Poppin' Bottles in the Ice - Like a BLIZZARD

Now I'm feelin' so fly lii-i--iiii--iike a G-6 - but that's how I roll.  The season's first major snow! Im loving it!  Too bad it wasn't a white X-mas but at the very least it can be a white Sunday (and possibly Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday?)  As the snow was falling today, I figured the best way not to get snowed into the house was to go out every hour or so and shovel so that it wouldn't be total accumulation... the logic was there but in practice it didn't really work out that way.  Each time I went out all bundled up and ready to brace the wind and snow, getting SLIZZARD (what does that even mean? I don't know, but I love the word), I noticed that the level of snow where I had already shoveled was essentially the same as where I hadn't! My guess is that the wind is blowing it all around keeping things even, which is making each time I head out less beneficial than the previous time.   

I heard that the local airports had canceled over 1000 flights today!  I didn't know that many flights came through on a daily basis, and I assumed that there were some easy day flights which weren't canceled, so that means that regularly there are even more scheduled flights - pretty crazy...

Back in the days of school, getting a snow day was really exciting! Now, in the Real World, the snow itself is just as exciting, but do professional work places give out such freebies?  Its still to be seen at my job.  At the start of winter I had asked around the office what the protocols were on really snowy days and apparently they do issue "Snow Days."  But how do they let the employees know?  When you attend school, often there is a phone line to call and see if this free day has been announced, but we don't have such a system for work.  If I were to call the office at 7 in the morning, depending on whose extension I dial, likely I will get the usual answering machine message letting me know the individual isn't at the desk and I should leave my name, phone number, and a detailed message.  That's not really going to help me if I want to know if I had the day off - paid.

I've already checked the bus schedule online and it seems as though the buses are expecting a 45-60 minute delay on routes into Manhattan.  As a commuter, I already have to wake up 2 hours prior to being due at the office - there is NO WAY I am waking up an additional 45-60 minutes early just to be the only one at the office (on regular days I usually get there before anyone else) - I'm just not important enough in my position to make that effort. 

So now that I've put in a call and e-mail to my boss (who I believe is snowed out of town - yikes!) the best i can do is hope for an answer (preferably with announcement of a snow day in the affirmative) before I go to bed so that I don't need to wake up for naught early in the morning. 

And on that note, I leave you with the following while I go enjoy my delicious cup of Nestle Caramel Hot Chocolate catching up on my DVR  (does it get any better?):

(They didn't even pay me for this product placement... but as an unofficial sponsor, Im happy to include it!)

In case some of my opening confused you, sit back, relax and enjoy the sober girls around you acting like they are drunk with the Far East Movement's video....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4s6H4ku6ZY

Go ahead - Punch yourself in the face...

You won't feel it!  Its been THAT cold outside! AM New York (sadly) is my main news source, and as a commuter I love the free resource.  Each day they announce the weather while giving a forecast for the following day, and this advice to hit yourself was the tagline one day last week.  I thought it was funny ‘cuz it was soooo true.  I often walk inside and feel like what I imagine Botox feels like!  I happen to love the cold weather much more then humid heat, but on some of these days, its really pretty damn cold.  I mentioned to a friend 2 weeks ago something that’s really weird about myself, and I figure why not share it in a public forum as well.  You know when you’re walking outside and its super frigid, so much so that your eyes start to tear a little and it feels as though your eye balls have been living in a freezer? I LOVE THAT!!! I know it weird, but when I’m walking and I’m crying because its cold, I like that feeling and I feel like it kinda looks cool (no pun intended).  To each their own, hey?

Anyway, I know this blog isn’t a music review, but for now, let’s pretend that it is.  Last night I went to what was supposed to be the last show from a group called As Tall As Lions (after last night’s show sold out a few weeks ago, they then posted a second “last show” for tonight – sadly, our tickets had already been boughten (that’s a Bring It On Parody reference)).  In summer of ’07 I believe, I met my very favorite concert Buddy – Tracey Patten.  We worked together at a PR internship and quickly formed a lovely friendship.  Tracey has been a big influence on musical taste and has introduced me to a number of new (to my repertoire) bands – one of which was ATAL.  We’ve since (as of last night) been to 4 of their shows but it seems as though it’s going to stop right thur because the band is dis-banding – hence the “last show” fiasco.  So we went to the Highline Ballroom yesterday evening to rock out once more to some of our ATAL favorites.  Unlike any other show we’ve been too, neither of us had any idea who was opening… boy were we in for a surprise. 

