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Why don't cool things like this happen in Tucson?

The Tucson Police Department's photo-radar van will be in the following areas on Thursday, Nov. 15:

• 7 to 9 a.m.: School crossing at Escalante Road near Prudence Road
• 9:30 to 1:30 p.m.: On Kolb Road near Escalante Road
• 2 to 4 p.m.: Near Henry Elementary School on Harrison Road near Fifth Street
• 4:30 to 8 p.m.: On Harrison Road near 22nd Street

As long as we're talking about music, I thought I'd mention that I finally got around to checking out Pandora.com. (Yeah, I know, all you cool kids already know all about it, but there are some squares still reading the blog.)

Anyways, for those who aren't familiar with it: Pandora is a project of the Music Genome Project, which attempts to break down the various elements of songs. What does this mean for you? It means you type in an artist that you dig, and the Web site designs a radio station that plays similar music. You can give thumbs-up or thumbs-down to songs so Pandora can get a better sense of what your tastes. And once you've developed a few radio stations focusing on different artists, you can combine them in a big ol' dance party. And get this: It's free! Unless you want to subscribe and get some extras.

I've been playing around with it for a few days now, and I'm discovering all sorts of new stuff, as well as hearing old favorites. It's way better than moving that needle from song to song!

The Tucson Police Department will be in the following areas on Wednesday, Nov. 14:

• 7 to 9 a.m.: School crossing on Pima Street near Sarnoff Drive
• 9:30 to 1:30 p.m.: On Golf Links Road between Swan Road and Aviation Parkway
• 2 to 4 p.m.: Elementary school crossing on 22nd Street near Treat Avenue
• 4:30 to 8 p.m.: On Alvernon Way near 22nd Street

The last time I tried to see Neko Case perform was in May 2006 at the Gorge Amphitheatre, not far from where I lived in Wenatchee, Wash. You see, my son's preschool co-op had a fundraising booth at the Gorge selling beer throughout the concert season. It proved a great way for children to take advantage of adult sin: The school usually took in about $20,000 before the school year started. 

I volunteered the Saturday of the Sasquatch Festival with one mission in mind. I owed the co-op some volunteer time, but I was there to see Neko Case. I love her music. I LOVE HER!

In Washington state, May is an odd season. When we lived in Seattle, I remember looking out my office window downtown to see the weather go from rain, to hail, to bright sun, all within a half-hour.

You never learn. I wore shorts but brought a blanket. As soon as the band before Neko Case left the main stage, I clocked out of the beer booth and grabbed a spot right at the edge of the stage. I laid out my blanket and waited. A few clouds came in. Nothing to worry about. A little rain didn't scare me. 

When Neko Case came out, I could see her nostrils. That's how close I was. I was a happy woman. The guy sitting next to me was happy, too. Nice people all around--just what you want when you're by yourself at a show. (By the way, the Gorge is best place to see live music. From its hills, you can look down at the Columbia River and also see the farms and orchards that surround the other hills.)

Neko Case started to strum, started to sing ... and the hail started to come down. I put my blanket over me. Neko kept going, thinking what we all hoped was true--that the hail would blow over. But it didn't. It came down, hard, fast and covered the ground in ice pellets that created a nice slip slide cavalcade the rest of the night. Neko gave up. We all gave up.

I did not want to return to the beer booth. I wanted my free concert. I wanted Neko Case. 

The next few shows were canceled. People slipped around and turned over benches to create shelters. Some tried to break into the beer booth. Mostly people drank more beer and got super drunk. It was a wacky social experiment at best. 

This Thursday, Neko Case and I are going to have a reunion at the Rialto. The show starts at 8 p.m. and is a benefit show for the organization No More Deaths. Check out Neko's cool Web site. Later on her tour, she is playing with Rufus Wainwright--I'd love to see that show. Tickets are still available for the Thursday show at $20 general admission.

Yes, I will be there early, at the edge of the stage trying to recreate that day at the Gorge--sans hail. 

If you're weight conscious, could pizza really be a healthy choice? 

