I was thinking -

You know how they say that a certain very high percentage of people get into car accidents with a certain very close radius to their homes? And they say, they being driving instructors and the like, that this is because people know these roads and let their guard and safety precautions down.

I was thinking that this has to be bullshit.

Because if you think about it - OF COURSE the percentage of people who get into car accidents near their home is high! I'd say I've spent about 90% of my life driving on roads that are close to my home and I'm pretty sure this is true for everyone. So, this being the case, if you do most of your driving on roads close to your home then it also has to be true that your chances of getting into an accident while on these roads is much higher than if you weren't on these roads. And therefore, I do not appreciate the driving instructor telling me lies!



Last night was my Academy Awards Party. My favorite people weren't there (Ari, Andrea & Lisa), but it was a good time anyway. Evan & Jess won the DVD (Vicky Christina Barcelona) with 14 points. I had 13 points - I did incredibly well! I was happy I went with Sean Penn instead of Mickey. There were also a couple that I changed last minute, that had I not, I would have had 15pts and won the game! I changed my pick for Foreign Language Short from the winner to a loser. And I changed Best Original Song from Jai Ho to M.I.A.'s song because she just had a baby and I like her. But, I did much better than last year, so I was happy.

There are two things I've said I always wanted to see in the city.

A rat.

and.

A celebrity.

Well, after working (almost exactly) one year in downtown New York City, I've finally had my first celebrity sighting.

Union Square is pretty huge for celebs.

My sister has seen Paul Giamatti.
My friend Kathryn has seen Katie and Suri.
My friend Jen has seen Alexis Bleidel.

And others.

When was I going to get my break!? Everyone said, just keep looking, you'll see one. I was beginning to lose faith!

Until this evening.

Jen and I were on our usual fast track to the subway so that we wouldn't miss our 5:22 train home. I was looking down, as usual, and walking as fast as I possibly could.

I heard a laugh.

Now, maybe I'm a creeper because I recognized her by her laugh. But that's not really it. I heard her laugh and thought, I recognize that. I thought maybe it'd be someone I know. Not a celebrity! Damn!

Anyway, I looked up, saw her, looked away, and looked back..

"Is that... Yes it is!"

I start to mumble.. That was Jennifer Connelly. We just passed Jennifer Connelly. I just saw Jennifer Connelly.
Jen's all, What? What?

Jennifer is now down the block and *hopefully* can not see or hear me as I begin to yell and jump up and down. Pathetic really. But do you know how long I've waited? And to have my first be an A-Lister?

She was all bundled up and walking down the street with two little kids and a man. I don't think the man was Paul Bettany, and I'm not sure if both kids were hers, as I thought one of them was a little girl, but I wasn't really looking at the kids because she was definitely JENNIFER CONNELLY.

She's super beautiful, wasn't wearing any makeup but still undeniable and beautiful! Very, very skinny, though. You could tell even bundled up.

For a few laughs at the bar, I said, "I've never felt this way about a man."

But, the reality of this statement is overwhelming to me, and so this is why I lead with it. I have never felt such an overwhelming sense of pride in the leader of our country as I felt today. The warmth in my heart, the tears in my eyes, the never-to-be-forgotten inauguration words in my ears - this truly is something new for me.

I can remember when Bill Clinton took office. I remember watching (or maybe it was just listening) to his speech in the elementary school cafeteria. This memory is incredibly vague, but it's there. Something filed away in the IMPORTANT section of my brain. I was, after all, only in the second grade.

And then, what follows? My life has all too seriously been a succession of Bushes. 'Goodbye!' I furiously wave at the television set in front of me, drink in opposite hand. 'Goodbye,' shouts the bar behind me at the (X!) President's farewell chopper.  At least we are all united in THIS.

"This will be one of those historical events where you will always remember where you were."
"This will be one of those HISTORICAL events where you will ALWAYS REMEMBER where you were."

So, where was I?
And, what was I feeling?

(We get to the bar just in time to watch the Obama girls be escorted to their seats and I immediately take out my phone - victim of this technological age - to text every one of my friends "Happy Inauguration Day!" And I have to stop and wonder, has Inauguration Day ever felt this much like Christmas?)

