RUBY THURSDAY!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RUBY TUESDAY!!!!!

our little girl turns 6 years old today!!!! i can't believe it! i remember her first night with us in maine. she had to sleep in kara's room with the door closed because her older sister WAS NOT HAPPY that she was there.

she is such a great cat. a great companion.

we started the birthday festivities wednesday night, because i couldn't wait any longer to give her the new treats. she LOVED them!!!

and then she woke up and had a normal breakfast on thursday morning. but not after many birthday hugs and kisses. then she took a nap immediately after breakfast.

and i was pretty impatient. i couldn't understand why she wanted to go back to sleep when there were presents to open!!!!!!

but, i waited until she woke up. and then i gave her the presents!!!!!! she got:

1. a very soft pink hanging thing with a jingle bell and fluffy thing hanging from it
2. three new catnip mice (the red one is her favorite so far)
3. catnip turtle, affectionately named Baby Buck

and of course, just like a mom - i took pictures of the whole thing!!!!!


RUBY TUESDAY'S 6TH BIRTHDAY PARTY!!!!!!



here she is with the red and pink mice. this photo is kind of a weird angle...



here she is with Baby Buck!!!! he'll be sleeping with us in the bed from now on. i decided that. that way Baby Buck can meet big Buck. and it will be the cutest sleeping arrangement ever. isn't he so cute?!?!



here is Ruby with all her new presents! that's the pink thing she got. and of course, no toy measures up to that leopard print thing, which she drags everywhere around the house.





SOOOO MUCH PLAYING!!!!! she turned into Sleepy Tuesday after the party, and had to take another nap. i almost had to take a nap myself, i was tired from all the excitement.

what a great birthday. i can't decide what to give her as her special birthday dinner. at first i had said tuna. but i don't really feel like eating tuna tonight. i guess i could open the can, give her some, and put the rest in the fridge. yes. that's what i'll do.

oh i love birthdays! they are the best day of the whole year, because without them - you wouldn't be here. YES YOU!


alright! i hope everyone is having a lovely evening!!!

i'll talk to everyone later!!!!


<3

"we're gonna ride again wooaahhh"

1. there has been a big controversy in the Crash Queen community. it deals with the lyrics in 'Come Away,' the beautiful song about winter. some of the Crash Queens thought the lyrics were,

"come away on this winter's day, we're gonna rock and rolllllll."

while others (including myself) thought it was,

"come away on this winter's day, we're gonna ride again wooaahhhh."

it was a BIG ISSUE. lots of 'tweet debating' back and forth. lots of listening to the song with headphones and the volume jacked up. LOTS of video watching, staring closely at Tony's lips. (which, is something i do on a normal day, so it wasn't that hard.)

and FINALLY, my fellow Crash Queen and great new friend Christina asked the Crash Kings themselves what the lyrics were. they responded with this tweet:

"does it sound like 'rock and roll'? No, it's ride again."

AH HA!! i knew it. BUT, after hearing the other side's strong debate for "rock and roll" i was beginning to understand where they were coming from. and although i was still pretty sure it was "ride again" there was a strong point.

and so the debate was settled. it IS, "we're gonna ride again woooaaahhhhh." and now i can sleep better.


2. in continuing with the Crash Kings news, Ryan went to a show in Austin this past monday night and got some super freaking hott videos. i have enjoyed watching these videos probably way too many times. and i find that i do not need any alcohol on Cinco de Mayo because i have these to watch. and yes, i am drunk by the daytime.

--- ALL ALONG: this song is not on their record, which is a sad thing. but, a happy thing is that Ryan got this SUPER AWESOME recording of it. and if you don't want to watch the whole thing, only watch from about 3:55 on. ESPECIALLY when the CROWD GOES FREAKING WILD at 5:40.

(kara, you should watch this video because i think you like this song because i've caught you singing it sometimes. :) )

--- YOU GOT ME: this is the song made of sex and sweat. the "wink and a nudge" song from that great article. and if for some reason you DON'T want to have a sexy day, then just watch from 3:20 on and enjoy a super great Crash Kings jam sesh. i THINK i can be objective and unbiased here and say that even if you're not a Crash Kings fan - the end of this video is an example of just really good music. around 4:33 or so, you can barely even seen Tony's fingers because they are moving so fast. man, he is just KILLING that piano! like, DESTROYING it.


oh man. i can't wait for my next Crash Kings show on MAY 22!!! aahhhh sooo long. but! there will be two in a row, cause we're also driving to nyc on the 23rd. SO, it will be a good fix.

AND THEN HOPEFULLY, i'll be seeing them in Chicago at the beginning of june. OOHHHH i hope so.

let's see. what else can i tell you about today?


3. i bought a new cutting board today from Kohl's. ever since i moved in, i had these plastic cutting boards from IKEA. they were teal, so they rocked. but, they were flimsy plastic and recently started to smell. like gross bacteria things.

so! i went out today and purchased a very nice bamboo cutting board from the Food Network collection at Kohl's. i tried to get a non-Food Network collection one, but apparently the Food Network has taken over all kitchen appliances. they had no others!

i also bought some spring kitchen towels. yes. to display in the kitchen. not for use - just to admire. i felt like my mom. but, this is a good thing because i love when she sends me kitchen towels. the ones i bought today don't really match each other. i REALLY wanted this orange and teal one, but they had none to match. so, i just bought another one that had orange and teal in it. they're both very bright, vibrant colors. and i've never been one for matching anyways.


4. i also had to go into the West Lebanon Super Huge Pet Store and Aquarium. it's called something like that. i'm not too sure. i went there on a business mission to pick up a donation for Hannah House. and i had to wait a few minutes for the manager to come out, so i started poking around in the cat aisle.

and!! i bought a super cute catnip TURTLE for Ruby Tuesday!! i've already named the turtle Baby Buck!! now we both have a Buck!!!! i am SO EXCITED about this you have no idea.

she'll get her new toy (along with two other toys i bought her last weekend. and a new bag of treats) tomorrow, because TOMORROW IS HER BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

that's right, my little Ruby Tuesday turns 6 YEARS OLD tomorrow!!!! i have been so excited about this all week! i bought her three new toys, plus a new bag of all natural treats.

