I Always Cry at Weddings

Let's rewind to Friday, mkay? Why, you ask? Well, because that's where the story starts.

Looky who's back from San Fran!!! Booootsy Collins, the creator and cornerstone of Good Timey Friday! Rascals.

So everyone skip to my lou'd on down to Toad to see Kelly play. Never a cover!

Moz showed up! Surprise visitor #2!

Is this Friday good timey yet? I think we're gettin' there!

We were starting to get fancy feet inside the bar. Kelly was rockin' the joint!

More surprise guests: Dave and AM. Leo can't handle it!

It was so fun hanging out with Betsy again. She told me this story about camping and there were bears in the camp. They tried to steal her food (I saw a picture, it was very Yogi Bear and a pic-a-nic basket, if Yogi was actually a huge black bear that could kill you with one swipe), then her neighbor at the camp who she called "Wilderness Man" chased the bears away saying, "Get out of here Bear! That's not your food Bear!" and hitting a hatchet against a tree, as the bear loafed on down the road. I like the idea of a man who thinks he can reason with a bear: "you didn't pay for that food Bear!" Ha ha ha.

***
On Saturday, the gang went to see Jim Gaffigan at the South Shore Music Circus. For a taste of Mr. Gaff Laff's humor, check out his hot pocket routine, he's famous for it!

Photo op on the porch.

My new Libertine shirt. My outfit is almost head-to-toe Target.

At the Music Circus. What kind of people will be at the Music Circus we wondered?

This dude was there. Wow, totally South Shore bro.

And there was this fine specimen of S. Shore-ness.

Look at this girl's South Shore leggings, what a fool.


Jim Gaffigan was funny. There was someone right behind us who had the most whooping-it-up, howlingest laugh in the world. Sometimes I couldn't hear his jokes over the thunder of this one-woman laugh machine! More power to ya, honey. Sometimes, I laughed so much, I had to take a break from laughing. I was like, "No matter how funny this next joke is, I can't laugh. My face hurts." This was my birthday present from Jill and Erik. Thanks guys! Besas y abrezos.

***
So Sunday was Farnie's wedding. She looked beauty-ful! Sarah will always be my purple power friend bike buddy. "Ride hard, ride strong!"

A picture in the church. I like how the light looks. I'm not going to post pics of the ceremony because it just feels kind of personal.

The ladies afterwards. Fashionistas!

Megan telling S. how beautiful she looks. True.

The dude. I can't believe they are moving to Germany. So sad. Farnie's Grandpa told me that he was once stationed in Berlin and they sweep the streets there, and rake the forests. Very clean.

Dirty martini? Dirty bastard.

Sarah asked us to watch her purse. We watched it, all right. Voyeurs.

Congratulations, you old so and so.

I wanted to reenact our "Don't be snobby with me" photo sesh from long ago, but it didn't quite work out so I am throwing this in for good measure. Guess we've lost our edge with age.

Charming.

Dresden is about to have a whole lotta love in it.

It's Been a Bad Day, Please Don't Take My Picture

I have decided that I want to take more pictures for my blog. That way I can write less and think less and people will probably be happy to just look at my stupid pictures and call it a day without having had a mini-tour through the mind of Mishka. This should also hopefully help me from getting too "Dear Diary," and narrating my life a'la Carrie Bradshaw: "I wondered...when it comes to life and love, why do we believe our worst reviews?"* I mean, I did utter the phrase "Split End Creek" just the other day, and I barely even batted an eye. Cringe.


*an actual Carrie quote. You didn't think I'd come up with that up myself, did you?

***********************************************************>>>

The other night I went out with Minnie! I hadn't seen her in forevs, so I was excited all day to see her. But when it came time to get ready, I started to feel a little hinky. Must've been something I ate. I'm kind of poor right now, so I'm living off a strict diet of Triscuits, Sabra Hommus, and Tabouleh. Ewwww.


