80s Weekend Planned

This weekend I'm headed to NJ to see Rick Springfield at the State Theater where Jeffro's dad works. I think he's going to be able to get us backstage to meet Rick, and I am trying not to get my hopes up.

Then Saturday we come back home to go to the Hooters at the Birchmere. They have a new album out and I'm curious to see what they will sound like after all these years. I saw them about a million years ago.

Anyway, here's a little music from them, courtesy of Jeffro. Enjoy!
MP3: Love Somebody – Rick Springfield
MP3: All You Zombies – The Hooters

So I stole this idea from Jeffro to see what celebrity I look like. What a weird list! Every time I do something like this I wind up resembling Indian or Asian celebrities even though I'm Italian. Weird! This is even weirder, with my number one look-alike being Catherine Deneuve! If only I looked like Catherine, my life would certainly have been much better! I don't even know who half these people are, and I don't have time to research for you. So if you're curious, you can Google them yourself.

Latest Health Crisis

And boy, this one's a doozy. It seems that ever time I go to the doctor I have a new problem. I have an ongoing thyroid condition (nodules) and now the latest test results show that I need to get a biopsy to determine what is going on. It is very likely that no matter what the biopsy shows, I will have to have my thyroid removed in the near future. Even if it's benign, the chances are that these bad changes that are occurring will continue to occur, leading to something worse. I'm on thyroid medicine anyway, so my thyroid isn't really "working" anymore, so the best option is likely just to take the damn thing out.

Ups and Downs (Mostly Up)

Well, it seems that my dog's new kidney meds are helping. Her appetite seems better, and she's now mostly agreeing to take walks, albeit sometimes short ones. So I'm pretty happy about that. The holistic vet is putting her on another kidney support in the next couple of days, so we'll see what that does. Plus she's going for accupuncture again next week. This has been a much better week.

I'm working from home today, which is nice. Have a big project to finish and it's too difficult to get done in the office.

Been Gone So Long

Sorry that I haven't written in a while, I have really been in a funk. My 14-year old dog is rapidly deteriorating in health, and I've been sort of focused/obsessed with that and haven't felt at all like writing. I don't feel I have anything good to say right now, so I guess I'm on a little hiatus until I feel a little better about things. It's been a really rough couple of weeks.

New Mattress Tomorrow!

Well, yesterday we finally went out to buy a much-needed new mattress. Our old mattress is actually hurting my back, so it's definitely time for a new one. I'm so excited! I think we wound up with a Sealy Posturepedic. It's being delivered tomorrow, so I will get to leave work at some point, which is also very exciting . . .

Your Update

I just realized I haven't blogged all week. Guess I'm feeling a little uninspired. But here's a few tidbits to catch you up:

1. Opie seems to have recovered well from his surgery and is fully back to his old antics.

2. Pepper is still ambling along, doing maybe a little better this week due to an increase in meds.

3. Jeffro has just purchased a new car (see above).

4. I've been suffering with terrible allergies for no apparent reason--this is not my bad time of year and despite daily meds and twice-monthly allergy shots nothing's helping. Guess I might have to go back to more frequent shots. I'm also officially on a diet, well during the week that is.

So there, now you know everything going on over here.

NFW

I'm having a not fun week (NFW). Opie is recovering quite well from his recent health crisis, but today he refused to allow the dog walker to put his cone back on, so I had to come home early from work and may have to stay home tomorrow to supervise him.

My older dog is not doing very well. Her stomach is very sensitive (she threw up today) and she doesn't seem to want to walk much any more. It's just a rollercoaster with her. One week she's better, the next week she's worse. Sigh.

Oh, and Jeffro's car is totaled and he has to get a new one. . . And today my toilet started acting up, so I have left a message with my fix-it guy. I need a vacation . . .

Weekend of Woes

This is probably more than you ever wanted to know about my life, but my poor dog Opie has developed an abcess in his anal gland and had to go to the emergency vet last night and stay overnight for some minor surgery to lance it. I picked him up this morning and he is one sorry dog. He keeps crying even though I took the Elizabethan collar off him, and he's following me around everywhere. His butt is a complete mess, as they left the site open and it's totally disgusting. I don't know how he's going to poop, it looks really painful! I have to go back and pick up some chewable pills, as he won't take what they originally gave us. I also have to apply a warm compress to his butt, which is going to be mighty interesting. The things we do for our pets. And poor me, this procedure and drugs cost me over $500. Sigh.

Then Jeffro hit a parked car here on the street on his way back from the grocery store. He said his brakes failed . . . the hood of his car is pretty much needing to be replaced, plus he said his radiator is leaking. The other car didn't have much damage and of course the owner can't be found right now. He's on the phone with insurance right now. (He was not was injured.) This has been one expensive weekend for both of us.

Work Rant of the Day

It's been a while since I've had a really good rant on my blog, so here goes. Enjoy.

People in this world need to learn to have one friggin ounce of patience. As I was on the phone today, my other line rang and since I was on the phone I didn’t pick up. So they dialed “O” to go to the operator and got someone else in the office, who then also tried to call me and I didn’t pick up. Then my coworker who got the call emailed me and copied the guy who had called. In the meantime, the guy tried to call me again, didn’t get a message, and pressed “O” again and someone else appeared at my door to try to get me to answer the phone.

After I emailed the guy the answer, he called me again about 10 minutes later asking me something I'd written in the email, which he claims he never got. Geez!

This was a VERY non-urgent matter, and I can’t believe people can’t either:
1. Leave a message and get a return call in a few minutes
2. Wait for the return email with the information they are requesting.
3. Stop friggin calling every five minutes if you don't get an answer.

It just blows my mind and pisses me off that everyone has to have everything RIGHT THIS MINUTE! I am busy, leave me alone! I will get back to you in a timely fashion when I am able! What is wrong with people and what is wrong with our society that people can no longer wait for anything?

Valentine Surprise: Morou

Jeffro surprised me last night with dinner reservations at Farrah Olivia, which is one of my favorite local restaurants. I’ve chronicled the appearances of Owner and Executive Chef Morou, who has appeared on Iron Chef America and was a contestant on Next Iron Chef America, many times on my blog. It’s no secret I’m a big fan. Well, last night at the table next to us there was a family, and the little girl and mother kept looking to the kitchen door like they expected Morou to walk out. Which he did. Somehow he had connections to that family and went over to say hi. Then he stopped by another table. I was getting discouraged that I wouldn’t be able to meet him, so as he was walking back to the kitchen I shamelessly went over and introduced myself, telling him I was a big fan, loved his restaurant, and thought he should have been the next Iron Chef. He was very nice and down to earth, and insisted on meeting Jeffro, who was still back at the table. So in addition to eating and my favorite place and getting some cool gifts from Jeffro, I got to meet my favorite chef!

