Good news tonight. The world may be looking pretty bleak across the board, but the Boston Bruins beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2 tonight.
Also, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew ended and it was excellent! (No spoilers though)
Also, the cats watched Friends again and it’s crazy how they can’t look away.
Good news all over the place! WOOHOO!
Friends is on the television and the cats are riveted. Riveted, I tells ya!
My wife and I watched an episode of Friends tonight. It was the episode where some of the gang went to a Hootie and the Blowfish concert.
Wow… Hootie… for those of us who lived through that period in history… those were dark days, bro. Dark days.
They weren’t like nazis in the US government dark, or ex president incites a riot in an attempt to overthrow a legitimate Federal election and then four years later the schmucks in the voting population actually elect the treasonous cunt to a second term dark… but they were certainly dark days.
Insert my shiver in fear here.
Mike, the bass player in my band, is probably my oldest friend. It was 1000 years ago or so, but I believe we met in 4th grade which was probably 1980 or ’81 or so? Somewhere around there.
I am not going to share details because it’s not my place, but his family is going through something right now and I just want to wish them all my best.
I am spinning one of my favorite records by Mike’s favorite band from our high school days right now in solidarity because I don’t know what else to do and I feel like I should do something even if it is some meaningless gesture.
ADDENDUM: Rather than say that Mike is the bass player in my band, I think it is probably more correct to say that I am the guitar player in his band.
Jeff took this last night.
Left to right: Me, Jeff, Mike.
Tonight I got to visit two old friends. Mike the bass player is my oldest friend. We haven’t seen too much of each other since COVID hit and the band went on hiatus. It was great to see him though. Jeff the drummer moved to the west coast before COVID. We were trying to figure out when the last time we saw each other was. I want to say 2008. I know he met Jen at least once so it was post-2007.
Jeff recently became a grandfather and he came back to New England to visit the baby. He asked if we could get together and we made it happen. He’s doing really well out there, living the pro musician dream. It was so great to see him and catch up after all these years.
Hopefully we won’t let another decade go by before we do it again. Next time we’ll have to figure out a way to play some music together. I don’t think the three of us have played together since maybe 1990? There was a forth guy in that band way back then. He was working tonight, also living the professional musician dream. Next time we’ll have to find a way to have him join us too.
One of my father’s friends, who also used to be my boss (twice), passed away this morning. I haven’t had a chance to talk to my father yet. His friend (my former boss… twice) had been ill for a while. This isn’t a surprise. It sucks though.
It’s also sad that Queen Elizabeth II has passed away as well. It doesn’t effect me at all, but to all in the United Kingdom, my sympathies. 96 years old and 70 years on the job? I think that qualifies as a “good run.”
I am 51 years old and I have never lived in a world where England had a King. Is the correct saying now the Queen is dead, long live the King? I’ve never heard it said that way, but it makes logical sense.
Rest in peace, Charlie. Rest in peace, Elizabeth.
ADDENDUM: I should clarify that my father’s friend’s name is Charlie. Saying rest in peace Charlie was not a political commentary on the future of King Charles III.
It’s almost 2:00pm and I am just getting to lunch now. When I say lunch, of course, I mean liquid lunch. I just had me a protein shake. Yummy. Will it still be yummy after tomorrow? Who the hell knows!
3.5 hours left in my work day and then I go on leave for a month. I am having a tough time wrapping my brain around that. A whole month away from work is just… weird.
It’s really loud in my yard right now. There’s a huge ass riding lawn mower tearing around like a madman. I forgot we booked a lawn service this year. It’s a good thing because we kinda don’t have a lawn mower of our own at the moment, and for the next month or so I am going to be no good to anyone.
The Bruins lost game one last night. Game two is tomorrow. I am guessing I won’t be terribly interested in watching. You know, other stuff going on.
Still no phone call telling me when to show up tomorrow. They said to expect the call between 3:00 and 8:00pm, so I am not worried… yet.
When am I going to be able to watch MoonKnight tomorrow? Do you think Disney+ will let me see it today? No? Even if I ask Mickey Mouse directly? No? Aww.
