rantings of a fangirl

Last night I got to see the legendary Cyndi Lauper in concert. I may be biased since I've loved her since I was born, but even the casual fan would agree that it was A.MA.ZING. The crowd was mostly older, though there were a few people my age, and one pair of girls that were definitely like 15. They tried a little too hard with the hair gel and the "crazy" outfits, but as long as they had fun I don't care.

Most of the show was her rocking out old blues covers, and I do mean rocking. It was so good that I didn't even care if she played her old 80s hits. However, the mouthy broad next to me did. "We paid $36 to hear some She-Bop!" she kept complaining to her friend. Directly in my ear. I wanted to turn to her and be like "Well maybe after 30 years she's tired of playing that old stuff. She has a new cd out, let her plug that. And *I* didn't pay to hear She-Bop. I can hear that for free, at home. I paid to see one of the most awesome women in music history live in person."

And I almost wish she hadn't played the 80s hits. She is such an excellent performer - high energy singing and dancing mixed with storytelling in her adorable Queens accent. (And how often do you call a a Queens accent adorable?) But she did play the 80s hits, and they too were fucking fantastic. She just waited until after the fake end of the concert, when everyone leaves the stage but the house lights don't come on. The audience cheers for a few minutes, and everyone comes back to finish the set.

Here is a video of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun". The quality is crappy, but you can see how high-energy it all was. I had to cut off filming because she said "raise your hands in the air" and everyone did, and little old me couldn't see a thing. :(
ps - you can definitely hear that mouthy broad I mentioned earlier.

Here are a coupla other of my fave pics.

I got an autographed cd, too. They were pre-autographed, I didn't get to meet her, but it's still pretty cool. And yes, I idolize Cyndi Lauper almost as much as I do Joan Jett. And you all know how much I love her. But honestly, it was one of - if not THE best concerts I've ever been to.

weekend ups and downs

Since I moved to Asheville a year ago, I've been sicker more than I have in like 10 years. I've had to leave work early twice, once to food poisoning and once to general dizziness / nausea. And that's not counting all the times I've been sick NOT at work.

This weekend was about the worst it's been. I was off work and we headed out to Bele Chere, which is the biggest street faire in the southeast. You can drink beer in the streets while perusing lots of local wares and food. There are lots of concerts, and they are all free. It's generally a good time.

I was having a good time, but with a few irritants. One, I was going to buy a pretty rainbow tie-dyed dress, but the one I wanted was on a mannequin. I went to the shop guy with the cash in my hand and brought him over so he could get it for me. He went about taking it off the mannequin, and then handed it to someone else, who then proceeded to stretch it as far as she could and put it on over her clothes. Now I can't blame her for that second part, I was planning to do the same thing. But the fact that she stretched it way further than she needed to (and she was already a bigger girl than me) turned me off of that dress. I'm not going to pay good money for something that would have fit me. And the shop guy totally ignored me, even though *I* was the one who made him get off his lazy ass so I could buy something. So he didn't get any of my money that day.

The other irritants were minor - things like normal businesses raising their prices for the festival (which didn't faze me because I had a buy-one-get-one free coupon anyway, so that was actually the best time for me to use it). Luckily I had enough good friends (and good beer) with me that the day wasn't ruined.

Last year we had gone to the festival, and there was a chick selling handmade chokers / bracelets / anklets out of some natural hemp-like material coated in wax (which makes it so you can wear the piece for the rest of your life, showering, swimming, etc.). I really really wanted one, but we had literally just moved here so we had zero dollars. She didn't have a website or anything and was from Florida, so I couldn't buy one later. But the same girl was there again this year, and so I got myself an anklet with the money that would have gone to the dress jerks.

Then after a full day, we headed home. I got a pretty bad headache, so I went straight to bed. A few hours later, I woke up wth an upset tummy. Little did I know that I would not be going back to sleep that night. Instead, I would spend the entire night vomiting. I'm not sure what caused it, as I only ate one thing that my friends didn't eat, and there wasn't any food left in my system by the time it started coming back up anyway. I did have a lot of beer while walking around on a hot day, but I kept properly hydrated and protected from the sun, even seeking out AC a few times. But whatever the reason, I sure paid for it. It was the awesome kind of sick that when I thought I was done, I'd go lay down and try to sleep, only to have to get back up a few minutes later.