(okay, so i couldn't wait any longer today because i was so excited and i had to give her some of the new treats. she loved them!!!)

but tomorrow is the real party!!! i think i might have to open a can of tuna at some point so she can have all the juice. she doesn't like eating the actual tuna, just drinking the juice. which, seems pretty gross to me.

also, maybe i'll give her her own tiny dish of pomegranate blueberry frozen yogurt. she LOVES it!!!


5. okay, so me and my new Crash Queen friend Kristen*

* FRIENDS MADE THROUGH CRASH KINGS = 5!

were just tweeting back and forth about some pretty serious stuff. she asked the question, "who is your favorite crash king?"

possibly the hardest question to be asked. harder than any math equation. or any existential matter. JASON. MIKE. TONY.

in a nutshell, i said, "when i first saw them, it was between Jason and Tony. i love drummers, but i also go crazy when Tony wears the red plaid shirt. but then whenever i see Mike in person i just want to touch his face all the time because he looks so soft. but, i guess i would say Tony, because his smile just lights up a room. and the red plaid shirt doesn't hurt either."

PHEW.

then we were all talking about our favorite lyric. so naturally, i had to listen to the whole record to decide.

i decided on:

"you're gonna light me up in a way i could never explain"

because lots of heart melting happens at that point. :) but then i said that my favorite PART of the whole record is the second verse of '14 Arms.' ooooo it's great to crank that part in the car. or anywhere, really.

ANYWAYS. this is just self-indulgent blogging that is happening right now.

anybody else think this week is going by REEAALLLLYYYY SLOW????? yes. it is. i'm right.

this afternoon i was sitting around waiting for something to happen, and i actually said (without realizing it, i promise), "i can't believe it's only wednesday."

but then! the day didn't seem so bad because i had slipped a Crash Kings lyric into my everyday speak.


hmm.

i got 'Precious' in the mail today. i'm going to watch it tonight. i think today is National Teen Pregnancy Awareness Day. or, Teen Pregnancy Prevention Day. or something like that. curious that it also happen on Cinco de Mayo?? yes. that is curious.

hmm. i guess that's all. i thought there were other things i wanted to tell you.

OH! today, i pulled into the parking lot of the sketch movie theater in my town to get a picture of the sign. the WIMPY FURR sign. and i did! but now i can't get it off my phone because of all the broken things.

BUT HOPEFULLY, i will be able to show you because it rocks. and i was so happy to have proof!!! i know you must think i am lying because something that strange and funny could never be real, right? WRONG! i have proof. it's just in my broken phone.


UM. OKAY. in tweeting with the Crash Queens some more, i have just learned that the OTHER JULIE, west coast Crash Queen Julie, has kissed Jason on the cheek multiple times. i have asked her for detailed instructions on how to make that happen.

and now i'm going to go crazy with excitement if i keep blogging. SO! i'm going to leave! and not drink any more coffee.

have a GREAT evening! have fun, be safe!!!! talk to you later :)


<3

hott things, etc.

so, amazing things were happening on The O.C. last night. NOT ONLY is there more tension between Ryan and Marissa (brought on by Johnny, obviously!), but there were some SUPER HOTT moments that i had to share with you via screencaps.

oh boy, how i love the screencap function.

the first amazing moment pretty much right at the beginning of the episode.

OKAY, we're going to play a game. the game is called, "FIND THE HOTT THING" and i'll show you a picture and you have to find the hott thing in the picture.


LET'S GO - FIRST PICTURE:::




this picture features Summer, Seth and Ryan walking down the halls of the Harbor School. is that the name? Harbor? Harborside? whatev. It's the three of them - and there's something hott jumping out......



UM, IT'S THE RED PLAID SHIRT. Seth Cohen is wearing a red plaid shirt!!!!! HOTTTTTT!! Seth is the character obsessed with bands like Ben Folds Five, Death Cab for Cutie, Rooney, Bright Eyes. i love him because he is soooo funny. like, he's kind of hilarious. and he's obsessed with going to Brown University in the fall.

sitting next to him on the couch is Summer Roberts. Seth and Summer are dating. and they are the best couple ever. AND, i think they dated in real life while the show was going on - which makes it 100 times better.

SO - FIRST AWESOME THING = red plaid shirt featured on The O.C.

WIN.


The second awesome thing came right before the show ended. there's this new character, Matt, who is vice president of The Newport Group, which is the real estate empire that Kirsten's dad built. Kirsten didn't want to become president after her father died, but her husband Sandy did. and Sandy chose a vice president in a nice little guy called Matt. he's young and maybe not so reliable, as we found out in this episode. (he went to a strip club the night before the big presentation, therefore screwing up the presentations and losing the big sale. aw man.)

ANYWAYS. i never noticed - but he is a super hottie. during the part where he apologized to Sandy for screwing up the presentation, he walks into the office wearing (get ready)..... a V-NECK SHIRT.

now, i never knew how attracted i was to guy's wearing v-neck shirts UNTIL seeing him on screen.

let's take a look.....



WHOA. i rewatched this part and my body temperature jumped like, 80 degrees. INSANE. right!?! how sexy!

let's get a bit closer....



AAAHHHHHHHH MATT!!! who knew?!? ooooo yeah. i like that a lot.


such pretty boys on The O.C. i'm very happy i started watching. sometimes it gets super annoying and frustrating because of all the drama.

and it doesn't even seem like all this drama is even needed. it's all like, mis-communication issues. just really unnecessary stuff. ah well. such is life on Newport Beach.

i predict that Julie Cooper and Neil Roberts might have a little something....?? am i right!?

ok. it's tuesday. i slept for a reaallllyyy long time last night. AND i went to bed early. like, 2am.

ok, it was more like, 2:30am. i guess that's not very early.


