[christine]

Here are some of my favorites from my very first blog:

“Christine — how entirely impossible is it for anyone not to be charmed by you, or your posts? You are one of the few melos that I frequent regularly. Always, always, I am left one or all of the following: charmed, having learnt something new, moved, amused, inspired, tickled, and sometimes quite awed.” ~ luckylittlshark

“SO, I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion that nothing but pure, unadulterated awesomeness and refreshing goodness will come out of this melo. I seem to find myself cordially limpid and satiated by ecstatic serenity with each visit I make. Extremely refreshing.” ~ lowsun

“girls like you intimidate me. and i mean that in the best way possible.” ~ speakeasyboy

“i love your entries… all of them. crazy. magic. love.” ~ cityofamnesia

“your page is amazing, I feel like I could spend an afternoon reading here” ~ dreams_of_life

“i can’t get enough of you. the boy broke my heart, but your blog makes me smile. <3” ~ shipwrecked

“I’m glad your still here, faithful gate-keeper of charming insight. Without you, Melo would be a little less interesting. <3 ~ luckylittlshark

“I love everything I read here—and I read a lot.” ~ immatureamateur

“If u and I were not so far apart we’d have drinks. Oh yes…we would: -)” ~ sublimenihilist

“Ameko, I don’t have any idea when I started reading you’re journal, but I do know that you’re one of the bravest people I’ve ever met. You’ve had a tremendous influence on my cynical, guarded view on relationships. My bestfriend says I’m currently meeting my inner child for the first time in my life, and I think you are partially responsible for that. I’d just like to say thank you for that, and please never change.” ~ coldxlight

“i love your melo. you are as creative and thoughtful as i wish i could be.” ~ wanderlustful

“you are definitely a libra. i love the way you explain things. i feel connected to your explanations. like i’ve lived them… and i suppose i have.” ~ painstaind

“it has long been a ritual for me to come to your page and read every new entry you have written..you give me something to look forward to when i’m down and out (your optimism shines) or when i am in a thinking, thoughtful mood. thank you for that.” ~ preciouslove

“your melo is sweet. it makes my heart pitter patter.” ~ sweetcatastrofy

“can you marry me? i think you’re my perfect other in girlform!” ~ nifty

“i just get so ‘lost’ in this melo and its a very pleasent kinda lost. like being in a field of flowers with the sun on your face.” ~ windupdoll

“i really like your melo…i didnt want it to end” ~ starve

“You’re totally cool, by the way. I don’t think I ever tell you that. But you are, and my wife would be quite jealous if she weren’t so secure. Ha.” ~ cbmatt

“Your melo is hope to me. If I could bundle it all up into a scratch-and-sniff huggable book that I could carry with me I would. You are so refreshing.” ~ truthtricked

“Your ‘At 20…’ post filled me with something indescribable. Your Melo gives something that not many do on here… hope, faith, a reason, whatever you want to call it. If I am ever lost, and I happen to find myself on Melo, I know where I will come to allow myself to be Found.” ~ lettertoyou

“i’d gladly marry your melo” ~ epitome

“this is a beautiful place. in the middle of all this pain reading over and over your words for a second makes me feel safe.” ~ amiracle

“Yours is quite possibly, the best melo i’ve ever come across… Uplifting, sweet, funny, and whimsical to the core. :) Thanks for that.” ~ tweakified

“Lots of your Melo makes me cry. In a good way.” ~ phoenixrose

“I know I will miss you. Your Melo, above all others on here, even Melos of my closest friends, has been a beacon of hope and inspiration. Your posts, no matter how small the subject, always seemed to evoke SOMETHING…. and it was beautiful. Thank you, for everything you have given, and I hope you manage to continue giving no matter where your new path takes you. You will be missed, and not forgotten. Take care.” ~ lettertoyou

“You knock some faith in me about people having children, you know. Seriously, when you do have your first child, there should be at least eight people scattered around your delivery room setting off confetti guns.” ~ luckylittlshark

“Christine Denise, if I could chose any airplane seatmate through a really, really, realllly long flight, I’d want you! And you can even have the window seat. Annnd I’d give you my peanuts.” ~ tomorrowmorning

“I can honestly say that it has been months since I’ve run across a melo that I’ve found worthy of spending the 5 minutes it takes to read through the whole thing. But I did with yours.” ~ digitaltrauma

“This is quite possible the best thing I have ever read. You have such an unbelievable way with words. I am just speechless right now.I can’t even begin to explain how much I love your writing.” ~ mynameisdaniel2

“i read every single word. you write like birds fly. i am captivated. dont be alarmed when i come back over and over and suck up every word. <3” ~ sherrydee

“i missed your melo. It makes me fall in love over and over again :)” ~ merkwurdigeskid

“i think i just developed a slight girl crush on you.” ~ stellar408

“How is it you can always make me smile, just a little, just at the corner of my mouth, even when I feel like this? (Not-feeling).” ~ luckylittlshark

“No, I just fancy you immensely. A cup of coffee and you to-go would make Mondays more than bearable. But I’ll live xo” ~ cupid

“i just sat here and read through most of your melo. absolutely tranfixed, absolutely melting, absolutely jealous of your talent of putting thoughts to words.” ~ rootlesstree

“Everything I want to be and fall just short of. What is it about the lucidity of youth?” ~ ben leto

“You know…in a heartbeat, I would marry the woman that is portrayed by this melo.” ~ lowsun

“you’ve probably heard this a million times before, but i want you to know that you’re amazing. your last post was lovely beyond words. i hope that whomever you wrote that for reads it. i hope that God whispers those words you typed out and they feel it, because i know i (and all others who have read it) felt it. you can feel the hope and passion and love echoing through those words, and i hope with all my heart that everything turns out for the best.” ~ taintedxheart

