Whitman in Louisville: Gray, Jake, and Jaylen's "Song of Myself."

Last week, I introduced y'all to the Whitman Film Festival that my students create each year. For full details on the assignment, click on the link and read up on the project. With the students' permission, I'm posting a series of these films on the blog. It's not just that I'm a proud Mama (but I am); some of these films pay tribute to our city in truly remarkable ways.

First up was Samantha's "I Sing The Body Electric" shot in Cherokee Park.  Girl power, indeed.  But just as Sam's film captured a beautiful aspect of young womanhood, this next film is a gorgeous portrait of young men.

Next up: Gray, Jake, and Jaylen's "Song of Myself"
When I first watched this film alongside my students, I had to stifle a gasp or two. The cinematography is just that stunning. The editing. The settings. The emotions invoked. The use of the music.

But as an English teacher, perhaps what I admire most about this film is how expertly and thoughtfully (I'm running out of gushing adjectives here, folks) these guys edited Whitman's 52-part epic poem to create a compact synopsis of Whitman's intentions for "Song of Myself."

Here's their film:

Enjoy. Share these. And it really is true: the kids are all right.

Young Survivors Benefit and Silent Auction 2/17

Once again, dear blog readers, you've come through with some fantastic donations for the Young Breast Cancer Survivors Benefit and Silent Auction (hoo, that's a mouthful).

This year, donations from Friends of Loueyville have included:

• 4 baskets of romance novels from Shiloh Walker and friends
• two sets of handmade pushpins from Sweeter Lemon
• A portrait session for up to 5 from Shutterboo 
• two pairs of earrings from the Daily Earring
• 4 tickets to Walden's Shakespeare Festival

There's still time to donate (although just barely...)!  Shoot me an email if you're interested.

In the meantime, mark your calendars: this fantastic event (really, so much fun every year) takes place THIS Friday, 2/17 at the Frazier Museum from 630p-10p. Admission (including food) is just $10. 

I hope you'll join me!  I'll be the one wrangling the team of 26 teen volunteers!  (Love my kids!)

#FACETIME: Tweet-up on 2/23

I just passed up my three year anniversary on Twitter. I wasn't an early-adopter, by any means, but I didn't drag my butt too long after realizing how it could effect my life. And I've spent the better part of those three years as a Twitter evangelist.

Twitter has changed my life.

Can I get an "AMEN"?

Yeah, yeah I know how ridiculous that must sound to you people who won't even touch the Tweetybox. And it probably sounds ridiculous to even those of you who have.

But Twitter is a tool. And it turned out that it was just the tool that this socially-awkward introvert needed to connect to people with similar interests and make friends.

Skeptical? I laid it all out in my 600th post, the transcript of a speech I gave at the Louisville Public Library Technology Boot Camp. Read it here.

One of the first Big Events in my Twitter life was a Valentine's Day tweet-up at Ramsi's in 2009.  I was sweetie-less, living in a hotel, recovering from chemo, working on getting my hair to grow back.  And instead of wallowing in all that on that Valentine's Day night, I accepted a tweet-up invite to meet some people I'd chatted with on Twitter. I don't know how many people came out that night (if I remember correctly, it also served as a cast party for a Pandora show), but it was there that I met "in real life" some people who have gone on to become my closest friends in the city.

Tweet-ups happen all the time.  Sometimes even on ice.  But next week, we've got a tweet-up with its very own POSTER. This is the big time, folks.

Thursday, Feb 23 @ 6pm
Against the Grain Brewery
Tweet @AlexPorter82 or @TommySpalding if you have any questions.

I'll be there (see the little acorn on the poster?). Hope to get some #FACETIME with you, too!

Chocolate Insanity @ Gelato Gilberto

I might be slightly more inclined toward Valentine's Day events this year... if I play my cards right and don't booger things up in the next two or so days, this could be my first Valentine's Day with a sweetheart in a really long time. Really. Long. Time. (Okay, to be fair, the Guy I am Currently Dating could likewise booger things up. Boogering things up is not my sole province. I understand that.)

I don't know how you coupled up people do it sometimes. I've been giving myself ulcers about what to get the Guy I am Currently Dating for Valentine's Day-- I agonized over Christmas too. Damn you men; you're hard to shop for. (And when I asked the Twitterfolk for advice on what to get him-- boy was that a mistake!  You people are dirty!)

Unfortunately, gelato from the lovely people at Gelato Gilberto in Nortons Commons is not the answer.  But they're having an event today (Saturday), Sunday, and Tuesday that might just solve some of YOUR Valentine's Day problems-- even those of you without sweeties.  Here's the description:

4th Annual Cioccolato Pazzo:  Chocolate Insanity Valentine's Event this Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday.  We'll have over twenty different varieties of chocolate gelato especially crafted for this event as well as locally made Valentine's cookies and pink paper and glitter for making Valentine's cards. 

Twenty different varieties of chocolate gelato? That IS pazzo! Just like love. :)

Click on their website for store hours and location.  

Whitman in Louisville: Samantha's "I Sing the Body Electric"

As I have said before, I kind of have mixed feelings about hanging up my teaching shoes at the end of this school year. But there are a lot of reasons why this is the right decision at the right time.

One of those reasons is NOT the kids. It's almost never the kids. Maybe one out of every hundred days I have a bad day because of a kid. Every good day I have at work-- every. single. one.-- is because of the kids.

So, I thought I would share-- with their permission, of course-- some of my students' work on a project called The Whitman Film Festival. We spend about two weeks deeply immersed in the poetry Walt Whitman after we've already spent three weeks or so reading the works of the American Transcendentalists (Emerson, Thoreau, Alcott). At the end of this intense study the students are asked to create a film of a Whitman poem or an excerpt from a Whitman poem; every aspect of the film should reflect an understanding of the character and style of Whitman's works.  Students may work in groups of 1, 2, or 3. The film may not exceed 3 minutes.

I'm not sharing just because I feel like a very proud mama (but I do feel like a very proud mama). I'm sharing because in addition to capturing the tone and style of Whitman's words, many of these films have captured the character of Louisville.

Enjoy. Share these. And it really is true: the kids are all right.

First up: Samantha's "I Sing the Body Electric"  
I've watched this film probably a dozen times over the course of this assignment, and only recently have I stopped tearing up every. single. time. We just showed this film at a school assembly, and I watched as colleagues wiped away tears. Not only is this film exquisitely crafted, it's also courageous. I am so proud of Sam and the other young women who agreed to participate. For all of you who are frustrated with princess-y pink girl culture, know that there is way more to teen girl culture than that.

Here's Sam's film:

And when you visit it, please "Like" it or leave a comment. It's unsettling to see six "dislikes" on this page. The kids are all right, but that doesn't mean they're not mean or jerks sometimes. As we all are.

UPDATED: Le Petomane PSA: Once in a Blue Moon Postponed

UPDATE: The show WILL go on... it will just open FRIDAY 2/10 instead of tonight.  Good news, everyone!

Unfortunately, this week's opening of the new Le Petomane show has been postponed.  From the Le Petomane Facebook page:

Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble's Once in a Blue Moon - Venue Change Due to MSD Work on Oak Street!

The combined Unstoppable Forces of Tuesday's full moon and the Metropolitan Sewer District have thrown us a challenge we heartily accept. Due to unforeseen circumstances that will make safe parking and restroom access problematic, it will be necessary for us to change the venue and dates for performances of Once in a Blue Moon. 

