Have Your Life and Feel it.

Last night I surprised myself and again went for a run. It was similar to the one I had the day before, only a tiny bit further. Already my lungs felt better, that doesn't mean my lungs are better, but to me it's more important to feel something to be than to have something be, but I'll take both if I can. I felt better about how i looked to myself when I finished and put on clean clothes. I know logically that after only two runs in two years of not running that I can't really look any different, but I felt different, and that was all that mattered to me at that moment.
It's been easier today to eat better. I didn't stop for any candy on my way to work, because I didn't feel like I needed it, and I can be certain that I didn't need it. It's been a good day and now I'm off to go rehearse with my band, which will feel fun. Fun is one of those rare things in life where feeling and being are one and the same, If something feels fun, it is fun.
Have your fun and feel it too.

I found this website today. Rather than play flash video games of no real merit other than a small feeling of fun, I read about this person's life, and looked at a few pictures of it. That was fun.

Last night at 6:50 I finally won a small battle with my person. I got up from the couch, put on a pair of shorts and laced up my new running shoes. My "new" running shoes are really no longer new, Amy bought them for me for my birthday this year. I just had yet to actually run in them, apparently I'd been too busy these last 5 months. My frustration with myself on this matter has extended beyond the casual I wish I could do better feeling, into desperate need to take some action towards making myself feel like a healthy person. Like I used to.
I'm older, and my years of rock star partying, sloth and gluttony have made running a monumental task. This is fact, and it bothers me immensely. These past five months, since the gift of the shoes, I have thought more and more about it. In fact, the gift of the shoes themselves came as an extremely thoughtful gift, from a person who was able to surprise me by giving me nudge in an area where I had been seeking one. Still it took five more months of thinking about it, of yearning for it. Five long months of remembering what it used to feel like to lace up shoes and run for more than 10 miles without dying.
I stretched first. I'm 28, and it's been too long. I headed south down orange grove at a walk first, not wanting to hurt my body by running on sidewalk. I headed for the Pan Pacific Park, behind the mega structure shopping center on third and Fairfax. There they have grass, and when you've been as lazy as I've been grass is important.
At first I started too fast, more than riding a bike distance running is remembered in the muscles. It was all too easy to begin at a ridiculous pace for a person in my condition. I had to remember that I'm not like I once was. I must start painfully slow or face unnecessary pain and burn myself out.
Soon I settled into my pace. I concentrated on my breathing and keeping a good efficient stride. My mind wandered. I looked around at the green grass. It was better than I imagined it would be. I felt like my life being on long string had been bent back on itself, giving me the ability to move in parallel with my self at younger age. How excellent it felt to sweat, and breath heavy.

If you get a giggle

Today Devin and I were talking about the Band Voice of the Beehive, we were talking about a cover of a Led Zeppelin song, and he said this, which I found hilarious:

"they used to play it live all the time on that old VHS tape I have of their live shows."

It's not so funny now that I look at it again, but I still get a chuckle.

The other day Amy and I went to the video store, then the convenience store next to it. The clerk at was having a hard time getting a bag for my items, so I told him I'd just carry it. He then told me:

"What happens when you force something unnecessarily?"

which due to his rather heavy accent prompted me to ask:

"Come Again?"

"What happens when you force something unnecessarily?"

This time I understood his question, but not immediately why he was asking it. After some consideration I realized his meaning and I said:

"It Breaks for no reason"

and he said:

"Exactly, I'll get you a bag"

Walking around the corner from the store I had a pretty fine smile about that exchange. I think I will go back to that store more often. What else might this strange man have to say?

Quiet Death

I found the following info on a Shitting Glitter fan site. After reading it I began to have a nagging feeling about trying to make a recording of it. I'm certain the original song is all but lost now, so a blank canvas of sorts is open before us.
Maybe blogging upon the subject will give my band mates a spur in the rear to collaborate on a revival of this song.

Crazy Mae was Kind enough to provide the following information about this Shitting Glitter Rarity:
there was a song called "Quiet Death" that they performed at Rumors. This was when the band was only the three of them, plus they had Yvonne's sister, Aimee playing guitar, and I think that Denny might have been in the band at this time. Anyway, it was very atmospherical and dark, as the title suggests, and they wrote it and rehearsed it only a couple times immediately before the gig. After that they never played it again. Devin says "Amy was like a madwoman that day, demanding that we just whip up one more song, she wanted a new song to sing at this particular gig, and we only had a couple hours before the gig. If I remember right, we actually had quite a lot of people out to this gig, definitely a lot for those days, and we didn't have a drummer at the time. So the set was already weird enough and we were all drunk, and so we just threw it in at the end, very 'in the spirit of punk.' I didn't need to look too far into the crowd to realize that the people on the stage were just as confused about it as I was."

