re-thinkulating

Anyone who knows me knows that for the most part I'd rather stick a red hot poker in my eye than go to two places on the planet. 1- The grocery store and 2- Walmart.

I have my reasons. I don't like people wandering aimlessly. I don't like screaming kids. I don't like people at all much actually and the grocery store drives me insane with all the wandering, screaming, and paying for stuff that tends to go bad before I can use it all. Walmart is like that combined with the company's sucky political leanings and let's face it, the majority of Walmarts I've ever been in are filthy and chaotic and there is NEVER a good time to go to them.

When I moved here I was excited about there being a Target. I'm team Target all the way. Except our Target is well... kinda disappointing. It's a lot like the older Targets in Bakersfield or even the one in Santa Maria. Just kinda janky and not that clean and not the Target I dreamed of (Oh Rosedale Target, you ruined me for everyone)

It's pretty hot here in Chico and up until a couple of hours ago I only owned one pair of shorts. Lots of reasons, mostly I used to be as fat as a house before my tour of duty at Wild and it wasn't often hot enough to wear shorts where I lived before. Having already checked out Target, I took a deep breath and went to the Chico Walmart.

Holy crap. This is the nicest freakin' Walmart I've ever been in. Clean. Well organized. Hella stocked with loads of cute crap for my house and surprisingly free of creepy people or screaming babies. In other words, it was sort of like the Target I had imagined.

I ended up walking around for awhile checking some stuff out and buying some denim shorts from the Miley Cyrus juniors line.... No I'm not kidding

Yes I can fit into clothes from Miley Cyrus's junior line. Hi, what's up?

I did escape before purchasing a Justin Bieber CD. Damn you Bieber fever....

how to piss off a radio dj in 30 seconds or less

Okay for those of you not in radio let me start by saying this: a radio DJ's headphones are like... well they're like their LIVES. Headphones are one of the few things most of us will shell out some serious bank on (and really when you're in our business anything over five bucks is serious cash, but I digress) and most people have a pair that cost a MINIMUM of 70+ dollars. At least.

They are also kind of a personal item. I mean we wear them on our heads and our ears, and clean as anyone is, that's kind of some intimate contact. As a rule, most people don't share hairbrushes and q-tips, so you get the idea.

What some people do not understand is that headphones are a piece of sensitive equipment and being the neurotic crazy people most radio folks are, we do fetishize them a tiny bit and probably are overly sensitive about our personal pairs. It's pretty rare to lend them out and often times it's almost impossible to use someone else's because your pair sounds and feels the way you want them to. These are your ears, so to speak and using someone else's headphones is like trying to hear with someone else's ears. Even if you're comfortable rubbing something on your head that's been on someone else's head (and believe me, I've borrowed a pair here and there for various reasons) most of the time it just feels, weird.

Anyway back to the point... I don't lend my headphones out very often. I'm obviously extremely crazy about them. While I didn't purchase them personally, they weren't cheap and I can not imagine being able to afford to replace them with a comparable pair any point in the near future. I also can't see myself using anything but these. I love them.



That being said, I do on occasion let someone else use them. Like I let Jeremy use them for like five minutes the other day when he was learning the board/automation system again and he gave them back to me in the same condition I handed them to him in, because yo, V-Rock gets it, right? But when I lend them out and they come back to me... well okay with the cords all wrapped up around the headband/ear pieces that makes me nuts, because it does damage the wires inside the cords. Think about when you pinch off a hose to stop the flow of water if that doesn't make sense. Or when I lend them out and then have to go track down the adapter that plugs into the mixing board because someone either left it plugged into the board or just pulled it off and left it on the counter? Man that makes me see red, because what if it's lost? How do I do my show without being able to plug myself into the board?

Other things people have done that almost drove me to a rage fit... wearing too much hair gel and using my headphones (so gross!) not putting them back in the drawer or handing them to me, you know just tossing them on a desk, out of their little bag? Arrugh maddening. Or tangling the cords and just leaving them knotted up. Taking them without asking? Man I want to cut a bitch when that happens, and when you work in a place without locking drawers, cabinets, etc, it will happen. (Both the stealing of headphones and the me cutting a bitch.)

