Some time during the first week I was here, I went for a walk. I set out, trying to find somewhere nice to eat, walking sort of aimlessly downtown. As it turns out, that is in no way the best way to find somewhere to eat, and all of a sudden it's nine o clock and I have not eaten dinner and my bag is heavy and I feel lost and so alone. I think that was the first time I realized how hard it is to have an adventure on your own.
Continuing: I managed to find a record store. One I'd actually heard of; Slowtrain Records, which has this incredible (and deserved) reputation. I went in and bought a couple cds, and they pointed me in the direction of a decent restaurant. It was then that I realized that Yo La Tengo was coming to town to play a gig. Earlier that week, I'd learned that Frightened Rabbit was playing a gig in Salt Lake, too. The moment I realized my two favorite bands in the world would be playing in this town was like a Revelation. Such solace, you have no idea.
Anyway, I went back a couple days later, to buy tickets to the two concerts I have been generally speaking the most excited about EVER. And last night, the first of said concerts, The Twilight Sad, We Were Promised Jetpacks, and Frightened Rabbit, happened.
Did you see that?
That moment right there.
Yeah, that's the moment you realized that I am WAY hipper than you.
Anyway... The concert opened with We Were Promised Jetpacks, who I think are the least known act on the lineup, but I have trouble telling which bands I listen to are obscure and which are generally known. Jetpacks is not a bad band on album. I like their music quite a bit. Live is another story, however. They are fantastic live. I thought the lead singer was about to have a heat attack or an aneurysm for most of their act, though. SO INTENSE. If you can see them, do.
The second act wasn't really worth discussing, so instead I'll discuss concert dynamics. I'm pretty sure I was the only girl there stag. There were a couple girls with their friends, but for the most part, there were girlfriends. Lots of girlfriends, cuzzying up to their bearded, hipster boyfriends. The concert was overwhelmingly male. I'm not sure why that bothered me as much as it did. I don't know why women don't do things on their own. It seems to me like most of the women I know don't have the gumption to go out and do something just on their own steam. They need friends or beaux to take them out, so they can stand in a circle and look pretty and aloof, or so they have someone to cuddle. Women don't have their own adventures. I know that's a generalization, and a very sexist one at that, but the older I get, the more true it seems to me.
Frightened Rabbit can play a little emo on their records. They're a very earnest band, that sounds like it's nursing a healthy alcohol problem, as well as a certain amount of generalized resentment. Their albums are very listenable, "The Midnight Organ Fight" is one of my favorite albums of all time, but their stage act is so aggressive. Their lead guitarist convulses on stage, he fucking SHREDS that shit. They were so into their music, but still managed to look slightly incredulous at the enthusiasm of the crowd. The crowd was great, by the way. I think everyone there knew the words to every single song, excluding the unreleased ones. Jetpacks and Frightened Rabbit in particular looked pretty stunned at how excited the crowd was to hear them. The Twilight Sad just looked pretentious.
The coolest thing about the show, however, aside from the music (which was bitching) was getting to speak (briefly) to members of both the bands I cared about. There is nothing cooler than getting to tell someone that their set rocked your fucking world, and that their album is your favorite ever.
In other news, I have procured for myself employment.
I work bussing tables and manning the counter at The Training Table, a Utah establishment of truly unparalleled quality. Their schtick is that instead of actually ordering from a waiter, or interacting with a human being, you pick up a telephone posted at each table, and call the counter, where an employee (me) takes your order, and passes it along to be cooked. After you eat, another employee (also me) cleans up after you. The whole endeavour leaves you without a clear sense that there are any actual people working at the restaurant.
It's pretty frikkin' miserable, let me tell you, but somehow, it's not the worst job I've ever had.
And I doubt it will be the worst ever.
Which is incredibly, unutterably, inexcusably depressing.
-Rachael
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Tall Bikes, Bars, Crusties, and Cowards
So I shouldn't have written so early on Friday. I missed out the best part of my day.
I've been trying this online dating website (don't judge me) to meet people in Utah, and I met up with one of those people the very first night I was in town. We went to dinner at this really decent Indian place. Totally tacky decor and really rather tasty food. I had this very nice veggie dish with a lot of coconut. Anyway, he told me he'd found out about this tall bike jousting event, which sounded intriguing.
We went, and met in the middle of this plaza thing I'd wandered around in during the day. There were a bunch of hipsters and crusty kids wandering around with bikes, and we talked to a couple of them, and I was in full form, as I'm sure you can imagine. For some unknown reason, I am completely incapable of making a sane first impression on anyone, more on that later, I'm sure.
