The Lynnster Zone

babbling since february 1997

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Home, Home Again – But Not For Long

Posted by Lynnster on March 27, 2007

So I am home, but not for long. I am exhausted to the max, but in a good way. I should have just gone straight on to bed early last night, but didn’t. Now I’m up again, but that’s OK, I think (think) today is going to be a fairly easy day.

All and all, great trip. I met in person some wonderful folks I have “known” for a while and a few more, and we just had a great, great time. Other than the fact that I lost my MP3 player and some other stuff I can’t quite remember what was in the bag at O’Hare, and the fact that my foot is about to fall off, it’s all good. I almost broke my foot a few years ago but didn’t quite break it, and it has given me a ton of trouble ever since, and nowadays the other foot and ankle gives me a little trouble too because I don’t walk quite right anymore because of the bad one. Consequently, the bad foot and ankle have a habit of swelling up to Supersize with things like lots of walking in airports and stuff. I didn’t notice it until I was waiting in the St. Louis airport yesterday for my connecting flight, and then it was like, whoa! The other one was swollen too but the difference was between looking at an almost normal foot and ankle compared to a gargantuan deformed one. It really hasn’t bothered me that much (and has gone down a little), probably because when I am really tired, my feet always hurt anyway. I’ve felt better, but I’ll live.

The show, again, was fantastic and The Abbey is a pretty great place to see live music in Chicago. Other than that little idiot who made us leave the venue entirely too early and before everyone in the band had come out after the show.

I kinda hate now that I understand I could have met up with Tatiana for dinner or something Saturday night, dang it. But since it was such a last minute trip and was kind of a whirlwind one, I just wasn’t thinking much ahead of time other than all the must-do’s. Hopefully there might be a next time for Chicago later in the year, though.

But here’s the REAL scoop… remember I said I’m home, but not for long? Guess where I am going Wednesday? L.A.! Yep, I’m going to see the Hoodoo Gurus AGAIN on Wednesday night. It was another opportunity that turned up that I just couldn’t pass on, things with work are working out where I can go (and Thursday’s my day off anyway), so here I go again! It just so happens I have an old friend who is from Sydney but has been living in L.A. for several years now who also was going to the show, so hopefully things will work out there (’cos lord knows I don’t have enough $$ left for cab fare at this point, but we’ll see).

This is going to be an even more whirlwind trip ‘cos I am actually going to be there barely 12 hours, but when the opportunity presented itself, I just couldn’t pass it up. And I never get to do stuff like this or go much of anywhere anyway, so this is cool. About ten years ago, the band was playing what was then intended to be one of their last dates in Australia, and almost all the American fans went down there for the show, the band and their manager threw a big barbecue for everyone who had come in from all over the world, and all this great stuff. I wasn’t able to go and was miserable. So all of this this week almost makes up for that. I’m thrilled, really; too tired to maybe show it right now, but I am.

So this week’s going to be a super hectic one (especially because I am going BACK out of town again for a very short trip on Saturday), and I’m probably going to just collapse next week when it’s all over with, but it’s all good. For a whole bunch of last minute stuff, it’s not turned out so bad (yet – knock on wood nothing happens like my plane is severely delayed Wednesday, god, that would be awful).

If you wanna see some pictures taken of the Chicago outing, click here. Someone needs to stop me from waving every time a camera’s out, I look like a big dork. And to shut my mouth. And I seriously was not drunk until the very end of the evening, heh.

Posted in * lynnster photos, aussie music, concerts & shows, hoodoo gurus, i never sleep, music, music junkie stuff, travelin' | 6 Comments »

It’s Always Bittersweet

Posted by Lynnster on March 26, 2007

I probably shouldn’t be posting because I am pretty drunk. The last beer I had before leaving the pub next door to the venue pretty much did me in. I just got back to the hotel a little bit ago, and unfortunately I have to leave for the airport shortly. But that’s OK.

The show was FANTASTIC and everything I could have hoped for. There’s a rumor they even played one song because I asked for it and that info was relayed by some friends of mine that were following them around.

I got to chat with their manager, who I have “known” via e-mail for many years, so that was great. Great, great, great. He is such a good person and always has been.

Unfortunately, even tho the guys in the band have spent a fair amount of time meeting and greeting after the shows at all the others thus far, there was some little sh*t kicking people out early on at this place. I realize now I should have put my foot down (or even prevailed upon their manager) to leave us be because we were waiting to talk with the band – the one in particular I wanted to speak with a bit, I know saw me in the audience – but we let that little idiot run us out anyway, I dunno why.

Oh well, there will be a next time later this year, hopefully. And if nothing else, I just never thought I’d ever see the Gurus play on these shores ever again, so that alone made it all worth it.

I’ve got to get packed and ready to go to the airport so ’til later… man, I am pretty wasted. This should be a fun day.

Posted in aussie music, concerts & shows, hoodoo gurus, music, music junkie stuff, travelin', wasted | 4 Comments »

My Kinda Town Apparently, Woohoo

Posted by Lynnster on March 23, 2007

I had to keep quiet for a few days because I didn’t think it was gonna happen, and frankly, I never dreamed in a million years that this was gonna work out at all, and was fully prepared prepared to be depressed about it and mopey indefinitely. But for some reason, my usually rotten luck and karma turned around and things started falling into place this week at what was really just about the VERY last minute.

Let me back up here…

My favorite band in the world besides The Replacements, the Hoodoo Gurus from Australia, announced last fall they were going to be touring the U.S. in March. My original plan when I heard about it was that I was going try to make every show east of the Mississippi I could, and maybe another one or two western dates depending on where/when. I thought I was going to be in a position to be able to follow them around the country for at least a bit, at least on this side of the country.

Alas, when the time came around, not only were things not the way I had predicted by now where I could be in a position to travel like that, but no dates were scheduled at all here in the Southeast. The tour is very small and brief, and the closest they were coming to the Southeastern U.S. was Chicago.

I have been trying for a few weeks now to see if I could work it out to get to Chicago. The fact that I live in a city where we might as well not even have an airport for all the good it does us didn’t help. You can get on the SAME plane in Little Rock or Nashville that is also going to stop in Memphis, and pay anywhere from $200-500 more if you board it in Memphis. But that’s a rant for sometime next week.

Anyway, I had been playing with schedules and fares for weeks and trying desperately to make something work. I had even looked into Amtrak and Greyhound but those schedules weren’t working either. Driving was always an option, but that’s an awful long drive by myself to a very big major large city I have never been to, and probably without much sleep if I made the drive… and all expenses totaled would have probably been around the same ballpark figure as any half decent priced airfare would have been.

I really gave up any hope of going weeks ago, but things started falling into place and presented an opportunity again this week where I might be able to go. It was a slim chance, but a chance all the same, and from last weekend to this past Wednesday, I was desperately searching and trying to make things work and make all the pieces of the puzzle fit.

On Wednesday, the last piece of the puzzle fell into place and voila. I’m headed to Chicago on Saturday afternoon and will be seeing the Hoodoo Gurus play Sunday night. I’ve been waiting for this for nearly ten years, since their last U.S. tour got abruptly canceled, and I haven’t seen them play live in 13 years, I think. This has been SUCH a long time coming and I am still pinching myself in disbelief after having lost all hope. I can’t believe I am going.

A good friend of mine I have known thru the Gurus grapevine all these many years that is a local is going to be kind enough to pick me up and cart me around, some friends from the same bunch from New York are going to be there, and another pal I know from Nashville and his wife are going to be there, too. This is just going to be an exceptional weekend.

I have decided it was just meant to be. My friend the local wound up with an extra ticket to the show since the friend that was originally going bailed. I thought I was going to have to kill myself to get to the laundromat because my washer/dryer is broken, but when I looked for what I was planning to wear, I was shocked to find it was clean. First the travel arrangements but then everything ELSE fell into place, too. It had to have been meant to be.

By the way, word has gotten around that they are hoping to come back to the U.S. later in the year, so hopefully there will be some Southeast dates scheduled – Atlanta probably, hopefully Memphis or Nashville – that time around. And if that happens, I WILL be making an effort to get to every show.

But for now, I’m just pleased and bouncing about how this weekend has turned out. I can’t stop giggling and I’ve got 40,147 things to do between now and Saturday afternoon, but that’s OK. Sunday night I will be exactly where I want to be after having waited 10 and 13 years, after having had to miss not just one but TWO potential trips to Australia, and everything else I have had to miss out on that could have been for the past decade, if only there’d been a way.

Needless to say I’m going to be busy-busy for the next 24 hours, but I have absolutely nothing to do for 24 hours once I get to Chicago – I originally wasn’t planning to be there more than one night but as things fell into place, flying in Saturday was the only option – so I’ll have my laptop and likely be liveblogging or at least Twittering while I’m bored and holed up in the hotel with nothing to do Saturday night… ’til then!

Posted in aussie music, concerts & shows, hoodoo gurus, music, music junkie stuff, travelin' | 11 Comments »

The Hoodoo Gurus – That’s What I Like

Posted by Lynnster on December 5, 2006

I am hearing through the grapevine that there’s a very good chance the Hoodoo Gurus may well be touring the U.S. come around March, which thrills me to no end since they’re (A) one of my three very fave bands of all time and (B) they haven’t been here in the States since… 1994, I think. Wow, that was a long time ago! There was a scheduled tour in 1997 that got postponed and then canceled. So anyway, yeah, it’s been a very long time.

I’m not absolutely positively without a doubt for sure it’s gonna happen but it sounds like there’s a pretty good chance at least. The rumor is that they will also hit the South by Southwest festival in Texas while here.

If it happens, I’m pretty certain Memphis will be on the schedule and hopefully Nashville as well. Jeffraham, Chez Bez and lovely wife – and anyone else who’d be into it – I’ll assume y’all might be up for it? That would be really cool, especially if they make Nashville too.

As for me, even though I’m pretty much broke as a joke right now, I SHOULD be in a position by then where I can afford to do exactly as I always planned if they hit these shores again and hit every show possible, and the only ones I’m probably ruling out are anything between the West Coast to, say, Austin and Lincoln/Omaha – anything eastward from Texas and Nebraska on is gonna be fair game. Exceptions to that westward rule would be Salt Lake City and Portland, both of those would be an easy hit for me. In the meantime, I think I probably know either another Gurus or Replacements fan, or have friends and family, in almost every city they’re liable to play in so this could get fun. Some of you Gurus and ‘Mats folk that haven’t heard from me in a while, you’re probably gonna soon, heh heh.

So, I’m excited, and I really really hope this turns out to be for real this time. I’d guess this will probably be the last time the Gurus play over here collectively as a group, and I couldn’t go to either of the two Mecca gatherings in Australia, so I’m NOT missing anything I don’t have to this time. Maybe I won’t be able to make all the shows I’d hope to, but the Southeast is a given as well as Texas and most of the Midwest, so I’m stoked. It’s been a loooong time since I’ve had the opportunity to give in to rabid fandom and I’m gonna make the most of it for sure!

Updates as I hear stuff…

Posted in aussie music, concerts & shows, hoodoo gurus, music, music junkie stuff | 8 Comments »

Your Feets Too Big

Posted by Lynnster on March 30, 2006

Thursdays are my day off. Thursdays are good.

Going to see the Tim Lee Band from Knoxville play here in Memphis tonight, hopefully – should be an excellent time!

I’ve been having a little minor (and, of course, in jest) war of words lately online with one of my oldest and dearest friends, Jo Walker. Josie and I were the only two females in the bunch I ran with in college – one of several different groups of folks I hung out with but this gang was the closest and included some of those famous for their appearances throughout my blog over the last nine years such as KC, Greg, Duncan, etc. I wound up part of the group because KC and I had known each other since we were little kids; Jo sort of became osmosed (is that a word?) into it ‘cos she was related to 50% of the guys in the group and everybody, really, but me and a couple of others were related to each other anyway somehow someway, mostly cousins and then a couple of sets of brothers. Jo wasn’t related to KC but was related to Greg (cousins), who was related to KC (cousins again), so in a way it was like everyone was related to everyone else and truthfully at some point I think we all forgot that some of us weren’t related to each other. Well, except for those of us who were dating at the time, of course.

Anyway, Jo eventually wound up marrying Stevie Kane, another of our group (and who I almost got smushed into a pulp with when we almost hit a concrete wall head-on many years ago driving back from lunch hour in Memphis, another momentous event documented here many years ago in this blog). I’m still not quite sure what turned that around where she agreed to marry him since she wouldn’t speak to him for fifteen years after he killed her pet fish and burned her apartment building to the ground (two unrelated incidents), and she used to say things – whenever it was pointed out that Stevie Kane was single and available – like “Over my dead body,” and so on and so forth. But anyway, yeah, they’re married and it’s weird but it’s all good.

Being Jo Walker’s friend, while she may be one of my favorite people on earth, has always been a great big thorn in my side on some levels. Why, you ask? Well, for one thing, we look absolutely ridiculous together. Josie used to model a long time ago (rolling eyes). She’s nearly 6 feet tall with insanely long legs, and even though I don’t think she has a speck of Native American blood in her, we have always referred to her as the “Indian Princess” or “Indian Goddess”. She’s that tall, about as big around as a toothpick even after having now gone through childbirth, legs up to her neck, long flowing black hair that always just looks just so, and naturally dark skinned so she never has to lay out or set foot in a tanning bed, she has a perpetual great tan. Miss Thang is perfect. I, on the other hand, am 5′2″, unforgivingly average, very much a white white girl, and might have a good hair day one day a month. There was never another more tremendously unmatched pair on the planet than dumpy short little old me and Miss Amazon Indian Goddess.

Then there’s the music thing. Way back in the day, I only knew of a couple of other chick drummers in the general vicinity besides Josie. Now, you’d look at her and never think “chick drummer”. She’s a great one though. This makes me sick for two reasons. The reason she is a chick drummer is because she grew up in a house with the very same thing that was in my house, at least part of the time, growing up – a drum kit. Like my dad, hers was a drummer too. Unlike her, I chose to ignore the drum kit and never bothered to learn how to play. Which is the second reason it makes me sick. I coulda made some sweet money over all these years as a chick drummer.

Of course, on the flip side of that, all you have to do is say two words to Jo in order to send her into paroxysms of vitriol and words that bother my virgin ears – MEG WHITE. (I happen to like Meg White just fine, for the record, but you take your life into your hands mentioning her around Josie.)

