I just felt like adding a pix of Big Red, it's first official photo after the tubbing! 

I go crazy when I'm without you

Do you ever worry about your own sanity? I don't think I am completely losing it but I have a case of the characters in my head coming to life, they have taken on a life of their own. I was starting to think I was going down right nutty until I went to two different writing seminars this past week that explained that is the way of a writer. Now I am not getting all bold and saying I am any type of professional, it's just a call to write. When it hits you, it is all consuming and as addicting as a drug, you can't stop. The one seminar, the lady said her kids got to an understanding, they needed to find their own dinner if she was on a roll, she needed to keep at it. It has been that way with sleep for me, I have always needed a lot of sleep but now, I am staying up, I can't stop. But even when that is true, I also wake up early, trying to get what I need to done quickly so I can get back to it. I think I fear I am going to lose the urge or the momentum, writer's block would set in. The two seminars were fantastic, it made me remember why I loved my creative writing classes in college, why I spent my teens writing. I feel like I have experienced a lot of different things than most in my life be it being around radio, or racing. These are not the average lives of people. If I can use my experiences to make entertaining stories, well then I feel like I can not just experience it myself but share it with others.
Seeing Sloan last summer, meeting Patrick Pentland was a life altering moment I can not fully try to explain. I can say I had one similar moment back when Nina got married and I decided I wanted nothing more to do with band and bar life. It was on the trip to stand up in her wedding that I decided to save up to buy a race car, that I decided I could bracket race. Now why meeting some band guy in a band I barily paid much attention too may seem like some middle aged woman's crush but I swear that is not what happened, what it did was trigger all the memories I had of 10 years of the Tempe music scene. I got my hair done by Molly the other day, an old Tempe scenster, she said something profound to me. She said she thought Dave Navarro (of all people) seemed familiar to her, like she knew him. She said she realized it was because he reminded her of all the band guys she knew. Nail on the head for me with this guy from Sloan. His mannerisms and charming way about him was a combination of about three well know Tempe band members I was very close to. I can't explain why or when your muse presents it self but if Sloan was my trigger for starting to write a stroy about a radio Dj who gets to know bands..why fight it. Is it interesting enough? Who cares, I just need to get it out. I suspect I will either be in withdrawl when I finish, or determined to do something more with it. When buying the camaro altered my life, it wasn't always a good thing, lord knows how obsessed I have been with going racing in the past. Maybe the writing is to help counteract the racing. I could have used the writing last summer to keep me from going batty while Big Red was getting tubbed. So now, if Dan has to work and we can't go race, I don't mindspending the time writing instead. Am I sad I am missing a race-of course but now I have two outlets for my self instead of just the race car. I hope when I finish "bay window" I will be able to work on what happenes next, find out if I have any chops at this and then start the story of Jim and Andi. The story I have always had in my head to write. The second seminar I went to was a woman who critiqued a scene for me. I went to her because I was struggling with how to deal with the voice of the story. She told me to follow what Elise tells me, it's Elise's story, let her tell it. I was so struck by the fact that a character had taken on life of her own. The lady was right, Elise is guiding the story, I personally don't knwo where she is leading me each night when I write. I know that sounds nutty but you have to experience it to believe it. I have an outline in my head of the story I want to tell but Elise is leading me, the lady told me she will discover people I wasn't expecting to add, this has happened to... I probably wasn't ready for critique because she kept telling me to not worry about little things or editing for now, she said just keep getting it out, the editing comes later. She said I had some real strong visuals but I needed to show more than tell. I guess I sensed that I must not be too bad or she would have had to try harder to be polite in the critique. I wasn't looking for her to tell me I was some amazing new talent, I was just trying to get a sense if I was doing it right, if I was on the right track. I knew Missy was a prety good indicator as she reads more than I ever have, but