then ta nawt blog at all? Thoughts?
In sad news, one of my band members suffered a loss in his family so we did not make it to Sacramento last week. He seems to be doing okay, and we're looking forward to rawkin the House of Shields before he goes on tour w/o me this Friday.
Nawt much exciting has happened, altho apparently ah gawt gunk on one of my brake pads n it was startin ta scare me a bit... n then somethang excitin happened:
My friend who ah haven't seen since a few summahs ago in Iowa calls me n invites me to a punk show at her friends house, n ah see her kickass warehouse space n watch 5 folx from chicago play in two different bands w. big assed smiles on thar face n tha one guy tells me that this is tha first time they've really felt appreciated since they left fer tour two weeks ago n it was great. Ah was given an aloe plant ta grow n repotted my cactus who's been suffering, as well as movin em outside fer more sun.
Tha Bay Area knows how ta dae weekends, ah gawta hand it ta them. Doesn't mattah what tha weekdays been like, Saturday n Sunday are usually drop-dead gorgeous tempratures n climates. This aftahnoon ah biked home from Emeryville, partially along tha coast/highway. Tha Bay has a pungent odor, n thar were a ton of dogs at one particular beach havin a blast.
Also watched Super High Me, wherein Doug Benson stops smoking pot for 30 days, and then spends tha next 30 REALLY stoned. He defintely fawked up a lawt more in his standup when he was stoned, er at least thas how it was intended ta come across. As a movie, it was uneven (big surprise), but it had a decent little charm to it, and is tha most potentially mainstream movie ahve seen that adequately describes how medical cannabis works in lovely CA.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
A few thangs....
My rents have been in town this weekend, which has been good. It's also meant a lawt of eatin out at fancy places ah ken only drool about. Hurray fer my genetic contributers!
Warren Teagarden had a CD release on Friday at tha weirdest club ahve evah played in. Tha upstairs is a swanky lounge w. couches (n some jam band playin when we gawt thar). Tha downstairs is a dingy concrete basement with airplane seats. One of tha walls has actually been made to look like tha windows of an airplane - complete w. a flashing light. Strange. BUT, there was two cases of PBR fer tha bands, n a generous jager shot fer $5. Ah think people had a good time - ah was a bit too intae tha PBR ta really be able ta tell....
Ahve been skippin yoga a lawt recently - nawt sure exactly why. Ah keep tellin myself ahma gae, n then, ah dont. My apologies fer bein lame - er maybe ahm tryin ta git my waist size back up. Nawt a good idea tho - cuz ah bought 3 pairs of shorts today - fer a total of 12 bux. Hellz yeah good will!
Ah downloaded tha recent Magnetic Fields album - ahm nawt really a huge fan of them, but ah needed somethang new ta listen to, n figured they might just be able ta win me ovah w. an album called Distortion. Ah was wrong - ah think ah dislike them even more then evah. First off, tha lyrics are really clevah - but they are so clevah ah think they don't pay too much attention to tha songs themselves. Tha production on this album tries way too hard ta be low-fi, n really, thars nawt a single tune thats been stuck in my head. Tha whole thang comes across as feelin very smug, n thas NAWT a vibe ah listen ta musick fer. While tha Mountain Goats are able ta write smart, sad, amazing lyrics, n combine them w. musick that is at tha worst tolerable, n at tha best, toe-tappin, tha Magnetic Fields make me think of a group of really smart science kids who eat lunch togetha n talk about how much money thar gawna make aftah they graduate from MIT. Blech.
Ah also found Frank Zappa beer today at my local liqour store, which has made me happy. And ah have think13 and Warren Teagarden shirts now - finally. Next Friday ahll play my first outta-tha-area gig in Sacramento w. WT.
And now - Chocolate!
Warren Teagarden had a CD release on Friday at tha weirdest club ahve evah played in. Tha upstairs is a swanky lounge w. couches (n some jam band playin when we gawt thar). Tha downstairs is a dingy concrete basement with airplane seats. One of tha walls has actually been made to look like tha windows of an airplane - complete w. a flashing light. Strange. BUT, there was two cases of PBR fer tha bands, n a generous jager shot fer $5. Ah think people had a good time - ah was a bit too intae tha PBR ta really be able ta tell....
Ahve been skippin yoga a lawt recently - nawt sure exactly why. Ah keep tellin myself ahma gae, n then, ah dont. My apologies fer bein lame - er maybe ahm tryin ta git my waist size back up. Nawt a good idea tho - cuz ah bought 3 pairs of shorts today - fer a total of 12 bux. Hellz yeah good will!
Ah downloaded tha recent Magnetic Fields album - ahm nawt really a huge fan of them, but ah needed somethang new ta listen to, n figured they might just be able ta win me ovah w. an album called Distortion. Ah was wrong - ah think ah dislike them even more then evah. First off, tha lyrics are really clevah - but they are so clevah ah think they don't pay too much attention to tha songs themselves. Tha production on this album tries way too hard ta be low-fi, n really, thars nawt a single tune thats been stuck in my head. Tha whole thang comes across as feelin very smug, n thas NAWT a vibe ah listen ta musick fer. While tha Mountain Goats are able ta write smart, sad, amazing lyrics, n combine them w. musick that is at tha worst tolerable, n at tha best, toe-tappin, tha Magnetic Fields make me think of a group of really smart science kids who eat lunch togetha n talk about how much money thar gawna make aftah they graduate from MIT. Blech.
Ah also found Frank Zappa beer today at my local liqour store, which has made me happy. And ah have think13 and Warren Teagarden shirts now - finally. Next Friday ahll play my first outta-tha-area gig in Sacramento w. WT.
And now - Chocolate!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
HOLY WOW!
It is 81 degrees!!!!! Ah cannot express how excited ah am - Ah ken (And SHOULD) wear shorts!
