Close Call With John Popper

Nick and I traveled to Cleveland for the weekend in celebration of our first wedding anniversary. We ate at the Hard Rock Cafe, visited the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and stayed at the Holiday Inn Select. It's funny, but our most interesting experiences occurred during our time at the hotel.

On Sunday, we had just packed up our bags and left our room on the 16th floor, and were preparing to go downstairs to check out and head over to the Rock Hall of Fame. As we reached the elevator to go down, the doors open, and my jaw dropped. A man who looked EXACTLY like John Popper of Blues Traveler, along with a Native American-looking man packing luggage, got out of the elevator as we were getting on. I knew, deep in my gut, that this man WAS in fact THE JOHN POPPER. He rounded the corner with who I assumed was his roadie, and I found my vocal chords.

I tugged on Nick's coat sleeve, and said, "Hey, wasn't that John Popper?" Nick was in denial. He said when you see celebrities, they almost never look like themselves. And this man looked just like John Popper, therefore he assumed there was no way it was him. So, I didn't chase him around the corner, although I would've liked to. Like I said, something in my gut said I was right. Call it women's intuition. :)

As we went downstairs, I said to Nick, "But, seriously, we're in Cleveland, the home of blues, how far-fetched is it that John Popper could be here?"

Well, I was right. As soon as we got home, I logged on to Blues Traveler's website, and low and behold, they are performing at the House of Blues tonight.

It was John Popper. I've been kicking myself for not saying something to the man, just in case, ever since. I have to say, though, this was by far my favorite experience of the weekend.

And to add to the bizarreness of the experience, while at the Hard Rock just the night before, we saw, on Hard Rock TV, an amazing cover of "Low Rider" performed live by Blues Traveler. Straaange. :)

Cough, hack, sneeze...

I'm back! With a vengeance! As Nick reported, I spent the weekend in the care of the fine folks at Adena Regional Medical Center, laid up by the nasty pneumonia goblin. Now, I'm on my way up, up, up, with Levaquin, (prescription-strength) Mucinex, an inhaler, and steroids. And the daggone steroids have me bouncing off the walls. I swear, while trying to sleep last night, my eyes felt as big as quarters!

'Lil Gracie has a cold, too, and is also taking some anti-biotics and cough syrup, and Nick headed to Dr. Tucker's office this morning with the same bug. Hopefully he can nip it in the bud before it gets him down as bad as it did me.

So, in other words, we've been ailing, but we're fighting bac! (Haha)

This Friday is our annual Halloween Party, which is sure to be a hoot. Nick, as you know, will make his attempt to look like Tom Waits, and I'll be appearing as none other than Betty Boop! Boop-oop-a-doop! :) Festivities will begin around 7ish.

I'm also back to school today, and I'm amazed at how quickly this quarter has flown by. I've missed a lot, which sucks, but I think I'm back on track for good now. All of the surgeries are done until the beginning of the year, when Mom will have her gall bladder removed. She had a very successful heart cath two Thursdays ago, and her doctor, (check this name out:) Bipinpreet Nagra, healed her quite well. Turns out, she had a rhythm problem and all he needed to do was burn a small place in her heart so that her synapses would have a place to go. Or something like that. Nonetheless, she's doing much, much better.

On a romantic note, Nick and I will celebrate our first anniversary next Wednesday, and we'll be heading to Cleveland for the weekend following. He's taking me to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which I've never been to, and he's got some other tricks up his sleeve that I'm unaware of. I love surprises! :)) Perhaps for next Wacky Wednesday, our pals will celebrate this monentous occasion with us. I'll tell ya, it's so strange, I feel like I just met Nick yesterday and that I've known him all my life both at the same time. He's the man of my dreams, and I still feel as lucky as the day I married him.

My recommendations for this week: "Death Proof" and "Planet Terror," better known as the double feature "Grindhouse." Amazing, amazing, amazing.

The Hives and Cartoon Network

Bad...Ass....

That is all.

Ups and Downs

Let's get the bad out of the way first....

Poor Jenn has been in the hospital with pneumonia for the past two days. She had been feeling bad, and went in for a doctor's appointment on Friday. Her vitals were extremely erratic...her pulse was 150 because she wasn't getting enough oxygen. So, they've had her on I.V. anti-biotics and potassium for the past 2 days. They've also been giving her breathing treatments with a type of steroid. Gracie's also been sick with a milder version of the same thing. The light at the end of the tunnel is in sight now, though. "Someone please tell me it's not a train." Sorry, couldn't resist one of my favorite Cracker lyrics.

For the good....

I finally launched my redesign of the library's website on Wednesday this week.

