#40ThingsAboutMe Part 3

21. I have four tattoos and each one of them has special meaning to me.

22. I LOVE discovering new bands. Recently (read: yesterday) I discovered the Joy Formidable and I don't really understand how they managed to slip under my radar for so long. They're a hard rocking female fronted band. That's like a description of the music I like.

23. When I was in 4th grade, I read a scary story in a book of scary stories about a kid that poured vinegar down an anthill and the next day, he saw an anthill that spelled the word "HATE." Later that night, he woke up and was covered in ants. You can figure out what happened next. Even to this day and even though I'm generally more rational than that, I still get a slight rush of fear each time I step on an ant because I'm scared they will get me.

24. One of my lifetime goals is to live in a house with a secret passage.

25. In high school, my friend Molly and I used to play this game where we'd have someone name something random and we'd try to turn whatever they said into something dirty in less than 5 sentences. It got to the point where we'd be able to do it consistently in 2.

26. I can't watch other people go on Facebook because their Facebooking styles will drive me insane. I can't stand leaving friend requests, event invites, and notifications unresponded to.

27. I have a weird obsession with Canada... even though I've never been there. A lot of it has to do with the music that I listen to because a significant portion of my music is by Canadian artists. Also, everyone I've met from Canada with very few exceptions has been super fun, outgoing, warm, and friendly. I wish I could say that of more Americans.

28. I get really annoyed when I ask someone what kind of music they like and they respond with, "Everything!" or "Whatever's on the radio." First of all, no, you don't like all music. Everyone has music they don't like. Second, the reason most people ask what kind of music you like is to see if you have anything in common and responding with just "everything" gets you nowhere. Third, and this really only applies to the last one, but I find it really frustrating when people just listen to what they're told to listen to. There are a lot of great bands out there that you'll probably like that don't get mainstream radio exposure. Go discover what YOU actually like. If that happens to be on the radio, great. But if you're too lazy to actually discover what you like to listen to... we probably won't get along.

29. I wish I had gotten into snowboarding at a younger age. I'm still pretty awful and I feel like I've been doing it for long enough that I should be much better than I am.

30. I become attached to things too easily and it causes me a lot of angst.

Summer Reading List

As I mentioned in my last blog, it's summer! Woo hoo!! Now that I have a ton of free time and don't have to be constantly reading for school, that means I have free time to read stuff I actually want to! Woo hoo! With that in mind, I thought I'd share my summer reading list. Will I finish it? Fuck no. Most of these are spill overs from winter break reading, last summer, and even high school. If any of you have read any of these, please feel free to share your thoughts!

Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me by Chelsea Handler and Friends

I love Chelsea Handler, hence why I shelled out $90 for fourth row tickets when she's here in June. I've read all three of her other books and almost stopped breathing from laughing so hard each time so obviously I was very excited for this one to come out even if most of it was written by other people. This is actually the book I'm reading right now and so far so good!

Hyperspace and Physics of the Future by Michio Kaku

As I'm sure you're all aware, I am a nerd. One of my favorite nerdy pastimes is anything and everything science and that's why not one but TWO books by Michio Kaku, rock start theoretical physicist, have found their way onto my summer reading list. This man is a GENIUS. He has this fantastic ability to be able to explain advanced physics concepts in terms that even someone who has little background in science can understand AND, best of all, he uses minimal math. I tried reading Hyperspace over winter break but ended up not finishing it so I'm going to start from the beginning and give it a good read this time. Physics of the Future just came out in April and I have not had a chance to pick it up yet but if it's anything like Physics of the Impossible, it's going to be a nerdy good time.

Game Change by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin

Ahhhh, politics... How I love thee. This one's about the 2008 presidential election which holds a very special place in my heart because I spent so much time interning for a political campaign that year. I'm looking forward to seeing what went on behind the scenes and how Obama was able to take down McCain and his Alaskan Barbie of a running mate.

The Center of Winter by Marya Hornbacher

Marya Hornbacher is a Minneapolis author best known for her memoir Wasted in which she dives into the depths and presents the horrifying reality of eating disorders by sharing her personal struggle. I thoroughly enjoyed this book in high school and have since read her other memoir, Madness, which focuses more on her struggle with bipolar disorder (This lady has had some fucked up shit happen to her and one can't help but feel sorry for her and want to help). Despite having picked up a copy a while back, I have yet to read her fiction novel, The Center of Winter. Based on the first few pages, title, and reviews I have read, it's a pretty big downer but an excellent read.

Secret Carnival Workers by Paul Haines

Secret Carnival Workers is a collection of music journalism, poems, and other writing by Canadian poet Paul Haines. Another one I've had for a while but have not gotten around to reading. An interesting tidbit about Paul: His sperm produced one of the greatest musical geniuses, best looking, and downright awesome women of our time, the lovely Emily Haines. Anyone who shares 50% of their genes in common with that woman MUST be really, really awesome.

That's my reading list. Of course, there's always room for more so if you have a suggestion, feel free to let me know!

High School... I miss thee?

I was just going through my photo albums on Facebook and trying to do some better organization/housekeeping of what exactly each photo album contains and when they were taken, etc. and something unexpected happened: I began to miss high school. As much as I complained the whole way through and said I'd get out and never look back, there really were a lot of good things about it. I had a lot of fun times with my friends (I actually had friends of the non-internet variety!) and there were a lot of good things... I don't miss it as much as I miss elementary school with Star Lab, summer road trips to Nonna and Nonno's house (and, once there, baking, going to movies, shopping, swimming, seeing fire works, playing with chalk, catching lightning bugs...), bad 90's music, stuffed animals (don't judge me lol), and generally less work... but I do miss some parts. I definitely miss a lot of my friends, too, such as Natalie, Katrina, Sam, Paige, Anne... I barely talk to any of them. We used to be so close and then drifted apart... I know a lot of it was my fault for being such a psycho but still... They still are some of the coolest people I've ever met. As much as I bitched about everyone at Totino Grace being clones and religious whackos there were good people there. And I always had my friends from St. Anthony. I think part of this may be because I didn't walk in graduation. I've said it once and I'll probably say it again but I feel like I never really got closure. I don't regret it, however. I mean... I never took a class at the school I graduated from. I dunno, I just wish time travel really was possible... or reincarnation, for that matter. I want to grow up again... but I want it to be with the same people and the similar experiences. I care about all of you too much and am truly thankful for my life so far.

But as for high school...
I miss the 7 Deadly Sins Game.
I miss going to Applebees for half price appetizers.
I miss walking places (Weird, I know...)
I miss living at home...
I'm actually thinking... maybe I should move back home. I haven't been emotionally right since I've moved out. I'm such a mess.

"I'd give, I'd bend... Let's play pretend."
-Pretend by Lights

God, what I'd give to be a kid again...