Am I the only one who's this crazy?

viva craigslist

So yesterday I found a futon for free on Craigslist!

It looks a little bit like this:



I used the station vehicle to go pick it up, which was an adventure in itself. It's 1987 Chevy Suburban, raised tires, huge, no air conditioning. It was like driving a living room. A really hot living room.

I also dragged this futon up my stairs by myself. Rawr. I am completely able to take care of myself. You have to be. I'm all independent like Beyonce sings about.

the sad ballad of Stephanie's iPhone

It's the damnedest thing. I love my iPhone. I take care of it, like it's some kind of baby or something. My iPhone is at my side constantly and I have never done wrong by this phone. Usually my phone does pretty swell by me as well.

Until I moved an hour and a half from the nearest Apple store. And my home button (basically the button that makes the phone freakin' work) went out.

I have to mail the phone out today to get repaired. Or replaced. Either way, I'll be without my iPhone for about a week. I'm sad. I'm cranky. I'm also without my camera basically as a result.

Did I mention that I'm REALLY tired of sleeping on the floor? What does that have to do with my iPhone? Nothing. I'm just generally cranky. And have a sore neck/back/etc. Sue me.

back into your head

When I lived in San Luis Obispo, my home "office," as it were was the Black Sheep Bar and Grill on Chorro. It wasn't always the case but during my employment drought a friend of mine started working the day shift there and a couple of times a week just to get out of the house, I'd take my laptop or a book up there and go hang out with John while he worked. John and I would shoot the bull about music and I'd get to talk to someone other than my cat for an hour or so.

John moved on to another job about the same time I started working at Wild and Nicole came back from her hiatus. I love Nicole. Since the Sheep is a lunch spot too, I'd stop in and see her a couple of times a week and have the vegetarian chili and talk music and fashion and Hello Kitty and of course boys, I mean what is good girl time without gossip about boys. Also the Black Sheep became our after work happy hour spot. No idea why, there are a million bars in SLO county, but Teresa and I would go to the Sheep after work for a Safety Meeting, which was basically us whining about our jobs and boys. Hey what's girl time without some whining about boys? You know this is 50% of what we do, when you're not around guys...

While I was making the transition from SLO to Chico I used to go the Black Sheep and make phone calls on their back patio. AT&T picked that week to just destroy service in my home area, so my phone was useless at the house. I had to go to SLO for one thing or another every day anyway, so I just blocked out time to sit in the back where it was quiet and do my thing. And gossip with Nicole about my plans and sometimes, yeah I'd get weepy and scared and Nicole was always ready to tell me I was doing the right thing, that I was going to be great and that I was going to be happy, just like a good friend does. And a couple of weeks ago she sent me a card that made me laugh so hard...

It's funny to think you can miss a bar. And really it's not the bar I miss, it's the familiarity, the friendships I made with a few people who worked there and the ability to walk in, ask for "something red," to drink (I tried that here, man that didn't go as well as I would have liked) and pick up mid conversation where you left off.

It's a Monday morning, which was normally a Black Sheep lunch day for me. Vegetarian chili, Tegan and Sara, Betsy Johnson bags, gossip gossip gossip and a hug to get my week started. I miss it.

this one time

A long time ago, the last time I was a single girl in the world, this song was very very popular.



I remember one time, driving home from a date,(this one of course more promising than the last, ain't that always the way? Ha) and hearing it. It was summer time, wasn't it always back then and I had my windows down and was driving down the 101 back to Grover Beach and for a minute, just one minute, I felt like I was in a movie, or that life was always going to be the most beautiful thing or even, I don't know, my own little happy ending was out there...

That freeway, that person (good lord this was at least six five or six years ago, right?) and that time is gone. But I still love this song...

next step

Hey Stephanie, what are you doing in Chico?

-Taking huge leaps with my eyes closed at all times. The surprise is the pay off right?

