I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday.
Please travel safely, and enjoy time with family.
Much love to everyone.
And if you get too cold, wrap some Christmas lights around your legs. It's nice and warm... I promise.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
merry christmas to all...
I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday.
Please travel safely, and enjoy time with family.
Much love to everyone.
And if you get too cold, wrap some Christmas lights around your legs. It's nice and warm... I promise.
Monday, December 22, 2008
oh the weather outside is [pain]ful
Only fitting for the first day of winter, I guess. I didn't even leave the house today. I have a lot to catch up on now that I'm home for Christmas break, but for now, here's some pictures of the icy mess that happened on Thursday night and Friday.
Brrrr. Stay warm, my friends. And be careful! I had a rather painful experience courtesy of Mother Nature. On Friday as we were leaving for Chicago, I slipped on the ice on the top step of our porch and proceeded to fall facefirst down the rest of the steps and slid a little. My right shin took most of the force. Thankfully I was carrying my coat, so my arms landed on it and didn't get scraped. My leg, however, is a different story.
Yeah, that's gonna leave a mark.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
from our home to yours...
Happy Holidays from the lovely ladies of my apartment.
Last night, we hosted the annual Classy Christmas Cocktail Party. My group of friends here at Purdue enjoys getting dressed up from time to time, so we tend to make a fancy occasion of it once a semester. It was a lot of fun, and I'll be sure to post many more pictures once these pesky finals are out of the way.
Also, to provide further evidence of how pharmacy school warps the mind: when I see the initials JDM on the stockings above us, all I can think of is "juvenile diabetes mellitus."
My first final is Monday at 8 am. Back to the books...
Last night, we hosted the annual Classy Christmas Cocktail Party. My group of friends here at Purdue enjoys getting dressed up from time to time, so we tend to make a fancy occasion of it once a semester. It was a lot of fun, and I'll be sure to post many more pictures once these pesky finals are out of the way.
Also, to provide further evidence of how pharmacy school warps the mind: when I see the initials JDM on the stockings above us, all I can think of is "juvenile diabetes mellitus."
My first final is Monday at 8 am. Back to the books...
Friday, December 12, 2008
you [haven't] found me
I am absolutely in love with the new song "You Found Me" by The Fray. The first time I heard it, I wasn't all that impressed. Now, I actually have no idea how I could have thought that way. This song is the type that I listen to with my head down on my desk when I don't have the energy to lift it, and still manage to move to the music, and lash out and hit the chair arm to the beat with the palm of my hand when the chorus crashes in. It's the kind of song that I play on repeat and feel a little empty when I finally have to turn it off. It's the kind of song that takes a buried feeling and puts it into words and rhythm.
I originally perceived the song as hopeful, as "being found" seems to be a good thing. Then, I really listened to the lyrics, and the tone is quite different. There are undoubtedly several ways to interpret it. However, I see it as being about a person who has been waiting for someone, and by the time that someone finally got there, the person was already broken. They could have been saved if someone had gotten there in time. I supposed it has a sense of twisted relief involved, because while the person is broken, at least they were finally "found." Despite that, the undertones of bitterness are evident throughout the lyrics. I think I can identify with it so much because it plays into a fear I have. The fear of ending up alone. The fear that I'll be too broken and bitter by the time someone finds me. The fear that no one will ever understand "who I am, who I'm not, and who I want to be." The fears that you don't want to admit, but might as well. You can ignore them, and you can function with them, but you can't hide from them.
Here's the song.
You Found Me
I found God
on the corner of First and Amistad
Where the west
was all but won
All along
Smoking his last cigarette
I said, where've you been?
He said, ask anything.
Where were you?
When everything was falling apart.
All my days spent by the telephone.
And all I needed was a call
It never came
To the corner of First and Amistad
Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me
Lying on the floor, surrounded, surrounded
Why'd you have to wait?
Where were you? Where were you?
Just a little late.
You found me, you found me.
But in the end
Everyone ends up alone
Losing hope
The only one who's ever known
Who I am, Who I'm not, Who I want to be
No way to know
How long she will be next to me
Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me
Lying on the floor, surrounded, surrounded
Why'd you have to wait?
Where were you? Where were you?
Just a little late.
You found me, you found me.
I've been calling for years and years
and you've never left me no messages
Never sent me no letters
Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me
Lying on the floor, surrounded, surrounded
Why'd you have to wait?
Where were you? Where were you?
Just a little late.
You found me, you found me.
Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me
Lying on the floor, surrounded, surrounded
Why'd you have to wait?
Where were you? Where were you?
Just a little late.
You found me, you found me.
Last night (or rather, very early this morning), a friend said this:
"We're just a bunch of lonely people looking for someone else."
How very true, and how rarely we succeed.
I'm still lost and insecure.
I'm still lying on the floor.
I'm still surrounded.
Why do I have to wait?
Someone's a little late.
I originally perceived the song as hopeful, as "being found" seems to be a good thing. Then, I really listened to the lyrics, and the tone is quite different. There are undoubtedly several ways to interpret it. However, I see it as being about a person who has been waiting for someone, and by the time that someone finally got there, the person was already broken. They could have been saved if someone had gotten there in time. I supposed it has a sense of twisted relief involved, because while the person is broken, at least they were finally "found." Despite that, the undertones of bitterness are evident throughout the lyrics. I think I can identify with it so much because it plays into a fear I have. The fear of ending up alone. The fear that I'll be too broken and bitter by the time someone finds me. The fear that no one will ever understand "who I am, who I'm not, and who I want to be." The fears that you don't want to admit, but might as well. You can ignore them, and you can function with them, but you can't hide from them.
Here's the song.
You Found Me
I found God
on the corner of First and Amistad
Where the west
was all but won
All along
Smoking his last cigarette
I said, where've you been?
He said, ask anything.
Where were you?
When everything was falling apart.
All my days spent by the telephone.
And all I needed was a call
It never came
To the corner of First and Amistad
Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me
Lying on the floor, surrounded, surrounded
Why'd you have to wait?
Where were you? Where were you?
Just a little late.
You found me, you found me.
But in the end
Everyone ends up alone
Losing hope
The only one who's ever known
Who I am, Who I'm not, Who I want to be
No way to know
How long she will be next to me
Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me
Lying on the floor, surrounded, surrounded
Why'd you have to wait?
Where were you? Where were you?
Just a little late.
You found me, you found me.
I've been calling for years and years
and you've never left me no messages
Never sent me no letters
Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me
Lying on the floor, surrounded, surrounded
Why'd you have to wait?
Where were you? Where were you?
Just a little late.
You found me, you found me.
Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me
Lying on the floor, surrounded, surrounded
Why'd you have to wait?
Where were you? Where were you?
Just a little late.
You found me, you found me.
Last night (or rather, very early this morning), a friend said this:
"We're just a bunch of lonely people looking for someone else."
How very true, and how rarely we succeed.
I'm still lost and insecure.
I'm still lying on the floor.
I'm still surrounded.
Why do I have to wait?
Someone's a little late.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
words to live by
"You just do what you do. And that's all you can do."
You can't really argue with that.
- MR
You can't really argue with that.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
not a poet
the streetlamps in the autumn night
are far too bright for this child
in this mentality she needs the dark
she'd break every bulb to kill the light
are far too bright for this child
in this mentality she needs the dark
she'd break every bulb to kill the light
I'm not very good at this.
Eloquence fails me when this feeling overtakes me.
[Photo from October 2007, Detroit, Michigan]
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
how to draw unwanted attention to yourself
It’s simple, really.
[Side note: Doing a Google Image Search for “fainting” primarily results in pictures of fainting goats. Sweet.]
Edit: For the love of God, watch this fainting goat video.
Step 2: Wait… nevermind, Step 1 took care of it
[Side note: Doing a Google Image Search for “fainting” primarily results in pictures of fainting goats. Sweet.]
Edit: For the love of God, watch this fainting goat video.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
this could be different
I know that when I started this blog, I had the intention to NEVER post about negative feelings, emotional breakdowns, or general sadness. (That's why I abandoned my old blog... because that's all it became.) Up until this point, I've stuck to concert recaps, photos, or amusing occurrences. If you didn't know me, you'd think that life was peachy, and that I was always doing just fine.
However, life isn't always sunshine and rainbows, and I'm certainly not fine.
To anyone I've talked to in the past few months, it will come as no surprise to you that this semester has not been easy for me. Well, college in general hasn't exactly been a picnic, but something about this year has been particularly bad. I started the semester exhausted, as always, from my involvement in Purdue's freshmen orientation program. I love it and wouldn't have changed that for anything, but it's certainly hard to get energized for classes when you've spent a week getting an average of 2-3 hours of sleep per night. The first few weeks of school were okay, but shortly after that, something snapped in me, and it hasn't been mended completely since then.
The expectations of pharmacy school are reasonable; it's a difficult field of study and we all know this. I also know there is a reason that in 2006, we made it past 900+ other applicants to become the 160 students of the 2010 Doctor of Pharmacy class, and that we should be able to handle it. Unfortunately, I've never felt all that adept at "handling it." You wouldn't know it from my grades (they're good), but I am perpetually stressed, anxious, and convinced that I don't know anything. This is nothing new, I've felt this way all through college, but for some reason it seems to have been taking much more of a toll on me lately. I don't know what exactly it is about this year-- maybe it's because we've moved into our 5th straight year of difficult coursework-- but several of us have started to lose it. At one point, starting in the third week or so of class, I became angry at everyone and everything all the time. This lasted until just a few weeks ago. I was hating pharmacy school so much that it actually led me to hate pharmacy, and that was truly terrifying. Nothing screams "crisis" like an abrupt questioning of your future. When you combine this with my strong love of music and wish to be involved in that industry, I had a scary couple of days when I was wondering if I had made a huge mistake and spent 5 years in the wrong major. Thankfully I realized that I still really want to do this, and it's going to be an amazing career. Unfortunately, the path we have to take is a bumpy one, and I can be fairly honest in saying that I do not like pharmacy school. I'm making it through just fine, and I'm learning everything I need to, but I will be ecstatic when this May arrives and we start our experiential rotations. I'm desperate to leave the classroom and actually USE what they're teaching me, and I just have to find a way to survive what's left before then. Key word- survive. That's all you can do sometimes.
