Awesome Julie Cool

kara and i were driving yesterday on our way to dover, nh and we were behind this car and it had a sticker on it that said, 'AJC.' Kara thought it meant, 'Aroma Joe's Coffee,' which is a popular local coffee chain.

i thought it meant, 'Awesome Julie Cool.' it turned out Kara was right, as we got closer to the vehicle and were able to read the fine print. but then i decided that if i ever own any kind of store EVER it will be called, Awesome Julie Cool.

the only exception: if i own a condiment store. then it will be called The Sauceror.

ANYWAYS! let me update you a bit.

so, i'm in maine right now at home. going through this mindset where i think i want to move back.

this weekend was fun and interesting.

SO - this new band that i love River City Extension was playing a show up in Portland, ME on saturday night at this place called Geno's Rock Club. it was a 21+ show and Kara really wanted to go, so i sent a Twitter message to the band (lead singer Joe does all the tweeting, myspacing, emailing... and i know this because last week we Myspaced messaged each other, normal emailed each other, and Tweeted to each other) asking if there was any way they could get Kara in to the show.

i got a message back from Joe and he said that he would see what he could do and that he would certainly ask, but he wasn't sure how strict this place was on their policy because they had never played there before. GREAT, right?!

yep.

so, then it's Saturday afternoon and i haven't heard back from Joe yet. i have plans to meet my other friend Jo ("sharpie girl" who traveled with us to portland, earthfest and nyc a few weekends ago) in portland later on.

and finally it's getting late and i still haven't heard back from Joe about getting kara in. so, i call Geno's Rock Club and they say the only way someone under 21 would be let in is if they are part of the band.

KARA: Okay, so I'll get a tambourine...

we brainstormed a lot about this.

then just decided that we shouldn't try to sneak Kara in. we're not stealth enough.

so, sadly, i left Kara at home and departed for portland.

arrived. parked. met up with Jo on the street!!!! awesome! and we ended up parking in the same place!!! so great.

so we get to this club and it's super small and super dirty. with a verrryy small stage. also - it's pretty empty. me and Jo immediately head to the front of the room and get a spot by the stage.

and we wait. and wait. and wait. finally, we decide to sit down at one of the tables. there's not more than like, 15 people in this place and so far, we haven't seen any of the members of River City Extension. and there are 8 of them, so we thought it was weird.

FINALLY, something starts to happen. this kid named Miles gets up on stage and performs some songs with his acoustic guitar. but he's got this screamy, angry voice. it was weird hearing it with the acoustic. eh.

and then this other band gets up on stage. i had overheard the guitarist saying, "yeah, i think this is a good place for our first show." FIRST SHOW?! really?! wow. it's like, four guys who look like the type of guys to walk around their respective business offices during the day and say, "hey, everybody should come out to hear my band play tonight!"

you know? they just looked like that. and they weren't very good. it was just kind of boring. which was probably due to the fact that this was their first show. the songs weren't very catchy. it all just kind of fell flat.

AND STILL, we haven't found River City Extension. but, we know they're playing because Joe sent me that message about trying to get Kara in! it wasn't just a misprint on the site.

but, it's like, 11:45pm. the only other people that are there beside me and Jo are friends of the other band. like, 15 people, maybe. so, we decide to go ask the bartender what the deal is...

JULIE: Hi...Is River City Extension playing here tonight?
BARTENDER: Oohhhhh, they broke down in Connecticut!
JULIE: Whhaaatt???
BARTENDER: Yeah, they called around 9 saying they had broken down.
JO: Sooo....what time are they coming now?
BARTENDER: They're not gonna make it. But, how about that other band?! I had never heard them before... they were great!
JULIE AND JO: ......Yep!

and so, River City Extension broke down. in CT. and they didn't make it to the show. WHAT A BUMMER. ohhhhh it was so sad.

and also: if that lady thought the other band was great, she would have had her mind blown by River City Extension.




this band is amazing and great and if you haven't started listening to them: you must.

if you don't like Crash Kings, you will love this band.
and if you do like Crash Kings, you will love this band.
because!
they are impossible not to like. because they are soo freaking good. just go buy their record on iTunes. or Amazon. whichever you prefer. i have that much confidence that you will love them. for realz.

BUT, unfortunately they broke down and couldn't make it to the show in Portland.

so i got home and sent a tweet to them just saying it was sad they couldn't make it, and hope they got home safe.

AND THEN YESTERDAY, i get a Twitter message from Joe and he says, "hey! sorry we didn't make it to the show. any way we can make it up to you?"

UM, how cool is that? this is also why you should start listening to River City Extension: THEY ARE NICE. nice people.

remember how at the Mercury Lounge, Joe said that if we emailed him he would email us a bonus track?

well, i emailed him about it. and he emailed me the song! he really did! THIS IS THE SONG. it's a pretty good youtube video, whereas most of the recordings on youtube aren't very good.

