[[10 Bands You've Seen Live ]]
(i'm going with a random, crazy mix here - do not think i'm selecting my 10 favorite or anything)
1.. dave matthews band (1999, 2000. 2001)
2.. korn (1999)
3.. coldplay (2000)
4.. aerosmith (1993, 2000)
5.. new kids on the block (1989, 1990)
6.. live (1999, 2000)
7.. reel big fish (1998, 1999)
8.. edna's goldfish/step lively (1999)
9.. rancid (1998)
10.. cherry poppin' daddies (1998, 1999)

[[09 Things You're Looking Forward To]]
1.. breaking the mraz-less streak on thursday
2.. burlington
3.. paying my brother a proper visit
4.. the publication of the great american novel
5.. averi shows
6.. visiting friends in dc
7.. howie day's new album
8.. jason mraz's next album
9.. catching up with college cronies

[[08 Things You Wear Daily]]
1.. two rings - a comedy/tragendy mask ring on my right ring finger, a banded mood ring on my left middle finger.
2.. a necklace of some sort (generally either a small silver star or my irish knot pendant)
3.. now that it's getting colder, socks of some sort. :-(
4.. lip gloss of some kind - as i am, afterall, addicted
5.. underwear is rather essential, don't you think?
6.. glasses (at some point during the day)
7.. a pair of well-worn jeans (also at some point during the day)
8.. my quasi-messenger bag is on my person at some point during each day

[[07 Things That Annoy You]]
1.. people who see/want/crave drama (we're talking melodrama here)
2.. tickets sold to the public in a manner that the majority of the public can't take advantage of the opportunity (hi, union c.)
3.. day jobs
4.. cold, raw rain
5.. lack of communication
6.. bad editing
7.. not being able to remember details of specific memories

[[06 Things You Touch Every Day]]
1.. my computer keyboard
2.. my hair
3.. food
4.. my car keys
5.. a cup of coffee, whether iced or regular
6.. my cd player

[[05 People You'd Want to Spend More Time or Hang out With]]
1.. college friends
2.. paul
3.. my brother
4.. the staff of the f when i'm full-time
5.. jasonmraz. ;-)

[[04 Things You Do Every Day]]
1.. drive
2.. eat
3.. type
4.. laugh

[[03 Movies You Could Watch Over and Over]]
1.. yankee doodle dandy
2.. dead poet's society
3.. almost famous

[[02 Of Your Favorite Songs At This Moment]]
1.. galaxy - jason mraz (or jesus bobezus - hehehehe)
2.. sunday morning drive - howie day

[[01 Person You Could Spend the Rest of Your Life With]]
1.. i've gotta go with myself on this one right now.

storytime, kids ...

it's a basic fact that people are more inclined to speak out when they don't like what they hear, see or read. i figure i'll get some response to this one.

yesterday's dreariness, provided by cold, raw rain and an overall sense of blah (not helped by the fact that i spent most of the late afternoon and evening curled up in a little ball, sipping peppermint tea and feeling sick) has developed into a crisp autumn day, hopefully filled with better feelings and positivity.

i tried to catch mayer on SNL, but the state of general misery provided by my body forced me to curl up under my blankets around 11. grrr. i'll have to wait to see and laugh at it on reruns.

at least i can focus on the fact that i wouldn't have felt well at mraz's union college show. it apparently rocked ... i'm very much looking forward to thursday.

for some reason, my ftp client's giving me a hard time ... i can only download one hd2003-09-29 track at a time. this annoys me.

ok, time to prepare for work. bah.

... wouldn't it be a lovely headline: "life is beautiful" on the new york times ...

a packet of love letters:

dear rufus -
thank you for "want one" and reminding me tonight, of all nights, that it is capable to show sadness, melancholy and despair beautifully and full of life and passion.
thank you for getting better and releasing such a gorgeous album.
thank you for living now and not back in the '30s, the time for which a voice like yours was intended.
thank you for brass instruments, sweeping choruses and the fabulous rich use of harmony and minor keys.
thank you for writing "this album is dedicated to me."
thank you for the fairytale theme to your album art and making a fabulous vanquished (or, as i prefer to think, sleeping) launcelot.
thank you for "now upon a time ..."

dear staff and mangement of muddy's -
thank you for providing happy, relaxing moments of contentment, sipping java goodness from a hot paper cup while perusing employment and apartment classifides, giving me the opportunity to look forward to the near future with delight and anticipation.

dear john -
thank you for a huge smile, laugh of delight and a squeeze-me-tight-and-pick-me-up hug, one i have missed since graduation. thank you for the funniest phone number ever and the delight of having a chance to catch up soon. and thank you in advance for telling me all about pete yorn and rem (hint, hint).

dear rachel c. -
thank you for finally succuming to cancer so i could leave the show and go home.

dear random fellow traveler -
thank you for stopping your car and facing the rath of the long line of vehicles behind you so i could get back onto route 7 and head home.

dear howie -
thank you for "sunday morning drive."

dear jasonmraz -
thank you for continuing to make me laugh my arse off with "jesus bobezus" and the say anything game in "rand mcnally." and thank you for a reason to have a countdown to the end of The Streak.

dear deer -
thank you for showing that you possess the brains of your species by staying on the other side of the road and not attempting suicide by way of my car.

dear rush -
thank you for showing that karma does exist in the world by getting payback in spades for giving out my former boss' office phone number while i was still working there, thus leading to an overabundance of phone calls from irate republicans. take that, sucka ...

xoxoxoxox - vickie

a resurgence of sorts ...

i'm apparently making up for lost time in a number of respects.

i just took a look at my calendar to figure out what i have coming up and realized just how many concerts are on the vickie wishlist. to think, i've attended more shows in the past month or so than in the previous year - numerous times over. granted, a large number of them are for work, but still. i was looking at next weekend in particular ... thursday night is mraz in northampton, hopefully followed by doughty/jennings at higher ground friday night. two concerts this week (hd on monday, the singer-songwriter at the flynn tonight), plus guster last friday and the trooper/shindell show the night before that ... keep in mind that i am doing anything but complaining - this is bloody fantastic.

and i downloaded disc one of the two-disc set from the avalon show. i've been listening to it nonstop and have started returning to check out howieday.com and thehdtb ... it was never that i stopped listening to howie or anything, but i used to be completely up on the latest news and information. and then i just sort of ... didn't keep up, i guess. he was in the studio, i was going through the whole relocation process and whatnot - i mean, i saw him when he opened for tori (and the mhz studio taping after walking through the monsoon with beth), but other than that, i knew i loved his music, but i just didn't listen to it a hell of a lot anymore.

and now, here i am, looking forward to tuesday and the arrival of my copy of "stop all the world now," hoping he makes his way back to the northeast in december or early in the new year so i can see him perform again, after he and the band have polished things and kick it up another notch.

in other news, i'm going to have to make my way to burlington if i want to hit up pure pop before the show tonight ... i realized today that rufus' new album is out and immediately decided that i must have it. since i wasn't as fortunate as some to get to see him live (grrrrr ... heehee)!

oh - i was amused to see that john mayer's lack of photogenics continues ... as i saw one of the commercials for SNL yesterday and realized he still looks like a vampire. for those who haven't been able to meet him, let me assure you that he is ridiculously better-looking in person.

particularly when discussing the philosophical aspects of count chocula.
or singing "your body is a taco stand."
or discussing david gray.
or playing "babylon" during soundcheck, smiling when i realize it and blow him a kiss.
or when laughing while we rock out to the "quick game of chess with my salt and pepper shakers" line in "my stupid mouth."

god, i miss old john.

side note: anyone heard of owen beverly? i downloaded a couple of mp3s today and am really digging what i heard ...

alright, my car beckons. the night calls. the flynn awaits. and a muddy's iced coffee is unknowingly poised to be consumed latenight.

leave love, yo. - <3 vickie

disappointing friday five ...

but nevertheless, here goes.

1. what vehicle do you drive?
i drive red - a hunter green (don't ask) 1992 saturn sl1.

2. how long have you had it?
i've had it since the august before my senior year of college - we celebrated our two-year anniversary this summer.

3. what is the coolest feature on your vehicle?
well, it used to be surfer bob, but obviously we know that that's no longer the case ... so i will say that currently it would have to be my cd player. simply because i think i would go crazy without it providing the soundtrack to my revelrous (i think i might have just created a word - i'm having a moment) journeys.

4. what is the most annoying thing about your vehicle?
my blasted window. the driver side window has a little glitch in the belt (the windows are electric), so when i lower or raise it, it catches in a couple of different spots. it simply requires some delicate maneuvering (driving while tugging at the glass - those well-versed in riding in my car now know just when to assist me in getting the window up. bwahahaha - my unknowingly trained passengers. first the window, next world domination.
the window was going to be fixed as a christmas present the year i got the car, but i was given the cd player instead. i can certainly deal with the window if i have musical goodness pouring out of the speakers ...

5. if money were no object, what vehicle would you be driving right now?
i've always been a sucker for jeep cherokees. black jeep cherokee laredo, to be precise. but i'm also keen on rav 4s and i enjoy honda civics (the little funny-looking hatchback ones, that is). and i feel an obligation to own a volkswagen at some point in my lifetime. i need to drive a car that has VW prominantly displayed on front and back of it - who needs a vanity plate when i have a whole bloody car named after me?

boredom overtook me.

my apologies.