“i know how hard it can be to stay strong when your heart is shattered and the wind has been completely knocked out of you. but there’s so much strength and power in your ability to render yourself vulnerable and raw as well. even when you’re hurting, your inner beauty shines through.” ~ stinkerbelle

“you’re not a baby if you feel the world. all of the babies can feel the world. that’s why they cry. trust me, a heavy heart is better than no heart at all & one that loves as much as yours is allowed all the grace in the world. <3” ~ shipwrecked

A
a fine frenzy - almost lover
abbie gardner & anthony da costa - on my knees
aloha - you’ve escaped
am & tina dico - while my guitar gently weeps
amel bent - eye of the tiger
amos lee - sympathize
amy kuney - love is trippy
amy kuney - rocket surgery
amy kuney - simple things
ane brun & teitur - rubber & soul
angus & julia stone - just a boy
ani difranco - untouchable face
anna nalick - wreck of the day
annuals - sore
aqualung - strange and beautiful
arctic monkeys - 505
arsenal - estupendo
ashton allen - better than i know
azure ray - across the ocean
azure ray - november

B
bang gang - inside
basia bulat - before i knew
basia bulat - i was a daughter
bat for lashes - daniel
bell x1 - next to you
bell x1 - rocky took a lover
ben folds & regina spektor - you don’t know me
ben folds - golden slumbers
ben lee - float on
ben sollee & jim james - only a song
ben sollee - a change is gonna come
big star - i’m in love with a girl
bishop allen - click, click click, click
bon iver - blood bank
bon iver - skinny love
brandi carlisle - the story
brandi shearer - lullabies
brett dennen & femi kuti - make you crazy
brett dennen - ain’t gonna lose you
brett dennen - ain’t no reason
brie larson - go goodbye

C
carla bruni - those dancing days are gone
carolina liar - i’m not over
carrie rodriguez - she ain’t me
cat power - remember me
catie curtis - soul meets body
chad vangaalen - molten light
chairlift - bruises
chris garneau - not nice
city and colour - body in a box
city and colour - the girl
clint mansell - together we will live forever
colbie caillat & jason reeves - droplets
colbie caillat - bubbly
colbie caillat - the little things
coldplay - gravity
creeping weeds - (i’m a) donkey for your love
curumin - compacto

D
damien jurado - everything trying
damien jurado - gillian was a horse
damien jurado - paper kite
damien jurado - sheets
damien rice - cannonball
damien rice - dogs
damien rice - when doves cry
dar williams - i’ll miss you till i meet you
david gray - alibi
david norris - old tom’s restless bones
death cab for cutie - a lack of color
death cab for cutie - crooked teeth
death cab for cutie - little bribes
denison witmer - are you a dreamer?
denison witmer - california brown and blue
denison witmer - i tried to make you smile
denison witmer - is there a ghost?
denison witmer - little flowers
devendra banhart - lover
devotchka - how it ends
dixie chicks - lullaby

E
eels - my beloved monster
eisley - one day i floated away
eisley - telescope eyes
emily haines & jason collett - hangover days
emily haines & the soft skeleton - crowd surf off a cliff
everett thomas - fade into you

F
fair - carelessness
feist - 1234
feist - inside and out
feist - mushaboom
feist & the postal service - mushaboom
fiona apple - ugly girl
first aid kit - our own pretty ways
first aid kit - you’re not coming home tonight
foo fighters - best of you
foo fighters - times like these
frou frou - it’s good to be in love

G
gabriella cilmi - cry me a river
glen hansard & marketa irglova - falling slowly
glen hansard & marketa irglova - if you want me
glen hansard & marketa irglova - say it to me now
glen hansard - everytime
gomez - girlshapedlovedrug
greg laswell - comes and goes (in waves)
gregory and the hawk - grey weather
griffin house - better than love
griffin house - broken
guillemots - trains to brazil
guillemots - trains to brazil

H
her space holiday - just another day
holly conlan - you are goodbye
horse feathers - curs in the weeds
horse feathers - heathen’s kiss
howie day - sunday morning song

I
imogen heap - thriller
inara george - fools in love
ingrid michaelson - be ok
ingrid michaelson - corner of your heart
ingrid michaelson - giving up
ingrid michaelson - morning lullabies
ingrid michaelson - the way i am
iron & wine & calexico - he lays in the reins
iron & wine & calexico - history of lovers
iron & wine & calexico - wild horses
iron & wine - boy with a coin
iron & wine - boy with a coin
iron & wine - fever dream
iron & wine - flightless bird, american mouth
iron & wine - in my lady’s house
iron & wine - passing afternoon
iron & wine - someday the waves
iron & wine - such great heights
iron & wine - waitin’ for a superman
isbells - time’s ticking
israel kamakawiwo’ole - somewhere over the rainbow
ivana xl - nobody does it better
ivana xl - sweetie pie

J
jack johnson - banana pancakes
jack johnson - do you remember
jack johnson - girl i wanna lay you down
jack johnson - if i had eyes
jack johnson - we’re going to be friends
jake shimabukuro - heartbeat/dragon
james morrison - the pieces don’t fit anymore
james morrison - undiscovered
james morrison - wonderful world
james morrison - you give me something
james vincent mcmorrow - follow you down to the red oak tree
jann arden - insensitive
jason lo - operator, the line is dead
jason mraz & colbie caillat - lucky
jason mraz - absolutely zero
jason mraz - if it kills me
jason mraz - life is wonderful
jason mraz - rocket man
jason mraz - summer breeze
jehro - sweet
jessica andrews - unbreakable heart
jessica lea mayfield - kiss me again
joanna newsom - sprout and the bean
jose gonzalez - heartbeats
josh joplin group - camera one
josh rouse - sad eyes
joshua radin & ingrid michaelson - sky
joshua radin & meiko - sky
joshua radin - i’d rather be with you
joshua radin - one of these days
joshua radin - only you
justin vernon - hazelton

