dancerjodi

Damone, The Jonas Brothers and Metallica

No, really http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=2849097&blogId=502862331

Yesterday was one of those days where the best laid plans fall apart. Despite that, it was a wonderful evening chatting with Brian in the cool night air (in a hoodie) on the front porch with the cats.

I'm seeing Catwoman as Mame on Sunday http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2009/07/16/lee_meriwether_in_mame_at_waltham/ .

This sounds like it could be very hot http://www.bust.com/blog/2009/07/16/whip-it-whip-it-good.html .

I'm going to be experimenting (again) with making some health and beauty products with the help of http://www.amazon.com/Earthly-Bodies-Heavenly-Hair-Personal/dp/1886101043 . I saw the book suggested in a blog that I like, the reviews on Amazon were pretty good, and I had a gift card to cash in that I was having a hard time figuring out what to do with. This is something I've kind of toyed with here and there, but I think it may be a neat thing to play around with and could potentially save me some money. I've enjoyed knowing what's in my food and my cleaning products, and being able to say the same thing about health/beauty aids is tempting.

Work has begun on planning our annual Woburn Halloween Parade festivities (10/25), which has been one of our largest events of the year and has resulted in some of our coolest large props. This year be on the lookout for an Ewok Village and some Clone Era droids - more details to come!

After my Aunts went through Gram's old jewelry box, it was left for Cynthia and I to go through, so I drove up to visit them yesterday and came home with a few things http://www.flickr.com/photos/dancerjodi/sets/72157620805074463/ . I'm not sure what happened to the nicer things that she wore every day - what was left was a lot of the old costume stuff. Cynthia and I each picked out a few things and she's going to keep the box with the rest of it. She's going to create some kind of shadowbox with things that she can't bear to get rid of, and the rest may end up donated or thrown away (some of it is very junky and damaged, and we don't have memories of Gram wearing it.

Unrelated, some other good things:

Balsamic Brown Rice Salad
Empanadas made with love
Buddha Lounge Metallica http://www.amazon.com/Buddha-Lounge-Renditions-Metallica-Black/dp/B000QFAF3Q
Farmer's market and picking up our meat from Chestnut Farms today
Friends and Fireworks

The new Tori Amos album came out today - 30+ songs! I like it quite a bit.

This http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2009/05/19/coping-with-lifes-little-setbacks/ is a nice post on little things piling up and making you crazy, and how its less powerful if you have your financial house in order.

An Iron Maiden video game: http://www.ironmaiden.com/games/flight666/
"Your objective is to fly the plane around five different countries (two levels per country), dropping speakers near the local people. If the speaker lands near enough, they will become a hardcore rocker! Each level requires a minumum number of rockers (get the maximum number of rockers possible for bonus points). If the person lands ON a person, then you have lost a possible rocker. You can upgrade your plane to help you achieve your goals, but be warned — this will cost you points! Avoid flying into obstacles and keep an eye on your fuel level."

I started reading http://www.amazon.com/Nourishing-Traditions-Challenges-Politically-Dictocrats/dp/0967089735 last night and I'm really enjoying it. Its making me very excited about the farmer's markets coming. Its also reiterating how happy I am about the efforts Brian and I have made to get local/untainted foods. We need a good source for raw butter again! We used to buy it through http://www.justdairy.org/index.html, but since we get our milk direct from the farm now, our source dried up. Who knows, maybe this cookbook will inspire me to make something of this milk we've been buying (yogurt, butter, whatever). Nah - I know myself well enough to know that I wouldn't have the time to spend doing that.

CHICKENFOOT, the new rock supergroup comprised of drummer Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS), bassist Michael Anthony (ex-VAN HALEN), guitarist Joe Satriani and vocalist Sammy Hagar (ex-VAN HALEN),will take the stage for a limited number of North American live shows, featuring music from their self-titled debut album, "Chickenfoot", set for a June 9 release.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=118038

Of course its a Tuesday, and I'll be at dance class.

Triscuit crackers
Tori Amos' "Famous Blue Raincoat" cover
A new Tori album coming out in May
Helping out in dance class last night, feeling like I'm needed there
Late-night chocolate chip cookies with Brian
Having an auto mechanic conveniently located around the corner*

*Brian is notorious for taking poor care of his truck. His check oil light went off months ago, and we found the closest gas station so that he could check the oil, purchase 2 quarts and dump it in. He meant to get an oil change after that (can't remember the last one, but we were living in Framingham at the time and moved from there in the summer of 2004). He didn't get things checked out. The light went off again last night and putting oil in didn't make it go away (the pressure was at zero). He called the mechanic this morning and they suggested having it towed (seriously) around the corner rather than risking driving it. Of course, when AAA showed up to hook it up the pressure gage moved to normal. They can't get to it today but hopefully some time this week.

Lets hope that Brian learns his lesson and that it isn't an overly expensive one. TAKE CARE OF YOUR CAR PEOPLE - WOULD YOU ABUSE AND NEGLECT YOUR BODY THIS WAY, OR YOUR PETS, OR YOUR KIDS? He and Andy used to have this saying which I think applies here: "Much too big and useful".

My hope was that we could get enough life out of this truck to allow us to pay off my car loan (at this rate within a year) and then save $1k a month toward him purchasing another one. He only drives about 2500 miles a year to Home Depot and back or the rare trip that requires a big vehicle (or going somewhere without me, while I'm out with my own car).

There wasn't cable TV in my parent's house until after Brian and I had moved out and had our apartment at the Shaghaus in the fall of 98. I spent many, many hours glued to the TV watching Ah-Ha's "Take on Me" on V66 http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2009/02/19/v_66_rocks_on/ . I even remember seeing the video for The Time Warp from RHPS and thinking 'WTF?', having no context for it.

Once the free music videos died and were replaced by the home shopping network I'd have to rely on VHS tapes of the show "Friday Night Videos", which was short and only played the top 40 requested kind of stuff. I remember sitting on the phone with friends from St. Pats while they were watching Headbanger's Ball in their own homes and being very jealous. When I visited Gram down the street I'd try to sneak views at her MTV (I always remember her having cable) when she was in the kitchen or napping on the couch. Later I'd enjoy this kind of thing at high school friends houses, until we all parted ways and I was a freshman at Simmons. I had decided that I was too important and academic to spend time watching television for fun and/or that anything on MTV wasn't too worth listening to. My music was experienced via college radio, old used cassettes or vinyl purchased in Kenmore or Harvard or at live at local all-age shows at The Rat or The Middle East.

Its kind of silly how excited I am to see this documentary. :)

This is how the kids from Waltham roll:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3Z1-hHp988

Jessi sent me a link to a youtube video from these guys:
http://ps22chorus.blogspot.com/

If you are a Tori Amos fan, you have to check these kids out.