OK, this bastard can really sing...

It's a comfortable old shoe of a show, a veritable paean to 'ol Blue Eyes. It's a little too pre-fabricatedly worshipful from time to time, but the older folks in the crowd were eating it up. And --out of 4 performers in the show-- they had two great performers, one very good performer, and one pretty darn good performer doing tasteful and relaxed versions of Sinatra songs, so how can you lose? Jamie brought the house down repeatedly, most excitingly on the penultimate number, "That's Life" which rocked so hard I'm sure there were several heart attacks and voidings throughout the audience. Carol Lehan was also in it. She continues to be astoundingly elegant. All in all, I'm glad I went. Plus Toby wants me to do stuff and times are slow. So....we'll see. Love you guys!

Columbia, MD

...
Inexplicably, Toby called me this morning before my wits were about me and here I am at a matinee of 'My Way', a Sinatrish retrospective starring many old pals. I'll review it later.

Backstage at the Reagan....

This is the little elevator they have backstage to provide handicap access to the stage area. It hums ominously from time to time, making it hard to hear during the show, and --years ago-- we had a problem with bums (or possibly Reagan employees) wandering through the building and committing acts of micturition inside of of it. Given its stall-like nature, I suppose we should be relieved (!) too have found nothing worse.

Once, TW got locked inside of it right before a show and begged us to help him get out, but we all just laughed and snickered and pelted him with debris and shoes. He was forced to clamber out of it like some sort of hideous, outraged, trash-pelted, shoe-bruised monkey. He was also shaking his fist and screaming at us in a high,screechy voice which contributed even more to the illusion. We were half expecting him to hurl feces at us. Which, as I've pointed out, is something you might actually find in there one day....

More Threatening Skies.....

Which just this second turned into intense HellRain. Not much chance of a drought anytime soon, I'll tell you that.

This one, I mean....

Annandale, VA

I have to wonder just exactly what this vanity tag is all about.

Near the Pentagon

Driving past the Air Force Memorial under a threatening sky. But my phone's fixed! Supposedly!

George is earnin' his keep...

This is among the greater things, ever. Thanks again! Yum!

Having my posting problems...

Poolside

Water=10° Learned the hard, stupid, macho, bold, plunging way, of course.

Jon's house: Fairlington, VA

This explains why Jon really didn't think Dad's office was that messy.

Looking down things are looking up...

The pool's general filth level has been greatly reduced. Good, considering they're supposed to open in two hours.

In my Belly!

By the way, Mom, your hard-boiled egg method is da bomb. I was going to display a delicious, perfectly-cooked hard-boiled egg by way of demonstration, but it was so perfect and delicious that it did not survive the photo shoot. True story.

If you've ever wondered why....

...there are little tiny smudges on the interior of my passenger-side windshield, this probably has something to do with it.

Forgotten video from JPL!

...
The Rover climbing over rocks. Plus, we'll see if this vid from my phone still works.

Happy Birthday, Mitch!

Tell her I tried to bake a cake but ran into difficulty with the Fire Dept. Love!

Fuddruckers of Chinatown

Shouldn't that be 'FudLuckers?' Who, by the way, if we ever do a corporate show for them, I am bound to get into trouble with Lirty Dies.

Speaking of which, new album out. I'll send you a couple.

Curious, if I email vids to myself, then try to post them from my notebook instead of my phone, they magically don't appear. Hrm.... Hence the blank last two entries.

Hmmm. Retrying the video before giving up

Little tiny rapids.....

...
Same spot, different direction...

The (New) Fed Hole

I can't believe I found this, with a little help, about a 3-5 minute walk from my place. Beautiful spot, barely attended. Water is crystal clear. And no discernible cow poop!

A Random Restroom

Is it just me? Or are these things creepy and disgusting?

A Day of Excitement!

After grueling and relatively pointless physical activity in Chinatown, yes, that is the snout of my car peeking out of jiffy lube. It's because I'm too exhausted to care about any incipient mechanical horrors they may report. Perfect time to come.

Hopefully, I'm just gettin' all preventative.

Chinatown, DC

Since the Verizon Center is smack dab in the middle of Chinatown, shouldn't Yao Ming play for the Wizards? Don't worry, I don't like basketball now. It's just...how many 7'6" Chinamen are there? ¥

Bear with me whilst I fool around....

Lounging about on Sunday mornings...

