Iowa City:
Sat 05/15/10 – Henry Rollins – Capitol Theatre (Davenport)
Sun 05/16/10 – Barenaked Ladies – RiverCenter / Adler Theatre (Davenport)
Fri 05/21/10 – The Tallest Man On Earth – The Mill
Sat 06/12/10 – The Mountain Goats – Blue Moose Tap House
Sat 06/12/10 – These United States – The Mill
Sat 09/18/10 – Janis Ian – City Park

Des Moines:
Sun 06/06/10 – Marcy Playground – House Of Bricks
Sat 07/03/10 – “80/35 Festival” – Western Gateway Park (Spoon, Will Whitmore, Modest Mouse, The Walkmen, and more)
Sun 08/08/10 – The Black Keys – Val Air Ballroom (West Des Moines)
Sun 08/15/10 – “Iowa State Fair” – Iowa State Fairgrounds Grandstand (VANILLA ICE!)
Sun 10/10/10 – Willie Nelson – 7 Flags Event Center (Clive)

Madison:
Fri 06/11/10 – These United States – Memorial Union Terrace @ UW
Sat 06/19/10 – CocoRosie – Barrymore Theatre
Wed 07/14/10 – Simon & Garfunkel – Kohl Center Arena
Fri 10/22/10 – Arlo Guthrie – Monroe High School (Monroe)

Omaha:
Thu 05/06/10 – 30 Seconds To Mars – Sokol Auditorium / Underground
Tue 05/11/10 – Matt Pond PA – Slowdown
Sat 05/15/10 – Mastodon – Sokol Auditorium / Underground
Mon 05/17/10 – Mono – The Waiting Room
Sun 05/23/10 – Less Talk More Polka – Duffy’s Tavern (Lincoln)
Thu 05/27/10 – Insane Clown Posse – Westfair Amphitheatre (Council Bluffs)
Sun 05/30/10 – Earth, Wind & Fire – Harrah’s Casino – Stir Concert Cove (Council Bluffs)
Sat 06/05/10 – Damien Jurado – Bourbon Theatre (Lincoln)
Mon 06/07/10 – Blitzen Trapper – Slowdown
Sun 06/13/10 – The Mountain Goats – Slowdown
Sun 06/13/10 – The Psychedelic Furs – The Waiting Room
Fri 06/25/10 – Mates of State – Slowdown
Sat 06/26/10 – Henry Rollins – Sokol Auditorium / Underground
Tue 07/06/10 – The Hold Steady – Slowdown
Sat 07/24/10 – “Maha Music Festival” (Old 97s, Spoon, Superchunk, The Faint) – Lewis And Clark Landing
Sun 08/01/10 – Al Green – Harrah’s Casino – Stir Concert Cove (Council Bluffs)
Wed 08/04/10 – Better Than Ezra – Horseshoe Casino / Whiskey Roadhouse (Council Bluffs)
Mon 08/09/10 – Gogol Bordello & Primus – Harrah’s Casino – Stir Concert Cove (Council Bluffs)
Sat 08/28/10 – The Black Crowes – Harrah’s Casino – Stir Concert Cove (Council Bluffs)
Sat 10/09/10 – The Flying Karamazov Brothers – Lied Center (Lincoln)
Fri 05/20/11 – Vienna Teng – Holland Performing Arts Center

Chicago:
Sat 05/08/10 – Joel McHale – Chicago Theatre
Tue 05/18/10 – Them Crooked Vultures – Aragon Ballroom
Wed 05/19/10 – Conan O’Brien – Chicago Theatre
Fri 05/21/10 – Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings – Vic Theatre
Sun 05/23/10 – Imogen Heap – Riviera Theatre
Tue 05/25/10 – Jill Scott – United Center
Thu 05/27/10 – Toots & The Maytals – House Of Blues
Sat 05/29/10 – Smoking Popes – Lincoln Hall
Sun 05/30/10 – Brian Jonestown Massacre – Metro / Smart Bar
Wed 06/02/10 – Erykah Badu – Chicago Theatre
Wed 06/02/10 – Gwar – Durty Nellie’s (Palatine)
Fri 06/04/10 – New Kids On The Block – The Venue at Horseshoe Casino (Hammond)
Mon 06/07/10 – She & Him – Millennium Park
Tue 06/08/10 – Matt Pond PA – Lincoln Hall
Wed 06/09/10 – Damien Jurado – Schubas Tavern
Thu 06/10/10 – George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic – The Cubby Bear
Fri 06/11/10 – Phish – Toyota Park (Bridgeview)
Fri 06/11/10 – The Psychedelic Furs – Metro / Smart Bar
Sat 06/12/10 – Concrete Blonde – Vic Theatre
Tue 06/15/10 – Cute Is What We Aim For – Reggies Rock Club
Fri 06/18/10 – CocoRosie – Metro / Smart Bar
Fri 06/18/10 – Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby – Schubas Tavern
Mon 06/21/10 – The Books – Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Tue 06/22/10 – Mates of State – Lincoln Hall
Fri 06/25/10 – Mason Jennings – Lincoln Hall
Mon 06/28/10 – Mirah – Lincoln Hall
Fri 07/09/10 – “Weird Al” Yankovic – Star Plaza Theatre (Merrillville)
Fri 07/16/10 – Old 97′s – Navy Pier
Sat 07/24/10 – Built To Spill – First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre (Tinley Park)
Sat 07/31/10 – Al Green – The Venue at Horseshoe Casino (Hammond)
Wed 08/18/10 – Blondie – The Venue at Horseshoe Casino (Hammond)
Wed 08/18/10 – “Honda Civic Tour” (New Found Glory, Paramore, Tegan and Sara) – Charter One Pavilion @ Northerly Island
Sat 09/25/10 – Bill Cosby – Hemmens Cultural Center (Elgin)
Tue 10/05/10 – Willie Nelson – Rialto Square Theatre (Joliet)

