Cville - Hipper Than You

In my never ending quest to find the most fun things to do in Charlottesville, I have figured out that not all of the hip things involve alcohol, food and dancing. Last night, yours truly went to PVCC to play city league softball. My friends on the Bob's Wheel Alignment team needed a ringer, so I agreed to play. (They actually just needed another girl to fill in on their co-rec team, but ringer sounds so much better.) For my first time playing in a long time, I didn't do too horribly bad. I even got around the bases once! I have to admit that I wasn't thrilled about playing, but afterward I was glad I had participated. The city offers basketball, softball, and volleyball for adults and even has a website where you can register to find a team in need of players, if you are a solo athlete. Visit www.charlottesville.org/Index.aspx?page=735 for more info.

What was really cool was the socializing after the game. We all gathered around the cooler, talked, and threw back a couple of brewskies. Oops, I guess I'll have to add this to the "hip thing that does involve alcohol" column. - A

that's not a bad thing necessarily. Living in the Ville, we sometimes forgo the restaurants attached to hotels/inns in favor of stand alone local or chain restaurants. I'm not really sure why. Maybe we feel that we need to be guests at said hotel/inn in order to not feel out of place. Or maybe we just want to avoid sitting in a room full of people who are on vacation and don't have to worry about work the next day. Whatever the reason, you are completely depriving yourself if you don't visit the Old Mill Room at the Boar's Head Inn from time to time. That's exactly what Steve and I did last night for his birthday dinner. Sure, it's a little pricey, but you deserve the best, and that is what you get there. From the great service to the incredible wine list, everything is top notch. We had the lobster bisque (delish) and the trifecta appetizer (lobster tail, thin-sliced tuna, and a crab rangoon). We could have gotten away with just that and the bread and felt full, but we decided to order dinner anyway. Steve got the filet mignon, which he loved, and I got the salmon. My only complaint was that the salmon was a little rare for my tastes. True, I could have asked to have it cooked a little more, but I was so full from the starters that I didn't really need to eat a lot of it anyway. And it tasted great regardless. Dessert was out of the question, but the triple chocolate napolean sure looked tempting.
If you're going, prepare to take a little time with your meal. It's not that the service is slow. You will just want to take your time enjoying your incredible meal.

I'll post again tomorrow, as we have another birthday meal tonight. But if you don't get a chance to check back...have a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend! - A

June 2nd - Annual Walk for Kids - Actually you can run, walk, or skip, but they call it a walk. Whatever way you like to get around, make sure to come to the Park (next to the UVA Law School) at around 8am to register to help the kids at the UVA Children's Hospital. The "walk" starts at 9am.

June 7th - Ziggy Marley and The Neville Brothers - At the Charlottesville Pavilion. General admission tickets are $35 with a $2 service fee. (I've never understood service fees. Just say it's $37 already!) Doors:6p Show:7p.

June 16th - Pink Ribbon Polo Cup - C'ville truly loves its events where it can combine horses and pretty dresses. This one raises funds for breast cancer care and research. It is a truly fun event and a truly good excuse to go buy a new pink dress. Find more info at www.pinkribbonpolo.com.

See you at one of these fun events, as I plan on being at all of them! - A

This has been my lamest week EVER! Yeah, I've been out a couple of times, but it's been to the same old places, eating and drinking the same old stuff. Everyone has their off weeks, but I feel that I am letting you down this week, so I apologize. However, I am here to try and make amends by reminding you of a couple of things going on this weekend that you may have forgotten...
UVA GRADUATION - yes, it's this weekend. Typically, unless you know someone graduating or work for the University, this event sneaks up on you and all of a sudden you're wondering why you can't get into a restaurant or why you are sitting in the same spot in traffic for 15 minutes. The influx of non-townies should start sometime tomorrow. So beware!
ASH LAWN WINE FESTIVAL - yes, it's this weekend. If you want to escape the madness that is UVA graduation, then head up to Ash Lawn-Highland for the annual wine festival on Sat and Sun, the 19th and 20th. I usually go on Sunday, and it is a fun, laid-back event with music, food, and, of course, lots of wine. They do have some tables, but it is probably best to bring your own chairs or blankets. If you don't want to purchase food there, you can also bring your own picnic-type foods. Rain or shine. You can call for tickets...434-293-9539.

