That's the day, indeed. IIRC, both of us were exhausted, beaten down by long days of travel and overexposure to in-law family,

My baggage coming in was two-fold:

• I was in the midst of a six-month run of daily anxiety attacks that required insurance-covered psychotherapy to break
• I don't like Indian food. At all. Ever. Curry tastes like dirt to me. Like in my mouth it tastes like I'm eating a mud pie, and I have no idea why.

So, when I suddenly vanished for half an hour to the bathroom, it was because I was having a panic attack and had the taste of dirt in my mouth. And that pretty much was my night.

and for some reason, my friend from North Alabama brought an extremely unpleasant woman along with her who spent most of the meal being outright hostile towards the rest of us.

I do remember her. What was her problem, anyway? I couldn't tell if she just didn't like geeks or if she thought we were all hitting on your friend. It was that sort of poison.

Magic was in the air.

Birmingham: The Magic City!

We should do it again sometime. :)

Their best record is still Songs the Lord Taught Us followed by the first EP Gravest Hits.

No Gravest Hits. iTunes has Songs the Lord Taught Us, A Date with Elvis, Big Beat from Badsville, How to Make a Monster, Fiends of Dope Island, Look Ma No Head!, Smell of Female, Stay Sick!, and RockinReelininAucklandNewZealand. (I swear, that is how iTunes lists the title.)

Every thread should go to Baltimore! It's very nice here today.

Pop culture has taught me that Baltimore is full of row houses, cynical cops, clever criminals, and John Waters.

Pop culture has taught me that Baltimore is full of row houses, cynical cops, clever criminals, and John Waters.

Ha ha! It IS! Except...criminals not so clever as dumb.

Well, most of them do, if I spend enough time in them. Seems to be my personal Rome. But that chick on SVU makes Sheppard from H:LOTS look like a badass. Everytime she gets nominated, I feel like they beat up Kay. It sucks. I hate watching her Emote.

So, when I suddenly vanished for half an hour to the bathroom, it was because I was having a panic attack and had the taste of dirt in my mouth. And that pretty much was my night.

Next time: different restaurant. And no friend from North Alabama.

I do remember her. What was her problem, anyway? I couldn't tell if she just didn't like geeks or if she thought we were all hitting on your friend. It was that sort of poison.

It's complicated. I used to sorta-date said friend from North Alabama, and though things had been over for a long time (I mean, even at that point, it had been at least 9 years), I think she nursed a crush/grudge against me. Of course, I didn't realize that this was the situation until her friend showed up and starting being a complete bitch. We followed up with some "what the hell was that about?" emails, and the sordid truth came out. Well, maybe it was a partial sordid truth, I dunno.

Birmingham: The Magic City!

Damn straight. It's the statue of Vulcan spreading good cheer and, uh, iron-smelting everywhere.

We should do it again sometime. :)

Like I said, next time you pick the restaurant. We all have kids now, anyway, so we'd have to go somewhere featuring a bit more plastic on the walls.

BTW, gratuitous baby cuteness pic here.

Pop culture has taught me that Baltimore is full of row houses, cynical cops, clever criminals, and John Waters.

Also full of hairdos and charm.

Lisah, how's that glam mix working for you?

iTunes has Songs the Lord Taught Us, A Date with Elvis, Big Beat from Badsville, How to Make a Monster, Fiends of Dope Island, Look Ma No Head!, Smell of Female, Stay Sick!, and RockinReelininAucklandNewZealand. (I swear, that is how iTunes lists the title.)

In order...

Songs the Lord Taught Us - their first and best. Only full record to feature Bryan Gregory in all his bent gothy glory.
Big Beat From Badsville - has "Sheena's In A Goth Gang", "Queen of Pain," "Hypno Sex Ray"
A Date With Elvis (rawther lewd record, but good)

This is what Rock and Roll should look like.

I like Flamejob too, but it's not an option.

Should I worry that iTunes says that Songs the Lord Taught Us is an incomplete album?

Oh man. That is one cute kid, H.

Emusic has provided me with much Smithsonian Folkways Southern Gospel Favorites and American Banjo standards along with a truly wonderful Vassar Clements album (Living with the Blues, 2004) and with it and what I had already I have made a 10 hour bluegrass/country/gospel/classics/fiddle-y blues/southern rock mix for, at most, a six hour trip. I'm nothing if not prepared.

Reports on Winfield and hopefully meeting up with katefate when I return.