TA DA!!!!!

Way back before we moved (and even before I had done much packing, judging from this picture) I was gifted with a digital camera. It was an incredibly kind gesture, motivated I think as much by being tired of looking at my crappy cell phone pictures as anything else. (ha!) I have been really anxious to try it out, but with moving and catering and all it has kind of fallen to the back burner (hence the continuing crappy cell phone pictures....)
This week I finally got out the software and manual and charged up the battery and found my way around.....only to discover that the USB cable in the box didn't work with my computer. Poo! I put everything back on the shelf, figuring that it would be another month before I got around to ordering a cable.
Cue my adorable AV Tech girlfriend, with an uncanny ability to find what I need hanging around her office unused. She brought home a cable last night, I plugged it in this morning, and now pictures are coming out! Huzzah!
Today I have a full schedule for my day off (3 of 3 in a row...gosh!) post office to mail a birthday package; Trader Joe's to pick up fruit and cheese for the wedding on sunday; rolling grape leaves; possibly stopping in to the quizzle to pick up some more supplies for appetizer making(though I think I'll just hold off until tomorrow for that, since I'll be going in anyway); hopefully baking some pita bread(!); chicken picata for dinner; picking up lilD from daycare and delivering him to his pops(as well as taking full advantage of my half hour hang out time and functioning digital camera for a cuter than cute photo session!) and visiting Borders and/or the liquor store for a birthday present for my dad. Whew! If I can swing it I want to go to American Shorts tonght too, but I don't know if I can figure out transportation or will have the energy to stay awake for all that dirty story reading. (heh)
I did get to make the sexy mix CD to be played before and after the readings, though. Lucky me.

Oh crap, I have to try to write about the Meat Puppets/Bumps show last night.
I am still sort of reeling from it, so this is going to be rather stream of consciousness and probably incoherent. But, hey...it's the Meat Puppets, right?
What better tribute.
So first of all, a couple days ago I realized with horror that we had a very important kitchen meeting scheduled at the exact same time as the show. It was rough, but I knew that there was NO WAY I could actually miss my friend Mikey getting to play with his most favoritest band (well, the Dead not withstanding, but that is going to have to wait till we're all crowding around the pearly gates)
So I pleaded out, and sometime yesterday afternoon the excitement hit me.
It's like this with me and the Meat Puppets....I'm not one to think of pulling out my Puppies! mix tape, like, ever. But when I do hear them, it takes me so very fully back to a very innocent, carefree, sundrenched, hippie time in my life. I LOVE some of those songs not just because of the fantastic lyrical guitar ramblings or the fantastic lyrical lyrical ramblings or the sheer joy that is Curt Kirkwood's tinny voice. I love them for the way they transport me in time and space. I was sitting in my sundrenched kitchen eating a big bowl of tabouli and listening to the Meat Puppets, and the sheer BIGNESS of what was about to go down really hit me. I could not stop smiling.
I quickly checked the internets after my shower and saw that Paul Q was in need of a ride, so we headed over to the Melwood HQ to throw him in the back of the truck.
We got there really early, and sat at a small table with beers chatting and greeting friends who wandered in. Mikey came out at one point and seeing him just filled me with joy....he seemed a little shell shocked, but so very very happy. It was beautiful.
Before too long the Bumps took the stage and I headed up to the rail. I snapped 79 grainy sort of awful cell phone pictures because I need to get a different USB cable before I can use the digital camera.....but I wanted to document the historic event somehow. The Bumps sounded SO TIGHT---they PRACTICED more than once, for petessakes!--and were so smiley and happy. The sound was fantastic, and about three songs in T. jumped up on stage too for back ups. I was so proud. Just beaming. I looked back in the audience which was filling up quickly and saw so many friendly faces...people who knew how much this meant to the people on the stage and were there as much to support as to see the headliners. Community. Right on.
It was so good, and over before we knew it. Then the Only Children came on, and Paul and I discussed whether or not to hate them just because they were between the Bumps and the Puppies. Turned out they were pretty average and I spent most of their set sending my Bumps pictures to Flickr so I could clear the way for the Meat Puppets set. Ha.
Finally they were done and the set up for the Puppies started...and was done. The setup was a standard sized drum kit, already on the riser; two mike stands; a small Crate and a regulation sized Peavey. That's it. The Peavey was miked, the bass was direct into the board, I think, but that's it. Good lord.
It seemed like it took forever for them to come out, but it was probably 15 minutes at the most. "Never Tear Us Apart" played over the loudspeakers and I started weeping. I'm such a sap.
Baby hippies started to crowd the front of the stage and annoy me, and I struggled all night with feeling benevolent towards them. I was a baby hippie once, and I probably annoyed some old heads somewhere at one time or another. I don't think I ever acted like these baby hippies though...sort of carelessly flinging their lit cigarette hands around and whipping their long baby hippie hair in people's faces. Rude.
But, the Meat Pupppets came out on stage. Curt has grown his corkscrew curls back and was wearing an oversized tank top and sweat pants. He smiled like a buddha. I was in love from the moment he walked out. Chris looks like death warmed over, but was so excited and happy and energetic that I didn't feel terrible for him like I thought I would. They were having FUN.
I can't list everything they played, but the hilights were "Up On The Sun" which Chris dedicated to the Bumps, sending Leah and I into fits of joyful weeping; "Look At the Rain" which sent me to dance with Mikey and more joyful weeping; "Severed Goddess Hand" which I really couldn't believe they played JUST FOR ME, sending me into a hippie twirl trance; "Climbing" which is just one of my favorite silly little songs.....and so many others. I don't know the names of a lot of them, and honestly I can't remember a lot of them. I'll have to confer with the crew. I shouted and cried and danced and smiled and watched some of my favorite people, my tribe, my family, have one of the best nights of their lives. I couldn't ask for anything more.