The Same website brought up this:

The Hit

"I was going through some of my notebooks and I have found some information that might be useful to you. This information came from one drunk afternoon at Beer Bust at the Palms, long long ago, when Yvonne was still in the band. I was able to ask a few questions and I wanted to pass this along to you for your "the music makes me smile" section. There was a song called "The Hit" that was the first song that was written by only Amy, Yvonne and Devin after Billy left. It was apparently about hiring a hit man and there was something about a bowling alley in it. Yvonne said they never played it live, but they did record an instrumental demo of it. "

Finally:

Zion

So Haircore:
The first item in the Shitting Glitter discography is "Step Into The Goddess Room", I've had trouble getting information regarding this Release, what can you tell me about it? Specifically the first song, Zion?
Devin:
It was the first demo that we worked on when Amy bought the 4-track. We were going to put it out but then we decided to go to a studio and do a proper demo. The song 'Zion' was a song that Billy, our original guitarist, would play and all four of us would sing in harmony. I remember doing it one night in the bathroom after A LOT of partying... and it was so beautiful. There weren't to many lyrics, I think it was just "if it makes you happy, live your life in Zion." It seems like there was a line before that but I honestly can't remember it. Amy didn't write the lyrics so it was never considered a true Shitting Glitter song.


*lyrics transcribed from a very poor quality audio bootleg (don't ask because I will not make you a copy)

Sweet oxygen
sweet disposition

if it makes you happy

live your life in zion

Dearly Departing for the Talkin' Shit Tour

Friday I have the pleasure of leaving work a bit early, to go home and pack up the car for a Mini Tour with Shitting Glitter. It's going to be a car load full of fun. We will be traveling with our band, one go go dancer and our manager, Marc Loren. All in one vehicle with all of our equipment. I'm excited as all get out. I love to be out on the open road with the people I enjoy spending time with, playing shows and meeting people and challenges.
The first night in Bakersfield is a bit of an Unknown. We've never played in Bakersfield. We are staying with the band "Three Chord Whore" who we only know from the few times we've played with them or gone to see them play here in LA. We don't even know for certain where we will be playing, and it's 4 days away.
Saturday we will stay with our good friend Carrie, who recently moved up north to attend Golden Gate Law School. That night we play for the second time at Kimo's, where we played on the Carriage of Goods tour.
Sunday it's back to Santa Barbara, to play the gay night at the Wildcat! I'm very excited for this night.
After that we pack up, drive home, I go back to work for 2 days then we play here in Los Angeles in 2 days.

These past 2 weeks we've been working on a song for the Dearly Departed 2 DVD. The song is called Rock, Scissors, Paper. It's a total sixties vibe tune with lyrics that seem to be about a familiar historical event.
A week ago Devin came over to Vincent Free Sound and we started to cut the track first using a very bare bones drum program from our Korg Esx-1.
He then played an organ part on his Roland RS-5. I have no picture of the keyboard part being played.
Next up Devin cut a flute track. You'll notice he's not wearing any headphones. I was experimenting with some playback bleed in order to give a sense of live feel. His flute part really added to the sense of the 60's.
I like to get the most out of Devin that I can, and so at the expense of the neighbors I then had Devin cut some Bongo drums. He was really enthusiastic. Look at those fast hands.

Finally I that first night I added a bass part. Look for this track soon, on the Dearly Departed 2 DVD.

Wish us broken legs.

I Won't Blame You

The title is from a new SG tune called "Hopeless Romantic", a tune which I am attempting to stop listening to. The recording is a rough premix of the song, which is mainly to be used for rehearsal of new parts. I need to stop enjoying it so much so that I can maintain some level of objectivity.

Saturday Amy went down to long beach to work a children's party with our good friend Ginny, she needed the extra scratch and Ginny needed the help.
While Amy played bingo with children I watched a great documentary on Charles Bukowski, called "Born Into This". It was inspiring. Makes me want to read through his body of work just as soon as Buck can.
Later that day I went to the store, I purchased the Sun Tea jug pictured above. I've kind of decided to swear off other soft drinks. We'll see how this goes. Doesn't the beginning of the tea here appear appealing?
I then did laundry, which Henry found to suit his needs of a nice place to rest for the afternoon.
Then I got a call from Devin, apparently an interview with Amy just came out in DOT magazine. Under Celebrity Profile!


Maybe I'll find the text of the article online soon. If so I'll link.

Saturday night we journeyed with Carrie, visiting from San Francisco, to see Bett in her new, temporary digs. What a fab pad! We talked of words and writing and what not well into the night. Bett had been struggling to write a piece about corn for her new book. Apparently after we left she bashed it out. Kudos. We have in mind now to collaborate on a new song called "Lot Lizards", which is supposed to be about truck stop whores. Bett's current work in progress is about the American road and Truckers, so it seems like a match.

It's pretty exciting to get some of the caliber of people we are getting involved in our album. Should all of them come to pass, we will be thrilled and delighted. More on these as they materialize.

Sunday was a lazyier day. Breakfast with Carrie at Barney's. Amy and carrie pictured below. Carrie has to black eyes because she fell off a bike.
you know that joke: "What do you tell a woman with 2 black eyes?"

"Nothin, you dun told her twice" of course that's not funny at all...

Stacked Deck

SG's new song stacked has proved to be a difficult monster to reconcieve. It didn't help that the demo was pretty much all magic and no structure. I delivered a mix of the first draft last night, hopefully there will be time to make some adjustments tonight. Speaking of adjustments, you will notice Amy shown here in the kitchen of Vincent Free Sound studios making some last minute adjustments to her lyrical stylings.
I really don't work with this poor of posture. I was just attempting to get in the frame with my work. I have spent a good portion of my life in front of a little box like this. I'm not complaining mind you.


Devin stopped in last night on his way home from the grocery store and cut his vocals.
Amy catches a few last minute lines of backup, while Ani looks on over her shoulder.
The cat Noon, totally impressed with all our toil.