Sunset
The sun was setting behind the hills at Sunset Memorial Park in Beckley, WV when I passed through the open iron gates into the cemetery.
I went to visit my grandmother & grandfather. They weren't there. But their graves were.
I never knew my grandfather, except for in stories. But my grandmother was my pal. I was her "little piss-ant". There was love in her voice every time she told me I was going to hell. =) She was quite a spitfire...a spitefire. =) Very opinionated, very formidable, vey strong. My mother tells me that I act & look just like her. It's a very lovely compliment. =)
I guided my car slowley down the narrow paths until I found the tree that serves as a landmark for me to find the final resting place of my most dearly departed. I got out of the car & glanced anxiously at the horizon. I did not want to be there after dark.
I sat down beside my grandmother and began to talk. I told her about my life now. About finishing college & splitting with Ben. About Megan & being an aunt. About Baltimore and the job. I asked her to help me figure it out. My chest began to ache and I missed her terribly. And I cried & cried & cried. I wanted to hug her. To smell baby powder, Jergens lotion, & juicy fruit again. And to feel her soft, plump, wrinkled arms around me. I laid down, above and beside her, on the cold damp mossy earth and cried & cried & cried.
After a time, my tears stopped. The sun had sunk a little farther and it was getting dark. I lay on my side, staring at her name on the bronze plaque for a few moments. I couldn't hear anything other than the sound of my breathing and the steady, rhythmic chirp of the crickets. It was so calm. So peaceful. And my soul was stilled.
Suddenly I realized that this was the calm that was waiting for me after I weathered my storm. It doesn't matter what I choose. No decision can be wrong. For in the end, our bodies and our lives are gone. Every beginning has an ending. And eventually we all end up sleeping peaceful & ever gazing up at the wonders of heaven.
In that moment, in that calm, I knew that I'd be alright. And in that moment I chose to move to Baltimore, Maryland.
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Sunday, September 19, 2004
My god, I love my parents!
I'm here in Beckley spending the weekend with them. I drove up last night and we watched Master & Commander and then chatted until 2AM about my possible/upcoming move to Baltimore. This morning we had a yummy breakfast of scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, & pancakes, after which I spent about an hour working on my Mom's computer. Now that it's demons have been put to rest, for a time at least, I'm sitting here talking with them & watching them play Ever Grace on Playstation 2.
All morning long I've been laughing my ass off at the clever little exchanges between the two. My Dad is such a smart-ass and my Mom is the perfect "straight man" to his comedy routine. They're such good friends...they don't have much, but they have each other and their family. And they love what they have. =)
Anyway, I wanted to share a bit of them with the world this morning. So, if you were a fly on the wall in this ancient single-wide trailer in Eccles, WV this morning, here's a bit of what you would've heard:
When discussing love, relationships, & marriage, I told the folks that social psychologists discovered a correlation between length of courtship & chance of divorce (i.e. courtships between 6 months to 2 years tend to end up in "successful" marriages, in that they tend not to get divorced). Mom stated that she and Dad dated for just short of 2 years before marrying. Dad took a draw off of the cigarette he held between the index & middle fingers of his right hand & with a dead pan face said, "Our marriage didn’t work out, Chris." A pause, another draw from the cigarette, "Our marriage fell through in 1973…no wait…that was our bed. I knew it was something to do with marriage."
When Mom was stating something obvious about the weather and floods that we've been experiencing, Dad looked at her, his lips pressed together firmly, & shook his head slightly from side to side, & said, "You know...it’s a wonder that I haven’t hit you yet."
When discussing the possibility of me moving to Baltimore and what I would need to take, we got to the topic of beds. I considered taking one of the old iron ones we have stored in Granny's house and Dad mentioned that he would have to repair the feet, as they have old rusted rollers and, in his opinion, just need flat caps. He continued, "I hate beds with rollers on the bottom. The one we have in the bedroom has rollers. When Mommy gets out of bed sometimes she sends me rolling across the room. She's trying to get up, she puts her feet on the floor, and her hind-end is pushing down on the bed, she bounces back and forth a second, and then she finally gets up, and I go Zoom!!! across the room. And end up slamming against the wall. It's like roller derby in the bedroom."
Dad mentioned that sometimes Mom asks him what he wants for breakfast in the strangest way. He said, "A few days ago, I woke up and your Mom had been up for a couple of hours. She asked me what I wanted for breakfast and I said I didn't know. She got up and said, 'Well, I'm going to go to the bathroom. While I'm going to the bathroom, think about what you want to eat' ."
Through her laughter, Mom managed to get out, "I love you very much, Garland...even though you make me think that I'm a total dummy sometimes." Later when Mom and I were talking about Dad's smart ass sense of humor she smiled and said, "On the whole, he makes me laugh every day. Everybody needs someone who can do that. We've had so much laughter together. The first breakfast I cooked for Daddy right after we got married, we had a gas stove and didn't know that you needed to light the pilot light to get the oven to work. I wanted to bake biscuits, but the pilot was out and the oven wasn't working, so I tried to cook them on top of the stove. It was horrible! The top wasn't cooked at all and the bottom was burnt! He must've loved me, because he stayed with me. "
Now this, my friends, is love. =)
I'm here in Beckley spending the weekend with them. I drove up last night and we watched Master & Commander and then chatted until 2AM about my possible/upcoming move to Baltimore. This morning we had a yummy breakfast of scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, & pancakes, after which I spent about an hour working on my Mom's computer. Now that it's demons have been put to rest, for a time at least, I'm sitting here talking with them & watching them play Ever Grace on Playstation 2.
All morning long I've been laughing my ass off at the clever little exchanges between the two. My Dad is such a smart-ass and my Mom is the perfect "straight man" to his comedy routine. They're such good friends...they don't have much, but they have each other and their family. And they love what they have. =)
Anyway, I wanted to share a bit of them with the world this morning. So, if you were a fly on the wall in this ancient single-wide trailer in Eccles, WV this morning, here's a bit of what you would've heard:
When discussing love, relationships, & marriage, I told the folks that social psychologists discovered a correlation between length of courtship & chance of divorce (i.e. courtships between 6 months to 2 years tend to end up in "successful" marriages, in that they tend not to get divorced). Mom stated that she and Dad dated for just short of 2 years before marrying. Dad took a draw off of the cigarette he held between the index & middle fingers of his right hand & with a dead pan face said, "Our marriage didn’t work out, Chris." A pause, another draw from the cigarette, "Our marriage fell through in 1973…no wait…that was our bed. I knew it was something to do with marriage."
When Mom was stating something obvious about the weather and floods that we've been experiencing, Dad looked at her, his lips pressed together firmly, & shook his head slightly from side to side, & said, "You know...it’s a wonder that I haven’t hit you yet."
When discussing the possibility of me moving to Baltimore and what I would need to take, we got to the topic of beds. I considered taking one of the old iron ones we have stored in Granny's house and Dad mentioned that he would have to repair the feet, as they have old rusted rollers and, in his opinion, just need flat caps. He continued, "I hate beds with rollers on the bottom. The one we have in the bedroom has rollers. When Mommy gets out of bed sometimes she sends me rolling across the room. She's trying to get up, she puts her feet on the floor, and her hind-end is pushing down on the bed, she bounces back and forth a second, and then she finally gets up, and I go Zoom!!! across the room. And end up slamming against the wall. It's like roller derby in the bedroom."
Dad mentioned that sometimes Mom asks him what he wants for breakfast in the strangest way. He said, "A few days ago, I woke up and your Mom had been up for a couple of hours. She asked me what I wanted for breakfast and I said I didn't know. She got up and said, 'Well, I'm going to go to the bathroom. While I'm going to the bathroom, think about what you want to eat' ."
