Karaoke

Tonight, for Becca's birthday, we did karaoke at Thirteen-0-One, and it was awesome.

Pictures:

Idol

Last night I dreamed that Billy Idol was a very charming, slightly older, African American gentleman who had come to my (church? high school? workplace?) to give some sort of (presentation? concert?). In waking life, I own his Greatest Hits, but in the dream I was convinced that it was Rebel Yell.

It was one of my less bizarre and disturbing dreams in recent memory.

Friday

So here's a question: if it's Friday afternoon and I'm sitting in my office, unsuccessfully trying to write (and have been doing so [unsuccessfully trying to write] for the past... oh... seven hours, aside from nap and lunch breaks and maybe the Thursday LA Times Crossword), waiting for a ride home that may not come for one, two, or three hours,* is writing words on my blog preferable to not writing words on my dissertation?

Clearly I have decided it is--and hope it prompts some inspiration on the latter.

In any case, I am looking forward to the weekend. Tonight David and I are attending an "On A Boat"-themed birthday party, and though, sadly, no actual boats will be involved, I think it will be fun.

Tomorrow night we're seeing Band of Horses at the State Theater downtown. (Last weekend we were watching this video, which features the band's song "The Funeral." David mentioned that he'd like to see them live sometime, and I wondered out loud if they were coming to town soon. We googled it, and not only were they on tour, they were coming to Mpls in seven days, tickets were still available, and the box office [thank goodness there are still occasionally ways around Ticketmaster's extortion] opened in 15 minutes. Win!)

I'm also supposed to do a long run with a friend tomorrow morning--12 miles. I'm slightly less enthused about this, mostly as it's supposed to hit 90° tomorrow. We'll head out early to avoid as much heat as possible, but that will also mean leaving the (non-) boating party early to head to bed (and throwing off my usual pre-run blueberry pancakes ritual).

Then Sunday we're heading to Inception with friends. I'll also probably do hot yoga, which I'm realizing I haven't mentioned here, but have found sufficiently wonderful to pull me out of bed and into the studio before 8 a.m. most Sunday mornings, and will describe at some point.

I remember an item on a personality inventory I saw years ago having to do with whether one preferred to have one's weekend scheduled or open. I like flexibility, but I also like looking forward to a string of fun things.

My office window overlooks a sort of quadrangle on campus, flanked by ivy-covered buildings and intersected by sidewalks. This week I have seen it overrun by elementary school kids from the natural history museum's summer camp program; filled with maintenance vehicles from all over campus (apparently for some facilities meeting?); and at the moment, a first, hosting a swimsuit-clad couple tanning on beach towels. They seem either unaware or unconcerned about their very public display, but then, who would be working on a Friday afternoon this gorgeous, anyway?

Who indeed.

*I'm not a good wait-er in general, but indefinite waits slay me.

Three Things

• Remember when Ellen posted this? I got to see, and play, one in Tokyo, as part of the CyberArts Tokyo exhibit I visited for my research. It was amazing.
• I am quoted in this newspaper article. The reporter found David via Foursquare; she contacted him by Facebook and he forwarded her request to me, since he has only "checked in" at the MegaBus stop, not ridden it himself. I thought I gave her some better material than what she ended up using, but that's okay. I also could have told her, had she asked, that on the last two trips I took, the WiFi she mentions wasn't actually functioning (though the outlets were).
• Today a friend and I got pedicures. My toenails are A Oui Bit of Red, and hers are Cajun Shrimp.

2009 in Review

This little questionnaire has become sort of a year-end tradition here in the Kitchen, so I present now 2009:

1) Where did you begin 2009?
In Seattle with good friends and family! Highlights were Abraham's CD release party, Casuelita's Caribbean Cafe, fireworks at the Space Needle, and a kiss.

2) What was your status by Valentine's Day?
Officially dating my sweetie, who flew to Mpls that weekend.

3) Did you travel?
Ohmygoodness, yes. I drove from Palm Springs to Phoenix with my parents for the marathon in January and then flew back to Mpls. I drove to a conference in Milwauke, flew to one in New Orleans, and then flew to a third in Portland in May. The latter launched the first of two epic roadtrips across the country. In November, David and I flew to Portland and drove to Hermiston for Thanksgiving. In December, I flew to Vegas to run a half marathon, and then to Seattle for the holidays. Phew!

4) Did you lose someone or something you love?
Not that I can recall. I feel very fortunate in that.

5) Did you have to go to the hospital?
Nope!

