A Smattering of the Many Things I'm Grateful For this Thanksgiving

Christmas Trees     Chuck Palahniuk novels     Live music     Spotify     Jello     Mom's homemade mashed potatoes     Late nights watching How I Met Your Mother with Delia     The Thanksgiving Day Parade     Considering myself a part of two of the most beautiful cities in existence     Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church     Doctor Who     How Dad never complains about picking me up from the city     That Sandy killed my backyard but left my house and family in perfect health     The incredible amount of support I've had from countless friends and family lately     Starbucks     Gustav, the most beautiful bass I could have asked for     Halloween candy     Being a part of Company     Every tiny, insignificant thing about Northeastern     That I didn't make the kick line team in ninth grade and became a music kid instead     Slippers     My adorable little cousins     The advice and guidance from my older cousins     Skiing     Drummers     Flat irons      Shredded cheese     Harry Potter books     That of all thirteen schools I applied to, I ended up at Northeastern University     Husky Hunt     Crepes     The Pep Band     Nutella     Northeastern Hockey Games     That Nonni and Nonno and Grandma Mary are healthy and happy as ever     Lifeteen     Seinfeld     e.e. cummings poetry     Cozy sweatshirts     The friends who hugged me when I cried at the cemetery yesterday     Buona Sera garlic knots     That Alice in Wonderland exists    Musicals in and about New York City     My correctly aligned jaw     That my parents met and fell in love and got married and had me to begin with     That Laura is so accommodating about my messiness and wacky music schedule     Wedges and high heels     That 2 am no-boundaries conversation with Meredith the other night     Chinese food     Bruce Springsteen music     Nerdfighter culture     New York pizza     Being Italian     That Eric texts me goodnight, every night    That I loved Smithtown High School West so much     Pit orchestras     Flip Flops     Breaking Amish   Aunt Grace and Uncle Kenny, my godparents     That Chris, Charlie, Peter, Lauren V, Lauren B, Laura, Ryan, Sarah, Andy, Harrison, and Alfred came to see and hear me in Company     Blogger     Disney magic     That Chris would rather spend three hours tutoring me in Stats than be bored while I spend one hour at the professor's Office Hours     Yearbooks     Everything I learned from Aunt Maria while she fought cancer     Billy Joel     Mr. Nolan's English class     EVERYTHING from the Romantic Era     Easter eggs     That I could have made things work at any university, but that things just work beautifully at Northeastern     Delia's dance recitals     Andy's unbiased and unabashed honesty and advice     That Christie, Brianna, and Alissa are at Northeastern too     David Tennant     My beautiful and sexy 616 apartment and even sexier roommates     That Alaric gives the best hugs known to humankind     Orange soda     How beautiful everything looks when it's snowing     Holiday decorations     That Mom cares enough to bug me for every detail of my life     That I've had my heart broken so few times     The unfathomable potential of every human being     Board games     Chick flicks     My room at home     All the wonderful things Sarah bakes     The picture perfect memories from the Last Day of High School, Prom, and Graduation     That there's never been anything I can't confide in my sister     J.K. Rowling's entire life     Crappy magazines like Rolling Stone and Cosmo     Cheesy flamingo memorabilia     Woodloch Pines     My fairy-tale Sweet Sixteen and all the amazing things I learned from having it     That Lauren Bell never gets annoyed at me for asking for Accounting help     Husky Hunt the second time around    That Dad was so thoughtful to pick me up a 7-11 coffee this morning     Cinnabons     June Claire Dance Centers     That even though we're stressed like crazy getting ready to have 18 guests over, we do have 18 happy and healthy guests we love and can't wait to see     Wicked the musical, but also the book because it gave someone the idea for the musical     That Lauren V is always telling me how fantastic and perfect we all are     That Nothing Changes     That I have the two legs, feet, arms, hands, ears, and eyes; ten fingers and toes; and a nose, mouth, and brain that God gave me to appreciate the world with     Finnish power metal     Mark Twain's writing     Tampons     Eye lash curlers     Converse sneakers     Facebook     That Shannon visits so often even though she doesn't live with us     That Ginger could come to both my and my sister's Sweet Sixteen     When Mom gives me a back scratch     Harry Potter World     What the Pluck?!    Living next door to the Geriens     Marshall Half Stacks     That one time I got to play a Juzek bass in a hole-in-the-wall jazz shop     IV Dining hall pizza     Elevators, ramps, the wheels on my bass case, and all the sympathetic people that hold the door open     Eleven years of bus rides with Jacqui     Stetson East cookies     Every piece of music I've ever listened to and every piece that's waiting to be heard     That I have a bed to sleep in every night     Books and sheet music that smell old     Paws the Husky     That my family misses me when I'm gone, and that I miss them too     Fourth of July Fireworks     Italian ices     Everything that's caramel-flavored     Music     Too many perfect Blue Flamingo vacations to count     Rebecca's Cafe brunches with Christie     That Northeastern's campus is so beautiful, especially for a city school     The Charles