Sarcomical

catching up with photos...

well, it has been a wee while, so i figured the best way to catch this space up with what i've been up to to is through pictures from the past few weeks...

we've been going out to breakfast every saturday to chat about how much we love omelets, our week's goals and what we're going to eat for lunch. plus, the food motivates us to detach our faces from our pillows early on rainy weekends.

we saw this actual "advertising" display in the window of a photography studio in the mall....um.

i became afflicted with what was affectionately referred to in the SarcomiHaus as The Neverending Plague (for 2 1/2 weeks), and the only things that could console me were medicine and noodle soup.

i helped my friend Stacy with a fabulously-styled shoot, during which once of her pups, Lola, stole a bit of the attention.

my new Finn frames arrived from Warby Parker! (p.s. FANTASTIC customer service, and just $95/pair.)

 Spring sprung up all over the place...

the furry-faced inhabitants of the house have lounged & loafed to their hearts' contents (the cat says 'duuuuude you know it'.)

we've been to a few shows. here is Bobby Long, signing my record...

...and this was the result. (we racked our brains: "am the Bed"? ..."on the Ben"? and then i eventually figured it out: "all the best" - in slightly intoxicated performer penmanship perhaps.) 

we had a chance to see Ra Ra Riot, too. Mr. S. snapped my friend Suzanne & me with 1/2 the band. (they were nice - and young. yeesh. everyone is so young.) p.s. FANTASTIC live show.

...and i got all but one autograph on the vinyl. courtesy of a temporarily stolen Sharpies.

perhaps the most...interesting show: Das Racist. fun. but...interesting.

i've started to get my office put together the way i want it since we switched, me moving back into the loft. (people always ask so i'll tell you - the bookcases were from IKEA years ago.)

OMG I FINALLY GOT A DAMNED MILK FROTHER. and i love it. i love it and i want to kiss it.

two of the three original wee shrimp are still alive in this little sphere thing i got for Mr. S. a couple of christmases ago from Sharper Image. hmm...can you find them?

my sister came and we took her to a hibachi place we have become in love with. and we ate so much it hurt.

Mr. S. made a kick-ass meal from that new Rocco DiSpirito book. um. YES.

i bought 2 replacement cacti for some sad-looking ones on the window sill (say hello to Baby Red & Mr. Crab Hands)...and an aloe plant.

:: so there's a little bit of what's been going on here lately. and of course, since putting this together there's even more to report. but that's for the next post. ::

 

a music monday

Tonight I'm feeling kind of low-key and chill, so instead of a bit of writing, how about a bit of musical deliciousness? Enjoy...

15 from my Coffee House playlist...it's a shuffle

Oooh...Sound Candy. Try them out. You'll love these.

1. Duet - Rachael Yamagata
2. No Woman, No Cry - Abigail Kiser
3. Les Etoiles Secretes - Ida
4. Relax - Scout Niblett
5. Covent Garden - Katie Haverly
6. I Had No Intentions - Damien Jurado
7. Morning Doubts - Barzin
8. Wide Eyed and Lying - Mic Christopher
9. Set In Stone - Dlugokecki
10. Don't Forget Me - The Walkmen
11. Epilogue - The Antlers
12. Tests On My Heart - Umbrellas
13. Wait - Alexi Murdoch
14. Train Song - Feist + Ben Gibbard
15. Gone Gone Gone - The Notwist

Rain On the Pretty Ones

i'm the actor who's scared to perform
i'm the sunshine that hides in the clouds
i'm the father that couldn't be found
i'm the cuckoo that never flew south
i'm the christian that cannot forgive
i'm the dreamer that jumps off the bridge
i'm the sinner who hates how he lives...
i'm the liar who gets what he gives.
-Ed Harcourt, Rain On the Pretty Ones

There are moments, still. Moments when I am hit with a swell of certainty that I have abandoned myself. I pause, overwhelmed by the chasm that separates me from the quiet, patient shadow that I some days am barely aware exists. What's worse is when I go days or weeks without even thinking about the fact that I miss her.