Anyway, way back in the old days when everybody used to flop at Scott’s old apartment in West End, which was small to begin with, sometimes it was even harder to find sleeping space because not only the twelve or thirteen of us in our little group, as well as any assortment of dates and girlfriends and boyfriends, would be crashing there as well as, sometimes, most of whomever had been at whichever club that night. As well as, sometimes, whatever band from out of town had been playing at whichever club that night. Sometimes it would just be wall to wall people crashed in every available chair (not many) and the couch (only one) and the floor and you’d have to watch where you stepped if you had to make one of those middle of the night sneaks to the bathroom. This was always especially fun if you’d had too much to drink that night and were, indeed, trying to get to the bathroom to throw up or something.

Now I, of course, had girlfriend rights to the one bed in the house, but more often than not I was mad at him anyway, so most nights I usually wound up either sleeping out in the papasan chair that was out on the balcony curled up with Evan, who was always out on the balcony. Or I’d be sharing the couch with Jo, which was actually a pretty big couch and not bad for sleeping on even with two people, as long as you didn’t mind someone’s feet in your face. So, in essence, I am pretty familiar with Josie Walker’s feet.

Which brings me to the point of this entry about the gorgeous and perfect Jo Walker, former model, super chick drummer extraordinaire, almost 6 foot tall Indian Princess/Goddess.

Let it be known that Jo Walker has got some bigass, ugly, size 9 or 10 (?), boatlike feet!

Hehehe…

Posted in * top general babble, ancient history, concerts & shows, friends are evil, friends are good, giggles, knoxville music, music, nashville, west end boys & girls | Leave a Comment »

Got My KISS Records Out

Posted by Lynnster on March 11, 2000

What to say, what to say… what does one say after spending a wondrous evening watching one of this country’s greatest bands ever play? My ears are still ringing. Let me tell you, my fourth row center Cheap Trick tickets were outstanding, best seat in the house unless you were in the same place in the first three rows, I guess. I loved it. What a good show. There was a little less old stuff than I would have liked, my fave song of all time of any band ever didn’t get played (“Downed”) which was kinda a bummer, and there were a couple more old standards rather conspicuously missing from the setlist (“Clock Strikes Ten”, for one), but even with the much-missed tunes it was still a great night… highlights were an incredibly loud “Need Your Love” from the Dream Police LP and Robin Zander did an absolutely beautiful rendition of “Voices”… and Rick Nielsen and Tom Petersson – inventor of the 12-string bass, no less! – my god, the whole show just rocked.

Anyway, it was just a really cool show. My guest had his hands on for a half second and almost walked away with the KISS Destroyer LP Rick threw into the crowd during “Surrender”, and between us we walked away with five Rick picks, so it was a pretty good Trick take, also bought a cool new t-shirt (as if I needed any more, but anyway). Unfortunately the slot machines in Tunica managed to suck forty bucks out of me before I left town (tho I had hit $50 each on two machines, which kind of makes that suck even more), but it was still a fun night anyway, I hadn’t been down to the casinos in some time so it was fun.

But you know, what is it about great shows… you get so wound up and then – usually, unless you’re somewhere with bunches of slot machines anyway and that $40 didn’t last very long anyhow – you get out so late there’s nothing else to do and you’re just wound up bigtime (or in the case of a Hoodoo Gurus show, wound up for months afterward…). At 3:00 this morning I was still wound up and nowhere near ready to hit the hay, tho with daylight peeking thru the windows now I am finally starting to wind down. I’d be tempted to drive to Gadsden, Alabama tonight to see ‘em again, but the weather’s so crummy and gasoline so high, plus I’m out $40 anyway, I guess I won’t. Last night was great and probably can’t be topped anytime soon… a good present.

I’ve been so sleepy this week (actually I’ve been sleepy for a long time and I guess I should really get some blood drawn and make sure everything’s OK but you know how we medical folks are) I haven’t really had the energy to do some stuff I wanted to this week with the site, tho the motivation is there and actually I have some new page prototypes on the ol’ hard drive, just a matter of fine tuning. Some very nice photos from an unexpected source have given me the kick in the butt to get some things done, just a matter of staying awake long enough to do them. Stay tuned, maybe I’ll get creative before the weekend is out…

Glad some folks have enjoyed the little trip back to 1983/1984 – to my horror, it seems some of the ones that have gotten the most enjoyment out of it are the ones that shouldn’t because they have no room to talk. Like from people who used to write me letters around that time whining about how Buffy So-and-So thought they were a dork or Muffy So-and-So broke their heart and blah blah… some people shouldn’t throw stones, before one comments on what a stuck-up airhead teenager some people around here might have been, some people should first remember, ‘cos I do, what they themselves were like in high school. So there.

On another and more serious note, I guess you may have heard or maybe not, about the tragedy in our fair city this week when a Memphis firefighter killed his wife (who he just married on Valentine’s Day), set their house on fire, then opened fire on the emergency personnel who had come to put out the blaze, shooting and killing two Memphis firefighters, one Shelby County Sheriff’s deputy and wounding another person. Yeah, you read that right… I’m sure the last person a member of the fire department would have thought they’d have to be worried about going to, another firefighter’s home. You know, this world we live in today is really messed up and there’s a lot of crazy stuff that goes on, but to me this really took the cake… if it ever someday gets to the point where fire and law enforcement personnel are afraid to come help us when we need it, folks, we’re all in big trouble. Not only are the families of these people who lost their lives so tragically undoubtably in the midst of extreme grief and pain, but I can imagine the wives and husbands and other significant others and families of every firefighter, law enforcement officer, and members of emergency medical personnel in this entire city are grieving as well, whether they knew the dead or not, as well as being scared to death for the lives of their loved ones. Memphis itself is a city under a pall right now, frankly. One of my “brothers” is a paramedic, in a more rural area, thankfully, but jeez, crazy stuff can happen anywhere, that’s been obvious all over, so now I find myself knocking on wood a little harder these days, keep my buddy safe.

So, no matter your religious beliefs, I hope you’ll all join me and the rest of the motley crew that hangs around here at the Zone and say a brief prayer, in whatever manner you wish, for these folks. Thanks and later…

Posted in concerts & shows, i never sleep, memphis, music, music junkie stuff | Leave a Comment »

Would You Like to Do a Number With Me

Posted by Lynnster on January 16, 2000

Well, it warmed up a bunch, so that’s one good thing, except it seems to be awfully chilly a bit again today. Having a three-day weekend should make me happy, one would think, but actually I’m the middle of one of these edgy impatient attention deficit disorder deals where nothing is making me happy and everything’s driving me up a wall… too much to do and not enough time is part of the problem I think, the other thing is I brought work home to do this weekend that I don’t want to have to screw up my nice three-day weekend and do, but sigh… just might as well get over it, I guess.

Also didn’t help matters that I drove all the way over to Marion, Arkansas yesterday only to find my intended destination closed for the day, due to a family emergency, the sign said… which shouldn’t irritate me so but man, that just kind of put a downer on the whole weekend as that was something I really had my heart set on getting done.

So, I’ve just been like Miss Poster Child for the Severely Annoyed ever since. You wouldn’t believe how many chores I have to do around here, and I suspect none to few of them will get done this weekend…. sheesh, I still have Christmas presents that need to be put in their places and stuff. I think I will just go back to sleep…

I had this thought about making a web contest of sorts out of this but then thought, oh, that’s a really dumb idea, but the fact remains that Cheap Trick – yes, Cheap Trick again – is coming to one of the casinos down Tunica way on Friday night, March 10th – great b’day present for me – and I really want to go, and have no one to go with. Dying to go ‘cos not only have I never been to a Trick show I didn’t just love, but even tho he’s nearly 50 now Robin Zander can still make me weak in the knees. (giggle) KC is still in the U.K. with no signs of ever coming back, Greg will be in Canada in March on business, JJ is – well, I don’t know where he’s going to be in March but he says he can’t go – one other prospect (who has crap taste in music) flatly refuses to go, and I’ve thought about some more folks but can’t think of anyone else who would really dig going as much as me, I don’t think the Camden crew would be real interested. In any case tickets go on sale 01/28 and I intend to get two, so I’ll entertain any and all offers, tho it’d probably be a good idea if you live in the Memphis area anyway at least but not absolutely necessary I guess, all friends, enemies, exes, people I don’t know, male, female, whatever, welcome to apply, people I already know and at least somewhat like of course get priority… I’m just not coming up with anyone off the top of my head who I think would really like to go, so I’ll listen to anything, I just may not agree to it, but hey, hit me with your best shot if you’re interested. If I don’t get a better offer I may have to take Duncan D. with me, which would be much akin to getting all my toenails pulled out sans anesthetic, so I’m hoping someone more interesting and much less annoying will save me from that fate. Honestly, an evening of Cheap Trick, slot machines, and the sheer joy of being in my stunning company, I don’t know what more one could want. (snicker)

BTW there’ve been a bunch of pages updated around the site so you might wanna check out the What’s New page sometime. I don’t know that there’s anything particularly astounding but at least I did change some things finally. So, ’til later…

Posted in blah, concerts & shows, friends are evil, friends are good, holidays, music, updates to the zone, west end boys & girls | Leave a Comment »

In Fact It’s a Gas

Posted by Lynnster on April 18, 1999

Hello, sorry for the lack of updating, I am just, in a word or two, way too busy right now or working too much and way too tired. Sorry. I’ve been catching up on a lot of long-procrastinated personal matters offline and just haven’t been online at length all that much, except on eBay which is pretty much where I live now when online, but I’m not complaining – vintage Barbie stuff is keeping me from having to go out and look for another second job, so that’s a good thing. I found a virtual pot of gold I’d been looking for, a great big batch of excellent condition vintage Barbie clothes, in a little antique mall over in Marion, Arkansas, last weekend, but messing with, as in identifying and cataloguing and scanning and uploading and so forth, that stuff takes an incredible amount of time (still better than working at a “real” job tho) so I’ve had to let most of my other online stuff sit a while, sorry, plus, no offense, but I just haven’t been in the mood.

The Stones concert was, natch, great. A lot of folks were complaining about various stuff not being played that night, but my thought that I pointed out was, it’s got to be a monumental task every time they go on tour to decide what out of the old catalog they’re going to play on that tour, being that there are literally hundreds of songs to choose from. Tho they did get in a few Sixties-era tunes, most of the “oldies” they played were from the Seventies and quite a bit off the Some Girls album, and I guess that all made sense since they performed quite a bit of pre-1970 stuff on the Voodoo Lounge tour a few years ago. They had a really neat stage setup too, with two stages at each end of The Pyramid connected by a long walkway, the big “spectacle” show at one end on the main stage, and then about midway through they left the big stage to go with just the band and the keyboard player down to the small stage and played a pared-down set of oldies with the audience surrounding the little stage – very cool – and shook hands with folks up and down the walkway on the trip to the small stage and back. At this point I was thinking maybe the $120 seats at the back of the floor weren’t such a bad idea, but still we had good (and cheaper) seats above the stage. While I’m not all that crazy about big stadium and arena shows, everyone oughta see the Stones once in their lifetime (and I’ve seen them twice). It really is rock & roll history – how many other bands do you know that have been together nearly 40 years? – and there’s just nothing quite like sitting in the dark with a lot of good loud music and listening to a Keith Richards guitar solo played before your very eyes. We had a good time, definitely.

Upon exiting the doors of The Pyramid we were apparently, down there on the river, getting the effects of all the tornado watches there’d been in Arkansas that evening, and while I did have a hold of it my prized G’day From Australia hat flew off my head, landing in the depths of The Pyramid parking lot. We ran to look over the side, spotted it, and then watched some lady pick it up. Leave it to one of my oldest, dearest, and most loudmouthed friends, Kelli, to come to the rescue, shouting: “HEEEEEY! THAT’S MY FRIEND’S HAT!” At which point she took off running down all the dozens of stairs to the parking lot and rescued my current favorite baseball cap. It was, all in all, a most excellent night, hat rescue, Mick & Keef, and all.

Since then there’s not a lot of news, I’ve just been super busy, what with work, eBay stuff, and some slight chaos with a particular ex – yes, the big ex – coming out of the woodwork calling out of the blue with very odd, but nice, timing. In any case if you haven’t heard from me it’s ‘cos I haven’t had the physical, or mental, energy to deal with anything but the have-to’s right now.

Or I’ve been too cold! Tho it appears to have let up as of today, we’ve had a wave of wintry weather this week, absolutely freezing, this in a time when most people in Memphis are in shorts for the duration and spending the sunny days laying out in the sun. I shut my furnace off a couple of weeks ago, which should have been fine, instead I’ve been suffering and shivering, but that’s OK – I’ve been able to catch up on a bunch of movies I had wanted to see, including my own little personal James Spader film festival (yes, this James Spader thing is bugging me still), and let me tell you, and I’m a big fan of weird and off the wall, but Crash is about the strangest movie ever made. But for now I must go, and speak to you soon – take care all…

Posted in about the weather, concerts & shows, film fiend stuff, friends are good, memphis, music, music junkie stuff, other obsessions | Leave a Comment »

C’mon Back to Bowling Green and Marry Me

Posted by Lynnster on April 1, 1999

Hello, I know things have been a bit quiet again lately… I’ve been working late a lot and falling asleep a lot, basically, so, sorry. Well, Happy April Fool’s Day I guess, I don’t really celebrate April Fool’s Day since April 1st is also KC’s birthday, who is about the biggest April Fool I know, so, happy (insert incredibly huge number of years here)th birthday, you slug. It’s also the birthday of somebody I like as opposed to birthdays of slimeballs, so, happy birthday to Toni too!

Anyway… I managed to get the worst of the wreckage of my e-mail box out of the way last week, hopefully I will get to the rest of it before the week is out and before things get revved up next week getting ready for the convergence of many many folks on Memphis and my house for the Stones concert next week at The Pyramid. In any case, I am slowly, but surely, actually making some progress for a change as far as the pitiful state of my mailbox.

