So, all my mail is being returned to my real address. So if anyone wants to send me something, please send it to this addy:
PO BOX 10764
Knoxville, TN 37939
Just remember, it's my parents PO Box so don't put something too terrible on the outside of the envelope.
So really, ya'll should send me a postcard or something. I'm lonely here.... Feel sorry for me and send me a goddamn letter!
xoxo,
Mel
Monday, May 12, 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Ijams
Went to Ijams, a beautiful nature center a couple weeks ago. Here are a few pics of my hike:
Xoxo!
Xoxo!
Black Sheep and such
Life is starting to slow down I think. Just went to 2 days a week at Panera and am full time at Sunspot. I missed cooking, and am having so much fun learning new stuff. My chef is really encouraging me to go to culinary school, and I'm deciding between an intensive certification program at UT and a two year AS degree at Walter State Community College. If I don't fuck up royally, I will hopefully be attending school by spring 2009.
Had the first family meltdown last week. My sisters have decided that I am a menace to their children and their "family values" and that I am going to ruin them financially. Oh, and I am also ruining my parents life.
They came to this conclusion when I crashed my Dad's car last week. My first car accident of my life and it had to fucking be in my Dad's car right when I get here. Jesus Christ, timing is a bitch. My parents aren't mad at me, but it's just more proof to my sisters that I am forever the black sheep of the family.
They told me I was going to ruin their lives if I got hurt without insurance because they "obviously would have to pay for it all, and they would lose their house and their future." The family values is regarding the fact that I've made friends with gay people, and they don't want their kids hearing about that. Did I mention that they claim to not be homophobic? I bet they also claim not to be hypocrites. Nice.
My parents are being wonderful about it all, and totally back me up. So I see them everyday and since they watch my niece I get to see her without dealing with my sister. It's all working out. I'm not surprised about this, just sad and hurt. It sucks when your own sisters don't seem to like you very much.
Speaking of kids, just found out yesterday that sister #2 is having a little girl! Katie Ann should be arriving in June and Taylor Grace will be here mid October. I am so excited to have two new nieces on their way! Maddie, who is 4, gets more amazing every day. Today when I showed up she jumped in my lap and nuzzled her little face in my neck for so long, then looked up and whispered "I love you so much Auntie."
I'm really missing Sacramento, and everyone there. I got weepy this morning thinking of the co-op! I like it here, but there's something very special about Sac, and I'm realizing it more and more as time goes on. Anyone who is reading this that lives in Sacramento should take a moment today to remember how lucky they are to live in such a wonderful place.
Had the first family meltdown last week. My sisters have decided that I am a menace to their children and their "family values" and that I am going to ruin them financially. Oh, and I am also ruining my parents life.
They came to this conclusion when I crashed my Dad's car last week. My first car accident of my life and it had to fucking be in my Dad's car right when I get here. Jesus Christ, timing is a bitch. My parents aren't mad at me, but it's just more proof to my sisters that I am forever the black sheep of the family.
They told me I was going to ruin their lives if I got hurt without insurance because they "obviously would have to pay for it all, and they would lose their house and their future." The family values is regarding the fact that I've made friends with gay people, and they don't want their kids hearing about that. Did I mention that they claim to not be homophobic? I bet they also claim not to be hypocrites. Nice.
My parents are being wonderful about it all, and totally back me up. So I see them everyday and since they watch my niece I get to see her without dealing with my sister. It's all working out. I'm not surprised about this, just sad and hurt. It sucks when your own sisters don't seem to like you very much.
Speaking of kids, just found out yesterday that sister #2 is having a little girl! Katie Ann should be arriving in June and Taylor Grace will be here mid October. I am so excited to have two new nieces on their way! Maddie, who is 4, gets more amazing every day. Today when I showed up she jumped in my lap and nuzzled her little face in my neck for so long, then looked up and whispered "I love you so much Auntie."
I'm really missing Sacramento, and everyone there. I got weepy this morning thinking of the co-op! I like it here, but there's something very special about Sac, and I'm realizing it more and more as time goes on. Anyone who is reading this that lives in Sacramento should take a moment today to remember how lucky they are to live in such a wonderful place.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Sorry I've been slacking off on my blog duties. Working two full time jobs now, so I'm never around a computer. At least I'm cooking again! Working at a place called "Sunspot." It's casual dining with a focus on Vegetarian food. It's a great kitchen with rad people. I'll be going to 2 days a week at the hellhole I call "Panera Bread" next week. I've been hanging out with a wonderful group of girls. I affectionately call them "the Gays". I somehow managed to become friends with the entire gay community once I moved to the bible belt. Weird. But the girls are so sweet and fun, I'm really happy I met them. I'll put some pics up of us soon. It doesn't hurt that one of the girls has a hot straight ex-marine brother who comes and hangs out every so often. Tee hee... I'll write more soon. Miss ya'll!!
