Jackson:

In coordination with Blogger's "Day Without Weblogs" remembrance of those afflicted with AIDS and HIV i am going to modify it by proclaiming today "Day Without Weblog Punctuation" there will only be one post today and this is it and there will be no commas or periods i will be adding to this post throughout the day so there you have it here's some stuff off of the top of my head hurry boys and carry off the crown because the king of the crowd is dead and here i sit at work learning about laughing stocks seeing all of the people before me drop their heads in adoration in admiration in reconciliation they will move away from here in time and so will i but it's snowing outside and inside it's cold as ice who really cares about your mind or how you spend your time tied to some tight tease of a trial you only wish you could step in and make them force them to see your side of the slide they bow here to some other more powerful machine than me and it's twisted the way that they see and perceive the theme of today's dream is peace and harmony and what's so funny about that elvis yesterday i tried to do yoga and i swear to god i almost had a heartattack there was just no room on my room and the whole time i was poking fun at the instructor's voice which was very breathy and deep with a slight lisp lengthen the spine 100 times back to work and go ahead cry for your crimes the secret to today's happiness may just be this slice of pumpkin pie here are some of the lyrics to the hey mercedes song "every turn" where'd you learn to trouble me with words it's never gonna work like that will you slow down and take a deep dark breath face me now you devils of the boy i'm never gonna feel like that i will show them and for the luck of love they'll learn every turn romeos caught crying their red wine whatever made them leak like that come on take control of what you'll be or do you feel like you are trapped in a locked up trunk that's under the sea and you can't get out to drown glued to the ground i drive around your weight is hardly enough to drag me down here are some lyrics for the hey mercedes song "that's right, i said it" we can tell by the way your hands curl around your coat just so that the halo so low it's around the throat did you forget to pretend that you were my friend so are you tough or have you enough so let's laugh our heavy heads off at what we stretched into here are some lyrics from the hey mercedes song "save a life" she likes to be seen with him like the greenest girl he likes his medicine like the bluest boy so what do you think went wrong i could tell you some but oh i know you don't want to know and you can save a life if it calls out to you you can save a life if it falls before you it's for you it's 11:27 and all's as well as it can be up in here here's some news for you hot off the press Sunday's Best has cancelled all of their December shows including their ones with us because the drummer will be unable to play for one reason or another i don't see anything about it on their website but i hear it's on the polyvinyl website i wouldn't know cause i haven't been there in a while i try to avoid it actually why why not trying to work this out taking another train today at 5:08 another cab there and another slow ride with my headphones and my lyrics (surely you see my lies believed but how would it be if you were me do drama for me drama for you we're through the award goes to thanks to all of you because i haven't been this happy in minutes everybody's working for the weak and only when you sleep can you feel stronger) to commit to memory it looks like missy wants to see all the same movies as me check out her link up and to the left woohoo they are going to be releasing one of my very favorite Hitchcock movies Rope on DVD along with a documentary oh baby blue skies ahead for mister browne i just deleted the whole fucking post including all the links and what i wrote was very optimistic but now i'm thinking that maybe this isn't my day after all i can't wait until i get out of this wretched place i can't wait until tomorrow i can't wait until next weekend which really starts on wednesday night will you be able to survive 6 days without a blog will I be able to survive 6 days without a blog i promise if i have a chance i'll come back here and let you know how things are going however for the big tour story i'm going to put that into the hey mercedes tour commentary page i gotta keep that shit together yo i gotta get my room together i gotta get my life together i gotta get a honda well i hope you enjoyed the first annual "Day Without Weblog Punctuation" as much as i did can't wait until next december first i can guarantee i shant be writing you from this big fat dump so in the words of one of the 100 worst hard rock bands of all time REO speedwagon "I believe it's time for me to fly" another REO speedwagon lyric that would be apropos at this juncture would be "i'm gonna keep on loving you cause it's the only thing i wanna do i don't wanna sleep i just wanna keep on loving you woo woo" and people that is that goodnight

period.