Notes from the My Life Just Gets Weirder and Weirder, But In A Nice Way department… by way of my mostly-lifelong Hoodoo Gurus fetish and a very strange P.J. Proby occurrence as yet unidentified, I’d like to welcome my new and witty good pal and regular visitor to the Zone, Mr. Johnny Spampinato of NRBQ, to the ol’ Zone. A brilliant conversationalist, all around good and funny guy, and my new partner in crime, we are feeling all Scotland Yard-like lately. (giggle)

Well, I wish I had more news but I don’t, so (commercial break for our sponsors, heh) go out and buy a copy of Dig’s new CD Life Like, some NRBQ CDs, and go buy multiple copies of Tommy Womack’s Positively Na Na CD and Cheese Chronicles book to help pay his recent large auto repair bill so he will be able to tour some more, or else I’ll come beat all of you up. (snicker) Oh, like any of you have anything better to do with your money… ’til later…

Posted in books, concerts & shows, dig, friends are evil, government cheese, happy birthday, holidays, memphis, music, music junkie stuff, nashville '80s music, west end boys & girls | Leave a Comment »

Positively Na-Na

Posted by Lynnster on March 2, 1999

Hiya. Sorry there’s been no updates for a while, as you probably know, I was on vacation for a good bit of February, tho I was here in town. Unfortunately I was also deathly ill thru most of my vacation (figures, what timing) and probably needed to be hospitalized thru part of it, but I was being stubborn and adamant that the last person I wanted to talk to during my first real vacation in eons was my boss (a doctor) and so I muddled thru and here I am, not quite well yet but 90% or so. Made for a lovely vacation trying to entertain company while sick as a dog, but all turned out okay, just would have been better had I not started getting sick the night before my company arrived in town, ugh.

Anyhow, I will have to expound more later about new things I found in the city while on vacation, will take too long right now. I have now also had my first, and likely last, taste of vegemite… how those Australian folk eat that stuff I’ll never know, I’m sorry but it is nasty. Yuck. Also saw a fantastic movie, Roberto Benigni’s Oscar-nominated Life is Beautiful… go see it!! It is incredible!!

I also managed to miss one of my favorite musicians and acquaintances, Nashville’s own Tommy Womack, opening up here for Richard Thompson at the Daisy that weekend, since I only checked my e-mail once the day of the show and didn’t even know he was playing that night, tho many thanks to Tommy for putting me on the guest list even tho I didn’t get to go. As it were, I am also going to miss his gig at the Hi-Tone on Poplar 03/13 since I have to be northward up home that weekend, but maybe, maybe will catch him in Atlanta when he opens for Jack Logan a little later on, except I can’t remember what day that is just now and with my luck it’s in March and I’m going to be in Georgia in April, it looks like.

Anyway… well, so towards the end of vacation when I no longer had company I spent about two days in bed trying to recover from this flu or whatever I had, then, still sick, I drove to Nashville and back one day to help celebrate my grandmother’s 75th (!!) birthday, woohoo. That was a nice little trip, tho, the weather was gorgeous and I had much fun listening to recently acquired Ramones CDs, All The Stuff Vols. 1 & 2, which I’m really excited about because one of them has my favorite album, Rocket To Russia, which is no longer in print, in its entirety. Had a blast on that drive.

Shortly thereafter vacation was over and I have just had a lot of difficulty getting back in the groove of all things normal, been busy with some stuff, working late, and tired mostly. Paul Westerberg’s new album has come out which is great, tho I haven’t really listened to it enough to form a real opinion yet, definitely a couple of keepers on it and tho I have it, so far I only listened to it once when it was available on the Web for 24 hours right before it was released. Anyhow, just thought I’d mention that yep, I’m still here, and hopefully will get a little more back to usual now.

There’s a few things updated here and there on the site, see the What’s New page for more info, and, by the way, there’ll be a page devoted to this soon but if you or anyone you know has some (’50s, ’60s, and early ’70s) Barbie stuff collections you’d like to get off your hands, large or small, please e-mail me and let’s talk… more on that later.

It’s averaging around 70 degrees in Memphis, all the buttercups have popped up and the dogwoods are blooming and things are like supercool in that regard. So anyway, for now I gotta go, it’s getting late, so ’til later…

Posted in a family thing, about the weather, concerts & shows, film fiend stuff, friends are good, government cheese, music, music junkie stuff, nashville, nashville '80s music, sick as a dog | Leave a Comment »

Under Pressure (Redux)

Posted by Lynnster on December 16, 1998

Aaaargh. That’s what I’ve got to say today, aaaargh, so you can stop right now if you don’t want to involve yourself (remotely tho it may be) in my little world of rantdom and ravedom.

Okay, so, I really hope I am getting another bottle of Bailey’s for Xmas (one of the manymanymany things on my Xmas list this year) seeing as how I probably have Hoovered just about the whole darn bottle I have tonight. (Hey, when it’s the only alcohol you have in the house… ok, that’s not really true, but it’s too $#@& cold for Absolut and pink lemonade.)

What a terrible day, and worse evening. I’m not a happy camper, my windshield is covered in ice, and I have got to be like the biggest jerk magnet on earth… people I don’t even know are being jerks to me right now. What is it, is everybody in a crap mood because of the approaching stress-filled, depressing, pain in the neck holidays? I am just like, jeez.

Of course, it hasn’t been all bad this week – only two things in my Christmas order turned out to be sold out and they were of minor importance, whereas much more sold out could have turned into an emergency, so that’s pretty great. I am tres happy that I am going to manage to get thru Christmas without any on-foot shopping this year, save for a planned quick trip to Pier 1 sometime in the next week to finish up a coupla small things.

And I won something else this week, which is pretty small but still pretty neato – I wish my winning streak would expand to something a bit more pricey sometime soon, sigh. I also really can’t gripe too much because on one hand I can’t wait for Christmas – certain folks are getting the absolute coolest presents, some of which are going to be a large surprise, so that tickles me pinkish, including something musical that I’ve been scouting, lo, three years now with no luck, that fortuitously and magically appeared in GEMM’s listings a couple of weeks ago. Rock. MobyDisc gets my highest recommendation for a great place to shop for used and rare musical stuff on the Web right now.

And, I just balanced my checkbook and thought I was broke but then remembered I haven’t been paid for four of the Rolling Stones tickets yet, so, cool. But anyway, mostly things have been relatively sucky and I about reached my FTW breaking point tonight, but I can’t really discuss it now as the person in question apologized which pretty much ruined what would have otherwise been the rest of the rant for today. SO – yeah, it’s been a week.

Actually I think I’ve kind of been in this mood ever since I woke up after sleeping a near-24 hour stretch over the weekend, something I did not want to do but guess I must have needed. I’ve also been a little busy this week attempting to rid myself of a few things on eBay (so, if I know you and you go there and you see something I have up for auction that you want, do let me know) and I’m gonna rid myself of more useless crap after the holidays, I do believe. It’s simply amazing what people will buy, I had software up for auction that I bought five billion years ago for my XT, I think, and there was, like, a bidding war over it! Awesome.

And (back to being morose again), “brother” John and lovely fiancee Toni are having a Christmas party this weekend and it doesn’t look like I will get to go since it’s on a Friday, which isn’t their fault, but I’m a little bummed about that… but speaking of John Robert, “brother” Chuckie proposed to his girlfriend Jan in front of 600 people at her work’s Christmas party last week, on stage and everything, so congratulations are in order there. The really funny thing about this is I went to elementary school with this girl and was on several years’ worth of Pop Warner cheerleading squads with her, hehehe.

Well, anyway, that’s about it for this week, although I did leave out my irritating on the phone for half an hour and almost finished and then I’m on hold and click, the line hangs up, experience with MCI Worldcom. There is such a good reason I loathe being on the phone these days.

I’m so freaking swamped right now I can’t see straight, and so help me god I can’t get back to most of my e-mail at the moment. Then again, I am the last person anyone wants advice from right now, I barely have a grasp on my own life at the moment as it spins way out of control and I need to either clone myself or find ten more hours in each day. ’til I have half a chance to breathe and type again, sayonara – L., the very extremely tired and I still have to wrap presents sometime, blah…

Posted in about the weather, ancient history, blah, concerts & shows, friends are good, holidays, i never sleep, music, music junkie stuff, the ex files, wasted | Leave a Comment »

It’s Only Rock & Roll But I Like It

Posted by Lynnster on November 21, 1998

The good news is I managed to get eight tickets to the Stones concert here at The Pyramid in April and what I think are going to be really excellent seats… special thanks to the Momster, without whose help (and no thanks to #$%@ Ticketmaster) we wouldn’t have all been able to sit together. Yeeha!

That has unfortunately taken up a good bit of my Saturday that I really couldn’t spare, and the bad news is, which is complete and stupid operator error, I managed to lose all my Netscape bookmarks (all hundreds of them) in the process – boo. Looks like I’ll be racking my brain trying to rebuild my bookmark files all the rest of the weekend.

In other news, I am much happy to report that baby boy Cole and parents are doing fine, and my little John Stephen is the prettiest baby boy ever and now owns a bunch of cool-looking little Sesame Street characters thanks to his way cool Aunt Lynsey, who will undoubtably always give him the coolest and funnest presents throughout his life while spoiling him rotten. His parents even gave me more reason to spoil him since they informed me, even tho everyone was pretty sure the baby was a boy, that they had a girl’s name picked out just in case… Lynsey Beth. (sniff, sniff) (big smile) Too bad everyone can’t have a cool aunt like me who’ll take them to Vols games and hockey games and stuff, and, undoubtably with me for an aunt and his Latimer uncles, cool concerts on down the line and stuff, I can hardly wait for this kid to grow up a little. With any luck his father and I will keep John Stephen in enough orange and white that there’ll be no chance of any influence by his Latimer uncles and their unfortunate crimson fetish, I plan to teach this kid four words for sure – “Alabama bad, Tennessee good”. (giggle) Anyway, must go, ’til later…

Posted in a family thing, concerts & shows, friends are good, memphis, music, techgeekchick stuff, vols | Leave a Comment »

When You Passed Out on the Couch

Posted by Lynnster on November 17, 1998

Hello, sorry for the several hours of quiet. I went out with friends to celebrate a pal’s birthday Monday night, ate a bunch of Italian food, came home and curled up on the loveseat with Dobie to watch my Monday night TV fare I’d taped, and promptly zonked out comatose until about 5 a.m., so I really didn’t get much of anything done other than a scant few ill-tempered e-mails.

I forgot to mention my near-miss with the emergency room over the weekend… Grace here was dipping into a pot of this great taco soup Kelli makes and accidentally poured half a ladle of very hot soup over one hand. Another reason I drank a bit too much rum Saturday night, since eventually I was finally in no pain, urgh. Blister city, and if you thought “ouch!”, think ouch x 10,000 ‘cos that’s about how much it hurt.

Here’s something interesting, my former kitten – I say former only because he’s now bigger than his two big sisters – digs hanging out in the static electricity from the computer’s monitor when I shut the monitor off, how retarded. I caught him in front of the TV this morning, even tho it hadn’t been on, I think he was trying to see if it’d do the same thing. A static electricity junkie.

Oh, the paper announced today we have some of the few Rolling Stones tickets in the Southeast going on sale this weekend for The Pyramid in April… woohoo, I’m there! The only other regional shows are to be in Charlotte and Kansas City. Rock!

So anyway, dipping into the viewer mailbox and Duncan, bless his psychedelically burnt out little brain, writes: “Are you still stewing? Because I have a favor I want to ask you but I don’t want to ask if you’re still stewing.” And the answer is yes, but you can ask me anyway, heh. But if you’re scared of me I guess you can ask KC, and if it’s a female thing you can ask Jo, I’m sure either will do.

And a heads up to everyone with a twisted sense of humor (like me!) to check out this week’s Link of the Week, it’s unbearably funny, this one is a don’t-miss. Toodles!

Posted in cats, concerts & shows, dobie is a dog, dogs, friends are good, fun with food, i never sleep, i sleep too much, lynnster's zoo, memphis, music, updates to the zone, wasted, west end boys & girls | Leave a Comment »

Horseshoes & Hand Grenades

Posted by Lynnster on May 18, 1998

Another typical day in LynnsterLand… late for work, dragging butt all day, marriage proposals in e-mail (giggle!) and, you know, the usual. Heh. Too bad I’m not the marrying type, tho this certainly was cute, original, and made me laugh (always important).

Well, I’ve deduced that something’s moving around in there in my back/neck, which I think is probably not good, but already I’m learning to live with it so, big deal.

Onto other stuff… glad I didn’t go to the Clapton show last night as CA reviewer Bill Ellis gave it one of the worst reviews I’ve ever seen him write, basically saying the new format with the orchestra was kinda boring, tired, and Clapton was “past his prime”. Whoo. Ellis kinda likes everyone and seems to just dig all music and listening to everything and rarely gives a bad review, so if he said it sucked, it must really have!!!

Next, my *hugest* apologies to Beezer Hill of The Glad Rags, even tho I know it wasn’t a big deal, I mistakenly listed them as hailing from Madison instead of Milwaukee – not an unusual screwup for me on no sleep – and the error’s been duly fixed. And speaking of The Glad Rags, I got their Can’t Let Go CD in the snailmail box today and let me tell you, it rocks! I really dig the last two tracks the most, “Bullet Train to Tokyo” and “Mary’s Modern World”. Urge everyone in the Milwaukee area to go see these guys if you’ve not, this CD is really great, and hopefully I’ll get to see them play live later in the year as they’re hoping to come to Memphis, cool!

Let’s see, what else amusing have I come across today… thumbing thru the new SPIN mag this evening: “A recent report (funded by the University of Chicago) on sexuality stated that male jazz fans have sex 30 percent more often than other men.” (p. 44) Is this true? Inquiring minds want to know.

Next on the agenda… amazingly, it seems there’s another blonde in Memphis (with a very cool and much sharper site than moi, but I digress) who keeps an online journal on the Web… tho I wouldn’t exactly call the Graffiti Wall a journal. Her setup’s a little different tho, & I thought maybe a good idea, each entry has a link to the page where the entry actually is, which prototypically here would look like this:

05/17/98: (title of entry link)

05/18/98: (title of entry link)

Well, I know the Wall gets a little lengthy sometimes, so I’m wondering if maybe it loads too slow sometimes and if it would work better for y’all, the regular readers, if it was set up that way. Now, I, personally, don’t care one way or the other, I mean it loads timely enough for me, but if some of you would rather see it set up this other way, feel free to e-mail me and say so. And if you think it’s fine the way it is, just say so, or don’t do anything, whichever. Actually, come to think of it, I’d rather not because it’d mean making new pages every day and the sheer number of pages and graphics and whatnot in the directory that holds the website stuff is already giving me a headache, but if it makes it easier on y’all, that’s what’s important… after all, I don’t need to read the Wall, I wrote it. So, let me know, or don’t, whichever, and I’ll take any opinions under consideration.

