Sunday, March 29, 2009

Happiness is...

1. Talking to Per, Sofia and Rickard on Skype this morning.
2. Hearing Rickard play his cello.
3. Having my entire week planned out for work.
4. Finding out Gap sells the exact same sandals they did last summer.
5. Eating thin mints. Seriously, thank God for Girl Scout cookies.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

In the words of Marcus...

"I was having a shit time at home and a shit time at school."

Life does not seem to be doing what I want it to right now. If there's one thing you should know about me it's that I've always wanted things to turn out the way I think they should. Case in point: when my mom was pregnant, I was so sure I'd have a sister that when my brother was born I announced that this was the wrong baby; I had a sister. I didn't have a problem with the fact that I had a brother, I was more frustrated that life wasn't cooperating. Not much has changed. I still get frustrated. Why does life need to be so uncooperative? I feel like I have no escape from this either. I don't like school much right now, I don't like being home alone right now, and I don't like being with people right now mainly because I feel like an awkward jerk no matter where I am.

This morning seemed to be a little better though. After a month of feeling like someone was about to hit me with their SUV (sometimes I'd look up expecting to see the headlights), the sun was out for the first time in a week and it felt warmer. I made myself a mix of self pity music. I share it with you today because I like it, also because I'd like your opinion on one of the songs ("Let's Go Bowling") that I've been obsessed with since last summer but haven't sat down to think about what it actually means. Do the work for me, please.

1. "Simple As It Should Be"- Tristan Prettyman (I don't know who the people are in the video)
2. "Car Crash"- Cloud Cult
3. "Walking By"- Something Corporate
4. "Let's Go Bowling"- Camera Obscura (This video kind of sucks, but this is the song)
5. "Lazy Eye"- Silversun Pickups
6. "Whistle For The Choir"- The Fratellis (I fell in love instantly with this song)
7. "Anecdote"- Ambulance Ltd.
8. "Books Written For Girls"- Camera Obscura (I have a slight obsession with this song too)
9. "Viva La Vida"- Coldplay (Yeah, yeah, I know I'll get crap for this. I think this is what the Les Miserables should sound like)
10. "Freakish"- Saves The Day (I think this video ruins the song)
11. "Sad Eyes"- Josh Rouse (I couldn't find a better clip-it's an adorable song though)
12. "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight"- The Postal Service (I find it difficult to listen to this song during the day)
13. "Pretty Voice"- Cloud Cult
14. "No Other Way"- Jack Johnson
15. "So Here We Are"- Bloc Party
16. "Fake Plastic Trees"- Radiohead
17. "The Best Offence"- Pony Up! (I couldn't find a video for this)
18. "Fade Into You"- Mazzy Star
19. "You Were Right"- Badly Drawn Boy

Now, what do you think "Let's Go Bowling" is about?

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Maggie "Still Prefers Minneapolis" Q. on Yelp!

In another desperate and shallow attempt to try new technology and forms of communication, or more realistically, to make myself feel important enough that other people would want to listen to the crap that voluntarily, or involuntarily, comes out of my mouth, I have joined Yelp!.

My mom is probably wondering why I've joined a website for dogs. It's a website where you can rate venues, restaurants, etc. across the country. My profile/site/whatever is http://maggiemae.yelp.com/. Second Life BFFs will be slightly amused and feel somewhat special knowing that reference. Also, Philip, you should join and we should be friends. You'd be into this. And you'll gain a better understanding of Minnesota, since I told you that Grain Belt was actually a decent beer here. Oh lolz.

I've made my first mistake already, and that was to list my present zip code in St. Paul, rather than my previous zip code in Minneapolis. I realize this is not critical, as the cities are so close I could probably shoot my friend Meaghan in south Minneapolis with a BB gun from my apartment in St. Paul. But I still have a stigma against St. Paul. I prefer to be associated with the urban, edgy and trendier part of Minnesota. I know most of you are laughing at the idea that any part of Minnesota could be one of those three things, but Minneapolis is that. Minneapolis has a lot to offer in terms of the arts, theaters, food, culture, and, if you piss them off, they may shoot you at the end of the night. And, while St. Paul is a big city with stuff in it, it seems to lack the excitement of crime, mysteriousness, rows upon rows of bars, restaurants and night clubs. A conversation I had with my roommate not too long ago, sums up St. Paul:

Me: St. Paul seems to be a very pretty city, but they don't have much here.
Jessie: Yeah, they have some stuff, especially over by the colleges.
Me: Do they have any night clubs?
Jessie: Not that I'm aware....
Me: Do they have any good restaurants?
Jessie: Izzy's is a good ice cream shop.
Me: Uh-huh...

Anyway, back to Yelp!. Once I'm signed up and filled out their little profile thing, I have to choose a place to review. Friends will attest to my indecision when it comes to deciding on a locale for the evening, not because I'm indifferent to where we go, but because there are so many places (in Minneapolis) I really, really, like going to. So I thought about this for a while. I could do Psycho Suzi's. Of course, everyone and their brother would have guessed that's the place I'd choose. I wanted to be a little surprising. Then I thought I could do the place where you'd find me every Wednesday night: Downtime. I opted for someplace I haven't been to in a long time. What is it? You'll just have to go see.