:: blogging: mccord style ::

Valentines Day Massacre Poem

There are more than 7,893 reasons that my husband rules, and on Valentines Day, he made it more than 7,894, when he gave me, as one of my Valentines gifts, a poem he'd written. For me. He handed me the poem after dinner, and before dessert (he's getting better on timing -- usually if Ross has a gift for me, he can't even wait 'til we're out to dinner, he'll give it to me when I'm in the middle of drying my hair, or just stepping out of the shower. So it's been an ongoing joke (since before we were married) about how whenever he's bought me a present, he gets so eager to give it to me, that he can't stop himself, and I'm always asking him to wait 'til it's a better 'moment,' i.e.  when I'm not brushing my teeth.

So, when he handed over the poem, I was already impressed that he managed to wait until it WAS a perfect moment, and even more shocked, as I started reading, and simultaneously crying my eyes out, and laughing so hard I almost wet myself.  It was such a perfect mix of sweet and tender, and hilariously funny.  It might not be as funny to you, since there are some inside jokes in it, but I thought I'd share it anyway, because well, it rules. And so does he.  This is one of the best gifts I've ever been given (and that's a bold statement considering I've got a 5 carat diamond ring on my jewelry-loving-finger, so you KNOW I love it). =)

Here's the poem Ross wrote me, for Valentines Day...

Kelly, my love, the one I adore
There's no other girl who I could love more

Your eyes, your heart, your wonderful smile
For you I would go the extra one mile

When we first met I was only age twenty
And you thought, and I thought, that we were both so damn funny.

"That girl is pretty!" I thought in my head,
"I'd like to get her into my bed,

"Not only that, she's got a great chest,"
and well, ... you know the rest.

Then in 1998 we picked up our bags
and journeyed to strange and foreign lands.

From the ghosts in Bath to the sunburn in Greece,
we got along great, with the greatest of ease.

The following year, In August Nine-Nine,
I finally made you mine, all mine.

14 months later, after an evening of lust
Bella popped out of your uterus

A beautiful child had entered our life
Me, Isabella, Baby-Mama - NO! Wife!

Our family was growing, we were having such fun.
But we were too small, still short by one.

Along came Sofia, she grew in your belly
A wonderful girl we call little Kelly.

Years later we thought, "Let's add one more"
And so we got Pippin, who shits on the floor.

Been over 8 years since we first tied the knot,
and I am SO HAPPY with what I have got.

A woman so loving and caring it's true,
Your eyes, skin and hair - a lovely brown hue.

I cherish you from your head to your toes
and will readily crush all of your foes.

You make me feel wanted, happy and safe
I'll hold you so tight, let's hope it won't chafe.

You're a wonderful mother to our kids 1 and 2
with gentleness and love when they both have the flu.

A beautiful woman on the outside and in,
my heart goes a flutter when I see you grin.

Our future is bright for hearts such as ours,
I'm so glad we don't hang out at bars
    (well, except for "The 'jammer" that one's a bash
    it's fun to hang out with all the white trash)

This new year is going to be awesome, you'll see -
we'll be stuck to each other, like the honey and bees.

Our time as a family, increased once more
Ross, Kelly, Isabella, Sofia - that's four!

To sum up this poem, I just want to say
that to God I give thanks almost every day

Your beauty and love, they fill up my soul,
like some kind of tasty casserole.

I love you my Kelly, my darling, my wife
You make worth living, this now wonderful life.

(now let's get dessert and ditch this pop-stand
and go right on home to play some Rock Band®)

I was literally crying my eyes out, and laughing so hard, I think the table next to us thought I might be mental, but I loved it so much, it was like a Dr. Seuss poem about our relationship, and it was both hysterical, and so wonderfully sweet. The reason the last 2 stanzas are in gray, was because they weren't intended to be part of the 'official' poem, but Ross thought it was funny, so added it in.  See? Awesome. I'm a lucky girl. =)

Rhyme-nocerous and the Hip-Hop-Potamous

People!! Are you bored with summertime television? (I am). I  have a hilarious cure for what ails you.  Flight of the Conchords (on HBO) is one of the funniest things I've seen on television in a long time. It's up there with the Office, and Arrested Development. I kid you not, it is so freaking funny, Ross and I literally don't stop laughing the entire time (and rewinding, and re-watching).  Really, truly, I don't usually post stuff like this, but you've got to watch it. You will thank me for it.

Here are some samples, if you don't believe me (and I think you can download one of the episodes for free on iTunes)...

