Finding a Stride

Today was a wash. Sure, I have clean clothes and I did a good amount of exercise but I accomplished nothing that alleviates the stress. I felt like I had too much shit to get done to even get started. So I did nothing. I should be writing my shakespeare paper right now but I decided this caffeine buzz should be placed somewhere less productive.

Saturday I accomplished one of my life goals: stand on the balcony at stubbs bbq during a show. It was one of those things where whenever I went to a show I would always see these people standing on the balcony, with an excellent view, and writhe with jealousy. So, I finally got my chance but unfortunately it with a band that I less than like. Whatever. It still counts in my book (of goals).

I can’t decide whether I felt like writing this post or if I felt like not writing my paper.  Maybe it’s important that I found my stride during my run today and the two are somehow connected.   Hitting my stride is one of the best feelings I’ve ever had.  It’s like this machine has possessed my legs and nothing else matters. Especially papers about the rhetoric strategies of shakespeare in modern culture.  bleck.

Woot

Joanna newsom and the austin orchestra on saturday.

Joanna Newsom – Peach, Plum, Pear

I’ll give you my bike for a quarter

Today I reached a whole new awkward that I hadn’t even anticipated… the awkward bike rider. Now, i’m not only terribly slow, my bike makes a clicking noise that alerts everyone that i’m around, and I always seem to be in everyone’s way. I was looking forward to my morning and evening commutes but now i’m not so sure. It’s just one more thing that I’m going to have to work myself up to, and over think. I might even dread it more that standing up on the bus. You know, where you’re hanging on to the rail and being thrown about which leads to bouncing into people and being subjected to their body odor. It’s not pleasant. Which leads me to my conclusion that college is inconvenient.

Also, I believe I was duped today. While making copies of a friend’s notes I was offered a quarter to let a stranger make copies with my card. Instead of being an ass I complied and let them make a copy. Seemed like a decent thing to do. Well, no more than two minutes later some guy came up to me and asked if I had a quarter he could have. So, immediately I started laughing because hey, I just got a quarter. The guy wasn’t really in on the joke and couldn’t quite figure out why I was laughing but I gave him the quarter. So, he was probably happy and maybe a little frightened.

Queen – Bicycle Race

Emily Haines and the Soft Skeletons – Our Hell

Wicket, the Cat

I’d like to take a moment to reflect upon the life of Wickie the Calico. The first time I met wickie, the kitty, she went scrambling underneath a dresser in Brittany’s room, afraid for her life. I didn’t know it that evening but this frightened little cat and I would spend countless hours together for the next 6 years. Whether I was on the computer, sleeping on the couch, or just in the kitchen; Wickie was not far behind. She loved to be petted, sit on your stomach, and drool a little bit too. When I moved to a strange town in Texas I had a rough time but was comforted by Wickie and my other cat CC. She was a bit of a peculiar cat that took a long time figuring out how to meow but ended up just fine. She had super jumping skills, a fondness for high places, and a love for both boxes and lettuce. She was named after Wicket W. Warrick from the 1984 movie The Ewok Adventure because she looked like a little ewok. A favorite Wickie anecdote of mine occurred during Thanksgiving a few years ago. While we were preparing the feast I remember turning my back for a few seconds and hearing Wickie jump on to the counter. Afraid for the Turkey, I rushed to head her of at the pass but to my surprise, Wickie, showed her omnivorous tendencies and went straight for the salad. After a bit of shock, I saved the salad and found that lettuce was one of Wickie’s favorite treats. Wicket, sometimes referred to as “wickles”, “the wick” or “spicket” died today around noon after her body was taken over by cancer. She will be sorely missed as she was survived by CC the cat, sophie the cat, taffy the poodle, binkie the schnauzer and two litters of kittens (wherever they may be).

Here’s a sad song that i’ve been listening to. (perhaps it’s because I just saw maria taylor)

Azure Ray – November

We loved you little cat.

With Dignity and Grace

I just upgraded my account. hurrah i say. Who benefits from my generous upgrade? Why you, the faithful reader, of course. The faithful reader being the .0236 average views since this blog began. Which is in no part due to the fact that i am a very consistent poster. no part at all.

Last night I watched “The Godfather” for the first time. It was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. I always imagined it to be this hyper masculine movie about a mob-boss that couldn’t speak very clearly. Well, i was wrong on one part and amazed at how much time Coppola spent showing these gangsters crying. Boo fucking hoo.

Then I went to a bar downtown and got really drunk.

