21.09.2001
feeling kinda
today felt like a series of small successes. and that was good.
started with the smallest of them - getting up and taking a loooong hot shower, then getting to work and finding coffee. i don't know why i've been drinking coffee recently. i mean, yes, obviously for the caffeine. but normally i'm a tea girl. Earl Grey, light with sugar. that, or Constant Comment (depends on what's in stock in the office). i sometimes get a box of Stash's Chai tea, which tastes surprisingly like the real thing for a bag tea. but somehow, the last week or two, it's been coffee. there are those (me among them) who would say that it's not really coffee. i start with a packet of 'coulorant cappucino', says the French label. three sugars, shot of espresso, and a few creamers to cool it down. it's more like a coffee flavored vehicle for sugar. but it gets the morning going.
bill came in today for a send off lunch. yes, we're a bit backwards here. yes, he's already gone. hey, it's still lunch. and i made it to Bartley's for the first time ever. i've worked in the Square for over 10 years, and Bartley's Burger Cottage is an institution there. you'd think i would have gone by now, especially considering that our office used to be right upstairs from there. but i was veg for a long time, and lazy for the rest of it. :)
so Jimmy Gemini and i headed over there to meet up with the lunch crowd. apparently, not only are we backwards, we're slow, because he and i were the first ones there. there wasn't much room (okay, none) to wait at Bartley's and it was raining outside. so we ducked next door to Harvard Bookstore. ooooohhhh. bad move. JG had suggested stopping in so he could get a few books to read on vacation. i gravitated to the remainders table. as if i need more books. i found so many i wanted to get that it was getting ridiculous. i decided to come back after lunch, as there wouldn't really have been a place to tuck the bag in the restaurant.
at that point, the usual gang of suspects started to wander by. we got in there and got a table for 6 in the back, and fit all 8 of us there. unfortunately, they don't take reservations (what diner does?), so the rest of the gang ended up at another table. fortunately, the guest of honor was with us.
what a trip that place is... i got a Kennedy, i think. burger with mushrooms and cheddar melt. the burgers are all named after politicians, mostly local. and the paraphenalia on the walls - someone there has an unhealthy fixation on Elvis, methinks. i washed down the burger with one of the better shakes i've had in a while (no one said this was a day spa), and the onion rings i ordered for the table disappeared in a heartbeat. poor choice on my part, i guess. too bad no one liked them. ;)
after lunch, i ducked back into the bookstore and picked up about 8 or 10 books. the remainders are such a steal, because you get hardcovers at trade paperback prices. it felt like about 30 pounds of books, which means it was only a little more than a dollar a pound. prize find - a coffee table art book on the Louvre for $10. $10! who the hell sells art books for that cheap?
one last stop on the way back to the office - the salon where i got my crappy ass haircut. i figured it couldn't hurt to ask for my money back. the worst they could do was say no, which would leave me none the worse for wear. pulled out the receipt just in case, and walked upstairs. the woman at the desk asked if she could help, and i said 'i sure hope so.' proceeded to unfold my tale of woe, and explain that i'm at a disadvantage when getting a cut, because without my glasses, i'm at the stylist's mercy. she pointed out that i *had* booked with a junior stylist, and did i understand what that meant? *bites tongue* junior or not, if you don't know the difference between trim and nearly 2 inches, you just shouldn't have scissors in your hand. the woman at the desk ended up giving me my money back, because she said she could see i was very upset. so i still have a crappy ass haircut, but at least it was free. ;)
i spent some time debating what to do with the evening. i don't really want to be alone, but i'm not up for tons of socializing either. takes too much energy. so i teeter on the balance beam, trying to stay connected and feeling generally frayed. but i finally decided that music would be a Good Thing, so off i headed. ran into an actor guy from Darwin's that i hadn't seen in ages on the T, which gave me the idea that i'd made the right choice.
David Byrne played down at Avalon, and i missed him last time he was in town (much to my chagrin, as the show got a rave writeup), so i didn't want to miss this chance. got down there and got in line to buy a ticket once i found the door. what is the deal with that? Avalon has about three different entrances, depending on the part of the venue. and none of them are marked. so, what, you have to be part of the in crowd and know the secret hand shake? *shakes head*
anyway, it was a general admission show, so i wasn't too worried about getting a ticket night of show. as it turns out, the guy in line ahead of me sold me one for a little less that face. (now, i thought about that afterwards - why would you be in line to buy a ticket if you have one to sell? don't think about it too hard.) said hi to someone i know from one of the other venues, who was clearly headed for the 'i know people and have connections' door. he wasn't all that chatty, either because he thought i was trying to scam in with him (no) or because he's just like that. i'll take what's behind door #2, Monty.
got in and wandered around checking out the club. i hadn't been there before, and club infrequently enough that it's always an adventure. the women's room, alone, was worth the price of admission. the highly practical setup (tons of stalls, couches, and a bunch of poles with mirrors on three sides) makes me think that a woman had a hand in the design.
picked a spot on the steps, up off the dance floor but near the stage, and sat down to hang out. while i wasn't looking, this adorable snuffly puppy ran up behind me and started rubbing his head against my arm. i don't know what i was expecting, but a chocolate brown puppy wasn't it. made me laugh.
the club finally filled up, and Byrne came out to introduce the opening act, Si*S�. if you have a chance to check out their album, do. it's wonderful. and the lead singer, Carol, is gorgeous. the bass player also made me laugh - up there, snapping his gum, all testosterone and NY attitude.
then David came on. what a treat. he's wonderful live. i've loved his music for ages, and he played an interesting mix of older and newer stuff, including a cut from The Catherine Wheel. the only song i really wanted to hear, had to hear, was Once in a Lifetime. fifth song he did. standing there, in a packed club 20 feet from the stage, beer in hand, hollering out the lyrics along with everyone, i was a happy happy girl.
watching David skitter around stage was fascinating. made me think of a story jared told about seeing them a year or so after they started. Talking Heads came out, played, and Byrne stood at the mike. just stood there. didn't move. about half way thru the show, he stopped, looked at the crowd, and said 'you can dance. if you want to.' then he went back to being a singing stick. hee hee...
Byrne told one funny story between songs. well, he told many stories, but the one i remember is this: 'here's a song i wrote about a girl i went to high school with. she used to do LSD and lie in the field behind the Yoo Hoo Chocolate factory.' and then the opening chords of And She Was started. i listened to the lyrics and heard a whole different story this time around.
ran into steve and issie and the gang from Pluto on the way out (i seem to see the gang at every show they go to), and hung out at the Gs for a bit before heading home and crashing, a happy, tired girl.
