Willo O'Brien

Modeling was fun today – but man that is hard work!!! I’m literally sore! But I won’t go into the details, since maybe if you don’t know how awkward the positions felt, they won’t look it. We actually didn’t do any crazy yoga poses or anything – it was more about me having to hide knees/feet, twist in odd ways to show shoulders, etc. I need an Advil!

It was fun to have my hair & makeup fussed over all day, though… and to have “wardrobe” dress me, etc. However, it was a little too long of a day “thinking about what I look like”, though. Usually I just shower, throw mascara on (err, sometimes that happens in the car instead even) & leave the house = 20 minutes tops… I’m low maintenance.

Oh! And apparently it will be published in the magazine after all: The March/April issue out in February ’04. But I think she said she’d have some initial proof/layouts to show me this week sometime! COOL! I’ll ask her if I can post em. So, ya, the mag, and on the cover of the brochure for the conference, and posters in yoga studios throughout California and Colorado, etc. I look pretty different now from when I lived in Boulder, but I wonder if any old friends will recognize me?

“Hey! Isn’t that the chic we used to party with all the time back in ’95?”

Ya, doubtful. But stranger things have happened.

UPDATE: They did! I got a couple random phone calls & emails! ha! Here’s the final ad that came out in the March 2004 issue. Apparently it was also on posters & brochures throughout Colorado, too.

There were 2 other models, a hair/makeup stylist, wardrobe stylists, the camera man & his assistant, the YJ Art Director & my friend Elana came for a bit, too. It was shot in the photographers *beautiful* loft studio downtown… I wish I lived there!! They fed us all day… and there was this suuuper cute little doggy named Dice… a Patterdale Terrier. But this one is really rare cuz he’s all white – with some light gray little spots (hence where the name comes from I think) but he was sooo snuggly and sweet, very mellow for only 1 1/2!

A good day overall… but now that I’m home I wish I could rest before going out, but instead I’ve got to catch up on some work I didn’t get to do today… and maybe get this house in order again… after yet another busy week, it’s slipping again and I am running out of clean clothes to wear.

Tonite is going to be a wild night fo’sho!. It’s Jane’s bday & we’re hittin a club for some drinks & dancing… and THEN there’s a *huge* loft party being put on by the crazy cats we spent Thanksgiving with. Their party is going to be so crazy I’m almost scared to go. These people have strange powers that make me want to party all night long and next thing I know I wont be home till sunrise. Mental note not to let that happen – I’ve got to be productive tomorrow!!

Ok BYE!

I am in love with the StellaStarr CD. I wanna marry it.

So, I have *SO* many fun stories to tell you from tonite. Jem cracks me up…

First, we went to “Not So Silent Night” (yes, it’s a large corporate top 10 punk-ish band event that’s way to expensive – but hey, I got the tickets free!!). I mainly went cuz I just *had* to see Offspring, who I frickin loved about 9 years ago and have never “lost the love” for) (major indie nerds, please try to see the nostalgia in this :)

BRMC came on first and they were pretty good. (this was the band Jem was most excited to see, and she’s seen them about 2 or 3 other times before). I had never seen them before & it just made me jones to see them in a smaller venue. Instead, we were like 10th row (which at the frickin Bill Graham Civic is *really* close. (And yes – I’m gonna use *’s to express all my pointent poignant words! (and a lot of parentheses!)))

However, as much as I’m used to being surrounded by kids at all these shows I go to, tonite I was *so* annoyed with the 14 year olds there trying so hard to make it such a hard core rock show at 7:30pm. OH MY GAWD… it was FULL of them!!!!!!! Worse than any other show I think… Cuz you have to factor in – these kids aren’t cool enough to just hit the Bottom of the Hill on a Tuesday night – these kids traveled far & wide (aka Bridge & Tunnel), most of them with their *parents* to see this show. OY.

All the stupid (wanna-be) mosher kids are going nuts – but instead of it being a cool mosh pit (if there’s such a thing these days) all the other kids backing up around it (way too far to where the mosh pit isn’t even fun anymore, cuz the crowd is too small to keep it tight & everyone’s too scared). And the kids wanting to “crowd surf” (most for the first time, I’m SURE), not to mention this one chic who I swear tried to get up like *15 times!* and kept goin down after like 2 passes… honestly probably cuz she’s too heavy for the weak little 14 year olds to carry her… But after like 3 times or so – “Just GIVE UP for Christ’s sake!!!” I’m serious. She tried like 12 times, atleast. I thought for sure she was gonna flash her boobs at one point just to encourage the 14 year old’s “strength”.

