A Series Of Unfortunate Events

I mentioned before that I was having a bad week last week...one of the bad things that happened was that I cut myself shaving. I slit myself straight across the top of my lip. Yeah - OUCH! At work, I used my trusty little compact mirror to apply Neosporin to it. I'm afraid that I'm gonna have a funny little "Hitler scar" for the rest of my life...I "wrecked myself"...





Reminder...THE FRENCH TOASTS are playing tonight in Athens! If you're local, and you wanna go, then please check out the previous post for all the details! Thanx!

Fo' Show!

(The French Toasts pull out their best dance moves at an Athens house party)

HEEEEEEY!

THE FRENCH TOASTS (me and Missy), are playing a show tomorrow night (05-31-08) at THE SPILLAGE HOME FOR WAYWARD YOUTH, a.k.a., THE SPILLAGE HOUSE...and and and! we're playing with our friends GEMINI CRICKET and CAPTAIN #1! Fudge YEAH! and and and we're also playing with special outta town guests CAMP LOOPS, who are coming all the way out from Kent, Ohio...the show is going to be a "family friendly" affair, so bring the young 'uns...and, being such, the show is gonna start early - at 7pm. The Spillage House (for those of you who have never been...it's ok, we've never been either, so we can de-virginize together, ok?) is on MILLAGE AVE., across the street from the holy trinity of Dunkin'Donuts/31 Flavors/Taco Stand...more precisely, 649 N. Millege Ave...there is going to be a POTLUCK....a CHILDREN'S ART SHOW....MUSIC-A-PLENTY....and GOOD TIMES TO BE HAD.

Me and Missy have yet to practice a single note and we have to make zine things to hand out (we're maybe gonna do a miniature coloring book? dunno yet)...plus, we were going to try and learn some new songs, but...it seems doubtful. Oh well.

In other news, I've just been having a "bad week"...I know, woe is me, right? But, I'm over it. Lots of people in the world are having it waaaaay worse than me, so I really have no reason to mope or complain...plus, THE LAKERS kicked ass on the SPURS this week so I'm happy for that (yeah, that shit matters to me...I grew up rooting for the Lakers, so what?)...and, lots of other good things are coming our way. Like tomorrow night's show! (must remember to put on bug repellant)

So, to recap: THE FRENCH TOASTS. CAPTAIN #1. GEMINI CRICKET. CAMP LOOPS. this SATURDAY at THE SPILLAGE HOUSE on MILLEGE AVE. 7PM. Bring your children. Bring your pets. Bring snacks if you want. Bring money for the touring band. Gas is expensive. They need help. Bring a smile or two. GOOD VIBRATIONS!

Go HERE if you need more info...

-R A O U L


(some instruments cluttering-up a corner of our craft room)

Dig this tribute to MR. TOAST!

Nilla Ten

NILLA standing guard at the front door of Rancho Cocoa:







Intimidating, no?

Weekend Wind-Down #9

So, we were sitting in the living room this afternoon...all of a sudden Missy said, "Do you hear that?"...and I said, "Noooo"...she turned down the television and then I heard it...the plinky-plink sounds of an ice cream truck! I swear to god, we both yelled, "ICE CREAM!!!" and went nuts, scrambling for shoes and for money. We were like, "hurry, hurry, hurry!"...it was funny how we reverted back to our childhood selves...though, that path is a pretty short one for me and Missy! The ice cream truck was the BRAIN FREEZE truck that we saw down our street the other day...our neighborhood ice cream man was taking his truck out for an inaugural run...Missy rushed out to the street and flagged him down. She asked, "are you selling stuff, or are you just testing out your truck?" Luckily, the Brain Freeze truck was open for business (otherwise, we would've looked plenty foolish!)

Missy at the end of our gravel driveway getting a sweet frozen treat:



...I'm not really feelin' the blue tape on the side of the truck, but...afterall, he IS just starting out...



Missy kickin' it on our porch swing with her SNOOPY POPSICLE:



FAVORITE MOMENT FROM THE PAST WEEK?
MISSY - our friend Terri winning the This Is Blythe photo contest! (congratulations!)
RAOUL - Terri's big win!

LEAST FAVORITE MOMENT FROM THE PAST WEEK?
MISSY - when I couldn't get the Wii to work
RAOUL - cleaning up dog poop

WORD OR PHRASE OF THE WEEK?
MISSY - "GO A.B.C.!"
RAOUL - "who pooped here?"

FAVORITE MEAL FROM THE PAST WEEK?
MISSY - toast
RAOUL - #14 vegetarian meal from La Parilla (burrito, enchilada, beans & rice, never-ending chips and salsa)

NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR "TO-DO" LIST FROM LAST WEEK THAT YOU DIDN'T DO:
MISSY - pour resin
RAOUL - go see Jeff Bates at Walmart...thankfully so.

NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR "TO-DO" LIST FOR NEXT WEEK:
MISSY - pour resin
RAOUL - French Toast and Folklore practice

NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR GROCERY LIST FOR NEXT WEEK:
MISSY - fruit
RAOUL - fake chicken patties

DID YOU GET A THREE-DAY WEEKEND THIS WEEKEND?
MISSY - yes
RAOUL - yes

WHAT IS THE ONE BIG THING YOU WANTED TO ACCOMPLISH THIS WEEKEND?
MISSY - add stuff to my Etsy shop and Gocco...did both.
RAOUL - craft and clean...got some crafting done, got some cleaning done...

WHAT IS YOUR WEEKLY RESOLUTION FOR THE COMING WEEK?
MISSY - eat more fruit
RAOUL - exercise even more

IF YOU COULD CREATE A GOVERNMENT SANCTIONED HOLIDAY (ONE THAT WOULD
PROVIDE US WITH ANOTHER THREE-DAY WEEKEND) WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHAT WOULD
IT CELEBRATE?
MISSY - NILLA DAY - everyone would have to celebrate my cat
RAOUL - NATIONAL CHORE DAY - an extra day for everyone to get neglected chores done...of course, people could spend the day however they wanted to...

YOUR PERSONAL SOUNDTRACK FOR THE PAST WEEK?
MISSY - Sebadoh, Frente, Neutral Milk Hotel, Basia Bulat, Lemonheads, (old) Of Montreal, Unrest
RAOUL - Luna, Lemonheads, Boredoms, Kinks, Spring, Neutral Milk Hotel, Battles, Sebadoh, Shermans

Fresh Prints

("circus girl" print by Missy Kulik)

Yesterday, Sunday, Missy decided to make a bunch of limited edition GOCCO'd cards and prints of this really cute banana drawing she originally did for an issue of FRENCH IT UP!...we'll be taking them to the big I.C.E. ATLANTA craft sale in a couple of weeks, along with a buncha other new stuff...until then (or if you're too far to attend), you can order them from her website, MISSYKULIK.COM, or from her ETSY shop, SHOPPE SUGAR COOKIE...

Here's some images of Missy hard at work in our cluttered craft room, this holiday weekend...say it wit' me now, "this shit is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S"...





















And now, for your summertime pleasure, FRESH PRINTS vs. FRESH PRINCE:

Weekend Wind-Down House Guest: The Simple Carnival

HELLO EVERYONE! We've got a house guest for this weekend's "Wind-Down"! Our friend, JEFF BOLLER, from THE SIMPLE CARNIVAL was kind enough to take a time-out from his busy schedule to answer our weekly survey. Lately he's been busy interviewing POP ICONS like MARGO GURYAN for his music blog, SONGS AND SONICS! If you are a fan of Margo's or a fan of really good pop music, then do yourselves a huge favor and take the time to read his fabulous interview.

Speaking of really good pop music, if you didn't already know, The Simple Carnival has a new CD called the "ME AND MY ARROW" e.p. and it's available HERE. If you're a fan of easy, breezy, classic pop songs with a twist, then look no further than this. You can even check out this really cute MUSIC VIDEO that Jeff made for his song, "Really Really Weird" HERE if you don't believe me! MISSY (who did the artwork for the e.p. and up-coming album) is also running a special promotion on her website, MISSYKULIK.COM, and on her ETSY shop, SHOPPE SUGAR COOKIE...if you spend $15 or more (merch and shipping), then you get a FREE copy of The Simple Carnival's "Me And My Arrow" e.p.! While supplies last, of course...

And now, without further ado, is The Simple Carnival's "Weekend Wind-Down"...


FAVORITE MOMENT FROM THE PAST WEEK?
Getting a suprise comment on my MySpace page from Margo Guryan (1960s
sunshine pop songwriter/recording artist). One thing led her to another and
I ended up interviewing her on my blog, which was an even bigger highlight:

http://songsandsonics.com/2008/05/25/interview-margo-guryan/


LEAST FAVORITE MOMENT FROM THE PAST WEEK?
Hearing the alarm clock every morning. But I finally got to sleep in today,
so no complaints now!


WORD OR PHRASE OF THE WEEK?
Hmmm... I don't think I had a catchphrase for the week. I did spend a fair
amount of time walking around the house trying to figure out how Bobby
McFerrin sings two notes at the same time (see this video at the 2:21
mark). Of course, I failed miserably at it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=codmxk7uLv8

(um...how about "don't worry, be happy"??? ; )-RAOUL)


FAVORITE MEAL FROM THE PAST WEEK?
Pita pizza. It's kind of like a minimalist pizza on pita bread.


NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR "TO-DO" LIST FROM LAST WEEK THAT YOU DIDN'T DO:
Finish remodeling my basement. That's the same answer I could give you
every week.


NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR "TO-DO" LIST FOR NEXT WEEK:
Re-stain my deck. Home ownership is fun!


