Snow Day!

I grew up in Great Falls, Montana.  I went to school there for thirteen years.  It snowed every fall, winter, and spring there for those thirteen years.  From Kindergarten to 12th Grade, I did not get even one snow day.  In college in Minnesota, however, I averaged one snow day a year.  And so far law school in New York has been the same.  Snow days are wasted on the young.  Thankfully, all of mine have happened in my adult life.

This snow day was in March 2006.  Also happened to be Losko’s birthday.

 

This snow day in February 2007 ended up lasting two days.  We celebrated with a snow ball fight.

 

This snow day took place in Louisville, Kentucky, in March 2008.  My flight was grounded – bad snow day.  (Also, please note how wimpy the snow is.  Any amount of snow gets you a snow day in the South.)

 

This is today’s snow day.  Note the lumps on the right side of the street.  Those are completely buried cars.

The Great Zach Woods

One of the reasons that Ryan and I moved to New York was so that he could study at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.  The Sunday night ASSSSSCAT show quickly became one of our favorite activities.  For me, that was due in large part to regular player, Zach Woods.  He never disappointed, and while I was excited for him to get a part in The Office (as Sabre lackey Gabe) because he is so funny and deserves to be seen by a large audience, I was also disappointed that I would no longer be able to see him live.  However, the new webisode series, “The Podcast,” gives me some consolation.  Below is the first video, but there are more on The Office‘s official website.  Please enjoy the greatness that is Zach Woods.

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Ep 101: The Podcast: Gabe’s Podcast, posted with vodpod

 

Swanson Pyramid of Greatness

If you’re not watching Parks and Recreation, you should be.  Here’s a sample as to why:

Up

I have a slight fear of heights.  It’s not debilitating, but it does make all my muscles tense at the same time and quickens my breathing.  I even get tense when someone is standing on a ledge in a movie or tv show, holding my breath, hoping the protagonist chasing the bad guy from one hotel room to another doesn’t fall.  So when my dad gave my mom a hot-air balloon ride for Christmas and invited all of us to come along, I politely declined the invitation.  My brother joined me in saying no, and we decided to watch safely from the ground.

But then the rest of my family couldn’t go until after Jordan went back to Minneapolis.  And it was just going to be me waiting safely on the ground.   The balloon people told my mom that I could ride with them in the van from the take off point to the landing point.  And my fear of making small talk with strangers trumped my fear of heights.  It sounds ridiculous, but meeting and talking with new people really does give me anxiety.

So I went up 3,500 feet in the air, in a basket, pulled up by a balloon.  I did not let go of the handles on either side of me during the entire hour and three minutes we were in the air.  When we landed, I could not stop shaking.  I’ll never do it again.  I still haven’t decided if it was worth it, but I did get to awkwardly high-five our balloon pilot at the end of the ride, and I learned this Irish Balloonist Prayer:

The winds have welcomed you with softness.
The sun has blessed you with his warm hands.
You have flown so high and so well
that God joined you in laughter
and set you gently back into
the loving arms of Mother Earth.

So it was worth it, right?

 

 

In Arizona

As usual, Jon Stewart says it best.

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In Arizona, posted with vodpod

 

I Love Louis

For our New Year’s Day celebration this year, we watched all of Louis C.K.’s stand-up at my friend Joanna’s house. My throat hurt by the end I was laughing so hard. Here’s a bit he did recently on Jay Leno. I can’t wait for the next hour.
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Vodpod videos no longer available. Vodpod videos no longer available.