Found

There is an awesome website called Found Magazine, where people send in various items they found which might be of interest to those of us who like snippets into strangers' lives. Today, I finally found a good one. Normally, I just find grocery store lists and stuff like that.

Here's the note I found in my parking lot at work (I am keeping the incorrect spelling and missed punctuation):

Johanna,

I don't know what caused the fight -- it doesn't matter. I don't know what you expected from me in 1 day. You have given me absolutely no choice. Production is closed at US Water mattress until Jan 3. I cant controll that. You don't want me driving. Fine. You don't want me sitting at the house. What am I do do? You say you will resent me. For reasons I can't controll. I WILL NOT sit around to have you resent me over things I cannot controll. I am a man and you will not be-little me. You have no patience for me and that is not my fault. We are not intimate at all. You dont love me. Maybe you wont resent me when I have my own car and am working. Ill be in touch. I love you.

Bob

(I hope they work it out)

Frosty the Snowman

I've been watching "Frosty the Snowman" on television since I was a little girl. Every year, when Frosty melts into a puddle in the greenhouse, I cry. This year, I didn't think I would, since I'm 30 now.

It was on last night, and it came to the part where he melts and they do the song montage while they flash pictures of Frosty when he was a snowman, and I cried, again.

I am embarrassed.

Forgot Some

I forgot to add Of Montreal's Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? to my top albums list. Not all the songs are great, but the ones that are rule. I think I forgot to add this one because I like it so much, it seems like I've been listening to it for more than a year.

I also forgot to add Jens Lekman and Panda Bear to albums I haven't yet heard.

My So-Called Life

My So-Called Life came out the other week on DVD, and I can't wait to start watching it (I have to wait until after Christmas). When this show aired on ABC in 1994, it was comforting to know I wasn't alone in my teenage loneliness. If you've never seen the show, and you were part of the crowd who didn't go to drunken field parties, I highly recommend it.

Favorite Albums of 2007 (and some disappointing ones)

I now present to you my favorite albums of 2007:

Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

After their last album, I didn't have super high hopes for this one, but it surprised me and I couldn't stop listening to it after I first bought it.

M.I.A. - Kala

Yummy dance tunes that are also good for running. "Paper Planes" is one of my favorite songs of the year.

Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

This is a really nice collection of pop tunes.

Les Savy Fav - Let's Stay Friends

Saving Rock and Roll in America

Radiohead - In Rainbows

One of the most beautiful albums I've ever heard.

Albums I liked, but didn't make the top:

Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero

because I heart Trent Reznor. Survivalism is one of the best songs he's written in a long time.

LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver

"North American Scum" is one of my favorite singles of 2007

Wilco - Sky Blue Sky

A pretty summer album, but a kind of boring Wilco record. Still, it's nice.

Albums I've heard and liked, but have yet to buy:

Iron and Wine - The Shepard's Dog
Liars - Mute
Beirut - The Flying Club Cup

Disappointing Albums of 2007:

Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

Sounded like it was produced in a water tank. Some of the songs are good, but the sound is so awfully muffled that it's distracting.

The Shins - Wincing the Night Away

Sounds too blah. I am willing to give this one another shot though.

Bjork - Volta

Loved "Earth Intruders". The rest of the album was only kind of interesting though.

I Do Not Know

if there is a better band than Radiohead playing music right now.

Neat Kitchen Stuff

I was browsing my friend's wishlist this morning and came across the foodloop. It's a silicone string you can use to tie food together when cooking. What a great idea! They also have other products, like a gentle meat tenderizer, a little silcone pod for poaching eggs, and a drizzle stick. Check them out here!

Let's Hope This Is True

Because I am so tired of their past few crappy syrupy records

From the R.E.M. site:

We then joined up with Mike and Peter, along with Jacknife Lee, in London, where they all undertook the final work on mixing the new record, which will be out in the spring if all goes according to plan. Key word for this one: guitars. And if you liked them in Dublin and on YouTube.

My Friends Are Awesome

My friend resides in NYC and I got a message from her this morning saying that she saw me broadcast my cupcake signal in the sky and that cupcake gal is on her way!

(Translation: She read my email about how much I missed Magnolia Bakery and Sugar Sweet Sunshine and is bringing me some on Christmas night)

She rules.

p.s. I made the cupcakes pictured above.