Luckily I was off the next day, or I would have had to call in. I felt better, but not great, but I was done puking. However, since I had no sleep, I was utterly exhausted and spent the next day recouping from what could have only been a poisoning.

new job position

Today I was given the news that I got the new position at work. Now instead of beng in charge of inventory and stocking the store, I'll be hanging all the signs. The hours are pretty much the same, and I get a bit of a raise. Every little bit helps!

However, I don't feel as excited as I should. Why? Because I was the only one to apply to the job. They had to give it to me. There were 3 job openings all at the same time: this one, a team lead, and a senior team lead. But the other jobs are at the other store in town, and you are only allowed to apply to one job. Frankly, I didn't even know about the other two, or maybe I would have applied for the one I'm (semi) qualified for. Everyone else did. Seriously, a large portion of my coworkers put in for them. I guess I'm just less ambitious than them? I don't know.

My current supervisor was sad and fake mad at me. But he is one of the people that applied for the senior team lead, so he can't say too much. He knows I need the money, and rather than leave the store completely, I'm just moving off his team. We can still hang out, but he's sad that losing me means more work for him.

When I was given the news, I was assured that it's because I'm so awesome (her words), so that makes me feel a little better. Anyway, I start my new position in 2 or 3 weeks, so I'll report back then. Hopefully the raise will be enough to start changing my life, but if not, I'll still keep my options open.

appreciation

Today I had my review at work. I think it is technically supposed to be done every 6 months, but it's a little late and who's counting?

Even though I know I'm an awesome employee, I still had that brief moment of fear when they called me in. Emotional Girl Brain was expecting to hear something like "You're still doing ok, but not as well as we'd hoped. Your performance has dropped since last review." and so on and so on. Logical Robot Brain tried to argue that I had just been named Customer Service Champion for the month of March and am currently "a person of interest" for a new, higher paying position, but still the fear. You know how Emotional Girl Brain overpowers Logical Robot Brain sometimes.

But of course the fear was unfounded. I was given the rating of "effective" because apparently you have to work there a year before being "excellent," even if everyone in the store knows the real score, which was explained to me apologetically. But store policy or whatever. I was also given a raise. It's a small raise, only like an extra dollar a day, but something anyway. Then I was told how awesome I am. Let me quote:
*ahem*
You are prompt to work and bring a can-do attitude to work each day. Your infectious friendly attitude helps keep other team members positive and goal-oriented. ...Your outgoing personality and positive attitude is reflected in how well you serve guests....The sense of urgency when you are working s reflected in how dependable and quick you work...

(I took out some of the more store-specific comments, but you get the picture.) I was also informed that my immediate supervisor may be leaving at some point, and I am a shoo-in for his job. Keep in mind this is the person giving me the review.

So, what have we learned today? Recognition for being awesome is, well, awesome.

And just because it fits the theme, the Dollyrots. Blogger won't let me embed the video because it gets joy ut of pissing me off.



ps - thank you to everyone who donated to the AIDS Walk. I raised $380!

yay, work

Recently I had been feeling a bit "blah" about work, probably because the weather is nice and I had a week off not too long ago. But the last few days have been making me feel great.



Monday, I was asked to switch departments. The pay would be better, but the hours would suck (4am to noon every day). I'd be working with one friend again, but I would leave the friends on my current team. I decided I'd ask if I could do maybe half and half, as the extra money would be nice.



Yesterday I was stopped when I went to clock out for lunch because they needed to take my picture. This picture:

Apparently during the last People in Charge Meeting, I was voted in. It's kinda like Employee of the Month, so I'm pretty stoked.

Then today, I was again asked how I like my current position. I laughed and asked if this was about the same thing as Monday. They said "not really" and proceeded to explain this other position to me. It wouldn't be a promotion in the titular sense, but there would be more money. My schedule would almost be the same as it is now, just an hour earlier. I would be my own team, working all by myself. I'd still get to see my friends, just not work side by side with them. So I'm going to go for it. I still have to "apply" for it, but something tells me I'll get it.

Jay has been having similar experiences at work, so it looks like we might be staying around this area for a while.

ps - Don't forget to donate to my AIDS Walk.

spring, is that you?

It's 67 degrees in Asheville today, the warmest it's been in months. I had the windows down and no jacket on my way home from work, and now at home I have as many windows open as I can. (We still have some of them winterproofed, so that means I can't even open the blinds, which is a bummer.)

