I'm going to Kennesaw State for the MA in Professional Writing. I'm so tired of this constant state of stagnation. I need to use my brain to the best of its abilities and I've missed learning new things for years now. The plan is to pay for the GRE next month and schedule it within a month or two. In October, I'm going to the Graduate Open House. I'll apply either soon before or soon after that. I hope to start in 2011 - maybe Spring. I need to pay some credit cards and things off before I start. Will also need a new car to make that drive every day.
The one thing that scares me is the whole money thing. Work and supporting myself and paying rent and eating. I know I won't be able to do all the classes at night. I'm hoping my current office (or new one if I get a new job) will be flexible and let me work part time or come in at night or something. I'll figure that out when I get to it. But it's decided. I have too much going on in my head to be wasting away like this. It's incredibly frustrating.
Other Things:
- I don't know why, but music is hitting me harder lately. Maybe this is a sign that the muse is starting to sing.
- I admit that I have seen two Twilight movies and read the first book recently. I hate that I really enjoyed them. But I did. The writing is dreadful, the grammar atrocious. But the characters are interesting and the plot sucks you in like all dreadful pop culture things most people consider a guilty pleasure. It's an agonizing pleasure for me. There's something fundamental in all the Bella/Edward stuff that appeals to some deep kernel of something in the heart of most women, I think. This could just be me justifying my enjoyment.
- I reread the beginning of one of my novels last weekend. I wrote it last year while I was unemployed. The writing was slow and tedious as I recall. I really took my time and took care to get everything just so, keeping in mind some new style rules I'd assigned myself. The result is the first thing I've written that I don't want to completely rewrite. There are a few changes I probably need to make, but nothing big. Was very pleased with myself. Now I just have to work on getting past the part where I'm stalled. I'm ciphering about it and I think I may be close to solving the problem.
- I've been something of a recluse lately because I'm broke, but it's been good for me. I think we all need those little spans of time.
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
One of the Good Ones
As I may have mentioned before, I'm a gigantic music nerd. I have entire novels I've revamped because of one or two songs.
This is one of them:
"Danko/Manuel" - The Drive By Truckers (or in this case, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit).
Which brings us to my subject today.
Jason Isbell is in my top five favorite musicians. Why? Because he's close to home. He's from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and he's got the accent and the history to prove it. He's well-educated too. A fellow English major.
But above all, the man has a poet's soul. A poet's soul and a Southern accent are enough to make me a fan for life, but on top of this, he's got that power of observation that is so rare in musicians these days, but should be a requirement for them. Just like writers, musicians have to know the pulse of the world. Have to see the problems and savor the perfections. Isbell is one of the few.
He used to be in a band called the Drive-By Truckers. I was already a gigantic fan of theirs because they tell the truth - the gritty, dirty truth. But they tell it with reverence. There's an air of veneration in even the darkest of their songs. Veneration for the South, for past generations, and for the truth. It's downright unbelievable.
Perfect example: "Outfit" (one of Isbell's from his Truckers period.)
Isbell left the Truckers a couple years ago, but neither he nor the Truckers have lost any of their edge or appeal. Although granted, I do miss Isbell's influence on the rest of the Truckers and vice versa.
To the point, I love Isbell because he's the perfect representative for folks like me and my friends and my family. Folks in this area have precious little to represent us, and to have a gift like Isbell pop up out of the blue maybe eight years ago is a downright blessing. He takes the stereotype of a hillbilly/redneck and both destroys and explains it in his music, his lyrics, and even interviews.
Like this one - I just saw this interview today when I was bored at work and surfing youtube. Tell me you don't love a phrase like "blatent escapism" delivered in a North Alabama accent:
(sorry about the ad at the beginning)
Besides that, though, the man has a soul. He's one of the most personable people I've ever seen on a stage, and you know he's got a story to tell.
He's one of those people who you just want to talk to. If I ever meet him (after I get over the daze of actually meeting him), I won't gush and tell him how great he is. I want to ask him where he came up with his outright dark, sinister story songs like "Decoration Day."
And how in the world the same mind (along with his brain trust, the 400 Unit) came up with something as personal and real as "Streetlights."
So just a suggestion. If you're bored with the music you're hearing and wanting to try something new; if you're from the rural South and wonder why nobody has the balls to tell its story; or if you want to know what it's like to be from the rural South, download some Drive-By Truckers (I recommend The Dirty South or Decoration Day to start) or some Jason Isbell (all of his - download it now).
Sorry to regale my loyal readers with so much fangirl geekery, but sometimes, it's just got to be done.
This is one of them:
"Danko/Manuel" - The Drive By Truckers (or in this case, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit).
Which brings us to my subject today.
Jason Isbell is in my top five favorite musicians. Why? Because he's close to home. He's from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and he's got the accent and the history to prove it. He's well-educated too. A fellow English major.
But above all, the man has a poet's soul. A poet's soul and a Southern accent are enough to make me a fan for life, but on top of this, he's got that power of observation that is so rare in musicians these days, but should be a requirement for them. Just like writers, musicians have to know the pulse of the world. Have to see the problems and savor the perfections. Isbell is one of the few.
He used to be in a band called the Drive-By Truckers. I was already a gigantic fan of theirs because they tell the truth - the gritty, dirty truth. But they tell it with reverence. There's an air of veneration in even the darkest of their songs. Veneration for the South, for past generations, and for the truth. It's downright unbelievable.
