Never mind. Nevermind.

Where is my mind?
Where
Is
My
Mind
?
Where is my mind?
–Pixies/Where Is My Mind

Some things are like throwing confetti up in the air and expecting it to come back into your hands in one piece instead of flying away.

Things are always what they are.
No more.
No less.

A feather will never be a lead weight.
A joker will never be a king.

I can throw the confetti into the air and watch it float away.
It’s beautiful, and it isn’t coming back.

This is more than a little oblique.
Not particularly beautiful,
But it’s what there is right now.

And on the sixth day, the Lord said “let there be college football”

Patnip’s brother-in-law: What’s a Ute, anyway?
Patnip: It’s a type of desert clam found only in Utah. It’s almost extinct now.

On Saturday, there was once again Duck football on a SATURDAY as the Universe intended there to be in Autumn months. The team won, and all is right in our football world again. It didn’t rain in Autzen stadium. The Lord really doesn’t approve of college football that isn’t played on Saturdays, except for bowl games. I’m not really sure She is OK with that, either. She is also a little disapproving of Football in August.

(OK. Me. I don’t approve of it. There is no Lord, and if there was, she wouldn’t care about football. Are you happy now?)

Many fine people helped me pre-celebrate my birthday at the tailgater. We had Car Bombs. Brandon’s friend Bill was an excellent addition to the festivities. Brandon and Ken may have ruined his life a little by introducing him to Car Bombs. The delighted look on his face after his first one was enough to make me worried about his future well being.

We had a multiplicity of pastry. Pie. Crisp. Cake. Cookies.
Multiplicity of…anything…would be a good band name.

We had lasagne. We had stew.

It was yet another great day spent with a lot of my favorite people.
If you were there, there is a very good chance that I love you.

Special thanks you my baby brother for continuing to be the most awesome tailgater host ever, and to my beleaguered spouse for putting up with me year after year. Believe me I take a lot of putting up with.

How far will my brother go for us? He will set himself on fire so we have hot food. That was scary. Let’s not do that again. (He’s fine, but his arms are considerably less hairy now)

Rick invited a couple of stray Utes in, and we gave them boozes. We tried to give them food, too, but they were not hungry. Let no one say that Oregon is not hospitable. My Ma gave them advice on the best way to tour the outside of Autzen before heading to their seats. Nice folks.

It was all good.

You can tell by all of the laughing.

Die young, stay pretty (Happy Birthday, Me)

 

Everything dies, baby that’s a fact.
Bruce Springsteen/Atlantic City

 

 

This might sound a little weird. Everything I say sounds a little weird. I know, I know–a lot weird.

But really.

 

Today is my 50th birthday, and not to be all macabre or anything, but I certainly never expected to live this long.

All through my life, I’ve  thought I would die at around 40. I don’t remember ever having a fortune teller predict it, or a dream foretelling it, but I never thought I’d live very long. My Mom says when I turned 30 I said something about not expecting to make another decade. Maybe I just thought it would sound dramatic, but here I am at 50 and I really don’t mind all that much that I was wrong about being dead. Being alive is kind of OK.

My friends and family are wonderful, I have a great husband, a job I like…things are better than I ever thought they’d be.

Now, I’m not going to be one of those irritating people saying “oooooh, I’m better than ever” because at least physically I’m not. Time leaves  its marks on everyone. It’s been kind to me compared to some other people, but I am not 25 any more.

Don’t get me wrong. I am still not hard to look at, and I feel pretty good physically. Am I as cute as I was a quarter of a century ago? Did you ever see me when I was 25? No way.  When I look at my life, though, I’m so much happier now, and so much smarter about life that  I don’t mind the physical deterioration too much.

 

Then:

   weddingCrop

 

Now:

20131031-213109.jpg

I’m not so bad for someone who is so very elderly. I could do without the old-lady neck. Luckily for me, I inherited my beautiful Mother’s excellent genes.

 

Thanks, Ma.

PS: there was a football game yesterday, which our Duckies won. I’ll do the usual post-game tailgating review/pictures tomorrow!

PPS: I love you all.