A letter to the big girl in the sky...

Dear Mother Nature,
I'm sure your job is difficult and probably not appreciated by most people. I'd like you to know that I appreciate you and all the beautiful weather you typically bestow upon us Southern Californians. Your generosity allows us to surf, ride bikes, walk/run, or sun tan, all without the fear of a sudden snow storm or tornado. Hell, I just recently bought my first umbrella...I'd say that's a testament to how well you've done your job. That said, I have a complaint. I'm sorry to say that, due to the weather patterns of late, I've begun to despise you a little. The rainy days have outnumbered the sunny days quite significantly, making Southern California look more like Seattle (No offense Seattle but your weather sucks. Great music scene though, if that's any consolation). So, I'd like to request that you, Ms. Nature, return the So Cal weather we have all come to love and expect (and pay through the nose for). If you could do this I would be ever so grateful.

Sincerely yours,

Seymour Waxtop

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

This is what happens when you drink too much after a really productive St. Patty's Day party...

Don't be that mouse. You're much better than that.

Irony At Work

I recently decided it's funny that I get most of my inspiration/desire to write when I'm at work. I'm sure it's mainly because my job requires the creativity of an earthworm and, being the person I am, I need an outlet or I get seriously bogged down. I wish I had a more creative job. Maybe then I wouldn't have to try and create a creative environment. It's a downward spiral and I need out. I'm hoping for a miracle at this point...

Wrap-Up

So, Mother Nature did the unthinkable (and did it rather sneakily at that). Ezekiel and I arrived at the Troubadour a few hours early so we decided we'd park and get some nourishment. We stepped out of my truck and decided that, despite the ominous low-hanging black clouds above, it didn't seem like it would really rain, so we left the umbrella there. We walked about a block before it started raining and by the next block we were being drenched by the torrential downpour of some kind of devilish storm. We laughed at how moronic we must have looked walking down Santa Monica Blvd in the pouring rain with no umbrellas. We also laughed at how we would look even more moronic if people knew we had an umbrella but opted to leave it in my truck, nice and dry. We finally came to a Pavilions. We thought Pavilions would have to have umbrellas. We were wrong. So, we went back out into the virtual car wash outside and kept walking towards the restaurants. Our saving grace came in the form of Marvin's Pharmacy. Yes, Marvin sells umbrellas. He sells umbrellas with all kinds of decorations on them and umbrellas in a myriad of sizes and shapes. Ezekiel and I each opted for the traditional black pop-out umbrella. How nice. Probably the best $10 I've ever spent. Anyway, we then made our way to the restaurant, ate, and went back to the Troubadour. When we got there we still had over an hour until doors opened and no one was in line yet, so we went back to my truck and turned the heater on in hopes of drying out. We did, sort of, and then went back to the Troubadour with about an hour left. It finally stopped raining, scaling back to a light mist, but we decided to keep our umbrellas with us as insurance. We got to the corner where the line starts and waited for the doors to open. As people showed up at the door trying to find out where the line started, we were the landmarks (read: crazy guys) helping guide people in the right direction, holding our umbrellas in the sky, when there was no rain coming down. So, in summary, we started out as the crazy guys with no umbrellas when it was pouring, and ended up as the crazy guys with the umbrellas proudly deployed when it was not.

Oh Murphy, you and you're Law are rat bastards.

Pond Group

Troubadour here I come! Ezekiel and I have decided to make an excursion up to the forbidden city of Hollywood to be swallowed up in the music of Youth Group and Matt Pond PA. I'm sure it will be fun as always but there are a few matters that could compound our short jaunt.

First off, it might rain tonight. Hell, it could be raining right now and I wouldn't know it due to the nearest window being a half-mile away from my cubicle. Rain wouldn't effect the show, obviously, but it would definitely have a negative effect on our waiting in line before the doors open. Is there such thing as an anti-rain dance?

The second thing that could cause a pain in my brain is the show being sold out. I'm sure it's not sold out because of a bunch of kids who are going to mosh and crowd-surf but that's what partly scares me. My old age requests I sit upstairs whenever possible and if everyone else has the same idea, where will that leave Ezekiel and I?

Now, my intrinsic lame-ness allows me to go to shows very early and sit outside, often with one or two accomplices, hours before the doors even open. Tonight will not have to be any sort of exception, though if it's raining, the pros and cons of such a decision will have to be weighed out on the spot.

In closing, I'd like you (Guy) to know that I'm not truly worried about my journey this evening but have instead used it to fuel a short but entertaining (maybe?) blog entry. On that note, I will now resume (and simultaneously conclude) my lunch break.