Ah totally win. (altho ah hafta buy shorts now)
Ah totally win. (altho ah hafta buy shorts now)
Monday, April 07, 2008
Ah don't know whethah ta laugh er threaten....
so remembah my supah-sketch cell phone insurance company NCOA? N how they took a month ta replace a stolen phone, makin me git my own police report n nawt respondin ta emails etc.?
Today ah git a lettah from them:
"After reviewing NCOA membership activity, including claims processed and settled under the NCOA cellular benefits, we have been instructed to forward due notice of cancellation to certain members. As a consequence, your NCOA membership is cancelled, effective immediately."
while ahm glad ah gawt a replacement phone, ah wondah if ahm justified ta a refund....ah wish thar was actually someone who could dae somethang about how awful an organization these folks are.
Er that they were local so ah could gae yell n bitch at some folks in person, perhaps urinating in their lobby.
a man ken dream, can't he?
Note - This is me predicting this phone will die on me within 6 months (more likely 3).
Today ah git a lettah from them:
"After reviewing NCOA membership activity, including claims processed and settled under the NCOA cellular benefits, we have been instructed to forward due notice of cancellation to certain members. As a consequence, your NCOA membership is cancelled, effective immediately."
while ahm glad ah gawt a replacement phone, ah wondah if ahm justified ta a refund....ah wish thar was actually someone who could dae somethang about how awful an organization these folks are.
Er that they were local so ah could gae yell n bitch at some folks in person, perhaps urinating in their lobby.
a man ken dream, can't he?
Note - This is me predicting this phone will die on me within 6 months (more likely 3).
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Flowers, Fire, and drunks!
First off, pictures as promised from tha bike path between my house and the BART:
Makes me think of how badassed a whole field of wildflowers out here will look in tha summer - this was a desolate patch of grey brown when ah moved here.
Next, think13 played at MAPP last nite in tha supah cold windy Balmy alleyway (Balmy is actually tha name of tha alleyway). It was just Dee and Christoph and myself, accompanied by fire dancers and for a little while by a little girl named Haley (probably around 9 years old) who banged on tha drum. Aftahwerds was this total weird duo of weirdos who chanted like ghosts and banged on stuff - total prima donnas. ah knew from tha git gae they'd be hard ta please, havin sound issues w. thar one amp (without which they couldn't gae "wooo! woo!"), n then when some of our dancers decided to accompany thar weirdness, one of em complained she couldn't breathe from tha kerosene. Fair enuff, but w.o tha fire dancers, thar stuff was pretty much unwatchable/listenable. N then it gawt werse w. a drunk latino man in his 40s started singing/shouting at them, and they disbanded before finishing. Tha crowd (what was left of them) wasn't too dissapointed, but they did start gittin annoyed at tha drunk guy who would nawt leave and would nawt shut up.
But thar WAS fire:
Gawta love San Francisco!
Today ah biked around tha mission gaein ta three open houses - only one of them is a potential fit, n its a bit more expensive then ahd like n only has one bathroom, for like 8 people, which could be a problem. but it would be a great space to live in - this huge crazy warehouse w. a 93" tv screen and bikes scattered around fer parts. We'll see how it gaes.....
Makes me think of how badassed a whole field of wildflowers out here will look in tha summer - this was a desolate patch of grey brown when ah moved here.
Next, think13 played at MAPP last nite in tha supah cold windy Balmy alleyway (Balmy is actually tha name of tha alleyway). It was just Dee and Christoph and myself, accompanied by fire dancers and for a little while by a little girl named Haley (probably around 9 years old) who banged on tha drum. Aftahwerds was this total weird duo of weirdos who chanted like ghosts and banged on stuff - total prima donnas. ah knew from tha git gae they'd be hard ta please, havin sound issues w. thar one amp (without which they couldn't gae "wooo! woo!"), n then when some of our dancers decided to accompany thar weirdness, one of em complained she couldn't breathe from tha kerosene. Fair enuff, but w.o tha fire dancers, thar stuff was pretty much unwatchable/listenable. N then it gawt werse w. a drunk latino man in his 40s started singing/shouting at them, and they disbanded before finishing. Tha crowd (what was left of them) wasn't too dissapointed, but they did start gittin annoyed at tha drunk guy who would nawt leave and would nawt shut up.
But thar WAS fire:
Gawta love San Francisco!
Today ah biked around tha mission gaein ta three open houses - only one of them is a potential fit, n its a bit more expensive then ahd like n only has one bathroom, for like 8 people, which could be a problem. but it would be a great space to live in - this huge crazy warehouse w. a 93" tv screen and bikes scattered around fer parts. We'll see how it gaes.....
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Weird Dreams
Ah usually don't remembah my dreams so well. Thar are a couple theories floatin around on this, some of them havin ta dae w. my consumption of a certain plant native to North America, whcih ah dont know enuff medical schtuff about ta argue w.
Howevah, ah remembah a big portion of last nites, n how frustrated it made me fee.
Specifically, the focal point of tha dream is that ah moved. But instead of movin intae tha city like ah wanted, somehow ah moved out to a suburb of San Francisco, a suburb in tha hills overlookin SF. Note - ahve actually seen these hills in otha dreams, undah tha guise of australia and bawstan mostly. Ah also remembah thar bein a particularly steep hill just before my house, one that ah could nawt even climb as tha wooden beams set in place ta make it more accessible were rotting. Ah remembah bein very pissed at myself fer choosin such an inconvenient place ta live (n rightly so).
My new housemates were a family - ah remembah bein very pissed at myself fer livin w. anutha family (nawt that my current family sucks, but ah thought ahd moved on). They were pretty straight-laced, but somehow undah tha impression ah would be makin a livin from teachin bass lessons, which ah would dae in tha house (my room - which ah nevah saw). Ah resolved ta instantly start searchin fer a new place ta live, n hoped my current situation was month-to-month.
Latah that evenin, ah biked to a friends place w. tha drummer from think13. My friends place ended up lookin identical to my current basement (but wasn't). My drummer had some crazy big wheel bike, n in makin room fer it, he knocked my own bike ovah.