However, after I complained about the “stupidness” of the “youT” AND dissed Rancid (deciding even though I’ve never had one of their CDs that I just don’t like them – even though their telling the dumb pre-teen moshers in the crowd to stop fighting was pretty damn cool), I *unabashedly* became an 18 year old again for The Offspring set!! WOOHOOOO!!!!!!!! I got my rocks off wailing to every single song like I was back in my freshman year of college, playing SMASH over & over & over again!!! I LOVED IT!!!!

So – after them, we’d seen our fill & we skipped Janes and headed over to the Hemlock for Lower Fourty-Eight.. which my friend Grady plays bass in. Do you know Grady?

Grady & I worked together at The Learning Annex years ago. I was an Events Coordinator there for a couple years – hence how I know Elana (hiring me for the yoga journal modeling job thingy), she was my boss there. I like to say “Grady was my bitch”. But we both know that’s not really true. :) He was great cuz we’d go drink (lots-of) beer at The Gold Rush and laugh at eachother. Well, moral of the story kids, is GRADY IS A SICK ASS BASS PLAYER!!! (I hope that shows up in Google ‘Grady is..’ someday).

The show was fun – very hard, really – and their sound is almost mezmorizing (but that mighta been my 2 gimlets talking, made by that cute irish boy at the bar who is *really* good at making bombay gimlits!!!) and I wish I could hear the lead singers words a bit clearer… (like Stellastarr who I love and want to marry their CD) but it was fun to see Grady jammin on stage. Seriously – the boy plays some serious bass up there – and it makes me psyched for him that he gets to switch bass guitars throughout the show. How rockstar is that?

Ok – so I have more – but it’s 1:45 – I’m a little buzzed (if you can’t tell from my chatty cathy post) and I’ve got to get my beauty sleep for the “shoot” tomorrow. Which is probably what I’ll be saying in the morning….. “oh shoot!”

sorry. bad pun.

NIGHT!

I just scared the shit outta my cat. My music wasn’t playing, so I figured I needed to turn it up (I think you can see where this is going), but after that didn’t work, I realized I didn’t have the reciever on the right setting. When I hit the right setting, it blasted [Hot Snakes] and my cat freaked and ran across the room. After I turned it down I apologized profusely, but I think he’s pissed. He’s saying, “You and your f*in rock music, Mom. Jeesh!”

I don’t have anything else to say. (I always write that & end up writing another paragraph or two!)

I’m very busy trying to finish something up – and then am off to 2 shows tonite. Yup… not 1, but 2!!! Then I have to hurry home before the clock strikes something way too late for me to look at all presentable (and not too horribly hungover) for the photo shoot dealio I’m doing tomorrow. Yes, I’m doing that modeling thing. modeling – me? what a laugh. I can’t wait to see the look on their faces when they realize I wasn’t what they were hoping for in their glossy ad that’s about to be plastered all over Northern Colorado. Or maybe they’ll like me… I dunno. I’m not lookin to be a model by *any* means… it’s more a favor for my friend Elana who’s the Conference Director there… and apparently at the last minute realized they needed one more person, specifically a straight hair’d, tall blond… Well, it’s a favor – and there’s a leetle-bit-o-money involved, which I seem to have a hard time turning down.

alright that’s all for now brown cow.

So tonite I’m EXHAUSTED…. literally can’t even WAIT to crawl into bed. I dont even feel like brushing or washing my face – I think I’m just gonna take off my clothes and go to bed! zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Unfortunately my lack of sleep lastnight caught up to me by midnight tonite, right in the middle of enjoying the Jackpine Social Club “Holiday Party” (big line up of all the bands on their label) with my friend Rachel. It was good, and I really would have loved to stay for the final two bands – but unfortunately the lure of my bed was too strong.

(wow, I just had to edit that sentence cuz it made *no* sense… it shows how frickin tired I am!)

I thought I’d post now cuz I’m getting up to workout & then have to visit a client downtown… Tomorrow night’s a big night too…. (are you getting tired just hearing how busy I’m gonna be? I am! And that’s only the 1/2 of it!!)

p.s. Guess what?!?! I *finally* met Ajax in person tonite!

“NUT-UH!!”

