Loungin at the barbeques, drinkin brews

with the neighborhood crews, hangin on the avenues
turn your pager to nineteen ninety three





So summer is upon us, right? Get your brats and your burgers, right? No more snow, right? I sure as hell hope not. I couldn't take the heartbreak — although today might bring some heavy heartbreak if it storms like its supposed to and softball is canceled. I mean our fall season was pretty much canceled because of snow last year, and this would be our second (out of three) game canceled due to rain. RAIN RAIN GO AWAY, right?

Korea is upon me. One week from today, I'll be on a plane. It's been years since I've been overseas, and I'm strangely stressed by it. Of course I'm ever so excited to see those that are dear to me, and to take two whole weeks off work. I'm not sure what it is stressing me out. I sat on my couch and looked out my windows past the Gerontology Network and it's oh so beautiful roof and thought, 'damn, it's beautiful out there.' Normally that kind of moment puts me at ease. If the right song is playing (in this case, "Manitoba" by Tapes 'n' Tapes), I can feel the stress of the day and week and month ease away. It's like a physical massage of my wrinkly brain. But not yesterday. I still had that mild end of the day headache that threatened to be more if I didn't get outside and take a slow walk down to the Pick. So I did, and as a traversed the construction zone that is the dusty buffer between me and my watering hole, I was able to smile just a bit.

Switching gears — I was outside eating lunch at the park by the Rogue River today... relaxing eating a club sandwich and reading the paper. This is a luxury rarely afforded these days, but a slow day at work today let me indulge in a brief respite. And of course what appears but a gaggle of children — apparently no one has school in Rockford, ever. Annoyed at first, their screaming and running actually settled me down and I slowly turned down memory lane. I watched their innocence at first (aw, so cute... etc etc). But then I started to see me. A little kid that clearly was not the coolest kid but still had friends, that hadn't yet learned his social graces when it comes to kids his age. He just kept screaming something, I don't know what, in an attempt to be funny, showing his friends something in the river. They would briefly look at him, then move on, continuing to eat ice cream and pretending to hate girls. They must have been in 3rd to 5th grade. I just remembered in that moment the utter frustration of being that age. I remember always being simultaneously joyous, sad, insecure, jovial, and confused. And I was only what, 9 years old? I miss the strange comfort of those days.

Then again, I don't think things have changed. I often find myself trying to be funny and I am always and never happy, always and never sad. You get the point.


See you at the bbq. Bocce 4 lyfe.




EAT THIS IN GRAND RAPIDS:

Taqueria Vallarta

Fulton just west of Diamond (next to Spike & Mike's)


Best tacos in GR right now, great prices. I've only had the tacos, but others have said their menu is pretty reliable. I like the steak tacos best, and I get them served in what apparently is the 'traditional' way, with meat, cilantro, and onions on a corn tortilla (and I don't even like corn tortillas!). They'll make them however you want, the guacamole is fresh (they made it right in front of me... you can see the whole kitchen from the order counter), the music is, well, mexican (can I say that?) and there are cases of Jarritos on the floor by the coffee maker. See you there.