DAY 2 : Seattle

It's day two, and Seattle is FRIENDLY!!

There is no better word for Seattle than "Friendly". When it's raining: dreary, depressing, yet always friendly.

I started off my day with the most delicious bit of caffeine that I've EVER had (yes, shawnie, im sorry -- better than your morning brew). It was cafe americano (espresso + water), with cream and sugar. But the espresso was made in the most delightful, intriguing contraption. I'm sure that the espresso was as delicious as it was because of the machine it was brewed in. It's made by a company, Bialetti. Fabulous. Absolutely fabulous. I'm definitely going to start using this method upon my return to NJ.

It kind of reminded me of this French-Press-esque gadget that my friend Emily Corkill brought me back from Vietnam. Both make super strong brews, but the Vietnamese press sits on top of your cup.



Anyways, enough about coffee. Let's talk about Seattle.

I took the 120 Seattle bus into the heart of the city this morning for $1.50. I asked the bus driver and everyone person seated around me 5 times where I was going, and if I was headed in the right direction. I was. In 15 minutes I was dropped @ 3rd Avenue and Union. I was only a few walking blocks from the famous Pike Place Market.
Outside there are a ton of fish markets, produce stands, cheese - salmon - meats...you name it. If it was fresh, it was sold along the street. I opted for the downstairs 'flea market' style shopping center. You walk underground and they have a zillion shops, you can get lost. I did get lost and found myself in a cute little stationary store. I chatted with the owner for over an hour (they specialized in VINTAGE CARDS, my favorite!!) and spent a bunch of money on cards (I'd rather not disclose the amount.....). I ventured outside because the sun was shining, for which I was very very very grateful. It was gorgeous. I strolled along the street and munched on a PIROSHKI from the russian bakery. It was basically a pastry filled with potatoes, onions, and cheese. Okay, not amazing. I'd never heard of them before, so I was interested. It was $3.50. After that I walked to an antique store that my Stationary friend had told me about. It was a large building and everything was expensive and in cases, but I found one room filled with great vintage clothes. I tried on every article in the room. I was having a bunch of fun putting feathers in my hair and trying on ridiculous clothing, but I did end up picking up one black leather jacket to purchase. It's classic. Love it. And of course, I bought some vintage cards. After spending a few hours in there I stopped at this place called Taxi Dogs and had the best hot dog of my life!!! I'm not really a hot dog eater-- but it was fantastic. Fantastic. Hit the spot. I ate it while I was sitting on a stone wall looking out over the beautiful water in Seattle.

Next I saw a golden retriever.
I followed the golden retriever -
into a wine store.
And what a wonderful discovery it was!
The Tasting Room: Wines of Washington.
Jeff was my wine connoisseur.
He helped me find a wine to give to my Host, Julie's boyfriend Gordon, as a gift.
THen while I was being rung up, I decided to have a "flight" of wine (2 oz tastings). I tried 4 reds.
Had a full glass of my favorite red.
And then had 2 glasses of sparking wine, all the while chatting with a fabulously friendly couple to my right and gabbing with Jen the manager and Jeff my connoisseur. It was soo fabulous and fantastic and delicious. I snacked on some cured Salmi's and chatted up a new friend, Tiana. She had to jet because she was late for work, but she said that I should definitely stop in. The place was Steel Head Diner and she gave me her number just in case I got lost.
I said my goodbyes, gave the two golden retrievers kisses, and stumbled out.

I bopped one more time through Pike Place, picking up some gifts for Shawn and my family, then I made my way towards the Steel Head Diner. When I got there the chef sent over some fried Smelt (little bait fish) with a fantastic mustard dipping sauce (on the house). I then had BEET TARTARE. Bah. Fabulous. Delicious. Wonderful. I shared this with my dining "neighbor" Sophie, who was eating some kick-ass gourmet Mac n Cheese. I sipped on a delicious gin, lime and sage cocktail while making new friends. Sophie walked me to the bus stop and we texted for the next 20 minutes. She's very friendly, like everyone else I've met in Seattle.

Im home now, and julie just arrived -- so we are going to drink some wine and eat PICKLED STRING BEANS!!!! MMMM.

xoxoxoxo cailin

DAY 1: SEATTLE

*Night Before:
Of course something exciting is going to happen, so I catch a wicked cold, cough & congestion. Been hacking my lungs up for days.

