Bucket List Sort of Thing (NaBloPoMo Day 18)

I thought it would be fun to start a sort of continuous bucket list where I post 5 things at a time that I want to do before I, you know, kick the metaphorical bucket.  Also, I thought I should include 1 thing that I've already done in each of these posts. Maybe Lauren will do some of these also. I wonder how many bucket list items we have in common. 

1) write a novel

2) play one of my songs on a stage in front of a lot of people who are singing along

3) carve my name and yours into a tree somewhere

4) publish Poet Tree: Just a Little Book of Poems by Spencer Feder

Here's one of the poems that will go in it:

a question
everyone’s falling apart and fraying at the edges
we break each other’s bones with our innocent intentions
 beautiful oblivion: the only state that we’ve been in
but today is the day when
ignorant bliss becomes the sadness of knowing
and they say sometimes the hurt gets worse before
it can get better, but are we expected to keep
moving forward when the earth beneath our very feet
is burning and burning and burning and burning? 

5) achieve self-actualization

(I think the above picture is probably something like what self-actualization looks like)

6) fold the tiniest paper hat

Tell me some things on your bucket list, please! Or you don't have to, and that's fine also. I'll definitely blog about it if any of these things happen, so stay tuned for that.

xo,

SF

What I'm listening to right now: Tight Rope by Alex Clare

Flushing out my computer

Every now and then, it's time for my computer to go through a cleanse. 

It gets bogged down from all the data I feed it everyday until eventually I have to reboot it. 

So, I spent today going through the 20,000+ photos and the 1,000+ documents I have and deleting the garbage that slows down my system.

It was a super fun time. Actually, not really. 

But I did revisit a lot of memories and I found some I thought I would share. 

Here are some screened highlights:

When it is Spencer's birthday, I like to make her a cake and a handmade token of my friendship, and she does the same for me (see previous posts). This year I made a collage of drawings of things that remind me of her. 

Here is my brainstorm list: (clearly unedited) (I totally forgot it existed and it was a happy discovery( (also, SF hasn't seen this; I can't wait to hear her reaction! eek!)

tazo green tea
steaz
peach oolong
diet coke
OCD
caprese sandwiches

megavideo 76 min wait

my hands are amazing!
im in a crisis

memory board-

unnecessary quotes
food blog- random
thing that Taylor used to say
dark chocolate almonds
gazebo
pretty little liars- off-center shh

leaves that have leaf written on them
haiku
sticky note with what we wrote on it
smitten kitchen
bakerella
prairie  lady
hand book
bright converse, mismatched outfit
woodsy
that purple skirt
wendy's salads
orange juice cartons
flying airplanes
geometry
lit mag
origami club
whole foods
fresh market
publix
wedges
starbucks
making dr seuss in starbucks
walking barefoot
band for plays,
fake fireplaces
suprise party at jonathans
round the world party
bell pepper
city of angels
water- thermos -dented
butternut squash
choose not to use
sand burrs
pb cups
stop then turn
making banner out in grass
what? nothing
eggs benedict
dead like me
grey's anatomy couple
cleaning the tables in physics
golf
lacrosse
mauler dinner
polo , matt's house
knitting rainbow scarf
drawing frankenstein
chemistry- spencer, me and ?
colored pens in biology
senior dinner, big bang theory and rory gilmore
senora spelled out
my face is better than yours
5:00, 5:30, 6:00 starbucks?
back room of physics, eating candy
ritz carleton, lox benedict, oatmeal, granola, blueberry pancakes
signing out
clinic
all those fashion shoots, in black, gold
pink and blue streak
ombre
chalking
both long hair
mid hair , short hair
red hair, lightened hair
chunky henna
new years- sweet cheese
romantic valentine's day
me crying on three separate occasions
veggie dumplings inside theater
papercut on eye
drawing our year book pages
honey/butter
illy
dark chocolate ginger
brie
pastry art
baggy sweaters
safe stage
color stage
floral.skirt. blousy
edgy
squishy boots
sleep over at jessica's
sader at jessica's, parsley in salt water
thanksgiving together
tiger and smarty pants
julie sleepover
chloe with devil ears
josie- tiger
bella- crown
jonathan
ichat
taylor swift
regina spektor
one republic
peanut gallery
pigeon hole
make sure you get some good food when you go to the shiva
plaid shirts
history of love
the bell jar
that road trip
extremely loud and incredibly close
room
beach (30 min max fully clothed)
bacon
nice waitresses
saijos
the help
forever 21
nasty gal
threadless
beauty bloggers
hauls
comedians- indian girl, dmetri
nigella lawson
albert einstein
elsie the cow
ringling library
genf- tea
coconut chocolate yogurt
macaroni pancakes
euro trip
bowling
eduardo
don't mess with texas
soccer game in the rain
egged ginger bread  house
#1 fans
first friday of the month
all our friends at starbucks
walking ahead and talking backwards
ants on the oak tree
red lip phase
owls- phase
gross computer with snowman stickers
paper man
windows down, music up
asian guy sqinting from heroes
friday night lights
bones
dakota skye
red my lips

That probably made no sense to you whatsoever. 

