Monday, January 31, 2011

Just A Damn Nice Weekend






This isn't likely to be a tremendously scintillating post.

(Did you need to be scintillated? I hope not.)

I just had one of the most pleasant weekends I can remember. Nothing earth-shattering happened. Most of the events will likely be gone from memory in a week or so. That's precisely why I want to write about it, though. Stuff like this is good to remember. If I don't write it down, I won't. If I put you to sleep in the meantime, my apologies.

First thing I'm going to do is list what happened, in rough chronological order, and then I'll expand on two or three of the items. I won't tell you everything because that would be boring in some instances and ungentlemanly in others.

SATURDAY

* I had a really good shave

* The ride down to a kid's birthday party was very pleasant

* The party itself was fun, with nice people present

* The kids were cute

* The ride home was the same as the first ride - pleasant

* I did some laundry

* I read some Mark Twain

* We watched a movie, a fun bit of fluff called "Jumbo"

* I played the bass

BETWEEN SATURDAY & SUNDAY

* I got a really good night's sleep and we got less snow than forecast

SUNDAY

* Enjoyed some TV with MY WIFE

* Had steak and eggs for breakfast

* Played the bass again

* Took a lazy early afternoon nap

* Got a phone call from my buddy, Sean

* Watched the Celtics beat the Lakers

* Had steak again, this time for dinner

* Made love

* Enjoyed a tearjerker movie starring Betty White

* Another good night's sleep

And that's about it. Like I said, nothing that would make a blog post unto itself, or change the course of history, but just a smooth and pleasant couple of days doing nice things with good people.

It started with a good shave. That might not seem worthy of mention, even in a post full of unremarkable things, but it set the tone for the entire 48 hours. Guys - and probably most women, but I won't speak for them - know that a bad shave can linger. If you cut your face to ribbons, it tends to put a damper on what follows. Even just some undue irritation can keep bringing you out of whatever reveries you find yourself in. Well, I had a good shave. No nicks, no irritations, no razor burn, nothing to remind me that I had shaved, at all, except for the absence of any reminders. That was a good thing. It made the ride that followed completely free of any added annoyance.

The ride was from Watertown to Lakeville, about an hour's duration. Along the way, we needed to stop at a sporting goods store to pick up a present MY WIFE had had in mind for a couple of weeks for our grand nephew, whose party we were going to. The thing she wanted was right there, front of the store, we picked it up, and then we continued on a pleasant hour ride filled with the type of good conversation that a man and HIS WIFE of 18 years have when they love each other.

We arrived in Lakeville and went to a birthday party. It was for Darian, our grand nephew, who was turning five.

(Some folks prefer 'great nephew', same as 'great aunt' or 'great uncle', which is what we all are, but I've never understood why grandparents are grand and the rest of the same generation isn't, so I've taken it upon myself to change that. Sorry if that causes confusion, but my weekend wouldn't have been perfect without it, so...)

(Wait a minute. Let me amend that. It wasn't a perfect weekend. There were slight bits of non-perfection thrown in, but nothing worth telling you about.)

(OK, maybe just one. On our way to the party, we drove past a young teenage girl wearing sweatpants with the inscription "JUICY" written across her ass. I know it's a brand name, and I know saying this will mark me as an old fogey, but it seems to me that a teenage girl with "JUICY" across her ass is the equivalent of a teenage boy wearing pants with "BONER" written across the crotch. It may or may not be the truth, I don't want to know about it either way, and it's hardly the sort of thing you want to advertise unless you actually are advertising.)

(And, now that I've mentioned it, some idiot clothing manufacturer will probably think it's a great - or grand - idea, and start marketing them. I'm sorry I brought it up.)

The birthday party was held at our grandnephew's dojo. He's taking martial arts and it's a good thing. He has perpetual energy and it's a great outlet for it. His sensei hosted the party, and he was truly magnificent with the many kids attending, most of whom were not his students. He gave all of them brief lessons in his arts, then devised games for the kids using those arts, and he was patient and loving, yet authoritative enough to herd the five-and-six-year-old cats as needed. There was cake, and that alone would have made it worth my while. The cuteness of the kids was just an added attraction.

Darian's grandparents, Victoria and Joe, are my sister-in-law and brother-in-law, respectively, and they're two of my favorite people. They were the ones who paid for the party. Joe is a truly nice guy, and so is Victoria (except for the guy part, since she's recently dropped forty pounds and is downright foxy these days.)

After a brief apres-party visit to Victoria and Joe's house, we rode home - again, pleasant - and I did some laundry. That may not seem like part of a wonderful weekend, but when you consider that I didn't have to beat the clothes on a rock and hang them out to dry in 20 degree weather (which wouldn't so much dry them as petrify them) it was all good. I enjoyed reading Mark Twain's Autobiography during the time the laundry was doing itself, and later on I plugged in my bass guitar and was in a groove the whole time I played. Somewhere in there, MY WIFE and I watched the Jimmy Durante film, Jumbo, which was goofy and fun.

