Take it Easy

After I had my chick flick, what-makes-Lloyd Dobler-so-unattainable!? freak-out (which unfortunately escalated to near tears with my roommate later... buuuh), I went to bed pretty miserable. But the next day in class, in an amazing and the-universe-really-must-look-out-for-me coincidence, we had what my professor called "the boisterous women" day during which we watched and discussed Murphy Brown, Designing Women, and Roseanne-- lovely, flawed, self-motivated, and generally.... a normal amount of happy (obviously "normal" is subjective). Even more importantly, my professor was in love with all of these women. So, I'll just find someone like him. Done. Freak out subsided.

Missed The Big Bang Theory last night because I was asleep... again! I don't think I've EVER caught that show during it's broadcast. For some reason I seem to regularly be asleep at 9:30pm on Mondays. Something is amiss.

Sometime last week I had to stay up all night for a paper (lame) and the next day I had to find a way to be alive during work. In addition to my first attempt with 5 Hour Energy (which cannot evaluate as I was a walking zombie without reliable opinions at the time ... which may actually be a reasonable evaluation in itself), I also decided to read Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason, which is my go-to book for when I need to laugh immediately (like when I have scary thoughts at 3am). I figured if I was laughing, I'd be awake. It worked miraculously except that I can't stop reading it, even though I've read it at LEAST 4 times before! Plluuuuus the flaw in reading the Bridget Jones' books is that she speaks in incomplete shorthand sentences because it's in diary form.... so I start THINKING in incomplete sentences. I skipped several words of this very blog entry and had to go back and complete the sentence. That book is HILARIOUS though. And it totally does keep me awake.

Speaking of which, I regularly fall asleep in my Art and Literature of Film class. I am convinced that it is because the class is right after lunch and it's weirdly hot and the seats are padded and cozy... and it's dark. Plus, honestly, some of the movies just aren't that fun to watch, even if they are pretty interesting in terms of innovation. Caffeine does not help. I've tried everything short of energy drinks, which I don't really want to be consuming twice a week.

Today I was, as always, sure that I would fall asleep, but I really wanted to see Rear Window. So instead of having only Winter Fresh gum, I also got Big Red for a little jolt if I felt the sleepy pocket nearing. Buuuut I didn't even need them because the movie was EXCELLENT! Maybe all Hitchcock movies are really great and I'm biased against them for some unexplained reason. In fact, I'm pretty sure this must be the case. Regardless, the movie was VEEERY energizing and I participated tons afterwards as a result. Which just goes to show that a good movie can cure the sleepy right up.

Lastly, Claire posted a number of ways to get out of a funk including the idea to make a positive playlist. I JUST made a playlist for that very reason called Take it Easy (which doesn't actually include the song "Take it Easy") and I thought I'd share its contents:

1. "No Rain" by Blind Melon

2. "I Can See Clearly" by Johnny Nash

3. "What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes

4. "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles

5. "Give Me One Reason" by Tracy Chapman

6. "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" by Bob Dylan

7. "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" by Bob Dylan

8. "Penny & Me" by Hanson

9. "No Rain" by Blind Melon

A petite half hour of Take it Easy.

One Extraordinary Day in Bean Town

I basically had the BEST day ever!!! Here's how it went:

Last night I went to bed around 11pm (which still half upsets me since I really like my nights. I just can't stay conscious anymore). But, I woke up at 9:30am ready to go. I look outside and it's gorgious out. I took a long shower full of singing at full voice -- I thought my roommates were at work, but actually one was home... so it was a little awkward when I emerged from the shower...
but either way, I had a beautiful shower-- full of confidence. Then I put on my new shirt from Urban Outfitters that I got when I saw Claire yesterday, applied some sunscreen, and was off.

The day was VERY sunny (we've been getting a LOT of rain-- perhaps even hail yesterday), with almost no humidity. I went to Government Center and had a gyro in Quincy Market. Then I sat on the steps outside in the shade listening to a man performing on cans (that reminded me of Angel from Rent (even though that isn't really my favorite movie)) whom I had given a dollar to before I got my food. Then the guy finished up and these other street acrobats came and performed. BUUUUT it was AWESOME because a) they are hot, british, and hilarious and b) I recognized them from a previous Government Center time, and I was just smitten with them!!! They did NOT disappoint. I gave them $5.

Then I decided to walk around a little, and while doing this I saw signs pointing towards a blood drive. The Red Cross called me about donating about 2 weeks ago, but I couldn't because I had work. SOOO I popped into the place, gave some blood (which I honestly love to do), and got some crackers, juice, a Red Sox shirt, and a coupon for chocolate covered strawberries from Edible.

Afterwards, I decided to walk to Downtown Crossing where I bought a pair of earrings, after which I went to the Boston Commons and sat in the shade and read my book, Twilight (which almost seems like a guilty pleasure, but I don't care because it's so addicting!!)

I LOOOOOOOOVE the park!!!! I really think that cities might just be how humans are MEANT to live. I don't think we should have so much space. I just love having my small room and my small apartment! And I LOOOOOVE all the people who walk around CONSTANTLY!!! But I REALLY love the park!! In a way that I never encounter in a suburban area, people at the park in the city just LOVE IT!!! The kids are REEEEALLLY about their games. The teenagers sit about in circles talking and having picnics! People sit during their lunch break and eat and listen to performers and catch some sun! Lovers rest under trees! Squirrels and pidgeons aren't afraid! I saw one man in a wheel chair, I think paralyzed from the neck down, and he was flying a kite. You just KNOW that all he wants in the world is to just fly his kite!!! And he's doing it! He's making that happen!!! Does it get any better than that? Than simple, self-created happiness?

Anyway, I saw on my new shirt with a pretzel and a soda and Twilight for 4 hours. I didn't move at all. I finally did get up when this guy started talking to me. But he was really nice. He was telling me about his Stephen King books, confessing that he was a crazy alcohalic ("I'm just being honest with you"), telling me movies that I should watch. I loved it, but decided to make my exit.

So I went home, first stopping at the book store to buy the second book after Twilight. Then I got home, finished up Twilight, started the new book, and then hung out with my work friends playing Munchkin Fu (card game) twice (and I won once), and eating pizza and cookies.

And now I'm home in my nice cool room, ready to read myself to sleep.

How awesome was my day?

A Comment on Sleep

In my non-summer-in-Boston life, I tend to sleep irregularly with lots of naps and staying up really late. I do it on purpose because I don't like routines and I LOOOOOVE the night when everyone is asleep. It's my alone time. I can do work or watch movies or clip my nails or talk on the computer or read blogs... whatever I want. BUT, when I took on this job, several of my skeptics suggested that I would not be able to maintain that kind of schedule. I'm sorry to say that they seem to be correct. I woke up at 10:25am today (my day off-- usually I wake up between 7:12am and 7:16am). I pass out around midnight to 12:30am every night. But, to my surprise, I kind of enjoy it. Now that I have my own room, I can practice my alone behaviors whenever I want (I haven't had a room to myself since 5th grade), and waking up in the morning makes me feel like I'm not wasting my day away. So hurray! This is just another way that I've tried to live my life now. I'll call it Standard. As opposed to No Sleep (highschool), Nocturnal (freshman year), and Siesta (Last year). The point is, I'm pleased that I (so far) cannot be contained by sleeping schedules. I shall sleep how I want.