Some Nashville band pictures here.

Labels: pictures

Lunchtime
Happy pepperoni.

Labels: pictures

Where the hell have I been??? Honestly, it's been a long week here. Every night has been packed, this is the first night I've been at home before 9. Dang.

So, last Thursday meant Alcohol Stuntband and Black Diamond Heavies. Pictures and more to come.

I visited the maternal side of the family this past weekend. It was fun. My Pappy has mobility issues, he's now got one of those clever power chairs. My uncles built a ramp on the front of the house. My grandparents have lived in this house since my mom was a young girl so this is a pretty big change. Apparently the power chair is lots of fun so I decide I'm going to take it for a spin. See, I've never ridden in one of these and should I ever end up in one it won't be for fun and games. It jerks and moves a bit too fast but I manage to make it outside and down the ramp and back up again. As I drive back up the ramp I pass the kitchen window where my mom just happens to be standing, I give her a wave and receive a shocked look in response. I manage to get it back in the place where it started but that thing had some kick to it. So later in the day I find out that it has multiple speeds, and apparently the family watching (and laughing at) my struggle probably knew this.

Monday night was my most successful roller derby practice yet. I did a couple of crossovers--this is a big step (no pun there so shut up). I also proved to be a master of weaving through cones and t-stopping. It was the first night I really felt like I COULD do this. WANTING to do it was never a question. For those of you who don't listen to the podcast I'll be Comanche Red #FF0000.

I'm so tired. There was a roller derby benefit last night so I skated my way around the Mercy Lounge while listening to some fine rock n roll and drinking a dirt cheap PBR.

As soon as I get my tax refund I think I'm going to buy better skates. Heck yeah.

Labels: family, roller derby

Most of the time Denny is happy to pose. Sometimes he's so excited that his legs go blurry.

Labels: pictures

I don't know where I stand on the internet cliches issue, but I do know this: I love the O RLY owl.

More to come.

Labels: pictures

This morning I got on the shuttle and the song from Dirty Dancing was playing. Not "She's Like the Wind" but the other one, it's some permutation of "I've Had The Time Of My Life." it could've had parentheses, it could be just a few words, but that's not the point. you know the song, so just move on already! Criminy. Anyway, I heard that song as I got on the shuttle and thought "this is going to be a GRRREAT day!" well, it's only ok, bordering on bleh. My pal Strawberry Stompcake is doing well and her injury was not as bad as she thought so she'll be at practice tonight, likely sitting on the sidelines with me since I'm taking it super easy. It's funny, when I was in school I did whatever it took to avoid PE class, sometimes exaggerating injuries. Now I'm voluntarily participating in an athletic endeavour and I'm downplaying my injuries to myself, thank you, in order to participate. I decided there's a happy medium and I don't need to push myself. Sitting out a few practices is better than getting a permanent injury and never being able to skate again.

So, I get an email from a good friend. She had a discussion with someone who made a comment that made her feel unattractive and unpersonable. Now, I won't name names, but believe me when I tell you that she's one of the prettiest and most fun people I know so this dude is stupid, but that's not the point. But the point is that what's more important, personality or looks? Because there's a sampler my mom created that says "Kissin Wears Out, Cookin Don't" which means physical attraction isn't everything. Sure, it's a big component, and without a little physical attraction you aren't goin anywheres, but at some point you've got to talk to the person.

I think I've podcasted about this before but why is it you see good lookin girls with less attractive guys but you rarely see good lookin guys with less attractive girls? I can think of an exception or two, but that's it--just one or two. I think it all comes down to primal nature: women want a good provider for the family, men want pretty babies to show off.

Or maybe it's because womerns tend to live longer. Hell if I know. All I know is I need to decide what I want for lunch.

Labels: discussion

Have you ever looked at Grant Wood's American Gothic? I mean REALLY looked at it? Go ahead.

So, my answer to the above question is NO. I've never taken a traditional art class in my life. I was a drama nerd. I like movies. I can talk about subtle differences in lighting and what they mean but you put a painting in front of me and I look at it and say "nice. next???" I suppose this makes me a philistine but I say you smell.

I bring all this up because tonight was my first drawing and composition class. We looked at several slides of art, starting with American Gothic. I mean, who knew?

Also, it appears I'm now a regular at Taco Bell. As I got my bean burrito with extra onions the drive through lady said "see you tomorrow." Really? Really?

Labels: school

I feel like a slacker with my lack of updates. it seems as though when I'm at home I'm doing something so I'm taking time out of my lunch break to talk to you. how lucky are you?

Saturday and Sunday nights I spent the evening reading. Which is to mean I met Steve at the Belcourt Theatre for a few films in their Janus series.

