Kate and Rachel

And next week....the Bearded Lady!!

2008-04-12T12:38:00.004-04:00

So apparently I not only work at a music venue, I work at a freak show. But seriously...after last night's Bodybuilding.com fiasco, I am wondering who is next? The Siamese twins? The Blue Man? The Bearded Lady? Oh wait..she was there last night too. Ba-dum...ching! I think I might have made 4 or 5 bucks last night. Maybe. All I'm saying is...a "show" consisting of tables lining the room with all sorts of free goodies (energy powders, weight gainers, and t-shirts, oh my!), a bikini contest, couple dancers here and there, and of course Mr. Olympia ( who won some sort of bodybuilding contest I guess) doesn't exactly bring in the type of crowd that us servers want. Basically the two groups consisted of either bodybuilders or other gym rats aaand people who like free shit. One group doesn't want any beer, the other doesn't want to pay for anything, doesn't matter what or how cheap if it ain't free. Everyone in there (and the place got packed, more crowded than most shows) was jammed in lines around the merch tables. As more and more people came, they all just jammed around the perimeter of the venue, snatching their water bottles and Ultimate Nutrition Muscle Juice. As I saw one dude tear into his chocolate-y Optimum Protein Diet bar, I knew none of these people would want to buy any food or drinks, god forbid. Somehow this went on for four hours. The bikini contest was pretty entertaining. Sorry, no pics. I was working! "Working." Most of the girls looked pretty good, they weren't huge muscle freaks like the men. But there's something kind of scary looking about near-skeletal girls with huge perky tits and crazy 6-packs. Something kind of...nasty. As for the bodybuilding men...as expected they were huge with grotesque muscles that hindered their ability to walk. Heh. Sadly there was a memorial for one of the dudes that was there last year but not this year because he had a heart attack. At age 27. So my premonition that bodybuilding isn't really that great for you was confirmed. Needless to say...I find it strange and sad that that is what the people show up for around here...sure we don't get all the best bands in the country, but I'll take a bad, whiny band over an evening surrounded by meatheads any day.

Things people like out here. Flavored Shots.

2008-04-08T22:47:00.005-04:00

Flavored Shots. People can NOT get enough of them flavored shots! Its crazy! I saw this first at my short-lived bartending job at a Basque restaurant (owner's meth-head son was not the best dude to work for. He sucks.) This is where I learned about Chili Bombs - a shot composed of Crown Royal and Red bull - as well as Washington Apples (Crown Royal, sour apple pucker, cranberry juice and sprite.) Now the Washington Apples I experienced firsthand because whenever I would get off work at 5 pm, the regulars loved buying me drinks. One dude John loved his Washington Apple shots. One night we sat there and had about 4 while he regaled me with stories about his days as a coke dealer (yikes!) and how he lived with the dude from Built To Spill (who live down the street from me) and the drummer died after getting into John's prescribed pain medications. Those stupid apple shots (that really do taste like a delicious apple) gave me a killer headache. Pretty sure it was that sour pucker. Yuck. Well now working as a cocktail waitress at the Big Easy, I see even more shots. Even though it is served as a full drink I must mention the AMF, standing for Adios Mother Fu$ker, a long island iced tea with blue curacao added! Yum Yum. People love jager bombs, chili bombs, kamikazis, jolly ranchers, howdy doodys, alabama slammers, slippery nipples, apple pies, fu*k the bartenders, red-headed sluts, and so on and so forth. I went out for some drinks the other night with my friend Kaylie and found myself drinking some red shot that tasted like it might have been a jolly rancher, and two blue shots, which were apparently two different blue shots. whoa. Goodbye yesterday's hangover. What kind of shots will tomorrow bring?

Daylight Savings Time

2008-04-07T17:39:00.002-04:00

Hey Kate
Have I mentioned that it already stays light here until almost 9 pm? And apparently come summer the sun stays out til closer to 11 pm!!! Crazy huh? Can't wait.

