paper graffiti

I was 15. I was branching out of my female artist obsession. I was a sucker for earnest lyrics and a catchy beat. Matthew Sweet was there with his cute floppy hair, big honest-looking eyes, and 1995 album, 100% Fun. It was love at first listen.

After I consumed that CD, I went back and grabbed Girlfriend, which cemented our relationship into something deeper than just a passing fling, more meaningful than just some one-hit wonder. I daydreamed about having a singer-songwriter boyfriend who wrote songs like Matthew–wrote them for me, about me, playing them for me, maybe even letting me sing backup on a couple of tracks. I remember feeling a sense of belonging when I heard this conversation in High Fidelity:

Barry: I wanna date a musician.
Rob: I wanna live with a musician. She’d write songs at home and ask me what I thought of them, and maybe even include one of our little private jokes in the liner notes.
Barry: Maybe a little picture of me in the liner notes.
Dick: Just in the background somewhere.

That boy never materialized, and Matthew was my one and only until I developed my crush on Thurston Moore the next year, and then Rhett Miller a couple of years later. Matthew and I drifted apart, didn’t really hang out much after that, but we kept in touch every once in a while. Today we seem to have reconciled. I saw that he came out with a new album of covers with the lead singer from the Bangles, so I was intrigued. His version of “Monday, Monday” made my heart do a strange little loop, and suddenly it was love all over again. I’m listening to Girlfriend and 100% Fun on Rhapsody while I work, and I’m as happy as a 15-year-old girl sitting next to her big crush on a field trip. Oh Matthew, it’s like no time has even passed. You’ll always be my first rock and roll boyfriend.

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So I am probably one of three people on the planet who have not seen Love Actually. Yes, I just heard the chorus of horrified gasps that went up among the members of MOL Nation. No, I don’t hate puppies, Christmas, or being in love. I just have managed to only see about 5 minutes of the movie, mostly involving Colin Firth (mmmm) getting stuck on stage kissing some girl at a Christmas pageant. This is not for lack of trying…I just keep forgetting that I need to rent it or Netflix it because I am crap at writing things like that down.

I am a psychotic list maker, but one of the things I always forget to do is make lists of albums, books and movies that I want to purchase/read/listen to/see. One of my New Year’s resolutions for 2006 is to remember to actually DO that so that maybe I don’t draw a huge blank when I’m in the bookstore, CD shop, or at Premiere Video. I am convinced that if I manage to do this, my quality of life will improve because I will constantly be immersed in stuff that I am enjoying.

So, because I love Christmas and I am a sucker for romcom, I will be renting Love Actually this week. I can’t come to the Journey Movie Group showing on Saturday because Shawn and I have our first of four family Christmas celebrations to attend. But don’t worry…soon there will only be two people on Earth who haven’t seen it. And I will pity them, just like you probably do.

Word Counts - Today: 0 | December: 0 | 2005: 0

The stage is set for this to be a fabulous week. The second season of Veronica Mars premieres on Wednesday, Serenity comes out on Friday (I’m hoping to go to a midnight showing on Thursday!), I get paid on Friday, and it’s the last week I work at my current job! Plus, there are plenty of plans to hang out with my good friends and my honey. I got to kick off the week right by spending my Sunday with Shawn + fam, which was nice and relaxing.

I’m super excited about my new job. I’ve been reading a book on instructional design just to get all the “lingo” straight, and all my writing reference books are ready to go live in my new office. I’m very excited about doing the writing thing on a daily basis, surrounded by all my writer accoutrements. It’s geeky, and I’m sure MAV will likely come over to my desk and make fun of me, but that’s OK. I’m sure I’ll find something to mock her for before too long. I’m a bit nervous because I know I’m going to have to dive right in and produce results, but at the same time that is awesome because that’s the way I work best–under pressure.

I’m also super excited about going shopping for new work clothes. I also need an actual briefcase-type bag as well…for some reason that is completely thrilling to me. I guess I feel like it’s some big milestone I’ve reached–needing a briefcase to tote around files and stuff to meetings. Finally, a job that justifies fashionable accessories!

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Many of my friends are aware of my enduring love for the movie Josie and the Pussycats. Shawn makes fun of me for loving it, but he sucks. This movie is just pure campy enjoyment, with gems like Seth Green as a boyband member and in-jokes about the Josie comic book. There are other movies I enjoy, no matter how many people trash them. They include Center Stage, Legally Blonde, Dirty Dancing, Bring it On, Can’t Hardly Wait, 10 Things I Hate About You, and who could forget the Tony Danza classic, She’s Out of Control. They’re the movies I’ll watch just part of on cable when there’s nothing else to watch. They’re the movies I can turn on for enjoyable background. They’re the movies that cheer me up when I’m bored or depressed. They are my disgusting comfort food of movies, like peanut butter and marshmallow cream sandwiches on squishy white Wonder bread.

One of the top 3 such movies is the 1992 romantic comedy/drama/sport flick The Cutting Edge, a heartwarming tale of an ex-hockey player injured during the Olympics and an aloof, ice princess figure skater who can’t find the right partner to take her all the way…to the gold medal, that is. I love this movie. I used to watch it every time it came on cable before I finally caved in and purchased it for myself on DVD. Anyone who has seen it will immediately dissolve into giggles when you say the words “toe pick.” Comedy gold, I’m telling you. This movie probably was what sparked my love for hockey (players) and made me sit up and pay attention when the Stars came into town just a year later. Oh the love! The angst! The stretchy outfits! The breathtaking skating move that would totally get you banned from the real Olympics! My love for The Cutting Edge knows no bounds.

When I found out that they are shooting The Cutting Edge 2, I almost fell out of my seat from combined shock and joy. It involves the ex-hockey player/ice skater’s kid, and some unnamed girl. My prediction? He is the figure skater and SHE is the hockey player. An updated theme for our female-first generation!

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Go see this genius movie for free!

DALLAS - 3/31, 7:30pm
Lowes Cityplace
2600 Haskell Avenue
Dallas, TX 75226
email: kungfudallas@ign.com

Send an email to that address to try and score some free passes! Seating is limited, so DO IT NOW! You get to bring a friend with your RSVP.

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