Mea Culpa

To all 2 of you who actually read this blog, I feel an apology is needed. I've been M.I.A. for the past week, and I have no good excuse except that I'm completely obsessed with a little thing called Yelp. I feel like I've been running around with something younger and racier behind my blog's back, and I know I need to stop because eventually I'm going to get caught, but I just can't. Not yet. So, accept this apology and know that I will come back. Soon.

A Peek Inside My Bag

Some people can leave their apartment with everything they need in one pocket... usually keys, money, ID. That's great, but I'm not one of them. I'm what you'd call a "Pack Rat," but in my defense, everything has a purpose. When I head out, it's pretty much for the day so I need to pack accordingly. We'll start with the bag itself which is a tote bag. I like roomy ones with long enough handles that can go over the shoulder. Obviously, I got it at Urban. The heaviest thing in my bag is my laptop. This is probably the one thing I never leave home without. It goes everywhere with me since I'm always using my spare time to check my email, post something on my blog, work on my columns, spend time on Craigslist and Yelp, look up airfare to various places, etc... The next thing in there is my Kate Spade daily planner which I've had now for about 4 years. I'd be lost without it, and if that makes me completely anal, then I'm fine with that. As long as I have my planner. My cell phone, keys, and little scraps of paper hang out in the side pockets. I carry a notebook that's stuffed with pages ripped out of magazines of things like cool websites to check out, DIY projects for my apartment, tips on buying a used car, how to throw a wine-tasting party, that sort of thing. My wallet which actually has money in it because I went to the bank yesterday. Bikini bottoms... don't ask. Several Le Pen pens... the only kind I use. Lip balm which is one of my obsessions. A Netflix envelope that needs to be mailed. Bottled water. The cord to plug in my computer when the battery dies on me which happens all the time. Hand cream because my hands are really dry. A sunglass case but not the sunglasses because they're propped on my head right now. Gum. Spare change in the bottom of the bag. And that's it.

Any Takers?

So the offical lineup for Bonnaroo 2007 was announced last Wednesday, and I'm not kidding when I say that it's every single band you've ever loved in the past year and wanted to see live. Bands like... The Hold Steady, Hot Chip, Cold War Kids, The White Stripes, Wilco (okay one sucky band has to be included... Ha! Ha! Brian), Flaming Lips, Franz Ferdinand, The Decemberists, Kings of Leon, Wolfmother, The Black Keys... I could go on. Bonnaroo used to be a hippy-dippy kind of festival where people with dreads and tie-dye grooved to jam bands, but it's not like that anymore. I think an argument could be made for it being the coolest festival in the U.S. now. It's 3 days in the middle of this farm in no-where Tennessee. Doesn't that sound like the best time ever?

New Music

This is what I'm listening to now...

1. "Wincing the Night Away" by the Shins
2. "Alright, Still" by Lily Allen
3. "New Magnetic Wonder" by Apples in Stereo
4. "Weekend in the City" by Bloc Party

My Yelp Reviews

Look Out Jimmy Page

I am the proud owner of a brand new used acoustic guitar! I'm going to practice every day so that when Robert Plant needs me to step in for Jimmy Page, I'll be ready.

It's a Southern Thing

What is it with Southerners and money? Having lived below the Mason-Dixon line for about a year now, I've had time to study a perculiar quirk of the Southern species. They count out exact change. Every time. Now, if a purchase of mine comes to $1.02, well then I'm going to dig through my bag for the two pennies. But, a Southerner doesn't just root around for pennies. Oh no. If the change is .84 they'll still search for it and spend 10 minutes doing so. Doesn't matter if five people are in line behind them. They'll look. Maybe it's the smaller town that allows more elbow room for finding exact change. I come from a place where if you tried to dig out that .84, you'd definitely hear angry rumblings behind you. In a big city, you slap down a Lincoln and be grateful for the change. Southerns are also all about the Benjamins. I've never seen so many $50's and $100's in circulation. And it's a deliberate thing too. If you go to the bank to cash a check or withdraw money, they'll give you $20's so people are specifically asking for the bigger bills. I will admit to a certain thrill of knowing that there's a crisp $100 bill in my wallet (not that this has happened in a really long time), but when it comes to money, I'm modest. You won't see me tossing a Ullyses S. Grant on the counter to pay for a newspaper. That's just ridiculous.