Perfect example: "Outfit" (one of Isbell's from his Truckers period.)
Isbell left the Truckers a couple years ago, but neither he nor the Truckers have lost any of their edge or appeal. Although granted, I do miss Isbell's influence on the rest of the Truckers and vice versa.
To the point, I love Isbell because he's the perfect representative for folks like me and my friends and my family. Folks in this area have precious little to represent us, and to have a gift like Isbell pop up out of the blue maybe eight years ago is a downright blessing. He takes the stereotype of a hillbilly/redneck and both destroys and explains it in his music, his lyrics, and even interviews.
Like this one - I just saw this interview today when I was bored at work and surfing youtube. Tell me you don't love a phrase like "blatent escapism" delivered in a North Alabama accent:
(sorry about the ad at the beginning)
Besides that, though, the man has a soul. He's one of the most personable people I've ever seen on a stage, and you know he's got a story to tell.
He's one of those people who you just want to talk to. If I ever meet him (after I get over the daze of actually meeting him), I won't gush and tell him how great he is. I want to ask him where he came up with his outright dark, sinister story songs like "Decoration Day."
And how in the world the same mind (along with his brain trust, the 400 Unit) came up with something as personal and real as "Streetlights."
So just a suggestion. If you're bored with the music you're hearing and wanting to try something new; if you're from the rural South and wonder why nobody has the balls to tell its story; or if you want to know what it's like to be from the rural South, download some Drive-By Truckers (I recommend The Dirty South or Decoration Day to start) or some Jason Isbell (all of his - download it now).
Sorry to regale my loyal readers with so much fangirl geekery, but sometimes, it's just got to be done.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Randomness
My back was turned I did not see
that shadow climbing up on me.
I took my turn at fixing hearts
but that goes bad before it starts.
I know it was over a week ago, but just for s&g's, here are some pictures I took from the Jason Isbell show. Not the best, but we were on the balcony and there was a lot of cigarette smoke between us and the band.
that shadow climbing up on me.
I took my turn at fixing hearts
but that goes bad before it starts.
I know it was over a week ago, but just for s&g's, here are some pictures I took from the Jason Isbell show. Not the best, but we were on the balcony and there was a lot of cigarette smoke between us and the band.
It was an awesome show. Isbell will have no problem holding his own whether he's gone solo or goes back to the Drive By Truckers. The new album is eloquent and gorgeous and I would not hesitate to see him play live again. He played everything I wanted to hear, and he was great with the crowd (in his own way). He's uber laid-back, but at the end of the show, he shook every hand that streatched out to his. He was genuine and kind and it thrilled me to see it...
...even if he does look freakishly like my high school boyfriend, Luke.
On another note:
I've decided that, instead of continuing to torture myself over the fact that I can't seem to get past this certain section of my book, I'm going to read more. I need to read more anyway, but I've been looking at certain things that might light a fire under my ass or inspire me in some way or in the very least supply me with more allusions and literary tricks and treats. Of course I'll still be writing when the mood strikes, but taking notes and reading what other people write often gets my mind bending toward a better way to execute my frustrating little passion of telling tales.
Any suggestions would be more than welcome by the way.
Still Another Note:
My 93-year-old grandmother fell and fractured her shoulder. Even in a healthy 93-year-old, this is a big deal, but my grandmother has osteoporosis really really badly, so she's doing well to sit in her chair without crumbling. I sat with her a couple nights last week. She's really annoyed that she can't do anything. It's really a horrible thing to have as sharp a mind as ever, but to be unable to do much anything with it because the body's in such bad shape. I love her endlessly, but she can be pretty difficult in this state. My mother said it, and I belived it, but I didn't feel it until these couple days I sat with her: Grandmother is the most stubborn person who ever lived. She could give a mule lessons in stubborn. It's absolutely unreal. She will NOT be moved, no matter how small or insignificant the case may be. Throw 93 and brittle into the bargain and you've got yourself a handful. The thing that amazes me is that I don't even get it half as bad as my mom. Bless her heart - in a truly and deeply sincere way - bless her heart.
Just remind me to take my calcium.
Corey
I've had days when he almost started to get on my nerves, which is a big fear with me. I'm terrified that I lose interest in every decent man I come in contact with. But then he stopped getting on my nerves and I ended up liking him even more. This cycle has run through about twice. So I'm feeling pretty good about this whole Corey/Jennifer thing right now. Y'all keep your fingers crossed for this one. He's worth routing for.
Yeah, he's dreamy.
So here's some more Jason Isbell - I'm just terribly impressed.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Holiday Lag
Front door's shut
Back door too
Blind's pulled down
What you gonna do
It's just like jet lag (I assume) in that you have no idea of what time it is - only in the case of holiday lag, you're missing an entire day. Kinda messes with you a bit. But it's completely worth it as I'm sure 99.9% of the world would agree.
