It just occurred to me that I have a place for these little snippets now.
"The drive from Seattle this morning was unexpectedly soothing. I had been convinced that waking up early to drive Ger to work on my day off would bend my mood in the wrong direction. It did not. Driving south on 167, the clouds parted long enough to let a slow rolling flood of early sunlight spill over the asphalt and cement. Pale light filled the interior of the KIA and the blood in my veins instantly became a degree warmer. Outside the pine trees were lit up with a milky brightness that soaked into the nearby, autumn-mottled maples, giving the world the feel of a vintage postcard. Cars running at breakneck speeds glided past like whispers and I day-dreamed about flying, watching the sun rise on the beach, warm showers and the feel of clean clothes. My whole day played out in my head like a movie and the song on the radio was its soundtrack. But we got sea legs and we're off tonight... . All of it against a backdrop of blue sky. Like the one hanging above my head at that moment, but only for a moment. Soon the brooding October clouds swallowed it all up again and the song was over. I lit a cigarette and changed lanes to the off ramp."
!!!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
The Week in Recap
Well, where to start. It's Sunday afternoon, Tool Academy is on, wispy snowflakes are floating outside and I feel... well, cranky. My laptop was acting up this morning and once I finally was able to boot it up I realized I had lost the recipe for the Tex-Mex beans and rice I made earlier in the week. I suppose it's a good excuse to make another batch, but it's just another hiccup in a week that has been filled with stress. I'd say that a good 90% of it stems from work. We had two computers die and normally that wouldn't be more than a major inconvenience, however, one of the two deceased PCs was our main server. That meant that we lost the ability to print drug labels, bill out clients and input medical history. Essentially, we were completely crippled. On top of that, our last back-up was two days before the server bit it, so I spent all of Friday manually re-entering EVERY transaction we had done based off of our invoices.
It's been a technological nightmare at UrbanVet this past month. Between phones that pick and choose when they want to work, faulty internet connections and suicidal computers it feels like if I breathe too hard on anything that uses electricity it'll fall apart. And the kicker to all this is that in the midst of Rachael and I working like crazy to get everything up and functioning again, we find out that our hours are being reduced! Awesome! It's frustrating, mostly because I work so hard for that place. I love my job and I truly feel like I've tuned into something that I can make a fulfilling career out of. I can't recall ever having a job where I've enjoyed the work and the people as much as I do here. And consequently, I can't recall ever putting forth so much effort to be successful in a job and I feel that I've proved myself to be a true asset to the clinic. It just felt like a big kick in the proverbial junk.
Although, I should be thankful, really. Thankful that I'm just having my hours scaled back a bit instead of getting canned because we have too many receptionists. Pardon the coarse analogy, but America's economy is a giant, foul floater in the world's toilet bowl and has been for quite a while now. There doesn't appear to be an immediate solution to the crisis (come on, Obama!) and it really is a testament to Dr. Morris and how much she appreciates us that we all have kept our jobs through all of this financial insecurity. But I can't help but feel the squeeze. Gerad's parents want us to start paying rent at the house, Green River CC just accepted my application so I'll need to start putting money together for classes and I haven't worked an 80 hour pay period since last summer. It's becoming more and more obvious to me that I need a second job if I'm going to keep my head above water and achieve my goals for next year.
But it hasn't been all bad this week. I took a bath so marvelous on Tuesday I'm still thinking about it. Red wine, warm water and ambient tunes to soothe the mind. My bath actually brings me to this week's "Fresh Tunes" section of the blog. Malari brought her Godspeed You Black Emperor! CD to work Tuesday morning and it put me in a pensive mood. Not in a negative way, just very contemplative and stuck on the idea that beauty is intrinsic to all things, even the most hideous or strange. Go listen to GYBE!'s "Dead Flag Blues" off of their F#a#oo album and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. It's a song about love in the face of apocalyptic despair. Pretty heavy shit.
I popped that song into my Pandora radio station and it came back with a handful of bands I had never heard of, two of which I'm going to share with you. They play the same type of intense, panoramic instrumentals. Layered and complicated and arching, their brand of rock sounds more orchestral than indie. Think of it as meditation rock. "Om"die rock. The first band goes by the name of Explosions In The Sky and their album Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Live Forever is a mouth full but definitely worth a listen. These guys are out of Texas and you can practically hear the lonesome cry of the dusty, open plains in their music. The second band (and my personal favorite), Red Sparowes, hails from LA and makes deliciously trippy use of steel pedal guitar. I YouTubed some of their live performances, here's one for your viewing/listening pleasure:
Are they not nifty? I'm just hoping I haven't caught on to these bands too late, it would be amazing to see either of them play live.