But, it is basically the LA/SF friendship summed up. 
Well, there are some more I thought of while reading this, but I wanted to leave the document in its original form.

Next, for some reason, I don't know...I'm really weird, I thought it would be neat to post anonymous sticky notes around our high school campus senior year.

Spencer wasn't there for the first time, but she joined me two times after, and I found some of what I wrote on them, on my Stickies program coincidentally. 

Here are a few for your viewing pleasure:

WARNING: I have always been an embarrassing child.

Dumbo had big ears and an offensive name, but he is remembered fondly in the hearts of many. There is hope for us all.

BY SUMONE U LUV A DIKTUNARY BEEFOR IT IS TOO LATE FOR THEM TO.
WEBSTER- Proudly bringing spelling awareness to the people since 1995, the date of the epidemic of the text.

OHHHH HAHAHAHA AHAHAHAH. oh pardon me. i didn't see you there. i was just laughing at the ridiculous outfit that person is wearing. made you look. and by the way....it is not nice to make fun. shame on me!

You could kill two birds with one stone, or you could use that same stone to sculpt a phoenix, or a raven, and have one beautiful masterpiece.

INSPIRATION COMES IN THE MOST UNEXPECTED FORMS. TAKE THIS NOTE FOR INSTANCE. YOU COULD FOLD IT UP INTO AN ORIGAMI SWAN, FLOAT IT ON A LAKE, AND ON OBSERVING IT, REALIZE THE PROPERTIES OF PHYSICS. THOUGH YOU MAY BE DISAPPOINTED ON FINDNG THAT SOME OLD GUY DID THAT A WHILE AGO, AT LEAST YOU MADE YOUR OWN BREAK THROUGH. Congrats on your infinite possibilities! 

GET UP! NOW DO A JIG! NO? WELL, YOUR LOSS. 

I found the following document titled "thoughts" : I don't remember writing this

 

-->

lightning- search light, sphere bubble of our world touching sphere bubble of other world, divide opening up

earwig swimming in shower

odd violent thoughts- cars sliding into each other like baby penguins slipping on ice

smell something and reminds you of something you tasted before- like an echo but can’t make out words

idea is more romantic than action

thinking of what to say after

I don’t understand people who are cynical about brunch- how can you scoff at a poached egg, it’s inflated with sunny yellow breakfast cheer, but people say make up your mind, choose bw bf and lunch, but bf is for muffins, cold cereal oatmeal and coffee, who takes the time to make a proper meal?

proper meal- in my family means hot and with meat, not greek yogurt, granola honey and berries for dinner

ground coffee smells like cheese

remembering things you had long forgot is a happy feeling, remembering eating honeysuckle

not knowing the diff bw dreams and reality

think others have this psychic ability to read your thoughts

driving on road and think everyone is paying attention to how slowly or smoothly you stop or change lanes but you are not paying attention to how others are driving so likely they aren’t either

yeast donuts are like people, same inside, coated in different frostings

Write a story about a factory.- toothpast cap screwer out a job

rearview mirror-can’t see outside, most exposed part of car

nails- covered up, to hang more valuable things

c in chik fi le is a chicken

beautiful things rotting

This document is labeled "Journal": I think it was a recommendation in a poetry book to observe one's surrounding to get one's ideas flowing. I don't think it worked for me. Also, I think I wrote this when I was in a really chipper mood. Judge for yourself.

 

-->

Ooh straight-across bangs, cute, should I get those again?

Love her bushy wavy hair, I am going to rethink cutting mine short

I love when a person smiles as they walk

Love her tights

The weather is wonderful

His scarf/toms/raybans/cut off Bermuda shorts/foreign shirt are great

Im easily inspired

If I could hear my thoughts aloud is would sound like I’m a squirrel on acid

How does one know if their likeable if they have no friends?

Everyone is on their cell phone

Awww a group of cheery Asians, <3

Steve jobs died- I don’t know I feel about that

This is do something extraordinary weather, and im people watching

I wish I had a friend

I wish I had more defined cheek bones

This journal is really getting no where with my poetry

The book said this would work

I should email the publisher

That guy just almost ran into that tree with his bike and then plucked an orange off it

I like art, but these statues are super ugly

Love her tribal print skirt- bet she got it at urban, yep I am getting nowhere

I love how I left anthropology early so I wouldn’t have to wait in line for starbucks and now this is what Im doing

I should really give blood

Now guy is back with his bike and another orange- he tells me they are yummy- ill take his word for it- he seems trustworthy

He looks friendly/lonely- wonder if he would be my friend

Yep, that's me, 

LA

My Favorite TV Shows and Why (NaBloPoMo Day 17)

So here's the thing, I'm a huge television fan. I just absolutely love it. A lot of people say watching TV is a waste of time or doesn't help you grow intellectually or will lead to the end of the world or whatever.  However, I strongly disagree. I don't have much to say about reality TV because I've almost never seen it, not because I think it's bad, just because I really love fiction. 

