Foolish.

A few of my required readings for the week

It was foolish of me to believe I could be a successful full time grad student, work 30+ hours a week and have an internship.

It was foolish of me to think that I could read a book a day this week even though one lady did it. 

Some of my books were lost in the mail, making them even more impossible to read.

The highlight of my day was finding out that a paper I thought was supposed to be 2-3 pages long is really only supposed to be 2/3 of a page in length. If only all my assignments were this easy and short.

I'm teaching my first lesson next week to some 11th graders about the Roaring 20s in prep for The Great Gatsby. I hope they enjoy the book as much as I do. 

What I wouldn't give for it to be Friday when I'm heading to Chapel Hill for homecoming. 

October Music #2: Florence and the Machine

Album Cover

Ahhh, this album.

I've been obsessed with "Dog Days Are Over" ever since "Eat, Pray, Love" commercials started this summer. (I hated that movie, btw) Then I saw Florence and her machine performing on a few talk shows and was blown away by her voice. And then I remembered how bored I was with Mumford & Sons. And then I saw that Lungs was on mega-sale at Best Buy, the only place to buy music in Greenville besides Target.

Long story longer, I bought it and ripped the wrapper off as I walked out the automatic doors. It hasn't left my 6 disc changer since. One day soon, I may be joining in with the rest of society and using my iPod when I drive but that's not the point.

The point is that this album is funky, refreshing, serious and playful.

Best songs: "Dog Days Are Over," "I'm Not Calling You a Liar," "Kiss with a Fist," "Cosmic Love," "You've Got the Love"

I realize that's a lot of best songs but I couldn't choose. They're all great!

Does anyone have suggestions for next month?

October Music: Mumford & Sons

Album cover

My first choice for October music was Mumford & Sons. I heard bits and pieces of them this summer but what really sealed the deal was a music video on MTV. Sure it's shallow but I'm glad something finally pushed me over the edge to buy the album.

The first eight or nine times I listened to it, I was a little bored because some of the songs are slow at the start but picked up later on. I kept dragging my feet about making a judgment and I'm glad I did because now I love it. While driving back from Raleigh the other day, it hit me how good it was!

If I had to describe their sound to someone, it'd be a mix of the Avett Brothers and Kings of Leon...not a bad combination in my opinion- which is precisely what all of this is.

Best songs: "The Cave," "Little Lion Man," "White Blank Page"

NC State Fair 2010.

My nephew was all about the slide.

A new ride at the fair called "Hamster Dance." It includes putting kids in these bubbles and letting them act like hamsters. Not a pretty pic but too interesting to leave out!

Apples on my life: Pirate purple and Carolina blue. I like the purple ones more but my niece digs the blue.

So many options for candy apples: Stimulus package green, Carolina blue, Pirate purple or Wolfpack red.

I went to the fair today with my mom, niece and nephew. It's an annual tradition and every year I see something new. Just when I thought fried Oreos were crazy, they unveil the Krispy Kreme burger.

Matt & Kim concert.

Donnis, the opener

The king and queen, as Donnis called them.

Me, Kim and Vanessa

Me, Matt and Vanessa

25 thoughts about seeing Matt & Kim in concert at Cat's Cradle:

1. Matt and Kim's new album sounds awesome!

2. Teenagers sure have gotten tall these days.

3. A rapper (Donnis) opening for an indie band? Weirdsies.

4. I like this rapper friend's cardigan.

5. Kim can dance!

6. Teenagers have perfected the fist pump...though I'm not sure it's appropriate here.

7. Kim has the biggest smile I've ever seen.

8. Matt is a jokester.

9. Matt just said "Bieber bangs."

10. Matt watches Gossip Girl!

11. Matt did not like getting naked in NYC in February for this video.

12. That girl's mother would never have let her come to this concert if she'd known she was going to dance like that.

13. Matt is very bendy.

13. Playing the drums must give you killer arms because Kim has a gun show going on.

14. Matt and Kim like to give each other high-fives. 

15. Matt thinks Kim has a "fine-ass ass."

16. Matt and Kim have balloons with their faces on them!

17. Matt must do yoga because he keeps playing his piano in a headstand sort of position.

18. Bangover= headache from head banging

19. If they keep playing all their songs this fast, this concert's only going to last about 40 minutes.

20. "Daylight" is even catchier live.

