What I Like About 2009 - Movies

I saw a lot of movies this year. Well, more than I normally would see in a year. I saw:

Star Trek
The Hangover
District 9
Inglorious Basterds
Extract
The Informant!
9
The Damned United
The Men Who Stare At Goats
The Road

Yes. That's a lot for me. Let's talk about the favorites.

Favorite Sci-Fi Movie Of The Year and Favorite Movie Of The Year
District 9

This movie turned me on my head when I saw it. The effects were phenomenal. The story fascinating. The acting spectacular. A spaceship stalls over a town in South Africa. The inhabitants are then forced to live in a refugee camp. After many years the South Africans grow tired of having these aliens invade their space and a relocation program is set into place. The Aliens do not want to leave because they want to stay near their ship. A fight ensues and a scientist is caught in the middle. The story is heartbreaking and left me shaking when it ended.

Favorite Comedy Of The Year
The Hangover

Who knew this movie would be so damn funny? I mean, really, it was supposed to be a stupid summer comedy. But thanks to it, I will never pronounce 'retard' the same way again. Non stop laughs. Perfect casting. Babies, Tigers, Mike Tyson, and a photo gallery during the credits that is truly inspired. I'm almost scared to see it again for fear that it won't be as good and it will then be ruined.

Favorite Inaccurate Historical Movie Of The Year
Inglorious Basterds

I did not like this movie as I watched it, though the first scene is fucking brilliant and should get an Oscar all of its own. But the days following after I saw it, I liked it more and more. It really stuck with me and I found myself thinking back on it fondly. Christoph Waltz is a shoo-in for the Oscar, and he should be. He was so amazing. But, I also think Denis Menochet, the poor French Farmer from that first brilliant scene, should also get a nod. He drew me in with his quiet pain. Love Love Love.

Favorite George Clooney Movie Of The Year
The Men Who Stare At Goats

This was another comedy that I had no idea would bowl me over like it did. I thought it was hilarious. Though it seemed like it was written as an inside joke about Ewan McGregor playing Obi-Wan Kenobi. So, if you don't get those references, you might not find it as hilarious. I find it hard not to like a George Clooney movie. I don't know if it's him or the movies he chooses to be in, but they are usually quite good. I am (hopefully) seeing Up In The Air this weekend, so maybe this category will change, but for now, The Men Who Stare At Goats is the winner.

Favorite Matt Damon Movie Of The Year
The Informant!

Yet another movie that I did not think would be as funny as it was. Matt Damon deserves an Oscar nod for this performance. A very stylized comedy about a corporate cog who finds himself caught up in an international business scandal. The humor is subtle, the look very retro. A highly enjoyable movie.

Favorite Depressing Movie Of The Year
The Road

Oh, The Road. How you made me want to crawl into a bomb shelter and cry out the rest of my days. I finished the book just hours before seeing the movie and it was almost too much emotional heartache to take in one day. It's the story of a man and his son trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. A most depressing, gut wrenching book and film. But fantastic nonetheless.

Other Movie Highlights

- As someone who never watched Star Trek the TV show in any of its generations, I really enjoyed this movie. I think Star Trek is enough of a pop culture icon that the references were funny to everyone.

- I'm not much for sport movies and I don't know much about Soccer, but The Damned United was a great movie anyway. It had a lot of my favorite "That Guy" British actors and the Soccer talk was easy to understand. Maybe it helped that my husband is Soccer obsessed and so some of the references were familiar.

That's it for movies. I'm not much of a film buff, so it's not all that extensive.

What I Like About 2009 - TV

It seemed to really ramp it up this year. There was so much worth watching. I found my schedule completely taken over by TV. Even with DVR it was difficult to keep it up. Let's take a look at what aided in my lack of a social life in 2009:

Favorite New Sitcom
Modern Family

Modern Family is a show about 3 different sections in one fairly well off family. There's the Patriarch (played by former Al Bundy, Ed O'Neil) and his new, much younger Columbian wife and her young son from a former relationship. There is the daughter and her husband and three kids: The popular 15 year old daughter, the nerdy 12 year old daughter, and the strange young son) Then there is the gay son and his partner and their new adopted Chinese baby.

The show is done documentary style, much like The Office. I love the characters. Ed O'Neil always has held a soft spot in my heart. I don't know why. It's funny, it's sweet, it's clever. It's must watch.

Favorite Comedy That I'm Just Rediscovering This Year
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Oh dear lord this show is fantastic. I remember watching the first season when it first aired and really enjoying it. Then they brought in Danny Devito and I stopped. Funny now that Mr. Devito is one of my favorite parts of the show. Actually, all 5 main characters are equally favorited. Dennis, Dee, Mac, Charlie, and Frank all make me laugh like no other. If you are easily offended, stay away. For everyone else, start watching. You will not be disappointed.



Favorite Show That Ended This Year (2 way tie)
Prison Break and Monk

Prison Break may be the most ridiculous show I have ever watched and loved with every ounce of my being. The plot never made sense. The dialogue was cheesy and forced. The acting was subpar. But it was always the most intense 44 minutes I've ever watched on television. An episode would be just moving along and always at the 30 minute mark, things would kick into high gear and I would have to watch hiding behind a pillow.

Monk may be the most docile, feel good show I have ever watched and loved with every ounce of my being. Each mystery was always easily solved. Mr. Monk would always stumble across something completely random that would solve the case. I feel I truly cared for each character. My only issue was that Lieutenant Disher ended up with Sharona, Monk's old assistant. She is so not his type.


Favorite New Show I Hope Returns Next Year As Good As It Started
V

After only 4 episodes, V went on hiatus and is returning in March. My hope is that they tweak out all the issues and it comes back stronger because it has a lot of potential. I was a big V fan when the mini-series originally aired, so it's return was welcomed. With Juliette from Lost (sorry, I don't know her real name and am too lazy to look it up) at the helm, I was sure to watch it. The head Visitor, Anna, has kept me hooked in. What fantastic casting. She is incredibly intriguing. Please come back and be good and not be cancelled.

Favorite Show That Will End Next Year
Lost

Since I just started my blog a year ago, this year was the first year I did my recaps, and it was so much fun, yet so difficult. There is always so much going on that it is hard to capture it all. I love this show so much and I will be so sad to see it end next year. But it is right that it is ending and will not go on to rot away like so many shows do.

