Other People's Kids

Set Break (Updated)

I gathered the crowd in the kitchen. Tasha was indisposed, busy laying and looking at the wall in the dining room, but Willy and Mitch were rearing to go. I even put a bandanna around Mitch's neck so he would look like a rock fan.

I tuned up the audio equipment (the computer), grabbed the microphone (wooden spoon), turned to face the gallery, and launched into my set:

Don't Treat Me Bad (Firehouse)
Mony Mony (Billy Idol's remake)
Like a Rock (Bob Seger)
Pour Some Sugar on Me (Def Leppard)
Working For the Weekend (Loverboy)
Livin' on a Prayer (Bon Jovi)

It was when I got to the high notes on "Prayer" that I had a very distressing vocal incident. I did well through the first three. I couldn't hit the high notes, but then I never can. I hadn't broken into any coughing fits from trying make my voice all raggedy-cool like the rock stars, which was a switch, and I was going strong. I had a few weaker moments and could tell I was losing it in "Sugar", but "Working" brought me back strong.

Don't--just don't--try to sing Livin' on a Prayer near the end of your set when your voice isn't fresh. You're just inviting the voice demons into your mouth to rip your vocal chords out of your throat and show them to you. Especially if you're a hair-band geek like me who can't seem to stop once you've started.

Assuming I can continue, I have quite an ambitious second set planned:

I've Got My Mind Set on You (George Harrison)
It's So Easy (Guns n Roses)
What About Love (Heart)
Dude Looks Like a Lady (Aerosmith)
Centerfold (J. Giles Band)
Carry On Wayward Son (Kansas)
Lick it Up (Kiss)

I have a lot more, but if "Dude Looks Like a Lady" doesn't take me out early for the night, "Lick It Up" certainly will later. Paul Stanley rawks.

At that point, I will continue the Matrix-a-thon I started earlier this evening. I'm gonna get through the first two films at least, and if I'm not wiped at that point I may pause for another set of fine classic Rock n Roll, and then the third. My boss probably won't get his money's worth in the morning, but I don't get a chance like this every week.

Foster moms out there take note: if you leave your husband in the house alone without the foster kids, he may well lose his mind. But hey, it could be worse, right? I mean, some guys left to their own devices might invite friends over, swill Old Milwaukee and Jack Daniels and trash the place. I just have one dirty pot in the sink and two confused-looking dogs sitting here looking at me and wondering if they should be helping me get over my fit somehow. And barring that, if they could just please have their damn supper now.

Ooh, one last note, I almost forgot. In fact, I did forget to mention it to The Wife, but I guess she'll read it here...

Last night I went fishing with "Josie". It was nice. She was depressed over what she perceived as her friend lying to her (reality may differ...your mileage may vary, but I've found that just listening and commiserating is the best thing to do in a case like this).

She out-caught me again, which she seems to do every time. Often enough that she's even stopped ribbing me about it. But oh, dear me, the one that got away. Heh. Yes, indeed, the one that got away.

She completely freaked out, and in turn freaked me out, when she saw what was probably about a 15-pound carp swim out from under the dock. Mind you, we had on about 4-pound test line on our rods, if that. The basic line that comes with a cheap rod. She decided she was going to catch it. I told her she was nuts. She'd never get a carp to bite on a spinner bait (if you're a fisherperson, you know that carp don't usually bite on artificial lures), and even if she did manage to snag it the line would break in about a tenth of a second. She wouldn't listen, and dangled her bait in front of it.

The carp reached up and chomped down on her spinner. My jaw dropped. "Josie" screamed. The carp started away. "Josie" screamed for me to take the rod. I began to laugh and told her to reel in her own fish. The line broke. "Josie" dropped the rod on the dock, stepped back, and screamed again. I broke out laughing like I have not been able to laugh in a couple weeks. "Josie" showed me her quivering arms, l laughed some more, and finally she started to laugh.

Oh, my, how we laughed. It was good to get some quality, focused time with "Josie", and I think it was good for her to get out of "Angel's" shadow for awhile. I think there's been a little understandable jealousy there.

I've been warned about spending time alone with her...false allegations by a cute 15-year-old girl against a 38-year-old man being easy and all that. But The Wife and I have talked about it and while it does make us nervous, "Josie" just doesn't seem the type to play those kinds of games...her problems lie in different directions, it seems to me. I judge it worth the risk to be able to be a closer friend to her.

I'm already hampered by the normal generation gap stuff and the necessary distance and formality of a relationship between a kid and a non-parent adult. I'm willing to chance it. Especially when I get to see her scream like she did last night. We lost a spinner bait, but that was a bargain at any price.

UPDATE: Those two blonde ghost-guys in Matrix: Reloaded are really, deeply cool. I had forgotten about them. When my time comes to leave this world, I'd like it very much if I could just become one of them, please.

posted by Dan @ 6:28 PM