* Chicago by Sufjan Stevens

S'up?

***
Season Finale of Grey's Anatomy? So annoying. Why am I watching this show. Izzy continues to annoy me and Meridith? Why does she keep rephrasing what other people say?

***
The cicadas are coming! The cicadas are coming! There are many species of cicadas but we here in Chicago are getting ready for the invasion of the Brood XIII variety. I remember the last time the cicadas invaded this area. I went to Ravinia with some friends to lay out on the grass for a picnic. Harry Connick Jr had just come out with a new album and was headlining a jazz showcase. We get to the grassy area and it's covered in cicadas. We literally had to sweep them away to lay the blanket out. No wonder the tickets were so cheap. We talked about the next invasion of cicadas and how we would be *gasp* in our 30's!

***
I'm obsessed with airline miles. Reasonable Mint knows that if she's prudent she'll have enough miles in October to exchange for 2 round trip tickets to India. Not-so-reasonable (NSR) Mint wants to blow it all for 4 tickets to Tahiti and a ocean-view bungalow. *sigh* I already know who'll win.

***
D and I had our annual no-holds barred argument this past weekend. I personally believe arguments like this are needed every so often in a marriage. Our arguments are always along the same theme; Him: "I'm not a mind reader" Me: "I don't feel appreciated". It sounds lame now but man, did we let some emotions fly on Saturday. Unfortunately we wasted our date night on the fighting and by the time we reached a compromise it was just about time to pick up the kids from my parent's house.

***
Saw Shrek the Third this weekend. It was cute. Definitely better than most of the kid's crap out there.

***
Finally, currently on the iPOD:

The Girl's Picks
Dr Worm - TMBG
Baby Beluga - Raffi
Bouncing Around the Room - Phish

The Boy's Picks
Welcome to the Jungle - GNR
El Matador - Dos Fabulosos Cadillacs
Punkrocker - The Teddy Bears featuring Iggy Pop

D's Picks
Punkrocker - The Teddy Bears featuring Iggy Pop
9 Crimes - Damien Rice
Satisfaction - DeVo

My Picks
Ramalama (Bang Bang) - Roisin Murphy
Chicago - Sufjan Stevens
Til the End of Time - Devotchka

Anyone interested in organizing a CD exchange?

*Couting Crows

If I had a dollar for every half-a$$ post that I started I'd be a very rich woman.

Between travelling for work and the kids extracurricular activities I can barely see straight. I've been unwinding by staying up late and watching movies on cable. My parents and older sister went to see the Namesake this past weekend which they loved. The other night I saw an odd but great one; Lovers of the Artic Circle is a quirky love story from Spain which is one of the best it's-1am-and-I-can't-sleep movies. Tonight however I'm lucky enough to be watching one of my all-time faves; Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. This movie is pure brilliance to me. Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?

One of my best friends is going through a break-up (sort of). I say sort of because she's willing to bend for him and hey, that's totally her prerogative. It's easy for me to judge from the comforts of my suburban existence. It's easy for me to spout the cliches about "more fish in the sea" and "that which doesn't kill you blah blah blah." I'm lucky that time has healed the scars of my heartache. If I could invent a bandage that would speed up the process of healing, I'd give it out for free. I would give it to the 16 year old who thinks that the unrequited love of a classmate is the end of life as she knows it. I would give it to the 20 year old college student who pines for the girl in his English class to the point of despair. I wouldn't charge a penny for my magical bandage.

Hmmm...there's a reality show on called "Jon and Kate Plus 8". It's about a married couple that had 5 year old twins and decided they wanted one more. They take fertility drugs and boom!..she's pregnant with sextuplets. This is the 2nd time I've seen this how and I'm amazed that the woman makes no qualms about having to be a bitch. She's constantly belittling her husband who looks like a broken shell. The kids look happy enough...the parents look haggard. Can you imagine 8 kids under the age of 8?? I can barely find matching socks as it is with 2.

Anyway back to my magical bandage. It wouldn't remove all the pain, only decrease the time the pain lingers. I think you need that pain of a break-up as a reminder you're alive. However I could tweak it so it prevents you from doing dumb things like sending that e-mail where you beg for him/her back or that drunk-dialing phone call where you break down and cry *shudder*. My bandage would help heal your mind so that every single song, sight and smell no longer reminds you of them.

Anyway I wish I had that bandage now to help my friend.