my guitar loves me right now. i play it all the time. i’m not sure what brought on this incessant need to play, but it has arrived and is taking over my life.

and i like it. i like that i’m trying not to suck. that’s really great news for me and everyone, i think.

my life is drastically different than it was 2 months ago. i do different things in my free time, i hang with different people, i go to different places, i eat different things, i ENJOY my job, i would have to say i’m generally happier.

i hope to move to st louis soon. for whatever reason i have this idea in my head that i should be living in the city in a loft with high ceilings and brick walls. i want to kill carpet cozy. i’m not sure what brought on this sudden for distaste intricate layouts, detached kitchens, and feeling safe at night, but i don’t want this anymore.

well, i want to feel safe at night, but i suppose i can bargain safety for style. haha. priorities.

mexico plans have been finalized, sort of. we won’t know where we are staying until the day we leave. this sort of uncertainty typically makes me feel rather uneasy, but right now i’m pretty chill about the whole thing. probably because i’m even going to mexico. i was a bit worried that the whole thing would fall through. it didn’t. let’s pray for good weather and minimal sunburns.

okay, i’m going to visit guitar center and visit my wish list.

i’d like to leave you with this piece of advice, however unsolicited it may be:

cheaters don’t deserve explanations.

-jessica

• tyler james ~ don’t leave

• erin mccarley ~ pitterpat

• death cab for cutie ~ steadier footing

• seabear ~ cat piano

• ryan lindsey ~ open late

• ray montagne ~ within you

• ryan adams ~ please do not let me go

• nada surf ~ blonde on blonde

• foo fighters ~ home

• johnathan rice ~ it couldn’t be me

• the kinks ~ strangers

• band of horses ~ is there a ghost

• william fitzsimmons ~ everything has changed

i like these.

your head’s in headlock
are you in trouble again?
now you’ve lost another friend
you felt something
but you’re never feeling loved

seabear ~ cat piano

 

• Meiko ~ How Lucky We Are

• Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova ~ All The Way Down

• Joe Purdy ~ I Love the Rain Most

• Page France ~ Junkyard

• Schuyler Fisk & Josh Radin ~ Paperweight

• The Almost ~ Amazing, Because It Is

• Amiina ~ Rugla

• Belle and Sebastian ~ Sleep the Clock Around

• The Blow ~ True Affection

• Feist ~ I Feel It All

• Ingrid Michaelson ~ The Way I Am

• Landon Pigg ~ Falling In Love At a Coffee Shop

• Maria Taylor ~ Clean Getaway

• New Buffalo ~ I’ve Got You and You’ve Got Me

• Sea Wolf ~ Middle Distance Runner

• Vega 4 ~ Life is Beautiful

• Yael Naim ~ New Soul

 

 

I think you will like these. Go Listen :)

 

So won’t you run to me tonight?
Tonight let’s not talk about next summer
Cause I’ll only ever be a middle distance runner

sea wolf ~ middle distance runner

 

is filled with news about the weather

ice/snow/ice/snow

traffictraffictraffic crash.

i’m off today….because i have to work saturday. sometimes it’s nice to stay home on a week day. it’s like a happy little vacation in the middle of the week.

i bet it’s slow at the bank today. while many of our customers will brave any conditions to complain about their accounts, the majority will stay home. these are the reasonable customers.

this isn’t the end of this weather. i do not look forward to scraping my car tomorrow. at least there is not 9 inches of slow like last time. dress shoes and snow drifts around your car–these things do not mix well. i’m glad they say there is another 6 to 8 hours of sleet to look forward to. now, i would rather have this, this sleetly snowy mix, as opposed to some straight freezing rain we had last year that took out all the power and knocked down trees.

let’s hope it doesn’t get like that.

i’m moving to arizona.

not really–but they don’t get freezing rain there.

i’m not really sure what my parents were thinking when they settled here in the midwest. this weather is unacceptable.
perhaps you can sense my discontent. surely you understand if you have the unfortunate pleasure of living here as well.

the other day i went to see onerepublic, josh kelley, & the daylights, and i must say, i kind of enjoyed myself. i was surprised too.

