what a bunch of fucking guidos at the EYE-talian village.

I wish I’d had a chance to mention to the dude you met at the Italian Village a while back that he was the dude you met at the Italian Village a while back. I saw him at a wedding in August but didn’t talk to him.

Garrett, I mean.

Yeah! We were like BFFs for about a half hour. It’s just so weird that you knew him.

my favorite part of the italian village experience was when jenny got up to use the rest room she left her beer and cell phone on the bar in front of her chair with her coat on the back of her chair. this soused-on-wine 40/50-something woman came over and tried to sit in the seat. courtney was like “uhm, what the fuck are you doing? someone’s obviously sitting there.” then the soused-on-vino lady got all sour. about five minutes later some dude about 5 people away from us got up, left his beer, phone, and cigarettes on the bar and his jacket on the back of the seat. same old drunky-loo tried to sit there too before the dudes friend alerted her to the fact that someone was sitting there.

i love people watching when you can guarantee me that someone will act like a complete moron/asshole.

My headache returned just in time for my parents’ arrival. Thank god.

:(

Question: is Ohio & State walking distance from Wabash/Jazz Record Mart area?

yes.

Yeah, looks like it to me.

Sweet. Just trying to plan my day tomorrow.

here you go?

lol

Just talked with my BFF grades 3–7. She has 2 kids and lives in an old Victorian in the middle of Ohio.

Feeling wistful.

Not sure why. She was a total hellcat in middle school.

I’m not sure why I shared that with the internet. My apologies.

yes, you owe us an apology for that one lady

My 10th high school reunion is on Saturday. I’m reluctantly going, because of threats against my life from my one friend who does want to go. I doubt it will make me feel wistful, but I’d like to see just how far some of the jocky prep fuckers have fallen. In fact I’m going to be really pissed if only one or two of them has become a mess.

The messy people never (or rarely) show up to the reunion. Don’t get yer hopes up.

I like winter, because I hate sweating.

2000x

— danno martinez (thedanmarti...), December 21st, 2006. (danno martinez) (later) (link)

x1000 for the pill change/acne thing. Man. I switched from low dose pills to a Nuva ring and from there to an IUD and good grief. My face is a mess. I’ve been using Aveno anti-acne face wash/toner/lotion and that seems to have gotten things a little under control but I’m not going to win any complexion awards.

— Handgun O. Mendocino (rabbitrabbi...), December 21st, 2006. (pullapartgirl) (later) (link)

OK DAN MARTIN EXPLAIN THIS ONE TO ME. I thought “2x” was like saying “me too” and “4x” was like saying “me four,” as in two other people have already agreed with the original poster. But now you guys are using #x or x# to mean an amplification of the original point, like you agree with it 1000 or 2000 times more than the original poster? Or is it like “yes, yes, a thousand times yes”?

It’s whatever you want it to be.

Like a hooker.

Yeah, that too.

It’s the internet, man! Grammar takes a holiday and the rules of usage are meaningless!

YES! YES! A THOUSAND TIMES, YES!

chicago, I wish you were at my work with me now so we could drink some wine, listen to my wonderful i-tunes, and you could show me different poses to use at a photo shoot. MAYBE I COULD BE AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL!? Also, I would give you some chocolate and cookies. Hmmm???

I can’t believe I have another hour left here today. It’s so excrutiatingly quiet.

Also, Amanda, I do find that interesting. I often wonder if anyone ever hears from people from their past or keeps in touch with them, or if I’m the only one completely in the dark.

It’s literally “Two Times”. Like if I said “The Detroit Red Wings are the greatest hockey club ever” and you agreed, you could say “Two times, man, two times.” However, it’s adaptable so if there’s something you REALLY TOTALLY 110% agreed with, you could say “X000 times” which would be (more or less) the equivalent of “yes, yes, a thousand times yes”.

