Feeling :  accomplished  Listening :  All My Love - Led Zeppelin  Reading :  Rosie Little\\\\\\\'s Cautionary Tales for Girls

I had to drop one of my classes the other day. I just did not understand what it was all about: Origins and Development of the English Language. I was gonna take it for an English elective since I need quite a few, but just looking at the text and everything got me so confused. So I am behind a class, which sets me back, but not by much. If I plan to graduate next spring, I can cram in another English course during summer, in addition to the French class I need. I think dropping the class will also affect my insurance eligibility so I have to factor that in within the next few months for a situation that I cannot elaborate on in this blog.

However, I finally have a name for the illness I’ve been suffering from. “Prolonged upper respiratory infection.” Hoo. Load off my mind, yo. I thought it was gonna be something like super serious, like, “OMG GILL, UR GUNNA DIE,” but it’s not. I am on antibiotics, and I have to take cough syrup before I go to bed. So die bug, die! rofl.

I got my signed Gym Class Heroes poster in the mail today. I had to rearrange my fangirl wall to make it fit. So now on my fangirl wall (right above my bed, rofl) I’ve got: GCH, The Killers, The Academy Is…, Paramore, Metropolis, Sugababes, The Little Mermaid. I suppose I should count my closet as well, since that’s got Panic, M.I.A., Justin Timberlake, TAI, Cobra Starship, and Patrick Wolf on it. The wall opposite has my Asian art, my calendar, my family collage, my bulletin board. Although I should probably change my “Have You Seen This Wizard” poster to some obscure art thing so it fits with the other things on the wall. But it’s quite nice to have that little fangirl extra up there.

Corinne posted her review of our Richard Cheese concert, so I’m gonna gank it off her again. Italics iz mee. I edited it as well because, a lot of the edits were her personal reaction. But she pretty much nailed how I felt so that’s why I took it.

Gill and I went to see Richard Cheese and his band, Lounge Against the Machine, at The Joint at the Hard Rock on Saturday night. Needless to say, we had a fun time, it was an AWESOME show and we partied our asses off.

We got to the venue a little bit after 9. We got lost on the way over to the Hard Rock. (I was driving and I’m a bit of a dolt about getting lost, because I’m the kind of person who just keeps driving. I knew where the venue was, sorta. I’d only been to the Hard Rock one other time in my life.) I was worried that they may have started the show already, but Gill assured me that Richard was drunk and he wasn’t going to start on time. She said, “If not, we’ll send up a tray.” Next time there’s a gig, we are DEFINITELY buying that fine ass man a drink.

We ordered a couple of martinis at the bar, which cost Gill a whopping $18 not including tip! What a ripoff! First Ticketmaster raped me of $68 for two tickets in the back near the bar, standing room only, and now my poor BFF got raped by the Hard Rock schmucks. No matter. We were there to see Mr. Cheese and it was worth it in the long run. (Btw, the olives they put in their martinis were terrible!) (I’ve had some martinis in my life, but the ones we had that night were awful. And Ketel One normally tastes pretty good. Boo.)

Then the show started. The band started playing and after about 5-10 minutes, Richard came onstage. He came out with a huge ass martini glass and told the audience he was pretty drunk. Gill and I laughed about this because she was right. This particular gig was being filmed for his concert movie. Here are the songs that I can remember him performing despite being in my drunken stupor:

“Rio”

“Brass Monkey”

“Down With the Sickness”

“WKRP in Cincinnati”

“On the Wings of Love”

“Baby Got Back”

“Closer”

“Aqua Teen Hunger Force Theme”

“Three’s Company Theme”

“People Equals Shit”

“Another Brick in the Wall” (although one of the stagehands sang it karaoke style instead of Richard)

“Shake Ya Ass”

“Toxic”

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

“Don’t Cha”

“Me So Horny”

“Smack My Bitch Up”

It was a very interactive show. I wish we were up closer because he threw some cool swag at the crowd like t-shirts, CDs, magnets, and he went into the crowd and joked around with some of the members of the audience. At one point he started to walk toward the back and Gill pushed me toward his direction. “GO! GO OVER THERE!”, she yelled at me. In my drunkenness, I got nervous and chickened out. But I had a chance to redeem myself later on.

