Hotter Than a Pepper Sprout

I was in the bathroom when I heard the crash. I was momentarily alarmed, but quickly decided it was no big deal. "One of the pets just knocked over the baby gate," I thought. (Don't worry friends I haven't seen in a while...you haven't missed any big news, we use the "baby" gate mainly to keep our elderly dachshund Oscar from falling down the stairs.)  I walked into the kitchen and discovered I was wrong. So very wrong. The victim was the coffeemaker. Knocked off the counter (by our cat Pepper, I had no doubt) and lying in pieces on the kitchen floor amidst coffee and grounds (also splattered on the cupboards, of course). Despair and panic gripped me.  If you're not a coffee person, I don't think I can explain these feelings to you. If you're not a coffee person, I both envy and pity you. I envy your freedom, that you're not enslaved to your need for coffee, but I also feel sorry for you that your life lacks that sublime desire fo...

Chad and I are unabashed tv-holics (and I'm NOT talking socially or intellectually redeeming PBS shows). We are also pathologically overbooked. So we just got around to watching the last episode of the "Daily Show" (and if I have to tell you that's with Jon Stewart you probably have no interest in reading this) a couple of days ago. It's funny how much a tv show can seep into your life. Watching The Daily Show has been a constant part of our lives for the past sixteen years, so I have to share my reflections: It's obvious, but must be said: this really brings home the passage of time, and yes, makes me feel old. We even watched the show when Craig Kilborn was the host.  Time and memory are very malleable, and it's strange how a television show can be such a maker of one's own personal history. I'm surprised that Jon didn't start hosting the Daily Show until we moved to Minnesota (I thought it was during our Iowa Era). I also can't beli...

Just as Resting Bitch Face has re-emerged as one of the great issues of our age, I've discovered I have Resting Bitch(y) Drummer Face. Or, to be more accurate, Active Scary (or Scared?) Drummer Face. (Don't try to figure out an acronym). I present Exhibit A from our most recent Twin Town recital at Whiskey Junction:  "Don't mess up or someone's going down."  Actually, this is a really cool photo, and we were very lucky that Twin Cities Media took professional photos of us and even wrote a blog post: http://twincitiesmedia.net/blog/?p=19252 . But I do look very "intense." I guess that's better than looking like I'm phoning (or should I say "IM-ing"?) it in.  I've given a lot of thought to my drumming stage presence in the last couple of years, as I've gotten the impression that it's disappointingly low-key and mild-mannered. (Or thankfully low-key for one of my older friends who was worried I was going to fla...

I didn't see this exact cat shirt, but this conveys the idea... Much has already been written about last weekend's inaugural Eaux Claires Festival, but I can't resist adding my observations to the mix. The sound quality was amazing. Even pretty far away from the stage, the sound was clear and the mix was great. Big video screens also helped the crowd-averse enjoy the event while maintaining our personal space. The sound was also good because, for the most part, the festival goers were really into the music and not too loud and drunk or constantly talking during the sets. IT WAS HOT. STICKY AND HOT. The guidebook for the festival that included poetic descriptions of the musicians was beautiful. I stopped reading it at lunch on Saturday because I was starting to cry at the restaurant.  Not as many man bun sightings as in Uptown, but they were a noticeable presence. The other fashion highlight was all the awesome cosmic cat and kitten shirts.  Oh, Eau Claire(s) ...

Based on my suggestion (so I can take the credit or get the blame), our student Kinks tribute band is performing "Come Dancing" as part of our set at the Whiskey Junction on August 7. I should probably be embarrassed to admit this, but as a preteen of the early 80's, this song from 1982 was my first real introduction to the Kinks, and holds a special nostalgic place in my heart. Not only does it remind me of my preteendom, but my brother had his own version of his song that went "The day they knocked down the Co-Op, my sister stood and cried. The day they knocked down the Co-Op, part of my childhood died, just died." Despite Chad's often warranted critique that my posts are way too long, I'm now going to dive into a long explanation and exploration of that one simple lyric. There are just too many amazing and enlightening layers to it that I don't want my gentle readers to miss: Check out the video for this (which I can't link to, sorry!...

...and a cool glass and a MEDAL. That's right, a freakin' medal. And I feel like I totally deserved it. This Fourth of July, I ran my first half marathon, (the Twin Cities Red, White & Boom), and it made me feel pretty darn mighty. It also blew my mind. Even though I've been running/jogging for over fifteen years, I wasn't at all "athletic" in my formative years, so still don't always think of myself as the running type.  Aforementioned Race Loot (sans cool glass) And how did it go? One cool thing about running is that it's very personal, so it's hard to say what is objectively awesome. You have to take your age, sex ( your sex, not if you've had it or not), sleep deprivation level, the humidity, how many people you have to dodge, how hilly the course is, your previous race and training times, if you're sick or hungover or being chased (and by what), etc., etc., into account. I really did not know what to expect for my first ha...

Tonight Chad and I got to hear one of our favorite musicians, Craig Finn, talk about his new album at a "listening party" at the Bryant Lake Bowl. It was a real thrill, even though there wasn't a convenient opportunity to take photos or schmooze with Craig. (In other words, we were too shy or polite or Midwestern to do these things, but then again, no one else really seemed to be chatting or taking photos, either.) Only the contest winners got to bowl with Craig. That was both disappointing and a relief (I would have been SOO nervous!) Craig Finn's new album (release date: September 11) Some observations/insights/takeaways from the evening: It was cool that we were brave enough to sit in the front row, VERY close to the stage, and also a little awkward. The whole evening was a little awkward. As Craig said, for him, it was awkward listening to his music in front of other people. Even host Jill Riley (from the Current) said she didn't know what to do with...