5 posts tagged “entertainment”
I buy weird stupid "luxury" items I don't need. I just do. Okay maybe not the wasteful kind of stupid, like an expensive car or hair extensions. But you know what I mean.
I never really did before, but because I live in a cheap city -- and am not doing too shabby -- I figure get the things I want now while I'm young and can enjoy them. I've been rich and I've been poor, so I'm gonna get mine while I can. As I've discussed before, I have expensive taste and this can be a problem at times since I'm nowhere near loaded. I also am a walking contradiction; I swear like a sailor, but think it rude to not rsvp to a party promptly; I'm very picky about my wine and dinner pairing, but I'll eat a corn dog from the gas station; I don't care if you can see my bra strap, but chipped nail polish I'd be so embarrassed by. You know, little things like that.
So with this I started going over in my head how I balance the lowbrow with the highbrow. You know with $4 gas and a recession and all. Those little sacrifices, the choices I make in order to be fabulous, while somewhat embracing the ornery side of life. Here are just some examples:
Coffee: I was going for the fancy stuff for a long time, flavored and all. I'd go to the Westside Market to get my banana nut flavor (Mondays it is $3 off a pound you know) or I'd breakdown and buy the burnt-to-shit Starbucks stuff since there's one by my place. Guess what baby, I'm all about Eight O'Clock now! Actually I started off with Eight O'Clock but thought I could do better. I'll be honest, this stuff tastes the same as any other burnt-ass Starbucks shit you get...
Underwear: Yeah I did the Hanes four-packs and the cheapo crap they have a Target (Merona might work for the boys but not for me). Guess what? Even washing by hand they still wear out faster than they should. So my little luxury is buying the stuff that lasts and doesn't give me itchy-butt syndrome -- who else but Calvin?
Household Cleanser: Kaboom is shit. Trader Joe's all-natural is shit. Soft Scrub is shit. CLR works great on grody fixtures but should be used sparingly. No honey, there's one cleanser that works better than all of these and you probably have it sitting there doing nothing...
Be sure to get rid of your gross sponges. Dish cloths work fine and you can reuse them after running them through the wash. Gotta clean the glass on your mirrors and windows? Use newspaper, not paper towels, it is actually better.
Alcohol: This is one area you shouldn't skimp on if you don't want to be ill. Guinness is my mainstay besides an assortment of microbrews. I always keep champagne on hand too, I prefer it to any white wine really. While Trader Joe's does have some cheap choices, I prefer this Spanish one...
I know I know, technically it has to be of France in order to be called Champagne, but I find them too bitter. Of course when I'm tight on cash, here in Cleveland, we have an assortment of cheap watering holes. Fridays are $1 drinks for the ladies at 5 O'Clock Lounge and I'm a fan of happy hour $5 martinis at Pier W when you're not in a slumming mood and want to feel fabulous -- but for God's sake don't eat there or you'll feel broke and hungry!
Beauty: Now here I do mix the high and the low. I do get facials, and I do buy fancy shampoo from Aveda, I do get Frederik Fekkai hair cream, I do get fancy perfume (especially after my Victoria Beckham fiasco!) but to off-set this I went back to using a face cream that I don't know why I stopped in the first place. Maybe again, I thought I could do better. Listen ladies, unless you can afford La Mer -- which is amazing from the samples I've tried -- pretty much everything is the same no matter what anyone tells you. So do yourself a favor and just grab a tub of this baby...
might I also add that this is great for zits and stuff too...
Yeah! All you need now are some old-timey hair rollers and a shower cap and you're set! Screw Mac, screw Nars, screw Estee Lauder, I can tell you that Sonia's line for Target is as good as any. And yes Vaseline is awesome. Baby oil is awesome. Witch Hazel is awesome. Castor oil is awesome. Gold Bond is awesome. Learn 'em and use 'em.
Entertainment: I don't have cable, don't need it. I get Netflix because at least I can choose the shows I want to watch. I can also get full episodes of shows on the web for free the day after they air. I have a cell phone I pre-pay for because I hate cellphones and only use it when traveling, I don't pay for voicemail, because I don't want you to leave me messages on it or call me on it period. Going to the movies sucks these days; after the woman who did the running commentary next to me killed the suspense in No Country For Old Men, I prefer to just got out with friends and drink at cheap watering holes or to people's houses and movies together. I won't go to a concert if tickets are more than $22, it's just my own rule because I know how fast it can escalate when drinks and buying merch are thrown in. Art shows are free, and they have booze and food for free. Dance clubs are stupid, stupid for people like me because I'm too old, married and jaded to go to them. If you have a friend who is a private investigator, cab driver, or a tow truck driver; go on a ride and get some free hilarious entertainment better than any comedy club..
