Happy Halloween! (also, don't call me for a month)

Boo!

Scared you, didn't I? Tee hee.

OK, so it's Halloween, the night where I dress up like Frida Kahlo, ditch Hot Pants (who is sick) and go to a party. At midnight, instead of turning into a pumpkin, I will transform into a literary genius with my first attempt at NaNoWriMo. (Now, that's scary.)

So, if I don't pick up the phone for the next 30 days, don't hate. Just know that I will let you share in my millions when my clever, pithy novel becomes the top-selling book of all time.

NaNoWriHuh?

I have just committed myself to writing a 50,000-word novel between Nov. 1 and Nov. 30. It's National Novel Writing Month! Yeee haw!

What do I get at the end of it, aside from self-respect and a bloated ego for being so clever? A T-shirt, I think. Or I may have to pay for that. I don't know. The point is, I'm doing this and it's going to fucking rock. The novel won't fucking rock, mind you. Because I will have to write 1,600 words daily to get it done in time, and that kind of crunch rarely produces awesome results. But the process, people. The process will rock. It's a like a giant creative catharsis. A writing-gasm, if you will. Ew.

Just 11 days until the fun begins! Watch out, Dave Eggers!

Music, music, music!

Wooo! New music!

* Firstly, there's Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, which put out this fabulous single on their debut album. Here's their recent appearance on Letterman. Ignore the stupid talk bubbles the poster inserted into the video.

* The Avett Brothers put out a new record with producer/music magnate/facial hair enthusiast Rick Rubin. It's a lot more polished than their previous albums, which has been a tough adjustment for me. I liked how imperfect their voices sounded and their lo-fi studio chat before and after songs. But I find myself listening to the album over and over again, mesmerized by the songs. Maybe ol' Rick knew what he was doing after all.

* Wild child Karen O has released the "Where the Wild Things Are" soundtrack and you can stream online for free. Check it out. I can't wait to see what Spike Jonze has done with my favorite children's book! If Maurice Sendak approves, it's got to be more than OK.

A proper thank you

I got married last weekend!

Chances are you, you already know this. Because you were probably there.

But just in case you didn't, I'm now someone's wife. It's kind of weird.

I only have one regret from the whole thing. During the reception, we had a time where we thanked everyone for their love and support, etc. I did not take time to prepare myself for this activity, which is why I panicked later realizing that I hadn't thanked everyone I needed to. I made 1 million lists for my wedding but managed not to make a list for that. *Head desk*

So, here's what I should have said:

We would like to thank each and every one of you for your role in our
lives. You have made us who we are today, both as individuals and as a couple. But there are some people here who went above and beyond the call of duty and deserve to be named individually. In no particular order...

Sara Jackson designed the awesome programs that so many of you have asked about. She is a truly amazing and talented person, and I am fortunate to have worked with her. Plus, she's got a really cute kid. Hi, Owen!

The Rev. Lindsay Riddell officiated the wedding, and what a marvelous job she did! She made it look easy to stand up in front of 100 people and formalize a marriage. Lindsay will always be one of my favorite people on the planet, and I am so happy she could be such an important part of our wedding.

Ashley Heher, please stand up. This girl kept me single-handedly calm and collected this week. She helped me walk it off when I wanted to yell at people (sorry, Mom!) and was invaluable in getting stuff done. She made to-do lists, sent me calendar entries and reminded me to breathe. I could not have made it without her. Thank you, Noodles.

A whole group of our friends showed up early this morning to put up the beautiful decorations you see all around you. In fact, Lindsay had to scale the entrance gate because it was locked this morning. So, thanks to all of you who took time out of what could have been a lazy morning to make my wedding gorgeous.

I love all of you so much and am so grateful for your help. You have made today unforgettable.