Through her laughter, Mom managed to get out, "I love you very much, Garland...even though you make me think that I'm a total dummy sometimes." Later when Mom and I were talking about Dad's smart ass sense of humor she smiled and said, "On the whole, he makes me laugh every day. Everybody needs someone who can do that. We've had so much laughter together. The first breakfast I cooked for Daddy right after we got married, we had a gas stove and didn't know that you needed to light the pilot light to get the oven to work. I wanted to bake biscuits, but the pilot was out and the oven wasn't working, so I tried to cook them on top of the stove. It was horrible! The top wasn't cooked at all and the bottom was burnt! He must've loved me, because he stayed with me. "
Now this, my friends, is love. =)
Saturday, September 18, 2004
My Family
In response to Ken's last comment on the Sept. 14th post:
Actually, I'm not positive how much you are making now (and if I did I wouldn't post it on the internet), but I was under the impression that you would be making slightly more than you are making now if you took the new job, even after adjusting for cost of living. And living with your sis would be a great boon as well. The only drawback I can think of is that you'll be farther away from ME. Which I'm pretty sure is everyone's primary consideration in everything they do. ken 09.18.04 - 10:56 am
Yup. If I take the job (and I still say if because the words "Yes, I'll be there in two weeks" haven't actually slid their way from my lips), I'll be making about $9000 a year more than I'm making now! =) My sis plans to allow me to live with her, so I will have basically the same expenses that I have here in WV.
In many ways moving to Baltimore would be a good thing for me. First, I will be making more money. Second, I will be adding work at a residential level 3 facility & an inner city client population to my resume. Third, working at that center with those girls will be a fucking challenge & will help me grow as a counselor & person. Forth, the area is very charming, with tons of sights to see & things to do! Fifth, it will be good for my sister financially, emotionally, & psychologically if I move there. Sixth, it would be good for me to get out of Charleston and the unhealthy lifestyle that I've slipped into. I feel stagnant here, with no drive to go to school & no energy to make any positive changes. I'm confident that moving to a new city & getting a fresh start would improve my financial, emotional, psychological, & physical state. And Rose is such a positive influence on me, my "little mother". =) We are an excellent support system for each other & a complimentary personality combination...sweet mixed with smart-ass sour.
However, the main drawback or reason that I hesitate at all is because I don't want to be farther from the people that I love the most in the world! Mom & Dad, Wayne, Cheryl, & Meg, Nikki, Ken & Leslie, Shawn & Chris, Crystal...I love you guys! And the thought of not being able to see you as often as I do now tears at my heart!
Sean, Pat & Ben...don't be offended that I didn't include you in the list. It's just that you're already so fucking far away...it's almost like you don't exist, except as a little voices in my phone. (Hehehehe! I'm gonna catch hell for that one! )
I know I tell you guys fairly often that I love you. =) More than anyone else in our friend group. But I do! I love you guys so much! In my heart, your as much brothers & sisters to me as Wayne & Rose. No we don't share the memories of sliding down the hill in an old tire innertube or having rotten apple battles in the backyard as Rose, Wayne, & I do. But we do share memories of sitting around Ben's computer looking at porn, Shawn being obsessed with the pillows on our couch and sleeping through his Japanese class, D&D nights, daily college fast food runs, Ken & I cleaning the apartment while Ben played EQ, Ken starting to date Leslie and being afraid to bring her around us for fear that his inner asshole would show itself & for fear that we would mock him for showing his sweet & compassionate side, walking around in a drunken stupor at 11:00AM, surrounded by people in midevil attire, & drunkenly throwing blunt weapons at targets, much euchre gaming, alcohol drinking, & movie watching, Leslie getting wasted and calling everyone "bitch", Chris slipping into a crazed Scottish personality or quoting Benicio Del Toro, Shawn rooting around on his pillow & making piggy noises when he sleeps, Ken snoring like a fucking tractor, Burnsy's horrid decision making skills when it comes to women & relationships...I could go on & on!
But you are my family & I love you. I miss those of you that I don't see frequently terribly as is...& I will miss you more if I go. When I go.
Can you fix this? It's a broken heart.
It was fine, but it just fell apart.
It was mine, but now I give it to you,
Cause you can fix it, you know what to do.
Let your love cover me,
Like a pair of angel wings,
You are my family,
You are my family.
The child who played with the moon and stars,
Waves a snatch of hay in a common barn,
In the lonely house of Adam's fall
Lies a child, it's just a child that's all,
crying Let your love cover me,
Like a pair of angel wings,
You are my family,
You are my family.
~Dar Williams ~ Family
In response to Ken's last comment on the Sept. 14th post:
Actually, I'm not positive how much you are making now (and if I did I wouldn't post it on the internet), but I was under the impression that you would be making slightly more than you are making now if you took the new job, even after adjusting for cost of living. And living with your sis would be a great boon as well. The only drawback I can think of is that you'll be farther away from ME. Which I'm pretty sure is everyone's primary consideration in everything they do. ken 09.18.04 - 10:56 am
Yup. If I take the job (and I still say if because the words "Yes, I'll be there in two weeks" haven't actually slid their way from my lips), I'll be making about $9000 a year more than I'm making now! =) My sis plans to allow me to live with her, so I will have basically the same expenses that I have here in WV.
In many ways moving to Baltimore would be a good thing for me. First, I will be making more money. Second, I will be adding work at a residential level 3 facility & an inner city client population to my resume. Third, working at that center with those girls will be a fucking challenge & will help me grow as a counselor & person. Forth, the area is very charming, with tons of sights to see & things to do! Fifth, it will be good for my sister financially, emotionally, & psychologically if I move there. Sixth, it would be good for me to get out of Charleston and the unhealthy lifestyle that I've slipped into. I feel stagnant here, with no drive to go to school & no energy to make any positive changes. I'm confident that moving to a new city & getting a fresh start would improve my financial, emotional, psychological, & physical state. And Rose is such a positive influence on me, my "little mother". =) We are an excellent support system for each other & a complimentary personality combination...sweet mixed with smart-ass sour.
However, the main drawback or reason that I hesitate at all is because I don't want to be farther from the people that I love the most in the world! Mom & Dad, Wayne, Cheryl, & Meg, Nikki, Ken & Leslie, Shawn & Chris, Crystal...I love you guys! And the thought of not being able to see you as often as I do now tears at my heart!
Sean, Pat & Ben...don't be offended that I didn't include you in the list. It's just that you're already so fucking far away...it's almost like you don't exist, except as a little voices in my phone. (Hehehehe! I'm gonna catch hell for that one! )
I know I tell you guys fairly often that I love you. =) More than anyone else in our friend group. But I do! I love you guys so much! In my heart, your as much brothers & sisters to me as Wayne & Rose. No we don't share the memories of sliding down the hill in an old tire innertube or having rotten apple battles in the backyard as Rose, Wayne, & I do. But we do share memories of sitting around Ben's computer looking at porn, Shawn being obsessed with the pillows on our couch and sleeping through his Japanese class, D&D nights, daily college fast food runs, Ken & I cleaning the apartment while Ben played EQ, Ken starting to date Leslie and being afraid to bring her around us for fear that his inner asshole would show itself & for fear that we would mock him for showing his sweet & compassionate side, walking around in a drunken stupor at 11:00AM, surrounded by people in midevil attire, & drunkenly throwing blunt weapons at targets, much euchre gaming, alcohol drinking, & movie watching, Leslie getting wasted and calling everyone "bitch", Chris slipping into a crazed Scottish personality or quoting Benicio Del Toro, Shawn rooting around on his pillow & making piggy noises when he sleeps, Ken snoring like a fucking tractor, Burnsy's horrid decision making skills when it comes to women & relationships...I could go on & on!
But you are my family & I love you. I miss those of you that I don't see frequently terribly as is...& I will miss you more if I go. When I go.
Can you fix this? It's a broken heart.
It was fine, but it just fell apart.
It was mine, but now I give it to you,
Cause you can fix it, you know what to do.
Let your love cover me,
Like a pair of angel wings,
You are my family,
You are my family.
The child who played with the moon and stars,
Waves a snatch of hay in a common barn,
In the lonely house of Adam's fall
Lies a child, it's just a child that's all,
crying Let your love cover me,
Like a pair of angel wings,
You are my family,
You are my family.
