executive decision

so i am not going to the Blogher conference. i've decided that with the flight, the hotel and the conference fees, and my general feeling of not really belonging there, it's money better spent elsewhere....like Disneyland! WOOHOO! yes, we are taking the boys to the HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH. dave has a meeting in san diego the end of march, which is fantastic because my lovely sister-in-law lives in san diego, and we've been meaning to get the boys out there to visit, but it hasn't worked out. anyway, we haven't really taken a family vacation since nate was born, and Disneyland is less than 2 hours away from the sister-in-law's place, so YEAH! DISNEYLAND! i'm really quite excited about this, in case you couldn't tell.

i must say that i am bummed about not getting to meet the awesome lady bloggers in person, but i think this is incentive to get together someday for a girl's weekend or something! i'll start plotting something and let you know about that. i know you all are going to have mucho fun and learn a lot at Blogher, so drink some booze for me. maybe do a panty raid or something. CUT LOOSE!

if anyone wants mickey ears, just let me know!

jack and half of deerhoof

jack and half of deerhoof
Originally uploaded by workforidlehands.

the pancake mountain dance party was great fun! jack barely danced (big surprise), but tim and i got to get up there and shake our booties with the kids to deerhoof. they were awesome. we also got to see local indie celebs ian mackaye and ian svenonius! woohoo, right?? heh. just goes to show how small the music world is in this damn town and, NO, i was not excited to see the two ians. i see them all over the damn place. i jus like to drop names. heh. oh! but i was excited to meet the guy who puts on the whole shebang that is pancake mountain, who was very nice and said that he was just on the Rock-n-Romp site and loves it, and that we were an inspiration to him and that we should talk about doing something together! can you believe it?? i can't! i hope this means that he'll convince some big indie rockers to play in my backyard! whee!

i am SO in love with you, kid

ever since natey was old enough to move around a bit, jack has been in his face. like IN.HIS.FUCKING.FACE.ALL.THE.TIME. he always wanted what natey had and would hover over him like a damn vulture. it annoyed the crap out of me to just watch it, so think how a poor, defenseless baby felt! i kept telling him, "dude, as soon as he's old enough to fight back, you are SO getting it." that time has come, my friends. jack takes something that natey has and natey whacks him in the face. jack hovers over nate or gets too close for comfort and nate turns around and pulls his hair. i shouldn't say this, but it is awesome to watch. hey, payback's a bitch, dude!

hooray for magazine day!

it feels like christmas morning when you open up the mailbox and not only see your beloved real simple, but ALSO allure, jane, spin and self*! thank you worthless frequent flier miles that can be traded in for magazine subscriptions! I LOVE YOU. did i ever mention what a magazine whore i am?

*yeah, i know, what the hell am *I* doing reading self?? it was free, people!

pancake mountain

so there's a little indie tv show for kids called pancake mountain in DC that films interviews and live performances with cool big-time rock folks. to be honest, i'm totally jealous of their connections -- i wish i could get some of these rockers to play Rock-n-Romp! anyway, this saturday i'm taking jack to a dance party they're filming with deerhoof. dudes, this is going to be hilarious. i will try to take pictures, but not sure if that's frowned upon or not. knowing jack, he won't dance, but my friend tim (he's a big deerhoof fan and just obnoxious enough to act crazy in front of strangers. i love you, tim! heh) is coming and i'm sure he'll be willing to shake it. heh. the age limit is 25, so i think he'll be able to get in the video. god, i hope so. can't wait!

and the indie cred goes down the drain

everytime i go to my local chain craft store to pick up supplies, they are always playing music that i like. seriously, every time. it's usually something from the 70s or 80s, and i usually know all the words. it makes the shopping experience quite pleasant, and i even find myself lingering to see what song will play next. yes, i have become their target demographic. ACK. HELP.

oh, and the "indie cred" thing is a joke. please believe me.

i like the idea of a dark road...

