On How I Cheated on Opera with Metal and my annoying coworker

There's this one lady who I work with. She's a lady that watches Dances with the Stars, American Idol, and wants to talk about it ALL. THE. TIME.
She knows I am in a band and starts conversations with me about the most random things.
Today it was a singer that she had heard of and she asked me if I liked her. The conversation quickly took a left turn into "If you studied Opera in high school how could you switch to Metal?"  That last word she said with a menacing grimace like I had switched from Dr. Pepper to Mr. Pibb and liked it.
I gave her the best rushed answer I could since I feel like if she stands near me too long I might say things that will make her ears bleed.

The real answer is this:
While in high school I may have been going to class to learn opera, concert choir, and Italian arias, but at home, in the shower and on Fridays in front of my class I was singing lots of Sublime, Bloodhound Gang, and Pearl Jam.
I was mostly into punk when Brian and I met in 1999. He was into metal. He had a drum set in his closet collecting dust and awesome stories of all the bands he had been in.
I had a zine and a drive to learn how to write music.
I had been driving him to jam with his bass player friend for a few months by the time we moved into our first apartment together in Sacramento. I had asked Brian and his friend if they would consider trying me out as a singer once they found a guitar player.
That apparently fell on deaf ears. A month later he answered an ad for a guitar player and a singer looking for a drummer and bass player. I was really hurt and he acted like he had totally forgotten that I had asked.
Brian told me that I couldn't be a singer without my own p.a. So being the determined person I am, I went to Skips music and bought an entire p.a. setup. Don't dare tell me I can't do something especially when it only requires a purchase. I am a woman who shops.
I set it up in our extra room and told him that if he didn't want to try me out, I would get good and find a band who did.
Brian went and played with them and I didn't care much for any of it. A lot of things upset me about the situation but mostly I came to the conclusion that I couldn't be the drummers girlfriend. I'm just not capable of it.
At this point we had been together for 6 months and was ready to call it quits.
Then about a few weeks later after a few practices where their singer didn't show up and I made up shit on his microphone the guitar player Steve called Brian. He told him he couldn't play with the singer anymore and he really wanted to give me a shot. Brian talked to me about it and we figured we'd give it a chance even though we knew we'd hear No Doubt jokes for days.
So that's how I became a metal singer.
Well there was a lot of bad ad-libbed punk lyrics over metal guitar riffs and double bass drums that slowly evolved into metal. Then lots of drunk shows, practicing in a steel storage unit in the really cold winters, having to use the same microphone after another female singer masturbated on stage with it, puking into velvet curtains on stage after being stuck in the xtracab of a truck for 4 hours in traffic, practicing in the same hall from one of my favorite bands ever, and a bunch of other stuff I won't bore you with now at least.

Weekend Redux: October-ness

We had a pretty awesome weekend. Friday our good friend Dave invited us to a burrito party he had won at a local restaurant. He got a 4 foot burrito for six friends. We had berry mojitos, coconut margaritas and a bunch of fun.

Saturday we visited the Springs Preserve. I don't know why we didn't go there sooner. It was so beautiful and a lot of fun for the three of us. The preserve features history of the Las Vegas Valley, the animals that currently and formerly lived here, as well as great information about plants that do well here.
They had the grounds decorated for Halloween even though we were too early for the Haunted Harvest.

 Hayden was exhausted from the three hours of walking and learning so after the preserve we hung out at home watching Halloween movies.

Sunday we made our pumpkins. Hayden had picked out a small pumpkin and decided he wanted to make it a pig from Angry Birds. He of course didn't want to do the work, so mom and dad created it for him.
Then  I murdered a pumpkin with my bare hands and ripped out his guts while Brian and Hayden watched in disgust. Neither one of my boys likes to get their hands dirty, ridiculous I know. But I love it and he came out pretty cool.

Teacher Conference

There's lots of things people don't share with you while you're pregnant like hemorrhoids, costs of daycare, temper tantrums in public places, and first grade homework.
There's a part of me that wanted to write that in all caps FIRST GRADE HOMEWORK so you will all understand my need to yell it.
I don't remember a lot of first grade other than getting my mouth washed out with soap for telling the teacher "my mom says to fuck off" or something of that nature when I was asked to turn in a homework project that required my parent's participation.