~Dar Williams ~ Family
Friday, September 17, 2004
What a mess! Rain, rain, rain, hurricane! And no phone!
I'm supposed to go on a date tonight, however I woke from my little nap to find that I had no phone (and I had overslept a bit) so now the poor guy is going to think that I stood him up! =)
Well...I suppose I'll just go hang with my brother. That'll be good.
Oh yeah...well I'm back from Baltimore. I drove in Wednesday morning and went straight to work. I talked to the HR lady today at the GS Center and she said that all of my references checked out and she just needed to talk w/ my current employer.
That's not so good because today I led my coworkers in a little meeting with my site supervisor addressing the urgent need for a van driver. Basically since I've been working at Innerchange, there hasn't been a steady person to do transportation for the children to and from the program and that job duty has been "temporarily" thrust upon us. We've been patiently waiting for the problem to be solved but no real steps have been taken. This morning, after spending 2 and 1/2 hours in the fucking van this morning in icky rain, we decided that it time to take a stand. I informed our supervisor that we would no longer be driving the van. If the Innerchange program went under due to no clients attending & we got laid off, oh well. Not our responsibility. I'm a counselor...give me someone with problems and I'll do my best to provide guidance...I'm not a fucking van driver. I have a college degree and it doesn't mean much, but it does mean that I am qualified for a better position than van driver!
So I wonder what kind of reference she'll give me? Damn it! Me and my fucking big mouth! =)
The Jerry McGuire that lives inside of me must die!!! Or at least learn to use discretion!
I'm supposed to go on a date tonight, however I woke from my little nap to find that I had no phone (and I had overslept a bit) so now the poor guy is going to think that I stood him up! =)
Well...I suppose I'll just go hang with my brother. That'll be good.
Oh yeah...well I'm back from Baltimore. I drove in Wednesday morning and went straight to work. I talked to the HR lady today at the GS Center and she said that all of my references checked out and she just needed to talk w/ my current employer.
That's not so good because today I led my coworkers in a little meeting with my site supervisor addressing the urgent need for a van driver. Basically since I've been working at Innerchange, there hasn't been a steady person to do transportation for the children to and from the program and that job duty has been "temporarily" thrust upon us. We've been patiently waiting for the problem to be solved but no real steps have been taken. This morning, after spending 2 and 1/2 hours in the fucking van this morning in icky rain, we decided that it time to take a stand. I informed our supervisor that we would no longer be driving the van. If the Innerchange program went under due to no clients attending & we got laid off, oh well. Not our responsibility. I'm a counselor...give me someone with problems and I'll do my best to provide guidance...I'm not a fucking van driver. I have a college degree and it doesn't mean much, but it does mean that I am qualified for a better position than van driver!
So I wonder what kind of reference she'll give me? Damn it! Me and my fucking big mouth! =)
The Jerry McGuire that lives inside of me must die!!! Or at least learn to use discretion!
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
I had my interview today and it went very, very well. They offered me a starting pay rate of $28,500. I have a second interview tomorrow, during which I will shadow a counselor & interact with the girls that live at the Center.
Wow. This is way too real for me. If I decide to accept it, they want me to start in two weeks. The ladies that interviewed me were quite impressed with me, which is awesome. =) The HR lady stated that as long as things go well tomorrow then the job is mine. She stated that they were looking to fill the new Oppositional Defiant/Conduct Disorder unit with "the best people" and she felt I was one of them. Again, wow.
And that's not all that was "wow" today. I had an awesome lunch, drinks, & conversation with the sexiest, sweetest, & most genuine guy. We talked for hours upon hours...I feel like I've known him forever. For the time that I was with him, it felt like my puzzle piece had clicked into place. It was nice. Very, very nice. =)
Wow. This is way too real for me. If I decide to accept it, they want me to start in two weeks. The ladies that interviewed me were quite impressed with me, which is awesome. =) The HR lady stated that as long as things go well tomorrow then the job is mine. She stated that they were looking to fill the new Oppositional Defiant/Conduct Disorder unit with "the best people" and she felt I was one of them. Again, wow.
And that's not all that was "wow" today. I had an awesome lunch, drinks, & conversation with the sexiest, sweetest, & most genuine guy. We talked for hours upon hours...I feel like I've known him forever. For the time that I was with him, it felt like my puzzle piece had clicked into place. It was nice. Very, very nice. =)
Sunday, September 12, 2004
I just realized that I never wrote about seeing Collective Soul & getting backstage at the Regatta on last Friday & meeting Shinedown & Eight Days Gone. Hmmm...that was a fun night. I'll get to it here in the next few days. Maybe.
A Night on Fleet Street
Last night I arrived in Baltimore at about 8 PM. Rose & I went down to chow down on some mexican cuisine at Don Pablo's. After gorging & having a 30 minute conversation with our hot, young waiter, Jim, about his career aspirations & why he should visit West Virginia, we sauntered down the street to check out the night life on "The Avenue". The one bar Rose had in mind was called Bayou Blues Cafe. We walked up to the door & peered through the glass to find a very large woman in a red t-shirt shaking her groove thang more rapidly than I would have thought possible for a woman of her size. Hell...I'm not that...um...voluptuous and I can't fucking move that fast!!!! Rose said I just stopped on the sidewalk and starred at her slack-jawed. Yeah. I decided that we didn't need to go there.
So then she drove me down to Fleet Street/Broadway area, which is one of the many happening party areas in Baltimore. It was a block of pubs, clubs, eateries, & charming little shops situated right along the Bay. After walking around to scout out live music, being approached by more than a few inebriated males, & avoiding a couple of piles of puke on the cobblestone streets, we decided on a little pub called The Horse You Rode In On. There was a live band, a cover band, but live music nonetheless. I enjoyed a couple of New Castle's, courtesy of my sis, chatted with the bassist, & then Rose & I left to walk down one of the piers.
It was absolutely beautiful out there last night. The lights were reflecting on the water & a constant breeze was blowing in from the Bay. The sounds of the bars & of people laughing & talking flittered down & mixed with the wind & the lapping of the water. It was perfect. Another one of those moments where I found myself thinking, "This is so magical. If I were experiencing this with a guy I would fall in love with him due to the time & place." It felt right being there.
How to be a Catholic in two easy steps...
I went to my first Roman Catholic mass with Rose this morning. The service was more ceremonial than the Pentecostal services that I grew up with, however it was more modern than the Greek Orthodox services I attended for a short time while in Huntington. Having attended the Orthodox masses in the past, I understood much of what was going on & much of the symbolism involved in the actions & church design. One thing I had never experienced or seen before was the holy water at the door, with which everyone dips their fingers in and then crosses themselves as the enter or exit the sanctuary. The other new & interesting thing was the kneeling & standing. Kneeling bench down, kneel, say some stuff, kneeling bench up, stand, say some more stuff, kneeling bench down, kneel, say some stuff, & so on & so forth. I believe that the first two steps to being Catholic are 1) Kneeling & 2) Standing. If you can kneel & stand, the Catholicism is for you, my friend!!!
Seriously, I don't mean to belittle the Catholic religion in any way. I actually enjoyed the service this morning & the ceremony of it all. I found myself wishing that it were more formal, like the Orthodox services I had previously attended. I could see myself attending mass once a week...and then maybe a meditation circle once a week as well. Why not? Might as well cover all of the bases, right? After mass, I wanted to explore the cemetary behind St. Joseph's & so we walked around for a bit back there, reading the names & dates on the tombstones.
170 miles in a Mercedes
After the cemetary, we set out to find the Good Shephard Center, where I will be interviewing for a counseling position tomorrow. We followed the directions given to me by the HR person from the Center...and ended up driving around & around for hours!!! Tired, frustrated, & starving, we finally started calling people, hoping to find someone to look up directions online. My beloved Chris Jarrett was home & kind enough to look on MapQuest for us. (God bless you, Mr. J! I love you!!!) It turned out that a very crucial step in the directions was left out by the HR lady involving a split in the road. (Insert explative directed at HR lady here.) So after almost three trips around Baltimore or 170 miles or 4 hours later, we finally found the fucking thing!!!! Also, I know how to get to Fleet Street, the Inner Harbour, & my sister's house all by myself...so I suppose there was an upside to all of this circular driving. Now I only hope that I'll be able to manage the traffic on the Beltway in the morning!