Of course, there's more to life than class, and that's been messy too. I'm not really sure where to start there. I really don't want to launch into a tirade about being single, so I'm not going to, but I can calmly summarize the frustration. I'm not one of those people who feels like she has to be with someone all the time in order to feel complete. That's a good thing, because, um... I'm basically NEVER with someone. I've spent so much time questioning why this is, and I can never come to a reasonable conclusion. It wears you down, trying to figure out time and time again just what is so awful and horrible and undesirable about you. I know so many interesting, smart, and funny girls who are beautiful inside and out... and still single. And still wondering where in the hell our male counterparts are. It's a mystery that none of us can solve. In addition, I've been stuck on the same person for quite some time now (which he now knows, because I finally told him a few months ago) and I'm constantly reminded how it's not ever going to happen. It hurts pretty much all the time, but there's nothing I can do about it, and that's all I'll devote to that subject for now.
This weekend has not been a good one, and I've cried at least once all three nights. That brings us to another issue in the "not fine" saga: friends. For some reason, a lot of things came to the surface this weekend that really bothered me. The first is an ongoing respect issue. Yes, friends frequently make fun of each other. However, sometimes it goes too far, especially when politics and other sensitive issues are involved. I spent quite some time on Friday trying to resolve a respect issue between friends, and ended up being disrepected in the process. That can be a really sore spot for me, because I spent years of my life being mocked, cut down, and verbally abused by people who were supposed to be friends. I thought that people grew out of such things in their early twenties, but no such luck. Also, a situation occurred where my solid attempts at being a better friend were totally ignored. There are times when I do not want to be with people or go out and do things, and this is a mystery to people. This is just the way I am, and some friends flatly refuse to accept it. I've really been trying this year though, and apparently that wasn't good enough for some, because I found myself being yelled at yet again. I adore my friends here and couldn't live without them, but there are times when some of them simply do not understand certain things about me. This isn't a failing, or anything against them whatsoever; it's just the way it is. Unfortunately, some of the people who truly understand me (ALL of me) live miles, even states, away. It's really hard when there is no way to hug some of your best friends when you need them, and haven't seem them in months or even years.
This leads to a major underlying issue that I haven't been entirely willing to admit. I'm lonely. I'm lonely on a campus of 38,000 students, I'm lonely when I'm out with my friends, I'm lonely in my own apartment. Especially today... apparently, I have become a stranger in my own residence. We've had a number of empty collage frames intended for photos of us with our friends, but hadn't filled them with photos. This evening, I came out of my room and was happily informed by one of my roommates that they were done. I took a look... and found I was in ONE picture. One. I'm not sure which is worse... if they honestly didn't realize they almost left me entirely out of our living room decor, or if they realized it and didn't care. Hmm, to be invisible, or to be shunned. Pick your poison. Is it childish of me to be upset by that? Maybe. However, it did absolutely nothing to help that nagging fear I always have that no one really cares that much about me.
It's just been a highly frustrating year, because every time I feel like I'm climbing out of the hole I'm in, something drags me back down again. I'm tired of clinging to the edge day after day after day. More often than not, I'm stressed, unhappy, and lonely. I'm frequently misunderstood, mocked, and brushed aside. You want to know the funny part? This is nothing new. Welcome to my life, it's been this way for awhile. I've been desperate for change, but no one seems to have any to spare. So where am I going with this? Absolutely nowhere. I don't have a life lesson. I don't have a conclusion. All this leaves you with is a better idea of what's under the surface of my life. I can be happy, I can be completely fine, but the majority of the time, that is not the case. Call me an iceberg- there's a lot that no one sees under the surface, and this blog only provided a small glimpse of what's hiding out of sight.
I never said it was pretty- it isn't.
I never said you had to like it- I know I don't.
If I had the power to make it different- I would.
But right now? This is the way it is.
I'll leave you with a song (and video) I completely adore for times like these. This band doesn't exist anymore, but it's one of my favorite songs, and tonight, I need it.
Acceptance - "Different"
Tell myself on the ride home.
Getting tired, hating all I've known.
Holding on like it's all I have.
Count me out when it's clear that I
find it hard to say.
And you find it hard to care.
I wanted to see something that's different,
something you said would change in me.
Wanted to be anything different,
everything you would change in me.
Got this way, up front but never true.
God, I'm wrong, it's just the way I am.
Crashing down any chance you'll hear.
Caving in any chance that you,
could see inside of me.
And I, I'll know what to say,
It's fine, this isn't Hollywood.
So fine, getting in your way.
I wanted to see something that's different,
something you said would change in me.
Wanted to be anything different,
everything you would change in me.
I'm taking a chance,
this could be different.
This could be all I'm waiting for.
Taking a chance,
this could be different.
This could be all I'm waiting for.
I wanted to see something that's different,
something you said would change in me.
Wanted to be anything different,
everything you would change in me.
Something that's different
(Something that's different)
However, life isn't always sunshine and rainbows, and I'm certainly not fine.
To anyone I've talked to in the past few months, it will come as no surprise to you that this semester has not been easy for me. Well, college in general hasn't exactly been a picnic, but something about this year has been particularly bad. I started the semester exhausted, as always, from my involvement in Purdue's freshmen orientation program. I love it and wouldn't have changed that for anything, but it's certainly hard to get energized for classes when you've spent a week getting an average of 2-3 hours of sleep per night. The first few weeks of school were okay, but shortly after that, something snapped in me, and it hasn't been mended completely since then.
The expectations of pharmacy school are reasonable; it's a difficult field of study and we all know this. I also know there is a reason that in 2006, we made it past 900+ other applicants to become the 160 students of the 2010 Doctor of Pharmacy class, and that we should be able to handle it. Unfortunately, I've never felt all that adept at "handling it." You wouldn't know it from my grades (they're good), but I am perpetually stressed, anxious, and convinced that I don't know anything. This is nothing new, I've felt this way all through college, but for some reason it seems to have been taking much more of a toll on me lately. I don't know what exactly it is about this year-- maybe it's because we've moved into our 5th straight year of difficult coursework-- but several of us have started to lose it. At one point, starting in the third week or so of class, I became angry at everyone and everything all the time. This lasted until just a few weeks ago. I was hating pharmacy school so much that it actually led me to hate pharmacy, and that was truly terrifying. Nothing screams "crisis" like an abrupt questioning of your future. When you combine this with my strong love of music and wish to be involved in that industry, I had a scary couple of days when I was wondering if I had made a huge mistake and spent 5 years in the wrong major. Thankfully I realized that I still really want to do this, and it's going to be an amazing career. Unfortunately, the path we have to take is a bumpy one, and I can be fairly honest in saying that I do not like pharmacy school. I'm making it through just fine, and I'm learning everything I need to, but I will be ecstatic when this May arrives and we start our experiential rotations. I'm desperate to leave the classroom and actually USE what they're teaching me, and I just have to find a way to survive what's left before then. Key word- survive. That's all you can do sometimes.
Of course, there's more to life than class, and that's been messy too. I'm not really sure where to start there. I really don't want to launch into a tirade about being single, so I'm not going to, but I can calmly summarize the frustration. I'm not one of those people who feels like she has to be with someone all the time in order to feel complete. That's a good thing, because, um... I'm basically NEVER with someone. I've spent so much time questioning why this is, and I can never come to a reasonable conclusion. It wears you down, trying to figure out time and time again just what is so awful and horrible and undesirable about you. I know so many interesting, smart, and funny girls who are beautiful inside and out... and still single. And still wondering where in the hell our male counterparts are. It's a mystery that none of us can solve. In addition, I've been stuck on the same person for quite some time now (which he now knows, because I finally told him a few months ago) and I'm constantly reminded how it's not ever going to happen. It hurts pretty much all the time, but there's nothing I can do about it, and that's all I'll devote to that subject for now.
This weekend has not been a good one, and I've cried at least once all three nights. That brings us to another issue in the "not fine" saga: friends. For some reason, a lot of things came to the surface this weekend that really bothered me. The first is an ongoing respect issue. Yes, friends frequently make fun of each other. However, sometimes it goes too far, especially when politics and other sensitive issues are involved. I spent quite some time on Friday trying to resolve a respect issue between friends, and ended up being disrepected in the process. That can be a really sore spot for me, because I spent years of my life being mocked, cut down, and verbally abused by people who were supposed to be friends. I thought that people grew out of such things in their early twenties, but no such luck. Also, a situation occurred where my solid attempts at being a better friend were totally ignored. There are times when I do not want to be with people or go out and do things, and this is a mystery to people. This is just the way I am, and some friends flatly refuse to accept it. I've really been trying this year though, and apparently that wasn't good enough for some, because I found myself being yelled at yet again. I adore my friends here and couldn't live without them, but there are times when some of them simply do not understand certain things about me. This isn't a failing, or anything against them whatsoever; it's just the way it is. Unfortunately, some of the people who truly understand me (ALL of me) live miles, even states, away. It's really hard when there is no way to hug some of your best friends when you need them, and haven't seem them in months or even years.