There was a guy there with a tall bike with a basket on the back, playing "ironic" hits of the eighties as skinny little cooler-than-thou kids danced. The bike had Christmas tree lights wrapped around it, and he was wearing a sheet and calling himself "Tall Bike Jesus," and barking away on a megaphone he thoroughly abused for the whole night. My friend and I sort of stood around feeling awkward and I took tons of pictures none of which are any good. Eventually, the pack took off, headed for an underpass, and we the miserable walkers got left rather in the dust. We put the motor to it, and wound up on the wrong side of the train tracks which run through town, so we had to double back, but by this time we could hear yells and broke into something of a run.
When we got there, they'd formed a ring around two skinny little boys (and occasionally girls) mounting these absurd bikes (they even had squires to hand up their lances and hold their mounts, hah) and then riding towards each other as fast as they could with stuffed animals duct taped to the end of what appeared to be telescoping broom handles, and trying to knock each other off.
A word about tall bikes for the unaware: tall bikes are essentially what they sound like. Two or three bikes are welded together, one on top of the other, so the bike becomes two or three bikes tall, approximately four to six feet. The pedals are on the top bike frame, and the chain goes all the way down to the bottom, and connects. I think they tend to be one speeds, but it looked like one guy was shifting gears, so maybe I'm wrong about this.
The whole thing was alternately hilarious and blindingly awesome. Occasionally both at the same time. Hipsters apparently don't believe in safety gear. It musses their hair.
Yesterday was uneventful. I thought I'd found the perfect apartment, but alas, it was not to be.
Today, I went for brunch with another gentleman from the internet (I appear to be quite the online hussy) at a very nice place, again FRAUGHT with hipsters, all of whom had marvelous tattoos, and then went for a walk in the park where I played in a stream and got properly sunburned. Farmer's tans R us, apparently.
I then hunted for apartments and met some sketchy people, and generally began to despair.
I took myself to a movie tonight, and got stuck going to Applebees, because by the time I got downtown (I got lost) it was a little late to go looking for something better. No matter. My waiter was the king of all waiters. Attractive, intelligent, charming, inclined to losing battles with Pepsi machines... The resturant was pretty sparsely populated, so he spent a fair amount of time, leaned up against my booth, talking to me. Eventually he even sat down. I was smitten.
So of course I did what I always do. I panicked, became incredibly awkward, tipped far too much, and left without giving him my number. Or getting his.
And now I'm weighing the merits of going back. On the one hand, I might actually luck out and have him as my waiter again (not that I can even remember his name accurately) and we can contuine to talk about how Pepsi machines can prove very deadly, and how he has a degree in environmental science (sigh) and how we both like to hike and blah blah blah. Or things could turn out as I'm sure they must. He'd get a little creeped out by the fact that I'm back, I'd feel trapped, and unable to flee, and would spend my whole meal staring at my food or pretending to read and then run away as fast as I could. On the other hand, it is Applebees. I don't really want to go back. At all....
What is a cowardly girl to do?
-Rachael
I've been trying this online dating website (don't judge me) to meet people in Utah, and I met up with one of those people the very first night I was in town. We went to dinner at this really decent Indian place. Totally tacky decor and really rather tasty food. I had this very nice veggie dish with a lot of coconut. Anyway, he told me he'd found out about this tall bike jousting event, which sounded intriguing.
We went, and met in the middle of this plaza thing I'd wandered around in during the day. There were a bunch of hipsters and crusty kids wandering around with bikes, and we talked to a couple of them, and I was in full form, as I'm sure you can imagine. For some unknown reason, I am completely incapable of making a sane first impression on anyone, more on that later, I'm sure.
There was a guy there with a tall bike with a basket on the back, playing "ironic" hits of the eighties as skinny little cooler-than-thou kids danced. The bike had Christmas tree lights wrapped around it, and he was wearing a sheet and calling himself "Tall Bike Jesus," and barking away on a megaphone he thoroughly abused for the whole night. My friend and I sort of stood around feeling awkward and I took tons of pictures none of which are any good. Eventually, the pack took off, headed for an underpass, and we the miserable walkers got left rather in the dust. We put the motor to it, and wound up on the wrong side of the train tracks which run through town, so we had to double back, but by this time we could hear yells and broke into something of a run.
When we got there, they'd formed a ring around two skinny little boys (and occasionally girls) mounting these absurd bikes (they even had squires to hand up their lances and hold their mounts, hah) and then riding towards each other as fast as they could with stuffed animals duct taped to the end of what appeared to be telescoping broom handles, and trying to knock each other off.