I packed today. I packed way too much. But I think that they charge a fee for checked bags now, so if I'm paying - I might as well get my moneys worth with a big bag. Took a benadryl and some cough medicine. Going to watch Grey's Anatomy then pass out. Flight @ 6:15 am. Have to be up @ 3:45am. Need gas in my car - shit - be up by 3:35 at the latest. Thank god Paul is taking me to the airport - he drives fast. He's such a good friend - I don't know anyone else who would take me to the airport at the ass crack of dawn.

OFFICIAL DAY 1:
I'm flying into Detroit now. En route to Seattle. Traveling is expensive anymore...gas prices are up. Plus $15 to check my bag, plus a $5 tip. Atleast I got a cup of free OJ on the plane. THey don't even give you peanuts anymore. Rip-off. The guy sitting catty-corner me is a jackass. I'm guessing that he's a sports coach of some sort based on his hoodie and sweats get-up, his Nike carryon bag, and the fact that he's obsessing over the sports section of the paper. Plus, he just gives off that "I'm a coach" kind of pompous attitude. He's bald with big ears and long blonde eyelashes. When he boarded the plane he threw a shit-fit because there was no room in the overhead for his Nike duffel bag. He threw his bag in the middle of the aisle, while people still needed to get by. Damn, he really showed us. Well since you get charged a fee for checked bags everyone brings a big carryon and a book bag or something -- and who can blame them. We just spent hundreds of dollars for a shitty, uncomfortable seat next to a crying baby on a stuffy airplane -- and all we get is crappy stale coffee in a styrafoam cup. I don't want to pay an extra $15 fucking dollars for my bag - I'm putting it in the overhead! So tough shit buddy, stick your bag under the seat like everybody else. I don't know why, but this guy is really getting under my skin. Maybe it's because I haven't had coffee yet. Who knows, maybe he's such a prick because he hasn't had HIS coffee yet. It's a very powerful beverage.

My ears are popping and I have to put my seat up. 1/4 the way there....

Detroit Airport. Waiting for my flight. Call me a coffee snob - call me whatever you'd like -- but the coffee I just got at the "Coffee Beanery" was so horrible that I took one sip and had to throw it out. And I HATE to waste things, but the coffee was really that bad. Their slogan is "Coffee People Who Care" -- I was mislead. For someone who's sole gig is coffee, they serve a pretty crappy brew. I thought that the Coffee Beanery understood that your day is only as good as your first cup of coffee. And this was a serious day, coffee was not a luxury, but a necessity. I'm going to go look for a better coffee fix -- I hate to say it, but I'd be so thankful for a Starbucks right now. In the meantime I will just dream of Harry & Beans Sumatran Blend that my boyfriend brews to perfection.

In my quest for coffee (I worked up a sweat, frantically searching the airport for a decent brew) I found myself @ McDonald's. Random right? Guess what -- they make a decent cup of coffee! Way better than starbucks, and cheaper! It's no Harry & Beans but beggars cannot be choosers. Woo hoo! My day is salvaged afterall.
**I'm so excited about my delicious discovery that I drink prematurely and burn the shit outta my tongue.


Seattle Flight: So consumed with new book, Eat Pray Love. Cannot put it down. Write more later.

WOOO HOOO IN SEATTLE!!! JULISA IS AS BEAUTIFUL AS EVER. Love their house, and my room is super cute. Headed out to meet up with my great friend, and old drummer, Adam Price. Yahooo.

old time photo machine @ lakeside

wooo hooo lakeside had an old-time photo machine. i blew all my money on it and it was fabulous!

lakeside lounge photos

You can check out my Lakeside Lounge album that's on my facebook by clicking on this link:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=175801&l=461df&id=653500240

YES WE CAN

MAUDE

This is my best friend, Maude: aka pig dog, pig, piglet, hog, hoggie, black bitch

Obama 08

Tomorrow's the big day!!!

SIPPIE

Sippie Wallace was a classic blues singer of the '20s. She was a major influence on Bonnie Raitt, who is a major influence on me. Sippie was the one who wrote "women be wise" (see 2 posts below) as well as many other hit songs that were made even more famous by Bonnie Raitt.

