Less than nothing

Really people - there is a light (let me repeat that....LIGHT) dusting of snow outside. Or there was at 7am - it's all gone now. But even when there was that LIGHT dusting that is no reason for you you to drive so slowly. Susan drove better in REAL snow the first time she ever did it and she grew up in the desert! (Hi SSSS!)

And no - I don't believe you when you say "it was worse at my house", "well - I live on a hill", "it's not the snow, it's the ice."

And I don't care of you're from California, Texas or the deepest ugliest southlands - it's still not enough of anything to get excited about. So STFU already! I'm tired of hearing you tell every person you talk to about the crazy weather we've got going on here. And unless they're from the south - they're probably laughing at you too.

If Fish Could Walk

So I had a crazy dream that I was visiting my friend Jennie in some strange land, and she had these crazy pets. There was this whole tank of fish - really big ones like dolphin sized - but then when I looked into the tank there wasn't any water in it - they could walk on land....she seemed very surprised that we thought that was odd....

I send Jennie a little note telling her about said dream – and what does she send back to me, but this story she’d seen the day before.

Weird.

Oh sweet sweet day

GOP Says Rumsfeld Stepping Down
By Associated Press

13 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Republican officials say Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is stepping down. Word comes a day after the Democratic gains in the election, in which Rumsfeld was a focus of much of the criticism of the Iraq war.

Awesome!

Who woulda thunk?

That New Jersey would be more progressive than Oregon?

"the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to receive the same state benefits, protections and obligations as opposite-sex married couples. The court ruled that the Legislature must either amend its marriage law to include same-sex couples or provide these benefits, protections and obligations by some other means such as civil unions."

Of course they didn't have Karen Minnis...and hopefully after November 7th we won't either!

Point and Laugh or Cuddle and Cry?

I'm sure that Noland, no....I KNOW that Noland is inclined towards the first. But me - I was torn...I pointed (the camera) and laughed..but then she was so pathetic and sad I just had to cuddle and pet her.

She got a gash - almost a puncture - just above her back leg. We don't know if it was from one of Begbie's teeth when then were wrestling around at some point - or if on one of her mad dashes through the bushes to chase down the red ball she got caught on a low branch, but it was a pretty good wound. So we took her to the vet to have it checked out - and to make sure it didn't get infected, they gave us a topical antibiotic to put on it. And so she doesn't lick that off....the retarded dog collar.

It really is hysterical. She tries to run between the patio furniture and gets stuck. She wants to still play ball - but she can't pick it up. She turned over her water and food bowls trying to get at them.... she would just run up and run into things and stop - stand there and stare. Totally baffeled.

Luckily she didn't have to wear it long, and the wound is healing nicely, but man....that was one pathetic looking little pit bull.

Nightmares

It was mine. Or at least I would assume so – I was carrying it around with me in one of those portable-carrying thingys. I was trying to get some work down while waiting in the terminal – so I found a corner with a bench and small table and not many other people nearby and pulled out the laptop and started working. They announced my flight so I packed up my laptop, grabbed my book and a bottle of water and headed off. I was already sitting on the plane when I remembered I’d forgotten something. I jumped up and ran back to go get it – hoping no one had taken it – that would really suck. But it was still there. There was someone watching it – I knew her actually and she told me that she’d wondered when I was coming back – that I really shouldn’t leave it like that. It started to make noise so I picked it up but then it looked like it was going to explode – and I was wearing a cute top I didn't want to get messy – so I turned it upside down and hung it off the edge of the bench – where it did proceed to make a giant mess everywhere. Some employee came by and told me that wasn’t the way I was supposed to do it and now he was going to have to clean up the mess. Whatever – I just blew him off – that’s his job. So I wrapped it back up and put it back in it’s carrying case and headed off.

And I thought dreaming about spiders or being attacked was bad!

It's Not a Sign of Maturity - I SWEAR!

I am not a morning person.
People say you grown out of it - but at 35 I can still sleep until noon on a Saturday if I don't have anything else to do.

I actually laughed out loud at a propsecptive employer during an interview when they told me the hours were 6am - 3pm. (I still got the job, they consented that it wasn't really neccessary for me to come in THAT early.)

