my night with Elvis Perkins NOT trippin' on shrooms.

Do you realize how long I have been waiting for this night? I'm sure you read my other blog about how excited I was. Anywho so Saturday had finally arrived. I get up remotely early just to get a head start on my day. But of course whenever I have something I need to do I have to do for my family first. Had to take my brother (or as I speak of him now, my son) to some school festival thingy to meet my mom (or as I call her now, my annoying younger sister). So I drop him off around noon and I head to Target for some retail therapy to get my day going wonderfuly. Stop off at Sally Beauty supply and purchase a new flat iron. The jury is still out whether I like it or not. But we'll see.

So I head back to the house, to shower and wash some clothes. I get home and instead I succomb to the comfort of my bed. I watch Elizabethtown for like the 10th billionth time. I enjoy all of Cameron Crowe's films, I guess cause of all the music. But I still don't like Kristin Dunst and this movie just makes me not like her more... but I digress. Next thing you know, my mom (annoying younger sister) reminds me that I need to take my brother (son) to work. Dang, I have like an hour to shower, get ready, wash clothes, take my brother to work. This wasn't going to happen. I hear my brother get into the shower. I'm screwed. You know what... this is the boring stuff. Let me fast forward to actually being in Austin.

Guillermo, I'm sure there's details in here that you had no idea but I felt like it would fall onto deaf ears if I tried to explain them to you that night.

I drive into Austin and call Guillermo over and over cause I don't know where I'm driving too. Luckily I still had his address on my phone when he gave it to me the week before. I've driven to Austin enough times and found his house with the quickness. But I couldn't seem to find his house though. Oh well, I was running low on gas so I stopped at a gas station to fill up. Around that time Guillermo texts me back to give me the address again, but I was already aware of where I was going. Finally he called me back and I swear as soon as I heard his voice I knew something was strange. I told him I couldn't find his house and he began to describe it to the best of his ability. Then shared with me the fact that he's on a bunch of mushrooms, and wasn't even at home. GRRREAT! Top it off, he didn't know where he was at. *sigh* A bit frustrated by this point cause I knew the show was going to start soon. I began my mission "Find Guillermo in Austin". He asked a random hippie and she told him that he was on N.Lamar and 24th. Fine, to N. Lamar i'll go!!

I drive down N.Lamar going down street by street... 40th, 39th, 38th... by this time he tells me that he's on 12th. And he keeps asking, do you know where Austin Java Shop is? ughhh... no. Come on, that's like asking someone not from San Antonio hey do you know where Thai Taste is? So I continue my quest on N.Lamar. Finally I find him! He hops into my car and we're off. He checks his GPS navigation system and we're .6 miles away from Elvis Perkins.

We park and we're off to Stubb's. I go through Will Call get out tickets and have to go through the security check. I hear the guy tell this girl, if you have a camera you have to take it to your car you can't bring it in. CRAP! I feel my camera in my bag so without anyone noticing I slip it into my pocket since they weren't patting anyone down and I put my big bag against my leg so when the guy checks my bag he doesn't see the buldge in my pocket, and no I was not happy to see him. He goes through my bag and sees an almost empty bottled water and screams "no water bottled waters allowed". I tell him "oh, no sweat" cause you don't know what I have in my pocket! And we're in!

First thing we hit up, like any red blooded American... the beer booth. Two Tecates each and it's time to find a spot amongst the crowd. We stand for a bit and share our last experiences of when we were at Stubb's when just at that moment... ELVIS PERKINS WALKS RIGHT PAST ME!!!!!!!! Holy Crap! I freeze as I watched him walk away. Oh my god, oh my god... he just walked past me. *take a deep breath* Guillermo senses my inner raging super fan-dom seep out of my pores. I don't care.. I'm geeking out by this point. A minute or so later, he's on stage and we move closer.