( This post dedicated to the man who, via the transitive law, introduced me to the Pixies... Kyle Hickey (1976-1994) )
posted by Jackson at 10:06 AM ***

Pumpkin:

Almost outta here. I just spent about an hour at the Nitpickers site. Wow, that's a good one. See you in the funny papers.
posted by Pumpkin at 4:00 PM ***

Pumpkin:

The word "hummos" has so many possible spellings. I wonder if any of them would be accepted in a Scrabble game. All of them will be accepted right now in my stomach as a nice healthy lunch. Yum... So here i am, just kickin' it, at my desk... eatin', bloggin'... this working gig isn't so bad after all, now is it? I even offered some of my food to the guy. Sure - he then segued into a story about some place he used to go to for hummos that went on for a good 10 minutes.. But, you know, i can take it. As long as i have you, blog, my salvation, my light through all of this madness. Bless you, my child.

Ding. Damn. Someone's at the window. Right in the middle of this lovefest, no less. Speaking of love fest, it will be good to see the hot online couple of Nanette and Brian on Saturday. They have been steaming up my screen for weeks now. Cool it you two... remember, i dig your blogs but i'm blocked via SurfWatch, so keep it PG-13, ok? ... Hey what do you get when you stick three obsessive bloggers in a bowling alley? I'll let you know on Monday.
posted by Pumpkin at 1:17 PM ***

Pumpkin:

Welcome back, Pumpkin. Last night/this morning was the easiest Milwaukee/Chicago jaunt ever. I think maybe i'm starting to get the hang of this, without too much anguish. Right before that 5:30 alarm rang i had a dream that it was 2:00, so that kind of sucked, but i got up quickly, got to the train, and passed out, quite comfortably. So far the day here has been a breeze... nothing too urgent, nothing too annoying coming from yonder cubicle, feeling pretty good... Again, I'd like to say how excited i am about playing on Saturday. Hot damn.

Speaking of bands i used to be in, I have been told that the Frankie Welfare Boy Age 5 CD/2LP has been repressed and is available through Divot Records. I don't see anything about it on their website, but you can drop them an email and let them know that you are interested. Tell them Pumpkin sent you.

Also the Sky Corvair reissue is still in the works and in a related story, pigs fly.
posted by Pumpkin at 11:04 AM ***

Robert:

I love the Oscars. Even more exciting, though, are the articles which extract possible nominees... You basically get a list of good to great performances in movies you probably haven't seen. Now this year, according to this article, is a little odd because there are no immediate Oscar front-runners for any of the categories. How exciting. This means that the Academy will be given a chance to dive deeper into the wide array of films to find Oscar-worthy performances that would have, any other year, gone unrecognized. Case in point: They pose a strong case for a best actress nomination for Bjork in Dancer in the Dark. Have you seen this movie? I wanted to, but i read some pretty harsh reviews and it was only playing at one theater here in Chicago and i just didn't have the time to get over there... Also, one of my faves, the underrated Benicio Del Toro for his role in the upcoming Soderbergh film, Traffic. I read a short blurb about this movie on Ain't it Cool, and they say that the entire cast is amazing, but Mr. Del Toro gives a hands down stand out performance... Other films mentioned that i CANNOT WAIT to see are: O Brother Where Art Thou (the newest Coen Brothers movie), Shadow of the Vampire, and State and Main (Phillip Seymour Hoffman and David Mamet, oh my.) So anyway, I know it's kind of lame, but i get excited about this stuff, alright?

Getting excited. I know i shouldn't open my big mouth but we are planning on buying a block of tickets for Saturday's Hey Mercedes / Rocket From the Crypt show at the Fireside, to hold for our friends driving in from out of town. Since the advance tix are only available in Chicago, there has been some concern for out-of-towners not being able to get in if and when it sells out. I got an email from someone in Alabama who is coming up! So, if it's any reassurance, your chances for getting in after it sells out have just gotten a little better.There's a part of me that wishes this show was booked at a different bigger venue, but it's still going to be a blast, right? It's just going to be crowded...

Who should i be today.....
posted by Robert at 9:16 AM ***

Jan:

Man, this is great. I just spent a good hour going through nitpicks from the move The Goonies. Brilliant. It really makes me want to see that movie again. Coming on DVD soon, i hope? Definitely one to rent. I would also recommend renting Pee Wee's Big Adventure for it's commentary w/Tim Burton & Paul Reubens.