This leads to a major underlying issue that I haven't been entirely willing to admit. I'm lonely. I'm lonely on a campus of 38,000 students, I'm lonely when I'm out with my friends, I'm lonely in my own apartment. Especially today... apparently, I have become a stranger in my own residence. We've had a number of empty collage frames intended for photos of us with our friends, but hadn't filled them with photos. This evening, I came out of my room and was happily informed by one of my roommates that they were done. I took a look... and found I was in ONE picture. One. I'm not sure which is worse... if they honestly didn't realize they almost left me entirely out of our living room decor, or if they realized it and didn't care. Hmm, to be invisible, or to be shunned. Pick your poison. Is it childish of me to be upset by that? Maybe. However, it did absolutely nothing to help that nagging fear I always have that no one really cares that much about me.
It's just been a highly frustrating year, because every time I feel like I'm climbing out of the hole I'm in, something drags me back down again. I'm tired of clinging to the edge day after day after day. More often than not, I'm stressed, unhappy, and lonely. I'm frequently misunderstood, mocked, and brushed aside. You want to know the funny part? This is nothing new. Welcome to my life, it's been this way for awhile. I've been desperate for change, but no one seems to have any to spare. So where am I going with this? Absolutely nowhere. I don't have a life lesson. I don't have a conclusion. All this leaves you with is a better idea of what's under the surface of my life. I can be happy, I can be completely fine, but the majority of the time, that is not the case. Call me an iceberg- there's a lot that no one sees under the surface, and this blog only provided a small glimpse of what's hiding out of sight.
I never said it was pretty- it isn't.
I never said you had to like it- I know I don't.
If I had the power to make it different- I would.
But right now? This is the way it is.
I'll leave you with a song (and video) I completely adore for times like these. This band doesn't exist anymore, but it's one of my favorite songs, and tonight, I need it.
Acceptance - "Different"
Tell myself on the ride home.
Getting tired, hating all I've known.
Holding on like it's all I have.
Count me out when it's clear that I
find it hard to say.
And you find it hard to care.
I wanted to see something that's different,
something you said would change in me.
Wanted to be anything different,
everything you would change in me.
Got this way, up front but never true.
God, I'm wrong, it's just the way I am.
Crashing down any chance you'll hear.
Caving in any chance that you,
could see inside of me.
And I, I'll know what to say,
It's fine, this isn't Hollywood.
So fine, getting in your way.
I wanted to see something that's different,
something you said would change in me.
Wanted to be anything different,
everything you would change in me.
I'm taking a chance,
this could be different.
This could be all I'm waiting for.
Taking a chance,
this could be different.
This could be all I'm waiting for.
I wanted to see something that's different,
something you said would change in me.
Wanted to be anything different,
everything you would change in me.
Something that's different
(Something that's different)
Sunday, October 19, 2008
all was quiet, until...
Meesh785 (8:06:09 PM) : what would you title a video about 4 girls flailing down the street in an epic orchestral fashion?
"Untitled #1"
erain821 (8:06:17 PM) : hahahaha
erain821 (8:06:19 PM) : ...
"Untitled #1"
[Music by Judgement Day, who opened for Margot and the Nuclear So and So's on Friday night. Please check them out, as they were quite amazing.]
Sunday, October 12, 2008
it started feeling like october...
[Indiana Highway 25, October evening]Thank you, Jack's Mannequin, for providing an applicable song lyric for life and the title of this entry (from Annie Use Your Telescope, one of my favorites from the new album). It has indeed started feeling like October, because, well... it IS. I'm not sure how this month got here so fast, or how it's already almost the middle of the month. I'm currently at home in Peru for Fall Break, which also means we're almost halfway through the semester. We have Monday and Tuesday off, so I'm here relaxing and doing schoolwork until Tuesday sometime. It's good to be home for a little while.
Friday, I left my apartment a little after 5:30 and drove through Starbucks to get a Caramel Apple Spice. I decided to put my Jessie Baylin CD in the player once I hit Highway 25, and proceeded to have one of the nicest drives home I have ever experienced. The aforementioned beverage just screams Autumn, and Jessie has the kind of music that evokes calmness and nostalgia. She has kind of an "old-style" voice, mellow tunes, and a slight tinge of country that is perfect for driving through the trees and fields of rural Indiana. The sun was behind me and had that beautiful golden quality you only find in early mornings and evenings. It lit up all the trees which were changing color along the road and made for some gorgeous scenery. (And yes, I do drive with my camera next to me. I took the above picture while driving. I'm so safe.) It was just a truly nice, relaxing, lovely drive.
When I hit Delphi, a big line of cars was stopped at the railroad crossing. For lack of anything else to do while I waited, I read my Starbucks cup. I don't know what exactly it was about that cup (I think the nostalgia factor of the music and the drive may have been involved), but I had a sudden flashback to early in my freshman year at Purdue. Prior to college, I think I'd gone to a Starbucks twice. However, in the first hot weeks of school back in 2004, I developed a love of caramel frappucinos. On Fridays, I would always get one from the Starbucks in the Union and would take it by the fountain on the Engineering Mall. I would always sit on the little wall that circles the area and lean against one of the short pillars there while I downed the frappucino and studied for the Econ quizzes I always had on Fridays. I was still so afraid of college in those days. I was slowly developing my routines, but I felt shy, awkward, and unsure of myself amidst the 38,000 students on campus and had no idea if I could handle what was ahead of me.
As it turns out, apparently I could handle it. I was accepted into pharmacy school, I'm in my fifth year out of six (!) and still seem to be doing well, I have a solid group of wonderful friends, I have developed interests that were never on my radar before, I know what is important to me... and I visit Starbucks at least twice a week. I tried to remember my first Fall Break, and all I can recall is that my mom had to come pick me up from the dorm and take me home. Those days of freshman year dorm life seem so far away- no car, limited privacy, shared bathrooms. These days, it's hard to imagine anything other than quiet apartment life and the ability to pick up and drive my car somewhere whenever I want.
Speaking of driving... the Jessie Baylin CD finished up as I made the turn from 25 onto 24, so I put in Jack's Mannequin. As I made the turn off of 24 into Peru, I rolled down the window and turned up "Miss California." I always seem to crank a song nobody in the town will know as I come back to it. It's not really an intentional thing, but it may be in some sort of subconscious defiance to the past. I never would have guessed in those days that I'd become the music-obsessed, roadtripping, Los Angeles/Chicago-loving lunatic that I am these days. Thankfully, we surprise ourselves, and I'm so glad that's what I am. With that being said, it's still nice to have some familiarity of the past. My friend Avriel, who lived just down the street from me all our lives, was also home this weekend. From first grade and on, we basically grew up together and were like sisters. (Fought like it too, but that's to be expected.) Her family was having a little campfire in the backyard, so they invited me over and we spent some time talking and making s'mores.
After awhile, Avriel and I went on a walk and talked, which is something we've done for years. Nighttime walks were a staple, especially when something was bothering one of us. It's good to know that you can still come back, even in your fifth year of being gone, and take that same familiar walk in a loop down 6th Street and back along 5th, and know you can probably cross Main Street even when the light is red because there aren't many cars at that time of night.
Some things change, and they should.
Some things never change, and they shouldn't have to.
Leaves change color and fall, but the trunks and branches remain.
It started feeling like October...
And I'm home.
But not for long.
Monday, September 22, 2008
blurred lines
Recently, I spoke with a friend who is involved with music. More specifically, he’s in a band. We were having a conversation which was roughly about how bands, namely the up-and-coming variety, interact with each other. From what I gathered, it is common for a band to view another band as two distinct entities: as artists/people/friends, and as a business. After I pondered all this, I decided that I take issue with this supposed black/white, either/or view.
They are joined at the hip.
They influence each other.
They do not stand alone.
Is this merely my personal opinion? Yes. Is this supposed to be directed at anyone in particular? No. I am fully aware that I am not involved in the business side of the industry, and therefore in theory, “I do not know what I am talking about.” That may be true, but I know enough about the human aspect of music to realize that it is impossible to truly separate the people and the business.
But I'd rather write a song than a business plan
Because this is me, saying the words I actually mean
I won't compromise this thing just to make it
. . .
Do you even know what you're even saying?
Or you just saying it, 'cause someone else said it?
[The Rocket Summer]
Saturday, September 20, 2008
dear loser...
Thank you, internet, for allowing things such as this to exist.
Breakup Letter, Dramatic Reading
This is hilarious.
It requires sound.
Thank me later.
Breakup Letter, Dramatic Reading
This is hilarious.
It requires sound.
Thank me later.
Monday, September 15, 2008
ohhhhh, hio. [cavashawn @ the balcony]
"I want Cavashawn to be the ex-boyfriend you keep coming back to."
I was recently berated for not blogging in ages (Hi Scott) so now I'm finally posting something. On Saturday, Amanda and I met up in Oxford, Ohio to see our buddies Cavashawn. Again. (Show #14 for me I think? Yes, that's in less than 6 months. Shut up.) The show was at the college where the guys all went, which is Miami University of Ohio, now known to me as U of HTSND [University of Honey, That's A Shirt, Not A Dress]. No offense to the girls of Miami, but in 30 minutes of people watching from a bench in Oxford, we saw more short, ugly, and hideous dresses/non-dresses than you could possibly imagine. I may not be a fashion plate myself, but I know what looks good... and 90% of these did not. We even saw a girl who appeared to be wearing a swimsuit cover-up, and half her bra was hanging out as she crossed the street. Classy. Do people look in mirrors anymore?
