Got a huge order for shirts from Evan. 25 this time. So I've started cutting. I ordered the blanks on Saturday, and they were delivered this morning. Fucking hell! That's service.
And the coaching semina-thingie that was meant to defien our jobs went ok. I'm still not entirely sure how to do what I'm supposed to be doing, but I've got a better idea of what "what I'm supposed to be doing" is.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
Lost Highway of Dooooom
After getting a $20 iTunes voucher from Maxine Kauter for taking pictures at her gig (which was really nice of her), I made a bunch of iTunes purchases. About 90% were from the pages of two issues of Mojo and one issue of Q that I've bought over the past month or so. Most of the ones from the magazines I'd never heard before, so I was downloading blind. I just got the ones whose descriptions sounded like something I'd enjoy.
And I learned something.
I'm a moody atmospheric bugger.
I learned this because I listened to the list on the way to work today. Here's the playlist, for those of you who care:
And I learned something.
I'm a moody atmospheric bugger.
I learned this because I listened to the list on the way to work today. Here's the playlist, for those of you who care:
- Gloria - Patti Smith
- Tangled Up In Blue - Bob Dylan (in honour of Maxine, who covered this beautifully at her show)
- Fiery Crash - Andrew Bird
- Chills & Fever - Jack O and the Tennessee Tearjerkers
- Dirty Nails - Jack O and the Tennessee Tearjerkers
- Herculean - The Good, The Bad, and The Queen
- Smells Like Teen Spirit - Patti Smith (which is actually really cool)
- Weapon of Choice - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
- Ghosts of You And Me - Soulsavers
- Knocked Up - Kings of Leon
- No Pussy Blues - Grinderman
- Get It On - Grinderman
God, played all together like that, it sounds like the soundtrack to a David Lynch movie.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Book Leave
Blast! I'm ten pages from the end of the latest Harry Potter book. I bought it Saturday. stupid work. There should TOTALLY be book leave.
I did a similar thing when we went to Melbourne. I had 30 pages left of the second John Birmingham WW2.2 book. I stayed up until 1 am reading the night before we left before giving up. And on the way back, I bought the third book and was seventy pages in before I finished the second.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Back now.
Didn't blog everyday due to coin-op computers and a pile of high-school people at the hotel.
Went around Melbourne. Bought things (Star Trek and Simpsons DVDs, but NOT I may add cool wingtip shoes). Ate good food (and bad buffet food. We don't learn). Saw Tanja's sister. Saved Tanja's sister's boyfriend from Death By Tanja (he made light of her glass-ceiling-women-get-less-money-for-same-work coversation and nearly lost his left testicle. It was a thing). Took off with my camera for an afternoon and had a disastrous public transport experience (equivalent of trying to go from the city to Newtown and ending up in Emu Plains). Saw new Harry Potter film (meh). Slept in leaking waterbed at Tanja's sister's place. Watched my facial hair and fingernails grow as I had neglected razor and clippers. Flew home. Bought a book on the way back, which was odd.
Back to work on Wednesday. Well. I say work. Coaching role. So kind of work.
Went around Melbourne. Bought things (Star Trek and Simpsons DVDs, but NOT I may add cool wingtip shoes). Ate good food (and bad buffet food. We don't learn). Saw Tanja's sister. Saved Tanja's sister's boyfriend from Death By Tanja (he made light of her glass-ceiling-women-get-less-money-for-same-work coversation and nearly lost his left testicle. It was a thing). Took off with my camera for an afternoon and had a disastrous public transport experience (equivalent of trying to go from the city to Newtown and ending up in Emu Plains). Saw new Harry Potter film (meh). Slept in leaking waterbed at Tanja's sister's place. Watched my facial hair and fingernails grow as I had neglected razor and clippers. Flew home. Bought a book on the way back, which was odd.
Back to work on Wednesday. Well. I say work. Coaching role. So kind of work.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Melbourne, Day 2
Last night went to Melbourne's Italian street for some foodage. After the guy in the bottle shop recommending wine and a band called At The Drive-In (Ted, you'd like them), we went looking. Apparently competition is so great that the maitre d's of the restaurants have to stand outside trying to entice you in if you're walking past. God forbid you look at the menu. They start speaking Italian, offering to make you a special deal, it's wretched. I tried to explain to Tanja that if she lets me head butt just ONE, then it'll go through the grapevine and all the others will leave me the hell alone. “Oh, no. You don't want to mess with that guy.” Anywho, we had a fantastic meal. Tanja had linguine vongole (little clams) and I had rigatoni matriciana (bacon, spring onions, garlic and chili). Then after watching Die Another Day (even in another city, we can't stop watching James Bond), an unfitful night of sleep (the pillows are too flat), day two began.
