Monday Night Randomness: Summer is over, long live Summer

First real work day at the Meatspace Workplace.  It's a bit like childbirth, methinks.  While we're on vacation, we're programmed to forget how much effort and energy real work takes.  But then we adjust.  At least, I usually adjust.

Lots of good stuff going on in Louisville these days.

Of course, there's the fair.  I've yet to make it this year, but I'm sure I'll squeeze it in. While I'm not a big fan of fair food, which seems to be the main reason many of you go, I just like the whole "fair culture."  The booths, the livestock, the this year's clever take on "I'm With Stupid" t-shirts.  Didn't see much on the music line-up that spoke to me this year.

But that's okay because there are two shows this week I plan on attending.  Alex Wright is playing at Zazoo's on Thursday around 6pm.  This promises to be a special show; not only is it his 10th year wedding anniversary, but it sounds like his lovely wife has been coerced to sing a little too.  And on Friday, Awesome Louisvillager, Brigid Kaelin is playing her farewell (for now) show at the Monkey Wrench starting at 630p.  While we will sorely miss her, Edinburgh, Scotland is in for a treat for the next 15 months.  Read more about the show at Consuming Louisville.

And next week is Waterfront Wednesday.  And my birthday.

As the nights get cooler, Bats season is wrapping up.  My friends at Actors Theater tell me that this Friday, Dracula will be throwing out the first pitch. If you're not headed to Ms. Kaelin's show, I hope you get to see that!

Speaking of Actors, as Roommate said recently, it's very kind of Actors to start their season just as the Bats season wraps up.  SENSE & SENSIBILITY starts Tuesday, August 30.  I'll be sure to let you know what I think of the production after I see it on September 1.

So even though it's back to work for me, my social dance-card is still pretty full.  Clinging to the last few bits of summertime here.

Hope you are too.

(Have you seen Another Earth yet?  No?  Go, and then thank me.)

Wednesday Morning Randomness: Bats, Beer, Music, etc.

I have had such a wonderful summer. I'm so sorry to have it wind down. Mama needs to win the lottery or sell her novel for a bazillion dollars. I'm damned good at the "lady of leisure" thing. Anytime I see someone Tweet or Facebook about "being bored" I want to shout: BORED? Bored? In a world with the internet and ten zillion tv stations and movie theaters and this great city we live in, and let's not forget BOOKS! Books! I don't think I've been bored since the mid-90's. And until I am too old to move or grow blind (it could happen-- my eyesight has gotten worse just about every year since age three), I don't ever anticipate being bored again.  Modernity rocks.

But, despite the fact that I had a marvelous time at Nerd Camp, I am so super happy to be home. And I'm trying to cram in as much "summer fun" into the next week as possible.  Despite the fact that I don't always see all of my friends on a monthly basis, being away from them for a month was kinda hard. And Twitter, of course, makes it possible to see all of the fun they were having without me.  Even though I expressly told them not to have any fun without me.  Damned friends.

Anyway, I have lots of catching up to do, so here's a randomness post for you.  Sorry for some of the "old news" in here. It's all new to me!

• Finally, the old Potstickers location across from Papalino's is getting a new tenant.  It's going to be a cupcake bakery.  Wish I liked sweets, but good on you, cupcakers. You know what I do like? Red velvet cake. If they have a red velvet cupcake, I'm all over that.
  
• The Holy Grale is now open 7 days a week. That instantly improves my quality of life.
  
• As does the re-opening of the Barret Bar under new management.  Roommate and I went there a couple of times before I left for Nerd Camp. The food is great-- worlds better than the old "frozen chicken patty" days.  Roommate had a bbq slider that was delish. Beers are a bit pricey, but pool is still cheap.  And they still have that lovely patio.
  
• Speaking of Holy Grale, I went there yesterday for their first Monday opening ever with the lovely and talented Erin Keane and her lovely and talented mister.  Ms. Erin, one of our city's finest writers, is now writing for Salon.com (among other places). Her article on Roseanne Barr's potential White House bid not only got at Twitter mention from Roseanne herself, but is probably my favorite article she's ever written.
  
