It's my (unprofessional) opinion that coral will be a very popular color this summer. It looks good on everybody, especially with a tan! Here are a few of my favorite coral pieces!
Last week I posted that I found a kitten at the A.P.A. named Santana that I loved, and the next day I went and adopted her!
I liked the name Santana but decided it wasn't girly enough for her, so my sister helped me pick out the name Lyla. She's 3 months old, has beautiful green eyes and fits in the palm of my hand. She loves to sleep (so she's perfect for me...) and it seems like we're getting along splendidly so far! I couldn't be happier with the little girl I chose!
"Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, then drive away. But, I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself. So I walked to the door and knocked. "Just a minute", answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware. "Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness. "It's nothing", I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated". "Oh, you're such a good boy", she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?" "It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly. "Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice". I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. "I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I don't have very long." I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.
"What route would you like me to take?" I asked. For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.
We drove through the neighbourhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing. As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now." We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair. "How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse. "Nothing," I said. "You have to make a living," she answered. "There are other passengers," I responded. Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. "You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you." I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life. I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away? On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life."
I read this in one of those stupid chain emails that says that if I sent that to ten people within ten minutes that I would have good luck for the rest of my life or whatever, which I don't buy in to... but I wanted to share this with you because it's how I think everyone should live their lives. Sure some people are going to take advantage every once in awhile and sure it's not always safe to be that trusting in this day and age... but it's gotta start somewhere. The whole "pay it forward" mentality is real, and if more people lived this way I truly believe our world would be a much different place.
I'm not a nice person because I want to hear "thank you". I don't treat people kindly so other people will think "Oh that Alli, she's such a nice person". I do these things because that's how I want to be treated. Karma is a very real thing and the more good you put out into the world, the more good you'll receive.
I came across this amazing article from TruTv about how the current Paul McCartney isn't the original! I had heard about the rumors as a child but always dismissed them as just that... rumors. I knew that Lennon had a sick sense of humor and figured this was one of his masterpieces. After reading these conspiracy theories, however, I'm beginning to rethink the entire thing! Below are some of my favorite parts of the article... can't wait to get my dad's opinion on this one!
"Paul McCartney (1942-1966?)"
"In October of 1969, three weeks after the Beatles' celebrated Abbey Road album was released, WKNR-FM's Russ Gibb took a call from a man who identified himself only as "Tom." The Detroit deejay listened as the caller carefully laid out clues hidden in Beatles' songs and album art, which he said indicated Paul McCartney had died on November 9, 1966, in an automobile accident. Listeners began deluging New York City radio stations with "evidence" and soon the rumor spread around the world. Was this a Beatles' publicity stunt, a fan feeding-frenzy fueled by clues left as an inside joke by John Lennon—or was Paul really dead?"
"How Paul Allegedly Died"
"Piecing together clues from songs, films and album covers, conspiracy buffs have come up with this scenario: During the early-morning hours of November 9, 1966, Paul argued with his bandmates in the studio while recording songs for their Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album. He left in a huff just before 5 a.m. While driving to a friend's house, Paul picked up a female hitchhiker who couldn't control her excitement when she realized who was behind the wheel. She lunged to hug Paul, causing him to lose control of his Aston Martin. It smashed into a stone fence and burst into flames, killing them both. Paul was decapitated and burnt to a crisp, making a positive ID difficult. Despite no evidence to support either the story of the fatal crash or of a cover-up, the rumors persisted."
"The Need for a Cover-Up"
"The theory of why a cover-up of Paul's alleged death was necessary goes something like this: Because of all the money the Beatles contributed to England's tax coffers, their continued success was vital to the financial health of the nation. So the British government, in cahoots with the surviving members of the Beatles, their producer George Martin, manager Brian Epstein (pictured above), recording engineer Geoff Emerick and road manager Mal Evans, conspired to cover-up Paul's death. It was speculated that in return they were given a huge sum of money and guaranteed success in whatever future endeavors they engaged. They all denied any conspiracy."
"Will the Real Paul Please Shake Your Hair?"
"In order for McCartney's death to be kept under wraps, the Beatles would need a look-alike to sub for him. It's said they found the perfect candidate in an actor named William Shears Campbell, the winner of a McCartney look-alike contest who resembled the singer so much that he was supposedly on the Beatles' payroll as a stand-in to throw off fans and the press. The name may ring a bell from the "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" lyric on the album of the same name: "So let me introduce to you / The one and only Billy Shears / And Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." Pictured: Paul and his double—or Paul doubled?"
"The Press Covers the Death Rumors"
"The press was interested in the rumors of Paul's untimely demise. A November 7, 1969, Life magazine cover story approached the issue in a light-hearted manner, rather than as an investigative piece. The article quoted Paul, who paraphrased Mark Twain: "Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated." He then wryly added, "However, if I was dead, I'm sure I'd be the last to know.""
"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Clues"
"The cover of the groundbreaking album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, has multiple indications that Paul McCartney may not have survived. The Beatles, wearing their new hippy attire, stand in the middle of the cover overlooking what appears to be a flower-covered grave. To their right are wax mannequins—borrowed from Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum—of the younger Beatles sadly looking down toward the "grave." "
"The Drumhead-Reflection Cipher"
"The ornate drumhead in the center of the cover that says "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" may be the most deliberate clue of all. When you hold a straight-edge mirror perpendicular to the center of the drum, in the middle of the words "Lonely Hearts," the reflection reads, I ONE IX HE ♦ DIE ("One one nine he die," or November 9 he die). The diamond points to McCartney."
