Birthday Cake

It was my birthday yesterday. I turned the grand old age of twenty-four. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I quite liked being twenty-three and thought being twenty-four would just feel too old - you know, only a year away from a quarter of a century! - but I haven't actually thought about it. So there you go.

The day before (Monday) I went down to Bristol to see The Deftones. I wasn't a huge fan of theirs before going but their music was okay. Because of traffic jams holding up most of the fans, we ended up being right at the front of the queue so had the pick of the best spot when we got in, which was a stroke of luck. The band were wandering around before the gig, in and out of the venue, sound-checking and eating some foul-smelling food. Jemma told me who each of them was (I only knew what Chino looked like from the videos I'd watched on her DVD) and we watched how the "cool" fans in the pub across the road jumped on their seats to start shouting "Chino" whenever he went past. Hehehe. And we had fun playing the "Awesome" game with the security guards. Once inside, we went to the left-centre, cos dead-centre just would have been insane. I like being squashed up against the fence but I like to be able to breathe at the same time, so dead-centre is never where I go. I hadn't seen a Deftones crowd before so didn't know what to expect. Turns out they're mostly young uni boys and a few girls (not the new style of angsty-girls though). So I ended up holding up a heap of uni boys on my back - now that's something to brag about, huh? Hehehe.


The picture was taken by Jem's friend who was standing to left of us

The gig itself was really good. To be honest, I took my time to get into it. I was more distracted by the pretty-boy behind Jem who had his eyes closed and was waving his arms in the air with a huge grin on his face as if seeing Chino had somehow sent him up towards Heaven. He was funny. About two-thirds through the gig it just suddenly clicked with me and I really got into it. I think it had to do with songs coming on that I knew quite well so I could sing along - plus Chino had been a sweetie throughout the gig and cos he'd recognised us from outside kept singing to us, which I thought was nice. By the end of the gig I was dripping with sweat and bruised pretty much from head to toe.

Ray gave us a lift home and we stopped at the service stations and I was told to close my eyes. When I opened them he and Jem had a cake with candles lit and they sang "Happy Birthday" to me there at midnight in the car. I was allowed a present each off them as well - Jem had bought me two cute socks for my ipod and Ray had bought me click-on headphones cos the in-ear plugs hurt my ears.

The next morning I woken to find my arms hurt too much to even breathe on, someone had scratched down the back of my leg and it had bled during the night, and I had a really funny five-dot bruise on my knee. I was very impressed. I was given the rest of my presents - a book, a few DVD's, a funky bag, Thirteen Sense's album and some money for shoes - and had breakfast in bed. Later that day I bought myself some flat-ish shoes to wear with my skirts, and I had some money left over so I'll probably get some trainers as well. All I did for the rest of the day was eat cake! I also had a few drinks down the pub and Jem got drunk for me.

The next day it was Ray's mother's birthday so I had another day of eating cake. If I haven't put on a heap of weight this month it'll be a miracle. I still have an easter egg left that I haven't been able to eat yet!

I should be going out this weekend to celebrate my birthday properly. But what are you meant to do for your birthday? I never know. The gig the night before felt like the celebration, to be honest. We'll see.

Labels: birthday, deftones, presents

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Gigs, Gigs, Mmmm Gigs

I've just bought tickets to see The Used in Cardiff for May :D



It's been nearly eighteen months since I last saw them - far too long! They're finally back in Wales! I'm taking Ray as well been as I got him into them so badly, plus he's never been to a big gig before so I figured it was a nice way to break him in gently ;) I am so happy now! This week was starting to look like a truly shitty one but at least there's one bit of goodness in it now :)

Oh and it looks as though I am going to the re-scheduled date of the Deftones gig next month. Jem can't find anyone else to go (I have asked her too keep on looking but I'm not holding out much hope) so I don't really have much of a choice. There's a loose plan of maybe dragging Ray along too so at least we can all spend my birthday together but considering it's a weekday and he's got work I can't see that one panning out. We'll wait and see what happens yet.

So who's going to come visit Wales next? Considering the in thing at the moment is to pretend Wales doesn't exist I'm quite surprised I've got The Used coming back - some American's know we're here ;)

Labels: deftones, gigs, ray, the used

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Cancelled Gigs, Shopping & New Layout

Here's the new layout. Halo inspired, of course. I'm still tweaking bits here and there but it's pretty much finished. Does it work on everyone else's computer's cos I'm having a few problems with Blogger cos I'm using a frame?

Sunday I went to Bristol to see The Deftones. I think I mentioned this gig before. It wasn't one I chose, it's one of my sister's; so I wasn't overly excited about it. I really like their "White Pony" album, though, so I was sure I'd enjoy it. But we got to the gig at about 6pm only to find that the show had been postponed due to illness. Bloody great! So we spent the night in the hotel eating chocolate and watching strange TV.

