Which would you like me to hit you with first? I thought so...
GOOD NEWS
I have a list of songs that I've created, mostly in my head, but also on Myspace. It consists of all the songs I've desired to hear live *solo, especially* since I've been a fan of Dave. Here is the set list from last night, I've highlighted the songs that have been wonderfully knocked of my top 20 list.
1. BARTENDER
2. DODO
3. STAY OR LEAVE #15
4. CRUSH
5. OLD DIRT HILL #11
6. GRACE IS GONE
7. SO DAMN LUCKY
8. GRAVE DIGGER
9. THE STONE #2
10. SISTER
11. LIE IN OUR GRAVES
12. OH #17
13. SAVE ME #6
14. STREAM (TIM)
15. CORN BREAD
16. DOWN BY THE RIVER
17. THE MAKER
18. JIMI THING
19. WHAT WILL BECOME OF ME (partial song, so it doesn't technically count)
20. PANTALA NAGA PAMPA
21. STILL WATER
22. DON'T DRINK THE WATER
23. #41
24. DANCING NANCIES #5
25. SOME DEVIL
26. LITTLE THING
27. WHERE ARE YOU GOING?
28. TWO STEP
Basically, the concert itself was beautiful. It was Dave, solo, for the first time I've been able to witness it. There were some songs I'd already heard live and some I didn't care to hear. Mostly, it was a beautiful set.
To add to it, Dave gave long, adorable monologues about his opinion on the hideous sounds he makes during laughter... farting in public and being stuck in a bathtub while his dog gave a gas storm... that he wasn't responsible for anything he said because he had a fever. He stopped a few times and appeared to feel himself up, while explaining that he was looking for his cell phone and that he never turned it on anyways... but he still needs it for emergencies, like if a relative was stuck in a car submerged in a lake and called his disabled phone for help. He re-established that he was afflicted with a fever.
He picked on the boys that scream and howl at him, while explaining to the girls that it was 'pent up caveman-like emotion' and we should forgive them because it's actually 'quite sweet when you think about it'.
The seat I had wasn't the greatest. It wasn't the worst in the house, but Dave face wasn't visible at all. Half of the fun of the show *for Katie, anyways* is watching him sing. But the security was extremely lax and seemed mostly student employed, so toward the end of it I was successfully able to infiltrate the "good seats" and watch him from an incredible angle.
This is where the good news ends.
BAD NEWS
I brought just enough money to stay in a motel room overnight.
That's all, that's it. Good deal, right? Wrong. The money I brought for the motel was all the money I had, period. I had made some heavy food items, but I was still hungry and antsy. I knew I was going to be flat broke when I got home.
The motel manager had told me the latest I could check in was 10 or 11pm, but I arrived in Amherst at about 20 minutes to 8. My concert was at 8. There was no way that I was going to be able to reserve my room and be back at the show before it was half over. Even with a map, I only had a general idea of where the motel was, because Umass Amherst is huge. I've seen some towns in New Hampshire the size of that campus. I got lost several times while asking students directions and was still late for the concert.
The show got out at midnight. I hadn't checked into the motel and therefor had no place to stay. It was unseasonably warm out and the school was highly populated, so I decided that it was an okay plan B to stay up all night there. I mean, it was sort of like getting paid to stay awake and it didn't seem like the worst conditions to do it in. It was Saturday night, a time of parties and whatnot, so I wasn't alone and it wasn't like I've never stayed awake before. I worked a third shift job just last year.
By about 1:30am, the temperature started to drop and by 2 it couldn't have been more than 20 degrees outside. I could see my breath.
The 6 hour trip had worn me down-- I was tired and absolutely frozen.
I decided to maybe try to find a flippin' Denny's or something. I mean, Amherst is supposed to be a city, and even trash towns have some kind of fast food all-night eateries. Not Amherst. I finally ended up in a 24-hour ATM room and I slept off and on for about 3 or so hours. I was paranoid that a cop would see me and kick me out like some street person. It was bright and eerie, occasionally a passerbyer knocked on the window to make sure I was alive. I was officially a hobo.
It took me the entire next day to get the frozen feeling out of my bones. I slept uncomfortably on most of the trip back and ate crappy fast food at the stops like a wild dog. My head was spinning from the memory of the previous night. It was scary for me; not the part about being mostly alone and awake in a foreign place, but the feeling that I really was homeless. If I'm not careful, I could end up in that situation. It hit home.