Twas a very full weekend, and as usual did not last as long as I really would have liked. But it was enough to throw me off a bit. And it probably will be throwing me off all week. All four days of it. :^)
Friday night, I dragged The Gentleman to Cartersville to see some musician friends of mine play. It was really wonderful, especially since I haven't seen most of those folks in a really long time. The amazing Gary Greene was there of course; as well as my friend Montie who now lives in Pennsylvania; and another old-school Coffee Shop buddy, Andrew. The whole show would have been a lot better had I been able to hear them playing better. They had no PA and there were a lot of people and a lot of kids about making noise and talking too loud. *sigh* Oh well. But I did get to hear Gary play his own and a couple John Prine tunes, and Montie played her really spectacular cover of "Romeo and Juliet." Even though she does the Indigo Girls version as opposed to the original Dire Straits version. Montie is the only person who can sing it that way without me begging to hear Mark Knofler instead. It was really beautiful and I'd forgotten what a remarkable singer she is.
The Gentleman I think made a pretty good impression (although Montie now agrees that we need to work on his handshake). Andrew and he have a love and knowledge of plays and theater in common, so they were able to talk on terms of great equality. Montie and he didn't really speak much, but Montie did insist on giving him a hug (I assume as opposed to the afore-mentioned handshake). The Gentleman was particularly fond of Gary (anyone who doesn't at least respect the man obviously has no soul), and I'm sure would love to see him more.
All in all, it was a really good night. I was a little concerned at Andrew's behavior. I don't know if he was just tired or what, but he seemed very stand-offish, and looked as if he wanted to do anything but talk to me. I don't know. Anyway, The Gentleman and I are planning on going to see Andrew's theater company's newest production at the Sunday matinee, so maybe that will make up for whatever it is that has offended him.
Saturday, I spent the afternoon visiting with my folks. My brother and sister-in-law came up for the afternoon since my folks were keeping my niece (the other brother's offspring) for the weekend. We just visited and went to see my grandmother and had supper. But it was good to see them, even if Mom and Daddy are still being grumps. At least they were a great deal less grumpy since Lydia was around.
Sunday, I saw dear sweet Adam and his dear sweet little boy while The Gentleman went on a brief hiking trip with some friends. It was really good to hang out with Adam. We had lunch and stayed talking at the restaurant for a good two or three hours before his son got a little restless. So I went with them to a nearby playground so Adam's little boy could blow of some steam. He's a good kid, and I'm so proud of Adam for being such a good dad. He really has raised a great kid. We didn't see each other for so long, but Adam and I have always been really good friends, and we're good at taking each other's crap. Sometimes I really wish he lived closer by. Oh well.
Yesterday was wonderful. Because we did absolutely nothing useful. The Gentleman and I just hung around my apartment watching movies (he liked my movies) and getting a good buzz on before two p.m. We have such a good time together. We don't even have to do anything. It's wonderful.
Anyway, now that the weekend's over, it's nice to think that this is a short week. Plus, tonight is my last night of Document Processing. Because I've finished all my assignments, the instructor is going to let me go ahead and take the last test - and then I'll be done. And I'll only have two more Anatomy class periods to go. I'm so ready for this quarter to be over. *swoon*
And now, because I love this friggin' song, here's the Dire Straits version of "Romeo and Juliet":
Back door too
Blind's pulled down
What you gonna do
It's just like jet lag (I assume) in that you have no idea of what time it is - only in the case of holiday lag, you're missing an entire day. Kinda messes with you a bit. But it's completely worth it as I'm sure 99.9% of the world would agree.
Twas a very full weekend, and as usual did not last as long as I really would have liked. But it was enough to throw me off a bit. And it probably will be throwing me off all week. All four days of it. :^)
Friday night, I dragged The Gentleman to Cartersville to see some musician friends of mine play. It was really wonderful, especially since I haven't seen most of those folks in a really long time. The amazing Gary Greene was there of course; as well as my friend Montie who now lives in Pennsylvania; and another old-school Coffee Shop buddy, Andrew. The whole show would have been a lot better had I been able to hear them playing better. They had no PA and there were a lot of people and a lot of kids about making noise and talking too loud. *sigh* Oh well. But I did get to hear Gary play his own and a couple John Prine tunes, and Montie played her really spectacular cover of "Romeo and Juliet." Even though she does the Indigo Girls version as opposed to the original Dire Straits version. Montie is the only person who can sing it that way without me begging to hear Mark Knofler instead. It was really beautiful and I'd forgotten what a remarkable singer she is.
The Gentleman I think made a pretty good impression (although Montie now agrees that we need to work on his handshake). Andrew and he have a love and knowledge of plays and theater in common, so they were able to talk on terms of great equality. Montie and he didn't really speak much, but Montie did insist on giving him a hug (I assume as opposed to the afore-mentioned handshake). The Gentleman was particularly fond of Gary (anyone who doesn't at least respect the man obviously has no soul), and I'm sure would love to see him more.
All in all, it was a really good night. I was a little concerned at Andrew's behavior. I don't know if he was just tired or what, but he seemed very stand-offish, and looked as if he wanted to do anything but talk to me. I don't know. Anyway, The Gentleman and I are planning on going to see Andrew's theater company's newest production at the Sunday matinee, so maybe that will make up for whatever it is that has offended him.
Saturday, I spent the afternoon visiting with my folks. My brother and sister-in-law came up for the afternoon since my folks were keeping my niece (the other brother's offspring) for the weekend. We just visited and went to see my grandmother and had supper. But it was good to see them, even if Mom and Daddy are still being grumps. At least they were a great deal less grumpy since Lydia was around.