I hope this weather sticks around. I am so sick of snow, I die a little more each time the temperature drops. At work we've gotten in beach towels, swimsuits, summer toys, pool chemicals, garden stuff, and other things that make me forget how cold it is outside. I haven't bought any of this fun stuff yet, because I don't want to get my hopes up. However, the time doth approach nigh, I am sure of it.

Also this weather reminds me (like I needed reminding) that I need to move somewhere warm. I'm happier and have more energy when the sun is shining, so it's really better for the whole world. (To a point... there's a line crossed that can involve sunburns and humidity that we won't mention.) Still not sure where we're going to move, but in my fantasy it has nice year-round springtime.

For now, I will just enjoy today.

v-day recap

My Valentine's Day was good. Jay and I both had to work all day. I worked a double because I only have half days this week. It's nice to be but by noon, but my bills are crying loudly. The second half of my day I was working as a cashier, and with the combination of a consumerist holiday and the threat of more snow (and because people in Asheville are retarded) it was stupid busy.

When I left work I was completely exhausted, but I opened my front door to find a beautiful candlelight dinner. Jay had gotten takeout from Outback, so I had a yummy chicken salad to nom while he had a big fat steak. We left the tv and computers off and out of sight, and had good "us" time. Really it was no different than any other day, except for the candles.

He didn't have to do anything for V-Day because it's not a big deal to me, and he knew that, but he did something anyway. And that's why I love him. He makes all my worries go away, at least temporarily, and that makes my heart smile.
/cheesy sap
/sappy cheese

about love (and presents)

So it was me & Jay's second anniversary last week. I started the celebrations a day early because I got off work at 3 and was off the actual day of. Plus I like presents. I brought home for him a crock pot (which he's been wanting for a while), a crock pot cookbook, and an assortment of hot sauces. Then I took him out to a steakhouse for dinner.

He gave me some WoW time, so now in addition to watering my stupid plants in Animal Crossing and defeating evil in Wii Zelda, I'll have to go back to worrying about leveling my WoW toons. He also paid for Star Trek on DVD (the super special version where the case becomes the Enterprise, available only at Target) - that was for BOTH of us though - and bought me a cute shirt that just happened to be on sale for 1/3 the price for one day only (and that day was our anniversary). Oh yeah, and this:




See the sparkly next to the penguin? Yeah, it's one of my new mystic topaz earrings gotten to match the ring and necklace I already have. You know the ones:

So between the presents, and you know - the love of my life, it was a pretty good day.

it's the tiny things

Today started out to be one of those days. I made myself look nice & pretty for work, but then I was running late. I forgot my lunch, and couldn't go back & get it without being even later. But then I saw a tiny frog while I was waiting to get into work and I smiled.

Thanks to some clever highway speeding, I was only 2 minutes late and I'm convinced that if they had unlocked the door when I first arrived, I would have been on time. But then I would have missed the frog.

You see my dilemna.

weekend fun!

So this weekend we hopped in the car and drove for 2 hours to meet up with the some friends in Charlotte. Well it was more than 2 hours because we stopped on the way to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings, which is one of those places we used to go all the time in Michigan but Asheville is without. I got to meet a few new folks and reconnect with some folks I already knew. Everyone was great, and we were all dressed up. Of course, I forgot my camera so I have to wait til everyone else uploads their pictures so I can steal them.

Besides the Halloween party, I also got to pet lots of horses and go to the Carolina RenFest. Jay and I did bring our RenFest costumes, but something about going to bed at 5am that morning left us too lazy to wear them, so we went in normal clothes. There we saw some shows, ate some food... and pet more horses. The highlight of that part was meeting the giant Clydesdale in the petting zoo, who was completely blind. See? (thanks to Jay for the picture!)

He had a helper dog with him. Not only was the dog "on guard" while people were petting the horse, but we got to see the coolest thing happen: The horse tapped his giant foot against the fence, and the dog mmediately bounded over the fence and ran to the horse's handler. The handler then went and got some food for the horse, and the dog went off duty for a bit.

I'll post pictures from the party as soon as I get some, so stay tuned!

actual new friend

So I'm in love with my coworker. Not in a "she's so hawt, I want to maul her!" type of way. More like a "she's so super awesome and nice and I want to hang out with her" kind of way.

On my team of 4 people, she's the other girl besides me. She's also closest to my age. So we've got that going for us. Also, she just moved here from Michigan. And her husband works for the same company that Jay works for (different branch though). We're totally twinsies.