Ah gawt up n beat tha shite outta him. Now - ahve prolly only punched someone in tha face once er twice in my entire life, as most of my physical entanglements were via wrestling, er punching shoulders. But ah nawt only punched him in tha face, ah kicked him when he was down. Ah remembah thinkin "Why are our friends lettin me beat tha crap out of my drummer?" but instead just told him "ah didn't kick you that hard."
Then ah was woken up by a phone call that ah didnt take.
Ah guess in tha grand scheme of thangs, that dream isn't really all that weird. but tha fact that remembered it is. Why is this one more important, er how did it slip through my unconscious so that it could stay w. me all day?
In otha news, think13 (a very very stripped down version) will be performing this evenin at a Mission alleyway, hopefully w. firedancers. Warren Teagarden opens fer tha guy who used ta play w. tha New York Dolls, but as a solo acoustic show. Ahm glad April is here, n startin ta dae some more significant househuntin werk.
sorry fer such a borin post, but a saturday mornin w.o obligations is a rare thang (one ah created fer myself b/c tomorrow is jam packed w. band practice n open-house attendance).
Howevah, ah remembah a big portion of last nites, n how frustrated it made me fee.
Specifically, the focal point of tha dream is that ah moved. But instead of movin intae tha city like ah wanted, somehow ah moved out to a suburb of San Francisco, a suburb in tha hills overlookin SF. Note - ahve actually seen these hills in otha dreams, undah tha guise of australia and bawstan mostly. Ah also remembah thar bein a particularly steep hill just before my house, one that ah could nawt even climb as tha wooden beams set in place ta make it more accessible were rotting. Ah remembah bein very pissed at myself fer choosin such an inconvenient place ta live (n rightly so).
My new housemates were a family - ah remembah bein very pissed at myself fer livin w. anutha family (nawt that my current family sucks, but ah thought ahd moved on). They were pretty straight-laced, but somehow undah tha impression ah would be makin a livin from teachin bass lessons, which ah would dae in tha house (my room - which ah nevah saw). Ah resolved ta instantly start searchin fer a new place ta live, n hoped my current situation was month-to-month.
Latah that evenin, ah biked to a friends place w. tha drummer from think13. My friends place ended up lookin identical to my current basement (but wasn't). My drummer had some crazy big wheel bike, n in makin room fer it, he knocked my own bike ovah.
Ah gawt up n beat tha shite outta him. Now - ahve prolly only punched someone in tha face once er twice in my entire life, as most of my physical entanglements were via wrestling, er punching shoulders. But ah nawt only punched him in tha face, ah kicked him when he was down. Ah remembah thinkin "Why are our friends lettin me beat tha crap out of my drummer?" but instead just told him "ah didn't kick you that hard."
Then ah was woken up by a phone call that ah didnt take.
Ah guess in tha grand scheme of thangs, that dream isn't really all that weird. but tha fact that remembered it is. Why is this one more important, er how did it slip through my unconscious so that it could stay w. me all day?
In otha news, think13 (a very very stripped down version) will be performing this evenin at a Mission alleyway, hopefully w. firedancers. Warren Teagarden opens fer tha guy who used ta play w. tha New York Dolls, but as a solo acoustic show. Ahm glad April is here, n startin ta dae some more significant househuntin werk.
sorry fer such a borin post, but a saturday mornin w.o obligations is a rare thang (one ah created fer myself b/c tomorrow is jam packed w. band practice n open-house attendance).
Monday, March 31, 2008
Weekend again
Last thursday marked 5 months in tha SF area, so lets see what ah was up ta, shall we?
First off, fer those of you unaware, my basick schedule these days is this: up around 7:30, out tha door between 8 and 8:30, 7.5 hours at my job, n then ah gae ta eitha yoga er band practice. On tha days ah have neitha (er skip yoga, as has been my march trend), ah generally gae home n veg, altho sometimes ah dae somethang bettah (like gaein to tha berkeley library er git a haircut). My weekends start w. me out tha house at 10:30 fer 11 am yoga, n then ah hop on tha BART fer practice w. think13. This usually takes me till about 5 er 6 pm, when ah usually gae home n collapse. Sunday, ah try ta take off.
Ahve been keepin up this pace all year, which is a lil surprising even ta me, but its a lawt of fun.
N this last weekend, think13 showed tha world (er at least tha Rock It Room) that we ain't all about tha handdrums n acoustic geetars all tha time. We brought 25 minutes of rawk to tha house, keepin up our end of tha bargain (as thar were 9 otha rawk bands, n if we didn't kick some ass it would've been very easy ta be tha weakest link). Even bettah, we were on kinda early, so that left tha rest of tha nite ta drink our hearts away (on our dime cuz tha rock it room doesn't take care of its bands - sorry guys, its tha truth. Ah will say that tha sound guy was phenomenal n worked way way way too hard).
Of kerse, whar alcohol is involved, thars opportunities fer bullshit. Especially when drunk frat boys think its funny ta pinch tha ass of our lead singers date. Over and over again. While it was quite a fine ass, it was made abundantly clear that she was spoken fer, n this guy did nawt take a hint. Nuthang came of it, but ah was surprised how quickly and easily East Coast teenager Anthony came to tha surface when confronted w. a total jackass who might have actually benefitted from gittin his ass kicked. Tha fact that thar was a dozen of us (mostly irish) who were of a similar mindframe helped...while ah continued ta tell myself that it wasn't worth it, nor a good idea, n that my karma would NAWT be rewarded, ah found myself shouting at a scumbag, n if ah hadn't been so inebriated ah might've even tried a curse. DOWN BOY!
tha rest of tha nite was fun, but its becoming obvious that ah need ta find myself a female companion in tha city, as at tha end of our gigs ahm crashin solo on a couch while tha otha band membahs spend "quality time" w. thar wife/gf/groupie. Perhaps ah should start talkin in a paddy accent in ordah ta make myself more exotic.....
