Don't worry. You are still the bread and the knife.

OK. I'm tired of seeing Barack and Hilary every time I look at my blog, so it's time for a new post. Plus, I'm putting off the 7th grade paper that I'm about to write so that I can show my class how to write a 7th grade paper. Hurrah.
First, I haven't told you about some amazing things from last week. Thursday was the Joshua Radin/ Ingrid Michaelson concert, and it was FABULOUS. Alexa Wilkinson opened and was actually pretty good - I bought her CD and it's decent. I must say that although Josh was good, Ingrid outshone him, especially in the personality department. She had tons of funny stories and sarcastic comments about how everybody poops and it was wonderful. The highlights for me were definitely her covers though - first an amazing cover of "Creep," by Radiohead, which she played on the ukulele of all things. It was truly a fantastic performance, and I'm actually pretty sure you can find a crappy video of it on youtube. At the end of the concert she also started playing this nice little song that started, "This is a story all about how my life got turned upside down . . ." and we all gasped when we realized that she was singing "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It was hysterical. My other favorite song was "Keep Breathing," which I'd never heard before. What a beautiful little number. I am in love. It's in the same vein as "Grey Room" and I've been listening to it several times a day ever since.
For me, the highlight of Joshua's part (besides his fedora and his performances with Ingrid) was his explanation of the song "Closer," which for a long time was the only Radin song I knew. I've never understood the song, but he explained that it was about a girlfriend from about 6 years ago with whom he wanted to break up but couldn't because she was always sad and he was trying to help her through things. He said it was a song about how he always falls for sad girls. Now read the lyrics:

"Closer"
So we're alone again
I wish it were over
We seem to never end
Only get closer to the point
Where I can't take no more

The clouds in your eyes
Down your face they pour
Won't you be the new one burn to shine
I take the blue ones every time
Walk me down your broken line
All you have to do is cry
Yes all you have to do is cry

Hush my baby now
Your talking is just noise and won't lay me down
Amongst your toys in a room where I can take no more

The clouds in your eyes
Down your face they pour
Won't you be the new one burn to shine
I take the blue ones every time
Walk me down your broken line
All you have to do is cry
Yes all you have to do is cry

Photographs and brightly colored paper
Are your mask you wear in this caper
That is our life
We walk right into the strife
And a tear from your eye brings me home

Won't you be the new one burned to shine
I take the blue ones every time
Walk me down your broken line
All you have to do is cry.

It all makes sense now! It's amazing!

Next, I must tell you about Friday. I got special permission from Mr. Buck to skip two periods and go to the BYU reading series to see Billy Collins. I love him. He was every bit as wonderful as I hoped he'd be, very deadpan and funny. Some of my favorite poems were "Litany," "Tension," "Bathtub Families," and "The Lanyard," but I was in stitches the whole time. The title of this post comes from "Litany," a poem built on a couple of lines from a poem by a poet who evidently believed that what women want more than respect or communication is similes. She wants to be compared to as many things as possible. It was a great poem. Also, I learned from Billy that when Paul Simon wrote "Mother and Child Reunion," he was inspired by a dish at a Chinese restaurant by the same name. The dish was chicken and eggs. Hahaha.

Last, but certainly not least, is the good news that BEN FOLDS IS COMING TO UTAH! And also, I've talked two of my roommates into going with me to see him! I am seriously excited about this. And it's on the last day of finals! Not that I have any, but either way it's a nice thought.


Now I have to write that 7th grade research paper. Here I come, Abe Lincoln!