I Am Madly In Love

Have you heard of the Ditty Bops?
J* sent me their CD "Moon Over the Freeway" and I can't stop listening to it.
She also told me that they did their tour last summer on bicycle! Today I checked
out their website, and this summer they are doing a farm tour to raise funds for
local farm relief organizations. These are my dream girls. Sigh.
Turns out they are playing in Pittsburgh THIS SUNDAY 9/2 at Mr Smalls. Unfortunately
I have a wedding that evening, but if you are in town you should totally check
them out. So cute!

Liberal Arts Damage

The other night I could not get to sleep because I couldn't remember the roman names for certain greek gods.

God(s) bless the internets.

Shopping Helps


So, Saturday I went to work, and had a pretty fine time. I got there wicked early to put together a catering donation for a local TV comedy show. When they came to pick up the wrap sandwiches and chips and salsa and tater salad their eyes lit up. It felt good.
I also got to train the new gal, upon whom I already have the "competency crush." You know that crush you get on someone who asks all the right questions, and jumps in where they are needed, and (best ever) replaces the can of chickpeas they use to make hummus from the downstairs pantry without being told? That kind. Though I have to admit she is AWFULLY cute and really swell and also has the same birthday as me. So it might be *slightly* more than a compentency crush, but it is mostly that.
ANYWAY, the morning was super busy but we powered through, and lots of people ordered my Peachy Croissant with eggs, cream cheese, fresh peaches, fakin bacon and apricot preserves. Yum. Jilly arrived looking all bronze and marvelous and we chatted about her vacation while doing the dishes (as the dishwasher didn't show up)
It was a good day at work, and then my honeygirl showed up to fetch me and we went thrifting. I was in serious need of pants, as I seem to be losing weight despite myself and all my pants are either too big or too full of holes. So we hit the Red White and Blue, where I got several pairs of pants, a Julia Child cookbook, and a terra cotta roaster for $4.00. I am beyond excited for that. We traveled on and hit the other thrift stores on 51, and I got more pants, some blouses, a couple dresses, and some wire racks for magazines and bathroom items. We did not go crazy. We stopped at the Brentwood Express for ribs and pulled pork, and it was amazing. Good lord. I was not too pleased with the chemical cocktail lemonade or the chemical cocktail cheese sauce....I guess I've become super sensitive because stuff like that really tastes HORRIBLE to me now. But the pork was so good it didn't completely mar the meal. We went to Gabriel Brothers which was REALLY, really a mistake on the Saturday before most kids go back to school. The place was literally SWARMING with poorly behaved children and ineffectual parents. I grabbed a black hoodie, some plain white baby Ts for present making, and a dust ruffle and fitted sheet for the bed, and then I was done. Rebby went a little wild in the t shirt aisle, getting a stock of shirts for the screen printing business. Oh! I got a garlic press too. I have finally given in. It's so much nicer for dressings to have pressed garlic than slivered, I think.
Anyway, as we were headed back we got a call that the Bonello clan was back from the beach with fruits of the sea for us, so we stopped at the Lang compound to pick up our bounty. Scallops, scallops, scallops, and a couple of crab cakes. Glory Hallelujah!
This morning we slept in until 8:30! and then had a leisurely pancake egg bacon tater breakfast. Eventually we bathed ourselves and set out for food shopping, stopping to recycle all our recycle-ables. I went slightly mad in the bulk aisle, and I indulged in some eqyptian henna shampoo to go with the rinse I got the last time we co-op shopped. It is my single most favorite HBA product of all time. The scent of this stuff sends me into la-la land. We stocked up on a bunch of other stuff, spent a lot of $$, and then went to get beer. It's been a long time since I've lived in a house with beer always in the fridge, and I kinda like it. We chose a Saranac fall sampler, with black forest ale, two kinds of pale ale, and a black and tan. Perfect for slightly chilly fall days, should they choose to arrive.
Oh! I didn't mention the adorable bamboo star patterned table I got for sitting on the porch with beverages. It's lovely, and looks handmade though it was made in china. Perhaps by hand....I don't know.
Now we are preparing to go to Jilly's place for a cookout. I just realized with abject horror that our kitchen meeting and the meat puppets show are both on Tuesday night...hopefully I can weasel my way around it. Wish me luck.

