Lots of Stuff!!

Okay, so this one is for Nathan, because he told me to get off my lazy ass and blog :D

I'm probably going to leave out a lot of stuff that has happened, but oh well, my memory's not so great. But, I'll just list stuff, I suppose. That's always fun!

• I was shopping for school stuff a couple weeks back, and I spent 3 hours in Target, wandering around, analyzing every item, and deciding if i needed it or not. It was amazing... and I finally bought Apples to Apples, so that'll be fun to play with in college.
• I talked to my roommate. Her name is Josie, and she's from Santee, a town not far from San Diego. She seems really nice, and I can't wait to talk to her in person.

Uh...fast forwarding here, because I don't really remember much, or just don't want to say it...

• Last Friday (9/5), I went to see Dave Matthews Band in Berkeley. It was amazing!!! Okay, the drummer has to be the best drummer on the face of this planet. I can't even explain it... and then their violinist was amazing of course, and both of them couldn't stop smiling during the entire thing, which made me super happy. I mean, they have to put on concert after concert, and they have a great time at every one. It's awesome!! Okay, so bad things about the concert: I had the WORST headache ever! It totally sucked, and I thought I was going to throw up a few times. With the combination of the loud music, people shrill whistling in my ear, and crazy lights, my head was throbbing. Second bad thing, by the end of the night I smelled like beer, pot, and cigarette smoke. And lastly, I didn't recognize very many of their songs. They were mostly from the newer albums, not Under the Table and Dreaming (which I love). Good things: It was general admission, so for the first few hours, I was down in front about 15 feet from the stage. That rocked!! And the light show was really cool. They played "Burning Down the House." At one point, they had 5 guitarists out on stage. Warren Hanes (of the Almond Brothers Band) played one song with them and had a duet with Tim Reynolds which was out of this world. The drummer had about a 10 minute solo during Two Step, which was amazing!! And the violinist had two main solos, one in Tripping Billies, and the other in Dancing Nancies. Both were completely fabulous and amazingly awesome. Even though I didn't know all their songs, it was still an unforgettable performance, no doubt.
• Same day, (9/5): I'm going to back up a little, to the pre-performance event. We left our house for the concert at about 2:30 and picked up our neighbor. We drove to Berkeley and arrived at about 4:00. The gates weren't expected to open until 5:30, so while my mom and neighbor waited in line, my dad and I walked 100 yards or so to where the tree-sitters were. I'm assuming everyone know the story of the tree sitters in Berkeley. (Long story short, they're people who are protesting the UC from cutting down the trees that will enable the school to build an athletic center. They've been up there for about 644 days). Usually there is some press around the area, but this day was extra special. The school went to the state, and discovered that it is legal for them to start cutting down the trees that the group is protecting (as long as no one gets hurt, of course). So after 644 days of waiting, the contractors finally began pulling down trees. It was history in the making, and I was there. My dad was happy that they were finally pulling down the trees, and thought the tree-sitters were a joke, and needed a life. I, however, (being part hippie and all) was troubled at the sight of these huge oaks and pines falling to the ground. The whole scene was somewhat disturbing: the students holding a "free firewood" sign as a mockery of the event, the old hippies yelling and swearing at them, the image of the few remaining tree-sitters, watching as their old oak and pine friends were pulled to the ground, and the dozens of news casters, vans, and helicopters, recording this event. My thoughts and feelings remained tranquil. I quietly watched and listened to those around me, taking in the sounds of fighting, trees falling, and news reporters. I couldn't help but admire the tree-sitters. Standing up for what the believed in. I could feel their determination, but also their disappointment at what the historic day had held. However, as I thought more about the events, I wondered if they had done more harm than help. Sure, they were trying to preserve these dozen or so trees, and maybe they had inspired others to do so as well, but between all the news vans and curious people driving back and forth to see them, and the helicopters flying around, the environment has been hurt more than if the trees had just been cut down on day one. And people with this much determination should be out standing up for something bigger, like the rainforest, or they should be planting trees. Although I admire these people, I think they are greater and have more power than they imagine, and they can use this power where it is needed most.
• Saturday (9/6): Apollo Calling and Split Sekond concert!!!! WOW!!! Seriously, best they have both ever sounded. Truly amazing. That was a really fun night. We walked around Petaluma for awhile, looking at random shops and pondering the idea of food. The show started at 7 or 7:30...maybe 8... I don't remember. The first band was okay. Second band sucked!! Ya, really don't like screamo. That was intense and super loud. But I loved S.S and A.C. Totally amazing! And it was super fun dancing around with the group and Jorge. The Phoenix was really cool! The Shop, but bigger, and I loved the graffiti around the place. And the skate ramps were awesome. Then In-n-Out was really fun afterwards. Yummy food! Then I took James home at about 1, and we talked about relationships and life. That was fun. Got home at 1:30 and fell asleep by 2.
• And to finish this off with events. Sunday (9/7): I hung out with Mia from about 12pm until about 10:30pm. We cleaned her room (well mostly she did) and she did some homework. Then I went home and got changed for dinner. We decided to get all dressed up in our nice dresses and shoes and stuff and look extra fancy for dinner at the Red Grape. It was fun! I had pizza and Mia had pasta with chicken and LOTS of cheese. It was really really good. Afterwards, we walked around the plaza for a little while and then went back to Mia's house. I got home at 10:45, got ready for bed and started typing...and we're up to speed!!

Oh man, college soon. I'm not nervous. I'm just sad about saying goodbye temporarily to friends and I'm afraid of what's going to happen with Jorge and me. I meet a guy that is perfect for me and the funniest guy on earth, and here comes college. Whatever happens, happens. However, I'm also excited for something new. Start over, nobody knows who I am, new place, new people....wheee!!!! This is going to be great!

I will try to keep up with this as much as possible, but no guarantees.

Okay, all you disco ball kissers. Up, up, and away!!

"Like my daddy always used to say..." (From: Fun with Dick and Jane)