a professional reader was a nice extra nudge for me to continue. Now I figured if I went to see Sloan again, it would help me, give another inspirational shove but I did have a weird thought that it could also ruin the first impressions that inspired me in the first place. I think I'll chance it, and I get to see them again for their music in the process-hahaha~! Now how can I convince Dan I need a trip to Nova Scotia next... I couldn't write a story about the real people I know, that is impossible. If you use traits from a few different sources it makes for a richer character. Is the main character me, no, no way but she has some things happen to her that may have happened, I find that each female character has tiny traits of myself, that each male character is a tiny bit of every guy I loved or hated for that matter. It is a blast I am planning on riding out. Missy has been so fantastic to talk to me about it, encourage me and keep begging for what happens next. Dan has been more understanding that I thought he would be, he knows I need to do it and doesn't try to bug me or think I'm stupid for it. He does think I need to sleep more but that is ok.
The past two weeks are back to the hectic pace I hate. Nothing is worse than when work feels like it's too overwhelming to ever finish. The feeling goes away when you cross stuff off your list but I hate things hanging and not finished. I also was so cozy just hanging out in my office all summer, having all day to accomplish things. Now with School back in session, I scarely have a moment to finish an email, I hate splitting my time between office, I would rather stay put in one or the other for the day. Maybe next semester I will try that but for now, Blaze in the afternoons, Stauffer in the mornings. I will say the Blaze is so smoth right now I could cry a tear of joy. I can only hope for this to last. My freshman babies are so ambitious, I hope I can keep up with them. They asked me today if we could plan a trip to Disneyland, they are so bound to each other already. I would have loved to living in a learning community like this when I started at Eastern! I hope I can make it special for them, I am so happy how this has come together for not having ever even heard of Living learning communities a year ago. I think the one thing I do that will suffer is my other class , my station ops is taking a back seat right now in my work but it seems like I have a good class. Today they wanted to talk more radio than TV- hey I can do that. I guess I wasn't in the mood to teach today but I have radio students so I will get more inspired next Monday.
Ugh, Dan is singing the Refreshments. We are both so into Rockstar, it has been fun to have something to watch together because there isn't really anything else we both like to watch together. I hadn't been in the TV room in a few weeks anyway. The longest I can sit though anything is a race and even an NHRA event is something I will sit and edit "bay window" while watching. I get so annimated watching and yelling at my favorite racers, I think I am yelling to make sure mom hears me. I never realized what a ritual it was to watch NHRA with her until I now watch alone. I have yet to find someone I can talk NHRA with like her. A racer gal I know and her mom are the same way. I talked to them at the nationals in Feb and realized I was jealous that they had that same relationship I miss so much. Sometimes I think enough time has past with mom being gone to push this writing out of me too. I believe in those guiding hands, just as much as I thought Butch was there for my racing after he past away. Life is so weird, it is also impossible to explain without sounding like one is a little crazy.
I leave for Mich this Friday, I can't believe it has come up so soon. I am planning to spend a couple times at the cemetary, I think I will be in a better place after I do. I hope this festival isn't too crazy, Nina's mom sent me an article that said it's like a million people. I remember how packed bumpershoot was, I am not really a festival goer, and I know I am not seeing Sloan at Big Fish again. I hope I can get in a comfortable spot, not get shoved around and enjoy it without being too annoyed by the large amount of people. God that sounds so old, although I have always been a concert snob, I gave up front row pushing back in the INXS days. I do remember when we were at Bumpershoot, all these people shoved forward when the Posies came on and I told Karen I was not going to get trampled for the Posies, considering I could see them in a club two days later in intimate setting. Which by the way, I will again 4 days after I get back from the trip to see Sloan...how amazing...2 DGC bands from the 90's in one week- Maybe the Candy Skins and Teenage Fanclub will be touring through the following week- I'll take what I am getting for now-man I am going to be a wreck!