Last week I was complaining that my coffee pot had broken. She mentioned she might have an extra one because one birthday she got one from her husband AND one from her mom. She went on a short vacation back to Michigan, and saw the extra coffee pot at her parents' house, still unopened. So she brought it to me. She didn't even want any money or anything for it.

Then today I mentioned that I would be sitting in the break room for 2 hours after work because Jay didn't get off work til then, and it was raining so I couldn't do my normal walk to the mall to kill time. She offered to hang out with me and of course I accepted. We wandered around our store for a bit because sometimes there are things we want to take a closer look at, but can't because we are working. I ended up splurging and buying a pair of $8 pajama pants. My old ones were literally worn until they fell apart, and I miss them. Plus these were on clearance.

Then we went to the mall (she drove) and wandered around there. As is apt to happen when 2 girls wander around together, we got to talking and bonded a bit. At one point we were in an accessory store and she bought some bobby pins. The guy told her that anything else would be half off with that purchase, so she told me to pick out something. I had been fancying these sparkly barrettes, s she grabbed them and bought them for me. I didn't ask her to, and I offered to split the package with her, but she said no.

We still had a bit of time to kill, so we wandered over to the bookstore to look at bridal magazines (for her). We sat in comfy chairs, looked at pretty pictures of dresses, and gabbed like freinds do. She waited with me until Jay was done with work, and I thanked her for everything profusely.

I think I'm going to make her a little bracelet to give her when I go back to work on Wednesday. You might even call it a - friendship bracelet? :D :D :D



ps - speaking of me making stuff, you can still buy pretty things from me to help with those pesky bills.

work is grrrrrrreat!

I haven't updated in a while, so here goes.

I really like my job. Still getting used to being at work at 7am, but being home around 2ish certainly has its perks. Around 4-4:30, I take a nap, and then I'm good til about 11 or so for bed. Rinse and repeat.
Jay has a job too, and it's about a mile away from mine. This is especially nice since we still share a car. Generally I get off before him and take my time walking down to his store, maybe meandering into other stores on the way. Then we go home together. Sometimes we work opposite shifts though, so we see each other only briefly all day.

My coworkers are pretty awesome. My "team leader" is an English / Literature professor, and gets all my obscure references. The other chick on the team is about my age, also just moved here from MI, and her husband works at the same store as Jay (different branch though). We're twins. Plus she gave me a coffee pot when I told her mine broke. She had an extra one, never opened, and it works super. The other guy on the team is the type that over explains things, but other than that he's fine. So out of us 4, it's a good team.

Other people I work with all seem pretty cool too. One of the managers (the one who actually gave the thumbs up to hire me on the spot) plays a lot of the same videogames I do and is into other nerdy stuff I am, so we also have decent conversations. In fact, sometimes I clock back in from lunch, but then get caught up in discussions with 2 managers, and don't necessarily get back to work on time. But I can't get in trouble because I'm talking to the people that would be doing the disciplining me.

People there like me, too. I've had a few of the higher ups have told me that they've "been hearing good things about me." The store manager even knew my name before we were actually introduced. The only problem with the job is that I don't get paid enough, but I'm sure that as soon as I'm eligible for raises, I will begin receiving them. One cool option at the store is that you can pick up other people's shifts easily. So I'm working 13 hours on Friday. I'll be tired as a monkey, but at least I'll have a few more bucks.

moved in!

What's this? I'm sitting on my own couch, watching my own tv, using my newly installed cable & internet? That's right folks, after exactly 2 months of living in North Carolina, we have finally moved into our new place. I am so over all of the following:

-fleas and other bugs
-living out of a suitcase in a tiny bedroom shared with a cat and a boy
-worrying about roommates eating my food
-being lectured on how much the water & electricity bills have risen because of us
-having to watch crappy reality shows because its not my tv
-bratty dogs that eat everything from the cat's toys to the cat poop to the frozen chicken that was supposed to be our dinner
-a bathroom with no electrical outlets
-not having full access to all my shoes & purses
-Direct TV (I prefer my tivo, thankyouverymuch)

There were some good things too, but I would have much rather been able to move into this house July 1 like we were originally supposed to.