• And speaking of my awesome friends (now I feel like I'm name-dropping), I went to Clifton's Pizza tonight to see the always fantastic Alex Wright play with Danny Flannigan, who is also wonderful.  When I found myself singing along to some of Alex's tunes, I realized that I have officially become a "groupie." He said it was okay if I declared myself the president of his fan club, so there you have it.  Alex's CD comes out soon, and he's playing next Thursday with Dewey Kincaid at Zazzo's.  Also, I'm told his CD cover was designed by the marvelous John Wurth who also designed my little acorn logo.
  
• In case you missed it via Twitter, while I was in Connecticut visiting Mama Lou, I hijacked her car for the evening and drove an hour to see our Louisville Bats play the Pawtucket Red Sox, by myself.  It was a gorgeous, glorious evening and a stellar game of baseball that turned into an ugly, ugly, uglyuglyugly loss for our Bats.  Here's the thing, I am clearly one of the Bats' biggest fans, so why is it that every request I've made to them to cover them for this blog has been totally ignored?  Even the person who tweets for the Bats ignores me.  Last year I even asked to interview the person who maintains the field at Slugger Field, and they ignored my request.  It's starting to sting a little, I'll be honest.
  
• And yeah, I know people get all kinds of snarky about people and businesses asking that you vote for them in the LEO Readers' Poll.  I get it.  But I'm going to ask anyway.  I know I'm not the "best blog" in Louisville.  Hands down that honor belongs to Consuming Louisville.  But some day, I would like to be a runner-up.  So, yes, I'm asking for you to vote for me.  Michelle will be fine. ;)
  
• Finally, one thing I've missed this summer is the James Stewart Marathon at the Palace Theater.  This weekend is my favorite Jimmy Stewart movie, "Rear Window."  I used to be a huge Audrey Hepburn fan-- still am, really-- but that was back when I was thin as a rail and totally fey and aspired to be just like her.  Nowadays when I think of classic beauty, I think of Grace Kelley.  Just so ineffably perfect.  

That's the randomness for today.  So happy to be home!  Louisville, I've missed you something awful.

Reds Stripping Louisville Bats' Starting Line-Up

In brief: this week, after pitching a game where he threw two-- TWO-- pitches of 105MPH, Aroldis Chapman was called up from the Bats to the Reds.  In his first game pitching for the Reds, he wowed them with a 101MPH pitch.

Today the Reds called up the lovely-named Yonder Alonso.  And rumor has it, they're about to steal my most favoritest player of the summer-- the also lovely-named Vladmir Balentien.

I'm gonna miss those guys.

But this weekend, Roommate and I took in two Reds games at the Great American Ballpark, and while Jay Bruce was the star of the weekend (I even bought my first sports jersey with someone's name on it-- BRUCE!), a close second-- and certainly the most consistent hitter of the weekend-- was our very own Chris "Paul Anka" Valaika**!  I was tickled pink & purple to get to witness Paul Anka's first homerun as a big leaguer.

GO REDS!

** Yeah, no one calls him Paul Anka except Roommate & me.  When the announcer at Slugger Field used to introduce him "CHRIS VAL-AIKA" sounds a lot like "IT'S PAUL ANKA!!"

Late notice: Excellent Music at Skull Alley this Saturday (Aug 14)

Back from Cuernavaca, kids!  And while this heat... the less said about it the better, actually... it's always nice to be home.  One of the reasons it's nice to be home is that I just love doing stuff in my city.  Tonight, weather permitting, we're hitting Late Seating on the roof of Actors Theatre.  Saturday and Sunday, we'll be going to see our #1 Louisville Bats beat (hopefully) their biggest competition Columbus Clippers.

That being said, I might nick out of the Bats game a little early on Saturday to catch Cheyenne Marie Mize and Thomas A. Minor & the Picket Line at Skull Alley.  The Spinning Leaves are also playing, but I don't know anything about them.

