Mason Jennings makes my hands shake

Twitterpaited. That is the best description for how I feel. This will not be a cohesive blog post, but when is it ever? Perhaps unbeknownst to my bff Joe Jones, a strong magical bond equivalent to the Unbreakable Vow was formed as we lapped up the musical styling of Mason Jennings at First Ave tonight (it being the 26 November 2011).

Mason is a musical genius. He displayed his versatility by hopping from one instrument to another. Instruments aside, it is... was... always has been his lyrics that gnawed at this heart and intellect of mine. Let’s see if I remember the playlist of songs from this evening.... Be Here Now, Your New Man, Nothing, Butterfly, California, Darkness Between the Fireflies, Summer Dress, Jackson Square, and so many more. He did a cover of the Ramone’s classic “I wanna be sedated” and he gave a nod toward Chuck Berry. Big breaths. It was pure delight. Mason Jennings is by far my favorite musician, which only makes the rest of this post even better....

At the end of the night, Joe and I made our way towards the merchandise table. Oh boy. If there ever was an advantage to being just shy of 64 inches, it was tonight. We effortlessly made our way to the table and picked out the gifts we wanted for ourselves. No sooner had we completed our monetary exchanges, but the man himself appeared. He came to sign his autograph, pose in pictures, and talk with the fans. Now I must write one regret. If there ever was a time to carry a digital camera, it was tonight. Anyway, there was no time for regrets. I was able to rip off the plastic encasing on my CD before I jumped ahead, smiled, extended my hand and said, “Excellent job tonight!” He returned a warm smile and offered his appreciation. I asked if he would sign the inside cover of the CD I bought (it was the only white background I had with me). He asked me my name and so I spelled it for him. He thought it was COOL!!!!!!!! Don’t get me wrong, I also think I have one cool name. It fits me perfectly as an individual. But for Mason Jennings to say it the way he did causes my hands to start shaking again. He smiled differently as I spelled each letter. Given his depth with words, I felt that I could see the wheels turning with that name. I once said to a friend that I would love to have a song written about me. Soon after, I discovered Mason Jennings and realized within the first 10 seconds of hearing him for the first time that he could easily be the writer of such a song. I do not think that my brief moment with him this evening brings me one step closer to making it happen. And it is NOT the reason why I am so giddy. Rather, I think that our brief encounter was a collision of epic proportion for reasons that I feel can only best be described in a song... written by me. HA! That is the big result! He serves as a trigger. An impetus. A catalyst. Call it whatever you want, but my writing block has lifted. Thank you Joe for the best belated birthday memory ever. Thank you Nate for directing me to Mason Jennings. And lastly, thank you Mason for a magical night.

Twitterpaited. Yes, that is the right word for tonight.

What Would Harry Do?

Miracle. Apple Juice. Noxa. Marshmallows. Mowing the lawn. March Madness.

I just listed a few of my favorite things. I could watch the Disney movie Miracle every month and never cease to cheer. I think apple juice is the elixir to life. Marshmallows are the scent of the Greek gods. I could easily write another blog about mowing the lawn. I suffered my first heartbreak in 1998 when my beloved Wildcats lost to the Utes during March Madness. I can write nonstop about Noxa the Bcl-2, pro-apoptotic BH3-only protein, but I will spare you that adventure story. I write these things because I am mildly concerned that when people think of me, all they see is Harry Potter (HP). Silly. I don’t look anything like the bloke! I have long contested in my family that we are really ogres with peels of layers to our emotions. I was told only ogres like to contest their views. Ha. My point is that there is so much more to me than this HP nonsense. For crying out loud, I haven’t even tested out Pottermore yet!

Anyway, this blog will unfortunately NOT break with custom. I realize my last paragraph is rendered moot as well since this post is infused with enough Butterbeer to keep you wanting more HP posts in the future. Before I get to the meat of the post, I preface it with the following texts I received from my family the night of July 14^th-15^th, 2011 when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II was released.

I made my wand :)

-Camille (she sent a picture of a blue fluorescent wand at 11:30 pm. I was already giddy with excitement but receiving this text made me LOL b/c I remember dragging her 6 hrs early to the OotP midnight release in Tucson, AZ)

If you’re watching Harold Potter’s last movie be careful, love you & have a goodnight ;)

*Mario (3 am in Mpls, 1 am in Phx)

How is Harry?

-Dad (my mom sent it from my Dad’s phone)

That was awesome!

-Ammon (younger bro who broke BYU-I rules to watch the midnight showing)

Now to explain this post, I have written below an alternative mormon.org profile with a strong influence of HP. Why did I do this? I already have one written. It is a serious one that genuinely expresses why I choose to be a Mormon. It says nothing regarding my partiality to the HP books or any other book aside from scripture. My reason for writing the following is not to mock either! I was challenged by two well-dressed boys to incorporate HP into an alternative mormon.org profile. I accepted the challenge because I typically do whimsical stuff like accepting to run the most challenging position of the Great River Ragnar Relay without checking the course. It’s just what I do. So here goes:

Hi! I’m Xazmin.

I am a Slytherin-sorted muggle-born from Arizona, USA. Nevertheless, I am as gutsy as any Gryffindor, as hardworking as any Hufflepuff, and as resourceful as any Ravenclaw.

About me:

I was born to goodly parents who endowed me with a pureblooded Navajo ancestry. (Whether this factors into my Slytherin affinity is unknown, but I have taken up blogging to solve for such things.) I went through my years as a squirt mesmerized by tales—be it tall or fairy or true. Little did I know that I was brewing a charm equivalent to the Fidelius charm to all things magical! I grew up in an environment fostered by a great love and appreciation for life. My siblings kept me well grounded and I happily returned the favor. The magic I write of and speak of is not so overt as to elicit “oohs and ahhs”. Rather, the magic I seek lies within every unique individual who triumphs over the cards they are dealt. I am a fan of wizards and muggles alike.

Why I am a Mormon...er... a Harry Potter fan:

My reasons for being a Mormon have been established here. However I am welcome to discuss it further over a pot of mutton stew and chilled apple juice. My reasons for being an HP fan have not been divulged yet. In my teenage years, news from across the ocean reached me of a boy wizard named Harry Potter. I was already reading enough hokey material about witches, wizards, elves, and dwarves so I ignored the fervor. One day, ennui overcame me and I reached for the nearest book. It was about Harry Potter, the boy who lived. I began the book and became absorbed in the story. The rest is a continuing history. Just read my earlier blogs. So how does Mormonism and HP relate to each other? Ask my dad that question and he will wave a dismissive hand and say it does not. Ask my sister and she will snort and start blabbing about Percy Jackson. I will answer that there is a connection if you wish to see it. For some there is no connection. However, I think there is a link to Mormonism and to anything that is good or praiseworthy (13^th Article of Faith). In the HP series, there are characters who overcome their weaknesses and defeat the evil intentions of Voldy and his followers. It is a dramatic story that anyone who loves good will heartily enjoy because good triumphs; albeit it comes with much sacrifices. It is a heroic tale that I will most likely share in my future hobbit-like home.

How I live my faith:

I strive to live up to the qualities embodied in each Hogwarts house.... Or if all else fails, doing what Jesus would do. (I know that my “What would Harry do?” pins are blasphemous, yet they nicely served the purpose of their existence by keeping my team number (62) pinned to my shorts at the end of the Ragnar race. I will forever be grateful to my WWHD pin.)