Where were you when …

You first heard Hanson?
I was sitting in my room listening to the radio (Z104 I think), and all of a sudden this song comes on that just makes me happy. It took me awhile to figure out who sang it, but once I did, the rest was history

You got your first Hanson CD?
Well, my first Hanson albums were cassettes. When I finally got a CD player, however, I distinctly remember my first CD purchase being Middle of Nowhere at Tower Records in DC.

You saw them in concert for the first time?
July 2, 1998 at the Nissan Pavilion!

Hanson was on Live with Regis & Kathy Lee?
I dunno. Definitely didn’t see it live — without the internet at home, it was hard to keep with all their TV appearances.

You wore your very first Hanson t-shirt?
I dunno, maybe to school or their show?

Concerts …

Which tour did you first see them on?
Albertane Tour.

How much merchandise did you buy?
None — I was stupid and forgot my money at home. I remember hating myself for that the whole night.

What songs did you hope that they’d play at this first concert?
I honestly didn’t care (it was my first concert). I just wanted to see and hear them!

Did they play them?
Yes?

How many times have you seen them live?
9.

Old School …

Did you own MON?
Um, who didn’t?

Did you own Tulsa, Tokyo & The MON?
See above.

Be honest, how many times have you watched those videos?
Lots.

Did you have posters that covered your walls?
Haha, thousands — you literally couldn’t see the wall. Ask anybody who knew me back then!

Are they still up on those walls?
No, we’ve moved twice since then (not to mention college). Though I do have a few of their more recent posters up.

Did you have Hanson books?
Oh yes. I think the question is, what didn’t I have?

Do you still have them?
Yep (in a box).

Do you know who Puff Greeny is?
LOL of course. But I thought it was Puff Broccoli?

The middle years …

Did you rush out to the store to buy This Time Around?
Yep. Forget which store, though.

What’s your favorite song on that CD?
Sure About It, Runaway Run, If Only.

What did you do when you found out that Taylor got married?
My internet friend told me and I thought she was lying/spreading a rumor. Then I read the People article or whatever and was like zomg! And freaked out a little while my 14-year-old self died, but then I got over it

Did you own Live at the Fillmore?
Si.

Was it a DVD or a VHS?
DVD.

Do you still have it?
Why wouldn’t I?

Recent times …

Could you absolutely not wait until Underneath came out?
Well I was excited and got it the day it came out, but I didn’t wake up before dawn to be at the store or whatever.

Have you seen Strong Enough to Break, the documentary?
Yes.

What did you think about that?
I liked it, and it really shows what can happen to great bands who don’t agree with the mainstream.

When Underneath came out, how many years had you been a fan?
Since MMMBop.

Do you own a copy of The Walk?
Duh.

What’s your favorite song on that CD?
Georgia, Been There Before, Great Divide, One More, Tearing It Down, Your Illusion.

And your least favorite?
Intro (even though it’s not technically a song) and The Walk lol.

Have you inspired anyone that you know to also purchase The Walk?
Sadly, no.

Have you seen them on The Walk tour?
Twice!

If so, where?
Baltimore and DC.

Do you own the Hanson coffee mug?
I won it in a Hanson.net contest!

What about the playing cards?
I have the cartoon set.

Have you participated in any of the walks?
The DC one.

Did you walk barefoot?
No.

Have you purchased a pair of TOMS?
Yeah, though I get blisters if I wear them for any extended period of time.

What color?
Pink patch (pink, white, and blue).

Have you heard Yearbook live on The Walk tour?
No

Random …

Where’s the love?
Right here.

Where did Johnny go?
Who cares?

How many hours are in Hanson’s days?
24? They also need to give us a concrete definition of “soon.”

Have you seen Zac’s Back in Japan video?
Maybe?

Last question …it’s a big one …

Will you be a Hanson fan always and forever?
I’d like to think so!

Stolen from Mike again:

1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
Graduated college! And drove 7 hours to visit Mike — my longest drive yet.

2. Did you keep your New Years resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I either don’t make them or halfway make them and don’t keep them … so no lol.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.

5. What countries did you visit?
Just the one I’m in now.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
A real job and my own bat-free place, preferably with Mike.