He asked if there were any ladies in the audience whose birthday was in January to come on up. This time Gill was able to sober me up enough so I could run up there. I lied, though, my birthday is actually in August, not January, but it’s not like he was going to do an ID check! LOL. So we all got to grab a letter. Each of us lined up in order so our letters spelled out “Richard Cheese”. It was so funny. He called out, “Hey, we got some pussy on the stage!” It was one of the best moments in my life and it will be immortalized forever on the DVD, so if you happen to see it, if you see a girl in a red coat and black dress holding the letter “H”, and trying to dance in my most seductive yet endearingly dorky way, that’s me!!!

The only thing that really bothered me about the show was because it was being filmed for a concert movie, it was not continuous. Richard and the band had to stop several times so that their stage manager could give them their directions. Plus, people were coming and going in and out of the venue which annoyed me. At one point it seemed like half the audience was gone. They played “Rio” twice, but I didn’t mind because I love Duran Duran. “Rio” was probably the best song they did that night, IMO. Gill was disappointed that they didn’t play “Somebody Told Me” by The Killers because that’s her favorite band of all time. At one point they asked for us to submit song requests. She handed me a piece of paper and I wrote down “Nasty Girl” by Vanity 6. That would have been the perfect song for him to cover!

After the gig Richard came out to sign autographs. He is a SUPER NICE guy and so sweet. He said, “Come over here, sugar.” It was so nice of him to come out and do that for all of us because after all, we are Cheese fans! I got my picture taken with him and had my “H” signed. I kissed him and left some of my lipstick on his cheek. It felt really good to hug him. You know what it felt like, authentic and genuine. I didn’t feel like he hugged me because he had to, it’s because he wanted to. I didn’t want to let go of him, but I knew I had to. Then he told me, “I want you to send your picture to me, okay?” and I said, “I will.”

Then Gill posed with Richard for her picture and I took it with her iPhone. She had him sign her ticket stub since she had nothing else for him to sign. He traded Sharpies with her, I think, because his Sharpie wasn’t working right. She gave me the Sharpie to keep because he touched it. I know, it’s over the top, but when you meet your favorite male singer, you feel like that. He also told her she should change her name to “Slim” because Gill’s full name is … and she had to spell it out for him. Hey, Slim sounds pretty good, it fits her personality. I would have bought some of his merchandise had some douchebag not stolen my purse last Wednesday night, but you all know about that drama. We also scored free copies of his Tuxicity CD. (In the picture we took together, I think I look fat (is my default on MySpace), but he’s quite photogenic. Dick was a sweetheart and really accessible. Too bad he won’t be performing or touring anymore.)

Afterwards Gill and I chowed down on some really good grub at Blueberry Hill, which is kind of like IHOP. She came up with a great idea to have Dick play at my 28th birthday party in August. But he is frickin’ EXPENSIVE as hell. It’s $5,000-$10,000 for him and the band to play a private party. If I had the money, I would DEFINITELY hire him. Damn it, I wish I was rich! Even if I can’t come up with that much money between now and August, which I probably won’t, I will still throw a birthday party and play Cheese songs. He’ll be with us in spirit, at least!

Gill and I have an inside bet for the next time we go to one of his shows. Hopefully I’ll be brave and ballsy enough to do what it is she bet me $50 to do. I won’t reveal what it is, but I think I will go through with it. Don’t quote me, though! But it will be funny and hilarious as hell. (OH GOD, if she goes through with it, I swear to GOD…)

Corinne and I have been spending a lot of time together. It’s nice to do things without my family. Most of the other friends I’ve made here in Vegas are on the North side, and it’s always me that has to go up there (I live in the Southwest). Not one of them has made an effort past Erin and Jason on my 23rd birthday to spend time with me. They’re all kinda lazy too. My idea of a good time is a gig, or movie after work and dinner after to shoot the shit. Nothing terribly taxing or expensive. They get all, “I dunno…” on me. It’s like, “Look, I don’t see you guys that often. Can’t you make the effort?” The only friends I’ve got on this side of town that I want to spend time with is Corinne and M.

M and I saw Mystere, and that was fun. But I was hungry and tired so I didn’t stay out longer than the show.