Urgent Care

Well, today I had a weird episode of something undefinable that felt like I was having a heart attack or something. I decided to go to Urgent Care and spent 3+ hours sitting there waiting for an appointment. I really liked my doc, though, she was very thorough and I should have test results in a few days. I honestly think it was a case of too much coffee causing grave heartburn, sadly enough. So tomorrow, no coffee for me!

Exhausted

It has been an exhausting week, and more exhausting weekend. I had my Italian class yesterday then had to go work at my freelance job for the rest of the day. I've been running low on steam all week, so this just about did me in and I was sleeping in front of a movie by 9:30. How sad is that?

This morning I slept in a bit, then had to go to a meeting (luckily over brunch) for some volunteer editing that I do, and then grocery shopping with the rest of world. It was so crowded. Tonight I made some turkey burgers, did laundry, and am contemplating doing some work I need to do for work, although my boss said I could stay home tomorrow morning and do it. However, if I do it tonight, I can just sleep in tomorrow morning instead!

I'm Crushed

I just read over on dcist that Don is leaving the Don & Mike Show on WJFK. Now granted, I think they definitely peaked like 15 years ago and I rarely listen to them anymore, but it's always been comforting knowing they're still there when I want a little cynicism and listener bashing. It's definitely the end of an era. Apparently Mike will carry on without Don, but it's just never the same when that kind of thing happens . . . but I do wish both of them good luck. I'm so sad!

VA Banning Smoking?

I was bored at work today and didn't feel like being there, so I cleaned out my 130+ unread e-mail messages. I have a terrible habit of giving my email out to everyone and getting on just about every list out there, so I get all kinds of things I don't have time to read. There was an old newsletter sitting in my inbox with this article about how local law makers--including Arlington County and Alexandria--are trying to get legislation passed to ban smoking from public restaurants. Of course this failed in similar state-wide attempts, but I'm hopefully that maybe such a local effort will get passed. That would be great!

Congrats to Hall of Famers

Now, I'm not usually one to make a football-related post, but I felt compelled to congratulate Art Monk and Darrell Green for being elected to the Hall of Fame! And I think I'm actually going to watch the Superbowl (or at least parts of it) tomorrow!

Also want to give a shout out to Catfish Honeymoon, who is playing tonight at Jay's Saloon. We're going to try to go for a bit. If you're not doing anything as you read this tonight, head over there right now!

Jeter Gig on Friday!

Jeffro's band Jeter is playing at Bistro Europa in Old Town Alexandria this Friday, February 1st to kick off this Groundhog Day/Super Bowl weekend. They'll be rocking from 10-12, and PARTYNOW will be jamming from midnight until closing. As usual, there's no cover, so come on out, and bring your friends!

Lost!

Need I say more? I'm so psyched the new season starts tonight, though from what I hear unless the writers strike ends soon, we'll be left hanging during the season at a pivotol moment. Enjoy tonight!

"Heartache" Leave

This company in Japan gives their employees time off to get over a breakup. What a great idea! You're just going to call in "sick" and spend the day crying anyway. The amount of time given is based on age, the younger you are the less time you get because supposedly your relationships aren't as serious, but I actually think you should get more time the younger you are cause you have less experience with these things and it seems to suck much more.

BTW, today was NFD2 and tomorrow will make it three. I'm actually considering calling in sick Friday, depending on what happens in our meeting tomorrow that I'm not looking forward to. I think I'm officially over this job.

NFD

Unfortunately, I had yet another NFD at work--not fun day. I have got to win the lottery or something soon, cause I don't know how much more I can take. I would love to open my own business so the only person I have to be mad at for making stupid suggestions/decisions is me, but the problem is I don't know what to do. Apparently, the guys who started Three Dog Bakery were in the same boat years ago--they knew they wanted to open a business but didn't know what. At least they finally figured it out. When will that happen to me? Well, they are looking to start more bakeries, and this area would definitely support it, but I don't know if I want to help live someone else's dream or wait until my inspiration hits. At least knowing it happened to someone else gives me hope that maybe my life won't be a complete waste of time.

Good News

I know this is going to seem minor and ridiculous to some people, but today my 14-year old dog jumped up on the couch for the first time in like 6 months. She's just gotten too old for that kind of stuff, so I don't know what possessed her. She's been eyeing it for a couple of days now like she wanted to jump up, so I guess she finally worked up to it. She's had a hard time recently getting into the car, so this is a big step for her!

In other weekend news, my sisters are coming over tomorrow for their once-a-year visit. I generally go over to see them, not the opposite way. Long story. So tonight I need to straighten up and make some soup for lunch. I also am going to make some brownies after I clean the stove. I had a big disaster this week where I spilled a bunch of stuff in the stove, so it needs a good once over before using it again.

Today was really busy, had my Italian class then ran a bunch of errands. It's been errand weekend. Yesterday I ran a bunch too, and bought a whole bunch of stuff to get my closet downstairs organized. Now to find the time to do it . . .

There was a recycling event in my neighborhood today, and I took my old PC over and had them destroy the hard drive so I didn't have to deal with it. I also took an old car stereo. It felt good to get rid of stuff that was just sitting around here. Guess I'm in a spring cleaning kind of mood.

Calling All Cat Lovers

I saw this the other day on Yahoo and thought it was just the cutest thing. A cat goes missing from home, only to turn up in a suitcase that someone took home by accident. Very cute.

Three-Day Weekend

It's been a pretty good and productive weekend so far and I'm very psyched to have tomorrow off. I've been taking care of my neighbor's dogs in addition to my own this weekend, so I've had double the amount of daily walks in this freezing cold temperature. Needless to say, I'm very happy she's returning tomorrow.

Besides that, I have:

• Attended a neighbor's Robert Burns party and eaten some haggis. Check out the details on Jeffro's blog.
• Done some housework, including vacuuming and cleaning the bathroom, in preparation for a friend coming over.
• Cooked some fabulous lentil soup--perfect for a cold winter night.
• Gone out to eat with said friend at Hank's Oyster Bar in Old Town. Pretty decent oysters and heavenly mac and cheese.
• Afterwards, went shopping at my favorite little antique store and bought a cute little sterling silver and pearl ring for only $25! I've been looking for one recently, and who could beat that price?