And of course, there was Angel and Dan's joint birthday party this weekend. It was crunktastic! Stiff drinks, full bowls and lots of Costco appetizers to go around. And if at any point the fun level dropped below a certain point, the fabulous Anthony was there to kick it back up. The only downer of the night was that I broke my 23 day-long smoke-free streak. Just when I thought I was free and clear, a couple of drinks managed to dissolve my resolve. The good news is I am right back on the wagon without a second thought. Pictures speak louder than words, so here's a photo that accurately describes the type of night we had on Friday:
Just take a look at that slightly stoopid expression on my mug. Priceless. That's all for now.
!!!
TOP THREE BATH TUB JAMS
It's been a technological nightmare at UrbanVet this past month. Between phones that pick and choose when they want to work, faulty internet connections and suicidal computers it feels like if I breathe too hard on anything that uses electricity it'll fall apart. And the kicker to all this is that in the midst of Rachael and I working like crazy to get everything up and functioning again, we find out that our hours are being reduced! Awesome! It's frustrating, mostly because I work so hard for that place. I love my job and I truly feel like I've tuned into something that I can make a fulfilling career out of. I can't recall ever having a job where I've enjoyed the work and the people as much as I do here. And consequently, I can't recall ever putting forth so much effort to be successful in a job and I feel that I've proved myself to be a true asset to the clinic. It just felt like a big kick in the proverbial junk.
Although, I should be thankful, really. Thankful that I'm just having my hours scaled back a bit instead of getting canned because we have too many receptionists. Pardon the coarse analogy, but America's economy is a giant, foul floater in the world's toilet bowl and has been for quite a while now. There doesn't appear to be an immediate solution to the crisis (come on, Obama!) and it really is a testament to Dr. Morris and how much she appreciates us that we all have kept our jobs through all of this financial insecurity. But I can't help but feel the squeeze. Gerad's parents want us to start paying rent at the house, Green River CC just accepted my application so I'll need to start putting money together for classes and I haven't worked an 80 hour pay period since last summer. It's becoming more and more obvious to me that I need a second job if I'm going to keep my head above water and achieve my goals for next year.
But it hasn't been all bad this week. I took a bath so marvelous on Tuesday I'm still thinking about it. Red wine, warm water and ambient tunes to soothe the mind. My bath actually brings me to this week's "Fresh Tunes" section of the blog. Malari brought her Godspeed You Black Emperor! CD to work Tuesday morning and it put me in a pensive mood. Not in a negative way, just very contemplative and stuck on the idea that beauty is intrinsic to all things, even the most hideous or strange. Go listen to GYBE!'s "Dead Flag Blues" off of their F#a#oo album and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. It's a song about love in the face of apocalyptic despair. Pretty heavy shit.
I popped that song into my Pandora radio station and it came back with a handful of bands I had never heard of, two of which I'm going to share with you. They play the same type of intense, panoramic instrumentals. Layered and complicated and arching, their brand of rock sounds more orchestral than indie. Think of it as meditation rock. "Om"die rock. The first band goes by the name of Explosions In The Sky and their album Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Live Forever is a mouth full but definitely worth a listen. These guys are out of Texas and you can practically hear the lonesome cry of the dusty, open plains in their music. The second band (and my personal favorite), Red Sparowes, hails from LA and makes deliciously trippy use of steel pedal guitar. I YouTubed some of their live performances, here's one for your viewing/listening pleasure:
Are they not nifty? I'm just hoping I haven't caught on to these bands too late, it would be amazing to see either of them play live.
And of course, there was Angel and Dan's joint birthday party this weekend. It was crunktastic! Stiff drinks, full bowls and lots of Costco appetizers to go around. And if at any point the fun level dropped below a certain point, the fabulous Anthony was there to kick it back up. The only downer of the night was that I broke my 23 day-long smoke-free streak. Just when I thought I was free and clear, a couple of drinks managed to dissolve my resolve. The good news is I am right back on the wagon without a second thought. Pictures speak louder than words, so here's a photo that accurately describes the type of night we had on Friday:
Just take a look at that slightly stoopid expression on my mug. Priceless. That's all for now.!!!
