I think I'll press my luck next time you're around

I love the snow and everything, but for it to be snowing every single day for the past 2 weeks has become kind of depressing.  The piles of snow on the sides of the streets just keep getting bigger and bigger without getting a chance to melt away.  I am really tired of it being so fucking cold all the fucking time.  I long to feel 60 degree weather again.  And to think that I once thought 60 degrees was cold.

My boss is leaving for Seattle this week for a conference for Homeless Shelters around the country.  She said that it was going to be raining the entire time that she was there, and I can't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.  I had a dream the other night that I was dancing in a summer rain. 

I think I really need to spend a weekend in a warm climate or something.  Because waking up early to face a snowstorm, and taking an hour longer than it normally would take to get to work is really grating on my nerves, and I just might lose it.

Most music nerds like myself 'round this time of year do a Top 10 albums of the year sorta deal, but since I don't really buy a whole lot of music (doing a Top 10 out of like, 12 would be kinda stupid), I'm gonna do a Top 5 shows I've attended.  I kept it at 5, because in thinking about it, I've either been too drunk or too high to really remember some of em.  So I guess my new year's resolution is to not get too inebriated at these events.  Anyhow, let's get started!

5.  Lawrence Arms and Falcon at Burt's Tiki Lounge
Participants: I went alone, though I did run into this kid named Johnny that I met at another show.
New homies: Adam and Scotty

Beer, making friends with bartenders and promotions people, seeing a friend I met at another show, meeting band members and them being really nice, having pretty much all my drinks bought for me, heck, why wouldn't this one be on the list?  Also, I saw someone get burnt by a lit cigarette in the pit.  The victim knocked it out of his hand, and there was no squabble.  It was fun.

4.  Animal Collective at In the Venue
Participants:  I went alone.
New homies: Tai and some other dude I forgot the name of, both of whom I never actually saw again.  Oh well.

Animal Collective writes the soundtrack to my dreams.  I have really weird dreams.  Ever notice that at shows like these, for ever 10 people, there's always one that dances almost over-enthusiastically to the music that is playing?  Homegirl almost smacked me in the face.  Aside from that, it was chill.  And I shared a beer and an ashtray with new people that I never ended up running into again.  /shrug

3.  Built to Spill and the Boggs, at the Depot
Participants: Scott

This was the first time I had ever seen Built to Spill live.  I've always kinda liked their music, and it wasn't until i saw em that I actually considered myself a fan.  The Boggs were really cool too.  The unfortunate thing though is that Built to Spill's bus got stolen or something, and they had no merch or equipment.  They had to borrow instruments from The Boggs in order to perform.

3.  Strung Out at In the Venue
Participants:  Johnny Qwest
New homies: Other Johnny I mentioned at number 5.

Circumstances were weird for this one.  I had 2 tickets on hand for this one.  To make a long story short, pretty much everyone that I asked ended up flaking out on me.  When I did a general announcement on myspace, no one bit.  Well, one person did, but he was creepy in that really leery kinda way so I lied and said someone else had called before him.  So I ended up deciding that I'd sell it when I got there.  After asking about 7 people who already had tickets, I gave up and called people to yell at them to get their asses there.  Johnny Qwest said he'd come, because he's the shit.  I also met new homies there too, but we only hang out at punk shows.

1.  Against Me!, Cursive, Mastodon, and Planes Mistaken for Stars at In the Venue
Participants:  Jason, Scott, Ivan, Ivan's roommate.

I'm just really really glad I got to see PMFS before they broke up, at least once.  And I'm glad I caught Against Me! before New Wave came out, cuz that album was shit.  And I actually liked Cursive, despite what the naysayers might preach.  Left early when Mastodon played though, since I'd seen em already.

Good company + Good music = Best show of the year (under these circumstances anyway)

And here's an honorable mention:

Heavy Heavy Low Low, Foxy Shazam, and some other shitty band at the Avalon
Participants: Amanda, Bianca, David, and Joe

The bands sucked, I missed Tera Melos, but that didn't stop a wine-drunk Laney from flailing her arms around to some screaming scrawny kid on stage.  Woo.  I had a rather sloshy good time anyway.

Perhaps I should have waited till after the show I'm gonna go to tonight, but oh well.

Not that it sucked.  It was actually rather mellow this year.  But that's not why I'm composing a post.

I showed my mother my new tattoo on Christmas. 

She already knew about my first one, and her reaction to that one surprised me.  She just basically said that it was my body, and I could do with it what I wanted.  But she also said that it was really ugly, and thought it would have looked so much better if it were smaller.  Heh.  She's funny.

So when I showed her the one on my leg, she responded in much the same fashion, "Well... It's your body.  As long as you enjoy it, it's alright... but you could have gotten a smaller one.  I mean, this one makes your legs look even bigger than they actually are!  But this one's really pretty.  Where's your next one gonna be?"  Great.  My own mother thinks I'm fat.  Thanks mom.  I love you too.

