Ben Folds released a new album yesterday, Songs for Silverman. On my first listen-through, I am noticing a fuller, more mature sound than Rockin' the Suburbs (which I liked, but I could do without the drum machines). Songs for Silverman showcases the melancholy-ballad side of Ben -- not much bouncy, goofy stuff here... although the man still knows how to write a hook! I kind of like how Ben Folds' music is maturing alongside me. Once in a while, I'll listen to Ben Folds Five and reminisce about being so carefree. Hehe.

It's just been announced that Ben Folds and Rufus Wainwright are co-headlining a North American tour again. They'd better come to Los Angeles this time, dammit!

Okay, my little stalkers. The Massachusetts gallery is up!

I'm back! I'm back and I'm FAT! Seriously, Emily and I ate a lot. Mostly foods of the dessert variety. :)



This is a picture of me and Emily making brownies at her apartment in Sunderland, Massachusetts. It's a pretty good summary of what we did over the weekend. :)

Okay, okay. I over-simplify. We also went to Boston, which was cool. We went social dancing, and this time, Emily was the one who got groped! Hah! Then we talked and sang until our throats were sore, and watched movies about love. It was a damn fun weekend.

Emily took me to Northampton, a wonderfully earthy/New Age/Lesbian little town. I bought Susie Bright's Sexual State of the Union at a used book store there. So far it's great... it's a collection of essays by the passionately pro-sex Susie Bright on a lot of issues that really, really interest me -- female sexuality and body image, gender-bending, her experiences working at On Our Backs and Good Vibrations, and most interesting of all, pornography. Melissa, you will be the first to borrow it, naturally. :)

Hey, so I have a new picture series to post in my travel gallery. Expect to see it up in a couple of days!! :D

I know a lot of sad stuff has been happening lately. But I'm trying to stay optimistic. After all, my Lola died surrounded by her family, having lived a long and meaningful life. My dad is responding well to the chemotherapy and is looking good. My hamsters are dead, but there's no tragedy in that. And Stephen and I, well, I think we still agree that our lives are better apart than together, and I maintain that I will love the boy until my dying day. So yeah, life may throw you some curves, but really, it doesn't suck all that much. :)

As of tomorrow, I will have been single for 10 weeks. How am I doing? I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish as a free woman. Let's review how well I've worked towards my goals during the last 2.5 months:

-Stay single.
-Hmm, questionable. :P Welp, I don't have a boyfriend! So I guess that counts. But omfg, dating is too fun.

-Go swing dancing.
-Yep, as much as I can.

-Sunbathe nude.
-Not yet. But I -am- going to Hawaii in a couple weeks, and supposedly there's an awesome nude beach on Maui...

-Visit Emily.
-I fly tomorrow, bitches!

-Take classes.
-I get my registration appointment at Citrus this Monday...

-Audition for stuff, you slacker.
-Well, I've been getting more invovled with this volunteer group. So far I've done a couple of rehearsals with the guitarist, and she likes me. I've got a performance coming up with them, plus a recital with Catherine's students the weekend after. Ahh, it feels so nice to have performance opportunities again!

Hmm! Looks like I need to update my list! I remember, a first draft of my list included "Take responsibility for your sexual health" (which I am attempting); "play hockey" (check); and "get happy, dammit." All good in these areas! I also had "watch movies--good ones." So I've been trying to watch more sci-fi and horror flicks, 'cause for some reason, I decided that this was an important thing to do. Saw Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Scream, Dead Alive, Donnie Darko, V, The Dead Zone, Joe's Apartment, (okay, that's neither sci-fi nor horror, but c'mon, singing roaches!)

Gosh, I've done a lot these last few weeks. That makes me very happy. If you have any suggestions of other stuff I can take on, or other movies I need to see, by all means, lay them on me!

This weekend, my family and I went through my grandmother's apartment, collecting the last few things from her that we considered useful or sentimental. I took some of her clothes and blankets and jewelry.

I've thrown her soft blue shawl over my couch, and rest my head on it as I play with the gold locket that hangs around my neck. My apartment kind of smells like her apartment now. It's a really strange feeling, that lingering presence of her.

April 6, 2005, 9:10pm. The saddest moment I have ever known.

YES! Got another email address to add to the pile. This time, from a woman! Hah! I am just -on fire-!!!

*edited to add: You know, I don't want it to sound like I'm being an asshole, collecting email addresses for sport and then tearing them up (a la Trent in "Swingers"). Some of these people are really cool and I do intend to hang out with them... :P