2004-05-20 - 23:37

Snap your head back

Well, it didn't really take me two weeks to recover from Coachella--that's just how long it took me to update here. It looked for a moment like I was going to ease back into work gently; but then a customer emergency had me busy for a week. They almost had me flying out to the customer site a few days after my vacation ended; but a few late nights helped to put the kibosh on that plan.

I've been trying to take care of some house things with my spare time. The previous owner had filled in a section of the lawn with crushed stone to make a parking space. I've been digging that out as part of a lawn/garden rejuvenation effort. Fun stuff.

Last weekend was Sarah and Jason's wedding, which was a nice, simple ceremony. I came home with a Simpsons Pez dispenser, so it was a successful night, all around.

The hockey pool is rolling along quite well. When the playoffs started, my pick for the final match-up was Lightning-Sharks. It was looking close; but Calgary surprised me again. So far, the East has gone entirely according to plan, although there is still Game 7 to unfold.

I've seen a couple of concerts lately. Last week, it was P:ano at Zaphod's. Their set was a mess; but I was again impressed by As the Poets Affirm, who showcased some new material with their opening slot.

Last night was my redemption for missing Eyedea & Abilities at Coachella, as they were headlining at Babylon. I also saw them at their in-store appearance at Vertigo Records in the afternoon. (Abilities forgave me for missing their set in favour of Radiohead.)

I thought that their return to Ottawa was kick-ass, yet somehow not at one hundred percent of their potential. I think that my experience was hampered by the crowd around me. It was great that people were energetic; but it defeats the purpose if you're going to scream the band's name at the top of your lungs every time they start doing something cool, to the point of drowning them out. Ah well. Whatever the environment, E&A are still incredibly tight; and Blueprint delivered a strong set, too.

Oh, as for Coachella, I did write an excessively detailed recap. This one is rather rambling (even more than usual), so enter at your own risk.

That's the two-week summary for here. With the exception of nights involving Babylon concerts (Eyedea finished about 2:15), I've been approaching the schedule of a normal human being, which seems to have eliminated my journal writing time. I should try to update more often, though.

J.