Sunday, I saw dear sweet Adam and his dear sweet little boy while The Gentleman went on a brief hiking trip with some friends. It was really good to hang out with Adam. We had lunch and stayed talking at the restaurant for a good two or three hours before his son got a little restless. So I went with them to a nearby playground so Adam's little boy could blow of some steam. He's a good kid, and I'm so proud of Adam for being such a good dad. He really has raised a great kid. We didn't see each other for so long, but Adam and I have always been really good friends, and we're good at taking each other's crap. Sometimes I really wish he lived closer by. Oh well.
Yesterday was wonderful. Because we did absolutely nothing useful. The Gentleman and I just hung around my apartment watching movies (he liked my movies) and getting a good buzz on before two p.m. We have such a good time together. We don't even have to do anything. It's wonderful.
Anyway, now that the weekend's over, it's nice to think that this is a short week. Plus, tonight is my last night of Document Processing. Because I've finished all my assignments, the instructor is going to let me go ahead and take the last test - and then I'll be done. And I'll only have two more Anatomy class periods to go. I'm so ready for this quarter to be over. *swoon*
And now, because I love this friggin' song, here's the Dire Straits version of "Romeo and Juliet":
Monday, April 23, 2007
"You're a Tom Waits Fan?!" and other Birthday Surprises.
Well, the night does funny things inside a man,
these old tomcat feelings you don't understand
All right. Krishna will tell you in case you don't believe it, but I actually giggled. I giggled.
The message my darling dear Krishna recieved after my date Friday was, "HE LIKES TOM WAITS!!!" And I think I may have repeated it. In any case, needless to say, Dude surprised me - pleasantly. And no, the pleasantness was not only because of his mutual affinity for Tom Waits, but other things as well.
Weak Handshake guy still has a weak handshake, but maybe he can learn. We met for coffee Friday night at Calhoun's first true coffee house. I'm glad for this "no-pressure" first date choice. I'm a little impulsive when it comes to men, and the fact that we just "met" (there was no picking up or dropping off) for coffee helped me to remember the appropriate boundaries that I always set for myself and have rarely kept to.
He had come straight from work, and was dressed nicely, his hair still in that ponytail, and not as Fabio-esque as my fevered imagination remembered. His manners were ever polite and he brought a box of Godiva chocolates. Score! He said that he was generally a flowers kind of guy, but he didn't know what my favorite kind was. Score two. When we got inside, he paid for my coffee. Score three. So Dude was looking favorable (despite another weak handshake) as we sat down for the "get to know you" chat.
He was super interested in my book and paid rapt attention as I spoke, which is amazing since I have no idea of how to stop once I get started. I discovered that he went to college in Atlanta at first, but graduated at Berry. I discovered that he, like myself, majored in a useless subject but is not sorry for it. I also discovered that he is a member of one of the oldest families in Calhoun/Resaca. This is monumental because I have never EVER dated a man who was actually from Calhoun. So maybe the gene pool isn't dried up. He likes to hike and camp (YES!), and he knows enough about Shakespeare to have a favorite (The Tempest).
But as all of my darling friends know, the true way to Jennifer's heart is through music. And he was actually the one who asked the question that I usually ask first: "What kind of music do you listen to?" I couldn't believe that those words were coming out of his, not my mouth. From that moment on, the conversation was all about music. And Darlings, the man actually has good taste! It's incredible to me that there is someone in Calhoun who listens to music that is actually congruent to my tastes. He loves Tom Waits, Morphine, Henry Rollins, etc. GOOD STUFF!!
In any case, we sat and talked for a good two hours before the kids at the coffee shop all but threw us out, then we stepped outside and he watched me smoke a couple cigarettes as we continued to talk. When it became clear that there was nothing else to do in Calhoun, we said good-night. Yes there were a couple little smooches. It was nice. :^)
We've agreed to go hiking next weekend. SWEET! There I hope to get into the meat and potatoes of his personality. He's very quiet, very soft-spoken, and placid, so it was hard for me to read him. It's definitely going to be up to me to draw him out and figure out what makes him tick. I'm still not quite sure of what to make of him, but I know my opinion is greatly improved, because despite his seemingly very shy nature, we had a good two-sided conversation and he was very personable. I was a little concerned about his basic manliness, but that was put to rest when he said he remembered checking out my ass when I worked at Barnes and Noble. He was a little apologetic about that admission, but I wasn't offended - I'm proud of my ass and I'm glad he noticed it. :^)
So I had a good first date Friday, and I'm looking forward to more. But Saturday (my birthday) could have been a little bit better. I ran around all morning getting my Mom's birthday present wrapped (hers is tomorrow) and getting ready for the fundraiser. I stopped by my folks' house for a little while, where they gave me my birthday money (and the coolest toy ever - an indoor frisbee). Then came the fundraiser. Ugh.
I'll be brief because it's so depressing. Basically, the fundraiser was a disaster. Only 40 people showed up where they had 150 last year. I ended up being stuck behind the concession table for much of the show. I did get to see a good part of it, though, because Bumper (another member of the board) is a remarkably good man and very kindly took over my duties. He and my cousin Joseph were the only ones who seemed to care that it was my birthday. Thanks to those two wonderful boys I did have a decent time. But we're all very miffed at our executive director, because he dropped several balls in several courts and those dropped balls were a large part of why we had such a poor turn-out. So now we're having an emergency meeting tonight to figure out what we're going to do. Bleh.
