Blink, and you miss it

"We need a Shane-to-English dictionary!"
I saw The Pogues in concert last night! And no surprise to anyone, it was awesome. Again, awesome. Mary and I talked ourselves into buying souvenir T-shirts. We bought drinks and reveled in some great people watching (young people! old people! guys in kilts!). We got as close to the stage as we dared. We didn't venture into the mosh pit for fear of injury, but we were right on edge of it, so felt the excitement. I got knocked into a lot, had dreads whipped in my face for a bit, my glasses were knocked askew, but my toes escaped unscathed. And yet, despite the wild rumpus*, the Pogues fans are genial and friendly. I exchanged names/handshakes with 3 people, including a boy with what I think was an Irish accent, and we were BFF with the guy behind us who kept promising they would play "Fairy Tale of New York," which they didn't. Shane left the stage only a few times. The accordion player rocked out! Some guy got forced out of the crowed by security. The smell of sweat! Irish accents! Cute boys in newsie caps! Awesome.
And I still remember the first time I heard "Fairy Tale of New York," in my Irish Literature class oh so many years ago, and I fell in love with Irish music, truly madly deeply.
Oh, and I almost forgot, we ate dinner at Tommy's Joynt before the show. So that is three new things I did: went to Tommy's Joynt, went to the Regency, and saw the Pogues. Not bad for a Wednesday.

I've been to several concerts this year: Hockey at the Rickshaw Stop, White Rabbits at the Independent, New Kids on the Block at the Concord Pavilion (I touched Joe McIntyre's hand!!), a lovely Irish music session at The Sleeping Lady in Fairfax...

A sunny, winey evening
On Oct 6, I went to the taping of the local show "View from the Bay," because my coworker and friend was one of the guests. She and I and her sister walked over to Taylor's afterwards and sipped on wine outside. I took a liking to her sister immediately when she told me of her plans to live in Italy for 3 months. Then I had to catch the ferry home. I got myself another glass (plastic cup) of wine and took it out on the deck of the ferry, and and sipped it while the sun was shining in my face and the wind whipping in my hair. I felt calm.

It's rare for me to feel moments of calm these days. I'm not expecting to feel happiness right now. I'm just grateful for the occasional moments when the rumpus* in my head relaxes.

*Totally unintentional, but two references to Where the Wild Things Are, which I am looking forward to seeing.