Let me just begin by saying that yeah, it certainly is a shame that the Fireside Bowl isn’t doing shows anymore. My friends and I had been going there for the better part of ten years and have seen tons of bands that we love there and it will be missed. But that Logan Square Auditorium. How I love thee. It’s friggin’ classy, roomy, and even though I had heard that the sound wasn’t great, I thought I was excellent last night. Even on the stage. I had a big monitor right next to my face and every thing came through rather nicely. We had a blast. It was a totally great night. Hanalei was just awesome.
High and Lowlights:
[my next band name: High and the Lowlights. Or maybe Lowlifes. Nevermind. I hate it already.]
1. :) Walking into Logan Square Auditorium for the first time. Never been there before. Isn’t that sad?
2. :( Loading in up 3 flights of stairs.
3. :) The grilled cheese w/ tomato and a cup of coffee at the short order place on the corner before the show.
4. :) Going up to the “green room” and eyeing a huge trough full of ice, bottles of water, and Budweiser.
5. :( Going up to the “green room” after our set and eyeing a huge trough full of ice and bottles of water.
6. :) Receiving post-set compliments from Dan Andriano. Even if he was just saying stuff, the courtesy was appreciated.
7. :) Watching Report, Hanalei, and Dan Andriano while sipping purchased Budweiser in a can.
8. :) My strategic marketing ploy of the evening: Buy a Hanalei CD, get a Hirudin free. We have too many.
9. :( Kyle’s battery died while loading in. We were stranded with all our gear until almost 1am waiting for AAA. I’m glad our faces didn’t melt off trying to jump the battery. That would have sucked.
10. :) The crap load of people that showed up. I think that was the largest show that we’ve played to date. I thought it went really well. I really needed a fun night out like that.

There’s a Halloween party starting up here in the office. I’m going to attempt to avoid it by going outside for a cigarette now.

To everyone I told last night that it was my last night smoking:
I’m only finishing the pack from last night. Why waste?...

So all of the administrative people are in the conference room meeting with an applicant right now. That hasn’t happened since I interviewed for this job. I think I’m getting fired. And I must say, it’s about fucking time. I’ve been waiting for this for a couple of months now. Right now I’m sitting here with this feeling of total elation. If this is not the case, then I’ll be pretty disappointed. Why don’t I just quit? Can’t do it. I think a few years back when I couldn’t find a job to save my life, it kinda twisted some wires in my head because now I just can’t bring myself to sever the flow of income. If they would just fire me, I would feel much better about the whole situation.
Rock show tonight. Details here.
It'll be cheap and fun.
The meeting is out. Exciting...

so i walked into the office this afternoon, sat down and i saw that there was a voicemail on my phone. so i listened to it. and i laughed. and laughed. and frickin' cracked up. it was from a guy who wanted to place an ad of some sort in the magazine that i work for. turns out that the name of his little organization is called, i swear,
the park forest running and pancake club.

the fucking park forest running and pancake club.

does anyone know how to take off that stupid profile thing on the right? i hate it and i can't seem to get rid of it.

What a great morning. It's rainy and overcasty. love it. really. I'm not being sarcastic either. This is the first solid day off I've had in three weeks. Just having some tea while enjoying the weather and silence and attempting to hunt down odds and ends for my '65 Ludwig kit on the interweb. No luck yet though. I'm sure I'll find what I need. Just have to keep looking. Maybe I'll try one of the other internets...

I watched Annie Hall last night. I know, I should have seen the film many moons ago, but I hadn't until last night. Great movie. Woody Allen is just great. Other Netflix sitting here include Deliverance (another one everyone has seen but me), and Bergman's Wild Strawberries.
Arriving in today's mail: Fellini's 81/2 and.........Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas. I love the River Bottom Nightmare Band. If I remember correctly because I haven't seen this since I was 10, there's a snake that plays guitar in there somewhere...

