Where in the World is Sufjan Sandiego?

Over the course of the last 20 minutes, it has become increasingly clear to me that Sufjan Stevens is MIA. No, not the singer. [On a side note, however, I am attempting to order Kala on vinyl via amazon.com right now. I heard "Paper Planes" through the speakers in my Impala the other day and was actually brought to tears.] He's just gone. Wikipedia and other sources (i.e. Asthmatic Kitty, his long-time label) say he is currently living in Brooklyn. I'm sure he is, especially considering his 2007 release of The BQE. The following was taken from Wikipedia:
"On May 31, 2007, Asthmatic Kitty announced that Stevens would be premiering a new project titled The BQE in early November 2007. The project, dubbed a "symphonic and cinematic exploration of New York City's infamous Brooklyn-Queens Expressway", was manifested in a live show. The BQEfeatured an original film by Stevens (shot in Super 8 mm film and standard 16 mm), while Stevens and a backing orchestra provided the live soundtrack. The performance used 36 performers which included a small band, a wind and brass ensemble, string players, horn players, and hula hoopers. There were no lyrics to the music. The BQE was commissioned by the Brooklyn Academy of Music as part of their Next Wave Festival and performed on three consecutive nights from November 1–3, 2007."
Wow, right? This man is doing something big. What do you think? I can hardly imagine. But I do know that he will be here in Nashville soon. This I know simply because I'm going to create a factory, maybe more-so a warehouse. It's going to be highly influenced by the movement Andy Warhol had going on back in the sixties. He had a place in New York he called The Silver Factory. It was the epicenter of the creative movement in that area. That, my friends is what my place is going to be like. It's going to be the epicenter of the artistic movement in Nashville (and more specifically, the southeast). If you didn't know, now you know.

Grillin' Out

just want to say thanks to everyone who read my last blog. i hope it was enjoyable. i'd like to send a special thank you to nicole for our convo on the 4th of July. seriously, really encouraging.

so, my californian adventures never stop.

first things first: the much anticipated michael cera pic:

but really, i'm kidding. this is just jon's co-worker, mitchell
seriously, though- it freaks me out how much he looks like him...
also, mitchell is a great guy

moving on: we just had 4th of july! i didn't see a single firework. i can only imagine california is not too excited about fire in general... understandable.
i think the only thing you really need to know about 4th of July in San Jose is:

LET FREEDOM RING

if i'm not mistaken, nate is jon's oldest best friend, and by that i mean they've been friends the longest. nate's not that old. also, it's not hard to understand how they've stuck together through the years with a jacket like that, right? he's married to a great woman (the aforementioned nicole) and yet we somehow have the hardest time making dinner plans as a group. regardless, they're really cool people. definitely some of my favorites i've met since i've been here. i immediately liked nicole because she's done an amazing job decorating their house (they even have framed album art and concert posters in their living room). and i immediately liked nate because we're both PC people. yeah, suckers.

4th of July was actually pretty great. Jon's friends Kevin and Dave came to visit from LA (we're going to visit them this weekend!). the party we went to was at an old cherry orchard. i've yet to find out if "old" means "its been there forever" or if it means "it USED to be a cherry orchard". either way, everyone said "old cherry orchard". it was also my new friend cait's birthday. her husband, dave, is one of jon's other oldest best friends. he just graduated from the fire academy last weekend. the people we're surrounded by are really just great people. also, at 4th of July, there was a big bon fire and a dj. crazy californians.

Jon and i went to his co-worker, Johnny's wedding reception a few weeks ago:

til death do us part

his friend johnny is a great guy and apparently married a great lady. it was the cutest thing: at the reception i found out that they met by working and sharing a desk together. someone referred to it as "totally pam and jim" and i thought that was a GREAT way to refer to any good relationship. also, at the reception there were 3 kegs of beer, a (literal) home made lemonade stand and home made pies from the bride's parents (and thier garden). it was beautiful and amazing. loved it.
i've actually been part of several great barbecues since i've been here. tony and kelsey had a house warming barbecue the other day. i think my fondest barbecue memory is from weekend before last, though. one of jon's friends, jeff, is a dentist and also one of the nicest men on earth. i told him my mouth was hurting from grinding my teeth and that i really needed his help. he only slowed down on the ribs he was eating long enough to say "open up". i showed him my teeth problem and he said he could help me fix it in a few days. it was great.