K
kaiser chiefs - born to be a dancer
kanye west - heartless
kc concepcion - umbrella
keane - spiralling
keane - we might as well be strangers
kevin rudolf - coffee and donuts
kim richey - jack and jill

L
lady gaga - viva la vida
landon pigg - great companion
laura marling - ghosts
laura marling - ghosts
laura marling - new romantic
lee yeon hee - insa
leigh nash - my idea of heaven
lenka - don’t let me fall
lenka - force of nature
lenka - like a song
lenka - live like you’re dying
lenka - the show
leslie mendelson - easy love
lex land - easy
lily allen - naive
liz phair - my favorite underwear
lost in the trees - fireplace
loudon wainwright iii - daughter
lucy schwartz - i don’t know a thing
ludo - love me dead

M
marc broussard - the beauty of who you are
margot & the nuclear so and so’s - vampires in blue dresses
maria taylor - a good start
marissa nadler - no surprises
mates of state - california
matt duke - sex and reruns
meaghan smith - a little love
meiko - boys with girlfriends
meiko - fever
meiko - hawaii
meiko - heard it all before
meiko - hiding
meiko - how lucky we are
meiko - piano song
meiko - reasons to love you
meiko - said and done
meiko - sleep
meiko - under my bed
meiko - walk by
meiko - you & onions
michael buble - lost
michael penn - walter reed
michael tolcher - speed feels better
michelle featherstone - coffee & cigarettes
minnie driver - everything i’ve got in my pocket
motorcycle - as the rush comes
mumford & sons - little lion man

N
n.e.r.d. - lapdance
nada surf - happy kid
nicole reynolds - here right now
nine days - absolutely (story of a girl)
noah and the whale - five years time
northern - we illuminate

O
other lives - black tables
over the rhine - born
over the rhine - let’s spend the day in bed
owl city - the saltwater room

P
paolo nutini - candy
phoenix - playground love
priscilla ahn - dream
papas fritas - way you walk
paul tiernan - how to say goodbye
peter, bjorn and john - young folks

Q
quiet company - how many times do you want to be in love?

R
ray lamontagne & damien rice - to love somebody
ray lamontagne & rachael yamagata - duet
ray lamontagne - empty
ray lamontagne - empty
ray lamontagne - hold you in my arms
ray lamontagne - hold you in my arms
ray lamontagne - let it be me
ray lamontagne - meg white
ray lamontagne - within you
ray lamontagne - you are the best thing
remy zero - prophecy
rhett miller - terrible vision
rilo kiley - my slumbering heart
rilo kiley - silver lining
rocky votolato - suicide medicine
rogue wave - eyes
roz bell - yesterday man

S
sam hart - mario kart love song
sara bareilles - gravity
sara lov - my body is a cage
scissor sisters - i don’t feel like dancin’
september - cry for you
seth avett - mary
she & him - i thought i saw your face today
she & him - sentimental heart
she & him - you really got a hold on me
sia - breathe me
sia - i go to sleep
sigur ros - hoppipolla
simone white - the beep beep song
slow club - thinking, drinking, sinking, feeling
snob scrilla - chasing ghosts
snow patrol - you could be happy
someone still loves you boris yeltsin - some constellation
sondre lerche - my hands are shaking
stellamaris - strangers
sufjan stevens - chicago
sufjan stevens - to be alone with you

T
thao nguyen - feet asleep
the arcade fire - my body is a cage
the avett brothers - kick drum heart
the bird and the bee - love letter to japan
the boy least likely to - be gentle with me
the boy least likely to - faith
the boy least likely to - i’m glad i hitched my apple wagon to your star
the boy least likely to - my tiger my heart
the chairs - flume
the cinematic orchestra - to build a home
the damnwells - i am a leaver
the damnwells - i am a leaver
the damnwells - i will keep the bad things from you
the everybodyfields - lonely anywhere
the expendables - bowl for two
the felice brothers - your belly in my arms
the frames - star star
the fratellis - whistle for the choir
the fray - hips don’t lie
the helio sequence - shed your love
the honorary title - stay away
the hotel alexis - comeback kid
the hush sound - the market
the killers - hotel california
the killers - joy ride
the knife - heartbeats
the kooks - all over town
the kooks - belly love
the kooks - i already miss you
the kooks - shine on
the kooks - young folks
the maccabees - toothpaste kisses
the moldy peaches - jorge regula
the new frontiers - look at miss ohio
the perishers - i hope you’ll be missing me (like i will miss you)
the pierces - lights on
the postal service - nothing better
the postal service - such great heights
the sand band - the secret chord
the shins - new slang
the silver seas - imaginary girl
the smiths - cemetry gates
the smiths - william, it was really nothing
the sundays - wild horses
the temper trap - sweet disposition
the thrills - big sur
the wallflowers - i’m looking through you
the weakerthans - my favorite chords
the weepies - all that i want
the weepies - hideaway
the weepies - not your year
the weepies - painting by chagall
the weepies - take it from me
this is ivy league - the richest kids
three plus - two person party
thunder power - take a hike
two sheds - you

V
v.v. brown - shark in the water
val emmich - get on with it
vertical horizon - best i ever had
vetiver - to baby
via audio - we can be good
vince gill - whenever you come around
voxtrot - kid gloves

W
we are scientists - hoppipolla
wilco - kamera
wilco & feist - you & i

Y
yeah yeah yeahs - little shadow
young love - closer to you

Z
zee avi - first of the gang to die

Being great with kids turns me on… as does intelligence, work-roughened hands, the silly way you tease me… and the sight of you with your sleeves rolled up. If you pick me a flower, I’ll gently press it between the pages of my favorite book. I’ve never cared much for poems or cheesy lines. They have always made me squirm. I’d much rather be the girl in a love song.

