My Baby He Wrote Me A Letter...

Stephen Sheller Esq. of Sheller, Ludwig, & Badey P.C. sent me a large dead cockroach in a manila envelope through the United States Postal Service today.

This is a first for me.

He must know about my birthday.

Yep, that's him.

I always wondered who listened to them.

That is what my sister said to me when she saw the Babyshambles CD in my car. Well, I loved The Libertines' first album and although nothing else that they or Pete Doherty put out after delivered the same way I continued to check them out. Sex, drugs, rock & roll gang. He is like our generation's Keith Moon but unfortunately with the press everywhere there is no mystery here. When I listen to bands like Pantera or Metallica (May at WYSP FM 94.1 is Maytallica month) I like to imagine how cool it must be to be a rock star. I dream about being back stage taking in the smell of stale cigarettes and sweat, the floor sticky from spilled Jack Daniels, and the sound of squealing groupies with their feathered hair and cut off tanks. Seeing these guys pasty and disoriented with their shirts stained with their own vomit being hauled off to rehab ruins it for me. Sure, this kind of music is not my primary listening but I get it. It is an escape into another world, like playing with Barbies. Actually seeing the total mess these men turn their lives into brings it down to that hard cold reality I don’t want to think about when I am lying on my bed zoning out to my music. Their life has to be cooler than mine, right? I don't want to hear, let alone see proof that it isn't. So it’s a shame that Pete’s antics have now made him a joke with people who never listened to The Libertines and with what we have all seen, that label is valid. He crossed the line which is even thinner now in the YouTube/gossip blog era. Sad, I know.

The upside – Perez posted this quote from Pete Doherty made about his ex beau Kate Moss that I find very amusing.

- “She rang last night and left a drunken answerphone message, singing Moon River. She’s ripped my heart out. I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Moon River? Who knew she was a Johnny Mercer/Henry Mancini fan?

Me too!!!

Wszystkiego najlepszego z okazji urodzin!

Tonight I am going out for yet and another birthday dinner and cocktail thing. This time it is for my MMB counterpart Agata! Happy Birthday!

Sto lat, sto lat, sto lat, niech zyje zyje nam

Sto lat, sto lat, niech zyje zyje nam

Jeszcze raz, jeszcze raz, niech zyje, zyje nam

Niech zyje nam!

Enough with the Goddamn birthdays already! This is the last one before mine that I will acknowledge. Wait, Chrystal's birthday is coming up... Forget her, she got married last year and got enough attention then. Plus she is going to Cancun soon so I don't feel bad about not caring about her birthday.

Hey Chrystal - Deal with it!

Time to Cleanse the Palate...

With cute baby pictures! This cuttie pie is my friend from college, Nicole's baby Giselle. She is a photographer (obviously) out in Michigan.Feel free to send me pictures of your favorite babies and I will be sure to post them!

Happy Birthday Corey!

Tonight at the Ugly Moose in Manayunk we are celebrating our good friend Corey’s 27th birthday!

Next up is the much anticipated Colleen & Ringo’s Birthday Extravaganza 2007!!!

I keep trying to plan for it but my friends keep trying to hush me up saying they have too many other things to think about right now. Assholes… Don't they realize how special it is that he and I were born on the exact same day? How can they blow us (me) off like that when Ringo and I are always in attendance at our group's famous birthday dinners. They should know better than to fuck with Leos!

Enjoy your special day Corey!

Oscar the cat doesn't like to be put out in the hall when a patient is dying.

My Rhode Island based sister sent me this:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/25/death.cat.ap/index.html

After reading this I realize that I have simply not paid close enough attention to my cat when it came to finding and developing his own unique talents. I found out the hard way that he has no interests in the fine arts (and have the scratches to prove it) but I never thought about an inclination towards the medical field. Maybe Buster can detect early pregnancy or autism in toddlers?

Forget About Waxing Your Back...

