Last night B and I stopped by Jessica’s work for Cuban food (they have the best limeade!) then we went and saw Scott Pilgrim vs The World. I wasn’t sure about this movie because I’m not a huge Michael Cera fan – I mean, how many times can he play the same super awkward indie kid? I liked Juno and hated Youth in Revolt, but Scott Pilgrim was awesome! I loved the game points and coins and the music was fantastic. Kieran Culkin kinda stole the show for me. Plus slow motion ninja moves?! Best! There was a dude in a Misfits shirt with a little girl and she was cracking up the whole time – it was so cute.

[ Scott Pilgrim avatar creator ]

Other things rocking my week…hangs with Jessica after a week away + seeing my cuteface puppy after a week away + texts from lots of people saying ‘you’re back?! let’s hang out!’ + registering for pole dancing with my favorite MI bloggers (yes, there will be a million pictures) + refilling my very empty fridge + finding a really good salsa (I always have about 4 barely eaten jars in the fridge because I’m so picky) + coloring my hair at home for seven bucks aaaand getting a bunch of compliments on it+ responding to everything with ‘holla!’ + blue sparkly nails + rain starting to turn my grass slightly green again + being a bit broke and still ordering books online + hangs with someone I haven’t seen in months +  getting out of work early!!

Seeee ya!

I downloaded Rachel Getting Married last night. I hated it and wanted to turn it off in the middle, but made it to the end only hating it slightly less. I just found the first three seasons of Dexter (yes, I know, I’m the only person who hasn’t watched it), which I will begin watching today. Though I should be cleaning my house because there is stuff EVERYWHERE. My room is cluttered with cups, tissues, empty medicine and vitamin bottles, clothing, boots, and bags of gifts. My dining room table has three, THREE, Frye boot boxes, two of which need to be taken to UPS, along with piles of mail and bills that need to be filed. My bathroom hasn’t been cleaned in weeks. But I will ignore all of this and stay in bed to snuggle my cute puppy and watch TV and movies on my computer.

B and I went to see Sherlock Holmes yesterday. It wasn’t my first choice, but it was pretty good. I really like Ritchie’s style of slowing down action scenes so you can tell what’s going on. We also plan on seeing Avatar in 3D and Up In The Air before my vacay is over.

Yay for not being productive!

I booked a super cheap ticket at 11PM, talked to my boss about working Tuesday instead of Monday and got my parents to watch Slayer.

Sunday morning I packed up my stuff and puppy stuff and headed to my parents house. My dad drove me to the airport and by 2:30 I was in Chicago. I was only my second time flying, so B got a good laugh when I ended up exiting the airport at the departure gate instead of the arrival gate.

I was stoked to get a text from Jessica, who I had planned to meet up with at the airport before she flew home, saying her flight had been canceled and she’d be staying another night.

B and I went to Chicago Diner for dinner and then watched Ultimate Fakebook sound check. I’ve been a big UF fan for years, but only got to see them once just before they broke up, so I was really excited to being seeing them again. (I may have gone a little fangirl on Bill at the end of the night when everyone was gone and he walked into the dressing room while I was waiting for B.) During their sound check they obliged Justin’s request to hear something by Whiteney Houston and played an indie rock version of “I Will Always Love You.”

I met up with Jessica, Jamie and Jamie’s sister Sara for a few minutes and took an obligatory photo for the blog.

I watched the first half of the show from the sound booth while B did lights and fended off adorable fans trying to get a copy of the set list. (Little did I know he wasn’t handing it over because he was saving it for me!) I ran upstairs for the encore to sing-a-long and rock out with Jessica. The show was waaaay better in person.

After the show there was a lot of hanging out and waiting and Twittering. A bunch of people went to the bar, but I had a raging headache and felt a cold descending upon me, so we opted to go straight to the hotel to sleep.

When I woke up in the morning the headache was gone, but I couldn’t breathe through my nose. B and I got packed up, drove Jesse to the airport and then started home. We were super hungry, but kept seeing signs for Burger King, so we waited to eat until we finally found one. So many damn billboards and so few restaurants! I tried their new funnel cake sticks…holy moly were they good! Then I spent the entire 5 hour drive home in and out of sleep and blowing my nose every five seconds.

I was so happy when we got back to my parents house and was greeted by my spazzy puppy. My mom made me grilled cheese and tomato soup and we watched the finale of The Sing Off, which was kind of totally awesome. Then Slayer and I went home and I put myself in a Nyquil coma for the rest of the night.

Despite being sick and working from home today I’m really glad I made the quick trip to Chicago. I got to see Jessica again, meet Jamie, witness the awesomeness of Ultimate Fakebook and MCS, eat at Chicago Diner, and have sweet hangs with B.

I was out of bed at 9 so I could head to the salon to get my hair done. Three hours later, a darker redhead, I headed home to get ready for Warped Tour. After some back and forth texting (didn’t even occur to me to just call) I picked up Jessica and Justin and hauled ass to try and catch the Bouncing Souls set. J & J picked up their wrist bands from a will call list that was about 1,000 people long and I spent a million bucks on a ticket which turned out to be totally worth it.