Hi to Ian & KC… heh, choice quote from KC from Friday: “You know you’ve made an impression on Lynsey when there’s a directory with your name on it on her hard drive.” (giggle) Guilty as charged!

Last but not least, I hear the infant princess Westerberg is due any day now, I bet mom Laurie can’t hardly wait, so to speak. That’s it for now, hasta, horseshoes & hand grenades…

Posted in a bit accident prone, concerts & shows, friends are good, giggles, memphis, music, music junkie stuff, paul westerberg, the replacements, west end boys & girls | Leave a Comment »

Glass Houses & Other Rot

Posted by Lynnster on April 17, 1998

(NOTE: April 1998 entries have been moved from an old site of mine in big chunks for the sake of convenience… sorry & thanks – L.)

04/17/98: Nashville Tornado Update: OK, just reporting in quick tonight, I know some of you check here before you check your e-mail… everyone’s alright so far as I know at this point. Have talked to Josie, JJ, the Breits, the Walkers, the Selfs and the Callicotts, and everybody’s OK. Josie and JJ were both downtown when the tornado hit but no problems, except that Jo’s car needs a new windshield. Walker Breit was also downtown at the time but like Jo, no damage ‘cept to his car. Was kind of upset to hear about St. Ann’s Church being destroyed, and Centennial Park, both a real shame. KC’s got some damage to the condo but JJ’s staying there for the moment, and KC knows about it now (and had many many expletives to impart, heh). So, in a nutshell, all’s well so far as I’ve heard. They have closed off downtown Nashville and thereabouts for tonight and tomorrow anyway, schools are closed, and Sundquist has official declared the city a disaster area, unreal isn’t it? For those who don’t know, it is really, hugely odd for a tornado to hit downtown Nashville like that, would be odd for one to strike Memphis like that too or even where I live in the middle… usually these things take out a suburb or two every year, and that’s it, you’re usually pretty safe in the inner city. They apparently just hit before or blew right past Memphis during the night and yesterday afternoon, hitting Manila, Arkansas, up near Dyersburg at Roellen, and then the big one downtown in Nashville. Anyway, just wanted to stick a word up here that’s everyone’s okay, mainly since Robin checks her e-mail only once a year… Must have been something about yesterday… my brush with concrete walls, there but for the grace of god and a most excellent driver go I, & KC’s thousands of miles away from the condo, whoosh – scary, and very, very lucky. ‘Night…

04/17/98 (later): If you listen closely, you can probably hear the faint screams from across the Atlantic… as some of you know, KC’s condo is almost all great big panes of glass… er, let me rephrase that, was. The condo he just bought some fourteen or fifteen months ago, yup. Steve Kane called me at work this morning to make sure everyone was okay and then said when he’d heard what happened to Centennial Park, he immediately thought of “KC’s glass house”… it’s kinda bad but JJ assures me not as bad as it could have been, stuff’s still there, just a lot of water damage and some other wind damage and yup, all that glass. Now that we know everyone’s okay and stuff we can all joke about it (well, KC may be able to joke about it someday, I dunno…), and JJ’s taking care of everything up there, we’re just glad the condo hadn’t been rented out yet. Condolences and tacky jokes about people not living in glass houses may be sent to KC’s e-mail. I am pretty weirded out myself about it all, you kind of expect to be safe in the middle of the cities, what hit downtown Nashvegas was a real fluke. But no, none of it hit Memphis – instead it was sort of an umbrella effect, hitting points just northwest, north and northeast of Memphis, so I’m fine… knock on wood, tornado season ain’t over yet, what it is with this weather lately anyway?! Weirdness. Ciao for now, I’m off to hang with the Latimers & the Coles somewhere in south central Mempho, hopefully far from tornadoes and giant concrete walls.

04/19/98: After last week and this weekend, I need a vacation! Spent the weekend with all the Camden folks visiting Memphis… two Latimers and one Latimer-to-Be, one Cole (Donna couldn’t make it), the Hollands, and the female contingent of the Hubbs clan (hadn’t seen Lisa in ages!). As usual, a great time was had by all. A weekend of firsts for me… eating moonshine-soaked cherries (don’t try this at home!) and Johnny played an excellent riff on the Black Crowes’ She Talks to Angels while I co-sang from under a bedspread, heh. I spent the weekend walking around with a Latimer name tag on which I’m sure just confused the heck out of everyone from West Tennessee there, snicker. There’s lots of good news tho… Toni & Johnny have just gotten engaged, and Cole is going to be a first-time daddy come this winter! So things are pretty darn swell. Johnny’s band Porch is going to be playing at the Cinco de Mayo festival May 2nd in Jackson… I can’t think of the name of the place, but it’s on North Highland across from where the Old English Inn used to be… probably sometime after 3 or 4 p.m., so if you’re around thereabouts, come by and see us, we’re all going to be there. Nothing much else, it’s a gorgeous spring day in Memphis and I’m recovering from the events, hangovers, and other such of the week and washing dogs. Hasta ’til later…

04/20/98: Nothing much, all I’ve done since last post was sleep really late, and get half a tree in my hair (don’t ask), so instead I’ll share with you all some stuff I found amusing today in the Monday Morning column of today’s Commercial Appeal. Seems the Memphis chapter of NARAS held their Premier Player Awards, and the column included some quotes from the awards. Here’s one: “Domingo Samudio (better known as Sam the Sham, of Wooly Bully fame,), decked out in a crimson suit and a turban-like headband, as a band member interrupted his presentation during the awards ceremony: ‘Go back there and hit that saxophone player on the head, will ya?’” And I especially chuckled over this one (wonder why): “Musician Dave Smith… after receiving the Premier Player Award for best bass player… ‘I don’t know what to say. I guess that’s why I’m a bass player.’” Smiles ‘n more spring weather, I luv this!

04/22/98: I had a dream the other night that Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson were vampires, therefore I deduce that maybe I’m reading too much Anne Rice? Naaaah, but maybe that’s a sign I shouldn’t be trying to read two at once. So anyway, speaking of Tommy, my pal Becky of the Yap Yap site has put a great new Stinson interview link up on her site, click here (sorry, link now gone) to go over there and see. Or stay here, it really doesn’t matter to moi. Not much huge to report… The Med’s baby-swapping case continues to rage in Memphis. I’ve already said my piece in the memphis.general newsgroup, but I’ll say it again – after the complete three-letter-word that starts with A that woman has made of herself in public this past couple of weeks and the things she’s said, I’m not sure she deserves to take home that baby even if it is hers. Okay, I’ll get off my soapbox now… (heh, as if). A note to my adored long-lost geekboys in N’awlins & Nashville… IXL still has jobs posted on their website, maybe you guys oughta click here (sorry, link now gone) and send in resumes, eh? And finally, Lynnster tries to decide whether to cut her hair or not, a moral struggle of sorts… and thinks not. That’s it, I’m snoozebound.

04/22/98 (later): Much to what I’m sure will be someone’s utter chagrin, I’ve about been talked into both morning and evening editions of the Graffiti Wall, just for the heck of it… not that I necessarily think I have enough to fill up even one day’s worth on the Wall most days, but just to pacify this particular zealot (because hey, I’m an accomodating kinda chick) I’ll say I will and might try. But there are going to be days definitely that I can’t, so, you know, live with it, some days yes maybe, some days no way. You people are funny. Anyhow, wouldn’t you know it, the one day I make reference to The Med’s baby-swapping case here in Memphis and link to the CA’s website regarding it, it’s the first day in two weeks it hasn’t been front page news, so, well, my apologies for that, but I’m sure the big-mouthed money-grubber will wind up back in the news some more shortly. Anyway, was reading today that Memphis native and Kingsbury High graduate Kevin Longinotti, 22, a Vanderbilt student who was the most critically of all the 100 people injured in the Nashville tornado last week, remains in the hospital in critical condition, crushed by a tree in Centennial Park. Sad that he was set to graduate from Vandy next week and the same day was to be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army – he was one of the Vandy ROTC cadets at the park that day for a picnic. I know the day the tornado happened, my mom was telling me on the phone that the news reports from Nashville were showing the park and basically said, well, The Parthenon is still there, but the park itself and the trees were pretty much gone. Hoping for this kid’s improvement, certainly, but it’s even more unnerving and scary and all for me as, as many of you know, KC’s condo (as Stevie Kane so well put it, “the glass house”) overlooks Centennial Park and if he’d been in town and home that day… (shudder). So anyway, there’s a medical expense fund for Kevin Longinotti that’s been set up at First Tennessee Bank here in Memphis, and to assuage my own horror at what might have been regarding KC and also pretty much in thanks that what might have been wasn’t, I’m planning to make a donation to the fund, and I hope some of our other friends and Nashville folk who drop by here will too if you want… I didn’t get the specifics, but I’m relatively certain that if you address and earmark your donation for The Kevin Longinotti Fund, c/o First Tennessee Bank, Memphis, TN 38101, it’ll get where it’s supposed to. Especially some of you utter cheapskates whom KC has bailed out of jail on public drunk charges, paid your rent when you were short, paid for studio time, paid for equipment when yours blew up… (guilt trip, guilt trip, guilt trip). Now you know I mostly jest – (snicker) – but Big Sister here thinks this would be a nice thing to do, and if you’ll let me know you did it I have some plans for our buddy so we can all pretty much make it clear how glad we are that Mother Nature didn’t whisk his sorry butt off the planet. ’til later…

04/23/98: Lynnster sticketh her foot in her mouth as usual… make a big deal about the possibility of doing two Wall updates a day and what do I do, I don’t. Heh. Sorry O Graffiti Zealot. Truth is I went to bed early (for me) for a change. We’ll just see, but I’m not making any promises. Memphis weather report for the faithful… yesterday was chilly, today summery-hot, I give up. I just had a little mop dog run into my front yard, which was strange, and in searching for something in the guest bedroom AKA junk room, I just found an amp under the old dining room table… whoever it belongeth to better speak up, finders keepers and all that. Thanks to Mike W. who snailmailed me some way cool Stax stuff that I got today… luv surprises in the mail, and this was pretty neat. Another inadvertantly started collection… This weekend if you’re looking for something to du in Memphis, the annual Crossroads festival is happenin’ downtown. I haven’t been paying that much attention to the schedule, but I do know that a cool band from Madison, Wisconsin, The Wizenhiemers, are playing at Blues City Cafe on Beale at 10 p.m., so even tho I have to go downtown in April by myself (grumble, whine) I intend to be there, look for my little blonde head in the crowd if you’re going… and be sure and say hi to their drummer, Murph, and go, “Hey, do you know Bill Ruef? Whatta great guy!” Fond hellos to Lhiannon, Linda, Jules, Rich the guy with the terrible Gurus curse, Josh, Jude, Ken, Kitty, Dave, Sophia, Jay, Kai, Patty, Brian, Robert B., my dearest Amanda, Downtown, Cindy, Jerry, both the Sues, Jen, Shannon, Greg C., John, Bill & Bill, Annette, cool Dan Scheraga, Mirk, Lozza, Cindy from the Pen, Phil, Dez, Julia (I started, I just haven’t finished!!) and Rod, I think that about covers everything that still awaits in my e-mail box, rest assured I have not forgotten, April continues to be catch-up month. Stef, you don’t count, I’ve written you back (even tho I’m late again). (giggle) Hi KC, heard about any good deals on windows lately? (snicker) And big hugs & smiles out L.A. way to who needs them most. Later…

04/24/98: Good morning! Graffiti Zealots, people millions of time zones away, and other interested parties alike are in luck today I guess, as I fell asleep, phone still in hand, on the couch and had to force myself up again… now waiting for the ol’ hair to dry and watching the sun come up so here I am. Then I’ll go back to snoozing for a couple of hours and feel awful all day… oh well, at least it’s Friday. If anyone ever figures out how to turn sleep deprivation into big bucks, I’m in major luck… let’s see, Jo’s in town to tie up some loose ends come Saturday so I’m feeling an Attack of the Huey Burger coming on; actually I haven’t had one in months, which is kind of amazing in itself, so that’ll be a minor treat. It’s supposed to be sunny and hitting up close to 80 all weekend, which is both good and not good. And I, for now, am going back to snooze. Hope this was worth it GZ. (waving)

04/24/98 (later): Heh, it’s the evening report, quick-like ‘cos I’ve got something to do. Pet peeve city… I have to make a second trip to the Pig on Madison because they forgot to put something I bought in my bag today. After I made a point of going out during the day today so I wouldn’t have to mess with the Friday-after-work traffic later. I would just let it go, but it’s that semi-expensive butter-rum flavored coffee I’ve grown completely addicted to. Grouse, grouse, grumble, grouse, grouse… don’t get me started on the state of the service industry in the United States today, heh. Well, most of all, I’m just glad it’s Friday, and The Wizenhiemers are playing tonight, and there’s some new music stuff on the coming horizon here in the Bluff City, check out the Memphis page before you go… and we (meaning me, Greg & JJ) may be doing that acoustic thang in Oxford Sunday after all, but I don’t know yet, so anyway, good weekend to all, toodles.