This is her song, Mighty Tight Woman-- its phenomenal:


"I've come to you sweet man
falling on my knees
I've come to you pretty papa
falling on my knees
To ask, if you aint got nobody
kind darlin, take me please"

october

we had a great swell the last week of october. here are some photos taken by vanessa burke.

here are some of me:







Jeff Pace:








and Shawnie:




wooo hoo for waves!!!

jealously and women

women.

its like we are all out to get each other.

you could get any female to say something terrible about her best friend. i dont know what it is about us, the fairer sex. women are certainly the more intelligent of the sexes, so what's the problem? one of my new songs talks about my concern with women, and their ability to go after whatever they want -- and get it -- no matter the factors. this new song, currently titled "insecurities" due to the lack of a better name, is about my struggle with women, trust, insecurities, acknowledging things within myself that i need to work on and explaining to my partner that past relationships are affecting my trust in this relationship. you can hear it on my myspace page: www.myspace.com/cailincallahan

Insecurities:

i should know better than to question you
its just that ive been so hurt before
and im not done with loving you or being yours
please be tolerant of these outrageous outbreaks
it's just my silly insecurities that i cant seem to shake

this jealously controls me
so let me begin by saying sorry
its not you that i dont trust
its my heart thats turn to rust
and all these loose women
with their long legs and fancy things
they dont care that you're mine
they dont care you're what makes my heart sing.

you have patiently endured my wrongs and my woes
your love should not be in question cause it constantly shows
its just that what a woman wants, a woman gets
they're sneaky and stealthy, on their study hunt for you

this jealously controls me
so let me begin by saying sorry
its not you that i dont trust
its my heart thats turn to rust
and all these loose women
with their long legs and fancy things
they dont care that you're mine
they dont care you're what makes my heart sing.

i know that in the end, it will be you who breaks me
you said you were fine with crazy
but i know that's the reason that you will leave me
i just cant let go yet
im not finished yet
so please just let me enjoy this bit of happiness
please just let me enjoy this happiness

this jealously controls me
so let me begin by saying sorry
its not you that i dont trust
its my heart thats turn to rust
and all these loose women
with their long legs and fancy things
they dont care that you're mine
they dont care you're what makes my heart sing.

written by cailin callahan, 2008

another song about women, an old blues song performed by my favorite: Bonnie Raitt

lakeside II

but the night was redeemed by the badass jukebox selections (christian), the oldschool galaga game (sharon) and the oldtime black and white photo machine -- you know, like the ones on the boardwalk!! we made a total of 32 dollars in the love bucket. we then split that three ways. i spent all of my money on oldtime photos. woo hoo. christian spent his on the jukebox. and sven -- i dont know what he did with his. it was money well spent.

lakeside lounge, nyc, november 2008

sven, christian and i played at the lakeside lounge in nyc last night.
i rented a 15 passenger van and loaded up the band and our friends.


i want to make something clear.
yes, the band plays under CAILIN CALLAHAN, but it takes the THREE of us to make music. me alone, its good.
christian solo, its good.
sven, yeah its good.
but the three of us together can do something and make something so beautiful that sometimes it makes my head spin. christian always finds the perfect hook to play behind a song that it mesmerizes the listener. sven always has the perfect advice for the composition of a song, and how certain dramatic pauses, or clicks and taps can completely transform a song. sven and christian are what complete me and my songs.

ive been doing a lot of thinking lately about music. what it means to me, what i want from it, and where it fits into my life. ive never had the desire to be a famous musician -- i dont like playing at large venues anyways. ive never had the false idea that being a musician was going to make me rich -- i dont need a ton of money. but i've always expected music to fill this void that i feel inside of me most days. and it does. im so thankful for that. music means, to me, clarity -- and peace of mind. what i want as a musician is to play for people who want to LISTEN. really listen. and i want music to fit effortlessly into my life and be satisfying.

SO...with this said, i want to apologize to anyone who was at the lakeside show last night. i was pretty down on the music...apologizing during the show about being sick, about the poor sound quality (the patch chord they gave me for the guitar was rotted and kept popping), and for just playing through the night with a sourpuss attitude and frown. i realize now that the audience feeds off of your own energy-- so if you are pissed about factors that you cannot control (sound quality, being sick, etc), that i need to just get over it -- the show must go on. the audience can only be as stoked about the music as you are. that i can do. i feel that i need to explain though the other reason that i was upset last night: we packed the room. Friends, as well as some new fans, took time out of their life and came from all over -- south jersey, ramsey, all ends of nyc -- to come out and support ME and the boys, to support the music. everyone spent money on transportation, booze and food -- money that most of us dont have in abundance. i feel like we let you down. the boys and i have been practicing lately, and we sound better than we've ever sounded!! making music that surprises all three of us!! and last night we were off -- because of booze or other distractions. we were given 50 minutes to fucking rock for you, to justify the time and money that you gave to us...and i dont think that we did you justice. i didnt show you what music means to me, and the power that my music can possess. for this, im sorry.

bringing this full circle -- this band is NOT just cailin callahan. and i had to explain that to sven today. if sven is off, or christian is off, or im off -- we're ALL off. SO. we are going to be working together and working through some things so that NEXT TIME we can REALLY show what music means to us -- which is everything.

music and emotions

being sensitive is a gift and a curse.

if it was not for music, i would explode -- overwhelmed with emotion.

