Merry Christmas!!

I've had a wonderful christmas with my family!
We're all waiting for my little niece or nephew, and the doctor's have decided to induce Alexis on Saturday morning. I am sad she may not be able to let the baby come on its own, but I am very happy that we know now when it's coming, and I am more happy that I will be here when it comes! Here are some pictures from this wonderful christmas morning:





Those are just the big ticket items. Alexis and Pete didn't have a no gifts code this year. So they really went for it. My mom had a different idea for giving this year, and I'm happy to say that I love all the cool stuff she gave me. Most of it is stuff I grew up with in her home that she knew I always liked, and some stuff was new, but not a lot.
Here are some of my favorites. My flickr has all of my gifts if you want to check it out. Including Justin's.


These are paper stars that I can hang at the house. I love them.


These are Justin's presents. The journal is a new item that mom picked up. It's gorgeous and I think Justin is really going to love it.


This is a vintage magazine rack that belonged to Aunt Frankie years ago. It's so art deco, I think it's great. I'm not really that into magazine racks or anything, but I've seen stuff in the galleries going for a lot of money. I am very happy to receive this as a gift. (Aside from the monetary value, obviously.)


This is a really cool luncheon set that my mom's friend Mark gave to her a while back. Mom bought the cups separately, and now I get to use them with my guests. I am also very pleased to have the new sauce pot! and garlic press!
Anyway, the rest of the presents are on flickr, and I love all of it.
It was a very successful Christmas for all of us. And in two days, we'll have a new addition to our family! I can't wait to take pictures and show everyone my new family!
Merry Christmas. I hope everyone had a great day with their families, or friends, or loved ones. I miss Justin, but I know his family is taking wonderful care of him in North Carolina. I talked to everyone this morning and they sounded happy and full of spirit. Especially Jenny who told me that she couldn't talk to me right now cause she was in the middle of a go fish game.

Here's a picture of cutie Alexis to say goodbye to you all.


Just kidding. But every time I look at this picture it makes me laugh hysterically.
Ok, here's an actually cute one:



Ok, gotta go be with the family.

My Apartment

Ok everyone. I finally did it. We had a party on Friday night and I got the house done just in time. Now, as you've all been wating for, pictures of my apartment. I'm pulling them right off my Flickr

just so you know. Those of you who have already seen them there, you don't have to go through it all again.

So, sure some things are still likely to change, and I am also still working the kinks out of things like, how do I hide anything when there's nowhere to hide! So, I'm sure things will change slightly as I get used to living in so much open space. 

But the party was fun. Clean up was very easy, and I think Lauren had a great birthday! One thing though. I spilled candle wax on one of my dining room chairs. They are made out of fabric. And already dirty. They need to be cleaned, but I'm not sure how. Any suggestions on how to get not only dirt but candle wax out of the chairs?

Hope you enjoyed.

n

I feel somehow lighter

This is how I feel today...




I can't believe how much expectation Obama is going to enter the White House with, but somehow I just kind of trust him. It was crazy in NY last night. People at work this morning told stories of screaming and horns and celebrations until 3 in the morning. Men wept openly in the restaurant where Lisa worked. VIRGINIA WENT BLUE! People are smiling in the streets today.


I really wish Hunter Thompson was alive to see this. I have no idea who he really was, but I can say that he would have been moved by yesterday's election. I think when he left us he had lost all sense of that hope that we clung to yesterday when we cast our votes. But he went too soon cause I believe he could have felt it too. Somewhere along his spine maybe... or hell, even his heart. I'll take a drink to that.





We miss you.

What's My Line

Hi everybody. In searching for a video clip for my English teaching course, I have been watching a lot of youtube, mostly Groucho Marx and old television game shows. One very interesting clip I came across is a little long, but delightfully entertaining. I hope even those family members who most surely don't watch all the dumb videos I post will watch this one for the fun of it. I have fallen deeply in love with What's my Line.




Two nights ago, Justin and I went to see a movie we stumbled upon called "Stranded: I Have Come From A Plane that Crashed in the Mountains." I was very excited and interested to see the film since I had done a report in college researching the 1972 plane crash that left what remained of an Uruguayan rugby team and their friends and family to find survival for 72 days in the Andes. The movie was made by a filmmaker who has been friends with some of the survivors since boyhood, and he wanted a chance to tell the story the right way from each survivors mouth. He actually interviewed all 16 survivors and joined them on a trip back to the crash site 30 years later and filmed the reunion.
http://www.strandedthefilm.com/

This movie was incredibly moving. I cried so many times just watching it, and then afterwards there was a talk back with the filmmaker and Fito Strauch who was one of the 16 survivors. It was amazing. I felt truly honored to be in his presence and to have been at the premiere of this film. Afterwards, Justin and i said thanks to the director, I started crying all over again and we left to head back into the civilized world where the trains were full of stupid people and food was wasted everywhere and being sold at expensive prices. I was stuck in a daze for a long time. I tried to think of what it would be like to come back to life from where they had been. Would you just be happy to be alive? Would you love to go to that job? Would you love to be on that crowded train? Or would you wonder if there wasn't something more that kept you from giving in to death on the cold rough mountain peaks? It was a weird night after that film.

