I Think I Need Another Hobby . . . Or Two.

The following occurred on GCHat on a rainy and depressing Chicago afternoon. I was sitting at home, watching yet another Law & Order marathon. Eddie saw my away message and apparently joined in the marathon-watching fun over at his place.

Eddie: did you ever see the movie Broken Flowers?
AnonymousHottie: is that like Flowers for Algernon?
Eddie: hahahaa, yeah kinda. the young girl in this L&O was in that movie
AH: she was also in a lifetime movie about slutty teens that all got syphilis
and
I think
another episode of L&O SVU in which she was trafficked to Czech Republic
I think
Eddie: (after checking IMDB) yup
AH: (hoping Eddie knows that because he checked IMDB and not because he watches as much television as I do) wow. I watch way too much daytime tv
Eddie: you do
and lifetime movies
She's Too Young?
AH: sounds about right
Eddie: sounds awesomely AH

OK but this is certainly not the first time I knew the other roles played by minor L&O characters within about 5 seconds of seeing them onscreen (think back to the first time Casey Novak ever appeared, when she played a stock broker accused of raping a male stripper. Then she changed names from Sydney Green to Casey Novak and became an attorney. WHY DO I KNOW THIS???). Or the time I was in my bathroom putting on make-up and I heard the opening sequence of an episode and knew immediately exactly which creepy-ass episode it was. That is serious skill!!!

If I could only harness this talent in some sort of useful manner, I think I might take over the world. Or at least win "America's Dumbest Talent Competition" thus earning myself a trip to space camp and a life supply of Bertoli frozen pasta dinners. Neat.

** HAHAHAHAHA I had to add that upon further investigation, I discovered the tagline for the movie "She's Too Young" is "To fit in, you've gotta put out." And as for memorable quotes? The studly/slutty male in question in the move says: Stick em all, because chances are I have.
Why did I ever consider giving up on daytime tv??? Back to the couch.

But I Don't *Want* a Pink Jersey!*

So being a Blackhawks fan is going well so far. The games are fun, the boys are playing well together, and I enjoy a weekly excuse to eat junk food. But there's a problem. Not an earth-shattering problem, but still, something that just flat-out pisses me off. I can't buy a Blackhawks sweater. The cool one with stripes and the old school logo. I mean, I can. I can buy one. But not one that fits. Because the only shirts or sweaters made for women are pink. Or have sparkles. Or are pink WITH sparkles. Barf.

Let's go over this, shall we? I am sure there are some women who like pink, and who want pink jerseys and hats and temporary tattoos and whatever else. BUT NOT ALL OF US DO! Just being female does not mean I like pink, or sparkles. And you know what? I do like sparkles. But not on my hockey jerseys! Is this really too much to ask of the team I support at every home game and watch on television? Just for them to get Reebok to manufacture women's sized jerseys and sweaters? I don't think so. I am sick of having to buy large or extra-large kids merchandise so that I don't have to wear pink. I refuse to spend scads of money on a men's sweater that will just look ridiculous on me. So here's a solution: recognize your loyal female fans. Make apparel for them that is comparable to the apparel you make for men, only make it in sizes we can wear. You know what that gets you? Happy season ticket holders who spend LOTS of money at the team store. And more women who wear their Blackhawks gear out in public because it actually FITS. And me to stop ranting. See? It's a win-win-win.

*I do, however, really like pink cupcakes. And pink champagne.

Oh, and go vote. Now that my rant is over, I am off to the polls!

WSotD - Cardinal Edition

Lots has been going on in my life. But I haven't felt like writing about it here. And I haven't felt like writing inane posts about everyday occurrences like I usually do. But it is almost my favorite holiday, and my costume is fantastic, and I have a new job, and I am recovered enough to run again, and, well, I guess I am ready to write again. And to get back into it, I give you a brand! new! WSotD. 'Cardinology' is finally here - and though I heard a few songs in Cleveland, I am looking forward to listening to it over and over again and falling in love with it like I did with the rest of the Cardinals' work. And this particular song was one I loved and subsequently learned I had misunderstood the lyrics to - and now that I know the true lyrics, it hits me in a whole new way. So here it is, and I am back.

What makes them walk away, after all these years?
These years of learning it the hard way
By the lessons from the tears
I know it’s not a game
But it feels like losing when someone you love throws you away
I’d fix it
I’d fix it
I’d fix it
I’d fix it if I could
And I’d always win
I’d always win
I always win the in end
How easy was it for you making those plans you made?
Before I became something for you, you know to dislocate
I know it’s not a game
But if feels like losing when
Someone you love throws you away
I’d fix it
I’d fix it
I’d fix it
I’d fix it if I could
And I’d always win
I’d always win
And you would always lose
Look what I did to you
Look what you did to me
Fixed it
Fixed it
I'd fix it if I could
And I’d always win
I’d always win
I’d always win in the end

Chicago Marathon!

I did it! My legs are still ridiculously sore, and I look like a gimpy giraffe when I am forced to walk down stairs, but the bottom line is I finished my first marathon. My original goal time was 4 hours. The week leading up to the race, however, I was pretty sick, spent lots of time sleeping, and lost about 5 pounds, so I adjusted my goal to simply finishing. Also, race day was pretty warm, and since the organizers think 8 am is a more reasonable start time than 7 am (hint, it isn't. pleeease start the race earlier!), you end up running in the hot sun for the toughest part of the race. Anyway, I slowed my pace to compensate for how freaking hot I was and ended up finishing in 4 hours, 30 minutes. I am really excited to be finished, and I will definitely train for another marathon soon. I would really love to accomplish my 4 hour goal! Many thanks go out to my friends who came and cheered me on, to my mom who flew out to Chicago just for the race, and to my sister (an Ironman triathlete) who gave me fantastic training tips. If you are thinking about running a marathon, I highly recommend it, and I wish you the best of luck! Thanks out there for all of the support leading up to the race!!!