It's sort of hard to express the significant role certain TV series have played in my life in the last few years. I tend to get pretty emotionally involved in the lives of fictional characters. Anyway, these are some of my very favorites.

Parenthood is a show I discovered less than a year ago, and then I watched all of it that was available sort of in one go. That's not something that particularly unusual for me to do. The things I love about this show are:

1. the hyperrealism of the characters and their relationships to one another
2. the way it focuses on successful and happy married relationships instead of constantly changing and failing high school relationships like a lot of other popular shows (some of which I also love)
3. the chemistry of the actors
4. the way it evokes empathy so much (so I cry during every episode I watch, without fail)

Parks and Recreation is so hilarious I don't even know what to say. I highly recommend it to almost everyone. This is one of the only shows that's still on the air that I'm caught up with.  I look forward to watching it on Hulu every Friday when I get back from art history class. Here's what I like so much about it:

1. I laugh (obviously) and also cry during basically every episode
2. the characters are ridiculous caricatures of real people, except then at some point you realize that it's actual real people who are ridiculous caricatures of real people and the characters in this show are sort of like that
3. there are no characters that I don't like a ton like in some other shows that I watch (even Jerry)

Lauren was the one who made me start watching Nikita during our senior year of high school. This show is less realistic but it is so exciting with one of those government conspiracy types of plots.  The protagonist is totally awesome and the whole thing is a fun combination of action and emotional drama that (I bet you could have guessed) often makes me cry. I think I am starting to sound awfully silly.



I can't tell you how much I like Bones.  It's quite possibly my favorite of all of these favorites. I love the way the characters are really varied in personalities and character traits to appeal to a larger audience possibly although I don't actually know very many people who watch this show. Then again, I don't actually know very many people. The chemistry between the characters is very successful and it is extremely comforting to have a protagonist who is socially awkward and rational to a fault. Usually, TV shows have exclusively charismatic main characters, and how many of us can relate to those??



Doctor Who is a show that I think is a little weird to have as just part of a list of my favorite shows, because usually when I hear people talk about how they really like Doctor Who, they REALLY like Doctor Who. I think it's great, although I haven't seen any of the old movies/series/I don't really know how it works. I've seen most of the most recent seasons, and what I like most is the way the Doctor is sort of awkward and not particularly charismatic, similar to Bones. Also, he is a lonely sort of non-person, and we all know those are the best ones.

Friday Night Lights reminds me a lot of Parenthood with the realism that it features in its characters. This show made me think football is extremely exciting, which is something I never thought about before I started watching it. I love the soundtrack and most of all I love the parents in the above photo who I think are just the best representation of good parenting that I've ever seen on any TV show. It makes me cry. A lot. Big surprise.

Veronica Mars is such a cool kid, and she makes me want to be a private investigator. There's something charming about some good old-fashioned main character narration to every episode. I think this show is just the right combination of wit and suspense and obvious 2004 fashion. I also really like the way some of the later seasons have a central theme or story line that the entire season is based around instead of quickly changing stories from episode to episode.



I have seen every episode of Gilmore Girls probably more times than I've seen all of the episodes of all these other shows combined. I started watching it when I was 13 I think and now I'm 19, so that's 6 years of almost constant Gilmore. OK, I'm joking, I haven't literally been watching it for six years straight, but I do know probably all the words to every episode. I'm not quite sure why I latched onto this one to such a severe extent. I think I was drawn to the witty, fast-paced dialogue and the quirky setting and also the comforting mother-daughter relationship. Because it was such a big part of my life during my early teens, now, watching Gilmore Girls feels like going home, and that's why I like it more than anything else.



And finally, Grey's Anatomy, a bandwagon which I jumped upon fairly recently and then proceeded to watch 7 full seasons in maybe 3 days. I don't think that's physically possible, but I think I made it happen. This show is far less realistic than some of my other favorites, but it has some really beautiful moments, and introduces a lot of greater human truths about life and death and the things in between. Also, the relationship between Meredith and Cristina always reminds me of Lauren and me. But we're not nearly as annoying or stubborn. (Right??) Also, I don't think we'd be as inclined to hold a human heart (but only in a literal sense, obviously). We're figurative heart-holding romantics.


