Last Christmas

I'll admit it, the Christmas season last year was really hard for me. For one it was hard for me to get presents for anyone and I wouldn't have been able to if it hadn't been for Santa Dad dropping a shopping fund into my bank account. Things at home were strained. Things elsewhere were... odd*.

Last Christmas seems like it was a thousand years ago. On another planet even. It's hard to even imagine myself in the situation and I was right there in it, you know? Anyway enough vague musings.. let's get down to the point.

I was watching "Glee" last week (really I'm ashamed, I have a campy side and I can't deny it. It's how my friend Megan and I have stayed friends for YEARS.) and the Glee kids did one of my favorite Christmas songs, (well one of a few of them... shoot me) and I giggled a little. "Last Christmas," by Wham! is one of my favorites ever.

Oh George, that hair!

Why do I love this song? I'm actually a big George Michael fan... Don't even start me... and because it's perfect. Duh. So perfect it's been covered a million times. And I love most of the covers too! Let's investigate shall we...

Before you watch this one, know that this isn't the real band in the video and the audio quality is so much more "HISSY" than I wanted, but I'm at home so I can't clean it and re-upload. Please survive.



I love Jimmy Eat World. I blame Jennifer for it to be honest. She was always playing Jimmy Eat World at our old house. But I love love love this version of this song and when I make CD Christmas cards, it's ALWAYS on it.

Look there's even a trance remix of it. Let's get a glow stick and freak out on E by the tree! Where's my pacifier?

Speaking of dance music, I just found this version today and I'm not gonna lie, I like it. Cascada (Little Miss Natalie Horler sings "Evacuate the Dancefloor") was one of my favorites when I was over at Wild and I enjoy her take on this song:

Nothing sadder than a beautiful girl in a beanie singing about her ex boyfriend effing her over at Christmas right? Even to a dance beat. Actually she looks like my friend Lauren over at KLUC. I imagine if Lauren went to Germany she might get mobbed.

Finally here is the Glee cast version of it.

So yeah.. that's one of my favorite Christmas songs... I'll share a couple of my other favorites before the holiday for sure.

I don't really know what this Christmas is going to be like. What I do know is I'm getting on a train on December 23rd to go home. That drive is straight up murder. The weather here makes it seems like Christmas but other than putting up my tree, I haven't "gotten the spirit" yet. I have "Love Actually," sitting on my hard drive so I may have to hit that up tonight.. :)

(*Definition of odd: knowing something is going on but choosing to ignore it, HARDCORE because you feel like you're hallucinating? I mean one of those "Did I just imagine that ish?" kind of feelings. And being bound and determined to ignore anything going on in your own head because, yeah.)

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?

I'm gonna tell you a secret

This was not our first date, date. But it was the first time we went out in a group with some friends.

Goofing off at my house before a Seahawks game.

Goofing off at my house before I left for a remote.

Goofing off at Duffy's when the Giants won the World Series.

At Noriega's for my mom's birthday.

Secret time? I love this man. Bigger secret? He loves me too.

Familia

By this time next week I could be...

Or we could just stay in Bakersfield all weekend. I don't know. My sister can't come home for Thanksgiving so I might go out there on Friday to see her. Ben hasn't ever been to SLO either. So we'll see.

i just want you back in my head

My goodness this has been a busy weekend.

Friday night I saw Jeremy in Pontypool over at the Blue Room. Great play. Jeremy was fantastic. I actually forgot I was watching someone I knew while he was on stage.

Saturday I judged a battle of the bands.

Yesterday Ben and I went to watch the Seahawks game over at the End Zone, until this REALLY OBNOXIOUS broad just ruined the whole day for us so we went home before the 4th Quarter. I was PISSED but the Seahawks won anyway, so really? After that we hung around the house. Ben has been helping me organize the kitchen and I swear it almost looks as good as it did before I had anything in it. So to reward him, I made my famous green bean cassorole last night.

Neither one of can drink milk and we've been drinking Almond Milk at the house which gave dinner a neat flavor actually. It doesn't thicken like regular milk though so I think I am going to add some potato soup next time I make it... You see because HE LIKED IT. I win at food. Actually I love cooking for Ben because he does like everything I make. If he doesn't, he seems to do a good job pretending to and always has seconds.