Sunday was cold...actually its been ratha brisk in general out here since spring hit. Ahm told its b/c thars less cloud cover which makes sense. Despite tha sun beamin down all day, we're still hangin out at about 55/60 degrees, which is a smidge less then what ah consider "good weather." ahm sure my east coast friends like ta hear me complain.
Sunday afternoon was practice w. Warren Teagarden, which felt really really good. Partially b.c ah think our last live set went off so well and we're starting to feel a lot more comfortable w. each other and willing to dive into the songs. The CD release fer Warren is next Friday, and it should be a great nite. We play a particularly fantastic cover of Dead or Alive's "You Spin Me Right Round," which you can hear if you buy tha CD (er email me and ask me nicely maybe).
Tha new job is startin ta settle in, altho ahm currently nawt busy enuff ta have an excuse ta nawt dae some of tha tedious busy work (mostly data entry). Howevah, my co-workers are quite competent at thar jobs, which is excellent, n thar promises ta be a shit ton of work as we gear up fer 2008 elections. It is a bit exciting to feel like in some way, ah could just maybe be makin a difference.
Ah also came intae some cool luck, as an old friend of mine from college had apparently moved w.o letting me know his new contact info. On a whim, ah googled his name, and found a number for him as he's been a guitar teacher fer quite a while. Ah rang him outta tha blue n had a great 2 hour conversation with him whar we reflected on how different our lives our - He's married n teaches almost 60 kids a week, but hasn't had a gig in so long he can't even remember. He's also just about 20 miles away from his home town, n gittin excited about tha prospect of buyin a house in tha relatively near future. Different priorities and different circumstances indeed.
It's spring. how about that. Thars a bitchin wildflower patch on my bike path that ah should take pictures of. This state is fricken beautiful, n everyone should move out here so they ken watch my bands play.
First off, fer those of you unaware, my basick schedule these days is this: up around 7:30, out tha door between 8 and 8:30, 7.5 hours at my job, n then ah gae ta eitha yoga er band practice. On tha days ah have neitha (er skip yoga, as has been my march trend), ah generally gae home n veg, altho sometimes ah dae somethang bettah (like gaein to tha berkeley library er git a haircut). My weekends start w. me out tha house at 10:30 fer 11 am yoga, n then ah hop on tha BART fer practice w. think13. This usually takes me till about 5 er 6 pm, when ah usually gae home n collapse. Sunday, ah try ta take off.
Ahve been keepin up this pace all year, which is a lil surprising even ta me, but its a lawt of fun.
N this last weekend, think13 showed tha world (er at least tha Rock It Room) that we ain't all about tha handdrums n acoustic geetars all tha time. We brought 25 minutes of rawk to tha house, keepin up our end of tha bargain (as thar were 9 otha rawk bands, n if we didn't kick some ass it would've been very easy ta be tha weakest link). Even bettah, we were on kinda early, so that left tha rest of tha nite ta drink our hearts away (on our dime cuz tha rock it room doesn't take care of its bands - sorry guys, its tha truth. Ah will say that tha sound guy was phenomenal n worked way way way too hard).
Of kerse, whar alcohol is involved, thars opportunities fer bullshit. Especially when drunk frat boys think its funny ta pinch tha ass of our lead singers date. Over and over again. While it was quite a fine ass, it was made abundantly clear that she was spoken fer, n this guy did nawt take a hint. Nuthang came of it, but ah was surprised how quickly and easily East Coast teenager Anthony came to tha surface when confronted w. a total jackass who might have actually benefitted from gittin his ass kicked. Tha fact that thar was a dozen of us (mostly irish) who were of a similar mindframe helped...while ah continued ta tell myself that it wasn't worth it, nor a good idea, n that my karma would NAWT be rewarded, ah found myself shouting at a scumbag, n if ah hadn't been so inebriated ah might've even tried a curse. DOWN BOY!
tha rest of tha nite was fun, but its becoming obvious that ah need ta find myself a female companion in tha city, as at tha end of our gigs ahm crashin solo on a couch while tha otha band membahs spend "quality time" w. thar wife/gf/groupie. Perhaps ah should start talkin in a paddy accent in ordah ta make myself more exotic.....
Sunday was cold...actually its been ratha brisk in general out here since spring hit. Ahm told its b/c thars less cloud cover which makes sense. Despite tha sun beamin down all day, we're still hangin out at about 55/60 degrees, which is a smidge less then what ah consider "good weather." ahm sure my east coast friends like ta hear me complain.
Sunday afternoon was practice w. Warren Teagarden, which felt really really good. Partially b.c ah think our last live set went off so well and we're starting to feel a lot more comfortable w. each other and willing to dive into the songs. The CD release fer Warren is next Friday, and it should be a great nite. We play a particularly fantastic cover of Dead or Alive's "You Spin Me Right Round," which you can hear if you buy tha CD (er email me and ask me nicely maybe).
Tha new job is startin ta settle in, altho ahm currently nawt busy enuff ta have an excuse ta nawt dae some of tha tedious busy work (mostly data entry). Howevah, my co-workers are quite competent at thar jobs, which is excellent, n thar promises ta be a shit ton of work as we gear up fer 2008 elections. It is a bit exciting to feel like in some way, ah could just maybe be makin a difference.
Ah also came intae some cool luck, as an old friend of mine from college had apparently moved w.o letting me know his new contact info. On a whim, ah googled his name, and found a number for him as he's been a guitar teacher fer quite a while. Ah rang him outta tha blue n had a great 2 hour conversation with him whar we reflected on how different our lives our - He's married n teaches almost 60 kids a week, but hasn't had a gig in so long he can't even remember. He's also just about 20 miles away from his home town, n gittin excited about tha prospect of buyin a house in tha relatively near future. Different priorities and different circumstances indeed.
It's spring. how about that. Thars a bitchin wildflower patch on my bike path that ah should take pictures of. This state is fricken beautiful, n everyone should move out here so they ken watch my bands play.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Children of Bodom review
cross posted from tha BG....
ta prove ahm nawt all Kylie -->
Here is my review of tha new Children of Bodom album Blooddrunk which ah found very interestin actually.
ta prove ahm nawt all Kylie -->
Here is my review of tha new Children of Bodom album Blooddrunk which ah found very interestin actually.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Sunday is MY DAY!
