JURY DUTY

For the third time in six years, I have been called to jury duty. But for the first of those three times, I am actually a juror. Therefore my office this week is the jury box. Once the case has been decided, I will give you a sneak peek into my tell all book of the case. Until then, you must patiently wait. You can also count down with me! BEER FEST IS ON SATURDAY! YAY! And to top it off, Ed and Amy are coming to NC from Atlanta. WOO HOO!!!!!

OH, WOW.

So, this morning I saw the SNL clip BEFORE I had actually seen the clip of Palin's interview with Katie Couric. Ummm, Tina Fey's rambling speech was nearly word for word what Palin said in her interview when asked about the $700 billion bail out plan. HOLY CRAP.

Tina Fey returns as Palin

Love it!!

Mad Props for the DMV

This morning, I went to the DMV to change the name on my license and to also take care of that little expiration problem a Durham police officer pointed out to me after my car was broken into. At 8:30am I had an appointment with the body shop to take care of the damages inside my car from the break-in. I realized after closer inspection that the thieves broke my passenger side inner door handle, the weatherproofing on the door, the backseat upholstery was torn, and the passenger side back door was damaged from the bouncing brick. The estimate came to about $800 some odd dollars, bringing the full damages and loss to about $1300. Thanks, jerks.

Anyway, since I told the folks at work I was going to be a little late, I decided to make the run to the DMV and take care of the license issue. I went to the DMV Driver's License office off MLK Blvd near Kroger in Durham. Let me tell you, folks, that is the nicest DMV office you will ever deal with - I promise. You are greeted by friendly staff and served by friendly staff. I was there at 9am, received a number for the "line", and as my rear hit the chair, my number was called. The whole process took less than ten minutes.


I was so amazed and so pleased that I actually went to the DMV website, found the comments section, and wrote a quick letter telling me how awesome my experience was today. Hopefully the staff there will get a pat on the back. And for those of you locals, if you need a plesant trip to the DMV, try the MLK branch. I bet you'll like it!

A weekend of great food

Mike and I are finally back to cooking. My friend Rod pointed out as I was finishing up grad school, "You never talk about cooking anymore. You used to always talk about some new dish you made." And it was true. The last 6 months of the Masters was taxing, and the cool meals stopped. Mike was hard at work on papers, I was trying to finish my final project, and our meals turned rather normal. That or we ate out. But with school long behind me now and evenings that are a bit more open, I am back to cooking. And luckily this weekend, Mike cooked, too. If I may say so myself, between the two of us, we can make some yummy food.

A trip to the Farmers Market on Saturday morning set us out on the right foot. Fresh peppers, spaghetti squash, eggplant, tomatoes, oh my goodness. What a wonderful bounty. We got some amazingly beautiful produce this weekend, along with a dozen brown farm fresh eggs. Fantastic. That evening I was inspired to bake, so I made some pizza dough. Mike and I each made our own pizzas. I tried a new dough recipe this time around, and it came out well - a bit fluffier than Mike or I really wanted, but it was still yummy. On Sunday, after reading through the newest Vegetarian Times, Mike was inspired to make risotto. He had already decided to make fresh salsa from all the peppers we bought at the market, so there was some cooking to do!

The kitchen was a hub of activity last night. Between roasting peppers, preparing the ingredients for the risotto, and prepping the salsa, we were busy (Mike especially). But by the end of the evening, Mike had produced an amazing roasted corn, mushroom and spinach risotto, fresh salsa, and I even contributed some fresh guacamole. A weird combo maybe, but we ate a lot of veggies last night!!!

Yay for the return of cooking!

Arrrrrrr, matey - I be bloggin!

HAPPY "TALK LIKE A PIRATE" DAY!!!!