Ugh! I can’t find this webpage I found back when I was working at the Art Museum. I thought it would be fun to have Where’s Waldo desktop background so I Google image searched it and found a drawing of a sexy lizard by some weird middle aged guy in a fishing vest who lived in his father’s basement. After making the sexy lizard picture Andy’s background when he was at lunch, Keith, Andy, and me were fascinated by this underground world of furries/plushies. None of us had any idea such a thing existed!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furry_fandom

I completely forgot all about that until I stumbled up on this picture (don’t look if you are easily weirded out) http://www.arclight.net/~pdb/prints-design/come-in-or-go-print.jpeg

Is this healthy fantasy or just plain creepy? It seems to me that you are either into this shit or you're not; there is no “well only sometimes my wife and I like open a bottle of wine, light some candles, pop in a Sade CD, put on animal costumes and make love”. I don’t think it is like satin handcuffs or edible panties. I am all for having fun with sex and sexuality in healthy safe ways so I don’t judge these people but apparently some do.


http://furry.wikia.com/wiki/WikiFur_Furry_Central

vs.

http://www.godhatesfurries.com/index.php

p.s. make sure you check out the gallery on the God Hates Furries site. Its pretty great.

Rock and Roll Saved My Life

I really believe that. Ok, maybe not in a literal sense but I cannot imagine how I would have gotten through anything without music. My bedroom and living rooms are littered with issues of Paste, No Depression, Spin, and various music magazines as well as CityPaper and other local rags reporting on great local acts. Seeing bands live is way beyond a social event for me; it is my favorite pastime. At least once a month I can be found at one of this city’s great live venues such as Tin Angel, Northstar Bar, World Café, the Khyber, Circle Thrift, Mroom, and most recently Johnny Brendas.

So, I guess you can imagine how very excited I was when I heard that Rachael Yamagata is now officially a Philadelphian! She has a new album coming out that she is in the final stages of putting together. She is doing her residency at Johnny Brendas performing there for three consecutive Tuesday nights. Luckily I can walk to JB and have been able to see her first two shows (this picture was taken right outside of Johnny Brendas) where she was trying out new material as well as playing some of the tracks off her last album. She’s great. She is intelligent, funny, and she has the kind of hair I always wanted that just casually falls perfectly into place without doing a thing. Anywho, this is such a thrill for a music dork such as me to feel like the feedback that myself and her other 25 fans in Philadelphia are giving her is helping shape the new album. She has this one really good sad song about elephants or some bullshit that I know is going to hit my top 25 song list for the fall. The atmosphere there is cozy and comfortable (also hot) so I am actually getting to talk to her. Apparently she is not a lesbian at all. I guess I just assumed since there were a lot of lezzies at the show I went to a couple years ago. Not only that she was not using any clear masculine pronouns in her songs, plus she went to Vassar! Made sense to me... Maybe I was just hoping she was since she has the dreamiest drummer with tousled hair and bedroom eyes and I am a tad jealous…

She isn’t the only townie that I dig right now. Below are a couple of other bands I am into that are starting to get some much needed recognition that I suggest you check out:

http://www.drdogmusic.com/
http://papertrigger.com/

Please feel free to send any suggestions to broaden my musical horizons my way!

The Biggest Threat to Our Nation's Snowpeople

I watched the very entertaining CNN/YouTube debate last night and I would have to say the following video was my favorite part.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=-0BPnnvI47Q

Side note: The topic of Hilary Clinton’s jacket came up and I actually thought it was pretty cute. It was a nice departure from her grey and blue androgynous power suits. It was a good color for her. Your thoughts?

Cause I Can Thrill You More Than Any Ghost Would Dare to Try

When I was really little I would tell people that I was going to marry Michael Jackson.

During that time I also told many people (and believed it to be true) that I was born in Disney World.

Enjoy this fresh take on the Gloved One's classic Thriller as interpreted by the inmates at Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMnk7lh9M3o&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Epoetv%2Ecom%2Fvideo%2Ephp%3Fvid%3D19841

Thanks Autumn!

