Glen Hansard, Fog and 10 Million of Our Closest Friends

The night started out simple enough. It was our first (of many to be sure) summer concert of the year in Millennium Park. We were excited to see Glen Hansard and the Frames and meet up with our friends Kim and Jon. The lawn at The Jay Pritzker Pavilion was more crowded than I've ever seen it - we guessed there were approximately 10 million people there. But then, that might not be the most accurate appraisal.

Great music, great friends, great food and lots of laughs - who could ask for more?


And then the most magical, slightly creepy and totally beautiful thing began to happen. Fog started to slowly roll in and envelop the city.

Before our eyes the skyline disappeared and there was a blanket of fog covering us.




I've said it before and I'll say again, just when I think I've seen Chicago at its most beautiful, she surprises me. It was another night that won't be forgotten in a city that has stolen my heart.
 

Post Grammy Glow

Last night at the Grammys this happened.


Video Justin Timberlake feat Jay-Z performs... by dm_5118ca9ddce82

And it was amazing. Totally amazing.

But before that there were some pretty fantastic looks on the Grammys red carpet.

Source: eonline.com via Molly

Allison Williams was gorgeous in this gunmetal grey Kaufmanfranco stunner.

Source: instyle.com via Molly

Source: instyle.com via Molly

I thought Taylor Swift's J. Mendel and Kelly Osborne's Paule Ka gowns were beautiful. Though I'm pretty much over both ladies' hair.

Source: eonline.com via Molly

But my favorite of the night was Kelly Rowland. This Georges Chakra was edgy and sexy and perfect for Grammy night. This is, after all, the red carpet to try something a little exciting, right? Well played, Ms. Rowland. Well Played.

Honorable mentions to Carrie Underwood, Natasha Bedingfield, Bonnie McKee, and Rihanna*.

Your Turn. Who do you think looked best last night?

*This girl needs an intervention before she ends up in a body bag. This makes me so, so sad.

Meet Christianna: The Girl With the Blue Bow

Have you noticed the new button hanging out on my sidebar this month? See the pretty red head about halfway down the page on the right? Well that's Christianna and she has a blog called The Girl with The Blue Bow. 

Christianna's invitation to swap buttons this month inspired me to try something new on the old bloggy blog. It's no secret I'm a huge fan of the community aspect of blogging. It really is such a wonderful part of the blogging world. So with community building in mind, I didn't want to just put Christianna's button up for the month and hope you'd stumble upon it. I also wanted to give her a chance to introduce herself and say, "howdy." (Although, considering she's from California, I'm not sure "howdy" is what she'll say...) While I'm sure some of you already know her, some of you might not. Who knows, maybe this guest post will be the beginning of a beautiful new bloggy friendship. 

So without further ado, I bring you, Christianna.

*****

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Hello friends of Molly and readers of A Foreign Land!  My name is Christianna and I blog over at the music/lifestyle blog The Girl With The Blue Bow. No, really it's all about music, even the lifestyle posts have music inspired themes, that is if they aren't posts about travel. Molly has been one of my blog pals from almost the beginning of my blogging career, so I was extremely excited when she asked me to guest post on this little corner of blog land.

As we all know Molly and her guy now call Chicago home.  If there is one thing I know about Chicago (other than the things I've learned here) it's that it has inspired a lot in the music world, and created some really cool musicians! Sometimes things like bands and musicals are simply called Chicago. Sometimes they aren't. What are you gonna do? Shall we take a look at the few that are named after the windy city?!

The Rock Band:

{image source}

Chicago deemed themselves "the rock band with horns" and they've stuck by that statement for years.  Seriously, the band started in 1967 and they are still doing live shows. Yes, maybe with some new members, but the band is still very much alive and kickin'. Chicago was formed and made in Chicago. Those guys were so creative...

The band is well known for their hit songs "If You Leave Me Now", "You're The Inspiration", "25 Or 6 To 4" and "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" just to name a few.  If you click on these, you can see videos of live performances and flowing locks of hair!

The Musical:

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Yes, now we are gonna talk about the musical "Chicago."  I personally love a good musical.  I have to admit that I've never seen the live, musical version of "Chicago", but I have seen the film.  This grimy, crime/song/dance filled musical actually first hit Broadway stages in 1975. It had a great run. But it was received extremely well when it was revived in 1996. In fact, it hasn't stopped it's Broadway run yet, making it the longest running revival Broadway show! How cool is that?