Saturday night was "Knife in the Water," or as I like to call it, "Male Camel Toe." it was very subtle but still quite good. It was an early Polanski film so it was in Polish with subtitles. Weird, though, that it seemed as though a lot of the dialogue wasn't subtitled.

Sunday was "Black Orpheus," or as I like to call it, "Brazillian Crazy Legs!" It was a retelling of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, and was quite good. The trip to Hades part was especially cool. In addition, the lack of activity in Saturday's movie was more than made up for in this one. To give you an idea it took place during Carnival, so tons of music, celebration, and sweating. I think you'd like it.

Last night I pulled my leg muscle again. I skidded and almost fell, and in the process pulled it and sat out for the rest of the night. Ugh. can i do this? seriously.

Labels: movies, roller derby

This morning I found out that my partner in derby training, Strawberry Stompcake, has a torn ligament! Very sad to hear. Let's all pray for a quick recovery.

Labels: drama, roller derby

Good: Thursday I did manage to go back to Roller Derby practice. There will be more details in a podcast I'll post later today.

Bad: However, I did pull a muscle. I'm kind of freaked out...roller derby is something I really want to do, but I'm afraid I'm just not in the right shape for it. I'm sure one day I will be but right now I just feel like an out of shape asshole. I had to sit out most of practice most of the time which...

Good: ...allowed me to watch the travel team practice. I got to watch strategy, body mechanics, that sort of stuff.

Bad: I didn't get to practice crossovers or two knee falls. So I feel like I'm behind out of the gate.

Good: I ordered a Wii. Yes, thanks to the message boards on amazon.com I found out that Circuit City had a scant few available for sale.

Bad: I'm kind of broke, I shouldn't have bought it but I did.

Good: So now I'll shut up about it.

Bad: My muscles are still achy and I've got to go to the laundromat to wash some comforters.

Good: My super hotness is still in tact, and I think next friday I'll start a new thing.

Labels: roller derby, wii

Two days after my very first roller derby practice and I'm still sore. Seriously.

Short version: I went, I skated, I learned stuff.

Long version: This is going to take a while. I didn't realize how out of shape I was. For rills. My thighs and bum muscles are all achy and I have practice #2 tomorrow. I tried to learn how to fall but do you know how hard it is to learn to fall? You're basically going against everything you've been doing your whole life, meaning you try all the time NOT to fall, now you've got TO fall. So I didn't do so well. In the process of falling on one knee I ended up falling on my tailbone twice.

Still, I'm going back. I'll be in fantastic shape in no time.

I get there and there are some girls doing their skill test. Another new girl showed up and we learned a little bit about everything and participated in strength training. We then did a little skating and learned stuff.

Mark my words: in two months I will be a bad ass.

Labels: roller derby

Good news: I found a little sneaky way (not illegal by any means, but not well known) way to find out which Target stores near me have Wiis in stock. Sure enough, one does.

Bad news: Tonight is the first night i attend roller derby practice. There's no way I'm making it to Target tonight.

Labels: drama

HypnoDenny

Pablo blows you a kiss.

These people like their beer.

Ryan Ervin will murder you with his guitaristry.

Labels: nashville, pictures

Such a good time. So many fun things, so many cool people, but honestly, when you get a chance to meet Jack and Meg White, well, pretty much you can't top that. Maybe I'll post some pictures later, but at this moment I really want to go to sleep.

Labels: nashville

I decided to make Mandy some delicious thin mint ice cream. So I star a makin it and find that I'm out of egg beaters, an important ingredient for chocolate ice cream.

I decide that I've got to get to the store because I want her to have the ice cream ce soir. I head out, needing other sundries, and decide today is my lucky Wii day. I stop by the Circuit City which didn't have one, but got word that the Sam's Club and the Walmart had one.

Oh, and I also got a new digital camera. It was an open box buy and was dirt cheap.

I meet mom at Sam's Club where the clerk tells me they don't have a wee but they DO have the PS3. Do I want one of those? Did I ask for one? The answer is no. So I call, I call, and then I call every store around my area and a nearby town to see if they might have one, no, they don't.

So no wii, but I do have this nice new camera. rock.

Firstly, I should state that it is difficult to get a clear picture of Hillbilly Casino because that lead singer Nick Roulette does not stop moving. For reals.

Secondly, they are excellent.

See, ages ago the schmoovecast had a theme song. It was Glass of Wine by the New Autonomous Folk Singers. I had download another song, PBR, but never used it and kind of forgot about it. So guess who it's by? Hillbilly Casino, bitches.

