sunset, 25th street looking west, san francisco

It's (finally) Friday. It's also payday, and since the rent check has already gone through, I stashed some cash into the savings account for the East Coast trip. Plans are coming together, and it's really exciting. Trust me, anyone who went into a 9 to 5 job straight out of college can tell you how important real vacations are...going away while in school seemed like something I was entitled to, but now, it's like a necessity for my mental health and well-being. Without perspective, all the work days going by are worthless.

The rough travel plans are to fly into New York, bus our asses up to Providence and then Boston, hit the Amtrak back down to New York, then fly back. Bless the Northeast and their public transport! I only hope the camera holds enough photos.

Tonight is dinner and then rest, friends might show up (but as of this, they haven't called yet), tomorrow is work and then a late addition afternoon Amscray show in the rare San Francisco heat, then who knows. Someone turn off the sun, I'm *dying* in here. Please?

Last night was my time to relax, so Miss Rodeo America and I went to our usual pub-style place and had some dinner, chatted, drank a pint, and watched people interact with their children. Usually, there's this crew of dogs that show up with their owners and spend the whole time trying to play with each other...it's rather cute, really, but last night there was not one canine in sight.

We then rented Crossroads. Yes, the Britney Spears vehicle. The guy at the video store made fun of us and picked up the video like it was made of cryptonite and would burn his hand. We made it all the way through, even though most of the plot made absolutely no sense. In case you haven't seen it, the movie starts out with about five minutes of flashback, and then cuts to Britney dancing around her room singing a Madonna song in her underwear. I guess the filmakers didn't want to waste any time getting to the money shot. Throughout the movie, there are probably three of four other scenes that feature The Spear either disrobing, in a towel, or practically naked. The only sad thing is that she was clearly out-prettied by the taller co-star, yet neither of them acted particularly well, so no love lost. The movies sucked, that for sure, but it wasn't nearly as bad (and dumb) as Glitter. God, nothing will ever be *that* weird and bad again.

Note to the East Coast: Shhhh....but MRA and I will be invading the New York / New England area on August 24th, if I forgot to email you to plan to hang out yet, drop me a line. Woot.

Cat vs. Cat, Day 3: Bunny has been pretty much mildly aggressive towards Oscar Cortez (the new kitty) for the past three days, but there is slow progress between these two warring kitties. Bunny is training to kill with his toys, while Oscar Cortez has decided that my hand is fair game, and put two rather large puncture wounds around my thumb. Good thing I'm a patient man, and as the kitty police, my only weapon is a squirt bottle.

The Daily Photo is back. I also finished putting all my records on a bookshelf next to the CDs, things look more organized in here every day. I need the break from work tomorrow, the drive will do me some good.

The Village People sound like a new house in a new town in 1979.
Neil Diamond sounds like riding in a moving truck, my dad in a cowboy hat.
Alabama sound like my father's RX-7, revving on the overpass towards my house.
Al Jarreau sounds like my mom dropping me off at elementary school, the gravel under my shoes.
Debbie Gibson sounds like Nerf basketball, locked in my room with the radio loud.
Motley Crue sounds like being dangerous and daring, doing something I'm not allowed to do.
Sam Cooke sounds like age 13, on the roof of my best friend's house looking out over the city.
The Ramones sound like God trying to get through a closed front door.
Green Day sound like inheriting my dad's Mazda, and figuring out where the backroads go.
Jawbreaker sound like stealing six-packs of 7-Up left out in front of the grocery store in Petaluma.
Low sound like rich people's houses in Orange County on the Fourth Of July.
The Promise Ring sound like dancing at shows, not caring about the scenesters and hecklers.
Jimmy Eat World sound like college in the wintertime.
Radiohead sound like Interstate 80, every Saturday morning.
Will Oldham sounds like Miss Rodeo America, smiling.
The Beatles sound like Sonoma county in the fog and in the sun, every season seen through a windshield.

The weirdest part for me working at the bakery is that it's really the only time besides sleeping and watching movies that I'm not listening to music. It makes thinking feel like forgetting sometimes, and I swear it makes the clock move slower and slower every day.

Late Night Tele-Vision: I couldn't sleep last night. We went to bed at about midnight, and I tossed and turned, tried to get comfortable, and finally fell asleep only to wake up suddenly to find that it was 12:45. Damn.

So I got up and stumbled around for a bit, then crashed down on the living room couch and watched the Springsteen stuff I taped last week and some random documentary stuff on PBS. I still wasn't very sleepy, but it was now 2:30 and I knew I needed the rest. Just as I was about to turn in (again) Bunny came out to say hello, so we hung out, and then he remember that new kitty was still in the spare room. New kitty, it seemed, was tired of being locked up in a room, so he was trying to get out by putting his paws under the door to pull it open. Bunny was not happy that new kitty was in his territory, so he went up and hissed at the door with an annoyed look on his face. I had to be kitty police and separate the two combatants before feelings got hurt.

It was now 3:00, and I forced myself into bed and just waited for Mr. Sleep to come. Needless to say, when I woke up this morning, I was very, very tired.

Amscray practice tonight, then I might meet up with a friend of mine from Texas for late-night drinks, if my eyes can stay open that long.

mission: oscar

While I was at work today, Miss Rodeo America went and adopted a new kitty. Bunny the cat is not happy about this situation, BLCKYLLWBLCK will keep you updated as to the progress of their budding relationship.