Out With the Old

My horoscope yesterday: "There's only one way to make room for new life: You've got to let go of the old stuff that's holding you back from getting there. This is your moment to shake free of whatever it is that happens to be weighing you down. Shake hard!"

No kidding?

Interesting that I should have chosen to go through a box of old photos yesterday (and purge quite a few). Unfortunately, that put me in an emotionally precarious position, and that led to misunderstandings and communication gaps. Which then led to self-loathing and approximately four metric assloads of "grr". Not my best day ever. For real.

For reasons unknown, I also chose yesterday to destroy all my old tabletop wargame terrain. Stuff I'd spent time and money creating, yet was sitting in a box, mocking me and my new life. I showed it. Broke it apart and stuffed it in the garbage to get picked up today. Who's laughing now, wargame terrain? Honestly, there's not much of my own work I've destroyed over the years, but sometimes as a creative type, one must exercise one's right to destroy one's own work which does not please. There may be some deep stuff that needs to be explored in a counseling office, but damn it felt good at the time. By the way, if anyone is in the market for a UNA army for the AT-43 game, I have one to sell. Cheap.

But Friday is a new day. I have a packed schedule. And I'm treating myself to a massage, damnit. And I get to have coffee with my sister. And we have the play at Youngstown tonight. And a fun weekend in the works. And the Seattle-Arizona game. And more unpacking. Unpacking is fun. The bedroom will get organized this weekend.

Boxes and Football and Concerts, Oh My!

We tried to watch the Hawks game on Sunday. Really. It's just too depressing right now. Finally rolled out of bed and made biscuits for breakfast.

Unpacked and organized. Had a family meeting. You know, one of those "changes are afoot" family meetings that happen when Something Big (TM) is taking place. It was good; the kids contributed and we had a generally positive discussion. Wandered down to Bed Bath & Beyond and Target for some household stuff.

Came home and made some dinner. And all four of us sat down to eat together. Then Gavin & Michelle came out to watch the kids while we went to the Jason Mraz concert. I'd bought tickets months ago when Rae & I were first dating, and we'd almost forgotten that it was this weekend. As exhausted as we were, we went. And I'm glad we did.

I'm not a huge Jason Mraz fan. I like him, I like his music, I think he's a fantastic showman. But he has a caliber of fan that is much more like I was when I was 14 and-- oh. I think I just made my point AND realized I'm old, all at once.

Both Rae and I were blown away by opener Lisa Hannigan. She used to sing with Damien Rice, and apparently fronts her own act out of Dublin. Unbelievably talented band. Lisa herself is a great lyricist and her soft and smoky vocals are like finding an old, worn copy of A. A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh in the family attic.



There was a bit of Trespassers William in there, a bit of Two Loons for Tea, a bit of Regina Spektor, a bit of Mazzy Star and maybe even some Cowboy Junkies. And yet all unique. All original. And all quite lovely.

Jason came on and rocked/folked/funked and adult contemporaried up the joint. The dude can play, and he can sing. And his horn section is, as the cool kids say, da bomb. We ducked out before the first encore to grab a copy of the Lisa Hannigan CD and a couple tour shirts for the kids. Home by 10:30 and into bed.

It's usually Monday morning when I find myself back in "single" mode, since ordinarily TBGE would be heading back to her old apartment after work. So I found myself doing a mental double-take when she asked what I was making for dinner tonight. I'm sure that won't be the last time I'll have those "hey, wait a minute" moments. But it sure does feel good when I go from "single" mode to "oh yeah - she lives here now."

Much on the plate today. More news as it happens.