OH: so here's the deal with my phone....within HOURS it deteriorated A LOT. so, i went to the ATT store yesterday afternoon.

i spoke with Jeff. he was a nice guy.

JULIE: Hi. So, I've had this phone almost a year and recently I haven't been very happy with the way the touch screen works. I can't get it to respond when I touch it.
JEFF: What have you tried to do to fix it?
JULIE: I've tried recalibrating it a bunch of times, but it doesn't even do anything when I try and do that.
JEFF: Have you tried taking out the battery?
JULIE: No.
JEFF: (goes into this long speech about how taking out the battery is this great reboot type thing and how basically, taking out the battery fixes everything.)

so we tried it. took out the battery. put it back in. turned the phone on. tried the touch screen.

JEFF: Wow...okay, I see what you mean.
JULIE: It didn't work?
JEFF: No.....wow, this is really non-functional.

AND SO, ladies and gentlemen, ATT is sending me a new phone. for free. FOR FREE!!!! the same phone, which is a bummer because i didn't really like that phone to begin with, BUT HEY! now it makes the expensive price of buying the phone seem not so bad - because now i'm getting a new one for free!

i spoke with Marcel on the phone (actually, Jeff let me use his blackberry) for like 20 minutes figuring out the whole thing. he was asking me if there was water damage, etc... i had to do an inspection of the phone to make sure everything was in good condition and that it wasn't MY fault the phone was broken.

and it totally wasn't my fault.

so, i left the store happy. because i won't have to deal with the broken phone anyways.

SO HERE'S THE DEAL: until the phone comes, i can't really make any phone calls because i can't get into my contact section. IF I KNOW YOUR PHONE NUMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, i can make a phone call. but, that really only applies to my house and my work. and my mom and kara.

I CAN text message. sometimes. so, if you text me and don't get a response it may be because i can't get to the screen to make a response text.

I CAN answer phone calls. BUT, the phone has now decided when and when not to make sound, so i cannot guarantee that the phone will ring.

hopefully the new phone will be here by the weekend. and i will let everybody know.

i don't think i'll have to transfer phone numbers or anything. because it has that thing that saves everything. which my old phone didn't have, so i still don't understand how it works or what it is.

anyways!

speaking of phone calls, i JUST got a voicemail saying that there is a UPS package downstairs for me!!!! and i have no idea what it is!!!! i didn't buy anything, i promise!!

ok. hope you all are having a great day!! it's a tab blustery here and i am enjoying that.


<3!

40 minutes!

that's how long i have left of "work."

there's NOTHING GOING ON. omg. in 8 hours there have been like, MAYBE 10 phone calls. there's nobody else here, except in the daycare. IT'S SO QUIET.

i worked on the website for a while, though. well, maybe like, an hour and a half. got a lot accomplished, so that's good.

it's kind of crazy. this quiet.

ANYWAYS. just wanted to update you on my work status. i can't even tell you what i've been doing because it has been NOTHING.

i have to go drop off two bags of clothes at the Listen center this afternoon.


OK. LET'S SEE.

oh! i'm excited about this weekend because i'm going home! home on sunday for mother's day and then i'm staying until tuesday and kara and i are going to have a

CRASH KINGS ON KIMMEL PARTY!!!!!!

Kings on Kimmel. that's what we'll call it. it'll be a blog party too, don't worry. OH this will be a big event.

and i'm warning you now: as this event gets closer, there will be promotion. OHHHHH yes. non stop everybody-must-watch-them-on-kimmel promotion. nonstop.

oh, i have a sad story. it's sad, but i think you all will make it through.

i was in the grocery store yesterday - and they were OUT of the coconut coffee which i am obsessed with.

YES, i already needed to restock on the coffee because i drank the whole bag already. so i went to the coffee aisle and there was the sticker - but NO COFFEE. ohhhh i was bummed. so i had to get french vanilla instead.

AND, while i was at home i was able to get a fancy type of coffee creamer that we do not have up in these parts. CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY!!!! so mix that with the coconut coffee and you have:

Chocolate Coconut Raspberry Coffee.

oooooooyyuumm. sooo good. i love mixing flavors! i should become a person who mixes flavors. are those real people? like, ANY company in the world would call me and be like,

BIG COMPANY: Hi Julie, we're coming out with a new flavor of ice cream and wanted to hear your suggestions.
JULIE: Mocha ice cream with raspberry swirl and chocolate chips.
BIG COMPANY: It's perfect!! Your check is in the mail!!

so great!!


just watched the Crash Kings '#1 and drivin'' video on youtube. oh, that video is a great piece of film. 23 glorious seconds that will not waste your time. that's a blog promise. it's just the video that tony took while they were driving in ol' blue after they found out Mountain Man was number 1. hence the title of the video, '#1 and drivin'.'

oh, i was just going to tell you something and then was immediately distracted and now i forgot. i even opened up a new tab, and i can't figure out why. hmmm.

recently, as in today, i have become twitter friends with WEST COAST CRASH QUEEN JULIE!!! she's like a total celeb in the Crash Kings world. and i'm really excited. and i don't know if you noticed, but we have the same name. therefore we are both really awesome.

