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Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in the "Tan" journal:[<< Previous 20 entries]
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07:32 pm
[Link] | Took some newbies climbing in Red Rock.
The party behind us was a Japanese guide, and 2 60+ Japanese women. Makes me want to take my mom out to see how she'd do. They were actually faster than the two women we had in our group.
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10:07 pm
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Short lived enthusiasm
Well, I got the budget for taking care of my mom's expenses, and even with the savings from a roommate, I'm still spending a bit more. At least I'm still able to put money away.
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09:39 pm
[Link] |
Small update of nothingness
Life is going pretty well right now. Finally got the apartment I wanted, start moving stuff across the street in a couple weeks. I am definitely a better paddler now than I was before, so getting out past the breaks is easier and less tiring. The Rockets are scrappy and competing. Climbing is still climbing, which is good.
Well, time to prep for the show. What to play....
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08:18 pm
[Link] |
Overdue Updates, yet again
Last weekend I went to Bishop to do some bouldering. Everytime I go to that city, I am convinced I should move there for a little while. Its a sleepy and not very developed, close to good climbing, skiiing, and mountaineering. Just depends on the season and your fancy.
Saw Brother Ali on Tuesday, and that show was awesome. Opener was kind of blah. The second act was Evidence, of Dilated Peoples fame, and after bringing on guest after guest, it turned into a Dilated Peoples set for a little bit. Then he said he had a special guest (again?) and that we'd know who this one was once they queued the music. The horns from the intro of Jump Around came on, and out came Everlast. Ridiculously unexpected and awesome. Brother Ali put on a really good set himself, but I think Evidence's was the best. Best Brother Ali quote: "Everybody say 'Love.' Don't say it like a hippie, say it like a soldier. LOVE!" I went with a new KUCI friend of mine, and I'd say that was a pretty good introduction to underground hip hop.
Went with Irene to see Hope Sandoval on Thursday. Both openers were going to break the first rule of opening acts: mention your band name at some point. The second act mumbled out something along the lines of "Oh, we're {something unintelligible}" as they walked off. Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions were really underwhelming, as were the openers. She had the lights on her turned off, and 90% of the set standing with her left arm draped over the mic stand, occasionally shifting weight from leg to leg. My friend Marcus said when she was in Mazzy Star she was pretty much the same.
I'd always assumed that the Harbor Blvd had been cleaned up, so that the hookers don't hang out there anymore, thus invalidating the very catchy "Hookers on Harbor" phrase, but Irene assured me they were definitely still there, so we drove up Harbor on the way home, and we spotted 2, maybe 3. Good to know they're still going strong?
Went to the cougar bar for the first time last night, and it was amazing, in terms of interesting social situations and interactions. I've seen 60+ year old Asians do X in Hollywood, now I've seen the cougars of Orange County get drunk and act a fool, and my friend said she felt young compared to the people in there. We didn't stay too long, but I will definitely go back.
Ass kicked surfing this morning as usual. That's what happens when I don't go for a couple weeks to develop my paddling. Paddling 80% of the way out is easy, but that last bit is really hard and I tend to tire out trying to get beyond the breaks.
Aight, time to wind down a bit before seeing The Littlest Viking tonight, and climbing tomorrow.
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07:44 pm
[Link] |
Yosemite!
I decided on pretty short notice to ride up with my friend to check out Yosemite. We took of late Fri and didn't get in till about 4, partly due to shoddy GPS directions. Sometimes the most direct route is not the fastest.
Due to some unforeseen circumstances, we started really late, and headed up The Grack at about 2. I was carrying the 2nd rope tied to me back pack style the whole time, so he lead all three pitches. It was totally mellow and easy and fun.
It rained a bit that night and there was quite a bit of snow as we were headed back to the valley from our campsite, so we decided to split.
Real short turnaround trip for my first visit, but I'll definitely be going back.
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08:56 pm
[Link] |
Overdue Updates
The weekend trip to NYC last weekend was good and way too short. I started poking around CL for jobs when I got back, but I really can't move out there now anyway. Had a great time seeing Christine again, plus KVRX folks.
I bought a surfboard and am slowly learning. Got up at 6 today to hit the beach, and pretty much just did lots of paddling until it became super crowded. If anything it was good practice.
