This picture really makes me want to punch him in the face for some reason.

I forgot to mention that there's a dumpster directly outside my window. There's chipmonks and birds on there all day picking at garbage. I blame it for the two dead baby mice we threw in the trash tonight. They found their way into the apartment and died a slow death on the sticky glue mouse traps we have down. They were so little and cute. Poor little mice.

I went to the flea market today. I bought two necklaces and two scarves and a new wallet. I got hit on by a 70 year old irish man that told me I was nice to look at and still had at least 10 years left to get married. Thanks for the comfort old man. This was all because I asked the price of a clarinet. Lo and behold, Andy has an "extra" clarinet that he might give me. Apparently his school was getting rid of their music program (WTF?) and were going to just throw away the instruments (WTF x2.) So who knows, I may be in possession of a clarinet soon. Perhaps I will be more eager to play it than I was at age 14.

I started going through my things tonight to try to downsize before the move. I have at least one grocery bag full of cds and two bags of clothes/shoes so far. I also threw out all the paintings that I'd done that wasn't really proud of (all of them.) I haven't done any of my shit painting in about two years anyway, so now they're in that damn dumpster.

This weekend:
Checked out the apartment again
Ate lots of nachos
Watched On the Lot a bunch
Wrapped and iced Hunter's torn ligament/sprained ankle several times
Fell asleep on the floor
Saw the Simpsons movie
Bought some dresses
Bought some shoes
Bought a _______ (secret!!)

Still need to figure out a restaurant to take H on Friday. I <3 Boston Chefs. Also need to reserve a zip car and get some Six Flags tix. And then there's the wedding djing! agghghghhg. That's just a whole 'nother monster.

Mom is coming Sept 18th-23rd (I think.) We might go to Maine and do some hiking and whatnot.

Not sure about Seattle trip, but getting more and more anxious to go back.. Vicki IM'd me to say she was there for the block party and I tried not to be insanely jealous.

Shout Out Out Out Out this week, They Shoot Horses Don't They next week. Yessss. Been so long.

This Bishop Allen record is really fucking good.

I just completed:

Whole wheat penne with roasted garlic, cherry tomato, onion, red pepper, green beens and spinach. I accidently bought blue cheese instead of gorgonzola. The blue is a little too pungent for this but I'm eating it on top anyway. Also made garlic bread with roasted garlic. Oh and a glass of red wine. Not bad for a Thursday. Keep in mind I'm wearing jean cut-offs and a tank top with a heart-shaped sunset spray painted on it. I can never quite get there, can I.

I think I gave myself a shitty haircut. I cut my bangs too short and then sort of shrugged my shoulders. I probably look like a crappy betty page, so basically me circa 1999. I'm sure it's not that bad, but it's more fun to think it is.

Did I mention how hot it is in this kitchen?! I would go in my room but it would mean laying on my bed to type which might make me comatose. I'm halfway there already.

Ahh time to get back to work.

New York makes my fingernails dirty. I had one of those visits that, while a good time, made me glad I didn't live there. I think I decided it somewhere inbetween the dirty finger nails, various scents of garbage wafting from the sidewalks and the random guy running into the bathroom with a bleeding hand at the house-party in Brooklyn. I'm not cut out for it. I prefer to spend my nights eating popcorn and listening to Magnetic Fields while writing about how I dont want to live in New York.

I'm sorta run out of things to watch on TV Links. I'm watching re-runs of The Apprentice and scoffing at how much smarter I am than those Harvard Business School Grads. I mean, how hard is it to get some a-holes at Fred Meyer to sign up for a stupid Sam's Club Card. Fred Meyer is to my teenage years as Target is to my forever. Ahh. It would be an easy sell.

I have a new place lined up! I'll be living in Porter Square in a little over a month with Elinor, Caitlin and some mystery dude whose name I can't remember. I think the place will be dope once we slap some paint on it and whatnot. Plus with this whole "bike gang" rollin around these parts, maybe it's time to jump ship from Brookline/Allston.

