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timestep29
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Name: Jessica
Birthday: 6/29/1987
Gender: Female
Interests: sailboats, unpop for the unpopulous, excellent but cancelled tv shows, hip new fiction, public radio, trees, jump ropes, tap dancing, yarn, kumbaya-ing
Occupation: Student
Message: message meEmail: email me
Member Since:
11/19/2002
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| Say What?
So I guess I am 20. How did that happen? I just can't tell you.
And what happens now? I can't tell you either.
Either way, happy birthday to me.
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| Bringing Xanga Back (Yeah?)
Am I actually using xanga again? I don't know. Well, I am using it right now right now, but who knows what will happen after today.
How mixed up am I right now? So mixed up that I am considering spending my summer teaching sailing in northern minnesota. Bad idea? Probably.
So I'm alive, I'm just confused.
This website has changed a lot. Strange. I have changed a little. Not so strange.
Am I happy? I'm not sure. All I know is that I'm blogging, which is probably a bad sign.
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| Mid-Summer Night's Entry
This week is kid-free inventory week at work. I spent all day today calculating, lifting, and labeling. And as I am in such a mode right now, I give you this update.
Days so hot this summer that I doubted my ability to survive: 3. It was brutal. And smog alerts plus asthma equals not fun times.
Good group of friends at home: 3.5, one expected, two and a half not expected.
Concerts attended this summer: 6? Kaki King and her weird but excellent guitar skills, Fiona Apple with Damien Rice, Dixie Chicks on good morning america, Siren Festival (The Cribs, Art Brut, Stars...), Yo La Tengo playing the soundtrack to a crazy underwater documentary, Hootie and the Blowfish love in downtown Stamford with 6,000 other people on the heat advisory day.
Trips out of town: 2, both in New York State.
Trips out of town, future: 1, to South Carolina.
Beautiful moments I had nothing to do with: 3. Yesterday on the train when a conductor and a man getting off in Fordham shared a moment (the conductor had held the door for said man in the past. Man was eternally grateful.) My cousin getting temporarily pregnant and worrying about a new life in the home, claiming she loves her husband too much to have to share her love with another being. Hearing a storycore tale on NPR about a 90 year old man who was convinced to start tap dancing again because of the personal effort of Gregory Hines.
Times when a story made me feel sick: 2. Well, two stories anyway. One revolves around family drama (don't want to talk about it.) The other revolves around Israel. And the fact that the kids in the army are my age. And the fact that there is no foreseeable end.
Songs I hate to admit that I like on the radio: 3. Steve Earle's love song to Condoleeza Rice, Fergie's new single about the london bridge, Temperature by Sean Paul.
Songs that radio people need to cut back on: 2. Gnarls Barkley. They play it on z100, KTU, the peak, and fuv. This is not supposed to happen, it is wrong. And I keep hearing that song by the Chilli Peppers too much.
Times that I must go sailing before I go back to school: 10,000.
Times when job was satisfying: hmmm, I'll go with 6. But it's probably more.
Pounds I must lose by end of summer: 50. Just kidding. But not really.
Campfires: 1
Books read: 0. I've started 4. Shame on me. I think I'm sticking to the one I'm on now though.
Needed attempts at creativity: a lot. I must immediately become an expert knitter, novelist, songwriter, sewer, painter, and photoshoper.
Started creativie exploits: 3. Only one was ever finished. I have to get on it.
Successful attempts at gaining male friends at college: 1. And with much satisfaction.
Times that people I haven't seen in a while tell me I'm really tan: 6. With only one ethnic joke.
All that and a sinking suspicion that my life has to change. And is changing. | | |
| I'm Not Even Supposed to Be Here Today
SALSA SHARK!
Updates on life to follow.
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| "If Seeing is Right, Then Look Where You're At"
Part I: Victory
I am writing on my freshly returned laptop which has lived at the repair wing of my local apple store for about two weeks now. Although I will miss my heartfelt chats with the guys at the genius bar, I am overjoyed at my computer's and my reunion. Hence, a xanga post.
