"I'm spinning round the room in awe" ryan adams

Wednesday, December 17, 2003

there must be something in the water

I swear, I am amazed at the blatant lack of intelligence that is depicted in public. Chris thinks its because we spend most of our days working retail - but its really sad to see how many people just don't get it. Just a few things I have encountered in the past few days:

1) This woman saw a commercial on tv saying that an AFI cd was available in all stores now. So I tell her we carry it, its just sold out at the time and we'll be getting more in. She then says "no, but the tv said it was available now in all stores, so I want to pick it up". Again, I tell her we are sold out. "BUT THE TV SAYS ITS AVAILABLE IN ALL STORES!" The conversation lasted for a few more minutes as I tried to explain to the woman what the commercial meant and that product does sell, and occassionally, does sell out. Think woman THINK!

2) Sure, why not, let your kid roll around in our aisles while there are holiday shoppers and things to be done in the store. Oh yeah, she should scream loudly too because its fun.

3) When did we learn our alphabet? Maybe you should walk your ass over to the big letter dividers and find your CD your own damn self instead of making me do it. What's even better is when someone waits while you ring up people and take phone calls and what not for fifteen minutes instead of taking the thirty seconds to walk over and get their music.

4) We close at 9. Don't wander around after 9 after I turn off the music, tell you multiple times that we are closing, and turn off most of the lights and not buy anything.

5) Don't ask me to pick out music for your kid. Because if you're not nice to me, I will pick out something that will make you look like a chump and make you realize that you should spend more time with your kids and his interests. See, I am looking out for you.

6) Don't call me up wanting to know if we have a cd that you don't know the name of or who the artist is. Because I am supposed to know that song...thats sung by that guy... I'm sure you have access to the internet, use it.

7) Don't look at me weird because I am eating dinner at the counter. I probably have been in the store working for six hours already and more than likely its my first meal of the day, so if I do it standing and dealing with your crap at the same time, so be it.

8) Don't be a pain in my ass. Some people like to come in every freaking day. And be annoying every freaking day.

9) Its the flu and cold season - don't be an ass and cough all over EVERYTHING without covering your mouth.

10) If you don't like my music of choice that is playing in the store at the moment, either ignore it or get out.

Tuesday, December 16, 2003

rat in a hole

Saddam Hussein was caught this weekend, hiding like a coward in a spider hole.
To me, it is one of those events that I will always remember what I was doing when I found out. A headache woke me up before my alarm and I actually saw it on Sean's away message, turned it on CNN, and couldn't beleive it. Not that I didn't have faith in the US troops, but its been an immense manhunt. But the US came out victorious. I think I hold this war in a different regard than most people around me. First off, I am not that vocal about it since not many people around me are. I grew up in a military family and have experienced war first hand. Both of my parents were active in the Air Force, my mom most recently being commended and honored with a memorial in DC for involvement during wartime, and my father being active during the Gulf. I also think I am pretty informed on what has been going on, having studied it for the whole ordeal in my poli sci classes, but also since I am a news junkie.
People I know have died in this war. Not one of us knows what it is like to have our freedom threatened, to be restricted like those in undemocratic countries. Americans are misinformed about our involvement with the Middle East due to various reasons, whether it be apathy, laziness, or ignorance, and its frightening to me to hear people commending the US and what we did, but not knowing the means.
If I wasn't so damn tired, I would write more, and perhaps I will...
But in the meantime, embrace your freedom and your liberties and take advantage of the opportunities you have to educate yourself beyond the realms of your self-absorption. There is so much more to know.

Monday, December 15, 2003

the weekend

I am starving and waiting for food to cook, so I figure there is no time like the present to blog.
I have come to the realization that I have been placed on this earth to be amusing to God, so He has some laughter as he is doing more important things. My antics and doings are quite the laugh riot to those who aren't me as I sit back and smirk and wonder why these things happen to me. Then I have to laugh too. I need some good luck!
Oliver had his Eurotrash party this weekend and it was quite entertaining. Good times, great outfits, and band dancing - can't get better than that. Oh yeah it could have.... Oh yeah, and I suck at Connect Four. Fun fun. Left around 3, dropped Karen off, then headed over to Aurora's to talk and contemplate why things happen to us.
I think my liver has decided to crumple up and die.
Went shopping with Aurora in Philly yesterday. On the way to picking her up, I crashed into a dumpster and now have a dent and a scrape on the back of my car. ARGH!!! Which is really irritating since my car is seminew and it's my favorite non-alive possession. The papasan chair is a close second. We hydroplane a few times going to Philly, but nothing we can't handle. The coolest thing that happened to us while in the car was driving through the massive flood. We were driving on Columbus Boulevard (Penn's Landing) when we noticed all of these cars were driving slow or stopping and a bunch of flashing lights ahead. Yeah, the water flooded over and was utter craziness. I have never seen anything like it so deep, and we went full force through it. Woohoo.
After Philly we went to Tyler's for dinner and the Reaching Jane Christmas Party. Which meant open bar, which meant Aurora got drunk and it was fun.
Dinner is done. Good bye.

