It’s not like nothing happens during the week, but it’s usually too boring to post – some combination of work, coming home, cooking dinner, walking the dog, watching TV, and reading the paper. Which is much of what happened Friday night, although Jill got off work a little early and we ate dinner together a little before 10. I’d spent several hours making fajitas, and I was pretty wiped, listened to some Beatles, then went to bed before midnight. She stayed up for a bit and watched Threshold.
I got up Saturday around 9:30, showered, stretched, and walked Illa. I watched Threshold while I made some egg sandwiches, then started cleaning while making some DVDs of programs I’d recorded (the Katrina concerts, U2 on Conan and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame). Jill joined me around 11:30, and the downstairs was ready for company around 12:45. Just in time, as Cameron from The Animals’ House came over at 1 to give Illa a private lesson. Actually, I guess it would be more accurate to say she gave us the lesson, as we spent most of the time talking about how to relieve Illa of his bad habits, like jumping up on the counters (she called it “counter surfing”) or getting too close to the table while we’re eating. It was very informative, and we’ll start doing a group class with her in November. We’re also looking at putting Illa in daycare there once a week, and maybe boarding him there. We’re already using the vet for boarding this weekend and Thanksgiving, but we may switch for the cruise.
Later, I took Illa for a long walk, and we went by the creek. 6+ inches of rain had turned it from a trickle to raging waters threatening to overflow the banks. Luckily the rain slowed to a drizzle soon afterwards. Jill ran some errands and I read the paper and listened to more Beatles. I made burgers and we tried out our new strategy where Illa has to lie down on the floor of the entryway while we’re eating. Didn’t work that well, but he’ll learn. What does work is calling out “too close” when he gets too close to the counters, then squirting him with water if he does.
We put him downstairs, then got on the road a little after 7. The tix said 8, but I had read where there was a DJ that started then, then a short film, with Paul McCartney not taking the stage until 8:40 or so. So we took it easy, and there was no crowd at Gallery Place when we got off the Metro. We stopped to get soda and were in our seats by 8:30, plenty of time for him as he didn’t come out ’til 8:45. He proceeded to put on quite a show that didn’t let up for nearly 3 hours. Plenty of great Beatles and Wings songs, surprising to see the variety since 2002’s tour. The new songs worked well, but it was the Beatles songs that mad the place go nuts (and he worked it, putting his hand to his ear often). He looked like he was having a good time, played 3 false endings to “I’ll Follow The Sun”, and sang “Happy Birthday” for John, who would have turned 65 on Sunday. There were two ladies in our row that were pretty clueless, screaming for every old song (except the Quarrymen on from ’58) and holding up their ragged signs (because a 63 year old man can read something on an 8 1/2 by 11 sheet of paper from half a mile away so well), then talking loudly during the non-Beatles songs. Anyway, it was a great show, and this time we stayed through the end, literally, as the last song played was “The End”, and the part the makes it for me are the closing lyrics: “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make”.
Afterwards, we ducked out as he was taking his final bows, and headed up to R.F.D. in Chinatown. We had spinach and artichoke dip with tortilla chips and a roast beef sandwich, and some good beers – I had to have some Magic Hat #9, and also enjoyed an apple ale (kind of like a Belgian). We hung out and talked for over an hour so the crowds were long gone, then hit the subway. Didn’t get home until 2, but it was a fun night. I stayed up another hour so Illa could get some playtime before he had to go back downstairs.
Sunday I had nothing to do. Got up after noon, Jill walked Illa while I showered, then I made my grandmother’s smorgle recipe (fried dough) that I have to have every once in a while (only thing I ever put corn syrup on). Jill had one of the egg sandwiches I’d made the day before. We were watching Saturday Night Live during and after breakfast. Jon Heder was good as the host, though we wished we’d seen Napoleon Dynamite first as it was referenced several times (it’s on HBO now, and we’ll catch it soon). Ashlee Simpson sang for real this time, but only proved she’s a mediocre singer. In the afternoon, Jill did homework while I sat downstairs with Illa and read the paper while he happily chewed his bone (bones aren’t allowed upstairs, so he’s constantly choosing between his love of chewing and his love of attention). I watched the Redskins lose a close one to the Broncos, then took Illa for a long walk at halftime. It was cool enough to wear my denim jacket, and that gave me near invulnerability to the thorn bushes in the woods, so we followed the trail near the creek, crossing it a couple time as the volume had gone down considerably from the day before.
Made fajitas again with the leftover meat, had forgotten to have Jill get refried beans at the store so had to make them from scratch again. We watched West Wing and Desperate Housewives, but still haven’t caught up on last week’s TV – Jill finished her homework and I finished the paper and read some comics instead. I jumped online to briefly surf before heading to bed a little after 1.