04/25/98: Hey. It’s been a weirder-than-usual evening (well, last night) in the land du Lynnster. I am just a tad out of sorts after coming close to having an intimate run-in with a telephone pole on Summer Avenue last night. (And no, KC & choir, it wouldn’t have been my fault, so take your female-driver jokes elsewhere…) Anyhow, well, what can I say… if third time’s a charm, maybe I just better stay home and never go out again? Ugh, it’s all just a little too eerie. Well, anyway, I wound up not going downtown, which was a shame kinda because it was a beautiful night, but oh well. Between the choice of company and the traffic mayhem, I just kinda had a bad feeling about getting down there and all involved with the Crossroads showcase traffic, both pedestrian and vehicular, so I went elsewhere. So anyway… with all the really strange weirdness going on lately, KC & I have been busy trying to solve the mysteries of life in e-mail (a worse pair attempting such philosophies I’m sure there never was) and coming to the conclusion that there are no answers, just questions… like, do you settle for less just because, or do you wait and see? (A very broad-subjected and rhetorical query, of course.) Now, I know what JD, one of the wisest philosophers to ever cross the ‘Net, would say of course – whatever it is, it’s worth the wait. But I dunno, I’m a converted cynic, I’d say there’d have to be a reason or evidence to wait… KC, being more cynical than me, would say play it safe and settle and don’t wait. So, what are we all waiting for? That’s the real question… (snicker)… ah, just a little philosophical brain-teasing here, folks, so Greg Breit, who’s one of those people who sits and wonders if the light goes off when you close the refrigerator door, won’t be able to sleep tonight. Kinda serious, kinda not because Greg’s such a worrywart. I am never above messing with those who are addicted to the Wall, heh, especially those who can be kept awake for days just by posing rhetorical moral questions to them. Anyhow, what else… very very high recommendations for a great new flick rental, The Myth of Fingerprints, it’s an excellent, excellent, excellent film. And a big hello to the recent Australian visitors to the Zone… I suspect I know how you all got here, proud to have ya, wish I was in Coogee right this minute. Anyway, well, I’m still in one piece, that’s basically the news and all the philosophy fun for the night, and I’m outta here for now…

04/25/98 (later): 80 degrees, sun, breezes, glorious day in Midtown Memphis. I have nothing to say but hi… just cleaning up some stuff on the website this fine day. Hope it’s as gorgeous everywhere else as it is here… later…

04/26/98: Well, it’s Sunday, and I’m not in Mississippi, so I guess that means I’ll be washing dogs. A word of warning – I’m not sure how much updating there’ll be here for a while. That’ll break the Graffiti Zealot’s heart, I know, but you’ll get over it, dear. Things have been so strange and weird lately with my recent traffic mayhem, the tornadoes, among other things, there’s a lot of re-evaluation going on here of late about… well, just things. After I teasingly worried him to death over rhetorical moral issues the other day, Greg Breit and I were going down memory lane on the phone in the middle of the night last night and remembering back when the only things that really mattered were when, where and how we’d do music, and trying to remember what that was like, when that was virtually all we needed… and wondering when that changed, and why. Another philosophical issue to ponder, among many… anyway, truth be told, I have kept things together and cool for a really long time, years even, a stellar job of being a pretty together chick in the face of some gnarly adversities and I’m pretty proud of and happy about that. The last six months or so have, for whatever and many reasons, not been so easy, and yeah, scary occurrences of late have sort of exacerbated all that. And I think it’s better if I just maybe take a little break from the online world, for the most part. Of course, I’m pretty unpredictable and this may be a relatively short hiatus, who knows, you never know about me… but just a little proactive word of warning here for now, especially so to keep the level of “hate mail” from New Orleans and Nashville and London down. KC made me laugh when I asked him if I was a Replacements tape right now, what would be on me – no hesitation on answering Unsatisfied, Darlin’ One, Achin’ to Be and Here Comes A Regular, among others. Those who know you best… Anyway, with the words of soon-to-be-a-daddy (amazing!) Paul Westerberg – if being wrong’s a crime I’m serving forever… that’s an understatement… I leave you with ‘Mats tunes in your heads, sweet dreams ‘cos if I can’t sleep, the rest of you should and have good dreams for me, and I’ll be back later, sometime… just a temporary lull. You guys don’t really want to hear all the boring, mundane, everyday inanities anyway, and I don’t have much else to offer at present.

04/27/98: Oh… well, I can’t really say what I want to say because, after all, this is AOL, you know, and there are rules… but I guess the alternative proper ladylike term would be, to heck with it. So Lynnster sticks her foot in her mouth again, it’s not the first time and it surely won’t be the last. As I told someone earlier this week, all the rest of the pages (and believe me, there are more pages than you know) on this site are done and finished and just sit there month after month and don’t need anything done with ‘em… most new pages I put up, same deal… this page, the Wall, is really the only one I have much fun with. I think everyone with a website should put something similar up (hint, hint)! But seriously, well, I’d miss it, and some other swell folks have let me know they’d miss it, and I’d just be hard-pressed to deny anyone their daily dose of Lynnster goofiness, sooo… OK, I’m back. (However, Graffiti Zealot, I just don’t know about this morning/evening thing… but we’ll see.) Plus I guess some just drop in to make sure I’m still alive, at least I’ve been told that three times now, so, OK. You want boring, goofy, ridiculous and mundane, you got it. Thanks to the select few who helped me change my mind… you’re always aces in my book. And, you know, I was thinking in the wee hours of the morning… part of my problem with the Wall at this point has been the fact that I’m not in a particularly happy-happy-joy-joy state at present, and I dislike the idea of that affecting things here… mostly, i.e., the chance my smart*** mouth might get the better of me… but then I thought, well, you know, it doesn’t matter, I’m pretty much among friends here, some I know well and personally, some I’ve never met but know well, and others… I just plain don’t care. Whether I’m happy, mad or annoyed and ranting, morose, cracking jokes, or cracking up in public, I’m mostly among friends here of all kinds. And as for the rest – not that I’ve heard or accidentally seen any complaints in a while – if it’s your opinion I am, or my little Wall project is, stupid, silly, inane, ridiculous, self-indulgent, or any other number of like adjectives… feel free to go elsewhere. This Wall, and I, might not appeal to everyone’s liking… but I’m not going to let any figurative bad apples spoil everyone else’s fun. So again, feel free to click elsewhere. In fact, please do. Thanks.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled Graffiti… well, this was kinda a really bad day to be my first day back in rush hour traffic after my recent traffic mishaps, seeing as how it’s rainy and nasty here and I live in a city where everyone immediately forgets everything they learned in Driver’s Ed the minute it starts raining, but I made it home with flying colors. Now, for the last hour or so, I’ve been watching and listening to what has got to the most in number of weather warnings I have ever seen on TV at one time. At first, just severe thunderstorm warnings for Shelby County and others… and then within seconds of each other, tornado watches, flash flood warnings, and then urban flooding warnings (excuse me, isn’t that the same as a flash flood?). Then, suddenly, tornado warnings all around me (tho not here). Oh, and hail. Exciting stuff, this… at present (7:15 pm CST) there’s now been continuous storm coverage for about an hour now, so you know it’s gotta be kinda yucky. The really interesting thing right now is that the two worst storm cells are in Benton County, TN (where I’m from) and Benton County, MS, heh. Anyway, kinda just watching to see if anything’s developing into funnel clouds – so far none, they think – and we in Shelby County are under a tornado watch ’til midnight. And, anyhow, I was just kind of amazed at the sheer number of and varied kinds of warnings flashing on the screen one after another. You don’t see that too often. And that’s The Weather Channel for today… oops, forgot who I was for a minute!

In other news, I have a new guestbook, because my old one got destroyed and the guestbook service also went to a subscription-only service at the same time, so please, feel free to scribble. It’s a little more “commercial” than the old one, but I guess we all should be used to that stuff by now… and, besides, that’s how the Graffiti Wall was conceived in the first place, so I’d have a place for retorts to my beloved smart alecks and praise for the wonderful people who visited the guestbook. Also, some cool news I found today! On April 29th, PBS’ American Masters series will be presenting Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart. Being a big Velvet Underground, and Lou solo, fan, I think this will probably be most excellent. Check your local PBS listings for times. Also, a pitiful cry for help… I also noted that the Turner Movie Classics channel is presenting a documentary on one of my favorite actresses ever, silent film star Louise Brooks, on May 5th. Anyone that gets that channel, please holler my way. And that’s about it for now… watching continuous weather coverage in Memphis, going on an hour and a half now, so let’s hope my luck lately has improved… I’m not exactly feeling very Wizard of Oz-like tonight, heh. Bye now.

04/28/98: No tornadoes and such in Shelby County, yay. It was just kind of unnerving, seeing as how I looked out the window at work yesterday afternoon and said, “you know, this looks really tornado-ey out here right now” – if you’ve never lived down here you don’t know, but the sky turns some really strange colors and it’s just, well, weird – and then came home to all the warnings on TV last night. Ick. And, is tornadic really a word, or is that just something Channel 3 News made up, because it sounds kinda silly to me… Anyway, tho apparently there was a lot of severe thunderstorm damage around West TN and northern MS, we’re fine here. The local news should just hire Baby and Dobie to predict bad weather, they know a bad storm’s coming hours before anyone else does around here. Anyhow, note to KC and the rest of the ruffians – Stevie Kane has pronounced my well-known affliction to be “Backup Chick Singer’s Disease”… we’re coming back from lunch, I’ve got the radio on 96X, they play Allison Road, and yup, you guessed it, there I went. I think the actual quote was, “You just go right for the backup without even thinking about it, don’t you?” Yes, folks, she can’t even remember words she actually wrote herself half the time, but by god, she knows the backup vocals to every song ever… heh. Well, I guess you had to be there sorta, but some can appreciate it. Anyway, off to sleep in, take the Demon Spawn to the vet for their yearly shots & checkup today, so if you see the blonde chick lugging the big wimpy yellow dog up all those steps at East Parkway & Central because he’s traumatized by his leash and collar, that would be us. Ignore us, please. Later…

04/28/98 (later): Stuff: I’m sure everyone will be pleased to know that Baby and Dobie, i.e., The Wimpy Twins, have survived yet another annual trip to the mean nasty wicked (their words, not mine) vet’s office. Embarrassment was at a minimum, as Dobie did the expected – had to be carried up all those stairs, glued himself to the floor, etc. – but none of the unexpected, and his mama, unlike last year, was a perfect angel. Hopefully I have regained nice-mom-status again since Baby and I made a swing by McDonald’s after her turn, and brought home 29-cent-Tuesday hamburgers for the victimized twosome. Thank goodness this only happens once a year. Other things… still raining, looks to be raining maybe all week, maybe will clear out of here by the weekend for the Beale Street Music Festival, but I’d bring umbrellas if I were you. Anyway… I had the Gin Blossoms’ Mrs. Rita (you know, “so tell me Mrs. Rita/what’s it say in my tarot…”) on continuous loop for a while last night on the CD player – don’t ask why, I just do that sometimes – and as a result must have accidentally conjured up my personal grocery store psychic again, ‘cos guess who I ran into at the Pig today… this time the Pig on Madison, last time it was the Summer Avenue Pig (the second biggest Pig). (Oh, that’s Piggly Wiggly for those of you who don’t know any better… thought I should clarify that.) Creepy. And she remembered me, double creepy. So she goes, “everything’s changed (since last time I saw her), hasn’t it?”. And I said, “No, not really.” Then she goes, “Well, it is.” OK, what’s that supposed to mean? Sigh, she probably just wants me to make an appointment and pay her some money, so I’m paying it no never mind and maybe I’ll just start shopping at Kroger instead so as not to run into weird psychics who tell me strange stuff I can’t comprehend. Finally, after a dry spell and forcing myself not to go in there, I bought a buncha CDs today, sigh. Oh well, I guess you can’t really put a price on cool stuff… ’til later…

04/29/98: Well, yesterday, the day from Hades (with half the afternoon spent on hold on the phone for the Tennessee Department of Revenue, oh joy) turned into the night from Hades and I’ve got one thing to say – it’s 4:53 a.m. and I am going to bed. The good news is I got a lot of little projects done that I’ve been procrastinating so a *lot* of people will soon be happy… I guess it’s worth spending all day today in a near-narcoleptic haze. So, if I don’t collapse in exhaustion, see y’all later.

04/29/98 (later): Well, it’s raining… so what else is new? Not much to tell today, I heard some interesting things on the radio and promptly forgot them, and things like that. Rainy and wet and yucky around here and I have Stevie Nicks hair so bad this week it’s not even funny, what with all the rain and humidity… but I’m not gonna cut it. Long and messy for summer, that’s my goal! NRBQ at the Hard Rock tonight, be there or be square… catch y’all later.

04/30/98: Last entry for April unless something monumentally exciting (yeah, right) happens today. NRBQ at the Hard Rock was ‘da bomb, even tho the rain was unbelievable. I hope that’s it ‘cos I’m not sure we can take much more, I imagine there were flash floods all over the city last night. In other news, after a weekend trip to Atlanta by the Parrot Women, there’s now a picture of my mother residing on the website of a karaoke bar in Roswell… sigh. No lie. I laughed and laughed. Last, I hope someone besides me caught the Lou Reed special on PBS’ American Masters series last night… that was incredible. Not only was it musically just awesome, I was surprised to see some of those people interviewed, especially the “ghosts” of Warhol’s Factory, were still alive! Anyway, it a was supremely well done effort… skillfully summed up in one hour the over-30-year career of one of the most interesting (IMO) artists in music ever, that one was a keeper. Well, I guess that’s it ’til May, see y’all later!

Posted in about the weather, concerts & shows, dobie is a dog, dogs, dreaming is free, film fiend stuff, friends are evil, friends are good, i sleep too much, lynnster's zoo, memphis, memphis music, middle tennessee, music, music junkie stuff, nashville, natural disasters, other obsessions, paul westerberg, television, the replacements, updates to the zone, west end boys & girls, west tennessee | Leave a Comment »

February Stars

Posted by Lynnster on February 1, 1998

(NOTE: February 1998 entries have been moved from an old site of mine in one big chunk for the sake of convenience… sorry & thanks – L.)