OH I KNOW what i was going to tell you!!!!

i was going to tell you that after all my complaining and stressing about the weather - it's not actually that hott after all. and i opening the new tab to go online and check the weather! so i'll go do that now. hold on.

ok, sorry. i got distracted again. it's the twitter!!! and all my new great friends. ok. back on track.

it's currently 73 degrees here. NOT BAD. not bad at all. i'll take it. in fact, i'll take a whole summer of that. and 0% humidity too, please.

alright. it's 4:03pm.

i'm very excited right now. in tweet talking with all these wonderful people who also love Crash Kings and get just as excited as i do about them.

but now i guess i'll go home. up the two flights of stairs.

ok, i'll talk to you later. i might take a nap. i haven't decided. because i'm thinking about maybe not going to the post office and getting the next O.C. disc. because if it's in my house, i'll have to watch it tonight. and that means not sleeping.

hmm. maybe i'll just go drop those clothes off.

ok!! hope you have a great evening. :)


<3

flowers in her hair

no, i'm not wearing a flower in my hair today. but, i should be. why didn't i think of that this morning?! aw man. that would have completed my outfit nicely. i don't mean completed, i mean complimented. actually, i mean both.

so, let's see. i have a list of things that i want to talk about. i think it's gonna be good.

shall we get right into it?! we shall??? GREAT!


::: i'm at work right now. let's define work:

JULIE AT WORK: sitting in the staff office. ate a bowl of chocolate cheerios. drinking coffee. playing on laptop.

yeah. i came down last night and did two full hours of cleaning. nice, right?! i cleaned the inside of the fridge and the freezer in the staff office. GROSS. but, the cool air felt very nice since it was about 90 degrees in my apartment. i ended up taking ALL the shelving out of the fridge. like, even the part that holds in the drawers. and i hardcore washed it all in the sink.

then i did a load of laundry.

then i dusted all the furniture in all 6 bedrooms, including the woodwork around the windows. that was hard, because the windows are tall. and even standing on a chair i could barely reach.

then i cleaned the inside of the microwave in the kitchen.

then i did some vacuuming.

and that was it! great.

i knew that i wouldn't want to do all that cleaning so early in the morning. and i was right. especially because i only got three hours of sleep last night.


::: yikes! only three hours of sleep! yes. eh, it's okay. i work from 8-4. then i have to make a run to the post office. and possibly out to buy a window fan for my living room. i have one in my bedroom and last night that was where i ate supper and brought my laptop in to watch The O.C. it was hottt.

so, after i finish those few errands, i might take a nap. that sounds nice. ALTHOUGH, what i really should do is try and stick it out the whole day, so i can go to bed early tonight, so that i can get up for staff meeting tomorrow at 12:30pm.

and now it's time for a reality check:

dear julie,

i noticed that above you mentioned the phrase "go to bed early" when talking about yourself. really? REALLY??

love, julie

yeah, okay. so i never go to bed early. here's what will happen, despite my plan.

- i'll take a super long afternoon nap and then won't be tired to go to bed until around 5am.
- i'll sleep until noontime and then be tired all through staff meeting.

i'm so predictable!

but my "shortened version" of my horoscope made me happy. it reads,

WHEN YOU FIND YOUR DREAM, YOU WILL WANT TO HELP LOTS OF PEOPLE FIND THEIRS.

sure. why not?!


::: i was up late last night talking to my new friend Christina. we are Crash Queens and therefore "practically sisters." we were tweeting back and forth like it was instant messaging or something. it was fun. and made me really happy that i have a new friend.

::: ALSO, remember Jo who Ryan and i talked to outside The Paradise for a while? (she was also the girl who let me and kara borrow her Sharpie at Great Scott.) well it looks like she'll be coming with me and Ryan to NYC!!!! the day after Earth Fest! SO FUN, right!?

::: NEW FRIENDS THAT I HAVE MADE THROUGH CRASH KINGS = 3.


and now for an update on the ongoing saga of the sign letters for the sketchy movie theater in my town,

::: in past weeks in the list of the movies on the sign it has said, WIMPY FUNERAL on the same line to advertise the movies, 'diary of a wimpy kid' and 'death at a funeral.' these two words seem unfortunate together. it's like, "aw, really? you had to put those two words together on the same line?"

i mean, OKAY, so they can't afford to buy a new set of letters so they can spell out the whole film title. but then they have to go and put 'wimpy' next to 'funeral.' i'm not sold, but i'll take it.

SO YESTERDAY, i was driving by, expecting to giggle at the Wimpy Funeral, as i have done every other time.*

*similar to driving past The Chateau family italian restaurant on I-93 in Andover, Massachusetts. makes me giggle every time. a never-fail smile-starter.

and i looked up to the sign and saw this:

WIMPY FURR

um, what? FURR??? that's how people are supposed to know you are showing Death at a Funeral? really? REALLY LEBANON CINEMA?!?! oh come on. let's look at that again:

WIMPY FURR

and at the very bottom of the long list of things that just don't make sense is this: last time i checked, the word FUNERAL only had one R. it's not even like it was, FUNR. two R's just don't make sense at all!

but as soon as i saw that sign, AS SOON as i realized what was going on with those words i thought,

JULIE: Oh man I can't wait to tell my blog friends about this!!!

i'm not making this stuff up! it just happens to be great blog material, in my opinion.

FURR. it's just crazy. if i had unlimited money supply i would totally buy them some new sets of letters. heck, not even unlimited. if i had MORE money, i would do it.

ah, but like i said, it's great blog material. :)


SO. it's 10am. the house inspection people from the state will be coming anytime now.

it's also very cloudy. i actually had to turn on the light.

and that means i have 6 hours left of work. i'm going to do some website design once i get a little more awake.


::: ooooo episode of The O.C. last night!! so juicy. this gang of hardcore surfers REALLY REALLY wanted to fight Ryan. the whole episode was this huge, 'should i fight them, should i not fight them?' it was crazy. BUT, in the end, he decided to "use his head instead of his fists" and did not end up fighting the surfer gang. life lesson! don't fight the surfers. it was beautiful, really.


::: when i was packing for work last night and this morning i realized i was kind of packing for the end of the world. for my 8 hour shift at work i brought:
- my laptop
- 2 magazines
- a book
- mug of coffee
- box of cheez-its
- box of cheerios
- soy milk

WHY? why did i bring the whole container of soy milk to work with me?!?! i don't know. it's crazymaking. i felt like i was preparing to go into a bomb shelter. nope. just two flights down to sit in a room all day.


