#Indianapolis concert photographer

[tonyvasquez]

Two Door Cinema Club and Quarters of Change at the Everwise Amphitheater. Photos shot for Jams Plus Media.

[melodieyvonne]

Pride Day on Georgia Street A Beautiful Celebration with DJ Big Baby, Sizzy Rocket, and Zee Machine

[railwayhistorical]

The Allman Brothers Band

Re-posting this with some additional details...

When Gregg Allman (1947-2017) passed nearly seven years ago, I was driven to the negative archive to see if I had any decent shots of the man. I had attended at least two concerts in 1979, as I recall, which would put these images in the Enlightened Rouges time period. I was not thrilled with the quality of the negatives I found, but I was glad to have them nonetheless.

Gregg used his Hammond B-3 with Leslie speaker, of course, but what one sees above is an electric piano with “Hohner” printed thereon. In addition to Gregg, there are three other original members of the band playing during this time period—Dickey Betts, who can be seen playing his Gibson Les Paul, as well as both drummers: Jai Johanny Johanson (Jaimoe) and Butch Trucks.

In the end, one can say that Gregg Allman certainly had an interesting life, with extreme highs and lows. Musically, he had a unique voice and wrote some very memorable songs. The band, which Gregg and his talented brother Duane formed in 1969, was extremely influential and enjoys a firm place in the history of rock and roll. Duane is often to be found on lists of "best guitarists" of course—he was an unusual talent, to be sure.

Three photographs by Richard Koenig.

The close-up of Gregg was taken in Indianapolis at Market Square Arena on May 26th 1979. The other two: the Band from afar, with the second highlighting Dickey, were shot at Alpine Valley, near East Troy, Wisconsin, on August 18th 1979.

[yourwizardofaus]

Elvis; Photographed at the same moment from different cameras.  Part 1 of 5.

When someone is the most photographed person in history, it stands to reason that they might be photographed at the very same time by two different people. Here are some instances of King Elvis caught at the same moment from two different photographers.  In collecting Elvis pictures since the 1990s I’ve noticed these pictures had the same timing.

At the infamous College Park, MD, concert on September 28, 1974.

The Indianapolis evening show on October 5, 1974.

Atlanta, GA - May 1, 1975

With big glasses and a fluffy toy at the Huntsville, AL, afternoon show on June 1, 1975

Elvis and a little boy onstage at the afternoon show in Uniondale, NY, on July 19, 1975.

[elvis1970s]

Bob Heis (1942-2012) was a military veteran, Elvis fan club administrator and part-time professional photographer who captured many great closeups of Elvis on stage in the 1970s, from around 40 concerts, including Madison Square Garden (above), Pittsburgh PA (New Year 76-77), and Elvis' final show in Indianapolis.

Bob Heis and Charlie Hodge (Credited to the Heis family at dignitymemorial.com)

He is immortalised on the 1972 As Recorded at Madison Square Garden album. Having sent a note backstage requesting Polk Salad Annie (which was probably on the setlist anyway), Elvis acknowledges him, "Okay, Bob!" at the beginning of the song.

[teddypickerry]

( order for lunes! )

I SHIP YOU WITH ... jonathan byers

𓆩♡𓆪

A/N!

i saw your pfp & i knew i would

like you. you reminded me of

someone jonathan would like

(since i am a jonathan kinnie),

so i thought it could be a cool

ship! for @lunesispunk

HOW YOU MET!

you were at tina's halloween party for

no longer than ten minutes when you

wanted to leave. it's not that the party

wasn't cool, it was how your friends

were all off with random people —

coupling up and making out like

it was ninth grade.

you had on a simple star wars costume,

one that not a lot of effort was put into

considering this was a last minute thing.

not one person had commented on it

until jonathan did.

he made his way over towards you, he

matched your awkward & annoyed look

as you leaned against a wall. "cool costume"

he complimented with a small smile. you

could hardly hear his words, but you

heard them just enough to smile back.

that's when you both decided to go outside

for a breather — and break from the loud

noise of billy hargove doing god knows

what to a cheerleader. the night ended

in a midnight run to a fast food place after

hours of talking.

WHAT DO YOU GUYS DO!

you and jonathan became best friends

pretty quickly after that night. hawkins

all had their own assumptions about the

both of you but you didn't really care. the

two quiet, rock obsessed people found one

another. on your typical hangouts, you blast

a new record that you've both been dying

to hear. at least once a month you're at

a new concert either in indianapolis

or a small place just out of town.

