(no subject)
More than you probably want to read, but I've been waiting a longass time for a year as eventful for me as 2007.
1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
Had a job as a member of a worker-owned collective, spend 3-4 months of the year out of town, visited a LOT of new places and met rad new people, lived in a house where shows/parties happen, wrote a sex story, and am well on my way to having a full zine.
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
see question #6
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully, no.
5. What countries did you visit?
Canada
6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
To live in the Bay Area, to travel even more, possibly to Europe (sadly I think it's an either/or thing with the rent there), do another band with the songs I've had in my head for the last two years, find people who want to do the same things as I do, have close/best friends, make more mixtapes for people with creative layouts, actually finish a zine, write for other peoples'.
7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I don't have exact dates, but a lot happened this year. Here's what stands out:
-Formaldehyde Junkies/Retainers/Deep Sleep/Nervous Habits show in DC, ill attendance, my friend and now roommate Jessie was wasted out of her gourd and we kept trying to knock over the singer of the Retainers.
-Visiting Mike in St. Thomas, ON and then Toronto a couple of weeks later, hanging out with Christina and walking around the city, which is one of the coolest I've ever visited.
-Weekend trip to Cleveland for Horrible Fest.
-Going up to Smash Your Face fest with Sick Fix.
-The first show I did at my house with Dead Radical/A Warm Gun/Kamikaze Noise/Surroundings that was mayhem.
-Hanging out with Marisa in Reno, swimming in the clearest water I've ever seen in the California mountains, jumping off cliffs into the river.
-Everything that happened the entire fucking week I was in the Bay Area, entirely too much to write here.
-VANCOUVER!!! So much rad/funny/absurd shit happened in the three days I was there, but the icing on the cake was ending up at a karaoke bar with Green Jelly's "Three Little Pigs" as a selection, and doing a duet of this with my friend Jeff.
-Crazy three day ride from Seattle to Grand Haven, MI with naive law student. Had little in common, but bonded over Dinosaur Jr and George Carlin. Yellowstone was amazing, but I could've done without the guy's detour to Mt. Rushmore.
-Hanging out in Grand Haven and Grand Rapids, going swimming
-No Way Fest afterparty (the fest itself was kind of a letdown) at the Incubate Warehouse in Richmond, with a killer set by Life Crisis, another fireworks-filled set by the Inmates, and this place is seriously like something out of "Over The Edge."
-Going down to Florida with ANS.
-After a year and a half of waiting, seeing Annihilation Time again, this time in Pittsburgh. They played in a forest the next night, which I sadly missed.
-going BACK to Grand Rapids for Michigan Meltdown fest, "roadieing" for La Piovra for their Wisconsin show, which was a blast, seeing a girl who I think is Madeline who did Tight Pants zine, but not finding out for sure. Bonding with Claire on the overnight drive back to GR.
-Getting the "soundtrack" to her zine and listening to three songs over and over on my overnight Greyhound trip back to DC, which I later learned were from Mr. AIrplane Man and Nena (who did the original "99 Red Balloons")
-The Regulations shows in Baltimore, Philly, and NYC. Baltimore was the best, go figure.
-Hanging out with Kathie and Louvic from CA when they were in DC for a couple weeks.
-BEST FRIENDS DAY!! Feeling like a drunk ten year old the whole weekend. Swimming, Dropdead in an insanely small room, more swimming, the outdoor show the third day, drunkass festgoers trying to dunk me in the dunk tank.
-My first birthday party in seven years.
-"Black Metal Mass" party at an abandoned warehouse near the West Hyattsville Metro on a rainy October night.
-Meeting Turboslut in Allentown and riding with them for a couple of days.
-Hasn't happened yet, but I am positive that This Is For You fest, "roadieing" for We Need To Talk, and whatever happens on New Year's Eve will be memorable.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting hired at the co-op, spending the first third of the year in different cities almost every weekend, spending two months of the summer traveling, doing a lot more writing, and becoming more OK with and in some ways finding some good in my nature as a loner.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not taking advantage of more opportunities in DC (getting back into doing street outreach, doing a band, doing fill-ins on WMUC, doing more at the co-op etc.) and giving myself reasons to stay here, getting depressed and lethargic when I wasn't traveling or working.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
A few mildly immobilizing injuries, nothing else unless you count my memory and coordination both getting worse. NO FUCKING SEIZURES for 2.5 years and counting!!
11. What was the best thing you bought/Received?
Records and bus tickets.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Traveling and records, only $90 a month went to rent.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Shows, traveling, musical discoveries, and kissing a few people for the first time since 2004.
16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2007?
In roughly chronological order:
Blank Stare: White Corpse
Stuckas Over Bedrock: Life Like Yogi
Yokohama Hooks: James Yer Out
Thee Electric Witch: Ramona Can't Swim
The Avengers: Desperation
The She He He's: Sarah Jane
Ch3's 12" EP and "Fear Of Life" LP
Green Jelly: Three Little Pigs
Joan Jett: What Can I Do For You?
Mr. Airplane Man: "Don't Know Why" and "Sun's Going Down"
Nena: Just A Dream
Ash Tradition "Schafer Time" and "Party Animal"
Mika Miko 'Forensic Scientist" 7"
The Outsiders (Germany): One To Infinity
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? at the moment, rising from a depression, but this year was insanely better than last
b) thinner or fatter? I got a bit of a gut from working at the co-op that will probably diminish after a few lean months in SF.
c) richer or poorer? less money, but the same potential to earn it.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
still more traveling, more writing, more taking the initiative to hang out with people
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
work, sleep, not following through on ideas and projects
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Going through the motions at some family function.
21. Did you fall in love in 2007?
No, though I had a few go-nowhere crushes.
22. How many one-night stands?
One, my first ever.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
I don't think I understand the question.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Hate no, have less respect for yes
25. What was the best book you read?
"Truck" by Katherine Dunn.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Channel 3, Jump Off A Building, Double Negative, Mr Airplane Man, Thee Electric Witch, The Outsiders (German AND Dutch), Tyrades, Huggy Bear, Mika Miko, etc.
27. What did you want and get?
To travel, work at a co-op, have dirt cheap rent, live in a house where shows happen, and kiss people.
28. What did you want and not get?
Close/best friends, more fun and adventures IN DC
29. What were your favorite films of this year?
I don't think I watched a single movie in a theater this year.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Turned 25, had my first birthday party since age eighteen. A rad house party with a Choking Victim/Leftover Crack cover band that was a lot more fun than it might sound (and more fun than the real thing when I saw them in NYC).
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
See #28
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
Same thing with a lot more yellow for some reason.
33. What kept you sane?
Traveling and musical discoveries.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Can't say I fancy any of them
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Aside from the obvious, the fact that Americans are not going to completely embrace green energy unless it means absolutely no interruptions in their lifestyles, and King County (where Seattle is located) voters voting down a transportation budget plan that would put forth a plan for region-wide light rail that it desperately needs.
36. Who did you miss?
I missed a lot of people throughout the year.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Not too keen on listing favorites or dropping names, but I met some rad people this year (or late last year): Michelle Zenarosa, Joel, Adrienne, Scott, Val, Jimmy Cooney, Christina, Beck, Whitney, Jess Hall, Danielle in SF, Heather, AuraLee, Karen, Claire, Kathie, Louvic, John, Jen, others I'm sure I'm forgetting. This is by no means a comprehensive list.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007:
Existentialism.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"Better to die than to live a fucking lie...better to die!"