San Antonio, Travel Tips, and Bell Biv DeVoe

I was in San Antonio last week for the National Science Teachers Association conference, and granted I only was there a few days and only explored an about 10 block area, but these are the things I liked:

1) Sunshine and warm weather - It was 80 degrees. 80. degrees. It was 15 degrees when I left for work this morning, so you can imagine how much I enjoyed the 65 degree temperature increase.

I booked my hotel specifically for the rooftop pool.

2) Crosswalks talk to you - "Wait. Wait. Wait. Crossing Alamo at Commerce" I know this is for visually impaired people, and that's great.But I really like that I feel like I'm sticking to the man when I cross the street while the crosswalk is telling me to wait. YOU DON'T KNOW MY LIFE. I DO WHAT I WANT.

3) Speaking of crosswalks, it's walk-able - At least the downtown area is. Sure, you can walk around downtown in Anchorage, but can you wear jorts and eat gelato while members of a mariachi band cross the street ahead of you? No.

4) Riverwalk - Okay, it's a little touristy and, to be honest, reminds me of Las Vegas, but I like it nonetheless.

5) The Alamo - Sue me. I love a good historical site.

I wrote about travel tips before, but here are some more:
1) Don't crowd the gate - It's rude and annoying and if you are in group 4, you aren't getting any overhead space anyway, so just chill out.

2) Be aware of your scents - Be it perfume, body odor, or beef jerky, remember that you and everyone else are going to be trapped in a relatively small metal tube for many hours. Be courteous.

3) Nail filing - I fly pretty often, but this was a new one for me. While sitting at the gate in San Antonio the woman next to me started filing her nails. I thought, "Oh, maybe she snagged her nail on the zipper of her suitcase. That hurts." But then she just kept filing. And filing. And filing. Then the next thing I know, there are gross fingernail shavings all over her chair. THE AIRPORT IS NOT THE PLACE FOR THAT. Gross.


I really wanted the Hot Jam this week to be Bump 'n Grind by R.Kelly. But it turns out I already wrote about that during Slow Jam Week (who would have thought?) So instead this week's hot jam is Poison by Bell Biv DeVoe. Not only is the video A-MAZING, but Poison features lines like, "Never trust a big butt and smile." Lyrical genius. Just try not to dance.

Baseball and Aerosmith

There is one important thing on my calendar for April 8th. Hint: It's not the all staff cultural awareness seminar.

April 1st marked one of my favorite days of the year; MLB Opening Day. The Indians didn't have their first game until the 2nd (WHICH THEY WON!) and the home opener isn't until the 8th (as seen on my work calendar) but it doesn't matter - it's baseball season. Baseball means summer and hot dogs and sunshine (hopefully) and (mostly likely) warm beer. And it's worth every sunburn from afternoons spent in the bleachers.

Back in 2011, baseball was a favorite thing. It's still a favorite thing. The Indians still haven't won a World Series since 1948. And it's too early to tell how this year will go, but I still think this might be the year. Some people lose faith, but not me.

John Adams doesn't lose faith either.

This week's hot jam is Crazy by Aerosmith, because...America.

Horoscopes and City and Colour

I consider myself to be of sound mind and a generally pretty reasonable person; when I'm doing planetarium shows at work, I always tell the kids that ASTROLOGY is not a science and ASTRONOMY is. But I always feel like a little bit of a fraud, because love reading my horoscope. Or anyone's horoscope for that matter. I don't really believe in all that business, but I think the idea that it might be true is fascinating. I guess I just don't want to rule out the possibility that there is some cosmic interaction at work.

The Orion Nebula is not where horoscopes are made.

I'm a Taurus (May 9th, for those of you keeping track at home) and I think the characteristics suit me pretty well. I know, I know, they are always generalized and could be anyone, but I don't care. According to the Huffington Post (no, really) "Taurus isn't necessarily like a Bull in a ring with a toreador. You could be more like peace-loving Ferdinand, seeking the gentle meadows filled with flowers, sunshine and natural beauty. It's only Taurus stubbornness that can make you angry enough to charge at someone who is disturbing your peace." I do love a good meadow. And it was on the internet, so it has to be true.

The best horoscopes I've ever read are in the Jackson Hole News and Guide. They were always oddly specific. I'm tempted to subscribe just so I can get my daily horoscope. Unfortunately they are not available online.My second favorite horoscopes are done my Susan Miller of astrologyzone.com. You want details? Susan will give you details. Lots of them.

This week's hot jam is The Girl by City and Colour. City and Colour is actually just one guy named Dallas Green (a city and a color, get it?) And he's from Canada. Hence the added U in Colour. This song speaks to my inner emo kid. I just just imagine converse-wearing high school girls pining away for some tattooed, guitar playing, sensitive soul to sing this to them. Okay, that would have been me in high school, I admit. I also really like that Dallas looks kind of like Kip from Napoleon Dynamite in the video. Swoon?

