Credit Where Credit's Due

So everyone knows I'm batshit for the new Santogold album. Well, Rollum pointed out to me over the weekend that my favorite song, "My Superman", aka track # 6, is a complete rip-off of Siouxsie and the Banshees, "Red Light". I haven't checked, but apparently there's no sample credit in Santogold's album notes. I still love you, Santogold, but shame on you. Give credit where credit's due.

P.S. I'm totally buying this Siouxsie and the Banshees album.

Broken English

I watched a really good movie via Netflix last night called Broken English. There were a lot of people in it, namely Parker Posey, who I LOVE. I have a soft spot in my heart for indie films set in NYC, so I may be a little bias, but I really enjoyed this movie. And really, what's not to love about Parker Posey?

I've had Lars & the Real Girl at home for a week or so now. I need to watch that one, too. I don't even remember what it was about, but something intrigued me enough to put it in my queue.....

Happy Monday!

Robert L. Willoughby, July 30, 1931 - June 25, 2008

My grandfather passed away early this morning. He went peacefully in his sleep with my mom and my aunt at his side.

Visitation is tomorrow & the funeral is Friday.

Thank you all for your thoughts & prayers. All of the calls/emails/texts/etc. have been very thoughtful and much appreciated.

Goodbye

My grandfather is dying. This is my mom's dad who lives here in Tennessee. It's a long story that I won't get into, but this all started 4 years ago & has been a struggle for the past 4 years. He's been close to dying before, but has always managed to pull through. That is not going to be the case this time. This time it is in fact the end. Hospice initially told us it would be 2-3 weeks, but now they say it's a matter of days. He's comfortable & not in any pain. He's also lucky enough to be surrounded by not only my mom, but his wife, his children & his remaining siblings. My mom said she feels blessed to be able to share this time with him. I would also say that my grandfather is blessed to be surrounded by his family & for them all to have time to share memories & say goodbye to him. It will be a hard week. Please keep my family in your thoughts.

Summer Reading

In all of my house-buying/statistics mania, I've failed to mention any of the summer reading I've been doing. I haven't been able to read as much as I'd like, but I've gotten a few books in:


No One Belongs Here More Than You: Stories
by Miranda July

I read this book because I loved Miranda July's movie, You Me and Everyone We Know. Unlike the movie, this book wasn't for me. I wouldn't say it was bad, it just wasn't my cup of tea. It's a collection of short stories, which isn't my favorite thing to begin with, but on top of that, the stories are so bizarre that it's almost impossible to relate to any of them. Again, interesting read, but not my favorite of the summer so far.



Water for Elephants
by Sara Gruen

Now this book, I loved. For about a year now I've had numerous people ask me if I've read this book, so I asked for it for Xmas & finally read it. I've seen the big top book cover a million times but somehow never knew the book was about the circus. It was part love story, part historical fiction, which I love. Good, good read!


Such a Pretty Fat
by Jen Lancaster

I've already talked this book into the ground, so I'll keep it short. Jen Lancaster is hilarious. Do yourself a favor & read this book.


Book of the Dead
by Patricia Cornwell

I have a secret love of Patricia Cornwell, or actually Kay Scarpetta, truth be told. I buy these books in paperback for a quarter anytime I find them at Goodwill. Sadly, I'm getting to the point where I've read them all. Well, this book came out around Xmas & my mom got it for me. It was really good. Not as good as the old Kay Scarpetta books, but still worth reading. If like me, you share an interest in crime, death, law, order, forensics, etc.... You'll enjoy these books.

I'm currently reading Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I'm more than halfway through it & am really enjoying it. I found his other book, One Hundred Years of Solitude at Goodwill, so I may read that next. Oh, I also have the new David Sedaris book to read. Actually, that's what I'll be reading next. I can't wait!

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: It's the New Black.

I have an ever-growing list of blogs I like to read every day. On that list is The Coveted. The girl on the blog is about my age, used to live in NYC, but now lives in Germany & has just started an online vintage clothing shop on Etsy. Every day she takes a picture of herself in a swanky, vintage outfit & posts it on her blog. I like it. Anyway, the other day she put up a post about all the scary chemicals found in common household items. I read it thinking most of the stuff I buy/use wouldn't contain any of these chemicals because I buy/use a lot of Kiehl's, Aveda, Bumble & Bumble, Dove, Oil of Olay, Aveeno, etc.... Well, I was wrong. Every single item I use contains at least one of these chemicals, sometimes 2-3 of them. I'm a little freaked out. If you would also like to be freaked out & contemplate throwing out everything in your bathroom, go here:

http://the-coveted.com/blog/2008/06/17/be-wary-5-un-pretty-beauty-ingredients/

Thank God for Brian Eno

So things have gotten better since Monday. The house stuff is working itself out. The one issue we were most worried about is apparently not that big of a deal. We have roofers, plumbers & electricians coming this week to give us estimates & then we'll go from there. It definitely seems like buying this house is still a strong possibility. Much better outlook today.

