Jill "xtingu" Knapp

Sick of being sick Jill "xtingu" Knapp 4/11 '15

I was in Indianapolis exactly a month ago. The day or two before I flew there I was getting a cold, and the flight made it markedly worse. I taught with a fever and *literally* no voice. I went to an Urgent Care place and they gave me steroids so I could talk (gets the swelling down on mah cords) and some antibiotics. I was feeling better in 3-4 days, and I finished my scrip like a good girl and that was the end.
I flew to Indianapolis on Monday, but the day before I felt like maybe I was getting sick, but I couldn't have two colds so close together so I just ignored it. After my flight landed and I got to my hotel, I was running a fever and was sick again. When I woke up for class the next morning (not that I slept, really) I could barely talk again. It felt like the same exact cold. I went to the same Urgent Care place and they gave me more steroids (a shorter course) and no antibiotics, and I could tell the steroids helped. I flew home last night (Thursday) and had a full-blown panic attack on the plane (managed to keep my shit together well enough that I don't think others noticed; thank god for Xanax), and when I crawled into bed upon arrival home, my cold blossomed into a Righteous Plague that includes hacking up green things from nose, lungs, ears, you name it. I hurt, I can't swallow, and I feel like I got hit by a train. I haven't gotten out of bed because I can't.
Matt has been trying to plan a birthday thing for me for ages, friends have been wanting to get together, and once again I've got a cold and can't leave the house. Between me canceling things because of colds or me canceling things so I can take care of Matt when he has bad days, it's amazing our friends all haven't written us off as people who can't get their shit together.
I have a ton of work to do in prep for my San Fran trip next week and I'm hoping I can muster the energy to get it done. Typing this is monumentally hard because I'm so achy and crappy.
Remember my ITIL book? Yeah, we're shooting the video of it starting 4/20 in San Fran-- but we leave for SF on 4/16 to spend a few days there. Might have to rethink that.

OK, time for bed.

(cross-posted to xtingu.livejournal.com)

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4/11 '15 2 Comments

I'm sorry babe. I'm going to be home April 26th - May 2nd. If you guys are back and/or if I can help with anything...

Matt Lichtenwalner

As someone who is also learning what it's like to continue to fly the plane as various bits fall off, I sympathize. (Nothing dire or new, just the fortysomething WTFs.)

Thomas Boutell

Here comes the sun Jill "xtingu" Knapp 3/12 '15

When I left Philly for Indianapolis the other day, it was 35 degrees out, there was snow on the ground, and I packed a heavy coat, a scarf, gloves, boots, and ear muffs. Today it was 60 in both cities.

Mrs. Elia, my 4th grade teacher, taught us that "March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb." I think the lion has finally taken a hike.

I am SO FUCKING HAPPY this FUCKING WINTER is now over. I'm so ready to open the windows and get outside and watch the trees branches turn red and grow buds.

Tonight as I stood outside abandoned Terminal B for Matt to pick me up from PHL, I almost cried I was so happy because I was wearing a T-shirt and a light jacket, and I was comfortable. My cold has pretty much ended (I'm about 87% better now, which is better than I've been in weeks (save for this past Friday night), and I feel like we're all gonna be allll riiiiight.

Here comes the sun, little darlin'... and it's all right.

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3/12 '15 2 Comments

This morning I left the house at 7:25 am in sweatpants, a t-shirt and sweatshirt. I usually wear a scarf if I think to grab it, just because it's comforting for some reason, and I'll think to grab it as late as May (but not grab it) and as early as September.
Today, I did not think, "scarf."

Lindsay Harris Friel

I am biking everywhere and you can't stop me

Thomas Boutell

A brief window slammeth shut Jill "xtingu" Knapp 3/8 '15

I got sick two Tuesdays ago and was sick up until Wednesday of this week. That's two solid weeks of sick. I was supposed to be teaching in Indianapolis last week and by the grace of jeezas my flights out got cancelled so I couldn't go. Seriously-- someone from The Great Beyond was lookin' out for me, because it gave me a week to be sick. I spent that Sunday through this Wednesday in bed. Thursday (snow day) was the first day where I felt like maybe I was better. Friday was the Homey Awards Ceremony/Concert at which we were performing for our peers so the stakes were high, and thanks to adrenaline, we did a good job (and even won "Best Live Act" which was the only award we really cared about). Today (Saturday) we were in the studio all day and had an event in Arden that we had to cancel because my body just failed. We didn't get to lay down lead vocals on the new tune in the studio because my throat was too sore, and we knew there was no way we'd be people-worthy tonight in Arden. I felt bad for canceling, but nobody cared really, and I've gotta fly tomorrow (Sunday) to Indianapolis again. My throat feels like I've swallowed glass that's been coated with Sriracha sauce. Talking hurts unfathomably. I need to be better.
Looking forward to 12 hours of sleep starting NOW.
(x-posted to xtingu.livejournal.com)

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3/8 '15 2 Comments

I'm sorry to hear it hon. Spring is coming.

