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(just want to note my icon - Zee Captain, holding that famous cup, making my subject give me the giggles)
Tuesdays are for singers.
Tuesdays, I go to Lovin' Cup for food, friends, and open mic night. I don't sing. Shit, no. It's the only time I get to hang out with Ron and Jackie and John. We had a new waitress tonight. I've already forgotten her name, but I'll remember it eventually. I want to say Marissa, and I think that's right. But I'm terrible at remembering names right off the bat, and I already asked for one other name that night (the hostess, Jennifer, who I thought was cold when I first began attending open mic, but she has really warmed up). I am usually the first in my group to arrive, oftentimes over an hour ahead, due to ride restraints. I can't believe it's taken me this long to get the name of the person who always seats me, when I've gotten to the point where the waiters I know even know my name.
I'm never sure how the night will pan out when I go to the cup. I have that thing in my brain where I feel extremely guilty the rest of the night if I slip up and say one wrong thing (despite it probably not actually being a big deal, and easily forgotten). So hormonal visits should be avoided, as I learned my first time back in several months (this was two weeks ago, at the end of my period). I arrived early and secured two high-top tables (our usual). I texted Ron to ask if John was coming. He sternly lectured me on how I shouldn't be asking for other people when I'm capable of doing it myself. I didn't have John's number, and he said to use facebook messenger. I removed that from my phone ages ago, but had to put it back on. When John arrived, he made us move into a booth (booths are great if only a few us us would be in attendance, and if they weren't literally in the corner). John sat facing the rest of the venue, and I sat facing him and the wall. When Ron arrived, he sat next to me, but immediately switched over to John's side because his back felt exposed. Jackie arrived, and pulled up a chair and high-top to our booth for the same reason. I was all alone on my side of the booth, and was being left out of the conversation, and felt so isolated from my friends I haven't seen in a while. I cried on the way home, and I cried for two days following, feeling extremely shitty the rest of the week. I never hated booths so much.
Charles tried to convince me that I just needed to get back into the swing of things, that I hadn't been a part of the group in a long time, and that I just have to stay firm regarding the tables against a booth. I dreaded my next visit, but needed to go, for possible closure. And things were better! So much better! Ahh, so refreshing! Jackie sat next to me, I showed her some sign language I'm learning (she's an interpreter, and Ron knows some, too, so even though I have no reason in my life, I feel it's something useful, if only to talk above the noise in a crowd). I had a really good time, and felt so much more at ease, and all around better the whole week!
Last night was great, too! I secured a table, but John (always second to arrive) didn't arrive til an hour later than usual. I was afraid he'd ask to sit in a booth again, and I was ready to stay firm, but he said we needed another table, so after my sigh of relief, I helped him pull another in. For a while, it was Me, John, and Ron. Ron came in with a haircut exactly like Jeff's, and I thought my brother-in-law finally took us up on our perpetual invite, but alas, fooled again. This week, as requested by Jackie, I brought a few art supplies - markers and sketch paper, and we each made 3-D hand drawings, but the markers smelled a little too much, so we stopped early. A friend (I guess now former) showed up elsewhere in the venue with her boyfriend (who she's got by the shortest of short-and-curlies). We definitely saw each other, but refrained by any formal acknowledgement. She and my best friend Meagan are currently at war, and I didn't know how she'd react to seeing me - her reaction was giving Jackie the stink-eye (a message to pass along - she doesn't actually know Jackie). And deliberately switching around her seats to keep me in direct view (she at a booth, me facing the booths - never have I been so glad to have Ron sitting on the other side directly between us). And she totally put on a show, knowing full well I'd report back to Meagan (which I did mention in passing, but after I got home).
As for the bands...
I've never been so giddy!
Our friend Patrick Jaouen performed last night after a short hiatus (usually, he plays almost every week, but I haven't seen him in a while). As the first performer, he had 3 slots to fill (as opposed to the standard 2). Matt (another friend who performs on hand-drums) mentioned in passing that Pat's debuting a cover (Pat doesn't do covers, so this will be interestign). I thought I heard Matt say that the cover will be a Tool song. That can't be right. Tool is my kind of band, not these guys' kind of band! And lo and behold, Pat began his first song, and I just GUSHED!!!!! Oh my god, he sounds JUST LIKE MAYNARD!!!!!! I squealed with delight about ten times before I could calm down, and that just set my mood for the whole night! I had to be ten shades of red, I was so excited.
Oh, and there were other bands, too, I guess. Matt was amazing, as always. Lots of regulars, a few really good new faces (a kid who sounds just like the Decemberists on the guitar also did a fantastic spoken-word, followed by a band of MCC students trying to punk out like a Factory band, but falling a little flat - but hey, better than me!). Two weeks back, my friend/co-worker Sean and his new band Periodic Table of Elephants debuted to get some feedback before opening for the fabled Agent Orange. Ron said they sound great, like Smashing Pumpkins, and we both agreed that their second song was strongest, third fell short vocal-wise, and I passed the feedback along to them.
So I guess I'm a regular at the Cup again. I missed it. I just have to remember to take some hormone-stabilizing medicine on those days, and stay firm about keeping the high-top tables, because holy shit.
