#3063 three things: two trips to CA and five concerts in seven days

 

It's been a busy summer, and the past four weeks or so has seemed extra busy, but in (mostly) good ways. Let's discuss.

1. July trip to CA. On 22 July, I flew to Long Beach and spent a couple of days with Mom and Lizzie. The primary purpose of the trip was to go to Dixon to bury the ashes of my aunt and uncle. Lizzie and I drove up to northern California on the 25th. It's about a seven hour drive, and we were motivated to get there before Frosty's Drive-In closed, and we made it! Unfortunately, it was so hot that the aged fryer hood had shut down, so we were only able to get a milkshake, but that orange creamsicle shake was fabulous. That night we went to our other favorite Dixon places: The Pip wine bar, and Dawson's. The next day we drove out to see The House. Honestly, we were kind of stalker-y, and the new owner came out to find out what the hell we were doing. We told her our story, and she was super nice. She even invited us in to see the renovations they'd done, but they had guests, so we declined the offer. (But I really wanted to see it!) That afternoon we hung out at the pool at the motel, and that night, we had a family dinner at Dawson's. My cousins had arrived, so it was nice to get together. Monday morning was the burial.  A few other family members came, cousins of my aunt and uncle who live in the area, and a couple of Mary's former co-workers. We told some stories about Mary and Dewey, then the ashes were buried in the plot of their mother. It was low-key and exactly what I had in mind. After that, I had a meeting at the bank there in Dixon where I finally was able to close out Mary's account and get a cashier's check for the balance, then Lizzie and I drove home. I stayed another couple of days, then came home on the 29th.

2. Five concerts in seven days. All of these concerts were at Red Butte Garden. I attended two concerts as a patron, and volunteered at the other three. The first show was Alabama Shakes, which I'd bought tickets for. That show was on the evening of the 29th, so I got off the plane, came home, then MT and I went to the concert. A storm came in and delayed the gates until 9:00 pm. We sheltered in place in the parking garage during the thunder, lightning, and rain delay. Once the storm passed, the weather was pleasant. Lots of folks had bailed on the show, so it was a pretty light crowd. I enjoyed it.

The next night I worked the exit recycling shift for the Melissa Etheridge/Wynonna Judd concert. It was my first exit recycling experience, and I would think twice before I accept that gig again. It is a short shift and it's not awesome. The music was good. 

The next show was Fitz and the Tantrums. Those were the tix I received for my service hours last year, so MT came with me. We like this band. They are fun and upbeat, and we had a good time.

The next night I was on the donor terrace for Walk Off the Earth and Andy Grammer. Donor terrace is a sweet gig because it's a good four-hour shift and you get to see the whole show from a pretty decent location, and the job is easy. There is no garbage involved. I'd like to pick up more of those shifts next year, if I can. And the concert? It may be my favorite show of the year. Both bands were so good! Great energy and vibes.

The very next night I was back to do a full recycling shift for Interpol. The opener was a band called Youth Lagoon. I have never heard of either of these bands, and I wasn't particularly interested in their music. Interpol did have an enthusiastic following, and I like to see that. 

I just have two more concerts on my schedule. If I can pick up another one, I'd be glad to do that, but if not, I'm happy with what I've got. With the last two, I will have worked at 11 shows, which was my goal for this season. 

3. Another trip to CA. The second trip to California was also a two-fer. The first part of the trip was about dropping MT off in the eastern Sierra Mountains so he could hike the John Muir Trail (JMT) northbound to Yosemite Valley. Lizzie met us in Mammoth Lakes, CA, where MT parked his truck. (He will take a shuttle from Yosemite Valley to Mammoth when his hike is complete.) We dropped MT off at the Cottonwood Pass trailhead on 8/8, then Lizzie and I drove back to La Mirada. I stayed with Mom and Lizzie for a week. It was a good week for me. I finished three books, did a lot of scribbling in my diary/journal, did a bit of art, and got to hang out with my people. Can't complain about any of that!

