Local Music

this frigging thing

It appears as though I didn't post anything yesterday. I'm extremely flattered that even one person noticed--yes, I'm talking to you, Kate. Writing these posts, although I use them as a means for accountability, feels really narcissistic. I mean, how many people say, "I have a blog"? And, how many times when you hear that, do you want to say, "Who cares. Shut the f**k up. Loser."?

In short, yesterday was busy. I had a couple of editing/writing projects I wanted to get out the door before the end of the day and I had to get in my hour of moving bricks. Yes, I'm moving those bricks wheelbarrow load by wheelbarrow load. The wheelbarrow alone weighs about 70 pounds. I think it's made out of concrete.

one load at a time

It's also one of those wheelbarrows with one wheel in front so it kind of has a mind of its own. I'll be all, "Hey, let's stay on the path we've been using all along," and the wheelbarrow is like "Noooo...What's that over there? A squirrel...no...is that water down there....what kinds of herbs do you have in the garden....hey, wanna check out the neighbor's barn?"

As it turns out, this type of wheelbarrow is great for a core workout, so I ignored the advice of a co-worker, who recommended I use a two-wheeled wheelbarrow, and am suffering through with this one while working my inner self.

lazy whipping

Anyway, at the end of a day of writing pap about boats and marinas, I went for a martini rather than write a blog post. I was written out.

too much booze

But, I did have it in me to make a salad with local greens, local cucumber, and local meat. I never did get those ribs. Groom will have them tonight because I'm going out. For dessert last night, strawberry shortcake with local strawberries and biscuits from Groom's mom. The whipping cream? Not local. And, I really should have whipped the cream by hand.

Today, I got up and moved more bricks with attention-deficit wheelbarrow and, though I had the Katherine Hepburn shakes, I'm pleased to report I'm not actually sore from moving brick by brick. I thought I'd at least feel...something. I feel nothing. Crap. That means I have to up my brick-moving time to two, maybe three hours. Who has time for that? Me.

I'm headed out tonight for more local fun, but this time it's local music. Maine has some of the most interesting musicians, from metal rockers to accordion players. Tonight is Darien Brahms' CD release party at The Big Easy and I plan to see a bunch of old friends. I'm really looking forward to it. Seriously. I feel like I should have done some situps this week to prepare for all the laughing. And, the people playing the music? Holy shit, are they good. Darien puts on a fantastic show.

Last night, as I was whipping the cream for the strawberry shortcake, I belted out "You spoiled the whipping cream/tryin' to spoon feed it to me...." because I put WAAAAAY too much booze in the cream. Cream Machine. It's a really good song.

The Big Easy is where Granny's used to be, back where I cut my teeth on adulthood in the early '90s. It's fitting. Most of the people I will see tonight will be the same people who made my 20s one of the best decades of my life, even if I was sullen and bitter and angry and skinny and mean.

i have no idea what's happening here

I just looked around to see if I have any pictures from that era and this is the only one I could find. Before camera phones, I never took the pictures so, sadly, all I have are pictures that other people have taken of me and handed over. I have no pictures of my friends. Why do we give people pictures of themselves? I want pictures of my friends. Coincidentally, that's a baby Darien off to the side there. If I remember the party correctly, Darien and I bonded over making fun of someone. That person we teased eventually became a really good friend, even though he thinks he's the most important person in the room.

Side story: I won't name names, but this friend once got angry at a restaurant because the waitress wouldn't serve him from the full dining room menu while we sat out on the deck associated with the bar. He said, "Don't you know who I am? I'm a very important person." His then-girlfriend gave him such a withering look, he shrank down and whispered, "I mean self important...." He married that girl. Thank god.

I won't mark the "local" checkbox on my new life plan list tonight, and I don't feel like I'm supporting local music by going to the show tonight. I feel like I'm going out to see some great musicians who play well together, regardless of their home state. I feel the same way about Standard Bakery. It's freaking good, no matter the location.

I probably won't update again this weekend (sorry Kate). I'm headed to Boston tomorrow from Portland to celebrate my sister's graduation from culinary school--I'm totally going to be eating all kinds of local yumminess at her house forever and ever and ever.