Brag about something so I don't feel bad about bragging about this one thing!

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I own and listen to a lot of music. Almost all of my favorite bands I have seen live. Consider it a point of emphasis for me. There are three bands I love that I haven’t seen: Cake, Queens of the Stone Age, and Modest Mouse. I have tried, for years, to find a date I can see them but it’s been made difficult by the following three facts: A) I don’t “do” festivals, B) These bands don’t tour that often, and C) I live in the Midwest so screw me. Pisses me right off. I swear to god, just two days ago I was watching Later…with Jools Holland, and QotSA was on and I bitched and moaned about this very thing. “Three bands I want to see and I can’t because suck! Blah blah blah.” My dog was right there, he can tell you.

Today is my birthday. I am now forty-friggin’-two. Modest Mouse is in town, IN THIS VERY TOWN, tonight. Not tomorrow, this very day. Closest they’ve come recently was Minneapolis (a four hour drive), which I couldn’t make because my mom came to visit. Thanks a bunch mom, you filthy crotch. So! Back on point. Modest Mouse. Here in town. Playing six miles from my house. Six. I can walk that. When I first heard they were coming I went to scoop up tickets, but the show was already sold out. Sold the f out. This made me one out of five stars happy, or five out of five sad faces if you’re doing it that way. Would not recommend to a friend.

ANYWAY, this morning my wife and my boys (one and three) sang the song and gave me presents at breakfast. The three year old got me a monster truck card (sweet), which contained monster truck stickers (score!), which he “thought I could share those with” him, which of course I did because come on, monster trucks. The one year old mostly just smeared chocolate on/in his face/hair. I saw the appeal, but didn’t partake. Wife gave me some sappy card that I’ve completely forgotten, because in it was one Modest Mouse ticket. Apparently she had scoured Craigslist for weeks and finally got me one, as she tells it, “Standing outside a gas station in twenty degree weather.”

AND, AND! She expressly gave it to me first thing in the morning so I could mentally prepare, because we all know I can be a whiny bitch when it comes to changes of plan. So! Not only does she get massive bonus points for risking stab wounds at a shady gas station deal, she gets extra for accommodating my particular brand of crazy.

TLDR: I’m going to some dumb concert and my wife is a pro.
Now don’t leave me hanging! Brag about something so I don’t feel bad about laying this all out here. Or tell me about your best birthday present ever. Or explain the ways in which my storytelling could use some work. Thanks people.

2

I got nothing. Enjoy your show. Live music is one of the best things in life. :cool:

3

Nothing to add, but happy birthday! Your wife is awesome.

4

Ooooh!!! Ooooh!!! I got one!!!

So, one of the weird quirks I’ve always had is really strong hands for a woman. As in, I am the Designated Opener of Jars in every household to which I have belonged - when my husband or previous SO can’t get it open, he hands it to me and I can do it. It is the one way in which I am (physically) Mighty.

However, because of the stupid neuropathy due to the stupid chemo for the stupid cancer, I lost a lot of the feeling and function in my hands and feet, including my phenomenal grip strength. It’s a stupid thing to be upset about, but I swear the first time I had to hand a jar to my husband to open because I was too weak to do it, I was in fucking tears. Because dammit, that’s why.

And yet! Since I’ve been off the Oxaliplatin, and on one of the drugs that works for chemo-induced-neuropathy*, sensation and function have slowly been returning. The feet are still pretty numb - I can never tell whether I have socks on or not - but the hands have restored about 75% of their sensation. Yay! I can feel texture again! So, this weekend when I was at Faire, me and a couple other women were backstage getting lunch ready, and there was a Pickle Jar. They couldn’t open it, and were going to get one of the menfolk, but I stepped up.

“Let me give it a try,” I said.

And damn if I didn’t get it open.

And then burst into tears (of happiness this time).

So, I am once again Mighty! Wheeee!!!

*The fun of neuropathy drugs is that they are known to work some of the time, on some people. And that most of the ones that are known to be effective more often on more people are effective on diabetes-induced neuropathy, rather than chemo-induced neuropathy, simply because diabetes is even more common than cancer - there have been remarkably few studies on prevention and treatment of chemo-induced neuropathy. Which is annoying, because it’s pretty much a universal side effect. Get on it, Medical Science!

5

Your wife got a sister?