6) Did you have any encounters with the police?
Nope!

7) Did you start dating someone new?
Yes, I did, and he has been one of the most excellent parts of 2009!

8) What did you purchase that was over $1000?
Not a single object--but the usual school fees, rent, and travel.

9) Did you know anybody who got married?
My neighbor got married; that was the only wedding I attended this year, and the only one I can think of.

10) Did you get in any car accidents?
Not a one. Here's to a year and a half of car-less living!

11) Did you attend any sporting events?
Two marathons and three half marathons, if those count. Oh, also, the rodeo!

12) Did you move anywhere?
I moved to Walla Walla for the summer, and then back to Mpls.

13) Did you keep your new year's resolution?
It was another year in which I didn't make any.

14) What concerts/shows did you go to?
The Nutracker, Rodrigo y Gabriela, The Santaland Diaries, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Importance of Being Earnest (Bros Before Hos Remix), Abraham, Andrew Bird (x2), the Decemberists, U2(!!)...

15) What movies did you go see in the theater?
Including ones at my beloved second-run theater: Up in the Air, Up, King Corn and Big River, Revolutionary Road, The Soloist, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Angels and Demons, Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (it was with my little cousin! Also, somehow, despite its extreme loudness, I managed to fall asleep...), Public Enemies, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, (500) Days of Summer, The Informant!, The Men Who Stare at Goats, Valkyrie, Frost/Nixon, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Doubt, Milk (this time with help from this site)

16) Did your hair color change?
Only from the disappointing Feria permanent back to my natural colors.

17) Did you get any taller?
At the doctor's office, they told me I was a little over 5'7", which would mean I had grown--but I think it was just the thick socks.

18) Describe your birthday?
I spent it in the desert with David and my parents. We ate a lot of delicious food, and enjoyed the sunshine and some antiquing. Later, David and I celebrated again when we saw U2 in Chicago--his big birthday gift to me!

19) Did you get any new pets?
None.

20) What has been your favorite moment?
Favorite moment, in a year this epic? I seriously couldn't begin to choose.

21) What's something you learned about yourself?
I can much more easily survive a Mpls winter with good company.

22) What has been your biggest worry?
That I might not finish this accursed dissertation, and my degree, and thus disappoint myself, my advisor, and everyone around me.

23) What was your best month?
Oh boy. May was pretty fantastic... but so were June, July, August... and January... and September, October, November, December...

24) What music will you remember 2009 by?
Abraham, Andrew Bird, the Decemberists, U2 and weirdly, maybe even Lady Gaga.

25) Who has been your best drinking buddy?
E&A, L, and D.

26) Have you had to call the police on anyone?
Nope!

27) Have you gone skiing?
Sadly, it was another slopeless year.

28) Did you miss work due to illness?
Not work, as far as I can recall.

29) Any like/love interests?
I know this comes as a huge surprise to Alert Readers, but I'm pretty taken with my current beau.

30) Get anything new?
Shiny red electronics! A phone, lappy, and Nano. Oh, and that beau!

Leaving Las Vegas

I am in the Las Vegas airport, where I managed, thanks to a miraculous absence of lines at the taxi queue, the ticketing counter, and security--as well, less happily, as a 40-minute flight delay--to arrive approximately two hours in advance of my departure. I would like more than anything to be in my own bed in Mpls (though I'm informed they're experiencing their first real Winter Storm of the year), but instead I have a red-eye to Atlanta. Yay!

The good news is that I'm ready to fall asleep right here at my computer (though the time in front of it would be more productively spent on my submission for writing workshop, due tomorrow...) and will hopefully get at least a few hours of snoozing in on the flight. I'm thoroughly exhausted from yesterday's race, the subsequent hoofing up and down the Strip, and last night's late show.

Everything is so big here, and so consistently-bafflingly far apart! The hotel/casinos themselves are emphatically labyrinthine, and although the distance between the Luxor (where we stayed) and the Venetian (to which we walked to claim our Blue Man Group tickets) is ostensibly only two miles, the peripatetics required to actually navigate the space (including dodging myriad meandering tourists and card-flipping solicitors, and unavoidable bazaar-esque roundabouts) makes it feel at least twice that. The blistered feet, tight calves, and sore quads did little to help!

The race itself was a pretty good time. It had been a long time since I'd run an entire race with a friend, and running with my sister (and much of the time with my brother-in-law) was definitely a highlight. We finished in 2:01:48, a bit faster than my Monster Dash time and quite a bit faster than my Lacamas Lake. It was very cold at the pre-dawn start, and had actually only warmed up to around 40° by the time we finished, but the sun did come out and the course was nice and flat, with good bands and entertaining scenery.

