Conflicted

A few weeks ago, the event I planned for the Seattle Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation commenced, and we made around $2500. It was so much fun, and we had a really good turnout!

To celebrate this acheivement, I went to the Oregon coast with my Cousin Tait, Aunt Colleen, Uncle Pat, Uncle Chris, and Uncle Todd.

Here comes the kicker. The event was to raise awareness for the protection of our oceans, waves and beaches -- and I went to ride quads on the beach the next weekend. These two hobbies are in direct contradiction of each other and therefore doing both makes me a hypocrite. I have such a conflicted personality.... I believe we need to save our environment from ultimate ruin, but I also like to have a good time and therefore use the environment for activities that induce an adrenaline rush. Maybe there is still a chance for me?

But, I have to admit... it was a BLAST! It was also fun to think that next time I go, I'm bringing my surfboard and wetsuit so I can do both. :)

Here are some pics from hanging out at the beach!

Pat looks worried!
Tait getting some lessons.
Not only are we family, but we are color coded!

This is vague.

I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh
try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere
behind the morning.

-- J.B. Priestly (1894-1984) English Author

I get 'positive quotes' sent to my inbox every morning. I also get my horoscope sent to me every morning, which is really just an exercise in interperetation, but fun all the same.

The last year has been a trying one. Several failed relationships with friends as well as men, deciding to finally deal with the fact that I was unhappy, that I had not done one thing I thought I would have done by now, finding out some of the things I thought were fun are not so fun at all, and realizing that no one is going to fix me. I have to fix me, I have to make the decisions based on me -- no one else, I have to figure out what kind of eggs I like (that was a runaway bride reference), and I'm going to change in the process. I don't hang out with many people that have been staples in my life for years, and yes that bothers me, but not as much as it bothers me that I didn't and don't know how to reach out to those I have wronged.

I admit I've done some damage. I haven't treated myself the way I would want someone else to, I put others first and sacrificed myself because I thought making others happy made me happy. I don't know when I got to the point that I had to start telling people that were in my daily life--people I spoke to ALL DAY--that I needed something from them. I guess I got really good at making light of bad situations so people I guess thought it was no big deal. So, no one cared. Or if they did I didn't know it. I don't know how to ask for things for myself, mostly because I didn't know what I needed. I was the go to girl when a guy was bugging one of my friends, or when someone needed help -- I get things done. I'm persistant, and I protect my friends, but I wasn't very good at letting people do that for me.

An old friend of mine recently passed away and at the memorial service the preacher got up and said something that really hit hard. I hadn't seen Josh since high school. I haven't been back to Ferndale since high school, nor had I really been back to Bellingham for 4 years and if I did go, it was for the day. I didn't have any connections left. I had so many memories associated with painful growth patterns from Whatcom county that it got to a point where I didn't even want to show my face there anymore. Too many friends that died, too many stupid fights, and too many stuipd mistakes can make you feel pretty small. But, during the memorial service, the preacher said something that we hear so often that is sent via emails, and forwarded around the world 8 billion times, that we say to people when they are going through a tough time, and that until you are that person going through that tough time you don't truly understand. People pull away and we let them. People hide things they are ashamed of for fear of rejection. People are afraid of letting their friends down. People do not want to bother you with their real problems. People won't tell you there is something wrong and they need help until they REALLY need help, and sometimes then it feels too late. The preacher said bother each other. Rely on each other, ANNOY EACH OTHER.

I don't know if anyone actually reads this blog. In any case, here are my words of wisdom. No one is perfect. Relationships are messy. Give people space but don't let them get away. Don't lose yourself in anything or anyone, find happiness in the presence or action. Think before you act. Tell people they mean something to you on an occasion that is not a holiday or that is merely in response to a tragic scenario. Remember that not everyone fits into your obsessions, but that doesn't mean they don't fit into your life. Take risks, be brave, tell the truth, even if it sucks and someone gets mad at you. Don't judge, accept.

I'm preaching today because a friend of mine is going through something insanely hard. Emotionally hard, which is the worst kind since you can't put a cast on it and get sympathetic oohs and ahhs when you tell the story of how it happened. Its tearing her up, its hard to watch, and its also hard to not be able to do anything but listen. So, I listen. And I listen some more. And I remind myself that I have hurt before to the point where it was hard to even look at people let alone reach out. So, I'm going to do what I would want someone to do to me. I'm going to call her all the time. I'm going to annoy her until I piss her off, take a break for a couple days, then go back for more.

