i am stuffed...went to a little deli/cafe over by the clybourn metra station called riverside deli & cafe...it's on cortland just east of paulina next door to the bucktown pub...i've been wanting to go there for months, ever since i first walked by it a long time ago...it's a breakfast/lunch diner...really cute...interesting menu...you've got all your usual breakfast/deli items and then you have stuff like the havana special, which i had...that was scrambled eggs, carribean rice, plantains, and this soup that's like a cuban minestrone...it was really good...and it's got a really cute ambience...all this antique stuff hanging everywhere and then these pictures of this chef dude w/ a mustache shaped like bull horns...the staff is really friendly too...i wish i took photos, but i forgot my memory card in my other bag, so no visuals today...
last night, i took the train in from work because there was a cubs game, the blues fest, and possible thunderstorms and i didn't want to deal w/ the friday traffic on top of all those...rt picked me up and we actually sat on a bench in front of the riverside deli & cafe for about a half hour just shooting the breeze...rt had hurt his back somehow, so i cooked this cocunut tofu curry for dinner...i had never made it before, and again it was like monkeys cooking in the kitchen...i think rt was worried listening to all the commotion, and i was all bent out of shape stressed out because i had no idea what i was doing...but it came out just fine...i have to admit that with my sinuses acting up these days, my taste buds are not what they used to be, so it's hard for me to guage what something really tastes like...oh, and another thing...here's a hint when cooking w/ ginger...never use a GARLIC crusher to mince ginger...it just doesn't work that way...trust me...i learned the hard way...
rt is home baking my bday cake finally...it's also going to be a bday cake for his brother jay & sister lauren who are twins...which reminds me i'm supposed to be looking up a recipe for white chocolate filling...
been listening to:
ask me tomorrow--mojave3
went to see the detholz! @ the metro last night...you can see the photos right here...they totally kicked some major ass! they were TIGHT, totally TIGHT for this show...it was their first time playing the metro, and i'm sure they'll be welcome again...there was a good crowd...a really young crowd...which is good...thax douglas read a poem for them before the show...derek told me i should try to get shots of the teenage girls ogling carl, the guitar player...and some girl kept yelling at jim the lead singer telling him how sexy he was...it's funny cuz these guys are such sweet boys in real life that when they take on this rock star persona on stage, it's sometimes hard to believe it's really them...
well, it's the weekend again...and what a weekend it will be...the blues fest is going on, which i think i'm going to check out...rt wants to go bowling at UIC, which i think will be fun...the first time i ever went bowling was at UIC w/ my first boyfriend back when i was 16 and didn't know jack squat...you'd think after 15 years, i'd be a bit wiser by now, but sometimes i feel as clueless as ever...i think i might actually go to church on sunday night...my friend nanette who leads the spirituality discussion & hosts the poetry slams is speaking @ 4th pres by the water tower on sunday night, so i'm gonna check it out...
p.s. rt got me jd salinger's 'nine stories' AND 'raise the roof beam high, carpenter/seymour: an introduction' for my birthday...i LOVE salinger...i reall, really do...
i got an email last night from the first friend i ever made in the u.s. her name's ruthy and she's out in the lovely silicone valley in california working on her doctorate @ stanford...there's something to be said about having friends who knew you before you knew how to read, tie your shoe laces or play double dutch...somewhere in the recesses of my cluttered mind are memories of growing up w/ ruthy, her older siblings esther and joseph and my brother jim...the 5 of us spent countless hours together doing all kinds of stuff, mostly without adult supervision...here are a few of my favorites...
* one day, we decided that we wanted to make donuts...i think it started w/ my brother and me reminiscing about the homemade donuts that they'd give out at my grandpa's kindergarten back in the motherland...so the 5 of us got out my mom's betty crocker cookbook, found the recipe for donuts, and proceeded to make a horrendous mess in my mom's kitchen...i remember my mom coming home to the spectacular disaster of dough and flour everywhere...and she helped us make the best of it we could...this disaster started a saturday tradition for me & ruthy...we would get together every weekend and bake cookies from that betty crocker cookbook...MY favorite was the peanut butter cookies...i loved making the imprints w/ the fork...and they came out good every time! as long as we didn't burn them...
* my brother jim discovered lp records and beethoven at our local public library when he was around 11 years old...this started a passion for music which continues to this day for him and it started my musical education which he oversaw with huge doses of beethoven and then later the jazz greats like miles davis and john coltrane...back then, my brother wanted to become a conductor...so he would take orchestral scores and practice conducting an imaginary orchestra...one afternoon, joseph, esther, ruthy and i filled in for that imaginary orchestra and we took up our "instruments" (mine was a broom but it was really a cello) and we played one of beethoven's symphonies (probably his 2nd, 1st movement) while my brother conducted...i did go on to play the cello in high school, and to this day, it is one of my favorite instruments...ruthy and my brother jim went on to both become accomplished violinists...ruthy still is to this day, and my brother played until his early twenties but moved on to the guitar and bass guitar...
* when i used to take piano lessons as a girl, before my parents bought me a piano, i used to practice for my lessons over at ruthy's house every day after school...or so my mom thought...well, it was spring, the year was 1984, and there were a LOT of cubs games to be watched that season...those were afternoons to be remembered, still years before lights were introduced to wrigley field...i had a crush on both ryne sandberg and jody davis...the thrill of that baseball season, the collective hopes of a city and beyond, the bitter disappointment and deep pangs of loss...these are emotional milemarkers that i'll never forget...somewhere, in the midst of all my junk, i still have a photograph of the 1984 cubs...
the cubs, broom cellos, betty crocker...i can still play back those memories like old movies in the theatre of my mind...damn, i miss my childhood...
speaking of which, rt got me j.d. salinger's 'nine stories' and 'raise high the roofbeam carpenters and seymour' for my bday...and i'm still waiting for him to bake me a cake...
been listening to--
pleased to meet me--the replacements
every breath you take: the classics--the police
who are the detholz!?--the detholz!
murray street--sonic youth
* one day, we decided that we wanted to make donuts...i think it started w/ my brother and me reminiscing about the homemade donuts that they'd give out at my grandpa's kindergarten back in the motherland...so the 5 of us got out my mom's betty crocker cookbook, found the recipe for donuts, and proceeded to make a horrendous mess in my mom's kitchen...i remember my mom coming home to the spectacular disaster of dough and flour everywhere...and she helped us make the best of it we could...this disaster started a saturday tradition for me & ruthy...we would get together every weekend and bake cookies from that betty crocker cookbook...MY favorite was the peanut butter cookies...i loved making the imprints w/ the fork...and they came out good every time! as long as we didn't burn them...
* my brother jim discovered lp records and beethoven at our local public library when he was around 11 years old...this started a passion for music which continues to this day for him and it started my musical education which he oversaw with huge doses of beethoven and then later the jazz greats like miles davis and john coltrane...back then, my brother wanted to become a conductor...so he would take orchestral scores and practice conducting an imaginary orchestra...one afternoon, joseph, esther, ruthy and i filled in for that imaginary orchestra and we took up our "instruments" (mine was a broom but it was really a cello) and we played one of beethoven's symphonies (probably his 2nd, 1st movement) while my brother conducted...i did go on to play the cello in high school, and to this day, it is one of my favorite instruments...ruthy and my brother jim went on to both become accomplished violinists...ruthy still is to this day, and my brother played until his early twenties but moved on to the guitar and bass guitar...