A - Act your age - despite how i appear, 22. actually, exactly one month away from the big 2-3. let the countdown begin.
B - Boyfriend - many. they just do not realize it yet. ;-)
C - Chore you hate - cleaning the shower
D - Dad's name - michael
E - Essential make up item - gloss/lipstick. dr. pepper lip smacker is da bomb.
F - Favorite actress - kate hudson and/or claire danes.
G - Gold or silver - good god, silver.
H - Hometown - proctor, vermont.
I - Instruments you play - trained in flute for eight years (fifth grade - end of high school). want to learn guitar but currently lack the time/tolerance.
J - Job title - managerial enforcer at the day job (otherwise known as "the bitch of the managers"), freelance writer at the night job.
K - Kids - i can't even spend a lot of time thinking about next week ... let alone terrifying concepts like children.
L - Living arrangements - hopefully changing. soon.
M - Mom's name - paula
N - Number of people you've slept with - let's pretend i'm a brazen hussy and say 97453
O - Overnight hospital stays - a young babe slept amidst the other newborns ... other than that, no overnight hospital stays to report. hospitals and i don't have much experience.
P - Phobia - bees/hornets.
Q - Quote you like - "oh, only left to myself, what a poet i would flay myself into." - sylvia plath
R - Religious affiliation - technically a non-practicing catholic, but i think we've established that i'm just going straight to hell to assume my responsibility of driving the shuttle bus down.
S - Sibling - one younger, 20-year-old brother.
T - Time you wake up? - lately, it's been far too early. my vampiric side weeps.
U - Unique habit - filling out lame quizzes/surveys. when i start to fall asleep at night, i must be facing the door. shortly before i fall asleep, i have to roll over away from the door. otherwise, i won't fall asleep.
V - Vegetable you refuse to eat - to be honest, i can't think of one.
W - Worst habit - a habit that will be kicked.
X - X-rays you've had - besides dental x-rays, none.
Y - Yummy food you make - my pasta salad is divine.
Z - Zodiac Sign - scorpio with gemini rising.


Have you ever ..
{x} Fallen for your best friend?: yes
{x} Been rejected?: yes
{x} Been in love?: yes
{x} Been in lust?: yes
{x} Used someone?: yep.
{x} Been used?: "i was used! hey, i was uuuuused!" - american pie. oh, yes, by the way.
{x} Cheated on someone?: despite differing opinions at the time, no.
{x} Been cheated on?: good god was i foolish.
{x} Done something you regret?: if i knew then what i know now, yadda yadda. that record's already been spun, it's gotten me here.

last person you
{x} You touched? a hug for miss elizabeth outside applebees.
{x} You talked to?: i'm carrying on a half-conversation with my mother as i type this.
{x} You hugged?: uh ... miss elizabeth ...
{x} You instant messaged?: my brother.
{x} You kissed?: as the great wooly mammoth lumbered across the plain ... i can't remember.
{x} You yelled at?: my mother.
{x} You laughed with?: see above.

Have you/are you/do you....
{x} Considered a life of crime?: ???????? duh, of course i have. hasn't everyone?
{x} Considered being a hooker? despite the potential of a julia robers/richard gere liason (or at least a quick romp with hugh grant), oddly enough, no.
{x} Are you psycho?: i am slowly going crazy ... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 switch ...
{x} Schizophrenic?: not that i'm aware of.
{x} Obsessive?: of course.
{x} Obsessive compulsive?: sometimes
{x} Anxiety?: frequently.
{x} Depressed?: happier now, thanks.
{x} Suicidal?: that's a big negative ghostrider.
{x} Obsessed with hate?: ???? can you be obsessed with hate? no thanks.
{x} Understanding: understanding of logical things, yes. but i do have a hard time understanding some of the crap people try explaining to me on a regular basis - as common sense and logic seem not to apply.
{x} Open-minded: i'd say so.
{x} Arrogant: alternately arrogant and incredibly insecure. balls of steel disappear into nothing at the blink of an eye.
{x} Insecure: oh whoops, answered it already.
{x} Hungry: i'm stuffed like a pre-thanksgiving turkey.
{x} Friendly: i believe so.
{x} Smart: i'm wicked smart.
{x} Moody: ok, i admit it. yes, i'm moody.
{x} Childish: of course - you have to be.
{x} Independent: don't oppress me, fucker. ;-)
{x} Hard working: if it's something i'm passionate about, i'll work it or myself to the bone. if it's something i'm not passionate about, i'll do it if i absolutely have to, but really, what's the point?
{x} Organized: hahahaha - creatively organized? note to self: clean my car/organize my life.
{x} Healthy: working on balancing out.
{x} Emotionally Stable: remarkably peppy as of late.
{x} Shy: extremely.
{x} Difficult: define "difficult" ... i'm actually pretty easygoing. but i'm also stubborn as hell and i do not forget.
{x} Attractive: it's hard to be attractive when one doesn't look a day over 18.
{x} Bored Easily: can be.
{x} Responsible: bwahahaha - i've fooled them all.

Currents
{x} Current Clothes: shorts and t-shirt for pjs.
{x} Current Taste: toothpaste
{x} Current Hair: disheveled
{x} Current Annoyance: union college being sold out.
{x} Current Smell: apple cinnamon tea.
{x} Current thing you ought to be doing: taking a shower so i can get my hair cut.
{x} Current Desktop Picture: mraz polaroid ("jasonmraz demonstration")
{x} Current Favorite Group: as in musical? group would be averi.
{x} Current Book: hitchiker's guide to the galaxy.
{x} Current DVD In Player: bend it like beckham. :-) finally.
{x} Current Refreshment: none.
{x} Current Worry: balancing out.
{x} Current Crush: howie day. again. ;-) and of course mraz.
{x} Current Favorite Celebrity: uh ... i miss george plimpton? in honor of his recent passing and the fact that he was a sweetheart when i met him at the office, i'll say him.

Favorite...
{x} Food: chipotle chicken fajita burrito. lament.
{x} Drink: iced coffee.
{x} Color: black/blue
{x} Shoes: adidas sambas/swinger shoes.
{x} Candy: sugar babies.
{x} Movie: there's no way i could chose one.
{x} Dance: the running man.
{x} Vegetable: broccoli.
{x} Fruit: apples.

On preferences...
{x} Chocolate milk or hot chocolate?: coffee, please.
{x} bk or mcdonals?: chipotle.
{x} Marry the perfect lover or the perfect friend?: i will now begin a policy of crossing out stupid questions.
{x} Sweet or sour?: depends.
{x} Root Beer or Dr. Pepper?: ew and ew. but yay for dr. pepper lip smacker.
{x} Sappy/action/comedy/horror?: and drama isn't listed why?
{x} Cool Ranch or Nacho Cheese?: hmm ... i like both. probably nacho cheese edging out cool ranch, though.
{x} Mud or Jell-O wrestling?:
{x} With or without ice-cubes?: oh with, please. i'd be lost in europe.
{x} Shine or rain?: shine, although i love warm rain. especially walking at night in the warm rain.
{x} Winter/Summer/Fall/Spring?: this is best time of the year right here.
{x} Vanilla or Chocolate?: vanilla.
{x} Eyes open or closed?:
{x} Fly or breathe under water?: fly.
{x} Bunk-bed or waterbed?: waterbed would be interesting to try.
{x} Chewing gum or hard candy?: i'm a gum addict.
{x} Motor boat or sailboat?: i've never been on a sailboat. i want to try.
{x} Lights on or off?:
{x} Chicken or fish?: *clucking* chicken.

What's your favorite:
{x} Number?: in descending order of preference: 13, 28, 9.
{x} Holiday?: halloween.
{x} Place?: a club or theater, just before the show takes place. empty stage, lights on. standing/sitting in the audience gazing at the stage, feeling the buzz of anticipation pulse through me.
oh, you meant geographically. burlington, boston. adams morgan on a saturday night. ;-) on a new england highway or byway in early autumn.
{x} Flower?: pretty ones.
{x} Scent?: vanilla, cinammon.
{x} If you could be anywhere, where would you be?: conducting an interview.
{x} What are you listening to?: nothing. waiting for hd's 9.29 show to download.
{x} Can you do anything freakish with your body?: it's the amazing shrinking girl ...
{x} Do you have a favorite animal: kangaroos and wallabys.

so.

i wrote the mother of all posts two days ago. i clicked "post" - and internet explorer crashed. therefore, i lost the paragraphs upon paragraphs of concert analysis, nostalgia and overall observations about the meaning of life and the human condition (well, ok, the grafs really did include the first two).

thus i am left pondering whether to try to replicate the post or just chalk it up to technology giving me a swift kick in the arse and move on. for the sake of being able to let others get a taste of what i experienced (not to mention the fact that i'd like to be able to remember the small details later on in life), i'll attempt a slightly shorter post about the most recent stop on the revelry concert tour and the days following ...

monday was just a quality day all around. after working, i hopped in the car and enjoyed a brilliant early fall day while driving to massachusetts. my new cell phone has a hands-free earpiece, so i tried to ignore feeling like an ex-castmember of "rent" while speaking with my editor and a few friends during the drive. mraz provided the soundtrack for the highway traveling, as i sang along and enjoyed what is consistently one of my favorite drives to make.

per usual, a huge smile spread across my face as i rounded the bend on 93 and saw boston stretched out in front of me. greeting the welcome sight of the skyline, i called up my brother so he could walk me through reaching his apartment in somerville. believe it or not, i showed quite the navigational skills - that is, once i got past missing exit 30 off the highway. i still maintain it wasn't my fault. ;-)

my brother's apartment, i am pleased and ever so relieved to report, is great. it's a nice place, he's definitely making a home for himself and i quite enjoy his roommates. especially after colleen and i were each threatening to kick his arse (she gets extra points for having the dvd box set of "my so-called life."). he seems happy - and this in turn makes me happy, as i was worried that reality wouldn't live up to the hype he had built for the whole boston relocation process.