Labels: music, nashville, pictures

Seriously. This was linked on fark, I watched it, it made me happy. if you don't know the drama between Virgil Goode and Keith Ellison, well, I won't recount it here, you can just mosey on over to cnn and learn all about it. Short version: Goode doesn't seem to care for Muslims, Ellison is a Muslim recently elected to the house who wanted to take his oath on the Koran (he ended up taking his oath on Thomas Jefferson's translated Koran). So Ellison goes over and introduces himself to Goode. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside for reals.

video here.

More info on Unknown Hinson coming later, including the best picture ever taken.

Labels: politics

So this is me with Unknown Hinson. Steve took the picture and I must say he did an excellent job. He not only captured the essense of Leah but also the essense of the entire Unknown Hinson show. I really can't say enough about it, and I am not joking wihen I say that should the band show up in your neck of the woods you absolutely must go. You will not regret it. UH is quite talented and very clever.

Labels: music, pictures

Labels: pictures

So, I want a Wii. I kind of kept it to myself at xmas because honestly, I could wait until after the holidays because I'm a mature adult. Well, the holidays are over and I'm no closer to a wii.

I really don't want to call the stores every morning, and I'm getting tired of checking the various web sites over and over again. No one seems to know when the shipments are coming in, there's no obvious pattern, whatever. THey all say they put them out as they arrive, but no one seems to know when they'll arrive.

I'm sure as shit not paying over the retail price for one, it really isn't worth it, and I suspect prices will drop in a few months.

THis is one of my sister's keychains. She used to work for a urology office.

Labels: pictures

Two quick things before the workday begins.

Firstly, my roller derby career may be over before it began. You see, I'm at the sporting goods store with Mom and try on a helmet. I brace myself and say "hit me in the head!" she does, but not in the sweet mom way. In the closed fist, let's test this bitch out way. It knocks me back about a foot and leaves me a bit dizzy for the rest of the day. Seriously. Good times.

I can't remember the other thing. Damnit. It seemed so important at the time. ah well.

Labels: family

Labels: pictures

Right now in my fridge I'm chilling a blender full of chocolate peanut butter ice cream. In about a half hour I'll put it in the ice cream maker. No matter how good it is it is so not worth it. I may have burnt out the motor on my blender. It simply won't mix. YEs, I susupected it wouldn't, but I kind of thought the instructions wouldn't encourage using a blender to create the mix. The bastards.

In addition, the family and I went to see Night at the Museum. Did you know that two "THe STate" alumni were involved? Well, yes, and you can just look at imdb your own self to see who it was. I liked it just fine.

I had a second sewing lesson today. It actually involved sewing! Not a garment, just a scrap. Still, good times, right? Yesterday's lesson just involved reading a pattern, pinning, and cutting.

Labels: crafts, food, movies

I didn't do the recap or the top fives this year as this year has been great but not nearly as tumultuous (praise Jesus) as 2005. Plus I didn't blog as much last year, this year you can simply look through the archives. Also, I'm lazy.

So I'm learning to sew. Yesterday mom and I went to the fabric store where I got a few patterns and some fabric. Today we cut out the panels. Tomorrow we sew. Good times, right?

AS for nye, I started by driving far, far into the country for Jesi the Girl's celebration. It involved a most delicious dinner of brisket, mac n cheese, greens, black eyed peas, white beans, and cornbread. If you know me well you'll know a few of those items did not make their way to my plate. Everything was fantastic and it was good to see Jesi again after a little over a year. She's a great cook I must say.

So I go from north west of Nashville to south east of Nashville. Quite a haul but worth it to spend time with the NASCAR crew (it's easier to day than to name them all individually). This means poker, mad libs, and filth. Oh, and more delicious food. I did manage to stay until the new year even though I was fading fairly early. So there was a little champagne, a kickline, and hugs and then I made my way home. I saw a few fireworks displays as I drove home.

Now I'm at home and enjoying my favorite new year ritual: the Twilight Zone marathon on Sci Fi. My dog is upstirs and I'm going to turn out the night and sleep in a minute. It should be known that I'm not crazy about going out on the nye holiday, I actually came close to a pretty nasty car accident during the many stretches of driving I did tonight (it was not my fault--someone who'd obviously gotten an early start was drifting into the lane I was occupying). Of course, ringing in the new year at the corner of Bourbon and St Peter would be phenomenal. Perhaps next year. sigh.

Oh, and in my drive from far west to far east I listened to the Garrison Keillor nye broadcast from right here in Naishville. Did anyone happen to catch it? As much as I'd like to believe that the whole meeting Vince Gill and walking around lower broad thing happened live as we heard it I am pretty sure it was pre-taped. Any thoughts? Where the hell did he buy the groceries on lower broad? even if it was live it was planned and scripted within an inch of its life.

What did you do?

Labels: celebrations, food