Travel: Traveling to San Francisco last December was an extravagance I normally don't get to do, so for the remainder of all my "vacations" I like to go on the cheap where no one else goes, or if they do, they're retired folks in RVs. I consider it getting to know America, and you should try it. You've probably seen my little travels where I could afford them here and here . This year we had originally planned a big trip to Kentucky...yes Kentucky because it's awesome! We were gonna do this and this, but alas the fundage wasn't to be. I'll be staying at the most awesome porn set of a motel outside Chicago this month since I couldn't afford to be in city -- but I think it looks neat in a creepy way! Since Kentucky is out, this summer we're going to Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. Yes our home state of Michigan. So if you want a cheap vacation without a headache from tropical drinks, go ahead and hit some of the breweries we plan on hitting. Also why not go cheeseball instead of Club Med, who doesn't want to stay in a themed room hotel in Kentucky? Or a super retro cheap beach town in New Jersey? If you can drive, do it, because flying bites. Also, Travelodge motels are awesome no matter where you are.
Shoes: I can tell when I got a cheap pair of crap; they fall apart, are uncomfortable or look okay at a distance and then up close you can tell they kinda suck. I have one pair of shoes from Target, I bought them for work because at the time my company had a very un-stylish lot and I figured blend in. But no more! That's one thing I won't skimp on are my shoes. Neither will my husband, he has more than me, but his excuse is that as a runner he must swap them out in order not to get injured. Sure I never wear my fancy ones because I'm scared of ruining them, and sure my leopard heels are too high and yank at my foot arch -- I don't care, because everyone points and says "oooh I love your shoes!". I have an arsenal. I don't think anyone has ever seen it really. After a dream I had, I'm buying these lovelies today. I think shoes over a certain price is just stupid, it is a matter of pride sometimes dammit. While I'm sort of peeved at Prada for making $400 shoes that crack and don't hold up well to everyday use (luckily I got them at half-price), I do love Kenneth Cole, Charles David, Stuart Weitzman, Ralph Lauren and even unknowns like Arturo Chang. Husband will be getting the last of these before they get discontinued...
and I just got these puppies...
I needed them after all, I have three dresses hanging in my closet and have been waiting years to get the right thing to go with them. Art takes time you know. And to offset these purchases? No going out all week, and when I do go out, it will be for a $1 beer on Friday.
Can I tell you a bit about how much I love early Bob Seger? You know, back when he was good, before that Night Moves crap and the truck commercials that play "Like A Rock" all the damn time?
No? Well tough because you're gonna hear about it anyways. Because really, before the bad stuff you had this...
Is that not the coolest drum kit? Yes. It is.
I was so happy when I friend of mine made a mix of early stuff from the days Bob Seger just played keyboards in Doug Brown and the Omens, to The Beach Bums, and then my favorite Bob Seger and the Last Heard (pictured above).
The Beach Bums became known due to the funny song "Ballad of the Yellow Beret" which announces itself as a protest against protesters and has lyrics such as,
Men who faint at the sight of blood
Their high heeled boots weren't meant for mud
The draft board will hear their sob stories today
Only the best the yellow beret
Interesting how he went from bashing hippy protesters to songs like "2+2 =?" which is a total anti-Vietnam song.
I always liked The Bob Seger System, but damn it if The Last Heard isn't so awesome with stuff like "Heavy Music" and "East Side Story". And look, some wonderful person made a Last Heard MySpace tribute page for them: http://www.myspace.com/bobsegerthelastheard
Well here's a few videos for you. Ah, makes me wanna head home to Michigan and crack open a Stroh's.
Odd happenings going on here at Casa Vendetta:
My cat won't stop humping his plush monkey doll. He does it twice daily now. He is neutered, and I don't think that is normal for a cat to be such a sex addict when they are neutered. He makes a very loud weird purring noise when he does it and doesn't care if people watch him. He is a deviant! Dogs I can understand, cats, not so much.