02/01/98: Mmm, let’s see, what’s on the agenda for February… (the Graffiti Wall’s one year anniversary, woohoo!). First off Pat DiNizio of The Smithereens (in town this weekend) good; The Presidents of the United States of America (no, not Clinton, people) bad. What have I got against this now-breaking-up, or so I heard, band? Well, I’ll tell ya, they have released a remake of The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star” – the answer to the “What was the first video ever played on MTV?” trivia question – and it’s driving me up a wall every time I hear it. It’s sans electronics, mainly, just guitars ‘n drums ‘n stuff (hmmm, sounds like a couple of mostly-cover bands I know), and actually it’s not bad, per se. Maybe it’s the obvious faked British accents (”…we cahn’t rewind, we’ve gone too far…”) coming from a very American band, or something, I don’t know, it’s just bugging me bigtime. Maybe there are just some things that shouldn’t be messed with and remade… like, what if Bush covered The Beatles’ “Hey Jude”. Or No Doubt doing Clapton’s “Layla”. Or Van Halen with The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me” (oh, wait that’s already happened, snicker… no, I am not coming down on Van Halen! Sheesh, you people don’t know me too well…). I realize “Video…” is a relatively silly ’80s New Wave hit that wasn’t even really that much of a hit, but hey, this is my youth we’re talking about here… you don’t see anyone messing with “Great Balls of Fire” or “Jailhouse Rock” or “A Hard Day’s Night”, now, do you? Well, I’m painting myself into a corner here, and there have been some very good covers of some very famous tunes, yes, but my point is, if you’re going to cover a well-known song, make it your own. If you’re American, don’t go around singing “cahn’t” just because you’re covering a song by a bunch of Brits. Yes, I’m getting really annoyed by very piddly little things but I’m a female, I can do that. So, anyway, not much other news for now. Keeping busy, busy, busy, and very, very happy. Special (public!!!!) hugs ‘n thanks for everything ‘n smooches ‘n stuff to Scott, who’s kept me sane and entertained… third time’s a charm (ya think?) and distance is a four-letter word. And now it’s not really a secret anymore, is it? (I guess it depends on how you look at it…) Oh, who cares, pfffft on secrets. Toodleoo ’til next time, problem children…

02/02/98: Headaches galore for a Sunday yesterday but I’m still here. The Hyperactive Berserk Kitten Twins trashed one of my favorite breakables yesterday, they’re still here too but treading on way thin ice. Sigh. Happy late birthday to my Other Mom, I’m a little late on everything so far in 1998. And hope you’re happy now, Scott, the only reason I’m still up at five in the morning is so you’ll have something new to read today, hehehe. Ahhhhhh, I’m not complaining (like I would have gone to bed early anyway… yeahsureright). Good night everyone – for a coupla hours anyway…

02/06/98: “The sole deed I find truly unforgivable is being humiliated by those I ever trust not to do so. Be it public or private, it matters not.” (from Letters Of Lord Byron) And here’s another, a repeat from last month: “Your exile and your hell is self-imposed and lives only in your head/’t will be too late morrow and for all you know you may be dead/I choose to live and laugh today instead.” Hmmm, words to live by. – L., who’s mad, bad, and dangerous to know.

02/07/98: Well, I’ve spent a good bit of this week inadvertently killing computer equipment and then repairing/replacing the damage… those of you who have known me a very long time will remember the blue-paint-all-over-the-keyboard episode several years ago, well, this was worse (but at least I didn’t kill my keyboard this time). Suffice it to say, a new Trackman Marble and a new power center later, the home of The Lynnster Zone was back in action by midweek. (And here’s a plug for Logitech… I wouldn’t own any other trackball, even if I did have to drive all over town, from here on the edge of Midtown all the way out to Hickory Hill, up to Cordova, and finally to Raleigh, to find one… you computer stores in this city suck, and thank goodness for Sam’s or I would have really been raging.) I sorta touched on this on the Music page already, but anyhow, I have been dogging new alternative pretty bad lately, but I have to hand it to Third Eye Blind for their new single, “How’s It Going to Be” (you know, “How’s it going to be when you don’t know me anymore…”). This one’s a must for any hopeless romantic who’s had to say goodbye to someone they care about, even if someone new’s come along to be happy about, so you should all give this one a listen. Let’s see, what else… well, the snow missed us here in Memphis and I guess I’m glad about it, except it might have been a nice change of scenery, then again until I put a few more years on my present car I’m not going to be too excited about ice on the streets. I guess that’s about it for now. Thank you’s for this week to Becky for the package that the US Postal Service ate that never came, it was the thought that counted, girl… my mom for always being the coolest… and Scott for being the one that came along. Catch y’all later…

02/14/98: Happy VD… I mean, Valentine’s Day (heh) to everyone. Not much to report this week. Another Byron quote in honor of VD, I mean, Valentine’s Day…. “I would have waited forever, you refused to ask”. I’ve got to get my butt in gear to get out of town this afternoon, just sending quick VD, I mean, Valentine’s Day wishes to everyone, especially the one responsible (that would be you, S.) for making sure I had a nice one for a change… only the second Valentine’s Day in my life that was ever any good, usually they all suck. Catch y’all after the weekend…

02/17/98 (revised): Nice weekend out of town, needed it. Here’s a surprise (sarcasm intended) – I changed my hair again. Yep, got tired of the blonde-blonde, needed a change, gone to the dark side again… well, not all that dark, not as dark (nor as red, thank god) as a year and a half or so ago, but not Malibu Barbie blonde anymore either (hey, it’s called Sand, you get the idea). Might even get darker if I can stand it (i.e., Sandalwood). We’ll see come summertime. Now, aren’t you glad you dropped by the Graffiti Wall today? (snicker) Well, if you’ve been hanging out here very long, you know hair is a very important issue around here anyway. Other than kittens breaking more breakables around the house, not much newsworthy news. So, while driving back to Memphis this weekend, I decided to make some Valentine’s Day resolutions since I usually don’t get around to making New Year’s resolutions (as too many of you know, I’m always late regarding most anything pretty much). I haven’t made very many yet, but here’s a few… #1, catch up on the 200+ e-mails sitting in my box (yes, I know I’m a lazy slug). #2, never write e-mail that takes fifteen (non-consecutive) hours – yes, you heard me right, fifteen hours – to finish again… talk about a day wasted, that’s an understatement. (And no wonder I have 200+ e-mails sitting in my mailbox.) #3, don’t date any blonde guys. (Okay, I know that’s pretty biased coming from moi, but hey, it’s just this thing…) #4… um, I can’t think of a fourth. I’m sure there were more, maybe they’ll come back to me later. Okay, so I’m busy doing various little projects I’ve been meaning to do for months, and right now I’m watching the 10-volume The History of Rock ‘N Roll, and am at this moment on the Guitar Heroes tape of it… Alice Cooper, KISS, Townshend, the Allman Brothers Band, all kinds of cool stuff. Next up will be the Punk volume, featuring some vintage Elvis Costello, Iggy Pop, the Ramones, more cool stuff. Wait, I think there’s another volume between the two, another Seventies volume or something… oh well. Again, aren’t you sooo glad you dropped by the Graffiti Wall today? (snicker again) Yes, I could be catching up on e-mail right now, but I’d rather do something mindless like screw up my website and besides, everyone knows I have the attention span of a flea. So, hi all you folks I owe e-mail to. (giggle) So… um… did I mention lately how much I love my new HP deskjet? I had the best time making valentines one night last week. And hey, hiya Scott. OK, I’m being silly now and I guess I’ve covered most of my bases for today and Steven Tyler and Todd Rundgren are speaking on my TV screen, so I shall split for now. Hasta – Lynnster the not-as-venomous…

02/17/98 (again): Oh, I forgot a few things. Couple of you former Tennesseans asked me to let you know about available jobs in the area, but guess what, one of you changed your address (write me Greg B.) and I lost the other one, so, FYI, number one, the Gibson Guitar plant has finally broken ground in downtown Memphis off Beale Street, and if I’m not mistaken they’re taking applications now… I haven’t checked, but I suspect you can contact them via the Gibson website for more info. Second (and this is especially for you GB), my ISP, iXL Memphis, has some new job openings posted on their website: (1) Unix System Administrator/Application Developer; (2) Web Programmer/Database Developer; and (3) Customer Service Technician. They had the Web Programmer/Database Developer job posted last week with a $50K salary, so some of you broke people (GB) might want to look into it. Also – some of you people who are planning to come to Memphis really need to get in touch with me or KC, specifically Greg, Caro & Walker Breit, and Rockin’ Robin Roberts. Time’s a-runnin’ out and you’re going to be on your own if we don’t hear from ya. OK, I’m outta here – Lynsey the B.

02/18/98 (revised): So I’m driving home listening to the radio… “Here is the money that I owe you/So you can pay the bills/I will give you more when I get paid again…” and I’m thinking, “What? My ex-boyfriends are writing songs now?” (well, with the exception of the one who does write songs for a living…) Oh, I guess I probably shouldn’t say that, only one owes me money, anyway, thanks Everclear for a good laugh with their new song, “I Will Buy You A New Life”. Hyperactive Feline Kitten Twin Update: Maggie, who I thought was my wild one (and has been breaking all kinds of breakables lately, maybe she’s just a klutz) is actually being good (she’s a very happy girl)… it’s Molly, my sweet quiet kitty who’s turned into the devil herself. So far she’s learned to open three out of eight drawers in a big chest of drawers in my bedroom; she’s been hanging from the ceiling; she’s just gone nuts. By the way, for you Memphians that don’t know, there’s a South Park gathering every Wednesday night at one of the sports bars (now I can’t remember which one) to watch the show… I’m so busy taping it every time there’s a new show I haven’t been yet, but maybe soon. So anyway, I think it’s about time for me to hit the Memphis Music Hall of Fame for a fourth time, matter of fact. Anyone wanna go with? Call me, we’ll like, do lunch, preferably ribs across the street, says she who has been ribless for a couple of months now. I hereby leave you with the words of Memphis’ own Alex Chilton, when with The Box Tops… “Gimme a ticket for an airplane…” – preferably to L.A. Later – L. the De-Fanged.

02/18/98 (yet again): Telephone quote from KC, the man, the myth: “In the face of being bitchy, The Lynnster always backs down eventually.” (chuckle) ‘night, problem children.

02/19/98 (revised): Ever in search of something interesting to do, I think Josie & I have settled on a movie and another trip down to the Memphis Music Hall of Fame on Second across from The Peabody again this weekend, if certain Nashvillians wish to join us, please do (Saturday, I think). It’ll be my fourth trip there since last August, but let me tell you, there are few better ways to spend a day… tons of vintage blues video & audio, tons of Stax & soul video & audio (Sam & Dave, Otis, Booker T. & the MGs, Wilson Pickett, Isaac Hayes, oh, my heart just pounds), as well as a fair representation of Sun offspring and The Box Tops and, well, it’s just the coolest, and more guitars and all kinds of stuff to look at than you can shake a stick at. (And then there’s the vintage guitar shop next door, but that’s a whole ‘nother story, sigh…) Anyway, I think that’s a good plan. They tell us today that out of 17 days in February here in Memphis, we’ve had all of two sunny days, that probably explains many things right there, we’re all sun-deprived. Now, I love rainy days with an extreme passion, but man, there’s a limit. Next, I have just two very important words to say on the subject of ’80s music: The Cult. God bless Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy, I rest my case. Anyway, must be off for now… With a ‘night and a (smirk)…

02/21/98: “I’m looking through you, where did you go? I thought I knew you, what did I know? You don’t look different but you have changed… I’m looking through you, you’re not the same.” (Lennon/McCartney) Rubber Soul, my fave Beatles album second only to the White Album…

02/23/98: Finally got out this weekend to see Titanic and all I can say is, maaaaaaaan. What an absolutely fabulous flick. The last hour of the movie is simply incredible, and the whole thing is just amazing. Do yourself a favor and go see it while it’s still on the big screen (which will surely be a while with all the Academy Awards it’s garnered), this is really a must-see. Anyway, I’m also hoping to catch Great Expectations this week or next weekend too, thinking this will be another good one, certainly won’t top Titanic tho. Well, let’s see, what else, got semi-suckered into another cat… that would be me, tell me tales of kitty woe and I’m toast. Poor little baby (I say “little” facetiously, he is a big big boy!) is declawed and has been out on the streets for who knows how long getting beat up, but that’s OK, now he’s safe. No name yet, if you have any (reasonable) ideas feel free to e-mail me with them. You know, someday I may very well have no pets (interesting…) but I think they’re worth more to me than much of anything else in life, and I do mean anything. They love you unconditionally, they never complain (well, except about baths and such, or Dobie complaining because I won’t let him in the bedroom), and they never turn their backs on you. Truly a great thing in life. Anyhow, let’s see, not much more to report at present… former Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson’s band Perfect is putting on some Monday night shows in March and early April in L.A., and Tommy himself is doing some more solo acoustic sets: Thursday, 02/26 at The Uptown Bar in Minneapolis; Thursday, 03/05 at Coney Island High in New York City; Saturday, 03/07 Upstairs at Nick’s in Philadelphia; Sunday, 03/08 at The Iota in Arlington, VA; and Tuesday, 03/10 at T.T. the Bears in Cambridge, MA. You can click here to go to my pal Becky’s official Perfect website, Yap Yap, for more info and details. I am seriously considering hitting one or more of the East Coast shows so look for my little blonde head if you are in attendance, don’t know that I will be, but you never know about me. That’s about it for now, problem children, I’m still pretty psyched up on Titanic and not feeling like hitting the sack, but since it’s Monday, I guess I’d better. Ciao and tra-la-la and all that.

02/24/98: I will kinda be glad when this month is over, February and Valentine’s Day usually have rather adverse effects on my psyche, probably ‘cos I always had such sucky Valentine’s Days almost every year, seems like most of my relationships since adulthood usually fall apart right before the dreaded Black 14th… and what relationships don’t disintegrate around the dreadful VD usually crash and burn right before Christmas. I guess the good thing about that is, whatever wonderful Christmas presents I’ve bought for whichever intended, I get to keep myself (and they’re always cool, being that I’m such a cool present-buyer). Well, anyway, I’m glad Valentine’s month is close to over and looking forward to that Most Important of All Months, you know the one – March! (giggle) So I don’t have much news since all I’ve done since the last time I made an entry is sleep and work. I am reading a really terrific book right now tho… it’s called Cheese Chronicles, by Tommy Womack (Eggman Publishing, 1995), hence the new quote on the main page. I picked up this book practically by accident at Bookstar one day last summer and was just flipping thru it, and practically fell over on the spot when I started noticing names and places I knew, because the book is the story of the never-quite-off-the-ground career of one of my favorite bands from college days in Middle Tennessee, Government Cheese, of which Womack was a member. The subtitle of the book, appropriately, is The True Story of a Rock ‘N Roll Band You Never Heard Of, and one of my other favorite Nashville Underground artists, Bill Lloyd, has this to say about it on the cover: “Tommy’s funny, poignant account makes you realize how universal this story is. If you’re a musician or just a rock ‘n roll fan, there’s plenty here to identify with. One of the best-written, most entertaining rock ‘n roll diaries I’ve ever read.” Now, of course, I am really biased about it because I was around there and then (the band was actually from Bowling Green, KY, but were hometown boys of the Nashville circuit) but this is just a great read. Any of you music types who grew up in the Seventies and Eighties will just love it (and probably spot yourself somewhat painfully in it, heh). You can probably find or order it from your local Bookstar or Barnes & Noble store, or you can order it direct from Eggman Publishing at 2909 Poston Avenue, Suite 203, Nashville, TN 37203 or calling 1-800-409-7277. This is simply a terrific read. Next on my reading agenda is plans to re-read The Great Gatsby and also Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, possibly my favorite book ever. Other than that, not much to report, lots of news soon tho. Keep hanging on my every word and don’t touch that dial…

02/26/98 (revised): Kind of inundated at the moment but I’ll be back on a normal chattery slide in due time. Dreadful rain here tonight, bah humbug. Good thing this month’s Graffiti Wall is soon erased, this has been Lynnster on, oh, 4 or 5, I guess, I’d hate to see Lynnster on 10. (smirk) Bye-bye, all you problem children near and far…

02/27/98: Beeeeeeyootiful week in Memphis this week, for the most part, and today was the best – dogwoods a-bloomin’, buttercups all over the city, and I’ve contracted the biggest case of spring fever on the planet. Unfortunately if those who are in the know know, we’re due for more cold weather and rain come tomorrow, but that’s okay, this week was worth it all. In other news, it was nearly a day to mark down in history as I had an all-too-close brush with a lunchtime accident that has left me with a nice-sized laceration where my tonsils used to be (sorry to disappoint, KC, but I can still talk, heh). Unfortunately this rather icky brush with the emergency room comes on the eve of a gig and another after that and I’m not quite sure how I’m going to handle this, but for the moment Chloraseptic is working wonders. A quick public congratulations to John & Jen Cosper on the birth of their son, Jonathon. Finally, a not-that-great night’s sleep and sleeping on (whatever) does some strange things to one’s perceptions, and in the light of day on this fair Friday, all I can really do is (shrug), tho with a smile, of course. Things are weird all over but I reckon we’re all going to be okay, folks. By the way, everyone, New Kitty still doesn’t have a name, I’m open to suggestions. More to come later…

02/28/98: The month is over, this Wall has been much revised and partially erased, and I’m decidedly happy to see February go, good days aside. I’ve, unscientifically, concluded that a majority of us, myself included, have a case of winter cabin fever and sun-deprivation that’s making us all, myself included again, flip out or something. Onto March, this Wall hath ended.