It's Not Kelly Slater, But...

After the flurry of comments left about yesterday's entry, I'm kind of inclinded to keep posting photos of half-naked surf gods. Hopefully I won't alienate anyone by writing about a book I just finished reading. It's by the lead singer of Franz Ferdinand and is a collection of columns he wrote for a U.K. newspaper about his food adventures while on tour with his band. Having worked in a variety of restaurants, he turns his culinary experience and a truly experimental attitude towards food into witty, insightful essays about life on the road and the food that he encouters along the way. Things like pufferfish in Japan which will kill you if not properly prepared and bull's balls in Spain which, I have to admit, made me a little squeamish when I was reading that particular entry. The book is kind of a back stage pass to what life is like when the band plays their final encore on stage and how they fill their time until the next show in the next town. A fast fun read.

Surfing 101

This is Kelly Slater. He's the greatest surfer of all time. Not, incidentally, a character on "Saved by the Bell." And (ahem) what he looks like has nothing to do with my admiration for his incredible talent. Okay, then. Class dismissed.

If I Ruled the World

If I ruled the world, there'd be no movie sequels.
If I ruled the world, abusing an animal would be punishable by death.
If I ruled the world, nobody would have to work during the Tour de France in July.
If I ruled the world, Bob Marley's song, "Get Up, Stand Up" would be the National Anthem.
If I ruled the world, short people would always be in the front row.
If I ruled the world, "The Simpsons" would be cancelled, and "Arrested Development" would be resurrected.
If I ruled the world, the World Series, the Stanley Cup and the NBA Finals would only be 1 game.
If I ruled the world, Global Warming would be an environmental catastrophe, not a political issue.
If I ruled the world, I'd be on the Bestseller List.
If I ruled the world, Kelly Slater would be my personal surfing instructor.

Going... Going... Gone

Last night I deleted someone from my life. It wasn't that hard. Press a button on a cell phone, and you can electronically erase someone from its memory. Same thing with an email address. Too bad it can't work that way with my head. It's true that friends come and go in a person's life, but when you've been friends with someone for years, you kind of expect the relationship to always be there. And when it just disappears without explanation, that hurts. There's an entire section in bookstores dedicated to helping people get through the pain of breaking up with a boyfriend or coping with divorce, but try to find a book that gets you through the loss of a friend. Sorry, but you're basically on your own for that. It wasn't easy, deleting this person. In fact, I put it off for a long time because I wanted to believe that our friendship was still there, but what I was clinging to was the memory of a once-strong friendship that had faded over the years. The truth is, people change. They grow apart. And keeping a cell phone number can't always disguise the fact that the friend you want to hang on to has slowly become a stranger.

The Envelope Please...

This past year, I've seen some pretty good movies/documentaries. My favorites include "Marie Antoinette" (the soundtrack is so kickin' by the way), "An Inconvenient Truth," "Little Miss Sunshine" and "The US vs. John Lennon" (the subject of an earlier post). The Oscar nominations were recently announced, and I've thought long and hard about who I think will win (as opposed to who should win... there's a big difference). So here's how I think it'll go down on Oscar Night.

Best Picture- Babel
Best Director- Martin Scorsese
Best Actor- Peter O'Toole
Best Actress- Helen Mirren
Best Supporting Actor- Eddie Murphy
Best Supporting Actress- Abagail Breslin
Best Foreign Film- Pan's Labyrinth

Um... I'm notoriously wrong about these kinds of things so don't expect any sort of money back guarantee.

Calgon Take Me Away

Rain today. It's falling out of the grey sky in sheets of wet. The palmetto trees sway in the wind, dead branches falling to the ground with a soggy "swoosh." My umbrella bends from a strong gust, and rain sneaks underneath to spit in my face. Stepping off the curb into an ankle deep puddle, I swear as the moisture seeps into my socks and make squelching noises on my cold walk home.