Now, my first grader who hasn't come to enjoy reading or writing very much yet has at least an hour or so of homework four nights a week and is required to read twenty minutes a day right now.
I don't disagree with this at all. I am glad he's being challenged and I am glad the homework needs us parents to be involved.
I am however at my wits end with this child who says "I DON'T WANNA!!!", cries a lot and then makes his body go limp and lies in the middle of the living room floor at the sight of a book or flash cards.

We had a teacher conference Monday evening. She reported on his progress; needs work on writing, and reading, is great at math. We talked about his behavior in class and participation which was good, but then she showed us some of his work that just wasn't done. Apparently the not wanting to do stuff attitude happens in class as well. She made a deal with him like we have at home and starting today we will see if it works.

He's really the opposite of me when it comes to school work, reading and writing. I loved it and revelled in the escape of filling notebooks with stories alone in my room. He'd rather do anything else.

I tried explaining that in life you can't just give up and say "I don't wanna." If I did that I wouldn't have a career and we'd probably live on the street. He answered with "As long as we can plug in our tv and the Playstation."

Weekend Redux: Random Fall Stuff

We've been busy with wrapping up the packaging and mix for our new cd. I designed up a quick website for the band here: www.bipolarmetal.com and Brian's been working a lot. But we still have time to enjoy the little things of early fall.

The little ghost is a candle my grandma gave me about 6 years ago. It reminds me of when her house was decorated to the extreme for every holiday. I've tried my best to keep her tradition going in my house.
The skull and book cookie jar I found at World Market and will be a year round addition to my kitchen.
The fourth picture is of the movie poster for the 1979 edition of Nosferatu which is one of my favorite posters and old scary movies.

We have some fun Halloween and fall stuff planned for this week if work and other stuff don't get in the way.

FALL Wishlist

It's getting chilly, and a little rainy here in Vegas. Since I had to do a whole wardrobe overhaul before Summer most of my Fall clothing is outdated as well. I've been window internet wishlist shopping for weeks and actually bought a few things last payday, but now I need to stock up on warmer wear before it's too late and I'm wearing blankets all the time.

1. Grey Faux Leather Boots. 2. Brown knit scarf. 3. Black Bootines 4. Double Breasted Jacket  5. Leaf necklace. 6. Grey Skinnies. 7. Cream Swing Dress 8. Flutter Skirt. 9. Long Marled Cardigan 10. Studded Tote.

Chill

Full time work, band, parenting. Sometimes it feels like I never have a moment to catch up on "me" stuff.
Today Hayden and I are spending a day off together. He had no school so I took a vacation day.
We've done some house work, errands, and a little cooking.  Now, we're just relaxing playing video games and making up stories to draw pictures to.

It's nice to step back from the everyday chaos and just chill.

Lace & Pottery

We've been sleeping with the windows open lately and this morning I was a little cold, so I pulled up the comforter and snuggled. I got a face full of curly hair and grabbed the little body next to me. Hayden had snuck into bed with us late at night. Brian's arm reached over and held both of us.

Thirteen year anniversaries are represented by lace. Thirteen years ago Brian and I started hanging out. We went to lunch together on my first day as a Graphic Designer. We had known each other for a few months and ran into one another at work here and there but on Monday October 10th, 1999 I had been promoted into my Graphic Design position and my life would be changed forever. We went to lunch every day that week and hung out after work. We made our relationship official on October 15th, 1999 with our first date being opening night of Fight Club.

Nine year anniversaries are represented by Pottery. Nine years ago today we got married. We had a beautiful wedding that celebrated our relationship with our family and friends. It went by really quick but we had a lot of fun and we got really drunk. So drunk in fact that the only thing I remember from the wedding night is waking up at 2am in Brian's boxers to "decorate" the bathroom with champagne and wedding cake. My wonderful grandma had got us a room on Sacramento river boat. Well, my motion sickness mixed with drinking more in one night than five fraternities combined  didn't go over well for my stomach. No matter what anyone says, a boat that is docked still moves!

