the inferno

The annual J Church binge has begun. I've been rotating through 9 different J Church CDs for the past few days. Good stuff. Never gets old to me. I cannot wait for the April 3rd show.

Secondly, I've become mildly addicted to The Inferno. Screw you, Road Rules! The Real Worlders will kick your asses! That meathead Mike guy is totally fucking annoying though. He wasn't so much of a jackass during his Real World stint. Maybe the "celebrity", and I strongly stress the importance of doing the quotes finger gestures as you read the above "celebrity", has gone to his meat-laden head. What a meatball.

whoa! (screamed in the key of overwhelming despair)

Busy. It's not only the title of an incredible Jawbreaker song, it's the descriptor of the coming week ahead of me. It's exciting because I'd much rather be busy than bored. And when I'm busy with band related stuff, it just makes me happy. So, this will be a week full of happy. We finished up the new song last night and it's definitely a rocker. I can't wait to play it live on Thursday and the following Thursday at the Fireside Bowl. The flyers came out incredibly nice. You can check out what it looks like if you click the Hirudin link to your right. It's definitely a strange thing to see your band on a nice poster for the Fireside and headlining no less. That show promises to rock, with Lance Hahn and company rocking the stage a few days prior, there sure to leave a little magical dust/vapors/aura of rock or whatever behind which by my calculations will take at least a solid week to dissipate.
Anyway, today being my day off and all, I figured I'd make it a list day. I made a list of things to get done today in order to stay ahead of the game for the coming week seeing as how it's going to be crazy. I have two exams, a friend coming in from out of town, and a dentist appointment to top it all off. I have to get ready to split soon. I'm going to hop on the Speedster and cruise around putting up and dropping off flyers.

Cheers.

do you...like coffee....like wine...

I just got back from the panel meeting which was a disaster by my standards. I'm not very good at sitting in front of 5 people staring at me and asking me robotic questions regarding the coffee industry, procedure, and various situational settings. Arg! I hated that! All I could think of was, "You got the wrong guy! I didn't do it! Oh, wait, this is an interview..." The 2 moments that stick in my head are the one where I exclaimed mid-question that "I need cheese!" and the other mid-question "Anyone mind if I take a quick bathroom break?". As I type this they are talking things over and discussing my fate. I'm not so good at faking things, so my disinterest was probably fairly apparent. I do need some more cheese though.

Rockin' with ...not Dokken

Hey, a big show at the Fireside Bowl is coming up. The info is over here. I can't wait. I haven't played there since 1995. Not to mention that J Church will be gracing the stage with their precence on April 3rd.

d-day

I've never been one to kiss the corporate arse or any arse in general. Today will test my nerves and abilitly to maintain as I travel downtown to Starbucks headquarters for my panel meeting for a promotion. I could really use the $1.50 an hour raise so I have to put on a show and talk about coffee and pretend that I really give a fuck about my job. Newsflash: I work because you give me money to live. I have other aspirations. Do you really think my persistent counter-drumming with my fingers is some sort of Parkinson's display? Think again. I serve muffins and coffee because you pay me. And after you give me this raise I might be able to pay my bills.

If you (reader) have noticed my bitterness as of late, your perceptions are correct. I'm dealing with a lot of personal crap that I don't feel like blogging about. What it all comes down to is basically, remember when you were a kid and the days seemed endless? Christmas Eve seemed like and eternity, right? Why then , as we get older, are there just not enough hours in the day?

thanks a fucking latte...

Tons of good news here today.

I'm thoroughly annoyed at Starbucks. If I'd made just one more latte today I would have had to rip my face off.

will the real miggety-mogloaf please stand up?

versus

For some reason this idea just clicked. So I raided the kitchen for supplies. 1 cat, 1 potato, and 4 toothpicks. Mogwai's doppelganger is now on the scene. There are some very remarkable similarities there, don't you think?

box-o-mike

May 26th. Champaign-Urbana. The first show of the Braid Tour. Who's going?
I don't know how I'm getting there just yet. I may have to Fed Ex myself, rollerblade, or build that helicopter-bike I've been talking about, but I'll be there.