Thomas Boutell

"...glass that's been coated with Sriracha sauce." Ow. Take care of your fine self and feel better soon, ok? And congrats on the award.

Barb Drosey

No no no. Jill "xtingu" Knapp 2/25 '15

I'm not getting sick.
I'm not getting sick.
I can't be getting sick.
Please no.
No.
NO.

UPDATE: My body told me to F myself. Woke up with a fever and swollen glands and unable to swallow. Thank goodness today is Day 3 of class and not Day 1 or 2.

UPDATE #2: Oh goodie. Delta just canceled my flight home and rebooked me for tomorrow. Uh, no. I'm not staying over an extra night. I want to go home and be sick in my own house.

Today is not my day.

UPDATE #3: Well, at least now I know I can't be angry at Delta... it's not their fault Atlanta (my connecting city) was shut down because it doesn't know how to deal with 8+" of snow.

https://mobile.twitter.com/NWS_Southern_US/status/570986372053356546?s=09

So instead I bought a direct flight home on USAir and I got home 3.5 hours earlier than I would otherwise have. So it actually worked out... Sick Jill was in bed by 8pm.

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2/25 '15 7 Comments

Aw man!

Thomas Boutell

Dear Jill's immune system. Kick it into high gear and do your job. We have socks to discuss.

Shelle Klein Houser

Sorry beb. Sounds like a day of suck.

Matt Lichtenwalner

Fuck Delta. I hope you get home safely and soon.

Shelle Klein Houser

HOME. NOW. PLZ.

Lindsay Harris Friel

NoOo.

Matt Lichtenwalner

NO NO N NO NO NO NO.

Lindsay Harris Friel

Please vote for Hot Breakfast (and JT3 if ya want) for the Homey Awards. Here's how. Jill "xtingu" Knapp 1/22 '15

Hi all.

I'm sorry to be a lazy jerk by pasting a link to my LiveJournal, but I'm working on barely any sleep and don't feel like reformatting everything. So if you'll kindly meet me over there to learn how you can rock the vote to help out your favorite dork rock power duo, I'd really appreciate it.

Muchas gracias!

Jill-o

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1/22 '15 2 Comments

They're a trio, and are honestly three of the best musicians I've heard. Dan Kauffman (their lead singer & bass player) was up for Best Lead Singer the year I won. He shouldda won). Their albums are wonderful, but when they play live, you cannot believe the crap they pull off. Dan's voice is just amazing-- so damn accurate, crystal clear, and really expressive. And he sings like that while jumping around the stage and playing bass like Geddy. They're actually a duo now; their award-winning guitarist Ben moved to Austin last year. Even as a duo, they are KILLER. Anytime you can see them (which I know is impossible), I recommend it. I should try to put together a show that has Glim Dropper and Angela Sheik on it, and then give you a gift certificate for babysitting for you so you can come.

If you have a good place (and the time and required headspace) to listen to a quiet song, I recommend "Another One" off their latest album "Heartsick Phenomenon" (which I voted for Album of the Year). (https://glimdropper.bandcamp.com/track/another-one)

If you want something more upbeat, I'd go with either:
[] "The Last Days of Analog" which is the title track of their EP from two years ago (https://glimdropper.bandcamp.com/album/last-days-of-analog)
[] Shanghai, which is off of their current album, Heartsick Phenomenon (https://glimdropper.bandcamp.com/track/shanghai)
[] Matt recommends "Strangelove" which is a really fun, complex-but-still-fun tune, also off of Heartsick Phenomenon. (https://glimdropper.bandcamp.com/track/strangelove)

Or, you can catch a stolen moment captured at the end of a gig where Dan just picks up an acoustic guitar and covers King of Pain. *swoooon* (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAMug-TsKOQ)

Really. I love these guys so much.

ps: I had no idea I couldn't post html markup in replies. Nutty!

