Monday, June 17, 2013

Conversations with myself: Week 2 and 3

Another two weeks have gone by meaning so much more time for me to think. I have spent more time in my head in a quiet space than I think I have my whole life. This week there are many varied topics, the biggest, I'm realizing, is my fascination with transportation.

However, the topic I thought most about these last two weeks is my screenplay/TV pilot/fictional novel/memoir/historical novel. That's right, I was trying to decide which one I should tackle first and which one I have the better idea for. Obviously my memoir is down the road, considering all I have to put in it is I had the most boring upbringing ever. I think I'm leaning toward the TV pilot, which I have been joking for the last year that it will be my life when I don't have a job at the end of this summer. I'm calling copyright on both of these ideas, one of which is about a college newspaper (duh) and the second about a girl returning home after college to live with her parents (a little boring, but it's all about the characters!)

While thinking of my television show I also contemplated what it would be like to write a novel. Like a realistic fiction, or a fantasy or historical fiction. How do authors get these ideas? For J.K. Rowling it was while on a train, for Stephenie Meyer it was from a dream, for Suzanne Collins it was while watching TV. So, my point is, maybe by the end of the summer, while driving in my car all the time, I'll think of the next brilliant novel that will eventually get turned into a movie. It could happen, right?

And now, here are the other conversations I've had with myself, these ones are a little bit longer since I've thought about them for two weeks.

 1. The biggest thing I've discovered while driving the highway twice a day for more than two hours is there are so many bad drivers out there. Like, awful. I can't decide what makes me more upset, someone driving incredibly slow in the left lane or someone on my cars butt when I'm not the one driving slow. I think maybe the latter.

2. Despite the shitty drivers, cars are really cool. If you think about it, its just a giant machine that allows you to travel many miles in a short amount of time. We complain about traffic, but it's pretty amazing how quickly we can travel places these days.

3. But we complain anyways, because we're human, and traffic in Chicago is so annoying. Maybe one of the worst things ever. The amount of times I've starred at this billboard is eventually going to drive me insane (get the pun, drive. I'm hilarious). 

4. Traffic also allows me to recognize how many ugly cars there. Yes, they're really cool, but really Honda, that new SUV is so, so ugly. There are an insane amount of car types and companies and you design probably the ugliest car I've ever seen. Pick up your act Honda, you're better than this. It looks like this Acura (who is owned by Honda). (Note: I apologize if any of you own this car.)

5. Who would of thought we'd still be using trains? Do you think all those people in like the 1900s would think in the 21st century trains would still be relevant? Did they think cars were going to change the way we travel? I mean it does, but trains are so awesome. My preferred way of travel.

6. Theater tickets in Chicago and New York are insane. During the Tony's they said how theater struggled this year. Well, maybe you should price the tickets lower. All I want to do is see Book of Mormon but dang, it's so much money. Lower your freaking prices and I'll come. It's like around $100 a ticket. I don't have that kind of money. And New York is even crazier. But don't worry, I still love the theater.

7. Spring Awakening is a real depressing musical. Music is great, but still sad. Also, Lea Michelle and Jonathan Groff (Rachel and Jesse from "Glee") were in the original production. So, if you listen to the original soundtrack you actually discover they can sing! For some reason, that makes me feel much better about the fact they are on "Glee" because at least they can sing. I've recently rediscovered the album and forgot how good the music is. (Note: The Tony awards were last weekend, hence the theater focused thoughts).

8. How do you think Starbucks has still thrived? I bought a coffee the other day and it was like $5. That's like a sandwich. And it was a small coffee. Have you ever seen a Starbucks close? There are like two in a one block radius on Michigan Ave. How do these things never close? Oh yeah, because coffee is like blood for some people, they need it to survive. But come one, $5!

9. Why do people just wear plain white gym shoes if they're not old, a nurse or a doctor? Don't. If you do at this very moment, start a fire, and burn them! Then go buy some cool gym shoes. Call me, I'll help you pick them out.

