Happy Memorial Day

Mine

It turns out that the downside of having two months to slowly move a few boxes and random items across town after work every day ... is that instead of being super exhausted for a day or two, you're moderately exhausted all the time. Still, though, I soldier on. (I say this as if I've been moving for more than three days now.)

Yes, on Monday I officially closed on the condo. There was much rejoicing. I got some gifts I didn't expect - a gift certificate for Menards from my realtor, and a large bag full of handy stuff like Pledge wipes, Shout, Ziploc bags, Saran wrap, etc. from my mortgage lender. (Actually my realtor let me choose between a gift certificate from Menards or one for the same amount from a local pizza place. I was like, "Woman, please.")

Over the past couple of days I've been moving things in after work. I'm trying my hardest to actually put everything away every day before I leave, which may end up falling by the wayside. I've noticed a couple of things that I hadn't really thought about before - first of all, I get traffic noise from the highway close to the subdivision. That's never been something really bothersome to me, and it's not conversation-impeding-loud outside, but still more prominent during busy times than I'd prefer. Also, my bathrooms have nice big mirrors, but they don't have medicine cabinets. I did not notice that until today. There's room on other walls to put them in - or I could replace the mirrors, I suppose - but how weird! That is weird, right? On the more positive side of things I hadn't noticed, the lake about a mile away is really adorable. Also, I was a little worried about where I'd be able to put TVs/computers/etc. based on where the cable jacks were - but I needn't have feared, because there are cable jacks everywhere. That makes me happy. And in general, I love walking through the place with the knowledge that it's mine. I measured one of the spare bedrooms today - there's plenty of room on both sides of the window for dollhouses.

The Arcade Fire on Ice

That sounds like a delightfully Canadian event, doesn't it? Alas, it didn't really happen. It was just a random comment from the band on Friday night because the stage at the Chicago Theatre is evidently very slippery.

I might be the last indie rock fan in the world who has never heard Funeral or Neon Bible, or seen the Arcade Fire give any sort of performance. I figured that a million rabid fans can't all be wrong, though, so when I heard the Arcade Fire would be playing a three-night stand in Chicago I was excited to get tickets. Then the ticket sale came and went, with me entirely forgetting about it until all three shows were sold out. Oops. Luckily I was saved by the incredibly generous offer of a face value ticket by Matt, a fellow local music fan. Thanks, Matt! I tried downloading a few songs from the albums to prepare myself for the show, but never really had the time to listen. So Friday night found me in a sweet box seat with a great view of the stage at the Chicago Theatre, waiting to see what all the fuss was about.

I wasn't let down. The Arcade Fire really is an incredible live band. (Of course, everybody else already knew that.) I did feel like I was slightly apart from the action on the floor, but I was very pleased that I could see everything that all ten (!) people were doing onstage at any given time. Regine's range of instrumental skills impressed me greatly, and I think I have a slight crush on Win. I really loved that he came out into the crowd during one of the songs, walking back and forth down the center aisle - and I also loved that the fans down there were cool about it. The show was longer than I expected it to be, with two encores, and included all manner of clapping and banging on shit with drumsticks and shouting into megaphones. If nothing else, I think this has finally given me the impetus to get some freaking Arcade Fire albums already.

"See you tomorrow," Win said with a grin before the second encore. Well, no, actually, some of us aren't so lucky. If they're like most bands playing multiple nights in the same city, the band will switch up their setlist somewhat for each show. That's traditionally one of my favorite things about seeing a multi-night stand. Ironically, in this case, it may have contributed to my only disappointment of the evening - they didn't play "Wake Up." "Wake Up" is the sole Arcade Fire song I actually know, and I love it. I guess my brain just decided, with impeccable logic, that if there's one song I know then of course I will hear that song. But not tonight. I guess that's what I get for only seeing one of these shows, huh?

(Unrelated anecdote - before the show I was walking around in The Department Store Formerly Known As Marshall Field's. I was on the fifth floor checking out dishes when a saleswoman asked if she could help me. I inquired about a china pattern on display. It was a German porcelain, the saleswoman told me - and then she asked if I would like to register for it. Ha! Well, sure I would.)

I'm bringing my friends

Monday night was the Sky Blue Sky release party at the Hideout, hosted by Sam for Laurie's Planet of Sound (and the record label, and WXRT.) Having attended the release party for A Ghost is Born in 2004 at the very same place, I figured my driving time would be well spent. It was.

The Old Town School ensemble did a good job playing Wilco covers, and then backing the variety of dorks who took the stage for live band karaoke - myself included. Stacy and I ended up trading verses on "Hummingbird" - I don't really want to dwell on the fact that there's video evidence of this somewhere, but it was a lot of fun. I wasn't in the music room for every performance, but other highlights included Sam, Laura, and Kristina's rendition of "Outtasite," Evonne and Edie performing "Shot in the Arm," and of course Lou and Kris on "Hotel Arizona." The Wilco camp was very generous with the donations for the event - prizes for singing included free t-shirts, signed silkscreened posters, calendars, buttons, stickers, and more. That was in addition to the promo posters and postcards that were out for the taking. When I finally left the Hideout, I was laden with swag.

We danced, we drank, we chatted, we bought tamales, and we listened to the new Wilco album. Good times.

(Side note - after ten years of managing to avoid Sopranos spoilers, David Letterman finally did me in for the most recent episodes. Damn it, Dave. You're not supposed to give spoilers in a one-sentence reference to your guest.)

The Poetry of Gregg Typing, 1958: Pt. 6

Ah, Gregg Typing, it's been awhile. Here's a rather enigmatic selection:

"A group of six men did all the work. The job did
not make them rich, but they got along quite well
and were quite glad to have the chance to live in
Switzerland during a part of the winter. The job
ended in eight weeks; the men were not too happy."