Posted in BBQ, a bit accident prone, a family thing, about the weather, books, cats, concerts & shows, friends are good, government cheese, holidays, i never sleep, lynnster's zoo, memphis, memphis gripers, memphis music, music, music junkie stuff, other obsessions, techgeekchick stuff, the ex files, the replacements, west end boys & girls | Leave a Comment »

December Whispers

Posted by Lynnster on December 3, 1997

(NOTE: Many December 1997 entries have been moved from an old site of mine in several big chunks for the sake of convenience… sorry & thanks – L.)

12/03/97: West End Bunch: Nashville trek has been tentatively rescheduled to mid-to-late January, e-mail me, KC or Scott for details, I won’t bore the world with it here. Don’t forget to check out Dobie’s birthday if you didn’t. Next, kudos to the complete & utter bozo who nearly totaled me & my car this morning on Linden near Cleveland, within an inch or two, out of your sheer stupidity, moron. I know said ingrate likely doesn’t have the brain power to even turn on a computer, but it feels good to yell about it publicly anyway. In retrospect, I wish I hadn’t hit the brakes and gone ahead and hit your stupid ugly car, just so my mother could have gotten filthy rich off of suing your idiotic behind. Finally, I’ll be at the Perfect show at the new Hard Rock Sunday night w/ Becky Blenkush of the Perfect website & whoever else wants to go, will check in later on that. Wanna go, gimme a shout. Otherwise, FTW…

12/04/97: Woohoo, must be doing some things right (shocker). Off four days last week. Off three days this week. Off most of Xmas week. And “Schuyler Hauser” signed my guestbook, woohoo. I’m a goddess, worship me, heh… see y’all after my three day weekend.

Posted in concerts & shows, dig, dobie is a dog, friends are good, holidays, memphis, music, nashville, pissed off, the replacements, west end boys & girls | Leave a Comment »

In the Month of June

Posted by Lynnster on June 2, 1997

(NOTE: June 1997 entries have been moved from an old site of mine in one big chunk for the sake of convenience… sorry & thanks – L.)

06/02/97: I have, like, no spare time right now but suffice it to say all is well. S.H., you don’t need e-mail from me, you can read the Graffiti Wall, heh heh. Congratulations and celebrations to JJ, Kev, G-man and Jay W. on some jobs well done the last several weeks, you guys have been a lot of fun and I thank you for letting me be a part of it … AW is for the most part on hiatus until after summer, and we all thank everyone heartily for the support and good words, it’s been a pleasure. Special thanks to the mighty dudes at the Musitron and also at Strings ‘N Things for various and sundry good deeds. This last weekend was the best ever and the second all-KISS deal was a righteous amount of fun. In other news, the Gripers are planning yet another Gripefest, this time a pilgrimage down to Mud Island for Summer Daze ‘97, 06/20/97, featuring a virtual myriad (heh, Heathers reference) of ’70s guitar nostalgia whatchamahooey, featuring Foghat, Blue Oyster Cult, Pat Travers and Steppenwolf. Come join us and see a bunch of 30 and 40 years olds (well, except for Drew and Julie) act like a bunch of plastered teenagers and Ed & Greg invariably yelling “Hey (insert name here), you suck!” At $10.03 a ticket, you can’t even buy a pizza for that (not Ed & Greg yelling, the concert). For other news, please click your pointer at the May 1997 Graffiti Wall. I am just swamped. Hugs to all…

06/06/97: Sad day in Memphis here upon the news of musician Jeff Buckley’s death becoming a certainty after a weeklong search in the Memphis Harbor and the river. Though there was some speculation at first that he’d up and disappeared, I pretty much suspected the outcome, as the mighty Mississippi is not a particularly nice and easygoing river. Jeff came to Memphis in February from New York and had been living here in Midtown. I had not had the opportunity to make his acquaintance, but many folks I know did, and my sympathies are with all of you who had the good fortune to know him – I understand from friends he was a super good guy. (More details appear on my Memphis page as well as a link to one of the Buckley sites on the ‘net.) Condolences also to Memphis musician John Kilzer, a favorite of mine, on the recent loss of his mother. Seems like a couple of weeks’ worth of bad news on the rise. The good news is that I’m kicking butt on The ’80s Server this week and I just plain rock. I also hereby defer to John “Cochise” Cosper that, indeed, Sam Cooper Blvd. (AKA I-40) to Summer to White Station is quicker than Walnut Grove to White Station. Bite me. KC says he has pages ready to be updated so everyone wait with bated breath, I’m not holding mine. My laryngitis is gone and I know everyone’s just jumping up & down for joy about that. Otherwise, happy weekend, all – well, most, not all – I’m ready for it, dead tired. And in the words of Lloyd Dobler, “If you start out depressed, everything’s kind of a pleasant surprise.” Ciao…

06/09/97: Well, let’s see. #1, KC lies so don’t listen to him. The only real truth to that is that it was an amazing weekend, as was this past one. (Oh, I suppose some of those things actually happened, but not precisely as Mr. Exaggerator tells it.) A big highlight apart from working was the long-awaited much-planned Mini-Trip to Clarksdale (no, that’s not Clarksville and there’s no last train, Bill Ruef). ‘Twas only a mini-trip because we didn’t have time to do and investigate all we’d planned, but a lovely day trip in any case. Having the blues feels great, heh! (And them’s Delta blues, baby.) Thanks (this really kills me to say this) KC for springing for me as I am flat busted broke (not only do I have the blues, I am the Epitome of Delta Blues, baby. Check that $100 word there out, Bill P.) Anyways, ’twas a stellar (that word’s worth at least $50, B.P.) weekend started off by the wonderful news that an old good friend in longtime need of a liver transplant finally not only got on the list but got one on Friday, thereby proving to me that Fate and Luck are not necessarily the crock of dog poop I often proclaim them to be. Then having two great probable-last-time-’til-fall AW gigs going on, and the weekend was capped off with a rowdy bacchanal (another $100 word there, B.P.) at The Place Whose Name We Shall Never Speak Again downtown where we all spoke to each other in British accents and toasted Friendships That Shall Not Be Dissed and drew up and signed FTSNBD Vows in blood…well, not blood, red Flair pen, but that’s beside the point. The way this last year or so’s gone for most people and then “Someone” (you know who you are and we know you read my website) winding up on everyone’s Bad List (but especially Josie’s), it just seemed fitting in our rather gleeful, English-speaking state that we create these Sacred Vows, first and foremost of which is Thou Shalt Not Incredibly Dis a Friend…now, what “incredibly” actually involves is up to the judgment of, well, us. Second and equally important, as well as being my favorite, is: If Thou Incredibly Dis a Friend Over a Member of the Opposite Sex, Thou Shalt Waive All Rights and Hereby Give All Friends Permission to Shoot Thou. (This was KC’s idea, by the way, not mine, surprising, I know.) Works for me…if I ever Incredibly Dis a friend over such, I hope you all shoot me. Billions of times. Anyway, the nice thing about these Sacred Vows is even if you’re all or one of our buddies and you weren’t there, we signed in fake blood by proxy for you, so you’re covered. (Former friends need not apply…that’s the point. Duh.) These vows were signed by the usual cast of characters…moi, KC, Jay W., G-man, JJ, Kev, Kev’s new girlfriend (um…no, I bite my tongue here), CarolJoJosie, and some guy I’ve never seen before named Damon or Demon or something but we let him sign anyway. More the merrier, can’t have too many friends, watch out what bridges you burn, all that hooey. So anyway, the Sacred Vows are now written in fake blood and “Someone” (by the way you owe Josie a few hundred $, “Someone”) and all other “Someones” past best just hope we didn’t put the mojo whammy on you while we were all bopping around down in the vicinity of the Crossroads this weekend, heh. By the way, I want everyone to know that JJ’s one true brush with greatness is that he once hung out with Sweet, Sweet Connie of Little Rock (she of Grand Funk’s “We’re An American Band”). Matter of fact, last time I looked at Rock103’s website they had a recent pic of SSC up there. Not that that has anything to do with anything. Anyhow, in more news, many congratulations go out to my cousin-by-marriage who may as well be a cousin-by-birth as far as I’m concerned, Blair, and her fiance, Noel, who will be wed in a smashing affair here in Memphis this coming weekend (hopefully with lots of single, available men in tuxes and nice suits). I’d say welcome to the family to Noel if he hadn’t already been a part of it anyway for so long, but welcome anyhow. And finally, my new fence is finally up (thanks, Art) and Dobie and Baby and I are very happy about it. And my flowers are blooming and I’m simply ecstatic about that as well. Scotty H., I hope you do truly get a kick out of all this, you know I only really write it for you, love (and I think you’re about the only one who reads it besides KC anyway, heh). Catch y’all on the flip side of next week, I gotta traumatically busy week ahead. And no, Mom, I’m not on drugs. Luv, L.

06/11/97: Happy Birthday to my Dad!! The only man I’ve ever really loved. (smirk) Love you, L.

06/13/97: I saw that, KC. Next time you ride tied to the top of the Neon like a dead deer.

06/16/97: Well, this will likely lose something in translation, but I just had to tell everyone about my new One Sick Puppy t-shirt Art gave me, it’s the coolest. It has a cartoon of a dog and his owner-guy with a rolled-up newspaper, and the dog’s going, “Spank me hard! I deserve it! Oh yes!!! THE ROLLED UP PAPER!! Yes, yes, yes!! Spank me like never before!” And at the bottom it has the One Sick Puppy logo on it. What a great shirt, I love it. OK, on to more personal matters. Congratulations to Noel & Blair who were wed in a lovely ceremony Saturday night and the band rocked and all was just neat. Dear JJ & Greg – I know you miss me, how many other women give a damn about your guitar solos or what equipment you used on what and yada yada yada, hehe. Miss y’all too. I hate Sundays ‘cos I dread all day going back to work on Monday. Another weekend shot to heck, back to the ol’ salt mines…

06/21/97: After one of the truly suckier weeks in Lynnster history, the week redeemed itself with a finish Friday night at the Summer Daze show at Mud Island. For $10.03 and $4 for these GIANT cups of beer, I more than got my money’s worth (especially since Greg wouldn’t let me pay for my ticket – thanks darlin’ *smooch*)! Now, first of all, it’s been a long time since I’ve been to a show at the Island, and I’d really forgotten how great it is…Mud Island is the penultimate place to catch a concert in the summertime. Ya ride the monorail (as seen in the flick The Firm with Tom Cruise, natch) or walk the bridge across the river, then ya walk around the park treated to the awesome view of the Memphis sunset facing Arkansas, then ya find your seat in the ampitheater and, while treated to whatever fineries are onstage, you get the added plus of a fantastic view of the entire Memphis skyline and Riverside Drive and the bluffs all night, kinda an awesome sight both in the daylight and at night. So I was like, happy enough on that, the weather’d been hot all day but was just perfect last night with the river breezes to boot. We managed to miss most of Pat Travers’ set but did catch the final tune, and then (I really must commend the folks that put this show on for the quick changes between sets) out comes Foghat, which I would have been happy to listen to all night. Because there were four bands playing, each act only did about 4 or 5 songs each, and the Foghat set included “Drivin’ Wheel”, “I Just Want to Make Love to You”, “Fool for the City” and “Slow Ride”, and I think that was it, but man, that would have been worth the $10.03 by itself. The set was awesome and I sat totally in jaw-dropped awe of Rod Price’s guitar extraordinaire. That done, the rest of the show (Blue Oyster Cult and Steppenwolf) was good but I’d seen who I really came to see and proceeded to imbibe many more of those huge $4 beers and really could have cared less who was on stage after that, tho, again, the rest of it was good, heavy on the Steppenwolf, who closed the show. The Gripe Gang headed to The North End in the Pinch District for a snack afterwards (I think I won the Most $4 Beers Award last night). My head has finally stopped pounding with every step I take today, the day after. If you have the opportunity to catch the Summer Daze show on the road, do go. The Foghat set alone is well worth it, tho I must admit the ambience of being out in the middle of the river in summer did it for me, I am reminded once again of why I love Memphis, this city ROCKS. Planning to recuperate the rest of the weekend and watch my just-gotten, three video set of Hoodoo Gurus shows, interviews and such (thank you oh thank you Mike Watters, you are a god among men). Everyone have a swell weekend…

06/22/97: Well, KC says a hangover never killed anyone, but I’m not so sure about that. My apologies to anyone I ignored on Saturday, the computer and phone were on but, tho literally, figuratively no one was home and I wanted to die most of the day. I did, however, spend a good bit of the evening with over four hours’ worth of live shows, TV appearances and interviews from 15 years’ worth of my beloved Hoodoo Gurus. Watching Brad and Dave’s hairdo changes over the years as well as Brad’s choices of various guitars each tour was loads of fun (KC, 100 Lynnster points if you can guess what guitar Brad mostly used on the Crank tour, heh heh). Probably the greatest thing about this video set is I now have a live Gurus show off the Crank tour, which was the last I saw and I guess now will ever see. (Anyone who wants to send me to Australia in the winter is still welcome to do so.) Anyway, thanks again to Mike Watters for making this video set available, and thanks as always to the Gurus camp for always being so terrific to us Poison Pen List folk … thanks to y’all we get to enjoy some stuff other bands and artist’s fans could only dream of, there’s a good reason why the Gurus are #1 to us. In other news, those of y’all who come here once in a while have got to see my new fence! Not only do I have a new backyard fence, but Art built me a new side fence last week and it’s great! Every time I walk out my back door I feel like I live somewhere cool, hehe. I’m so happy about it I could just spit. Now here’s hoping before the weekend’s over maybe I’ll feel human again.

