Another fun time killer

Tired of driving your tiny car around town?

Then look at a million pictures here, at Tag Galaxy.  I actually just spent an hour playing with it, while eating lunch at work. Crazy business.

4th Concert of 2008 - Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos

Ah spontaneity. The best kind of evening. I was driving home on a Friday evening, with no plans, thinking that I would just at home by my lonesome and work on the sweater that’s not going anywhere. And then a text message from Jenn changes all that.

“I have an extra ticket to a show. Wanna go?”

And I called her and said yes. Without even knowing who we were going to see. I just thought it would be fun to get out of the house, and I always have a fantastic time with Jenn, even if we’re just hanging out with my mother and watching television.

We started the evening at Fly Bar, managing to get there early enough to still catch the happy hour specials (half price pizzas! Yummy ones!). They’re a wine and beer place, and man, do they have a lot of beers. Delicious looking beers. My O’douls was so very sad looking. I can’t wait for June.

Heading over to the Independent, we realized we were early. Like, really early. Like, one of the first 15 people in the place early. But that also meant we got a coveted seat on the platform area, which we camped out on all night. Evidently we are old now, because I very much enjoyed being able to see the band without standing up. After the knee wreckage of the Dresden Dolls, it was nice.

I was very impressed with the first band up. Salt and Samovar is a New York band with just the right amount of revival and twang. I was a little confused by the keyboardist/back up singer, as she kept almost drowning out the lead vocals at times. Luckily she has a beautiful voice, but it was still distracting. I bought their CD (and t-shirt, they were having a deal where you could get both for $20), and it’s good, but I think I liked them live better. There’s an energy that’s missing in the recording.

And then the second act. Oh Nelly. I’m going to use the old adage “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything.” Let’s just say that it really brought the energy of the whole place down, and I’m not sure why he wasn’t on first, because he really couldn’t follow S’n'S. A warning to all you guys with guitars and no other band: don’t try to shush the audience if you’ve already lost them. It just annoys them. Get them back by being awesome.

Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s were not entirely what I had expected. I had heard their name bandied about for awhile, but never actually heard their music. I think I automatically think that band with AND in them implies jazz or swing. How did I get this idea? At any rate, their music is pleasing but a bit out there. It was certainly better than staying home and crocheting.

Mmmmmm

Dear Truffled Macaroni and Cheese:

I am aware that you are very trendy, but I don’t care. You are a delight for my belly and you are welcome any time. I love you so much that I am seriously considering forking over the money for my own truffle oil, which will then fall into my boyfriend’s evil hands and we will become fat. YAY!

Love dearly,
Mace Elaine

3rd Concert of 2008: Dresden Dolls!

What would I do without Jeremy? He seems to be my concert connection this year. I’m so glad he called and told me about this show (and offered me a ticket). A bit later, our friend Kenneth also purchased a ticket. A week after that, I pointed the show out to my mother* and she got a ticket as well.

So on the 18th, we headed over to the Fillmore to see them rock out. I have to say, I appreciate bands that have good taste in openers. The event was MC’d by a local magician, who also used to host the underground absinthe parties that I never made it to. Sigh. He was very funny and charming, and I had never heard an audience so quiet and respectful during a one-man act.

The musical opener was a sister act** called Vermillion Lies, who were downright AMAZING. They’re out of Oakland, and I highly recommend them. They’re talented, funny, charming and cute. I considered buying the CD, but I’m pretty sure this is the kind of band that’s considerably better live. SEE THEM.

I saw the Dresden Dolls once a few years ago, and was totally blown away by how much beautiful noise just two people could make. I was not disappointed this time, either. They had a variety of guests, including East Bay Ray from the Dead Kennedys, but most of the time was just Amanda and Brian rocking out. I would say the most interesting point of the evening was the cover of “Fight for your right to party” by the Beastie Boys.

Of course, since I am out of concert practice, I ended up with sore knees and back, but it was totally worth it

* My mother is probably more of a fan than the three of us combined.
** It made me wish my sister and I worked together that well.

Mace owns a sundress

Mace owns a sundress, originally uploaded by maceelaine.

Okay, so not the best of pictures, but better than the headless ones. Everyone can ooh and aah now.

On photography, or lack thereof

I have a lot of things I want to write about: dancing in Sac, going to the movies for the first time in forever, seeing the Dresden Dolls. But first I have to share with you two things about photography.

