I was up until almost 2 in the morning last night watching my beloved Dallas Stars take out the San Jose Sharks in an amazing Game 6 in the Western Conference Semi-Finals. It was a game full of hard checks and crazy awesome goaltending, and I knew I couldn’t go to bed without waiting until the bitter end. Thankfully, my boys pulled through and Brenden Morrow scored the game winning goal around 1:30 AM. Needless to say, I had trouble getting up this morning and needed a little help from my trusty iPod to wake up.
I think the iPod was feeling feminine this morning, because it spit out a LOT of female artists for my listening pleasure today:
- Over the Rhine - How Long Have You Been Stoned
- Marissa Nadler - Dying Breed
- Antony and the Johnsons - You Are My Sister
- Rilo Kiley - Give A Little Love
- A Fine Frenzy - Think of You
- Stars - Today Will Be Better, I Swear!
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Date With the Night
- Andrew Bird - Simple X
I was sad to see this weekend come to a close…we had a BIG ol’ Saturday. Mine started with sleeping very late and then going to meet my good friend Kyle up at CAPE. I got to catch up with my old friend Mandy and finally meet her talented boyfriend, David Mack. I also had the pleasure of meeting the people behind one of my favorite web comics, Two Lumps, and the man behind Starslip Crisis, which has been on my to-read list of web comics for a while now. The most awesome part of CAPE was meeting Mercedes Lackey and her husband Larry Dixon. Mercedes was kind enough to sign one of her novels that I had brought along with me, and we spent a few minutes having a very pleasant chat. I was trying very hard not to be a fangirl, though I think I failed completely. I have loved her books for a long time, and it is always amazing to meet an author you admire.
We started off Saturday night at the 21st birthday party of the wonderful William, graciously hosted by Cali and Neal from geekbrief.tv. I got to meet a lot of absolutely fabulous new Twitter friends, had great strawberry daquiris and Kathleen’s AMAZING spinach and bacon deviled eggs, got interviewed on The Neal Show, and enjoyed some sweet Mario Kart Wii action. Time absolutely flew, and before we knew it, it was time to leave for our second party to celebrate the birth of our awesome friend Dinah. From there, I ended up going dancing with some friends on Cedar Springs, and made it home about 2 AM. I haven’t partied that much since in one night in a very, very long time. It may take me until next week to recover!
I’ve never made it a secret how much I love being a part of the Internet community at large. I have been putting my life out there on the World Wide Web since I first learned how to code HTML back in 1995. I was all over Geocities, as well as The Globe–the very FIRST site solely devoted to social networking! Well, it bombed, but my love of communication through the Internet has never diminished.
I really started thinking earlier tonight how interesting it is that there has been a huge paradigm shift in how people view connecting with other people on the Internet. Back in the earlier days of the Internet, it was considered weird and anti-social to make friends in ISP chat rooms, BBS’es, on IRC, etc. But now, it’s really easy AND accepted to make friends online and then hang with them in real life–it’s even accepted AND encouraged to find dating partners online when that was once shunned as totally unsafe and strange.
I really find it interesting how much of my social life I owe to the Internet. I met my husband online (NOT through eHarmony, ha!) and it was the best thing I’ve ever done. Through him, I have become a part of a core group of amazing people. I’ve stayed in touch with people from my early chat room and IRC days even 10 years later, and I’ve been incredibly lucky to make some great acquaintances recently through Twitter, WordCamp, and beyond.
I just think it’s great that not only is Internet communication accepted, but that the way we communicate is constantly changing. Twitter is one of my favorite ways to communicate these days, and it is amazing to me how popular AND useful it is. The basis for Twitter is one of those simple ideas I wish I had thought of first. I am not a huge Facebook or MySpace addict as some people, but I have also used it to connect and communicate with old classmates and co-workers to great effect. Social networking never ceases to amaze me, and it’s evolving every second. I love being a part of it!
I’ve been doing some writing for my Twitter friend Daniel’s great site, Culture Feast. He has two of my music reviews up with more to come. Culture Feast is full of really interesting articles on things like film, TV, politics, music, and books written by a handful of very talented bloggers, so be sure to check it out! Leave some comment love for Daniel and the team while you’re there.
Review - Counting Crows, Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings
Review - The Breeders, Mountain Battles
My friend Ronnie is many things. He’s incredibly funny, a great blogger, a good husband and father, and a wonderful musician. I met Ronnie on my third date with Shawn, when he was playing a show at the now-defunct original Barley House. I was incredibly nervous to meet some of Shawn’s friends, but I didn’t really need to worry. The group made me feel at ease immediately (thanks el mol) and I connected with Ronnie over our mutual love of music. We grew to be friends through the songwriting circle at church, and he truly encouraged me and inspired me as a musician. I also met Evan through the songwriting circle, and I felt guilty even trying to make music in the same room as he was. He is an amazing guitarist and songwriter. I respect and admire both Ronnie and Evan a lot, and I don’t get to hear from either one of them as much as I would like to these days.
That’s why I’m really excited to go hear them play at Opening Bell this Saturday, April 5. The show starts at 8 and promises to be a good time. If you want to hear some great music, feel free to join me! I’ll be the girl in the back cheering really loud…and I might be dressed up, since I’m coming straight from a dear friend’s wedding. So be sure to tell me how pretty I look!
Word Counts - Today: 0 | April: 0 | 2008: 0
I got to accompany the ever lovely Nikki to the final dress rehearsal of “The Magic Flute” last night at Fair Park Music Hall. It’s one of my favorite operas, but I’d never seen it in its entirety live. I’d seen “selected scenes from…” but that just isn’t the same as a full-scale production.