Tomorrow the only obligation I have is a vet appointment (early in the morning, why did I do that to myself?), then hopefully just relaxing inside, although I have some work I really need to do. But it remains to be seen whether I'll be motivated to do it or not.

American Idol's Phil Stacey

Remember him (the bald military guy) from last season? I wasn't a big fan until he sang a Keith Urban song towards the end of his tenure there . . . I guess others agreed that country was the way to go, cause Phil was signed with Lyric Records and has emerged as an aspiring country music artist. Check out his myspace page here. His song actually isn't too bad but as one caller pointed out this morning, there's really nothing that original about his vocals or style.

What Doesn't Oprah Have?

Oprah made an announcement the other day that she and Discovery Communications were joining forces to launch, what else, an Oprah channel! It's called OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network that will "entertain, inform and inspire people to live their best lives." Look for it in 2009 on what's currently the Discovery Health Channel. Is there anything she doesn't have or hasn't done? She amazes me . . .

Taylor Hicks: The Memoir?

I saw this book in Best Buy the other day and couldn't believe that Taylor Hicks had actually written a memoir. Um . . . I really liked him on Idol, but admit that I would never buy his CD and have found his "results" after Idol to be a bit underwhelming. Who even knew that he published this book back in July? And what kind of career has he had to be writing a memoir already? Very odd.

Before She's Released

I heard this song on the radio the other day, and I have to admit it's pretty funny. It's in response to Carrie Underwood's Before He Cheats. Click here to Jeffro's page on WMZQ and scroll down till you see Fitz: Before She's Released. The voice isn't that great, but it's pretty funny, even using ideas from the original song.

Bump

Apparently nothing's been terribly interesting enough for me to post. I've been pretty busy with watching too much CSI, work stuff, and starting a new yoga class for the year, but nothing compelling enough to turn into a post.

However, for lack of better material, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are expecting their first kid together. Get the scoop here. I'm not terribly surprised, although it's hard to think of her being nice enough to have kids. But she is getting up there in age, so if she wanted them with Keith, it was wise to get to it.

I am looking forward to this weekend, when NOAAgirl is having a little get-together. Haven't seen her and DH in too long. I also start my Italian lessons on Saturday and have my drum lesson on Sunday. Sounds like I'm overextended? You betcha. I also have to take one of the dogs to the vet for a routine check.

Happy New Year!

Well, it's hard to believe another year has passed by. Don't we all remember the dread of 2000 and the possibility of Armaggedon and computer meltdown? That seems like just yesterday.

I hope that 2008 will be a much better year for everyone. At least Jeffro and I started the new year right with a party at the Old Dominion Boat Club. This great band, Route 66, played and we had a fun dancing till after midnight.

It's been an exhausting few days--just yesterday we got back to town after having gone to NY for a brief stint to attend my remaining grandmother's 90th birthday party. She doesn't look like she's doing well, so at least I made it up there to see her and help her celebrate.

Holiday Happenings

Well, it's been a busy few (holi)days. Jeffro's dad came to visit on Sunday and we had a nice lunch at Bebo Trattoria in Crystal City. Christmas Eve, his mom came to stay with us through the holiday. We spent Christmas Eve at my mom's house having a traditional Italian (almost) seven fish dinner. Christmas Day was at my sister's and that was a lot of fun and food. I got some really cool gifts this year and hopefully people felt that way about what I gave them. My sister has 6 kids, so it's fun to spend the holiday in a house full of kids.

Jeffro and I are driving up to NY on Friday for a party for my grandmother's 90th birthday. It will be a long ordeal, but I guess I'll wind up being glad I went . . .

Meanwhile, I had today off work, and I'll be off again tomorrow. I have to say I've been so lazy, mostly watching tv all day. It's been great and a much-needed break. I may run some errands tomorrow if the weather cooperates, but it was just too nasty outside to be running around.

Days Eight through Twelve

I guess I was rather ambitious thinking I'd have time to come up with clever things to last 12 days of Christmas . . . so here's a blanket wish for health and happiness for everyone and we'll just be done with it, unless I get another inspiration.

Moving on, yesterday was the start of a week off work! We are moving our offices, so we are closed next week until Friday and don't have to take any vacation time for it. How great is that! Of course, I've scheduled too much stuff already for next week--like doctors and vet appointments, but hey at least I don't have to be at work.

Today I've been cleaning all day in preparation for holiday guests. Tomorrow Jeffro's dad is coming for the day, and Monday his mom is coming and staying till Weds. It's a disaster in here, and I've just finished vacuuming. I have a lot cleaning to do still, plus I have to finish my wrapping, but I'm almost done.

BTW, it seems like my sister is going to be ok. She has some blood clots that they didn't know about, but it looks like it's nothing further than that (we were scared her cancer was back). So, that will make for a happy holiday . . .

On the Sixth and Seventh Day

Since I'm battling a cold or some such bug, I will make my sixth wish once again for everyone's health. You just can't wish for that too much.

As far as the seventh wish, I wish for life to be less stressful, and for more downtime in the coming year. I have been monitoring my blood pressure since my doc found that weird heart thing, and I have noticed that my blood pressure is fine except--you guessed it--when I am stressed. Then it really spikes. So I hope to get my stress under control and to have more time to spend doing the things I enjoy.

Fifth Day and Tribute

I learned last night that Dan Fogelberg passed away at age 56 and was very sad. I really liked his music, especially Same Old Lang Syne. At one point I used to own his Greatest Hits but I can't seem to find it, so I will have to repurchase now.

This is the inspiration for my day five of Christmas, my wish for healing for those who have lost loved ones, particularly over the past year. I hope we can remember them without too much sadness this holiday season--my grandmother passed on Christmas Day last year, so this year will be a little tough.

Fourth Day

Today I slept in really late, then spent the rest of the day doing things that I really enjoy. I've decided to volunteer for an editorial position for our community newsletter and we had our first meeting today. Then I had my drum lesson. So day four is devoted to giving thanks for having gifts and talents for certain things like music or writing/editing, and for the opportunity to pursue those interests. Otherwise, life would really suck if all we did was work (though often it feels to me like that's all we do). Anyway, here's to pursuing your passions this holiday season!

On the Second and Third Day

Yesterday we had our office Christmas party at work at Sequoia in Georgetown, and much food, drink, and merriment was had by all. They gave us all copies of the award-winning Planet Earth and $100 to go spend on ourselves before lunch. I bought 2 sweaters from Ann Taylor.

