Geez. Today has sucked. Bad end to nutty week, full of all the frustrating details you usually spare the readers of something like this. Just to be sure, it is Friday today, right?

Not lame? These:

Current state

My Google Reader is stressing me OUT. It’s currently well over 1000+ items, and as petty as it sounds, I want to read ALL OF IT. I just can’t bring myself to click “Mark All As Read” because I just KNOW there will be a ton of stuff I don’t get to look at and THEN I will potentially miss that 839th article on how to refurbish an antique mirror!! And all that print art, gone unseen! And all those recipes and weird ass belts and daily outfits, GONE UNSEEN. Can the internet just stop updating for one week? Just while I finish the trillions of hours of work I need to put in to finish company newsletters this week? FFFound and Design Sponge, I’m looking at you.

Damn you OMG Posters / FFFound for constantly feeding into my print art addiction! This would look so fantastic in my living room, if I ever got around to putting up some art on those big white walls.

So yeah, it’s Wednesday, but let’s talk about this past weekend anyway. It’s tradition that I’m always a bit late with things anyway, so in keeping with tradition, let’s get to talking about one of the BEST WEEKENDS EVER.

Friday night: Long-ass bike ride in the cold! But it was so fun. Mike, Meagan and I decided at the last sec to do Critical Mass, as last years’ Halloween ride was amazing. We ended up in the West Bottoms, AGAIN, drinking and hanging out near the Edge of Hell and Meagan ended up getting into a theological debate with the Jesus peeps. After biking up the gigantic hill that is Kansas City, drank at Gilhoulys, and rolled around in the leaves. Good times.

stopped for no reason in the worst part of town

Saturday night: HALLOWEEN. Obviously. I retardedly had to work at the coffee shop, but managed to get off at a decent hour and race home and change into my Amelia Earhardt costume. I scored the MOST AMAZING BOMBER JACKET EVER at ATC, that even had an emblazoned A on it. I loved the whole outfit and had such a blast wearing it.

amelia! with long hair and at first glance, no pants

Meagan (Margot Tenenbaum), Mike (Billy Mays) and Chris (Mayan God) and I headed over to this AMAZING house party in Brookside. We drank well into the night, caught up with people who hadn’t seen me since my UBER NERDY middle school days and partied with all our buddies and had such a fantastic time. I feel like I still reek like a bonfire. Regardless, for various reasons, one of the best Halloweens yet. See pics here.

margot & amelia, together at last

mike and hutch, together at last

Urban Outfitters, what happened to you. You have gone from being my go-to favorite shop to this baggy-ass hipster shop that sells torn up shirts, unattractive clothes from the late 80s and crap that doesn’t fit right. I will keep coming back to you, of course, as you still sell awesome jeans and a few other gems, but I don’t understand your obsession with velvet, acid denim, or things that only look fashionable on Japanese teenagers.

Also, these fugs:

uh, what?

Or maybe I’m just getting old. Maybe that’s why I can’t wear things like this anymore.

How perfect do these look? Cannot wait to try. Much thanks, again, to JenLovesKev for the awesome recipe!

Brie and Pear Sandwiches:
Brie
Thinly sliced pear
Thinly sliced Ham (optional)
Fresh bakery Loaf (I used a Cranberry Pecan multi grain loaf)

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Slice brie, pear and bread
3. Layer brie, ham and pair onto bread to make a little sandwich
4. Place sandwiches on a baking sheet and place in oven for 4-5 mins or until brie is melted. If you have a Panini press that would work awesome!

When you go into a bathroom:

A) …and someone is in there, make cordial conversation, WHICH ABSOLUTELY MUST END ONCE THE STALL DOOR IS CLOSED. Do you seriously want to have this conversation over that particular sound?

B) Do not, under any circumstances, EVER feel like it’s okay to talk on your CELL PHONE WHILST GOING TO THE BATHROOM. There are few things more absolutely mind-blowingly not okay in the manners world, and this is probably number 1, 2, 3. Doesn’t the person on the other end mind?! Like, what’s the noise? Is that flushing??

C) Please, for the love of god, watch your kids. If they crawl under the stall and surprise me, I will scream. LOUDLY. And your child will REMEMBER this scream well into her adult life. I don’t care if they don’t know what’s what, they’re getting yelled SCREECHED at if they crawl into stalls.

UPDATE: Just after writing this (not before, weirdly enough) I saw this post. I’m glad I’m not alone! Read for more totally-understandable rules.

It’s already Thursday. How did that happen? I’ll tell you how. I’ve barely been home long enough this week to feed my cat or do dishes or wash my clothes or get groceries, that’s how. I’m grateful for the busyness – idle hands are the devil’s tools, according to Momma H – but I’m looking forward to a night of a long run, and then plopping my butt on the couch and reading and then falling asleep at 9. I seem to be fighting off some weird head congestion, too. My throat’s gotten very sore and my head feels all…. woozy?? Just sorta lightheaded and achey.

So, with that first paragraph combined with that one post about death, this blog is quickly turning into the most depressing blog ever. So let’s hit on a high note: the Ben Folds concert on Monday.

It was GREAT. I think that everyone should see him play live to see what a proper musician is – someone who is genuinely interested in music, and not the byproducts (the fame, the money, the way he looks, etc). He is so talented it’s retarded. And he played for like…2 whole hours? STRAIGHT?

ben + kate perform "you don't know me"

Another great thing about the concert? The opening act: aussie singer Kate Miller-Heidke.

kate

SO FANTASTIC. Such a gorgeous voice, and I really dug her act and her music – she’s mixed pop with opera, and it somehow works. Apparently she’s HUGE NEWS back in Aus, so I’m sure it’s just a matter of time in the States. I went home and downloaded most of her stuff, and one of my personal favorites is Caught in the Crowd (listen here).

By the end of the concert though, I was in an exhausted stupor and my feet hurt pretty badly and I was literally wanting to find a corner to curl up in and nap. Getting old, I suppose.

My Top 5 Overplayed Artists on Pandora:

5. The Hush Sound

4. Regina Spektor

3. Jack Johnson

2. Dirt Poor Robins

1. Tie between: Colbie Callait and Marie Digby

I really cannot stress how much and often Pandora’s like, oh hey Colbie Callait? No? How about now? Okay fine. *minutes later* How about now? No? How about Jack Johnson with Colbie Callait?

This is an Arcade Fire station. DO NOT WANT.

Do I talk about Pandora enough? Well, while we’re on the topic, free Pandora really bites. I used to be okay with dealing with the skipping limits, but now they’re making the free listeners really suffer. Listening limits – 40 hours a month??? Do they not realize most people work 40 hours a week? And the ads. Good heavens, the ads. They have gotten so bad and so persistent. Cheers to Pandora for being a once-good thing, selling out and now totally sucking. I REFUSE TO PAY FOR YOU.  REFUSE.