But I digress.
We hadn't even planned on going to this show, but on Friday, Ama brought it up and we decided to go ahead and go. I've been sick with a lovely cold, and I've also become drastically behind in school, so in theory I really shouldn't have gone. That theory is BS, so of course I went. The show wasn't until late and the drive was about 3 hours, so I didn't leave until 4 or so. It was smooth sailing (aside from the I-70 road coma that tends to occur) for the most part, until I was on Highway 27, which leads from the interstate to Oxford. Part of the road was closed to thru traffic, so I had to take a detour. I just followed my GPS, and she rerouted me through some serious Ohio backcountry. Granted, there aren't many major roads in that area, but yowza. It was just me and the corn.
I did eventually make it to the hotel, and Ama got there shortly thereafter. After we got ready, we met up with the guys at Skyline Chili for dinner. It's an Ohio thing, or at least a Cincinnati-area thing, and it's become a staple everytime we're in the vicinity. I always get the chili 3-way... spaghetti, chili, and a mountain of shredded cheese. Don't forget the oyster crackers. Yumba. In the meantime, my right ear decided to stop working. Sometimes when I'm sick, my hearing suffers, and this was no exception. It was great. Anyway, we hung around at Skyline for awhile until they had to go load in, then Ama and I finished our food and proceeded to kill a lot of time by wandering the area and people-watching. We went to The Balcony at showtime and decided that the situation called for beer. (Some settings just require it. Don't judge.) We hung out primarily at the bar, met a couple people the guys knew, and watched the first band, Look Afraid. I wasn't sure if I was going to like them from listening on Myspace, but I did end up liking them a lot. Definitely a rock band.
By this point, we both had a reasonable buzz going on and were ready to dance around/rock out. Ignoring the usual "it feels awkward in the front" issue we have, we scooted up front for Cavashawn and had a blast. It seemed like the guys enjoyed themselves onstage too. The crowd was moderately drunk, but in the "having fun" way, not the "belligerent asshole" way. There's not much to say about the songs that I haven't said in some form before, I suppose. I really like their new song "Back to Me," and the newish song "First Hello." We first heard FH at Summerfest and I've pretty much loved it ever since. Scott plays guitar on BTM, which still is odd to see, but it works. I managed to take some decent pictures, so here are a few of them.
After the show was over, we avoided getting kicked out of the bar when it closed by assisting with packing up the merch, then helped them load out. This involved a flight of wet stairs, which was a little hazardous. I managed to trip up them at one point, and have a cute bruise on my shin now. Whoops. It was really late by this point, and by the time we got a ride back to the car, said goodbyes, and got back to the hotel, it was about 3:30 in the morning. We got up a whopping 4 hours later, ate hotel breakfast, and headed back for our respective homes. By the time I got home, I was exhausted and fairly worthless for the remainder of the day. That wasn't quite part of my plan, seeing as how I have an exam tomorrow, but I should have expected it. It's okay, though. I don't regret going at all, I really needed the emotional pick-me-up that shows provide. It's for that reason that I can never say no.
Scott got his wish.
We always go back.
-Scott Salmon
I was recently berated for not blogging in ages (Hi Scott) so now I'm finally posting something. On Saturday, Amanda and I met up in Oxford, Ohio to see our buddies Cavashawn. Again. (Show #14 for me I think? Yes, that's in less than 6 months. Shut up.) The show was at the college where the guys all went, which is Miami University of Ohio, now known to me as U of HTSND [University of Honey, That's A Shirt, Not A Dress]. No offense to the girls of Miami, but in 30 minutes of people watching from a bench in Oxford, we saw more short, ugly, and hideous dresses/non-dresses than you could possibly imagine. I may not be a fashion plate myself, but I know what looks good... and 90% of these did not. We even saw a girl who appeared to be wearing a swimsuit cover-up, and half her bra was hanging out as she crossed the street. Classy. Do people look in mirrors anymore?
But I digress.
We hadn't even planned on going to this show, but on Friday, Ama brought it up and we decided to go ahead and go. I've been sick with a lovely cold, and I've also become drastically behind in school, so in theory I really shouldn't have gone. That theory is BS, so of course I went. The show wasn't until late and the drive was about 3 hours, so I didn't leave until 4 or so. It was smooth sailing (aside from the I-70 road coma that tends to occur) for the most part, until I was on Highway 27, which leads from the interstate to Oxford. Part of the road was closed to thru traffic, so I had to take a detour. I just followed my GPS, and she rerouted me through some serious Ohio backcountry. Granted, there aren't many major roads in that area, but yowza. It was just me and the corn.
I did eventually make it to the hotel, and Ama got there shortly thereafter. After we got ready, we met up with the guys at Skyline Chili for dinner. It's an Ohio thing, or at least a Cincinnati-area thing, and it's become a staple everytime we're in the vicinity. I always get the chili 3-way... spaghetti, chili, and a mountain of shredded cheese. Don't forget the oyster crackers. Yumba. In the meantime, my right ear decided to stop working. Sometimes when I'm sick, my hearing suffers, and this was no exception. It was great. Anyway, we hung around at Skyline for awhile until they had to go load in, then Ama and I finished our food and proceeded to kill a lot of time by wandering the area and people-watching. We went to The Balcony at showtime and decided that the situation called for beer. (Some settings just require it. Don't judge.) We hung out primarily at the bar, met a couple people the guys knew, and watched the first band, Look Afraid. I wasn't sure if I was going to like them from listening on Myspace, but I did end up liking them a lot. Definitely a rock band.
By this point, we both had a reasonable buzz going on and were ready to dance around/rock out. Ignoring the usual "it feels awkward in the front" issue we have, we scooted up front for Cavashawn and had a blast. It seemed like the guys enjoyed themselves onstage too. The crowd was moderately drunk, but in the "having fun" way, not the "belligerent asshole" way. There's not much to say about the songs that I haven't said in some form before, I suppose. I really like their new song "Back to Me," and the newish song "First Hello." We first heard FH at Summerfest and I've pretty much loved it ever since. Scott plays guitar on BTM, which still is odd to see, but it works. I managed to take some decent pictures, so here are a few of them.
After the show was over, we avoided getting kicked out of the bar when it closed by assisting with packing up the merch, then helped them load out. This involved a flight of wet stairs, which was a little hazardous. I managed to trip up them at one point, and have a cute bruise on my shin now. Whoops. It was really late by this point, and by the time we got a ride back to the car, said goodbyes, and got back to the hotel, it was about 3:30 in the morning. We got up a whopping 4 hours later, ate hotel breakfast, and headed back for our respective homes. By the time I got home, I was exhausted and fairly worthless for the remainder of the day. That wasn't quite part of my plan, seeing as how I have an exam tomorrow, but I should have expected it. It's okay, though. I don't regret going at all, I really needed the emotional pick-me-up that shows provide. It's for that reason that I can never say no.
Scott got his wish.
We always go back.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
absence makes the heart grow fonder...
...which means you all must REALLY love me.
I apologize for letting this blog die.
I will bring it to life again, I promise.
So much has happened that's worth mentioning...
There may be some "flashback" entries.
I'll be back writing again soon.
Just not tonight.
Get ready.
I apologize for letting this blog die.
I will bring it to life again, I promise.
So much has happened that's worth mentioning...
There may be some "flashback" entries.
I'll be back writing again soon.
Just not tonight.
Get ready.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
ramblin' (wo)man
Travel is better than staying put.
Travel plus music is better than everything,
I haven't mentioned it yet, but I am in the midst of a crazy few weeks of said travel and music. My family just got back from four days in Las Vegas, and I'm leaving town again tomorrow. The Vegas trip was for my aunt's wedding, but we did a lot of sightseeing and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip. My favorite things were seeing a Cirque du Soleil show, the fountains and conservatory at Bellagio, wandering the amazing casinos like Paris and New York New York, and looking in the windows of dozens of stores I will never be able to afford. I hope to write about it later, but I don't have time now.
Anyway, the next week and a half or so are completely packed, with two separate major roadtrips. The first is a trip to Summerfest, the huge music festival up in Milwaukee, and the second is 3-show Lifehouse roadtrip. You know how I do. Here's the rough outline of where I'll be and what I'll be doing in the near future:
June 26th: Work, finish packing, meet Amanda in Lafayette, and spend the night at my aunt's.
June 27th: Drive to Milwaukee for our first day of Summerfest, promote Cavashawn around the grounds, see them play at 3, and stick around all day to catch other bands. (Alternate Routes at 5:30, and I don't know who else right now. None of the headliners are very appealing that day.)
June 28th: Second day at Summerfest. Definitely seeing We The Living at 5:30. As for other bands, probably Julie Moffitt at 3, Stepanian at 4, Dashboard Confessional at 10, and maybe some John Mellencamp at 8 if we decide to try for free wristbands for lawn seats to that one.
June 29th: Third day at Summerfest. Definitely seeing Jack's Mannequin at 10. WTL is also headlining at 10, but sorry guys. Never gotten to see Jack's before. I don't know who else we're going to see that day.
June 30th: Drive back to Indiana.
July 1st: Work. Get off at 3. Go to Chicago to see Cavashawn at Schuba's with the parents, and meeting Amanda there. Yeah, I know, seems pointless to go when we will have just seen them, but this is a big show for them.
July 2nd: Work. Pack.
July 3rd: Work. Speed to Bloomington with Mom (stopping in Indy to pick up Ama) for Lifehouse at the Bluebird. Drive back up to Lafayette and spend the night there.
