Q: You Down With O.P.P.?

A:  Yeah, you know me!

I'm starting a new blog called O.P.P., which is short for "Other People's Pussy".  It's a collection of photos that I took of other people's cats!  And dogs.  And other pets.  I mean, I guess I could call it "Other People's Pets", but that's just not filthy and vulgar enough!

The link is here.  Be warned, it is under construction and does not look the way I intend, I just wanted to get it started.  

I have to do this, you know.  I mean, what else am I going to do with all of these pictures of animals that belong to friends?!

Pre-

PRE-
26 April 2008
Fayetteville, AR

We left LR and got to Fayetteville at about 12:30-ish. First order of business: PIZZA. After a nice lunch @ Tiny Tim's, we sat in the town square to have a cigarette. ATM spotted Mark Ibald walking up the street. That's SY sighting #1. We wanted to go to the Dickson St. Bookstore, so we decided that we'd find really good parking off Dickson, close to Zach's house, and walk to the bookstore from there. As we walked past Zach's, we run into he, Wes, Stacy, and Antoine. Totally! We decide to forgo the bookstore, momentarily, and hang out. Which we do. For a couple of hours. Eventually, we decide to walk through the crowds of Spring Fest to get a feel of the crowds, get cash from an ATM, get lemonade & funnel cake, some of us had to get tickets to the concert, and THEN go to the bookstore. I saw Lee Renaldo and said hi to him on the street. That's SY sighting #2. There were rumors that Thurston Moore was going to be at a post-concert house party. Naturally!

ITEM! NEWS FLASH! This interruption is to note that KMHD JUST BOUGHT A FUXXIN HOUSE! Big time!

After walking around and all that, Stacy, Wes & Antoine go to her house to eat. Zach goes to work. Me & ATM stop and get a bottle of champagne and go back to the patio for more hanging out. Eventually, we run into Emily. Eventually, An calls me, he's in town with his friends, Frank & Victor (Nice gentlemen). Eventually, we all just kinda come together.




Maybe it was the lovely company or the excellent weather or the fact that we had "carnival foods" readily available, it was a really nice day. And I knew that it would end well, what with the Sonic Youth concert and all.

Having hung out ALL DAY, I was really anxious and ready to get out and about. Me, ATM, An, Frank & Victor head toward the stage and it's surrounding areas. The boys take off (a.k.a. ditch us losers) leaving me and ATM to be thoroughly freaked out by Michael Frenti's fans. The fungus didn't help. So, we hang back and eat street vendor food and take in the scene from a nice, safe distance. We run into Straw, which, at that point, I spot Steve Shelley and say hello. That's SY sighting #3.

Stacy didn't have the funds for a ticket, but Antoine got her in, so after even more hanging out, we finally find a nice spot on the left side of the stage and wait for SY. See blog entry "PUT IT ALL BEHIND YOU, NOW IT'S BEHIND YOU" for further details.

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After the show, we decided to go to our room @ Motel 6 to enjoy snacks and a king size bed (Don't be a perv, Perv!) and cable - - we didn't go to the post-show house party. After eating leftover pizza (not advisable), we pretty much went to sleep. We got up at a reasonable hour and drove to Ft. Smith in hopes of scoring some Irish Maid Donuts - - BUST. We did get lunch at Taco Mayo - - I used to work there as a teenager LOLOLOLOL! After lunch, we walk next door to what appeared to be a karaoke/recording studio/Cricket phone dealer. It wasn't open, we just peered into the dirty windows, had a cigarette before taking off to go home. This, painted on the window of above-mentioned establishment, cracked me up:

It's me & ATM!!! Obviously, I don't have a svelte waistline, but everything else is pretty spot on! What the hell?

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I suppose I should go ahead and eat my words and testify that I, AMD, had a really good time in Fayetteville. I didn't think it was possible! But, with the right cast of characters (It should be noted that most people we hung out with were from LR), the right weather, the right atmosphere, you can have a nice time in hell. Or Fayetteville! WAU!

PUT IT ALL BEHIND YOU, NOW IT'S ALL BEHIND YOU

Sonic Youth
Fayetteville, Arkansas
26 April 2008

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! It was one of those big moments in my life, seeing Sonic Youth. No, really! It was A-W-E-S-O-M-E ! I could not wait for them to start, I squirmed & stood on my tippy-toes hoping that I'd be the first to see Thurston. Or Kim. Or Steve. While waiting, and with great intensity, I watched their sound guy tune and set up all the mics. So efficient, so not taking crap from the guy running the soundboard, so getting irritated with the soundboard guy for being so slow (me too)...and looking good while doing it! Of course!