I strongly recommend it.

Love
Nicole

Ps: if we ever find ourselves in a similar situation my friends, and I pass on before the rest, I would be honored for you to use my body to keep yourself alive. And that's my final word.

Showalter's Showalter with Michael Cera

I love this.

Bonsai Bonanza!

Tonight is the opening of All MY Sons. The producers sent these little trees to our office, one for each of us, how sweet!
The picture is terrible because it's my camera ohone and I work inside a dungeon and there isn't a trace of sunlight to be found. I'm sure some of you out there know about what this is like.
Anyway, Justin and I are looking forward to the opening show and the big party afterwards, and you better believe I spent a million hours finding the right outfit for tonight. I originally picked the beautiful red dress that I wore to Alexis' wedding rehearsal dinner, and then I decided last night that I wanted something more elegant and less attention grabbing, so I picked out a beautiful lace white shirt tucked into waist high wide legged black pants. Both with black pumps. And a million outfits later.

Well, when I told Adam I changed my mind about what to wear, he told Cindy and then I got a text from her saying, "Freak, wear the red dress!"

And I pretty much do whatever she tells me to, so Kiersten was nice enough to bring it into the city for me! Now, I have my red dress and I'm all ready to go.
I'm sure you loved reading about that business. I mean I really value Justin's opinion, but he was so over watching me try on every nice outfit I had that he didn't really care anymore, and I wish my sisters had been around to help me out! I kept saying, I wish Alexis were here to make this easier.That's so annoying, I can't just do anything on my own volition; I have to get everyone else's approval first. That's my own mess of person making its way into all my life's problems. I'll work on that later when I'm older. For now, I wil have a great time tonight and be thinking about all of you, when I'm not too drunk off the free booze to think anymore.

Love you!


PS: i couldn't post this until the next day so it's actually all happened already. It was amazing, and I'll tell you all about it later!

INTRODUCING...

I told Justin he should use this picture as his headshot. I think it could help him get a lot of work up here in the big apple.


That's actually the inspiration for this post, but since I'm already writing, I should probably tell you about how fun it was going to PA for Alexis' baby shower.



It was really nice to see Alexis. She let me touch her belly when the baby was moving. I was just telling Justin it was really beautiful and not like gobliny or alieny at all. We painted the baby's room. Mom and I worked hard trying to get Alexis to stay out of the room, but she made her way in a couple times and managed to get some work done on her own.
This is the color we painted it:


I'm telling you in person its a bit more of an intense blue green. I loved it. It was bright and happy, and quite gender neutral. I'm so exited about that damn baby peanut. I just keep thinking about the little one moving in her belly! Alexis is one of those hot pregnant girls. Her body looks exacly as tiny and pretty as ever, but she has a big old bun in her oven! (And I'm not talking about her butt).
Mom said it hasn't hit her yet. I really think it hit me. And I'm totally excited about being an aunt! I mean, I love my friend's children, and i feel like Jenny and Reagan are practically my family, and I actually want to die when i think about how much i love them all but this is like, a baby that has my bloodline closer than any other. I'm gonna be exploding with love for that cutie. You gotta see the onesies mom helped me get for Alexis. One of them is a tiny little colorful kimono. I love it!

WEll, I'm spent.

Justin says hey nicole pepper and he's knows someone that's stronger than me. but he also sends his love out there.
Just scroll on back up and check out that picture of him in case you forgot what he truly looks like.

i am no slave to my blog

as we all know. just now i realized that i don't have to write a big entry just to post something. sure it's been a few months since my last dumb post, but all i want to do is just say "hi."

Hi.

my jaw just dropped

the portishead you wish you knew:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF-GvT8Clnk

I cant embed this file, but you've GOT to see it.


SERIOUSLY???!!!
They are my favourite band. I know I posted about the Talking Heads already, and I really love them too... but these guys?





I was reading about them online and found a really cool thread on the Brooklynvegan website that was intelligent and interesting and then this is how it ended:



If anyone knows when they will in nyc, please post information....Love Portishead!

Posted by india | May 20, 2008 9:53 PM

your mom loves portishead.

Posted by Anonymous | May 28, 2008 4:22 PM



I thought it was priceless.

My Theme for Today

I walked into work after one of those mornings where the last thing you can actually handle is having to get out of your bed, especially with the love of your life laying there next to you looking all sleepy and cute, but I did anyway, and here I am opening my email and seeing a most delightful video from Marcus.
And now I will share it with you. I think it's going to help me get through today.

Thanks Marcus and Catherine.