But holy shit. Last night just felt so good.
Tuesdays are for singers.
Tuesdays, I go to Lovin' Cup for food, friends, and open mic night. I don't sing. Shit, no. It's the only time I get to hang out with Ron and Jackie and John. We had a new waitress tonight. I've already forgotten her name, but I'll remember it eventually. I want to say Marissa, and I think that's right. But I'm terrible at remembering names right off the bat, and I already asked for one other name that night (the hostess, Jennifer, who I thought was cold when I first began attending open mic, but she has really warmed up). I am usually the first in my group to arrive, oftentimes over an hour ahead, due to ride restraints. I can't believe it's taken me this long to get the name of the person who always seats me, when I've gotten to the point where the waiters I know even know my name.
I'm never sure how the night will pan out when I go to the cup. I have that thing in my brain where I feel extremely guilty the rest of the night if I slip up and say one wrong thing (despite it probably not actually being a big deal, and easily forgotten). So hormonal visits should be avoided, as I learned my first time back in several months (this was two weeks ago, at the end of my period). I arrived early and secured two high-top tables (our usual). I texted Ron to ask if John was coming. He sternly lectured me on how I shouldn't be asking for other people when I'm capable of doing it myself. I didn't have John's number, and he said to use facebook messenger. I removed that from my phone ages ago, but had to put it back on. When John arrived, he made us move into a booth (booths are great if only a few us us would be in attendance, and if they weren't literally in the corner). John sat facing the rest of the venue, and I sat facing him and the wall. When Ron arrived, he sat next to me, but immediately switched over to John's side because his back felt exposed. Jackie arrived, and pulled up a chair and high-top to our booth for the same reason. I was all alone on my side of the booth, and was being left out of the conversation, and felt so isolated from my friends I haven't seen in a while. I cried on the way home, and I cried for two days following, feeling extremely shitty the rest of the week. I never hated booths so much.
Charles tried to convince me that I just needed to get back into the swing of things, that I hadn't been a part of the group in a long time, and that I just have to stay firm regarding the tables against a booth. I dreaded my next visit, but needed to go, for possible closure. And things were better! So much better! Ahh, so refreshing! Jackie sat next to me, I showed her some sign language I'm learning (she's an interpreter, and Ron knows some, too, so even though I have no reason in my life, I feel it's something useful, if only to talk above the noise in a crowd). I had a really good time, and felt so much more at ease, and all around better the whole week!
Last night was great, too! I secured a table, but John (always second to arrive) didn't arrive til an hour later than usual. I was afraid he'd ask to sit in a booth again, and I was ready to stay firm, but he said we needed another table, so after my sigh of relief, I helped him pull another in. For a while, it was Me, John, and Ron. Ron came in with a haircut exactly like Jeff's, and I thought my brother-in-law finally took us up on our perpetual invite, but alas, fooled again. This week, as requested by Jackie, I brought a few art supplies - markers and sketch paper, and we each made 3-D hand drawings, but the markers smelled a little too much, so we stopped early. A friend (I guess now former) showed up elsewhere in the venue with her boyfriend (who she's got by the shortest of short-and-curlies). We definitely saw each other, but refrained by any formal acknowledgement. She and my best friend Meagan are currently at war, and I didn't know how she'd react to seeing me - her reaction was giving Jackie the stink-eye (a message to pass along - she doesn't actually know Jackie). And deliberately switching around her seats to keep me in direct view (she at a booth, me facing the booths - never have I been so glad to have Ron sitting on the other side directly between us). And she totally put on a show, knowing full well I'd report back to Meagan (which I did mention in passing, but after I got home).
As for the bands...
I've never been so giddy!
Our friend Patrick Jaouen performed last night after a short hiatus (usually, he plays almost every week, but I haven't seen him in a while). As the first performer, he had 3 slots to fill (as opposed to the standard 2). Matt (another friend who performs on hand-drums) mentioned in passing that Pat's debuting a cover (Pat doesn't do covers, so this will be interestign). I thought I heard Matt say that the cover will be a Tool song. That can't be right. Tool is my kind of band, not these guys' kind of band! And lo and behold, Pat began his first song, and I just GUSHED!!!!! Oh my god, he sounds JUST LIKE MAYNARD!!!!!! I squealed with delight about ten times before I could calm down, and that just set my mood for the whole night! I had to be ten shades of red, I was so excited.
Oh, and there were other bands, too, I guess. Matt was amazing, as always. Lots of regulars, a few really good new faces (a kid who sounds just like the Decemberists on the guitar also did a fantastic spoken-word, followed by a band of MCC students trying to punk out like a Factory band, but falling a little flat - but hey, better than me!). Two weeks back, my friend/co-worker Sean and his new band Periodic Table of Elephants debuted to get some feedback before opening for the fabled Agent Orange. Ron said they sound great, like Smashing Pumpkins, and we both agreed that their second song was strongest, third fell short vocal-wise, and I passed the feedback along to them.
So I guess I'm a regular at the Cup again. I missed it. I just have to remember to take some hormone-stabilizing medicine on those days, and stay firm about keeping the high-top tables, because holy shit.
But holy shit. Last night just felt so good.