I think it's pretty good, considering I had very little experience. My method was to go through the basic tutorials for Dreamweaver 8, and then alter them to fit what I wanted for the library. I also found some awesome free services to enhance the site, like Google Calendar's embedded calendar feature and a blogger blog for library news. My favorite thing is the blog widgets for current bestsellers. I used LibraryThing to create those. Check out the site and tell me what you think. I'll be going into more detail in future posts, just in case anyone wants to know how to set some of this stuff up. I think they're valuable tools for anyone creating a decent website for a small rural library. Especially if you're not a professional web designer...

Jenn will be home in a couple of hours...so I'm off to wash the dishes and clean the litterbox!

We're having a Halloween Party on Friday! Be there, suckers! I'll be attempting to look like Tom Waits...

Top 15 Time

Thank heaven for Last.fm.

I decided to get to work on my Top 15 for 2007, seeing as how Christmas is just around the bend. This has become the easiest task EVER thanks to my Overall Top Tracks chart on Last.fm.

For those of you unaware, Last.fm keeps track of what you're listening to, and "scrobbles" music to it's webpage. From there, it gives you recommendations based on what you listen to and creates charts to let you get a visual of what you've been listening to. It tracks your favorite artists, albums, and songs.

And viola! I was able to quickly and efficiently narrow my TRUE favorite tracks of the year down to about 20. Now all I have to do is pick and choose who goes and who stays.

In udder words, check out Last.fm. And even if you don't, get to work on YOUR Top 15!

So, what is this Top 15 thing? Well, all of our pals make mixed cds of our 15 favorite tracks from the year, then at our annual Christmas party, everyone brings enough copies for everyone else, and we swap! It's the bestest way to find out your friends' true tastes and to get an earful of music you may have never heard before. We get all crazy about it and make our own cd covers and all. If you're interested in joining in, let me know, and I'll try to get a decent tally on how many copies everyone will need to bring come December.

Yay!

Let's Play Catch (Up)

Hello, faithful readers. I assume it's time for a Slone Family Update. We've been rather busy lately; I'm sure that's evident from the lack of posts.

Gracie
Lil Miss Gracie turned four on September 19. Her daddy and I worked together to throw her a party at the Walnut Street Park in Waverly, and she had a blast. More pics can be seen on my MySpace.


Nick
Nick is recovering well following his collarbone surgery. He's back to work, and actually just returned from the Ohio Library Convention. He's getting more and more brilliant every day, but if you know Nick, you're well aware of that already. :)

Jenn
I'm on the downhill slope for this quarter. It's kind of sad. Just as soon as I get used to my classes, it's time to change. I'm also looking into work study; I'm hoping to work in the library at OU-C. And I've finally decided what I want to be when I grow up: a librarian. Go figure. :) I've just decided I've got to do what I'm good at and what I enjoy. Organization and technology fit right into both of those categories. So that's what I'll do.


Also, Nick, Brandy, Patrick, Virginia and I were lucky enough to catch The Arcade Fire at the LC last week. OMG it was fabulous. In case you haven't heard (and I don't know how in the world that would be possible), I hugged Win Butler. At the end of the concert, following the encore and "Wake Up," he stepped out into the loving crowd, and a few fans were lucky enough to touch the musical prodigy. I not only touched him, but wrapped my arms around his waist and held on for dear life! (Obsessive much I know.) It truly was the concert of my life. And they won't be back to Ohio for at least two years, according to Win. The Fire will be holed up in some gothic church somewhere recording a new album, and don't plan to come back to the states anytime soon. Oh, I'm a lucky girl. Here's someone's video of Win's Walk. If you watch closely enough, at the end, there's a short shot of me going spastic. I've got sunglasses on my head.




Other things on my mind:

Halloween Party: We're hosting the annual Halloween Party on Wacky Wednesday this year. Wednesday is, after all, Halloween. I'm torn between Mama from "Mama's Family," a flapper, or something else entirely. Suggestions welcome.

Top 15: I've been using the wonderfulness of Last.fm's Overall Top Tracks charts to create my Top 15 for this year. Prepare for one outstanding musical compilation. I'm proud of it already.

My Love: Nick and I will celebrate our one-year anniversary on Nov. 6. He's cooking up a nice retreat for us (I think to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) to celebrate.

New Pals: School is fun. I've (finally!) met a couple people I jive with at OU-C. The school screams "APPALACHIA!!!" so I'm nuts about finding people who don't.

Recommendations: Here's the fun part of my post. Here's what I've got to share with the world.

Music: Gogel Bordello (Ukranian immigrant gypsy punk)

Gogol Bordello – Dogs Were Barking


TV: The IT Crowd




TV: The Mighty Boosh

On Writing a Book...

