Always wondered how we fell this way.

I maaaaaaade it.

And I even made it on Friday, which means I got to see BOTH Hot Water Music shows. The driving wasn't really that bad. It was warm enough that the roads were pretty clear, just slushy. And speaking of Chicago, this place is slush.


Other than giant random faces in the middle of city parks, the city itself is kinda a mess. I don't think there was any urban planning involved, at all, so parking is seriously the worst thing in the world. I mean that. Of all the frustrations I've experienced on this trip, the single most frustrating hour I had was circling block after block looking for a place to park. My car is currently being stored in a parking garage in Lincoln Park that's $18 every 24 hours. I'm staying with one of Mattlahoma's friends named Ashley, as him & his friend Chelsey came up from Oklahoma for HWM. Her apartment is really great and she's been an awesome host, but seriously, screw this parking nonsense. Also, you would think that with such a parking problem that public transportation would rule, like New York. Incorrect observation.

But enough on the negative. Chicago's got some really awesome architecture. Their downtown and the magnificent mile is pretty great, but Wrigleyville and all the old buildings closer to the stadium are even better.


The Fields Museum also rules. WHO KNEW?


But really, how was the Hot Water Music?

The thing that's always gotten me about that band is their fan base. There's just this group of punk rockers who heard them sometime in their teens, maybe early twenties, probably at a point in their lives when they felt just a little bit lost, and Hot Water Music just made so much sense to them. And they really are one of those bands that just stick in your life; their fans never forget. I'm gonna say the female attendance at both the shows I went to was probably under %15. Everyone else there was a 20-something male with a beard. And they knew all the lyrics and they had the time of their life. At one point, the guys standing next to me toasted with the phrase "Here's to being 16 again" and it was pretty much the perfect summery of that experience. I like Hot Water Music and all, I think Chuck Ragan is an amazing song writer, but they've never fit that place in my life. I always had Rancid to take care of that for me. But, just to stand there and watch that comradery was an experience I haven't gotten since I was 15 years old and going to local punk shows in Colorado. Pretty great. Also, the theater it was in, the Metro, fantastic action.


Of course it's been a little snowy and a little cold. So I think we've been trying to limit our adventures to mostly indoor spaces. Besides the museum, we did a little shopping and a little eating today. Chelsey and I went to the Mac store, where she helped me get a new Studio Fix, as the first step in preparing myself for fancy-pants job interviews.


We also went to Dick's Last Resort, where the staff is mean to you and you pay $4 for a Miller High Life. But, it's all part of the gimmic. We went with Eric and it was nice to see him. He seems to be doing well and surviving art school, bless his heart. His creative will is much, much stronger than mine.


Meow.

We stayed late today, so we'll be leaving early tomorrow and it's a very long 12 hours to Norman. Matt's joking about just parking as much as possible, FOR FREE, along the way. I'm trying to think of it as my car getting a fancy hotel room. She needed it, right? Right? See, look at me getting upset again.

The only thing you have to be by the age of 23 is yourself.

Well, that's upsetting.

I told Eric today I've been honestly pretty lucky weather-wise this trip. I've had to delay arrivals and departures by a day or two, but considering that I decided that it would be awesome to take a 3 month road trip through the North East United States, I've done really good. But, OF COURSE the one time I have a set date to be somewhere, there's a giant freaking storm right in the path to Chicago.

Hot Water Music is playing two reunion shows in Chicago this weekend and I have tickets for both, one's on Friday, one's on Saturday. Mattlahoma's a crazy person, and he's driving through tomorrow. I however, drive a truck and trucks turn into slip n slides under those conditions. So, I might not make it to Fridays show, something that really makes me sad. But, at least I still get one. I shouldn't be greedy.


Instead, I'll probably get to hang out with Motley and Ozzie.

So, after Chicago, I'll be in Norman for a few days, then Tucumcari for a night or two, then home. Home, sweet emmer effing home. I'm excited about big, open skies and of course, green chile. Look for me on the 8th.

It makes me feel very hungry and sad.