* when i used to take piano lessons as a girl, before my parents bought me a piano, i used to practice for my lessons over at ruthy's house every day after school...or so my mom thought...well, it was spring, the year was 1984, and there were a LOT of cubs games to be watched that season...those were afternoons to be remembered, still years before lights were introduced to wrigley field...i had a crush on both ryne sandberg and jody davis...the thrill of that baseball season, the collective hopes of a city and beyond, the bitter disappointment and deep pangs of loss...these are emotional milemarkers that i'll never forget...somewhere, in the midst of all my junk, i still have a photograph of the 1984 cubs...
the cubs, broom cellos, betty crocker...i can still play back those memories like old movies in the theatre of my mind...damn, i miss my childhood...
speaking of which, rt got me j.d. salinger's 'nine stories' and 'raise high the roofbeam carpenters and seymour' for my bday...and i'm still waiting for him to bake me a cake...
been listening to--
pleased to meet me--the replacements
every breath you take: the classics--the police
who are the detholz!?--the detholz!
murray street--sonic youth
well, wish me a happy birthday...i'm officially in my 30's now...no longer can i just say i'm merely thirty...i am now at the very odd age of 31...no, i didn't type OLD...that's ODD...as in an odd number as opposed to an even number, ya dig? but yeah, i guess it seems like an old number although my older friends would beg to differ...here's something that made me feel old...rt & i were coming out of the movie theatre last night, and a kid asked us if he could bum a smoke...i took a look at him, and before thinking, i blurted out, 'like how old ARE you?!! you look like you're 15!' and his friends chuckle, and he answers, 'i'm 16...' we walked away, and rt & i talked about that and when we got to our car, i exclaimed, 'he's HALF MY AGE!!!!' crimeny...half my age...there are kids running around without adult supervision who are half my age...and less than half my age!!!
well, let's see now...what have i been up to...it's been my bday weekend, and saturday i went to lunch w/ my mom & bro...i took rt along and he got to meet them for the first time...i think my mom liked him cuz she asked for a hug...that's gotta be a good thing, right? after lunch, rt & i went up to the botanic garden...it was such a beautiful day...we were on a project, doing a photo shoot for his brother's girlfriend's bday present...there were swarms of people around...but it was great to relax a bit and walk around outdoors in the greenery and all the colors that have sprung up so far...
after the gardens, we went to my apartment and i made some guacamole while rt cooked spaghetti for dinner...the guac was for his bro's girlfriend's bday party later that night...it was a homemade salsa/chips party, so we thought we'd take some guac & our homebrew...the party was up in east rogers park, a block away from where josh & lielle lived right before they moved to new york...
it was already a hopping party by the time we got there...there was lots of beer, that's for sure...some great mix music by rt's brother david...tons of people i'd never seen before, including a total bruce lee look alike...although i don't know for sure what his face looked like cuz he had these dark aviator sunglasses on all the time...as well as a buttondown shirt and tie...the girl he was with kept telling people he was her parole officer...he was by far the most bizarre person there...i also ran into someone i knew way back when i was at the evanston vcf...it was steve h., whom i'd barely known but rand had mentioned he'd run into him about a year ago, and how he had been away from chicago several years and was writing a book now...it was really random running into him at the party...it was nice though to run into someone i knew...and it was great seeing rt's bro again...i had met him and his girlfriend back at the new years eve party around the time rt & i started hanging out...he lives in seattle so we haven't seen him since then...
on sunday, we went to wicker park in the afternoon and threw the football around...well, actually, we laid out in the sun most of the time we were there, had a mango bar from one of the hispanic ice cream cart vendors, and then threw the ball maybe for 10 minutes before heading home for our matrix marathon...yup...we did it all right...we'd done the xmen marathon a couple weeks ago, and now we did the matrix...we watched movie # 1 at home and then went out to the burbs to the AMC barrington theatres to see matrix reloaded...we stopped by ikea before the movie...that's always a trip...talk about a store geared at impulse buying...everything is so cheap you think if you buy the entire store, you're getting a great deal...i always think of the movie fight club when i think of ikea...i did get a rubber spatula for 50 cents...i was looking for one of them kitchen island/utility carts to give me some more counter space because i have exactly half an inch of free counter space in my apartment right now...we didn't find what i wanted, but that's okay...we went to our movie and had fun with all the fight scenes...i know a lot of people were disappointed by reloaded as opposed to the first matrix, but i still enjoyed the movie immensely...i thought some parts were really cheesy...but i liked all the kung fu action...
well, today is my actual bday, and rt is going to bake me a cake at some point...and i want to be outdoors cuz it's another beautiful day in the neighborhood...
been listening to--
trompe le monde--the pixies
read music speak spanish--desaparecidos
loud, fast ramones: their toughest hits--the ramones
one beat--sleater-kinney
licensed to ill--beastie boys
to the rooftops--watchers
i just picked up some asparagus soup in the cafeteria here...whilst 'the middle' by jimmy eat world was playing overhead...what is this corporate world coming to??? funny thing is that the last time i heard that song over a loudspeaker was at the dallas mavericks season opener w/ my whole department when we were in dallas for a meeting...i remember my coworker insisting that it was a cover of a song from the 70's...
today is my friend ryan's birthday...he's 23 years old!!! damn...i'm almost 23 too...23 backwards that is...
here's a piece of advice: when at work and answering the phone and you hear 'hello?' on the other line, NEVER reply with, 'oh, honey, you're up so EARLY...' just an FYI...
rt snagged me a stereo system from his grandma's yesterday...it's got a record player and everything! we haven't hooked it up yet, so i don't know if it works even...frankly, i think it's a plot on rt's part to get me to clean my damn livingroom to make room for the stereo...i have so much crap to throw out it's pathetic...have i mentioned that rt drew FOUR (4) floor plans for reorganizing my living space? some people just have too much time on their hands...
been listening to--
potty mouth--bratmobile
galore--the cure
red medicine--fugazi
to the roof of the sky--VoL
the rocky movies soundtrack
today is my friend ryan's birthday...he's 23 years old!!! damn...i'm almost 23 too...23 backwards that is...
here's a piece of advice: when at work and answering the phone and you hear 'hello?' on the other line, NEVER reply with, 'oh, honey, you're up so EARLY...' just an FYI...
rt snagged me a stereo system from his grandma's yesterday...it's got a record player and everything! we haven't hooked it up yet, so i don't know if it works even...frankly, i think it's a plot on rt's part to get me to clean my damn livingroom to make room for the stereo...i have so much crap to throw out it's pathetic...have i mentioned that rt drew FOUR (4) floor plans for reorganizing my living space? some people just have too much time on their hands...
