Before and After

This is a preview of what I imagine my birthday will or should look like.

and this is a preview of what I will look like after I turn 27.



I think this sums it up.

Have a happy weekend.

Quick thoughts.

I saw another fantastic movie on Tuesday evening. The Last Word is the story of a guy who writes epitaphs for persons who are going to commit suicide. It is dark, but has some points of humor and Winona Ryder really blew me away. I thought she was great and it is unfortunate that all I could think of most the time was the surveillance video of her shoplifting. I know, I know. It is an addiction.

Yesterday I was on the bus and I noticed this woman was in front of me reading a text book, so because I am nosy I was trying to figure out what it was. Then I noticed that it had two pictures of Britney spears on the page and I was wondering if she was reading US weekly inside a textbook, but no it was actually a text book that had used Britney as an example. I think it was some sort of developmental psychology thing because it said that Britney getting married and having a baby was a sign of her "growing up" to the public eye. Umm. Someone needs to send that textbook back to the manufacturer, stat.

My mother left a message on my phone yesterday. She and my father are on vacation and we have been playing phone tag because I can't seem to catch them when they are not either eating or lounging, so the message said "Daviiiiiinnnn. It's mother. (she always says this with the exact same inflection) We have been playing phone tag, but I thought maybe I could catch you. Well I will try again later. Oohh. Don't forget what is happening in a few days. I think it might be someone's birthday. I love you. Bye." Ha! I love that she is reminding me of my birthday in case I might forget? I have to figure out a way to save my parents phone messages because they are really priceless. My Dad's always say "Davin, it is you Dad. Everything in general. Nothing in particular."

Today really feels like summer. It is hot and muggy and I got off my bike at work in quite a sweat. I stopped by Starbucks to grab an iced coffee and while waiting I overheard the barista say to this "woman" "Do you want me to just remake it?" and she said "Oh, could you? I said tall VENTAY when I meant to say iced VENTAY." He obliged, but I wanted to take her aside and say actually you meant to say Venti pronounced VENTEE.

I think recounting that story makes me an annoying snob.

I will stop there.

Here, Robin and I enjoy our bubble teas.





and these are crabs.

Bart Got a Room

So, the Mardi Gras party was pretty nice.
There were beads and masks and cajun dishes. Crawfish even. Unfortunately, I could only indulge in the corn bread and I didn't win any of the raffles... so I just collected beads (not that way) and watched the many many people who I "work" with.
It is interesting to work for such a large institution.
So many people make this engine run, yet I know so few?
I suppose if I would have taken off my shirt for the beads I might have gotten to know a few more?
















So then after this party, I headed over to the Music Box Theatre (a long and lovely walk) to see the GenArt screening of Bart Got a Room. It was a really nice little stylized feel good movie about a quirky family in south Florida. I really enjoyed it. It was light and funny and it was entertaining to hear the director and actors (just some) speak after the movie. Once it gets picked up by a distribution company, I recommend seeing it in theatres. After the screening, there was an after party at the Ravenswood Billboard Factory, which was also a really nice time. It seems that summer is leading me to a lot of gatherings and parties. I wish I could remember that during winter and do a better job of taking advantage of the time at home.







This is a week of celebration for me, I guess.

I'm headed to a pre-birthday, birthday lunch.
Oh man, literally just as I was typing this my boss walked in the door with a lawn chair.
It is for me.
Ha!
It comes with plastic wine glasses.
It is my birthday present.
Wowwww.
This life I live...

A Single Bid

I ain't gonna lie, I thought my Friday at the beach was going to be a total bust given the fact that I awoke in the morning to the sound of pouring rain and a sky as grey as night, but! in the end, when all was said and done it was a successful day.

After a morning of talk show love and few too many cups of coffee, Robin agreed to meet me up by Argyle street for some afternoon shopping around little Vietnam. I haven't done this very extensively before and I have to say I was shocked by all the fun stores that are along there. We drank bubble teas and played with live crabs that people take out of boxes and eat. Yowzah are they fierce. Then, when the skies cleared for a bit we made our way over to the beach to soak up a bit of sun, but I'm afraid by the time we slathered sunscreen over our underexposed skin the sun had disappeared so we just spent the remainder of the time in the shade yelling and throwing sand at over zealous seagulls.

