But...but... we've got immunity...?

I think it was the December of 2003 that we went camping for New Years, somewhere out near Tathra. As a glaring reflection of the pop culture at that time, an unintentional game of Survivor played out. I was in Team Shakira. Team Aguilera didn’t stand a chance. Carly’s Mum had thoughtfully provided the immunity: a hideously ugly belt made of seeds and shells, a gift from a recent trip to Thailand. At the end of the trip, we decided there was no more worthy recipient of the immunity than Mr Bump, Carly’s car. He had taken quite a beating traversing the dirt trails and ditches, and done a stellar job of getting us back out again. Despite his age, Mr Bump delivered us many hours of carefree motoring.

Last month, Mr Bump succumbed to the great big scrapheap in the sky. Yesterday, we received the immunity belt in the mail. Thanks Carly-le!

There has been a whole lot of stuff going on with Crunk that I have not blogged about. At this point, I’d like to say “one of which times ended up like this” and insert a picture, but technology is not my bitch and the photo in question will have to remain on my tantrum-throwing phone (sooo getting an iPhone for Christmas). Let’s just say that the roadside scenery 55km south of Canberra is lovely at this time of year.

Immunity has found a new home with Crunk, and I am placing what I know is a farcical amount of faith in it. I attempted to drive the car back from choir practice yesterday, but an unfamiliar car, in the dark and hilly backstreets of Petersham, is not a good combination for someone who has pretty much forgotten everything she has learnt. Then we saw that it was leaking something.

I hate you, car.

In other news, the choir are singing at Leichhardt Community Church (cnr Lord and Foster Sts) at 7pm-ish this Saturday 18th December with some other acts. Now, for anyone scared of walking into a church, don’t panic. Apparently there were drag queens performing last year. So I think you’ll be ok. Besides, we’re not half bad, so if you’re interested please come along! Plus I just found out that that the show is also a fundraiser (as with all things choir, the details were classically vague but I’m sure it was for a good cause), so in your face, challenge Number #2!

Kitty, I'm A Train Wreck

Two videos in as many days? I know. It's utter madness. And I also did laundry, bought groceries, played Wii, spent a ridiculous amount of time fiddling with speakers and amplifiers just so I could get disgruntled at my lack of synthesizer skills, accidentally terrified a cat, and momentarily became entranced by the pounding bass emanating through the ceiling.

"Kitty, I'm a train wreck" is a lyric I've had floating about in my repertoire for a while, waiting for an appropriate place to live. I tend to find that my own stuff is slightly darker than the material we write collaboratively in Dusker, and I'm also not a guitar genius like Jacob, so the songs always start from a different place. I'm feeling more at ease with writing on my own again, something I haven't done since the early London days circa 2007.

Anyway, I came up with the chords at the end of last week but only got around to writing the lyrics and melody inside my own head yesterday. Today was the first day I have physically put them together, so it is reassuring that it comes together the way I expected it to.

It wasn't until I made this recording and played it back that I realised the melody in the bridge is exactly the same as one of the chorus lines in 'Breaking The Girl'. Damn you subconscious! Next time I give blood I hope they are playing Beatles records.

I've emptied the cupboards, I'm ready to go

These clothes that don't fit me

Have turned me into somebody that I don't know

I'm hailing a taxi and not looking back

The truth has been twisted

And distorted, and it's going to crack

Kitty, I'm a train wreck

Kitty, let's not hit the skids

Kitty, we've got to just

Tell it like it is, tell it like it is

The sire keeps making his crazy demands

Pointing and shaming and shaking and blaming

But never looking down at his own hands

You're wearing the heart of a lion on your sleeve

You deserve a medal

For all of the shit that they'd have you believe

Kitty, I'm a train wreck

Kitty, let's not hit the skids

Kitty, we've got to just

Tell it like it is, tell it like it is

Kitty, I'm a train wreck

Kitty, let's move to attack

Kitty, I'm sorry that

You carry that load, you carry that load

On your back

You carry that load...

You carry that load...

Tiny Mantis

Congratulations, folks, you're the proud recipient of a brand new baby video.

I know I'm way overdue with these, but I'm gonna catch up soon. I actually wrote this song in time for October's due date, I just hadn't got around to putting it up yet. (Yes I am aware it is now December).

Something isn't right

But I'll pretend that nothing's wrong

You are the loveliest distraction I can think of

Please come straight on home

The worst part is, we're never gonna know

Oh tiny mantis outside my window

The worst part is we'll never know

This is the part I hate

Shining it on another day

The odds are stacked against a quiet tragedy

But please come straight on home

The worst part is, we're never gonna know

Oh tiny mantis outside my window

The worst part is we'll never know.

