Breath

With the stress of moving, graduating, and finding a job, it's getting easier and easier everyday to get whisked up into the abyss of stress. But, I'm trying desperately to keep in mind that in no time I will be waking up to Ben every morning, planning our wedding, and enjoying post college life, with no final papers for as far as the eye can see.

Hooman Majd

In the past few years, I have read more books and articles on Iran than I would care to count (or admit here). Of all the writers I've come across on the topic, I would have to say my favorite is Hooman Majd, an Iranian-American journalist and author. He published The Ayatollah Begs to Differ, fascinating look at Iranian culture and politics, a few years ago and is coming out with a new book, The Ayatollah's Democracy, this autumn. He has an amazing insight on the real Iran, as an American with an inside look and connection to the culture, and a deep understanding of the country's politicians and issues. His recent Foreign Policy article, Postcard from Tehran, is a great look at how life in the Islamic Republic has changed (and stayed the same) since the election almost a year ago.

It's Torture

As anyone who knows me even vaguely is aware, I'm Irish (not Asian, as some people apparently believe). While everyone knows the Irish are completely superior in most almost every way, one slight flaw in our makeup is our inability to tan. Being someone who likes to wear short dresses, my flourescent legs are kind of a bummer, but not something I actively seek to remedy.

Well, yesterday, Helen and I decided to go to the beach. Both of us are pale, so we figured we would at least give laying out a shot, soke up some sun, lounge around. Ya know, the beach thing. It turns out that was a horrible mistake. Despite putting on sunscreen, we burnt to a crisp. And of all places, on the back of our legs. As I sit here, typing this, I am in the most horrific pain. Everything my legs touch, I stick to, including my skirt and my chair.

I hate the sun.

True Blood

Anyone else loving on the True Blood minisodes, which can be seen on HBO's website? I won't be able to see the new season until California, sadly, so I'm in love with these little "drops of True Blood"!

PS: This made me giggle.

Living In: The Darjeeling Limited

There are many reasons I have mad love for Wes Anderson's film The Darjeeling Limited. Jason Schwartzman and Adrien Brody, beautiful shots of India (where I am dying to go), songs about the Champs Elysees. Little to say, since it came out, I have been eaten up with the idea of taking a train across India, assuming said train is delightfully vintage (which might not be too difficult to find considering the location). Words cannot explain my joy at Living In: The Darjeeling Limited, posted today on Design*Sponge. Love, love, love it!

Best Thing Ever?

Quote

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

How crazy is this sudden heat wave? My little apartment has turned into a sauna. But with the heat comes all kinds of excitement, because even though I hate intense heat, I love all that comes with summertime (minus bugs). My favorite might just be farmers markets, and having lived in the city last summer, I was able to take full advantage of all their wonders. I'm a freak for organics, local and sustainable foods, so markets are right up my alley. Last year, I had a class near the Daley Plaza market, and I stocked up on fresh fruit whenever I had the chance. I froze most of it, since I bought a lot of whatever was cheap at the time, and enjoyed delicious fruit smoothies almost all winter!

I'm not sure how thriving the farmers markets are in Ridgecrest, but I can take solice in tending the little garden we have on the patio. Once we move, I plan on getting a little more ambitious (like growing berries!). I do wish that open air markets weren't just a special seasonal thing, though. Once again, Paris trumps the US!

When Do I Get to Live in Stars Hollow and Work with Alec Baldwin?

I've come to conclusion that I'm an awkward hybrid of Liz Lemon and Rory Gilmore. So, where is my Stars Hollow and my job offer from NBC?

It's So Close!

So, in not too long, it is going to be Graduation weekend. That's right -- only like three weeks left! I am so excited, I can't even wait. But there is more than one reason why that weekend is going to be magnificent. Here -- let me explain.

First off, of course, is the joy of being done with college. Is there any better feeling? I mean, after the endless hours spent on campus for the past year and three months, I really feel like I accomplished something. And while I am not pumped to sit through the ceremony, I am pumped to be able to say I am a DePaul Alum! That will be awesome!

