Can't get it right today

I found this letter to Grey's Anatomy on my last skim through College Candy, and I couldn't agree more, especially after watching my first episode of Grey's this season. It's just tragic, to be honest. They used to be edgy, dramatic and, to a point, believable. But now? This past episode kicked off with some doctor I had never heard of (probably caused by lack of watching all season) dying. While examining a kid who was - after being told all episode nowhere near dying - apparently only alive by some miracle. This led the chief to shut himself up in the darkness of an empty operating room all episode because he's afraid of his hospital dying. The same way the show's dying, perhaps? According to my family, I missed the big lesbian affair, but really - Izzy's having sex with Denny? I'm pretty sure he died in the second season. And I actually heard her beg him, "I can't choose, please don't make me choose," in terms of deciding between Denny and Alex. Denny's DEAD. It's actually painful to watch. And somewhere along the path of humanizing Bailey, she entirely lost her edge - what made her character. Goodbye, intern-proclaimed "Nazi," hello, doctor nearly sobbing by the bedside of a patient. Christina's fight with Meredith and ensuing awkwardness only makes Christina more irritating, and Derek won't give a patient (albeit one from death row) morphine? Ridiculous. Take my advice - if you want to watch a doctor show, go for Scrubs.

Addicted

I'm pretty sure I have some sort of disease. I actually can't say no to shopping, to buying anything I see that's pretty enough to have its own spot in my already overflowing closet (which, at school, I actually share with my two roommates). There is a price bit - if it's too expensive, it's not coming home with me. Usually. But I can't resist a good deal. Sure, it would be cheaper - free, even! - if I just didn't buy it. But somehow that just doesn't do it for me.

Enter: the Premium Outlets at Albertville. A little less than 30 miles outside of Minneapolis, this massive compound probably provides all of Albertville's economic stimulus and is, for me, half heaven and half dangerous, twisty spiral of dark spending. Alicia and I made the trek out today, both of our first time, and oh, it was wonderful! It was enormous - so big that we actually had to move the car three times and drive across another road to experience the whole thing. And four and a half hours later, having forgotten that neither of us had eaten yet, we escaped with lighter wallets and heavy shopping bags. Or, really, just a lot of bags. Major successes at Banana Republic, Gap, Coach and BCBG. I've now added to my wardrobe: two sweaters, two cardigans, two tops, a skirt, a dress, capris and a wristlet. Life is wonderful... and it's really a good thing that Albertville's so far (in Minnesota anything further than 20 minutes is a schlep and not worth going to), 'cause I'd spend way too much money. That, and there really is nothing there besides the outlets. And an alien restaurant. Really.

It's a metaphor, fool

Today was like a montage of all the things I actually like in Minneapolis: food, friends, family and shopping. I started off with lunch at Crossroads with my mom, grandma, aunt and great aunt, which was basically like eating with a giant ego boost. Never at one meal have I been told so many times about my good skin, my great hair and how pretty I am. It was great, really. Especially because (as my mom pointed out), most of them are old - so they compliment me, forget they've done so, and do it again. Phenomenal!

I followed lunch with an afternoon with Krista, a friend from high school. I had my first experience at the Hopkins Antique Mall - my new favorite place ever, basically. They definitely don't have anything like it in Boston. They have literally everything - mannequins, telephones, postcards, shotglasses, furniture and (my favorite) jewelry. I left with three rings, a shotglass (with a bird on it - says "Just a Swallow," haha) and a necklace. For $10. Again, phenomenal. We went downtown and wandered the skyway for awhile. Tragically, everything in downtown Minneapolis closes around 5 or 6 because that's when all the businesspeople leave, but Target was still open! An hour of playing in Target (my other favorite place, also not in Boston) and then off to Pizza Luce - my favorite pizza place in Minneapolis, with good food and atmosphere. It's been a long time since I've been there and I forgot how close it is to what used to be the Quest - the venue of my high school years... lots of good memories in that area. We had a guy stop by our table to invite us to his show later - we would have gone if it weren't for the fact that it was 21+. Tragedy. He was very intent on letting us know that even though he was from Tennessee his music was definitely not country. I checked out his music though - it seems worthy of a listen. Because we couldn't go to his show, we drove around for awhile musically reminiscing with Say Anything, an awesome band whose old music I love fully and whose newest album was just unfortunate. We ended up at the Tea Garden - really good tea and a place I wouldn't mind being a regular, if it didn't mean living in Minnesota.