WHAT KIND OF BF IS HE!

+ jon is a pretty quiet guy but he LOVES

listening. so talking to him for hours

while he takes in and admires every word

is typical.

+ SHARING BAND TEES! or simply

him buying them for you at his mom's

store. same music taste so why not?

+ you reading and he randomly snaps a

photo of you. saying it's a good one. he

is def your personal photographer.

+ watching star wars with him and his little

brother will, who idolizes you <3

+ also drawing with will and just hanging

out with will anytime jonathan can't since

joyce trusts you with him.

+ movie dates where you completely

forget about the movie and start talking

about random nothings

+ you're both sarcastic and get eachothers

jokes before anyone else can

+ you can also tell what eachothers thinking

without even saying anything

+ it drives steve crazy because he always

thinks you guys are bullying him

+ def little road trips together :)

+ for your birthday he gets you a photo

album of photos of you, concerts you've

been to together, etc. soooo sweet <3

<3

[flashlight-smallknife]

Rare face pic bc my first merch prints made their debut last night at the nervous surface show!! I still feel like I barely know what I’m doing but Matty believes in me and I believe in Matty and I am glad we are friends now bc it’s a lot easier to put work out into the world when it’s in support of something you believe in.

Grateful I have friends to help me out along the way. I’ve been reconnecting with a few old comrades in other DIY scenes to get contacts for booking tour dates and got some good camera advice from a college classmate who’s a concert photographer in Indianapolis bc nervy asked me to take pictures while they’re on tour in April. I’m literally just fucking around and finding out. Turns out the best way to follow your childhood dreams is to shoot your shot.

[schrijverr]

Page 118-119

[Across page 118 and 119 is a photo set of four that are all under the same title. They are vertical and tell a story from left to right. All are taken behind the scenes of the Indianapolis concert, just after they got off stage.

The most left photograph is of Eddie, taken from behind Steve, so his polo wearing back is in it as well. Eddie is yelling, practically glowing with happiness, having just spotted Steve. He is already handing his guitar to a stage hand in favor of paying attention to Steve.

In the one next to it Eddie is running towards Steve, by the looks of it he is sprinting. Steve is doing much the same. It is very dramatic, but also cute.

On page 119 the set continues with a photograph of Eddie flying through the air as if he is literally launching himself at Steve. Though it seems like Steve doesn’t mind, he has stopped running to widen his stance and brace himself.

It ends with an image of both of them sprawled on the ground, Eddie on top of Steve. Eddie has a hand on the back of Steve’s head to protect him from smacking is against the floor. His knees are on either side of Steve, who has wrapped both his arms around Eddie’s waist. They’re making out heavily. In the background you can see Jeff rolling his eyes.]

Reunion

Jonathan Byers, 1992

~~

<<Prev Next>> AO3

[just-a-peachy]

"you're the weight i'll always carry

through a world so cold, you'll never walk alone

we will find a place to lay our heavy heads

these lonely roads will always lead you home"

♡ visible unseen - silent planet ♡

silent planet at bogart's in cincinnati, ohio june 28th, 2019 // my photo

[munciememories]

Introducing Muncie Memories!

Welcome to Muncie Memories! This is a collaborative storytelling project that invites the residents of Muncie to share their experiences, memories, and stories of the place they call home. 

We are thrilled that you’ve found us! we can’t wait to meet you! If you’re here, that must mean that you’re either

a.) really into learning about Muncie or b.) really knowledgeable about Muncie already!

If a.), then join us on our research quest! If b.), then we want to hear all your stories and be filled with all of your knowledge!

This is a collaborative project; we can’t do this without all of you! (And, really, we couldn’t do this without PlySpace, since it’s a project funded and presented by them!)

First things first. Meet the Team!

Such a solid group, don’t ya think?

Meredith Kooi is PlySpace’s Summer 2019 Resident Fellow. Chicago proper born, Chicago burb bred, Meredith has been living in Atlanta for the past 8 years working on community-based projects, producing installations, curating exhibitions, writing art criticism, making music, and otherwise moonlighting as a PhD candidate at Emory University. She’s here in Muncie and very keen on getting to know y’all. 

Ellie Phan is a graphic designer who also minors in computer science. Her goal in life is to design promotional products and advertisements for the food, cultural, and advertisement industries. She is a big-time foodie and she loves to travel to different places to have new food experiences. When she is not designing, you can find her hanging out at her usual restaurant or reading a novel in a small corner.