We also watched U2 "Rattle and Hum" on tv and basically just chilled.

This is a busy week for me as well. I have the Kottonmouth Kings tomorrow night, Danzig on Wednesday and Turkey Bowling on Thursday. Plus I'll be working my ass off to get ready for Thanksgiving. Wheew.

Still trying to finalize my plans for that weekend. I do want to go to the Central Coast but don't know if its possible and I haven't spent an extended period of time with my family since last Christmas so we'll see.

two days in the valley

In a couple of weeks, Ben and I are driving down to my parents house for Thanksgiving weekend. This is pretty cool since Ben has never been further south than Fresno. Bakersfield is completely alien to him and as far as I know he doesn't really have preconceived notions of what it will be like.

So the question becomes what do I show him in the limited amount of time we have down on Earth?

Obviously we're going to go to the VIP for a spell. (Did I just say "spell?" I am turning into my grandma.) And maybe here:


Because who hates Mexicali?

And I might be a douchebag if I don't at least show Ben The Mint.


Don't believe the hype, yeah this place is a total hole, but I've had a lot of fun there.

I am beyond excited though, because I get to show him Noriega's which you may remember is where I celebrated my 30th birthday. I pulled up the menu the other day to show him what was being served and explained how you eat there and I think he went into a food coma just listening to me talk. Ha ha.

In a word, it's going to be glorious. Time/Money permitting we may jet over to SLO for the day on Friday since Mom's birthday party is Saturday but this is also only of course if I can get Dad to pet sit Lily for the day, since Lily is coming with us.

Yes, I'm the lunatic who travels with her cat. So?

Anyway what else in the big bad Bakersfield do I show this guy? No clue when I'll ever drag him out of Nor Cal again so any suggestions? I'll take em.

See you guys in a couple of weeks.

Baseball

As you may know my Red Sox took their ball and went home awhile ago. My back up team over the years has evolved into being the San Francisco Giants, and tonight they could clinch and go to the World Series.

My ex is a HUGE Giants fan. He probably loves Giants baseball more than anything on the planet. As much as we're not talking right now and as much as I think we both hurt each other over the past year or so, I know he's had a really hard year in 2010. This would be a huge deal to him, and I'd like to see it happen for him.

And for the rest of the fans out there. It's pretty neat to go to a sports bar here and see so many Giants fans totally freaking out. I sort of picked up the team from watching countless games with my ex and last year I took him to AT&T park to see a game and man it's a bad ass ball park. I'd love to go back again in the future, especially when I have more time to hang around the city, etc.

View from our seats

I was so freakin' fat last year, why didn't anyone tell me? It was also incredibly humid that day.

Irish Heritage night!

Beer! I still have those cups.

The gates of the park.

Then of course there is the man, Brian Wilson, who's number I'm wearing today:

This is of course without the weird beard.

Serious face.

This is the sign of a good game.

I don't know why, but this guy cracks me up and I love watching his interviews. He never does anything he's supposed to and he throws a baseball like he's shooting a bullet out of a gun. Love him. Seriously. Hate away, I love this guy.

Anyway after work I'm debating going somewhere to watch the game, because if they win tonight, I don't want to be home alone celebrating with the cat. She wouldn't be into it, the cat is a Red Sox fan.

home

So right now I'm trying to play my trip back to Bakersfield for Thanksgiving. Hell, I'm TRYING to go home for Thanksgiving. The way things have been going and the sheer distance involved, I am almost not sure I can. I don't get the day before Thanksgiving off. I basically can not drive at night and it's supposedly six hours to Bako from here, although it took me 10 hours last time I did the drive.

Ben may come with me, which would be cool because then he could drive us down the night before Thanksgiving after I get off work. That'd be great, yeah we'd get into town hella late, but it beats me dragging into town at like Noon on Thanksgiving day. We could stay until Saturday and then swing through SLO for a night if any of my friends are going to be in town (I'm looking at you Teresa!) because he's never been to San Luis Obispo and drive home Sunday morning EARLY. It's gonna depend on his school schedule and his work schedule and if of course he actually decides to come.

If I don't go home, this would be the first holiday in my life I didn't spend with my family. I have no idea what I'd do here. Maybe have an orphans Thanksgiving of my own... I guess I could take the train but I don't even know what that would cost, when it would leave, etc.