Its Good To See You Rocking Out and Having Fun

More good news!

Just adding to my “can’t bring me down” happy disposition these days it seems that the good little things just keep adding up. I think I found someone to take my couch! I can’t wait to get that thing out and check that off my list of things to get done in my house before I stay at my parents.

I can’t wait. Three weeks (2 at Jeanne & Dennis’s house and at least one more at mine) of doing three things I love: watching T.V., reading, and renting movies. I will be forced to relax and hopefully regroup for a fresh start this fall (my favorite season). I started a few books lately and everyone is starting out so good I put it aside for my bed rest as something to look forward to. I am going to watch DVDs of all those tv shows that looked so good but I never watched. There were a few years I didn't have HBO so I have like 4 seasons to watch. Good thing I didn't watch them because now I am in for a treat! I am also stocking up on the food I can’t live without that I don’t want my mom to look for. For instance, I like to eat either All Bran with unsweetened chocolate soymilk or Amy’s scrambled tofu pockets for breakfast. I have edemame, tofutti cuties, Trader Joe’s spicy Thai chili lime peanuts, almond stuffed olives, and Utz cheese doodles (Aidan likes cheese doodles too – these pics are from yesterday when we had Michael over for dinner with the baby at my parent’s house). Basically, I don’t want my mom to have to go out searching for this weird stuff when she will already be doing so much for me.

My brother and cousins and Philly friends promised to come visit me so I won’t be lonely. My cat will be around so what else do I need?

Not a thing. I am one lucky girl! Nothing can bring me down these days and people around me have noticed. Good stuff.

Again, I promise that soon I will come up with something funny to write about.

I saw Knocked Up last night with Autumn and it was wonderful. It is not only funny but really sweet. I recommend you all check it out.

This title is a lyric taken from a song by The Kinks in case you were wondering. Maybe I should explain my titles more often.

I've Had it With You, and Mexico Can Fucking Wait

Friday I purchased two Rilo Kiley tickets for September 25th at the Troc. I was just going to get one but I think it might be fun to attend with another fan. I haven't seen a show with someone else in a while so If you are interested let me know.

People who aren't familiar with the band at all need not apply.

In other news there is no real news. I had a wonderful low key relaxing weekend, Clay came home last night, and I have been trying to get rid of my old couch so if you know someone... Downside is I haven't really thought of anything interesting to write about but don't worry, I will think of something soon. Probably because I have been happily cutting the stressful fat out and feel a bit lighter. Like when you get a haircut. The only thing that has me bummed is how I am going to miss Rufus and Neko on the 17th. I was thinking maybe Leslie could wheel me in on a gurney to try to get backstage pretending it is some adult Make a Wish Foundation shit.

Hey, it could happen.

How cute is this vintage Jenny Lewis picture?

Smooch the Pooch

I have been busy with getting all my ducks in a row before I take my time off. I have also been trying to generate some moolah with some side deals with brokers which has been taking up a lot of my usual down time here.

My mind has been preoccupied with personal business, my hair, the new fall fashions so it has been hard for me to really sit down and put something together.

I will get something up for you soon I promise!

This is me kissing my cousin Reenie's adorable new puppy.

Something To Tide You Over

I'm working on a post about Rachael Yamagata that seems to be taking me a while so here is a somewhat funny cartoon to entertain you until I finish.

A tip: if you need a pick me up download "Hello" by The Cat Empire. Its a lot of fun.

Seriously? Seriously.

I have been thinking about it for a long time and now I think its time.

I am getting a boob job.

