Saturday, January 10, 2009

Life Lessons

as learned at last night's AC DC concert...


* at a certain age (specifically, at Angus Young's age), it should be mandatory to maintain shirt and hat at all times, particularly when there is a Jumbotron involved. Long strands of thinning hair plastered to scalp, and moobs flapping behind a guitar, are not something anyone should be subjected to, particularly on a huge screen.


* red plastic horns are a nice souvenir for the 20 and under crowd IMG_0109, but look silly on those 50 and over.

* however, when the lights go down and the venue becomes a sea of twinkling red lights, it's kind of a nice effect.

* "non-smoking " apparently does not include cigarettes or joints.

* Rogers Centre security, several of whom appeared to be significantly out of shape and totally bored with the proceedings, cannot be relied upon to enforce the "no smoking" policy.

* Said security staff does not make one feel very secure.

* Headbangers come in all ages - I thought I would be an older attendee, but judging from the small sample I could see, I was young to middling.

* Although I may have looked like a young to middling type, I know today that I am old, as old as the hills, because the hearing still has not returned to my left ear, almost 24 hours later.
* Opening bands have not improved since my last foray into concert-land. These guys were called The Answer, as if in reply to a Jeopardy-style question, "Who can make really loud, tuneless noise, have a lead singer resembling Cousin It (The Addams Family) in both appearance and coherence and suck collosally?"
* Beer does not make people better dancers; it just makes them think they are better dancers.
* I don't think I had enough beer.

Friday, January 09, 2009

That was fun...

and now the streets are lined with naked trees waiting for composting, like so many used up... well, I was going to say hookers, for some reason, but that's not really the image I was going for, so I'll let y'all come up with one of your own -

so, anyhow... we survived Christmas and the holidays in general. Gifts were given and received this year's big gift, some so big that they could hardly be held up maggie and charlie. There were actually two of those, but for some reason these guys like to fight over them one at a time. Like kids, except the dogs don't usually talk back. And they are generally hairier.

In between his fights over the bone with Maggie, Charlie has also become completely obsessed with the mini sticks ball Charlie's obsession with mini sticks(for those who don't know, mini sticks is played with small hockey sticks, small nets and a nerf-like ball). He will drop everything else to go after this ball, and takes the greatest delight in chewing it down from a sphere to a flat donut. Sometimes I would like to know what actually goes on in his little mind...

There has been more snow - a LOT more snow, which I won't bother to photograph as it's now pissing me off. It's white, it's covering everything, and I have nowhere else to put it. 'Nuff said.

So what better to brighten up the post-holiday, over-snowed mind than a package from Wisconsin? Christmas in a box from Kelly. Kelly puts together the most wonderful packages, and includes something for everyone - the dogs (bones), the boys (cocoa with marshmallows), and me (everything else). I should mention that the yellow dishcloth yarn is not from our super thrilling find in November - at least, I don't think it is? The price isn't the same, and if you'd seen Kelly's reaction, you'd appreciate how unlikely it is that she'd share, even with me...

there has also been knitting, some of which I am feeling quite virtuous about. My first FO of the year is a Celtic Cardigan by Fleece Artist, celtic cardigan - first FO of '09which I started last year (Feb 08), and just polished off. And I love it.

I also started some Pomatomus socks which I have been planning to make with this yarn (Fearless Fibers 100% superwash merino) for AGES, and which I love quite beyond reason pomatomus. Deb's colours are just wonderful, deep and rich, and the yarn is a joy to knit with. Happy, happy.

In keeping with this year's theme (which, apparently, is all about me), I am also working on Berroco's Scrunch cardigan - at this point it is an endless sea of k2p2 ribbing, Scrunchy cardiganwhich I know I will love upon completion but is for now a mind-numbing PITA. Which is probably okay for the Christmased-out, snowed-in mind.

There is also work knitting, which actually occupies most of my knitting time right now, the colours of which I just adore secret knitting.

I am actually planning to give my Celtic cardigan it's inaugural outing tonight, as we take the boys and two of their closest friends for another big Christmas present - to see AC DC in Toronto. I must confess, I have grave doubts about this, at least where I'm concerned - I am a rock concert-goer from way back, but am not a huge metal fan (read: I don't like metal. At all). So I am going to spend a couple of hours listening to what I'm sure will be deafening noise, my ears will be ringing all weekend - my God, don't I sound like an old coot?? I think the fun will be in watching the boys, as this is their first real concert, and in checking out the crowd. I am expecting a fairly wide age range, and am almost sure there will be some characters of note.

Just the thing to ward off those post-Christmas blues, no?