Ok....I'm writing a book. Or, rather, I'm collecting material for writing a book. I love my job at the library, but I could use some extra income. Plus, just telling everyone that I'm writing a book will motivate me to actually complete it. Right now, it looks like it's going to be a diet book. If you would have asked me 10 years ago what kind of book I would write.....a DIET BOOK would have been at the bottom of the list.

Nevertheless, I've lost 35 pounds in about two months. I'm also poised to lose another 40 by Christmas. It's been ridiculously simple for me to do it, too. I've essentially been synthesizing 4 or 5 different books into one lifestyle change/diet. While reading these books, I found that they often contradicted each other. I kept thinking "surely there's a way to combine the good advice from all these books to make them work together, rather than against each other." Well, there is.....and I'm gonna write it. It'll also contain a fair amount of gen-x comedy and slacker philosophy. I'm gonna research good ideas for titles....but I'm sure it'll have something to do with the diet being simple, and me being lazy.

On the non-lazy side of things, I actually made it to the gym yesterday. I rode the only kind of bike that I'll consider going near....a STATIONARY bike. My legs are paying for it today...

I may also publish and market the book myself....depending on how much time it'll eat up. I'm looking for automated income, here....

I welcome title suggestions...

Where's that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel?

Oh, yeah ... listen to this one

So, today, I dolled myself up and headed to class. I was wearing this totally cute lacey shirt. I got in the car, went to readjust the shirt to cover my love handles which were hanging out, and - RIP. My shirt tore. My boob fell out. I whimpered a little.

So, being ten minutes away from class with a COMS exam waiting, I made a pit-stop at the Lion's Den. (Well, I was naked, after all.) I thought, perhaps, hopefully, they'd have some novelty tees in store to save my day.

I clutched my tote bag close to my bare chest and waltzed into the porn shop. Luckily, my hopes were correct. I'm now bearing a black tee-shirt with a big kissy smack on it and a Lion's Den emblem. I rule.

What a better way to start the day? Now, tell that one to all of your friends.

Slone Family Update

Hello, all. Nick, Gracie and I are busy as ever. This is a necessary update to let our faithful readers know what is going on in our bustling lives right now.

Nick
Nick returned home from surgery on his collarbone Saturday. He's doing quite well. Dr. Robie said the surgery went very well, and that Nick should feel results very soon. He has about a 7- or 8-inch slice across his shoulder, which is held together by 17 staples. It looks very clean and healthy, though. His pain is beginning to get easier to manage. That's been the hardest part so far. Right now, he's resting a lot. He's not really very comfortable unless he's laying down flat or sitting up with support under his arm. His mp3 player has been, as he said, his saving grace during this experience. Rilo Kiley, Kool Keith, The Weakerthans, and many others have been keeping him occupied during this very boring recovery period.

Gracie
Gracie begins head start tomorrow! She's very excited, needless to say. I'm far more nervous than she is about this adventure. The little bugger is getting so big, and she's so smart. She'll be in a classroom with four girls and eleven boys. I might send her with a stick.

Jenn
I start school tomorrow, as well. I'm nervous, excited, scared, happy ... all at once. I might puke before the day is over.

Feel free to leave comments to give Nick get-well wishes. Happy holiday!

Book Review

This weekend, I finished "Evolution for Everyone: How Darwin's Theory Can Change the Way We Think About Our Lives" by David Sloan Wilson.

Wow. If I could choose one book to recommend to everyone this year, it would be this book. I don't think I'll ever think about culture and the natural world the same again. I enjoyed it so much, and it blew my mind so much, it actually has me considering going back to grad school for another master's and/or a Ph.D....and I swore last year that I was done with college (it helps that almost every kind of library has some form of tuition reimbursement).

So...READ IT!! We'll never evolve as a culture until our leaders can understand HOW and WHY culture evolves....

Images that changed the world

Check out this amazing post I found on the "Weird World" blog.

Where have you been all my life?

Yay. I've just discovered the amazing Rilo Kiley. I've heard the band name many, many times, but have never slated the allotted listening time they deserve. Today, I did just that.

Strangely, however, I was recently turned on to Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins by our friend Virginia. I loved it. Well, Nick is on the Rilo Kiley listening spree, as well (he started before me), and he read that Jenny Lewis is the lead singer of Rilo Kiley. Derp. How funny that I love the both?

Here's a sample from Last.fm of "The Moneymaker," a kick-ass track off of Rilo Kiley's new album, "Under the Blacklight."

Rilo Kiley – The Moneymaker

And here's their new video for yet another kick-ass song, "Silver Lining."



This is where it gets fun. After watching the video, I thought Jenny Lewis looked awful familiar. What do you think?


It's no wonder. She's also an actor who has been, since a child, in many projects I recognize, such as Foxfire with my beloved Angelina Jolie, Pleasantville, and many 80s sitcoms - yeah, you watched them.