I’ll understand if you don’t have many firsts left to give… I’d still like to be all of your lasts. I am like sleeping grass when it comes to boys. Heavy, non-subtle flirting has—and always will—scare me. I’ve got really big, expressive eyes, and you will probably always know when I am happy or sad. This also makes me a very bad liar.

I will stick silly post-it notes in places where I know you’ll find them. I believe in real good love and in romance, but I am a little scared of commitment. I’ll wait for you if you ask me to, but know that waiting is not my strongest suit. I want you to feel safe. I want to be the quiet place you go to when the world gets to be too much. I’ll never sleep with your best friend—I pinky promise. I’ll make you laugh. If you sample dinner while I’m cooking, I might protest very loudly about it, but I’ll be smiling quietly when you turn around.

I promise to never ever trade you in for a younger, cuter version of you. I will never make us wear color-coordinated or matching outfits in public, especially on holidays. I will know what to do when the car overheats and I can almost change a flat tire by myself. I know CPR, and I can probably save you should you choke on a peanut—though I hope this never happens to us. I’ll gently wake you, should you fall asleep in front of the TV.

Kindness to the elderly, my parents, best friends, children, and people of different races is a must. I don’t take orders very well, but pleases and thank yous get you a long, long way. When you’re trying to remember something, I will try to mess you up. I will always always find you magically delicious. I promise to never ever tell you how you should dress. I will crack really, really bad knock-knock jokes to try and cheer you up. I promise to learn how to tie your ties, should you ever dislocate a shoulder.

Know that I adore you, even when I am teasing you mercilessly. I will surprise you at work with your favorite meal. I promise to always be there to pick you up at the airport. I will take care of you when you get sick. Of course I will. If you wash the car with me, I promise to wear a white t-shirt. If you’re driving, I don’t mind feeding you the french fries. It’s OK if you sometimes accidentally get there before I do.

I will hide near the bathroom door and try to scare you as soon as you walk out of the shower. It will always be the simple things that will melt my heart the most. Like a heart-shaped rock hidden inside my shoe, laundry folded without being asked, and a pot of my favorite food when I feel blue. I want to give you romantic gestures. I hate scary movies, but if you hold my hand, I promise to sit through them with you.

Even if you are bad at it, please sing to me, because I will always love the sound of your voice. I promise to learn how to cook new things if you promise to clean your plate every night. I don’t mind if you have a life that is outside of me, so long as you let me have one, too. I’ll keep all your letters and read them till they are wrinkled and tattered and barely recognizable. I do not mind if you kiss me in public places.

I can be pretty damn funny sometimes. I will try to like your hobbies. Because you love your parents, know that I will love them too. I eat red meat. It is totally OK if you want to play games with me in bed. I will always cook your eggs the way you like and I won’t say no if you want to hang those antlers up… in the garage. I will try hard to make you smile. I’ll let you be the man in the relationship. I will grant you three wishes every time your birthday rolls around. I give one helluva good massage.

I’ll let you hold me when you feel sad. And if you need it, I will listen and not say a word. I’ll thank you every time you open a door or a jar or some other un-openable thing for me. Your friends are almost always welcome. If absolutely necessary, I can be ready in five—no, ten—minutes. I’ll help you to never forget people’s birthdays. I’ll understand if you get jealous. I’ll try not to pick fights unnecessarily. I will need you to help with chores. I dance very weirdly—I hope you do not mind. I also sing very, very badly. It cannot be helped.

I will more than likely give you a nickname of some sort… please deal with it. Anything that you’ve made for me with your hands will always, always, ALWAYS get you laid. Because you like that movie, I won’t mind watching it as much. I’ve never had sexual relations with Bill Clinton. I think it’s great whenever you eat off of my plate, but I like it so much better whenever I get to eat off of yours.

I will keep your secrets. I will help you fall asleep. If you make me a mixtape, I promise to never ever get tired of listening to it. I will never try to keep you up when you are exhausted. I will always try to think of ways to make you feel better. If you treat me like a lady, I will treat you like a man. I will kiss you. I will hug you. I will love you. Every day. All my life. And I will always try. For as long as is possible. For the rest of my life.