Jill "xtingu" Knapp

Who are these Glim Dropper guys? You picked them over Angela Sheik once and over Joe Trainor a few times ... I was surprised. They must be really good. What song should I listen to if I want to be impressed?

Shelle Klein Houser

So, we recorded a song with The Dead Milkmen. Here it is. Jill "xtingu" Knapp 1/19 '15

We were asked by The Dead Milkmen to record their new song with them. We said yes! Here's a link to the backstory over on the Hot Breakfast! blog.

The recording process was live-streamed on YouTube for two days as part of Weathervane Music's Shaking Through documentary series. We recorded on Saturday, and all the mixing happened on Sunday, along with the listening party.

This YouTube clip (below) should open right to the portion of the video where we unveil the song. You won't hear any of the room noise; I believe the YouTube live feed was coming straight outta the board at this point. (If the video starts from the top, then FFW over to 4:37:39.)

That's me singing all three vocal parts in the "folky section" that starts the tune (and happens two other times in the song); Matt is playing acoustic underneath in those sections, too. (Matt sets up his acoustic guitars down around 6:44:00, and starts recording his parts at 6:55:00) The Milkmen gave me the lyrics and chords, and I wrote the melody and did the 3-part vocal arrangement. They put a lotta reverb on my voice (though the song isn't fully mixed yet, so I think they're gonna take some out), but if you wanna watch me laying down the vocal tracks (for the most part, they were once-and-done'ers), here's a link to Saturday's session. (I record my vocals around 7:04:33 to 7:29:00.)

I still have to pinch myself when I listen to this. That's really my voice. That's really Matt's guitar. That's really the Dead Milkmen, who I've idolized since 1986. That's a long friggin' time.

Damn it feels good to be a gangsta^H^H^H^H dork rocker.

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1/19 '15 5 Comments

So _VERY_ happy/proud/joyful about this event.

I also hope that it's just a hint of the things to come.

Matt Lichtenwalner

Y E S

Thomas Boutell

I love this and it makes me really happy.

Lindsay Harris Friel

I also love how around 4:36, she's saying, "so we're gonna start now, " and Rodney's just yapping away telling a story.

Lindsay Harris Friel

I like that song.

Shelle Klein Houser

I'm here... I just got nuthin' Jill "xtingu" Knapp 1/11 '15

Hi all!

Just letting you know that I'm here, and all is well. I don't have much to report... everything is functioning as it has been. No new developments. If anything changes, I'll keep you posted. :)

xoxo!

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1/11 '15 1 Comment

Yeah. I'm overdue for a post. Have something in drafts, but need to get it finished and posted.

Also a thing about a coworker is going to go up - over at RideOffIntoTheSunset.com - once that's done.

Matt Lichtenwalner

ding ding ding Jill "xtingu" Knapp 11/3 '14

It has been craaaazy-windy here for the past 36-ish hours. My windchimes are making the most beautiful racket, and i'm so happy I finally decided to hang them up, and that I hung them on the front of the house so I can hear them loud and clear from the bedroom.
Thanks to a weird teeny health thing I'm currently working around (and shall not be discussing because it's not worth it), I spent all day in bed because the thing I take for said thing knocks me out.
Tomorrow (Monday), Matt and I I gladly hand the gummint $85 each so we can get in on that tasty, tasty, sexy, TSA Pre-Check action. Never again shall we endure the bullshit of taking off our shoes and jackets at the TSA line; nor will we take our laptops or our ziplocs of liquids, gels, and aerosols out of our bags. It's about to be all 1997 in this jawn.
YISSSSSS

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11/3 '14 5 Comments

I too have been thinking it's past time for TSA Pre Check. Even spoke to the Jerminator about it. (Still haven't gotten off my ass to do it though.)

Matt Lichtenwalner

Matt, doooo eeeeet. It took literally, truly 4 minutes. I filled out some crap online, and then showed up in person at some creepy place in Delaware, and 4 minutes later I'm in their system, and 2 days later i have my Known Traveler Number. (Y'know, I think I may post a separate OPW for this.)

Jill "xtingu" Knapp

So what you're saying is that the setup of your TSA Pre Check account took less time than going through a TSA security checkpoint?

Matt Lichtenwalner

is the $85 clams annual or one-time?

CM Adams

85 clams once every 5 years.
Worth every dime. You preregister on line, you show up in person someplace so they get your fingerprints, and in 2 days you have your magic number.