With a breakfast buffet. Eggs under a hot light bulb, sawdust sausages and ersatz coffee.
Ew.
So we commiserated at Max Brenner chocolate cafe. We wandered up Flinders and Brunswick streets today. I was denied Rockabilly clothing (apparently I have too many clothes), we rode a tram, and then had a giant pizza. Each. I picked up the White Stripes Live Under Blackpool Lights DVD and Johnny Cash's American IV. Neato.
However, my poor Tanja seems to have caught something on the plane and isn't feeling well. So we're retiring early. I told her Jaegermeister would knock that out of her system, but no go. On to day 3!
With a breakfast buffet. Eggs under a hot light bulb, sawdust sausages and ersatz coffee.
Ew.
So we commiserated at Max Brenner chocolate cafe. We wandered up Flinders and Brunswick streets today. I was denied Rockabilly clothing (apparently I have too many clothes), we rode a tram, and then had a giant pizza. Each. I picked up the White Stripes Live Under Blackpool Lights DVD and Johnny Cash's American IV. Neato.
However, my poor Tanja seems to have caught something on the plane and isn't feeling well. So we're retiring early. I told her Jaegermeister would knock that out of her system, but no go. On to day 3!
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Melbourne, Day 1
In Melbourne now. I've learned a few things. There are bars EVERYWHERE. Delis have bars. Cafes have bars. Even BARS have bars. Even, saints be praised, MYER has a bar in the basement. Oh, and everything interesting you want to see is ALWAYS on the other side of the street. And you never get back around to it.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Live Earth
Went to Live Earth on Saturday with David. I shall sum up in my usual bullet-point style.
:: Tons of people. Official records say 45000. Yet, oddly enough, didn't seem crowded. You could move freely on the floor or (as we did later) up in the seats.
:: Free water! Nice to see a festival taking responsibility.
:: Sneaky Sound System were good, but would have been better for a night groove as opposed to the sunny afternoon spot they got. The reverse for Jack Johnson, who got second-to-last spot.
:: Chai Tent! David got what he referred to as the best authentic Chai he'd had in a while, and I ate dahl (which is the only lentils I'll eat) and it was chilled out 60s and 70s soul and reggae. Solid.
:: Very positive vibe throughout the whole event. Only saw one punch-up with security and that was dealt with quickly. No beer-fuelled mayhem.
:: Big downer: They wouldn't let you leave. No stamped hands or anything. The theory was that because the tickets were barcoded, we could pass them out through the fence and others could get in. Of course that meant you had to pay for slightly over-priced food and WAY-overpriced beer. I bought the former sparingly and the latter not at all. The larger downside came when the temperature dropped and we couldn't go to Dave's down the street and get a sweater or a jacket. Happily, I had gloves and a beanie in my bag which Dave borrowed (making him, with his full beard, look like a homeless guy) and I zipped up to the chin. Brrr.
:: We missed Blue King Brown and Toni Collette and the Finish. Oh well.
:: Eskimo Joe are WAY overwrought. FULL - OF - EMOOOOOOOTION!
:: Wolfmother were terrible. Not only could they not hold up the energy of their albums, not only was their singer clearly pissed, but the sound was atrocious, just for them. Zero high end. No treble. That meant no lead guitar, just the bottom end of the rhythm guitar, no cymbals in the drum kit, and the singer trying a LOT harder to carry the show. Despite his changing guitars four times for five songs. And whenever he'd walk away from the lead mic to (apparantly) shred out a solo, they'd turn his vocal mic down. Then when he'd run back to it to say "Hello, Sydney!" or sing some more, it didn't work. Dreadful. They got a huge ovation walking onstage but the audience enthusiasm waned in about 30 seconds.
:: John Butler Trio were incredible. Talent up the wazoo.
:: Missi Higgins was surprisingly good. She really can sing, and she was going off onstage and having fun.
:: Jack Johnson nearly put me to sleep. See early about sundrenched afternoons and NOT chilly evenings.
:: Crowded House very very good as well, and it was quite cool to have 45000 people singing along to EVERY song (except the one off their new album). Plus they did that thing where they get all the other artists back onstage to sing Better Be Home Soon with them. And John Butler brought his baby onstage. Daaawwwww.
:: Very well planned public transport. After the gig was over, I was back at Central 20 minutes later.
