Observation Unrecorded

 What a beautiful fall day; it is very breezy, but with a temp of 78°F, it is hardly worth noting. 

I've not posted for a very long time--six months, to be exact. The spring, summer and most of fall has gone by. Indeed, I'm still here, which is pretty obvious since you are reading this. 

And if you are reading this, thank you for visiting. You must really want to be here because I'm not posting the link for my blog on social media anymore (in fact, I don't even look at social media anymore), I'm just posting for myself (and anyone who cares to read). I like journaling. I like keeping tabs on ideas and current events and looking back on them in context. 

I just finished a book today, Undaunted Courage by acclaimed historian, Stephen E. Ambrose. The subtitle of the book is Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson and the Opening of the American West. I purchased the book while on vacation in Cody, Wyoming, this summer (I bought a whole bunch of books on that vacation!). I've been reading it for multiple weeks (I am a notoriously slow reader); essentially it is about the history surrounding the Lewis and Clark Expedition, with special emphasis on Lewis and Jefferson. 

The odd part is I finished reading it on the day Lewis died (today, October 11th), exactly 213 years later. 

Anyway, excellent book. I looked forward to reading it every single day. My interest in Corps of Discovery (the official name of the Lewis and Clark Expedition) piqued after visiting an interpretive center near Washburn, North Dakota, last year, where the Expedition spent the winter of 1804-05, near the Mandan villages. I purchased the Lewis and Clark journals while at the interpretive center, which I am going to read at some point.

~

Our upstairs bathroom is still not complete. A new shower is being installed (after waiting some 16 months for a plumber) only to find the main piece for the surround was damaged in the box. We contacted the company (Lyons) and they sent a new piece, no questions asked--great customer service. Now, two weeks later, we are still waiting for the surround to be installed.

Still not done...

I spent the 53rd birthday in Walker, MN. A quick getaway. Enjoyed the crisp air and beautiful fall colors on Walker Bay of Leech Lake. Also enjoyed the fantastic beer of Portage Brewing. 

Walker City Dock, near Chase on the Lake Hotel in Walker, MN

Of course it is football season and I've greatly enjoyed watching my son play. He's really improved this year and he seems to really enjoy playing. My daughter is really active in school: member of student council, theater department stage manager, plays in the pep band, symphony and jazz band. They are my source of eternal pride and happiness.

Seven tackles that day!

She's become "famous" for her frog hat during pep band

Some times I get in on the act at football games. It's a pretty good view from here.

Well, there's a quick update. I suppose I am a bit motivated to jot something down since the passage of yet another birthday. It always seems like a good reset. Plus, I read a quote from Undaunted Courage last night that struck me: "Observation unrecorded is knowledge lost." (James P. Ronda)

Now, if I could just keep at it for 21 days. They say it takes 21 days to form a habit.

We'll see.

Oh, What a Night!

 You may have noticed my posts are running few and far between again; part of this is because I don't have a ton of time to sit and write something I feel is worth reading; secondly, my life is actually pretty damn boring. We really don't do much.

But this past week, we finally did something...

We had a great time in Fargo this past Wednesday. I bought tickets for Jersey Boys way back in November 2021 and we waited through five long months of winter for this show. I figured going to an award-winning musical gave us something to look forward to--a little reward for making it through another crappy Minnesota winter.

Timing, as they say, is everything...

Sure enough, one of the biggest blizzards North Dakota has seen in years plowed through the state this week, suddenly putting our chances of seeing this production in major jeopardy. 

Well, this time we got lucky (mark it down because it doesn't happen often) and the snow kept to the west by about 50 miles. I got email confirmation on Tuesday that the show was on!

The show...

I suppose just about everyone knows the story of Jersey Boys: it tells the tale of The Four Seasons (Frankie Valli, Tommy DeVito, Nick Massi and Bob Gaudio); their rise to the top of the music world, their inevitable downfall (and rise to the top again!). When I was a kid I remember listening to the Four Seasons ("Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like a Man") marvelling at their harmonies and loving the songs. About 30 years ago I bought their double CD greatest hits compilation and played it constantly. To be fair, I am biased. I love this group.

But back to Fargo...

We had a great pre-show dinner at Lucky's 13 (superb Bloody Mary's--a bit sweeter than how I make them, but delicious nonetheless). Then we were off to the Fargodome, which had been modified for Broadway into the Gate City Bank Theatre (I have to credit my daughter, Ava, for taking most of the following pictures; I rely on my memory to recall the experience, which I suppose is a bit old fashioned).

A goofy "vacation photo op." Fargo did not disappoint; it was as cold and windy as ever. Spring definitely was not in the air.

It was difficult to judge exactly how many theatergoers were in attendance; the Gate City Bank Theatre has a capacity of 3,500, so my best guess was close to 2,500. I am also guessing that quite a few folks simply could not make it to the show because of the heavy snow and high winds pummeling the rest of the state. Not only that, the interstate from Dickinson to Jamestown was closed. Travel was literally impossible.

