Cville - Hipper Than You

It seems like only yesterday that I was on the road, leaving the precious Ville for Key West. Now I must depart our beloved city once again to head to New Orleans for the Jazz and Heritage Festival. While the Festival is enough reason to go to Nawlins, I am really going there to celebrate a friend's birthday. (I love that all of my friends are doing destination birthdays this year. My wallet hates it, but I love it.) I only have one regret, and that is that I will be missing the Foxfield races for the first time in almost a decade. (Whoever got my usual spot at Purple C-66, enjoy it while you can, because I am coming back for it in the Fall!) I'll have pics from the Big Easy when I get back. Enjoy your weekend, and bet on any Irish horse for me! - A

Some old faithfuls and some you may not realize:

April 25th: Carbon Leaf at Starr Hill - I wrote about this band the last time they were in town (see October archive, I believe). I will be there, and you should, too, if you love good music. If you love bad music, then you're on your own. Info at www.starrhill.com.

April 28th: Foxfield Races at Foxfield Race Track (Barracks/Garth Road) - Tickets are still available, but you can't get them at the gate. This is one of the biggest events of the Spring in C'ville. Steeplechase races in a lovely setting. Find more at www.foxfieldraces.com.

April 29th: Men in Heels (Downtown Mall) - Male community leaders, firefighters, law enforcement officers, students and others walk a mile in high heels to protest sexual assault against women and to raise money for the Sexual Assault Resource Agency. Participants are asked to obtain $20 in sponsorship. Walk-on walkers welcome. Starts on the Downtown Mall at the Community Chalkboard, 1:30p.

While I feel horrible for the folks down at Tech, I had to pull myself away from the continuous coverage on TV the last two nights. The more I watch, the more depressed I get, and I don't handle depression well. So, Tuesday night it was the monthly girls' dinner. (Yeah, at our age we should call it the women's dinner, but we still feel like girls.) We decided to hit Baja Bean on 29 across from Walmart. (Lots of tex-mex for me this week.) I love the Baja on the corner, but this was my first time at the one on 29. While the menu is the same (you have to order the shredded chicken & cheese burrito-delish!), the atmosphere is quite different. The Baja on 29 is bright and cheery...perfect for families. Yes, I have been quite 'cheery' at the Baja on the corner, but I would definitely say it is more dimly lit and better for the college folks.

Then last night, I went to Club Rivals for...wait for it...karaoke! You know karaoke had to eventually turn up on this blog. Club Rivals is having a karaoke contest each Wednesday in April with cash prizes. I didn't enter the contest, but some really talented people did. (Tammy H. should've won!) Then there were the ones who shouldn't have had that extra beer before hitting the stage. One guy was so gone that he couldn't read the words on the screen, so he made up his own. Even so, he was still better than Sanjaya on American Idol. (Thank goodness he left the show last night. It was starting to not be so funny anymore. I felt sorry for the guy.) After the contest, I did get up and sing "I Will Survive." I could just hear Simon in my head after my performance saying "absolutely hideous." I'm glad there was no vote at Club Rivals, or I'd be with Sanjaya enjoying virgin pina coladas on a beach somewhere.

In case you haven't heard, tomorrow (Friday, 4/20/07) people are being encouraged to wear orange and maroon to show support for the families of the victims of the horrible shootings down at Va Tech. Also, at noon there will be a moment of silence. If you visit the Tech website, www.vt.edu, you will find info on these events and info on how you can show support in other ways. - A

As I try to wrap my head around the events of yesterday at VA Tech, I think I speak for everyone in Charlottesville when I say that our prayers and support are with the families of the victims and the entire student body there in Blacksburg. What a sad and senseless loss of life.

Now that I have your attention, I do need your help, but I may have fudged on the 'history' thing. A friend of mine's website is up for a Webby (the Oscars of the internet), and I am trying to get as many votes for his site as possible, not just because he's my friend, but because his site truly deserves to win. Here's what I would love for you to do:
Go to: http://pv.webbyawards.com/account/login
You will be asked to activate your account from the e-mail you submit. Then, you can vote!
Go to the Online Film & Video area, and then to the Comedy: Long Form or Series category.
Vote for Statler & Waldorf: From the Balcony!
There are many other categories, so have fun. If you want, e-mail me (link is in the left-hand column) to let me know that you've made history with me! If you are reading this on cvilleblogs.com, please pass the above to everyone you know. (If it helps, you are helping a former UVA grad. If it doesn't help, then forget I said that.)

