Filed under: tidbit
I’ve been keeping myself so busy lately that I can’t even remember what all I’ve done. Friday consisted of … a whole bunch of something. I don’t remember what. Oh, yeah, a whole bunch of errands, getting ready for Saturday. I do believe it ended with more night swimming at the pool.
Saturday was a blast – I had a few friends over for a wine tasting, something I haven’t done since I left New Orleans. We served a flight of three whites (Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay) and then a flight of three reds (Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon). It was a very beginner’s wine class, an introduction to six basic varietals that one is likely to encounter. I think … no, I know that everyone had a good time. As soon as we were done talking about and evaluating the wine we dove into the fruits and cheeses plates and stuffed ourselves silly. That was the cue for Dad to go fire up the grill and cook five different kinds of brats, which we then consumed to stuff ourselves sillier. By the end of the day when I thought I couldn’t even walk any more a few of us decided to go float in the pool for a bit. I think that made three consecutive nights of swimming for most of us. That’s the way life should be.
Tonight I went with Bisc… um … Mary and Tony and their kid Jonathan to the drive-in theater in Sparta, TN. I had never been to a drive-in movie before, or if I have it was while I was too young to remember. It was like sitting in the front row of the theater except you didn’t have to break your neck, and you could sit in whatever chair you wanted to. The mosquitos were nonexistent but I did get a ladybug or two on my shirt. Also, they broadcast the movie audio over the radio, so all you have to do is tune in and listen. However, when you’re sitting outside of your car you need a different method, which Mary and Tony have down to a science. They have speaker jacks in their trunk and they plug in this great-sounding speaker and set it on the hood of the car, right behind your head. It was a perfect setup. The movie, Talledega Nights, was as funny as I expected it to be, but my heart wasn’t really into it. Ah, well, I’ll catch it again on video some day.
Next week, or I guess this week, since it’s after midnight, it looks like I have a full schedule. I’m working at my Dad’s office for a day or two helping him and his awesome paralegal get some case files straightened out. I’m not sure how I got drafted into that. I also may be doing a courier run to Nashville for them, but the subject of my couriering is top secret and I can’t discuss it further. Regardless of what you may think, it’s not what you think. It’s bizarre.
I plan on going to visit Asheville on Friday through Sunday, though I have not yet booked my hotel room. We’ll see if this town really is as cool as everyone says. Perhaps I’ll take a few hours and go see Biltmore again.
That’s it! That’s my exciting life. That’s all I got to say. Go read some other part of the internet now.
Filed under: tidbit
The past couple of nights I’ve gone swimming with friends in my neighborhood pool. I’d almost forgotten how serene and relaxing it could be.
This picture shows one of my favorite things – to go turn on the pool light while the water is perfectly still and just have the whole thing glow like one giant jewel. It becomes this vat of intense aqua liquid and I feel that if I stuck my toe in it would come out glowing, like the water itself is infused with the light. I could splash it around and paint the entire neighborhood.
But I never want to stick my toe in. I never want to be the first one to disturb the perfect surface. It’s worse than freshly fallen snow in some ways. You know you have to go out in the snow, you know you have to make those tracks. But do you really have to get in the pool? What if everyone comes over and you all end up just wanting to admire your giant jewel?
But of course no one does, not even me, and I end up jumping in. Soon everyone’s there and it’s a little party, but everything feels kind of off. Sure, there are the treading water contests, and the throwing of pool toys and frisbees, diving, splashing, laughing, floating, relaxing – everything you would do during the day.
But as soon as everyone’s quiet for a second it starts to sink in that it’s night. There’re no lights around aside from the pool itself and a feeble street light several yards away. Voices seem to carry so much farther once everyone outside the pool is asleep. Our conversations echo. The pool becomes all the light, all the activity, and all the life. You can lay on your back and stare at the stars overhead and feel assured that there’s nothing else out there because everything that’s going on is right here in the water with you.
Filed under: tidbit
Nothing, really. I’m back in Tennessee for an extended or perhaps permanent vacation. I just got back from visiting my brother-in-law and his awesome tiny creature that just appeared out of nowhere a few weeks ago. It was really nice to see him, my sister-in-law, and the baby, though the two adults mentioned there were a bit zombie-like at times. I understand from various sources that babies don’t necessarily come out as fully functioning humans. They don’t know how to drive cars or have Flickr accounts or anything.
Very strange.
Anyway, past that I’ve been doing a whole lot of tiny things to keep myself busy, including setting up this new site and new blog. I’ve hung out with friends of all shapes, sizes, colors, smells, hairstyles, and otherwise. I’ve cooked dinner for my parents many times, sometimes even using edible objects. I’ve been swimming, driving, drinking, concert-going, eating, and … I guess those aren’t all in order.
I’ve also been thinking about where I want to live. Everyone and their brother tells me that Asheville, NC is the place to be. I’m planning on taking a multi-day trip over there to check it out. I’ve even subscribed to the Craigslist feed for jobs, though that’s a bit sparse. Sure would be nice to be right there in the Smokies, and in a state with a far more open wine (and alcohol) culture.
I think I’m going swimming again tonight. There’s something nice about swimming in a warm pool after dark, everything lit by that one bright bulb at the deep end of the pool. This time I’m gonna bring my camera to see if I can capture the moment.
Wow. How clichéd is that? “Capture the moment”? Next thing you know I’ll be working for Hallmark.
Anyway, in the immortal words of Leon Henry:
well i go