Sympathies, Vicky.

Returned to work

lost another bid on a house.

Trying to decide if getting a townhouse = no awesome speakers.

Depends on the thickness of the walls. When I had a townhouse in Laurel (endcap, so only one adjacent neighbor who was actually connected to ours), the only time we had a problem was when we cranked it. Normal listening levels were never a problem.

There's one in Olney I really like, save for the lingering smoke from the last owner.

It has ugly wood paneling that I'd need to remove in the basement, and since I'd be putting up more drywall (probably) I'd spring for the Quiet Rock stuff. But I don't imagine shelling out money for any ceiling stuff, so it wouldn't be sound proof. But I suppose the quiet rock on the basement walls would at least cut down the noise a bit. I dunno.

Ok, never mind, that townhouse is gone.

There's one decision made easier.

:/

Found out that Neko Case is playing less than a mile from my place later this fall... Definitely getting tickets when the go on sale. Wish I was a member @ the venue, as they get to buy tickets ahead of the general public.

After seeing Ian's post I checked for Neko's tour schedule in this area, and was happy to see that she is playing at the FREE Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. This year's line-up is definitely the best evar:

Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Todd Snider, Steve Earle & the Bluegrass Dukes, Natalie MacMaster, Malo, Dr. Magpie, Amadou & Mariam, Reckless Kelly, Red Wine, Rodney Crowell, Guy Clark & Verlon Thompson, MC Hammer, ODC/Dance, The Duhks, Hayes Carll, Roger Knox presents the Aboriginal Country & Western Songbook, Little Feat, The Brothers Comatose, Great American Taxi, Doc Watson & David Holt, Old Crow Medicine Show, Earl Scruggs, John Prine, Pamela Rose with Wild Women (and other friends), Darrell Scott Band, Dr. Dog, Elizabeth Cook, Fireants, Marianne Faithfull, Billy Bragg, The Chieftains, Aimee Mann, Lyle Lovett & His Large Band, Boz Scaggs and the Blue Velvet Band, The Flatlanders featuring: Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore & Butch Hancock, Barefoot Nellies, The Claire Lynch Band, Allen Toussaint, Rosie Flores with Jon Langford and the Pine Valley Cosmonauts, Dave Alvin & the Guilty Women, Poor Man's Whiskey, Abalone Dots, Billy Joe Shaver, Eliza Gilkyson, Dry Branch Fire Squad, The Wronglers, Steve Martin with the Steep Canyon Rangers, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Old 97's, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Kimmie Rhodes, Richie Havens, Jorma Kaukonen, Neko Case, Booker T. & the Drive-By Truckers, Okkervil River, Austin Lounge Lizards, Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys, Kevin Welch, Kieran Kane & Fats Kaplin, Mike Farris & the Roseland Rhythm Revue, Marshall Crenshaw, The Tim O'Brien Band, Buddy Miller, Hazel Dickens, Gillian Welch, World Party, Marty Stuart, Songwriter Circle w/ Tom Morello, Dar Williams, Steve Earle & Allison Moorer, Marley's Ghost w/ special guest Cowboy Jack Clement, The Del McCoury Band, The Knitters, Galactic, Emmylou Harris, Moonalice, Robert Earl Keen, Mavis Staples, Nick Lowe, Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands, Robyn Hitchcock

That's an excellent lineup.

Neko Case Orlando 11/19, I think I may make that one.

Found out that Neko Case is playing less than a mile from my place later this fall... Definitely getting tickets when the go on sale. Wish I was a member @ the venue, as they get to buy tickets ahead of the general public.

I think I may know a member, emails will be dispatched tomorrow.

Got up, checked emails, went back to bed, slept in. Hoovered the house, weeded the garden, trimmed the edges ffo the lawn, weeded the gravel (PITA). Mowed the lawn. Did 4 lots of washing. Reorgansied the storeroom shelving, fixed 3 thermos flasks, spent some time cajoling my brother into doing the ironing (my god is he slow at it). Went and spoke to Lisa at the university department office for news. Went to the recycling centre and had fun smashing bottles into the banks while dodging wasps, also threw some stuff into the "can't be recylced for shit" bin. Drove home the slow way through the East Neuk villages. Listened to 2 Reel To Reel tapes. Made some spaghetti pesto, drank 2 very fine bottles of ale and started on Negronis while logging into Head-Case and getting my dads opinion on the Thunderdome.

That is a great lineup. I miss the Bay area for shows like that Have fun if you go Al

Took the day off work, surprised my wife:). Road trip to port towns along the Lake Michigan shoreline from the Indiana border to Saugautck. Dining Al Fresco at a forgettable restaurant. Wine tasting some of the worst wine I've tasted. Side trip to purchase a fruit pie from the second best pie maker we know. No hidden treasures found in the art galleries but a great day with my wife.

had some lousy luck with laptops in the past few days. just got my eee pc netbook from woot today and the damn thing froze every time i moved the mouse. after about an hours use, the hard drive stopped responding. called the tech line and they said i had to reformat after i told them the error codes. that was all fine because the machine was new so didnt have anything on it. after a reformat, same error popped up again after a few minutes. sent an email to woot for an rma. lets hope they authorize it.

at school, i taught 3 sections of college algebra today. after teaching higher level courses, teaching something elementary can really knock you on your ass. its so much easier dealing with people in their graduate degrees because i can assume a lot of things. with these freshman, i cant assume anything at all. hard to even get them to pay attention in 100 student lectures. but it was a fun experience.

Went to the Yankees game with a bunch of HS friends. Had a decent time. Wife and son came home after 2 days away. Realized I probably would have had a better time staying home with them. Not as young as I used to be.

at school, i taught 3 sections of college algebra today. after teaching higher level courses, teaching something elementary can really knock you on your ass. its so much easier dealing with people in their graduate degrees because i can assume a lot of things. with these freshman, i cant assume anything at all. hard to even get them to pay attention in 100 student lectures. but it was a fun experience.

whats college algebra? Is it like math for business majors?

Had my bottom two wisdom teeth extracted.

Yesterday I spent an hour cleaning and slightly adjusting my bike.....

I'm taking advantage of my flexible work environment to work out in my yard under a tree today. Life is good.

I hope it falls on you

Lucky bugger

Had my bottom two wisdom teeth extracted.

I feel for you, sir. At least, as a Brit, you're used to sucking on tea bags. You'll need it to keep from getting dry socket

Yesterday, did a lunch ride to Johnny's in Ventura with a friend. Johnny's is the "best burrito joint in the world" according to this poster in Sunset Magazine (near bottom of page). I don't know if that's true, but the Pork and Chile Relleno burrito I had was the best burrito I've tasted since returning to California in 1988.

On the way home from hiking, we spotted this:

That's the biggest box of ziplock bags I've ever seen. Thanks for the photo.