After wandering through the mass of sweaty, half-dressed, shoe-less kids we watched three Bouncing Souls songs and then walked over to another stage for Gallows. They were AWESOME. The band spent most of their set in the crowd while the singer directed the throngs of moshing kids. Circle pit around the sound booth? No problem. Wall of Death? Let’s go! We spent most of the time moving back as to avoid being taken out by swinging arms and legs.

Justin, Mark and Jessica

After Gallows there was a lot of beer drinking, walking around, wondering why parents would let their kids out of the house dressed like that. Jessica and I chatted up the dude at the NOFX booth, who showed us a picture and tattoo of his goofy looking dog. We watched a bit of Chiodos set (B is working for them) and when they were done I got a call from him saying to meet him on the right side of the stage immediately. With Bad Religion coming up next, Jessica and I took off running through the crowd. B was right there, grabbed my hand, said “This is my present for you” and then took us up on stage and put me just behind the speakers, about two feet from the band. OMG I just about lost my mind I was so excited. I was so close I could have spit on them. Their set was amazing and they played my favorite song and I’m pretty sure I made eye contact with Greg Graffin.

So excited for Bad Religion!

OMG so close!!

See! I could almost touch him!

The time between walking off stage and climbing in bed for the night is a bit of a blur. We got dinner at Thai Cafe, dropped off Jessica and Justin, dropped off B. Went home to shower and take care of Slayer. Picked up B, took him grocery shopping for the entire band & crew, which meant we were pushing two very full carts through Meijer at midnight. Back to B’s house to finish loading my car – the back passanger door doesn’t unlock and therefore doesn’t open, so he had to shove his suitcases through the window. Thanks to my speedy driving we were downtown in 10 minutes. Unloaded the car, said goodbye, and then I was back home and passed out in bed by two.

A day I was very anxious about turned out to be better than I could have imagined.

B came home yesterday with lots of prezzies for me. He said he bought every Nightmare Before Christmas toy he could find and then remembered I like other stuff, so I got lots of Hello Kitty, Edward Scissorhands, and FDLS stuff too!

Picked up a table and chairs I found on Craigslist and finished painting the living room this past weekend. I’m so in love with the color and can’t wait to put pictures up on the walls. Next in line for paint is the dining room, which I’ll start working on this weekend while B is recording.

I finally ordered this couch from Macys, but in a woven gray fabric. It won’t be here for 8 weeks, so my parents are going to bring over a very old, very unattractive love seat that has been in their basement for 10 years.

Going through listings has been very entertaining. I love clicking on items described as gorgeous or unique because that generally leads to something heinously ‘why the hell did you buy that?’ ugly.

I’m still on the hunt for the perfect couch and my next stop will be Macy’s tonight. I’ve decided I’m never going to find the perfect sectional, so I’m settling for a couch and an ottoman.

I stopped by JCPenney’s last Friday and was ignored by the four sales people though I was the only person in the store. Don’t they know they are all supposed to attack like ravenous wolves as soon as I walk in the door? After looking at couches for a half hour I gave up and went home. And by ‘gave up’ I mean I got totally pissed.

I went back the next day with my parents – despite not wanting to buy from them, they have the couch I want. As soon as I was ready to fork over the cash, I was told the couch was on back order. To prove their amazing salemanship, the manager said he would call on Monday to let me know if I could get it earlier than March 12, but of course I still have not heard from him. Too bad for them because I was going to buy the couch either way. Fail JCPenney, major fail! Now I will have to buy a couch from your arch nemesis, Macys. mwahahaha

I don’t have anymore house pictures right now. The only pictures I’ve taken are of me sitting in a La-Z-Boy eating ice cream, so B can keep up with my exciting life while he is in Japan.

The guest room, which is currently housing my bed (just got that duvet cover from CB2!) and a rug that is too big for the space until I get the plaster fixed in my room. (or should I say our room since I’m going to have a roomie in a month or two)

My office – not much in there now, but I’m planning for a wall of shelves and some sort of window seat/day bed/storage thingy. I’m very excited to organize. This blogger’s office makes me totally jealous, I may steal some of her ideas.

Check out the awesome curtains left by the previous owner – those are staying, but the wall color has gotta change.

And finally the bathroom, which I love because it is SO CLEAN! See that shelf next to me? I built it all by myself. (it came from Target)

Now I’m going finish sanding since I’m so antsy to get some color on the walls. B headed to Japan this morning (he should be arriving in about 5 hours), so I’ll have plenty of time to paint. Do you know what helps with missing a lover and lots of house work? Ben and Jerry’s Cinnamon Buns ice cream, that’s what!

* Did I mention that after my ‘omg I can’t drink my wine because I doooon’t haaaave a bottle ooopener!’ freakout, B went and bought all my kitchen essentials that I desperately needed? Yes…love.

P.S. Make your own cards here – thanks to Angilio for the link.

I’m enjoying the snow this year. 20 minutes South the snow melts in a day, but at my house it just keeps piling up. I probably won’t see the front lawn again until March. I’m stocked with boots and tights and dresses and my car is doing a good job staying on the road. I take a scenic route to work, with big houses and trees stretching their frost-covered limbs over the road.

I’m almost done with my Christmas shopping and have successfully purchased only handmade gifts. Just have to decide on a piece of jazz-related art for my dad. Etsy, I heart you.

Yesterday I realized that I’ll be able to get a new cell in January instead of May like I thought. Anyone getting a Blackberry Storm for Christmas? I think I need one.