Mondays are for recovery: An insane damn weekend.

Friday night: Dinner and a Movie
Dinner:  Abby Singer's Bistro
Movie: Whiplash

Dinner was great; rushed, because by the time our food was brought it was practically time to be finding our seats downstairs, but that wasn't really a fault of anything other than cutting it too close on the time.  We made the film in time, but ended up in the second row... fortunately, the Robinson Film Center's front rows are still good seats.

The Movie.... wasn't what I expected. It was great, but for some reason I was expecting a little less abuse and a little more "This One Time, at Band Camp...."

I have no idea why I was expecting that. That said, it was a seriously good movie.  A bit slow in places, but the plot development was strong and the score was spectacular.

Saturday Day:  Winter Wonders XXIX

SCA time!  Due to scheduling logistics I decided to just attend for the day, so I was up and driving by a bit after 7:00.  A lot of my day was spent just visiting with my favorite people; I had a meeting and that evening, the Order of the Pelican announced the induction of two pretty awesome people (to happen at a later date); I was happy to herald for Their Majesties and Duchess Onora was a horribly bad influence.  I heard that Feast was great, but I couldn't stick around...

Saturday Night: FIGHTS, The Rusty Shacklefords, Kill Matilda @ Hangar 21

Two bands I'd never heard before, and one that I love dearly!  It was going to be That Kind of Night... so my +1 and myself took a cab there, knowing we wouldn't want to drive home again at the end of the night.  Bonus, we discovered that Shreveport taxis are really cheap.

FIGHTS is a local band whose genre as per Facebook is "Punk/Indie/Post Hardcore."  I don't even know what Post-Hardcore is, but from the sounds of it it's what I have referred to, historically, as Cookie Monster music.

I like Cookie Monster music. Think about it- Cookie Monster in a band? What wouldn't be to love. I couldn't understand most of the lyrics but the musicians were solid good.

The Rusty Shacklefords are punk rock. Period.  They cover Fugazi and Black Flag and The Stooges and have several of their own tracks, including the pretty catchy "Mommy Got a Tramp Stamp" that got them on the 99X shitlist, which is an excellent place to be, in my opinion. This was their first gig back in a long time after a break, and even longer since Mike, the original guitarist, rejoined the lineup.  Ian Quiet, frontman of the Ian Quiet Band and also a soloist joined them for a couple songs, too, including playing synth on their cover of "I Wanna be Your Dog."

Kill Matilda is a band on a North American tour from Canada.  I'm not gonna lie... it had been a long day and I had had a few Vodka & Cranberries by this point.  They were excellent musicians and the lyrics I noted were good, albeit my recollection of their set is a little bit blurry.

Sunday:  ROAD TRIP!

The Quad State Derby Dames were hosting a mash-up bout with a Hunger Games theme. We started out the night with 23 skaters, and did a reaping on the spot to sort them into the Capitol VS the Mockingjays.  The Capitol was victorious, and calling the game was a lot of fun.  As the new coach for TCK, I was thrilled to see my skaters represented on both teams well, and they all held their own brilliantly, even the new girls.

NSOs, refs, and other volunteers

But I gotta back up.

First, Adam and I hit Chicken Express for some late-afternoon hangover recovery chicken.  Chicken Express is a largely Texas thing, and it's scarce.  They're locally owned/operated, and at the Texarkana branch, I saw something I'd never seen before:  Scripture on a food receipt. I don't mean "God Bless ya!" I mean a several-line long verse.  Unfortunately, I've lost my receipt, but a Twitter user named Coach Jacobs took a pic of his (slightly different verse, same receipt)....

Praise the Lord and pass the Chicken, ya'll.

A whirlwind weekend of music and art, a roadtrip, and a bicycle (Shows 1-3 of 2014).

The first weekend of 2014 brought me....

A late night Friday. The Ian Quiet Band was hitting the stage at AMP at Mojo's, which is a no-cover-charge, Jam-as-you-like musician's session thing.  The talent there has been great the few times I've hit it.  To hone their set for Saturday in Monroe, IQB did 4 songs as part of the showcase.  Coconut Donut, With or Without You, Mommy Got a Tramp Stamp, and.... oh. Something else. I cannot remember what the first song was!  They sounded great.  The other artists sounded great. We left when the very talented Blues guitarist who went up a few sets later was doing a great job of rocking us to sleep with his smooth riffs... very good, but we weren't ready to sleep yet!  So, we headed to The Boot.

