Archive | memories

Treadmill licking; stylish jeans; other important stuff

By Alison Rosen on January 14, 2011 in dogs, fashion, fitness, imperfections, memories, name dropping, nostalgia

One of the things Tobey likes to do is squeeze his little body in between the space between the treadmill and the wall and then lick the treadmill. (I tried it once, didn’t see what was so great about it.) He was doing this just now and I looked over and our eyes met and I’m pretty sure he looked back at me with a look that said, “I’m sorry, but I have to do this.” Other things he has to do? Eat Kleenex, come running when he smells turkey (even if he’s asleep), bark if he hears dogs and occasionally try to seduce computer chairs.

In other news, yesterday I went on an audition held at the building where Chelsea Lately is taped and it was the single most fashionable place I’d ever been. Every single person looked like they had a stylist. Some were in jeans but the jeans were in saucy color and looked brand new. My jeans are just in regular colors and look medium old to acid washed. Ok I don’t really own acid washed jeans anymore but you get what I’m saying. I did once own an entire denim outift that was white with black polka dots. I looked like a Holstein.

Now you might be thinking, “You? Looking like a cow? STFU,” unless you know me well or have known me over the years enough to know that I used to be fairly bovine. Sometimes I like to hide this fact because I’m worried if people know I used to be fat they will then look at me now and think, “Oh yeah, I see it!” however I’m also still mentally scarred enough from all the years of being the fat kid to think it might do me some good to just say it instead of trying to hide it.

Also something which started in New York which always amused me is people thinking I must have it so easy because of how I look. To me this is sort of like if someone got mad at me for being a small Asian woman. I would hear the words but wouldn’t take them in because the person being described just isn’t me. I also occasionally get, “Oh, like you’ve ever had trouble getting a boyfriend?” as if I was the prom queen. Some day I will dig deep into my past and barf photos and stories all over you. Look forward to that day!

In other, other news, I just wrote back to a message I received on Facebook and now I’m receiving all sorts of replies which is making me realize the message I responded to was a group message. I didn’t realize this. That story had no point.

Also yesterday after the stylish audition where I forgot that wearing dresses to an audition gives the mic guy nowhere to hook the mic battery pack so you’ll end up essentially getting naked in front of a room full of people while they search for a place on your undergarments to clip the thing, I went to Teresa Strasser’s book reading. I met a lot of very nice ACS fans who said a lot of very nice things and now I have a big head and am a total dick.

Perhaps you are wondering what Adam said to me on my first day on the job? So I’d auditioned the first week of January and found out I got the job over the weekend and was to start that Monday. Monday rolls around and I’m sitting in the studio and Adam walks in and I wave and he sees me and then says, loudly, “That’s Alison?” I’ve been giggling about this ever since. [Do I need to explain that he was making a joke? Pretending they’d hired the wrong person? I think it’s clear however maybe the italics don’t really get across the exact tone of voice.]

Did I have anything else to tell you? Ummm… Ummmmmmm….. I’m going to be on The Film Vault this week… um… and I haven’t been able to individually respond to everyone who’s said really nice things to me but I just want to thank you all.

Trash, Carrot Shavings and The Salem Fart Trial

By Alison Rosen on October 20, 2010 in corona del mar, memories

Remember when I told you I’d written some stories about feeling like a misfit growing up? Here’s another one. You’re welcome.

The high school where I served my tour of duty had an open campus policy for upper school. This meant if you were in eleventh or twelfth grade you could do as you pleased during lunch but if you were in ninth or tenth grade you were stuck on campus like a prisoner. It wasn’t fair! I needed to breathe! I needed to hop in my car and drive 20 feet away and then drive back about 20 minutes later, like a civilized adult! Why was the school depriving me of my freedom? Most sophomores didn’t pay heed to the Draconian rules. As there was no one to prevent them from driving off campus, they just did so as if it was their right and no one was the wiser. Back they’d come, toting purloined booty from nearby far-off lands—a ketchup blob on the upper lip that glistened like no cafeteria ketchup I’d ever known. A rich burp redolent with the scent of Dr. Pepper when everyone knew the only prune-flavored beverage the high school threw its government money behind was watery Mr. Pibb. The most brazen (more…)

Video from when I played in a band on The Daily Alison

By Alison Rosen on September 6, 2009 in corona del mar, Costa Mesa, did I mention I was in a band?, memories, music, orange county, the angoras, The Daily Alison, touring

A bunch of you have been asking to see video from when I played in The Angoras so here you go. A few songs from a show we played at The Garage in Hollywood in 2001. I’m playing the sparkly silver Gretsch. Paula is in the middle and Yami is on bass. Tim was on drums. Paula and Tim still play music in bands. All three of my former band mates have been on my show. I miss them.