Doors opened at 7, and show was called for 8.  We got there shortly thereafter due to poor planning (on my behalf) and infrequent buses, hoping we wouldn’t be too late.  Much to our surprise the show wasn’t even close to starting, and after we wiggled our way into the relative front of the venue, we waited for at least half an hour until the first sign of performance.  Awkwardly this guys stumbles onto the stage, looking very much like a crew member and he lifts up this ghetto marching band drum and wraps it around his arms/shoulders with the string that its attached to – not straps, but string.  Being the lone man on stage, he lifts his 2 drumsticks in his hands, positions himself in front of the mic and starts to pound.  The beat sounded almost cult-like as if he was summoning spirits or at the very least his other band members.  While the latter didn’t come out just yet, it’s very possible the former entered his body.  He started singing, or rather chanting really, in this peculiar unique voice. (With my limited knowledge it sounded just a little bit like Neutral Milk Hotel).  Their MySpace page describes their style as “Alternative”, but to be honest, that doesn’t even begin to paint the picture.  Quirky and weird would be most accurate, although a little less tasteful. 

The band consisted of a saxophonist, a trumpet player, a drummer, a bassist and this eccentric singer who also played the guitar and sometimes the keyboard.  While listening to their sound, I couldn’t help but wonder, “What are they thinking when writing and composing this music? Do they actually think its good?”  The weird thing is that it wasn’t that it was just bad, rather it was really unlike anything else Ive ever really heard.  It was much more like a performance piece than it was a musical show.  In one “song” the lyrics were series of pronunciations of “we are____” and “we____”, again, not really singing but more so talking to the beat with a little inflection in the tone.  One of the re-occurring themes was making love either on the floor or in the streets, and somewhere thrown into the mix is a girl named Rebecca.  Love found its way into many of the songs, being measured “in bricks and mortar”, or having it in the street.  Some of the musical components were actually kind of good for about 10 second intervals, but they were abruptly interrupted with weird vocal noises or too many instruments playing disparate sounds at the same time. 

You may have noticed that I haven’t told you the name of the “band” or any of their songs yet but that is quite representative of how they introduced themselves to the audience.  It wasn’t until at least 2 or 3 “songs” in that they even told us who they were (oh yeh, they are called “Jive Grave” – it somehow sounds to me like it should be in the other order, the same way Lewy-Neuman would sound if it were Neuman-Lewy) and only for one song I believe did they tell us what it was called (I think it was something along the lines of “Some Sh*t Happened”).

The overall experience was kinda interesting and in a way thought provoking.  At the end of their set, I felt like I needed the time to reflect on what just happened and in its own kind of way that might have been what they were going for.  At some points during parts of the performance when I couldn't help but smile and even chuckle sometimes, I was checking out 2 of the band members – the bassist was feeling the music so hard (which is really cool) that he was making the most ridiculous faces to the point that I actually stopped at one point and said to Tracey “I actually would feel really bad if he has something wrong with him, like a tick of the mouth that makes him do that” – in the end we decided he didn’t because when he wasn’t playing, like in between songs, his face was totally normal  (actually sort of cute!) – also the trumpet player actually kept laughing a bit when the lead singer was doing his own thing and it was uber unusual, so it seemed as though he couldn’t contain himself either.  As a side note, by the way, As Tall As Lions was fantastic, and it was the best show of their that I had seen.  The energy both from the crowd and the band was amazing and even though it was technically their second to last show, they wanted to go out with a bang, and in my opinion they did!

So on that note, I leave you with the following:
Here is a link to the Jive Grave MySpace Music page: http://www.myspace.com/jivegravemusic

And here is a link to the Jive Grave Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/posted.php?id=227927035381#!/jivegrave

Is this gonna be forEVER?!?

As I'm quickly approaching the first quarter century mile mark, Ive recently been finding myself experiencing very "7-year-old" feelings.  Firstly, last Thursday I had my first dentist appointment in 2 and a half years! EEk! I know- really terrible, but Ive been off of insurance for that long, and it wasn't until I started working that I finally earned my own health and dental insurance plans (And I have to say that is the thing that makes me feel most adult in my life right now).  So I went in for one of my allowed bi-annual cleanings only to find that I had a small cavity! AAAAhhhhh!! In truth its not that bad, but as I was sitting there in the chair, having my lips stretched to epic proportions, I couldn't help but feel like an adolescent who has been eating too much candy, hasn't been brushing her teeth, and will walk out with tooth brushes for the next year and a special dental sticker! (In honesty, none of those were true - I haven't been eating TOO much candy - just the right amount;) - I brush my teeth twice daily, for an extended period of time [I wear out tooth brushes like its nobody's business] - and the only thing I walked out of the office with was an appointment for 6 months time and $50 less in my bank account).  The cavity, as I was told, was quite small and was able to be fixed just then during the appointment.  But who gets cavities past the age of 10??? I found myself quite anxious about the drilling and Novocaine and all that comes with it.  Lest I forget the fact that by the end I was major-droopy-face and felt like the left side of my head was at least 3 times the right.  It was a very 7 year old experience.

As a side note, it was a funny juxtaposition with the "gum-test" that they start doing when you get old enough (which I was), to test your gum health seeing how far from your teeth the gums separate.  A slightly painful test, but I came out earning good remarks.