-Missing my friends back home like crazy. I talk to most of them every single day. People you wouldn't expect even... People I didn't expect. Man I carry you guys in my heart like you don't even know.

-Finding my way around town. This hasn't been too much of a problem in awhile.

-listening to a lot of music, laying in the sun, day dreaming, thinking about radio.

-Did I mention missing people? There are people I miss like a limb. I don't want to call them out here, because that just swells egos, but they know who they are. Or they should. If they don't, they're deaf and blind and just as silly as ever. So they probably don't. So, hey I miss you.

-Meeting people. You have to, you know when you don't know anyone, making friends is the name of the game, and I'm trying to do it.

-Joining a gym. Or I will be in the next couple of weeks. Hollah, it's trade bitches.

-eating sushi. Which I need to knock off.

-Feeling like me again, which wasn't happening much in the last couple of months in SLO. Nothing dramatic, I just really started to question my path in life and if I was doing the right thing for a living (i.e. do you HAVE to love what you do, or can you just do something for money? Me and a few other bad asses I know HAVE to love it.)

-taking pictures. seeing new things. sitting in creeks. going to bikini car washes. seeing new dj's.

-Sleeping on the floor.

So now you're caught up.

random iphone pics

Truth be told I'm too lazy to blog today, so here's some stuff

Are these your frogs?

Studio

Last time at Gen Kai

The Maltese

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Final break on 95.3 the Beach San Luis Obispo by djstephaniebell

Final break on 95.3 the Beach San Luis Obispo by djstephaniebell

a smile three miles wide

Once a long time ago someone played this song for me when I was having a bad day and it made me smile. I guess I'm easy to make happy.

too hot

It's a point of fact that it's hot in Chico. Balls hot. Lake of fire and damnation hot. My pool is 75 degrees at night hot.

This makes going to sleep difficult. The air conditioner in Casa De Bellish is a wall unit. It doesn't always cool the bedroom. Last night was one of those nights. I woke up at 3am just sweating and had to get up and go sleep in the living room floor under the AC. no big deal since I sleep on the floor as a general rule anyway. But damn... It's hot here.

Went to Butte Creek with my new style funky Asian Girlfriend Sarah. We dubbed her this while we were shithoused at Lost on Friday night discussing radio via text with another friend of mine. Anyway she took me to a creek. I got in. Probably got fish poop in my pores but oh well. Gotta try to blend in with the locals after all.

Meatwad tells me I need to go to the Holes. Naturally I did a double take at this term. He meant swimming holes. Salmon Hole, Aligator Hole, Bear hole...

Also I keep seeing people here who look like people from back home. There's a girl that goes to the Banshee (stellar place) who looks like a girl I didn't like in SLO. Theres a dude that makes sushi at Rawbar who's a dead ringer for my old boss Jojo. There's a guy where I'm eating right now that looks like a sever from the Custom house...

Might be homesick. Might be this assraping heat.

Stephanie vs Panda Express part 3

Dear Guest,



We would like to get feedback on your recent experience with our Guest Relations Department. You may choose to participate by clicking on the link below and answering several short questions.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=pGRjmnAuY21gNQI5GPOKSQ_3d_3d

The survey takes less than 3 minutes to complete and your valuable comments will help us improve the department in the future. Thank you in advance for your time and opinions.

-------------
I haven't done this yet, but the answer to their question? IT SUCKED.

Stephanie Vs Panda Express act 2

July 15, 2010

Dear Stephanie:

Thank you for taking the time to contact us regarding your experience at the Panda Express in Chico, CA. Please accept our sincerest apology for the dissatisfaction that you experienced during your recent visit.

We appreciate the opportunity you have given Panda Restaurant Group, Inc. to focus on the situation you encountered. This ultimately helps us to strengthen our Guest Services. Your comments have been forwarded to the General Managers, Area Manager, and Regional Director of Operations for their information and review. Please feel confident they will look into this matter and take any necessary corrective actions.

