Monday, June 02, 2003
I’ve had a few days
I’ve had a few days to think of my departed friend (see below), and a few hours to look at my epitaph to him in living black-n-white. Time enough to appreciate the gifts I was privileged to reap from my time with him, and to remember how he enjoyed a good time, a hearty laugh, and a party that runs late. So, Parke, I’ll dedicate this update to you:
A while ago (and I’m not in the mood to find out when or where), I complained about “getters” - people who just get stuff because they’re in the right place in the right time. Turns out I’m one of them. It started back when Dave and Kim invited us to get tix for the Hot Tuna show next month, but we couldn’t go - we’ll be in PA, drinking Yuenglings and playing water volleyball in the pool. But we got the yen to see a concert, and wouldn’t you know it, Trey Anastasio was coming to the Warfield and tix were still available. Kel hooked us up with General Admission tickets; this caused some minor consternation because it had been a long time since I staked out a spot on the floor of a hippiefest like I was expecting this show to be. In fact, it was so much of a hippie fest that there was NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. The Warfield is a beaux-arts freakout with velvet curtains, carved driads, sweeping staircases and an elaborately painted fresco ceiling. The kind of place that clearly inspired the invention and abuse of any number of pharmaceuticals. We got there about 20 minutes early and found a comfortable spot about 50 feet from the stage with excellent sight lines and immediate access to one of the beverage distribution stations. By the time the show was supposed to start, things had gotten rather crowded - but crowded with 1) hippies who 2) had bathed and 3) had money, so there was a general feeling of camaraderie and good cheer. The fellow next to us, and the fellow on the other side next to us, and the freak from Austin who showed up for the second set were all very entertaining conversationalists and ensured that I was further entertained by buying us beer and generally extending the sweaty palm of hospitality. Austin gave Kelly a nice shoulder bag he’d made, and promised me he’d have the show on disk for me within a week. Oh yes and Carlos Santana came out for the third song of the first set and basically played the whole show from then on; he really seemed to be grooving on the five-piece horn/woodwind section. We - all of us - danced for three hours and it felt gooooood.
Sunday was a CostCo run and X-2. I’m having trouble separating the experiences in my mind. Did the dam burst, releasing a fatal flood of bulk ketchup? Did Wolverine find the secret stash of liquified shortening, which made him nigh indestructable? And that giant orange shopping cart - I’m sure it had cloaking capability.... I enjoyed X2, more than CostCo anyway, though I preferred the first XMen movie. Oh shut up. I also saw y tu mama tambien, which was much better than about any movie I’ve ever seen that had that much boinking in it. It wasn’t sex - it was boink. But it looked like some pretty good boink.
In other news, I have no other news. My hand is still slightly stained from my drinks stamp from the Warfield, and my pictures from my Philo trip really should be ready today - the developer got some schmutz on the negatives and it’s taking a long time to get them cleaned and reprinted. I’m hungry. I’m bored. And I’m ready to do something unconventional. I’m just not sure yet what that would be. In lieu of something fun, I’ll read another budget for work. You know, go with my strengths. It’s all I have left - though I leave open the possibility that something more interesting might just fall into my lap. Anything is possible.
