Friday, August 18, 2006

One Day To Go!

Well, here I go. I don't feel ready, or organised, or mentally prepared, but I expect it will all come together. How can I have known about this trip for two years and still not feel ready? Anyone who knows me well can answer that, it is simply the Way of Susie. So i am at least packed and sorted, and the airports are running ok (How bad is this weekend to fly? Not only is there the security alert, but there might be motherfucking snakes on that motherfucking plane!) My flight is at around half 11 tomorrow morning, airtime is 16 hours or so, and I arrive in Portland at 9pm...time travel!!

This last few weeks or so I've been seeing as much of Huddersfield and the people who live in it as I can. I keep attempting to get all misty-eyed over the fact that I won't see these fine places for more than a year- I guess you could call it pre-emptive nostalgia- but it isn't working. I suppose I can't get sentimental about a place I've been staring at for three months (not to mention 21 years). Good to see all my mates before I leave though. Lessee, on Sunday we went to a lock-in at Vox, where we tried everything on the cocktail menu and a hitherto unknown variation on the Jagerbomb called a 'Super Daddy' (so tasty. The recipe is available if you're interested). We had a long chat with the barman about his problem relationship; the bar as a whole decided he had commitment issues.

On Tuesday Nick and I went to see an M.Ward gig in Manchester. M.Ward is an indie singer-songwriter type, coincidentally from Portland. When he said "We come all the way from Portland, Oregon..." I went wooooyeah! which caused people to look at me weird but I felt better. It was a really great show, with a nice variation between quieter acoustic songs and more vigorous tunes with the whole band. The gig was at the Life Cafe- cosy venue but the beer was flat. Oh, and I found out he's called M.Ward because his first name's Matt, not because it was the wing of the mental institution he was incarcerated in or something- a little disappointing.

Also went to see my Dad's museum this week. It's this fascinating turn-of-the-century place that used to be the house of a rich collector chap. It has some modern exhibits and some of the original owner's collections, which seem to be mostly gross stuffed animals. Here is a revolting half-animal half-skeleton, and here is Lauren. (My Dad would kill me over the bad historical description of his museum. And Lauren is going to kill me over the photo.)

So yes, that is what I have been doing this week. Now onto new things!

7 Comments:

Blogger britta said...

M. Ward is playing in Portland itself in, like, a month! We gotta go, and you can make that same wooo! sound and he'll recognize you and think you a freak but be flattered anyway in that kinda "aw shucks" west coast style.

9:39 PM, August 18, 2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I've got a great bone structure.

Wahh!! You've gone! :(

7:30 AM, August 20, 2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Quite a good likeness.

12:17 PM, August 20, 2006  
Blogger susie r said...

Britta- M.Ward. We so need to go see him. He was great last week.
I'm still bummed about Sleater-Kinney. They were playing in Portland recently right? I would have loved to have gone, I saw them in Manchester earlier this year and they rocked the proverbial socks. You must have been there?
I don't know why I'm talking to you online, we are now on the same campus...hurrah!

10:35 PM, August 20, 2006  
Blogger britta said...

Of anyone, I think Sleater-Kinney deserves a big fat O.M.G.

O.M.G. They were good. Last Saturday was their last show before their indefinite hiatus. You missed them by one week. They can really bring it.

But you still have time to see M Ward! I just got my tickets last night. He's playing September 30th at a cute little sit-down theater called the Aladdin. You should get a ticket soon, it'll probably sell out eventually.

And you may be interested in joining us to go see The Gossip too. I dunno when they're playing, but they're real good. And we're trying to decide whether to catch The Decemberists when they come home in mid October. Any thoughts?

Oh, it'll be a real Portland band extravaganza!

3:40 PM, August 21, 2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You saw Sleater-Kinney last year, Susie. At the start of September. In Manchester. GET YOUR DATES RIGHT, WOMMON.

3:19 PM, August 22, 2006  
Blogger susie r said...

Was Sleater-Kinney really last year? It seemed like more recently. It must be because it rocked.
I am eager to see all and any gigs in Portland. Well ok, the good ones. And they all sound good, though I have not heard of The Gossip.

11:47 PM, August 22, 2006  

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