The haunted L rides are this weekend. WTF? They're not even wearing costumes?!
Oh, I'm watching the news right now. Probably should mention that. I'm doing the pre-workday coffee & cigarettes thing. The medication that I'm on now requires me to smoke for the next week. I can do that. Then I quit next friday. On thursday we're playing Logan Square Auditorium w/ Dan Andriano (Alkaline Trio), Hanalei (Brian from The Ghost), and Report (members of Decatur, Lupine, Rollo Tomasi and North by Northwest). Need anymore details? $5, 8pm. It'll be my last smoking night. I'd put a link to the really cool flyer, but I haven't had time to figure out my Crapcast FTP site. So I can't upload it. Which is also why there's no banner at the top of this page. Soon. It's almost time for me to whore myself out to 2 employers for money again today. Will this ever end?

i'm always in such a rush going from brown line to green to blue and so forth...i just know my turn to fall down the stairs is right around the corner. stepping down the stairs as fast as i can, almost running down them in order to not arrive at the doors as they're closing in my face. it's happened too many times. you're probably familiar with that instance of rage. the waiting of 10 or more minutes just for being 2 seconds slow on your way there. but i know it's coming. i've been suspecting it for weeks now, but today as i was running down the steps at the Clark/Lake blueline stop, i stumbled, yet managed to correct my footing somehow. i'm gonna eat it real soon. at least it'll be funny.

oh my god. i've felt down before, a lot in fact, but these past few days have been in a category of their own. have you ever felt like something is keeping you in place, no matter how hard you try to get out of a rut in your life? i swear i try and try, and i'm still here. kinda reminds me of the time i was dating this girl in Arizona. Laurie. we went camping in Flagstaff in my new pick-up. the morning we were to leave it had rained. and rained. and rained. my truck sank about a foot into the mud, and no, i didn't get the 4 wheel drive option. three hours of her yelling and my ingenuity and we were finally on our way. so...that isn't like now, because i'm not on my way...
whatever.
damn. maybe i should get back on the medication. anti-depressant city.
i'm not at my 2nd job today because i called off. i just couldn't hack it today. this morning at SB I got into a huge argument with a customer over whether or not her drink was made with sugar-free syrup. i said that it was and she wanted the full sugar. so i made a comment that could have been and was taken as slightly sarcastic and she just lost it. way over the top like. and so i retaliated. as much as i could while attempting to stay in the SB boundaries at least. ugh. i cannot believe that i have to put up with this. like i've said before, i'm just not a people person. i mean well, but just because i don't act like i've been your buddy for years and hand you your latte tends to put people off. guess what? so what.
so right now i'm sitting here listening to Bruce Springsteen Nebraska that my friend Josh was kind enough to burn for me, and putting away a few Old Style's. too early shmearly. the BS is quite good by the way. har. i'm just going to do this, with my shirt off, and seriously contemplate my current life situations. something has to change and soon.

I tell ya, not intentionally to be reminiscent of Hank Hill, ...but long distance dating is not easy. I really miss Emily. We see each other for 2 days and then not again for 2 weeks. That's four days a month that we're together. That's approximately 27 days every month that we're apart. It's really sad. We'll get through it though. I don't understand just how I know, but I know, and that's what's important. There must be more to that wavelength thing than most folks give credit for. On another note, while the TV is on, I don't care how masculine and tough wrestling is supposed to be...when I see a man's face buried in another man's crotch...
Quit hiding behind the tights. And the rapper personas. We all know.
And please...Quit saying "thang".
Actual quote from some jerkass wannabe Marky Mark wrestler making fun of a ringside announcer:
"When you was born the doctor just slapped your mamma!"
I've got to go put in a DVD. Where do they get these dudes? Oh, American Idol rejects...

I've been drinking a bit so if this seems a little out of whack, my apologies.

Ultimate Fiscal Championship:
Rent Money McGillicutty vs. Drum Equipment Burns.

Guess who won the smackdown? I had to.

Just to make myself feel better: It's not like I owe them money. They have my 1 months rent deposit. They're waiting a week. Seriously, what's more important? Really. Call me irresponsible, but I've been waiting to get that particular cymbal for 2 freaking years. I could never muster up the gall to drop the cash though. So I did, And it's done. And I have it. Long time mental burden traded in for a short term one. Go me.
I'm going to go watch Duets for the 3rd night in a row. I love this movie. You should check it out if you haven't already. The songs Paul Giamatti sings karaoke to have been stuck in my head all day.