jess

 

i honestly don’t believe i’ve been, don’t believe i’ve been alright
looking for all the stupid things, all the stupid things you’ll find
i don’t get it, i don’t get it right all the time

manna and quail ~ honestly

 

this is extremely out of the ordinary, but i have been home sick all day and i’m bored out of my mind. so i would like to share a few things with you.

i have recently come across a few musical geniuses. i would like you to hear them. because they are amazing.

let’s start with city and colour

this is a solo project by Dallas Green from alexisonfire. he has a lovely voice, and the music is really laid back. just something to put on when i’m reading or working on something. or maybe driving. or really just any time. it’s pretty amazing stuff and i suggest you listen :)

this is what the website says about his 2nd cd “Bring me Your Love”:

“Every instrument used in the recording is “pre-loved”, vintage gear complementing the warmth and honesty of Green’s compositions - an intentional approach to capture the essence and intimacy of how records used to sound. Instruments and vocals were carefully recorded live off the floor, giving the songs depth and intimacy, and eschewing the cut-and-paste approach that is so common in today’s recordings. The album feels like a throwback to the days when an album’s thrills and beauty were found not just in exceptional songs and musicianship, but also in its blemishes and simplicity.”

it’s good stuffs.

next, i have recently fallen in love with the band called the alternate routes

good, in a different sort of way. more upbeat, i guess, but still really really good. i was reading about the band and it mentions that they were coming across hard times in respect to money and that the guitar player turned a $200 paycheck from a show into almost $2000 in one night at the casino. this allowed them to pay rent, finish the cd, and get breakfast at mcdonalds. i’m really glad this happened because

a) paying rent is important
b) i love this cd
c) mcdonald’s breakfast is my favorite breakfast and everyone should be able to eat it all the time.

anyway, try it out. my favorite song is “please don’t let it be”. just listen to it. you will like it too.

okay that is all for now.

i’m going to read and then fall asleep before 10pm ( i think )

this would mean i was awake for 10 hours. total. that’s not even close to a full day. but i plan on being bright eyed and bushy tailed tomorrow so that i may get things done then hang out with people i love/miss.

-jess

Sometimes I wonder why,
I’m so full of these endless rhymes
About the way I feel inside
I wish I could just get it right

city and colour ~ sometimes (i wish)

so i’m officially back. actually i was back saturday morning at 8 am. which is really awful, by the way. my sleep schedule is a joke right now. today i got up at 2 pm. after going to sleep at 5 am. on the up side, i spent last night with friends celebrating the holidays, watching Christmas movies, and just overall having a good time.

the drive home was brutal. ross drove straight through, which is impressive, i must say. i, however, felt the need to stay up for the entire 20 hours. this is never a good idea.

the drive home is never as fun as the drive there.

but, let’s see, i should talk about the trip. perhaps provide you with some good photos, maybe a video or 2. well, the trip was pretty awesome. colorado is a very nifty state. illinois doesn’t really compare. i’m pretty sure illinois wouldn’t hold up to almost any of the other states. except probably kansas, though. as i stated before, kansas is worthless. this fact was only reinforced on the long drive home.

so on tuesday i was doing really well with the whole snowboarding thing, gaining lots of confidence, much more impressive than day 1. then as i was trying to turn my board from heel side to toe side i fell backwards down the hill on my poor tail bone. which now hates me. it was a very painful experience which sent me home early on tuesday and completely killed wednesday.

but i wasn’t going to let it take me out for the whole week. i spent nearly all of thursday on the slopes (the green ones.) rocking out.

i’m not bad. i think this is something i will do again. i don’t know when, but it will certainly have to happen at some point. preferably before i get really old and am susceptible to broken bones as a result of low calcium intake from the age of 20 on.

i really don’t want to get old.

so speaking of old. i saw old man penis. against my will. we did something amazing on tuesday night. we went to the hot springs not far from our condo. i must say, the walk from the hole in the rock to the springs in a swimsuit was insanely insanely cold. but it would have been even colder if we had been naked–like many of the old men there.