River    That picture-perfect moment when Train was singing "Drops of Jupiter" and I was standing alone in the rain     The sights, sounds, odds, ends, and quirks of New York City     Every confused morning when the story of last night gets told to me     That Marianna is only ever a text away when I need her     That Delia asked me to be her sponsor     Twitter     Stephen Sondheim     That Uncle Vic married Aunt Terry     Apple picking as a family tradition     Woodloch crumb cake     That so many people cared enough to check on me this summer when my jaw was banded shut     That my jaw was banded shut and my liquid diet lost me fifteen pounds     Rubber ducks     Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky     The fantastic family vacations Mom and Dad work so hard to take us on     That I had my nineteenth birthday this year     102.3 WBAB     My mac     Grimm, Perrault, and Andersen fairy tales     That Gustav and I played at Staller Center, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center together     Sade, my creamsicle colored bass guitar     That Delia still asks for my help picking out outfits     My crazy curly hair     Secret brand deodorant     Aerie underwear     Glitter glue     That I'm part of the Honors Program at such a good school in such a wonderful city     Rebecca's Cafe sandwiches     My job at Au Bon Pain     That I'm so in love with my major, literally every day of my life     The bright walls in my room     The Cousins Day we had at Lorella, Danielle, Bob, and Justin's this summer     Those vacations we took to Montauk with Aunt Angela, Uncle Mario, Marianna, and Alessia all those years ago     That Nonni and Nonno care about their time and resource-consuming grandkids as much as they do     All the Tooth Fairy, Easter bunny, and Santa Claus stories Mom and Dad fabricated so well for us     Cursive handwriting     That I was School President in fifth grade     That Mr. Roth, my middle school orchestra teacher, had such a positive influence on my appreciation for music     The Smithtown West Music Department family     That the twelve basses I was Section Leader to still call me Mom     Old photos     The Doll House Nonno made for me and Deels     That Nonni taught me how to sew     Grilled cheese sandwiches     Leonardo DiCaprio movies     All the hours they tolerate my presence in the Duplex     All the classy literature and art and music Danielle and I obsess over     Everything I learned my freshman year of college; in the classroom, about life, and about myself     The entertaining antics of Alfred and Harrison     My friendship with Mary, even if it's so much more difficult to maintain since she moved to North Carolina seven years ago     Sweet Sixteen Season     My twin, Brian     Thelemon-scented candle Mrs. Ralph bought me     The purple V neck that Richie wears     That Brianna, Rebecca, Danielle, and Sean called to check on me last Thursday     Ms. Riccoboni's Italian class     Winky, my little Nissan Altima that's as old as I am     Springy beds     Fan fiction     Bananas     That Mike is so good at pestering me to keep in touch with him     Family Gatherings on every Holiday we can     Lindt chocolate     New York bagels     Becca-Brina Christmases     That Tasha was an awesome freshman year roommate     The Blue Flamingo Tradition     The Northeastern bass family: Peter, Colin, Jason, and me     Cold weather     That Lauren kept me company when I sadly and slowly packed up my life in 933 IV last April     That Rebecca knows how much I love and need her, even when I'm God awful at keeping in touch     That Deels and Alex became friends, and then so did Sarah and I over a Play-Doh bakery in fourth grade     That Kimmie and I grew a beautiful friendship out of seeing each other once a week at tap class     Rod McKuen's writing     That Alyssa lived around the block from me in Kindergarten     Sudoku     Carlsson bass rosin     Centennial Quad     How beautiful and quirky Beacon Hill is     New England Clam Chowder     The memory of Deels and I staring jaw-dropped at each other when Daniel Radcliffe got hoisted into the air for the Opening scene of How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying     Condiments with Joanna     The Port Jeff ferry     Huntington Avenue     Upton Basses in Mystic, Connecticut     Diaries     My signed copy of Diary, the book     Reeds from Palm Sunday     Northeastern's Husky Hockey team and the hot hockey players     How beautiful Boston is     The T     The way Rebecca and Mike wiped away the tears during our last Adoration together     The fantastic inside jokes Paige and Danielle and I had in Mr. (CrapICan'tRemeberHisName)'s AP Euro class Tenth Grade     Harry Potter as a cultural phenomenon     Eoin Colfer and the Artemis Fowl series     Gas stations     Vanity Plates     Paved roads     That I've never had to go hungry     Charities     The BSO and Boston Pops     The Lilac-themed tea house Brian and I went to for lunch one time     The feeling of being a Goddess when you shave your legs     The color of Dan Frank's hair at prom     The Lifeteen Core that still inspire me     The amazing evening the five of us girls saw Legally Blonde together     That there's a Heaven waiting for all the loved ones I've lost     Rosaries     That Aunt Maria, Aunt Ruth, Uncle George, Grandpa Ken, and Katie will always be a part of me on some level     The feeling of being hugged by someone who loves you     The number of family members and friends I love and who love me back     The way two people's faces light up when they see each other after a long time apart     All the things I take for granted     Every kind of love