I am not an athletic person.
I first realized this when I threw up after running a mile in PE class in elementary school.
Or maybe it was when I say down in the outfield to draw in the dirt while playing T-ball.
Sure - I danced from age 9 to 18 - but that was always just 'fun.' And I've had stints of gym membership, aerobics classes, etc. off and on for the past 15 years in three different states. But only one time ever in all of that did it really feel good, work out well with my schedule, and I was really motivated to do it - and then they changed the time of the class and it didn't work for me anymore.


So the past two days - I have gotten up BEFORE work and gone to the gym. And I think I really like it. Other then a few technical difficulties because I wasn't used to having to get ready for work from the gym and I wasn't fully prepared the first day - it works GREAT in my schedule. I don't have to get up that much earlier then normal. I get home almost the same time as I did before. And because I do have to get ready for work - it doesn't leave me with that "now it's time to just go sit on the couch" feeling that I always had after coming home from the gym when going after work.

Weird. Very very weird.

Fun with Diversity

So this weekend marks the beginning of Ramadan, Rosh Hashanah and the Autumnal Equinox. What do you think would happen if you threw a big Muslim, Jewish, Wiccan party?

Wicked – Musical vs. Novel

So off the bat – even though I’m talking about a musical here – you boys (you know how you are) shouldn’t just skim this post (like I do Bill’s heavy metal reviews – sorry Bill) You’ll see why soon enough.

So I went and saw the musical version on Sunday with my sister-in-law, my niece and Kelly – I had borrowed the book from Nancy a couple months ago when we first bought the tickets – so I had already read that (and actually have the sequel at home, but haven’t had a chance to start it yet.) The show was fantastic – and I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes musicals – it was well-written, great songs, fun attitude, good pace – all that you need to keep a musical theater crowd happy. Totally glad I got I to see it!

However – as we were leaving the theater and everyone is discussing the show on their way down the stairs (it’s always funny to listen to those conversations – as everyone around is saying nearly the same thing) Most of the consensus seemed to be that they liked the show better than the book – Nancy thought so as well (we were the only two in our group to have read it all - Kelly hadn’t finished the book and my niece wasn’t allowed to read it – there was a paragraph of puppet sex in the first chapter) and not that there is anything wrong with liking the musical version better – but as I thought about it, I decided that I definitely liked the book better so I wanted to write a little review – and that is where you boys come in. I think you would love the book – but you would never read it because the musical is where it became famous and therefore is too girly or nerdy or whatever – but the book – is NOT any of things – not by a long shot.

The musical adaptation did what all adaptation has to do – condense a huge story with lots of delicate character development and intricate subplots into a concise single story that draws the characters with a big wide obvious brush. It also stuck by the musical theater golden rule of a happy ending. Deviating from the book a LOT.

But the biggest thing that the musical lacked in comparison to the book was a sense of meaning – substantial meat that you could dig your teeth into. Gregory Maguire’s novel was something that you could easily have read in an advanced high school or college lit class (and if you were an English nerd like me) just devoured. I can imagine the fantastic discussions that novel would have generated in one of Ming Lu’s classes at Drake or even Mrs. Bakalar’s AP English class at Topeka West.

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West – the full title of the novel – is a fantastic social and political commentary. A look at what is really good and what is really bad, and who decides. It examines how if one has money, power or beauty – or simply follows the status-quo - that they are often assumed “good” regardless of their actual behavior. Those who challenge authority, don’t conform to the social pressures of their peers, and think for themselves – are often labeled as “wicked.”

It’s an analogy that can be placed in any society, in any high school, in any government, in any community. And it’s one that we’ve all seen and heard before – but nonetheless presented in the midst of a fantastic story. And of course, in our current political climate – one that is extremely apropos. Take the portion of the story about the Animals Right to Speech – that could be almost directly correlated to Gays Right to Marriage.

The people in charge feel that if Animals are allowed to speak and hold jobs like humans, then society will fall into decay and disrepair as we lose all sense of what it really means to be human. Those who disagree with the government are obviously subversive; have no morals; are a threat to society; don’t care about the good of the country - even if they are ones fighting for the rights of others.
Doesn’t sound familiar at all does it?