21. Oh no, I have a crush on a married man.

22. And an even bigger crush on his wife. 

23. Somehow, magically, Kim is not sweaty after banging on the drums for 2 hours.

24. Matt gives exceptionally good hugs.

25. (after looking at the above pictures) Why didn't I squint so as not to look like a crazed stalker in these pictures with Matt & Kim?

Video didn't kill anyone.

Twosday videos-


You've probably already seen "Marcel the Shell" but it reminds me of a children's version of 30 rock, specifically of Tracy Jordan. :


MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.


Little kids covering one of my favorite songs and doing a spot-on intro. :



It's almost Wednesday! And therefore almost Matt and Kim day!

NYC baby.

I just booked a flight to NYC next month to visit Allison! And we're (hopefully) getting tickets to see Elf on Broadway! 

I'm excited, I'm excited and I don't care who knows it!

I haven't had any more shopping slip-ups and I'm feeling good about going strong the rest of the month. I'm sure we'll get to do some shopping in the Big Apple, which will be well worth the wait.

I sure hope I run into some of the cast members of Gossip Girl while I'm in the Upper East Side. Ideally, I'd run into them filming and they would be so taken with my grace and style that I would land a role on the show. 

Not that I've thought about it at all.

EEK! NYC!

XOXO,

CH

Beach decor.

The decor at my grandparent's beach house is both classic and eccentric.

Ahh, it was so nice to vacation in a room with a starfish, a boat in a bottle and a "No Smoking" sign that I can only assume was taken from a restaurant.

These are my confessions.

I have a little confession to make. This past weekend, I bought 5 things! 4 shirts and a dress.  Altogether, it was less than $50 and everything was more than 70% off. And all are teacher appropriate. With so many excuses, how can you blame me?

But I understand it’s the principle of the matter and I shopped when I said I wouldn’t. Shame on me.

What about the rest of you? Are you still going strong?

P.S. Here’s something unrelated to make you squirm. And check out these postcards.

Fall break.

Hope you have a good weekend!

I'm on fall break until Tuesday but have no plans other than the typical ones to clean, read, write and sleep. I'm most excited about the sleep. Yesterday in a stupor,  I wore my shoes on the wrong feet for 3 hours before I noticed anything different.

Chapel Hill has been on my mind a lot lately. I'm excited to go in a couple of weeks to see Matt & Kim and then again for homecoming at the end of the month. 

Also, I am thisclose to buying stuff at work tomorrow. ACLB is getting harder everyday and sometimes you just need a new shirt to make up for a bad week- am I right?

The best book.

Over the next couple of weeks, I have to write an essay defining my personal criteria for a good novel and then choose one novel that I think is the best. With such a broad topic, I'm at a loss for what novel to write about. How is it possible to pick one? That's like asking what kind of bear is best- there's no right answer!

Right now my top contenders are:

The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Life of Pi by Yann Martel
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

They all have something unique about them and makes it hard to select one as the champion. Salinger's humor over Morrison's symbolism? Martel's plot over Twain's puns?

HELP ME DECIDE. (Especially you, Abby Pratt.)

Red pants.

I knew it was going to be a spicy day when I threw on some red corduroy pants, exactly like the ones Kendi is wearing in the pic above.

First I spilled coffee on them and then I continued my slew of injuries by slamming my finger in the drop-safe at work. Last week I busted a toe open when I dropped my face wash. LIfe is dangerous, folks.

Even my 8 year old cousin thinks so. He recently had a fish that drowned. Kids actually do say the darndest things.

In regards to the shopping diet, I'm thinking of calling it All Clothes Left Behind. And is it cheating if I buy a new umbrella? Mine's not doing so well these days and there's a forecast for rain all week long.