TOP THREE BATH TUB JAMS
- "Millions Starved" by Red Sparowes
- "Remember Me As A Time Of Day" by Explosions In The Sky
- "Honey" by Mogwai
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Lazy Weekend
*stretch*
*sigh*
What a gloriously relaxing weekend. There are days when sitting on my ass is the absolute last thing I want to be doing, but then there are days when it's just what the doctor ordered. Friday evening, my friend and fellow Battlestar Galactica fanatic, Zac, drove up from Portland to join Gerad and I in watching the premiere episode of the final season. We drank wine, smoked a little green and I made us a lovely dinner consisting of vegan cornbread (recipe at HappyHerbivore.com), spicy rice and beans and Jaymbles' Famous Beer Bread. I normally use a fancy pale or amber ale to make the dough but this time Safeway's dismal selection of brews led me to pick up a bottle of framboise, a Belgian beer made with raspberries, and the final result was nothing short of delicious.
This was my rediscovery of framboise. Cecilia introduced me to it my last summer in Boston and it slipped from my memory since I moved out to Washington. It probably has something to do with the fact that Washington state has an odd way of regulating the sale of booze. Someday, I'll work up the motivation to research exactly why liquor stores can ONLY sell liquor and beer is relegated exclusively to grocery stores, gas stations and 7-11s.
I thought Massachusetts had retahhded liquor laws, but now I find myself set adrift on memory bliss when I remember the florescent glory of the one-stop booze marts of the Commonwealth. I miss Marty's Liquors, with its seemingly endless aisles stocked full with every assortment of alcohol imaginable. 22s of various Berkshire Brewing Company offerings, bottles of Unibroue with their beautifully illustrated labels. It brings a tear to my eye when I wander over to the beer aisle and my only choices are Coors, Bud, Pabst and Heineken. Suffice it to say, now that I know where I can find framboise, I'm going to have to go back and buy their whole stock.
But I digress. Zac was visiting this weekend and we had nothing planned except good food, good television and great company. We woke up in no hurry on Saturday morning and I cooked brunch-- vegan biscuits (VeganDad.com), Cajun mango mash-up and not-quite-vegan country gravy. Later on we decided to go see My Bloody Valentine in 3D. Of course, they waited until after we purchased our tickets to let us know that the film was NOT, in fact, in 3D at this particular theater. We begrudgingly decided to go see it anyway, deciding preemptively that we were walking into a two hour long suckfest, but lo and behold! It wasn't that bad. It wasn't cinematic gold by any means and, yes, I was under the influence of ganj and Sprite at the time but it's still the most entertaining dice n' slice movie I've seen in ages. I give it three out of four dismembered teenage victims.
Well, I'd like to give you a play-by-play rundown of today's events but the time is now 6:30 PM and that means dinner time at the Markham-Simon household. Tonight's secret ingredient will either be brown rice pasta or black beans. I'll leave you with a photo from today's foggy stroll through Earthworks Park.
!!!
TODAY'S REDISCOVERIES...
*sigh*
What a gloriously relaxing weekend. There are days when sitting on my ass is the absolute last thing I want to be doing, but then there are days when it's just what the doctor ordered. Friday evening, my friend and fellow Battlestar Galactica fanatic, Zac, drove up from Portland to join Gerad and I in watching the premiere episode of the final season. We drank wine, smoked a little green and I made us a lovely dinner consisting of vegan cornbread (recipe at HappyHerbivore.com), spicy rice and beans and Jaymbles' Famous Beer Bread. I normally use a fancy pale or amber ale to make the dough but this time Safeway's dismal selection of brews led me to pick up a bottle of framboise, a Belgian beer made with raspberries, and the final result was nothing short of delicious.
This was my rediscovery of framboise. Cecilia introduced me to it my last summer in Boston and it slipped from my memory since I moved out to Washington. It probably has something to do with the fact that Washington state has an odd way of regulating the sale of booze. Someday, I'll work up the motivation to research exactly why liquor stores can ONLY sell liquor and beer is relegated exclusively to grocery stores, gas stations and 7-11s.
I thought Massachusetts had retahhded liquor laws, but now I find myself set adrift on memory bliss when I remember the florescent glory of the one-stop booze marts of the Commonwealth. I miss Marty's Liquors, with its seemingly endless aisles stocked full with every assortment of alcohol imaginable. 22s of various Berkshire Brewing Company offerings, bottles of Unibroue with their beautifully illustrated labels. It brings a tear to my eye when I wander over to the beer aisle and my only choices are Coors, Bud, Pabst and Heineken. Suffice it to say, now that I know where I can find framboise, I'm going to have to go back and buy their whole stock.