“YES, HUH!”

p.s.s. I wore my Peter Pan Speedrock shirt tonite!! (insert speedrock electric guitar riff here)

Ok – sleeping now.

zzzzzzzzzzzzz

man oh man – I came home tonite to a kitty love monster!! he is just all over me on my shoulders, giving me bonks and being a “purr-bo baggins” as matt used to call him. wowie!! It’s really cute though – cuz when I try to set him down, he totally holds on to my shoulders like a little baby – like “don’t put me down, mommy!”

He does this most every time I come home – even if I’ve only been gone for like 20 minutes – the little boy is so spoiled w/ me working from home. :) Especially if I get on the phone right after getting home – while I’m on the phone he’s literally suffocating me with love. (which is only 2% as bad as it sounds, it’s really 98% sweet as can be.)

Then he proceeds to walk up on my shoulders and sits down around my neck like it’s my new scarf. And he reaches around to lick my face and give me bonks…. SUCH A LOVERBOY!!! I have been trying to take a photo of this – but its hard to grab the camera when you have a 12+lb cat wrapped around your neck.

Even though Kazoobie is 2 now, he’s still my little baby. ♥

WAHOO! I just installed some new RAM – 1GB baby!!!

The install was kinda retarded on my part. I don’t know what my deal is, but it took some pokin & proddin and pushin and the first time I even booted up to a blank screen and I got scared. So I turned it off and pulled, turned em around, pushed some more… and it all worked out in the end – and now I’m suuupppaaafast!

Why am I *SO* hungry today? It must be hormonal. It’s a good thing I don’t have cookies in the house!!

Ok 45 minutes in counting to get work done before I go off to BAM – BYE!

*if something is really great and makes you happy, just add -erific to the end of it. i.e. Rickerific

(and yes, I know you might *think* that needs two ‘r’s but it’s MY rule OK!)

I applaud your effort. I think MC’s are cool. Except when they’re creepy.

The other day I read this blog post about how they think blogs are like happy hours for this generation? The more I’ve thought about that the last couple days, I’d have to agree.

Anyway – I say “good for you” to anyone who reaches out to actually meet someone. It’s hard these days… especially since trying to hit on a girl in a bar has been givin such a bad rap. That’s why it’s almost best to not try to meet someone all datey – instead meet them as a friend first – maybe do something together that’s fun and you both enjoy… and then see if there’s sparks. I guess that’s a date. aww hell, I’m no good at this. :)

Anyway – should this guy find my site/blog, I just wanted to say… good effort! And don’t stalk… just say hi for real… but only as a nice friend – not some ewwy gewey guy that wants to meet me… that gives me the creeps kinda. umm – unless you’re really cute or cool. Ok, I’m gonna stop now.

Is today Tuesday? shiiiiiiiit – I have so much to do and already it’s Tuesday 5pm.

“BloG!”, says the angry public. (well, actually just Ajax, he needs a fix :) Boy don’t I KNOW IT! Since he doesn’t blog over every single weekend and I am literally crawling on the floor jonesin for the next post. It’s agonizing. But how cool is that name? “Ajax”? I might name my first kid that. Or “Five”. That’d be a cool name. And I’d spell it “5ive”.

DUDE I’m listening to OutKast!!!!! The whole CD!!! It’s way different than I thought! I dig it!!! I almost thought my friend made the CD wrong – but “Hey Ya” just came on and the world is right again. [You should watch the video, if you haven’t already] I’m a sucker for the part of the song that goes “shake it like a polaroid-picture” – that’s genius.

So tonite is Rosie Thomas/Damien Jurado – should be a good show… I love Rosie Thomas. Hopefully she’ll do some of her crazy standup. She’s so funny.. when she talks she has this teeny little sweet voice…. and then when she sings it’s this beautiful lavender melody of silk ribbons and cream. How was that for a description? I’m trying to make my reviews more interesting. Adjectives defy me though, so I might start kinda rusty. Things go through my head like how soft the insides of banana peels feel when you rub them between your fingers.. but somehow I think that reviewing someone’s voice with that image doesn’t really do the trick. Hey – I’m TRYING! Don’t put me in a box – I must think FREEEEEEELY!!!!

This reminds me of back in high school, how my friend John & I used to make up songs on the fly. Or random words – and we pissed off my friend Michelle once cuz she didn’t know about our stupid little game. John is REALLY good at makin up songs and words on the fly. He’s a musician, songwriter and DJ, therefore inherently better at this whole “word thing” than I am.

