Monday, September 24, 2007

My sock is too big...

Here is my sock:

Two sock clubs ago, I decided that my sock was too big. I ripped out the heel and three pattern repeats.

Last sock club, I started the heel again. I guess I must have added in a pattern repeat or two. Because, having finished the heel for the second time, the sock is still too big. It may be growing while I'm ignoring it in favor of the big woolen stripy thing.

I'm feeling stubborn with this sock. At some point in the near future I am going to rip out the heel for the second time (and a few extra pattern repeats for good measure). Here's hoping that if it's still not right after I redo the heel for the third time, it's at least too small instead of too big.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Moonlight Gardens

Over the Rhine had their album launch concert at Moonlight Gardens at Coney Island on August 31st . A bunch of Columbus-ites came down for the show: Faith, her sister Susanna, and Susanna's roommate Beth; Brecka and Drew; Dave and Krista; Kate. Canal Street fan Steve and his wife Sarah were there too, and helped me save seats (right up front) for everybody.

The show was really good. The weather was perfect - cool, dry, clear sky with stars visible, a slight breeze.

Here's the set list. Everything is from Trumpet Child unless otherwise noted.
  • I Don't Wanna Waste Your Time
  • I'm On A Roll
  • Entertaining Thoughts
  • Let's Spend The Day In Bed
  • Nothing Is Innocent
  • Trumpet Child
  • Who'm I Kiddin' But Me (described by Karin as "A trashy little song I wrote")
  • Trouble
  • And Can It Be (Till We Have Faces)
  • We're Gonna Pull Through (Snow Angels)
  • Long Lost Brother (Ohio)
  • Ohio (Ohio)
  • B.P.D. (Ohio)
  • Orphan Girl (cover)
And the encore set:
  • Don't Wait For Tom
  • If A Song Could Be President
And the second encore set (which featured a violinist from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra):
  • Hush Now (Stella's Tarantella) (Drunkard's Prayer) (one of my favorites)
  • I Want You To Be My Love (Drunkard's Prayer) (Brecka & Drew danced to their song)
  • Drunkard's Prayer (Drunkard's Prayer)
And now the pictures...

Waiting for the doors to open...


Brecka and Drew helping save seats...



Faith...


New set decorations - very spiffy...


The opener. I didn't catch his name...


The band - a much bigger group than in previous years...


Mickey the drummer. It's hard to get a good shot of him since he's always moving...

Another band shot, this time with the woman who sang backup... She was very good.


The violinist that played during the encore was really good.


Dave and Krista and Brecka and Drew had a good time...

Sunday, September 02, 2007

Joseph-Beth

Over the Rhine did a free show at Joseph-Beth Booksellers on Thursday. Kristin was in town visiting family, so we met up at the bookstore to watch the show. Erin and Dean and two of their cooking friends came along as well.

It was very crowded at the bookstore. They were having a book signing at the same time, so it was quite nicely packed.

The concert was good. Mostly songs from Trumpet Child. I like the new album, some of the songs quite a lot, but as a whole I think I may like Drunkard's Prayer better. At least so far.

I didn't write down the set list, but they played 5ish songs including Trumpet Child, Orphan Girl (encore), and maybe I Don't Wanna Waste Your Time. They're touring with a bigger band than last time, and had 4 of the 6 there. No Mickey, and the new guitar player wasn't there either. But, really, I don't think they could have fit any more people on the "stage", anyway.

Saturday, September 01, 2007

San Francisco, Part 4

Wednesday I took the trolley to Fisherman's Wharf. I forgot to write down which pier the sea lions were on, but it wasn't to hard to find them. Just when I was starting to wonder where they were I started hearing barking. Lots of barking.

One of the sea lions was a little antisocial. He seemed determined to defend his territory from all approachers.


A couple more sea lions were doing their own thing together. Maybe the crowd got to be too much for them.


The rest of the sea lions were very social.


Why are all the sea lions at the pier, you ask? Well, here you go:


Neptune's Palace was right by the sea lions, and Marianne had recommended it, so I had dinner there.


Then I walked around a bit and took a streetcar back to the hotel.


Thursday was shopping and studying for my test on Friday. Not so many pictures, but I did get some cute jeans.

Friday the test was done by 3:30 or so, so I had plenty of time to take a cab back to Fisherman's Wharf for my Segway Tour! The tour was awesome, the guide was great, and the Segway was really fun to drive. I didn't take many pictures because you were supposed to stop your Segway and step off before taking picture. Here are a few, though.

I got a decent shot of the Golden Gate Bridge.


I took a picture of the city from our practice area on a long pier.


The guide took a picture of me. Not the most flattering, but eh. No snarky comments on the helmet or the stylish vest, please. :)


We segwayed up over a hill and down into the Fort Mason area. I don't have a picture, but we stopped outside Greens Restaurant. The tour guide said that it's run by Zen Buddhists who have an organic farm just over the bridge in the Marin Headlands where they produce a lot of the ingredients used at the restaurant. We didn't go inside, and I didn't have a chance to go back, but it smelled incredible. Definitely worth a visit!

After the tour and a little adventure where I left my camera at the tour place and had to rush back to get it before they closed, I had dinner at the Bistro Boudin. It was very good. And they made cute animals out of sourdough bread.