Now I am home and I don't have plans to go anywhere else for awhile. MT should be home sometime in early September. His permit for the JMT is for one month. The hike is 250 miles. Last year's Colorado Trail hike was 500 miles and it took him about 40 days, so maybe he can finish the JMT in under 30 days? He's averaging over 10 miles a day so far; he's probably hiked around 85 - 90 miles in the first nine days. He is having a grand time. Hiking the JMT is a dream come true for him, so that's awesome. 

So that's what I've been doing. Now that I'm back and settled, I will resume The Trip narrative. I'm looking forward to looking back at it :) I'll plan to write every other day about my travels, so I hope you'll check back when you can!

I will leave you with this photo of MT at Forester Pass.

#2970 the three of us together again

He did it!

It took MT 39 days to hike the Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango. He started on Sunday, 13 July and officially finished on Wednesday 20 August. He took five "zero days" which are days when he was in a town resupplying, doing laundry, eating real food, and sleeping in a bed. Such luxuries. His brother picked him and brought him home yesterday afternoon, and you know, I cried a little. Kevin said it was the most emotion he has ever seen from me. I'm pretty sure he wasn't telling the whole truth because I have known him a long time - like longer than I've known his brother, the dude I married!

MT lost a good 22 lbs on trail. He's not a big guy to begin with, but his tummy was definitely smaller than when he left. This morning he put on a button front shirt that he hadn't worn for awhile and it fit him very well. He looks good. His beard is a little thicker than when he left, and he is very tan on his arms and face.

He said he had a marvelous time. It helped that he found a person to hike with, a Swedish woman named Emily who called him Uncle Marty. He is a social man, and walking alone was tough for him, so I am glad that he found someone to hike with. 

For now, MT says he will do day hikes in the Wasatch Mountains here in Utah. He's not saying he'll never do another through-hike, but he said he doesn't think he would want to be gone that long if he did another one. We'll see LOL

T is improving bit by bit. He seems to be staying awake a little longer and is walking more upright. We took the bandage off his back, and the cut is maybe a couple of inches long. He says his calf still aches, so I worry about permanent damage there. He will not have home physical therapy after all, since he is able to walk up and down the stairs and is progressing with his recovery. He will have outpatient PT, though. I want him to regain his posture and walk without that walker. Only a physical therapist is going to get him to do that, and I say that as someone who has had three bouts of PT (two knees and a shoulder.) Physical therapists get your body right again.

For me, now that MT is home and T is on the mend, I am focused on my upcoming vacation! Candice dropped off the paperwork packed with the air and hotel information as well as verifications for transfers. The cruise documents should be coming next week. Candice supplies hard copies, and all the information is also on the app she works on. Candice does a great job of putting our vacations together. Whether it is me and Lizzie or me and MT, we always want extra stuff. She still says we are her favorite clients, though! MT and I have been using her services for nearly 20 years. She gets us.

I'm a little bummed out because I haven't taken the time to draw or paint this week. I doodle a little something daily, but it's not the same. It's fun, but not quite as satisfying. Here's hoping that next week has a little more art and a lot less angst. 

Have a great week! 

#2969 three things: a week later, coming home, and the end of my concert season

THREE THINGS

1. One week later. T had surgery on the herniated disc a week ago yesterday, so today marks one week since he has been home. He is doing a good job managing the pain, and I see him moving around better every day and doing the little exercises the doctor told him to do at home. He'll start outpatient physical therapy after the follow-up appointment with the surgeon. That appointment is scheduled for Sept. 4. Tonight we will take the bandage off his back. I feel a morbid curiosity about it. 

2. MT is coming home. Yesterday, Aug 20, 39 days from when he started walking from Denver, MT reached Durango, CO. He said he is happy he did it and happy to be done with it, too, and that he is looking forward to coming home. He has been away from home so much this year that I kind of worry about him being bored and unhappy. I think he'll be fine for a month or so, and then? Hopefully he will be content. I am looking forward to his being home. I haven't minded his not being here except for the past week or so. That whole business with T was stressful and maybe it would have been nice to have MT around for moral support. However, MT was on the trail and I took care of stuff as best I could, so that's that. I am really happy for MT and proud of him for completing the hike. 483 miles walked in 39 days is no small thing. Good for him!