::: so, i'm staring at this children's book right now called, 'On the Night You Were Born.' i cataloged this book last week. we have a total of 8 copies. and the cover is this seemingly suggestive picture of two polar bears doing some kind of dance move. i'm not too sure about that picture, folks. what do you think?


::: i'm also cold right now. i put on my cardigan that i brought with me. oh yeah, i also brought a cardigan with me to work. and i have the ceiling fan on. and i'm cold, but i don't want to shut it off because then later tonight when i'm hott and sweaty i'll wish i was cold.


::: OH. i know what else i possibly need to do today. but probably not today, but sometime soon. GET MY STUPID PHONE FIXED. now, i don't like using the word 'stupid.' but this phone is an exception. ugh it makes me so frustrated. the touch screen has totally gone to crap. last night i couldn't set my alarm because touching the screen was doing nothing. i tried shutting off the phone. sliding it up and down. CALIBRATING IT. i can't tell you how many times i've calibrated it this week. MANY TIMES. and sometimes that doesn't even work because it's like, "touch the dot on the screen as it moves" and i touch the dot, but it doesn't recognize it.

UGH. i am not a fan of that phone. it worked great at first. and it's just about a year old. Samsung Impression is what it is. would i recommend it? no. no i would not. it makes me very untrustworthy of touch screen phones.

and kara has the same phone as me and she was just able to get a brand new one because her screen was all messed up. her's was really weird, though. like, it would change colors and distort the picture. and to me, this is a testament about how the phone is great at first, but them goes to crap after a year.

and the phone insurance runs out in june. so, i'm going to try and get it replaced before then.

SO - because i couldn't set my phone alarm*

*which is unreliable anyways because the other day i woke up two hours after the alarm was supposed to go off. and i checked the phone. the alarm WAS going off, but there was no sound. THE ALARM PROBLEM has been a constant.

i had to set my ipod alarm clock, which meant that i was not able to listen to any lullabies while i slept. which wasn't so bad, because i had my window fan going anyways and i wouldn't have really been able to hear the lullabies anyways. BUT STILL.

dear samsung impression people,

your crap phone has caused me to be unable to listen to my nighttime lullabies due to the constant problem with the alarm. and now the touch screen. think about THAT!

love, julie

but, a note regarding the lullabies: i enjoyed listening to the 'Resistance' by Muse version during the day. but at nighttime, while i'm laying in my dark room - it's kind of scary.

AND ALSO, i wanted to clear something up. i mentioned that the two new lullabies i bought were from the 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star' lullaby collection. now i know what you must be thinking,

YOU: But Julie, I thought you bought the 'Rockabye Baby!' collection.

and YES. i do. i have bought from both collections and love them all. the Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star seems to have more up-to-date rock songs turned into lullabies. so that's why i think they will be the ones to release Crash Kings.


so, it's 11:10am right now. i think i'm getting more tired as the day goes on. it's pretty quiet here today.

once the afternoon gets here usually the time passes more quickly.

the last time i worked a shift in the house we had a newborn baby here! and it was the week after the Crash Kings Roadtrip Weekend. and i got to keep the newborn baby overnight. and he was so tiny and sweet!

apparently the house inspection people need vaccination papers for Ruby Tuesday. this bums me out. yes, she's vaccinated. but i just wish that my personal life and my work life didn't overlap this much. ya know? there's just no privacy.

okay. i think i'm going to eat some Cheez-its and work on the website now. it's coming out awesome! i love it. i just love looking at it and thinking, "yep. i picked all this out." i can't wait to show it to you once it's all done.

alright. i hope you are having a great monday and are more rested than i am.

also, last night while reading that awesome article about Crash Kings, in the section when he was talking about 'Non-Believer' he posted some lyrics and said that they are "probably the most poetic lyrics on the record." and yes, i've heard these lyrics a million times. but, seeing them in written form was a new experience and it was like i was seeing them for the first time. and i was taken aback by how beautiful they are....


“Always letting go could bring you closer
Leaving doesn’t mean that this is over
Don’t forget about the things that make you feel free”


<3

"a wink and a nudge"

I PROMISE that this will be quick because it's 3:17am and i have to be awake in FOUR HOURS to go to work. and i'm not even really close to going to sleep. well, i guess i am. i just have to write this real quick.

SO, there is this awesome guy who writes this great blog about music. and he wrote a blog about CRASH KINGS. and there is another person in this world who loves blogging about Crash Kings and that person is me.

i was very excited to read this article. FIRST, Crash Kings themselves sent out the link in a tweet, but i didn't click on it. and then two days passed and i forgot about it. but then i went to the Crash Queen's facebook page and they had posted a link, so i read it.

OH MAN. best Crash Kings article ever.

this guy - this blogger - IS AWESOME. not only is he awesome because he now loves Crash Kings, but he seems like he knows a LOT about music.

ALSO - he posted ONE OF MY videos in his article! a video i took from the show in Clifton Park, NY!!! of Carry On! i was super excited to see that there.

(that link will take you to the article.)

he goes through every song on the record and describes how awesome it is. AND, does a breakdown of what he thinks the lyrics means - which is really awesome and funny.

(let's see how many more times i can use the word 'awesome' in this post.)

and not only is he awesome and funny, but he's RIGHT. there were many times in the article where i was like, "YEAHH!!!!!!"

like when he was talking about Mountain Man and he said,

"...even after you’ve heard the chorus for the 5th time it still doesn’t seem like they’re beating you over the head with it. Not my favorite by far, but I’m also not tired of it."

i was like, "YEAH! Mountain Man isn't my fave, but every time it comes on - i'm still really excited!!!!"

brillz.

