Happy Trails

Well everyone, update your bookmarks. Update those links on your blogs. This blog is now dead. All new content will go to my new site at www.waitingcasually.com.

Blogger, you were fun while you lasted.

Alright alright alright alright. I know I made all these glorious promises about how I was going to migrate my blog off Blogger and onto my own site, but I'm lazy. And Movable Type gives me a headache. It'll happen, but maybe not for a couple of weeks, OK? Get off my back. Geez. Who are you, my dad?

Anyway, couple of things I wanted to say here:

• Carolyn, thanks for all of your comments. I was definitely surprised when I had non-family members (not that I don't sincerely appreciate my family) commenting here that weren't advertising some 'hot' stock. I just read a bit (everything that's currently on your main page) of your blog and I must say that you're quite a funny gal. I really like your blog voice.
  
  
• To my altered states blogging pal: I may have you beat tonight. Do you know how hard it is to type on my freakin' keyboard when you're inebriated (not that I am) and you have hands the size of mine? Freakin' fuckin' hard, that's how.
  
  
• Sleater-Kinney, I really want to listen to your new album more. I really do. But 'All Hands on the Bad One' and 'One Beat' seem so much better to me. I'm sure I just need to digest it more, but that's just how it is.
  
  
• I know no one commented on my last American Analog Set post, but I wanted to say that their new album is fucking rad, so if you were thinking about picking it up, go ahead and do so.
  
  
• Have you seen the trailer for Aronofsky's new film? Jesus. Fucking. Christ. Does that not look like the most amazing fucking thing you'll ever fucking see? And yes. I needed to use that many 'fucking's.
  
  
• Beck. Whatever you do. I will love you. 'Everyone's Gotta Learn Sometime' might just be the saddest, most perfect song you've ever made. When you say, 'I need your lovin',' I just. About. Die.
  

Peace Out.

You know, I've never really liked paying bills.

Took the day off work today. I did nothing all day. Nothing.

It was glorious.

Like Marshmallows with Guitars

Thanks to Scotty, I've really been into American Analog Set recently and so jumped at the chance to see them live when they came to Bottom of the Hill last weekend. Bought dem tickets of the intarweb and everything so's in case the show sold out I could still go. 'Cuz I'm anal retentive like that and must make sure that all activities go according to plan.

Anyway, the show was awesome. The opening act sucked, but that's not really a surprise, is it? Second act? Better. Not exactly my thing, but definitely approved for head-bobbing. But it was clear as soon as they came on stage that AmAnSet knew what they were doing. Just fantastic. Of course, it was after midnight by that time and as I am old and sad, I was quite sleepy. The prolonged mellow strumming and xylophoning probably didn't help my level of alertness either, though. They rocked so softly. A friend told me that at the old shows, people would sit. Bottom of the Hill isn't really a big place, so we probably could have sat, but judging by the floor there, I'm not sure it would have been a good idea without a hazmat suit.

Particular highlights:

• Pre-show, outside in line in 48 degree chill, watching as a dude rolls by in an early 90s Mustang 5.0 with the top down blasting Heart's Barracuda. Fucking awesome


• The Kindness of Strangers


• Hard to Find


• Punk as Fuck


• The Ever-Growing-Louder, Seemed-Like-It-Lasted-a-Lot-Longer-Than-the-Album-Length-Version, Badalamenti-Meets-Yo La Tengo We're Computerizing and We Just Don't Need You Anymore

It felt good to get out and do something fun. Since Civ 4 came out, I haven't really done much else. Jen has been playing a lot as well and refers to her sore shoulder as "Civ shoulder." Someone help us.

Commence the Jigglin'

Not that any of you care all that much, but I'm in the process of migrating all content off of Blogger and onto my very own server. Now, because I'm cheap, I've decided that those $7.95 a month type plans are far too expensive. The alternative? Why, just a small matter of using a dynamic IP aliasing service to resolve my home computer's IP address to an easy-to-remember web address*, then downloading and configuring an application that allows me to turn my home computer into a server, meanwhile configuring my router to permit incoming web traffic so that all you fantastic (non-existent) readers won't be greeted with 404 errors when attempting to read my blog. Oh, and since I'm ditching the lovely, template-filled world of Blogger style sheets, I need to come up with a replacement service. And since the functionality of said template is dependent upon Perl, I also need to configure Windows to place nice with that as well. That's about where I am so far. Once that's done though, it's just, ya know, creating the website after that. And that's like, totally easy.

For extra fun I decided to download a Linux distribution this weekend. Yeah, 'cuz I wasn't busy or anything.

* Note: if the previous link is non-functioning, it's because my computer is offline.

Can't Touch This

You know who ate lunch at my work today? MC fucking Hammer! That's who! Isn't that crazy?! Why was MC Hammer eating lunch at my work?

The mind reels.

Letterman

I can't paint.
I can't sculpt.
I can't sing.
I can't play a musical instrument.
I don't excel at a sport.
I never finished my screenplay.
I could never write a novel.
I suck at programming.
I have a terrible poker face.
I can't finish a crossword puzzle.

But.

I can remember your name.
I can arrive on time.
I can name the year in which any number of movies were made.
I can beat most video games.
I can drive well.
I can make teriyaki sauce.
I can clean like a motherfucker.
I can solve a Rubik's cube.
I can compliment you without sounding sleazy.
I can open tough-to-open jars.

Gretzky, hah!

I hope y'all noticed the blog's new name and description. Somehow, "The Blog 1.0" didn't quite describe what this blog is. I mean, yes, it's still an initial effort, but it just didn't sit with me. Never did, but I never really felt a stronger connection to any of my other ideas until yesterday.

Stoner is a nickname I've had since elementary school. Back in Redding. At Shasta Elementary. We were the Miners. Given that I was only in 3rd grade at the time that kids first called me "stoner," I wasn't really aware of what it meant. For all I knew, these kids thought they were hot shit for adding an "r" to the end of my name. I was suitably confused.

Other than the relation to my surname, I didn't particularly earn my nickname through practice (as I said, I was 8 years old), but the name seems to have stuck. It's funny how that works. Even at my work people call me stoner. I'm sure it'll stick with me 'till the day I die. I'll be an old man shuffling down the street with a walker and someone I know'll call out to me, "Hey, Stoner!" I'm just sure of it.