Things that are not the band

I promised not to be all band all the time this week, so here you go. Other than band-ness, there's not a lot going on with me. I am buckling down and making myself write on the nights that Kris is out doing band stuff, which is quite a few. Other things of note:

• My niece's arrival is imminent. Her momma's started dilating, the gates are starting to open, it's just a matter of when the kid is ready to pop out. It's very exciting and I can't wait for it!
• The Good Citizenship Award goes to my mom, Anne the Canvasser, who is interviewed in the article linked there.
• I get a bonus beach weekend this weekend and there ain't nothing bad about that. Extra bonus points because Ryn and I have been tryin to do this for years and it's finally happening. Woohoo!

OK time for my other happy, going to see the X-Files movie.

We're Gonna Be So Sad, So Sad, So Sad, So

If ever the opposite of that were true, it's now. Check out all the amazing things happening in this All Schocholautte Edition of my blog:

• Schocholautte is NOW AVAILABLE for purchase in the iTunes store and at Amazon.com
• Schocholautte and The Trash Bar Trash (live album) NOW AVAILABLE for download at last.fm
• video of studio sessions and a band interview have been posted on Woozyfly.com
The boys got a big boost from their mention on Tomato Nation yesterday.
• EP Release Party - Friday 8/1 at the Trash Bar, 9 pm, 256 Grand St. Brooklyn, $7 cover, autographed copies of Schocholautte and The Trash Bar Trash for sale, as well as lots of fun and surprises to be had.

Thanks to everyone who's been supporting the band. It really means a lot to me and to them. I really care about this band and want them to succeed, for personal reasons and because I care about the guys and they deserve it. 

I promise not to be entirely all about Schocholautte all week. 

Tomatoes Are My Favorite Fruit

Today I am a happy girl. Because today I got an IM from Sarah that went something like this: "OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! YOU'RE ON TOMATO NATION!!!!!"

Sars an infinitely cool web author, answered a request I made of her to check out Schocholautte and, if she liked them, to mention them on her internationally renowned awesome website. And, Princess of Cool that she is, she did. Which makes me feel like this:

(You can pretty much stop watching after 3:25)

This is a week when life gets consumed by the band. The EP drops tomorrow and the release party is Friday and I am all about it all.

And yet, somehow, I am still finding some time to get some of my own writing done. Because my amazing boyfriend, who has a million things to worry about this week and needs all the help he can get, wants me to focus on my career, not his. And I want to do that too.

Balancing is fun. 

Oh, and P.S. go leave Sars some love and tell her how awesome she is for helping spread the word on three awesome kids from BK.

(with apologies to the Grammar Goddess herself, from one who calls herself an editor by day and is therefore too tired at night to write properly)

The Man Is Having the Time of His Life on the Left Coast

Somewhere, in a convention center in California, my boyfriend is having a complete blast of a day at ComiCon. And that puts a smile on my face from ear to ear.

Back on the homefront, the issues that were causing crazy to boil near the surface are being dealt with calmly and systematically and before any overflow occurs. Combine that with the company buying lunch and my sister being unexpectedly free to hang out tonight and this day is turning out not so bad.

Especially for one that started with me discovering ANTS all over my kitchen counter. Yeah. Where's a man when you need one? :)

ThisClose

I might freak out in a minute. Or in an hour. Or sometime real soon. 

Where is the positive in this? I have not freaked out yet. My man, whom I love, has taught me so much about controlling my emotions, being calm and handling whatever life throws at me. In years past, I would have broken down hours ago. Instead I have gone into calm, problem-solving mode.

Unfortunately, his being out of town is coinciding with a hailstorm of crazy shit. I will try to contain it until I pick him up from the airport Saturday night. Let's try to keep the storm of crazy bubbling under the surface, eh?

Too Hot

Today is a day for cheering me up. Because apparently the choices are, keep the office door and suffer the stifling heat or be assaulted by the sounds of a BUZZSAW down the hall. Because, despite the line on my Wii Fit graph going down for 3 consistent sessions, my shorts are still super tight. And for a whole host of other reasons, it is time to remember why I can smile.

• I have officially Started Writing Again. I have an idea that's possessed me and according to those I've told about it, it's a good'un. I am trying to take it slow and do all the necessary prewriting before I start in on the actual story. I'm actually kind of enjoying creating these characters' backgrounds. It is still that frustrating feeling of not feeling like you're getting anywhere because you can't say "I have written X pages." But it feels good to be doing it nonetheless.
• I've gotten my credit card balance under $1500. WOOOOO! (FYI I was living off my Amex for part of last year and have been trying to pay it down since).
• I had a terrific time with my friends on Saturday night, finally getting to go up and see their house and hanging out and seeing the Dark Knight at the drive-in.
• In 1 week, Kris's band is releasing an EP on Amazon.com and iTunes. In 10 days, they are having an EP release party. In 2+ weeks, I am going to see Counting Crows with a bunch of fun cool people. In 26 days, I will be an aunt AND I will have been with Kris for 4 years. There is a lot of good to look forward to, people.

I am pathetically past due on giving props to some people who richly deserve them:

• Sarah, who bought her first home two weeks ago! Welcome home, sweetie.
• Joanna, my sister, who passed her NCIDQ certification exam!
• Lauryn, who is finally getting out of her crap job and starting nursing school in a month!

I am so proud of all my girls. I know so many awesome people and that's another reason to be happy.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

• slept late
• spent 4 days laying on the beach at the Jersey shore, getting gorgeously tan and not really burned
• read 2 magazines and half a novel
• played a bunch of games of Uno
• played 3 games of mini-golf: pirate-themed indoor, complete with blacklight paint and a constant soundtrack of shantys, gold mine-themed, and lost city-themed (which reminded me of Indiana Jones)
• pumped about 10 bucks into Area 51 arcade machines
• played air hockey and some other random arcade games
• shot a couple games of pool and won most of them
• played a trivia game in a bar with a group of friends and came in 2nd
• played a hardcore 2 hour game of 4square
• saw Wall-E, Hancock, and Hellboy 2
• rode the big Ferris Wheel
• strolled up and down the boardwalk several times
• went for a 10 mile bike ride (I KNOW!!) to get Icees
• ate pizza, subs, french fries, fried oreos and all kinds of other bad stuff
• ate ice cream almost every day
• went to Wawa any time we wanted to
• spent 8 days of extremely good quality time with my man, reconnecting and being lovey-dovey and reordering our priorities to put each other at the top of our lists

I cannot describe fully how much I needed that vacation or how incredibly wonderful it was. All I can say is it was like hitting reset and cranking all my knobs to their optimal settings. I felt happy, healthy, relaxed and unstressed (and despite eating like a queen and gaining a couple pounds, having moments when I looked at myself and thought 'I look FANTASTIC!'). I only hope I can find ways to retain these feelings in my everyday life or regain them when I start to lose my grip on them. I always want to feel the way I felt last week.