So yes. Good experience. Glad I got to go (still wouldn't have paid $99 or more for a ticket, but still). Also, my first festival! So woo hoo.
:: Tons of people. Official records say 45000. Yet, oddly enough, didn't seem crowded. You could move freely on the floor or (as we did later) up in the seats.
:: Free water! Nice to see a festival taking responsibility.
:: Sneaky Sound System were good, but would have been better for a night groove as opposed to the sunny afternoon spot they got. The reverse for Jack Johnson, who got second-to-last spot.
:: Chai Tent! David got what he referred to as the best authentic Chai he'd had in a while, and I ate dahl (which is the only lentils I'll eat) and it was chilled out 60s and 70s soul and reggae. Solid.
:: Very positive vibe throughout the whole event. Only saw one punch-up with security and that was dealt with quickly. No beer-fuelled mayhem.
:: Big downer: They wouldn't let you leave. No stamped hands or anything. The theory was that because the tickets were barcoded, we could pass them out through the fence and others could get in. Of course that meant you had to pay for slightly over-priced food and WAY-overpriced beer. I bought the former sparingly and the latter not at all. The larger downside came when the temperature dropped and we couldn't go to Dave's down the street and get a sweater or a jacket. Happily, I had gloves and a beanie in my bag which Dave borrowed (making him, with his full beard, look like a homeless guy) and I zipped up to the chin. Brrr.
:: We missed Blue King Brown and Toni Collette and the Finish. Oh well.
:: Eskimo Joe are WAY overwrought. FULL - OF - EMOOOOOOOTION!
:: Wolfmother were terrible. Not only could they not hold up the energy of their albums, not only was their singer clearly pissed, but the sound was atrocious, just for them. Zero high end. No treble. That meant no lead guitar, just the bottom end of the rhythm guitar, no cymbals in the drum kit, and the singer trying a LOT harder to carry the show. Despite his changing guitars four times for five songs. And whenever he'd walk away from the lead mic to (apparantly) shred out a solo, they'd turn his vocal mic down. Then when he'd run back to it to say "Hello, Sydney!" or sing some more, it didn't work. Dreadful. They got a huge ovation walking onstage but the audience enthusiasm waned in about 30 seconds.
:: John Butler Trio were incredible. Talent up the wazoo.
:: Missi Higgins was surprisingly good. She really can sing, and she was going off onstage and having fun.
:: Jack Johnson nearly put me to sleep. See early about sundrenched afternoons and NOT chilly evenings.
:: Crowded House very very good as well, and it was quite cool to have 45000 people singing along to EVERY song (except the one off their new album). Plus they did that thing where they get all the other artists back onstage to sing Better Be Home Soon with them. And John Butler brought his baby onstage. Daaawwwww.
:: Very well planned public transport. After the gig was over, I was back at Central 20 minutes later.
So yes. Good experience. Glad I got to go (still wouldn't have paid $99 or more for a ticket, but still). Also, my first festival! So woo hoo.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Fronglais.
I came to the realisation yesterday that my French is never going to be decently fluent again. One of the trainees i had yesterday was as fluent speaker and he had me on the ropes trying to keep up. It's actually not the phrasing or the sentence structure. It's the blasted vocabulary. I found myself struggling for the French word for "meaning" (Ha! Searching for meaning). It was very embarrassing. I'm still able to fully understand what he says, I just can't speak back more than half a sentence.
Oh, and on a plus note, these trainees actually had half a brain. Most of the night guys tend to (possibly due to the fact they have other jobs) so teaching them was way easier than my ratbag day people. Unfortunately, I only get them one day out of the month they're in training. They said they were going to bug TTT and get me put on more shifts. Because they learns from me :).
Oh, and I broke my own record yesterday. I bought a shirt at 12:07, cut a stencil, painted it, sealed it, and it was ready when I left at 1:30. Bam.
Oh, and on a plus note, these trainees actually had half a brain. Most of the night guys tend to (possibly due to the fact they have other jobs) so teaching them was way easier than my ratbag day people. Unfortunately, I only get them one day out of the month they're in training. They said they were going to bug TTT and get me put on more shifts. Because they learns from me :).
Oh, and I broke my own record yesterday. I bought a shirt at 12:07, cut a stencil, painted it, sealed it, and it was ready when I left at 1:30. Bam.
Monday, July 02, 2007
Woo hoo!
It seems that after a call from David (whose show at the Sando I'll be photographing Thursday) I now have a free ticket to LiveEarth! Holy crap!
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