I am trading in my A-cup for a largish B/ small C. I will be getting this done at Seattle Grace Hospital by famed plastic surgeon Dr. Mark Sloane on August 9th. I know, I know, it’s a long way to go but he’s the best in the biz not to mention totally sexy. Also, I never been to Seattle so I have big plans to watch the guys throw fish at Pike Place Market, catch a Mariner’s game, ride a ferry boat, and maybe drink a cup o’joe at the original Starbucks. My good friend Meredith lives there and she has been going through a lot of rough stuff with her relationships and her mom dying this year. She’s a surgical intern at Seattle Grace so that is another reason I will feel comfortable having the augmentation done there. She says once I am up on my feet we can have a heart to heart at this bar Joe's right across the street from the hospital that all the doctors go to blow off steam.

I will be recuperating at Dennis and Jeanne Oczkowski’s residence for the two weeks after I go under the knife. Please send all flowers and gift baskets to:

240 Locust Lane
Cinnaminson, NJ
08077

After the 23rd you can send them to

1613 E. Berks Street
Philadelphia, PA
19125

Reminder: My birthday is August 20th and information regarding my gift registry will be posted at a later date.

Won't you be my neighbor?

Its the opportunity of a lifetime folks! The house next door to me is now on the market for anyone who wants the thrill of living is such close proximity of yours truly. Its an adorable house that is completely fixed up (wish mine was) for you to move in right away.

Any takers?

Mine is the very sexy house on the left. You can see our bench that we like to sit on when the weather is nice to throw back a few cold ones. You can kinda see my barrel too. The neighbor on the right is grumpy old asshole who likes to cone in parking spots he digs out when it snows. Like he is fucking policeman or something! Whatev. Luckily his front door faces Memphis Street and he has a concrete wall in his back yard so you don't have to see it. Not the case with mine!

This morning as I sipped my coffee and opened my email I saw that the sassy girls at Daily Candy sent me this lovely tip:

July 10, 2007
Pretty Kitty
You’ve been to you. But you’ve never been to paradise. (Poor thing.)
Well, perhaps the solution starts with better grooming (as so many do).
The Bikini Facial at The Body Klinic is an intense treatment for your private bits. Recommended one week after waxing, the treatment is tops for unsightly ingrowns and blemishes you-know-where. Though there are no cucumbers involved — or carrots for that matter (you people are sick) — the process does include cleansers, scrubs, and even extractions. Wild!
Misty vapors open pores, then your nether region is gently exfoliated and offending ingrowns are plucked away. A soothing camphor mask lends its antibacterial properties and wards off future blemishes, making you beach ready in no time.
With all the royal treatment down there, you’ll be wondering why they didn’t think of it sooner.
And why you stayed with your ex for so long.
The Body Klinic, 2012 Walnut Street (215-563-8888); 4360 Main Street, Manayunk (215-482-2596).

Extractions down there? A camphor mask? Steaming?

Is that really necessary? I am all for grooming (laser hair removal is pricey but worth every penny) but this seems like a bit much. When you are getting a binkni wax it already feels like an eternity and the last thing you want after they finish is more prodding and poking.

The new agey folk at the Body Klinic are going to be hard pressed to find anyone who wants this service. But I could be wrong...

If you do venture to try this please report back.

Sweet Sweet Jane...

Before I crawl under my desk to curl up in fetal position and sob, I am so sad to report that Jane Magazine is ceasing publication. This comes ironically since I just read How Sassy Changed My Life. Editor Jane Pratt left leaving doppelganger Brandon Holley in her place so maybe that had something to do with all of this. Jane Pratt is one of my heroes for her fearless ambition that made her into one of youngest magazine editors ever with Sassy. She created a publication that wasn’t afraid to be entirely different than any other woman’s magazine out there. She did a great service to her devoted readers. Her ability to understand young women who were not of cheerleader prom queen stock was revolutionary by shouting the message that its ok to be a different, weird, eccentric, ugly, beautiful, smart, stupid, gay, slutty, virginal, poor, rich, fat, skinny, depressed, happy (and everything in between) woman. People called it a feminist magazine; I call it a reflection of everything that is feminine. Because of Ms. Pratt’s significantly relevant contribution, the entire definition of feminity is evolving into the idea is that as long as you are a woman; whatever you are, whoever you are, and whatever you choose to do is feminine. Not feminist.

