7/31/2004 02:30:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|This morning, I learn that Jackdaw did my favorite new song at the show last night, and I missed it. Wah. Also, I saw the cover of US Weekly and see Ben and Jen. No, not that Jen... Ben Affleck and Jennifer GARNER! Oh,say it ain't so...|W|P|109129153567225413|W|P|Bummer....|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/30/2004 02:15:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Um, apparently I do. I started reading "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult last night, and I could not put it down. I stayed up until 2:30 am to finish it. This is why it's dangerous for me to read. I have no control. ;) I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes books. It is sad, funny, bittersweet, and completely heart-wrenching. It has an ending that I did not in any way see coming. I thought it was over, and then BAM! Not so much over. I ugly-cried. Really. Sobbing, snot-faced, ugly crying. The author did an interesting thing, I think, with the narrative. Instead of sticking with one perspective, the story is told in first person from five different perspectives. Risky, but I don't think there was any other way for the story to be told, and I thought it worked beautifully. I hope that one day, I'll be able to write something as beautiful, heartbreaking, and moving as this book was. But I probably won't...|W|P|109120428319693991|W|P|Who needs sleep?|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/29/2004 02:41:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|In these past 9 (almost 10) months, I've done a lot of reading about dating. I've perused a number of books, articles, online articles, etc., and I've noticed a trend. No one writes about the second date. They write about how to find dates. They write about how to get ready for the first date. They write about how to successfully turn that first date into a second date. But after that? They skip ahead. Start talking about relationship issues. When to become exclusive. When to get physical. When to say "I love you." But why does no one write about that second date? See, I have this sort of curse. I don't seem to have a problem getting dates. In fact, there have been times when I've been overwhelmed with first dates and have had to step back. Usually, if there's a first date and no second date, that's my doing. Not always, mind you, but usually. But the second date, well, that's another story. I've had a significant number of guys who, after a first date, seem very interested in seeing me again. So we make that second date. We go out, and have a grand time. Again, they seem very interested in seeing me again. Sometimes they even ask, "can I see you again?" And then? Nothing. No phone call. No email. No polite brush-off. Just nothing. They disappear. Can anybody tell me where these guys are going? Is there some great vacuum into which these guys are pulled? Are they with all of the Other Socks, missing pens and earring backs that also disappear, never to be found again? I tried desperately to research the topic, and what I found was a void. No one talks about it. I can't be the only one, can I?|W|P|109120571925028899|W|P|Nobody writes about the second date...|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/29/2004 12:26:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|I picked up my materials at the community college yesterday. I have to plan a course. And write a syllabus. I'm actually going to be teaching a college course. Ohmygod. Who am I?|W|P|109111122868928084|W|P|Freakin' out|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/28/2004 01:28:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|This one from Carbon Leaf - Paloma: Chase the high ground - where you'd rather be where you might be found Face all aglow, to leave from here to pack up and go But it takes some time to get away And you will have to build from what remains. To run it takes the courage of a lamb To love, the fierceness of a storm Paloma you wonder if you'll miss the thunder And everyone's staring but no one is caring for you now Just spread your wings, latch on to the breeze Just take the leap...and you're free Chase the higher ground - where you'd rather be Where you might be found This move may erase the troubles in your head Or expose the absence of your soul And so, it takes some time to get away And you will have to tear down what remains And I can't stand for goodbyes So hold on to me, or lead the way Paloma you wonder if you'll miss the thunder And everyone's staring but no one is caring for you now Just spread your wings, latch on to the breeze Just take the leap...and you're free Pace yourself when outrunning fear Take cover when it's dark And keep an even keel In your world you're only a phone away But in my world you're too far to feel And it may take some time to learn what's real And you may have to beg and borrow And you will surely steal Remember all those lonely sessions Turned into yesterday's lessons To never forget love. To never forget love Paloma you wonder if you'll miss the thunder And everyone's staring but no one is caring for you now Just spread your wings, latch on to the breeze Just take the leap...and you're free Paloma you cry out you beg for connection The dreams you seek are straight ahead in every direction Now you're free Now that you're free Now that you're free You're free (emphasis mine) ETA: I felt that I should add a brief explanation as to why this is here. While it has nothing to do with my current mood, it does fit in with a certain theme I have in mind right now. It's time for me to do some writing, purge some inner demons. And I'm going to start with a soundtrack.|W|P|109102858435469870|W|P|More fork-stabbing inducing music...|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/28/2004 12:53:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|I was in a foul mood yesterday. Everything was wrong. I was in such a foul mood, in fact, that I had to check to see if it could be explained away by PMS. (the answer was no.) I hated my job. Even though I had received amazing compliments on a story I'd written that's in the issue coming out this weekend. The subjects of the story were in the office, crying as they read it. They hugged me, thanked me profusely, asked if I've ever considered writing books. This should have made me happy, right? Instead, it just reminded me that this job is a placeholder, that I should be doing bigger, better things. I'm better than this job. I know I am. Over the weekend, I had a wonderful time in Cleveland...so much so, in fact, that I said "I think I might seriously consider moving to Cleveland next year, if there's nothing keeping me in Buffalo." But yesterday, I was feeling stuck. I was wondering if the decision to stay was the wrong one. I was wondering if I could be preparing my classroom right now, had I gone somewhere else. I hated my tutoring job, and was feeling resentful that I have to do it at all. I was feeling resentful of my younger brother, who has a great new job in his field. Do you ever just want to scream "What about me? When's it my turn? It isn't fair!" and throw a three-year-old style tantrum? That was how I felt yesterday.|W|P|109102646556072543|W|P|Mood swings|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/28/2004 11:58:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|I'm making a 30th birthday CD for my high school friends...I have a list of specific songs that remind me of specific things, of course, but I'm looking for more. That's where you all come in! Leave a comment, or send me songs that remind you of the years 1974-1992. Thanks in advance for your kind help. :)|W|P|109102315884495011|W|P|Assistance requested|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/27/2004 10:08:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|So Jen had on the convention, and I looked up to see this guy: Who I learn is Robert Caro, a "presidential historian." But upon first glance, I thought he looked an awful lot like this guy: Of course, fictional White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry. Freakish. And as long as I'm on the topic, I had thought of this previously myself, but the other day, E!s "What the...Awards" pointed out this eerie similarity: Which is Academy Award winner Ben Affleck, and which is accused murderer Scott Peterson? Hmmm.... |W|P|109097448098968195|W|P|Separated at birth?|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/27/2004 06:52:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Okay, people...for the past two days I've had over 100 hits on my blog and not more than a dozen comments to show for it. Don't be shy...let me know who you are! I love to know who you are. If you're too shy to leave a comment, send me an email. Lurk in the shadows no longer! :)|W|P|109097250284354196|W|P|Dance into the light|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/27/2004 12:07:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|I can't believe I forgot to talk about this... You may remember that several months ago, I posted that my little brother was working at the same TV station as assboy's brother-in-law. Little brother met him briefly, early in his employ there, but there was no indication of recognition. (For anyone who doesn't know us, little brother looks a LOT like me. When he was in the musicals in high school and wearing stage makeup, his friends called him Erin.) I didn't really expect anything different. The BIL (weatherboy) is probably the most self-absorbed person I know. Anyway, little brother heard that weatherboy and his wife recently had a baby. I said "If you run into him again, tell him I said congratulations." The week before little brother left to go to the new station, he did. "Oh, by the way, my sister wanted to congratulate you and C on the new baby," my brother said. "Oh? Who's your sister? Little brother said the look on weatherboy's face when he said my name was priceless. Ah, to have been a fly on that wall...|W|P|109093730536464277|W|P|How's the weather?|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/26/2004 09:54:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|I've combined my 100 things list into a single post, here. Cool beans. :)|W|P|109089692817307779|W|P|Getting to know you....|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/26/2004 06:10:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Ach. A more careful listening (like 7 or 8 listens) to Jackdaw's Brown Shoes left me wanting to weep. Had I heard this song 9 or so months ago, I would have been wrecked. Big weeping mass of goo. oh brown eyes, don't go. just called to let you know the repercussions may be grave i have nothing left to save from you. oh brown eyes, don't stray. just wanted to say for my transgressions give me leave, for my pain some time to grieve another day. CHORUS: and when the rain comes i call you. should the sun decide to show when the rain comes i call you. doesn't matter 'til you knoe hear your voice upon the line. wearing brown shoes once was mine. oh brown eyes can you see past the fear that lies in me? the status quo remains unchanged. only have myself to blame for losing you. (lyrics copyright Jackdaw 2004) Click on the link, and read David's explanation of the song for even more pain. I'm going to go stab myself with a fork now...