Later that night some friends and I went to see the National Christmas Tree in DC then to Old Ebbitt Grill for a very late dinner. Needless to say after my crazy lunch, I didn't really eat much. So this brings me to my second day of Christmas hope. I hope that people will not go hungry this Christmas. I plan on making a food donation to the Capital Area Food Bank, or you can make a monetary donation. Just $1 will go towards 3 meals. Another good option is to make a donation to So Others Might Eat (SOME).

Today brings me to my third wish, for the end of cruelty to animals and needless killing of animals at shelters. I say this because this morning I ran into one of my neighbors, who is going to put her 15-year old dog down today. It's sad, but understandable, as the dog is in really bad shape. But it got me thinking about the ASPCA, which I donate to each year. Consider making a donation this year or buying some of their cute merchandise as a holiday gift.

On the First Day of Christmas

I thought I'd do a little countdown to Christmas with a little twist on the classic song. Instead of writing about what "my true love gave to me," which I don't know yet cause I haven't snooped enough, I thought I'd write about my wishes for the season and the coming year.

Today's wish is for health. For me, my family, friends, and anyone reading this. I just got news today that my sister who has been struggling with cancer this past year is having some problems again, so I hope that it winds up being nothing serious.

Blog Fixed!

My blog has been having problems for a while now, but I finally took the time to redo things tonight, and hopefully it's looking a little better now. Yeah!

Thanks to Jeffro for helping!

Last Minute Holiday Shopping?

Try wishingfish.com, where you'll find great gift ideas, such as poo-pourri, the office anger management kit, and Vosges bacon chocolate bar.

In all seriousness, the site does have some great stuff like Kobo soy candles and lavendar fleece booties. Check it out!

What Have I Been Up To?

I had a pretty busy weekend of parties and socializing.

Saturday Jeffro, my neighbor, and I had an invitation for a complimentary meal at Wildfire, a new steakhouse at Tysons Galleria. We had to take a very early reservation cause it was a free deal, so it was a bit odd eating steak and having wine at 11:30 in the morning . . . that night it was on to a party at MJ & Computerguy's place for their collective December birthdays. A fun evening, excellent mulled wine and TJ food, and I even got to see Wii in action for the first time, though I didn't feel like playing.

Sunday I cleaned for most of the day, then NOAAgirl and DH came over and we headed to Duangrat's for some great Thai food. I just love their Green Curry Shrimp. Then to Trader Joe's for a little silly shopping.

Overall, a fun weekend. We even got our little tabletop tree set up and some gifts wrapped, so it's starting to look a little like the holidays.

Farewell to Evel Knievel

I was so bummed today to hear about Evel Knievel's death. I used to love him as a kid . . . he was very cool.

Photo courtesy of AP Images.

Thanksgiving Update

I just realized it's been forever since I've made a post. Outside of work, I just haven't been getting on the computer as much as I used to. I think cause work has been really busy and computer-intensive, and I'm just burned out and sick of work.

Our Thanksgiving was very fun thanks to NOAAgirl! Hands down, the most tender, delicious turkey I've ever eaten. She apparently rubbed the outside of the turkey with butter and herbs, and stuffed the inside with more herbs and fruit. Just divine! The side dishes were equally as delicious. I brought a green bean casserole and a cranberry sauce that turned out pretty yummy. Overall, it was a fun group of people and very lively. Jeffro's mom even joined us for the fun, and we got a great tip off about terrible traffic before leaving for NOAAgirl's house, so that was nice not to have to deal with that.

Friday night we had a party for my mom and her boyfriend, who both have birthdays in November. We ate at Bazin's on Church in Vienna, and it was just wonderful. I couldn't believe how crowded it was the day after Thanksgiving! I highly recommend it unless you're strapped for cash.

Yesterday we had brunch at Bob & Edith's before Jeffro's om headed back to NJ. So needless to say, I never want to eat again after all the eating I did this weekend! Then Jeffro and I went to see Lars and the Real Girl, on recommendation of my yoga teacher. Jeffro really liked it. I didn't dislike it but it was very, very strange.

Today is just hanging out and doing grocery shopping, things around the house, etc. And not eating!

Christmas Carols?

Believe it or not, this week local radio station WASH FM 97.1 started playing Christmas carols all day, every day! Hello, it's not even frickin Thanksgiving yet. I'm thoroughly disgusted, between that and the malls already all decked out. The holidays suck.

A Weekend of New Restaurants

This weekend Jeffro and I decided to go to Bebo Trattoria for lunch after our classes on Saturday morning. It was perfect, cause my class is Italian, so I got to continue the experience a little longer. It's owned by Roberto Donna, acclaimed chef of Galileo, probably the best and priciest Italian restaurant in DC. Bebo is a more affordable option. We got sucked in by the lunch menu posted on the outside of the restaurant, but unfortunately when we got the menu at our table, it showed about 1/3 of the food they normally serve for lunch. We still enjoyed ourselves immensely, splitting the culatello (proscuitto), condiglione, and carciofini pizza. Check out the Saturday menu here.

Today I finally got a chance to go to Busboys and Poets, one of the newer restaurants in Shirlington. They have an awesome brunch menu, and really good French Toast. It's a neat, artsy vibe, kind of like a library, bookstore, coffee shop, and restaurant all rolled into one.

Other than eating "molto" this weekend, we got a lot of work done on the basement. I have two huge bags of trash ready to go out, and four bags for Goodwill. Yeah!

An Interesting Week

I laughed, I cried . . .

This Wednesday was the annual CMAs, and I have to say it was a pretty good show, except for Martina McBride not getting a much-deserved award for either song or single of the year.

I got a $1,000 bonus (sadly, the largest bonus I've ever gotten) and a 5% raise this week, so that was some good news.

Bad news . . . I had a doc appointment and that didn't go so well. Last time I went she was concerned about my blood pressure. Apparently this time was much better, but we discovered a potential new problem--short pr syndrome. One of the associated risks is sudden cardiac death. Boy does that sound like a good time.

Jeffro and I tried to buy tickets during the presale for Bon Jovi/Christ Daughtry, but those bastards were putting us in nosebleed seats for $65, so we might wait till tomorrow's regular sale or scalp the night of. We'll have to see. Boy does that piss me off.

So now I'm having some wine and that's fun.

Affordable Places to Live Well

For many years now I've had this crazy idea to get out of the DC rat race and move somewhere where the dollar actually goes a little further and I can afford to purchase something more than a 1,400-sq. ft. condo. This list shows the top 10 places to be able to do that. Now of course, I really wouldn't consider most of these places because they're too cold or too Midwest, but there are a couple good options here I would think about. You'll just have to guess which ones.

