weekend round-up
August 30, 2010
On Friday evening, I headed out to The Glasshouse in Pomona. It’s an all ages venue that I’ve been to at least a dozen times. Some of the more outstanding shows I was lucky to see there were Save Ferris’ second to last show ever (between 2002-2004 sometime, I think*) and my first Glassjaw show in November, 2002 when I was becoming largely pregnant and required the surroundings of gentlemen who wouldn’t let a rowdy being near my precious frontal cargo.
*The time lapse part of my brain has broken. Things that occured six months ago feel very much like they were last week. This explains my maturity regression. Sometimes I think I’m sixteen.
The Juliana Theory are not the best band, nor one of my favorites, and don’t hold an especially meaningful place in my heart. But it was their first show in five years and their last show ever and I felt obligated a few months back (who knows how many?!) when I bought myself a ticket. I hadn’t seen them before but I’d worn out a copy of Emotion Is Dead when I was in high school. Plus, ya know, live music kicks ass.
It was really, really cool. They played really fucking well and I thoroughly enjoyed swaying around and singing along. I’m glad I got the chance to see them and hang out with my cousin Alex and her ladypants, Heidi, while doing so.
On Saturday I cleaned with fervor until only a few stray white cat hairs remained. We ordered the UFC fight and had some people over for burgers and dogs in bulk packages. Of note: I am really bad at feeding the vegans. My apologies to those friends.
The turn out was fantastic. I met and made merry for the first time with a friend I’ve talked to through a journaling site for a couple months. Some friends I was starting to lose touch with made an appearance and rekindling with my blackened heart. Even people I didn’t know showed up, causing me to whisper to Josh, “who the fuck is that dude??”
The fights were super disappointing. A geedee refund is in order. I actually left the room for the last few minutes of the BJ Penn fight and I had been pretty jazzed to see it go down.
A couple of us headed up the street where a 29th birthday party was occuring that included an ice sculpture and a stripper with few to no boundaries. These two things were not combined at any point, mind you… that I know of.
I struggle with my thoughts on the… stripping industry? I’m all for the freedom to do what works best for you, to flaunt your talents by way of gyrations and picking up cash without using your hands, feet or mouth. If you know what I mean. And I think that you do. Although then I cringe a little to think of the risk this girl may be taking some nights and how, above the money she makes, I hope this is what she wants to be doing.
There’s a whole feminist rant to be had for either side of that coin. I’ll leave it to the pros.
Making nice with new neighbors is always fun, even if you’re supposed to be 100 yards away from that block by law. Ahem.
Sunday was lazy and indulgent. Kiddo was between excitement and nerves for the upcoming first day of school, which went swimmingly compared to last year. There’s a new after school program that she’s excited to check out and new friends to make, as her closest is attending another school this year, and a new teacher to make crazy. As long as the kid is happy, I’m happy.
Would it make me a big meanie to say that I am so relieved school is back on? Let the routine fall back into its blessed place.
-CJ
contrast
August 15, 2010
The man (the one I fuck, not the one I damn) and I made the most of the two different worlds we live in this weekend. At 25 and 28, we still like to stay up late and wake up with regrets, bruises and a tangible drinker’s remorse. As parents we endure enjoy a number of domestic duties as well. (I do consider drunken shenanigans a duty, ps. Where else would I get the fodder?)
Friday night we hit the freeway with two friends for a unique type of double date. The kind where the goal is to create real friendships out of forced and mandatory ones… because you used to screw one half of the other date. It was very fun and not forced at all. There was good food and much, much laughter at the Laugh Factory in Long Beach. Every sixty or so days, I give away my O Negative and sometimes the Red Cross gives me free VIP tickets to a comedy show for it.
Do check out Darren Carter. I just downloaded his album, That Ginger’s Crazy, on iTunes.
You know when you ascend the levels of drunk from ‘buzzed’ to ‘code red’ to ‘oh fuck’? By the time we hit a dueling piano bar after the show, Washington Apple in hand, I realized I’d gone overboard. But in alcohol there’s no Ctrl+Z so I threw it back anyway.
Saturday was a strange day for a hangover. We had 1st, 2nd and 3rd birthdays to attend. We stocked up on Pillow Pets (best toy EVAR) and hit the road:
The first and third birthdays were for the adorable daughters of boyfriend’s (okay, his name is Josh) friend, Charlie. We wore festive leis and all was merry.
The 2nd birthday party was for my girl Kristine’s little lady. The day she was born I had one hand on Kristine’s left foot as she pushed and pushed and total tunnel vision. Birth is beautiful… but not pretty. It’s incredible to see the little blonde cutiepants running around and high fiving and baby talking at two years old now. All full circle and shit.
This morning we were up early so Josh could make an appointment at a sensory deprivation… place. While he floated and went to mental places that scare the absolute shit outta me, Kiddo and I played in the sand and bought more handmade jewelry than we’ll ever need.
I could personally boost the ecomony in Venice with contribution to the crafts on the boardwalk. I am such a sucker. Although I was not having all seventy-seven street musicians pushing their headphones at my face, all CHECK OUT MAH SHIT AND GIMMIE MONEY!*
“Nah, I’m good.”
“Heh. I can see that.”
“Seriously, dude? No.”
*I respect the art and straight-to-the-people marketing. It’s the pushiness.
We made it home and realized we were completely fucking wiped out. I plan to spend the rest of this Sunday in a sedentary state, at some point moving to shovel Josh’s awesome jumbalaya in my mouth.
