Christmas Rollercoaster

This holiday season has been one of the best I have ever experienced for many reasons. First off, it was my first Christmas as a married woman. Second, I got to spend time with all of my family. Third, my grandparents BOUGHT us a TOWN HOUSE!!!

Erik and I are so excited! Our move-in date is set for some time at the end of January. We can hardly stand the wait. Living in this tiny, hell hole apartment has been nothing but a foul experience, to say the least.

Once we get settled into our new place, I'll post photographs.

***

And now, here is my end-of-year holiday questionnaire with responses, brought to us by Sundry:

1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before? I got married.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I sure did. I moved out of my parents' house like I had wanted to. I will most definitely be making more resolutions for the new year.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
 Yes- two people did. My best friend and my aunt.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
 Not this year, no.
5. What countries did you visit?
 None. Maybe next year.
6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
 A well-furnished home.
7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
 August 3- because I moved out of my parents' home. August 12- Because I got engaged. September 17- I got married. November 30- My birthday and the day our car was stolen. December 23- My grandparents unveiled the town house they bought us.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
 I finally got my drivers' license. I battled a very tough driving phobia to get it.
9. What was your biggest failure?
 Not being able to pay off some of my credit card debt.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
 I got the flu recently, but no major illness, thankfully.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
 A coffee table from Ikea.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
 My husband's. He finally matured enough to realize that it's all about our future children and their happiness. I am proud of him.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
 One of my cousin's actions sort of shocked me.
14. Where did most of your money go?
 Rent.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Our new town house!
16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
 Lake Michigan by Rogue Wave, because as I drove alone for the first time ever, listening to it in the car calmed me down.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
 a) happier or sadder? 
b) thinner or fatter? 
c) richer or poorer?
 a)happier b)fatter c) little of both (metaphorically and literally)
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
 travel
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
 Worry about money.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
 With my husband and my family.
21. Did you fall in love in 2007?
 Erik and I got married. =)
22. What was your favorite TV program?
 Arrested Development
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
 Not that I recall.
24. What was the best book you read?
 Stardust by Neil Gaiman.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
 The soundtrack to the movie Closer.
26. What did you want and get?
 My license and my Ikea coffee table.
27. What did you want and not get?
 A new camera and a Wacom art tablet. Next year I'll get them both.
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
 The Mist
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
 I celebrated with my family and I turned 23.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Having paid off some of my debt and not having had our car stolen.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
 Frumpy. My weight gain prevented me from shopping for good clothes.
32. What kept you sane?
My husband's love and our wonderful cat, Elliott.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
The cast of Arrested Development.
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
I don't really follow politics.
35. Who did you miss?
A few old friends.
36. Who was the best new person you met?
 My god daughter, Elena.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
 Don't let anything get you down. Things always work out in the end, if you just have faith.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. "In this dangerous world, there's an art to growing old." - Breaking Up the Girl by Garbage.

Leave me your answers in the comments section, if you'd like. =)

Haunting

I love music with a haunting sound. Hearing it is like stepping into a dream.

Every time I hear anything from Bebel Gilberto, I feel myself shift into another world. I'll close my eyes and when I reopen them, I'm in brazil, in a 1930s jazz lounge- dressed like a high society lady with hair done up like Dita Von Teese and a long cigarette holder like Cruella DeVille's, even though I don't smoke in real life.

I'm wearing a long white dress, with silky black gloves up to my elbows and sparkling diamong bracelets. The slit on the side of my dress reaches the middle of my right thigh. Around my shoulders is a silk shawl. My lipstick is blood-red. A gorgeous diamond choker is wound round my neck, and I stand and sway to the music as the cigarette smoke swirls above me and other club patrons. My black stilettos make me feel as if I'm gliding on air.

The lounge is decked out in palm trees, dim candle lights that flicker around us like fireflies and amidst the smoke, the air smells vaguely tropical.

The music engulfs us all, like magic; like water; like sunlight.

Listen to Samba de Bencao by Bebel Gilberto. It'll take you to another world.

Heartless

Today I witnessed something that infuriated me. I was sitting on the train this morning, as usual, reading. At a stop, a young girl got on with a stroller. You could tell that she was a teen mother. Her face bore the expression of youthful arrogance and mischief. She sat down two seats across from me and put the stroller to face away from her. The baby, a three-month-old boy, sat quietly in his umbrella stroller, gazing about at his surroundings. He was adorable, with dark hair and chubby cheeks. His eyes were light brown. His sweet, little face warmed my heart. His mother merely sat there, gazing off into space, a look of pure boredom on her long, gaunt face. Every now and then, she'd take out her cell phone and text message someone. At one point, the baby began sputtering and coughing. The girl didn't even look at him. The baby, obviously feeling discomfort, began to cry. His disinterested mother simply continued texting, completely ignoring her baby. When his cries grew louder, all she did was snap her fingers in his face, which only occupied his attention for 2.5 seconds. I just sat there, my anger growing and growing.

How could she behave in such a way? How could anyone ignore their baby when he/she is coughing up a storm and crying? How could you not want to just cuddle their tiny bodies and comfort them into slumber?

Annoyed with his crying, she sucked her teeth, grabbed the stroller and turned it away from me- but again, facing away from her. It was almost as if she couldn't stand to look at him. My heart broke into a million tiny pieces for that poor child.

I felt like approaching her and saying, "Excuse me. Why don't you do that child a favor and give him up to a family who will truly love and appreciate him? If you didn't want a baby, then you should have either A) kept your legs closed or B) used proper protection, since you obviously couldn't keep your 15-year old legs closed. Instead of treating your child like an annoying burden and acting completely disinterested in his well-being, why not just pass him along to a loving family who can't have children of their own?"

But of course, I kept my mouth shut. Although, I have never wanted to approach a complete stranger more in my life.

As I got up at my stop and passed her seat, I had to smother an intense urge to slap the bored, disinterested look off of her face and yell at her to grow the fuck up and stop thinking about shopping and humping boys. Her youth is over. She has a child. It may not have been by choice, but it happened and he is here and she has a responsibility to care for him and love him. No child asks to be brought into the world. So if you have a baby and don't want it, do it a favor and give it to someone who will truly appreciate it, instead of neglecting to be a loving, responsible parent.

I hope that girl comes to her senses soon and realizes that she has to stop eating shit and needs to start being responsible and loving. Otherwise, she will raise a cold, angry monster- one more of which we do not need in this already rotten society.

Bad Surprise

Yesterday was my birthday. I turned 23. Not bad, right? Yeah, well, keep reading.

I took the day off from work to spend time with Erik. We got up somewhat early, got dressed and decided to go out for a bite and then head to the thrift store. We exited our apartment and headed to our car.

Erik was walking ahead of me and suddenly stopped. He turned slowly around and gave me a look I will never forget. "It's gone," he stammered.

"WHAT?!" I ran around him to take a look, thinking he was joking, but he wasn't. THE CAR WAS GONE!!! Somebody stold our car.

We called the police and I began sobbing. How could this happen?! Our only mode of transportation!!! And on my birthday no less. What a rotten way to celebrate. I felt so pissed off at the world...humanity. How unjust that such rotten things happen to good people.

Plus, we had a lot of stuff in the car and now we can't remember exactly what it all was. I wanted to scream and rip out my hair.

The police can do nothing, of course. "We'll call you," is all they can muster.

I opened the floodgates and told my family, who freaked out. My godparents left work and brought us my aunt's car. It was so generous, that I broke down. My family's heart is truly made of gold.

So, now Erik and I have to buy a new car- an expense we didn't want or need. I just can't wait until better days arrive, because this seriously blows.