And most importantly, I'm thankful for everyone I've ever met because whether you suspect it or not, you've influenced me along the way to becoming the person I am today.  I can't thank you enough for helping me into living the life I do.  

Thank you.

The Woodloch Blues

HI so this is long overdue.  I just get kind of emotional in a bittersweet way whenever I take this out to finish, so it took a few installments.  It won't make much sense or be of much interest to a lot of people and CERTAINLY won't top the 140 views I got on my rant about Italians, but this has to exist anyway.  

Generally, I'm not one to glorify nature.  Sure, I love skiing and I can appreciate a nice panorama, but it doesn't go much further than that.  The sprawling suburbia I call home is pretty, but I don't miss the gardens and pond behind my house when I'm living in a city, nor do I miss the assortment of wildlife that makes my yard its home.  Flowers smell like funerals, beaches require too much sunscreen, and--call me spoiled, but--I'm even pretty unfazed by the myriad of colors in the view of the sunset from my deck every night.

Now that you understand my general lack of enthusiasm for nature, I hope you can feel this as deeply as I mean it: Woodloch Pines is the most beautiful place I've ever seen.

Scintillating Lake Teedyuskung

The love I have for this beautiful corner
of the universe is unreal.

Zip lining

Woodloch is a family resort we've visited every summer since 2002.  Think of Kellerman's in Dirty Dancing.  It's a family vacation spot plopped in the middle of beautiful, nature-y nowhere with activities scheduled all day long to satisfy the whole family.  The lake is open all day for swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and water skiing.  There are indoor and outdoor pools and kiddie pools.  There are all the outdoorsy activities-- biking, hiking, zip lining, rock wall climbing, and trapshoot-- plus go karts, bumper boats, bocce ball, paintball, you name it.  Meals are served in the Main House and are fairly delicious.  Everyone gets dressed up for night shows and events.  

Annual battle of the bumper boats.

We spend four days every summer, and we come away each year insisting that was the best trip we've had yet, (with the exception of the years Mrs. Schizzano sprained her ankle and my mom had kidney-stones, of course).  We missed Woodloch last year to go to Florida for the first time since fourth grade.  We loved seeing Grandma Mary and Aunt Tara and meeting our new little cousin Emma.  It was fantastic to see Ginger, Mom’s best friend from high school, and her daughter Erin.  It was absolutely unreal to live out my childhood fantasy of standing on the Hogsmeade bridge and staring up at what honestly could have been Hogwarts.  I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything, but it was weird not visiting Woodloch for the first time in a decade.  We built this trip up so much in our minds, it seemed impossible it could live up to our expectations.  We had counted down, spent weeks preparing for the Scavenger Hunt, made T-shirts, gotten our nails done, and spent hours agonizing over our evening outfits.  (That moment when Chelsea's boyfriend is explaining which outfit is more cute and which outfit is more "Sydney.")  We sat fidgeting nonstop on the four hour car ride, laughing nervously and practically twitching with excitement.

Scavenger Hunt Gold,
anyone?

Then we stood in front of the Main House, with its duck pond, hook-on-the-ring game, pristine garden, and classic green awning over the painted red wooden doors, all that tension just floated away.  It felt as though we’d never skipped a beat.

I swear they aren't paying me to sound like an infomercial.  I just sincerely wish everyone could experience the intense appreciation I have for this place.

Insane love for
employees

I'd love to list all the events (Scavenger Hunt Gold anyone?) and traditions (It's a CRIME if we bid on any horse besides our numbers) and inside jokes (DOES THIS LOOK LIKE A MUSTACHE?) and insane love for the employees (This year is for Nick and HIP HIP JORGE!), but the truth of it is that no one besides our families would care.

OUR Horses

     

Just know this all this goes on for a jam-packed four days in the most beautiful little corner of the universe filled with hills, winding roads, pine trees, flowers, wildlife, and the huge, scintillating Lake Teedyuskung.  

Priceless Bonds

The most beautiful thing about Woodloch is the priceless bonds it forges.  The Schizzano family and mine are beyond blessed to have spent ten Woodloch vacations together.  I'll forever be thankful for how close we've become, from diving through chocolate syrup and Cheerios for Double Dare with Chelsea when we were nine to kayaking to the end of the lake at nineteen.  

Sealed with chocolate syrup and cheerios.

It’s not the Buckingham Palace, Times Square, or Mount Everest kind of beauty.  It’s sunlight poking through loose hills of pine trees beautiful. It’s kayaking along the lily pads with kids laughing on the dock beautiful.  It’s home-away-from-home beautiful.

Home.

Lord, we needed that vacation.  Going on this trip proved our nightmare months of a broken jaw and liquid diet were over.  Actually, because of those hard times, every minute of this vacation was that much sweeter.  It’s more than that though.  In the time that passed since we had last dangled our toes off the dock, many of the constants in our lives have changed: some of us graduated and spent a year living somewhere new, while some of us adjusted to having one less family member live at home.  Some of us got our licenses, while some got their permits.  We were in our first school plays and picked what new language classes to take, and we bought our first cars and picked colleges.  We gained some relationships and let some others go.  We each had our fair share of laughter, tears, and growth. Then, without needing to discuss, we sat in our usual spots around our window table Saturday night, and watched the sky paint itself a hundred different colors as the sun set behind the lake.  Not all that much seems to have changed after all.  

All the symptoms
of the Woodloch Blues

When we got home I showed all the symptoms of the Woodloch Blues in full force:  I snuggled in my Woodloch sweatshirt, wore my gold medal and bracelet, savored every sugar crystal of my slice of crumb cake, and obsessed over the pictures Chelsea put on Facebook.  This time though, there was less sad nostalgia and more of the sweetness of happy memories.  A million more things will change in all our lives, but we’ll be back before long.  We’ll always find our way back to Woodloch for more of those perfect, golden days.  

Perfect, golden days. 

Brief Discourse On Why I Want To Date Someone

DISCLAIMER

I should first mention that I considered writing a blog about what it's like being back at school, but everyone in Boston clearly already knows and I waste no time telling anyone who asks just how LUCKY I am to be where I am, to be learning what I learn, to be doing what I do, and to be with some amazing people everyday.  Alternatively, I constantly remind everyone I'm away from just how much I MISS THEM and never let the people here forget it either.  I'm still writing blogs about Woodloch and Jeanne's Wedding but the thought of this one has been entertaining me all day.  Also, I'm just being silly in this.  I don't think anyone will take offense because it's all just innocent observation and I'm just having fun being weird, quirky me.  So that's all cleared up.  Enjoy!

          One of the first things that comes up when I talk to my mom or sister is whether I've found a boy here yet.  I usually roll my eyes and reply with a flat and unamused "No," because I really haven't.  I don't actually need a boy.  I have fantastic friends--a normal distribution of males and females--a great and engaging major, LOTS of music to keep me busy, and a whole city to be running around exploring.  I got lots going on already.  Sure, dating sounds kinda fun.  I can see how it would be exciting to get all dressed up and have a boy take me out to a nice dinner.  Flirting is fun.  Relationships sound comfortable to be in.  It has to be good for your self-esteem to constantly be with someone who thinks you're awesome.  