We are looking at options and will share more details about performances as soon as humanly possible. You can also reach us at Us@LePetomane.org or input your own sewer jokes on Facebook.

I know how much love, time, and art went into crafting this new production-- one created with this particular space in mind.  Let's make sure we support one of our favorite local theater ensembles and come out in droves when they open.  I'll keep you posted. Good luck to them!

Humana Illustrator @ Green Building

The Louisville Graphic Design Association sure has a snazzy website. Which makes sense. Of course. If you're in the graphic arts/design biz, this site also has a fairly nice-looking job board.

The LGDA also sponsors regular events: speakers, shows, screenings. Their first event of the year is tomorrow, and it features Wayne Brezinka, the illustrator of this year's Humana Festival Poster.

6pm: cash bar & appetizers
7pm: event
At the Green Building.
Thursday, February 9
RSVP HERE

About Brezinka:

Wayne will be sharing his personal story of how he became interested in art, share his work and give an in depth behind the scenes look into his process. As an illustrator and contributing artist, Wayne Brezinka has been commissioned by The New York Times, Neiman Marcus, The Johnny Cash family, The Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune. He has also illustrated for many ads, posters, music and consumer packaging, and is always looking for new venues for his work. His illustrations have appeared in Communication Arts, Print Magazine and most recently, the Society of Illustrators 52 in New York.

Great Oaks, Tiny Acorns

Acorn commissioned by Roommate by David Landenwich

I know I've said this before, but it bears repeating: I hope all y'all have a friend like Roommate in your life. This Christmas, the only thing I asked for was "some kind of jewelry with an acorn on it" -- because of my blog symbol, because I knew I was getting ready to make a big life change, and I thought it would be a good reminder of why I chose the acorn as the symbol for this blog.

Side trip: Why the acorn, Lou?  I'm a literary nerd, to be sure. But one of my favorite sayings is one that I can't attribute to Shakespeare or Yeats or Whitman. In fact, it's tough to figure out where it came from.  But for years, I've had a little decorative dish that I bought at one of the Vanderbilt estates in Newport, and it says: "Great Oaks from Tiny Acorns Grow." That's Loueyville, the blog. Not quite a Great Oak yet. Neither am I. But hopefully we're getting there.

So, I asked Roommate for acorn jewelry, and he scoured our local stores to find me something.  And when he couldn't find the right piece-- this is where the BFF part comes in-- he commissioned a local artist to make me one.

Turns out this local artist is also a bartender at Roommate's (our) home-away-from-home, and Metromix's "Best Bar in Louisville," the Back Door.  David Landenwich has been working with glass for three years. When Roommate gave me the acorn necklace, I immediately said, "I've got to get Dave on the blog." So after a few text messages, I got his email; I asked him a few questions, and here was his response:

I'm glad you liked the pendant that [Roommate] asked me to make for you. I kind of got carried away and made about ten of them. My friend and co-worker Gail Oyler introduced me to "Soft glass." Soft glasshas a lower melting point than other glass. A lot of the glass earrings and necklace you see are of this variety. With the right amount of control you can do incredible things with soft glass. Unfortunately for me, soft glass melts too quickly and usually  ends up in a puddle in front of my torch.

After a while, I got into using borosilicate glass, more commonly known as Pyrex. It is considered to be a harder glass with  a higher melting point so it works a little slower. The colors you can develop with Boro can be very intense depending on  how you "Strike" the glass (working the glass with greater or lesser amounts of oxygen). I know, technical, smecknical.

Anyway... Gail and I do shows at art fairs and farmers' markets. She does all kinds for bead work. necklaces, ear rings, blown vessel, you name it. She has done many commission pieces for clients. I tend to do more pendant work. Like I said, I have only been working with glass for three years. I have a lot to learn. But that's the fun part.

Gail displays her work on ETSY.com. I don't have a website or page, but you can reach me at dlando1@mac.com. 

I can't tell you how many compliments I've gotten on my new acorn necklace. I wish Dave had a website or an ETSY shop, but I will keep in touch with him and let y'all know if that changes. In the meantime, Dave seems willing to try new things and work on commission (according to Roommate, when he brought the 10 or so acorn pendants to the Back Door to let Roommate choose one, he actually sold at least one more that night). So if you have a glass pendant need, hit him up at his email address. Or ask for him at the Back Door. 

Pinterest: Pins from Louisville

If you've ever stopped to think, "Gee, I just don't have enough Loueyville in my life these days"-- you're in luck!

Now, in addition to following Chatty Cathy... I mean Lou... on Twitter (@loueyville) and on Facebook (search for: Louey Ville) and reading her articles for The Louisville Paper and reading this blog, you can now follow Loueyville on Pinterest.

I'm still getting the hang of this Pinterest thing (SO. MUCH. WEDDING STUFF.), so grant me a little grace for a while.  But more than half of my "boards" are Louisville-centric.  Boards include:

• Stuff to Do in Louisville
• New Places in Louisville
• Louisville Restaurant News
• Louisville Products
• Images of Louisville
• Recipes Easy Enough For Me
• Crafts I'll Never Make
• Things I Just Love

You can follow me, or you can choose to just pick a board or two and follow it. But this is where you'll find stuff that I think is great in Louisville but that might not make it on the blog. 

Loueyville, "neither here, nor there"... but somehow still everywhere... 

Le Petomane: Once in a Blue Moon

For the past six months or so, I've been so thrilled to do some reporting for The Louisville Paper.  It's a beautiful publication with thoughtful and interesting coverage of the Louisville that makes me proud.

The very first article that I wrote for The Paper, "Marooned Five" was about Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble and their production, 5 THINGS. I'd heard all kinds of good things about Le Petomane-- how could you not when they'd won the LEO's Readers' Choice award for best theatre group in 2010 and 2011? -- but I'd never seen a show.

Here we are, six months later, and I'm a Le Petomane convert... maybe even a groupie.

Not only did 5 THINGS knock my socks off, so did their next show, A VERY SPECIAL HOLIDAY SPECIAL. And now I'm one of those people who will see any show with the Le Petomane name attached to it.

Their next show, ONCE IN A BLUE MOON, opens next week at the Rud. Here's what their promo material has to say about the show:

Filled with original music and laughs a-plenty, Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble's latest original play revolves around Ruby Blue-- a gem of a girl. Ruby is special-- why else would we tell her story, right? Everything is just peachy until a piece of her is stolen, and it's up to our intrepid hero to go get it.  

This show features four members of the ensemble: Heather Burns, Tony Dingman, Kristie Rolape, and Kyle Ware.  ONCE IN A BLUE MOON runs February 9-11 & 16-18 at 730pm at the Rudyard Kipling (422 Oak Street). Industry night is Monday, February 13 at 730p. Shows are $8-$20 on a pay-what-you-please sliding scale. For more information email US@LePetomane.org.

Hard Rock Rising: Battle of the Bands

Hard Rock Cafes around the world are currently hosting a contest called: Hard Rock Rising-- the Global Battle of the Bands.

Each local Hard Rock has their own Battle of the Bands, with the winners advancing to ... um... yeah, okay... I'm a little unclear about how this contest really works.  The BIG prize is that some bands are going to get to play in London, but I'm really not sure how this happens.

And frankly, voting in this contest-- which is starting on Facebook-- is a little like doing the Hokey Pokey.  But the endgame of the local contest is a biggie-- a coveted spot at Waterfront Wednesday this summer.