last night dave and i were burnt out from the week and there was nothing to watch on tv, so we watched jiminy glick in lalawood. first let me say that i love martin short. LOVE him. i've loved him since the days of SCTV, which is a very long time ago, all you whippersnappers. he's truly brilliantly funny, i just think he's made some really bad movie choices. much like dana carvey, who i also think is pretty damn funny, but his movies? um, the master of disguise? yikes. anyway, i can't say that i even remember this jiminy glick movie coming out, though i did catch the show a couple times when it used to be on, and it was always good for a laugh, so how bad could the movie be? it turns out that it was really not bad. it was actually pretty funny, though i wonder who thought they needed to spend the money to turn it into a feature film, you know? my favorite part was martin playing david lynch. hilarious. he kept starting all his conversations with "i like the idea of a dark road..." while the dark highway scene from mulholland drive was shown on screen, then they'd cut to him (wearing a salt-and-pepper pompadour and white shirt buttoned up to the neck) using some lynch-esque camera angle. it was brilliant, though i am a little tired of that line running through my head all day.

ps: david lynch is fucking brilliant, too! my favorite memory of watching a lynch movie was when i was 14 and drunk (possibly high, too, but i don't remember. such a bad girl!) watching eraserhead at my friend's house and thinking WHAT THE FUCK? i recommend watching it this way. heh.

feeling a little bad

about teaching natey to call jack "bobo" because "jack" is too hard for him to say. that doesn't stop me from laughing at how insanely fucking adorable it is when he says it, though. jack's trying to teach him to call him "toto" (uh, wtf? i have no idea.) but nate's not really having it.

top 5 reasons i feel like a blog fraud

1. my content is lame. now i'm not looking for validation, you 10 readers of mine, so don't bother arguing. it's okay. i may come up with an interesting tidbit from time to time, but i'm really not a good writer. now if you sat next to me in a bar, i could probably say something to make you spit your beer out, but that doesn't really translate over to my blogging.
2. i have absolutely no interest in the technical aspects of blogging. if it weren't for this here Blogger, and it's ridiculously easy format, this blog wouldn't exist. truth be told, i DETEST technology. i don't want to know how it works. i really think i have a mental defect that won't let me, even if i wanted to. so yeah, that's why i still don't know how to link to mp3s, why i don't have cool little links to my flickr photos and other stuff, no RSS feed (okay, i'm talking out of my ass here, because i have no fucking clue what an RSS feed is, i've just seen talk of them on other blogs) -- i don't know how to do these things because it hurts my head to think about learning how! and i'm really okay with that.
3. i don't know or read all the cool blogs. i think the ones i have managed to find in my bumbling, fumbling way are pretty damn awesome, but i'm constantly reminded of others that i should be reading. but, honestly, i can't fathom reading anymore than i do already! my ADD/OCD-addled brain will freak the fuck out! there are only so many hours in the day, dudes.
4. i don't comment on blogs where i don't know the blogger. is it because i'm shy? i dunno, it just seems like butting into a conversation between friends. that doesn't stop me from reading, obviously, but it does usually stop me from commenting. plus, i'm an attention-whore, so if i say something i want to know that it's been heard! but these people don't know me, so why should they respond?? heh. ah, the vicious cycle.
5. i neglect my blog. the design is boring and generic, thanks to my aforementioned hatred of technology, and my posts are sporadic, at best.
6. i do nothing to promote my blog or get new readers. aside from a few personal friends i told about this blog, the other readers i think i have came from my friend sweetney mentioning me. they all didn't come directly from sweetney, but that's most likely the starting point. should i be promoting my blog? that's the dilemma. the few blogging folks i have connected with have been really, really cool, which makes me want to "meet" even more, but i dunno. there's the matter of time and, like i said, my content is lame. i'd probably scare folks away. heh.
7. even though my blog is lame i still want to go to BlogHer! i want to meet the cool blogging chicks face-to-face and have fun and hang out, but i would so be the odd woman out. i'm not into lectures or discussions about blogging and all that. god, i wouldn't even know what to say! "hi. i do have a blog, but i'm here for the booze and socializing. oh, you're talking about blog syndication and how it's the future of content distribution? can you point me to the bar?" somehow that doesn't seem like what the BlogHer folks had in mind.

okay, that turned into 7 reasons. sue me. so yeah. blog fraud. i think that has a nice ring to it!