Dinner at the Harbour
After finding our Questing Beast, we then headed down to the Inner Harbour for some grub. Parking & walking happened & then we found ourselves grubbing down on some meiocre americanized asian food on the outdoor patio at one of the malls there. Dinner was filling & relaxing, as we had a lovely view of the water, the "pirate" ship, & all of the activity going on in that area. The sun set as we ate our rice, noodles, & sesame chicken (packed with MSG) & enjoyed that beautiful & constant breeze of which I am growing very fond. I took a few pictures of the Harbour area, which are posted above.
Casper Meets Wendy, the Red-Headed Slut
On our way home Rose called her friend Jim & we convinced him, after much coercing & gnashing of teeth, to come over for some chips, salsa, & conversation. He initially didn't want to meet me for fear of what I would end up writing about him on here. =) Of course, I don't know if that's true or something he said to be clever. At any rate, it was terribly amusing. Rose tried to get me to write about him under the code name of Casper...but I don't do code names.
He hung out for a couple of hours, indulging in chips & salsa, while conversing about the presidential candidates, the events of the weekend, music, his band, Rose's Mr. Wonderful - Mr. Bill, Megan, my interview, Rose's sperm allergy, night terrors, out of body experiences, shadow people, demons, aliens, & the Blue Guy that haunts his thoughts & fills him with terrors of night terrors. =)
Jim strikes me as a very intelligent, witty, & trustworthy guy. In short, I liked him. I'm glad that my sister has made such a friend & if I move to the Baltimore area, I would request the pleasure of his company on a regular basis. Every word, explicit & hardcore truth, my friend. I promise. =)
Wish me Luck!!!!
Now I must to bed, for I have yon interview forthwith on the morrow! I wonder what will happen?! I'm a bit nervous...but not. I'm interviewing them as well tomorrow, deciding if it's a place that I want to work. I think I'm more nervous about having to decide if I want to move here or if I want to stay at home. It will be such a tough decision. Or perhaps not. Fate will point me in the direction I need to go. She has thus far.
A Night on Fleet Street
Last night I arrived in Baltimore at about 8 PM. Rose & I went down to chow down on some mexican cuisine at Don Pablo's. After gorging & having a 30 minute conversation with our hot, young waiter, Jim, about his career aspirations & why he should visit West Virginia, we sauntered down the street to check out the night life on "The Avenue". The one bar Rose had in mind was called Bayou Blues Cafe. We walked up to the door & peered through the glass to find a very large woman in a red t-shirt shaking her groove thang more rapidly than I would have thought possible for a woman of her size. Hell...I'm not that...um...voluptuous and I can't fucking move that fast!!!! Rose said I just stopped on the sidewalk and starred at her slack-jawed. Yeah. I decided that we didn't need to go there.
So then she drove me down to Fleet Street/Broadway area, which is one of the many happening party areas in Baltimore. It was a block of pubs, clubs, eateries, & charming little shops situated right along the Bay. After walking around to scout out live music, being approached by more than a few inebriated males, & avoiding a couple of piles of puke on the cobblestone streets, we decided on a little pub called The Horse You Rode In On. There was a live band, a cover band, but live music nonetheless. I enjoyed a couple of New Castle's, courtesy of my sis, chatted with the bassist, & then Rose & I left to walk down one of the piers.
It was absolutely beautiful out there last night. The lights were reflecting on the water & a constant breeze was blowing in from the Bay. The sounds of the bars & of people laughing & talking flittered down & mixed with the wind & the lapping of the water. It was perfect. Another one of those moments where I found myself thinking, "This is so magical. If I were experiencing this with a guy I would fall in love with him due to the time & place." It felt right being there.
How to be a Catholic in two easy steps...
I went to my first Roman Catholic mass with Rose this morning. The service was more ceremonial than the Pentecostal services that I grew up with, however it was more modern than the Greek Orthodox services I attended for a short time while in Huntington. Having attended the Orthodox masses in the past, I understood much of what was going on & much of the symbolism involved in the actions & church design. One thing I had never experienced or seen before was the holy water at the door, with which everyone dips their fingers in and then crosses themselves as the enter or exit the sanctuary. The other new & interesting thing was the kneeling & standing. Kneeling bench down, kneel, say some stuff, kneeling bench up, stand, say some more stuff, kneeling bench down, kneel, say some stuff, & so on & so forth. I believe that the first two steps to being Catholic are 1) Kneeling & 2) Standing. If you can kneel & stand, the Catholicism is for you, my friend!!!
Seriously, I don't mean to belittle the Catholic religion in any way. I actually enjoyed the service this morning & the ceremony of it all. I found myself wishing that it were more formal, like the Orthodox services I had previously attended. I could see myself attending mass once a week...and then maybe a meditation circle once a week as well. Why not? Might as well cover all of the bases, right? After mass, I wanted to explore the cemetary behind St. Joseph's & so we walked around for a bit back there, reading the names & dates on the tombstones.
170 miles in a Mercedes
After the cemetary, we set out to find the Good Shephard Center, where I will be interviewing for a counseling position tomorrow. We followed the directions given to me by the HR person from the Center...and ended up driving around & around for hours!!! Tired, frustrated, & starving, we finally started calling people, hoping to find someone to look up directions online. My beloved Chris Jarrett was home & kind enough to look on MapQuest for us. (God bless you, Mr. J! I love you!!!) It turned out that a very crucial step in the directions was left out by the HR lady involving a split in the road. (Insert explative directed at HR lady here.) So after almost three trips around Baltimore or 170 miles or 4 hours later, we finally found the fucking thing!!!! Also, I know how to get to Fleet Street, the Inner Harbour, & my sister's house all by myself...so I suppose there was an upside to all of this circular driving. Now I only hope that I'll be able to manage the traffic on the Beltway in the morning!
Dinner at the Harbour
After finding our Questing Beast, we then headed down to the Inner Harbour for some grub. Parking & walking happened & then we found ourselves grubbing down on some meiocre americanized asian food on the outdoor patio at one of the malls there. Dinner was filling & relaxing, as we had a lovely view of the water, the "pirate" ship, & all of the activity going on in that area. The sun set as we ate our rice, noodles, & sesame chicken (packed with MSG) & enjoyed that beautiful & constant breeze of which I am growing very fond. I took a few pictures of the Harbour area, which are posted above.
Casper Meets Wendy, the Red-Headed Slut
On our way home Rose called her friend Jim & we convinced him, after much coercing & gnashing of teeth, to come over for some chips, salsa, & conversation. He initially didn't want to meet me for fear of what I would end up writing about him on here. =) Of course, I don't know if that's true or something he said to be clever. At any rate, it was terribly amusing. Rose tried to get me to write about him under the code name of Casper...but I don't do code names.
He hung out for a couple of hours, indulging in chips & salsa, while conversing about the presidential candidates, the events of the weekend, music, his band, Rose's Mr. Wonderful - Mr. Bill, Megan, my interview, Rose's sperm allergy, night terrors, out of body experiences, shadow people, demons, aliens, & the Blue Guy that haunts his thoughts & fills him with terrors of night terrors. =)
Jim strikes me as a very intelligent, witty, & trustworthy guy. In short, I liked him. I'm glad that my sister has made such a friend & if I move to the Baltimore area, I would request the pleasure of his company on a regular basis. Every word, explicit & hardcore truth, my friend. I promise. =)
Wish me Luck!!!!
Now I must to bed, for I have yon interview forthwith on the morrow! I wonder what will happen?! I'm a bit nervous...but not. I'm interviewing them as well tomorrow, deciding if it's a place that I want to work. I think I'm more nervous about having to decide if I want to move here or if I want to stay at home. It will be such a tough decision. Or perhaps not. Fate will point me in the direction I need to go. She has thus far.
