i think i'm getting bored with the internet. there's nothing fun or exciting or new. suggestions anyone?

so i was watching tv tonight and i saw this commercial for the new Jaguar XK roadster/coupe. like the ad campaign implies, these cars are ridiculously gorgeous. the hood/grill almost reminds me of a buick. kind of gross.

but i really like this commercial. good music. i like the direction of the photography. and i really like the incorporation of the various typefaces.

XK commercial

I went to the Music Boxx (two x's cuz it's that awesome) this morning to pre-order the Concrete's new album "In Color" (or maybe it's "colour" [since they're SWEDISH and probably spell the dumb, British way]). there were these two little kids (ok, probably 15 or 16-year olds) who were buying some dumb cd, even though i'm sure they probably weren't even old enough to buy this certain album, which had a parental advisory label on it. they came up a couple cents short and i volunteered the spare change i had in my pocket. i'm sure they were buying some crappy cd with just a bunch of angst-ridden teens screaming into microphones, but it made me feel good to help somebody out. it also made me feel responsible, but really old. like reallllly old.

tomorrow is supposed to be in the 50's and party cloudy. sounds like good biking weather to me! i'm going to dust off my beauty after several weeks of non-use due to cold weather.

my chariot awaits.

so i spent my last night at bailey's and then said good bye to her and alex this morning. i drove alex back to his house in st. paul and then headed back to wisconsin. i've never made the trip to/from minneapolis by myself. no lie, i was kind of afraid to drive five hours with no one else in the car.

fucking wausau. it seems like that is the traffic black hole of wisconsin. if anything goes wrong to a motorist it more than likely happens in stupid wausau. i've known a couple people who have gotten speeding tickets in friggin' marathon county. case and point: right after entering marathon county and about half an hour from wausau the car starting shaking uncontrollably. i looked in the rearview mirror and saw chunks of my tire flying through the air. i pulled over into the emergency lame, broke out the spare tire, and changed it. all while people went whizzing by at 75 miles an hour in the next lane. some of them were so close that the car shook as their cars passed. stupid wisconsin drivers. so i drove the remaining 150 miles home on a donut tire. not fun. the tire is beyond repair. there is a huge chunk missing from it and the steel belts are frayed. looks like i'll be helping my mom purchase new tires. our family has the worse luck with cars. i suggested that we all just buy new bicycles; it'd be cheaper. the weather is getting warmer out and i plan on biking much more in the coming weeks.

i have to go back to full-time work tomorrow. suckage.

tonight is my last night in the Cities and i've had an enjoyable week. i must admit that i was a little apprehensive before arriving. people have had their own lives and i've had mine— not a whole lot to talk about. however, getting together with people was just like i never left. i wish i could have had met up with some people more often. i'm glad i hung out with the people i did. i love minneapolis and the people here. i feel like much more at home. i feel like i fit in and people understand me. two great anecdotes from this week:

bailey, alex, and i were at the Apple store looking at Mac Book Pros. a worker came up and asked us if we had any questions about them. alex responded and said that we all already had powerbooks. the guy then asked us if any of us did graphic design work. they both look at me and pointed. he responded with a "you look like a graphic designer." how cool— how many other people can look like the careers they pursue? he read me like a book. that, or i just really look like a graphic designer.

tonight we were looking at frames at a frames store and i tried on several pairs of glasses— one of which apparently looked german. the guy then responded with a "those wouldn't be bad if you were moving to germany." we all looked at each other and i responded with a "well, actually, i just moved back from Germany." apparently i have German fashion tendencies.

i'm going to miss this place. i don't want to drive home by myself for five hours tomorrow. i must return this summer and witness warm weather, sun, outdoor dining, and the Lakes. so many good aspects to MPLS in the summer.

