Untouchable is something to be...

This Friday, I'll hop the Red Line and head north for a chance to head south--back to my younger, more innocent days. Back to the days when I was untouchable. Safe from the sometimes harsh realities of adulthood.

I'll return to Chicago's sweetheart venue, the Metro, to see Against Me! headline with Lemuria and Screaming Females, to see what is sure to be a sweaty and emotive performance.

The timing couldn't be more perfect. A year into my semi-adult life. A year since I shed naive sensibilities and headed with tentative faith into the future. This evening will offer up a celebratory toast. For both a girl and a band. A tribute to the innocence lost and to the inspiration gained from our younger, revolutionary selves.

A Spineless Overstatement...

My 23rd birthday went as quickly as it came, and in its aftermath was a wretched hangover and a tinge of regret. Approaching your 23rd year is like trudging through no man's land of your twenties. A meaningless age that has minimal pay out. I'm two years into drinking legally, two years out from legally renting a car in Ireland-- I'm just crawling like a baby through what was once a decidedly adult decade.

In many ways I feel like an adult. I'm working full time. I'm living on my own and paying rent. I have a balance in my savings account that any 23-year-old would boast about. But, as I look to other friends my age, or even those who have a few years on me (with the exception of a few rush-to-get-married twenty-somethings), there isn't a hint of an adult mentality between the lot of 'em. Our twenties have become the playground to live out the dreams of our youth. With a little bit of cash in the hand, we can do and buy some of the things we've always wanted to do. So, this year I vow to to make the most of this adult-less adulthood that society has deemed acceptable and I'll do it gladly.

Broke as a Joke?

Every weekend, I scrounge together enough cash so I can enjoy a good time with friends. Whether it’s buying a bottle of obscure wormwood liquor as a joke, consuming an obscenely large burger from Kuma's, or downing pints of craftiest of craft beers, I work hard to make sure I can take full advantage of wherever the weekend takes me.

Now, I’m a proponent of a good time, and I love to see other people spending their hard-earned cash on a night of tomfoolery, but it baffles me to see a horde of plaid-shirt-wearing 25-year-olds that hang by a delicate thread of tenuous employment guzzling down beer after beer, night after night. What’s even more perplexing is running into that cute, down-on-his-luck sucker as you journey toward the bar, who’ll tell you all about the terrible job he’s just lost as he orders another round of pibbers. And, I don’t know if it’s the cheap beer, or his spot-on combo of vans, skinny jeans, and a button-up, but at that moment, I truly feel for this dude.

So, I find myself late on a Sunday thinking about this issue from afar, wondering with earnest curiosity how one can afford to let the brews flow freely when the money flow is trickling at best. It sort of angers me in a way, because it makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong with my life, but when you add up all the facts, it just doesn’t figure.

Maybe, just maybe, I’ll figure it all out this weekend.

Spooky

Just a quick post to share my sad attempt at making some festive treats. On Sunday, I stopped at Target to see if they had a Halloween equivalent to a gingerbread house kit on my way back from Western Springs. I was pleasantly surprised to find not only a haunted house kit, but a graveyard AND a coffin making kit. I opted for the coffin since it seemed like the easiest to put together.

Here's the adorable little box:

See how cute and festive that is.

Now, here's my version...

ummm.... Happy Halloween?

Do real women wear heels?

After digesting a rather misogynistic and ignorant comment regarding women wearing high heels, I've done a little self-reflection on the topic. I'm not a huge fan of heels and this off-the-cuff remark concerned me. It's not because I don't appreciate the look. Heels elongate your legs and give you the appearance of being skinnier which is always a plus. But I can't wear heels without looking like an 8 year old who's raided her mother's closet . When I wear heels I hobble around like a drunken idiot. I barely last an hour in the towering beasts without downgrading to flats or bare feet. The pain just isn't worth it and I'm perfectly content hovering around the 5'1 range that I've become so accustomed to.