Here's what you need to do to vote:

1) Go to the Hard Rock Louisville fan page on Facebook and "like" it.
2) Click on the Hard Rock Rising page in the left hand column of the Facebook page.
3) Scroll through the bands, and download songs from the bands you want to vote for. FREE DOWNLOADS-- yay!
4) Voting ends February 6.

The good news is that you can vote for more than one band. The bad news is that you can only vote once AND you can only vote if you live within 50 miles of Louisville.

I'm not going to tell you how to vote, but I will tell you that I cast my ballots for The Navigators-- the band project featuring Alex Wright and Dewey Kincaid (and that song... "Get Out of Touch"... one of my favorites) and for Butch Rice, another one of the most talented singer-songwriters in Louisville.

Side note: Where the heck is Tyrone Cotton on here??-- ANOTHER amazing local singer-songwriter and an awesome supporter of other local musicians... No one comes out to support local music like Tyrone does (he's been at the past two Alex Wright shows, for example). Love him for that.

Design*Sponge Loves Kin Ship Press

My Google Reader is filled with some pretty strange stuff. Yes, I have loads of local bloggers on there and lots of Louisville news. But I also have at least a half-dozen blogs (most now dormant) that focus on LOST. A couple that focus on BSG news. I have lots of wine and booze blogs on there-- despite the fact that it's been years since I spent more than $12 on a bottle of wine.

More than anything else except local stuff, I have lots of film review and movie news blogs on my G-reader. I'm honestly not sure why.  But I read so much movie news that if a movie pops up and I've never heard of it before, I am stunned... stunned, I tell you.

[If you're wondering, my absolute favorites are Mary Ann Johanson's FlickFilosopher blog (feminist, pop culture nerd... loves her some Doctor Who... the only blog I have actually PAID to subscribe to) and Bob Chipman's MovieBob vlog (gamer, film nerd, geek, also a feminist, a pretty brilliant cultural critic... and also my cousin).]

And despite the fact that I have not an ounce of handiness or decor-intelligence in my body, next to film news in non-Louisville-related-blogs-on-my-Google-Reader, I have the most blogs about design and crafty things.

My favorite of these is Design*Sponge (despite the cringe-worthy name... I'm kind of of the mind that nothing should be called an anything sponge, unless it's a contraception).

And Design*Sponge loves our local Kin Ship Press (which, by the way, is an example of an awesome name).

Today the blog featured Kin Ship's new customized mugs.  (I love them, but I'm partial to their non-customized mug that reads "Time to Get Stuff Done."

Grace Bonney from Design*Sponge has featured Kin Ship's products before. Last July she featured my favorite Kin Ship product: their adorable pillow cases.  See the July mention here.


From the Kin Ship Etsy bio:

Kin Ship Press is Dan Davis and Hillary Harrison.
We live and work in Louisville, Kentucky.
We screenprint. Illustrate. Photograph. Design.
We like to make things.
For us and for you.

We are inspired by our family & friends, slowing down, countrysides, music, critters, and folk art--among other things.

We design and hand-print home goods and apparel.

We work hard to find and use quality fabrics and supplies that we ourselves would want.

Congrats to Kin Ship for great design exposure!

Lifetime Achievement for Lance Henriksen

The Derby City Film Festival's press release calls Lance Henriksen a "veteran actor known for roles in TERMINATOR and ALIENS," which is all fine and good. And truly, Bishop from ALIENS is a iconic sci-fi character.

But the television show MILLENIUM, starring Henrikson as an ex-FBI-er with the ability to see into criminals' minds, spanned three seasons and 67 episodes, featured LOST's Terry O'Quinn, and was created by the X-FILES's Chris Carter.  Damned good show.

Henriksen will be in town for the Derby City Film Festival in support of his new film IT'S IN THE BLOOD and will be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Festival. Here's the skinny on this film, and its Louisville connections:

IT'S IN THE BLOOD is a feature film from Louisville natives and Ballard High School graduates Scooter Downey & Sean Elliot and is up for three awards including Best Feature Film and two Best Actor Nominations for stars Henriksen & Sean Elliot. BLOOD tells the tale of a father (Henricksen) and son (Elliot) who become stranded in the wild and must confront the horrors of their past to escape with their lives. However, this wilderness is not what it seems, and as they deteriorate, so to does their concept of reality: horrifying creatures, ghostly apparitions, is it all in their heads, or could the truth be far more terrible?

Henriksen will be participating in panels and doing a signing of his new autobiography LANCE HENRIKSEN-- NOT BAD FOR A HUMAN (how much do you love that title? tons!).

BLOOD will be screened with the short film ENDLESS at 8pm on February 18 at the Clifton Center. The Derby City Film Festival runs from February 17-19. We'll have more on the festival in a later post. In the meantime, you can check out festival information here: www.derbycityfilmfest.com.

Lots of Henriksen on Netflix Instant, but unfortunately no MILLENIUM (not on Amazon Prime or in Wild and Woolly's catalogue, either... bummer).

Kentucky Homefront Fundraiser: Sunday Funday

I don't normally just cut and paste press releases, but this is already late notice, and I want to get it on the interwebs before people clock out of work for the weekend. You know how I loves me some jug bands... this is jug bands AND wine. On a Sunday.  Perfect.  Here's the press release:

Please join us this Sunday, January 29th, from 4-8pm for the 11th Anniversary fundraiser for the Kentucky Homefront Radio Show!  

Kentucky Homefront is a show featuring Kentucky's finest acoustic folk, traditional, blues, country, and bluegrass musicians, and its best storytellers. Their front porch broadcasts that air each Wednesday on WFPK at 8PM are reminiscent of radio variety programs of a bygone era. Hosted by the talented and inimitable singer/songwriter John Gage, Kentucky Homefront is recorded on the 2nd Saturday of every month (except January and July). 

You can expect a rollickin’ good time as River Bend will provide a limited menu, a full bar and is donating 15% of their proceeds to Kentucky Homefront! Also, a new guitar will be raffled off and there will be three 50/50 raffles. There will also be a “Keep the Front Porch Light Burning Bright” booth where you can buy season tickets at a discounted price.

Here is the entertainment schedule:
4:00PM - Songwriters in the Round with John Gage, Turley Richards and Mickey Clark
5:00 PM - Hog Operation
6:00PM - Mickey Clark & The Blue Northern
7:00PM - The Juggernaut Jug Band
Please join us for a great night! 

$10 suggested donation. 

River Bend Winery

120 S 10th Street

Louisvillle

All My Nerd Ladiez in the House!

Last night I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the meeting of one of Louisville's really exceptional women's groups. I met all kinds of fantastic women (and met-in-person some of my favorite Twitter people), listened to the advice a very wise life coach, and was pretty bowled over by the collective level of success in the room. Inspiring, for sure.

This big ol' life change thing I have going on is going to force me to do things that make me uncomfortable. One of those things is networking. Last night was awesome practice in a fairly "safe" space, but I have a long way to go before I'm cheerfully glad-handing and distributing business cards.

"Safe" spaces are funny. Last night I was telling the guy-I-am-currently-dating about that evening's women's group meeting, and I realized Let Them Tweet Cake is essentially the same sort of networking meeting. And yes, the very first Tweet Cake I attended was agony for me...

But nowadays, I don't think a thing about heading over to Sweet Surrender on a Wednesday to chit chat with a group of twenty or thirty women, many of whom are strangers. Tweet Cake has become total "safe" space for this Lou. Thems are my peoples, the Tweet Cakers.  Even the ones I don't know yet.

