NIN

i pretty much took that picture just for proof that i was there. that was after their last set, before the encore.

it effing rocked last night! i had so much fun...

it was kinda strange being in seattle. the last time i'd been there was in '02 when i was visiting with *k*, my estranged older sister. it feels really good to be able to imprint better memories atop the crappy ones of pretty much the entire state of washington. i really don't like WA all that much: it's where i was married, after all, and where a lot of people live that used to be friends. the only reason i drove up there was for them, or back when *j* and i were together i'd drive up to see him. so i didn't have a whole lot of reason to even give the state my time of day. but a NIN concert?

yeah, i'll do that. =) and it was great!

i got pics of the space needle, also to prove i was there. "for blog posterity," i said. there was a parade going on at the same time, and some sort of decorative military function, so it was c-r-o-w-d-e-d! but after kinda taking a roundabout route amidst horses and baton twirlers, floats, and drumlines, we finally made our way to the key arena.

i took this pic along the way, because i'd forgotten to ask *ks* if i could borrow his camera. i had my phone, though. my new, wonderful slinky pinky with all-powerful camera action! woo! so i was playing with it and had the opportunity to prove that yes, i do in fact go out and do stuff. i didn't know it, but we had floor tickets, so we landed ourselves a spot dead center four bodies back. when i say that trent reznor was right there, i mean he was right there. it was pretty incredible...

...until i realized that i was standing in the dead center of the mosh pit. at first it was actually kinda fun. i was getting high on the energy of so many pressing bodies all frantic in the heated worship of angry, industrial rock. i laughed, thinking, "wow, i can kinda say that i've now had hot, sweaty sex with about 300 people. cool." there was that kind of charge to the mob. i flowed with it, leaned with it, ran with it, pressed with it, jumped with it, screamed with it. at one point, neither of my feet were touching the floor and i was being carried along by it.

cool.

but y'know, if you've never been in a mosh pit, all those bodies crushing against you, all that heat, all of them screaming and gyrating and pressing tends to suck all the oxygen out of the air. some of it i'm sure gets burned up by the sheer energy of the crowd. i couldn't breathe. i now do not doubt the power of mobs, or their deadliness. when people say they couldn't get out of it and were carried along by it, they don't mean that figuratively.

between that, and all the skunkweed being smoked in the pit, i almost passed out. but i was with *cr*. he stuck by me...i don't know how. that crowd was wild. but when i turned to him and said, "yeah, 'kay, i'm done," he threw his arm across my chest and pulled me, lifeguard-with-drowning-victim style, through the crowd and out. i was like, "aw, my hero. he fought through a mosh pit for me." a guard saw me staggering, and he escorted us out the rest of the way, put me with the floor guards. it was kinda cool.

afterwards, when we were resting our feet (i took my "comfortable" walking shoes off and was happier barefoot, for which *cr* laughed at me), i saw a guy running around wearing balloon art. it was hilarious. we laughed, mused about it, laughed more, and finally i got up and asked the guy if i could take a picture of his lovely balloon. he was a nice guy.



then we had to split up because we had taken two cars between all of us, and we wanted to meet up at mc menamin's just for some place to sit and enjoy something to drink before heading out. traffic was kinda nuts. it was hilarious, listening to the guys try to figure out which would be best, least confusing, most efficient, and fastest. of course, being that *cr* doesn't know seattle, and i'm directionally-challenged as it is, i said, "well, why don't we all just get a picture of the map instead of you guys trying to memorize it?"

and then there was silence.

crickets chirping. befuddled guys blinking.

"dude, that's a good idea!" and "wow, that's a good idea!" and (my favorite) "why didn't we think of that? that's a really good idea."

me: "what would you do without me?"



and then, because it was there and beautiful, and it was a clear night, i got another shot of the needle.



all in all, it was a really fun night.