Elvis Perkins starts off by himself on stage and begins his set with "While You Were Sleeping", one by one the rest of the guys from the group join him on stage and it's just magical. The entire show is set to that hazy purple lighting and for one song it's bright yellow. The guys from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah join them for "Doomsday", and make a song about such tragedy of Sept. 11th into an upbeat and melodic sing-a-long. Of course I'm a sucker for "All the Night Without Love". That was for sure the highlight of the show for me. I knew I was going to enjoy the show but I didn't realize just how much I would. *geeking out now* I felt literaly carried away by his voice, and when he would sing a bit higher and louder I was intranced. The upright bass was amazing, the keyboard/accordian (not to sure of the exact name) was a great touch, and the large bass drum that the drummer threw on his shoulders and danced around with was awesome. I couldn't of enjoyed a show anymore. Too bad all the younglings in the crowd were talking a lot and the crazy security searching the crowd for some random "hoodlums" kinda took away from it, but for the most part it was just me and him. *swoon*

During the last song though, Guillermo tells me that he's ready to go somewhere where he can let his hair down and dance. OK I added the "let his hair down" part for mere comedic purposes. But Clap Your Hands hadn't even gone on yet, I wasn't ready to go. At all. I tell him, I have two missions. Mission #1 Meet Elvis Perkins, Mission #2 Dance to "Satan Said Dance" come on, song is Satan said dance... I have to do what Satan says. Anywho, fairly simple missions if you ask me. But those were my conditions.

We grab another tasty beer beverage and we being Mission #1. I assumed Elvis would be by the merch booth, nope. We stand by the entrance to the band area. I see everyone in the group except him. Clap Your Hands goes on stage. (side note - the lead singer to Clap Your Hands is a lot shorter than what I thought he was) We walk all around Stubb's then like two lovers seeing each other from across a crowded room, I spot Elvis Perkins. Of course, he doesn't notice me.. at all. But I notice him, not noticing me.

So we're standing by him for a bit he has some friends talking to him, his girl friend keeps a watchful eye on him so I decide if I'm going to approach him it's going to have to be short, but sweet. Then Guillermo starts moving in to talk to him, I grab him with the quickness. No way Jose, I was not going to let him slur any words to my Elvis Perkins. But nothing could of perpared me for what was about to happen. A little after my "Satan Said Dance" song started, out of the corner of my eye I see Guillermo say something to Elvis Perkins. I stood in fear, shock, embarrassment. I heard Guillermo utter, I don't usualy like Folk type music slakdjlkjsd, but I like bassist.... blaksjdlf bassist. Elvis looked at him, and said "Up-right bass... we'll that's exactly what we were on stage". You could tell Elvis was annoyed with what Guillermo had to say, so I tried to be the best damn Damage Control out there and I extended my hand and I told him It was a great show, Elvis merely shook my hand and said Thank You. The damage was done, my entire plan of how I was going to tell him that Ash Wednesday was one of my favorite albums, how his sound was something that I had been searching for my whole life, gone as quickly as Guillermo could slur any alcohol/mushroom induced words. I hung my head. Guillermo, asked if I was ready to go. I just wanted to leave out of embarrassment.

The entire time we head to 6th street he kept saying how Elvis Perkins was a dickhead, but I understood where he was coming from. If you were a talented muscian and had some billigerent guy mumble stuff to you while your talking to your friends I would be annoyed too. I guess it just comes with the territory, but I saw how he was talking to other fans and he seemed really nice. I think I'm still bitter. Anywho, so we head to El Casino and I eat an Eggplant sandwich of some sort and some dos equis. Then we head to The Jackaloupe and grab more beers. By this time I'm totaly exhausted and a bit drunk and I just want to go to bed. So we head back to my car. On the way, we pass by Stubbs and we see that Men Women and Children played that night as well. FUCK! I missed them too. I get bummed all over again. What a night.

We get back to Guillermo's place to watch Science of Sleep and I just want to do just that... Sleep. After a few distractions, and without finishing the movie I finaly doze off. I still want to finish watching the movie though. I think I'm gonna buy the DVD. Anywho, how would I rate the evening...

The entire night minus Guillermo's intoxicated conversation with Elvis Perkins = A++
The entire night with Guillermo's intoxicated conversation with Elvis Perkins = D-

Till next time.
-val-

server shmerver!!

Our server was down for the past 3 days here at work. Dang, I was out-of-my-mind bored! 10 years ago I never wen't on this thing called internet. I never owned a computer till I was a freshman in college, and when I got on the internet for the first time it was mearly to chat on all the yahoo chat rooms. Lame right? Yea, we'll I guess Myspace is my new Yahoo chat room. It's the first thing I log onto when I get on the internet, and probably the last thing I check before I turn of my computer. Sad, I know.