Again, we appreciate your taking the time to contact us. With input from valuable guests like you, we are able to address situations that might otherwise go unnoticed. We value you as a guest and hope that you will give us the opportunity to better serve you in the very near future

Sincerely,

Ruby Avitia

Guest Relations Coordinator

------------------------------------

Why do I get the feeling that this is a form letter?

on the flip side

You really wouldn't think so, but In and Out Burger is a great place for vegetarians who may be on the road traveling or just miss grabbing a burger with friends. Just ask for a few items from the secret menu and you'll be all set.



Above: Veggie Burger, Dr Pepper. In and Out Burger Chico, CA (taken with the hipstamatic app on my iPhone)

Stephanie vs Panda Express

Dear Panda Express,

Look I'm a big fan of yours. I love the Mandarin sauce and I love your veggie spring rolls... I love that you have Dr Pepper at the fountain and I even love your little Panda logo. Pandas are cute, what's not to love about Panda bears?

What I don't love is this; going to one of your establishments and getting basically discriminated against because I'm a vegetarian. Don't get me wrong Panda, I get that the majority of the public isn't and majority rules in most businesses. And I do appreciate the few times when you do have a vegetarian entree, although Eggplant Tofu isn't my favorite, I like it when you think of me.

No Panda, I have a very specific example of being treated badly at one of your locations as a result of what I ordered. See I walked into the Panda on Mangrove here in gorgeous Chico yesterday with the plan of ordering my usual, sitting down and having a nice lunch, you know not at my desk in the office for once, but out and about with other people! Shocking, I know. I go to the counter and I wait (and wait and wait, the lady in front of me was ordering the whole store) and order my side of rice and my side of mixed vegetables. I order this, in this manner because this Panda location didn't even have the Eggplant Tofu I don't even like that much.

Now I've come to expect at this time for one of two things to happen, either whoever dishes out my food will argue with me that I am ordering a Panda Bowl, what do I want for my entree? And when I explain I don't want meat, I want the small order of rice and the small order of vegetables, they will go ahead and charge me for the Panda Bowl. Or whoever is working will GET IT and dish it out on a plate and charge me exactly what the menu says a side of this and a side of that will cost. The latter was always my experience with the stellar Panda Express back in San Luis Obispo, who were the helpful people who told me that ordering a Panda Bowl without an entree is a total rip off.

But yesterday? Oh no yesterday I couldn't even get ripped off for a Panda Bowl. Yesterday when I placed my order, the girl behind the counter pulled out two to go boxes (the little foldy take out kind) and when I told her, that I would rather have a plate or even a bowl because I had planned to eat in, I got this snotty face made at me and was told since I had ONLY ordered these menu items this was the way they were packaged and that I COULD NOT have a plate/bowl/styrofoam box which would enable me to eat inside the restaurant. And I might have taken that and just shrugged it off, except that I watched this same girl make SEVERAL side PLATES of MEAT for the lady in front of me. This woman also got sampled a taste of EVERYTHING on the buffet and was generally treated much better than I was.

Before anyone points out that I was ordering "cheap," I wasn't. I was ordering what was on the menu that I was able to eat. At the end of the line, I still forked out close to six bucks to be treated badly and basically discriminated against because I wasn't ordering any meat products. I mean what other reason could there be, if the other woman also ordering sides was able to get a plate or two out of the girls behind the counter.

On top of all that I had to wait over 10 minutes for my vegetables that I wasn't going to be able to eat in the restaurant. And the Dr Pepper was out of order. Which are petty gripes in comparison with basically being told that what I was ordering wasn't worth giving me a plate and a place to sit. And this can't be company policy or even Chico policy because I've gone to the other Panda in town and they gave me a plate. Sure they charged me for the Panda Bowl, but they at least treated me with respect.

In short, I will NEVER step foot in the Mangrove location of Panda Express again and it might be a very long time before I patronize the other one in town as well.

-Stephanie


*edited to add* Oh good an auto response:

Greetings STEPHANIE,

Thank you for your comments and suggestions. A Panda Guest Relations Representative will be responding to your e-mail within the next 72 hours. If you would like to speak to someone during our business hours, you may contact us at 800-877-8988.

