12/16/4

Let's start positive. I failed to mention the cool thing a couple weeks ago when I was talking about Indie. For the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving edition of Chaos, the metal show, Jackie did an all covers show. She announced it the week before and asked for suggestions. Not only did she play my suggestion, she opened the show with it and played the obscure version I recommended, and then mentioned my name on the air. Pretty cool. Last week she even belatedly replied to my email, asking if I heard her play it.

Yesterday was my wife's birthday, so she let the kids ditch school with her and snuck off to Disneyland with them and her best friend for the day. We know an employee who can get us in free, as well free parking, on non-peak days. I, of course, had to work, but snuck off first to Circuit City to buy her a Tivo player. It's what she wanted for our anniversary back in May, right when I kinda got fired from one job and was not yet full-time at the other. In other words, I finally bought her anniversary gift on her birthday to give to her for Christmas. Maybe I'm a schmuck, but I'm buried in debt, so I can't really afford to shower my wife in the gifts I wish I could.

In fact, to buy it was a hassle. I have less than zero cash (the mortgage has been paid three weeks late for months) and all the credit cards are maxed, including the 60-days-past-due American Express. But I did have a couple hundred available on the Circuit City card. Which is in her name, not mine. I had to show a manager a current bill with our current billing address, my ID with that address, an old ID of hers with our old address, and my old ID with the same old address. That seemed like enough to prove this wasn't identity theft or an ex-husband trying to scam his ex-wife.

It's funny, I've talked to couples who have "his bills" and "her bills" and my wife and I just couldn't think that way. They're all "our bills" and our debt. The phone is in her name, the water bill in mine, the car is in both. Whatever. When the money comes in, the checks go out. When it doesn't, we both suffer. She wears my shirts, I use her hair-brush. It's our stuff. To live in a relationship any other way just seems to be planning for the break-up. Fourteen years and still on the honeymoon. An exausted and broke honeymoon, but we still snuggle on the couch and her voice on the phone always makes me smile.

On to today, my day off. About 4:45 I get a call telling me that a last-minute cancellation has given The Band an open slot to play at a Sam Ash store grand-opening. I load the kids in the car, meet up with the guys and head into the traffic. We just need guitars and pedals, the store will be providing amps and a drum kit. After hanging a while and listening to the punk kids, the drummer whines that the little kit doesn't have his usual five toms, and he wants more. The store won't bother with the extras, so he refuses to play. This frustrates all of us who'd dropped everything on a moments notice and bucked traffic to waste our evening, but none so much as the singer. He'd spent the whole day at work on the phone brokering us a slot, and was now gonna be in trouble tomorrow with both disciplinary action and an excess work-load. He'd was willing to take the trade-off for the gig, but once it soured he was justifiably pissed at the drummer for being a prima donna.

Ironically, my son assumed he'd be bored and didn't want to go, but he got to play with lots of display intruments, so he had a great time. On the other hand, my daughter was excited at the opportunity to see the band, but since they didn't play, she was bummed and had a lousy time.

As for tomorrow, I'm dreading going to work. Around the holidays, in addition to increased business inside the restaurant, we always have a glut of large pick-up orders and deliveries for company parties and the like. Tomorrow morning I have pick-ups at 10:15, 10:30, 10:45, 11:00, 1:00 and 2:00, as well as an 11:30 delivery and the normal lunch rush. It's safe to say I will be wanting a nap when I get off work. But no. We've got tickets to the Huntington Beach harbor lights cruise. Which is beautiful, relaxing and fun, but I'll still probably be too exausted to enjoy it. The kids will love it, though, and I'll get to snuggle my wife.

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