I managed to get it together, and we met up in Central Square. We went to Middlesex, hadn't been there in a while. It was pretty empty at first, but started to fill up within the hour. Soul night was going on, and when we left it seemed as if a dance party was mere seconds from breaking out. But, I dunno...the 'Sex is maybe losing some of its magic.


So, then we went to MidEasy to meet with these dudes! St. Vincent was playing a show and we were going to all go. But for some reason we never got around to it. I wish I had seen her. They play the show now on a TV in the bar, but with no volume. It kind of makes me nervous.

The night ended with margaritas at Zuzu. The DJ started to play really loud obnoxious music so everyone would leave after they did last call. It sucked, but I know how it is.

***

Last night, Thursday, was ladies night:

Kristen said not to put this picture of her up, but I hope she was kidding. It's totes cute!


I told the girls that I am going to start taking pictures for my blog, which means I am about to become a lot more annoying as a person. We'll see how long I keep it up for (probably not very long). It also means I'll probably get a lot of "Talk to the hand" pics.
p.s. Don't you like Hilary's wall adornments? She is such a good interior designer. Her pad is sweet!


Charlie's Angels. I love this picture. Lauren didn't like her Saran wrap prop, haha. And Kristen looks like she's on the phone! This resulted in bad pun jokes about making a "Cone call."


Mint chocolate chip is my favorita. Mmmmmmmm.


Look how happy I am to be eating my favorite ice cream!! Lauren is good at finding picture props on the fly.


A contemplative moment at girl's night. Maybe I am regretting all the ice cream.


I love this trio, it's a nice juxtaposition. Look who's talking all designerly!


I like how these colors looked together too. I wish I hadn't cut off the yellow clock though. Lauren, maybe this should be your new myspace photo?!?

So Lauren, Kristen, and I left Hilwa's and headed Cambridge-bound. We rocked out to Umbrella song on the way...twice! Then I wanted to play D.A.N.C.E. for them, but my stupid old ipod didn't fit in Lauren's dock thingy. Thin is in! The laaaadies dropped me at Chez and I ran across Mass Ave. yelling to them, "I love ladies' night!" mwah.


Went in Chez Hank's and Victoria Beckham was just chilling at the bar. Welcome to America, Posh!


Oh wait, it's Beth. Yay!


Paul made shots for Leo, Beth, and me even though I said I didn't want one. Guess which glass is mine?


Luke came by for a snicket. Bearded man, quite a hot ticket.


Then Paul started to beat up on Brocket! Actually he was showing him his new gliding walls through the window. For some reason they reminded me of something from Boogie Nights. You know the scene where Dirk is showing off his new digs, and he keeps saying what material everything is? He's like, "This suit is 100 percent imported Italian rayon." Anyway, the gliding doors remind me of something that Dirk would have in his house.


Not smiling in pictures runs in the family.



At Noir it turned into a camera duel! Things were getting ugly.

So I left.

But I've Never Heard You Laugh

So over it.

By the time this goes to press, these songs will be soooo over. Not over for you, unless you've been listening to the same playlist as me for the past two days. Two days. That's the lifespan of a playlist now. I remember when it used to be like, two weeks! Two months, even! Maybe it's all the multi-tasking that we women are good at doing. I think my ipod is giving me adult onset ADD.


Whatever. This is my mix, you can dance now! Except for on the songs that aren't dancey. Don't dance to to those ones. Because then you would just look silly.

