YEAH!! YIPPEE!! BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!!!

No, I don't have a date with a boy. But I do have a date marked on my calendar to see KEANE!!!! SO it's kind of like having a date with 3 boys.

I guess their publicists do read blogs!

The link that I am going to mention in the following post:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x16rGcxDvIo

I've probably looked at this 12,000 times.

Now it is time to go to sleep.

Some Good Music News

The following two posts are kind of sad. OK, one is sad, the other is mildly pathetic. So before you read those I thought I would share some fun music news. First of all, I am going to see Snow Patrol on Monday at the Madison Square Garden Theater. Yeah!! My friend Connie is coming with me and I think she loves Snow Patrol more than me. But a couple of weeks ago I had a dream that my mom and I were making the band dinner and I made a few song requests for the show. I'll let you know if they play "Cartwheels." Just so you know, they probably won't since it is not technically a Snow Patrol song. Gary Lightbody, the lead singer, wrote it for a side project called Reindeer Section. So, um, Gary, if your publicists check blogs and you come across mine please play "Cartwheels" on March 26th!!!!

Aqualung just released a new CD entitled Memory Man. The last CD was kind of low-fi and sleepy, although it has the best crush song ever ("Strange and Beautiful"). This new project is ore high-fi, with more energy and emotion. Check it out.

Saturday night I was trying to make a playlist for my roommate's St. Patrick's Day party and I thought I had enough Irish bands for the party. It turns out that I don't. My collection is heavy on music from the British Isles, but I was surprised that I had so many Scottish bands (Snow Patrol, Reindeer Section, Franz Ferdinand, Camera Obscura...). But the one I want to mention is Travis. I first heard this group when I lived in France, and I was very impressed. I just have a collection of top singles, but I have a huge list of must-buy songs that grows every time I hear another one on Accuradio. Then I heard some good news. On Sunday a girl at church told me that they are releasing a new album in May. Yippee. I checked out the website and found a link for the music video on YouTube. I am attempting to post it. If it worked you will have found it by now. Click on it, and hear the song. If not, I will attempt to post the link again. I know it's possible; people do it all the time. The best part of the new album is the eventual tour. Travis has not had huge U.S. success (which I am totally ok about), but they should make an appearance in NYC. Everyone comes here.

Except Keane. They did a small tour on the West Coast--my cousin Stephanie saw them and loved them--and they are headed to South America, Central America, and Mexico. But do they have plans to come visit me? No! Their Favorite Band For Life status is becoming a little tarnished. Keane, if your publicists are monitoring blogs: COME TO NYC!!!

He was a good dog

The sad thing about living so far away is that bad things happen like our dogs being put to sleep. And although dogs are important members of the family, we don't exactly get bereavement days for them. So I guess it is a good thing that my parents didn't call to tell me that our dog, Rime, was put down. I didn't want to be informed of the news at work. But I didn't want to be told via my parent's blog a week later.

Anyway, it will be sad when I go home next and won't have my little Rimey greet me excitedly as he used to. I think I was his favorite. Actually he was excited to see everyone. But Rime and I had a special bond; we would go on walks together. In full disclosure I must admit that I didn't want to take him on walks, but I didn't really have a choice. One day he literally demanded that I take him with me. So I did, and then everytime I went to walk he came with me. There was no hiding my intent to go outside. Rime knew which shoes and exercise clothes I used. As soon as he heard the swish of my pants his tail would start wagging, and he would also start barking if he thought I was taking too long to get ready. I couldn't even say the work walk or spell it. Although I didn't want to take him on walks at first, it became one of my favorite things to do.

I will miss my large, furry, white puppy.

The color the bag used to be


The broken joint

In Memoriam--My favorite bag

Every girl has a favorite bag...the go-to bag, if you will. Sometimes it is a fancy schmancy designer bag, and sometimes it is a knock-off. Nonetheless it is bag that carries everything. Trust me, girls carry everything in their bags--makeup, wallets, books, gum, new and used tissue, snacks... I had a similar bag up until March 10th, and then it died.