Sonic Youth are professionals, man. There wasn't too much dialogue, but I felt connected. I hope I never lose the memory of Thurston holding a drumstick over his head, like a sword, tongue sticking out, looking out over the crowd, about to offer a sweet sacrifice to the RnR universe and then... BLAOURALHHGARGGGH! To see he and Lee play guitar like that -- oh man, heart is melting! Kim Gordon, she is too too cool. I told ATM that if I were in a band, I'd rip off all of her moves. She's rock n roll! She doesn't need the band, the band needs her! She reminds me of Tina Turner, Iggy Pop, and a hippy (I know, I know), all in one. It was not lost on me that I was watching SONIC YOUTH. Do you understand?! SY! I feel like I've been with them a long time now. Or they've been with me. I don't know, I can't expand further because all of a sudden, it got personal. <3>

 

I've been unable to post my live video footage, I got two whole songs. Amazingly, the quality isn't so bad. It'll get here eventually.

Steve, Lee, Mark, Kim & Thurston

Lee, Mark, Kim & Thurston

Kim, Thurston

Kim, Thurston

Kim, Thurston

Lee

Steve, Mark

Thurston

SY

Lee, Mark & Kim

Kim, Thurston

Lee, Mark



SETLIST:

Incinerate
Bull In the Heather
Reena
100%
Mote
Do You Believe In Rapture
What A Waste
Cross the Breeze
Hey Joni
Jams Run Free
Pink Steam
Drunken Butterfly (ENCORE)

Japanese Cats R Weird

Neko
Hatch-chan

I don't think it's really soaked in what happened on LOST last night. Alex is dead! Killed execution style! We've got a terribly pissed off Ben on our hands now!

I was really pleased that I demanded Smokey and got Smokey.

I've got the evening to get ready for our trip to Fayetteville. Must not forget sunscreen! And snacks! Yes.

You know, I sit here thinking that if SY weren't going to be in Fayetteville, I'd have no reason to go there. Ever. O.K., maybe for good shows, deaths, or weddings. HillPeople are strange, annoying, weirdos with brains that lack oxygen. I'd much rather be a RiverRat.  Fighting words.

I called An this morning, he asked if we were still going. Yes. I asked if he got his ticket. "Well, ..." He told me he wasn't sure if he and his two friends were really in, that they weren't sure if they were going to the concert, that $30 is a lot of money. I can understand that, but I wonder what my role is tomorrow. Entertainer? I most certainly hope not. What are we going to do? Are we having a meal together? I have no idea. I told him that I'd call him when we got into town and we'd go from there. I guess I'll try to think of things to do, so there will be no boring awkward silences. Yikes. Young ones. I'd really like to think that they know how to entertain themselves. Yes.

I suppose that me & ATM are going to order our tickets, just in case. I feel like we're going to have a pretty long day tomorrow -- I just don't know how it's gonna happen, how it's all gonna go down.

I just I.M.'ed big cousin Ly. He is still considering a trip to Seattle to visit Ba Noi. I really hope our paths cross.

Va-va-voom!

There's no room to work! There's no elbow space! Paralysis! Laziness, too!
Tonite will be different, I'm going to cook & bake. No t.v. this time.

First Place: Today is Earth Day. I would like to do something meaningful to commemorate this day, but what?  What an incredible mess we've made of the place.

Second Place: Scotch eggs. I made them for the first time on Sunday. They are so disgusting and delicious, my arteries are terrified of them. I told ATM that I don't know if I'll ever make them again! They are deadly good.


Third Place: Toltec Mounds State Park. I dunno, I feel like the spirits have left the grounds. But, we had a lovely picnic with great company:

Missy


We enjoyed the exhibits:

We had a nice walk. (No photo available) We recharged our crystals. (No photo available.)


And I really like the rental hall, it is a beautiful blank canvas:


Honorable Mention: I finished a transcript in it's entirety! What a soul-sucking job! I've weighed the pros & cons and YUCK, DUD.

Why, that's delightful!

<<<<<Well, I'm recovering from an insta-illness.  When I got home from work on Tuesday, I got a headache which turned into the hurtingest stomach ache known.  I couldn't get comfortable, I moaned, I groaned, I ate some TUMS.  That only pissed off the virus, like I insulted it, threw little chalk pieces at it.  In turn, it made me throw up ALL.  NIGHT.  LONG.  Hee, it's kinda funny that I knew TUMS would not work, but I did it anyway.  It's wild, the sickness came out of nowhere, I felt fine the whole day.  I thought that Anne may've had it, too, she complained of a massive headache a little before we got off work, so I figured, "Oh noes, probably Anne, too!"  Not that I wanted Anne to be sick, but in my mind, it made me feel a little better that someone else was probably puking "with" me.  Luckily for her, she did not get ill.>>>>>  

<<<So, let me apologize for the cheating at blogging that I've done the past couple of days.  I know that posting video and just leaving it at that can be B-O-R-I-N-G sometimes, but I think I did alright.  You can't go wrong with The Beat .  Rite?  Too, I just learned how to post video on here.  Too, I've been ILL.>>>>> 

<Micah called this evening!  Just to say hello, even!  I'm making my WOW face!>

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Best shows/concerts I've been to:

1.  All Rocket From the Crypt shows.

2.  All Man or Astroman? shows.

3.  All Fugazi shows.

4.  Most bands that Victor has fronted.

5.  AC/DC

6.  !!!, the early years.