Now, I'm not going to claim practices that I can't, but I was taking it very easy on the alcohol. I had two beers early in the evening, then was nursing water for the rest of the evening.  The Boot is not a bar that I've ever enjoyed soberly at 2 AM.  The Boot is also my Case-in-Point example for my belief that nothing good ever happens past 2 AM in Downtown Shreveport.  However, I was enjoying time out with wonderful people, and it was too early for the night to end.  We watched some horrendous karaoke and I watched a friend exercise a Machiavellian approach to flirting that was pretty damn adorable.  I wanted to stick around to hear Katrina and Ian belt out "Just a Girl" but I had to get myself to bed.

An Early Saturday. Well, I went to bed around 3:30, so 9:00 FELT early!  I fed myself a good breakfast then took out for a ride.  I wrecked my bike on the first and banged myself up a bit, but got the broken parts repaired pretty easily, so I didn't want to not ride on such a pretty day.  I logged 8 miles.  Highland is aptly named.... fucking hills. HILLS. Everywhere.  My ride took me into downtown, along Clyde Fant, and then back towards home via the neighborhoods around Shreveport-Barksdale.  It was a meandering route with no real intention other than to ride.  Came home, did a bit of sewing, and took a nap to prepare myself for...

A Late Night Saturday.  I checked out Ian's solo show at the Karpele's Manuscript Museum.  Now... as a museum, I'm not impressed with their current collection. I went to see it last weekend with a friend who was in town, and it was a little underwhelming. As a cool old converted church, though, it's tops.  The acoustics are great, and his show was good though it's my opinion that the audience didn't know whether to behave as though we were at church, or at a concert.  The crowd response was very muted and I think that the ambience turned everyone more introspective than a normal show would have caused.  They did a screening of The Hummingbird, a film starring Ian from the Louisiana Film Prize competition last year, and I really enjoyed it though I was expecting something FAR happier and lighter, for some reason.  Then he played a few songs on the pipe organ, and that was amazing.  More of that, please!
I then stepped in and acted as his Road Manager to get his adoring fanbase held at bay because we were on a mission.  We took off to meet the rest of the band, got everyone into cars, and headed to Sal's Saloon in Monroe (with a brief stop to pay homage to the Duck Commander Headquarters, because exercising free speech is important to us, too).

That's an album cover if ever there was one...

The show KILLED.  The introduction of a theramin to some of their songs was great, and well-placed.  The vocals were clear and powerful.  I can't tell you the setlist, but it was excellent, and was also laid down on a recording by the Very Friendly Sound Guy.  Prestor John was also a super-treat to see, and their set was likewise, stellar.  The 3rd band, Mailbomber... well, not my speed. Good, but not what I was in the mood for.  We took off, hit a What-a-Burger (best grilled cheese sandwich of my life, I swear), and I made it into my bed at 4:30 AM.  A car full of drunk people made the right home quite entertaining, and it passed quickly.

And then...

Seriously, Sunday morning?  9 AM?  9?????  No. Too early.  But, I was awake and the boycats wanted breakfast.  I had the great ambition of riding to the Line Avenue Brookshire's, but by the time I made it to King's had determined that I was just not going to get warm enough. I went to that Brookshire's instead, and only rode about 3 miles, round trip.  I took a nap. I sewed, and got my loom warped, and I spent the evening with friends all engaged in crafts in my tiny apartment listening to what James called the "Best of Roller Rink Music: 90s mix."  I wrapped up the night with a sweet cozy cat pile and a book before a solid night's sleep.

If all of the weekends of 2014 could be just like this one, I would not complain.

The Dalai Lama; Musical Events # 19-21; A Very Long Nap.

A quick glance at my Google Calendar tells me that I REALLY dropped the ball on updating the whosits and whatsits of where I've been and what I've been doing.

Oops.

Last weekend, Krak, Nate and I headed to NOLA for two days of public talks by the Dalai Lama.  For the most part I left the phone ignored so I could try to be present in the moment, and for the most part, it worked.  I did not get dozens of blurry photos of maroon robe and shiny bald head, but I don't think anybody is sad about that.  I did get a wall hanging from the Drepung Monks which I have yet to get put up in my office.  Aside from the talks, the weekend featured some DAMN fine food and friends and a lesson in learning the New Orleans Transit System as we decided to stay on the West Bank and take busses/streetcars to get around.