6 Months Ago Today....

2008-04-05T16:37:00.003-04:00

I moved here on October 5th. After sleeping on the Party room couch in Adam and Casey's Williamsburg apartment for a week I got up to my alarm at 4 am, took a shower, jumped in a cab with all my worldly possessions (mostly clothes and my guitar) and took off for Boise Idaho. I remember in the few months before leaving trying to picture myself on that morning. Would I cry? Would I stay? Would I say "Good riddance New York" to never return?? As you can probably imagine I certainly was filled with a myriad of emotions. Mostly I was calm and ready. Ready for a break from the city, ready to really find out what would happen when AJ and I spent every day together, ready to see trees, ready for there to be a lot less people everywhere, ready to find myself, and find out what exactly I would end up doing with all this time and space on my hands...As the plane took off I felt as if my wings were spreading out for the first time in a long time. I felt more free than I have felt maybe in my whole entire life! I had been to Boise a couple times for a couple days but for the most part it was the unknown to me. Before I left there were many people who understood why I made the decision to move here. There were many many others saying "Iowa?" "Ohio?" "What? Where is that?" "Why are you moving to the midwest?" "What the hell are you going to do there? Grow Potatoes?" "Are you working on a potato farm?" "Bet you'll eat a lot of potatoes.." All somewhat understandable. All of which got old fast. First of all, people in this country do NOT know their geography very well ( I got A+s on all my 6th grade geography quizzes thankyouverymuch). IDAHO is in the NORTHWEST...right next to Oregon, Washington, Montana, Utah, and even Canada! Here is a map:

As you can see, Idaho is next to many states...much closer to California than Kentucky. Or Iowa. Or Ohio. Another thing to set straight. Idaho is the Gem State, not that Potato state. Someone decided years ago that Idaho needed something to be its "thing" and for some reason chose potatoes, a veggie that grows in almost every other state as well as Idaho. Plus gems are a whole lot cooler than potatoes, so I don't know what they were thinking.
The Northwest is pretty great. Full of forests and rivers and mountains. Its beautiful. In the major cities out here, Seattle, Portland, Boise, you'll find almost a perfect mix of outdoor activities with cultural inspiration. Lots of outdoorsy, active people...which also means a lot of hot guys. (Seriously though...all those ladies in NYC wondering where all the hot, artistic, athletic men are..they are HERE.) Boise is still up-and-coming in the culture area..but it is happening. Lots of people from California are moving out here because the real estate is extremely low and its one of the last major cities with such a low population (I think around 250,000 or so?) Anyway, I digress a bit. 6 months. How am I faring? Well..within the first couple of months I already picked up and played my guitar 10 times more than I had in the past 2 years; I've started running again, on awesome trails in the mountains that are a 10 minute walk from my apartment (I'll have to do another post with photos). Finally, I enrolled in a couple classes. The most useful and fun one is my Intro to Audio Production class in which I get to play around with music and people and its just really great. AJ and I are also faring very well. I won't lie, the first couple of months were weird and slightly awkward for us, but now we are in the swing and feeling very happy together. Unfortunately I have found myself being "that girl" who doesn't ever go out because she wants to hang out with her boyfriend..but hey, doesn't really matter here because the "going out scene" is almost nonexistent/not really very fun at all. Alas, I did not move here from New York City for the nightlife. That is fo' sho'. Also, after 4 years apart, I feel like AJ and I deserve a nice chunk of alone time before I get sucked back into whatever it is that I end up doing. Well I guess I feel thats a good little summary for now. I ran outside this morning. Afternoon really. Oh yeah...can't forget to mention that I've been sleeping more than I ever have in my life too. The first couple of months (still?) I couldn't stop. I thought maybe I'm making up for a lot of lost sleep in the big city..I'm pretty sure that was it. At this point I'm the most well-rested person I know. Yay for me!

