:))))))))))))))))))) Dr. Horrible

I love Neil Patrick Harris as he is a very funny and talented man. I also love cheesy and clever musicals. Also, if you are a Sci-Fi geek you should recognize Dr. Horrible's nemesis. I hope you enjoy this gloriously geeky and fun Sing-Along Blog. I was happy to have discovered it via a music blog. :)

http://www.drhorrible.com/index.html

:)

Sparklers and such...

On July 4th, I was invited to cavort with some friends. My favorite picture is of Dave with his sparklers. The other fiery picture is of cavorting :) It was a nice relaxing time and I have to remember to thank the hosts again!!!!

Here is the majestic Maevis :) Not a post without a cat picture. :)

In April, I went to Kerbey Lane, on Kerbey Lane, and while eating I looked up and on the wall they had some new artwork. A week later I was there again and I looked up at the artwork and did a double take. I tried to remember if the face had been there before. It took a while for me to figure out what the extra part was but after two waitresses and I discussed it long enough, I concluded that it wasn't a child's crayon work, but an adult had consciously decided to go up to the chalk board, grab the chalk and then defaced the artwork. Regardless of my opinion of the artwork, it really bothered me that someone would deface some one's work. Click on the picture to see the added drawing.

I participated in another Austin Photography Meet-up and this time we did Light Painting. It was fun but I have a lot more to learn. I hope to plan a group outing to do some more elaborate Light Painting. Get a group together to go eat and then go forth and paint. :) I already have a few people ready to paint!

I went to the HalfPrice Bookstore tonight (7/14, I started this post a couple days ago) and grabbed a new book. Going to try out a new mystery writer that one of the nice employees suggested. :) I'll let you know if it is a hit. I like reading Patricia Cornwell but she doesn't churn them out fast enough :) and her last three books or so seemed odd. Like she lost her focus or who her characters are. Anyway, I would like to find a few more authors that I like and hopefully they have a couple books already out.

Last Friday I met up with my friend Mary and we had dinner at Mother's and then went and saw some improv at the Coldtowne Theatre. It was a rather fun evening. It is a tiny theatre, and seems very upstart. I hope that they have success as they have some really talented people. :) Next time I plan on trying one of the restaurants across the street from Mother's, one has coffee and gellato. Yum!

I am thinking about taking a vacation and that is about as far as I have gotten. I don't even have a destination although I am leaning towards going back to LA as it makes a nice long weekend. Hawaii keeps popping in my head but I have read about how expensive it is right now, the groceries alone. If I really had the time off and money I like to pretend that I would go to New Zealand. I think I might look at New York again. Next week I hope to enroll in some photography classes. If the classes happen then I am about to get really busy doing something I love. I look forward to it.

Symphonic Led Zeppelin

So last night I had the chance to go see a show at the new Long Center. Cobi got some comp tickets that ended up being amazing - the second row. So we were sitting to the right of the stage in these wonderful seats. The show starts and there was the band and a full symphony playing Led Zeppelin. Now for some reason I didn't put together that there would be a singer. So when the singer started to walk out onto the stage I was mentally chanting, "please be good...don't suck". Zeppelin songs are not easy to sing, you have to be an amazing singer to really pull it off. We lucked out last night. The singer was awesome!!!

So we are sitting in our awesome seats and the show starts and this young twenty something sitting right behind me was rather excited and expressed it by yelling "Rock and Roll" etc.. Which was cracking me up because well, there was a whole symphony. So he also started clapping out of time but he would only clap about four times in a row and then stop. Then the top of the lungs wooos would start. Directed to the back of my head. That and he would sing, poorly, even during a quiet solo. We were feet from the actual singer so it was pretty bad. This young man was sitting next to his dad and his mother and her friend were sitting behind him so it wasn't like they were oblivious to his actions. At first it was a bit funny but progressively became annoying. I found myself leaning forward to try to distance myself.

Well he left for a bit and I could smell the alcohol upon his return. Cobi and I moved to the center part of the second row, which was empty, taking a new friend we had met with us. I was tired of the yahoos behind us. So after the intermission I looked over to our old seats and the guy who had been so loud and animated earlier was passed out. Geez. Later his parents had to help him walk when they left.

Regardless of the loud drunk behind us, the show itself was great!!! Cobi and I met Chris who sat with us and we all had fun by watching the show - the guitarists were awesome. We were also highly amused by the craziess who had moved up to the front to rock out and generally make sure everyone else could see them. When the show was over we met Chris' friends Larry and Allison. I haven't laughed that hard in a while. So it was neat to meet new people and hit it off so well.

Hmmmmm. What else. I had some good conversations this weekend with various friends and it is awesome to be able to have honest connections with people. To learn that you aren't alone and sharing experiences.