And honestly, I think Corinne just puts up with me. I can’t believe how bitchy I sound sometimes, rofl. But we make it work. We’re incredibly different in terms of how we see the world. Her other friend N’s idea of being a friend is texting her at 3 o’clock in the morning about weird shit. I make an effort to spend time with Corinne, even if it’s just dinner and a movie.

I dunno. I guess from an outsider’s POV, I lead a very lonely life, and I suppose I do. But I’m not gonna cry about it and slit my wrists in the corner, y’know? I’ve got better things to do. If I let my loneliness eat me alive, I couldn’t survive. And I need to survive.

?: “How do you and your friends spend your time together?“

Feeling :  accomplished  Listening :  Not Falling Apart - Maroon 5  Reading :  Something Wicked This Way Comes, Bad Childhood - Good Life, Ranma 1/2 #17

Three things in this entry: my Christmas list this year, rules to kick ass by, and a friending meme.

All I Want for Christmas Is This…

1. Anything listed on my Amazon Books & DVDs wish lists. Mind you, those are 2 separate lists. I’d really try for anything on the Books list first though, I can live without the DVDs for a little bit longer. I’ve gotten back into reading and collecting books, and have filled up my current bookcase to the brim!
2. Anything with Hello Kitty on it. Not any of the other Sanrio characters because then my whole collection will be thrown off. But siriusly, ANYTHING. If you don’t know how much I adore Hello Kitty, you can fuck right off right now.
3. Blank journals, any style, shape, size, colour
4. Christmas cards! If you want my home address, leave me a comment, and I will send you my address. That is, as long as I know who you are. If you got one from me last year, you’ll get another one this year. I think instead of sending the standard Xmas cards you buy, I’m going to make mine this year.
5. Donation to the “I Love Gill So Much I Wanna Send Her to College Scholarship Fund” (default donation is $1.00, but feel free to send what you can, rofl)
6. Hoodies, size medium or large, depending on who makes them. I prefer the zip-up hoodies as seen in my faux scene default pic on MySpace, rofl.
7. iTunes / Target gift cards
8. Paid LJ time, or a permanent account (!). My username is stumble.

Self-Defense… and then some!

Everyone should learn how to defend themselves, no matter how safe you feel. I saw this on a LJ community I’m in (I forget which one now), and it’s pretty relevant.

1. Strike with the heel of the hand right under the nose, moving arm straight up. If done right, it will break the nose.

2. Strike bridge of nose with heel of the hand, moving arm straight out, pushing forward. This will also break the nose.

3. Grab flesh of ear and pull down toward the ground as hard as you can.

4. Grab any finger and bend backward until it breaks/dislocates, moving attacker’s body off balance toward the ground.

5. Use your elbows as weapons to the face.

6. In general, if you want to strike with maximum impact, aim for eyes, throat and kneecaps.

Music/TV Multi-Fandom Friending Meme

I’m pretty sure everyone knows how these work. Just fill out the questions, and if you see someone you think you would click with, don’t be afraid to ask to be friended.

Name: Gill
Age: 24

TV
Fandoms: Don’t watch a lot of TV anymore. Watch pretty much anything on the History Channel/History Channel International, and Futurama religiously though.
Favorite Character [s]:
Favorite Pairings [ships]:
Favorite new show:

Music
What/Who You’re Listening to Now: Muse, Mutya Buena, Patrick Wolf
Favorite genre of music (you can list more than one): rock, indie, UK pop, R&B
Favorite band(s)/singer(s): I listen to everything, but I generally try and have songs by these artists as staples on my playlist: The Killers, Siobhan Donaghy, The Academy Is…, M.I.A., All Saints, The Beach Boys, Sugababes, Dizzee Rascal, UB40, The Smiths, Justin Timberlake, Gym Class Heroes, Panic! at the Disco, Cobra Starship, Duran Duran.

Other
Favorite Book[s]?: I read everything. I like “Perks of Being a Wallflower,” “Fahrenheit 451,” “Angels & Demons,” and the Harry Potter series of course.
Journal Type [F/O or Public]: Friends-only, but that’s only for neatness purposes. Every LJ entry is a crosspost from my regular blog.
Anything Else?: I hope I meet some cool people.