7. What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
May 19th: the anniversary

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Definitely finishing school.

9. What was your biggest failure?
A GPA below 3.0.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing life-threatening.

11. What were the best things you bought?
Let’s see … the iPod mount/holder for my car is awesome. So is Mozy.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My few friends for not deserting me in the past 5 years, and Mike for being the best thing evar.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The guy who hacked into my Gmail and eBay accounts.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Gas, rent, utilities, food.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Graduating, of course, and the future with Mike

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
“I Knew I Loved You” by Savage Garden.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. Happier or sadder? Happier.
ii. Thinner or fatter? The same (I think).
iii. Richer or poorer? I guess poorer, though I have started saving via a few share certificates.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Skydiving (if it wasn’t so expensive), going to the gym.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Sitting around.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Here in Fairfax with everybody.

21. How will you be spending New Years?
Down in Myrtle Beach with Mike, Andrew, and whoever else shows up.

22. Did you fall in love in 2007?
Perhaps

23. How many one-night stands?
Haha, zero.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
MythBusters! Dexter is looking promising too.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Eh, not really.

26. What was the best book you read?
Um … I don’t remember if I actually finished any. Maybe that should be my New Years resolution.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
BWO. Shiny Toy Guns.

28. What did you want and get?
An awesome guy!

29. What did you want and not get?
A degree in graphic design.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Pirates 3, Juno, Beowulf, Across the Universe, Simpsons Movie.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Heh, I turned 23, and was sick. I did get to see Rent in NYC the next day though!

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Passing portfolio review the 2nd time around. Harrisonburg and Myrtle Beach being closer together.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
I dunno. College-student casual?

34. What kept you sane?
Friends, Mike, the light at the end of the tunnel.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Hanson.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Meh.

37. Who did you miss?
My mom.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Take a wild guess

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007?
Be careful with your passwords: don’t use the same one more than a few times, change them occasionally, and make them somewhat complicated. Also, back up everything.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
We were strangers starting out on a journey
Never dreaming what we’d have to go through
Now here we are and I’m suddenly standing
At the beginning with you
No one told me I was going to find you
Unexpected what you did to my heart
When I lost hope you were there to remind me
This is the start …

Stolen from Mike. True statements are in bold:

1. Father went to college.
2. Father finished college.
3. Mother went to college.
4. Mother finished college.
5. Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor. (my grandpa teaches at The New School in Manhattan)
6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers.
7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home.
8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home.
9. Were read children’s books by a parent.
10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18.
11. Had more than 2 kinds of lessons before you turned 18. (piano, clarinet, ballet, gymnastics, soccer)
12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively.
13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18.
14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs.
15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs. (my dad had this 4-year thing for in-state schools, which most of my family contributed to)
16. Went to a private high school.
17. Went to summer camp.
18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18.
19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels. (unless we were visiting relatives)
20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18. (save for a few things from Goodwill)
21. Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them.
22. There was original art in your house when you were a child.
23. You and your family lived in a single-family house.
24. Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home.
25. You had your own room as a child.
26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18.
27. Participated in a SAT/ACT prep course.
28. Had your own TV in your room in high school.
29. Owned a mutual fund or IRA in high school or college.
30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16.
31. Went on a cruise with your family.
32. Went on more than one cruise with your family.
33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up.
34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family.

Is it just me, or did Christmas come really fast this year? Anyway, here’s what I got!

Aunt Ann and Ed:
- stocking: Blistex, Basis vitamin bar, Orbit gum (2 packs), mini kleenex (3 packs), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End DVD, and various food/candy items
- Starbucks gift card
- Gap gift card
- brown Gap sweater

Grandpa and Mary:
- Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind DVD
- MoMA Hug Salt & Pepper Shakers
- MoMA Stacking Coasters
- wooden Christmas decoration

Grandma and Bob:
- moose PJs
- teal hand-knit scarf

Uncle Chris and Mary:
- TuneBuds
- The Italian Job DVD
- motorized coin sorter (and extra coin wrappers)