We forwent the after-race concert (has anyone even heard of Donavon Frankenreiter--?), but did get tickets to the 10pm Blue Man Group. Thankfully, it was more than entertaining enough to stave off our race-induced sleepy stupor--a really amazing show! I could throw some words at you to try to explain it, but I highly suggest seeing them whenever you can. Maybe I'll try to write more later. I definitely have more pictures to post.

At the moment, I'm thinking I'll remove my contacts for my upcoming flight, in hopes of getting as much rest as absolutely possible after quite the full and fantastic, but rather exhausting, weekend.

Saints and Song

Here, at Ellen's request, is a picture of her posing on her bike in my living room when she visited a few summers ago. I like the way the lamp makes a halo behind her head and her pose makes her look like a saint: Ellen, Patron Saint of Indoor Bikers. A few more pictures from the trip are here.

Yesterday, I sang karaoke for the very first time! It surprises even me that it had taken me this long, since those of you who know me at all know how prone I am to song. I was pretty nervous, but did have fun and was assured afterward that it was great. I think I'll try it again!

David, though, stole the show. He was the second-to-last act of the night, and went up not even knowing what his song was, after friends sneaked his name in. He totally rocked "The Joker," and impressed everyone. Awwwww.

Looking Forward

A week from today, David and I will be in the Northwest to celebrate Thanksgiving! I am completely unreasonably excited about this.

Two weeks from today, I'll be in Las Vegas, preparing to run the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon there with my sister and brother-in-law. I'm slightly less excited about this, but probably mostly because Thanksgiving is looming larger and I find it difficult to anticipate too much at once.

Oh, but! I am also already looking forward to June, because we're going to see U2 again, this time here in Mpls! Woo-hoo!

Pictures

I took these pictures of my office (and out the window that consistently fascinates me) yesterday with my camera phone. They appear to be a little smeary, but do sort of capture the permeating feel of the light. As always, click for larger images.

My desk:

Window, with Pillsbury Hall:

More Pillsbury:

Bookshelf and radiator:

Sink(!):

Closet:

My open office door, from the hallway:

And here are a few more random shots from the phone...

Unnecessary quotation marks in a Lincoln City Doughnut Shop:

Unnecessary quotation marks in the downtown post office:

My favorite nuns on the TCM course:

Band on the TCM course (picture for Teri):

Rockstars:

Happenin's

Or, Things I've Been Doing to Avoid Writing My Dissertation

Internets, I've been remiss, about many things, but I apologize to you, in any case, for my lack of blogging. Exciting (or at least vaguely interesting) things have been happening here--I just haven't been posting about them! So, to hit a few highlights...

I ran that marathon. The next morning, I had my first chiropractic appointment--that expo deal--and totally got the royal treatment (electrical muscle stimulation with heat, massage, ultrasound, cool lasers, and a [cracking!] adjustment). I left feeling fantastic, and although I was feeling pretty sore and awful by the end of the day, I think it really improved my recovery time. By Thursday of that week, I wasn't sore at all. He also lasered and re-taped my blisters, and even though they had been huge, they didn't bother me at all and had completely healed within about 10 days. More of David's pictures are here, if you're interested.

I took my turn presenting at the weekly Fellows' Luncheon. Approximately one third of the group was out with the flu or traveling or whatever, so it was a small crowd but went pretty well. I'm glad it's over.

Abraham came to town! The rockstars arrived Saturday night, in time to join us for a smashing dinner party, and then got my patented Nerd Tour of Mpls (including the theater, library, and post office) Sunday before playing a small show that evening in my apartment. Thanks to various factors conspiring against us, the turnout was very small, but we had a fantastic time and made merry until way too late for a school night. The rockstars left the next morning (which was snowy: thanks, Mpls) to continue their tour eastward; check out their upcoming appearances at their website. Here are some of David's pictures; be sure to view the full album for a few videos:


I sort of started running again, and registered for another half marathon. David took this picture because he thought it was funny that I looked like I was flipping him off. The subsequent run, my first since the marathon, was blessed with Wintry Mix and an awesome attack of cold-induced hives. Oh, yes. But yesterday, I ran a sunny six around the lakes with the friend I'm running the half with, and it was balmy--nearly 50°! The race is on Halloween, so I'm thinking about running in costume. The current front-runner is 80s cheerleader.

