What's goin' on.

[bluesilverkdg]

Time for my once-weekly update, I suppose. I really want to write more, and I intend to, but right now it's just not really practical. So, there ya go.

If you're on my Facebook, which I think a whole bunch of you are, you'll see two things that are either going on or have gone on. Last night, I got to see the Decemberists in Asheville with samuraigrrrl, nonspecific, and aikigrrl.
To say that they were amazing would be an understatement. If you like them or have considered liking them, I would highly recommend checking them out if possible. I was a little disappointed at the beginning, because they just came out and launched right into The Hazards Of Love, their latest CD...and they didn't stop. They literally played the whole CD from beginning to end, from what I could tell. I *like* the new CD just fine, but I wanted to hear some old stuff (I always want to hear "old stuff", no matter who I go to see.) But no need for me to have worried...they came back out after about a 15 minute intermission and basically did like a whole 'nother set of older songs, covers (Crazy On You by Heart, for example) and just basically jammed and improvised for a bit. At one point, Colin, the lead singer came down the aisle right beside me. I could've reached out and grabbed him, but I was not aggressive enough. Others were not so shy. He sat down in the audience, then went walking through the crowd back to the stage. They seemed to have a genuinely fun time playing together and the audience was really into it (notsomuch the security guard sitting at the bottom of the stage, who looked like he'd have much rather been at a rap concert. Or a monster truck show.) If you like the Decemberists or have any inclination to check them out, this guy caught the whole show in halfway decent quality. http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=04237BA740200C97

So that was last night.

Before that, my dad and I took my mom out to eat for her birthday (she's now officially 62..one step closer to Social Security!) We had a lovely meal, but her big surprise is tomorrow. I'm getting ready to head out to the grocery store to shop for her birthday shindig, that she doesn't know is happening. I'm gonna stay at the cabin tonight, then get up at the crack of dawn to start cooking in the morning for her dinner, and I've somehow, yet again, managed to pull off a big birthday surprise. Or at least I have thus far. It's not happened yet, and there's every possibility that she could still blow it, but hopefully not.

Oh, I took my dad's Navy peacoat to the cleaners this week. It looks fabulous, and with the exception of a few very small holes (moth bites probably), it looks practically new. For the first time in...um, ever..I'm actually kind of looking forward to cold weather, because I will hopefully be warm this winter, instead of my usual shivering, sniveling self. Otherwise, this was an incredibly stressful week. I've got a lot going on that I wish was not going on, decisions to make that I don't really want to have to deal with, and I'll update about it later, but that's for another post. For now, I have schoolwork to do, groceries to buy and parties to plan.

I leave you with the Henna Harem in the parking garage at the Civic Center in Asheville... Kara (nonspecific), Lillie (samuraigrrrl) me and Melody (aikigrrl). All hennaheads, all different, yet equally lovely shades of red, which is pretty darned awesome.

Comments

[plantmom.livejournal.com]

I love that three out of the four of you have something green on, which accentuates the red hair. Y'all rock! I'm glad you had a great time.
I'll be mentally crossing my fingers, in hope that your mom doesn't figure out the surprise. What a wonderful thing you are doing for her. It could never have been done for my mom while she was alive - ask Ray.

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

I normally wear either green or purple, because both of those accentuate the red nicely. I look like an odd bird all decked out in black. ;-)

Why could you not have done that for your mom? *MY* mom is incredibly hard to surprise, because she's nosy and bossy. :-P But I've managed to pull a few things over on her. I pretty much have to do stuff like this as a surprise, because if she knew I was doing it, she'd want to "help", which means she'd totally take over everything. The biggest one I ever pulled off was their 40th wedding anniversary. She inadvertantly did everything her power to blow it, but it somehow went off without a hitch: http://bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com/412958.html and last year I somehow got her over to my house for her birthday: http://bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com/598178.html

We'll see how this one goes. :-)

