We Writes Entries Not Treatises
Dear diary, I have written in you too infrequently this week. Alas I have had a severe dearth of time! Now that I am working I am definitely feeling the time crunch. I haven't touched Sims 2 since last Saturday and my evenings have been packed this week. For the benefit of future Owen who wonders what the hell I did this summer, I shall relate some events of the week.
Back in Black (and red): I'm back working at PSGS for the third year in a row (second year at this office). It was really good to be back and see all the cool people here. I really enjoy hanging out with the younger guys in my group (Miller, Mike, Adam, David, Isaac), Erin (the new girl), and Jon. Miller, Adam, and Mike especially are on the same wavelength as me. We all are gamers and dorks, it is fabulous. Today at lunch, Adam was wearing some of those shoes with wheels in the heels and he proceeded to dance around Chipotle to "Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" from Kill Bill. He looked hilariously ridiculous!
This summer my cubical is remotely located in the area that has recently been vacated by the NASA contractors. I am surrounded by about 8 empty cubicles. But I have a window this time and a very spacious desk so I am quite pleased!
Metro Adventures: Coolest thing I saw on the metro this morning: Dude with a fucking eye patch! Just a regular looking guy in business casual but with a mean-lookin' patch. I'm sure he gets all sorts of pirate jokes, but he sure did have the look going.
On Wednesday I had an incredible series of meetings on the metro home. On the metro train I ran into Gary, a UVA student who crisis directed my committee at the UVA model UN conference this spring. It was nice to catch up with him and he has since friended me on facebook. Then I stepped off the train and ran into Mr. Brackney, a leader from Boy Scouts. Had a nice chat with him about India and how he thinks the Red Cross (his employer) should outsource to India in case of another major disaster this fall. Then, I boarded the bus and ran into Mr. Stoltz and had a nice chat with him on the way home. I also ran into Mr. Stoltz again this morning! What a small world!
Lyrics are Key: When I listen to pop music I am very much a lyrics person. I did not realize this was notable until I talked to Jon the other day and he said that he never really listened to the words and cared mostly about the overall sound. For me, the sound is important, but what I really crave are good lyrics. I can take somewhat homogenous genres (like emo) if the words are clever and interesting. I will also look up the lyrics to just about any song that I listen to more than 4 times. My google search bar is filled with instances of "lyrics [artist] [song]."
Audience Participation: Are you a lyrics person? A whole-song person? A music person? Why?
Yesterday I really listened to the words on the whole album by The Academy Is... Here are some lines I liked:
From "Slow Down"
You kiss me like an overdramatic actor
Who's starving for work
With one last shot to make it happen
You won the role, you've played your part
You've been cordially invited
But I'm not impressed
And I'm definitely not excited
Cause the film runs a shallow budget
And the writer's subject script isn't any deeper
So dive right in
I thought this one made an interesting allusion to the movie business.
From "The Phrase that Pays"
Oh Doctor, Doctor, I must have gotten this sick somehow.
I'm going to ask you a series of questions,
And I want them answered on the spot, right now.
Is it serious?
I'm afraid it is.
Am I gonna die?
Well son, death is gonna catch up to all one day,
But yours is coming quicker than ours, than ours.
That would be pretty funny if a doctor put it that way ("yours is coming quicker than ours").
From "Classifieds"
My life reads like the classifieds.
Pages of what's for sale, whats on the auction block?
Attention bidders, its Lot 45,
He's got a decent voice; he's got that crooked smile.
Hold on, you haven’t heard the best yet...
He writes good storylines, he's got those honest eyes.
So, take him home for just $9.95, he'll sing the songs you like, he'll keep you warm at night (at night).
This is my second favorite first verse of the album (after "Attention, Attention"). I think it is a very interesting way for the singer to describe himself and how he is just another commodity.
Up Next: Tonight: X-MEN 3! I'm excited to see the phoenix in action! Then tomorrow morning I fly to Tampa, FL with my family for a memorial service and interment for my grandmother, who was cremated up here a year ago. It is a somewhat sad occasion, but it will be good to have the whole extended family together again. I shall return next Wednesday afternoon.
Next weekend: short trip to WM! I am going to need to return books to Swem before I leave for India and I figured that rather than mail them down, I might as well drive down and visit with people who are staying there for the summer. So if you are staying in the burg this summer and want to hang out, let me know! Also, let me know if I could crash on your floor for a night or to, I can bring a sleeping bag.