Monday, September 14, 2009

Blah, blah, blah...

Going back to school always makes me sad for some reason. Ok, the reason is obvious, but I'm taking it pretty hard this year and I'm not sure why. I'm a senior. Life is good. Not to mention yesterday was my 18th birthday. I should be so happy. Why do I feel like a truck hit me? Maybe it's this whole college process. Maybe the fact that I'm a senior and I have to leave this place is slowly hitting me. Sure, I sorta felt it when I was leaving for Syracuse, but I knew I was coming back. Now I'll have to start all over. I'm officially an adult and I am sooo not ready for that.

However, my birthday weekend didn't suck too much. The torrential downpours of Friday got me out of the football game, and although I didn't get to see my band friends from the school we were playing (sadness), I had a lovely night off anyway. Thanks to my dad (but mostly his job), I got to spend four hours in a skybox at the Phillies game on Saturday, which I must say is awesome. Free food, lots of comfy seats, extra TVs, shelter from the rain...it's the way to go. However, the crowd didn't have the same vigor as that of the regular seats, and I felt like a bit of a daddy's girl. What can I say, though, it was a good time. Sunday (my real birthday), I went to New York with Mama Dow and my aunt. I missed the city, seeing as the last time I'd visited was January. It was good to be back. I got some pretty sweet gifts, too. Highlights include a car ('06 Honda CR-V...love me some small SUVs) and The Beatles: Rock Band, which I have yet to play, but believe will be both sick and nasty in the best possible way.

Among this craziness, there's two things keeping me going: my friends and various forms of entertainment. I've compiled a list of some of my "musts" for the late summer. Because I want to be Entertainemnt Weekly.

Must See Movie - (500) Days of Summer - There's something to be said for music video directors: they're definitely the some of the most creative filmmakers out there. And when you have to tell a story in about 3 minutes, you really have to be. However, it's sometimes questionable whether short form directors can make the jump to feature films, but Marc Webb does it beautifully in this film. The stories seems typical - boy meets girl, boy loses girl, so on, so forth - but it is told in a very creative way, jumping to different points in the plot and effectively utilizing fantasy sequences, which I love in anything. It also helps that the stars, Zoeey Deschannel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt rock in pretty much anything they do, including this flick. I've already seen it twice. You should, too.

Must See TV - Glee - I fell in love with this show, as many did, when I saw the pilot in May and anxiously awaited its return all summer. And boy, did it deliver. As a fan of musical theatre, of course I was going to love this show. However, it is so far from the hokey High School Musical crap that's been out there in the movie/tv musical category as of late. It's witty, well produced, well cast, just so well done. Also, whenever I can hear choral versions of popular music, I'm all in. This show is even great if you don't like musicals, it's just fabulous TV. Watch it on Wednesdays at 9, watch it on Hulu, just watch it somehow. You won't regret it.

Must See Theatre - Billy Elliot - Though this musical is a British show at heart, it's themes are universal: fighting for what's right, the struggle to be seen, being yourself. I believe that this show deserved every bit of its 2009 Tony Award for Best Musical. It has everything; a great story, a fabulously talented cast, exciting choreography, exciting and creative direction, high overall production value. And the Billys! They're only 12 or so years old, and they dance with more precision and passion than some people 20 or 30 years their senior. I'm certain that they'll all enjoy healthy careers and totally deserved their Best Actor Tony. I'm also fairly certain that this show isn't going anywhere, so if you get a chance, head over to New York and see it.

Must Hear - Imogen Heap's Ellipse - I love this woman. She makes electronica...beautiful. I wasn't quite sure if her new album was going to live up to her last effort, Speak for Yourself, but it did. In fact, I think she surpassed it in a way. She seems to have matured on this album, and her songs have a great deal of variety. Their exciting one moment, slow another, pensive the next. I particularly like that she's stepped away from the vocoder on some of her tracks; she's even included an instrumental piano track ("The Fire"). This has to be one of my favorite albums this year. Key tracks: "Little Bird", "First Train Home", "Canvas", "Earth", "Swoon", "Aha!".

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