Beach Christmas

Ok, so since not everyone lives in a place where snow is a major part of the holidays, I've decided to write a little song for us non-snow birds and share with the snow birds how wonderful it is to live in a place that's always nice, warm, and sunny. Now like most parody songs, I just took the melody of "White Christmas" and changed the words around a little. Credit for the melody goes to Irving Berlin, the words however are my own.

I'm living through a warm Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the palm trees a-sway
and people a-swim
in beaches drenched in sunlight.

I'm living through a warm Christmas
With every kitch postcard I write
May you not congeal and freeze
Oh I'm glad my Chistmas is at the beach!

New Top 5 Underrated and Underappreciated

1) Streetlights by Ludo- I LOVE Ludo. I know that I already have a post about them, but they really are worth checking out. If I had to pick one song as my favorite, I would have to pick this one. It's a mostly acoustic song with an "stereotypical Italian" style guitar in the instrumental parts. The lyrics are not the typical Ludo lyrics with a peppering of nerdy references; it's a more straightforward romantic song. It does tell a little story like many other Ludo songs. It's about the moment before you confess your love to someone. There's the nervousness, the anticipation, the giddiness, the purity of the moment. The words create very vivid images that create a little movie in my head. I can see two youths standing on the sidewalk beneath a streetlight in the early summer dusk.

2) Michael Buble- I know I didn't list a song. Just about anything by this man is sexy, baby-making music. He has that Frank Sinatra, Harry Connick Jr sound. A little jazzy, a little bluesy, with a generous helping of swing. He does a lot of the standard songs like "Feeling Good", "Fly Me to the Moon", "Georgia on my Mind" and "Me and Mrs. Jones". He also has originals which he writes for his girlfriends. "Home", "Lost", "Haven't Met You Yet" are such examples. He has a sexy voice that goes well with the body it's in. He is gorgeous. He has a classic look with a modern flair. No piercings, no bad haircuts, no guyliner either. He's my new husband, he just doesn't know it yet because he hasn't met me yet. <3

3) Over the Hills and Far Away by Nightwish- They are known as a symphonic metal band. I prefer Tarja to Anette even though Tarja is a diva. This song tells a story reminiscent of The Count of Monte Cristo and it is similar to a traditional English. song dating back to the 1700's. You can hear that influence in the music. However, this is a cover of Gary Moore. I've never heard the Gary Moore version so I don't know how they compare. Check it out and let me know.

4) Symphony by Sarah Brightman- She originated the role of Christine Daae. Do not tell me anyone is better than her because that role was written specifically for her. It's no wonder either because with a voice like the one she has...it's like an angel. Her voice glides over the notes and resonates leaving you mystified as opposed to sad, because the lyrics are sad. It sounds like a song an ice skater would use in her program.

5) Memories by Within Temptation- A band I have recently been introduced to from the Netherlands. They are classified as symphonic metal, gothic metal, and symphonic rock. If you like Evanescence but want something more alternative, something a little bit fresher and not as played out, you will probably like this band. Sharon den Adel's voice is more operatic and more in the soprano range, somewhere between Amy Lee and Sarah Brightman. 'Memories' is one of those songs who words pierce your soul especially when you use your memories to keep someone who's gone close by.

Elephant Man- The story of a dress

I can't believe I've been able to write so many posts the past month or so!
I'm currently involved in a production of "The Elephant Man" as the costume designer. Below is the story of how I got the job, the story of Sundance, and my rescue.

Last year I took the beginning costume class and I really enjoyed it. I knew that I wanted to learn more and really be good at sewing. So this summer I volunteered with a seamstress. During the course of the summer, I found out that I really wanted to sew and work with costumes. How the hell I was going to do that, I didn’t know. I just figured I’d move to New York at some point after graduation and find a costume house that would hire me. But in October I was at the Japanese restaurant formerly known as Shooting Star with my boyfriend, Sam, and the guy that I had been talking to for the past six months, but had only met a few hours ago, Max. At Shooting Star, I saw this guy. I didn’t know his name, or exactly where I knew him from, but he looked really familiar. I leaned over and over the deafening bluegrass music I told Sam “I know that guy. I don’t know how I know him, nor do I know his name, but I know him.” Turns out, Sam knew him from when he volunteered at the Acrosstown Repertoire Theater (ART). I nudged him to go and say hello. Eventually, they come back to where Max and I were sitting. Sam introduces me to Mike and he starts telling me about how he’s going to be directing “The Elephant Man” at ART. So we’re talking about what we’re studying, etc. and it comes back to the play because I tell him that I’m into costumes. He was telling me he wanted to keep it as simple as taking off coats to delineate one character from another since there was going to be a lot of double casting. But I started throwing out ideas and I’m not 100% sure how exactly it happened, but he gave me the job of being the costume designer for this show. Sam and Max are just sitting there in silence watching me magically get this job. I warned them as we were walking to the car that I was going to let out a long, loud, shrill scream.
When I first went to ART, I looked at the costume stock. I found one dress that would work and would not need a lot of fixing. She is Beloved. (Yes, I named some of the costumes.) Then I found 3 wedding dresses and lots of fabric that used to be curtains. I decided in a sheer moment of delusional madness that I’d take these wedding dresses and this fabric and convert them into Victorian gowns. Thus I began to work on Sundance. Mind you, this gown would be on stage for all of 5 minutes in total, I don’t have a sewing machine, this wedding dress looks like the worst of the ‘80’s vomited and that birthed this dress, and I don’t have anybody to help me. This wedding dress has pearl beads, sequins, lace, a long train, poofy shoulders that extend into lace sleeves, and bows. There were 4 Lady Gaga sized bows on the train alone. I took those shits off. They had to go. How did I go about tackling this monstrosity? I turned the train into the bustle for starters. I then put burgundy fabric under the poofy shoulders and am now in the process of adding the same burgundy fabric to the skirt of the dress. It’s actually really starting to take form now.
Mike offered to get in contact with the costume designer at the Hippodrome which I eagerly took the offer without shame. I needed help and lots of it! There was no way in hell I could pull this off by myself. This is my first show, after all. So this past Saturday, we went and raided the costume stock of the Hippodrome. I took several coats, a number of dresses, a couple nun frocks, a bishop’s robes, and a chef coat that will be Merrick’s patient garb. Marilyn was also nice enough to let us borrow the hood she made for the Hipp’s production of “The Elephant Man” thirty-eight years, almost to the date, of our production. She even offered to help me in any way she could including letting me come over to dye Sundance, or use the sewing machines.
So now I can go home on Christmas break, finish up Sundance, and rest easy knowing that I was able to get most of the costumes done. I only have a few loose ends to tie up and then we’re good to go. This is definitely an experience. I figure ‘if I can pull this off when I have so few resources, imagine what I can do when I have more available to me.’ Not only have I learned so much about what it takes to put a show together, but I’ve made valuable connections with people who have worked in the field, out in the real world.

