So let's see, what has happened since my last post....

I was voted in as the new Secretary of PACC. That makes me happy. I like being involved in something I believe in and I feel my talents really are an asset to PACC. We had a last minute rush to get the newsletter ready for print do to some last minute changes in content and even though we didn't meet our print deadline for the fundraiser we were still able to get photocopies made. We will go to print on monday and that version will be the one we mail out. I was very dissapointed in the fundraiser. We set-up right inside the doors of the pet store and even though we had a nice set-up including a great gift basket we are raffeling off we only sold 1 raffle ticket and had three people make donations.. completely underwhelming. We did however place two of our rescues into their new homes. One couple drove 14 hours from Maine to rescue a dog from us. In the end that is what it is all about.

The Nickel Creek show was amazing. Hard to describe because I've never seen anything quite like it. First off, The Norva, the venue they played at is fantastic. It's a 1,500 capacity two story theater in downtown Norfolk that has been designed to be an amazing sounding space. They also have a restaraunt inside called the Backstage Cafe' and if you eat there (we did) before a show you get in 15 minutes before the rest of the ticket holders through a back hallway. Because of that we got a great space along the upstairs rail. Nickel Creek are an acoustic Neo-Bluegrass Band and they are young, the oldest member is 26 and the other two members are only 22 (even though they have been playing together for over a decade). The musicianship is unlike anything I've ever witnessed. Like at a Jazz or Blues show they are one of those bands where everyone stands quietly and listens roaring to life only at a songs end or during a impressive display of "chops". Mixed in amongst their originals and covers of traditional bluegrass material they managed to squeeze in their interpretations of Nirvana's "Lithium" and Beck's "Where It's At". For an idea of what they are like you can watch their performance at the Kennedy Center from June 29, 2003 here it's in Real Player format and is about 1:15 minutes long. This is a band I will go to see over and over again. In a weird coincidence it turns out that band members Sean and Sara Watkins (brother and sister) are actually from Vista, California where, of course, Brie and I bought our first house.

That's it for now .. I'm tired