i think i just peed in my pants

nate just said, "poo poo," and i got more excited than any sane person should have. i squealed and clapped and basically had a pep rally to get him to do it again. fuck, he's goddamn cute when he talks, which is pretty much never, so i think a pep rally is justified. maybe this is the beginning of some hardcore talking! i hope so. he's, what, 22 months now and still not talking much AT ALL. *sigh* i probably wished jack would shut the hell up when he was 22 months! i think when i finally hear natey's voice (will it be as i imagine?) i really will pee in my pants.

that does it

i accept defeat. i am officially the lamest of the motherfucking lame. i am so unbelievably unhip to what's fresh and exciting and cool it is pathetic. thank you, FOX. last night as i finished up some custom stitchwork, i caught some of FOX news. no, i'm not in the habit of watching FOX news, it's just i didn't want to watch the law and order show about the woman killing her babies because they were fathered by her own father, and stitching is not conducive to channel-surfing. ANYWAY. this one news dude that irritates me starts reporting live from JAXX (scary, metal-type rock club) in virginia about a superfantastic new webtool for unknown bands to get exposure! know what it's called?? yup. myspace. see post below. god, how did i get so late on this shit?? anyway, he went on and on and on, and they even went to the trouble of shooting footage at another club, the velvet lounge in DC, to talk to some other bands about their myspace experiences. i mean, this was a pretty extensive piece! why on earth would they take up so much time and effort on something like myspace, you ask? they 'fessed up at the end that FOX had just purchased myspace. fuckers.

pimpin'

because it is my nature, i have become totally obsessed with myspace lately. see, this is what i do: join something, start something, whatever, become totally engrossed for a while, get distracted by something else, drop the first thing for a few months, then stumble back across it with renewed interest. for a few months, anyway. but this time, i need to make this myspace thing work like i know it can for Rock-n-Romp. i'm hoping this year (our FIFTH year!) is going to be the biggest and best. we've got a new awesome website design on the horizon (thanks to sweetney's connections) and we're hoping to officially become a non-profit so we can get funds from generous organizations to make things bigger and better. pretty sweet. oh, i'm going off on tangents here. the whole point of this post was pimpin'. sorry, i got distracted.

it's very possible that i'm totally late to the game on this one, but i wonder if folks know how much great music is available to them on myspace. bands and musicians from all over the world have myspace pages where they put up songs and info on shows and ways to buy their cd. whoever came up with this myspace thing is really a friggin' genius. you can even search your specific town or city to see what local music is out there, which i am finding to be the greatest thing ever. RnR has always been about championing local music because we know what it's like for unsigned artists to get their name out there or to get a few people to go to their show without looking desperate, or to even get a show somewhere. yes, even a cool city such as washington dc [snort] has an abominable band : decent venue ratio, though it is getting better. i'm not saying that all of these bands are worthy of national attention or anything, but there are quite a few that are really, really good and, in my opinion, could go far if given the opportunity. so that's what i'm pimpin' today: local music on myspace. have a listen and maybe you'll like something! come on, don't be such a snob! heh.

• georgie james - i am so digging this right now. laura burhenn (the prettier, blonder half of the duo) played a romp last summer and she was really great, and john davis was in the late DC fave Q and not U. the only reason i even found out they were working together is because i got a sneak preview of the song they contributed to my friend kim's kiddie compilation coming out this summer. i am so out of the loop on this kind of shit.
• nethers - these kids are great. they used to be in this garagey, raucous band called the carlsonics, which makes their switch to the hauntingly beautiful songs they play now pretty amazing.
• the aquarium - okay, the song they have up does NOT do them justice. they are so awesome live, i don't really know how to describe it. go to their website and listen to their other mp3s. hopefully they'll have a full-length release someday soon!
• eyeball skeleton - if you have kids, i swear to you, if you buy this cd and play it around them they will love it. and sing along with it. ALL the time. dudes! it's better than barney or dora! these boys are the sweetest and have the best manners -- they just look like little hooligans in their baggy shirts and pants and skate shoes. seriously, they make me look forward to when jack and nate are their age. and they ROCK!
• supersystem - holy crap, i love me some supersystem. you will, too, if you like dancey electro-rock-type crap.
• hi ho six shooter! - these boys are gosh-darn cute. and YOUNG. romping with them last year didn't work out, but i'm hoping this year will.