Hard to Believe It's November

I just don't know where these past few months have gone. With all the warm weather we've had this fall, it doesn't seem possible that the holidays are almost here. So as we're all frantically making our Thanksgiving plans, thinking of recipes, anticipating all the great food we're going to eat, and struggling not to pack on the holiday pounds, here are some great tips to keep in mind to ward off the seemingly inevitable holiday weight gain.

Top DC Chef?

In the tradition of Iron Chef, DC is having its own competition, "DC Capital Food Fight" to benefit the DC Central Kitchen. There will also be tastings from 40 top restaurants, including my personal favorite Farrah Olivia, and a silent auction with great prizes like a "Year of Dining" (dinners for six plus wine at each of 12 restaurants) and a stint as production assistant on Jose Andres's new PBS series. How cool is this? If you had an extra $175 sitting around, and if it wasn't sold out, you too could go.

Hopefully not a Trifecta

So far this week, country legend Porter Wagoner, who launched Dolly Parton's career, and singer Robert Goulet have died. Hopefully this will not be a trifecta week . . .

Crazy Inventions

This is the kind of stuff we send around at work for entertainment . . . this first crazy invention called the Transition, a small plane that turns into a car. So you can fly yourself somewhere, land, then get on the road and go. Can you imagine?

The next is the Walkstation--the answer to stopping the weight you gain by sitting on your ass at a desk day after day doing useless, pointless work and getting no exercise. Pretty crazy!

A Bird in the House is Worth . . .

Well, my adventure this weekend involved trapping and releasing a sparrow to get it out of my house. We often leave the back door open for air and we don't have a screen cause my dog destroyed two in a row and I decided not to put one back on. So yesterday I was in the basement doing some work and I hear a big scuffle upstairs involving said dog. Jeffro went up to investigate what my bad dog was doing, and when he got upstairs, all he kept saying was "oh my God!" then finally "there's a bird in the house!" I went running upstairs and there it was perched on the window sill in my bathroom (luckily). I took a towel and tried to catch him, until finally it landed in the trash can. I threw the towel over that and took it outside. It was pretty darned funny.

The rest of the weekend wasn't as eventful, though we did go out last night to our favorite sushi place, Matuba, then to Jay's in Clarendon to listen to a favorite local band, Catfish Honeymoon. They're always a great time, and had some fun new songs including Kathleen Edwards' awesome song "Back to You," which they did a great job covering.

Stealing the Three-fer

1. My coworker that I share an office with has been sick, and coming in to work every day hacking and spewing her germs all over. To the point where now I feel like I'm on my way to getting sick.

2. I have to agree with Jeffro and Metrocurean that Morou got ripped off by getting kicked off The Next Iron Chef. Farrah Olivia is still my favorite local restaurant, the judges obviously have poor taste buds.

3. This recipe, posted by A Sizable Apple, is truly delicious and will be great when (if ever) the cold weather gets here. I changed it up a bit by cutting down the garlic a bit (used three instead of four cloves, and boy was it garlicky-good and cleared out my sinuses!), using Swiss Chard (don't like broccoli rabe), and sprinkled pamensan cheese at the end as I couldn't find fontina. I also added some crushed red pepper. Highly recommended!

Curse of the Cowboys

According to Jeffro, I have the power to make or break the results of the Dallas Cowboys games. Whenever I watch, apparently, their luck turns bad and they start losing. The minute I leave, things turn around and they win. So I have been relegated to the basement today for the remainder of the game, after they were losing at halftime. I'll have to look into this power more, to see how it can be used in conjunction with betting to earn big bucks.

Matt Nathanson Live

Last night Jeffro and I went to the 9:30 Club to see Matt Nathanson, one of our favorite live acts. He recently released a new album, Some Mad Hope, so it was cool to hear some new songs from him. Plus an excellent cover of Journey's Don't Stop Believing!

Another Gorgeous Weekend

It has been another beautiful weekend here in the DC area, trying to fool me into wishfully believing that winter will never arrive. However, when I walk the dogs in the morning, I am getting closer and closer to needing to wear some gloves cause my hands get cold easily.

Friday night Jeffro and I went to see Marah at Jammin' Java. Check out the footage that he took on his blog.

Yesterday I had my Italian class--it's hard to believe it's already 1/2 over. Then Jeffro surprised me with a picnic at Gravelly Point, which was the highlight of my weekend. Until Jeffro got sick, that is. We think he's fighing off a cold. The rest of the weekend was chores, errands, and long walks with the dogs.

Next Iron Chef

I'm so excited about the latest Food Network Show, The Next Iron Chef. It debuted last night and my local favorite chef, Morou, is one of the competitors! I absolutely love his restaurant, Farrah Olivia in Old Town.

Beautiful Weekend

This weekend was probably the most gorgeous weather we've had in quite a while. I spent a lot of time outside, particularly on Sunday, when Jeffro and I took his mom, who was visiting for the weekend, to the Occoquan Craft Fair. I didn't buy anything, but it was fun to walk around and see some of the vendors' fares. I even got a replacement pump for a soap dispenser that I'd gotten a couple of years ago.

Cake Love Open in Shirlington

Big neighborhood news. Cake Love is now open in Shirlington! I went in there tonight to take a peek before my pedicure, and lo and behold, Warren Brown was standing there frosting a cake! I thought it was him but wasn't 100% sure and didn't want to look like a star-struck idiot, so I just said hello and he said he'd be right with me. I wound up not getting anything immediately cause I didn't want to have to carry it into the pedicure appointment, but went back later and got vanilla/vanilla and chocolate/cream cheese cupcakes. At about $3 a pop, I was really curious how they would taste, and they weren't what I expected.

They were good, but not fabulous and I wanted fabulous. I really wanted to love, love, love Cake Love. I do, but only cause I think it's great what Warren Brown has accomplished with his life, and how he left his job as a lawyer to do what he loves in life. The cupcakes are not very sweet, and the cake is very dense, both of which I like. But they could have had a little more flavor overall. They had butter creme icing, for the most part, which isn't my favorite cause I admit I like cheap, sweet-as-hell, store-bought cupcakes! I would definitely go back, but next time I would pick a more exciting flavor (the vanilla/lemon was sold out when I got back after a 45 minute pedicure, so I guess sales are going ok there so far). The prices of cakes started at $40 for a small, so I doubt I'll be buying anything more than an occasional cupcake here or there . . . but it was mighty exciting to see the Food Network star there personally frosting cakes! They're having a grand opening on November 3, and participating in Shirlington's Oktoberfest on October 6, so come check it out!