1. wear a kristen elizabeth veil at my wedding.
2. take silly pictures in a vintage photobooth.
3. experience true blue shoot-me-to-the-moon-and-never-come-back love.
4. drive up to the boy’s club in a blue mustang convertible.
5. try acupuncture.
6. re-decorate my room.
7. paint each finger and toe a different color.
8. get anna kuperberg to photograph my wedding.
9. meet someone who has an actual fear of dinosaurs, and hug them.
10. purchase an expensive pair of yellow, high-heeled pumps.
11. eat more organic food.
12. receive a letter in an envelope covered entirely with stamps.
13. take a studio pic with friends.
14. send someone a care package through the mail.
15. receive a care package from someone through the mail.
16. see diane date someone who makes her do all the stuff she would never normally do. have a good laugh.
17. see judy date a bad boy who makes her do really naughty things. have a good laugh.
18. meet an alcoholic beverage that i do like.
19. get published.
20. swim with whale sharks.
21. try durian.
22. purchase a rainbow-colored umbrella just like the one in coffee prince.
23. go to a drive-in movie theater.
24. have shinmin li do my wedding cake.
25. learn how to make mini origami stars.
26. apprentice at a chinese restaurant and at a bakery.
27. lay my heart on the line for him one last time.
28. learn how to make really yummy food for my family.
29. play street chess.
30. have a big, lazy great dane named george who likes nothing more than snuggling with me on the couch.
31. adopt a child.
32. re-learn how to parallel park.
33. kiss a boy.
34. send a postcard in to postsecret.
35. go ziplining.
36. see a pie eating contest live.
37. date a musician.
38. date a writer.
39. date an astronomer.
40. become a midnight stop sign bandit.
41. lose my virginity.
42. make love on a piano.
43. make love in the backseat of a car.
44. make love up against a wall.
45. make love on a kitchen counter.
46. make love on a dining room table.
47. make love in the shower.
48. make love in a pool.
49. make love on the hood of a truck.
50. make love underneath a tree.
51. make love in a semi-public place.
52. make love blindfolded.
53. make love without actually physically making love.
54. make love with my husband more than the american national average.
55. own an outrageously priced pair of blue jeans.
56. eat pizza in italy.
57. make my children silly halloween costumes for halloween.
58. eat more indian food.
59. visit a hot spring.
60. drink more milk.
61. lessen the amount of plastic i consume.
62. ride a mechanical bull.
63. make a book. publish it.
64. see the earth from space.
65. be here on the day they find a cure for cancer.
66. walk down the aisle towards a man who’s wearing a smile for me that’s so big it goes all the way to california.
67. see the northern lights.
68. bear my husband children.
69. watch the wiggles with my kids.
70. rock my wedding reception with ok go’s a million ways to be cruel dance.
71. become a certified nurse midwife with a practice specializing in infertility and water birth.
72. bury a time capsule somewhere with someone special.
73. find my mystery photographer.
74. drive across the country. discover quirky roadside attractions along the way.
75. take my dad to see a can-can show.
76. vote for a president of the united states.
77. go fishing.
78. build a treehouse for my kids.
79. give a ride to a hitchhiker.
80. see a rain ring around the moon.
81. see the day they bring a coinstar to guam.
82. shop for baby things.
83. own panties in every color of the rainbow.
84. have a poem written for me.
85. swim inside jellyfish lake.
86. see a tornado from far away.
87. spot a shooting star.
88. hear my husband sing our children to sleep.
89. learn how to make homemade ice cream.
90. post an ad up on craigslist.
91. go dumpster diving.
92. buy more cocoa butter lotion.
93. own my very own superhero necklace.
94. buy a vibrator.
95. try ben & jerry’s ice cream.
96. take a ride in a hot air balloon.
97. see barack obama become president.
98. send in an opinion piece for “voice of the people” in the pdn.
99. be the one to take care of the groceries instead of my mom.
100. deliver all of aj’s babies.
101. see my sister grow into a happy, successful woman, in love, and doing all the things she’s ever wanted to do.
102. give my parents grandchildren to play with.
103. receive a handmade gift.
104. re-learn how to ride a bike.
105. go sky surfing.
106. fly a plane.
107. try the tingler.
108. have a song written for me.
109. attend a big, fancy-schmancy catered event.
110. see all the places on my 43places list.
111. husk a coconut.
112. read more classic novels.
113. toilet paper something with my friends in the dark of night.
114. start scrapbooking.
115. try vegemite.
116. attend my middle and high school reunions.
117. try natto.
118. taste new york.
119. own a pair of aviator sunglasses.
120. find a really cool leather vintage bomber jacket.
121. tell ronald lerma that i’m sorry for jerking his heart around in 8th grade.
122. thank justy tevid for jumping into the pool and saving my life when i was 11.
123. get into the habit of collecting my loose change.
124. make a turducken. seriously.
125. get into the habit of asking for paper, not plastic.
126. get the clapper.
127. open a daycare or birthing center or private practice or clinic someday.
128. fill my home up with my favorite art.
129. fly a kite.
130. send and receive a love letter from far away.
131(7). get the chance to invite mr. nocon to both my graduation and my wedding.
132. get a baby on board sticker for my mustang.
133. do backyard camp-outs with my kids in the summer.
134. make a snow angel in the snow.
135. get into a big, messy snowball fight with friends.
136. take more polaroid pictures.
137. study more.
138. graduate from college.
139. attend a meloversary party.
140. fall asleep to the sound of your breathing.
141. copy vanessa ferlito’s butterfly lap dance for my wedding night.
142. dress up as a cowgirl with full-on cowgirl boots, ten-gallon hat, and jeans.
143. learn how to make lola gene’s adobo.
144. ride a sybian.
145. learn how to swim.
146. fall in love with someone who can make even the awkward moments feel good.
147. ride a skateboard. (i actually broke my leg attempting to do this. not kidding.)
148. see the seven wonders of the world. both old and new.
149. cook food on my car.
150. carve a pumpkin.
151. buy meat from an authentic, local butcher.
152. grow sleeping grass in the yard for my children.
153. try a mcrib.
154. drink more water.
155. procrastinate less.
156. see a venus flytrap.
157. try all the drinks they sing about in rap songs.
158. try the seaburger at linda’s cafe.
159. buy an airzooka.
160. own a pair of groucho marx glasses. take a picture.
