In about 28 hours, stillbourne and I will be landing in Long Beach.

I'm just about fully packed, there are a few little things that have to wait until tomorrow morning, like my wrist braces, hair brush, etc.

I have to survive about 9.5 more hours of work and then I can escape to home and get things picked up a bit there. The cats are going to destroy the apt anyway, but I don't want to give them a head start.


I'm very jealous of a friend in Vegas who will be attending the Star Trek con there in early August. I so wish I could go. Maybe next year.

I'm already trying to tick off the things I'm going to do next year. I'm not sure if I'll make it back to Norway or not, funds are still a bit tight for that sort of travel. And I do really need to upgrade my poor computer. I've been meaning to do it for about a year now.


Ok, back to work, clock watching and reading The Order of the Stick.

I can't believe stillbourne and I are leaving for C15 in a week. Eeeeps!!!

So much still to do. Laundry. Packing. Dying of the hair. Gak.


Today is my Friday. While I don't much care for the whole 4 10s schedule, having tomorrow off will help me get everything ready for C15 in relative ease. I hope.

Debating on if I should take things for the swap someone is attempting to organize. It all depends on how much room I have left in my bag I suppose.


I have a new swimsuit and gladiator buckle sandals for my trip. Squee. I also found my Nice Boots shirt from oh too many years ago.



Talked to Mom last night. She will not be choosing to do the surgery. Even at superb health there is only a 50% chance of making it through the op itself and with her kidney disease it lowers her chances even more. She is now shopping her scans around for possible chemo treatment to keep the cancer right where it's at but she can't do anymore radiation. She's on pain meds 24/7 from now until the end, whenever that happens to be. Could very well be years, she's in pretty good health overall, she just gets tired easy and is in a lot of pain.

Since it's not the best news in the world she could have gotten from her docs, she's started asking me what stuff I want so she can get it sorted and ready. I'm getting her sewing machine and Serger. Probably the silver. Maybe the fancy dishes but we'll see. I also want to find out what she has left of Gramma's things. There was a huge painting of King Tut and his wife that my gramma had, told mom if she has it stashed somewhere, I'd like that. Unfortunately I think Mom left it in the house along with a painting of Autumn leaves that my Gramma did years ago, as in before I was even born.

Yeah, it's all rather morbid, but we're like that.



I think I've talked my Aunt Sam into taking stillbourne and I to El Burrito Jr. in Redondo. We can go pick up food and walk a few blocks to the beach to eat. Should be nifty. When I was on yearbook staff my Junior year, we'd be holed up in the dungeon without windows or radio stations working on fast approaching deadlines over winter break while everyone else was on vacation and we would live on El Burrito Jr, bagels and pizza. It was crazed but alot of fun.


Ok, back to work with me. Or something.

I want today to be a do over please.

Cat kept me up pretty much all night, I think I got a 2 hour nap in there.

Then the fire alarm kept going off, but it would be one of those 'is it a fire alarm, or is it not' back and forth until security came on and said to disregard, they were doing testing and it won't go off again. That was a little after 9am.

A little before 10am it goes off again, but this time they have us evacuate.

In the middle of this we have a tech guy trying to do upgrade to our computer and a student that has an appointment. Get back into the office at 10am and back to attempting to get all this sorted.

Tech fellow gets our computers upgraded and since I'm the tech geek of the office I had to show my coworker how to log into the new Outlook on her 2nd desktop, and she got confused and was putting in the wrong password, like 5 times.

The boss decided she was too tired and went home to take a nap. We have no idea if she's coming back today so I've called her appointments to reschedule, just in case. Of course, if I or my coworker tried to do that we'd get bitched at.

Now I am going home for lunch.


6.5 more hours to go.

*headdesk*

Today has been one surreal moment after another.

Started out with me waking up well before 5am from rather dark and morbid dreams, which I do not normally get.

Then a student that visits our office regularly came by with chocolate for everyone.

Then I had a fellow from Kenya absolutely awestruck by my hair and attempting to woo me and ask me out.

One of the cashiers is hiding in the women's bathroom as the line has been hella crazy today and she needs a moment of peace and quiet.

And I had someone ask me if I were Persian.


You'd think tonight was the full moon, not next Tuesday.



I am very much looking forward to a quiet and relaxing weekend.

Passing on the info...