Thomas A. Minor & the Picket Line rocked my world at last year's NuluFestival.  And Cheyenne Marie Mize is a local with a gorgeous voice who's been a member of or played with Arnett  Hollow, the Carter Family, Bonny Prince Billy, and Ben Sollee.  I've been wanting to check out Skull Alley for a long time.  I'm a little iffy about the "All ages" thing, but you shouldn't be.


Saturday, August 14th
w/ Thomas A. Minor & The Picket Line and The Spinning Leaves
Skull Alley
1017 East Broadway
Louisville KY
$5 / All Ages
8pm

Three Great Things I Did Last Week

Thing One:  It's quickly becoming gospel in Casa Lou that midweek shows at Zanzabar are worth seeing.  The setting is intimate, the music is fantastic, and the folks behind the bar are delightful.  I'm only sorry that pretty soon, I won't be able to hack midweek shows when my Meatspace job returns.  This week, we caught the dreamy duo, Kaiser Cartel from Brooklyn.  Not only was the show wonderful, but the duo were really sweet people.  It's always nice to see musicians in a venue where you can chat them up after the show.  Zanzabar has some interesting-looking shows lined up for August.  I hope I have time to hit at least one more before I cease to be a lady of leisure.

Thing Two:  If you'd told me that I would genuinely enjoy the "Jersey Boys" show at the Kentucky Center  as much as I did, I would have told you that you didn't get my taste.  I'd heard too many times that your average "jukebox musical" was just a flimsy plot holding together crowd-pleasing songs.  Let me tell you, "Jersey Boys" pleased their crowd and then some.  I'd never seen a mid-act standing ovation before.  But the best thing about "Jersey Boys" wasn't the vocal gymnastics of the uber-talented cast, but the sad and sweet plot of the Four Seasons' rise to fame and eventual unravelling.  And who knew that the actor, Joe Pesci, as a boy, played an integral role in the formation of the Four Seasons!? (As they say in the script, "Yeah, that Joe Pesci.")  If you like the Four Seasons' music, you really have to go see this musical.  And if you don't like the Four Seasons, think about going anyway.  I was really blown away.  Another great job by Broadway Across America.

Thing Three:  You're probably tired of hearing me tell you to go to a Bats game... but we went twice this week, including last night when they beat the #1 Columbus Clippers in 11 innings.  Our boys are on a ten-game winning streak, and are trying very hard to make it to the Wild Card game.  Saturday, last year's boy of summer, Homer Bailey, was back on the mound for the Bats after playing most of the season with the Reds.  He's recovering from an inflamed shoulder.  We also happened to be at the July 27th game where the Bats took Charlotte to town, winning 19-6, with at least one RBI hit by every starter.

For the next nine glorious (hopefully) days, I'll be blogging from Mexico.  Or not blogging, depending on how glorious it is.  Mama hasn't had a "real" sit-by-a-pool-and-decompress vacation in years.  Sure, last summer was the summer of Newfoundland and Labrador, but we didn't stay in the same place two days in a row.  It was a great trip, but it was a lot of work.  And earlier this summer I hit up New England, but that too was a lot of traveling around and-- more taxing (but delightful)-- visiting people.

I have a couple of really fabulous "Awesome Louisvillagers" interviews to post while I'm away.  (Seriously, these are fantastic!)  Feel free to send me nominations for Awesome Louisvillagers, by the way... my list grows longer every day!

Take care of Louisville while I'm away!

All-Star Break Rundown: Bats & Reds

I've been a baseball fan since birth.  True story: when I was three years old, my uncle David recorded me on a reel-to-reel tape singing all kinds of crazy songs.  But the one I kept asking to sing was "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."  So I have in my possession a tape of Baby Lou singing her own version of that song with her tiny baby speech impediment.  The Baby Lou version includes the lyrics:  "Woot woot woot for the hawm team/ if dey don't win it's a shave."  Uncle Dave tried to correct me:  "It's a SHAME."  But I would have none of it.  When Dave asked me why I thought the correct lyrics were "If they don't win it's a SHAVE," I responded:  "Well, if we didn't win, it musta been close.  Like a shave.  The other team musta won by a shave."