I applied for the apartment down the street from me. For $55/mo more, I get a garage, another bedroom, another bathroom, and laundry in my apt. I'll call tomorrow and they'll probably tell me its mine if I want it. Problem now is, I found a 3/2 and a 2/2 that I want to move into a block from the ocean, in Huntington Beach. Right across from where I've been surfing. I have semi-committed climbing and surfing roommates committed. The 2/2 was nice but a tad small, we'll look at the 3/2 tomorrow, and maybe I'll be moving into the OC again.
I'll give up walking to an awesome bar and a couple coffee shops and it'll take at least 30min more to drive into LA, but I gain the ability to wake up and surf before work. Tough choices, but a good "problem" to have.
Oh yeah, my first KUCI show is tonight, Mon Midnight-3. Super sucky timeslot, I'm going to bring a camping pad and sleeping bag with me. After the show I'm gonna crash at work, then leave work early. They also allowed me to be an assistant music director. With those added things, I'm gonna quit my band. For real, this time.
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09:06 am
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Boring work week
I knocked out 12 volunteer hrs for KUCI this week after work, the bulk of it going to alphabetizing the hip hop vinyl. Along the way, I've discovered their collection of Sir Mix-a-Lot, PM Dawn, Coolio, and Shaq.
I applied for a show, named Music For Manbabies. I hope this pans out all right and I don't get some 3am slot. I would whine like a manbaby, then go listen to Linkin Park.
Hopefully I get some climbing and surfing in this weekend. FYF is today, but I'll probably end up there late as I need to pick up my board from the shop and maybe buy a wetsuit.
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09:50 pm
[Link] |
NYC tickets booked
Too bad the Jet Blue deal wasn't still around
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07:10 pm
[Link] |
Never again, Stellastarr*
Last night I saw Stellastarr* for the first time at the Troubadour, and boy did I get robbed. Coming into the show, I didn't really know what to expect. Their first two CDs were good, and the great songs on there pretty damn great. The new album, however, was not. It sounded like they mixed the singer's voice high and none of the songs stood out. Was it listenable? Yes, but barely. I figured the fact that I like most music better live would help, and add in a healthy smattering of old material and it'd be all right.
Well, it turns out that they did not mix his voice awkwardly high, he really was singing like that on all the new songs. And that's pretty much all they played. Whenever they did play old stuff, it was the weaker tracks. The most surprising aspect was background vocals. I never thought I'd hear more "oh, oh, woah" than I did when I saw the offspring, but I did, and grating it became quite fast.
Top it off with an obnoxious light show that blinded me on every song, and you have a bad show.
The one redeeming aspect was the random mosh pit somewhere towards the end.
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09:29 pm
[Link] | Just a few more days till Buddy and Nora fly in, and in time for the birthday festivities. Can't wait. In the mean time, I'm busting ass to try to push out a project early so I can take a day or two off.
I just applied some flea medication to the cat, and he managed to shake some up into my eye. PCC told me to flush it with water for a long amount of time. Anyway, lets hope this brand works because the last brand sure didn't. Oh yeah, lets hope I don't go blind too.
The band is becoming more serious. Need to try to balance time with the band and re-inject climbing into my life. I do like the addition of the new members, and we're all improving. I was off camera for the last gig, so no vid of me rocking out in the dark offstage because it was too small for all of us.
On Saturday, I attended a fund raiser and never did I think I would ever attend something with a poorer turn out than some of those KVRX Local Live release parties (no knock on KVRX). I sincerely hoped the 20 people that showed up was enough to recoup costs.
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08:39 pm
[Link] |
KUCI
KUCI allows non students to take their training course and apply for shows, so I went to the first class last night. Technically non students can only take the spring quarter class, but since that would have dropped the class from 6 to 4, they let me stay.
Their station is pretty different from the KVRX I was at. The most notable difference is all of the walls of the DJ booth, except for space for the door, is floor to ceiling CDS, with the wall behind the DJ being their equivalent of the New Bin.
Didn't get a chance to pull any CDs to look at, but I don't think they have reviews on them, just notes about indecencies and obscenities.
With this class lasting 8 weeks, I'm going to have to rearranging my climbing and band practice, and try to fit in other band practice sometime. If only I didn't have to work...
At least my paychecks are going to be the size they're supposed to be soon, and the company is on track to be profitable by the end of Aug or Sept. Then that means we hire more people so I get a little help, and then hopefully back pay and profit sharing.
Yay job in shitty economy.