So today I got up to find an email from one of my semi-stalking indie friends had forwarded me a CL post from the “missed connections” area – about ME!! oh my!!

Pretty funny. I’m sure it will only be a matter of time before this “du” either finds that my whole life is in fact online(!) or he’ll get the nerve up to say hi to me at the next show. Anyway – I’m hoping to rack up more missed connection posts about me on CL. hahahaa :) I think I should win some “Greatest Luck EVER” Award from Craigslist. I can’t tell you how much I love that site. It’s *RANDOMLY* brought me oh so many good friends and oh so much joy and pleasure (and cold hard cash, which is *almost* as good as the pleasure, but not quite).

I got to go have lunch w/ Darren today – which was awesome. I’m psyched to finally sit down & chat w/ the boy – he’s doing such great things w/ his art – and it’s inspiring. I really haven’t seen him except for the one time my friend Trina & I met him at a life drawing class a couple months back. Then he referred a client to me, which I’ve been SOO grateful for cuz I absolutely love the client! So I owed him lunch, we exchanged some CDs, talked art & creativity – it was cool… left me hungry for more!! I need to be doing my art more/be more surrounded in art/go to more openings, etc. Music has consumed me, which is a very good thing, but I need to balance it out for my own creative growth.

I ran a few errands after that – VOTED!!! WAHOO! and am finally home to catch up on emails – and yes…. blog! Boy, I sure wish I could spill some of the juicier tidbits here….. but alas, please do your best to use your most creative and adventurous imagining. :) I’m a smiling happy girl.

I have no idea what I’m blogging about anymore.. I’m still listening to this crazy Jazzy/Rappy OutKast CD.. my friend Elana just called to see if I want to model for the Yoga Journal this weekend.. I gave her some friends names but told her I’d be her last resort. Sounds like fun… doesn’t she know I’m 350lbs? Guess Yoga Journal likes em big these days. YAY for big women!!!!

Volumptiously yours and yours and yours,

~ willo

I stayed up late working tonite. Good thing I’ve got somebody here keeping me company:

Some rough life this guy’s got it, eh?

I pull Kazoobie’s “kitty condo” over next to my desk when I’m working sometimes [as seen here]. It helps cut down on the amount of times he feels it necessary to jump up on my desk, walk past me and swoosh his fuzzy tail in my face – tickling my nose and blocking my view of the screen. Sometimes he just plain sits right in front of me, waiting for me to give him some lovin.

He likes hangin out w/ me all day. In fact the fuzzy pants is just plain spoiled!!!! I need to figure out who’s going to come over and be with him while I’m away. :( makes me sad just thinkin about it.

Ok – I’m finally going to bed now. Night!

Today I did a ton of fun clicking around to some very neat-o sites, and it just got me totally aching inside to do *my* art more.

I’ve hinted to it here & there… but the truth is I’m sad that I’m not doing my illustrations more. I mean jeesh! when was the last time you saw me post one? FOREVER AGO!!! :*(

I have so many ideas for creative projects… lists of them in fact. Ideas for businesses I want to start, products I want to create. I even have a ton of doodles layin around I could scan in & make something – or just post em for fun.

“So what’s stopping you, Willo?”, you ask.

Nothing really… just that darn ol’ tick-tock-o-the-clock.

I’ve officially taken on quite a bit o work for the next month or so… and here I thought the last month or so was insane!!.. Well it just keeps on going. Too much probably. I’m sure I’ll learn a lesson here somewhere in the next month when I’m tearing my hair out because once again I’ve taken on too many clients and am finding my house a mess and eventually holing myself up for days on end, eating every last piece of food in the house and daydreaming about tropical vacations to ease the stress.

I’m only bitching for the entertainment now, so don’t take me seriously. I love having a ton of clients – and some sick part of me loves the hell out of working my ass off. Really this is just my big whining fit that I want to be doing arts and crafty delightful things.

So you know my plan? I’m making a list of all these fun things I want to do – and I’m going to do them while I’m in Steamboat! That’s RIGHT! Well, I’ll start a few anyway – like a mini-movie. I can start it there, but might have to edit it here. Actually Haley said they have some new video camera & she needed help with the editing software… hmm.. that sounds like a fun creative project!!

Haley’s great to do creative projects with actually. Ooh, now I’m getting all excited!

Ok, making a list and over the holidays I’ll be checking it twice. Or actually, probably 20 times, since I’ll be in Steamboat and I’ll *really* be needing my list of things to do.