ODD-JoBBer

I've decided that money is hard to come by.
And hard to keep.

I like my life.
I love traveling and having free time to go to the gym all day or hang out with Maude (my boyfriends dog).
Yes, I work my ASS off in the summer, which is why I don't feel the desire to work in the winter - AT ALL.

I'm going to Seattle for 10 days in November.
And I just bought a one-way ticket to Costa Rica (I leave December 19th).
I will most likely be returning on Feb. 27th, unless
A) I miss Shawn and decide to come home early, or
B) Shawn breaks up with me and I decide to stay down there forever and raise little brown babies

You are wondering why I am emailing you all this babble? Because my money depends on you - to spread the word.

I'm an the official odd-jobber (I'm sure that you can take this in the way it's intended -- most men find a way to pervert it though).

I will.....

-Watch your dog (or cat) **I'm pushing this one! I love dogs!
-Wash your dog
-Walk your dog
-Help your grandma with her groceries
-Clean houses
-Make you dinner
-Drive you to doctors appointments
-Give you guitar lessons
-Have a show at your music venue
-Write an article for your magazine
-Type up all your random notes
-Make you custom Christmas Cards
-Freelance Graphic Design (I DO have an education, BA in Graphic Design)
-Cater a party for you (ask anyone, im a kickass chef)
WHATEVER. Spread the word. Cailin needs money, and she's willing to odd-job for it.

Now you're wondering why I don't just get a job...


Well I'm not willing to give up my fabulous travel-filled, glorious, comfortable life to work for some JOE SHMOE at a 9-5 job making crap money. Boo.

And HEY, while your at it, tell all those cheapos out there that haven't purchased my cd yet to SUPPORT THE ARTS. It's only TEN DOLLARS -- that's a shortie hoagie and a soda at WAWA for cryin' out loud.

the BLOG is BACK

BAH.

I was gone for a minute, but now I'm back.
Summer is a crazy time.
I was in love, surfing a ton, making music, working around the clock and spending minimal time online.

Fast forward to fall.
I surfed a ton, have been eating great food and had some GREAT gigs. Epic gigs.
I got a new board, Monsieur Poupon. He is the 3rd man in my life -- the first being my father, the second being Shawn. He is 6'8" and beautiful. Rounded tail, egg-shaped and the most gorgeous shade of yellow.
Speaking of obsessions, I joined the 18th street Ocean City Community Center and it is FABULOUS.
I've been working it out, swimming it out, and sweating it out (in their fab sauna), all for only $49 a month.
My yoga teacher Hope is fantastic and funny and loud, like me.
I go to atleast one class a day, that is in between taking Maude for walks, taking Maude to the beach, or hanging out with Maude in the house.
Maude is my boyfriends dog. She is part lab, part boxer, part pit-bull. The Glorious Black Bitch with an Underbite. Very cute. Love of my life. I will post a picture this week.

In EPIC GIG news, I played at the Hinge in philadelphia earlier this month. I thought that this was going to be a random show, and it most certainly was...but in a good way. Downstairs they serve up some DELICIOUS food. I'm talking mouth-watering, lip-licking good. My friend Sharon Stabley had rack of lamb with mashed sweet potatoes and roasted figs stuffed with bleu cheese. I had homemade wheat fettucini with plum tomatoes. It's a BYOB place (thank god, saving my friends buku bucks). Upstairs is the venue. It's draped in deep purples and maroons, silks and satins and everything beautiful and luxurious. It is small and intimate and candle-lit with a small space in the front of the room for the band. The room fits 35 people, and we packed in 30. I played with Christian Mahr, my very talented bearded guitarist who sleeps all day and drinks coffee all night while doing crossword puzzles the few hours he is awake and Sven Peltonen my very outgoing, energetic, off-in-a-charming-sort-of-way percussionist. Through out the 2 hour performance you could have heard a pin drop. Two songs moved the audience to cry, one even made Christian and I cry. In my opinion it was the highlight of my career as a musician. It was a show that every musician strives to have. A captive audience, a perfect venue, and a flow amoungst the people you are sharing the stage with. FEELING the music. *The night was documented by the oh-so-fabulous-photographer, Sharon Stabley. Photos will follow I promise.


ANYWAYS, That's enough rambling for now. More later, don't worry. You won't lose me again!