          There's something bigger than that though.  What I can't wait to do when I eventually have a boyfriend is have him meet my big, loud  Italian family.  

          I'll totally throw the poor guy to the wolves.  I'll bring him to a big family event and have him meet everyone all at once.  Not a serious holiday--those are strictly family-only in my opinion--but something like New Year's Eve, or someone's birthday.  All the grandparents and great-aunts and great-uncles and aunts and uncles and first cousins and second cousins and first cousins once removed that we call aunts and uncles versus the once removed cousins that are just cousins will all be there for him to navigate.  How good will he be at deciphering English buried under all the accents?  I hope he has the patience to listen to them chat away in Italian because that's pretty much my favorite thing about family functions.  Is he good with kids?  I hope so if he wants to keep up with the five or six or seven little ones that will be running around.  I'm sure Luke will love him because Luke loves everyone but I hope Ava throws one of her famous tantrums and scares him to death.  Then of course there will be all the interrogations by all the older relatives!  About where he's from and what he's doing with his life and what nationality his family is and all sorts of good stuff.  I'm sure everyone will tell their immigration stories one by one.  They'll quiz him on Italian food and try to change around his entire palate the way they did the one time I brought poor Rebecca to dinner at Nonni's in eighth grade.  (They forced pasta sauces she didn't like, vegetables she'd never tried, and even plain old strawberries on the poor girl.  I'll never forget after the pasta got cleared away and the meat came out, her awed voice asking "There's more?!")  I'm positive that all the men will try their best to scare the poop out of the boy about what will happen if he doesn't treat me perfectly.  

I'll think all this is hysterical.

          It is SO MUCH FUN to predict individual reactions.  Mom will Facebook stalk him and decide what she thinks of him before she even meets him, which will either be great or a little difficult to get around.  If she likes him, she'll love him.  If she doesn't, there will be some lip-pursing and eyebrow raising.  Right now, when I have no such concerns, it's fun to imagine she doesn't like him.  I'm sure I won't think that way when the time comes.  Dad will furrow his eyebrows, cross his arms, and talk in what he thinks is a scarier, deeper voice.  Unless the guy is a complete jerk, which I doubt just because I'm a sensible person who avoids jerks, Dad will do his best to like him.  Eric, bless him, will ask if he's a Rangers fan, a Harry Potter fan, and a Doctor Who fan.  That's pretty much all it'll take to swing his favor.  Ewok, if you're reading this, I'll do my best to make sure I find someone who fits your standards.  Delia, who I hope remembers when reading this that she is my best friend ever and I love her more than anything, will probably decide very quickly whether or not she likes him.  I shall have to be very careful about introducing his name into conversation.  For example, if the first thing she knows about him is that he hates musicals and loves Chuck Palahniuk, she'll wrinkle her nose at him forever.  If he likes How I Met Your Mother and She's The Man (in addition to being attractive), he stands a chance of gaining her approval.  Ginger would quiz mom and me separately and then figure out her own opinion of him from Florida, probably trying to like him for my sake.

       Nonno will grumble a lot when they meet.  I mean when Mom was growing up, any time a boy called, he'd say "Diane no home," and hang up.  Should be fun!  I'm sure Nonni would be excited to meet him and I can hear the slow, clear voice she'd speak to him in until she gets to know him.  Uncle Vic would be friendly and funny, but probably also try to scare him.  Aunt Terry would be really excited and bubbly about meeting him and tell him something embarrassing about me from ten years ago.  Cassie would be friendly but shy until she decides whether she likes him or not, then text me her full analysis of him afterward.  Bella might be really friendly or entirely ignore him on any given day, since that's how she is toward me too.  Uncle Gianni would be polite and friendly and engage him in conversation.  (I'm pretty sure I can hear Aunt Maria saying "If he's good enough for Sabrina, he's good enough for me, and to heck with the rest of you."  I miss her so much.)  Uncle Mario would probably do something similar to Uncle Gianni, and Aunt Angela would hold him in conversation for a very long time.  Uncle Mark would judge him by his appreciation for Star Wars, sports knowledge, and maybe taste in music.  Uncle Mark's Ang would be really happy for me and want to know all about him via Facebook chat the moment my relationship status changes.  Uncle Ignazio would probably ask a question or two about his heritage and nod, looking very official, if it's to his satisfaction.  Aunt Grace would get really giddy and a little silly, maybe like that time she cracked us all up at the diner.  Marianna would probably give the most fun interrogation out of anyone.  I can see her asking quirky and relevant things if that makes sense, since she's good at understanding people.  Lorella and Milena would probably treat him like family from Day One as long as my mom likes him.  Justin probably won't be there since he tends to vamoose when there's a family function involving cousins (I hope you're reading this, you little twerp!).  Danielle will be her usual polite and friendly self.  Big John and Little John will probably be indifferent since so many other relatives are swooping on this poor boy and Madeline will be bashful but very curious about him.  

Meanwhile, I'll be eating popcorn and looking on in merriment.  

And with that, I'm fairly certain I've scared away any boy who was even a little interested in me.

I've had it with you and your emotional constipation!

So I've been watching Brand X lately and am moderately entertained by some episodes.  Yes, he tries way too hard and therefore undermines his own effect, but he's actually cleverer when he gets on a roll, in ways I can't quote on my mindfully-tongued blog.  He's honest and eager to connect with the audience, and was even surprisingly respectful while talking about the Aurora shooting a few weeks ago. He had a criminologist, a writer (of the show Sons of Anarchy), a former member of the army, and professional athlete with a troubled past each weigh in on the poor life choices and influences that must have led to the incident.  I'm looking forward to seeing his show improve, or at least I hope it will.  He's Russell Brand after all.  I love him blindly and am just looking for validation.