The last thirteen years have been a grand adventure for both of us. We are truly each other's best friends and  have built a pretty amazing life together. We have experienced so much, learned so much, and grown so much together. We've made it through hard-ships, played a ton of shows, and made an awesome little man.

T O G E T H E R. 

Weekend Redux: Lost tooth, flaky babysitters and paper bats.

Friday Hayden lost a tooth at school and carried it around all day. He said he was asked by the other kids if they could touch it and he only let them touch it with one finger so it wouldn't get dirty. 

Saturday night we had plans to go to our friends birthday party at a karaoke bar. I had set up a sitter two weeks before and even confirmed with her Friday during the day. She was set to show up at 8:45pm. At 8:42pm I texted to see if she was on her way. She texted back that she wouldn't be able to make it, that she had been called in to work.  Flaky people are my WORSE pet peeve. She had sat for us before and said how much she enjoyed it. So whatever, now I have to find a new sitter. AGAIN. 

I went to the birthday party and Brian stayed home with Hayden. Having worked all day he was pretty worn out anyhow.
Sunday we decided to bring out our Halloween decor and make some awesome bats to take over our front door and a big blank space behind our TV.
They came out pretty cool, and we might want to leave them up year round.

I LOVE decorating for Halloween. Every year though I go to pull stuff out and things are broken or smooshed. I lost a sad little pumpkin candle holder this year and some of my outside guys need new lights.

I have some projects in mind and should be able to post them up in the next week or so!

Making Shit Happen, Fall, and more Skulls

On January 1 of this year Brian and I made a pact that this was 2012: MAKE SHIT HAPPEN.

So far so good. We have done so much to make our lives better, healthier, and happier. 

We eliminated some bullshit, de-cluttered the mess of other people's drama that was lying around, and have patched up the holes that made our own drama. 

We're in a really great-happy-shiny-riding-unicorn-type of place right now and it's pretty damn sweet.

But I don't want to gloat here, I mean I do, but you'll all hate me so I'm gonna write something else now. 

FALL!

So fall is here, although the Vegas weather doesn't show it.

I'm excited to shop for more skull stuff to decorate my house! I was already able to get a few things.

This awesome cookie jar and a skull backpack. 

Now that I was able to buy a car I can start focusing on re-decorating my house just in time for Halloween!

I am also excited for the not so hot weather!

Weekend Redux: Friends and Cars

Last week I bid on a vehicle on eBay and won it. I was kind of skeptical at first about buying a vehicle from eBay. But I did my research and I got the vehicle history plus a buyer protection and by the time the seconds ticked off on the auction I had convinced myself it was a grand idea. 

We decided to take a road trip to California to pick it up and made plans to see our good friends.

Saturday morning we packed up the truck and hit the road. Our first stop a couple blocks from our house to grab breakfast led us to a car show that had a dozen old cars from the early 1900's.

Hayden thought they were cool. The red Ford was a 1912 making it 100 years old. Hayden made up stories about how when they broke down a horse had to pull them out of the mud. His favorite was the green one.

After we ate we hit the road. Hayden played games on my Kindle fire and watched movies on a portable dvd player. He is a good little traveling buddy.

We met up with the seller, took my new vehicle for a ride, signed all the papers and headed back onto the road to meet up with our friends Heather, Steve, Julian and Emily.

Julian and Hayden were born two days apart six years ago. Heather and I were pregnant at the same time, going through similar stuff and actually found out we were having boys on the same day. Five years ago they moved from Sacramento to Southern California and a year later we moved to Vegas.

Since the moves, we only get to see each other once or twice a year. But every time the boys get together they have this magnetic bond that's unexplainable and awesome to watch.

We only got to spend a brief time with our friends but it was nice. The boys played, hugged, made music, and chatted. Both were sad to say goodbye. But we got back on the road and drove home.

Sunday was a nice relaxing day of catching up on chores, taking care of some business, watching football, and drinking some nice wine.

I polished my nails, drank some fancy wine then beat some crap talkers on Madden 12, a great weekend indeed.