Are you my peoples? Are you a nerdy/geeky/tech- and media-savvy woman? Or a nerdy/geeky/tech- and media-savvy dude who is not afraid to join a women's group? C'mon down to Tweet Cake tonight at 630p at Sweet Surrender.

Calling all New England Transplants of Louisville!

If you've ever known anyone who used a lobster trap and a piece of glass to make a coffee table, this post is for you...

(Don't worry, I'll spare you all the "You know you're a New Englander when... " jokes.)

Maybe you were born and raised in New England as I was, or maybe you spent some college time in the great Northeast. Either way, you probably get pangs of homesickness every once in a while.

What do you miss?

I miss the ocean, most of all. I spent my teen years in an apartment that overlooked a cove off of Long Island Sound. I could sit in my window seat (yes, charming indeed) and watch the water for hours. When I was a kid, my friends and I didn't hang out in malls or in 7-11 parking lots; we hung out on the docks. (Hm. That sounds way more badass than it actually was.)  I miss the sounds and smells of boats and seaweed and waves.

I miss lobster. When I was a kid, my grandparents lived next door to a lobster fisherman (who turned out to also be a coke dealer, but that's neither here nor there), so we had lobster a couple of times a week during the summer.

I'm not much of a Fribble person, but I do miss going to Friendly's and ordering a grilled blueberry muffin. Does ANYONE in Louisville put muffins on the grill? If not, why not?

I miss maze-y stone walls that lead nowhere and enclose nothing.

I miss my family's North-Shore-of-Boston accent, an accent that I escaped inheriting when I moved to Connecticut at age 13. Just a couple of days ago, I showed my students a video interview with someone from Braintree, MA (a construction worker reading Whitman), and someone said, "Listen to that ludicrous accent!" And I said, "Hey, be nice. 75% of my family sounds just like that."

And although I'm not much of a donut-eater, I miss Dunks. Dunks = home.

In honor of the soon-to-open first stand-alone Dunkin' Donuts in the city, I'm putting together a New England Transplant mailing list with the expectation of future meet-ups and maybe even some contests and giveaways.

Do you want in? Miss the Northeast (I use the term "New England" loosely)? Just have a soft spot for clam chowdah and pahking your cah in Hahvahd Yahd? Dream about summering on the Vineyard?

Email me at Lou [at] loueyville.com with NETs in the subject line to be included on a mailing list for New England Transplants. Or DM me your email address on Twitter (@loueyville). I promise, cross-my-heart-hope-to-die, that I will ONLY use your email address to send you NETs updates.

I'll be posting any meet-ups or contests to Loueyville, but this mailing list will help keep y'all in the loop (and it will help me tell any potential sponsors/partners just how many of us there are!).

And while you're here-- tell me what YOU miss about the Northeast in the comments!

UPDATE: See Suzi's comments below... apparently this isn't the FIRST stand-alone DD to have opened in Louisville. 

The Voyage Continues: #cryptictweets Explained

"The voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tacks." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Well, I'm not quite at a hundred tacks yet, but...

If you follow me on Twitter, over the past couple of weeks you've seen me post a number of #cryptictweets about making a major life change. Now that all the people who need to know do know, I can de-cryptify those #cryptictweets.

After twelve years of being a high school teacher, and after almost fourteen years of teaching in general, I have decided it's time to make a change. So last week, I informed the powers-that-be at the Meatspace Workplace that I would not be returning to teach for the 2012-2013 school year. Today I told my colleagues and my kids.

This is absolutely NOT me saying that I am sick of teaching. I love teaching more today than I did during those first few honeymoon years. Nearly every day in my classroom is a good day, a happy day, an exciting day.  Teenagers inspire me, and I will continue to champion them in whatever way I can.

This is also absolutely not me saying that I'm sick of my particular school. The school and the school community have been very good to me over the past six years. I leave with a heavy heart.

This is me saying that I need to make a change. It's me saying that after six years of teaching my students about the Transcendentalists, maybe I need to actually walk the "Trust thyself" walk.

So, I am taking a leap without a safety net at the moment. I've given my notice, but I'm not sure what the next step will be.

That's SO exciting.

That's also wicked, wicked scary.

But, dear readers, there is once thing I know for sure*: I'm staying in Louisville.

I moved here almost six years ago because of this job. I knew nothing about Louisville. I knew the big bat, I knew bourbon, I knew Kentucky Derby.  That's all.  I came here as a brokenhearted, frustrated member of the Katrina diaspora, but over the years I've fallen in love with my new home. And now I want to see what else I can do here in Possibility City. (Boy, does that moniker take on way more meaning to me right now...)

It's partly because of this blog that I have the courage (or foolhardiness) to take this scary leap. This blog has introduced me to so many wonderful aspects of this city and to so many inspiring people. You, dear readers, have kept me excited and curious over these past four and a half years and 643 posts. I have an amazing network of friends and cheerleaders, largely thanks to my blogging and tweeting habits.  Never in all of my life have I had so many people rooting me on.

So, thank you. If you're reading this blog post, you-- yes YOU-- helped give me the courage (or foolhardiness!) to make this big decision.

I'll have more to say about this further on down the road. But, in the meantime, keep me in mind, okay? If something comes up that has "Lou" written all over it-- drop me an email or tweet me a tweet.

I'm so excited for my next big adventure (and also terrified).

In the words (word, actually. singular) of my favorite Doctor: "GERONIMO!"

*Ok, I say "for sure," but if Leonard Cohen and calls me up and offers me six-figures to be his personal assistant, I'm going to have to take him up on that. Then again... if I'm making six-figures, I can probably keep up on my mortgage here in Louisville...  so technically I will still live here, even if I'm working, you know, in a Buddhist monastery or something. 

Request for Donations: Breast Cancer Support Group Auction

Friends and Dear Readers,

It's silly to re-invent the wheel, especially when you invented the wheel in the first place.

When I sat down to write a post asking for donations for the upcoming Young Survivors Auction, I realized that I had said very many of the same things last year. And here's the thing about last year's post-- it worked! Last year my request for donations both here and on Twitter resulted in donations that raised more than $1000 for the Young Survivors. One of my proudest moments as a blogger.

The Young Survivors annual silent auction is right around the corner. It's February 17 at the Frazier Museum. I'll blog about the actual event closer to the date, but in the meantime, if you're a business owner or you make stuff or you have services you can donate to support this group, I hope you will consider doing so. It means so much to me.

Below is the text of last year's request (updated for appropriate dates). Whatever I can do to facilitate your donation, I will do. Email me at lou (at) loueyville.com for more information...

Friends and dear readers,


If you read this blog with any regularity, you know that I'm a happy, healthy breast cancer survivor.  Likewise, if you read this blog, you'll know that I've gone on something of a "pink diet" (or really, "pink fast") in the past year or so.  When I was newly diagnosed and in treatment, I felt compelled to show up at every "pink" event, to walk in every "pink" walk, and to avail myself of all the fantastic free services offered in our city to cancer patients and survivors. But I always ended up getting crazy weepy at those events, listening to other breast cancer survivors tell their stories.  I'm also the kind of person who is deeply uncomfortable with the idea of being called "heroic" just because I survived cancer-- and a lot of survivor rhetoric lapses into that (the doctors were heroic; my friends and family were at times heroic; I just muddled through the best that I could).  Because I'm so shy, support groups and organizations made me snap over to social anxiety overload as soon as I walked into the door.