You Know I'm No Good Amy Winehouse
Tonight I Have to Leave It Shout Out Louds
Apply Some Pressure Maximo Park
Los Angeles, I'm Yours Decemberists
Sweet Dreams Sweet Los Campesinos
D.A.N.C.E. Justice
About Your Dress The Maccabees
You've Got Everything Now Smiths
Scarlett Johanssen Teenagers
Women's Needs Cribs
See Right Through Me Mobile
Hero Regina Spektor
I've just Seen a Face Beatles

Haircuts, the Art of

Today I got a haircut doot doot doo. I haven't had my hair cut since December, so it was high time. I broke things off with my last hair stylist because I could sense that she didn't support my long hair ambition. So I got out. But when I suddenly, obsessively, maniacally had to get my hair cut today, I was up Split End Creek without a paddle. Cold and lonely, shut off and cutout from my hair network, I did the only thing someone afraid to cross the Charles could do: I called Judy Jetson.

One thing that bothers me about hairdressers is they will always tell you what is wrong with your last haircut if you went anywhere aside from their salon. The only time they don't criticize your wretched bird's nest of a 'do is if they gave it to you. They'll knowingly grab a chunk of the bottom of my hair and show me how frizzy it is, as if that's proof that my former stylist had no idea what she/he was doing. But isn't that just the natural cycle of a haircut? It goes from sleek to shaggy to splitting.

So of course my stylist today said, with evident disdain in his voice, "I can tell that your hair was razored last time, and that's why it's so thin on the bottom." I didn't bother telling him that no, it was not razored! Also, you would think that working in the line of hair cuttery, one would see a wide array of hairtypes and would be pretty open-minded about the many kinds of hair there are out there. Dude must have told me in as many ways he could think of that my hair is "thin." I wanted to tell him that the word is "FINE," not thin! And then he would say something like "Your kind of hair doesn't need any heavy product in it," (Um, let me guess, because it's so thin?) and "You just have the hair type that needs to be blow-dried, there's no getting around it" (I guess because its so horribly flat and THIN).

You know the scene in Austin Powers where Mike Myers snaps and says, "Alright, I get it. I have bad teeth!" That's what I felt like doing, only instead saying, "I get it! I have fine hair!" Thanks for the newsflash, guy.

Anyway, I must be some kind of masochist, because I would totally go back. My fine, thin, wispy strands look quite lovely. Just hang in there, little buddies.

Bee Spot Honey Pot

About a year ago I bought this raw honey from the Boston Honey Company. I think I had recently taken the footprint quiz, and had learned that if everyone lived like me, gluttonous, wastoid little old me, then we would need about 2 planet Earths to live sustainbly. I suggest taking the test, and don't lie to make yourself feel better!

So, I was trying to be more sustainable. I rode my bike to the locally-owned store and bought the locally-made honey and then I put it in my recycled potato sack bag and on the way home I planted a tree.

Anyway, now the honey jar sits on my kitchen window ledge, just chillin'. Yesterday was a really windy day, and the wind blew the lid off the honey onto the floor. "That's weird," I thought, and put the lid back on. Then I walked into my kitchen a little while later and found a dead bee on my kitchen floor!! I picked it up with a napkin, and it was like, a serious bee. Its little legs were hairy and so was its body. I threw it away, sad for the hairy little guy.

Last night I went out with Leo, and our across-the-river adventures brought us to *cue theme* the Beehive! It was my first time at the Bar Everyone Talks About. I was a quick convert. This place is the coolest space in Boston! It's like a New York bar, only bigger, less filled with typical people, and cleaner. Exposed brick and ceiling boards, dark wood bar and tables, live jazz band that really got into it and broke things down just to build them back up...what else. The bathroom was even cool. I guess their drink list isn't that extensive, but that's OK with me. Just go. Go now! Their logo is a "B" with little robot legs. Cute.

We took a few pictures with Leo's phone. Robots, innit.

I am a Window That No One Ever Opens

A true Dear Diary moment:

October 4, 2004

24 years old
128 pounds
5'8"
shaggy short hair dyed brownish red (yuck)
clogs, jeans, legwarmers, black shirts, scarves

***
Going to see MOZ tonight! Yeah!

I am going to start being a grown up next year!
I am NOT ever going to live with boys EVER again.