06/25/97: I did survive… I know how sorry some folks may be to hear it, but I am alive and well after the weekend’s misdeeds. We are now smack in the middle of my least favorite time of year in Memphis, and what’s worse, it’s not even August yet! 92 degrees on Beale Street at 6:00 p.m. yesterday and I’m over this heat already. Hurry up, October! This is also my least favorite time of year here because, no matter what color your vehicle is, it might as well be yellow, because no matter if you wash it every day, it’s going to have yellow pollen all over it. Blah. Baby killed a bird in the back yard today and is in bigga trouble. Other than that, no news worth repeating (or okay to repeat by TOS standards, anyway). Personal notes… Dear Andy – you better e-mail me you Vegas-bound slug. Dear KC – like I care or ever have. Kiss my…

06/27/97: Well, just when I thought nothing could possibly get worse than the last year’s been, there’s always something around the corner to surprise me. This site may well move sometime in the near future so just remember that for future reference. Ummm anyway. Happy Birthday to longtime pal Julie Cox today! And Amy K. & I rule the Manic Medley on The 80s Server this week, we are goddesses and don’t none of y’all forget that. Good weekend to all & I’ll answer all e-mail as soon as I can…

Posted in a family thing, about the weather, aussie music, concerts & shows, dobie is a dog, dogs, film fiend stuff, friends are evil, friends are good, game theory, happy birthday, hoodoo gurus, in memory of..., lynnster's zoo, memphis, memphis gripers, memphis music, music, music junkie stuff, rumors & lies about me, sad stuff, the ex files, wasted, west end boys & girls | Leave a Comment »

It Was in the Merry Month of May

Posted by Lynnster on May 2, 1997

(NOTE: May 1997 entries have been moved from an old site of mine in one big chunk for the sake of convenience… sorry & thanks – L.)

05/02/97: Well, Son Volt has cancelled and ruined my Beale Street Music Festival weekend but that’s OK since I just learned that Steppenwolf, Foghat, Blue Oyster Cult and Pat Travers are playing Mud Island in June (all in one show). I guess I will live. See the Music page for more details. I don’t have any more news. I haven’t answered my e-mail in weeks and people are sending me e-mail death threats, but that’s OK too. And it’s about to storm here so my Doberman will be under her table all night. Other than that, the keyword for today, kids, is actually a phrase: “Always = Until I find something better to do”. Heh heh, I kill me. Later…

05/04/97: OK, you two hoseheads who shall remain unnamed (KC & Jay W.) can stop e-mailing me and being so helpful now. I am tired of having to dial into AOL three times a day and make updates to the site and if I forgot anything else you two can just live with it for a few days. I am too tired to report on anything and the keyword for today, kids, is “coward”, and I still wish I was in Albuquerque. If anyone calls me on Sunday, you take your life in your own hands. Ciao…

05/05/97: So I’m having a problem remembering what day it is, so sue me, must be the Alzheimer’s since I’m becoming so ancient. I haven’t seen this much sarcasm in my e-mail box in months. Kindly direct all complaints and other sarcastic remarks to KC, Annoying Male du Jour (every du Jour). I only accept praise and worship here. And Bill, oh longtime friend of more than a decade, thank you so much for the lava lamps, but why does it not surprise me in the least that you find that rat KC so amusing? Boy, if I ever got any respect from any of my so-called friends I’d probably get struck by lightning. I have no keywords today as I am just too darn tired. Luv, Her G’ness…

05/10/97: It’s really late (or early, depending on how you look at it) and I’m tired and sunburned and in major pain so don’t anybody (KC) be calling me on Sunday. It’s pretty bad when one of the highlights of your weekend is shopping for toothpaste and dog food. But the better part of the weekend was doing some new tunes with AW (is there anything you can’t play, JJ? …). Scott, I added to the list *and* made a tape so enjoy. JJ, leave me alone, I don’t care if the list is not in order. Everyone who’s asking when KC’s going to update his pages: I don’t know, I don’t care, and your plaintive cries are falling on deaf ears here … I’m glad you all think he’s so funny, tell him, not me. Don’t make me any crabbier than I already am. John “Cochise” Cosper, thanks for the megatons of assistance this week, I am now IRQ-errored to death but at least the stupid board is running again. I hate computers. All you nice folks in #mats, it was great to see y’all virtually the other night after hanging with you in a-m-r the last two years, we should do this more often. And to my cool Mom and my cool Other Mom, Happy Mother’s Day, nobody has better Moms than I do. Luv to everybody and yes, I’m still trying to get to the bottom of my e-mail box…

05/14/97: Ah, one of the few times I am glad to live behind the Liberty Bowl here in Memphis. I get home from work, sit out in my back yard, and get to hear the righteous sounds of U2 warming up for their big show tonight while relaxing in my new patio furniture (thanks, Art!), all for free. So far I’ve gotten to hear bits and pieces of some of the new songs on the new album, and then the unmistakable sound of The Edge’s guitar during a quick rendition of With or Without You. Ah. More reportage after the show, it sounds just fine from three blocks away and best of all, it’s free!

05/21/97: OK, while the warm-up was good, there were too many darn helicopters flying around to hear the U2 show itself very well so I really didn’t listen much. I thought I had some new news but darned if I can’t remember what it was now. Though we at the Lair do now have not only new patio furniture but a new fence and Miss Black Thumb herself is trying to grow flowers this summer, so everyone come visit and see! KC has been in my face bugging me rather than updating his pages which he should be doing so don’t even ask me about it. And I have a serious case of the blues, but I live in Memphis, so I guess I can have the blues if I wanna. ’til whenever…

05/24/97: You know how you get a song in your head and just can’t get it out the rest of the day? Well, after spending the entire day yesterday walking around singing “You can find it in the Yellow Pages, baby/that’s where you get your kickbacks from the Navy/Looking for Lewis and Clark …” (and boy doesn’t that bring back some memories, children of the Eighties), AW debuted that Long Ryders classic in Memphis last night and Scott, I’m sorry you missed it. No other news. If someone would like to get Mother Hen KC off my back this weekend, please call. And I don’t have to go back to work ’til Tuesday (”hush, hush …”). Yay.

05/28/97: Yes, that would be me zooming down Walnut Grove & White Station late late late at night weeknights last week, this week, and for a couple of weeks. Amazing what certain people one knows who have AOL accounts and live downtown on Front Street one might see at the stoplight at Walnut Grove & Highland at 12:30 a.m. (Hiya, S.). There is no news but thank god KC has crawled back to his hole in Nashvegas and I don’t have to endure leper jokes and Malibu Barbie jokes and Heather Locklear hair jokes anymore, at least for a few days. Scott, if you were a real gentleman, you’d take up for me. See y’all here at the Graffiti Wall in June, likely, I’m busy-busy-busy….

Posted in a bit accident prone, a family thing, about the weather, concerts & shows, dogs, friends are evil, friends are good, holidays, memphis, memphis music, music, music junkie stuff, updates to the zone, west end boys & girls | Leave a Comment »

An April Without End

Posted by Lynnster on April 8, 1997

(NOTE: April 1997 entries have been moved from an old site of mine in one big chunk for the sake of convenience… sorry & thanks – L.)

04/08/97: Happy birthday to my favorite brother-in-law (my only brother-in-law, but still my favorite), that wacky Wiegante who runs that mucho scary site, home of Pestilence, Cat of the Apocalypse. And Troy, please let me know what bad 80’s CD I can give you for your birthday this year. Happy happy – your favorite sister-in-law.

04/15/97: Well, sorry to all you people who are glued to my Graffiti page for the latest happenings. I have been tied up, heh heh. First things first – Ultimate Blondeness has finally been achieved! Special thanks to Josie, my partner in peroxide crime. This happened entirely by accident and I could now not be blonder if I tried. Six months in the making and we finally did it. This is EXCELLENT news.

04/15/97 (later): Next item – the KISS show April 6th at the absolutely cool-looking Nashville Arena. This was an unbelievably, once-in-a-lifetime, awesome event. Special thanks to Kev for giving up the good seat and sitting with the G-man so Kelli could sit with me in the good seats and we could get lots of attention and souvenirs from Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley. It must have been my newly really blonde hair. No thanks to KC who did manage to pop the person two seats down from me in the head while trying to aim for me from the nosebleeds. Anyway, the show was absolutely awesome and I intend to post a way detailed linked report off my KISS page soon, so look for it. This was possibly THE coolest night of my life. Kelli & I are also looking desperately for Tim from Birmingham, age 29, sat in the second row at the show and met Kelli & I after the show. If you’re Tim or you know Tim or you even think you know Tim, please email me so Kelli will quit moaning “WHY didn’t I get his phone number??”

04/15/97 (later): Next on the agenda – congratulations to the Memphis RiverKings, CHL Eastern Division Champions as of 04/12/97!!! The Gripe Gang got together at Phil’s house Friday night to listen to the slaughter on the radio from Huntsville, and things looked pretty grim for getting thru the playoffs … but no, my boys made a turnaround Saturday night here at the Coliseum and voila, our first division championship, with the Gripers in attendance, relatively buzzed and cheering loudly as always. Now it’s off to another round of playoff games against the little guys in the red devil suits, and the Gripers are considering a road trip to Ft. Worth for opening night. Ft. Worth Fire, your butts are ours … luv, The Hockey Wench.

04/15/97 (later): And finally … a trek is being made to Saturday night at the Beale Street Music Festival (first weekend of May) to see Son Volt and ZZ Top, among others. The Wallflowers are coming but Sunday only so I think I’m going to pass on that evening. Victims so far for Saturday besides me are Cole, Donna, and Johnny. I am considering renting a suite downtown so we don’t have to mess with traffic/staying sober/whatnot. Anybody that wants to join us, yell. KC, you are not invited, but Scott is. (snicker) In other news, the hair is not only really blonde but getting really long and I am now ready for summer & swimsuit weather and reading Memnoch the Devil again since I’m getting tired of waiting for a new one. I have a brand-spanking-new Gurus video in my possession but not enough money to go to Australia so anyone that wants to donate $1000 or so feel free. My undying gratitude should be worth whatever. Anybody I owe email to just hang on to your hat, I’m working my way thru my email box this week.

04/15/97 (later): Congratulations to Jimbo & Pierre for finally moving up into the wonderful world of the Internet. Now that virtually every cool sysop in Net 123 has an ISP account, we can leave Fido to the jerks that want it, hehe. Hugs but y’all better cool it with the closet comments…

04/15/97 (later): Inside Jokes and Big Public Thanks time for mid-April … Scott, thanks for the present! (smooch!) You have the class that KC & Jay can only hope to ever have … Linda Dee, thanks for the card that made me boo-hoo and you’ll be getting email soon I promise … ML, thanks for the way cool rare Gurus stuff, you are just too much baby! … Michael McMartin, I bow before your greatness, way cool and much admired man … and Kelli & Way Cool Amanda Mitchell, who I will be forever indebted to for the rest of my life, MEGA thanks and I have four words for you two: “Can you say … trashy?” Hugs for everyone all around except those who have been writing me to tell me how much they love KC’s pages, write his sorry butt instead of me and (of course), bite me.

04/16/97: Congratulations to my Central Hockey League pals Wendy from Memphis and Dennis from Oklahoma City on their engagement! Special thanks to Wendy too as well as Caren, two more way cool chicks I will be forever indebted to besides Kel & Amanda. And as for you, KC, dear bane of my existence … in the words of Josie, “Who needs a boyfriend when you can just have dates … you don’t have to still like that date six months later!!!” Life’s an adventure, just do it…

04/20/97: Dear KC – At least *I* can spell anorexic (she says as she falls out of her chair laughing …). Dear Everyone Else – there is no news, and no news is good news … in some cases. In others, not. The keyword for today, kids, is BAILED. (No, not as in bailed from jail. Puhleeze.) If you understood that, then you were supposed to. Lynnsters may be little, but like elephants, they never forget. End of story, doors closed and locked. And to quote my favorite Jules … when you see armadillos walking around at night, they frequently bump into trees. Nothing else so before the puns get any worse, I ‘ll stop for now. Bring me a shrubbery!!

04/25/97: I owe so many people email I should be shot. Bear with me folks, I’m catching up little by little! I have been really really really tied up, um, busy. Life is good, great, wonderful, I am not complaining one bit. Amazing what a little eye-opening and some really fabulous spring weather can do, the trees in Memphis are at their most awesome right now and I have a terrible case of spring fever. Memphis will be freaking rocking in barely a week, I’m psyched and I’m happy. Will be hollering at those of you who are worthy soon. Life is good and I wish I was in New Mexico (giggle)…

04/30/97: Click here to read about the KISS show 04/06/97 (sorry, link now gone). And welp, three days and counting ’til the 1997 Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival. We had winter weather in Mempho yesterday, summer today, go figure. Lots of stuff’s been going on, nothing I wish to publicly report at present (snicker). I sang w/ JJ & company three nights in a row two weeks ago and now I have on-again, off-again laryngitis (don’t you say *one* word, KC). And stuff’s good. Finally. See ya in May, people…

Posted in a family thing, aussie music, books, cats, concerts & shows, film fiend stuff, friends are evil, friends are good, happy birthday, hoodoo gurus, memphis, memphis gripers, memphis music, music, music junkie stuff, other obsessions, techgeekchick stuff, terminal smartass, the internet is..., west end boys & girls | Leave a Comment »

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