A word about tall bikes for the unaware: tall bikes are essentially what they sound like. Two or three bikes are welded together, one on top of the other, so the bike becomes two or three bikes tall, approximately four to six feet. The pedals are on the top bike frame, and the chain goes all the way down to the bottom, and connects. I think they tend to be one speeds, but it looked like one guy was shifting gears, so maybe I'm wrong about this.
The whole thing was alternately hilarious and blindingly awesome. Occasionally both at the same time. Hipsters apparently don't believe in safety gear. It musses their hair.
Yesterday was uneventful. I thought I'd found the perfect apartment, but alas, it was not to be.
Today, I went for brunch with another gentleman from the internet (I appear to be quite the online hussy) at a very nice place, again FRAUGHT with hipsters, all of whom had marvelous tattoos, and then went for a walk in the park where I played in a stream and got properly sunburned. Farmer's tans R us, apparently.
I then hunted for apartments and met some sketchy people, and generally began to despair.
I took myself to a movie tonight, and got stuck going to Applebees, because by the time I got downtown (I got lost) it was a little late to go looking for something better. No matter. My waiter was the king of all waiters. Attractive, intelligent, charming, inclined to losing battles with Pepsi machines... The resturant was pretty sparsely populated, so he spent a fair amount of time, leaned up against my booth, talking to me. Eventually he even sat down. I was smitten.
So of course I did what I always do. I panicked, became incredibly awkward, tipped far too much, and left without giving him my number. Or getting his.
And now I'm weighing the merits of going back. On the one hand, I might actually luck out and have him as my waiter again (not that I can even remember his name accurately) and we can contuine to talk about how Pepsi machines can prove very deadly, and how he has a degree in environmental science (sigh) and how we both like to hike and blah blah blah. Or things could turn out as I'm sure they must. He'd get a little creeped out by the fact that I'm back, I'd feel trapped, and unable to flee, and would spend my whole meal staring at my food or pretending to read and then run away as fast as I could. On the other hand, it is Applebees. I don't really want to go back. At all....
What is a cowardly girl to do?
-Rachael
Friday, August 21, 2009
Land Ho!
So I'm in Utah.
Finally.
Anyway, today is the first day in a long time this has felt like an adventure. Flying over Utah today I couldn't help but get excited. The American West is an exhilarating place. What with the mountains, and flying over the Grand Canyon and all, I just wanted to jump out of the plane right then and there, I didn't care where I landed. That's the first time I've ever felt so excited to get off a plane. Between the huge mountains and the beautiful lakes and the hot sun and the two crazy European men sitting on either side of me, I was totally freaking out to get here.
Now that I'm here, I'm not quite sure what to think. Utah feels very different from home. The city kind of peters out in weird ways. One second you're in the middle of downtown, and the next you're in this kind of vacant looking wasteland with myriad buildings and broken down looking train tracks, and the next second you're in a pleasant suburb. The funny thing is that it doesn't feel like encroaching poverty, it really just sort of feels unfinished. Like someone forgot to keep going with the city.
Another odd thing is that there are construction sites EVERYWHERE downtown. I thought the recession was supposed to be affecting the southwest more so than anywhere else, but it seems that Utah is in the midst of building skyscrapers and fancy looking buildings downtown. The construction is active, too. There are men in hard hats working, and those enormous multi-story cranes moving around in ninety something degree heat.
I'm not sure what to think of the downtown area. It really feels unfinished somehow, unlived. Not like Pittsburgh, which feels past its prime and dead somehow.
I loved the temple, though. I went on a tour with two very cute little missionaries, a girl from Mexico and a girl from Taiwan. Sisters Rodriguez and Lee. They were earnest, sweet, dedicated to what they were saying, and a little overly enthusiastic about my project, which is funny, because I wouldn't say my project is striving for evangelism, or even striving to be particularly pro-Mormon.
I'm trying not to really worry about my project for these first few days, though. I'm really just cruising around in my rental car, taking tons of pictures and trying to find places to live, and to learn my way around. I think I'm going to try to abandon the car tomorrow, though. I want to learn the EXTENSIVE public transportation really well.
The hostel I'm staying in is very cute indeed, but I think the walls are paper thin, so I'm going to have to keep the old headphones on at all times. I'm not sure how best to utilize it. I think I'm going to have to be a good deal more friendly than I have been recently. Isn't it funny to hear me say that? I am like the friendlyness QUEEN.
I'll tell you more about it tomorrow. I think I really need some time to internalize it all. And make lists. I need to make some really bitchin' lists.
