I Saw the Light

I can check one thing off my life list of To-do. I saw Todd Rundgren in concert at the Nebraska State Fair. There's no way to capture the experience, no way to even remember most of it, but I shall do my best to try.

Jeff and I went to the fair about 3. Weekday afternoons are perfect for quiet wandering, not much crowd. We saw quilts, and dresses, tomatoes and beer. All produced by the good people of Nebraska. Jeff would like to be a judge in the pastry competition next year. We'll have to work on that. The photography exhibition was inspiring. We watched children play with baby goats, and the baby goats play bumper cars with each other. We laughed at a goofy clown on a diving board. He wasn't diving into water at all, he had a trampoline! We walked the midway, just for the fun of it. Saw a great exhibition of all the food products developed in Nebraska, and an industrious colony of bees doing their best to contribute.

Then the event really began. I joined the line of early groupies at 5, Jeff went to take in more sites. Only a few of us took up positions to make sure we had the perfect place in the open air hall. Not that there's a bad spot, it only seats 6000. The sound check nearly brought tears to my eyes. There he was, singing "Let's Go" and I was hearing him live. Others yelled for his attention from beyond our chain link prison, I just stood in awe.

After the sound check some people wandered away. Others of us were left to visit with each other and talk with the young man at the gate. He has obviously had some experience with chemicals in his life, they were not kind to him. But he was pleasant enough, as were the others in our gang of instant friends. "Are you a Todd fan or a Cars fan?" Most of us were able to choose one or the other, but no one was disappointed these elements would be sharing the stage.

Our friends Kim and Anita joined us after 5. Kim had scored a VIP pass. That entitled him to dinner and a meet-and-greet with the band. Jeff and Anita went in search of food and beverage. I stayed in line. Something about being there in anticipation of the concert to come kept me riveted to my spot.

At 6 the plastic strip barrier with the diamond shaped flags came down with an admonition from the gate staff to please walk. Okay, whatever. Like any of us were the type to sprint. We had just been swapping grandkid pictures, we weren't running anywhere. I walked down the aisle from the back of the house, my hand like a divining rod held out over the wooden bleachers sensing for just the right spot. Jeff and Anita joined me and the one hour wait to concert time began. We chatted with the folks around us, shared our reviews of the t-shirt selection available, and swapped concert stories.

Meanwhile Kim was off meeting the band. It was a line of folks paraded past the band like they were royals. A quick hand shake, one group photo -- no private cameras allowed -- and they were out the door. Kim was able to yell, "Hey Todd, when's the next album coming out?" Todd yelled back, "This spring, and I like your t-shirt!" It was The Who concert shirt from a few years back. Good choice Kim.

This is where words will fail me. Live music is better than recorded, like books are almost always better than movies. Even with the difficult acoustics in the barn of a building, and the mix that took some time to get just right, there was not a disappointing moment in the hour-and-a-half concert. "Drive" the Cars classic that asks the question, "Who's gonna drive you home tonight?" was the musical non-Todd moment of the night for me.

"It was late last night,
I was feeling something wasn't right,
There was not another soul in sight, Only you, only you.
So we walked along, though I knew that there was something wrong,
And a feeling hit me oh so strong about you,
Then you gazed up at me and the answer was plain to see,
Cause I saw the light in your eyes."

Song by Todd Rundgren, written in 1972 for the album "Something/Anything?" and performed wonderfully last night in Lincoln, Nebraska. Isn't that the way we know the truth about anyone in our life? Don't you have to get close enough to look into their eyes? I was pretty close to Todd last night, close enough to have taken the amazing picture here, though that credit goes to Kim. Still not close enough to see the light in Todd's eyes, but he has touched me musically for many years and last night's encounter was an amazing treat. Todd is an incredible musician, talent that rivals many in the rock world. He's in his mid 50's and yet his passion is raw and vibrant in concert. The music pours from him like sweat on a hot August night in Nebraska.

Note to my beloved niece Erin: I did not throw panties, nor did I have the opportunity to talk to Todd. Had I been given that privilege I would have asked him how his trip was and if he was enjoying his visit to Nebraska. Would that have been okay?

Food on a Stick

I wasn't even hungry when we got to the State Fair. We had eaten a great lunch with friends so fair food wasn't even interesting. Jeff tempted me with funnel cakes, pointed out lemonade at every turn, but I just didn't care.

I think frozen things on a stick make sense. Corn dogs are fine. Isn't steak on a stick called a kabob? I don't understand pizza on a stick. Can't you just pick it up and eat it? But I did my duty as a fair attendee. I ate a smoked turkey drumstick. It's fair food, it has a stick. It just came pre-sticked.

Does that sound stupid to you?

Article about parents who oppose diapers, toilet training their children from birth. Perfect application: Does that sound stupid to you?

Tonight's the Night!!!

My very first blog was about a concert by a very special musician. I've waited and waited for this day and it's finally arrived. Tonight we see Todd Rundgren in concert. Yes, he's an aging rocker, but I'm an aging rock fan so it works. Pictures tomorrow. EEEEEEEEEE (that's me squealing with excitement).

If I should happen to run into him I even have a plan for what I'm going to say. We'll see if it happens and what actually comes out of my mouth if it does.

What you see is what you get

I told my sister Kathleen she couldn't wear the black Eddie Bauer sweater to her class reunion, it didn't hit her right. I was looking for just such a top to wear for family portraits for my inlaws 50th. Being the wonderful person she is she gave me the sweater. It was just the sleeve length and collar I was hoping to find.

Turns out it didn't hit me right either. That's the second thing I notice in looking at the proofs, the first thing I see are my goofy looking bangs. Why am I ever allowed to go out in public after doing my own hair, let alone have family pictures taken? What is the world coming to?

No one else seems to notice my hair or the length of the sweater in the proofs. Maybe I should quit worrying about it. Nahhhhh

My phone is back

It happened like this. I got on the phone with my cell service provider to discuss when they might allow me to purchase a new phone and not violate my contract and be subject to millions of dollars in penalties. I was advised that September 3 was their generous offer to me, since I wasn't actually eligible until December 3.

Guess my phone overheard the conversation because the very next morning, after charging for days on end, my phone came back to life. Miracle might be too strong of a word, but I was excited. So excited in fact that I sent my sister Kathleen a text before 7 in the morning. I don't recommend this but she understood my overwhelming joy.

My phone acts a little funky sometimes, and tires easily. But it keeps me in touch with all my favorite people, what more could I ask?

There you have it. Now that I've begun dreaming of new phones, my old one is back to life. What to do, what to do...

How could this happen?

I used to laugh at people whose cell phones ended up in water. How could that happen? Much to my chagrine, now I know the answer. I compulsively carry my phone. It's on my desk at work, in my pocket most other times, and it's on my night stand at night. It was the pocket thing that got to me. Yep, you guessed it, the toilet. I reached in and grabbed it, rinsed it off, and quickly took it apart. I dried and dried with a towel, and then the trouble began. Instead of going directly to the Internet for help from my fellow cell phone damagers, I compulsively tried to reinsert the battery and make it work, hoping against hope that it would come to life in my hand. There were flutters of life in those big blue eyes, little flashes of joy, and then nothing. For a few moments the phone rang and rang, sending out its own death knell.

After reading all sorts of advice, deionized water to alcohol, drying in the dryer, cool air over night, I finally took my phone apart and placed it on an AC vent. This morning, my hands trembling with anticipation, I put it back together and got nothing. I'm having a little trouble coping, but I'll get by.