Back in my native New England there's a common t-shirt joke:  "I Support Two Baseball Teams:  The Red Sox and Whoever's Playing the Yankees."  But if you live in Louisville Bats country, it only makes sense to support the Cincinnati Reds.  After all, what's the point of supporting a farm team if you don't support the big MLB Ranch in the Sky where our little farm denizens fly when they are called up to pass through our big, er, bricky gates.

The Bats have had better seasons.  As we approach the All-Star break, we're currently 4th in the West (uh, West?) and 11.5 games out of first place.  Tonight we lost a heartbreaker to the Clippers after being up 5-3 in the 7th.

The Reds, on the other hand, are kicking some butt in their division-- leapfrogging back and forth with St. Louis for number one.  Currently they're in first place, one game up, even after a disappointing four game losing streak in Philly.

But All-Star break time means changes, usually.  And the Bats will probably be losing awesomely-named Yonder Alonso to the Reds sometime soon.  On June 30, the Reds called up pitcher Travis Wood from the Bats.  Heard of him?  If you follow baseball, you should have-- on July 10 in his third start with the Reds, he pitched a near perfect game, going eight innings without a hit, surrendering his first hit in the top of the 9th.

Woods and Chris Valaika (Roommate & I call him Chris "Paul Anka" because that's the way the announcer says his name) will be participating in next week's AAA All-Star Games in Allentown, PA (home of the Iron Pigs!).  Two years ago, when Slugger Field hosted the All-Star Games, I attended every event-- alone and recovering from chemo, no less-- and loved every minute.  Wish them both the best of luck.

In other Bats news, Gary Matthews, Jr. has quietly joined the team.  Matthews, who was signed to the Reds at the end of June, has been an MLB-er since June of 1999, playing for nine different teams in his career.  Matthews hit a double tonight and fairly aptly defended center field.  He's a second gen MLB player-- his dad was an outfielder for 16 years and then went on to be an announcer for the Phillies.

Of course, the big story this year was supposed to be Aroldis Chapman, the Cuban pitcher who signed a $30million contract with the Reds and was expected to get a quick call-up from the Reds.  Instead he's 5-6 with the Bats and his call-up is on hold.

My favorite Bat this year is Wladmir Balentien from Curacao, who joined the Bats after two seasons with the Mariners' farm team.  (What, by the way, is with all these great names?)  When Roommate and I go to Bats games, we invariably camp out on the Overlook Deck or, when it's not reserved, the covered picnic area, so I spend half of the game watching Balentien's back (his back, really).  And while some outfielders look like they're mentally compiling their Christmas lists while they're waiting for something to happen, Balentien is always in the game.  He's made some incredible catches this year, and the arm on this guy... awesome.

By virtue of the fact that the Reds are having an amazing season this year, and the fact that Roommate was a Big Red Machine child, I've probably seen more Reds games than Sox games this year.  Sure, I hate to lose our Bats to the big leagues... Yonder, I'll be sorry to see you go... but I just love seeing our former Bats doing great things in the MLB.  Homer Bailey and Chris Heisey... I cheer just a little harder when they're on the mound or up at bad (respectively).

Play ball, y'all-- Bats return on Thursday for a four-game homestand against the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs.    Let's hope that if we don't win these games, we'll at least lose by a "shave."

Loueyvillager Powers Activate: Outdoor Hockey In Louisville?

Everything about this picture makes me happy. It's hockey. It's the Bruins. It's Boston. It's FRAKING FENWAY....

Oh Lordy, you gotta love that. Well, okay, you don't. But I do. I'm originally from just outside of Boston. I was raised by a family that lists "Red Sox" as their religion on their Census forms. The best thing that happened to me when I had cancer was that I survived. The second best thing was that my favorite uncle took me to a Sox game at Fenway as a get well gift.

