Andalasian Royalty

So this cute guy comes into my restaurant tonight.

He was there with his pretty, brunette wife and two children. The son was maybe 6 or 7, with longish hair and the daughter was about 3 and wearing an Native American headdress fashioned out of a paper strip with several multicolored feathers attached to it. She wore it the entire time they were there.

As I first walked by his table, a series of thoughts occurred:

1) wow, dude is totally rocking that orange plaid shirt.

2) why does he look familiar?

3) do I know him?

4) maybe he's a country singer?

5) whatever.

So twenty minutes go by and I'm standing back by the line, about to run some food when Vinny, our sous chef, goes "Is that James Marsden at table 33?"

Surely not.

I walk by nonchalantly.

It really looks like him.

I walk by a little more chalantly.

It could totally be him!

I pretend to go up to the hostess stand but 

pretend that I forgot something in the general direction of his table and try to stare at his face without his wife noticing.

Ridiculously blue eyes.

He looks just like him. 

He cannot NOT be him.

My heart starts beating really fast. 

James Marsden is Cyclops! AND he was in a musical! Well, two really! He hooked up with (fake) Lois Lane AND "he" was "engaged" to the time traveler's wife! AND he knows Zac Efron, who I feel like I sort of know because-- well... he keeps showing up! And he can SING!!!

Which is precisely why I'm glad I didn't wait on him. 

Because instead of reciting dinner specials, some variation on that ramble would have tumbled out of my mouth. Or I would have just kept grinning like a fool, thinking about how cool it would be to have red hair and be able to move things with my mind...

So I spent the next several minutes stealing eleventy dozen more glances at his table and deciding whether talking to him could potentially get me any closer to Baz Lurhmann. And when I realized it probably would not, I left him alone. But when they got up to leave, I helped clear the table... and checked his credit card receipt.

James Marsden, indeed.  :)

Several Thousand Words

Sometimes, I really wish I could draw well enough to capture moments and personalities.

Other times I wish my camera could've clicked just one second faster.

But today? No complaining. No comparing.

Just cheers-- to a few well-captured moments.

*I hope no one gets mad at me for reposting these. 

If you find this, and you're mad because I didn't give you props, leave me a comment and I'll credit you it or delete the photo.

Hokey Religions & Ancient Weapons...

After all that nerdy spew, and even a bold declaration, I have a confession to make.

I'm in love with a man who has never even SEEN Star Wars.

I'm not quite sure how this happened.

Interconnectedness

WARNING: Freak Flag Flying High

One of my favorite things is when my favorite things intersect and give props to each other.

I love when they talk about Star Wars on LOST. Because I love Star Wars. And I love LOST. "Some Like It Hoth" was an amazing episode. 

I love when they talk about Star Wars on Chuck, especially if Chuck gets to be Han Solo. Because I love Chuck. And I love Han Solo.

I love that a character on LOST is named after my favorite author (C.S. Lewis) and that another one is named after me! I get to be in it! And be with Sawyer! (For now!) I love Sawyer!

I also love when they mention Oceanic 815 on Chuck. Because LOST is my favorite. And Chuck is my favorite.

I also love that one of my *favorite episodes of Chuck AND one of my favorite episodes of Scrubs have the song "Africa" by Toto in them. Because Chuck and Scrubs are both hilarious and make me very happy.

And I love when Chuck and Sarah get to make out. Because I love Chuck and Sarah. And I love sexual tension between well-written characters. And I love making out.

Lastly, I love that Emmett Milbarge is in a switchfoot video playing Guitar Hero! Chuck + Jon Foreman + Guitar Hero = WIN.

Now all that needs to happen is this: once he gets off the island for good, Hurley moves to LA and starts doing his CD shopping at the Buy More. And then maybe Morgan comes back to get something he left in his locker but Billy Dee Williams is in the store! But then there's some kind of CIA altercation and even though Hurley and Morgan are trying to protect Billy Dee, somebody gets shot and then everybody has to go to Sacred Heart for treatment!!! YES!!! 

* This scene, in the context of the episode AND series, actually made me cry. (At 3:09) Laugh and cry. So wonderful. :)

Troy Bolton With Fangs.

I am not a *"Twilight Fan". 

I did read the first book a few months ago, to see what all the hype was about. But I was not enthralled with it enough to continue the series. (Even though I would kind of like to know the backstory of the Cullen fam, I can't sit through 500 more pages of schmaltz about Edward and 100 more pages of Bella falling down and/or otherwise hurting herself.) I also saw the movie. Two weeks ago. Felt the same way about it as I did the book.

I am also not in love with Zac Efron.

I do love musicals, and I do own Hairspray and I will go see Footloose... but I don't own any of the HSM movies or soundtracks and I honestly don't even know what else the kid is working on right now. Yes, I think he's adorable. I also think he needs facial hair. And when it comes to me and him, there is nary even a wisp of fangirly-ness within my soul.

But apparently my subconscious begs to differ.

I've dreamed about Zac Efron twice in the past two months. I have no idea why. I haven't seen in him ANYthing since I watched Hairspray back in... January?! Before Dani got married! 

The first dream was several weeks ago. Zac and I were-- star-crossed would-be lovers? I must've been working on the set of whatever movie he was shooting and we kept trying to sneak offset together but people kept interrupting us and we got really stressed out about it. We might've composed an angsty duet about it if I was a little more of a songwriter in my sleep.

But last night? My dream was straight up Twilight. Followed the story pretty closely. Except there was no Robert Pattinson-- there was Zac Efron. And there was less direct emphasis on his vampire-ness... I just knew he was... different. And there was wicked tension between me and his family. Enough that when my alarm went off, I woke up a little stressed out.

