Only Dogs Can Hear

Overheard on the train

Still having a rough time finding time and internet access to post.  I finish with orientation on the 21st and I move into my own place in September.  I expect things to get a little less insane at that point.  What with an actual work station and some self direction as far as scheduling as well as a regularly available evening internet connection that will be mine once I move, I should have all the time and access I need. 

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you a little story.  A true story.  Something that I tried hard not to overhear on the metro the other day.  I was on the metro on my way back to the place I'm currently inhabiting after watching Julie and Julia.  I really did enjoy it, such fun! 

These two guys boarded the train just a stop after me and sat right behind me.  One of them proceeded to inform the other over and over again, "I'm so fucked.  So very fucked.  You can't believe how fucked I am," and so forth and so on and on and on.  I tried to block him out.  But with all the profanity it wasn't easy.  And the volume with which he was sharing the extent to which his girlfriend was not happy with him.  I can't say that I blame her for any annoyance she may have felt that day or on any other day with him.  Then for a while their volume fell enough for me to refocus on my book. 

At some point though, their conversation picked up a few decibels and I was unhappily aware of it again.  The offending boyfriend was telling the other that he'd be in a better position with his (unlucky) girlfriend if they just had a kid and she could see what a great dad he'd be.  There was some chatter on this point.  I think it's because the other guy seemed to have kids and they were really positive for his relationship.  Then the bad boyfriend said, "I should switch her birth control pills out.  Then once she's pregnant she'll have to stay with me.  Yes, that's what I'll do, switch out her pills.  That's a brilliant idea!"  Much laughter ensued from both men.  I felt myself get up, as though it were an instinct, to move to the other end of the car.

I was horrified by the exchange.  They didn't even seem like they were joking.  And the volume and disrespect of the whole thing was terrible.  I don't often react so strongly.  I knew though, that I didn't want to be anywhere near those two.  Not for another second.  Now why would you get on the train, sit directly behind a woman on her own and have that kind of a conversation? 

City Hall

I know, second day of posting about Pride and San Francisco.  Hard not to think about it though.  K recently mused about Amy Ray's song Laramie: "the killing of Matthew Shephard is often dismissed as the actions of a few intolerant red necks or just a problem in rural America. She rejects this explanation and sings about the difference between tolerance and acceptance.  'A little addition' could refer to that extra effort required to transform one into the other. It could also simply refer to the simple logic (2+2=4) underlying the current struggle for equality in our country."

Here's a little love song (by Vienna Teng) to San Francisco and Gavin Newsom who is certainly a revolutionary in his own right.  I saw her sing it in San Francisco.  I've never heard people join in with such enthusiasm with a performer before, not even at an Indigo Girls concert.  This version is from a show in NYC.  Enjoy.

Unisex

Some venues are better suited to the disproportionately female crowd at an Indigo Girls' concert than others.  The theater itself was great...but an even number of men's and women's toilets just doesn't make sense.  Last night, one of the men's rooms quickly became a unisex room to help the long lines of full bladdered ladies move faster.  

I decided to use the unisex option just before the Indigo Girls took the stage.  So there I was, waiting in this ridiculous line for one of three stalls in what was usually a men's room with a long row of perfectly pristine looking urinals standing completely under-utilized along the opposite wall.  I looked at the woman behind me, gestured to the urinals and said, "I'm really tempted..."  She said, "What the hell?" 

Using the urinal did result in a little stage fright due to the staring audience.  In my defense, I was pretty exposed.  In the end, though, it was totally satisfying not only because I jumped the line without (pardon the pun) pissing anyone off, but when we pulled our pants up to leave, every woman in that line applauded.   

A lesson in birthday surprises

A couple of weeks ago K and I went to a happy hour event with a bunch of friends in his grad program. 

One of the women near me says, hey you guys really like the Indigo Girls right?  Did you know they're performing in Sacramento next month? 

Their new album had just come out and K had been badgering me to listen to it a bunch lately, really nagging.  I turn to K (on the far side of the group) and say (meaningfully), hey did you know the Indigo Girls are coming to Sacramento next month?

This is a ridiculous question.  K gets regular updates delivered directly to his inbox on Indigo Girls' tour dates.  Of course he knows.  More to the point: why hasn't he mentioned it and why don't we already have tickets?  These are the questions that he proceeds to answer.

K heaves a big sigh turns to look at his friend and says, yeah, I did know they were coming to Sacramento.  Maybe I've already bought tickets as a surprise for SOMEONE's birthday. 

Poor girl still turns red and apologizes every time she sees me.

Robbie Williams

K wanted to listen to something 'old' this weekend.  I think it was Friday or Saturday night.  I knew what he meant.  Something that we used to listen to, that we haven't heard in a while.  I put on Robbie Williams.  When we lived in Nairobi we were members at this gym that had a massive tv in the cardio room.  That tv was nearly exclusively set on MTV Europe.  Not always the best music selection to be sure, but we loved every single Robbie Williams video* we ever saw.   

We danced and laughed around the kitchen to Robbie Williams for a half hour, so much fun.  Music is a really big part of our memories.  Certain albums correspond to very specific moments in our lives over the past 7 or so years.  Listening to Robbie Williams this weekend reminded me of our apartment on School Lane in Westlands (Nairobi).  It was bright and sunny and spacious.  And we would throw open all the windows and doors, turn up the stereo and bask.  I miss those days.

*Some of them weren't released in the US, or were released censored, because the content was somehow objectionable.  Like this one.

Quote of the evening

I seriously cannot remember the name of the first band that played on Saturday night.  I do remember the lead singer saying this:

We're now going to do a little number for that well known feminist peace-nik Theodore Haggard.

Amy Ray week-day 7 SLC Radio

We'll definitely hear this song tonight.  From SLC Radio:

Way down in the deep south
I got the bible belt blues
I want to shake these chains off
What have I got to lose?
I said everybody across this nation
Stand with me
And your community station
What have you got to lose?

Amy Ray week-day 6 Give In

From Give In:

Don't give me a reason
Don't give me a break
Just give me the loneliness
Of my own mistakes
And if it falls like a judgment
On everything that we are
Then it's just useless
Something we should discard
What's yours what's mine
Lets put it aside
And give in
Are you afraid
Does it get in the way
Of everything that wants to last
Everything that wants to stay
With all your might
Could you put it aside
And give in
With all my might
I could never put you aside

Amy Ray week-day 5 She's Got To Be

From She's Got To Be:

She's got to be with me always
To make sense of the skin I'm in
Sometimes it gets dangerous
And lonely to defend
Marking time with every change
It's hard to love this woman in me

She's the one that stills the seas
Finds the truth in this anarchy
Dives the depth of every age
Keeps this body and knows the shape

I will love I will protect this love
It was hard to get
I will love and I will protect this love
And it's anarchy

Amy Ray week-day 4 Three County Highway

About half the songs on an Indigo Girls album are written by Amy Ray, half by Emily Saliers.  This one was written by Amy Ray.  From Three County Highway:

One day I'm gonna make it up to you,
one day we're gonna laugh instead of cry.
One day I'm coming home to stay, it's true,
and baby, that's the last ticket I'm ever gonna buy.
It's been a warm winter and a cold spring,
everywhere I've been has felt wrong to me.
So put your head on my heart and lay down in the crook of my arm.
Everything's okay, I've been found again, I've been found again.