sprite writes
broodings from the burrow

October 20, 2005


u2 rocks
posted by soe 12:32 am

Okay, I admit it. U2 rocks.

Sure, I knew they were a great band with staying power and that Bono has been doing great political things with his star power.

And I have a sentimental fondness for them because theirs was one of the first records (The Joshua Tree) my brother ever received that belonged to him alone. And they were one of the first groups I downloaded onto my iPod (and onto iTunes back on my Wesleyan computer, so Di and I could sing along when they came on).

But I didn’t understand until tonight what a good show they could put on.

In my mind, you go to a live show to get an experience you couldn’t get at home listening to a cd in the comfort of your living room. The second time I saw Sting? Could have saved $35 and stayed home with the stereo.

But this show was great. They maintained a nice blend of showmanship with audience interaction. and walked with ease the fine line between old and new songs. They also did a nice job tweaking the songs enough to make them fresh, but without altering them so much you couldn’t enjoy your favorite song. And Bono preached to the crowd a bit, but in a complimentary, empowering way.

The best moment for me was when Bono and the Edge came out to do a couple songs by themselves. The Edge pulled out the acoustic guitar and they did a gorgeous rendition of “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get out of,” which they dedicated to Michael Hutchence of INXS.

(Thanks to Rudi for inviting me to go with him to the concert and for putting up with my whining about being on the floor in inappropriate footwear.)

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October 19, 2005


work travel
posted by soe 2:06 pm

Another work-related trip looms. This time to Tucson, Arizona, a city I’ve long wanted to visit. I mean, it’s a city with a silent “c” in its name — how can it not be cool?

One of the nice perks about traveling for work is that it affords you the ability to visit people you haven’t seen for a while, essentially on someone else’s dime. I suspect that’s part of the reason Pittsburgh doesn’t thrill me as a destination; I don’t know anyone there.

But in Tucson I have an old acquaintance from college, whom I haven’t seen in many years. (Please understand: “old” and “many” are relative terms here.) She’s pursuing (I think) a master’s degree at the university. I am headed to the university to think about health education with their library school folks.

So, a bit hesitantly, I dropped a line to this fellow Conn alum. I mean, it was a bit cheeky to email her out of the blue (she fell off my Christmas card list a few years back when I ran out of time to finish mailing them) just because I was headed to her town of residence. Would she object to being bothered? Would she think I was using her presence in town as a way to alleviate boredom while I was far from home? (A valid point, even if I was actually looking forward to seeing her.) Would she offer up a thin, but possibly legitimate excuse as to why she couldn’t see me? Would she bother to respond at all?

But today, a return email. She was pleased to hear I was coming to town. Did I need a ride from the airport? Should she knock off work early to hang out one afternoon? It was exactly the response I’d hoped for, but hadn’t dared to expect.

I overthink things sometime. I would be pleased if people I liked during my previous lifetimes looked me up when they came to D.C. Why shouldn’t others be equally happy if I do the same?

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October 18, 2005


quilt photos
posted by soe 9:42 am

There are some other photos, but they must be on a different memory card. These are the ones I found this morning…


yum!
I’m pretty sure photos like this are why it took me six months to finish the knitting. Jeremiah actually bit the yarn in two in this particular incident.

Jeremiah relaxes after helping knit
Jeremiah thinks knitting is hard work.

final stitches
The final stitches of the quilt spread out on Mum’s 8-person kitchen table. (Check out the pajama bottoms and the bunny slippers.)

quilt detail
A close-up.

done
All wrapped up — at last!

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October 17, 2005


beautiful — and for a good cause
posted by soe 11:40 am

If you’re looking to do some Christmas shopping, this looks like a nice spot to bid on some unique gifts for your favorite book lover: Robert’s Snow: For Cancer’s Cure.

Click on the “View Snowflakes” link at the top to see how creative people can be.

The auctions begin November 6 and run weekly for five weeks.

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October 16, 2005


computer woes
posted by soe 11:33 pm

Our laptop has decided to have issues again. The trackpad has decided to stop working, which is inconvenient since our spare mouse is at Rudi’s office.

Photos of the quilt will have to wait one extra day until he brings the mouse home with him.

In the meantime, tomorrow we’re going to see North Country after work. I’m looking forward to it (and, because of that, I cajoled Rudi into writing the paper due on Tuesday tonight instead of goofing off and having fun).

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October 15, 2005


message from the heavens
posted by soe 8:42 pm

Don’t you think the heavens would have moved on technologically with the rest of us by now?

I mean, maybe it’s a bit of a push to expect that they had reached the podcast or blog state. But, on the other hand, we might reasonably expect that they had acquired email. I mean, Gramma has sent emails before. And Aunt Maude sends them quite regularly.

Okay, okay. You’re right. The heavens are substantially than either of them. But how about a phone call? Or, even, a telegram? I could even put up with the singing kind, although I’d prefer that they keep their clothes on.

I’d even settle for a letter.

That’s it. The heavens could send a nice letter.

Dear soe,

You have acquired too much clutter in your life.

Please reduce it. It’s really better for your mental state over the long run.

Thanks for your quick attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

The heavens

I mean, if you received that kind of letter, don’t you think you’d pay attention to it?

I would — particularly if it came first class. A nice letter. Even a postcard would do.

But, no. The heavens don’t seem to believe in correspondence. Too New Testament for them…

Instead they seem to believe we need an Old Testament kind of message.

And since it’s a bit out of season for pestilence, and we’re too far from the ocean for a whale, they seem to be intent upon sending me a flood.

I’d like to protest: I got the message on Wednesday, heavens. Really. A little bit of water and mildew and I understood what you wanted me to do.

I think this morning was overkill. It really wasn’t necessary to flood my parents’ basement. They had already asked us to get rid of some of our stuff that remains there. We were going to do it at Thanksgiving. And, in the meantime, we were going to work on things here.

But, honestly, thanks for the message. I’ve got it now — loud and clear. Just, please, next time consider a comment here on the blog…

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