Art Beat 2008

[I advertised this on my Stella Marie Soap Company blog, but I thought I'd post about it here, too, in case any of you locals are interested. I hope you can stop by and say hello - the weather is supposed to rock and the entertainment is always fun.]

I will be selling my soaps and other bath goodies at the Art Beat festival this year. The Somerville Arts Council has updated their website with the full festival details!

Saturday, 7/19: Noon - 5PM
Davis Square, Somerville, MA

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In unrelated news: Our softball team has advanced to the 2nd round of playoffs. I'm not sure what happened, but we were unstoppable. The other team lost due to the mercy rule, which is simply unheard of, given our not-so-impressive record. Perhaps it's because our coach gave us a pep talk before the game. Who knew that this is all we needed to excel? It was so freaking fun to (a) win and (b) pound another team.

IRON MAIDEN

We went to see Iron Maiden last night. Very enjoyable show - Dickinson still has it. Major pipes. The band was very tight. Their performance made up for the opening band, which was beyond horrible. You remember what Cassandra's band from Wayne's World sounded like? Same crap, but worse because it is obvious that they are serious about themselves.

It also rained and thundered for a good portion of the show, mostly at the beginning. We had lawn seats, so I am now convinced that we are all going to get some kind of fungus. The youngesters throwing themselves down the mudslide didn't seem to care. I was so mad at these little punks, I nearly made one of them eat my shoes.

My only disappointment was that Maiden didn't play Flight Of Icarus. I was so ready for it!

Rajon Rondo: He'll Holla!

Check out Rondo's blog. He's pretty consistent with posting, too, considering how busy he is right now. He's been icing the ankle and taking it easy. I've got a good feeling about this game. I think that KG and Pierce are going to bring it. I hope they do it in front of grumpy, old Jack Nicholson. God, that man gets under my skin (save for The Shining and The Witches of Eastwick).

I am wondering if maybe Bill Russell can fly to L.A. for extra motivation. I'm not joking.

In house news: We are getting the house inspected on Saturday. My mom and Bill will be coming along for the fun. Whippee! Three hours of the 3 Ps: poking, prodding and praying that we don't find termites.

In sunburn news: I'm peeling like a mofo. I'm hideous.

And congratulations to David Ortiz for becoming a United States citizen!

We've Got a House!

In theory, anyway. Lots of paperwork still needs to be processed (and looked over by an attorney), but we accepted the counter-offer, with a few conditions. The deposit is in! Soon, we will be "Pawtucketites." "Rhode Islanders." "People who live in a very small state." Wait, we are already people who live in a very small state.

Word to the wise: Don't buy spray on sun screen. It doesn't work all that well. My lobster burn today is proof. And Jere's little nephew (one of the family members we spent yesterday with on his parents' beach) came running into their condo at the end of the day screaming about the sunburn on his back. He then looked at us and said, "I'm gonna take a tub!" He is so adorable. By the way, the sunburn was the only drawback to yesterday's fun. We had such a blast hanging out with everyone, including Jere's cousin Kara, her husband Ben and their super cute daughter, Lanie. It was the first real summer day. I think we checked every box - kayak, float, ocean, swimming pool, beach, picnic. Good times!

Speaking of good times, I should also mention that we went to Manny's big 500 home run game in Baltimore last weekend! Special thanks to Taylor and Kathie for treating us and letting us stay at their place in Philadelphia after the game. Loved the waffles! It was nice to get a real crab cake, too. I know New England offers kickass seafood, but nobody makes a crab cake like the fine people of Baltimore. And I am a big fan of it.

Mom update: She's doing well, though I could punch that old E.R. doctor in the head. After more scans by her oncologist, she was told that there is still cancer in the lungs. And everywhere else. Bu the good news is that it hasn't gotten worse or metastasized any further. They changed up her chemo, so her side affects won't be so bad. This one just gives her an intolerance to cold temperatures (she likens drinking cold beverages to swallowing shards of glass) and messes around with her jaw when she chews. Other than that, it seems to be better for her. She prefers this to vomiting.

I will be spending this sweltering day indoors making soap and other bath products to prepare for a pretty big Stella Marie spa party on Friday. It is best for me to stay out of the sun for a while. Besides, game 2 of the NBA finals is on tonight. Not to be missed!