Summer and fall mix it up

The weather has been going back and forth, back and forth between summer and fall.  It was pretty hot yesterday.  I mowed the lawn.  I wish it was the last time for this season, but I imagine I’ll have to do it sometime again in October.

Paul called from Ontario to wish himself a happy birthday (that was pretty funny, actually) and to get the update on Dave.  He also mentioned he’d be going to visit Chipper on the way back from his canoe trip with Tish and Terry and Margo (Tish’s cousin).  That should be fun for all concerned.

Jeff’s taking the day off.  He bet me $20 (and remember, I don’t normally gamble) that he’d a) get Xenon running b) get the Xbox diagnosed (it failed yesterday when Keith fired it up, causing much unhappiness, and it’s an E74 failure mode, whatever that is, which is apparently so common it automatically extends your warranty) and c) get the new media box running the way he wants it to by bedtime tonight (or possibly tomorrow morning).  Knowing what I know about the ‘total depravity of inanimate things’ (Katharine Walker) I took that bet. … actually, it turns out that Xenon is being a fussy gussy, so I am not going to collect; I thought it was too much when Jeff suggested his busy day.

Watch and pray

…which is the Wake family motto.  Very appropriate now that Unca Dave is so sick.  The family visit was by his earnest wish, but he got dehydrated and he’s now in hospital in Castlegar, and hopefully he will be stabilized enough soon to go home with Alyssa and Derek and the girls.  I still can’t believe her oldest is 13.  I am filled with a heartfelt and humble thankfulness that Alyssa is there for Dave; may we all be present with our loved ones with competence and a loving heart.

I made cookies this morning. The double batch of cookies I made yesterday VANISHED shortly after Keith and Jeff got home, so I made more.  Refrigerator cookies are good for that.

It’s Paul’s birthday today.  Keith is going to call him and wish him a happy birthday, as well as giving him the news about Dave.

This too shall pass away.

Dancing

Went dancing with Katie K, aka Kopper.  It was mostly an older crowd so it was all classic sixties R&B with occasional pokes into the 90s.  We ate before the dance at Vera’s, there being no room at the inn at the Raincity Grill.  I had a simply lovely time and only drank two beers.  Laughed my ass off, repeatedly, danced ass off, rinse, repeat, drink more water.

Took a cab from Edmonds to Planet Bachelor to feed Kira; both of the denizens are out of town at the moment.  She was powerful glad to see me.  Said cab, driven by an immaculately mannered young man whose immigration to Canada seemed obvious, but whose ethnicity was not, then conveyed me to my domicile, where Miss Margot waited on the back deck.  She scarcely mewed when she saw me; she’d had no difficulty staying out of trouble in the interim.

Now sleepy-byes.  I hope Eddie and Gizmo, both of whom are out catting, have the courtesy to give me at least 4 hours of shuteye before Eddie starts making Doleful Moan on the back deck.

Church tomorrow.

Gas. Toys.

I just bought a Korg Kaossilator and with Jeff’s help with cables and one little teeny piece of Garage Band preferences tweaking courtesy of the internet I got it running stuff into Garage Band.

It makes the wildest sounds.  Katie and I went nuts with it on the way back from Victoria on the ferry.

Note to self.  If you feed Katie corned beef hash, scrambled eggs, salsa, shrimp har gaw and coffee for breakfast, don’t be around her after sunset.  She would not have cleared out a courtroom; the whole building would have been shut down while grown men pleaded for mercy.  I have never experienced the like. It was actually pretty funny, once my vision cleared up and I stopped gasping.

Katie and I are off to Victoria

Back tonight.

Last night Mike came over with his Aria 12 string electric and Brian came over with his 45 year old tube amp    Which sounds amazing.  Also his Fender.  We three have never played together before, and man, what took us so long????  Also we ate much food and I picked up a Coop Car so I can reduce transportation craziness on the other side.

I wanted to take Margot but decided against it.

Hope you all have a lovely day!

Music night

Me and Tom and Peggy and Cindy sang and played after the Lunders provided an amazing meal (braised pork chops and many vegetables and garlic cheese bread) and I got to perform my two new tunes, which is always loads of fun.

I made it through both of them without forgetting anything.  As far as I can tell everybody liked them. I love the feeling I have when I’ve written something new.  I’m all shivery with excitement and can’t wait until Jeff’s at work and I can pace up and down the house with the guitar hung around my neck, singing very loud.

Earlier in the day Keith and I hung out with Mike, and that was fun too.  The rest of the day I practiced my two new songs and wrote more lyrics and made sure everything was written down, lyric wise.