after relaxing briefly, we hopped onto the t (oh, dear sweet t - you're dirty, you're crass, but you have some special charm i can't describe) and headed to kenmore, where we made a dinner stop at burrito max (my chipotle-starved soul screamed with delight) before i headed to avalon for my show and he headed to the all asia cafe for his. after meeting some new acquaintances during the walk and having it reaffirmed that i look ridiculously young, i made my way into the club which, i will state again, just does not do it for me the way paradise does. it's too posh for a rock club. for a club, it's definitely cool, but when you're going to a show and you want to feel a connection, avalon just doesn't cut it. too big, too slick, too shiny and fake for raw, emotional music.

but nevertheless. i found ways of amusing myself before charlotte martin took the stage and i was blown away by her tori-ness. as a tori fan, i was impressed by the similarities, but charlotte also stands capably on her own. a tiny thing behind a piano, long blonde hair falling in her face, she comes off as small and anything but intimidating, but then she unleashes this gorgeous voice ... "in parenthesis" is quickly becoming one of my favorite songs (i picked up the ep, as i'm a music and concert merchandise whore. i also picked up jump's "vertigo" and a howie poster. i know, i know. but they're justifiable - i would have wound up buying them anyway and at least at the show they cost less. i have less fortune justifying the $6 and $7 vodka crans from the bar - no one should ever have to pay that much for a clear plastic cup of vodka cran - i don't care if it's absolut!). her cover of the cure's "just like heaven" is brilliant - i found the mp3 version and have been enjoying it immensely. oh, and the fact that she writes her set list on her arm every night made me happy. i like talented people who don't take themselves too seriously.

then jump came on ... very very cool. after having the chance to listen to "vertigo" a bit now, i'll say that i certainly prefer jump's live sound over studio. the album has more of an alt-country feel to it, which is great, but live they rock out more, which i think brings more to the particular songs in their setlist. not to mention that i have a harder time picturing matt bivins while i listen to the studio album (side note: i don't know what it was - matt's not someone i would ever normally find overly attractive. he's got the "hi, yeah i'm a rockstar" swagger - whether cockiness or enduced by alcohol, perhaps both? - but there was just something about him that intrigued me. i'm mainly chalking it up to the fact that i was anxiously awaiting howie.). but the band gets mad props for performing with a standup bass, accordion AND cello. hells yeah.

while i waited for howie to take the stage, i started chatting with two guys standing by me, comparing howie stories and theorizing about the future of john mayer - i found that i am far, FAR from alone in thinking/hoping/praying that he'll get back to who he used to be. it was good to know that there are a bunch of us out there. ;-)

after a 45-minute set change (howie came out onstage with his band, discovered his guitar wasn't picking up on the amps, so had to leave the stage and come back out about ten minutes later), i experienced howie day, band-style, for the first time.

Morning After
Brace Yourself
I'll Take You On
Sunday Morning Song
Perfect Time of Day
Collide
Numbness for Sound
Sorry, So Sorry *
Ghost (Beams)*
You and A Promise
Secret
Trouble in Here
She Says
-----------
Bunnies *
Madrigals *

* - Howie solo

y'all can download the show to hear how it was, but a couple of quick notes:
- i'm all the more excited to listen to the new album (less than a week ...). while there were some songs i wasn't 100 percent crazy about when i heard the clips ("Sunday Morning Drive" "You & a Promise" - the latter of which i have on the Madrigals EP), they are solid in their entirety. actually, both of the specific songs mentioned are favorites now - i'm shocked by how much i'm loving "Y&aP." "collide" is wonderful wonderful - another "she says" and so good - and i knew i loved both "brace yourself" and "perfect time of day."

- howie's antics during "ghost" made my jaw drop. playful, DANCING, and the full techno "beams" outtro, lines and everything.

- i was a huge skeptic, but i personally think the band suits howie incredibly well and the songs take on a whole new life with the fuller backing. instead of the transition to band ala mayer, where i can strongly say the solo versions are much better than band renditions, in howie's case, they're apples and oranges. both great.

- he just looked HAPPY.

all in all, the show's lineup was the strongest all-around that i've experienced since probably either vaco/howie/pmb in december 2000 or howie/mayer in 2001 (pattern, anyone?). i can't say it was one of my favorite shows, as i've given up on the concept of labeling specific shows as Favorites), but i'll say that it was fantastic and i'm so glad i made the trip. the 2000 people there were treated to a great night of music ...
(oh, i should mention, the photo provided is part of locobirdy's online gallery ... great pic, i think!)

ok, sleep now. more philosophical, music-related posts tomorrow during the Day Off. well, day off followed by night o' workin - but let's focus on the day part.

oh, and my chi was centered tonight. hahahahahaha. ;-)

wow.

the concert last night was ridiculous. charlotte martin. jump, little children. howie day.

charlotte opened up her mouth and an amazing, tori-reminiscent voice roared out. not to mention that anyone who has a song about obsessing over love and a potential crush that says "any girl who says she doesn't obsess ... is full of shit ..." gets a big shout of approval from yours truly. so funny.

jump was great - i've been wanting to see them for awhile now and i'm thrilled i did. one of the lead vocalists (name to follow once i have time to learn a bit about the band) oozed the frontman sex appeal that comes with being in a rock club and swept away by the dancing lights and thumping base. and they rock out with a standup bass and, at times, a cello. hello!

and then there's howie. i was nervous about the band. i was nervous about the lack of looping and pedal work. i was nervous that it would be another john mayer-esque moment - the realization that the singer-songwriter i followed and the style i loved would be lost in cymbal crashes and the wail of an electric guitar.

whereas john's band took away from his sound, howie's band took his songs and kicked them up to the next level. it was absolutely amazing to hear songs i've known for years played in such a new and exciting way. and to see howie laughing on stage - not the little "hi, i'm being cool and angsty" hehehehe laugh. all out laughter.

i haven't personally seen that since the coffeehouse.

i could do without the girls behind me screaming "I LOVE YOU HOWWWWIIIIIEEEEE" after each song. i could do without straining to get a good view. i could do without hearing people say, "ohmigod, this guy is so good, i'm going to have to, like, listen to his stuff now." i could do without the show being at avalon and the space feeling small due to the number of people there (around two thousand).

but it was amazing nevertheless. he's on his way. and it's a little sad, but i'm also so incredibly happy for him, as it appears that everything is coming together just as it should for him.

what a bloody amazing night.

... flashbacks ...

while at work today, i realized that i can say i'm anticipating the delight of a performance by a howiedayhowiedayhowieday. i haven't said that in eons ...

i'm looking forward to this, the next portion of the victoria revelry concert tour. i haven't seen howie perform in ... hmm ... over ten months. it'll be the first time since the very first time i saw him live (back in february of 2000) that i will NOT know the lyrics to a number of his songs - not to mention that it'll be the first time i see him perform with a band, well, ever (admittedly, i'm not crazy about this particular aspect, as i love the solo howie experience, but hey, i'm determined to keep an open mind). i think it'll be a great show - although a large part of me wishes the show was occurring down the street at paradise ...

but i'm also looking forward to getting out of the state and going on a road trip. i always love driving to boston - it's an easy drive and i, unlike probably the majority of non-massachusetts drivers - love driving all the more once i cross the border into massachusetts. i'm not quite sure of what it is about it ... it's just the feeling i get. and once i round the bend and the boston skyline becomes visible in the distance, i go nuts. god bless skylines.

seeing my brother will be great - i'm excited about being able to check out his new apartment and see his new haunts and the folks he's living with. he sounds happy when i have the opportunity to speak with him - i'm looking forward to seeing how accurate what he's told me really is.

so that's pretty much where i'm at. bags packed, items from home ready to bring to tom (i'm bringing a "from vickie with love" care package that i've been putting together), cell phone charging, cds positioned in the car so as to best provide the soundtrack to my travels. ticket waiting for me at avalon, howie day preparing for the concert. rock on.

so yeah. sleep shortly, wake up and work the morning shift, hop in the car and take off. let the adventures begin ...

golly gee, what have we here ...

story time ... both the column and the football game coverage.

it will sound exceptionally dorky, but nevertheless, it's a cool sensation to look at something i wrote and then turn the page and see a large photograph and article about sylvia plath.

bah. too much to do today and not enough time to do it. remind me to really think things through before i tell my bosses to "give me a call if you need me to work on sunday." the gesture may be nice, but they might actually take me up on it, as they did today. only a 2-7 shift, but still one i, quite frankly, have no desire to work.

... friendly fenway ...

i'm hoping against hope that the gods smile upon me and have my email addy come up as one of those selected for the green monster playoff seats. i would a) love to get to my fourth game of the season b) love to attend a playoff game and c) swoon with happiness to be able to watch a game - any game - from atop the green monster. if (when) the playoff game tickets don't come through, i intend to buy green monster tickets for one game next year. while i'm generally opposed to the ridiculous ticket prices at games these days, i would certainly pay the money once to sit on top of the wall ...

my new phone has the potential to outwit me. it's snazzy though - i dig it. my brother would have been completely lost with it.

i still have great disdain for football, but today's game made me realize i can at least tolerate it - almost find little bits of pleasure, actually. but i still think it's a lame sport. give me soccer - the REAL football.

and i'm exhausted. so, that said, i do believe i'm going to prepare for sleep now - prepare some music, curl up in bed and read "the hitchiker's guide to the galaxy" (which i picked up today because it's about damn time i read it) until i fall asleep ...