She tells me to remember how hard I've worked to make impossible things happen in my past.
She wishes I would not stuff down my desire to become a traveler because of fear.
She'd like to kick me in the ass for pretending this is enough.
She reminds me how much participating in the comaraderie of musicians meant to me.
She challenges me to take risks in my art.
She wonders if I'll allow myself to fail.
She asks if I've forgotten the exhilaration of performance.
She urges me to become fully passionate with the wreckless abandon of a child.
She can't comprehend giving so much power to my own critical voice.
She wants me to stop lying to myself about me.

*Feed reader folks, there's a video in this post. This song makes my soul ache and swirl. Please give it a listen.

My Musical Flashback: "Walk Like an Egyptian", the Bangles, 1986, age 10

It struck me as I was making my "Memory Lane Overload - 80s & 90s" playlist on Rhapsody the other day (ahem) just how much of our formative lives is heavily-ridden with musical bookmarks that trigger precise feelings, states of mind, and actual pinpoint moments more than almost any other cue.

I'm a music FaReeeak! And also a bit of a Contemplative Geek at times. This means of course that I can't resist - documenting some of the memories I flash to when hearing certain songs sounds like OH SO MUCH FUN. So, I think I'll do it.

Starting now.

My Musical Flashback: "Walk Like an Egyptian", the Bangles, 1986, age 10

this house full of girls, girls, girls

five sisters and then there is me

diving into the "play makeup" and Aqua Net

your slumber parties were rarely without costumes and acting skills employed

enough blush to be seen from space and now it's time to practice

tease, tease, tease that hair!

cue camera operator!

take 4

dancing from bed to bed, egyptian-walking and lipsynching perfection

music video Stars need their Pringles and pizza

screening event with your parents

Success! once again the audience is impressed

(we put on many acts

mini-movies were made of pure genius HAHAHA

would make phenomenal blackmail today)

scrubbed-up and pajama'd, scary movie time if you dare

your mom brings popcorn sprinkled with something delicious

what was that? to this day i have no idea

crunch crunch hold hands!!! eek gasp

never as scared as i were you and your sisters

but you also told the best ghost stories

you taught me the art

of whispering a dream into a sleeping girl's ear

giggles as she recounted confused pieces of it in the morning

wake up

pancakes and eggs and loud and lovely

   

p.s. in memory of your mom.

Some Things Friday #65: I Can't Believe I've Gone 4 Months Without Giving You a Some Things List (shame!)

Some Things I Love:

1. A breeze blowing through an open window.
   
2. Soft, cozy clothes to be lazy in.
   
3. The naked vegetarian burrito with black beans, cilantro rice, salsa verde, extra pico, guacamole and cheese at Qdoba. mmm...
   
4. Black nail polish.
   
5. Italian singers from the 50's and 60's like Dean Martin and Louis Prima. Here, enjoy some Friday Happy: (p.s. - your feed readers won't show you the video below)
   

Some Things I Hate:

1. When the left turn signal at a light skips me.
   
2. Meatballs.
   
3. That I haven't started running again yet. Um, yeah, I think the excuse of it being too hot outside flew out the window when it went from being 90 degrees at night to 61 right now. That's PERFECT burning-off-your-ass weather. See? SO perfect:

   
   (p.s. - Saturday? 67? WHOOT.)
   

4. The word 'deodorant'.
   
5. Shuffling cards. Too much pressure to do the smoothest and fastest shuffle each time. I simply can't live up to those expectations.

Some Things I Just Don't Get:

1. Why some guys who will never spend a single day in the "wilderness" or even outside of town for more than 30 minutes still feel the need to carry a pocketknife every single day.
   
2. Julie Chen's head-to-body ratio. 'Tis frightening.
   
   
3. Why the cat has to come up to lay by my head at night right after he's done pooping.
   
4. Which way am I supposed to turn the humidity control tab on my vegetable drawer in the refrigerator? Does high mean high control? Or high humidity? Because things have been getting mushy in there lately very fast no matter which way we move it. grrr...it makes me frustrated.
   