10. Do you guys think Twitter will survive? Where do we go next after this social media craziness? Oh yeah, Google glasses. Those things freak me out.

11. Have you noticed how much more people are on Facebook during Finals week than any other time during the year? The definition of procrastination.

12. Have you ever thought about how weird language and letters are? That the words we write mean and communicate something? It used to be drawings, but now when I type "boob" you know it means a body part. How strange. As "Mean Girls" said: "I like math" "Eww why?" "Because it's the same in every country." Well said Cady, well said.

13. And then on top of language there is music, a completely different kind of language. When you see a note on five lines you know what note to play. So strange. Who decided all of these things, I ask? But when I do that it takes me back to like why are we here and that's too deep to be thinking in my car while listening to Vampire Weekend.

14. What if we only spoke in music. Like if you didn't sing a sentence then no one would know what you were saying. Oh, well I guess they kind of do that in Les Mis and it's annoying as heck. So, no, let's not do that. Plus I'm tone deaf so no one would ever want to talk to me.

15. Weddings are strange, too. They're weird. Don't get me wrong, they're awesome. But you spend all this time, like over a year, to plan one day. One. Day. When do you ever plan that long for one day? Never. Maybe that's why it's OK for people to plan weddings because you "never" get to do that again. Of course, in this countries divorce population, people might be doing it more than once.

16. I just thought of this one, but thought I'd include it. Whoever invented the peanut butter and jelly sandwich is my personal hero. It's currently my lunch, and what a great sandwich. Probably the best duo in the whole world. I would say it could even rival peanut butter and chocolate. PB&J FOR LIFE!

All right, that's all I got for now. Great thoughts though, right? Clearly you're all wishing you were in the car with me while I drove to work.

With that I say... Live long and prosper.


Monday, June 3, 2013

Conversations with myself: Week 1

Hello again. It's been a while. And as excited as you all might be of my return, don't get too excited. Though I plan to continue to talk about movies, TV and sports in my blog this summer, I am here today to start a new segment. And by new segment, I mean the only segment I've ever made. I like to call it: Conversations with myself. 

For those of you who don't know, I have started an internship at the Chicago Tribune this summer. It will last 12 weeks and be an amazing opportunity, yadda yadda, boring details. But, the hours are late meaning no Metra rail for me, and for a kid who lives an hour (hour+) outside from the city it means quality time with myself in my car, with my thoughts. I've found that this time has allowed me to really ponder the important things in life. So, I've decided as to not let these things go to waste (because obviously I'm a thoughtful person and these are worthy items to discuss). I will write about all the things that pop in my head once a week. Most of what I write will be the tangents that went inside my head, so enjoy the thought process.

How will I remember all these great things? Well, not to upset my parents, or the police reading this blog, I may or may not have written them down. See below.

But if you think about it, people do way worse in the car. Like, texting has to be worst than this, right? Or like, don't people shave or put makeup on in the car? I feel like that's gotta be worse. Anywho, if it makes you feel better I did this only when there wasn't any cars around me (it was a Sunday night), I was driving cruise control and I didn't look down to see what I actually wrote, resulting in me not really knowing at all what I wrote at all.

Anyways, in hopes to translate my beautiful penmanship, here is Week 1 of Conversations with myself.

1. I wonder what architectures feel after they see their building appear in a skyline they built. Like the guy who designed the Sears Tower, (which despite being a Chicagoan and loving that building, it's pretty ugly) how great that must feel to see that be so superior in the sky. I bet that's how Ted Mosby felt in HIMYM. Barney was right, guys who design buildings are hot, and I'd totally date one. Like, think of how much power that must feel to build a building like that; something that is so permanent. Well, I guess until it gets torn down to build a superior building. 

2. Why do some cars have wind shield wipers on their back window and others don't? While driving I noticed most SUV's and anything bigger have wipers but anything the size of a normal car, like the Lexus I drive, doesn't. Who makes that decision and why is it safe for some cars to have it and others not?