4, 3, 2, 1 ...

the wigs were everywhere - unfortunately my 'fro was at the groomer's. or maybe i just hadn't checked the website to discover that it was a wig-encouraged show. if i had known, yeah, i would have picked one up and gone along with the wig-friendly vibe. it would have amused me.

the show was amazing. it amazes me how warm and comfortable guster makes me feel - not to mention that brian absolutely amazed me. that man can pound on the bongo like it's nobody's business - good lord. he's my favorite guster man - i love how he commands attention without saying a damn thing during the shows. he just rocks out and kicks arse.

as was to be expected, i grinned like a fool and felt all warm & fuzzy-like when "parachute" was performed. i loved the expected songs and sang along at the top of my lungs, but the selection of "come downstairs and say hello" as the final encore song was probably the highlight. it's a song that i have really connected with since the album was released and i couldn't believe they chose to end with that - i took it as a sign and, coupled with the sightings of two monarch butterflies within 24 hours, i have to assume that something great is on the horizon.

just don't know quite what yet.

regardless. it's now nearing 4 am. column is done and sent in - knock on wood for that, thank you. tomorrow morning i pick up and get to play with a new toy before playing press girl with all of the guys at the msj football game.

oh, and i prided myself on figuring out a way to fit the word "foppish" into this week's column. i hope the word runs - it will delight me.

that said, the friday five and then i sleep.

1. if you could eat dinner with and "get to know" one famous person (living or dead), who would you choose?
... hmm ... this is the ultimate i'm-never-going-to-be-able-to-decide question. assuming that there would be a way to eliminate the language and cultural barriers, i'd go with shakespeare. if it turns out that shakespeare did in fact write his works. if not, marlowe.

2. has the death of a famous person ever had an effect on you? who was it and how did you feel?
i suppose that the death of some famous individuals had an effect on me in the respect that it shaped the time in which i lived - kurt cobain comes to mind right away. and then then there are the "wow, i never thought they'd actually die - they just live on forever" type of situations (most recently, johnny cash). the death of senator wellstone last year was the closest thing to a known individual dying and affecting my life, as i wound up working in his office for a little bit following the crash and spent a lot of time thinking about what i would have done were i in his staff's position ...

3. if you could BE a famous person for 24 hours, who would you choose?
currently living? hmm ... i have simple tastes. tori amos so i could know what it is like to be a brilliant singer, songwriter and musician. i've always wanted to know the piano.

4. do people ever tell you that you look like someone famous? who?
before i cut my hair, i received numerous compliments that i looked like janel maloney from "the west wing." i am currently growing out my hair and will hopefully someday resemble her once more.

5. have you ever met anyone famous?
yes.

back to basics ... looking ahead ...

quick vicbits:

reality tv provides many, many guilty pleasures for yours truly, but there is nothing quite as satisfying on television as a good, gripping episode of my staple favorite show, "the west wing."

ah ... it's good again. this brings me great pleasure.

my body is feeling the good ache of exercise - as i began to get back into shape yesterday. this also brings me great pleasure.

the next few days will involve little sleep ... but in a good way, all things considered. tomorrow i work, followed by my now-customary trip to burlington for three bits of notebook nightlife coverage: rembrandt, richard shindell and dave ralph. i'm ignoring the reality of the situation for as long as i can: that being that i work at 6 a.m. friday. um ... yeah.

guster friday night. hurrah! i'm incredibly excited. guster + flynn = very very good times.

waiting to hear about other news ... in several different, yet somewhat connected, areas, actually ...

ok, sleep is necessary. 4:15 will come far too quickly ...

paying my dues, paying my dues ...

ticket confirmations ...

ah - making my rainy, dreary day better by spending money on concert tickets.

such a music whore.

confirmed - 1 ticket to howie day at avalon for 9/29
confirmed - 1 ticket to jason mraz at calvin theater for 10/9

hurrah ...

$*(!)*$()@IIOPJ IOSJFIOPU@ (OR)*@()$*()!@$(_!*( $!

grrrrrr.

ok, now i feel better.

still can't find check card. fuck.

i want to do an interview about the person, not the concert. fuckity fuck.

and i want to be able to do both, as i'm not strictly, benefits-paid tied to either. fuckity fuck fuck.

in better news, the rain splashing against my windshield this morning seemed to evaporate in the sunshine that filled my car as i listened to "so damn lucky" off dave matthews' "some devil." thus far, favorite tracks include "so damn lucky," "grey blue eyes," "save me," and yes, "gravedigger."

time to work off some aggression and energy.

... if i were my check card, where would i be?

ok, i need to buy two tickets today. one to howie at avalon, the other to mraz in northampton. problem is, i can't find my check card - probably because i've been using it too much lately, so i've had it out by my desk.

hmmm. this could prove problematic.

the search begins. i will hop in the car, drive to rutland to make my latest musical purchase and search the car, return and hopefully be able to ensure that i will enjoy a great deal of musical revelry in the next couple of weeks.

i notice the stars, they began to shake and dance and burst and fall into the darkness

i spent a few minutes outside tonight, sitting on the driveway behind my house. i closed my eyes and listened to the sounds of the night - crickets chirping, the wind rustling the branches of the trees surrounding me and, perhaps most delightful, the gentle scrape of each leaf as it fell to the pavement.

autumn night beckons.

who's cursed? i'm cursed ...

so it appears as if good ol' union college is pretty much out of the question, as tickets for the public go on sale at 7 a.m. wednesday morning ... but you can only purchase them in person. at union college. in schenectady. which would be, well, impossible, as it's a) about two hours from here and b) i'm working at 6 a.m.

so mark that as concert - what, nine? - that i'm probably missing out on. note to self: buy ticket for northampton tomorrow.

averi just made me incredibly happy. not to mention that, as i'm at the site right now and the streaming music is playing, i'm discovering that i'm quite a fan of one of the new songs, "bounce." did they play it at paradise last time? i don't remember it ...

i have succeeded in doing next to nothing today. i say "next to nothing" because i did do one thing - i slept for nearly four and a half hours straight. i didn't even realize i was tired - i laid down to watch "adaptation" and BAM! i woke up hours later, at first cursing myself for blowing the opportunity to do much of anything, but then realizing that i obviously needed the rest.

now, feeling much like a certain former roommate with narcoleptic tendencies (hahaha), i am going to rub the sleep out of my eyes, stretch out in an attempt to remove the tension that's been in my back all day long, then go for a walk or something so i feel as if i at least moved my body a bit today.

ah - nothing like a day spent clearing out all of the stress/kinks/fatigue. tres bien.

... story time ...

i have fallen victim to editing.

i've got to run out and pick up a copy of the paper to see if this exists in print form as well ... but i never said the football game went into OT - i don't know why the headline says overtime. because, well, there was no overtime.

and a couple of my favorite features of the column were edited out, not to mention that the headline gives it the impression that things didn't go as well as they did at the fundraiser ...

oy.

is it any wonder why i find this 'roid particularly amusing?

the timing could not have been better for that.

closing was, in its own twisted, relative way, fun. well, maybe not fun. but easy as can be. much easier than writing a measly 250 words on a football game, that's for sure. i now completely understand why i never felt like i missed out, not having a football team to cheer on during high school or college. why, you may ask?

i really cannot stand football. give me basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer - you name it and i'll very happily be in the stands or, ideally, playing. hell, i've even given golf a shot this summer.

but football can exist without me having anything to do with it, thank you ...

speaking of soccer, if you haven't already read it, check out the story in sports illustrated about mia hamm. mia has been my favorite female athlete for just about as long as i can remember - not to mention one of my favorite athletes overall. when i was in my early years of high school, i would train during the off-season, going running or doing drills on occasion - things like that. on occasion, i wore a sweatband (primarily, i think, because we were strictly forbidden to wear such items during the soccer season, as my coach viewed them as frivilous and attempts to draw attention to the individual, rather than the team - how much did my coach ROCK!?!). when the sweatband was not on, i was training as vickie. when the black nike band was on, however, i was mia.

she continues to inspire me to this day. it's a great article.

are you ready for some football?

this is going to be interesting. i've never attended a complete football game. i went to a thanksgiving day game in beverly a few years ago, to experience the whole high school football thing my mother had told me about (she went to beverly and went to the game each year growing up), but it was cold and we left at halftime. my high school was way too small for a team and, besides, we were soccer types. and my college had a football team ... back in the 40s or something ...

so here i am, preparing to not only attend a game, but cover it and write about it after. this will be amusing as hell.

anyway. tickets for guster have been purchased - hurrah! tickets for mraz are pending - i'm still deliberating whether i want to head down to northampton or not. i'm a little torn. we'll see.

i think i'm buying a ticket to howie at avalon - haven't yet, but i think i will do so this evening. screw it - why not go? it'll be fun to see howie before the album hits and he becomes hugely popular ... one last time, if you will.

quick notes ...

i must finish my story for tomorrow morning's deadline before i try to relax for a bit, get more than, well, three hours' sleep and then wake up and prepare for the crash course in football reporting i will undertake tomorrow before saving the day at work. oy.

regardless - quick comments. i think musical revelry is definitely in my future. guster on the 26th and i want to head to boston on the 29th to check out howie at avalon. i think i'm buying ticket(s) tomorrow. anyone up for it coming along? if so, drop a line or leave a comment. i'm looking forward to howie goodness while, i do believe, getting my first glimpse of my brother's new somerville pad ...

mraz. i'll find out tuesday night, i believe, whether or not public tickets will be available for union college. i think i'm buying ticket(s) for northampton tomorrow as well (i'm on a musical tangent, can we tell?). who's up for that? same rules apply.

ok, time to write like it's going out of style. more later. leave love.

but before sleep takes me ...

... two quick comments.

- to understand what i meant about mraz, check out the posting i just came across on the official message board. that is exactly what i was talking about earlier.

- nick, thank you so much. i'll drop you a line tomorrow - i'm sorry i'm not this evening, but as i said before, it's late now and fatigue is weighing down my eyelids ... regardless, i'll talk to you soon. take care until then.

friday five time ... as i just returned from an evening of musical entertainment (or would "amusement" be a better term for it?), this seemed particularly appropriate.