This of course is a different scenario than where I've been mad at someone and lashed out. That is a more difficult situation, where there is legitimatley an issue but it is handled badly. I've done this a lot. A ton. I've messed up and tried to fix it, but I didn't know how. So, I did the best I could and realized that's all I could do, that maybe in that situation annoyance isn't the answer. And its painful to lose a friend this way. Death is easier. You don't have to worry about running into a dead person at the grocery store when you are ten pounds heavier wearing your makeup from the day before in your sweats with the bleach stains on them. And if you did that would be a whole different issue.

So, I guess the moral of this is the next time you are wronged to remember that you've wronged someone and don't be so quick to get up on your high horse of perfection. People mess up. They do amazingly stupid things for a million different reasons, and its hard to come back and own up to those...and its even harder when the person doing the apologizing is apologizing to someone who thinks they are perfect and has never messed up. There are a lot of gray areas in life. Pay attention to your friends. Acknowlege them. Remember that not everyone forwards emails to their entire address book... lots of people go through the list to make sure they didn't send it to someone inappropriate. And remember that tomorrow is a new day, but today is already here.

HUG YOU!

Some of you may wonder "Where IS meankatie these days? She hasn't been posting much so she must be off doing wonderful amazing things or seeing wonderful amazing things."

Well, that is partially true. I've definetly seen things that amaze me -- whether they are good, bad, funny, or merely the stupidest things I've seen... well that's another post altogether.

What I HAVE been doing is spending a lot of time at my desk at work, then again at my 'desk' (aka coffee table in front of the tv) at home working and obsessively checking email to see if anyone wants to hear from me. This video was forwarded to me by a friend of mine and I liked it so much I thought I'd share.

Give hugs!

Opportunity to Hang Out, Drink Beer, and Listen to Live Music. With Me.

Most of you know about this event because you've heard me talking about it for 3 months. If you don't know about this event, you don't really need more of an explaination to go other than, I've planned it, its at Evo, there is beer, and good bands. Besides it supports a good cause. So, buy your tickets.

I Feel So Small

This is cool

Earth and Moon Viewer

Gramps, I have a feeling you are really going to like this link.

How The Dictionary Almost Ruined My Name

So, today I'm having an email banter with my coworker/friend Matt. We were talking about my lunch that I was going to throw together since I've realized how much money I've spent instead of saving for my Costa Rica excursion (which consisted of tuna fish (canned) black beans and a tortilla. mm. I mean it doesn't even get three mmm's.) He replies to me with some tantalizing description of the cheeseburger he is going to have and the difficulty he will have in picking the type of cheese. I tell him he's mean. Which leads to him asking me if I mean he is mediocre, medium..

So, I look up the definition to send his way: see definition here and choose the second description of the word.

When he asks me if I mean to tell him he is 'unimposing and shabby' I realize he's probably not going to buy me the cheeseburger if I'm mean to him so, I reply with.. "You know when you read the definition its pretty offensive to call someone mean."

"So, which definition applies to your [nick]name?"

uh oh. So, I go back to the definition and search for something better. Something to redeem myself.. crap! crap! I knew I had self esteem issues sometimes, but uh oh. How am I supposed to feel good about myself if I keep referring to myself as 'small, humiliated, or ashamed,' or 'low in status, rank or dignity'.. geez... and then

Ding! Ding! Ding! he he. I find definition number 2.11 slang skillful or impressive. he he he

After all this, I realize.. how am I going to teach people the English language if I don't have a great handle on it myself. Think of it. How many words we have that mean (see!) totally different things. Or those words like height/weight that look like they should be pronounced the same, but they aren't?!?!?!

I don't think my cutesy personality is gonna get me out of that one. I guess I'll just try and stay away from that one.

Behind Closed Doors

There is this great scene of Cameron Diaz at the beginning of Charlie's Angels dancing in her underwear in her room. More than one person said it reminded them of me... of course I don't let people see me dancing around my room in my underwear... but that doesn't stop me from dancing around fully clothed.

Growing up, my parent's friends called me Katie Jean the Dancin' Machine. Especially Patty Broderson. She had this clown jukebox that played music when you pulled out the drawer at the bottom, and the clown danced... I believe she was the one that inspired me to dance. That's what I remember most about her; loud music, loud laughter, and her loudly telling me to 'dance Katie! Dance!'

This is sort of a backdrop to my life. Ballet at 4, moved around a lot so classes weren't always available... luckily there was MTV sometimes. This gave me an outlet for inspiration, self teaching, and new techniques in dance. Michael and Janet were two of my faves. I grew up thinking I was going to be a backup dancer for Janet...and actually was working towards it, until I went to a Ballet Master Class at Cornish and one of the women told me I'd never make it since I was 17 and didn't have formal training. So. I gave up thinking she was right... unfortunately.