"The Doll"
"Also on the Sgt. Peppers cover, a doll of a girl sits on the lap of an old woman. "Welcome the Rolling Stones" is printed on her sweater. Were the Beatles insinuating that since Paul's death, the Rolling Stones had surpassed them to become the world's greatest rock band? On the doll's right leg sits a toy Aston Martin (the type of car that Paul drove) and at its left side is a bloody driving glove."
"Back Cover Clues"
"The Beatles stand together against a vivid red background, representing blood, with the album's song lyrics superimposed over the photo. Paul stands with his back to the camera, as if he does not want to be closely examined, while Harrison's thumb points to the opening line of the "She's Leaving Home" lyric that reads: "Wednesday morning at five o'clock as the day begins..." November 9, 1966, was a Wednesday and 5 a.m. was the purported time of McCartney's car crash."
"I Am the Walrus"
"Magical Mystery Tour was conceived as a television movie and album. It features both visual and musical clues starting with the group in disguise—with Paul dressed as a walrus. Allegedly, in the Nordic-Viking culture, the walrus is a symbol of death."
"John: 'The Walrus was Paul'"
"On the album, The Beatles, which has come to be known as the White Album thanks to its white-on-white cover, John sings a song he wrote called "Glass Onion," an unambiguous line from which states: "And here's another clue for you all: / The walrus was Paul.""
"White Album Backmasking Clues"
"John Lennon began experimenting with backmasking (adding backward voices and music) in earnest on the White Album. When played backward, one of the songs, "Revolution 9," contains a voice that seems to say, "Turn me on, dead man" several times. And what sounds like "Paul is a dead man, miss him, miss him, miss him" is heard on the "I'm So Tired" track."
"The Let It Be Album Cover"
"Let It Be was the second-to-last Beatles album to be recorded, but the last to be released. On the cover, Paul is the only Beatle whose face is partially obscured (by a microphone). He is also the only one not photographed in profile and with a white background. Paul's background is blood red. "
"28 IF"
"In the background on the Abbey Road cover is a Volkswagen with the possibly cryptic message, "28 IF," on its license plate. Proponents of the Paul-is-dead school take this to mean that had Paul McCartney lived, he would have been 28 years old. Life magazine quoted Paul (the real one or the substitute?) as explaining, "On Abbey Road we were wearing our ordinary clothes. I was walking barefoot because it was a hot day. The Volkswagen just happened to be parked there.""
"Maxwell of MI5"
"The theory continues: An officer—known only as "Maxwell" from British intelligence unit MI5—was assigned to keep an eye on the group to make sure that they kept their mouths shut about the tragedy. The song, "Maxwell's Silver Hammer," on the Abbey Road album, refers to Maxwell and his license to kill. This is one of many examples of a Beatles' lyric being employed in the service of the conspiracy theory."
"Maxwell and the John Lennon Murder"
"Conspiracy lore says that in 1980, John Lennon was about to make public the cover-up of Paul's death when he was assassinated by Mark David Chapman—and that Chapman was hypnotized and conditioned to kill Lennon by MI5's Maxwell."
Wow right?? Read the whole article here if interested... it's really a well put together piece! Part of me thinks this is just the band having fun with people but then again it's kind of a creepy/morbid joke to be playing! Well I guess no matter what the truth is, one fact remains: Paul McCartney (the real and/or the fake) can SING. Here's my favorite McCartney song:
When people keep repeating
That you'll never fall in love
When everybody keeps retreating
But you can't seem to get enough
Let my love open the door
Let my love open the door
Let my love open the door
To your heart
When everything feels all over
When everybody seems unkind
I'll give you a four-leaf clover
Take all the worry out of your mind
Let my love open the door
Let my love open the door
Let my love open the door
To your heart
I have the only key to your heart
I can stop you falling apart
Try today, you'll find this way
Come on and give me a chance to say
Let my love open the door
It's all I'm living for
Release yourself from misery
Only one thing's gonna set you free
That's my love
Let my love open the door
Let my love open the door
Let my love open the door
To your heart
When tragedy befalls you
Don't let them bring you down Love can cure your problem
You're so lucky I'm around
Let my love open the door
Let my love open the door
Let my love open the door
To your heart
I went into my local Nordstrom Rack yesterday for nail polish.
I admit... a stupid idea. You can buy nail polish at a Walgreens... why tempt myself? But I was at Borders in the same plaza and I evidently am somewhat of an dumbass.
I just went out and bought "An Object of Beauty" by Steve Martin and "Bossy Pants" by Tina Fey today after work. Then I get home, and the new People with Reese Witherspoon's wedding deets and the new Glamour with the best swimsuits for the season are in my mailbox!! READING MATERIAL OVERLOAD!!!
It goes:
1. This situation
2. Seeing puppies/kittens
3. Christmas morning
Also in the picture are the tulips that my lovely momma dropped off for me on Monday when I was home sick from work. She also brought me popsicles, Lipton soup packets and orange juice. There's good, there's great, and then there's Jane. ILU momma.