7.  air

8.  Radiohead

9.  Kraftwerk

Bands that have good reps for being "a great live act", but was totally disappointing when I saw them:

1.  Unwound

2.  ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead

Loudest band, witnessed by me:

1.  LCD Soundsystem

Boring legendary bands/individuals, I will testify:

1.  The Pixies

2.  Marky Ramone

I would've stayed at Coachella longer to see The Cure, but It was leaving time.  I got to hear & see some from the parking field, thanks to jumbotrons.  As I lay in the grass waiting for the others, I cried, just a little.  For shame!, I know, but Robert Smith!

Wishlist (to name a few):

1.  Nation of Ulysses

2.  Monorchid

3.  Bikini Kill

4.  Otis Redding

5.  The Specials

6.  Free Blood

7.  Tomas Andersson

<3

BA NOI

CALM

BEAMING HEART

WARM LOVE

Mirror In the Bathroom

An ode to looking at one's own reflection:

Beaming Heart Warm Love (a.k.a. The feelings I have for my cat)

Photos from another fantastic camping trip:







The crows ate KMHD's leftovers while we were sleeping:

I'm so tired & a little wind-burnt, but I am so satisfied!  We camped in a new space instead of our usual campsite #35, since the "lake view" side of Iron Mountain is closed.  Site #2, located on the "woods view" side, is spacious and comfortable.  We will definitely be back, sooner than later, and hopefully with a bigger crew!  

We were really lucky with the weather, the cold held back until we got home.  We need to get our camping stencil done!

Here's a prototype, we plan to make the crow a little more proportionate:

 

For those closest to me, they know that I love to cook and try different recipes all of the time.  Heck, all we do is sit around eating the food I cook!  Just recently, I made a tres leches cake for KMHD's birthday!  I made three cheese tortellini with chicken & alfredo sauce (from scratch, even!) on our camping trip!  I mean, c'mon!  I'm pretty good!  Look @ this no-shrink waistline, that's no accident!  I'm going to start posting photos and recipes, cooking is my 'thing', my craft.  A little showing off never hurt nobody!

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O.K.  I am reeeeally trying not to let these Sunday feelings take over -- let's just say that I'm inside the house, warm & cozy, and I know that Sunday feelings are on the front porch, wanting to be let in.  They are THAT CLOSE.  I wonder if flicking the porch light on & off will scare them off?  

I think it's that I dread work.  It's been hard & unfun lately.  I'm hoping that since it is now post-wedding for the law clerk, things will get back to normal.  Some days, it was a little tough covering for her when she had errands to do, dealing with Kilgore's strangeness, dealing with Lana's I-don't-even-know-what-you-call-it, or just having to be there all of the time with no chance of getting a little time off for mental health's sake!  We've got that trip to Seattle/Canada lined up, but that seems so far from now that it doesn't even feel real!  

I've been feeling real blue, too.  I'm one of those people that have a deep connection to the home, if it's unsettled, then I feel...well, awful.  It's hard to explain.  I know I'm not the one who has to move, but I think it's a real malady.  

Good grief, would you like some cheese with this whine?  

I'm done.

Have you ever seen the rain?

Well, I was going to order Sonic Youth tickets today, but the fees are so outrageous, I just can't do it. [Insert generic whine about ridiculous fees . Add a little "working class" ire in the mix.] I'm wondering if purchasing them @ the gate is a good idea? It's an outdoor festival, it can't really sell out, right? Maybe it's because I've had about enough of this damn rain, but I'm not feelin' a SY concert today -- that's a lie, I want to go.

Getting older is hard on ye olde braine, it's hard for me to remember things anymore. I have to write EVERYTHING down. It used to not be this way, my mind was an iron trap! I suppose things will just get fuzzier from here on out? Yikes. Here's me, sitting at my desk, trying to produce a 'things to do' list and I've got a couple of things, but there should be lots more. I think. Well, as long as I remember to pay the bills, I should be o.k.
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KMHD, always good for a laugh, linked me to this t-shirt. WANT. It makes me want to play bingo.
!!!! !!!