July 4th: Drive to Chicago area to see Lifehouse play in Itasca. Meet up with gazillions of Lifehouse fans from all over the country. Fireworks. Drive to Milwaukee that night.
July 5th: Lifehouse in Milwaukee. It's Jason's birthday, hence the big meeting of LH fans from all over. Should be a great show, fun reunion, good times.
July 6th: Drop Mom off somewhere in Michigan so she can go boating with their friends. Drive Ama back to Indy, and drive home.
If you're keeping track, and think of one day of Summerfest as being one show (even though it's several), then we're talking 7 shows in 9 days here. That is insane. I am insane. I love it.
I need to pack...
Travel plus music is better than everything,
I haven't mentioned it yet, but I am in the midst of a crazy few weeks of said travel and music. My family just got back from four days in Las Vegas, and I'm leaving town again tomorrow. The Vegas trip was for my aunt's wedding, but we did a lot of sightseeing and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip. My favorite things were seeing a Cirque du Soleil show, the fountains and conservatory at Bellagio, wandering the amazing casinos like Paris and New York New York, and looking in the windows of dozens of stores I will never be able to afford. I hope to write about it later, but I don't have time now.
Anyway, the next week and a half or so are completely packed, with two separate major roadtrips. The first is a trip to Summerfest, the huge music festival up in Milwaukee, and the second is 3-show Lifehouse roadtrip. You know how I do. Here's the rough outline of where I'll be and what I'll be doing in the near future:
June 26th: Work, finish packing, meet Amanda in Lafayette, and spend the night at my aunt's.
June 27th: Drive to Milwaukee for our first day of Summerfest, promote Cavashawn around the grounds, see them play at 3, and stick around all day to catch other bands. (Alternate Routes at 5:30, and I don't know who else right now. None of the headliners are very appealing that day.)
June 28th: Second day at Summerfest. Definitely seeing We The Living at 5:30. As for other bands, probably Julie Moffitt at 3, Stepanian at 4, Dashboard Confessional at 10, and maybe some John Mellencamp at 8 if we decide to try for free wristbands for lawn seats to that one.
June 29th: Third day at Summerfest. Definitely seeing Jack's Mannequin at 10. WTL is also headlining at 10, but sorry guys. Never gotten to see Jack's before. I don't know who else we're going to see that day.
June 30th: Drive back to Indiana.
July 1st: Work. Get off at 3. Go to Chicago to see Cavashawn at Schuba's with the parents, and meeting Amanda there. Yeah, I know, seems pointless to go when we will have just seen them, but this is a big show for them.
July 2nd: Work. Pack.
July 3rd: Work. Speed to Bloomington with Mom (stopping in Indy to pick up Ama) for Lifehouse at the Bluebird. Drive back up to Lafayette and spend the night there.
July 4th: Drive to Chicago area to see Lifehouse play in Itasca. Meet up with gazillions of Lifehouse fans from all over the country. Fireworks. Drive to Milwaukee that night.
July 5th: Lifehouse in Milwaukee. It's Jason's birthday, hence the big meeting of LH fans from all over. Should be a great show, fun reunion, good times.
July 6th: Drop Mom off somewhere in Michigan so she can go boating with their friends. Drive Ama back to Indy, and drive home.
If you're keeping track, and think of one day of Summerfest as being one show (even though it's several), then we're talking 7 shows in 9 days here. That is insane. I am insane. I love it.
I need to pack...
Thursday, June 19, 2008
a year? really?
June 19th, 2007, was a disgustingly hot day. I know this because on that day, I was sitting in the sun on the sidewalk outside The Lawn at White River State Park in Indianapolis, waiting to see The Fray with Mae and OK Go. Amanda, my parents, and my aunt were there as well. It was also the day that the newest Lifehouse album came out. It was also the day that, as we roasted slowly in line for the show, we heard my mother say "Hey... see those guys over there? They look like they're in a band." As it turns out, she was right. They approached everyone in line with an iPod, introduced themselves as a band from Wisconsin passing through town, and asked people to listen to the music. We liked it, we bought CDs, we thought they were darling, and we took a picture. Three days later, Amanda and I saw them play in a YMCA to a crowd of about 7, and took them to Steak 'n' Shake. We went home that thinking they were absolutely wonderful, but didn't think anything like that would happen again, or if we'd ever see them again. Thankfully, we were wrong. The rest, you might say, is History.
Yep. A year ago today, we met We The Living.
[Hot. Sweaty. Awesome.]
There's so much I could say... so much.
But I prefer to keep it short and sweet this time.
Sometimes, a series of events combine to make things happen.
You meet people by chance, and you wonder where it will go.
You realize a year later that you can't imagine life without them.
You see them change and grow and succeed.
You try to help them out along the way.
You attempt to sort through the transition from fan to friend.
You meet other friends along the way who you adore.
You learn from them, and hope that they've learned something from you.
And you look back and marvel at how unbelievably different your life would be if two guys from some band hadn't stopped and said "Hi... would you like to listen to our music?"
Everything happens for a reason.
That day was no exception.
Yep. A year ago today, we met We The Living.
[Hot. Sweaty. Awesome.]There's so much I could say... so much.
But I prefer to keep it short and sweet this time.
Sometimes, a series of events combine to make things happen.
You meet people by chance, and you wonder where it will go.
You realize a year later that you can't imagine life without them.
You see them change and grow and succeed.
You try to help them out along the way.
You attempt to sort through the transition from fan to friend.
You meet other friends along the way who you adore.
You learn from them, and hope that they've learned something from you.
And you look back and marvel at how unbelievably different your life would be if two guys from some band hadn't stopped and said "Hi... would you like to listen to our music?"
Everything happens for a reason.
That day was no exception.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
small town police reports
Anyone who grew up in a small-to-medium Midwestern town is likely to tell you that there are certain advantages and disadvantages of living in said small towns. In my case, despite a population of 13,000, we lack a Walmart and a Starbucks. Disadvantage. However, the quirks of small town life can be great. For instance, we have a sweet youth circus I was a part of for five years. Advantage. The perks and pitfalls are all a matter of perspective. For instance, a great deal of amusement can be obtained from the sheer ridiculousness of a town's residents. Some people are disgusted. I just laugh. Case in point?
The weekend police reports.
Hi-lar-i-ous. I hadn't read our paper in awhile, but I was scanning Monday's edition and my eyes landed on the police reports from Friday through Sunday. I felt I had to share some of them. The following reports are taken word-for-word from the Monday, June 9th edition of the Peru Tribune.
Friday, June 6th
*At 4:40 p.m. a caller from the 600 block of West Main Street told the PPD cars were driving on the sidewalk. [This is MAIN Street. It's a main street. Cars... on... the sidewalk.]
*At 5:06 p.m. a caller from the 200 block of East Eighth Street told the PPD a male left some stuff in his yard. [What exactly is "stuff"? A dirty sock? A bag of trash? A mobile meth lab?]
Saturday, June 7th
*At 4:47 a.m. a caller from Warren and Armstrong told the PPD there was a drunk subject outside with a chainsaw. [I have no words for this.]
*At 6:49 a.m. a caller from the 11900 block of South 100 West told the MSCO there was a calf in the road. [There are at least 3 reports like this every day.]
*At 10:59 a.m. a caller from the 500 block of Jefferson told the PPD there was a dying raccoon in her yard. [I'm sorry officer, could you hit it with a shovel or something?]
*At 11:09 a.m. a caller from the first block of West Franklin told the PPD someone took a chainsaw and cut his picnic table in half. [This seemed like too much of a coincidence, so I figured our friend from 4:47 a.m. was involved. I wasn't familiar with those streets so I consulted Yahoo Maps. The red dot is the intersection of Warren and Armstrong. The blue line is the first block of West Franklin. Pretty much right next door. Gotcha, drunk chainsaw guy. Gotcha.]
Sunday, June 8th
*At 10:44 a.m. a caller from the 300 block of West Sixth Street told the PPD she found a snake in her bushes and she thought it was suspicious because she never saw a snake there before. [That cannot possibly be real. Then again, not too many crank calls occur before noon on a Sunday. Ohhh dear.]
*At 1:28 a.m. a caller from the 400 block of South Yorick told the MCSO she found two homemade bombs in her yard. [I weep for my city.]
So, there you have it. If you like drunken chainsaw picnic table massacres, cows in the road, dying raccoons, snakes, and cars on the sidewalk, then spend your next weekend in Peru, Indiana. We've got all that... and more.
The weekend police reports.
Hi-lar-i-ous. I hadn't read our paper in awhile, but I was scanning Monday's edition and my eyes landed on the police reports from Friday through Sunday. I felt I had to share some of them. The following reports are taken word-for-word from the Monday, June 9th edition of the Peru Tribune.
Friday, June 6th
*At 4:40 p.m. a caller from the 600 block of West Main Street told the PPD cars were driving on the sidewalk. [This is MAIN Street. It's a main street. Cars... on... the sidewalk.]
*At 5:06 p.m. a caller from the 200 block of East Eighth Street told the PPD a male left some stuff in his yard. [What exactly is "stuff"? A dirty sock? A bag of trash? A mobile meth lab?]
Saturday, June 7th
*At 4:47 a.m. a caller from Warren and Armstrong told the PPD there was a drunk subject outside with a chainsaw. [I have no words for this.]
*At 6:49 a.m. a caller from the 11900 block of South 100 West told the MSCO there was a calf in the road. [There are at least 3 reports like this every day.]