Okay, so in tribute to Weak Handshake Dude, here's some Tom Waits:
these old tomcat feelings you don't understand
All right. Krishna will tell you in case you don't believe it, but I actually giggled. I giggled.
The message my darling dear Krishna recieved after my date Friday was, "HE LIKES TOM WAITS!!!" And I think I may have repeated it. In any case, needless to say, Dude surprised me - pleasantly. And no, the pleasantness was not only because of his mutual affinity for Tom Waits, but other things as well.
Weak Handshake guy still has a weak handshake, but maybe he can learn. We met for coffee Friday night at Calhoun's first true coffee house. I'm glad for this "no-pressure" first date choice. I'm a little impulsive when it comes to men, and the fact that we just "met" (there was no picking up or dropping off) for coffee helped me to remember the appropriate boundaries that I always set for myself and have rarely kept to.
He had come straight from work, and was dressed nicely, his hair still in that ponytail, and not as Fabio-esque as my fevered imagination remembered. His manners were ever polite and he brought a box of Godiva chocolates. Score! He said that he was generally a flowers kind of guy, but he didn't know what my favorite kind was. Score two. When we got inside, he paid for my coffee. Score three. So Dude was looking favorable (despite another weak handshake) as we sat down for the "get to know you" chat.
He was super interested in my book and paid rapt attention as I spoke, which is amazing since I have no idea of how to stop once I get started. I discovered that he went to college in Atlanta at first, but graduated at Berry. I discovered that he, like myself, majored in a useless subject but is not sorry for it. I also discovered that he is a member of one of the oldest families in Calhoun/Resaca. This is monumental because I have never EVER dated a man who was actually from Calhoun. So maybe the gene pool isn't dried up. He likes to hike and camp (YES!), and he knows enough about Shakespeare to have a favorite (The Tempest).
But as all of my darling friends know, the true way to Jennifer's heart is through music. And he was actually the one who asked the question that I usually ask first: "What kind of music do you listen to?" I couldn't believe that those words were coming out of his, not my mouth. From that moment on, the conversation was all about music. And Darlings, the man actually has good taste! It's incredible to me that there is someone in Calhoun who listens to music that is actually congruent to my tastes. He loves Tom Waits, Morphine, Henry Rollins, etc. GOOD STUFF!!
In any case, we sat and talked for a good two hours before the kids at the coffee shop all but threw us out, then we stepped outside and he watched me smoke a couple cigarettes as we continued to talk. When it became clear that there was nothing else to do in Calhoun, we said good-night. Yes there were a couple little smooches. It was nice. :^)
We've agreed to go hiking next weekend. SWEET! There I hope to get into the meat and potatoes of his personality. He's very quiet, very soft-spoken, and placid, so it was hard for me to read him. It's definitely going to be up to me to draw him out and figure out what makes him tick. I'm still not quite sure of what to make of him, but I know my opinion is greatly improved, because despite his seemingly very shy nature, we had a good two-sided conversation and he was very personable. I was a little concerned about his basic manliness, but that was put to rest when he said he remembered checking out my ass when I worked at Barnes and Noble. He was a little apologetic about that admission, but I wasn't offended - I'm proud of my ass and I'm glad he noticed it. :^)
So I had a good first date Friday, and I'm looking forward to more. But Saturday (my birthday) could have been a little bit better. I ran around all morning getting my Mom's birthday present wrapped (hers is tomorrow) and getting ready for the fundraiser. I stopped by my folks' house for a little while, where they gave me my birthday money (and the coolest toy ever - an indoor frisbee). Then came the fundraiser. Ugh.
I'll be brief because it's so depressing. Basically, the fundraiser was a disaster. Only 40 people showed up where they had 150 last year. I ended up being stuck behind the concession table for much of the show. I did get to see a good part of it, though, because Bumper (another member of the board) is a remarkably good man and very kindly took over my duties. He and my cousin Joseph were the only ones who seemed to care that it was my birthday. Thanks to those two wonderful boys I did have a decent time. But we're all very miffed at our executive director, because he dropped several balls in several courts and those dropped balls were a large part of why we had such a poor turn-out. So now we're having an emergency meeting tonight to figure out what we're going to do. Bleh.
Okay, so in tribute to Weak Handshake Dude, here's some Tom Waits:
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
The Many Misadventures of a Scatterbrained Girl or My Weekend
Better jump down a manhole
Light yourself a candle
Don't wear sandals
Try to avoid the scandals
Don't wanna be a bum
You better chew gum
The pumps don't work
'Cause the vandals took the handles
Okay, so the lyrics here from Bob's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" may seem a bit random, but the last line kind of comes into play later on. And I like to brag that I can sing all the words to that entire song. I'm so accomplished.
So as most of you know, I went down to Tallahassee this weekend to visit my dear sweet friend Krishna. Krishna moved down South nearly a year ago and has since come to visit her old Georgia friends many times. But nobody had gone down to see her. So I figured it was her turn.
Aside from a few vehicular and familial snags, the trip was well-planned. I even had super directions with insets of maps I had found online. Of course I barely paid attention to them once I got going. And it did take me a while to get going. It took me an hour to get my errands run in Rome, so I didn't really get on the road until two in the afternoon.