Of course the film version of "Chicago" staring Richard Gere, Renee Zellweger and Cathrine Zeta-Jones not only brought the musical to a whole set a people who wouldn't see it on Broadway, it also helped open the door for movie musicals to be cool again!  Cause who doesn't love a movie set in the 1920's in Chicago that is about a whole bunch of women in prison for killing dudes?  HERE is one of my favorite tunes from the show!

So as you can see, as well as being a wonderful city, (so I've been told) Chicago has also had a large part in music and musical history.  At least by the use of it's name!  Plus all the other great music it has produced over the years!

*****

Christianna, if you're interested in checking out Chicago for yourself - once you get back from Europe, of course - I'd love to show you around!

If YOU would be interested in swapping buttons and posts in July (or even sometime further in the future), please, let me know. I'd love to make this a monthly tradition.

Grammy Night Trend (part 3)

Big, beautiful, over sized 'dos seemed to be a trend on last night's red carpet. Here are three ladies rocking a fluffified look. Which lovely lady do you think worked the trend best?

 

{image credits}{image credit}

Grammy Night Trend (part 2)

Head to toe sparkly embellishment seemed to be a trend last night. Here are my three favorite interpretations of the look. Who do you think sparkled the shiniest?
 

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Grammy Night Trend

Figure flattering black with bold gold accents seemed to be a big theme last night. I gathered three interpretations of the look. Who do you think wore it best?

{image credit}

Pop-tacular Week

I've never made a secret of the fact that I am a HUGE fan of pop music.  Lucky for me, there are a few people in my life who share my musical tastes and just so happen to be incredibly generous.  This week I got to see not just one but two amazingly pop-tacular concerts while spending some time with two of my favorite ladies.

First up? Britney & Nicki Minaj on Monday night in Nashville.  Miss Cameron won the tickets at a conference she attended last weekend.  There was a radio station giving the tickets away to the "biggest Britney fan."  When Cameron showed off a few of the moves from our Dance Fit class, (of course we have a few Britney routines!!) she, and her pregnant belly, easily walked away with the prize.



Britney's show was amazing! It was full of re-imagined old favorites and plenty of new material to keep us on our feet.  There was a lot of dancing (which we especially loved), plenty of costume changes and over the top sets.  Of course, Britney did her fair share of lip syncing.  But, I for one was grateful.  It's like Cameron said, "We came for the whole show.  Not just Britney's voice." Sure it's an unusual position to take at a concert.  But, if I'm honest I'd rather just hear a "fixed" vocal so that I can see a fully choreographed Britney show.  

It definitely met all my expectations.  It was a fantastic night.

Next up? NKOTBSB did a show in St. Louis on Tuesday night.  My sis, Erin, bought tickets back in January as a joint birthday present.  And I assure you the boys were worth the seven month wait.

We had such a fun night.  Mr. Schuester (aka Matthew Morrison) opened up for them.  I'm telling you, it was like a "hot bomb" went off in that Area.  There was eye candy all over that stage.  I'm pretty sure Donny Wahlberg's in better shape NOW than he was 20 years ago. Six pack, anyone?  Ai-chee-wa-wa.  But of course, being a married lady, I wasn't interested in all that nonsense.  I was there to spend time with my sister and scream like a rabid fan.

Exhibit A:





I was also there to sing along to some of my old favorites.

Exhibit B:

"They've still got the Right Stuff as far as I'm concerned..."

Now, before you watch this next video I have to explain something to you.  Have you ever experienced a pop-tacular show?  Being a veteran of 'Nsync, Britney and several NKOTB and now (SB) concerts I believe I can speak with some authority on the subject.  There is something that happens when you see a show like this. I'm not sure if it's all the pheromone floating around the room.  I'm not sure if it is indeed the mob mentality that I've explained before.  But the thing is, when you're at a show like this you scream for and about things that you wouldn't normally scream about.  You find things jump up and down worthy that on a regular day you might believe to be silly. With that explanation, I give you

Exhibit C:




Yes, they did just thrust their pelvis (Wait, what's is the plural of pelvis? Pelvi?) 10 times and make the crowd (and me) go wild.  If that's not pop-tacular I don't know what is.
What's the most pop-tacular show you've ever seen?