1. who is your favorite singer/musician? why?
hahahahaha! i know i tend to be very secretive about my musical tastes - i'm not one to really discuss who i'm into and whatnot. but i suppose i should reveal to the readership here (the whole four or five of you - much love to the loyal ones!) that i'm kind of half into the musical stylings of one jason mraz. ok, enough sarcasm. mraz has been a favorite of mine for awhile now, as i believe he embodies just about everything that i'm into. talent, wit, self-depricating charm coupled with an incredible insight and the ability to convey said insight to an audience, whether it be through performance or the written word. he's more than a musician - he's a poet. not to mention that he's funny as hell and someone who doesn't appear to be falling into the pitfalls of fame - taking himself too seriously or losing touch with the person the public is now falling in love with (take notes, my dear mayer boy).

other favorites include my gateway drug into the singer-songwriter realm i love so much, that being howie day (been a fan of his for three and a half years now - good lord), as well as the musicians and great guys that come together to form averi. ben folds, rufus wainwright, tori amos, ani difranco, dave matthews (and members of dmb) and gavin degraw are also featured members of my favorites list.

2. what one singer/musician can you not stand? why?
hmm ... this one's difficult. i suppose ... *pondering* ... anyone who loses touch of themselves once fame hits winds up rubbing on my nerves. i'm struggling with a love/hate relationship with john mayer at the moment, as i used to be a huge fan of his (and had the opportunity to convey that to him way before the whole no-such-thing-room-for-squares-hi-i'm-a-boy-band-with-one-boy phenomenon took place) but am now realizing that the john i knew and became a fan of has become a nonentity ...

some others i have no use for: jessica simpson (found in the mixed up files of ms. victoria under "moron"), john tesh (ick) and vitamin c (because i'm still traumatized by "the graduation song" - thanks beth). there are many that i personally don't feel a strong connection with, but i acknowledge that there are others who may feel the same way i feel about an artist/s like mraz or howie about someone like, say, 50 cent or tool or whatnot.

3. if your favorite singer wasn't in the music business, do you think you would still like him/her as a person?
i can't say, as i don't know mraz outside of his music. besides, if he wasn't in the music business, i probably wouldn't know he exists. not to mention that he wouldn't be who he is if he wasn't involved with music ... from what i've seen/read/heard about him, however, i think i'd still find him very cool and would be totally down for a drink and some conversation ...

4. have you been to any concerts? if yes, who put on the best show?
i am very, VERY fortunate in the respect that i've been able to attend many concerts, from the very large (woodstock '99 with hundreds of thousands of my closest friends) to the very small (my benefit concert, anyone? or the concert at met cafe in providence where michelle and i watched a band break up in less than three songs' time - during our escape from the sold-out, teeny-bopper ordeal that was mayer at lupo's). i've attended country, classical, punk, alternative, singer-songwriter, metal, funk, jam band and other shows at colleges, fairs, professional venues, stadiums, even an air force base and a vintage clothing store. the only thing i enjoy about music more than being able to pop in a cd i love is seeing a musician or group live. i don't think i could possibly select one concert as the best one i've attended - each one has something special about it, much as that may sound like a cop-out answer. some highlights, however, include guster at the flynn in 2001, virgina coalition/howie day/pat mcgee band at their three-hour-plus paradise show back in 2000 (wow, three years ago this december ...), live at memorial aud, ani at memorial, tori at both the patriot center and the palace theater, several of the averi shows i've attended (special moment: chad's solo version of "daffodils" played for me), matt nathanson's second set at the smc coffeehouse, john mayer/glen phillips at higher ground, howie/mayer at paradise 6.18.01, particular moments at woodstock, dmb at spac, counting crows at spac. the list honestly could go on and on. i often leave concerts thinking to myself that what i just experienced was "the greatest show ever."

5. what are your thoughts on downloading free music online vs. purchasing albums? do you feel the RIAA is right in its pursuit to stop people from dowloading free music?
while in dc, i almost applied for a job with the riaa - but i couldn't go through with it, as i find that its download policing is something i simply cannot agree with. i know there are people out there who take blatant advantage of the capabilities downloading provides - hell, there are many songs i have on my computer that i downloaded and i was booted off napster for awhile because i had some metallica mp3s on and was caught red-handed (red-computerized, should i say?). but i have to assume that most of the people out there are like me in the respect that they ultimately repay the artists for the money they might be losing out on each time i click "save as" and download some random mp3. take mraz. i have in my posession tons of live shows on cd (thanks paul!), as well as burned copies of most of, if not all, his now-unavailable independent releases. but i bought "waiting for my rocket to come." i've spent money on some merchandise. i'm going to be attending one, if not two, concerts within the next month. most of the musicians i've downloaded have been people i've ultimately seen in concert or they've released albums i've purchased.

there are many times where i would never have even listened to a musician or group had i not downloaded the mp3 to give it a shot. as long as they have the ability and talent to back up the slickly produced studio albums, artists have nothing to fear. it's like john mayer said: you can burn a copy of a show, but you can't burn the experience of being there. listen to the 6.18.01 show and listen to him instruct the "photographers" to take a photo all at the same time. you can't see the pose he makes - if i hadn't been there, i couldn't have gotten my photographs back and see my personal copy of the pose from the angle at which i stood in the front row. i couldn't have heard him sing, "you are invincible" during "no such thing" and remember how he looked down at me while he sang the line.

therefore, i maintain that the riaa is attempting to protect artists' rights - those without the ability to cross from the singer/musician realm into that of performer and true artist.

ok, tirade over. it's after 3 a.m., i woke up this morning (yesterday morning?) at 4:45 a.m. and i have to wake up around 7 to write up as much of my column as i can before work at 11. i'll write more about the amusement this evening provided when i'm rested and refreshed. until then, i leave you with teases of late night/sugar- and iced coffee-infused amusement (deep philosophical discussions about how life would be better in so many areas if coffee flavoring was involved), four bands and nearly four hours of music to support a presidential candidate, a blast from the high school past and general good times.

keep safe, chickadees, and stay indoors over the next few days if you're in danger of getting blown away by isabel - be careful!

... ooh, the mystery, the intrigue ...

the mystery swirling around picardo continues ... i've been able to peel away a couple of layers of intrigue and can say this - i give him/her/??? mad props for doing what he/she/??? did ... long live creative spontaneity!

in other news ... i've received an invite to sneak preview a rembrandt exhibit next week - very, very cool. let's give it up to fine art ...

and, should the union college show fall through (or perhaps even if it doesn't?), there is another opportunity for mraz goodness in my future - northampton on 10/9. i've had good luck with northampton live musical experiences ... i traveled there a couple of years in a row for warped tour (yes, i rocked the warped tour train twice - or was it three times? i can't recall ...) and had a great time baking in the sunshine, seeking shade in the air conditioned tent while watching sublime videos in inflatable armchairs and, one year, running into andy shortly after getting beaten to a pulp in the crowd gathered for less than jake (but having a great time in the process). i also traveled the northampton way for howie day back in ... 2001, i believe? the performance was at iron horse music hall, which, for the record, is a fabulous gem of a venue - low-key and nice without being pretentious. i said at the time (and still say today) that if i were to open up a venue (something i'd love to do someday), i'd want it to be like the iron horse. except that i'd allow taping and photography.

this performance will be at calvin theater - never been there. but i'd be more than willing to make the trip ...

alright - time to do some more research for this weekend's "art & the city" (hahahahahaha - this still amuses me far too much) before dinner and reality tv at the home away from home. season finale of "cupid" - will america be kind (hank) or cruel (robert)???

we shall see ...

... iso ...

does anyone have any information about an artist named renee picardo? if so, please contact me ...

they like me, they really like me!

i had three emails waiting for me when i got home tonight, all from strangers who had read my story and wanted to contact me.

revelrevelrevel ...

"to our readers"

so it's official, my dear readers, i am a weekly columnist, complete with a sig, contact information and all.

if you're in the area where the newspaper is available in print form, pick up a copy - i'm absolutely thrilled with how my story looks on the page. refer on the front page and my story is on the bottom of page 1d, with a great color photo and a jump to the third page, where my story and photos of the art hop comprise the entire page.

as can be expected, a completely sappy post is about to commence. be warned.

it's been a pretty hectic couple of days, to say the least. between working the temporary "day job" and getting up to burlington to cover the art hop, i feel as if i've been living a nomadic life, spending more time in my car than anything else. fortunately, my love for driving remains as strong as ever ... the landscapes, sunsets and night skies i've glimpsed through my windshield have been gorgeous, while the people i've passed by have provided infinite opportunities to come up with amusing stories about their lives and loves.

i had no idea of what to expect with the art hop, save that i knew it had the potential to be a lot of fun. the two-day event was just that.

wandering the streets of the south end, i strolled in and out of shops, abandoned buildings and restaurants, chatting with artists and watching the other visitors take in the creativity surrounding them. from abstracts to watercolors to sound installations and back again.

i added a couple of rows to the community friendship bracelet while discussing childhood memories of bracelet making with the woman running that particular event and i learned about abstract art from an uncannily knowledgable four-year-old.

i met winnie holzman's mother, sue miller, and was able to tell her about how her daughter shaped my adolescent life with "my so-called life" and was delightedly shocked to learn that winnie is creating the musical adaptation of "wicked" (a book i fell in love with in college) for broadway. i also fell in love with sue's work (she paints watercolors and adds bits of narrative prose to many of her pieces) and bought a small print for my apartment-to-come. it is a watercolor composed primarily of blues, with small touches of rose, evoking thoughts of water. the narrative:

soft, soft and steady
those night curtains fall
my theater, my play

some vibrant color sings
so briefly in sky & water
gone so soon,
so softly gone.

when i came across it, i told sue about my love of twilight and lake champlain - about how while in school, i would try to get down to the waterfront right at the final moments of sunset, when the sky was shifting into dark blues and the lake seemed to glow with light in the depths of the water. she seemed to know exactly what i was talking about and we wound up chatting for almost 45 minutes. when i was leaving, she signed my print and asked me to please keep in touch, as the fact that i connected with that particular print, one that many simply pass by, indicated that there was something special about me. whether that is true or not may be up to debate, but there is certainly something special about her, that i can say with assurance.

i ran into some people from my former office, which was random but a lot of fun - i strolled with matt over to a coast guard event that was taking place, hoping to be able to meet up with the senator briefly to say hello, but he had already left. i saw some others from the burlington office, however, which was a lot of fun.

walking around burlington both days, but particularly friday night, i felt as if a great homecoming was taking place. the warmth of the night, the people of so many shapes, forms and backgrounds passing by, smiling as they met my eyes - little kids running around the statues at city hall, twenty-somethings walking down the familiar stairs into what ales you and sitting by the windows at jp's ... it all felt completely right and i was exactly where i was supposed to be - on assignment and heading to muddy waters for an iced coffee. ah, bliss. i had a grin on my face the entire time.

the grin turned into flat out laughter as i passed by the flynn. two guys, probably around twenty years old, were sitting on the stoop by the flynnspace, one of them standing as i walked by.