Tonight Fenway is hosting their second hockey game of the season. The first was the Bruins (who won) in the Winter Classic. Tonight is a BC-BU game. At least two of my cousins are going. I am seething with jealousy. You know how much Mama hates the cold, but if I lived in the Boston area, I'd be there looking like Randy from "A Christmas Story." The pain would be more than worth it. Fenway + hockey = harmonic convergence of awesomeness.

All this prompted me to start looking into local hockey. I started this morning on Twitter and found out that U of L does, indeed, have a hockey team. I had always assumed that Louisville had no hockey to speak of because if the city did have hockey, we'd all be talking about it. Right? We're a sports-lovin' city, and hockey is pretty much the best sport imaginable. Right?

Turns out the U of L hockey team has a very limited schedule-- only 8 local games listed on the schedule. They play at Alpine Arena. And they play HALF their local games at MIDNIGHT. I don't know what to make of that. Half of me thinks it's fabulous-- like Rocky Horror for sports fans. Half of me is totally bummed out. Where's our next gen of hockey players going to come from when we can't take our little dudes to hockey games? (And by "dudes" I mean that gender-free. Some of the coolest hockey players I've met have been women.)

My solution?

Dear Slugger Field,

Please take a gander at what Fenway is doing this winter. I know they're still not sold on making hockey a permanent part of their schedule, but everyone I know in the Boston area is madly in love with hockey at Fenway. And you, Slugger Field, are gorgeous and perfectly suited for outdoor hockey. And seriously, what else do you have going on during the winter? We need to generate some support for hockey in Louisville. And Louisville sports fans could really use something new to get excited about. It's a marriage made in sports heaven. (Usually) our winters are more mild than Boston's. Sure the wind whips off the river, but if Fenway fans can hack it, then we certainly can. Hell, we've got kids out sledding today, and it's negative eleventy-billion degrees out.

Slugger Field, Louisville Bats, Mayor Uncle Jerry, etc... what can I do to help you make this happen? Mayoral candidates-- what's your platform on outdoor hockey? I'm on a mission from God here. Or from Bobby Orr.

The next U of L hockey game is midnight on 1/22. Let's meet there to discuss how we can bring this kind of awesomeness to the winter of 2010-11.

Yours in the goal for the city,
Lou

Random Tuesday Randomness: Swayze, Kanye, Jugbands, and more

How about this weather, Louisvillagers? Can't beat it. It's hard to stay sad for too long when the weather is this beautiful. And Lou's been battling the blues this week:

• First there was Sunday's season-ending loss for the Bats at Slugger Field. Thanks to our Bats for providing another amazing year of some of the best cheap fun to be had in Louisville. Those damn Durham Bulls. They're our Captain Hammer.
  
  
• And now Swayze. Sigh. If you haven't seen him in Keeping Mum with Rowan Atkinson and Maggie Smith, rent it now.

On the positive side of things:

• Hear Obama call Kanye a "jackass." Yeah, I know it was supposed to be off the record and all that, but I couldn't help but beam when I heard this. Especially considering my one degree of separation from the Taylor Swift scandal. Obama's probably going to catch crap for this, but I love it!
  
  
• I came home from work today all fired up to make some beef stroganoff but not really wanting to head to the grocery store. And then I was reminded that it's two-for-one burger night at the Monkey Wrench. I always forget that the Tuesday deal at the Monkey Wrench is one of the best cheap eats deals in town. I'll hold off on the stroganoff.
  
  
• Don't forget that this weekend is Arts in the Highlands-- September 19 & 20. The weather is supposed to be beautiful again.
  
  
• You can make it a full weekend of festivals by hitting the Arts in the Highland on the 20th and enjoying America's Happiest Music at the Jug Band Jubilee on September 19.
  