I think I waited too long . . .

. . . to post about ACL, Ryan Adams, and Boulder. But I don't have internet at my house and finding time to post has been difficult. So here are my shortened updates on the past week of my life:

ACL
* ACL is like Lollapalooza - but not. It is much less spread out, you can actually see every single act that you want to. That also means there is more noise bleed, and you have to make sure you are perfectly positioned between the speakers at each stage. All in all, ACL is much more laid back, with a slightly older crowd and fewer people who were absolutely wasted. And now for my favorite bands:
M. Ward, Mason Jennings, Swell Season, Vampire Weekend, What Made Milwaukee Famous (they totally redeemed themselves from their Lolla performance), Foo Fighters, Raconteurs, Black Keyes, and lots of other little bands that I marked in my little guide that I don't have with me. It was a blast.

Ryan Adams
* So if you ever read this blog, you know how much I love the genius. Eddie and I went on an adventure to Cleveland (since Ryan didn't come to Chicago for this tour) to see Mr. Adams and his merry band of Cardinals. What can I say?? I cried through the whole show. It was that good. He played almost 30 songs, mostly from 'Cold Roses,' 'Easy Tiger,' and oddly enough, 'Demolition.' His new songs are amazing. He is no longer the infamously erratic performer people might remember - he appeared to be in a great place artistically and simply got on stage and played his heart out. And I cried. And it was perfect.

Boulder
* Well the Buffs couldn't quite keep up with those Texas boys, but I was proud of them nonetheless. And Boulder is still a magical place for me. I always feel happy when I am there, almost like I am home. The mountains, the funky people, the beautiful campus - it holds a very special place in my heart. Aside from one awkward moment when EVERY boy I dated in college was in the same freaking bar at the same time, I had a blast seeing old friends, drinking at my favorite bars, and topping off the trip with Cosmo's pizza, YUM.

And now I am off to retire on my couch. I picked up a cold that I really need to shake before the marathon. The marathon that is on Sunday. I am nervous. So I am off to hydrate and consume vast quantities of any cold medicine I can get my hands on.

** Sidenote: Doesn't the medicine "Abilify" sound like a word Charles Barkley would use?? "He can abilify his team to do great things. Man, I admire that abilify." OK, it totally does. And the commercial always makes me laugh.

October Blog Book Club Pick and Other Things

Alrighty Daisy blog regulars, welcome to my little blog. I am about to dash out the door to go see the one and only RYAN ADAMS but upon threat from Daisy of great bodily harm I figured I should post my book club pick first. I had an incredibly hard time choosing a book that I thought a majority of people would find interesting and such. I like reading random educational-ish books for fun because I am an unabashed dork, but I ruled those out for the rest of you kind people. And my two favorite fiction books are "The House of Mirth" and "Anna Karenina" neither of which are particularly light and I think I would hear audible groans from the blogosphere if I picked one of those. So, after all of that explanation, here it is. I ventured away from the fiction genre to pick a book that I read last summer that really captured my interest and stuck with me for a long time. And I re-read it to make sure it was as good as I thought, and it is. Don't be put off by the length, it sucked me in right away and before I knew it I was finished (seriously, like 5 days and I was done). And since it is almost Halloween (my favorite holiday of the whole entire year) I wanted something that had sort of a creepy factor - this for sure does. So. The October book. "Strange Piece of Paradise" by Terri Jentz. Without giving anything away, I can tell you it is her true story of recovering from being attacked by an anonymous guy with an axe (yeah, an axe). It weaves together several of my interests - a good story, weird people, criminal law, mystery, and a dash of feminism. It should be quite easy to find and I really hope that you enjoy it - or at least find it interesting.

And the other things? Well, I have made the executive decision to not check my bar results today so that I can enjoy the concert. I may or may not check them before I go to Boulder so that I can enjoy homecoming. And I don't think I am going to post my results here because, well, I don't want to whether they are bad or good. So if you want to think nice thoughts for me that would be great and much appreciated and we will work from there.
Hopefully I can post a review of ACL before I leave for Boulder (ACL was freaking awesome, in short). Now I am off to see my most favorite musician in the world with my bestest friend, Eddie!!! Have a great day and let me know how you are enjoying the book!!!

Things that are Exciting (in no particular order)

1. I am leaving for ACL in 2 days. Yes, I already went to Lollapalooza and this is technically almost the exact same thing but whatever it shall be awesome. And I shall see Mason Jennings again. And he shall probably sound like Mason Jennings - again. And G. Love and Swell Season and Foo Fighters and, just, YAY.

2. Blackhawks season starts tonight. I will be forced to hobble up to my seat as I ran 20 miles yesterday. 20!!! Basically, I could have run out to the suburbs. But I hate the suburbs, so instead I ran up and down the lakefront path. And hockey is fun. Nope, that made no sense.

3. In one week, I get to see . . . RYAN FREAKING ADAMS!!! In concert! Close enough for him to sweat on me and/or notice me and decide that in fact he does totally want to hang out with me and perhaps drink coffee while playing me some songs. Yes.

4. After that, I get to go to BOULDER! For homecoming! And drink delicious Colorado beers and eat delicious Boulder foods and watch the Buffs! Playing football! YAY!!!

5. And when I return from Boulder (yay!) I am running the marathon, for which I am mostly ready but still somewhat nervous.

So, basically the next 2 weeks are going to completely kick ass. I won't be around much, other than to post the October book pick for the book club, but I will be having uber amounts of fun. And then I should probably try to find a job. But for now, viva la unemployment!!!