I think reading the Harry Potter books for all my childhood has actually affected my writing style.  See, I'm devouring The Sketch Book of Washington Irving, who was born in New York the year the Treaty of Paris was signed ending the American Revolution.  He grew up in a time when, despite our newfound independence, Britain still held a lot of influence all over the world, culturally as well as in other ways.  As such, British literature has always been a global treasure, something Irving was keenly aware of.  He travelled to England many times in his life, even doing much of his writing there, where he could "lose [him]self among the shadowy grandeurs of the past."  My point is, I find his meticulously-worded, winding sentences beautiful stylistically.  They sound like those written by equally high-minded and esteemed, if not more so, British writers Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson) and J. M. Barrie.  My goal has always been to sound as sophisticated when I speak as they do.  

Anyone seen the movie?
I really should have by now,especially with my Disney and
children's literature track records.

On an unrelated note, I can never remember whether it's Washington Irving or Irving Washington.  I blame this entirely on that damn book Catch-22 and that part when--who is it?--Major Major or Chaplain Tappman or Captain Aardvark or whoever it was switches them backwards and forwards to use as pen names. 

I'm on a Paloma Faith kick lately, which was relevant last Sunday when The Amazing Seven (we missed you Alyssa!) took a trip into the city. 

She stood so tall and she never slept,
There was not one moment he could regret He'd left me for another lady Her name was New York, New York, And she took his heart away, oh my!Her name was New York, New York, She had poisoned his sweet mind

Pretty song, pretty voice.  We had a lovely day-- Chelsea, Christie, Sarah D, Cristina, Paige, Sarah F, and I took an early train in, walked the Highline park, wandered down near the pier, took the Subway up to Times Square, ogled through the Disney Store for the umpteenth time, enjoyed a well-timed, satisfying, and cost-efficient lunch at Olive Garden, walked to Central Park to hang out and watch an acrobatics show, admire the corner on which Central Perk from Friends fictionally exists, and then spent lots of money on candy at Dylan's Candy Bar before subway-ing it back to Penn.  We were utterly exhausted by this point, but I did allow myself to be bullied into making an account on the Instagram machine.  It's a fun little toy, but won't get used much since I don't even own a camera, that's how not into taking pictures I am.

Can you say favorite store ever?
Shame all their stuff is so pricey.

We also had the epic conclusion of our summer Harry Potter Book Club this week.  this consisted of Jacqui, Rebecca, Andrea and me dressing as characters from the seventh book and marathon-ing our way through both movies, holding an intermission to concoct Nutella milkshakes and watch Aly Raisman dominate the floor exercises.  We've had six other movie nights on our journey through the series, which included such memorable moments as criticizing Harry's over-done eyebrows, drooling over the hot grown up versions of the Hogwarts students, the meta nature of Lockhart having a painting of himself painting a portrait of himself, and, of course, the "Nice side bangs, Snape," moment, as well as multiple AVPM and AVPS references.  Tuesday night takes the (rock) cake as being the most exciting of our movie nights though, as it was also a costume party.  I had planned on doing my usual Bellatrix spiel, just because I'm so good at it but my hair happened to be leftover straight from Manhattan on Sunday.  I broke out an old blonde curly wig and rocked the Luna Lovegood, going so far as to paint over my eyebrows.  It was a good time.  Andrea, being fun-sized, actually made a dress out of a pillowcase and came with a sock in hand.  Any guesses?  With her hair in adorable "bat-like ear" looking pigtails, she pulled off the cutest Dobby ever.  Rebecca already had the correct-length blonde hair for her character: trench coat, ripped jeans (though maybe she just doesn't own whole ones), facial scars, and an out-of control, non-proportioned electric blue eye patch.  Yupp, Mad-Eye Moody.  And Jacqui shocked us all by dressing up even though she's never read or, for that matter, shown any interest in the series.  She came in a white denim skirt and white tank top, with feathers glued to her eyebrows, arms, chest, and stuck in her ponytail. Obviously, she was an innovative take on Hedwig.  Great job ladies!  It's worth pointing out that mine was the only character to survive both movies.  Hell, Luna's the only one to survive the first of the two movies too.  Hah.

CONTINUITYYYYYY

And I cried as irrational an amount as ever.  I have such a problem.

The Top Ten Things I Learned While My Jaw Was Broken

Eleven years ago, I embarked on a journey that serves as a turning point in the lives of most kids.  'Tis is a long and physically demanding odyssey that bleeds over into adolescence.  There develops much pain and resentment over many years before the score can eventually begin to settle.  Although the severity of any actions taken will vary from case to case, one thing is certain: There can be no turning back.


Unless you forget to wear your retainer.


Yes; Eleven years ago, my parents brought me to an orthodontist.


After six years of spacers, a pallet expander, retainers, and braces, the time came to free my pearly-whites.  There may never have been a happier day in my life!  Nary a day went by when I didn't wear my retainers as directed; I certainly wasn't going through any of that metal-mouthed nonsense again if I could help it.  


And yet the day came, two years later, when my top retainer failed to adhere properly.  After a few minutes of forceful pushing, it cracked clear in half.   


Thus began a new cycle of pulling wisdom teeth, x-raying, examining growth plates, and finally, tragically, the diagnosing of my sad state.  And so it came to be that I would undergo corrective Maxillofacial Orthognathic surgery.  


You all know the rest of the story.


Last week I stopped wearing rubber bands and chewed my first solid food in ten weeks.  Yesterday my orthodontist took the steel ties and surgical wires off my braces.  I can speak, eat, and drink not only normally, but better than I could before all this.  My only restrictions are on contact sports, but let's be serious-- I'm only an asset to you if I'm on the opposing team.  Things are only getting better from here, and I couldn't be happier with all the different results of going through with the surgery.  