Other TV Highlights

-How I Met Your Mother continues to be a steady and reliable show to watch every Monday night. I always know I will laugh. I'm relieved they broke Barney and Robin up. I wasn't feeling that relationship.

-Community is another new show that is grabbing my attention. Joel McHale is one of my favorite people so I'm happy to see him on another show each week. The writing has really tightened up and the characters are developing well. I'm glad NBC is giving it a chance.

-Another season of American Idol came and went with a winner I can deal with. Kris Allen may not be the Next Big Thing, but I think he'll have a nice career full of easy breezy adult contemporary mini-hits.

-I'm back on the Survivor train after a crazy season led by the scheming Russel. If it wasn't for him, this season would have been a real drag as it seems no one else was playing the game. I'm happy to hear that he will be a part of the All Star season starting in February. Now I'm going to have to watch that.

-Unfortunately, there are only two good things I can say about this season of Project Runway. 1. I won the office pool. 2. Tim Gunn wore and apron and made cookies. But next year they are back in New York with Nina Garcia and Michael Kohrs at the judges table every episode. That can only mean good things.

Which shows had you glued to the TV this year?

What I Like About 2009 - Music

On this, the last day of 2009, I present my favorite things of the past year (in no particular order). I'm going to break it up into different posts. Music, TV, Movies.

Normally, I would just do a Top Ten Albums of the year list. But since I could not find 10 albums that I purchased this year that came out this year that I truly loved, I'm changing things up.

Favorite Album Released in 2009
Yeah Yeah Yeah's: It's Blitz

From start to finish, this album is a goldmine. The Yeah Yeah Yeah's have taken a real departure from their usual rock and roll fare, choosing to go the dance route. It works. Karen's voice was made for this style. The songs are fun to sing along with and to dance to. And, like the Lykke Li album that made my Top Ten last year, it's a dance album that does not just throw away the lyrics. Listen to "Hysteric" and tell me if it doesn't warm your heart. 'You suddenly complete me' is right. I can't believe at one time "Hysteric" didn't exist.

Another notable tracks you must download if you are too cheap to buy the whole album: "Zero", "Runaway", "Little Shadow", and "Faces". Oh, screw it. Just buy the whole album!

Favorite Album That Came Out Last Year But I Just Discovered This Year
Amanda Palmer: Who Killed Amanda Palmer?

After only buying this album a couple of months ago, I can't believe I lived a whole year without hearing it. Amanda has the voice of a drunk singing karaoke at a piano bar, but she has the attitude and lyrics to make you shut up and listen. An album that seems to revolve around two things: A friend dealing with a drug addiction and a difficult break up (maybe they are one and the same?) is hardly the album that you would think would make you so happy upon each listen. I guess I just feel so relieved every time I hear it that there are still people like Amanda out there making genuine, raw music and hold nothing back.

What you should be listening to: "Ampersand", "Runs in the Family", "Blake Says", "Oasis", and "Point of it All"

I'm Gonna Let You Finish, But Beyonce Made The Best Video Of The Year

So yes, Kanye, you were right. There probably could have been a better place or time to make your statement, but she did make the best video of the year. It was simple concept for a fantastic pop song that made you want to watch it over and over again. I don't know how many times I've tried to emulate it - or at least parts of it. It made thousands of YouTuber's put on their stilettos and leotards and strut around their living rooms. Did Taylor Swift's video have the same impact?

(On a side note, I know it's not okay to like Kanye West for making a teen girl cry, but "Heartless" is a fantastic song)

Favorite Concert Of The Year (3 way tie)
The National at First Avenue, Jenny Lewis at Fine Line, Soul Asylum at First Avenue

Before seeing The National in concert, I had only heard their album The Boxer and had no idea what they looked like or what their shows were like. They could have come out as 60 year old men in clown suits and I probably would have gone with it. But they didn't. They were just a bunch of dudes led by a charismatic frontman in a skinny tie and olive suit. They ran through every song I knew and played with an energy and urgency I did not expect. When lead singer Matt Berninger climbed the staircase, leaned over the railing, and shouted "I am the great white hope!", I declared him my god.

The Jenny Lewis show was a surprise. I had already seen her at First Avenue early in the summer and it was very enjoyable. But then she did a private show at the Fine Line that I somehow managed to score a bunch of tickets to. She played acoustically with her boyfriend and bandmate, Johnathan Rice. These two folkies owned the room. Also, I got to go on stage during the final song and sing back up to "Acid Tongue". It was awesome.

Soul Asylum was a recent show. I've always really liked this band and grew to truly respect them after seeing them at a festival a few years back. But after the First Avenue show, my love for them grew leaps and bounds. They are not against playing all the hits, they are still writing great new material, they played for so long and kept the energy up the whole time. It was just a fun fun concert.

Favorite Regina Spektor Songs From An Album I Didn't Really Care For

Regina Spektor released a new album this year titled Far that I was really looking forward to, only to be extremely let down. Since it's now had time to sink in a bit, some songs have grown on me. They are: "Folding Chair", "Machine", "Dance Anthem of the 80's", and "Eet". So go get those.

Musical Guilty Pleasure Of The Year
David Cook

Oh, dear. I feel terrible for putting him under guilty pleasure, because I do love him so, but I know that people will (and do) give me crap for liking him, so I guess I should feel guilty? He put on a great show back in July. His album is a big anthemic rock album that is fun to sing along to and blast in the car. He seems like an incredibly likable, humble guy who you want to support. He does great things for cancer charities. His voice is like having your ear drums nuzzled. Sorry. No guilt here.

Other Music Highlights

- I like that it's okay to listen to Michael Jackson again. It's unfortunate that he had to die to make that so.

- The Killers' Day and Age is another album that came out late in 2008 that I didn't really grow to appreciate until this year. It's a fantastic album in that same new wave vein as Yeah Yeah Yeah's. They really go hand in hand quite well. Top tracks: "A Dustland Fairytale", "Spaceman", "Human", "Joyride".

- Chairlift's "Bruises" and Blitzen Trapper's "Furr" are probably my two favorite future one hit wonder songs of the year - if you can really call them hits. More like indie sleeper hits.

- Thank goodness Ingrid Michaelson released a bunch of singles leading up to her latest album's release, or she might have completely fallen off my radar. But songs like "Turn to Stone" and "All Love" will keep me satisfied.

- I got to see Britney Spears live this year. At least I think it was her. It could have just been a dancer in a blonde wig. But it was entertaining.

