I'm sorry if I sound a little hyper this morning!
the customer service rep told me over the phone.
I'm just really excited 'cause I just won concert tickets in a contest!
Nice!
I said.
You do sound very happy! What concert?
It's, umm, Lady Gaga. I don't really know her music. But I won three tickets and free parking to her show tonight.
Wow.
I said.
You are in for a good time!
Actually,
she said.
I just gave them away to one of my co-workers. He's a nice guy and he's gonna take his wife and someone else.
Oh. My. Goodness.
I said.
You GAVE AWAY your tickets?
Yep.
she said proudly. All three of them. And they're luxury box seats.
Whoa.
I said.
You are one cool person. I hope they are appropriately appreciative.
Well,
she said.
I don't really know her music, and what I'm really into is travel, and I know they'll really enjoy it.
Oh?
I said.
Any trips coming up?
Yep!
she said.
Next week I'm going to New Orleans, and then in September we're going to Puerto Rico, and then to the Dominican Republic in November, and somewhere in there I'm hoping to sneak in Vegas. That's what I'm into. All my extra money goes into traveling.
That,
I said.
is really neat. Have a great time, and I hope a lot of good things happen to you in the near future.
Thank you!
she said.
And then she helped me with the boring phone stuff I called about in the first place.
(if you check out the going price of tickets at First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York for Lady Gaga's show tonight, you will begin to comprehend just how generous this gift was that she passed along. pretty cool. be nice to the customer service people today )
How was your 4th?
I asked the barista.
Oh, good.
she said.
I had the day off, so I just hung out with some friends and drank wine. It was good.
Right on.
I said.
So, anything to look forward to after the holiday?
She smiled big.
Actually, yes! I'm going down to California this week to surprise my best friend!
Cool!
I said.
So...does she have time off, or how will that work?
Well,
she said.
Her sisters are in on it, so they had her take time off from work. She thinks she's just going away for the weekend, but...I'm going to surprise her!
That is so rad,
I said.
Yeah.
she said.
Have a safe trip wherever you're going!
Thank you,
I said.
I am not going to Santa Cruz now, but I will have fun driving.
I want to be a person people are ecstatic to share their good news with.
The exultation on Jonny's face yesterday at finally seeing his niece for the first time: even the greatest actor in the world* could not fake that depth of emotion.
Dylan unplugging, or the Sox kidney-punching karma en route to the Series, or that Galileean jogging on water: moments in history you'd love to be a part of.
Yeah, it was very neat to see Magdelana meet up with Speedo-gospelizing Uncle Jonny. Although she saves her most joyful shrieks to share with her dad at 3am, it was evident from her squawking and gleeful grunting that they will be quite the buddies for some time to come.
Jonny is quite anxious to teach her martial arts, although he knows none himself.
Magdelana Snippets over the last week:
new favorite activity as of last Monday: showers. hilarious. so much fun.
music: loving Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Bach and Silversun Pickups. still not caring for Charlie Parker.
started French on CD. French? Couldn't find our Norwegian, German, or Mandarin audio classes
first bottle this evening. same course, different presentation, chugged it like a Dublin thug.
*Martin Short
Friday night. 9:30 pm. Joseph, Becca, and Maggie wrapping up a quiet Friday evening, post-enchiladas, twelve minutes into Last of the Mohicans score. Doorbell rings.
Joseph grumpily shuffles over to answer. Opens. Shrieks. I mean, Yells (because men are supposed to yell, I vaguely recall). Shrieks something very loud that he probably should regret, particularly with M drooled across his arm. But no regrets. Time and a place, you know.
For The Joshua had arrived, unannounced, unexpected by anyone. A ghost in the freakin' night. An Alaskan bush ghost with a harem of tattoos, fertilized facial hair, and the biggest corny grin this side of Lloyd Christmas. Wasn't supposed to see his niece for another two months, but couldn't wait so took a 52-hour trip from the Great North to holiday with Burt. He calls her Burt. Which is cool. No one else does.
So they had a grand time. We all did. Uncle Joshie and Burt crammed in some serious bonding, although Burt's mother isn't quite convinced that she needs a tattoo before her first birthday.
One of the coolest surprises I've ever experienced. Almost as good as the time I got a BB gun for Christmas, even though mee mum hated guns. Still does.
Sasha, Josh's special friend, was a delightful surprise as well. Verdicts are coming in fast that Josh is a fortunate dude, this writer's verdict included.
Was so cool.
Note: her first video will be appearing soon. A chronicle of the first 11 days. Keep you posted.
