Tag: fun

weekend getaway

This weekend was James’ 30th birthday!!!

So, we went up to a cabin in the middle of NOWHERE about 1 hour from Chattanooga. It was a quaint and cute little place. I surprised James by inviting his mom and dad to come and meet us there on Saturday night.

He had no idea until they knocked on the door. It was hilarious.

We had a great time, went to see Rock City, where I took tons of pictures (stay tuned), and celebrated James’ first steps into a new decade of life.

Overall, it was a great weekend, and I hope that he had a great birthday. Love you James!! Happy Birthday!!

Also turning the big 3-0 this weekend was my best buddy Margaret… I hope you had a great one too girl!! Love ya!!

In fact, I hope everyone had a great weekend, whether you turned 30 or not!

the day after sunday always comes again

No matter how much one wishes the weekend would go on for at least one more day; it never seems to. Oh well. Here’s some random shenanigans that are running through my brain; which seems to typify every Monday for whatever reason.

  • Weezer’s new album comes out tomorrow. I am very excited about it, because they are one of my favorite bands. I am listening to it now, and it is definitely different than their previous records, but I think that I will really like it in the end. I always get excited when my favorite bands bring out new records… so far this year, it has been Portishead, Death Cab for Cutie, and now, Weezer; what next!?!?!?
  • I went to the EABF this weekend with Brody and Aimee, and I had a blast. We joked that it was more of a “white wine spritzer” fest for us, because we found ourselves drinking the equivalent; pear ciders galore. Hey, it was hot as fuck, and those damn things are just so tasty and refreshing. I finally tried Purple Haze (I always see it at the store and wonder about it), and it was gross. I am glad I never got any before this weekend. Overall, the day was HOT, but lots of fun. After the festival, Brody and Aimee came over for some Guitar Hero/Rock Band, and some pizza. After that, I tanked (at like 7), and didn’t wake up until 10:30. Sometimes, I think I could literally sleep forever. Either way, it was a kick ass day, and I am glad that I had such a great time with great friends.
  • I think that my ears might be almost healed. If not almost healed, they are definitely getting close. I can’t wait until I get some new jewelery for them!
  • I don’t do as much photography as I want to… I need to figure out how to remedy that; fast. We are going to Chattanooga for James’ thirtieth this weekend, so I am sure that I will be taking lots of nature pictures, so I guess that is something to look forward to with regards to that.
  • The Mole starts tonight, and I am having over some friends that I have known since high school to watch it. I can’t wait, because I LOVED this show back in the day… I just hope that it is just as good post-Anderson Cooper.
  • I felt like I had more than that, but I guess that’s about it. Hmmm… Not a lot going on with me these days, I guess.

wedding shopping list

One of my best friends is getting married this weekend, and I am in the bridal party. Here’s the breakdown of monies that I have spent thus far:

  • 2 nights hotel stay: $286.20
  • Flight to and from Ft. Lauderdale: $293
  • 3-button black suit, 100% wool: $99.99
  • Cuffs for the pants: $12
  • Shoes: $49.99
  • Belt: $14.99
  • Shirt: $21.99
  • Total: $778.16
  • (wow, I didn’t realize it was so much!)

Being in one of your best friend’s wedding, even though you can’t get married: Priceless. Don’t get me wrong, I am not bitter, it is just an observation, seriously. I am so happy that I get to be in her wedding, and I love my friend to bits and pieces (she knows this), HOWEVER, I really wish that gay people could do it too. If not marriage, at least something where we could get the hoo and haw of being in a relationship for years, and having our commitment recognized. That’s all, really.

I am excited about this weekend, but I am nervous; I don’t know ANYONE other than my friend (the bride), and her soon to be husband. That should make things interesting to say the least!

ready. set. BRAWL!

You may or may not know this about me; I am a pretty big video game nerd. I have been playing video games for as long as I can remember, and still play to this day. I currently have the Wii, an Xbox 360, a DS lite, a PS2, and a working original NES to boot!! While games have come a long way, the basic principle behind them hasn’t (at least for me); it’s all about having fun.