Saturday, September 11, 2004
Oh man. What a night. I'm so fucking lucky I'm not hung over right now. =)
Crystal, my new friend Eric Parsons, & I went out to the Empty Glass last night to hear Noizbox. We got there just as they were finishing up their last song. I was so disappointed! I saw Roadblock, the bassist for Noizbox, after the show & he finally gave me the Noizbox CD that I've been coveting for 2 weeks now. He advised me to stick around to see the next band, FreekBass. (That's bass as in "base", not like the fish.)
So Crystal, Eric, & I played a 30 minute game of 1913 while waiting for the music to start. Plus I wanted to get a little fucked up because we were celebrating my Birthday!!! (Yay me! I'm alive! Look at me! Wooooo!) For those of you that have never played 1913, let me fill you in. It's not a hard game really. I'm not even sure it's a game. It's just something that me, Ben, his old neighbor Beth, & her friend Rachel all thought up one night while he was living in that cinderblock joke of an apartment at 1913 6th Ave. back in 1998. =) The same apartment in which Eric Hoffman had mold growing on his bedroom wall and opted to "let if thrive". Nasty, nasty. Oh, them were the days, folks!
Anyway, in 1913 a person has to toast to something and you all take a drink and then the toast passes to the next person, and the next, and the next, and so on. You keep going & going & going. But if a person hesitates to toast to anything, he/she has to finish her entire drink right then and there while everyone else gets a little break from drinking. =) Last night we went with the 3 drink rule if you fuck up the flow of toasting. We didn't want anyone getting too hurt. =)
We got good and toasty (Pun oh so intended) and then went up front to enjoy the funka-delic grooves of FreekBass (Like "base", not the fish.) They were awesome! You guys need to check out the link I posted up above. =) They play in Columbus next month boys...maybe we could go see 'em? If I'm not in Baltimore that is.
I'm about to leave to go up to Baltimore...all my shit's packed and I just thought I'd write this first. I have my job interview Monday. I don't know if I want to get the job or not. If I do then that means I have to make one fucking hard decision. Eeeeeek!
Anyway, back to last night, I saw Rob at the Glass, so that mystery is solved. He was there with his girlfriend. I tapped him on the shoulder and said, "You are a complete ass. You don't tell a girl you'll 'definitely call' and then not call, at least to let her know what's up. " His answer was that he didn't have a phone. Which he doesn't and his mom's was disconnected last week. Hmmm...well...fuck it. I'm just glad that I didn't get that emotionally invested in the situation.
Alrighty. Well that's that. Wish me luck...maybe. I don't know what I bloody fucking want! More money, that's for sure. And I'm tired of living alone. I need a roomie to keep me from going nucking futz! =) Of course, when I had roomies, with the exception of Ken, they all drove me nucking futz! =)
Meeeeeeeep!
Crystal, my new friend Eric Parsons, & I went out to the Empty Glass last night to hear Noizbox. We got there just as they were finishing up their last song. I was so disappointed! I saw Roadblock, the bassist for Noizbox, after the show & he finally gave me the Noizbox CD that I've been coveting for 2 weeks now. He advised me to stick around to see the next band, FreekBass. (That's bass as in "base", not like the fish.)
So Crystal, Eric, & I played a 30 minute game of 1913 while waiting for the music to start. Plus I wanted to get a little fucked up because we were celebrating my Birthday!!! (Yay me! I'm alive! Look at me! Wooooo!) For those of you that have never played 1913, let me fill you in. It's not a hard game really. I'm not even sure it's a game. It's just something that me, Ben, his old neighbor Beth, & her friend Rachel all thought up one night while he was living in that cinderblock joke of an apartment at 1913 6th Ave. back in 1998. =) The same apartment in which Eric Hoffman had mold growing on his bedroom wall and opted to "let if thrive". Nasty, nasty. Oh, them were the days, folks!
Anyway, in 1913 a person has to toast to something and you all take a drink and then the toast passes to the next person, and the next, and the next, and so on. You keep going & going & going. But if a person hesitates to toast to anything, he/she has to finish her entire drink right then and there while everyone else gets a little break from drinking. =) Last night we went with the 3 drink rule if you fuck up the flow of toasting. We didn't want anyone getting too hurt. =)
We got good and toasty (Pun oh so intended) and then went up front to enjoy the funka-delic grooves of FreekBass (Like "base", not the fish.) They were awesome! You guys need to check out the link I posted up above. =) They play in Columbus next month boys...maybe we could go see 'em? If I'm not in Baltimore that is.
I'm about to leave to go up to Baltimore...all my shit's packed and I just thought I'd write this first. I have my job interview Monday. I don't know if I want to get the job or not. If I do then that means I have to make one fucking hard decision. Eeeeeek!
Anyway, back to last night, I saw Rob at the Glass, so that mystery is solved. He was there with his girlfriend. I tapped him on the shoulder and said, "You are a complete ass. You don't tell a girl you'll 'definitely call' and then not call, at least to let her know what's up. " His answer was that he didn't have a phone. Which he doesn't and his mom's was disconnected last week. Hmmm...well...fuck it. I'm just glad that I didn't get that emotionally invested in the situation.
Alrighty. Well that's that. Wish me luck...maybe. I don't know what I bloody fucking want! More money, that's for sure. And I'm tired of living alone. I need a roomie to keep me from going nucking futz! =) Of course, when I had roomies, with the exception of Ken, they all drove me nucking futz! =)
Meeeeeeeep!
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
We gonna party like it's your Birthday!
Well, not really. You know...as you get older birthdays really do get to be less & less of a big deal. I'm 26 today. Am I happy with where my life is right now? Well...I'm doing better than I was last year. I'm not dating Steve. =) (You know your my boy, Stevie! That's just revenge for that comment yesterday!)
Yeah, I'm cool with my life. I'm poor, but I've always been poor. I'm working in a field in which I get to help people. I'm slightly overweight, but that will change as soon as I actually do something about it. I have great tits, a big, goofy smile, & a fun personality...(maybe). I had a wonderful job interview at SSA DDS on Tuesday, a good phone interview with the Good Shepherd Center in Baltimore, MD on Tuesday, & I have an face-to-face interview with the Good Shepherd Center on Monday the 13th. I could possibly be making $28, 000 in Baltimore.
So now I'm going to spend my evening with my neighbors, Matt & Scott, watching Fight Club, eating pizza, & drinking beer. Fuck your khakis!! Fuck Martha Stewart!! Wooo!!!
Here's to me & being 26! May my breasts always be as beautiful as they are today, may I never lose my sense of humor, may I never give up hope, may I always be able to live in the moment, may I never fear death!
Well, not really. You know...as you get older birthdays really do get to be less & less of a big deal. I'm 26 today. Am I happy with where my life is right now? Well...I'm doing better than I was last year. I'm not dating Steve. =) (You know your my boy, Stevie! That's just revenge for that comment yesterday!)
Yeah, I'm cool with my life. I'm poor, but I've always been poor. I'm working in a field in which I get to help people. I'm slightly overweight, but that will change as soon as I actually do something about it. I have great tits, a big, goofy smile, & a fun personality...(maybe). I had a wonderful job interview at SSA DDS on Tuesday, a good phone interview with the Good Shepherd Center in Baltimore, MD on Tuesday, & I have an face-to-face interview with the Good Shepherd Center on Monday the 13th. I could possibly be making $28, 000 in Baltimore.
So now I'm going to spend my evening with my neighbors, Matt & Scott, watching Fight Club, eating pizza, & drinking beer. Fuck your khakis!! Fuck Martha Stewart!! Wooo!!!
Here's to me & being 26! May my breasts always be as beautiful as they are today, may I never lose my sense of humor, may I never give up hope, may I always be able to live in the moment, may I never fear death!
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Wow. What an eventful weekend. God, I'm so fucking tired!!!! And honestly I should be going to bed. Yeah, well, I'll rest when I'm dead.