This girl does it all! Therefore, I'm kicking off my Jenny Lewis infatuation. That's all iTunes and Last.fm will know about me for the next few days. And to kick off the celebration, I think I'll curl up on the couch and watch Foxfire. Yay!

----------------
Rilo Kiley on Last.fm
Rilo Kiley on Foxy Tunes Planet
Rilo Kiley on Wikipedia
Jenny Lewis on IMDB
Jenny Lewis on Wikipedia

----------------
Now playing: Rilo Kiley - Dejalo
via FoxyTunes

Sweet Site of the Day: Rapleaf

Oh. my. wow. I just discovered the freaking craziest web site ever. Well, I'm moved by it, obviously.

I was searching for a Facebook application to display my networks on my home page. You see, I just joined the Ohio University network, and I'm eager to show it off. Well, I found an application called "Social Networks by UpScoop." Its description: "An easy way to display which social networks you are on." Great. Perfect. I'll take it. Until...

I browse through the application homepage, and see this post (obviously directed at the application's creator) in the user comments:


Alexander List (Austria) wrote at 6:56am on August 21st, 2007

Dan, you are confusing people with your posting, instead of clarifying the situation.

I have never registered with Rapleaf, I just entered my e-mail address to some initial dialog of the Upscoop application.

Now, there's a Rapleaf profile for me, that, by chance, exactly dates back to when I installed (and subsequently removed) the Upscoop application. To summarize the facts:

You are collecting e-mail addresses here. You are adding users to Rapleaf without their consent.

IMHO, you are violating Facebook policy.

I will *not* register with Rapleaf just to have *my* address removed - this is a matter of principle. You are damaging the web of trust that Facebook users expect here on Facebook.

Alex


I was instantly interested in what Rapleaf was. So I Googled it, of course. And this is what I saw.


Rapleaf: Online Reputation Lookup. This site allows you to search your email address to see what kind of an internet footprint you leave, more or less. It shows you everything your address is associated with - profiles, social networking and all. I thought of it as a credit report for your email address. Well, intrigued, I entered my addy and clicked "Look It Up." And then this is what I saw:


Notice the box that says, "Profile Stats?" It says, "Hey, we haven't seen this email before, come back in an hour and we should have more information for you, thanks!" Crap. Did I just get spammed? Did I just sell my email's soul to the devil? I'm not really sure. I can't even decide if I like this site.

On one hand, it tracks everything you do, and perhaps, all your personal information that goes with each of the accounts it tracks. On the other hand, it is a social networking tool, and you can rate your friends' addresses and give testimonials based on their credibility. Essentially, in the end, the more I use my address for satisfying purposes, the more credibility jennslone@gmail.com has.

The purpose of this particular blog was to let you decide whether or not you want to log onto Rapleaf and risk giving your email address to a site in an attempt to see how much of your account information is being watched. If Rapleaf doesn't have it now, they will for sure an hour after you search for your address. You have the power now. You decide.


EDIT: I just checked out Rapleaf's Terms of Service agreement. It gives much more credibility and explanation to the concept.

Gracie's Birthday Wishlist

Our darling Gracie, who will celebrate her 4th birthday September 19, has a wishlist online at www.walmart.com. Those interested in buying her a gift can do so online or at the store through their registry. Just go to the web site and search either for "Jennifer Slone" or "Grace Cooper." :)

Hooray for Edumacation!

Yay for me! I'm registered for classes for the Fall Quarter at Ohio University - Chillicothe! Classes begin September 4, and I am so ecstatic my belly turns every time I think about buying school supplies! :)

This quarter, I'll be indulging in: Techniques of Group Discussion, Writing and Reading: Gender; Foundations of Photography, Aerobics, and The Theater Experience.

I also received my award letter, and it looks as though financial aid has been very good to me. Score!

Sweet Site of the Day: ICHC

Today's Sweet Site of the Day: ICanHasCheezburger.com

I can't get enough of the funnies on this site. The LOLCats gained popularity a short time ago, and I'm proud to say I've recently made ICHC a shortcut on my bookmarks toolbar.

If you're a cat lover, and likely, even if you're not, you'll get a kick out of what ICHC has to offer: funny photos of kitties with captions based on internet lingo and stupidity. It's exactly what you'd picture your cat saying in each situation.

I've sat for hours with my sides splitting looking at this site.

A bonus? Facebook has an ICHC application so you can display the LOLCat of your choice.

Some of my faves:


And, occasionally, a special guest makes an appearance:

Sweet Site of the Day: Lifehacker

According to Tyler Durden, "Self-improvement is masturbation." Well, let's just say that lately I love to spank the metaphorical monkey.