So, every Halloween when this song comes on, I know the moves. I also know the moves to three of Janet's videos, and some other dances we were taught in HS and in college. So, if you happen to come to my house and I'm dancing around in the living room. You can thank Patty, Michael, and Janet.
Michael Jackson-Thriller

Why are you like this? Like what? Like, how you are?

Those of you that were in High School in the 90's or even Junior High, might remember my favorite show My So Called Life. It was my favorite show for so many reasons, mostly because it was my life. I was Angela with a different name, and the guy in my life at the time had a different name than Jordan Catalano but they looked alike, they acted alike... they both had bands, it was weird.

I'm sure you are wondering (if I didn't leave you a hysterical message from Chicago) what any of this has to do with day three of Lollapalooza. Lets start on Friday.

So, you might remember that Kevin and I had in and out privileges for the show. Thank god. We took advantage of this on Friday at a break in the bands and went to the Exchequer for food. Its just pub food, but its dark and cool in there so we thought it was amazing. On the way into the festival on Friday I was grabbing all the handouts, one of which was a newspaper describing all the bands.

As I've mentioned before, Lollapalooza is about choices. At 3:30 on Sunday there were three bands that I wanted to see. Playing, of course, at the same time on three different stages, right on the heels of another band I wanted to watch. In the 3:30 time slot, there are four bands playing and one of them is 30 Seconds to Mars, who I didn't know or recognize. (They aren't played on KEXP...and if they are I haven't payed attention enough to care.) Kevin makes a comment about them and I look them up.

OMG. Its Jordan Catalano's band. I am so going! But first I have to map out my day on Sunday. It goes something like this:
12:15 Trevor Hall
12:30 Sparta
2:15 Hot Chip
2:30 Nickel Creek
3:30 Andrew Bird; Pepper; The New Amsterdams... and now 30 Seconds to Mars. NO WAY is Jared Leto going to be in the same zip code and I'm not going to see him.
4:30 The Shins
5:00 Of Montreal
5:30 She Wants Revenge
6:30 Queens of the Stone Age
8:30 Red Hot Chili Peppers.

If you bothered to look at the times, and the map from the area... you'd realize this is next to impossible... but I try.

I got there late, so I missed Trevor Hall, but caught up w/ Sparta. Who's lead singer looks similar to someone I dated...

I watch Sparta til its over, then I'm off to Hot Chip, who I was introduced to by not only KEXP but my friend Jesse. So, I wanted to see these guys up close, and since I'm short, I wanted to get there early enough to be in the front. My brother and Lori are going to meet me somewhere when they get there, but our schedules are a bit different, so I know we'll meet up later in the day. I'm on my own.

On my way to Hot Chip's set, I take a gander at the haps at the Virgin Megastore tent where they have bands that are going to show up to sign autographs. I notice 30 Seconds to Mars will be there at 5 and smirk to myself about getting Jared Leto's autograph. Then, continue on my way to Hot Chip.

Hot Chip is just fun. The singer looks A LOT different than I thought. and I thought the guitar player was the sound check guy... but they sounded great. After I called Jesse and left him a message, found out where Lori and my brother were and made a meet up place, I was off for a good viewing point for 30 Seconds to Mars.

I'm giggling as I walk over there. I cannot believe I'm doing this... oh well. I'm 1/2 an hour early and I'm 30 rows back. You're kidding me. Eh. Oh well. Then I notice the crowd. Lots of girls here. And none of them have those beer bracelets...either they don't drink.... or they are that young -- meaning yes. I am that old.

I wait. and wait. And then I see someone bring a couple boxes of popscicles on stage. How thoughtful! Cause its hot. At least that is what everyone is bitching about around me. That and how their makeup melted yesterday so they got a sunburn. Ha. That one made me laugh.

And then...dun dun dun. The dark music begins to play. A tragic, dramatic, classical piece plays loudly over the speakers. The entire song. At the end the group runs out dressed in all white with kubuku mask covering their faces and white bandanas covering their necks; black hair flowing out the back, with a flag of thier band that sat on stage right the entire performance. This entire act was a crescendo into Jared Leto ripping his mask off for the crowd to see. and then he threw out roses. 30seconds to Mars

This is the horrible video I shot.

So, I'm not sure if it was seeing Jared Leto in person, trying to figure out if the music was good or not, or all the anticipation of seeing Jared Leto in person, but I lost all control of how to work the camera, my stomach was doing something strange that reminded me of the time I met Vince Vaughn, and my eyes were open. Staring. Just feet away from Jared Leto. Then... His drummer is his friend from My So Called Life (who I thought was way hotter than Jordan...but he was such an ass. Must be why I liked him. Seems to be a theme in my life. I bet his real name is Jason.) I'm screwed. I'm captivated. Mesmerized. Hypnotized.