Sunday

1. Woke up feeling a lil' woozy from the previous nights experience with DAB, Jennifer, and Del Rey.
2. Coffeed it up with my roommate.
3. Ran out the door to get to practice by 1pm.
4. Ran after passing Belmont bus unsuccessfully. Realized buses are slow on Sunday, so I opted to take the Speedster to practice.
5. Rode and rode and rode.
6. Rocked the Kasbah.
7. Went out for a cigarette. For got cell phone inside with pass code for building on it.
8. Trapped myself outdoors in the freezing cold while I was hot and sweaty from playing. For a 15-20 minute period of time.
9. Kyle comes out to find me trapped outside and lets me in.
10. Michael and Kyle crack up for a while, and we continue practice.
11. 5 minutes into it I begin feeling extremely ill. And I realized I had to ride the Speedster all the way home. It's a good half hour ride.
12. Rode home feeling like I was going to puke on every parked car that I passed. Maybe it had something to do with the chocolate milk from earlier. Or from going from hot to cold to hot again inside half an hours time.
13. Made it home. TheraFlu and sleep.
14. Missed Kyle's birthday dinner. (sorry, Kyle... Fuckin' old man.)
15. Intaking mass quantities of orange juice and various vitamin C related products.

bad dab...bad

Del Rey rocked my socks off last night. My socks literally flew off. My haircut sprang up, did a couple flips, and landed back on my head. I'm also quite sure that if I had been wearing a bowtie...well, you know. I think I had more than my fair share of DAB beer. I blame any irregular speech patterns and overall "Mike, you're fucking weird" ness on DAB. So, DAB, screw you.
I ended up buying the new Del Rey cd and I can't wait to hear it. The song they opened with is on there. Two drummers...so good...I hugged one of them.
I also picked up this My Pal God comp Xmas cd. I figured, what the hell, atleast I'll be better prepared this holiday season.
Operation: Anti-Mannheim Streamroller will be in full effect. I would link to them but I would hate to put you through that sort of hell.

"it's raining and I don't wanna go outsiiiide..."

Why am I awake at this early hour? The answer lies somewhere in between my roommate’s hacker of a cough and the rainstorm we had an hour ago. I was having a nice dream about touring accompanied by a rainy score. I was in a state of severe relaxation. I thought it was 5am when I came to. It was really 12:30am. So here I am having some tea and a cigarette. Awake. I'm hoping the rain will start up again. It'll make it much easier for me to try and continue the dream with some sort of a parallel. Of course it'll probably be more along the lines of Egyptian space monkeys selling magazine subscriptions door to door with the faint sounds of Foreigner playing in the background. Some people wish for portable escape holes, I wish for my very own rain button.

would you like a cup or would you prefer slurping your coffee from my pant leg?

Ah yes. The return of the olden blogs. Thinking of Hesterman was one of the first blogs I ever read consistently, along with the Wire of course. That's where my addiction started. So, Hesterman, I blame you. And the bear.

I'm running on 3 hours of sleep. That explains my coffee stained sock and the scald on my left leg. Decaf is dangerous, folks. Don't let it fool you.

cats don't know anything

Me: (looking at my cat looking at me while shaving) "What?"
Cat: (blank stare)
Me: "Um, it's called shaving...Maybe you should try it some time."

bus no bus

On my way to practice last night, I got off the bus near Western and Grand. I began the walk from there. Let me say first and foremost, that rabid dogs freak me out. The incessant barking is K9 lingo for "I'm gonna take a huge chunk out of your ass cheek if you don't get off of my master's property." And I can understand this. But I have to go down this alley. When I step upon the said property, the dog is on top of the not so high roof. I feel strange that I'm expecting a dog to hop DOWN off the roof to attack. Falling dogs. Go figure. There's a rain joke in there somewhere.
On the way home I made it down to the Belmont bus. I really contemplated just walking the mile or so home but I figured I'd just wait. The bus would probably be along any minute. So I waited. And waited. And waited. Did the Belmont bus employ the use of the same large spring as the Ashland bus? No. It finally showed after 20 minutes. I could have been home already if I had walked. I step on the bus and took a seat. Just then the bus driver turns off the bus and restarts everything. I guess they do that in order to reboot the talkie "I'm the boss of you." bus computer. It didn't seem to be working, so he tried it again. At this point everyone on the bus was growing a bit upset at the delay, as was the red SUV waiting rather impatiently behind our bus. The SUV decided to go around the bus and hang a right in front of the bus just as be began to finally cross western. Bam. Bus stops. Everyone gets off. We wait for the next bus. No one was injured, but the bus driver seemed to be having the worst day. Just as the drivers began the accident formalities, the bus computer exclaimed, "Thank you for riding the CTA. If you have any comments or problems, call..." and stated the phone # to report anything. Poor bus driver.

blame it on the rain

Hey snow, could you maybe --go away? Please... I don't enjoy riding the speedster through you. And your wetness is a cancerous threat to her tempered steel frame. Stay away. And that goes for your rainy counterpart as well.

ex time

Every month on the eleventh at 12:24 am and pm, my snazzy old watch is right on time. Timex. Takes a lickin'. Keeps on tickin'. Soon as I find a battery.