"excuse me," he said, taking a step in my direction. "where are you heading?"

i decided to amuse myself and stopped. "around. why, what's up?"

"you're going around?" he repeated. "can i come?"

i waited a beat before replying. "is that it?"

he blinked. "huh?"

"is that it? that's your line?"

"yeah - did it work?"

it was all i could do to not burst out into laughter right there. "surprisingly, no, it didn't." i resumed walking as his friend teased him, saying "dude, that's not how you pick up a chick!"

i met up with my brother, who had come back to vermont from boston for a doctor's appointment, laughing over french fries with him and one of his burlington friends before heading back into the night and onto the open road.

i finished my story on deadline with no problems and had the newsroom to myself when i first arrived yesterday afternoon. i sat in a corner at becky's desk and looked out over the room - the proofs scattered about, copies of various issues tacked to the walls. a police scanner crackling quietly across the room and the clicking of my keyboard provided the soundtrack to my writing, which came to me more easily than i'd anticipated. sitting there, working on my assignment, playing back interviews and transcribing quotes, i felt such a surge of happiness.

after finishing the story (and trying to figure out why there is a huge photograph of two dead birds on the alley side of red square), i headed back to southern vermont and casa elizabeth. i gave in to the temptations provided by the local video store's semi-annual movie sale, spending far too much on dvd goodness, but rationalizing it by realizing i would have wound up buying the same movies for more elsewhere anyway. i selected the vhs of "the dangerous lives of altar boys" and dvds of "chicago," "adaptation," and "about a boy." dvds for $8.99 each and the vhs for $6.99? these were wise investments, not foolish purchases. and beth's selection of "the hours" means we now own several movie one or both of us have never seen. bonus!

now i sit here, having returned from a trip to fair haven to help out with a bus at the store (two people called in sick today - sisters, no less. coicidence? riiiiiiiight), preparing to officially start off my day, which includes - surprise, surprise - a trip to burlington, this time with my mother, so we can enjoy the city (she can enjoy it for the first time in some time, i can enjoy it for the first time in some time without a deadline) and kill time before we pick up my father at the airport and i am amused by the look on his face when he hears some of the amusing work-related horror stories he's missed out on during his ten-day absence.

and i can make myself feel better about the fact that the ratio of concert-love voicemails to concert-attendance is way out of whack (gold stars for michelle leaving me guster loving friday night and paul for leaving me up-close-and-personal dmb loving last night) by buying tickets for guster's upcoming flynn show, while keeping my eyes peeled for the latest info about when the union college mraz show will open up ticket sales to the general public (are there any union college readers who have stumbled across this? if so, care to hook a girl up with two tickets - you'll be my best friend ...). that and doing some research on the fundraising concert i think i'm attending for "a&tc" this week.

revel.
revelrevel.

... glory glory, there's a story ...

whoa whoa whoa ...

i just learned that my story needs to be filed by 2:30 tomorrow afternoon.

that gives me approximately an hour and a half, two hours at most, to check out things before heading to the office to write and file.

here we go, adrenaline rush! good thing i found the lede tonight ... crikey.

quick bits of vickie news -
- i met the mother of an incredibly influential person in my younger life this evening, shortly before running into three people from the office of my former employer ... small world ... more about the mother tomorrow when i'm more awake.
- i figured out what i'd love to do sometime around my birthday (related to previous factoid) - i want to go to new york to see "wicked" on broadway. who's game?
- i'm shocked and saddened by the deaths of not one, but two celebrities - johnny cash and john ritter ...
- i'm digging averi's new website.
- i'm exhausted and have to be a writing fiend tomorrow, so i'm sleeping now.

the friday five

continuing last night's pattern ...

1. is the name you have now the same name that's on your birth certificate? if not, what's changed?
it has not changed - still v

2. if you could change your name (first, middle and/or last), what would it be?
i'm actually quite content with my name, actually - my parents did well. i think v is a great name for a professional writer and v short is a fun nickname that fits me pretty well, if i do say so myself.
but if i had to go with a different name, of course it would be lakeesha. ;)

3. why were you named what you were? (is there a story behind it? who specifically was responsible for naming you?)
originally, my parents intended to name me jennifer - but upon realizing that every other girl born in 1980 was being named jennifer and i was going to be born quite late in the naming season (november), they decided to buck the trend and come up with something else. there was a brief campaign to name me wendy - they used to say that my father wanted me to be named wendy as a nod to my his father, walter, but now each parent is claiming the other wanted to name me wendy. i think neither wants to own up to wanting to have a daughter named wendy w.
nevertheless - the search for a new name was on. after playing around with several ideas, all stricken from the list because they knew people with those names who they didn't like, they thought of a v that they both worked with and realized they liked both the name and the woman, so they went with that. marie is, i believe, a nod to both my great-grandmother on my mother's side (marie) and my father's mother (mary), as well as a name they thought went well with v.

4. are there any names you really hate or love? What are they and why?
growing up, i always imagined having an elizabeth - i think it was a side effect of being a sweet valley high junkie - but now i could never have one, as the name has been ruined for me. ;-) hehehe. there are some names that i love but have been tarnished by my life experiences. i would love to be able to name a daughter katherine (after hepburn, a fabulous role model for women if ever there was one), but never could, as i refuse to have daugher nicknamed cat (it just rubs me the wrong way) and kate or any variation of kate is off limits, no matter how much i love the ben folds song.

5. is the analysis of your name at kabalarians.com / triggur.org / astroexpert accurate? how or how isn't it?
hmm ... i'm not sure. perhaps i should check and find out.

kabalarians.com:
The name of V gives you a clever, quick, analytical mind, but you suffer with a great deal of self-consciousness, lack of confidence, and much aloneness because of misunderstandings. Your idealistic and sensitive nature gives you a deep appreciation for the finer things of life and a strong desire to be of service to humanity. There are times when you experience inner turbulence at your inability to say what you mean. It is far easier for you to express your deeper thoughts and feelings through writing than verbally. You find pleasure in literature, in poetry, and in your ideals and will turn to them when you feel you have been misunderstood. You are deeply moved by the beauties of life, especially nature. Because your feelings run deep, you must guard against the ups and downs, being very inspired one minute, then moody, reserved, and depressed the next. Your reactions to people vary according to how you feel. You tend to be secretive and noncommittal about private matters, yet at times you will talk effusively in order to hide your self-consciousness or to lead others away from personal subjects. You are inspired by encouragement from others, yet suspicious of their intent. You crave affection but seldom find anyone who understands your nature.

um ... pretty much right on the money there. now onto triggur.org:
VICTORIA
From the German root meaning "Failure"
Expression - V is drawn to the scene of an accident by morbid curiosity.
Personality - V should be monitored around small animals.
Natural - V comes from the shallow end of the gene pool.
Emotional - V is cold and calculating.
Character - V tends to get others down.
Physical - V couldn't beat Ghandi at boxing.
Mental - V is a scheming bastard.
Motivation - V hates dealing with the details.

hahahaha - brilliant.

and, since i'm feeling all introspective and i came across a survey and i'm a survey whore, the post of little significance continues ...

BORN - november 3, 1980 in beverly, massachusetts. because she was busy recovering from my birth, my mother was unable to vote in the 1980 presidential election. she holds me responsible for reagan's presidency.

COLLEGE - st. michael's in vermont, where i earned a ba in journalism with a theater concentration.

RELATIONSHIPS - i have them, with numerous people. some good, some not-so-good. but i believe they are important. oh wait, you meant romantic? let's not go there at the moment ...

FLAWS - the condensed version (haha) - i'm stubborn as hell and hold grudges. i can have a short fuse on occasion. i speak my mind more when i know i'm going to be met with opposition compared to just a year or so ago, which is good, but i'm not quite at the point at which i want to be. i have difficulty saying no (elizabeth, get your mind out of the gutter, that's not what i meant!!!) and can be painfully quiet, shy and insecure when meeting new people, particularly new people i want to impress. my self-confience is and always has been shaky - i'm working on that, but it's rough going. and i lack the mad guitar skills and killer voice to become a rock star - this is a huge flaw. ;)

MUSIC - makes the world go round.

