The best show in town

On Friday nights, we put the kids to bed, open a bottle of wine, and take turns picking songs for hours. Sometimes, we riff off the other person’s choice (maybe the same time period, maybe the same theme), and other times we make a sharp break with what came before. We strictly alternate, and don’t reveal what we are going to play ahead of time. The hours fly by as we talk and argue about songs and music and musicians. We play whatever we are in the mood for, and no one has veto power. Here’s this past Friday’s playlist, when all was said and done.

Shooting the moon (Ok Go)
Lose yourself (Eminem)
Telephone (Lady Gaga, feat Beyonce)
Wouldn’t it be nice (The Beach Boys)
God only knows (The Beach Boys)
She’s a rainbow (The Rolling Stones)
Wish you were here (Pink Floyd)
Positively Fourth Street (Bob Dylan)
Suspicious Minds (Elvis)
Wonderful Tonight (Cream)
Unchained Melody (Elvis)
Juke box blues (Reese Witherspoon)
The sound of silence (Disturbed)
Leaving it up to you (George Ezra)
Landslide (Smashing Pumpkins)
I still believe (Frank Turner)
Superstition (Stevie Nicks)
Good Times Bad Times (Led Zepplin)
Layla (Eric Clapton)
Ophelia (the band)
Bridge over troubled waters (Simon and Garfunkel)
It’s the end of the world as we know it (R E.M.)
Where the streets have no name (U2)
Sugar we’re going down (Fall Out Boy)
Say it ain’t so (Weezer)
Army (Ben Folds Five)
Innocent (our lady peace)
I’ve just seen a face (The Beatles)
Good Riddance (time of our lives) (Green Day)
Seven Nation army (The White Stripes)
Once in a lifetime (talking heads)
I’m gonna be (500 miles) (The Proclaimers)
Into the mystic (Van Morrison)
Evangeline (Emmy Lou Harris feat The Band)
Long back veil (Dave Matthews Band)
Country road (Jack Johnson)
Living on a prayer (Bon Jovi)
Are you gonna be my girl (Jet)
The unforgiven (Metallica)
Hey ya (Outkast)

Sabbatical

Every five years, Automatticians can take a three month sabbatical. Although I’m almost at 6 years, I’m taking mine now. There has been too much to do in the past year, and I kept putting it off, but I firmly decided to started before I began my sixth year.

Today isn’t my first day of sabbatical. It began the day before Grant’s surgery, and so for reasons here and there, today is the first day I have alone. I return to work January 7, 2019. For the next three months I’m going to read, paint, and I hope to learn to ski.

At the Grand Meetup, many of my friends calmed my fears about the ski lift (well some made them much worse), but I think realistically I won’t have to really tackle a very threatening ski lift before January. I don’t expect to be a very good skier by then, but I do hope to use my time well and get my feet under me. Or keep them under me, as it were.

But that’s for real winter (today’s snow barely counts). Today I read, lolled around the house, did no chores (a difficult temptation), and I’m just settling to paint with GBBO in the background.

Let it begin.

Best guy

The past several days Bob, Grant, and I have been in Lake Placid. Bob had a conference to attend, and with Grant fresh off surgery we didn’t want to leave him at home. Since I’m on sabbatical it was an easy choice for me and Grant to come along. Besides getting to be in one of our favorite places (and the first time we’ve taken one of the kids), today is Bob’s birthday and I’m always thrilled to spend his birthday with him. It was especially nice to be in Placid with him, since it means so much.

Below, the first picture is on the steps of St Agnes, where we were married. It was locked so we couldn’t go inside. The next photo was our first dinner in Lake Placid, where Grant was clearly pleased as punch to be at dinner with just us (though he has been asking about Henry and Eleanor). The next photo is outside the Olympic hockey rinks. Not pictured is a truly bad photo of Bob holding Grant inside the 1980 rink. Finally, story time one night.

It’s been a great year with my best guy, and I’m looking forward to many more.