I made a lampshade. I don't actually remember why I was first inspired to do this, although this beautiful lamp in the window of the Uptown DWR didn't help. I think I'll write a little tutorial at some point, because we took a bunch of pictures, but for the moment here it is on David's head.

We got out. Last night, David and I saw Rodrigo y Gabriela at the Pantages Theater. It was the most amazing guitar playing I've ever seen live, and I have seen some impressive playing. Really an amazing show; if you ever have the opportunity to see them, DO! Tonight we saw The Importance of Being Earnest: Bros Before Hos Remix at the Bryant Lake Bowl Theater. Friday I took David to the French Meadow for the first time, and Saturday morning we discovered Isles Bun & Coffee together (despite passing the out-the-door line multiple times on my weekend lakes runs, I had never actually been in!). It's nice to live in the city.

UAR x2

Because I am a sucker for punishment, today, exactly one week before the Twin Cities Marathon, I rode in my second Urban Assault Ride. Last year, my partner and I had both been doing a respectable amount of biking (it helped that I'd actually been using my bike as my primary means of transportation, whereas recently I've become woefully spoiled by David's car!), but this year neither of us had really biked at all all summer.

Still, we had a great time (though I'm rather tender, and will doubtless be all sorts of sore tomorrow), and made it to all but one of our check-points (an improvement over last year!). Unfortunately, like last year, I did run into some mechanical troubles. It wasn't a spike through the tire, thankfully, but I did manage to bend my front fender when I stopped suddenly and caught it on my foot. That caused it to rub on the tire, which meant it felt like I was gently braking for most of our ride out(/uphill) to REI. Thankfully, on the way back I found a gas station garage that let me borrow their pliers so that I could remove and toss the offending fender, and had a much more pleasant ride thereafter.

This year, whether because the course was arranged better, because we'd actually completed the quiz and ended up in the first wave, or because the check-points were better equipped to handle large numbers of people, we spent hardly any time waiting in line for the activities (which included a toss/catch game involving wet sponges and a laundry basket that rested on one partner's shoulders [with a hole for the head!] and the "plunger paddle" where both partners sat on a longboard and paddled to stations using a toilet plunger).

Afterward, David and I went to a gamelan concert in St. Paul and then to Pancho Villa with my UAR teammate for burritos.

Oh, also! For the race, we made shirts. I couldn't find a "Ciao Ciao" graphic online, so I recreated one using the classic Coke logo. I thought they turned out really well. We're working our way up slowly; next year we'll make all the checkpoints and wear all-out costumes!

David's pictures (plus some of my partner's) are here:

Weekend

Internet, let's just say I'm making up for a series of bad weekends with a series of really good ones. I'm pretty sure I had a series of fairly lame weekends sometime this past winter. (I wasn't actually able to find much evidence of that on this blog, but then you can't really take everything here at face value, either.) I would like to say that I'm making up for the past year's less fortunate weekends, ones filled with grading or writing conference papers or simply staying home alone under my covers, because the past few (and, hopefully next few) have been so otherwise embarrassingly awesome.

This one started Friday evening with a small dinner party at the Swinjarnary. I didn't get to see the Peanut crawl (seriously, watch that video), but I did, for the first time, feel like we had real human interaction. I talked to her quite seriously about the delicious orange vegetables she's been eating recently, and when, as I held her at the table, she alternately stretched forward for the edge of the table and then threw herself back again into my arms, repeatedly, she looked into my eyes as if she knew that she had devised quite the clever game. She has always had personality--she's been a charming little extrovert as long as I've known her (our first meeting, on May 20, is pictured on the left)--and been ridiculously good-looking, but those brain cells she inherited from her brilliant parents have apparently recently begun firing in earnest. Awwww.

Saturday, David and I drove to Portland, arriving in time to pick up my replacement contact lens (I don't think I mentioned that when my new pair arrived several weeks ago, the left lens had some foreign material stuck to it, rendering it unwearable) before making it to Edgefield McMenamins for an evening concert by Andrew Bird and the Decemberists.

I'd purchased our tickets to the (eventually sold-out) show months ago, after missing Andrew Bird in Minneapolis the weekend of the Pop Culture Conference and discovering to my joy that he'd be in the Northwest at the same time I would. I'd seen him before and was really excited about this show, but the large, grassy amphitheater was sadly not the best venue, in my opinion, to display his considerable talent. He was also technically an opening act, so he didn't play long, either, and not my favorite tunes.