Change of Heart

Last week, I presented pictures of my new little sister. The plan has changed. After meeting an older chihuahua from the same couple, my Mom fell in love with this 5 year old little girl. The couple were going to give her away, and my Mom snagged her to give to a friend's Mom who has had chihuahuas forever. But in the midst or transport, Mom fell in love, and Miss Desi is now my little sister. Mom's best friend's mom will now take the puppy originally planned to be my sister. The world works in mysterious ways! So, here's introducing my NEW little sister, Desi :-)

Crappy Photo - Great Show

Just a quick note that the Los Lonely Boys show was fantastic. Although the crowd wasn't very large, those that were there were beyond excited. I had several patrons actually ask, "How did you get them here? They are fantastic!"

The songs from their new album were really wonderful, and the live show is great for the guitar riffs. On certain songs, I felt the tempo dragged a bit, but the musicality was excellent. Overall, great show and I would highly recommend seeing the LLB live.

I also have to say that the Garcia brothers were wonderful to the fans. There was a mom with three little girls in the front row of the pit, and the little girls made signs, etc. They were beyond excited. Once the show started, the girls held up their signs, and the band made thumbs up gestures, smiled, and then they played to those beaming little girls all evening. I know they just made the night for those kiddos. They threw pics to the crowd, shook hands, and amazingly enough, the band allowed photography and video at the concert. After working at the Carolina for several years, I can tell you this is a rarity. People snapped photos all evening, and you could tell the band loved it all.

Here's my one crappy photo from the night!

The show must go on...

I went on a hiatus volunteering with the Carolina Theatre this year. I had previously been an active volunteer for several years. In fact, I started there 3-4 years ago. But, after the engagement, wedding planning, and an unsuccessful attempt to get the Carolina Theatre at a reasonable price for the wedding, I took a break.

Break's over. When I got notice that the Los Lonely Boys were going to play at the theatre, I immediately signed up. I have been a fan of them for about 3 years now, and I just could not pass up the opportunity to see them live.

So, tonight I return to the theatre for what should be an awesome show!!!!

The smell of burnt hair

It was Friday night. I promised Lauren I would meet her out for a few drinks, but since Mike's cough won't seem to go away, I planned on spending the majority of the evening home with him. So, I go to Mount Fuji, have a couple pomegranate mojitos then head to Randy's Pizza to pick up a yummy dinner. Mike wanted wings, and I wanted pizza, so it worked well. I love Randy's, but they don't have that addictive garlic sauce found at Papa John's. Therefore, Mike and I decided to look up a quick "how to make Papa John's dipping sauce at home" recipe. Everyone stated it was just melted butter with garlic powder. We can do that.

Mike put a pan on the stove, turned it up to middle heat and dropped in some butter. Scout jumped up on the counter as always, requesting to drink out of the kitchen sink. Mike put the faucet on a slow dribble and let Scout have his way. As Scout drank, Mike and I stood in the kitchen chatting and waiting for the butter to melt. After a few seconds, I happened to look over at the stove and yelled, "MIKE! Grab Scout! His tail is burning!"

Scout, so absorbed in drinking water from the faucet, had yet to realize that his tail was just close enough to the stove burner to singe his tail fur. Mike grabbed him and put his tail under the water. Scout had no idea what the commotion was all about. The heat only got the ends of the fur - he didn't get a skin burn at all. But our kitchen was quickly filled with the smell of burning hair.

Mike managed to wipe off most of the charred fur, and we even trimmed a bit. But there is still some remaining. Scout's little brown scar on the tail (which will be gone soon enough due to his incessant shedding). For now, it will serve as our reminder to better watch the cat when the stove is on. egads.

I STILL want to be Tina Fey when I grow up!!

Amazing - hilarious!

Simply Marvilous

Looking for something to do this evening? Jeff and King are at it again and present "Simply Marvilous", a Marvin Gaye themed party at the G Loft (next to George's Garage). As Jeff and King's parties are never to be missed, if you are looking for something fun to do this evening, come out to Durham and dance to some great music, meet some cool people, and soak in all that is Marvilous!