Ho ho hum. Almost outta here. I'm finally getting the hang of these new duties here at work, which is good. This means less frustration and quicker turnaround, which ultimately equals more and more entries to the big blog tree... I'm also oddly looking forward to resting and relaxing on the Amtrak... I finished Rabbit Redux, so after i polish off the Tribune's crossword, i'll be snoozing like a boozer. Similar to how i felt last night! Well gentlemen, start your engines... See you tomorrow.
posted by Jan at 3:38 PM ***

Jan:

A band I used to be in. Click for some interesting info about m'band from the olden days... and some embarrassing pictures of me with my shirt off. Oh boy. Speaking of aforementioned band, there is talk of releasing a discography cd w/unreleased stuff... late summer 2001...
posted by Jan at 1:00 PM ***

Jan:

Like i said on Monday, I bought a ton of presents for everyone and i'm pretty psyched about them. I even bought some nice gifts for my pals here at work. That's what a nice guy i am. I'm guessing they'll be angry with me for leaving when i do, certainly realizing that i'll be leaving them alone to fend off Crazylegs over there. He won't stop talking in a French accent now and he's got this new move... When he wants to get my attention to ask me about something, he trudges loudly to my desk and just stands there and breathes heavily until i acknowledge him. I swear to you, I don't make this stuff up... Believe me, I wish i did.

Care about the Backstreet Boys' masturbatory habits or the secret behind David Blaine's icy stunt? Click away.

I am so excited about our Saturday show and our California trip... My previous band (you may have heard of us), also did a California trip early in our career. But you know what? It was pretty much a great big fat disaster. One of the shows was at an open mic night in San Pedro, where the opener was a tapdancing comedian. Again, I really really wish I made this up. I am certain that this trip will be much much better. So many people to see, things to do, game shows to attend... and it will feel great to warm up for a little while. I hear there's some situations in limbo as we speak, but it's to be expected. Quoteth the (enter number from vh1 top 100 hard rock bands)th greatest hard rock band, Styx, "Nothing ever goes as planned." Another Styx quote that would be very apropos at this juncture: "Domo Arigato, Mister Roboto, Domo, Domo, Domo, Domo."
posted by Jan at 11:43 AM ***

Robert:

I woke up this morning with this in my head: On the "Empress of India" and as she closed her eyes upon the world and picked upon the bones of last week's news. It's not a contest. I just wanted to let you know that i woke up with that in my head.

Tonight as in many Wednesday nights, I'll be cruising up to Milwaukee via that wonderful service, Amtrak. They've got these new cars now that actually say "Maryland Rail." They are so sterile and stale. The usual cars are pretty darn comfy, with ample legroom and a reclining cushiony seat. These new ones have no reclining seats, no legroom, no storage nook above, and the cushions are reminiscent of an old school bus. It even kind of smells in there. Yuck. Luckily there's always one good car in the front. I always try to beat the pack to that car, slip on the phones and recline, recline, recline... But geez, are they cutting corners or something? You'd think they make enough money from my fares alone, i'm on there so friggin much.

Should I have coffee today? Should I have tea? ... I've decided to have one cup of coffee and then it's tea for me the rest of the day. Here goes nothing.
posted by Robert at 9:29 AM ***

Dr. Franklin:

Don't ever get the impression that i'm ungrateful for all that i've done and have the opportunity to do. I just need this outlet for my frustrations for about 3 more months... Then, instead of quirky work stories, i can retell quirky tour stories. Probably a bit more interesting, I'd say... Although, I'm not sure whether to put those on the Hey Mercedes page proper or this blog... Well, I've got time to think about it... Just thinking aloud. Isn't that what I've been doing for the past month?

