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Little Bites 9

Josh and I went to the Wilco concert last night at Merriweather.  Two rows ahead of us, there was a sixty-something-year-old man rocking out on his air guitar.  If you’re familiar with Jeff Tweedy, you know that his music ranges from mellow to slightly harder indie rock.  The singer himself barely moves onstage.  But the man in front of us was dancing as hardcore as Peter Garrett of Midnight Oil, except holding an imaginary guitar instead of allowing his arms to flail in every direction. He kept it up for hours — his air guitar playing — and I was absolutely smitten with him.  I think I watched him just as much as I watched the band.

I was going to leave that as my perfect moment — watching air guitar man — but instead, I’ll choose participating in a several thousand person sing along for Jesus, Etc (one hour and three minutes into the NPR recording — can you hear my voice?).  It’s why every once in a while you need to leave your living room and listen to music in a crowd — to be part of thousands of people, all singing the same words, Josh’s hand on my hip, swaying.

Read other perfect moments right here.

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On Saturday, I drove down to Richmond because Lori was at a conference down there.  There are very few people I would brave I-95 South to see. (At one point, I had an 18-wheeler inches from my bumper and two 18-wheelers on either side of me.  It’s a good way to crap your pants.)  We got to have a night of hipster sushi and drinks and watching Lori try to get in lotus position and good cries and crashing on the hotel sofa at 1 am.  It was also quite perfect, but it was closer to a perfect 18 hours vs. a perfect moment.

It is strange to think that I would not know Lori if I hadn’t started writing this blog and she hadn’t started writing hers.  We live on opposite sides of the US; there is little chance that our paths would have crossed in another way.  My life is so much richer since meeting her, and it sometimes gives me pause to think what if I hadn’t started writing one night?  What if she had started her blog and ditched it after a few days?  There would be a Lori-sized hole in my life and I wouldn’t even know it.  Which makes me wonder what other holes exist — people I could have met but by making choices, our paths led away from one another.

And, of course, that goes for all of you.  You make my life so much richer.  I could not imagine living with an ALI blogosphere hole, even if I wasn’t cognizant that it was there.

*******

While I was away, the ChickieNob informed Josh that she has thought about it further, and she would be happy with a red-eared slider turtle if we can’t get her a clam.

*******

I am writing this post on my new computer.  I think that people thought I was exaggerating when I told them about my computer, but my father got to experience my old computer in all its glory last night while we were at the concert, and when I got home, he informed me that he was stunned by what a piece of shit my old computer was.  He was incredulous with how he had to restart it (it goes beyond just hitting the restart button on the computer).  What he doesn’t know is that he has barely scratched the surface of life with my old laptop.

It took between 35 and 45 minutes to get it working every morning.  After several restarts, it would finally creak to life.  It took about five minutes to open each program.  Sometimes, I’d get all the programs open and it would freeze, necessitating that I restart it again.  In order to complete two hours of work, I usually needed to restarted it at least two more times.  I wasted at least an hour of work time every day just dealing with the logistics of having the computer on, and tasks themselves took a long time to complete.  I’d have to ask myself whether it was worth answering emails, if I had the emotional wherewithal to deal with the frustration of dealing with the machine.  And beyond that, it only worked if you were using it continuously.  If you paused for longer than two minutes, let’s say, to answer the telephone, it would freeze.  Which meant that I couldn’t answer the phone or pee or cook dinner, OR it meant doing those things and dealing with another few restarts.

And yet I didn’t think I deserved anything else.  It could work, therefore, I felt like I should just deal with the lost work time and frustration.  I felt guilty spending money on this.

This is my first morning using it, and I am already finished checking email and writing a blog post during a time period when I would have still been going through my initial morning restarts in order to get the laptop up and functioning.  I’m going to do an hour of work and actually do an hour of work, vs. have an hour of work to do, but have it take two or more hours to do so.  It is strangely indulgent, a new computer.  Necessary but unnecessary at the same time.

But I love it.

20 comments

1 Blanche { 09.26.11 at 10:30 am }

If any one deserves a new computer it is she who makes her living using said computer. Congratulations on your new piece of office equipment!

And thank you for being here so there is not a ALI blogosphere hole!

2 Lori Lavender Luz { 09.26.11 at 11:11 am }

Me = crying.

I have Mel-sized fullness in me. And I know it.

I miss you.

3 Rachel { 09.26.11 at 11:51 am }

Everyday, I give thanks for the following: Diet Coke. Sirius XM radio on my long commute. And Mel. Seriously, you don’t know how much you have helped my life to improve. (Yes, I send you stalkerish thank you notes occasionally, but do you REALLY know how much the ALI community has helped??? :)) If I had been able to buy you a computer, I would of! 😉

Does ChickieNob know that turtles live to be like 100? Because, as much fun as a turtle sounds now, I just picture the hell of those first 10 years after you graduate high school and having to move every year or so…that’s a lot of turtle moving! I know that my local pet rescue had a red slider this very weekend! She is adorable and I love it.