Quick Bloglette

Here's yet another clue that I'm getting old and lame.

Despite the infectious, silly fun that is Katy Perry's new song "Last Friday Night," I can't help focusing on the fact that it glorifies teenage binge drinking and sends a really mixed message.

"It's a blacked out blur but I'm pretty sure it ruled." Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. Noooooooo.

Yep, it's official. I'm old and lame.

What a Girl Wants

If you listen to pop radio as much as I do (cut me some slack it's research for work and I love it) you've surely heard commercials for the I *heart* radio Application that Clear Channel is constantly force feeding us advertising.

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Because most pop radio tends to be little more than a rotation of about 10-15 of the same songs, I never understood the need for such an application on my phone.

UNTIL. NOW.

Last week in St. Louis I got utterly hooked on 100.3 GenX Radio.  It's an entire station devoted to playing the music that was popular during my high school and extended college career.  I have one word for you: magical.  GenX Radio plays grunge, hip hop, hair bands and all the cheesy pop you can stomach.  It is out of control.  We're talking about Nirvana, Beastie Boys, Guns N' Roses and U2 just to name a few.

The radio station just launched in December of 2010.  Needless to say, it has been a highlight of my trips back home ever since.  It has also prompted one or two unexpected flash backs as I drive around the city of my youth listening to its music.  But each time I drive out of St. Louis to head back to Chattanooga I feel a stab of pain somewhere in Southern Illinois when the static takes over and the Pearl Jam is quieted.  Sure, my iPod is full of much of this iconic music and I could put it on shuffle. But there is something so intoxicating about hearing Pump Up the Jam unexpectedly after a commercial break or getting the DJ's take on Bust A Move 20 years later.

Well, no longer do I have to shed a tear as I leave GenX Radio behind.  Now I can listen to all my jams in my car whenever I want to thanks to I *heart* Radio.  Just today I heard She Talks to Angels followed by California Love.  Does it get much better than that? The obvious answer is, "No."  Don't let yourself miss out on all the fun.  GenX Radio will have you reminiscing and smiling (unless you're waaaaaaaaay to young to appreciate the musical genius of Ace of Base)! Come on just admit it, who doesn't need a little more Bell Biv DeVoe in their life?  GenX Radio scratches that itch, my friend.


{this one in particular made me smile. enjoy}
Alright, so prove how old I am... what were YOU listening to in high school and college?

Happy Thoughts (12)

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Date Night
The hubby's been out of town for the last three weeks (give or take 36 hours here and there).  This afternoon/tonight is date day/night.  Just the two of us.  Sorry, as much as I love you, you're not invited.  He's all mine.

Trees In Bloom
This week blossoms have been popping out all over Chattanooga.
Pretty, pretty trees everywhere.

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Coconut.
We currently have Almond Joy coffee creamer and the most scrumptious Libertẽ Méditerranée Yogourt (their spelling NOT mine) in our fridge.  I'm telling you either one could legitimately change your life.

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"You can understand dependence

When you know the maker's hand"

{lyric}
I'm currently a little bit more than obsessed with Mumford & Sons.  I know, I'm a bit late to the party.  But I'm finally fully committed and head over heels in love with them!!

I'm a Winner, I'm a WINNER!
The beautiful Kellie over at Second Star hosted a stupendous necklace giveaway last week, and guess who won?  That's right, people, ME!  Woo Hoo.  I can't wait to put it to stylish use.

Click the fancy button below for even MORE gratitude!!

Your turn! What is making you happy, happy, this week?

(First Ever) Fashion Friday

Man, I’ve been in a funk today. Something feels off and a little icky.

I tried a bunch of stuff to shake it with very little success. I could barely survive exercising this morning. I was truly out. of. breath. When I came home, I tried to eat; no dice. I tried to perk up with a shower; I still felt like crap. I drank a cup of coffee; nothing. I finally resigned to just laying down and taking a 45 20 minute nap/siesta.

I guess part of it is that I didn’t sleep well last night. And let’s face it, that never makes a day bright and shiny. But, it also could be that today is the yuckiest of all of the days of the year. Today was my annual gyno appointment. Blechhh. Don’t get me wrong, my doc is a lovely lady but I can’t say that I EVER look forward to seeing her. Even AFTER I wait 60+ minutes in three different waiting rooms. It’s just NOT what I consider a fun experience.