Show us your favorite thing about this time of year.

Drawing in the snow with your feet!

Vox

What fragrance/cologne do you put on when it's your night out? 
Submitted by noiq.

Ok, so I haven't done one of these in a long while, but here's my answer anyway:

I don't ever spritz anything on me.  Seems like a useless commodity.  Although I will say that sometimes, I smell like lemons, because i have dry skin and I use citrus oil instead of lotion.  And sometimes, I smell like flowers, because of soap.  And most times, I probably smell like cigarettes.

A boy once told me that I usually smell "Asian."  I really don't know what that means.

So today started out rather dull and boring.

Laundry and cleaning had been keeping me indoors, so I thought I'd take an outing to the local record exchange without having any intention of buying anything.  The one that's closest to my house kinda sucks, so I never go there, but I didn't feel like driving for 20 minutes to go to the "good" one down town.--Hence why I wasn't planning on buying anything.

And as I was browsing through their dismal excuse of a vinyl section, I discovered they had something that I could never have expected:

Altar

Sunn O)))

I made a very large and audible gasp, particularly when I saw the price tag sticker for $15.99.  There was only one other person there, who just looked at me strangely, and went on about his business.

So much for not buying anything, but it made my day.

And then Soup and I had this conversation:

soup (4:50:37 PM):

    I believe it was Mitch Clem and Joe Dunn that mentioned that you know you're at a real coffee shop when there are crazy old people from the Vietnam era hanging around.  I have to say that that was a very astute observation of them.  I was hanging out with Jason and the Alchemy coffee shop crew tonight and was chatting it up with their local batshit insane Vietnam vet, Chris.  Chris is a wonderful wonderful man.  I aspire to be like him if I ever manage to make it to old age.  He is so incredibly morbid and completely crazy that he actually makes old people seem tolerable... or at the very least entertaining. 

    I must give you a mental image of this man.  He's a very tall and lanky gentleman, where during the warmer seasons wears really really short shorts, shaves his legs, has no teeth, and will talk your ear off if you let him.  He's a great story teller though, so most people don't mind when he goes on and on about his cynicism for the world (how the world has gone to hell, and there is no future left for humanity), his view on how children should be raised (locked in a chest and thrown into a closet for 18 years), the environment ("it's so fucking cold, shit, we NEED global warming"), politics ("i don't care if a man is a little bit corrupt, as long as they bring about SOME kind of change in the way we run things, shit, he coulda killed somebody in his day, I don't give a rat's ass about that"), and his job in construction, where he often has to direct traffic ("them snooty ass drivers thinking they can get away with anything, shiit, I make em WAIT for a long ass time.  Ain't gonna have that attitude with me, nuh-uh!").

    He makes me actually want to get old and embittered.  I can only hope to be half as enthralling.

So i've been going to a lot of shows lately and not talking about them.  I'm still not going to talk about them, because chances are, i forgot most of the high lights anyway.  But i've been to a lot.  There's not many more that I'm going to but here's a tentative list:

November 24th: Psychostick @ Club Vegas
They have no talent, but they're kinda funny, and it'll be nice to get away from the holiday bullshit for awhile.  I have a feeling that I'm gonna be surrounded by a bunch of bros.  Well, bros are better than juggalos, so I guess it's ok.

December 7th: Flogging Molly @ In the Venue
This is also the day that Iron and Wine is playing.  Not a huge fan of Iron and Wine, and I'd much rather indulge my childhood than see a band I only vaguely know about.

December 12th: Colour Revolt @ Kilby Court
Not sure if I really wanna go to this one.  It's on a Wednesday, but then again it is an all-ages show, so it would probably end early.  Yeah, I'll probably end up going.

December 13th: Killswitch Engage/Lamb of God @ the Great Saltair.
I'm not sure about this one either.  The only reason I'm even considering going to this is that it's for Togah's birthday.  But do I really want to spend $31 for him?  We'll see what happens.

So I haven't written in a while.  Here's some bullet points:

*I don't internet while I'm at work anymore.  I do have access to it, but it'll be quite busy for the next like month so that I can organize everything the way I see fit.  I love the new job.

*I'm sick.  I've been dealing with congestion, and soreness for a week.  It's rather terrible.

*I've met some other folks who draw comics recently.  They want to collaborate with me on writing/drawing something new, and they might start a zine.  This is exciting.

*I saw The Lawrence Arms play earlier this week.  They were good.  The crowd was good.  I made friends with bartenders and promotions people.  I only spent money on one drink.  It was fantastic.  Sometimes I really love being a girl.

*I saw a kid get burned by someone's lit cigarette in the mosh pit at said show.  Don't smoke in the mosh pit.  It's a big no no.

*I can't think of anything else that's new.  So that's it.  Ta!

I got a new tattoo!!!

tattoo 2

It's sexy.
:D