Wednesday September 2nd
Showbox and MOViN 92.5 FM present
GEORGE CLINTON & PARLIAMENT/FUNKADELIC @ The Showbox Sodo

TICKETS ON SALE SATURDAY 6/27 @ 10AM.
PRESALE BEGINS THURSDAY 6/25 @ 10AM AND ENDS FRIDAY 6/26 @ 10PM; PASSWORD IS "SHOWBOX"!


Unfortunately the Showbox goes through TicketBastard for their pre-sale tickets.

And please forgive the caps, it was copied and pasted from the Showbox Calendar email I received.

The day is picking up a bit.

Chatting over email to my friend has been making me smile alot. He was like my brother. Called my mom 'Mom' and I'd spend alot of weekends at his place gaming. His parents weren't too sure of me. His mom was a crazed religious type, so much so she tore the magic section out of his Warhammer Fantasy Battles book.

He's down in Cali and I told him I'll be in his neck of the woods next month. He called and offered to pick stillbourne and I up from the airport and take us around town or even to say Magic Mountain or something if we want to go. We'll see what we end up doing, but In 'N Out is a must!

One of the things he said in our emails really got to me, in a good way...

"You were such the glue that held so many people of different life back grounds together. Try as you might to give off this hard edge that most people would take to mean "leave me the fuck alone or get sharp pointed cowboy boot in the nuts", you were and seems like still are.. Just a pretty little social butterfly."

Scarily, he's right. I had friends in all social circles at school, I didn't care. I had drama geek friends, gamer geek friends, those that would be considered 'preppies', dated a guy on the varsity football team, and plenty of metalheads and goths of course. And they all became friends because they were around me. I was the one that could point out common interests and that even the most normal looking person was still a freak in their own way. I know, sounds so very Breakfast Club, but it's true.

I was one of those weird ones that liked high school because that's where all my friends were. I was sad to leave when I did, but life forced my hand and I had to make a decision, neither of my options would have kept me in Cali at that school unfortunately.

It'll be so good to see him again. Oh the trouble to be gotten into...

Well, today is going much better than yesterday, thankfully.

Woke up to a lovely overcast grey day with just enough crisp in the air and lots of drizzle. We haven't had such a perfect day in too long.

The boss just left for the day so I have the office to myself for the next 3 hours.

After work I and a few coworkers are hitting Cafe Septieme for happy hour drinkies to celebrate the end of Spring Quarter.

Also tonight is the In Memorium cd release show at The Bit Saloon. Skelator are also playing. I have plans to attend, might as well bus on up after drinks. Not taking my camera, I want a night off.

I will not be at the Solstice Parade this weekend or any other possible celebration. I will be ringing in the Summer Solstice/Midsommar on my own at home with the fluffballs of doom. I need peace and quiet.


Back to randomly websurfing as I no longer have to look like I'm working.

Yay Friday!!

little post to wish the dear killer_queen___ a wonderful birthday.

Lots of love sweetie!!

From Blabbermouth:

MOONSORROW's Stolen Axe Recovered

Finnish folk/pagan metal band MOONSORROW — whose "very special" ESP custom shop Star guitar (pictured below) was stolen on April 29, 2009 when someone broke into the group's tour bus following the band's performance in Montreal, Quebec, Canada — have issued the following update:

"Finally the news about Janne's [Perttilä] stolen guitar!

"It was brought to a pawn shop in Montreal by some junkie last week. The guitar is in great condition with flightcase and all. Well, maybe a couple of Janne's socks could be missing, but that really doesn't matter as the axe itself is worth 3000 euros!

"We've taken actions to get it out and shipped to Finland.

"Many thanks and 666 hails goes to the nice dude in the shop who immediately recognized the guitar and sent this good news to us."


http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=122022

Yes, you read that right, MAC is having a SALE!

25% off June 16-18 on everything* online.
Use OFFER code SUMO.

*not including Viva Glam products

Not even an hour into the work day and I already want to bludgeon people.

I'm presently being nice. I'm filling in at the advising front desk while everyone is in a meeting because their work study quit yesterday.

And right now, there are two specific people that I want to smack around profusely. You know, if you want help, it might help the person you're asking help from to actually give them all the details instead of just saying 'Compass Test'. I'm not a mind reader, I do not know that you actually need to speak to Running Start first. Argh!


Can it be 4:30pm now??

So, anyone else get the want to order one of these and send it to Hoest of Taake??

http://www.positivethinkers.net/products/rock-out-with-your-cock-out-shirt

I feel like hell. So very run down.


It's just turning 10am and I've already gotten a load of laundry done (too exhausted to do more), changed the kitty litter, cleaned out the fridge and took out three bags of trash.

I still have dishes to do, and I need to run to the store.


