1. The Leprechaun Brothers. St Patrick's Day doesn't have the same resonance for me that it did in college, when it was a great excuse to drink all day. Being sober definitely takes the gloss off the major drinking holidays, and I've also always felt resentful about holidays that come with a dress code and enforcement mechanism. Excuse me, you want to pinch me on what basis?!? That said, I do love the yearly excuse to revisit three of my favorite Muppets: https://youtu.be/OCbuRA_D3KU?feature=shared 2. Stringsfest. Yesterday the two older kids participated in the annual Stringsfest, in which the students in the strings programs of every elementary school and middle school that feed into the high schools in town perform a concert in the high school gym. This means close to a thousand kids and probably thrice that many family members and teachers filing an entire giant-ass gym to capacity. When I played in this as a kid, my dad described the sound of it (unbeknownst to me) as
Beware!!! March 15th in Ohio was usually warm enough that a couple of guys could sit in the rocking chairs on the student union porch, drinking beers and hollering at passersby if they didn't seem to be in an appropriate state of bewareness, and that's just how my friend Pendar and I spent several Ideses. For tonight's post, photos from Ides of yore. 1. March 15, 2020, taking a walk to Vilas Beach with the kids. 2. March 15, 2016, puddle selfie on a walk in Oakland. 3. March 15th, 2012, sorrel blossom in Oakland.