3. Why the hell does anyone put 18 inch wheels on a car that should only have the normal size (its 15 inch, right?) Like it just looks stupid and wrong and the car looks uncomfortable to be that high.

4. God I'm so hungry. (NOTE: About the majority of my car ride home is me thinking about food and what I'll eat when I get home. Hence the Facebook status I posted earlier this week. If you didn't see it, and I'm sure you all did because you're all my friends, it was pretty witty, if you ask me. If you didn't see it because you're not friends with me on Facebook, then YAY! I got a non-friend to read this blog post. Cool.)

5. Cruise control is such a cool invention. When I was younger I thought auto-pilot was a myth and just a thing they did in the movies. But it's actually real, and I can do it in my car. Well, sorta. Don't worry, soon enough the car will be driving itself.

6. People really suck at driving.

7. Cops are so nerve-racking. Any time I drive past a cop I slow down and I go like 10 miles under the speed limit for at least 10 miles after seeing hi,. Wonder if all cop go on power trips with all the power they hold. 

8. If you could only have one Disney song played at your wedding (I know most everyone has at least two) which song would you choose? I think I'd pick the Circle of Life. I don't really know why, I just feel like it's super epic. And obviously since my wedding (and marriage) will be super epic, it fits.

9. Why would anyone wanna adopt a highway? Like, what do you get from that? Does the head of the department of transportation (that's a thing right? I should Google that before I post this. Oh, not head, it's the Secretary of Transportation. Close enough). Anyways, has he adopted a highway? Because if he doesn't have one, then I feel like it's a broke system to adopt one.

10. Why are all direction signs green. Like the highway signs, street signs. Who decided to use the color green? And is it green everywhere you go? All the places I've gone they're green, but I haven't been everywhere, so they could be say blue in North Dakota and I wouldn't know it. But really, why the color green?

11. Glasses are great. Who invented them and decided people actually couldn't see correctly. I recently learned I couldn't see far away so I have had my glasses for about a week. Man, is the world a whole new place or what! To think I was driving without these (I got lost a ton because I couldn't read street signs till I had already past them).

12. The lights on some of these cars have to be illegal. Like I'm already blind, I think these will make me blinder. But really, they have to be illegal. Unless these idiot drivers have their brights on, which actually wouldn't surprise me.

13. I really wish I knew how to play the guitar. Maybe when I get really rich, I'll just stop working and hire someone to teach me all the parts of "Never Going Back" by Fleetwood Mac. If you don't know that song, listen here. What a cool instrument.

14. I'm saying the word sure a lot at work. I don't know why. Maybe I got sick saying "OK" after someone tells me something to do. Sure just sounds better I guess. New suggestions of words to say other than OK or sure or right are highly welcomed. Wow, and I've said the word "like" a ton in this post. 15 times actually, well 16 now if you count the one I just wrote. Don't worry, I won't edit any of them out once I edit this.

15. Fog is a weird thing. It must be what pilots experience when they drive through clouds. It can be kind of scary. But what a cool effect it has in movies.

16. At the end of every night when I get home between midnight and 1:30 a.m., every thought that runs through my head is this: I should have been a teacher. 

All right, those are my 16 thoughts, or at least the thoughts I could remember from this week. Please let me know if you have any answers to those questions. That's have the reason I've decided to write these things out, gotta have a dialogue of some sort with you people after driving by myself for at least 10 hours a week. Wow, I just tallied that up in my head and that is a lot of hours. Dang. So much driving.

I hope you all are doing well and look forward to these lovely, random thoughts of mine. Stick around later this week because I've got a lot to discuss in terms of movies (GO SEE STAR TREK, NOW!), TV (HOLY COW, GAME OF THRONES) and sports (HAWKS SCORED HOW MANY GOALS SUNDAY NIGHT?!)

With that I say... Live long and prosper.