It's possible I've even seen the Bacon Brothers perform

By Alison Rosen on June 11, 2009 in imperfections, memories, more about me, name dropping

I used to have a real weakness for Kevin Bacon and just shut up because He Said, She Said was an excellent film, as was The Big Picture. The downside to any sort of Bacon preoccupation is that it’s impossible to think or talk about it without the Footloose theme song running through your head which is happening to me right now and I don’t like it.

Anyway, there’s this post on Defamer about Househusbands of Hollywood which is going to be like the male Real Housewives or something but all I could think was “Hey, that guy looks just like Kevin Bacon, I think that IS Kevin Bacon?!” and that I’ll probably have to watch the show now. Turns out it isn’t Kevin Bacon, it’s his doppelganger Danny Moder and I won’t have to watch the show.

Note the Bacon-likeness:

I should add two things. 1) This picture is via Gawker via Getty or something meaning I did not take it myself with my Le Clique camera. 2) My Kevin Bacon infatuation kind of died a little when I interviewed him years ago and he was super professional and just wanted to talk about his movie and his family. “Really?” I asked, tugging at the sleeve of my cable-knit sweater to reveal a half inch swatch of wrist. “That’s fascinating!” I murmured, slowly readjusting the neck of my Lands end turtleneck. He was immune though.

The Daily Alison (Wherein I play tag and then interview Anthony Pignataro)

By Alison Rosen on June 2, 2009 in memories, nostalgia, OC Weekly, The Daily Alison, The Shirt, video, vlogs

Anthony Pignataro and I used to work at the OC Weekly. He always wore shorts, hence the invention of his alter ego, Tony LongPants, who wears pants. I think this amused the rest of us more than it amused Anthony, as you’ll see when I bring it up. Anthony lived in Maui for many years after Orange County and worked as the editor-in-chief of the Maui Time Weekly. He’s written a book called Remember The Technicolor Dreamboat: And Other Tales of Maui’s Misfits featuring some of those stories which you can buy here.

song sample

By Alison Rosen on March 8, 2008 in Costa Mesa, did I mention I was in a band?, memories

Okay so I will learn how to put an actual song but for now I found this, which is a tiny sample of a song we had on a soundtrack. Go here and find “Sick Dance” by The Angoras.

Costa Mesa

By Alison Rosen on March 3, 2008 in Costa Mesa, memories, OC Weekly

So I started thinking about Costa Mesa and the bands that used to play here and all the articles I wrote about them when I first started writing for the OC Weekly. Here is one, about The Women, who were great (and who were guys). It’s a little overwrought maybe, but I felt like I’d been on an odyssey with the singer.

ADDENDUM: this one’s even more overwrought, like I actually cringe at a few lines perhaps involving the words “tangle of demons” and something about things that drive you towards greatness but anyway, it feels like the bookend to the one above.

You requested photos of the mini band reunion?

By Alison Rosen on March 2, 2008 in did I mention I was in a band?, matrimony, memories, tinnitus, touring

Here we are, playing at Yami’s wedding reception on gear we borrowed from the actual wedding band and friendly instrument-owning friends. That’s Tim on drums, Paula (lead vocals) in the middle and Yami in the wedding dress on the right. Tim and Paula still play in bands. After The Angoras (that was our name), Tim moved to Portland to play in the now defunct Epoxies, and Paula moved to Seattle and she plays in The Heels.

This is an un-hot shot of me. But I like the Paula and Yami action. But wait, how could we so effortlessly just pick up and play after so many years? I’m kind of joking, since I don’t know how seamless it really was, but anyway, we practiced earlier that day:

Here’s Yami and me, yesterday morning, on borrowed equipment in our friend’s studio in the back of a part of Costa Mesa, CA referred to as “Analog Alley” because of a couple recording studios there that until recently eschewed digital technology. That was the first time I’ve touched a guitar in years. Later that night I played drums for awhile (when the band formed I was the drummer, which is a long story for another day), but anyway, now I really miss playing, even if my hands are blistered.

Jodey from Supernova on left, Paula and Yami. But wait, now you’re probably wanting to see some pictures from back in the day, right? I know you so well.

Here’s a tour shot. We were playing Old Ironsides in Sacramento. This must have been about 7 or 8 years ago, because Yami was pregnant with her daughter in this shot, and her daughter is now 7, which makes me feel uncomfortably old. Also on this tour people kept asking if I was pregnant, because they heard someone in the band was pregnant, which was good for my self-esteem.”Well, you’re glowing!” they’d say when I reacted violently.