Anywho, I was laying around before the appointment kind of wallowing in my funk. I was doing the count backwards from when I HAVE to leave the house to figure out exactly how much longer I can lie around resembling a slug thing. It’s a special skill to be able to procrastinate to the EXACT last moment before rushing around in a panic to get ready and get out the door. It’s only something I’ve been working on for like 30 years. So, obviously, I'm really good at it.  Lying there, I decided to check Facebook for probably the 20th time since I woke up and I came across one of those Living Social posts. My friend had posted this:

5 Albums That Remind You of High School

(Notice I deleted her name and “disguised” her face to protect the innocent)

In about 5 seconds I was feeling soooo much better. I couldn’t have picked a better "5 albums" to remind me of all of the fun parts of high school. Her choices were epic and made me smile. They brought me back to my senior year, put a huge smile on my face and inspired this look:

*Flowery Dress: I’ve had since High School (I definitely accessorized it differently back then though... think hemp necklace, Birkenstocks, joint in my bra and a newspaper pass to get me out of class for the rest of the day).
*Black Boots: I’ve carried them waaay into spring (per Emery’s suggestion). Also seen here & here
*Scarf: Birthday gift from my sister (who has her last day of undergrad TODAY – I think). She got it at the St. Louis Art Museum where she’s had an internship this year… VERY PRESTIGIOUS since she’s the only undergrad they invited!!! (Yes, I'm bragging about her amazingness.)
*Jean Jacket: I bought from the Gap probably 5 years ago for $10! (Though it's 80 degrees outside, you knoooow hot cold it is in those doctor's offices.)

After getting dressed, my funk began to lift. I got in my car, opened my sun roof and screeched every word of Rites of Passage at the top of my lungs during the drive to the gyno. I survived the wait appointment and shouldn’t have to go back for another year.

Moving forward, I intend to listen to every one of those albums this weekend! Funk be gone, I say!

Early Favorite

I haven't watched all the red carpet coverage yet... (I was driving the hubby to ATL to leave for a week. On. His. Birthday. boooooooooo!) so, this is just an early favorite.

But look at Carrie Underwood. She looks pretty stunning. Her Edition by Georges Chakra gown is sooooo on trend what with it being both white and having an asymmetrical neckline. But it's far from cliche, and as usual she looks absolutely gorgeous.

Can't wait to check out who else is knocking it out of the park tonight.

In unrelated news, I'm glad to see that Jamie Foxx isn't satisfied being just an overrated actor. Did you see that performance tonight? He's certainly earned the moniker of overrated musical performer too. Sorry Jaime, doesn't matter how many other artists they let you parade on stage or how many vocal tricks you use to hide your limited talent, it still shines through. Not even alcohol can be blamed for that blunder. OVERRATED.

Pink's performance was pretty cool though, huh???

photo borrowed with much gratitude from fabsugar.com (If you haven't checked the site you SHOULD! They have AWESOME red carpet coverage)

For Today

"When nothing is owed or deserved or expected
And your life doesn't change by the man that's elected
If you're loved by someone, you're never rejected
Decide what to be and go be it."

Head Full of Doubt / Road Full of Promise
~ The Avett Brothers

For your listening pleasure:



Thank you to my handsome hubby for introducing me to these talented artists.

Must Have Left My Swag at Home

I was driven home from work last night by this really lame, scary old and painfully out-of-touch woman.

It was not a pleasant drive.

Here's how it went:

Song comes on a TOP 40 station and though the artist has a painfully unpleasant distinct voice and I've heard it daily for the past week (meaning it's popular) I have no idea who said artist is or what the heck he is talking about.

old.

I Shazam it only to discover it's Soulja Boy.

old.

All I could think is, "This is the most annoying, grating, artistically bankrupt piece of noise I've heard in a long time."

old.

So I turned on NPR.