The venue was spot-on, however, for the headlining act, the Decemberists, whom I had never seen live and whose music I had only begun listening to in earnest in anticipation of the concert. Their most recent album, The Hazards of Love, is what is often referred to as a "concept album," but in my estimation is more accurately considered an epic modern opera. They played the entire opera, from prelude to final reprise, in one seamless flow, quasi-costumes such as a spangled white dress for Margaret and a sparkly, red-belted black number for the Queen adding to the engagingly theatrical effect. It was unlike any other concert I'd ever been to, and deeply emotionally and aesthetically satisfying: there's something about being able to follow the story and know what's coming next that's a bit thrilling, even though the tale itself is terribly sad.

After the concert, from which we escaped a bit early, allowing us to get out of the parking lot in reasonable time, we met college/camp friends of mine in Sherwood. We stayed up late eating and chatting with them before heading back with Beanna to her apartment in Vancouver.

Sunday morning David and I had brunch with Beanna before heading back to the east side of the state in time to catch the matinee of Harry Potter with his parents. Oh! But on our way, we stopped at the Bonneville Fish Hatchery and Sturgeon Center and got a few pictures with the sturgeon (our only photos of the weekend, sadly, on the real camera):




If it gets better than this, it's not much.

Abraham

So, last weekend!

David came out to Walla Walla Thursday night to join us for the Community College's production of Grease out at the Fort Walla Walla Amphitheater. It wasn't mind-blowing, but it was definitely fun, and I'm completely a sucker for outdoor theater in the summer.*

Friday morning I rode back to Hermiston with him, and that evening when he got off work I had one of the best burritos I've ever had, courtesy of the taco wagon by the bowling alley, and then we went out with his cousin.

Saturday morning, we did the Hermiston FunFest 10k run, which was mostly fun, but would have been improved by an earlier start (it was already getting hot at 8 a.m.) and actual water stops along the course (though goodness knows I was grateful for that box of bottles at mile 2!). It was the first race I'd run since Phoenix, and my first ever 10k.

Paul and Ter drove to Hermiston that afternoon to join us for a big family dinner. Given our rather full schedules this summer, it was the only time we could schedule it, even though David and I had to leave rather earlier than I would have liked so that we could make it to Salem by 7:00 to hear Abraham.

Yes, we drove from Hermiston to Salem--241 miles, each way!--because I love my Brother Rockstar. And as it happens, not surprisingly, it was completely worth it.

First of all, we got to drive through the Gorge, and even though it was our third trip this summer, it was no less beautiful. It was when we arrived, however, that we knew the entire drive had been worth it. The venue was KathKen Vineyards, a 50-acre vineyard nestled in the nicest little hollow just northwest of Salem. We were greeted at the gate by Kathy and Ken themselves, who were friendly and raved about how much they liked Joel and his music. As nice as that was, I wasn't completely smitten until we parked and I stepped out of the car. It was in that moment that I knew that the four hours in the car--and the four we'd have to drive back--were a small price to pay for the experience.

Ahead of us stretched a broad hillside with vines absorbing the last of the sun's rays. Behind were tall firs, covering a slightly steeper slope and surrounding the stage just visible through gaps in the trees. The air was blissfully crisp after the sweating we'd done that morning, and carried on it the tinge of one of my favorite smells in the entire world, sun-warmed conifer, along with campfire smoke. It was the smoke that had saturated us by the end of the evening, but the fire's welcome warmth in the clearing, as well as the friendliness of its tenders (even as ash floated into our drinks), made it a small price to pay.

The crowd was small, and the setting casual enough that David and I got to chat with Joel and the other band boys before they took the stage, and then again, at plastic tables pulled just to the edge of the vines, during their friends' set. The acoustics were surprisingly good for such an apparently absorbent terrain, and although the cool humidity ravaged the guitar strings, the performance was energetic and fun, a thoroughly enjoyable combination of new material and familiar songs.

After Abraham played, and while they were preparing the stage for the next act, David and I climbed the hill and were surprised to discover that from the height of the top of the slope, we could see to the horizon where hills washed out and glowing in the setting sun overlapped in semitransparent layers.

Overall, it was spectacular, one of the most fun shows I'd been to in a long time. A really delicious Riesling from KathKen's collection was the icing on the cake.