-Rachael
Finally.
Anyway, today is the first day in a long time this has felt like an adventure. Flying over Utah today I couldn't help but get excited. The American West is an exhilarating place. What with the mountains, and flying over the Grand Canyon and all, I just wanted to jump out of the plane right then and there, I didn't care where I landed. That's the first time I've ever felt so excited to get off a plane. Between the huge mountains and the beautiful lakes and the hot sun and the two crazy European men sitting on either side of me, I was totally freaking out to get here.
Now that I'm here, I'm not quite sure what to think. Utah feels very different from home. The city kind of peters out in weird ways. One second you're in the middle of downtown, and the next you're in this kind of vacant looking wasteland with myriad buildings and broken down looking train tracks, and the next second you're in a pleasant suburb. The funny thing is that it doesn't feel like encroaching poverty, it really just sort of feels unfinished. Like someone forgot to keep going with the city.
Another odd thing is that there are construction sites EVERYWHERE downtown. I thought the recession was supposed to be affecting the southwest more so than anywhere else, but it seems that Utah is in the midst of building skyscrapers and fancy looking buildings downtown. The construction is active, too. There are men in hard hats working, and those enormous multi-story cranes moving around in ninety something degree heat.
I'm not sure what to think of the downtown area. It really feels unfinished somehow, unlived. Not like Pittsburgh, which feels past its prime and dead somehow.
I loved the temple, though. I went on a tour with two very cute little missionaries, a girl from Mexico and a girl from Taiwan. Sisters Rodriguez and Lee. They were earnest, sweet, dedicated to what they were saying, and a little overly enthusiastic about my project, which is funny, because I wouldn't say my project is striving for evangelism, or even striving to be particularly pro-Mormon.
I'm trying not to really worry about my project for these first few days, though. I'm really just cruising around in my rental car, taking tons of pictures and trying to find places to live, and to learn my way around. I think I'm going to try to abandon the car tomorrow, though. I want to learn the EXTENSIVE public transportation really well.
The hostel I'm staying in is very cute indeed, but I think the walls are paper thin, so I'm going to have to keep the old headphones on at all times. I'm not sure how best to utilize it. I think I'm going to have to be a good deal more friendly than I have been recently. Isn't it funny to hear me say that? I am like the friendlyness QUEEN.
I'll tell you more about it tomorrow. I think I really need some time to internalize it all. And make lists. I need to make some really bitchin' lists.
-Rachael
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Drowning Myself in Hobbies
So I've started sewing again. I mean, technically I haven't actually started sewing, because sewing is a process that takes forever. I'm worried I can't produce a decent dress, because I'm not a very talented sewer. Whatever. It makes me feel productive, when in fact my life is utterly unproductive.
We planted some dill in the back yard today, which is wonderful. I love dill. The smell of it makes me happy, it really does. I find it uplifting.
I think I'm done for the day. It's a little pathetic. I'm just..... not particularly interested in writing just now. I miss Andy.
-Rachael
We planted some dill in the back yard today, which is wonderful. I love dill. The smell of it makes me happy, it really does. I find it uplifting.
I think I'm done for the day. It's a little pathetic. I'm just..... not particularly interested in writing just now. I miss Andy.
-Rachael
Thursday, July 2, 2009
My New Goals
So I'm still not in Utah. I'm beginning to fear this project will be an enormous bust. Rather than worry about it constantly, I'm trying to develop new hobbies, which will (hopefully) give me a sense of accomplishment and purpose, rather than dwelling on the fairly dismal state of my life as it is right now. And it is dismal, let me assure you.
I want to be a truly accomplished knitter, I want to be a badass rock climber, I want to lean to play-boat and become fearless when in a kayak on a river, and I want to join a roller derby team. Incidentally I also want to practice writing and actually produce some halfway decent fiction and get back on task with my violin.
Right off the bat, the biggest problem I have is that I have no money. At all, whatsoever. What I really need is to get out to Utah, so I can get a job, because if I get one here, I'll never leave and then I'll really hate myself and no amount of hauling myself up a rock wall or knitting adorable stuffed octopi will be able to help. Although the sea creatures will help a little.
Maybe what I really need is a sugar daddy....
Any takers?
-Rachael
I want to be a truly accomplished knitter, I want to be a badass rock climber, I want to lean to play-boat and become fearless when in a kayak on a river, and I want to join a roller derby team. Incidentally I also want to practice writing and actually produce some halfway decent fiction and get back on task with my violin.
