DFA 1979, the Royal Mail and the status of my new cold

That’s right bitches...I’ve got a new cold that has been causing fevers, incessant use of Kleenexes and pill popping of paracetmol (UK's own version of Tylenol)to relieve my sinus head. AWESOME!!! FUCKING ACE!!! Now I'm just waiting to get the mumps from M....

The Royal Mail has become my new life saver: as in, it is employing me for random, ridiculous houred shifts that pay in excess of £7 an hour. Translated to Canadia that's about $16 dollars an hour for putting letters into the appropriate Postal Code boxes. Downside is the hours: did one shift on Saturday from 7AM to 5 PM (well they let us off at 3:30 but paid us till 5!!!) and then tonight from, get this: 5PM to 6 AM -- night shift while having a cold -- rock...; and tomorrow from 5PM to 10 PM....

But with a visitor from afar coming (AMC from ND) I need the extra cash on top of just needing the cash to purchase food for consumption and drink for addiction.

And finally, yet another rock star outing for myself and K...went to see DFA 1979 on Saturday with Metric as the openers. Had seen Metric open for the Stills last May and was unimpressed. They were much better this time and the lead singer has Karen O's stage presence in numerous ways.

DFA 1979 were complete and utter asshole dicks...which was awesome. People, for some strange reason, kept jumping on the stage and acting like they belonged there -- for which they were either told to 'get the fuck of the stage asshole' or were pushed off from behind....which I thought was appropriate. Then Sebastian made a comment about how 'I've fucked a lot of Canadians. I've fucked a few of you too. You're not that great. (pause) kidding.' Excellent!

So after the show K and I decided that since it was one of the metric dude's birthday's we should invite them to what she now calls 'the boat show' -- our Saturday indie dance night at le bateau. So we went up to them and started talking -- a little sad because they asked me where my accent was from and I said Saskatchewan and they said they had no idea where to place me -- although they knew I wasn't British...that makes me sad in some ways...

So we talked for a bit about our parent’s professions and the different types of venues they were playing on this tour. Then we said 'well if you're up for it you should come to le bateau tonight'...and they didn't seem all excited so K said 'it's an indie dance club, they play a lot of Morrissey' so then they got excited...so I told them where it was: Le Bateau on Duke Street and they said they'd think about it.

So off K and I went to pick up LJE and M from our flat where one was writing a paper and the other nursing an inflamed testicle (you decide who's who). Changed and went to the club. Hung out, saw the Southport boys and went to the bar to get a drink...when all of a sudden the Metric dudes are like, 'hey, this club is great!'...so we talked to them and their stage man, who was awesome...from Ohio (yay for the state that makes the best USA boys), has worked with Metric (did the Stills tour last year and so we talked about the 9:30 club) and a...so that was great.

Then I went up to Sebastian and said good show and he was a dick. He was talking to some other dude from Metric (I really should look up their names) and we ended up discussing how they could use their rock star status to get blow jobs from the girls at the club, but then I countered that this was the UK and you don't need to be a rockstar to get a blow job...or anything else for that matter...But the conversation was lacking and they were being dicks so I fucked off back to the funness of my friends...K had a good talk with the other dude about immigration laws and how his parents weren't allowed into Canada until after the 1950's...But the Metric peeps were great and they and the sound guy seemed quite impressed with the club, talking about how awesome it was, etc. In fact, they stuck around till the bitter end so that’s a good sign...always need to tell the band where to party because otherwise they go back to their hotel and that just isn't cool...

So that's twice I've convinced a band to come to a club: the Sounds and now Metric -- not the biggest bands but fun times none the less...

So that’s that. Another long post. It keeps me from working on my thesis and we all like that.

Probably be a bit longer till my next post due to the visit and London and the Bravery or Supergrass -- depends on guest list status and ticket status.

Need to sleep before my ass long shift.

Props to M for my 'thanks for taking care of me while I had the mumps' gift: the Best of Human League cd:) Yay!

Warning: Massive Post

Ok so I admit I've been slacking on the posting but its been a bit hectic and a bit frantic.

Term ended Monday, as I've already indicated. On Monday I had to hand it a 1500 word paper (not lots but still), two reflection pieces (one 800 words, one 2000), and a group report that I had to compile (over 12000 words including 12 appendixes). So it was a bit much.

However I did find the time to go out Thursday/Friday/Saturday of the weekend and on Saturday I had the pleasure of talking Rock Star Charles. thats right, K and I went up to him and talked. Well K did the going up to him. Funny how people don't sound like you'd imagine and how they look different up close...he's from York, just finished a graphic design degree at the Liverpool Art School (?) and is here for the summer. We didn't exchange names, thank god, and I told him I'd be calling him Charles. So perhaps our paths will cross again.

