well, josh is HERE!! he & alex got in around 1:15 & teddy picked them up @ the airport...just talked to them and they're on their way down to wicker park...teddy thinks he'll take them to ear wax...josh told me to scoot out of my training class (where i've been downtown these last two days) and join them, but i won't...i'll be there in a couple hours anyway...i told him i had some duvel in the fridge just for him so he should just relax and hang out for a little while...josh says teddy's a lot better looking than he thought he'd be...ha ha ha!



woo hoo!!!! i can't wait to see josh again!!!!

woah...like how did it get to be friday already? crimeny...ok...really quick now...tuesday was greendeeve's birthday and we celebrated by seeing the worst movie ever...it was called no good deed and true to its name there was absolutely no good deed about it...when keom asked me after the movie to give my reaction in one word, i actually gave 3..."torture! pure torture!" the others generally agreed...

we made up for the awful movie by going to bar louie in between my apt & dave's apt on damen...dave loves the desserts there...we drank beers (except jay & lauren who drank h20 and keom who had a dirty vodka)...we listened to the really bad satellite radio music...talked about upcoming shows...keom & i really wanna see jeremy enigk on october 8th...oh, and he says i really need to see mogwai...ok...maybe...we'll see...

the show that i REALLY wanted to see was built to spill and i really tried to make their 2nd show @ the metro last night but it was sold out…oh well…and i had even convinced teddy to go to the show with me…i've been such a lazy ass about making it to shows…i do want to see susan enan play w/ over the rhine on sunday…that's a sold out show too but tim said i'd be on the guest list so i hope we make it in…

i saw susan play in nashville and i really liked her songs…she made me wanna write songs & learn to play the guitar…i put in a good word for denison w/ her when he tried to get shows w/ her in ireland…he didn't need my recommendation though cuz susan had just played a show w/ rosie thomas and loved her…when i mentioned to her that deni was good friends w/ rosie, that was probably an automatic IN for him…susan is really sweet, and i'm glad she had the chance to tour w/ OTR…

anyways, teddy & i went to earwax cafe instead of the built to spill concert which was just as well...we shared a messy burger which is a black bean burger w/ a lot of stuff on it & it was quite yummy...i had ever eaten at earwax before, and that was our first time @ the new location...it's quite nice...much roomier than before...and CLEAN...from our seat, we could see all the rock show posters...we even saw a detholz poster for their abbey show next month on 10/23...my mom's bday! and their last show in chicago was on my uncle's bday...go figure...

so josh is flying in this afternoon w/ lielle's (his fiance's) little bro alex for a bachelor party weekend...it's really just gonna be us hanging out w/ connolly, olarn, teddy and whoever else wants to hang out...we're gonna do second city, maybe bowling, dancing, whateva...i was worried the hurricane would mess up josh's flight but would you believe he's scheduled to get in 20 minutes earlier??!! i guess the winds are strong up there from the east...makes sense i suppose...

ok...that's it for now...

been listening to--
ancient melodies of the future--built to spill
revival--gillian welch

(happy birthday caleb!!!)



teddy & i went to HPV for church on sunday...we were actually on time this week...pete & amy were there, and it was good to see them...it's been over a month since we last saw them & little elliot...we went over to their apartment after church cuz i was finally giving them one of my rocking chairs since little elliot loves rocking chairs...sam met us there and we all hung out catching up...turns out there was a lot of catching up to do on both sides...sam hadn't seen pete & amy since amy was still pregnant, and elliot's going on 5 months now, so that's a long time...



well, it turns out that pete & amy are moving back to long island at the end of the month...they'll eventually end up in denver next year where pete will be working w/ street kids...but both their families are in long island, and they decided quite suddenly this month to move back...it really sucks cuz i really wanted ted & pete to have a chance to hang out more...and i'm just gonna really miss them...



last night, teddy & i listened to gillian welch as we drove to museum campus downtown to enjoy the lovely evening...i sang 'i want to sing that rock 'n' roll' in my country voice for teddy...i love singing along to gillian cuz she sings in my range...teddy laughed and said we should be a country act together...i think it could work...teddy's got a pretty sweet voice, and although i don't know any country artists whose primary instrument is the drum kit, i think it could work...at any rate, there's just something irresistably beautiful about playing gillian welch & singing along as you're driving down lake shore drive on an especially almost autumn night...



