Does Song Selection Matter?

The title of this post might lead you to believe that it is going to be about American Idol. Then again, if you're reading this you probably know me and remember that I think American Idol is lame. I am instead referring to subway musicians. Whether it's out of necessity or for creative freedom, various instrument-wielding travelers are likely to make an appearance on the subway. Giving money to people on the street or the subway is certainly a personal choice and I'm not trying to make light of those who need to make money in any way that they can. But a lot of people perform in the subway simply because they want a place to share their art (I saw a film about this at Slamdance two years ago, although I can't remember what it was called).

Anyway, I was on my way home from Union Square today and I heard someone start strumming a guitar. I rolled my eyes a little bit because often that can be really annoying. Subway time is me time and I tend to stay in my own world, said world typically involving a book and an ipod. But then I heard the song. It wasn't the bluesy fare like "My Girl" one usually hears performed on a subway car. It was Pink Floyd's "Time" from Dark Side of the Moon. Not just a great song, but one with particularly poignant lyrics. As I stood there letting the rumble of the train carry my thoughts away, I began to think about my life and what I'm doing and I how I feel like I'm wasting my time (these deep, pensive moments currently brought to you by my temporary unemployment situation). And then some guy starts playing this song with lyrics like:

You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today.
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you.
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.

I found myself singing along. Okay, not in the vein of Rent's "Santa Fe" subway car number, but I was definitely mumbling along with this singer. Normally I don't give out money on the train (mostly due to the fact that I never have cash), but also because I don't want to just open up my purse and dig around for money in the middle of a crowd. I hope this doesn't make me a bad person -- it seems like a reasonable policy followed by many others. But the minute I heard the song I knew I was going to give this guy a buck. I should encourage myself to be more giving all around, but the song struck such a chord with me (no pun intended) and I was compelled to show some gratitude.

Progress?

Operation leave the house before nightfall: COMPLETE. Although I didn't get up until noon, but whatever. I think I felt like if I just kept on sleeping I wouldn't have to face the fact that I don't have a job (insert Ferris Beuller quote here: "I could be the Walrus. That still doesn't change the fact that I don't own a car").

So I watched a little SATC (I've really been in the mood for some since the movie comes out on FRIDAY! can't wait). The only eps we have though are part of the Essentials Series: Breakups. So that kind of bummed me out to watch the cheating on Aidan and the Post-It Berger eps in a row. But then I got my shit in gear and applied for my old job at the bakery. It was kind of awkward because I don't know anyone who works there now...And I have to explain how I do have a job, only not in the summer and blah blah. Then I took a dress to the cleaners and inquired about having photos from the EMA Florida trip printed (EMA = Exponentially More Awesome). Look at me, running errands and being a grown up.

(Photo from EMA Florida Trip '08)

So that took about an hour and now I am back on my couch eating cheese and crackers and watching Curious George on PBS. Oh yes, you read that correctly. Curious Mother Fucking George. The cartoon. About a monkey. Who hangs out with a guy in a yellow suit. This is what my life has come to (when you take into account the fact that I am unemployed and don't have cable. That's like a double whammy). Of our 6 channels, 3 are judge shows, 2 are soap operas, and one is cartoon monkies. I chose the monkey. George is learning how to play golf and once he figures out that the goal is to get the lowest score, he decides that he just won't play at all and get a zero...thus becoming the greatest golfer ever. I think you're onto something George.

Recent Re-Discovery of "Sweet Home Alabama"

Right, right, I know. Isn't that movie a random Reese Witherspoon chick flick from like 6 years ago? Why yes, yes it is. And you know what else? It's ADORABLE. Apparently I had seen this movie before but remembered not a single detail. Except that it was possibly lame. How did I stumble upon this long forgotten rom-com gem? It all started during a post-blue bathing suit haze after viewing "Casino Royale" (reason number 455,512 why we would make the best girlfriends ever: drinking beers and watching a badass Bond movie...minus the whole Daniel Craig ogling). Conveniently, I am an anal tool when it comes to movies and I have all of my (and my roommate's) DVD's categorized alphabetically in printed out list form. So it's very easy to see all the movies in one place and for some reason SHA jumped out at me. Would I dare suggest it for fear of being ridiculed? But I threw it out there and received a hearty approval from Jen and Hallie (Kate having dozed off at this point). So if you're in the mood for a New York-y/down South-y romantic comedy with the charming suaveness of Patrick Dempsey and the under-utilized roughness of Josh Lucas, in addition to Reese's perfect hair, netflix this classic movie.

Keep in mind that I'm prone to coming around to liking things long after their popularity has faded. For example: my obsession with Justin Timberlake's "Senorita" about four years after it debuted. Shut up, that song is awesome.

Also, please reference this Jim Gaffigan quote and apply it whenever someone loves something that's slightly behind the times...

"Hey, I just saw Heat!"
"Heat? I saw that fifteen years ago!"
"Uh... yeah, I wanna talk about it now."
"No, loser!"

Blog Hiatus

So it's May now. Last post was in January. My bad. We'll say I took a little break from documenting my day to day details and observations.

The line of work I'm in allows me the summers off. I know what you're thinking -- awesome! Not so much. Yeah, it's kind of like summer vacation, only you don't get paid and you still have to pay bills and rent. Not awesome. It also allows for a lot of down time. No wait, pretty much all down time. I start to feel a bit like a recluse when I realize it's dark out and I haven't left the apartment yet. This must be remedied. I either need to get a job to fill up the time or at least carve out a creative outlet for time wasting.

I can definitely attribute this sudden desire to start blogging again to the piece by Emily Gould in the New York Times Magazine yesterday. It's kind of odd that an autobiographical story about the pros and cons, ups and downs, ins and outs of filling internet pages with the intimate details of your life spurred me to blog another day. But I've got to fill my time with something.