The last week or so, I pretty much have been loving staying home by myself. I guess I’ve finally completely adjusted to living alone. All I’ve wanted to do this week is rush home from work to be alone. And while I’ve been alone, I’ve been reading a couple of books, “The Left Hand of Darkness” by Ursula K LeGuin and “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis.
I’ve also been napping. Usually from falling asleep when I’m reading. I get home. Flop down on the couch, pick up the book, and half an hour later, I’m out. An hour after that, I wake up and pick up where I left off.
Of course, not today, ’cause when I got home, I wanted to check some social networking sites. And then of course, there’s this other occupation:
So, there you go. Doesn’t it sound thrilling?
OK, no, it totally doesn’t, but it is quite pleasant and I am enjoying myself.
Let’s start at the ending, or the new beginning as it were. It’s a new year, and yes, I’m single. Still. (I hate the word ‘still’.) No one even attempted to kiss me at midnight. I blame a horrific breakout and an unfortunate lei for that.
Anyway, I spent the evening at Slim’s seeing The Slackers, The Impalers, and The Struts. And really, what better way to ring in a new year than with some favorite bands and favorite friends, like Clam, who showed up as unannounced as always.
I am very thankful that 2008 is behind me, and I know there’s not truly much difference between a couple of days ago and today, yet it feels like a huge page in the book has been turned, and I’m very much looking forward to the next chapter of life.
So far, 2009 is starting with the band still looking for a singer, but still charging onward. I’ve joined a soccer team, and games start next week. I’m still at the same job I’ve been at since June, and I love it. And the biggest shock of all, I’m still in the same apartment. It’s been well over a year, and I am showing no signs of moving. Whew!
Now, moving backwards, a few days before Xmas, I was extended an invitation from my Aunties and cousins to join them in Las Vegas for the holiday. I decided this was the perfect opportunity for one last road trip for 2008. I sort of got so excited that I forgot about one thing – mountains. There are mountains between here and there, and where there are mountains, in the winter, there’s bound to be snow.
So I learned really quickly how to drive in the snow, and eventually arrived safe and sound in The City of Sin. It wasn’t a very sinful trip, considering how I was with the fam, but I liked it just fine. I walked just about everywhere and drank too much. In fact, I was so parched by the time I left that I decided to give up drinking when I got back for at least a bit. I only had a small amount of champers at midnight on NYE.
The highlight of Vegas for me was sitting in the dueling piano bar in the Paris hotel. If you’re in town, looking for a break from the gambling and the bustle, I say it’s a great way to spend an evening.
But, of course, it’s not Xmas without the Strange Manor gang, and I spent the evening with them before heading out of town. They had their usual party with gift exchange, good company, food, and drinks.
And of course, there were a pair of ska and reggae shows the weekend before the holiday, The Aggrolites with The Impalers and Hepcat with The Soul Captives.
The Aggrolites
The Soul Captives
Overall, it was a brilliant Holiday season, and I’m mostly pleased with it, but I am equally pleased that it’s over. I’m ready for brand new Crazy Single Girl Adventures!
Last Thursday, I kicked off the marathon of Holiday Festiveness! The Struts were playing at a local dive, The Stork Club. I picked up Kayphore, and we skipped off to the club, dodging cat calls along on the way. (“You both know you’re damn sexy!” YES! Of course we do.) We got there, bellied up to the bar to have a libation while the opening band warmed things up.
I was really hoping that Agent 99 and all her roommates would show up, and they did!!! Also, she brought us Strange Manor Christmas Volume 3 CDs. I jumped up and down and shrieked at the top of my lungs in the middle of that bar and everyone, and I do mean Everyone, turned and stared at me. I didn’t care. I love those CDs. They pretty much make the holidays for me.
Anyway, soon The Struts took the stage. I danced my ass off, and took some pictures, too.
We were having a blast; The Struts always put on a great show, and never fail to get me dancing. When the band was done, Kayphore and I decided we should bail. We didn’t want to stick around to see how dumb things could get.
“This party is Awesome. Let’s get The Fuck outta here!”
That was a great way to kickoff the holiday shenanigans, dancing with good friends, and many giggles amongst the girls.