6

Your wife is awesome!!! I love concerts. If I ever come into a lot of money I’ll travel the world seeing bands I like, following some of them for multiple shows. Have a great time!!

I kicked ass yesterday on a hike with some serious incline. I’m a little sore today but Very Proud of myself for having done it. :smiley:

7

I think you buried the lede. You have two great kids and a fantastic wife. Oh yeah, you’re also going to a concert.

8

Way to go Maggie! Hope you have lots and lots of jars to open.

Me, I just want to say that my husband is driving me and a friend to visit two yarn stores tomorrow.

Yes, he is. And the fact that one of them also sells wine has nothing to do with it. He’s awesome.

9

I was going to cut back the palm trees in the front yard next week, even though I’m in not-great shape from the meds and the last time I did, I got a faceful of wasps. Plus, gathering the refuse and bundling same to put out at the curb for Bulk Waste–it’s a long, weary-making chore. The trees DO look good for a bit, usually.

Today, out of the blue, my wife gets a call from the landlord. They’ll be dropping by in half an hour, if that’s OK. Mild panic ensues. Long story short, they’re having a crew come by next week to trim up the palms and truck away the fronds and dead seed pods!

Take THAT Gardening Wraiths!

10

I listen to BETTER music than the OP. There.

11

I am so jealous!

I love your story overall - how great is that?!? But I’ve also told Mr. Athena many, many times that the one thing I really envy about guys is hand strength. I am not like you; I have girly hands. I can’t open jars, or tighten screws, or pry open difficult things-that-need-to-be-pried-open.

It heartens me that out there, there is at least one woman who rivals men in hand strength. Thanks for telling the story!

12

Oh man, yet another reason I need you and Mr Athena to adopt me (also: food, pugs, neighborhood). I could be made to feel special as the household jar opener. I have man hands for miles! :slight_smile:

13

My wife does a lot of knitting and spins and dyes her own yarns. On Sunday, through a convoluted series of events we ended up with a free pair of old spinning wheels (like this) that we’ve identified as being 1975 and 1981 models (call it $1400 of gear if we bought them new!). Both were looking dirty, worn out and ugly.

I’ve wanted to try my hand at spinning as well and my wife is starting to teach so these will make nice student wheels and it means I can have one to use during her non-teaching times.

Yesterday was a public holiday so I broke out the sandpaper, steel wool, tung oil and one of my wife’s spare parts kits and set to restoring ‘my’ wheel - (the 1981 model). It’s been stripped, cleaned, lubricated, sanded back, the wood oiled and a few minor missing parts replaced.

Now it looks amazing and spins like a charm. Next weekend I’ll be doing the same to the other wheel.

14

Be sure to post pictures of the yarn you spin,Battle Pope. Also of the refurbished wheel. My own efforts to spin were futile but I admire the results and love watching people spin.

15

Happy Birthday! 42! Your wife shows you the meaning of life!

My brag is basic but important. I turned out to be a really nice person despite the fact that life seems to have conspired to turn me into a bitter, twisted shell of a human being. Times are tough lately and that’s the fuel I’m running on.

Now you all go do something nice for yourselves.

16

Oh Maggie! Such great news! Wonderful story, very well told.

(I myself, just yesterday, was petulant and cranky as I had to ask for man help to open a jar!)

17

I hate to brag, but… it’s my modesty. I am incredibly modest. I am the most modest person I’ve ever met, and I’m more modest than you and all your ancestors put together. No one is more modest than me! I AM NUMBER ONE IN MODESTY!!!

18

I recently took up target shooting. Had a private lesson last week, me and a friend with one instructor. He only had me change one thing (compared to three for my friend) for my technique, and I shot bullseye - same hole - three times! My friend told me afterwards he had looked back at her and gave a thumbs-up while I was shooting, and said I was good! I’ve got the practice bug now. Too bad I have to go an hour from home in order to do it.

19

I’m actually with you Lowdown, because I have my list of favorite bands and have seen all of them (one of them multiple times even) except that one band that I could never get a handle on.

Turns out living in Florida has its perks because they are going to be in town this summer! I went ahead and got tickets and I can finally say that I have seen all of my favorite bands in person!

(seeing another favorite for a third (!) time, and seeing a fave for a second in the fall. Yay Orlando!

20

Birthday twin! :: fist bump ::

How was the concert?