Speaking of month, I just realized that this here blogpage turned one month old last Friday and I didn't even mention it. I was too busy complaining about being at work... for a change. If anyone would like to send me any gifts in celebration, you can always reach me c/o the Hey Mercedes PO Box. Same goes for: Jackson, Jan, Oewihnc, Pumpkin, Drunk, Dan, Todd, Mark, Damon, and... Bob. Happy one month to the Wire! Hooray! Something to keep us all excited about going to work! The doctor is hereby... out.
posted by Dr. Franklin at 3:36 PM ***

Dr. Franklin:

It sure sucks being so busy here. The good news is: the day goes by a little bit faster, which i am all in favor of. The bad news: i have no me time, you know, doctor time... to do what i want to do. I didn't even take a lunch today for Hippocrates' sake...
posted by Dr. Franklin at 2:18 PM ***

Dr. Franklin:

I've been trying to cut down my caffeine intake. This happens in my life every 6 months or so. I'll stop it all together for 6, and then i'll jump back on the wagon for another 6. It's the way my life works. Far be it from me to try and mess with it. Being a seasoned physician, i am well aware of the negative effects of this stimulant... and sometimes when things get frustrating here at work, which they often do, why do i feel the need to punish myself with it? Same goes for my adventures with jojo, the idiot circus boy next to me. Why should i give in and make him "drive me to drink?" Maybe because he just said "I've decided to use silent letters today. You k-now?" Why me.
posted by Dr. Franklin at 11:51 AM ***

Dr. Franklin:

So much to do, so much time, so much time wasted. I didn't feel saddened to get out of bed this morning. There was hardly any hot water left in the shower, but it didn't get me down. I just sighed and took it. I was aware my CTA card was empty, so i went over to the convenient store and bought a medium decaf coffee*, just so i would have exact change for the ride to work. It didn't bother me at all. The train was pretty full. No seats. I couldn't read because i had a hot coffee in my hand. So i just stood there for 10 minutes until it rolled up to my stop. When the train stopped for a moment or two at the curve before the Merchandise Mart, there was a grand sigh of frustration / disgust / impatience in my car. I just stood there and didn't really care one way or the other. When I walked in to my work, I went straight to the bakery. I was eyeing the Pumpkin Muffins, but for some reason i asked for a Lemon Poppyseed. I could have stopped her and switched my order, but i didn't. I'd just eat it anyway. I got up to my desk, sat down and turned on the computer. I didn't get to Blogger until 9:20. Usually, I'm here babbling before 9. And all of this brings me to one undeniable, absolute, and horrifying conclusion...

I am being sucked of my life by this parasite called work. I should enjoy and experience every day, but you know what, on the morning of November 28, 2000, i felt nothing. I may as well have been a screw in the wall of the train car and that bothers me... When i say "work," I mean specifically doing this job that i'm doing right now. I will be the first to admit that being in a band is work, and a lot of it is hard work... but the difference is, i'm working for me and for everyone who listens, and i actually love and miss that work. Here, i'm working for a boss. She's working for a boss. He's working for a boss. She's working for the boss. I'm afraid i'm starting to sink into this and i can't let that happen. Not now... Back to work, Flowers!
posted by Dr. Franklin at 9:31 AM ***

Robert:

I think for the moment, my favorite Elvis Costello song is "Man Out of Time." On with the show.
posted by Robert at 9:11 AM ***

Drunk:

I'm outta here. Tonight I hope to update the Hey Mercedes site w/some new news and pictures, finish up a song for a split w/Elizabeth Elmore, and nurse my poor teeth. Laters.
posted by Drunk at 3:26 PM ***

Drunk:

At the moment, I'm wondering where all of my archives have gone. I still have them safely tucked away under the covers here, but how curious that they are not out there to be read. Curious... I'm also curious to know why it's constantly cold here at work. Do they think that we will be more productive once our hands have been numbed with frostbite? Seriously, I need to find the thermostat and turn it up to at least 20 degrees F. Curious. I wish i was able to blow this popsicle stand and warm up at home with a nice cup of hot chocolate and perhaps a movie rental. But no, I've got to go to an even colder place - the dentist's chair... Actually, i think i'm going to get some hot chocolate right now...

Ahhh... that's good stuff. So i feel like i have to drive home the craziness that ensued at the Tequila Roadhouse. It's all coming back to me now. During the evening, I ducked out to go to an ATM. When i came back, one of my counterparts was laying on his back on the bar with his SHIRT OFF. There was also somebody hovering over him, poised to pour a shot of some various poison onto his stomach! Apparently this was part of that crazy bridal party scavenger thing. Lucky for me i got that tattoo. Curious.
posted by Drunk at 2:44 PM ***

Drunk:

Yo. Just plugging away here at work, despite being totally wasted. I'm presently trying to work up enough inebriation to help offset the excruciating pain that will come with a trip to old mr. drilly-drills. Last visit, you'd think the guy was putting up Ikea cabinets in my mouth because that damn drill didn't stop once i sat down in that chair. Ouch. I hurt just thinking about it...

