i have a question...

Monday, December 31, 2007

Best of 2007

In honor of the many, many end-of-year lists that I've been reading faithfully, I thought I'd compile my own. So, below lies an incomplete list of my favorite movies, books, music, and theater of 2007.

(Note: these aren't all originally written or released this year, but most of them are.)

MOVIES
Grindhouse
Knocked Up
The Lives of Others
This is England
Once
Juno
I Am Legend

BOOKS
On Beauty by Zadie Smith
A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas by Chuck Klosterman
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
365 Days/365 Plays by Suzan-Lori Parks
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

MUSIC
Neon Bible by Arcade Fire
Favourite Worst Nightmare by Arctic Monkeys
Future Sex/Love Sounds by Justin Timberlake
Infinity on High by Fall Out Boy
Sam's Town by The Killers
"Sober" from Kelly Clarkson's album, My December
"Cupid's Chokehold" from Gym Class Heroes' album, As Cruel as Schoolchidren
"Falling Slowly" from the Once soundtrack
"The Long Way Around" from Dixie Chicks' album, Taking the Long Way
"Waiting on the World to Change" from John Mayer's album, Continuum
"Breathe Me" from Sia's album, Colour the Small One
"Everything" from Michael Buble's album, Call Me Irresponsible

THEATER
Grey Gardens
Spring Awakening
Gypsy at City Center
The Seagull at BAM, Royal Shakespeare Company
Anna Karenina at City Center, Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg
Curtains

Sunday, December 30, 2007

i heart denial, vol. II

It's easy enough to distract myself about the fact that I'm moving when I'm with K. She's sort of the perfect neutral party, and I've felt like I've been on vacation since she's been visiting. Plus, S isn't here, so I've been able to get a lot done, while ignoring the weightiness of the actual deeds.

K's out this afternoon, and I'm forcing myself to pack all my clothes except for what will fit in my suitcases.

My dresser is half-empty; my closet is mostly empty; my walls are bare; nothing of mine is in the living room, kitchen, and almost the bathroom.

I'm starting to freak out a little.

thought of the moment, 16: body function

When I stop to contemplate it, the number of times I've done some version of the peepee dance in my elevator is truly staggering.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

i heart denial

I've begun packing. All my books are packed, which is really the majority of my stuff. Books, bedding, and even some clothes. Seven boxes total. Probably 4 or 5 more to go. Still, none of it feels quite real.

It's good S isn't here this week. I think we'd just moan and cry too much for any packing to get done. K is helping so much--she did all the books in my room.

In other news, I think my Austin application got lost in the mail. They still don't have it and it's a holiday week. And it's due in 5 days. I'm not sure there's anything I can do about it, and I'm not freaking out because I have other things to worry about. Good thing it wasn't my first choice. :-/

Thursday, December 20, 2007

another last thing, vol. III

Time is weird. I have all these plans, dates I'm anticipating, things on my to-do list, and I keep just buzzing through them and crossing them off. It's sort of making my head spin. Last night was my office going-away party; tonight is the university party; tomorrow, S and I have plans all day long and into the night, and my weekend is shot because of a co-worker's holiday party. Then K comes for a week, and suddenly, it'll be 2008 and less than a week before I leave New York.

This is really it. My last day at the job I've been at for 777 days today. (I promise I just did the addition--I didn't even make that number up!!)

Maybe today will be a lucky day.

UPDATE: I gotta say, it feels a little weird. I'm home at a regular time, but I'll NEVER make that commute again (and I don't think I'll miss it). What strange things, all these endings are. Today was not so much lucky as...anticlimactic.

Monday, December 17, 2007

thought of the day, 26: minutiae

I keep meaning to post: little things, like witty comments I hear throughout my last days of work, things and people I note on the train, but I seem, instead, to be overwhelmed and obsessed with my DESPERATE NEED FOR MOVING BOXES.

Seriously. It's all I'm thinking about right now. Even though I just collected five.

Saturday, December 15, 2007

two down, one to go

Sending off the rest of my Austin application today. I read over the curricula I had to prepare as part of the supplementary materials and was actually really proud of myself. It was a shock to learn that there was another essay to write, but when I had a chance to reflect on the assignment itself, I realized how exciting it was, and then I produced something I think deserves some attention.

That's pretty satisfying.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

I am a Pop Culture Genius, Vol. IV

This is a good one, folks. Anyone remember him? Gordon from Sesame Street was on an episode of Sex and the City during Season 5, playing a waiter on the train Carrie and Samantha take from NYC to San Francisco during Carrie's book tour. Poor Gordon.

on the F train, vol. II

I was sitting near a young woman on the train today that I only noticed because she was right in front of me. I was busy with my iPod; she seemed just like every other person on the train. I noticed a chain of dark red beads, hanging out of her bag, that I thought was just a pretty necklace, until I realized she was running her fingers over the beads slowly, gripping, white-knuckled.

She was praying, eyes squeezed shut. The pretty beads were a rosary.

Saturday, December 8, 2007

well, it's official

S just found a new roommate. She's buying most of my furniture, is fine with the later move-in date, and seems very nice. S isn't relieved yet. I am, mostly. S is off to do some retail therapy, and I'm planning on getting my Austin application mostly done today.

The gravity and reality of this situation all still feels very far away.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Music Explorers, vol. XII, the final volume

Oh, how time flies. It's already December 5, which means tonight was the night I said goodbye to this project, which feels like an entire chapter of my life.

Our plan tonight didn't differ too greatly from last week, except it was a Holiday Edition. We started with the 19 kids (to 9 volunteers) making nametags on paper shaped like ornaments. Stickers, people. The key is stickers. Those kids went BATTY for them.

Then, we set them up in groups and divided the "Twelve Days of Christmas" verses among them and sang it through a couple times, with everyone having a moment to shine by singing their verse and doing a movement that went with their number. Too hilarious, especially because the version we sang along to seems to have been the Muppets.

That part of the agenda ended up taking up a lot of time, so we reviewed "Jingle Bells" and "Deck the Halls" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," so they all could bellow at the top of their lungs, mostly. Their assignment again was to perform their own versions of one of these songs, to be judged American Idol-style.

There was some inspired choreography, some impressive solos, but the winning group was the one who performed a "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and "Feliz Navidad" remix. 'Nuff said.

During snack, I thanked all the kids for having taught me so much and told them they could really do whatever they set their minds to. At least they were quiet while I talked; that's about as much as I could have ever wished for.

I come away from this project with confidence that I've picked the right career path, despite all the frustrations, head- and footaches. This has been an absolutely invaluable experience. I hope one or two of the children I've met in the last 7 months reflects on it in the same way, someday.

thought of the day, 25: this sounds just like me, but i'm not 3 years old

Quote courtesy of dooce.

"I will remember this last month as one long string of poop talk coming out of you, a phase when everything revolved around being poopy. It has become your favorite noun, your favorite verb, your favorite exclamation. Sometimes you will shout it in the middle of dinner, sometimes you will read a book and for ten pages it's all poopy, poopy, poopy, poopy? poopy, POOPY! poopy, poopy, poopy, The End. I'll ask you to spell your name and you'll scream POOPY!"

Monday, December 3, 2007

another last thing, vol. II

I got really sad on my way home today, after spending 3 1/2 hours with my favorite coworker, after our Monday. She's only in the city for a couple days, and I'm busy the rest of the time she's here. It's the last time we'll spend time together while I'm living in New York.

Also, I don't understand this. Please to explain.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

thought of the moment, 15: when did this happen?

This year has gone so fast that I'm completely disoriented it snowed last night. Does this mean winter is really upon us? I didn't notice.