Anywho, so It's Friday and pretty much everyone is gone from the office except yours truly. *sigh* A receptionist job is never over. I hardly get any calls on Friday though, especially on the day of the Battle of Flowers Parade. God forbid if they make someone in San Antonio actually work on this day! Yea so I think I've only answered a total of maybe 6 calls. It's 1:30 and I've been here since 8am. I don't get my next bombardment of calls till 2-3pm but that only lasts about a 10 min period. O.K. I think i'm starting to sound like an SAT question, given this information how much free time do I have today? Just Kidding.

I'm boring myself with this blog. I'll write more when I have something more meaningful and worth reading.

Elvis Perkins in Dearland...

is magnificent. period.

I think I'm officaly in the "freak-out" mode, because I'm going to see him on Saturday. You have no idea how long i've been waiting for this moment. I couldn't see him at SXSW cause his day show was on Thursday and I had to work, and well I didn't have a badge/wristband to see him at La Zona Rosa that night. So here we are.... it's Monday and I'm gonna see him at Stubb's on Saturday.

Is there a raging super fan code that I need to follow? I don't have that memo or read that article yet, I don't want to go up to him like a pre-pubscent teen going up to manufactured singer in a boy band who's posters cover my walls. I want to be cool, hip and smart. How does this sound... "Hey Elvis. Good show man!" I don't say man, I never say man. How about... "ELVIIIIIISSS!!!!" Nah, that's too Elvis-has-just-left-the-building crazy. See how I'm over analyzing all this.

Seriously if you don't own Ash Wednesday by now, you need to hurry up and go get it. This album as seriously changed my life. I'm a big Bobby Dylan fan, can I call him that? And Perkins really does remind me of Dylan's younger days in a strange way. I will definetly post more about him, especially after the show because I have a feeling i'm going to come back in love him music and want him to sing to me every night before we fall asleep. What? I know, I'll stop.

not so scary.

Sorry. I had to.

one last thought.

EBAY IS SLOWLY DESTROYING MY EVERY BEING.

If I get outbid for an xylophone again I'm canceling my ebay account. I honestly think people on this site don't really care about buying something they just want to outbid everyone and jack up the prices higher and higher. An xylophone people COME ON!! What do you want with this particualar Xylophone that you haven't gotten outta the 257 items that you've already purchased on this site. raaaaaaaaaaaawww!!!

ok one last auction and I think i'm done.
-val-

how long does it take to post a new blog?

So much to go over, so little time.

I spent pretty much Easter weekend indoors cause of the End-Of-World weather change. It was all gloomy and cold. I did help my mom decorate cupcakes to look like little easter bunnies. omg, they came out really great. I hate getting excited about things like that, because it makes me realize my age more and more.

Anywho my cousins came over to the house on Easter and we all watched Stranger Than Fiction. This was actually the first time I ever saw it. Can I just say that I never saw Will Ferrell as a cute, romantic kinda guy. But now that I saw this movie, I'm like... well hello there Mr. Ferrell. This seriously was a really good movie. It was cute, witty, dark, and intricate with all the computer details. I wish I knew the actual name of the computer program, maybe I wouldn't sound so generic when I say "computer details". Oh well.

Back to Easter, we did the obligatory Mexican cracking of the cascarones on each others head. Who started this weird and violent tradition, I have no idea. Perhaps when Jesus was resurrected the Disciples couldn't believe it was him standing for before them, so they had to crack something on his head to see if he was real or not. I bet Jesus with his sense of humor did that ol' "Ouch that hurt! PSYCH!!!" Gave those Disciples a bit of a scare, but then they all laughed and crack things over each others head, which we do now with egg shells filled with confetti. Oh to be the historian who writes down all these traditions.

Jump to Monday... JURY DUTY!! dun dun dun.
What an exhausting day at court. First there was well over a hundred of my fellow jurors waiting with me. Then the judge came and gave her shpeil about being a juror. yada yada yada... The moderator lady starting calling the names in the first panel and who do you think got called. Yup, yours truly. Well at least it was the first panel and I didn't have to wait in the big room that long. Well they line us up in our number order. I was lucky number 27. Is that even lucky, who cares? They take us to our court room and the lawyers in the case ask all these questions and if we want to answer yes we raise our number. It's kinda like being at an auction and we're gonna bid on an item, except here the item we're bidding on is a seat as a juror i this case. Well they tell us that they're only chosing 6 out of our group of 30. Ok, the odds me being in the jury were leaning a bit more in my favor. We go through a good two hours of questions and they finally select. No folks I was not chosen. Instead we were realeased to the big room and then eventually they released us for the day. Thank god. I'm officaly 4 dollars richer. It should of been 6, but I had to pay 2 bucks for parking. LAME.