Now, it offends me greatly to think that a man might think I'm not a real woman because I refuse to artificially increase my height and put on the illusion of being skinny day after day. There's a time and place for heels and darn it I'll wear 'em if I have to ( or at least start the night wearing them) but when it comes to the daily grind, I'm not about to sacrifice my feet for the sake of perceived femininity. I'm a dancer and I'll destroy my feet by banging the shit out of them while doing a hornpipe or by wearing soft shoes that are 3 sizes too small, but I won't subject them to the pointless pain of pumps. And it's not like I'm coming to work everyday dressed like a masculine hobo. I put time, effort and personal spunk into most everything I wear. But just because it doesn't include 4 extra inches doesn't mean it isn't flattering or feminine.

Update: In celebration of my own girlishly unique style I'm going to buy myself some boots sans heels this weekend and I'll post pictures.

I think I earned this one...

Lately I've been finding myself alone on a Sunday, flipping through channels desperately trying to find something decent to watch. I'm pretty foggy this morning in particular as I had the most action packed Saturday in recent memory. This weekend started early as we were asked not to come into the office on Friday due to our team moving floors. I spent Friday recovering from the previous night and preparing for Saturday. I ended up grabbing the 4:53 express train to LaGrange with Molly and we spent the evening at her house.

Friday night was interesting because it reminded me of what weekends were like when we were in high school. It's probably the sort of stuff Molly and I would do if we had actually been friends during our formative years. We shared a frozen pizza with her family and took a trip to the Jewel to get a movie from the Redbox. Somehow we ended up with the movie about babies which consisted of embarrassing body parts and little dialogue. We decided to turn in early in anticipation for Saturday.

The next morning we rose at 5:30 shuffling along, barely aware of our surroundings. We piled into the Diamante just as the sun was peaking out of the tops of trees and headed downstate to Champaign. I was able to sleep most of the way and was well-rested by the time we started unloading the stuff. Tailgating is one of those times where it's OK to start drinking at 10am so I gladly cracked open a beer and ate a sub sandwich for breakfast. We headed into the stadium around 11:30 and trudged to our seats which were located at the very last row of the horseshoe. Now, I'm an avid weather.com fan but I was a little disappointed in its forecast for the game as I was definitely not prepared for the freezing winds the tore through the stadium. Our faces were all bright red with wind burn by the end of the game but we were comforted by a game well played by the Illini and continued tailgating for a few more hours.

We raced home to prepare for Becky's birthday dinner and arrived in record time to a little sushi place called Zen in Wicker Park. Molly and I shared a few rolls and a bottle of wine and wished our friend a very happy birthday. She went home early to get some rest and we continued on to meet up with other friends in Lincoln Park. The night lasted until 3AM where I snuck into a cab and headed home to the comfort of my own bed.

I'm off to see a movie and grab a bite to eat later...just as soon as I get off the couch.

Radio-oh-oh

So, I'm kinda bored tonight and I really wanted to update the blog but I don't really have anything interesting to write about so I think I'm gonna put the ol' itunes on shuffle and let the nostalgia commence:

Song #1: Dammit. A new Paramore song, "Brick By Boring Brick"

Have to say I freakin' love this band. It started out as a guilty pleasure but has recently turned into straight up love. You gotta admire people that are out there doing what they truly love and are able to rock while doing it. I saw them live at Northerly Island a few weeks ago and was truly stunned. I am super jealous of Hayley and wish I had her life, hair and her figure. (ehh I'm workin' on it). This song in particular is a pretty catchy one but the music video looks kinda cheap-o, but I don't listen to bands based on the quality of their music videos. It's amazing that I'm even listening to a band that has the means to produce a music video at all. I particularly adore the clapping and the bah-bah-bahing in this song.

Song #2: Oooo goody. The Copyrights "Lights Out"

All I can say about this song is that it brings me back to the days of 711 Illinois house shows where I'd be right in front of Adam Copyright's face screaming along to this song. Best part was when they actually turned the lights off. I freaking love this band and they've really shaped the way I've grown up over my college years. A midwest attitude oozes from every song and I gobble up each and every one.