No exes were actually intended to be thought about upon typing this. But of course, what can I expect after 2 straight days of complete and utter boredom? It's time to drift into badland. The curse of the ex style nostalgia. Fuck that. I'm refusing to mess with exes. That includes the one in Texas. Hey, that rhymed.
I need to get out more. Like now.

temper temper

I hate having to go to work. Maybe I'm just in a foul mood, but I can't believe that I have to do this until I'm 65. I'd rather just sit here and be pissed off all day, but I have to go to work and be pissed off there. And that really pisses me off.

half awake, fully bored.

I've been home from work since noon today and I don't go back until tomorrow at 2pm. It's a compacted weekend for me. My roomate is gone until Sunday night, so I have free reign of the place. I have no cash, so no Shipping News for me tonight. I plan to curl up with the three remaining Old Styles in the refrigerator, maybe flip through the channels on tv and see what kind of crap pop-culture is feeding the everyday viewer. Once I tire of that, maybe I'll play some records.

something old, something old.

Here's a question for you. Why do I love really old stuff? Am I like a junior antiquing nerd? Over the past few weeks I've purchased an old telephone lamp, the kind with the separated earpiece and when you pick up the talkie part the light turns on. I totally dig it. It lights the little hallway just outside of my bedroom. Then I had to buy the creepishly old silver tray to put in front of the lamp. That's where my keys and stuff go when I walk in the door. Then there's the speedster. Just a kick ass bike. And just the other day I bought an old Timex from a thrift store that looks to be from the 40's or 50's. I wonder if I can find a battery for it cause I really wanna wear it. Ok, so I've been wearing it anyway. So what. Then there's the Ludwig Ghost kick drum pedal, which I actually picked up over the summer and basically wore out. I think it's the same pedal Buddy Rich used to use. I love Buddy Rich. I really dig the old jazz drummers. They really knew how to tear it up. I think I'm going to go listen to one of those records in the front room.

Hirudin

Tonight at the Mutiny. There will be rock. and cheap beer. and free buttons.
10pm Western and Fullerton. Be there or miss out on the rollerskating monkey with a mustache. Ok, I lied about the last part.

The Jesus Heist

A couple of weeks ago I tried to set my roommate up. I got hold of The Church of Jesus Christ and The Latter Day Saints and I ordered a free bible. "Would you like your bible hand delivered? This way a couple of our friends can come visit and shed a little light on Jesus Christ and any questions that you may have." "Sure.", I said. The whole time I was secretly plotting to trap my roommate and make him sit through 2 grueling hours of god talk and give him a bible. I thought this was quite a genius plan. I just felt like pissing him off a little. Buzzer rings. Me: "Who's coming over?" My roommate: "I think it's Pete." So I buzz them in and greet them in the hallway. Only it's not Pete and co. I ran into 2 college looking girls. "Do you think that it's a possibility that with the current N. Korea situation and the ever escalating nuclear arms race that the world could soon end?", one of the girls said. Me: "I think that it's not only possible, but probable." I'm thinking, why are there two girls in my hallway asking me about the end of the world? Then it clicked. "You see, if you can give your life to Jesus..." Oh crap. My own genius plan of harassment backfired. Luckily when I told them that I was actually on my way out for the evening, I wasn't lying. You know, just in case...

Well, having money in the bank was fun while it lasted. Now it's back to broke ass Aquasaur. I have to send the remaining huge chunk of cash to the landlord. Back rent is a bitch. We are paying way too freaking much for a small 2 bedroom. We don't even have a jacuzzi! But it seems like we're paying for one. Maybe it's time to move?...

temporary...secretary

Spent last night hanging out with my roommate just drinking some beers and playing some records we picked up yesterday. The favorite of the night was the McCartney II record. I hear this record was recorded on a 16 track in Paul's bedroom while he was on some kind of a bender. It's one of the strangest records that I've heard, but it's so good. Temporary Secretary was the track we kept playing over and over again. I think a certain Ms. Jennifer would appreciate that song, being a temp secretary and all.
I also picked up Love and Rockets- Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven, a Mott the Hoople record, Echo and the Bunnymen- Porcupine, Dokken- Under Lock and Key, and the Blur double LP. I wish I could sit around all day today going through all of the vinyl, but I have to go to work. And I really don't want to work today. Regardless, it's going to be an exciting week. My friend Jason is coming up from Champaign on Tuesday, then we play at the Mutiny on Wednesday. I can't wait for the fun. But I guess for fun to exist, there has to be things that aren't fun. Like work. I've got to get ready.