Sunday, December 14, 2003

had a guitar carved it up with your name

I started my Friday as always, at the record store. Charise and I opened and in usual fashion analyzed why we are who we are and why we get so giddy at the most mundane things, but oh so very exciting. I love her haha: "and so then hesaid 'charise, would you like to go upstairs and listen to jazz music?'"!!!!!!!! The story of our lives. No idea why we're so silly, but its fun.
Had a good show on WVUD, lots of callers, which was very cool.
Afterwards, Karen and I trekked to one of my favorite venues, the Recher Theatre in Towson, to see Jonasay and Cowboy Mouth. It was bittersweet for me since I got hooked up with this band when they played the Cork with Cowboy Mouth last summer. And its been such a crazy year and a half that introduced me so much more than just the Jonsay music. Without Jonasay, there would not have been as many miles on the odometer, not as many animals hit, not as many states crossed, not as many secrets and inside jokes, and not as many rocking times. From Maine to South Carolina, it was all golden. So here we are again.
Karen and I did our customary stop at the Maryland House and made the usual phone calls on the way to Towson. We were to meet Mark and Michael at the Rec Room for some drinks and food, but we ran late and the Recher changed the sound check time. I don't know who reads this - besides the people who tell me they read this, especially on a daily basis ;-) - but I have been told about what comes up during certain vanity searches, so I censor myself alot on here, not out of fear of people knowing what I really think, but because I don't want to write entirely about others in a light that either could be embarrassing, too revealing, or downright mean. Well screw it --
There are a certain group of people that we have consistently ran into at area shows. Now, I have always been nice to this group of people for several reasons, first I met them on a professional basis, most I met while I was working with the band, second, their friends with the band, thirdly, I have no reason not to be - they're good people. Apparently they find it necessary to look down on me and not even acknowledge me. Perhaps its because I am so much younger than that certain group, but that shouldn't matter. Also, I am not some crazy psycho fan - did I see any one of them on our treks from any of the Carolina to Maine shows where we went to work the merch and be supportive? No. I met the band by working with them, and fell for their music and friendship, don't be condescending because there are honest people who are passionate about the music in the industry. So yeah, at the Recher, this whole group was pretty damn snotty. Karen and I spent some of the night that we were waiting talking about that. And hey you know what, don't look down on me when you're nearly twice my age and wearing crap that makes you think you are younger. Mini skirts and boots? Please.
Ok, now that that rant is over..... Karen and I head over next door and ran into Mark and met his friend Joe, who was also at the Logan House show. We play catch up since we haven't really talked-talked in a while and the last time he called me, I hung up on him (though I still don't blame myself or my phone). I now have yet another roommate when I move to NYC, let's just make a commune!
Prior to them hitting the stage, Joe joined us along the wall to participate in the cell phone game, where we call people that we haven't talked to in a while. I do this because waiting for a show is pretty much the only free time I have haha. So yeah, Phil, Rusty, and yes, Matt Fisher got their phone calls. Matt got an actual job working in TV. Yeaaah U of DE Comm degree! He's working for a public access channel in Montgomery County (Maryland) and produced his first show the other night. Congratulations!
The guys hit the stage and played for a little less than an hour. Started with my favorite Jonasong, Stay. Also on the setlist was Wish (I stayed), Fire in the Hole, Hero (new song by Michael), Call My Name, Gone Away, We Talk, Ultraman, and Queen's Fat Bottom Girls (sung by Michael). Joe got some good shots with the digital. All in all, the show was solid and Michael's vocals stayed strong depsite losing his voice recently. Though the crowd was a bit sparse for being a Friday night, the stage presence was energetic. Not playing as many shows recently really showed on stage as being more refreshed and less fatigued from living in a van careening down the highway from show to show. Hero sounded awesome and it will be interesting to see how Michael's songwriting/performing comes out. Karen and I danced like the crazies that we are and yelled loudly to embarrass them, though I don't think it worked.
Afterwards we hung out with Mike, Joe, and Mark and talked some more and compared recent shows and CDs we've checked out. Cowboy Mouth was playing during our chatting and they are always an enjoyable band to see. Great live show and their fans are intense. I was able to catch some of the songs off of their new album (Uh Oh came out in October) and they sounded awesome. I just love the fact that the frontman is the drummer.
We load out and Joe, Mark, Karen, and I talk in the freezing cold next to the Silver Beast where after we conversed about porn and sex and cars, we decided that the Timonium Diner was the place to be. So off we go, where Karen said the quote of the night--
Karen: I think I am too tipsy to be drunking.
Me: You mean driving?
Karen: Yeah that too.
We get to the diner and talk some more and analyze certain situations we have placed ourselves in and enjoy many greasy and fattening foods.
As usual, there is no Jonasay show that goes as planned, but the path is always enjoyable.