RoLLeR cOaSteR

We've certainly lowered our expectations.  It rained one day. Our air quality went from hazardous to merely unhealthy and we were all excited. Every day is a new up and a new down.

Last night we had tickets to get into the Britt concert, not just "walking around the neighborhood" during a performance or eavesdropping on a performance from the comfort of our deck chairs. Our tickets allowed us to carry wine, beer and lawn chairs to the grassy hill above the pricey-ticketed bench seats.  We had access to all the same sounds, all the same food vendors.  Local merchants came hawking their wares among the pre-show crowd just like at a baseball game.  I captured the last molasses cookie for Judd while he was off buying our dinner from the Peruvian connection.  We made friends with the blanket neighbors, locals who have done this for years or teachers of K-8 Spanish doing lesson plans for next week.  I overheard him tell one of his colleagues, "Elementary school is all about fun for the mammals, otherwise there's blood in the water."

In awe, because we haven't seen it for a couple weeks, we watched the moon rise over the stage, not quite a full moon, but not quite blotted out by wildfire smoke.  And the prequel to Stephen Stills and Judy Collins was an excellent jazz pianist-- (no pics allowed)  See and read about all three of them here:  http://www.brittfest.org/performances/stillscollins17

That was the up. Now for the down: I had to cover the urgent care clinic at work today: white coat, stethoscope, patients, the whole burrito. I thought it was a very busy day. At the end of the day , the clerk came to check on me and said it WAS a very busy day and that I was a rock star. I do so want to believe her, because I go back there next Friday. 

When I'm not in urgent care, I'm cruising the 7 miles of corridors connecting the 20+ buildings or sitting in my office (below) , studying spreadsheets, policies, timecards, emails, congressionals, central office briefs, you know, administrative-y things where my comfort level has been.

table for conferencing

3 windows, art and a really low clock

signage, warning all of inhabitants