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Kim, Amanda, Art and I went up to Snoqualmie pass this Saturday to snowshoe around. I started to get worried on the drive up that there would be no snow, but fortunately there was just above the pass elevation level. (more…)

• Reading: Modern Database Management, Seventh Edition

I’ve taken that Adsense Ads off my site. They haven’t earned me even a penny in weeks. They just aren’t worth having on a site with so little traffic, especially when traffic is mostly friends and family. I pretty much knew that before I started, but now at least I have a better feel for how it works. It’s a really cool advertising concept though. I was actually interested in quite a few of the ads that displayed since they were about subjects I was writing about.

• Listening To: Nirvana - Sliver: The Best of Box

I’ve just completed my first batch of Mr Beer. I’m a little disappointed with the taste of the beer, but I realize that the West Coast Pale Ale beer included with the kit that I bought isn’t the kind of beer I normally like. I like something a little richer and darker. It basically tastes like Coors Light, although after drinking a bottle I like it better than Coors Light. It’s got a nice, light, flavor and the aftertaste is very slight. (more…)

Kim wanted to purchase discount theater tickets for the musical Sweeney Todd at the 5th Avenue Theater from TicketTicket, but they didn’t sell for that show. Then she found out that if you’re 25 or under you can get good seats for just $20. Awesome deal. I wish I had known sooner. I won’t be able to take advantage of it much longer.

Gabe, Amanda and Art went with Kim and me to the show. It was a fun show to see, although not one of the best musicals I’ve seen. It was a little slow to start and I didn’t care about some of the characters (the sailor Anthony in particular, although I don’t think it was the performer’s fault, I just think it was a lame part). It picks up and gets interesting when Sweeny Todd starts killing people with his shaving razor, and then really gets weird and fun when Mrs. Lovett starts selling meat pies from Todd’s handy-work. I really like the haunting main theme of the show. I wish there was more to it. The ending is dark, but I honestly expected things to turn out even darker than they did.

The music is by Stephen Sondheim. I saw one of his other shows, Into the Woods, on Broadway in New York.

Another concert! This one at the Paramount on Monday night. I’ve always wondered how They Might Be Giants performs since they’re just two guys named John. Now I know. They have a backup band. I somehow thought it might be more exciting.

They were their own warmup act. They performed minute long songs about the venues they had been to. They’re so weird. When they came out for their second set they played just about all the songs I wanted to hear: Sun Song, Dr Worm, Particle Man, Birdhouse in your Soul. They even did Fingertips, the weird mishmash of couple second song blips at the end of Apollo 18. The only song they didn’t play that I wanted to hear was Ana Ng.

Their encore was really short. I don’t even remember what they played.

I saw the Decemberists play in Portland this weekend at the Roseland Theatre. I first heard of the Decemberists when the lead singer, Colin Meloy, was the warmup act for the Violent Femmes, and I really liked the music. The way I understand, the band calls Portland home, although I couldn’t verify that and I know the lead singer is from Montana. Regardless, the show in Portland felt like a homecoming for the band, and the audience was really into it, especially since they were filming the show for a live DVD. There were cameras everywhere, and one was on a long boom arm that hung over the audience. (more…)