And that is simply one of the much more obvious points. I am not implying that when Maguire wrote this – that he had that exact example in mind – but I don’t think any author has a direct one-to-one analogy in mind. But I think to deny that those concepts are there – is to give the book a very shallow reading.

Now again – that commentary was there in small doses in the musical version – it just didn’t (and can’t) delve into it the way the book does.
The book is dark, thoughtful, introspective and makes your mind race.
The musical is light and fun and reassures that in the end everything is a-ok.

Both are very very good.
I love musicals – and this one was everything I could hope for.
I just think that as in most book to movie adaptations – the book is much better.


And I hope that non-musical fans won’t ignore this book because of the musical – because it is so much more than just a catchy song and dance.

One step forward, one step back

Well - less than a month ago, I was pleased.

Now we have to stand up - again - and tell them - again - to stop trying to restrict our rights.

"The Oregon Secretary of State’s Office certified that a mandated parental notification measure will be on the November ballot. This is a near replica of the notification measure that Oregonians rejected in 1990. Like that measure, this initiative would change Oregon law to prohibit an older teen who is 15, 16, or 17 year old from seeking abortion care from a medical professional unless a parent receives a mandatory written notification letter at least 48 hours in advance. There are no exceptions for rape and incest and doctors could be sued if the parent doesn’t get the notification letter. Current Oregon law already requires minors 14 years old or younger to obtain parental consent before any treatment."

Measure 43 isn’t written for the real world
Not every child is raised in a stable, healthy household – news reports about abuse and sexual assault from family members confirm this almost every day. Requiring notice to the very people who may be responsible for the assault makes a bad situation worse. Troubled teens at risk need a counselor, or a doctor, not a judge, and not a notice in the mail to the abusive parent.

Measure 43 could drive a troubled teen to put their health in jeopardy
Desperate teens that live in homes filled with abuse or violence could put their lives and health in jeopardy by seeking illegal abortions from unlicensed providers.

Measure 43 is unworkable
If a teen wants to bypass the notification provision, she is required to go through a bureaucratic process run by the Department of Human Services that requires her to plead her case before an administrative law judge, who can take two weeks to reach a decision. Administrative law judges usually deal with permits and license disputes, and aren’t even required to be lawyers.

Measure 43 is not necessary
Oregon’s teen pregnancy rate has declined by 39% over the past ten years as a result of strong prevention and education programs. And surveys have shown that 75% of teens voluntarily consult a parent when faced with an unwanted pregnancy.

So be sure to remember to vote on November 7 - and along with your elected officials - VOTE NO ON MEASURE 43

Otherwise known as amateur night

Anyone reading this has most likely attended a New Years Eve fest at our house, the Craft's home, the Jane's, etc. You have also probably celebrated St. Patrick's Day at such fine Guinness serving establishments at the Yamhill or the Vern. In other words - you know that holidays such as those are also known as amateur night for the drinking crowd - and that if you have the kind of experience that we do, you really should by all means, stay away from any place that tries to celebrate it.

After Friday night's "Little Steven's Garage Rock Show" I'd have to say that Musicfest NW is the same thing. Amateur night for going to a show. Now - the show was good - the opening band was trying way to hard, but The Woggles were, as always, fun and energetic, Mooney Suzuki was as good as I remember, Phantom Planet was really good - although their style didn't really fit the bill (but being the OC theme song band, I think that alone made Kelly's night!) and the Zombie's were classic. But the crowd.....the crowd was weird.

I am all for getting more people to go to rock shows - I am by no means saying that they should stay away, and if this type of event is what gets some of them to start looking at other shows that come through town - more power to it, but unless it's a band I REALLY want to see and don't think I'll get to see again. I'll pass on Musicfest shows from now on.

It seemed like many people in attendance (with exceptions of course like the surprising number of old people there for the Zombies) were not there to see any of these bands. They were there because it was Musicfest and therefore the cool thing to do for the weekend regardless of who's playing. Many of the chics walking around looked like they would be much more at home at The Dixie, the Tube or whatever meat market is trendy right now, then at a show.