Hurricane Ike

My family lives in the Gulf Coast of Texas, specifically in Fort Bend County. My Mom called me early this morning to let me know that she and my Dad were packing up the pets and heading up towards Waco to escape the storm. While I know my family will be fine, I worry about their home and what they may have to return to after the storm. We cannot control these things, but it is still scary! Please send good vibes to everyone who is going to have deal with Ike. And as I saw on some news story, painted on someone's window plywood, "TAKE A HIKE, IKE!"

More info on Dog Chaining (or lack thereof)

With the passing of the ordinance in Durham County surrounding the banning of dog chaining, a lot of people are unclear as to what the ordinance means. Can I never have my dog on a tether outside? Are dogs going to be kept in tiny cages now? Both of these issues are covered in the ordinance to provide for maximum comfort of the animal. I asked Meredith some questions about the ordinance, and this was her response - to which she also replied that one of the main arguments around the ordinance is people assume that dog owners will take off the tether and stick the dog in a cage. That, too, is outlawed, and proper enclosure areas are included in the ordinance. I asked Mer about these issues, and here is what she said:

Q: Are there regulations on fence/pen size?
A: The pens/fences/etc. must give the dog 100 square feet if they're 20 pounds
or under and 200 square feet for bigger dogs. Dog houses, water bowls, etc.
are not included as obstructing the square footage.

Q: Is that enough room for the animal?
A. 100 square feet may not seem like a lot, but let's remember some things
beyond space that barriers such as pens or fences provide: protection from
people, from other roaming animals (this is especially important for females in
heat), and this works the other way, as well - barriers provide people safety
from chained animals.

The majority of chained dogs right now don't have nearly the same space that a
10' by 10' pen would allow. Most chains, remember, are tied to trees - this
means the dog doesn't have unobstructed freedom to roam on a chain, even if the
chain is the required 10 feet long as it is in the old ordinance. Chains get
wrapped around trees, knock over water bowls, get tangled in themselves, etc. So in an ideal world, sure, while dogs on a chain could have more space than a
10' by 10' kennel, they don't because other objects in the yard obstruct their
chain.

Q: What is the ultimate purpose of the ordinance?
A: The key is that this ordinance outlaws only unattended tethering. Most people
think the majority of people who tether their animals are responsible dog
owners who tether their dogs while gardening, barbecuing outside, etc. Even
if this were the case (it's definitely not), this is still allowed under the
ordinance. You can tether your animal as long as you are outside with them and
in visual range of them.

The coalition and other advocates of the ban are well aware that the ordinance is not perfect, but it's a good start. Also, if you feel that you don't like the sizing of pens, etc and want to make sure that doesn't happen, I strongly invite you to contribute funds or time to the Coalition to Unchain Dogs to help them increase the number of full backyard fences they can build for the Durham community. The ordinance does not go into effect until 2010, so the Coalition will be ramping up to help as many people as possible get a free fence put up for their dog. But they can't do it without your help. Get out your pocketbook or put on your work gloves to put up a few fences. Truly, this can change the lives of dogs and families all over Durham County.

Go here to get more info on how you can help: http://www.unchaindogs.net/

YOU DIRTY THIEF

Last night I went to trivia like I always do. Mike decided to work a bit late then stay home, so I went up to the Joyce about 7:45 to get some dinner, read some Anthony Bourdain, and wait on the girls to arrive. I had a lovely portabello sandwich, a couple of beers and amazingly enough we won trivia for the first time in several months. Great evening. But, I decided to go home right after trivia to see my husband rather than stay out. Lauren, Mer and I walk out to the parking lot about 11:30pm.

"What is all that shiny stuff next to my car?" I asked.

"Well, poop" is what I said next. Someone had so kindly thrown a brick through my driver side backseat window, got into my car, stole my awesome new GPS that Mike and I got from my Dad (which was stored UNDER the seat and not in any sort of plain view - nor did I ever have the mount on my window, so they couldn't have seen a ring to indicate its presence), they stole my former cell phone, about $3 in change, my Duke Spouse ID and my parking card for work.

I called the cops, the girls called Mike, I filed a report and the police officer said, "sorry." It was also very kind of the officer to point out that my license had expired back in June. Luckily since I was already having a crappy evening, he decided not to ticket me for that offense.

