Rocker Chicks, Random Celebrities and Fresh Faces

I LOVE THIS WOMAN!!! I saw her in concert Friday night and she frickin' rocks! Seriously, Ani DiFranco is one of the best live performances I've ever seen. She's got so much energy it's amazing; plus, she's a great live act (and so few people are anymore). I thought she managed to balance a fair amount of old, classic stuff with some songs from her newest album. I was so moved, I even bought a T-shirt :) Not only is she super talented, she's very politically outspoken, which I respect a lot. Ani is the epitomy of a rocker chick with lasting power. I'll admit it, I've got a bit of a girl-crush. I can't help it--- she's just so cool. She also seems like the kind of person that fame has not ruined; I'd totally be up for having a beer and chatting with her.



Ok, enough gushing. I recently had my first random celebrity sighting and I'm pretty excited about it. I was out for a beer with my cohort and a few guests (that I'll talk about in a minute) and, as we were leaving, I spotted Lou Diamond Phillips (you know, the "La Bamba" guy) standing by the bar. How did I know it was Lou Diamond Phillips, you ask? Well, he kind of did a double-take as our group walked by (not sure why or because of whom) so, I got a good look at his face. I recognized him immediately; his hair was shaggy and that made me remember an ad I saw on TV for the musical "Camelot" (starring him) that is currently playing in town. So, I would bet the farm that I've had a genuine celebrity encounter (brief and impersonal as it may be). Woo hoo!

In other news, my department has recently brought in a group 0f prospective Ph.D. candidates for the upcoming year. I believe there were about ten people here, if I'm not mistaken. Diverse areas of interest as well as geographical origins were represented, which made for interesting conversation. There was also a new "homestay" policy put into place this year. Candidates were housed with current students and there were several social events so everyone could get acquainted. I think it turned out really well and I'm really excited about the incoming class. There were a few people that were still trying to decided between here and other universities so, we all did our best to woo them our way. I guess we'll find out soon who's in and who's out.


So, peanut gallery, have you ever had a celebrity sighting? Who did you see?

Growing Old & Life in General (a short re-cap)

I recently had a birthday (3/8). Hit the big 2-5....my quarter-life crisis, as I like to call it. It was a good day; not the day I had planned but, good nonetheless. Being born in March, it snowed on my birthday this year--- as it has done for the last 25 years of my life. In fact, I was born during a blizzard. Perhaps that explains my utter aversion to snow and cold climates...

Anyway, I had this big gathering planned and invited all my good friends (those still in Motown) but, it snowed so long and so hard that the roads were darn near impassable. Since I didn't want anyone I cared about to get into an accident, the party was called off. I was bummed but, my honey and I decided to improvise. We did everything fun we could think of, despite the weather: dined at Solera (my fav place to eat in Morgantown since it opened in '06), went to the mall, took crazy pictures of each other, took a walk in the snow, went laser bowling, played pool, had a few drinks and came home to watch a late movie. All in all, this birthday was a good lesson in growing older, and life in general, I think. Sometimes your plans go completely to hell but, you can still make the best of it and have fun in the process.

In other news, I'm back in the Southeast and loving it! It was in the 60's today and sunny with a slight breeze. It was so warm at noon I opened all the windows in my apartment. It apparently snowed here while I was away on Spring Break (in the snow) but, it thankfully melted before I got back. That would've just been way too depressing--- leaving snow and arriving to see more snow...ugh. The semester is RAPIDLY coming to a close and I've reached critical freak-out point. Prior to the break, I went to a Gipsy Kings concert with my good friends J and M. We had a blast! Only at a Latin music concert do people kick off their shoes, push away the chairs and start dancing in the aisles, which is exactly what happened. When they played "Volare" as the closing song, it brought the house down; people went nuts....and jumped on stage (as you can see here)--->

So, peanut gallery, what life lessons have you learned as you've gotten older?

Spring Breaking in Exotic WV...oooh....ahhhh.....

Greetings from good 'ole Motown, WV where it's cold, rainy, snowy and gray! Yay! Who needs Cancun, right? I'm here gettin' my Spring Break on, which is less break than work, really. There is no break in the life of a Ph.D.-- I'm learning that quickly; there's always something I can be doing. So, I'm spending time with my honey and trying to get some research and writing done so I don't arrive back at school looking like a total bum.

It's kinda weird to be back in Motown. Egocentric human that I am, there's a part of me that feels like the world stops revolving when I leave a place--- like here, for example. After two degrees and six years, I feel like I know this place and it's people pretty well. However, seeing old friends isn't quite the same. We can't complain about the classes, students and teachers we have in common. We can't have a ritual lunch, coffee or beer gathering every week at the same place. I miss out on all the little day-to-day dramas that make up life. People still know me but, it seems there is less and less to talk about. Even the town has physically changed--- a lot. There are new buildings, old buildings have been renovated and new apartment buildings are popping up everywhere. Nothing is exactly as I remember it. This is a sad realization for me. I enjoyed my time here tremendously and I miss it so, moving on and letting it go is hard. Coming back to visit my honey and my baby bro only rubs salt in the wound. I come back here multiple times a year and get to see this place slowly morphing into something I don't recognize.

In any case, I'm trying to enjoy myself as much as possible. There are favorite restaurants to eat in, friends to chat with and familiar streets to walk on that make me remember what it was like to be an undergrad. Sometimes a bit of nostalgia is nice; it makes you see how far you've come and how you got there. It's kinda like rubbing a bruise--- slightly achy but pleasant at the same time.

So, peanut gallery, what is it that takes you back to by-gone days? Music? Places? Smells? What do you miss from your past?