Make It Quick

OK, yesterday was wonderful. I got plenty done - musical practicing and promotion. Got to the bank and post office on time.

My friend Sarah helped me out on some press mailings for NYC...

Then we stopped off at Algiers in Harvard Square and enjoyed a meal on their deck. I've lived in Boston 10 years, now, and didn't even know they had a deck before yesterday. Smokers seem to know about such options though...

Then last night I saw a wonderful movie at the MFA. It's called Crossing the Bridge and it's about how Einsturzende Neubauten's bass player went to Istanbul and recorded a bunch of different bands.

It was wonderful, powerful, polictical, artistic, soulful, beautiful. Made me long for Turkiye that much more this summer...

And the theater staff played the movie at a high volume, which rocked since it's a music movie.

On the way to see it, Sarah and I saw a gray bear riding a bicycle down Huntington Ave. No lie. I did a double take and it looked right at me and waved. It seemed happy, so I guessed maybe it had just gotten off work or something.

And then there was a baby doll face down in front of a convenience store. Very cinematic and spooky.

What can I say? There was magic in Back Bay last night.

Tonight, I practiced rock stuff by my lonesome and it was great. My practice is paying off and I feel more confident and able than ever. Wrote some new stuff, possibly for that soundtrack I'm working on.

Anyway, I missed the bus, the second one of the day, that is. But still I was not too upset. I'm super calm and mellow today and I didn't even do my Tai Chi.

I will not question such a blessing from the universe for one moment more.

Upon my return to Cambridge, I decided to go see a friend who had played the MidEast tonight. Sure enough, he was out front.

I ran into a few other friends there. Lots of love all around. I left floating on a cloud.

The past two days have been so nice and calm for me. I've somehow been able to stave off most of the anxiety I normally experience.

Maybe it has to do with diet. I was pretty good today. No coffee. Only green tea and white tea - both highly antioxidant and yummy. And I had Miso soup and Pad Thai for dinner.

Supragalaxtic Update

Three vanity plates I saw in Boston yesterday:

Miniac
Eife
Swan

I have a new band. It is called Black Fortress of Opium. It is the English translation of the name of a Turkish town I passed through last summer - Afyonkarahisar.

Afyon - opium
kara - black
hisar - fortress/castle

Deeper into the royal. The castle. Fit for a queen. Still evocative of the exotic, but not as nationalistic.

Currently, I am still operating singularly under 'Ajda the Turkish Queen'.

Let a new and better era dawn, I pray.

Plunge Into Death

Christ.

Woke up this morning ears ringing heart racing. Couldn't breathe. Was dreaming I was hanging on a boat, looking at azure waters. There were other folks there. I dove into the water. Plunged down. I was going down feet first, though, and although I felt my body slow, I couldn't buoy back up fast enough. I started running out of air. But I was suspended in aqua. I did start going back up but I woke up before I reached the air.

I was so distraught upon waking I had to lie there for some time. Recovering.

Yeah I've been in a crappy mood the past 48 or so.

Spent some quality time with my computer, and then finally stepped out to get some breakfast.

Ended up at Brookline Lunch, where I saw a local rocker. We didn't acknowledge each other. No biggie.

Ate some eggs benedict & homefries, but the whole time I was fantasizing about Cafe Urth in Melrose in LA. So I read the Phoenix - an article about Spike Lee's new movie about Katrina.

When I was paying, the owner lady (also the server) came up and said "Did you used to come here a long time ago?" "You lost a lot of weight." I told her yes. I used to go there with John D. He would eat two meals at a time, and I would follow suit. Around that time, I was almost 200 pounds. I totally thought about how JD loved that place and I think I sat in a booth we used to sit in. Whatever.

Anyway, she asked how I lost all the weight (and kept it off for 5 years now). I told her the truth. Exercise and eating less.

So many people tell me how I look much better now, and men treat me so differently. I ain't complainin'. 's just how it goes. But scope sure is funny, huh? Some I know know still think I'm not thin enough. My mom says I shouldn't lose one more pound. And myspace.com and hotmail.com seem to think I should lose 15 pounds or something...

OK, so back to my cafe habit. So I left Brookline Lunch in search of the purrfect mocha and some kind of treat to soothe my aching heart over Cafe Urth. I head over to Mariposa Bakery on Mass Ave, and grab 2 tiny chocolate chocolate chip cookies. The guy behind the counter is very flirty and funny. Trying to get me to crack a smile. Aretha Franklin's "Natural Woman" song is playing in the background. He sings along, and when it gets to the part where she says "Nat-u-ral Wo-man" he goes "Nat-u-ral Mizz-an". This cracked me up, and I'm snorting out loud now as I type this 'cause it was so funny. Then he jokes around saying how I probably thought he was gonna say "Woman".

I pay and leave.

Next, I head over to Toscanini's. I'm now in a substantially better mood. I proceed to chat with the baristas. One is a punk-looking chick with a bad tattoo of a cat's face on her left bicep. Turns out her friend gave her the tat - it was his 4th tattoo ever, and the cat is her own, named Zip. She makes me a rockin' iced soy mocha that makes me remember why Tosci's is always so fuckin' awesome. They have a yummy-looking breakfast menu on weekends I'm now dying to try.

