Maybe I'm being paranoid, but I've had this feeling all day something really awful is about to happen to someone I know. There's really nothing that would make me think this, so perhaps I'm just going to pieces.

I'm not sure what it means, but I've never been "tagged" for an LJ or any other internet meme.

I have been dreading this wedding for months. My college friends, R&T, were a couple circa the time The Ex and I were a couple. Everyone always thought we'd get married before they would. The Ex and I have not been in the same location for more than an hour (always accidentally) for something like four years now. It's a fucking two-day wedding. Everyone flies to Sacramento tomorrow. It will be an intimate gathering at her parent's property in Loomis. The hotel rooms have been booked in blocks. There will be a lot of alcohol and we'll be an hour from the airport. If forced, I may have to confront him about that book he wrote.

I think I'll start uploading songs via Yousendit.

Kylie Minogue - Lovin' You
I must have listened to this song 200 times in the week since I've had it.

Available for one week and up to 100 downloads

In honor of the Tour de France (I guess): Tour de Bicycle.

Oh boy, this Spanish doping scandal could get really ugly for the Tour. The investigation files are to be opened tomorrow, and among the people implicated are Jan Ullrich, Ivan Basso, Francisco Mancebo, and Denis Menchov--all contenders for a top 3 finish. Jorg Jaksche (easily a top 10 finisher) has been dropped by his team (Astana). In total 22 riders on the start list for the Tour are said to be named.

We'll have to wait and see how the Tour management is going to respond; it's been suggested that anyone mentioned in the dossier will not be allowed to start. I bet there are lots of phone calls going back and forth between Spain, Tour organizer ASO, and cycling bodies UCI and CAS...

Separately, the odds with European bookies favor Basso over Ulrich and have Valverde in 3rd place.

I can't believe the net neutrality bill came this close to passing.

The Seattle Times has a great page with illustrations of edible berries found in the wild around here. Too bad they did not include illustrations of berries you're not supposed to eat, like the common elderberries.

Salmonberries should be ripe about now!

Kristina Childs is doing a one-off event with Joel Mull. They are bringing part of the KV2 soundsystem in there, and Kristina and Sean are doing a 2x4. Should be a great night for techno. I haven't gone out in awhile, and I think this is a good excuse to get some dancing in.

Download a recent mix from Joel Mull. It's very good.

So, we've returned from Americaland. It was pretty good. There are like 800 photos which we haven't organized or uploaded anywhere yet, some future post will have to have those.

We arrived on the 14th, completely wrecked from a shitty flight that changed in Minneapolis (do NOT fly Northwest long-haul, at least not outside the Asia flights, it sucked), and I don't remember much of that, since I was totally dazed and out of it. We at some point picked up a rental car and saw optic and had yummy Indian food with him and Cindy. On Friday morning I made the desserts for my brother's wedding rehearsal dinner, which was lemon cake with blueberry compote and a light cream cheese whipped cream on top. There were 30 individual cakes in little cups, and I made a layer cake just in case (which we didn't need but happily ate over the next few days anyway!). For the rehearsal dinner itself there was a huge tri-tip steak bbq and I think the better portion of two whole salmons. And truckloads of other things as well. Barbeque was the main theme of the trip, actually.

The wedding itself was a little odd. It was extremely quick, which is what happens when you write your own vows and your brother conducts the ceremony (long, long story). The food was okay, but my cakes at the rehearsal dinner were way better than the cupcakes served instead of wedding cake (I didn't know people actually did this in real life and not on Martha Stewart shows). It was a *dry* wedding. Not to give the impression that I live for alcohol, but have you ever seen people try to dance at a wedding sober? It ain't pretty, and at that point we sloped off home to prepare the house for the after-party my parents were throwing for their friends and anyone who wanted a drink and a more casual hangout. So it all ended up fun and everything in the end.

Next day I think we shopped and had another bbq. I'm getting days mixed up now. Anyway we got lots of kitchen gadgets, some super-nice sheets, and a set of towels. Nick also got some shoes. Monday we drove my grandmother home to Vancouver, WA, and then crossed over into Portland and did serious shopping; more shoes, some clothes, and one of these babies, which I am still coming to terms with. More on that and the BootCamp installation experience when I actually do it (any Advice from someone who has done it is welcome! Or the offer of real Windows XP discs!). From there we left for our mini-road trip through Oregon, to Crater Lake, and the Pacific coast. That will be the next post.

Anyway, although I'm still tired right now, I'm mostly still refreshed from the trip, which isn't bad after being back for 3 days, and 2 days back at work.

I'm sick of working here.

The only thing this god-forsaken weather is good for is air-drying my laundry.

COME AND GET IT!

Come by my house any time after 2pm today and dig through my giveaway pile.

If you don't know where I live, just ask, and I'll tell ya.

Luv,
Faifs

It's funny, often I can't write about the really meaningful, lifechanging stuff going on with me here.
Maybe there just aren't words?
Maybe it would cheapen the experience to display it on an internet forum?
I'm a private person when it comes down to it.

I guess it'll have to wait until some face-to-face moments.
Everything is still unbelievably wonderful. :)
I can't even believe I can actually function in this state!

I also have weird moments when I think something horrible is going to happen to ruin everything. I get that way sometimes when things are going amazingly well. Like I die in a horrible crash, and people will have to say, "Everything was going so well for her too..."

It's no secret that the album, Fever to Tell by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs makes me very happy! Well, I was geekin' around on their site and just watched the video for Y-Control--and, AAAAHHHH!

YOU HAVE TO GO WATCH THIS RIGHT NOW. WATCH IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH. DON'T ASK QUESTIONS. JUST DO IT! GO TO THE SITE, CLICK ON "MEDIA" SCROLL DOWN, FIND IT AND CLICK!!!

AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!

Plus it's directed by Spike Jonze! Aaaaahhhh!

Ok, you don't really have to if you don't want to. But those kids! HAHAHAH! Aaaaah!! ;)

the hopeless feeling that you've been
abandoned amongst the catamites again
sinking down under the weight of pussywillow boughs
and farmed out swarms of hate-filled ant queens
mincy meat filling every buckled surface
down below your knees and
those lightning emptied skies above
so stingy with their treasured rain
no help to clean your sweat stained skin
nights and nights of morning light keeping you
grounded as robins and crows demand your name.

Tonight I get to go to see Figaro with oldtdevil!

My first time at a real opera (that other thing didn't count).

We are bringing a flask of bourbon. :D

happy bday hotcrab!