Jenna Mesker is a photography and intermedia major who loves coffee, windows, and vintage toys. In her free time, she loves going to concerts, riding her bike, and loving her dog. She thinks the banjo is the best instrument (even though no one else probably thinks that) and that sitting in her backyard listening to bluegrass music in the summer is the best activity. Jenna is currently splitting her time between Indianapolis and Muncie, but looks forward to interacting with the community in Muncie as much as possible!

Kai Cohen is a photography and intermedia major. She is passionate about music and art. She is constantly in pursuit of The Beatles bootlegs and photographs. Kai strives to capture random genuine happenstance through photography and video. Kai hopes to see you behind her lens soon!

Katie Strader is a Senior at Ball State studying graphic design. She is a quirky individual that enjoys to nerd out. Her love for playing the viola followed her to college after high school, leading her to join the Ball State Campus Orchestra. Over the summer, she plans to dabble in oil painting and creating new works of art after falling in love with it during her painting class this past fall.

Kitty Taylor is a local sculpture artist who focuses on women’s issues. Born in Evansville, IN, Kitty is no stranger to rural living, city living, and the weirder parts of life. A recent graduate of Ball State, she looks forward to learning more about her new home and is excited to meet the mocals. 

Belle, otherwise known affectionately as Grandma Belle, is Meredith’s longtime companion. She provides much needed research, development, and production support. She enjoys snacks and belly rubs. 

[tonyvasquez]

Mayday_Parade_April 25, 2017 by Tony Vasquez Via Flickr: April 25, 2017 Mayday Parade - A Lesson In Romantics 10th Anniversary Tour in the Egyptian Room at Old National Centre, Indianapolis, IN. : Tony Vasquez

[melodieyvonne]

Fastball Celebrates Swimming Trials with Stellar Indy Set

[nyxi-styx]

Reflecting

I don’t normally do a year in review, but this was such an interesting year of ups and downs. That meme about “I was somehow living both my best life and worst life simultaneously” is true. At least in my case.

January to March didn’t bring me much of anything. I did, however, start working on my drawing skills. I didn’t stick to it as much as I would have liked, but I’ve found that I’m actually really good at drawing in the Rick & Morty style. Unfortunately, I was also raped this year. It wasn’t forceful or violent and I was afraid to say “no” verbally, but my body language and resistance should have been clue enough that I did not want it.

In April, I was able to go and meet Sean Astin at Indiana Comic Con. It was brief, but memorable. He was so sweet and funny and undeniably handsome. I was glad I was able to make that dream come true for my mom and that she and my little sister could enjoy their first convention with me. 

In May, I got to be with my very best friends again in Los Angeles where we were able to explore gorgeous Santa Monica. I became closer with a friend I’ve confided in regularly for quite some time. I did not get to meet Andrew Scott again, which was heartbreaking, but I did get a wonderful, intimate convention experience with so many other Sherlock people I love, particularly Sian Brooke. A week later, I got to see @therealjacksepticeye live on stage in Indianapolis at the Old National Center, which was quite a fun experience. His “Positive Mental Attitude” movement has really gotten me through a lot this year which led me to getting my fourth tattoo in June. Immediately after that, I was fortunate enough to attend Indy Pop Con for a second time and meet @crankgameplays

In July, I was given the privilege and honor of being the photographer for my aunt’s long-awaited wedding, which was a beautiful and intimate affair. I also had the pleasure of seeing Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson live in concert at their Twins of Evil Tour Indianapolis show, both artists which were on my bucket list. It was truly something to behold and won’t easily be forgotten.

From late June to late September, I was in a relationship which caused me to learn a lot about myself. Unfortunately, I had to end it when it became clear that we were just far too incompatible to continue. Honestly, I don’t wish her any ill, but I hope she learns some things about life and relationships. It boiled down to immaturity and anticipating/understanding my needs the way I did with her.

August saw me abruptly quit a job I had been with and loved for a year due to an abusive change in management. The old manager had been a friend and a wonderful leader. The new manager was verbally abusive to all employees, paranoid, neurotic and so many other things. I literally could not handle it mentally anymore and left after my shift, never to return. I’m not proud of that, but I had to do what I had to do for my own mental wellbeing. I immediately started looking for a new hotel job, but was left unemployed for a month. I just barely managed to keep my head above water.

