Tonight's Our Night... INDEED!

Um, that's right! You're reading an updated entry from a CHAMP of Buckley's Trivia Night, Avid Reader! Read on and weep!

John, Amy, Ethan and I -- otherwise known as 'Tonight's Our Night' -- hit Buckley's to celebrate another week on the planet and Ethan's last night in Seattle. And did so in style: with $50 in winnings toward our evening's food & beverage with a BIG WIN!

From Ethan's Moldova to Amy's the liquid left over from the cheesemaking process", we scored 27 points to 2nd place's 26 to take this week's title from our arch nemesis, Sham-WOW (25 points)! John rocked by recalling Selma Blair; I added to our point total by conjuring up the worst spelling of Neuchafel EVER (ruechaffel -- and yes, I made it especially bubbly) and we became Tuesday night's hottest Trivia team in Seattle!

525,600 minutes...

How do you measure a year? I measure it in how many times I can see 'RENT'! So far for 2009... once... and counting!

Tonight, Amy, John & I were joined by Wilson Wong as we saw the next amazing show in our series of Broadway Across America. The coolest part about this tour -- apart from me getting to see it! -- is that the two performers who originated Roger (Adam Pascal) and Mark (Anthony Rapp) were back on stage!

Always a favorite, 'RENT' is incredibly powerful, and to see it with the two originating characters was electric.

Father's Day

I didn't get to talk to my Dad today and I am sad about it. I missed him at home. I missed him at the cabin. I missed him on the golf course.

But let there be no mistake: I love you, Dad. Happy Father's Day.

Max

I got an incredible surprise this past week when a blast from the past reached out on Facebook to tell me his band was playing one-night-only in Seattle. Amy Weaver & I made it to the Central Saloon to catch Whiskey Hill Blues Band and I got to spend some time catching up with one of my favorite SEP campers of all time, Max Ghenis.

I think the last time I saw Max was at his bar mitzvah in Eugene. I saw him enter his teens 9+ years ago and this week, got to see Max the Man. Having grown up, having graduated from Berekely, and now having the time of his life, we enjoyed Thai at Kerry Park and caught up after too many years. He's become an awesome human being altogether and has completely shed his Shell of Shy. He was a RockStar on stage, an awesome conversationalist over lunch, and an incredible treat to see again altogether!

Full 90

Summer nights with the Sounders has been the norm for the past few weeks as I've caught two Sounders home games since my last trip abroad and vacation (USAV Nationals). The matches couldn't be more fun and this last one vs. San Jose with Jesse, John and Matt Weaver didn't disappoint.

In addition, Amy's cousin Ethan, her best friend Asa from Sweden & Asa's boss @ VOLVO (Magnus) were also in town, so we enjoyed an awesome pre-func atop John & Amy's Belltown condo (pics to come from Asa!) and a post-match party in the Green Lounge -- where the players' friends & family await with snacks and an open bar.

It was a big win for the Sounders after a number of draws (5, I believe) in the heart of the season. And it was a big event for those of us who got to enjoy our kick-butt seats again (and for the record, Jesse went Kobayashi and set the record with six downed hot dogs! Well done, JP!)!

Operation C.A.P.

I got to spend time with my dear friend Craig Allen Phillips who was in Seattle for a spell this past weekend. It had been months and months (I think since 11/2007) since I last got to hang out with Craig, so it was nice to reconnect with an old friend.

We enjoyed brunch at Madrona's Hi Spot Cafe, then hit Victrola Coffee and strolled around his old neck of the woods from when he was a Seattlite. Our lazy sunny afternoon also carried us to Volunteer Park -- one I'd never even been to in the 17+ years I've lived in Seattle. CrAzY!

The Conservatory was a fun discovery as were the open spaces with families & lawn games filling them. It felt like a slice of NYC's Central Park, made oddly moreso given that I was in the company of a friend made there and cemented over the course of the past two years.

Good to see you, CraigA!

Congratulations UW Softball!

I just love college sports. And I love the University of Washington Huskies. And I love it when they excel. So, it's no surprise that this year's Women's College World Series of softball had me giddy over the course of the past five days as I watched the UW softball team bring a national title home to Seattle!

Well done, Huskies! Congratulations!!