What is the matter with me??

*There has to be another name for this. Like Browncoats. Or Muggles. Or Trekkies. What is it? Enlighten me please.

"I Can't Fight This Feelin Anymore..."

Can I just say this?

I don't think I'm going to be able to write anything else until I come clean...

I'm jealous. Straight up chartreuse with envy.

Mostly of Annie Parsons and Joey Halbert.

Annie & Joey.

I have a raging crush on your commentary.  It's raw and delicious as high-grade sushi. Unabashedly personal, comforting, familiar but fresh. You are the Chuck Taylors on the shoe rack of the blogging world (Annie, you are red high-tops. Joe, you are black low-tops that you don't have to untie to put on.) For me, your everyday vignettes read like an incredible b-sides album of a favorite artist. Or like really good steak that doesn't need any sauce at all. Sure, you could argue that it's just meat. Maybe not even a lot of it. But the pieces you get are enough to make you get up and bear hug the chef. I can't even describe how proud I am to have you both as friends, even though as a writer, you both you frustrate the hell out of me. :) And I admire both of you so much for your gifts. So much so that I can't even express myself without a bunch of ridiculous similes and metaphors. *sigh*

So... there you have it.

Also, Sara Bareilles just came on this acoustic radio station and I'm jealous of her too. Because she plays piano. Just awesomely enough to be powerful, while still maintaining the approachable girl next door vibe.

I am SO frustrated right now. 

But it's a good thing. Just irritated enough to go write something? Maybe?

Or sulk. Just for a few more minutes.

Apology.

I don't know when I got so terrible at this.

But it's really sickening.

I can't even begin to describe my life over the past... few weeks, in detail.

I wouldn't even know where to begin.

Do you want to know mundane things? Like how our executive chef at work is obsessed with the newest Akon record, and subsequently plays it on repeat at the restaurant (in the back kitchen) and when he's not creating the base for culinary masterpieces, he's dancing around the dish room like a wild man, flicking the lights off an on like a strobe while singing in his cajun accent at the top of his lungs?

Or maybe about my automobile drama... like how my muffler ripped apart from my tailpipe yet again and I took it back to the mechanic (who remembered that I didn't have any money LAST time I came to see him) and he welded it back together for the... 4th time? As long as I promised to come back to him eventually when it's time for a new muffler. Also, I rented a car(08 Hyundai Elantra Sedan. So comfy.) to drive to St. Louis, picked it up too early, and because of Hotwire's stupid contract rules, had to have it *back by 2pm instead of 5pm or else pay 88 extra dollars. And how, gripped by this fear of throwing away hard earned money, I drove in the rain, at an ungodly rate of speed through part of Southern Illinois, got caught by a state trooper in a speed detail trap and saddled with a warning and a big fat **citation. 

What I Learned: 

1) Don't speed in Illinois. 

2) Or maybe just-- don't speed. 

3) Cruise control is your bff.

4) I think maybe I have Highway Claustrophobia.

5) Or maybe I just do not have enough self-discipline to handle a V6 engine.

Or would you like to know about some more important things? Like the fact that my roommate, who has been away on a cruise ship since August, is back in town for a little while, but will soon be making her rounds to Texas and then moving (for at least a year) to NYC? Or that one of my best friends is nearing the shoot date of his first original short film noir and that he built an entire kitchen in his living room in two days? Or that a little less than 2 weeks ago, I flew to Texas for the weekend with my boyfriend, because he wanted to meet my parents? And that the entire weekend was so fast and jam-packed and exciting and delicious and-- near perfect?

Is that more interesting?

Or do you want to hear me ramble about pop culture and current events? Mmmm, trust me. You don't. I'm a tic out of the loop. I've been very confused about the tax day "tea parties" and had no idea what they were until today. I'm glad that North Carolina won March Madness because it makes my work bff really happy. I JUST heard Britney's newest anthem for bi-curious promiscuity for the first time the other day (I make my own mixtapes. Too much Britney and Katy and Lady Gaga and Akon and Soulja Boy make my head hurt). I haven't been to the movies in ages, and I JUST saw the trailer for Star Trek for the first time today. I am not a Trekkie... but I am SO going to see that in the theatre. It looks incredible.

But I am still watching LOST. Because it's the best show on television. And I'm FINALLY caught up with Chuck! Like, I could watch the new episode on Monday! (It does come on Monday, right?) I LOVE that show. And the storyline is getting so good! Except that Chuck and Sarah make me crazy. And somehow, I JUST figured out this week that Jayne Cobb and John Casey are the same person. Which makes it that much more amazing.

Or maybe I should just tell you how God is amazing. Creative Genius. He's orchestrating everything in my life right now SO much better than I ever could. I have-- only some idea of what the next 6 months are going to look like... not to mention the fact that I've been forced to pay the government (state and federal) $1200 over the past two days. BUT... it's all good. :) He's ALWAYS provides. And He sets the stage perfectly for every scene because he's the most amazing storyteller you'll ever meet. Oooo, its gonna be good. :)

Oh and also, I bought chocolate syrup at the store today. For the first time in years. That was exciting. :)

~jules

*I got it back by two. Hooray.

**I just found out this morning that my ticket is only $105.00. I couldn't believe it. I was SPEEDing, y'all. But it was a small town. And for $75 more, I get 90 days of "court supervision" (read: probation) while driving in Illinois, and if I stay ticket free, it doesn't turn into points on my license AND they keep it hushhush from my insurance company. Oh AND since I'll be under court supervision, I also won't have to drive 4 hours to appear in traffic court in Southern Illinois. Praise the Lord.