Big Red Blog entry for 8/20/05

This is for my other blog-Big Red Blog- I have access to the internet so I am publishing on here for now, will transfer later.
Another 3 months went by with out going down the track for me. I have been a million times more patient than I was when the car was being tubbed. Dan has been working 7 days a week, Team Firebird races never end early so there has been no chance of getting done early enough for him to get up at 4 am. Even this weekend Dan had to work Sunday morning, only not til 6 am. So after a case of the jitters Saturday morning, we finally get loaded up and to the track with "Big Red" in her new enclosed trailer. So I feel fine in the car once I drive it up to tech. I don't know why I get nervous, it's like riding a bike or what ever the cliche is. I am the most comfortable I can be when I am sitting in that car, no matter how many changes it has had since I bought her. So time for a time run, I do a good burnout, my fellow racer takes ten hours to stage for some reason. I surprise myself and red light. I guessed it was from the long staging and didn't worry about it until I made pass number two and red light again. This is the last thing I need, I never want to go back to red lighting. I know I have not have seat time but I was not red lighting up until now with the new set up. I was looking forward to the Run the Money to get the red out of my system. No one ever announced we were not having one so once the 2nd runs were over and they called Pro I was a tad bit off guard that they were calling the class. I threw a guessing dial on the car, headed up and ended up at the end of the line. I need to figure out a way to not be in the back all the time. I need to be completely ready for the call sooner for now on. I was surrounded in the rear by the usual suspects-Marconi, Downing, Kerbel and Kadar. The rear of the line is where the bad boys hang out, I certainly don't belong back there, I need to get towards the middle next race! I was directly behind an orange Camaro. He comes back to me to tell me he is broke and for me to go around him. I wait for Marconi to move up and finally back up a little, turn my wheel and head around the Camaro. Just as I am moving forward, the car stops dead in 1st gear. I had no idea what happened. I mess with the shifter, fearing I did something to tranny. I get he car to move in 2nd gear. I move up in line and realize again the car won't move in 1st gear. I realize my tranny brake line is hanging off the steering column, I had accidentally pulled it out when I made the turn to pull around the car. I have had issues with it wrapping around the steering column since we added it. I thought about foot braking but don't want to hurt anything by leaving in 2nd. I turn around and head back to the pits dejected. Dan said the cord was grounding out making it seem like the tranbrake was working in 1st gear. Ugh...2 passes and my night is over, no first round, no time to fix it in time for the open class. Now I have to wait, wait for another chance...but my wait will be a bit less patient. It only takes two passes after 3 months, I need to be in my car, I thrive on it. I just need that release, I don't know how else to describe it.

Since you've been gone

I sure miss blogging when I don't. I have been so uber busy with the beginning of school approaching, I have had little time to breath let along ramble about things I like.... I certainly have been writing, it has become a daily ritual as I am now determined to complete this novel, I am so involved in it, I have to finish it for my sense of satifaction.
So today with a few minutes to spare, here's some things happening with life in the basement of Stauffer.
It is sinking in that The Posies are coming to AZ, I am getting rather emotional about it as it brings back a lot of things for me, I think I will ball through the whole show, so fyi, I may embarass you if you are near me at this show....

It is not sinking in yet about seeing Sloan. I guess I need to start getting my luggage out soon, maybe then I will get excited for my trip. I am psyched but it has been so busy with school, I don't think it will seem real until I am on the plane as it is nothing but busy until then also. Some metal band is opening for them which will make the wait to see them worse! BTE is opening the day prior, why couldn't they be the opener??! I love their new LP btw, candidate for LP of year.

My Cronkite Village babies moved in this week, I almost got emotional during my orientation for them as I have been working on this since last November and now they are finally here. I can tell it will be interesting as there are some characters among them and issues with roommates already. I desparately need The Blaze to run smooth as I suspect the CV kids will be a lot of work. I do know the Blaze is in great hands. If my retreat for them is ever a true indicator, then they will be smooth sailing.

I am supposed to race tomorrow for the Wally race. I say that because each time I think I am going racing, it hasn't happened. Admittedly I gave up last weekend so dan could go riding. This weekend should be fine. I just need seat time as usual. We'll see how it goes but I am excited to get in the car despite the heat. I doubt I will be racing the ET Finals, we'll see. At least I am not the bottom of the points, that would be Dan this year.

Dan has this awesome theory about Rockstar. He thinks Mig is already hired as their singer. I have to say, He is by far the most obvious choice for them as he is such an obvious fit. Dan thinks they built the show around the others to help make some others popular in the midst of the show. Dan thinks it will make a few other stars out of the runner-ups. Andrew Farriss could produce them. I am not sure if I totally believe they could have a fixed TV show as if it were to get out, it would ruin them. I can see some merit in his theory based on the fact that they already got signed. Would a label sign them without knowing who the singer will be? If they pick JD, I would be sorry if I signed them- hahaha!
CFOX is hilarious, they are always screwing up and having their mics on during songs.
So my time is up, gotta go home. Blog on!

Isn't it ironic?