That's my music round up for 2009. What did you enjoy musically this past year?

I Wish...

I wish I was there for this...



Oh, and Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve Ramblings, Part 1

Happy Christmas Eve! I'm sitting at work in a dead office. I think I'm leaving at noon. I don't think I can physically withstand to stay any longer.
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I went to the ER last Friday for chest pains. As a healthy 30 year old, this scared the crap out of me. The doctor said it was inflamed cartilage in my rib cage egged on by my panic attack. How does that happen?
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Speaking of panic attacks, I think I'm prone to them. I've gone to urgent care a couple of times because of them. Now it's in my medical records. Remember that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine tries to steal her medical file back to see why she is considered difficult? I want to do the same. It seems every time I go to the doctor now, they just say I had a panic attack. Something caused me to panic in the first place, Doc.
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The world seems to stand still during the holidays. All of my TV shows are on hiatus. No concerts are coming to town. Businesses are closed. It doesn't help that Minnesota is in the middle of a "snowpocolypse" or "snowgasm" or "snow-m-g" or whatever you want to call it.
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I'm hoping this snow doesn't ruin my Christmas plans. I need to get to the location that holds my presents and mashed potatoes.
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In honor of Christmas Eve, I leave you with this video of one of the great songs of all time. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you.

The Road

I recently finished the book The Road. If you feel like being depressed for a week, read this book.

I shouldn't say that. It's an excellent, excellent book. I highly recommend it.

It's the story of a man and his son trying to make their way through a post-apocolyptic world.

It makes you think, it makes you cry, it makes you shudder at the horror of it all.

Starvation, cold, cannibals, suicide. Not exactly holiday fare.

I saw the movie about an hour after finishing it and I would suggest reading the book before seeing the film. I think I would have been a bit lost if I had not read it.

It was cool to see the landscape visualized. But some of the horrors described in the book were more horrific on screen than my mind imagined.

This books is still in the front of my mind 2 days after finishing it. I think that makes it worth the read.

Keep It To Yourself

Why is it that sick people feel the need to tell the world how sick they are?

I just overheard a conversation between two co-workers. One just got over H1N1 and a myriad of other illnesses. She went into detail about all that ailed her over the past couple of weeks. The body aches, the cough, the fever. What is someone supposed to do with this information? Geez, sorry you were sick. Please stay away from me because you still sound terrible.

Maybe it's a psychological thing. Sick people need others to feel sympathy for them so they will be cared for and not abandoned by the pack. A means to survival. I don't know. It just bothers me.

In other news, I'm not feeling well ; ) But I'm not going to go into the details of my under-the-weatherness. Instead, I will continue on with the bi-monthly tradition I have started of playing the 25 songs that play on my iPod while I'm at work and not feeling well.
So here we go:

1. "Inspiration Information" Shuggie Otis
2. "Lucky Day" - Erin McKeown
3. "Un-Named" - Leona Naess
4. "Fools Gold" - Michael Johns
5. "Joan Jett of Arc" - Clem Snide
6. "Slide Away" - Oasis
7. "With Arms Outstretched" - Rilo Kiley
8. "Underground" - Ben Folds Five
9. "Up to the Mountain" - Patty Griffin
10. "The Opposite of Hallelujah" - Jens Lekman
11. "A Daily Anthem" - David Cook
12. "A Spade" - Ani Difranco
13. "Grey" (live from Hamburg, Germany - Offical Boot) - Ani Difranco
14. "Capturing Moods" - Rilo Kiley
15. "Talk Tonight" (live) - Noel Gallagher
16. "Sledgehammer" - Peter Gabriel
17. "Acid Tongue" - Jenny Lewis
18. "See Fernando" - Jenny Lewis
19. "Single Ladies" - Beyonce
20. "Runs in the Family" - Amanda Palmer
21. "Changer" - Anais Mitchell
22. "Breakin' Up" - Rilo Kiley
23. "Silver Lining" - Rilo Kiley
24. "I Did It For You" - David Cook
25. "Glendora" - Rilo Kiley

Hmmm...my iPod is looking a little lazy today. Lots of repeat artists. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

A Ringing In My Ears That's Heaven Sent

I need to give a shout out to Soul Asylum, who rocked my socks off at First Avenue last Friday. This was my third time seeing them and they have never disappointed. They played for a long time, ran through all their hits, played all the songs I wanted to hear. They were energized and seemed genuinely happy to be there. They've been creeping into my top 10 list for a while now and they may have just shot up to top 5 status with their performance on Friday.

Soul Asylum Rules.

A Kiss Could've Killed Me

This is my most favorite music video ever. It makes me smile. As today is just as chaotic as ever, I needed to take a moment to watch.

Enjoy!

Save Cody!

This makes me so sad.

Cody, the convenience store working dog I mentioned earlier, is being forced to quit his job of greeting customers. Health Inspectors have decided he is unsanitary. How a dog that sits behind the counter is bad for the closed bag of Doritos I'll never understand.

A link to this story is here.

It just breaks my heart. Dogs get so stuck on their routines. I bet every morning Cody gets so excited when his owner puts his work shirt on him. What will he think when his owner has to leave him home on Friday? Poor dog.

Look at him!

Uke'd

I bought a ukukele!



It is so much fun. I'm slowly learning how to play. It's pretty simple, yet difficult as the fret board is so tiny and my fingers are not.

I'm also giving the piano another go. It finally makes sense to me. Now I just need to get my hands and fingers to do what I want them to.

17 Seconds of Awesome

Working Dog

This is Cody. He "works" at a BP somewhere in Florida. I must go there and see him.

Apparently he jumps up and greets people in the drive through window. (I had no idea some gas stations have drive throughs.)

And, yes, he does wear the shirt and name tag every day.

And only someone on Fark would think of the photoshop below. Makes me giggle.

Thanks

It's the day after Thanksgiving and I'm still recovering from the amount of food I ate. If anyone ever says a vegetarian can't enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, they are wrong. I am stuffed. Still. Mashed potatoes, cheesy mashed potatoes, broccoli and cheese casserole, corn casserole, buns, corn bread stuffing, pumpkin pie...all in my belly. No turkey needed. There wouldn't even be room.

Black Friday is now upon us. I did not get up at the crack of dawn to take advantage of all of the sales. But I did run to Target this afternoon to pick up The Office Season 4 for $12.99 and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation for $5.99.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving.