WHICH IS WHY i was so excited to get some video of them in Portland. because they are totally amazing to see live. or to listen to. JUST, you must start listening to this band.

i really think they are impossible not to like.

ANYWAYS.

me and Jo went to The Friendly Toast afterwards. apparently it's Jo's favorite restaurant! and i hadn't been there in forever. like, FOREVER. i remember when that place opened. for realz.

i had coconut pancakes which were DELISH. totes. actually, i just had one. singular coconut pancake. it was almost bigger than the plate. omgitwassogood.

and the place was packed!!! we had a lovely time. and i arrived home just before 3am. a good night! and i just think it's awesome that Jo lent me her sharpie that time at the Crash Kings concert and i had no idea who she was. and now we're friends! that's so awesome.

so i came home and kara was getting ready to leave for work. i went to sleep on the couch, since there wasn't a bed available.

SUNDAY: i woke up and told the family all about how River City Extension broke down and couldn't make it to the show. it was a very sad tale.

then! kara and i had a sister day!!!! SISTER DAY TO THE MAX!!!! we went shopping and i bought skinny jeans. after seeing Kerianne ROCK her skinny jeans in Chicago, i decided i wanted to give it a try. so i bought some. and i love them! and yesterday i bought a belt so they will stop falling down. awesome!

then we went to the pet store to look at the puppies. kara enjoyed this more than i did. even though i don't like animals, i definitely don't like seeing them in cages in the mall. but, then again, i also don't like seeing animals in the wild. which brings me to the conclusion that i just don't like animals. (except housecats.)

after that, we went to Hot Topic. at first i was scared of that store, but the two times i have been in there, the people have been so freaking nice and it's such a fun experience. the punk guy behind the counter is like, singing along to the song being blasted on the speakers. and then he's shouting to his coworker, "I SAW THEM IN CONCERT!!!!!" it's awesome.

although - they don't carry the Crash Kings record? really? but they carry The Devil Wears Prada soundtrack?? really Hot Topic?

then Kara and i had a great rest of the day too. anything we do is fun. we went to this ice cream place in Rochester, NH for supper and then for ice cream.

OH BOY. let me tell you about this.

so, we're sitting in the car eating, and this super mud filled Jeep pulls in.

JULIE: We should go off-roading after this.
KARA: Yeah we totally should. Then we'll be as cool as that guy.

and then this Jeep backs in to a parking space kind of in front of us. like, it's a really good parking space. and this ice cream place gets super crowded. and we start reading his bumper stickers. they include,

- my mom thinks i'm at the movies
- the driver of this car RAN Mt. Washington
and something along the lines of...
- everyday should be topless day.

KARA: I can't wait to see what this guy looks like.

so, he gets out of the car and he's like, a pretty normal looking guy, i guess. a kid. maybe in his late teens or early 20's.

SO THEN, he starts putting on his sneakers (he was barefoot), which is fine.
BUT THEN, instead of going over to the ice cream counter, he starts walking away from the parking lot, and stretching.

JULIE: Wait a sec....is he going running?
KARA: What?!!?!

and then he RUNS off down the street!!! like, he's going for a run. but he got this awesome parking spot. immediately we were upset about this.

so whatever. we get some ice cream and go back to the car.

after about an hour, the kid runs back into the parking lot. BUT, he's wearing a different shirt. we were pretty confused about this.

so, he gets back into his dirty car. AND THEN, he changes his pants. from his running shorts INTO real shorts. IN THE FRONT SEAT OF HIS CAR. we knew this was happening because we were staring at him so much.

this is pretty weird, right?

and then he gets out of the car and we expect him to go over and get some ice cream. since he's using their parking lot to park his car and everything. and it's not even a space in the back - it's a GREAT space.

but what does he do?!?!!

he climbs on the hood of his Jeep and proceeds to take a nap.

KARA: WHAT A CREEPER!!!!!!!

this guy was so weird. WHY was he taking a nap on the hood of his car right now?!??!

it was by far the strangest thing ever. and we couldn't stop staring at him. and talking about him. he was being so weird!!!!!

it was hard to leave because we wanted to see how this whole thing was going to play out. but eventually, we had to leave. and we don't know what became of the strange runner/napper kid.

and then kara and i went into the bakery! i took pictures of all the delicious things she makes!!! i will post pictures of them soon.

TODAY: kara and i might go get haircuts. i might get 4 inches cut off. i don't know what i have that number in my head. but i think i want shorter. because lately even if i get a haircut, i feel like it's in that 'horrible long stage.' where it just never looks good.

TOMORROW: kara and i are most likely going to Boston to see PAPER TONGUES!!!!! yep. they're performing at The Paradise. awesome. one of their songs is Kara's ringtone.

actually, it's the song, 'For the People,' which is the song that will become the new national anthem when i become president.

anyways, i hope everyone else is having a great day!! GREAT DAY!

i'll talk to everyone later. :)

take care!


<3, julie