But when I was first diagnosed-- like the very day that I was diagnosed-- Norton Hospital put me in touch with Megan Schanie of the Young Survivors Group.  And she took me out to lunch and told me what to expect from surgery, chemo, fake boobs, the works.  And for the course of my treatment, the Young Survivors group was a fabulous source of support to me (right down to Megan's mother-in-law who fed me and took me to treatments when my own mom or Roommate couldn't be around).


And the Annual Young Survivors Auction is one "pink event" that I feel passionately about supporting.  First of all, it's a damned good time, and most years I come away with really good deals on silent auction goods.  Secondly, it supports a cause that truly helped me and truly helps a lot of young women.


So if you're a business owner or your make stuff or you have services you can offer to this group, I humbly ask that you donate something to the silent auction to be held at the Frazier Museum on February 17.  It doesn't matter how small your donation is.  Goods, services, gift certificates, experiences...  And I'll make it as easy on you as possible; I'm happy to come to you at your convenience and pick up the item.  These donations are tax deductible and a Young Survivors rep will provide you acknowledgment in writing of your donation.  Email me at lou [at] loueyville.com if you are interested or if you have any questions.


And for the rest of you, mark your calendars:  February 17 at the Frazier.  A good time and a great cause.


Thanks.  Y'all rock.
xo
Lou

Alex Wright CD Release @ Monkey Wrench 1/27

Dear Fellow Alex Wright Fans,

I hope this first issue of the Alex Wright Fanclub Newsletter finds you all happily enjoying the New Year.  It's already been a great year for us fans, right?

How much did you LOVE hearing Alex and Dewey Kincaid on WFPK's Live Lunch on January 6th? If you missed it, you can catch it again on the Live Lunch Archives here. (Did you know that you can also check out the entire Live Lunch archive since 2007 on your Android or iPhone WFPK app? Totally awesome.) It's also been great hearing Alex's song "Viscosity of Trust" get so much play on WFPK.

As I am sure you know, our next chance to enjoy Alex's music will be January 27th at his Feeling the Pull CD release party at the Monkey Wrench at 9pm. Mark it on your calendars. Dewey Kincaid is the special guest.

So I've been thinking: Justin has his Beliebers, Jimmy has his Parrotheads... what should we fans of Alex Wright be calling ourselves? We'll discuss at our next meeting.

Reminder: no matter how much you "feel the pull" (see what I did there?), you should absolutely fight the urge to throw your panties on stage while Alex is performing. First of all, his wife will be there. (I know, I know... all the good ones are taken.) Secondly, it's very distracting to the performers. It's much better to discretely hand said panties to Alex sometime when he's not on stage or to stuff them (along with a few bucks) in the tip jar. Let's be on our best behavior this time, fans.

As always, you can check out more of the latest Alex Wright news, download the album, and join his mailing list at his website.

Looking forward to seeing y'all on the 27th!

Rock on!

Lou
President
Alex Wright Fan Club of North America

PS. No, there's not really an Alex Wright Fan Club of North America... yet. And no, Alex Wright does not necessarily endorse the entirety of this message. :)

Flat Stanley in Louisville

If you follow me on Twitter, you'll know that I've been hosting a Flat Stanley for a couple of weeks. If you aren't in education or don't have a wee one in your family, you may have no idea what I am talking about.

Flat Stanley is a character from a book from the 1960's, a little kid who is squished by a falling bulletin board (scary, right?) who then discovers certain advantages to being "flat" including the fact that he can be mailed to far away places for vacation. Somewhere along the line some smart educators decided to use Stanley in their lesson plans as a way to teach their little kids about geography and different cultures.  Students are given a Flat Stanley to send to a friend in another city; that friend is supposed to show Stanley around, take pictures of Stanley visiting city landmarks, and then send Stanley and the pictures back to the originating classroom.

My Stanley came all the way from a kindergarten class in Needham, MA and my favorite cousin's son, James.

Even though early on in Stanley's visit my cousin told me that I shouldn't write a blog for Stanley because the kindergarten has sketchy tech... well, heck, blogging is kind of my thing.  I couldn't help myself.

For the actual project, I turned the blog into a powerpoint and send the printed slides back to Needham with Stanley (along with a box of Modjeskas from Muth's because I want James's Stanley to be everyone's favorite Stanley).

If you want to see all the fun things Stanley and I did during his visit, check out the blog Flat Stanley In Louisville. As with all blogs, posts appear in reverse chronology.

Disclaimer #1: I'm writing for kindergarteners... expect simple language and oversimplification of facts at times.

Disclaimer #2: Yes, James calls me "Missy." No, you may not call me "Missy."

Enjoy!

Derby Princesses 2012

Normally this wouldn't be a news item that I would cover.

But one of this year's Derby Princesses is one of my former students and former advisees. And I am so crazy proud of her and happy for her.

The amazing and wonderful Taylor Sang is a 2012 Derby Princess.  Taylor has participated in the Miss Kentucky pageant for a couple of years and in the competition has won prestigious awards like the "Miracle Maker" award.

Taylor is the joyful, lovely woman on the far left in this picture.  I wish her tons of fun and happiness during the Derby season.  And I am keeping my fingers crossed that the spin of the wheel makes her Queen!  Good on you, Taylor!

KAAC CINDERELLA @ Kentucky Center

KAAC (Kids Acting Against Cancer) is an awesome local charity that is founded and staffed by some amazing local kids.

Their annual musical, a fundraiser for Gilda's Club and Kosair Children's Hospital, is almost always a sell-out and is always, always really fantastically done.

This production, I'm sure, will be no exception-- great director, great music director, and many returning cast members from last year's excellent HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL (which is awful, but their version was as good as it could be).

Saturday Jan 14 @ 730pm at the Kentucky Center. Tickets are $20, $15 for students/seniors, $10 for kids 10 and younger.

Go. Take the kids. Support the arts. Support these great teenagers and help them raise money for these great causes.

THE TENS @ Actors Theatre This Week

I always enjoy the Actors Apprentice 10-minute plays. This week Actors rolls out THE TENS, presented by the 40th Anniversary Actors Apprentices and Interns. The show features eight ten minute plays. Best of all-- it's FREE!!

From the press release:

The Tens is the Apprentice/Intern Company’s first fully produced theatre event this season, following a series of original workshop ensemble productions created in the fall. The Tens features work chosen from Actors Theatre’s National Ten-Minute Play Contest. The selections include a diverse range of pieces written by eight playwrights: Advanced by M. Thomas Cooper; Opal by Lloyd Suh; The Dungeons and the Dragons by Kyle John Schmidt; That Noise by Dominic Finocchiaro; Hero Dad by Laura Jacqmin; The Ballad of 423 and 424 by Nicholas C. Pappas; Basement Story by Austin Bunn, and DressUp by Jane Jones.

The shows are at 10pm January 10-12, 1030pm January 13, and a noon show on January 12. As I said, the show is free, but you should call in advance for reservations. 502-584-1205

Loved You Before I Met You, Qannick

So, if you're following me on Twitter (@loueyville), you'll know that this week I have been hosting a Flat Stanley.

Flat Stanley is a paper doll who is a curriculum tool for pre-school and elementary-aged kids. In my case, my Flat Stanley belongs to my cousin Beth's son, James.

James is a kindergartener at the Chestnut Children's Center in Needham, MA. And his teachers have asked the kids to create a Flat Stanley and then send it to someone who lives in another state so the kids can learn about other places in the US. My job is to show Stan a good time and then to send him back to James with pictures and souvenirs from our time together.

Today, I took Stanley to the zoo.  We've had a damned good run, Stanley and I, but today was just about getting to see Qannick.