And then Jared climbs the scaffolding. And sings a song. I couldn't tell if I was horrified or if I liked this. It was so strange. It was like watching a play.

So, I stay for more songs than I thought I would. It was like a train wreck. I couldn't pull myself away. I immediately pick up my phone and call my mom to tell her that the show that she recorded for me in H.S. just entered a new phase in my life. She appreciated it since I was obsessed with my own version of Jordan Catalano (but Daymon was real and had better hair) and that was all I talked about back then. My english teacher even had me write a compare contrast paper about my life and Angela Chase's life. I included pictures. You will not see them here. Nice try.

I catch up to Kevin and Lori and I can barely breathe I've been laughing so hard w/ my mom. So, they want to go check it out and on the way over I call a few more people and leave out of breath messages.. and then

I go stand in line for an autograph.

Here I am with my signed Mt. Rainier bottle:

Here's many more pictures from that day.

The rest of the day was a bit of a blur. I'd had a plan. It was ditched the minute I saw Jared Leto.

The other highlight was seeing Mixmaster Mike... that was a great. He is amazing. Perry Farrell made an appearance to introduce him, and he played all kinds of things. Kevin got this great picture of him We danced there for a bit, then it was off to the Chili Peppers ... with the rest of Lollapalooza.

Chicago makes a great backdrop for a show:

Overall, the trip went well. Got some great stories, evened out my tan...told a bunch of people all it does in Seattle is rain... you know. The ususal. I will go back to Chicago, though maybe not for Lollapalooza. I felt like it was too big, and I was too old. Though... you never know.

The Boy in the Bubble

There are times in your life where you have to make choices; sacrifices if you will. The second day of Lollapalooza was one of those days. The lineup was a bit of torture. Gnarles Barkley v. Sonic Youth; Common v. Flaming Lips; Kanye West v. Manu Chau. And all of these bands were playing on stages about 1/2 a mile from each other. Lollapalooza Map.

I picked the latter of each group, due to the fact that Wolfmother was playing at 3:30. We had to leave Built To Spill after thier first song (which ended up being ten minutes long, and slightly anti-climactic) in order to get to the venue Wolfmother was playing at for a good spot. Apparently, everyone else had the same idea.

A realization made during this event was that I used to be one of those girls at these concerts that annoys everyone. To a point. I knew every word to the album of the bands I was seeing. I had enough disposable income to buy each album the day it came out, and enough extra time to research everything about the band. I knew everything about them, and not in a teenage crush sort of way, it was more like "i'm a tough girl for being 16. And I snowboard." Yes. I thought I was amazing. Still do, but now I'm 29 and snowboard and surf. I've upped the anty.

Anyway, Kev and I wanted to be the first people around for Wolfmother so we went over 45 minutes early to get a spot... with the rest of the people who decided they also wanted to see Wolfmother. When we got there we were halfway out. There were a lot of Austrailians that came to watch, and they kept chanting "Aussie Aussie Aussie OY! OY! OY!" Pretty entertaining.

Wolfmother rocked. And reminded me again, of why I love shows and what I want to see when I shell out money. I like rock. I like energy. I like crazy. Wolfmother is all three. No wimpy love songs just straight up rock. A mix of Floyd and Zepplin with a twist. They were my Saturday.

Sonic Youth bored me. I've never been a huge fan, so oh well.

Flaming Lips? Great! Energetic, colorful, happy, silly, and worth getting stepped on and listening to girls piss and moan about how hot they are, and how people are stepping on their blankets. UH! Sweetheart... you are in the middle of the crowd in front of the soundstage. This is not a beach party. Stand up like the rest of us. Man, I'm glad I grew up in the grunge era, when people wore their crappiest clothes to a show because they knew they would lose their shoes, their pants would get super muddy and maybe even ripped. No stillettos, no heels, no mini skirts... ok, maybe mini skirts, but that was different.

The Flaming Lips started out by putting the lead singer in a plastic bubble so that he could walk over the crowd like a big hamster in a wheel. He profusely apologized before he went out onto the for stepping on people's heads and the like. It was great. Then the confetti kept coming along with oversized balloons and more singalongs... happiness galore. It put a good sized smile on my face.

Manu Chau followed up Flaming Lips set with the mexican jumpin bean impression of 311. Very energized, and when he started doing split leaps on stage... it was all I could do to stop laughing. Kanye was playing at the same time on the other side of the park, and apparently lost sound at one point which got the crowd nice and angry, but I'd seen him at Sasquatch two years ago, and would have liked to have seen another person, in case I could have found another favorite.

