Just for Fun

You Are Gonzo the Great

"Is something burning in here? Oh, it's just me." You're a total nutball who will do anything for attention. The first to take a dare, you'll pull almost any stunt. You're one weird looking creature, but your chickens don't mind!

The Muppet Personality Test

From the Black Notebook of Doom vol. 1

Cleo

Green.
He said Tuesday's Green and it saved my life
He said Summer's dead
But she's moving many directions

There's a secret here
Hidden in calculations
When it's perfectly clear
You'll leave me hanging

What a selfish beast I am, I thought
Am I mistaken
But it's a selfish kind of day
He said the season's changed
And he's looking for any suggestions

There's a secret here
Hidden in calculations
When it's perfectly clear
You'll leave me hanging

What's Cleo got that I ain't got
Your hands are shaking
What's Cleo got that I ain't got
I think my mind is racing
While she
Follows Me.

To the Searchlight Market
For a magic bag
Like it's a mission from God
He said the futures clear
What he's lacking is merely conviction

There's a secret here
Hidden in calculations
When it's perfectly clear
You'll leave me hanging

So what's Cleo got that I ain't got
My hands are shaking
What's Cleo got that I ain't got
I guess the tides are changing
While she
Follows Me.

copyright 2005 Kat Downs

questions, comments ~~ blog[at]katdowns[dot]com ~~

We Be on TV

We go in Tuesday from 4-6 to record our session for San Francisco Sound on Comcast cable channel 11.

Totally appropriate, I have a horrible cold and my allergies are killing me! Yay!! Tonights rehearsal was rough- vocally speaking. I am totally confident that I can pull it together by Tuesday though, or at least I hope I can. If not, all I can do is pray that the adrenaline and fear kick in to save me.

We have a set of 6 songs prepared- the best songs we have and we are ready to head into the studio and lay down a killer performance. I'm excited for this oppertunity, as is the rest of the band. All the strings that had to be pulled with the day-jobbers to get out early and get to this gig.

Coming home from rehearsal tonight took a bit longer because of some medical emergency on the BART. Thank goodness I had a good book and some edemame in my purse. Yes- I had edemame in my purse. Laugh all you want- I'm not hungry, am I?

Anyway, walking through this neighborhood at night is always a trip. There are always a lot of people around. Nightime people of course. There is some unofficial street people market about a block and a half down from where I live- at all hours there are people with wears spread out on the sidewalk- one "salesperson" right next to another. Usually on a blanket of some sort- dirty clothes for sale, nicely folded. Odd assortments of things. Today one guy was selling one pair of childrens shoes, a single tarnished silver candlestick, and a bag of bagels.

They gather their stuff up an pretend they are leaving when the cops drive by- I have no idea why. Apparently that sort of thing isn't allowed. One time I saw a cop standing on the sidewalk waiting for everyone to pack up and disperse. They were back five minutes after he left though.

As freaky as it sounds, I'm starting to find comfort in that random crowd of miscreants. Maybe because I know when I hit that crowd I'm only a block from home. Maybe because they recognize me at this point and leave me alone. (Being the only blonde around here, I'm hard to miss) There's something strangely poetic about it that I just can't put my finger on yet.

Don't worry- I'll figure it out.

The piano is here now. It fits in my new place like it was meant to be here. Of course, I'm still rearranging all the other stuff that had to come here as well. Plus then I got horribly ill, and energy for cleaning and re-arranging is just no where to be found. I played it today for the first time- it's been here since Saturday and I just couldn't play it. It looks beautiful there...but...I guess I just needed time to adjust. Just to let it settle in. This is all there is now. This is my place. And everything is here.

I digress....

We're going to be on TV- did I mention that earlier? I'm pretty sure I did. I'll let you all know when the air date is.

You bet I will.

~~questions, comments - blog[at]katdowns[dot]com ~~

Hands Off My Pinot

I need to vent for a moment about my squatter.

I moved into my new apartment at the beginning of February. On the 13th a close friend of mine got kicked out of his apartment and I was super-nice enough to let him come and crash with me until he found a new place. I can understand needing time to get your stuff in order. Lord knows I do.

But here we are a month and a half later- and yes, he's been trying. And yes, he found another place to crash so will be out of here today or tomorrow, but this morning was the final straw.


He works a late shift- gets home around 3:30 or 4 am. Usually when he comes home he has a few drinks and listens to some tunes before he goes to bed. That's fine, I can live with that.

But this evening- we were out of wine. I know, because I wanted a glass myself- but when I looked at the wine rack I realized I only had my two bottles I was saving left. There was no way I was going to bust into one of those bad boys- so I passed on the wine and had some chocolate ice cream instead.

When he got home, I woke up. I had to use the bathroom, and as I walked past him I noticed he was drinking a glass of wine- and I thought to myself- cool! Maybe he brought a few bottles home or something. I walk into the kitchen to discover not a new bottle of wine- but that he had opened one of my bottles I was saving for special. My beautiful Bernardus 2001 Pinot Noir that I bought in Carmel.