Working from Home

I'm working from home today for several reasons: One: it's quiet at work this week so I'm trying to play catch up on projects that have been hanging over my head. There is one in particular that requires a lot of writing that I can't seem to finish in the office, no matter how quiet. Two: I just needed a day to sleep a little later than usual. Three: because I can! I'm not sure about the productivity of the day, when it looks something like the scenario below. However, I am just about done with my project, so I guess that's what counts.

Me: Sitting at computer, minding my business, doing work
Dog: Comes up and bumps wet nose against arm, causing typos
Me: Tell dog, “no, go lie down”
Dog: Goes away for 5 minutes
Dog: Comes and stands under desk, looks up at me and wags its tail, “can we go out yet?”
Me: Tell dog, “no, not yet”
Dog: Goes away for 5 minutes
Dog: Comes up and presses wet, slobbery toy against my leg, “can we play?”
Me: Tell dog, “no, I’m working”

Repeat pattern for the next 7.5 hours. . . .

Fall's A-Comin'

Jeffro and I spent the day driving out near Skyline Drive--friends of ours were having a birthday lunch out in Winchester. What a beautiful day! In the mountains, the leaves are already starting to change, much more so than here. So that means fall is definitely upon us. But I'm happy to hear we're supposed to have 80 degree weather this week. I'm not ready to let go of summer yet.

It's been a busy weekend . . . yesterday I had my Italian class then did some freelance work. So this weekend has just flown by and I have to go to work tomorrow. The next few weekends are equally busy. Jeffro's mother is coming down next weekend, and my grandfather and uncle are coming the following weekend.

Cape Cod: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

We're back from our trip to Cape Cod, and it was a pretty nice time, although way too short and too much crappy weather. Here's an overview of what we did:

The Good

Had plenty of seafood and good meals at Vinings and abbicci.

Had a fun (yet rainy) day trip to Provincetown.

Took a wonderful ferry trip out to Martha's Vineyard (see photo), which was my favorite part of the trip.

Went to some cool antique shops and art galleries in the town of Brewster where we stayed.

Enjoyed our stay at Ocean Edge Resort. We had a great little apartment, complete with kitchen and living room separate from bedroom. Very spacious.

The Bad and the Ugly

The weather from Sunday through Tuesday really sucked. Cold and rainy, not my idea of a fun vacation. Plus I hadn't packed appropriately. We went to some beaches but they just weren't beautiful and sparkling like on a sunny day. My birthday trip to Martha's Vineyard got postponed by a day, which was a bummer.

Ciao for Now

Well, I had my first Italian class today, and considering that I didn't get to bed last night until like 2:30 due to Jeffro's gig, I think I did pretty well! The class is bigger than I thought, and the instructor seems like he's going to be molto bene. So we'll see. We leave for Cape Cod soon, so I probably won't be able to post for a little while. Ciao!

Friday Night Plans?

If so, cancel them and join me this Friday, Sept. 7 in Old Town, Alexandria at Bistro Europa to see Jeffro's band, Jeter. You might even catch me singing guest backup for one song . . . The show starts at 10:00 until ?? There’s no cover, so come on out, and bring a friend or twelve! Check out their MySpace site to listen to a couple of new songs. Hope to see you there!

www.myspace.com/jeterband

MP3: Lay Down - Jeter

Happy Labor Day!

Boy, am I glad we have a three-day weekend. I feel like I've been fighting off a cold, so three days to sleep in is just perfect. The weather has been gorgeous, and yesterday I enjoyed an outdoor BBQ at NOAAgirl's house. A friend of hers was visiting from Italy, so she decided to have a typical American cookout, complete with hot dogs, hamburgers, and apple pie. It was a very fun time. Today is a cookout at my sister's for my nephew's birthday celebration. Tomorrow, thankfully, I have nothing on the books. Maybe I'll go to the pool for a last tribute to summer. Boy do I hate when it ends.

New "Designer" Mutt?

I met the cutest dog in my neighborhood today, a cross between a Bichon Frise and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Apparently, the "Cavachon" is a registered breed with the American Canine Hybrid Club, not that I ever knew the club existed. So very cute!

I predict this will be the next big hybrid since the "Puggle," which I also love. Coincidentally, Sam the Cavachon was playing with Greta the Puggle when we met.

Two Moons Tonight

If you're a night owl . . . tonight the sky will look like it has two moons. The planet Mars will be the brightest in the night sky throughout August, and it will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye tonight when it comes within 34.65M miles of Earth. If you're awake, be sure to watch the sky at 12:30 am. It will look like the earth has 2 moons. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287. Share this with your friends as NO ONE ALIVE TODAY will ever see it again! It's also a lunar eclipse tonight.

Vick Diatribe

I feel I have to make my own public statement about Michael Vick, who today plead guilty to dogfighting charges. Being a long-time dog owner and animal lover, I find the man to be a disgusting, depraved, inhuman, son of a bitch. I hope he rots in jail, and encounters the same cruel treatment that he inflicted on those poor dogs who didn't want to fight. He is a monster, and I feel very sorry for his family. If he were my father, brother, or son, I would be ashamed to be associated with him. It's too bad this crime doesn't carry the death penalty. I know this is all very harsh, but I'm really angry and disturbed about this story, and felt the need to vent. At least for once justice is being served, and a celebrity is not wrangling out of punishment.

I'm Back!

I didn't get a chance to make a post about this before I left, but I've been "away" all week at our annual conference. It was held in DC, so it was local, but due to the early morning staff meetings (5:30 am) and inevitable late night receptions, dinners, etc., the entire staff stayed on site. Thank God. Let me just say that I was dreading the whole experience, especially the 4:30 am wake-up calls, and I wasn't let down. It was an exhausting, excruciating, stressful week and I'm so thankful it's over. When I got home yesterday at noon, I plopped myself in front of the tv and didn't move all day, taking a couple of naps along the way. I feel much better today and have the day off tomorrow, so that will be good. I'm just hoping I don't catch whatever bug poor Jeffro--who had to deal with the dogs all week--was striken by. There were some funny conference moments, including a fun closing reception at Lucky Strike, but overall I'm glad the conference only happens once a year.

Keith Urban Concert: Amazing!

Jeffro and I went to the Keith Urban concert last night at the Verizon Center. One word: amazing! He has obviously recovered well from his rehab problems earlier this year, and even made reference to that in the concert, thanking everyone for their support and especially his wife. He even dedicated a song to her.

