Category Archives: Musings

Blues Fest

On Fridays as of late I’ve been taking it pretty easy with my posts . . . and I see no reason to stop today. It’s hot . . . I’m hot . . . and sweating reduces my brain power by about 95.4%.

Yes, it’s supposed to top 90 degrees today, though whether my underarms will be subject to a hideous 91 or a hideouser 98, weather.com and the National Weather Service have yet to agree on. Looks like this web-based weather reporting is quite inconsistent. One might even call it . . . fair weather.

Hahaha–get it? Fair weather weather reporting? Sometimes I’m just too funny for my own self to handle.

Also, the word ‘weather’ is seriously starting to freak me out. Just type it twenty times and you’ll see exactly what I mean. Then we can freak out together.

Anyway, all this explains in some way why this morning I decided to just toss out some pictures of our afternoon at Blues Fest a couple weekends ago with some of our college friends.

There’s something about college friends–even though I graduated 7 years ago and only stay in touch with these guys sporadically, there’s a connection that remains strong. A sense of ease, of not having to prove anything. It’s chill, man. And this feeling extends to all of our college crowd: whether it was Kristina and Jen swinging through Chicago last summer, our friend Hayley dropping in for an evening visit during a stint with the CDC, hanging out with Tom, Ben, and Sarah, or playing in the snow with Julie and Zane, there’s this comfortable, hang-loose quality to our time with all of them that has the same wonderful flavor.

But anyway.

The last music festival I went to was Austin City Limits. I love music fests: the bared midriffs. The sweet smell of weed wafting across the crowd. That group of middle aged women, slightly drunk, celebrating a 50th birthday and dancing with their arms swaying above their heads. The smuggled bottles of wine and beer covertly removed from picnic baskets and bags. The general goodwill in the air. The feeling of just being, as the sun and the music take over your body and your brain floats away.

I also photographed my feet so that you can see how my pedicure was faring about 3 weeks after the fact.

We chatted with our friends . . . we ate bread and olives and scrumptious crackers courtesy of Sarah . . .

. . . and just reveled in being young. And alive.

I love the summer. Except for the 91-98 degrees part.

Have a great 4th of July weekend, all ye Americanos out there!

A couch for Dr. Evil

This is my aunt Jacquie (right), posing with my Mom on the day of her 60th birthday. She is an amazing woman, has raised three spectacular kids, and (being an English PhD) regularly polices the grammar on this very blog (all while being its staunch supporter and enthusiastic reader as well). The celebrations were so much fun, and a lot of friends and family came down to party Friday night and all day Saturday.

I have lots of pictures to share from these two days, but I thought I’d start with some very important ones.

What is my cousin June holding . . . ?

It appears to be an ornately decorated box.

Yes. In fact, it’s a contribution box for a very important cause.

This brilliant brainchild of my cousins was passed around to the party goers as the day progressed. Are you confused? Muddling about in a cloud of incomprehension?

Let’s review the evidence, and everything will become clear:

Here’s the living room. Yes, very tasteful, very classic in appearance. But not exactly . . . lounge worthy. I mean, can you picture a pile of cousins and grandkids in PJ’s just hangin’ loose on these marvelous pieces of antique furniture?

I didn’t think so.

Eleanor agrees–completely unacceptable. We want comfort.

We want to slouch. We want to snooze. We want to hang our limbs all over this place. But the scrolly bits of ornate wood keep getting in the way.

I’ll give you further evidence. Using my spy-skills, I witnessed the following conversation between aunt Jacquie and a distraught female guest. I should note that I have no idea who this woman is (dear Mystery Woman: I hope you don’t mind being blogged about)–this is just cold, hard reporting, folks.

Strange woman: You know, I really enjoyed my visit, except that after sitting on your living room furniture for an hour or two, I think I might need back surgery.

Aunt Jacquie: Oh no, you poor thing! I’m so sorry!

Aunt Jacquie: You know, now that I think about it, I can’t even count the number of medical complications that furniture has caused over the years . . . lemme see . . . one (a sprained back), two (a herniated disc), three (a stomachache–though that may have been from all the meringue) . . .

Aunt Jacquie: I mean, I know that whenever I sit in my furniture I always get this cramp . . . it starts along my neck right here and moves into my shoulder and upper back . . . it’s really quite painful.

Case closed! We can’t have Aunt Jacquie in pain and getting cramps in her neck for the rest of her life. That just wouldn’t do.

And just when I thought this little manifesto was about wrapped up, I called out to my husband . . .

“Hmmm . . . should I include this picture of you on the couch? I don’t know, it’s kind of dark and . . . you know, you don’t really look that uncomfortable.”

“Well that’s because I didn’t think it was really that uncomfortable. I mean, the living room looks really nice,” he said.

I stared at him blankly. He continued:

“She has a beautiful living room.”

“But . . . but . . . ” I spluttered. “You’re not on our side?”

“I don’t know, her furniture looks really pretty.”

“Pretty? Pretty!?!? But that means . . . you’re with the opposition!” I cried. “Dang it,” I muttered, “I guess I’ll have to include your views in my blog post.”

Everyone else, I hope you align yourselves with the correct side in this matter. Over and out.