My next door neighbor was just taken away in handcuffs by the FBI. They asked my husband to identify her, and there were lots of them in our hallway for quite a while. I never liked that woman. I knew there was something not right about her and thus avoided talking to her. Especially when I found out she was going door-to-door borrowing money from the elderly tenants to buy cigarettes. FBI means serious shit, I wonder what she did.
Due to boredom and too much coffee, I now play a little game when out interacting with the public. Especially when a stranger talks to me for no reason, and I really didn't care to talk to anyone in the first place whilst running errands. I call this game "most ignorant woman" where I lately have just said the stupidest stuff to strangers to see what their reaction will be -- all while trying not to laugh. I don't plan, I just roll with the conversation, and some pretty funny facials expressions have come out of it. For instance, the other day I'm in a check out line softly singing the horrible "Crumbelievable" song from the Kraft cheese commercial. I know it is based off the EMF song "Unbelievable", I went and saw them play with Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine once! I don't know why I did this, it was so mean, but I guess I just wanted to see what would happen:
Woman in checkout: Oh I used to love that EMF song
Me: huh, oh no I think it is a Kraft cheese song
Woman: um, well yeah but it was based off the song by EMF
Me: EMF?
Woman: Yeah (her facial expression was priceless)
Me: Wait, I think you mean that band REM, and I know they never did a cheese commercial
Woman: No, ugh, wait, no that band EMF don't you know?!
Me: (in irritated valley girl voice) Like, I have no idea what you are saying to me right now (and proceeded to pay for my things).
I'm sure she's told her friends all about it. I just had fun annoying her with my supposed stupidity. So then yesterday, I didn't mean for this to happen, but it was just so easy. It was MLK Day and I went to the post office to get mail from my PO box. The actual office part was closed for the holiday of course. As I walk out with my mail, and guy walks in and states,
Man: Oh boy, I forgot that it was Martin Luther King day
Me: Who?
Man: (with the most dumbfounded look) Martin Luther King Jr.
Me: Oh yeah, I forgot they have holidays for those moon astronauts now. (and I continued walking out).
That man stared at me through the window as if I were the dumbest gal on earth. It was hilarious.
I've started a series of low priced paintings, here is the first of it...
"Winter Wind, 11x14" price: $150.00 Sold.
Basically, I ordered a bunch of art board from a website and it was not what I was expecting. Not only does it turn oil paint into acrylic on contact, it is just difficult to use overall. Rather than waste a bunch of art board, I decided to do a series of quick paintings I could get done in a few days with no planning and just, you know, off the cuff so to speak.
Please email me if you are interested in owning this pretty gal.
So I went and saw the Anton Corbijn movie "Control" based off the book, written by Joy Division singer Ian Curtis' widow. Everyone I know who read the book kinda was "meh" about it; I just went because I like Anton Corbijn, I had nothing else to do, it was my friend's birthday, and I had never been to the art school campus theater here in Cleveburgh.
It was very well filmed, despite the subject matter it had quite a few laughs in it, and I give the casting people credit for being able to find actors that look enough like the real people. Other than that...I found myself getting bored, a lot. The most interesting things are the riots at shows and the band manager Rob (he's quite a character in 24 Hour Party People as well). I know the movie was supposed to be centered on Ian Curtis' private life; what a nutty jerk he could be to his wife and daughter and why he probably killed himself. But I really, wanted to see more band related stuff. I guess his wife wasn't around for most of that.
I'm actually more interested to hear what his daughter thinks of all of this. She was born the same year as me, and it must be odd having a movie and books written about a parent you hardly knew. That there's a whole cult following and maybe you are expected to have some insight and be a certain way; must be strange having your dad be the godfather of goth! And yes throughout the movie my friends and I were making jokes about the birth of emo.
I guess the only thing that irritated me was the theater itself. I had never been to this particular art house theater -- it reminded me of why I don't go to both music gigs or regular theaters anymore. My god, as hubby said, "this is the hipster retirement home". I never knew so many people in Cleveland wore berets. The smug was outstanding, the seats uncomfortable, it smelled, and it just overall annoyed me. I thought I'd go out and try to be social, but wow, I much prefer sitting at home to watch movies. One of these days I'd like to get a big 'ole home theater built in my home -- that is the only way to go.
My verdict: a pretty good movie despite the many 'blah' moments. What I really would like to see is a film about Guns 'n' Roses -- now that would be entertainment!