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09:09 am
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A very musical week
This week must have been some sort of record in terms of concerts I've had lined up, went to at the last minute, and the amount of time I've spent practicing (aka doing homework) for today's band practice.
Seven nights, five shows.
Last night, since Irene let me know we weren't gonna hit the cougar bar, I went to Mr Ts to check out this local group that my friend got a CD of and played a couple songs for me in the car. They put on a really good set, but the group before them, Gifts From Enola, were just really amazing "post rock." Do people even use that term anymore?
How good are they? Well I have this quick way to guess how much I'll like a band based on how many Line 6 green delay stomp boxes they have, and it goes like this, from least likely to most likely
1 - A guitarist has a delay stomp box
2 - The bass player has a delay stomp box
3 - Multiple band members have a one
4 - The whole band (minus the drummer) has a stomp box
Well, thanks to GFE, I had to add
5 - The whole band has a stomp box, and one of the members is rocking 2
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08:42 pm
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Recappage
The Death Cab show was pretty awesome. Great company, lots of wine, and great music = winner.
The New Pornographers didn't have Neko with them, but they had the best Neko impersonator out there. Tegan and Sara were really good too.
Monday night, I went and saw Steel Panther, a cock rock cover band that puts on an amazing show. Was another round of celebrating Irene's bday.
Yesterday, a friend of mine invited me to check out her friends band play, and we unofficially have the start of an 80s cover band plus one Archers of Loaf song.
With KUCI classes starting next with, I'm going to have to drop something, and it looks like it just may be my rock en espanol band. We'll see.
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11:41 am
[Link] |
Cafecito...
Set went all right last night. Everybody messed up somewhere in some song.
I have to clear the air with a couple people soon.
Drive by Incubus is a great song. Not that hard to play on guitar, just kind of some funky chords. Maybe I should have been practicing my rock en espanol instead of learning that and the Lisa Loeb song.
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01:49 am
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Power naps failing
I must be getting old. 30min power naps leave me feeling drained. Maybe I just need to practice again. In college, it'd take me 5-10min to fall asleep, and I'd wake up 15min later feeling good to go.
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10:29 pm
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First time in SF, or why I love Yelp on my smartphone
So, I ended up in SF on pride weekend. My old HS buddy Clem did her undergrad there, and was gracious enough to put together a walking tour for me that was written up in a ridiculously entertaining and cute manner. Seriously, everybody I showed it to mentioned how cute it was. I didn't do it all in order, but I did knock off everything on the list, and had a great time in the process.
Bulleted summary:
# of miles walked on my first day there: Lots. At least 12. With hills.
# of times I was asked to help repeal Prop 8: 2
# of sympathy points earned when I mentioned my bike was stolen when I went to a Prop 8 rally: 2+
# of "Hey, baby daddy" greetings tossed my way: 1
# of "Hipster, or homeless?" moments: 2
# of times I was aggressively asked for money: 3
# of times I was aggressively asked for money by a transient looking person: 2
# of gang fights avoided: 1
Long stuff:
( Saturday )
( Sunday )
The end.
All in all, SF is a pretty cool town, and I'd go visit again, but I'm leaning towards not living there.
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08:31 pm
[Link] |
I'm a musician now!
Spent this morning running errands, then had lunch and some beer with Kate. Played free pool too. Burger was really good. One of these days we'll bike down to the place instead of drive, now that we know where it is.
Got home, napped a bit, then skipped band practice to clean up the apt. I am now officially a musician.
Took care of small stuff, like finally activating my debit card with my new bank (opened the account in April), paid some bills, bought tickets to Cirque Berzerk, registered my car, cleaned up around the house a bit. All in all, a generally productive day.
Now I just need to learn all the stuff I didn't at band practice today. But honestly I don't get that much out of it since we are a cover band, I learn the stuff mostly on my own.
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11:18 pm
[Link] |
Single Tear
Today I attended a going away party for my friends Laural and Peter. They're heading north to Canada, then east till they hit the coast, then back down to Florida. They're good people, and I'm sad to see them go.
Just seems like my favorite people aren't staying in So Cal.
C'est la vive. Our lives will intersect again in the future, I'm sure.
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01:18 am
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Lesson from the weekend
I must learn to dance to Thriller
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04:02 pm
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Anybody want to hit the Cirque?
For those interested, I'm thinking of going. Looking at ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) rotting_orange, and usagi_moon, specifically. workproduct, you may find this interesting enough.
http://www.cirqueberzerk.com/
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