So exciting news out of nowhere. You know when you usually see a big deal concert there are months of anticipation. Well not this time my friends. On Friday I scored tickets to the Prince show here in Seattle at the Paramount. I think it sold out in like 10 minutes. Ticketmaster is completely evil but I can't even count the number of sold out shows I've been able to get tickets to by buying them online right when they go on sale.

Anyway, it should be an interesting evening. The show is just supposed to be him performing a strip down show - none of the pyrotechnics, or legions of back up singers, just the little man doing his thing. I read the press release about the show which sort of made me chuckle. Here's an excerpt: "Catering to a sexy, mature audience, the jazz-tinged show will feature selections that Prince has never before performed as well as classic hits he hasn't played in years." That's right folks! You too can be considered both sexy and mature (?) by forking over a decent chunk of change.

I'm sure I'll have more details tomorrow.

Have you seen the site A List Apart? Really good stuff, including a tidy intro to XML which I think is very well written.

I'm sorry I haven't blogged in so long. Maybe it's just cause I don't have exciting tales to tell everyday like some people. Or perhaps it is just cause at times I get inspired and write extra long funny passages then the computer crashes and I have to break something to feed the temper. Or more likely maybe it's poor time management skills? Any case. I'm back with a number of things to report on from the past weekend.

A new hike
I was invited to a cocktail party by one of the VP's where I used to work. Before the party Beth and I decided there was time for a quick hike. She goes all the time, it's this little out of the way park and trail that winds through the woods, next to a salmon stream, and spits you out on this desolate beach. The only way to get to this beach is via the trail or by kayak. It was one of those warm spring afternoons when the sun is beating down, a cool chill off the sound, and the Olympics in the distance. Just amazing. There wasn't too much time to hang on the beach Beth reminded me, we had to haul ass back up the hill and hit the party.

A cocktail party
So after a quick shower and a quick hello to Tomaŝ the poodle, we headed back south for the party. I hadn't seen a lot of the people for two years or more. There were a number of somewhat awkward moments where names were forgotten. You can see it coming. First, there is the standard name omission: "Hey there! How are YOU?." Another obvious attempt is the half introduction. "Have you met Shelia? Let me introduce you, this is Shelia she likes to garden." Then it trails off and the introduction doesn't manage to come to fruition, until Shelia catchs on and says, "Oh and you are?" They are both pretty lame, but the refreshing point of this party is when i was approached by the college President, he sizes me up and says "Damn, I can not remember your name for the life of me." I totally respect that.
The other memorable event of the party is sitting around listening to professionals wax on about technology. People love to use words they've heard in meetings and pretend they know what they are talking about. I'm not saying I'm a guru, but I know when people are bullsh*tting me. What's the correct etiquette in this situtation? Tell them they are full of it or just smile and nod. This one guy, named David, was telling me about how hard it was to coordinate online registration. I said, yeah, I remember when we were getting online we had a hard time integrating our legacy systems. He says, oh you guys were using Legacy (like it's a brand name) no wonder you had problems, Legacy is a pretty old technology. David was also half crocked when he trying to commiserate with me. So maybe that is partially to blame.

More later.....

So the book finally came in. I'm really excited and it looks great. I don't want to look too close cause I'm afraid of finding an errant semicolon or god forbid a misspelled word. Although F-lin noticed something when I showed it to him. I didn't use my whole name. I mean the first one is there and the last one, but not the ever important middle name. He was all like, I thought you were going to use all three names in your professional/publishing life. And my response was, oh yeah, I was. Shoooot. Oh well, at least it's not an academic type of thing. Dell and I going to try and write something up for publication, we're aiming high but also trying to be realistic. Texas is still on my list of states unseen, so that would be cool too.

I just did my taxes, nothing like leaving it to the last minute! And my reasons for procrastinating were confirmed, once again I owe. I swear how can I be a poor grad student and still end up in the hole?

So I'm off to shop for some Ramen. My Nashville trip is most definitely out and visiting MT is too. So bitter.