The picture attached is indeed a picture of Sundance before I started working on it.

Your Love- a free verse poem

To commemorate the three month mark of my relationship, I've written a poem. It's free verse, almost stream of consciousness.

Your love has saved me from the darkness I have come to know.
I had forgotten what it was like to be loved,
What it was like to cry
What it was like to smile.
But your love has shown me a new way to live
What it means to be alive
What it means to be young.
I can’t believe how much has transpired between us.
Never thought I’d see you in this way
Nearly a year ago when I met you
But now I’m glad for your love.
Your love wraps around me
Like a blanket in a cold winter’s night.
Your love has me protected
From fears that once ate me alive.
Now I can say ‘I love you’ without fear of falling
Because I know you’ll catch me
With the strength of your love.

An Oversimplified Explanation of What Went Wrong with our Policies

*Note- this is a real conversation that I had with a friend of mine. Grammatical errors have been fixed but those are the only changes I have made. A reference to our location as also been erased. As the title hopefully implies, this explanation is hopelessly simplified but I hope it makes the point.
Goku
what evs. I'll order the campus special
Maverick
you can't
Goku
I found a loophole. I'll just go to the Family housing which is like 5 seconds from my apartment, have it delivered there and then walk back home with the pizza
Maverick
I don't know if family housing is allowed that special
Goku
it's on campus therefore yes
Maverick
I don't know if it's dorms/greek houses only or the entire campus
Goku
entire campus I already tried this trick
Maverick
ok
Goku
according to 5 star i am a Ph.D student living in University Village
hehehehe
Maverick
-_-
Maverick
weren't you the one talking about everybody taking responsibility for their own actions?
Goku
huh? what does that have to do with this?
Maverick
Think about it, if everybody cheated the system, what happens? The people that the system was created for, do not benefit. Funds are misallocated
Goku
it's pizza, NOT SOCIAL SECURITY
Maverick
The only difference is degree. If you have x principles, you should apply them to everything.
Goku
the difference is I get pizza now and social security I might never get
Maverick
and if everybody did what you are doing, then nobody will get the campus special
because the company can't afford it
Goku
not my problem
Maverick
that's the point!!! THAT'S WHAT PREVIOUS GENERATIONS SAID ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITY!!!
"Not my problem". Now look at the fix we're in
Goku
well we are all dying in 2 years so I don't give a shit. Lets go pretend make out
Maverick
and if we don't? and if the world doesn't end? Then what?
Goku
then yay more pizza
Maverick
not if you cheat the system
Goku
I'll just go and scam dominos then until I'm done with all the pizza joints in this town.
Maverick
pretty soon, only the very rich will be able to afford pizza
Goku
at that point I move to a new city then repeat the process
Maverick
practice what you preach my dear

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY!!!

Dear Readers of my blog,
I want to take this time to thank you so much for all your comments and feedback the past year. I started this blog after taking a class on war literature. One of the books we read was "My War Killing Time in Iraq" by Colby Buzzell. He kept a blog while he was in Iraq and later turned his blog into a book. Now he's kind of a Gonzo writer. I originally intended this blog to be socially satirical since I was someone who is rather oblivious to popular culture and what I am aware of, I don't particularly like. Hence the somewhat ironic title "Living Under a Rock". But I've noticed I need to work on improving my writing to make the satire a little more specific.
The URL was a statement of where I was in my life at that time. I was for some unbeknown reason, I was thinking of the movie title "Love in the time of Cholera" and from there I was thinking about how I was in love during a time of war and I was thinking "Love in the Time of War" but that was too long so I shortened it to "loveinwar". I still think it's a very nice juxtaposition in an abstract sense even though I have personally gone onto a new stage in my life- one that includes neither 'love' in the deeper sense or war.
I also intended this blog to be very anonymous- no personal stories, no identifying information, etc. Somewhere along the way, that has changed. Now this blog is kind of a public diary for me. A place where I can organize my thoughts and then share them with the world. I'm also surprised I've been able to keep this blog fairly well updated. Go me!
Happy birthday my little blog. May you and I grow together and never forget where we have been. To my readers, thank you for your support, comments, and I hope you guys keep reading my thoughts and ideas and sharing yours with me.
Love,
Maverick