NOSTALGIA IS A WEAPON

Sitting in a small coffee shop, sipping my chai latte (damn tasty, by the way), and dicking around on the internet waiting for my family to get here. Not really how I’d imagined starting this vacation, but “expect the unexpected” I suppose. I’m just amazed that they have wireless here. This town is so tiny that I’m shocked they get cable, let alone have wireless capability. So yeah, I’m in the north Georgia mountains for the next few days, attempting to enjoy my stepfather’s family reunion. The really good thing is I get to see my new baby nephew, and my stepbrother and his wife, who I love to death. The bad thing is that I know I’m going to get tons of questions about school, and these aren’t exactly the type of people I really want to detail that story to. My current plan of action is to either bury my nose deep into a book and pretend I don’t hear them, or lie through my teeth. Ah, how exciting this will be!

At the very least I’m starting to pseudo-date someone now. Never really had that before, so I’m not totally sure what to expect, but in all truth I’m not expecting anything. I’m just going to “go with the flow”, see where things end up. No expectations. I know we’re both interested, and that’s a good start, but I’m not going to allow myself to force anything. If this is meant to work, then I’m sure the two of us will make it happen.

Waxing philosophical in a coffee shop. I feel so chic.

Re: Elbow- Leaders Of The Free World
Not released for another couple of months, but I am REALLY digging this album. I’d never really been exposed to much of their stuff before, but man, I think I’m addicted now. Just phenomenal stuff. Beautiful instrumentation, gorgeous harmonies. I have that lovely feeling that I sometimes get when music really transcends into a religious experience for me. Same feeling I got when I listened to this next album:

Re: Sufjan Stevens- Illinois
Had this for a couple of months now, but it just officially came out about 2 weeks ago. Probably my favorite album of the year. This man is a fucking musical prodigy. Never mind how many instruments he plays, but his compositions and arrangements are sheer brilliance. This record makesmy heart almost leap out of my chest with hope for the world. If there is someone out there making music this gorgeous, this special, then maybe the world can be okay.

Yep, I think I’ve chosen the right career path for me. Time to go give myself more aural orgasms…

So it looks like I will have to get a part-time job in the interim between now and going back to school (which is god-knows when). This isn’t such a bad thing, it’ll be something to keep me busy if nothing else. I just really don’t want to go back into retail. My years of retail service are some of the unhappiest of my life. I had a conversation with my mother yesterday on the subject of job options, which went something like this:

Mom: “How about going back to Staples?”
Me: “Fuck you.”
Mom: “Well, what else do you think you’d do?”
Me: “I dunno, a music store maybe, or a book store. Maybe an office job, like temping. Ooh! I could be a gigolo!”

My mother then proceeded to give me The Look. In looking back at this, I realize that parents must have a complete arsenal of different Looks which they employ in the direction of their offspring. I think once you become a parent, the information detailing how to execute these Looks is cosmically downloaded into your brain, or something to that effect. Anyhow, this particular look that I was given is a well-known one, I’m sure. It’s the one that says “you-think-you’re-so-funny-but-believe-me-mister-you’re-not-I’m-much-older-and-wiser-and-I-know-what-funny-is-and-you-are-not-funny”.The only appropriate comeback I could think of was to smile as big as I could. I proudly wear the title of Smartass.

Wow, that was a tangent. Back to the issue at hand: a part-time job. This is the section where I beg you for helpful comments and tips to help me decide what to do with this next period of my life. So come out, help a brother out. Anyone?

So it’s the 4th of July, and hopefully everyone out there has had a lovely weekend. I sat at home and got drunk. Hmm…

Anyway, to the update. My birthday date got cancelled, but was wonderfully filled in by my friend Katie. We went out to Viriginia Highlands, and I drank many Jack & Cokes. Wonderful night, and a wonderful time spent with a friend I hadn’t seen in over a year.

The rest of the weekend has been spent celebrating my birthday. Somehow my parents decided it was okay to spread it over several days, which I certainly didn’t object to. I can use all the celebration anyone wants to give me.

I don’t really feel the difference between 20 and 21. Not that I expected to, but since it’s the “Big One”, I thought there might be something. Not that it matters. The woman at the grocery store *did* give me an odd look when I purchased beer.