Jill "xtingu" Knapp

Nota Bene Jill "xtingu" Knapp 10/28 '14

I've been in the habit of writing private posts and perfecting them over a day or two, and then making them 'un-private.' So I may have written things that haven't shown up in your timeline the first time around.
Not that what I'm writing is particularly earthshattering, but there ya have it.
I'm teaching at Fossil this week (as in Fossil watches) and apparently you have to be very good looking and a musician to work here. Pretty neat.
That's it fer now.
Yay!
Jill-o

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10/28 '14 7 Comments

Still waiting for news on fart tubes.

Anne Mollo

HAHAHAHA!! How could I have forgotten? Must wait until I can post again.

Until then: (((((((((((((((((((() =3

Jill "xtingu" Knapp

Bring me back a Fossil watch with a leather band.
Or just a Leather Band.

Shelle Klein Houser

That's nifty! What do you teach?

Joanna Ireland

I teach IT people work smarter by using an IT Service Management framework called ITIL. I'm a freelancer, so I can decide how often I want to work. The rest of my time is spent making a ton of music with Matt Casarino (another OPW member, but I can't link to him here since I'm on a mobile device, otherwise I'd send you his way). Yay!

Jill "xtingu" Knapp

So they hired you on the spot!

Try the new drafts feature. No need to mark stuff private just to keep it from going live prematurely. Just click new draft. You can have as many in progress as you want.

Thomas Boutell

Ah! I suppose I should be keeping up with these enhancements. Is there an OPW account I should follow for new feature announcements, or is your account (and Sean's too, of course) the best place for that?

Jill "xtingu" Knapp

JOMO arigato... Jill "xtingu" Knapp 10/21 '14

It just occurred to me that I haven't looked at Facebook for a full 10 days. I turned off my notifcations eons ago. I don't care who tagged me in something. If you sent me a FB message, you're someone I don't care about since the people I DO care about know not to contact me there. I don't care if I miss event invites... they're all invitations to people's bands that I have never heard and never will since they only use Facebook to market themselves. (If you can't be bothered putting more effort into your marketing than a single FB invite, then I can't be bothered giving a crap.)
I have friends who are glued to Facebook; many (not all) have FOMO: Fear of Missing Out. Fear that they won't know what someone had for lunch. Fear they won't see whatever. Fear they won't be able to tell the world their vaguebook status. I just don't care. I am NOT judging those who like FB-- it has much wider reach than most everything else, which is part of its appeal. I just don't care. I did fine for the past 30 years not knowing what Sandy, a person I haven't talked to in 25 years, was doing while her daughters were at ballet.
Enter One Post Wonder, which coincides perfectly with a new acronym I learned: JOMO: Joy of Missing Out. I am more than happy to spend my days off simply lounging in bed with my beau as the world does what they do all day. I'm totally OK with missing out on all of that.
OPW gives me the right amount of interaction. I really am grateful for it.
I don't see giving up LJ yet, but I do cross-post a lot, and that's OK for me for now.
Anyway, I'm way overdue for bed... I'm teaching a hellish class this week with my allergies in hella overdrive, so every sentence is punctuated with a sniffle or a wipe with a hanky. (Yes, I carry a hanky now. I'm old.) This is a 5-day class, so i'll be home late Friday night with a gig at Melodies Cafe in Ardmore, PA (2 Lancaster Ave if memory serves) on the 25th. Looking forward to it.
JOMO. Google it. Feels good.

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10/21 '14 25 Comments

Are you me? Because I could have written this. It's been almost 6 weeks since I last "caught up" on Fb, and I've cut down on my "Likes" to a few days a month or so.

This is like quitting smoking. We need banners with a countdown!

There has been much less drama in my life since then. I appreciate my little corner of the world more.

Karen Kuhl

I definitely have FOMO.
I wonder if antibiotics will help.

Shelle Klein Houser

I'm with you Shellebot. I find it sad that my sense of social interaction comes from a glowing rectangle, but I don't really know of a reasonable alternative given the Day Job. #ThingsToWorkOn

Matt Lichtenwalner

I know Jerm would go to drop-in yoga classes when he was on the road-- they're easy enough to find, and like $12 or something. A little social interaction (granted, not tons, but something), a little stretchy-stretch after a full day, and a yoga-panted-yoga-butt in your face (often worth $12 right there).

Jill "xtingu" Knapp

Yeah - you've mentioned that before. I like the idea, but I'm waaay too self conscious about my physique atm. I like the idea even more for some kind of martial arts class, but so far I haven't found anything like that - where you can 'drop in'.