  
• Please, please tell me you're following the Fairdale Bigfoot on Twitter. And on Facebook. His new advice column will appear at Consuming Louisville soon. Email questions to fairdalebigfoot (at) gmail.com. Rumor has it, the Manbeast may run for mayor of Louisville. (no, I don't mean Uncle Mayor Jerry-- he's already said he won't run again).
  

Coming soon... NULU Festival, IdeaFestival... It's a good time to be a Loueyvillager.

Bats Boosting

As I mentioned yesterday, our Louisville Bats are trouncing their International League West competition-- 9.5 games ahead of second place. Tomorrow they start an eight day home run.

First up is Durham, who currently have exact same 51-39 record as the Bats. That's Thursday-Sunday. Next up on Monday is Buffalo, who are last in their league.

Don't forget to check the Bats' website for great promotions. For example, if you're a consumer of cellophane-wrapped cheese products, you can bring a a Kraft Singles Cheese Slices wrapper to the park and get two for one tickets on Tuesdays all season long.

Even without promotions, a Bats game is one of the bestest cheap funs in the city.

Friday night is $2 craft beer happy hour from 530-7pm with music by Squeezebot AND Friday night fireworks after the game. If the weather holds up, I know where I'll be Friday night. It's so nice to be behind a winning team. (Go Red Sox!)

Take Me Out To the Paaaark!!!!

Every time I go to a Bats game, I get confounded at the 7th inning stretch. I'm a 4th generation Red Sox fan. As they say in my former neck of the woods: "Some people are Christian, some people are Jewish; I'm a Red Sox Fan." And I love base ball and all its trappings. So when the Jumbotron at Slugger Field plays the official words to "Take me out to the Ballgame," I am bulloxed up by the line "Take me out with the crowd!" I SWEAR, at Fenway, the lyrics are sung: "Take me out to the Paaaarrrkk!"

Anybunny know for sure? Or is this just a Mama thing. Because back when she was a wee wee girl she also thought the line "If we don't win it's a shame" was "If we don't win it's a SHAVE." A shave. It made total sense to me. Like: "if we don't win, it must have been a very close (like a shave) game."

Mama's got to get herself to another Bats game. Seems like she has good mojo working this year: seen two games, seen two wins. And out Louisville Bats are on a bit of a losing streak. This should be a beautiful weekend for a game (or two) vs. Syracuse. But starting on Monday, the Bats have a series with the Pawtucket Red Sox, and my loyalties suddenly become a bit muddy.

I think next time I go, I'll get the Rally's Grand Slam Deal so I can get a free hat. I think the math is pretty excellent:

Ticket $6 <-- dirt cheapest rate
Hot Dog $2.50
Soda $3
Program $2
Rally's Burger $2 (?? never been to Rally's??)
= Hat for $2.50

In other Slugger Field news, Browning's has re-opened-- I'm, like, the last person to blog about it. But I'm hearing mixed reviews.

Dog Day at the Park is coming up June 9. Bring your pup, and you get in for $6 and Rolf gets in for $3. I am pupless, but I may have to check out the general chaos.

Also, on Sunday July 12, Christian Rockers Tenth Avenue North are playing at Slugger Field, if you're into that sort of thing. (I am not) Tickets MUST be ordered by July 1.

Play Ball, y'all!

Friday Night Randomness

Thoughts and blather...

• Wow, the whole Pitino extortion story gets all Weekly World News-ish weird. Okay, maybe not THAT weird, but still wicked weird. The allegation is here.

• I have a big ol' Portuguese family, so the odds were pretty good that more than one of us would put our gift for useless but uber-nerdy knowledge to use in a blog. I'm pretty proud of my baby cousin MOVIEBOB, though. He's been nominated for at least one super geeky award. (Although big cousin Lou just surpassed him by two on her Google reader subscriptions-- take that, geekchild!) Check him out. He kind of rocks.
  

• City Block is closing. The only concert I've ever felt compelled to attend there was Hanson. And I didn't. But, come on... "Mmmm Bop" makes you smile, doesn't it? Smile big and perky? I need to go download that right now.
  

