I have started writing haikus when I have the time and when I have my moleskine and pens in front of me. Anytime a five or seven word phrase or sentence enters my mind, I write it down. Sometimes it comes to something, other times it does not.
None of these haikus are anything in comparison to one my friend Matt wrote a few years ago (above are literally my best work):
Bitches get stitches When their pimps slap them around Be still girl, don't cry
What caught my eye about this song was truly the graphic. The typography made me pause and want to listen to the song. I was hoping it would be poppy and raw and animal collective-like. Instead it ended up being this really soft jazzy song that reminded me of audrey hepburn and france and a velvet chaise. It actually ended up being a really great song to work to because it's such easy background noise, but it still moves along nicely.
The video for this song is so nicely shot, even though it's incredibly simple. Port of Morrow will be the Shins' fourth album—their last one was released five years ago. I remember picking it up at the Borders downtown while I worked at the architecture firm and had a music addiction. It's only fitting I would include this video in my attempt to reconnect with music.
The album drops tomorrow. Your welcome in advance.
I love a good graphically produced video, and this song starts off nice an radiohead like, but builds up to a kicky beat in the middle that drives it all the way to the end. I feel like this song would be good for the end of a warm up during a jog.
There is a free download available on Gaz Coombes' facebook page.
Last week, I called Bank of America to close my account. It was one of the final steps in merging my finances with my new husband's, but it's also something I've been eager to do for a while. Two years ago when I was working on tips, my income was uncertain, and some months I'd have a windfall and some months, I'd basically be broke. Because of those days, I had to downgrade to their e-checking account. This means that I had to carry a balance over some threshold, I had to pay to transfer money out of my account, and the clincher: I had to pay $5 any time I spoke to a teller.
Personally, I am okay with online bank accounts, and I loved ING and HSBC. I could do anything online/over the phone, and do it more efficiently than in person. Besides, I got higher interest rates because less B&M stores meant less overhead. But Bank of America has B&M locations and they have a lot of them. I always thought it was a given that as a customer, I could enter one of those locations, but this a la carte method of banking was new. And annoying. This $5 fee was really the nail in the coffin, even though I have never spoken to, and now will never speak to a BofA teller in person.
I'd been dreading the phone call, because I am never in the mood to speak to a retention salesperson. I've only called a handful of times to see what a company can do for me, and gone through the rigmarole when I needed to, but most of the time I am simply done with that company, and answering all those questions is so painful and aggravating.
Maybe it was because I had less than $400 in my accounts. Maybe it was because I've never had more than I've needed to pay my bills in those accounts (I keep my savings elsewhere, with higher interest rates and no fees for transfers), but they were not sad to see me go—I got the feeling they couldn't have cared less. Throw a girl a bone BofA—you are worse than my high school boyfriend.
Marie walked me through the steps, gave me confirmation numbers, and told me that my check should be cut by March 7th, and that I should receive it within a reasonable timeframe after that date. Easy peasy. She was very nice, and didn't fight me too hard on closing the account, but then again, they're probably getting a lot of calls like this these days. Maybe I did good to call on a Friday. Maybe I will be updating you in two weeks about my second phone call to Bank of America to try to close my account again.
Is anyone else as excited for the Hunger Games as I am (besides basically all of my awesomer friends minus my husband)? Well, if you're not pumped for the Hunger Games (well, not the Games themselves, unless you're some jerk from the Capitol of Panem), get pumped by listening to this sampling from the Hunger Games track list.
For some reason the soundcloud link is not working...so here is a terrible video version (just listen, don't watch)
Anyway, this post is about music and not about the Hunger Games or why so many people approaching thirty are excited about the movie version of an insipid YA trilogy—this post is about music, and the music that will be accompanying said movie.
The lineup looks pretty good, including this Decemberists song. Some Arcade Fire, some Neko Case...not too shabby:
Hunger Games Track List:
01. Taylor Swift (feat. The Civil Wars) – “Safe & Sound”
02. Taylor Swift – “Eyes Wide Open”
03. Arcade Fire – “Abraham’s Daughter”
04. Kid Cudi – “The Ruler & The Killer”
05. Miranda Lambert (feat. Pistol Annies) – “Run Daddy Run”
06. The Civil Wars – “Kingdom Come”
07. The Decemberists – “One Engine”
08. Glen Hansard – “Take the Heartland”
09. The Low Anthem – “Lover is Childlike”
10. Punch Brothers – “Dark Days”
11. Secret Sisters – “Tomorrow Will Be Kinder”
12. Birdy – “Just a Game”
13. Ella Mae Bowen – “Oh Come & Sing”
14. Jayme Dee – “Rules”
15. Carolina Chocolate Drops – “Reaping Day”
16. Neko Case – “Give Me Something I’ll Remember”
I was a little bit better about making sure to capture a picture on most days, but some days I felt myself phoning it in (pun intended). Still, there are less orange boxes than there were in January, so even though February is an abbreviated month (albeit less so on a leap year), I think I did better than last month. My favorite photo from this month was the one of the succulents on my windowsill:
We were surprised on Saturday with a visit from my cousin. I didn't even know that work had recently brought him up north, but since he had a free Saturday, he took the Megabus up to Boston. We had a blast at the Sam Adams brewery tour, and we took him to Giaccamo's in the North End, followed by a mandatory cannoli trip at Mike's.
Things That Made Me Smile
Breaking up when the relationship is not right for you, or at least taking a break. Of course I am not talking about my husband, but about Tommy Doyle's on trivia nights. A toxic relationship is a toxic relationship, whether it's a boy or pub trivia ♥ New days and fresh beginnings.