The Village Pourhouse. 11th and 3rd. NYC, NY. (United States, The World, The Universe)
That's where I was. Megan and I left the office at 11am and made it in time to score a couple seats in front of the very large, very fantastic, HDTV. (I could have kissed Obama's freckles from this vantage point.) We ordered our drinks and settled down, snug between two very lovely African American ladies and two very obese, but also very funny couples.

Megan says, "What a fantastic tie!" when Biden walks out. She has not stopped making this comment all day. (Did you see Joe Biden's tie? It was fantastic!)

Oh! And the cheers when Obama walked out those doors! 

12:01pm and I can't quite remember if it was Katie Couric (can someone tell me when she cut her hair so short?) or the male announcer who said, "President Bush's term expired at exactly 12:00pm." The relief at it's finally being over! (Megan leans over and says, "We have NO President right now.")

The swearing in and the nerves displayed quite freely across his face, making him all the more endearing. Stealing more and more of my heart. (Which, it is important to note, were not present when he began his speech. His swearing in - for him and his family - a gigantic step towards the next four years of his life. His speech - for his people - bravely displaying the man he will be these next four years of OUR lives.)

His speech. Inspirational is the trite word - but the word nonetheless. I couldn't help but smile and sigh. At the end, I look around me and realize - everyone in the bar is wiping tears away from their eyes.

"To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist."

It may be premature and naive to already see the brightness of our future. What if he can't do it? This country is a mess, after all. He's taking on so much - not just the problems of our nation, but the hopes of his countrymen that HE will be the one to fix them. But, I can't help but feel that this man is our answer. I can't help but look at him and feel the world shift around him - around us.

Change is like an electric charge in the air.

'"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations."

I've made the decision to go "Friends Only".

A big "I'm Sorry", goes out to all those friends that don't have journals and enjoy reading mine.

But, some stuff has been misinterpreted, or could fall into the wrong hands. And I found that once someone made a character judgment solely on the sorted past of this journal.

So, if you find that you can not live without reading my journal, join the livejournal community and add me.

Please don't be offended if I don't add you back.

 

No, it isn't an April Fools Joke.
And, yes, Boondock Saints is one of my favorite moves.
And they did come to Cortland.
And I did get to eat dinner with them.

Farrell.. my good friend Brian Farrell... won a raffle to eat dinner with the director Troy Duffy, "Funny Man" David Della Rocco, and actor Norman Reedus before they did their Q&A show. So, he invited me to go with him. We got to where they told us to be at 5 and waited an hour before student government told us to just sit in the Caleion Room. But SGA got to eat with them too, and they sat down at all their round tables, and Farrell and I were thinking we'd never get to sit with them, so we just sat at our own table. Then the SGA president girl, or whoever she is, came in and told us that we didn't have enough chairs set up, so could we all help put out chairs. When we get back into the Caleion Room, TROY DUFFY is sitting at our table.

Then, friggen David Della Rocco walks in and Troy introduces him to Brian and I, then Normal Reedus walks in and Troy again introduces us. We talked about Hemingway, because they asked me who my favorite author is. We talked about how Normal Reedus got hit by a bus a couple weeks ago at an REM concert. They they are like, we have to go out for a smoke we'll be right back. And they leave, and then Rocco comes back in and is like, why don't you guys join us, and so we do (minus the smoking part). And so we just chilled outside and talked about the censorship of boondock saints and how that censorship made it a cult flick. I asked David Della Rocco if he finds it weird when people act star struck, he was like, none of that. He said that what he gets most of the time is people telling him he looks like that guy from Boondock. I asked him what he said to them, he said, I tell them, yeah.. that's a pretty good looking guy.

Me with David Della Rocco and Troy Duffy.

Me and Farrell with Norman Reedus

The night was exceptionally awesome!!!!

I am lying on the couch reading Eats, Shoots and Leaves by the lovely Lynne Truss. She is talking about how us.. we Sticklers.. are sort of alone in the world. "For any true stickler, you see, the sight of the lural word "Book's" with an apostrophe in it will trigger a ghastly private emotional process similar to the stages of bereavement, though greatly accelerated. First there is shock. Within seconds, shock gives way to disbelief, disbelief to pain, pain to anger. Finally (and this is where the analogy breaks down), anger gives way to a righteous urge to perpetuate an act of criminal damage with the aid of a permanent marker."