BUT THE BEST, was when he was talking about 'You Got Me,' which, if you haven't picked up on - IS A SUPER SEXY SWEATY DIRTY SONG. that i love.

this is what he says about 'You Got Me,'

"There’s a sexy, dirty, funky vibe in this one, and coincidentally the lyrics follow suit. Great bass riff to go along with nicely accented drums (and some more furious tambourine). It’s Mary vs. Jenny in this one, and the oft-repeated phrase is “I think you got me where you want me, woman!” He intimates some dirty deeds (”Jenny… she does it for me, she’s going down, going down, going down tonight”) and it seems like there’s a wink and a nudge and we all know what’s going on."

A WINK AND A NUDGE?!?!?! i read that line. i laughed. i read it again. giggled. then i said aloud, "um, could there be a more perfect way to describe that song!!!?" and the answer is no. it's totally a 'wink and a nudge' song. OOHHHHH I LOVE IT.

because we allll know what's going on. OH. love it. and sooo sexy. and...dirtyandnasty.

today it was super hott outside and it was just horrible. and i was driving and You Got Me came on my mix and i said, (aloud, again)

JULIE: Ooooo what a hott sweaty song for a hott sweaty day.

AGAIN: listening to that song and watching Mike sweat is maybe the best thing ever.

also, i talk to myself a lot. aloud. is it ALOUD or OUT LOUD? i don't know. i will google.


ok, so in my googling of ALOUD and OUT LOUD, i can't quite come to a decision. i think it's because i am a bit too sleepy. here's what i think i have learned:

- they are not interchangeable like say, 'whilst' and 'while.'
- i'm not sure if i used 'aloud' the right way.

that's what i learned. i guess it would have made a difference in Twilight when he says,

ROBERT: Say it. OUT LOUD.

wait, robert is his real name. what's the twilight guy's name? oh!

EDWARD: Say it. OUT LOUD.

or,

EDWARD: Say it. ALOUD.

out loud definitely works better there.

ANYWAYS. i don't care about this right now.

THE POINT IS: go read that fine piece of blogging. and! watch my video that he posted in the article! i'm excited about that.

ok. 3:42am. have to be up at 7:30am. uugghhh. and i know i'll just be sitting around all day at work. that makes it even harder.

alright, have a great monday. the week is full of possibility!!!! love it.


<3

something pretty!

so, here's what i'm thinking. i'm thinking right now that i haven't done a really good blog post in a while. have i? i don't know. i feel like we haven't talked in a while.

have i been busy? why, yes. i kind of have been, actually.

no, i guess we have talked. because i told you about how i had to sweep the pipes on the sprinkler system.

ok. i suppose we should just get right into a post. let's go:


1. FIRST OF ALL: i would like to tell you something awesome. we have a new blog friend. yes. we do. i got the most wonderful email tonight telling me that i had a new blog comment. now, i always get excited for these emails, because they are great. and it means people have been reading this blog.

NOW, this comment was extra special because it was from someone i don't know. and those are some of the best comments because i love making new friends.

i read the comment and it started with, "I love your blog!!!" OMG. i was in the middle of a call with Kerianne and Aliya and i interrupted everything and said,

JULIE: OMG I JUST GOT THE BEST BLOG COMMENT!!!!!!!

it was great. from our new friend, Renata. HI!!!! oh, i'm so happy that we have new friends.

and now i shall address the comment:


Dear Renata!

Oh, I'm so happy to have you here in the blog family!! You asked who sings the song with the lyric that goes, "I'd like to say hello and welcome you good day that is my name." That song, is called, 'Good Day,' and it is sung by Tally Hall. Now, I will do what I do best, and POST A LINK TO THE SONG, so you can listen to it. Enjoy! Tally Hall is a great band.

Also in your comment, you mentioned that you watched The O.C. This makes us friends immediately. I have just started Disc 2 of Season 3 of the show. LOVE IT. I'm worried that Taylor Townsend will try and steal Seth from Summer. I can't believe that Seth would go for it, but hey, it's The O.C. Also, I worry about Kirsten and Julie becoming friends with that creepy lady Charlotte. But, I think that Julie is smarter than Charlotte and more evil, in a good way, if that makes sense. So, ultimately, I think that everyone will be okay.

And that's where I am on The O.C. Okay! Well, again, thanks for stopping by - the blog door is always open :) Your comment made me really, super happy. Hope you are having a great day wherever you are reading from!

Love,
Julie


Wow! what a great time we just had. i hope that Renata reading my blog wasn't just a one-time thing and that she's reading right now. because i just wrote that letter.

isn't it awesome to get your own section of blog? i think it must be.

and this first section is a great segue into our next section.


2. Now, normally, i wouldn't talk about my efforts to find a new job in my blog. that's something that people don't normally talk about online. BUT, i'm breaking the mold here. i'm gonna do it. because i am applying for a new job. and i've been working very closely and very hard with my close friends to perfect everything about this application. and i want to tell you about it.

i am applying to become the Head Blogger for this new website started by Alicia Keys. that link will take you to the main website.

THIS LINK will take you to the job description, which if you read, you will find that i am perfect for.

this perfection works both ways:

1. i am perfect for this job
and
2. this job is perfect for me

it's what they call a 'win win' situation.

here is the GOAL of the website, as taken from the job description page:

The goal of IAAS.com (I Am A Super Woman) is to create an online community connecting, inspiring, and broadcasting important topics related to women. You will be the main voice of the website aiming to motivate and encourage women all over the globe! This is an opportunity to turn your creative writing, blogging, and social media skills into a promising career within the Arts & Entertainment industry.

UM, I KNOW. sounds amazing and awesome, right?? i'm perfect.

it's like the point of the blog is to do what i do in my job already. PLUS, i have this blog. so, i'm good with the empowering women, and i'm good with the blogging.

