I ain't broke--but I'm badly bent.

We had quite an excellent day today. (Poppy Mountain Bluegrass Festival.) I'm really not the biggest bluegrass fan, but the experience more than makes up for it. (I am, however, glad that we were only there one day instead of five this year.) I'm still amazed that this thing is in Morehead and that it turns out to be so.. good. The scenery is amazing, the people are friendly and someone always wins a car. What more can you ask for? :)

Anyway. I was especially pleased by the performance of Dr. Ralph Stanley. The man is a legend.. he's been producing records for something like 56 years. Last year, he sat on a stool during most of the short performance, and left the stage more than once, and they really focused on the younger members of the group. I was beginning to think it would be the last year we saw him, and I was quite relieved tonight to see there was no stool, no sliding off-stage, and he sang or played in most of the songs they performed, and the performance went on for quite some time. The audience felt strongly about his decision to sing O Death, as well. *grin*

We got cute caricatures done, we filled up our camera with pictures and short film clips, we ate horribly over-priced and greasy food and we got sunburnt. We took a ride out to the cabin on a golf cart and got intensely dusty. Had to shower when we got home.. my hair felt like dirty glue. All in all, we had a fabulous time. And now the husband is waiting for me to come to bed, so I can't finish writing about it all. I'll post pictures, I'm sure. Night night for now!

There are many things that I'd like to say to you but I don't know how..

I just finished ironing more stuff than I believe I've ever ironed in my life--four whole shirts. ;) I'm really not the world's biggest ironer. I actually went into the kitchen to help M with the dishes. When he mentioned that he had to iron a shirt, I jumped on it and did the rest of the stuff that needed it while I was at it.

You know what's ridiculous? We bought ergonomic desks this spring. My monitor is at the perfect height in front of me now, my mouse is right where it's supposed to be.. and I sit cross-legged, the keyboard out on the left side, facing the spot where my monitor used to be. Six months ago. I never did get really used to this desk, btw. It's alright, I guess, but I still miss the old one. I guess I resist change.

I've decided I'm going to have to be bossy about M's mandolin. He practices a few songs and plays most every day, but he doesn't practice like he should. So I'm making him practice his scales tonight for at least seven minutes. Yes, yes, several hours a day is better, but my sanity doesn't permit that sort of mandolin exercise. ;)

I got sunburnt yesterday, and it looks completely stupid. I have this necklace.. actually, it's the necklace that M sent me for Christmas before we were really a couple.. sending that gift also made us much more "real" as an idea, so it's somewhat of a favorite of mine. It's quite large, really.. a silver circle with a rounded piece of amber set into it. I wore it yesterday with a button-up shirt, top two buttons undone. The funny thing is that you can clearly see a big white circle in the middle of my sunburnt chest. It's screamingly obvious. I had to wear the necklace again today just so it wouldn't look dumb. Somehow, M took this sunburn pattern to mean that I'm the head of the gay population, come to lead my people out of prime-time and into the White House. *laugh* That's what it's like to live here, folks. 100% nutso, 100% of the time.

So. This weekend has been extremely good. We've been much busier and more active than normal.. there tends to be a lot going on at this time of year. Friday night we went to the Harvest Festival in town. It pretty much sucked. No, it really severely sucked, no two ways about it. We didn't buy a single thing and we certainly didn't get on any of the rickety rides. We ate at Hardee's (I really don't understand why M loves that place) but he made up for it by pulling into Shoney's on the way home and running in to get me a slice of french silk pie. I thought about you, chick.. it was very good. We watched Groundhog Day again that night and I fell asleep on the couch, as usual. :) We did get a little dressed up and made it into a date, which was fun. Saturday was Poppy Mountain, which I wrote about already, though not as much as I would have liked. I might go into more detail this week when I get around to playing with pictures and stuff.

Oh! There was a tent set up yesterday from a smokeless tobacco company. You could register to win a John Deere Gator thing. During the dinner break, we were walking around with the parents and decided to go register for it. We started walking into the tent... and the dork at the entrance stopped me and asked for ID. I wasn't carrying my purse so I didn't have it.. and he made me stand outside! I'm 24 and can't pass for 18! Argh! They were giving away free samples, which I didn't want anyway. I suspect it'll be a while before I hear the end of that.

Today, we went to the grandfather's house and ended up going over to watch a cousin (first cousin, once removed, if you want the details) make sorghum. They'd been at it since 6:30 this morning, crushing the stalks and boiling the juice.. it was quite fascinating, really. I mean, I've seen them do it before, at festivals, but this was a little more real.. it's an extremely labor-intensive process and people nowadays don't really go to that much trouble all that often. I poked my head in and asked enough questions to get a basic understanding of how it worked, which was neat. I would definitely not be interested in making my own, though.. we're talking about a huge table full of boiling sugar in the middle of the afternoon. Think it was a wee bit warm? :) And of course, there were canes laying around to chew the juice out of and we got to taste the foamy finished product. Very cool. Next week there's a festival in West Liberty.. I really want to make it over there for at least a little while. Last year, we went and we saw a lady with a booth full of framed tatted doilies and stuff. It was then that I decided to try to teach myself to tat.. I really hope she's there again this year. It sounds silly, but I feel quite strongly about this hobby of mine. It fits me. I feel like I was meant to do it. And as such, I'd like to pop in and say "hey, you changed my life, lady-I-don't-know!" I probably won't use those words, of course. :) Also, I'm extremely interested in seeing her work now that I know what I'm looking at. :)

This week, I'm going to try to get some things done while I'm still not working (I'm a little afraid I'll have to go back soon.. the smell in there on Friday was less than the week before, at least.) And of course, I have to clean the house up.. we actually have guests planned for the weekend. Jenny and Andy are tentatively coming up this weekend. Speaking of which.. you know what's funny? We have three friends-type couples (well, three sets that this works for.) Check it out. Lisa and Andy and Andy and Jenny and Jenny and Jon. Now we need a Jon and Lisa couple for it to make a funny little circle to prove to the world that we're dorky beyond all hope. :)

Okay, one more thing before I head off to bed. courtesy requested wisdom last week, as her own was failing her. *tease* No, I'm kidding, she was looking for a list of things that people have learned in their lifetime. I thought I'd repost my list here, and issue the same invitation, as I thought it was quite a worthwhile kind of exercise. Feel free to post your own list, if you feel so inclined. :) She hasn't had much luck with hers yet, except for my response (totte has one started; I've read it so I know that it exists, but it's not done.) so I'm not expecting the floodgates of wisdom to open here or anything. But it'd be neat. :)

( Ten Things I've Learned.. )