Not Quite a Top Ten of 2007

I am embarassed to say that I did not go to 10 shows this year. Normally, I average about 3 shows per month in a calendar year. This year, I decided to save my money and only go to the shows I really had to see. This meant that all shows I attended were awesome, so they all make the list. They were as follows (in no particular order):

Wilco at Merriweather
Tori Amos at Constitution Hall
Morrissey at Constitution Hall
Magnolia Electric Company at the Black Cat

Sure, there were tons of shows I'd like to have gone to this year, but having a house is more fun.

Scary

Last night, I heard a crash in my kitchen. Actually, I'm 1/2 deaf, so I thought it came from upstairs, but then decided it came from the kitchen. It's pretty scary to hear that and then wonder which of your favorite bowls or baking pieces just broke. Luckily, the shelf that fell didn't do much damage, except to break this pretty little bowl with handpainted flowers I once inherited from a friend who was moving to Florida.

Apparently, our shelves which seem all nice and sturdy are really only held up by these little cheap plastic pieces. So, now I'm freaked that another one will bite the dust.

Looks like our winter project will be securing them with real hardware. Hopefully, in the meantime, they'll stay put!

Finally

One of my first blog posts ever was about my sadness at having an artificial tree for the holiday season. Last night, my husband and I finally bought a real tree for our new house. He is the cutest, scrawniest Charlie Brown tree.

Our living room smells like pine, and it's awesome.

A note to my readers: LED lights will hurt your eyes and burn your retinas in a most unappealing way. Stay away from them.

Pretty

I worked at the National Cathedral a few weeks ago, and took a picture of my favorite stained glass window. I have always remembered this window from a field trip our French class took to the Cathedral in high school. It commemorates space, and there's a moon rock in it.

I think it's pretty.

Daring Bakers

I decided this week to join a blog group called "The Daring Bakers". Each month, one of the members picks a recipe and everyone makes it. Usually, there are some rules, so you can add your own little spin on the recipe, if you'd like. Near the end of the month, there is a big reveal!

My first month of participation will be January, so look for my creation!

Tough One

Monday night, the Ravens played the Patriots in what everyone was predicting would be a game of catch between Tom Brady and Randy Moss. But, the Ravens came out on the field that night to play football, and to show the Patriots who's boss.

Which they did, for 3.75 quarters. Kyle Boller showed up Tom Brady by surpassing his numbers for the night. He played what some will say the best game of his career so far, and endeared himself to the doubting Ravens' fans and sportscasters who hadn't even mentioned him during the pre-game show. The offensive line for the Ravens held strong and allowed McGahee to run all over the Patriots defense. The Ravens even scored some offensive points! Things were looking up for the Ravens. In fact, it looked as if they might actually defeat the unbeaten Patriots.

Towards the end of the fourth quarter, things began to fall apart. Two key plays for me made the difference in the game. The first was the sideline timeout call by Rex Reed. I did not know that only a head coach can call a sideline timeout. How appropriate that the whistle was not blown until the ball had been snapped and the Ravens had stopped the Patriots on fourth and one. The refs said they didn't have time to turn around and see who called the timeout. Isn't this their JOB?

The second play was the "touchdown" at the end of the game by the Patriots. The receiver clearly was not holding onto the ball. The refs wanted the Patriots to score a touchdown and beat the four and seven Ravens, so they did.

Not to mention the ref calling our player "boy". I know Bart Scott shouldn't have reacted the way he did, but there would have been nothing to react to if this hadn't had been taking place.

The Patriots may have beaten the Ravens score, but I think we should be proud of our team. They pressured Tom Brady, sacked him, and made him look like a sissy on the field. He was even throwing little temper tantrums on the sideline. They showed the rest of the NFL teams that the Patriots are vulnerable. They let the sportscasters know that the Ravens can still play football.

Now it's up to you Steelers. You can do it!

Connections

My friend went to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and was kind enough to take some pictures of the balloons for me.

Off the Needles

Here's a rundown of my holiday knits (the recipients don't really look here, so I'm safe):

A shawl I made for my mother-in-law. I made the same one for my Grandma and she loved it. I haven't blocked this piece yet. Blocking will bring out the yarnovers (holes) in the work.


Closeup

This is a shawl I made for my mom. I thought it seemed like a nice idea, but now that it's finished, I'm afraid it looks too much like an afghan. I think I'm going to bill this as a nice thing to wear around the house. It'll be like a miniature blanket you can put around your shoulders! I still need to block this as well and buy a sweater pin for it.



Finally, the wavy scarf I made for my little sister from a knitty.com pattern.



I also have a few others finished. I should get them posted sometime soon.