American Idol Concert

I may give off an artsy, sophisticated air but as all those who know me can testify, I’m really a soul-sucked television glutton at heart.  I’ve had many obsessions stem from the world of the glowing screen including Sonny & Brenda (General Hospital), Spike (Buffy, the Vampire Slayer), and most recently, Adam Lambert (American Idol but soon…the world!).  My fascination with The Glittery Alien from Planet Fierce, as dubbed by his own brother, reached great heights this summer.  So much so that I did something I thought I never would.  I bought a ticket to the American Idol concert in Greensboro.  Not only that, but I suckered three friends into going with me.

Me and three of the girls.

Me and three of the girls.

Now, I still try to maintain some sort of dignity, so I don’t watch American Idol until the performances start getting meaty, around when the Top 10 perform.  This year, Matt Giraud’s save was the first episode I watched so I had never heard the first two performers of the night before except for a duet on the finale.

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My Cat is Missing

loki-lost

Loki is a male, neutered, orange and tan tabby.  He has a white spot under his neck/on his chest and bits of black on some whiskers, close to his nose.  He’s always been a runt, so his head is small and he is usually skinny.  If you live in Southwest Durham and think you may have seen him since 5/28, please email me at becca@yellow5labs.com.

My cat is missing.  He’s been missing for almost a week now and every day, I cry.  I miss my cat.  He is one of the most personable, friendly, mischievous cats that I’ve ever known.  It probably doesn’t help that we named him Loki after the Norse god of trickery.  Loki, you see, likes a challenge.

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Book Signing and Discussion with Michael Lux

Last night, I finally made it out to an event sponsored by Traction, a Triangle organization dedicated to discussing and promoting progressive issues in politics.   I’ve wanted to many times before but the stars just never aligned until now.  So I headed on over to The Regulator Bookshop and decided to learn a little more about this movement that I believe I ‘d like to be a part of.  Michael Lux, author of The Progressive Revolution:  How the Best in America Came to Be, was giving a discussion of progressive politics and signing his new book.

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30 Threads Blogger Bash

Last night, I dragged my husband with me to the 30 Threads Blogger Bash at the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC).  For those of you unfamiliar with 30 Threads, it’s a website run by Ginny Skalski, a journalist based in Raleigh, and exists to help us get the goods on which Triangle area websites and blogs are worth a click.  As a subscriber to the site, I was already planning to attend this bash and take advantage of the chance to meet bloggers whose sites I’ve enjoyed reading and drum up some more readers for my own.  You know, that whole networking thing people talk about.  But then, I actually got a nod on 30 Threads this past week, so I was even more excited to go.  Being profiled is fun!

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The Banjo and Africa

I spent this evening attending a discussion at Duke on banjos and their roots in Africa.  There are three reasons why I chose to attend:

  1. I have loved banjos ever since I realized that the melancholic and slightly creepy plucking during the Pirates of the Caribbean ride was, in fact, a banjo.
  2. Tickets were completely sold out to the “Thrown Down Your Heart” performance tomorrow night with Bela Fleck and a number of musicians from Africa.
  3. The banjo is from Africa?

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Snow by any other name.

I hate snow.  Sure, it’s fun to lift your head to the first flakes of the winter but that excitement lasts me for, oh, say a day or two.  Which makes living in North Carolina perfect; in the three years we’ve lived here, this past year was the first one that brought any snow accumulation at all.  And that melted in a day or two, so I really didn’t have time to complain.

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Religion is Making a Televised Comeback.

One thing you should know about me, if you don’t yet, is that I take my television seriously.  Not so seriously that I’ve actually rewatched DVD sets over and over, Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s musical episode excepted, but enough that I spend lots of time reading other people’s opinions on what it all means.  Too much time?  Absolutely.  But being able to watch shows that delve into our inner selves and explore the spiritual questions we all ask is a simple pleasure for me.

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The Receptionist, Manbites Dog Theater Company

The Receptionist by Adam Bock
Manbites Dog Theater Company, Downtown Durham
2/12-2/28/09  Yes, you already missed it.

I received the flyer for The Receptionist about 2 months ago and was instantly intrigued by the woman at the desk with pens, phones, and staplers at her command.  I felt a kinship with her as most of my post-college career has been in similar positions.  So I asked Ben, “Can we go?”  He said, “Fine” but qualified it with a loud sigh.  Undeterred, I bought tickets and we went Friday night.

The acting was fantastic.  All the main actors were masters of facial expressions and while I still have no idea why the audience found his opening monologue about fly fishing hilarious, Carl Martin, who played Mr. Raymond, did just fine though he was not quite as appealing as the other three.  Marcia Edmundson, who played the receptionist, Beverly, definitely was the star of the evening.  Her little “hmms” and other noises were essential for conveying the judgmental, yet good-natured character.  She maintained a believable aura of ignorance until the very end, even as she found herself in the harsh light of the central office.

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Greetings

As I glanced at my kitchen calendar this morning, I noticed I forgot my cousin Daniel’s birthday last week.  Sorry Daniel!  I usually like to send cards to people for their birthdays but have recently found myself settling for leaving messages on a Facebook wall or sending a super poke full of balloons.  If I’m feeling really industrious, I might seek out an e-card with songs and animation.

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