I've experienced more change in the last ten months than I did in perhaps all my life before.  For lack of having a way to say this without sounding cliched, we're finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  This whole ordeal has been many different things, but the most important is what a learning experience it's been.  I've honestly discovered a lot about myself and about my small corner of the world.  And so, here are the ten most important things I learned from having a broken jaw:




10) Hospitals Suck.  Yeah, it's been a harrowing few months, what with surgical wires, drastic diet changes, and a ton of medication, but my 36 hours in the hospital were by far the worst of my life.  They wake you up at uncomfortable hours of the night to take your blood pressure, you have to unplug an IV and an oxygen monitor just to go to the bathroom, the food is miserably tasteless, and the TVs don't even work.  In my experience anyway.  I hope with all my heart that you never need to be checked into one.


9) I love oatmeal.  I don't know how this never came up before, especially since it's one of the best sellers in the mornings at Au Bon Pain.  Oatmeal, as it turns out, is healthy, filling, relatively low in calories, and pretty good with some brown sugar sprinkled in.  Who knew?


8) There is SO MUCH I don't know.  My erratic sleep schedule when I first got home, thrown off by all the anesthesia, in addition to being unable to drive while my parents worked and my siblings were in school meant I had a lot of time alone to read, watch TV and movies, and explore the internet.  The more I do all of that, the more I realize just how little I understand about the world.  It's kind of liberating to know I'll never run out of things to learn about. 


7) How I Met Your Mother is the most fantastic sitcom ever.  There's nothing not to love.  The characters are all witty and engaging, the content is a near perfect balance of entertainment and plot development, and the guest cast really pack a punch in star power (Try Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Lopez, Lucy Hale, Enrique Iglesias, Katie Holmes, Britney Spears, Heidi Klum, Regis Philbin, Alex Trebek, Tim Gunn, and Katy Perry!).  I got my sister into it with me.  It's cute because when something shocking happens we both pause it and stare at each other in jaw-dropped awe in perfect unison, or we both crack up at the same tiny details.  Alas, I digress.  This is an excellent show. 


6) Liquid Dieting is a really successful way to lose weight.  When I was living on one I didn't want to eat much anyway, but I imagine it's much harder to do when you have a normal appetite.  On a related note, Trader Joe's has WONDERFUL low calorie, flavorful, organic soups that are worth checking out.   Also, V8 is godly.  This brings me to my next point.  It's fine to want to get in shape or be more healthy, but...


5) Love yourself.  Yes, I know this is cheesy and ridiculous.  Yes, there will always be things I try to improve about myself: I wish I was a less ghostly color, I wish my stomach was more toned, and I wish my eyelashes were longer.  Really though, I appreciate my self.  I'm at peace with my petite stature, I love my curly hair, and, most importantly, I'm proud of the person I am.  I enjoy my own weird taste in books and music.  I can look in the mirror and smile at the person I see there.  Life is just happier when you stop being so self-critical. 


4) Food is delicious.  Okay, maybe I didn't learn that by having a broken jaw.  I learned that by being Italian, but I certainly was reminded of this life lesson by not having any for two months.  My whole outlook on eating has changed.  Eat more slowly and really taste what you're eating.  Appreciate every bite.  I'm serious.  God forbid you find yourself in a position not to be able to enjoy food, but appreciate it while you can.  My stomach has shrunken quite a bit so I don't eat nearly as much anymore, but that's okay because every bite is an adventure.  


3) There are people who care about you.  I've always counted myself blessed by the number of supportive friends and family in my life, but I can see more clearly now.  No matter what your story is or where you're at in life, there will be people that love you and want to help you.  Let them.  I'm beyond thankful for all the people that were eager to check on me, you guys know that.  (Just for the record, I started writing out the names of all the people that were most supportive, but the list was annoyingly too long for anyone to want to read.)  I've also learned just how valuable communication is.  Admittedly, I SUCK at keeping in touch, but I'm trying to be better now.  For everyone who has cared about my welfare through all this, I want to be there for you too.  I want to know what's up in your life, when you need me, and when you deserve accolades.  Not only do I owe it to you all to support you as you've supported me, but I really want to do so.  I will never stop thanking you. 


2) Appreciate everything.  There's always something to be thankful for.  There is some glimmer of good everywhere you look.  Don't roll your eyes.  What am I consciously more appreciative of?   Having fully functional senses, having fingers to play music with, my supportive and loving parents, the brother and sister who can make me smile without even trying, being being able to drive, owning a car, the invention of flip-flops, the creation of pasta, how beautiful my street is, and how nice a cold pool feels on a hot day, to name the first handful of things that come to mind.  The world is big and complicated and difficult, but it is so beautiful.


1) This too shall pass.  Everything--good, bad, and ugly--ends.  If things are good, cherish them.  If you're unhappy, make a change.  If times are tough, grit your teeth and power through.  There's nothing you can't survive.  There are obvious exceptions to that rule, but not on the scale of an average day.  I don't want to sound preachy, but take it from someone who experienced both extremes within a month of each other.  One day I was studying what I love most in a beautiful city, living mere steps away from some of the best people I've ever had the fortune to meet, and two weeks later I was only leaving the house for doctor visits and was living on chicken soup and apple juice.  Being pessimistic gets you nowhere.  Sure, be realistic.  But take a deep breath and stay optimistic.  




I don't mean to sound pretentious, but I mean every syllable of every word on this page.  I hope whenever you go through tough times, you can turn it into something good for yourself.  You're strong.  I have faith in you and I'll always be here for you.

These Days of Summer

Generally, life just keeps getting exponentially better as time goes on since the surgery.  I kind of just want to talk about all the happy things life has thrown at me lately. 