My last entry was titled with a Posies lyric. I'll tell ya, my mind is too far north of the border lately. I never even remotely thought about the possiblity for said band touring for their first new full record in like 8 years. I can not believe it never crossed my mind. I look at Matt Good, Sloan, even GB tour dates weekly...yet my favorite band of all time comes out with a new record and I don't remotely think they may tour for it. I haven't found an up to date Posies site in a while and have long been off their e-list. You had to pull my jaw off the floor when my favorite ZONE jock Albert emailed me with the Pollstar link. I was on the computer, checking out Jon's awesome Cronkite Village logo when Albert sent the email. My computer freezes just as I try to open Albert's link. I call Jon to confirm as I couldn't wait for the long bootup this computer takes. Jon got the brunt of my pre-teen screams although I think I woke Dan up in the process. Even in their acoustic tours a few years back they didn't come here....NOW Not only are they coming here, they are playing Tucson too, on a weekend for my convience. It doesn't even conflict with a Team Firebird race! So in one week I will see Sloan on Sunday then The Posies the following Saturday and Sunday. I am not sure how much more blessed I can get....well there's always Matt but hey, he was last summer's trip! What a surprise for my day off today...The Posies return to AZ. That could be months of blogs if we tried to recount all my Posies experiences. I'll have to go back and re-count how many times I have seen them, somewhere around 16 which isn't bad for someone who doesn't live in their hometown! More soon..for now a fine photo from a long time ago...oddly my old music director Jon L is in the picture and I heard today he is back on the air this weekend in Phoenix. I hope he doesn't think the whole town remembers KQ...although I certainly know there are some...
The picture is from November of 1990, The Posies first show in Phoenix was at Chuy's that night....and then my putt putt girl nickname was born the next day!

Answer to quiz- Who was that? It was Robin Wilson in front of tons of Gin Blossom loving fans! 

Aurora Borealis is right here in our hands

Thanks to Cheryl K for this lovely photo from Labrador. I can't think of any cancon bands from there. ;)
I am in a fantastic mood thanks to my sis in law last night. I decided over the weekend I would bare my soul and let someone read "bay window" so far to see if I was on crack or should keep up this quest. Now I know it would be a tough predicament for her to tell me if it was really bad but I knew she would shoot me straight. She reads novels constantly so I figured she would be the best judge of whether it was even interesting. Plus she was the right person to read it first because she has no background in music or radio. I am tickled to say she told me quote "she was amazed" Now this does not mean I am convinced now it is a best seller, as I am my own worst critic. It just felt good that someone else thought it was interesting. She wanted to talk about it more with me but had not finished reading so she said she wanted to know more soon. Unfortunately I had one of my headaches that didn't allow me to look at the computer screen last night. I have written two new scenes this week. I did a ton of research yesterday on the Halifax area. I also looked at my transcripts from ASU recently and confirmed I only had two 'A' my entire time here, both in Creative Writing. I always found that funny, I never got an A in any of my broadcasting classes.
My girl Tara got eliminated last night on Rockstar INXS. I think they moved one of the shows to VH1, the ratings must not be good. I am more convinced I want to see all of them play with INXS, that will help get a better view of how they would fit in.
I am laughing, BOB is playing "When I'm with you" Sheriff-they played this one at my prom then it had a resurgence years later on KZZP. It made those guys rich when it was re-released. Of course Arnold Lanni of Sheriff went on to Frozen Ghost and then discovering OLP and Finger Eleven. New OLP on Aug 30 btw!
So I am beaming like the nothern lights today and eager to keep writing! Darn work and life keep getting in the way of writing!

Wouldn't it be Good?