|W|P|109088366561040362|W|P|What do we love? PAIN|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/26/2004 03:58:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|erin-go-blog's two second review of the new Jackdaw CD, Triple Crown: I like it. ;) Me: I really wish David would sing more. And not in that growly-throaty "Hogjaw" voice, but in his real voice. What? What's that you say? David sings more on this CD? Why yes, in fact, I did say that. I recommend checking it out. Particularly 3 Month Girl and Brown Shoes. (ETA: I thought a more extensive review was in order. Here is a track-by-track recap.) 1. Denied 2. Irish in Me (The Morning Star) I put these two together because I was a bit taken aback by the sound at first. They're different than what you expect from the boys. I want to emphasize that I do not think this is in any way a bad thing...I like Irish in Me better live, but I could say that for almost any song. The whistle is way cool. 3. Scrap Book 4. Sally Gooden (instrumental) 5. 3 Month Girl This is one rockin' track. High energy. Lots of fun. Can't wait to hear the live version. :) 6. Echuskech Love this. It has that more traditional Jackdaw sound we all know and love. 7. Falling for You I love this one too...really really different. Kind of a traditional country-sounding tune, complete with pedal steel. I was tapping my foot the first time I heard it. 8. Sooner or Later This song just rocks, with a little bit of a harder edge, and plenty of Mikey-style growling. (arrrr!) 9. Brown Shoes Go here for more on this one. 10. Cruel rocks, of course, but we've been hearing this one live for quite a while. 11. The Book (Losing, my Friend) It's a totally different sound, in a totally different way from the first two tracks. Mellow. Melancholy. But I dig it. All in all, I say nice job, guys!|W|P|109086475532250282|W|P|Ask and ye shall receive...|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/26/2004 02:43:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Headed out early from Jen's on Sunday, figuring we'd be there in plenty of time to say hello to the guys before they took the stage at 3. Um, wrong. The drive was about 30 minutes. We had to wait a good 15 minutes to get into the parking lot, park, walk to the gate, stand in line for tickets, then stand in line to enter the gate....and we got to the stage just before the show started. I have to say....while a Jackdaw show is always a good time, seeing them at 3 in the afternoon at an outdoor festival just isn't quite the same as seeing them in their natural habitat (that would be a loud, crowded bar taking the stage at around 10:30 p.m.). Everyone around us seemed to be having a good time. Jen and I stood near the front of the stage with the rest of the Buffalo contingent and danced. My only gripe is that I requested "Proofrock" and it was not played... Mike made a special dedication to his "future ex-wife" (ha...funny guy). He covered for any potential damage from that statement by adding "I love 'er with all my hearrrrrrrt." (that's a pirate growl in there, y'all.) Joe Davies was his usual happy-fiddlin' self, George was looking hot as ever in his wife-beater (yes, I know that sentence should be an oxymoron...however...yow!), Tim was forgetting the words as usual (he sang one line of Pigtail Man at least five times), and our favorite skirt-wearing, accordion-playing dude was, of course, winning the hearts of all the women between the ages of 12 and 50. ;) After the show, we wandered over to the merch table to pick up the new CD, Triple Crown. In typical dork fasion, I asked the boys to sign my CD. (Hey, they might be famous one day!) Jen told David that he needs to play "Proofrock" on my birthday (CD Release Party--August 14!), prompting him to sign the CD cover with "Happy 17th Birthday Erin." Yeah, he's a funny guy too... Part 2.5 of "men being cute with little kids are sexy"--this way too cute little boy was dancing in front of the stage towards the end of the set. The guys brought him up on stage and let him dance in the center for the rest of the song. Awww... It was while we were speaking to them at the table when we realized just how wasted they really were. Wow. They hid it well on stage. We wandered over to get some greasy festival food, and chatted with Jen and Tim for a bit before they needed to head back home for their family dinner. We said our goodbyes, and then headed for a seat on a nearby bench. We watched the guys schmooze with the fans for a bit. Part 3 of "men being cute with little kids are sexy"--David was chatting with some people who had several young children with them. He was goofing around with them, swinging them around by the arms, and jusg generally being adorable. He chased them over near where we were sitting, started to swing one of them around....and fell. So yeah, even a guy in a skirt landing on his ass in the middle of a gravel parking lot is sexy when playing with little kids. ;) Carbon Leaf did another amazing set. I think I've determined that "Torn to Tattered" is my favorite, followed very closely by "Desperation Song." We stuck around to say hello and have my CD signed by the band. (Yeah, again, I'm a dork...) They are such an amazingly nice group of guys. I even got my picture taken with Carter! ;) (he's apparently married. ah, well. shouldn't married guys have to wear rings??) I asked Barry when they're coming to Buffalo again, and he said there's a Rochester show in the works for September/October and they're trying to get a show in Buffalo on the same trip. If not? I'll happily drive to Rochester to see them. I really would love to see these guys more. The drive home was...long. Realizing that we hadn't eaten much of anything all day (waffles for me and a bagel for Jen, and french fries at the festival) we stopped at a McD's near Erie, where Jen had to tell the dumb little boy at the counter that I wanted to order. And then I had to ask about McNuggets, because they weren't on the dollar menu. Pretty much par-for-the-course at McD's, I find. And then....sleep. But not nearly enough. :)|W|P|109086024607429450|W|P|Weekend in Cleveland, Part 3|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/26/2004 12:32:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Saturday, did lots of lying around. Went to Jen and Tim's place to hang out, because Stephanie had a family reunion to get to. Susan wanted to take us to Ashland to see the house she's going to be renting! The drive took a little bit longer than we anticipated, but Susan's house (and yard!) is adorable. We arrived at the Cleveland Irish festival with only about a half hour left of Jackdaw's set. We got to hear a couple of my favorites, though...their cover of the Saw Doctors' "Hay Wrap" and the very unique Jackdaw version of "Rattlin' Bog." This usually includes a couple of brief covers (such as Low Rider, You Shook Me All Night Long, and even Push It, by Salt and Pepa...) and an introduction of the band members. The intro always ends with "and together we are....(insert silly band name here). I so desperately want David to say "Wyld Stallyns" one of these days. ;) We stopped by the merch table to say hi, and then wandered around the festival a bit. We saw some cute little Irish dancers (I SO want to learn how to step dance. Do they teach adult step dancing classes?) and Jen declared that she wants to populate the earth with little Irish girls who shall dance. After the wandering, we returned to the Celtic Thunder stage for Carbon Leaf. Oh....I am loving Carbon Leaf SO much this weekend. They were on last Saturday night, so they played an extra-long set, complete with three encores. We stood next to a tall gentleman who is apparently Carbon Leaf's biggest fans. He sings along with such gusto, complete with imitations of lead singer Barry's hand gestures. Also, directly in front of the stage, there was a woman wearing a Carbon Leaf t-shirt, holding a sign that read "Carbon Leaf Fan," and....the piece de resistance...she was wearing a button that was a tiny version of one of those LED message boards that read "Carbon Leaf." I am not making this up. I may be a big fan, but....wow. That's just scary. :) Now, here's part one of my "men being cute with little kids are hot" experience of the weekend. Directly in front of me, there was the cutest little blonde girl. My favorite member of Carbon Leaf, Carter (guitar and mandolin), kept looking down at the little girl and smiling, and winking, and it was just....sigh. So freakin' adorable. I couldn't stand it. Carter, by the way, is a walking case for anti-botox. (ETA: botox statement courtesy of All Things Jen(nifer). My apologies) His entire face crinkles when he smiles, and it's incredibly sexy. Here's Carter: (many thanks to Blue Ridge Laughing for the photo) These guys are incredible. Wonderfully talented, and they just look like they're having so much fun every time they play. It's amazing. Guitarist Terry is the happiest guy on earth. Jordan rocks the bass (not to mention Jen's world...ahem...). And Carter...well, you all know how I feel about him. ;) Plus, I just love the mandolin. Stay tuned for part three: drunken Jackdaw boys, part 2 of "men being cute with little kids are hot," more Carbon Leaf, and a long-ass drive home.|W|P|109085240962522628|W|P|Weekend in Cleveland, Part 2|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/26/2004 11:19:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|I had so much fun this weekend, I don't even know where to begin...I think I'll do this in installments. Let's start with Friday. Jen and I headed to Cleveland Friday afternoon, set for dinner at Cheesecake Factory followed by a night of fun at Howl at the Moon! We met Jen, Tim, and the other Jen and went off for dinner. I think we had the most fun you could possibly have at dinner. Conversation somehow turned towards a rousing game of "Who'd ya f***" plus a list of people you would never, ever even think about, under any circumstances. (Examples: Newman from Seinfeld, Carrot Top, John Malkovich...) I am somewhat afraid of what our waitress thought. ;) Dinner was outstanding, and the Dulce de Leche cheescake was heaven on a plate. Following dinner, Jen and I met Susan, Tracy and Stephanie at the piano bar, where we finally got to see Stephanie's #1 piano-playing crush, Billy. Was not hard to see why...cute, funny, great voice. They did a version of "Picture" in which Billy sang the Sheryl Crow part. That was hilarious. The night was filled with the requisite number of bachelorettes and slutty chicks dancing on stage. One of the bachelorettes, Courtney, was wearing a red halter top that I was sure she was going to bounce right out of and a white fisherman's hat that said "Bride" on it. (she looked shockingly similar to the blonde hoochie from our first trip to the piano bar, except the original whore was much thinner, and thereby more Britney-esque). Courtney was on stage no less than five times. Stephanie dropped a $20 to come up on stage and sing her favorite song, which she did quite well until Billy looked at her and she forgot the words. ;) We went back to Stephanie's, piled into her king-size bed, and stayed up much too late chatting. By the way? Stephanie's bedroom is roughly the size of Connecticut. Coming up, Jen, Erin and Susan take on Ashland, Ohio and then storm the Celtic Thunder stage. Stay tuned!