Dream Log #1

Last night I dreamt that Rihanna wanted to kill me so I was placed in a witness protection program.

Yum!

I get to have sushi tonight! It's always such a treat.

Montreal

A wonderful extended weekend trip was taken to Montreal over Halloween weekend. We were celebrating the 10 year anniversary of when we met.

Montreal is an amazing city that I would recommend to anyone. It was perfect for a four day weekend. Just enough to see.

There was still plenty more we could have done, but I felt like we did it up right.

Here are some highlights:

The Basillica Notre Dame:

The inside of the Basillica Notre Dame:

Old Montreal:

Le Divan Orange rock club:

We saw Royaumme Des Morts, a great local rock band:

Lots of beers:

And of course, when in Canada....

You've got to have a Tim Horton's coffee.

Good Dog

Today, Katie Boes will no longer have to be in pain.

She was a very good dog. You always felt safe when she was around. She loved people and had no interest in other dogs. When we would go visit my in-laws and brought our dog along, Katie completey ignored Murray and always headed for us. She would greet you with a bellowing howl, then spend the next hour licking your pants, your hands, your arms, your face.

She loved food. All food. Sometimes it didn't even have to be food. Her favorite snack was tissues. The more used, the better. She just loved to consume. She would eat batteries, socks, sticks...she'd graze in the yard like a cow, munching on grass.

She was a good dog.

She will be missed.

We love you, Katie.

Where Have I Been?

17 days since my last post. Bad, Niki.

So, where have I been? Mainly, I've been sick..again. A cold followed by strep throat. So lame. So done with being ill. I blame the bus. The bus is a nightclub for all air born illnesses. People hacking into the open air. It's disgusting.

I also went on Cannonball Run. A one day road trip/rally/scavenger hunt put together by some friends of mine. We drove all along the Minnesota/Wisconsin border ending up in Black River Falls, Wisconsin. Along the way we made some chalk drawings, ate some snails, bowled, got someone in Winona, MN to act like Winona Ryder, took some photos of people of Walmart, hung out at a Fiberglass mold yard, and went to Laura Ingalls Wilder's birthplace...



This was my favorite stop. I'm a big big Little House fan.

Up next for me: Montreal. 10 year anniversary for the Husband and I.



It's Paris...In Canada.

Things Seem Better Now

No Squares Allowed

I faced a dilemma this morning as I was packing up my breakfast to take to work: No round tupperware was left. They were all in the sink waiting to be washed. All I had was a cupboard of square or rectangle tupperware containers.

Cereal cannot be eaten from a square bowl. Only circular containers will do.

After digging around desperately, I found a round tupperware dish. Relieved, I packed up my cereal and headed out the door.

Am I just crazy, obsessive? Or am I right?

It's Been A Bad Day

Uh-Oh

I'm feeling a little under the weather again. My back is sore. I'm getting overly warm overly quickly.

But, I also have not been sleeping well. Murray, my dog, has taken to waking up multiple times throughout the night. He gets up, shakes, which then rattles his collar. This initially wakes up. Then he wanders around the bedroom for 10 minutes panting, his nails clicking on the wood floors. This happens about every couple of hours. And I wake up every time.

I'm trying to get some work done so I can take off a bit early from work today guilt free. I need to go home and get some sleep.

The last time I was sick at work, I posted the 25 songs playing on my iPod that helped me get through the day.

So here's another one. 25 songs as the iPod played them:

1 "Never Said" - Liz Phair
2 "Making Noise" - Damien Rice
3 "Cripple Creek Ferry" - Neil Young
4."Straight Ahead" - David Cook
5 "BYOS" - Regina Spektor
6 "54-46 That's My Number/Ball and Chain" - Sublime
7."A Sorta Fairytale" - Tori Amos
8."The Hardest Part" - Hayden
9."Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie" - Bob Dylan
10."Musicology" - Prince
11. "Slide Away" (live) - Noel Gallagher
12. "It's Margaret Cho" - Skankin' Pickle
13. "Lit Up" - The National
14. "Sea of Love" (cover) - Cat Power
15. "In Your Eyes" - Peter Gabriel
16. "Not For You" - Pearl Jam
17. "Sara" - Fleetwood Mac
18. "Displaced" - Azure Ray
19. "Jackie's Strength" - Tori Amos
20. "Round a Pole" (live) - Ani Difranco
21. "The Desperate Kingdom of Love" - PJ Harvey
22. "Valerie" - Mark Ronson feat. Amy Winehouse
23. "How?" - John Lennon
24. "Pop Queen" - Ben Lee
25. "Delia" - Johnny Cash

So Much Shouting, Not Much Laughter

Alright. I finally have a moment to report on the Ani Difranco show I went to Sunday night.

The title to this post sums it up well.

I knew this was a club show. I knew drunken sorority girls would be everywhere. I knew there would be talking over songs, sight blockage, screaming, pushing, etc. But I had no idea it would be so bad.

Having never seen Ani in a small club before, I had made a pact to myself that I would get there and work my way to the front and stand there the whole time. No fluids, no bathroom breaks.

But when we got in line, my husband overheard the bouncer say the first act doesn't go on until 9. It was 7. 2 hours of waiting for just the opening band in a cramped space did not sound appealing. So I opted out of my original plan.

We ended up finding a pretty good spot off to the side of the stage. If they were seats, we'd be about row 5. We were on a platform, so I could see the stage perfectly. We were surrounded by loving lesbian couples quietly caressing each other.

Right before the opening act began (which ended up being at 8:10 - husband heard wrong), a rowdy group squeezed in right in front of me. Up until that point, the row I was in had created a nice walkway for the First Avenue staff. But then this group came, cocktails in hand. They danced. And not just fun concert dancing, but get down and dirty booties in the air dancing....to a folk singer. The opening guy was a total folky. No hip hop dancing should have happened. But it did.

When they weren't dancing, they were talking -loudly. The blonde in front of me bore a striking resemblance to America's Next Top Model winner Whitney Thompson. She seemed to have the same stank attitude, as well. And I couldn't see over her hair. So I moved.

We wandered around for a bit until I saw that there was an opening down on the ramp that leads to the main floor. I took it. I was elevated so I could see perfectly. It was the perfect spot. Until Ani started.

