Ben Folds His Paper Hot-Dog Style

So, here's the story. My roommate Heather had been planning for at least a month to go see Ben Folds in concert down in Salt Lake, and I was jealous. I love Ben Folds...he and I go way back. But I didn't know if my love was worth $22-40.

That is, until one of Heather's Salt Lake friends backed out on Monday, two days before the concert, and Heather asked me first if I wanted it. Gasp! But I also had a "portfolio conference" to be at that night, so I told her to ask other people first so I wouldn't have to make the decision ;). Unfortunately, none of the other people on her list could go either so...I decided, what the heck, I'll go too! And I got way excited.

Until the next day, when Heather texted me that her friend had been misinformed- they really didn't have an extra ticket. Well, you know, these things happen, and I understood, and now I didn't have to worry about getting in touch with my professor either. So I was fine.

Until the next day, when Thomas called me. I was just putting the finishing touches on my portfolio, minding my own business, while he'd been listening to the radio and calling it up... and WINNING TWO FREE TICKETS TO THE BEN FOLDS CONCERT! Lucky for me that I'm his favorite sibling! And lucky for me that I already had a ride! And lucky for me that I emailed my teacher to let her know we could meet up another day! It seemed things were finally looking up for ol' Beckie.

And then a lot of other stuff happened on the ride down and the ride back up, involving ten chicken nuggets, Montevideo Uruguay, a box of Krispy Kremes, and getting home at 2 AM in the rain. But what I really wanted to blog are these:

There they are! Ben, his drummer, and his guitarist.

And the following are "Movies" but let's just call them "Pictures" because the sound on them is...well, it isn't.


"Landed"




"Annie Waits"



"Still Fighting It"



"Lullabye"

So, the sound quality's pretty incredible - I mean, they were taken on cell phones! - but I'd definitely recommend the actual music. Ch-ch-check it out.

And the best part of it all was getting to go see an extremely talented performer and sing along with Thomas. Thanks, buddy! It was especially worth it because it was free!!

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

One Art

The art of losing isn't hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something every day.  Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel.  None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother's watch.  And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones.  And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.

---Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan't have lied.  It's evident
the art of losing's not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

-- Elizabeth Bishop

"I don't want that to go away. I don't want to forget."
"I'm sorry, Dory, but I . . . do."
--Finding Nemo

HEART, we will forget him!
You and I, to-night!
You may forget the warmth he gave,
I will forget the light.
When you have done, pray tell me,	5
That I my thoughts may dim;
Haste! lest while you're lagging,
I may remember him!

--Emily Dickinson

"I'm ready to get hurt again."
---Michael Scott, "The Office"

YOU left me, sweet, two legacies,—
A legacy of love
A Heavenly Father would content,
Had He the offer of;
You left me boundaries of pain	5
Capacious as the sea,
Between eternity and time,
Your consciousness and me.

--Emily Dickinson