AND!!! Aliya, Kerianne and i were in the middle of a marathon help-julie-write-her-cover-letter sesh WHEN I GOT THE AWESOME BLOG COMMENT!!!!!!!! that begin with, "I love your blog!!!!"

it just made everything so awesome. because we were talking about my connection with my readers and how people relate to what i have to say.

i think i'm pretty easy to connect to. i think i'm pretty likable. i think people relate to what i have to say.

i don't know if you know this: but i consider us friends. even if i have no idea who you are. you SOMEHOW found this blog and have stayed long enough to read this far. or, maybe not. maybe you stumbled upon this blog and then said, "nope, i don't want to read that."

BUT, you found the blog. and maybe that means we have something in common. and so, in some small way, we're connected on that level. this is a pretty personal blog. i hide nothing. i can't lie. if you're an avid reader, you know this. i can't lie in the blog. but, it's okay, because we're all friends here. it's a great space. i love it here. it's like coming home.

maybe you are reading this blog right now, and then tomorrow i will pass you on the street. or bump into you in the grocery store. and we won't even know it. but then tomorrow night we'll both come back here and be blog friends.

ANYWAYS. i'm getting beside the point. THE POINT IS: i'm applying for that awesome job. i'm super excited about it. and i'd love all your support. <3 href="http://www.gotryiton.com/">GO TRY IT ON. it's like an online dressing room! you upload a picture of yourself wearing something, and then people will tell you what they think.

AT FIRST, i was like, "what?!! this sounds terrible." but then i started reading the comments. and everyone was really supportive and great. and it was like, no worries about how you look in your clothes, people would be honest with you. and i think that's great.


4. also: Crash Kings went on kind of a tweeting spree tonight talking about some contest they are trying to think up where the winners of the contest will HELP THEIR CREW drive Ol' Blue from San Fransisco to Boston over the course of four days.

basically, you will work for them for free.

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY: um, when did these guys become super famous and just get to fly to Boston while their crew and some dedicated fans drive the van cross country?!?!!

i think it's hilarious!!! "oh yeah, we're the Crash Kings and we're just going to fly to our gigs now." yep. "while our crew drives from coast to coast." crazy.

now, it might seem like i'm gearing up to say something like, "yeah right, like i would EVER drive cross country in a blue van with a bunch of Crash Kings roadies. if Crash Kings want their stuff driven from California to Boston, they should do it themselves."

yes. you may think i would say that. but no, instead i will say this:

DEAR CRASH KINGS,

PLEEEEEEEAAAASEEEEE PICK ME!!!!!!! I'll drive the van!!! I'll drive that van all night long!!!! I promise to get all your stuff SAFELY AND WITHOUT DAMAGE to Boston!!!!!! Four days?!?! HA! I'll do it in three!!!! I'll save you money!!! AND - I'll do ya one more: I'll blog and photo document the entire journey and it will be GREAT press!!!!

Love,
Julie

REALLY, what they should do, is pick me and Ryan. i mean, we're SO GOOD at driving to and from Crash Kings shows. we're like, pros. we're so good at driving to and from Crash Kings shows - we could do it in our sleep. BUT WE WOULDN'T, because we'd get Ol' Blue safely from CA to MA. that van would arrive in Massachusetts IN BETTER CONDITION than when we left.

OOHHHHHHHH they should pick us. and then we'll become best friends with the crew. so weird. it's so weird they have a crew.

I'LL BE THE LATE NIGHT DRIVER!!! most people can't stay up and drive all night - BUT I CAN!!!! no prob!

Dear Crash Kings,

Did I ever tell you about the time I woke up at 9:30am in Albany. Drove to NJ for a Crash Kings show that night. Show ended and we left NJ around midnight. And I drove from New Jersey to Maine. Stopping only for gas, food, and to drop Ryan off in Boston. Did I ever tell you about that time?? I arrived in Maine around 7am. Could I sleep? No. I still could not sleep because I was too excited STILL from the show. That's why you should pick me.

Love,
Julie

excitement is a powerful drug. who needs caffeine when there are such things as Crash Kings shows?

ANYWAYS. that would be super fun. like, amazing and awesome. to sit in a van for four days. yep.

folks, i love this band.


ok. moving on.


4. i think we're at #4. um, let's talk about how it's super hott. like, the weather. remember how the other day when it was snowing?? yeah. and then tonight it rained because it was so humid.

WHAT IS THE DEAL?!?!? i'm turning my heat up and down like it's going out of style. last night i opened my bedroom window because it was too hott. the night before it was freezing in there. it's crazy. this weather is crazy. and scary. does anyone else find it scary? i think they need to re-release the Al Gore movie. about global warming. i'd see it again.


5. i saw The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. which is now famously known as, "the movie Heath Ledger was making when he died." i thought it was pretty good. Netflix said that i would rate it 4 stars. but, i rated it 3. i thought the beginning was a tad toooo long. it kind of took a long time to get where it was going, but once it got there, i really liked it.

i LOVED Tom Waits. he played The Devil. and he wore a top hat. and he followed The Imaginarium everywhere and would pop up randomly in scenes. it was great. and he was a likable Devil, which i really liked. it made him even more Evil.

(like, a 'good evil,' which is what i was saying about the character Julie on The O.C.)

i think it was strangely perfect how everything worked out with Heath, Jude, Johnny and Colin. like, the story still flowed. it was like it was supposed to be that way. which was sad and creepy.

um, and the guy who played Anton? hottie! who was that guy!?! can he be in every movie, please? playing that sweet character. aww.

one thing i didn't get was the setting and time period. it felt like it was taking place in like, the 1800's. but, it wasn't. they all had cell phones and talked in modern language. that felt strange.

it was sad though. Tony died in the end. that was Heath's character. i guess i just spoiled the ending. hm. sorry. well, he wasn't a very nice person. and you kind of knew that right from the beginning. something was up with him.

it was also funny that HEATH played a guy named TONY, because on the alternative radio station up here they are always advertising the Heath and Tony show in the afternoons.

the other day they sent a Twitter that was like, "tune in this afternoon to Heath and Tony for the new JET single!" and i was like, "hey! JET!"

but, back to the movie.

i didn't cry until after it was over. at the end it said, "A Film by Heath Ledger and Friends" or something like that. and that just made me sad. and then they had this special feature that was a wardrobe test that he had done. and oh, he's so pretty. and the director, Terry Gilliam did this DVD introduction that was sad too. saying like, "i worked so hard to come up with this new, original script that wasn't based on anything, and it was so exciting to get started with filming, and then the unthinkable happened when we lost Heath."