Midget Wrestling

2008-04-05T13:22:00.004-04:00

So last night at work the show was "Half Pint Brawlers," who apparently now have a TV show on Spike TV (not shocking). Did I mention this exact show happened at The Big Easy maybe 2 months ago (before I started working there)? Guess those little dudes just can't keep their hands off each other..or people in the Northwest love "watching midgets bleed" (that was the tagline of the night which actually was fulfilled). One of my favorite parts was the comic they got to waste time between matches - how else can they spread out about 30 minutes of entertainment into 3 hours? Poor guy whose name I forget..he received what I think that was the worst heckling I've seen in real life. He claimed he would remember the night forever, even if he played Carnegie Hall someday. I felt special to witness that. The crowd booed and chanted "Mid-gets!" whenever he got onstage, then started telling him to flash his wiener or take off his shirt - which by the way he eventually did (just the shirt, no pants). Man, he was a good sport, I'll give him that, even though he wasn't that funny.
Anyway...the main event! By this time most of my customers with tabs had left out of boredom so I could actually watch the show. I know one midget was named Puppet, he fought some hispanic midget wearing leopard spandex. They did the usual jumping on each other and hitting each other over the head with giant cookie sheets. Or maybe they just looked giant compared to the midgets haha. Then you know, started stapling dollar bills to each other using a staplegun and industrial staples. The leopard spandex dude got one in the forehead!! I was actually laughing pretty hard at this point. They proceeded to go start taking jager shots and jumping off the bar. Party! I was home by 10:45 pm. Tonight: the Senior Prom. As in geriatric seniors...should be a late one!

Blood On The Wall

2008-03-28T12:46:00.000-04:00

Saw this band last night at the Masonic Temple. Theyre pretty awesome live. I dont think they have any tour dates- but if they ever come to Boise- you should check it out.

Things that Look like Ducks

2008-03-20T16:55:00.003-04:00

Hey Rachel,

I just found this website

http://www.thispeanutlookslikeaduck.com/

Its all pictures of things that look like ducks. This is my kind of place.

Kate

Shack Attack

2008-03-20T15:42:00.005-04:00

Oh my god.

I actually just read through the recipe. maaahhh.... (drool sound) Im so hungry right now. I have to save myself though. Even though those peas - they call to me, in a primitive way - I need to be supremely starving for my first time at the Shake Shack.

Look at it, cloaked in mysterious light - it beacons. Burger Mecca, Holy French Fry Grail.

Ill let you know how it was, juicy details and all.

Kate

Delicious Easy-to-Make Lunch

2008-03-20T15:24:00.002-04:00

Latest recipe from my favorite recipe mag "Martha Stewart Everyday Food"
Seriously, I find the best recipes in here...which is great considering I'm all domestic lately. Here is why I asked if you like peas:

YUM

Worms=Spring

2008-03-18T17:12:00.002-04:00

I was just thinking about our high jumps off the swingset and the shed recently! I can't remember why.....but I had another childhood memory walking around in the drizzly warm air today. Remember when, growing up in the 'burbs, when it rained in the spring, all the worms would rise up seemingly out of nowhere and chill out on the sidewalks? It happens here too!

Flashback to Mr. P's science class in 4th grade. Class trip to the soccer fields complete with rain/worm dance, stomping around on the ground until hundreds/thousands? of worms rose up out of the ground. that was some pretty trippy stuff...like snake charming or something...

Where the Hell Have I Been?

2008-03-17T21:42:00.009-04:00

Its like, really... where? I don't really know.

The secret reason for this post is about to happen though. So i just saw that Redbull commercial that has all the clips from that contest where people make "flying machines" and man them off a ledge into water. And while Redbull is sort of scary and a little weird in my book, and throwing yourself off a high place only to land haphazardly with large edgy objects is dangerous, i think i want to make one of those flying machines. There are two reasons why.

The first is because of that day when we were like 7 and for some reason developed a serious thirst for risky behavior. Remember the blind bike riding that led face first into a thorny bush? That day. The last thing we did before I went home that day was jump off your swing set with umbrellas and trash bags. I think it would feel something like that.

The second is because remember Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?

By the way, thanks for that picture. We need more hideous pictures of me on the Internet.

You Say It's Your Birthday

2008-03-06T11:34:00.002-05:00

It's my birthday too! Da na na na na naaa na na.
Not really though.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATE!!!
You are 25. Congratulations.

Found this picture somewhere. thought it was very flattering.

Have a wonderful day my friend. And eat some cupcakes, will ya?

