It’s actually been a slow week, at least compared to the last few. With all the folks above me in the program office off at a big senior management gathering in the midwest, almost all the usual meetings have been cancelled this week, which let me get some necessary paperwork and programming for my team done with almost no interruption. I’ve also wrapped one of the online courses I need to take in order to check the box for the next level program management certification for my current position. I’m also fishing with the certification people to see if the maxed-out contracting certification (the top-end of which was comparable to graduate level course work) qualifies as equivalent for the couple of piddling 100-level “contracts for dummies” courses included in the PM requirements, because I’d really rather not take those if I don’t have to.

With the crappy, rainy weather most of the week, I haven’t been on the bike since Monday, though I have been habitually briskly walking a little over a mile every day at lunch on a little course I’ve plotted for myself over at the Petersburg National Battlefield, which is conveniently located a short drive across the highway from my workplace. I’ve even managed to catch clear weather for most of it (except for Tuesday when I got absolutely drenched when the skies opened up on the last 100 yards back to the car. This afternoon and weekend look nice, so I’m hoping for at least a little biking over the weekend.

Otherwise, I’ve done a little audio system consulting work for the folks over at the dance school, since their sound system speakers crapped out last week, had a really productive practice with The ‘Riffs the other night, have had several people tell me how skinny I’ve gotten (I’m noticing a little bit – like I said, I’m down 25 pounds, but I’ve kind of hit the wall for dropping the easy stuff, at least temporarily. I’d really like to dump another 15 if I can manage it), and for some unexplainable reason, been sleeping really badly most nights this week. Sometimes that just happens. I’ll manage.

As for the Memorial Day weekend? I have very few plans, save catching what promises to be a really bizarre and interesting musical experience – Okilly Dokilly, Beatallica, and Los Ramones at the Camel in RVA. You might have heard of the headliners, the world’s first “Nedal” band, who play energetic thrashy metal inspired by, well….

See? The other bands are a mash-up band combining the Beatles and Metallica, and a group that describes themselves as Tus canciones favoritas de los Ramones en Spanglish!, so it ought to be fun (also, thanks WNRN for the tickets!).

Anyway, here’s some tunes. Happy long weekend!

1. “Spring Dance” – Korpiklaani
2. “Going to California” – Led Zeppelin
3. “Space Oddity” – David Bowie
4. “Rebel Yell” – Billy Idol
5. “Dirty Denim” – The Donnas
6. “Ends of the Earth” – Lord Huron
7. “Dirty Knives” – Bangs
8. “Too Young to Fall In Love” – Motley Crue
9. “Don’t You Ever Wash That Thing (live)” – Frank Zappa
10. “Short Version” – Wild Flag
11. “Hungry Like The Wolf” – Duran Duran