I don't beg (too) often for people to come to things, but this time I really mean it! Come out and support the first class of Girls Rock Camp in DC! August 16th at the 9:30 club. I will be coaching one of these bands on to success so come out and cheer for them and give them encouragement!



OH YEAH I should post the direct link.

I am still kind of in shock that it's already monday.

Friday we hit Dave & Buster's with Alfred & Co. I actually had a fun time, despite the general atmosphere that comes along with being at D&B. All I wanted to do was play Police Trainer, my favorite arcade shooting game of the last decade, but the guns were so wildly uncalibrated that it was nigh impossible to get to the next level. I shot some zombies instead. I had to avoid Police 911 because I needed my legs to be functional the next day.

Saturday after drum lesson we zipped over to help salami_salome move. (I was supposed to have softball practice, but my coach got injured when some dude slid home head and knee first.) Which, I have to say, was about the smoothest moving operation I have ever been a part of. My hat is off to the move-ee. Her new place is adorable. We all had dinner at Ledo's (the original in Adelphi! much tastier) after and I put away a startling amount of square pizza.

On the way home I said, "Jack, let's take a fun trip to the Verizon store." This ended in Jack getting the Palm Centro since his phone has been acting up. I didn't get anything, in a show of restraint. I am kind of up in the air about the data plan, though I shouldn't even consider it.

Then the weekend took a turn for the worse. ( all the bad stuff... )

In the midst of all the hectic cleaning, I had to go out to the Girls Rock DC camp volunteer interviews. It was fun, but I was really nervous! It's a lifelong habit of nerdness that I think I will never grow out of but everyone seemed much cooler than me. I found out that there is now like, an international assocation of Girls Rock camps, and they have annual meetings and junk. Working with kids is scary and maybe seems a little more scary now that I've learned more about it but I got a really good vibe off the organizers and other volunteers. We did have to do 2 extremely socially awkward things that I am confident we will have to do with the kids. The "untying the human knot" icebreaker, and ... skits. AIGH. Nonetheless I am way psyched. Hopefully they take me.

We also got to have dinner with our neighbor, Stephen, since his family is out of town. Going to the pho place is actually quite health-friendly, I am happy to report. And then that was it! There was no more weekend to have. Buh.

A final note: I have a new reward for my health plan. I have decided I am officially sick of my hair. It only took 2 years, but I have crossed the line into missing short hair. I want to reach up, touch the back of my head, and feel the buzz. So if I reach my goals it is coming off. I am thinking something like this, if my face shape can handle it. Do you think my face shape can handle it? Or are you saddened and hurt that I would chop it all off?

Friday night rolled down to the Lake Elhorn area to have a little dinner with Lars for his birthday. There was some crazy art thing going on so we just had sandwiches at the cafe - they were yummy.

Saturday woke up, hit the drum lesson where I got assigned "Sad But True" which is slow but already giving me trouble. Zipped home, got Jack and headed to 6 flags for the office summer picnic. Still hate 6 flags. Wasn't conducive to socializing with coworkers. Wish I'd skipped it. Went home and tried desperately to focus on homework to little avail. Moved on to maroonmd's for her birthday karaoke times.

That was well worth it. I did Cher (Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves), Linkin Park (In the End), John Michael Montgomery (Sold), Squirrel Nut Zippers (Hell), and Outkast (Hey Ya). Possibly something else but it might have been forgettable since I don't recall it. I saw peoples that I only get to see at Maia & Paul's and like, actually made eye contact and wasn't a total doofus. People think I'm an extrovert (and I am) but inside my head, I am often working against a flight reaction with people I don't know very well. A rocking time was had for sure. I intended to stay only a short time and would have closed the place down if I hadn't known I needed to get up and do some reading for class!

Speaking of class, I haven't said much about it. This is because the online thing makes it feel like it's not really happening, even though it is. I really don't understand how this is supposed to work. So far we have to read the chapters, and take a quiz on them (which you can re-take as many times as you want) and participate in the weekly discussion which means making at least two half-assed comments with buzzwords. No teaching has been done. Is that how it works usually? If so I loathe it and hope I never have to take a class this way again. I need a teacher to freaking teach me and interact with me. We're in week three and things should be ramping up pretty quick as far as projects so I'm trying to clear my social schedule but I have a really hard time focusing when I get home. Been doing too many other things.

One of which was peril_book_club on Monday, where I got to play the villain. I am glad that discussion is over with. However I am uncomfortable with the next book as well, and am just hoping to get through the discussion without emotional scars and move on.

On Sunday I did call my dad. We are going to go to my hometown over July 4th weekend so you Norfolk area people keep your wits about you! Or email me or something. I don't have a plan but my parents will take up most of my time and I already expressed an intention to invade the territory of geniealisa.