I need to vote this week so that I can help ACC be in the Round Rock area and that I can take classes for a reduced price. :)

I have been taking pictures of a lizard in my backyard. I am not sure if it is the same one but I like to pretend it is. :) It hangs out on the same part of the trellis with the roses. He is pretty cool!

Time Filler

I got the the below idea from http://themarshalogues.blogspot.com/index.html

Only requirement: one word answers.

1. Where is your mobile phone? Table
2. Your significant other? MIA
3. Your hair? Growing
4. Your mother? Two
5. Your father? Trying
6. Your favorite thing? Family
7. Your dream last night? Forgotten
8. Your favorite drink? Latte
9. Your dream/goal? Clarity
10. The room you're in? Living
11. Your ex? Silent
12. Your fear? Failure
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Hmmm
14. Where were you last night? Friends'
15. What you're not? Fake
16. Muffins? Berries
17. One of your wish list items? :)
18. Where you grew up? Encinitas
19. The last thing you did? Shower
20. What are you wearing? PJs
21. Your TV? Good
22. Your pets? Cats
23. Your computer? Crappy
24. Your life? Progressing
25. Your mood? Indecisive
26. Missing someone? Yes
27. Your car? Dirty
28. Something you're not wearing? Yes
29. Favorite Store? Waterloo
30. Your summer? Wonderful
31. Like someone? Sorta
32. Your favorite color? Blue
33. When is the last time you laughed? Today
34. Last time you cried? Forgot

Bring me your speakers...

Maevis sticks her tongue in your general direction!

Quit licking the speakers!

Maevis has mastered the art of waking me up. I have accepted that I have enabled this behavior and many days it doesn't last long. However, some early mornings it is an epic battle. There are numerous things that she does but the thing that just drives me up the wall and out of bed is the sandpaper sound of her licking my computer speakers. So the other day we tried something new, which had to be repeated this morning. I grab the pain in the butt fur ball and put her on the back porch. I just leave her out for just a few minutes as she is a bit scared. So far it has worked. She stopped licking the speaker and let me sleep the rest of the morning with out interruption.

I went to Art City Austin today and saw some neat artwork. Overall, the work was rather good. One artist in particular I have come to recognize from sight. I have an appreciation for Jay Long's work. If I ever have a chunk of change that I can spend on art I would like to get one of his pieces. http://www.jaylongstudio.com/ He is based out of Austin and I like the color/tones he uses as well as the mediums he chooses to work with. Here is a link to a piece of his work I really like...
http://www.jaylongstudio.com/Pages2006/SecretBirdPage.html

Music I am listening to right now would be new albums by Steve Earle, Carolyn Wonderland, and also Michael Franti's Yell Fire, which is great.

It looks like I will have to go to New York again for work next month. I wish I had time to go into downtown New York. Maybe something will work out.


The above is a picture of Simon, not the speaker licker.


This weekend was nice and filled with lots of things. Saturday I participated in the SafePlace walk with my parents and Sarah and then we went and had lunch at Kerbey Lane. It was yummy. I then went to Whole Foods for some gelato, Waterloo Records where I got a new CD, some free CDs and a cupcake with lip balm in it. :) Theeeeen I went to the Half Price bookstore up near my house, met some friends for dinner and thennnnnnnnnn went home and mowed the lawn. Later that night I watched Eastern Promises, which really wasn't very good and it could have been awesome. So Saturday was a full day.

This puppy had it's ears trimmed and I wished his owners hadn't had that done to him. He was very sweet and was happy to be at the walk.

Today I slept in a bit, had breakfast/lunch with Cobi, and then I headed downtown to the Art City Austin and was there for a couple hours. I then went home for a bit, had a photo shoot with Simon and then headed to return a chainsaw I borrowed and ended up playing cars, collect the acorns and mow the lawn with Jackson. :)

GQ Boy...

So, I met the Sray's earlier this evening at a local park. Jackson and I played while I took some pictures. He is a fast moving boy! Then the lot of us went and had a substandard dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. Jackson was a big boy and sat next to me at the restaurant. Well, he stood for quite a while. The patrons at the table next to us were impressed with his ability to feed himself so well, especially while standing. :) He didn't use a high chair or anything!

I have been sick since last Friday and I am now on antibiotics and steroids. I was proactive and went to the doctor earlier in the week, as quite a few people around me have been miserably sick. So far I am doing better. Yay!

I took a few more pics last weekend and the Herod bunch was nice to pose for me in the shed, before going on to do their thing. I really enjoy taking pictures of people who aren't shy.

So the other day my desktop decided to stop connecting to the Internet. Lovely. I would say it was the router but my wireless is working. I am going to attempt to fix it and then probably start looking at laptops as a replacement. :) Too bad they aren't free. I am gonna see if I can at least wait until I get my government check in May. :) Laptop suggestions would rock. :)