Salt N Pepper - I'm pretty sure this is a converted convenience store.  We had some AMAZING Indian food.  Nate ordered the Chicken Masala and the sauce was toe-curlingly good.  I had a religious experience with some goat (not A goat, which would be an entirely different situation).  I do not remember what Krak ordered but it was delish as well.  They also feature gyros and pizza, which we did not try.

So, that was the pre-Dalai Lama meal on Friday.  Then there was the talk, the navigating of the bus lines back to our hotel on the West Bank.  Shower. Nap. Sent Nate and Krak out on supersexy date night and got myself ready to go out with a great friend who first took me to Jagerhaus and then to ALL the fun Quarter places, including the Carousel for random drink roulette and Fat Cats(?) for a band and dancing and beverages and it was nice. The band was fun. No clue what their name was, actually, but they were enjoyable and we were there for several songs, so they make up #19 on this year's list --- Random New Orleans House Bar.
Home again for a 4-day work week, and then....

#20

Black Flag/ Good For You/ Mind Spiders

Shit, kids. I was NOT prepared for this.

So, I went into this tired. Didn't sleep Thursday night, loaded into the car with Misti, Eric, and Zakk (three of the 4 Rusty Shacklefords), drank ALL the caffeine and wore not the smartest boots.  Despite feeling like we were "running late" we weren't. We got to the venue in time to get in, buy merch, have a beer, and leisurely wait for the Mind Spiders to take the stage.  We established our spots on the railing and enjoyed their show.  They clearly had a local following present and they were good but I can't remember anything that especially stood out.  

Good For You is- and I didn't know this going in- the same exact lineup as Black Flag with the exception of Mike Vallely as lead vocalist instead of Chavo.  Also, Greg Ginn plays a theremin as well as the guitar, and now I want a theremin.  I'd not heard a peep of Good For You but of the three acts, they were my favorite.  Really awesome energy, strong lyrics, and a motherfucking theremin.

So, there's then a long intermission and Black Flag takes the stage, and the shit promptly got real.  I am used to frenzied concert crowds but sweet Jesus, I do not think I've ever dealt with a band with such a HUGE devoted following.  I got very claustrophobic very quickly and was about to hit the wall of "THIS IS NOT FUN", but thanks to the location we were at, was able to kind of sneak behind the stage barrier just a bit.  Fortunately, security was unconcerned-- they were busy paying attention to the crowd surfers and mosh pit.

OH HAI THERE!

This was an excellent place to be.

---

So, that was awesome, once the "people touching me" thing was resolved.  The ride home was not friendly on any of us; I pulled into my driveway at 4 AM Saturday morning and was doing good to get my shoes off before passing out.

#21- The Second Annual This Won't Suck

Got up and out of the house by 11 Saturday morning and thought that really did kind of suck, a lot, but I wanted to see the opening act, Das Pretzels, as they came from Zwolle and I felt like I should support the hometown boys.  Had the brilliant presence of mind to take a cooler and a case of water, which was pretty much the only thing that kept me from just falling down dead.  

Das Pretzels was good.  Prestor John's all acoustic "guitar and djimbe" set was AWESOME.  Summit Falls, whom I'd never heard of was also really great.  The two touring bands, Blanket of M and End Hits, were both really tight and the End Hits guys were SUPER nice, too.  Zakk and Sam as "The Regular Jerkoffs" were great and talented and fun and did the longest ode to a blanket I'd ever heard.  Goutbrake was as interesting as ever.  Bland and The Bipolaroids were both good but not my speed, exactly, and both of the Rusty Shax sets were awesome.  My ONLY sadness was that the rain ended up hitting about a song and a half into Social Bliss, which are currently high on my list of favorites, and then Midnight Tiger didn't get to play at all.

SO, I ended up limping into my bed around 11:30 that night, and stayed there until 12 hours later, when I had to get up and get human so that I could head to Monroe to run the scoreboard for a scrimmage bout.  I have feelings about that (the bout, not the scoreboard), but they're not ready to come out, just yet.

All in all, an absolutely perfect couple of weekends that reminded me that while I am not 20 anymore, 20 was not NEARLY as much fun as 34 is.

And now we're caught up!

The hazards of being my friend: Unicorns, Musical Theatre, Sarcasm.

(1:24:52 PM) Sarah: Friday, Feb. 8. 7:30. Avenue Q in Shreveport. You in?
(1:25:01 PM) Denise: .....
(1:25:01 PM) Denise: Avenue !
(1:25:04 PM) Denise: Q
(1:25:05 PM) Denise: ?
(1:26:02 PM) Sarah: YES
(1:26:10 PM) Sarah : Telllll me you know what I am talking about.
(1:26:15 PM) Denise: ......
(1:26:17 PM) Denise: um
(1:26:22 PM) Denise: stand by
(1:27:14 PM) Denise: well that seems interesting

And then.....


