Random Notes

In no particular order...

1) Thanksgiving in Beaufort, SC w/ the extended Fam was surprisingly non-confrontational. Maybe I'm just getting used to everyone talking over each other. Cousin #1 is just as fried and hippified as ever, but she's eating meat now thanks to her newest boyfriend who is an avid bow-hunter. She even joined him on an elk hunt a few weeks ago. This is also the same cousin who toured with the Grateful Dead for five years and joined a cult ("family" - her words), so let's just say she's easily swayed. Cousin #2's 20 mo. old son was in tow, and the cute little bastard (not actually a bastard) brought much joy and distraction from awkward silences to the group. The Big Chill (set in Beaufort) wasn't mentioned until the last night, when my uncle said something to the effect of, "I never understood why everyone liked that Goddamn movie so much. They're always saying it's the definitive children of the 60's movie, but I never liked it much." This is coming from one of the stuffier, WASPier members of an already shockingly stuffy, WASPy family. Inevitably, the great soundtrack was brought up, to which my uncle grunted some bit of approval. The second night of Charades (a huge Frankencow family game) wasn't as boisterous as the first, but it at least provided some entertainment. On both nights, Facelift Aunt and Cousin #2 took the "obscure-is-better-because-it-allows-me-to-show-off-my-intellect" route to the clues, leaving the opposing team to act out things like "Yellow Rose of Texas" and "The Westerkerk." My suggestions, usually focusing on the Redskins and The Macho Man Randy Savage, were promptly shot down, though I did manage to sneak in "The Ambiguously Gay Duo" for my soon-to-be brother in-law. He tried his hardest, but nobody on his team knew the cartoon, thus making all of his miming for naught. Cousin #2's husband, on the other hand, did a terrific job with "The Kama Sutra" and Cousin #1 was quite quick to recognize his actions.

2) My Morning Jacket last night at the 9:30 Club were predictably excellent, as always. Hair, smoke, and guitar strings were flying everywhere, and when they finally wrapped up their 1 hour, 45 minute set, I was spent. I'm looking forward to seeing them again tonight, and introducing Rocky to them. He doesn't listen to MMJ much, and has never seen them live, so he's not sold on the band, but I think that will all have changed by 11:30 tonight. I'm almost prepared to put them at #4 in my list of favorite live bands (#s 1-3 being Pearl Jam, DBT, and The Darkness - single tear - I need to see the Twilight Singers more than once for them to earn a spot in the Top 5... Jamiroquai, whom I've only seen once, as they never come to the US anymore, is also high on the list; shocking, I know, but true).

3) Currently, I am wearing my trusty 33-30 pants at work and have received no comments of floods or high water. I do not like having a 31 inch inseam. 33-32 trousers are a little too long, but 33-30 pants are far too short. And sadly, I am too cheap, despite my nobility, to spend money on tailored pants. So my options are either to Urkel it up, or middle school band recital it up. Soon-to-be brother in-law sympathizes with me, as he's in the same predicament with his body. He makes, literally, about 10x as much money as I do, so he is not cheap, and can afford to tailor his trousers. Bastard (again, not actually a bastard).

4) The 7-Eleven on 12th and U might possibly have the friendliest staff of any convenience store I've ever visited in Washington. I always look for an excuse to drop in to buy something (anything) because they're all just so pleasant. And it rubs off on the patrons as well. Maybe they're pumping nitrous into the air over there.