okay, so the thing is, i could totally do this all day and link to all of the bands on my myspace page, which is kinda dumb because you can just go there and see them yourself, so i'll stop now. the ones above are my current favorites, but you can trust my discriminating tastes, and know that most all of the ones on the RnR myspace page are pretty damn good. happy listening!

i'm really trying not to be a myspace snob

but i'm having a bit of trouble with that. no, really. i'm really trying! but the stupid band names! the awful band photos! the labelling yourselves as "emo" or "screamo" or "jam band"! i can't take it! seeing those words alone will keep me from clicking on your page! and if i do click on your page and some hideous black background with neon type or some other such nonsense pops up, i'm SO moving on (damn you, ted leo and kelly clarkson! heh.). yikes. i have begun my search for DC and baltimore bands to hook up with through myspace, which i've truly found to be a veritable goldmine of excellent local music, but some of these myspace pages are just too awful! you've got to package yourself the right way to get interest, people! sheesh.

so yeah. anyone got any recommendations for bands for this year's Rock-n-Romp schedule?

now playing

ted leo - since u been gone

i am so freakin' lame because i haven't heard this until now! my awesome friend melissa made a mix cd for my birthday and this is on it, along with a dozen or so other brilliant tracks. it is unbelievably excellent. damn it, i [heart] ted leo.

36 candles sure melt fast

36 candles sure melt fast
Originally uploaded by workforidlehands.

despite the whole getting older part, this has been a pretty fantastic birthday. dave took the day off so i could go get a manicure/pedicure/facial, we had lunch in adams morgan and the boys made a beautiful, delicious cake for me! how lucky am i? oh, i forgot that the boys also made me breakfast in bed -- eggs, toast, bacon and coffee! unfortunately, it's virtually impossible for me to ingest more than 2 cups of coffee before 10 am, so dave had to eat it. the coffee in bed part with all my boys cuddled up with me was awesome, though!

you say it's your birthday...

so yeah. wow. 36. years old. 36 years old. it just doesn't seem possible, you know? i'm way too immature to be 36! but i guess it all adds up: twice married, two kids, homeowner. huh. 36 it is, then!

whenever my birthday rolls around, i try really hard not to get all reflective and shit because, honestly, i don't feel like i've done much in these 36 years. let me clarify: i haven't done much that matters. sure, i've got two fabulous kids and a wonderful husband, but other than that there's not much to say. i'm no career woman -- i decided long ago that contrary to how ambitious and career-driven capricorns are supposed to be, i just don't care about being successful in the workplace. sure, i like money, and a sense of accomplishment, but those things don't drive me, you know? about 10 years ago i finally realized that what is most important to me are my relationships with people, and that there isn't anything wrong with that. at the time i was in an awful relationship with my ex-husband, and made the decision to pour my energy into building stronger connections with people that i care about (and that care about me), rather than stress about some job that didn't really matter to me at the end of the day. it was the best decision i ever made. now it's not that i don't enjoy working, necessarily -- i actually quite enjoy my chosen profession of opticianry, and working on 60 bugs has made me realize just how much i love working with my hands and making things -- but i think it's the working for someone other than myself that is the problem. oh, and the working on a strict schedule and all that other shit. my heart's just not in it. could it be that i'm just really fucking lazy? maybe. heh. no, i actually do like feeling useful (why do i feel like thomas the tank engine when i say that??) and having something to show for my time and effort. this is why 60 bugs is brilliant -- hopefully it will be all i know it can be. if it is, then maybe i'll finally feel like i have done something all on my own that matters, plus make good friends along the way. bonus!

here's to figuring out what i want to do with my life at 36! whee!

ringing in the new year...

ringing in the new year
Originally uploaded by workforidlehands.

2006 is here....time to party! jack sure does love to party, as evidenced by the fact that he stayed up well past midnight, while i was in bed by 10:30.