MY DAY ta bike all ovah tah fricken place. Mostly via tha ohlone greenway er tha Bicycle Boulevard. Apparently it was also Easter, which ah always think is in mid-April.
HAPPY ZOMBIE JEEBUS DAY!
In case anyone is wonderin, ahm diggin my new job. It's a bit slow at tha moment, but ahm part of a 4 person department (thars actually two otha folx in tha department, but they don't werk in SF) n ah like that we're a small department on a big floor. Essentially my job is ta learn this online database well enuff so that ah ken eventually train n support volunteer leaders across tha country w. usin it, so ah think it will be a good fit.
think13 has a big gig this Saturday whar we will be debutin as a full-on RAWK BAND, w. electric guitars n kit drum. It's part of a fundraiser, we'll be playin w. some great bands. Watch out SF, thar will be rawk.
Also, ahm very excited b.c this week ahll git ta meet up w. an old Mysterious Odors band mate. Ah haven't seen any of these guys since our last gig, which was pandemonium. mmm, pandemonium.
HAPPY ZOMBIE JEEBUS DAY!
In case anyone is wonderin, ahm diggin my new job. It's a bit slow at tha moment, but ahm part of a 4 person department (thars actually two otha folx in tha department, but they don't werk in SF) n ah like that we're a small department on a big floor. Essentially my job is ta learn this online database well enuff so that ah ken eventually train n support volunteer leaders across tha country w. usin it, so ah think it will be a good fit.
think13 has a big gig this Saturday whar we will be debutin as a full-on RAWK BAND, w. electric guitars n kit drum. It's part of a fundraiser, we'll be playin w. some great bands. Watch out SF, thar will be rawk.
Also, ahm very excited b.c this week ahll git ta meet up w. an old Mysterious Odors band mate. Ah haven't seen any of these guys since our last gig, which was pandemonium. mmm, pandemonium.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
How'd it gae?
My birthday n all that jazz? Pretty good!
While tha 13th itself was pretty lowkey, sushi was bought fer me, n my yoga class sang me happy bday between tortoise n camel (n we were invited ta hold camel fer up ta two minutes if anyone was up fer it, which they weren't).
My last day of werk was mostly a half day cuz people kept takin me out fer lunch er gelato er tellin me how much they'd miss me.
Ah gawta new phone, finally, it only took a month (literally).
Tha gig was a trip, as expected. Orders gawt switched around, a bartendah kicked SEVERE BASS off early fer bein "too mellow," n then Warren Teagarden brought tha place down (brought in part by tha fact that ah was absolutely LIVID about bein told my set was ovah when ah had just one more, kickass rawk tune left, n that ah usually play great w. a band when ahm PISSED OFF). People were dancin, moshin, drinkin, screamin. Tha audience demanded an encore, tha second time thas happened in my life (tha first was also a birthday gig, that time w. AllEyesOn), which they were treated too cuz we're nice guys. think13 played "Whiskey in the Jar," twice, and a lawt of alcohol was consumed fer free. We were up till four in tha mornin, n my 9-5in self was awake n movin at 10 am.
Today was tha first day at my new job, which was slow n left me w. lil ta dae, but ahm still quite excited about bein a gae-ta guy soon, n showin these folx how smart they were ta hire me. Ah just need ta be less tired.....
so there!
While tha 13th itself was pretty lowkey, sushi was bought fer me, n my yoga class sang me happy bday between tortoise n camel (n we were invited ta hold camel fer up ta two minutes if anyone was up fer it, which they weren't).
My last day of werk was mostly a half day cuz people kept takin me out fer lunch er gelato er tellin me how much they'd miss me.
Ah gawta new phone, finally, it only took a month (literally).
Tha gig was a trip, as expected. Orders gawt switched around, a bartendah kicked SEVERE BASS off early fer bein "too mellow," n then Warren Teagarden brought tha place down (brought in part by tha fact that ah was absolutely LIVID about bein told my set was ovah when ah had just one more, kickass rawk tune left, n that ah usually play great w. a band when ahm PISSED OFF). People were dancin, moshin, drinkin, screamin. Tha audience demanded an encore, tha second time thas happened in my life (tha first was also a birthday gig, that time w. AllEyesOn), which they were treated too cuz we're nice guys. think13 played "Whiskey in the Jar," twice, and a lawt of alcohol was consumed fer free. We were up till four in tha mornin, n my 9-5in self was awake n movin at 10 am.
Today was tha first day at my new job, which was slow n left me w. lil ta dae, but ahm still quite excited about bein a gae-ta guy soon, n showin these folx how smart they were ta hire me. Ah just need ta be less tired.....
so there!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
TODAY (3/13)
Is my Birthday!
You don't hafta comment, er send me an email, er pretend ta call me (still nae phone), er drop by my office n take me out fer lunch (altho all that stuff would be nice!), ah just ask that you think about me today, preferably how awesome you think ah am. N you east-coasters should miss me a lil too, please :)
Twenty-Seven is a numbah that has much spiritual and mathematical significance. Ah think its a pretty rawkin age ta be, n am lookin forward ta fawkin all sortsa shite up this next year!
You don't hafta comment, er send me an email, er pretend ta call me (still nae phone), er drop by my office n take me out fer lunch (altho all that stuff would be nice!), ah just ask that you think about me today, preferably how awesome you think ah am. N you east-coasters should miss me a lil too, please :)
Twenty-Seven is a numbah that has much spiritual and mathematical significance. Ah think its a pretty rawkin age ta be, n am lookin forward ta fawkin all sortsa shite up this next year!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Sunday, March 09, 2008
How weak
and unprofessional!
We'd been contacted by what ah will say no more about then that they are a country-western band from las vegas if we could help them git a gig. Well, favors are good, rite?