And she didn't disappoint.  She was beautiful and playful and curious.

I've been a member of the Louisville Zoo since I moved here in 2006, but I don't make enough use of my membership.  When I lived in New Orleans, just a couple of blocks from the Audubon Zoo, I used to go to the zoo after a crappy day at work.  Hang out with the gorillas.  Chill with the gators.  Sometimes I would bring a book and a blanket and sit all day by the orangutang enclosure and read and visit with the apes between chapters.

Now that Qannick is here and Siku will be on exhibit soon... and the weather is warming up... maybe I'll be seeing more of Glacier Run soon.

Good News Everyone, Michelle Did It!

Congratulations to one of my favorite Louisvillagers, my sister-in-blogging, and all around do-gooder Ms. Michelle Jones for busting her Kickstarter goal for the "Menu and Hours" project. She's already pushed past her initial goal of $6000 and the iPhone app has been funded. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she continues to earn pledges past the $8000 point so she will start development on the Android app as well.

This is why I love Louisville. Michelle has done SO much for this community. She truly is the quintessential Awesome Louisvillager.  And when the time came for this community to give back to her, to tell her how much we trust and appreciate her, we stepped up to the plate. I look at the list of people who have pledged to this project, and I am enthralled to see SO many familiar names.

We love you, Michelle! And we're so excited that this app will soon be available to us and will be one more thing that makes Louisville great!

Knee Jerk Reaction to CHAD DEITY

It's not often that I come home from a performance and IMMEDIATELY want to post about it. But I had such a fantastic time at Actors Theatre's production of THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY tonight that I couldn't even wait to do my research, send out some emails, and write a truly proper post.

I'm doing some research and sending out emails, so expect another post about this exuberant, joyful, exciting show.

In the meantime, don't wait for me to tell you all about it. Just go.

Go.

If there is a kitschy bone in your body, if you've ever secretly kind of sort of understood why people like professional wrestling so much, if you love hyperbole and drama and over-the-topness... you'll love it.

The actual elaborate entrance of Chad Deity is worth the ticket price. As is the dramatic set piece action in the second act.

This is to say nothing of the acting and directing... I'll get to all of that in my next post about this play.

Just go. My heart is still cheering.

Best Stuff of 2011

I totally get that 2011 will not go down in many people's books as a great year. There's honestly not too much to rave about in the grand scheme of things. But for this Lou, 2011 was a pretty gentle year. I wasn't diagnosed with cancer and then have a tree fall on my house (2008). I wasn't displaced by a hurricane and suffer a heartbreaking break-up (2005). I didn't get divorced or have a loved one die or watch as someone I cared for succumbed to addiction (various years).

So let's get this out of the way from the get-go:

The worst moment of 2011: Hands down. No question. One of the very worst moments of my life, let alone 2011... when Roommate had a heart attack back in late January of 2011. Thankfully, my BFF and partner-in-crime has been healthy ever since. But I'd gladly relive just about every horror story I've ever been through to not have to experience that kind of pain and terror ever, ever again. On the up side: I think those kinds of scares always make you love that person just a little bit more and a little bit better. (awww...)

Okay, so now on to the Best Stuff of 2011, in no particular order...

Gosh, Humana Festival is one of my favorite things about every year here in Louisville, but this year was particularly good.  I still find myself thinking about MAPLE AND VINE and EDITH CAN SHOOT THINGS AND HIT THEM on a regular basis. I'm really excited about the new Artistic Director at Actors, Les Waters. And I'm looking forward to seeing how the Festival and Actors evolve under his leadership. My New Year's Wish for Actors Theater: PLEASE BRING BACK LATE SEATING!!

Speaking of theatre... this year I was introduced to Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble (which has been around since 2004) and Theatre [502] made its debut. Exemplary work by both companies this year: two more reasons why this theatre-lover loves Louisville. (And on a personal note: I'm super grateful for the new friends I've made in both.)

I was lucky enough to cover both companies for The Louisville Paper. Working for The Paper has been an absolute highlight of my year. I'm so grateful to Matt Dobson for giving me this opportunity.  You can check out the three articles I've written here. It's so awesome that The Paper is picking up a little of the slack left by the gutting of neighborhood and arts coverage in the Courier-Journal.

Happy bourbon-soaked bloggers

Without a doubt, one of the very best moments I've had, personally and "professionally" (as if this blog is anything like "professional") all year was the night that the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau asked me and Michelle Jones to represent local bloggers for a contingent of visiting bloggers during Idea Festival. We enjoyed a dinner at the Chef's table at the English Grill at the Brown Hotel.  From that post:

Five courses prepared by Chef Laurent Geroli, bourbon, wine, great conversation. Picture includes: Michelle Jones of Consuming Louisville, Baratunde Thurston of The Onion et al, Max Linsky of Longform.org, Ellen McGirt of Fast Company Magazine, Chef Laurent, CC Chapman, author & entrepreneur. 

The evening ended with me leading the group mentioned above (minus Michelle) down to the Seelbach Hotel (where we passed DJ Pauly D on the way in). There, they generously treated me to Pappy Van Winkle 23 while we poked around the Rathskeller.

The entire Idea Festival was amazing.  And this was the first year I was granted "Media" access. I took two days off from the Meatspace Workplace to attend.  Fantastic.

Of course, Idea Festival was just part of what I called "The Best Week Ever" on my blog.  That was the week that Idea Festival coincided with They Might Be Giants playing Waterfront Wednesday, NULU Festival, and Roseanne Cash spoke/played at the Kentucky Authors Forum. One of my favorite memories from 2011 was meeting Roseanne Cash, thanks to the lovely folks at the Kentucky Authors Forum, who read my post about the event and invited me to the VIP reception. Just a couple of days ago, Cash reviewed her highlights from 2011 on Twitter and mentioned the Kentucky Authors Forum gig.

The Pass @ Nulu Festival

Louisville hosted some awesome concerts in 2011. It's hard to say what my favorites were. The 4th of July Waterfront concert with Fitz and the Tantrums, De La Soul, and The Funky METERS ranks high. As did The Low Anthem at Headliners, a show that took on special meaning for me when I attended with a friend I hadn't seen in 15 years.  I'm still saying that The Pass remains my favorite local band, and I enjoyed them every time I saw them play. Headliners did right by us a bunch of times this year, including shows by Galactic and Trombone Shorty from NOLA. 

Blurry Gabe Bullard hosting The Moth

Speaking of Headliners, one of the best things that has happened to Louisville in 2011 is the Moth Story Slams at Headliners every last Tuesday of the month.  Originally only a couple of Moths were scheduled, but now the run has been extended because the turnout has been fantastic. Next up: the theme is "Firsts" on 1/31.

Brandon Klayko, over at the brilliant Broken Sidewalk, has a fantastic list of significant openings and closings in Louisville for 2011.  Of course the big closing news of the year was the shuttering of Ear X-tacy, a loss that I understand completely but don't particularly feel. All in all, it feels like a winning year for Louisville when you weigh the openings against the closings. We finally got a Trader Joe's after all. For what it's worth, I think my favorite new restaurant in Louisville is a toss-up between Garage Bar and Harvest. And honestly, my love for Garage is almost entirely due to the ambiance and the ham. Seriously, that's some damn good ham.

Speaking of local carnivores, Louisville became home to two of the cutest carnivores imaginable: Qannik and Siku, the polar bear cubs at the newly-renovated Glacier Run at the Louisville Zoo. Qannik immediately took the local twitter scene by storm, both with an official and an unofficial twitter feed. (Note that the unofficial one is much sweeter.)