I have moved to the damn moon.

Been chatting with some of my people back home at the old stations and maaaaan I miss them. I forgot to mention that when I was home last month, Wild sounds as amazing as ever. I stopped in there twice over the weekend and was shocked at how much I missed it. When I was there on Saturday visiting someone I kept feeling like I should get up and do something. I may have even offered to voice track. It's silly but I felt more at home there at the end than ever did running my own station over across the street. Could've been the people I worked with. Could've been that whole thing where you have to bond when there are like three of you. Could've been working with my best friends. I don't know. I know we were "miserable" there a lot but it was a really special time and place for me and I'll never ever regret it.

Anyway I have radio of my own to make. We're in the middle of planning another huge event and I'm exhausted. Go figure.

signs that I'm not from Nor Cal

Ben and I were drinking sake that his brother just brought back from Japan (like nothing in the box is in English) that comes in a juice box at the Muse show. Hipster much?

Also the crowds in Sacramento? Klassy. Yes with a K.

Even the largest city that's reasonable driving distance to me is moon like.

But from now on whenever I go to an arena show I'm renting a pregnant woman to go with. Adele made us all look responsible and people gave us a lot of space. Ha ha. But the baby enjoyed the show from what Adele said. Baby girl was dancing up a storm.

Muse!

Tonight, my afternoon guy and annoying brother I never knew I had, Jeremy, the lovely Adele and that one guy Ben ;-) and I are all heading down to Sacramento to see Muse at the Arco Arena with some other people from Chico, who I haven't met yet, but all of Jeremy's friends are cool so I'm not worried.

Road Trip! Concerts! Tailgating! Del Taco! Yes please!

thoughts on my trip to SLO

Man first of all I was glad to be home. It was great to know where everything was and see my friends and feel like I belonged. Don't get me wrong, I'm getting that way here, but to be able to walk into my Black Sheep and have something amazing dropped in front of me or an understanding face when I came back from visiting with someone else down there? Magic. Or seeing the amazing Jenn Wynn who doesn't facebook at Mr Ricks. Or putting my feet in the ocean...

Or my wonderful family there. The always amazing Tristan Negranti. My sister Teresa Lara. My hearts, Kristin, Micheala, and Jon! So cool of everyone to come out to see me. And of course the lovely Nicole who I missed like crazy. And yeah then there was my brother from another mother, the guy who kicked my ass up to the moon, Jojo Lopez, who probably didn't miss me one damn bit, but annoying the hell out of him was the best part of my day for about a year. No seriously, seeing everyone was crazy amazing and rad and I thank all of you for taking the time to put in facetime with me.

Leaving was hard. Not bawling my eyes out hard like when I moved, but definitely unpleasant. But I was grateful after many hours in the car to come home and find my amazing cat Lily had been well cared for by this boy person I know named Ben, who I have never mentioned by name here before. But there it is. I know a boy named Ben and he watched my cat and my apartment while I was gone. And he's pretty rad. So there's that.

Tonight I'm going downtown to see some live musics and probably eat tacos. Tacos morning noon and night people. It's how we roll in Chico.

I don't know when the next time I drop down from the moon will be. Hopefully before the end of the year. I miss you all dearly. I miss you more than I'll ever say out loud or on this blog. Yes, especially you...

glimpses of a life

"The worst that could happen? I could go home and kiss people. I DO THAT!"

"You kiss everyone, and tell everyone you love them. That's just you."

"You're okay with that?"

"I am strangely okay with that."

In 30 hours I'll be back in San Luis Obispo.

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...

some pics from the move

Endless amount of time on the I-5. I never want to see that freeway again.



Chillin' in my U-Haul somewhere along the 5



CHICKEN N BISCUITS. No chicken was actually consumed.



A nutritious dinner!

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i like food

So around what's normally quittin' time here at the radio station, a computer I need to do a really important job died. And I'm hungry. So here's pictures of food I've eaten before. Because I can't eat any now.

Both of these were from Sushi Ya in SLO.

This sushi was in Alaska. No joke.

This sushi was at Eagle Castle Winery in Paso during a bridal shower weekend.

SushiYa in SLO again. I love this place. I go there waaay too much.

Yeah, I'm still hungry. This isn't helping at all.

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