When the bands were packing their stuff up for the night, David and I said our goodbyes and drove to Portland, where we met up with more friends before crashing for the night at Beanna's. In the morning, we met up with them again for brunch, did a quick swing through a neighborhood farmers' market, and then headed downtown, where I scored a jacket I'm very excited about at REI and a few dissertation-type books at Powell's (narrowly avoiding a cultural studies/comparative lit-induced meltdown--eeps).

It's true that the weekend did involve quite a lot of driving, but thankfully David and I do tend to get along and (mostly) enjoy it. We're going back next weekend to hear Andrew Bird and the Decemberists--and then we're going back again the weekend thereafter, because after hearing me moan and debate about the upcoming Lacamas Lake Half Marathon, David went ahead and registered me for that race and himself for the 4-mile! I'm really excited about it, and think that if you're in the area you should definitely come (and run); seriously, doesn't this look fun? I'm working on Beanna, although, as she's been kind enough to let us crash with her while we've been in town, I'm not pushing my case too hard.

More pictures and a few videos (with apologies for the poor quality; they sound ever so much better live!) are here; as always, click to view larger images or to leave comments.


*Speaking of which, did you local people notice that they're doing The Taming of the Shrew there next month? I definitely want to go; who's with me?

Michael Jackson

I don't know what to say about Michael Jackson.

Two Thursdays ago, as I was driving to Hermiston in advance of the coast trip, I heard the news on NPR that, at age 50, Michael Jackson was dead. I was stunned and saddened, even surprising myself by blinking away tears as I drove.

It's not that I was a hardcore fan: I don't own a single album (though I was given the MP3s of Number Ones, several of which feature in various Marathonator playlists), didn't follow his legal difficulties, and never felt any sort of close personal connection. But somehow, he was part of my life, as he has been for millions for decades and will doubtless continue to be.

My first Michael Jackson memory is, as a child, asking my father, upon seeing his face on a magazine cover, whether Michael Jackson was a man or a woman. My dad replied mysteriously, "No one really knows." When I recounted that story to him last year, he laughed at his response--but at the time I was genuinely confused.

I remember trying unsuccessfully to moonwalk. I remember singing "Heal the World" in eighth grade choir. I remember looking at images of the tragic evolution of his face. I remember running to his music. I remember dancing to it at many parties (and hope to continue doing so). I remember being consistently impressed and cheered by his own dancing in his music videos.

Michael Jackson is, as has only become clearer in the wake of his untimely death, a worldwide phenomenon, leaving his indelible impression on decades of music, fashion, dance, and videography. His impossible bigness tended to hide the fact, I think, that he was, after all, human and fallible and fragile. The impressive thing is how that bigness seemed somehow to reach all of us in our smallness.

I'm sad that he's gone, though of course he isn't, not really, and won't be. I'm not the first to suggest that what we'll remember of him will be the good stuff--the contagious music, the mind-blowing dancing, the trailblazing videos--rather than the very visible and painful effects of the fame they earned him. I hope it will be.

Mail!

It's been like Christmas around the 'Kitchen lately! Yesterday, my Christmas present from Ellen arrived. The packaging was beautiful, of course:

And what was inside was even better:

That's right, it's a scrolling LED sign with a pin on the back! She said she was hoping it would arrive in time for my Milwaukee conference, but I reminded her that it might be even more appropriate for my Pop Culture conference next month. I'd show it to you with something actually on the screen, but the batteries appear to be dead and I'm having trouble getting the back off to replace them.

Then today UPS delivered the brand new U2 album, which a little bird (David) had sent because they're my favorite band of all time. Awwww:

And finally, just when you'd think it couldn't get any better, the US mail delivered a huge fuchsia bubble mailer from Teri, containing this awesome T-shirt from their favorite gelateria in San Francisco:

Vuoi means "do you want to"; guess what cucchiaio means!

Finally, lest you think I'm the luckiest girl in the world, here is a picture of my bruised left hip, courtesy of my most recent biking misadventure:

The quarter was Ellen's idea, to demonstrate scale. So I'm clearly not quite the luckiest--but definitely feel very loved.