In September, I started my new job at an upscale hotel in Downtown Indianapolis that is part of the Marriott franchise. It’s different in many ways from the hotel I used to work at and I’m still trying to find my groove, but I work with some really wonderful people and I have an amazing boss again. He’s a great leader and very friendly and down to earth. I was also able to go and see Pentatonix in concert with my cousins. Another fantastic experience. It was so much fun and I’ll cherish that memory for a very long time. Later that same month, I hosted friends at my home and was able to attend my final Supernatural convention in Indianapolis. I got some wonderful photos and was able to be on stage again for karaoke. I can’t think of a better end to my attendance at these conventions. Especially considering that weekend’s Saturday Night Special was, by far, the best I’d ever attended. I wish I could continue to go, but their increased prices that don’t seem to have a ceiling are preventing me from going. I wouldn’t have been able to go to this one at all without the help and generosity of my friends.

In October, I was able to meet Tom Hiddleston. Unfortunately, it did not go as well as planned which unfortunately left be feeling a little flat and slightly brokenhearted, but it was still a good experience and I can’t quite believe I didn’t fail it entirely. As an added bonus, I got to meet Tim Jacobus who was part of my childhood in that he was the artist for the majority of the Goosebumps novels. I also finally got to work at my first ever haunted house and met some truly amazing friends in the process. Unfortunately, I did not get to celebrate my 26th birthday as I worked all day at both my regular full-time job at the haunted house, but I’m thankful that I had jobs to work at. I unfortunately also worked on Halloween which was soul-crushingly sad for me.

November, unfortunately is where everything got horrible. Everything was okay until Thanksgiving when I received a notice to vacate on my door. I am thankful it wasn’t an eviction notice. I was able to stay with a friend temporarily and I am forever grateful to her for opening her home to me. November was also the time in which I discovered Shane Dawson and I am glad I did because it was his humor and deep distractions that got me through the very difficult time between homes. He’s very relatable and him being so open and public about his own body dysphoria makes me feel seen and heard and understood. He refuses to let his bisexuality be erased. He’s an overall kind and genuine person.

In December, I have moved into a new, accessible cheaper place. I’ll be getting together with family at the holidays when I’m not working and overall I’m just going to keep doing the best I can. Oh and I’ve recently taken up makeup! I can’t wait to keep improving on that front as well.

Overall, it’s been a year full of both highs and lows. I cannot wait to see what things 2019 has for me.

[yourwizardofaus]

Elvis; Photographed at the same moment from different cameras.  Part 5 of 5.

When someone is the most photographed person in history, it stands to reason that they might be photographed at the very same time by two different people.  Here are some instances of King Elvis caught at the same moment from two different photographers.  In collecting Elvis pictures since the 1990s I’ve noticed these pictures had the same timing.

The June tour of 1977 became the last that Elvis ever gave.  Here he is in Kansas City, MO, on June 18.

Elvis at his second last concert - Cincinnati, OH, on June 25, 1977.

Vernon Presley joined his son onstage a few time on the June 1977 tour.  Here they are together in Cincinnati.

The last four pictures are two different moments from the last ever concert - Indianapolis, IN, on June 26.

[smartadvocate-blog1]

Converse©: A Advocacy Case Study

Smart Advocate

When Among my buddies was in school he had many friends who were supporters of Converse© shoes. 1 day we had been hanging out together with all our friends, walking throughout the mall into Dave and Buster's arcade when he noticed that the Converse© shop and insisted we go indoors so he could eventually get some Converse© shoes! His friends had always told him how good those shoes were but there was not any place to purchase them in town where he went to school. So when he had his opportunity, he recalled that it was something that he had to test. The identical friend finally married among my very best friends and even when I see him today, years afterwards, he's always wearing Converse© shoes. I have to acknowledge he drew me to the brand also since on my next trip to the shop I, an enthusiastic Spartan enthusiast, purchased three pairs of shoes.

Smart Advocate

Brand recommends. A number of the young guy's friends in school were severe Converse© urges, outstanding of course, and they introduced him into the brand. He, subsequently, turned into a Converse© urge and introduced me into the brand. Additionally, I became a devoted client of Converse© and have convinced many different folks that those shoes are some thing they need to have. Converse© has generated literally hundreds to tens of thousands of bucks without spending a cent on advertising to some of those clients who invested the cash in question? Our series of advocacy has expanded on its own and attained many currently devoted clients.