*At 10:59 a.m. a caller from the 500 block of Jefferson told the PPD there was a dying raccoon in her yard. [I'm sorry officer, could you hit it with a shovel or something?]
*At 11:09 a.m. a caller from the first block of West Franklin told the PPD someone took a chainsaw and cut his picnic table in half. [This seemed like too much of a coincidence, so I figured our friend from 4:47 a.m. was involved. I wasn't familiar with those streets so I consulted Yahoo Maps. The red dot is the intersection of Warren and Armstrong. The blue line is the first block of West Franklin. Pretty much right next door. Gotcha, drunk chainsaw guy. Gotcha.]
Sunday, June 8th
*At 10:44 a.m. a caller from the 300 block of West Sixth Street told the PPD she found a snake in her bushes and she thought it was suspicious because she never saw a snake there before. [That cannot possibly be real. Then again, not too many crank calls occur before noon on a Sunday. Ohhh dear.]
*At 1:28 a.m. a caller from the 400 block of South Yorick told the MCSO she found two homemade bombs in her yard. [I weep for my city.]
So, there you have it. If you like drunken chainsaw picnic table massacres, cows in the road, dying raccoons, snakes, and cars on the sidewalk, then spend your next weekend in Peru, Indiana. We've got all that... and more.
Monday, June 9, 2008
sold my soul to rock and roll
So as I'd mentioned, we went down to Cincinnati on Friday to see the show with Ha Ha Tonka, Treaty of Paris, and Cavashawn. Mom picked me up from work at 4, with a full tank of gas and an early fast food dinner (so healthy when we're on the road). We made it to Cincinnati by 7:30, and found out that doors had been pushed to 8. Amanda and Ashley were parked in the same garage as us, so I went and hung out in Ama's car until we went to the theater. When we got there at 8, doors still weren't open yet. It was hot out, so when we finally got let in, the air conditioning was great. The Madison Theater was a pretty cool place, and bigger than where Cavashawn usually plays. The place was kind of set in tiers, which makes for better viewing, depending on where you sit. There was an open area up by the stage, and some tables further back, then tables on each level up after that. We decided on a table on the second tier to start with, and settled in to watch.
Ha Ha Tonka played first. I had only listened to them a little bit before the show, and I apparently didn't give them enough of a chance. I wasn't expecting to like them, but I ended up enjoying their set a lot. I'm not even really sure how to describe them, but they were quite good. They sang a really cool a cappella song called "Hangman" and it was great. Their bass player seemed straight out of the 70s, and somehow managed to hold a cigarette in his hand while he was actually playing. Cancerous, but impressive. Their last song was hilarious, it may have been a cover, but it was a catchy little hillbilly number about a "12-inch, 3-speed, oscillating fan." I meant to go talk to them but never did, unfortunately.
Treaty of Paris played next. I had been listening to them for about a week, and had talked to Phil (one of the guitarists) via their myspace, so I was really looking forward to seeing them play and meeting them. They did not disappoint. Amanda and Ashley wanted to stay sitting down since they didn't know any of the ToP tunes, so Mom went down to stand by the stage with me. Their set was excellent, and they had so much energy onstage. They have a lead singer (Mike), two guitarists (Phil and Dan), a drummer (Chris), and a bass player (Nick). Nick is brand new to the band, and it was his first show playing with them. You couldn't tell though, he seemed to fit right in. I'm too lazy to list all the songs they played, but they did play "Quits," which I absolutely love, so that was exciting. I wish I'd known their songs better, but I know them now, so next time I'll be good to go. Anyway, they were fantastic and I decided I need to see them again.
We decided to stay put for Cavashawn's set, and Amanda and Ashley came down to join us. There was a decent size crowd there by the time they played, and a lot of their family and friends, so that was cool for them. It was weird seeing them play on a tall stage in a bigger place, since all the other times the venues have been smaller, but it was also awesome. They played a really great show with a ton of energy, and we had fun. Again, I'm too lazy to list all the songs, but they played the new song "All the Lonely Girls" again, which we love. They also played a brand new song called "I'll Leave the Light On," which I really liked. It has a bit of a 50s vibe to it, which is always awesome. And of course they played "Background," which is just a great song. Scott actually sat on the front of the stage to sing it, so that was fun as well. They ended up coming out for an encore as well, like rockstars. Love that.
After Cavashawn's set, we decided to go in search of Treaty of Paris. That wasn't hard at all, since they were all back by their merch. We got CDs, then hung around to talk to them for awhile. They were all incredibly nice. I figured they would be, but I wasn't totally sure of what to expect, since their video blogs indicated they may be slightly less, er, "well-behaved" compared to our other bands. Nothing to worry about though, they were awesome guys. We stood around talking with them forever, but I can't for the life of me remember half of what we discussed. It was a fun time, though. We ended up being filmed several times by their digital camera, and I pray that nothing hideous of me ends up in a video blog. I will definitely be seeing them again sometime (preferably many more times) but none of their current tour dates work out for me. Hopefully some more dates will be posted for the summer, because I will definitely travel to see them if I have to. I'll probably bake them something next time too... they're not jerks and they got my seal of approval, so they get food. We took a few pics with them, and went in search of all the Cavashawn guys to say a quick goodbye, since they were pretty occupied with friends and fam and we didn't want to interrupt.
[L to R: Phil, Amanda, Mike, Dan, Me, Nick, Ashley, Chris]
It took us awhile to say goodbye to all the guys, since they were all over the place. We did eventually find them all, met Scott's mom and some of Jesse's family, and talked with everyone for awhile. On our way out I found all the ToP guys to say goodbye, and promised to keep in touch and make it to some more shows. I intend to keep that promise... I miss them already.
The drive home wasn't too bad. We went through some rain, and I couldn't really sleep, so that was a little unfortunate. We got home shortly before 4 a.m. and I crashed as soon as possible. When my alarm went off at 6, my first thought was "ohdearlordno" and I went back to sleep for another 15 minutes. I did manage to get up eventually and made it to work on time, and for the most part, I was too busy at work to be tired. After I got home, we went to a graduation party, then I went to take a nap and instead I slept from 4 til 10. Whoopsies, there goes my sleeping pattern again. Oh well, it was totally worth it. A concert with a fave band AND a great new band, together? Yeah, I'll take that over sleep anyday.
Currently listening to: Treaty of Paris - "Why Am I Still Broke?"
Ha Ha Tonka played first. I had only listened to them a little bit before the show, and I apparently didn't give them enough of a chance. I wasn't expecting to like them, but I ended up enjoying their set a lot. I'm not even really sure how to describe them, but they were quite good. They sang a really cool a cappella song called "Hangman" and it was great. Their bass player seemed straight out of the 70s, and somehow managed to hold a cigarette in his hand while he was actually playing. Cancerous, but impressive. Their last song was hilarious, it may have been a cover, but it was a catchy little hillbilly number about a "12-inch, 3-speed, oscillating fan." I meant to go talk to them but never did, unfortunately.
Treaty of Paris played next. I had been listening to them for about a week, and had talked to Phil (one of the guitarists) via their myspace, so I was really looking forward to seeing them play and meeting them. They did not disappoint. Amanda and Ashley wanted to stay sitting down since they didn't know any of the ToP tunes, so Mom went down to stand by the stage with me. Their set was excellent, and they had so much energy onstage. They have a lead singer (Mike), two guitarists (Phil and Dan), a drummer (Chris), and a bass player (Nick). Nick is brand new to the band, and it was his first show playing with them. You couldn't tell though, he seemed to fit right in. I'm too lazy to list all the songs they played, but they did play "Quits," which I absolutely love, so that was exciting. I wish I'd known their songs better, but I know them now, so next time I'll be good to go. Anyway, they were fantastic and I decided I need to see them again.
We decided to stay put for Cavashawn's set, and Amanda and Ashley came down to join us. There was a decent size crowd there by the time they played, and a lot of their family and friends, so that was cool for them. It was weird seeing them play on a tall stage in a bigger place, since all the other times the venues have been smaller, but it was also awesome. They played a really great show with a ton of energy, and we had fun. Again, I'm too lazy to list all the songs, but they played the new song "All the Lonely Girls" again, which we love. They also played a brand new song called "I'll Leave the Light On," which I really liked. It has a bit of a 50s vibe to it, which is always awesome. And of course they played "Background," which is just a great song. Scott actually sat on the front of the stage to sing it, so that was fun as well. They ended up coming out for an encore as well, like rockstars. Love that.
After Cavashawn's set, we decided to go in search of Treaty of Paris. That wasn't hard at all, since they were all back by their merch. We got CDs, then hung around to talk to them for awhile. They were all incredibly nice. I figured they would be, but I wasn't totally sure of what to expect, since their video blogs indicated they may be slightly less, er, "well-behaved" compared to our other bands. Nothing to worry about though, they were awesome guys. We stood around talking with them forever, but I can't for the life of me remember half of what we discussed. It was a fun time, though. We ended up being filmed several times by their digital camera, and I pray that nothing hideous of me ends up in a video blog. I will definitely be seeing them again sometime (preferably many more times) but none of their current tour dates work out for me. Hopefully some more dates will be posted for the summer, because I will definitely travel to see them if I have to. I'll probably bake them something next time too... they're not jerks and they got my seal of approval, so they get food. We took a few pics with them, and went in search of all the Cavashawn guys to say a quick goodbye, since they were pretty occupied with friends and fam and we didn't want to interrupt.
[L to R: Phil, Amanda, Mike, Dan, Me, Nick, Ashley, Chris]It took us awhile to say goodbye to all the guys, since they were all over the place. We did eventually find them all, met Scott's mom and some of Jesse's family, and talked with everyone for awhile. On our way out I found all the ToP guys to say goodbye, and promised to keep in touch and make it to some more shows. I intend to keep that promise... I miss them already.