After discovering the informational efficiency of using RSS feeds, I subscribed to a blog for the website lifehacker.com. Their motto is: "Tips and Downloads for Getting Things Done." Not only has it been one of the catalysts for my internet renaissance...it's also made work and play more efficient and fun in general. In addition to technology tips, the good folks at lifehacker also offer a variety of how-tos and tips for hacking your life. I wonder if that's where they got their name...DERP!

Sweet Site of the Day: Bloglines

How many web sites do you visit each day? Five, ten, twenty? Imagine how much simpler it would be if you could visit just ONE site, and receive the content from all the rest right there.

Now visit Bloglines, and you're all set.

Bloglines is a web-based news aggregator, which funnels all of your favorite feeds into one place via a technology called Really Simple Syndication (RSS). You can tell if a site uses RSS if you see any of these images:


Even if you're not a heavy net surfer, Bloglines makes it much easier to digest a variety of news sources in a very short amount of time. Everyone should be in-the-know about a little bit o' everything, and Bloglines helps make that happen.

Before I learned about Bloglines, I mindlessly wandered around the web, desperately trying to find interesting sites to look at and new things to keep my mind occupied with. Now, with new sites popping up each day, Bloglines introduces me to the coolest things the net has happening.

Here's what the site looks like. Imagine it as an email client for your web sites. Your sites are listed in the left column. When you click on a site link, the site's content pops up in the right column. Many sites come with both full stories and images, others provide a headline and brief, and all supply a link. You subscribe to the news feeds you want to read, and the rest is history.


I would highly suggest a few sites, which are ideal Bloglines subscriptions: BoingBoing, Lifehacker, and of course, Blabbling with Nick and Jenn.

If you are further interested in setting up a Bloglines account, Nick or I would be happy to help. We can even export our news feeds to your new account so that you have a place to start. From there, you can delete sites we are reading and add your own.

Don't let your internet experience be wasted! Try out Bloglines and see just how much more enjoyable your surfing can be!


Don't like my explanation? Need further information? Check out Bloglines on Wikipedia.

Religion

I've been having a lot of interesting discussions about religion recently, and this is a recent message that I sent to someone. I think I'm somewhere between being an agnostic, a deist, and a gnostic christian. Just thought I'd post it and hopefully see some comments:

Ok, here are my religious views....and I'll warn you that they've changed and shifted based on events in my life....and they'll probably change again. I'm agnostic because I think that most religion is guess work. You see signs, you get signals, you hear the voice of something spiritual, and then you do your best to interpret those messages. The reason why there are so many different religions, divisions amongst the religions, and divisions in those divisions, is that everyone interprets these messages in a different way. Just try having a group of people write down their descriptions of the exact same event and notice how differently they remember it.
So, God, who is unknowable, sends messages to us. They might be misunderstood, but the really important messages come in huge events, from people that can't be ignored. An angel is considered a messenger...but the word "angel" actually means "message." So angels are themselves messages. Jesus was a message to humanity..."This is how you should live your life." "Love is more important than all of these rules and regulations." Love to the point where you would sacrifice yourself to save other people. And if you look at the heart of most religions, the golden rule is at the center...although many religious fanatics like to ignore it....they think it's too obvious to pay attention to, saying "Well, of course you should love thy neighbor, but what about gays in the military?" But, loving your neighbor is the same as saying "love everyone." That's a lot more difficult than it sounds. If more churches focused on themselves and asked "am I doing my best to love everyone?" rather than saying "are THEY following the rules?!" our world would be in much better shape. As soon as Jesus died, everyone split into different factions.....that's the whole reason why Saul/Paul had to write so many letters....to try to unify the church. They were still arguing over whether you had to be a Jew....or if you had to be circumsized.
I think that there have been other messengers from God....Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., and countless others that we may never hear about....because they aren't out seeking attention. I think it's hard enough to focus on loving thy neighbor. So, my plans for eternity are to believe in the power of love and the potential for good in other human beings. That's my faith. That, and I believe that God can figure out where to put me after I die. I hope : ) Whether it's heaven, hell, or just a nice beach with internet access...

I love talking about this stuff. I almost went to get a master's in religious studies instead of library science...

The Wolves in the Walls

Neil Gaiman has outdone himself again. I asked the library to order one of his children's books called "The Wolves in the Walls." It finally came in, so I checked it out and took it home to read to Gracie. I was a little worried at first because the artwork is very dark, especially paired with the story...

Gracie, who will be 4 in September, was completely engrossed by the book. She made me read it twice in a row to her. At first, she didn't quite understand everything that was happening, so the second time around, she asked me to explain everything that was happening in the pictures. Since then, she's been talking about it nonstop. We read it to her a total of 3 times that first night...and she made Jenn read it to her 3 times the next day as well. In addition, it's a story I love to read...there's plenty of subtle jokes for adults.