Therefore the purpose is That new advocacy is extremely powerful and; hence, quite important. Converse© is a well established manufacturer and had many devoted clients before some of us heard about Converse©, let alone before anybody people became recommends ourselves.

The All-Star Advocates

Just just how can a startup company establish new urges? Well let us look more carefully at exactly what an urge actually is.

The Advocates from the narrative were originally only customers of this brand. The initial advocates were likely attracted in by some kind of advertising or perhaps a promotional thing. They purchased the shoes, wore themliked them and recommended them to other people. So they enjoyed a item? What's? new? There are tons of folks who enjoy certain goods, but what distinguishes an urge from only another fulfilled client? They clearly enjoy the brand well enough to recommend it to other people however they require the recommendation to a different degree.  Similar to a salesperson, they really convince other prospective clients that they ought to buy it and appreciate it! As a satisfied client, the urge essentially guarantees the possible client of their own gratification.

So in Response to these questions, what's an urge? The solution is the ultimate fan of the item, service or manufacturer who motivates others to become clients of their brand.

Locating Your Advocates

If you understand  That you want advocates and exactly what they are, the upcoming logical step is to locate your own assistants. So how can you do so? Well, to make a good illustration of Converse© again, among the things which they did was that they made a place for clients to upload images of the distinctive sneakers. How can uploading pictures allow you to locate urges? The reality is that the folks uploading the photographs clearly like their shoes well enough to devote the time decorating themtaking interesting pictures of these and posting them on the internet. So there's a great possibility that these individuals are already spending their time recommending and Converse© simply found them.

A Number of Other companies have picture, video And site competitions. Forums also open the paths of communication between you and your clients.  All of these are fantastic ways to the own brand to communicate with clients they are encouraged to discuss their encounters with your own brand. Those clients who are excited about your brand are the ones which you should aim for advocates.  Their excitement for your own brand is already constructed and all they want is something to maintain their excitement that's a lot simpler to do in order to build it from the bottom up.

You Discovered Your Advocates! Things to Do :

Rewarding Advocates for their devotion can be as easy as providing exclusive info, exclusive membership or capacity to buy exclusive services and products. There are lots of options to pursue if inviting your supporters to continue to spread the word on your own brand.

Some companies provide exclusive forums or site features For qualified members. When Google© began its Gmail service, it had been invitation only. Other comparable strategies include offering specific codes to receive exclusive discounts on services and products. Perhaps you have heard of devotion rewards cards? Have you received a discount on lease or your next trip to your salon for discussing a new client? Other businesses encourage loyal clients to become commission-based agents. This benefits the urge with financial or in some instances product reimbursement for a project they were doing.

Many Urges are going to be contented with any additional interaction they get using a new. As an example, if an Apple® urge were to have the chance to meet Steve Jobs, this could most likely be motivation enough to keep on advocating for the newest.  Other advocates may find a good deal of inspiration from exclusive business news like product development information, the initial notice of upcoming company events, etc..

If You're In Need of Additional Inspiration Bands are a excellent illustration of identifying and using advocates. Band advocates are more than just lovers.  They buy all the albums, visit the concerts, purchase the ring t-shirts and stay in line for hours to satisfy with the band members. Bands also benefit their urges with exclusive monitor previews, exclusive information, and tour date advice for being a part of a mailing list or enthusiast base on Facebook©. Some groups even offer you pre-sale advice for upcoming tours to ensure their advocates may be the first to get in on the action.

Can you pay $200 to market  For a firm? That is just how much Indianapolis Colts© enthusiast jerseys price. How frequently do you see folks walking round with a huge logo across the? rear of the sweatshirt or front of the baseball cap, boosting their favourite sports team? Should you ask them about the staff whose paraphernalia that they happen to be sporting, then they'd probably give you some type of speech about the way that staff is the very best in their own league. The most The wonderful thing about most professional sports clubs is that not only can they receive great advocacy out of their urges, but they likewise don't need to pay a dime to get this. In reality, they actually earn money from the advocates. I've a friend who recently went into some New York Yankees© matches and arrived home with 20+ Yankee's stadium plastic beer cups which price $10/a piece.

With evident cases in our daily lives, it's  Easy to determine the significance of new advocates. Imagine how far Politicians could get without effort managers and community volunteers. Where will the New York Yankees© be with their die-hard?  Yankee fans? Now You Know how to find and promote the urges  Of the brand now is the time to take this second measure of brand building Through urges.

