Who Says There's No Free Lunch?

There is if you are resourceful.  When you are unemployed, like The Rocker, and on a budget, it can be difficult to maintain the lifestyle you once lived prior to your brokeness.   I wasn't rich, but I was certainly comfortable.   Although I have been able to adjust, giving up certain comforts, I still find it is possible to eat like a king,  avoiding Hamburger Helper and .99 cent fast food.  

I timed my Monday visit to Costco for a prescription refill and refueling to coincide with their free food sample extravaganza that previously seemed to be reserved for the weekends.   There I am scarfing up a delicious FREE LUNCH.  My menu consisted of cheese tortellini, granola bar, string cheese, waffles with strawberry jam, oatmeal cookies, Moon cake, pita chips and several samples pomegranate Hansen's soda.  Mind you, several laps are necessary to fill your gullet.  


I hovered closely to the most popular items, the shrimp scampi and salmon, waiting in vain as batches of these premium samples simmered and sizzled, along with the other circling vultures.  Unfortunately, I was trampled in a stampede several times so I gave up on those.   

On my way out, I finished my lunch with a shot of the Johnny-Come-Lately super food, Acai berry, in a health drink concoction.  It looked like someone spilled A1 Steak Sauce into a cup of diarrhea.  Mercifully, it tasted better than it looked, having a prune-like flavor.   The sample dude was quick to offer up all its health properties, of which I am already aware, though I can't see myself shooting this everyday.  I can get the berry in other tastier forms, say perhaps, in an enema?!

Sugar Coated Bastards Rock!!

You ain't got no job, you ain't got no money and it's Friday.  True.  And no gig.  Then let's go see Asian Halen in his side project, The Sugar Coated Bastards in BFE at some place called the Dawg House that is next to a Korean karaoke bar and a strip club.  OK!

I dragged The Pool and our friend Jax* out to the City of Industry to check out this (in the singer's own words) "abortion".  How right he was.  It was so bad it was freaking awesome.  I loved this train wreck.  What is better than watching 4 dudes dressed like morons, cranking out hilarious yet crappy punk rock tunes?  Not much except if drunk dude playing pool would have stopped bumping into me on purpose and trying to drool on me.  Really?  I mean, he was shorter than me and I'm short.  Jax thought that was his lame attempt to hit on me, but I just thought he was trying to cause trouble.  Well, if he kept that up, he was gonna find it.

I absolutely cannot wait to check out the next show.  I am there, so long as I don't have my own gig.

Knowing there is a karaoke bar within a 10 mile radius means that The Pool must check it out.  After the show, we made the required trip to the Korean bar where The Pool proceeded to sing an Elvis tune and I belched out Total Eclipse of the Heart, badly, while enjoying Chinese beer.

Actually, I totally dug this place.  I am often called an egg by some of my Asian friends (white on the outside, yellow inside) and they might be right.  I felt right at home here drinking Tsing Tao, watching the other Koreans smoke (yes inside!) and gamble.   We were also treated to a song by the old Korean guy in the eye patch who was cleaning up in poker.   Heck, we even made some new friends, of whom we were to go to the strip club next door with, but, the cover charge was way to high, ladies admission was not free and you weren't allowed to bring in a purse.  Uh, ok.   Do they know that they are located in Industry?  To top it off, the guys coming out of the place told us not to bother.  Ha!  So, that saved us a few bucks.

We opt to head down the street to Tacos Mexico for some carnitas and horchata.  That's the way to end an evening.  A belly full of juicy pork and spicy salsa.

Mercifully, the trip around the world I forced upon my gullet failed to result in gastrointestinal WWIII as I feared on the way home.   Everyone got along deliciously.

Sorry, no autographs, no photos, please..... NOT!

I don't know what it is like to be famous, but it must be at least ten-fold of what I go through on occasion.  Performing as many shows as I have over the years, I do get recognized from my bands, and even requests for autographs, as amazing as that sounds.  When I went to the International Street Fair with The Pool recently, I was recognized several times to his dismay, as he was not, and at my gig last weekend I was recognized from a previous band.  I appreciate the attention, but there are times when it can be annoying.  But, unlike some celebrities who seem to hate their fans, I accept the fact that I should relish what little notoriety I get, resigned to the fact that I am essentially a walking advertisement for my bands and those who help me express my creative persona, (i.e. my hair stylist)  Let me explain.

