No aplogies for length... I could talk about All A Cappella on 88.9 wers all day long.

There is one reason that working on Saturday is somewhat redeemable. One perfectly pitched and vocally blended reason. And that reason is called All A Cappella Saturday on 88.9 wers. Yes you better believe it, I’m talking about a cappella music. And this delightful display of purely vocal talent airs on the radio no day other than Saturday! (Well it plays on Sundays too but that's beside the point.) Every Saturday I wake up angry that I do not get to sleep until the sunshine wakes me. Devastated that I cannot participate in a leisurely brunch where if I wanted I could mix things up with a mimosa on the side. And most of all truly pissed off that my morning coffee will have the aftertaste of work rather than the body of friendship and lingering notes of spontaneous weekend fun. BUT. Then I remember, all is right with the world because today is All A Cappella Saturday! Hey what a day!
I’m not sure what it was about this past All A Cappella Saturday; maybe it was the usual dynamic and peppy voices; perhaps it was the surprise riffs or perfect intonation; and most definitely it was the fact that the play list included Billy Jean-No Diggity medley and Mama Mia. But this Saturday’s a cappella combination put me in an impulsive mood and I naturally found myself at Target on my break. As I perused the aisles, something kept ringing in my ears “baba do bado bu doo”. Was that perfect intonation? Yes, yes it was. In the dress section the riff whispered “doo dabo buuuuy”. So I grabbed a summer dress despite the fact that outside it was 29 degrees. All throughout the store I was followed with a blend of riffs "ba da buuy doowa bubu buy!" which ultimately convinced me to buy a summer dress, coffee, a book, and some harry potter stickers. All my purchases have equally convincing rationalizations. A summer dress to trick my mind into warmness, coffee because... well coffee never needs rationalization, a book because it smelled good, and harry potter stickers... because harry potter is simply the best.

"Got you feelin' crazy, well that was the plan."

Today my legs were really uncooperative. They were bendy at all the wrong moments and ambitious too; I thought they had lost their zeal a long time ago and I was not ready for it to return today.
At one point they catapulted me down the stairs which wasn’t very amusing. And they did a jig in the middle of the free weights at the gym which was odd. Perhaps tomorrow they’ll be a bit more composed...

But wait... there's more.

Check out this peculiar piece of irony: Well it’s not really irony it’s more of a confession but it is peculiar: I am a sucker for infomercials. The live demonstrations. The customer testimonials. The unique products that do anything from hang clothes at an angle to save space in your closet (Hanger Cascader), to chop vegetables with no mess (Slap Chop). Always, there is an escalation of anticipation to reveal the bargain price of the product; usually it is $19.99, quite a steal; sometimes they trick you with multiple payments. “But wait” the tv proclaims to me, “There’s more...” My attention transitions from innocent intrigue to extreme curiosity. The tv shouts out at me “not only do you get a garden tool that takes the hard work out of yard work, but if you call today you will get two Awesome Augers to blast through that hard rock or clay with ease so you can plant some shrubbery.” Two? Two for the price of one! And shrubbery? Exclamation. “Plus,” the tv entices me, “if you call in the next fifteen minutes you will get some fancy garden gloves to grip your Awesome Auger saving time, energy, money and backaches”. There is without fail a sudden necessity of the product in my life. Gets me every time.
For my 13th birthday I asked for Quick n’ Brite Cleaner. The all purpose cleaner that makes cleaning a breeze! It cleans carpets, showers, stoves, shoes, walls, clothes, and more. Truly remarkable. The failure of this cleaner to remove the crayon I drew on the wall as a demonstration of its flair was somewhat disappointing. However the fancy gloves that came with the Quick n’ Brite more than made up for its inadequacies as a cleaner. Plus, the spray bottle had five settings. Currently I have my eyes on a Mister Steamy. What got me on this one was that it gets the wrinkles out without getting the iron out. That’s got to be a time saver.

The commotion that is the casserole.

The only nemesis to the casserole is the required use of Cream of Mushroom Soup. The consistency of this congealed muck makes the preparation of the casserole somewhat awkward. Since I do not like to physically look at the grey jellifyed soup, I typically find the process of getting the substance from the can into the casserole rather inconvenient. While keeping my eyes directed at the ceiling and my mind occupied on images of whole wheat toast or vampires, I use a spoon to quickly scrape out and stir in the soup with the remaining ingredients. I also try to breathe through my mouth; Cream of Mushroom Soup does not actually smell, but my mind tricks me telling me it does. The wonder of the casserole lies in the fact that you abandon the dish for 20 minutes of baking at 350 degrees. This leaves more time to think about things like what the man on the T meant when he told me “children need to be put in their place”. After eating the delectable casserole it is hard not to appreciate what the Cream of Mushroom Soup contributes to the result. Plus there’s the leftovers. Also did you know you can freeze casseroles for a quick meal later in the week? Unreal.

Sings all around

Signs, often misspelled sings by my hasty typing and terrible recognition for errors, are everywhere. When traveling home I use these signs to judge which side of the country I prefer. A few from my most recent west coast/east coast gallivants:

Inability to parallel park in downtown davis.
Finding a coffee mug with an owl on the side.
Discussions with brothers about the avengers, the time matt was kicked in the face on Christmas eve, and “10 pounds of dedication gone”.
A mothers biased compliments
Snow on top of the river creating illusions
Ability to roll a suitcase that has two wheels instead of one
Finding a patch of ice invisible to the human eye
Discussions with franny about Cudi, the time we climbed on top of the roof, and “re-emerging awkward laughs”
A roommates biased mockery

The verdict of the perpetual debate over right and left coast remains undisclosed. I will continue to judge.

January List

A list I wrote January 2nd, 2010. (not resolutions just to-do's):
Finish grad school applications.
Silence in the day - Find it. Use it.
Enjoy your walk to work.
Always find something beautiful.
Study for the GRE and pretend excitement.
One cup of coffee; otherwise tea.
Cook.
Drink water, take care of your neck.
Fear God. He's your friend but he's also magnificent and marked the Heaven's with the breadth of his hand.
Energize your body by expending energy.
Be less selfish and more humble.
Love. Take risk.
Write one sentence about the day. It can beautiful or it can be elementary but it must be honest.
Keep your ears warm.
Listen.

RIP Black Squirrel: Unknown - August 2009

The Black Squirrel began terrorizing Antioch Drive in 2004. The nuisance first made his presence known by boldly standing between residents and their cars as they tried to leave their front doors. While at first mistaken for a timid and arguably cute common Grey squirrel, the Black Squirrel quickly let the residents know that he was a maverick. Hissing while chasing individuals to and from their cars and homes demonstrated his bravery. Peeing on bike seats and gnawing at bike tires revealed his lack of respect. The Black Squirrel is even acclaimed to have jumped on George’s back while he trimmed his poppy’s. This feat, if true, proved his unruly conduct as well as his sense of humor. The Black Squirrel hid in roof gutters, shrubbery, and behind the foot of the gnome on your front step. His forte was surprise and he was a master of escape.
Spotting the Black Squirrel was just as fascinating as it was startling. An encounter gave reason to boast to the neighbors: “the Black Squirrel clung to my screen door today and hissed at us for 45 minutes!” Now that the Black Squirrel has passed we all feel frustrated by the mystery he left behind. Where did he come from? Was he really a mix between a common Grey squirrel and a rat? He abandons us with just fables that commemorate his reign.