26 June 2009
♥ still, i'd rather hear about farrah.
This morning, when I opened my iTunes, I was met with an announcement from Genius--the creepy new feature that makes recommendations for new music based on what I already listen to--that although my current choice could not be matched to anything particularly relevant, I might enjoy today's top selling albums. Guess what was at the top of the list?
- Off the Wall / Michael Jackson
- Bad / Michael Jackson
- Dangerous / Michael Jackson
Now, I appreciate the Jam Genius of Michael Jackson as much as anybody else, but I have to take issue with this. I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that the sudden spike in King of Pop sales is a direct result of his death yesterday, and call me a cynic, but I find this somewhat disturbing. Because four years ago, the same people who spent $9.99 to buy his hits this morning were ready to crucify him. I say this because anybody who came to his defense in 2005, when he was accused of sexual assault on a child, probably already owned all those albums.
He was acquitted, of course, but in the land of super-rich megastars, that doesn't mean much, because unless I'm mistaken, jumping on an SUV for an impromtu show outside the courthouse is not a traditional part of the American legal system. Tabloids, along with everybody else, threw him under the bus in 2005, but who's mentioning it now?
Don't get me wrong; who am I to say whether Michael Jackson molested anybody? But here's what I do know: it's impossible not to dance when "Thriller" comes on the radio, I can't help smiling when I hear anything by The Jackson 5, and today, the top 3 albums on iTunes are all his. I guess he left a hell of a legacy after all.
6/26/2009
♥ i love not working!
This week, I had three days off. Three! Here's what I did:
- saw The Proposal (cute if formulaic and predictable, plus Ryan Reynolds is hot) and Year One (not particularly original, but Michael Cera is always refreshingly funny);
- went to a hockey game, which was fun even if we lost miserably;
- baked some delicious cupcakes from scratch with the best boyfriend ever;
- got caught in the rain several times;
- sat on Miss Boyd's couch with three of my favorite people in the world;
- finished Julie & Julia, which I absolutely loved;
- and, last but not least, but some miles on my extremely beautiful new running shoes.
Have I ever mentioned that I would very much like to meet a rich benefactor so I never have to work again?
6/26/2009
25 June 2009
♥ the nice thing about living in the country
is that on a clear night, a night like tonight, you can see the stars. All of them. You can see the Big Dipper (or is it the Little Dipper? I can never get them straight), Orion's Belt, and probably lots of other constellations, if you've had any kind of astronomy-related education between sixth grade Outdoor Lab and the present. (I, obviously, have not.) Tonight, I felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders as I drove home, and when I stepped out of the car, I was struck by the overwhelming bigness of the universe. I, Emma, almost twenty and with little sense of purpose or direction, am so tiny in comparison to those little pinpricks in the sky which are actually giant structures millions of miles away--can you even imagine; a million miles?--and it hit me, tonight, that in the end, when all is said and done and I've spent my last breaths, life will go on. A thousand years from now, people will still be doing what they can to get by, they will still be seeking justice in this mixed-up world of ours, they will still be searching for answers. And someone will step outside and see those beautiful stars twinkling in that perfect velvet sky, and they will think, Maybe there is something out there for me after all, waiting to be found. At least, that's how I feel.
6/25/2009
16 June 2009
♥ on my radar right now:
♥ John Travolta. He has played some of the sexiest, most desirable characters of all time: Danny Zucco (Grease), Chili Palmer (Get Shorty and Be Cool)... Enough said there, but there's more! See The Taking of Pelham 123; I promise you won't regret it.
♥ Decorating my new apartment. Okay, I haven't exactly moved in yet. But I never realized how much fun it could be to beautify a plain kitchen/bathroom/living room! Hint: Hobby Lobby always, always, always has some kind of fabulous sale going on (posters, frames, etc.).
♥ Training for a duathlon. I plan on being in amazing shape by July 28, when the Mile Hi Duathlon takes place at Cherry Creek Reservoir. Run 5K, bike 30K, run another 5K. Who wants to train with me?
♥ Scrapbooking. I'll admit it: I'm a big nerd. But there's something about all those cute little stickers, fun paper, and going through old photos that makes me weak in the knees. When we're all old and Alzheimer-y, everyone will thank me for documenting our adolescence.
♥ Housesitting. It's just a few days here and there, but you'd be surprised how quickly that $20/day adds up! It doesn't sound like much, but consider what I have to do for it: feed dogs, check; live at house that is bigger/nicer than my own, check; watch movies on gigantic TV, check. Not a bad deal.
♥ Gel nails. Somewhat obscure, but I'd be lying if I said they weren't on my radar. These aren't your average acrylics; they last nearly twice as long, are healthier for your nails, and look GORGEOUS. I am in love.
6/16/2009
10 June 2009
♥ it feels like forever ago; and also just yesterday
It's been two years today since what I consider to be the most traumatizing trans-Atlantic flight in the history of the world--I would have preferred crashing into the ocean to what happened that day. In two years, I have:
- graduated high school,
- successfully completed a year of college,
- met the boy of my dreams,
- made amazing new friends,
- stayed in touch with amazing old friends,
- become closer to my family,
- and, with a few struggles along the way, realized what I want to do with my life.
It's been 730 days, and not one has gone by in which I didn't feel the sting of what happened, of the friendship lost, of that betrayal. But in the 17,520 hours that have passed since that horrible day, I have grown: I am stronger now than I ever thought I'd have to be. It's true what they say; time heals all wounds. I will never forget what happened, and a part of me will certainly always feel a little wary, because who knows when someone you love will turn your world upside down? But I've realized that true friends, though few and far between, are worth keeping for a lifetime.
Those "friends" that I couldn't trust have slowly been weeded out over the last two years as their true colors were revealed, some immediately after it happened, and some more recently. (You know who you are.) As cheesy as it may seem, I want my friends (who are practically family at this point) to know how grateful I am, because I doubt I would have survived the past two years without you.
The one thing I haven't been able to find, after all this time, is forgiveness. Perhaps in the days, weeks, years that are to come, I will be able to forgive him for what happened; but today is not that day. I feel certain that I will have to feel mercy and forgiveness in order to truly put the past behind me, but at nineteen years old, I hope I still have plenty of time to grow.
6/10/2009