Last week, I mentioned in passing that I had joined a bike gang, which is a bit of an exaggeration. I mean, can two people be considered a ‘gang’. We’re more like a dynamic duo on wheels – two each.
It all started early in November when Kayphore was having car trouble. She went out to get in her car, and it just wouldn’t start. While it was in the shop, she decided that she needed an alternative form of transportation. She mentioned to me that she would like to get a particular brand of bike that is sold through a shop nearer to my place than to hers. Since I had also been thinking of acquiring a bike of my own, I accompanied her to the shop. I stood by and eavesdropped as she went through all the details of what she wanted on the bike, and how she was going to use the bike. Her main objective was to have something that would make her seven mile commute and that she could attach everything she would need to it. I watched as she selected the bike, lights, rack, locks, helmet, etc. It really inspired me, and I wanted to get a bike of my very own, too.
But I had just dropped a grand on having every belt in my car replaced. It was one of those things where it was just time. I knew that I couldn’t drop any money on a bike then and there. However, I knew I was going to have to come up with some cash. I was so jealous watching Kayphore get fitted out.
Then, that week, my life got picked up and dropped on it’s head. I found myself confused and adrift and in need of . . . something.
So Kayphore hauled me to the bike shop, and I bit the bullet. I got paid that week, too, so that helped.
HELLO Beautiful!
So, I’ve been riding to and from work every day, about three miles each way. And every chance we get, Kayphore make mundane trips to the pizza parlor or piano bar into excursions. All of life has become an excuse to ride. And while I do enjoy doing it alone, it’s even better with a friend.
Also, who knew being sore day in and day out could feel so wonderful. Plus, if you could see my butt!!!!
It’s kind of funny how you can find something, quite by chance, that can make you so freaking happy. Like, giggling your ass off and bellowing out “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield kind of happy.
Exactly how does this qualify as a “Crazy Single Girl” story? Because I wouldn’t have done it a year ago, and because it’s something I’m doing for myself and with my friend. Also, it reminds me just how free and independent I am, and why I love that more than anything in all the world now.
This last week, The Phenomenauts hosted their annual Zombie Party. It’s usually my favorite night of the year. I’ve been going for years. The party is always around Halloween, but not on the actual evening of Halloween. The thought is that you would zombie-fy your Halloween costume, or come up with a unique zombie costume. I’ve been Zombie Statue of Liberty, Zombie Tinkerbell, Zombie Frog Prince, Zombie Lounge Singer, and this year, Zombie Peabody.
It was a lot of fun, going on my own, not a half of a pair. For one thing, I was able to come up with a really funny costume, dressing up as Peabody. Also, I got to stay well beyond the bitter end.
There was much fun, much drinking, much music, much dancing, and much good times. Oh, and I took A LOT of pictures.
So, last night was Kayphore’s birthday. She wanted to go out to The City to see the former members of the Teenage Harlets play with various new groups. So, we headed out to The Mission, and The Knockout.
After filling Kayphore’s belly with some Mexican foods, we bellied up to the bar, and I bought her first Jack and Diet. It was the first of many, as it should be, because it was her birthday and all.
We sort of planted ourselves at the bar, for most of the night. I, to be honest, was enjoying the company, and didn’t really spend much time paying close attention to the bands.
It was actually an almost tame evening. There wasn’t a lot of debauchery, other than Kayphore was appropriately sauced. But regardless, I took a few photos.
The Birthday GirlQuentin Sr. - Dig that Facial Hair!What's This Here?Quentin Sr. & PeabodyUsWe Were Saying "Cheeseburger"Oh yeah . . . That Guy was there
We had a very good time, but as the designated Sober Sister, I was out very very late. Why am I still awake? I don’t know.
Tonight, I could have gone out. I could be out at a Maldroid show, doing my crazy single girl thing. Or at the very least, I could have gone to the gym. (Gyme?)
But I’m not. I’m just being lazy instead. I’m sitting here on my couch, wearing pajamas since nine this evening.
I feel like a worthless slug.
But I don’t really care. And I’m realizing that sometimes the craziest thing a single girl can do is just let herself be lazy and do nothing.
I decided after my last time visiting Wonder Dave that it was time to switch things up again. So I went to te salon of a old friend, Smitten Salon here in Oakland.
