jazz hands over pom-poms
The kid parties this weekend were really hard on me, it’s hard for them not to remind me of the two people that I should be holding hands with and should have been picking corn and peaches with at Johnson’s Farm, feeding sheep and goats, playing in my parent’s hot tub with all of their cousins. I lasted all of 5 minutes at my nephew’s birthday party. Too many happy kids, too many questions about the two kids that weren’t there. I’m not real happy with me right now. I came home and cried very, very hard.
I finished the Four Agreements this weekend, which was a great message, but not necessarily a great read. The book was only 130 pages, but it could have been 30 easily. I really liked the simplistic approach of the Toltec Four Agreements – always be impeccable with your word, don’t take things personally, don’t make assumptions, and always do your best. I definitely struggle with not taking personally. But I did like the way the author put it, to think of criticism as poison, don’t let it in.
Rufus Wainwright was incredible on Friday night. Although I know a decent chunk of his material, I had no idea what an incredible show Rufus puts on. While I took a lot of kidding from my friends for giving up a pair of Eagles preseason tickets (to my friends Bill and Michelle) to go see Rufus, I think I got the better deal that night. The entire band was amazing, but I was really impressed by lead guitarist/musical director Gerry Leonard. He plays a lot the way I used to, providing additive little bits and pieces, parts that don’t even necessarily sound like guitar parts. The encore featured Rufus in Judy Garland drag doing a show tune with the entire band doing jazz hands and dancing pretty well actually. The opening acts were very good too. Neko Case has a good backing band, but wow, she can sing. A Fine Frenzy had some good songs, but they lack something dense and impactful tone-fully speaking.
Did I choose wisely?
I have a ton of work to take care of – .NET application for ActiveDirectory Import, continued support of the SSIS package, build more PHP objects for the new client, do the menus for the OS Commerce curtain ro
ds site, and I need to put together an estimate for Marty too.
I watched a couple of good movies this weekend. Sky Captain & the World of Tomorrow was one of those comic book conversions that worked as just a good entertaining movie – no more, no less. A Scanner Darkly was really good. When someone told me someone filmed an entire movie treated with the same rotoscoping effect as those annoying commercials, I thought that’s gonna suck. But it absolutely worked well and allowed the filmmaker to extend and take liberties that really worked well.
You know although that bike ride yesterday left me sore and really wet, I did see some cool stuff out there. I saw over a dozen deer in the woods, pitcher plants, went by the Red Barn (home of Penza’s Pies), Batsto Village, and it was pretty beautiful seeing all those lakes in the rain too. And truthfully, I wouldn’t be in such bad shape if it hadn’t been for the sandy 12 mile walk in the middle of that bike ride.
August 20th, 2007 at 8:41 am
Well, I know some people might hassle you about your Friday night entertainment choice but, even though I bet there is milage to be had there, I will refrain…for now.
You aren’t switching teams though, are you?
Not that there is anything wrong with that.
Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
August 20th, 2007 at 8:46 am
Personally, I think you made the right Friday night entertainment choice.
August 20th, 2007 at 9:27 am
You passing on the Eagles to see Rufus Wainwright is like me passing on the Super Bowl to go to an Engelbert Humperdinck concert.
August 20th, 2007 at 9:52 am
I have read the Four Agreements and I reall enjoyed the message as well. Have you ever read The Celestine Prophecies?
August 20th, 2007 at 10:01 am
I loved the Four Agreements. Unfortunately I’ve not been able to stick to them.
Sorry the kid parties were rough.
August 20th, 2007 at 11:11 am
Rufus Wainwright (which I just typed as “Wangright”) is exactly the medicine for a broken heart.
I’m so sad right along with you.
August 20th, 2007 at 11:28 am
It sounds like Rufus was good for your heart, where as the Eagles, and their modified cheerleaders, might have inspired other parts of you – but then, there’s always porn.
I have a friend who got a lot out of the 4 agreement cards. He focused on one card a day rotating through the box. If the message speaks to you, then the cards are a good way to do it.
August 20th, 2007 at 11:49 am
logo – oh no, not switching teams. it was a preseason game too
Chris – danke
corky – preseason! Rufus’ concert was totally regular season
Christy – not yet, it’s on my bookshelves though and it’s been on my to read list for about 8 years now I think
Lorrie – the middle two seem the hardest to me – not taking things personally and not making assumptions
Jocelyn – he did Hallelujah with his sister, Lucy Wainwright Roche and that was super sweet
Open Grove Claudia – Rufus was good for my heart, I didn’t realize how “Jack” he was onstage – which was hilarious
August 20th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
I’m going to have to read that book now because like Christy said, I think it sounds similar to my very favorite book ever, The Celestine Prophecy.
Glad you had some fun. You deserve it!
August 20th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
tori – yeah I think I need to move The Celestine Prophecies up on my list.
August 20th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
I’ve heard Wainwright puts on a good show — glad you enjoyed it.
We have A Scanner Darkly here but we’ve never gotten around to watching it.
I’d comment more but I need to go pry my kids off of each other.
August 20th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
mamatulip – he was really good. let the kids watch just a few minutes of it and tell them that’s what happens when they don’t listen…just kidding.
August 20th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
You need the Patricia Waller pig head on a platter. Really–you do.
August 20th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
Is Chakka Khan no longer with Rufus Wainwraight III?
Did he do his one-shot novelty hit, “Dead Skunk?”
Or Am I confusing three other guys?
August 20th, 2007 at 6:21 pm
That’s one of Hoop’s favorite books. He keeps trying to get me to read it. But… I don’t know. I like things that let me escape, not think. I (like you, probably) think a little too much as it is. Have you seen the movie “Stranger Than Fiction” yet? Good movie, surprisingly. Also good, “The Lost Room” which was a mini-series on the Sci-fi channel. You should go rent/buy the DVD. Great time killer (6 hours) and you’ll be fantasizing about the theme for days.
August 22nd, 2007 at 8:12 am
V-Grrrl – man, who doesn’t?
Craig – I think you’re thinking of Loudon Wainwright, Rufus’ daddy. Loudon had a great song about his son when he was a baby called, “Rufus is a Tit Man”
Tink – I have Stranger Then Fiction in a pile of DVDs to watch, I need something happy and good. I’ve got some Curb Your Enthusiasm seasons waiting for me (along with Coupling too) I’ll add that series to the list/pile
August 28th, 2007 at 7:47 am
Rufus does some good stuff – I’m glad that you had a good time. I’m going to check out Neko Case from your link; I think that “A Fine Frenzy” has some potential (I do like her one single), but don’t think she’ll be a big act. Then again, with Amy Winehouse doing the “Rehab” thing for real, they’ll need someone to replace her…