They decide instead that they'll play anutha show but maybe they ken swing by tha bar we're at at like midnite?
No thanks.
Ahm still pullin triple duty, unless, like ah said, ah pussy out.
Upside - Today ah biked ta berkeley. Ah really like how that sounds n what that meant. Walkin that first couple blocks on Telegraph on a beautiful Sunday w. my bike = excellent. N aftahwerds came home ta play some surprisingly rawkin musick somewhat out of tha blue. We felt like a band, just about, except ah had nae idea what they were gawna dae until they actually did it. Sounded pretty good tho, whatevah it was.
We'd been contacted by what ah will say no more about then that they are a country-western band from las vegas if we could help them git a gig. Well, favors are good, rite?
They decide instead that they'll play anutha show but maybe they ken swing by tha bar we're at at like midnite?
No thanks.
Ahm still pullin triple duty, unless, like ah said, ah pussy out.
Upside - Today ah biked ta berkeley. Ah really like how that sounds n what that meant. Walkin that first couple blocks on Telegraph on a beautiful Sunday w. my bike = excellent. N aftahwerds came home ta play some surprisingly rawkin musick somewhat out of tha blue. We felt like a band, just about, except ah had nae idea what they were gawna dae until they actually did it. Sounded pretty good tho, whatevah it was.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
DECISION MADE!
Ah will start on March 18th as tha new Program Assistant for an amazing Environmental Organization. My current employer is really bummed that ahll be leavin them (n turnin down more money), but unnerstand my decision n isn't holdin a grudge.
Thanks so much to everyone fer thar insight, comments, n thoughts. It really did make all tha difference.
Much love,
a fully employed Humble Observer
Thanks so much to everyone fer thar insight, comments, n thoughts. It really did make all tha difference.
Much love,
a fully employed Humble Observer
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Buy A Word...any word.....
cross posted from tha BG
Ah found this on Laughing Squid.
The Big Word Project reminds me of that book The Phantom Tollbooth and tha scene whar thar at tha word market n buyin words. These folks have simplified tha concept, that tha worth is only based on how long it is. They say:
"About The Big Word Project
The Big Word Project has been set up by Paddy Donnelly and Lee Munroe, two Masters students from Northern Ireland, who are exploring what different words mean to different people. The project allows you to purchase a word from our list to represent your site. Your site will then represent this word in our list and when people click on it, they will be taken to your site. The project is aimed at changing definitions and creating a new tapestry of words, meaning altogether different things.
We're selling words for $1 per letter. Find it, click it, buy it :-)
For example, you may buy the word 'Donkey' for $6 and it will link to your site dedicated to donkeys. The word 'Donkey' will then be the gateway to your site and the definition will be changed. No longer will the word Donkey mean 'a woodworking apparatus consisting of a clamping frame and saw, used for cutting marquetry veneers', instead it will now be represented visually by 'Chris's Donkey Site'."
Currently, ahve spent $10 ta secure both "severe" and "bass." Ahve decided that whenevah ah git first dibs on eitha of those words from now, ah should just jump on it. Maybe some dumb-ass latah generation will credit me w. its conception...."you know, SEVERE, like in 'severe bass?'"
Or maybe I just gave 10 bux to some Irish guys. Which I'm okay with.
Ah found this on Laughing Squid.
The Big Word Project reminds me of that book The Phantom Tollbooth and tha scene whar thar at tha word market n buyin words. These folks have simplified tha concept, that tha worth is only based on how long it is. They say:
"About The Big Word Project
The Big Word Project has been set up by Paddy Donnelly and Lee Munroe, two Masters students from Northern Ireland, who are exploring what different words mean to different people. The project allows you to purchase a word from our list to represent your site. Your site will then represent this word in our list and when people click on it, they will be taken to your site. The project is aimed at changing definitions and creating a new tapestry of words, meaning altogether different things.
We're selling words for $1 per letter. Find it, click it, buy it :-)
For example, you may buy the word 'Donkey' for $6 and it will link to your site dedicated to donkeys. The word 'Donkey' will then be the gateway to your site and the definition will be changed. No longer will the word Donkey mean 'a woodworking apparatus consisting of a clamping frame and saw, used for cutting marquetry veneers', instead it will now be represented visually by 'Chris's Donkey Site'."
Currently, ahve spent $10 ta secure both "severe" and "bass." Ahve decided that whenevah ah git first dibs on eitha of those words from now, ah should just jump on it. Maybe some dumb-ass latah generation will credit me w. its conception...."you know, SEVERE, like in 'severe bass?'"
Or maybe I just gave 10 bux to some Irish guys. Which I'm okay with.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
TORN
my current job wants me. BAD.
problem? they can't make me an offer until they have the posting up for 2 weeks internally. Which hasn't happened yet.
But damn, they want me. N will pay me more. N will give me development experience. N are possibly tha best skool in tha WORLD.
but, tha otha job CAN make me an offer. N has. n is awesome. N thar will be a lawt of opportunities ta move up and sidewayz within tha organization. Whereas the current position is set at "Staff Assistant," likelihood of promotion (and even interest in promotion within geographical possibilities) is close ta zero.
ah totally dont know what ta dae at tha moment. Thoughts?
problem? they can't make me an offer until they have the posting up for 2 weeks internally. Which hasn't happened yet.
But damn, they want me. N will pay me more. N will give me development experience. N are possibly tha best skool in tha WORLD.
but, tha otha job CAN make me an offer. N has. n is awesome. N thar will be a lawt of opportunities ta move up and sidewayz within tha organization. Whereas the current position is set at "Staff Assistant," likelihood of promotion (and even interest in promotion within geographical possibilities) is close ta zero.
ah totally dont know what ta dae at tha moment. Thoughts?
Thursday, February 28, 2008
HELLZ YES!
Ah gawt an offer from a prestigious Environmental Organization ta be a Program Assistant today!!!!!!
ah cannot explain how relieved n excited ah am that this has finally happened....aftah 4 fawkin months, somebody has finally recognized that ah would be a kickass full-time employee. N while ah would prolly take just about any offer ah gawt at this point in time, this is a group ah would LOVE ta werk fer.