|W|P|109084809575054189|W|P|Weekend in Cleveland, Part 1|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/26/2004 12:07:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Sigh. Much, much more to come, very soon. Stay tuned. :)|W|P|109081850025157903|W|P|It's all about the music....|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/23/2004 11:33:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|81. I don't like vegetables. 82. I do like fruit, lots of fruit, but I rarely buy anything but apples. This is because I'm poor. My favorite is pineapple, which tends to be on the expensive side. 83. My favorite kind of apple is Macintosh. 84. I don't like any type of melon. 85. When I was in high school, I had a huge crush on Barry Bonds. This was before he got all puffy and freakish. My new(er) Pirates crush is Jason Kendall. 86. I hate the Atlanta Braves with the fire of a thousand suns. Their little drum chant sends shivers down my spine. 87. Certain songs, movies, books and even commercials make me cry like a little baby. Anyone remember the USPS commercial during one of the Olympics, where the male gymnast screwed up and his little sister mailed him a crayoned "10"? Yeah. *sniff* 88. I wear glasses. I've only had them for about 2 1/2 years. I should have been more diligent about regular eye exams, considering the fact that both my mom and my brother had been wearing them since childhood. 89. I like wearing glasses. 90. Someday, I want a big Victorian house with a wraparound porch and a turret. 91. I am an INFP according to the Myers-Briggs personality profile. I think it's pretty accurate. 92. When I was 7, I smashed my big toe with a bowling ball. 93. I share my birthday with a Catholic Holy Day, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 94. I don't know how to drive a stick shift. My evil HS boyfriend tried to teach me once, and I'll give you one guess as to how well that went. 95. I like my pizza plain (cheese only, thank you). 96. 1996 is the year I graduated from college. 97. I'm very close with my family. In fact, I'm a tiny bit homesick right now... 98. I love Shakespeare, but I much prefer watching it to reading it. (not that I dislike reading it...) 99. I still like going to the playground and riding the swings. 100. My assertion of being a member of the tone deaf club goes back to my rejection from the middle school show choir. The music teacher was a flaky blonde who used to be a nun, then married the high school art teacher, who turned out to be gay. I never really got over the rejection. ;) And that's it, folks. I'm done!|W|P|109058967561727489|W|P|100 things--Final installment!|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/22/2004 02:35:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|61. I love rollercoasters, and thrill rides of all sorts. My very first coaster ride was the Viper at Darien Lake. 62. I would like to try skydiving or bungee jumping someday. 63. In college, I took a class about pornography and the first amendment. The professor was doing her disseration on the subject. It was strange, but really interesting. 64. I was raised Roman Catholic. Technically, I still am, though I don't really practice. 65. I went to public school, and plan on sending my future children to public school. 66. I think I'd like two, a boy and a girl. 67. I don't really have names picked out. I was partial to the name Emma for a girl, but had given it up because of assboy's last name. (I hate it when people give their kids the names of famous people. I find it annoying...) So when we broke up, I thought I could reclaim the name....but I'm not sure if I will, because of "Friends." 68. I can do calligraphy. (want your wedding invitations done? E-mail me!) 69. I was a girl scout. I stayed in all the way through high school and got my gold award. (that's kind of like the equivalent of Eagle scout.) 70. I feel very fortunate to have known all four of my grandparents. Three of them are still living. 71. I love the beach. 72. I knew how to read before I entered kindergarten. I used to drive my parents crazy by reading every street sign when we were riding in the car. 73. As Jen told you all, I was an orphan in a community theater production of "Annie" when I was 12. I caught the acting bug in a bad way, and was horribly disappointed when there was not a single musical production during my four years of high school. 74. I love bread. I would never survive on the Atkins diet. 75. My favorite mixed drink is a margarita. Traditional. On the rocks. 76. Last year, I discovered the perfume Addict by Dior. I love it. 77. I have brown eyes, and I love songs that mention girls with brown eyes. 78. My favorite board game is Scrabble. 79. My high school's mascot is the Flying Dutchman. It's a boat. It's also the international symbol of bad luck. What genius do you suppose picked that out? 80. I tend to be very shy and reserved in new social situations. It takes me a while to get comfortable and open up to people. In the past, this has led a lot of people to believe that I am stuck up/bitchy/conceited. I don't think any of those things are true.|W|P|109051416851844254|W|P|100 Things--Part 4|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/22/2004 02:21:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Exciting news--I got a part-time teaching gig at a community college! English 101. This is very, very good, but I got the news in a strange way. Department secretary called, and talked to Jen. She talked very much as if I knew I had the job. Um, I didn't. But there's a mailbox set up for me, and I'm supposed to stop in next week to pick up materials. Woohoo!|W|P|109051333606876515|W|P|Do a little dance|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/21/2004 11:16:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|And because Ray will whine if I don't... 41(b). I can't stand the taste of artificial sweeteners. 42(b). I am a live music junkie. I can no longer count the number of concerts I've been to. 43(b). I love Billy Joel's music. I've seen him in concert twice, plus I saw his Q&A tour. 44(b). In addition to the many, many other types of music I like, I enjoy country. This is a result of a brief relationship I had while I was in college. He took me to my first country concert at the fair. 45(b). My favorite country artist is Collin Raye. He has the sweetest voice I've ever heard. 46(b). My very first concert was Richard Marx. 47(b). I went to that concert with my first boyfriend, J. My memories of that concert, as well as much of that relationship, are not good. 48(b). I've never been good at any sport involving a ball. I played softball as a kid, and I was relegated to the two positions given to the kids who couldn't play--catcher, and way, way outfield. It was years before I learned that catcher is actually an important position. 49(b). I tried a whole bunch of other sports...gymnastics, swimming and diving, track. But cheerleading was the one thing I was good at. 50(b). I once dreamed of being an actress. 51. I used to hate Doritos, and I now eat them compulsively. 52. I like two kinds of cake: Devil's food, preferably with no icing, but buttercream if there must be icing at all; and White, with my homemade chocolate peanut butter icing. 53. My grandmother passed without any of us learning how to make her homemade apple pie. Mine is the one that comes closest to hers (crust and all!), and this makes me intensely proud. 54. I am very good at my job, but I don't like it. 55. The very first music I purchased was the 45 of "Eye in the Sky" by the Alan Parsons Project. (wow, I'm old...) 56. I don't like math. 57. I know how to make meatballs. And they're pretty darn good, too. 58. I love Disney movies. The musicals. "Beauty and the Beast" is probably my favorite. 59. I wear my hair short, and I like it that way. 60. I love to fly.|W|P|109041582226296645|W|P|100 Things--Part 3|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/20/2004 03:06:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|#s 41-50, courtesy of Jen 41. Erin had a "spin off" nickname in college, Ya...it was a spin off from her boyfriends nickname at the time, which means after they broke up the nickname was no more. � 42. It takes Erin at least 3 minutes to order a drink at the bar and she almost always gets the same one or two drinks...some variation of a Smirnoff-Mike's in a bottle. This makes me laugh, every time. � 43. Erin thinks she is tone deaf and constantly says she can not sing. This is not true, beleive me I have lived with her for 3/4 years in college as well as almost 3 in Buffalo! And if she was tone deaf, how did she get to be a cute little orphan in the musical Annie when she was a wee child? � 44. Erin has grown monumentally in the past few years. The Erin I befriended never would have wanted to dance in puddles during the tsunami Goo Goo Dolls washout concert. This new Erin does! � 45. Erin and I have never kissed the same guy. (Have we?) Although we have wanted to! � 46.�Although I am the politicalesque person, Erin LOVES the WEST WING more than anything in the world, and I can't stand that show... � 47. Erin has a difficult time finding the perfect pair of jeans...but she recently bought a pair of Levis which fit her like a glove. She sweves when she wears them! � 48. Erin is just starting to embrace her cleavage with tight cleavage shirts! � 49. Erin can never, ever clear out the bullseye at the end of a dart game, but has no problem hitting them in the middle of a game. � 50. Erin's obsession with Victor Garber, spydaddy sometimes concerns me.� : ) (kidding) |W|P|109034337633919935|W|P|Part 2 1/2|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/20/2004 02:18:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Via Jen: The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Second Level of Hell!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	Very Low
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	Moderate
Level 2 (Lustful)	High
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	Low
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Very Low
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	Low
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Low
Level 7 (Violent)	Moderate
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	Moderate
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	Low

Take the Dante's Inferno Hell Test and this one:
My life is rated NC-17.
