back again for the first time...again

I win. I bet a friend that I could stay away from any internet activity for the exception of email and Mapquest [the bare essentials] for a week. That's $20 extra in my pocket.

cha-ching.

an american [werewolf] in switzerland...

the city of louvre!

It's finally time! Tomorrow my friend Matt is leaving for two weeks to go visit a friend of his in Geneva, and along the way visit several places in Europe...mainly Paris and a small country town in Italy. I'm obviously VERY jealous as he's doing what I normally do [the semi-spontaneous travel]. I'd like to visit Paris but with all the riots going on right now that might not be such a good idea. Also I've taken way too many weekends off of work...but I do plan on taking my vacation sometime either in May or June, I just can't decide on where I want to go! It's either visit my brother in London or visit some friends in Australia or Northamptonshire [UK] or just travel to Spain/Italy. I really can't decide. However I may hold off on the vacation until after my big move [June]. Decisions, decisions!

Decisions made easy ---->

You Belong in Paris

You enjoy all that life has to offer, and you can appreciate the fine tastes and sites of Paris. You're the perfect person to wander the streets of Paris aimlessly, enjoying architecture and a crepe.

What European City Do You Belong In?

send in the [krusty] clowns...

Oh wait, they're already here. The above shoe belongs to me. Today [at work] my shoe laces broke and I had no choice but to use a bright red (or orange? I guess this is where the fantastical color red-orange comes into play) rubber band to keep the shoe on my foot. I kind of looks clown-ish with my size 12.5 shoe with shockingly different colored "laces" on. Anyway it worked.

Reminds me of the time I was having a serious business conversation with someone at work and just completely out of nowhere my belt snapped. I hadn't touched it or gained any ridiculous amount of weight in the last 10 seconds but it just...broke. I excused myself and realized that I still had half the day to go and there was really nothing that I could do. I didn't find an electric cord anywhere so I used some rope I found to keep myself afloat. What a sight I was...dress shoes, slacks, clean white shirt, tie, and a nylon rope around my waist.

Jimbo: Hey Simpson, wanna trade belts?
Bart: Well, not really, 'cause yours is just a piece of extension cord.
Kearney: Hey, dude, he's ragging on your cord.
On a random note I have to stop being attracted to [and vice versa] girls who are already taken or have "issues" resulting from having a bad/non-existent relationship with their father.

cute pet photos? sure, why not!

Your Blog Should Be Blue

Your blog is a peaceful, calming force in the blogosphere. You tend to avoid conflict - you're more likely to share than rant. From your social causes to cute pet photos, your life is a (mostly) open book.

What Color Should Your Blog or Journal Be?

thank you for NOT smoking...

Yatzee! Phase I of the DC Smoking Ban has begun...So in January 2007 the ban will be in full swing and I won't have to worry about going to any bar in the District and having to be drenched in aweful second-hand fumes.


Smoking Ban Goes Into Effect Today, Actually <--- click for full text
By Eric M. Weiss
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 4, 2006; Page B04

The provisions of the ban implemented today cover the dining areas of restaurants and most indoor workplaces. The ban provides exemptions for outdoor areas, hotel rooms, retail tobacco outlets and cigar bars. In 2007, it will expand to include bars, bar areas of restaurants and nightclubs and will provide an economic hardship waiver for businesses that demonstrate a "significant negative impact."

the Queen of Hollywood...

Myrna Loy is absolutely stunning. I have to say, I do have a crush on this screen goddess. She plays her parts so brilliantly...she's smart, beautiful and VERY witty. They sure don't make them like they used to...if only a girl like Myrna existed today. Right now I'm watching one of her movies that I haven't seen...as per usual I have a ton of things I have to do today and TCM is keeping me from doing any of them. The movie is Stamboul Quest (1934) and it is directed by the incomprable Sam Wood. It has Myrna playing a Mata Hari-type spy that ends up falling for American George Brent [yea, I know...why would anyone fall for him?].

Wow, she looks really good with her hair up [sorry I don't have a picture to show].

"mushaboom!" or "music update"...

Looks like Leslie Feist and her crew finally did it. Feist broke through to #1 on my weekly music charts there on the left side of this page. I've seen Feist perform twice in concert before and they were both really quite amazing shows. Leslie Feist has such incredible vocals and a penchant for writing haunting lyrics.

4/6 : John Butler Trio @ 9:30 Club

This show should be pretty good...I just recently got into the John Butler Trio and they are very talented. I also heard that they are good live as well so that should be nice.

4/9 : Neko Case @ 9:30 Club *sold out*

Ah finally! Less than one week away...the radiant vocalist of the New Pornographers is going to be at the premier music venue in DC. I really can't wait for this show! Also I'm selling two pairs of tickets for the show on Ebay...the first pair is up to $51 so far [bought for $38]. I think I'm going to put the second pair on sale in a couple of days.