In conclusion, you should watch these. Television is key in the growth and intellectual development of the human race. Oh my goodness I'm joking, don't freak out. But I do think it's really great and can teach just as much as reading a book or performing open-heart surgery (enough with the heart jokes, Spencer, they're over-dramatic and confusing).

Have a nice year/all the rest of the years,

SRF

What I'm listening to right now: Leave Before the Lights Come On by Arctic Monkeys

Night at the Desk

I would say a night at my desk shift is literally like the plot of the two-star (according to Rotten Tomatoes) picture Night at the Museum starring Ben Stiller.

Creatures do come to life, and I am the watchwoman who saves the day.

Here comes Nobody!

 

I get really bored during my shift because it is on a Friday night when most people are not around the hall.

I have had many residents and fellow RAs give me sympathetic looks when they see me at the desk Friday nights because they assume I had last picks for the work schedule and was stuck with the least desirable time.

However, I specifically chose this shift because it does not interfere with my class work, and I do not usually go out to parties or events or clubs or do other normal college activities.

Instead, I eat cold corn out of a can, watch Parks and Rec on the desk computer and place googly eyes on all of my surrounding objects.

Also,  I would like to point out as an aside that I am currently biting down on my fist and wanting to punch this same fist through the wall. 

 

However, I cannot do this because I am the person who would have to write an incident report for the damage. The reason I am so frustrated is my internet bogs down after 5 p.m. most days and right now, the swirly, candy-lollipop-looking thing is popping up every time I move my cursor or even after writing just a couple of words, and then I have to wait for the type to respond. So, I am trying to get this post over with now, before I leave permanent teeth marks.

Anyway...

Cold corn in a can is actually pretty good. Especially when you get the organic kind from Fresh Market that is on sale (at least at the time that I bought it in the place that I have not revealed so it may or not be on sale for you). 

Nevertheless, it is delicious. I quite love it. I drizzle it with olive oil and sprinkle it will sea salt. You may even empty the can's contents into a bowl and use a non-plastic fork, but I was too lazy to wash said items.

And so we have this:

 

For best results, I also recommend that you enjoy it during an incredibly dull desk shift. And to make the experience less dull, I recommend that you watch Parks and Recreation, which Spencer also loves and talks about below. 

My dad has been watching the show from the beginning and was always recommending it to me, and then Spencer told me how great it was, and then I finally listened. 

I think Lesley Knope makes the whole show for me, even though there are a lot of characters that provide amusement. She just has so many great one liners.

 

But shhhh...no one tell Spencer, I still like The Office more ;), but more on that in a later post.  

 

 

Walrus trashcan 

 

  

Happy thumbtacks 

 

Cross-eyed drawer handle

 

An old timey phone with an old timey perm

 

One of those things that you may have stuck pictures of your BFFs in in middle school

 

If someone had needed to sign out a package right then, I would have had some awkward untangling to do...

 

The package scanner that I thought was too cool when we first met, but now I am so over him.

 

The office stapler (close cousin to the "Cookie Monster" stapler featured in a previous post)

 

It's a label maker.

 

For some reason reminds me of the teacup in Beauty and the Beast. I think it's the nose.

 

Where's the mouse? The snake ate it.

xo,

Nobody

Things to Do With Your Bangs (NaBloPoMo Day 16)

If you didn't watch my most recent videoblog, you may not know that I recently cut bangs on a whim. It was one of those things where it was two in the morning and I just finished a paper and I just went for it. I realize making the front of your hair shorter is not quite a big deal in the scheme of things, but I think in some people's lives, it can be a big deal. I'm not sure that I'm one of those people, but if you are, or even if you're not but you still have bangs, then I have some suggestions about what to do with them when you don't feel like wearing them like bangs all the time.

Here I just brushed them to the side which I don't remember being a thing I could do successfully in previous bangs experiences, but I was probably just young and naive in those days. This is really easy (obviously) and is nice for when you need to be able to see. 

Sometimes I just pull them to the side and clip them in with two parallel bobby pins.

Or, I sort of puff them up a little and pin them to the top of my head with two bobby pins in an X shape.

For this, I just start twisting them from near by part, but I keep adding in more little bits of hair as I get closer to the side of my head, and then secure them into place with bobby pins in an X.

And finally, for this, I do a sort of French braid where I start by the part just doing a normal braid with a  very small amount of hair, but after going through the braiding process twiceish (that's not a word, I wouldn't recommend using it in a formal essay) and then adding little bits of more hair into the braid as I work my way to the side, basically like the previous picture, except with braiding.

What's your favorite way to wear your bangs? What's your favorite way that I wear by bangs sometimes? What's your favorite name for bangs, because I quite like the word fringe?

Hearts and Stars,

Spencer

What I'm listening to right now: Can't Put Your Heart Around Everyone by Rooney