Eric won three awards in two weeks!  Star Student in Family and Consumer Science, and Excellence in Science and Orchestra!!  Yupp, he's a superstar.  I'm beyond proud.  I also love that music runs in the family.  I actually ran into someone I graduated with who saw Eric playing cello and arranging music.  He laughed and said it was cute that Eric takes after me.  


Soooo much How I Met Your Mother lately.  I freaking love this show.  I got Deels in on it too!  It's nice because That 70's Show used to be our show, but it's not on so much anymore.  They have guest stars like Carrie Underwood and Lucy Hale and Donna from That 70's Show and we get so nerdily excited together.


Some days, when the weather, my choice of hair products, and the stars align properly, I get really defined and pretty curls.  Despite how happy they make me, no one else ever really notices because it's so dark.  If hair coloring wasn't so expensive and risky I'd lighten it a little.  Maybe do a dark auburn.  It would just be nice to see the detail that goes into a fishtail or my curls or something.  


Deels had her recitals last week!  She was in Opening (for like 6 counts of 8 as a pipsqueak ballerina...), a BEAUTIFUL Haj Naranji pointe solo (the Genie Number), a Tap Dragon Dance (complete with chopsticks and fans), a stunning pointe Masquerade Waltz, a Matador-themed pointe Flamenco, and a fun jazz Conga.  I'm so proud and happy that she has something she loves as much as I love music!


Marianna and Aunt Grace even came one night.  We had the best time at the diner afterwards.  It was one of those moments when you can't even keep track of why you're laughing anymore, and everyone else in the room is staring.  It was perfect :)


I sincerely regret having to miss Andy's birthday bash last week, but hopefully now that I'm cleared for activities like Splish Splash and running (just no contact sports), we can finagle something for later this summer.  We did, however, throw a wildly successful family BBQ.  All the little cousins had fun and got along, and the food was delectable.   


Although my job hunt was pretty much a bust after three solid weeks of applying and interviewing, I was happy to accept my bass teaching gig for the rest of the summer.  It's what I love and what I'm good at, even if it's only 7 hours a week.  AND THEN MUSIC & ARTS CALLED THIS MORNING. So hopefully I'll be getting started there next week!




Lots of fun quotes lately:


"I'm so hungry... but I want to wear clothes." Laura


"Billie Jean is not my mother." Delia
"Just because I don't know the cashier does NOT mean you have permission to dance." Also my loving sister.


"Mario?  As in 'It's-a me, Mario!'?" Marianna, discussing Eric's Confirmation name.


To sum up my family's appreciation for Star Wars, much to my brother's dismay: 


Eric: "Did you hear what he said?"
Nonni: "Something about trying hard?" 
Eric: "No.  He said 'Do or Do Not Do, there is no try.' That's a very famous quote."


"Eric, this movie is putting me to sleep again." Delia, who has a track record for falling asleep during Star Wars movies.


"Who's that?  He looks like a bad guy..." Delia, about Darth Vader.

Two last things that make me really happy- THE NEW SONATA ARCTICA CD IS HERE!  And it's just as good as I was hoping it would be! Also, A VERY POTTER SENIOR YEAR IS HAPPENING!  I don't even know what could make me happier right now.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fByY1OcHdk

Just remember, you're the one thing I can't get enough of.

Thank you to everyone who helped make me feel special on my birthday, even though I couldn't eat pastina or cake or swim or go to the beach or anything.  I did at least get to hang out with Chelsea, Christie, Sarah D, Danielle, and Paige, who's my birthday twin!  I then got to have our first girl talk in AGES with Meredith, Lauren, Laura, and Shannon.  Long live the girl talk tradition.  Also, my mom felt so bad about how poorly the doctor's visit went that morning (during which they told me it would be no less than 12 more days of the all-liquid diet) that I was allowed to drive myself to the library and Starbucks!  I got to enjoy a delicious iced Caramel Macchiato and three fresh books--Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand; Life of Pi, by Yann Martel; and A Christmas Carol, the Dickens classic, because I have an off-kilter internal calendar.  


To backtrack a few days, I got to see Kimmie for the first time in nine months.  Conflicting school schedules, the fact that we have entirely separate groups of friends and commitments, and living irritatingly far(ish) from each other kept making it difficult to meet up.  When she knocked on my door Wednesday as a surprise it was the most euphoric reunion.  Since I'd literally just stepped out of the shower moments before, I left her to catch up with Deels and Eric for a few minutes.  When I got back upstairs, she and Deels were talking dance and she was hugging Eric off his feet for being a Doctor Who fan.  Here's to seventeen years of being in each other's lives and families, babe.


Also, it was the best when she called at 1:30 am the night of/morning after my birthday to talk about meatball marinara-scented things, Doctor Who, mashed potato sculptures, and to finish catching up on the personal details of our social lives.  


I have now successfully turned my brother, father, and Nonni into avid Doctor Who fans!  This does make it more difficult to watch episodes because we have to coordinate four people's personal schedules, but it's so worth it.


As the days of my liquid diet wind down (I've lost thirteen pounds!), we're continuing to get more creative with the recipes.  Today I spent 45 minutes making myself an elaborate "entree" called Creamed Chicken.  It was absolutely delicious, incorporating butter, flour, onion powder, chicken, chicken soup, milk, and other delicious things into the most convincing meal I've yet had to drink.  We've also made milkshakes a nightly thing for most of the family.  It's good, I feel like I'm useful instead of just prone to making messes in the kitchen.  Nutella, peanut butter, all flavors of ice cream, and all cookies are being explored.  It's not necessarily that bad an arrangement.  


My brother gets a Star Student Award tomorrow! I'm so proud that I'm getting up early to go to the breakfast I can't even eat anything at!