New Favorite Drink!

2008-03-05T16:37:00.003-05:00

Kate - you will like this.

VitaminEnergy - Genius!!

Healthier than Red Bull or Rock Star, tastes better too! Yum Yum carbonated vitamin water with caffeine and taurine added! I am drinking a can RIGHT NOW!!

Rachel's Bookshelf

2008-03-04T16:56:00.006-05:00

I'm reading "Proust Was a Neuroscientist" by Jonah Lehrer,

I am liking this book a lot. It doesn't hurt that it is a quick read (I had been reading "Angle of Repose" since about... oh, November and finally finished. Whew!). Especially appealing to me as somebody who is constantly jumping between my interest and natural skills in science and my passion for the arts (maybe as a result of my two separate brain halves which apparently each have their own consciousness) ; this book conjoins the two; actually asking the coming generation to make attempts to fuse these two facets of life even more. The point the book proves is that artists of all kinds (cooks, writers, musicians, etc) foresee scientific discoveries waaay before scientists prove them to be true. So basically I feel pretty justified in "following my bliss" and moving in the music/art direction rather than the chemistry/medical direction. But who knows? Maybe someday I can contribute to both. In a perfect world.

Highly Recommended

What I just finished reading:
"Angle of Repose" by Wallace Stegner

Yet another book that seemed to parallel my very own life. My Dad recommended this Pulitzer-prize winning novel years ago and after many people told me how slow it was it took me a while to finally get around to it. Well I figured that I'd have plenty of time for reading here in Idaho. I was right. I took some profound interest in the main character of the novel, the narrator's grandmother, who was an artist in New York and eventually moves to the West Coast for her husband, even living in Boise, Idaho for a large chunk of time. Hmm.....sound familiar? For anyone who knows me, this is definitely akin to my life as of the past year or so. Big difference is that Susan Ward felt like she was in exile here (well I won't argue that the same isn't true for me sometimes) but I also feel a personal/artistic awakening happening that will keep my memories very positive. Lots of stuff about marriage, sacrifices, love, life, family, blah blah. Great book. If you've got the time, read it.

The Time Has Come

2008-03-01T20:02:00.002-05:00

Dear Kate,

Is the world ready for us? I hope so...cause I am more than ready to rock this blog. After much talk in the past, exchanging of music and art and ideas and sharing our contempt for the fact that so many other blogs are chockful of UNoriginal ideas and music to share...we finally begin Kate and Rachel. The beginning of what could become an empire. One blog post at a time...

Right now I'm wasting a bit of time before I go to my new job cocktailing at the largest music venue in Boise that juuust so happens to have recently been purchased by the very same owners of the Knitting Factory in New York and LA. It's a pretty sweet venue as far as the set-up - reminds me of a larger Bowery Ballroom or Irving Plaza (oh I'm sorry - Fillmore) but unfortunately the bands on the calendar are a bit lacking for the most part. Maybe I can change some things around here, open some ears and some minds. The thing about cities like Boise which lie inland is that it takes a while for new music and fashion to get here. It feels as if the culture is about 2 years behind or so...people just getting excited about the Knife's "Heartbeats" and 80s parties now while I have already lived through it. Nothing like time-travelling to 3 years in the past....

Well onward I go to maneuver my way through throngs of teens and swaying drunks to push more alcohol on them and swindle them out of their cash for tips. And see a free show. Yippeee!!

Later Kate

This is the First Post

2008-02-28T20:18:00.001-05:00

Hey Rachel,

So we've been talking about this for a while, and you might be wondering why I finally did something about it.

Remember when I used to come home, and nine times out of ten I would tell you a story about some absurd situation I had seen on the train or in the street? Well the thing is, where I live now, there's usually no one here when i get home. Often, no one walks through the door before I'm asleep. So these stories go nowhere. They actually completely disappear.

But today, I saw something. It's a pretty good one, and I just needed to tell someone. Then i thought - If Rachel and I had that blog - id totally put it up there.

So without further ado, welcome to KateandRachel dot com, I hope you enjoy your life here, cause this is home baby.

Love,
Kate