Brrr

by Mush on December 28, 2005 · 3 Comments · in Blurbs, Weather

In which winter begins to suck again in earnest.

It’s getting cold outside again and I’m not wearing warm enough clothes. It was sorta-kinda nice this morning when I dressed but now the temperature is plummeting.

I do not own a single pair of black shoes. How the hell did this happen? I’m wearing brown shoes with black pants and a black sweater. The soles of the brown shoes are black, at least, but still. How can I not own any black shoes?! WHO DOESN’T OWN ANY BLACK SHOES, I ASK YOU?!

 

Out and About

by Mush on December 27, 2005 · 9 Comments · in Music, Social

In which I go to Ottumwa. Oh, and talk about the NYE gig.

Yesterday Tahmi called to invite me to join her for lunch and a movie in Ottumwa.

Her mister was cuddled in with his new Xbox 360 and wanted to be alone with his new mistress, so she needed to get out of the house. She picked me up at the Batavia BP and we proceeded to Applebee’s for cocktails and food.

I had two chocolate martinis because I’m a hedonist and a plate of fish ‘n’ chips. She had two coffee & booze concoctions and a pizza appetizer. Then we went to see Family Stone, which was cute in exactly the way we’d expected it to be. (Not the world’s most brilliant film, but perfect for our needs. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anybody with enough current estrogen to like chick flicks.)

After the movie we adjourned to Herberger’s, where I got clothes for my upcoming New Year’s Eve gig (link is a PDF). I bought a cute black tailored jacket, groovy black slacks that are low-slung and even kind of bell bottomed, and a fuck-me-dead-red camisole (with matching panties because, you know, what the hell). Since it was Boxing Day and everything was on sale, I spent $70 for nearly $200 worth of clothes. Yeah! I haven’t purchased gig clothes in a million years, and I’m really excited to wear a new outfit and look well-turned out for once.

I tried the outfit on when I got home and Bread gave me a “Nice ass!” which was gratifying. Apparently chubby chicks can still have nice asses, which is a relief.

All I need now are some cheap platform shoes; I’ll probably hit Wal*Mart or Payless for those. I need platforms because I know for a fact I won’t get the pants hemmed. I never hem pants. It’s just not part of my idiom.

People have been asking me about the gig and when I tell them I’m “just a back-up singer in this band,” they all make the same face. “You’re only singing backup?” they say. “What a waste!” But I’m digging it, to be honest. I get to play cowbell, for one, and tambourine, for another, and I’ve only had to memorize about a quarter of the amount of lyrics I’d’ve had to memorize otherwise. It’s a great deal for me. I love singing backup and I haven’t done much of it. Save this year, I’ve fronted every other band I’ve been in since 1992. There’s a lot to be said for ‘only’ being a backup singer – I get to sing, I get to sing cool harmonies, I get to look cool, and I really don’t have to do all that much for the privilege.

It’s like rock star lite. Plus did I say COWBELL?!

Also, being the opening act instead of the headliner means I’ll be done at 11:00 and will therefore be able to apply myself to proper partying for the remainder of the event! It’s the perfect combination of gig and non-gig events. Bread even suggested I book a room since the gig’s in a hotel so we can both get trashed and not have to bother driving home until the next morning – clever man, isn’t he?

 

Wedding Quilt

by Mush on December 27, 2005 · 4 Comments · in Blurbs

In which you check out the Sleep Number bed! Hah!

When I got married four years ago, my mother said she’d make me (us) a wedding quilt. She asked, “What color would you like?”

And I promptly replied, “Orange. And king-sized!”

She coughed a little, but her eyes were twinkling. “Orange, did you say? Orange? No one’s ever said that before.” The woman’s a master quilter, and loves a challenge. It took her four years, but she delivered. Behold the wonderful, strange, orange wedding quilt:

Pretty crazy, eh? Isn’t it weird? I think I love it. I can use it as an excuse to buy blue, purple, orange, and yellow sheets. (The green flannel sheets pictured are brand new. I love new sheets!)

The back of this handmade gem is entirely bright OSHA orange and could easily be used to flag down help should the bed ever find itself in trouble on the highway.

 

Meatmas

by Mush on December 27, 2005 · 6 Comments · in Blurbs

An inter-office IM conversation from this morning.

Mark S. says:
consider yourself lucky that you aren’t my sister
Michelle M. says:
uh, okay – I’ll start on that right away
Mark S. says:
my father gave my sister and i each 200 lbs. of beef and 100 lbs. of pork for christmas
Mark S. says:
awesome for me, not such a good gift for you
Michelle M. says:
*blink*
Michelle M. says:
wait
Michelle M. says:
did you just say
Michelle M. says:
did you just say that you got THREE HUNDRED POUNDS OF MEAT for Xmas?!?!
Mark S. says:
approximately, yes
Michelle M. says:
oh. my. god.

 

Presents

by Mush on December 27, 2005 · 4 Comments · in Blurbs

Apparently I was good… enough.

Behold my astonishingly long list of delicious Xmas goodies!

  • 2 brown super-soft bath sheets
  • socks (wool and angora – yum)
  • a long-sleeved t-shirt
  • a spring green down vest
  • black velvet drawstring pants
  • 3 knives, including a super cool dicer
  • 3 Pyrex baking dishes
  • Tupperware containers
  • a Barnes & Noble gift card
  • The Cool Girl’s Guide to Knitting
  • 2 hand-painted bowls (the deep kind that are great for cereal)
  • a beaded coin purse with a $50 bill in it
  • a $35 check
  • my lovely guitar, of course

Amazing, huh? I’m probably way too old to get so many gifties, but I sure ain’t complaining. I love presents!

