June iTunes Links of the Month

Missy Higgins - On a Clear Night - Where I Stood (USA)


Jimmy Wayne - Do You Believe Me Now - Single - Do You Believe Me Now


Reamonn - Tuesday - Supergirl

Back in Charlotte

Dear readers, this ends my first week returning to Charlotte, NC for another project--my third tour of duty here. It is great to be back in a familiar city that I have grown to enjoy so much. I am here working on automating a workstation migration to Windows Server 2008 for a major Fortune 300 automotive retailer. I am scheduled to be here through the end of July.

The evening of my first day back, I took a walk down memory lane--eating dinner at Morehead Street Tavern before heading over to Connolly's on Fifth for some pints of Guinness and glasses of Jameson. My favorite bartender, Tracy, was not working at Morehead Street Tavern that night but I hope to see her sometime next week. I was hoping to also stop by Phil's Deli but I got stuck at Connolly's drinking Guinness and Jameson. Nevertheless I was able to stop by Phil's Deli the next day for a quick drink. In the coming weeks, I hope to visit my other favorite haunts around downtown Charlotte as well as the Midwood/Plaza and Dilworth areas for some PBR and Miller High Life.

I wish I could accurately convey how much I enjoy the Queen City but I will leave it up to you, the reader. This is a phenomenal location and I love being back here.

Getting It Right

Here is a YouTube video of one of my favorite artists, Cary Pierce. If that name sounds familiar, he is one half of the duo called Jackopierce. The other member is Jack O'Neill. Jackopierce was big while I was attending college at the University of Texas at Austin. They disbanded in 1997, but still periodically get together to play for their fans around the United States. Fortunately they are playing again in Dallas on Friday, September 28 at House of Blues.



Anyway, here is a song entitled "Getting It Right" he played at Bend Studio in Dallas, TX as part of their Intimate Evenings series. This was one of my favorite concerts--small, intimate, barefoot. While this song is not on any of Cary's current discography, you can listen to a few of my favorites including "Home" and "Tower" on his "You Are Here" album.

Video Archive - Peyton Manning Helps the United Way and the NFL (SNL)

Video Archive - Reporter Attacked by Lizard

Sexy Athlete of the Month - Allison Stokke

Allison Stokke is one of the best young pole vaulters in the country. Prior to joining the track team in high school, she was a gymnast for ten years. An exceptional athlete, in her first year of pole vaulting she set the U.S. record for pole vault for high school freshman girls at 12-08.

As a sophomore she set her personal best at 13-05.75 (according to Pole Vault Power, the national high school record for girls is 14-00) before she broke her tibia just above the ankle in a practice session and was out for several months. Since that time she has been able to recover and compete as evidenced by her recent strong showing by winning the 16th annual Trabuco Hills Invitational and Distance Carnival where she vaulted 12-06 setting a meet record.

Currently she is finishing up her senior year at Newport Harbor High School in California in her quest to win another state championship. According to DyeStat, she will be attending the University of California, Berkeley on scholarship in the fall of 2007 and becoming a California Golden Bear.

I could be wrong, but when I was in high school and college, the women's track team never looked like this. And...to answer your question, no I guess I'm not above it all.

12th Annual Crawfish Party

On Saturday, April 14, one of my friends, Carolyn, was one of the hosts of the 12th Annual Crawfish Party in Dallas, TX at The Green Elephant. Among the bands playing were Ray Wylie Hubbard, No Justice, and Poison Cherry. For $25, you got all you could eat crawfish and beer to drink, including one of my perennial favorites, Lone Star. The weather was a bit chilly and overcast but every once in a while, the sun would come out for a quick peek.

Upon arrival, I found Lora, Sharon, and a few of their friends hangin' out. Saying hi and mingling for a bit, I went and grabbed a beer, and sought out Erin. Erin, whom I met through a mutual friend, was there standing near the bar with two of her friends, Stephanie and Bethany. I actually met Stephanie once before at the 28th Annual Greenville Avenue St. Patrick's Day Block Party. There we chatted and ate some crawfish tails before Erin had to get back home to wait for the cable guy who, subsequently, never showed up. I bounced back-and-forth between beers and friends, inside and outside.



Around 7 pm, Stephanie, Bethany, and I headed over to Texadelphia to grab some dinner. Afterwards, the girls dropped me back off at The Green Elephant and then headed off into the sunset. When I got back inside No Justice had taken the stage--they were great. I'd never heard them before, but I look forward to seeing them perform again in the future. I bumped into Lora, Carolyn, Kristin, Sharon, and friends after they returned from their dinner. There we drank and danced. Feeling overly parched from drinking too much beer (not sure how that happened), I called it an evening just before Poison Cherry came on and went outside for a cab.

There actually was a part 2 to this evening that involved Grey Goose & Red Bull, Round-Up Saloon, and a really tall transvestite, but that story is for another time.