What is your life rated?|W|P|109035135308574174|W|P|Interesting results...|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/20/2004 12:00:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|21. I can recite (actually, sing, if you want the whole truth) the Greek alphabet. (thanks, Patti) 22. I've never had any formal dance training, but I love to dance, and I like to believe I'm pretty good at it. I was in a student-run dance company in college, and choreographed a couple of my own pieces. 23. When Jen and I met freshman year of college, one of the things we bonded over was the song "Nobody" by Sylvia. 24. I love the 80s. The music. The cheesy sitcoms. However, I kind of wish the hair/makeup/clothes would stay dead. 25. I was an unabashed lover of hair bands. I still love Bon Jovi. 26. I have a younger brother, who is a TV cameraman/editor in Pittsburgh. He's 23. 27. I have a mild obsession with the number 27. 28. My parents are still married (33 years!). 29. I want to travel the world. A few of the places I want to see....Italy, Australia, Ireland, Mexico. I want to see the Grand Canyon, the Florida Keys, and all kinds of other parts of this country that I've never seen before. I desperately want to go back to Hawaii, both to see the things I didn't get to see and appreciate it as an adult. 30. I've been to England and Scotland, with my ex's family. I want to go back there someday, too. 31. I spent a summer driving around the country as a cheerleading camp instructor. That was one of the coolest experiences of my life. 32. I was born on the Naval base in Portsmouth, VA, because my dad was stationed there. 33. I love Stephen King, and I don't care what the critics say...although, I have to admit, I haven't been big on his recent stuff other than the Dark Tower installments. 34. I have an adorable goddaughter (my cousin) who was born on my birthday. She turns six the day I turn 30. 35. I have a tattoo. This is shocking, given my extremely low threshold for pain. 36. I never intended to work as a journalist. I've kind of fallen into all of the journalism-type jobs I've had. 37. I've been fired. Twice. 38. My first real kiss was with a boy named Billy, when I was 15. He wore Obsession for Men, and to this day, that smell reminds me of him. 39. My favorite scent is vanilla. 40. I am addicted to Pepsi. Regular Pepsi, not diet. And always Pepsi. Never Coke. |W|P|109033209923694051|W|P|100 Things--Part 2|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/19/2004 08:48:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|I am speechless. The last google search that brought someone to my blog: "katherine helmond jerking off" That's just scary. In so many ways. It was so scary that I had to go and track it down to see. This is what I found... ... Or Alyssa Milano. Or Katherine Helmond. ... I told him that I thought he was a total jerk for blowing me off...and he thought the same about me. Weird. other recent searches, that aren't quite so scary: "psychic/Lilydale new york" "jackdaw buffalo" (hi David!) "Alan Doyle" mullet and of course, that ever-popular Bachelorette contestant from Buffalo, whose name I shall not mention again, for fear of bringing more people to my blog looking for him.|W|P|109028823091179005|W|P|I have no words|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/19/2004 12:59:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|I've been meaning to jump in on that whole "100 things about me" phenomenon. Yeah, I know it's late in the game. So here's what I'm going to do. It's going to be a five-parter. Each day this week, I will post 20 things about erin-go-blog. Here's the first installment. (please, try to contain yourselves.) (ETA: I am combining the 100 Things into a single post. Pretty cool, eh?) 1. Despite what my blog name implies, I am not Irish. Not even a little bit. 2. I am of Italian heritage, part Sicilian. 3. I'm from a small town in rural Pennsylvania. 4. My favorite baseball team is the Pittsburgh Pirates. It's a curse. 5. I used to be a cheerleader. (How funky is your chicken?) 6. I was also in a sorority. (Alpha Delta Pi, Eta Beta chapter, Allegheny College) 7. I swear to you, I am not a flake. 8. My undergraduate degree is in communication. 9. I have a graduate degree in education. I'm certified to teach secondary English. 10. I'm allergic to dogs, cats, dust, dust mites, and grass pollen. This doesn't stop me from living with cats. 11. I will publish a novel one day. Hopefully more than one. 12. I love movies. A movie has to really, really suck for me not to find some enjoyment in it. A few of my favorites are "The Princess Bride," "When Harry Met Sally," and "Say Anything." 13. My favorite TV shows are Alias and The West Wing. Though I much prefer TWW with Aaron Sorkin at the helm. 14. My favorite book of all time is "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeline L'Engle. 15. I hate coffee, but I love the way it smells. 16. I drink tea, British style, with sugar and milk. 17. I think Dave Barry has the coolest job in the world. 18. I collect lions. 19. I'm a Leo. 20. When I was in high school, I went to Hawaii for ten days to be a cheerleader at the Hula Bowl. (Although when I went in 1990, it was in Honolulu, not on Maui.) 21. I can recite (actually, sing, if you want the whole truth) the Greek alphabet. 22. I've never had any formal dance training, but I love to dance, and I like to believe I'm pretty good at it. I was in a student-run dance company in college, and choreographed a couple of my own pieces. 23. When Jen and I met freshman year of college, one of the things we bonded over was the song "Nobody" by Sylvia. 24. I love the 80s. The music. The cheesy sitcoms. However, I kind of wish the hair/makeup/clothes would stay dead. 25. I was an unabashed lover of hair bands. I still love Bon Jovi. 26. I have a younger brother, who is a TV cameraman/editor in Pittsburgh. He's 23. 27. I have a mild obsession with the number 27. 28. My parents are still married (33 years!). 29. I want to travel the world. A few of the places I want to see....Italy, Australia, Ireland, Mexico. I want to see the Grand Canyon, the Florida Keys, and all kinds of other parts of this country that I've never seen before. I desperately want to go back to Hawaii, both to see the things I didn't get to see and appreciate it as an adult. 30. I've been to England and Scotland, with my ex's family. I want to go back there someday, too. 31. I spent a summer driving around the country as a cheerleading camp instructor. That was one of the coolest experiences of my life. 32. I was born on the Naval base in Portsmouth, VA, because my dad was stationed there. 33. I love Stephen King, and I don't care what the critics say...although, I have to admit, I haven't been big on his recent stuff other than the Dark Tower installments. 34. I have an adorable goddaughter (my cousin) who was born on my birthday. She turns six the day I turn 30. 35. I have a tattoo. This is shocking, given my extremely low threshold for pain. 36. I never intended to work as a journalist. I've kind of fallen into all of the journalism-type jobs I've had. 37. I've been fired. Twice. 38. My first real kiss was with a boy named Billy, when I was 15. He wore Obsession for Men, and to this day, that smell reminds me of him. 39. My favorite scent is vanilla. 40. I am addicted to Pepsi. Regular Pepsi, not diet. And always Pepsi. Never Coke. 41. I can't stand the taste of artificial sweeteners. 42. I am a live music junkie. I can no longer count the number of concerts I've been to. 43. I love Billy Joel's music. I've seen him in concert twice, plus I saw his Q&A tour. 44. In addition to the many, many other types of music I like, I enjoy country. This is a result of a brief relationship I had while I was in college. He took me to my first country concert at the fair. 45. My favorite country artist is Collin Raye. He has the sweetest voice I've ever heard. 46. My very first concert was Richard Marx. 47. I went to that concert with my first boyfriend, J. My memories of that concert, as well as much of that relationship, are not good. 48. I've never been good at any sport involving a ball. I played softball as a kid, and I was relegated to the two positions given to the kids who couldn't play--catcher, and way, way outfield. It was years before I learned that catcher is actually an important position. 49. I tried a whole bunch of other sports...gymnastics, swimming and diving, track. But cheerleading was the one thing I was good at. 50. I once dreamed of being an actress. 51. I used to hate Doritos, and I now eat them compulsively. 52. I like two kinds of cake: Devil's food, preferably with no icing, but buttercream if there must be icing at all; and White, with my homemade chocolate peanut butter icing. 53. My grandmother passed without any of us learning how to make her homemade apple pie. Mine is the one that comes closest to hers (crust and all!), and this makes me intensely proud. 54. I am very good at my job, but I don't like it. 55. The very first music I purchased was the 45 of "Eye in the Sky" by the Alan Parsons Project. (wow, I'm old...) 56. I don't like math. 57. I know how to make meatballs. And they're pretty darn good, too. 58. I love Disney movies. The musicals. "Beauty and the Beast" is probably my favorite. 59. I wear my hair short, and I like it that way. 60. I love to fly. 61. I love rollercoasters, and thrill rides of all sorts. My very first coaster ride was the Viper at Darien Lake. 62. I would like to try skydiving or bungee jumping someday. 63. In college, I took a class about pornography and the first amendment. The professor was doing her disseration on the subject. It was strange, but really interesting. 64. I was raised Roman Catholic. Technically, I still am, though I don't really practice. 65. I went to public school, and plan on sending my future children to public school. 66. I think I'd like two, a boy and a girl. 67. I don't really have names picked out. I was partial to the name Emma for a girl, but had given it up because of assboy's last name. (I hate it when people give their kids the names of famous people. I find it annoying...) So when we broke up, I thought I could reclaim the name....but I'm not sure if I will, because of "Friends." 68. I can do calligraphy. (want your wedding invitations done? E-mail me!) 69. I was a Girl Scout. I stayed in all the way through high school and got my gold award. (that's kind of like the equivalent of Eagle scout.) 70. I feel very fortunate to have known all four of my grandparents. Three of them are still living. 71. I love the beach. 72. I knew how to read before I entered kindergarten. I used to drive my parents crazy by reading every street sign when we were riding in the car. 73. As Jen told you all, I was an orphan in a community theater production of "Annie" when I was 12. I caught the acting bug in a bad way, and was horribly disappointed when there was not a single musical production during my four years of high school. 