I keep getting harassed to write an entry. So here it goes.

The new Pearl Jam album came out, technically, on September 20th. It is rockass. As I thought it would be.

I had to stop reading ST after the album leaked because everyone was ripping it a new asshole. Gotta love PJ fans. Highest standards in the world.

Anyway, this morning, as I got goosebumps listening to the album for the zillionth time this week, I was just like...how lucky am I that I am still interested in the music this band puts out? And I legitimately love it? True love.

Maybe I'm biased but I've never once been bothered by the Target exclusivity. I think it was done thoughtfully (if it wasn't, we would've seen it at the world's largest retailer, right?) And I LOOOOOOVE Target and I LOOOOOOVE Pearl Jam. It's like a dream come true for me.

I'm not the same person I was 10 years ago, why should I hold the band to their same ideals as 10 years ago? Kind of stupid. I understand the uproar...and while the band really does fuel a shitton in my life...I would never let that sort of thing bother me. I have no influence in that decision from the first place. It's all up to us, as individuals, to make our decisions. And I think if the band is ebbing and flowing with you, please stop listening and I would love a better seat at the shows cause my fan club number ain't that bad but my seats sure as fuck seem to be getting worse as the years go on.

Haha anyway...

I am a dork and I guess it's me searching for the excitement of album releases...but 1) I did not listen to the leak and 2) even though I got the Ten Club version, I was at Target with Mike when they opened their doors on Sunday. I wanted to get a copy for myself as well as my mom (it's been a tradition for me to buy her a copy, too)...and get those Loomstate t-shirts. It was kind of a clusterfuck and we had to go to two Targets. Whatever. It was fun and a good memory. Was even more entertaining to come home and see all the Synergy kids blow a gasket over trying to find the t-shirts.

Again, gotta love Pearl Jam fans :-)

Boy oh boy it has been a crazy lately.

I will not talk TOO much about Pearl Jam "tour"...as I am telling myself that I WILL write recaps this weekend. Yes. Will. No fucking bullshit this time around. I am making myself sit down and do it.

Outside of Pearl Jam, the office where I work moved over the weekend, too. Now that I think about it...crazy that my first two real "adult" jobs out of college...both moved locations. So this is how the past week has went:

Thursday - Finish packing up my office, come home to have a company come out to assess the damage to my bathroom ceiling, Rich and Mike arrive, eat Slow's with my mommy, stay up late watching videos and bs, wait for Dan and Lynn to arrive.
Friday - Drive to Canadialand for a rock show in Toronto. Drive home after the show.
Saturday - Get to bed around 5. Wake up at 10. Do some laundry. Go get my haircut at 12:30. Go eat Shield's with my parents. Get ready. Go to 10 year high school reunion. Go to sleep.
Sunday - Wake up. Pack. Drive to Chicago for rock show number 2. Pick up Fan Club tickets. Then pick up sister. Go to Veggie Bites for lunch. Eat some iCream. Meet up with Rich. Go to a bar. Go back to venue. Go to rock show. Go to sleep.
Monday - Wake up. Eat breakfast. Putz around. Meet up with peeps for deep dish at Giordano's (mmm, it was good). Go to rock show.
Tuesday - Wake up. Eat breakfast. Wash car. Drive home. Do four loads of laundry. Watch a lot of tv. Go to sleep.
Wednesday - Don't want to wake up. Want to sleep in. Get into the office anyway at about 10 after 7. Total chaos. Unpack office. Bombarded all morning long and not really because people wondered how my time off was. Leave work at about 4:35, drive to Plum Market on my way home. Get home. Eat dinner.

So, yes. Lots of stuff.

I am at a new office which is on the 2nd floor (the old office was 7th floor). I had a rolling bag because it was easy to bring to and from work but I refuse to take the elevator for a 2 story ride...so the rolling bag is kind of a pain for everyday use. Problem is, my old laptop bag (which I used at my last job) is completely torn to shit. I would buy the exact same bag if I could (it was $30 at Target!) but it's looooong gone. I also am sick of buying crapass brands that are supposed to be good but aren't...the only bag companies on my short list are Tumi (right, a $400 bag?) and Diane von Furstenberg. Wound up finding a Diane von Furstenberg shoulder bag, not a "laptop" bag for $50 and it's soooo cute! I'll just use my laptop sleeve.

With this whole makeover, I really want a new Franklin Covey planner. I bought mine, hmmm, 5 years ago. It is in IMPECCABLE shape. But it's kind of large and I think I'm ready to downsize from the "Classic" size to "Compact." I found the binder I want but planning pages for 2010 aren't available yet. WTF? I just want to take care of it in one full swoop. Oh well.