AND tha place ahm currently tempin wants ta talk ta me tomorrow about possibly makin me full-time cuz my boss loves my work n my personality. My guess is - they can't make me an offer tomorrow, even tho if they could, it would pay me WAY WAY more then tha place that did. HOWEVAH, ahve been here too long ta turn down a real offer, fer a job ah want, fer a potential bettah offer at a job ah also want. Maybe if ahd only been here 2 months, ahd be willin ta take a chance, but my loyalty lies w. whoevah ken pay me a livin wage...guaranteed. N that would be door numbah 1.....
but its like a weight has been lifted. Ah can't describe how good it feels ta finally have this stuipd job thang taken care of. N now ah ken officially start lookin fer new digs in tha city.
My life is comin togetha, n ah am eternally grateful fer these opportunities, n tha support of my friends during this entire transition. It's hard ta nawt think ah made tha right move leavin my comfortable and happy (but easy) life in NOVA fer tha great trendy unknown.
Much love and appreciation fer you, my friends, n to tha universe fer bringin us togetha. Sometimes life is hard...sometimes life is shitty...sometimes life is good....n right now, LIFE IS AWESOME!
ah cannot explain how relieved n excited ah am that this has finally happened....aftah 4 fawkin months, somebody has finally recognized that ah would be a kickass full-time employee. N while ah would prolly take just about any offer ah gawt at this point in time, this is a group ah would LOVE ta werk fer.
AND tha place ahm currently tempin wants ta talk ta me tomorrow about possibly makin me full-time cuz my boss loves my work n my personality. My guess is - they can't make me an offer tomorrow, even tho if they could, it would pay me WAY WAY more then tha place that did. HOWEVAH, ahve been here too long ta turn down a real offer, fer a job ah want, fer a potential bettah offer at a job ah also want. Maybe if ahd only been here 2 months, ahd be willin ta take a chance, but my loyalty lies w. whoevah ken pay me a livin wage...guaranteed. N that would be door numbah 1.....
but its like a weight has been lifted. Ah can't describe how good it feels ta finally have this stuipd job thang taken care of. N now ah ken officially start lookin fer new digs in tha city.
My life is comin togetha, n ah am eternally grateful fer these opportunities, n tha support of my friends during this entire transition. It's hard ta nawt think ah made tha right move leavin my comfortable and happy (but easy) life in NOVA fer tha great trendy unknown.
Much love and appreciation fer you, my friends, n to tha universe fer bringin us togetha. Sometimes life is hard...sometimes life is shitty...sometimes life is good....n right now, LIFE IS AWESOME!
thursday will be a tuff day
It's 1 am, ahm prolly at least 30, if nawt more like 60, minutes from sleep. See below post, n you'll know that ah hafta be at werk at 9 am (meanin, out tha house ABSOLUTELY nae latah then 8:05). Howevah, ahm pretty sure Warren Teagarden recently rawked tha Stork Club, n ah sorta have pictures ta prove it (altho most of them are fuzzy).
Yoga was switched ta tomorrow as well, as an act of universe synchronicity. But this means nawt only will ah need ta be out my house in 7 hours, but tha ah wont be back here till past 9 pm tomorrow; that day includes 8 hours o work (likely data entry), a phone call w. a potential employer, 2 hours of commute, 90 minutes of bikram (which ah haven't been ta since Sat), n cleanin tha studio (45ish mins., depending). This all before ah have dinnah, relax, n process everythang from today n tomorrow.
As busy as this current life ah have is keepin me, ah hafta admit, ahm pretty fawkin happy. Which was tha point of movin out here, rite?
Also - It's been exactly four months since ah gawt here. Ah arrived Oct. 27th (which incidentally is tha date of tha last think13 "balance" performance), ahm on tha verge of somethang. Ah ken totally feel it. Bein on stage 5 times this year is nice too!
Yoga was switched ta tomorrow as well, as an act of universe synchronicity. But this means nawt only will ah need ta be out my house in 7 hours, but tha ah wont be back here till past 9 pm tomorrow; that day includes 8 hours o work (likely data entry), a phone call w. a potential employer, 2 hours of commute, 90 minutes of bikram (which ah haven't been ta since Sat), n cleanin tha studio (45ish mins., depending). This all before ah have dinnah, relax, n process everythang from today n tomorrow.
As busy as this current life ah have is keepin me, ah hafta admit, ahm pretty fawkin happy. Which was tha point of movin out here, rite?
Also - It's been exactly four months since ah gawt here. Ah arrived Oct. 27th (which incidentally is tha date of tha last think13 "balance" performance), ahm on tha verge of somethang. Ah ken totally feel it. Bein on stage 5 times this year is nice too!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
More Workplace Bullshit
So when my boss starts off a conversation w. "It's come to my attention that," its nawt a good thang. Howevah, being that ahve been a pretty good lil employee thus far, my brain is sorta like "ah didn't fawk up!"
Well, it's come to my boss' attention that my corporate conservative "casual" office place doesn't allow temps to work unsupervised This is a bummer b/c ah have band practice 1 er 2 times a week in tha city, but nawt until 7 pm. So in tha past, at this job n tha last, ahve been comin in 10 n leavin at 6 on evenins like that, as an hour ta git from one place to anutha is a lawt less time ta kill.
So tha otha two officers in my department were out this mornin, n ah sent my supervisor an email askin if that meant ah had ta take lunch at tha same time as tha otha staff assistant (who, while 2 years my junior, as a REAL employee of my institution, is a supervisor). My boss said he thought that would be stupid, n assumed that, unless he heard othawise, ah was okay ta be in tha office from 9 - 5, which is good, as tha bosses here dae a lawt of travelling.
Well, it came to his attention AGAIN that officer who is here today n tha otha assistant will be leavin at 3:30 fer a meeting. Which means ah hafta leave as well. AND ah can't git paid past when ah leave. So today, ahm out 2 hours of werk (n ah git a good hourly rate here) b/c of stupid corporate rules.