Here's "Part Time Model," which they sing to try and woo a girl, at a party, which is HIlarious, "you're so beautiful, you could be a waitress, you're so beautiful you could be a part-time model, but you'd probably still have to keep your day-job"... Click here to see the clip...

and The HBO site, where you can (for a limited time) watch the entire fourth episode, here. The first episode I saw was "Mugged," and in my mind, is the most funny of them all, here's their "rap," which is not to be missed.

Mix Master Kelly

I grew up showing affection for my friends by spending grueling hours picking and finding songs and creating mix tapes. At first, when I was really young, I didn't have a dual cassette deck, so I'd hold my tape recorder up to the radio. After I got the dual cassette recorder, and CD's became recordable, I went over to CDs. And now, I can make mixes on my iPod, which, for a mix-tape-maker is Just Like Heaven (see how I worked that in there?) =). So when I got home from Bella's graduation today, feeling carefree and summery, I decided to throw together a Summer 2006 Mix to listen to, while I worked. As you can imagine, it quickly evolved from a few songs to an almost 50 song mix. And that's restraining myself.

I think making mixes are an art. I like to really (literally) mix it up, with a bunch of different styles, genres and decades. I never cease to surprise myself with the randomness (and sometimes strangeness) of songs/genres that I like. I've got everything from indie to pop, country to r&b, alternative to punk, and just about ever decade from the 40s up. If you're curious, my criteria was pretty loose. "Songs that remind me of a Summer past." And that's it. I even made it an iMix on iTunes (the first time I've done that), so you can check it out/buy it in its entirety (or piecemeal) if you want. (click here to open up my iMix in iTunes).

Or, if you'd like, I can burn a disc for you, just let me know. So, without further ado, my Summer mix for this year, after the jump.

Also, what'd I miss/forget? What are your quintessential summer songs? What brings you immediately back to that fresh-cut-grass, feet-in-the-sand, sun-shining-down, warm-tan-skin, smell-of-the-ocean, waves-crashing-on-the-beach feeling of summer? I feel like I should've had some Madonna on there for sure...what else?

Happy Birthday Sofia Grace

Sofie G (say the G, like "GEE!," sorta like rappers do)...that's what we call her sometimes, because you know, she's such a gangsta. =) Anyhow, Sofia turned three almost 2 weeks ago, and I made her a birthday slideshow, since she hasn't had one since she turned one (when we were in Italia). So I decided to make her a new one. I cried when I first watched it.

It's really (an I know, this is so incredibly cliche!) amazing how quickly they grow up. I cannot believe my baby is so big now. It's such an incredible blessing to watch your children grow into the people they are going to be; their personalities growing, their gifts, their sense of humor -- it's all so individual and so uniquely them. Sofia is already so in-tune with other people, their emotions, she's really so aware, and has such discernment already. And, she is really, so very funny. She's a natural comedian, already doing things to make us laugh. We're her test audience, if she sees something is funny, she'll rework it in another way, seeing if she gets the same response.

The other day we were all laying in bed together, and I said, '...on the bottom.' (Not even referring to the bootie area at all), when Fia, cracking up says, "You said BOTTOM!!" hahahahaha...and of course, we all busted up. It was such a sophisticated way to make a joke (despite the subject matter, which was most defenitely 3-year old caliber), but the way she picked up on a word, and then used it was so mature. Ross and I looked at each other wide-eyed, (not to mention cracking up), at the sophisticated way she created a joke, playing off of what I was saying. And given that Ross and I are always thinking of ways to make one another laugh, we were duly impressed.

It's so funny, because I remember when I was younger, and my mom was trying to explain how she loved all of us (four sibilings) the same, but in different ways. And I never could really understand what she meant, until I had two. The love is the same in deepness, and overwhelming-oh-my-gosh-I-love-you-so-much-I-cannot-stand-it-I-must-squeeze-you-and-kiss-you-all-over-ness, but there are differences. And pressed, I don't know if I could even define exactly what the differences are; but there are things in each of them that are different, and to be celebrated in a unique way. I love them both so much, and so deep and so strong, and I love all their little quirks and idiocyncrasies that they (already) have. And how individual and unique they both are. And how very blessed I feel, to get to be their mommy.

So, this is Sofia's birthday 'movie,' it was meant to played with Natasha Bedingfield's, "Unwritten," however, it's a song I purchased from iTunes, and it's coded so you can't put it with an iPhoto slideshow and hear it, unless you've got permission to listen to it, so I chose a song I didn't get from iTunes, so you could hear music with it. But if you want to see/hear how it's really supposed to sound, play "Unwritten" when you're watching it. Unwritten is a great song about having your life before you, like a book that is yet to be written, it's a great song, if you want to read the lyrics, you can do so by clicking here.

