Bits and Pieces

Had a pretty good weekend.  Went with a friend to a birthday party where I didn’t think I would know anybody there, including the birthday boy.  When I got there I realized I knew several people, all of whom I met on an outing with my friend more than a year ago.  Also discovered two of them like a lot of the same blues bands I like.

One of my goals in my ‘new life’ is to find a place where ‘everyone knows my name’ … my own sort of Cheers.  I won’t be a barfly who sits there drinking all night every night, but I’d like to frequent a place enough to where the bartenders know me.  Meanwhile I realized today that the owner of one of the wine stores I frequent now knows I’m a regular at his store.  He even knows at least one of the wines I like.  That’s a start.  Next time I’ll ask for his name and hope I can say Indian names without stumbling.

The Boston Marathon bombing and subsequent capture of the bombers had some odd connections to me and other who live in Maryland.  For one, the bomber’s uncle lives in the same town I live in; he was interviewed by all kinds of media so you’ve probably seen him. 

During that whole situation this week I couldn’t help but remember the DC Snipers from 2002.  That incident actually started a few blocks from where I work and scared the hell out of residents of DC, Maryland and Virginia for several weeks.  Odd thing:  it ended just a few miles past the exit where I had just moved, way out in the country, partly to get away from some of the congestion and insanity of the DC area.

While thinking about how close to home the sniper thing was, I remembered something else pretty odd about my past.  There have been fires at three of the radio stations where I worked, at the time I worked at them.  NO NO NO, I am NOT the arsonist.  The fire in Dallas was the result of an electrical issue with the elevator, the fire in Baltimore was an overheated heater; in fact it happened while I was in the middle of a DJ show and I’m the one who called 9-11.  The fire at my DC station’s old location was the result of a short in a cooler in the liquor store downstairs.  It is still freaky that three places I worked have had fires.

I love live music and I might be going to as many as six different music events in the next six weeks.  Two star local blues bands whose names came up in the birthday party conversation I mentioned earlier.  The other four are work-related and three of them feature popular country music artists or bands.  Music heaven.

I really need to get off my ass and finish straightening out my apartment.  I did so well at first but my guest room is still filled with unpacked boxes.  It’ll really only take a few hours to clean it but I keep putting it off.

I’ve done a pretty good job with my diet and exercise plan this week.  Did not hit the vending machine at all.  Had apples for desert instead of the incredibly delicious, fattening ice cream I crave.  Only had one small slice of birthday cake at that party Friday.  Went to my gym twice and had an intentionally hard workout during the second visit.  My biceps have returned from their vacation!!!

OK, I’m procrastinating now.  Time to end this, publish it, then spend the next hour or two straightening out my place.