Alum finds voice in performance

My friend Sean McKeithan has written a one man show called "On Breathing in the Barrel" that is an interesting and very personal look into his life while using the thesis that Sean wrote at UNC: Hegemony, mythology, bourbon : an exploration of white southern masculinities.

Sean uses bourbon as a tool to invite you into his life and work. He asks you to have a drink with him, to break the ice, and begins to explain what it's like to be gay, Southern, and a man. Bourbon helps him through the inner workings of his identity.

His last show is today at 3 pm at Swain Hall at UNC. Tickets are $5. I highly recommend you see it! After party at E.B.'s house-- I'm sure there will be bourbon.

What's in a name?

What's in a name? that which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet.

What's in her name you ask? Katherine's maiden name is Ellison and Ellis is a way to remember her family, her heritage, and the way she was raised and will raise Ellis. And Ann is the middle name of her fabulous Aunt Becky (who is technically not an aunt... but then again Katherine is technically not my sister either.). I'm hoping that she'll start to look like me too, but I think she takes after her parents. She's a perfect combination of the both of her parents-- she has her dad's blue eyes and her mother's love of sleeping.

Little Ellis Ann was such a joy to meet. I spent 5 days in Blacksburg keeping Katherine company and changing my first free diapers EVER (mind you I've changed hundreds of diapers for pay, but never pro bono before).

I can't wait to watch this little girl grow up. Time passes very quickly and children grow up right in front of your eyes. I'm still waiting for head control... I've got my kangas ready!

flashback friday

Girltalk in The Red edition:

I learned about Girl Talk from my buddy CWJ (second from the right) who was a dj at WXYC while we were in college at UNC. His taste in music was impeccable and I wished I could be as cool and nonchalant about it as he was. He busted GT out on a road trip to Kentucky as we were headed to go climbing in the Red River Gorge.

Last night was Girl Talk's show in Raleigh at the Disco Rodeo. Imagine Top 40 hits from the past 20 years mashed with a thumping beat, glowsticks, confetti, and 2000 of your closest, sweatiest friends dancing in their favorite sequined spandex. Needless to say, it was amazing. It went a little something like this:

I got a little nostalgic for my days of being a climbing bum and heading to a destination crag somewhere in NC, WV, KY, or another distant land in search of rock. Of all the places I've climbed (and I've climbed in 7 states from Washington to New Hampshire, as well as Peru), The Red is my favorite.

Besides having really sweet people (who would drive 30 minutes to return your forgotten gear), great food (Ale-81), and a climber-friendly place to crash at Miguel's Pizza, the Red has the most variety of rock I have ever seen.

This is Miguel's:

There's slabby granite, sandstone, overhangs, huecos, and giant plates. It's been a while since I've climbed, due in part to an injury that I'm still recovering from and also to my busy life of grad schooling and living in Africa. This route was called Special K-- it was my first 5.10b lead.

Rock on.

flashback friday

First music videos addition:

I remember on my last day of 5th grade I came home to one of my friends' houses (whose parents actually allowed her to watch MTV). We grubbed on some snacks while celebrating our victory over elementary school and predicted the coolness of middle school that would come at the end of the summer (how wrong we were.). I ignored most of the conversation (which might explain how I turned out like I did) and watched the music videos playing in the background. I have loved them ever since.

These were the videos that played that day.

1. Glycerine by Bush

2. 1979 by The Smashing Pumpkins

3. Virtual Insanity by Jamiroquai

...and...

4. Mmm bop by Hanson

After those pretty epic vids, maybe you can understand how the radio would never be the same again.

Now let's flash back to 1996/1997 when I looked like this:

And wore my brother's old umbros:

And these were popular:

Let's welcome the new decade with class... and no more hair clips...

Colorado: in review

Days spent in Colorado: 12

Pages in my study guide for PNP certification: 243

Percentage of time I spent procrastinating when I should be studying: 51

Days skiing on the mountain: 3

Inches of fluffy-uffy-sticky-icky-pow-pow (fresh powder) at Copper last weekend: 12

My steezy factor on a scale of 0 to 10: 4 (the decided number that indicates pretty decent steez without being obnoxious)

Fraction of people who knew that turtlenecks were not steezy: 4/5

Tracks on the album made for Kelly entitled Chicken Soup for the Soul Mate: 20

Gallons of gas used in the Prius: Gotcha! NONE, it's a hybrid! haha

Durham: Just a hop and skip down Tobacco Road

Thanks partially committed for sharing this NY times post of Top 41 places to visit in 2011. I'm not sure I'd buy a plane ticket to eat at the old tobacco factories, but it's certainly worth the bike ride or hybrid drive from Chapel Hill (or Duke).

Durham (nicknamed "The Dirty D") used to be synonymous with Welcome to Durham, a documentary about the ills of gang life in the Bull City, and a place that my parents would not let me drive to by myself.

But these days, it's an up-and-coming hip town that's overflowing with a local scene of restaurants, artists, and happenings that highlight all that it has to offer: Culture and history.

From the Tobacco District to the Eno River, Durham is filled with tons to do.

Read:

- D-PAC (Durham Performing Arts Center)

- Durham Bulls

- countless restaurants and bars (favorite eateries including Broad St Cafe & Watt's Grocery)

- kids trying to play basketball

- The Museum of Life & Science

- American Tobacco Trail

- Duke Forest

- Sarah P. Duke Gardens

- Bennett Place (for all those Civil War buffs out there)

- cookout (not just for seeing but filling your belly with super greasy delicious goodness)

Don't get me wrong, I have no intention of trading blues or abandoning my love of Chapel Hill/Carrboro, but it's nice to see a little revitalization in our neck of the woods.

Post secret new year's resolutions

15. Start a new adventure.

16. Spend more time with my favorite people.

17. ...

Photo proof that Katherine is going to be the best mom everrrrrr

This family was made for loving each other:

She's got a fantastic group of women (missing: Mimi, Shirley, Ashley, Erica, & Ruthie) in her family to help her out:

She's joyful and loves to jump for special occasions like birthdays, graduations, baby showers, Tuesdays:

She's smart and supportive:

This guy is pretty great... and he's the other half:

She sees all, knows all:
She has excellent taste in shoulder pads:
She'll raise her babies to be Tar Heels!
Perhaps you have not seen rhymeswithsmile.blogspot.com? And she's a published cookbook author:

She's not afraid of a stinky diaper:

Picky eating doesn't run in her genes (yes, that's a French snail):

Hygiene is a priority:
She has EVERYTHING in her purse... and I mean everything:
She can put up with me:
Katherine's going to be a great mom, but I obviously already knew that from 25 years of cousin love.

New Year's Day in review

New babies born into my family: 1

Baby Gonzo has a Name: Ellis Ann

Time she was born: 7:43 AM

Pounds she weighs: 8 lb 9.5 oz

Inches she is long: 22

Status of mommy/my favorite girl cousin: faaaaaaaaabulous

Number of times I've thought about carrying her on my back in a kanga: 23,304

Congratulations Katherine & Jesse! We'll be bloggin from Bburg in a few weeks when I come to play with my new favorite nugget!