convos with strangers

conversations with strangers #42

strangers? why i’m talking to them.

as i rolled down my window, the parking lot attendant leaned out his.

him: that’ll be $20.

me: *reaches for purse*

him: oh, you look just like that actress. you know the one.

me: *thinks to self, here we go.*

him: the one from my SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND.

me: *thinks to self, that’s the movie he’s referencing?* and KILL BILL.

him: yes! what’s her name?

me: uma thurman.

him: YES! you look just like her.

R: *leans over from passenger side* she is uma thurman. can we get comped?

him: *laughs* nice try, but sorry, no.

me: *thinks to self if i was uma thurman, i’d certainly not bat an eyelash at a $20 parking charge. heck, i wouldn’t have to pay it because i wouldn’t be driving. i’d have a driver.*

R: *to me* ab, i got this. i have a declining balance with you. *to man* do you take credit cards?

him: yes.

*as he ran the credit card, i turned to R*: i’ve always thought uma thurman was really weird looking. i kind of hate that’s who everyone tells me i look like.

R: you definitely have similar features to her though. blonde hair.

me: a lot of people have blonde hair.

R: it’s your cheekbones.

me: she’s weird looking!

R: i agree. she is a little weird.

me: it’s equivalent of someone telling me i look like tori spelling.

R: NO. no. no. totally not the same thing. no.

him: here’s your card. the receipt’s on the bottom and the orange ticket on top needs to go on your dashboard.

me: got it, thanks.

and with that, we took our non-famous selves to our non-glamorous parking spot, but just then, we realized the other parking attendant had waited to make sure we had proper directions on how to get into the DCU center to see carrie underwood.

his kindness made us feel a bit like royalty.

in other news, why can’t someone tell me i look like carrie underwood? i’d consider that a compliment.

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convos with strangers

conversations with strangers #3

to refresh your memory about why i’m talking with strangers, here’s the deal.

i was beebopping as guster sang song after song. brian was jamming on the bongos. adam was strumming his gee-tar. luke (i think that’s the new guy’s name) was enjoying the crowd. and ryan was wailing when SPLASH. something cold and wet landed my arm. i half turned and saw a guy a near me flinch as well. i semi-smiled to let him know that “eww” i was hit too. apparently my smile didn’t translate in the darkened room.

“it wasn’t me,” the guy said.

i turned fully and smiled bigger. “oh, i know.”

“it’s just beer.”

“as long as that’s all it is.”

we cringed and laughed weakly, as i wiped the last drops off my arm and focused my attention back on the stage.

general

note to self

i was at the weepies concert on sunday. while listening to them (and the opener, greg tannen) the lyrics sparked some area of my brain stem (or something scientific like that).

“GHU.”

“there’s something about october.”

“why don’t you break me like a stone?”

those make complete sense to me, which is good because often my grocery list makes me go HUH? i guess the creative mind works a bit differently than the logical, analytical, errand running mind.

do you write cryptic notes to yourself? can you always decipher them? or does it put a strain on your membrane?

feelings

reason #32 to stay up past your bedtime

GUSTER.

they are one of those bands that blow you away EVERY SINGLE TIME you see them live. and i’ve seen them more times than i can count. they just have this charisma on stage that doesn’t translate to CD. they truly enjoy their fans and that, in turn, makes it even more fun to see them over and over.

and you know what makes a guster concert EVEN MORE FUN than usual? going with two friends, one of whom doesn’t know he’s going.

i’m normally a professional sekrit keeper. i never even let on that i know any information, let alone do the “i know something you don’t know” song and dance. and up until yesterday, this was no exception. in fact, the fall has been going so fast (seriously, we’re only 2 days away from november? huminah, what?) that the guster concert snuck up on me. (read: i forgot about it) but it worked out supremely well because i saw L&N last weekend, and that could have been prime sekrit slipping time.

but nope. N had no clue what L and i were planning. in fact, N didn’t even know i was joining in on the festivities until he saw my sweet ride (shocks. pegs. LUCKY.) driving into the parking lot. i was so excited (and admittedly, a bit hopped up on sugar free red bull) that as i waved hello, slid into the car and heard my phone’s google calendar event reminder, i grabbed my phone, waved it around, and yelled, “GUSTER CONCERT!!!!!!!”

*crickets chirping*

N grinned, but looked over at wifey L to see if he was allowed to know the details of tonight’s event. L sputtered, “but he didn’t know yet.”

oops.

and just like that, i was given the pink slip out of the professional ranks of sekrit keeping.

fortunately, we were now able to have N (a portland, ME local) drive us to a good restaurant and then find us street parking without us having to throw him off the scent. or having to have L drive and me navigate. (we all know what happens when i’m in charge of directions…) and fortunately, the release of the sekrit didn’t detonate any fireworks or tempers or contracts on my life. and seeing guster live (again) was as amazing as we were anticipating. those boys sure put in a lot of practice and it shows in the show. the lights. the sounds. the talking to the audience. brian singing the “50 states” song. the new songs. the old songs. it’s all genius.

i wanted to SHARE some guster with you, but i couldn’t find a proper video of them live (not that it would have done them any justice because a video of them live doesn’t equate to actually being in the same room with them), so instead, here’s a little acoustical lullabye.

you’re welcome.

and next time they’re at a venue near you, stock up on red bull, caffeine, and wave goodbye to your pillow. trust me, it’s worth the lost beauty sleep.

 

oops.

general

musical interlude

i interrupt this broadcast to share with you the musical stylings of MUMFORD & SONS. i think you know why i’m sharing this music with you, dear readers. it’s because they share a name with me. i’m not sure if we’re related or if this is what G and his sons will look like all growed up…. but either way, i’m enjoying the music and thought you should too.

side note, if i’m not related to the lead singer of this band who has the same last name as me, would it be weird if i married him and moved to london and became abby mumford mumford?

Little Lion Man

Winter Winds

The Cave

ENJOY and thanks to B for bringing this music to my attention.