Friday, October 1, 2010

Salmon and clothing.

Gahhh.

I just finished watching Jo Rowling's interview on Oprah. I need to meet her, someday, just so I can be one of the thousands of people to tell her how much she's changed my life. It's one of those things that probably wouldn't mean much to her in the grand scheme of things, but saying those words to her would mean everything to me.

---

I wrote that on Friday and never got around to writing anything else about it to make a complete post, so I figured I would leave it at that.

I've been walking around all week with a proverbial red countdown timer over my head, ticking away the minutes until I leave for tour. I leave in twelve hours and my suitcase is only half packed, my to-do list is long, and I've spent more time organizing my shoes and Magic cards than figuring out what I really need to bring on a 3 week trip.

You would think, after traveling as much as I have, going on trips pretty much every months for the better part of the last three years, that I would be awesome at packing by now - but I am just not. I mean, I rarely forget anything, I know the essentials that n00bs leave behind (shaver, deodorant, tweezers, the right amount of stuff to do on the plane) but that frantic last minute scramble to make sure you have everything ready before you leave? It never goes away. Ever. In fact, I almost feel like it gets worse with each passing trip.

And packing for fall tour is so much harder than summer. It was easy, in July. A whole duffel full of shorts, tan ktops, and sandals. Done. But with temperatures ranging from 50 to 70 degrees, chances of rain nearly everywhere - the amount of boots and sweaters I find myself packing is outrageous.

But the good news is, I have the bag with ALL CAPS merch packed and ready to go by my door. That was easy. :)


I've been talking about packing now for well past the accepted limit of interesting-ness, so I am going to switch gears here. Aside from working on the new ALL CAPS album and filming our launch day music videos, I have had a tiny bit of time for good old fashioned recreational fun.

On Saturday I drove out to my home town to see my little brother play trumpet in marching band for the last time (as he is a Senior in high school this year). My parents were feeling a little nostalgic about it, since for the past ten years they've bundled up and dragged their lawn chairs to see either myself or Nick playing our instruments in the parade. It's weird to think they don't need to go anymore, or that if we do go, we'll have no one to clap for (or embarrass, in my case. I think I've yelled "NICK HORNER IS SO CUUUUTE" as he goes by every year he's marched xD).

I didn't stay at the fair very long afterwards, but I did stay long enough to eat a chicken teriyaki skewer, an ear of roasted corn, a scone with raspberry jam AND hum bao. Don't judge me. I walked around with my parents for about an hour and then met up with my friend Austin (whom I went to school with but only really got to know each other lately because of YouTube, haha) and his friend Danielle, and I hung out with them for a little while.

It's funny, but my town is really big on Salmon. We were required to learn about the Salmon cycle in school (I think I've drawn pictures of the egg/alevin/fry/smolt/adult/spawning circle at least 3 times in my life as homework). We call our annual fair "Salmon Days" and we have a Salmon hatchery right in town where you can watch the fish returning up the streams to spawn. We spent a good twenty minutes over at the fish ladders, cheering with the rest of the crowds every time a salmon would make the leap up to another level of the ladder. I also learned that Salmon don't feel pain the way humans do, which I thought was quite interesting. They can have half their face ripped off (which happens often, since they fight against the current for miles) and it only feels like pressure. It also never heals. Poor fish.

Yesterday Ariana and I went shopping for tour and bought a bunch of cute clothes that I am very excited to wear (including a silver sequined fedora that was an impulse buy if I ever saw one). I feel like I can briefly return to the topic of clothes because my entire last paragraph was about Salmon. Right?

I should get back to packing. Here's to tour, and to the new ALL CAPS acoustic album coming out today!

Last google search: '"kicker" mtg'
Chipotle burritos: 20

23 comments:

Azucena Paloma Garza Garza said...

I feel the same way about Jo. Everytime she speaks, I'm in awe. She's truly amazing.

The new ALL CAPS album is so awesome!!! I loved the videos, haha. I especially liked your jogging in "Trainers in love". Cute. xD

And "Real or not real" was beautiful too.

The word "Always" has so much meaning for me now. First Snape. Now Peeta. Sigh.

Rachel said...

I loved the anecdote Jo gave at the end of her interview (about the girl who said that Jo was her childhood). I mean what an apt statement. I thought it was a decent interview (to be honest I'm not too keen on Oprah).

And really, there's that much emphasis on salmon out west? I guess it makes sense, but still that's random. That kind of reminds me of learning all about the American Revolution in school. I mean most of the important pre-war conflict sites (Boston Massacre, Battle of Lexington and Concord, etc) are about an hour drive away from me.

Mairead said...

Jo is so awesome, I don't think I'd be able to say anything if I saw her.

I have to admit that when I first read salmon, I thought slalom as I've been readins Josh Sundquist's biography (which you should if you haven't).

I don't want to be a pest, but are you going to have to cancel the DC show? I know you had to cancel the last one, and I'm losing hope that you'll be able to find somewhere to play on this short notice...

Tass said...

I just want you to know that I want to be you when I grow up. That is all.

Tanna said...