What was the job??

(See other selections, plus background info, by searching on the "Gregg Typing 1958" label below.)

I interview ... Allison

According to the rules I established here, seven questions for Allison are below:

Name: Allison
Location: Toronto
Age: 27
Interview date: 4/17/07 and 5/3/07

1. What is the most satisfying thing you've accomplished today?

I rode my bike to work! It took 45 minutes, the wind blew directly in my face the entire time, and the hills at the end almost made me lost my breakfast, but I did it! I have beautiful visions of becoming one of those bike people now. Maybe I'll start wearing spandex (break out the biker shorts from 1990 perhaps) and constantly talk about how much better biking is than driving, etc.

2. You moved to Canada last fall. How does living in Canada compare to living in the U.S.? Pros, cons, things you thought you'd miss and don't, things you didn't think you'd miss and do ...

I like Canada, I definitely do. Toronto's great - apparently UNESCO has named it the world's most culturally diverse city. It gets a little tiring to be an American sometimes though , like when my co-workers make their daily cracks at Americans during lunch, followed by a quick "sorry, Allison." Yeah, sure you're sorry. Sorry that America KICKS ASS! No, I'm kidding. Really.

So the con is definitely the anti-Americanism. Oh, and also a lack of good, middle-class priced shopping. As for a pro, I guess I like the fact that everything is just a little different. The people talk a little differently, the houses look just a little bit different sometimes, they play hockey instead of football, etc. It makes life seem interesting, even if it isn't on paper so much.

3. What were some of the names you gave your dolls as a child? Do you remember how you came up with them?

I was such a pathetic rule follower. When my Cabbage Patch Kids came with names, I didn't dare change them. I named other dolls really boring things like Stacey, Leslie and Joey. I named a pumpkin one Halloween - Morbidda Destiny. Even that wasn't creative though, because I ripped it off Kristy's little stepsister Karen from the Babysitter's Club.

4. What is your favorite book, and why?

Hm... I don't actually have a favorite book. I don't have a favorite author either. I have favorite bookS and authorS though. As for books:

The Passion of the Western Mind (Richard Tarnas) - A fascinating history of thought and how all sorts of fields of thought link together. I could feel my tiny brain exploding while I read it, and it made me want to read all sorts of philosophies and histories I'd never thought about before.

Where I'm Calling From (Raymond Carver) - I've always been a sucker for good things in the midst of misery and vice versa, and his stories are full of that. They make we want to cry for so many different resons at the same time.

The Collected Short Stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne - I just love the way he writes! He's so funny and so dark all at the same time.

5. Do you plan on attending our ten year high school reunion next year? Can you believe we have a ten year high school reunion next year?

You know, I don't think I will. I think I would just be disappointed by the fact that no one is waiting with bated breath to see what I've been up to. I really am curious to see what everyone else has done with the last 10 years though... maybe everyone can just create a personal website. I can snoop at my leisure then, and get all the details from the anonymous comfort of my living room.

And yeah, 10 years? I can't believe it.

6. What was the best part of your recent trip to Montreal?

I really loved people watching. We stayed in Plateau Mont Royal, which apparently is this really trendy, funky neighborhood. I'd sit by the window in a coffee shop and just watch everyone as they passed by. They looked so sophisticated and European.

7. Would you please write an acrostic poem on CHINA below?

Coal fumes, pollution and construction dust, what
Have I done to my lungs?
Inspiring and beautiful,
Nevermind the black soot you blow into your kleenex.
Aach, who worries about such things?


Next time, one of my many friends named Heidi!

My hood

One thing I'll really miss when I move is walking around my current neighborhood. Within a couple miles of our apartment there are parks and bike trails and elementary schools and a creek (okay, it's more of an irrigation/drainage canal, but it runs through the woods and is pretty when it's full of water) and some really nice houses. In the past year or so I've become a complete real estate whore, so walking through these neighborhoods is endlessly fascinating to me. Many people would probably find it boring - there are no funky little shops (any sort of shops, really) or restaurants or anything like that. There's a swimming and tennis club, but that's about it. In fact, I might have once assumed I'd find it boring. But I don't, at all. I love that it's not busy, and it's quiet, and there are all of these trees and big yards and interesting architecture. (A lot of Frank Lloyd Wright's disciples built homes around here, it seems.)

The street names also entertain me, and I'd love to know who came up with them. There are interesting pockets of theme going on - national parks (Grand Canyon, Yellowstone), Civil War (Sumter, Antietam, Gettysburg, Appomattox). The most baffling one to me is the nautical theme - Island, Jetty, Landfall, Driftwood, Nautilus, Masthead, Offshore, Frigate, Eddy. We're not exactly the seashore over here on the West side.

Anyway, my new neighborhood has more of a "condo sprawl" flavor. The downtown area is painfully cute, and not too far away - but I don't think it'll exactly feel like my neighborhood. (Though the local Mom & Pop grocery store already won my heart by carrying SnapeaCrisps, which are the most addicting and delicious things on the face of the earth and I'd only previously found them at Trader Joe's.) There is a nice park (with a lake and a water slide) within a mile or so, which I look forward to checking out. Speaking of which, closing is twenty days away. Holy crap. I still have to decide if and what I'm going to paint, and I recently got a nice set of Mission style dining room chairs at St. Vinnie's for $12 each but I don't really have a matching table, and I need bookshelves and a new bed and a million other things I may or may not actually buy, and oh my God I'm so glad our current lease isn't up until the end of July.