Another reason? Well, post Graduation, we are all going out for dinner. Sure, it sounds run of the mill, but chances are you have never experienced a dinner with the Heing clan. Ben's folks are coming up too (I think), so it'll be one big table. We Heing's manage to turn any family dinner into at least a couple hours of laughing, joking, and generally bizarre behavior, and I'm sure that the post-Grad euphoria will only make it all that much more enjoyable! Still not sure where we are eating, which I really need to decide, but I kinda want to find somewhere with outdoor seating. That way we can be as giggly as we want and not disturb fellow diners.

There's more! That Saturday (the day before Graduation) Andy and Katie are coming up to the city! They are riding up in the morning, spending the day and night galavanting with Ben and I, and then heading to a game at Wrigley the next day. I'm pumped they are coming up; we four don't get much time all together, so I'm really looking forward to a day spent lolling around the city. Apparently Andy has never been to the Lincoln Park Conservatory, so I'm thrilled to introduce him to that! It's right up his alley.

AND THAT'S NOT ALL! While the thrill of seeing Ben is enough in and of itself, it also happens to be his birthday in a few weeks. He won't be here for his proper birthday, but I have every intention of using my fiance authority in declaring the weekend he is in town as a re-do birthday. The only problem is we don't have a whole lot of time to ourselves, so I will have to plan around everything to fit in some birthday adventures. I don't want to say too much, cause I know he gets on here sometimes, but I have a few ideas I'm kicking around.

So, as you can see, Graduation weekend is pretty much going to be the best culmination of my college career I could possibly ask for! Now, the only hard part will be making it through the next three weeks. . .

What's Wrong with Me?

Seriously? The past two days I have spent a lot of time pondering said question. Why you ask? Well, I managed to pinch a nerve or pull a muscle or break my spine yesterday morning. And what extreme physical labor was I engaging in, you ask? I was getting dressed. Yes, that's right. I have caused myself excruciating pain for the past two days, right between my shoulder blades, by putting on clothes. I have no idea how it works, but it did, and I hate it.

Fun Fact!

Did you know that Iran performs the second highest number of sex change surgeries in the world, right behind Thailand? Or that the government provides half of the cost for surgery, if needed, and then will legally change your birth certificate to reflect the change in gender? I knew they offered it through the government, but didn't know they did so many OR that they were legally recognized by the state!

"Just Put Me in Anything!"

So, I won't lie. I was so nervous to go look at dresses. Not for any cold feet reason, but because I kept imaging 14 year old awkward me trying them on. Not sure why. But I thought I would look super awkward and really weird in these formal dresses, or just feel out of place.

Thank goodness, that wasn't the case! It was a great time, and it was a lot of fun hanging with the girls. We were late for the appointment, but in the end we didn't need that extra time anyway. The consultant kind of lost interest once she figured out we weren't actually buying anything, which was discouraging. We were being charming! Guess I need to be more of a Bridezilla.

But I did try on a lot of dresses, in a variety of styles, just to weed through what I really liked and really don't. I was pretty spot on in my initial thoughts on general idea, but I'm re-thinking my opinions on length. I did try on one dress that can only be described as Princess Diana-esque, just for the hell of it. When the woman asked me what I thought, I said, "Well, I don't see Prince Charles coming anytime soon, so I'd best take it off." There were like two or three dresses I totally loved, and if I could Dr. Frankenstein them together, I would have my dress. But sadly, David's Bridal doesn't allow you be play mad scientist with dresses, so I'm SOL. I'm glad I got to narrow it down, though, and figure out what works on me and what doesn't. With my oddly proportioned body, I'm never sure how things will look on me!

The girls, by the way, were amazing! Not only encouraging, but also awesome at pulling random dresses I never would have thought to put on. Having supportive people around is, far and away, the most wonderful and helpful thing ever, especially when it comes to something like this. It means a lot that the people in my life can be so supportive and encouraging! What can I say -- Ben and I are just ridiculously lucky!