Bullets

• One of the Popcan's (many) names was the Sapphire Bullet of Pure Love
• Tonight I started my taxes, but couldn't finish them because I was missing a tuition form
• I lost one of my toenails
• I painted the other nine, and the spot where the tenth used to be
• I've been sick all week, but I'm feeling better (not dead yet!)
• My voice isn't totally back yet, but I'm only missing every fifth syllable or so now, instead of every second or third
• I've been drinking a lot of tea and ginger/lemon/honey goodness
  
• It has been raining here
• I feel like I should be happier about that, because at least it's warm
  
• I don't, though, because (a) it's gray and ugly and (b) it's still going to be winter for another two months, at least
• I am, however, happy about this upcoming weekend!
• I love my new red laptop
• I used it to edit the paper I'm workshopping tomorrow, but mostly I'm liking catching up on TV on the Internet
• Oh, and video chat with the built-in webcam! Who knew?
• I forgot to rip a copy of my brother's new CD before giving my last copy away, but he sent me one a few days ago
• It's brilliant, the kind of album you want to listen to over and over again (which I've been doing)
• Someday I'll succeed in persuading them to set up a website that actually sells said album (each of which is a beautiful, individual piece of art)
• Until then, you can mail $8 to an address I'll give you if you're interested
• Seriously, though, I'll work on them on the website. Setting it up myself is far more tempting than, say, writing a dissertation

Butterfly

I have enough introverted tendencies to know how important alone time can be, but I still don't think I'd mind if the vast majority of my weekends were like this past one, full of friends, cultural activities, and shared food!

On Thursday, after spending the day running errands with my neighbor and her mom, I met a friend downtown for Spring Awakening at the Orpheum. It was an excellent production, with strong acting and enjoyable music, though a bit dark and full of an almost dizzying array of teen issues. Friday, I had dinner with my neighbor and her fiance at Pancho Villa before heading into Saint Paul for another friend's CD release party. Two of the three bands that went on before them were great, and of course my friend's band rocked (the less great band just made my ears hurt). Saturday, a friend and I spent the morning pursuing bargains (I scored a $150 dress for 90% off and a pair of Anne Klein shoes for $10!). Later, I joined another friend for dinner at her place before we headed to the Russian National Ballet's Sleeping Beauty and met up later with more friends for pizza. Finally, today, I cooked for and attended a Superbowl party I had convinced friends to host (lacking a telly puts me at a disadvantage for these things). I made seven-layer dip, cream cheese caramel dip, and a huge vegetable tray, and brought lots of chips, tzatziki dip, apples, and cherry cider. I was disappointed with the outcome of the game (the last time I watched a Superbowl was when the refs won for the Steelers against Seattle,* and although I didn't think this year's calls were quite as egregious, they didn't seem entirely fair, either), but it was engaging, nonetheless. What made it priceless was watching the halftime show with an entire room full of Springsteen fans my age. In the early 80s, I knew the Boss as a sort of deity (watching him sing Glory Days with Steve brought back memories I'd forgotten I had!), but I was far from the biggest fan in the crowd of art historians. Oh, and the look on his face alone when he slid into the camera was worth the entire Superbowl!

So. My to-do list for today only made it as far as two items ("Dishes" and "Clean kitchen") but I accomplished both (multiple times, in fact, as things in my tidy kitchen quickly devolved into disaster once again as I made guacamole, assembled the dips, and chopped vegetables), which is probably about right for a Sunday. Soon enough, I'm going to have to get really serious about producing some writing--summoning those introverted tendencies to the charge!--but for the moment, I'm totally slacking and absolutely loving it.

*Thanks to Chelfea for the link--although from the post, I'm not sure she shared my sentiments about the officiating!

Rock 'n' Roll!

My mom called this morning, and the first thing she asked was, "What were you doing a week ago right now?" Readers, she knew the answer. And although she didn't specifically mention that I hadn't blogged about it, I figure I should probably try to catch up here. Also, I put it on my To Do List, which means that when I publish this, I can check off a box less challenging than "Register for Milwaukee" or "Call Dell."

So one week ago right now, I was running the Phoenix Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. My parents and I drove out through the middle of the desert on Saturday afternoon, arriving in time to experience a gloriously soft, purple sunset; to briefly explore the exquisitely surreal Scottsdale "Old Town"; and then to celebrate my cousin's birthday in high-carb fashion. I slept for a few hours before popping to the airport to retrieve David, who had surprised me Thursday by saying he had a ticket to come out and cheer! He hadn't wanted to disturb my pre-race sleep, but I assured him that this way, if the race went poorly, I had a built-in excuse (and that I'd learned whilst training for my first marathon that as long as you sleep well Friday, Saturday night doesn't actually matter that much).