I got my test back last night in class. I made a B, which is more than acceptable. I feel like I did well on this test because I got to take it home & spend Thurs night-Mon morning working on it, unlike my next test, which is a week from tomorrow & will not be take-home. I'm nervous about having to take the test in class because the extra time I had at home definitely helped. When I got stuck, I'd go do something else & come back to it later. Not going to be an option on this next test. Oh well, what can you do.

After class last night, I ran to Target & bought the new Coldplay CD. I've been a Coldplay fan since the beginning, but after their last album, I came to terms with the possibility that my love affair was coming to an end. This new CD has renewed my faith. I've only listened to it once, but it's light years better than their last horrible album. Thank god for Brian Eno.

I've been working my way through Season 3 of Weeds. I *heart* Mary-Louise Parker. The combination of that show & this horrible statistics class really makes me think about giving it all up & becoming a drug dealer. Just kidding! But seriously, I would kill to have MLP's body & wardrobe from the show. I love her.

Manic Monday

Yesterday was not a good day. We had our home inspection & it went okay. There is one big issue & then a bunch of little things that aren't a big deal, but are overwhelming all together. We think the one big thing can be fixed & John is working on that today. The other issues are plumbing & electrical-related, so we have to get someone out there to give us an estimate before we go any further. Same with the roof -need estimate. It's just disheartening to find out there are all these issues (some of them major) with the house you've been mentally living in for 2 weeks now. Today will determine whether or not we're going to move forward. The majority of me still wants the house, but a small part of me is heartbroken & just wants to start all over again with a different house (another house that will also have it's own set of unique issues/problems). I'll keep you posted.

The other bad part of yesterday was statistics-related. Big surprise. On Thurs night our teacher gave us a take-home exam that was due yesterday & then 2 chapters worth of homework that is due in class tonight. I finished the test, but put off doing the homework all weekend because I was so drained from taking the test. Well, yesterday I couldn't put it off any longer & I had a full-on meltdown. I couldn't concentrate, I kept thinking about the house & I couldn't figure any of the problems out. I started crying & almost dropped the class. John came over & took me to dinner. I felt a little bit better & actually managed to finish one chapter by the time I went to bed. I still have one chapter due & it's the chapter I can't figure out. I'm going to try & work on it today at work, but I'm pretty much over it. This class is one big, emotional life-suck.

Metallica Is Totally Here

Little known fact about my groom-to-be: John LOVES Metallica. That's right, Metallica. Somewhere in between all the Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson & Billy Bragg, a little Metallica seeped in. The mental picture of him at 14 with bad skin, a pompadour & a Metallica t-shirt, rocking out in his basement to "Ride the Lightning", like every other boy in Middle America, cracks me up. It's just so unnatural.




Well, last night John "rode the lightning" on down to the Basement to see Metallica play a secret show. "For whom the bell tolls"? Apparently it tolls for John & a very few select others who were lucky enough to get on the list. I was midway through my 3 hour Statistics class when I received this text:



METALLICA IS TOTALLY HERE



I was afraid I was going to get kicked out of class because I immediately started giggling & trying to covertly show the text to my friend, Jessica.



John said the area around the Basement was like "Metallica City". Apparently they had 8 tour buses, plus all the rigs holding their equipment & then each of them drove up in individual black Ford Expeditions. Metallica City indeed.



John had the time of his life. I asked him how Metallica fit on the Basement's tiny stage & he just said it was insane, so I'm not sure what that means. I'm still having trouble wrapping my mind around it. Metallica, at the Basement? So bizarre.

Business Time

House: We hired a home inspector. The inspection is scheduled for Mon morning. We're hoping he doesn't find anything terrible during the inspection & that it's a quick closing process from there. Our closing date is July 25.

Statistics: My class still sucks. In the last class, we had to take turns writing our homework problems on the board -for 3 different chapters. I felt pretty confident doing the homework, but I quickly realized that I was getting the majority of the problems wrong. The more the teacher explained each problem, the more confused I got. My friend Jessica & I describe the class as similar to being shot in the head because that's how I feel when I get out of that class -like my brain matter is slowly draining out of my head. Gory, but true. I was in a horrible mood after my Tues night class. I awoke on Wed to a Flight of the Conchords CD & a cute note from John that said he hoped the CD cheered me up. It did. The CD is hilarious. I love those guys.

Weight: I am fat again. I don't know how I've gained so much so fast, but I definitely have. I'm a stress eater & I've been eating like a crazy person lately. I am working out though, not that it seems to be helping me on the scale. I've been half-ass doing Weight Watchers again online. Guess I need to go whole hog & try to get this weight off. Ugh...

Bacon & Chocolate, Who Knew?

Yesterday I went to a belated birthday lunch with Natalie. Her birthday was 4 days after mine. As you can see above, she got me the new David Sedaris book, which I REALLY wanted. She also got me a Mo's Bacon Bar. Natalie is obsessed with bacon, so we're constantly getting each other weird bacon items that we find around town. Well, this candy bar, excuse me, bacon bar, was good as shit! It's like when you mix M&M's & popcorn, except it's bacon. It was soooo good. She said she got it at Whole Foods, so run & get yourself one. You won't be sorry.


