Of Summertime and Songlists, of Cabbages and Kings...

This is the list of the CD Collection I made for Abby. There were more I meant to add, but that just gives me a good excuse to write more later.

Introductions

"The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage" (Panic at the Disco)

I love Panic at the Disco. Pure and simple. And when they make a movie of my life, this is going to be the opening song, especially since the song opens with "I'm the narrator and this is just the prologue". An excellent wake-up song.

"Donna" (Drew Sarich, "Hair")

There should be no playlist that doesn't involve Drew Sarich singing Donna. End of story.

Angry Break-Up Music

"I Write Sins Not Tragedies" (Panic at the Disco)

This is perhaps one of the snarkiest songs ever, on several levels. And it's always nice to trash the groom's bride. And pretend she's....whoever you need her to be.

"A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More "Touch Me"" (Fall Out Boy)

First off, the video for this song is ridiculous and absurd and involves vampires. Second, it's on the top of my list of "songs to play absurdly loudly while driving up and down the highway". Though, by and large, if Fall Out Boy performed the song, it made that list.

"Hum Hallelujah" (Fall Out Boy)

The parody of "Hallelujah" on this gets me everytime. For some reason, my iPod downloaded this song twice, so whenever I play this album, I hear this song back to back. And I listen to it all the way through each time. Which either says its an adorably cynical song, or I'm too lazy to change the track.

"Grand Theft Autumn" (Fall Out Boy)

The first best song Fall Out Boy every did. I don't know what else to say. I just love it.

"But It's Better If You Do" (Panic at the Disco)

Again, this video for this song is as good, if not better than the song itself. Also, the line in the refrain of "I may have faked it and I wouldn't be caught dead in this place" makes it one of the most fulfilling songs a break-up can have.

"I've Got a Dark Alley and a Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth" (Fall Out Boy)

Far and away one of my top five favorite songs ever. That I would allow to be on my one cd when I am left on a desert island. Because I am secretly an angsty teenage boy. Every story in my head has a scene where this is played. One of those songs that reminds you that someone else has been through it. And that if you turn up the volume enough, it will be ok.

"XO" (Fall Out Boy)

A song about a random hook-up. That involves the phrase "loose lips sink ships". What more do you need?

The Driving List

"Joyride" (International Victim)

Drew Sarich said he grew up listening to the Beach Boys, and you can hear it in this. I thought you'd like it, especially as it says "I'll be your partner in crime".

"Lux" (International Victim)

They might not be the next Greatest Band on Earth, but I think this song is worryingly enjoyable. And it's also a song about the guy who got left behind. Which I can relate to, all too well.

"Billy Liar" (The Decemberists)

The Decemberists are ridiculous. And they have these songs that are whole stories and fables and nonsense verses all rolled into one. And this one is terribly hummable, involves mail room clerks, geishas, mermaids and sea-faring adventures. And I think the refrain is one of those silly-yet-hopelessly-romantic little tugs on your heart moments that make a song a Song.

"(Coffee's for Closers)" (Fall Out Boy)

Written about the Obama election, which I thought was appropriate. Also, it has the really loud thumps of the clap they do at baseball games. You can't not be awake and chipper with this song.

"Feel Good Song of the Year" (Big Top Vertigo)

Listen close. You can hear a Boston accent (the guys in this were at Berkeley when they made this album, then split up, broke my heart and I've never been the same). I like the really sarcastic "I'm going to write the song you want to hear and then mock you mercilessly in it" aspect of it. And it's well done, too. This whole album, as a matter of fact, is near perfect.

"Lay All Your Love on Me" (ABBA)

It's Abba. There is nothing more that needs be said.

"Culling of the Fold" (The Decemberists)

This was kind of a remnant from the "nasty break-up" section. But it's kind of like a smoky nightclub-esque song of revenge.

"Snow" (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

Confession time: I listen to this song every time I read one of my Pendergast novels. So this song, to me, is Lizardmen in the New York Subways and alligators in a Louisiana bayou and all sorts of mayhem. My mother also recommended it to me, which I think is adorable. So now I'm passing it on.

