Poetry & Prozac

I'm posting because I only get to use this tag once a year, even if it is no longer Christmas Eve Eve.

I love Christmas Eve Eve because I am always stupidly busy on Christmas Eve proper. Today's the day I get to really anticipate everything that comes with Christmastime for me. The food and the family and the traditions and the gifts I'm giving and the gifts I'm getting and the cute outfit I've got for tomorrow night.

It just, is an awesome day.

Also my little brother came home tonight. And we decorated the faily-est tree ever. We usually buy live trees and then plant them, but three years ago my parents bought this eeensy tree, and last year it grew somewhat and started looking a little funky, THIS year it has two tops and is vaguely hourglass shaped. We are owning our funkyass tree. I guess.

(No music tonight, as Ryan Ross is a failboat and has not posted his rec yet. For sure I will post some tomorrow though.)

I see LJ ate my goodbye post, fantastic.

I left, I wished the Americans on my flist a happy Thanksgiving and told you all that twitter is the place to be for keeping up with me (though I don't get updates texted to my phone), and now I'm back.

With an officially engaged cousin (ring and all) and a shiny job as maid of honor (and, actually only bridesmaid, though most of the family is the wedding party. I'm actually mostly more excited about this than emo, and actually nagged pretty hard for her to officially call me her maid of honor (We made a promise to each other. When we were EIGHT!)

Wedding dress shopped on Saturday. My issues are mine and haven't much changed since junior high, sitting there watching her in giant white dresses surrounded by mirrors, it feels like I've always known I'd end up here. The thought's both upsetting and weirdly comforting.

In general, the holiday and my family were nice. Possibly the most pleasant Thanksgiving I've ever had, really, though I did spend a fair amount of time texting.

Not sure if the (most recent) California wildfires have made national news, though my guess is yes, but I'm fine. Neither of them is near me, though we're concerned for my aunt who was evacuated and spent 5 hours in a Chili's restaurant (I have no idea!)

Just FYI. California geography is silly and news media is often wrong.

I know a lot of you don't live/vote in California, and those that do are already planning to vote No on Proposition 8. If you know anyone who ISN'T planning on voting no, though, I'd appreciate if you pass my story on.

(If none of this applies to you, I'd still appreciate you reading and maybe hitting me up with a hug.)

( cut to protect those with violence triggers )

So, how was your Saturday night?

* Started my new job today. I made a sale! It was actually kind of fun. For a day. I'm not sure how I'm gonna do long-term, though. It's me, on a phone, all the time. Yeeeeah.

* Usually reading my friends list energizes me and makes me happy, tonight I mostly want to punch everyone in the nose. I'm pretty sure this says more about me than anyone on my flist.

I'm pretty sure it mostly has to do with how I am SO TIRED. Who knew 4 hours of being ON!!! could be this draining.

And then there was shopping and dinner with mom, although that involved raw fishies and not having to be ON!!! although it also involved trying on clothes. And then I had to finish Indy stuff, so maybe my tired is justified.

Plans for the rest of the evening include: shower, fic, sleeeeeeep.

* So, today I got a job!!! (The backstory - in July I started temporarily working for my mother part-time, before that I was making $45-$50 a week editing for a quasi-local newspaper, which I still do as it takes approx. 5 hours a week. My mom hired a permenant staff member about two weeks ago and I have been training her off and on since. Awkwardly, given that I have no job to go on to once she continues.) But last night I called on a craigslist (Craigslist? I can never decide about the capitalization) ad, they told me to come down and fill out an application, and when I went in this afternoon a guy gave me a mini-interview and told me I was hired. I totally thought he was kidding at first.

It's only 20 hours a week, 12 - 4, no weekends, selling season theater tickets to the local theater, but at least it's something. And I can get another job to fill in those hours, or something, and ultimately I'll be earning waaaaay more money than I have in a long time. \o/

* Also I saw a kangaroo rat, which I thought was pretty cool. They are not rat-like and are actually pretty cute. They're native to the area and some of them are endangered, but as this one was living in a grocery store planter, I'm guessing he wasn't one of those.

* The head broke off of my turtle cell phone charm today. *sadface* My father has promised to fix it, and there'll be a Chinatown run in a few months and hopefully I will be able to replace it. I love that turtle, yo.

Overall, pretty good day today, and since my tomorrow job consists of little more than showing up, I have high hopes for it as well.

Just for my information...

January:
@ FACES, Riverside: Music For Airports

February:
2/5 @ Chain Reaction, Anaheim: The Higher, The Matches, Sherwood
2/15 @ The Glass House, Pomona (The Really Really Ridiculously Good Looking Tour): The Cab, We The Kings, Metro Station, Cobra Starship
2/16 @ The Troubadour, L.A. (The Really Really Ridiculously Good Looking Tour): The Cab, We The Kings, Metro Station, Cobra Starship

March:
3/30 @ The Joint, Las Vegas: Drive By, Billy Talent, My Chemical Romance
3/31 @ The Joint, Las Vegas: Drive By, Billy Talent, My Chemical Romance