• The tix for the Holy Trinity at Slugger Field are a whopping $69.50. If you've been thinking about asking Lou out for a date but have just been too shy or too nervous, now's the time. Yes, I'll go to see Dylan/Willie/Mellencamp with you. And I'll even buy the hot dogs... if you'll just snag us a couple of tickets.
  

• Big Mama Lou is visiting for the weekend, and as I dropped her off at the Residence Inn (where I lived in Ike-delivered exile for nearly six months... it was actually awfully nice to see the place, especially the front desk crew, again) I was happy to see that Market Street from DCE to Baxter was hopping. Big Mama and I will be hitting the Cherokee Triangle Art Fair tomorrow in this absolutely blissed-inducing weather.

Hope the weather induces bliss in you as well this weekend.

Holy Trinity, Bats man!!

Wow. That's an awful title.

But I'm giddy beyond belief at the announcement of the summer concert at the Louisville Bats' Slugger Field:

DYLAN

WILLIE

MELLENCAMP

July 8. Tickets on sale on May 9.

Pinch me!

Now, seeing that this is a betting city, anyone want to take bets as to how fast this concert will sell out? (crosses fingers, mutters a little prayer: Please, please don't let me forget.... )

Thunder Plus

I'm going to admit to having mixed feelings about Thunder Over Louisville.



Maybe not really "mixed."



Maybe saying I have "mixed" feelings about Thunder is just my fancy way of saying, "I have some issues with Thunder Over Louisville, and I really wish my progressive, exciting, adopted hometown would find a less macho, more eco-friendly, less 'Lee Greenwood Patriotismy' way of celebrating Derby."



There. I said it.



That being said, what the heck are you going to do on Thunder Day? Go to a movie? Right.



But the way I see it, if you're going to do Thunder, you might as get a little more bang for your buck than just watching fuel-wasting, air-polluting, manifestations of military might zip around in the sky to 80's tunes. I mean, some of it is fun but...



...And before you slag me for being an unpatriotic buzzkill... I take issue with the unpatriotic part, thank you very much!



There are at least two great options out there to make the most of your Thunder Day:



Actors Theater is once again having their Rooftop Bash, which takes place on the top floor of Actors' parking garage and features music by Dangerbird, Arnette Hollow, and Whistle Peak. You can't ask for "better seats" for all the Thunder mayhem. The hoopla starts at 2pm and the admission price includes parking, restroom access, and entertainment. Food will be available for purchase. Ticket prices are $40 for adults if you're a member of Actors (which you should be) and $60. Kids ages 3-12 are $10 and the wee-est ones are free. To purchase tickets call the Actors Theatre box office at 584-1205.



Option #2, our fair Bats have a game against Indy that day at 215pm, and according to their website, you can "enjoy the heart-pounding pyrotechnic explosion of Thunder Over Louisville fireworks show at Louisville Slugger Field! With the purchase of a game ticket you will be able to view all the excitement of Thunder Over Louisville, including the air show, from your great seats at Louisville Slugger Field!"



So there you have it, kids. You can have some great music with your BOOM! or some great baseball with your BOOM! I haven't made my choice yet; I just hope we have some great weather with our BOOM!

Buddy Bat has a... Female Bat Friend

Sigh.

According to five minutes of research on the interwebs, there's no word for a female bat. There's no word for a male bat. They're just "male bats" and "female bats." So much for a clever post title.

Anyway, there's a cute article about Jeremy Sharfe in today's CJ. He's Buddy Bat at the Bats games and at around 90 other appearences each year. And a teacher. And a musician. And boyfriend. Bats are, you know, notoriously high strung.

You know Mama and her thing for mascots... Was disappointed that Buddy was off the market. (Mind out of gutter, fair reader. It's a harmless giggly fascination not a full blown fetish.)

And even though the weather sure doesn't feel like it, don't forget that the Bats home opener is just two days away. And the Reds just sent our Homer Bailey back home to us, and he's probable to pitch. (Bad news for Homer = good news for Bats fans. Sorry dude.)