Martha, Bailey, and myself hopped in the car yesterday morning and headed to the Twin Cities. They were dreading the end of spring break; i was looking forward to just being back there for a couple days. I've been back home for the past month working full-time and really haven't had the opportunity to hang out with any people my own age. that fact alone i've been looking forward to for weeks.

surprisingly we made it all the way to the Cities on 3/4 of a tank of gas (a minor accomplishment and quite appreciated by my wallet). so i've been here for a total of about 24 hours and i've already gotten to see a lot of people. i'm staying with bailey in her room. i went out to dinner with the Alexs, aaron, karin, martha, and bailey. i went out for pie with hilary and tyler. anna and i caught up over lunch and i'm meeting up with kim and ian tonight. i even stopped in at the bookstore and said hi to my old boss— probably one of the coolest/funniest/dorkiest guys i've met. we get along well. probably cuz we're so similar. except i don't have long curly hair. or facial hair. but we all know that i can't grow facial hair.

so here i am, sitting in Coffman, kind of feeling out of the loop; like a big trick has been pulled on me. it's weird to think that classes have been going on without me being here. it seems kind of like i've missed out on a lot and i have a lot to catching up to do.

so overall, it's nice that i'm here but i feel really awkward.

i found this from someone's blog. does it kind of resemble me?

here

while at work tonight i got a phone call from my cousin: "i'm in town! wanna go out for st. patrick's day after work!?" i figured it wouldn't hurt— i have off tomorrow and it's my first legal st. patrick's day. i gladly obliged. first stop a 20-year old's birthday party where kids were just drinking to get drunk. second stop, a bar. it was fine. third stop, a bar kitty-corner from the first. after getting inside and seeing half of my graduating class i realized that i didn't want to stay. it was the bad half of my class too. the jocks who thought they were gods. the girls who thought they could get any guy they want. and i felt like they were all just staring me down. i don't like bars back at home. i'm looking forward to checking out the Minneapolis bar scene next week.

speaking of which: MINNEAPOLIS on sunday! i haven't been there since i left in May. i'm thoroughly looking forward to being back up there and seeing everyone and eating a chipotle burrito with a jamba juice on the side.

nothing's better for the soul than a good guitar solo.

case and point: ryan adams' "the shadowlands"

if you don't have it and want it, let me know. i'd be willing to share, just cuz it's that good. i know i've given it to a couple people. in which case, play it once. appreciate it.

personally, i think it can't get any hotter than swedish bands right now. it seems like a mob of (beautiful, blonde, tall) swedes and their bands have made their way onto my iPod— and into my heart. i bought the Shout Out Louds album last week, i've had the Perishers album for a couple months now, and i love the Cardigans. in fact, if it weren't for the fact that i'm poor i'd buy the new one from them. or someone can gift it to me. i will not object.

or if anyone else has some other swedish band suggestions, please leave a comment.

tonight: downpour of rain.

tomorrow: a couple inches of snow.

day after that: probably fire and brimstone.

f this, i should just move to new mexico.

i have several dozen oatmeal raisin cookies in the kitchen. they're delicious. i am the king of oatmeal raisin cookie baking.

bailey's home for the week. i have a life. i enjoy it.

i went over to bailey's last night and her mom was like "hey, the art center needs a graphic designer!" i'm going to an exhibit opening today at the JMKAC with resume in hand and hoping that maybe something comes of it. if not, i won't be disappointed, but it would be a cool experience.

things at work are getting weird. i think i'm going to start looking for a new one.

spring break for minnesota and st. norbert's this week! bailey comes home today. molly returns from chicago on monday.

so it's like 1 in the morning and even though i am tired and should go to bed, i can't help but stay up and listen to some frank sinatra. i love those times where you get in a mood and there's a certain type of music that comforts you, excites you, makes you happy? tonight frank is doing my dirty work.

today i got my first paycheck. working full-time kind of sucks, but the paychecks make it worth it. eight-hundred dollars every two weeks is a whole lot more than the €75 i earned in the six weeks i worked (illegally) at my internship in Berlin. one time i was bored and i figured out how much that was per hour— approximately 31 euro cents. throw in the exchange rate and we're talking under thirty american cents per hour. i think there are kids in chinese sweatshops who make more than that. dang...

perhaps one of the best quotes i've heard since starting back up at work.

most of the people i work with suffer from "let's not think things through and then have it spew out of my mouth" syndrome. there is this 60-year old guy who transferred departments and the ladies are giving him a hard time catching onto things. leave him alone. it seems like i'm the only impartial person at work. someone is always talking about someone else behind someone's back. i like being neutral. i like flying under the radar. i'd rather be friends with everyone than no one.