A contestant on NBC's The Biggest Loser chose her favorite pizza restaurant for healthy food right here in Tucson. 

The crew from The Biggest Loser filmed for 2 1/2 hours at the locally owned and operated Vero Amore.  The exact date that the show will air is a wild card, but tune in either Tuesday, Nov. 13 (tonight!) or Tuesday, November 20.

Vero Amore makes their own mozzarella fresh daily and puts just the right amount on their Neapolitan thin crust pizzas. They have many vegetarian options and make everything from scratch without any preservatives, artificial colors, flavorings or processed foods. People not only go for the Neapolitan pizza, but also for their organic salads, with fresh home made dressings. 

I wonder how much of the 2 1/2 hours of filming will be shown. My curiosity may get the best of me, and I'll have to tune in.

Vero Amore is one of my favorite pizza joints. What's yours?

The Tucson Police Department will be in the following areas on Tuesday, Nov. 13:

• 7 to 9 a.m.: CE Rose ELementary School, 710 W. Michigan St.
• 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: On Grant Road between Oracle Road and Interstate 10
• 2 to 4 p.m.: Menlo Park Elementary School, 1100 W. Fresno St.
• 4:30 to 8 p.m.: On Grande Avenue between Speedway Boulevard and St. Mary's

As noted in the comments ... the Tucson Police Department will not be deploying their photo-radar van today, because it is Veterans Day (observed).

If there is one thing I haven't lost as I've gotten older, it's that euphoria I feel when I get new music. The emotion and every ritual involved continue to this day. 

Don't you remember that feeling of buying new music when you were a kid? That time is different for everyone. For me, I was 10-11 years old and made enough allowance money to buy at least one record a month and some 45s in between, then cassettes when they came along. 

I'd plan the whole week around Saturday, when I'd run to the record store to get the new Kiss (yep, there was also Pete Townshend, Leif Garrett, Shaun Cassidy, Steve Miller and other music groups that date my ass). As I left the store, I cradled the record in my arms against my chest. Once home, I would unwrap the plastic, take the record out carefully and breath in that new vinyl smell. 

My mom had a great stereo in our living room with these huge cushy headphones. I'd put the record on, take out any lyrics included in the sleeve and lay down under the dining table. I listened from beginning to end. Back then you'd have to get up and move the needle from song to song. No remote controls for record players. Back then we cultivated the value of listening to an album in its entirety. We had no choice. 

Today, my music buying experiences are a little different. Recently my 6-year-old son came with me. We went to Zia Records. To get him there, I lied. Yep. I told him they had a Laurie Berkner and Dan Zanes selection. Actually, they could have, but they didn't. 

When we opened the door, he said out loud, "Mom, are you sure this is the kind of place you should be taking your kid?" I said, "Of course, it's a music store. Let's go get some music." "Mom, I don't know if I can go in there. It smells funny." 

You know, it did smell funny, kind of like the guys in there had been working hard and going out for smokes in the back during their breaks, mixed in with the smell of new CDs.

"You'll get used to it. Let's go!" He went in and helped me look for my CDs, and of course we looked for Laurie Berkner and Dan Zanes. No selection. Bummer.

We went to checkout. "You guys really need to get some Laurie Berkner and Dan Zanes," my son told the guy at the cash register. I smiled. I paid and held those CDs close as we headed for the car. You can't really cradle CDs, even if you wanted to. 

My purchases: I'd recommend the latest from Spoon, and Editors. Although the first listen was spotty, with a kid in the back complaining about my "strange music." I realize I miss my mom's stereo, those cushy headphones and that dining table. I need a grown-up-with-kids version, which today ended up being my car. 

The feel was almost the same. At stoplights, I looked over the CD jackets and read the lyrics. These bands are great. I recommend them for the car, or if you have uninterrupted time at home, under your own dining table (you really need an oversized tablecloth that almost touches the floor). I hear a bit of The Jam in this new Spoon album. I've seen Spoon, but Editors are new to me. The lyrics bite a bit like the The Smiths. I'm happy right now, even if I don't have the dining table from my past. Right now the music is enough.