De chucha de tu madre
Happy 25th Birthday, to Terri Nichole Blankenship! Thank you, Nikki, for being who you are. I love you and I'm so glad that you're back in my life. If you ever try to disappear on me again, I'll beat the fuck out of you. =) You know what they say...best friends are like toilets...they take a lot of shit and you can't go long without one! =)
Miss September
Speaking of birthdays, mine is tomorrow! Isn't it so fucking exciting? I've got a great day planned! I'm going to go to work, work too many hours, and then come home and drool all over my pillow! Huzzah! =)
Yeah...just another day. You know what I wish? I wish that I knew what day I was going to die on, but not the year. Just imagine how relieved you'd be when you lived through that day every year. Now that would give you cause to celebrate. =)
A Copper Moment or Does this make me a Groupie?
Now...on to chronicling the events of the weekend past. I'll start with Thursday, because that's when my party technically started.
Thursday I went to the Regatta with Crystal to hear Copper and Crossfade. I've had the pleasure of seeing Copper three times now & I enjoy them more & more every time. =) In spite of the fact that the lead guitarist experienced some technical difficulty, they put on a wonderful show.
Keith Wallen, the lead singer and miniature John Bon Jovi look-alike, has an excellent voice...strong & clear and brimming with feeling. He's also a very charismatic front man, displaying emotion on his face while belting out each tune & making eye contact with the audience members. I'm not sure if he is aware or not, but he has the uncanny ability to make you think that he's singing to you. Pretty impressive. =) Plus he has very cool rooster-like hair.
The Brad Pitt-esque bassist, Brad Reynolds, has a great nonverbal rapport with the crowd (or maybe just the ladies) & is fairly active on stage, more so than any other "local" band that I've seen. The first time I saw Copper I remember thinking, "Wow! The bassist moves & makes eye contact! Neat!" Granted, he's not hopping around like Brad Stewart from Shinedown or like Flea from the RHCP, but give him time. He'll blossom. =)
Speaking of activity on stage brings us to none other than Mr. Shawn Lickliter, the supposed Keith Richards look-alike & lead guitarist. Compared to this guy, Brad is fucking standing still on stage. Mr. Lickliter (not harder), I salute you! How the fuck you spin around, hold your guitar in the damn air, and still manage to play without fucking up is beyond me. Your no Eddie VanHalen, but you're a hell of an entertainer. And you have very large veins. =)
Last but not least is the man who keeps it all together, the drummer & Dave Matthews look-alike, Brack Owens. Brack has impressed me due to the fact that he not only keeps time in a very "striking" manner (god that was a bad pun), but he sings, & looks good doing it. =) I myself struggle with playing guitar & singing simultaneously. Granted I am a newbie, but I can't fathom having hands & feet all active & throwing singing on top of that. You along with Scottie Ross, drummer for Split Nixon who shares this skill, are a credit to your craft.
Overall, your lyrics are simple, honest, & straight-forward & your melodies catchy. You guys have excellent stage presence...you just look like you're having a hell of a good time & you want to audience to have a good time. Also, you seem to have good onstage communication...it's obvious that you're attentive to what the other guys are doing. That's important. If you continue to think of yourselves as a whole & attend to the image that the whole is presenting, you'll be alright. =) The only problem I see is that although you have your own sound, you sound very similar to some other bands out there right now (like Hoobastank) & the labels might pass you over because they're looking for something more divergent from the norm.
After Copper, came Crossfade. Their sound was interesting, mixing traditional guitar, bass, & drums with a dj who produced all sorts of quirky, weird noises. I enjoyed the fact that they have three singers in the dj, bassist, & lead singer/guitarist. I also enjoyed the fact that the lead singer looks like Chris Cornell...grrr...sexy! I'm sorry I don't have more of an impression than this, but I was starting to get tipsy by the time they went on. =)
Crystal and I stood through a few of Crossfade's songs and then went in search of a sanitary place to urinate in privacy & more Bud Light. On the way back from the toilet I found Mr. Lickliter talking to a lovely young fan & stopped to chat for a moment. The moment passed & Crystal & I continued on our trek to the Bud Light Beer Garden of Glory. Nearly to the promise land, I was stopped by my friend Ros who informed me of some drama between Sherri & Walt. (Man...those two will ever have a tumultuous relationship. I say we kill one of 'em and save ourselves the drama. Who's with me?) A few seconds later, Brad & Brack from Copper saved me from the Sherry & Walt episode by coming over to say "hi" & chat for a minute.
I was pleasantly surprised that the guys in the band remembered me & greeted me so warmly. I was even more pleasantly surprised when Brack decided to hang around & talk with me & Crystal for a while. =) We hung out for a bit, & had the general getting-to-know-you conversation, I turned from band-aid to roadie for a sec & helped them carry a box, all the while saying, "I'm gonna drop it! I'm gonna drop it!", & then hung out some more. There was a cute little chica named Jess that was getting them to sign her jeans & ass & such. I acquired her Sharpie and to draw something on Shawn's back. While I was thinking what to draw, I head someone say, "She's a cool chick...she'll draw something cool." Ha!!!! I fooled them!!! I drew a stupid looking tree on Shawn's back along with my little phrase: To live in the moment and never beyond. Sucker!!!!!!! I hope the rubbing alcohol worked and it didn't interfere with you getting ass from your nubile, 17 year old girlfriend. =)
I was invited to come back to the hotel to hang & told them I'd think about it while taking Crystal home. I discussed it with her, dropped her off, mulled it over, & decided to go back to my apartment. I got there and hopped in the shower to wash off the icky sweat from the night & was putting my PJs on when I got a phone call. It was Brack. "Are you coming?", he said. I hesitated for a second and then said, "Yeah. I'm coming." I thought, why not? What the hell? So I threw on some clothes, brushed my hair, put on a bit of powder & lipstick & flew out the door. Impulsive? Yes.
I pulled up to the hotel to find the drummer from Crossfade talking to a couple of people. There were a couple of tour busses in the lot & I recognized Copper's trailer. I walked inside & proceeded up to 417, which was Crossfade's room. I stopped for a moment to listen as I noticed the sounds of partying or even talking were quite absent. Instead I heard a girl giggle followed by the gruff laugh of a young guy. Yup. Somebody in Crossfade got laid that night. =)
So then I turned around & went to 503. Brack, Shawn, Brad, & a-guy-whose-name-I-can't-remember-but-was-really-nice-and-in-another-band were in the room. Upon my arrival, Brad asked me & Brack to go on a beer run. So a beer run later, we returned to the Holiday Inn Express in South Ridge to kick back, have a few beers, & talk. After a bit, Keith came in from hanging out & driving up to the Capitol to chat with a cute, little brunette chica.
They talked about the show, their impression of the other bands, their liking for Crossfade, about what makes a good drummer, a potential future collaboration with another Knoxville band, & discussed whether or not they should release another single before being signed. I watched Keith get excited about the prospect of eating a sandwich & then sadly disappointed when he found that the mayonnaise was Hellman's. (I think it was Hellman's...) They offered me sandwiches. I ate a piece of bread. They had me guess which famous people they supposedly looked like. (I still don't think that Shawn looks like Keith Richards. You're way too handsome for that, Shawn.) All the while, Brack found ways to casually make physical contact. =)
I contributed little to the discussion, adding a thought or joke here & there, but mainly just observing behaviors and getting a feel for each individual personality in the room. My very vague impressions: Keith seems like a very genuine, open, honest, friendly, accommodating guy. Not much guile in this one. The word "perky" even comes to mind...But that might just be the hair. Shawn was friendly, funny, somewhat guarded, & stuck me as not terribly outgoing. Perhaps he was simply tired? Brad was very vocal, opinionated, guarded, and in possession of an amusing, but abrasive sense of humor. He likes to get a reaction from people. Brack was friendly, quiet, soft-spoken, very laid back, a listener, & observer. It seemed to me that he's a bit of an introvert, has or had low self-esteem in the recent past, & lets people take advantage of him. Overall, they're a very nice, very fun group of guys & I hope to hang out with them again.