161. get my driver’s license.
162. experience zero gravity.
163. visit easter island.
164. see a sand dollar.
165. own a long pearl necklace.
166. visit shirakawa-go.
167. catch the first snow of winter.
168. have my handwriting in font form.
169. own a papercraft model of howl’s moving castle.
170. eat a table-full of lobster in maine.
171. make fire the old-fashioned way.
172. grow a little vegetable garden.
173. take pole-dancing lessons.
174. learn how to lapdance.
175. have my fortune told.
176. make a big pile of autumn leaves and jump in it.
177. give blood.
178. send a message in a bottle.
179. buy a foam finger at a major league baseball game.
180. see the sliding rocks of racetrack playa slide.
181. re-learn how to make paper snowflakes.
182. climb more trees.
183. build the best fort ever with my kids.
184. draw on the street with colored chalk.
185. squirt.
186. make my own pottery.
187. buy something from an infomercial.
188. wear fake eyelashes.
189. decorate a gingerbread house with my kids.
190. live in a place that sees all four seasons.
191. groan my pleasure into a hungry mouth.
192. see the planets through a telescope.
193. visit museums.
194. own a franc grom egg.
195. see a real shrunken head.
196. figure out how to make connected paper dolls.
197. finish at least one game of sudoku without help from anyone.
198. become one of those super gung-ho special occasion moms.
199. appear in a newspaper.
200. try a waterbed out.
201. get my hands on more sandies!
202. own a whistling tea kettle.
203. try eggnog.
204. get henna’d.
205. be here when they finally confirm the existence of ufos.
206. take judy and diane with me on our next trip to the philippines.
207. go cloud watching with someone.
208. learn a little bit of sign language.
209. buy a polaroid camera.
210. make paella.
211. eat some gumbo.
212. have someone write a message for me in the sky.
213. eat at a sonic.
214. try french pot ice cream.
215. drive a car.
216. play first-to-moan with my husband.
217. receive my grandparent’s wedding gift as a wedding gift.
218. order room service.
219. get more green.
220. see the star sand of taketomi island.
221. do more reducing, reusing, and recycling.
222. see the body worlds exhibit.
223. go to an authentic circus freak show.
224. experience synchronicity in love.
225. become a part of the beckoning of lovely.
226. visit a farmer’s market.
227. build a panic room in my home for emergencies.
228. dress my son up in a traditional barong.
229. have a room in my house just like this one.
230. receive a secret service code name.
231. try fried ice cream.
232. play in the rain hardcore.
233. have coconut cream pie with my ghost friend.
234. leave something beautiful, a piece of myself, inside of a library book.
235. stop a petty crime.
236. shut up for a second and comfortably share that silence with someone.
237. get quoted outside of melo land.
238. spontaneously visit a random car wash.
239. visit more caves with friends.
240. learn to make homemade french fries.
241. spend a new year’s eve in oaxaca, mexico.
242. check out the san francisco pillow fight at justin herman plaza.
243. get lovebombed.
244. eat a freshly made krispy kreme donut.
245. tie a pair of shoes together and get them stuck up on a powerline.
246. try some stuffed grape leaves.
247. vote in an election.
248. try dippin’ dots.
249. peel an apple without breaking the strip.
250. leave a paper towel drawing in a public restroom.
251. donate money regularly to charitable causes.
252. pull an amelie.
253. learn how to read a little braille.
254. appear in a newspaper.
255. learn how to make a casserole.
256. ride an elephant.
257. own a distant star.
258. smoke a joint.
259. faithfully write someone a letter, every day, for a year.
260. leave little yellow post-it notes in public places.
261. do an incredibly good deed for a stranger and tell no one about it.
262. launch my own website.
263. get bangs.
264. go thrift shopping.
265. buy a poketo wallet.
266. get another coin purse.
267. own a hippie mom van.
268. ride a horse.
269. make cute bento.
270. try a macaron. not macaroon. macaron.
271. master beef kalbi.
272. read j.d. robb.
273. buy a mini cooper.
274. make a terrarium.
275. grow a bonzai tree.
276. start a small collection of cute: aprons, umbrellas, mismatched dishes.
277. fill my kitchen with vintage-style appliances.
278. visit the musee mechanique.
279. make delilah her music folder.
280. learn to play at least one song on the guitar.
281. buy lemonade from a little lemonade stand.
282. construct the perfect halo-halo.
283. take an iq test.
284. give free hugs. get free hugs.
285. attend a cherry blossom festival.
286. ride a train.
287. climb a rock wall.
288. see a starling wave.
289. pass nclex.
290. get tackle-hugged.
291. buy ice cream from an ice cream truck.
292. see fireflies.
293. make tiny ice cream.
294. make contrails.
295. find a paper town.
296. make a passable etch-a-sketch drawing.
297. figure out my wpm. (it’s 60ish.)
298. get these mini pets: turtle, hedgehog, & jellyfish.
299. eat grits.
300. see what the end of a rainbow is like.
301. have a song sung for me.
302. have a sleepover.
303. meet best.
304. see meiko live.
305. try funnel cake.
306. see bioluminescence.
307. make a days since.
308. take a proper class on photography.
309. get a baby cactus.
310. make a tin can phone and use it!
311. find the perfect pair of cowgirl boots.
312. see someone walk on stilts.
313. tie-dye eggs for easter.
314. buy yellow rainboots.
315. see a live statue.
316. finish reading ‘who moved my cheese?’
317. tie-dye a t-shirt.
318. get into a no holds barred food fight.
319. go full-on, real deal camping.
320. sample different kinds of cheese.
321. find at least one of your paper cranes around campus.
322. learn how to shake my ass like a black girl.
323. read “the children’s book of virtues” by bill bennett to my kids at night.
333. grow my hair out.
334. run in the rain.
335. get front page art.
336. see a sunfish.
337. go on a cruise.
338. make a campfire. roast things over it.
339. this number forever belongs to josh now. :)
340. create my own signature creation at coldstone.
341. see a milky sea.
342. learn how to make chalakiles.
343. see the immortal jellyfish.
344. play on a slip ‘n slide.
345. pass through the strait of gibraltar.
346. order fast food while wearing an animal suit.
347. figure out what my starbucks mix is.
348. learn how to crochet (like lola gene).
349. become an organ donor.
350. get my handwriting analyzed.
351. make one fucking majestic indian headdress. wear it.
352. fly first class.
353. find out what’s at the bottom of the ocean.
354. eat at true island bbq.
355. remove the pins from my leg.
356.

