Friday 7 Quick Takes (vol 25)

I took a small break from blogging and it was wonderful. I vegged out more and may have gotten addicted to Rock Band 3.

Holidays are around the corner and I’m making my “who I need to shop for” list. This year I want to try to give more experience based gifts and less stuff. Experiences result in more happiness and less materials will also mean less waste. I’ve always known this but am recently reminded of some of the best memories I have with friends are experience based gifts. Taking Jessica to Renaissance Festival for her birthday. Jessica and Brandi taking me to Seaworld. Concert tickets. Broadway shows… This year for my little’s birthday, I took her to Austin Park & Pizza and she loved it. Last year I gave her Hannah Montana crap that she’s long since lost.

An excerpt:

“Everything is a self-portrait. A diary. Your whole drug history’s in a strand of your hair. Your fingernails. The forensic details. The lining of your stomach is a document. The calluses on your hand tell all your secrets. Your teeth give you away. Your accent. The wrinkles around your mouth and eyes.

Everything you do shows your hand.

Peter used to say, an artist’s job is to pay attention, collect, organize, archive, preserve, then write a report. Document. Make your presentation. The job of an artist is just not to forget.”

One of my new year’s resolutions is to read 40 books this year. 8 more to go! Crap, it’s crunch time. Less Rock Band, more reading.

There’s been a really obvious trend to this last week. Maybe it’s because I watched season 1 Gossip Girl marathon style. How I Met Your Mother had a recent episode highlighting the fact that girls share too many details and the discomfort it gives men. My coworker was telling me how she doesn’t know how her parents make it because her mom shares everything much to her dad’s discomfort. My bff was telling me about an conversation that she and her husband were having with their neighbors. The men think that the women talk too much. My girlfriends tell me so many tiny details about everything and guys are more closed-mouth. When girls talk about break-ups, they truly just break it down. When my guy friends go through break ups, I noticed they rarely ever break it down. In short, women thrive on the chatter and gossip and men abhor it. I used to think it was a stereotype. I’ve now reconsidered.

Going out for Halloween tomorrow. I love gawking at costumes downtown. My costumes the last three years have been documented on the blog.

2009

2008

2007

I bought my Halloween costume on a whim this year. And even typing that makes me feel compelled to tell you that all of my girly bits are covered. I feel compelled though because I’ve noticed there’s a lot of judging of the sexy costumes as skanky and slutty and my costume has a garter belt. And fishnets. So its a little risqué. We (women) are always so worried about appealing skanky and slutty and cheap that we tiptoe around. I don’t know how many times I’ve asked my girlfriends if my miniskirt is too short or panicked because I forgot to pack a cardigan in my overnight bag to cover bare arms. Even when it’s 100 something degrees outside. I’m starting to feel a little defiant. A slut is someone who sleeps around indiscriminately. Showing a little arm and leg with a costume and being confident enough to do so is not an accurate indicator of what one does in one’s bedroom. I am wearing my dang fishnets.