What a great weekend! It was so much fun looking at wedding dresses yesterday, as well as hanging with my darling dog on Friday and getting to see Mikey Eff last night! These weekends go by way too fast for my liking!

Where is Randy?

This weekend, I'm home with a very special mission: Look at wedding dresses! Tomorrow, my bridesmaids (minus Kim) and I are going to start hunting for The Dress, and I am so excited! While I don't have any intention of buying a dress tomorrow, hopefully I can get it narrowed down to a particular style. I've been planning on looking for a more vintage, tea length situation, since it's more my style than a princess-ballgown set up. I'm so excited a) to be looking at dresses and b) to spend the day with my girls!

Wishlist

Along with that charming "Keep Calm and Have a Cupcake" print, this map is going on the list of things I want for my future home! How awesome is it! I've always loved the idea of having a world map to stick pins in as Ben and I travel the world, and I'm in love with this "These Are Things" modern twist on a classic map!

Freekibblekat

So if you follow the magnificent Sockington on Twitter, then you probably already know about Freekibblekat. I just heard about it, but wanted to share the link so that others can check it out. Basically, everyday you answer a question, ten pieces of kibble are donated to feed cats in animal shelters. If you haven't been to an animal shelter, let me tell you -- the cats are usually the most populous part of the place. So helping out by donating kibble is a great way to rack up some karma points, and feed some poor cats!

Flashback

Last night, I watched an old episode of True Life on MTV. It was the "I'm going to Prom" episode, which in and of itself isn't that interesting, but it got me thinking about my own Prom experience. My Senior year is the one I invariably end up looking back on, for a number of reasons. For anyone keeping track, I was Prom Queen! I know, people are usually surprised to find that out, since I don't really seem the type. But nonetheless, I managed to cross that one off the bucket list. My dress was awesome -- vintage 1952 black dress, totally gorgeous! I love, love, love that I got to wear it that year.

But one of the most pronounced things to remember now, which happens to have taken on new meaning in recent years, is that my Senior Prom was where I met Ben for the first time. He went with my best friend, Helen, something we all thought was totally awesome. We kind of idolized all of Helen's older brother's, also named Ben, friends, so Helen taking one of them to Prom was pretty epic. At the time, we were both dating other people, so I would be lying if I said any sparks flew, although that would make it a much better story. We have since determined that we had been at the same place a few other times -- intersecting friend circles will do that -- but hadn't officially met.

Honestly, the biggest thing I remember from the night was making fun of him and Helen. That sounds mean, I know, but if anyone known my friend group at all, they know we show love by picking on each other. Primarily, we were mocking them for swing dancing. Of course, we ended up looking like asses for even trying to copy them, but still. I always think back to that when Ben tries to get me to dance with him. We did talk a bit, although he was too busy talking about guy stuff with our friend Matt, but I left the afterparty early. He kept calling me "Queenie", which I thought was pretty cute. He still does from time to time, primarily when we're talking about when we met.

I wish I could remember that exact moment when we were introduced. Apparently Helen introduced him to my mom, and she gave him a hug. But it's one of those at-the-time-innocent moments that now has so much more depth to it. There was no way either of us could have known that in almost exactly two years, we would be together, let alone be engaged in about three and a half. It's so funny now to remember it all!

Literary Shoutout

I just finished re-reading a collection of short stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Let me say -- I have serious love for the man. In terms of style, few can top him. His ability to capture human emotion, in all it's importance and passion, is amazing. His story The Lees of Happiness just breaks my heart!

Where are the Fennec Foxes?

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon at the zoo with Helen and her friend Tyna (not sure if I spelled that right!). I may or may not have spent most of the trip cooing about all the adorable children. . . Of all things to do in the city, spending a day lolling around Lincoln Park and meandering through the zoo is probably one of my favorites. I'll miss it being only a brief walk away! And of course I'll miss being able to spend random days with my lovely ladies when I'm across country. Sad panda. . .

Happier Things!

This little story and the photos of this wedding are too, too, too cute! I love the chapel they got married in, and how sweet and simple it was! Just amazing.

