Feelin' Groovy

My dad and stepmom are off on a cruise floating through the Panama Canal.  They also subscribe to the Philly Pops.  Unfortunately for them but fortunately for me the most recent concert coincided with their cruise.  I was offered the tickets, complete with prepaid parking.  Did I mention the concert was to celebrate the works of Simon and Garfunkel, one of my favorites?  Yeah, I had to think about that for a nanosecond before saying, "YES!"

The original plan was for me to take Mr. Lime.  He was willing but not terribly enthused.  Then he decided to re-plumb the entire house this weekend...when the concert was scheduled.  I needed another date so I asked my dear pal Gwen.  She needed perhaps two nanoseconds to make her decision because she had to factor in care for a preschool-aged child and her spouse's schedule but since she has a sense of fun which celebrates 60s folk duos over PEX plumbing pipes she ultimately accepted the invitation.

I spent Saturday night at her house and a good time was had by all.  Sunday after lunch we were off to Philly.  We arrived, found the parking and the Kimmel Center easily and were ushered to our seats.  There was a folk duo who provided vocals for many of the songs and captured the spirit of Simon and Garfunkel nicely.  There was a lady a row ahead of us providing great entertainment value in that her head was bobbing vigorously as she was knitting furiously. I never expected to see that.  Behind the orchestra in a balcony there was another attendee who was swaying with great enthusiasm.  She was also fun to watch.  In the top tier was one woman who was acting like she had never left the 60s.  We were a little afraid she was going to fly over the railing. 

We were having as much fun watching the other concert-goers as we were enjoying the music.  Then intermission rolled around.  We stood up to stretch our legs and two women behind us chided, "Do you young girls even have any idea what you're listening to here, what's going on here?"  Gwen and I looked at each other and laughed before we told the ladies that although S & G's first album for Columbia Records had been released before we were born we've each been fans since we were children and we had been singing every word of every song played.  Nonetheless, given the ever-expanding swath of undyed salt encroaching on my previously pepper locks I was amused to be referred to as "young girl."  The ladies were relieved when we said we swiped our parents' vinyl as opposed to our grandparents' so everybody was happy.

The trip home was....less relaxing....We left the city around 7pm.  The trip back to Gwen's should have taken about 90 minutes.  Instead it took three and a half hours...thanks to the most recent winter storm.  I would have had another "90 minutes" back to my house from hers in more storm, later at night.  Thank you, no.  It took me another nanosecond to accept the invitation to stay a second, unplanned night at go to work from her house.  I figured recycling socks and underwear was preferable to a horrible wreck at worst or several more hours on the road at best.

The best surprise from staying an extra night was how pleasant getting ready for work on Monday morning can be when there it involves the following:

• a 2 hour delay so I can sleep in a bit
• waking up to my BFF packing my lunch and making my breakfast
• having her husband clean the snow off my car and ask for my keys so he can start it up and get it warm for me 

Wow....just wow.  I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.  I even had a hot shower without having to chase anyone out of the bathroom.  It was all disorienting in the most relaxing way.  It got better.  The commute from my house involves two highways under construction and full of angry lunatics.  The commute from Gwen's house, though no shorter than my regular drive, involved two roads that meandered along a river flanked by snow covered trees on a blue sky morning.  It was lovely....and not a lunatic was to be found.  I had no idea it was possible to spend 45-60 minutes in the car going to work and not arrive with a BP approaching stroke range. 

I asked Gwen if I could move in.  Though Gwen may be understandably hesitant because their house is small and their preschooler wound up in their bed so I could have hers I think her wee one gave the answer when Gwen shared what she said during the ride home from preschool.

Getting home with her this afternoon, she asked if Auntie Michelle would be here. I said no. She asked why, so I told her that Auntie went home to be with her family. She, looking thoughtful and confused said, "But we are Auntie Michelle's family tooooo!"

Good music, good friends, good words.....yep, I'm feelin' groovy.