State Farm has been great. My car is getting fixed tomorrow morning, as the closest place they could get my glass was in Greensboro. Mike and I taped up the car really well, so it should be fairly rain safe.

Last night I was calm about the whole thing. I can't reverse the situation - I just have to deal with the aftermath. Nothing serious was taken (besides the awesome GPS), and it could have been a lot worse. They could have trashed the car or taken the whole car. And with as little as the vandals took, they needed a quick score. I told Mike that the only thing that consoles me about the situation is that I hope the person who broke into my car was very very broke. I hope they were hungry and so was their family. And I hope today they can go sell my GPS to someone and get enough money to buy groceries for the week to keep their familiy's stimach full for another few days. They must have needed my stuff more than I did.

You are welcome, thief. What you did was not right, but I hope that you rightfully spend what you get from selling my stuff.

Professional Photos: Getting Ready

A small slideshow of some of my favorite "Getting Ready" pics from my amazing photographer, Annie Harrison.

No more chained dogs in Durham

Yesterday, Durham County Commissioners passed the ban on tethering dogs in Durham County. The law goes into effect in 2010. Despite a few miscellaneous allowances, dogs must be kept in fences, large pens or inside. Studies have shown that chained dogs are often more aggressive and have lower quality of life. This wonderful ordinance is a huge success for animal welfare in Durham. Want to see how unchaining dogs has changed the lives of dogs and owners alike? Check out these local Durham stories HERE.

To read more about what happened last night and in the recent past, check out this News & Observer story: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1211863.html.

I am also very proud to say that due to the hard work of the Coalition to Unchain Dogs, this ordinance would probably not have passed. And the reason I am so proud is that my friend and fellow animal lover, Meredith is very active in this organization and has worked very hard to see yesterday's accomplishment happen. Congrats, Mer!!!

Congrats to the Coalition and congrats to the dogs of Durham.

Do it anyway

I read a version of this mantra on a friend's blog this morning. I have seen this before in different versions and been touched by it, but I thought that today it should be posted in it's original format for you to read. Yes, YOU :-) Some things in life are scary - we don't want to get hurt, we are worried our work will be destroyed or that our motives misread. If it comes from you heart, and you believe it is right - do it anyway.

Rumor has it that Mother Teresa found this quote so inspiring that she hung it on the wall of her Calcutta orphanage.

The Paradoxical Commandments
by Dr. Kent M. Keith


People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

My new little sister

She was born at 7:30am today, and her name is Gracie. She is a chihuahua pup born to one of my parents' neighbor's dogs. That's what happens when people don't teach their dogs to abstain :-)

Now, Mom, go encourage them to get all their dogs spayed and neutered ;-)

On the political soapbox...

It's election season. I rarely talk about politics on this blog because really I think everyone becomes a blowhard when they talk about politics too much. It's like sports commentary and god forbid, political convention coverage. We all have our ideas and our opinions and rarely do they perfectly match up with anyone else's. I hate confrontation and needless arguing even more. But with the climate shaping up the way it is, I wanted to go on record about the way I am currently feeling in this presidential race.

I am an Obama supporter all the way. But, I haven't been one of the "I drank the koolaid" supporters that so many people see as political zealots following their savior to the promised land type supporters. In the Democratic primary, I was totally happy with either Hillary or Obama. I liked both of them, and I knew either one could and would do an amazing job. I loved the idea of a woman in office, but I also believe that the idea of having a person in color hold the highest office in the land would be huge. No matter what, we as a member of either one of those groups know that having an underepresented group in the White House would mean new perspectives and new changes. I watched as much of the DNC as possible. I cried at Hillary's speech, reminisced during Bill's and I cried during Obama's - just like I did in 2004 when he spoke at the DNC. Obama just continually impresses me. His rhetoric and idealism make me excited about the future of this country. It is why I will vote for him with no hesitation whatsoever. Our country is due to be shaken up and stirred around a bit. And I feel that Obama will be the one to help us do that.