3. My RBG concert season is over. Last week I was scheduled to work a concert on Wednesday, the day of T's surgery, so obviously I let the volunteer office know I wouldn't be able to work. I had the last show on my schedule this coming Monday, the 25th, but I backed out of that one, too. I wasn't sure when MT was going to be home, and I don't like to leave T alone for too long. It all works out because MT will be home on Saturday or maybe Sunday, and I'll be glad to stay home Monday night to hang out with him and hear some new stories and look at his photos. I worked 10 shows this year, and I think that's a good number. It's the number I had in mind at the start of the concert season. I've already achieved my goal of getting 101 volunteer hours this summer. I still have a few shifts left to work, but I'm ready to wind down. 

 

#2966 3 things: Mac, MT update, '80s music

 

1. Mac, my black dog, wasn't feeling well this morning. There was puke and poop on the floor, and I knew she did it because she looked guilty and miserable. Her ears normally point up and she holds her tail high, like a husky, but today her ears were flat and her tail was low and tucked. Her eyes were sad and kind of unfocused, and she wobbled and swayed when she was standing. The biggest thing that made me feel worried was that she didn't eat her breakfast at all. She wouldn't even eat a kibble from my hand. I thought I might have to take her to the emergency vet so I stayed home to keep an eye on her. She was quiet and subdued all day and followed me around the house, always laying near me. She didn't want to be petted, necessarily, but she wanted to be close. I'm happy to say that she ate her dinner and played outside a little this evening. She's still quiet and sleeping a lot, and I think that is okay. Hopefully she will be back to normal tomorrow. Mac does have an appointment with the vet on Monday to get her shots, so I'll mention that she didn't seem to feel well today.

2. MT is on day 26 of his Colorado Trail through-hike. He messaged me tonight that he is at mile 310, and camping with a couple of people. On Tuesday he sent a message from mile 288 and he seemed down, lonely and homesick. He seems to be okay again now. He did tell me that when he was hiking yesterday, he heard a helicopter overhead, which was unusual, and then he came upon three forest rangers who were monitoring a nearby fire. MT said he didn't see or smell the fire at all. The thing that's cool is that at mile 310, he has travelled further than he has left to go. The end isn't quite in sight, but it is closer than the beginning of the trail. Amazing!

3. '80s music just hits the spot sometimes for me, and last night I got a belly full of fun '80s music at Red Butte Garden. The concert was called "I Want My '80s" and four bands played: Paul Young, Wang Chung, John Waite, and Rick Springfield. My favorite of the four was Wang Chung. They sounded great, and I knew every one of the six songs they played. They just had a 30 minute set and it was tight and fantastic. Rick Springfield was my second favorite. He was fun. He kept mentioning the elevation and seemed to be having a hard time catching his breath. The crowd happily filled in when he wasn't singing. A funny part of the show, to me, was a singing contest between the under 55 fans and the 56 and over fans. (LOL) 56 and over won resoundingly. We were LOUD and there were probably more of us, to be honest. Hahaha  It was all totally rad!

 

# 2964 three things I'm looking forward to in August

 It's time to turn the calendar page, and here are three things I'm looking forward to in August.

1. Lots of live music!  August is my busiest concert month at Red Butte Garden. I'm scheduled to work at five shows: Rick Springfield, Michael Franti, My Morning Jacket, ZZ Top, and Keb'Mo' with Shawn Colvin. There were supposed to be six shows, but Ray LaMontagne rescheduled his show for next year. In addition, I am going to see Chris Stapleton perform at Utah First FCU Amphitheater (formerly USANA Amphitheater). 

2. Trip prep! I know August is going to rush by and the trip to Central Europe will be here before I know it. August is the time to get my clothing and shoes selected, gather some art supplies, make sure all the documents are in order, and research is done. 

3. MT will come home. At least I hope he'll be back in August. When we were talking the other day, we thought he had a good chance to get home by the end of the month. He's gone about 210 miles as of today, and he's been on the trail for 19 days. If it takes another 20 days to go the next 210 miles, then he would have a week to travel the last 80 or so miles. It could happen. My wish is that he is home by Sept 4 at the latest, because I leave on the 5th, and I'd like to see him before I go on my trip.

