It was only a dream...

More to come throughout the next few days, but I thought I'd stop in and drop a line or two saying that life is pretty darn good.

A week of vacation is great for the soul...especially when it involves camping, canoeing, and realizing once again that northern Michigan is truly a place to remember why we've been put on this earth.

Nothing brings me back to center quite like peace, quiet, and fresh air. And the rest of the good things that happened over the last week or so.

But for now, I'm going to go to bed and smile myself to sleep.

Life is good :)

...was unbelievable.

It was a beautiful night at Summerfest in Milwaukee, and they came on about 9:00. Mark and I stopped on the way into the park to buy a couple of beers and a pack of clove cigarettes (yeah, I know. We're too old to act 20. Shoot me.) Our seats were great. The crowd was alive. I was beyond excited.

In an appropriate Independence Day tribute, Scott Weiland (who somehow manages to be simultaneously too hot for words and totally fucking skanky) came out on stage wrapped in a huge American flag. Add big shades and a big, black fedora, and he looked the part of the consummate rock star.

They opened with Big Empty, and all the fears I'd picked up from the media were gone. Rumors have been flying that he's fallen back off the wagon - he's had a few bad shows on this tour, from what I've heard.

Last night, he was on.

They played every single song that I love, and as time passed, he removed the hat, the glasses, the flag, a leather jacket, white silk vest, scarves in red, white and blue, a red linen shirt, and a blue tee shirt.

Yeah, he must have been roasting for the first few tunes.

But what a showman! Crouched at the edge of the stage in black leather pants and white boots moaning through Plush, he proved just why fans keep coming back to see him. Standing in the aisle, sipping a beer, and smoking the world's sweetest cigarettes, I closed my eyes and drank it all in like a woman who had been starving for a much-needed fix of good, solid rock.

The entire band was phenomenal. I sang and whooped until my throat was raw, and by the time we left, I couldn't hear a thing.

We didn't even stop to listen to Seether on the way out. I was flying so high that I didn't want to pollute the wave with a band that was just plain good. Plus, Mark was running on two hours of sleep, and I didn't want to make him stand there any more :)

I got home after one, and was shocked at how fast I sank into sleep. As I drifted off, I decided it didn't matter how many cooties Scott Weiland has. He can jump me in a dark alley any time - I'll just have to make sure to carry a full body condom with me whenever I leave the house.

yum

I have never been able to find this online before today. Imagine my delight when I came across it! Settle in and enjoy. This is truly the very best of the best of the best.

I sat in my office this afternoon, gazing out the wall of windows as the storm clouds blew in from the northwest. The sky was ominously dark over the forest preserve, and my boss walked by with his bag over his shoulder. "It's looking pretty dark out there," he said. "Better get out before the rain hits."

I looked at the clock. It was 4:22. Really too early to leave, but I packed up and followed him out anyway. Scattered, angry drops were already starting to fall as I made my way to my car - I hurried to beat the onslaught. Seconds after I closed the door behind me, the skies opened up. It was an immediate torrential downpour.

Stoplights were out, fire trucks passed by, screaming toward accidents, and the drive seemed to take forever. When I arrived home, the house was dark. I decided not to turn on the lights as I ate some leftover pasta and read through the day's news.

When the rain let up, I opened all of the windows and let in the smell of the rain. The house was still dark. I talked with a friend for a while, cleaned up the dinner dishes, and stepped out the back door.

The chairs were wet, and the trees continued to toss fat drops across the patio. The clouds loomed forbiddingly overhead, yet the leaves fairly glowed with that fresh, lush shimmer that storms always seem to leave in their wake. I wiped down one of the chairs, curled up into it, and closed my eyes. The smell of green things filled my head. I sat for a few minutes, thinking about all of the interesting things on my plate right now. My life seems to be turning in a few new directions, each of which deserves a certain level of contemplation.

I must have drifted off for a bit, because when I opened my eyes, the sky was much darker. The fireflies had come out; they were meandering across the yard, blinking at each other in a language I wasn't meant to understand. The silence of their journey added a level of mystery to the evening...dozens of them floated, seemingly aimlessly, as I watched. Long moments passed. I sat without moving.

The phone rang inside, and I slowly rose to grab it. As I walked in, I looked back over my shoulder at the fireflies. They flew on, oblivious to my departure.

After I finished talking with A, I glanced out again. The rain had started back up, and the yard had gone dark.

I left the lights off as I sat on the floor to write. Maybe if I wait long enough, they will come back.