Bustin' Makes Me Feel Good

Last night, I started a really rough draft of the camping stencil. I'm pleased with it, maybe we can get it on our gear boxes before this weekend?

First camping trip of the season this weekend, people! This is BIG! It's supposed to be cold-ish, so we'll have to keep a 48-hour fire going, wear extra warm socks.
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On the way to work, I saw a FOR SALE sign on a plot in Argenta. Now, I probably need to actually approach this sign and see what is for sale, but I immediately got excited! And naturally, I went into extreme daydream mode. I want to buy it! I want to eventually build green, modular homes on it! I just want to own something, make it up however which way I please.
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Good gracious, it happened:

Kilgore was so fast with the vows, I didn't even have time to cry, what the hell!
Good luck, Anne!
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The holy trinity has decided to have migas for supper tonight.  For those of you who don't know how awesome that is, I am sorry, maybe one day.

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I was going to start a typing job this evening, but I am SO FULL, all I want to do is watch horrible television in bed.  I've got so much stuff to do!  I think I'm overwhelmed -- I think that once the big move happens and I can put stuff away/make more room I will be inspired to TCB.

Things to-do:

1.  I would like to start a zine, but am certain that I don't have enough substance to have a whole issue, much less two.  Or three. -- Anyone wanna go in on one? Revive! (or resurrect?): The Spirit of Rebellion is Worse than Witchcraft?

2.  We need to get our camping club going, cool stencil and all.

3.  I know I've said it before (aloud, to actual people, not online), but I'll say it again -- I need to get an emergency kit assembled -- last night's storms made all of the sirens go off and I was actually worried/scared.  Citizen preparedness!  If anything happens to us, we will be fine.  That is, if I assemble our emergency kit.  

4.  I'm going to start an "AFFECTION:  Please reassemble for one last spectacular show" petition.  Why do all great Little Rock bands disband before I can even get sick of them?  Listening to Affection now is like a haunting -- it's like those feelings you get when you ride a bus alone.  Please sign?

5.  We've got some birthdays coming up -- I've got Bootsie's in the bag, but I need to know what KMHD is feelin', so I can plan accordingly.  AHEM.  

I feel such a deep need to be out-of-doors -- I don't care if it's a daytrip to Petit Jean or a picnic @ Toltec, or a full-blown camping trip -- I've proposed a camping trip for next weekend.  It may still be risky, weather-wise, but we're prepared, right?

KMHD & I started talking about identity yesterday.  I wanted to blog about it, but it's too complex for words.  In short, I really enjoy worldly cuisines, musics, and um...scarves.  Dad is caucasian & mom is Vietnamese, I'm bi-racial.  But, there is no denying this:  I'm soooooo white.  I'm a naive, well-meaning, save-the-world complex havin' white person.  Ha ha, I care about things!  LOL, have you eaten at Layla's?  Recycle this, protect the environment, organic this, Obama that.  I'm having a difficult time, putting to words, who I am.  I'm not trying to prove anything to anyone, but I find it crazy that I just can't say who, OR WHAT, I am.  Can it be so simple, though? Can I just say, "I'm me, there's no other."?  Sometimes I wonder if people are disappointed that I'm not Asian enough.    ??? !!!!!  

I need to get ready for AEH's rehearsal dinner.  Thankfully, we aren't a wedding party member, but I think this is her way of thanking me for helping her with invites, programs, etc.  

I miss Victor real bad today.  He needs to come around, kick some people's asses for me.  

This evening's to-do.
Dinner.
Weekend wildflower project?
Yikes!

(She's in a) BAD MOOD

Alright, I woke up feeling a little off, but now I'm full blown. Even though he apologized, CK really put me in a bad mood by yelling at me for, hell, I don't even know what -- I guess because his computer isn't working? Or because his insurance isn't covering his meds anymore? That's the thing, I'm just a beating post around here -- I usually can deal, but today, please, I just want to --

I feel I've got something the size of a grapefruit stuck in my throat.

Yikes. I'm starting to go brain-dead, this day has been so harsh. Lana found that she has already transcribed the hearing that I've been working on, so "nevermind." She said, "We can just count what you've done as training." Being that she's Lana and I'm me, I didn't say a thing. I just went back to my desk and just spaced out for awhile. Then she had the audacity to ask me to a different job! "Only if I get compensated for my work." I think she got the message because I am now holding a $50 check. It's not quite $1/page, but I'll take it, I'm just glad I got something.

I told ATM that we need to go pick up a lime somewhere to go with that bottle of Patron sitting on the counter in the kitchen. Bottoms up!

I'm not afraid to say I'm bored.

From Saturday:


I got nothing today. Tuesday, it is hardly better than Monday, I always say.