train vs car travel

Going home to Bakersfield in 16-17 days and I need to decide, train or car.

Both take about the same amount of time and cost about the same. My dad has graciously offered to help me pay for it.

Cons to train:

Train leaves Chico at 3am.

I have no transportation in Bakersfield for the couple of days I'm there, meaning I either have to rely on other people to drive me around or borrow a car.

I have no way to lug any gifts back or down. Back is no problem, I don't want anything this year but down would bum me out.

Also it's cheaper to leave at 3am Christmas Eve and arrive Christmas Eve day at 130pm than the Thursday previous.

Train is slightly more than car in gas (although gas prices could go up before X-Mas eve) but...

I have to get someone to pick me up and drop me off at both ends of the trip.

I have to be more selective in what I pack and when I go and come back.

Definitely no chance to me zipping over to SLO for a day, but then again who is going to be home anyway?

Pros to train:

Train arrives in Bakersfield at 1:15pm

I only have to ride the bus for one hour if I get a certain route. Everything else is glorious train with snack cars and bathrooms and electrical outlets.

I can sleep on the train (no I know I won't, but the idea is there)

I have anxiety when I drive alone on long country roads. I only developed it living in SLO and taking the two shitty roads out of SLO to Bakersfield. I will be going alone this trip I'm pretty sure and the drive back always takes 12 hours. ALWAYS.

Ben can watch the cat, my house, and my car while I'm gone. Other than the 3am drop off/pick up times, I'm sure he'd have no problem with it.

So internet, what do you think I should do?

more music from 2010

I think we were all embarrassed when we fell in love with this song. I know I was embarrassed that this stupid song put into words something I was going through earlier this year. This dorky assed song could say words I didn't know how to make? Failure, thy name is Stephanie.

A million times in our life we think we meet someone who completes us or makes us whatever. I met someone who is me. And I'm one of their biggest fans. And I know that they are one of mine.

I will be nine hundred and eleven years old and still be grateful for knowing someone like that. Being just what I needed even though I probably drove them crazy. (It's okay they drove me nuts too. You try hanging out with yourself all the time, it's absurdly endearing and annoying at the same time.) This song is always, no matter what going to remind me of that and of this weird year when everything I knew changed so completely drastically and hopefully for the better.

"Hey, Soul Sister" - Train

Heeey heeeey heeeeey

Your lipstick stains on the front lobe of my left side brains
I knew I wouldn't forget you
And so I went and let you blow my mind
Your sweet moonbeam
The smell of you in every single dream I dream
I knew when we collided you're the one I have decided
Who's one of my kind

Hey soul sister, ain't that mister mister on the radio, stereo
The way you move ain't fair you know
Hey soul sister, I don't wanna miss a single thing you do tonight

Heeey heeeey heeeey

Just in time, I'm so glad you have a one track mind like me
You gave my life direction
A game show love connection, we can't deny
I'm so obsessed
My heart is bound to beat right out my untrimmed chest
I believe in you, like a virgin, you're Madonna
And I'm always gonna wanna blow your mind

Hey soul sister, ain't that mister mister on the radio, stereo
The way you move ain't fair you know
Hey soul sister, I don't wanna miss a single thing you do tonight

The way you can cut a rug
Watching you is the only drug I need
So gangster, I'm so thug
You're the only one I'm dreaming of
You see I can be myself now finally
In fact there's nothing I can't be
I want the world to see you'll be with me

Hey soul sister, ain't that mister mister on the radio, stereo
The way you move ain't fair you know
Hey soul sister, I don't wanna miss a single thing you do tonight
Hey soul sister, I don't wanna miss a single thing you do tonight
Heeey heeeey heeeeey (tonight)
Heeey heeeey heeeeey (tonight)

p.s. this post was brought to you by my unhealthy relationship with "Glee."

p.p.s eff Train. Seriously. Get out of my head!

music and i

Music makes me dopey. This is a point of fact, a very important thing to know about knowing me. I meet people and wham a song is usually attached to them immediately. Or several songs in some cases. I mean music is around me all of the time and I will be in the middle of a situation and hear some song and think to myself "This song belongs to you and I and this place and time." You do do it too by the way, you probably just aren't as hyper aware of it as I am.

There were a couple of songs that just killed me when I was living in SLO, especially during that last month or so while going through the interview process and the leaving process. I won't say who or what they remind me of but when they come on, I can remember exactly what I was doing when I first heard them, who I was talking to, what was going on in my life, etc.

There was a lot going on back then. Behind the scenes I mean, stuff I'll never blog about because it's not just my story to tell, you know? And it wasn't anything horrible or dangerous or bad really, just stuff I didn't know how to process.

Anyway, there is this one Train song we used to play and pretty much every time I hear it I want to laugh. Or cry. Or track Train down and rip their faces off for ever writing it and putting it in my life, because it's like they straight up sucked it out of my head and are making millions of dollars off of it in a way.

I heard it again this morning, doing the Music Choice thing on my cable, and man... I had to sit down for a second. I let myself forget sometimes how much I miss certain people. Because you have to, sometimes, you just have to. Today, I guess I was just reminded how much I miss some people. And honestly that's all the detail you're going to get from me on that.

PS Eff Train. Eff Music Choice and Eff my brain. KTHNXBYE

times like these

You are currently reading the blog of one very very tired DJ.

I had my first day on the air here in Chico today and while there were some hiccups and a few technical boo boo's I made it through and even got some nice comments from some listeners. So I guess I live to fight another day.

I posted about starting my job at WiLD awhile back and how weird it was. I mean previous to walking into that building, I had never worked anywhere less than seven years. Seriously, I was at both of my previous clusters for seven years a piece and when I walked into the building out on Buckley a year ago, I wondered if that was where I was going to spend the next seven years of my life.

As it turns out it wasn't, even though some of the friendships I built there, I can't imagine my life without them now... So here I am less than a year later, starting all over again. Life's a trip that way.

I still miss everyone back home terribly. Like more than you could imagine and more than I will ever admit, lest you Central Coasters get swelled heads. But today was probably the first day since I've been here that I felt in control of the things I'm supposed to be in control of and I wonder if being on the air was the missing piece since I got here. Probably, I'm a freakin' ham. Since I don't know anyone here yet, might as well talk to the microphone, right?

Next I just really want my house unpacked and set up. I want the epic amount of laundry I have to wash to be cleaned. I want my cable and internet on (although presently I'd settle for having my television plugged in and the dvd player set up!) and I want a bed. I'll get all the other pesky things... friends, a social life, a hang out, a favorite sushi joint... it will all come in time.

Or if I remain as exhausted as I am today, that stuff won't matter anyway, so either way, it's a win-win situation. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a hard earned glass of wine waiting for me at my house, along side of 98089787 boxes I still need to unpack.


This song has been in my head since I quit my last job.