Welcome, Christian James!

My new nephew, brother of Jordan and son of Karen (Android's sister) and Josh was born yesterday! Karen was induced, so it wasn't a huge surprise, but it's always nice when the anticipation is over and the new guy finally arrives.

My only beef with the name Christian is that it reminds me of my freshman college roommate's pompous militant-vegan boyfriend. God, he was such an ass.


As long as this child is neither pompous nor militant (vegan is okay... I don't understand it, but who am I to judge?) I think we'll get along just fine.



Welcome to the world, kid.

Happy wedding, Ben and Ruth!

So, my friends got married today. It was a lovely ceremony, and the reception was filled with much food, drink and karaoke.

However, I learned that going to a wedding where you really only know the bride and groom makes for an awkward social situation. The Android had another function, so I was all my my lonesome... lucky for me I can pretty much talk to anyone. And, having a giant belly (I'm way past the "Is she pregnant, or just fat?" stage) helps with the ice-breaking.

I really had a lovely time - mainly because a group of the bride's college friends let me pull up a chair at their table and hang with them. Also, the cake was good - which is what I go to weddings for in the first place.


So, Ben and Ruth - I'm fairly sure neither of you read this, so I'm really just tossing this out into the universe - congratulations. You are a lovely couple and I'm so very happy for you.







This has nothing to do with anything, but here's a picture of my cat (Finn) in a hat.

Scenes from a mall.

So, I took myself on a date tonight. The Android is off somewhere being manly and playing video games and ping pong and smoking a pipe (Like an actual Gandalf-lookin' pipe. I married a geek.). So, I went to the mall to stock up on yarn so I can knit things for the five million babies that are coming along in the next few months. I also went to see Baby Mama. It was cute and fluffy and not nearly as well thought out as Mean Girls was, but I love me some Tina Fey, so I'm willing to give her a pass.

Anyhoo, the theatre was packed and naturally, a group of teenage girls sit down next to me. The one closest to me (of course) is a movie talker. She peppered the ENTIRE movie with "Oh. My. God." and "Wow." and "He is so weird." and What is she wearing?" and "Seriously?".

Now normally I would have asked her to keep her comments to herself, but by the time it occurred to me we were already halfway through the movie and... well.

I digress.

Sigourney Weaver is in Baby Mama. In her first scene the girl next to me goes: "Where do I know her from?"

Are you fucking kidding me? She's Sigourney Weaver!




Also, just because mall cops have Segways now doesn't mean they aren't just mall cops.

How was the show?

I had an excellent weekend.

It began with the Tuesdays Robot Album Release Party for their new (duh.) album Peace Sing-a-Long. It was at the 331 Club in Nordeast Mpls - one of my favorite places to see shows because it's big and comfy and if you get there early enough to commandeer a booth you can basically sit and people watch for six hours and be happy as a clam. The night started off with Gabe Barnett... I don't dislike his music, but I don't really rate it higher than background music in a bar. Besides, the first show of the night is for talking over so you can catch up with friends you haven't seen in a while...right? Or perhaps I'm an asshole. Whatever.

Then TR came on. I think it was probably the largest audience I'd ever seen at a TR show, and they all seemed into it. The set was short (at least it felt that way) and sweet, a few songs from the new album, of course, and smattering of much loved songs from the previous Orange album. Rick Robot bounced around onstage in shiny new running shoes with a blue bandana on his head - looking not unlike an aging hippie rockin' out onstage. No matter that Rick is within weeks of his 27th birthday - the man is an old soul.

The last song was an epic (no, really.) medley of "Give Peace a Chance", "The Times They Are A-Changin" and "Hey, Jude". It was brilliantly woven together and ended with a round of the three choruses - everyone in the audience chose their favorite and sang right along. The hipsters were singing their guts out, for the first time that night dropping the perfectly coiffed coolness. I'm perpetually uncool, so I can be judge-y like that.

The evening ended with a sort of ridiculously long set from the Como Avenue Jug Band. I love them. I do. But more often than not, it feels as it they take themselves entirely too seriously, and not nearly seriously enough all at the same time. Considering they've been playing most of those songs for nearly three years, you'd think they'd be a little more polished.

No! No! You don't get it! That's not the jug band way!

Mmmhmm. All I'm saying is, you need to let the audience in on the fun. If we feel like we're watching a super fun band practice that we weren't even invited to play tamborine in we'll check out of the experience and start fiddling with our cellphones and counting the minutes til bar close. Or worse, (if you aren't sticking around to drive the drummer home) they'll leave.

There are always bright spots in the Jug Band shows, though. Claudia Holt is on of the lead singers and she's probably the most polished of the bunch. Girl has an enviable set of lungs on her, and they should showcase her more. Chuck Terhark is normally relegated to the back of the stage with his sweet upright bass made from a honey barrel, but occasionally he's called to the front mic for a song and it's a breath of fresh air. Ken Tyborski does a great job singing the majority of the tunes, but I wouldn't complain he he enunciated a bit more. But then again, I am the child of an elementary school teacher.

All in all, a successful release show for Tuesdays Robot. And as usual, I'm proud of my guys.

Spawn of the Devil.

The children of the awful howler monkey woman are playing next door. Playing consists of running, screaming and occasionally throwing rocks. I'm, glad I live on the second floor. They also cuss a lot. They speak in English, though the only words I can get out of their screeching are things like "I'll get you and cut you!" "Bitches!", etc.

They make my cats nervous. The poor things are all twitchy - running around the house with puffed up tails and a hunted look on their furry faces.

I love my apartment and moving would be a ridiculous notion right now, but I really hate those kids.

Ah, Spring.

The first sign of Spring in my neighborhood is not a robin, or buds on the trees... no, it's the dulcet tones of the Somali woman next door shrieking like a fucking howler monkey at her kids.

A few things...

I'm thinking of stealing my neighbor's cat. He's a huge, gorgeous orange long-hair named Louie. He keeps tying to escape into our house - maybe he has finally figured out that his owners are assholes and we are nice. Maybe he's in love with our cat, Lucy. Or Finn. Whatever, I don't judge. Anyway, I think they might notice if I steal their cat. So I won't. For the time being, anyway.

We're not getting back nearly as much in our tax return as originally thought. This saddens me - mainly because we're piss poor. What doesn't help is Android's dad (also our tax guy) who kept telling us that we "make too much money". Maybe for Podunk, MN - but not for Mpls. Rar. Too much money my ass.

People who ride buses are, in general, assholes. This afternoon I was waiting for my bus home, and I was second in line. While waiting for the people to get off the bus I noticed a man in a wheelchair waiting for the same bus. Because I know the etiquette, and I am a human being, I stood back so the bus driver could put down the wheelchair lift thingy. What actually happened? Everyone else pushed in front of me to get on the bus. Of course. Assholes. If it had been raining or snowing I would have put up more of a fuss, but since it was a beautiful, sunny afternoon I figured wheelchair guy wasn't going to mind the wait. Still, people are dicks.

America's Next Top Model makes me deliriously happy. It's so very trashy and delicious. Tyra is a scary and tall freak, but I kinda love her anyway.