been listening to--
potty mouth--bratmobile
galore--the cure
red medicine--fugazi
to the roof of the sky--VoL
the rocky movies soundtrack
so yesterday rt and his friend mike who just moved back from new york and his girl carmel picked me up from work and we went to mike's parents' house way out in the boondocks for a bbq and bonfire...this was the first bbq i've ever been to where there was absolutely NO MEAT served!!! but we ate very well, believe me...we had veggie kabobs, veggie burgers, fresh pineapple and mango, chips & salsa, grilled sweet corn, and rt's very own home brewed beer...
after dinner, we played badminton, which i hadn't done since high school...i absolutely adore badminton...and just like volleyball, i can't hit the birdie without letting out a bloodcurdling scream...after badminton, rt & i threw the football around, and he noticed that my throwing improved noticeably after swinging a racquet for a good hour or so...it was really fun to be outdoors until late...although it did get considerably chilly...
after we wore ourselves out from badminton, as the sun disappeared and the sky removed its veil of daylight to expose the stars, the boys built a bonfire and we gathered around w/ a bunch of different percussion instruments and started beating out rhythms together...it was awesome sitting around that huge fire...everyone glowing orange...beats to match the exotic nature of a bonfire's flames...all we were missing were marshmallows...
my friend john called me this morning to wish me a happy early birthday because he was going to be out of town next weekend...in the course of our conversation, we were discussing whether i should make a career change or not, and he told me i should do it soon cuz i was gonna be 40 soon...i almost had a heart attack when he said that...i mean, i'm nowhere near 40 compared to some people, but i realize i'm closer to 40 now than i am to 20, and that is a scary thought indeed...this is getting depressing...
oh yeah, i almost forgot...last wednesday, rt and i did a bit of commemorating by going to the twisted spoke...this is a bar/restaurant where a lot of bikers like to hang out, esp. on the weekend...and not the kind of bikers that hang out @ the handlebar...these are the noisy polluting kind of bikers...i had never been there before, and it was pretty neat...the walls are covered w/ photos of what look like patrons on their bikes...and there's all kinds of bike and junk paraphanalia all over the restaurant...they make a pretty good falafel sandwich too...and a mean bloody mary with a helluva kick to it...
so last night, connolly, rt & i went to see my friend tony's one-man romantic comedy show @ the leadway...it was interesting to witness tony PERFORMING his stories on stage as opposed to hearing them in conversation sitting @ the bar or reading them in an AIM session, which is how we normally talk...all the stories pretty much confirmed that tony is a hopeless romantic...i haven't met too many males who fall into this category to be honest...
after the show, rt & i went to filter where we were meeting up w/ his friends from high school including his roommate mj...we all went to club foot on augusta and some of them played pool while the rest of us watched and drank beer...well, i wasn't drinking beer...i had a shot of southern comfort because the bar lacked both yukon jack and blackhaus...yeah, i like the sweet stuff...when we were leaving, much to our surprise, it was raining cats & dogs outside! but it was a warm night, and the rain was beautiful...although we did make rt run the 3 blocks to the car instead of all of us getting soaked...there is something just plain shimmeringly beautiful about an almost-summer night downpour...and that beauty is accentuated when you see people you care about gleeful like kids on christmas morn because they're reunited with decade old buddies...it really made me happy to see rt & mj enjoying themselves...
a funny aside...rt grabbed my lynyrd skynyrd 2-cd compilation a couple days ago, and he actually LISTENED to them...he said he played the beats yesterday and he enjoyed it...i can just see it now...rt drumming for a 3 guitar southern rock band...oh, yeah....
been listening to--
substance--new order
brief history of the 20th century--gang of four
harmacy--sebadoh
p.s. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIM!!!!
ok...so friday night i went to see my friend john roberts in measure for measure...i don't think rt had ever seen a shakespeare production live...he really liked it...after the show john invited us out bowling w/ another cast member...that other cast member turned out to be someone named eric that i went to college with...i didn't know him well but he had roomed at one point w/ a friend of mine and he knows my friend syler thomas...we went bowling @ timber lanes on irving park road by the lyon's den...it was a neat little bowling alley...just 7 or 8 lanes...not at all crowded on a friday night...$8 pitchers of miller light and $3 bowling games...not bad...we all had fun...it was great seeing john again, and eric was really nice...rt suffered all weekend from gripping the bowling ball so hard, but he had fun and would like to go bowling again...
i think my congestion is finally getting better...afrin is wondrous stuff...one dose of it cured rt's nasal congestion since friday...i'm taking a combo of afrin (which makes me sneeze), allegra (to control the sneezing) and sudafed for general nasal congestion...i'm going to the doctor this afternoon and i'll find out if i'm going to die or lose my sense of smell from this combo...
tonight, i'm going to see my friend tony in his one man romantic comedy show @ the lead way...oughta be fun...
been listening to--
blonde on blonde--bob dylan
loveless--my bloody valentine
double nickels on the dime--the minutemen
keep it like a secret--built to spill
i think my congestion is finally getting better...afrin is wondrous stuff...one dose of it cured rt's nasal congestion since friday...i'm taking a combo of afrin (which makes me sneeze), allegra (to control the sneezing) and sudafed for general nasal congestion...i'm going to the doctor this afternoon and i'll find out if i'm going to die or lose my sense of smell from this combo...
tonight, i'm going to see my friend tony in his one man romantic comedy show @ the lead way...oughta be fun...
been listening to--
blonde on blonde--bob dylan
loveless--my bloody valentine
double nickels on the dime--the minutemen
keep it like a secret--built to spill
feeling blue today...thought about my x for some weird reason...i think that relationship really left me feeling worthless...like why did he just let me leave? why didn't he think i was worth fighting for? i think that's what hurt me the most now that i look back on it...feeling that i gave nearly a decade of my life to someone who didn't think i was worth swallowing his pride for...
...and now i wonder if anyone will ever find me worth the effort...i know i'm no cake walk...i can be moody, noncommunicative, cold, an allround bitch...but i can still hear my old college pastor's wife telling me, 'sarah, you have to know your worth...' so do i know it now? some days i think i do...and other days like today, i haven't a clue...
my dad was the one man who could make me feel worth a damn...and over a year after i've lost him, i'm still trying to find what it was that he saw in me that was so special...
and right now, i'm pissed...i'm pissed at the cancer that took my dad away...i'm pissed that god let him get sick in the first place...i'm pissed that we live in a world where we learn to love only to lose what we love again and again and again...i'm pissed that i can't get my shit together like the responsible adult i should be...i'm pissed and i'm afraid...ah, yes...there goes the fear again...damn fear...always coming back and kicking me when i'm down...