As if my little cavity wasn't enough to make me feel oh so young again, this weekend I ended up getting quite sick.  I didn't do anything out of the ordinary that would have made me susceptible to sickness, but I guess "tis the season."  At first it started with fatigue over Shabbos, and what better time to rest than on the sanctioned day of rest.  And rest I did - from Friday evening Until Saturday night, I banked at least 17 hours (some were on the couch but those totally count - they are sometimes the best!).  Then on Sunday morning i was feeling a little lackluster and slightly ill with a heavy cold coming on, but I made it to an alumni volleyball practice at my old high school with the current varsity team (although I was one of only 2 alumni who showed up).  I plowed through and surprisingly played pretty decently, but by the end I was feeling feeling very much like death's cousin - really sick.  It probably wasn't safe that I drove home in the condition that I was in, but as soon as I was safely in the house, I immediately curled up on the couch (yes, same as before with the napping) - still in volleyball garb - knee-pads included, although minus socks and shoes - draped a blanket over myself and quickly called for my "Mommy."  Thank Gd I'm living at home, because I would not have wanted to feel that way without having someone to take care of me.

I was prepped with a cold wash cloth over my eyes, a rubbing on my back, a tucking in with the blanket and a fresh bottle of water.  I wasn't quite asleep for the whole time, but I managed to stay quite stationary for another 4 hours.  When I finally got up, after having bouts of cold sweats and hot shivers, I had my temperature taken for the first time in YEARS and lo and behold, I had a 101.5 fever! I literally have not had a fever in at least 16 years, and this too made me feel once more like a little girl.  For the past memorable years of my life, any time I would get sick, I would sometimes feel like I had feverish symptoms, but I wouldn't actually get a fever.  It was something I wouldn't have believed if I didn't see it on the thermometer (Thank Gd it was taken orally and not from the other end as used to be the case when I was little - ew). When you've gotten to the point of independence in your life (other than the fact that you may actually be living at home...) its an awfully strange feeling to suddenly feel so dependent on help from others.  Its also a good reminder to be appreciative that there are people in my life who will help me, even though I had resorted back to childlike instincts with basic and needy needs.

And on that note, I wanted to leave you with what would have been the following:
Comedian Daniel Tosh hosts a comedy Central show called Tosh.0 which is fantastic.  Hes adorable and an across the board offender/comedian.  In each show he has what is called a "web redemption" where he shows viral videos where someone has "failed" or made a complete fool of themselves.  He then Flies them out to LA where he meets with them, and gives them an opportunity to redeem themselves.  Its usually quite funny and in one episode he redeems "David After Dentist" which happens to be a favorite video of mine.  In his preamble before the redemption he does a little "bit" on going to the dentist and its really funny - unfortunately I can't seem to find it on the internet, so you'll have to take my word for it.  I will provide you with the link to the video David After Dentist (which likely you will have already seen) so that at least you can enjoy that, and from there, fish around on your own.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txqiwrbYGrs

And for a little eye candy...

Do Unto Others....

I had a very humbling and honest conversation the other day with my parents.  Due to context of the conversation, my Mother, in a light manner, was acting out how she would describe me to someone else.  While sticking to complimentary attributes, she started with saying that I was fun, knowing how to have a good time, nice, caring, and had a strong sense of what is correct.  Missing, however, was the expected "she is a really kind person and does a lot of good for others."  Now I’m not fishing for compliments, but I would have thought that my Mother, someone who i expected to know me very well and think highly of me would have said something along those lines.  I actually asked her about it and she said "Well, of course you are a kind person, but I don't see that you really go out of your way to involve yourself in acts of chesed (kindness)."  This sparked a whole, long further conversation where I, feeling a little hurt, probed both she and my Dad to get an honest opinion of what they thought of me as a person.

I have always tried to be nice to other people and the part of Judaism that I am most attracted to and feel to be most important is treating other people properly.  In my opinion properly includes respect, kindness, and without trying to sound cliché, in a manner in which I would like to be treated. There is certainly room for me to grow, but I was feeling pretty content with myself, that I had been holding myself to those standards.  While my parents didn't disagree, they helped me see that maybe I wasn't actively embodying that trait as much as I could be.  My mom pointed out that knowing the person I am, it isn't a question that if a situation crosses my path, I will approach it in a kind manner.  However, I am not making the choices on my own to seek out situations where kindness is needed and making myself available.  My father, as well, agreed that I could be making more of an active effort to seek out Chesed opportunities rather than waiting for them to cross me by.

While I had initially felt a little hurt that my own parents didn't see me as I had seen myself, I soon realized that this was an eye opening opportunity for me to really get feedback and possibly make a change.  It’s easy to start feeling comfortable with your actions and stop flirting with your comfort zone.  It’s hard to hear at first, but in truth I asked for - both figuratively and literally.  I’m hoping that I will have the strength and courage to start implementing a change and look for Chesed  opportunities in which I could be involved.

And on that note, I leave you with the following:
As if the timing couldn't have been more perfect, just after I had this conversation with my 'rents, my sister shared with my mom  the following link and she sent it my way  saying "So simply beautiful -what a meaningful life - Gavi not a dig, an example and inspiration!"  I found it to be incredible and I would like to share it with you - open your hearts!
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=464334032902