cat strut

Saturday. Here in the park. I think it was the Fourth of July.
Ever since I was a kid, I can't hear this song with out imagining a little black kitty with a bow tie on confidently strutting through Central Park. Mid pace, head up, and one paw extending straight out in front of the other. I don't know how that image came to me. It's just always been there. I think it has something to do with the saxomophone part. Listen to the song and image the cat.
You'll see what I mean.

keep the duct tape AND the staplegun in your bag, nerd.

So I rode, in the rain, on the Speedster (yeah, I changed her name), up to Roscoe Village. Only thing was, when I got there, the post I planned on making victim to my flyer madness with my trusty staple gun, was made out of metal. Standing there in front of Hard Boiled, soaked from the rain, I said screw it. So only one flyer exists in RV at this time. It's up at Hard Boiled. Like anyone knows who the hell we are...I should have put the beer specials on the freakin' things. I didn't think of that until after I made all the copies. Ya live and ya learn. Hopefully. I had to buy a few records. I picked up Mission of Burma VS. and the TV on the Radio EP. If you're into them, go to Hard Boiled on Tuesday. Tuesday is the release date for the TV on the Radio full-length and there's some sort of give-away that will be taking place.

Bite my crunk, Hotmail!

I changed up my email here on the blog. Apparently, and this has been confirmed by multiple sources, that many emails that I've sent from my Hotmail account were never delivered. So I've been waiting on responses from emails that were never received. Hotmail, you suck.

2.25 miles!

I'm movin' on up, but not to the eastside. Rock on, Mallen. Rock over London.

I'm diggin' the Spoon cd I just got recently. I'm feelin' like record shopping. Hmmm...I have to go post flyers in Roscoe Village anyway.....crap. What am I going to get? I hope they have what I was peeping around the store for last time out...Time to take the new roadster out in the rain.

run, Forrest, run!

So far today I've done 3.33 of the things on my list of 14. Up next, the dreaded treadmill. I guess it's the Dreadmill. 1.5 miles. That's what I'm up to. It's not up to standard with a certain person who shall remain nameless -supposedly runs 15 per day. I don't doubt it, I just hate not being able to do something that someone else is doing. I'll get there eventually. Mark my friggin' words. Then I'll sit naked in the 3000 degree sauna, which resembles a very old and dark log cabin from the inside, for about a half hour. After which I'll come back to this monstrosity that I refer to as an apartment and go to town cleaning. Days off from work aren't really days off at all. They're only chock full of different sorts of work. Especially when you're a compulsive listmaker. It may seem neurotic and it may as well be, but none the less, shit gets done.

imdb link overkill

Last night after practice I came home to realize that my roommate and I had watched all the movies rented a few days prior, with the exception of a documentary on Hitler's secretary. It seemed like it was going to be good, but I just couldn't sit through a German subtitled conversation with an old lady. One of the films we watched was an insanely sappy love story entitled All the Real Girls. If you're up for a surprisingly good and sappy movie, check it out. There are also a few parts that were so oddly funny that we just died cracking up. Very weird yet very good. Melvin Goes to Dinner was pretty decent. I needed to see it just because of the Bob Odenkirk and David Cross affiliation. The writing of true to life type angles and situations was really really good though.
So last night I decided to run over to Hollywood Video, what -it's cheap, and I picked up some good ones. Weekdays are the best days to go. Only they were out of School of Rock. Jack Black cracks me up. Anyway, I ended up getting:
1. Levity
2. The Emperor and the Assassin
3. Matchstick Men Sam Rockwell and Nick Cage. Very good film, even though I figured out the story within the first 20 minutes. I hate when that happens.
4. The Last Minute
Most of these decisions were based on trailers from previous rentals. I've been making it a point to watch all of the trailers to inspire future rentals. I'm probably the only person on earth who hadn't already done this, but I feel like I've discovered a perpetual movie selection this way.

Forever in Sansabelts: Remembering the D-Days.