In a previous post I mentioned the hideous color of eye shadow I picked up from Sephora by Nars and that I was to return it soon.  I did so just the other day and also opted to have a free Express Service on their newest look, the Candy Eye.  While asking about the consultation, I was unexpectedly bombarded by the associates about my nails and my tattoo.   I ended up referring one gal to my tattoo artist and discussing at length about the shop, the artist and traditional style tattoos.  She mentioned that she read about the shop in the paper.  She was thrilled to see an example of the style in person.

Next, two girls wanted to know where on earth I got my nails and toes done.  I patronize a Japanese salon in Irvine, and I explained the difference between what I had done and acrylics.  The Japanese nail magazines have uber-hot concepts you need to check out, with hand painted artwork and 3D bling.  One time my own nail artist took a picture of the nails she had done for their portfolio.  She told me they love doing my nails because I always want something fun.  I had an extra card on me for the salon so I forked it over to the girls.

This happens often enough to even annoy the S.O.  When we were window shopping at the mall the other day, he was getting irked about the discussions I kept having with sales ladies about something I was wearing.

It's flattering and yeah, a bit of an ego boost, but those who know me know I not a megalomaniac.  In fact, sometimes I am embarrassed by the attention.  I can only be myself and if that means tongues will wag, so be it.   Shouldn't I be getting some sort of kick backs for all this advertising?  Don't get me started on how much business I have brought my long time hair stylist over the years.

Sephora's Candy Eye on The Rocker, applied by their artist using purple, white and aqua:

This one I did myself today using pale colors of teal, silver and yellow:

This consultation also included a free make-up brush, but I neglected to realize the coupon I received via email had expired.  They were kind enough to honor it anyways because they said I "was so lovely".  Ha!  Me lovely?  I even scored a free lip gloss in Nectar.  Ok, see, this is why I love Sephora.

Anyway, in conclusion, being recognized rocks.

The Rocker loves Fridays

Even though I woke up to the sounds of The Rocker's kitty, Foxy, retching and puking in front of the bed, it will be a good day methinks.

Fridays are bad@$$ usually because I have a gig, and when I was working a day job, well TGIF is all I can say.  Not so today, but I have gig tomorrow night and Sunday (woo hoo Viper Room!).

I am ready for the weekend.  I got my hair done and am feeling good.  This stretch was a long one and my gray's were showing.  Yes, The Rocker is getting older.... But, all is well again now that I had the blonde touched up and put purple somewhere in the back of my head.  Love it.  I usually let my stylist do whatever he wants to my hair.  It's fun.  Some of my girlfriends think I am nuts.  What is it with woman and their hair?  You know, it grows back.

Afterward, my stylist and I went directly to the nearest bar, Claim Jumper (sigh), and had a pitcher of Sangria.  So-so sangria might I add.  Mostly juice and grapes.  I make much better sangria myself, but whatever, it had alcohol in it somewhere.  We were mostly there to chit chat anyway.

Over all, yesterday was a good day, except for not waking up in time to take my car in to the dealership.  Opps.  But at least I got some time in at the pool.  I have been affectionately referring to my Mouthful bass player as "The Pool" lately.  The Pool is not as pleased with that nickname as I, but hey, he IS the pool!

When I say to my S.O. "I am going to the pool," he knows where and with who I will be.

So, The Pool and I will most likely be hanging out at the Street Fair in Orange today.  I didn't get a chance to go last year, and growing up in Orange, I always looked forward to it.  Although I now live elsewhere,  I try my best to go every year.  The S.O. will be at work unfortunately so that leaves just The Pool and I, and whoever else that is not at work to check it out.  Mind you The Pool works, he just makes his own hours.

So, on the menu are my usuals: corn on the cob, baklava, bratwurst and imported beer.

If you see us, no autographs please, but we will condone pictures of us in questionable circumstances that you can sell to the tabloids.  Hey, we are rockers, you best not photograph us kissing babies and ruin our reps.

TTFN