Footnote: This amazing photo was taken by me (yes, I know how talented I am) a year ago on the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas.

Do Do Do Do, De Da Da Da

For weeks, rumors had been swirling that The Police would be reuniting in 2007 which is the 30th anniversary of the song, "Roxanne." Well, ladies and gentlemen, we are one step closer to that actually happening. It's just been announced that the legendary 80's band will be performing at the Grammy Awards on February 11th and that a confirmation of an upcoming reunion tour is also expected. I'm not sure how to convey the depth of my excitement in a blog so you'll just have to imagine me jumping up and down right now while I type this. There are certain bands/musicians that I wish I could've seen in concert (Bob Marley, The Clash, Led Zeppelin and Thelonious Monk), and The Police have always been in my top five. If this reunion tour happens, I could get my wish.

Rocking a Pair of Green Suede Boots

One of my biggest fashion disasters in high school was a pair of green suede boots. It was towards the end of my love affair with all things Esprit, and I had seen this super popular girl at my old school wearing them at a basketball game once. I was 16 and going to the mall in South Bend (IN) was Nirvana to me. Mom and I were browsing in the shoe department at L.S. Ayers when I saw them. Green. Suede. Esprit. It's amazing how desperately you can want something that 10 seconds ago you didn't even know existed. I was convinced that I couldn't live without these boots and waited in giddy impatience while the sales associate went to find my size. He came back with two boxes, apologizing for not having an 8 1/2 and bringing an 8 and a 9. Despite being a true 8 1/2, I saw this as only a minor setback. The 9 was way too big, my toes lost in a warehouse of empty space at the end of the boot. Pulling on the 8, I was inwardly dismayed. They pinched. Walking in them was uncomfortable, but I turned to my mom and declared they felt great. I loved them and would wear them everyday. One Friday, a few weeks later, I visited my old school and got to spend the day with friends. I was wearing a Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt tucked into a pair of Guess jeans. I strutted my stuff through the old hallways, past the cute boys and the popular girls in my green suede boots, with one sound repeating itself in my head, "Ow, ow, ow (damn it!) ow, ow, ow...."

Anyway Wanna Do My Groceries?

Here's my grocery list...

1. Cucumber
2. String Cheese
3. Vitamin Water (Raspberry Apple is my favorite)
4. Yoplait Yogurt
5. Hummus
6. Pinto Beans (for my 3rd attempt at making a burrito)
7. Method Hand Wash (environmentally friendly)
8. Yellow and Orange pepper (1 each)
9. Rye bread
10. Green grapes

Thanks. I really appreciate it.

Beating Up on a Dead Guy... Nice.

Am I the only one who's sick of Steve Irwin yet? Everytime I turn on the Animal Planet (favorite shows: "Growing Up..." and "Animal Cops"), there's another airing of the Special dedicated to his work and legacy or the last film he made with one of the Cousteaus before he died. He's on the cover of People Magazine's Yearbook of 2006, and there's a book (and probably more than one) coming out about his life. His wife has made the rounds on all the talk shows, and his daughter, Bindi, is apparently going to carry on the Irwin name as a naturalist and television personality. She's eleven, by the way. Here's my beef. Steve Irwin was reckless with his life and would do anything for a good photo op. Anyone remember the scene with the baby and the crocodile? Michael Jackson was villified for pulling a similar stunt, yet this guy is practically being nominated for sainthood. I also objected to the way he interacted with wild animals, disrupting them in their natural habitat and causing undue stress on them instead of observing from a safe distance. His programs were less about the animals and more about his theatrics and getting the "money shot." He was like the circus guy who sticks his head in a lion's mouth for a crowd reaction. Cheap thrills. Yes he died in a freak accident. It's sad. But tragic? I don't think so. So, people, it's time to let Steve Irwin go. Just like Tupac and Kurt Cobain. RIP.