Click here to view Fia's birthday slideshow. It may give you an error, but it will play anyway...and it takes a minute or two to view, as it's a large file.

If you want to download/listen to Unwritten (and you have iTunes, click here:)

Arrested Development...Off the AIR?!?

One of my favorite shows on television is slated to be cancelled. I'm so bummed. Of all the shows I love, (Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Scrubs [which I heard also might be in the process of cancellation, BOO!], Intervention, That 70's Show, and yes, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition), it is bar none the funniest, smartest, most hilarious show on tv. They were up for 13 emmy's for goodness sake! It's one of the only shows I actually really look forward to watching, and the only show Ross and I actually sit down and watch (and laugh 'til we cry) together.

Apparently there is an online petition, which I urge you to go sign by clicking here. Annnnnd, if you've never watched it, it's on Sunday's at 8 (I think) on Fox. I promise you won't be disappointed. Click on this link to add your name to the petition. There are already 43,593 names on the petition, go add yours...

Stick a Tack In It

I haven't had a poster up in my house since I was in high school. And I think despite them being posters, they weren't bands or models or anything typical-teenager (guys always had cars, usually cars with girls in bikinis. I still can't figure out guys). I had photos of Robert Doisineau shots that I liked, and various other black and whites (in retrospect, it's SO completely bizarre that it took me as long as it did to decide to become a professional photographer -- everywhere I turned, there were things bonking me on the head, shouting, 'take pictures for a living! you love it! stupid!

But I digress.

Even in college I didn't have posters on my wall, I had prints in frames (my roommate Kiersten can attest to that, she of the longing to live in the Lone Star State.) (Nice alliteration! First L's and then S's.) I don't know why it is, but it seemed like (at least in my college) if you were a guy, you were required to have at least either a Reservoir Dogs poster , the ubiquitous Bob Marley poster, or the John Belushi one. Or in the case of Ross, this Swingers one.

Anyhow, in that same vein, I found this really awesome site, called Gig Posters. It has posters from pretty much any band/concert you could possibly think of, from different tours, different countries, different countries etc., etc. And even though I probably wouldn't buy one and just tack it up (I'd buy a frame, grab a nail (sans 'photo holder-type nail-thingy), and wack it up with a shoe (sans level), and throw the framed poster up. They have so many awesome posters, from pretty much any band you can think of, and all different time frames -- so they don't even have to be current. In fact, some of the cooler ones I've run across are from before the biggies were famous, and they're not even headliners, per se. Very cool. Especially if you like a) music and b) art.

Also, how awesome, to see The Clash and English Beat together back in the day. Too cool.

Hold On

I watched Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle last night. And while the premise of the movie was fairly lame, there were defenitely some laugh out loud moments. This one, of them singing particularly cracked me up. I was rolling while watching this.  I'm not sure why it's so hysterical to me. Is it that there's something in every teenage girls soul that thinks, 'now THIS is what guys are really like, I knew there were sensetive guys who sang this song with just as much yearning as I.'' Or at least in my deluded teenage girls' soul (give me a break, I was in junior high when this song came out).  I don't really think this is how guys interact, (anymore) but it was so sidesplittingly funny to me, I wanted to share, even if the movie itself was pretty lame.

You Are Old Father William

Have you ever overheard someone talking, and realized that not only are they slightly mis-informed (or realistically, too young to know the whole picture), but they are young and still learning things and you already know the things they don't realize they don't know.

Makes sense right? I  know that was the most bizarre sentence ever...but I'm going to explain what I meant. 

I was sitting editing photos on Friday (before I was to leave VBS for my cousin's rehearsal dinner, as a bridesmaid I was required to learn how to walk down the aisle -- even though this marks the second of three weddings I'll be in this year, not to mention the weddings in the past -- an aside, Ross can no longer use the always obnoxious, "Always a bride, never a bridesmaid" anymore).  So anyhow, I was editing photos and listening to two guys, who are about 20ish. And I know these two guys, and they're both sweet and kind, so this is not meant to mock them at all. I was just so gobsmacked with the conversation that I was overhearing, and what was the most shocking was that I realized that the reason they didn't know what they were talking about was because they were probably too young.  I know I'm still not making sense.

Okay, here's the conversation, as they're going through iTunes listening to music.