The drive home wasn't too bad. We went through some rain, and I couldn't really sleep, so that was a little unfortunate. We got home shortly before 4 a.m. and I crashed as soon as possible. When my alarm went off at 6, my first thought was "ohdearlordno" and I went back to sleep for another 15 minutes. I did manage to get up eventually and made it to work on time, and for the most part, I was too busy at work to be tired. After I got home, we went to a graduation party, then I went to take a nap and instead I slept from 4 til 10. Whoopsies, there goes my sleeping pattern again. Oh well, it was totally worth it. A concert with a fave band AND a great new band, together? Yeah, I'll take that over sleep anyday.
Currently listening to: Treaty of Paris - "Why Am I Still Broke?"
Thursday, June 5, 2008
twitterpated
Heaven help me... I have signed up for Twitter.
Twitter is a site that lets you tell people what you're doing at any given time. It is essentially just as creepy as it sounds, but also kind of fun. You can update it via the web or text message, and since I just upgraded to unlimited texting on my phone, I can send updates as often as I like. I suppose it's good for when you're away from home, without the internet, and want to keep people informed. If your friends have it, you can "follow" their twitter and get updates via text, if you so choose. I don't really know anyone that uses it though, other than Cavashawn, so I don't know how useful this will be. Basically, it's yet another site to waste my time and open the door to Internet stalkers. Hooray, stalkers!
Anyway, my page can be found at http://www.twitter.com/mynameismeesh
I also put it in my sidebar of this blog under "What Am I Doing?"
If anyone else decides to join this foolish thing, let me know.
Currently listening to: Treaty of Paris - "Rollerskates"
Twitter is a site that lets you tell people what you're doing at any given time. It is essentially just as creepy as it sounds, but also kind of fun. You can update it via the web or text message, and since I just upgraded to unlimited texting on my phone, I can send updates as often as I like. I suppose it's good for when you're away from home, without the internet, and want to keep people informed. If your friends have it, you can "follow" their twitter and get updates via text, if you so choose. I don't really know anyone that uses it though, other than Cavashawn, so I don't know how useful this will be. Basically, it's yet another site to waste my time and open the door to Internet stalkers. Hooray, stalkers!
Anyway, my page can be found at http://www.twitter.com/mynameismeesh
I also put it in my sidebar of this blog under "What Am I Doing?"
If anyone else decides to join this foolish thing, let me know.
Currently listening to: Treaty of Paris - "Rollerskates"
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
rainy days and mondays
After one of the chilliest springs I can remember, Indiana has finally decided to heat up a little bit. By that, I mean it's suddenly in the upper 80s after being in the low 60s for the majority of May. This sudden increase in temperature has been accompanied by some major thunderstorms and weird clouds. Since I now carry my camera in my purse with me everywhere I go, I documented the somewhat turbulent sky in the past few days as I've driven home in the afternoons.
It's raining a bit right now, and there's definitely some thunder, but the worst went to the north of us. Actually, the worst of the storms almost always seem to split around my town. I think it has something to do with the river. I can't complain though, I'd rather not deal with any tornadoes, thankyouverymuch. I love thunderstorms, but the love does not extend to funnel clouds and flying cows and projectile barn fragments.
On a completely unrelated note, I did a dingbat thing on Monday. I could have sworn I had to work every day this week except Thursday, so I arrived at work on Monday... to learn that I was wrong. I wasn't scheduled to work at all on Monday! Genius. I'm a genius. My boss didn't care, so I stuck around almost all day to take care of some things, then bailed at 2 because I was tired. I felt like an idiot, but at least I'll get paid for some extra hours. From now on, I'm double-checking the calendar before I go to bed at night. I don't work tomorrow, so I'm going to get the oil changed in my car and take care of some stuff around the house. I'm looking forward to Friday... Mom is picking me up right from work and we're speeding down to Cincinnati (3.5 hours) to see Cavashawn. This is a big show for them and they really want a lot of people to be there, so I refused to miss it. Time will be tight but we'll make it. The main problem is that I also have to work Saturday at 7:30am. Thankfully, Mom is a trooper and agreed to drive home while I try to squeeze in some sleep. Crazy? For a normal person, yes. For me? Just another day...
Currently listening to: Ludo- "Such As It Ends"
It's raining a bit right now, and there's definitely some thunder, but the worst went to the north of us. Actually, the worst of the storms almost always seem to split around my town. I think it has something to do with the river. I can't complain though, I'd rather not deal with any tornadoes, thankyouverymuch. I love thunderstorms, but the love does not extend to funnel clouds and flying cows and projectile barn fragments.
On a completely unrelated note, I did a dingbat thing on Monday. I could have sworn I had to work every day this week except Thursday, so I arrived at work on Monday... to learn that I was wrong. I wasn't scheduled to work at all on Monday! Genius. I'm a genius. My boss didn't care, so I stuck around almost all day to take care of some things, then bailed at 2 because I was tired. I felt like an idiot, but at least I'll get paid for some extra hours. From now on, I'm double-checking the calendar before I go to bed at night. I don't work tomorrow, so I'm going to get the oil changed in my car and take care of some stuff around the house. I'm looking forward to Friday... Mom is picking me up right from work and we're speeding down to Cincinnati (3.5 hours) to see Cavashawn. This is a big show for them and they really want a lot of people to be there, so I refused to miss it. Time will be tight but we'll make it. The main problem is that I also have to work Saturday at 7:30am. Thankfully, Mom is a trooper and agreed to drive home while I try to squeeze in some sleep. Crazy? For a normal person, yes. For me? Just another day...
Currently listening to: Ludo- "Such As It Ends"
Sunday, June 1, 2008
a little behind + a change + a video
There are so many things I have intended to write about recently, but I just can't seem to get around to it. For starters, there's the entire Los Angeles trip, and there is a lot to cover there. It was a fantastic trip as always, with a fun little surprise thrown in as well. Also, I saw Matt Nathanson and The Spill Canvas on Thursday, and haven't written about that either. We're going to be in Chicago tomorrow (today?) to visit with some family, so I guess it'll be a few days before I get to any of this. Lazy. I am lazy.
Also, I'm going to nix the whole "Song of the Week" on Tuesdays idea, because obviously, that little plan hasn't worked out so well. It seemed like a clever idea to highlight a song on the day that new music is always released, but I was always either really busy or really tired on Tuesdays. It wasn't a smart plan to limit myself to only one day of the week when I could write about a song. So, I'm switching to "Song of the Moment." That way, I'll just write about any song that I'm digging at any given time. If there are two songs I can't get enough of on a given day, so be it, I'll write about both. I don't know why I didn't just do it this way in the first place. This is no place for unnecessary self-imposed rules. Sheesh.
Also, since I'm not really writing about anything real, I'll leave you with the newest video from the We The Living blog. The video is technically about packing a suitcase, and features some great stop-motion animation. If you haven't checked out their blog yet, you really should. It's always entertaining.
Also, I'm going to nix the whole "Song of the Week" on Tuesdays idea, because obviously, that little plan hasn't worked out so well. It seemed like a clever idea to highlight a song on the day that new music is always released, but I was always either really busy or really tired on Tuesdays. It wasn't a smart plan to limit myself to only one day of the week when I could write about a song. So, I'm switching to "Song of the Moment." That way, I'll just write about any song that I'm digging at any given time. If there are two songs I can't get enough of on a given day, so be it, I'll write about both. I don't know why I didn't just do it this way in the first place. This is no place for unnecessary self-imposed rules. Sheesh.
Also, since I'm not really writing about anything real, I'll leave you with the newest video from the We The Living blog. The video is technically about packing a suitcase, and features some great stop-motion animation. If you haven't checked out their blog yet, you really should. It's always entertaining.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
800 miles... no biggie
Friday morning, we departed Peru for a trip to Columbus, Ohio.
[Midwest highways. Bugs on windshield. "Very white cloud."]
The original plan was to get home sometime on Saturday.
Instead, I got back (from Chicago) on Sunday afternoon.
And the trip meter read 804.7 miles.
[Just trying to survive this place...]
By this time the buzz was taking over and I was in a much better mood thanks to Cavashawn's set, so Amanda and I danced a little and I even let Mom dance without me begging her to stop. We The Living came on after a little bit. The crowd did at least know their songs pretty well, and by that point I didn't even care that people were running into me. Their set is actually a little hazy in my memory because I was just dancing and enjoying myself and not really caring anymore at that point. At least we were having a good time with some good music. I think Jer even laughed at us from the stage. Thanks, pal. Also, they played Joy, which is always amazing. I hadn't heard it properly in awhile, so it was great to see them play it again. They didn't play History, but that was understandable with the setting. It was nice to see the crowd really into them, but I wish I could see a show where the crowd is both into them, and not plastered. Oh well. Good performance.
[Midwest highways. Bugs on windshield. "Very white cloud."]The original plan was to get home sometime on Saturday.
Instead, I got back (from Chicago) on Sunday afternoon.
And the trip meter read 804.7 miles.
I love it when plans change.