Fears:
pregnancy
normalcy
obesity
getting old
being alone

***
bartending
not that much exercise
need a winter jacket


So if 27 year old me could talk to 24 year old me, I guess my sage advice would be...
STOP WEARING LEGWARMERS YOU FASHION VICTIM!!! Everything else seems to be in order

Jane and the Sex and the...

Jane magazine is kaput. Well, that's kind of too bad. The general feel from girly blogs is a heaping cup of "I told you so," mixed with a pinch of self-loathing and remorse. Which is perfect, because that's pretty much the magazine's demo.

People wanted to love Jane, but it was just so unloveable sometimes. At least it gave us Gawker something to talk about, on a few occassions.

As for me, I came in late on the whole subversive girls' magazine thing. I never read Sassy when I was young, I read Ym and Seventeen. (Although looking back, I thik that Seventeen may have tried to cop what Sassy was doing right just a teeny tiny bit.) In college I started to read Bitch and Bust and Jane. Hands down, Jane is the most mainstream, celebrity-obsessed, and anorexic model propagatin' out of the three. But truthfully, I think it was my favorite for all of those reasons. I hate the goddess quality of some feminist writing, and the uber-awareness of that brand of "response to pop-culture." I mean, I'm glad that it exists, but it just gets annoying sometimes. I loved Jane for its shallowness. And I kind of loved that it wasn't even self-aware enough to embrace its own shallowness. It's the same reason I love Sex and the City. Even though I think Carrie is the worst female prototype out there (not to mention a terrible friend--and I hate it when girls think they are the "Carrie" of the group...I won't even get into girls who move to NYC to fulfill their Carrie daydreams: "I'm just a designer-wearing, shoe-loving single girl with a penchant for writing about relationships! Whee!" And while I'm not getting into that I also won't get into my deep hatred for the word "penchant." Is this the longest parenthetical phrase ever yet.), I will watch that stupid show every freaking time it's on.

I guess what I like about Jane is that it let me figure out what was stupid, sexist, or totally intolerable within its pages for myself, without preaching it to me. So yeah. We'll miss you, Jane.

Very (Un)Important

Is Shaw's Supermarkets doing a guerilla marketing campaign on Boston Craigslist missed connections? For the past two days, there have been kind of spammy posts about seeing someone cute at Shaw's.

Shaws in Newtonville at the Deli around 620 - w4m:
we were both getting stuff at the deli, you were wearing a blue striped shirt i think... I would have flirted a little... but the circumstance prevented that.

shaws prudential - m4m - 35:
today at 530 i came in to do some shopping and we both stared at eachother for a while. u work there and have gray hair. email me if you want to meet.

shaw's missed connection - m4w:
you were shopping alone and wearing an orange shirt and had a beautiful smile which you flashed at me this afternoon (6/8/07) at around 2:00ish. I was unshaven and wearing a Harvard t-shirt

A search for "shaws" gives back ten hits in the last two days! Even the replies seem kind of fake:

Shaw's this morning? Was it the one in Allston?
Hey,

I think I just missed your post (I'm a guy). There was someone who I kept wondering about this morning at Shaw's, but it was the one in allston. If you're the female that posted the original message and it's the same place, write back. i'm very curious....

thanks

It's like Shaw's is trying to make us think people are always hooking up at their supermarkets, and let us know the many various towns where you can get a piece of the action!

Just as likely: I have far too much time on my hands.

That's How People Throw Up

(Just 'Cause)

This has been bothering me since Friday, so I just wanted to write a quick little Moz update. First, he apparently rescheduled the Boston show for July 7th (I can go! Yes!), but he has been cancelling and postponing shows this week, so I'm not getting my hopes up.