Deepest Apologies to my Gender

I'm in a class this quarter called Political Socialization. Don't ask me what it means -- week six and I'm still not totally sure. But we spend a lot of time talking about race relations, gender inequality, stuff like that. The kind of stuff that has spun off Political Science to form majors that people get degrees in for reasons that are totally beyond me. But being in this class has made something extremely clear to me that I've known for years, but kind of avoid. I am not a Feminist.

Women in advertising or hip hop videos don't bother me. I don't lose sleep over the glass ceiling, or subconscious expectations of femininity. I don't feel outrage at the image of womanhood portrayed in Disney movies or on TV. Sure, I want to have a career and all that, but I don't want to do these things for the good of womankind or anything like that. I won't flinch at giving up my career to be a mom. I don't think women are inferior or anything like that, I just . . . don't care.

I spent some time thinking about it, and realized that I don't even have a female "hero" in the same way I have males. FDR, the Kennedys, Khatami -- people who inspire me are all male. One exception would be Rachel Maddow, but she's proved herself as able to stand up with the men's club of political commentary. Besides Zooey Deschanel and Jenny Lewis, my musical taste is male dominated. Even on TV, I'm more drawn to male characters, like Don Draper. Women I find interesting are like the women on Big Love, or even Mad Men, who have a kind of stoic nature in the face of their problems. They take the situation as it comes. Take for example Betty Draper, who left Don this past season after finding out that he lied about his identity and cheated on her (like a billion times.) It wasn't outrage at Don's behavior I felt, but outrage that Betty would actually do that to him.

I do have women I look to for "image inspiration" when it comes to clothes and things, like Zooey Deschanel or Audrey Hepburn. But the women I'm drawn to, I guess you could say, perpetuate the female stereotypes so many people rail against. My vision of what being a woman means is derived from Jackie (and can't forget Ethel!) Kennedy, or F. Scott Fitzgerald books, or Audrey -- that classic idea of being quirky, but still being a lady in that classic sense.

I don't know what it means, or where it came from. I mean, I'm a strong person, not a push over or anything like that. I stand up for myself and all that, but not with any sense of female pride, or even female entitlement.

Humph. I should have been born decades ago.

Soldier's Joy

In keeping with the theme, I wanted to share a ditty that I hold near and dear to my heart. It's another Old Crow performance, this time of "Soldier's Joy". In high school, we had a recording of this song, and would listen to it all the time. It's a Civil War era tune, and personally, I love it!

Favorite Things

I love many things about my dearest bluegrass/revivalist/folk-ish music scene. One of them is how they do music videos. The whole scene typically doesn't release actual music videos (an exception is Old Crow's video for "Wagon Wheel") but instead tapes a live performance and releases that. I think it's genius, because the video then has the energy of a live take (another favorite thing).

Here are a few worth checking out: The Avett Brothers' "Nothing Short of Thankful", Old Crow Medicine Show "Tell It To Me", and The Felice Brothers' "Frankie's Gun". Unrelated, but am I the only one who finds the singer of The Felice Brothers particularly attractive? I think it's the voice. . .

I desperately want this for my kitchen. Oh, and now I desperately want a cupcake.

Things I'm Ashamed I Don't Like

I spent some time this weekend thinking about all the things I feel like I should like, but don't. You know how it is -- if you fit a certain mold, you have those things you are supposed to like, and if you don't, well, it's awkward. I had an awkward moment with a friend recently, in which she started talking about Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, and clearly expected me to join in the praise. But here's the thing -- I couldn't stand the damn thing! I didn't even make it through 1/4 of the video! But I'm supposed to like it, which lead to her, "What? You . . . you don't like it?" reaction.

Other things that fall into this category: Radiohead, Animal Collective, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Death Cab for Cutie, and Ron Paul. It goes both ways, of course. I'm a little embarrassed (although less so now than before) by how much I love Beyonce and generally adore bluegrass/revivalist music, as well as crushes I have on people like Liam Neeson and Anderson Cooper.

Just one more reason I'm an awkward panda.