WTF Thursday

I just don't know what to make of today, man. I really don't.

I mean, there were the small annoyances, like a work issue THAT JUST WON'T DIE and the fact that New Orleans Girl couldn't pick up milk this morning because all the milks at the deli were expired. The subway doors closed on me, and I couldn't even start working when I got to work, because the computer that was supposed to be replaced yesterday had to wait until today for some reason.

BUT

The computer is awesome. It's a proper pentium, so all those annoying lags I was experiencing are gone. It's flyyyying. Also, I got a very nice compliment on my hair, despite having done nothing except run a brush through it this morning. j_bkl is VERY close to being completely caught up on Supernatural (which is on tonight, YAYS). Both the weekend and the baseball season are close enough to taste. And, I had a lovely day at the New York Botanical Garden yesterday, and will post pics later. Oh, and my federal tax refund is now in my bank account.

STILL

Today is kind of going to go down in history as the day the TV almost fell on my head.

I was in the kitchen, making my lunch. The TV was atop it's usual perch on the fridge. I had forgotten something, so I went back to the fridge to get it. A moment after closing the door, and mere seconds BEFORE I'd be leaning over the table assembling my sammich, the tv came crashing down. Miraculously, both the TV and I were completely unhurt. Still, I think nearly getting squished by a tv counts as a crappy start to the day, you know?

Tonight I'm going to go home, make some dinner, and have a beer. I think I've earned a beer.

WTF Thursday

I just don't know what to make of today, man. I really don't.

I mean, there were the small annoyances, like a work issue THAT JUST WON'T DIE and the fact that New Orleans Girl couldn't pick up milk this morning because all the milks at the deli were expired. The subway doors closed on me, and I couldn't even start working when I got to work, because the computer that was supposed to be replaced yesterday had to wait until today for some reason.

BUT

The computer is awesome. It's a proper pentium, so all those annoying lags I was experiencing are gone. It's flyyyying. Also, I got a very nice compliment on my hair, despite having done nothing except run a brush through it this morning. j_bkl is VERY close to being completely caught up on Supernatural (which is on tonight, YAYS). Both the weekend and the baseball season are close enough to taste. And, I had a lovely day at the New York Botanical Garden yesterday, and will post pics later. Oh, and my federal tax refund is now in my bank account.

STILL

Today is kind of going to go down in history as the day the TV almost fell on my head.

I was in the kitchen, making my lunch. The TV was atop it's usual perch on the fridge. I had forgotten something, so I went back to the fridge to get it. A moment after closing the door, and mere seconds BEFORE I'd be leaning over the table assembling my sammich, the tv came crashing down. Miraculously, both the TV and I were completely unhurt. Still, I think nearly getting squished by a tv counts as a crappy start to the day, you know?

Tonight I'm going to go home, make some dinner, and have a beer. I think I've earned a beer.

Douche patrol.

There was one other thing, but it needed its own post.

On Tuesday, j_bkl and I went to see Laura Cantrell and Camera Obscura at the Bell House. Both are favorites of mine, so I was really psyched to be seeing them live for the first time.

Before the show, we enjoyed a very nice meal at Bar Tano, a restaurant not far away from the venue. We had a snug little corner booth, right by the windows. It was nice. We had it to ourselves until they seated a couple at the table next to ours.

There was this guy. Moustache, sweater with a slightly popped collar, and a pork pie hat with a feather. Oh, and a nice big moustache. Throughout the meal, he told his increasingly-bored-looking date about how awesome SXSW was, how he's still in "SXSW mode." He talked about how she just HAD to try campari with soda, but only if they had sugared oranges, which he made her try. He went on (in between bites) about all the bar owners he knows, all the DJs he knows, his own DJ career, and his career as a stylist, photographer, and hair stylist. A few names may even have been dropped. This guy was going on like he was The Shit.

I did my best not to snicker openly, but J and I did roll our eyes at each other a few times. Then, we get to the venue, and during the show, we discovered the punchline.

THE DUDE IS A ROADIE!!!

He's Camera Obscura's roadie! And he was so busy trying to impress his hipster date that he didn't do a great job tuning the guitars or setting up, so he may soon be an ex-roadie. But yeah. We just about died laughing at that one.

Both bands were great, though. Laura Cantrell was in excellent voice and did one of my very favorite songs ("California Rose", if you know her stuff). No "14th Street," though. And she did a TON of new stuff, which makes me hopeful that a new album of new material (instead of just a covers ep) is on the way.

