I KNOW ... I SUCK.

At least I can admit that. I get pissed when the blogs I love to read aren't updated regularly, and here I am being a hypocrite (and a cocky one at that - assuming anyone actually READS this blog). So yeah, it's been nearly two weeks since my last post. I wish I could say I was doing something amazing - like riding a bicycle 244 miles from Prague to Budapest (no wait, that's happening this summer!) - or maybe being held as a POW on some third-world island nation (hopefully NOT happening this summer) - but really I've not been doing much of anything.

Last week was Mid-Winter Recess. It was glorious. I slept in almost every morning unless I made plans, which was rare. On Wednesday I went into the city with P.McQ and D. We had gotten cheap tickets to see "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" so we did lunch and stuff. Was a nice time. I'm not a huge fan of Broadway though, and - true to form - I did doze off during the first act. Fucking siestas are to blame.

Friday I drove down to the annual NJMEA conference (aka: Giant Convention for Dorky Music Teachers). And like every year, it was basically a big reunion of the people that I went to college with. I went with my friend L, whose school district is nice enough to pick up her registration fee AND a hotel room. After we went to dinner at Makeda, I really just wanted to go back to the room. So I did. And fell asleep by like 10:30. Woo hoo. Meanwhile, L stayed down in the hotel sportsbar and drank her face off. When she (and some friends) stumbled back to the room at 3:30, I was less than pleased. I'm becoming such an old fart.

Then the snoring began. And even through my noise-canceling headphones - which are able to drown out the sound of a 747 jet engine - the snoring was audible. So around 4:00AM, I decided I had slept enough, packed my shit and drove home. That was NJMEA 2006. Although I did go to a couple cool workshops including one on the Alexander Technique and one which taught me about my new favorite program, Garage Band 3. All was not lost.

Last night I went to a NJ Devils vs. Philadelphia Flyers game. P.McQ got cheap tickets (did I mention she is Queen of Cheap Tickets? I think she may have a mob connection ... or maybe she just puts out) and that was kinda fun. I'm not a huge sports fan or anything, but hockey is definitely exciting. It moves really fast and there are grown men wearing ridiculous amounts of padding, sliding around the ice and bashing each other. What's not to like?

During the second period, a fan-fight broke out in the stands. Mixing Jersey and Philly is never a good idea. Throw in alcohol and face paints and chaos is sure to ensue. It was actually more entertaining to watch the fan-fight than the game. It made me think that they should sell weapons at sporting events -- right next to the beer kiosks. Not guns or knives or anything, more like medieval weapons - like flails and maces. Just food for thought.

Anyway, so that's where I've been. Sorry if I disappointed you. If it makes you feel any better, I'll tell you I'm on my way to Iraq to be a human shield.