[jennygoeseastbay]

2018 in Review

So I used to do one of these every year on my Livejournal, and I completely blew it off in 2017 because I kind of abandoned that medium, and because the last month of that year was complete consumed with packing and moving. I’m not entirely certain I want to get more active on here, but for now this is a good place for me to post this, simply to have the written record of my existence that I need in order to process all that has happened and reflect on how it has helped me to grow and improve as a person. If I’m feeling really ambitious, I might even backtrack and do one for 2017 next week, because I like to be complete in my self-documentation. ;)

01. What did you do in 2018 that you'd never done before? Visited Washington DC for the first time.

Visited the Los Cabos region of Mexico for the first time.

Closed a major gift from someone who had not already had decades of cultivation from their University.

Visited even more areas of California that were new to me, including Anaheim, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Pismo Beach, Paso Robles, and Lake Tahoe (I guess that also includes Nevada since we stayed in Carson City)

Visited Ashland Oregon for the first time.

Sold a piece of real estate. Phew!

Practiced Yin Yoga. (And walking meditation!)

Engaged in a yoga hike!

Also tried yoga with goats!

Attended WonderCon

Attended a county fair.

Road a bicycle somewhere other than a residential street

Tried kayaking

Ran a trail run race

02. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I never really make concrete resolutions, just some general proclamations about eating better, and putting more time into fitness and writing. Of these three things, the one I was most successful at this year, surprisingly enough, was eating better. In September I realized that it was time for a physical tune-up, and so I rejoined WW after a long time away, and though I still have a few pounds to go, I’ve been happy to have gotten a bit sleeker after dialing back the bread and cheese. I also attended a writing group called Shut Up and Write a couple times, and I’d like to become more of a regular at their cafe sessions in 2019, because I’ve found that their method (literally a concentrated hour of shutting up and writing) has been helpful the two times I’ve gone.

03. Did anyone close to you give birth? My dear friends Drew and Kelly had their first child in September. And my friend Lynn had her second child, a little girl, just a couple weeks ago. 04. Did anyone close to you die? Not super close, but a professor at UC Davis who I had worked with closely, passed very unexpectedly right before Halloween. 05. What countries did you visit? Mexico! Finally broke in my current passport with a new stamp! 06. What would you like to have in 2019 that you lacked in 2018? Good novel progress. Or more discipline on some other fiction and an essay that I just started tinkering with. A legit boyfriend. 07. What date(s) from 2018 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

January 2 was my first day on the job at UC Davis.

January 7 was a super fun evening at the Museum of Ice Cream in SF

January 13-15 was a wonderful weekend in Seattle where I got to meet my nephew Apollo for the first time and photograph his first swimming lesson for his parents.

January 20 was my second Women’s March outing in Sac with my friend Jade and her little ones.

January 27 was a day when I got to play tour guide for my friend Gricel and her husband when they were in SF visiting for the first time.

Feb. 10 and 11 was a fun weekend in Berkeley and SF, being silly and singing loudly with my former Cal colleagues who had become dear friends.

March 23-25 Was my whirlwind Anaheim weekend at Wondercon, and I got to catch up with my friend Mike, whom I’d not seen in a couple years.

March 30-April 1 was an epic road trip weekend, the first of what my friend Maya and I now call our Girls Gone Sensibly Wild excursions. We drove to Santa Barbara and visited the deserted UC campus there (it was closed for spring break) and also enjoyed an amazing live show featuring Dave Hause, Dan Andriano, and Cory Branan, among others at the Cold Spring Tavern. And then got a joint membership at Peachy Canyon Winery on our way back, because it was one of the few establishments open on Easter Sunday.

April 22 was Earth Day, and prompted me to venture out to Marin for an impromptu yoga hike at Rodeo Beach.

May 14 was my first appointment with a new hair stylist who would also unexpectedly become a trusted friend.

May 24 was my first time seeing Depeche Mode live, and it was incredible.

June 8-10 was my second of two hit it and quit it Chicago trips (although really, the first one wasn’t so much Chicago as it was Joliet) this year, and allowed me to reconnect with my dear friends Drew and Kelly (Drew finished his PhD at UChicago and I attended his commencement and hooding), have a day at the zoo with my friend Dawn, and also road trip to WI with my friend Mary for a beautiful and moving Lights Festival experience together.