...and now i wonder if anyone will ever find me worth the effort...i know i'm no cake walk...i can be moody, noncommunicative, cold, an allround bitch...but i can still hear my old college pastor's wife telling me, 'sarah, you have to know your worth...' so do i know it now? some days i think i do...and other days like today, i haven't a clue...
my dad was the one man who could make me feel worth a damn...and over a year after i've lost him, i'm still trying to find what it was that he saw in me that was so special...
and right now, i'm pissed...i'm pissed at the cancer that took my dad away...i'm pissed that god let him get sick in the first place...i'm pissed that we live in a world where we learn to love only to lose what we love again and again and again...i'm pissed that i can't get my shit together like the responsible adult i should be...i'm pissed and i'm afraid...ah, yes...there goes the fear again...damn fear...always coming back and kicking me when i'm down...
ok...new reviews for watchers' debut cd 'to the rooftops'...i want everyone in america and the world to buy this album...why? so the label can hurry up and recoup their cost and the band (i.e. rt) can start collecting some R-O-Y-A-L-T-I-E-S!!!!
salon.com (you'll have to see an ad to get a free day pass to salon.com...just keep clicking next & the ad'll be over in 5 seconds)
newcitychicago.com
splendidzine.com
washingtonpost.com
chicago reader
and in case you missed the old reviews:
delusions of adequacy
live4now.com
salon.com (you'll have to see an ad to get a free day pass to salon.com...just keep clicking next & the ad'll be over in 5 seconds)
newcitychicago.com
splendidzine.com
washingtonpost.com
chicago reader
and in case you missed the old reviews:
delusions of adequacy
live4now.com
ok...lost dogs photos from the garden last saturday can be viewed HERE...
been sick with a cold...don't like being sick...
x2 rules...
matrix reloaded is next...
afrin nodrip kicks ass and plugged nasal passages...
going to see measure for measure tonight @ evanston's next theatre...my friend john roberts, one of the great halves of the jenn sampson/john roberts duo, is gonna be talkin' shakespearean and all in it so i gots to see it...
got a call from michael of watchers...he needed some photos emailed to a 'zine in st. louis...those guys are getting good press...and they're gonna be on tv in L.A.! good for them...
my nasal passages are still very much on my mind lately...
been listening to--
to the roof of the sky--VoL
killing floor--VoL
V.O.L.--VoL
summershine--VoL
audible sigh--VoL
daydream nation--sonic youth
trompe le monde--the pixies
i miss bill...
been sick with a cold...don't like being sick...
x2 rules...
matrix reloaded is next...
afrin nodrip kicks ass and plugged nasal passages...
going to see measure for measure tonight @ evanston's next theatre...my friend john roberts, one of the great halves of the jenn sampson/john roberts duo, is gonna be talkin' shakespearean and all in it so i gots to see it...
got a call from michael of watchers...he needed some photos emailed to a 'zine in st. louis...those guys are getting good press...and they're gonna be on tv in L.A.! good for them...
my nasal passages are still very much on my mind lately...
been listening to--
to the roof of the sky--VoL
killing floor--VoL
V.O.L.--VoL
summershine--VoL
audible sigh--VoL
daydream nation--sonic youth
trompe le monde--the pixies
i miss bill...
random daydream...a future lineup for bill mallonee...jake on bass (yes, i still want jake on bass)...caleb on one guitar...pierre on another guitar...bill playing his guitar (yes! a bonafide 3 guitar band!)...TODD ON FIDDLE...and rt on drums! since kevin's leaving...like i said...random daydream...but it would totally be a kickass band, let me tellya...ok...maybe we won't need a fiddle if bill's gonna do the brit pop thing...but hey...he's GOTTA play resplendent every now and then...and todd can play drums too...yeah...a 3 guitar 2 drum kit band eh? why not?
sudafed is a wonderful drug...
sudafed is a wonderful drug...
ok...i got photos from annie quick's show @ the internat'l pop overthrow fest @ gunther murphy's back in april up and running right over HERE...i developed a new photo technique doing that show...it's called the annie quick-spin...see if you can find the photo that demonstrates this on that page!
so i'm home sick...my nostrils have been running a quadruple marathon since 9pm last night...my throat's not feeling all that great either...i emailed folks at work that they really don't wanna see me like this, that i'd totally gross them out...and it's true...it's totally pathetic seeing snot run uncontrollably from the nose of a grownup, which i suppose i fall into that category...and i'm out of kleenex so i've been using toilet paper, which is like the worst thing you can do to your poor nostrils, but frankly i've got no mercy for my nostrils after all they've put me through the past couple weeks, damn it!
anyways, happy belated mother's day to all you mothers out there...rt & i were going to see our respective mothers on sunday, but the weather and traffic and various schedules didn't cooperate...we did go to target to look for presents and ended up walking out of the store with a new red squishy football that i absolutely adore! yesterday, i had a killer headache at work by the time i left around 4:30pm...and traffic was a real doozie...i ended up taking local part of the way, which was probably a mistake...i talked to rt and whined and cried on the phone, and he somehow got me laughing by the time we hung up, and by the time i got home, my headache was gone...somehow, whenever i get one of those killer headaches, going home solves it for me...is that what they call a psychosomatic illness? or just psycho? whatever...
anyways, rt & i went to play football in wicker park yesterday...cuz i adore my new red football, uh huh...these kids invited themselves into our game of catch...they were little...like littler than me...but they could throw really good...it was fun...and it was great staying outside past 8pm and still have a bit of sunlight...we stopped by filter to say hi to rt's roommate mj and then i wanted a smoothie @ caffe delucca so we stopped in there...i told rt that's where i first learned of his existence, back in august when derek told me about a band called watchers...i think if derek hadn't told me about them, i may have skipped their set cuz i was running really late that night after having been out w/ olarn & connolly @ greekfest.
anyways, i think i'm gonna run out and buy me some more kleenex and some sudafed...
gotta be well enough to see appleseed cast tonight @ the abbey...
ok. not to get all hung up on my nasal passages and all, but now BOTH the left AND right nasal passages are in total rebellion and have stopped allowing air to get into my lungs altogether...i really do not want to breathe in the polluted chicago air through my mouth...but lack of oxygen is forcing me to do just that...ugh...i feel miserable...
saturday i got together with high school buds olarn and connolly and connolly's girlfriend chris for olarn's XXth bday...we let him pick the thai establishment of his choice, and it wasn't a surprise that he picked siam noodle which i'm not telling anyone where that is cuz it's one of chicago's best kept secrets...olarn just bought a house out in frickin' romeoville...i don't know what he was thinking cuz as far as i know they don't have any authentic thai food out there in the 815 area code...after lunch, we took him to jive monkey (affectionately known by me as 'the monkey store') on belmont to buy him a nice vintage polyester shirt to add to his collection of only golf & polo shirts...then we went to oberweiss at my insistence for ice cream...it was great spending time w/ my guys...i think the last time we three saw each other at once was around new years...holy cow, that was over 4 months ago...sheesh...
ok...so saturday night i went to see my favorite wisconsinites ticklepenny corner and the lost dogs play @ the garden in evanston...it was kinda cool cuz when i walked in the door, brad ushered me in through the staff entrance and i didn't have to pay the $12 cover...well, i think the photos i took that night are worth it...you can see the ticklepenny corner photos here (lost dogs page to go up later)...it was good seeing TC again...it's nice they're playing more often in the chicago area...i can't wait for their new cd to come out, which will be in september...