[plantmom.livejournal.com]

You look great in black! Plus it's a nice counterpoint to what the other women are wearing.
I could not do anything like what you did for my mom for many reasons. She was many things admirable, but many not so admirable. The one important to this discussion is: control freak. If she didn't actually do something, she wanted it done exactly to her specifications. The concept of compromise was nonexistent for her. Case in point: the last year that she was living on her own, in a condo she moved to after my dad died, she called me about Christmas day dinner. Said she didn't want to make the effort but she wanted the gathering to be at her house. I agreed to make the dinner, pack it up and take it to her house.
I cooked off and on for three days before we went. Come Christmas Day, we loaded up our trunk with all the food, and drove to Mom's, seventy miles away. Where we discovered she'd sent my brother out to buy the ingredients for her own holiday meal, and was cooking that with his assistance.
Ray still remembers watching my face, and the miserable way I felt while we were there that day. I'll never know if she honestly forgot our discussion, or if she didn't think anything I made would be acceptable or what.
That's one of the reasons my relationship with Emily is so different from what mine was with my mom (Rest in peace, Josephine. You had precious little here on earth).

I wish you great luck with everything, but I sense that you are starting from a far better place than I was, to begin with.

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

My mother can definitely be a bit of a control freak, too, but I realize in many ways that I'm a lot like her. For instance, today, I had all the cutlery and dishes, etc. all lined up and organized like I wanted them. My aunts came in and had brought their own dishes of food (after I told them I was cooking everything and did not need anything else.) They started moving my stuff around, and I could feel my heart racing as they "messed up" my spread. But I didn't say anything and just tried to discreetly rearrange so everything was back as I wanted it. I know mom likes things done a certain way, but I can't imagine her ever hurting my feelings like that. What an inconsiderate thing to do to your daughter. :-/ I hope that she truly did just forget, and that it wasn't that she thought you were incapable. And yes, from what I've seen you and Emily have a very good relationship, which will hopefully make you both very happy and healthy!

It went very well today. Mom was totally surprised...didn't expect a thing, although she was going off on my dad who was trying to get her up to the cabin at a specific time! She always says I do too much, but she does a lot for us, so I figure it's a least I can do.

[plantmom.livejournal.com]

Congratulations, lady! You must be one very hard worker! Good job...

[solfox.livejournal.com]

Henna Harem? Try "buffet". *smirks playfully*

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

I actually thought about you, as we were sitting there in our row of red. ;-)

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I'm also someone who pretty much always wants to hear older stuff at concerts. I'm not even that sure why every band prefers to play their newer material, but I guess it's just what they've gotten used to playing in recent times.

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

Well, I think most bands tour to promote a new CD, so it does make sense. And in the case of the Decemberists The Hazards Of Love had sort of a storyline (I hesitate to call it a "rock opera", but I can't think of how else to describe it), so it did make sense to play it as a whole. And honestly, it was like getting two concerts for the price of one, so I was pretty happy. But yeah, I do typically like it when bands dig out the old material. It just makes me feel good. :-)

[headbanger118.livejournal.com]

Fabulous pic! You should have that one printed out and framed!

Glad you had an awesome time, and from the way you described it, I think I could get into them.

Way to go with cooking for your mom! I'm sure Mamaw Jean loved it!

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

I found the cutest frame at Tarjay that was like "Girls Night Out" or something. That would be perfect.

I'll burn you a CD of their latest release. I think you'll actually really like it. This is one that I KNOW you'll like. I'm pretty sure it's heavy enough for you:

Seeya in a bit!!

[bluemoonmermaid.livejournal.com]

That is a lot of pretty hair.

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

You have some very lovely locks, yourself! Have you ever gone red-red?

[bluemoonmermaid.livejournal.com]

Actualllllly- I have gone auburn for fall! Whee!

[bluesilverkdg.livejournal.com]

Oooh, cool! I'd love to see it!

When will you in again?