My girl Sophie is really sick right now. The digest version of the story is this: After a day of not eating and vomiting and generally not moving, I took her in for an exam and blood work. Brought her back home and then had to rush her back a few hours later after the vet called to say she was suffering from acute kidney failure.

We don't know the cause yet, but the good news is that after a long, long night of worrying, Dr. True called this morning to say that Sophie seems to be responding well to her treatment. She looks remarkably better - much better than expected - and is eating and demanding attention. But we're not in the clear yet - she'll remain hospitalized for at least the next few days - and I need you all to think really good thoughts for the little orange love of my life.

Because this house is really, really empty without her.

Bobby called to see if we felt the earthquake. He did in West Sac and my mom did over near Howe & Folsom. But, surprisingly, we didn't. The way the cats were acting it probably did noticeably roll through here, but we were both so tired we didn't feel a thing.

Once I got over a terrifying bout of nerves and stage fright, last night turned out to be way more fun than I even expected. Everyone rocked out their junior high humiliation with style. Thanks to everyone who came out.

Now, time to pimp another show. Baby Grand at Luna's Cafe tonight. I think it starts at 9 and cover charge should be in the $5-$6 range.

The incomparable David Houston with his band the Chrystinas are the headliners. Whoo!

If you're so inclined this evening:

Here is your one and ONLY chance to see what I looked like in the 8th grade
because after that, the evidence will be destroyed....

Personal humiliation aside, this promises to be a fun show and it's free

If You Like Me, Check This Box:
(an evening of Sacramento artists performing work they made in junior
high school)

Friday, June 24
8 p.m.
HQ at 25th and R Streets

See filmmaker Bob Moricz' first attempt at an art flick!

Witness actress Amber Kloss' shocking use of hairspray!

Re-live songwriter J. Greenberg's punk-rock phase!

Predict the banal rhymes of Becca Costello's 8th grade love poetry!

Hear the torrid middle-school confessions of Olivia Coelho, Ilsa Hess,
and Rachel Leibrock!

All this humiliation will be accompanied by candy, wine, a mortifying
photo display, and live 1980s music by the incomparable kazoo trio
Broken Home!

For more info, visit Headquarter for the Arts

DAMN!

Oh well. That's it until October...

Detroit Rock City

Well the Sports Illustrated experts are evenly split on who'll win Game 7 of the Spurs-Pistons series but I'm going with the Pistons all the way.

They are, hands down, my favorite team besides the Kings. The Kings are my favorite because, well, they're the Kings and I'm loyal to the home team. But the Pistons? I love 'em because they're everything the Kings are not: scrappy and tough, street-smart and chippy.

Plus, I don't care what all the naysayers think, I have a real soft spot for ol' Larry Brown. How can you not admire a man who's not afraid to tell his team that 'I love you'?

Yeah, I know, there are a lot of crusty old sports lugs out there who scoffed at that. But whatever - like that would make the Pistons go soft? As if.

In any case, on paper and in the numbers the Spurs may be the better team but - and if you'll excuse the cliche - they don't have the heart. They're methodical and plodding and oddly often without emotion.

I could be wrong. The tortoise may beat the hare after all.

But I'm thinking no and my money's on the Motor City brawlers.

Cory says I'm just being a hater, but look, even Fox-goddamned-News doesn't believe in TomKat and is worried about the fate of Katie Holmes. Specifically, they want to know about a 16-day period in April during which she disappeared before re-emerging with new "boyfriend" Tom Cruise:

...The next time anyone heard from Holmes was on April 27, when she appeared in public as Cruise's girlfriend and love of his life.
Where was she during those 16 days?
Somewhere during that time, she decided to fire both her manager and agent, each of whom she had been with for years and who were devoted to her.

Come on Tom, let poor Katie go.

Well. The weekend just disappeared now then didn't it?

Feh.

Today was pretty Monday as far as Mondays go. In other words: rather blah and uninspiring.

I hate it that, on some days, my life seems to have been reduced to the gist of a Cathy comic strip.

Only 2 weeks til we're planning on moving stuff over into the new house and we still haven't bought anything other than a few knick-knacks, a garden hose and a sprinkler and an air compressor.

That to-do list is just not getting any smaller and yet here I am shopping on eBay for vintage Christmas trees:



So pretty ...

I'm in love with this new Sufjan Stevens record. It's not that far off from the "Greetings From Michigan" album (this time he takes on Illinois) but the songs are just different enough and the melodies sweet and winning.

It's such nice accompaniment on this gloomy June Friday. I am so pleased with this unseasonably cool weather and am trying to treasure every last second of it before summer hits us baby one more time with its brutal, unforgiving intensity.