tomorrow means my first payday since starting back at work. Mmmm...full-time income. delicious!

this morning i woke up unreasonably early (8:30) and came to the conclusion that i awoke early for a reason: to go biking. with the weather being decently mild and the roads more or less dry, i decided to see how long it takes to bike from my house to work. seven miles and twenty minutes later i stopped, dismounted from my bike and hung over the bridge in fear of vomiting the frosted mini wheats i ate pre-ride. maybe it was the fact that i was wearing 3 layers and a winter jacket with a hat, scarf, and gloves in 50 degree weather. maybe it was the fact that i was pushing myself the whole way, which as it turns out, is almost entirely all uphill. i have come to several conclusions: 1. i shouldn't bike so fast and should henceforth pace myself. 2. not wear so much; overheating sucks. 3. find a less hilly way to work. 4. just drive to work.

that fifteen mile bike ride was lovely. turns out the roads were a little wet and i ended up with those dorky mud stains on my pants and jacket— you know, the ones that look like you've had an accident in back.

i give her the world and she just laughs in my face. if it wasn't for me your iPod would be a poor excuse for an mp3 player. you'd continue to look like a fool speaking a german/english mischung. you would have never had an excuse to go to prague.

in other news, i can tell that my Ärmchen are getting a little bigger. as is the rest of my body. there's really not much opportunity for physical exercise back home. tomorrow is supposed to be nice— i'm going for a nice bike ride. boo yah!

as of late i've been able to feel my heart beating in extremities of my body where i've never felt my pulse before. mainly my stomach and, when i touch a hard surface, my fingers. i'm not a medical professional— perhaps it's a sign of high blood pressure. personally, i think it's just a sign of me becoming more myself. i feel like these past six months have really been lessons in life. i've emerged with a greater sense of self, who i am, and what i do and don't want; all coursing through my veins and down to my fingertips. cheesy, i know. i guess that's what dolly parton does to me. i saw her perform "travelin' thru" on the oscars and the lyrics seemed fitting. (it's also a free download on iTunes.) don't ask why i'm diggin' dolly— maybe it's just a phase. i can only hope.

after talking with my friend stephen (aka: bailey's dad) over lunch, i think i've decided to forego applying for the new york publishing internships. i miss being home, and i really just want to spend the summer with friends i haven't seen in months and work at a place where i feel comfortable. there's always next summer; when i have another year of school/experience under my belt.

i was at work last night and i was thinking about the work i did at PLEX. so this morning i went to the Volkswagen Bank website and saw the site i was working on while illegally employed there. i know the music is bad; we all hated it, but it's what VWB wanted. it's cool seeing your work in the flesh.

so the past couple days i've had this thought going through my head. after finding out the hard way in Berlin that i don't want to apply my graphic design degree to advertising, i really am thinking about going in the direction of publishing. i took a look online tonight and i actually found out that there are several paid summer internships (for design) at large publishers (like random house and harper collins) this year and i'm really tempted to apply. one would be in new york; the other in san diego. but, wait... don't i already have a guaranteed, decent-paying job for the summer? yeah, i'm at a loss. should i bother applying?

btw- soap operas are absolutely ridiculous. when i was younger i used to think that they were so bopperas. young and impressionable...

...why i should not strangle my brother.

case and point: since i've been back home, i have not seen my brother do any wash, put a dish in the dishwasher, or even get off his bed. we've been sharing a car since i've been back and i've used it twice in the past three weeks. last night on my break i called my mom who told me "you have to bring the car in to get fixed at 9 tomorrow morning." so, after getting up at 8, i got in the car, noticed there was shit all over (which irked me like no other considering i cleaned it out less than two weeks ago), and the gas tank was one line above empty. so i brought it to get fixed, found out that they couldn't work on it until 1. so i went home, threw my bike in the trunk, and headed back to the south side to drop off the car to fix my brother's doings. 7 miles, 45 minutes later, and 3/4 of the way through death cab's Transatlanticism album i got home freezing cold, legs full of hives (when i get cold i get hives), and in desperate need of hot chocolate and a nap. hot chocolate: check. nap: i doubt i'll get around to that.

i know i'm complaining, but i hate my brother and the stuff i'm forced to do because of him. is there a state in the Union where murder of a family member is legal?