All was smooth sailing down Highway 27. I liked it. I don't do so well in traffic or on interstates, so 27 was the perfect route for me. I didn't stop until I got to LaGrange. Krishna had directed me to get onto I-185 for a few exits. I followed her directions, but got hopelessly confused because I stayed on 27S. So I decided, "hell with it" and continued on 27. Well, I didn't realize that somewhere near Calloway Gardens, 27 was being detoured. Nothing is more obnoxious than a detour on an unfamiliar road. I followed this detour for about 20 miles before I just got too confused to tolerate it, so I stopped at a gas station and got directions from a very bored and possibly gay LaGrange conveniance store worker. I ended up on I-185 for about two exits, but soon found my way back to my good friend, 27S.
On through Columbus and Fort Benning I drove and drove. And before I knew it, I was out in the middle of nowhere. And I mean nowhere. There was NOTHING on either side of the road except for trees. It was very pretty, though. It was around dusk as I was driving through this desolate place, and the hills around were very pretty in the fog. Still, I had to call Krishna just to give me something to do while I was driving through this place. Soon after I hung up with her, I passed the best road name ever. I mean EVER. Benevolence Pumpkin Road. I kid you not. BENEVOLENCE PUMPKIN ROAD!! Not even the adjective, "benevolent" but the noun. I laughed for like fifteen minutes until I passed a Sheriff's Department car and got pulled over for going 77 in a 55. Bad monkey.
Many hours and many miles later I finally rolled into Tallahassee. I was SO happy to see Krishna. And she's such a good hostess, she even had supper waiting for me. Their little house is nice. It's the perfect size for Krishna and her husband, and I'm super proud of her for being more grown-up than me. And her cat is precious, although I now see why Krishna keeps calling her a "strange kitty." We didn't do anything really on Friday night because I was wiped out and I had arrived too late to do much. But Krishna and I did have a couple Jack and Cokes and talked for several hours. Something I have missed SO MUCH about having Krishna around. We always have something to talk about, which is a rare thing for me.
Saturday after all were awake and showered, Krishna and I took a pilgramage to Krispy Kreme. Ooooohhhhh Krispy Kreme. Because we are so far away from one up here in the NW Georgia sticks, any opportunity I have to get some REAL, fresh Krispy Kremes is always taken advantage of. I ended up with a dozen (actually, 14 because the little dude at the counter was very sweet and gave me four of the blueberry ones because they're smaller) and Krishna ended up with a dozen. We sat in the glow of the glazing machine and happily chowed down on a lemon-filled (in my case) and a cinnamon apple filled (for Krishna).
Our stomachs properly full of the most unhealthy pastry known to man (if it's not the most unhealthy, let me know what is so I can try it), we headed for the one place in Tallahasse Krishna most wanted me to visit: Vinyl Fever. All right, so Vinyl Fever is what a record store ought to be. CDs by a huge variety of artists at decent prices and a vast section of used CDs. It's a huge store. And I was in my own little Paradise on Earth. I'm not sure how long we were there. I always lose track of time and space when I'm in such a kick-ass record store. Krishna and I were like a couple little girls in a candy store. I ended up spending way too much money, but it's been a very long time since I've bought any music (ack!). When I took my CDs to the counter, the dude working there flirted with me in the best possible way - going on musical taste. Tom Waits always brings the love.
The Florida State Capitol Building - what were they thinking?
We had lunch (we allowed Krishna's husband, Cliff to join us after Vinyl Fever) at a good seafood place and continued to just kind of galavant around Tallahassee. We enjoyed the lovely view of the very phallic Capitol building (I mean, REALLY phallic), and went to a few stores and whatnot. We really just had a lovely time. I also noticed that there are a lot of really good-looking men in Tallahassee. A LOT of good-looking men. And they're not all oiled-up muscle men, nor do they really seem to be fanboys. They're just...good-looking. And when I made this observation to Krishna I got the strangest sense that she was trying to sell me on this little town. Hmmm...
Once we got back to Krishna and Cliff's house, we really just took it easy. We all checked our e-mail on their super cool wi-fi network and Krishna made us supper. She's such a sweetheart and made spaggetti with meat in it despite the fact that she's a vegetarian. Later on, we broke out the Whiskey again and I proceeded to get my ass beat at Mario Cart.
The next morning I had to get going because I wanted to get up to Macon to see my friend Adam before it got too late. It's just as well, because poor Krishna suddenly had a sinus attack or something similar and wasn't feeling so great. We said our goodbyes and I miss her already.
I had to take I-75 to Macon, and althouth I don't much like the interstate, I didn't mind braving it to see Adam. I ended up taking 319 up to Tifton to catch I-75. 319 was fairly uneventful except for the slight little mistake I made in Moultrie. I ended up on Business 319 instead of regular ole 319 North, but all that transpired was that I had to take a few funny little turns in downtown Moultrie.
75 was a little crazy. There were more people on the road than I had anticipated, but I managed okay. It really didn't take too terribly long before I was in Macon. I got to town at about three, which was exactly the time I had been shooting for. If you knew how rarely this happens to me, you'd understand why I was so impressed with myself.