now i’m not sure what provokes someone to let it just hang around out there in the freezing cold like that, but many old men found this to be a perfectly acceptable option. perhaps there was a feeling of freedom. or maybe they just like the exposure. not sure. but as i was sitting on the rock steps in the 100 degree water surrounded by pine trees, piles of snow, and rising steam, i was lucky enough to get a close view of one of the organs responsible for the X rating that should be placed on the location.

just flew right by my face. he could have put a warning out there for those of us who prefer to just close our eyes, but nothing, no warning, just a small bit of twig and berries, dangerously close to my head. he was bald, too, just for the sake of your imagination–just in case you were picturing some young hunk. i would never want to lead you astray in your fantasy. he was quite old.

but the hot springs experience, aside from that unfortunate event, was quite amazing. it’s so incredibly crazy that these wonderfully warm hot tubs just happen in the middle of a freezing cold mountain. it was probably one of the most relaxing things i’ve ever done. also, you could just reach over the rock wall to find a freezing cold river. just hanging out. right there next to the hotness. being all freezing cold. and some crazies chose to jump this wall and get a cold burst of, i think 45 degrees, then quickly return to the 100 degrees plus. this cannot be good for your body, but i guess it’s one way to get a rush. i won’t lie, i considered it, but as i put my paws in the water and realized just how cold it really was, i wimped out.

i’m just not that cool.

after 2 hours of wonderfulness, i somehow managed to get out of my suit and back into winter clothes without exposing myself, we headed back. just in the walk up the hill my hair froze. what a neat feeling. but my insides were still so warm from sitting slow-cooking for 2 hours. what fun! i loved it.

i should also talk about another first i experienced in colorado.
so far in my life, there has been a lot of talk about sushi, but never have i actually partaken in this dining spectacular. i wasn’t even sure what to expect.

before we go on, i feel we should review my eating habits…i rarely eat:

• any fish aside from tuna
• cow in any form
• things with weird texture…

i think i just knocked out every type of sushi, right there.

i was aware of this going into sushi, but i do like to try new things. i’m not opposed to giving it a whirl, i just had a bad feeling.

i snacked a bit before we left, having a strong feeling that i may not leave with a full tummy. i guess it wasn’t as bad as you might have guessed. i actually liked the first piece i ate. i someone convinced myself that it wasn’t actually eel rolled in rice with fish eggs on top. actually, they told me the orange was carrot—it wasn’t. the spicy tuna rolls, not my thing, too spicy.

the egg rolls–whatever they were called, these were good. i probably found them so delicious because they actually fit within the confines of my sharply defined preferred food categories.

the worst was the rainbow roll. i’m not sure what i was thinking. i could see the slices of pink fish packed in against the rice and the eel hanging out inside. my stomach rolled over as soon as i placed it on my tongue .

i do think i can/will eat sushi again, but i have complied a list of a few rules that might be used to guide me in a more appropriate direction, given my recent experience.

lesson one: don’t eat it if the fish is outside of the roll.

lesson two: spicy is probably not a good idea.

lesson three: purple haze? no thanks.

lesson four: strawberries and fish, not an acceptable union.

it wasn’t that bad, but probably not a new favorite of mine.

we did get a chance to go out once or twice, mostly to a local bar called the Tugboat. there were encountered the girl with the most annoying laugh in colorado. right there, just hiding out in the small bar!

i wonder if she knows she’s famous…

we also made friends with our bartender and listened to a pretty decent jam band. we could have seen them twice but i am a weeny and have difficulties staying up past 10pm.

once was enough, though, i guess.

so here’s another funny little story for you, because that’s why you read this, for the funny little stories.

upon leaving for colorado last weekend, ross informed me that we didn’t have any window shield fluid. this is never good in the snowy weather, but someone we didn’t think to put more in there.

it was passable until the drive home where the muddy window suddenly became unbearable and treacherous. as we’re soaring down an icy mountain road it quickly becomes apparent that visibility, as a result of a dirty window shield, is nearly nonexistent.

there are no exits for us to take and purchase fluid. so i, being the queen of creative ideas that create large messes, but usually eliminate the problem (that is my exact title, mind you), quickly made the decision to sacrifice my diet pepsi from A&W (not the barbecue place, though).