I guess my mom is coming to visit in September. For like a week. That's a lot of mom time. Hopefully I can plan some sort of trip so we're only in Boston for a few days. Maybe a camping trip so something. Take a lil' ride on ye ol' commuter rail, who knows. She hasn't been to visit since the slightly disasterous visit 2 or so years ago. Disasterous because it was hot and we spent most of the time cleaning the Dot apartment so that she felt better about leaving me there. Ehhh.

Now I'm watching people walk on broken glass.

Another exciting Tuesday night!

1. They getting rid of Court TV (old news.) This would upset me more if I had TV.
2. I might have TV soon cause I think we found a place to live. With a porch. And a backyard.
3. Too Much Eating.
4. I was asleep by midnight all weekend.
5. NYC next weekend. 4am bedtime?
6. I think the new Stars is great (track #8 is a littttle over the top, but what can you do.)
7. Summer is going by too fast.
8. <3 <3 <3

Worst Song to Play at a Wedding Ever

In the spirit of planning the playlist for Peter and Alyssa's wedding, I thought I'd share the most depressing song about getting married ever. It was on an Old Navy playlist so I had to listen to it over and over while folding size 2T jeans in the kids section.

Band of Gold

Now that you're gone
All that's left is a band of gold
All that's left of the dream I hold
Is a band of gold
And the memories of what love could be
If you are still here with me

You took me from the shelter of a mother I had never known
Who loved any other
We kissed after taking vows
But that night on our honeymoon
We stayed in separate rooms

I wait in the darkness of my lonely room
Filled with sadness, filled with gloom
Hoping soon that you'll walk
Back through that door
And love me like you tried before

Since you've been gone
All that's left is a band of gold
All that's left of the dream I hold
Is a band of gold
And the dream of what love could be
If you are still here with me

Ooh, don't you know that I wait in the darkness of my lonely room
Filled with sadness, filled with gloom
Hoping soon that you'll walk
Back through that door
And love me like you tried before

Since you've been gone
All that's left is a band of gold
All that's left of the dream I hold
Is a band of gold
And the dream of what love could be
If you are still here with me

Me and Nate discussing new Stars track Personal

NateTMarkley: I like personal too
bethanypickard: me too
NateTMarkley: its sad!
bethanypickard: it's a little ridiculous.. like the concept
bethanypickard: but yeah
bethanypickard: it's totally sad
NateTMarkley: she has the best voice
bethanypickard: she's like "WHY DIDN'T YOU MEET ME>!>!"
bethanypickard: ahah it just came on


bethanypickard: oh man
bethanypickard: it's the part of the song
bethanypickard: where she realizes she's been ditched
bethanypickard: like
NateTMarkley: yeah...well
bethanypickard: why does he not meet her?
NateTMarkley: she's no film star beauty!
bethanypickard: she's ugly!
bethanypickard: and has baggage!
bethanypickard: notice that in the second ad
bethanypickard: he requests a picture first
bethanypickard: ahaha
NateTMarkley: totally
NateTMarkley: he doesn't meet her because
NateTMarkley: it's torquil
NateTMarkley: and he's gay

Last night I saw the Maximo Park/Monsters are Waiting/Oohlas show at Paradise.

Honestly, I liked the Oohlas record (or however its spelled record) so I was anxious to see them live for the first time. But for the love of god. They were so bad. Carl put it as "you know sometimes you tell a band to just shut up and play? With them it's just like.. shut up." Even the songs that stuck out on the record fell flat. Baby talk and thrashing around like your naked in bed does not equal charisma neither does telling the crowd "we drove three fucking days to be here" or "buy our fucking record! blah blah blah." Especially when the vocals sound like shit. All this band did was make me want to see Visqueen. In fact, I texted Ben Hooker to find out when they might be in town (no response!)

Speaking of amazing vocals (Visqueen) I'm listening to Neko Case and once again trying to figure out if there's any legal way to marry her voice.

Anyway, Monsters Are Waiting were fine and all, but they sorta put everyone into snoresville.

But Holy Shit, Maximo Park. Even though I missed the red leather jacket and glove, their show was even more incredible than the one I saw in Seattle. The dude is like the Fred Astaire of rock (err Brit rock? British dance pop? wtf?) I stood there with a huge grin as they pounded through song after song, jumping dancing and the keyboard doing that weird robot chop he does. The crowd was nuts, the show was nuts and there was that energy floating in the air that is so hard to create. Ahhh so good.