Ta let you know a lil more about tha environment that is bein sublet, ah looked online ta see what this company did. n they invest money in management teams in the 10 - 100 MILLION dollar range. Ah guess tha more money you invest, tha more pleasure you git outta bein a complete douchebag.
Tha one thang ah dae like about this, is my boss pointed out that by treatin me like garbage, ah was WAY more likely ta try n destroy all tha nice thangs in this office then if they just treated me like a human being. But apparently, b/c ahma temp, ah pose GRAVE security issues.
This post brought ta you, on tha companies dime, b/c of bullshit.
Well, it's come to my boss' attention that my corporate conservative "casual" office place doesn't allow temps to work unsupervised This is a bummer b/c ah have band practice 1 er 2 times a week in tha city, but nawt until 7 pm. So in tha past, at this job n tha last, ahve been comin in 10 n leavin at 6 on evenins like that, as an hour ta git from one place to anutha is a lawt less time ta kill.
So tha otha two officers in my department were out this mornin, n ah sent my supervisor an email askin if that meant ah had ta take lunch at tha same time as tha otha staff assistant (who, while 2 years my junior, as a REAL employee of my institution, is a supervisor). My boss said he thought that would be stupid, n assumed that, unless he heard othawise, ah was okay ta be in tha office from 9 - 5, which is good, as tha bosses here dae a lawt of travelling.
Well, it came to his attention AGAIN that officer who is here today n tha otha assistant will be leavin at 3:30 fer a meeting. Which means ah hafta leave as well. AND ah can't git paid past when ah leave. So today, ahm out 2 hours of werk (n ah git a good hourly rate here) b/c of stupid corporate rules.
Ta let you know a lil more about tha environment that is bein sublet, ah looked online ta see what this company did. n they invest money in management teams in the 10 - 100 MILLION dollar range. Ah guess tha more money you invest, tha more pleasure you git outta bein a complete douchebag.
Tha one thang ah dae like about this, is my boss pointed out that by treatin me like garbage, ah was WAY more likely ta try n destroy all tha nice thangs in this office then if they just treated me like a human being. But apparently, b/c ahma temp, ah pose GRAVE security issues.
This post brought ta you, on tha companies dime, b/c of bullshit.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Break-ups suck
A couple of weeks ago, think13 played a pretty wild show at a local Irish bar. While our musick was relatively tame, tha nite of daein our own sound, drinkin waay too much, n a stolen handbag was plenty of nutzo. Ah knew before tha nite even began we'd be talkin about that "crazy first nite" at Irelands 32.
Unfortunetly, some of tha crazy gawt a bit big fer its britches.
A good friend of our guitarist had their handbag stolen at that show, n soon aftah all her friends received nasty text messages from tha thief. Luckily, somebody had tha incident on tape.
Nawt so luckily, tha evidence strongly points to tha significant other of one of our hand percussionists. It very clearly shows her putting her bag and jacket on top of the handbag, n then latah, picking it up, revealing tha handbag as missing.
Ahll be honest, this significant otha wasn't my favorite person in tha world (ahm nawt such a fan of girlfriends who sit in on EVERY band practice, especially when they are somewhat of a distraction to tha band member), but ah didn't really think that badly of her. But tha videotape is what tha cops called "a classic case," and its given us a bad name w. tha Irish community. Charges are bein filed, etc. etc.
Our hand percussionist was told he needed ta "take care of it." Unfortunetly, this did nawt translate in his head to "dump yer girlfriend." Ah remembah bein 21, n thinkin that tha relationship ah was in was IT. So ah feel fer tha kid, n identify w. whar he's comin from.
Howevah, while a band is a family, its tha kind of family you CAN choose. And this band, is a bizness to some extent (or will be). And this girlfriend, is a liability.
So, while it broke our hearts (others more then mine, this guy has been w/ think13 for a long long time), we had to make a choice based on his choice. And he's still gawt a girlfriend, but nae band.
In good news fer think13, we just subletted a practice space (a pretty decent one too) in tha city. This is obviously a new beginnin fer us. It just sucks that tha first thang we did in our new practice space is fire a drummer.
N now, tha search is on fer anutha percussionist. Our friend left some fairly big shoes ta fill....
Unfortunetly, some of tha crazy gawt a bit big fer its britches.
A good friend of our guitarist had their handbag stolen at that show, n soon aftah all her friends received nasty text messages from tha thief. Luckily, somebody had tha incident on tape.
Nawt so luckily, tha evidence strongly points to tha significant other of one of our hand percussionists. It very clearly shows her putting her bag and jacket on top of the handbag, n then latah, picking it up, revealing tha handbag as missing.
Ahll be honest, this significant otha wasn't my favorite person in tha world (ahm nawt such a fan of girlfriends who sit in on EVERY band practice, especially when they are somewhat of a distraction to tha band member), but ah didn't really think that badly of her. But tha videotape is what tha cops called "a classic case," and its given us a bad name w. tha Irish community. Charges are bein filed, etc. etc.
Our hand percussionist was told he needed ta "take care of it." Unfortunetly, this did nawt translate in his head to "dump yer girlfriend." Ah remembah bein 21, n thinkin that tha relationship ah was in was IT. So ah feel fer tha kid, n identify w. whar he's comin from.
Howevah, while a band is a family, its tha kind of family you CAN choose. And this band, is a bizness to some extent (or will be). And this girlfriend, is a liability.
So, while it broke our hearts (others more then mine, this guy has been w/ think13 for a long long time), we had to make a choice based on his choice. And he's still gawt a girlfriend, but nae band.
In good news fer think13, we just subletted a practice space (a pretty decent one too) in tha city. This is obviously a new beginnin fer us. It just sucks that tha first thang we did in our new practice space is fire a drummer.
N now, tha search is on fer anutha percussionist. Our friend left some fairly big shoes ta fill....
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