Purple Tinted Glasses

And so ends my four day free for all. It sure doesn’t feel like I should have to go to work tomorrow. I sure am tired of being a grown up. Today without a hangover would have been nice too.

For some reason on Thanksgiving day, Will couldn’t drive us to my mothers in the most direct path to save his life. I was accused of being contagious, what with all my absent mindedness floating about. I think I really am starting to rub off on my particularly smart and logical boyfriend (your face!).

I don’t know what all the fuss is about with the Friday after thanksgiving shopping either. We unintentionally wound up in a couple of different stores after buying our first full size, real Christmas tree for the house. Linens and Things, Pier One, Wold Market… all places I thought might be a little crazy were almost dead. Maybe we were there too late. It was, after all 10am. Most door buster deals are at 5am, so I hear.

Anyway, then the Molly Ringwalds played at Southport. Anyone who knows me well knows that even on a Tuesday night I don’t ever get home until after midnight. I strolled in Sunday morning in the wee hour of almost 5am. The show was fun. Everyone did a costume change at some point in the night. It made it interesting. Not that I need anything else to hold my interest… I just had to focus really hard on not slipping on the alcohol soaked floor in my three inch red heels.

So, 4:45ish isn’t a terrible time to roll in to bed, unless of course you HAVE to go to practice at 8am because you’re running it. No I didn’t choose this practice. I’m a TT captain and it was a TT practice, therefore… bleh. I warned the people in charge that I would be there, but I would be hung over. I totally held up my end of the deal. The alcohol didn’t start seeping out of my poors until about halfway through the practice when I started running around (off skates) to keep up with the skaters and offer feedback. I basically kicked the asses of the 15 or so people who actually showed up to practice today.

Anyway, then the Molly Ringwalds played at Southport. No I’m not repeating myself. There were no big crowds and sloshy floors. They were filming a new video and I think I got conned into being there earlier this week before I remembered that I’d be dealing with a day long hangover. It was open to anyone who wanted to come. In the end, there were more people on stage than in the crowd for the “crowd shots”. My waving and clapping hands are gonna be famous. Now if only I can find my hand twin… we’d make millions.

There was also an LSU game and a Saints game in there somewhere. Both were loses and I didn’t watch either game in its entirety anyway.

And this is where I begin to fade. I’m tired, but I thought of a clever blog title and even though I couldn’t come up with anything else clever or more meaningful to say except recounting this weekend’s schedule, I’m writing something anyway.

Now I’m going to get myself back on track with my piano practice, so nite-nite.

P.S. Completely random: I luv my puppy :) Even though I hate walking him first thing in the morning… and the sound of him licking himself grosses me out. He’s just being a dog. That’s what Will keeps saying.

I’m on Day 7 since I cracked open Alfred’s Basic Piano Library - Basic Adult Piano Course Book Level One, and put a full new set of batteries in the Yamaha PSR-2 (No, I swear there’s not a number missing from he model#… it’s just -2. I can’t even find a page to link to it, but there’s currently a PSR-3 on ebay for 25 bucks).

I have done at least 15 minutes a day for 6 of those (I think I skipped Sunday). I can warm up both my left and right hands, I can clap my beats and I know where the E is on the treble clef… I know, amazing, right?

How far is that in the book? Well, page 14. I dabbled with intervals tonight. The hardest part is that I know how to play some of these songs in the book (from when I’d sound out single notes as a kid), so forcing myself to learn the notes and where they are on the brace is my biggest challenge. (Look at me using fancy music words!)

I’ve been using online flash cards to help recognize notes and that has been like trying to get a 12 year old Sherri to practice spelling because I already knew it all (This turned out to be my first C ever and my only one until I got to college — it only got worse when in high school, I once again thought I could learn French without studying and brought home a midterm report card with a big fat “F” (and no, that’s not ‘F’ for French)).

I kind of understand enough to know that I have a lot to learn.

These days, I have my eye on this one. I’m pretty sure I’m not allowed to even THINK about it until I’ve made it to my 21 days and then some (according to some work “listening” seminar, it takes 21 days to form a habit). Oh, and when I have the bank account for it too.

The message below was sent to me which has sparked my interest in reviving my bloggy-blog thing. I can honestly say that I have not been happy with the things I have posted and the drafts that sit unpublished. I often times feel like I am forcing words on to the page just to have something to say. I guess that’s why I haven’t said much lately.

So much has been happening and I haven’t had the time or wherewithal to mention any of it. So here we go. Grab a shovel and dig in.

Accomplishments/Mentionings:

• I did the MS 150 last month. That was exciting. With hardly any training (see reason here) and on an alien blue bike, I made it through all 149 miles! Yes, I got SAG-ged for 1 mile because of a series of flat tires that nearly drove me off my rocker. I think I have finally regained all feeling that I lost in unmentionable places from that ride too. Special thanks to Will for sticking with me.