I am super extra psyched as I have an interview on Sunday with the DC Girls Rock Camp people.

And the now-ubiquitous flickr plugging:

     

I just had an amazing experience. My A&P classmate brought her daughter over because she had expressed an interest in playing the drums. She was so excited - it was totally awesome. Also since my house clearly looks like I've never grown up, she thought I was super cool. Hah! Kid, if you think I am cool, I like your style, but you may be in trouble out there in the real world. It was really flattering. She said "mom, can I come live here?" What higher compliment from a 10 year old, I ask you?

So I was emailing her mom and I thought "I wonder if someone's gotten around to having a DC Girls Rock Camp." And lo and behold, someone has. So I am just gonna submit my volunteer application... it's highly unlikely I could get enough time off work to help but what the hell.

This is a fine capturing of the Moment of Truth at Ladies Rock Camp. Only, the awesome thing about LRC is that the moment of truth is all weekend long, and the truth is, fuck perfect. No, that's one truth, but there are plenty of them splattered all over rock camp and you can take your pick. "Fuck Perfect" was just our pre-show band cheer.

I put all the pictures that weren't total blurs up on Flickr, and if you check my other sets you can find the sightseeing stuff and amazing dime-sized hail and my generous hostess and me goofing around. (Also on the camera at time of upload were the easter egg pics... a tad late, oops.)

I'd love to get into every stinking detail. The positive energy was there like last year. Of course things were a little different, different group and all, but it was still the same awesome empowering experience. The thing I forgot: it's also hard hard work. And an endurance test, sometimes. Particularly if you don't choose to write a nice laid back song. :) I came back to B's each night sweaty and exhausted. In the good way!

Maybe later I'll get in to the feelings and bits and things, for now, pics. Check it out Shining fans: I also went up to the Timberline Lodge and got some pics where they filmed stuff.

oh by the way...

they are now officially taking applications for ladies' rock camp 2007.

i mailed mine this morning. eeeeeeeeeee! 50 spots... i think i convinced at least ten of you to come with me after this year?

The rock camp DVD is here!!!!

So, I went to this rock camp...( The Epic Story of Rock Camp )

That’s what it was like. We did the song as well as we had ever done it. Shit went bananas. Hopefully you’ll all see it on DVD, or at least those who can make it to the viewing party. Our song was called "Sophie’s Overture in A Minor" and I swear my proggy ass had nothing to do with it. People cheered. It was one of the absolute best moments of my life. The rest of the performances were kickass. I was so proud of everyone! *sniff* Then it was over.

Pictures of Rock Camp

( Denoument )

Pictures of Portland, mostly the Falls

( Epilogue )

And that’s the story of my trip to rock camp. I can hardly think that anyone will have the time to read all this, but for those that do, thank you. I know I blog about a lot of things that aren’t very important, but this one was very important to me.

Actually, I've been home for over 24 hours now, but it already feels like twice that. And I've been scared to post without composing The Great Rock Camp Post of Aught Six. But that will have to come later. For now I just wanted to say, hey! I got back safe. I worked a half day today (despite the cold I got on some plane or other) so that I could feel like I wasn't going to be bowled over by work craziness. I am desperate for some face time with some real life people (that are not coworkers because, yeah) because I'm so freaking overflowing with love still I just want to share it. I have gone nuts adding everyone I could find on myspace and I've started arranging the photos... and I unpacked before I even went to bed last night because I just wanted to stare at everything.

The short version of what happened is that my band and I wrote, perfected, and ultimately performed a song live over the weekend but the whole story is much more.

I'm going to miss The Waiting Room in Sellersville PA this friday night (I'd have to drive 2.5 hrs there AND back in order to do everything I need to on Saturday) which sucks but in case you want a taste of just what a balls-out Genesis tribute band is like check this shit out. There's even a little compare and contrast going on in the clip.

i am at rock camp. this is one of the best things i have ever done. it is everything i imagined.

Looks like there's an East Coast Girls' and Ladies' rock camp too!

Jen leaked our super exciting weekend plans, I might as well too!

We're going to see Brokeback Mountain at the 4:40 showing at the old Greenbelt theater saturday. Then some chinese food next door. Let me know if you are interested in coming along.

In other news: I was accepted into Ladies Rock Camp!! !!!!!! Words cannot describe my excitement. (Mingled with a tad of fear and trepidation, per usual.) Let's see, work is crazy, we got a new castiron skillet which those fools shipped to us for free (it weighs 3745638 lbs) (we got a 13" one which in retrospect might have been kind of dumb) (jack had to call me downstairs to heft it and see just the workout we will be getting through cooking), and my warlock is up to level 51. What should we make in the new castiron skillet?

No one at Lowe's even knows what a composter is. And I left there with a strange desire for Corian countertops.

Not so vague panic in my breast about Jack's work situation.