74. I love bread. I would never survive on the Atkins diet. 75. My favorite mixed drink is a margarita. Traditional. On the rocks. 76. Last year, I discovered the perfume Addict by Dior. I love it. 77. I have brown eyes, and I love songs that mention girls with brown eyes. 78. My favorite board game is Scrabble. 79. My high school's mascot is the Flying Dutchman. It's a boat. It's also the international symbol of bad luck. What genius do you suppose picked that out? 80. I tend to be very shy and reserved in new social situations. It takes me a while to get comfortable and open up to people. In the past, this has led a lot of people to believe that I am stuck up/bitchy/conceited. I don't think any of those things are true. 81. I don't like vegetables. 82. I do like fruit, lots of fruit, but I rarely buy anything but apples. This is because I'm poor. My favorite is pineapple, which tends to be on the expensive side. 83. My favorite kind of apple is Macintosh. 84. I don't like any type of melon. 85. When I was in high school, I had a huge crush on Barry Bonds. This was before he got all puffy and freakish. My new(er) Pirates crush is Jason Kendall. 86. I hate the Atlanta Braves with the fire of a thousand suns. Their little drum chant sends shivers down my spine. 87. Certain songs, movies, books and even commercials make me cry like a little baby. Anyone remember the USPS commercial during one of the Olympics, where the male gymnast screwed up and his little sister mailed him a crayoned "10"? Yeah. *sniff* 88. I wear glasses. I've only had them for about 2 1/2 years. I should have been more diligent about regular eye exams, considering the fact that both my mom and my brother had been wearing them since childhood. 89. I like wearing glasses. 90. Someday, I want a big Victorian house with a wraparound porch and a turret. 91. I am an INFP according to the Myers-Briggs personality profile. I think it's pretty accurate. 92. When I was 7, I smashed my big toe with a bowling ball. 93. I share my birthday with a Catholic Holy Day, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 94. I don't know how to drive a stick shift. My evil HS boyfriend tried to teach me once, and I'll give you one guess as to how well that went. 95. I like my pizza plain (cheese only, thank you). 96. 1996 is the year I graduated from college. 97. I'm very close with my family. In fact, I'm a tiny bit homesick right now... 98. I love Shakespeare, but I much prefer watching it to reading it. (not that I dislike reading it...) 99. I still like going to the playground and riding the swings. 100. My assertion of being a member of the tone deaf club goes back to my rejection from the middle school show choir. The music teacher was a flaky blonde who used to be a nun, then married the high school art teacher, who turned out to be gay. I never really got over the rejection. ;)|W|P|109024922044794022|W|P|On the bandwagon|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com4/10/2006 07:35:00 PM|W|P| Anonymous|W|P|I was a Girl Scout. I stayed in all the way through high school and got my gold award. (that's kind of like the equivalent of Eagle scout.)
Me too! Only I'm older than you - I got "First Class" which is "Gold Award" before they split it into Silver and Gold. :-)

I can't believe anyone ever would think you are stuck up and bitchy! You've always seemed rather quiet and perhaps shy but adorable to me. Heh.

I love long hair but I can't imagine you with long hair, something about your hair and your glasses together is just terribly cute and hip looking. It almost makes me want to cut my hair short but in a saner moment I am quite clear on the concept that I can NOT pull that look off. Oh well. ;-)

Nice "meeting" you and fun reading your list!4/10/2006 07:37:00 PM|W|P| Anonymous|W|P|Oh yeah - PS: send me your meatball recipe!

And - I'm *sure* I could teach you to sing so there too nyah! ;-)7/19/2004 11:44:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Saturday night was amazing. For any of you live music nonbelievers, they played a completely different set. Between the two nights, I got to hear nearly everything the Ron Hawkins Acoustic Revue plays. (Including Jen's favorite Low song....which they, uh....did NOT play. Yeah.) And got some good news. Lowest of the Low is back in WNY in a month! Woohoo. Lawrence sang the song I asked to hear. I'm going to pretend he did it for me. Shut up. I can't hear you. Lalalalalalala.... Anyway, it's called "First Addiction." It's actually not my most favorite Temper tune, but it is a wonderful song, and it lends itself well to the acoustic set. He told the story of how it originated, and I just had to laugh. "So I went through this disastrous relationship, and called up one of my good friends 3,000 miles away to tell him about it. He listened. And then he wrote a song about it. But he changed a few things and made the whole thing my fault. " So no, Lawrence didn't write it, but it's actually kind of nice to know that the pain was his. Makes it more authentic or something. And lordy, does he sound good singing it: Well I'm one year older. I know myself better. I've forgotten how to cry. And no, you haven't seen me lately. I keep ducking to safety when I hear you're coming by. It's warm, warm lover's skin--my first addiction Bringing all the need in me outside Torn, torn paper thin, I can't claim anything I've lost that thing that made me feel alive. As I began to "suffocate" you I guess in a way you just got out in time. 'Cause I, I was not what you dreamed of. And people crave new love, and that's not a crime. And it's warm, warm lover's skin--my first addiction Bringing all the need in me outside Torn, torn paper thin, I can't claim anything I've lost that thing that made me feel alive. My whole heart's deep within, my first addiction Bringing all the need in me outside Torn, torn paper thin, I can't claim anything I've lost that thing that made me feel alive-- Will I be alive again? Sigh. One thing that I can't stand about concerts is obnoxious concert-goers. Both nights, pockets of people kept screaming out the names of songs they wanted to hear. Dudes, they have a set list. I'm guessing they're going to play what's on it. And the new CD is supposedly going to be out in September. I cannot wait. They kept making fun of people who mouth the words to the new music. Ummmm...yeah, that would be us. So what if we've seen them so many times that we know the new songs before the CD is out? ;) All in all, a great music weekend. And the one coming up promises to be outstanding as well. Oh, I can hardly wait! Oh, and this is my 300th post! What should I do to celebrate?|W|P|109024476251914176|W|P|What a weekend|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/17/2004 04:20:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Okay, that was bad...I know. Stephanie was talking about art the other day, and asked for suggestions. But she pointed out that she didn't like Monet. This prompted me to share one of my favorite paintings, which just so happens to be a Monet: I have a print of it which will grace the living room wall, just as soon as I get a frame for it. I love the colors. I love the mood. I believe this was painted later in Monet's life, when his eyesight was beginning to fail. Enjoy!|W|P|109009937780130543|W|P|Show me the Monet|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/17/2004 02:36:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|I saw this cool quiz over at An Audience of One, and I just had to take it.   My results:   Economic Left/Right: -1.12 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.97        So on the above chart, I would be just above the "d" in Nelson Mandela.   Interesting. :)   |W|P|109009335055741634|W|P|Political compass|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/17/2004 11:22:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|It's true! My Lowcrush Lawrence Nichols  is now officially a member of the Lowest of the Low! (There are some issues with the page. I don't know what' s going on...)      (Lawrence is on the far right) The show last night was awesome, but for the stupid crowd that kept shouting out songs they wanted to hear. I was ready to smack most of them. But I did speak briefly to Lawrence, and asked him if he'd play one of my favorite songs from his former band, Temper. He said he'd play it tonight. I'll keep you posted. :) Oh, and I had to add...I am quite enjoying the shaggy-haired Ron as well. |W|P|109008264134878164|W|P|One of the band|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/16/2004 03:05:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Tonight, Jen and I venture to the always wonderful BJs in Fredonia for the Ron Hawkins Acoustic Revue. I cannot wait...it's been way too long. Ron...Lawrence...making beautiful music. Thank you, Jen, for making me love them. :) And if anyone out there in blogworld is interested and within driving distance of Williamsville, there's an extra ticket available for tomorrow night's show. (Not that I mind going by myself. The no-longer-so-blonde Canadian Us-es will be there, I'm sure! But it's there, if anyone wants it.) And in one week? The Cleveland Irish Festival. Jackdaw AND Carbon Leaf! (Also Seven Nations, whom we've seen once before.) Have I mentioned how much I love live music? I've had conversations with people who don't understand what the appeal is of going to see the same band over and over and over again. Live music, much like live theater, is dynamic. The feeling of a show depends on the interaction and energy of the audience. Every show is different. The music comes alive when you see the performers, their passion, their interactions with each other, their souls laid bare for the world to see. That passion, boys, is what makes girls get crushes on musicians. Even ones that you might not think are necessarily attractive. How do you think Billy Joel gets such gorgeous women? (although this latest one? Ew. Note to Billy Joel....date someone NOT young enough to be your daughter. And stop crashing your car into things. Thank you.) |W|P|108999755828158766|W|P|Live music junkie alert|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/16/2004 11:19:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Um, not really at all. Thanks Jen for this link. :)
You speak eloquently and have seemingly read every
book ever published. You are a fountain of
endless (sometimes useless) knowledge, and
never fail to impress at a party. What people love: You can answer almost any
question people ask, and have thus been
nicknamed Jeeves. What people hate: You constantly correct their
grammar and insult their paperbacks.