• I’ve played my first home game with my new team at our new venue, and we won.  I don’t particularly care for the new venue. It reminds me of a high school gym and smells like one too. I miss our flashy lights and being surrounded by quintessential New Orleans (Mardi Gras). We outgrew our home that all of our fans came to love. Now we just need to finish working out the kinks to get this one just as fabulous. Ibeatya painted banners, one for each home team and they are just amazing - as is she! We also need to sell tickets. They’re cheaper than they’ve ever been - $10. So, for those of you looking to do something this Sunday, Nov 9, you should come out and see the Big Easy Rollergirls’ Crescent Wenches and Story Villains duke it out. Centerpunch will be playing at half time and I have a feeling this is going to be one hell of a game.

• The house is CLEAN! It’s 30% my doing and 70% Will’s. I’m hosting some team meetings this week and next, which as Will says lit a fire under my ass to get some stuff put away.  We have company coming at the end of November anyway, but this just got me to focus on it sooner.

• I painted the back porch… all by myself! I’d like my gold star and my cookie now.

• I entered my late 20’s. This was #3 in a string of good birthdays. It felt really special this year and I have my other half to thank for the most of it. I also went to the DMV and officially became a New Orleanian. Bye bye Jefferson Parish.

• My house is rented… finally. The rent doesn’t cover the note, but I won’t be eating Ramen and mooching off friends for drinks… at least not as much as I was a month ago. The renter has also assured me that she is interested in purchasing in an undetermined amount of time. I guess I’ll save my official good riddance until then.

• I’ve been to an addition 2 or 3 Molly Ringwalds shows and have enjoyed all of them. One of them was even a festival down in… um… Well, I cant remember right now, but it was crazy and they were like rock stars out there. It was kind of weird. I had sworn off festivals because it just never is the same, but Sally and I made the trip for the sake of others’ sanity (sanities? saniti?)

• The rollergirls participated in the Voodoo Music Festival parade. We were officially “artists” for the day. Free drinks and back stage access is something that’s hard not to abuse.

• My best friend is having a BABY! I’ve been knowing forever and I’ve already been through the stages of denial: WHAT?! My friends can’t start having babies! No one can have babies! Babies are scary… but at least it’s you, not me. Ok, fine. You can have your baby, but you know the rule… Auntie Sherri doesn’t take them until they’re potty trained.

Ok, bored with me yet? Until next time… hopefully sooner than later.

(more…)

Yeah, haven’t gotten to this one:

.
— On Mon, 9/22/08, mystarla - 43 Things <no-reply@43things.com> wrote:

> From: mystarla - 43 Things <no-reply@43things.com>
> Subject: learn piano
> To: xxxx@yahoo.com
> Date: Monday, September 22, 2008, 7:25 AM
> Dear future self,
>
> I’m reminding you about your stated goal on 43 things,
> to
> “learn piano”.
>
> How’s it going?
>
> Sincerely,
> Your past self
>

I was going to describe yesterday’s 8am practice as “the worst practice ever”, but after sitting on the couch following a long day of not sleeping, I’ve decided that practice wasn’t terrible but the night kinda blew. Friday night, however, is about the most fun I’ve had in a while.

It was like I quit cold turkey… going to Molly Ringwalds shows. I’ve just been either busy or tired or broke. Well, I’m still all those things, but I gave in anyway, took a “drag” and went to Southport. The show was great. After was better and I got to see a lot of people that I haven’t seen in a couple of months (some people even longer).

Like they say, time flys when your having fun. I didn’t get home until after 4:30am. I didn’t care nor did I even realize how late it was. I swear it could have only been 2ish!

Anyway, yesterday in addition to the crick in my neck, my head hurt. Bad. I had to show my house semi-smelly (after taking a bath in the sink and quickly brushing my teeth) from derby funk and the alcohol seaping out of my pores. I got stuck in traffic between practice and the house, so I also learned how to change pants in the car while stopped at a redlight. The showing went alright. I just wish the damn thing would sell.

Today my neck STILL hurts. It’s leaving me feeling depressed and anxious. I just want to be healthy. Between the leg stitches and the neck, I haven’t been at 100% in over a month… 5 weeks to be exact, starting on week 6.

I just told my coworkers/cube land buddies that if they hear me start banging my head up against the desk (or slurring incoherent babble) to come take the headphones off of my head and blast some 80’s pop music in my general direction. I’m listening to Slayer…. we’ll see how this works out for me in the end.

Thank you Guitar Hero.

Just in case you care, first on the Artists:Slayer:All: is Flash Storm: Christ Illusion. Not terrible.

These guys were doing it like it’s never been done before. I guess that’s a pretty bold statement, considering that I’ve never seen the Beatles play nor have I seen very many Beatles cover bands in my life time.