Saturday was a low key day. Wolfmother rocked. For the rest of it, people watching was more entertaining than some of the shows. Kevin was the photographer for the day, and his images can be seen here: http://meankatie.smugmug.com/gallery/1748222/4/86543978. This is also the reason most of the pictures look like I'm standing on a stool in the middle of the crowd. This is my brother's perspective.


OH! If anyone knows this man....he's beautiful. We should have children. They'd have great genes.

Piss Up A Rope

Piss Up A Rope is my new favorite Ween song. I'm not a huge fan of Ween, but this song is not only funny, it is sort of a theme for the day.

Here are the lyrics to the song:

My dinners on fire while she watches tv
And if youve ever wondered what its like to be me
She takes all my money and leaves me no smokes
Yells at my buddies and insults my folks
Im breakin my back doin the best that I can
Shes got time for the dog and none for her man
And Im no dope, but I cant cope
So hit the fuckin road and piss up a rope

You can piss up a rope
And you can put on your shoes, hit the road get truckin
Pack your bag, I dont need the ag
On your knees you big, booty bitch start suckin
You ride my ass like a horse in a saddle
Now youre up shits creek with a turd for a paddle
And I cant cope -- piss up a rope

Uh, you can piss up a rope and feel the pissy dribble
You can piss up a rope and watch me giggle
For the last 6 months I been packin your bag
You can wash my balls with a warm, wet rag
Till my balls feel smooth and soft like silk
Im sick of your mouth and your 2 percent milk
And Im no dope, but Ive lost all hope
So hit the fuckin road and piss up a rope

You can piss up a rope
And you can put on your shoes, hit the road get truckin
Pack your bag, I dont need the ag
On your knees you big, booty bitch start suckin
You ride my ass like a horse in a saddle
Now youre up shits creek with a turd for a paddle
And I cant cope -- piss up a rope

Now, you might ask, MeanKatie, what does any of that have to do with A) you, B) Lollapalooza, and C) Pissing Up A Rope?

Lets start from the beginning.

I flew into Chicago last night at about 9 pm. I think that is actually Chicago time, so that would be 7 pm my time. I'm exausted, my brother is stuck in traffic, and Peggy has just talked my ear off for the remaining 2 hours of the flight after I woke her to go to the bathroom. Peggy is a very sweet woman going to visit her daughter and her two grandsons... and not until later do I find out its actually to move her out of her place because she is getting a divorce. (which btw, is not something she wanted)

I've eaten all my granola bars, drank all my water, and am watching all these people get picked up by their friends/family when an older woman sits down beside me. She too, tells me her life story, as well as the fact that her granddaughter(?) is never on time, missed her flight from Texas and sat in Iowa for a day (I mean, its only a 45 minute flight, I don't know why she sat there.) and they just found out she is four months pregnant with a baby girl. Apparently, the new mom was disappointed -- she wanted a boy. If you ask questions, with some people you actually get answers. Unfortunately, this is not what happens with guys I date. They end up changing the topic.

But, I digress. Kev pics me up from the airport and we proceed to the apt to meet Dylan and Michelle, both of whom are super friendly. His apt is nicer than some of the places I've seen in Seattle (I thought Chicago was supposed to be old). I think Seattle landlords need to do some renovating. Although, I must say, if I were left to drive around this city, I would get completely lost due to the fact that every block has the same row of houses that look exactly the same. No wonder people around here know street names.

So, today I get up and get ready for my big trip on the train to the city for LOLLAPALOOZA! Woo! I can feel the excitement already! Anathallo plays at 1:00 and I expect to be there. Kevin's friend Lori and I are going to meet up before Kevin gets there since he has to work, and lucky for me that was the plan. I could totally get lost around here. I mean.. I can SEE the EL. Can I find where to get ON the EL? NOOOO. So, I had to ask directions like three times, but I finally made it downtown. Where everyone just kept telling me to "go towards the lake."

Let me paint a picture for you. Chicago is flat. There aren't any gently rolling hills, no mountains in the distance, no place where you are looking down, or up, or over... just flat. Someone tells me "go towards the lake" I immediately wish for N,S,E,W directions, which we ALL know I don't know and standing in the middle of downtown Chicago surrounded by super tall buildings I can't even tell where the Sears tower is. And its tall.

Now, the water for us west coasters... pretty good directional to have. Its west. Here, the water is east. I get completely screwed up everytime I come here.. Anywho, I finally find the way to the lake, and I'm on my way to LOLLAPALOOZA to see Anathallo, Editors, and others.