BONUS THING:

*Harley got a clean bill of health from the vet. She did have a UTI, but I treated it at home with  cranberry-infused doggie urinary tract supplement chews I purchased on Amazon. Harley likes the chews, and it seems to have worked. YAY!

#2961 3 things: Sunday family version

This pic is an oldie but a goodie from back in 2020. That's Mac photobombing our family portrait, back when she was an only dog.

Tonight I wanted to take a quick minute to update y'all on the three of us.

1. MT. He has been out on the Colorado Trail for eight days now and has covered 102.4 miles with no off days. He did go off-trail on Thursday afternoon to spend the night in the town of Fairplay. He wanted a shower and to wash some clothes, and he was back on-trail the next day. Tomorrow will be a "zero day," a day of rest, zero time on trail. He is in the town of Frisco at a hotel. When I talked to him tonight, he was appreciating the comfort of a bed and air conditioning. He feels good, is pleased with his progress, and is happy to be doing the hike. Here is a pic he posted on Facebook tonight:

MT on the Colorado Trail

2. T. Right now, the youngest member of the family is the least mobile. T has a deep bruise in his right quad muscle. On Thursday he was in so much pain, his whole body was quivering and he could hardly put weight on the leg. I took him to the ER where he was diagnosed with this deep bruise. The only cure for it is to mitigate the pain with a layering of ibuprofen and acetaminophen, heat/ice, and rest. He's been doing the resting, but hasn't been as diligent about the other parts. Today when I got home from RBGA (Red Butte Garden and Arboretum), he was in tears from the pain. He was scheduled to go back to work at FedEx tomorrow, but there's no way he could do the job. We went back to the ER and the doctor extended his order for T to have until July 24 off. This evening I have been monitoring his heat/ice schedule, making sure he has his meds and plenty of hydrating liquids, and encouraged him to take a shower which cooled his body and his temper. He is more calm now, but still in pain.

3. Me. I am doing okay. I have decided to cancel my trip to CA to visit Mom and Lizzie this week because I feel that it will be better for me to stay home with T, especially as he is having such a hard time walking. I'm bummed, for sure. I was looking forward to seeing my fav women. I just didn't feel right about leaving T. 

So there you have it. MT is having his turn at living his best life. T is experiencing physical pain for maybe the first time, and I am just plugging along. Hopefully I will have a good update on T for you on Wednesday or Thursday. 

Have a great week! 

#2960 good times this weekend

There has been a lot happening at my house in the past few days. Let me tell you about it.

On Friday, I worked at the office in the morning, then came home at 1:00 to finish up my workday, and to have a chance to say good-bye to MT as he set off for his through-hike on the Colorado Trail. I felt emotional when he left - like, I actually cried. I wasn't expecting that, and I was puzzled by this reaction. Hang on to that thought, because we'll circle back to it in a bit.

That night, T and I went to see the new Superman movie on an IMAX screen. I didn't really want to see it, but I did really want to hang out with my son. I didn't really particularly like or dislike the movie. T really liked it, and I think I was the only person in the theater with a meh response. There was a lot of cheering and clapping at the end of the show.

Yesterday (Saturday), I was up fairly early to play with the dogs, water the plants, and feed the birds; it's my usual morning routine. I also cleaned up the kitchen and made some nice coffee, then did the bookkeeping. T's friend Jordyn came over and they were day drinking. It sounded fun, but I had other things to do.

I'd decided earlier in the week that I was going to fulfill a wish that I'd had for years, and that was to have a picnic in a cutaway at RBG. There are two cutaways on the main trail; basically, they are little patios in the trees along the northeast part of the trail. I stopped by Delice, a French bakery/cafe for a baguette with ham, cheese, and butter. There were also cornichons, but I swiped them off quickly. Of course I also got a kouign amman for later. For a drink, I stopped at Starbucks for a green tea lemonade. I felt like it was a very nice meal.  Since it was around 2:00, I had no problem getting a table in a cutaway, and it was everything I wanted it to be. I was truly delighted by the whole event! Here are some photos:

ham & cheese baguette, chips, and green tea lemonade

nom nom nom

livin' the dream!