The "Remember Your Roots" Interlude

"Massachusetts Mile" (Zach Berkman)

I have no clue what the difference between a Massachusetts Mile and a mile anywhere else is, but the song is really sweet. Especially when you consider that Zach Berkman is from New York. It just feels like fall and crisp leaves and those days when you just start to need a jacket outside.

"Dirty Water" (The Standells)

I cry every time I hear this song. Which explains why "Tessie" isn't on this cd--I bawl. It's really embarrassing. Apparently, it was Kevin Millar who started this song playing at Fenway. It also mentions the Strangler, which I think is nifty. But then again, I would.

"Heaven On Their Minds" (Drew Sarich)

I'm not sure why this in this place on the list, but enjoy it.

Warm and Fuzzy Section

"Outside" (Zach Berkman)

I listened to this song walking around Greenwich Park every weekend and I can't hear it without being incredibly happy. So listen to it in a place where you are really happy and I hope it has the same effect on you.

"Unknown Song" (Drew Sarich)

So named because I genuinely have no idea what it's called. Drew performed it at a club in Vienna and, as you can hear, the person recording it missed the first few seconds. It's a really good song for days when the world is too big. Also, there is a line about "ask back in Kansas", in his midwest accent, and I adore it.

"Smoke in Air" (Zack Berkman)

I hear this, and it's Spingtime in London at 1:30 in the morning. It's easy and breezy and jazzy and really clever. And is a bit like my life sometimes.

"Stumble" (Zach Berkman)

I had to edit this song since it went into a hidden track that isn't that great. But this song is catchy and makes me think that I have Experienced Things and have Tales to Tell. And it makes me dance in line at the grocery store. Which is really fun.

"South" (Drew Sarich)

Ok, seriously, the more I listen to this song, the more I'm convinced that it is just one enormous innuendo. I'm terrible at these things, so I'm still not sure. And even if it is, I love it way too much to care. It sounds...sultry. Yeah. Sultry.

"Comet" (Drew Sarich)

This was the song he wrote when everyone was telling him to come home from Europe and be responsible. It's a song for wanderers and explorers and people who want to live their life. It's like a musical hug.

"To the Prairie Light" (Zack Berkman)

I was writing a story with a character named Tabitha, so this song stuck with me. The more I listened to it, though, the more I just fell in love with it. It's another one of those songs that makes you feel better about needing to do the stuff that might not be Wise and Sensible. I have a huge thing for wistful songs, if you can't tell. I think the next CD I make is going to be "Bridget's Wistful List"...

Friendship Songs

"Storms of Change" (Big Top Vertigo)

If you need a survival song, look no further. I can't hear this song without feeling a little better and a little more defiant. I also can't listen to it without wanting to act like Mary Tyler Moore and throw my hat up in the air and dance a little. Enjoy.

"Down to Earth" (Barenaked Ladies)

Again, this might be good for the break-up list, but it is also a great "I'm great" song. And the Barenaked Ladies are super at biting sarcasm.

"Bank Job"

"How do you plan for a bank full of nuns?" My mother and I listen to this song on every driving trip and sing it very loudly. I think the line "They were like zebras, they had us confused" is priceless. Just listen, and think of some of our more...colorful exploits.

"All for You" (Sister Hazel)

I love this song. It's the closing credits of a phenomenal adventure. Best of all, it's a song about loving someone. Not why, or why not. Just that they are awesome.

"I Have Friends in Holy Spaces" (Panic at the Disco)

Since these next three songs all blend into each other, I put them in order here. The 1920's jazz club awesomeness of this song not withstanding, I love asking the sun to come out and sing with me. My car dances to this song.

"Northern Downpour" (Panic at the Disco)

Again, these dudes may not be the Greatest Band Ever, but there are lines here and there that take my breath away. "I missed your skin when you were east" is one of them. There are a few more winners in this song, but that line makes me swoon every time.

"When the Day Met the Night" (Panic at the Disco)

A charming little love affair song. "So he said, would it be ok, if we just sat and talked for a little while, if in exchange for your time, I gave you this smile." Awww....

"Oh Babe, What Would You Say?" (Hurricane Smith)

Another charmer. I just imagine some guy in a suit and cravat coming along and sweeping me away. And it's from the Fever Pitch soundtrack, so he's a Red Sox fan and has season tickets.