...and finally deciding to play with the built-in webcam! Wireless hi-speed in bed is a great, great thing. For instance, lying here in my underwear (sorry about that) I can discover that older people need more sun, although not too much; that anyone hoping to fulfill their lifelong fantasy of a paradisaical existence in Selma, Alabama is looking at an awful lot of thwartedness in the near future (thwartedness?);  and that Fox is now touting the concept that Bush's war is a "...success without victory."  Much like I am a Rich Man without Money. It's well and good to say, but who's buying dinner?

Basement of the Reagan Building

I show this car because right before I took this a bevy of 20-something hotties (three counts as a bevy in my book) hopped out of it when they saw me waiting behind them and came over and were all excited and jiggly and flushed and told me how funny I was and how they liked the way I moved. Then they giggled at their innocent risque-ity and blushed back to their car. I was so startled I didn't get my camera up in time. And pleased. My head is still 12 sizes too large. Also regions of my trousers... Guys are such suckers for that crap...

Columbia Pike Headquarters

The Cable Guy's regalia. Sweet interwebs, soon you will be mine again!*

*Pronounced to rhyme with 'rain' in approved mad scientist's style

Visiting Dr. Lin

Who was too shy for a photo. The by-now-de-rigeur photo of blood being leached out of me. And below that, time to play 'Guess the Medical Procedure!'

If you guessed 'tetanus shot', congratulations!

According to Dr. Lin, I remain alive. But we'll have to wait on results from the lab to verify that.

I LOVE YOU, MOM!

...
I wish I could have deiven down and surprised you this year. But much love, nonetheless!

16th NW, Looking down on Rock Creek Park

40 days and nights of inclemency lend DC a surreal Amazonian lushness.

Opportunity wasted in Ballston

OK, this is the uber-quaint "Attila's Restaurant" on Columbia Pike, down the road a piece. Never been there. But, c'mon... Should be "Attila the Hun(gry)"

Good morning

Pop, I forgot to mention Don Lauer (sp?) said hi in Santa Barbara; and another guy whose name I can't remember (Kraft? Haas? Mash? Haft? Klass?) in Pasadena who I think is from JPL and said he could get me in there for a tour. But remembering Don Lauer knocked his name right out of my head. Bob?

Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the U of MD.

Saw a clarinet recital with a little help today...

LAX

...I am on Bus 20...I am on Bus 20...I am on Bus 20...

Beckman Auditorium, CalTech

Our little round home-away-from-home since 1991.

Westin Pasadena, Rm. 707

I'm usually neater than this. But I was rarely in here: too nice out. Now I must pack, though. :(

The Westin, Pasadena, CA

Nice things around a nice hotel.

Various labs, JPL

Check it out! Props to Earth Science!

Main Clean Room, Space Craft Assembly, JPL

...
Currently assembling the next generation nuclear-powered Mars rover.

Space Craft Assembly, JPL

This work in progress is the descent stage assembly that will actual slow the rover as it lands (crashes) on Mars. As cool, the visible blueprints/schematics are on the table, lower left. Is this cool or what?

JPL

Rovers frolic and gambole for the bemusement of visitors. The one on the right is a replica of the rover currently under construction, due to launch 2011.

JPL

Solar telescope display.

JPL, Pasadena, CA

Well, to begin with, there's an awful lot of this...

Pop, in your honor...

Pics to follow. Too much to see to go into right now

Smitty's Restaurant, Pasadena, CA

Me hanging with Leonard Maltin. We're old pals now.

Beckman Auditorium, CalTech

...has a really cool ceiling.

Pasadena, CA

Yes, I could comment on the relentless splendor and tiresome natural splendor of Pasadena. However, what most impresses me is how much more varied, frenzied and ubiquitous is the cheerful and barely-clad inanity of Latino TV.

Close up of the pictures on the wall

...

Maybe hard to see; got your Henry Fonda, Marcel Marceau, Robert Mitchum, Hermione, Vincent Price, Baryshnikov, Issac Stern, Raymond Massey, etc...all local talent. I love that when you're Jimmy Stewart, you can just say the hell with combing your eyebrows, even for your official publicity photos.

Lobero Theatre

The Lobero is a little 600 or so seat place that is sort of the community theatre of Santa Barbara. Of course, when tons of famous stars live in tue community, you get some nice head shots hanging on the walls over the years...