Hi!

Things with the condo are going great. I really like being a homeowner, even if it's just a condo. I can do stuff! Man, and I don't know if I could ever live in a real house all by myself. I get spooked, yo! If I'm home alone and doing something noisy, like vaccuuming or standing in front of the dishwasher or something, I'm always afraid that people are breaking into my house. And when I'm high and paranoid, forget about it! But I'm okay in a condo development, because there are people all around. If I were in a house in the woods on a lake, I'd need a big dog. Or three big dogs. But then they freak you out when you don't hear anything outside, but suddenly they sit up and stare and maybe even BARK and you're like "what, what??" So we'll see.

Two weekends ago Vince and Chris helped me to install my attic stairs. It only took two (2) separate trips to the megahardware store, though if you consider that Chris and I went to Loews AND Home Depot the first trip, maybe it's two-and-a-half trips. But it went really well! And of course when you're a lady and you ask a gentleman (or two) to help you with something because it's a two-person job, it says so right there on the box, there's always the danger that they'll take over the whole operation. But that didn't happen at all. When there was something that needed nailin' or screwin' or bangin', the guys left me to it. Well except during the last part, when we had to nail the stairs into the frame; but Chris was the only guy up in the attic so that was sort of all on him. But yeah, a success! Vince even brought over his mitre saw (which is the hot shit) so we could cut lumber in my kitchen. It was awes. My place smelled like sawdust for days afterwards, which is a really fabulous smell.

Last weekend I painted my bedroom(s)! Saturday Chris came over to help me tape/dropcloth/&c and put on a coat of primer, and Sunday both Chris and Michelle helped me put on two coats of GREEN. Green green green! I'm really happy with the color. It looks so bright and happy and wonderful. Before, the walls were three (3) different colors: forest green, white, and a light pumpkiny orange. There was no rhyme or reason to it. Now all the walls are bright leafy green (Pepper Grass, according to Behr) and it really pulls the whole room together. Mitch helped me tape the ceiling and trim earlier this week, and I painted a bit last night, so now I need to move my furniture back (ahem, five minutes, I'll give you a beer, anytime after 6:30 tonight, thanks!) and then maybe I can sleep in a freaking bed tonight! I've been on the couch for a week now, and let me tell you, it is getting old. I mean it's not so bad -- it's long enough that I can stretch out no problem, and I like going to bed whilst watching a DVD, but you can't roll over, you can only rotate. And noises outside of my door sound like they're in my living room, so I've had a lot of half-asleep "is there someone in my house?" moments. And it's crowded with the cat in there.

My parents are coming over this weekend! We're going to go headboard shopping. I wanted to go to Autobahn but it is sold out and I KNEW that was going to happen and I am a dummy for not seeing it earlier, or purchasing tickets sooner. I think maybe we should still go into the city for dinner, though. I mean, right? My parents never go to Philly, so it will be nice. I was thinking of the Black Sheep. They make a mean crab cake.

I can't believe the snow is gone already! What a weird winter. I was so glad to have it last weekend, though. I mean, I love the 60 degree days, I really do. I don't much like being cold. But I like SNOW, too. I never realized this before, but everything is freaking DEAD in the winter! The grass is brown and dead, the trees are empty and dead, the birds are on holiday somewhere. Snow covers that up nicely. It was beautiful. The snowfall lasted for DAYS and was white and heavy and PERFECT for snowballs and snowmen. It weighed down branches and they hung over the road like -- like -- fuck it, I don't have a head for similes. But they were beautiful.

Speaking of snowball fights, Gina had her fish-themed birthday party last weekend, and it was the bomb. We drank out of fishbowls with fishie straws and there were streamers and hats and games and it was fantastic. And there was a snowball fight! Oh good lord was Hal drunk, it was great. "I can't see. I can't see." I think he said "I can't see" like two hundred (200) times. I couldn't tell if he was blind drunk, or just had snow on his glasses.

And another fantastic thing that happened at the party was The Conference Call With California. It is official my friends, we will be attending TWO music festivals in the . . . um, South this summer. We're hitting up both Wakarusa AND Bonnaroo -- a Wakaroo, if you will; or Bonnarusa, if you prefer. The Brothers Hunt and I will be driving from Jersey to Kansas, then Kansas to Tennessee, and then Tennessee home. Kevin will be flying to and from Kansas, and driving with Teegus Kongus to and from Bonnaroo. It is going to be something else, I will tell you that. A lot of camping. A lot of music. A lot of dirt. A lot of hippies. A lot of drugs. Few showers. It's going to be great.

Well goddammit, "Dave Matthews & Friends" are playing Bonnaroo this year. That's . . . ugh. I mean, I personally happen to like Dave Matthews, but man, do we think this will change the vibe of the crowd? Or am I being elitist?

Also, tickets go on sale a week from tomorrow! What a short period of time in which to make a decision!

Primus is on the list, though, thank goodness. And David Byrne, that's neat. But is there any hip-hop on that list? I didn't see any, though it's very possible that there is, and I'm just not familiar with the group. And no Jack Johnson (o gypsy girl, my gypsy girl) and no Ben Harper and no Roots and no Spree and where are the DJ's? I want my Kid Koala!

But I'm complaining, there are a lot of people on there I'm interested in seeing. Like MM&W (I couldn't stay awake for their whole set last year, they played at midnight) and the String Cheese Incident and I think I like Wilco, and Galactic and the North Mississippi Allstars but no Robert Randolph and the Family Band?

This is only the initial lineup, of course, but I don't imagine they'll add more artists before tickets go on sale. And there are a lot of people on there I haven't heard of, or haven't heard, so it's possible the line-up is a lot better-looking (to me) than I realize. I don't know, what do you say, Jeff? I pretty much just trust him in most things Musical.

Yesterday someone posted on the bonnaroo community that Clear Channel had acquired Superfly, but that is apparently a lie.