Well, almost got really drunk. I went to pick up my check from the festivus, at a bar, and apparently the workers were getting free drinks all night long. They were about to put a wristband on me when the guy looked at me and was like,”hey, are you 21?” I said no and walked away. haha i say. I almost duped them. (not really)

Tonight is the Maria Taylor and Watson Twins show at Emos. Probably won’t end up going but it would be fun. I haven’t had a chance to listen to the Watson Twins’ stuff sans Jenny Lewis but I bet it’s respectable. Below is the first example of the goodness of the upgrade. A nice song off of Lynn Teeter Flower that is a bit more upbeat than the normal stuff that you’d get from the Azure Ray albums.

Replay – Maria Taylor

Radio Show Update: training postponed (bleck)

I get paid tonight

First off, I’d like to take this chance to complain abut my stupidity and my poor feet. This weekend I chose fashion over comfort and paid a huge price. I was working the Austin City Limits festival, which required standing 12 hours a day, for 3 days in a row. The first day, I chose to wear my little red flats which look very, very nice but lack all support. The next two days I was in unbelievable pain. If it weren’t for the music I don’t know if I would’ve made it through the weekend.

Working the festivus does have its advantages though, I got to listen to a few great acts at the stages closest to our bar. Most notably Heartless Bastards, Kevin Devine, Arcade Fire and Cold War Kids. Of the four bands, Heartless Bastards was the only one that I wasn’t familiar with. The lead singer’s Karen O-esque voice and the bands ability to give a different feel to each song really grabbed my attention. They were a pleasant surprise if you will. I was a little disappointed in two acts that I had been anticipating all weekend. Andrew Bird’s performance felt too contrived and the sound seemed a little off. His whistling is usually a treat but it became sort of painful through the speakers on Saturday. The first time I saw him perform he was up on the stage all by himself with a few instruments and a complicated system of pedals constructing the songs all by himself and having a band back him just lost a lot of the sincerity that I loved before. Another artist, Regina Spektor played all by herself this time but the lack of song differentiation and bad sound again made her performace lackluster to me. I went to her show in October of ‘06 and she played all of the same songs except that she added “Real Love” by Lennon. Maybe I’m just picky or bitter from standing, I don’t know.

The musical highlight of the fest had to be Kevin Devine’s soundcheck. The bartenders had to be there a hour before the festival doors open and so we were setting things up when Devine jumped on stage and started playing some of his stuff. He played a cover of “The Biggest Lie” by Elliott Smith which he didn’t end up playing in his show so it seemed extra special and well, it was really well done. He instead ended up playing Neutral Milk Hotel’s “Holland, 1945″ during his show and that was just a lot of fun. I was pretty jaded with the whole singer/songwriter business and I think he won a fan back.

Heartless Bastards - Runnin

Kevin Devine – Holland, 1945

Radio Show Update: Application Submitted, possible training on Thursday.

Hello quiet, good morning Austin

I want to be a dee-jay. hah.  So, today I got an application to the student radio station at UT and filled that business out.  It’s actually a really long process and I won’t be able to be on live radio for quite some time but i don’t care.  As long as I can raid their crazy awesome library of music i’ll be content.

Tomorrow the festivus of all festivus begins and I’ll be right in the thick of it… serving beer.  Meh, not the ideal way to spend ACL but the pay is good and i’ll be able to hear a few good tunes.  Plus, fun fun fun fest is coming up and I’m not gonna miss that.  Bands like Of Montreal, Cat Power, Mates of State, Okkerville River, and the Sword are going to be playing.   In a word… fun (fun fun).

It’s strange not living on campus this year.  I feel so… disconnected.  When class is over I just go straight back to my apartment and sleep.  That’s pretty much my #2 activity right now, which is quite different from last year.  I know it’s not from lack of caffeine that i’m super sleepy; that’s my #1 liquid.  I’ll keep milling the whole sleepiness thing over in my head because I can’t quite place it yet.

Also, a thought about lunch foods.  I know nothing about lunch.  That sounds weird but it’s true.  I just went to the HEB to get some snacks for the festivus tomorrow and I was stumped on what someone would typically buy for that mid-day meal.  I think I ended up with pretzels and apples.  Respectable, i think.

Bleck.  (term from paper mario)  I have a French test tomorrow and then off to serve the masses.  Mais je dois étudier.  Donc, bon nuit et bonne chance (à moi).

Today’s the day I realized…

That I could write a blog.