We saw this awesome older lady with bright ass pink hair and flamboyant clothes. We were joking that it was Paris Hilton in her later years, but it was actually amazing fashion designer Zandra Rhodes, who did the costuming for the opera. They were really amazing, including some huge ass platforms on this one guard, and the anime-rap star look Sarastro was sporting. It actually fit his character really well, but I couldn’t help but giggle at his huge hair and big medallion. Papageno and Papagena (my favorites!) had great bird-like costumes, and Pamina’s outfit was one part Sleeping Beauty, one part Bollywood. It was gorgeous.
I can’t wait to go to more opera next season! It was a lot of fun. Perhaps when the wedding planning is through I will join their new young professionals group…I miss opera a lot sometimes, and even though I’m glad I didn’t pursue a career in it I think it’d be fun to be involved in the Dallas Opera somehow.
Word Counts - Today: 0 | February: 0 | 2006: 0
Festivus may be past, but I have a bone to pick anyway. For some reason the godfather of MOL Nation has removed both myself and my dashing future husband from his list of blog links. I am assuming this is just an oversight and will be correctly forthwith. C’mon, Mitchell…I thought we were friends!
Word Counts - Today: 0 | January: 0 | 2006: 0
I have to say, the last weekend of 2005 was pretty great.
Friday night saw me happily wearing the aforementioned big black X’s on my hands as I enjoyed the Old 97’s concert with some of my favorite peeps. I got a little mushy when Rhett played “Question” at the end of the night…not only is it one of my favorite Rhett songs, but it was the first song my trustworthy iPod played on shuffle the morning after PLW proposed. It was really nice to hear it played live.
Saturday night saw me at Casa Keymaster for a great NYE party with all my friends. I even found a giant glittery party hat that matched my outfit! We toasted in 2006 with champagne and other assorted liquor, and apparently after we left people took off their pants. Good times! I had a little too much to drink, so I was pretty much out the second my head hit the pillow until I woke up that morning to ward off any potential hangover with some Advil and water.
Sunday morning saw me at Ozona’s having brunch with quite a few friends from the night before. It was full of great conversation and some primo people watching. Ozona’s hostesses really need to stop shopping at Charlotte Russe for their work clothes, that’s all I’m saying. It is not appetizing to look up and catch a glimpse of plumber’s crack while I’m trying to eat. Put it away, girls! But despite the fashion no-no parade, I thought it was a perfect start to 2006.
I capped off the first day of January by spending the evening with my wonderful fiancé, celebrating our 2nd anniversary by just relaxing together. It’s hard to believe that it’s already been two years since we first laid eyes on each other, yet it’s also hard to believe it’s only been two years. I’m the luckiest girl in the whole world…I still can’t believe we’re getting married.
I hope everyone else had a great start to their new year. Viva 2006!
Word Counts - Today: 0 | January: 0 | 2006: 0
Whenever I hear the song Neighborhood #3 (Power’s Out) by The Arcade Fire, I think of my friend The Coolest Christian Ever, who once called me to determine if the lyrics to part of the chorus were…
I went out into the night
I went out to pick a fight in Canada
Sadly, they were not. But they should be. Because really, who DOESN’T want to pick a fight in Canada? I certainly do.
Word Counts - Today: 0 | December: 0 | 2005: 0
I am very excited today, because MAV and I get to attend a screening of RENT after work this evening. My wonderful college roommate hooked me up because she knows how passionately I loved RENT when it first came out.
I listened to the soundtrack on Rhapsody last week and I was floored at how it all came rushing back to me–the lyrics, the harmonies, the fuzzy tingle up and down my spine during the really good songs. The movie soundtrack is really well-orchestrated, a lot fuller than the Broadway recording and a lot more rock n’ roll. I bopped along to it in my office, seeing the staging play out in my head.
When I saw RENT in high school, I was supposed to be sitting in Row S in the Majestic Theater–on the floor, but not that close. A kind usher took pity on me and my friend Dallas and sent us up to fill two empty seats on the front row. I thought I would die from sheer happiness. I saw a great cast, but one of my greatest wishes was to have seen the original cast together, and this movie fulfills that wish for me.
Word Counts - Today: 0 | November: 0 | 2005: 0
Ten things (in no particular order) that you can only see at the Texas State Fair:
1. a midget puking in a trash can
2. albino turtles, albino snakes–their exhibits are liiiiiiiiive
3. men walking around in leggings stuffed into cowboy boots (we never did figure out WHY)
4. some of the worst fashion choices this side of the Mississippi River
5. fried peanut butter, jelly, and banana sandwiches
6. some guy trying to return his turkey leg for one that was “more tender”
7. a ride that doubles as an airbrushed homage to Magnum, P.I.
8. $25 parking
9. t-shirts that say “Git-Er-Drunk, then Git-Er-Done”
10. Big Tex’s crotch (which was all you got in frame if you tried to take a picture in front of Big Tex)
We had a pretty good time at the fair on Saturday. Our group collectively gorged ourselves on Fletcher’s Corn Dogs, fried oreos (among other fried goodies) and funnel cakes. We rode some cheesy (or pukey) rides. Shawn fulfilled his manly duties by winning me a giant stuffed wolf/dog. We got lost on the way back to the car. Good times were had by all.
Word Counts - Today: 0 | October: 0 | 2005: 0
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
The Host: A Novel
One Hundred Years of Solitude
The Buccaneers (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century)
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