Right off the bat, the biggest problem I have is that I have no money. At all, whatsoever. What I really need is to get out to Utah, so I can get a job, because if I get one here, I'll never leave and then I'll really hate myself and no amount of hauling myself up a rock wall or knitting adorable stuffed octopi will be able to help. Although the sea creatures will help a little.
Maybe what I really need is a sugar daddy....
Any takers?
-Rachael
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Idle Hands and Active Stomachs
So I've just gotten over the stomach flu. Five or so days of complaining, sickly, petulant stomach. Nothing better.
Usually, I try to schedule my day as far away from the house as I can; I don't get anything done when I just laze about the house, so I try to get out and about. Since yesterday it's been snowing, so I haven't even showered today, let alone left the house. As I sit here, eating a really delectable combination of foods which have actually taken my stomach back several days to my delightful mid-flu state of airline-inspired quease, I've been trying to think of the best way of proceeding. I've been looking for an internship in Utah, but that's coming up somewhat short. I'll apply for the couple of ideas I've found, but I don't think I'll get them, and I think the Lord is telling me to abandon this internship quest. I need to just find a job or something, and get out there ASAP, because this is getting old.
In the meantime, I'm spending time at the library, knitting (I really do need to order more wool) and growing progressively more lustful over any and all fabric I find online, as I cruise craft sites. I'm like a sexual predator or something, only instead of children, I sit around in my hovel drooling over printed cotton.
Sloth, lust, gluttony all in the one post! What is a girl to do?
Tomorrow, I think I'll play my violin and work out rather more than I normally do. That'll be nice.
-Rachael
ps-I totally OWN for using the word "Petulant." I OWN.
Usually, I try to schedule my day as far away from the house as I can; I don't get anything done when I just laze about the house, so I try to get out and about. Since yesterday it's been snowing, so I haven't even showered today, let alone left the house. As I sit here, eating a really delectable combination of foods which have actually taken my stomach back several days to my delightful mid-flu state of airline-inspired quease, I've been trying to think of the best way of proceeding. I've been looking for an internship in Utah, but that's coming up somewhat short. I'll apply for the couple of ideas I've found, but I don't think I'll get them, and I think the Lord is telling me to abandon this internship quest. I need to just find a job or something, and get out there ASAP, because this is getting old.
In the meantime, I'm spending time at the library, knitting (I really do need to order more wool) and growing progressively more lustful over any and all fabric I find online, as I cruise craft sites. I'm like a sexual predator or something, only instead of children, I sit around in my hovel drooling over printed cotton.
Sloth, lust, gluttony all in the one post! What is a girl to do?
Tomorrow, I think I'll play my violin and work out rather more than I normally do. That'll be nice.
-Rachael
ps-I totally OWN for using the word "Petulant." I OWN.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Getting Back On The Horse
The funny thing about sayings is that no matter how trite and overused they can be, they can still prove very true. Today, I'm trying for the 400th time to get back on the proverbial horse. Now, I don't particularly like horses. I don't like riding them, I don't like interacting with them, I don't even particularly like looking at them. They are beautiful, I freely admit that, but if I had a choice between watching a horse and, say, a pack of healthy predator animals in the middle of a hunt, big cats, wolves, sharks, whatever, I'm going to pick the predator animals. Actually, most any animals. I don't really like horses.
I think that's what I'm feeling about today, too. I've gotten into a slump, yet again, and am trying to get back into the habit of getting legitimate work done, a task which grows considerably more and more difficult as time goes on. Even checking my email is difficult now. I've spent so long avoiding doing it, that I don't even want to look at it, let alone the myriad errands and other such work I actually need to do to get back in the game.
Sometimes I worry that I'm not a truly functional person. I worry that the moment I get off track, I slip far more than any normal person. Maybe that's an exaggeration, but that's kind of how I feel right now. On the upside, I know what I need to do to keep myself focused. I just need to be more dedicated. Starting now. Now. 123now.
Or tomorrow...
-Rachael
I think that's what I'm feeling about today, too. I've gotten into a slump, yet again, and am trying to get back into the habit of getting legitimate work done, a task which grows considerably more and more difficult as time goes on. Even checking my email is difficult now. I've spent so long avoiding doing it, that I don't even want to look at it, let alone the myriad errands and other such work I actually need to do to get back in the game.
Sometimes I worry that I'm not a truly functional person. I worry that the moment I get off track, I slip far more than any normal person. Maybe that's an exaggeration, but that's kind of how I feel right now. On the upside, I know what I need to do to keep myself focused. I just need to be more dedicated. Starting now. Now. 123now.
Or tomorrow...
-Rachael
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