Matt Lichtenwalner

When I am really fucking sick of my FOMO problem, I create content as opposed to absorb it. Sometimes it's an email to a friend who I know will read and respond and we'll have a personal connection as opposed to "Hello world, here is this random thing I am saying" or a text or a call. Or, if I just need to like myself better and not necessarily connect, I write a paper journal entry or do a chore, anything to Create and not just Witness.

Shelle Klein Houser

That is freakin' awesome.

I don't always think of FOMO in terms of glowing rectangles, either.

Like, I first learned the term at Flipside, which is Austin's regional Burning Man event. It only lasts 4 nights (vs.the 7 nights at BMan) so after I've partied two nights in a row and my body is begging for a night off and telling me to go back to my tent, my FOMO forces me to stay out and have a shitt time because I'm exhausted instead of friggin' sleeping. I mean, what if something cool happened and I didn't get to see it or be in the group photo or hear that DJ? I was struggling with that one night at Flipside in 2009 or 2010 (I can't remember-- it was the year we burned ISH... MattL knows the year I'm talking about), and one of our campmates simply said "FOMO." I asked what it meant, he explained, and I suddenly felt like it was OK to go nap and potentially miss stuff.

These days, I'm a homebody, and am more than happy to bask in the JOMO. Let the world spin, parties and all, without me. I can either feel bad about not attending, or I can give myself permission to be present and in the moment at home, even if I'm doing what looks like nothing. It's my time, and I'm not gonna allow myself to feel badly about missing stuff.

Also: now that I finally understand the definition of "introvert" and realize that I am HELLA introverted, my JOMO is only getting deeper. I'm teaching 8 hours a day pouring my energy out to everyone; and then I'm in the studio giving all my energy and passion as I create arrangements, collaborate, and sing; and then I'm on stage giving my energy out to everyone... and I recharge my batteries by being alooooone. I need it desperately... even moreso the older I get. I won't feel guilty for saying "No, thanks."

It makes me happy to know that you write. I remember you said (this year? Last year?) that you wanted to write more, and the world needs more Shelle writing. The world makes sense to me if I know you're writing, even if it's something I'll never see. Just like I always used to get happy when you'd do your RWP and sometimes the W also stood for "Wearing" and you mentioned argyll socks. I don't know why that makes me so happy, but there you have it.

#thisisverylong
#iloveyou
#okbye

And these days

Jill "xtingu" Knapp

I forgot to delete "And these days" and I don't know if comments can be edited (especially on mah phone).

#okshutupjill

Jill "xtingu" Knapp

I like Create > Witness.

Lindsay Harris Friel

Power, sister.

I've noticed some crossposting going on and I like it.

Thomas Boutell

yup.

Lindsay Harris Friel

By that I mean that I agree with you wholeheartedly. I also just logged into FB to stalk some of the Minneapolis/Theatre Pro Rata folks, so I am my own worst enemy.

Lindsay Harris Friel

P.S. I've been carrying cloth hankies for decades. Classy AND practical, for us eterno-snifflers.

Thomas Boutell

note to self; start working on making handmade/embroidered handkerchiefs for my friends.

Lindsay Harris Friel

I LEARNED IT FROM WATCHING YOU! (OK, and my dad, too. But seriously, seeing you wield your hanky made me wanna wield mine.)

#soundsdirty
#yupIjusthashtaggedthisbizzleknowingitdoesnothing

Jill "xtingu" Knapp

#twss

Shelle Klein Houser

Oh man... what's #twss? Gaaaah! I can't figure it out!

#feelingdumb

Jill "xtingu" Knapp

That's what she says. My sister-in-law says it so frequently that it became an acronym!

Shelle Klein Houser

My brother (Josh) and his wife have a button on the side of their fridge (think : Staples 'that was easy' button) that play several different voices saying "That's what she said!"

Matt Lichtenwalner

Where did they get that button? I still need to get Amy a birthday gift! :)

Shelle Klein Houser

Not sure - I'll ask.

Matt Lichtenwalner

That's what she SAID.

Shelle Klein Houser

Sober Argonauts Inserting Ducklings

Thomas Boutell

Tasty Waitresses Selling Sarsparilla.

Thomas Boutell

I used to sniff and snorq and drip and honk every day until I (wait for it) stopped eating wheat. I still carry cloth hankies, though. So useful for many things, like cleaning screens and blotting spills and squirrelling away odd bits of nosh for later.

Sean M Puckett