What Kind of Elitist Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla Leave me a comment, but please mind your grammar. ;)|W|P|108999483808082311|W|P|This is a shocker|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/16/2004 09:16:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|A few years ago, we discovered a little chicklit book called Slightly Single. Kim read it, and Jen read it, and I read it, and we just loved the author's style. We all saw a little bit of ourselves in the main character The author, Wendy Markham, we learned was from Jen's hometown of Dunkirk, NY. One of Jen's best friends has a sister who went to school with her. We also learned that she'd written a good deal of other books, most of them of the suspense/thriller genre, under her real name, Wendy Corsi Staub. I read one of them, In the Blink of an Eye...it's a supernatural thriller set in Lilydale, NY, and I loved it. Could not put it down. There was an email address in the back of the book, so I decided to email her and tell her so. She wrote back fairly quickly, and thanked me for writing. I asked her if she'd mind doing an interview for me for Toasted Cheese, and she agreed. (You can read it here) So yesterday, when Jen read in the paper that Wendy was going to be in town for a book signing at Wegmans, I knew we had to go. I brought my copy of Slightly Settled, her semi-autobiographical sequel to Slightly Single (it includes the story of how she met her real-life husband. adorable.) Wendy was amazing. I introduced myself, and she thanked me again for the great publicity with the interview, and told me what a great job I'd done. Jen and I both told her that she inspired us, and she told us that it took until she got married and settled down to really get serious about her writing. (It must have worked well for her. She's very prolific!) She's a very talented writer. I recommend checking her out. I left with a new-found inspiration. Thanks, Wendy! :)|W|P|108998746842347497|W|P|Inspired|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/15/2004 10:27:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Some days, I don't quite know who I am. I'm having one of those days today. Last night, I put up a post saying that I had nothing to say. While it is in fact true that those were all posts that I enjoyed reading, and I would love for anyone who's out there reading to enjoy as well, I decided that it just wasn't really me. In those moments when I'm not sure who I am, I sometimes try to be other people. That doesn't work for me, and one faithful reader and dear friend took me to task for it. And he was right. The thing is, I've been going through some things lately that for one reason or another are inappropriate to post in this forum. (It's true, readers. I don't share everything. Some things are just too personal...that's what good old pen-and-paper journals are for.) But then I get stuck. I'm at a loss. I have nothing to say here, and I hate that...for, as I've mentioned before, it's the fact that people are reading, the fact that people come here and come back, that makes me want to keep going. And so I'm afraid...I'm afraid that if I post nothing, the people won't come back. Call it a funk, call it bloggers block, call it whatever. I deal in words...in my private life, in my (ahem) professional life, in my hopeful career(s). It's scary to be a writer without any words. Because if I don't have any words, I don't have any idea who I am. Today is one month until my birthday. I look at it with a mixture of anticipation and dread. On the one hand, I'm ready to leave my twenties behind. On the other, what lies ahead for me? Will I find that great job? Get published? Fall in love and have babies? Will I be the best me that I can possibly be? I need to pick up, take charge, stop being driven by insecurity and fully embrace ME. I am: twenty-nine and counting. I am a teacher. A writer. A journalist. A daughter. A sister. A friend. I am highly emotional. Empathetic. Insecure. Underemployed. Shy. Fiercely loyal to those I care about. I hate to lose. I hate hurting people. I can't stand having people angry with me. I am terrified of bees. I hope for the best, but often expect the worst. I've had my heart broken twice, and my spirit broken once. I love to dance. I can't sing, but I wish I could. I can't wait to have a classroom of my own. I am emotionally high maintenance. I still believe in true love.|W|P|108990529485290294|W|P|Words|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/15/2004 09:30:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|erin-go-blog promises some original thoughts, just as soon as she gets some of that pesky "work" stuff out of the way. Stay tuned...|W|P|108990195692161110|W|P|Watch this space|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/14/2004 10:55:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|I've made it to crawly amphibian. In celebration, I've put the permanent link back. What's that they say about simple minds? ;) |W|P|108982063510082265|W|P|It's the little things|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/13/2004 06:53:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Yep, I'm about to get sucked in to an entire night of mindless fun on VH1. Some random observations: 1. I was a sophomore-junior in high school in 1990, and I don't remember being into slap bracelets. 2. I find it vaguely disturbing that hearing Ice, Ice Baby will have me singing it for the rest of the night. And that I remember the words. 3. Why do all boys love Goodfellas so much? I swear to you, my ex wanted to BE a gangster after seeing this movie. 4. Michael Bolton is funny.|W|P|108976333537073261|W|P|Yo, I'll solve it|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/13/2004 06:41:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Here is a very good reason why. The other day, he posted that he got press credentials for the Democratic convention. Whoo!|W|P|108976214415947089|W|P|I *heart* electablog|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/13/2004 04:36:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|I was walking back to my car after returning a book to the library, and I smiled at a man who was walking towards me. He smiled back, and said, "A smile is a gift, and it's a beautiful gift."|W|P|108975463593324078|W|P|You're never fully dressed...|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/13/2004 01:55:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|I am a new and improved erin-go-blog. The old me was cautious and afraid to take risks. But if there's one thing I've learned in my (almost) 30 years of life, it's that risks are necessary. It's much more likely you'll regret the chances you didn't take than the ones you did. The unfortunate side to this is that not all stories have happy endings. And that's a part of the risk...it's impossible to know how things are going to turn out. Sometimes it will hurt, and that truly sucks. But the one thing I do know for certain is this--you don't get a happy ending by being afraid to even try. |W|P|108974495041313814|W|P|Forget regret...|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/13/2004 01:44:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Just because I got this email in my inbox this afternoon, I think I'm going to call my senators and tell them I'm opposed. Your Calls are Impacting the Federal Marriage Amendment Vote We have been encouraging you to call your Senators and ask them to vote to preserve traditional marriage by passing the Federal Marriage Amendment. As of today, 37 Senators support the FMA, 46 oppose it and 17 are uncommitted. Within the last few days, Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski has decided to support the FMA. It is reported that calls to Florida Senator Bill Nelson's office are running 1000 to 1 in favor of the FMA, yet he still opposes the FMA. Some Senators have received so many calls that they have installed automated message lines in their Washington, D.C. office. If you cannot reach their Washington office, then call one of their district offices. We have a list of all the Senators and their telephone numbers at www.lc.org/marriage. It is important that you continue to call until the vote is over. A number of Senators are listed as "uncommitted" but frankly, an "uncommitted" position is a vote for same-sex marriage. I am in Washington, D.C. today in meetings with Senators and others on the FMA and I will be attending the hearings tomorrow. We have just learned that, due to some last minute maneuvering, there may be only a procedural vote or a filibuster to stop debate on the FMA. Even if you have called your senators, it is important to call them again today.� Ask them to resist the procedural vote and threats of a filibuster and vote on the FMA itself. The Senators should not try to hide their position on the issue. You deserve to know whether your Senators really support the FMA or not. The only way to know for sure is to see how they vote. Please continue to pray for our nation and its leaders. This is truly a historic moment.|W|P|108974439391079844|W|P|Make a difference!|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/12/2004 03:31:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Weekend...we had a lot of fun. You can see Singing Loudly for the details of what we did. Curtis is a great guy, and I'm very glad I got the chance to meet him! Feel free to email me if you want to know anything more... It's kind of a strange day...some might remember that back in, oh, November, I was inspired to email the college boyfriend, K. I wanted to say hello, see how he was doing, and basically let him know that I wasn't harboring any bad feelings. He wrote back. Today. The short version of the story? He found God. And got married. I think in that order, but I'm not quite sure. Can I get an "Amen"? One of the best things that has happened to me the last few years is that I'm now a born-again Christian. That's been the most life altering thing that's ever happened to me. It's a long story how that happened, so I won't go into too much detail, but God really put me in a position where I could only depend on Him and He's come through like I could never have imagined. You might think I'm off my rocker, but that's okay...so does my family. Huh? He said he wanted to respond to my email, but wasn't sure if it was "appropriate." Huh? Oh, and he also said that his wife probably wouldn't be thrilled that he was writing to me. Again, huh? My guess is that he confessed all of his past "sins" to her before they got married. ;) |W|P|108966469629339169|W|P|I'll take potpourri for $200, Alex|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/11/2004 11:19:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Life. How is it that things don't always work out the way you thought they would? It isn't right, and it isn't fair, and as much as you wish you could change it, you just can't.