I guess I never thought about how weird it is to non Issaquah...ians(?) (Issaquahites? Issaquahans? Google showed results for all three so now I'm very confused!) that there is such an emphasis on salmon because that's just something I too was taught was just a general subject of study in science class.

I'm really jealous that you got to go to Salmon Days this year though, I haven't gone since college and I too used to be in the parade when I was younger, doing cartwheels for the gymnastics club from which I took lessons. Seems like a right of passage to be in the parade, and to avoid the horse crap haha XD

Brookely90 said...

Yea go your brother!!! I love marching although I don't play an instrument I'm in color guard I just like finding out things that I can relate to.

Andrew Johnson said...

This reminds me alot of Renton River Days but I think that doesn't have to do anything with the salmon in the river.

Crystal's Blog said...

I almost feel that salmon is probably 10x more interesting than corn and prairies, which is what you learn about when you live in Illinois...and I mean the part of the state that exists south of Chicago. I know what you're thinking, and yeah, people live in those parts, too.

Ukulelly said...

Ohhhhh my god, packing is such a nightmare. I have two 'basic packing' lists; one for 2 nights or under and one for more than that, and I find that really helpful; I just go through the list and then I know I've got everything essential and can concentrate on filling the rest of the bag space with bits and bobs.

Can't wait for tour diaries!

appletrain said...

dude, i know exactly what you mean about packing! i can do it in record time now, going between the uk and usa for school so often.. it never gets less painful and i'll always forget ONE really random thing (this semester, perfume, woops) but even though i always have everything i need (and more), i feel like i've done it so often now that it's become too routine, like it's less of a huge fuss and i feel like i've forgotten something major every time. hope not!
have an amazing time on tour :)

Amy said...

Awww I love salmon days! The Seattle area is so fun! Makes me miss home :) I hope that tour goes well- I will see you in Ames!

Crazy Girl said...

My question is when are you posting time and venue for DC? I need to know, otherwise, it'll be challenging to show up. :)

Crazy Girl said...

If you need help finding a venue l may be able to help.

Alex Dahlberry said...

Yay! Good luck getting started on tour, and I realise it's probably pointless to say "have fun!" becuase it's basically impossible for you not to.

One of my most recent, yet legitimate life goals is to be a merch girl for a wizard rock band (and tour with them). That probably won't ever happen, so I could probably settle for touring with any band, for any reason.
but yes.
... do you need a merchgirl? *smiles sweetly*

Also, salmon. That's really random. And kind of awesome?

I love the new All Caps songs/videos, especially Real or Not Real. So so great.

I MAY be able to make it out to the Toronto show on 3RA. We'll see. :)

Sorry for this overly long comment!

<3
-alex

Evie said...

Salmon are awesome! I spent my entire 5th grade year learning about them, raising them in a tank, and releasing them in the river. That was literally all we did that year, because our teacher was having a mid-life crisis, so he was kind of overemotional and couldn't find anything else for us to do. I'm from CT though, and not Seattle, so studying salmon was sort of random to pick.

The ALL CAPS album is really great. "Trainers in Love" has been stuck in my head constantly for the past couple of days. I love it. :)

M3LF4C3 said...

I didn't realize until this particular moment that I know virtually nothing about Salmon. That life cycle went straight over my head. I guess they just don't teach you stuff like that in school when you grow up in a desert.

elig said...

Did you actually live in Seattle when you were younger? Or some other town near it?

Sadie said...

i have a question kristina, whats your response to the two highest rated comments on the "Real or not real" video on your channel?

Shannon Quinn said...

That interview was amazing to watch. I was glued to YouTube until it was completely over. I'm going to forever use her quote from the Harvard speech about failure and trying again. She's such an inspiration.

Tania said...

i hadn't read the blog posts for a few days now and the first thing that i read is that you watched the Jo Rowling's interview and i had just finished watching it..weird..
i love the books,they're like friends of mine-if that makes any sense..
anyway hope you have a great time touring.i wish i could come to one of your shows but unfortunately for me i'm not living in usa..
ps:sorry for the long comment,but it's my first time writing a comment,ever.it'll get better.!

CowFreak5 said...

I'm pretty sure that most schools in western Washington were big on salmon... I remember taking a field trip to see them spawn, and one year we made salmon hats out of foam. :)

SayAnything said...

I'm pretty sure I'm right up there on the number of projects having to do with Salmon. Including the only field trip my 4th grade teacher actually went to (we went on a bunch that year, always with a sub), the Goldbar Salmon hatchery. We went down there, got a bunch of fish eggs and raised them back at the school, pretty interesting the first time around.

Oh, and I'm staring at a 2011 Ford Fiesta and it totally made me think of you, just sayin'.

Hannah said...

In my town, we didn't know a lot about salmon, but we did have TROUT. Our high school mascot was the Redside, a kind of rainbow trout that only lives in the river that runs through the town. And until I actually got into high school, our elementary school counterpart mascot was, wait for it...the Minnows. That's right. Fish bait. Our sports teams played Rangers and Pirates and we were fish bait. Scarred for life.