In addition to cleaning up the cut, which was kind of lopsided after the last styling, she also gave me a new color.
I would have never done this a year ago, but here it is!
There’s not a whole lot of people in this world that I concern myself with pleasing. I would love for my parents to be proud of me, but I don’t live for it. If they are, great, but for the most part, I have to make my own way. I know I do a lot of things that they’re not happy about. I’m sure they’d rather I’d still never been to Tijuana. My dad would like for me to spend far less time in bars. My mom would prefer if I would listen to her dating advice. (How does she always know that they’re bums long before I do?)
There’s a short list of people who I’d like to see at a show I’m playing, as I look out into the crowd, beaming at me the way I’ve beamed at them so many times. And if everyone else says we suck, well, I can live with that just fine. In fact, I’m looking forward to people hating my band. That’s just another part of being in a band, from what I can tell.
But for the most part, this life of mine is not about what’s going to make anyone else happy. I hope you’ll understand, and you won’t take it personally. Sometimes I’ve just got to do what I’ve got to do, and sometimes that means going my own way or doing it alone. I just can’t always be around people. That’s just not who I am. I can’t be that woman. I have to breath, and I have to feel like I can cut and run at any time. I probably never will, but when I’m tied down, I start to get nervous. I have to have an exit strategy and a contingency plan at all times.
Like I said, none of this is personal. It’s not like I’m running away from someone in a particular. I just have to know that I could. I have to check my bank balance three times per day and calculate how far and how long it will take me. I just have to .
I know this could come as a shock to those have been reading about my non-stop escapades, constantly going out and needing to not be alone. I did, however, say that the day would come when I would swing in the opposite direction, and it seems that that day has come.
And this doesn’t mean I’m depressed, or that something is wrong. I hate it when people jump to that conclusion. Just because I want some time to myself does not mean that anything is wrong with me. If anything, this is a sign that I’m one step closer to my own version of normal. I need to be independent.
And if you don’t like it, well, there’s not a damn thing I can do about it, and even if there was, I probably wouldn’t do it anyway. It’s not that I don’t care, but if I have to chose between making myself happy and someone else, I just have to chose myself.
I haven’t written anything over the weekend, because I have been traveling again. On Friday night, Ripper and I went down to meet Elle’s band in Tijuana. It happened to be Elle’s birthday, and we thought it would be a lot of fun to spend the evening with her and the boys in the last place I thought I’d ever be.
We flew to San Diego, cabbed to the border, walked over the border, and then caught another cab to the club where the band was playing. The club was something. It apparently used to be a very large cinema, but there was a fire that gutted the place, and the roof was destroyed. They cleaned it up, put up a stage, and voila, an outdoor music venue. We kept saying how this would never happen in the states, because of all the insurance and permit issues.
The opening band was this local ska-punk band. I never did catch their name. It was pretty cool. By the time the band went on, I was feeling pretty damn good. The band played a rocking set, and we were all pumped. When the gig was over, we set out to paint the town and eat some tacos.
We stayed out until the sun was almost coming up. I feel confident that I have seen and done what there is to see and do in Tiajuana at five in the morning. As you may expect, it’s not pretty. It’s also not quite as bad as all that either. It’s almost comedic. I’m not going to go into the specifics, because I don’t see the point. It wasn’t scintillating nor was it scandalous. It was just Tijuana.
The next day, we hoofed it back to the border, and along the way, some some of the other sites of the city. Including a lot of junk for sale on carts, some art, some roving musicians, etc.
Over all, I’d say it was a great experience in that it was an experience. Something I had never seen before, something I couldn’t have seen elsewhere, and something I never thought I would see. I’m glad I’ve gotten to this point in my life, where I have the opportunities to be spontaneous, and to do these unexpected things.
I didn’t tell my family that I was going, but I called Momser afterwards and told her I’d been. She thanked me for not telling her so that she wasn’t worried.
I went, I saw, and I didn’t get mugged or arrested.
Also, I accidentally had a bit of the tap water and nothing bad happened to me.
No pictures with this one, ’cause those are just for me and my friends.
Peggy Lu Who's Just Sayin' 