For whatever reason, I have always been drawn to cartoon fighters, and as a kid, I can remember MANY Saturdays at the local Putt Putt Golf and Games, where I would play hour after hour of Street Fighter II (still one of the best fighters ever made, IMHO). My goal was to get as good as I could, so that I could compete and stand a chance against those other kids that were somehow magical at the game.

Well, times haven’t changed… this weekend saw the release of perhaps the most anticipated game for the Wii system; Super Smash Bros. Brawl. For those that are scratching their heads, wondering what I am talking about, Super Smash Bros. is a fighting franchise that was created by Nintendo, and utilizes their unique characters in hand to hand fighting combat, which pits favorites like Mario against other beloved characters.

The preceding game to Brawl, Super Smash Bros. Melee, was introduced to me by my friends, who have been addicts of the game for years, since it’s release on the Gamecube. Needless to say, they are far more advanced in skill than I possess for Smash Bros., but that doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy playing against them. I see myself as that little kid again, standing there, watching the other kids dominate at Street Fighter II, waiting for my turn to unleash my skills against them. It took a long time, but I finally became one of those kids that could win every now and then; and so shall it be for Smash.

Since we got the game on Sunday, we have been playing like mad. It is cool too, because this is a game that James and I both enjoy, so we can play together. This weekend, one of our friends is having a Brawl get together at his house, and I have got to practice my skills all week, so that I will have a chance to win at some point during the night.

Overall, my impressions of the game, are that it exceeds all previous expectations that I had. While the Wii is not a high-definition gaming system, the graphics of Brawl are beautiful and very, very well crafted. I am definitely impressed. I am also very happy with the addition of the new characters, specifically Pit (Kid Icarus!!!!!!!!), as well as the Pokemon Trainer, who I am playing as well (currently, we haven’t unlocked Sonic, but I am eager, after playing as him at my friends’ house this weekend). I am glad that this game is finally out, and I am glad that we get to enjoy the game with our friends. Now… I can’t wait for Soul Calibur IV and Street Fighter IV to hit Xbox 360 later this year! It’s looking like a great year for fighting games!

Leslie and the LYs: february 23, 2008

Well, I am here to bring a review of a concert that displayed such epic-ness, that can only be contained by the sheer will of itself. The concert of which is speak, was none other than Leslie and the LYs, Saturday night at eyedrum.

Leslie Hall hails from Iowa, representing her other Midwest divas, and brings the jams while she flashes her sparkle jems. She is the self-professed mother gem, and comes out of the night, as a purveyor of fantastical gem sweaters and slick beats.

During her show, Leslie dances, she grooves, and she moves her way into your heart, clad from neck to toe in skin tight gold-goodness. She’s a “sequined tower of eternal glamor, pounding out the sexy with a sparkly hammer”.

I have wanted to see her for a while now, and I am glad that I got the chance to this weekend. Basically, if you haven’t heard of her, she is an internet phenomenon who has been doing some great stuff on youtube. Her songs are great, and she makes me laugh out loud more than many can. Saturday night was an amazing night, and I will always remember it as the night that I fell in love with Leslie Hall.

The show itself was an amazing spectacle of ginormous proportions, and here’s a little rundown of how it went down…

The opening act was absolutely DREADFUL, which consisted of a whole hour (seriously) of really loud distortion and guitar “playing” by a tall black dude in a wig. Then a Bjork-wannbe came on and spoke some gibberish, while her other friend (with a fake third arm) “played” a base guitar and created even more loud distortion. It was loud, and uncalled for. I asked the bartender if they were for real, and all he could say was, “well, they’re up there… it doesn’t get much more real than that.”. Agreed.

After that monstrosity, this cute trio that reminded me of TLC busted out two great songs, only to hurry off stage after finishing. It was a refreshing sound after that nonsense from before; but I would have liked to have heard more. No matter… by that time, I wanted my Mother Gem more than ever.

