Xmas-Vac Round-Up

So the pilgrimage to P-Town was a grand time in many ways, bittersweet and heartrending in others.

Thoughts:

• The importance of family: something most all of us can agree on, no matter who you did or didn’t vote for.


• In many ways, those things beyond our control can impact our lives far more significantly than those that we can control.


• Better to act now than to regret not acting.


• Did I really just get a pedicure?


• Mork & Mindy: a series ahead of its time. Hilarious!


• Colorado winters kick Illinois winters’ ass.


• Yes, Virginia, there are people who work in grocery stores who don’t know what sushi is.

Anyway, I had a good time hanging with my brother and sister, seeing my cousin for the first time in ten or fifteen years, and meeting her husband, Scott, for the first time, a totally cool guy who I didn’t have nearly as much of a chance to get to know as I would have liked. Next time, my friend.

Anniversary dinner at the Bistro. Playing with my niece and nephew. A Christmas church service at Northwoods. "Grazing" for food. Interesting conversations about religion: Christianity, Islam, and yes, even Satanism. Thanks noiseboy!)

I missed seeing quite a few people—like most of the Chicago crew—but I was lucky enough to have a few drinks with The Mike Johnson before he cruised back up to Chi-Town. How weird is this: it was Mike, Sean, and me at the bar in the early PM on the 26th. That very same day, this ebay auction ended, and I won an original Buffington painting titled "Mike Johnson". And so it was that some strange twist of fate found us three together: the proud winner of the painting, the handsome model, and the talented artist/seller. A triangulation of old friends and fates.

We all met up at Richard’s later that night, and everybody was digging on my red pants. Hell yeah—I gotta say—it was pretty hot. The conversation was lively, and there were many great ones to be had, and Harps as well. It was awesome to talk to Tracy & Fran, the Jeffs Gregory & Phelps, The Age of Precarious Tom, and Gared & Brandy & Mike & Gwen of course. Had a little fun with Wise & Keith & the rest of their Outer Space Crew. Sean aka Skinatra, Anthony, Matt (bro), Iwanski...Austrians Shane Lusher (who I haven’t seen since ’94) and Brent Keesey...and Jared from Thinker Thought, who I hadn’t met in the flesh…good times, very good times.

And so it was.

Books:
Barack Obama - Dreams from My Father
Gavin Baddeley - Lucifer Rising: sin, devil worship, & rock n’ roll
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction

N/P
Mummi Kutoo s/t
Johnny Cash - My Mother's Hymn Book
Caetano Veloso - The Best of Caetano Veloso