been so long, been so long

so, hey, i've been away for way too long. i realize that. please don't judge me! i am easily distracted sometimes. instead of writing a novella about what i've been up to, i am just going to string together some bullet-points. in no particular order - just whatever i think of first. that way, if you get bored by a section, or if you've heard it before... you can just skip over that one! perfect. so here goes:

• jessie and david came to visit over the weekend! yahooie! i am sooo excited to be an aunt, and bess definitely has a firm, round baby-belly now. she looks very cute and excited. i know they are going to have to cutest baby in the universe. i have some projects planned for my future niece? nephew? nieph? but since bessie reads this occassionally, i can't get into details. :) we did some touristy stuff on saturday - went on a DC Ducks tour! which was fun, even for a DC resident. i learned all sorts of factoids - most of which i forget now. but it was still fun. and we had great weather. the rest of the time we just hung out and gabbed and relaxed. and took naps.
  

• scott and eric are working on two music videos this summer/fall: first, one for the DC band Georgie James kind of pop-y music - great sound. they signed on with Saddle Creek earlier this year, and starting up a tour in england and canada right around the time their album comes out - in september. scott was busy with the video shoot all weekend, and i think they are hoping to finish up this coming weekend. i can't wait to see the footage! it's for their song "need your needs." the other video is for Dead Meadow - who are based out in L.A. now. scott and eric did a video for them back in 2005 (or maybe 2006), for "at her open door." they shot that one here in DC and Maryland, but this next one they are going out to Big Sur, CA to get most of the shots. that doesn't start up until later this month, so i'll keep you posted. they got a mention on Brightest Young Things today - check it out here.

• i finally got a bike! i've gotten to ride it a few times, but i took a long ride and hurt my back and messed up my knee somehow. my back is nearly mended, but my knee is still twinging a bit. but i am planning to bike to work once a week, after the weather turns not-so-ovenly-hot.

• i've re-started crocheting, and my friend jennifer has promised to teach me to knit - starting this thursday after work! i'm pretty pumped about that. there is a swell yarn store near my work, and it seems a pleasant place to hang out.

• the big SAA annual meeting is being held in chicago this year - i'm pumped about that! i went to chicago last fall for jennifer's wedding, and it was such a lovely city that i can't wait to see it again - this time on AIPs dime, not mine! :) i mean, sure i'll have to sit through days of workshops and sessions that aren't nearly as fascinating as the descriptions promised... but i'll also get to see some old grad school buddies and hang out and visit cool places in the evening - right? you betcha. i missed the block of rooms held for the conference, but i snagged a room at the spartan "club quarters" - itchy towels, tiny rooms, but great location and great price. plus, i won't have to continually dodge folks at the conference hotel. those folks who has been to a large conference know what i mean there.

• we went camping back in july - at assateague again. and we're going again in october! i think cliff and courtney are coming with us for the next trip, that that'll be particularly fun. i plan to dribble cheez-its all over their tent and watch the ponies come flocking. :)

• i let my gym membership slide since springtime, but i am going over there TONIGHT to re-up. sheer laziness that i let it slide, since it's pretty cheap. they are raising the rates - again - but it still works out to be $26/month. which is a steal.
  

• well, it's almost time to leave for the day, so i'll stop now. check out my flickr albums, to catch up on some pictures....

~mel