I've had the fear put in me. I'm going to find a job, now, even if it's a crap job. I'm going to seek all the assistance that I can, no matter how degrading it feels. Even if I have to work at Mcdonalds and watch the 'Rent Assistance' counselor count every penny I earn. I only have a couple months before I'm supposed to be at Anthem, so it's just about getting through until then.
The concert was good, but being a hobo wasn't a positive feeling. Maybe it had positive implications, anyways.
That's all, that's it. Good deal, right? Wrong. The money I brought for the motel was all the money I had, period. I had made some heavy food items, but I was still hungry and antsy. I knew I was going to be flat broke when I got home.
The motel manager had told me the latest I could check in was 10 or 11pm, but I arrived in Amherst at about 20 minutes to 8. My concert was at 8. There was no way that I was going to be able to reserve my room and be back at the show before it was half over. Even with a map, I only had a general idea of where the motel was, because Umass Amherst is huge. I've seen some towns in New Hampshire the size of that campus. I got lost several times while asking students directions and was still late for the concert.
The show got out at midnight. I hadn't checked into the motel and therefor had no place to stay. It was unseasonably warm out and the school was highly populated, so I decided that it was an okay plan B to stay up all night there. I mean, it was sort of like getting paid to stay awake and it didn't seem like the worst conditions to do it in. It was Saturday night, a time of parties and whatnot, so I wasn't alone and it wasn't like I've never stayed awake before. I worked a third shift job just last year.
By about 1:30am, the temperature started to drop and by 2 it couldn't have been more than 20 degrees outside. I could see my breath.
The 6 hour trip had worn me down-- I was tired and absolutely frozen.
I decided to maybe try to find a flippin' Denny's or something. I mean, Amherst is supposed to be a city, and even trash towns have some kind of fast food all-night eateries. Not Amherst. I finally ended up in a 24-hour ATM room and I slept off and on for about 3 or so hours. I was paranoid that a cop would see me and kick me out like some street person. It was bright and eerie, occasionally a passerbyer knocked on the window to make sure I was alive. I was officially a hobo.
It took me the entire next day to get the frozen feeling out of my bones. I slept uncomfortably on most of the trip back and ate crappy fast food at the stops like a wild dog. My head was spinning from the memory of the previous night. It was scary for me; not the part about being mostly alone and awake in a foreign place, but the feeling that I really was homeless. If I'm not careful, I could end up in that situation. It hit home.
I've had the fear put in me. I'm going to find a job, now, even if it's a crap job. I'm going to seek all the assistance that I can, no matter how degrading it feels. Even if I have to work at Mcdonalds and watch the 'Rent Assistance' counselor count every penny I earn. I only have a couple months before I'm supposed to be at Anthem, so it's just about getting through until then.
The concert was good, but being a hobo wasn't a positive feeling. Maybe it had positive implications, anyways.
6 comments:
You gave us the good news, but what about the bad new??
Holy gosh, girl, be patient! Take a deep breath, Katie has it all planned out.
That's how I edit my posts, sometimes. I like to see how it looks so that I know what should come next. If it looks half done, usually that's because it is.
Oh. I thought that was your regular Katie thing. I'm sorry about the hobo situation. It sucks to be left like that, not kowing what's going to happen next. But Katie, you're one of the few people that I know that actually have a head on their shoulders and knows how to use it. Frankly my dear, I would've thought that by now you'd be an entreprenueress and have your own McMansion and such. Your mind is just that great. Umn....whatever you do, please do not end up being a crack whore. It's not as fun as you may think.
My goodness! You must be brave to stay out on the street all night alone! Then again... I live in a pretty dodgy area on the west coast. I don't know what it's like in New Hampshire.
Well, thanks, I may have a head on my shoulders, but I've never been very good with money. Mostly because I haven't seen very much of it, so when I got it... I use it... like it's going out of style.
And as far as the hobo thing goes, as I reiterated in my story, I've been scared enough to do everything in my power to avoid it. I've been kind of depressed and removed lately, so I've made it priority to be proactive.
And I got good news today. I called the PSNH Human Resources chick and asked her about the email. She said that they hadn't given any job offers yet, so it's not like I've been bumped out yet. Which really is good news.
So, ya. Another day in the life of the Katester.
I was in Mass, and completely on a college campus... it wasn't so bad as far as the sketchiness... but it was very cold.
See, G, you're not the only reader...
Thanks for the comment, Kay!
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