Congrats to all the UVA grads and their families. I'll be raising up a toast to you at Ash Lawn! - A

"For someone who writes about how much she loves Charlottesville, Angie sure does leave town a lot." That may be what you say after I tell you that I was once again out of town this past weekend. I had to travel to Ft. Myers, FL on business. It was fun, and I love the area, but it wasn't the best time to visit. The brush fires from Georgia and northern Florida were creating a smoke cloud which made its way down to Ft. Myers and smelled up the place. People were being advised to stay inside as much as possible. The airport was closed for a while due to low visibility. It was a mess. Needless to say, it was wonderful to return to the Ville on a beautiful, sunny, and clear day. I am hoping that I will not be called away again for a while, as I have missed you all.

By the way, did you know that the price of stamps went up today? The newscast this morning was the first I heard of it! And wouldn't you know it, I bought a book of 39 cent stamps just two weeks ago. Now I have to go get those annoying 1 cent stamps. (Bear with me...it's a slow news day and I've been out of town). - A

when venturing around our little Ville. You might see Dave Matthews at Barnes & Noble having a cup of coffee. You might see hot air balloons riding high in the air. Or you might see what I saw today...a movie being filmed on the Lawn! I know that some people have dubbed C'ville the "Hollywood With Class," but let's be honest. There aren't as many movies filmed here as we would like to give ourselves credit for. Sure, Evan Almighty was filmed nearby, and Sissy Spacek gives us street cred, but when was the last time you actually encountered a movie being filmed? Well, today it happened to me. I was taking my usual run around The University, when I noticed a film crew on the Lawn. I just ran past, not wanting to look like I was as curious as I was. All of a sudden, I heard someone yell "Angie." Since I wasn't playing the Rolling Stones on my mp3 player and I knew it wasn't my imagination, I turned around to look. Sure enough, a friend of mine who is a production assistant on the film yelled at me. Scott asked me if I would like to look around the shoot, and I said yes, figuring I wouldn't look silly now that I had an 'in.' I met the producer and director and saw the lead actress, Rachel Somebody. Scott told me that Kris Kristoferson is in the film, but wasn't here today. It was a very interesting side trip for my run. The fact that this would happen at all during my run is just another reason that I love this crazy place.

Oh, and I saw a vehicle shaped like a weiner today, too, but it paled in comparison to the film thing. - A

Have you ever had that feeling that you were going to win something? You know, like when you buy a lottery ticket or enter some type of contest and just have a feeling that you were going to walk away with a prize. That was the feeling I had on Friday. I had bought raffle tickets to benefit Computers4Kids and the drawings were held at Fridays After Five this past Friday. I had one ticket for the Harley-Davidson drawing and one for Pittsburgh Steelers' tickets, and I just knew one of them was mine. Well, those 2 drawings went by and "Angie" wasn't announced once. Then, there were door prizes, one of them being a trip to Aruba. My hopes once again soared, as I know that my feeling could not be incorrect. Two other door prizes were going to be given away before the trip. Mac McDonald announced that the first door prize was a portrait at Gitchell's studio. Wouldn't you know it...my name was drawn for that! Now don't get me wrong, it is a nice prize and Jim Carpenter does amazing work, but it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Unfortunately, the guy who won the Harley didn't want to trade, so I will soon have a very nice, expensive portrait to post here.

After a disappointing Friday, I was looking forward to the bachelorette party for a friend of mine Saturday night. She was having it at Wild Wing Cafe, and I thought that all kinds of rowdyness would ensue. Well, that doesn't really happen when you have moms, aunts, and children there. Turns out, I misunderstood the message and it was a bridal shower, not a bachelorette party. Once I found this out, I made the bride-to-be wait until most of the party was gone to open my gift, as it was totally bachelorette oriented. We stuck around to see the De La Hoya/Maywether fight. (I totally predicted the outcome...Maywether wins by decision...De La Hoya was outraged...in a few months they will have another match to make more millions...total business.) The Wing was packed, and with all of those guys in there, would you believe that not one of them bought the bride-to-be a drink! I guess their wives' would be proud.