I’ll take you now to a little town called New Orleans on a tiny street called Frenchmen in a cozy bar called d.b.a. Small enough for ya?

Now throw in some fancy Beatles titles, a brilliant vocalist (I like to call him Clint) and a smorgasbord of musicians (10 others total - 2 guitarists, 1 bassist, 1 drummer, 1 keyboard player, 1 cello, 1 violin, and a brass section consisting of a trumpet, sax and trombone) and you’ve got yourself a high class once in a life time kind of night. The keyboard player was on FIRE during his solo (Get Back - Will thinks), that I didn’t even realize was over and should have started clapping.

The crowd was radiant. I saw a guy with a blond mohawk and a shirt that read “F@&* You” having the time of his life dancing with everyone including a tatted up goth girl. I sat atop my nice little perch (an old movie theater seat) toward the front of the crowd and just took it all in. Every song ended with so much energy and left you with the cold hard desire to hear another, and another, and another.

To the average person, I probably didn’t look like I was enjoying myself much, but I was tired. I really had a blast and I wish I could remember ever single detail of the night.

And just when you thought everything was over, Clint pulled out the the British accent, gave the crowd a little speech, one of the guitarists gave me a ever so mean 6 chords worth of a Black Bird teaser, and the band broke out into Led Zeppelin’s Fool in the Rain.

Lesson learned for the night? I don’t know half the F’in Beatles songs out there. My iPod was updated almost immediately upon getting home.

So here’s the night’s play list (compliments of Will’s blackberry and nimble fingers that took notes during the show)

[the one we collectively can’t remember]
Dear Prudence
Glass Onion
Oh! Darling
Something
Good Day Sunshine
Happiness is a Warm Gun
Martha, My Dear
I’m so Tired
Getting Better
Got to get you into my life
Don’t let me down
Get Back
Lovely Rita
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Carry that Weight
Led Zeppelin - Fool in the Rain

For the first time in what seems like an eternity, I enjoyed myself a good ole’ fashioned Molly Ringwalds Weekend! Well, I enjoyed myself a Molly Ringwalds Friday Southport show and followed up with a weekend long hang over.

I’m serious. Nauseous until Monday morning.

How many drinks did I have?
Well, four.

What did I drink?
My usual. Kettle on the rocks with a lime.

What hangover remedies did I try?
Water, alkaseltser, Rock Star (energy drink — it’s got b vitamins), junk food, greasy food (will never eat crystal burger again… bleh), more water, diet coke, gas station chicken salad sandwich, more water… Can you believe? I completely forgot (when having an excuse) to DRINK PEPTO BISMAL? I bet that would have worked.

Was it worth it?
Um… Yeah. I got to see the Molly Ringwalds for the first time in what felt like… well, you know…

The rest of the weekend was consumed by derby, both practice and bout viewing.

Yes, I actually skated practice. I wasn’t ready to gouge someone’s eyes out until after I cooled down.

The bout viewing was in Mobile (vs. MSRG), where three of our top BERG refs went to lend their services. And as it happened in our first few bouts, so did it here… by the end of the game, everyone was angry with the refs. They’ll learn. It took our girls about three games worth of point counting and scrutinizing. It’s easier to just leave it on the track.

Pictures would follow, except I’m pretty sure I lost my camera at some point since Saturday at 6pm. Can’t find it and have no desire to look for it right this second.

And quit talking behind my back because it only took four drinks for my stupid hangover.

I often do this: laugh at myself. Today it’s because I’m listening to Queen at work via ipod and headphones. One of my favorites was playing, (I want it all, of course) and I noticed myself start to sing out loud - particularly humorous because I work in cube land.

Some of you know that I tend to compare myself singing to cats crying. I will continue to listen to my Queen via ipod and headphones at work and save the singing for when I’m driving around in my car with the windows rolled up and music blaring.

Currently hopped on a dose of caffeine as well.

I found myself, approximately two months after the get go, on my very first (technical) date with my “favorite boyfriend”. (Damnit, I haven’t written about the origin of that yet.)

We found ourselves eating dinner in a place I will go ahead and call “hoitey toiety” because I can’t remember the name of it. I ordered shrimp and then watched bread dance around the table, tempting me to eat it until the meal arrived.

Afterwards it was a hop on over to Le Chat Nior for a little BINGO! Show action. I had actually seen them once before at Jazz Fest, but technically, this was the first show I went to with the whole actual playing of BINGO and all. I was a mere O-62 away from being completely humiliated on stage. (Next time I’ll just cheat.)

I’ve been trying to find the words to best describe the show, and all I have to say to you askers is click on the link, check it out, listen well and GO SEE IT! I’ve resorted to passing my ipod around work so others may share in my joy.

I feel like a little kid, hoping one day that I can play VEVE LaROUX.