There must be opportunity for a vampire joke in here somewhere.

#27: Give blood. Tick!

So, I survived my first foray into blood-giving. Yay me!

The kindly folks at Leichhardt mobile blood bank went out of their way to make me feel special as a new donor. I couldn’t bring myself to actually look at any of the process taking place, but I lay there for just under 10 minutes or so, squeezing the little squeezy toy, staring at the ceiling and trying to concentrate on ‘Breaking The Girl’ which was being piped into the building from somewhere. The anticipation of it was the worst thing. Then the jab. Then it just kind of aches a little, but it isn’t so bad. It was only around halfway through that I started to feel a slight pulse of the blood flowing out. They filled 4 bags (it’s around 470mls, which is less than 10% of the total body’s volume of blood) and I can tell you, it was top grade stuff. It was red and everything.

They let me lie on the table for a while longer since it was my first donation, and then they gave me some Anzac cookies, a Mars Bar and a mini packet of Doritos. Best justification of treats ever! I could get used to this.

I'm sorry, you're going to do WHAT now?

Realisation just hit: they are going to stick a needle in my arm and take out half a litre of blood. Panic stations, troops! PANIC STATIONS!

Musicophilia

The Briscoe bandwagon is rolling with gusto, although it is less of a wagon and more like Bart’s lounge room, and less like rolling and more like rocking. Bam! I didn’t even plan that sentence. I just come up with this stuff. Did some awesomely fun gang vocals on Sunday, and whoever wasn’t at the mic was engaged in a game of tag team scrabble. Playing “pixies” over a triple word score for 54 points still wasn’t enough to win it for me, but something about board games makes me gleefully happy. I think it is to do with my sibling-less childhood and the fact I never had anyone to play them with. Insert pity. Yes, I am that pathetic.

Anyway, it is great being in someone else’s band and not having any pressure to really do anything but turn up and play your bit.

I’m reading Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks just now, and it is fascinating. The kind of fascination I experience when I’m trying to eat dinner and watch a David Attenborough documentary at the same time – it just ends up being a fork hovering in the air with my mouth partially opened, eyes glued to the mating dance of the Birds of Paradise. That’s what this book is like. Thinking about the weirdness of the brain makes my brain fry. I mentioned earlier my intrigue at the juxtaposition of a perfect melodic singer having seemingly little sense of natural rhythm. Apparently it is not so uncommon. Another thing that tickled my fancy was the creation of music from silence – to write, I often have to spend a long period of time untouched by sound. It’s as if it gives the music a chance to crawl in. I thought that was pretty weird, since surely sitting at an actual instrument or at least humming a tune would be the most sensible way to birth a song, but it turns out I’m not too much of a freak after all. Which is not to say that I don’t occasionally pick up a guitar and noodle out the start of something. Because I did yesterday. It was very exciting.

There’s a free seminar on climate change supposed to be happening on campus here at lunch time, so I’m going to go sit in on it and take some notes. Of course, that’s providing that any of our students show up to it. Which they probably won’t.

Tomorrow is Blood Bank day. It’s a bit annoying actually because we’re going out to see The Fall tonight and it means I won’t be able to drink anything. All for the greater good. If you’re a B+ in need, then boy do I have a Christmas gift for you.

Flaming Lips = good for mental health

It feels different, being off on a weekday. I don't have the overwhelming desire to stab anyone, I can't feel the horrible sensation of my soul leaking out, I don't even need to discretely flee into the bathroom and sob! It's awesome!

Needless to say I have not achieved much today, although I did watch Yo Gabba Gabba and see Wayne Coyne wearing 2 hats at the same time. I have done some noodling on the guitar, but sadly my crowning achievement there was discovering that "I'm Never As Tired As When I'm Waking Up" by LCD Soundsystem has the same chorus chords as "Live In Sunshine" by The Rapture. I wonder if James has ever noticed this.

Choir was enjoyable yesterday as we got to sing inside the church rather than in the little hall off the side of it. The resonance seemingly made the group a bit nervous. We got used to it. I am coming to realise what a funny thing rhythm is, and how not everybody naturally has it (even people who can sing beautifully). Being inside a church again was an experience in itself. I wonder if Cadbury is aware that Advent had this purple business sorted out long before they copywrited it.

In short: I'm not making any progress, but at least I'm a little less insane.