(1:29:49 PM) Sarah: Friday, Feb. 8. 7:30. Avenue Q in Shreveport. You in?
(1:30:00 PM) Sarah: Your heathen girlfriend isn't familiar with Ave Q.
(1:30:13 PM) Jennifer: is that a band?
(1:30:23 PM) Sarah: *sobs and wails*

And then Krak knew what I meant, and so thus, I was ok, because she did point out something...

(1:43:07 PM) Krak: they got the home depot genes not the musical theater

But then....

Sarah: taking some of the girls for Avenue Q on the night of the 8thJames: was that spose to come to meIsn't Avenue Q the dress store
Sarah: ...............musical
puppets
"The Internet is for Porn"?
James: puppets are more illegal than porn here.

Sounds like it's time for a "Get your ass cultured" field trip!

What do you do, indeed....

Second and 3rd shows of 2013; a bunch of other stuff, too!

Monday morning met me with trying to think of one solid and viable reason for why I should call in sick to work.  It was dreary... and I am capital-T Tired.

Friday Morning: Ortho Appointment

Thank the Sweet Gods of Roller Derby, I get to skate again. I've got to hold back on full contact for a week or two but that's ok; I can at least roll, which is enough for now.  My team has been hitting the ground running on endurance and skills this season, and I am very eager to catch up- and now I can.  Glory-be.  I feel like I ought to erect a small alter in the names of Quadzilla and Suzy Hotrod or something, and sacrifice bearings to it monthly.  Or maybe I should just freakin' skate.

Friday Night: Show at the Man Cave on Dalzell Street:  The Rusty Shacklefords, Midnight Tiger, Blood Punch.

The man cave used to be an efficiency apartment behind a residence. Now it has been turned into a practice space by some folks with some serious love for reusing and recycling carpet and carpet insulation... the addition of such on the walls and ceiling definitely gives it a certain vibe.  This was not a hugely advertised free, all ages show, but the bonus is that only about 15 people can fit into the venue, so that worked out.

The Shax did a great set despite Eric being a little out of his element on a borrowed drum kit (a move to keep space free, due to the size of the place).  Midnight Tiger was a band I was unfamiliar with; I'd heard lead vocalist Dylan as a drummer and Mike on guitar with other local bands but had not heard this group before (and I have no idea who the bassist was, though I'm sure he's a very nice person).  I've gotta say they were more metal than I was expecting and the sound was tight even if I couldn't follow the lyrics for the most part.  Blood Punch I was also entirely unfamiliar with; a three-part Hip Hop group with some fun lyrics.  We didn't stick around through their entire set; I was getting claustrophobic and Eric was feeling bad, so we abandoned Dalzell and found food and then rallied later for beers at Strange Brew, where there was no live music but I found an Erdinger hefeweisen and Misti found Peach Lamic, and a Ghost Hunter met up with us and a good time was had by all until Strange Brew closed.

TCK League Meeting:  ALL DAMN DAY Saturday

Good work got done. I'm not a president anymore!  Now I'm a secretary, and that's better, I think.  This was followed by a glorious nap and a thought that I'd just lay around and read, but instead...

Saturday Night: Noble Savage:  Everyday People

I decided to head downtown to catch a group I've heard of for ages but never seen.  I declined the menu and found myself another hefe, though I can't recall which one, now. Pity, it was good.  I had an absolutely wonderful time reading my kindle app (American Gods, finally) and listening to a really good brassy band with a jazzy rock vibe and being grateful that the Savage is the kind of place where you can enjoy an introverted moment while still being in a social setting.  Eventually I was found by a couple of the Ghost Hunters, and it was another late night, but Sunday was able to be a mostly chill day, so it worked out.

First show of 2013 - punk night at the Rustic Cowboy

The Rusty Shacklefords, Social Bliss, and Prestor John
1/5/13 
The Rustic Cowboy, Keithville, LA

True story, as discovered when I was discussing this show via text earlier in the week- my phone autocorrects "Keithville" as "Amtyville."


The Rustic Cowboy is about as appropriate as a bar name can be.  It's very, very rural.

It's the sort of bar where the bouncer will tell your friends that he's a Neo-Nazi like it's not a bad thing. It's also a bar with a killer setup.  I've heard all three of these bands before and haven't heard any of them sound so great.

