Can't wait. If I can't have snow for Christmas, I'll settle for an orchid.

Poor poor pitiful me

Because things have been tight this past year, due to weekend excursions and bills sponsored by Capital One, which I'm still paying off, the Shirley clan has taken to "living poor".

Ben likes to imagine he knows how to live poor, but he doesn’t. He likes things like variety in his food (sorry!) more than 4 shirts (nada!) and going out to eat (what? Like restaurants actually exist?) Me? I’m comfortable with poor. I’m proud of poor. Rich I don’t get. Real silver( that really exists?) Designed interiors (You mean people don’t just use what they have?) Buying cars just because you want to (Was the old car broken?) Yeah, betches. I grew up on the dirty streets of King William, in a house shipped on trucks and stapled together on-site. With a goat in the backyard, and black and white tv until the age of 8. It was awesome.

Babies are offensive

Facebook keeps giving me ads that start with "Knocked Up?" NO. Hopefully not within the next 5 years. Babies are great for other people in other times. Ben and I talked with a pastor today who echoed a sentiment I've been feeling since, well, dating Ben, which is "Sex is not just meant for the creation of children." Amen, sister. A-freakin' men.

Besides my obvious bitterness at potential pregnancy, I also have emotional breakdowns to contend with. I had another funkisode today that lasted until 2 o'clock when Ben understandably left to give me space and I burst into tears. What can I say? I'm crazy. Yeah, I don't get it either.

So while Ben job hunts I am going to make some sugar cookies. Hi-ho Christmas!

Late for Work

I'm the latest for work I've ever been since moving to Manchester. LATE! I'm waiting for my egg to finish hardboiling. Yes, I am 86. I eat hardboiled eggs. Since becoming vegetarian a few months ago, it's the easiest source of protein besides buying those really expensive fake chicken patties. I think I've tried every brand! They're good but I'm not made of gold, peoples.

Barring any traffic, I'll still make it to work on time, so I'm really not late, but it's my psychoses at work.

and the timer just went off. Peaces.

Carrie Brownstein, I love you

I love, Love, LOVE All Songs Considered, especially, and maybe only, when Carrie Brownstein comes on for the critique specials. Maybe it's because in a world of otherwise aging indie rocker boys, she's a fresh and beautifully articulate lady voice. She kicks their asses and then makes them laugh. Oh, Carrie. Like me and my office of "good ol' boys".

AND, Ben needed to know the name of a band and the song that played on one of his NPR financial (yawn) shows - damned if Carrie did not play exactly the song we were looking for and declared it her favorite surprise of the year.

One of these days, I'll figure out how to embed the video in a post, but until then:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwNkuw-YTVo

I'm putting together my Basquiat puzzle. It's not actually mine... I pilfered it while purging my parents' living room on Saturday. It was originally intended for my 7 year old niece, but I'm pretty sure if it were between Basquiat and Hannah Montana, she'd choose the latter. Besides, I'm having sooo much fun matching solid black color to solid black color!!!

Our Charlie Brown Christmas tree was also put up today, a vision in red and silver. After cleaning the living room, my dad and I went out to cut down Christmas trees, he choosing a fine 5' tall specimen, and me searching diligently for one "that was leggy and 2' tall). Small apartment + Asthmatic husband + Christmas obsessed wife = the scrawniest Christmas tree available. And we got it!

The Ruby Suns

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EHDu2t2vuc

Why is this so much fun?

I finished the Christmas cards today. Have been trying to finish them for days now, but I must wait to mail them. It's buy stamps or pay rent. Difficult decision, really. One day, o, that glorious one day, when I can flippantly buy STAMPS. And NEW JEANS.

The imagery is far too beautiful to behold.