As it turned out, I didn't need the excuse, because Sunday was more or less perfect. You may not have picked this up from my last post, but I was genuinely worried about how this race might go, mostly because I hadn't really trained. Yet, somewhat miraculously--and thanks in large part to my spectacular support team!--I had my most enjoyable race yet. Early on, I fell in with an Italian and a German, both from Chicago, who were aiming for a 4:30 finish. I told them I didn't know how long I'd be able to keep up with them, but that I'd stick it out as long as I could. As it turned out, I was able to run with them for quite a while, though we lost Roland when he made a pit stop and then I lost Joanna when I stopped for one. I caught up with Roland, though, with whom I ran until, his knee giving him trouble at about mile 19, he (very politely) cut me loose and told me to run ahead. I was quickly able to catch up with a Utahan couple who'd been running at about our pace, and yakked with them through the last few miles.

And this is slightly unbelievable, even to me, but I had a really fantastic time. I remember saying to Roland, at about mile 18, "I feel so good! So good!" That's just not right... especially if you're under-trained. The heat was making him sweat (apparently it was about 75° by the time I finished), but there was a nice breeze (which my dad described later as a vicious headwind) and it felt perfect to me. The course was flat, beautiful, and filled with enjoyable people (around that pace, there seems to be a lot of camaraderie; the runners are generally adequately trained, so comfortable but not competitive). Even better was what I called My People: once my uncle and crew, and at least eight other times along the route, my parents and David (waving signs!). That was a marvelous experience.

When I crossed the finish line, two separate volunteers remarked to me that I looked too good to have just run 26.2 miles. When my neighbor asked me Monday night, driving me home from the train station, how I felt, she laughed at me when I responded that my right calf was a little tight. Actually, I did have some fairly impressive blisters, and will probably lose a couple of toenails, but I do--still!--feel amazingly good.

On the light rail back from the airport, standing by the suitcases I'd wrestled onto the train and staring bleakly at the mountains of snow visible out the window, I thought, "Ugh, snow. Why do I live in Minneapolis?" And then, weirdly, I felt it change, in my head, to "Awwww, snow. I live in Minneapolis." It suddenly felt so good, being there, and thinking that, that I got all misty.

So. I don't know if it was the holidays, or the travel, or the family and friends, or the Integratron, or the marathon, or what. Perhaps the latter released a veritable tide of endorphins that are still crashing through my system. The sound bath might have left me persistently aligned. I don't know, but I feel good--way too good for a Minnesotan January. But I'll take it.

Pictures my mom took (plus a few from my camera phone) are here:


David's album is here:

Things That Are Awesome II

Or: This is what the Internet was invented for.*

So yesterday's video got me in the mood for hearing/watching a bit of Toto, and this is what the Internet yielded:

OH MY GOODNESS. I had never seen this before, and I find it hard to believe that my life had been so incomplete. I dig nothing quite like a good 80s music video (Talking Heads and Michael Jackson are among my favorite pick-me-ups), and this one is amazing.

And thanks to YouTube, and its "Related Videos" links of genius, I also discovered this gem, another favorite song whose video I'd never seen, which is even better:

I laughed so hard that I missed parts of the video. The raw exuberance here is priceless. It's definitely a new favorite.

YouTube also linked me to this Dead or Alive video, which is fairly awesome in its own right, but does pale somewhat in comparison to the two embedded here.

A final awesome thing? Black beans and rice. Ellen makes this all the time, but for some reason I really don't. Tonight I didn't have plain yogurt and cilantro, as she usually does, but I did cook my brown rice with chopped onion, and I added the beans to sauteed garlic, cumin, and other seasonings. I topped it with asiago cheese and it was DIVINE. I realize that this may not sound like much to most people, and that I may appear to be in a rather superlative mood (as perhaps I am) but tonight, maybe because my neighbor and I survived an invigorating six mile run through temperatures in the teens and because I was really hungry, things are awesome. I ate most of a can of olives along with my beans and rice, as well as really delicious Green Mountain Gringo Tortilla Strips. I got two pounds of organic avocados at the co-op yesterday for $4.99, and I wanted to eat those, but they weren't ripe yet.

That's what's called future awesomeness.

*I was going to say "...why Al Gore invented the Internet," but I like Al Gore and the claim that he invented the Internet is a malicious lie (even though it sounds kind of clever).

Appropriated

Here are two very different videos that I saw today and enjoyed immensely.

First, via Ben, Straight No Chaser's Twelve Days of Christmas:

Make it through at least the first two minutes, and I don't think you'll be disappointed with the last minute and a half. At least, if you're nerdy like me.

Second, via Ted, Guns 'n' Roses/Foo Fighters mash-up:

I totally heart Dave Grohl.