The Rusty Shacklefords

Social Bliss

Prestor John

So, my final review is that the sound system is amazing and some of the staff is awesome, but it's still kind of unfortunate that Bob's Country Bunker (sans chickenwire) still has a home in the 21st Century.  A few of the natives were fine, but an awful lot of them had the Amityville vibe.  I wouldn't go back alone, to say the least.

Medusa and I also got to spend a little bit of time discussing whether or not we wanted to make an honest go at trying to get a One Billion Rising event going with a deadline of 2/14, or if we wouldn't be better off trying to start on that for next year while looking at a Slut Walk for later this year.  I am mildly concerned about being able to get permits and such for the latter, but we both think that since it has had more publicity and people have at least HEARD of Slut Walks, we might be able to get some support.

Happier than I believe...

"Always remember you are stronger than you think you are, wiser than you seem, happier than you believe and more successful than you even need." -- Possibly a Christmas card quote, and I'm pretty sure it was paraphrased from A.A.Milne.

Things for which I am grateful right this minute:

• My hair is good, my dress fits, my shoes are (hopefully) stretched just right, and the wedding present is acquired, if not wrapped.  I've not worked out the Fingernail Situation yet; playing derby doesn't make acrylics a good option, but I'm sure it'll come together.
• ROAD TRIP.  I get Squid, Mouse, Jeanie, AND John in a caravan going to a wedding.  And it only took 4 days and an act of congress to get everybody to agree on a hotel.
• I also get leftovers from Jeanie and John's mom's house, and Bell Family leftovers are the best kind in the WORLD. 
• Evidence has been posted on Facebook that Ray is collecting Hostess Donettes for me. 
• The Dalai Lama is coming to New Orleans, and less than 3 hours after finding out, a plan for attending, lodging, and a zen girls' weekend had already pretty much been formed.
• WFTDA released the new rules set.
• Cowboy Mouth's newest album finally hit Spotify (favorite track: When it Rains)

• Subway's salads are $2 if you buy them in the morning (I don't understand, but I do not argue).
• This

All in all? That makes for a pretty damn happy Tuesday.

On the jacking of lumber and other indoor sports...

I get that not everybody is still as in love with their hair bands as they were when hair bands were the it thing.  Seriously, I do get that.

I am extremely grateful, though, that in Shreveport Louisiana there are enough people who ARE still in love with their hair bands to make an exceptional concert experience happen on a Tuesday night and still have the feel of a Saturday.  The band is the important part, but without the WOOOHOOOO girls in their tight jeans and big hair, the drunken jackasses with their Coronas and ALL the leather bracelets, the experience would be lacking.  Sadly, I didn't capture any of that beauty; seeing as I was pressed to the railing between Bre, a young hot couple that actually stopped making out long enough to listen to a song or two, and a tall guy who smelled like Old Spice and regret - I just wasn't going to turn around and get any of that fancy stuff documented.  It was glorious, though, and today I'm still amped on the energy, even though my neck is killing me and I very well might have pulled a hamstring.

Mission Accomplished: Derby girls always get in the front row.  It is law.

This is a microphone stand/shotgun. The shotgun is functional. Mind is blown.

Jesse James Dupree is a damned charismatic man. Also maybe a little bit too into chainmail accessories.

This roadie hung out on the back of the stage chewing on his guitar pick ALL NIGHT LONG.

So how close to the stage were we? I turned my head and got hit in the skull by the neck of this guitar. 

What's more awesome than playing the chainsaw as an instrument?

WARRIOR POSE with chainsaw, that's what.

This is Brian Dye. I may be in love.  He's the Happiest Drummer in the World, by the way.

Jesse James and the shirt I'm probably never actually returning to the friend who owns it.

Autographed stool sample. Har. Har. Har.

Songs I expected to hear but didn't:  "Favorite Sin" and the cover of "It's Tricky".

Songs I was happy to hear: All of 'em. Seriously. Most concerts will find me getting annoyed/bored for at least one number, but I didn't.

Next up:  TCK's fundraiser concert on December 1!  6 local bands, 0 chainsaws.

Counting Money is Number 8...

Electric Eel Shock/Peelander-Z played Shreveport last night.

