• even if you don't read the whole post, please skip to the bottom for a PSA**

Well, I guess I haven't posted any of my typical overly-revealing overly-long rambling posts in a while, so I'm sure you're all dying for an update on my exciting life.

Unfortunately, my life is like 90% work and 10% "me time"- but my priorities are the exact opposite, which is probably not good. [yes, I'm exaggerating, no need to get scared for my patients.] I love what I do... but I am just sick of the miserable hours. And sometimes I would rather go home after a 12 hour day, than stay an EXTRA six hours for some disaster case. Does that make me a bad person?

But so on Tues I went to The Tralf to see The National- my favorite band du jour. I seriously love them. [Their newest album, Boxer, is fantastic. But I don't have mp3s of it small enough to use as a user sound. So I am back to my old standby, "baby we'll be fine", from the album Alligator. Check it out.]

It was the first "real" show I've been to... god, I dunno, maybe since I lived in New Orleans?? i.e., in years. It was great. They were fantastic, it was fun to see them, nice to get out, etc etc.

But I was there looking around at all the cute hipster indie kids... and suddenly thinking "I wish I knew more people that like the music I do." But a lot of what I like is obscure indie stuff, and the only reason I even know about it is b/c my bro-in-law hooks me up.

So, when I got home, I turned to trusty craigslist. Emboldened by anonymity, I decided to post a "missed connections" message. Really just for the hell of it. I think I am (unfortunately) still an emotional disaster over the last guy, and am probably not in any position to be a good 'girlfriend' to anyone. Which sucks, b/c there are some good guys out there. [though I did hear rumors (through the grapevine, of course, since he still refuses to acknowledge my existence) that it sounds like he is losing it. Acting weird and unreliable... I don't know if it makes me happy or sad to hear that.] I've never been so head over heels over anyone like I was/am over him- and I've never been hurt as badly. Ok, but I digress...

My point is that I put up this ad really just for the hell of it- not b/c I'm really actively trying to find someone. I doubt I'd write back to anyone, but I was curious to see what other National fans there may be in the area. So I wrote:

If that title means anything to you- please write to me!!

MC to all the cute hipsters at the Tralf tonight... and there were plenty of you...

You made me realize that maybe I've been going about things all wrong. Maybe all I need is a guy who likes the music I like. Someone who won't say "oh really? you're going to a concert tonight? The National? That's nice. Are they a rock and roll band?"

So if you were there tonight, so was I. You may not have seen me. And I may not have seen you. But chances are- I dig you.

(but just to be a little more specific- ideally you are >27, gainfully employed, have some sort of degree, not living in Mom's basement, and for the love of God, do not have a full beard.)

Drop me a line... what's to lose??

[a wee bit about me- not to brag, but I'd make your mother proud. I'm a cute fun chick, with her head on her shoulders. I am quite well-educated, and have a good job. Not into drama or games or designer labels. Am into good times, laughing, with good people.]

For the title, I used a lyric from one of my favorite songs of theirs. (Baby we'll be fine; my user song) And it's one of their 'bigger' songs- one that people who know the band would probably know.

Well, I'm an idiot, and didn't think about the line OUT of the context of the song, and what 'if that title means anything to you, write me' means.

the line I used as a title is:
"Baby come over, I need entertaining. I've had a stilted, pretending day."

DUH.

So I have been inundated with messages like 'oh yeah! Baby I'LL come over!' etc.

Oops.

Only one person has known what I was actually getting at.

But the worst of all-
I got a message from an anonymous gmail address that just said "Oh, Alex dear... :)"

WTF!!!!!
Am I that recognizable???? Which suddenly makes me quite embarrassed, b/c I guess the message is a little braggadocious/obnoxious.
I don't know who it was... I'm guessing my ex-ex. Crazy.

Ok... guess that's enough for now. I miss you peeps. What's new with you??

-J

• PSA**

My friend's adorable little nephew Dominic has Hypertrophic Cardiac Myopathy. He's only about 1, and he needs a heart transplant. :( There is a benefit for him next saturday. I'm trying to help spread the word. Tickets are $25. Here's the website:



(yeah, that's a baby with a playoff beard.)

Ok, so my friend's wedding pictures (a few of which I posted a while ago) are online now. All 976 of them. And for the most part they are great. Some... not so much.

Here are a few-

Doing my job...


And this is the bride's cousin- totally on a whim she asked the band if they'd mind letting her sing a song- and she proceeded to belt out a rendition of "Summertime" that gave me goosebumps. This captures it pretty well.


And this one....
hahaha it just makes me laugh. That must have been Some Great Story I was telling!!!

Ok, my dad just send this to me. Not sure if anyone else will find it funny, but I did. (surgeons and anesthesiologists [or anaesthetists if you're British] are sort of 'friendly rivals'. We call them "gas-passers", and they call the drape, which separates the sterile side (our side) from the non-sterile side (their side) the "blood-brain barrier")



haha- here's another, containing the lyric "So I'm standing here in the pouring rain- where the fuck's my fucking train? london underground, they're all lazy fucking useless cunts. London underground, they're all greedy cunts, I want to shoot the all- with a rifle."

Oh.... how I love David Sedaris.
So so funny! Seriously- if you've never heard of him, go read his books! STAT!
It's really no good to be around me when I'm reading his books because I can't go more than about a paragraph without cracking up and going "wait wait wait you have to hear THIS too!" and reading it out loud.

And, it was quite the peepfest!
myself, jbeatty, chico... I think I saw dragonlady but I wasn't 100% sure- but then a few minutes later I saw Holly- not a peep but a friend of a friend and a rollerderbygirl, thus reinforcing my hunch that it was indeed dragonlady I saw...

I was even a big nerd and took my copy of one of his books to have him sign it, but the line was pretty insane so I didn't wait...

Sadly (but maybe fortunately for you guys) it's not as funny in the re-telling, so I can't just transcribe the whole thing, but I will leave you with one funny quote (or rather, paraphrase)- and then get back to preparing my lecture for the interns tomorrow. [This whole "teaching" thing is hard work! Who knew?! But I have a secret weapon- snickers. I may put them to sleep and not get my point across at all- but they will evaluate me well since I will give them mini-snickers.]

But my quote is something like-

"So, like most couples, Hugh and I divide the work that needs to be done. He, for example, pays the bills and deals with the pile of papers and forms. I name all the creatures that come in and out of our garden. He replasters the attic. I dress dead dried up bees in suits of armor made of tinfoil."

[see other new post below this one]

Ok, so my bro-in-law sent me a mix he made a while ago.
And he warned me that the cover art was a little risque. He seemed a little embarrassed, but explained that he had made it for his friend, and he always teases his friend that all he uses his ipod for is watching porn on the elliptical.

The name of the mix is "Gym Titties"

And I thought, "oh please, it's hard to offend me."
So I clicked play in iTunes, and the first song started playing. With the following cover art-



I almost had a heart attack.

Not b/c of the titties, but because before I saw it more closely, I thought it was MY SISTER. And I just thought 'you sick bastard! you put naked pictures on your wife on a mix for your friend, and then sent it to her sister?!'

Fortunately, it is not my sister.

[Jim's post made me think of this, b/c his pic of James also nearly gave me a heart attack, b/c on quick glance I thought it was my ex for a second.]

Ok, here's my sister, for comparison. Am I crazy, or is there at least a little similarity? (one is from her prom, and one from her wedding)