Now there were of course tons of people there because they do like those bands or that garage rock sound, and again, this isn't a criticism of those who came out just because it was Musicfest...if that experience encourages them to become show goers - that's great - that's needed to keep the scene going. But for those who simply come to see and be seen...please go back to Bettie Fords and leave our places alone.

Add the irritating crowd to the fact that the organizers try to crowd so many bands on one bill so that the whole festival band count is higher - that the bands don't get to play a decent length set. I've seen the Woggles play twice that long and the leader singer is still jumping around on the tables.

It was still a good time - I'm glad I got to see the bands, and we as always had fun hangin' with the Douglases (that still seems kinda weird to say!) mocking some of these people - but next time - I'll pass on a Musicfest NW show.

It's About Time

I've had a counter clock on this blog for well over a year now as the FDA extended past it's deadline for approving the morning after pill to over the counter status for more than 3 years after it was ok'd by doctors. I'm glad to say that it is no longer there.

As of last week (I've been on vacation - I was out of touch, and of course this isn't on the local news in Kansas or Missouri) it will be available. Only for women over the age of 18 and only at a pharmacy counter, but no prescription is needed. That's not the best answer, because the age restriction is rather random and not-ideal, but in an age of so many steps backwards, it's nice we finally got one forward.

BBQs and Mended Pieces

So we’re back from a week in the Midwest visiting the family. All in all it was a really nice trip (the miserably hot and humid weather aside). We got to spend several days with Noland’s parents – including one day with his sister and her kids who had been visiting the week before – I think by the time we all left they were exhausted!

And then the last three days at my parents house – both my brothers and their wives and kids were able to come to town for a while well we were there so that was all good. We didn’t get to see Steve and his family too much - with teenagers – their schedule is awfully busy, so they weren’t able to be there long, but we at least had some time to chat. Some of my old BTN friends came over for a BBQ in our backyard on Sat so that was cool.

It was a pretty small turnout and the butcher gave us WAY more meat then we needed (we told them 20 – and we did have 18 plus some little kids but we could have fed 50 easily) but it was a good time – and I think my mother even survived having people near her house (barely but she made it) She was stressing out before they got there I could tell – she kept trying to arrange things and make it all structured and organized – but once we got her to stop fussing about, I think she might have even had fun sitting out on the deck talking to people.

It’s funny how similar I am to my mom in some ways and how different in so many others. We have some similar mannerisms and habits, but I am – and always have been – such the social person. Love to be surround by my friends, love to be the hostess of the party, love to have something going on all the time – and she is so totally opposite, more then about 6 people in a room at one time drives her crazy. But I hope that this BBQ helped her see that it IS fun to be social – and that it doesn’t have to be stressful or a big deal. And that people really appreciate it – my friends were happy to get together with each other – even though they all live there, they don’t see each other a lot - I was glad to be able to see all of them in the short time I was back, and I was glad my folks let me do it at their place – and everyone had a good time.

The best part of the trip though, had to have been the lunch that we had the day that we flew back home.

WARNING TO ALL YOU BOY READERS – I’M GONNA GET SAPPY

I have not talked to Amy, one of my oldest and dearest friends, in about 3 and half years. She was going through some really rough times in her life at just about the same time that I was going through one of the happiest times of my life – and neither of us was able to be there for the other. At the time, I definitely blamed her – she withdrew from me – but I have come to see over time – that I was selfish because I was hurt and that I failed to reach out to her in the way that I should have, make it not so easy for her to withdraw. So our friendship, made even more difficult simply by the physical distance, became very strained and while we both wanted to, neither really knew what to do or how to do it, to bring us back to where we should be.

She was a piece of me that was broken and missing but I didn’t know what to do.

I sent her an invite to the BBQ – and she wasn’t able to make it, but she called my parents house while we were there and asked if we could hook up for lunch – so Noland and I met her and her boyfriend Judd in KC on Tuesday afternoon – and we just sat there in a Mexican restaurant having lunch catching up. We talked about dogs and houses and school (she’s back in) and work and trips and our families and we only had an hour or so – she had to go to work, but it was the best hour.

