Social Blogger Butterfly Calendar, 2008: First Week

A quick note as I'm listening to the naysayers talk about how the predictions for an Obama blowout (just hours old now) were totally 'inaccurate', but how "this now creates a race for The White House." Drudge is now predicting a winning night for McCain and Clinton...this could be interesting after all. God, I love it when the press tries to cover their collective ass, after they've really got less of an idea than we do. Fabulous to see such a high voter turn-out, though, maybe that bodes well for the election day later this year.

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Tomorrow night, at The Hibernian in Cary, our good friends in person and Friends of Blog in general, Hercules Mulligan, takes stage at about 8pm. The weather should still be unseasonably warm and it's their first show of the new year, so come on out. It's just weeks, after all, until St. Patrick's Day, so let the alcoholic singalong training begin.

This weekend, starting on Friday, in celebration of the birth of The King (Elvis Presley), Elvisfest will take place at its new digs at Time Out bar at The Holiday Inn in Chapel Hill. Approximately 20 bands will have a go on at least 2 Elvis songs (and then also including their own sets) over Friday and Saturday nights. Musical ranges will include Punk and your trusty blogger's fave, Psychobilly. Ironically, two of Elvis' favourite genres, opera (Elvis' "It's Now or Never" was directly lifted from his fondness of opera and its "O Sole Mio") and gospel, seemingly are not represented.

"Landscapes from the Age of Impressionism", at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh. Features some Monet, Sargent and a host of others. If I can talk the WR into going with me, this should be a pleasant break and tour. Always good for a cultural learning moment (feel good on the brain) and also for a laugh (feel good for the funny bone), as WR and I are always asked if we're married as (a) I'm the only one who doesn't seem to notice he wears his kilt to these kinds of things, and (b) we seem to finish each other's descriptions of the art we're viewing. A lot of guys would rather go to the dentist than the art museum, but luckily WR isn't one of them and I always learn a bit from him at these things. He has far more patience with art than I do.

The first ever WR&M Wine Tasting Tour of eastern North Carolina (although with an acronym like 'WR&M', one would think it would be a tequila...and tequila worm...tasting tour, but no). While NC will never be confused with Italy, France, California or the Hunter Valley in Oz for its wine notoriety, it still has a developing wine production sector still the same. The itinerary is still a bit up in the air and will probably be on a separate day from the Museum foray, but we plan to see about three local wineries. With any luck, we may actually find one we both can agree upon. And, if not, I've promised Ricky to not constantly brag about the Crossings production in New Zealand (which contributes a very stellar dry white wine) or of the rose from the Raleigh Winery in New South Wales.

So, yes, this would happen to be the year Social Blogger Butterfly finds (or rather attempts to learn, embrace and find) culture.