Monday - Friday -- 8:00 am to 7:00 pm (Pacific time)
Saturday -- 9:00 am to 5:30 pm (Pacific time)

You may receive an automated email survey asking for feedback on your experience with Guest Relations.

Panda Restaurant Group, Inc.
P.O. Box 1159
Rosemead, CA 91770

in my head

Last year when I went to work at Wild and the Beach I told myself I was not going to get into that trap where I hated the music without giving it a chance. As a result I got into pop music and yay, sometimes this is just what you need. I mean I'm all for listening to Joy Division in a dark room and all that, but sometimes you're going to go out, you're going to party and you want to be in an up mood when you hit the town.

Anyway I'm late to the party on this one. I played this song on Wild and heard it every day for awhile but it wasn't until it came on the other day, I was driving down Cohassat with my windows down for the first time in awhile since moving here blaring a CD (I know right?) that I picked up at Target because it was pretty much all the music I was missing from the radio station back home. And it was sort of like hearing this song for the first time again, only I already knew all the words.

It reminds me of a really happy time, a special time in my career, which while at first I thought was doomed, ended up being just what I needed. And all the hours I put in for free and all the hustlin' and working free events or just going to clubs to show my boys there that I had their backs? Man so worth it.

So here you go... enjoy a little piece of the year of my life before I came to Chico. Those pink Long Islands (what are they, Long Beach Iced Teas?) watching the night blow up from up inside the booth and of course sometimes even dancing to songs like this...

going to the Chico DMV

I know, I know, no one likes going to the DMV. But the Chico DMV is a special kind of hell I didn't think existed.

For one it takes FOREVER, like even in DMV terms. From the time I got my number to the time I was called it was over an hour. An hour, of sitting amongst some of the scariest people that Chico has offered me so far.

There were the usual people you see when you head out to any kind of public agency. Sure they can't dress themselves, they're wearing sweats in public or haven't bathed in good hot minute but you expect that right?

What I didn't expect was the screaming tweaker woman and her husband who either beats the hell out of her when they're at home or is the most patient tweaker dude I've ever seen. They came in to file an accident report on behalf of their granddaughter who had wrecked their car. And the woman was already pissed off that she had to do this, or that she couldn’t share her list of ailments with the DMV lady who kept saying “Here’s the form, fill it out and come back.” Finally Screamy McGee got away from the counter and went to the area where you fill out forms. Right next to me.

If I wasn’t so sure this woman was making meth in her garage, I could’ve stolen her entire identity. Hell ANYONE in that DMV could have because she was just screaming everything she said and constantly screaming at her husband to stop talking, she couldn’t write and talk at the same time, oh my god shut up.

Of course to add to that were the crying babies and a dude with a prison tattoo (seriously this was hand done) that said Jah Rules and if he’d come any closer to me, I probably would’ve screamed because I know homeboy had fleas, or was at least harboring some serious funk.

The other thing shocking to me was the sheer amount of BAD INK that was being sported in that bitch. I’ve seen some shit tattoos before but these were just HUGE and ugly. And what is it with trees and the people here? Almost all the tats I saw, were of trees.

What the hell?

Then in the seats where I was, there were like four plain, normal, non standing out people. We all seemed to be clinging to this tiny island of normalcy in this sea of filthy agitated Chicoans at the world’s slowest DMV.

Good news is though, I have tags on my car, a new address in my life and I survived the Chico DMV, and as far as I can tell didn’t pick up any diseases while I was there. I will still be scrubbing with extra strength soap when I get home tonight though. Sheesh.

It's hot bitches

So this was yesterday evening about the time I decided it was too hot to be in my 2nd floor apartment and headed out to grab the only thing I though I could stomach in the heat, sushi. Unfortunately everyone in town had the same idea so I walked next door to this jazz bar called Johnnie's in the Hotel Diamond, where they have great drinks and an amazing air conditioner, and shot the ish with Steve, the bartender there.