now the lost dogs...i just love seeing these guys live...they're so awesome...they each hold their own ground in their own respective bands/solo careers, but you get them together, combine their sass, guitar and voices, and it's guaranteed top-notch entertainment everytime...mike roe always has the look and attitude of the rock star, and terri looks like a farmer or trucker, and deri's always got that oversized t-shirt and jeans on looking like a highschooler...it was definitely an awesome show...a nice hour & a half of songs, mutual ribbing, storytelling...rt could tell i was high off the show when i got on the phone with him afterwards...
been listening to--
letting off the happiness--bright eyes
london calling--the clash
the march album--uncle tupelo (speaking of which, all uncle tupelo stuff has been reissued fyi)
some lynard skynard
some velvet underground
ask me tomorrow--mojave 3
audible sigh--bill mallonee & VoL (rt's got this in his car all the time now, which makes me very happy...)
saturday i got together with high school buds olarn and connolly and connolly's girlfriend chris for olarn's XXth bday...we let him pick the thai establishment of his choice, and it wasn't a surprise that he picked siam noodle which i'm not telling anyone where that is cuz it's one of chicago's best kept secrets...olarn just bought a house out in frickin' romeoville...i don't know what he was thinking cuz as far as i know they don't have any authentic thai food out there in the 815 area code...after lunch, we took him to jive monkey (affectionately known by me as 'the monkey store') on belmont to buy him a nice vintage polyester shirt to add to his collection of only golf & polo shirts...then we went to oberweiss at my insistence for ice cream...it was great spending time w/ my guys...i think the last time we three saw each other at once was around new years...holy cow, that was over 4 months ago...sheesh...
ok...so saturday night i went to see my favorite wisconsinites ticklepenny corner and the lost dogs play @ the garden in evanston...it was kinda cool cuz when i walked in the door, brad ushered me in through the staff entrance and i didn't have to pay the $12 cover...well, i think the photos i took that night are worth it...you can see the ticklepenny corner photos here (lost dogs page to go up later)...it was good seeing TC again...it's nice they're playing more often in the chicago area...i can't wait for their new cd to come out, which will be in september...
now the lost dogs...i just love seeing these guys live...they're so awesome...they each hold their own ground in their own respective bands/solo careers, but you get them together, combine their sass, guitar and voices, and it's guaranteed top-notch entertainment everytime...mike roe always has the look and attitude of the rock star, and terri looks like a farmer or trucker, and deri's always got that oversized t-shirt and jeans on looking like a highschooler...it was definitely an awesome show...a nice hour & a half of songs, mutual ribbing, storytelling...rt could tell i was high off the show when i got on the phone with him afterwards...
been listening to--
letting off the happiness--bright eyes
london calling--the clash
the march album--uncle tupelo (speaking of which, all uncle tupelo stuff has been reissued fyi)
some lynard skynard
some velvet underground
ask me tomorrow--mojave 3
audible sigh--bill mallonee & VoL (rt's got this in his car all the time now, which makes me very happy...)
my left nasal passage has decided to secede from the rest of my body...my brain keeps telling it to stop running but it just won't listen...and i'm out of tissue...crimeny!
rt & i went to see lying in states last night @ the double door. they share the basement practice space w/ watchers. they were sounding much better than the first time i saw them @ the fireside way back in september. i think that was just a bad night for them all round...sound was crappy, their cds were messed up so they ended up giving them away for free...there was this dude at last night's show who stood up right in front of the stage and started dancing like he was on acid...i mean he was rolling around on the floor quite a bit, convulsing and what have you...and he had this incredibly big hair that looked like a bad perm...all this would've been quite distracting for me, except for the fact that i'm so damn short i just had to move a little to the right and all objects directly in front of me were obscured from my line of vision by a tall dude standing smack in front of me...i always get stuck behind the tall dudes...
i haven't been to the double door since denison played there last september...i have to admit it's not my favorite venue...for one thing, there's a "no cameras allowed" policy...i personally don't abide by it since i carry my camera on me at all times and practically consider it an extension of my optical system...and for another thing, their rolling rocks cost $4.50!!! i only had a fiver on me last night so i had to give up one of my sacagawea dollars to leave a tip, which brought the total for one measly rolling rock to $5.50...i can get a whole 6 pack for that money @ sam's...and then there's the restricted key-only bathroom right by the stage...it's behind the curtain to the side, and that's where i usually stand to take my photos...well, that bathroom stinks, even with the door closed...and that's the bathroom for the artists...nice...
otherwise, the double door is a GREAT place to see a show, maybe...well, wire's playing there in june so i may actually end up going back there...
i am sooooooooo ready for the weekend...
been listening to--
nobody knows this is everywhere--764-hero
the pace is glacial--seam
to the rooftops--watchers
rt & i went to see lying in states last night @ the double door. they share the basement practice space w/ watchers. they were sounding much better than the first time i saw them @ the fireside way back in september. i think that was just a bad night for them all round...sound was crappy, their cds were messed up so they ended up giving them away for free...there was this dude at last night's show who stood up right in front of the stage and started dancing like he was on acid...i mean he was rolling around on the floor quite a bit, convulsing and what have you...and he had this incredibly big hair that looked like a bad perm...all this would've been quite distracting for me, except for the fact that i'm so damn short i just had to move a little to the right and all objects directly in front of me were obscured from my line of vision by a tall dude standing smack in front of me...i always get stuck behind the tall dudes...
i haven't been to the double door since denison played there last september...i have to admit it's not my favorite venue...for one thing, there's a "no cameras allowed" policy...i personally don't abide by it since i carry my camera on me at all times and practically consider it an extension of my optical system...and for another thing, their rolling rocks cost $4.50!!! i only had a fiver on me last night so i had to give up one of my sacagawea dollars to leave a tip, which brought the total for one measly rolling rock to $5.50...i can get a whole 6 pack for that money @ sam's...and then there's the restricted key-only bathroom right by the stage...it's behind the curtain to the side, and that's where i usually stand to take my photos...well, that bathroom stinks, even with the door closed...and that's the bathroom for the artists...nice...
otherwise, the double door is a GREAT place to see a show, maybe...well, wire's playing there in june so i may actually end up going back there...
i am sooooooooo ready for the weekend...
been listening to--
nobody knows this is everywhere--764-hero
the pace is glacial--seam
to the rooftops--watchers
they say that if you keep god's name on your lips at all times, if you just keep praying 'lord jesus christ have mercy on me' over and over again, then you will eventually learn the way of the pilgrim, then you will experience the holy of holies, then you will see god...you don't even need to believe, they say...just do it, and you will see, they say...it's so simple, they say...
and franny, dear girl, you don't know what you believe, if anything at all...you are surrounded by egos and mediocrity and affectations and pampered lives of the rich and intellectual...and it is your own ego that eats away at you...for this life is not worth living if you can't leave behind something beautiful...but to give beauty, you must experience beauty, and what can be more beautiful than seeing god? and so your lips move silently, feverishly, constantly...your lack of belief fuels your intensity...and i hope that you do see god because that means i too have a chance...