Last Great Race and Jerry Reed

Saturday marked the start of my favorite 9ish days of the year - The Last Great Race - the Iditarod. Currently Lance Mackey is in first place. He is quite the character and one of my favorite mushers. This year my friends and I trailgated (yes, trail, that's not a typo) the ceremonial start in Anchorage. For $10 we got a koozie and all the beer we could drink and all the hot dogs we could eat. Probably the best idea ever.

Anyway, back to Lance. When he came by our trailgate, someone tried to hand him a PBR but he missed it. Lance is not one to give up a beer, so he stopped his sled (generally not done) and grabbed the beer then continued on. He nearly caused an accident, but I suspect he thought it was worth it. I assume it was that PBR that put him in first place. You're welcome, Lance.

People riding in the sled during the ceremonial start are called 'iditariders'. It's one of my goals in life.

Martin Buser caused quite the stir this year, after speed-racing to the Rohn check point, he decided to take his mandatory 24 hour rest. Normally teams wait until much later in the race before they take their layover. According to the Anchorage Daily News he's been planning this strategy for 8 months. He was in 30something place while the other mushers raced ahead. Now he's in 8th and everyone ahead of him still needs to take their 24 hour layover. Seems like his strategy might be working. The Iditarod is serious business.

Click to see it larger. Mushers take the southern route at Ophir this year.

I'm rooting for Matt Failor. He was in second place until the Rohn check point, where, like Buser, he took his 24 hour layover. During the ceremonial start Matt also got off his sled at the trailgate. But instead of stopping for a dropped PBR, he stopped to shake hands and say hello to everyone. He could have been a senate candidate - if senate candidates travel with 12 dogs and a large parka.

In the spirit of long distance racing, the hot jam of the week is Eastbound and Down by Jerry Reed. Yes, the theme to Smokey and the Bandit. I heard this song on the radio twice this week. I took it as a sign. If I was an Iditarod musher this is all I would listen to. Screw getting diphtheria serum to Nome, the boys are thirsty in Atlanta. If that's not enough to inspire you, I don't know what is.

Hot Jam Week!

Last week I was asked to list my top three favorite songs. Of all time. After much thought, I tentatively decided on Red Rubber Ball, Band of Gold, and Black Water. It's a work in progress. I'm trying to think about it logically - narrowing it down by genre then ranking those songs in order of greatness.  I need a bracket system. In the mean time, here are some hot jams that might not be in the top three, but I didn't want them to feel left out.

1) No Diggity - Blackstreet

No Diggity is one of those songs I always forget about, and that is totally unfortunate, because it's an amazing hip hop anthem. I mean, Dr. Dre uses the word eargasms. Not everyone can pull that off. Not to mention there are an EXCESS of overalls in the video.

2) Jackson - Johnny Cash and June Carter

I wish this song was about Jackson, WY, one of my favorite places in the whole wide world. But I guess Jackson, MS makes more sense (Although it's never specified). But the location is unimportant, it could just as easily be called Dallas or Nashville. I love that it combines revenge with a "anything you can do, I can do better" attitude. Both halves of the couple are going to find someone new and they are going to do it better. Isn't that the best kind of revenge?

3) Tears Dry on their Own - Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse made straight-up terrible life decisions (Drugs and alcohol aside, all that teasing cannot be good for your hair). But the girl could sing. Amy had a lot of really good songs but I like Tears Dry on their Own for one line: "I'll be some next man's other woman soon." This is is a break-up song, she could have easily written something about finding someone better, but instead she wrote about finding someone better and becoming their other woman. Ballsy. You could throw a lot of psychology words at that, I'm sure. But I'd rather enjoy the bluesy-soulness of it.


Bonus: What's your Fantasy - Ludacris Because it dirty and gross and sometimes that's exactly what you are looking for in a hip hop song.

Stuff to love and Old 97's

Last year I wrote about how much I like Valentine's Day. It's still true this year and I still think it's dumb to hate it. YOU GUYS CAN CELEBRATE VALENTINE'S DAY HOWEVER YOU WANT. Hello, you can make it not lame.

This is me passing out my valentines

Here are some things I'm loving right now:

1) Making valentines. Duh. - I love making cards in general, but I think valentines are extra fun. This year's valentines feature robots.

2) Presidents' Day is coming up - Not a card-giving holiday (maybe I should start?), but it is a day off work and I'll be in Nashville for the weekend hanging out with my favorite valentine.

3) Spring training starts in NINE DAYS! - TribeTribeTribeTribe

4) Daylight - Valentine's Day marks the first 9 hour daylight day of the year. Finally.

Soon my world will look like this again. This was 10pm in June.

5) This picture of Snoopy the cat. I can't stop laughing.

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, the hot jam of the week is Question by Old 97's. It's 2 minutes of unadulterated love song, without being too cheesy. Scrubs fans might recognize it from when (spoiler alert?) Carla finally says yes to Turk's proposal.  But gentlemen, if you are making your lady a mixtape this Valentine's Day, Question is probably not the best song to include. She might get the wrong idea. Unless of course, it's the right idea, then go for it. But, remember,Valentine's Day is a cheesy day to propose.

Sorry for the lack of updates, but I'm suffering from some severe writers' block. And I'd rather write nothing than something terrible. (So you're welcome for that?)