Ross:
- Simpsons Movie DVD

Mike:
- bi-color LED blow on-off candle
- mono/kissing disease plush microbe
- HTTPanties (413 Requested Entity Too Large)
- Castle in the Sky DVD
- Sleepwatching (Vol. 1) DVD

Mike’s mom:
- basket of vanilla shower gel, bubble bath, lotion, bath salts
- stocking: chocolate, date nut bread

———————————————

And for graduation (which we basically combined with Christmas):

Grandma and Bob:
- official JMU diploma frame

Uncle Chris and Mary:
- necklace
- small wooden “running horse” box

Grandpa and Mary:
- money

Aunt Ann and Ed:
- money

Mike:
- Shrek 3 DVD (with Donkey beanie baby)

Lois:
- Barnes & Noble gift certificate

Amy:
- Diana Krall “From This Moment On” CD

!

Never thought I wrote anything of importance here, but I guess content theft doesn’t care about that. So imagine my surprise when I checked my WordPress dashboard a few minutes ago to find a trackback from a splog (spam blog) on my last UM post. The splog seems to be targeted towards the keyword “treadmill” and subsequently grabs content when it appears on other sites. At least they give credit to the original site? Ugh. At the moment I’m glad nofollow is automatically on in WordPress — don’t want to delete the trackback just yet so people can see everything in its original state

Yeah I’m a slacker. But enough of that — onto the many mutterings (when it says _____, I think _____):

1. Interview :: Job.
2. Army :: Navy.
3. Unwrap :: Food Network.
4. Evolve :: Humans.
5. Bus :: Metro.
6. The real thing :: The truth.
7. Streak :: Blue.
8. Gorge :: Canyon.
9. Spicy :: Hot.
10. Course :: College.

1. Master :: Key.
2. Tour :: Bus.
3. Input :: “I appreciate your input.”
4. Downtown :: Busy.
5. Pricey :: Dollar sign.
6. Acceptable :: Okay.
7. Terrace :: Garden.
8. Sunday :: Football.
9. Payoff :: Face/Off.
10. Jack and Jill :: Went up the hill.

1. Music :: And Lyrics.
2. Insanity :: Asylum.
3. Curtain :: Hang.
4. Nickname :: Alias.
5. Container :: Store.
6. Roast :: Beef.
7. Thong :: Song.
8. Purple :: I bleed.
9. Holidays :: Shopping.
10. Christmas tree :: Pine.

1. Filthy :: Gorgeous.
2. Therapist :: Shrink.
3. Duck :: Quack.
4. Slant :: Architecture.
5. Artist :: Album.
6. Lease :: Landlord.
7. Wish :: Bone.
8. Doormat :: Muddy shoes.
9. Global :: Warming.
10. Apartment :: Hunting.

1. Toasty :: Warm.
2. Allegations :: Politics.
3. Herb :: Parsley.
4. Bacon :: “Dogs don’t know it’s not bacon.”
5. Neck to neck :: Kissing.
6. Simon :: Says.
7. Heels :: Shoes.
8. Fundamentals :: History class.
9. Middle :: School.
10. Seasonings :: McCormick.

1. Treadmill :: Nike + iPod.
2. Stroke :: Hospital.
3. Exclusively :: E!
4. Lash :: Eyelashes.
5. Red carpet :: MTV Movie Awards.
6. Credit card:: Debt.
7. Points :: Weight Watchers.
8. Domestic :: Violence.
9. 21 :: Legal.
10. Inject :: Needle.

1. Assets :: Ass.
2. Concern :: Worry.
3. Over the top :: Flamboyant.
4. Supplies :: Office.
5. Mustache :: Flanders.
6. Doug :: That cartoon.
7. Coach :: Bag.
8. Bleachers :: High school football game.
9. Stripes :: White.
10. Assortment :: Candy.

I have no idea why there are so many errors right now (though it is related to categories) — I didn’t do anything to my site in the last 24 hours, and yesterday everything was fine (I think)! Here’s hoping that A Small Orange Support can shed some light …

By the way, I do have a real post in the works. Now that school’s over (forever!) and work is temporarily on hold, I should have some time to get back into blogging!

Edit: It was apparently an “intermittent problem with MySQL.” Yay for awesomely fast support people!