Minneapolis:
Thu 05/06/10 – Low – Varsity Theater
Fri 05/07/10 – Joel McHale – Mystic Lake Casino (Prior Lake)
Fri 05/14/10 – Henry Rollins – Pantages Theatre
Mon 05/17/10 – Barenaked Ladies – The Orpheum Theatre
Tue 05/18/10 – Conan O’Brien – The Orpheum Theatre
Tue 05/25/10 – Toots & The Maytals – First Avenue
Fri 05/28/10 – Brian Jonestown Massacre – The Cabooze
Sat 06/05/10 – She & Him – First Avenue
Tue 06/08/10 – Local H – The Rock (Maplewood)
Wed 06/09/10 – Matt Pond PA – 7th Street Entry
Fri 06/11/10 – The New Pornographers – First Avenue
Sat 06/12/10 – The Psychedelic Furs – First Avenue
Sat 06/19/10 – Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings (with MGMT and OK Go) – Walker Arts Center
Sat 06/26/10 – Ween – The Roy Wilkins Auditorium (Saint Paul)
Thu 07/01/10 – Mirah – Cedar Cultural Center
Thu 07/01/10 – Tool – Xcel Energy Center (Saint Paul)
Sat 07/03/10 – The Hold Steady – The Cabooze
Tue 07/13/10 – Joan Baez – Minnesota Zoo Amphitheater (Apple Valley)
Wed 07/14/10 – Modest Mouse – The Orpheum Theatre
Sun 07/18/10 – Wolf Parade – First Avenue
Sun 08/15/10 – The Black Crowes – Minnesota Zoo Amphitheater (Apple Valley)
Sat 08/21/10 – Blondie – Treasure Island Resort & Casino (Red Wing)
Mon 08/30/10 – Lady Gaga – Xcel Energy Center (Saint Paul)
Sun 09/12/10 – Pavement – The Roy Wilkins Auditorium (Saint Paul)
Fri 10/08/10 – Willie Nelson – Mystic Lake Casino (Prior Lake)
Sat 01/08/11 – The Flying Karamazov Brothers – Orchestra Hall

St. Louis:
Tue 05/11/10 – The Forecast – Firebird
Wed 05/12/10 – Reverend Horton Heat – Old Rock House
Wed 06/09/10 – Erykah Badu – Fabulous Fox Theatre
Fri 06/11/10 – Brian Jonestown Massacre – Off Broadway Nightclub
Mon 06/21/10 – Blitzen Trapper – Off Broadway Nightclub
Wed 06/23/10 – Passion Pit – The Pageant
Mon 06/28/10 – The New Pornographers – The Pageant
Thu 07/01/10 – Henry Rollins – The Pageant
Mon 07/12/10 – “Weird Al” Yankovic – The Family Arena (Saint Charles)
Sat 07/17/10 – Lady Gaga – Scottrade Center
Fri 08/06/10 – Gogol Bordello – The Pageant
Sat 08/28/10 – George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic – Chaifetz Arena

Music Festivals:
Pitchfork (Chicago)
Lollapalooza (Chicago)
LouFest (St. Louis)
Lilith Fair (Chicago/Minneapolis/St. Louis)
Soundset (Minneapolis)
Warped Tour (Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Louis)