Finally around 8:30, I walked back over to the sushi joint, and there was finally room at the bar. I got a roll and a glass of water and listened to the XM Darkwave station with the kids closing up shop. I like going to Rawbar because everyone who works there is about my age and I can grab myself some insider Chico information from them. Everyone is really friendly and cool and have really pointed out some cool spots to me in the month since I've been here.



I checked the temp right before walking back to my car and this is what is said. Are you kidding me? It's 9:30 at night? My house was pretty warm but I ended up sleeping okay after being out in the sun all day.

I know I grew up in Bakersfield where it is HOT HOT HOT all summer long but I've also just spent seven years in a place that RARELY breaks 100 if ever. I'm getting used to it, and hardly notice when it's just 90 or so, but man those last 10 degrees...


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

workin'

This is my friend Beau's kid, hanging out at the radio station.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

So what

It's no secret that I love house music, although considering where I work, it probably should be. Oh well I have a wide variety of tastes, freakin' sue me.

Anyway it's Friday and one of my favorite DJ's from back home put up a mini mix today, just in time!

If you haven't checked out DJ Sol yet, do IT NOW. He's good and definitely part of the familia back home. Get his newest mini mix here. Thank me later.

More on my boy here....

Lady Gaga- Future Love

There's an f-bomb in this thing, but it's fantastic.



Say what you will, bitches, Lady Gaga is amazing.

I love this song.

I mean just so you know and all...

music

Music is completely weird sometimes. Like it can throw you for a loop every so often and today, no exception.

Yesterday when I was deciding what we'd play here today, I didn't think about what I was sticking in one of our retro feature spots and dumped a song in and moved on. Today doing my show though, I realized what song it was and when it came out and how much it reminds me of my friend Chris who passed away two years ago.

Passed away... man I hate that term. I hate all the terms that describe what happened to him though, because they all mean he isn't here right now and that I miss him in an entirely different way than I did when he just lived in another state. Such is the way of the world.

I signed the paper work to come work up here on the two year anniversary of the day we lost him. How's that for freakin' weird?

Anyway, enjoy this little slice of my teenage life, and a little peek into what this one boy I love who just isn't with us anymore and I used to listen to....

pierce

This was five years ago. I sort of want to do it again.... hmmmm.

music

I've had this song in my head for a few days now...

one little email

Made my entire day. Just putting that out there. Even all the way up here, on the moon, one little line of text...

It's that easy sometimes to make someone happy. Take that information with you, use it. Make someone's day in a non-Dirty Harry kind of way.

365 days later...

This is me on the last day of being 30 years old. Tomorrow I turn 31, if I like it or not. Oddly enough although I dreaded my 30th birthday like I was going to the gallows, being 30 ended up being kind of a roller coaster ride of sorts...

365 days ago I wasn't working. I didn't think I'd ever work again to be honest, I was ready to get a job (shudder) outside of radio and just do what I had to do. I wasn't particularly happy with my weight, my situation in life and I just sort of felt like... well like being 30 was going to just suck.

Then about a month into it, my friend Teresa called me. She'd been working at some radio group in town and they had an opening. And I applied and through some miracle of miracles I got that job and went to work with a bunch of people I've come to think of as my family. I made new friends, I became closer with friends I already had (hello Teresa is my SISTER these days, yo) I tried new things and started running, for my health, not because a big damn bear was chasing me.

And then another job came along. And it was like job Christmas, this was the job I'd been waiting for my whole life and suddenly there it was. Waiting for me to come take it and take a big scary leap. Which I did, because hey, what's life but a series of big scary leaps, one right after the next? So off I went.

So here I am. 30 for just a few more hours. It's a trip to think about how much has changed in just one year and to think how many people became so important to me in that short time and really touched my life. I just feel blessed. And oddly enough calm about turning 31. I have a feeling everything is just getting started for me...

this is your birthday pony

My birthday is Saturday. This is only interesting in the fact that my family is coming up to visit me in Chico. This should be fun!



I love Fugazi. I don't know if I've ever mentioned that before, but I do. I've seen them live several times and man, they're just amazing. Meeting Ian Mackaye was one of the top 20 coolest things I've ever done.