Do you ever get that bizarre thing when you keep checking your blog to see if it has somehow been miraculously updated? I even keep checking my blog stats to see if anyone has been around and really I’m sorry to those that have been checking it and nothing new has happened. I had no idea that having a real job would do this to me. Sorry excuse I know. Anyway I’ll stop whining now.

Voltage was awesome last night. I was truly impressed by The TV Sound who I had never heard before. Even more impressive was that the lead singer was the designer – I was kinda diggin’ the newsies meets punk rock look he seemed to be going for and besides with his dancing skills and enthusiasm you couldn’t help but like it. Ouija Radio were also one of my favorites performing. It also makes me happy to see the glitter fly off the cymbals when their very cute drummer Charles gets to work. Mike Gunther and his Restless Souls were very much appropriately outfitted. I also can’t get enough of a band that uses chains against metal canister so well.

I continue to be amazed at how seriously frightening male models are (this is obviously excluding that tall cute guy named Josh that the girls in back of us yelled for while he was on the runway) but definitely includes most of the guys that were there last night and I still shudder a little bit when I think of the golden Hulk from last year’s Voltage – if you were there you know who I’m talking about. I’m always reminded of Handsome Boy Modeling School when I see male models and so mainly to keep from being terrified I just keep saying “I’m a male model! Not a male prostitute!” very indignantly over and over in my head. That always makes me giggle a little bit.

Unfortunately because of a bruised ankle in my crew we had to leave just before Olympic Hopefuls took the stage and therefore also missed the Soviettes who I haven’t seen since last summer’s Pizza Luce block party. It did however ensure that I was not late for my three hour training this morning.

As people who barely need any reason for a fiesta big or small MR.D summoned us to happy hour at Salsa ala Salsa for Cinco de Mayo. Because of my newfound fanaticism for kickboxing we luckily pushed the time back til I was finished with the box kicking (hardest workout yet) and then I skipped down Nicollet to meet them. I was on the trail of some kind of cute boy with odd tattoos on his legs. He was a faster walker than I am and also knew of a short cut through a couple empty parking lots near the recently closed down meat market, which I had previously thought were entirely closed off by fencing. Now I know better. I still am kind of sad about the meat market closing though. I don’t eat meet and never shopped there so I suppose can be party blamed for its demise, but it reminded me of my childhood.

My parents had a favorite market in a small town in north eastern North Dakota that they would always visit if we were in town. Evidently they made the best “real” hotdogs. These were nothing like the limp flavorless objects that my friends mom’s would serve cut up with mac and cheese. These had form, color and flavor and were perfect for spearing with a freshly cut boxelder tree stick to roast over a blazing fire in the back yard. The market in my neighborhood had the specials up each week in neon colors written on butcher paper. It also had big windows in the store front through which you could see a couple of big open coolers (presumably for picking out your frozen meat and sausage products) and a counter and windowed cooler that stretches the length of the store. If I was a meat eater, I would have shopped there.

Personally I like to know where my food comes from and the closer that I can get to its source the better. This is partially why I am a vegetarian as well. I’ve put in my time picking the stray hairs off of a chunk of dear carcass on the kitchen table. I think too many people fool themselves into not thinking about what they are actually consuming. These days there is no need to fool yourself though, the packaging and the many steps food takes before getting to you is quite an intense and lengthy process.

Anyway. The golden margaritas at Salsa ala Salsa were half price in honor of Cinco de Mayo and that made me quite happy. As did the consumption of the chimichanga after an intensive kickboxing session. Afterwards I walked home, stretched for a bit, and then haphazardly threw assembled a pile of dirty clothes to take home tonight. That’s right. I’m 25, but I still take advantage of the free laundry at home.

Kickboxing is better than sex. There is no link. I’m just sharing.

Speaking of sex… the Strib is reporting on new phenomenon of pharmacists refusing to fill prescriptions for birth control pills.

Also… I love Lake Street. I hope that nothing but the best happens with all of these new improvements. I mean wider sidewalks? Who knew this was a priority? Right. So I think the Midtown Exchange is very exciting.

Oh oh and I totally want to go to the block party, but its on May 15th and I’ll be volunteering for the MN AIDS Walk and then helping friends move out of their apartment.

Also Happy Teachers Day! Teaching/Education runs in my family. I’ve barely escaped it by becoming support staff to a program that helps people finish their teaching degrees.

So I’m looking for new, interesting and different training/event type opportunities for my work people to attend and of course found something for myself instead. ***Intermedia Arts will be hosting a B-Girl Be Summit June 2nd-5th. I’ve been meaning to check out the current B Girl exhibit that they have up (probably should have gone opening night instead of hosting a birthday party…) but also hadn’t realized that there was going to be this great summit happening in June as well. I think I’m even going to have to spring for the all event pass based on the great panels they are going to be having including a keynote topic of “Shorty, Who You Rollin Wit?: Of B-Girls and A Hip-Hop Feminist Agenda”, an all female mural production, and panels on hip-hop activism and women in the media and that’s not even mentioning the video screenings and after party.