The next day we got to shop in Cardiff on our way home. I bought a new pair of jeans, a pink jumper and a white shirt with pink lines on to go with it. Gorgeous! I'll have to get some pictures of them :) I didn't find any shoes, though, which was what I was meant to be buying. Oops.

I didn't get home 'til about 4:30pm and spent the night slobbed out, resting my aching feet and shoulders. Then this morning Jem told me that the Deftones gig had been re-scheduled to, wait for it, a day before my birthday. I was meant to be spending three days at Ray's then but I have this awful feeling I'll be spending the day of my birthday on a train. Not something I'm looking forward to. Of course if I don't go then I'll be the super bitch who let down my sister when she always goes to gigs with me. No win situation. Why didn't they just re-schedule it for the day before? I'm not impressed - at all.

I'd better go walk Sweepie then. Little stinker missed me while I was gone, bless her, so I've had her in my lap pretty much the entire time I've been home. Aww, it's nice to be loved.

Labels: deftones, gigs, layout, shopping, sweepie

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Reading, Watching, Singing, Inventing

I was strangely excited about the dog-sitting this time. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it was just the thought of some peace and quiet - my house is a little on the crazy side, what with five adults living there all coming and going at all times of the day and night, and a heap of animals who are not quiet and certainly like to make their presence known. Hey, I'm not complaining; I'm just saying it how it is. So some time away is always nice.

I think I've spent most of time reading - at crazy person speed. I finished "Idelwild" yesterday and got straight onto "Edenborn". So far I'm disappointed with the sequel. All the reviews went on how about amazing it was but... I'm not so sure yet. I think the problem is I fell in love with the characters in the first book and in this sequel they're all middle-aged, and when I say "all" there's actually only four of them that you hear about - and only one who you get to read about. I like Halloween. He was dark and moody and typically teenage-angst. He's now nowhere to be found. Unless he's the nutter who wants everyone dead. I guess I just loved the first book so much - it was really, really clever - that the sequel was always going to be a bit of an anti-climax. I hope it saves its own ass by the end. edit: Please don't think I'm dissing Nick Sagan cos I'm not. Proof? I bought the third in the series to read hehehe. Everfree by Nick Sagan. If I'd have known it was a trilogy I wouldn't have got so down on "Edenborn". The second installment of a trilogy is always the weakest of the three. Just the way the world works.

I've managed to squeeze in some TV watching. Of course. I don't have Sky at home so when I come here I make the most of trashy TV. Strangely, I've seen four episodes of "The Simpsons" I've never seen before, which never happens. So that was nice. I also managed to catch some lovely spine-tingling brotherly love between Nick and Arron Carter on the insane "House of Carters". Yes, they're a pair of dopes and, no, I don't really fancy them, and, of course, they are brothers so it makes my thoughts very wrong, but I can't help it. Declarations of love left right and centre, hugs and kisses and all that blonde hair - it always turns my head.

Tonight I'm going to watch Final Fantasy VII. I saw some of it at Ray's before getting distracted so nicked it to watch while I'm here cos it looked quite good. Pretty, if nothing else. I never really got the whole anime thing but I do like pretty things and this film looks very pretty.

The Deftones are playing right now. Jem compiled two CD's for me, which make up the set-list for their future gig in Bristol, which I am attending with her. I like the Deftones in that way where when she plays the albums I don't have to leave the room or start nagging her to turn them off. Chino has a lovely voice. I saw him for the first time the other week - what a cutie, too. Honestly, I'm a little apprehensive about the gig. Cos they're not one of my bands so I don't them that well. Hence why Jem has made me the CD's. She even printed out the words for me cos she knows how sadly I'm into lyrics.

Talking of live shows - I spent two hours yesterday morning trying to buy tickets to see Take That on their new tour in December. Of course, they are quote-unquote "cool" now so every one in Britain wants tickets to see them. The websites crashed, phone lines permanently engaged. It was looking hopeless when they released six new dates - split equally between London and Manchester. So we got tickets for Manchester. Cos we love it up there. And we didn't want to miss out on seeing the boys - men - cos we haven't missed a tour yet. So it should be good. I have to wait 'til next week to find out where my seats are, though. Damn, Seetickets. They're a bit shoddy. But what can you do when Ticketmaster crashes under the strain of it? You'd think they'd be more properly prepared; it's not like anyone is surprised by the demand for the tickets.

There's something in that, you know? I could invent a ticket website that doesn't crash when it's hit on my millions of people. Hmm... I wonder if that could be done...

Labels: books, deftones, dog-sitting, films, gigs, take that, tv

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