what my monday sounds like

Found via For Me, For You, who hit the nail on the head when she said: I want to listen to it while laying in the dark with my eyes closed, volume all the way up…

Since this is my first day of vacation from work, I've been listening to it all morning, while crocheting up the wazoo and drinking hot mugs of green tea and watching the rain fall (and trying to fight off a sore throat...).

What does your Monday sound like?

ray in real life.

They're pretty blurry,

Jolene 11/7 from Ruth Writes on Vimeo.

and kind of jiggly,

Shelter 11/7 from Ruth Writes on Vimeo.

but they sure sound like heaven.

a tidbit.

MH and I were just sitting on the floor of my bedroom, hanging out and chatting like good sisters do, when the Imogen Heap song "Hide and Seek" came on my iTunes.

For those who don't know (it's been remade into a ridiculous remix and is all over the radio), the line that's repeated over and over is, "Mmm whatcha say?"

MH commented, completely seriously and slightly irritated-ly, "What, can they not hear her or something?"

the swell season.

Remember the movie Once? The mesmerizing Irish indie film released in 2006? If you haven't seen it, you must. The film is so heartwarming, and the music is astonishing. I could listen to it all day, over and over. "Falling Slowly" is probably one of my favorite songs. Ever.

The main characters, played by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, are actually a couple in real life (!) and have formed a group together called The Swell Season.

Their new album comes out October 27th--I think I need to preorder it.

(Photo via The Swell Season)

Barcarole

MH's Barcarole from Ruth Writes on Vimeo.

Ray, here I come

Ray is just getting too popular. Too many other people are being won over by his good looks, his moving music, his crack habits, his emotional instability . . .

Wait, no, I do like him. I love him.

That's why I was at my computer by 9:45 Monday morning waiting for the ticket site to become available at 10 o'clock so I could order tickets for his fall show via the presale (cause I'm in the fan club and get regular emails, I know, I know). So you can imagine how surprised I was when, as soon as it turned from 9:59 to 10:00, I clicked right in and went to purchase my tickets for Boston on November 4th (MY BIRTHDAY I KNOW IT WAS MEANT TO BE) and it wouldn't let me get any. I kept trying, and trying, and trying. It kept saying silly things like I had selected too many tickets or some garbage like that. By the time I emailed the ticketmaster and went back on at 11am, it was sold out.

I later got an email saying that the presale had sold out IN ONE MINUTE.

Needless to say, I was devastated and thoroughly irritated. How am I going to have his babies if I can't even get to his show? (Stop. This is a joke.)

By Friday night, I was set on getting on my computer well before 10am the next morning so I could at least try my chances at getting tickets for the general public. (General public? Me? I was insulted. Perhaps they don't understand how die-hard of a fan I am . . .)

Saturday, I was babysitting. Which really means quelling fights and calming down hysterical five-year-olds and saying no to multiple glasses of chocolate milk at 9am and reminding about teeth brushing ten thousand times until it was actually done and constantly asking, "Did you really take off your glasses again? GO GET THEM." Horrifyingly, I forgot about poor Ray.

At 9pm last night, I remembered with a jolt. My mind went a mile a minute with thoughts of despair and grief and giving-up-edness. I thought I'd never get them.

By the time I found the ticket site (different the presale site, so it took me even longer), Boston was sold out. New York only had single seats available in places like "Upper Left Balcony Row YYY seat 2045." In other words, "You can pay $80 and sit here and listen to the music even though you'll only see half of Ray LaMontagne's profile the size of a flea and probably be suffocated with the smell oozing from the bathroom directly behind you. If you want."

I was not sold.

I then noticed a show in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania on November 7th. I Google Mapped it and realized it was only 13.5 miles from Jana. We could do this.

Even though she didn't answer her phone, I bought them anyway. If she couldn't go, I would just go by myself and invite a stranger off the street to join me, free of charge. I WAS GOING TO SEE THIS MAN.

In the end, Jana called me back. She wanted to go. Which is good, seeing as how I had already bought the tickets. We decided to make a weekend of it. I'm so excited.

Ray, here I come.

(Photo via The Couch Sessions)

Ray LaMontagne

I'm so excited. I just had to share.

RAY LAMONTAGNE IS DOING A FALL TOUR. AND TICKETS GO ON PRESALE MONDAY AT 10AM.

Maybe you don't understand how much I love him. I've seen him twice before, but missed his tour this past April. Bummer, I know. I'll do anything to see him again.

I think he may be the sole reason why I find men in plaid shirts with beards so damn attractive.

Not familiar with Ray LaMontagne, you say? Shame on you. Just kidding. Kind of. Really though, he's too good of a musician to miss.

Well, now I'll help bring you into the real world and share with you his music. Here's my personal favorite from his debut album, Trouble:



See? I know, now you're hooked. Buy tickets Monday morning at 10am. Just please let me get front row first. I'm still deciding if I should go to Boston or New York . . .

Oh, and I'll let you know once we've set our wedding date.

(This time I wasn't kidding.)

Lisa Mitchell

I couldn't resist. I just had to share this.



This is Lisa Mitchell, who was on Australian Idol and whose debut album comes out this week. I just sat here for all three minutes and fifteen seconds completely entranced by this video. She's one of those lucky girls who will always look absolutely gorgeous, even if that means with no make-up and half asleep.

Excuse me, I have a new CD to go buy . . .