Now, onto Mr. McCain and his VP pick of Sarah Palin. The whole Palin issue has people heated all over the country. I know people who plan on voting for McCain just because he has a woman on the ticket. I know people who plan on voting for McCain just because he is not Obama. And I know people that just don't plan on voting at all. I do take issue with Sarah Palin as pick for VP, and it is not just because she's a mom or just because she is terribly inexperienced. Mike mentioned something to me last night that I hadn't really thought of, but now I cannot seem to get it to escape from my brain.

So what, her 17 year old daughter is preggers. It happens in the best and the worst of families. At 17, the girl has a head of her own. She knew what she was doing - well, hopefully. I guess one could argue that the Republican mandated abstinence only education backfired, but that is probably taking a cheap shot. The problem I now have is this - Palin accepted the nomination knowing full well that her daughter's pregnancy would become fodder for the national and international media. Her 17 year old pregnant daughter is now featured on the covers of every major newspaper and magazine around the world - and they are questioning her judgment, her morals and her behavior. For any teenage mom, facing the judgement of parents, teachers and peers is enough. But the whole world? As a parent (not a "mom", but a parent), why would anyone subject their child to that scrutiny? I just don't get it. Did she think it would just pass over and no one would pay attention? Or did she want the post so badly that it wasn't of much concern as to how it would affect her daughter?

And of course the press release comes out that the pregnant Miss Palin will be marrying her baby's father. And she is keeping the baby - two huge moral coups for the Republican ideological ticket. I feel terrible for this young woman and what she will have to go through for the next couple of months while the press and the media grind this story into the ground. While Obama declared that family attacks were off limits, the "nonpartisan press" has full reign to interrogate until there are no questions left to be asked.

I think of highly of John McCain, as many people in the world do. But I never, ever would want him as my President because of his long history with backing Bush. And I can also firmly say that I do not want the elder Ms. Palin having to jump up and serve as my president either. Therefore, my vote is firmly in the Obama column.

postscript:
Taken from CNN's question to iReporters: Can a mother of five be vice president?
My answer: Hell, yes, a mother of five could be vice president. I just don't want THIS mother of five to be my vice president!!!

ONE MONTH AGO TODAY...

... I was getting married to my wonderful Michael Brady! I love you, sweetie!

Review: Performance Art Night at the Common Ground Theatre

Friday night, Lauren and I went to the Common Ground Theatre in Durham for PAN VI. We had a blast. That pretty much sums it up. Oddly enough, I was a bit nervous attending this event. I'm not really the arty type, although I have always wished I was. I felt that by attending my first ever performance art night, I could start to get comfortable with the part of me that would love to reach out to the art world. I am so glad that Lauren and I went.

There were a few changes to the original schedule, but since we really had no idea what to expect anyway that was fine. We mainly wanted to see Jonathan, a new friend we met at the Duke Alumni event last week - and he was still on the schedule. With that being said, we were ready for whatever else was in store. We saw Jesus do stand-up and engage in some rather risque behavior, we saw a very mind blowing exploration of dark and glowsticks (impossible to explain - you just have to see it, and a very emotional performance from a young woman about body image issues and family influence - really amazing. And of course we saw Jonathan's multi format performance - panels, video, music, song and poetry. Really fantastic.

We were treated to a preview of "Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll" which starts at the theatre September 5. The small scene we saw was fantastic, and I think I may actually get Mike out to go see the show when it starts. Each show a different local band is featured, and there are a few I would like to see. Marty's former band, the Pneurotics opens up the show, and evenHammer No More the Fingers and Veronique Diabolique plays, both whom I have heard good things about. This theatre thing may become a normal outing. yay!

With that all being said, I will keep you posted when I hear about the next Performance Art Night - it's free with donations accepted. It's a small and personal theatre. The pieces we saw performed were absolutely wonderful. I envy the performers and their ability to be so open with emotion in front of such a personal audience. Absolutely amazing. Thanks for sharing, everyone, and keep it up!