His voice was excellent--no studio overproduction for Keith! What you hear on the CD is what you get live. His guitar playing was really complex, and the band was excellent too. They obviously have a lot of fun together. He played longer than scheduled, cause the crowd was so rowdy and fun. At one point he asked us to do the wave with our camera phones. My favorite song was "Tonight I Want to Cry" which he did solo, playing the piano. A couple of girls near me were in tears.

The craziest part of the whole show was the camerawork. Really high-tech stuff going on all night, projected on a huge screen behind the stage that really focused in on the guitar work and of course, Keith's face. As Jeffro said, he always knew where the camera was. The camera work was quite impressive.

And the best part about the whole show? Since they had all these cameras, and our seats were apparently behind one of the cameras, they upgraded us to sit literally four rows from the stage! It was awesome! I felt very lucky, and even got a couple of photos with my cell phone camera, so we'll have to see if those turn out--and if I can figure out how to download them. All in all, an amazing show with Keith at the top of his game! The Wreckers opened the show, and they were quite good too. That previously unknown Jessica Harp has a mighty powerful voice.

Simpsonize

I finally got a chance to Simpsonize myself. You can try it too at www.simpsonizeme.com. Pretty fun stuff! I've had a long day--10 hours at work before our conference next week plus working at home, so I'm easily amused tonight.

Vacation Plans At Last!

Jeffro and I have finally booked a vacation for this year! We're going away in September to Ocean Edge Resort, suggested to us by our friend NOAAgirl. I'm so excited! I can't wait to get away. It's in Cape Cod, and I've never been to the beach in the Northeast, so this should be an adventure. There are a lot of cute towns nearby, which will provide some fun day trips and diversions.

Haircut and a Smoke

I just got my hair cut today, and while I like the guy that cuts my hair, I can't stand that he smokes. And like, right before he cuts my hair so he's all reeking and doesn't wash his hands. So I feel like he's touching my newly-shampoo'd hair, which I have to tip someone for, and running smoky grossness through it. I think I smell smoke now! But what to do, you can't exactly ask the hairdresser to wash his hands, how awkward!

DC Restaurant Week!

Jeffro and I participated in DC restaurant week tonight by going to Willow, where we were supposed to have gone for Valentine's Day but didn't cause that's when my sister first got sick and I went to FL. We both had Sea Scallops with Eggplant Ravioli, Shiitake Mushrooms & Sun-Dried Tomatoes for the appetizer. It was absolutely delicious and probably the best course. I'm not a big mushroom fan, but these were some damn good 'shrooms! Then Jeffro had the Miniature Rack of Pork Stuffed with House Made Sausage, Baked Tomato Tart, Roasted Cipolini Onions and Ham Hock “Jus”. Apparently the latest thing in the culinary world is to serve pork "medium rare." Um, I'll skip the trichinosis, thanks. Jeffro actually had to send it back once cause it was too rare. I had the Tournedos of Pepper Crusted Filet Mignon, Potato Tart, Red Wine Mushrooms, Crispy Onion Rings and Beef Jus. Boy was that rich but delicious. The filet was beautifully cooked and tender, and the beef jus was outstanding. For dessert, we both selected the Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake with Danish Sweet Cream Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce. I should have chosen the fudge brownie sundae instead cause the sticky toffee pudding cake wasn't as impressive as it sounded. It had the consistency of banana bread, but without bananas it was weird and the caramel sauce tasted a little burned. So I would say that was the least successful course for me. Do I sound Iron Chef enough yet? It was a nice meal, if a little rushed cause the place was packed. Saturday we head to Hook for lunch, so I'll have to give you the full report after that.

Oreos + Cake

What could be better? Two of my favorite things! I saw these new Oreo Cakesters in Giant the other day and nearly bought a truckload of them. I thought it showed great restraint that I didn't, but I suspect I will be getting some this weekend. I found out I didn't get the job I was trying to get, cause they turned it more into a graphic design job. Whatever! So I went and had a HUGE margarita at Guapo's and now all's well.

Your Commute is Killing You!

Literally! Check out this Forbes article that discloses the top 5 most unhealthy commutes in America. You guessed it, Washington DC clocked in at number 5. I always knew that sitting in so much traffic was terrible for me, that's why I got a job closer to home. And why I can't understand people who move out from metro areas to have a "better life" only to sit in 2-3 hours of traffic daily. No thanks, not for me.

Go Faith Hill

Apparently at a recent Tim McGraw/Faith Hill concert, an overeager female fan groped Tim McGraw's privates, right in front of his wife Faith Hill. She responded by publicly reprimanding the girl from the stage. Watch it here. I think the girl got off easy. If I were Faith, standing over the girl like she does in the video, I would have kicked her in the f*ckin' head!

Karaoke Queen

What a great party Saturday night! It was every bit as fun as I'd hoped it would be, with plenty of karaoke opportunities. I bailed out this terrible girl (who turned out to be Jeffro's hairdresser!) trying to sing Cher's If I Could Turn Back Time, sang a duet of Bon Jovi's Who Says You Can't Go Home, and sang Pat Benatar's Hit Me With Your Best Shot. A most fun time, once I got my courage up! There was a lot of great dance music in addition to the karaoke and some really great drinks, including a Captain Morgan Parrot's Bay bottled pineapple colada that was really good, if a bit sweet. I got to see some friends I hadn't seen in a while, which was really nice.

The week started slow today, since I was running myself ragged all weekend. The good news is, I have a second phone interview with the company I talked to last week. Jeffro thinks all the phone interviewing is a little odd, but I don't really mind. I hate to waste my time going all the way out to MD for no reason. At least this way, I can sneak off during lunch hour and not have to make some excuse for being gone several hours in the afternoon. So we'll see what happens. I'm not holding my breath, but I am excited to get a second interview.

And lastly, don't forget to watch Six Degrees of Martina McBride tonight at 9 pm ET on ABC! I'll be at my yoga class, but I intend to tape it!

Week in Review

It was a very, very long week, with a lot of stuff happening at work with our conference coming up next month, a phone interview, and two doc appts. The interview was a follow-up from something I had done before I got my current job. It's hard to say how it went, since it was just a phone interview, but my fingers are crossed, cause I think it would be a cool opportunity, despite being a lot of work.

Last night Jeffro and I went out for sushi, then watched a very messed up movie called Molvern Callar. Very bizarre. Today is cleaning & errands, then a great party tonight where I'll get to do karaoke, provided I have enough liquid courage beforehand! Tomorrow is lunch and possibly dinner with two different friends. Very busy indeed. I need to find time to figure out if I will be able to put together my new gas grill so I can start grilling every night!