(a note from me to franny glass of 'franny and zooey' by jd salinger)
jd salinger rocks my world...
ok. if you think it's weird to write notes to fictional characters, then i guess i'm weird in your book...in MY book, which this is, kinda, i think it's perfectly normal...for some reason, fictional characters are more real to me sometimes than flesh&blood real live people...
i took the train to work today...it wasn't as hard as i thought it would be...i can walk approximately 1 little city block (street) in one sprint pcs minute...that means that it takes approximately 12 minutes to walk to the train from my apartment...i think i'll have to do this more often...esp. when those cubs games are home games...
rt is picking me up this afternoon...he gets to see my crazy office...then we're doing our suburban excursion #2 (#1 occurred on 01/29), this time to his old drum teacher's music school in roselle, then to caputo's market where rt insists we'll fill up 2 grocery carts for $60, and then to cobra kai where rt used to learn kung fu...
back to lunch...
and franny, dear girl, you don't know what you believe, if anything at all...you are surrounded by egos and mediocrity and affectations and pampered lives of the rich and intellectual...and it is your own ego that eats away at you...for this life is not worth living if you can't leave behind something beautiful...but to give beauty, you must experience beauty, and what can be more beautiful than seeing god? and so your lips move silently, feverishly, constantly...your lack of belief fuels your intensity...and i hope that you do see god because that means i too have a chance...
(a note from me to franny glass of 'franny and zooey' by jd salinger)
jd salinger rocks my world...
ok. if you think it's weird to write notes to fictional characters, then i guess i'm weird in your book...in MY book, which this is, kinda, i think it's perfectly normal...for some reason, fictional characters are more real to me sometimes than flesh&blood real live people...
i took the train to work today...it wasn't as hard as i thought it would be...i can walk approximately 1 little city block (street) in one sprint pcs minute...that means that it takes approximately 12 minutes to walk to the train from my apartment...i think i'll have to do this more often...esp. when those cubs games are home games...
rt is picking me up this afternoon...he gets to see my crazy office...then we're doing our suburban excursion #2 (#1 occurred on 01/29), this time to his old drum teacher's music school in roselle, then to caputo's market where rt insists we'll fill up 2 grocery carts for $60, and then to cobra kai where rt used to learn kung fu...
back to lunch...
a while back, when my friend ryan beatty of serene first encountered my cd collection, he told me, 'sarah, don't buy any more cds...just listen to the ones you already have...' and he's totally right...today on the way to work i popped in a cd i bought at least 3 weeks ago...it was the pixies' 'trompe le monde'...like whoah...i'm glad i took pierre's advice to get my hands on some pixies...i think i'm gonna have to give that album a few more listens to appreciate it the way it deserves...another example to support ryan's remark is the photo album by death cab for cutie...like how beautiful is that album??? it's been MONTHS since i listened to it....from the first tenuous bars of steadier footing and on to the rest of the album...i vascillate between wanting to cry to wanting to waltz...and there are so many albums that i know i'll have the same reaction to if i just get around to playing them again...
in addition to listening to the pixies on my way to work, which involved stop and go traffic by the way, i got so damn sleepy i started dreaming outloud...my eyes were open, i was staying in my lane, but the words coming out of my mouth were pure rubbish...really loud rubbish so as to keep my senses alert...it was like yesterday, i was so exhausted and rt caught me dozing off, and he said something to me and i responded with what sounded like a drunken slur...what i actually said was 'mexican cheese' which made no sense, and when i had realized what i'd just said, i couldn't help giggling...yes, that's how tired i was...i was slapphappy...
and no wonder, considering how rt put me to work at hard manual labor last night...we bottled our homebrew yesterday...that involved sterilizing around 5 dozen beer bottles...then transferring the brew from the carboy (the gigantic 5 gallon glass jug in which the brew was brewing) to a sterilized pail...then siphoning the brew into the 5 dozen beer bottles one at a time...and because of the way things were positioned and the way siphons work, all this had to be done on the floor...at first, rt wanted to put the brew in the bottles and he wanted me to seal the bottlecaps on...it sounded fun at first, but when i tried my first one, the awkwardness of having to kneel on the floor combined with my general state of exhaustion made the job sound more punitive than rt had intended...today on the phone he told me that he noticed my usual sense of humor and patience waning about this time...his assessment of the situation is quite accurate...i was pissed...i basically told him there was no way i was putting those bottlecaps on them bottles...without skipping a beat (quite suitable for a drummer) or blinking an eye or whatever, he changed the plans to "ok, i'll put the caps on, you put the brew in the bottles..." and that worked just fine...we got 54 bottles out of that batch of beer...we'll see how it turns out...they should be ready for consumption in the next 2 weeks...i'm gonna make rt drink the first bottle and then wait a day to see the results...if he's still alive, then i'll have a sip.
in between sterilizing and bottling, we went out to celebrate cinco de mayo by going to chicago ave for some mexican food...rt had a margarita and i had a pina colada...the waitress giggled as she asked me if i wanted alcohol in my drink, as if i were underage or something, and i'm like, 'well, yeah, it's cinco de mayo...' and she just laughed again...i think it was because i was wearing my red dressy bessy t shirt...rt told me i look like i'm 15 in that shirt...i'm gonna keep that shirt for the rest of my LIFE...i think i'll appreciate it more when i'm 64...
today, i'm doing laundry...it's long overdue...yes, rt's working & i'm doing laundry damn it! i'm out of...well....you know....
lately, i've been obsessing over monitoring traffic...ever since i discovered this website. i mean, look at this...when you hate sitting in traffic as much as i do, how could you NOT obsess over this site??? i've been known to start monitoring travel times starting 1pm here at work...especially when there's a cubs game...like tonight damn it...
in addition to listening to the pixies on my way to work, which involved stop and go traffic by the way, i got so damn sleepy i started dreaming outloud...my eyes were open, i was staying in my lane, but the words coming out of my mouth were pure rubbish...really loud rubbish so as to keep my senses alert...it was like yesterday, i was so exhausted and rt caught me dozing off, and he said something to me and i responded with what sounded like a drunken slur...what i actually said was 'mexican cheese' which made no sense, and when i had realized what i'd just said, i couldn't help giggling...yes, that's how tired i was...i was slapphappy...
and no wonder, considering how rt put me to work at hard manual labor last night...we bottled our homebrew yesterday...that involved sterilizing around 5 dozen beer bottles...then transferring the brew from the carboy (the gigantic 5 gallon glass jug in which the brew was brewing) to a sterilized pail...then siphoning the brew into the 5 dozen beer bottles one at a time...and because of the way things were positioned and the way siphons work, all this had to be done on the floor...at first, rt wanted to put the brew in the bottles and he wanted me to seal the bottlecaps on...it sounded fun at first, but when i tried my first one, the awkwardness of having to kneel on the floor combined with my general state of exhaustion made the job sound more punitive than rt had intended...today on the phone he told me that he noticed my usual sense of humor and patience waning about this time...his assessment of the situation is quite accurate...i was pissed...i basically told him there was no way i was putting those bottlecaps on them bottles...without skipping a beat (quite suitable for a drummer) or blinking an eye or whatever, he changed the plans to "ok, i'll put the caps on, you put the brew in the bottles..." and that worked just fine...we got 54 bottles out of that batch of beer...we'll see how it turns out...they should be ready for consumption in the next 2 weeks...i'm gonna make rt drink the first bottle and then wait a day to see the results...if he's still alive, then i'll have a sip.