Overnight, we were supposed to get an inch or two of snow, to add to the 60 inches or so we've already been blessed with this year, but that didn't happen. Yay!

Sunday morning came and we watched some TV, which was just a nice relaxing couple of hours, then I cooked up a big steak and some eggs for my breakfast. I'm here to tell you that steak and eggs is about the best damn breakfast possible. It's even better when you know you'll have steak for dinner, which we did. I'm not sure if this was the first time in my life wherein I had steak for two different meals during the same day, but I guarantee it won't be the last (unless I croak in the meantime, of course, but if I do, I'll die happy, having had steak for TWO meals in one day.)

I played the bass again, got a phone call from my good buddy, Sean (who jokingly asked me which team I thought would win The Pro Bowl, which we both consider the worst all-star game on the planet, so I said the AFC would win 46 - 3, while he guessed it would be the NFC, 108 - 27, and since neither of us watched the thing, we were both winners), and then the Celtics beat the Lakers, which I might have considered the highlight of the day except for the fact that MY WIFE and I made love afterward, or maybe it was after the steak. It's all blended together in a general pastiche of warm feelings, full bellies, and unhappiness for Kobe Bryant, so it's all good.

The weekend ended with Betty White in a tearjerker Hallmark Hall Of Fame presentation called The Lost Valentine. It worked. It jerked half a bucket of moisture from me, as I sat there blubbering like a schoolgirl at the end, tears and snot running down my face. I wouldn't normally consider that a good thing, but it was in this instance. Betty White was truly good as a war widow who lost her husband in World War II yet who returned to a train station to meet his train every year, on Valentines Day, since he went missing in action. If you didn't see it, do so if it's repeated. And bring hankies.

And, finally, after clearing my body of all the fluids one can clear them of, I had a great night of sleep and here I am. As I said at the beginning, nothing earth-shattering. I wrote this more for my benefit than for yours, so I thank you for grinding your way through to the end. I'll try to be as polite someday with one of your boring posts.

Soon, with more better stuff.


51 comments:

Unknown said...

Sounds like a pleasant weekend Jim and one that needs to be repeated... at the least the parts about having a good shave and making love (I presume to your wife, lol).

Also watched The Lost Valentine and had to keep putting it on pause as I weeped copiously (read loudly) so I didn't miss anything. Whew!

Anonymous said...

Yep. Now someone is going to take the "Boner" idea and run with it. And it'll all be your fault.

- Jazz

MrsMathews said...

all hail a great weekend!! I gotta see this movie, I'm due for a good cry!

Jeni said...

I too watched that movie with Betty White last night and I echo your sentiments about it as well!
Now, as to your nephew -grand or great -if his parents are your sister and brother-in-law, then wouldn't he simply be your Nephew? I thought the "grand" or "great" titling would come about if his parents were your niece/nephew thus making him your grand/great nephew. Steak, twice in one day -I am jealous. And weather-wise, look out! Forecasters in our region are predicting a storm beginning tonight which may dump 6 more inches (upwards of that, was the wording last night) and along with the extra snow (as if that weren't enough already) they are saying we can expect ice of anywhere from 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch accumulations and that part of the forecast annoys me more than anything! Snow, I can deal with and abide. Ice -I hate! Plus, my son will be out driving throughout the entire time the system is making its way across the state so that's just an added concern there. Anything on wheels with ice under them, we all know there is no way you have an iota of control then as to where the vehicle is going to go! Thankfully, neither my daughter nor I have to leave the house tomorrow or Wednesday, so that part is good anyway. (Daughter best stock up on milk tonight though before it all hits! And I hope, for your sake, that this storm doesn't head up to New England before going away too!)
Peace.

(not necessarily your) Uncle Skip said...

I honestly think there are writers getting paid, who do not write nearly as well as you.

As for the Pro Bowl, a local sports guy somehow got it into his head some viewers might be interested and announced the highlights on the late news last night. Does anyone actually pay to attend that game?

Suldog said...

Jeni - No, he's Victoria's grandson, so our grandnephew. As for the snow - UGH. We're forecast for much the same - 20 inches over three days or something like that. I'm ready to throw it in and move to Alabama or something.

Lori said...

Yep, it sounds like a perfectly good weekend. I love weekends like this. I too watched that movie last night and yep lots of tears. We are getting snow right now...I could send it your way if you'd like. :) Hope you have a good week...happy Monday!

Kat said...

I have to say, I LOVE this post. These ARE the type of weekends to cherish. Life is about simple pleasures. My dad taught me that. At my father's funeral friends, family, and strangers all commented on how my dad took such joy and pleasure at the simple things in life. And that made his life grand.