I purchased my favorite bag at Urban Outfitters a few weeks before I travelled to Austin, Texas for the Austin City Limits Music Festival. I needed a good solid bag for that event so that I could carry water bottles, sunscreen, camera, and other essentials for the coolest live music event ever. This bag was certainly the right size and it had plenty of pockets. I am a sucker for pockets. But what really sold me was the plastic coating. I realize that "plastic coating" does not equal classy, but I wasn't going for classy, I wanted hip and I wanted something that wouldn't get destroyed if some miscreant dropped their stinky beer on me. This bag had it, and we had a good time together. At the festival we saw some of our favorite groups: Keane, Aqualung, Coldplay, Franz Ferdinand, Death Cab for Cutie, Jet, and Oasis. The bag did so well that I took it to other concerts later on.

I also took it to work. It carried everything I needed: lunch, wallet, reading material. It was also my church bag; it fit my scriptures, Relief Society manual, etc. The bag was the perfect carry on bag for flights, so there was no doubt that it would go with me to New York. It came with me on job interviews because it was tall enough to not mush my resumes. I took it everywhere because, like I said, it carried everything I needed.

After a while I decided not to fill it up so much because my shoulders and back were hurting, but I didn't even realize that my little/big bag needed a rest. I didn't rest it enough, and it finally gave out on March 10th. That day I did tax it with a heavy burden. I needed to take some personal care items from the gym to my home for church the next day. It had a couple of brushes, hairspray, hair goo/pomade, a book, wallet, water bottle, gloves, hat, and scarf. Not only was it stuffed, I thought it would be fun to carry it all forty-some blocks from Union Square to Rockefeller center. I was tired, but I didn't know that I had done some damage to the bag. Later that night I swung the nearly empty bag over my shoulder and it came crashing down. Somehow the weight had stretched out the metal clasp and it no longer fit in its socket. I could put it back together, but it wouldn't stay--it was irreparably damaged...especially since I have no metallurgy skills. I am very sad and am without a favorite, go-to bag. Big sigh. I am currently using my computer bag for Sunday and days when I have to carry more, but it isn't the same. My computer bag isn't even as cute. It's like the red-headed step-child of go-to bags. Oh, I hope I didn't hurt its feelings. Soon after my mourning period is over I may go back to Urban Outfitters to see if they have more, and I may have to take it to Austin to have a real bonding moment.

Rest In Peace, little bag!

The View From My Window at WORK


This is not my, window...just my cubicle wall

NYC Rooftops

There are lots of water towers in the city

Cars lined up on 18th street between 5th and Broadway

Another thought and then I swear I will get back to work!

At the office we have a big TV that airs CNN all day long, and at my new desk I can get a better view. Today the channel has been covering a horrific bus accident in Georgia (the home state of CNN, fyi). All I have to say is, although this is a highly morbid thought, I am actually grateful for the bus accident coverage because it has entirely pre-empted any Anna Nicole Smith coverage.

I see the victims of this tragic accident as holy angels for saving us from further mind-numbing drama of crazy, drugged-up, faux celebrities.

Yes, I am fully aware that I will be struck by lightening at some point today.

Shhh...I'm supposed to be working

I need to remember to take my camera to work. Last Friday I changed desks to one with a window seat, and let me tell you, I have a pretty amazing view. No, I don't see the Empire State Building or any other cliche city landmark, instead it feels like I can see the whole city from my perch on the 16th floor. I can even see all the way to New Jersey--if you call that an amazing site.

I must say, I get a little thrill when I see the yellow cabs racing around the streets. Someday I will remember to bring in a camera to show you the view.

Good, lunch has arrived and now I can stop pretending to work. I hate pitching...especially now since I am recovering from a cold. Everytime I talk I have a coughing fit.