Guy 1: "I'm really into soundtracks lately, I love how you get a big mix of music all on one CD."
Guy 2: "Really? Check this song out, it's from a soundtrack."
Big Rock Candy Mountain starts playing.
Guy 1: "Whoa, that song's funny, where'd you find that?"
Guy 2: It's from Oh Brother Where Art Thou.

And in my head I'm thinking, 'ummm...no, that song is super-old. I remember it being in a movie when I was just a little kid.' But I don't say anything, I'm just listening and thinking, well, given that I'm about 10 years older than these guys, they probably wouldn't know that since, well, they weren't ALIVE yet.

Guy 1: You konw who I'm really into lately? Danny Elfman.
And I'm thinking, 'cool.'
Guy 2: "Oh yeah? What kind of music does he do?"
Guy 1: "He  does a lot of soundtracks."
And in my head I'm screaming, "hello?! soundtracks? How about Oingo Boingo?? Danny Elfman started in Oingo Boingo! Weird Science? Dead Man's Party?" But I don't say anything, because I don't want to be rude and butt in.

But it's at this point that I realize, they were too young to know Oingo Boingo. I'm almost too young to know Oingo Boingo. And this is when I had my epiphany. I'm old! Holy cow! These guys don't know stuff that you do because you're older and they are younger. And that was a strange feeling. Especially since (and I may have mentioned this once or twice) I sometimes feel a lot younger than I am.  But this, defenitely slammed me into the realization that I'm old. Or older.

This was further hammered into place, when, at my cousin's wedding this weekend, I asked them to play Just Can't Get Enough , by Depeche Mode. Still one of my favorite songs to dance to. The DJ looked at me (and in my defense, he looked at least as old as I am, if not older) and said, "And who's that?"

WHAT?!! A DJ didn't kow Just Can't Get Enough, one of the most fun songs to dance to ever?  And DM is still touring.

I'm old.

New Slang

Okay, sorry so longy no bloggy. Life is rough right now. More elaboration later. If I were to write it all out right now it would seem sad, abject, isolated and lonely, and that's not the image we like to project, right? (While I'm partially joking, it's true).

Anyhow, in lieu of a sobby post, I'm going to share with you my new favorite song that I've been playing repetetively over and over...it's called New Slang, by the Shins. A lot of their songs really rip, but this one is absolutely beautiful. I first heard it on Garden State (one of my fave movies)...it's when Zach Braff meets Natalie Portman in the lobby of the hospital, and here's the interchange:

"What are you listening to?"
"The Shins. Heard of em?"
"No.."
"Oh you have to listen to this one song. It'll change your life."

I urge you to check it out. I'd upload it, but as with my sister's wedding slideshow, you wno't be able to get to it, since iTunes is passwording everything...

but, here's an amazon sample, if you've got Windows Media Installed. Although, the whole song is SO much better than the tiny part they chose. Just click on the "New Slang" button and listen to the sample.

or

go to their site, if you're on windows (and not mac like me), you can check it out.

or MTV (also, no Macs)

here are a few lyrics:
and if you'd 'a took to me like
a gull takes to the wind.
well, i'd 'a jumped from my tree
and i'd a danced like the king of the eyesores
and the rest of our lives would 'a fared well.

Our Generation's 'The Graduate' or...I HEART Zach Braff

FINALLY saw Garden State today. And loved it. I already knew I loved Zach Braff (and yes, my husband knows) and Scrubs. I think it's one of the funniest (yes, I know it's not a word, but every other way I tried to write it sounded funny) shows on television today.

So - back to Garden State. LOVED it. Zach wrote it, directed it and starred in it. He's an amazing talent. Really, I thought the movie was so well done, and was just the antidote I needed after the meeting with Dr. Cook. My mom, who also loved it, said she thinks it's like my generation's The Graduate. The cinematography was amazing, the soundtrack was fantastic. And, unlike many movies, I would totally buy this one and watch it again. Really, it's the best movie I've seen in a long, long time. I plan on buying both the soundtrack and the DVD once it's released.

And do you want to know what's even cooler? Zach has a Garden State blog. And he reads all the comments, and writes some fairly intriguing, vulnerable, blog-like type things (i.e. it's not just a shill for the movie). One of this posts had this to say about the writing of the movie:

"...the fact that so many of you are relating to the themes and subject matter is so comforting to me, because for many years when I was feeling all these feelings, I felt incredibly alone; I couldn't find many people who were "in it"... going through the mental puberty that your twenties can be."

That pretty much sums up what the movie is about, and is probably especially thought-provoking to me right now, given that that mental puberty is sort of how I've been feeling lately.

And here's a review from the New York Daily News, "An alienated generation connects with Zach Braff's movie."