At Home

 In case anyone (mom) was wondering, Kippy forgave me for being gone for three weeks. After ignoring me for one day, scratching me on the third day, and barfing twice in between (unrelated angst), she finally came around and we laid on the couch for two hours purring, and watching On Demand episodes of Intervention.

At least one of us has gotten over our extended existential crisis pattern.

In other home-front news, I’ve been doing my damndest to “nest” as of late. I realized over Christmas break that it is a little unnecessary for a girl of *ahem* almost twenty-five to be living much like a frat boy would live: laundry on the floor or piled up in the back of the closet, wet towels hanging off the doorknob, dirty dishes in the sink, curtains that don’t match (and not in a cute eclectic kistch kind of way…)  Melody and I talk about it constantly, the innate desire for women to “nest”. When all the world is a little bit of a mess the only thing we can do is shop or nest. And since I recently called myself a Lawrence local in a conversation with some other “locals” I decided it was time for me to do a little home-building of my own. Things are insanely messy right now, but it is coming together nicely, I think. I hung two pictures, framed another, and finally hung up all my laundry.

My curtains still don’t match, but at least the shower is clean and the cats love me again.

2008: The Year of the Beard

Many know of my proclivity towards facial hair. I am the self-proclaimed biggest appreciator of the moustache this side of the 1970’s. It is this afficionadoship and card-carrying membership (and founder) of Lawrence’s anual “March Moustache Madness” celebration, that has coined me the nickname “Moustashley”.

Allow me to indulge myself in the greats that have won me over to the Moustache side:

Stevie Wonder

 

Brewer and Shipley

Crosby Stills and Nash

Mid-career George Harrison

CCR

Norman Greenbaum

 

In recent years, though, my love for facial hair has grown, literally, to include the beard. It started with the appreciation of some of the greatest musicians of my father’s era, much like the moustache. (Allow me to digress slightly here, and mention that my father has had in the past the greatest beard of all time, and currently sports the greatest moustache of all time. He went facially bald for a brief moment in my childhood, which haunts me to this day. He is also quite well known around these parts for his ’stache, friends of mine have even been known to speak with one finger imitating a moustache over the upper lip when talking about my dad.) You will notice in the CCR photograph the prime example of the kind of beard that deserves some attention. The Beard crept to the forefront slowly like a five o’clock shadow with the help of such great beards/musicians as:

Cat Stevens (aka Yusef Islam)

John Lennon

Eric Clapton

Flying Burrito Brothers

Abe Lincoln (not a musician)

Jesus Christ (also not a musician)

 

I have been advocating the beard from the months of Septembeard through Decembeard and into Janu-hairy for years now. It wasn’t until 2008 that my prayers were answered in the form of the new rock n’ roll beard.  Behold friends, beards, moustaches and appreciators the Year of the BEARD in music:

Band of Horses:

Fleet Foxes:

Wilco:

My Morning Jacket:

Iron and Wine:

Ray Lamontagne:

And some videos for you to experience from such artists as the 2008 New Hair bands:

Band of Horses:

Fleet Foxes:

Wilco:

My Morning Jacket:

Iron and Wine: (not really a video but a live recording that is worth listening to)

Ray Lamontagne: (please please please I beg of you, watch this video)

And just for good measure….. (This one goes out to you Jesus Christ, with that glorious beard beyond comparison…)

A Light at the End of the Tunnel

I got a message in the inbox of my liberal university electronic mail system this morning:

Sender: The University of Kansas
Subject: One New Notification
Body:

Student ****364, Ashley R Tippin, you are eligible for a Grad Check. Please email your adviser for more information concerning what you need to do to prepare for graduation.

 

Now, kids, let’s not get too excited. We’re still a little ways out from the actual EVENT, but for crying out loud it feels so damn good to feel like these means are actually in the works for an end. AN END (hear that DAD? AN E-N-D END!!!!!!!!)