Flying back to Portland later that evening – I was sitting there with my headphones on staring out the window and tears just started to run down my cheeks. If this plane crashes – I thought – it will all be ok, because all is right in my world again. We never talked about why we didn’t talk – at this point we didn’t need to – maybe someday, but not now. She seemed so happy – and that’s all I wanted for her – and I am so happy in my life – and I know that’s all she wants for me.

But now I know that the piece of me that is Amy is not lost and is not broken and will always be there.

Cheers to the Douglases!

This had to have been one of the funnest (I know, not a word, I don’t care!) weekends of the summer.

Beginning on Thursday I went over to M&K’s to help Kelly do the flowers for Saturday. The boys were all off getting their tuxes fitted and once they came back they grilled up in the backyard while we did the flowers and once all the work was done we enjoyed some lovely BBQ on the deck and got to hang out a bit with Kelly’s folks and Mike’s brother and sister and kick off the beginning of wedding weekend.

On the way home, about 10pm – we get a call from the Craft-ies who have just closed on a new house in SE – they’re movin’ out of the ‘Couve! They have a sitter and are headed out to celebrate – Noland, Spencer and I meet them at the Lowbrow and help celebrate in fine fashion.

The Friday morning was Brewfest prep – My fabulous Noland and I both took the day off, so we slept in – got up and headed to Biscuits for some all-day drinking base. One sausage and cheddar omelet with hash browns and biscuits later – we head toward the waterfront. As we crossed the bridge and the tents came into view – as Noland said “it’s like seeing the circus Big Top when you’re a kid – it just makes you feel all giddy and wobbly inside!”

We arrived about 10 till noon and set up camp in the SE corner of the tent. Tony and Phil showed up next just as the taps opened and the day begins. This year had to have been some of the best weather we’ve had for OBF in years – I hated to say it but it was almost chilly there for the first hour or so – it was fabulous. Nearly everyone (but the bride to be – she was a little busy) made it down at some point during the day and even as I went to get my final beer at about 4:30pm – there were no lines longer than a person or two. We even found these great handmade wooden beer steins that were so cool – we had to go back on Sunday with more cash to pick up a pair!

Then it was off to the Forestry Center for wedding rehearsal and back to Lola’s room for the rehearsal dinner. All seemed to go very well and no one freaked out at anything! After a late night Thursday and an anticipated late night Sat. - we crashed out early – by around 9pm and headed home to play with the dogs and fall asleep on the couch.

Saturday morning was good putzing around the house before heading up to the Forestry Center for the main event. Crazy parking issues aside – the wedding was fabulous – Mike and Kelly looked so happy, there were no melt-downs, crazy in-laws, obnoxious drunken uncles or any of that other stuff that you seem to hear always occurs at weddings (as I told Noland later when we caught something on TV showing some Texas-sorority girl wedding “see, this is why our friends are so normal – no drama!”) My husband was (of course) a fabulous officiant - getting praises of “we wished we’d had you do our wedding” or “we’ll be calling you for ours you know.” Even though it was Mike and Kelly’s ceremony – I like to think it was me in his thoughts when he wrote all those nice thoughts of love and marriage. After all the official to-do was over, basically everyone under the age of 40 that was there headed downtown to the Matador – where we proceeded to take over the entire back-half of the bar and close the place down. It was great – all the out-of-towners from both Mike and Kelly’s side of things were all hanging out with all the Portlanders and everyone had a fabulous time. And now those crazy kids are official husband and wife – pretty cool.

Walkin' in someone else's shoes

The new season of 30 Days starts tonight - if you’ve never seen it, it’s pretty interesting. It’s Morgan Spurlock, the guy who did “Super Size Me.” The premise of the show is that he – or someone else – walks in someone else’s shoes for 30 days.

There was only one episode last season that I thought was pretty worthless – one where a mother tried binge drinking for 30 Days to “teach her college age daughter a lesson.” It just didn’t work, because it wasn’t the person ‘living in the others shoes’ – and therefore the one that the show follows – who was supposed to be learning something. The homophobic guy who lived in the Castro for 30 days, the strict Christian who lived with a Muslim family, the high-tech New Yorkers who lived in a hippie-like commune, Spurlock and his fiancee living in Detroit on minimum wage, etc. – they were all pretty fascinating. Seeing these people who either opposed the ideas held by the people that they lived with – or simply had never been in that situation before – learning to adapt.