So maybe this place isn't so bad. It has its ups - my family, some good friends and some good times - but I think it's just a place to visit from now on. Being here for more than a month would probably drive me crazy.

All things go

I've been watching a lot of TNT lately. It comes with the territory of spending quality time with my couch and large television, two things I miss greatly at school. TNT is a reliable source of daytime Law and Order, one of my favorite shows - so much that every text message I get is marked with L&O's signature "dunDUN" noise. Aside from providing me with my daily L&O fix, TNT's been airing Without a Trace and my new love, Bones. It's just another in a long string of crime shows with a forensic angle, but I'm a huge fan.

Moral of the story, though: I spend probably too much of my time with TNT. And I've started to notice the mususic that they lay under their "what's next" announcements. And it sounds remarkably like Sufjan Stevens's "Chicago." Like very similar. While I've never been a huge Sufjan fan (I like him and all, but his songs bring back memories of a certain crazy roommate trying to play them on the guitar. At all hours of the day and night.), I just find it kind of interesting. Just a thought. Maybe TNT and I need to take a break.

Raise me up

Yesterday my friend introduced my to the British show Nevermind the Buzzcocks, a comedy music game show.



Highly entertaining, even though I don't necessarily get all of the humor (I'm not as well versed in British pop culture as I'd like, I suppose). The actual game makes up maybe five minutes of the show, and the rest is back and forth joking and mocking between guests and the host, Simon Amstell. The episode I saw (lots are available on YouTube) featured, among other guests, Josh Groban. He's best known for award-winning single "You Raise Me Up"...



He's cute, friendly, funny and entertaining - I made the executive decision that we should be best friends after watching him on Nevermind the Buzzcocks, and because of his personality I decided to check out his music. Evidently I don't know my own iTunes very well, because surprise - I have three of his albums! (Thank you, freshman floor music sharing). He's got a phenomenal voice and while his music isn't entirely my style (his opera roots show through), it is pretty impressive.

It's interesting how much an artist's personality can impact my thoughts on their music. Although it's not necessarily the be-all-end-all, it does have an effect. If, at a live show, the band plays well and engages the crowd with their strong personality, my thoughts on them and their music generally improves. If they're less than impressive or just unfriendly, it tends to have a negative impact. So Groban's musical skills plus his good humor and friendly demeanor lead me to my new love. Even if we won't be best friends (and let's be honest, it's pretty unlikely), at least I've got new music to explore. Thanks, Simon!

Beauty school drop-out

I'm in desperate need of a haircut. As in I haven't had one since August. And my split ends actually have split ends. It's tragic, really. And mostly my fault - I haven't made an effort to find a hairdresser in Boston and even if I did, I'd much rather wait to come home where my parents will pay for my haircut. What can I say? I'm a poor college student. But when I wanted to get one over Thanksgiving, I was told that the person I had gone to pretty much forever was no longer working. Why? She decided not to renew her license until the salon owner found out and now she's back at beauty school! Good for her, tragic for me - I'm out a hairdresser. But desperate times... so this afternoon I've got an appointment with Peach at the Jon English Salon. She's been screened by my slightly neurotic aunt - a sign of word of mouth in the works - and I'm hopeful. If nothing else, at least my split ends will be gone!

So this is the new year...

Well, welcome to 2009! I rang in the new year in style - with good friends, new friends, homemade dinner, caviar and champagne. Classy, you know. And after a little sleep last night and significantly more sleep this afternoon, I've got positive thoughts and high hopes for this year. 2008 was good to me, excuse the nostalgia. I finished my freshman year of college, got contacts, started new relationships and ended some old ones, spent my last summer at Ramah Nyack, saw a few good concerts and did more shopping than I probably should have. This year looks full of opportunities, cliche as that sounds, and I really do look forward to it.
Ever since I saw them live my freshman year of high school, around this time I think of Death Cab fir Cutie's song "The New Year." Time appropriate and fitting, I suppose. There's a stanza that goes

I wish the world was flat like the old days, and I could travel just by folding the map. No more airplanes or speedtrains or freeways, there'd be no distance that could hold us back.

I think that that's, in a sense, my feelings for this year. In the past, I thought of it because a lot of my close friends, from camp and USY, lived further away. Now it's more about not being held back, not overthinking things - doing what I want this year. And it's going to be good. I hope.