Camera Obscura did a ton of stuff off the forthcoming My Maudlin Career, and I'm even MORE excited about that album's release now. Of course, they also did "Tears for Affairs," "Come Back Margaret" and "Lloyd, I'm ready to be heartbroken." They sounded great, and I am so happy to have seen them live. I was also lucky enough to score a really cool poster of theirs for free, and I treated myself to a t-shirt, since it was awesome. (It's got a peacock on it). Still, there was one teeny thing that was a blight on the evening. (More on that below)

****
And now, a brief PSA:

Let's say it's your birthday, and a band you really adore is playing. You happen to be away in another country, but the band is playing in said country. So you get to see said band. Do yourself a favor:

DO NOT:
Take 394839843843 pictures of the band, yourself with the band, or yourself dancing like an idiot. USING A FLASH. Oh, and taking videos.
Drink too much beer, and drop the cans all over the floor.
Scream a conversation with the people next to you, so others are unable to hear the band.
Fail around and scream along with the songs like a drunken moron, under the guise of enjoying the band.

There was one girl at the show, directly in front of the stage, DOING ALL OF THESE THINGS. I got to talk to the people next to her, who finally had words with her about the constant flash of the camera on the merch line, and they said she was visiting from Venezuela, and it was her birthday, as if that was some kind of excuse. There is no excuse for being a total douche, boys and girls. Respect for the performers and your fellow audience members is a universal thing.

Douche patrol.

There was one other thing, but it needed its own post.

On Tuesday, j_bkl and I went to see Laura Cantrell and Camera Obscura at the Bell House. Both are favorites of mine, so I was really psyched to be seeing them live for the first time.

Before the show, we enjoyed a very nice meal at Bar Tano, a restaurant not far away from the venue. We had a snug little corner booth, right by the windows. It was nice. We had it to ourselves until they seated a couple at the table next to ours.

There was this guy. Moustache, sweater with a slightly popped collar, and a pork pie hat with a feather. Oh, and a nice big moustache. Throughout the meal, he told his increasingly-bored-looking date about how awesome SXSW was, how he's still in "SXSW mode." He talked about how she just HAD to try campari with soda, but only if they had sugared oranges, which he made her try. He went on (in between bites) about all the bar owners he knows, all the DJs he knows, his own DJ career, and his career as a stylist, photographer, and hair stylist. A few names may even have been dropped. This guy was going on like he was The Shit.

I did my best not to snicker openly, but J and I did roll our eyes at each other a few times. Then, we get to the venue, and during the show, we discovered the punchline.

THE DUDE IS A ROADIE!!!

He's Camera Obscura's roadie! And he was so busy trying to impress his hipster date that he didn't do a great job tuning the guitars or setting up, so he may soon be an ex-roadie. But yeah. We just about died laughing at that one.

Both bands were great, though. Laura Cantrell was in excellent voice and did one of my very favorite songs ("California Rose", if you know her stuff). No "14th Street," though. And she did a TON of new stuff, which makes me hopeful that a new album of new material (instead of just a covers ep) is on the way.

Camera Obscura did a ton of stuff off the forthcoming My Maudlin Career, and I'm even MORE excited about that album's release now. Of course, they also did "Tears for Affairs," "Come Back Margaret" and "Lloyd, I'm ready to be heartbroken." They sounded great, and I am so happy to have seen them live. I was also lucky enough to score a really cool poster of theirs for free, and I treated myself to a t-shirt, since it was awesome. (It's got a peacock on it). Still, there was one teeny thing that was a blight on the evening. (More on that below)

****
And now, a brief PSA:

Let's say it's your birthday, and a band you really adore is playing. You happen to be away in another country, but the band is playing in said country. So you get to see said band. Do yourself a favor:

DO NOT:
Take 394839843843 pictures of the band, yourself with the band, or yourself dancing like an idiot. USING A FLASH. Oh, and taking videos.
Drink too much beer, and drop the cans all over the floor.
Scream a conversation with the people next to you, so others are unable to hear the band.
Fail around and scream along with the songs like a drunken moron, under the guise of enjoying the band.

There was one girl at the show, directly in front of the stage, DOING ALL OF THESE THINGS. I got to talk to the people next to her, who finally had words with her about the constant flash of the camera on the merch line, and they said she was visiting from Venezuela, and it was her birthday, as if that was some kind of excuse. There is no excuse for being a total douche, boys and girls. Respect for the performers and your fellow audience members is a universal thing.