RELIGION - technically, i was a non-practicing catholic growing up. really, it meant my parents decided my brother and i could do what we wanted to do about religion - which meant nothing of consequence for me. i attended a catholic college, but one as liberal as a catholic college can be.
now, i'm just bound for hell - i'm driving the bus down there. i've resigned myself to the fact and, in fact, am looking forward to it.

basics...
name: already covered this, but what the hell. victoria marie welch.

nicknames: v, queen smoothie, cricket, tori (former nickname, use it now and die), drew (see previous comment).

marital status: divorced seven times.

famous people i've met: how famous are we talking here? famous people by my standards include - sydney pollack, george plimpton, john mayer, john walsh, richard riehle, daphne rubin-vega, howie day, glen phillips, richard petty, numerous senators and political types, the members of eve 6, pat mcgee, matt nathanson, numerous well-known and respected theater critics of note and some others i can't think of right now because i've been up since 5:30 a.m.

pets: none.


hobbies: reading, writing, music, , theater, sports, photography, home decorating, etc. big pop culture junkie.


bands of interest: too many to mention.

fav movies: see previous statement.

fav tv shows: much as i'm quasi-ashamed to admit it, i'm a reality tv show fan. i can't help it ... so the bachelor/bachelorette, real world/road rules, cupid, queer eye for the straight guy, boy meets boy ... it's sad, i know.
non-reality tv: the west wing, sex & the city.

fav actors/actresses: too many to mention, as i need to figure out whether to speak from the stage or screen perspective. for screen, near the top of the list would be john cusack, robin williams, kate hudson, claire danes - just off the top of my head. there are seriously tons of actors/actresses i adore.

concerts: there have been many a concert experienced by yours truly. some small (matt nathanson at the coffeehouse, my benefit concert), some large (woodstock and various dmb), most somewhere in the middle. always much loved, no matter how the peformance itself is. i love live music.

cool stuff to know: uh ... if you can think of something cool you want to know, post and i'll inform the masses.

currents...
currently listening to: jason mraz.


currently watching: my computer screen.

favorites
favorite color: blue, green, yellow, orange, black.

favorite food: hmm ... probably mexican.

favorite place to be: in a state of contentment. ok, i know, wussy answer. burlington or boston, most likely.

favorite restaurant: does chipotle count? haha. hmm ... cheesecake factory is quite pleasing, but there is also a place in my heart for papa frank's ...

favorite pastime: writing. and writing. and writing. and going to a show - whether musical or theatrical.

favorite ice cream flavor: i'm weird at the moment. soft serve vanilla. or strawberry.

favorite stress reliver: listening to music, driving, writing.

favorite car: red, my trusty green saturn. or a lil' suv-like vehicle - i'm a big fan of rav 4-like vehicles. and i have a constant place in my heart for jeep cherokees.

favorite song: there's no way i could provide a simple answer to this. too many songs i love. but i can say particular favorites at this very moment of time are "jesus bo bezus" (mraz & bushwalla - hahaha), "galaxy," "unfold," and "no doubling back" (all mraz).

favorite album: studio? hmm ... i might have to, surprisingly enough, go with radiohead "the bends" on that one. but my favorite favorite albums are live cds i've acquired.

favorite concert to date: so many concerts hold special memories for me, i couldn't pick just one.

favorite show: sex & the city or west wing

favorite vacation: haha - this summer. kidding. um ... i'm not sure really, i guess it would have to be one of the vegas trips, as those are the only real Vacations i've taken in the recent past.

favorite word: lately, quasi.

favorite saying: if you will, but i digress, yo, crikey.

favorite quote: one of the millions of song lyrics i write down constantly and love.

misc...
future occupation: arts journalist/critic as well as a novelist.

person i want to be like when i'm older: myself. only, like, older.
i'm not sure - i think i'd want to take bits of a lot of people and create the bionic vickie.

person i hope i will meet someday: there are many.

places i've been: the only times i've left the country are to go to montreal, and even that was rare - never for the reason i should have gone ... i've been all up and down the east coast, traveled to texas and more recently traveled out to western time in utah/vegas.

places i want to go: london, la, san fran, colorado, london, new zealand, australia, italy, france, germany, IRELAND.

most emberassing moment: ifar too many exist.

vices: pizza mart/nectar's gravy fries. ;)

car accidents: 1. none that i know of ... there was the time my timing belt died and i was stuck on the side of the road, but that wasn't an accident per se ...

my inspirations: many of you.

oh my god. i almost fell asleep at the keyboard. this will continue tomorrow. now i sleep.

take two

ok, that last one sucked, so i'm finding an old school one. i'm tired, yet i can't let cleaning be the last though-provoking subject of my day. i'm not THAT tired.

1. laying on your back and facing the ceiling, which side of the bed do you sleep on?
i don't know when this developed, but i have a process (i hate being someone who can't fall asleep right away - i have to put all of my thoughts to rest before my body follows suit). i start out facing the wall, lying on my side. just as i start to feel my body drift off to sleep, i roll over onto the opposite side. i think it probably is indicative of a fear of a stranger entering my room during the night - i can't put my mind at ease while facing the doorway but can't completely fall asleep until i know i could wake up and see the intruder instantly.

2. do you have to have covers (blankets and/or sheets) at all costs, no matter the weather?
kind of. i love the feeling of curling up under blankets, so i will keep my room somewhat chillier during the night so i can curl up and feel cozy. i love having my face feel cooler while the rest of me is nice and warm. this pattern changed last winter, when i would crank the heat (sorry, chloe) because i was constantly cold. but as i'm not suffering from that sensation anymore, i have a feeling i will revert to my previous pattern this autumn and winter.

3. sleep nekkid or no? why?
no. i'm always convinced that if i were to, something would happen in the middle of the night when i have to run out of my room and face others. the one instance in which i tried this was a day this summer when i was incredibly hot in the apartment. sure enough, as i was about to fall asleep, there was a knock on my door, which i soon learned was due to the bathroom flooding incident (also known as the great indoor flood of 2003).

4. what's under your bed?
i believe there is a box that contains one of those emergency ladders with rungs that curl over a windowsill - one of the ladders you can use in case of a fire or something and you can't get down the staircase to safety.

5. if you have pets, do you let them sleep with you? why or why not?
no pets so, therefore, no issue. when i was younger and had a cat, i let ziggy curl up with me if he wanted to because i loved the feeling and sound of his purring as i drifted to sleep.
nowadays, the closest i had to a pet was during the time in which i fish-sat sparky. i did not let him sleep with me, no matter how much he pleaded with me and bat his fishy eyes. i know, i'm a cruel bitch.

i'm off to sleep - but before i do - i have heard some hilarious songs, but i think mraz and bushwalla's "jesus jesus bo beezus" is right at the top of the list - it's currently duking it out with stew's "rehab song" (" ... after my girl got out of rehab for the 22nd time, she was very very very very very very very very very very very optimistic ... "). what's problematic is that i want to sing it while i'm at work because it's in my head - not good to wander around singing "whoops motherfucker, didn't mean to cuss!" - the part that always rattles around in my brain ...

the friday five

damn i'm behind schedule. i wasn't crazy about this one, i think that's why i wasn't even going to bother. but what the hell - mini waste of time to end the waste of a day. ;)

1. what housekeeping chore(s) do you hate doing the most?
anything involving the bathroom.

2. are there any that you like or don't mind doing?
there is something almost calming about washing dishes when i'm in the house alone, music blaring from the living room. nothing to focus on other than listening to the music, which generally turns into singing along and dancing, while concentrating on the simple task at hand and the hot water.

3. do you have a routine throughout the week or just clean as it's needed?
right now, it's all based on my schedule and when i have time. but i make sure to get general cleaning done each week - or, as it is right now, move stuff out of my living room and clean up the wake of hurricane victoria.

4. do you have any odd cleaning/housekeeping quirks or rules?
quirks about cleaning? nope, i'm pretty laidback and can live in comfortable "lived-in" surroundings (anyone who's seen my car and who has seen my various rooms at time knows i'm not anal about it!). i just don't like dishes piled up. they're not hard to do in small batches - so just suck it up and do it.

5. what was the last thing you cleaned?
my car. it doesn't necessarily LOOK like i did, but nevertheless, i did.

by the way

... by the way ...

yahoo problems have been cleared up - i think i should be able to get anything now. so send stuff to either that addy or the link at the top of this page ... and chlo, i couldn't get the attachment to open (i am now recalling why i didn't care if my smc account clogged up with spam - couldn't do anything with it anyway!) - can you resend?

and paul - you're at dave right now. and i'm all sorts of envious. we won't even discuss the sixth row factor. bastard. ;-) i am sure you're having a fabulous time while i write this - rock on!

vh1 is playing old school classsic rock videos as i write this. i'm rocking out at the desk in the computer room. i will now be dancing myself off to my room, singing "bad girl" until i plug in my laptop and have mraz and toca serenade me to sleep ...

... two years later ...

... two years later ...

i feel the need to comment on the day, as it is september 11, afterall. but i'm exhausted and still not feeling overly well, so i think i'm just going to curl up in bed and drift off to my dreams. i will comment this weekend on the whole september 11 thing, i reckon. but until then, comments made during this week in september one year ago and two years ago.

tomorrow i work and then head to burlington for the south end art hop to work again. funfunfun ... i hope, anyway. i hope the day is better than today, at least. i remain sure that it will be.

i believe i might have a story running tomorrow, but i'm not sure. i'm about 83.75% sure that it will be in there. the preview, nothing major. just glad to have it out of my hands ...

and i'm torn. while i know i should buy neither, i'm fighting the urge to buy one of the following items - hilarious, "yeah right victoria whatever" gear or cbgb's wear i've always wanted. damn feeling of entitlement - "i work hard, why not be fun and treat myself, right?"

it's lame, it's girlie, but i don't care - someone talk me out of it or, if not, give advice ...

... awwwwww yeah ...