Anyway, Morrissey performed a new song on Letterman, which aired last Friday, but was taped the day before he played in Boston. He said something to the crowd about his voice cracking that night, because David keeps the studio "30 below." So Letterman is to blame for my disappontment. I DVRed the show, and watched a little bit of it leading up to Moz. Here's the thing...Letterman was serving up HUGE PLATES OF MEAT to the audience!! Before Morrissey played! I forget if it was ribs or sausage or some other carnage, but Dave said something like, "We should always have ______ (ribs, sausage, dead carcass) on the show!" Luke also pointed out to me that Kucinich was on the show that night, who is a vegan. Morrissey has requested at all of his venues for his tour that they take meat products off the menu for the evening. I love it.

Here's his new song, "That's How People Grow Up" on youtube. I think there's a big fight in the comments about the meat stuff. The usual stupidity of anyone who bothers to try and win a fight ON THE INTERNET. Highlight: Moz's pouty face at 3.29. Maybe he's pouting about the ribs??
***
I take take the cue from certain people I know

It was my birthday a while ago! Some people got me incredibly nice, thoughtful gifts. If friends even remember to wish me happy birthday (because I am so bad at remembering thatt kind of thing), I am amazed. Farnie gave me my favorite perfume that I wrote about a while back. She's moving to Dresden in August, and in the card, she wrote, "You can always remember me by scent." More true than ever now. Pixie remembered that there was this T-shirt I wanted at Forever 21, and she went back and got it for me! So nice. So thoughtful. Sue gave me silver coasters and picture frames from Restoration Hardware! Fancy me! Minnie gave me pretty flowers and a card that might be my favorite brithday card ever because it says "Happy Anonymous Birthday, Mishka," which is perfect because I wish all of my birthdays could be seeecret. Except, crap, now I am writing about my stupid birthday!

Point is though, I need to try and be a better friend and do nice thoughful things like all of these people.

Pic-a-nic Basket

Thursday was girls' night. Some people think there is no longer a necessity for ladies night, living in this highly enlightened, equality-driven landscape of post-post-feminism and meta-absurdism. To those people I say: You have obviously never been treated to a picnic on a porch in the city! Sheet party. Nosh fest. Call it what you will. It was the closest I've come to the giddyness of a summer sleepover in the 90's since...well, the 90's.

Ladies Present: Hil, Kristen, Sue (Cat), L Stern, Sarah, and myself. On the menu: watermelon slices with mozzerrella, evoo, and mint, salmon and cream cheese on bread, chilled cucumber soup. I brought stuff to make s'mores, but we didn't have a fire. No worries, marshmallows and chocolate bars happen to be the perfect thing to munch on while dissecting relationships, personalities, and tragic cat lives (!), cooked or raw.

There's something about good company that makes me want to smoke a ba-jillion cigarettes, and this night was no exception. My lungs hurt, but now my heart is full. Summer is so fun when you're perched on a porch, discussing everything under the sun until the sun goes down, way down.

***
also, guilty pleasures this week.

The More You Ignore Me

The Closer I Get

June.

The school year ended, there was much to-do and fanfare. I'm glad it's over. You wouldn't believe how many presents people get for you and how many presents you get for people. My Classic School Gift '07 that I gave to everyone was this trio of nesting bowls that I crocheted. They are really cute, and then you can put things like paper clips in them! Yay!

I went to Morrissey last night at the pavilion and was having the best time ever for a while. The fun thing about going to a huge show like that is seeing people you know who also went to a huge show like that. Everyone always tells you how they got their tickets so you don't think they actually paid for them. "Ours were a gift," "My boss got them for his employees," "My friend works for Morrissey." I turned into a supernerd and became obsessed with buying a t-shirt. It was waaay too much money and I was somewhat nervous that everyone who didn't pay for their ticket would see me paying for a t-shirt.

Anyway, the story has a sad ending because even though it was totally sweet for about 20 minutes, after the sixth song (right after Let Me Kiss You), Moz ripped his shirt off and threw it into the crowd. Then he left the stage and I thought he was going to get another shirt. Instead, he cancelled the show. It was so so sad. All that anticipation, all the build up, and then no release.