all sorts:
But in between house showings I managed to:
1) get to Mass (St. Francis),
2) do some recreational reading (The Compassionate Carnivore),
3) see a movie (The Karate Kid remake),
4) grocery shop (Dahl's Foods) and
5) explore the riverfront (the East Village side)
The movie and the book were both excellent. Recommended. Grocery shopping wasn't bad, either. I'm set for the week ahead.
Mass was bizarre. Randomly choosing a parish from a Google map, I happened to pick the largest parish in the area, with the newest building and the most upscale congregation.
And, it was packed! SRO - couldn't find a seat. They were setting up chairs in the lobby during the Kyrie, relying on speakers and glass windows into the sanctuary to provide some sense of community. Um... not working...
Turns out it was the 40th anniversary of their priest's ordination, and his last weekend there before moving on to a new assignment. Even though the circumstances were unusual, I still got the sense that people were there because it was THE parish to attend. I think I'll keep looking.
And while we're on the subject of bizzare, the next item sure qualifies. I keep hearing about this part of town called the East Village. It's supposed to be hip, like Brady Street in Milwaukee, Rush Street in Chicago, or Hennepin Ave. in Uptown Minneapolis. And, it's right on the river, which has a recently upgraded riverwalk, and so I thought okay - check it out!
Walked right into Pride Fest. Woah. Not prepared for this at all.
In the shadow of the state capitol building,
it definitely had the feel of a street festival,
but with overtones of both a special-interest convention
and a political protest rally,
with elements of a trip to the zoo thrown in for good measure. ("Look mommy! That man's got the same dress on as you do.")
The highlight for me was the Gay Men's Chorus performing The Turtles' "Happy Together". Aww. Made me wonder how one certifies his eligibility to join such a group. I also wondered why they had a token woman up there singing (brown top, front left)... or maybe (s)he is, um... hm.
Best not to speculate on things one doesn't understand.
I managed to make my way through the throng without too much open staring, but upon receiving my first wolf whistle from someone of my same gender, I made a beeline for the riverwalk. I may mingle semi-comfortably, but active participation is another matter.
It is a lovely riverwalk. Very open and lots of green space between buildings and the water, unlike Milwaukee or San Antonio.
But by this time, the clouds parted and I could feel the rising dew point beginning to condense and run right down the back of my neck, so it was time to head for some air conditioning. Local businesses were capitalizing on the festival, hoping, I suppose that their cash registers might ring in some special-interest dollars.
So, I found one that seemed appropriate for me. :)
Quite a diverse weekend it was, yes sir. In more ways than one.
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