An Ani DiFranco concert followed by a Madonna reference.

So.
Friday, Claire and I hitched a ride with her papa and found our way to the Florida Theatre in Jacksonville. Ah-nee Dee-Frank-oH. $40. One of the wisest ways I've blown my cash in the last few months. 60 if you count the $20 Righteous Babe shirt I purchased. The front boldly states that "The Media isn't fooling me." Score. The audience was of course comprised fans of ani D Noted the difference between the crowds at Ani show and Indigo Girls concert... I never saw Lillith Fair.
Ms. DiFranco played an absolutely fabulous show. Solo. Read some political poetry capturing the torn sentiments of those who feel proud of the beautiful country in the boundaries of the yoo ess of A but are ashamed and incensed at the very notion of war with a country whose oil we want so desparately.
For a couple sets, I called Steph in Boston, and thanks to the good people at Cingular wireless, Steph got to hear Ani while I screamed not more than 10 feet away from the dread-headed righteous bitch.
On the way home, Claire's younger sis, Scottie sat shot-gun, Claire and I talked stupid while her papa drove. There aren't really any good radio stations in Gainesville area, but we had some luck with some shag carpet voiced radio personality who called herself Delilah and ran requests and dedications. You may know of her. The first call was from a 9th grader who was still having thoughts about being a bus monitor and wanted to a give a special shout out to the man who drove her (and 20 other youngsters) to and from school. The next dedication came from a man who wanted to thank his wife for not screwing around on him and sticking through his 16 or so back surgeries.
The point is that I realized I really like music. It's too bad I didn't bother to really do my piano exercises so long ago. Music is so so so so so so so cool. It brings the whole world together.

Shock and Awe

...This is a thought I had quite a while ago, but in my fit of laziness times ten, I forgot to post it. I think it's funny that America is on this qhole, we're so clever with our shock and awe campaign. Sure you are. That entire concept has never even been considered by any one before, let alone carried out. ESPECIALLY NOT the Germans!!! I mean, that was completely different. Blitzkreig. Shock and Awe, the two don't even sound alike. ::::and they all shared a hearty laugh::::

I'm not dying.

Wow. In the past two semesters, I've either learned how to do away with procrastination or gotten really lazy.
I used to make journal posts mostly-daily, and look at me now. No posts in a week. I bet I wasn't even missed....
I think I just figured out what happened to me. Laziness has set in. I can't be bothered to find some free commenting software online. Bah.
So, last Thursday, I played protester in an Anti-war march to downtown G'ville. So Powerful. The conditions over which all of us gathered were of course horrendous, but, nonetheless, it felt like a great charge of positive energy was being sent up.
We support our troops, of course, we just want them home. Because they're a lot harder to support when they're in body-bags.
Anyways, we cornered for a couple hours with noise makers and anti-war signs. Claire spotted someone with a sign that said "Tree Huggers go Home" in a group of Pro-War rallyers with an American flag. (Ironically the flag was in poor condition, which is pointedly "un-American"--tidbits one picks up in Girl-Scouts.) Obviously, there is no need for name-calling or insinuating that being anti-war is synonymous with being anti-American so, she made one that said "I am home," and I made one that said "Take back the Flag" covered with Peace signs and we stood by them for a while, getting into witty repartes.
Of course, they were unfriendly about it and felt that it was okay to sling insults at us, even though we weren't bothering their right to protest. But I won't get into the whole intelligence, ignorance, hippy, war-hawk thing. Or I will. Another time. For now, I'm focusing on the positive energy.
After we finished on the corners, we marched downtown to a park for a candle light vigil. But before the vigil, we had to wait for the march to catch up (yay, lots of people). So there we were, smelly, pot-loving, clove-smoking, non-shaving, non-grooming, birkenstock-wearing, long-haired, shirtless, braless, tree-hugging "Hippies" (I don't know if it mattered that I was wearing a fuschia tank top which is sooooooo flower child :::drip drip goes the sarcasm:::) sending waves of positive vibes into the air with drums and foot-stomps and hand claps and noise makers. It was amazing.
And after that, Claire and I un-hippiefied, glamourized and roused ourselves into a night with Miggy (best described as a Hispanic version of Jack, from "Will and Grace") at UC. Oh, the drag show was glorious.
If you are ever in Gainesville on a Thursday, be sure to stop in at UC to catch the decidedly un-ladylike pearls of wisdom from the notorious Lady Pearl. ("You can take the Drag Queen out of Gainesville, but you can't take the football player out of the Queen").

Saw Vagina Monologues on Sunday, and, my word, it was as well done as a charred piece of steak. I laughed, I cried, I yelled, a fine time was had by all. Two enthusiastic thumbs up.

I always knew I was going to hell, me being a pro-choice, liberal Jew/Jesus Killer who eats Krsna lunch almost every day, but now I think I'm going to be spending my after life in the ninth ring, chilling next to Satan.
"Why, pray tell?" one might ask.
Walking home from a study session at the Pit last night, a bum asked me for change. --I haven't done laundry in a couple weeks. I mean, my dirty clothes make a pile three feet wide and three feet high. I didn't think I had so many clothes. But I do.--
anyways, he asks me for change, and while my usual response is somewhere along the lines of a look of pity and a shake of the head, I told him I needed change too. Yep. There I was, in my $30 flip-flops, my nice jeans, my new books, all the trimmings, explaining to a bum that the reason I couldn't help him out was 'cuz I needed change too. Like, helllooooo???? Could I be any more JAPpy?
I did my laundry to feel less guilty, but now it's sitting in a pile as big as before, only unfolded and on my bed. So I'm back where I started. And with even less change.
Although, I just decided that I won't have to chill with Satan. Yeah. See, the amount of Jewish guilt I've accumulated in my Earthly years means I won't get the chance to die. Score.