Sunday I worked at the footie match in the beer concession stand. The work was decent enough -- I didn't have to flip burgers so thats good, but half of our pumps weren't working properally so the lager often had a good two inches of head on it - which wasn't exactly loved by the peeps. During half time most of our pumps were shot and we had people yelling at us bc it was taking us so long to pour decent pints. I ended up neglecting one guy who patiently waited and finally spoke up to be served. So I apologized profusely and poured him some excellent pints -- to which he gave me close to a £2 tip for, saying 'in america you wouldn't serve these guys would you without expecting at least a £1 tip for each pint'....needless to say everyone at the bar shut up, etc. But whats sucky is that even though my accent got me about £4 in tips, we had a common tip jar and I walked away with £1.30 in tips for four hours of serving. This country is fucking ridiculous...

Tuesday was Alton Towers which was loads of fun. M's mumps acted up a bit but he still rode the rides and just hotflashed/coldflashed while waiting in lines. We waited to ride 'AIR' for a good 45 minutes and were about two turns away from hopping on when the ride broke down. Shitty -- but after about 10 minutes it was back up and running -- is that a good thing? who knows...

Anyways we went on all the big coasters and then we went on the SWINGS (always a favourite of mine), some water rides, some cool room mind-trickery rides and to the haunted house. All in all it was a lot of fun -- and pretty. The grounds are all divided up into little 'land's and seperated by gardens and lots of green lawn so it was nice just walking from one land to another. Not a pavement jungle like Disney.

Now its on to the thesis and job hunt. Tomorrow I get to work for the Royal Post sorting envelopes (yay!) from 7AM!!! That'll be tough as I've got my MBA year end party tonight and LaJuan is in town. But when beggers can't be choosers.

AM arrives on Thursday and I'm very excited, if not apprehensive about the cost of visitors. But fuck it. Sometimes you just need to have fun.

Cold is back with a vengence.

I'm out this post had better satiate any of my two readers for another week or so.

Lyla

Congrats

To M who has become, by default, a university graduate. Riddled by mumps he managed to blag his way out of writing his last EVER final. The head examiner thought it best that he not infect the entire exam writing population and the professor thought it best that M not submit additional course work but will be graded by past efforts. Instead he spent the time infecting all those in the computer lab and the pub. How appropriate.

In the mean time I too have finished my semester and only have a thesis left. Oh and the possibility that in three weeks time I will contract the mumps. Rock on.

Tomorrow Alton towers. After that, who knows?

More to follow when I'm not suffering from post-assignment pint haziness.

Lyla

Elections, Jobs and so many other fun things

Its been a bit of a stressful week, and i've managed to lose my cool on more than one occasion. Fantastic. I've turned into a crying machine and I can't seem to stop it..waterworks are in full force -- and no, you can't blame it on it's that time, etc. It's just a whole lotta stress combining into frustrations.

Interesting experience yesterday was voting. yes thats right, the canadian in liverpool got to vote in the UK election! How crazy is that? I don't know if I committed voter fraud but when the voter registration forms showed up, the question asked was: are you a british citizen or a citizen of the commonwealth? Which I am, and so I got a voter card.

FYI: the brit ballots were much akin to the Canadian ones: five names of candidates, their party symbol and name, and an area to check by each name. Simple, easy. My party, in fine Lyla style, lost. But thats not a shock.

Today has been about hunting for jobs. As in going to agencies and being told, hmmm, we don't have anything that really suits you. I feel useless. I basically have a masters degree but am told I can't work retail. Fuck. I just need cash! This sucks.

Other exciting news in the last week:
Worked at the Liverpool game last Saturday surveying ethnic fans as they went through the turnstile. Best part of this was a) the cash: £28 for 2 hours work and b) that I was put looking out onto the players parking lot. While I didn't know who I saw when I saw them, I now have two new footballing boyfriends to go with my lovely Freddie. I am now a fan of Milan and Djimi...more of Milan though:)

Then on the weekend I had another hollyoaks sighting when i saw the twins (mel and sophie) in downtown liverpool. Today's sightings of not so famous but important personalities have been rock star charles, lips and syd. Not bad for a quick run into town.

Alright -- need to hit another agency before calling it a day.

Oh: and in Dizzee news, a new record label called dirtee stank. Read more here:

Finally, saw the Arcade Fire on Wednesday in Manchester. Met some Canadians in town for the film festival. The band tried their best to overcome what is possibly one of the shoddiest venues I've ever been to but they couldn't do it. I'm happy I saw them but the venue, sound system and crowd (one guy had to tell the rest of us around him about how drunk he was throughout the set) made it a disappointment. Which made me sad. I miss my clubs in DC.