I try, for the most part, to keep my political opinions to myself on the internet. Mostly because I really hate flammers. It's not because I don't have strong conviction in what I believe in, it's that I really don't feel like getting into any more typed wars with people halfway across the globe. So much drama for no reason. But, it's no secret that I'm a liberal, a proud product and supporter of social programs. I protested the war and believe me, I hate George W. Bush. A whole lot.

Today, I really was genuinely sad today when John Edwards backed out of the race. I liked his platform and I liked him. I was excited to vote for him. I honestly felt about as defeated as that tragic day back in November of 2004. I know he was running out of money and he wasn't gaining much national support. But I really was hoping that he would pull a Kerry and weed his way through the drama and the media coverage surrounding the other candidates.

I don't give a crap about race cards or gender cards, or who Oprah thinks I should vote for. It's all more of the same. I'm not saying that Edwards was some magical go-getter who was above it all. But I think his platform was strong, he had some good ideas. He really was a moderate in what has become a mess of the democratic presidential campaign. So, now it's back my drawing board, figuring out who I want to support now. I think I'll just focus on Tom Udall for a while.

It's a real world.

Why yes. Jimmy Eat World did film a music video inside the American Museum of Natural History.



Life is slow. Yawn.

No further questions.

Where I be resting.

Notice my freaking killer blur filter so you won't come try to play with my cousin Jackie's awesome dogs. There's just something odd about all of these perfect little houses, all lined up in their perfect little rows with their perfect yards and decks, all of them with two Fords in the driveway. It's like life in duplicate, but not. The outside is all the same, but the insides really couldn't be different. It all seems so safe.

And on the subject of movies, in case you haven't seen this...



In Step Brothers, Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly will play coddled guys who live with their respective single parents. Their folks fall in love and marry, making the guys stepbrothers. The script was co-written by Adam McKay and Ferrell, directed by McKay, and produced by this one dude Angie really hates named Judd. This will also probably be the greatest movie ever made.

Stella Dora Breakfast Treats.

Other discussion about the An Arbor Folk Fest: I have this really vivid memory of Jason Simms calling me while I was on my way to Bert and Emily's after a Spank show at the Launchpad. The discussion went something like this:
Jason: Two things. Guess how many beers I can drink in a minute?
Cat: Uhh..
Jason: I can drink 4 (I think it was four, anyway). And the other thing. Guess who's washed up?
Cat: Uhh..
Jason: (An Albuquerque jam band whose name I can't quite remember and probably shouldn't type for the sake of good karma)'s washed up. I gotta go.
Cat: Uhh..

So, guess who's washed up? Toad the Wet Sprocket. I know, I know, I just crushed all your 1994 prom memories and you're shocked.

Today Jackie said, "You know, I think I like a lot of different music. But I don't think I like folk music." It was pretty great.

I've been waiting to get to a decent internet connection to upload these precious memories, the movies from New Years Eve mayhem in Times Square. Well finally, here they are.



One correction: We had been waiting for FOUR AND A HALF HOURS. Also, that look on Maria's face at the end, when she's undoubtedly thinking about chicken wings, slays me every time I watch it.



The final countdown! This is the last minute before the clock struck midnight. On a funny side note, there was a building behind us that had a clock on top of it that was 4 minutes fast. People around us, without cell phone clocks, were getting pretty upset. "Why haven't they started it yet? What a freaking rip-off!"Jackie

Ben Folds is not pissed off.

There is a man with a piano on that stage.

And how was Mr. Ben Folds? Well, he was pretty awesome. As a preformer, he managed to get probably the most diverse crowd I've ever seen totally in sync. Not easy.I thought his set was going to be a lot of older material since he wasn't touring to support an album. However, it ended up being a preview of lots and lots of new material since he's working on a new album. And oh man, what a great album it will be. He didn't seem to have it all together yet, some words and parts were still improvised. That's a great musician right there. He closed with "Bitches Ain't Shit" because he said it was appropriate for a Folk Fest.

The actual folk festival was okay. Neal Copperman prepared me well in the field of folk, so I definitely could appreciate what I heard, even though it's not my favorite. Natilia Zukerman was probably my favorite of the other artists, female slide guitarists are always okay by me.

Lots of sleep has been happening and I think I really needed it. No real, set plans for the week and I like it that way.