at 50 miles an hour, in a tunnel beneath a mountain, i reached my arm out the window into freezing cold and tossed a diet soda on the window.

totally worked. except my arm was covered in soda. and so was the right side of the car. and the soda later froze on the corners of the window. and i no longer had a soda (which judging by the frequency of my bathroom breaks is a bad idea anyway)

however, the weather quickly won again and we were forced to spare another beverage. this time it was not diet, and therefore quite sticky. this one made an even larger mess and i somehow lost my touch and threw the bulk of it back into the car. whatever, we could see again.

then we finally get to a gas station. it’s freezing, it’s snowy, and it’s blowing all about, but ross braves the conditions and fills up that fluid tank…..wait…it’s full already….

how can this be? ross explains to me that it must be broken. oh no! what a disaster!

wait, let me try–oh it seems to be working, ross what have you been doing? oh that button with the window? what about that button right next to it with a window and what appears to be two sprays of liquid shooting on it??

for a very smart guy, ross has some moments.

so much easier just to use the window shield wiper fluid. and we didn’t have to waste anymore soda..!

i could tell a million more stories, but typing takes forever, so perhaps when we encounter each other in person, we can laugh about these and i can tell many more. or not, but i like telling stories, so maybe you humor me? maybe i’ll humor you.

merry christmas to you, by the way. and happy new years.

it’s almost 2008. i hope to make it a great year. i hope you are a part of it.

-jessica

And if you want it to be real, come over for a night, we can really, really climb
and those blue bridge lights might really burn most bright while we watch that dark lake rise.
And if you really want to see what really matters most to me, we can just take a real short drive.

okkervil river ~ for real

so i leave for colorado on saturday night–i have much to do before then, and i haven’t exactly started the christmas shopping yet…

bad news.

tomorrow is my office christmas party, i’m pretty excited for it

i do love parties.

there will be karaoke and food and probably a lot of drunk co-workers. i typically enjoy such a show!

2 more days of work. 2 more days of awfulness. i should mention, we recently “upgraded” to a new computer system. i’m not sure how they can call something so inefficient an upgrade though. it’s really really awful, but week 1 is almost complete, and then i have a week off!

let’s pray i don’t break my leg

or arm

or die.

i’m just hoping for a really enjoyable, relaxing week. then christmas. then new years.

and this year i’m going to keep my resolutions, i think i hope.

i really would like to purchase a new guitar. i just haven’t found the right thing yet. unfortunately for me, takamine no longer makes the guitar (DREAM guitar) pictured below. i want it. yet it just isn’t possible.

i’m missing a great show tonight at the stagger inn in edwardsville. it doesn’t start until 9 though, and in my old age, i find that i can’t seem to stay awake too late, and then if i do….i’m an irritable little financial services specialist. never good.

http://www.myspace.com/superfunyeahyeahrocketship
http://www.myspace.com/kentuckyknifefight
http://www.myspace.com/jinriksha

tuesday night i attended my first blues game, we had box seats. it was nifty. not nearly as cool as the luxury box at the rams game, but still fun.

i went with my friend Keith and his co-workers. keith uses me as a back-up girlfriend when he primary girlfriend is not available. i think i’m okay with that…

i have some new songs. i hope i can play them soon for an audience. i think i’m getting better as performing. i just need more practice. so if you ever want to be an audience…..

i wish the office would feature some new episodes. i’m not a fan of this writer’s strike. i really need the office.

everything should end in a question mark.

and everyone should listen and pretend to know what they are talking about when they scramble for an explanation.

sometimes people are just looking to legitimize a concern. maybe it’s not a big concern–just something to worry about–to pass the time.

so you can either pretend you understand, or you can tell them they need professional help–but i doubt that’s what they were expecting to hear..

oh, and i’m officially a notary public now. so if you need anything notarized. just come see me. i’m that awesome.

i really enjoy the weakerthans. i really really do.

