It’s been rainy, overcast and stormy (or at least one of those) the past couple of days. I actually love this kind of weather. I even get kind of excited about tornado sirens and such. I feel bad saying that because of the devastation that they cause (and have caused recently), so I mean no disrespect and realize that they are scary, deadly forces of nature but they are still pretty exciting. I also like anything that breaks up the usual, the routine, and the mundane. I also like excuses to stay inside and read and watch movies. It’s kind of like when you get sick when you’re younger. It’s sort of disappointing but also kind of thrilling since it lets you get out of your routine of going to school and you can watch daytime TV. The sky also looks really cool and I like the wind in the trees and the sound of wind, rain, and thunder. And I love lightning, especially the crazy kind you see out here in Nebraska.

What I don’t like about the weather is that it deterred my plan of seeing Loves of a Blonde at Film Streams tonight, something I was really excited about. I’ve wanted to see this movie for so long and I was thrilled at the chance to see it projected on the big screen. Oh well, I guess I’ll have to wait longer. And I don’t know if this is to be blamed entirely or even partly on the weather, but I have been feeling chronically tired the last few days. I don’t really know what it is, but I am so sleepy about 80% of the day.

Just saw on the news that a tornado touched down in Kearney this evening, which isn’t too far from here. The storm isn’t that crazy here right now.

I have not really followed through on some of my intended posts and promises. I saw The Flight of the Red Balloon yesterday. I wanted to write a post about it today, but I am feeling some pressure to get my real writing work done before I go into it. But I will say that I really, really liked the movie. Juliette Binoche was amazing, as usual. I will really, really try to write a bit more about it tomorrow. And post some photos. I apologize in advance if I don’t (I don’t think this is how blogs really work — promises and apologies), I’m pretty busy this weekend catching up on some articles that are due. It was really nice to have a fun vacation in Chicago, and now I’m realizing that I have a lot to catch up on.

What else? Cody and I improved our pub quiz score on Tuesday. First time: 13. Second time: 18 (right?). At this rate, we’ll get a perfect score in a month and a half. Little Couch (our team name) will win. We are determined.

Pistons play tomorrow night. They have to win, and they will.

I have a new overall idea/concept for my short film. Sort of. Just an idea, but not for a plot or anything. It’s not like a breakthrough or anything, but I’m looking for something to really get me going with this thing and I’m hoping maybe this new sort-of idea will be it. We’ll see…

I want to get back into watching The Wire, and I’ve had Fat Girl rented for so long and have still not watched it. I’m also trying to see more films that I think will inspire me for my own film. Not that they have to be at all related in terms of content or style, but just inspiring film-wise. The Flight of the Red Balloon was one of those films. There are certain films that just make me want to make a movie. And that was one of them.

Oh, and we got Date with the Night and Call Me on Rock Band. Very exciting. Snuggle Bees had a serious reunion session tonight. It was pretty awesome. We haven’t lost our chops, and our band chemistry is still palpable. We filmed a few of our songs as we played musical instruments. It was pretty funny to watch.

Lastly, I had a really bizarre dream last night. It is too strange and complicated to try to describe/explain, but I will say that it involved a movie within a dream starring Jena Malone, Ellen Page and myself and had to do with academia, relationships and their boundaries, and rain. I was acting in it and knew that Jena Malone would eventually be killed by her abusive ex-boyfriend in the movie and while my character (who was her professor) was trying to help and protect her, I also thought (as myself) that I wasn’t such a big Jena Malone fan and I wouldn’t be too sad if she wasn’t in the second half of the film. The dream also featured Usher, who performed onstage while riding motocross and performing stunts inside of a giant rubber tire. And that’s like only the basics of half of the dream. Crazy.

Conagraopoly! How exciting! The limited edition, hard-to-find game created by the innovators at ConAgra Foods. Look at how much fun we’re having.

Forget about Park Place and Marvin Gardens. You can purchase Hebrew National and Slim Jim. Oh, you didn’t know about Ettore Boiardi, the original Italian chef behind Chef Boyardee? If you had Conagraopoly you would!

An annual tradition of decorating Christmas sugar cookies.

Yeah!

Meet the Snuggle Bees! Don’t we look like rockers? I would be scared of us. I mean look at the look we’ve got going…yeah, pretty intimidating.

I am discovering a new phenomenon brought on by Rock Band. No, it’s not wrist fatigue and back aches, although I have fallen prone to both. I have found myself actually liking songs by The Killers and Weezer, two bands who I had what could best be described as an elitist attitude toward prior to this obsession with Rock Band. When You Were Young by The Killers? Killer song (pun intended). I find myself singing, “He doesn’t look a thing like Jesus, But he talks like a gentleman, Like you imagined when you were young” nearly every day.

I fear that I will soon be buying the new Flyleaf album and hiding it in my closet. Or maybe I will invest in the South Park created band Timmy and the Lords of the Underworld. I see dark things in my musical future.

Well, sadly my official birthday has passed, but it was a great day.

Great news: Jamie and I passed Black Sabbath’s War Pigs on hard (on a kind of embarrassing technicality: she took over on my bass drum and vocals). What an electrifying birthday accomplishment!

I passed The New Pornographers’ Electric Version on the drums on hard (on Rock Band).

Next up: War Pigs! I will make it through. I must.

So, it’s been awhile. What have I been up to? My brain, I feel, is still functioning at about 35% speed. Something about the holidays just slows everything down. And I have a cold and was hit in the head pretty hard by a laser gun yesterday (by my own teammate and sister too, she’s too hardcore for me and apparently I wasn’t playing up to her expected level). There’s a bump and discoloration. And I’ve been staying up late and sleeping in. These all may be partly to blame for my lack of mental motivation.

The main addition to my life has been the one and only Rock Band. All I can say is that it is so awesome and so addictive. My sisters, brother and I are on a world tour with our band the Snuggle Bees. We went a little crazy the first night, staying up until our eyes burned and our limbs fell out of sync. I woke up and had to wear a wrist brace for the day. I was back on the drum throne today, but I am weary of overdoing it again. I am trying not to hit so hard, but it’s a hard habit to break, especially when Blitzkrieg Bop comes on.

Speaking of The Ramones, I am currently reading Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain. It is SO good and has lots of juicy and disgusting dirt on the bands and the whole scene. The book itself is mesmerizing, filthy and flies by, pretty much like punk itself. I really can’t recommend the book enough, especially if you’re into music, culture, punk or just reading about depraved youth. The combination of the book and rock band takes me back to younger days when I was really pretty into punk music and playing the drums. Ah, nostalgia. That nostalgia, the fear of getting old, the punk book, and Rock Band have all coalesced into a deep desire to start a band. For now, however, I will settle, knowing that I am a vital member of the jetsetting, rocking Snuggle Bees where we don’t have to deal with long drives in a cramped van with fast food meals and dirty clothes. Where I can rock out in the comfort of my pajamas and take snack breaks in between songs.

Well, I’m itching to either get back to Rock Band, watch 24 or play this card game called Nertz, so I’m going to cut this short. To give a quick rundown on other updates, I have gotten a haircut, gone to the paper store Pulp, had Christmas, gone shopping, saw Juno, Atonement, 27 Dresses, The Kingdom, and The Namesake, edited, shot (video, not a weapon), been in the snow, watched up to the second disc of 24 Season 6, played racquetball, bowled, went go-karting and played laser tag (for the first time), and sat by the fire and hung out with family a lot.

Happy Holidays to all (slightly belated, but New Year is a holiday too, right?)!