Then… the gold one herself took the stage. Now, I have seen her videos and heard some of her songs, but I had no idea the show that Leslie Hall puts on. Flanked by her accomplices, the LYs, she grooved and jammed for over an hour. It was amazing.

People in the audience called out for Leslie, myself included, and she gave us a feast of beats, rhythms, lady jams, and scissor kicks. She fucking performed the hell out of everything she did, and was completely hilarious and amazing throughout. I don’t know if I have ever had that much fun; seriously.

After the show, she greeted fans, and signed autographs. I got bunches of pictures of both the concert, and the after meet and greet. (click on the photo to go to flickr, and see what you missed out on…). I ended up getting both of her CDs at the show, and I must say that have been lapping up the jams all day.

You must do yourself a favor and see the mother gem herself, Leslie Hall, when she comes to a town near you. She is a goddess, and she is coming for you… I myself cannot WAIT until she comes back my way. SHAZAM! SHE IS GLAMOROUS!

the pipettes @ vinyl atlanta, 11/9/07

Wow.

The Pipettes were AMAZING. They are such a kooky lot, and they danced and sang their way right into my heart. Seriously, as crazy as I was about them BEFORE the show, I am deeply, deeply in love with them now!!! They blew me away. I was also happy to be so close to the stage, and got to see a really great show.

The whole night was a lot of fun. Even the opening act, Nicole Atkins, was smashing as well. I downloaded her CD, and am enjoying it right now. She is quite the talent as well.

Overall, I am so pleased that I went to see the Pipettes. There is a reason that their debut album is one of my top picks for this year; it is amazing, and so are they. If you get the chance to see them in the future, I highly suggest you do!! These three ladies are amazing!!!

Here’s a LITTLE clip of “Pull Shapes” I managed to get (not great quality, but gives you the idea):

Also, here’s a link to the flickr set with the pictures that I took at the concert. I don’t know how I feel about them, because the quality is a little off, as it was really dark in the venue. I am sure that they are fine though, and I am being too hard on myself, but whatever… I had a fantastic night, so I guess that’s all that really matters!

give yourself over to absolute pleasure

That’s exactly what we did last night…

Last night, in celebration of all things ghoulish and devilish for Halloween, we had our somewhat traditional viewing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. After immensely enjoying the film yet again, I have to say, I don’t know why I don’t watch that movie more often; it is brilliant! What a delightful campy classic, that not only takes you to the edge, it kicks you over! I also never realized how hyper-homosexual it is…

I have to say, though, without Tim Curry, the movie would be nothing; as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, he is completely amazing. He definitely has me shivering with antici…. pation. What I would give to have seen them perform it live… I bet that was a sight to behold.

Other than that, we just relaxed, played some GHIII and Super Smash Bros. Melee, and handed out candy to the very few that ventured out. Out of the handful of groups that we got, only one group of kids were actually dressed up. One group were even well over the age that one should be for trick or treating, however, they still got candy. James and I have learned that it is paramount to be at home and to be giving on this night, as we have had our cars egged in years past because our lights were off. Luckily, this year, we were not a target.

Another Halloween on the books without incident. Now that’s a good thing. I have never been a big fan of the “holiday”, so I doubt you will hear about me dressing up and having a great Halloween, but more power to those that enjoy that sort of thing. I hope everyone had a great night; I know I did!

How did you celebrate your Halloween?

(image of the delicious Frank-N-Furter is not mine… it’s from the internets)

guitar hero III

Wow.

Seriously. WOW.

I was lucky enough to have James go at midnight last night and get me a copy of the newest, and possibly most awesome, game, Guitar Hero III. I am glad that I pre-ordered it, because he got to go right to the front of the line, as they checked out the pre-orders first (score!).