-jess

You are a radio. You are an open door.
I am a faulty string of blue christmas lights.
You swim through frequencies.
You let that stranger in, as I’m blinking off and on and off again.
We’ve got a lot of time.
Or maybe we don’t, but I’d like to think so, so let me pretend.

the weakerthans ~ my favorite chords

i had so much turkey this weekend.  i loveeee turkey.  it was nice to see my family and spend a little time at home.  i did, however, have to work friday and saturday, so i didn’t get a lot of down time.

i guess that’s how it goes when you’re old.

my birthday is coming up soon.  as i have probably mentioned a few times before.  on saturday, dec 1st, we will be going to a few locations in edwardsville.  it’s pretty much just anyone who knows me that feels like celebrating my birthday.  and if you’re just coming because you like going out, that’s fine too.  bring a friend!

it will be pretty low key, no big production involving st louis bars this year.  just a night on the town in happy little edwardsville.

beforehand my family is coming to town to have some dinner with me.  should be fun.  for my “early birthday party,” my parents DID purchase apples to apples for me.  i’m pretty pumped about.  we played for a bit, but my family members have attention spans shorter than mine, so it didn’t last long.  i want to play it, but sadly it requires more than 2 people, in fact, probably need at least 4 to make it work.

so if anyone wants to play….

i think i have found the guitar i would like to own.  it’s a takamine (like my current guitar) and it is beautiful.  i know some folks don’t like a non-natural finish on an acoustic, but i prefer it.  i think acoustics all look so boring.  so here is what i want.

alrighty, well, i need to make this apartment look presentable before megan gets home so she doesn’t kick me out onto the street in the cold!

-jessica

When I hear beautiful music it’s always from another time
Old friends I never visit, I remember what they’re like
Standing on a doorstep full of nervous butterflies
Waiting to be asked to come inside
Just come inside

Bright Eyes ~ Lime Tree

so i have a picture from my show the other night

i might have some videos soon as well

it went pretty well i thought

i have missed playing in front of people, so it was nice to do it again

i hope you haven’t given up on checking rockjessie.com because i am obviously horrible at updating

i try, but i find it frustrating when i can’t make it do what i want

hopefully help will arrive soon

i have written some new songs lately, i’m thinking they are pretty alright

i hope to play them soon or maybe record them

because i feel like i can do better than what is currently on my myspace

actually i know i can do better

so work has been really busy lately, we are a little understaffed, which is never good

we have a girl on maternity leave, and also one guy just left for another bank

i’m hoping we hire more help soon because it’s hard to balance lunch times and still have people to staff the lobby

plus we’re in the process of converting to a new system which is stressful in itself

you totally don’t care about any of that, and i understand, because banking is pretty boring, and so is reading my complaints…

so, i appologize.

i really just want a raspberry white chocolate mocha with some whipped cream on top and a long night of sleep

but i can’t really drink the mocha before i sleep because it will surely keep me up

and so, i have arrived at a dilemma

i even have a coupon, too, for a free starbucks coffee. it’s good til 12/31. i’m waiting for just the right moment to get it…because i love mochas so much, that i want to savor it.

regular coffee can’t even touch a starbuck’s mocha. no way.

there are parts of winter that i really do enjoy. the fact that it was nearly pitch black when i left the office at 5:30 today is not one of them.

however, i do love the feeling of sipping on hot chocolate right after returning from an snowy outdoor venture. i can’t wait to sled, and SNOW BOARD in colorado. ahhhhh! it’s official, folks, i’m goin to colorado. i’m just gonna go ahead and call it a little birthday/christmas present to myself.

it should be a blast

i hope i don’t break anything

i know none of this information is all that interesting or informative, but i figure if i keep typing, someone will read it.

however, i do need to get myself to the gym tonight. i pay an awful lot of money to work out there, and i almost never do it…

so tonight, i’m going to get my money’s worth

sort of

but thank you for reading

if you’re checking in my life, and you haven’t seen me for awhile (including my family who i haven’t seen in ages)..

i miss you.

so have a happy evening.

-jessica

But the people are living far away from the place
Where you wanted to help, its a bit of a waste
And the puzzle will last till somebody will say
Theres a lot to be done while your head is still young
If you put down your pen, leave your worries behind
Then the moment will come, and the memory will shine

Belle & Sebastian ~ Sleep the clock around

special thanks to jacob (my #1 fan) for this photo.

we are funny :)

-jess