When Matthew is away, the TV room becomes my dining room, the green couch, my dinner table.

Only Oprah can make an audience applause wildly for a Jello and fruit dessert.

Tonight: Rilo Kiley at Sokol. Exciting!

Tomorrow: Work, then a relaxing evening at home, which will include reading magazines and a DIY pedicure. Exciting!

Saturday: I will be sequestered in my home office, hammering away at a handful of freelance articles due next week. Then, pick up Matthew from the airport.

I just finished “The Rule of Four.” I thoroughly enjoyed the book, dare I say almost as much as Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code.” However, I’m a bit confused on the ending. For those of you who’ve read the book, a little help, please.

If you’ve finished the book, please post a comment. I don’t want to post my question here and possibly ruin the book for those who haven’t yet finished it.

Hello, to you and you and you. How lovely to see you on this humid and soon-to-be-stormy Wednesday evening.

Monday night was spent seeing The Shins play at Sokol. What a fantastic show! Several people in Omaha had some pretty harsh words about the show; but I, for one, loved every minute of it. I agree that much — if not all — of their songs Monday night sounded exactly like their CDs, but it was the band’s on-stage performance that captivated me most. They were chatty and fun and relaxed and excited, all at the same time. It was as if they genuinely loved performing in front of a sold-out crowd. And they smiled! And joked! It’s quite a change from other bands I’ve seen at Sokol.

Tonight, Matthew and I strolled through the Old Market. We dined at Zio’s and had coffee at Aroma’s. Lovely! I managed to make a stop at Homer’s this evening, as well, to pick up “Cold Roses,” the latest two-CD set by Ryan Adams and the Cardinals. I’ve only listened to the first three songs on the first CD, but my ears are already happy.

Last night a massive storm blew through Omaha, bringing three huge branches crashing to the ground in the back yard. The damage was such that it removed the cable and telephone wires from the house. Someone from Cox Communications is supposed to come out to the house Thursday afternoon to make the proper repairs.

I hear thunder. Another round of storms is almost here.

I’m a member of the Scoutreach committee, a branch of the Boy Scouts of America’s Mid-America Council here in Omaha.

The goal of the Scoutreach committee is to develop Boy Scout troops in north and south Omaha. We’re looking for organizations to partner with who will help us promote our efforts.

The Omaha media outlets I have in mind to target are:
– The Omaha Star
– Nuestro Mundo
– ABM Enterprises, which publishes El Perico and La Vision Latina
– 97.7 FM, the all-Spanish radio station

I’m also thinking of the Chicano Awareness Center, although they’re not part of the media.

Can anyone recommend other local organizations who may be interested in such a program? We’re not looking for donations; just additonal avenues to promote the development of Boy Scout troops in north and south Omaha.

Earlier this morning, the world quietly celebrated the 25th anniversary of Matthew Thomas Coppola’s entrance to the world.

And the world, quietly, rejoiced.

Happy birthday, Matthew. I love you!

I was at the mall over my lunch hour when I discovered that many of the schools were off today. That means kids overtake the malls on said days. It was so annoying, I could’ve screamed. They were yelling, in groups of six and eight, at one another across the wide expanse of the mall. They wore too-short skirts and carried their tiny pursues crammed with cell phones, body glitter and lip gloss. The boys wore their saggy jeans and walked with an “I don’t care” air about them.

Good news: I found a pair of jeans, on sale!

Matthew and I are suckers for fine dining. On a special occasion, we have no problem dropping $100 on dinner for two.

Last night, however, blew us both away. We celebrated Matthew’s birthday early with a magical meal at The Flatiron Cafe in downtown Omaha. I made reservations for 6:30 p.m. They were a bit crowded, as Opera Omaha performed last night and several music lovers wanted a bite to eat before the concert.

We were invited to relax on the outdoor patio, sipping cocktails while our table was prepared. Shortly before 7, we were seated. The host, who was fabulous, said he was pleased we were there for dinner, using the phrase “my young lovers” to describe us. I blushed!

The meal, again, was fabulous. I had the grilled salmon special, complete with bock choy, veggies and Asian rice noodles. Matthew had a fantastic pork tenderloin with asparagus and purple potatoes. He started with a glass of wine during dinner; I sipped water.

Into our meal, the host stopped by our table and gave us both a free glass of wine. Matthew had a red wine, while I had a chardonnay. The host chose these wines based on our meals. Fabulous!

We ended the evening with two desserts: creme brulee and berry cobbler. Delicious!

On our way out, the host (again: fabulous!) thanked us for our patronage. He then, in a flurry, grabbed my face and kissed me on the check. He aggressively shook Matthew’s hand as he said, “This is YOUR restaurant. We love having you here.”

This could’ve been the host just doing his job; or he really was happy to have our business. Either way, we’ll be back soon.

Second day this week for a workout at the Y. Ran 25 minutes on the treadmill; walked 10. I feel so good :-)

I was hired by Leslie Kline Lukas & Associates in March. Just before Christmas last year, I interviewed for a writing job in the marketing department of Company B. Turns out Company B recently hired LKL&A to assist with its internal communication. And, as luck would have it, I was put on the account. I attended a meeting last week at Company B with a handful of their employees, one of whom I exchanged emails with about the writing job. He remembered who I was, which was awkward. I’d wish he would’ve forgotten the whole situation, but he hadn’t.

It probably wasn’t as uncomfortable as I recall it being, but it was a moment to remember, nonetheless.