...and even though there's a part of me that's sad cuz pete & amy are moving away, i know they'll always be my friends and that our paths will cross again...



summer is dwindling away...soon i will have to put away my tank tops & t-shirts & dig up my scarves & caps & sweaters and wear long johns under pants for blustery days...



speaking of seattle...i got a voicemail this morning when i woke up from jesse...he left it at around 2:56am...i think he was drunk...at 2:58am, ryan left me a message too...he was also possibly drunk...i swear, these guys never call me unless they're drunk...at first i thought they were calling to tell me they were 5 hours away from my apartment (i've gotten those calls from ryan before) but i think they're still safe in seattle right now...i don't know when jesse's moving back to dansville, ny...i just hope i'm in town when they drive through chicago...it's kinda funny to hear their voicemails first thing in the morning cuz my last thoughts before drifting off to sleep last night were of jesse & ryan...



been listening to--

run--john kim

time (the revelator)--gillian welch

s/t--rocky votolato

burning my travels clean--rocky votolato

standing in line for my coffee this morning, i happened to overhear someone say that her husband's father passed away this morning...and i wanted to say something to her...i wanted to say that i've had dreams this week in which i relived my own father's death 1 1/2 years after the fact...that i can maybe feel a version of what her husband must be feeling...but i didn't say anything...i couldn't...maybe because i know that there is no magical combination of words to lend suitable comfort in situations such as these...



i heard on the radio on wednesday (9/11) a story about how many of the families of the victims of 9/11 were just beginning to deal w/ the grief about now, 2 years after the fact, and how sad it was that many of the services offered to them for support & counseling were no longer being offered...apparently, it's not uncommon for people who experience such trauma to not deal w/ it until months and maybe even years after the fact...perhaps that's why i'm my own grief over my dad is starting to feel so fresh again...



today i had dinner w/ my friend sam in hyde park...sam is like a little brother to me...it was good to talk to him...i know i can tell him anything and he won't judge me or try to fix my problems...he just listens...it's been so long since we'd talked or even seen each other, so it was good to catch up...



so teddy & i found a new cafe to hang out at...i've been to it once before w/ my cuzin kris & her friend meg...it's the art gallery kafe (1907 n. milwaukee)...i had this drink there called the basquiat that was so totally delish...they play awesome tunes, have art on the walls, and comfy sofas to hang out in...they also have various games like scrabble & trivial pursuit & chess & connect four...wireless internet is available for free w/ any purchase, which is an awesome deal...the asian americal leadership council is having a fundraiser there on 9/27 @ 7pm w/ jenny choi playing...jenny is a really cool indie pop girl who fronts her own band and who's on double zero, a label run by ex-smoking popes dudes...she's got an album coming out this month and will be doing a cd release party w/ panda panda (miss mia) @ gunther murphy's on oct. 3rd...my friend miki is coordinating the asian american leadership council event and had asked me if i knew anyone who might play for the event...i wanted to ask miss mia, but i knew she'd just barely be getting back into the country from new zealand, so the next person who came to mind was jenny...she's been getting really good reviews for a while now, and i've been wanting to see her live...so i sent her an email and was really excited when she agreed to do the event...she's very supportive of the asian american community, so i shouldn't have been too surprised...anyways, i'm looking forward to that event...



been listening to--

skate punk

neutral milk hotel

johnny cash

88.7

the man in black has passed on...



and it makes me really really sad...



johnny cash will always be an inspiration to me...not just because of his music, but because of his life, so wracked with mistakes and brokenness, so covered in grace and contrition...



there is something so very beautiful about him...