This season looks to be interesting as well. Tonight starts with someone who is very anti-immigration moving in with a family of illegal immigrants. There is one where someone who moved away from Christianity to become an atheist lives with a Christian family. Spurlock spends 30 Days in prison (although I heard he only actually lasted 28 and decided “he had enough footage.”)

They do a pretty good job of getting people who are ‘normal’ examples of whatever the behavior or life they’re representing and I think that’s why it works. Why it doesn’t become a big Jerry Springer disaster. The straight/gay episode for example – sure they had him go to the Castro, but as Noland and I said – if they followed one of our gay friends around to see “how the other half lives” it wouldn’t be much of a TV show. But they guy he lived with wasn’t a drag queen, he wasn’t clad in leather chaps, he wasn’t lispy or effeminate or anything else most other shows of this type would have required the person they picked to be. He was a guy, with a job and friends and a cat - who happened to be gay. And that’s what the episode really showed the guy who came to live him.

I hope that continues to be the way – that in the Atheist/Christian show for example – that the Christian family that they send the person to live with is a normal family with a house and kids and a dog or whatever – and is also Christian – I’m sure they’ll be someone who is very involved in their church, if they were just casual attendees – again, it wouldn’t be much of a show. But that they won’t be super-right wing, Focus on the Family, nut-jobs. Because like the straight guy who was to represent the point of view that thinks that all gay men are weirdoes – I’m sure the atheist is supposed to represent someone who thinks that all Christians are crazy-right wingers who don’t believe in science, freedom of choice, etc. claiming it all to be on God’s name – so it’ll be interesting to see if they find a good Christian family who is much more representative of Christians than those usually in the media.

They also have an episode however, that is supposed to be a pro-choice/anti-choice pairing. I’ll admit – I have my bias (I’m sure you couldn’t tell that) but I’m not really sure how that will work without it being extremist. Apparently someone who is pro-choice has to be anti-choice for 30 Days – so what will they be doing? Bombing medical clinics? Picketing girls picking up the birth control pills at the local Planned Parenthood? It’s definitely a divisive topic – but not really something that you live in day after day like the others. I could see it slightly more from the other side – an anti-lifer having to work in a clinic and see the pain and torment these women go through having to make that sort of decision, but even then it doesn’t work very well.

So anyway – I’m curious how it’ll all work out. And you should be too!

Where oh where are you tonight

I don’t know if it’s because I haven’t been sleeping as much, or maybe I’m stressed about something, but I’m just not having my regular bout of fun dreams to share with you all these days. There are snippets that I remember – but not like normal where it’s the entire story beginning to end, including the lucid parts where I go back and change it because I don’t like it....all I’ve got as of late...

- being in a public restroom and running out of toilet paper

- hanging out with some women with a really strong southern accent – I didn’t really like her very much

- having my car tip over while going around the curve of the exit from 26W onto 217 S (I did that one over again and didn’t tip)

- trying to walk both the dogs by myself and getting all caught up in the leashes like on a sitcom

- waiting for someone to show up who never does - but I was waiting in my treehouse

I want my cool dreams back!

Beer Fest Weekend

While I will say that even though my ass was dragging when I got out of bed at 6:15 this morning after going to bed at 2 - it was well worth it! But it would be very redundant if I talked about the Electric Eel Shock show last night - so just read this or this for THAT!

However - the Portland International Beer Festival is this weekend and I am stoked. I've been to The Big-One every July since I moved here 9 years ago - and this will only be the 3rd year at the PIB - but I must say it's really growing on me. The beers are just as good – and really, it’s not like you can taste them all anyhow – and they seem to have more variety from year to year than the main event. I am quite fond of my hometown brewery’s contribution to the event, but enough with the Porter – especially in July – bring another variety sometime, PLEASE!
There is also a refreshing lack of frat-boy swagger and irritating testosterone-fuel call that resonates through the tents more and more frequently as the day goes on.