RIP Roxanne, ?-2007

Our sweet kizzle passed away this afternoon. We aren't really sure what happened---she ran out yesterday as we were leaving, and I couldn't catch her to put her back in the house. She wasn't around when we got home, but she strolled in around 8pm. She wasn't looking quite right....she was very quiet, and she didn't run to the food bowl and yell, and she seemed a little unsteady. But she tried to put her face in both our water glasses so we didn't worry too much.
This morning when we got up she was sort of flopped in her favorite spot in the fireplace...seemed really lethargic, but it was so hot and humid, and she purred when I petted her, so we both went to work and decided to take her to the vet if she didn't seem perkier when we got home.
When we got home, she was still in the same spot, and didn't seem able to move at all. We called around and found that the greenfield animal hospital was the closest, and they told us to bring her in right away. I bundled my poor kitty in a towel and put her into the first empty box I could find...a banker file box. I held the box on my lap and we set off in rush hour traffic for greenfield.
Poor kitty was very quiet, but she was obviously struggling. She made a couple of kicks and then was still. We kept going to the hospital, but once we got there we figured there was really no point in going in. She was definitely gone. So we sat in the truck and cried for a while, and then headed home.
She was laid in state in the fireplace (her favorite spot) for an hour, and then we buried her under the tree in the back yard.
She was a very good kitty, and she had a very long and full life. She was at least a grandmother if not a great grandmother, she ran an art gallery in Wilkinsburg for a number of years, and had subsequent homes in Lawrenceville, North Oakland, and Point Breeze before moving to her final home in East Liberty almost exactly one month ago today.
I imagine we'll miss her poking us in the face at 4am. And yelling all the way down the stairs until we put new food in her bowl, even if it was full. And of course, sticking her face in our glasses, and climbing on the table to beg. She was a spoiled kitty, but she deserved it.

Hey!
Yesterday was Robert Plant's birthday!
I was so busy taking care of business that I forgot.
Here is a nice way to while away a good five minutes
while thinking nice thoughts about the 80s.

ship of fools.