Now, we all know there are twists in my stories. Here is the first one. I'm talking to Lori, who I've never met. We are attempting to find one another HERE. She calls and says "I'm at the fountain." I immediately think.. ok, sooooooooooooo which part? its round... we're both standing at the opening of the fountain... then I see her. She's "in" I'm still outside, but apparently I find the loophole through security. Which by the way is a joke. No metal detectors, no pat downs, they don't even look in your purse. So, I go to find Lori and when I get to her I say "I don't know if they'll let me in with my water bottle half full, I think I have to toss the water." She replys with "Well, I don't think its a problem since you've already gone inside." Ha. I just totally bypassed security.

So, we go to see Anathallo. They are great. I really liked them and they were super appreciative of how many people turned out to see them. They have the kind of music that starts out slow and quiet and creshendos into a melodic pulsing movement. I love that kind of stuff.

Back to Chicago being flat. Ok, so the way Lolla is set up is that there are 4 stages on each side of this HUGE fountain in the middle. One of the main stages is right next to where Anathallo was playing. This is important because when you get people up there who really rock, but the people on the other stage have some quiet parts to their music... the noise travels and its hard to hear. So, thats something to get used to. Oh, and there is so much walking. WALKING. You thought that hill up to the second stage from the first stage at the Gorge was bad... that's nothing. I think I may have walked 6-7 miles today. In flip-flops. My feet are toast.

So, after Anathallo, we went to see Aqualung, who I love, but he was a little to slow for me, and there were too many people, so Lori and I cut out to walk around, play a little leap frog... find some clowns with secret words... you know. Normal concert going stuff.

OH! I forgot about the guy. So, partway through Anathallo, I turn around just to survey the crowd, and I find THIS GUY. What was he doing? WHO KNOWS. He was just standing there like that.

So, we head to the stage where the Editors are playing. They were really good. Very entertaining. I would go see them again. For sure. Stickers were given out, and I put one on my Mt. Rainier bottle. First sticker on the bottle. GOOOOOOOOOOOO EDITORS!

At this point I'm hungry, I've been in the sun awhile, and I'd like to sit down somewhere and eat. At Lollapalooza they give you in and out priviledges w/ your wristband if you bought the three day tickets. So, we leave to go to Exchequer. A pub that has lookalikes to the windows of an old castle outside, that also, has a dungeon-like feel when you go in. We eat. We leave. We go to THE BEAN.

This waterfall is cool. There are 10,000 Chicagoans (is that how you say it?) that have different pictures up on this waterfall... after 10 minutes of their face being up there, they shoot water out through their mouths! Its really funny to watch all the kids standing there waiting for it to happen. Then, the face disappears and the waterfall comes back. Pretty cool.

Then, we visited the Bean, which reminds me of the spaceship from the Navigator. That was cool. I got some good pics of that one click here for more pictures.

So, off to the show again to see the Raconteurs. Jack White's other band. Now... here's where things get crazy. I need to go to the bathroom, and we are right next to the stage when I spot this lone porta potty with one person in line in front of it. So, I take that magic moment to use the restroom. By the time I get over there, I realize everyone else had the same idea and end up fourth in line.

Porta pottys are hit and miss (pardon the expression). Sometimes you get clean ones, sometimes you get REALLY nasty ones. We lucked out at Sasquatch by staying at the Wildhorse Campground (can't sell them enough) because they are clean. Even in the Gorge the porta pottys had hand sanitizer and a mirror to check yourself out... they were top notch as far as public 'outhouses' go.

Now. As we are standing on this path there is foot traffic, and there is also golf cart, mini truck, and forklift traffic. We kept having to move around to get out of the way of the service vehicles supporting the stations around the grounds. When my turn comes up, I go inside the WORST porta potty I think I've been in. THANK GOD it was in the shade. I mean, I don't think I've been in a porta potty THAT full EVER.

Now, lets take you all back to 1996. The last year I went to Lollapalooza and stayed at the Gorge campground. People were pushing over the porta pottys. They smelled bad. Some people missed... but they weren't really ever full.

This porta potty... I almost turned around and walked out to find another one. But, I'd waited in line so long and was now at the point where I just needed to go. So, I get in 'the stance' and I'm trying hard not to touch any surface whatsoever. This is hard since there is a urinal on your right, the tp dispenser on your left and about 12 inches when you are standing upright between your nose and the door. I start to go and I can hear the sound of a motor coming closer and people outside shifting to get out of the way. Apparently, it didn't work. The vehicle bumped the porta potty. Did I mention before how full this thing was... well.. I got hit.