Here's a pic of Lauren and her girlfriend Bri. I work with Lauren at Panera, she's super wonderful:
Here's a pic of Lauren and her girlfriend Bri. I work with Lauren at Panera, she's super wonderful:
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Family dinner at my house 4.13.08
Friends from L to R:Madeline - from work
Heather (Hammer) - from work and just a good friend
Bri - Lauren's Girlfriend
Andy - Lauren's cute brother... :)
Mickayla - Lauren's roommate and the other token straight girl in the group
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Pere Ubu
I saw Pere Ubu last night. I went for two reasons. First, I had spent 6 years with a boyfriend who would get in a mood and blast the entire box set of Pere Ubu at full volume. I fucking hated it and finally banned it when I was around. Secondly, the boyfriend I speak of had incredible taste, and seemed to know about all the coolest stuff that few people knew about. So I figured that maybe, just maybe, I had decided that Pere Ubu sucked because I'm a chick and prone to hating something for no good reason. It was possible that I may enjoy the show, and if nothing else, I could brag to the 8 other people in the country who thought the band was cool that I had seen them live.
So I bought the ticket and showed up last night. The first band was a noise/experimental band. I didn't think they were very amazing, but I dug the 10 minute sax solo that ended with the guy crawling on his back across the floor in a 70's tux wailing away.
Just to clear it up, Pere Ubu is fucking weird. And weirder than the music is the frontman, David Thomas. He's the only original member, and after 10 minutes of him onstage I understood why. He is a total dick. During his set he stormed off 2 times screaming at his band and/or sound guy, and one time sauntered outside to smoke while his band did the "artsy intro" to a song. He should be on meds, at least onstage. At one point when the crowd was standing there in a quiet bar after he stormed off, a girl said meekly "Does anyone else feel really awkward and a little.... scared?" Yes, we did.
I remember seeing The Business at Bojangles, and I remember thinking that the singer was such a prick and so didn't give a fuck about the audience that he may start beating people with his mike stand. I felt a bit like that. He didn't beat anyone though, at least not last night.
In this case, after he calmed down, he actually started to seem to enjoy himself a teeny bit. Not that he smiled or looked at all happy, but he wasn't red faced with rage and rocking back and forth like an autistic child. And the show was amazing. Maybe the best live show I have ever seen. The energy coming from the performers and the complexity of the music was unlike anything I've ever heard. The music was so jumbled and random, but there was a clear musical core that ran through it all. Never once did I think that they were "jamming." It was perfectly constructed and executed. The drummer deserves his own fan club, I've never seen anyone as good as him. I don't have the words to explain how perfect he was.
After the show I ended up talking to David Thomas for a bit, and he wasn't at all the psychotic asshole I had seen earlier. He was soft spoken and funny and random, with a fair amount of pervy cad thrown in for good measure. We discussed shoes, and make wonderfully hasty judgement calls about the people milling around based on their shoes. (This is something you can get away with when you're chatting with the singer of an adored band, but I wouldn't recommend it otherwise.)
After declining an offer from the drummer to take off my shirt (who managed to suggest it and not seem creepy) and buying the obligatory tee shirt I wandered home. Ear's ringing and strange music filling my mind. And I was so grateful to the man who would blast Pere Ubu at 4am in my living room. Without him, I never would have had this wonderful experience.
If this was a PBS show, I would now ask my loyal 3 readers to think about how someone in their past has shown them something that has made their lives better, even if the person isn't around anymore. But of course, this isn't PBS, so I won't.
So I bought the ticket and showed up last night. The first band was a noise/experimental band. I didn't think they were very amazing, but I dug the 10 minute sax solo that ended with the guy crawling on his back across the floor in a 70's tux wailing away.
Just to clear it up, Pere Ubu is fucking weird. And weirder than the music is the frontman, David Thomas. He's the only original member, and after 10 minutes of him onstage I understood why. He is a total dick. During his set he stormed off 2 times screaming at his band and/or sound guy, and one time sauntered outside to smoke while his band did the "artsy intro" to a song. He should be on meds, at least onstage. At one point when the crowd was standing there in a quiet bar after he stormed off, a girl said meekly "Does anyone else feel really awkward and a little.... scared?" Yes, we did.
I remember seeing The Business at Bojangles, and I remember thinking that the singer was such a prick and so didn't give a fuck about the audience that he may start beating people with his mike stand. I felt a bit like that. He didn't beat anyone though, at least not last night.
In this case, after he calmed down, he actually started to seem to enjoy himself a teeny bit. Not that he smiled or looked at all happy, but he wasn't red faced with rage and rocking back and forth like an autistic child. And the show was amazing. Maybe the best live show I have ever seen. The energy coming from the performers and the complexity of the music was unlike anything I've ever heard. The music was so jumbled and random, but there was a clear musical core that ran through it all. Never once did I think that they were "jamming." It was perfectly constructed and executed. The drummer deserves his own fan club, I've never seen anyone as good as him. I don't have the words to explain how perfect he was.
After the show I ended up talking to David Thomas for a bit, and he wasn't at all the psychotic asshole I had seen earlier. He was soft spoken and funny and random, with a fair amount of pervy cad thrown in for good measure. We discussed shoes, and make wonderfully hasty judgement calls about the people milling around based on their shoes. (This is something you can get away with when you're chatting with the singer of an adored band, but I wouldn't recommend it otherwise.)
After declining an offer from the drummer to take off my shirt (who managed to suggest it and not seem creepy) and buying the obligatory tee shirt I wandered home. Ear's ringing and strange music filling my mind. And I was so grateful to the man who would blast Pere Ubu at 4am in my living room. Without him, I never would have had this wonderful experience.
If this was a PBS show, I would now ask my loyal 3 readers to think about how someone in their past has shown them something that has made their lives better, even if the person isn't around anymore. But of course, this isn't PBS, so I won't.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