I make few exceptions for staying out late on weeknights, but I'll do it for music now and then.  I saw these bands together earlier this year, and they were a ton of fun!  Unfortunately, last night wasn't quite as awesome.  An advertised 10:00 set time turned into EES going on at 11:30-ish; I made it through their set and bugged out.  I hear today that my friend Medusa took the stage with Peelander-Z and beat on their bass a bit; I would have liked to see that, but even with two wake up calls and 5 alarms set, I was hard-pressed to make it to work on time, so I probably chose right.

They do an excellent cover of Iron Man, too.

--

I have been really good this election season. I've only engaged in a debate on Facebook once, and it needed to be done, because there's only just so much of people being wrong on the Internet that I can handle.  Let me be clear, though....

I proudly support Not Romney.

--

Guh.  Is it 5:00 yet?

The stairs creak as you sleep... or maybe it's that exploding munitions bunker.

So, about 11:30 last night, right as I had finally gotten nestled into the good sleeping arrangement between cats and pillows, there's a BOOM! and pictures fall off the wall.  This morning, I see this and the corresponding conspiracy theories... and I'm a touch floored and extremely amused.  The Cover Up story is that a bunker full of ammo exploded?  That's a lousy cover story.  In my way of thinking, you use the asteroid to cover up "we done exploded a bunch of ammo," not the other way around. I love Louisiana.

--
In the past few months, I have seriously seen my abilities as a skater improve. I'd hit a plateau for sure- and I've been pushing past it.  My endurance is stronger; my agility is improving.  I credit this to a number of things; when I came off the Nocturne trial this summer, I was starting back at barely better than "Fresh Meat," and I think I had some time in that break to un-remember some bad habits.  We have a new coach- and her style of instruction is good for me.  The addition of a weekly off-skates practice has allowed me to really do some good work on my weaknesses.  I'm practicing better awareness; awareness on the track, awareness of my body, awareness of my teammates' strengths and weaknesses, and how to supplement them.

All of these are good things...

If only I didn't feel like I am possibly causing damage to myself in the process.

It has been a year and a half since I injured my knee.  An ill-fitting 187 Pro kneepad and a concrete floor in Cenla last year resulted in a deep bruise, and since then, my right knee has been VERY prone to hurting more than it should, given what's going on.  A really good hit resulting in a hard knee drop last month is still causing pain. I can shake it off and keep skating- but should I?  I did last night, and a lap or two in it had dissipated, but it sucked like a mother first.  The shoulder that I separated last November is still having moments of aching; most are tolerable, but last week, I had to have it pushed back into it's socket from rolling out a bit, and that's not exactly ideal.  I did go to an ortho and PT for the shoulder.  I was released as being in "good shape" and I've consistently had a full range of motion.  It's possible that it's just going to be an achy shoulder forever.  Or it's possible that it didn't really heal, and eventually it's going to need surgical intervention.  Membership into the bionic rollergirl club is not something I covet.

BUT... I really, really, really want to finish this season out strong, and to be a part of something awesome next season. I am so stupidly proud of my league's development, and I think we've got positive forward momentum and it's only going to get better.  Sure, at some point I'll get myself a set of stripes and pull myself from the roster for good... but I am not ready to be thinking about that just yet.  Instead, I'm going to try to use the research I've done and the braintrust available to me and work harder at developing therapeutic and strengthening offskates work for myself, and see if I can't do myself a bit of good.

So, that's what I've got on my mind today as I try to get the bugs shaken out to prepare for an epic rematch against one of the nicest leagues we've ever played, CDD.

--

One of our new Fresh Meat refs who I have bonded with over music lately says this song reminds him of me. After about 15 listens, I've decided that this is an amazing compliment and I'm pretty happy about that.

Wherein Sabine will likely ridicule me for still liking Pantera...

Yesterday a handful of us did a 6 mile riverfront skate.  I plan on going back, maybe even this weekend, and doing the full length of the available trail (8.9 miles round trip).  In celebration, I've made myself a skating playlist of angry grungy metal-ish sort of music that is concrete proof that I didn't find much at all wrong with 1992-1995.  Anthrax, Ugly Kid Joe, Pantera, and LL Cool J all in one place.  It makes me happy, and I'd share it with you but I'm afraid it's just too awesome to unleash on the internet, and anyway, slap bracelets have already started making their comeback and I don't want to be responsible for that kind of thing.

This is still awesome. You know it is.

While skating, the revolving sign at Centurytel informed me that ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd are coming to town, which might just be the best musical act to come to Bossier since the last time Lynyrd Skynyrd came to Bossier.  I've seen both bands, loved them, and will pay a ridiculous amount to freakin' Ticketmaster to do it again.  I will also sing along to every single song- badly- and I will chant "Freebird" like a moron.  I'm looking forward to it already.