3rd eye blind played a free concert in downtown san jose a few weeks ago:

according to ben there were 100,000 people there. this wasn't true, but i didn't want to get lost, none the less.

so when i heard 3eb was playing a free show, i thought that was cool. it was only later that i realized just how many good, hit songs they had. just to mention a few:

semi-charmed life
how it's going to be
jumper ("i would understaaaAAAaaaand")

also, while telling this story and thinking of these songs, i realized just how much matchbox 20 sounds like 3eb.

on July 3rd, Jon and i left town and headed to Monterey:

shirt: dasha; sunglasses: target; scarf: great grandmother

jon and i got into a pretty big fight about a bathing suit and two towels. i'm happy to say it ended rather well. we played patsy cline and enjoyed the view:

you wont find that in Tennessee

we ended up at seaside, near monterey and headed to santa cruz afterward to meet up with kevin and dave. while there, we saw an art show featuring blaise rosenthal. it was great, i think we all enjoyed it.

dasha is going to be in LA this weekend, so Jon and i will be, too. I miss nashville. I hope dasha brings some southern vibe with her.

I Wish You Would Put Yourself In My Suitcase

I would like to, first of all, thank one of my favorite, favorite rappers (Future, from Nashville, Tennessee) for reminding me to update my blog. Thank you, Future. You and Mike keep those rhymes hot like the streets they come from.

So, i've been in California for 3 weeks and i've yet to write a single word. This is probably mostly due to the fact that all of my previous entries were addressed to the man with whom I'm currently spending all of my free time.

A man who LOVES burritos... of all types.

About a week ago, two things happened.
1. I got sick. I've been sick for 5 days straight and am still fighting it. My dad said it's probably just swine flu. So i'm not that worried.
2. Jon built me a fort.

Thank you, Michel Gondry for your glorious inspiration.

Anyone who knows me knows this is my room by the instantaneous mess surrounding my things. Also, i'm in the fort as i am typing this. I like it. It's pretty sturdy thanks to some old greek/hebrew/english Bibles and the handiwork of (former aspiring architect) Mr. Jon Sontag.

One day last week (before i got sick) Jon took me to see Mewithoutyou in San Francisco!

a treat the whole family can enjoy

btw: their new album (it's all crazy! it's all false! it's all a dream! its alright) REALLY IS worth checking out. the most natural sound i think the ole weissinator could muster. yeah, i called him "weissinator". i think he would LOVE that name.
before the show, jon took me to Fisherman's Wharf, in between the Golden Gate and Bay bridges

i look fat and unhappy here, but i'm really neither.

San Francisco just had a gay pride celebration this past weekend. My new, dear friend Ashley was planning to attend with her best friend, Jose. I hope they got to go. unfortunately, i fear she was sick, too. i hope i didn't give her swine flu...

on the way there, Jon planned a snack for us: cheesesticks. we've been eating them A LOT, so he brought a couple. to our disdain, they melted almost immediately.

fortunately, i'm a genius at fixing things and jon's not too bad, himself.
2 cooled, edible colby jack cheesesticks coming right up

if i told you how many movies jon and i have watched over the past few days, it'd make you sick. okay, so.. really i want to tell you. so get ready:

1. the lost boys
2. adaptation
3. starsky and hutch
4. once
5. the science of sleep
6. high fidelity
7. yes man
8. valkyrie
9. the whole nine yards
10. anchorman
11. punch drunk love
12. caddyshack
13. fast times at ridgemont high
14. the hangover
15. revolutionary road
16. synecdoche, new york
17. bottlerocket
18. spanglish

i may have missed one or two... seriously: we have NO problem watching more than one (or four) movies in a day. especially since i've been sick. and its GREAT. i bolded my top 5 right now. don't be offended. i love anchorman just as much, if not more, than the next girl. this bold list is just what is my favorite right now.

i have about 23 more stories to tell, but i'll save them for my next post. just anticipate hearing about my internship and michael cera.

with love from the west coast:
Britt

if i only had a heart

sometimes, most times, i feel like a tin (wo)man.
wandering around singing "if i only had a heart"

yet i somehow feel it drop, crack, break.
doesn't really seem possible.
so impossible, in fact, that i feel like an amputee.
scratching an arm that no longer exists.


it isnt even real.
i miss the arm of another.
an arm that will never be approved of below
the mason dixon line.


oh southern breeze.
your limited path inhibits my emotions.

women as objects

on we go from old to new
may be a facade may be true
not meaning ill will
not meaning to test
still holding hearts
we place on rest
jack sang of hunter
turned huntress

but honestly
i was born one
my daddy raised me
to aim well a gun
what did he know
when he taught me
of impending
necessity

so far from home
and future too
so short a trip
would make old new

or new to old
a story untold
no fight
no fit
just growing cold

for now

sun is happy
wind is cold
sun is warm
wind makes me hold
my breath
still waiting
still searching
still looking
still huting
against my will
not mine but Yours be done
until the setting of my last sun
to feel
the taste
to taste
the feel
still searching
still waiting
still being still

that is... if you want to

a song the gateway (tunnel) to my response to you
my sentiment
which, according to sociological discourse, is my social demise
my sentiment. my demise.

back me up against the wall.