Previously on "Lady Bombay"...

I don't have cable, nor have I converted to digital TV yet; therefore, I Netflix. And heretofore, I watch a lot of TV show episodes on DVD, which are chock-full of "Previously On" montages: "Previously on The Wire", "Previously on Weeds", "Previously on My Two Dads", etc. They are meant to fill you, the valuable viewer, in on what you may have missed on prior episodes. So, for you, my valuable viewers.... Previously on Lady Bombay...

• We went camping many, many times from Goblin Valley to Telluride...

• We went to a few Gallivan shows. Can you see me on the 2nd row for Black Keys in the picture below? I can! Squint rill rill hard!

• Mason painted murals in 3 rooms of our new house

• The Precinct played at the Sugar House Arts Festival on the 4th of July

This show was special for us because both people that our song "LBJ and JFK" was written about, were in the audience: my mom, and Mason's Uncle Steve. Uncle Steve is from Napa, so he's never seen us play a live gig before. Then the next day, we had an old-fashioned family jam-and-sing-along at Grandma's house: my brother on the bass, Steve and Mason on guitar, mandolin and Dobro, and all the cousins on vocals. We played everything from Townes Van Zandt to Woody Guthrie. This gig was also unexpected and awesome, because....we got paid. That rarely happens.

• We hung with the whole fam damily

• Mason finally cut his hair....12 inches! He donated it, and is already growing his next crop to donate. There are many organizations that accept donated hair, but Mase picked this one because they specifically focus on making wigs for women with breast cancer.

• We went on a V.I.P tour of the new Church History Library. Mason's dad was the Project Architect on the whole thing, got to go to China to pick out the stone used for the exterior, and spent YEARS of his life working on this masterpiece. It was great to finally be able to walk through it and see the finished product.
  

• Mason painted lots of new stuff, for the Ogden Arts Festival, the Utah Arts Festival, and other independent commissions

• Kiddo slept in my closet. Her favorite spot is right on top of my clean jeans.
  

Coming up on the next episode of Lady Bombay....
....wouldn't YOU like to know?!

The Gallivan Conundrum

The Twilight Concert Series is in full swing, and it’s my favorite time of the year, for the following (and many more) reasons:

· THE WEATHER: The concerts go from 7:00 – 10:00, and knock on wood, I haven’t been rained out yet. The temperature at that time of night is perfect, and it’s truly addicting to listen to live music while watching the sun set over the city.

· THE FASHION: The best (and WORST) of the SLC indie-hipsters come out wearing their Thursday best. Because Gallivan is the place to see and be scene (yes I misspelled that on purpose), you know that everyone is saving their best outfit of the week for Thursday. Sadly for some of them, their best is not enough. I’ve been tempted to bring my digital camera and snap photos of the best and worst offenders and blog about them……it really is great people-watching and fashion-watching. The prize winner last week was a 19 year-old-looking girl in a royal blue, strapless shorts romper, gladiator sandals with straps all the way up to her knees, and a Mischa Barton-style leather headband worn like a bandana, around the forehead. Here is my best attempt at the most accurate composite sketch of her outift:

Honey, please, limit yourself to one annoying overly-trendy trend at a time. You will thank me later.

· THE PRICE: FREE! Such an affordable admission price leads me to my next reason for loving Gallivan….

· THE BEER: Uinta Beers on tap! Sure, they are a pricey at $5 (or $6) per cup, but when you aren’t paying for a ticket, it makes buying a beer or two much more affordable.

· THE NOSTALGIA: Gallivan shows remind me of Skyline High School football games. At Skyline, EVERYONE went to the games, even if they didn’t like football. About 70% of the attendees wouldn’t even sit in the bleachers or watch the game, but would instead congregate on the track by the end zone in a giant cluster of gossip and “hangin’ out.” At Gallivan, EVERYONE goes to the show, even if they don’t know or like the band. And about 70% of the attendees don’t even watch the show, but instead congregate by the beer tents, on the plaza, or on a grassy knoll somewhere, chit chatting through the whole set.

Now. What about THE MUSIC, you ask? Therein lies the aforementioned conundrum. You would think that I would be ecstatic about this year’s lineup: Bon Iver, Jenny Lewis, M. Ward, Q-tip, Sonic Youth, Iron & Wine, and THE BLACK KEYS. But the truth is, I would rather see all of those bands play in a club or venue-type setting, rather than an outdoor free-for-all that is more about the social scene than the music. Last week, I barely saw 3 Jenny Lewis numbers and couldn’t hear or see a smidgeon of Bon Iver, because the crowd was so massive and impenetrable. The bands I don’t really know intimately well or care for? BRING IT ON, Gallivan is the perfect venue. But the bands I love? Kind of a bummer to have to see them at Gallivan.