 

Merry Christmas!

by Mush on December 25, 2005 · 1 Comment · in Blurbs

In which I did NOT get to sleep in, not even a little bit.

Our niece, Parker, gets up at five in the morning – greeting the day with a hearty bellow. This causes one parent or the other to bash around the kitchen preparing a bottle; shortly afterward someone’s making pot after pot of coffee and the next thing you know someone’s making hash browns.

Here’s what the tree looked like somewhere in the neighborhood of seven in the morning:

Xmas Tree

I’d already eaten breakfast by 8:30. That’s IN THE MORNING, people.

Other than only sleeping five hours, we had a great time. The food was yummy, the atmosphere was relaxed and mellow, the presents were wonderful, and Miss Parker’s a lot of fun now that she’s mobile.

Parker in her high chair on Xmas morning 2005

When Bread and I got home this afternoon, we did not clean house, take out the trash, put away our gifts, write thank-you notes, or sweep the floors. We promptly took five-hour naps… because we can.

 

A-Holidaying We Go

by Mush on December 24, 2005 · 1 Comment · in Social, Travel

In which we do the family thing.

Today is Christmas Eve.

Since I married into one of those weird families who open presents on this day, we’ll be loading our goodies into the truck and driving to Bread’s sister’s house in Pella in about an hour. There, we’ll sit around drinking White Russians (we’re bringing the ingredients with us – we ain’t stupid), then we’ll have dinner, and then we’ll open presents.

KW is requiring us to spend the night, so I’m guessing that there will be some kind of brunch thing tomorrow. I hope she has good coffee! I hear her daughter, our niece, is walking now. It’ll be fun to see her locomote.

I spent last night and this morning wrapping presents. I’m not sure why I’m not smart enough to buy boxes – I always end up doing these bizarre things to get weird shapes appropriately covered. But everything’s wrapped and ready to go.

Yay, Christmas! I hope you’re all having a lovely holiday, wherever you are, and that you’re healthy and happy and loved. And if Christmas isn’t celebrated where you are, I hope you get to sleep way the hell in. Just ’cause.

 

Newton Love

by Mush on December 21, 2005 · 4 Comments · in LOTD, Nerd

In which I totally drool over obsolete electronic devices!

OMG, you guys, OMG I totally want this:

It’s the Newton Museum‘s entire collection! One of every single model of Newton ever made, plus a bunch of software!

I used to carry a Newton or two, back in the day. They were cute, cute, cute! I had storage cards, cases, even tiny little keyboards – the Newton will always have a place in my heart. The opsys was adorable. And the easter eggs! And the handwriting recognition!

Go win me that auction. I’m so worth it. *wink*

 

Two Things

by Mush on December 20, 2005 · 6 Comments · in Blurbs

How fun is it to be me? Not very, and yet at the same time, VERY.

First, I’m sick. As a dog. A dog with a possible sinus infection. (Rating: not fun.)

Second, Brett and I exchanged Xmas gifts last night. I gave him a BOSCH Powerbox, which is a super-tough jobsite stereo he can throw around and treat badly.

He gave me – wait for it – he gave me – actually, I think you should maybe be sitting down for this? – he gave me a REALLY, REALLY NICE ACOUSTIC GUITAR. I couldn’t believe it! I mean, it’s gorgeous and brand new and it sounds great and he also bought a killer brown guitar case with faux aligator skin in which he’d placed two sets of strings and a couple of picks and everything. It’s so sweet! (Rating: Really really VERY FUN!)

So now, to justify having such a lovely instrument, I’m going to have to learn how to actually play. (I took lessons when I was a teenager, and can noodle around a wee bit, but a real player I’m not.)

In other news, I did all our Xmas shopping yesterday. In one day. It sucked. Coneheads everywhere, standing in the middle of the aisles with their shopping carts in the way, moving in slow herds, talking on their cell phones and cutting me off in the frozen food section. (Rating: not so fun.)

So there you have it: one really really VERY FUN, and two not funs. My head is full of snot and I think I might have a little temperature, but my guitar? It’s HOT.

 

Morning is for Suckers

by Mush on December 18, 2005 · 1 Comment · in Domestic Goddess

In which I migrate even more toward my ideal sleep schedule.

I’m a night person. I like to stay up late; I like to sleep in. I could happily go months without seeing the hours between dawn and eleven in the morning.

Lately it’s been getting worse and worse. For instance, after getting home from the gig last night I stayed up ’til three or so and then slept until one-thirty this afternoon. I probably would have slept longer, but Mr. B woke me up to go Xmas shopping (knowing full well, I think, that I had a rehearsal at three and that there was no way we could make to Iowa City and back in time). So I’ll be doing the shopping tomorrow and he’ll be getting out of it, the stinker.

So I’m staying up late tonight, rushing through some much-needed housework. I’ve got the trash ready to go out, and a load of laundry in, and the furnace room’s all cleaned up, and I’m about to do some sweeping.

In other news, House 11 rehearsal tonight rocked. This band is so hot! Not only are they all great musicians but I like them all. Our Sunday rehearsals run from 3:00 to 9:00 and we take a break at 6-ish for pizza, when we sit in PK’s living room and eat and talk and laugh and discuss things and it’s just so remarkably comfortable. Usually there’s at least one asshole in every band; some prima don/na you want to hold under water until s/he stops being annoying, someone who plays too loud, or is too bossy, or never practices, or can’t count to four, or tries to be the band leader when someone else already is the band leader… it’s just like a relationship but there are multiple people, all with their different goals and egos and issues. It can get extraordinarily complicated. But House 11? They’re universally adorable. I’m so pleased.