Some dudes from the suburbs who I went to college with introduced the phrase to me. If I had to guess they stole it from some shitty hip-hop song.

i did not go to my 10 year reunion nor did i go to my 15 year reunion. i haven’t spoken to anyone i went to high school with in two years when my best friend jon was in chicago two springs ago for work. we went to o’toole’s in streeterville and got shit house wasted then taunted cbs2 sports anchor and former pittsburgh steeler mark malone who was drinking while probably getting ready for the 10 o’clock news.

i hadn’t seen jon in 5 years at that point but we were together for 15 minutes and it was like we hadn’t seen each other for 5 days.

i haven’t spoken to anyone i went to high school with in two years when my best friend jon was in chicago two springs ago for work

err, i haven’t spoken to anyone i went to high school with in two years except for when my best friend jon was in chicago two springs ago for work

Like if I said “The Detroit Red Wings are the greatest hockey club ever” and you agreed, you could say “Two times, man, two times.”

PS: AND THEN WE WOULD HIGH FIVE

When would he kill you softly with his song?

Oh shit! I forgot about that. Maybe that’s where they got it from, though I still would guess it was in a Kool Keith rhyme or something.

Yeah I was about to say: THE FUGEES?!?

But, did Wyclef mean “I agree” when he sang that, or was it just some hype man type shit?

THE WORLD MAY NEVER KNOW

I’m bored. Why am I still here?

All I do know is that it’s impossible to listen to the Roberta Flack original without filling in the “1x, 2x” part, either in your head or out loud.

later chicago, i got nothing but love for you.

ta ta

Off to do photos and then cupcakes and wine!

see y’all on saturday. i am contemplating getting dressed up a wee bit, but it might just be embarrassing. we’ll see.

I think the drummer who played with the Fugees when they did that tune on the MTV Music Awards was a big influence on me. Don’t know who he was, only heard him on that one tune but he was bad as hell.

THIS IS JESSE AND I WILL BE HERE FOR THE FUCKING HOLIDAY.

Hey Kevin, do you want to hang out with me and Sayjal (the elf)? She’s fun and sometimes I am too, so you’re chances of having fun would be pretty good. We are hanging out on Sunday, probably dividing our time between food, booze and going to movies. I don’t know what is happening on the 25th. I hope something, or I’ll be saaaaaad. Wow. I am going to be sad.

There was some beer left over in the fridge. I took one. Maybe it’s because I haven’t eaten since lunch, but I am a little tipsy.

(Still at work.)

Hi, people. It’s so late. I need to sleep.

I will be the first to work tomorrow, I know, because I can actually handle my liquor. My coworkers went out and got fucking TRASHED tonight. But not me. Oh no. I don’t get trashed. No sir.

Buona Terra prix fixe = STILL A GREAT GOD DAMN DEAL

I learned things I did not know tonight, and things that no one would tell me if we weren’t all really fucking pissed. (Except for me, obviously. I do not not get drunk.) Like that not only does my big over-boss love me, but my more immediate boss considers me the most important member of her team, and that her nightmare right now is that I will be moved to another department and given a huge raise. She’s fighting to keep me in the SAME department and to give me a huge raise and a management position.

I think I would be an excellent manager. I can pretend to know what he’s talking about like nobody’s business. Sometimes people even believe me.

Learn to manage my Gap parka and then put that on your resume.

Oops. Sorry, that sounded bitchier than I meant it to.

(I know where the parka is. It’s where you left it.)

wtf are you talking about?

OH HOLY SHIT. YOU’RE RIGHT.

There’s a coat of yours that’s hanging in Julia’s closet. It’s not lost! I can bring it over tomorrow if you have time. Even if you don’t, I can leave it outside the door. It’s very warm.

Learn to manage my Gap parka and then put that on your resume.

Hey, eat me. I’m not trying to screw you, Jesse. I would love nothing more than to gie you back everything that belongs to you. I’m just poorly organized, is all. Did you think I meant to keep it? I don’t even wear it. I wore it once, and left it in Julia’s closet, and then forgot it existed. Which does not make me Mr. Responsibility, but I’m not trying to dick you out of a coat, either.