Luck Be a Lady

Luck. Some people have it. Some don't. I've known individuals who seem to float through life, untouched by the tragedy, disappointment, setbacks and heartache that tarnish the rest of our lives. To my eternal regret, I am not one of those people. Sometimes it seems like I'm the unluckiest person of all time. In this past month alone, I've crashed my bike, didn't get a job I really wanted, found out an article I submitted to a magazine wasn't accepted and had to cancel plans for a trip I'd been planning on taking. In fact, I've decided that January has been declared, "Stomp on Rebekah Month." It feels like a giant hand is pressing down on me, and I can't seem to get out from under it. Somehow, though, when things look really grim and I can't see my way through the disaster I happen to be caught up in, things just kind of work out. And maybe that's my kind of luck. It's not quite the same thing as winning the lottery, but I'll take it.

Music to Download Now

These are the songs that are playing in a continuous loop on my iPod...

1. "Naked Sun" by ... And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead
2. "9 Crimes" by Damien Rice
3. "Nothing's Gonna Change Your Mind" by Badly Drawn Boy
4. "When I Wake" by The Changes
5. "When You Thought You'd Never Stand Out" by Copeland
6. "Golden Days" by The Damnwells
7. "The Fatalist" by Robbers on High Street

Give Peace a Chance

So yesterday was the first Saturday I didn't have to work in AGES, and it was really nice. I had lunch (Cru Cafe... their 4 cheese macaroni is out of this world) with an old friend who was in town for a wedding, did some window shopping, took a nap with Dudley and went to the Terrace where the documentary, "The US vs. John Lennon" had just opened the night before. It was fantastic and totally relevant to the political situation we find ourselves in today. The Beatles were coming to an end, and Lennon had found a freedom to say and do whatever he wanted through his relationship with Yoko Ono. Increasingly, he was compelled to speak out against the Vietnam War, both in interviews and in his music. The documentary deals with how Lennon was targeted by J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI because of his anti-war sentiment, but despite having his phones tapped and the threat of deportation, Lennon never lost sight of his goal which was an end to the War. The documentary gives an insightful look at this turbulent time through interviews with Walter Kronkite, Ron Kovic, Carl Bernstein, Angela Davis, Gore Vidal, Bobby Seale, Noam Chomsky, George McGovern, John Sinclair (the funniest segment in the film), Yoko Ono and many others who not only lived the 60's and early 70's but were on the front lines of a revolution that was happening in this country. The parallels to today are obvious.

This One's for You, Brian

A recent post included several "shout-outs" to some of my friends. Well, it seems like a few people felt left out and requested shout-outs of their own (for future reference... you can't ASK for a shout-out. It has to be freely given, but whatever). So here you go, Brian. Your very own special mention. Oh, and that cute girl in the middle? That's my great friend, Kerry. Miss you.

Are You Experienced?

If Jaywalking is a skill then I should have a black belt in it. Living in Boston, I could get from Downtown Crossing to Copley Square without ever having to stop for traffic, a 15 minute trek that traversed several busy streets, including Tremont, Charles and Boylston. There's an art to it that comes with experience. You weave between cars, gauging how fast a vehicle is approaching and instinctively sensing when to check forward momentum for a fraction of a second before slipping through the stream of traffic. Jaywalking requires a steeliness when it's time to step into the path of an oncoming car with mere moments to spare in reaching the safety of the opposite curb before it zips past, trailing an invisible plume of exhaust. The unspoken rule of Jaywalking is to never run, just keep to a smooth steady pace that doesn't impede the driver. Ordinary pedestrians can only stare in awe when a skilled Jaywalker boldly walks into the road while they hover uncertainly on the corner like wildebeest facing a river full of crocodiles. Some drivers can't handle Jaywalkers. They see someone stepping out with seconds to slip on by, and their nerve breaks. The car lurches to an abrupt stop. A car horn squawks in angry protest. Hands make rude, impatient gestures. And as you glide around the vehicle, you glance at the driver in vague contempt because you know you had clearance and his theatrics are ridiculous. If cities are considered Urban Jungles, then Jaywalking is a survival skill. Once you master it, crossing the street will never be the same.

