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Rogue Wave at Bottletree -- Nov. 10 I bought Rogue Wave's second release "Surrounded By Vultures" last fall and haven't been able to stop listening the band since. Lead singer Zach Rogue's honest songwriting combined with excellent musicianship of the band is a breath of fresh air in a genre that is full of homogeneity. After the enduring the temper tantrum of Ryan Adams so recently at his show at the Alabama Theatre, it made me all the more appreciative of a band with enthusiasm who were more than willing do an encore and a long one at that. Interesting Rogue Wave facts: The band has gathered many fans since three of it's songs appeared on the now-cancelled, but very popular Gen Y show The O.C. Their songs also appeared on the TV shows Weeds , Friday Night Lights and Heroes . More information on the band is here. Zach Rogue's parents own a farm in the Birmingham area where they have retired (according to a Rogue Wave insider .) More photos from the Sa

It's hard to believe my sister's wedding has come and gone. The weekend that we prepared for for over a year went by so quickly. It was elegant, simple and beautiful. All the families got along well, many stories were told, tears shed and memorable toasts made. These moments were caught with the expert eye of Lindsay's best friend, an excellent Atlanta-based photographer named Angela Georges (also known for one of my favorite blogs "My Daily Struggle" ). She even caught my dad in his pajamas opening his bedroom door to tell all the "kids" to "keep it down!" on the night before the wedding during some late-night revelry. I will spare him the humiliation of posting that photo and other incriminating evidence caught digitally. To check out Angela's photography site click here . These photos are posted with her permission. Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Mark Lopez, married Oct. 27, 2007 at the Mentone Springs Hotel in Mentone, Alabama The wedding p

According to official Shelby County Humane Society papers, today Gus turns one year old. He celebrated tonight with a can of albacore tuna, a few new toys and bags of treats and a striped sister who helped him with both the food and the toys. Gus was the cat I had to have after seeing his picture on PetFinder. com. With giant ears and a sweet face, I knew he was the orange tabby for me. Getting Gus led me to the random luck of finding Maddy Lou and my cat family was complete. My life has been 100% better because of them. Happy Birthday sweet Guster T! Famous person Gus most resembles: Cher (long nose, seductive almond-shaped eyes and slightly glazed facial expression) Famous person(s) Gus most acts like: Crush -- the sea turtle from "Finding Nemo", Sean Penn as Jeff Spicoli from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." Can I get a collective, "Duuuuude!" Gus likes: drinking from the bathroom sink faucets, flirting for cat treats with his extra-long tail a swishi

Sadly, the tabloid field day over the sudden and premature death of Donda West has seemed to obscure her amazing life and story. While her son Kanye's talent and rise to fame as a rap artist have been worthy accomplishments, it's the woman who raised a child alone and well, while pursuing her career, a PhD in English and teaching position at Chicago State University, that is the grand feat. Despite the ego and occasional brattitude, one aspect of Kanye West that I've always liked is his appreciation and respect for his mother and how she raised him. "Hey Mama" from 2005's Late Registration was proof of this. I'm just glad to know that Donda West knew how loved she was while she was alive. May her legacy in Kanye shine on.

- I'm embarrassed that I don't have any photos yet of the Oct. 27 nuptials, but I didn't take shoot anything the entire weekend. There was too much going on being sister of the bride. I didn't wear a dress, but did wear makeup so photographic evidence will follow at some point, hopefully sooner than later. Everyone looked nice, but Lindsay, in the dress my mother and aunt wore, was stunning. It was a wonderful weekend in Mentone, spent at the oldest hotel in the state. When it was all over, it felt sad like the last day of camp because it all seemed to go by too fast. To my sister and Mark, may there be many happy years to come.