"Red Right Ankle" (The Decemberists)

Another of my top five favorite songs ever ever ever. I listened to this while reading Oscar and Lucinda (Peter Carey, bestest book ever), and I always associate the two in my head. But there is something haunting and lovely and inevitable and romantic about it. I love it. Too much to explain.

"I'm Sticking With You" (The Decemberists)

This is just about the silliest song on earth, but it makes me laugh. And it is a good Abby and Bridget song. Because we would hold up stagecoaches in the rain, among other things...

"Boston" (Big Top Vertigo)

My favorite Boston song ever. Cry nearly every time I hear it, but in the good way. Don't want to spoil it with too much more talk. But if you're from here, you'll get it.

Wow. That was a lot of words.....

Dr. Parnassus - the Doctor of Weird

My cousin and I went to the movies last night. We had seen all the chick flicks that were out, so we decided to see something a little different - Terry Gilliam's new vehicle and Heath Ledger's last film - The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. From all of the previews we had seen, this looked like yet another creepy but wonder-filled movie from the guy who brought us all of those LSD-infused cartoons from Monty Python.

Boy, I was not wrong.

I have never been more bored and more confused at the same time. The movie took way too long to develop. I was astonished when I looked down at my watch, thinking that the movie must be almost over, to find that I was only 45 minutes in. And yet the plot kept twisting and turning so I never knew what was going next. It felt like the movie never got it's footing, and kept faltering back from one plot to the next, all the while engulfing the audience in this "imaginarium" that seemed nothing more than a bad mushroom trip.

The plot, as far as I could determine it was - Dr. Parnassus, played by Christopher Plummer, is an immortal wizard of sorts who travels around London, engaging usually drunk teenagers to enter into his imaginarium through a magical mirror. When they do, they have a choice between purity and the Devil, played by the ever creepy and intriguing Tom Waits. Dr. Parnassus and the Devil are betting men, and the prize is Parnassus's daughter, a 16-year-old beauty played by Lily Cole and adds way too many uncomfortable statutory undertones to the movie. When Parnassus and his team rescue Heath Ledger's character, he promises to help them "modernize" the show, all the while inciting the lust of Parnassus' daughter.

That's only the basics of the plot. To be honest, I'm surprised I made that much sense of it. Gilliam spent too much time on unimportant side plots, and failed to develop the more fascinating plots. I was left with a sense of disappointment that many of the key questions raised in the story were unsolved, while many other trivial points were beated to death by too much exposition and dialogue.

Don't go see this movie. It's odd, boring, and it made me completely unable to fall asleep, as I pondered what the hell Gilliam must have been smoking to think that this made a plausible film. I'm also wholey disappointed that this was Heath Ledger's last film. He should have gone out with a bang, not a whimper. This could have been a great film, if only it was done completely differently.

White Tea: Not Safe for Children

Bridget and I have gotten high only once.

And that time was on accident.

We were never partiers in high school. In fact, I don’t think either one of us ever drank a beer in high school that wasn’t with our parents. Even now, the only time we drink is when we’re watching a Sox game, and then only because it’s appropriate for the occasion. And don’t even get me started on pot, cigarettes, or any of those other crazy drugs some kids try (Wow, I feel like an old lady right now). We were about as straight edge as you get.

Except for tea.

Bridget and I are tea addicts. Black tea is our drug of choice, but we’ve tried every type of tea we could get our hands on: green tea, red tea, oolong tea, you name it. And white tea. Oh….. white tea.

The incident in question was in 2005. It was winter break after my first semester in college. Bridget and I had been parted for 4 whole months, and that was almost more than we can stand. She came over, and with it she brought my Christmas present. We always give each other thoughtful and meaningful gifts, and this year was no exception. Bridget got me this great pack of white tea from a small store in western Mass. Neither of us had ever tried white tea before, and we were both keen to see what it tasted like. We didn’t know anything about it except what it said on the label.

The label was very specific. It told us to heat the water until it was exactly 185°F. Then we had to brew the tea for exactly 3 minutes - no more, no less. The tea was apparently very fickle and we needed to get it just right.

