Change of plans - it's all up and down

It's been an odd weekend. On Friday, I think because I spent the whole day anticipating going to Milwaukee for John's show, I just couldn't get motivated, and blew off a bunch of stuff.

On Saturday, we biked to the first outdoor farmers' market. I intended to serve a dinner at the dining club Sunday, and bought some of the ingredients - but I didn't really have enough diners signed up for the dinner, so I was pretty close to canceling. And in the car on the way to Milwaukee the night before, Al and I had started talking about maybe I'd drive up to the Twins with him when he want back Sunday. That way, he wouldn't have to do all the driving himself, and I could see his house. I could see Robyn Hitchcock at the Varsity Theater in Dinkytown, last night of the tour, and maybe Tinch & Cynthia would go with me; at least I could stay at their place. And I could maybe have coffee with Lea for her 65th birthday on Monday morning, before taking the Mega Bus home.

We took the farmers' market stuff back to the house, and I was going to bike over to Willy Street for the rest. But Al was awake, and the Twins trip still seemed like a good idea, so instead I called the few people who had reserved, canceling the dinner, and made my own reservation for the bus. Then I biked over to the library, just before the rain.

Mark and I went to see He's Just Not That Into You at the cheap theater, light entertainment for a rainy night - and it took me a few days to figure out that ones of the more likeable guys in it is the Mac in the I'm a PC, I'm a Mac commercials.

Sunday morning, I went for a walk and then Al & I took off for Minneapolis.

Advance tickets for the Varsity are sold at the restaurant next door, the Loring Pasta Bar, and Al kind of wanted to eat there - he'd heard that it was a good place to go if your parents are paying because it costs a little more than some of the other places nearby. I had a few nervous moments because the Hitchcock tickets were sold out at the Loring. But we got a table and had dinner, and Mike joined us, and I went and got in line at 6:30, and got in, and got a good seat on the risers at the side with no trouble. Mike hung out with me online to make sure I got in, and I downloaded an iPhone Zippo lighter app for the encore. Sat and watched, and danced, and drank red wine, talked to Scott McCaughey at the bar before the show, got my Goodnight Oslo CD signed by Robyn and Peter. Mike picked me up and took me back to their place.

So far so good - but in checking my email on the iPhone at the show, I got a message from someone who said they made a reservation for dinner, and went to School Woods, only to find it canceled. Google never emailed me when they ordered, and that party would have upped the diner count to the minimum, and I would have gone ahead with the dinner. Shucks.

And I think I left a new fleece jacket at the club.

I made plans to meet Lea for a late breakfast, leaving us only about an hour before bus time, but that gave me time to get a bunch of work done at Mike's - my presentation for class Weds. is almost ready. The breakfast place - Cynthia's recommendation - is in an historic building in downtown Minneapolis, Keys at the Foshay.

I shoulda known it was all going to get weird, when I saw this tree growing sideways on my walk Sunday morning.