when in rome. [or new york city].

so i've been non-stop at work. literally non-stop.i am exhausted. i need a vacation. i need to exhale.

on the positive, it has been good because when you're going 24/7 about something you're passionate about and enjoy, it helps to drown out some of the "life" noise which in retrospect is absurdly outrageous and doesn't deserve thought space in my mind. as i type this poorly written (with grammar and spelling circa that of cw age 8) blog entry,  i'm taking a breather in my hotel in NYC. You see i'm here on a business trip that was a little unplanned, but has so far been a great few days.the twin moved to NYC a few months ago and i was able to see her for dinner and swing into her office early one morning. despite not getting enough sleep, i've made it into central park to run in one of my favorite places everyday but today, (day off by choice, my legs are seriously shot), and the energy and excitement of this meeting has been so good with our Canadian retail partners.

nonetheless, my heart shed a few tears when the trip was added to my calendar and i couldn't go see my adored Scottish lyrical princes, Frightened Rabbit for their show in Boston..i discovered them the first week i moved myself across the country at the end of January of 2009. i remember sitting in my chair, listening to "Last Tango in Brooklyn" on repeat, and being completely blown away. I fell in love with their sound, and their ability to vocalize emotions through word pairings and analogies that are completely unexpected and perfect. (is that you / in front of me/ coming back for even more/ of exactly the same thing / you must be a masochist)  I proceeded to buy all of their two albums, and most recently their fantastically acclaimed, "The Winter of Mixed Drinks". This album has definitely put them into the minds and ears of many listeners otherwise uninformed of their music, and rightfully so, as the album is brilliant and beautiful.

so here's what happened. i got on the train to NYC, listening to Frightened Rabbit in my ipod, and i decided i am cw. not some ordinary, pushover, mopester chick. i make things happen. i get it done when i want to get it done. and i wanted to see Frightened Rabbit, [she says, standing in her size 7.5 frye boots on her imaginary portable pedestal]. So thanks to Google on my blackberry,  my friend John, Craigslist, and $50 bucks later.... we were sitting at The Republic for some pad thai in Union Square, and a few drinks and an hour afterward, found ourselves memorized in Webster Hall by the brilliance and romance of this band that makes my heart full and my soul melt. i must also acknowledge i have an incredible B-to-the-O-Double-S who stood there at a bar with me after account meetings during the Boston marathon and listened as i annoyed him, exchanging lyrics back and forth with one of his friends. When the ole boss received my pleading texts from the Amrtrak that i had a chance to see them in NYC, i was absolutely free to skip out on food drinks and hockey with our O' Canada retail partners we are hosting here. oooooh how i heart good people.

The show, the setlist, and the crowd were amazing. i found myself admitting, (to myself), that being hurt by someone actually makes me appreciate bands like Frightened Rabbit even more. They sing with such raw emotion, such blunt honesty that it makes you realize hurt happens. it doesn't make you a stupid girl. it doesn't make you "that girl," or the one who lost. hurt fuels some of the most beautiful music out there.... and i actually think i have realized it'll make me appreciate the non-hurt parts of life. (my ability to cryptically communicate went out the window with my work schedule so ill just spell it out that in this particular case; i'm referencing a sitch w/ a b-to-the-oy that i am finally done wasting energy thinking about). that said, they played a variety of songs from their three albums, including The Wrestle (my fav from their new album). With an encore of Poke and Keep Yourself Warm, i left Webster Hall with a bursting soul, a greater love for my scottish band, and the satisfaction that i didn't let this slip by me, not resigning myself to my schedule and just settling for the tunes through my ipod.

remember your portable pedestal friends. it's always there and ready for you to hop up on when you should.

xo from NYC,
cw