Monday rainy day at the farmer's market!
My morning was nice and rainy and leisurely---reading on the porch while the kitty played in the rain, drinking too too much guatamalan antigua coffee, taking care of a backlog of catering related emails, having a nice warm shower with the shower mood light on and getting dressed to go take care of my admin duties at the storm.
I had to do the weekend sales reports and deposits, and payroll. It's so strange to realize how my mind has shifted focus since I've been out of the corporate world and into the culinary one---these financial tasks were very small potatoes compared to the stuff I dealt with on a daily basis when I was running a million dollar college bookstore, but I've been out da game for long enough that I was all nervous and tentative. Once I got the hang of it though, I remembered again how much I LOVE doing sales reports. Counting money. Especially doing 10key check tallies, though we never get more than three checks on any given day at the storm so that particular love goes unfulfilled. I did my tasks and went to the bank, and then on my way to the bus stop after going to the bank I walked right in to a drug bust! Right there on Winebiddle street, as I was crossing an unmarked car with two undercover detectives drove up, and jumped out and handcuffed the guy standing on the corner. They were emptying his pockets and back-up was driving up as I walked by. It made me uneasy, as I kept expecting some gangstas to drive up and start shooting, because let's face it---people are getting shot everywhere in Pittsburgh these days. I really don't like to live my life in fear of random violence, but there's been so much of it lately that I can't help it.
Anyway, after that anxious wait at the bus stop, the 86B rolled up finally and I took a ride to the farmer's market. Despite the overcast and intermittently rainy day, a lot of the farmers showed up. My strapping young farmhand was there with three young lady helpers, and all the booths were extra busy because some of the usual folks had not shown up due to the rain. My favorite fruit seller was there and I got some delicious peaches, my favorite nice organic farmer sold me garlic, cilantro, and tomatillos, my favorite cranky organic farmer sold me eggs, and I got scallions and some beautiful parsley from one of the lovely young ladies. I took some pictures at the market, including a sneaky one of farmhand boy. You can almost tell how incredibly gorgeous he is from this picture. Next week I'll try to get a better one, hopefully with the actual digital camera instead of the camera phone.
Today's tasks are getting the office together, making a plan for the catering for the next wedding, and getting the digital up and running. AND mailing a package to J*, as long as the rain lets up for long enough to walk to the post office. Which means I'll probably stop for a hot dog since I'll be right there....
I've also got tabouli to make, and I might try to see if I can figure out how to make pita bread. I'm sure one of my hippie cookbooks has to have a pita bread recipe, right?