The next thing I knew, everyone suddenly had a best friend on the main floor and continued to push and shove me throughout the entire show. I've been to plenty of rock shows at plenty of different venues and I have never experienced a more rude crowd than this.

To make matters worse, a group of drunken sorority types had gathered behind me. Once proclaimed with the utmost pride, "I'm so drunk! I can't even think straight!" She and her friends then proceeded to plan their big unveiling to Ani during the first five songs of her set. I waited for this moment with dread. Finally, during the first verse of "Smiling Underneath", out it came: "I LOVE YOU ANI!!!!!!" screamed with the shrillest choir of voices. I saw everyone around me cringe.

They continued to talk through the set. My husband told me later that most everyone had asked them to please be quiet repeatedly, to no avail. Eventually, he retired to the bar.

I waited it out until - about 10 songs in - some guy and his gals came up behind me and started, once again, having a loud conversation about everything besides the performance in front of them. Finally, to the point of frustration, I turned around and said, "some of us are trying to enjoy the show, a great place for conversation is outside." He gave me his nastiest queen look and made some remark about how "it's not that serious." He then started to repeatedly rub my shoulders and say, "it's okay sweetie, calm down." I asked him to please refrain from fucking touching me.

At the end of the song I heard him say to his gals,"she won't move." To which the girls replied, "just push her." Which he did. When I asked him again to please not touch me, he told me his friends are down on the floor and he wants to join them. I said, "his and everyone else's". He once again told me it's not that serious and then grabbed my hips and tried to move me to the side. I told him again, please do not fucking touch me. He then shoved me to the side and walked in front of me calling me a bitch, cunt, and countless other names and to not test him right now. His hand raised in the air, palm out and he continued to shove his way to the front.

All of this was happening while Ani was singing some of her more positive, everybody love each other, don't forget to have a good time songs, and I couldn't help but see the irony.

Was I being a bitch? Sure. But I had come to listen to my favorite musician perform, not hear the myriad of drunken conversations around me.

I ended up leaving early.

We walked out while Ani rocked out to "Which Side Are You On?". I was super bummed.

I won't be going to another Ani show for a very long time.

As for her set and songs I wanted to hear, well, it was also a disappointment. Maybe I see her too often. But there has been no change in her set list (barring new songs) for the past 5 years. She has 20+ albums. Hundreds of songs.

Here is what she played that I saw:

Anticipate (best version I have heard - new guy killed it on the drums)

78% Water

Modulation

Manhole

Fuel

Splinter

Nov. 4th

Names, Dates ,Times (solo)

Two Little Girls (solo)

Smiling Underneath

Present/Infant

Life Boat

Which Side Are You On (this is when I left)

A friend who was there also said she played Both Hands.

Songs I Want To Hear

Tonight is Ani DiFranco at First Avenue. I am very excited.

I read up on her set lists all the time, and unfortunately, they've grown quite stale as of late. But it's always different when you're there watching it unfold.

Taking that into account, here is a list of songs I would love to hear tonight that could actually show up in the set:

-Emancipated Minor

-Way Tight

-Hypnotized

-Sunday Morning

-Rain Check

-Phase

-I Know This Bar

-Two Little Girls

-Dilate

-Joyful Girl (really reaching with this one)

-Not A Pretty Girl

-If He Tries Anything

And for the love of god, please leave Alla This and November 4th off the set. Thanks.

HOORAY!!!!

My husband got a job today!!!!

Via Con Dios

Patrick Swayze died yesterday. Pancreatic Cancer. 57 years old.

I love Patrick Swayze.

You don't realize how cool Patrick Swayze is/was until you look back at his career. The man was in some classic, classic films. He is a pop culture icon. Just think of some of the lines he's brought to the world:

"Pain don't hurt" - Roadhouse
"Ditto" - Ghost
"If you want the ultimate, you've got to be willing to pay the ultimate price. It's not tragic to die doing what you love" - Point Break
"Now get up here and piss in the radiator" - Red Dawn

And of course...

"Nobody puts Baby in the corner" - Dirty Dancing

He starred in The Outsiders, Red Dawn, Roadhouse, Dirty Dancing, Ghost, Point Break....all culturally relevant movies.

Dirty Dancing was the first "dirty" movie I ever saw. I was 8 years old. I wanted to see it so bad, so my dad rented it for me. I remember hiding my face in my pillow during all of the suggestive dancing.

He also starred in one of the top 5 greatest Saturday Night Live skits of all time:



I will raise my glass in a toast to Mr. Swayze. Thank you for the entertainment.

And I hope you all have a very Swayze Christmas....

Tweet

Twitter is a crazy thing.

I held off on joining for so long. My social networking started out with MySpace. Then that got old and crowded and spammed, so I ended on Facebook and still enjoy my time there very much. But, Twitter just looked so dull. Just status updates and the occasional "twitpic". There didn't seem to be much social interaction to be had.

For whatever reason, though, I decided to join recently. I think it was mainly just to see what it was all about.

It's very strange.

For the shamefully open celebrity obsessed person like myself, it's a crazy cyberworld. With just a click of the follow button, I can see what the likes of Courtney Love, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Scott Baio, and Jessica Alba are all doing at any given time. Do I normally give a shit about these people? No. But I just find it fascinating to see these little snippets of the celebrity lifestyle played out in real time. I can't even begin to tell you why. I think it's my nosey nature. I work in HR for a reason.

Sure, most of them just use it at as an advertising tool, relentlessly pushing their latest album, concert tour, movie premiere, or cause (Yoko Ono, I'm looking at you). But some, take Lindsay Lohan for example, display their entire lives via 140 character messages at a time. Arguments between her and girlfriend Samantha Ronson play out in real time over the internet.

Just yesterday, Courtney Love went on a tweeting rampage over the use of Kurt Cobain's image in the new Guitar Hero game. Being attacked by "Followers", she responded in depth to all of the legal battles surrounding Kurt's estate and was not shy in damning former Nirvana bandmates, Dave Grohl and Krist Noveselic.

As a private person (funny, considering how nosey I am) I am surprised by all of these celebrities who do live their lives openly on a social networking site. I could not imagine my husband and I having an open argument on Facebook or Twitter. Or expounding on Twitter all of my legal and financial woes.

But that's just me.

On the other hand, when you find a celebrity you do feel fondly for and can openly engage with someone you admire, it makes it a truly wonderful site. When Erin McKeown or Ingrid Michaelson twitter and tweet and respond to twitters and tweets from their fans, it really makes you feel connected to the artist and makes the world feel like a smaller, closer place.