Musiciansfriend is going to deliver a new delay pedal tomorrow. I don’t expect to be able to play through it right away. You know how it is, right?
My wife Jennifer is my rock. I just wanted to share that. I couldn’t do any of this without her. She’s amazing and I am so in love with her.
What else… I don’t know. I am sure I had a reason to start typing this and I am equally sure that nothing I’ve written here has anything to do with whatever that reason was. I know that, even though I really don’t know what the reason I started this actually is. My 51st birthday is this weekend. I’d tell you all not to get old, but the alternative is really a lot worse so I won’t.
To do list for tonight:
My friends Larry and Mike have already gotten in touch. I got a text from Larry this morning wishing me luck. Last night I got a call from Mike. He’s been through this already and he gave me some advice for the recovery.
They told me not to wear any jewelry tomorrow. That means no wedding ring and no watch. I’m not sure what to do with my glasses. Maybe I’ll bring the case and ask Jen to hold on to them for me.
I’m not freaking out. Not really. I think I just want it to be over with so I can move on to the next stage. As scary as all of this is, it’s a good thing and I will have no regrets.
Okay, back to work for the home stretch.
Jen made a nice steak dinner for my birthday dinner. Harry got me a new band for my Apple Watch. Bellana called to wish me a happy birthday. Apparently there’s a Zoom call coming up soon. Also, Jen bought my a present that was WAY too big and expensive, also super awesome. There will be pictures later. Very exciting. There was also a video with my family and friends all wishing me a happy birthday. It was pretty freakin’ wonderful.
Turning 50 may be a existential kick in the nards, but my family and my friends have done a really great job of making it feel good. I’m feeling pretty loved right now.
It’s been a really good day.
Last night was a fun night. A number of the ladies of the game night group went out to dinner together, so one of my oldest and best friends ever, Larry, and I hung out at his house. It was kinda like old times except it wasn’t. This time we were joined by a six year old. Instead of the usual stressing about life and the trials and tribulations of taking a shot at the whole adulting thing, we watched Larry’s son drive his RC car up and down the driveway. It was great!
We took a shot at watching Highlander while editing it for television on the fly. You edit movies on the fly through the use of the fast forward function, reaching out and covering little peoples’ eyes, and strategic use of singing, “La La La!” really loud. We were successful for a good part of the movie, but once you get into the last third of it the intensity ramps up, as does the violence, so we stopped. It’s okay, Highlander will still be there the next time. Someday that six year old little man will be old enough to sit on the couch next to his old man and watch the greatest movie even made about an immortal sword fighter from 16th century Scotland and his adventures in New York in 1985. After all, there can be only one.
The initial plans for last night also included Mike the Lizardfish Bass Player, but he had spent the previous two days on top of a mountain and probably needed some sleep… and maybe some Tylenol or something. That just means we have to try it again soon.
As I was getting ready to leave, Larry’s son told me I should just stay over. “You can have your own room,” he said. He’s the same age now that my step daughter was when I first came into their lives. If you could go back in time to any point prior to 2007 and ask me what I think about kids… my response probably wouldn’t have been all that positive. Not bad, really, just indifferent. I didn’t think I wanted kids. I had almost no experience with them. A few little cousins and small amounts of time with friends’ kids. Not enough to form an informed opinion.
Today, I have two step kids, three nephews, one niece, and a whole pile of friends with kids of their own. Ask me how I feel about kids now? I’ll tell you. They are the best thing that could ever have happened to our universe. My step kids… I can’t rave about them enough. There are no adjectives in the English language that can accurately describe just how much I love those two people. I don’t know how I got so damn lucky. I mean first I meet Jen and fall in love with her, then her kids are both superhuman amazing? What did I do to deserve this, and how can I guarantee that it will last forever?
Thanks to Larry and his son for having me over last night. I had a lot of fun. It was great to see you guys again.
Know what else is great? When I got home I had to bring the trash barrels in from the street. As I was carrying them up to the garage, my beloved bride, Jen pulled into the driveway. We were about three minutes away from getting home at exactly the same time. If you didn’t know better, you’d think we were meant to be. You’d be right, we were meant to be.
Inside the Red Head's Head 