In other news, I am STRESSED OUT. I think I bit off a little more than I can chew with planning a wedding, taking 2 summer school classes & now buying a house. My anxiety level is through the roof. You should be in my head to see the dreams I'm having lately. Last night, I dreamt I was shopping at Barney's & found out I was dying & the only person I could tell was an ex-friend I haven't talked to in over a year who happens to work there. Then I walked around NYC crying & telling everyone I was dying. Yeah, good dream.


To end on a positive note, it does appear we are buying this house. I'm excited, I'm just a little stressed about the home inspection & the actual moving in part. But I'm happy we found a house. It's a good house.


To be continued....

Lost Datson

Last weekend when John & I were driving around looking at houses, in one neighborhood, we kept seeing these signs that said, "Lost Datson. If found, please call." I had forgotten about it until we ate dinner over in that same area last night. We're still laughing about whether they lost their beloved family pet or their early 80s hatchback.

The meeting with the realtor & the attorney went really well yesterday. The seller came as well because apparently she's as confused as we are. I feel like now we're all on the same page & she came down again in price. After the meeting, we went & looked at the house again & still really want it. I think we're going to make our counter offer on Monday, which I assume they'll accept. Then we just have to get a home inspector & go through that big mess. I'm really afraid the inspector will find something horrible that would make the house uninhabitable. The stress is getting to me. I just want this part to be done & to (hopefully) move into our new house!

John is surprisingly not working this weekend. I've got a ton of homework to do. There's talk of going to a Sounds game today. Tonight we're meeting friends @ Cinco then going to the Features show @ Mercy Lounge. I wonder if I can work statistics formulas whilst eating a hot dog & drinking a beer @ Greer Stadium.....

I **broken heart** Statistics

On Tues, our Statistics teacher gave us our 1st assignment -to read chapters 4 & 5 & then to complete the exercises at the end of chapter 4. First of all, I still don't have my textbook that was guaranteed to arrive by Mon.... So I'm operating on xeroxed copies, not ideal. I read chapter 4 at work yesterday & started on the exercises at the end of the chapter after lunch. I worked off & on pretty much the rest of the day. Then got home & continued working. John came in around 7:30 & we ran to Pizza Perfect. Back home, worked until 10:00. Still not done. Seriously. And this is just the 1st chapter/assignment, which surely means its supposed to be the easiest. I'm scared. This class ends on July 3rd, but in these 4 short weeks, I'll have the pleasure of 3 exams, countless hours of homework every night & being called on in class to work problems on the board. Yes, you can feel sorry for me now.

No news on the house. The sellers have made two counter offers to our initial offer, but we're holding steady. We have another meeting with the realtor tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes. All of my home-owning friends have told me to be patient, that this process takes awhile. Unfortunately for me, I have no patience. Unfortunately for the sellers, I have mad negotiating skills & have been known to be stubborn (see blog name).

Allright, I've got to get cracking on the rest of this Stats homework. Ugh....

Still Negotiating

We're not homeowners quite yet. We met with the realtor yesterday & made an offer, but we're still going back & forth with the seller. There's some confusion over the math related to the closing costs. So much confusion, in fact, the realtor has set up a meeting between us & the closing attorney on Friday so he can "explain" some stuff to us. We'll see what happens, but it still looks good.

As I mentioned yesterday, my Statistics class started last night. It really is going to kill me. The teacher was nice & seemed like an actual teacher, unlike the hack I had for my last class. But the class is going to be HARD. We already have homework. We have to read 2 chapters & work the problems at the end of the chapter -and turn it in on Thurs. Do you know how long it's been since I've had to "turn something in"? A looooong time.

My friend Jessica attempted the problems last night & said she spent 2 hrs working on them & only got 5 done. There are 11 total, 2 of which require graphing. I don't even know what graphing is. Oh, & I still don't have my textbook, so I had to copy the 2 chapters out of Jessica's textbook today. Looks like I'll be spending all night doing homework. Math homework. Great...

Home-Owners? Maybe...

On Sunday, John & I were driving around & decided to stop by an Open House in a neighborhood we like. We hadn't really talked about buying a house. We've been on the fence about buying vs. renting, but we decided to go in & look around. We fell in love with the house! The past 48 hours have been a flurry of activity. We're meeting with the realtor today to make an offer. I know very little about this process, John has been handling it for the most part, so I have no idea how long these things take. I'm hoping we know something soon. We both really want this house. **Fingers crossed**

In other news, my 1st summer school class starts tonight. In this session, I'm taking Statistics. It's supposed to be the hardest class in the program, followed by Info Technology, which I'm taking in the 2nd summer session. These classes might be the end of me. Math & anything "technological" are not my strong suits.

Also, my stupid textbook has yet to arrive. I paid extra to have it here by yesterday & it's still not here. Hopefully it will come in today's mail & I can run home & pick it up before class. If not, maybe I won't need it tonight. Maybe we'll just go over the syllabus and leave. Yeah, right.