If you have a little 'un, or if you're ever around kids, try reading this book to them...

Not Sure I Understand

While watching "John From Cincinnati" the other night, I wondered something.

You see, there is a character with a facial defect. His female counterpart on the show refers to him as "The Hairlip."

My question is: How do they cast for such things?

Casting advertisement example:

WANTED:
Person who is not afraid of being made fun of for their hairlip.

Kudos to those who take the cash and are comfortable with their "issues."

Two-part Tuesday Wrap-Up

Part One: Tumble Bugs

Gracie and a dozen other 3- to 5-year-olds performed their tumbling exercises in 100-degree heat yesterday at the Ross County Fair. Of course, she was wonderful (the best there, if you ask me). Here are some pics of the cutie's first public performance.



Part Two: Nickel Creek and Fiona Apple

So, most of you know that Nick and I went to see Fiona Apple in concert last night. We were intrigued as to how the show would be set up, because it was billed as, "Nickel Creek with Fiona Apple." We assumed she was opening for them, although we didn't agree with the order of things.

Our expectations of the show were very wrong. I had read previously that Fiona would be singing with the "newgrass" band, but we were in for a surprise. ALL of Fiona's songs were sung with Nickel Creek performing the instrumentals and providing back-up vocals. And Nick and I both agree that we would have preferred to see more of Fiona. Fiona with a piano and no Nickel Creek, preferably. But Fiona had no piano last night. She didn't really perform many songs. We heard "Extraordinary Machine," "Paper Bag," "Limp," and a few others, but the only song off of the first album was a bluegrass rendition of "Criminal." Not my cup of tea.

The concert was very heavy with the Nickel Creek. I definitely enjoyed seeing who our good friend Tim calls the world's best mandolin player. Man, that boy could jam. And the girl on the fiddle was amazing, as well.

But, Fiona was beautiful.

All in all, it was more than worth the trip to Columbus. We had a very pleasant drive up, even though we took the car with no air conditioning. We slept like babies last night after suffering through the heat wave.

Next on our concert list...Arcade Fire!

This beautiful Tuesday...

Today is an exciting one.

At 4 p.m., I'm taking Gracie to the Ross County Fair, where she'll be performing with her fellow Tumble Bugs. She's got a new tumbling outfit, dark blue and streaked with silver, and she's excited as all get out. She's staying at the fair to go on the rides with her Daddy afterwards, and Nick and I....

ARE GOING TO SEE FIONA!!!!

I'm very excited to see this phenomenal artist. She's gorgeous, and she has by far one of the best female voices I've ever heard. I'll be in heaven tonight! She's actually opening for Nickel Creek, who, admittedly, I've never really listened to. Of course, we've checked them out since receiving the tickets for the concert, but I'm eager to hear them live. Apparently, Fiona will be collaborating with them on certain songs as well. That should be interesting.

AND...

I finished Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events."

This is my favorite work ever. Each of the thirteen books in the series was delightful. Snicket (Daniel Handler) created a world of fascination and intellect, while weaving a mystery, full of misery and sadness, for his readers. But I must say, as "unfortunate" the events in the tale were, happiness abounds in this tragic tale. I laughed, I cried, and I lost sleep over many of the books.

For me, Snicket's message was that no one is perfect. The world is full of good and evil, security and fear, and each and every person is comprised of both. And there are mysteries in this world we aren't supposed to solve, questions we're not supposed to be able to answer.

I'm no where near the end of this tragic tale, though. I plan on reading Snicket's "The Beatrice Letters," which further delves into a separate, underlying mystery that he weaves through the series of unfortunate events. He's also published "The Unauthorized Autobiography of Lemony Snicket," and "Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid." I must read all three of these books, in addition to the series, before I close the book on this work of art.

My recommendation for the week? HBO's "John From Cincinnati." It's most likely only going to run one season, due to the fact that it has such a small fan base, but I could be wrong. Next Sunday will bring the season finale, with the season bearing only ten episodes. I can't even begin to explain the show, which is a religious, psychological, supernatural drama. If you have the time to spare on ten episodes, though, it's entirely worth it.

Good day.

The Arcade Fire Coming to C-Bus!!!

Where: LC Pavillion, Columbus
When: Friday, October 5, 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $40 through Ticketmaster
Seating: Outdoor - standing room only

:)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Finished Coraline

I just finished reading Neil Gaiman's "Coraline" this morning. It's another terrific work of ficition from Gaiman. He continues to delight and entertain me. I haven't yet read one of his works that disappointed me.

I first heard about his work from my friend, Josh. He was then taking a religion and mythology class--I think for his Tier III class, before graduating. The class had to write an essay about a popular work that dealt with mythology. Josh found "American Gods," a novel that has probably garnered the most widespread praise for Gaiman. I read it...and LOVED it.