NAME SOMETHING ON YOUR GROCERY LIST FOR NEXT WEEK:
Sam's club Fresh Salsa. If that salsa were a girl, I'd ask it out on a
date. My wife might take issue with that, though.


DO YOU GET A THREE-DAY WEEKEND THIS WEEKEND?
Yes!


WHAT IS THE ONE BIG THING YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH THIS WEEKEND?
The aforementioned deck staining. It's an out-of-control party at the
Boller household, I tell ya!


WHAT IS YOUR WEEKLY RESOLUTION FOR THE COMING WEEK?
Get some substantial exercise.


IF YOU COULD CREATE A GOVERNMENT SANCTIONED HOLIDAY (ONE THAT WOULD
PROVIDE US WITH ANOTHER THREE-DAY WEEKEND) WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHAT WOULD
IT CELEBRATE?
National Waste Time On The Internet Weekend.


YOUR PERSONAL SOUNDTRACK FOR THE PAST WEEK?
I've been primarily listening to a bunch of artists who I'll be
interviewing on Songs and Sonics. I've got a backlog of fantastic albums to
absorb for the blog, which is a good and bad thing. It wouldn't be
appropriate to mention who the artists are until their interviews are
published.

Beyond that, I've been listening to Margo Guryan, The Brigadier, Olivia
Newton-John, and Bobby McFerrin. I've been on a Purple Rain-era Prince kick
lately as well.

Farmyard Connection

Happy MEMORIAL DAY weekend! Hopefully, like ourselves, you are enjoying a well-deserved-and-badly-needed three-day weekend...we haven't been doing too much relaxing though, as this weekend has been pretty busy so far. One of the things we've been busy with is tweeking the look of the RANCHO COOCOA blog...it's not quite done yet...also, we've been house sitting and dog sitting for our friends... Yesterday, we forced ourselves to get up early in order to beat the crowds to the ATHENS FARMER'S MARKET at BISHOP PARK, which is within walking distance (15-20 minutes) from our house. Last weekend, we got to the inaugural market much too late and swore to make up for it this weekend. Hopefully, a walk and a visit to the market will become a weekly routine for us...



On our way to the market we stopped to check out the ice cream truck that belongs to one of our neighbors...for months, this old ice cream truck with the words "SNACK OASIS" had been sitting in the front of this house on our street. The other day we noticed that they had re-painted the truck. Where it used to say "Snack Oasis" now said "BRAIN FREEZE", with a pink brain frozen in the center of a block of ice (they've since added the requisite ice cream price stickers to the side of the truck as well)...



I've always complained of never seeing an ice cream truck in Athens since I've moved here from California (we had AT LEAST three different ice cream trucks roll through our neighborhood on a daily basis, year round), and now we have an ice cream man living on our street!



This orange kitty came down the driveway to greet us:









The firestation (Fire Hall #4) right around the corner from our street...it's good to know help is close at hand...



Soon, we were at the park, ready to do some shopping...





Some bumper stickers we saw in the parking lot on the way in:









One one side of the pavilion was reserved for all the bakers and coffee brewers...you could easily fix yourself up with some breakfast and kick it at one of the picnic tables...we ended up buying a loaf of sliced HONEY WHEAT BREAD and some DINNER ROLLS...















We found all the produce set up on the other side of the pavilion...









Missy ended up buying a HEAD OF LETTUCE from this table:





Then, Missy bought some FRESH BASIL from this table:





A HOSTA plant and a TOMATO plant was bought at this table, but not before Missy consulted the fact sheet:









We bought a pound of POTATOES from here...





...and then, we went back to the "bread side" of the building and bought a couple of scones to take back for our breakfast...



We headed back home, satisfied with our buys and with knowing that we were able to support local farms...







When we got back to the ranch, Nilla was waiting for us in Missy's closet window:





(wintertime scarves hanging up in our pink mudroom)



Later, we went out for brunch with JAY AND TERRI to celebrate Terri's win (she won the This Is Blythe photo contest that Missy also participated in!)...I would have took photos, but I didn't want to torture you with another photo of yet another breakfast burrito at THE GRIT (actually, I had an omelet and broke the streak!)...spent the rest of the day playing with the new Wii (Simpsons game!) and bumbling around the house. That evening, we headed out to the local art-house movie theater, CINE, to see our friend PAUL THOMAS perform and show some of his multi-media art...he projected movie trailers of 60's and 70's sexploitation flicks, while he provided an ambiant-noise sountrack with various keyboards, effects boxes and pedals...some of the movie titles and previews were hilarious, even without being able to hear the original voice-overs...some of my personal favorites were "The Adult Version Of Jekyll And Hyde" (where Dr. Jekyll turns into a voluptuous young women and gets turned on by him/herself), "The Erotic Adventures Of Zorro", and "The Curious Dr. Humpp" (a film where the aforementioned Dr. Humpp turns hapless victims - men and women - into sex-starved zombies trapped on his island castle...and yes...TWO "P"s!)...

(Paul and his friends setting up for the performance)