June 30 was the day I attended my first ever CalShakes performance with Maya and our mutual friend Paola (Girls Gone Sensibly Wild continued!), and Maya also got me on a bike for the first time in ages, thanks to LimeBikes being available at the Pleasant Hill BART station. We took a short, wobbly, but fun ride down the Iron Horse Trail.

July 1 was the day I learned to kayak and surprisingly got myself through 5 miles of the Russian River without tipping over or running out of steam.

July 26 saw me reuniting with my dear pals Shannon and Glenn, when they were visiting the Sac area for a wedding.

July 27-29 was the weekend I drove up to Ashland to enjoy some time with my friend Debbie and to experience the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for the first time.

August 3-6 was when I somewhat unexpectedly had the delight of hosting my friend Clarise for a weekend visit. We drove down to Pacifica for the International Dog Surfing competition and I schooled her in the ways of California wine as much as I could with my limited knowledge.

The following weekend, August 9-13, I had a lovely time hosting and touring around with my 16 year old niece, and got to introduce her to the joy that is Santa Cruz. And yoga with goats!

August 30-Sept. 4 was when I hosted (this is a recurring theme in August, isn’t it?) my Aunt Sherrie for local sightseeing and a road trip up to Lake Tahoe.

Sept. 22-24 saw me heading down to L.A. for my cousin Katie’s wedding and some work meetings. It was the first time in ages that I got to connect with that specific branch of my family, and get to know them a bit better.

Sept. 29 was my first AFSP walk in Sac. And i was joined by Jade, her visiting mom, and her three little ones.

Sept. 30 was the really long hair session with Mason that helped solidify that we were legit friends (and included a shared sunset from the window of his hair studio!) and a quick follow up appointment on Oct. 3 allowed us to enjoy a rainbow and storm together.

Oct. 19-21 saw Maya and I doing another Girls Gone Sensibly Wild road trip. Back to Peachy Canyon to pick up some wine, and also Pismo Beach and Santa Maria for our first visit to a really lovely winery called Foxen.

Oct. 26 was quite possibly my all-time favorite Brian Fallon performance. It was just him alternating between his acoustic guitar and an electric piano, and he was joined by Craig Finn from The Hold Steady, who also did his own acoustic set.

Oct. 27 I got to introduce my new friend Torrey to the Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg, and we did a fun wine and Halloween candy pairing and some epic day drinking.

Nov. 3 saw me reuniting with my Cal crew and a sprinkling of East Bay friends at Fillmore Karaoke, for an epic night of loud singing as an early celebration of my 40th bday. So much wine. Actually too much, but for a birthday, that’s acceptable!

Nov. 4-6 I was in Indianapolis for work, and though the work part wasn’t particularly memorable, I was super honored and thrilled that my BFF Dawn drove all the way down from Joliet IL with her two boys to have dinner with me on my first night there.

Nov. 9 was an epic Local H show in Sac. Also a welcome break in the midst of a period of forced solitude, after the Camp Fire residual smoke prompted my whole office to work from home for about a week to protect us from the terrible air quality.

Nov. 18 was the day we had the beautiful service honoring the life of a beloved professor who passed.

Nov. 24-29 was my trip to Cabo with my Aunt Sherrie, and was also my official bday celebration.

Dec. 9-12 was my DC trip, which also allowed me to catch up with my friend Max, who lives in Baltimore, and my friend Stacey, who also happened to be there for her own work purposes.

Dec. 15 was my full day of yoga retreating at Green Gulch Ranch in Marin, and then I drove to the East Bay to catch up with Maya at Calicraft, which is one of our favorite craft distilleries in the area.

Dec. 16 was a white elephant celebration in Pleasant Hill that allowed me to unexpectedly meet a new, interesting friend.

08. What was your biggest achievement of the year? So far, meeting all expectations at my new job and closing a major gift earlier than is required. Also not losing my shit during the condo selling process, even though there were a lot of reasons to do so.

09. What was your biggest failure? I wrote VERY little fiction. But I did dip my toe back into writing in general, so I guess there’s that. 10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I took a tumble at home that left my tailbone a bit tender about a month ago. But otherwise, no, pretty healthy, even after getting rear-ended in my car! 11. What was the best thing you bought? Various travel tickets, both air and rail. A beautiful new necklace that I found at the holiday market in D.C. All the concert tickets that provided soul-fueling live music.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Mine! I adjusted to a new job and an unfamiliar setting and managed to acquire a few new friends while also maintaining the East Bay friendships that meant the most to me. 13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Who else but certain immediate family members? 14. Where did most of your money go? Rent. Travel. Wine, and to a lesser extent, craft beer, now that I’ve picked up a taste for stouts and sours. 15. What song will always remind you of 2018?