That is so not a euphemism.
-CJ
*headwall*
August 4, 2010
“What do you suggest we do to make you listen better?”
“…no.”
kids say…
July 2, 2010
…the weirdest shit.
“If we got a cat, I would name it Hip Hop.”
“I think there’s an ant in my head.”
“I always think movies that start with the word ‘The’ are more popular than any other kind. Kinda like how it’s ‘The Fourth of July.’ Of course, everyone knows that’s the most popular day because of the fireworks.”
All this just last night. Kiddo needs a nap.
-CJ
because today is all today is stagnant, static and slow
June 23, 2010
…here are some awesome things!
Jamie is trying to work ‘verbs ‘n shit‘ into her lesson plan today! (Teaching English in Prague!)
I finished Sharp Objects last night!
I started Second Line by Poppy Brite!
I’m not hungover though I should be!
Despite cheap hack job cut, I’m having a good hair day!
There’s new vacuum potential on the horizon!
Kiddo gets to experience Legoland for the first time today!
Okay, now you go.
-CJ
Dad’s Day
June 21, 2010
Father’s Day went a little something like this:
Morning time lovins, *bow chicka*
Early morning impatience behind the Couple That Asks Questions at Knott’s Berry Farm. I sent Kiddo and her dad inside the park and waited and waited and then I sighed and waited more because all of the questions that could be formed in the English language had just been asked… and then we were on to Spanish. I just needed admission for my kid sister, but the questions did not cease. In fact, I’m posting this from my cell phone, while I wait behind the couple, 1.5 days later.
Admission granted, sister and I sought the biggest and the baddest rollercoasters we could while Kiddo and her dad took off to do smaller, less bad things. Xcelerator is my new favorite thing in the world, even though it is spelled xcelerator. Are we so fast we forgot how to spell, RIDE? HUH?
Eighty-two miles per hour in 3.2 seconds plus a ninety degree drop. In the name of awesome, amen.
The day continued in such a way, pairing off for two to enjoy the mania at a time, Kiddo begging to ride the same damn rollercoaster over and over again. At 35mph, you do not impress me, Jaguar!, even if you do come complete with an exclamation point.
By the time our feet were blistered, we’d conquered about everything except Pink’s.
I am pissed off at Pink’s. What with their incredible reputation and Hollywood Legend Since 1939-age, I wanted so, so much better. We had finally gotten around to trying the famous place for lunch that afternoon now that there is a location in Buena Park (and it is conveinently located right outside the amusement park) and it was just suck.
All suck. All of it. Don’t care if the original is better, I have lost my motivation.
We packed up and hit the movie theater up the street for some overachieving AC and amusement by way of Toy Story 3. It took over twenty-four hours to convince Kiddo that it wouldn’t be a complete waste of her time. She would have much rather seen Avatar: The Last Airbender but we’re big giant jerks and we went to the toy movie. Someone should really call protective services. It doesn’t get much meaner.
Later, we dropped my sister off at home and popped a pizza in the oven for a late night dinner with our new favorite show, To Catch a Predator. My guilty amusement and the need for such public documentation and the capitalizing on the dumb dumbs is all for another day. WE CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF THIS SHOW.
Baby daddy was the recipient of an excellent dinner at Benihana the night before and a BJ Penn action figure for his sweet dadly contributions to my precious precious’ life. He’s pretty good at what he does, I must say. Right when my patience gives, he has a way of swooping in. He catches and appreciates all of the little things I miss and no one can make our kid laugh as hard as he does.
-CJ
different meanings
June 16, 2010
The other night when I boarded my suuuper crappy treadmill for the evening’s sweatfest, I dropped something or stumbled slightly, I don’t remember. I mumbled like I always do, “Oh, eff.”
And Kiddo waited the perfect few moments before saying, “Why did you just spell ‘of’?”
-CJ
summer time amusement
June 14, 2010
To occupy the kid and ourselves this summer, Kiddo’s dad and I bought passes to a local amusement park. Its a few minutes drive from my house and we can park in my favorite dive bar’s parking lot for free, where I can look longingly at the neon beer signs, sigh dramatically and resign to riding moderately entertaining rollercoasters with those of the elite 48” Or Higher Club.
We’ve yet to ride a handful of the better rides. The ones that go upside down and backwards while the movie reel of your life plays before your eyes and your heart pumps from inside of your mouth and your blood rushes to all the places where it shouldn’t hang out in such large quantities. We’ll get to those on one of the kid-free days we experience when Kiddo has a sleepover* with my family.
*Someone could promise me a million dollar check and my kid a sleepover at Grammy’s and we would react with the exact some amount of excitement and gratefulness.
We’ve gone three times now. It can be a doozy on the knees and hips until I remind myself that I’m twenty-five and shouldn’t be griping about my aches and pains quite yet. I still have time for my bones to age and creak. It will be about that time that I start caring about matching silverware and the wrinkles in my linens.
You may have noticed, things are pretty swank in the mom-and-dad department. *grin*
-CJ
mine watches *only* educational programming
June 1, 2010
”Mom, why do famous people wear big necklaces that say ‘BB’?”
“Um, you mean like *describes above image*?”
“Yeah.”
“Well… that logo belongs to a guy named Big Black…” I go on to give a completely pointless explanation, as most of my explanations to this kid tend to be.
“…no. I’m pretty sure it stands for bling bling.”
-CJ