Maybe tonight. Maybe tonight by the fire. All alone. You and I. Money talks. It don't sing and dance, and it can't walk. Neil. This song was on in the supermarket yesterday and it's been looping in my head ever since. I have to admit. I do have a soft spot for the D. It's my mom's fault. I can specifically remember her freaking out over The Jazz Singer and then, day in, day out literally for months all I heard in the house was Neil. Yikes. Now I understand where I got my record playing persistance from. Which reminds me, my annual J-Church binge is coming up...

Check it out. Quite possibly the best Neil Diamond fan site ever. You'll need the audio for complete appreciation. I almost peed.

gleep glop.

I feel like my body is getting ready to split into five directions at once. I'm hungry and there's nothing that I want to eat in the apartment, I just ran out of cigarettes and I want one, my room is just fucking destroyed and I really need to clean it --like now, flyers to drop off, catfood, mikefood, birdfood, bird, new shoes. I could just go to the supermarket, but then I'd have to deal with lines, cooking, and ..............these are my issues people.

I usually try not to edit any content on the blog, but for certain reasons that I don't want to go into, Ralph Macchio has been inserted in various posts to protect the names of the innocent... I think...

those b-ballers aren't shot-callers...

At least not when I show up on tha court in my Shot-Makers! They'll cry. Cry like little girls.

But seriously, who would sport these?

Absolutely no slander or malicious assumptions that only little girls cry was intended in the typing of this blog. Offer not availible in New Mexico or Arizona. Please be kind. Rewind. AA batteries not included. Availible in petites and jr. misses.

just another manic monday

Working for Starbucks has it's good points, but the ever-changing schedule can be a drag. This has been the first weekend in ages that I actually had the entire weekend off. A lot was accomplished. Hmm....I feel a list coming on....

1. Woke up bright and early Saturday (I rescheduled) and missed a bus and a train by literally 3 seconds, each, on my way to school for the Child Psychology exam that I had not studied for. Took exam. Received a B. Received a check for a grand...I'm not kidding.
2. Took the big metal peebox back home and had coffee in prep to switch practice spaces. This only took a few hours and was nothing but fun. We were the first band to move in to the new place, still covered in sawdust and 99% empty rooms. We checked out all of the other rooms and we got the coolest one, thanks to advance planning from Kyle. Also moving in were For All I Care whom we played with at Subterranean a couple of weeks ago. I also saw the (ex?) husband of a girl I had dated recently...apparently he doesn't know anything about me because he didn't punch me in the face. What was he doing there? I didn't think that he even played in bands anymore...
3. After the haul, Kyle and I cruised over to cheeseball central, also known as Guitar Center, where I looked around the drum department at all of the gear, fully understanding exactly how dangerous I was considering the totally non-expected arrival of my student aid check. Had I received three grand, I would be the proud owner of a Drum Workshop Collectors Edition Vintage Jazz/Rock kit. Someday soon....It will be mine....
I did end up purchasing a new kick drum pedal, which is going to rock. I haven't used it yet but I already love it.
4. Came home and had more coffee. My roommate and I decide to cruise over to Roscoe Village thrift. The place was packed with white trashy folk. One of whom was yelling, "Maw! Maw! You got a penny?" Then the mother replied proudly as if she were saving the day, "Yep, I got a penny. I sure do." Then there was some guy wearing an upside down visor, an extreme fashion faux pas by any standard, (and I won't even get started on his acid glacier washed skin tight jeans) who proudly let the entire first floor of the store know of his apparent flatulence issue.
He was farting. He was farting really loud.
I ended up purchasing a cool jacket.
5. Next we hopped over to Hard Boiled where almost everything that I was looking for had been sold out and won't be back in until today or Tuesday. I did pick up Spoon-Kill the Moonlight and am currently playing track 2 over and over again. I also had to make yet another replacement purchase of Fugazi 13 Songs. I hate replacement purchases. I need to quit lending records and cds out.
6. Sunday morning my roommate and I headed over to the Ark thrift on Lincoln with the intentions of finally buying a couch for the apartment. We came out of the store with 2 bicycles instead. Here is my new ride. Yes. She is beautiful. Here is my roommates fancy new bike. We spent a couple hours listening to the new cds and cleaning and fixing up the bikes in our front room. Then we took them for a spin. I think that mine is faster. Just because it’s red.

There was more to fit into this timeline that included drinking and the wasabi-eating contest of which my sinuses are non-forgiving. We still have a ton of it in the fridge. I won’t be touching any of it. Not for a while at least.