Shop like a Jew

The problem with living in Gainesville is that there are far fewer breezes than there are in Miami. But. That doesn't mean that hot days can't not be beautiful. It was a good day.
---I have a mystery bruise on my forearm, right where I like to rest my arm when I'm typing. The mystery of its origin is worse than the pain factor.
Anyways. It was a good day. I bought a ticket to Vagina Monolgues. Yes.
I said hullo to tons of people I know and felt nice because contact and human interaction is impressive to me.
I went with Claire to sign the lease on her new apartment (for next year). It's a wonderful little habitat. Wood floors, nice kitchen, quaint and completely collegiate.
I drank a lot of lemonade.
I went to the farmer's market and bought a chunk of this Barbeque Tempe thing that was so good that I can't even turn a proper phrase to describe it.
I probably shouldn't have, but I bought a tin of Mandarin Mint Camels with the notion that since I rarely smoke cigarettes, I am a responsible enough smoker to purchase a tin of cigarettes.
I futzed around on the internet and sent off a few articles from the Onion.
It was a good day. A really good day.

Spring Break deserves closure, hell it deserves description.
Somehow, going home sucked more money out of me than the entire year here. Probably because I went shopping.
Generally, I'm a responsible, Jewish shopper. This is how it usually works for me:
Enter a shop. Spot something cute from afar. Consider where I might wear it. If said article makes it past the initial discrimination, then I'll swing by for a closer inspection. Is it well made? Yes? Ok, I'll pick it up and search the rest of the store. Then, with 3-5 items in hand, I compare prices. Like, I can get A or I can get B and C at the same total expenditure. Well will I be more likely to wear A? Or B and C? Then I try all 3 items on. I am ruthless to the most part to see if anything fits well. I'm talking two fingers in the waist of the pants, tugging on the shirt hem, messing around with the skirt lines, raising my arms up, bending down, squatting. Yes, my clothes go through a lot.
All that changed upon me entering Forever 21, a new store in Sunset Place. I was ridiculous. For the clothes I got, it's not so ridiculous, but I have never bought so much in one blow. I came home with 11 new items. Plus $64 shoes from Steve Madden. Shit.
Plus, I bought gas, prescriptions, brunch....just a lot of stuff, not all for me.
I spent time too.
At the beach.
I had forgotten the beach. I had forgotten what it feels like to not want to go to the beach because you're so close to it everyday. I have tan lines again. I know it's bad. But, I'm dying anyways, so I may as well go covered in wrinkles. Don't worry. I load up on sun block. Sun block with 10000000 spf.
I spent time with friends.
But not enough time with Mama.
So I think the fact that I found the Blockbuster card in my wallet today is less of an accident and more of a desire to go home....
Summer should get here soon.
I'm exhaling glee.

Oh I'd like to visit the moon...

Talk about nostalgia. I've been downloading movies instead of being a real productive member of society and renting DVDs. So, recently I've aquired Sleeping Beauty and Robin Hood, old-school Disney style. So, after completing most of my responsibilities and getting off work (5 to 9 shift baby), I plugged into Sleeping Beauty , afraid of waking up A'Lesha, I made to turn the sound down. Check this out...with in the first blaring of horns, she jumps out of bed and flies to mine, sitting on top like an eager child (considering our matresses are 4 feet or so off the ground, this is no easy feat for people of our stature. But the amazing thing was that she knew it was Sleeping Beauty before it even got to the main theme. So we all watched it together, A'Lesha, Amanda and I totally regressed and chilled to Disney. So, then, getting into the groove, I downloaded "Once Upon a Dream." Then I hit up Sesame Street and pirated Ernie's version of "I don't want to live on the moon," Kermit's "Rainbow Connection" and "Being Green." Mature? Me? You bet your tush. And just as an extra, I got the Less than Jake cover of "Rainbow Connection." So try telling me that I'm immature while the rocking Gainesville group jams to Kermit.

Speaking of Sesame Street, what's up with Mr. Rogers dying?
I know there are all the snickers towards pedophilia and being a dirty old man, but that dude rocked my childhood. I mean, I looked foward to his front door opening and him standing there, all ready to change his sweater, then his shoes and then he would feed that damn goldfish. And then, at the end of the half hour, he would reverse the process. Sometimes, we left the house and visited people in the neighborhood [note to self: download that song too] but more often than not, we stayed in his living room, or we pretended...man. Where's my peanut butter and jelly sandwich with the crusts cut off, sliced into triangles, my backyard adventures, and if I go on, I'll end up hating college? dot dot dot
Musical Piracy is wrong, but I'm reminiscing here.

Anyways. Now my afternoons are obsessed with pay checks and homework....not in that order, of course. And still, this may be the only time in my life where paychecks are devoted solely to food and concert tickets....live, live, live, live it up.

Why are there so many
Songs about Rainbows?
And what's on the other side?