I found Adam's place easily, but I was earlier than he had expected. He had promised me food, so we went in search of it. Well, a search it was indeed. He had mentioned a very good pizza place. We found it, but they were closed. Then the idea of a home cooking place was shot down when they turned out to be closed. Then we though, surely a Sushi place would be open. Well, it wasn't. All during this pinball game of trying to find food, Adam pointed out a few things about Macon and we had some good conversation as we always have done, so I didn't mind the running around. I just felt bad for Adam having to drive me all over creation.
Finally, we ended up at Cheddar's. It's a nice place and they know what "medium rare" means. I was very pleased with my steak and it was so good to sit with Adam and laugh and talk. He's one of those folks from the old days that I have always really missed. It's so rare to meet a good-hearted, level-headed, good-looking man of a certain age, and Adam is all three. His ex must be out of her mind.
After we ate (well, I ate - Adam had eaten already), he drove me around Macon to show me certain points of interest. It's a nice town. Lots of beautiful old houses that are sadly run down. But some of them have been remodeled and are beautiful again. He showed me the Mercer campus and his house as well. I love his little house and it just breaks my heart that he's going to have to sell it and start all over again. Divorce is so ugly.
We really had a good time riding around, and mostly it was just nice to hang out with Adam. I get a feeling that he's trying to sell me on Macon just as Krishna was trying to sell me on Tallahassee. We'll see kids.
Anyway, I said goodbye to Adam sooner than I would have liked, but I really needed to get home at a decent hour since I had to work the next day. So I headed out. 75 continued to be a little crazy, but all went pretty well until I stopped for gas.
I don't know where I was, but I stopped at a BP station. It was prepay only, which I don't like but I can deal with it. So I pulled up to the pump and I went in to get a Diet Dr. Pepper and pay for 20 bucks in gas. I paid, went outside, got into the car, and headed off. I had gone at least 30 miles before I realized that I had forgotten to pump my gas. So I hope somebody had a good time with my twenty bucks. I felt like such and idiot and I still do, because twenty bucks is a small fortune for someone like me. I stopped somewhere in Jackson and had to pay with my debit card. Bleh.
Anyway, Atlanta was crazy as usual, but all turned out well, and I got home at about eight thirty.
It was a hell of a trip, but it was worth all the little problems along the way. I'm in one piece and I got to see my friends. All is well with the world.
So here's some Bob.
Light yourself a candle
Don't wear sandals
Try to avoid the scandals
Don't wanna be a bum
You better chew gum
The pumps don't work
'Cause the vandals took the handles
Okay, so the lyrics here from Bob's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" may seem a bit random, but the last line kind of comes into play later on. And I like to brag that I can sing all the words to that entire song. I'm so accomplished.
So as most of you know, I went down to Tallahassee this weekend to visit my dear sweet friend Krishna. Krishna moved down South nearly a year ago and has since come to visit her old Georgia friends many times. But nobody had gone down to see her. So I figured it was her turn.
Aside from a few vehicular and familial snags, the trip was well-planned. I even had super directions with insets of maps I had found online. Of course I barely paid attention to them once I got going. And it did take me a while to get going. It took me an hour to get my errands run in Rome, so I didn't really get on the road until two in the afternoon.
All was smooth sailing down Highway 27. I liked it. I don't do so well in traffic or on interstates, so 27 was the perfect route for me. I didn't stop until I got to LaGrange. Krishna had directed me to get onto I-185 for a few exits. I followed her directions, but got hopelessly confused because I stayed on 27S. So I decided, "hell with it" and continued on 27. Well, I didn't realize that somewhere near Calloway Gardens, 27 was being detoured. Nothing is more obnoxious than a detour on an unfamiliar road. I followed this detour for about 20 miles before I just got too confused to tolerate it, so I stopped at a gas station and got directions from a very bored and possibly gay LaGrange conveniance store worker. I ended up on I-185 for about two exits, but soon found my way back to my good friend, 27S.
On through Columbus and Fort Benning I drove and drove. And before I knew it, I was out in the middle of nowhere. And I mean nowhere. There was NOTHING on either side of the road except for trees. It was very pretty, though. It was around dusk as I was driving through this desolate place, and the hills around were very pretty in the fog. Still, I had to call Krishna just to give me something to do while I was driving through this place. Soon after I hung up with her, I passed the best road name ever. I mean EVER. Benevolence Pumpkin Road. I kid you not. BENEVOLENCE PUMPKIN ROAD!! Not even the adjective, "benevolent" but the noun. I laughed for like fifteen minutes until I passed a Sheriff's Department car and got pulled over for going 77 in a 55. Bad monkey.
Many hours and many miles later I finally rolled into Tallahassee. I was SO happy to see Krishna. And she's such a good hostess, she even had supper waiting for me. Their little house is nice. It's the perfect size for Krishna and her husband, and I'm super proud of her for being more grown-up than me. And her cat is precious, although I now see why Krishna keeps calling her a "strange kitty." We didn't do anything really on Friday night because I was wiped out and I had arrived too late to do much. But Krishna and I did have a couple Jack and Cokes and talked for several hours. Something I have missed SO MUCH about having Krishna around. We always have something to talk about, which is a rare thing for me.