My Peanut Joke

Here's my favorite joke ever. Feel free to add your own.

Two peanuts were walking down the street. One was assaulted.

Now that's funny.

Landmarks on the Body

If the body is a map, then I guess a person's scars could be considered landmarks or points of interest. Regardless what they're called, a network of scars is like a thumbprint. Something utterly unique that identifies this person as me. The first scar I remember getting was from when I was in Girl Scouts, and my mom was the troop leader. During one of our meetings, we were getting a primer in the use of a pocket knife, and my mom distinctly told us to be careful. Not five minutes later, I'd cut myself on the pad of my left middle finger. I don't remember how it happened, but it might've had something to do with me trying to be rebellious because I think I'd already figured out that being a Girl Scout wasn't cool. The next year, I quit. The scar above my lip is from the summer I went rollerskating with two of my cousins. Up to that point, I could probably count the number of times I'd actually gone skating on one hand so why we strapped on our skates and headed for the "hills" I will never know. What I do know is that halfway down a really steep hill where the pavement was "grooved" to slow down cars, I realized I had no idea how to stop and ended up using my face as a break. I left the hospital with 13 stitches. I have a faint scar on my right inner wrist that could be mistaken for a misguided attempt on my life, but even though I was in high school at the time, I didn't try to slit my wrist... at least not on purpose. It happened after a football game, and I was a cheerleader who needed to get my stuff out of a locker, but the gate to the school was locked so I climbed the fence. On my way over the top, I snagged my wrist on a curved metal barb. A year ago I, unwittingly, got caught in a cat fight (Dudley kicks ass by the way), and one of the cats ripped open the skin on my right thumb. My knee-jerk reaction was to call my parents who told me to go to the hospital, but instead I went out to dinner with a friend. It's a big scar so I definitely could've used stitches. There are two scars on my upper left arm, and I tell people who ask that they are bullet wounds. They aren't. They're places where I had moles removed by an overzealous doctor. Finally, the scar on my left knee is so new it's still pink. It's from when I crashed my bike a few weeks ago. The point in revealing all this? Well now if you encounter a doppelganger who pesists in telling you she's me, you'll know to check for the landmarks on her body that prove otherwise. Brilliant.

A Look Back

I've recently been informed by a good friend who is also an experienced blogger (Hi Brad!) that it's a tradition to write a review of the past year on or around January 1st. I'm about a week late, but what the heck. Looking back on the year that was 2006, I have to say it was an amazing time for me. 2006 was my first full year in Charleston, and I've never regretted my decision to move down here. In fact, I'm convinced now more than ever that leaving Boston was absolutely the best thing for me although I DO miss Anna's Taqueria, the T (can you believe it?), walking along the Charles, The Garment District and that weird little store on Newbury Street with the gargoyles. Charleston's been incredibly good to me though. I've made some super cool friends (Shout Outs to: Eliza! Brad! Rani! Kevin! Jacob! Zhareen! Jacob #2! Chris! and Michael!), and as soon as I fix up my apartment, it'll be the best pad I've ever had. Dudley taught me that everything I ever knew about cats did not apply to him. I discovered places in Charleston to love... Raval, 52.5, the top of the Bridge with its panoramic view of downtown, Sullivan's Island, the quiet little park off of Broad, Fast & French, Pet Helpers and walking down my street at dusk. I was given an incredible opportunity to write a regular column in the "Oldest Newspaper in the South," which in turn gave me the confidence to contact other publications about writing for them. I was able to see my family more than I thought. I traveled. I climbed a mountain (see picture). 2006 wasn't all hearts and flowers though. I had (minor) surgery, treated someone to a shopping spree around Charleston to the tune of $2800 and lost the person I considered to be my best friend for reasons I still don't know. 2007 has a lot to live up to, but I'm looking forward to seeing what the year will bring. Life is an adventure. The fun part is seeing where it takes us next.