4 Suzy { 09.26.11 at 12:31 pm }

Yay for the new computer!

And this statement moves me,
“There would be a Lori-sized hole in my life and I wouldn’t even know it. Which makes me wonder what other holes exist — people I could have met but by making choices, our paths led away from one another.”

What a sad world this would be without our Lori moments. So glad you gals had such a fun time together!

5 Lori Lavender Luz { 09.26.11 at 1:12 pm }

Suzy. <3 <3 <3

6 HereWeGoAJen { 09.26.11 at 1:21 pm }

There is nothing like a new computer.

By the way, we had a turtle once. And turtles smell really bad when they die.

7 Heather { 09.26.11 at 1:30 pm }

My life would be immensely empty without you.

8 Lori { 09.26.11 at 1:51 pm }

Isn’t it great how the blogosphere connects us all no matter where we live! So glad I know Lori too!

Your blog is amazing, so full of great info and I love the way you write.

9 Kathy { 09.26.11 at 2:10 pm }

What a happy day/weekend! Perfect Moment Mondays are back, you got to spend quality time with Lori, your concert experience sounds totally awesome and you have spent the morning using your new and functional computer! What a fabulous way to start this week off…

Kristin from Once a Mother and I were talking lately about that movie “Sliding Doors.” Have you seen it? We both have and really liked it and even more so love the concept, about how little things like catching or missing a train one day can completely change the direction of your life.

So yes, I have thought about how things like that can change the situations and the relationships we have in our life and I am very grateful that events in mine inspired me to start blogging and to connect with you, Lori and so many other amazing women in the ALI community! xoxo

Though I likely would have made my way here today anyway, I am technically here via PMM and ICLW (#8), just thought I would share since they are both such great blog hops! 🙂
I can’t wait to see what you have written for my first Time Warp Tuesday blog hop tomorrow and will be back here to read and comment then! 🙂

10 loribeth { 09.26.11 at 2:43 pm }

I can’t think of anyone who would deserve a functioning computer more. In fact, I’m amazed at what you have accomplished using an old clunker!!

11 Courtney { 09.26.11 at 3:22 pm }

Wilco is one of my all-time favorite bands and it sounds like it was a fantastic show. And I would have loved to have been a part of that sing-a-long, Jesus, etc. is such a great song! I’m only slightly jealous you got to be…okay, I’m a lot jealous. 😉

12 a { 09.26.11 at 5:06 pm }

There’s always a good story when you and Lori are involved!

Huray for a new computer! I don’t consider a computer working if it freezes up while I’m trying to do something. I can’t believe you suffered through that annoyance for any length of time.

I was unaware that turtle had ears.

13 a { 09.26.11 at 5:06 pm }

*turtles

14 Queenie { 09.26.11 at 7:24 pm }

For someone who totally gets the value of time, I cannot believe that you don’t place a higher value on your own time! Of course the new computer was “necessary.” Good lord, woman, the things you will now be able to accomplish every day–to say nothing about being able to pee whenever you like.

15 Baby Smiling In Back Seat { 09.26.11 at 11:12 pm }

It’s amazing that you have gotten as much done as you have over the past few years with that piece of shit computer. You deserve the state of the art!

When this computer ends its usefulness, maybe the Wolvog will give you a laptop from his company’s first production run.

16 Bea { 09.27.11 at 11:16 am }

Oh my goodness I am so glad you got a new computer, but also scared. What will you do with nothing to slow you down to normal person’s pace? It’s freaking me out a bit.

Bea

17 Dora { 09.28.11 at 12:45 pm }

“I could not imagine living with an ALI blogosphere hole, even if I wasn’t cognizant that it was there.”

AMEN! If I hadn’t started writing my blog, and you hadn’t started writing yours, and then LFCA … then Kathy wouldn’t have clicked on the LFCA link to my blog and Sunshine wouldn’t be my daughter. She might not exist at all. She might still be a frozen embryo, or she might have been transferred and not implanted, etc. And I would be living with a Sunshine hole, “even if I wasn’t cognizant that it was there.” Getting choked up thinking about this.

MWAH to you, to Lori, and the entire ALI blogosphere.

18 Lori Lavender Luz { 09.28.11 at 10:55 pm }

I love the interconnectedness Dora talks about, and the HUGE implications we have for each other.

19 St. Elsewhere { 09.29.11 at 10:30 am }

Well, then thank God you got the new PC! The old one was torturous.

Glad you got to meet Lori, and I so hear you when you talk of ‘what other holes might exist’.

20 Calliope { 09.29.11 at 10:52 am }

So nice you guys got to hang out!

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