Getting Ready to Get Out of Dodge

An action-packed weekend here at the Kellys. Last night I got home just minutes ahead of the rehearsal time for the Reasonable Facsimiles, the newest iteration of the Durable Goods franchise. Alex, Joreen and I were joined by John Wilson on drums, preparing for a birthday party at the brewery for a friend of Alex's. Thanks for the gig, Alex, and thank you also for an excuse to crank up and play some sweet tunes in the basement. To listen to us you'd never know we were a bunch of old farts, some older than others.

Today I called Ed and we decided to get together for eats at Ed and Grace's, which is like being on a Food Network show without the bright lights and the rude, annoying judges. If Donald Trump ate better than we did tonight, who cares. Dan and Phyllis came over and we sang four part harmony while Ed did tilapa and steaks on the grill -- well, it took two grills, but the end result was might tasty.

Meanwhile, Roger called me at 4:30 and asked me to play his brother's birthday party with him. How can I refuse, especially when the consideration we finally negotiated was a case of Troeg's, which will provide a six-pack to take on vacation. The party was a blast, and Brian, Roger's brother, had some amazing food catered for the celebration. Imagine a white cake with icing that tastes like Creamsicles. Yeah, Creamsicles. Oh, baby. Roger and Chris play have found a niche playing intimate, living-room size places and keeping the audience entertained in that framework, which is harder than it sounds. Anybody can play loud, but to play softly and still keep the energy up is a nice trick.

As summers go, I'm really enjoying this one. There's a good balance of work and play here, and there's that sense of impending joy that comes when you're expecting another grandkid. Watch this space for coming events. Next stop, after Mass and a bunch of transcripts turned in: Cleveland.