We did everything the label asked of us. We even used my mom’s meat thermometer to gage the exact temperature of the water. We both thought that this was a little silly, but we did it anyway. We always do what we’re told. And at the end, we had two lovely cups of tea…

Or so we thought.

Our tea resting in our hands, we made our way into the living room and turned on the TV, looking for something to watch. It being a Wednesday afternoon, there was nothing on but Oprah and the occasional celebrity judge. We flipped through the channels until we got to HBO. There, wonder of wonders, was the greatest thing either of us had ever seen.

David Hasselhoff playing the lead role of a televised version of Jekyll and Hyde, the musical.

As we sipped our tea, we found the whole thing very silly. David Hasselhoff is not meant to play dramatic roles, especially not ones requiring a singing voice. As the show progressed (we had jumped in right at the dramatic climax), we started giggling.

Then we started laughing.

Then we started cracking jokes, which only made us laugh harder.

White tea is supposed to be caffeine free. In fact, it’s supposed to be one of the most calming of the teas, containing ¾ the caffeine content of green tea.

But for some reason it had the opposite effect on Bridget and me. Instead of calming us down, it made us hyper. Hyper to the point where we couldn’t sit still, where we were talking over one another, barely stopping to catch our breath.

Maybe the reason they call it white tea is because it’s laced with cocaine. Or maybe someone thought it would be funny to give a couple of young girls cracked out tea. Either way, we were high on something. Maybe it was life. Maybe it was the fact that David Hasselhoff can’t sing. Either way, there was something off about the whole situation.

The best part about this story, however, is that Bridget has a completely different version of it. I talked to her after I had written a draft of the blog and asked her what she thought. Her response was, “Yeah… I don’t remember any of that. The last thing I remember is taking the temperature of the water until we were halfway through the second showing of Jekyll and Hyde and downing our second cup of tea.”

To be honest, I don’t really remember much after that. It’s all a bit hazy. Bridget has a clearer recollection of certain events that occurred that night.

Her version goes like this: We brewed the tea, as I mentioned. After that, however, her memory is blank until about an hour later. She states that we had a second cup, which I believe, considering the effect of that first cup. And apparently Jekyll and Hyde was on rerun, so there were two showings of the musical in succession. We watched the end of the first, and then started in on the second.

Bridget also remembers something I completely forget. Apparently my good friend Pete came to stay at my house. According to her, it was New Year's Eve, and both my and Pete’s parents were going to a party together. Since neither Pete nor Bridget and I had any plans, his parents dropped him off at my place, only to witness the most ridiculous scene of Bridget and I high off our asses. I feel bad for him. I should probably apologize to him, but hopefully he’s blocked that out of his memory.

Pete is my oldest friends. Our mutual older brothers went to daycare together, as did Pete and I. I’ve known him since he was born (I’m older by 10 months). He must have been so weirded out by us both. I can only imagine his inner monologue during this episode, “Lord, Abby must have some weird friends. Is she turning into a druggy? How long would it take for me to walk home from here? Can I call my parents, or will they already be too drunk? I guess I’ll just stick it out, as I have nowhere else to go…”

All in all, it took us a few hours to calm down. We still don’t know if there was actually something in the tea, or if it was just us being hyper (that has been known to happen, from time to time). Still, from that day forward we swore off white tea. I still to this day refuse to drink it. So what if it’s supposed to be good for you? So what if that cup was a fluke. I won’t take my chances. There are plenty other teas in the world.

And So It Begins...

This is a story about how good things can happen when you take candy from strangers.

 

My friendship with Bridget is a third grader - 9 years old. We couldn’t be prouder. How it’s grown. Our friendship was born in August of 2000 in Logan Airport on the way to Edinburgh Scotland. Here’s the story.

My brother is 4 years older than me. He’s also a theater kid, or was, like me. The summer before my 8^th grade year, my brother’s high school drama troupe got invited to go to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, a huge honor. They were going to perform A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, a great comedy set in ancient Greece. My parents, being close friends of the director, were asked to go along as chaperones. Now, as my entire family was going on this trip, I of course was dragged along. Poor me.