Unnecessary Basterds

Another movie review for you.

I saw Inglourious Basterds this past weekend. While watching it, I found myself completed uninterested most of the time. I actually left twice to use the bathroom and was in no rush to run back in.

But, as the days have passed, it's memory is growing on me. I find myself thinking about it more and more and responding to these thoughts fondly.

The movie is split into chapters. As with most Tarantino movies, it contains three different stories that mix and mingle and intertwine with each other until they all come together in the end.

The first chapter is one of the greatest scenes I have ever seen. The acting is outstanding. Christopher Waltz is Col. Hans Landa. A German "Jew Hunter". He is out on the french dairy farm of Perrier LaPadite (played by the extraordinary french actor Denis Menochet) investing the disappearance of an unaccounted for Jewish family. This scene is mesmerizing. It's quiet, intense, incredibly shot. In the quiet moments when all you see is the fear in Monsieur LaPadite's eyes, you can hear the cows gently mooing in the background, the wind rustling outside. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. Mr. Waltz and Mr. Menochet should both get Oscar nods for their performances. Yes, Denis Menochet was only in the movie for the first scene, but if Judi Dench can be nominated and win for less than 10 minutes of screen time, why can't he?

Unfortunately, Chapter 2 begins with Brad Pitt. I don't know what happened to him. But he is a terrible actor. Just terrible. I don't know if it's because his looks have finally gone and maybe that was all that was masking his acting "talents" before, but I could not bear to watch/hear him on screen. He speaks with a southern accent in this movie. I'm fairly certain Mr. Pitt has a natural southern tone to his voice. Why he felt the need to go all Slingblade, I will never understand. But he doesn't pull it off and it's not funny.

Brad plays the leader of the Inglourious Basterds, an American government supported rag tag bunch of vigilantes who want nothing more than to "kill Nazi's." And not just kill them, no, Mr. Pitt also requires their scalps.

It speaks to Brad Pitt's acting/persona that I can't for the life of me remember his character's name. I think part of his problem is he has grown too big to really sink into a role anymore. It's the same with Tom Cruise. I can't watch either of them anymore without thinking: hey it's Brad Pitt/Tom Cruise acting.

I also found the Inglourious Basterds to be completely unnecessary to the movie - besides the title. Yes, I can see where they fit in. But it really just seemed like their main purpose was for the old Quentin gore factor and to add some light, comedic moments.

This movie has several amazing scenes that keep you glued to the screen. But every time Brad Pitt showed up, I just wanted to walk out.

I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. Being that I am not a Quentin Tarantino fan, this speaks a lot.

District 9 is still the frontrunner for my movie of the summer.

Finally, A Good Summer Blockbuster

I can't believe I haven't written about this yet.

Last Friday I saw District 9. I had been hearing so much about it and didn't want to get spoiled, so this was one that could not wait until it came out on DVD.

This movie is insane. It was so intense, I left the theater shaking. I wanted to start bawling, but I was too embarrassed to let it all out as I walked out of the theater. It's not that the movie is overly depressing, though it is rather sad, it's just so intense. I almost couldn't handle it.

The story is amazing, the action is intense (can I say that word enough?), the characters are riveting (even the alien ones), the CGI is unbelievable.

This is not a shoot 'em up, blow 'em up movie. Yes, it has that element to it, but it is so much more than that.

Please go see this movie.

The Way She Is

Ingrid Michaelson released a new album last week titled Everbody. As with Regina Spektor's album, Far, I was very excited about this album. I don't think Ingrid is a visionary musical genius. But she's quirky and cute with an adorable voice and an amazing way with melodies.

Her previous album, Boys and Girls, was good. Not great, but good. Her EP, Be OK, was fantastic and made my top 10 albums of 2008 . I think Be OK represents Ingrid at her best: stripped down and melodic. She's been releasing one off singles ahead of Everybody's release - and those are great. Stripped down and melodic.

Everybody isn't that.

Sure, the melodies are there, but there is nothing new there. It sounds like an album made to be played during trailers for tv shows. Like I said, I didn't expect a masterpiece, but I expected something. I don't even know what...but it wasn't this.

In other music chick news, Juliette Lewis also released an album this week. Yes, the same Juliette Lewis from Natural Born Killers, Kalifornia, and The Other Sister (we won't talk about that one). The complete opposite of Ingrid, Juliette has a raw, manic approach to her music. She used to be in a band called Juliette and the Licks, a more straight up punk/pop group. Juliette has moved onto a more blues sound on her solo debut.

I'm intrigued. I really dig her voice, but I don't know if it's music that I would listen to regularly which is making it difficult to shell out the whopping $10 - even though I've been sitting on $30 worth of iTunes gift cards that I have no idea what to spend on.

Speaking of that, why is it so easy for me to blow $10 of my own money on Skid Row and Bon Jovi songs on iTunes, but when I get a gift card, I suddenly become super picky? Although, I think if I wasn't so disappointed in Ingrid's new album, I would have bought this one already. It's like reading a bad book. It makes it hard to want to jump into another one right away out of fear of disappointment.

Whatever.

I'm pretty sure I will be attending Juliette Lewis's live show at Station 4 in October. She supposedly puts on a good show, it's a cheap show, and it's a super tiny venue.

I was wanting to attend Ingrid Michaelson's show at The Fine Line in October, as well. But, after hearing this album, I'm not so sure.

There Was A Time....

....when Modest Mouse was awesome:

The Great Minnesota Get Together

It's that time of year again. Time for the Minnesota State Fair. The greatest State Fair in all the land. Of course, I've only ever been to this one, but I just assume it's the greatest.

The company I work for has a booth there. An excellent booth. The best booth. So I get to work there. I just got back from my opening day morning shift. The fair is a glorious place at 8am on opening day. The grass is lush and green. The bathrooms are clean and inviting. The overall fair smell has not kicked in yet. The vendors are happy.

I can't believe it's already here. The fair also marks the end of summer for me. It ends on Labor Day. The kids all go back to school. The days get shorter. It's dark out by 8:30.

Even with that, I still love the fair. I dislike all other mass outings. Crowds of sweaty people eating greasy food does not normally appeal to me. But the fair...the Minnesota State Fair makes me happy.