Till next time.

Since June of last year, I have been working with another graduate student to write a user manual for a piece of medical software developed here at the U. We finalized the text in late Feb and have been tweaking and tweaking up until late March. Then the files were whisked away to the printer. So after two weeks of proofing and waiting, it seems like the book is finally here. But is it here in my hands, where I can appreciate the tangible rewards after 10 months? Oh no, it's stuck over in someone's stoopid shipping department. The bureaucracy is killing me. Maybe it's the state budget crisis. Are state employees just trying to look busy?

I swear, this printing project has been full of middlemen. Last week during the proofing, I was sitting in the prepress room at the printer's with their resident Frame expert and it was bliss. Just the two of us, figuring it out. No sales people, no professors, no middlemen from pub services, just two professionals discussing the craft.

So it's Friday afternoon, I should be at the gym. But I'm waiting for their people to call their shipping people so they can find a van and deliver the 500 books. And I just need to see them! I need to make sure my name is spelled right, 500 times.

Last week I was asked to show a prosepective student around. She was a big deal as far as the incoming class. The department is really crazy about her and probably put together quite a inticing package to get her to choose us over them.

Anyway we met for coffee and then spent a bunch of time talking about Seattle and the department. Since I've been feeling somewhat burned out lately, she was a breath of fresh air. Ready for anything, chatty, and optomistic. Later at night we went out for margarita's and fancy mexican food with some other grad types. I think she liked it and had a good time.

So, getting to the point, she emailed and said she's picking UWTC, packing up her stuff and, as they say, going west young man. And I'm thrilled for her. I really am.

I just applied to graduate. How very exciting.

I've adopted a new word. I can hear myself using it. When I do use it, I say to myself, "Wow, I sure have started to use that word alot." The word I can't help but utter - Fantastic. As in, "That game I went to the other night was fantastic" or "My new Human Expertise class is fantastic" or if someone says "Hey it's over 60 degrees in Seattle today for the first time in 2002, do you want to go get some ice cream?" my response of course is, "Sounds fantastic!"

I just realized who is to blame. I think I'll have to switch back to something else but then I'll start saying "sweetie" all the time.

The crack of the bat and the roar of the crowd, the summer tradition of baseball, these things I expected. The nontraditional additions new to my baseball experience? Well, an elevator ride to a private entrance - including an small talking elevator operator who wanted to know if everyone was excited, was one. There was seat side service. You can even run up a tab during until the 7th inning, I don't even want to imagine. Also, the folks at Safeco Field have decided to indulge the minority and serve up veggie dogs. It was blissful, my first babseball game hot dog in over 10 years.

The opening events were spectacular, they included the unveiling of the new AL West banner, a red carpet, and lots and lots of awards, including the beef tongue fanatic and his myriad of trophies.

It's too bad they lost, but it was an exciting event none the less. I'm looking forward to heading back for more games, even if I do have to sit with the little people and get up and retrieve my own snacks.

So spring break has come and gone just like that and my final quarter beckons.

Over the weekend I enjoyed relaxing back at home after spending three days with the humping happy labs. Boy, those dogs sure liked to hump each other. I know it's not necessarily a sexual thing, but still after awhile it just gets sort of embarrassing to be around.

Saturday was a day full of entertainment. I saw Panic Room in the afteroon which was better than I expected it would be. Then in the evening it was the comedy of Lewis Black, best know for his rants on the Daily Show. His show killed. Held at the awful Giggles Comedy Club (warning the web page is almost as crappy as the club itself) in the U District, it was an experience worth suffering through to get to see the brilliant Black.

Yesterday was Easter. To celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, I went to brunch and then universal remote shopping, but alas radio shack was closed.

So Happy April Fools day. Today is Tom Polewchek's birthday. Tom and I took each other to a series of formal dances in high school and probably qualifies at my first b-friend. Happy Birthday Tom!

It is also a very important day in a girl's life. It's opening day and I'm going.So, more on that later, go M's!