Our seats were fantastic: main floor, six rows from the stage... and my daughter (who loves live theater) proceeded to complain because it was too crowded (life with a teenager... argh!). Luckily, once the house lights dimmed she forgot about it.

The show started about fifteen minutes late, but it was worth the wait. The musical itself was absolutely stellar. The four principle actors--all from Broadway--were flawless in their performances (honestly, the entire cast was terrific). And yes, they sang live (yes, I watched closely) and the backing band performed live (yes, I watched closely). I didn't hear a single clam the entire night. 

But one thing I wasn't expecting was the colorful vocabulary, even though we were warned about it before the show started; the language was even described as a "special effect," which made me chuckle: 

We were warned.

"Authentic, profane, Jersey vocabulary" is right. I could hear the pearl clutchers gasp toward the beginning of the show when Frankie's girlfriend berated him for taking a stage name "Vally." 

You can't end your name with a 'Y', Frankie. A 'Y' doesn't know what the fuck it wants. 'Am I a consonant? Am I a vowel? What the fuck am I?' You need to end your name with an 'I'. V-a-l-l-i. That says, 'I'm Frankie Valli. With an 'I'. If you don't like it, you can go fuck yourself." 

And the colorful language just kept a-coming. But I found it actually added to the story, rather than detract. It made the performances more authentic. After all, the real members of the Four Seasons were not exactly choirboys; most of them did jail time (more than once) and they all had ties with shady characters whose names also ended in vowels, if you know what I mean.

A very simple stage design. But with a show this good, an elaborate set wasn't needed. The band performed underneath the catwalk, hidden before the show by the black screens.

I was also pleasantly surprised that the musical didn't focus solely on Frankie Valli. Each member of the group got a fair shake in the spotlight, especially Bob Gaudio. 

Gaudio was the group's main songwriter and I believe his name is often shamefully overlooked on the list of great songwriters of the 20th century. The man was a hit making machine, and Jersey Boys does well to give him his due. (My son told me he was going to look up more music by him. I told him that was an excellent idea!)

In fact, during his final monologue, Gaudio's character says, "I like to look back on it all and think that none of this could have been possible . . . without me." That line got the biggest response of the evening; applause, shouts, hollers, whistles, the whole shebang.

After 2 1/2 hours, the show concluded with yet another huge hit, "Who Loves You" (the whole show was hit after hit after hit... to Bob Gaudio's credit!) and a well-deserved standing ovation. 

And yes, my crab apple daughter had a huge smile on her face. 😁

Spring? Really?

 There are rumors circulating that spring has sprung. I missed it. I was on call this weekend and missed the alleged beautiful weather we had.

To pour salt on the wound, my dear friends kept sending me Snaps of their excursions to assorted breweries over the weekend. I should receive some sort of worker's compensation for that. Seriously.

I spent part of the week completely alone, which was very weird for me. No wife, no kids, not even a dog. The whole damn family went to Mandan, ND, for spring break (no beaches, but lots of wind). They fared better this time than last time they went (three years ago?). Last time they all came home sick. So far, they have been spared the wrath of any nasty North Dakota bugs.

Neil waiting for the jab.

Our kids are now fully vaccinated. Please refrain from your political comments/personal freedom/'Murica bullshit here. This isn't about politics or misguided "patriotism." This is about two kids who have nurses for parents and one of them (me) is exposed to COVID all the time. Plus, we like to go to live theater/musicals and many places won't allow you through the door without proof of vaccination. And you know what? It's the right thing to do. 

My daughter finally got to celebrate her 16th birthday with a group of her friends (a month late, but when Mom and Dad both work, compromises must be made). We had a sleepover here and the house remained remarkably intact. Her birthday party was cowboy themed (she's got a thing for cowboys), complete with cowboy hats, sheriff's badges, tin pans for grub and enough bandanas to make an '80s band blush.

The cowboy themed spread...

Pepsi, milk and Pop Tarts: the breakfast of champions.

My band has added a couple more shows to this summer's itinerary. Our June gigs are filled up. We now have three summer festivals in July; we could play every weekend this summer if we wanted to. It is nice to be in demand!

So, between a much-needed vacation in August (to Cody, Wyoming. Why? Because my daughter wants to see the "Wild West." I told you she's got a thing for cowboys), working a weekend (or two) of call, and taking a couple camping trips, the summer is almost completely filled up already. 

A few days ago, I started reading Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis. He also wrote the controversial The Last Temptation of Christ, which is one of the best novels I've ever read -- certainly in my top ten (I didn't find it blasphemous in the least, but that's strictly my opinion). Zorba the Greek is translated from Greek (as was The Last Temptation of Christ), so it is a little muddled in spots, which I bear in mind as I'm reading. But I'm enjoying it. I love any good fiction.

Well, not much more to say right now. I think I should get outside and enjoy the remainder of this beautiful spring day. It is supposed to turn rainy/wintry tomorrow. 

Photo by Ava