I just realized that I made a reference earlier to how the last time I saw ZZ Top was "A few years ago."  A few years ago when Jeanie was pregnant with Kenny... and seeing as Kenny just got his Black Belt in karate, is only a few inches shorter than me, and has his own iPhone, I'm officially doing That Thing that Old People Do.  Dammit.


Annnd that's it. I'm preoccupied.  One of my dear ones called a bit ago and is rushing to town on account of his mom having an emergency surgery.  While I'm delighted to have a chance to put up a buddy in the guest room and do some catching up, I'm also kinda worried. 

Have a shiny weekend!

Time for some Happy.

This week has kind of sucked.

Work is picking up.  I'm the Office Queen for a seasonal business and this time of year, things start getting hinky.  I imagine bears coming out of hibernation require a little bit of time before they hit their summertime groove, and that's what this feels like.  I'll be fine in a week or so as I get myself back into the swing of how things are for the busy 8 months of the year around here.  In the meantime though- my stress level has gone up higher than I typically allow, and I need to refocus some after-hours attention on letting it go. 

Normally, I take a 10-day vacation in March and I start getting ready for it in early February. This week, due to a number of factors I've cut it down to 3 nights/2 days, and I start getting ready for it... tonight. This shouldn't be a problem, but it feels very discombobulated.  If I forget something, I'm going to not have a second chance to remember it, and instead I'll just find myself mooching off of my friends if it's that important. I doubt that's going to be a problem though... most of my friends are the human embodiments of Swiss Army Knives and they always pack extra. Heck, I usually pack extra... but this year, I'm just going to kind of jump and hope it works. After all- it's just a couple of days. I can do without anything but my pillow for that long.  The important thing- in the very near future I'll get to enjoy time with some of my dear ones, and when you take that into context, it doesn't matter if you forgot your shoes. Which I just realized I don't have on my packing list...

On a very high note though- full vegetarianism is treating me very well. I'm feeling pretty awesome, and I've only felt a twinge of longing once when the roommate was frying boudin (but seriously, Ghandi would want some of that).  I'm sleeping soundly, I've got good energy levels, and I don't find myself craving salt or pickles or bananas, so I'm thinking that I'm being pretty well balanced.  It would be PERFECT if I could find a locally available and yummy nut-free granola that didn't have candy in it... but then again, I still want that unicorn, and some degree of want is good for you.

So, yeah. Lent is the trial run, but I'm putting serious consideration into just staying on this wagon once Easter passes.  We'll see how that goes.

This is my guilty pleasure song of the day.  Do share it with me? 

A week gone, and so much to show for it!

Nobody's really going to care what I have to say about the Kid Rock concert Tuesday night.  It was plenty fun but there were no unicorns.

So - rah rah rah, Batwidaba, YAY Beavis and Butthead! Hey, do you smell pot? Was that just a pole dance to the "Dukes of Hazzard" theme? No, really, I seriously smell pot.  Damn, that's a righteous mullet.  And it just passed a joint. I knew it!   That's it in a nutshell.

I have been engaging in the "make something every day" challenge thing... kinda.  I've made a skirt. I tried to make a petticoat, too, but that was a fail.  I will take pictures this weekend and post them, but I've been hesitant to do so already since I'm not going to "do" hair and makeup for cellphone pictures in my bathroom, and they're kind of required to get the proper effect across.

I made some posters for the upcoming Mardi Gras parade.  I'm somewhat proud of my ability to trace and use markers. I think I totally missed out by not going to a high school that actually had Homecoming and stuff like that. I'll never master bubble letters but I did ripoff the Facebook Thumb logo pretty nicely.

In the past few days I've designed a flier for a poster contest, started drafting articles of incorporation for the Knockers, started working on the details for us to skate in San Fermin in Nueva Orleans, performed surgery on a few pairs of skates, made a complete ass of myself at work over a mis-hearing (I thought she said her boyfriend gave her "a bar of soap with razorblades" not "a bar of soap AND razor blades"), soothed some egos, and contemplated ways to affix four-leaf clovers to my kneepads without damaging any floors.

So- I've been doin' stuff. And as soon as the stuff I've been doing actually becomes relevant, I'll post some pictures... if anybody actually takes them.  I hear rumor that I own a camera but I don't know where it is.