Harry Potter Widow

Since Jeffro picked up the new Harry Potter yesterday, he's been reading just about non-stop . . . to the point that he just finished the 700+ tome in less than 36 hours. So I guess now that the weekend is over he'll be willing to go out and do something fun in this beautiful weather!

Six Degrees of . . . Martina McBride?

Yep, believe it or not, Six Degrees of Martina McBride is a new TV show airing, Monday, July 30 at 9 pm on ABC. It's a very odd concept, and I'm not sure what to make of it. Of course, since Martina is my favorite singer, I'll watch it, despite my enjoying my long summer nights sans TV. Anyway, I plan to check it out, and you can read more about it here. The very complicated premise is six Nashville hopefuls will compete for the chance at recording and releasing a single.

According to article, part of the competition is finding a connection to Martina McBride: "To complete this part of the competition, contestants had to go to someone they know and ask them to take them to someone they know and so on with the goal of eventually getting to someone who knows Martina McBride personally."

Once that's done, the article says, "Paired with some of the best songwriters in town, they'll be charged with learning a new song and then face off in a singing competition held at Nashville's famous Wildhorse Saloon. The three contestants voted best by the audience will move on to studio sessions with Martina McBride herself at her recording studio in Nashville. She'll help each singer produce a demo of their best work, which will then be critiqued by three judges, all pros from the music industry. The winner they pick will be revealed on ABC July 30 and the winning single will be released that night, digitally distributed by Sony BMG through iTunes and other online outlets."

Photo courtesy of ABCNews

Petition VA Traffic Fines

Have you VA residents heard that out-of-staters can speed in VA and pay less in fines than actual VA residents? Do something about it, like signing this petition. And the fines were talking about are in the thousands of dollars!

Thanks to Jeffro for the tip.

Parlo Italiano!

I'm taking an Italian class this fall. Yet another early birthday gift to myself! I also bought this really cool sapphire ring recently! I'm milking this birthday for all it's worth!

Productivity

I had such a productive night, it's amazing what you can do with the paltry 4 hours you have from the time you get home till the time you're too exhausted to do anything else. I love nights like this:

• roasted eggplant
• made blueberry cobbler
• did some freelance work
• started tracking things for my latest skin allergies
• filed my nails
• talked for an hour with a friend
• did some major straightening up/throwing things away
• read a magazine outside for a while
• watched HGTV

DC Restaurant Week

If you hadn't heard, DC Restaurant Week is coming up, August 6-12 with fixed price, 3-course lunches at some of DC's top restaurants for just $20.07 and dinners for just $30.07. Check out the selection at Open Table. Absolutely the easiest way to check availability and get a reservation. And no, they didn't pay me to say that. Jeffro and I will be sampling Willow for dinner one night--was supposed to have been our Valentine's dinner but that didn't happen due to family emergencies--and then Hook for lunch with friends. Check it out!

Beautiful Night

Last night was so gorgeous. I went to an outdoor party at the Old Dominion Boat Club, right on the water on King Street. They served great food, free mai tais, and had a great band playing. The weather was perfect, a slight breeze and no humidity. What more could you ask for? I didn't get home until really late, so I'm totally dragging today but managed to vacuum and get a pedicure.

Crazy (But True) Story

This story completely made my day today. I'm really stressed out at work this week--we have a huge deadline looming at the end of the week and it's really putting everyone to the test to get everything done. I had to work late tonight, and probably will the rest of the week. However, this lunchtime entertainment really made my day bearable. I was in a good mood the rest of the afternoon.

In the complex where I work, they have been holding afternoon concerts once a month this summer. I was curious to see today's band, Don't Panic because last month's jazz duo was quite good. I walked down to the area where the band was playing, and noticed that my drum teacher was their drummer! What a surprise! I knew he played in a band, but didn't know the name of it. Well, now I do. I must say it was a good performance and it was really great to watch my drum teacher perform. I'd never seen him perform before, and it kind of validated that he's a good teacher. He made drumming look so effortless, which it's not. It was almost like getting a mini-lesson/performance because he was (it turns out purposely) using some techniques that we'd just been talking about the lesson before. He came and talked to me afterwards, and he verified that he'd been doing some things specifically for me to see how they would work in a performance. So that was really cool! And it turns out their band does a lot of great work for charity, so that's another reason to go to their website and see what they're all about.

The other even crazier thing that happened during the performance was this woman came to listen with her dog on a leash and kid in a stroller. The kid was old enough to walk, so at one point he was toddling around and he started getting away, as did the dog. I reached over and grabbed the dog's leash as it went by, and the woman came over to get it from me and thank me. About 5 minutes later, the kid came toddling over to me (I was pretty far away from them) and reached out his arms for me to pick him up! It was so hilarious! I didn't know what to do, so I picked him up and put him in my lap for part of the show. He was having a grand old time with his new-found friend, and I kept gesturing over the mother at first that I had no idea why he had come over to me. Hilarious! He finally went back to her, but came back to bring me a leaf and then again to check on the leaf. After the performance, my drum teacher asked if I knew them, and I told him I'd never seem them before in my life. What a weird story. Things like that, luckily, happen to me all the time. I say luckily because I like having a good, weird story to tell. And it's 100% true!

Live Earth Disappointment

Jeffro and I did indeed get out to see Live Earth here in Washington, DC. What there was of it, that is. As I suspected, the crowds weren't so bad. We got to stand in the shade, which was nice, but we didn't really have a direct view of the stage at all. The stage was set up at a weird angle so that very few people actually got to see it, except for the camera people.


Apparently they were having some pretty bad sound problems, cause you couldn't hear a single word anyone said. A few people spoke, but I had no idea who they were cause we couldn't hear anything. Then Al Gore came up and said some words, which again I couldn't hear. He introduced Garth & Tricia who came up on stage and gave the performance of their lives . . . uh . . . yeah. They sang one song. Yes, indeed, one whole song, We Shall Be Free. The cool thing about it was that it was acoustic, just Garth on guitar, Tricia, and two backup singers. But I mean, why bother? Why would they come and just sing one song? It was such a joke and the whole experience wound up being completely ridiculous. The only good thing was that I can now say I've seen Garth live, and at least they sang loud enough to be heard. So it was quite an interesting time. The photo shown above is Garth and Tricia on screen. On a full monitor, it's a pretty cool shot, considering we couldn't really see much. Below is a shot of Al Gore on screen, and a shot of the crowd. Happy Live Earth. Or something.