This is fabulous. Florida thinks Bush won by 530 votes, the Democrats think Gore won by 9 votes. Nobody's going to win anything today on this blog! There won't be any contests today. My plea for this blog today is "no contest." My plea for the Democrats is "more contest." It's gotten to the point where I've started to try and accept one or the other, but I just despise that Bush clown. Don't like him. Not one bit.

Chewing on some Super Duper Trouble Rubble Bubble Gum, extra sugary. Might as well give DDS a mouthful.
posted by Drunk at 12:30 PM ***

Robert:

You'll never believe what was found this morning. Yep. My old glasses. Which means i spent a mint on a new pair that are now, unnecessary. Apparently I can take them back within 30 days, but i may have ripped up and eaten the receipt in disgust. It's possible...

I feel like i've just started a non-stop decathlon. It began saturday morning when my alarm rang. My plan was to take the 10:30 train to Milwaukee. Instead, i coaxed my way into using a car for the day, provided i drop off and pick up my lovely galpal from work. So at 10, i dropped her off and promised to be back to get her at 8. I then drove to Milwaukee, singing the whole way to tapes of our new songs. I got there around 12. We eat good, but greasy food. We practice till about 4:30. Again, we eat good, but greasy food. I leave the pack at 6:30 and head back down to Chicago to pick up the car's rightful owner. I get there exactly at 8. We then go straight to a friend's house to corrall the troops to go to a Second City free improv show at 10. All ten of us get there at 9. We find out the improv show doesn't start until 1 AM. So we all go to this shady bar across the street, the Tequila Roadhouse, where we successfully waste 4 hours sipping drinks, watching people do "bodyshots," and playing this punching bag game. I'd go into detail, but it's sort of embarrassing. Let's just say that I proved my status as an utter weakling. I did however, score points for helping some crazed bridal party with their scavenger list. They needed somebody with a tattoo. I was that body. So at 1, we head back to Second City and the usual hour improv show is only a half hour! Funny, but alarmingly short. So the gang heads back to the bar. I head home. At 2:30, I sleep.

At 7 AM, I awake. Again, I take m'honey to work and use the car to do some laundry at the parents' place. I throw load 1 of 4 into the washer, eat some good, but greasy food, and then head out to do some shopping. I shopped, shopped, and shopped. Everyone was so good this year! Big presents coming your way. At 2, I get back home to change loads and i decide to try and nap. I'm awakened less than an hour later by a chorus of cheers from my brother's room. He just got a satellite dish and a complete NFL viewing package. When i ask what game him and his friends are watching, they say "All of them." I stay awake. I decide to head over to Sam's Club with m'mom, to see what the hubbub is all about. I pick out a few things that i need for my apartment: a 60-pack of Eggo Waffles, a 312-pack of paper towels, a 98,073-pack of Cheerios... I load the stuff into the car and head home. It's 4:30. I need a haircut. I head up to that suburb that's really just one big mall and get the cut. I pick up the car's rightful owner and we go eat at a Thai place in the burbs. The food was good, but greasy and the atmosphere was a little creepy. The waitress spoke in both an American/Chinese accent and a downhome Southern raspy drawl, and very often in the same sentence. By the time i get home it's 11 and i fall asleep faster than you can say "downhome Southern raspy drawl."

Ring, ring, 7 AM. Back to work to clean up Friday's mess. After work today, I have to go to my favorite place in the whole world - the dentist. I have to take the train there. When i get back, i have to work on a song that i'm recording Tuesday night. On Wednesday night, I go up to Milwaukee to practice. On Thursday, I come back here. On Friday, it's back up to Milwaukee. On Saturday we play at the Fireside. On Sunday, I return my glasses. That next Wednesday night, we leave for sunny Cali. The following Monday, I win $10,000 with some strategically placed Plinko chips. The next Wednesday I spend it all on presents for everyone.

Work is a four letter word...
posted by Robert at 9:44 AM ***