The remainder of the weekend was mostly spent outside, lounging, enjoying the sun. A street fair, and a cookout by the lake. A night at the Dunlay's with friends in the midst of people yelling at the TV about the Cubs and the Sox.

I had one bit of a shocker on Friday. Well, not a shocker, a long time coming... so long that it didn't seem it would come, but there has been a firm bid on my parents house and it seems as though it will be sold soon. This is the best thing that could happen to them as the house has been sitting on the market for two years (maybe more?) with not a single bid, and given the state of the Michigan economy it is great that someone is interested in buying. It is just going to be a very strange transition. I think in the back of my head I've always thought I could end up back there if I needed to. I probably never would nor will, but it's the idea that my childhood home would just be there if I needed it and now it wont be. There will be a new home and certainly space for me in it, but it's more about the idea I guess. It is a really intense feeling. I just hope to get home often this summer to take advantage of these last days.

More on this later.

Today I will leave work a bit early to go to a staff party with a New Orleans theme. What do you bet they are handing out Mardi Gras beads?

Then off to the GenArt film festival.

I think week will be a good one.

Productivity, especially.

I have been working especially hard today at work.




Yea, summer is terrible. I hate not having students around.

Bits of Nostalgia.

Whoa, so, how annoying was yesterdays post? Terribly whiny I say.

But today, I am full of vibrant energy. Feeling generally good about the world and listening to music that sounds something like this:




(it is recommended that you also listen to this while you read the remainder of this post)

I think it was about a year ago next week (or this weekend) that I was headed off to the Dominican Republic for a week in the sun and although we didn't hear music like this while we were there, it somehow takes me back to that place.



Also, Cyd Charisse died the other day, ya know, and as I was running on the treadmill and watching the news I saw a clip from Singing in the Rain. Now, I'm no old movie aficionado, but I do know Singing in the Rain and Cyd Charisse and after a few chunks of time on YouTube I was reminded of what a spectacular dancer that woman was and a looker to boot.



Also, because all I do now is watch the news and run, I saw some tributes to Tim Russert yesterday and it occurred to me how when someone dies we eulogies them so quickly and then we move on... and that is a necessary part of the grieving process I think, but I like the idea of the memory of those we love living on. A life is bigger than a eulogy and influence is long lasting.

My grandmother's memory lives on with me. I remember her regularly and she somehow still influences what I do. I really loved that woman and she taught me a lot about living. She was a feisty lady and I'll never forget how in her later years she would take her cordless phone from her house and go for walks around the block... assuming that the phone would still work even if she was a block away. I think grandma would have loved cell phones.

And, I've been getting a lot of German spam lately to my work email. It reads something like this: "Probieren Sie es - Mann Lebt nur einmal" or this: "Potenzprobleme? Ab jetzt nicht mehr"
Oh, Jah!

Finally, tomorrow I am taking Robin to the beach with me whether she likes it or not. I've taken a day for relaxation and fun, so come rain or shine, we will be showing our white limbs off to the world. Actually, I don't know if anyone's limbs can be as white as mine are currently but I do know that I will still be slathered in spf30.

Awesome!

Turn that bike around.

I feel a bit off today.
A bad mood, maybe?
Possibly getting sick.
Feeling a bit disconnected and frustrated with the Wednesdayness of Wednesday.
Not quite here, nor there. Wednesday, that is.
I have a kink in my neck.
I also have a brand new office chair that doesn't quite fit my desk, which is especially frustrating as I made my way to Office Max in an effort to do some quality sitting and find the right chair. I found it, but it is too short and one couldn't know that unless one tried the chair at the desk.
Oops.
So hopefully it will go to use elsewhere in this building.

You know, the truth is that I always have a small case of wanderlust, but summer brings it on big time. That is what I feel.

I'm trying to curb this all by running.
Yesterday I headed away from work trying quite hard to go home because I wasn't feeling well and didn't feel like working out, but I managed to turn my bike around and go back to the gym. I think I might have the same struggle today.

Ok, so if I'm not Debbie Downer enough for you, check out this little piece of info.

Stick a Pin in It

Gross.

I'm going to go run around the hall or something and shake off the funk.