I'm super happy to say that my favorite movie of 2011 has a legit local connection. If y'all haven't seen ANOTHER EARTH starring the brilliant Brit Marling and Louisvillager (and my celebrity crush), William Mapother, you're really missing out. I've been so glad to see ANOTHER EARTH hit so many year end "Best Of" lists, but I was really sorry that this film flew so far under the radar for the most part.  I anticipated enjoying it; I did not anticipate how much it would stick with me. Seriously, when I think of the last 30 seconds of that movie, I still have to bite my tongue to keep from swearing out loud.

We got a new mayor this year and that was big news. It seems like the jury is still undecided on Greg Fischer, but I kind of like the guy. And just thinking, in 2010, Kentucky got Rand Paul (again, sorry rest-of-the-country). So I'd say 2011 was a win in the election column.

Sure, there was a lot to complain about in 2011. Based on an informal survey of Twitter, I'd say 85% of complaining had something to do with the bridge, but you've got to love a town that copes with Shermageddon by creating words like Shermageddon and fake Twitter accounts.

And in 2011, the people of Louisville did a lot to further convince me that we live in an ah-mazing-city. To wit: back in January I posted a call for donations for a silent auction in support of a cause close to my heart (literally, I guess, close to my heart): The Young Survivors Breast Cancer Network.  And something like a dozen people-- most of whom I didn't even know-- donated. Proceeds from items donated by blog readers earned around $1000 at the auction. That's HUGE and humbling.  And I'll be hitting y'all up for donations again in the coming weeks.

But hands down the best thing about 2011 was meeting new people and cementing older friendships. And just about every friendship I've forged in this city has come to me as a result of my tweeting and blogging habits. Heck, that even includes The Guy I've Been Dating. (I'll pause as y'all let out a collective gasp... I know, I know. It's shocking. I told you, it's been a pretty good year for me.)

The big Loueyville blog news this year was that I finally "came out" as a blogger after 500+ anonymous posts (I even had my first "speaking engagement" as a blogger at the library's Tech Boot Camp). And "coming out" made meeting new people easier, evidenced by the two Skate Tweet Ups we've had over in Jeffersonville.

Speaking of Skate Tweet Ups, we'll definitely have a third now that the rink has extended their run through January 31.  And this one might have corporate sponsorship-- meaning free skating for some of y'all!! Yaaaaay! *Kermit arms*

What else will 2012 hold? Who knows? I can tell you this: this blogger is looking to make some REALLY big and really scary life changes this year. Could be very, very exciting... could be a trainwreck. :)  Keep your fingers crossed for me, Dear Readers.

And I will always, always keep my fingers crossed for all of you Dear Readers. Thank you so much for reading this little bloggy project of my heart. I love all of you people, even if I haven't met you yet. And I'm sure if I did meet you, I'd love you even more.

Let's live 2012 like the Mayans were right, y'all. 

Tastiest Town

We're Number One!  We're Number One!

(at the moment)

At the moment, Louisville tops Southern Living Magazine's South's Tastiest Town contest. You can vote daily, and you should vote daily because we're only beating Lafayette, LA by a sliver. (Surprisingly we're leaving my old hometown and foodie paradise, New Orleans, in the dust at the moment.)

Voting runs through January 31 and each time you enter, you're eligible to win a $2500 trip to the Tastiest Town of your choice. Click on this link to enter.

What better way to ring in the new year than for us to nail down an honor that we richly deserve?

THIS... is Louisville: 1st Issue Release Party

Lately I've been cheerleading for the local Kickstarter project Menu and Hours, but Louisville has a pretty solid history backing worthy projects on Kickstarter, including Morels Food Truck and the soon-to-be-released THIS... is Louisville magazine, both of which received funds that surpassed their Kickstarter goals.

From the THIS... is Louisville facebook page:

We believe everyone has a story to tell. THIS...is Louisville is a photo documentary based magazine telling the stories of real people in Louisville. 

Almost all the crew for this magazine went to WKU, we all have (or are working towards) degrees in photojournalism, so shooting documentary style is our "thing." We love it, it's our passion. The idea is to try to cover Louisville as vastly as possible.

Stories that we have started working on include refugees, people facing the job crisis, the LGBT community, people challenging the role of gender, candid street fashion, an older lady that has somehow found the fountain of youth, and these are just a few.

We are going to try to tell their stories as honestly as possible. There are so many important people that are just "everyday people" living in our community and their stories NEED to be told.

The inaugural issue of THIS... is Louisville has just hit the hands of the creators, and I have it on good authority via Twitter (@THISisLouville) that it is gorgeous. I've also heard from Maggie Huber that the magazine has been funded at least through issue two.

Watch their truly beautiful Kickstarter video and then stop by to pick up a copy and congratulate them on December 29 from 730p-? at Seidenfaden's. There, you'll be able to pick up the magazine for FREE, buy signed prints, and otherwise support this really exciting new publication. The Magnolia Photo Booth folks will also be there.

Between The Paper and THIS... is Louisville, exciting things have happened in print media in this city in 2011. Wishing both publications continued success in 2012.

facebook: www.facebook.com/thisislouisville

Save the Date: Skate Tweet Up II: Electric Boogaloo

Even though I can barely skate, and I am going to hurt like HECK tomorrow, I had so much fun at tonight's Skate Tweet-Up that I can't wait to do it again.

Tonight's turnout was pretty small; I think some folks were scared away by the spitty rain this afternoon (although it was largely spit-free from 7p-830p while we were skating). But what a fantastic group of people!

The Jeffersonville rink is tiny and adorable. There's a hot dog/hot chocolate vendor outside. And street parking is convenient and easily found. And it's only $8 for the whole shebang-- skating AND skate rental!  I really wish the rink would stay open longer than just January 1.

So, I am planning another Skate Tweet-Up before the rink closes.

Who: YOU! This event is kid-friendly and non-skater-friendly.

What: Skating at the Jeffersonville rink.

When: December 28 from 7-9pm, apres-skate gathering at the BBC on Main Street

Where: Jeffersonville, Indiana-- corner of Market and Spring Streets.

Why: Because it's lovely and festive, and you'll work muscles that you didn't know you had-- ow!

Hope you can make it!

PAL's Iroquois HS Students & Blue Apple Players @ 21c

If you work downtown, here's an after-work, brief event that might interest you for Monday:

The Blue Apple Players have been working with eight students from Iroquois High School to develop original drama pieces inspired by the art at 21c's Cuba Now exhibit.  On Monday, December 19, these works will be performed at 21c at 530pm for free.  The program should last more or less a half an hour.

From the press release:

The mission of the PAL Coalition is to reduce the incidence of substance abuse by young people residing in the 7th Street Corridor of Central Louisville. Through this after-school club, students have taken on a community leadership role in creating strategies and projects that will reduce substance abuse and support a healthy community. These outstanding teens selected drama as one way to communicate their message. But identifying the vehicle of drama wasn’t enough to jumpstart their work; they needed someone to lead them in how to utilize drama to make their ideas come alive. PAL reached out to Blue Apple Players. 

The PAL Coalition met Blue Apple Players Education Director Heather Burns in the fall of 2010. Burns taught the PAL students acting techniques and led them through the process of how to create an original piece of drama for several projects. 