Danielle came over this afternoon.  We colored pages of an Alice coloring book, drank Nutella milkshakes, and listened to Disney princess music because we're sophisticated.  We also discussed bows, the blessing that is the Asian community in Manhattan, and put plans in motion for a Disney animation sleepover to occur sometime before she leaves to be a camp counselor.  It was the most lovely afternoon.  One might even go so far as to say it was golden: "You can learn a lot of things from the flowers, for especially in the month of June, there's a wealth of happiness and Romance all in the Golden Afternoon."


The Dirty Dancing Legacy Edition Soundtrack is the CD of the day.  Rest in peace, Patrick Swayze.




"I just cried sunblock." -Paige
"Poor skinny girls.  They can't make this beautiful fat thigh music." -Paige
"...a pheromone-inducing poltergeist?" -Laura
"Hashtag bigboobproblems." Deels, discussing the dynamics of a bandeau.

I can't work in fast food all my life...

I kind of wanted to do a legitimate review of The Da Vinci Code because it was such a riveting read, but it's also a profoundly controversial one.  I don't want to offend anyone, so I'll just touch on why I was so engrossed by it.  The books I get most attached to make a point of developing characters and fostering all kinds of relationships between them.  This did nothing like that.  The only character that was developed at all was Leigh Teabing, and even that was only to heighten the intensity of a later plot twist.  The only semblance of characters interacting in a way that wasn't directly necessary for the progression of the plot was a kiss between the two protagonists in the last chapter of the book.  It's completely unprecedented.  Readers may suspect this is coming because that's precisely what happened between Robert Langdon and Vittoria in Angels and Demons, which was Dan Brown's first Langdon-narrated novel.  Nothing ever came of that from the first book to this one, and Langdon often reflects on being used to life as a bachelor.  There's exactly one moment, when Langdon smells Sophie's perfume, that he appears to take any notice of her as a person.  This lack of human development is something plenty of good books can have, but it's not something I've found in any of my favorite reads before.  I guess I'm just shocked that a book with virtually no characterization or human element could hold my attention so strongly.  


That aside, The Da Vinci Code is an eye-opening read because it's so rooted in facts and history.  After finishing, I did a lot of reading into the Gnostic Gospels, the Merovingian dynasty, and the real Priory of Sion.  There are varying amounts of historical evidence for all of these, which was intriguing to learn of.  Despite conspiracy theories and pseudo-historical claims, I really recommend this book.  Just go in with an open mind and be prepared to sort out your own thoughts afterwards.


Gosh, that took longer than I imagined it was going to for not even being a full review. 




Now onto more mundane and happy topics!


Happy Birthday to my beautiful and beloved (and thoroughly missed) Shannon!  Nineteen and Crazy indeed!


Saturday was also Sydney's Sweet Sixteen.  I've been to precisely 13 formal Sweet Sixteens with ball-gown-and-tiara-wielding birthday girls.  Generally, these are preppy occasions.  I've seen dresses in red, orange, gold, green, aqua, teal, purple, fuchsia, hot pink, baby pink, and white.  Girls usually walk in to pop songs like "Gotta Feelin'," "When I Grow Up," or "Party," or equally peppy songs related to the party's theme, like "Supermodel," (Fashion) or "Ever Ever After," (Disney Princesses).  I hadn't been to a single party where the birthday girl didn't do a full or partial updo accompanied by curling iron curls.  
I really have to commend Sydney on throwing a definitively Sydney party.  Very few girls could pull off wearing black at their own parties, entering with a complete Thriller dance number, and requesting songs like "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Sell Out."  Her hair was pulled back just enough that she wouldn't get sweaty on the dance floor, and it was her customary straight, dark red.  I'm just very impressed by how atypically she designed her red, black, and gold Masquerade-themed party.  I'm really proud of her.  I remember the days when our parents would go out to dinner and leave Chelsea, Sydney, Deels, Eric and me at one of our houses and we'd be ridiculous and crazy together for hours at a time.  Remember that time we heard Jake (their dog) running up and down the stairs, and we though he was a burglar?  It was super S's to the rescue that day, armed with brooms and rakes against a cocker spaniel.  Seeing Sydney all grown up and lady-like made me feel nostalgic, but also proud that our families have been so involved with each other for over a decade.  That connection is really special, and I'm beyond honored that we were called up for a candle.  
Basically, Sydney, I loved the unique quality of your party and I'm honored to have been a part of it.  I love you guys a lot and I can't wait until Woodloch 2012!


On an even more mundane note, I today was lovely.  We saw The Avengers which was stunning to watch, even if it didn't have the most clever or original plot.  I say "stunning" because the graphics were unreal.  If you plan on seeing it, it's worth spending the money to see it on the big screen.  Also, Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans are wonderful to look at.  A side note would be that I do agree with Andy: some of the dialogue was painful to listen to.  Some though, usually any involving Iron Man (played by Robert Downey Jr., for those living under a rock), were witty enough.  I then did like 10 minutes of Zumba to let off steam and then helped my sister with her Trig homework.  I'm so proud of myself for recalling enough math to actually be helpful! Who knew?  


In other news, I've lost 10 pounds on my all-liquids diet, and have reduced my Advil intake from 90 milliliters a day to 50.  I'm allowed to sleep in my own bed again, and no more decongestants either!  I still can't drive, speak properly, or eat regularly, but we're getting there.  My next check-up is Thursday, which means that with any luck, I can progress to soft foods.  Having pastina on my birthday would make my life much more pleasurable at this point in time.  


I'm having video issues with my beautiful Boston friends, so I'm finishing this blog instead of hanging out with them in Google Plus for a few minutes to give my lazy computer a break.  It should be good now, or so I hope.  Until next time, my darlings.