After the meal, I recorded blooms in the Children's Garden. It was glorious. I want to show you this pic of a blooming yucca plant. She's not in the Children's Garden, but you can see her from there. 

blooming yucca in the Water Conservation Garden

She's gotta be 15 - 20 feet tall! I love it!!

When the blooms were recorded, I stopped at bougie Harmon's for a salad and some good German pilsner. I sat out on the back deck at home. The dogs ran around while I ate my salad, drank some beer, and read a book. It was truly pleasant. I kinda feel like having a meal outside is one of the simple pleasures of life. 

With a slight buzz, I came inside the house, ate my kouign amman, and turned on Netflix to watch the movie Nonnas. It was cute. Then I put clean, fresh sheets on my bed and went to sleep. It was a good day.

This morning I slept a bit late until the dogs wouldn't let me sleep anymore. I actually appreciated them getting me up since I slept through my alarm. Just as I was about to leave the house to go back up to the Garden, my SIL Janet sent me this photo of MT:

MT's first day on the Colorado Trail

Again, I teared up and I think I know why: I should have taken him to Denver. I should have driven him to Pocatello, then rode along with them to Denver to drop him off at the trailhead. What I was feeling was guilt and selfishness. I also feel worry, and concern, and sadness that he is doing this adventure alone. Not that I would hike 500 miles in the Colorado mountains, but it's a bummer that he doesn't have a trail buddy. He is not a solitary individual like I am. I know he'll be okay and that he will get a bunch of new stories to tell from this trip. I'll miss him, though. When he was in Pocatello for the past six months, I knew that he could come home just about any time, and I could talk to him every day, which we mostly did. It's much more difficult to come home now since he'll be out in the wilderness, and we probably won't get to talk as much.  He did call me this morning as he was walking, and he said he has some butterflies about the whole thing, and he is excited and happy that he is doing it. Anyway, I'll keep you updated as I hear from him.

The docent shift was uneventful. It was pretty slow early, then picked up quite a bit after 11:00. I stopped at Raising Cane's for lunch, and now I'll be getting ready to go back up to the Garden to work at a concert. Tonight's performers are Watchhouse, a duo from North Carolina that I saw play RBG when they were known as Mandolin Orange. Their music is folky/Americana. Very on-brand for RBG and it will be a good show. I am working the recycling station.

I guess that's all I've got to say for now. Have a great week! Please keep MT in your thoughts, and send good vibes for his safety and health.

XOXO

#2600 travel Tuesday: MT's adventure

Around this time next week, MT and his brother Kevin will be heading north to Idaho for a 20-plus day backpacking trip in the Frank Church - River of No Return Wilderness area on Idaho's Centennial Trail. They have been planning this adventure for nearly a year, gathering maps, talking about what they will need, how much they should carry, and where the resupply stops will be. The preparation has required Kevin to apply for a sabbatical from his job. It's a little easier for MT to take time off work because he is self-employed, but he still has responsibilities (hi! it me! and the rentals and all of his clients, of course). 

Questions I frequently get asked about this trip:

  Are you going? Hell to the no! I'm not outdoorsy. At. All. There's no freaking way I would want to be out in the wilderness for even two days, let alone over 20 days.

  Are you nervous for them? Hell to the yes! There's shit that can kill you or hurt you real bad out there. Of course I'm nervous and worried. The thought that comforts me is that both MT and Kevin are experienced backpackers, and I'm sure they'll be fine. Both are carrying satellite communication devices with SOS capabilities.  MT has contacted the ranger stations to let them know they'll be out there, as well as a couple of remote resorts, accessible only by air or by hiking in. They have contracted a plane to take them to their furthest out point and will hike south back to the Challis area, so the airplane guy knows about them, too. 

  Has MT been training for the hike? Not too much. He is physically active at his job, but no, he hasn't been doing any local hikes to prepare. I don't know about Kevin. I imagine the first week or so will be pretty hard on them, but maybe not. What the hell do I know?

I am sure it will be an adventure of a lifetime for both of them.  I'll be interested in hearing the stories when MT gets back.