An active weekend. Friday night: 70mm festival at the AFI Silver — 4 hours of "Lawrence of Arabia." Saturday night: dinner at the Silver Diner (a theme?) with Danna & Andy and Jim & Amy, followed by bowling at Strike Bethesda with Danna & Andy. Sunday, took advantage of the clear sky and non-scorching weather (under 90) to walk and eat through the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival on the mall. It was an afternoon of meat 'n' bread: BBQ in the Appalachian food tent followed by meat pies from the Scottish food tent. Plus a lot of good music.

Wrapped up Sunday night by seeing Blondie at the 930 Club. Great show. Debbie Harry looks a-MAZING for 58 (!!) and they rocked the house. I think the next VH-1 Divas show should ditch the Beyonce crooners and get Debbie Harry, Pat Benatar, Terri Nunn and a couple of young 'uns, like Gwen Stefani, together. They would rawwk. Speaking of Terri Nunn, started the '80s concert kick on the 19th with a triple bill of Flock of Seagulls, Modern English and Berlin. Only the singers were original band members. Seagulls -- middling and resentful that everyone wanted to hear their old stuff. Modern English -- pretty good and resentful that everyone wanted to hear their old stuff. Berlin -- Terri Nunn commanded the stage and mixed her old stuff in with her new stuff and left everybody happy.

'Tis the summer of friends' new books. The unholy alliance that was Ken & Glenn has two books being published — a new novel by Glenn, called "Beemer," and a new nonfiction work by Ken, author of "Man Made," called "They Don't Play Hockey in Heaven."

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Went to see the new They Might Be Giants documentary, "Gigantic." Thisclose to being a Christopher Guest film (and in fact Harry Shearer and Michael McKean were in it). But funny nonetheless.

30 days without sunshine in May. Instead of having spring, we had Seattle. Barely 2 sunny days in a row since. Now it's 85 and muggy. Can't win.

If I were cool of the primary order, I would have been watching Bollywood movies years ago, acquiring tapes from Indian groceries. If I were cool of the secondary order, I would have started watching Bollywood movies after I saw "Ghost World," buying DVDs from Amazon UK. But I am cool of the tertiary order, if indeed I am cool at all, so I saw my first Bollywood spectacular last night on Turner Classic Movies and now I get what the fuss is about. What's not to like? Music, dancing, action, comedy, romance, drama, tragedy — all in one 3-hour film! (And I was home to watch it because the Sounds cancelled at the Black Cat. Damn Swedes.)

Band I'm digging at the moment: The Sounds. Going to see them at the Black Cat on Thursday.

Recent adventures: Business trip to New York on the 15th to attend the Gloria Awards as guests of one of our clients, the Ms. Foundation for Women. Rubbed shoulders (i.e. sat in a crowded ballroom at the Waldorf Astoria) with Gloria Steinem, Stockard Channing, Glenn Close, Marlo Thomas, Kathy Najimy. Stayed in the ultra hip Paramount, an Ian Schrager hotel, with ultra tiny rooms -- bed so short I had to sleep diagonally. ... Finally saw "Matrix: Reloaded" -- cool yet ultimately disappointing. ... Got my AFI on: "Bob Le Flambeur," Jean Cocteau's "La Belle et La Bete," Aki Kaurismaki's "Drifting Clouds." ... Bought our first official grill. Let the burger cooking begin ... Went to see this year's Shakespeare Free For All of "Hamlet" at the Carter Barron with Lisa, Alycia and Karla. ... Roadchix Outdoor Art Adventure scavenger hunt with Lisa.