Thusly, even though I get to go see ONE OF MY FAVORITE BANDS for free on Thursday, it is with a heavy heart and a conflicted soul that I will walk to the show, fight my way through copious amounts of annoying people, and push my way to the front-ish to enjoy some delicious blues. Viva la Black Keys! I like the photo of them below, cause I'm pretty sure they're using fry sauce, a Utah original.

PS-Skyline High School football rules! 4-peat!

Carly's got a brand new bag

Hobo International - "Marilyn" - Maple

The picture is teensy, but hopefully you can still see the vintage-esque virtues in this beauty of a bag I scored tonight. Best parts: the oldish-looking-yet-surprisingly-soft leather, the chain shoulder strap, the golden oval handles, and the fact that the whole thing unfolds and opens up to reveal a lovely paisley print interior...with a cell phone pocket.

Now, I now cell phone pockets in purses aren't new technology. But, have you seen my brick of a BlackBerry? My BrickBerry? It has never fit inside a purse cell phone pocket EVER IN ITS LIFE because it's too fat. So this is new for us. No more digging around, elbow-deep inside my purse, trying to locate this beast, no sir.

And of COURSE the bag was on sale. Do you even know me? I thought we were friends.

The gym: an internal monologue

Madonna and I have the EXACT same gym outfit! Twinners!

30 minutes before the gym:
OK self, I know you just got home from work, and you’re tired. However; you haven’t been to the gym in two weeks, which is out of hand. YOU MUST GO TO THE GYM. If you don’t go now, it’ll be dinnertime, and you know you won’t go after dinner. Just go now, you can do it. It’s an hour of your life. It’s not that hard.

BUT I DON’T WANNNAAAAA! It was a long, hard day after a super-busy weekend and I deserve to just sit here for a change!

Self, need I remind you that you were winded after going up two flights of stairs at the hotel in Park City on Friday???

Lacing up Asics, departing for the gym:
Stupid gym. Stupid iPod that isn’t charged. Stupid self-motivating words inside my head. Stupid gym.

At the gym, mid-mile #1:
This feels so good! I must’ve really needed this! I love this song! I love that episode of Friends up on TV #2! I could run for hours! This is not that hard! I’m so glad I waited until my iPod charged! I love my iPod! Oooh, I love this song even more than the one before! I haven’t even looked at the mileage gauge once yet!

Self, YAY YOU!

At the gym, mid-mile #2:
Man, only 1.7 miles, really? I swear I’ve been running for days already. I hate The O’Reily Factor. I hate you, Ann Coulter. Must every TV in this damn place be set to the Fox News Channel? This song sucks. This one does too. It’s SO hard to run to a song whose beat is slower or faster than the rhythm I’m running . I hate the gym. I hate you, stupid meatheads who both just changed the channel to WWF wrestling. I hate you, girl who wears makeup to the gym. Man, only 1.8 miles, really??????

At the gym, nearing the end of mile #3:
It’s so hot in here. My face is dripping off of my head. I hate you, Sean Hannity. 2.86 miles.

Ok self, you only have to run for .14 more miles, then you can jog the last bit. Almost there.

2.87 miles. Seriously Pussycat Dolls, THAT’S your “music video”???? 2.89 miles. Man, I’ve skipped 14 songs in a row. 2.9 miles. I can’t breathe. My heart is going to beat out of my chest and land, pumping and spurting blood, right on the belt of this treadmill. 2.91 miles?? This gauge is totally broken.

At the gym, doing crunches, post 3.6 miles:
This communal yoga mat smells like B.O. and cheap foam rubber. 38, 39, 40…switch sides. Has no one in this corporate establishment ever heard of AIR CONDITIONING? It’s new, look into it. 38, 39, 40….switch sides.

OK self, only 5 more sets. You’re almost done with this whole blessed event.

38, 39, 40…switch sides. I hate you, creepy old guy who is staring at me while I grunt and grimace my way through these last 160 crunches. There is no air in this entire building that is suitable for breathing. 38, 39, 40…switch sides.

Driving home from the gym:
That wasn’t so hard. I could totally do that every day.

Shut up, self, no one likes an I told you so.