We're not boring

Lest you think that the lack of posts lately implies that Alex and I lead boring lives, let me fill you in. We actually lead quite exciting lives, but I keep forgetting to take pictures and it just seems wrong to write a blog post without a picture or two. Oh well. Alas, you will have to suffer through yet another picture-less blog post for now.

Two weekends ago Alex's brother Matt came out for a visit. (for those of you keeping track, that means he has visited twice...ahem, Beth). He spent a couple of days at Wayne State University in Detroit doing research for his prospectus (the equivalent of a proposal for those of you who only know how PhD's work in Ecology departments), but the real reason for his visit was the Neil Young concert we went to on Sunday (for those of you keeping track, Alex and I have now seen TWO Neil Young concerts). I must say, I was a little nervous about going to the concert because we had general admission tickets meaning standing room only. You'd be surprised how much faster you get tired of standing when you're carrying an extra 30-35 pounds. Add that to the dire warnings posted above the table at the entrance to the concert where you sign the paper that says you won't sue if you die in "the mosh pit" and you make for one nervous pregnant lady. But, heck, I had two Mettler men to protect me, what did I have to lose? We got there in time to catch the end of the opening, opening band whose name I don't recall and to see the full opening band performance. Did I mention the opening band was Wilco? Yep. They put on a great pre-amble for Neil. In the lull between Wilco and Neil, the three of us had a powow in the middle of the mosh pit so that I could rest my legs and back. By the time Neil started playing I was ready to go. I must say I thought this performance was much better than the last one we saw. Maybe it's just because he played more of my favorites. It was so much fun to watch him up there. I can't believe he still sounds so good at that age. During one of his boring songs (yes, Alex, boring) I went and sat in some empty seats way behind the stage to rest up. I came back just in time to see Unknown Legend and Cowgirl in the Sand, two of my favorites. I can't remember the name of the song he played for his encore, but I do remember that he ended the song by breaking every single string on his guitar. He played for a little over two hours, a long time in comparison to other shows he's done on this tour. Yeah, it was fun. I'm sure Alex could give a much more detailed accounting, but since he refuses to blog, you'll just have to make do with mine.

This last weekend was a weekend of holiday parties. On Friday we went to the annual EEB Christmas Party in the Museum. Every year the department hosts a potluck/karaoke party in the Museum of Natural History. It's pretty darn fun. There are prizes for the best potluck dishes. I'm proud to say that last year I won "Best use of color" for my spinach souffle and this year I won "Best aroma" for my banana bread. To be honest, I think it's pretty much a fluke if you win (as in, I may have had four votes over the runner up with 3). But still. The best part of the party is seeing your professors sing karaoke. It's highly entertaining. And Alex always sings a few songs. Usually a Neil Young song or two. True to form, his first song was Harvest Moon. But this year I made him sing Sweet Child of Mine by Guns and Roses as his second song. You really wouldn't believe what a good impersonation he does of Guns and Roses.

Then on Sunday we hosted a "White Elephant" potluck at our house for a bunch of our friends and all of their dogs. It was a rainy day so we kept the dogs inside--that made for a much more interesting party than normal. I think all in all there were 11 people, 5 dogs, and 2 cats in our small house. Well, actually, Rambo is half dog so let's say 5.5 dogs and 1.5 cats. There was so much good food there. I'm glad I have friends that know how to cook. Alex made halibut chowder with the last of our Alaskan halibut. I guess we'll have to fly back up to Alaska and catch some more!

So, hopefully I have convinced you that despite the dearth of blog posts, Alex and I do actually do interesting things. Next up is a visit from Olivia and D-ennis (for those of you keeping track, this is Olivia's THIRD visit...ahem, Beth). I will take pictures this time, I swear.