As the minutes ticked by, I began nodding off. Brack motioned for me to lie down next to him for a bit & I did. He told me that he "didn't do this", meaning bring girls back to the hotel room. I arched an eyebrow skeptically & gave him a half-smile. Right. I'm too cynical to believe that. But I did enjoy lying next to him, listening to the conversation, & being part of that whole moment. I announced that I should be getting home as I had to work & he asked me to stay. Obviously, with four other guys in the room there would be no chance of sex, so I agreed. I slept for a couple of hours cuddled up next to him & then stole out at 6:30 AM, after everyone was asleep. On my way out, I grabbed a couple of muffins & some orange juice...gotta love the free breakfast!...and drove home with a smile on my face.
Was it impulsive? Yes. Was it stupid? Yes. It could've ended poorly, I know. I can see Shawn, Chris, Sean, Ben, Pat, & Ken all looking their noses down at me right now. I know, guys, I know!!! I've never done anything like that in my entire life, I know it was stupid, but it was fun as hell!!! And you all can't tell me that if some hot chick from a band invited you back to hang out a bit in her hotel, you wouldn't go!!! Well...maybe Chris & Shawn would turn her down due to apathy. =)
Do I expect to hear from Brack? No. Would I like to? Yes. We live too far apart for anything other than friendship, but I'm such a collector of friends. =)
Alright...well that was Thursday. I still need to discuss Friday & Saturday's escapades, but that'll have to wait. My red Martha Steward sheets are beckoning me thither to my soft haven of rest. Goodnight!!!
De chucha de tu madre
Happy 25th Birthday, to Terri Nichole Blankenship! Thank you, Nikki, for being who you are. I love you and I'm so glad that you're back in my life. If you ever try to disappear on me again, I'll beat the fuck out of you. =) You know what they say...best friends are like toilets...they take a lot of shit and you can't go long without one! =)
Miss September
Speaking of birthdays, mine is tomorrow! Isn't it so fucking exciting? I've got a great day planned! I'm going to go to work, work too many hours, and then come home and drool all over my pillow! Huzzah! =)
Yeah...just another day. You know what I wish? I wish that I knew what day I was going to die on, but not the year. Just imagine how relieved you'd be when you lived through that day every year. Now that would give you cause to celebrate. =)
A Copper Moment or Does this make me a Groupie?
Now...on to chronicling the events of the weekend past. I'll start with Thursday, because that's when my party technically started.
Thursday I went to the Regatta with Crystal to hear Copper and Crossfade. I've had the pleasure of seeing Copper three times now & I enjoy them more & more every time. =) In spite of the fact that the lead guitarist experienced some technical difficulty, they put on a wonderful show.
Keith Wallen, the lead singer and miniature John Bon Jovi look-alike, has an excellent voice...strong & clear and brimming with feeling. He's also a very charismatic front man, displaying emotion on his face while belting out each tune & making eye contact with the audience members. I'm not sure if he is aware or not, but he has the uncanny ability to make you think that he's singing to you. Pretty impressive. =) Plus he has very cool rooster-like hair.
The Brad Pitt-esque bassist, Brad Reynolds, has a great nonverbal rapport with the crowd (or maybe just the ladies) & is fairly active on stage, more so than any other "local" band that I've seen. The first time I saw Copper I remember thinking, "Wow! The bassist moves & makes eye contact! Neat!" Granted, he's not hopping around like Brad Stewart from Shinedown or like Flea from the RHCP, but give him time. He'll blossom. =)
Speaking of activity on stage brings us to none other than Mr. Shawn Lickliter, the supposed Keith Richards look-alike & lead guitarist. Compared to this guy, Brad is fucking standing still on stage. Mr. Lickliter (not harder), I salute you! How the fuck you spin around, hold your guitar in the damn air, and still manage to play without fucking up is beyond me. Your no Eddie VanHalen, but you're a hell of an entertainer. And you have very large veins. =)
Last but not least is the man who keeps it all together, the drummer & Dave Matthews look-alike, Brack Owens. Brack has impressed me due to the fact that he not only keeps time in a very "striking" manner (god that was a bad pun), but he sings, & looks good doing it. =) I myself struggle with playing guitar & singing simultaneously. Granted I am a newbie, but I can't fathom having hands & feet all active & throwing singing on top of that. You along with Scottie Ross, drummer for Split Nixon who shares this skill, are a credit to your craft.
Overall, your lyrics are simple, honest, & straight-forward & your melodies catchy. You guys have excellent stage presence...you just look like you're having a hell of a good time & you want to audience to have a good time. Also, you seem to have good onstage communication...it's obvious that you're attentive to what the other guys are doing. That's important. If you continue to think of yourselves as a whole & attend to the image that the whole is presenting, you'll be alright. =) The only problem I see is that although you have your own sound, you sound very similar to some other bands out there right now (like Hoobastank) & the labels might pass you over because they're looking for something more divergent from the norm.
After Copper, came Crossfade. Their sound was interesting, mixing traditional guitar, bass, & drums with a dj who produced all sorts of quirky, weird noises. I enjoyed the fact that they have three singers in the dj, bassist, & lead singer/guitarist. I also enjoyed the fact that the lead singer looks like Chris Cornell...grrr...sexy! I'm sorry I don't have more of an impression than this, but I was starting to get tipsy by the time they went on. =)
Crystal and I stood through a few of Crossfade's songs and then went in search of a sanitary place to urinate in privacy & more Bud Light. On the way back from the toilet I found Mr. Lickliter talking to a lovely young fan & stopped to chat for a moment. The moment passed & Crystal & I continued on our trek to the Bud Light Beer Garden of Glory. Nearly to the promise land, I was stopped by my friend Ros who informed me of some drama between Sherri & Walt. (Man...those two will ever have a tumultuous relationship. I say we kill one of 'em and save ourselves the drama. Who's with me?) A few seconds later, Brad & Brack from Copper saved me from the Sherry & Walt episode by coming over to say "hi" & chat for a minute.
I was pleasantly surprised that the guys in the band remembered me & greeted me so warmly. I was even more pleasantly surprised when Brack decided to hang around & talk with me & Crystal for a while. =) We hung out for a bit, & had the general getting-to-know-you conversation, I turned from band-aid to roadie for a sec & helped them carry a box, all the while saying, "I'm gonna drop it! I'm gonna drop it!", & then hung out some more. There was a cute little chica named Jess that was getting them to sign her jeans & ass & such. I acquired her Sharpie and to draw something on Shawn's back. While I was thinking what to draw, I head someone say, "She's a cool chick...she'll draw something cool." Ha!!!! I fooled them!!! I drew a stupid looking tree on Shawn's back along with my little phrase: To live in the moment and never beyond. Sucker!!!!!!! I hope the rubbing alcohol worked and it didn't interfere with you getting ass from your nubile, 17 year old girlfriend. =)
I was invited to come back to the hotel to hang & told them I'd think about it while taking Crystal home. I discussed it with her, dropped her off, mulled it over, & decided to go back to my apartment. I got there and hopped in the shower to wash off the icky sweat from the night & was putting my PJs on when I got a phone call. It was Brack. "Are you coming?", he said. I hesitated for a second and then said, "Yeah. I'm coming." I thought, why not? What the hell? So I threw on some clothes, brushed my hair, put on a bit of powder & lipstick & flew out the door. Impulsive? Yes.
I pulled up to the hotel to find the drummer from Crossfade talking to a couple of people. There were a couple of tour busses in the lot & I recognized Copper's trailer. I walked inside & proceeded up to 417, which was Crossfade's room. I stopped for a moment to listen as I noticed the sounds of partying or even talking were quite absent. Instead I heard a girl giggle followed by the gruff laugh of a young guy. Yup. Somebody in Crossfade got laid that night. =)
So then I turned around & went to 503. Brack, Shawn, Brad, & a-guy-whose-name-I-can't-remember-but-was-really-nice-and-in-another-band were in the room. Upon my arrival, Brad asked me & Brack to go on a beer run. So a beer run later, we returned to the Holiday Inn Express in South Ridge to kick back, have a few beers, & talk. After a bit, Keith came in from hanging out & driving up to the Capitol to chat with a cute, little brunette chica.