“Teaching drama with Blue Apple is unique because it allows students to bring their own ideas to the table and trust themselves,” said Burns, “The PAL Coalition have shown me a stronger focus than many of the self-described ‘drama kids’ that I’ve taught. It’s all about their personal dedication to the mission of PAL. That’s why it was time to do something really special and partner them with the 21c Museum.”

This is a win, win situation, folks. It's a great little after-work slice of culture for you, one that is bound to reaffirm your faith in teenagers and the power of art. And it would be so nice to give these kiddos a solid audience to perform to.

So please think about going. I'll be there, and I'll head straight from 21c to our skating Tweet Up, so this isn't an either/or proposition.  And look for more on the work of the Blue Apple Players in next month's The Paper.

Baby It's Cold Outside II: Skating Tweet Up

Last month I posted about the outdoor ice rink that opened across the river in Jeffersontownville or whatever the town is called. (sorry Hoosiers, you know me and my aversion to bridges).  Last week on Twitter, I proposed a Tweet Up at the ice rink. Our first date looked like it was going to get rained out, so we moved it.

What: Loueyville Tweet Up at the Ice Rink

When: Monday, December 19, 7pm-ish

Where: Corner of Market & Spring in Jeffersonville, IN

Who: YOU!

Why: Because it's only $8, and so dang festive!

I don't know how to tell you how to find me. I don't really look much like an acorn. But I'll try to remember to tweet what I am wearing. Just ask every short, blonde, thirtysomething who falls on her ass, "Are you Lou?" :)

If it rains, we'll reschedule. Keep checking Twitter, if it looks like the weather is going bad (@Loueyville).  If it snows, it will be even MORE dang festive!  Let's all get our Norman Rockwells on, Louisvillagers!

Hungry With Questions: An App for That

Awesome Louisvillager, do-gooder, and Queen of the Louisville blogworld Michelle Jones of Consuming Louisville has kicked off a Kickstarter to raise funds for a very cool iPhone (and hopefully eventually Android) app.

Menu and Hours is just that: menus and hours. Well, it's pretty much just that. I'm guessing that "Menus, Hours, and Contact Info" was dismissed pretty quickly as a potential name.

Watch the video and let her explain why this app needs to happen. Michelle is offering generous incentives for people who pledge at the $10 level and above.

And sweet Pete, if Ms. Michelle's adorable narration of the Kickstarter video doesn't motivate you to pledge your support, you have a heart of stone.

NYE 2011: The Pass @ Butchertown Pub Studios

I'm loopy for a number of local singer/songwriters. Alex Wright, Justin P. Lewis, Tyrone Cotton, Butch Rice, Brigid Kaelin (in exile), Dewey Kincade, and many more.

But the list of Louisville bands that I love is decidedly shorter (educate me, dear readers!).

One band that I do LOVE-- my favorite band in this fair city-- is The Pass.  And they're playing a show with Nerves Junior on NYE at the Butchertown Pub Studios.

The folks at Backseat Sandbar have the details.  It's only $12 in advance, so this is looking like a very good contender for how I will spend my New Year's Eve 2011.

NYE 2011: What Are We Doing New Year's Eve?

Let's face it, New Year's Eve is kind of a bitch of a holiday. Like Valentine's Day, it's always a lot of pressure and usually little payout. (Case in point: Last NYE, I went on a date to a fancy-ish dinner and then a very lovely house party... with a guy who turned out to have a secret serious girlfriend. Not a banner way to usher in a new year, in retrospect.)

But 2011 has been a pretty good year. I've made a lot of fabulous new friends, done incredibly exciting new things, and embarked on some fairly serious soul-searching that may lead to even more new friends and exciting experiences (fingers crossed). 2011 hasn't been devoid of crises-- most notably, Roommate's heart attack back in January. But even that led both of us to some positive changes in our lives, and certainly led me to love him more and better.

While prepping to write this post, I looked back on a NYE post from 2008 and was reminded how damned lucky I am in 2011.  Back then I didn't know any of y'all-- no joke: in 2008, I had three friends in this city, Roommate being one of them. I was going through the whole cancer thing. I was living in a hotel because my house had been crushed by Hurricane Ike back in September. Dark times, dear readers.

That year, I wrote a series of posts on NYE happenings in Louisville under the header "GOOD RIDDANCE 2008;" this year, I have slightly more tender feelings toward the year that we're about to dismiss. So, I'll just label these NYE 2011.

So, Louisville, what's the skinny on NYE 2011?  What are you doing? Email me at Lou (at) Loueyville.com and let me know. I'll post the best stuff to the blog.

Granted, some say that the Mayans predicted that this would be the last year... ever. But I'm really looking forward to 2012 nonetheless. At the very least, if the Mayans were right, I'm hopeful that they meant that the Earth would be invaded by aliens. In which case, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that said aliens are just my "real" family coming to take me home.

Improvapalooza 12: Tickets on Sale!

Today, tickets go on sale for Improvapalooza 12, the longest-running improv festival in the Southeast, hosted by the Louisville Improvisors.  The event runs January 6-7 at 8pm at the Mex Theatre in the Kentucky Center. Tickets are $17.

This year's festival will include Colleen Smith of the Groundlings and comedienne Candice Brown (who has been on Torchwood-- Total nerd squee!!). Also featured are the Narcotic Farmers, an improv super group combining some of the best improvisers from the Nashville improv group Music City Improv with the Louisville Improvisors.

I covered the Improvisors for The Paper a couple of months ago, so I'm really excited for this event.

"Guys, I think I just ate some plate"

This week's "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me's" Sandwich Monday Blog features Kentucky's own Hot Brown. Because it is so amusing, we'll forgive them that they enjoyed the Hot Brown's at Lexington's Ramsey's restaurant, and not here at the Brown Hotel like they should have.

Highlights of the review include:

Robert: On the old pirate maps the bacon "X" meant "Here be diabetes."
Mike: Exactly. Dig here for a heart attack.
Ian: The crucifix of bacon is the least Jewish thing I have ever seen.

The final verdict that was the sandwich-- if you can call it that-- didn't live up to its visual promise, tastewise. Hope they don't write it off and instead try another Hot Brown in its native city, Louisville. A well-done Hot Brown is a party in your mouth: a sluggish, deadening, nap-inducing party that takes you two days to recover from.

Linda Golden: Photo Exhibit

Students at the Tokoin-Gbonvie elementary school in Lomé

This week the Gardiner Lane Heine Brothers will start featuring and exhibit of ten photos taken by the lovely and talented Linda Golden. The photos, taken during her time in the Peace Corps, feature Togolese women and girls.

The photos are for sale for $50 each, and all profits from each sale go to Pathways Togo.

For more information about the exhibit, visit Linda's blog, LJ Golden-- Just Exploring. Here's a brief excerpt:

The images feature Togolese women and girls, who were my closest friends during my time in Togo. They welcomed me when I arrived, showed me how to carry water from the pump (a short-lived endeavor on my part), made sure I was appropriately dressed for the mosque on the important holy days, guided me through the village (it was a small village, but I still needed help finding the middle school), and saw me off each time I said “goodbye.” They let me advise them on how to care for their children’s health, even though I have no children of my own. At least one told me she wanted me with her when she delivered her fourth child.

I'm really looking forward to seeing Linda's work. Hope you go check it out too.

Diego Garcia Ticket Giveaway!

Thanks to Diego Garcia's PR folks, I have two free tickets to his show tomorrow night to give away.  

More information about the show in my previous post, here. 

Want to go? Either leave a response to this post below or tweet me @loueyville and let me know why you need a night out!

I'll pick a post at random tomorrow at noon!