R-O-C-K In The USA

First, a few odds and ends:

Did I ever show & tell Luke's baby hat? I finished it a few days ago and have cast on for the sweater. I was going to do the mitts next, but I needed to order the correct size DPNs from DROPS first. They've gotten here, but I'm already embroiled in sweater Fair Isle work, and I'm not really one to have several different projects going at once.  Anyway, here's the wee hat. It's so soft and cute. I hope it looks darling on him.

Remember this painting? You can look back from when it finally arrived to now that we - at last - have it up on the wall, and see that the yellow fish has moved. Rob seems to think that hanging it up knocked that heart in the bottom right out of place, too, but it looks to me like it had already fallen when it got here. So we're sending it back to be fixed. For Pete's sake. They are very apologetic over there in Britto-World and are going to pay for all shipping and repairs, at least. I just hope it doesn't take another eternity to get it back.



I am kind of in the doldrums lately for one reason or another, and I haven't been very productive at all. But I did manage to make up some yummy pizza dip. Tabitha and her daughter have brought it to Bunco a few times, and I love it. This is the third time I've made it - it's the Pampered Chef recipe and it's online if you want to look it up - and finally it turned out just right. Rob and I devoured the whole thing in two days with some whole-wheat crackers. Yumma!

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So, last night's concert.

Of course, you're not allowed to bring cameras into these things, so this is what I got with my celly. (And then we saw at least half a dozen people there with humongous cameras and lenses - how did they get in?!) So up there, one of those is the John Mellencamp set (with the lighter background), one is Willie Nelson, and one is Bob Dylan.

At least Rob brought binoculars so he could enjoy himself and see a little better:


And that he did.

First, The Wiyos opened for the three headliners. I loved their sound! Very cool harmonies and fun melodies. In fact, they turned out to be my favorite act of the night. I would have bought their CD, but it's not in the budget right now. So, I shall stalk them on Project Playlist and maybe add a few singles from iTunes. Check 'em out!

Willie Nelson played next. He's getting on in years, and it's showing, so he played a pretty short set. His pipes are still magnificent, though, projecting that clear signature sound. He talked to the crowd a lot and seemed really pleased with all the fans' adoration. Rob had seen him 2 or 3 times before, so I guess that's why he got up then to get drinks and the t-shirt I insisted he must get himself. (Never mind that he got himself an $8 beer instead of the $4 Coke I was expecting. Whatev.)  Anyway, Willie threw out a number of bandanas into the crowd below and kicked the occasional wayward beach ball back out to them, too. He was fun.

John Mellencamp came out next, and his was the longest and most energetic set by far. (What ever happened to the Cougar?) He played some songs we knew and some we didn't, but they were all good. He didn't play this post's title song or "Jack and Diane," though, so I was a little disappointed, but he was still great. He's a huge dork, though! We realized he's a bit stuck in the 80s when he kept pumping his fist to the music and jumping wildly in the air to get the band to stop. It was cool that he was so into the music, though, and the fans loved it.

Bob Dylan closed the show. Rob was peeing himself over getting to see him, so I was really excited to just sit back and watch him. He's a huge Dylan fan. (My man does not listen to young people's music, nosiree.) I really don't know Bob Dylan stuff, except for a few obvious hits like "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" and "Lay Lady Lay," but really, he was absolutely unintelligible last night. I quipped on Facebook that I wouldn't want to be Robert Zimmermann's court stenographer at his trial, but apparently no one understood that was about Dylan. He's not known for his vocal clarity, but when we were driving home after the show, our local radio station (Bob FM) was playing a "concert rewind," and they played songs from all three acts' sets last night. Every time a Dylan song came on, I said to Rob, "He sang this one?" and Rob was like, "I guess, I didn't think so..." and wasn't sure! I thought it was absolutely hysterical. Not to crack on Dylan, but, well, I guess I am cracking on Dylan. It's just not my thing.

And throughout the show, I knitted. Until my yarn got tangled up in a huge ball from being dumping in my purse. I didn't get a whole lot done, but I got through all the ribbing at the bottom of the sweater, which I find tedious. Especially on circular needles. I'd zip through this thing much faster on my straights, but I don't have the right size and I've already bought 6 sets of needles for this project! So circs it is. Lots of people looked askance at my knitting during a concert, but hey. It's not exactly like I was jumping up and down on my feet the whole time, and I would have been stressed about the wasted time. I put my circs down to clap when appropriate, and I cheered and hollered a few times, too, so I was still "present."

Anyway.

When we got to Linda's at almost midnight (and we'd dropped the kids off at 1600!), Sophia was passed the eff out, Jack was fighting sleep in Tony's arms, and Chloë was quietly watching a movie. Tony likes to bed down early, so he was relieved when we finally got there. Linda doesn't have texting so I couldn't tell her we were still at the concert, but she didn't call so I wasn't too worried about it. Rob carried the sleeping babe into the car, and I hustled the others out while chatting with the ever-loquacious Linda.


The older kids managed to get upstairs into their bed, but Rob lay down with Sophie on the couch and fell asleep next to/ on top of her. It was pretty sweet. I absolutely love looking at my sleeping children. When I showed these pictures to Sophia today, she thought it was hilarious that she had her hand down her shorts! Hey, I sometimes sleep like that too to keep my arm from flopping around.

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I stayed up all night last night, and I didn't fall asleep until 0900. I slept 'til about 1500 while Rob and the kids worked on his truck and played outside. And guess what? Hallelujah, his truck is running again!!!  He still needs to get in inspected, so I'm biting my  nails over that one. And he can't get a base sticker (or, well, drive it) until it passes inspection, so he still has Vanna. But that's a huge step in the right direction, and I'm ecstatic!

I don't have any other news from today, 'cause I fell asleep again around 1730 and slept for nearly four hours. Heh. Guess tomorrow will be catch-up-on-laundry-and-housework day, since the pool's closed on Mondays.

And with that, I bid you adieu.

Fin.