We were going to head out to the park show tonight (Low Flying Owls, Proles - I'm really just going for the scene because neither band does much for me) but that may be rained out. And that would be OK because I've got several books at home, an episode of Blow Out and some much-needed quiet time waiting.

On Tuesday, Chicago artist Kerry Skarbakka staged photographs to recreate the scene of people falling from the Twin Towers on 9/11.

NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg, as well as several families of Sept. 11 victims, are upset about Skarbakka's actions.

"What kind of a sick individual is he? Tell him to go jump off the Empire State Building and see how it feels," Rosemarie Giallombardo, whose son Paul Salvio died in the terrorist attack, told the (New York) Daily News. "He's an artist? Go paint a bowl of fruit or something."

It's distasteful, upsetting and eerie. But is it not art? (Via the Houston Chronicle).

Well, it's official: Phil Jackson re-signed with the Lakers.

Only in Sacramento is it acceptable to wear cargo shorts, a baggy T-shirt and Teva sandals to a nightclub.

I kind of hate that.

I'm not overly fond of the pretentious world that is SF/LA/NYC nightlife, but come on people, there is another level between not-caring and hipster snobbery. Please find it.

But what did I expect? It was the Blue Lamp and people were talking so damn loud during Baby Grand's set (because, you know, they're so loud and you have to scream to be heard above the cacophony) that it all just seemed very fitting.

Anyway, today: brunch with Laura, then furniture shopping with Cory at some place on 12th street. Tomorrow we're hitting up the antique fair and Cory has the vision that we will actually be there at 6:30 a.m. when it opens. We'll see about that.

It is definitely time to start getting some of the bigger pieces we need for the house. Because so far? The only things we've purchased are a few small items such as this Holt-Howard Kozy Kitten salt and pepper set:



So adorable, but yes ... it might be time to also think about the big stuff.

Order! Order! I guess we can't be civilized about this whole Patriot Act thing.

Fine, the gloves are off. Frankly, it's probably not the time for manners anyway (via Salon)

Woo woo woo

Here's to you, Mrs. Bancroft and the memory of you in my all-time favorite film. Woo, woo, woo ...

I have way too much on my to-do list today, yet the day is d-r-a-g-g-i-n-g......Blah.

Anyway, tonight the Haints play in Old Sac with Richard March, The Alkali Flats, the Arlenes and Nevada Backwards. The 8:3o show is at Cafe New Orleans (117 J St). A $10 wristband gets you in to three other Old Sac clubs but I'm not sure how much it is for just one. Oh, 21-and-over only...

And, tomorrow morning is the Curtis Park flea market. I'm pretty sure it's at the Sierra II center and it starts at 7:30 a.m. but as god as my witness I won't be there until at least 9 a.m. and even that is pushing it...

a different shade of pale

Who knew there were so many shades of white from which to choose?



Of course, against the green background, many of the paint chips here don't look white at all ... but I guess they technically are. In any case, we took our paint chips to the new house last night so that we could make that all-important decision: Little Flower or Coffee Creamer? Diamond White or English Sycamore?

And yes, we're painting the inside of the house white. I'm surprised at how many people seem disappointed by this. Right now it's mostly a pale peach on the inside. A pale, dirty peach. A fresh coat of white paint will really open the place up and, at some point, we hope to add some accent colors here and there. But for now, just fresh and clean and white.

It took us a good hour - really - but after examining the myriad choices it finally came down to Little Flower versus Coffee Creamer. We finally went with the former for its warmer, golden tint. Coffee Creamer has more of a cool, blue undertone which threatened to look dingy. Although the coffee addict in me liked the idea of using a paint called Coffee Creamer...but still...I don't use cream in my coffee anyway...

So, the house, to answer a few of reader questions: It's in Hollywood Park, within walking distance to City College and Land Park. It’s a very nice Edward Scissorhands type of 1950s suburban neighborhood that’s still close to everything urban and is a mix of little old ladies (who seem to be endlessly sweeping their immaculate walkways) and young couples/families. It's a very short drive to work. It's a 2 bedroom, one bath plus a "bonus" office (i.e., part of the garage was converted). Built in 1950. Has some cool '50s touches. Needs some work but not a lot. I won't go as far as to say that I think the house was "affordable" because I think the housing market is insane, but we managed to save up a relatively decent amount of money and we have almost no debt so it is at least managable and I don't feel like we're in over our head and we've got financial Plans A, B and C to deal with all the 'what ifs?' and really, having all those worst-case scenario plans is the only way I can sleep at night.

By the way, I'm probably going to post some plant/flower pictures over the weekend and I sure would appreciate some help/advice on how not to kill my new lovely flowers.