Plus you get the bonus of “Happy Hour” at the PIB – 5 extra tickets if you get there the first hour it opens? Yeah – that’s a tough call to make. See ya’ll on Saturday!

Never again a 7 year hiatus

Whoops- found this in drafts from back on July 2nd - never posted:

From when I discovered the Indigo Girls in about 1989 until I moved to Portland in 1998 - I saw them in concert probably 8 or 9 times. They came through Des Moines, or Ames, Lawrence or KC about once a year and we were always there. Steve and I saw them the first year that we lived here at Lilith Fair in PGE Park before they renovated it. And then - dry spell. None of my friends here were big fans - last summer I even had tickets to the show at the Veneta Vineyards outside Eugene, and ended up selling them on Craigslist because no one I knew here wanted to go and the airlines were being huge buggers and it was going to cost SSSS an arm and leg to try to come out for the weekend from Des Moines.

Last night - Kelly and Mark and I loaded up on some Bud (yes - really - it was all they had that wasn't dark and it was to hot to drink dark beer) MAX'd it out to the zoo - where you can then buy a bottle of wine (I can't imagine any other show I've been to in practically the past decade where they would voluntarily arm the crowd with big glass bottles) for pretty cheap and chilled on the lawn of the zoo ampitheatre until Amy and Emily hit the stage.

They started off with their biggest hit and then into the very appopriate for this time in the world "Shame on You" and we decided we couldn't contain ourselves at the back of the crowd and moved right down the very front amongst all the others who couldn't just sit and watch but had to dance and sing along. They played a great mixture of old songs from lots of different albums, stuff off of their soon to be released new album - there was a new song that Emily did that was just fantastic. They moved the soon-to-be-bride to tears with "The Power of Two" and when they played "Hammer and Nail" I had to call Anita and just hold the phone up. After more than two hours of just two amazing women and their guitars on stage they took a quick break and came back for a few song encore - closing the show with "Galileo"

We headed out back to the Max station where we jammed way more people that is probably legal onto the trains and headed back downtown. Everyone on the train was laughing and smiling and talking to strangers - I've never seen people so smashed into one place that were still having such fun. As one girl commented - everyone should be required to listen to the Indigo Girls before they get on Max and the world would be a better place.

Never again do I go 7 years between shows.

It’s gonna be a boozy weekend

Of course the main event being Ms. Kelly’s bachelorette festivities this evening…and the pre-requisite hangover brunch tomorrow morning to amuse ourselves with drunken stories of the night before and check out all the pics of the great things we’re going to make her do.

I’m actually quite excited – the only other bachelorette party I’ve been to was my own – we all had a fabulous drunken time and I was SO happy that the ‘kung fu girls’ threw it for me since I’d only known them a short time – and we didn’t do any of the cheesy things that you hear about (thankfully!) But I never really went through that period in my 20’s like so many others seem to have where there is a summer or two where all of their friends suddenly get married and it’s one party after another. None of my college friends – or even high school friends that I kept in touch with – got married until they were into their 30’s – or are not married – so by the time any of us did we were scattered across the country – I attended the weddings when I could, but didn’t do any bachelorette type parties. And most of my friends here of the marrying sort either were already married when I met them, got married so soon after I met them – like Violet and Laurie – that I wasn’t involved in that sort of thing. Or do a Sandy and AJ and call on Tues and say “hey we’re getting married Friday at the courthouse – wanna come?”

So at the age of 35 this is the first friend of mine that is getting married locally where I get to hear about the plans and be involved in some things like tonight – it’s pretty cool just to be able to celebrate with friends that way.

And then to follow that up, tomorrow is a tropical themed bbq for Ann’s birthday where her hubby has coordinated that for a total of 7 of us this is the booze menu he has planned – plus beer:

• 750ml Tequila, Limes, Margarita mix,
• 750ml Light Rum, Grenadine, Pineapple Juice
• 750ml Vodka, Guava Juice, Ginger Ale, Orange Juice
• 750ml Malibu Rum, Triple Sec, Cranberry Juice
• 750ml Dark Rum, Amaretto, Coconut Cream

Whew….