Great weekend!

Wow, we had SUCH a wonderful weekend that I'm sorry to see it winding down into the beginning of a new work week.  Friday morning started with me successfully rescuing a doggy-girl; as I pulled out of our garage to depart for work, I saw a dog running loose through our yard.  She was loping across the subdivision entrance drag as well as the main street perpendicular to it, and although that street is not exactly busy, because of that people tend to zoom down it very speedily - and it's curvy. When she saw me, though, she crossed both streets again and started chasing my car.  I was worried - what if she got hit?  I pulled over at a turn lane that doesn't go anywhere - it was going to be a turn into a new subdivision just past mine which never happened because of the recession.  She was loping along the other side of the road.  I started calling, "Here girl!  Here sweetie!  C'mere girl!"

I was pretty sure she was a girl because I thought I recognized her as a neighbor's dog, Sally, that had escaped and wound up in our yard, and even once in the passenger seat of Alan's car before.  He was leaving for work and she ran up, leapt into his car and was all happy and excited like, "Yeah! Here I am! I'm ready!  Where we goin'?!?" - and I thought it was the same dog but wasn't sure as the other incidents had been quite a while ago.  I got her to come across the road to me without incident; she was wearing a harness and trailing a leash, so while I gave pets and praise, I was retrieving the leash.  About this time, a white pickup came screaming down the road and came to a halt a few dozen yards behind me.  It was her dad, who'd realized she had escaped and been hot in pursuit, with sliced deli turkey in his pocket to tempt her back.  So I returned her to her owner and we chatted briefly (he's pretty taciturn) but he thanked me profusely for stopping to rescue her - which I was thrilled to do and glad she'd come to me, and the day was off to a good start.

After work, we had dinner reservations here, which is a very special occasion deal for us, not an 'it's Friday and I don't want to cook' place - special.  They've won Zagat's rating for years and years, and again in 2012, best steakhouse in America.  Not Atlanta, America.  It is so fabulous, I can't even describe it except to quote Lance from Pulp Fiction:  "But you will know where that extra hundred went!" (except it's more than AN extra hundred dollars but it's so gastronomically fabulous, it won't matter!)  For starters I had the beef carpaccio and Alan had the Bone's salad.  I had the 8oz. filet and he had the bone-in aged rib-eye.
A Bone's steak is a thing of beauty.

We shared the hash browns and onion rings and for dessert, warm pecan pie for him and fruit-garnished creme brulee for me.












There might have also been some choice Cabernet from Napa and a snort of The MacAllen for me, and Pelligrino for him.  YUM.  Tom Robbins writes, "There are only two mantras, yuk and yum.  Mine is yum."  Tom, I gotta agree.

Saturday, our bloated bodies slept a little later than usual and eschewed our normal errands because we were going to a concert here.  It was going to be a long show with several bands.  We were going because we wanted to see Wilco, Alan's favorite band.  It was a full bill, however, with Bob Weir opening, then My Morning Jacket, then Wilco, then Bob Freakin' Dylan.  Honestly, we went to hear Wilco although considering he is a founding member of The Grateful Dead, it was great to have the opportunity to hear Bob Weir, and considering what an incredible icon he is of America and of music, how could you not embrace the opportunity to hear Bob Dylan???  I'd not really heard much of My Morning Jacket; occasionally there would be something on satellite radio and I'd look over to the screen to identify it, and see it was X Title by My Morning Jacket, so I was aware they were a band, I knew they existed, but I wasn't really familiar with many songs.

The concert itself was a mixed bag.  We arrived early and found that my pre-order, which I'd understood to be 5th row (YAY!) was in fact "V.I.P" seating and we were right in front - I mean, RIGHT in front.

See how close we were?  I wasn't using zoom lens.

Yeah, I'm standing behind one set of people, the only ones between us and the stage.

See that gray-haired bearded dude over here on the right?  Alan thought he was the older, experienced guitar tech guru, but no - that's actually Bob Weir, founding member of The Grateful Dead.




This is a picture I took of Alan with the stage in background.  These were really good seats.  Except they weren't, er, actual seats, as such - we were in the mosh pit.  No seats, as it were - not that there was much moshing during Wilco and Bob Dylan.

It was very hot and crowded, which heat isn't fun, I hate sweating and I hate crowds - but we had such good seats that I didn't want to leave for more water and not get back to our choice SRO area.

My Morning Jacket did a great set which made me want to look into more of their music.  Often, when the opening band is not one with which I'm familiar, I'm just sitting there thinking, "Oh, for gods' sake get this over with, I want to hear [Band]", but I quite enjoyed their set and we are planning on checking out and buying more of their music.

Then Wilco.  AT LAST, what we'd come to hear.  They played many songs they don't often play which are among Alan's favorites, but only played three I like.  Well, I don't exactly dislike the others, just that I'd hoped for more of my favorites.  (Handshake Drugs?  I'm looking at you.)  But.  BUT!  They played my #2 favorite Wilco song EVAH, which I'd never heard them do live before EVAH, so that was incredibly wonderful.  I was so glad they played that song, which is not generally in regular live concert rotation.  And Wilco is infinitely incredible live.  So glad I got to hear that set.

The whole time, I'm wilting in the heat and my legs are cramping after standing on hard concrete for 4.5 hours now, which I can't stretch because people are pushing in so tight, but I'm not complaining because MONDAY!

Then Bob Dylan came on, whom I'd never seen in concert before, and he's such an incredible American icon, such a musical legend - and I was getting to see him!  Holy crap!  We were pretty sure we saw Lenny Kravitz off to our right; it was true as he later Tweeted that Bob had gifted him his F harmonica and that he was humbled and blessed.  We thought it was him so the confirmation was cool - and good on you for the collectible harp, Lenny!  Bob's set was mostly his later stuff, more bluegrass-y as I hear it, though that might not be the opinion of those more musically inclined.  But the sixth song into his set list, he played my very most favorite Bob Dylan song EVAH!  (Am I misusing the EVAH?!?  I'll stop.) I heart "Tangled Up In Blue".  Yes, my hair is still red.

By this time I was so hot, uncomfortable, legs cramping, back hurting, but HELL!.  Bob Dylan.  Tangled Up In Blue!  Alan kept urging me to depart, I kept refusing, but finally with a couple of songs to go, we left, collapsed in the food court with some waters and then went home.  My legs were so shaky, after doing nothing but standing still for six hours - whether that's heat or age, I do not like to speculate.  I'd had a Corona when we arrived, but nothing but water afterward; still, once we started to leave, I was SO shaky, and leaning on Alan - I flopped down at a picnic table scared security would think I was drunk, which I wasn't - heat mostly, I think, and muscles still ached this morning through errands - but who cares?!?  Because still!  I got to hear Bob Dylan live doing my favorite song of his, "Tangled Up In Blue", which not many people can say that because even if they could say that because they were there to hear him, they were too high or too LSD-trippin to know they were there and could say that!

Which on a side note, why is it every time I go to a concert, no matter who it is or where it is, I wind up next to the one dude that's chain-smoking reefer?  Why?!?