Ziggy Stardust

So, I'm 30 now. Yep. That happened. I had a great birthday. A wonderful dinner was prepared by my husband. That was followed by a night out singing karaoke with friends. It was a good turn out and everyone seemed to have a blast. I was in quite the "ziggy" mode most of the night. You know Ziggy...this guy:



So, all went well. I was hungover the next day. Very much so. But I'm not going to get into that. I just want to remember what a wonderful night I had.

Also, Happy Birthday To....

Hayden Panettiere
Paris Bennett
Brody Jenner
Kelis
Kimberly Stewart
Alicia Witt
Amy Fisher
Carrie-Ann Moss
Kim Cattral
Peter Weir
Kenny Rogers

And my nephew Kieran, who is living it up at Disney World.

Happy 7th birthday, Kieran!

Happy Birthday To Me!

Today is the day. My 30th birthday. And though I'm not nearly as depressed about it as the following may lead you to believe...I just really liked this poem.

Turning Thirty

This spring, you’d swear it actually gets dark earlier.
At the elegant new restaurants downtown
your married friends lock glances over the walnut torte:
it’s ten o’clock. The have important jobs
and go to bed before midnight. Only you
walking alone up the dazzling avenue
still feel a girl’s excitement, for the thousandth time
you enter your life as though for the first time,
as an immigrant enters a huge, mysterious capital:
Paris, New York. So many wide plazas, so many marble addresses!
Home, you write feverishly
in all five notebooks at once, then faint into bed
dazed with ambition and too many cigarettes.

Well, what’s wrong with that? Nothing, except
really you don’t believe wrinkles mean character
and know it’s an ominous note
that the Indian skirts flapping on the sidewalk racks
last summer looked so gay you wanted them all
but now are marked clearer than price tags: not for you.
Oh, what were you doing, why weren’t you paying attention
that piercingly blue day, not a cloud in the sky,
when suddenly “choices”
ceased to mean “infinite possibilities”
and became instead “deciding what to do without”?
No wonder you’re happiest now
riding on trains from one lover to the next.
In those black, night-mirrored windows
a wild white face, operatic, still enthralls you:
a romantic heroine,
suspended between lives, suspended between destinations.

-- Katha Pollitt

Hi-Ho!

I just need to say that I really like where I work. It generally feels good to come in everyday. Sure, like everyone, sleeping in always seems like the better option at 6am and I, too, have bad days here. But 90% of the time I'm happy to be here. I feel proud to work for the company that I do. I have some of the most amazingly talented, creative, and interesting coworkers.

And I can wear jeans everyday!

Headaches And Happiness

Every once in a while - I would say once a month or once every 6 weeks - I get these terrible headaches. But they aren't the kind of headaches where you can pinpoint one spot on your head and say 'ow'. I can't just rub the right temple or the space between my eyebrows. This headache is more of a pressure that starts at the back of my head/top of my neck and runs upward until the pressure is sitting atop my head like a pressure hat. It makes it hard to focus, hard to think and it usually lasts for a couple of days. No pills work. Caffeine, sugar, nothing seems to help. It used to scare me. I thought for sure that one of these times I would pass out. But now, I think it's just a migraine. I think I get migraines.

It also seems that there is always something physically wrong with me. Before this headache happened, I had some odd leg pain on some random place on my thigh. No bruise. Just a weird feeling on my leg. But then it went away and my headache happened. I'm sure that when the headache goes, something else will take it's place. It's just the way things seem to happen.

On a happier note, my 30th birthday is on Friday and I'm suddenly super excited. I've taken the afternoon off of work. My husband is going to make me my favorite dinner (tacos) and then we are going out to a local bar to sing some karaoke. I sent an invite out via Facebook to friends and it appears there will be a good turnout. Nothing sounds better than drinks and karaoke on my birthday with friends.

Turn Into

Just one week left and then I will turn 30. I was reading a blog article online about aging and turning 30 and how people say you "turn 30" like milk turns sour. I thought that was very fitting.

Not that I think I'm souring. But there is an expiration date that comes with 30. There are a lot of things that you just don't/shouldn't do anymore. It really is the official age of adulthood. When I was 18, I was nowhere near an adult. But now, I can't physically stay out past 2am drinking and living it up. My body can't handle it.

I haven't stayed up all night to watch the sun rise in years.

There's also more serious issues. I've never wanted a baby. But now that I'm "turning" 30, I beginning to really ponder the idea of motherhood as the years that I will be able to have a baby are slipping by so very quickly. I don't want to be a new mother when I'm 40. But, do I want to be a mother at all?

I'm turning 30 and I don't have a good retirement plan. I have no 401(k) or 403(b). I have $40 in my savings account.

I'm still living with the idea that I have all the time in the world. I can always go back to school, right? I still have time to be a rock star, right? I'm not going to be an administrative assistant forever, right?

Everyone keeps telling me that being in your 30s is the best time of your life. But, growing up, everyone told me high school was the greatest time of your life. They were wrong about that. Then it was your 20s are the most wonderful. Yes, they've been good, but they've also been really difficult.

So, maybe I should trust my over 30 friends and know that 30 is where it's at. They all seem happy and very sure of themselves.

But, at the same time, not one of them let's me complain about turning 30. They all give me the stank eye and tell me I'm still so young. So, is it really that great?

Harder Now With Higher Speeds

I'm in a Damien Rice mood today. A gloomy Irish backdrop way. A start singing with a whisper and end it with a roar kind of day. An overly romantic and drastically dramatic sort of way. I'm Delicate, a Rootless Tree, an Eskimo and a Volcano. A Blower's Daughter in a Grey Room. A Lonely Soldier and a Fool.

10

....I'm 30.

Because She Rocks...

Sunday Always Comes Too Late

What a crazy weekend.

I saw some great live music. First, Dropkick Murphys at the Irish Festival. I'm not a huge fan of theirs. Okay, I only know the one song from The Departed. But there was a time when I was into this kind of music. We got right in the middle of the crowd, just a couple of rows from the mosh pit. It was fun to get pushed around and a little muddy from the rain that fell all day. It was like I was 17 again.

We followed that with a trip to the Turf Club to see my friend's band, The Fuk Knights. Don't let the name fool you. They are actually really good. A sort of throw back to the Rockabilly/Stray Cats style. Also playing was Strut and Shock, a band containing one of my co-workers. They sound like Babes In Toyland with a little more of a pop sound. Really awesome. I mean, really awesome. It helps that I have been all about this kind of girl scream rock lately. I highly suggest you check both these bands out.