I love you, Animal.

why the talking heads are one of the best bands ever

thank yous go to mattie mark. even though charlotte and zero are probably the only ones who will watch it all the way through, i would like to point out how much of a wife tina weymouth is (the bassist). i've never seen her look more hot and muscly. every person on stage is killing themselves with superpower funk energy and they are all generally tearing it up. i love every song. if you go to the youtube page you can see some other excellent clips from this show, specifically cross-eyed and painless and psycho killer. there's great crowd shots in that one, and tina wears a funny jacket. close ups of david byrne are also incredible.
his voice is one of the best to listen to and only second to his dancing skills. i've never seen anyone of the like.

A+. also, if you read the comments on born under punches you'll see that they are all positive and complimentary. know why? because the band is simply one the greatest ever.









oh gosh, cuties!

in other news...

i went to a party and danced and danced and danced last night. it was very fun. i haven't danced so much in so long. i was coming out of Lobo, the restaurant where I work, and saw sean casey and mike leosi across the street at the bodega. i yelled to them and it turned out Jack was having a big party in his and Michelle's basement and The Golden Kittens (Sean, Mike, and Michelle) were having their first show! What a night I had. I got a great surprise evening filled with fun and wonderful friends and Jack's djing is always on point, so I danced my heart out. i met Nate for the first time, who is great friends with Jack and used to live here and shot films with him, and now works at a satellite american apparel store to Zero in Portland. He was rad. Then my friend Sergio that I met living in Carrboro with Charlotte and Zero was in town for one night and came out to the party with his friend who ended up living right across the street! It was a night of wonderful connections and so much love! Here are some wonderful pictures of The Golden Kittens. Some of the best moments from their show was their cover of As the World Falls Down from Labyrinth and a recently written original called the Woo Song. the lyrics mostly consisted of "WOOOOO." And also "Thank You, Dr. Zizmor." I couldn't have asked for a better show. 

Justin was supposed to come in at 11pm tonight. His flight got cancelled from Minnesota. It didn't even get delayed, it got straight cancelled. I couldn't believe it. Now, I'm alone (naturally) and can't get to sleep thinking about him in the Minnesota airport all night by himself hating it all (actually just accepting it all gracefully) and trying to get some rest. He'll be home on another flight at 10:45 tomorrow. That's 45 minutes after I get to work in the morning. 

This is what I looked like on the outside when he called and told me:

But this is what happened inside:

well, at least i know i'll see him tomorrow. bye for now.

My Stupid Life

The title of this post refers to my work versus my free time these days. I guess you can guess which one I have more of.

This goes out to me beautiful sister who I hope had a loverly lovely birthday this year. I am a total jerk for not contacting her until now, but Jessica, I mean Sissica, I hope this year turns out to be one of your best.





Hilarious. I love you, Jess. You're one of the best people in this whole world, and i am seriously lucky to have you in my life. I wish I had you more!!!!!!!! The last two photos are from when Jess came to visit recently and the fist one is her prior visit. I loved seeing her. Especially the second time because she was staying in such a nice hotel and everything was so posh and sleek. And she wasn't dying from allergies.

The next few pictures are from the EXCELLENT visit I made to Philadelphia to see my other beautiful (and PREGNANT!) sister Alexis and the inspiration for the trip being the visit from Lee and Katie and the girls! Seeing them was SO nice. It was like a little taste of what used to be when I could see them whenever I wanted practically, and I felt so relaxed and it was altogether a great time. I also finally got to meet Mario, Katie's brother. He was so nice, he gave me a ride home to my sister's house. Jenny was excited to meet my sister when we got there, and she's so charming, I think Alexis grew even more excited about baby time!! Or peanut time, i should say. I haven't uploaded any of my pictures from the visit yet because I am dumb. I ahve been working so much that I haven't gotten the time. But here are some I took with my cell phone. They are all of the kids:










I like how most of the pictures are of them sleeping. We were on top of the tour bus and Reagan quickly passed out. Jenny slept less, but somehow I have more pictures of her during that time. Cuties. The last two are of Jenny on the rockclimbing thingy at the museum.
To end it all: Here is a blurry bad photo of when Kiersten and I went to see William Gibson be interviewed and read selections from Spook Country. It was a blast!



Once more before I go I want to give a shout out to my sister, and one of my BEST friends, Jess. If she only knew how much I love her and hate myself.

Nepal continued...

Ok. So I uploaded some more pictures onto my flickr account last night. These are the photos from when Charlotte and Zero were there with me. Here's my Flickr page if you want to see them all

http://www.flickr.com/photos/niceowl/

We had so much fun together. There was a day when Charlotte felt pretty ill, and I decided to stay home with her and the boys went out together. It was a good thing too cause I started to feel ill and ended throwing up all day long. It was terrible. No pictures unfortunately.

Some of the highlights from that time include:
Sleeping






Taking Pictures




Doing our Hair



And Just Generally Taking it Easy




Just Kidding, I Guess it was More Like This




But we did leave the house. And when we did, it was never too difficult to find a new friend or two



or three



Heck, I guess there were little friends everywhere.



But we went to beautiful place called Nargakot and had a wonderful getaway (in a tiny room together farting and burping the night away)







All in all it was a beautiful time.
More to come...