... awwwww yeah ...

i needed something to brighten up my day, as the day feels like a complete waste and i feel like a complete waste of space in it. nothing to worry about - just one of those days that come about from time to time and bring nothing but bleariness.

but i found a highlight - my birthday is on a monday this year (boo.). the day before my birthday, badly drawn boy stops by higher ground.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!

very excited and pleased me.

... you and i both and other random musical and not-so-musical insights ...

nostalgia, amusement and more ...

i really should be sleeping. my 4:45 a.m. wakeup is going to come far too quickly.

but first - some observations need to be made.

i know - what a surprise, eh?

nevertheless. mraz's "you & i both" video made its premiere this evening, for those not in the know ... and i must say that even if i was not already someone who appreciates mraz the musician, this video would have still kept me laughing hysterically the entire time. the fact that i am appreciative of mraz's talent made it all the better.

i can't get over how he can pull some things off - first the bunny slippers and mrazda, now the piggy bank and jailhouse rock. a few minutes of absurdity in the best possible form.

i loved it. he embraces cheesiness and makes it so incredibly deck.

i was also feeling nostalgic this evening. while running some errands in fabulous rutvegas (riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight ...), i came across the electronics/music section and noticed a display for "heavier things." since it had already been determined, laughed at and accepted that despite my frustration with listening to contemporary mayer music (as opposed to his "classical" or "oldie" days of simple singer-songwriterdom), i would eventually cave in and buy the album so i could take a listen, i figured what the hell. it's on sale for ten dollars, why not, right? and since i was looking back fondly on musical days gone by, i also finally bought a copy of howie day's "the madrigals ep" (paul, aren't you proud???).

so i took a listen while driving back to fair haven and thought back on days when count chocula was discussed in a highly philosophized manner, when both of my favorite musicians were well-kept secrets buried deep in the underground of the no-one-listens-to-singer-songwriters-except-random-college-kids scene and when a naive college sophomore walked up to howie day and told him that she really enjoyed "she says" and that it sounded familiar - asking if it had been played recently on any of the local radio stations (this was back in february of 2000, so laugh at the absurdity of such a question).

let me begin with the ep. it only made me more excited for the full-length album. i really enjoyed "you & a promise" and loved the new version of "ghost" - although i must say that i hate how it's been whittled down from the versions i knew and loved from live performance. i haven't watched any of the dvd yet and will not let myself until i finish my preview story - so my howie day visual enjoyment will have to depend on the reliability of high school football and cross country coaches who, up to this point, have been ridiculously difficult to get in touch with.

and as for "heavier things" - i'll say that i certainly prefer it to "room for squares." then again, that's not saying much. there are some good tracks and there are the tracks clearly packaged for release as singles ("bigger than my body," anyone? ugh.). "wheel" is certainly my favorite track, but after hearing it for the first time at SPAC, i knew it would be.

there's one song that makes me realize just how far gone the john i met back in the day is. "new deep," which includes the following:

cause ever since i tried
trying not to find
every little meaning in my life
it's been fine
i've been cool
with my new golden rule

numb is the new deep
done with the old me
and talk is the same cheap it's been

i'm a new man
i wear a new cologne and
you wouldn't know me if your eyes were closed
i know what you'll say
this won't last longer than the rest of the day
but you're wrong this time

numb is the new deep
done with the old me
i'm over the analyzing
tonight

stop trying to figure it out
deep will only bring you down
you know, i used to be the back porch poet with a book of rhymes
always open knowing all the time i'm probably
never gonna find the perfect rhyme
for 'heavier things.'

and that pretty much says it all. i'm a fan of the back porch poet and his book of rhymes.

but beyond that, it's a decent album, i suppose. his appreciation of sting definitely shines through, favorably for the most part. and there are fewer candidates for new-WB-show-theme-song status this time, which is always a bonus.

anyway.

as i drove to rutland this evening, in the last moments of twilight, the moon was rising over the horizon. in my rear view mirror, i could see the molten oranges and golds of the sunset shift upward into rose, blue and pink. ahead of me was the glowing slate blue of the evening sky, the moon larger than i've seen it in 14 years. mars sat above it to the right, the only other astral body visible.

i make reference to 14 years because it brought me instantly back to an evening when i was eight years old, at just about the same time of night. when i think of it, the moment flashes back as vividly as if it occurred the evening before.

i was riding in the backseat of my parents' car, my brother to my right, father ahead of me in the driver's seat, mother in the front passenger steat. we were making the trip from vermont to my grandmother's house and were on the last leg of the trip - coasting down the hill into middleton, just before the turn onto central street (where my first house is still located - only gray instead of the barnyard red of my childhood). when i looked up and ahead, the moon was rising, huge and glowing yellow against the darkening blue sky. while i'm sure the moon in actuality appeared the same size as it did this evening, in my memory, it was half-hidden behind the horizon, taking up the entire width of the road on which we traveled. similar to the size of the moon depicted in "e.t." when the bike flies in front of it.

it felt like the moon was close enough to reach. that is, if i hadn't faced punishment for sticking my hands out of the window.

flashing back to present time, i stared at the moon as i drove, amazed by its size and brightness. by the time i headed back into the car to return to fair haven, glimpses into my rear view revealed that it had risen and grown smaller in appearance - looking much the way it normally does.

a moment lost but also captured.

hahahahahaha!

the that guy chronicles makes it onto the website ...

... waiting ...

... waiting ...

good news.

i called my editor during my break at work today to see if everything worked out with the That Guy chronicles. i was more than a little nervous, to be completely honest - i'm always nervous about what might be wrong with submitted work, but i was even more so when i thought about how it was my first professional entertainment piece and certainly a step away from the typical work i've had published, as far as tone and style goes.

but she said she really enjoyed the piece and was impressed with what i'd done, both in respect to the actual writing and the process of getting out there and running all over town for three nights. she gave me a great deal of praise and told me that she's looking forward to seeing it in print tomorrow - and she's looking forward to speaking with me tomorrow about this coming weekend's story.

huge sigh of relief! now i wait to see how it looks in print - not to mention to see what they come up with for a headline ... that alone will be interesting. hehehehe.

jitters ...

in other news. after a ridiculously long day at work today, i came home and attempted to do a bit of work on my preview story, but once again am finding no luck getting in touch with some coaches. i think i'm going to leave messages threatening to write that they're expected to lose horribly to their school rivals. ;-)

as there was little i could do without, well, being able to reach anyone, i decided to take the evening and relax. my mother and i made a fabulous dinner and then took it easy until the weekly viewing of "sex and the city," which featured an adorable exchange between smith and samantha that i loved. concerning handholding, smith said something along the lines of, "i like you. you like me. so let's just cut through the bullshit. hold my hand."

it was incredibly sweet. i still maintain that samantha will be the other singleton to marry.

what else? i'm attempting to download a show off etree.org as i write this - so far so good (knock on wood). it's been so long since i downloaded a concert - i haven't attempted since the smc days with ftp servers. while i'm not using ftp this time, which slows down the process ridiculously, i figure i'll see what happens.

by the way, i checked out breaking laces' website and really enjoyed what i heard ... i recommend taking a listen. i plan on finding some mp3s to download and stopping by pure pop once i head up to burlington again to pick up the album (i'm assuming they'd have it in their let's-make-vickie-squeal-with-delight indie section ...)

and, to be filed under either "can we have empty nest syndrome again?" or "general amusement" ... my mother was discussing the upcoming weekend, as i was outlining what i think my schedule will be like as far as my writing goes, mentioning that on sunday, perhaps we could head up to burlington and wander about before heading down to albany to pick up my father at the airport.

obviously, i'm all about any trips to burlington - but i think the idea is two-fold in my mother's mind. spend some quality time without the pressures of work and general daily responsibilities, but also to encourage me to settle up there soon ...

ha, as if i need encouraging.

... no dude. my name really isn't lily.

... no dude. my name really is not lily.

i almost don't know how to deal with this.

it is before midnight (11:54 p.m., but still) and i am home - seven hours worth of sleep waiting for me tucked under soft flannel sheets and a pair of fluffy pillows.

that's more potential REM time than i've had in the previous two days combined. hurrah!!!

nevertheless - my nightlife story, unofficially dubbed "the That Guy chronicles" (you'll understand when you read it - i'll post the link on monday) is finished, waiting in the office for my editor to look over tomorrow. i hope it's along the lines of what she was looking for but, regardless, am personally a fan of it myself. it was fun to write and figure out a way to link all of these completely random events under a common theme (besides the theme that i attended all of the shows - thank you captain obvious beth for that connection). so we'll see.

i was going to write more about the day and its sleep-deprived craziness but, frankly, am so in need of beauty sleep that i am going to get under the covers a bit earlier than anticipated. but, before i collapse, a quick story:

as i walked out of the office building tonight and down the street to the parking garage, i heard a man call out.

"lily!"

i kept walking as, obviously, my name is not lily.

"lily!"

i keep walking.

"liiiiiiiiiiiilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyy..."

as there are few people on the street, i turn around to see what the guy's deal is. at which point he begins to jog towards me.

"the name's not lily - sorry!" with that i turn and resume walking.

"yes it is!"

i stop at this, prepared to laugh. oh, i'm sorry. you're right! it IS lily. i've been living 22, almost 23 years answering to the wrong name!

"uh, actually it's not ... i think i'd know."

he doesn't realize i'm not the mysteriously missing (hmm, i wonder why, as this guy's obviously brilliant) lily until he is right in front of me.

then comes the gem of the conversation.

"oh wow, you're not lily!"

right, dude. rock on with your bad self.

oh, and a quick inquiry: anyone heard of breaking laces? i was going to check out the set at radio bean after leaving the office tonight, as the writeup in seven days sounded intriguing, but decided against it on the grounds that i wanted to sleep instead. but i'm going to dig up some mp3s and take a listen ... i'll keep you posted.