the best day ever

About a month ago the City of Philadelphia decided to remove the "heads" off all the parking meters on Germantown Avenue in Mt. Airy.  I point out that it is just Germantown Avenue because the two of three meters that are on side streets were left.  I guess it costs more to do two streets at once.  Last week they used jackhammers 7am-3pm and on two nights 10pm-midnight to remove the polls of the parking meters.  The "body" of the parking meters to keep my previous analogy.  Okay.  Now we're getting a little loud.

Yesterday morning I wake up and don't look out the window immediately.  My wife, Kristen, with iced coffee in hand wearing that cute bathrobe with hair still a mess from dreaming, lets out a loud, "Oh duuuude: WHAT THE FUCK?" and starts giggling and yells for me to come to our front windows that overlook Germantown Avenue.  Needless to say we literally held prisoner in our own home.  Wet cement was EVERYWHERE.  My front door is directly to the left of the wet cement in the first picture.

Down the Ave

Up the Ave.

Today I am all sorts of prepared for my gig out in York, PA.  Springettesbury to be exact.  I planned the longish drive days ago.  I even scoped out places to grab a quick, cheap, and locally loved bite to eat.  My plan was to arrive around 5pm so I could eat and still make the 5:45pm load in.  Alright.  Anything else on the to-do list before I head out of town.  I finished the milk with breakfast but Kristen was handling that one. 

The XBOX!  I got the dreaded "Red Ring of Death" two Saturdays ago and have had my UPS call tag in my inbox since.  It was a great time to hit up the UPS store.  They were very helpful and knew how to pack it etc etc...  Before they rang me up they warned that credit cards weren't going through.  I'll try it once.  I only had a few dollars on me that I planned on using for dinner.  I was rung up for $80.10 and not the $8.10 that the register said I owed AND (check this out) aaaand since it was debit and not credit the refund can take up to two weeks to register with my bank account.  Considering there was only $70 and change in that account I am so happy that TDBank offers until 6pm the next business day before charging me the newly re-labeled "Convenience Fee".

Onwards to York.  I should be arriving by 5:15 or so.  Everything good to go.  I've got the new Keith Jarrett / Charlie Haden album spinning and the drive is relaxing.  Until I decide to pass these people in front of me.  Too many people in a small car with two arms and a barefoot leg out a window and I'm betting they just may be reckless.  I get stuck in the left lane when one of those trucks that carries a lot of cars gets on the Turnpike to my right.  As I speed up to make my exit, which followed immediately after, I am thwarted by someone a few cars up suddenly slow down.  I miss my exit.  And then the sign: Next Exit 46 miles.  The GPS beeps with a newly calculated ETA of 6:17pm.  I drive fast and get to the location by 5:58.  It's ten after six by the time I figure out how to get my car to the amphitheatre to unload.

The gig went well.  Mike Vogelman joined the Mighty Rhythm Kings tonight as new official bassist.  He did a great job and I can't wait until we get a chance to do it again.  After the gig I get stuck in the rain.  The drive home sucked as I get lost, again and end up at a Burger King that lost it's power.  After getting home I say goodnight to Kristen and stick one of them Red Baron frozen pizzas in the oven.  It cooks.  It overcooked, technically.  I get it out and cut it and bite into melted cheese and warm raw gooey dough. 

The end of the best day ever.