My Awesome Experience and Frustration

Ok, I have good stuff and bad stuff. I'll start off with the bad stuff, so that you don't feel as depressed at the end of my post.

First off, I'd like to say, in the loudest, most frustrated Brodie scream as possible:

"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!"

Job hunting is fricking frustrating. Last week, I had probably the best job interview I've ever been in. I had answers for any questions they threw at me, I showed that I was more than capable of doing the job, and I showed interest, was able to make conversation with my interviewers, etc. It was good. So I'm expecting good news... nope. The woman called me today, and told me that I was 'too overqualified for the position'. Which frustrates me. Because it was seemingly the perfect job for me. Good hours, shitty pay, but within walking distance of home, and the latest I'd work is 8pm. SWEET. But nope.

So it poses questions in my mind, since I've been praying about getting a good job for the summer.... has God doomed me to work this shitty job forever? It's just so frustrating! I feel like pulling out my hair. All I would really like is a job that lets me go home around suppertime, with an occasional weekend off... preferrably in Virden, but I'm not picky, I'll take what I can get.

What I have right now is a busy, stressful, exhausting, smelly job that lets me go home at 11 every night, and I always seem to work more than 5 days in a row, and only get weekends off if I book them, and it's against the rules to book all of them off. I never see anyone, unless they visit me at work, and my brothers come in like 3 times a week to see all the people I miss. Don't get me wrong, they visit me, and I love them for that, but once, just once, I'd like to be hanging out with them when they go to Brandon, instead of working.

Ty's friend Johnny has actually made it his mission to get me a better job (I guess I'd call him my friend too. He's pretty cool, tells it like it is, uses the F-word frequently. My kinda guy). So he met this chick that works at the Friendship Centre in Brandon, and she is willing to help me find something different. If that doesn't pan out, maybe I should consider become a waitress, Brett.

Anyway, enough ranting about the jobhunt, and onto the good stuff.

Yesterday will probably qualify for one of the most memorable days of 2005. That's right, Brett and I went to Collective Soul!

We stopped by the Perron's for supper, and it was so awesome to see all of them again, I haven't seen them in an eternity! I love those guys so much!

Then we headed off to Burton Cummings (sucks) Theatre to see the show. On an unusual note, we didn't sit waiting for like 45 minutes waiting for the first band to come on. I think they came on at like 7:45, and we got there at 7:30.

Anyway, the first band was The Waking Eyes, a local band from the 'Peg. They were fricking AWESOME. Find their website, and get the song Watch Your Money. They really put on an amazing show, and I was highly entertained, even though I didn't know any of the songs, except for the last one, which was a cover of the Beatles Come Together which was an impressive cover, might I add. Anyway, it turns out that their bass player went to BU at the same time that Brett did, and we got a chance to chat with the guys for a sec after the whole concert was done. I highly recommend that if you like music, find their cd, you won't be disappointed. Again, their name is The Waking Eyes.

After their set, we waited for about 20 minutes and on came Collective Soul. Fricking awesome. Brett was totally psyched too. I could tell. He's a pretty hardcore savage fan of them, even back in their early days. I must admit, I'm not as huge a fan as he is, but I know all their singles, and would never, ever change the radio station if they were on, and I'd sing along too ;). They played all their awesome old stuff, and most stuff from their new album too. All in all, I'd say they played for a good 2 hours. It's really hard to pick a favorite, but I'd have to say The World I know, Gel, Smashing Young Man, Shine and Heavy were some of my favorites. It was good stuff... oh Precious Declaration was really good too.

Phenominal show. They are awesome entertainers, and their new guitar player didn't seem to put a damper on the entertainment factor either. It's was smooth.

Now, Stew if you're reading this, I am seriously considering writing that book on concert etiquette.

let's go over some of the main points:
1. Wear a bra, don't sex up your man friend in front of the other concert goers, and sit in your fucking seat if you're on the balcony! This aging hipster in the row in front of us was dancing like a drunk monkey and blocking the view of the people beside us with her nasty stripper moves, while she rubbed up to the guys on either side of her. I had no idea which one she was with... later on I secretly placed bets on the guy to the left, but I guess I'll never know. The other woman that was in her group was very polite, and turned around to ask us if we could see with her standing. Our answer was an emphatic 'NO!'. Funny occurance: during one of the songs (I think it was the world i know) the guy beside us had had enough of this drunken idiot, and yelled at her "hey, sit in your fucking seat for at least one song!" I laughed my ass off.

2. don't get up fifty million times. We had a well behaved row it seemed, as we didn't have to stand to let people by at all during the concert. But I saw some people have to get up 2, 3, 4, even 5 times to let people out of their row DURING THE CONCERT. That's not cool. People pay good money to see these shows, not the back of your ass as you're passing by all night. Use the can between sets, and get your drinks too. Or at least wait until the end of the song.

3. Lighters are cool, but only if you're sober. I love lighters at a rock show... but some people are just scary with them if they've been drinking.

4. The encore is planned. Don't clap for it, it just builds the band's ego. Notice the stage is sill dark, and the houslights haven't gone up yet, and there's no house music. That means there's an encore.

That's all I have to rant about today. The concert was freakin phenominal. Brett, thanks so much for letting me be your plus one for the day. I had a complete blast, and I hope you did too!