Say it with me, people. O.L.D.

since u been gone

i had a few itunes dollars leftover from christmas and decided to blow them today. with nothing in particular out there that i NEEDED to have, i was just surfing around for something new. i stumbled onto the new kelly clarkson single and it got me thinking. one of my favorite genres of music used to be angry chick break-up music. now, thanks to my handsome husband i never find myself tearfully searching through the ipod for kelly's breakaway, michelle brach's hotel paper or anything by fiona apple. at this point it is an absolutely ignored chunk of music in my very diverse ipod.

back in the day, i was heart deep in relationship drama on a regular basis. roller coaster relationships were my specialty. the cycle of blissful happiness, crushing heartbreak, self medicated indifference and doomed reconciliation typically came full circle almost weekly. as you can imagine, there were lots of opportunities for singing along to angry chick break-up music at the top of my lungs. can't you just picture me? i was full of angst and really wallowing in it. kelly, michelle and fiona were my go to girls. they understood. they perfectly articulated my pathos.

my how things have changed. now it's more likely that i'm listening to jason mraz's i'm yours than michelle branch's 'til i get over you. after all, nothing obliterates the need for angry chick break-up music like a functioning relationship coupled with a lifetime commitment. and today i'm realizing something. the one downside to my currently stable relationship is the absence of impassioned singalongs with my girls. so, i've decided to try to incorporate a little angry chick break-up music back into my repertoire. sure the emotion won't be genuine. i won't be as raw. but the drama queen still lives deep within me and she deserves to come out and sing every once in awhile.

Grammy Thoughts

Loving the fact that there were back to back to back live performances tonight. U2, Coldplay, Carrie Underwood, Paul McCartney, Radiohead & Robert Plant with Alison Krauss. Pretty cool.

I'm not sure what the heck happened with Chris Brown and Rhianna, but I sure am glad I got to watch my boyfriend ~ Justin Timberlake ~ perform in one of their spots... Even if it was a bit unpolished.

Katy Perry is an awkward live performer. I like her music, but she's just plain awkward on stage. She doesn't move well and that's all I have to say about that.

I love, love, love LeAnn rimes' Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti halter and skirt ensemble. Didn't love the hair, but her outfit is my favorite of the night.

Ryan Seacrest's red carpet coverage seemed more desperate and uncomfortable than usual. Was he having an off night or did he just pre-party a bit too hard?

I was so excited to see Alison Krauss and Robert plant win a couple awards. Their collaboration is a work of art and you just may have heard about it here first.

"Where it began, I can't begin to know it... Hands, touching hands, reaching out, touching me, touching you... So good, so good, so good." Even if his voice is gone, that song will never disappoint.

Where was Beyonce???

I don't know about you, but I’m not ready to accept Jamie Foxx as a singer... No matter how many times he or the mainstream media try to convince me otherwise.

All in all, with very little moronic & meaningless banter and lots of live music the Grammys are in position to be named the best award show of the season. The bar has been set pretty high for the Oscars, I can't wait.

{photo source}

no more 3x5s

so as we're driving into st. louis, listening to my very diverse ipod, john mayer's 3x5 came up. if you are unfamiliar, let me share some of the lyrics.

didn't have a camera by my side this time

hoping i would see the world through both my eyes

maybe i will tell you all about it when i'm

in the mood to lose my way with words

***

today i finally overcame

tryin' to fit the world inside a picture frame

maybe i will tell you all about it when i'm in the mood to

lose my way

but let me say

you should have seen that sunrise with your own eyes

it brought me back to life

you'll be with me next time I go outside

no more 3x5's

so, i was challenged. typically, i'm a real picture girl. i love to take them, post them, frame them, look at them, share them... you name it. but i was thinking maybe this time i'll just experience the trip and not carry the camera the whole time. i wondered if maybe i'd get more out of the visit if i left the camera in the bag rather than yank it out at every kodak moment. and taking his lyric's advice i decided to see our trip to st. louis through "both my eyes".

as the days passed i refrained. i didn't take my usual collection of pictures. even though i had most of my family and a ton of friends standing right next to me, i didn't snap all that many photos. i didn't stop conversations to make people "get together" for a picture. i didn't suggest that everyone "look this way" and "smile" which apparently means "stick your tongue out at the camera" in brianpageineese. for the most part i just left the camera in the purse.

and here i am. it's been almost a week since i've been home. i desperately miss my family and friends. and while i typically have pictures that i could pour through to remember the not so distant past, this time i'm left with a measly 20 pics. just 20 snap shots of a weeks worth of togetherness.