Part II: In which Jessica has an existential crisis in the suburbs which begins to appear in her musical taste
My house is located in THE suburb. THE town in THE county that everyone loves to make fun of in order to comprehend its unfathomable quaintness. Which is possibly why I kind of freaked out when I came home from school. Okay, so I go to college like half an hour away from my house, but let me tell you, my school and my house are like completely different planets. New York is the proverbial Mercury to my hometown's Neptune, if you will.
At first I felt as though I didn't belong back here, but I've been trying to make the best of it. I've engaged myself in some sewing/iron decal projects, read most of Daniel Handler's new novel, brushed up on my guitar skills (or lack thereof) and have attempted attendance at a wide variety of cultural events. More on that later. And sailing! How could I forget. Coincidentally, my move from Harlem to suburbia has triggered an interesting flip in the music frequenting my cd player, involving a heavy hip hop cutback and a burst of "America's heartland" music. Sufjan Stevens has obviously made an impression on me, hence the titles.
Part III: Jessica is a culture whore and should get a life, tourists whore New York City, John Mayer should stop whoring himself to the music industry, and folk musicians provide creative banter
So I've been doing a lot of stuff that will add to my reputation of being pretentiously indie. Hopefully I will not come off too obnoxious. I'm not, I swear.
One of my favorite bands, Jim's Big Ego, hardly ever leaves its Boston homebase. So when I heard that their lead sing/guitarist, Jim Infantino was coming to a town in the same county as mine, I was uber excited. He was doing a tour with three other musicians (Chris Pureka, Kym Tuvim, Jason Spooner) in order to create hype for the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival which will take place later on in the summer. Anyway, I went to see him play in what turned out to be the multi purpose room of a unitarian church, at their semi-regular "common grounds coffee house," the proceeds of which go to good causes. It was pretty good. This pretty much triggered my return to folk music.
Next I went to go see the Dixie Chicks play in Bryant Park for Good Morning America. I have never seen more people with southern accents and cowboy hats jumping up and down and screaming in New York City. Crazy. The chicks' new album is good, but borderline not good enough. The emotional quality is there, but the music part is not nearly as good as their last album. But I love them anyway and everyone should get their album just to piss off Bill O'Reilly (check the New York Times for reference.) John Mayer and Keb Mo play on it, further afirming the fact the Johnny Boy is a complete music whore. Not only did he put out an album with his trio this year, but he has played on like three or four other albums that I have bought in the last 10 months. Whatever, he's a talented guy. You should all go watch that sketch he did on Chapelle's show. It makes me laugh.
I finally got to the MoMA that Dixie day. It was great. Would have been greater If I didn't have to push through tourists gawking at "Starry Night" and taking pictures of themselves in front of Monet's waterlillies. Or the ones that don't know how to walk in midtown. Okay, I'm a snob, I admit it.
I also went to this beautiful sculpture garden up here in Westchester. Would have been great if not for the cloud of pollen surrounding every inch of airspace that likes to make me sneeze. Oh well.
Last night I went to go see this chick Kaki King play in a bar in Piermont over the tappan zee. I went with a friend who is a fan. I had never heard of her before. I left wondering why she isn't wildly famous yet. She is extremely creative and talented and sarcastic and she literally uses every part of the guitar in a way that I have never seen before. Cool, cool. And although I could have done without the details of her pap smear whioch had apparently occured earlier on in the day, her banter was highly amusing.
Part IV: In which everyone should be forced to feel the Illinoise.
If you buy one new album this year it should be Sufjan Steven's "Illinois." Trust me. For a good taste, go here and listen to the show on WNYC as part of their American Music Festival. It features both the album and the artist. Do it. That is all.
Part V: Where as a finale I show you the desktop of my computer, because my sister has pointed out that I can and demands credit on my blog, and at the same time is caught writing on her xanga while listening to Sufjan Stevens...big surprise
duuuuude.
Part VI: Where Jessica must get off the couch and do something productive before her parents call her a bum
Next week I take a four day instructor certification course (woot) which is required for my job (same place as last summer, against my better jugement.) I'm also singing at temple a week from today, which should be interesting. Then I've got a week to charge up before starting work. Yay summer.
And now, it's time to quit boring you and go back to my sewing. I'd say enjoy the weather, put its pouring and muggy here. So instead I wish you sunny skies and a good weekend! Till next time.
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