I apologize in advance for sounding like a 13-year old girlie girl in this entry.

Last night, Vicki, Mel, and I went to see Reel Big Fish with Goldfinger, Home Grown, Movie Life, and Riddling Kids. The day started out bad. My mom and I got into a fender bender on Telegraph, making us late home and so Vicki was waiting by the time we got there. Telegraph was under construction. I got us lost in Pontiac. It rained while we were in line. But then we got in, the sun started shining, and the bands started playing and everything turned out good.

The Riddling Kids played first. Mel promptly fell in love with their lead singer and hunted him down after their set. Vicki and I kept our place and waited for the next band to come on. Movie Life was next, and they were alright. Mel came back from her stalking experience, all giddy because she got a hug and got to talk to the guy for "like two minutes", was the way she put it.

After Movie Life, Home Grown came on. They were pretty good. They were actually the first punk band I ever saw, at Warped Tour '98, back in the day. I don't remember it much. I just remember getting pushed around a lot and thinking it was way too loud. But they put on a good show and I wanted to get their CD.

Then Goldfinger came on. Very good live performance. They played "Smile" by Op Ivy, and that made it even better. I felt kind of lame being in the crowd, because I didn't know many of their songs and everyone else seemed to be screaming along with them. But they were a good band anyway, so I jumped around a lot and had fun.

After Goldfinger, we waited around and finally, Reel Big Fish came onstage. They played almost every song I wanted them to, including "She Has A Girlfriend Now", which was the only one I REALLY wanted to hear. They rocked and I had a lot of fun.

They didn't play an encore though, so Mel, Vicki and I just went to go buy T-shirts. I bought the tour T-shirt and then I wanted to go get Home Grown's CD. But I look over at their merch table and their bassist is sitting right there. So, being Rachel, I freaked out. I walk over to Mel and I'm like, "Come with me. I'm too scared to go by myself." She laughed, because that just doesn't seem like something I'd do. But we waited for Vicki and then I walked up while the bassist was occupied with someone else. I bought the CD and talked to the merch guy while the bassist signed someone's ticket stub. Then, the merch guy's like, "Look. This guy next to me (and then he points to the CD, where bassist guy's face is)..." and I was just like, "Yeah! I know, I'm waiting for him to get done with the other guy." Which wasn't true, but it sounded good. So, while I'm waiting, the merch guy says to me, "Hey, what do you think of that shirt? Is it kick ass?" Because the shirt was labeled as the "Kick Ass" shirt. And I grinned and said, "Yeah." Then I pulled a dollar out of my pocket and put it down on the table. I'm like, "Will you give it to me for a dollar?" But he resisted, saying he'd have to pay for it.

By this time, bassist guy was done and I had my CD unwrapped and primed to be signed. So I turn to him and I'm just like, "You guys played and awesome show. Can you sign this for me?" And he does and the merch guy keeps talking to me about the shirt. After he's done signing it, the merch guy takes my CD and tells me he'll get the other members of the band to sign it. And by this time, bassist guy is in on the shirt conversation. So I try to get him to give it to me for a buck. I'm telling him it'll be good advertising and how I'll tell all my friends about them and then they'll all want to buy stuff. Then Mel says, from behind me, "Yeah, her little sister will want to know about you guys." And I'm like, "Yeah. My little sister, she has a mohawk and she'll love you guys." And he stops dead and says, "She really has a mohawk? How old is she?" And I said, "She's sixteen. But you see, for a buck, I'll be like a walking billboard for you guys and that's a pretty good deal." He's grinning at my stupidity and he says he can't do it. I'm like, "Come on. You're in the band. You have clout. You can do that." And he shakes his head and says, "Alright. I'll give it to you for five bucks." I hold up my dollar and I'm like, "This is all I got. I don't have five bucks." He's like, "Come on. Between the three of you, you've got five bucks. That's ten dollars off." So he was right, and Vicki gave me three bucks and Mel gave me a buck and I got the shirt. Then, Mel gives the merch guy a kiss on the cheek for some reason, and then I did the same because he got my CD signed. Then bassist guy points to his cheek and I kissed him and he's like, "Oh, that's nice. Do it again, cause I've never been kissed by anyone with a lip piercing." So I did, then he gave me a hug. And Mel's standing behind us going, "Awww."

But, all good things come to an end, and this evening has to as well. So I tell them good bye and that next time they come here I'll go see them. And bassist guy, who was pretty hot and named Adam, says, "Yeah, it'll probably be in like two months that we'll be here. And so will you." And I nodded as I walked away and I pointed to myself and then pointed at him, saying, "Yeah, I'll be there. Bye." And then we left.

As we walked out, I said to Mel, "This is the coolest thing that ever happened to me." And it was really cool. Hee hee.

Oh! And, yesterday, I went to go cash my check and I walk in and I'm like, "Hi, Tishy." And she looks at me and says, "I was talking about you with someone today," all mysterious-like. I'm like, "Were you?" She goes, "Mmmm". And my mom goes, "Was it a male someone?" And she says, "Yup." And my mom says, "Did he have two eyebrow rings?" And she says, "Yup. He said you should call him when you turn 18." I just stood there in disbelief. Apparently, he was quite upset when he found out I was only 17. He was telling Theresa that I couldn't even go to Clutch Cargo's and Theresa's just like, "She goes there all the time. What are you talking about?" And Tish was like, "I told him you went to Ozzfest and he said he was there, too and he didn't see you, and I was just like, 'How did you miss her pink hair?'" So Thesesa says to me, "He was saying you couldn't go to any of the places he goes to, but I just said, 'Everywhere that you go, she's at, so I don't know what you're talking about.'" Hee hee. Sexy Eyebrow Ring Man wants me. I can't wait to work tomorrow.

Summer continues on at a slow pace, but it's all good, so I'm okay.

COUNTDOWN TO WARPED: 9 DAYS