Sitting... and eating... and running...

Another Thursday night, another concert.  Yawnn.... 

:)

No, not really.  It wasn't routine - it was great!

I really like the Thursday night gigs at First Ave., because they start early and end early.  For an old guy like me... that works.  :P

And I got there right as the doors were opening, but the line was short, and I got my pick of the dozen or so barstools they have scattered around in the upstairs bar area (which is behind glass, and about the only place you could manage to have a conversation while the music is playing. That's mostly what people do up there... talk.)  

So there was plenty of room for spreading out. Got my beer, my pizza,



and my book. All I need now is the band! ;)

The warm up band was uneventful, so I kept right on reading.



The guy to my right was curious (and not all that attentive to his date), so we chatted about the book. Interesting crowd in general. I never know what to expect, and am often surprised.

This time there was a fairly large contingent from Butchdom there.  (which the guy beside me also brought to my attention.) I don't just mean Alpha females who lead their men around like dogs on heel, though there were plenty of those around, too, as I think about it (with dogs in tow.)

I mean the women who trumpet their alternative sexual preference via their public presentation of self, and public behavior with date.  Of course, some hetero women trumpet theirs, too, yes, but... not quite like this.  I wonder what it was about this band that shifted the demographic in this direction.  Hm.

A corollary to this may be that the men's bathroom was pretty empty all night, but there was quite a line at the women's.  Well... there's *always* a line there.

So, anyway, when Neko Case (the headliner) came up, I put down the book and paid attention.  Couldn't help it.  Her voice is unmistakeable.  When she started singing "Big Red Bells", I thought... oh!  Yeah.  That's why I came tonight.  :)

She sounds like a french horn.  Rich, full, clear.  And that sounds great on a woman, I think.  It's a compliment.  Like describing a man's singing voice as a cello or a trombone.   It's a good thing.  I had been looking forward to this concert for months, and she didn't disappoint.

Then last night, more sitting and eating.  This time with friends from seminary/church.  Youngish friends (transitioning into the Summer of their lives).  We wanted to pick their brains over a meal (chicken parmesan, with some extra sauce I still had on hand from the eggplant lasagna I made for the college kids.)

D and I have been kicking around an idea of doing a small group next Summer for "newly marrieds" to see if we can communicate anything that we might have learned over the last few stressful years about staying together and working things out.  Not that we've mastered it, but we have certainly dealt with things that have brought strain... and are hanging in there, coming through it, moving forward together.

So, we wanted to know what they think might be good topics for discussion for people like themselves, each married under two years, and roughly in their late 20's.  What format might work best, etc?  They were helpful.  :)  We'll see what next Summer may bring.

But it was another night of more sitting and eating.  So... I'll be topping off the sedentariness of the last two days tomorrow morning with my second "public" 5K run.  This time right in the neighborhood, and a fundraiser to help the homeless locally.  Hope it goes well.  :)