The move itself wasn't so bad. Our stuff had been stored in the garage, and somehow the couches and a few things got moldy / musty / dusty. I cleaned them as best I could (read: lots of febreeze and vacuuming) but the main couch still stinks. We have a blanket over it, periodically febreeze it, and have all the windows near it open, so hopefully that helps.

Do you know how comfortable my bed was after sleeping in Jessica's spare bed? That other bed was too small, noisy, and just plain uncomfortable. My bed is like a dream of pillows and marshmellows. Not to mention it was the hottest room in the house, so even with fans I was unhappy. New room = heaven.

Mecrutio is a real champ at moving. He was of course the last "thing" we brought over. I held the carrier up t the dogs so they could say goodbye, and we headed out. I put him down, opened the carrier, and let him do his thing. His thing, incidentally, involved slinking in circles around the house. The bedroom has 2 doors, so he could go living room - kitchen - laundry room - kitchen - bedroom - living room. He seemed to enjoy it. We've since closed off the door from the bedroom to the living room due to space issues, but he's still fine. For a cat, he adapts extremely well to change. Within an hour he was curled up on our bed. I think he missed our bed too.

I had this week off from work (scheduling issues - all 4 of us hired at the same time were off this week) but I did need the time to move. Incidentally, I never heard back from the higher paying job. That sucks, but oh well. I've already used my discount at the store that did hire me when we needed to replace the stuff we left in MI (such as a trash can, toaster, etc.).

good news

Today was potentially a good day on the job front. A local beer pub was having open interviews, so Jay and I headed down there. We walk in and there are a few people with paperwork and a few doing interviews. We're handed the applications and take a seat. Normal stuff: work history, education, etc, but on the back there is a quiz about beer. I realized that I know nothing about Belgian beers, which is the cornerstone of this pub. But I do the best I can.

When we finished the applications, we had a few minutes to sit around. A girl near us was doing her interview, so we sort of listened in. Now, the last question on the quiz was "how did Michael Jackson influence you?" Obviously a joke question, but I had an answer for it. (When I was 5 I broke my arm, and was moonwalking in the ER.) The guy doing the interview asked this girl "so how did you like the quiz?" She says it was fine, but what was with that last question? The guy laughed it off but she was serious. He was like "well you've heard of Michael Jackson, right?" And she said no. She was serious. There is a person in this world who - even after all the recent hubbub - had never heard of Michael Jackson. Jay and I exchanged shocked looks. I didn't think that was even possible, but there she was.

Our interview time came up, and we were separated. There were 3 different interviewers: I talked to Man A and Man B, and Jay talked to Man B and Woman. Man A was a lot more serious and business minded, but apparently I was entertaining enough that we talked for a long time. Jay kind of got brushed off it seems, so he was done way before me and was able to listen in on mine. Then I got Man B, and we spent more time joking and laughing, but still talked for a while. So hopefully one (or both) of us hears something from that. Sure, I'm the people person, but Jay is the one that knows beer. We would be a good team.

Then I had a "casual interview" about being a promo model for an energy drink. The guy mentioned he needed a sales rep as well, and Jay was there, so we are both now representatives of Cocaine Energy Drink. We go to bars and anywhere else we can, I wear a sexy schoolgirl outfit, we give away samples, and then when bar owners, etc. realize that this product can be sold, they talk to Jay. It's not a bad rap - right now it's not enough to pay the bills, but it's a nice coupla bucks. (To be honest, the drink is pretty tasty.)

So when we got home from all that, I once again hopped on craigslist. I applied to a retail position at a children's store, and a few minutes got a call for an interview. That happens on Monday. Since the energy drink thing is only a coupla hours a week, I can definitely hold a day job as well. So wish me luck with all my endeavors!

movin along

I had a job interview on Friday, at a clothing store in the mall. I think it went well, so hopefully I get the full time Assistant Manager position - though I would settle for part time cashier. I would have to get another job too, but I'm kind of expecting to do that anyway. I would get a 40% discount on super cute (and cheap) clothes. Their dress code is pretty casual (jeans with "appropriate" holes are ok, for example), but this is what I wore to the interview (notice the lack of tattoos!):

Yes, that is Star Trek Generations on the tv.


Luckily I could leave my tattoos uncovered if I got the job.

So when I uploaded the above photo to facebook, it matched me with an ad. I took a screenshot.

Notice the colors, posing, and jewelry location. I thought it was hilarious.