Well, it's been some kinda week around here!
Tuesday night we had a really fun show at the brillobox with the bleeders from erie and the degenerettes from baltimore. It wasn't what you would call a crowd, but for a Tuesday night it wasn't bad at all. Lots of storm-y friends came out to support. That's always nice. The bleeders are really great, high energy riot grrrrl style, and they have that "band from erie" aura about them. It's a spirit of togetherness that I think comes from trying to play in a really small music scene, like tiny little help had in albuquerque. The Degenerettes were just amazing, doing rockabilly inflected covers of "Never Say Never" and "Ask" by the Smiths, and their own rockin tunes. Plus, again, just some really awesome people to hang with. Our set was strange but fun, and after the show we all came back to the Mayflower Manse for a cocktail and weird food session. Seriously, I fed them mashed potatoes, steamed vegetable buns, couscous with tomatoes, and cucumber salad. But they appreciated it.
Wednesday morning Jilly and I had a meeting to pin down logistics for what may be our most complicated wedding to date. There are some venue issues that needed to be solved, and we are also going to be working with a wedding coordinator. We'll see how that goes.
Thursday, I honestly can't remember. Friday after work rebby and I headed to the Warhol to see a panel discussion about Homophobia, Transphobia, and being Black and Gay in Pittsburgh. It was moderated by this amazing person named Deryck Tines, who is a very fabulous black and gay minister. He was talking about starting a LGBT gospel choir and my ears perked right up! I hope I can get involved. I can't imagine anything more fun than siging gospel music with a bunch of drag queens! Anyway, the talk was a little unfocused, but hearing people's stories was very uplifting. After the talk there was a (not very good) drag performance, and then we went upstairs to see the Teenie Harris photos of drag people from the 1940's and 50's. Truly amazing. If you have the chance to see the exhibit I encourage you to do so...or wait until the fall when it will be shown at Space Gallery downtown, with a complimentary exhibit of photographs of Pittsburgh's current black lgbt community. I can't wait for that.
We also checked out the "Personal Jesus" exhibit of andy and keith haring's religious art. The Andy stuff I had mostly seen before, but the Keith Haring paintings blew my mind. Some of them are so funny, and all of them are really powerful and a whole other dimension to Keith's work. I have to say, though....the descriptive statement, written by the museum curator, sent me into a blinding rage. It had nothing to do with content...in fact, I didn't even read past the second paragraph, so I couldn't tell you much about the content. What I can tell you is that in the first two paragraphs of this full-wall length statement, I saw four typo/spelling/grammatical errors. Despite the occasional spelling/grammatical error in this blog, which I write stream of consciousness style and barely ever even spellcheck, I am a stickler for correct English. Especially in something that is going to be posted six feet long on a gallery wall and be a representative of a museum's professionalism (or, say, a representative of an executive chef's professionalism, or a high gloss upscale fashion magazine editor's professionalism...etc) I was so upset by it that it actually diminished my enjoyment of the evening. But I really, really enjoyed the evening, and rebby and I made a pact to go to the warhol more often.
Yesterday, we got up early and did the Strip thing...Deluca's breakfast, Reynas for tortilla chips and Fortune's for more coffee and Penn Mac for pine nuts and olive oil, and the Slow Food farmer's market for bacon and bread. On the way home we stopped at the garden and visited with the Polish Hill prince and his mom, and then came home and set to preparing things...pesto, grating zucchini to freeze, lasagne, and a fruit cobbler with the last bits of cherries, plums and peaches in the fridge. We ate the lasagne right out of the oven before heading to Larryville for our second show of the week, but the cobbler I left on the counter to cool. The show was kind of fun--you can see millions of photos courtesy of rebbyro on flickr. Very, very, exploding plastic inevitable, if I do say so myself. The variety of archetypal HIPSTERS at this gallery show shocked me. I guess Larryville must be their natural habitat, when they aren't drinking at the brillobox. It was fun to play outside and I actually could kind of see the reflection of the projections in the plate glass window of the loft building across the street.
When we were done playing we drove back home, ready for some cobbler. Only to find it swarming, I mean SWARMING, with ants. We've had an ant invasion lately and no amount of cajoling will convince them to hang outside instead. So it's back to Home Depot for more heavy duty killing ammunition. I pitched the whole thing in the trash and went to bed with the begining of a blinding headache from smoking one american spirit cigarette and drinking one cup of bourbon punch. Lord help me, I've become "edge."
Today was brunch and despite the lingering blinding headache, it was a good time. The people came out in the rain to eat up all my vegan blueberry stuffed french toast and potato-soysage mole enchiladas. Today was a good day to be a vegan.