But I digress. Zac was visiting this weekend and we had nothing planned except good food, good television and great company. We woke up in no hurry on Saturday morning and I cooked brunch-- vegan biscuits (VeganDad.com), Cajun mango mash-up and not-quite-vegan country gravy. Later on we decided to go see My Bloody Valentine in 3D. Of course, they waited until after we purchased our tickets to let us know that the film was NOT, in fact, in 3D at this particular theater. We begrudgingly decided to go see it anyway, deciding preemptively that we were walking into a two hour long suckfest, but lo and behold! It wasn't that bad. It wasn't cinematic gold by any means and, yes, I was under the influence of ganj and Sprite at the time but it's still the most entertaining dice n' slice movie I've seen in ages. I give it three out of four dismembered teenage victims.
Well, I'd like to give you a play-by-play rundown of today's events but the time is now 6:30 PM and that means dinner time at the Markham-Simon household. Tonight's secret ingredient will either be brown rice pasta or black beans. I'll leave you with a photo from today's foggy stroll through Earthworks Park.
!!!
TODAY'S REDISCOVERIES...
- PM Dawn's "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss"
- The awesomeness of watching live episodes of Battlestar Galactica.
- Framboise
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Day Off
I had the first of what I hope will be many meetings with the director of the Veterinary Technology program at Pierce College today. All in all, it was a productive trip. I picked up financial aid information and took a good look at the campus. And I found out that I only need to take two prerequisite courses instead of three like I was anticipating (a C+ in my Chemistry lab really counts?). I just need to find out if the Finite Math course I took qualifies as an Algebra class. Keep your fingers crossed!
This was my first real step toward getting back into the academic world. Even after completing four years in college and earning a bachelor's degree, the idea of going back for two more years seems completely daunting. I'm utterly terrified and, at the same time, exhilarated that I'm actually making it happen. My plan is to apply for next fall, so with any luck I'll have plenty of time to get all of my ducks in a row without having to put myself through a great deal of stress and anxiety.
In other news, last night Gerad and I had a night on the town in Seattle. After splurging on leftover Christmas gift sets at Lush (my new retail Achilles' heel) and a delicious Mexican dinner we headed up to Capital Hill and caught a show at Neumos. Colonies, my favorite local band (www.myspace.com/colonies ), was playing and one of the bands that played before them turned out to be pretty rocking and thus worth a plug. They're called A Leaf (www.myspace.com/aleafmusic ) and they sound a bit Oasis-ish but with a singer that sounds like a mix of Thom Yorke and the dude from Death Cab for Cutie. They'll be at the High Dive in Fremont on January 24th, so plan on going out to support your local music scene that night. I'll see you there.
And so ends the inaugural post of The Brains, which seems very appropriate with it being January and all. I'm looking forward to a year full of adventures, great movies, music and delicious food... all worth sharing.
!!!
PARTING WISDOM...
This was my first real step toward getting back into the academic world. Even after completing four years in college and earning a bachelor's degree, the idea of going back for two more years seems completely daunting. I'm utterly terrified and, at the same time, exhilarated that I'm actually making it happen. My plan is to apply for next fall, so with any luck I'll have plenty of time to get all of my ducks in a row without having to put myself through a great deal of stress and anxiety.
In other news, last night Gerad and I had a night on the town in Seattle. After splurging on leftover Christmas gift sets at Lush (my new retail Achilles' heel) and a delicious Mexican dinner we headed up to Capital Hill and caught a show at Neumos. Colonies, my favorite local band (www.myspace.com/colonies ), was playing and one of the bands that played before them turned out to be pretty rocking and thus worth a plug. They're called A Leaf (www.myspace.com/aleafmusic ) and they sound a bit Oasis-ish but with a singer that sounds like a mix of Thom Yorke and the dude from Death Cab for Cutie. They'll be at the High Dive in Fremont on January 24th, so plan on going out to support your local music scene that night. I'll see you there.
And so ends the inaugural post of The Brains, which seems very appropriate with it being January and all. I'm looking forward to a year full of adventures, great movies, music and delicious food... all worth sharing.
!!!
PARTING WISDOM...
- FearNet On Demand Really Fails At Life.
- Mt. Rainer Could Explode Any Day And I Think That's Really Cool.
- I Want To Make Love To Nick Cave.
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