25 Years Ago Tonight

 This being Joe McIntyre's 52nd birthday, the math reminded me that 25 years ago today Lisa and I flew to Boston to see him in concert!

Technically, we flew out on the 30th. I sold some of my savings bonds to come up with the airfare, and with fares being dirt cheap (everyone was afraid planes would fall from the sky with the Y2K bug looming on New Years) that was enough to pull it off. 

We stayed at a Howard Johnson's right by Fenway Park, and as I recall I was so tired when I arrived I was a jerk to the hotel clerk when we checked in - but I apologized to her the next morning. I do remember the cab driver, on the way in from the airport, pointing out the Big Dig to us. 

Tired or not we went from the hotel, by cab, to the Paradise Club, where Joe was to perform the next night. His rehearsal was taking place, and we sat outside the bar. We saw his sister come and go (with McDonald's if I'm remembering right) and thought she was kinda snooty when she saw us. At some point Lisa suggested I sneak inside, and I did so. I stood for awhile watching the rehearsal, with not one person questioning my presence, until I shot this photo: 

That got me escorted out. 

The next day was New Years Eve, and Lisa had been tipped off by a friend about Joe's home address. So we went out there to see it. Nothing crazy, no trespassing, no stalking, but at some point his fiancé did drive past and ask us to move on. 

Joe had two concerts that night, an all ages show and a later, 10pm adults only show. We went to the latter. 

It was cold, and the line and the wait was long. 

I should point out that while Lisa was rocking a shiny silver dress, my lame butt picked out THIS and khakis as appropriate concert apparel. SMH

You'll have to excuse the quality of many of these photos. They haven't been properly scanned yet, and I went hunting for the old scrapbook when I thought of this post. But for what they're worth, here are some pics of the concert proper: 

We were, as you can tell, to Joey's left on the side of the stage. 

If you want a detailed record of the show, you're in luck. Here's a summary: 

It really was a great show.  On the way out of the club we were greeted by Joe's Dad, who shook our hands and thanked us for coming to the show. 

The cab driver on the way back to the hotel, btw, was the only person we encountered on the trip with a "genuine" Boston accent. 

When I got back to the hotel I called my co-workers in Milwaukee right away - my boss had requested that I give them a heads up if civilization crumbled at the stroke of midnight because of Y2K. 

On New Years Day while Lisa napped I went for a walk around Northeastern University, former employer of my favorite author, Robert B Parker. 

Then before we left the city Lisa and I stopped by Fenway Park so I could say I had seen and touched that hallowed ground. 

It was a great trip, and I'm glad we did it. 25 years - a quarter century! Man, the days are long, but the years sure are short - and getting shorter every time the calendar turns a page. 

New Year's Eve Dining

As has been the tradition in my family for as long as i can remember,  the New Year's Eve menu includes Sloppy Joe's.

(Other traditions,  like pickled herring, I have magically forgotten)

This year I made them with the mix that Leon's Custard uses on their "Spanish Hamburgers."

Lisa was not pleased. 

"No one likes Leon's burgers."

"That's not true. "

"I bet half of Milwaukee would agree with me," she said.

"Thank you for admitting that 250,000 people agree with me," I replied. 

Introducing Oliver

So I adopted a 17 year old cat today. I was at MAADC, the Milwaukee pound, as I'd given LuLu a ride to pick up her kitten post-neutering. I'm not saying I knew I would be adopting a cat when I went with Lu, but I'm not saying it wasn't a possibility. 

  I had seen, online, a cat named Oliver, age 17, and a hefty 13 pounds. So I asked to see him in person, and, while Lu waited in the car with her kitten, Junie and I were introduced to Oliver. 

He was as big as advertised, very chill, friendly (but not a purr-er, at least not yet) and spry for his age and size; twice the volunteer stopped him from leaping atop a filing cabinet. He had been a stray in 2009, when he was adopted and spent the next 15 years in the same household, coming back to MAADC after his owner's death. He had been front-declawed, something we would never do nowadays, but was common a few decades ago. 

 I had mixed feelings, knowing that at 17 our time together would amount to a few years at best, but in the end I said yes to taking him home. 

And then, as I was checking out, a family came in saying they were there to see Oliver. Perhaps, I thought, a family a little less chaotic would suit him better.  So I approached them and offered to let them skip the rest of the line and meet Olivier; if they wanted him, I would pass on him and wish them the best. In a burst of introspection, I also wrote this in the family chat: 

I'm also in a depressive episode right now, and I want to make sure I'm acting rationally [by adopting Olivier] and not out of a need to fill a void. 

A few minutes later the family came out and said they did NOT want Oliver; he was too old! Why ask to see a 17 year old cat if his age was an issue? 

I took it as confirmation from on high that I was making the right decision. I adopted him right there, on the spot. 

We ran some errands before heading home, and he kept popping his head out of the cat carrier, like a little furry tank driver

Once we were home, Kahuna was NOT having the new addition.  

Quoting Junie: 

Airplane ears. Mad as hell. Side eye. . . but she started purring immediately after being taken upstairs and thrown onto my bed lmao

So far the dogs have been ok with Olivier. Sawyer has honored the warning hisses and kept a distance, while frankly Huckleberry seems afraid of him LOL I'm sure they'll be a dustup eventually, as Sawyer will want to test him out, but Oliver seems to have a been there/done that attitude that I hope will end the matter quickly. 

I don't know how long he'll be with us - I hope a few years - but we hope to make the final chapters of his life good ones.