Hell Yes.

Update: If you'd like to hear a little more about it.

I've never actually put a photo of myself on the blog, but now seems like a good time to start, doncha think?? I went to see Tim Gunn at the Corcoran tonight, and he's so charming and self-depricating and handsome and funny. Smitten! I'm going to do a write-up for dcist, so I'll save the bulk of it for that. But I'll tell you how I got the photo.

If you check out the rest of my Flickr set, you'll notice they're really, really bad. I only had my point and shoot and it just wasn't doing what I needed it to in the dark auditorium, so afterwards I went and joined the people getting autographs. While everyone else was standing down with him in front of the stage and jonesing for a spot near him, I just stepped up on the stage so I could get some shots, hopefully getting one I could use in the post tomorrow. There was a pause and I was like, "What am I doing, get in there!" So I stepped up and asked if I could get a photo, handing my camera to his agent who was taking photos.

But she wouldn't take it! She apologized but said they had to go (he was doing another lecture afterwards) but I said, "Wait, just one more?" I mean, he was standing right at my shoulder and looked apologetic at me as his agent started tugging his elbow, as he said, "I'm sorry, I go where she tells me." So I said, "Uh, can I just..." and held my camera out in drunk-photo mode, and he happily smiled over my shoulder for me. So nice! He could have totally pushed me aside, and I understand they have to cut it off at some point, but I'm happy he indulged me for a second.

I wish I'd read the Gothamist post earlier, where the editor met him and got her photo taken, because in the post she says she told him who she was, and he said, "I read Gothamist!" So I wonder if he would have recognized DCist as enthusiastically if I'd mentioned it. Anyway, I reveled in my giddiness for the rest of the evening.

I must go find a fabulous outfit.

Guess what I'm doing tomorrow, y'all? I'm hanging out with Tim Gunn THAT'S WHAT! And by "hanging out" I mean standing in the back of a packed auditorium because I got the very last press pass to an event that sold out faster than a Death Cab concert with a leaked presale password.

But whatever, IT'S TIM GUNN and I'm going. Got any questions you want me to ask him? It's going to be a full day tomorrow, and I'm taking off a little early from work (woo!) to go to this lecture (WOO!), then heading straight to an awards reception up in never never land somewhere in NW.

The point being, I'm totally going to see Tim Gunn tomorrow. I just watched the PJR reunion special, which was just as funny and uncomfortable as they always are. That guy Keith apparently spent his time off making up "Bitch Set Me Up" stories about how the production team screwed him. And I've decided once and for all that Vincent is not a person I ever want to be alone in a room with. I suppose we're going to have to throw some kind of party next Wednesday for the big-ass finale where [spoiler, but it's all over the news] Neck Tattoo gets accused of having children in Bangladesh sew his fabulous line with their tiny little calloused fingers. True or false? Who cares - what did Michael make??

You've got to be kidding me...

Like my roommate said, this is just phenomenal, and I feel the need to make sure everyone sees it.

In other news, there's a new bar in the hood. Apparently U Turn took that final turn to oblivian, and has been replaced with Solly's Tavern, which sounds suspiciously like an Irish bar. David and I stopped by last night to check it out, already inebriated by a Staffwise happy (four) hour(s). The first floor is very small, and there aren't any taps (are they to come?), but the owner was among the four people hanging out, so he gave us a tour of the place. The upstairs is a decent size, and they plan to have bands. I noted that the speakers face away from my bedroom, but at any rate, can't possibly be as loud as U Turn was.

With about ten bars within a fifty food radius of my house now, I no longer have any excuse not to be nursing a Yuengling every single night. Right? Oh, and Solly's bartender was totally cute, so put that in the "drink nightly" column, too. That side is getting very long.

Hooray!

Speaking of cosmology, congrats to these guys:

Americans Win Nobel Prize in Physics

They're the dudes who develeped the COBE satellite that detected the background radiation that gave much-needed weight to the Big Bang theory. I like this part of the article:

The COBE results were first presented at an Americans [sic] Astronomical Society meeting in 1993, triggering an audible gasp and a later ovation from the assembled scientists.

Hehe. You know there was some reporter in the room who was like, "Wait, what? What just happened??"

Crappy Weekend, New Blog!

That was a nasty 96 hours you guys. I got a project last week from an attorney who I've just started to work with, in an area of law I have no background in. It didn't seem very hard, until I started to really get into it, and right around Friday morning I realized I was hard-core screwed. After staying until 10pm that night, I just sucked it up and canceled almost all my plans for the weekend. On Monday I got up at 4am and managed to finish everything just before 8pm....let me tell you, I slept like a baby last night.

So yeah, I said I was going to take a break from TTtC (and I totally did - over a week you guys!), but I didn't exactly take a break from blogging. Since one of the reasons I wanted to ease back was to concentrate on preparing for India, I did what anyone would do - I started another blog.

So if you'd like to keep up on my travel prep and my experiences once I get there, click over to Farther Than Oxnard.

Since I'll be by myself, and for about two weeks, will be in the Eastern Hemisphere's Capital of Technology, you'll probably hear from me fairly regularly while I'm over there. If life goes as planned, I'll be able to keep the blog going for more than just India.

Always Bring Your Camera

Yesterday morning as I was on my way to work, I threw my camera in my purse becaue I was going to a social engagement straight from the office. I ended up not using it, but you know, I like to carry it around when I can. This morning, getting ready for work (ugh) I switched purses and thought, eh, I'm probably going to have to bail on all the plans I had today, so I didn't put my camera in my bag.

As I approach 17th and Rhode Island, I see that RI is blocked off with police cars and sleek black sedans. Pedestrians were allowed through, so I kept walking down and saw a slew of press cameras set up across the street from St. Matthew Catherdral. As I walked past I asked one of them who was supposed to be there today, and he said, "Red Mass, the Supreme Court..." Red Mass! I had no idea that was today.

So even though I'm late (I meant to get here at 8:30...it's after 9:30 now), I decided to stop and Justice Watch for a little while. I overheard one of the cameraman say that they were "just waiting on the one," so I guess I missed most of them.

Then a dark blue sedan rolls up and out pops...Sandra Day! Certainly not my #1 Justice, but hey, it was way better than Scalia or something. And anyway, it was one of the Supremes! I know I live in Washington, but I don't work or otherwise spend any time on the Hill, and rarely eat in expensive restaurants, so my chances of running into one of the Robed are few and far between.

But of course, I didn't have my camera.

However, if you see her on the news tonight walking into the cathedral, you can imagine me standing right behind those cameras, heh.