MAN. it was sad. is anyone else still really sad that he died, or is it just me still??

anyways. it was a good movie. and also very strange how much they made Jude, Colin and Johnny look like Heath. YEAH. that was weird. like, you knew that it wasn't Heath, but all four of them looked soooooo much alike.

also it was sad just knowing that when Heath was onscreen, he was still alive. and when they replaced him with say, Johnny Depp, it was after he had died. but, his character was still there.

it was weird. i guess i'm making it weirder than it should be. i was just thinking of these things while i was watching it.

eh, it's sad.

anyways. maybe i'm just really hott. it's like the air is so stale and gross. and you sweat even when you're not moving. i might have to put the window fan in tonight.

Roobs is sleeping on my green chair. on her back. she just stretched out and i could see her little feet peeking out. OMG she is so cute all the time.

this afternoon i was sitting at my desk on the computer and she jumped up on the desk and sat right next to the laptop and started doing the paw thing. and so i just had to cuddle with her for a minute. that's what she wanted.

(also, 'My Love' by Crash Kings is featured in that video. so really, you can't go wrong.)

OH, i love Ruby Tuesday so much. i don't know what i did without her. i must have been SOOO lonely living here! with no one to talk to.

but then again, there was nobody waking me up at 8:30 every morning with her paw in my face.

now, 8:30 might not seem that early to you. but it is to me. i didn't go to bed until 5am this morning. saturday morning. i don't know why. i was tired, but i just wasn't ready to go to bed. and then finally i had to force myself. and i fell asleep instantly.

BUT THEN, i woke up at 8am because the phone rang!!!!

and it was my WORST FEAR. a double ring. that meant it was coming from inside the house. and it's scary - because i'm the only person in this house at night time now that we have no residents.

and i slowly got out of bed. walked over to the phone. thought,

JULIE: It's coming from inside the house. Meaning, there is something else in here with me.

and then i saw that the light was lit up for the 'RESIDENTIAL STAFF OFFICE' button. which meant that the call was being made from the staff office.

so i answered the call and it was Sue! she had to come into work because there were volunteers coming in today. and she's the volunteer coordinator.

but, i was scared for one minute.

BUT THEN, the volunteers were super loud. and i had a really hard time sleeping while they were here. i honestly have no idea what they were doing. (well, yes i do, they were painting the second floor.) but at one point i thought i heard a chainsaw. and a hammer.

and it was like they were RIGHT in my room with me. i could hear all their conversations on the second floor. like they were YELLING.

THIS is also a downside of living in a business.

and then the guy down the street with the super loud motorcycle decided to go for a nice long drive around the neighborhood a million times. and even when he leaves the neighborhood you can still hear him for like, 5 miles because his motorcycle is so loud.

i swear, it can't be any quieter than Kara's car the night we got pulled over TWICE in the same night because of her muffler. i CAN'T be quieter than that. and i don't know why he's not getting pulled over. normal motorcycles are NOT THIS LOUD.


anyways. i'm feeling like i'm just kind of talking about a lot of stuff right now. and maybe it's because of the heat. but i think i should end this before it gets too crazy.

i downloaded two new lullaby songs yesterday to add to the lullaby mix that i may or may not listen to when i sleep at night.

- 'Resistance' originally by the band Muse
and
- 'Use Somebody' originally by the band Kings of Leon

both songs are really good. especially the Muse one. i'm just waiting for the Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star record of Crash Kings songs. i think that most of their songs would be very beautiful in lullaby version.


OKAY, i'm going to end of the BEST POSSIBLE NOTE EVER:::

it's in regards to the Rooney summer tour. which i have mentioned in this blog before. how excited i am about the tour.

and earlier this week they announced who they will be touring with. and at one point, they are doing a co-headlining tour. with who? you ask....


Rooney will be touring Summer 2010 with.......... HANSON.

HANSON!!!! AND ROONEY!!!!!!! i think about these two bands together and i have to remember to keep breathing. who can think about things like breathing with Rooney and Hanson are together?!?!!?!

ALSO: i feel like we're one step closer to making The Bro Tour 2011 a REALITY!!!!!

member The Bro Tour?? that i keep talking about nonstop because it will be so awesome? YEAH.

JONAS BROTHERS
HANSON
CRASH KINGS
KINGS OF LEON
JET
featuring special guests
ROBERT and JASON SCHWARTZMAN

and who is Robert Schwartzman, you ask? the lead singer of ROONEY!!!!!

(Rooney is not appearing on the Bro Tour because there are no sets of brothers in that band.)

IT'S TOTALLY POSSIBLE:

ROONEY has already played with: Crash Kings, Jonas Brothers and Kings of Leon
and will play with : Hanson
CRASH KINGS have played with: JET

all of these bands are best friends with each other, which is why it could work. i should copyright this idea so that no one can steal it.

i don't know why some people think that starting a family band is lame. because obviously it is the best thing ever. so many great family bands!!!!! so many proud parents.

aaannnnnddddd i said i would end this a while ago, and then here i go, making it even more super long. and talking about The Bro Tour 2011.

alright. it's currently 3:45am. sunday morning.

plan for today includes: work around the house. cleaning and getting the house ready for the state inspection on monday. funfunfun.

ok. sleep well. have lovely days. drive safe. be well. !!!!!!



<3, julie