Sirens should have gone off, a camera crew should have come out running with new clothes for me.. something! but, noooooooooooooo. So. I toss the undies that were soiled. Go back to where my brother is standing, try to keep my back covered, and run RUN to the place where I bought a dress earlier. I purchase a skirt, change, and now I'm less disgusted. And I have a new favorite skirt. But. I am totally afraid of porta pottys now.

I return to find my brother at the Raconteurs. I fall into a celebrity crush worthy of a twelve year old with a Bop magazine full of picutres of Jack White. I have no idea what it was. I didn't find him attractive before. Maybe I inhaled fumes from the porta potty. who knows. But, I have a huge crush on Jack White. I am sure I'm not the only one.

We stay for Ween and while they are setting the stage up, listen to the Violent Femmes, who's stage shares the same field. I think they had the same setlist from 1993's Canada Day show I saw back in H.S.

Ween comes on. I listen to the song, then I listen to the words of their songs. They've got some interesting stuff. Oh, and their lead guitarist...LOVES his solos. They are a bit long.

Never the less. Piss Up A Rope, is not only a funny song, but a fitting ending to my first day at Lollapalooza. I'm glad Jack White was playing and not walking through the crowd. That would have been mortifying: you know, not only to have a schoolgirl crush on a 'rock star' but to have pee on your pants.. that isn't even yours? I mean.

More to come. Two more days... at least 10 more bands... hopefully no more porta potty stories.

MK

Save the Date

October 7, 2006.

No. I'm not getting married. But, I am having a PARTY! So, save the date for all you in Seattle... and those of you who want to come to Seattle. Its called Liquified.

Raffle prizes, silent auction, at least one band, maybe a DJ, some action vids (snow, surf, ski, wake, kayak...do they have those?)...beer, oh and me! (ok ok, there will be other girls there too, but you best give me the attention I deserve peeps!) Its all to help fundraise for the Seattle Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation.

So, come out, drink beer, drink clean water, and be entertained.

mk

R.I.P Foxy

I would like to take a moment to pay my respects to my new favorite shoes, which were murdered last night. Foxy was a gift from my friends Laura and Katie for my birthday. Those of you that know me well, know that most of my outfits revolve around my shoes. Shoes stay the same size... you don't have 'fat shoes' or 'skinny shoes' you have fun shoes, hiking shoes, running shoes... shoes are a lifestyle. When I wake up in the morning the first thing I think of is what shoes I'm going to wear and base my outfit around those shoes. It doesn't always work for me to chose what I"m going to wear, and THEN pick the shoes...

Foxy lost the war with Slater. He's a really adorable dog. I'm assuming he was mad at me for not taking him to the dog park. This is the reason I'm not allowed to have children or dogs. I chose to go sailing over going to the dog park.

I would like to state for the record that no matter what (MATT) you are not allowed to leave comments that are flip like "well you shouldn't have left your shoes on the ground" or "well you should know better than to leave your shoes out" because, like me, Slater has great taste in shoes. He only ate the cute ones. He left alone the tennis shoes, the hiking shoes, the white flip flops, the green flip flops with the bottle opener on the bottom, and the black strappy sandles. He chose to go for the funnest looking shoes, and I can only commend him on his choice.

So, let this be a lesson to you all. Not only do women have a thing with shoes, but so do dogs.

RIP Foxy.

mk


seriously...you can't get mad at this face:

Desperatley Seeking Sugar daddy/buddy/sister

Saving Sucks. I now know why people don't take trips more often: immediate gratification. I wanted to go hiking, but I only had running shoes. I bought some new hiking shoes. This was an investment to me because instead of going out to dinner and drinks, I will be hiking. Getting into shape. I may or may not be making new friends (depends on how friendly people are on the trail when the heavy slow girl is in front of them), but I will be exercising and not spending money. Oh, wait. I forgot about the gas to get there. Right.

You see, its almost impossible for me to not spend money on any given day. I know, I know... I don't NEED the coffee, but you might think differently if you are around me in the morning/ afternoon/ evening. I don't need to buy lunch. This is true. I also don't need to park everyday. On the average day, without a spending kabosh, I spend $25. That my friends is $125..not to add the spending money from the weekends. Which in and of itself has been limited to merely gas money.

So, these next few weeks I will not be purchasing coffee at work. That will save me $11.20/week. I will try my hardest not to drive which will save me $50/week. No bought lunches will add up to $30/week. So, this will be a weekly savings of almost $100 per week. Gosh that's a lot of money. Guess I better get up early enough to make coffee, remember to pack my lunch, and get to the bus on time. UGH.

God help us all.

What better horoscope could you get?

