THREE HUNDRED FORTY-THREE

SONG OF THE DAY #343
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Stormy Weather
by Ethel Waters

This morning I woke up early to get to Myth; my final was today. I finished my extra credit essay, emailed Angela, and went to class. As it turns out, half the test was out of the chapters I didn't read. Brilliant! Finished in a cinch. As soon as I got out, Crystal tells me she just finished hers, and she's headed to work. Since my celebratory lunch plans would have to wait, I took Jaif up on her offer to watch Due Date, which ended up being a tidbit better than I expected. Put on The Luyas and cleaned up my desk, Jaif holding the trash.
She left, and hesitated. And after walking into the middle of the road with my hands on my head as something complicated drove away in front of me. I sat on the sidewalk for about 10 minutes watching my life become more and more tangled, until I finally went inside and took to writing. In it, I made my decision. I wrote for an hour and then sought approval from the one woman that would understand these matters of the heart.
This will go down in history as the craziest day of my life.
I went to Itita's house; she wasn't there. I went to la peluquería to find her, and I told her what was happening. The ladies found out as well. After reading my letter to them and getting some feedback, I decided my heart's words were good enough and started transcribing. Itito's office. Now I'd wait. I'd wait for three hours until I asked for whereabouts. And then I'd wait some more. I gave up, and I was about to go home at around 7:45, she sent a message. I was at her house 5 minutes later, dropping off the letter. And as soon as I left, I got nervous again. I came home. I came home, I waited for the speaker until 8:45. I told my mom what had happened. I told her what I wrote. She cried. She gave me advice. She sent me on my way. At this point I was almost hyperventilating. I'd never let out that much emotion, ever. That letter is the most heartfelt thing I've ever written, and I couldn't believe I just left my heart hanging and delivered it to someone. I didn't think I was even capable of something like that. I couldn't explain it if I tried. I felt like I was gonna throw up for most of the afternoon, knowing what I was about to do, and then really heavily once it hit me what I had done. I got in the car with the speaker and 17 cords and drove to Crystal's. Despejándome Un poco, I gave her salsa lesson #2, and then we started watching Pi. I got home and before going inside, followed Jaife's instructions: "check your mailbox when you get a chance." Oh.
Oh my God.



Take a breath.



Keep reading.



What?



Now?



How could I not--?



This isn't happening.



This cannot be happening.



Is this real?



I come inside. I get a grueling pain in parts I didn't even know one could sprain. It's half past midnight, around 40 minutes since I've been home, and I still haven't figured out if it was Crystal's couch or Jaife's words that are physically weakening me. I feel like life just kicked me in the nuts for being such a schmuck. So I took two extra-strength caplets of Western Medecine and tried sleeping for a change.

THE DAY'S PLAYLIST
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Caring is Creepy
by The Shins

Stormy Weather

by Ethel Waters

The Weakness in Me
by Joan Armatrading

This Year's Love
by David Gray

THREE HUNDRED ELEVEN

SONG OF THE DAY #311
Friday, March 25th, 2011
The Way You Look Tonight
by Tony Bennett

With a morning filled with sleep and an afternoon of Urban Ecology, I'm keeping it mellow with today's song. I sat on my bed for about 7 hours writing my paper for EcoUrbo on green roofing. When I realized that the two pages of starting point I submitted about 3 weeks ago were total garbage, I decided to strip it bare and start anew. As soon as I finished, I took a shower, refreshed and got dressed. It's 8 PM at this point, and I'm headed to the Fair. I thought about a few things on the way, had a sort-of prom flashback that turned into a daydream, and thought about The Girl wearing a corsage. She'd look so beautiful it made me want to sigh, and sing to her. The Way You Look Tonight, with no music, right there in her parents' living room. Piano played in my head for the rest of the night, including inappropriately, on the Himalayas and Ferris Wheel. At the Fair were Sam, Jaife, Oscar, Chris, Andrew, Izzy, and Mileini. Got lost by one of the Crazy Mice, until Mileini came to pick me up at the entrance. I took her to the Real Crazy Mouse, Mega Drop, Pizza place, and Pirate Funhouse, where I'd climbed atop a soda machine to see everyone, who were on the othe side of the fair completely. Rode a few things with Mileini, and talked to the gang about lame things we find interesting. They started closing everything at 1, when Mileini and I walked to the front of the Fair to wait for everyone, still on the upside down ride I cleverly evaded. Had a moment with an ESE teacher, piano playing, and looked after the child next to me, who adorably, incessantly, pointed out everything she wanted from the gift shop in front of us. We walked back to Sam's dorm, and at around 2:30, we headed home. Saw the girls to their car, still in blue, and got on bike and rode to Archie. Put this song on, and drove the slowest I've ever driven, back home. It's 3:34. Beach tomorrow? Says Wendy... Eso veremos.
Goodnight, moon.

THREE HUNDRED FIVE

SONG OF THE DAY #305
Saturday, March 19th, 2011
Little Motel
by Modest Mouse

Woke up early to give the people coming to see the house at 12 a chance to see both my room and the bathroom neatly made. All day I did nothing but watch an episode of Skins and download and listen to people's souls being spilled in ink. These lyrics are incredibly terrifying. David Gray, Bright Eyes, Elliot Smith, Colin Hay, City & Colour-- they all have something inherently powerful to bring to the table, and it makes me want to go out and look up at the sky and believe in Life as much as it scares the crap out of me that people could actually feel this way, and that I have, too. I spent the day, while doing the aforementioned, updating The Sound. These festival days are killing me... I left most of them blank.

If you're ever incredibly heartbroken or incredibly in love, and you want to feel like you have a kindred spirit in songwriters, listen to these. But mind you, this is not to be taken lightly. To attest such strong emotions may cause you to fall out of, or even deeper in love.

Anyway, putting a serious note aside, I had a great time just simplistically talking to my parents in the backyard. Corny, but they know so much about life. Maybe it was just an introspectve day. Yeah, it was a very, very introspective day. It was also Mileini's Mom's birthday, and so I wrapped up a bottle of white wine and made a Salsa mix and headed over.

Brothers, endless conversation, excellent family members, mamá no tiene modestia, salsa lesson, funny quote from my youth, Jaques Tati. And sometimes I wish this was a private journal.

Caveat: This song, I just realized, is a repeat from a couple hundred days ago. Just go with it.

ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-TWO

Today all I did was work on my short story for creative writing, which was due at 3 and I still haven't finished. Today wasn't defined by any one song, but by the collection of songs that helped me write. Here they are, playlisted. And for the sake of the blog, I picked one in particular for today's, that's different from the ones on the list. Enjoy 'em. I know I do.

THE DAY'S PLAYLIST #1

1. Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel

2. Lust for Life by Iggy Pop

3. Don't Look Back In Anger by Oasis

4. Father And Son by Cat Stevens

5. If It Is Growing by Fanfarlo

6. Flume by Bon Iver

SONG OF THE DAY #182
Tuesday, November 16th, 2010
Father And Son (From Yusuf's Cafe)
by Cat Stevens