During the class, Josh also informed me that another student presented a report on "The Sandman" series of graphic novels. My interest was significantly piqued, as I've always been a "comic book fan" without actually reading that many comic books. I've since tried to read whatever I can find....of Gaiman and of the best graphic novels I can get my hands on. I welcome any recommendations...

Gaiman's also involved with some film projects that have me excited. In about a week or so, the film version of "Stardust" will be released, based on the novel by the same name. I think a movie version of "Coraline" is also in the works. Finally, he has co-written the screenplay for the upcoming version of "Beowulf" to be released. Yes....with Angelina Jolie as Grendel's mother.

Holy shit...

School Daze

I'm heading back to college, folks. Finally. If you're not familiar with my post-high school education, then here it is:

I began college at Ohio University - Chillicothe the winter of 2000, after I graduated from Piketon High School. I was majoring in English and loving it. A year into my college career, however, I became pregnant with Gracie and was promoted to editor of the News Watchman, simultaneously. Very quickly, my life became overwhelming. Something had to go, and college was it. I dropped all of my courses, and didn't look back, until now.

I left the News Watchman this April with the intent to return to college to finish my English degree, although I'm not too sure what I want to do with it just yet. Once I get back to the university setting, I expect my eyes to be opened to all sorts of tracks I can take, either with the bachelor's degree, or by pursuing higher education.

So, Wednesday, I met with Dennis Bothel at OU-C to file an appeal, and he thinks I should be accepted back at the school in time for me to attend fall quarter.

Going back to college is a dream I've had ever since I left. During my last marriage, my dreams were placed on the back burner (although I've already obtained a degree in criminal justice ... it just doesn't have my name on it), and now, I have the opportunity to fulfill my dream.

I'm so excited. I'm excited about reading assignments and taking notes and being organized. I'm excited about meeting new and interesting professors who will hopefully inspire me in ways I never imagined. And I'm excited to see how well I'll do.

I have to admit, during my first college stint, I don't feel that I was smart or mature enough to handle it. I've grown so much and learned so much since that time, I know I'll be unbelievably receptive to everything that's thrown my way. I want to learn.

'Tis a time to celebrate!

In other news:

• Gracie the Tumble Bug will be in her first public live performance Tuesday at the Ross County Fair. I'm so excited to see her show off her stuff. Tumble Bugs is a gymnastics program for 3-to-5 year-olds, and the tots are taught the basics of the sport. Gracie is becoming quite skilled at somersaults, straddles, bear crawls and walking on the balance beam. I always knew I was raising a little monkey. Now she's just validating my suspicions. :)

• I've just finished "The Grim Grotto," the 11th book in Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events." Yes, Nick finished the entire series this week ... I'm slowly catching up. I'll be sure to have my synopsis following "The End." The books are fabulous. They've definitely renewed my interest in reading.

• I'll soon be searching for a part-time job. Once I get my fall quarter schedule figured out, I'm going on the hunt for a simple, enjoyable job to bring in some extra income. Now, when I say "simple, enjoyable," I don't mean just mindlessly bagging groceries or pumping gas. I'd like to do something challenging, therefore exciting, but something that won't take up an ungodly amount of time or be too stressful. Something that has a schedule I can count on. If I'm going to be going to school full-time, time and stress management are going to be necessary. So, I'm thinking video store clerk (where I can make recommendations), office assistant (where I can be organized), ANY non-profit organizational position, Jolly Pirate donut server (speaks for itself) ... something like that.

• And finally, I'd like to say that Yous and Wikis are taking over the world ... And I love it.
  

Fiona Apple Concert

Apparently, we're going to see Fiona Apple on Tuesday!! A friend hooked me up with some free tickets...now we just need to scrape together some gas money. She's opening for Nickel Creek...even though it should be the other way around. Don't get me wrong, I think they're wonderful musicians, and I recently heard their kick-ass live version of Radiohead's "Just", but that doesn't mean that they should get top billing over Fiona.

If you stop over at my last.fm page, I'm sure you'll notice plenty of both being scrobbled in the next few days.

Oh yeah, check out the Wikipedia entry I made for my library....I heart Wikipedia : )

Now, it's time to channel my inner angst-ridden, angry, skinny girl-rocker...

At the end of another book...

Today, I finished "Everything is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder" by David Weinberger. The author's style is remarkably readable for someone with a doctoral degree from Harvard. I haven't met many philosophy students that weren't good for conversation, though.