I really didn’t think that they could make the game THAT much better and that much more fun, but they totally did. Also, the inclusion of some of my favorite songs has just got me so jumpy. The graphics, interface, and pretty much EVERYTHING has been given the biggest shot of adrenaline; making this game tower over the other three.

I love the controller, as it is so much better and more sensitive than the PS2 ones. It is great that the sound of a missed note comes out of the wii mote, because it is much less distracting than it was when it blasted out of the surround sound before; it is also cool that this feature is unique to the wii (hee hee hee).

I have as yet to have experienced the two player mode or even the online (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) play, but I am sure that I will get my chance for at least the former this afternoon when John comes by for some thrashing.

A serious thumbs up and major high five to anyone and everyone that had anything to do with both this game as well as the entire franchise. I just got Guitar Hero III and I already can’t wait for GHIV. This shit is addictive; and awesome. Now… I gotta go play. Get your copy today!!

UPDATE: I am going to definitively say, that it was worth the entire $90 to play Cherub Rock by the Smashing Pumpkins (actual track!!!), and My Name is Jonas by Weezer (again, actual track!!!), and beat them both with 5 stars on the first try on Medium. Today is a good day.

spring cleaning and thrifting

Today I went through my closet, and pulled out what amounted to be two huge stacks of clothing that I can’t wear anymore. I am debating on selling some of it on ebay, because most of it is in practically new condition; and a lot of it cost me quite a pretty penny. I haven’t ever sold anything on ebay before, but I think that this would be a good place to get started. Too many designer jeans to just drop them off in a goodwill bin, you know?

Also, after cleaning out my drawers of the clothes that no longer fit, I decided it was way past time to go and get some more “lounge around” shirts. I don’t have many that fit anymore, because I outgrew all of my old thrift store finds, so I thought I would head down to the Value Village for a rummaging.

What’s funny, is that James has never been thrifting. I couldn’t believe that, because practically ALL of my clothes in high school came from thrift stores; I was one of those kids that wore the corduroy jeans and old school velor tops. I had so much vintage clothing; which is crazy, because I don’t have any of it now. I just found it strange that James had never been to a thrift store, when they had been such a staple of past wardrobe procurement processes.

I also realized that I hadn’t been thrifting in YEARS. I have missed it. I had a great time looking through the shirts, and I ended up getting about 12 of them… the best and worst thing about the thrift store, is that there is a bunch of good stuff, but there is twice as much shit that you have to rummage through. Either way, I got some new shirts to lounge around in, and I am happy about that…

Other than that, we are just trying to relax this afternoon… there is a lot more spring cleaning to be done, but I think that I have done enough for one day.

MIKA @ Center Stage ATL June 16, 2007

Last night, we had the amazing pleasure of seeing the amazing MIKA at Center Stage. It was a sold out show, and MIKA more than delivered.

The show was amazing. MIKA is an amazing performer, and totally has the talent that he displays on his record. I was blown away with how awesome this 23 year old (!!) is. I will definitely keep my eye out for when he is in town again. Great show!

The opening act, Natalia, wasn’t really my style. I could have done without her. Additionally, between her and MIKA, there was this weird round of break dancing, which was kind of out there, and really went on too long. It got annoying.

There was this really odd gentleman who was to our right, up in the seats section, who had staked a claim on a handicapped person’s space, who literally performed routine after routine for the people in the crowd. It was quite entertaining, and made us wonder what he was on; because it was probably some good stuff.

The show was also taped, so that was kind of interesting to have this huge camera boom over our heads and in our faces all night. Perhaps I will be on a DVD some day. Who knows…

Overall, the show was awesome, and it ended (as you can get a feel from this picture), with the performance of Lollipop, with the whole band coming out in furry animal costumes. Once the song got going, these huge balloons filled the arena, and there was even a huge blast of confetti shot into the air. It was pretty amazing.

I guess I really can’t say enough positive things about the concert, and if you weren’t there, you certainly missed out. At least do yourself a favor, if you haven’t already, and check out the amazing MIKA! You won’t be sorry!!!