You will now find a link to Matt Good's blog on the sidebar. I will gladly add any links to other blogs so feel free to send them my way.
My stomach is all tied up in knots from a meeting I just left so I am hoping BOB will play me something to ease my mind. BOB has been amazing in the last few days, I almost jumped out of my seat when they played "Buzz" from Haywire yesterday. BY the way June 30 photo is Paul MacAusland of said Haywire! I have heard "Sausalito Summer Nights' by Diesel (One of my all time fave songs) along with GT, Spoons, Loverboy, HMS, Strange Advance, Plat... I might as well be in my bedroom on Solano listening to CFYR in 1987. I can not quite explain properly how music soothes and calms me. Last night we had a pretty bad monsoon storm that unnerved me. I have not gotten enough sleep lately as I can't stop writing. Last night I attempted to go to bed earlier and the thunder was literally shaking the bedroom wall. I woke up thinking I was in Nova Scotia-it was crazy. I have been so emerged in my writing, I woke up not sure who I was or where I was-it honestly frightened me. I hae woke up from dreams before believing they are real but this was near out of body experience. Go ahead and think me nutty!
Dan and I had fun watching Rockstar last night. Most of them are stepping it up a notch but it seems pretty apparent who the last 5 will be. (My take- Mig, Jordis, Marty, JD and Ty) I told Dan last night I would be most excited to go see INXS if they came to town with Mig. I have definately decided that he is my choice. Dan thinks that Navarro's purpose is to comment when the singers start actually playing with INXS. That makes good sense. He bet me Jordis will be in the bottom 3 tonight so I am excited I will be $10 richer tomorrow! I was with Tony at Hogi Yogi last week. We ran into some friends of his who were talking about Rockstar, They were saying they watch because they find it hilarious because of Dave Navarro. I have no use for him and could careless what he thinks, these two guys insist he is the comic relief. I don't think that is the producers idea for him. I also now think he is trying too hard to be nice to the contestants while the INXS members are much more earnest. Gary Garry made a comment to Tara about already having a successful music career, I think it indicated her heart was not in it and she made reference to feeling like an outsider. She will probably be gone tonight,my guess is she, Jennifer and Brandon are gone soon. OK there's my rockstar update.

We are the vegetables

Today I was asked if I was a fan of INXS and if I watched Rockstar. How does one answer what type of fan I was of INXS. I simply answered yes, said I met them and that it was important to see who would end up becoming their singer. I stumbled how to answer...
Let's see, I took a day off from school and work one day back in 1988 to see if we could find the hotel they were staying at. Is that a fan or a Felony style Fanatic? The best part of that story is that a writer for the Tribune wrote a story about them and in her article she said what alias she had to call for Jon Farriss. God bless her and her editor for leaving that in the article. We spent hours calling resorts in Phoenix (there are a lot) and finally I hit paydirt, The Arizona Biltmore had the alias staying there and rang his room! We went to the show at Compton Terrace then were wise to leave early, before the show was over and head tot the Biltmore. Without any harassment from the management, we sat in the lobby and waited. Our wait was rewarded. I sat facing the entryway and there was Tim Farriss with some guys walking in. I said "Hi Tim" so calmly Karri V didn't believe I was talking to anyone, she thought I was "practicing" He was a sweetheart, signed a piece of paper I had. Apparently we didn't think to bring stuff to have signed.
I know we saw Hutch and his then girlfriend Joni come in and go to the front desk. I don't recall any of us talking to him but I remember I stood at the desk near him. I think I recall Andrew Farriss having room troubles and was at the front desk also. For some reason we all split up looking for them. Karen and I were near the elevator and around the corner comes Kirk Pengilly. I can't recall what we said to him but Karen reminded me that I was wearing pigtails(?) and he tugged on them both. I recall thinking he was an absolute sweetheart afterwards. After the Biltmore, we saw them around their hotel the next night in Tucson (it's not hard to find any band in Tucson) Further into the Kick tour, Karri V and I drove to Orange County to see them. We lucked out to be staying at the same hotel as the opener Ziggy Marley. We met some of Marley's band and they gave us backstage passes. The passes were not supposed to be for after INXS but KV was not taking no for an answer and she talked us back. It was a celeb fest in the backstage area including Tom Jones. (I have a list somewhere of who all we saw backstage.) We saw most all the INXS boys backstage there except Jon. Later in my INXS fandom, I had a Michael utchence b-day show on my morning show on KUKQ. I was able to do a phone interview with him while they were recording (Welcome to where ever we are) Oh yeah, we also saw Michael in NYC for CMJ, he was promoting MaxQ. Finally I was able to interview Tim for my morning show, I had my choice of which member and of course I chose Timmy! I will have to dig that stuff out sometime. It would have taken all lunch to truly answer if I was an INXS fan.

I got this off some girl on the Sloan board. I have to save it. I will transfer it to my laptop tomorrow


"If it was a date, you first go out with Jay, and ... you would, ah, listen to some records at his house. And then he'd hand you over to me and I'd be good for some laughs and I'd have you eating at some restaurant, basically, 'cause I like to eat. And then you go out with Patrick who's a little more earnest, and you know, he's really honest and make you ... he'll take you out for some drinks. And then Andrew will take you home and screw ya."

Who could this be? 

I was from Canada where the best become unsung

Inspirational photos