I’m talking about where my Gap coat is. I now know. Hint: It’s where my Adidas shorts were.

this is now an xpost

Don’t get worked up. I know how that neither of us could us could be considered Mr. Responsiblity.

And I want to give you back your stuff too, not because I want to be done with you (I miss going out with you, actually) but because I feel bad that you left behind so much stuff at my house. The stack grows and grows.

Hint: It’s where my Adidas shorts were.

Wherever your coat was, it was never on my ass.

Do I still have your shorts? If I do, I can give them back plus some. I don’t think I have them.

But I take your point.

I am pretty sure I have not made a point in quite a while.

I’m sorry, Jesse. For a lot of things. A lot of things that I’ve been honestly confused about. I knew you were pissed at me for some reason, but I could only guess why. I made your cat fat, and I wasn’t the best at cleaning what quickly became a kind of stifling mess, and I’m just kind of an asshole in general. BUT YOU NEVER TOLD ME WHAT WAS MAKING YOU MAD. So I still don’t know.

If it was the “asshole in general” part, I can’t help you. Otherwise, I’d like to know what you don’t like about me. In real life, I mean. I already know what you don’t like about my internet persona. Not helpful in a real life scenario, though. Email me. Talk to me. I’m not retarded, I’m just not always good at making people as happy as they could be.

Kenan, STFU. Any time I have been pissed at you in a very particular way, I would not express it here. I am certainly not pissed about the substantial feline weight gain.

If I didn’t have to work in the morning I would buy you a drink tonight.

Merry Christmas and I will see you soon.

Now calm yourself.

Believe it or not, I worry about what you think of me.

Merry Christmas to you, too.

Get on Gmail and we might chat, assbutt.

Until then, Merry Xmas?

I am certainly not pissed about the substantial feline weight gain.

haha I’m glad. Because it was SUBSTANTIAL. I couldn’t have done that on purpose if I’d tried.

I’m on gmail, but you’re not. S’okay. I have to work tomorrow, too.

Merry Christmas, faggo.

Good morning, Chicago!

I’m going to die.

I am certainly not pissed about the substantial feline weight gain.

This is the funniest thing I’ve seen since I woke up, 1.5 hours ago.

Kenan, we’re all going to die eventually.

But NOT LIKE THIS! I DON’T WANT IT TO END LIKE THIS!

I think I’m still drunk.

This could be a lot worse. I just chatted with Kev, and he didn’t go to sleep last night. I slept in my pants, but at least I slept.

Since I can’t depart on that sour note...

(i kinda screwed this up, but you gotta love me for trying)

I do!

We can form a fat cat owners group, Jesse.

This morning hasn’t been the greatest for me. My mom called me this morning. The line was horribly scratchy. That’s been happening whenever we have any rain, or even moisture for that matter. So it was really hard for us to hear each other. But the long and short of it is that she was all ready to go pick me up from the airport but needed to know which one and what time and why hadn’t I given her this information yet? So I say, um, mom, I’ve told you this a million times, but I’m taking the TRAIN. We won’t be there until 1:30 tomorrow afternoon. And she was like, “WHAT?! YOU WON’T BE HERE UNTIL TOMORROW?!” Whoopsies.

Maybe she’ll at least be calmed down by then.

Hi, CHICAGO! Why didn’t anyone ask about my photo shoot, you frackers?

WTF is up with your photo shoot, Sarah.

Band photo shoot?

Yep. Thanks for askin’. It was for a Reader article that’s coming out next week. It was so much fun! All the photo shoots we’ve had in the past were ones we instigated. This time it was someone contacting us saying they needed to set up an appointment for our photo shoot. Of course, Nick, Ben & I were totally hyper and dorky about the whole thing and giggled through most of it.

