Depression, Bluegrass and Cemeteries

I've suffered with depression for many years... An on and off kind of thing.
Sometimes I can sense its insidious creeping across my life, like the girl from The Ring slithering its way into my days and nights.

Other times, it's like I stepped off a curb without looking both ways and it hits me full on like a mother fucking TANK bus.

Did anyone see the bus that sped away?

It's something that I don't even care to talk about, generally.  It makes me feel weak, less than really.  I know, intellectually, that is a silly way to feel.  But feeling that way doesn't make my feelings valid, it just makes me ashamed of them.

I know that I'm not alone in suffering from depression, it seems like people are suffering at epidemic proportions.  Of course I never liked being like everyone else.
My depression is also a medication-resistant variety, which basically means that I just need to learn to live with it.

Puny TrippyBeth

So, I have a few bad days now and then.  This weekend has been a few of those bad days.  Yesterday and today I have also been stricken with a migraine.  Migraines and depression travel hand-in-hand.

Why can't depression and glowing skin or depression and perfect hair or depression and ample breasts go hand-in-hand??

Sigh, but it is what it is.

So.... Friday night, before I was afflicted with the depression/migraine double whammy, I went out for a family birthday dinner and then headed to the Southgate House Revival (http://www.southgatehouse.com/) to see a show.

 

The Revival is such a cool venue...

Two shots from the Sanctuary.

I love old churches.  Not because I'm religious, I'm agnostic actually.  But because of the beautiful architecture. 
There is a small church for sale on Madison Avenue, that I'd love to have and convert into a home, if it wasn't on Madison Avenue.  Maybe some day...

We went to the Southgate to see The Tillers (http://the-tillers.com/home/) a really great local bluegrass band.  They did not disappoint.  Their sound is so clean, LOVE THEM!

Before The Tillers took the stage we were audibly raped by a band, whose genre I couldn't even begin to guess.  I could not decipher even ONE word that the singer was warbling... NOT ONE!
After a little homework, I discovered that they classified themselves as "Crust Metal". I've never heard of crust metal, I suppose I'm way outta the loop.  It doesn't matter though, you couldn't pay me to go to a crust metal show.

Also performing were Jason and the Punknecks (http://www.punknecks.com/), in the lounge.  I was diggin on them too, sadly the sound in there wasn't too good.  I suppose it was just an issue of acoustics, but  I'd definitely see them again.

Playing in the Sanctuary before The Tillers, were The Blue Rock Boys (https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Blue-Rock-Boys/237689076254875), an Irish traditional folk band.  They were great too!

The Pièce de résistance was The Tillers!!

When I got home Friday night, i put the camera on charge in anticipation of heading to Spring Grove Cemetery Saturday morning.

I got up Saturday morning, gathered my camera, a rain hat and hit the road.

I got to Spring Grove, it was overcast, but not raining.  There weren't a lot of people there, even though it was warm.  I got the Nikon out, put it around my neck, stuck the iPhone in my pocket and headed out.  I get to the edge of one of the ponds, there was some fog still hanging over the water, a perfect photo op.  I turn on the Nikon.  Nothing.
I go back to the car, exchange the battery.  Still NOTHING.
I was so frustrated, I couldn't figure out what was going on, I had charged the camera for several hours.
Maybe I had over-charged it?  Is that even possible?

I was mad and nearly left.

But, I still had my trusty iPhone and I've taken some pretty fantastic photos with it in the past, so off i went!
I got some pretty good shots, I'm printing a few to frame and add to my gallery wall.

Here are a couple, the first, of course is me.  You can check out more, if you like, at my Flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/trippybeth/.

When I got home, start looking over the camera, I discover that I was charging it WRONG.  Sheesh AND I had even charged it once before!!  I am so not techy, and obviously not a reader of operations manuals.
But now, the camera is fully charged and I 'm ready to head out and get some more awesome photos!  I'd love to get some cemetery shots in the snow, surely that should be doable soon!

Ok, I'm off now, hopefully my head will calm down enough for me to finish the book I'm reading...

To go completely off subject, I'd love to go to Mortuary School, I think I'd be good at it, good with the departed and with the families.  Sadly, as a single girl, there's no way I could do it now, financially and with work.

Oh, and I'll leave you with a photo of my new notepad, I can't wait to write a note to the Backstabber on it!!

Punk, Pimples and Fireworks...

What a weekend!

I can’t believe that summer is unofficially over!  I’m disappointed that I went on vacation in May, because I really could use another one now.  I’m feeling the itch to get out of town. 

Anyway, I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend. Mine was pretty good.

Friday I decided to be productive and rearrange furniture.  Which I did, then a moved it all back.  So, it was all for naught.

Saturday I shopped my ass off early in the day.  Thrift stores, antique mall and a discount store.  I bought a whole carload of stuff, clothes, books, glasses… it was a productive shopping trip.

Saturday evening I attended a show at the Taft Theater to see The Legendary Shack Shakers.  I’d never heard of the band, but I won the tickets and I love checking out new music.  Before the show, we went to Keystone Bar and Grill in Covington (http://keystonebar.com/covington/).  They are famous, locally for their mac-n-cheese creations.  I had the Black Sabbath, mac-n-cheese with steak and mushrooms.  It was sooooo yummy!

After dinner we headed across the Roebling to the Taft Theater.