5. Why I always remember how thirsty I am when I have no water near me to drink.

technorati tags: Dean Martin, Louis Prima, Julie Chen,

Sarcomical Blogmarks 4.16.06

Places to visit today courtesy of Yours Truly:

• Schatz / Ornstein Studio - Portfolio
  fabulously inventive and visionary photos. wonderful. especially loving the underwater shots. they're so other-worldly. great capturing of the beauty of the body througout the portfolio.
  (tags: photography)


• OLAF BLECKER : PHOTOGRAPHER
  oh my good lord. my favorite thing about his photos is the way he makes the skin glow in many of them like in old 30's and 40's starlet photos. but he's also got the ability to make things look so raw and alive. simply an amazing talent.
  (tags: photography)


• FARROKH CHOTHIA PHOTOGRAPHY
  i love the ethereal style of these photos. especially the portaits in the personal section. lovely.
  (tags: photography)



• H A Y D E N
  i'm really new to hayden but am so far loving the Skyscraper National Park album. mellow but an intense voice and great lyrics.
  (tags: music)


• Denison Witmer
  i love the lyrical quality of his voice. if you haven't heard of him click around on the discography page of his site for some ear candy. ;)
  (tags: music)

Half-Week Haiku 24: Like, Totally and, Um, Does This Belt Go With This Boobshirt?

So we went to see Jack Johnson in concert Monday night.

It was kind of cool - he's a great artist, but I think he said a total of 10 words the entire time (we decided to jet out right before the last song before the encore). I'm talking, song after song after song with no breaks in between at all...which was fine I guess since his opening acts took up the first 2 hours of the show...meh.

I would have loved to see a bit more personality come through...but I suppose if we'd been as HIGH as the hundreds of 14-year-olds who were rolling joints and smoking bongs all around us, we'd have probably been just as excited about it all as they were. And MY GOD, were they ever fucking cool. With their little jeanskirts up to their crotches, glittery eyeliner, and the guys with their striped boxers hiked practically up to their nipples so people could see them sticking out of their jeans. Wow, Internet, I am so very jealous. Jealous indeed of being naive, fashion-blind, insecure, obnoxious, sneaky, and unable to go to the mall without my parents.

For this week's haiku then, tell me Internet Darlings: What embarrassing or unpleasant part of YOUR youth would you not want to re-live? I'll go first:
permed bangs haunt me still
a wall of hair sprayed lifeless
how high can they go?

OR...
perils of dating
a girl breaks up with a boy
his kiss is dog-like

Some Things Friday #19

Aha! The holidays are over and dammit, I will not let the Some Things Friday lists go to pot no matter how busy I feel. SO...Serenity Now! Brace yourselves.

Some Things I Love:
1. Going back to our old Chinese restaurant that delivers AND tastes better since we've been cheating on it with Great Taste chinese,which is way closer to our house but you have to PICK IT UP. Good God in heaven, we're dumbasses. We were deluded by the haze of close proximity, Dragon House, we're sorry. We love you. Mwah. Now toss me another eggroll, hot stuff.
2. Sugar-Free Black Cherry Jell-O. ...oooh baby, it's like a french kiss in a snack cup.
3. Some of my newest additions to the music collection: Rachel Yagamata, San Ilya, Gomez, Gavin DeGraw, and Ryan Cabrera. Yes, Ryan Cabrera. Shut up.
4. Jude Law. I loves me some Jude Law. Mmmm...

Some Things I Hate:
1. Being wrong about the Gazelle Max. Stupid, STUPID! I feel obligated to tell you how that all turned out since I raved about it so much HERE. And since so many people end up here by searching for info on it. Basically, I was in love with it. Until I tried to move up the resistance. To ONE out of THREE levels. And it would barely move. We're talking walking in glue here. Not fun. If I can't at least MOVE, then I'm not really working out, am I? Maybe we got a defective one, but we decided to take ours back and use the money on fun Christmas gifts. Like food. And movies. And music. And more reasons for us to stay at home and not get off the couch and get fat. Yay!
2. Fargo. I saw that for the first time several months ago. ...I always thought that thing was supposed to be some sort of comedy. All I know is I was NOT laughing, and it took me a week to forget about it. Ick. Eww. Please don't talk about it. I'm sensitive.
3. Going weeks without sunshine. Hello? Soul? Are you completely withered or are you just depressed from lack of light? Winter sucks it right out of me.
4. That to this day I am haunted by the fact that I never saw the last episode of "Party of Five". I will never let my husband live that down. He forgot to set the VCR. Oh yeah, remember those? Those asshat machines that could not easily contain a scroll-able list of your favorite shows and movies so that you could compile all your tv watching into one lazy lump of day-long Gilmore Girls and Lost marathons?