Then I went and met Colette and another IndieBride and we ate a ton of cupcakes and drank wine.

Ooh, a Reader article! With photo! How about that!! Merry Christmas, FFs!

Movin on up, yo. That’s awesome.

Ok, it’s time for me to go fetch my parents. Stay awake, stay alive, don’t drink and drive.

Awesome. It’s b/c Mil3s Raym3r is the new music columnist for the Reader and he has seen you guys play w/ Mann3quin M3n, right?

chicago, my hangover started about 45 minutes ago and right now i feel like i’m gonna die. literally. death seems imminent.

i hate being awake for the START of a hangover. being awake for the tail end is bad enough but seeing these fuckers through from cradle to grave really blows. it feels like i have saran wrap stretched too tightly on the inside of my skull.

I’m praying that the full on ass feeling doesn’t start before lunch.

Otto, maybe you should have a shot.

I wish I was a rock star. Sometimes when no one’s looking I pretend I’m Black Francis.

John, He was the one that asked to do an interview, but I don’t know if he’s seen us play. In fact, Nick even asked him if he heard about us because of the MM show. He said he originally was just in charge of fact-checking for the show listings/write ups, and that’s how he first heard about us. So yeah, I think it was because of that show, but I don’t think he was there, or he probably would have mentioned it.

My mom has a cat which Leslie named Black Francis, but we usually just call her Baby.

Kevin, When can you go home? Can you just say you’re sick? I mean, you are basically.

Kevin & Kenan, DRINK WATER.

i get out 59 minutes early today, at 3:31. can’t go home as we’re about half-staffed in the office. not like i’m actually getting much done but i’m doing some stuff that NEEDS to be done.

i’m gonna go down to the file room and pass out.

hello, chicago! i am posting from a cozy little condo in the gold coast, with a cat named rabbit bopping around somewhere. last night, fulton lounge was very fun — especially since someone else was footing the bill (hello, tax write-offs), and i expect the birthday dinner i’m going to at lula tonight will also be awesome. oh yeah, and i ate at amitabul yesterday afternoon, which was just what i needed to face cold and dreary weather.

i imagine i’ll probably see some of you at the green mill tomorrow...

Hi! I’m sorry I’ll miss you. Nick and I are bootscootboogieing off to DC today.

Hi Mark, glad to hear you are safe and sound. Too bad about the rain.

It’s not cold though, Mark. That’s crazy talk.

Ha, I was about to be all “You have to understand he lives in Orange County” but then I checked Weather.com, and Irvine is four degrees colder than Chicago and also raining!

yes, it was about the same temperature in CA when i left. but, it still feels more wintery here, hence the soup for lunch and hot toddy at fulton lounge. maybe i’m just bracing myself for cold weather to come. what’s the forecast?

Flurries tomorrow, supposedly.

Is anyone going to the M@m@ D|gd0wn show tonight? My plans are being thrown into utter disarray by the weather out west.

Isn’t your fam here now, Dan?

i want to shoot everyone i’ve seen today in the face.

EZ called me yesterday and said he might go to the MDBB show tonight but wasn’t sure yet.

Sorry, otto.

I wished the bike messenger a happy holiday and he said he hates december because he’s had six deaths in his life in december, including his mom and sister.

Dan, I thought I remembered you going to pick them up.

My sis is here now, yes. But I have 2 other friends that are riding to MI with me who are coming from WA today, and their arrival is up in the air at this point.

Kevin, you said Black Lips are good, right? If so, we’ll probably see them in dc.

That sucks, Dan.

shit, yes, you definitely should. last night i think i made plans to go see the black lips, ponys, and turpentine brothers in boston some time in march.

listen to the live version of not a problem and decide for yourself.

i’m 75% percent certain that not a problem is the only song the drummer sings.

That sucks, Dan.

Enh, not so much sucks as is inconvenient. We were going to leave tomorrow anyway, and I still have my sister to hang with. And who knows, they’ll probably get here in time.