I literaly came home drained. I think jury duty sucked all energy and life out of me through my ears. Painful? Oh yes it was.

This week at work as definetly been a long one. Not cause I have so much work to do, blah blah. No it's boring, time drags or as I like to say stands still. My boss is gone *breath a sigh of relief*, actually all bosses will be gone for a week. Its a good break. Honestly, I can't complain about this job. I get paid to sit here and check my Myspace, blog to you fine people, hotmail, craigslist, ebay. I definetly can't complain what so ever. I have my tiny stresses here at work, some guys can be a bit rude and talk down to me. Fine, I realize you engineers make the big bucks I'm just merely your servant Receptionist answering your calls. If I were making big cheese I guess I would walk around with my chest puffed out as well. One day.. some day.

Ok so I told myself that I have to really try and post a blog either everyday or every other day. I signed up for this, so I have to do it. Kinda like having a gym membership, I have to go... no wait. Bad analogy, I'm not paying for this site. ugh, whatever. I'm done for today.
Till next time.
-val-

it's all apples and oranges..

My coffee was really disgusting this morning. I usualy look forward to nice hot cup of coffee but for some reason it tasted awful, like a spoiled rotten after taste in my mouth. I don't use milk or cold cream in my coffee just that dehydrated creamer. How could it spoil? Maybe it was old coffee, who knows.

Anyways, so I decided that this week will be the week that I purchase the Xylophone that i've wanted to buy since returning from SXSW. I'm on a mission to play the xylophone in a band now, it will happen... oh yes, it will. Then I'm watching a rerun of SNL on well.. Saturday and the hillarious Rainn Wilson was hosting with musical guest Arcade Fire. Let me just say that Arcade Fire is an amazing band and I really want to see them live. So I'm watching them perform on SNL and one of the guys in AF was playing what instrument.... A FREAKIN XYLOPHONE!!! See folks, it's meant to be. I am going to be a hardcore xylophone player. I will rock and roll with those cute little plastic mallets. Who's with me?

Also I want to learn to do a Rubicks Cube in like 2 minutes. Do you think I can learn that in a month? I looked online to find cheat sites to learn how to do it, and the one that I found was crazy Algebreic in solving it. I just want to know that if i turn it 3 times to right and twist once left i'll get one row. That's not to crazy, I can memorize that. Not when your solving for X before you turn a row, jeeze. That's just nuts.

Another thing I want to accomplish this month is make a shirt. I have my sewing machine collecting dust and I have some cute material now all I need to do is put it all together and make something fancy. I'm tired of going shopping and not liking anything I see, or look at something and want to motify it in everywhich way possible. I just need to make my own clothes, that way I wont be at a bar and a girl will have the same top on as me. Believe me it's happened before. I joked to her like, wow... what an amazing top. She wasn't having it, she rolled her eyes and left the bathroom. Oh yea, we were in the bathroom. So to prevent freak accidents like that, I need to make my own clothes. When I was little and my aunts or grandma would make me clothes I would die of embarrassment, now I long for the originality of something made with love. I'll wear that plaid jumpsuit Grandma!! I will!

I want new cd's. What do you reccommend? Oh speaking of new music, sorta. I was watching Subterriean last night which is usualy where I get to see all my "indie" like music videos for one day during the week for just one hour. Lately I've noticed that Jim Shrear the host of the show is missing... completely. Instead it's a band hosting, which can be cool and they just play music videos over their ramblings at some resturant. LAME-O! After a bit of research on the old Inter-net I learn that the entire staff of MTV2 was fired and instead they are just going to re-run all the horrible show that you see on regular MTV and now Subterriean is host-less. Now not that I was a raging super fan of Jim Shearer however you spell his last name, but I did like the fact that it was hosted. I knew that he was going to interview a cool band at some point in the show and throw out some tidbits of useless music info that I needed to get through that week. But now... nothing. I couldn't even understand the band that was on last night so eventually I found myself switching channels on and off. And so ended 120 minutes, Headbangers Ball and probably soon too Subterrianen.

OK I just got busy here at work. I'll write more in a bit.