You might have a charmed day on your hands and may not even be required to wave your magic wand or recite a secret incantation to make it happen. You don't even need to deserve it. So, be a Gemini and take it as you can. Put off your chores until tomorrow. Go have yourself a grand old time, for you will be able to get away with a lot today.

Like I really need to have this horoscope for me to put things off... :) All you other Geminis out there... lets have a partee!

What, are you trying to prove something?

I've lived in Washington my entire life. I've visited other cities and even countries (HEY! Canada and Mexico TOTALLY count!) but I've never stepped foot on Mt. Rainier

This mountain has been nothing more than a beautifully framed picture from an office window, car window, poster, or photo from a friend's photo collection... until this last Sunday.

My friend Libby and I decided it was time for me to visit my local mountain. A place where people come to visit a national forest I've taken for granted for so long. It was amazing up there. You can see Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens... its breathtaking.

Now, part of the fun of this was that there wasn't pressure for me to get to a certain point. We were shooting for Camp Muir at just above 10,000 feet which is pretty intense for a first time route, especially since people who are experienced usually attempt these things, but seriously the conditions were amazing, and if Libby had any doubts on the weather we would have had even MORE stuff in our packs than we already had. I mean, only accomplished people would bring rain gear just in case on a day it was 92 at sea level. :) I made it about halfway up the Muir snowfield. I'm pretty damn proud of myself.

We ran into someone Libby knew on the trail and his comment to us was "So, what's with the skirts, are you trying to prove something?" Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do to keep cool. And I felt pretty smart having my WaterGirl skirt on with some hiking shoes and a tank... though my outfit on Sunday really showed me how much blue I own.

There are some hot men on that mountain. On our way down we ran into a couple, and Lib even managed to get a picture of them. I think we might be the only girls who are still checking guys out as they are sweating their way up a mountain...but honestly... what's more hot that that?

Anywho... check out Lib's blog for more...

Out of Order

I'm having to catalog all my experiences right now. I'm not use to having to do that, but since I haven't had direct access to internet (or since I have actual work to do) I haven't been able to keep up with my blog the way I've intended. So, I'm taking the time out to apologize for information that may be out of date or really old.

Cheers!

Polar Bear Swim

Lil Waldo and I did a little hike last Sunday that turned up nicely (save for putting a round of stairs in at the top of the hike. One of my favorite quotes on this trek was "Who's bright idea was it to install these stairs at the TOP?") At the end of the 3 mile hike there is this nice lake where there was still snow. :) After a nice hike, it was fun to play in the water a little.

The other favorite quote was, after almost getting trampled by this totally rude couple while decending the hike, Lil says "Where did they think they were going? Someplace with a snackbar?" "I guarantee she has $10 in her pocket."

Even Bus Drivers Get The Runs

The lovely part about commuting from Seattle to Camano Island via Stanwood is being able to sit in traffic for over 2 hours after you get off work.... then have to stop at the rest area so the bus driver can go to the bathroom. And when he gets back, you get to wait while he tries to fix whatever noise the broken door is making by this extended high pitched warning sound..

did I mention I've had to pee since I got on the bus. at 5:20..... yep. its now 7:05. Did the bus driver ask US if we had to pee?? noooooooooooooo!!!!

I'd like to take time out to thank my mother for making me laugh out loud by saying something completely inappropriate and making me laugh so hard that everyone on the bus started to think I was crazy... :)

I should be paid to move

So, I'm finally moved out of that nasty apartment that I hated. The one I was soooo excited to move into, that about 3 months in showed its true colors (much like relationships...)and I wanted to break up, I just couldn't find a way to do it. So, I waited a year (like a lot of relationships I know) and just merely checked out of taking care of it.

I've moved the remainder of my belongings to storage up in Camano Island,
where I will be commuting from for the next few months. Its going to be an experience, but so will the next few years of my life.

My mom moved into a double wide mobile home a few years ago. I remember when she sent me the picture I almost cried. ''my mom is going to live in a trailer.'' She has completley transformed this place and its super cute. I only have outdoor before and afters, but here they are:BEFORE
AFTER
AFTER

Good Job MOM!!! She even painted my room inside, and we loaded that place up the same day everything went into storage. It looks really cute.

So, good riddance ugly naked guy, middle of the night drunk howlers, singers, and screamers, scary homeless guy, and that guy who left at the same time every EARLY morning who needs a new muffler. Good riddance traffic from the brigde... helloooooooo commuter folks!

Funny that as I'm finishing this post Billy Joel's 'I'm Movin' Out' is playing on the playlist selected for today.

Cheers!
MK

Chicago

Just booked my trip to Chicago for a rockin good time with Kev and his roomies! Can't wait!!!