The Number Five

I was a high school senior in a San Francisco suberb in the fall of 1995.  At 17, I was the epitome of teenage hope.  I was hyper to a fault. Reckless with enthusiasm, obnoxious with positivity.  I was invulnerable.  I was innocent. I was alive.

October 19th stands clearly in my mind as the day I lost that innocence.  A siren, a helipcopter, a phone call.  I would never be the same.

Today marks the last in a trio of somber anniversaries that I reflect on each year.

In September of 2007 I stood in The Fillmore Auditorium with my best friend and heard Brandi Carlile sing a then new song, for the first time.  A typically unemotional person, I was shocked when the tears came so freely to my eyes.  It was the tune of the pain, I had felt for so long…. it let me know that someone else held it too.

It still does.

These lists were painful to put together due to the astounding amount of music and media I consumed this year.  With out question, 2008 was the most “event-full” of my life.  

 

These lists are in no particular order.

 

Concerts:

1. Mile High Music Festival

2. Erykah Badu

3. Bonnia Raitt

4. Ani DiFranco

5. James Taylor

(I have about a dozen honorable mentions, that if I don’t at least call out a few I’d be kidding myself: Sia, Greg Laswell, Feist, Jason Mraz, and Mr. Ray LaMontagne. I’d also like to thank my nearly constant event companion, Cdspath for her willingness to simply “do things.”)

 

Movies:

1. Doubt

2. American Teen

3. Changeling

4. Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2

5. Savages

 

Songs:

1. I’d be Lying – Greg Laswell

2. Can’t Go Back Now – The Weepies

3. Where I Stood – Missy Higgins

4. Hometown Glory – Adele

5. Already Home – Brandi Carlile and Ha’ash

 

Albums: 

1. Greg Laswell – 3 Flights from Alto Nido

2. Sia – Some People Have Real Problems

3. Missy Higgins – On a Clear Night

4. Tristan Prettyman – Hello x

5. The Weepies – Hideway

 

Artists:

1. Brandi Carlile

2. Sia

3. Greg Laswell

4. The Weepies

5. Missy Higgins

 

TV Shows:

1. LA Ink

2. Gray’s Anatomy

3. Beverly Hills, 90210 2.0

4. One Tree Hill

5. The Office

 

Unique Experiences:

Spent a week in Tennessee filming 2 big budget commercials.  Ah-mazing.

Meet Jason Mraz and had a very normal conversation with him.

Meet and worked with Boozer.  Great guy, great family.

Did not go to California (a first for an entire year of my life).

Faced many fears.

 

 

Other Stats:

Consumed nearly 115 gallons of Diet Coke.

Averaged 2800 cell phone minutes a month.

Became an aunt for the 21st time.

Bought a new car (2009 VW Jetta Wagon).

Purchased 3 new pairs of Birks.

Had hair long enough to touch my collar (a first since ‘93)

Attended 28 concerts.

Ate too much pizza.

Laughed more than any year before.

 

 

 

 

 

Keep in mind, I’m 30.

 

1. Bought a happy meal, twice, just for the Lego Batman toy. (It’s dope)

2. Gave a friend a birthday card that dropped the F-bomb (yes, I said f-bomb).

3. Rode the Alpine Coaster three times and giggled all the way.

4. Sang Kelly Clarkson songs at the top of my lungs while cruising state* (I had help).

5. Washed an artificial tree in the shower of  my work.

 

* My thumb is a killer microphone alternative.

 

Saturday Evening.

“Heads up, I’m leaving P-town at 8.”

“Really?  That’s early for a Saturday night.”

“I need to pick up my ring since I got resized.”

“Oh, can’t you get it Monday?”

“Yeah, but I need it…”

“Need it?”

“Well, I miss it… plus, tomorrow is Sunday, and I finally have something for the good news minute!  And you can’t announce your engagement, unless you have a ring.”

“Right… so, you’re leaving your boy on a Saturday night, so you can have a ring to show during the good news minute during Relief Society?”

“Yes.”

“Um… ok, good luck with that.”

 

Sunday Afternoon:

“So, how’d the good news minute go?”

“Oh…they didn’t have it.”

 

We (me Chels, and KJ) met Missy Higgins tonight!!! I don’t have the energy to go into details, but know that:

1. She’s taller than I thought
2. Her accent is dope, and super thick.
3. She signs a very messy signature
4. She was ridiculously kind
5. Her jeans weren’t too tight.

Stay tuned for a picture!

“I never really knew anyone else named Emily until I was older and moved to Utah.”

“I never knew anyone named Chelsea until high school. Except for some peoples dogs.”

“You knew a dog named Chelesa?”

“Well yeah, didn’t the Clinton’s have a dog named Chelsea?”

…….

“Wait, that was there daughter.”

“Some people confused the two.”