So last weekend, I spent the morning clearing a path into the guest bedroom (note to self: create and patent the "Personal Bulldozer 2000"), getting out fresh sheets and towels (never mind that they would get stinky in a flash after the band returned from rocking out in a smoky club), and shopping with LB for:

• a bagel slicer
• a bucket
• a "cute" spatula
• pink oven mitts

In the evening, we got a call that the band was on its way. We fired up the stove, warmed up a huge pot of chana masala (TP's work) and the bhindi (yours truly), and started on the rice. When the band showed up, rumpled, hungry, and tired from their drive from Connecticut, they were blown away by the prospect of home-cooked Desi food and a clean, comfy bed for each of them. In typical southern fashion, they expressed their appreciation over and over again until we threatened them and reminded them that their food would get cold if they kept talking. As they enjoyed a delicious dessert of York Peppermint Patties, they regaled us with some rock-n-roll stories and memories: "When Bob (Mould) broke up with my roommate, we suddenly never heard from him again;" "It was fantastic doing a Peel Session;" "I had such a crush on (Michael) Stipe - well, you know, until we found out;" and "TP looks exactly the same as he did 10 years ago!"). TP directed them to the club where they needed to set up while I cleaned up, made and/or pulled out the beds, and scattered potential post-midnight snacks around the table.

Later that night, we found a spot rightinfront of the Velvet Lounge (which pleased us to no end), entered without paying since we were on the guest list (which pleased us to the same no end), and found our posse. Earplugs, check. Front and cent . . .er . . . slouched to the side, check. Disdain and distaste for concert-goers who were wearing their old Magnapop concert t-shirts to the Magnapop concert, check. They sounded great and played some of their older tunes ("Open the Door" is a fave) and even did a Guided By Voices cover ("Game of Pricks") in anticipation of their up-coming SXSW tour. Then, to my great glee, they dedicated a song from their new album to us!

Ruthie: "You guys have been a great audience. We want to dedicate this next song to TP and Baji!" (well, she used our real names. well, she used TP's real name and kinda mangled mine so the equivalent would have been "TP and Jarbi!")
Audience Member: "Who are they?!"
Ruthie: "Two great people. Very important people."
Audience Member: "We still don't know who they are!"
Ruthie: "Heh. Um. One, two, one two three four ... [insert guitar riff]"

After they rocked, they rolled. While they packed up their gear and went to visit the 9:30 Club to pay Bob a surprise visit during his Blowout DJ extravaganza, TP and I went home to shower the club stink off and catch the last bits of SNL. Around 2:30 a.m., they called to let us know that they were headed home. We helped them maneuver their gargantuan van into the back, lugged in their equipment, and tucked them in. They were very good and polite houseguests and even folded their sheets and straightened up when the left the next morning. They autographed a copy of their new album for us, thanked us profusely, and stated that when they made it big, they would buy us a washer and dryer (oral contract!). There you go, Moiz, how's that? :)

Okay, Ushi, your interview questions are (drumroll, please):
1. If you could live in any other country, which one would you choose?
2. If you had to narrow it down, what would be your top five favorite foods?
3. Are you still suffering from greasy glasses syndrome or did you discover a remedy for that?
4. What inspired you to begin a blog?
5. What is your favorite childhood memory? (bonus points if it includes something extremely embarrassing for you, your siblings, or your cousins).