1. Hang curtains (whether store-bought or handmade) in every window of the house, and get rid of every shred of miniblinds that have been haunting my windows and my dreams since we moved in.
2. Install hardwood flooring throughout the main floor of the house (!!!).
3. Pay off my credit card.
4. Brew a batch of stout beer.
5. Plan and start saving for an autumn vacation in Vancouver/Seattle.
6. Grow delicious foods from heirloom seeds from Baker Creek, including a healing herb garden.
7. Get a really great haircut from my bestie JoAnn at G Spot Hair Design, one that is an actual hairdo rather than something I pull back into a bun everyday.
8. Get new glasses and contacts.
9. Paint every room in the house something other than “Ultra White”.
10. Scan all of our photos and organize them somewhere online.
11. Update my Iowa City tumblr at least once a week.
12. Continue my weight loss/fitness streak. Weight Watchers is working!
13. Throw a May Day party.
14. Organize and clean the basement.
15. Try sewing another purse.
16. Bake the perfect Blondie.
17. Finish watching the whole Arrested Development series (we’re on an extended hiatus, mid-season 2).
18. Create monthly music mixes without missing a month.
19. Try making homemade ketchup.
20. Build a pergola on the patio to continue cultivating an awesome backyard oasis.
21. Finally part with (donate) the ugly fleece that’s clogging up my fabric stash.
22. Go scooter camping in Palisades.
23. Buy a bike helmet so I can safely ride all over town.
24. Start really using the calendar/scheduling app on my iPhone to help keep my life more organized.
25. Try raw milk.
26. Mail goodies to my faraway friends.
27. Build a respectable cocktail station.
28. Start a food blog with aforementioned JoAnn.
29. Make a batch of Navratan curry.
30. Throw a fabulous 30th birthday party on my patio.

Des Moines/Ames:
Wed 02/04/09 tapes ‘n tapes  The Maintenance Shop
Sat 02/28/09 Andrew Bird  Hoyt Sherman Place
Mon 03/16/09 Bonnie “Prince” Billy  Vaudeville Mews
Fri 03/27/09 “The Harlem Globetrotters”  Wells Fargo Arena
Wed 04/22/09 New Found Glory  People’s

Omaha:
Fri 01/23/09 Cursive  Slowdown
Sat 01/24/09 Cursive  Slowdown
Fri 01/30/09 Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin  Box Awesome
Thu 02/12/09 Peking Acrobats  Orpheum Theater
Mon 02/16/09 Marah  The Waiting Room
Fri 02/27/09 Andrew Bird  Slowdown

Chicago:
Tue 01/20/09 The Killers  UIC Pavilion
Thu 01/22/09 Animal Collective  Metro / Smart Bar
Thu 01/29/09 Vic Chesnutt/Elf Power  Empty Bottle
Sat 01/31/09 Gene Ween  Schubas Tavern
Fri 02/06/09 Sybris  Schubas Tavern
Fri 02/06/09 Rhett Miller  FitzGerald’s
Thu 02/12/09 Fujiya & Miyagi  The Bottom Lounge
Thu 02/12/09 Antony & The Johnsons  Vic Theatre
Sat 02/21/09 Smoking Popes  The Cubby Bear
Sun 02/22/09 Juana Molina  Morse Theater
Sat 02/28/09 Dropkick Murphys  Congress Theater
Sat 03/07/09 tapes ‘n tapes  Metro / Smart Bar
Sat 03/07/09 John Prine  Genesee Theatre
Sat 03/14/09 Bonnie “Prince” Billy  Vic Theatre
Tue 03/17/09 Flogging Molly  Congress Theater
Sat 03/21/09 “The Oddity Faire: A Mutated Mini Fest” (DeVotchka, Les Claypool)  Riviera Theatre
Sat 03/28/09 Bloc Party  Riviera Theatre
Wed 04/01/09 “Speaker Series” – Al Gore  Chicago Theatre
Sat 04/04/09 Morrissey  Aragon Ballroom
Fri 04/10/09 Andrew Bird  Civic Opera House
Fri 04/17/09 Vienna Teng  Schubas Tavern
Thu 04/23/09 David Sedaris  Paramount Theatre
Sat 05/02/09 Joel McHale  The Venue at Horseshoe Casino
Sun 05/03/09 The Books  Museum of Contemporary Art
Sun 05/24/09 Boyz II Men  Private Function
Sat 06/20/09 Matthew Sweet  Naper Settlement

Minneapolis:
Fri 02/06/09 tapes ‘n tapes  First Avenue
Sun 02/08/09 Rhett Miller  Fine Line Music Cafe
Wed 02/11/09 Fujiya & Miyagi  7th Street Entry
Sat 02/14/09 Antony & The Johnsons  Pantages Theatre
Mon 02/23/09 Flogging Molly  Myth
Sun 03/01/09 Dropkick Murphys  Myth
Thu 03/19/09 Bonnie “Prince” Billy  McGuire Theater
Thu 03/19/09 “The Oddity Faire: A Mutated Mini Fest” (DeVotchka, Les Claypool)  Myth
Tue 03/24/09 Squirrel Nut Zippers  Varsity Theater
Mon 03/30/09 Bloc Party  First Avenue
Sat 04/04/09 Margaret Cho  Treasure Island Event Center
Mon 04/06/09 Morrissey  The State Theatre
Fri 04/10/09 Art Garfunkel  Orchestra Hall
Sat 04/11/09 “The Harlem Globetrotters”  Target Center
Sat 04/11/09 Andrew Bird  The State Theatre
Thu 08/06/09 The Guess Who  Private Function