1. Damnit. I keep meaning to take pictures, but I just haven’t. I plan on fixing this soon.
2. I love looking at my stats from Flickr. I do it almost every day. And some days, I look at the list and I just laugh. Today was one of those days. Behold!

   • baby monkeys

   • ramvik coffee

   • shark ballerina

   • new scary ghost

   • teenage lesbians

   • crusing 2007

   • hobbitat tent

What does this imply about my photography? (and what is crusing?)

On teaching

So my dance teacher is off at some super chi-chi spa for women who have private jets, attempting to teach them Flamenco. In the meantime, she asked me and a fellow dancer to cover her beginning Wednesday class. The way the timing went, I was only in charge for a little over half an hour. That was long enough. I wasn’t horrible, but it’s pretty hard. Especially clapping, singing and dancing all at the same time.

I have never had aspirations to be a dance teacher. Nothing has changed.

Dress Quest 08: Attempt 2.0

I’ve had a lot of revelatory moments lately (don’t worry, I’ll write about more of them soon). This latest one happened as I merrily skipped around the aisles of a store. Now, those that have known me for years know that I HATE to shop. It’s a combination of a lot of things: my amazing ability to talk myself out of anything, my spendthrift tendencies, the fact that trying on pants has reduced me to tears on more than one occasion. Plus, I get easily overwhelmed by racks and racks of clothing - I avoided Ross for a long time.

So what have I learned? That if I focus, and only allow myself to look at and try on a particular item (in this case, dresses and skirts), I am a lot happier shopping.  I don’t get as frustrated or angry, and I can actually relax a little in a store. But anyways, back to the quest.

On Erica’s recommendation, I headed over to the nearby Old Navy. Evidently they’re not pushing dresses in that store very hard this season, as there weren’t many there, and a good number of them had bizarre necklines. I’m not much for the cut down below the boob kind of dress, you know? Erica specifically pointed to this dress, which was very nice and flattering on the hips, but WAY too big on top. I did find an incredibly cute dress (evidently not available online), but was black and not very summery. They had it in grey polka dots on black, but not in my size. I may follow up on that one.

Leaving the parking lot, I espied a Marshall’s. I looked at my recently acquired iced coffee and thought “I don’t usually have luck in these kinds of places; I’m sure I’ll be back out before this gets warm.” Wrong. I made at least two trips to the fitting room, and liked more than half of what I tried on. There were slight problems with most, though. One was two short, one was strapless and wouldn’t actually stay up, things like that. And then I tried on the most unlikely of dresses for me: almost ankle length, pretty low neckline, in a large floral patter in orange and pink, of all colors.

I LOOKED FANTASTIC.

Success! I have bought a dress. This by no means I am ending the search, but even if the rest of my sojourns end up empty handed, I at least have this wonderful, comfortable, beautiful dress to show for it.

Sorry I don’t have a picture yet. I tried to take one by myself using my camera’s timer, but I couldn’t get the angle right and kept chopping off my head, giving the pictures a weird snuff-film feel. No.

Puppy/Rainbow Anniversary!

Today was Bay to Breakers, which means that as of today, I have lived in the House of Puppy Dogs and Rainbows for exactly one year. It’s been one of the best years of my life, because of many things, but especially due to good friends, a new job, and a fantastic boyfriend. I feel so great about my life, and it’s getting better all the time.

Happy anniversary, home!

Sometimes I wish dreams were real

From an email I recently wrote:

My finger is very far from the pulse of culture. Like, maybe I’m poking culture’s side. Sorry, culture, I didn’t know you were ticklish there.

So I feel it necessary to share this dream I had last night. I was about to preform at a church that had been converted into a theater. The audience was full of drag queens and children. My fellow flamencas were getting ready in the back. We were all wearing different costumes, but we were all in red. I was applying and wiping off lipstick with strange regularity. We were about to go on, when I realized I had forgotten both my cane* and my shoes. Both of which are a bit important. I told my teacher that I didn’t live far, and that I’d run home and get them. When I got back (the dream seemed to skip over that part), they had started without me, which was a little disappointing.

Who knew drag queens were so into Flamenco?

* Our latest choreography involves canes and if we pull it off it will be AWESOME. Details soon.