Saturday after all were awake and showered, Krishna and I took a pilgramage to Krispy Kreme. Ooooohhhhh Krispy Kreme. Because we are so far away from one up here in the NW Georgia sticks, any opportunity I have to get some REAL, fresh Krispy Kremes is always taken advantage of. I ended up with a dozen (actually, 14 because the little dude at the counter was very sweet and gave me four of the blueberry ones because they're smaller) and Krishna ended up with a dozen. We sat in the glow of the glazing machine and happily chowed down on a lemon-filled (in my case) and a cinnamon apple filled (for Krishna).
Our stomachs properly full of the most unhealthy pastry known to man (if it's not the most unhealthy, let me know what is so I can try it), we headed for the one place in Tallahasse Krishna most wanted me to visit: Vinyl Fever. All right, so Vinyl Fever is what a record store ought to be. CDs by a huge variety of artists at decent prices and a vast section of used CDs. It's a huge store. And I was in my own little Paradise on Earth. I'm not sure how long we were there. I always lose track of time and space when I'm in such a kick-ass record store. Krishna and I were like a couple little girls in a candy store. I ended up spending way too much money, but it's been a very long time since I've bought any music (ack!). When I took my CDs to the counter, the dude working there flirted with me in the best possible way - going on musical taste. Tom Waits always brings the love.
The Florida State Capitol Building - what were they thinking?
We had lunch (we allowed Krishna's husband, Cliff to join us after Vinyl Fever) at a good seafood place and continued to just kind of galavant around Tallahassee. We enjoyed the lovely view of the very phallic Capitol building (I mean, REALLY phallic), and went to a few stores and whatnot. We really just had a lovely time. I also noticed that there are a lot of really good-looking men in Tallahassee. A LOT of good-looking men. And they're not all oiled-up muscle men, nor do they really seem to be fanboys. They're just...good-looking. And when I made this observation to Krishna I got the strangest sense that she was trying to sell me on this little town. Hmmm...
Once we got back to Krishna and Cliff's house, we really just took it easy. We all checked our e-mail on their super cool wi-fi network and Krishna made us supper. She's such a sweetheart and made spaggetti with meat in it despite the fact that she's a vegetarian. Later on, we broke out the Whiskey again and I proceeded to get my ass beat at Mario Cart.
The next morning I had to get going because I wanted to get up to Macon to see my friend Adam before it got too late. It's just as well, because poor Krishna suddenly had a sinus attack or something similar and wasn't feeling so great. We said our goodbyes and I miss her already.
I had to take I-75 to Macon, and althouth I don't much like the interstate, I didn't mind braving it to see Adam. I ended up taking 319 up to Tifton to catch I-75. 319 was fairly uneventful except for the slight little mistake I made in Moultrie. I ended up on Business 319 instead of regular ole 319 North, but all that transpired was that I had to take a few funny little turns in downtown Moultrie.
75 was a little crazy. There were more people on the road than I had anticipated, but I managed okay. It really didn't take too terribly long before I was in Macon. I got to town at about three, which was exactly the time I had been shooting for. If you knew how rarely this happens to me, you'd understand why I was so impressed with myself.
I found Adam's place easily, but I was earlier than he had expected. He had promised me food, so we went in search of it. Well, a search it was indeed. He had mentioned a very good pizza place. We found it, but they were closed. Then the idea of a home cooking place was shot down when they turned out to be closed. Then we though, surely a Sushi place would be open. Well, it wasn't. All during this pinball game of trying to find food, Adam pointed out a few things about Macon and we had some good conversation as we always have done, so I didn't mind the running around. I just felt bad for Adam having to drive me all over creation.
Finally, we ended up at Cheddar's. It's a nice place and they know what "medium rare" means. I was very pleased with my steak and it was so good to sit with Adam and laugh and talk. He's one of those folks from the old days that I have always really missed. It's so rare to meet a good-hearted, level-headed, good-looking man of a certain age, and Adam is all three. His ex must be out of her mind.
After we ate (well, I ate - Adam had eaten already), he drove me around Macon to show me certain points of interest. It's a nice town. Lots of beautiful old houses that are sadly run down. But some of them have been remodeled and are beautiful again. He showed me the Mercer campus and his house as well. I love his little house and it just breaks my heart that he's going to have to sell it and start all over again. Divorce is so ugly.
We really had a good time riding around, and mostly it was just nice to hang out with Adam. I get a feeling that he's trying to sell me on Macon just as Krishna was trying to sell me on Tallahassee. We'll see kids.
Anyway, I said goodbye to Adam sooner than I would have liked, but I really needed to get home at a decent hour since I had to work the next day. So I headed out. 75 continued to be a little crazy, but all went pretty well until I stopped for gas.
I don't know where I was, but I stopped at a BP station. It was prepay only, which I don't like but I can deal with it. So I pulled up to the pump and I went in to get a Diet Dr. Pepper and pay for 20 bucks in gas. I paid, went outside, got into the car, and headed off. I had gone at least 30 miles before I realized that I had forgotten to pump my gas. So I hope somebody had a good time with my twenty bucks. I felt like such and idiot and I still do, because twenty bucks is a small fortune for someone like me. I stopped somewhere in Jackson and had to pay with my debit card. Bleh.
Anyway, Atlanta was crazy as usual, but all turned out well, and I got home at about eight thirty.
It was a hell of a trip, but it was worth all the little problems along the way. I'm in one piece and I got to see my friends. All is well with the world.
So here's some Bob.
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