4/11 : Death Cab for Cutie w/Franz Ferdinand @ Constitution Hall *sold out*

The first time that I saw DCFC at the 9:30 Club they weren't so hot. The music was, of course, stunning but they were almost like robots on stage. The show was very much choreographed and it really didn't seem like there was a lot of emotion....but I chalked it all up to the long tour that they had. I've never seen Franz Ferdinand and I've always wanted to...hopefully DCFC will be a little better this time around!

4/29 : John Vanderslice @ IOTA

Yay. This show is going to be flippin' amazing. I have to struggle to contain my excitement!!

[ leukemia update ]

looks like I'll have to wait at least another week for my bloodwork to come back. They sent it to the wrong department and it was tested for something else...so that means I'll have to give them more samples this week...*sigh*

I wish this whole thing wasn't so ominous.

home bittersweet home...

I'm home now...and even though it feels great to be home and have survived the devastating storms last night in Indiana I feel terrible that others weren't as lucky as I was...

Thunderstorms, Tornadoes Leave 27 Dead <--- click for full text
By KRISTIN M. HALL
The Associated Press

Monday, April 3, 2006; 4:41 PM

"NEWBERN, Tenn. -- Thunderstorms packing tornadoes and hail as big as softballs ripped through eight states, killing at least 27 people, injuring scores and destroying hundreds of homes in the South and Midwest.

Tennessee was hit hardest, with tornadoes striking five western counties Sunday and killing 23 people, including an infant and his grandparents and a family of four.

...

Severe thunderstorms, many producing tornadoes, also struck parts of Iowa, Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. Strong wind was blamed or at least three deaths in Missouri. A clothing store collapsed in southern Illinois, killing one man.

The weather service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., said it had preliminary reports of 63 tornadoes. "

"Debis covers the streets in downtown Indianapolis following a severe storm on April 2, 2006. (Darron Cummings - AP) "

not in kansas anymore [in diana]...

So I'm stuck in a National Weather Service major tornado alert region right now. On the doppler radar it's in red. I was going to leave about half an hour ago but it looks like I might be here all night AND it looks like we are all headed to the basements to take cover. Insane.


Tornados are apparently going to touch down soon. In downtown Indianapolis [where I was yesturday] they are evacuating everyone on the streets to bars/shops and bolting down everything. The storms are 10-15 minutes away from here. Winds that are well over 80 miles per hour.

I've never actually been in the middle of a tornado before. This should be interesting. I'd better hurry up and post this before we have to leave.

Oh, and the sirens are now going off in the city. That's the signal.

"Final four fever" or "More crazy Ron adventures"...

Yea, so that’s me at the RCA dome in downtown Indianapolis. Yea, I went to the Final Four games today. How, you ask? Well, that’s a quite a simple and unusual story [but quite routine if you know me]. I did not have tickets when I got to Indiana and I had no expectations to get into the games short of the fact that I am who I am and things work out for me.

I came over here with the simple goal of visiting my sister. I checked on eBay just to see what the price of the tickets would be if I decided to attempt to buy them from a scalper (on-line or in person)….they were at minimum $300 for a pair. Nothing I wasn’t expecting. Ok, so she decided that she wanted to go to the big mall in Indianapolis to take advantage of my car [Indy is about an hour and a half away]. I took her and we were at the mall for most of the day. The town was in Final Four frenzy unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. I mean, I know this is big but…gosh…the streets were just in complete chaos! Hundreds of color-coded groups just walking around shouting like crazy…green for George Mason, orange for Florida, light blue for UCLA, and purple for LSU. So when we were leaving the mall and going back to the middle of nowhere I suddenly see salvation in the form of an older LSU fan calmly waving two tickets in the air. It was 5 minutes before the start of the George Mason game. Out of the shadows creep three rats [i.e. scalpers] who try to get the guy to sell the pair for $60. I quickly asked him how much he was selling them for. He said $120. I laughed inside. A PAIR OF TICKETS TO THE NCAA FINAL FOUR GAMES FOR < $300?!?! I laughed inside again. I hid the smirk and realized that this guy just wanted to get rid of the tickets. I offered him $140 and he took it. I was thrilled and ran with my sister to the stadium. We made it just in time for the start of the game. It was amazing.


George Mason lost but the mere fact that they made it to the Final Four and I GOT TO SEE THEM was enough for me. Then we stuck around for the LSU v UCLA game and cheered on LSU. They lost too but it wasn’t so much fun…they got blown out. It was still amazing because we got to see Bryant Gumble AND Peyton / Eli Manning AND Troy Aikman [they were all there for the game]. Right after the games we were able to see the 90s alt-rock band Everclear perform the last of their set in downtown Indy. We got back from the game and went to this bar in town. I hung out there and was a major celebrity due to the fact that I went to the Final Four game and I basically signed verbal autographs to everyone around. I’m a little inebriated right now and I think I’m gonna fall asleep to Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Kindergarten Cop (remember that one?). There have been so many blog-worthy events today that I could just go on forever but I need lots of sleep right now and my friends Ben and Jerry are currently calling my name…