END CAFE CRAWL

Why oh why couldn't I have been in Manchester England in the early 90's? Come to think of it, had I, I might not be here now. I heart Primal Scream!!!!!!! You know that part in 24HourPartyPeople where Bez is dancing in the studio??? LOVE IT!!!

Primal Scream's Screamadelica is my Friday record.

I'm on fire

I took out the trash today...at the rehearsal space, that is. It needed to be done.

Getting some stuff done so far and it's early in the week, so I'm optimistic.

Practiced piano/harpsichord yesterday and guitar, too. Then banjo and mandolin today. Plus I replaced some batteries, etc.

This may not sound so exciting, but the devil's in the details, my friend.

Macht arbeit frei, er whatever.

I'm ovulating today. I can feel the pinch in my right side - lower belly.

Got too messed up last weekend, emotionally and physically. I'm just now recovering.

The Urge

So I spent 5 hours at MGH yesterday with "Where Rabbits Live". He finally decided to be proactive about trying to get better. So we went and waited and he got treated and streeted. He got a nice script for his tummy.

I'm so proud of him.

He really has been so nice and attentive lately.

Last night we went to see Nacho Libre and got ice cream. I've been wanting such a simple date for at least 6 months now...and it just happened...spontaneously. In honor of the subject material of the movie, I got the "El Diablo" ice cream flavor from JP Licks. Chocolate, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper.

Whoa. Jammed with a new guitar player recently. A total kickass musician who can play anything I want it seems...I'm so excited. I'm nervous too, though, because it's been awhile since I played with anyone new...Anyway, we're working on some cool songs ~ orginal and covers.

I went to see Dogs in Space on Saturday at the Harvard Film Archive. It was pretty cool. Similar to Sid and Nancy. Reminded me a bit of living in Allston for 5 years. Plus it had Michael Hutchence in it...and as a friend reminded me, I almost replaced him last year when I auditioned for INXS. There was some cool music on the soundtrack. Something I'd like to cover...Anyway, after the film we walked out and there was a reporter from the Weekly Dig doing an exit poll, and he interviewed me and took my picture. I think it goes to print tomorrow. I hope I come off half intelligently...the questions were kinda hard!

Then Sunday night I went to see The Publick Theatre's "Beard of Avon". Very witty, bawdy, rowdy, funny, and rousing. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Plus it was outdoors on a mild summer night.

Been hitting Caffe Pamplona a bunch recently with various friends. Such wonderful chocolate mousse do they have there!!! In lovely ceramic to boot. I compare this club to the Saint Etienne song "Mario's Cafe". 'Where we meet for awhile/Tuesday morning 10AM/.../Did you see the KLF last night?'

Speak of the Reverend and He Shall Appear

So last blog saw me talkin' bout Glasseye. Well, guess who I ran into last night at the Middle East at the Black Heart Procession/DeVics show...???

The Rev himself.

It was most comical. He saw me coming in with my friend Dorian, and came over to say hi. We stood right under the bright white lights above the door to the Downstairs and chatted a moment, perched on the top of the steps - an alternate platform to the stage.

I told him how I freshly blogged about his band getting the slot I wanted. And then I jokingly punched him in the arm. Except, I knocked his drink right out of his hand. A strange silent moment ensued, and bar staff were looking over at us. I was so embarrassed!!! It was funny as hell.

Reverend laughed it off and said he shouldn't be drinking anyway. I could smell the scotch emanating from the floor. Of course I offered to buy him another drink, but he politely refused.

At the same time all this was happening, another 2 friends were standing there. They had seen me coming in, and been like "Ajda, hey!!!" And I looked at them and could not figure out who they were. They were so friendly, I feel horrible but I can't for the life of me remember who they are!!!! I can't sleep nights...Especially now that I realize I saw the female at a cafe months back when she was pregnant, and thought she was someone else and proceeded to tell a mutual friend about the pregnancy. Oh God.

Anyway, these people all have babies now. Glasseye's is named Reeves. A cutie, too. The pic daddy has on his phone shows the baby with a little tufty wave of hair like a soap sud...

The DeVics were awesome. What a cool bill - xylophones, violins, piano sounds, Gibson ES350's...some truly beautiful, heartfelt playing. And fans in attendance.

It gives me hope.

The BHP's lyrics seemed very poetic and lovely. Though their sound is a bit, dare I say, proggy...I love that the guitar/piano player looked like he might work in a shipyard.

Endless Dues

Frown.

I wanted to open for Kid Congo Powers at the Mid East in September, but that dang Reverend Glass Eye got the gig. And some band called The Annuals. I hope they know there's another band called Annuals lower down this coast.

Anyway, I think Glass Eye might've been on the bill before I asked, but I'm still cranky about the situation.

Jeez, and then I didn't get into NEMO.

It's cool though. Who needs 'em?!

I will die paying dues...