New Year's Eve...

I have recieved permission from the parents to host a smallish gathering on New Year's Eve at my humble abode. People would be welcome to arrive around 8 PM and things would wind down around 1 AM (as there is no way I have room for everyone to sleep over).

If everyone who would like to join me Saturday night would please RSVP I would greatly appreciate it. While I am sure my house can hold all of you, I do need a head count to stay within the boundaries my parents have set forth.

I will provide snacks and soda.
You may bring food of your own if you would like.
Anyone with alcohol, whether it be in their pockets or in their bloodstream, is free to NOT join the party.
If there is any question as to what you may or may not bring, please post or leave me a message on aim.

Again, please RSVP

See you soon!

Back in Pittsburgh

On Sunday night, my Grandpa, Andrew Spontak, died in Pittsburgh. I have been trying to write this blog post since then and I still can't. Every time I try, I get mixed up in what he meant to me, who he was, what happened, how I feel, and a million other thoughts and memories that take up the space usually occupied by any ability I used to have to write cohesively. (See: previous sentence's structure.) Eventually I will write it, but it probably won't show up here.

I am in Pittsburgh until Saturday. I leave for my tour with Cayuga's Waiters on the 4th of January. Please, between then, if you have any time, I could really use a hug.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Those of you who have seen Narnia have probably seen this trailer already, but whatever. I got so excited when I saw it, I thought I'd share it with you all.

Girls can rock too. I guess.

Sleater-Kinney is an all-female Portland band that is pretty big on the indie rock scene. They are headlining at the Crystal Ballroom next Friday, the 30th. Opening is Stephen Malkmus, who is now touring with a back-up band, the Jicks. He used to be the lead singer for Pavement. Pavement was fairly revolutionary back in the early 90's. His new album is really good and he's living in Portland now too. And there is another opening act, Quasi. I didn't really know anything about them, so I used the amazing tool that is Wikipedia and found out it's an ex-husband and wife band. The wife is the drummer for Sleater-Kinney. (I wonder if she gets paid twice for the show?) The husband is also from Portland and used to be in Elliot Smith's band Heatmiser. Heatmiser was good. So it looks like a pretty good show all around. It's fifteen bucks. Let me know if you want to go. Unfortunately I don't have the bankroll I did last summer (damn caviar addiction) so I would probably have to collect prior to getting the tickets. Or you could go downtown yourselves. It would make you realize how much you missed hipsters. Unless you're Shakeer and have been living in hipster paradise. Anyway, I'm assuming they're going kind of fast. I'm gonna check it out tomorrow. I have no idea if anyone actually wants to go, this is a shot in the dark. Bang.

post script
New salutation for Ken: Bang Away, Auburn Thunder!

post post script
Malkmus: http://www.3hive.com/2005/05/stephen_malkmus.php

A blogworthy event

Well, I know I told most of you, but seriously, if what happened to me isn't blogworthy, what is? So the gist of is I almost got myself killed twice in two days. The first was when I was running at forest park. I was running, and everything was going well, until I managed to get myself on a side trail that led me off a cliff 40 feet above highway 26. I managed to scurry back up the hill, but it was fairly scary. Found a place where homeless people live. There were empty alcohol containers, and a spot where it look like people have spent some time. The other time was on my trip to Bend. About 10 miles past Government Camp, I hit a patch of ice. My car starts sliding, and I end up crashing into a tanker, and I thought the driver, too. It turns out that the driver hoisted himself up on a bar before my car reached him, but I didn't know that. I bounced off the tanker and stopped 20 feet away. My brother and I jump out of the car to investigate what I feared would be a bloody mess on the truck. It turns out that the driver was pretty much okay, but then another car, a red Volkswagen hatchback hits the same icy patch that I hit, and slides into my brother and I. I see it in time, and try to dive out of the way, but I slip, and wasn't able to get off in time. The car hit my legs, and I spun off of it, but my brother got hit dead on, and hit the windshield, kinda like Happy Gilmore did when he got hit by a Volkswagen. Except for some seriously sore muscles, I'm fine, but my brother fractured his fibula (The small, unimportant leg bone. After all the annoying paper work stuff, I try driving off, but the car is totaled. I got a tow truck back to Government Camp, and spent the night in a hotel. My Aunt and Uncle came up the next day and got us, and we are now safely in Bend. We should be back up on the 28th, and I hope to see you all after that. I would have seen more of you when I was still in PDX, but the whole snow thing kinda made things hard.