1. We broke down and turned our air conditioning on today. Not that we've been virtuous....we missed the really hot weather when we were in Maine. But today was getting particularly hot and muggy so we decided to turn it on......it seemed fine....has been cooling things down but suddenly it's making this godawful mechanical steam engine sound.... Ernie went downstairs said everything sounds o.k. down there and cool air is blowing....but I gotta say this is making me pretty damn nervous. I know last time we had the a/c fixed they told us we were really due for a new system.....
Huh......
2. I'm finally feeling better after a couple of not great days. Do you visualize illness? Ernie thinks I'm crazy but I swear.....I could just picture this black dot in my stomach that was making it feel so bad and a little square in my head that made my head feel all muzzy and confused. Sometimes I picture Ernie's cancer too....it's white with nasty little elongated fingers..... Does anyone else do that?
3. Kieran Kane's album Somewhere Beyond the Roses is due out on July 28th from Compass Records. I happily pre-ordered it only to find they evidently pre-shipped it because I HAVE IT and I FREAKING LOVE IT!!
Ahhhh....life is good. Heartbreaking but good.
I knew I'd love it as I'd heard about half the songs from the Australian Tour EP but as always it exceeded my expectations...... Kieran really is a frigging rhythm machine.... I mean there are all these incredible other things obviously....the melodies, the vocals, the lyrics, the well, hell...I don't know....the feeling of it all....but there is also this incredible powerful rhythm. The other evening Ernie and I were sitting in the front yard listening to it, sipping a drink, watching the guys run through the yard and it just sounded unbelievable....and then my husband leaned over, looking at me and said, "listen to this, it could be Zeppelin for God's sake" and I just about crowed (if I HAVE ever crowed in my life) because it was such a perfect comment. God I love my husband....oh, and well, Kieran as well but Ernie doesn't mind.....
Deanna Veragona, who plays with Lambchop and others, plays a big role in it....vocals, saxophone, etc. She sounds wonderful with Kieran....I can't explain what I mean articulately but they just have nice spaces together....and her vocals work well with Kieran's. An only mildly interesting note is that when I worked at Record Service, well, perhaps Ernie as well, she was our DNA rep.... Circles, circles, circles....
Anyway.....click on over to Compass and you can listen to some of it as well as preorder it. Nothing would make me happier (well.....you know....except for a cure for cancer and that kind of stuff) than if you ordered it.....
4. It's almost 5:00 on a friday evening but my mother just called to say she's out of test strips so Ernie kindly is driving across town to get her some. Good LORD but he's the best son in law in America....
I also told my mother today that it turns out that some of Judi's money is going to go to her. Initially the lawyer had told me that the federal retirement funds that didn't have a beneficiary would go to the trust for the boys but after digging around the website....and conferring with our lawyer, it looks as they will go to my mother which is absolutely wonderful. She needs them and she will also be really touched---well heartbroken really, by the fact that they are coming from Judi. I'm just as glad my father is gone as it would have truly broken him to receive a benefit from Judi's death.
She would be pleased with it though.
5. Two different friends----both Kathleen and Heather----recommended an estate sale not that far from us today. It's funny....Ernie and I both kind of shrugged our shoulders.....talked about it, thinking we SHOULD go....but didn't. I thought about it some and finally came to the conclusion that I am overwhelmed by STUFF at the moment. There's all the stuff we brought from Judi's house, the stuff she brought, all the crap we already own......I don't know....I'm just feeling overwhelmed by all our possessions. I can't begin to explain.....all I know is that I am overwhelmed by STUFF right now....so no estate sales for the moment.....
Here's a picture Ernie and Owen took of themselves down by the water at Quoddy House.....
7. I've been nagging Leo about trimming his bangs of late. You can imagine the response. He said HE would do it. I said FINE. Still nothing. Finally today I offered him a dollar if I could trim his bangs. He thought about it. I said, "O.K. TWO....." and he agreed . Ahhhh.....now I can see his beautiful eyes. Of course then Owen wanted two dollars for his bangs. They didn't really need to be trimmed but I agreed. Then I accidentally stabbed him with the scissors (no blood though) so he got three dollars.....
Here's my sweet pea right after the D-Day reenactment and before his trim....
Have a good weekend all.....for us it looks like the farmers' market, watching the bike races in downtown....and Leo, (yes, LEO) wants to take part in the kids' bicycle race on Sunday... Sounds like a good weekend....I'll cross my fingers.....