I was incredibly excited for the trip (I am part Scottish after all), but there was one slight catch. I knew no one. Sure, I knew those few guys who came over my house to hang out with my brother, but I wasn’t exactly friends with them. How can you be when you’re 13 and they’re 17? But I went along anyway. If nothing else, I would just hang out with my parents and putz around a gorgeous city. So I was totally prepared for wonderful, if lonely, trip.

At Logan Airport, I was standing in line to check my luggage. I probably had the least amount of luggage of anyone else on the trip, because they had to bring their entire set over. My parents had gone off to talk to the director and the choreographer, leaving me alone in line. There is a girl in front of me. She’s slightly older than me, but definitely not as old as my brother. I’d seen her talking to some of my brother’s friends, so I knew she was on the trip. She turned around, reached into her backpack, and offered me a lifesaver wintergreen mint.

“Would you like a mint?” she asked me.

“Sure. Thanks.” I said, not knowing if the conversation would continue.

“My name’s Bridget. What’s yours?”

“I’m Abby. I’m Jonah’s little sister.”

“Nice to meet you Abby.”

We engaged in a little more small talk, before it was her turn at the counter. I saw her a little on the plane and the various buses we took to get to our hotel. She seemed really nice, but I was so overwhelmed by being the youngest in the group, and the only one that knew no one. People were nice to me, of course, but I didn’t feel like I fit in.

Over the two weeks we were there, that slowly changed. Bridget and I became closer, as did a bunch of other people I met on the trip. I had brought a deck of cards with me on the trip (I never go anywhere without them) as well as a deck of SET cards, a logic matching game that had been my favorite since I was 6 years old. I introduced a few people to the game, including Bridget. Many of them gave up after one or too rounds (I schooled them so completely), but Bridget and I kept playing.

And playing. And playing.

We played every day during the trip. I beat her regularly, but she was incredibly good. I had to keep on my toes just to remain the champion. But more importantly, through these games we became great friends. Do you know that feeling when you just meet someone, but you feel like you’ve known them forever after just a few hours, and wonder how you ever lived without them? That’s what Bridget and I had. We just clicked. That trip made us best friends. She introduced me to everyone on the trip, and was always around when I wanted to talk. We spent almost every waking moment of the trip together, either playing SET or just talking or exploring the city.

The one incident that cemented our friendship came at the end of the trip. We had spent almost two weeks in Edinburgh, but none of us had really been allowed to explore the city, as we were constantly on a tight schedule. But one day, our chaperones allowed us to go explore the city, as long as we were back in time for call in the afternoon. Bridget and I instantly set off for the city, keen to investigate what the city had to offer. Bridget loves Scotland about as much as I do, so we wanted to see the city we had heard so much about.

We wandered about, visiting Edinburgh Castle as well as the prerequisite kitschy shops that lined the Royal Mile. But the crown jewel came when we happened upon the Black Medicine Coffee Company, a small coffee shop in the heart of Old Town. We instantly went in, as we had both discovered earlier in the trip our mutual love of tea. It was a rainy day (as so many are in Scotland) and we needed something to warm us up.

As soon as we walked in, we fell in love. The inside felt like an old log cabin nestled deep in the woods. The wood furniture and low lighting made the place feel rustic, and yet deeply homey. And they had an extensive selection of teas, which just sealed the deal for us both. We sat at a table and just talked and talked. We talked for hours, about everything. The fate of our friendship was sealed at that moment. We would be best friends forever.

Soon we realized that time had slipped away from us, and we rushed back to meet up with the group. But both of us realized that something special had happened at that coffee shop. A lasting friendship had been formed.

Throughout nine years, with it’s many ups and even more downs, we’ve been best friends. We’ve stood beside each other during love, heartbreak, triumph, disappointment, travel, loneliness, and joy. Our friendship has spanned 3 continents as we both have gone abroad for college and grad school. But no matter what, we’re still best friends. When we see each other, even after long absences, we pick up as if we’d seen each other the day before. We’re always there for each other, no matter what.

This blog is a dedication to our friendship, our stories, our hopes and dreams, but most of all, each other. I hope you enjoy reading.

 

-Abby