You know "it cleans you out, and then you can go on." That was my weekend. Friday night started at Fellini's with Steve and our awesome waiter Chad. I had been to Fellini's several times for brunch, but this was my first dinner experience. I honestly think I could've just had their pre-dinner bread all night and been fine. It is that good. But not having eaten all day, I decided that dinner was needed and ordered the roasted chicken. It was fine, but being in an Italian restaurant, I should've ordered a pasta dish. Hindsight is always 20/20. Steve ordered the pork dish and seemed to enjoy it. What truly 'made' the dinner was the atmosphere. Fellini's is dimly lit and, for lack of a better word, homey. After dinner, we ventured to Revolutionary Soup for a comedy show benefit for the Shelter for Help in Emergency. Most comics were local and just okay, but there were a couple of standouts, Erik Monical, and the last guy, a professional comic whose name I can't remember, but I do remember he was darn funny. Good laughs for a good cause. You can't beat that.

Then Saturday is was lunch with my friend Melissa at Shebeen. I had never been there for lunch, and didn't realize how different their lunch menu is from the dinner one. We both had salads, which were really good. (You honestly can't go on too long about salads, can you?) While there, we discussed our plans for getting a tent at the Pink Ribbon Polo Match in June. It is a great event at King Family Vineyards, which benefits the breast cancer programs at UVA and Martha Jeff. We will be there and hope you will be, too. You can find info at www.pinkribbonpolo.com.

Easter Sunday, it was off to the parents' house in Martinsville. Visiting my parents is always an 'event.' No matter how many people are going to come over, my mother fixes enough food to feed everyone in Martinsville and the surrounding county. She also plans a big Easter egg hunt, even though the only kid coming over is my cousin's little boy, Colby. I always tell my mother that she overdoes it, but honestly I don't know what I would do if she didn't. She has been like this since I can remember, and I would be afraid that she was really ill if she ever said "Oh, let's just order out this Easter." I left there stuffed and exhausted. Needless to say, the 3 hour drive home for Steve was a little lonely, since stuffed + exhausted=sleeping in the car for me.

So, after a full and tiring weekend, I am ready to take it easy for a couple of days. By Thursday, I should be ready for the UVA Club Annual Gala (www.uvaclubs.com/cville/gala.htm). On Friday, another birthday dinner for me (even though my birthday was March 26th), and Saturday is Daughtry at Starr Hill. Seems my hurricane season happens every weekend!

Happy Monday! - A

And what better way to spend it than having a frosty beverage with my friend Regan at the Lazy Parrot, which houses the bestest bartender in the world, Jill! Honestly, don't you want to be a little loopy when you have to figure out dividend income versus dividend interest! Here's the story. This is the latest that Steve and I have ever waited to see our tax person and file our taxes. I typically organize all our tax type stuff, so last night I thought that the best way to prepare to get ready to organize was to grab a beer and some wings. I had missed Regan's birthday celebration, so it was good that he could join me. Even better, we got to hang with our girl Jill. The Lazy Parrot has a great sports bar vibe (darts, trivia, and TVs with sports in the bar) with tropical decor and a huge menu. I opted for wings, because it's my comfort food, and I needed a little comfort before conquering deductions and taxable income. Regan was way too excited that they had sliders on the menu and gulped them up with as much enthusiasm. While the Parrot is not necessarily the place to bring a date before a formal event, it is very reliable for a good meal and a good time. It is located in the Pantops Shopping Center next to Food Lion.

After the fun, it was home to beat up my calculator. After a late night of numbers, Steve and I visited Sylvia, tax guru, this morning. She made everything quick and painless. We're even getting a little money back! You know what that means...more wings and beer for me!!!!

Happy tax day (whenever yours might be or might have been)! - A

April 7th:
Easter Egg Hunt - Barracks Road Shopping Center -Sammy Snacks will host an Easter Egg Hunt at the Barracks Road Shopping Center Saturday, April 7th. Sammy Snacks and participating Barracks retailers will hide 300 eggs throughout various storefronts. Each egg will be filled with gift certificates, discount coupons and treats for participants and their dogs. Participating retailers will be donating a percentage of their daily sales to the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA to help our homeless animals. Participants should register at Sammy Snacks the day of the Easter Egg Hunt starting at 10am.