(there are still so many things to be and see and do.)

last edited on monday, january 02, 2009 at 12:43 a.m.

I believe in miracles and I believe in signs. I believe in second chances. I believe in a thing called love.

I believe in St. Ives Apricot Scrub and in not shaving your legs unless you absolutely have to. I believe in wet scrambled eggs and in pancakes done just right. I believe in having cold tangerines for breakfast, in always sharing a meal, and in trying your best to never eat alone.

I believe in really good chocolate.

I believe in strong women and in good men. I believe in places so beautiful they take your breath away. I believe in laughing so hard that your belly hurts and the tears pool in your eyes. I believe in crying messily in front of someone and not being afraid or ashamed. I believe in broken hearts, in what they teach you and what they give you in return.

I believe in people who have strength enough to pick themselves up after a killing blow.

I believe there are people out there who know—really know—that there is greatness in failure and joy in suffering.

I believe in a green tea frappe so good that it just might be better than sex. I believe in books that have the wonderful ability to make you laugh and cry. I believe in music that takes you back in time, in songs that remind you of a moment, or help you to get over ones that hurt. I believe in God. I believe He speaks to us everyday, and that all we need to do is listen in order to see how this is true. I believe that every smile and laugh I coax out of a child wins me another point in heaven. I believe in prayer, and I believe in sincerity of heart. I believe that we are always heard—not sometimes or maybe, but always.

I believe in complimenting women, and in meaning it. I believe that everyone should look in the mirror and find themselves beautiful, find themselves sexy and utterly, utterly irresistible.

I believe in tattoos that speak of personal histories, in art that is outside of the box, and in cold showers after hot, sticky days.

I believe that hugs and handshakes should always be tight.
I believe in a friendship that will see us old and gray.

I believe it when they say that life is a tapestry we only see from behind, and that even if we don’t know why, people come into our lives for a reason. I believe in making every first count, in never settling, and in always holding out for the best.

I believe in always choosing to be happy and in fighting sad days back. I believe in creating more memories, in taking more pictures, in having more babies, and in making more love.

LITTLE KNOWN FACTS tends to get knock-kneed and melty-hearted over men who can rock serious facial hair, can stay up for hours on a fifth of coke, is still convinced she has some form of psychic power, has an apron fetish, can sometmes be seen car dancing, can sneeze so hard that her bones will hurt, likes it when men refer to bigger women as “curvy” or “filled out” instead of something ugly like “fat”, finds it very comforting when she drinks the cold milk after finishing her cereal, enjoys looking for baby names, likes the way a person’s voice sounds when they are talking and smiling at the same time, thinks that nothing is more delicious than cold water after a hot sticky run, likes peeling glue skin off the back of her hand, enjoys seeing the colors people’s heads are haloed with when they stand under stained-glass windows, dislikes when authors put pictures of their characters on the covers of their books which look nothing like the pictures of the characters inside her head—kind of like “arrrgh! why did you do that??”

SUPERPOWERS can detect if something is wrong with a friend by the way they say hello, can smell poop the moment it hits a diaper, can decode kidspeak.

INTERESTS soft porn, anne geddes, messenger bags, indie music, indie movies, smutty romance novels, making plans, older men, prince harry, short films, commercials with heart.

LOVES god, family, friends, her kids, the community.

LIKES babies, chocolate, sugarless gum, reading about the universe, myths, milk tea in all its forms, the color blue, james sawyer ford, the number three, antonio canova, julie toy, chewbacca, retro and vintage-style, giant squid, cardigans, coconuts, bear grylls, cold showers, harry potter, 50s fashion, bear grylls, llamas, cowboys, sticking her hand out of car windows, boyshorts, bowling, the fourth of july, dr. gregory house, bumper cars, the smell of freshly baked bread, kurt halsey, owl eyes, monkeys, conspiracy theories, belly laughs, poki, the advice column in the newspaper, the smell of pine-sol, matthew broderick, stop-motion movies, boxing, polaroid pictures, butterscotch candy, chocolate chip cookies minus the chocolate chips, movie popcorn covered in nacho cheese, soap, bowling, monogamy, victoria’s secret love spell, preppy looking kids, musicians, pineapples, alec baldwin, dennis quaid, guys with barely-healed cuts, eduardo, stepping on crispy leaves, soilent green, proposal daisakusen, manatees, zakka, milk, tetris, mustangs, scrapbooking, the gentle touch of her mother’s hand, rotary telephones, john legend, christmas commercials, cocoa butter lotion, male swimmer’s bodies, australian men, auguste rodin sculptures, great danes, jason statham, skinheads, 50 cent, wombats, anthony bourdain, geof, kristen elizabeth veils, marilyn monroe, gustav klimt, maya angelou, george duran, shinzi katoh, etsy, etsuko furuya, matan, jim o’connor, andre jordan, brian andreas quotes, bokeh, climax.

DISLIKES the sound of metal scraping on metal, awkward elevator silences, talking on the phone, homework, bright colors, shopping over-long, going to the dentist, grandma panties, phlegm, pugua juice, the feel of super squeaky clean fingers rubbing together, accidental butt-crack sightings, waiting in line at the bank, being intimidated, staring at the sun, racists, bigots, disrespectful people, home-wreckers, people who don’t share unless you ask them, two-faced people, skin cuts, head colds, loud electric drills, grasping bathroom doorknobs, bell peppers, used q-tips, discarded toothpicks, wet toilet paper, sharp can edges, loud bass, urine left to sit on the toilet, gagging, men with long fingernails, drivers who don’t signal at turns and intersections, b.o., the smell of fish paksiw, the kentucky derby, people who don’t share their food, people who put words in her mouth, the smell of antibiotic-laced urine.

FIENDS FOR pancakes, soft fries, mcdonald’s breakfast burritos, vanilla ice cream, seaweed salad, green tea frappes, meiji strawberry chocolate, wendy’s chunky chicken salad frescatas, fried calamari, mcdonald’s swiss and mushroom angus burger, kfc’s mashed potato bowl, potato salad, country browns, reese’s pieces, frosty freezes, frosted animal crackers, wasabi peas.

IS BAD AT making decent soup, simple math, following directions, keeping her room neat, waking up, cross-stitching, speaking proper english, snail-mailing, whistling, altruism, remembering birthdays.

OBSESSED WITH making lists, buying cute things, seeing the end of the rainbow, blueberry-flavored kisses, photography, designing her house, ewan mcgregor.