April:
4/5 @ Irvine Meadows (Bamboozle Left): The Cab*, Four Year Strong, We the Kings, Daphne Loves Derby*, Story of the Year, The Bouncing Souls*, New Found Glory, Alkaline Trio, Paramore*, Jimmy Eat World*, The All-American Rejects
4/6 @ Irvine Meadows (Bamboozle Left): Escape the Fate, Armor For Sleep*, Hawthorne Heights, Billy Talent*, Hot Water Music*, Finch*, Saves the Day, Anti-Flag*, The Bravery, Goldfinger*, Chiodos, Blaqk Audio*, My Chemical Romance
4/10 @ The Warfield, San Francisco (Honda Civic Tour '08): Phantom Planet, The Hush Sound, Motion City Soundtrack, Panic at the Disco
4/12 @ SOMA, San Diego (Honda Civic Tour '08): Phantom Planet, The Hush Sound, Motion City Soundtrack, Panic at the Disco

June:
6/13 @ Pearl Theater @ The Palms, Las Vegas (Honda Civic Tour '08): Phantom Planet, The Hush Sound, Motion City Soundtrack, Panic at the Disco
6/14 @ The Honda Center, Anahiem (Honda Civic Tour '08): Phantom Planet, The Hush Sound, Motion City Soundtrack, Panic at the Disco
6/15 @ Chain Reaction, Anahiem: Anarbor
6/22 @ Seaside Park, Ventura (Warped Tour): Cobra Starship, Gym Class Heroes, We the Kings, The Academy Is...

August:
8/5 @ The El Ray Theater, L.A. (The Dance Across the Country Tour): The Morning Light*, Steel Train, The Cab, The Hush Sound
8/26 @ The Avalon, L.A.: New Tomorrow, Warship, DJ Chris, Leathermouth, Reggie and the Full Effect
8/30 @ Spare the Air Festival, Fullerton: Saosin, The Used (acoustic)

September:
9/26 @ The Bakersfield Dome (The Why So Serious Tour): (Hey Monday), Rocket to the Moon*, This Providence, The Cab
9/27 @ Karma, Victorville (The Why So Serious Tour): (Hey Monday), Rocket to the Moon, This Providence, The Cab

October:
10/5 @ San Diego Sports Arena (The Rockband Live Tour): The Cab, Plain White T's, Dashboard Confessional, Panic at the Disco
10/9 @ Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas (The Rockband Live Tour): The Cab, Plain White T's, Dashboard Confessional, Panic at the Disco
10/10 @ Staples Center, L.A. (The Rockband Live Tour): The Cab, Plain White T's, Dashboard Confessional, Panic at the Disco

2008:
8 - The Cab
7 - Panic at the Disco
5 - The Hush Sound,
4 - Phantom Planet, Motion City Soundtrack, We the Kings
3 - My Chemical Romance, Cobra Starship, Plain White T's, Dashboard Confessional
2 - Metro Station, Drive By, Billy Talent, This Providence,
1 - Music For Airports, The Higher, The Matches, Sherwood, Four Year Strong, Story of the Year, New Found Glory, Alkaline Trio, The All-American Rejects, Escape the Fate, Hawthorne Heights, Saves the Day, The Bravery, Chiodos, Anarbor, The Academy Is..., Gym Class Heroes, Steel Train, New Tomorrow, Warship, DJ Chris, Leathermouth, Reggie and the Full Effect, Saosin, The Used, Rocket to the Moon

Total shows: 22

Ever:
8 - The Cab, Panic at the Disco
6 - Plain White T's
5 - Fall Out Boy, Gym Class Heroes, The Hush Sound,
4 - Cobra Starship, Cute Is What We Aim For, The Matches, Motion City Soundtrack, New Found Glory, Phantom Planet, We the Kings,
3 - The Academy Is..., Dashboard Confessional, My Chemical Romance,
2 - Alkaline Trio, The All-American Rejects, Billy Talent, The Bravery, Drive By, Metro Station, Music For Airports, This Providence, Story of the Year
1 - All Time Low, Anarbor, Augustana, The Beach Boys, Billy Idol, Boys Like Girls, Chiodos, The Dear And Departed, Death Cab For Cutie, DJ Chris, Dropkick Murphys, The Early November, Escape the Fate, Eve 6, Four Year Strong, Hawthorne Heights, The Higher, Jack's Mannequin, Jars of Clay, Leathermouth, Matchbox 20, Muse, New Tomorrow, Paul Wall, Permanent Me, Pete Seeger, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Reggie and the Full Effect, Relient K, Rocket to the Moon, Saosin, Saves the Day, Semisonic, Sherwood, Steel Train, Soul Asylum, Third Eye Blind, The Used, Warship, Yellowcard, +44,
(Previous lineups)

Total shows ever: 38

Venues (All-time):
4 - The Joint/Hard Rock Hotel - Las Vegas
3 - Irvine Meadows, Seaside Park - Ventura
2 - FACES - Riverside, Chain Reaction - Anaheim, The Honda Center - Anahiem, The Avalon - L.A., San Diego Sports Arena,
1 - UCR, Glen Helen Amphitheater - San Bernardino, Gibson Amphitheater - L.A., L.A. County Fairgrounds, The Wiltern - L.A., The Grove - Anaheim, Coors Amphitheater - San Diego, San Jose State Arena, Troubadour - L.A., The Warfield - San Francisco, SOMA - San Diego, Pearl Theater @ The Palms - Las Vegas, The El Ray Theater - L.A., Spare the Air Festival - Fullerton, The Bakersfield Dome, Karma - Victorville, Staples Center - L.A.

* = saw/heard part of the set, but didn't physically watch the whole thing. Not in "bands I've seen ever" totals.
() = were part of the tour but saw none of their set.