so let me just say screw you, john mayer. i should have known better than to take advice from someone who dated jessica simpson.

good lord willing and the creek don't rise

i've come up with a new catch phrase.
well, actually, i didn't come up with it. and it isn't really all that new. in fact, it's probably pretty old.

anyway, last night we went to the carrie underwood concert. (lest you judge, live music/touring acts are few and far between in chattanooga and i am actually a fan. so stop laughing.) a wonderful friend used his connections to score some inexpensive seats to the concert and we had a super fun night out with friends. but i digress... the opening act was a band called little big town. until last night i hadn't ever heard of them. what i enjoyed most about their set was a song entitled "good lord willing". why did you enjoy that particular song the most, you ask? well, the refrain of the song has inspired my new catch phrase.

imagine this scenario...
it's the end of the day. we're locking up the center for the night.
coworker: see you in the morning?
molly: good lord willing and the creek don't rise.

or this scenario...
out in the hustle and bustle of christmas shopping; i run into a friend.
friend: will i see you at the christmas party next week?
molly: good lord willing and the creek don't rise.

inspired by that folksy little minx sarah palin, i've decided to mix things up vocabularily. i mean, look how much press she got by saying stupid silly things. perhaps this phrase is just the push i need to rise to super stardom. regardless, i'm thinking this might really help me blend in better to my surroundings. i'm disappointed at my apparent inability to develop a southern twang. 2 years and i still sound like a midwesterner. it's time to take matters into my own hands... or mouth.

after all, sometimes "hopefully" or "that's the plan" just doesn't cut it. there are just some questions that simply deserve an answer chock full of down home charm. and now, thanks to little big town, i know exactly how to respond in those particular circumstances.

The River City

Then I'm walking in Memphis

Walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale

Walking in Memphis

But do I really feel the way I feel...

Walking In Memphis Lyrics by Marc Cohn are the property of the respective authors, artists and labels, Walking In Memphis Lyrics by Marc Cohn are provided for entertainment purposes only

escape artist

i was listening to sara bareilles today and these lyrics struck me as pretty familiar.

Gonna sell my car and go to Vegas
'Cause somebody told me
That's where dreams would be
Gonna sell my car and go to Vegas
Finally see my name upon the Palace marquis

Gonna quit my job and move to New York
'Cause somebody told me that's where
Dreamers should go
Gonna quit my job and move to New York
And tattoo my body with every Broadway show.

Listen up now honey, you're gonna be sorry
Can't get out from under a sky that is falling
And you say
No fame no money I'm nobody
The way I'm running has sure got me down
On my knees.
But next stop, Vegas please.
Gotta get to Vegas
Can you take me to Vegas?

it reminded me of a conversation that i had with my girlfriend this week. turns out we share a recurring "reinventing yourself" fantasy. every few years we are each tempted to take off and start all over - new job, new friends, new city. how fun to discover a whole new life? imagine seeing new sights, discovering new restaurants, diving into a whole new community. the plan, to quote my friend, is "to create a fabulous new existence." to adventurous types like us, the thought is intoxicating.

well, at least that's the attractive way to think about my escapist tendencies. it's probably more accurate to describe myself as a runner. truth be told, my "reinventing myself" isn't usually just about looking toward the future. often it's about turning away from the past. for the majority of my life when things get tough at work, in a relationship, in a class or even with a project, i take off. when things get too real, when people get too close, when difficulties arise, i plan an escape route.

if you know me well, you know this is true. i switched high schools AND college in my junior years. since i started working at 16 i've stayed in ONE job for more than 2 years. with the exception of the house i grew up in... i've lived in ONE house for more than 12 months. and i'm not ashamed to say that i nearly have a breakdown when i have to sign a cell contract (come on, it's 2 years!!!!).

some may read that and think i have a problem with commitment. and they might be right... but being married (for these loooooong 2 years ~ ha) has shown me that i am capable of commitment when i set my mind to it. because i've made vows to my husband, i don't have the freedom to bail. but my jobs, or the city i live in... heck even houses can be put on the market. from those less permanent things, i can escape. and often i do.

i bet there's a lesson in that somewhere. but for now, rather than learning it, i'm dreaming of my next career.