While reading this, I was reminded of something that happened only yesterday. Lisa and I were in Bob's Stores. She was trying on a few bathing suits in the fitting room and I was sitting outside waiting for her. The womens' room is on the right and the mens' is on the left. I am obviously sitting on the right. I look down on the ground and there is a piece of tape across the front entrance and it reads:

MEN DO NOT GO PASS THIS LINE.

I think to myself, "This must be a typo!" So, I walk over to the other side to read the tape there. This one is even worse. It reads:

WOMAN DO NOT GO PASS THIS LINE.

I want to scream and yell. I consider for a few moments ripping up the tape. Then I consider telling a manager. Of course, I do nothing but walk out of the store and complain about it. Apparently it's been there forever because it pisses my mom off too. What are you gonna do about it?

I've been listening to the William Shatner CD Has Been, over and over.

At first I thought, how could this be any good? I mean, have you heard his priceline commericials? this man is DEFINATELY a HAS BEEN.

Then Lauren was like.. just listen.

And I did.

It's amazing. And I suggest that everyone give it a chance. It's a little.. no a lot different than anything anyone's really used to, but it really is amazing.

It's just the simple truth. About everything. One song is a minute long and he talks about his wife drowning. It is so charged with emotion. I started to tear up. I stopped what I was doing to devote full attention to the song. (And please don't ruin it for me by telling me about the speculation surrounding her death.. I DON'T CARE. It's a beautiful song.)

William Shatner.
Has Been.
Get it.


"Maybe you won't suffer maybe it's quick
But you'll have time to think
Why did I waste it?
Why didn't I taste it?
You'll have time
'Cause you're gonna die"

" I took her to a supermarket.
I don't know why, but I had to start it somewhere.
So it started there!
I said, pretend you've got no money.
She just laughed and said, oh, you're so funny!
I said, yeah? Well I can't see anyone else smiling in here!
Are you sure you want to live like common people?
You want to see whatever common people see?
You want to sleep with common people?
You want to sleep with common people like me?
But she didn't understand... "

"She was underwater
In the shadows
Was it there, was it not?
I stepped back
A veil in front of my eyes
The water was still and so was she
I dove in with so little breath
In truth I knew
I was too late for death
I had one chance
I grasped her arm and floated upwards
Wanting to stay below in the warm forgiving waters
What have you done
I screamed to the stars
Then over to the shallow edge
She was face down
Smaller and more vulnerable than in life
Her curls wet around her ears and neck
Her dear profile at peace at last
A finger in her throat sounded a click
Her body still and blue
Is this what death looks like?
My love was supposed to protect her
It didn't
My love was supposed to heal her
It didn't
You had said don't leave me
And I begged you not to leave me
We did. "

sooo beautiful....

Have you ever seen The Notebook?

I have. Let me save you from hours of painful story telling: They fall in love even though she hates him at first, he does some nice things for her, she grows old and senile, then they die together.

Did I ruin the ending for you?

I'm sorry. But then again, you really shouldn't be watching sappy, incredibly terrible, cliche love stories, nor should you be reading Nicholas Sparks books. They are all exactly the same ridiculous romances with some predictable fatal twist at the end that leaves many pathetic females (and some males) in tears.

My true gripe with this movie, and more particularly, the audience that is attracted to this movie and his books:

There is a scene where the female of the story arrives at the males house and he is sitting on the porch reading Walt Whitman to his father. The father explains that he's been making the boy read Walt Whitman to him for ages in order to correct a stutter.

And I'm sitting in class today, my Images of Women in Literature, which is supposed to be filled with intelligent young women. Meaghan chooses to write about "I sing the body electric" which is a short story by Ray Bradbury based on a poem by Walt Whitman. My professor says:

Professor: "Ah, Walt Whitman!"
Nicholas Sparks Fan: "Walt Whitman... isn't that the guy from The NOTEBOOK?"


IS WALT WHITMAN THE GUY FROM THE NOTEBOOK? IS AMERICA'S GREATEST POET A GUY FROM THE NOTEBOOK? HAS A SHITTY EXCUSE FOR A WRITER (NICHOLAS SPARKS) OUTDONE THE NATION'S GREATEST?

And what do we have to say for ourselves because of that?