I
Was
LIVID

That was a memory wine. One that you buy on a special trip or occasion- and a few years into the future after it ages a bit more you open that bottle, you sit back, and you remember exactly where you were when you bought it. You remember the good times- and you sip and you think - ahhhh.

Well, not any more. GONE. Not only had he opened the bottle. He drank 3/4 of it. It was almost gone by the time I even noticed.

We had words.

So this goes out to you:

Darlin, it's been fun. But that was the last freaking straw. I was good enough to take you in when you had nowhere else to go. I took you in when I needed my own space, when I have been going through all my own crap and dealing with the universe hitting me with everything it's got. I put up with the late nights- the way you coming home in the middle of the night messes with my sleep schedule, the way you drink all my booze and eat all my food. I appreciate you cooking, and cleaning out the litter box for me.

But for the love of God and all that is holy-

Keep your hands off my Pinot.

You're outta here.

~~questions, comments - blog[at]katdowns[dot]com ~~

Tidbits With No Real Direction

I've been told that I don't blog enough- so for the three of you that read this all the time-

--this one's for you.--

I don't really have anything interesting to say, so this is just a collection of strange things that have happened to me in the past few weeks.

~It has rained everyday for the past 27 days. Not all day-everyday, but at least once a day. The sun actually came out for a bit on Saturday after it rained in the morning, but then it rained again yesterday and today. Tomorrow we are supposed to have a day off (I don't believe it) but then two more weeks of rain. Lots of rain. Gads of rain. So much rain that everything is perpetually wet. Your jacket, your pants, your bag...wet. Hair? Wet. Shoes? Wet. Groceries? Wet.

Wet
Wet
Wet

Some strange guy with a muti-colored umbrella stopped me on the street the other day and said "Did you know that we haven't had this much rain since right before the big earthquake?"

Great.

~ I was waiting for the bus to get to a rehearsal when random guy walks up and starts talking to me. He complains about how everything is wet. I can tell he's homeless, but he doesn't seem to be on the drugs, so I don't mind talking to him. (i hate talking to people on the drugs) He asks me if I'm coming home from work- I say no, this is my two weeks off and we get to talking about my day job and what I do. I tell him the God's honest truth- I'm a telemarketer (insert boo's and hisses here) He asks me how long I've been doing it, I say 3 years. He asks me if I like it. Before he even finishes pronouncing the last sylable I say NO. He says, really? You know a lot of people don't have jobs. I say that i realize that and I'm thankful for my job and I'm good at it, but no, I don't like it.

I realize that I'm complaining to a homeless guy about my job. Nice Kat, real nice. Not one of my most high quality moments.

~ I had to get rid of my music studio. It was getting too expensive and I just wasn't making it over there enough for it to be worthwhile anymore. I'm very sad about it, but at the same time I'm looking forward to my apartment becoming a music studio with a bed in it. Literally. Having my piano in here is going to take up the last of my free space. I'm hoping it will fit in the one free spot on the wall, or it's going to be in the middle of the floor. Good thing K. talked me out of bringing in that table and chairs when I moved in here. Table and chairs- what was I thinking? What the hell would I ever use those for?

~ Had an amazingly violent week about two weeks ago. In a 7 day period I was present for a shooting (not in my neighborhood. People in my neighborhood can't afford guns) I witnessed a woman being assaulted, was present for the aftermath of a huge fire, and a massive demonstration. Suprisingly enough I never felt like I was in danger or being warned. It was more like this stuff was happening around me and I was simply an observer. I had no trouble sleeping- had no nightmares. It was a little strange being interviewed by a homicide detective, but since I didn't see anything all that helpful anyway when I was finished it was kinda over and done. My therapist said I had seen more of the "dark side of the universe" in one week than most people see in their entire lives. My take? Hey Universe- got it. Moving on....

~ I'm an Aunt again. Welcome Aubrey Adeline!! Born today actually. That's my newest bit of news. Yay!! Babies are great! Especially when they aren't mine!! Congrats to the new parents!!

~ The Contra Costa Songwriters Project has released it's first CD. I am honored to be featured. Not to lay out the street lingo too heavy (but I do live in the ghetto now, so it's technically acceptable) Total Props go out to my girl Ange for a job well done. The cd is fantastic! The art is incredible, the artist lineup is to die for, and the song order just plays like it was born that way. Great job Ange!!! Thanks for all your hard work. All y'all should pick up one of these disks- check it out at http://www.ccsongs.com

~Working on a new song with the band- and a new band page for the website, and a logo for the band with the new name. Lots of working. We're getting there!

~ I'm honestly asking for ideas about blogs. I'd write a lot more often if people actually asked me stuff. :) So don't be shy.

questions, comments: blog[at}katdowns{dot}com