I've decided to move somewhere new in two years. That'll be 5 years in Boston. I think that's a good number to end on. Not sure where to next. Suggestions? Don't say WA, that is too obvious. Not going to NYC either. Be creative. I'm thinking Savannah. Or the moon.

Also, find me a new apartment please. Thanks.

RIP Mr. Butch.

Worst Friend/Complainer

I have missed the following birthdays in the last two weeks:

Melissa Gill
Doug Blake
Steve Theo
Canada
Calley
Jason Faust (which I doubt he noticed, but I did)
Jenny Strother.

I have branded "worst friend" into my forearm in hopes of remembering (on time) that I have friends whom I'm glad were born and should tell them at least once a year.

I know I am just back from vaca and should be relaxed, but a few things that are frustrating me right now:

Bank of America
Finding a roommate
Finding an apartment
Ticketmaster trying to charge me $13

I'm back into the swing of things at work. I moved cubicles and my new one smells like a mothball, which is better than my old one which dripped rain all over my desk on the 4th of July. I recorded a new radio show (wed from 10am-2pm est online at www.myspace.com/radioyouboston)

Tomorrow is Maximo Park.

Tomorrow will be better than today! I know it!

Think I will go to NYC in two weeks. Yep.

I Swani

I think I'm developing a fear of flying. The fear has been honed slowly over the last few years and expontentially increases when A. Flying into Boston B. Flying on a small plane. On my trip home I had drifted off listening to Rihanna and woke when one of my ears popped. For some reason this cause me to immediately tighten my hands around the arms of my chair and look to the flight attendent for signs that she was pretending not to panic in order to keep us calm. Now, I realize I had no reason to be worried (you know, like any explosions, broken wings, or "prepare for a water landing" announcements) but I'm feeling like perhaps I should start taking about 18 valium before I set foot on a plane. I'm not even sure that valium is even the right drug. Ugh. I hate myself sometimes.

My flight home was from Raleigh, North Carolina, where I had spent the last 4 hours exploring the neighborhoods of Hunter's childhood and eating mexican food with Lindsey Kronmiller. Him and I (with Granny and Aunt Clara in tow) had arrived that afternoon after several days spent wandering between the beach, the pool and the house on Top Sail Island. The whole family was there, and I met them (well, besides Garrison) for the first time, one after another. Not what you might expect to be a relaxing vacation, but it was. I could feel my brain melting into a happy pool as I jammed spoonfuls of sweet potatoes and homemade baklava into my mouth.

We watched something like 8 episodes of The Office (season 2.) We saw A Mighty Heart, Coal Miners Daughter and You Me and Dupree (I feel asleep for that one.) I had fried okra for the first time. I realized that I needed a new bikini if I ever wanted to jump around in the ocean again. We watched other peoples fireworks. I got dusted in freckles without getting a sunburn. I bought a book on depression glass at the antique store.

I didn't want to leave. I wanna go back and lay on the beach and watch the pelicans fly overhead in a straight line back and forth. I want more of this:

OOOOOOOO

TT the Bears

September 27
The Lucksmiths
11:55pm
The Ladybug Transistor
10:50pm
Still Flyin'
9:55pm

Man, I'm really working that big pointy nose thing. I can't figure out if I should blame my mother or father for such a gift.

Right now it's 5am. I can't sleep. I've been laying here thinking of all the stuff I need to do in the next two days since I managed to not be productive over the weekend. I did get caught up on sleep though. And I made some decent gauc. And I sat on Aaron's porch (who showed us his sunburn line no less than 3 times) and talked to Cait. And went to GS (where the picture above was taken.) And I watched some TV links.

I didn't do anything on my "to do list" though. Shame on me.

Hunter texted me last night that he showed his mom a picture of me on the internet. Also, that Claire Daines and Richard Gere were staying on the island supposedly. And then I fell asleep at like 10pm.

I have a feeling that work is going to be slightly hellish today. I think this is the reason for the non-sleep. I was half-dreaming about work all night. Stressing is more like it.

I'm not sure the radio show is going to happen today. Just not sure I can make it out there.

Welp. Time to get ready for the gym!