We saw our new place today. It wasn't as small as we thought it would be, which is good. However, it does need to be sprayed for termites, an all-over scrub, and a paint job before we move in, and then some ongoing work after we actually get our crap over there. But it will be nice to have a place of our own again (and be able to unpack!). 2 people & a cat living out of a tiny bedroom is not what I woud call an ideal living situation.

I finished the bracelet I was working on. Go check it out and let me know if you have a design I should make for you.

Ok, that's all for now. TTFN.

crossing fingers

So, as I've mentioned before, I've been applying to jobs online. Today I turned in my first resume in person. It's at the "hippie" grocery store - you know, organic, vegetarian, free-range, etc. It would be an awesome place to work all around, so I checked out their website and emailed them my resume. A guy emailed my back and told me when he would be in the store so I could drop off my resume in person. So today I went.

I thought it was going to be a quick, here's my resume, nice to meet you, shake hands and leave, so I didn't get very dressed up - khaki shorts and a polka-dot shirt. The shirt was low cut, but not a tank top. Significance? My tattos were visible but not on attention-drawing display.

Jay and I went into the store (I needed some veggie sausage anyway) and I went to the customer service desk. I noticed a big stack of applications, so I grabbed one and headed to the cafe area. On the way there a guy stopped us - "looking for me?" It was the guy I was supposed to meet, and he saw that I was carrying a resume so he guessed I was me. He told me to go fill out the app and he'd be with me in a few minutes. As I was filling it out, he was running around, having other people fill stuff out, getting paged to the front, etc. Jay went to go shop / look around while I waited.

Eventually he came back over, and gave me a rundown of everything. They weren't hiring right this second (despite the enormous amount of people turning n resumes), and when a position does open up it generally goes to someone internally. The store by my house is the flagship store, the busiest store, and thus the highest demand to work. But he slips in an "outsider" application whenever possible. After we had been talking for a few minutes, he told me that I had a really strong presence and belonged out helping customers. I agreed and told him this is my strongest point. We chatted a bit more, and I could tell he was really digging me. In fact, he gave me the hiring manager's name to the other Asheville store, AND a list of other local (similar) business that I could also apply to, just in case. He understood that I just moved here and need a job, but he said he hoped I would wait because I was "an easy sell" to the official hiring manager.

Poor Jason was wandering the store during this entire time. According to him, it was about an hour and a half. This doesn't surprise me, because even though the guy kept getting called away to "interview" other people, he always came back to me, and we talked for a LONG time. I walked out of there with a really good feeling. Hopefully something opens up soon, because I know I'll be the first in line for an "outsider" position.

surprise concert!

 lot of my friends in various places across the country have been going to the NIN/JA Tour, which is Nine Inch Nails & Jane's Addiction. Everyone has said it was a good show. I thought it would be, and I was jealous of all those people that got to go. Then the other day I heard on the radio that the tour was coming to Detroit May 31. I let out an audible gasp and looked at Jay. I knew we couldn't afford to go, but I really really wanted to. Jane's Addiction has been one of my favorite bands since I was like 15. I have all their cds and even a movie they made. NIN is cool too, though I haven't bought a cd of theirs since I was a freshman in high school. But I knew they would both put on a good show, if only I had the $22 - $96 required. Jay even tried to win tickets for me, but no luck.

Then yesterday morning, I received a text from my buddy Max asking if anyone wanted to go to the show that night, free of charge. My phone happened to be right next to me, so I texted him back immediately. (Part of the benefits of having a full QWERTY keyboard phone is my lightning-fast texting skillz.) I was the first to respond, so I was going to the concert.   

The very first band (which we only caught 2 songs of) was Street Sweeper Social Club, fronted by Tom Morello and Boots Riley. Not really the style of music I usually go for, but they put on a damn fine show. During the break, we walked around DTE Theater, which I'd never been to. It has a giant lawn (those are the cheap seats) and lots of trees and plants. Quite a nice place, actually. (It used to be called Pine Nob, for any old-skool Detroiters out there.)

We came back to our seats in time for NIN. The sun was still out, and Trent Reznor made a crack about how these songs are written in the dark and meant to be performed in the dark, but here they are bright as day, so to speak. The only disappointment I had was that Trent cut his hair. I think it showed his age more and I preferred when he looked like Professor Snape.

Cameras were allowed, so I took full advantage of that, believe me. I've posted only a few here. The rest are viewable on my flickr account. (Link to come later today.) I also got a few videos. (Link also to come later today.)