RANDOM THINGS often dreams in anime form with british narration, is a closet fan of celine dion, wonders how obsessive-compulsive people manage to have sex, likes the smell of chlorine, enjoys chewing things, gets headaches when she reads in the car, often wonders why dust floats up, has plans to make turducken one day, sometimes sings the wrong lyrics to songs, likes to know what people had for lunch, absolutely adores the girl in the planters commercial who has a unibrow and rubs a cashew nut all over herself, has an irrational fear of guam breaking off and falling into the deep abyss.

COLLECTS romance novels, piggies, hippos, incredibly large bears.

FEARS falling, falling into the ocean, drowning, breaking my leg again, guns & bullets, lizards, ghosts, taotaomonas, scary paintings, unknown noises, the dark, riding in planes, being infertile, cuts, people dying, tsunamis, aliens, asteroids, hell, the ocean, scary movies, poop, being stuck inside a burning house, becoming homeless, loving someone, heights, being in a car crash, being raped, immense pain, the boonies, old abandoned houses, haunted places, rejection, not being cool enough to marry, the ozone layer, death.

<3 WHIRRED cojones, jemima, chimichanga, jamanilla, moxy, ciccone, chupacabra, mojo jojo, lolacita, hummus, heebiejeebies, hufflepuff, pony up, pleather, money shot, garbanzo, jawin’, noshing, ciabatta, chancho, chicharones, mojitos, un poco loco, curlicue, sangano, beloved, dieffenbacchia, horse pill, plump, joshin’, cara, oppa, debogorski, octopi, ape-shit, epic fail, for the win, fuck the what, yogalates, bifurcating, bitchin’, deck, obvy.

OFTEN SUFFERS FROM spoonerism, kniferism, forkerism, malapropism, lethologica, foot-in-mouth disease.

FAVORITE MUSIC ray lamontagne, iron & wine, damien jurado, the avett brothers, the boy least likely to, laura marling, james morrison, neko case, lady gaga, the weepies, amos lee, the kooks, alexi murdoch, rhett miller, regina spektor, jump little children, quiet company, nicole atkins, voxtrot, mat kearney, stars, liz phair, the beatles, rachael yamagata, nada surf, basia bulat, imogen heap, the perishers, matan, coldplay, eisley, kt tunstall, john legend, aslyn, damien rice, jason mraz, keane, sufjan stevens, gavin degraw, margot & the nuclear so and so’s, ben sollee, ingrid michaelson, starsailor, the killers, rocky votolato, 50 cent, azure ray, death cab for cutie, bic runga, a fine frenzy, lenka, ohbijou, someone still loves you boris yeltsin, the damnwells, griffin house, bon iver, brett dennen, horse feathers, gregory alan isakov, meiko, zee avi, mariah carey, cat power, jeremy larson, jack johnson, rozlin fair, she & him, devics, devendra banhart.

FAVORITE TV SHOWS jon & kate plus ei8ht, monk, little people big world, the office, 30 rock, scrubs, gilmore girls, that ’70s show, arrested development, it’s always sunny in philadelphia, felicity, nip/tuck, house, medium, man vs. wild, the contender, lost, ugly betty, the girls next door, ninja warrior, the soup, the golden girls, the o.c, glee, pawn stars.

FAVORITE MOVIES away we go, amelie, lars and the real girl, everything is illuminated, up, penelope, howl’s moving castle, millennium actress, pocahontas, nick and norah’s infinite playlist, tim burton’s corpse bride.

FAVORITE AUTHORS jill barnett, robert cormier, paulo coelho, catherine anderson, heather graham, karen marie moning, barbara bretton, j.k. rowling, maya angelou, nicole blackman, f. scott fitzgerald, sam martone, brian andreas, imogen, andre jordan.

The world is my
porkchop.

CHRISTINE DENISE
currently lives in guahan, atop a hill.
used to plant seeds for a living, then started taking care of kids for a living, but currently makes no living because she’s a full-time nursing student.
would rather be a princess.
misses her grandpa a lot.
woke up one day, years and years ago, and realized that she was in love with him.
has friends that warm her heart and crack her up.
has appeared in jumbotrons quite a number of times, and all without her permission.

CHRISTINE DENISE
keeps her black hair short and her brown eyes pretty.
usually wears blue jeans and black converse shoes.
has, on occasion, gone to church without a bra on.
once wore a grandma dress with brown loafers!
greets her car good morning when she remembers.
would dearly love to marry a superhero.
enjoys solving cryptograms.
finds old black and white portraits very creepy.

CHRISTINE DENISE
yawns a lot.
will often sing when she is alone.
enjoys days when it rains.
likes the smell of coffee, but hardly drinks it.
is charmed by the sad face kids make just before they’re about to cry.
is obsessed with soy milk.
can live on chinese food.
usually sleeps when depressed.
dislikes room temperature water.
loves pope john paul the 2nd.

CHRISTINE DENISE
is her real name.
but she sometimes thinks of changing it to lola, bash, or stella.

—————————————————————

TID BITS
23.
americorps member.
libra.
college student.
grammar freak.
right handed.
proud to have been a regent scholar.
legally blind.
feminist.
slight hypochondriac.
commitment-phobe.
likes the earthy taste of raw button mushrooms.

DISLIKES
lizards.
cheap macaroni and cheese.
the sun.
selfish and inconsiderate people.
boring days at work.
underarm sweat.
unintentionally super-gluing her fingers together.
stinky feet.
math.
high gas prices.
organic chemistry.

RANDOM THINGS
has a bad habit of biting her nails.
is, sadly, tone deaf.
sometimes, when pissed off, she gets the incredible urge to do a fly kick.
likes to read quotes about love.
has been told she gives really good massages.
her bad moods are short, but sizzling hot and intense.
licorice flavored jellybeans are her kryptonite.
likes the gasping/shrieking/incredibly delighted sound babies make when they are learning how to laugh.
dislikes waiting for people alone.
still gets weepy over real life romantic gestures.
adores being complimented.
often oversleeps.