They talked about the show, their impression of the other bands, their liking for Crossfade, about what makes a good drummer, a potential future collaboration with another Knoxville band, & discussed whether or not they should release another single before being signed. I watched Keith get excited about the prospect of eating a sandwich & then sadly disappointed when he found that the mayonnaise was Hellman's. (I think it was Hellman's...) They offered me sandwiches. I ate a piece of bread. They had me guess which famous people they supposedly looked like. (I still don't think that Shawn looks like Keith Richards. You're way too handsome for that, Shawn.) All the while, Brack found ways to casually make physical contact. =)
I contributed little to the discussion, adding a thought or joke here & there, but mainly just observing behaviors and getting a feel for each individual personality in the room. My very vague impressions: Keith seems like a very genuine, open, honest, friendly, accommodating guy. Not much guile in this one. The word "perky" even comes to mind...But that might just be the hair. Shawn was friendly, funny, somewhat guarded, & stuck me as not terribly outgoing. Perhaps he was simply tired? Brad was very vocal, opinionated, guarded, and in possession of an amusing, but abrasive sense of humor. He likes to get a reaction from people. Brack was friendly, quiet, soft-spoken, very laid back, a listener, & observer. It seemed to me that he's a bit of an introvert, has or had low self-esteem in the recent past, & lets people take advantage of him. Overall, they're a very nice, very fun group of guys & I hope to hang out with them again.
As the minutes ticked by, I began nodding off. Brack motioned for me to lie down next to him for a bit & I did. He told me that he "didn't do this", meaning bring girls back to the hotel room. I arched an eyebrow skeptically & gave him a half-smile. Right. I'm too cynical to believe that. But I did enjoy lying next to him, listening to the conversation, & being part of that whole moment. I announced that I should be getting home as I had to work & he asked me to stay. Obviously, with four other guys in the room there would be no chance of sex, so I agreed. I slept for a couple of hours cuddled up next to him & then stole out at 6:30 AM, after everyone was asleep. On my way out, I grabbed a couple of muffins & some orange juice...gotta love the free breakfast!...and drove home with a smile on my face.
Was it impulsive? Yes. Was it stupid? Yes. It could've ended poorly, I know. I can see Shawn, Chris, Sean, Ben, Pat, & Ken all looking their noses down at me right now. I know, guys, I know!!! I've never done anything like that in my entire life, I know it was stupid, but it was fun as hell!!! And you all can't tell me that if some hot chick from a band invited you back to hang out a bit in her hotel, you wouldn't go!!! Well...maybe Chris & Shawn would turn her down due to apathy. =)
Do I expect to hear from Brack? No. Would I like to? Yes. We live too far apart for anything other than friendship, but I'm such a collector of friends. =)
Alright...well that was Thursday. I still need to discuss Friday & Saturday's escapades, but that'll have to wait. My red Martha Steward sheets are beckoning me thither to my soft haven of rest. Goodnight!!!
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
Have you ever tried following the moon?
This afternoon after work, I went up to Magic Maker's costume shop in Huntington looking for the perfect gypsy/fortune teller outfit for the upcoming Murder Mystery Party. I've been assigned the role of Madame Mama, "an off-kilter mystic, who is more likely to say something useless & bizarre than something valuable or wise". (I get to go into trances & foresee people's deaths all evening! It should be a good night! )
Anyway, they didn't have quite what I was looking for at the price I was looking for. So I stopped to visit & have lunch/dinner with Nikki, chatted for a bit, & then proceeded back to lovely Saint Albans.
On my way down 64E, just past the Teays Valley exit, I found the moon looming up over the tops of the trees. It was swollen, blood red, & peeking out from behind two black clouds. Set against a deep midnight blue sky, this image was breathtaking. I wish that I were a true poet or an artist so that I could paint it for you.
I was so caught up in it's beauty that I started to sing to it. And I followed it eastward, towards home, singing all the way. Once I got into Saint Albans, it had, as I suspected it would, turned a bright golden Harvest Moon yellow. I drove around the Loop and then made a right onto Pennsylvania toward my apartment. Just after I made the turn, I glimpsed to the left & saw it peering down at me inquisitively between night-blackened tree branches. Impulsively, I turned left & drove back to Kanawha Terrace. I would take a picture of tonight's very full, golden moon.
On Kanawha Terrace, I looked up & didn't see her, so I drove down to 6th Avenue. And there she was, looking down at me from above the BB&T bank building. I drove down 6th Avenue, but she dimmed a bit under the humming white glow of the street lights. I drove across the tacks to Route 60. I would go to the park & capture her there. There would be nothing to block my lens & she would be unable to hide. And so I drove down to Roadside Park.
Once there I got out of my car, walked past the teenagers looking guilty in their car, walked past the blue jungle gym/slide with the yellow top, & stopped next to the swings. It seemed that the closer I walked, the farther away she became. Now she was looming up above the Bayer Crop Science center across the river in Institute.
I stood there staring at her for a few minutes, admiring her beauty, enjoying the feel of the night. The air smelled a little more crisp than usual, the heady scent of summer green beginning to fade. It felt like September. It felt like home.
I stood there a moment longer & then turned away, back to my car. It had been a while since I had tried to follow the moon and I had forgotten. The closer you walk, the harder you try, the more you reach, the farther away she becomes. The moon is something to be enjoyed from a distance & for a moment. Not something to be captured. The moment you try to hold it, it slips away.
You could spend your whole life chasing the moon.
This afternoon after work, I went up to Magic Maker's costume shop in Huntington looking for the perfect gypsy/fortune teller outfit for the upcoming Murder Mystery Party. I've been assigned the role of Madame Mama, "an off-kilter mystic, who is more likely to say something useless & bizarre than something valuable or wise". (I get to go into trances & foresee people's deaths all evening! It should be a good night! )
Anyway, they didn't have quite what I was looking for at the price I was looking for. So I stopped to visit & have lunch/dinner with Nikki, chatted for a bit, & then proceeded back to lovely Saint Albans.
On my way down 64E, just past the Teays Valley exit, I found the moon looming up over the tops of the trees. It was swollen, blood red, & peeking out from behind two black clouds. Set against a deep midnight blue sky, this image was breathtaking. I wish that I were a true poet or an artist so that I could paint it for you.
I was so caught up in it's beauty that I started to sing to it. And I followed it eastward, towards home, singing all the way. Once I got into Saint Albans, it had, as I suspected it would, turned a bright golden Harvest Moon yellow. I drove around the Loop and then made a right onto Pennsylvania toward my apartment. Just after I made the turn, I glimpsed to the left & saw it peering down at me inquisitively between night-blackened tree branches. Impulsively, I turned left & drove back to Kanawha Terrace. I would take a picture of tonight's very full, golden moon.
On Kanawha Terrace, I looked up & didn't see her, so I drove down to 6th Avenue. And there she was, looking down at me from above the BB&T bank building. I drove down 6th Avenue, but she dimmed a bit under the humming white glow of the street lights. I drove across the tacks to Route 60. I would go to the park & capture her there. There would be nothing to block my lens & she would be unable to hide. And so I drove down to Roadside Park.
Once there I got out of my car, walked past the teenagers looking guilty in their car, walked past the blue jungle gym/slide with the yellow top, & stopped next to the swings. It seemed that the closer I walked, the farther away she became. Now she was looming up above the Bayer Crop Science center across the river in Institute.
I stood there staring at her for a few minutes, admiring her beauty, enjoying the feel of the night. The air smelled a little more crisp than usual, the heady scent of summer green beginning to fade. It felt like September. It felt like home.
I stood there a moment longer & then turned away, back to my car. It had been a while since I had tried to follow the moon and I had forgotten. The closer you walk, the harder you try, the more you reach, the farther away she becomes. The moon is something to be enjoyed from a distance & for a moment. Not something to be captured. The moment you try to hold it, it slips away.
You could spend your whole life chasing the moon.
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