Kansas City, MO:
Thu 01/29/09 Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin  Jackpot Music Hall
Mon 02/02/09 tapes ‘n tapes  Jackpot Music Hall
Thu 02/12/09 G. Love & Special Sauce  Harrah’s North Kansas City
Fri 02/13/09 Joel McHale  Uptown Theater
Sat 02/14/09 B.B. King  Midland Theatre
Tue 02/17/09 Marah  The Record Bar
Sat 02/21/09 Rufus Wainwright  Uptown Theater
Tue 02/24/09 Flogging Molly  Uptown Theater
Fri 02/27/09 Ryan Adams  Uptown Theater
Mon 03/16/09 Andrew Bird  Liberty Hall
Mon 03/16/09 “The Oddity Faire: A Mutated Mini Fest” (DeVotchka, Les Claypool)  Beaumont Club
Tue 03/17/09 Joan Baez  Liberty Hall
Tue 04/07/09 Morrissey  Midland Theatre
Tue 04/07/09 Bonnie “Prince” Billy  Granada Theatre
Wed 04/29/09 Reverend Horton Heat  The Bottleneck
Sat 05/02/09 The Killers  Capitol Federal Park At Sandstone
Fri 07/24/09 Reverend Horton Heat  The Crossroads
Sun 10/11/09 Lewis Black  Ameristar Hotel & Casino

(photos are not mine, unfortunately)

I discovered chocolate cloud cookies last year right before the holidays and they looked so yummy that I went out and made them right away. Totally worth it. I ended up giving some away as presents, and then made up a whole other batch to serve at my New Year’s Eve party. They were definitely a hit. Make lots. Once you’ve made them once or twice, they’re easy as pie. Bonus points for being able to use my cookie scoop!

I’m not even really a big fan of divinity, but I’m going to make it this year. It’s just a little (or a lot) too sweet for me, and I want stuff that I can snarf truckloads of, rather than things that make me swear sugar off for a year. However, this was a holiday food that my grandmother used to make, so I’ll be carrying on the tradition. I’ll post her recipe once I find it in my mom’s stockpile.

I didn’t realize until pretty recently that I really love sugar cookies. I don’t know if it was that I had been eating bad ones all my life, or if there are so many different varieties that I just hadn’t tried the right one yet, but I can say definitively that I’ve found THE ONE. These are easy to make, very mild and not too sweet, and they’re the perfect consistency (slightly crunchy) to make them firm enough to do intricate decorative icing on, but not so hard that they’ll break your teeth. Thank goodness for Real Simple.

I’m hoping to get an icing/piping set soon, and with that I’ll be able to do some fancy work on cookies. I’m looking forward to edible sparkles, nonpareils, shiny silver and gold balls, and all the rest. I have the feeling I’ll be spending too much money at the new Michael’s craft store out at the mall.

Back before I became a vegetarian, I made some very respectable efforts at making homemade marshmallows. I have faith that these efforts can be replicated in a vegan way, so I’m going to try it. I’ve heard that agar agar can be used as a 1:1 substitution for the unflavored gelatin. Let’s find out!

Now, I’m perfectly aware that there are genres of porn that involve peeing, and I’m even willing to bet that there are sub-niches within those genres that are enthralled by a woman who can have a long and drawn out urination session. But smelly? Who are these people?

A LOT.

Kevin and I considered asking for Lowe’s or Menards gift cards as gifts, to allow us a little extra money to do some fun things to the new house. If we get one or a few of these, however, we can use them wherever we need them, instead of being stuck at one store or the other.

I really, really want one of these, but I’ll probably never buy it for myself. I dream of all of the things I could make with it (non-meaty, of course), like no-knead bread and casseroles and stews. Mmm! Also, it’s very attractive, especially in the royal blue color.

Hudson Valley Yarn CSA: This one I’ll probably buy for myself if no one gets it for me. How wonderful to be able to support a farm by buying into their yarn CSA! Also, I’ll be more likely to get a lot of knitting done if I’ve got yarn automatically mailed to me at regular intervals.

I would love just about anything from my Etsy favorites (and it fits the Handmade Pledge!).

Since I plan to make the curtains for the new house, a gift certificate to Home Ec. Workshop would be lovely. They’ve got the best fabric in town.

There are a couple of camera lenses that I wouldn’t mind, either: 1, 2, 3, 4.