First, check out The Amazing Race on CBS tonight. Not only is it one of the best shows on TV (says the travel addict), but this round also features a team from the Birmingham area. The producers have made this season instantly challenging by taking the teams to China in the first episode, so I’ll be interested to see how Lyn and Karlyn do.

And it seems the city is doing its best to try to distract me from making more art. Look what’s coming up this week:

Thursday: Movies by Moonlight returns to Linn Park with Napoleon Dynamite.

Friday-Sunday: Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival makes its eighth annual appearance downtown. When I think of “cool” and “Birmingham,” Sidewalk is one of the first things that springs to mind, and it’s the perfect example of how creative people can start and do great things in this town. I’m so proud of it for garnering positive national attention for itself and the city. Anyway, I’m trying to figure out what I want to see at Sidewalk; high on the list is The Sasquatch Dumpling Gang and the locally made short Piece of Cake. I know a few people acting in that short–and I know of many others involved in it–so I’m looking forward to seeing the finished product. (And I dare any of you out there to ask my friend James Brown, who’s in the film and will be working Sidewalk’s Safari Cup venue, for his autograph. :) )

Thursday-Saturday: The Greek food festival at the Holy Trinity-Holy Cross Cathedral next to UAB! Yum!