If you're interested in the science and theory of information and the internet, you'll love this book. The dedication of the book even goes out "To the librarians." I think it should be required reading for library schools. I also really like this review:

"The world is messy, like it or not, and it's only going to get messier as the Web destroys rules and the rule makers. You can either complain about the chaos and wish for the good old days of order, or you can read this book and understand why delirious disorder will soon make us all smarter."
--Chris Anderson, author of "The Long Tail"

"The Long Tail" is a term that was tossed around a lot at the libraries and technology conference I attended about 6 weeks ago. I think I'm going to hunt down a copy of the book...which was apparently based on an article in Wired magazine.

Weekend Round-Up

So, I finally finished Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events" on Friday. I was impressed. The series is easily one of the best I've ever read. When asked what the "moral" of the books is, Lemony Snicket a.k.a. Daniel Handler famously said "When you see Count Olaf, scream and run away."

Nevertheless, the series has a multitude of complex and entertaining lessons for readers of all ages. The overarching, I think, is that life is a series of ebbs and flows, ups and downs, lefts and rights, ins and outs, villains and heroes, safety and danger, night and day, black and white, and that different people see things in different ways. Also, despite the fact that the opinions and concerns of the young are often disregarded, our elders themselves make unfortunate, ridiculous, and devastating mistakes on a daily basis.

...but Mr. Handler still summed it up best.

I also watched "Zodiac" this weekend, which was good enough to keep me up until 3 in the morning, when I was ready to fall asleep at midnight...

My brother, Wayne, visited this weekend, along with his wife Rita and my niece Abby. He's a neuroradiologist at Ohio State. He took a look at my X-Rays and confirmed that the Orthopedic surgeons assessment was probably dead on...so surgery is indeed in my near future. My niece, Abby, is a dancer and photographer, which, I think, makes her one of the few members of my family interested in the arts...keep it up!


Now I'm just relaxing...getting ready for the long week of work I have ahead of me...gotta build up some comp time for the surgery...

Oh....and WATCH "THE HOST" PEOPLES!!!....that's all I'm a sayin'...

How to escape your own brain

That's the how-to manual I need. My brain, which feels much more like tapioca pudding than a head of cauliflower these days, needs to rest.

I can't even begin to discuss my confusion on how the brain (my brain, in particular) works.

Lately, the memory center of my brain has been malfunctioning. For example, events that occurred in the past that I would never imagine forgetting, I've forgotten. And random memories that I've attempted to blockade for years are popping into my mental playground uninvited.

I know any doctor or good friend will tell you it's not good to repress memories, no matter how much you don't want to be reminded of certain events. I, on the other hand, have encouraged the repression of painful memories for as long as I can remember. But now, that mentality is chasing me down, biting me on the ass, and the memories are pushing through, no matter what I do to avoid them.

I suppose since I haven't been working, my mind has had more of an opportunity to wander, and that could be a viable explanation for this new phenomena. Besides, in recent years, I've pushed past my adversities, pretending to be much stronger than I really am, and failed to confront certain issues that are now haunting me.

I'm ready to leave my past miseries at the door, but they don't seem to be ready to let me go. And it's consuming. I've done such a good job of expelling negativity from my life in the past year, and I can't allow these new, old reminders bring me down.

I'm so thankful for the wonders in my life now. I need to free up that space upstairs for millions of happy memories to come.

I gave up the therapy thing a long time ago; it doesn't work. I hate talking to anyone about my problems because, well, I'd like to look a lot stronger than I really am. So, I'll be doing a lot of private journaling - and then burning - it seems. One way or another, I'll set these demons free.

Surgery

Well, I found out today that I'm going to have surgery on my clavicle within the next couple of weeks. Yay!

(feel the sarcasm sinking in deep)
(now REALLY feel it)

Well, hell...if it'll fix this abnormal looking bulge poking into my skin where a normal clavicle should be....why not? They're going to put a metal plate in there to make it stay put....which, in turn, might have to be surgically removed after a year or two. The alternative, though, would be to put up with moderate pain for the rest of my life.

It would be cool, though, if they could somehow make me into a kick-ass cyborg while they're in there.

(Tap, tap, tap) Is this thing on?

Everyone knows ranting and raving every once in a while is absolutely necessary to survival. And Lord knows Nick and I always have something to rant and rave about. When you care, that's what happens.

More people should rant and rave. Let me rephrase that. More people should rant and rave about important things. Like health care, tuition expenses, and the lack of whole walnuts at the local Wal-Mart.

Well, with this blog, that's exactly what we'll be doing: ranting and raving about important things. Hopefully, our readers will be inspired, and they, too, will begin to rant and rave about things that matter.

Because if we don't do the griping, who will?

The Bad Beginning

Welcome to Blabbling with Nick and Jenn. This is where we go off about stuff and talk about general things in our lives. You know, like a blog...with babbling...blabbling. (Roll eyes here)

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