Yesterday was a dreamy day off. I got up early with rebby and had her drop me off in the strip district for some early morning grocery shopping. I went straight for Deluca's, and read my book while I drank awesome diner coffee, and ate my biscuits and gravy. I didn't realize Deluca's had them as an option, and man were they better than the last time I went to Barb's. I sat with my back to the TV, but I could still see out of the corner of my eye the elongated heads of the anchor people, telling me with barely repressed glee that Karl Rove is resigning. I almost threw a party. Though I of course would prefer that my country not be run by some kind of evil empire, it is somewhat gratifying to watch the dynasty crumble before the world's eyes. I almost feel bad for Bush senior, who had a chance to be remembered at least neutrally by history. Now his legacy will be swallowed up by the rampant incompetance of his son. Poor old dude. It's kind of weird to be reading this book, which was written during the reign of Bush I, and finding myself assuming she is talking about the current Bush. How innocent we liberals were in our frustration and disgust with Bush I---we really had no idea how bad it could actually get.
So anyway, after my breakfast I went over to Penn Mac which was the emptiest I have ever seen it. (of course, it was before 8am on a Monday) I waltzed through the bulk nut and fruit section, and waltzed over to the cheese room, where I became totally stimied. I ended up getting some ricotta for lasagne, and a giant chunk of parm for pesto. But I couldn't really think about cheese that early in the morning with only a couple cups of diner coffee under my belt. So I headed into the pasta room and got lasagne and some spinach linguine, and then remembered that I would need tomato sauce for lasagne as well. Unfortuately I never remembered that I would need mozzarella, so I will need to visit TJs before I make the lasagne. (or talk rebby into doing it, I'm not sure which yet) I walked down to La Prima to get coffee, but then I felt unsure if they sold to the public out of the warehouse, so I didn't go in. I went down to Lotus and found that they didn't open until 9am, so I headed to Fortune's and had a giant capuccino and read my book at the sidewalk table. I also got a pound of organic guatamalan antigua, which I love SO much. I had forgotten. It is totally different from the dark black murky stuff I have been drinking lately, all light and fruity and dancy on the tongue. SO I whiled away some time until the window washer came and needed to wash the window behind me, just when I finished my last sip of cap and came to the end of a chapter. I headed down to Wholey's and got some salmon and scallops and lemons and mangoes, and then to Lotus for dipping sauce and dumplings, hot pepper sesame oil, new chopsticks, buckwheat noodles, spring roll wrappers, and a couple cans of It's On My Mind, some kind of japanese milk tea beverage that rebby loves. I surprisingly can't find a link for it. Actually, the cans no longer say It's On My Mind so I wasn't sure it was the right stuff, but rebby showed me that the farmer who is pausing in the field in the picture on the can is clearly thinking about a refreshing beverage, so I needn't worry. She's great.
I finished shopping and went for the bus stop, where I didn't have to wait long at all for a Frankstown. I got a little thrill when I realized I would be riding the Frankstown ALL THE WAY TO FRANKSTOWN! so I settled in with my book and just let the city fly by.
Got home and unloaded the groceries, and set about to putting some things away and doing some dishes and a little cleaning. It felt good. Suddenly there was a thud at the front door and I went down to discover that the mailman had placed a PACKAGE there! It was from J*. It smelled incredible from this incredible lemongrass candle, and had a locust shaped soap, and a skull potholder(!) and a dishcloth that says PARTY(!), and vaguely dirty suggestive needlepoint with a kitty on it. Use your imagination. :) I am starting to feel guilty about getting all these awesome packages from her, but I am putting the finishing touches on a box to send to Santa Fe, hopefully today. So be on the lookout, J*! I am starting to get a little settled into my office...I consolidated all the boxes against the wall so I don't have to trip over them every time I come in here, and then I unloaded a bunch of stuff onto the shelves in the pirate bathroom. So things are looking a lot more presentable and coming together for our houseguests tonight! We are playing a show at brillobox with the Degenerettes from Baltimore and the Bleeders from Edinboro--it's gonna be a queer night for sure! I'm trying to get the GLBT guest suite together, but everyone may just want to sleep on the couches and futons downstairs. We'll see. I do have to go to the ghetto laundromat today to wash some sheets for the houseguests, who could number up to five. Whee! I'm pretty excited about it.
Anyway, after unpacking for a few hours I set out for the farmer's market. First I did a little detour to Family Dollar for some cheap plastic bins to hold pens and such. Three for a dollar, can't be beat! I also picked up some milk because I got it in my head to make a cherry plum cobbler, and some mayonaise because I am about to run out. Then over to the farmer's market, where Pete the strapping farmhand is now so incredibly bronzed from working in the fields that I could barely look at him. I walked around the lot a few times, and caught myself staring uncontrollably to the point of almost plowing into an old lady in front of me. Sheesh! And in the end, I didn't even get my vegetables from him! The old black woman in front of me in line looked over at him and took a sharp breath and said "Oh my, he's HEALTHY!" Ha. I got my eggplant and onions and potatoes from the young lady who was working with him, and then got some organic tomatoes and peppers and green beans, and a loaf of incredible french bread, and some country pork ribs, and raw milk colby and swiss cheese, and then as I was leaving I gave in to the lure of peaches. Last night I made rebby and me a snack of sliced french bread with butter and sugar and cinnamon and peach slices, toasted in the toaster oven. We were beside ourselves with yummy noises. Oh my.
I got home and unloaded the produce and got ready to make dinner for me and Jilly, who was coming over to talk about the menu revision. I made basmati rice with a chicken, carrot, green bean and cabbage sesame stir fry. It was simple, crunchy, healthy, delicious. She brought some Francis Coppola Sauvignon Blanc, and we ate and drank and worked. We both got wicked excited about the new menu! It's gonna be great. When rebby got home we opened our housewarming gift from Jilly---an IKEA gift card! Whoooooooooboy. Lord knows I can't wait to visit IKEA...I've been putting off suggesting it because it's like a drug. I want the time to be exactly right. Lamps, endtables, and containers, here we come!
That's about it for my fantastic day one off. Today I have been super lazy so far, sleeping in till 7:30(!), drinking a lot of coffee and finishing my book. I also took a bunch of pictures of the first floor which you can see in my flickr. Life is good, and smells like lemongrass. :)