The show was held in the bowels of the theater… The Ballroom.  The only seating was a smattering of sofas and love seats.  I enjoyed a Moerlein OTR and plopped myself on a sofa beside a father and son.  As I waited for the opening bands to start, I found myself wishing the lights were turned up as I would have liked to have been able to see the architectural details of the room.  But, alas, they weren’t.  So I occupied myself by people watching, which was also hindered by the lack of illumination.

The first band was The Tillers (http://the-tillers.com/).  I believe I’ve seen them before.  They played some nice bluegrass; I wish they thumped the upright bass a little more.  There isn’t anything much better than an upright bass in my opinion.

The second band was The Dirt Daubers (http://thedirtdaubers.net/).  They were awesome! There was plenty of bass thumpin!!

Then, the Legendary Shack Shakers (http://www.theshackshakers.com/) took the stage.  The frontman and the bassist were from the Dirt Daubers! But, wow! What a different sound.  Their music is a mix of bluegrass and punk.  It was fantastic! You can’t look away, especially when J.D (the lead singer) pulls off his shirt and bounces around the stage all Iggy Pop-esque.  He mostly sang through an old timey microphone and I had a little trouble understanding the lyrics, even though I cut my teeth on 70s and 80s rock.  It was, altogether, a really great show.  I will definitely try to catch them the next time that they’re in town!

Sunday it was Riverfest in the Ohtucky!!  This is a big party on both sides of the river to send the summer out with a bang!  The party is topped off with an amazing fireworks show.

This year I had tickets to the Fireworks Party on The Purple People Bridge.  Which wasn’t technically ON the bridge, but was on the ramp to the bridge.  There was a BBQ dinner, craft beers, blues music and RAIN.  And it rained like a mother fucker.  Water ran down the ramp like a small river.  Everyone at the party huddled under the tent as monsoon passed over.

The Turkeys setting up to entertain.

The party was sponsored, in part, by the Cincinnati Beer Fest folks, so there was a good selection of craft beers.  I love trying new beers, but the first one I had was the Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale.  I've had plenty of it before, but it is soooooo yummy!!!

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale

Then I had a Rivertown Roebling Stout, which I’ve also had before, but I really like it as well.  I think I have one of these in my fridge…hhhhhmmmmm…

I followed up with a Red Ear Mad Alex Chocolate Oatmeal Stout (http://www.redearbrewing.com/our-beers.html) ooohhhh damn was that ever good!  And it’s brewed right here at home in Covington!!  Do yourself a favor and find this beer, you won’t be sorry.  Dark, smooth, not too sweet, with no bite at the end.  After checking out their website, I see that I can visit the brewery and pick up a growler of fresh brew, OH YEA!  This is absolutely on the TrippyBeth agenda!

Red Ear M.A.D. Alex Oatmeal Stout

I followed these up with a Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster Imperial IPA.  I’m generally not huge on the pale ales.  I’m definitely a dark beer kinda girl.  I like beers that you have to chew!  The monster was a good ale, super duper hoppy with just a hint of sweetness.  Not bad, not bad at all.

Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster Imperial IPA

The rain, thankfully, let up somewhat in time for the fireworks show to begin.  We stood at the end of the bridge, in our ponchos, to watch.  I didn’t get a lot of photos, as I didn’t want my iPhone to get as soaked as my bones were.  But I did manage a few.

I actually really like the juxtaposition of the bridge against the fireworks, makes the photos a lot more interesting to me.

Now that you’re all caught up on my excitement for the weekend… I have a little rant.

I work with all women, minus our administrator, who just doesn’t count.  If you walk into the office with, heaven forbid, a new top or slightly different hair, it’s LOUDLY announced to the entire office. ”IS THAT A NEW SHIRT?”  It annoys me sooooo badly, but I do my best to shake it off and head back to my desk at the far end of the office.  But they also seem to take pleasure in pointing out the negative.  Case in point, I am sitting innocently at my desk trying to work, diggin on some White Stripes, minding my own business.

M walks up to my desk to ask a legit work question.  But then it rolls right off of the track.

I had a pimple on my chin, it is healing, but there is still a red spot remaining.  Yeah, it sucks, but pimples happen.

M “Is that a pimple on your chin?”

I don’t reply to the question about my physical deformity, I just answer the work related question.

M “Right there on your chin, is that a pimple?”

I close my eyes for a moment to suppress the urge to stab her with my Office Depot letter opener.

M is an older lady, old enough to be my grandmother, and I try to be respectful to older folks.  But sometimes they mistakenly get the idea that they can say whatever they want because of their age and the respect that is due them. This is not cool.

I continue to try and ignore the pimple query.

Then she reaches out and nearly touches my face.  It has previously been established that TrippyBeth doesn’t like being touched.  And touching my freakish pimple affliction, well that’s not gonna happen.  I recoil.

“Is it really necessary to point that out?  Do you honestly think that someone could have a pimple right in the center of their chin and not know it? I’m not sure what you’re trying to accomplish other than possibly embarrassing someone, and if that’s it, you’re going to have to try harder.”  All of that spewed out before I realized it.  M is not accustomed to that, most people just think she’s funny, when sometimes I think she’s being mean while wearing the grandmotherly/comedian mask.

I think that the next time I get a pimple, I’m going to make a sandwich board and wear it into the office “I HAVE A PIMPLE AND I’M AWARE, SO FUCK OFF”

Do you think that would be rude?

Me either….