My weekend plans got derailed. Dad has the flu and a few other life situations resulted in me not heading for Monroe tonight, but that also means that I don't have to race back tomorrow for Kamikaze Karaoke, so it'll be fine.  Instead I'm going to make valentines for my girls and maybe some new curtains for my bedroom, spend a little time primping for the show, and I'm still going to have an amazing weekend.

"But if you try sometimes you just might find you get what you need."

Since I know you've been dying of suspense I'll get it out of the way early:  The wardrobe crisis on Friday night was fairly minimal. I tried on one dress, said "oh, that doesn't work with boots," changed clothes once, and it was done. I think I spent more time on my makeup than I did on dressing myself, and I don't really spend a lot of time on makeup.  I was pretty happy with my decision; I still looked dressed up enough to be going out without feeling like I'd overdone it, and when the time came for dancing like a filthyfilthywhore I didn't feel like I was too classy to get down.  When your Girls' Night Out crew of Derby girls and affiliated fun girls are given the VIP Room at THE Premier Douchebag* Club in town complete with complimentary champagne and a DJ who says "WHATEVER YOU WANT, LADIES!!!!", you do what you've gotta do and you back dat ass up.  When in Rome, yo.

Side note: Sabine gave me a rockin' gift- a belt buckle made of .30-06 shells.  This buckle is absolutely stunning and is clearly a Conversation Piece. In the pub, bikers/dudes with awesome hair loved ammo and wanted to talk about it. In the PdC, boys with popped collars loved ammo and wanted to talk about it.  On the street, a slightly off-kilter drunk guy who kept playing with his zipper loved ammo and wanted to talk about it. Note To Self: Do not wear buckle when feeling antisocial.

The Hangover Fairy completely skipped my house on Saturday.  Lots was accomplished:
Fylgir and I went running for miles
Bedroom carpet shampooed
Blankets/sheets laundered
The rest of the kitchen cupboards emptied/cleaned/re-papered/organized
Stuff was hung on the walls
The best nap ever was enjoyed. Clean sheets + open windows on a Saturday afternoon just can't be recommended highly enough. 

And now- on to the real point of writing at all:

The Dash Rip Rock and Cowboy Mouth show was absolutely eargasmic, ya'll. 

I'd never seen DRR. Up until about a week ago I'd only heard "Smokin' Pot" and I downloaded a few songs just to check them out.  I thought they were pretty much OK and didn't think more about it.  But ya'll- WOW.  They had so much energy and stage presence and holy cow, they were just hot.  They really warmed up the crowd for Cowboy Mouth and I don't think I've ever felt that much positive energy in a room in my entire life. It was just jubilant and joyful and magical like unicorns and puppies were having a tea party.

I want to play this song at some future wedding. Probably not the one for love and likely not the one for money... maybe I'll have to work one based on lust in there somewhere. I'm thinking for the recessional. Future bridesmaids, this is your notice.


A moment I'd like to remember:  Somewhere about midways through the set, CM opened up with an audience sing-along of the chorus of "You Can't Always Get What You Want."  It's an understatement to say that that's one of my favorite songs... and it was really touching and perfect, and the lead-in to "Take Me Back to New Orleans" which is one of those songs I classify as "a song that probably saved my life."  I swear that everybody in the room was not only singing along but really meaning every syllable.  So that was mind blowing... and then they finished up the song with a nailed-on-the-head version of the long instrumental ending of Layla.  I think I could've died happy at that very moment with no regrets. 

Anyhow- once the concert was over I bid adieu to my friends (and favorite concert-going buddies, Medusa and her husband) and headed out feeling both wrung out like a sponge and wound up like a watch.  I headed over to hang out with a few more friends for some Rock Band and conversation and for the second night in a row didn't get home until after 3AM. Let me just say- I'm TOO OLD to be doing that. My body is set to be awake early, and even if I stay up late I'm still going to be awake by 8 at the latest.  So we combine two nights of staying out too late and on top of that, Sunday brought the most profound emotional hangover I've had in at least two years.  I'd love to say that Sunday was a great day and I got a lot done that isn't what happened.  Instead, I laid on my couch and watched a Degrassi marathon for 7 hours.  I did finally pry myself up from my nest of blankets and cats to go see a movie and hit retro skate night which is somewhat redeeming, but I still feel as though I wasted an entire day.

It's a new week, though, and a new day.  I still feel a little bit emo but under that, there's some excitement brewing, like something neat is about to happen and I have no idea what it is.  It's a good feeling. 

*FYI, I have a newfound phobia of popped collars.