Some Things I am Confused About:

Should I consider my cat puking INSIDE one of my favorite and cutest shoes as a personal affront? I'm just wondering.

I'm still trying to figure out the best way to spend the last hour of work that manages to stretch itself out to EONS when I've run out of things to do (most notably? on Fridays). I've tested out meaningless wandering between my office, the bathroom, & the kitchen, responding to emails from you guys, intentionally procrastinating tasks so that I have to rush and make the time go faster at the end, and staring out my window at Mr. Squirrel and watching people go in and out of the Pizza Hut across the street.

Jennifer Garner's judgement. (Helloooo? Earth to Jen - Mr. Poof-a-lot? I mean, I know he used to be the cutest, but now? He's tainted. And now you're tainted. And that makes me sad.)

Why I am Spatially Retarded. By Spatially Retarded, I mean: Virtually unable to process the approach of oncoming objects (walls, tables, counters, drawers, glass shelves, DOWNWARD CEMENT STAIRS, etc.) while walking toward them and thus hitting them/falling down with maximum velocity, creating mass damage to tissue and visually repulsive markings on one's body. Yeah. That's me.

Frou Frou Love

So a strange thing happened to me yesterday.
Not strange in a weird way, but in a "wow...i don't know what to think" strange. A cool strange.

I got a boxed CD from Amazon in the mail.
I never ordered a CD from Amazon.
I opened it up.
Humph. Interesting.
A Frou Frou CD. details.
Well, this is cool...
It was on my Amazon Wishlist for a while...
Frou Frou's song Let Go gives me chills, I have to close my eyes when I hear it.
(That is why I was especially happy about this little surprise.)

...Ummm, so how did I get this?
I guess I'll look at the packing slip.
Wow, someone sent it to me as a gift! Awesome!
I love presents!
Hmmm...this person is from London.
Well damn, that's pretty cool.
Who IS this person?
(*At this point I assumed it was a blog reader.)
Okaaaayy...let's go google her name.

Wow, so she's a singer. Awesome.
How the hell did some singer in London ever read my blog?
Or see my Amazon Wishlist?
Well, she seems pretty amazing; she's got a cool recording studio.
Let's scroll down to some other entries and find out more about her.
Hmmm...she's talking about the Garden State soundtrack? Wha?
She's talking about my fave song on the CD, Let Go.
She's talking about how she's glad it's...doing...so well...what???

Wait a minute, wait a minute.
Why is she talking like that about it?
It's like that's her song or something...
...holy crap let's go back to her google listings.
The third link is her bio?
Ummm...she is half of Frou Frou???
Holeee Shit...so that Imogen Heap???

The Imogen Heap who is THE VOICE for Frou Frou.
The Imogen Heap who supposedly sent me this CD.
The Imogen Heap who put this message on the slip:
"Dear Melissa I was feeling generous and I think everyone should have one of these!!! x immi x hope you enjoy it x"

Update:
*I'm currently waiting on confirmation that it was really her. I don't know if it was a thing sent to lots of people or what. Can you BELIEVE this? Well, whether it was or not, check out the link to Frou Frou's CD on the left in my "listening to" section and if you don't have it- BUY IT!
*Also, check out her blog HERE.

UPDATE:
I got the confirmation that is was, in fact, from Imogen. She saw a comment I posted on a blog of a friend of hers (I did not know this before) and went to my site and decided to do something nice for me since I was nice to her friend. Now if that isn't a reason to be her fan, I have no earthly idea how to convince you! And it's also a reason for me to PEE MY PANTS. She will be releasing a solo album soon, so be on the lookout for it!

Imogen, THANK YOU. You made my day - my next few months - REALLY. You are awesome. I will be your devoted fan forever and ever and will buy all your music and love you and be your friend and send you candy. Do you eat candy? ;)
Love, Melissa