in between sterilizing and bottling, we went out to celebrate cinco de mayo by going to chicago ave for some mexican food...rt had a margarita and i had a pina colada...the waitress giggled as she asked me if i wanted alcohol in my drink, as if i were underage or something, and i'm like, 'well, yeah, it's cinco de mayo...' and she just laughed again...i think it was because i was wearing my red dressy bessy t shirt...rt told me i look like i'm 15 in that shirt...i'm gonna keep that shirt for the rest of my LIFE...i think i'll appreciate it more when i'm 64...
today, i'm doing laundry...it's long overdue...yes, rt's working & i'm doing laundry damn it! i'm out of...well....you know....
lately, i've been obsessing over monitoring traffic...ever since i discovered this website. i mean, look at this...when you hate sitting in traffic as much as i do, how could you NOT obsess over this site??? i've been known to start monitoring travel times starting 1pm here at work...especially when there's a cubs game...like tonight damn it...
so remember that cheese & tomato macaroni bake rt & i made last week that was so yummy? well, i was signed up to cook a meal yesterday for my friends pete & amy who just had a baby elliot last week, and i thought since that dish came out so good, i'd try it again...well, except this time, rt had to work during the day so there i was in the kitchen all by my lonesome...something i just wasn't used to any more...i didn't take a picture, but you can take my word for it that by the time i was done, it looked like a bunch of monkeys had thrown a party in my kitchen...but i think the casserole came out good, although i haven't heard from pete & amy...i hope i didn't food poison them or anything...
note: just because you own a pizza stone doesn't mean you're gonna make a great pizza...case in point--last night rt decides to try out his new pizza stone...except we don't know how to transfer the pizza from where we made it to the actual pizza stone, which we'd been warming in the oven...after some profuse use of profanity on the male part of this equation, we pushed and shoved until we got the damn pizza on the stone...it looked like big foot's footprint by the time we were done with it...tonight, armed with seasoned wisdom in the art of pizza baking, rt & i are gonna make a much better pizza. i'll take a picture of this one...
oh...on saturday i went to that poetry slam for peace thing @ aion teahouse again...this time i posted the photos...i also discovered a new setting on my camera that makes it easier to take photos in low light situations...i've been missing out is all i've got to say...
been listening to--
greatest hits--sly & the family stone
potty mouth--bratmobile
my favorite things--john coltrane
one beat--sleater-kinney
note: just because you own a pizza stone doesn't mean you're gonna make a great pizza...case in point--last night rt decides to try out his new pizza stone...except we don't know how to transfer the pizza from where we made it to the actual pizza stone, which we'd been warming in the oven...after some profuse use of profanity on the male part of this equation, we pushed and shoved until we got the damn pizza on the stone...it looked like big foot's footprint by the time we were done with it...tonight, armed with seasoned wisdom in the art of pizza baking, rt & i are gonna make a much better pizza. i'll take a picture of this one...
oh...on saturday i went to that poetry slam for peace thing @ aion teahouse again...this time i posted the photos...i also discovered a new setting on my camera that makes it easier to take photos in low light situations...i've been missing out is all i've got to say...
been listening to--
greatest hits--sly & the family stone
potty mouth--bratmobile
my favorite things--john coltrane
one beat--sleater-kinney
well, this past weekend had a lot to do w/ remembering my dad...my mom & i went to lunch saturday, which was the actual anniversary of his death, and then we went to the cemetary...i brought a bunch of daisies, the flower that my dad told me reminded him of me...my brother jim joined us at the gravesite later on...rt called me while my mom and i were laying out the flowers...while we were talking, i told him that my mom was looking like jackie o. with a scarf and sunglasses so i took this picture of her...she's a cutie, yeah...
sunday afternoon, my mom's korean church held a memorial service for my dad...it's something koreans do...commemorating someone's death...i'm not too into it myself...but there were so many people who wanted to remember my dad, and they put this service together...i was pretty emotionless the whole weekend...it wasn't until the service when i thought about all the people who missed my dad so much that i got all teary-eyed and wondered why it was that my dad had to go so soon...they played a tape of a portion of the last sermon he preached...it was fittingly about self-sacrifice...
one of the computer dudes in my mom's church took all the photos i'd put together of my dad last year for the funeral into a slide show, and they showed the slides during the sermon...it was weird seeing photos of my dad from the time he was just a teenager...to when he was my age...to when he was middle aged...to his last days in the hospital...all the while his voice, still strong and clear as a bell playing in the foreground...my dad sure knew how to preach...i couldn't really understand everything he was saying, but you could hear the intensity of his emotions, the unshakeability of his faith, and his unwavering vision for the future loud and clear in his voice...i miss his voice...i miss how he would sing to me when i was a little girl...or how he would play guitar (very poorly) and sing at home...i miss the pure delight he would express whenever i would come visit him, whether it was before he got sick or after...with my dad, i always knew i had arms to run to and be safe...
and now? whose arms can i run to now?
went and saw the watchers 'to the rooftops' cd release party last night...it was kick ass like i knew it would be...sound was great...the new songs were cool...there's one where ethan does this digadigadigadiga thing w/ his guitar that i really like...
the eternals were totally awesome too..caught a little bit of the apes but missed the opening opening band cuz rt & i were having dessert @ uncommon ground...that was kickass too...it was fun shooting photos @ the metro again...it helps to have a media pass, which michael got for me... and the photo pit was in place for this show...oh...click here for the photos...
ok...gotta run to an anti-war poetry slam...
been listening to--
out of tune--mojave 3
daydream nation--sonic youth
blonde on blonde--bob dylan
oh...ticklepenny corner are playing w/ the lost dogs @ the garden lounge this coming saturday the 10th...i think my mom wants to go to that show! yikes!
oh#2...i think 'to the rooftops' is a great name for a cd...i can't wait for the summer when rt & i take to the rooftops for all kinds of activities involving grills and relaxing!
i'm in deep doo-doo...i forgot to take my allergy medication and i don't have any with me at work...those of you who suffer from spring hay fever should know by now that the pollen levels out there are rather high as of late...i can already feel the pressure building in my sinuses...maybe if i chew on peppermints all day i can keep my nasal passages clear...hmm...
well, rt & i cooked a CASSEROLE of all things last night...a cheese & tomato macaroni bake to be exact...the funny part was making the garlic bread...rt got impatient waiting for the garlic to brown in the oven, so he threw it in the broiler...we were only going to leave it there for less than a minute, but the damage was already done...30 seconds later, we open the broiler door, and the poor bread's in flames! oh well...otherwise it was a yummy meal...
well...today is my dad's birthday...he would have been 65 years old...i still remember celebrating his 64th birthday in his hospital room...the nurses coming in with the cake singing to him...he was so weak and could barely stay awake through the song...none of us knew that he'd be leaving us for good the next day...even now, as i have the one year anniversary to deal with tomorrow, i don't understand how it is that my dad's not around any more...i don't know how i feel about it...i don't think i'll ever understand or know fully how i really feel...it's been months and months of heartache since he left me...i'm not the same girl i was a year ago, that's for sure...do i miss my dad? of course i do...i don't think i'll ever get over him leaving...