Song # 3 OMG. Vince Guaraldi Trio "Christmas Time is Here"

Sweet Jesus shuffle loves me tonight. It's waayyyyy too early to start listening to the trio (not of the alkaline variety). I start busting this out the day after Halloween and listen to it all the way up to Christmas. There's something so warming and cozy about these songs and it really takes me back to days of when Christmas was such a huge deal. I'd be peering out of the window just waiting for Mr. Claus to appear so he could give me and my little cousins all these awesome gifts... now that's what I'm talking about. This music makes me want to build a million ginger bread houses, hang an absurd amount of stockings, and spread general yuletide cheer near and far.

Song #4 Oh sweet. The Soviettes "Her Neon Heart"

Man, those Soviettes are so cool. Another band I wish I was in. They're pretty high up on the ranks of awesome midwestern bands and they're coming to Chicago soon which is pretty rad. I've recently gotten into them (Again). I go through phases of bands and sorta forget about awesome music and then rediscover it and kick myself for forgetting it in the first place. Apparently there's a girl with my name in the band and I think I might just need to switch places with her very secretly so no one thinks anything is amiss. She could work my 9-5'er and I'll just slip right into her spot and rock out in a awesome punk rock band.

Song #5 Riverdales "A.G.E.N.T. for Harm "

By the time I'm finished writing the band name and title this song will be over because that's just how the Riverdales roll, alright?

Song #6 Blink 182 "Adam's Song"

Wow. What a throwback. I remember getting Enema of the State in 6th grade and listening to it the entire drive to Virginia Beach (that's like 13 hours). This was one of my favorite songs too...not sure what that says about me as a 11 yr old but I assure you I wasn't super depressed and wanting to kill myself all the time. I just always have a special place in my heart for more minor chord-y songs, you know the songs that really tug at your heart and may have you shedding a tear or two or possibly questioning the meaning of life at the end. I love those songs and this was one of the great ones.

Song #7 Theme from the Warriors

Ok. If you haven't seen this movie you suck. I'm kidding you don't suck but you will rule 100x more if you do see it immediately. It's a cool flick about a bunch of fictional gangs in NYC in the 70s that have to bop their way around the city to defend turf and look cool. The theme song is completely instrumental and totally groove-licious as one would expect. It conjures up distinct memories of nasty garbage being blown around a subway cavity and impossibly tight leather pants.

Song # 8 "So Cool" Teenage Bottlerocket

Baby, you're so cool. Bottlerocket is one of my favorite bands right now and there isn't much more I can say about 'em. I just saw them a week ago at the Subterranean and they were awesome. I totally loved their energy (even though Cody seemed stoned). Their songs are so simple yet always seem to convey the bottom line of so many human truths. Baby you're so cool, I love hangin' out with you.

Song # 9 "A Boring Story" The Lawrence Arms

Gosh this could be a doozy. When I talk about how much I love the midwest, this band really is the only one who truly captures what it feels like to feel totally in love yet lost in a city like Chicago than this band. The lyrics are like a Chicagofile's wet dream and the music just makes you wanna get drunk and sing along but not in a dumb fake Irish-y I'm drunk on St. Patrick's Day way. It's a feeling that can't really be described and should be experienced first hand probably at the Ginger Man or the L&L.

Song #10 "Rubber Ring" The Smiths

What a perfect ending to my list. The Smiths are just one of those bands you either get or you don't. Lately it seems like a lot more people are getting it but when I was in high school I was like the weird but possibly cool girl who listened to some mysterious brit band called the Smiths. I was drawn to Morrissey's garishly strange demeanor and his peculiar yet catchy songs and honestly who wouldn't be?

Don't forget the songs that made you cry and the songs that saved your life.

...what a perfect line to end this little rant.