Sunday, May 30, 2004 06:15 p.m.

So T and I saw Madonna at the Inglewood Forum on Thursday night. I'm not a huge Madonna fan, but I thought that it was something that we should see at least once in our lifetimes, serious music lovers that we are. And hell, anyone who says that s/he doesn't like the song "Holiday" is a big, fat liar. I was impressed, I've got to admit. Madonna is H-O-T. Her voice was spot-on. Cool costumes, cool stage set-up, talented dancers. She may have fucked up the words to John Lennon's "Imagine" ... and I could give a rat's ass about how KABBALISTS DO IT BETTER... but all in all, it was a strong performance for someone who hasn't released a solid album in 10 years. We had a good time.

While in NY last week, I found a handful of crappy CDs that I left behind when I moved to CA in 2000. I brought them back to LA for trading purposes. Now that we have a wedding and a cross-country move in the works, I have had to seriously scale back on the music buying... so it was nice to be able to go to Amoeba on Friday and barter myself a little somethin' somethin'. I picked up the new Los Amigos Invisibles album for myself and Seņor Coconut's El Baile Aleman (a campy, Latin interpretation of Kraftwerk's Greatest Hits) for T. Both are fantastic.

Other highlights of the long weekend so far: watching Kill Bill, Volume 1 on Friday night, looking for (and finding) an awesome wedding spot with T yesterday afternoon, getting a phone call from my long-lost friend Joe and checking out the LA Philharmonic at the Walt Disney Concert Hall last night (Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 19). These past few weeks have been PACKED full of really cool stuff! And it doesn't look like my life is going to slow down anytime soon. These last few months in CA are going to be over before I know it. I have very conflicting feelings about that. I am excited to start a new adventure in a new location, but the thought of leaving LA makes me very sad.

Tuesday, May 25, 2004 09:01 p.m.

I am back from my 10-day New York trip. The time really flew by! The vacation was not without its stressful moments... for instance, my Wisconsin-dwelling grandfather wrapped his car around a tree and ended up on life support the day after we arrived (he has made a miraculous recovery, though, thank the lord). Nevertheless, I am feeling quite rejuvenated. Highlights: meeting my adorable baby nieces, catching up with my friend Burr, whom I hadn't seen for a long time, spending a rainy afternoon by myself in NYC, checking out Albany with T.

Speaking of which... we have officially decided to make the move to Albany. I wasn't sure what to expect - I was afraid that I would either dislike it or feel indifferent - so I was pleasantly surprised to like it as much as I did. T is equally enthusiastic. The houses are beautiful - big, old Victorians and brownstones. The air is clean, and there are beautiful trees everywhere. There are over 10 colleges and universities in the area, which means that there will be a market for the coffeehouse we want to open. T's brother lives there, and my family is two hours away by car.

AND.... it's close to New York City. I forgot how much I love New York City. It's dirty, noisy, smelly and crowded... people drive like maniacs and unapologetically push past each other on the sidewalk... it's as expensive as hell... but I feel completely comfortable and happy and at home there, even while circling the same 10-block area over and over for an hour in the pouring rain, searching unsuccessfully for a free parking spot. Everybody jaywalks. And it's completely acceptable not to smile. I have lost count of the number of strangers who have passed me in the LA streets and said things like "Cheer up," or "Smile, baby!" New Yorkers leave each other the fuck alone, and I like that.

Anyway, more about Albany and New York as our plan develops. The timing and details are still up in the air. We've got a wedding to put together first!

And now for some baby cuteness:

Thursday, May 13, 2004 09:01 a.m.

Vacation time is almost here, and I couldn't be more ready. T and I leave tonight for NY. We're taking the red-eye, so we can make the most of our free time. I am excited to see my family and finally meet my adorable nieces, plus it will be good to catch up with friends I haven't seen in a long time. T and I will be spending part of the vacation scoping out a new place to live, too - all very exciting.

Sunday, May 9, 2004 10:03 a.m.

T and I went to the Jewelry District in Downtown LA yesterday to get my engagement ring re-sized. After taking care of business, we decided to check out Clifton's Cafeteria, which is also in that area. What a trip! Rock sculptures, redwood trees, a waterfall, vintage posters of mountain landscapes, a huge moose head - it probably looks very similar to the way it did when it was built in the late 1930s. The food is nasty... greasy, cafeteria-style and heavy on the meat... but the food is not the main draw. Despite its being a gastronomical disaster, I would heartily recommend this freaky time-warp to anyone (especially lovers of bizarre landmarks).

Saturday, May 8, 2004 09:29 a.m.

Here's a shot of the new hair-cut I got yesterday. Crappy photo, but you get the idea:

And while I'm on the subject of photos, check out my Coachella 2004 shots here.

Friday, May 7, 2004 03:53 p.m.

I had to go to WAL-MART today. I fuckin' hate WAL-MART, but it's the only place where I have been able to find white t-shirts tiny enough to fit my 2-month-old nieces. I am about to make a fresh batch of little rock-n-roll shirts to give to the babies when I visit NY next week, so I had no choice but to stop by WAL-MART for the supplies. At the very moment I entered the store, I felt a crazy, strong pressure in my head and became incredibly dizzy. I had to stand still for a few moments in order to avoid falling flat on my face... and when I regained my balance and looked around, it was as if I was seeing the world through a pane of dirty glass. I found the t-shirts, paid and left ASAP. It took 30 minutes for everything to feel normal again. I was freaked out enough to call my doctor and make an appointment for Tuesday. I've been having weird headaches off-and-on for the past several weeks... what happened today was so sudden and so unlike anything I've ever felt before, and I want to be absolutely certain that nothing is wrong. Hopefully, it's nothing more than a severe allergy to WAL-MART.

Tuesday, May 4, 2004 06:43 p.m.

The Coachella fest was a blast, just like I knew it would be. We ended up at an awesome motel - big pool, hot tub, ping-pong table, outdoor grill and a big kitchen in our room. We had a fun poolside BBQ on Friday night, and cooked big communal breakfasts every morning before heading off to the concert. It was extremely hot (well into the 100s) and much more crowded than the other Coachella fests we have attended in years past - but the positives far outweighed the negatives. We were with a really fun group of people and had some good laughs. Great people watching. I'll post pictures in a few days. I didn't see many performances all the way through this year because I was jumping around between stages a lot. My favorite bands of the weekend were (a) the Pixies, who reunited for Coachella and sounded just as good (if not better) than they did in their prime, and (b) Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra from Brooklyn, who stole the show on Sunday. We also had a good time at the Sidestepper gig, although we arrived late and missed the first several songs. Their live show is quite heavy on the drum-and-bass thing, which I love.

The best part of the weekend, though, was when T asked me to marry him! We're engaged! It was all very mushy and romantic, and he gave me a gorgeous diamond ring. It was absolutely perfect, actually. I am a very happy woman.