The Mayhem show Friday was great, but I think it's made me alot worse. This is not happy.

For those not in the know, which I was one of until about 5 minutes ago...


The Punk Rock Flea Market is going on today from 10am to 10pm.

Info here: http://www.prfleamarket.com/



Not sure I'll make it, I'm still half dead from last night, but figured I'd pass along the info.

Honestly, words are still escaping me in regards to finally getting to see Mayhem live, and with Atilla on vocals no less.

I'll let the photos speak for me. I only got a few as the crowd was crazed. I only managed to be up front for two songs before the crowdsurfers started and my poor camera got kicked good by one of them. I went upstairs, got a couple shots from the balcony, and then hung with friends for the rest of their set.



( Click to see the other 6 )

Still going to Mayhem tonight, but I'm sure as hell not going to rush my ass off to get there.

Show STARTS at 5:30pm, that's not the door time.

So, even with rushing, I'd still most likely miss all of Inquinok and possibly part of Ceremonial Castings as I don't get off work for half an hour and still have to bus to Studio 7 during crazed rush hour in downtown.

Yeah, um, no thank you.


I'll be going home, relaxing, getting dinner, and then getting to the show probably closer to 8pm-ish. Six band bill means Mayhem shouldn't be on before 10pm, but I don't want to tempt fate too much.

So been waiting for this week to end.

Tonight is MAYHEM!!

Sad Mortuus of Marduk still isn't in the country, but really I am going for Mayhem, Marduk was just the cherry on top. Or perhaps more appropriately, the nuts. Loved their set at Inferno in '06, so I feel lucky having actually seen them already.


Ear is still a bit funky. Pressure just will not equal out. Still have the endings of the cold though, so maybe once that's gone the pressure will right itself. It doesn't hurt really, just more annoying, especially when it effects how much I can hear.


Saturday will be spent resting up from the show, working on photos, doing a bit of geeking and willing myself to get better.

Sunday morning will be laundry, and that afternoon will be grilling steak for the week's lunches.

Must also hit the store either Saturday or Sunday morning for said steak, and fruits and veggies. QFC has their 4lb thing of strawberries for under $5 right now. Actually, maybe I'll hit Pike Place early Sunday to see what they have down there before I hit QFC. I haven't been all that impressed with the Cap Hill farmers market unfortunately.


And it looks like most of the shows I posted in my upcoming shows post, well, are getting crossed off. I just do not have the cash for them all. Sure, alot of the covers are cheap, but the cabbing home is what kills it for me, it automatically adds $15 on top of any show.

Still going to try and hit the In Memorium CD release show and Høst with Forest of Grey. And I'm shooting Suffocation so that one I have to be at unfortunately. And there is no way I'm missing Heaven and Hell after spending that much on the ticket. But the others, most likely not going to make. Too much good music, too little money.


Ok, gotta do that work thing before I say to hell with it and crawl under my desk for a nap. Work at least has AC to make life livable.

While going through the mind numbing scholarship database here at work, I ran across this little gem of a grant.

The W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography

This grant provides a photographer with $30,000 to complete a humanistic photo essay.

Oh the things I could do with that. Think about documenting a month of summer festivals in Germany. The traveling, the camping, the fest itself, not just the music but the people attending too.

Also, the recipient of said grant also promises to donate 12 prints to the fund which will then be archived at the International Center of Photography in New York City as part of the permanent W. Eugene Smith Legacy Collection.


This is supposedly the most prestigious honor in documentary photography, but how I'd love the chance to do this.

It's the only explanation.

I'm a mutant.

Everyone else gets sick when it's cold and wet out. I get sick when it weather turns warm.


Evil cold with random earaches. I never had an earache before until now.


I thought I was doing better yesterday, but nope, today woke up feeling worse and massive earache in my right ear. See! I knew I shouldn't have done the dishes or taken out the trash. Bah, chores are bad for your health!


I'm going to hide at home and use up what little bit of sick time I have left it seems. I hope I can make it to work tomorrow. I hate being sick.

STG Presents
The Cult

The Moore Theatre
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
7:30pm

$27.50 - $37.50
(not including fees)

Internet Only Presale:
May 28 @ 10 am - May 28 @ 10 pm
Enter promotional code "stg" when prompted

http://broadcaster.email-tickets.com/t?r=1978&c=1415870&l=60372&ctl=1DEAB34:730D3F866B87B5C89CF2CC2185915D961001CCFB6F50864B&



Tempted, but I don't really have the cash for it.