Saturday was the crazy day. In between wild thunderstorms and tornado warnings, I managed to make it to the Carver County fair. I group in Carver County and attended this fair all through my childhood, but it has been a good 15 years since I last been, and well, things change. It just seemed so dumpy. It didn't help that it was 90 and humid and cloudy.

I did run into my best friend from high school, which was my main goal of attending. She looked great. She has four kids. We exchanged numbers. Though, I wish she would get on the internet already. I'm not one for phone conversations and playing a 6 year catch up game over the phone just sounds exhausting.

After a bad idea pit stop at a local bar where I ran into a cousin I barely know and my niece got into a fight with her mom/my sister, we left Carver County behind and spent the next couple of hours playing Scene It on the Xbox which is so much fun. I won two out of the three games. All the more fun.

We got home about 10:30. Around midnight, my husband's cousin called. He was in town for a wedding. He was wasted. He wanted us to come downtown to see him. So, we did. We spent the next couple of hours playing tour guides to a drunken wedding party, culminating at Brit's Pub. We got home about 2:30am.

So, to sum it up: Great music, bad weather, long lost friends, and drunken relatives.

Oh, and there was a full moon on Saturday. That seems appropriate.

Social, Demented and Sad, But Social

In honor of the passing of John Hughes yesterday, a question was poised in the office to name your top 10 John Hughes movies.

So here's mine:

1. The Breakfast Club
2. Pretty In Pink
3. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
4. Uncle Buck
5. Sixteen Candles
6. Vacation
7. Some Kind of Wonderful
8. Christmas Vacation
9. Weird Science
10. She's Having a Baby

What are yours?

In A Coffee Shop, In A City

On the way into work this morning, my husband mentioned how he might need the car tomorrow for a volunteer gig so I will be unable to make my Saturday morning Starbucks run. He then suggested that I could bike there and just drink my cocoa and eat my donut there.

I gasped. Never! This is one thing I have never understood: Why do people go to coffee shops and sit there by themselves? You wouldn't do that at a bar.

What is relaxing about lugging your laptop or work materials or even a book to some noisy coffee shop that may or may not include obnoxious children being ignored by their parents? I don't get it.

If I want to read, I either a) read on the bus. It helps to pass the time. b) read at home in my living room. c) read outside in my backyard.

I can't imagine it is easy to do work on those tiny little tables, your papers lying in a mess around your laptop while you carefully set your steaming coffee next to them.

Maybe it's because I just don't generally care for the general public. Maybe it's because I don't understand doing something at a noisy coffee shop that you could do in the privacy and comfort of your own home.

My husband says people like to get out of the house. I agree. I do, too. But I like to DO something. Go out, be social, see sights. Not sit in a cramped coffee shop sipping my turtle mocha frappacino and playing on my macbook.

I know I'm the odd one out here. But you might as well go hang out in your local mall food court. I see no difference.

August, I'm On Your Side

Or...I was on your side. I feel like I had big plans for this month. I know I had some kind internal list of things to do or get started on before I turn 30 (which is happening in 16 days). Unfortunately this illness has rendered me useless for the month.

I was sick for over a week. Now, though I no longer have a cold, my ears are stilled clogged. My right might as well not be attached to my head anymore. There was a brief moment on the bus ride in this morning that it cleared up a bit. I sat frozen, not wanting to ruin what was such a beautiful moment. But within 10 seconds, it clogged up again.

My friend has the same illness as me. She is about 3 days ahead of me in the sickness cycle. Her doctor told her it would be at least another 3 weeks before she can hear again.

Well, I can't wait that long. I will not have my 30th birthday destroyed by this affliction. I am going to the real doctor tomorrow (not just some urgent care doc) who will then, hopefully, recommend an ENT to take a look at me. There must be a way to fix this.

I can't listen to music because the audio sounds off. It's like only one speaker works and someone turned the rpm high. Everyone's voices sound super high pitched. Even people I'm talking to directly. It's so weird.

I was having a conversation with Husband and he kept telling me to speak up. To me, it sounds like I'm shouting, but I guess I'm just whispering.

I miss playing my guitar. I miss my headphones on the bus. I miss singing.

I miss music.

Happy Anniversary!

Seven years ago today I married my husband. We were married outside at my sister's house. There was a horrific thunderstorm. We ended up being married in the garage next to the bar. I believe that wedding laid the groundwork for our life together. Things have not always been easy, but we have always been there for each other. I love my husband with all my heart. He has made me so happy.

Here's to him:

Cleveland Rocks!

These are my favorite things I've seen all week...

Hearing Impaired

I went to bed last night feeling that my body had returned to about 70% healthy. I was happy. The neighborhood was quiet. I was finally tired. And I drifted off to sleep.

At 12:15am I woke up with a horrible pain in my left ear. This is not the same ear I went to urgent care for on Tuesday. I got up and stumbled around in the dark for my ear drops. I dropped two drops in my ears and laid down on the couch waiting for the relief to take hold.

It didn't.

So, I added more drops. I wasn't sure if I was getting them in there so I woke Husband up to put them in. He got them in there and I waited again. At this point I was sobbing from the pain. It was as if someone was taking a needle and jamming it into my ear. It felt nothing like the pain I had in my right ear. I laid on the couch for hours.

Finally around 3am I couldn't take it anymore and dug around for the vicodin I was given after having a tooth pulled last summer. I hate taking pills. I hate feeling out of control and loopy. I never even took one when they pulled my tooth. But I just couldn't take the pain anymore. So, I took one.

I laid back down and was finally drifting off to sleep (still in pain) when one quick piercing pain shot through my ear and then a loud POP followed by about 10 consecutive smaller pops. Suddenly the pain was gone. But my ears are both still clogged.

It sounds like someone is blowing air directly into both of my ears. My balance is all off. I'm so tired and still loopy from the vicodin that I feel like I'm drunk. I'm sitting here at work unable to concentrate.

I came in late today. The only reason I came in at all is because my self review was supposed to be today. But another manager missed hers this morning, so she is taking my time slot since she is leaving for vacation at noon.

But none of that matters because I think I would feel pretty good if I had a) been able to sleep last night b) not been up crying for 3 hours - my eyes are so dry and c) if I could hear clearly and wasn't living in a fog.

I just want my ears back. They are very important to me.