Play Ball!

Deja Vu Brew?

We've heard this before, gotten our hopes up, and then been disappointed. But the Ville Voice is saying that Slugger Field's Browning's Brewery may re-open under its original owner by Derby weekend.

I've heard umpteen different people share their distress that the Bats' opening day is a little more than a week away, but still Browning's remains shuttered. Everyone has a "brilliant" idea on how to reopen it: Open only on game days and special events; Open on all of the above plus weekend; Stay open later-- Browning's often closed before Bats games were over, weird movie.

Here's hoping Anoosh Shariat gets Browning's back in the game ASAP!

Speaking of restaurants

... any updates on Cafe Mimosa? Do they plan to reopen?

... which rumor has turned out to be true? Is Kaelin's remodeling or is it kaput?

... and RIP Karma Cafe. Me and my hangovers loved your omlettes.

Bats & Boobs

Speaking of baseball (I was, this morning), next Tuesday, August 26 is Komen for the Cure night at Louisville Slugger Field. Come see our playoffs-bound Bats in action and help support the cause. Pink mini-bats will be on sale for $10, with all proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

This Lou will be there with her Young Survior sisters. I'll be the one in the pink shirt! ;)

Louisville Bats vs. Buffalo Bisons (4-9)

The Bats lost with a season-high four errors. Let’s just get that out of the way to begin with. Season-high four errors. Just goes to show you that I am, indeed, anathema to sports teams and competitions in general. Should you ever go to Churchill Downs with me, it’s in financial your best interest to offer to pay for my beers (or mint juleps) so you can get my “hot picks” for each race. While I can’t help you pick the winners, knowing my picks will at least tell you which horses not to bet on. In the privacy of my own home, I rock Jeopardy!, but put me on a Pub Quiz team and I am definitely not smarter than a fifth grader.

After an afternoon hanging in downtown Louisville, I decided to hit my first Bats game. Since I moved here, I’ve been aching to go to a game, but somehow it’s never panned out. Roommate is out of town, but after a little hemming and hawing, I decided that going to a baseball game alone is no more pathetic than going to a movie or a bar alone, and I do both happily.

Bull Durham it ain’t, much to my disappointment. But that and the loss were the only disappointments.

$7 admission at the door for reserved seats (note to self: either reserve online in advance to get a better seat or pay less and sit in the bleachers or on the lawn—the view was as good as it was from my lousy reserved seats). After I got over the shock of seeing so many people eating pizza at a baseball game (Papa John’s is a ubiquitous presence in Louisville as the city is home to the YUM! Brands), I was happy to see the usual ballpark fare offered at Slugger Field, along with some more unusual food like pork chop sandwiches and Philly cheese steak nachos at reasonable prices. I spent $3.50 on an Italian sausage with peppers and onions, and while it was fantastic, my guts are a bit gooey today. You have to look a bit harder for premium beers, but they do exist, including the fairly potent RedHook ESB on tap. Premium beers are smaller than the piss beers, but they’re the same price-- $4.50, pretty much what you’d spend in most of the Ville’s bars.

Slugger Field is small and very family-friendly. There’s a carousel and a playground and a ton of give-aways and promotions for kids. The preponderance of children there last night may have been because of the Memorial Day weekend or because they were giving away free gloves to the first 1,000 wee ones, or maybe it’s always a kid-fest. (Note to parents: if you’re going to let your kids come and go ALL GAME LONG maybe you should ask the people on the end seats to switch places. More ESB went on my lap from kids bumping my knees than down my throat.)

You really can’t beat it with a stick though. Seven bucks for three hours of sports and entertainment (see: BirdZerk!) in the fresh air. Beautiful sunset over the Ohio River free of charge. I never felt odd being alone, and by the second inning, I was looking at the multiple game mini-packages (unfortunately, I’ll be out of the Ville for a chunk of baseball season and it was impractical).