|W|P|108956288930369009|W|P|It's a little bit funny|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/09/2004 12:44:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|I can't believe I work here. And, though I am well aware that this is not an original thought, I think Britney Spears does more to singlehandedly threaten the "sanctity of the institution of marriage" than a million homosexual couples ever could. And to think, having just visited with and interviewed with our fair city's very own answer to Mother Teresa, I was feeling all warm and fuzzy about Catholicism... Catholic Bishops Strongly Urge The U.S. Senate To Support The Federal Marriage Amendment WASHINGTON (July 6, 2004) -� Saying the institution of marriage is "under serious attack," the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) strongly urged the Senate to vote in favor of the Federal Marriage Amendment after turning back any attempt to prevent consideration of the measure. "Recent actions in various state courts and courthouses have placed the institution of marriage under serious attack and in grave danger," said Bishop Wilton D. Gregory in a letter to the Senate urging support for S.J. Res. 30, the Federal Marriage Amendment. "The Catholic Bishops of the United States strongly believe that marriage is a basic human institution and that, though it is regulated by civil laws and church laws, it did not originate from either the church or state, but from God. Accordingly, the Bishops believe that neither church nor the state can alter the basic meaning and structure of marriage." S.J. Res. 30 would amend the United States Constitution to define marriage as consisting only of the union of a man and a woman. The Senate Majority leader has announced his intention to bring it before the Senate in mid-July. Bishop Gregory noted, however, that opponents may mount a filibuster that could prevent consideration of the measure. "The Catholic Bishops of the United States strongly urge you to vote against any effort that would prevent the Senate from voting on this important measure, as well as to vote for the measure once the Senate takes it up," said Bishop Gregory in the July 6 letter. "Our concern for preserving marriage as the union of a man and a woman is not simply a Catholic concern," the Bishop said. "We share it with believers and non-believers, Christians and non-Christians alike, simply because this understanding is part of the common moral heritage of humanity." "It is precisely this moral heritage that must be protected today from a small but vocal minority that would alter the definition of marriage by making same-sex unions the legal equivalent of marriage," Bishop Gregory stated. "A same-sex union is not equivalent to marriage. It is not based on the natural complementarity of male and female; it cannot cooperate with God to create new life; it cannot be a true conjugal union." "Marriage, as properly understood, is more than a lifestyle choice," Bishop Gregory said. "It is an interpersonal relationship with public significance," he continued. "It makes a unique and irreplaceable contribution to the common good of society when it fulfills its natural, God-given purposes, namely, to bring children into the world and care for them and to provide a way for a man and a woman to seek each other's good in a committed, lifetime relationship." "The institution of marriage has been weakened and eroded by many forces," Bishop Gregory told the Senate. "The social cost is already too high. The Catholic Bishops of the United States urge your support for amending the United States Constitution to preserve and protect this vital institution that undergirds the well-being of spouses, children, families, communities and society itself." The USCCB has longed worked on the marriage issue, supporting efforts at the state level to preserve marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Last September, its Administrative Committee called for efforts at all levels of government, including support for a federal constitutional amendment. Since then, the Bishops' Conference has been engaged in educational activities across the country, and has submitted testimony to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. On June 24, Bishop Gregory wrote to all Catholic Bishops asking them to personally urge their Senators to support the Federal Marriage Amendment, as well as to generate additional support through pastors from the larger Catholic community. He also directed Conference staff to send out this appeal through their diocesan counterparts. The Conference statement Between Man and Woman: Questions and Answers about Marriage and Same-sex Unions can be found on the Conference Web site at www.usccb.org/laity/marriage/samesexunions.htm. I propose an amendment to prevent skanky pop stars from marrying. We can no longer afford to do nothing.|W|P|108939518366191811|W|P|Somebody get me out of here...|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/08/2004 11:01:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Anxious, excited, nervous, terrified... My way-out-of-town guest comes to visit tonight. I am freaking out, just a little bit. Tonight, the abstract becomes reality. The voice on the phone, words on the page, become a real live person. Whoa, Doc. This is heavy.|W|P|108930249961517855|W|P|Jumble of emotions|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/07/2004 02:50:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Took this quiz last night, found via Claire. (It should be noted that Jen beat me to the punch posting her results! Anyway, I am an evil genius, apparently: You are an SEDF--Sober Emotional Destructive Follower. This makes you an evil genius. You are extremely focused and difficult to distract from your tasks. With luck, you have learned to channel your energies into improving your intellect, rather than destroying the weak and unsuspecting. Your friends may find you remote and a hard nut to crack. Few of your peers know you very well--even those you have known a long time--because you have expert control of the face you put forth to the world. You prefer to observe, calculate, discern and decide. Your decisions are final, and your desire to be right is impenetrable. You are not to be messed with. You may explode. Ha. Do not taunt erin-go-blog. ;) Just for fun, I went back and did it a second time. Here's what I got: You are an SECF--Sober Emotional Constructive Follower. This makes you a hippie. You are passionate about your causes and steadfast in your commitments. Once you've made up your mind, no one can convince you otherwise. Your politics are left-leaning, and your lifestyle choices decidedly temperate and chaste. You do tremendous work when focused, but usually you operate somewhat distracted. You blow hot and cold, and while you normally endeavor on the side of goodness and truth, you have a massive mean streak which is not to be taken lightly. You don't get mad, you get even. Please don't get even with this web site. So, friends, which one is more me? :)|W|P|108923000122684333|W|P|Wile E Coyote, Super Genius....|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/07/2004 11:54:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Sometimes I wonder how much of our lives we spend waiting...waiting in line at the grocery store, at the bank, at the drive-thru. Waiting in traffic. Waiting for return phone calls. Waiting for the movie, or the concert, or the play to start. Waiting on hold, all the while being assured that "your call is important to us." Waiting in the doctor's waiting room. Waiting for the bus, or the train, or the plane. Waiting for a seat at your favorite restaurant. Waiting for Godot. :) I'll bet if we totaled it all up, the number would be astounding. (Ever write a word so many times that it starts to look foreign? Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait.)|W|P|108921932298395798|W|P|Hurry up and wait|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/07/2004 08:50:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Yesterday, I received a forwarded copy of this email, sent to my superiors, from the subject of a story I did last month: I was really pleased with the way the article on us turned out and I wanted to write and express my appreciation. It surpassed my expectations. � I was especially impressed with the job Erin did on the text. She was able to weave in everything that we wanted and do it with a beautiful style. She really has a gift for writing. Yay! :)|W|P|108920833776513141|W|P|A little pat on the back|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/06/2004 10:36:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|I am amused (referring to my current mood) because I started reading Jasper Fforde's The Well of Lost Plots. Check it out here. I'm about 150 pages in, and I can't even count the number of times I've laughed out loud.|W|P|108917154030171629|W|P|Literary humor is fun!