A moment of silece please.

Jane, your readers will miss you more than you will ever know.

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070709006124&newsLang=en

Know What I Really Hate?

HMOs

Oh, and people who object to unionized labor. Say something negative about labor unions and just watch me get all Norma Rae on your ass.

Don't get me started, don't even get me started...

Stitch & B*tch

If you live in Philly, stop by Vagabond boutique and check out fellow SCAD grad Hilary White's fabulous new work. Vagabond is one of my favorite stores in Philly because not only does it have the coolest clothing lines (Ella Moss, Tracy Reese, Rebecca Taylor, LaRok...) but it also sells original clothing from local designers. On top of that it sells yarn! Fabulous hand spun yarn! I haven't knitted in forever but when I went the other day to check out Hilary's stuff I decided I am going to start up again. Their staff is amazing too. When I was knitting and got stuck on something I would bring it in and help me out.

Nerd alert! When I was in high school I was part of a knitting circle with my mom. We would meet up on Thursday nights in Marlton. It was my dirty little secret...

http://vagabondboutique.com/index.php?p=news

That's My Daughter in the Water

I have been pumping out a lot of mixes lately which is probably because I am reorganizing my CDs so I am coming across a bunch that I forgot about. Check 'em out y'all.

I found A Reason – The Velvet Underground
Did you know Lou Reed had electric shock therapy as a child? How horrible that must have been. It explains a lot about his musical perspective.

Blue Letter – Fleetwood Mac
Like most teenagers in the mid 90’s I was really into Stevie Nicks. Other music that I should be embarrassed that I listened to at the time: Joan Baez, Linda Ronstadt , Eva Cassidy, Barbara Streisand, Brian Eno, Rosemary Clooney, the Monster Ballads cd (ordered off the tv with my dad’s credit card), and Jewel.

Your Love is The Place I Come From – Teenage Fan Club
This comes off the album “Songs From Northern Brittan” which is one of my all time favorites so it’s songs pop up on a lot of my mixes

I Love You, Your Perfect – Kathy Rigby
I can’t think of anyone else who writes song from the perspective of a suburban wife and mother of teenager. If I play this song in the few days before I get my period I tear up.

Daughter – Loudon Wainwright III
I am obsessed with this song right now. I keep it in my car’s CD player and listen to it on repeat.

Never Leave Your Heart Alone – Butterfly Boucher
Good advice huh? This is a Grey’s Anatomy song from season 1.

Private Conversation – Lyle Lovett
I saw him with my sister and brother-in-law Ed at Foxwoods, the mega casino in Connecticut. He’s pigeon toed. Lyle Lovett, not Special Ed.

Honey and the Moon – Joseph Arthur
This is one of my friend Tanya’s favorite songs. It reminds me of driving around Manhattan Beach on one of my trips to LA to visit her. I love the lyric “if you weren’t real I’d make you up”.

I Hear Noises – Tegan & Sara
Everyone’s favorite lesbian twins wrote this catchy tune. I haven’t checked out their new album yet but I hear it’s really good.

Tennessee – The Wreckers
I love Tennessee. If you get a chance visit Chattanooga I would highly recommend it. It’s a really cool city especially if you like outdoorsy stuff since it is in the mountain part of the state. For a fun challenge try to think of all the states that border it. In college I had a crush on two guys; both were named Jeremy, both were architecture students, and both were from Chattanooga. Oh, and both were gay. Shut up! I didn’t know.

I Found a Reason – Cat Power
I am book ending this list with two versions of this song. Obviously Lou Reed wrote the original and you can find it on Chan (pronounced "Shawn") Marshall’s Covers album which is superb. Autumn says this song gets stuck in her head. I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all.

When this picture was taken quite a while ago it got a decent amount of press for being so cute. My dad saw it in the paper and clipped it out and put it on my dresser for me. I think I must have been around 12 or 13. I love my dad...