NIN used a fog machine, and the effects were kind of lost in the daylight. But the brightness allowed some good pictures. (As always, click to enlarge.)

Jane's Addiction was much harder to photograph. Not only had the sun gone down, but they used a lot of blue lighting AND they were running around like crazy people, even though they mostly played mellower songs. It made for a really awesome show, but also a lot of blurry shots. Here are a few of the better ones. 

So that was the show. Thanks again to Max for bringing me along and giving me an early ( 2 weeks!) bday present. He didn't say it was for my bday, but I like to assume that it was. 

Here is the link to my flickr with the rest of the photos, and my Youtube for 5 videos (2 NIN / 3 Jane's).

back in the habit

I do believe I'm going to walk home from work more often. I already do it once a week, but why not every day? I get off late enough that the sun isn't bearing down, but early enough that it still exists. It's a very short, easy walk, and my laptop fits comfortably in my backpack. Plus, there are lots of cool photo opportunities, like this field full of dandelions:

Or the guy that was using a discman instead of an mp3 player. Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of that one. But those of you that follow me on twitter got that news as I immediately updated from my phone.

When I lived in NYC, I walked everywhere. I loved that. I miss it. You would think not having a car in Michigan would be reason enough to walk places, but I do still have a chauffeur of sorts. However, I think I am going to try & get Jay to walk with me. Can't hurt, right? But even if he doesn't wish to accompany me, I can easily do the 10-minute walk by myself. 

ps - If you want some pretty jewelry, check out my etsy store. Failing that, I can make you something special. Just tell me what to do.

pps - the other day leaving the apartment complex, we saw that a squirrel had gotten hit by a car. We swerved to avoid the little body (the guy behind us did not! Jerk.) but couldn't tell if it was Griswold or not. I haven't seen her in a bit, so I really really hope my adopted pet squirrel is ok.

winter is over

Despite the fact that it snowed here on Sunday (which I was not happy about, btw), I am now sure that Winter is officially over. My squirrel friend Griswold is back.

It's been months since we'd seen her. Sure, there were other squirrels that came sniffing around for handouts, but these were boy squirrels. Also: they were jerks. They would climb on our patio furniture and even up the screen door like they had some sort of grandiose sense of entitlement. We were so sure that these mean old boys (aptly named Stubby, Stubby 2, Tiny, and Blackie, among others) had chased our friend away. We were sad and mad. They never got any peanuts from us.

But last night Gris came back. Jay had been temporarily kidnapped by one of the neighbors to fix something or other, and a squirrel came to the door (the glass was open but the screen was closed). What drew my attention was that this squirrel was looking inside, but waiting patiently - NOT climbing on things and being a jerk. Then I noticed Mecrutio was at his guard post, ready to eat whatever critters got close enough. This squirrel wasn't intimidated by the cat. A car drove by and the squirrel darted away. "Gris?" I called out timidly. And she stuck her head back around the corner. Say what you will, but this squirrel knows her name (or at least the sound of my or Jay's voice). "Gris?" I asked again. She crept a little closer.

I darted up to get the peanuts. The sudden movement spooked her a little bit, but she didn't run away. I came back to the door and snuck a peek at her underbelly. This was definitely not a boy squirrel. I was so excited. I tossed out a few peanuts (after moving the cat out of the way), and Gris came up and ate them. Now for the final test - if this really was my friend Gris, she would eat peanuts out of my hand no problem. I fed her a whole handful this way. It was definitely Griswold.

Here's a picture of me feeding Gris. It's not from last night, but the effect is the same (except I'm wearing a different color of sparkly nail polish):


Yay for springtime!

just some things

1. Today is my dad's bday. I would normally call him and wish him a happy first day of spring, just like he would call me on my bday to wish me a happy Flag Day. I don't like that it will never happen again, and I'm going to stop writing this now before I cry.

2. In other, less Debbie-Downer news, yesterday I finally got my w2. This morning, my federal refund was in my bank. Happy coincidence? Or did my deadbeat former employer get a happy little call from the IRS that had obviously received and reviewed my paperwork?

3. This money is earmarked for moving. We are definitely moving out of our crappy apartment, and more than likely moving to Asheville, NC, where Jay's wonderful and beautiful sister (are you reading this, Jess?) will have a house for us to rent. More details as that story develops.

4. That's all for now. Happy 1st day of spring, everybody.