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD.

That’s the best way to make these successful.

?: “Have you made your Christmas list yet?“

Feeling :  contemplative  Listening :  If It Isn\\\'t Love - New Edition  Reading :  Something Wicked This Way Comes - Ray Bradbury

I’m now going through TAI withdrawal. I just had entirely too much fun that night, and I can’t get over it, haha.

Speaking of The Academy Is…, plz vote for them at the mtvU Woodie Awards for Best Performing Woodie & Best Viral Woodie. It’s free, and you can vote multiple times. Like I told everyone on MySpazz, even if you vote for someone else, please vote for my band just once.

I resisted posting about this at first, because it was a shock and I wasn’t sure I would be able to formulate my sentences properly. But I think I’ve coped with it long enough to be coherent. My best friend back in Cali, T, lost her mom, C, last week. C had a reaction to some medication she was taking, and it was too late when they found her.

I called T the day after she posted on MySpace, and in all the years I’ve known T, I’ve never seen her sad. She was always the one to get me excited about things because I was such a slacker in that department, unless it was about to spazz about music. She introduced me to Harry Potter, and I’ll never forget that. Just hearing how tore up she sounded on the phone made me hurt for her.

I think that’s a problem of Virgos. We feel much too deeply for our loved ones. Hearing about C’s passing sent me into an emotional void. It’s hard to explain. All I know is that it’s a damn good thing it was slow at work, because I wanted to curl into the fetal position and disappear. I called my ma at work and left a message on her voice mail to tell her, and partly because I wanted to hear her voice. I just wanted to know she was okay.

I hope that T finds some peace. That’s all I could ever want for her now. It’s been a terrible year for her emotionally. It’s hard to tell someone you’ll pray for them when they don’t believe in God, but I said it anyways.

What really makes me incredibly sad about C’s passing is that she died alone. My mom lives in Cali, and we live in Las Vegas. When she was in the hospital for her irregular heartbeat, we couldn’t be there for her.

All of this reminds me of my domain name, memento mori, remember your mortality. Don’t be so full of yourself to not realize that it can be taken away from you in the blink of an eye.

Otherwise, I’m okay. I think.

I’m actually staying on top of my homework. Shocking, isn’t it? So I can’t complain abt. that, rofl.

I have a paper due in Bible as Lit, but it’s one of those you can write an hour before it’s due and still get a decent grade on it. I’m like the greatest bullshitter when it comes to writing papers, and I shouldn’t say that. It just comes so natural to me, it’s like bullshit. rofl.

And really, it’s not going to be incredibly taxing. It’s just what story/character stood out the most to you out of all the readings thus far. I chose Cain and Abel. The nature of good and evil fascinates me to no end. What makes a person evil? What makes an evil person do what they do? So that was a natural fit for me to base my paper on. Plus I wouldn’t mind committing some fratricide in this house sometimes.

I have a presentation on Zitkala-Sa in my Writing About Lit class next week, which I feel pretty confident about. I could only find one good article about her writings, so I just chose that for my presentation. I mean, my presentation itself can’t be any worse than the ones I’ve seen this semester.

Speaking of Writing About Lit, I think I completely screwed myself in terms of degree requirements. My catalog year requires 2 classes that were combined to make Writing About Lit for the incoming students on this catalog year. If I’m understanding this correctly, in order to get my degree, I need 2 classes they don’t offer anymore!

Drama! Horror! Meep.

I emailed the Liberal Arts advisor, so hopefully they can shed some light on this ’cause this shit is bananas.

New musical obsession: Patrick Wolf. Everyone over at TKO is swooning hXc. I have his Burberry ads on my wall. And siriusly, “Tristan” is my favourite song ever.

I bought this muted red nail polish the other day that I am absolutely in love with. It’s called “Sweet” from the Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear line. No matter what I do, Sally Hansen withstands the crap I put my hands through all day long. Which is why I named my blog entry after it ’cause it’s just that cool.

I hope everyone is okay. I’ve noticed that ppl aren’t posting as often as they used to. I dunno why, but I just thought I would post to say that I’m okay.

?: “Any new musical obsessions?”