|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/06/2004 10:42:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Some are surprised, others are not...but Edwards it is! Kerry picks Edwards as VP candidate|W|P|108912858868705994|W|P|Kerry picks Edwards|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/06/2004 08:45:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|(performed by Faith Hill) Happy Kissing Day, everyone! :) I don't want another heartbreak I don't need another turn to cry I don't want to learn the hard way Baby hello, oh no, goodbye But you got me like a rocket Shooting straight across the sky-- It's the way you love me It's a feeling like this It's centrifugal motion It's perpetual bliss It's that pivotal moment It's (ah)impossible This kiss, this kiss.. unstoppable.. This kiss, this kiss Cinderella said to Snow White How does love get so off course All I wanted was a white knight With a good heart, soft touch, fast horse Ride me off into the sunset Baby, I'm forever yours It's the way you love me It's a feeling like this It's centrifugal motion It's perpetual bliss It's that pivotal moment It's (ah)unthinkable This kiss, this kiss..unsinkable.. This kiss, this kiss You can kiss me in the moonlight On the rooftop under the sky (oh) You can kiss me with the windows open While the rain comes pouring inside (oh) Kiss me in sweet slow motion.. Let's let everything slide You got me floating, you got my flying It's the way you love me It's a feeling like this It's centrifugal motion It's perpetual bliss It's that pivotal moment It's (ah) subliminal This kiss, this kiss.. it's criminal.. This kiss, this kiss It's the way you love me, baby It's the way you love me, darlin' It's the way you love me It's a feeling like this It's centrifugal motion It's perpetual bliss It's that pivotal moment It's (ah) subliminal This kiss, this kiss.. it's criminal. This kiss, this kiss It's the way you love me, baby It's the way you love me, darlin'|W|P|108912159015147591|W|P|This Kiss|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/05/2004 07:56:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Two down. Twenty-three to go. I just finished Song of Susannah by Stephen King, the next-to-last installment in his epic Dark Tower series. I enjoyed it, but as always with these books, I wanted more...I wanted to GET to the END! Augh. This has been going on for way too long. But I see that the final installment will be out in September. Thank the Gods. :) King pulled an interesting trick with this one...he actually wrote himself into the story. It was freaky. Bizarro. But somehow, I thought it worked. He did it well. But the ending? Man...I can't wait to see how this plays out. (I don't want to ruin it for anyone. If you've read it, and care to comment or discuss, please email me!) Last week, I finished Alias Grace, which I enjoyed, but I wouldn't say it was my favorite Atwood. I think I liked The Blind Assassin best so far. |W|P|108907610771353147|W|P|Summer reading status...|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/05/2004 01:08:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Well friends, here's just a quick summary of the weekend o'Buffalo fun. More to come later. 1. Blue Rodeo/TATS/Canada Day... (note AT. Thursday at the Squarebecause Thursday IN the Square would create an unfortunate acronym). Good music. Interesting people. Lots of Glamour Don'ts Could someone tell me why-oh-why the 80s are back in fashion? The music was great. The clothes, hair and makeup were hideous. Ugh. And what's with those stupid low-rise micro miniskirts all the teenyboppers are wearing? Happy belated Canada Day to all my Canadian friends! Happy belated bday to my friend Jen! (not jen, of all things) 2. Saturday. Happy anniversary, mom and dad! Friends arrive in town. Baseball, the BPO and fireworks. (A rant to come later about stupid music selections for baseball.) How more American can you get? Before the fireworks, they did a retrospective/tribute to all the celebrities who have died in the past year, set to Ray Charles' "America the Beautiful." I teared up as soon as the music started. Add to that the tribute to all the local boys who have died in combat, and a salute to the Armed Forces...and, well, you get a bunch of weepy girls. Following baseball, a trip to the local bars. Susan met a nice boy! Craziness ensued. 3. Sunday. Independence Day! Monsoon concert. Ani DiFranco was amazing. The Goos put on an outstanding show. (Is there anything better than a soaking wet Johnny Rzeznik? I think not.) Torrential downpour. Seriously. It was like buckets of water being dumped on us. After concert, meet up with Susan's boy and friends. Jen and I learn how to play Euchre. (Euchre confuses me...it's too similar to the card game I played, which we called Cinch. Some internet research let me know that it's also known as Pitch, although we seemed to have played a somewhat different variation in my neck of the woods...) Suse and the boy exchanged numbers, with promises to call and visit. Go, Susan! 4. Monday. Sleep. :D|W|P|108905162708819011|W|P|Weekend Update|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/03/2004 01:20:00 PM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|(Harry Connick Jr.) Just kiss me And forget all about that other stuff Kiss me Your big red lips, I think, will be enough Don�t worry with your lipstick I�m gonna kiss it all away Throw away your lipstick That ain�t your color, anyway My lips are your color So lips, stick with me! Ooo, when you kiss me I�ve got to know just how much you miss me Kiss me And I�ll take your lips to paradise Kiss me And paradise will never feel so nice You�re beautiful You don�t need all that make up And you don�t need to take up All of your time in front of the mirror Don�t you know that you�re my deara Baby, can�t you see we�re in love Ooo, when you kiss me I�ve got to know just how much you miss me Kiss me And put all the stars back in the sky Kiss me And maybe then you�ll know the reason why I want you And my love�s gonna haunt you And I�m gonna flaunt you In front of all the boys that live on my street And they�re gonna be jealous �cause you�re so sweet Do you think I should repeat Do you think I should repeat Repeat Repeat (Aw, say it, man!) I�m in love Love I�m in love Sweet love|W|P|108887900643250027|W|P|Just kiss me...|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/02/2004 10:22:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|In honor of the upcoming kissing holiday, I've decided to join Curtis, Spencer and friends in posting odes to kissing. This is my favorite: ROMEO: If I profane with my unworthiest hand This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss. JULIET: Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, Which mannerly devotion shows in this; For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss. ROMEO: Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too? JULIET: Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer. ROMEO: O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair. JULIET: Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake. ROMEO: Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take. Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged. JULIET: Then have my lips the sin that they have took. ROMEO: Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again. JULIET: You kiss by the book. |W|P|108878175489491709|W|P|On kissing...|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/02/2004 09:54:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Oh, boy. This has to be among the most ridiculous things I've read lately: Kerry cited in Catholic heresy case Heresy? Heresy? Good Lord, let's just bring back the inquisition. Thanks to all things jen(nifer) for bringing this one to my attention. And since I've brought up a presidential candidate, allow me to wax philosophical on politics for a moment. (I don't do this too often...) I don't think of myself as a very "political" person. I have a good idea of where I stand on most issues. I slant liberal on a good many issues, including education, health care, and most social issues (ie, gay marriage). I am woefully underinformed on economic issues and foreign policy. In general, I dislike politics. This is why...because people tend to be so blinded by partisanship that they can't even listen to each other. All that seems to matter is being right, and making the other side wrong. The fact that it was such a big deal in the press that Kerry and McCain are (gasp!) friends was a great source of irritation for me. Why is it such a big deal to be friends with someone in the opposing party? Those in office are often so corrupted by the special interests that got them there that they lose sight of what they're there for...to represent the people who elected them. Once elected, all that matters is reelection. I know what I believe, but I like to think that I'm open minded enough to listen to other opinions without calling anyone names. Is it so hard to say "I disagree with you, but you make some good points"? We attack people for "flip flopping" or being "wishy washy," but I think I would prefer to have someone in office who is reasonable enough to listen to arguments on either side of an issue and be open minded than to have someone who is so dead set in his opinions and beliefs that he cannot be budged, even if he's wrong. Sometimes, you have to be willing to meet in the middle in order to accomplish anything. On the other hand, some convictions need to be stuck to. As far as the upcoming election goes, I'll definitely be voting for Kerry...but for once in my life, I'd like to be inspired by a candidate. I'd like to vote for someone, instead of against the other guy. Is that too much to ask?|W|P|108878024938811336|W|P|Burn him!|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/01/2004 10:21:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|I've been debating about what I should do with it. Right now, it's in a chin-length bob sort of style. I think I'm bored with it. I've contemplated bangs, but I'm afraid I'll hate them. I've also thought about going a little bit shorter. (This is the longest my hair has been probably since college.) Opinions? I wish I could go to my favorite hairstylist, Lynn, but I can't afford her right now. :( Looks like it's gonna be Supercuts for me!|W|P|108869534262234350|W|P|I need a haircut.|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com7/01/2004 09:57:00 AM|W|P|Erinna|W|P|Argh. Frustration abounds. I work two part-time jobs as I search for a full-time teaching jobs. My first job is 28 hours/week writing for the Catholic paper. My second job is tutoring. When I started the tutoring job, I was averaging 10 hours a week. This was a sufficient supplement to my piddly income. Lately, though, things have not been good...scheduling changes and no-shows have led to cancelled shifts and seriously diminished hours. I was scheduled for 13 hours this week. I'm ending up with five. And next week? I'm scheduled for ONE hour and a half shift. I'm hoping that this is due to the holiday, and is not going to become a recurring thing. I can't do this...I'm not sure what I'll do. I don't have enough serving experience to get a decent waitressing job. I'm not sure if I want to go back to retail, though I'm pretty sure the store would take me back. Oh, and I contemplated selling some stuff on half.com. Turns out none of my crap is worth anything. ;) Anybody out there want to hire me?|W|P|108869387713262552|W|P|Take this job and shove it.|W|P|27chronicles@gmail.com