on a totally different topic, tonight is watchers' cd release party for their debut album 'to the rooftops' not to be confused w/ VoL's 'to the roof of the sky' (which is also an excellent, excellent album btw)...michael got me a photo pass so i have another chance to take pictures at the metro, which is probably my favorite venue for photos because of the awesome lighting...however, in terms of as an indie rock venue, it's just a bit big for me...the bottle's probably my favorite...but their lighting sucks...anyways, the apes & the eternals are also playing tonight so it should be a pretty kick ass show...i'm glad rt's going to the show, even though he's not in the band any more...the cd is really really awesome, and something he should be proud of and celebrate...
been listening to--
to the rooftops--watchers
red medicine--fugazi
weaponry listens to love--huggy bear
lookout freakout 3--various artists (lookout records)
well, rt & i cooked a CASSEROLE of all things last night...a cheese & tomato macaroni bake to be exact...the funny part was making the garlic bread...rt got impatient waiting for the garlic to brown in the oven, so he threw it in the broiler...we were only going to leave it there for less than a minute, but the damage was already done...30 seconds later, we open the broiler door, and the poor bread's in flames! oh well...otherwise it was a yummy meal...
well...today is my dad's birthday...he would have been 65 years old...i still remember celebrating his 64th birthday in his hospital room...the nurses coming in with the cake singing to him...he was so weak and could barely stay awake through the song...none of us knew that he'd be leaving us for good the next day...even now, as i have the one year anniversary to deal with tomorrow, i don't understand how it is that my dad's not around any more...i don't know how i feel about it...i don't think i'll ever understand or know fully how i really feel...it's been months and months of heartache since he left me...i'm not the same girl i was a year ago, that's for sure...do i miss my dad? of course i do...i don't think i'll ever get over him leaving...
on a totally different topic, tonight is watchers' cd release party for their debut album 'to the rooftops' not to be confused w/ VoL's 'to the roof of the sky' (which is also an excellent, excellent album btw)...michael got me a photo pass so i have another chance to take pictures at the metro, which is probably my favorite venue for photos because of the awesome lighting...however, in terms of as an indie rock venue, it's just a bit big for me...the bottle's probably my favorite...but their lighting sucks...anyways, the apes & the eternals are also playing tonight so it should be a pretty kick ass show...i'm glad rt's going to the show, even though he's not in the band any more...the cd is really really awesome, and something he should be proud of and celebrate...
been listening to--
to the rooftops--watchers
red medicine--fugazi
weaponry listens to love--huggy bear
lookout freakout 3--various artists (lookout records)
ok...so i've been pretty busy...i was in class 3 days downtown last week @ the university of chicago gleacher center...it was pretty nice...it's right by the NBC towers...i was taking a class through world at work, formerly known as the american compensation association, which is the certifying body for comp. professionals...i've decided that in the interest of expanding my career opportunities, i should become a certified comp professional...my boss has been suppportive, and this was the first of about a dozen classes i need to take for certification...yeah...really exciting...
so what else is new? uhmm...i got my copy of watchers' to the rooftops...i've listened to a copy of the master a bunch of times, but it's cool having the actual cd...the artwork on it is just lovely, compliments of ethan, watchers' amazing guitar player...the band's touring incessantly for over 3 weeks starting friday, their cd release party @ the metro...that should be a blast...of course it would be nice to see rt drumming for that show, but oh well...
what else...uhm...i went fishing on lake michigan last wednesday after my class...my friend pom who is an avid fisherman and my cousin kris & rt & i did some casting over the waters...i suck...we didn't catch anything, but we saw someone else catch this big ass fish...their dinner i think...we on the other hand went and bought our dinner @ matsuya, rt's favorite sushi joint...after dinner, rt & i went to the beat kitchen to see zapruder point...it's always cool to see them play, and as always jenn & john showed up too...i felt so bad though because i still have a bunch of john's highly treasured cds and i forgot to bring them to the show yet again...
thursday night was the international pop overthrow fest @ gunther murphy's...it was the wildwood artists night...originally, bill mallonee was supposed to play this gig, but he had to leave early for the uk, so it was just the detholz! and annie quick representing wildwood, as well as derek the booking agent extraordinaire's friends from detroit the riots...all three of these acts kicked ASS...rt was really impressed by the detholz!, as i knew he would be...
saturday, i drove annie to the airport and then i went over to rt's & we had pancakes w/ mj...rt & i played catch after lunch...it ws a really lovely day...and then we went to peet's coffee & tea for a little while and then did some shopping...we went to whole foods and got stuff to make dinner with, and we ended up making this awesome poached tilapia in white wine and steamed veggies...and we had a bottle of pretty good chardonnay to go with...
on sunday, rt & i went to his neighbor jim's church...we got there kind of early so we went over to sip cafe and had some coffee & biscotti...it was another warm beautiful day...perfect for hanging out at a cafe...oh...while we were driving to the cafe, we came to this red stoplight that seemed entirely useless...as rt slowed down, i thought to myself, 'if josh were driving, he'd just go right through the light...' and what does rt do?
he goes through the light...not on purpose though, but i thought it was hilarious that i thought about how josh would go through the light...it's uncanny how rt reminds me of josh sometimes... jim's church is a predominantly african american pentecostal apostolic church...not what i'm used to but not something i hadn't seen...rt on the other hand had never experienced anything like it...the music was great...i LOVE gospel music...and all the ladies with the tambourines were just awesome...it was a really long service...3 hours worth...i was starving by the time we got out...we went to rt's place, got our bikes, and headed on towards the UIC campus...we ate lunch at a mexican place and then biked around campus remember stories from our college days...we were totally exhausted after that...
last night, rt & i went to see pete & amy & their newly born son elliot @ the hospital...the baby was so cute!!! but i can't believe pete & amy are parents...whoah...i couldn't imagine all that responsibility...after the hospital, rt & i went to the rainbow club for some drinks...that place is crawling with local indie rockers on most nights, but it was pretty quiet when we got there, since it was only 9pm...ryan of euphone was there, and rt talked to him a little bit...i didn't know who he was, but i guess he also used to be in a band called guage which is supposed to be awesome...i like the rainbow club because their beers are cheap...rt & i got a newcastle, a sierra nevada and two shots of southern comfort for $12.50...that's not a bad price...
when we left the bar, there was a knarly thunderstorm going on...i mean we saw lightning streaking across the sky and then the thunder was right behind it, which means we were pretty close to the action...i love thunderstorms...i can't wait for more...
been listening to--
to the rooftops--watchers
blue train--john coltrane
nemesisters--babes in toyland
end hits--fugazi
13 songs--fugazi
laid back and english--beatnik filmstars
audible sigh--bill mallonee & VoL
demo--annie quick
demo--seven head division
s/t ep--chin up chin up
blood on the tracks--bob dylan
the times they are a-changin'--bob dylan