I think the weekend you described sounds HEAVENLY! So glad you enjoyed it so. I think the line that struck me most was "...and then we continued on a pleasant hour ride filled with the type of good conversation that a man and HIS WIFE of 18 years have when they love each other." Love that. :)

Chris said...

Well, you've obviously never watched an NHL All-Star Game. It proves that baseball is not the only sport to use the term "no-hitter". When a hockey game ends 13-11, something is amiss.

The Pro Bowl is a close second, though.

Suldog said...

Head De Knuckles - No, I've seen enough NHL fests to know that it's usually a stinker (as in not anywhere near equal to the usual product.) The saving grace for the NHL, though, is that the skills competitions held the day before are loads and loads of fun goodness. In case anyone is wondering, btw, the NHL all-star game was not included here, in any form, because it was on Versus and thus not available for my viewing pleasure or displeasure.

IT (aka Ivan Toblog) said...

"...then the Celtics beat the Lakers"

Which, I am certain, upgraded the weekend from nice to "Damn Nice."

messymimi said...

It doesn't have to be earth shattering to be great. The beautiful days that slip past like pearls on a string, just quiet and good, are the best.

Agree with you about the "Juicy" pants.

Kid Rock Tickets said...

That fantastic! realy! these website is way better then everything I ever saw.

Anonymous said...

Weekends like that are just delicious. I enjoyed reading about it and it made me smile. It's nice to know people are having a good time despite the bad in the world. Hope those wonderful days continue.

Michelle H. said...

Sounds like a very nice weekend! Of course, having steak for THREE meals a day would have probably made your day even brighter. How about a marketing venture to bring back steak-flavored zero bars?.

Hilary said...

Sounds like a perfect weekend to me, too - not at all boring. Besides, the way you write, you could make a phone book sound interesting.

Bruce Coltin said...

Did Betty White become one of your followers? I think she is the perfect face for your blog.

Bruce Coltin said...

Did Betty White become one of your followers? I think she is the perfect face for your blog.

Buck said...

Lileks has made a career out of blogging the mundane and he's very good at what he does. You are too, Jim... and put you guys at the same level, more or less. Lileks IS more prolific, but then again, he's a pro.

re: I enjoyed reading Mark Twain's Autobiography... Wow, we're reading the same thing at the same time. Just thought I'd mention that.

re: Good shaves. They're ALL pretty much good shaves, today. This is a technological advancement that doesn't get enough air time in my book. Anyone who ever dropped a double-edged Blue Blade into one of those old twist-to-open "safety" razors knows EXACTLY what I'm on about. Evidence: I still have a styptic pencil, but I think I bought it back in 1980-something. I can't remember the last time I nicked myself.

/lengthy digression

Suldog said...

Buck - Well, you've made me unable to fit into my hats again. I think Lileks is one of the most superbly funny men on the planet. As for being a pro, yeah, if I were getting the bucks for doing this, I'd do more of it :-)

Twain's Autobiography is a decent read. I did read many of the parts of it, years back, in their not-according-to-his wishes versions. If I didn't have such a history of reading his stuff, I think it would drag a bit. As it is, since I've read most everything he wrote, I find even the parts some might consider boring a treasure hunt. I find bits and pieces of what brought him to write other things, or background on the characters he created. Truly, and easily, my favorite writer, but I think you already knew that.

Shaves are a walk in the park these days when compared to times past. I began shaving at the tail end of the 'safety razor' period, so I know well what you speak about. One slip with those things and you ran the risk of serious damage. Still, I have very sensitive skin on the lower part of my neck, and half the time I leave myself red and sore there. Any time I don't, it's a joy.

Chipper said...

You having time to play bass makes me miss my old guitar... then I remember how much I sucked at it and I don't miss it anymore and sulk. Thanks for reminding me.

Otherwise, great weekend indeed!

Jackie said...

There is always good to be here, Jim.... You are such a good writer!
Smiles,
Jackie

Craig said...

"And, finally, after clearing my body of all the fluids one can clear them of. . ."

You remind me of the talk they give every year to the summer camp staff. I think the 'official' title is something like 'Blood-Borne Diseases', but we all call it 'The Three P's', for 'Pee, Poop and Puke'. . . (our director is fond of cutesy little hooks like, 'The Four R's' or 'The Five F's' and such).

So, let's see. . . you cried, I got that; you peed, pooped, puked, blew your nose, popped a zit, gave blood AND made love to YOUR WIFE. Impressive. . . ;)

etoile said...

hahah I love your off-topic ranting mid-story. I bet you talk really fast in real life. haha

www.rantychantykoko.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

You were right! You had a wonderful weekend, too. I didn't go into quite as much detail, but I appreciated yours. I love Jimmy Durante's movie Jumbo (I love Jimmy Durante) but I missed the Betty White movie. I'll have to look for it now. Thanks for the review!