Anything off of Sleepwalkers by Brian Fallon

Anything off of  Be More Kind by Frank Turner

Chariot by Gavin DeGraw

Tall Green Grass by Cory Branan

16. Compared to this time last year, you are: Thinner and sleeker, weight-wise

More willing to make room for others and open my life and space to them (friend and lover both) Still as sleep-deprived as ever 17. What do you wish you'd done more of? Novel writing, as always. Flirting. And kissing. 18. What do you wish you'd done less of? Angsting over adulting-related things that were either beyond my control or that ended up working out just as they should.

19. How will you be spending/did you spend Christmas?

I’m driving to Santa Cruz on Xmas Eve and treating myself to an overnight stay so that I can indulge in my happy place and a sunset hike. Also get to celebrate Boxing Day for the first time with my friend Jade and her brood back in Sac.

20. How will you be spending/did you spend New Year’s Eve? Original plan was to hang at my friend Jade’s place with her kids, movies and snacks. But just learned the wee ones are ill, so now I’m not sure what I’m doing. That was how I spent last year (the original plan, that is), with the main difference being that last year I also went to a two-hour yin workshop beforehand, which was how I discovered my current yoga studio, and discovered how much I enjoy yin practice in general. 21. Did you fall in love in 2018?

No. But I made more effort to pursue it, and had more options than I think I’ve ever had in a single year. Which was kind of encouraging even if each one was relatively short-lived.

22. How many one-night stands? I always laugh when I read this question. How about I just wink knowingly and say a lady never tells? 23. What was your favorite TV program? Supernatural. iZombie. To a lesser extent, Riverdale, even though I’m still pretty behind on that one. Sons of Anarchy (which I know is old but I’m playing catchup via Netflix and Hulu) And as a guilty pleasure, Total Divas. And of course, I'm still casually following WWE on the WWE network, though the only thing I’m finding compelling aside from the women’s matches are the Brits featured on the UK specific programming. 24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? No, I don't think so. 25. What was the best book you read? I finally got into the Harry Potter series and I’m really enjoying it. I just finished the Order of the Phoenix, and have the next installment requested from the library. 26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Not entirely new, but my appreciation for Cory Branan was reinforced and amplified after seeing him in Santa Barbara. And I’m also on a rediscovery tear with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the Cold War Kids.

27. What did you want and get? Reassurance that this move to Sac was the right next step, after I settled in to my new role relatively easily. 28. What did you want and not get? Romantic love for an extended period. More down time. 29. What was your favorite film(s) of this year? Bohemian Rhapsody, even though I know it had some historical inaccuracies.

A Quiet Place was hard because of the ending, but decent as well.

And the latest Halloween was hella satisfying, especially since I caught it after needing an escape after learning about the passing of the professor I mentioned earlier.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I prepped for my Cabo departure, went exploring at the Cosumnes River Trail, which is also a bird sanctuary, and caught the movie Widows with my work friend Christine. Then she took me to Panera for dinner. Couldnt’ do much more than that since I had a 5 am flight the following morning. I turned 40.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Love, as always. 32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2018? Activewear as much as possible. But never enough. 33. What kept you sane? My friends. The various trips I took and rock shows I attended. Junk food. Wandering in nature.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Jensen Ackles. Tom Hiddleston. Charlie Hunnan. Idris Elba. My taste doesn't change much. 35. Who did you miss? Dawn. Becca. Kelly and Drew. Stephanie and Scott. Rob. Elspeth. Mike K. Jason. 36. Who was the best new person you met?

Lu

Ellen

Mason

Torrey

Anthony

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2018 Never underestimate my own ability to adapt to new situations, and to handle my own shit like a boss. I had a few challenging things thrown at me, namely the condo selling process, and the logistical gymnastics that followed after having to bring my car in for a bumper repair following a recent rear-ending, and though I felt tested by both of those situations, I ultimately succeeded at navigating both of them to a positive end.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

I’m always starting over....

I don’t wanna waste the nights in my life

But I never fit in, or felt home in my skin.

I’m waiting on a big love, baby.

--Brian Fallon, “Her Majesty’s Service”