So my agenda for this weekend will only include Pearl Jam recaps. No messin' around, yo.

I am just so tired. I have a lot of traveling to do in the upcoming weeks and thinking about it makes my head spin. I don't mind the travel so much, but it's the work that's needed to make the trips successful that stresses me out. So much prep, so little time...when you're out of the office!

I am way geeked, though, because I had IT add my work address to my iPhone today. That will make my travels much easier. I refuse to pay the airports to use wifi so I never get to check my work email until I'm at my hotel...so I feel completely out of the loop. My phone having my mail on it...will make things easier. I am promising myself I will NOT get in the habit of being glued to my work email after hours unless completely necessary. I'm not even syncing my work calendar to my phone. Even though it's rad and makes me look important with my work meeting notices.

My remote has been missing for 4 days. So even though I'm not really watching tv, it would be nice to pop on the news while I sit at the computer...but I am definitely not about to get up and stand in front of the tv and change the channels. I've had two dreams about finding that damn remote since Saturday (day it disappeared). Pathetic.

Went to Holland, Michigan this past weekend and had an awesome time. What a great little town. Ate some good food and walked the downtown area. Also went and saw Brueno (Bruno) but it sucked ass. At least I thought it did. Yeah, I laughed...but the whole time I was waiting for a big ending and the ending wasn't that big and really, I was thinking, "Is this over yet...is this over yet?"

I'm so terrible with updating this thing...should I just give up? I thought that getting a new computer would make me better about it. I thought that maybe getting rid of cable would make me better about it.

No and no.

Was in Chicago this past weekend. Kind of crazy. Big drama on Thursday night...made me want to go home immediately and crawl into my beautiful new bed[/room]. Things got better on Friday, though. Ryan actually went to Chicago, too...so it was fun hanging out with him. We took the MegaBus and it was a double decker...and we were lucky enough to get the front seats on the second story. That was pretty funny...especially going under underpasses on the highway. Saturday night we spent the evening looking up Michael Jackson videos on YouTube...it was a good time. From Speed Demon to Will You Be There (haha from Free Willy).

We rearranged my entire house about two weeks ago and I LOVE IT! The living room is great and I switched bedrooms around...and got a new bedroom set. Brought my futon up from the basement and have that in the spare bedroom with the elliptical.

So yeah, got rid of cable. I don't even really know when. I thought I would miss stuff...like my Bravo shows. But...
Technically I still have cable. For some reason, the signal is still being transmitted. Turned in my DVR, though.

And that's really what I was more addicted to...the DVR. I think back to when I lived at home...and even though I had a tv in my room, I never really watched it. Just before I went to bed at night (that was a time when I went to bed LATE and was able to watch The Daily Show live every night). My parents had a DVR when I moved out, but I felt it was more like "their" DVR so I never used it. Then I got my own...and it was all downhill from there.

I thought I may get a bit stir crazy...but I'm SO not! I'm reading more and just watching old tv shows for maybe 30 minutes to an hour a night (right now I'm watching season one of In Treatment since Howard Stern can't rave enough about that show). I find it entertaining that I'm burning through books at lightning speed...and I wonder, "Wow, am I becoming a faster reader?" No, it's because I'm using more of my free time reading rather than staring at the tv.

So much stuff going on. Maybe I should rant about the new Apple products. Like the new version of my computer that dropped in price by $100 and has a backlit keyboard and has a SD slot. Or the new iPhone with the video camera. So so so tempting to upgrade. Trying to be smarter about throwing money down for shit I don't really need. We'll see how that goes.

GM declared bankruptcy this past week. Penske might buy Saturn.

Toured Jack White's old house in Indian Village this past weekend. Went on the Indian Village home tour and as we were driving through the neighborhood I went on and on about how Jack White was a JACKASS and used to live there and left and talked mad shit about Detroit. Had no idea his former home was going to be on the tour. The house where they recorded "Get Behind Me Satan." GORGEOUS home. I've never seen a home with so much natural light pouring in. UNBELIEVABLE. Confirmed for me what a moron Jack White is for leaving such a fucking awesome house.

Headed to San Fran tomorrow night. Get there at 9:30 pm Pacific. Meeting at 8:30 on Wednesday...and then plane leaves at 12:30. Total bum deal! Don't even get to enjoy San Francisco at all :-( And I'll be all out of wack for all that time changing and flying. Oh well...

Went to Henry Ford this past Friday. That was fun. I hadn't been in a million years. Also ate dinner at Amici's...hadn't been there in maybe a thousand years.