Things started out normally enough. Amanda and I had been planning for some time to go see We The Living and Cavashawn play this show together at OSU, and since my mother now enjoys both bands, she wanted to go as well. Since Ama is down in Evansville, she drove up and met Mom and I at the hotel in Columbus. The show was originally supposed to be outside, but thanks to a recent shooting in the area (great...) the show got moved inside to a place called Skye Bar. We hit up Panera for dinner before going into Skye, and even though we'd originally been told we could leave after we entered, it turns out this wasn't the case. It was still kind of early but we decided to go on up anyway. 3/4 of WTL and 1/4 of Cavashawn were there at the time, but almost no one else. The beefy security dudes were taking up all the couches, but we found another one to chill on for awhile.After deciding we'd be able to sneak back in, we went to Wendy's for a little bit with some of the guys so they could grab food. Ama and I bought Frosties for those present, either because we're nice, or because we're huge suckers. I'm not sure which. Entertaining conversations ensued. Those guys are witty. ["Yeah, I pretty much had to sell my soul to the devil to get days off work for Summerfest." "You work for the devil?!" "Not what I meant..." "You never get Christmas off, do you?"] We trekked back to Skye after awhile, got some Aleve from the car for Mom, watched some mediocre breakdancers outside, listened to a little Bon Iver, and slipped back in the back way. Once we gave mom the painkillers and realized how ridiculous the music was, Mom gave her blessing for us to disappear again, so out we went. Meanwhile, Benjamin had gotten into a verbal altercation with a venue staffer, who informed him that white t-shirts were not allowed in the venue. Something about gangs. I guess the Plain White T's can't even play there. Hello? Hello? Is this thing on? Anyway... Ben was pissed and the aftermath of that was both fascinating and frightening.
After spending some time away, we realized we should head back up. We may also have been driven away by the stench of the giant garbage compacter. We had a slightly more difficult time getting back in, and Matt helped, but the security at the front even gave Matt hell. He looks different from his ID photo, and the guy wouldn't stop going on about it. I don't even know how we managed to get back in without much crap. Later, we found out that when Scott went outside to meet friends, the security at the door wouldn't let him back in and made him get in the line! Are you joking? Basically, the staff at Skye was rude and insanely disrespectful to the bands, who did absolutely nothing wrong. Actually, Skye in general was ridiculous. It's usually more of a dance club bar, so the music they played when bands weren't on was pretty wretched and far too loud. We could barely handle it, and may or may not have consumed a slightly more than reasonable amount of Labalt Blue Light throughout the night in order to survive without killing anyone.
The first two bands played way too long, far longer than any opener should have. The first was a solo country guy, and the second was a band that only played covers. I can't remember their names, and I don't really care. The crowd was trashy and annoying, the music was painfully loud, our feet were sticking to the disgusting floor, and I was getting really tired of seeing girls who seemed to have mistaken a shirt for a dress. I was in such a bad mood after the first two bands that I didn't even know what to do. Thankfully we decided to work our way through the dancing bodies to the front, which turned out to be a good plan, since surprisingly, no one was running into us there. Matt, Ben, and Jeremy came over by us to watch Cavashawn's set as well, so at least we had familiar faces by us. (Also there was a die-hard Cavashawn fan and her friends to our left, so that helped greatly as well.) The guys put on a good show and we had fun dancing around. I can't remember the setlist and I'm too lazy to figure out, but they played all the usuals plus a brand new song called "All the Lonely Girls." We loved it. It's got this fun poppy sound in the beginning and verses that go into a driving beat in the chorus, and what lonely girl doesn't love a song about her plight? Haha... but yes, it's a great song. The crowd enjoyed them a lot.
[Just trying to survive this place...]By this time the buzz was taking over and I was in a much better mood thanks to Cavashawn's set, so Amanda and I danced a little and I even let Mom dance without me begging her to stop. We The Living came on after a little bit. The crowd did at least know their songs pretty well, and by that point I didn't even care that people were running into me. Their set is actually a little hazy in my memory because I was just dancing and enjoying myself and not really caring anymore at that point. At least we were having a good time with some good music. I think Jer even laughed at us from the stage. Thanks, pal. Also, they played Joy, which is always amazing. I hadn't heard it properly in awhile, so it was great to see them play it again. They didn't play History, but that was understandable with the setting. It was nice to see the crowd really into them, but I wish I could see a show where the crowd is both into them, and not plastered. Oh well. Good performance.
After they were done we escaped the crowd and hung out near the couches by the merch. There were a lot less people over there and we had some room to breathe. We just hung out for awhile, had several conversations at very high volume thanks to the pounding music, then helped carry equipment and merch tubs to the elevator, and eventually outside. While we were lugging stuff to the trailer, some random drunk dude asked if I was a groupie. I love getting that question. Love it like a knife to the skull. Anyway, while we were doing this, we also met Trevor from the band Mayday. They're friends with Cavashawn and live in Columbus, and I really like their music. He was rather profane and hilarious. Cool dude. At some point in here, someone from Cavashawn asked if we were going to Chicago the next night. We said we weren't, but they're persuasive, so somehow we ended up agreeing to go. We are ridiculous. Mom opted out but told us to do whatever our little hearts desired, so it was set. I don't even know what else was going on in this time, it was so late and I was exhausted... I know Cavashawn got excited over the bags of fresh fruit that Mom brought for them, JP was doing a balancing act on empty beer kegs, and Matt was refusing to give the name of some pizza place in Chicago. Meanwhile, Van-Go wouldn't start so they had to pull up Clifford to give him a jump. We decided to leave then, said our goodbyes, and went back to the hotel. We discussed the logistics of our unplanned Chicago trip and fell into bed around 4 am.
After a whopping 4 hours of sleep, we hauled ourselves out of bed and got ready for the day. We'd decided that we would all drive to my aunt's house in Lafayette, my dad could pick up my mom, Amanda would leave her car there, and we'd take mine up to Chicago. On the way to Lafayette, I rode with Ama. As usual, I have no idea how we passed the time in the car. We're really good at doing nothing and not being bored by it. At some point after we'd crossed back into Indiana, we found ourselves gaining on a van with a trailer in the left lane. After about 30 seconds of "Is that...? No. Yeah it is. No it isn't. Wait... yep. That's totally Clifford." we passed it on the right and discovered that we were indeed cruising by Cavashawn. We smiled, waved, laughed, mocked them slightly, and carried on. Fun times. Once we got to Lafayette, we said goodbye to Mom and transferred over to my car to set out for Chicago. They were playing that night at Reggie's Rock Club, which is on the south side. The place is actually part of a 3-room establishment I think, with a small room, a record store, and the larger room where the guys played. We found the place without trouble but were a little wary of all the sketchy people wandering the neighborhood. We went inside the smaller room and hung out for a bit while the guys finished dinner and debated coffee, but a search on Jesse's phone turned up no nearby establishments, so we sat around. Eventually they needed to change and make a setlist and do whatever else it is that bands do before they play, so Ama and I went over to the room they were playing in. The first band, Luster, was just finishing up. I think they sounded good, but I don't completely recall, so they must not have been that memorable. I probably just wasn't paying much attention.
This show had the best sound we'd ever heard for Cavashawn. We shoved aside our standard "Is it creepy to be in front?" issues and did stand up front, and thankfully we could hear so well. It was nice to actually hear all parts of the music evenly, normally the bass is a little harder to hear, and clear vocals were wonderful. Something went awry with Jesse's drums at one point, so we got to hear Background again, which was even better with the good sound. Fantastic song. We also loved All the Lonely Girls even more the second time around. Apparently someone at the venue later told them that the song was single material, and I think I agree. It's catchy and fun and so applicable. They put on a really good show and definitely seemed to make some new fans, so that was great.
Once they were done, Ama and I decided to watch the rest of the show from these bench things at the side of the room. The Obstacles were pretty good, but they didn't stand out to me. They just seemed like another dime-a-dozen young pop/punk band, but it may have been because I don't really follow that type of music as much. The headlining band was The Butterfly Assassins. As they were setting up, we decided they had some potential to sound good, as there were keyboards and a female cello player, among other things. They also had a bass player who looked eerily like John Paul Roney at times. I did end up enjoying their set, they were definitely doing their own thing, and were pretty fun to watch. I think I would have liked them better with slightly different vocals, but for the most part it was really good. Apparently there was a later show in the venue that night, so we got promptly kicked out of Reggie's after the Butterfly Assassins played. That seems to be a recurring theme when we see shows in Chicago. I like the earlier shows better though, they're less exhausting for everyone involved. We decided that Reggie's is our favorite of the series of smaller venues we've been to lately- the sound was good and not overpoweringly loud, it was clean, our feet didn't stick to the floor, the set-up was cool, and the staff was nice. (Hear that, Skye? Mop your floor and send your security to anger management. Thanks.)
The remainder of me and Ama's time in the Windy City can be loosely summed up by the following list: driving in the rain, parking hell, turkey/gouda/apple sandwiches, music video narration, solid sleep, creaky floor, fiesta music, pigeons on crack, toast with jelly, dirty feet, and vinyl. I think that more or less covers it.
We left Chicago at about 1pm (Central) on Sunday, and got back to Lafayette around 4:30 (Eastern). From there we took off for our respective homes. I took the long way around out of Lafayette so I could drive through Starbucks and get "bucked up" as Scott so eloquently put it at Reggie's the day before. Cut me some slack, I hadn't had a caramel macchiato in 2 weeks. It was a nice day so the drive home was good, and I rocked some Red Hot Chili Peppers from the iPod. When I got home and saw how many miles got put on the car over the weekend, I just laughed.
Life is good.
_________
p.s. - Everytime I say I'm just going to type up a short recap blog, it turns into something like this. I am way too verbose. I'd be amazed if anyone actually reads these things. Is the detail just too excruciating? Let me know.
p.p.s. - Tomorrow night we leave for Los Angeles. WHAT? I'm packing right now. How did this come up so darn fast?
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