Good morning!
Here I am in my little office corner, starting the day earlier than planned after kitty came into the bedroom and knocked a glass off the table. She has gotten really obnoxious in the mornings, so I think she is going to be banned from the bedroom for a while. Anyway, it's nice to get a little jump start so I'm not rushing around, I guess.
Today I am at the helm for BIKE BRUNCH! in honor of the Bike Bike! conference being held at filmmakers this weekend. (it's being held at filmmakers, but it was organized primarily by folks associated with Free Ride!) There are more than a hundred extra bike folks in town this weekend for workshops and parties, and we want to encourage them to visit our place. So I am offering free coffee to anyone with a bike helmet today. I know that could get controversial since plenty of bike folks cruise helmetless, but I am firm in my belief in the helmet so there will be no exceptions. Rebby is getting up early in order to drive me to the Market District where I can hopefully find wagon wheel pasta for my vegan pasta salad. Cross your fingers!
So, the end of the dsl saga (I think I might have skipped some steps in the middle, but by this point I am BORED! with the whole thing) is that on Thursday, the day of the ginormous storms and power outages and state of disaster emergency and what not, a verizon tech showed up at my house at 5:30pm and spent close to two hours diagnosing and fixing my dsl problem. I was incredulous from start to finish at his go get 'em attitude. He was on overtime, apparently, so risking death testing phone lines with the possibility of a lightning storm didn't bother him one bit. I am grateful, because now my dsl works normally and I don't even think about it. Of course, my life is way too full to spend hours sitting in front of Youtube videos, but I COULD if I wanted to. That makes me glad.
I am looking forward to THREE days off after brunch today, punctuated by a great show featuring our first overnight guests. I will post more later about the show and the guests and everything I still have to do to get ready for them. For now, time to search for coffee......

So, I got cocky. I spent all evening Friday setting up my verizon accounts, and most of the day thursday listening to PANDORA (my favorite so far is my Imperial Drag station) and making things for the wedding and being alerted when I had incoming emails by outlook. It was a sweet life, and then it crashed around 3pm. I talked to an Indian woman in tech support---she got cut off and never called back. I talked to a Russian guy in tech support---he went to check if they could fix my modem problem from the "central office"---and you guessed it, never called back. I had to give up with the tech support in order to get all my cooking done, until I ran out of vegetable oil at 11pm. Then, I called one more time and talked to an Italian guy in tech support. We did not get disconnected--he had my taking my modem all over the house and trying different outlet/jack combos, before finally deciding that it was the modem. So, he said I would be sent one overnight, which might have arrived today--except it didn't. So here I am at the library again, hopefully for the last time. I took my laptop to work today but I still can't get on the wireless there. It's starting to feel personal between me and verizon, seriously.
I am already composing the letter about what they should give me for free after all this trouble. I'll keep you posted.

here I am!
I've spent the last few hours downloading software, configuring my start up page, transferring my emails, and chipping the paint away from the window frame so I could put the window fan next to my desk. I still really need a good lamp, but for now, my office corner is cozy and CONNECTED. Hallelujah!
The days are sort of speeding by---after this saturday's wedding in Morgantown, though, things should settle down considerably. rebby and I have been having some great meals here in our giant kitchen, and we wake up happy every day. That's saying something.
There are still lots of boxes to unpack, and some things to purchase before we can unpack them. Like shelves, and lamps and tables. Again, once this wedding is done I will have more time and more presence of mind to get to work on the house. For now we are carving out space here and there and trying not to let the general disarray make us lazy. So far, so good.
I still haven't gotten that digital camera up and running...that will be my next electronic project. I wanted to get the internet figured out first so I could start speeding pictures through once the camera was ready. I even upgraded to a pro flickr! woowoo.
OK, that's it for the quick update right now.....I'll be back soon I'm sure!