Sunday was a trip to Martinsville to visit mom for an early Mother's Day. (I will be out of town this coming Sunday.) So, today, I am playing catch up with everything I was supposed to get done over the weekend. Coming up this week, I will have another restaurant review and details about another out of town trip, hopefully my last one for a while. So how was your weekend? - A

Boy does it get crazy in the Ville when the weather gets warmer! Here are a few events that you may or may not know about...

May 5th: James River Runners Great Chili Cook-off - This benefit for the Scottsville Volunteer Rescue Squad gives you a chance to show off your gourmet abilities, or sample others culinary talents. What a great way to spend Cinco de Mayo! It's held at the JRR's base camp at Hatton Ferry. More info at www.jamesriver.com/chili.htm.

Also on May 5th: Heart Gala - to benefit the American Heart Association being held at ACAC's Adventure Central. Gala-esque events include a live and silent auction, dancing, and more. Info at (434) 973-5072.

May 11th-13th: Come Together: The Artwork of John Lennon Exhibit - Over 100 pieces of the Beatle/solo artist's artwork will be displayed at the Downtown Visitors Center, 100 Fifth Street. Door proceeds benefit Computers4Kids. (888) ART-1969.

May 31st: Cowboy Mouth at Starr Hill Music Hall - I was so disappointed when I found out that Cowboy Mouth was going to be playing at Jazz Fest the weekend that I wasn't there. These guys (and a gal) are awesome live. You will leave feeling more energized no matter how many Mojos you have. Info at www.starrhill.com.

Never, ever only take 2 days to go to New Orleans. There is way too much to do, and if you are only there for 2 days, you will only get 3 hours of collective sleep. You need to be there a week, at least, to get a full night's rest. However, if you do go for only 2 days, the best 2 days would have to be during Jazz Fest. While the crowds are still wild, for this event the focus is off of showing boobs for beads (believe me, my guys tried) and more on music and supporting a devastated city. The reason we originally decided to visit during JF was to celebrate the birthday of a close friend, Glenn. (pictured is my mantourage of Jason, Steve, Dan, and Glenn) As I have mentioned before, I love these destination birthdays! And I love being able to see friends who I truly wish lived closer to me. Once there, though, I had more of a feeling that we were not only there to celebrate, but to experience. I suppose this city will forever be defined by Hurricane Katrina, which is sad, but understandable. From the drink of choice changing from hurricanes to hand grenades, to the billboards begging for businesses to "take a chance on New Orleans," you still feel that this city doesn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. It really hit home when we were driving by the houses that are still vacant that have red circles on the front of them, indicating that they had been searched for dead bodies. Horrible sight, but overall it truly made me proud to be there. That is the only way to describe it. While downing my 3rd hand grenade, I was helping to rebuild a city. While eating beneighs (I have no idea how to spell it) at Cafe du Monde, I was keeping tradition alive. While listening to music at Jazz Fest, I was celebrating Nawlins' heritage. While enjoying time with my best friends in the world, I was hoping that the people of this city could find a time that they will once again enjoy everything around them. You can't know this feeling until you visit there. So visit. But make sure to go for more than 2 days! - A

See, we really were there! Steve and me in front of the Jazz Fest map, cause we stayed lost (or in a haze) most of the time.

We were able to find the most beat up Bourbon Street sign, so we decided to take a pic there. Also above is the most unique bar stools I have ever seen. It's the tire swing bar at Margaritaville in N.O.













What is a visit to New Orleans without dropping by Brad and Angelina's new pad. Here I am stalking the famous couple at what I am told is their digs in New Orleans. The picture to the right is the view of Bourbon Street from my friends' balcony room early in the evening.