Moannie said...

Darling, Jim. That was a surfeit of small pleasures, was it not?

Angela Christensen said...

I just posted to Ms. Moon's blog about the value of prayer, and that fact that it's probably better for us than it is for God, or the Goddess, or however we name the sacred to ourselves. On a sweet, local level (at least in contrast to the Universe), perhaps your post was not unlike this: very good for you to write and not one bit bad for us to read.

Anonymous said...

I did not do any of those things over the weekend, except for the laundry part. I need you to come organize my weekends around pleasure instead of laundry. Although it won't be so pleasurable if I start the week without clean underwear.

Jen said...

those are the best weekends!!

Judi FitzPatrick said...

Hooray for a happy weekend. I will look for that movie if they repeat it, thanks for the recommendation.
Hope your week is as good as your weekend.
Peace, Judi

Shrinky said...

Aw Jim, you see this is why we all love you so dearly, you truly know how to enjoy the good, and to recognise it when it calls! This is the stuff you do right to lay down, it's precious and warm, well worth preserving.

eileen said...

I like boring, pleasant weekends AND boring, pleasant blog posts :)

Sueann said...

Glad you had this glorious weekend! We all need weekends such as this!
Hugs
SueAnn

Maggie May said...

Your weekend went very well and I am pleased about that.
Reading the bit about the unsuitable wording on clothes for youngsters made me feel like getting on a soap box and shouting about it. So one good thing about your pleasant weekend and your lovely description of it, made me feel like having a rant. Are you satisfied? I bet you are.
Maggie X

Nuts in May

SciReg said...

NICE BLOG!!!

Clare Dunn said...

Pleasant is too easy to forget. What a shame that is!
Writing it down --- an inspired choice.

Thanks for sharing it!

Pat - Arkansas said...

Your nice weekend was -- nice! I hope you have many more similar ones.

CiCi said...

It does sound like an ordinary weekend, but how great is that to have no mishaps, no disappointments, and good food, good lovin, good sleep.

i beati said...

the Hallmark performance was great - Your wife will have to rate yours !!

Karen said...

This wasn't a boring post at all. I enjoyed hearing about your weekend, which sounded warm, fun, and relaxing.

Carolina said...

Gawd, even your boring posts are really nice to read. And should some stupid clothes manufacturer produce your 'boner-pants', you can finally get rich. The evidence that you came up with the idea is here ;-)

Jenn Flynn-Shon said...

Hey boring or not a great weekend is a great weekend! I fear we'll all be buried in snow & ice igloos by the end of this week so cooking at home, and all that other awesome stuff you did at home, is likely to be the norm. Stay safe in this weather!

Matt Conlon said...

That sounds like a really great weekend my friend! Hope you're ready for the clobbering we're supposed to be getting tonight and tomorrow!

lime said...

hey, my life had been one great big adrenal rush for the last i dunno how many months so reading this post was like reading some sort of fantasy. it's sounds delightedly blissful. thanks!

Fickle Cattle said...

Sounds like a perfect weekend. :-)

http://ficklecattle.blogspot.com/

Sausage said...

Steak twice and the bumping of the ugglies!!
You my friend are squeezing the zest from life, keep on keepin' on

Craig said...

Ear wax! I forgot ear wax!

And sweat. . .

;)

Daryl said...

I'll try to be as polite someday with one of your boring posts. I so laughed and laughed and laughed ...

Rebecca said...

LOL seriously laughed out loud at the "juicy" part. It's so true, could you imagine?!?! LOL.

You could never be boring....

Cricket said...

Late to the party, as usual these days, but desperately trying to make it back to blogville.

Sounds like a great weekend to me. Thanks for sharing. The ordinary is actually pretty extraordinary if you look at it right.

Congrats also on your Blog Of Note and your second roast. Of course, I knew you were great from the beginning. Well, not the beginning, but from the time you said "I write this blog... maybe you might like to check it out."

Re: great shaves. Every man owes it to himself at least once to have a barber do it with the hot towels and all. I appreciate what you're saying, of course, about the at-home variety. But still.

It's a foolish luxury, a barber shave, but an experience not to be missed. I'm just sayin'

Suldog said...

Cricket - The barbershop shave is a treat, for sure. The first I ever had was in Thailand, actually, and it was beyond anything you get here in the states. Not only was it the hot towel, the care with rich lather applied to the face, the lovely scents of prime after shave and powders following the scraping off of whiskers, but the barbers there also give a nice little head and neck massage, trim any stray nose and ear hairs, and then, totally out of the blue and entirely unexpected, he cracked all of my knuckles! And it cost about 25 cents American (1980 price.)