It's been busy. *Updated with pics!*

Chuck D and Flava Flav, a bit blurry but totally sensational and always in motion, performing It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back from end to end, plus many of their other hits at Pitchfork. A blast.
1) Last week was rough - I really wasn't sleeping at all still, so I wasn't doing my triathlon training, and it was super hot at night, so I wasn't sleeping, and then it was raining in the times when I could have done training, so I hated myself, so I wasn't sleeping...etc.

The dance tent is pure joy in one space for 2 days. I can't tell you how amazingly fun it is to see so many people dancing...
2) Last weekend was the festival. It was great, as always, though interpersonal stuff can sometimes get in the way when you've worked on something for so long with the same person. As I've done for - is it 4 years?, I ran a jam-packed dance tent, sort of the second stage of the fest, and helped out backstage and emceed. Check out the flickr group for all the amazing pictures from lots of people - I'll put mine up soon, too. It's SUCH a fun festival. I realized I've been doing it for 10 years! Wow. I was up til 1am Sunday night closing down backstage (the diehards/drinkers were there til 4) and then back up and out at 6am Monday to check the field and return things to the school. I worked til 11am.
Awesome Aztec dancers prepping for their ceremony in the dance tent.
3) Then, the afternoon bbq/party for the fest was Monday. I cycled out to the pool and decided to stay more than an hour, so I had to ditch week two (outta 6! crap) of my awesome bike class. But it was OK. I came home and changed and then went out again to a free show of three friends' bands (missed the first one) and it was really great music and for the most part great people/many friends at the venue. I'm so glad I went out again, even though by the end of the night I was really running on empty!

The pool, with no kids allowed this one day, was a peaceful respite on Monday after the fest.
4) But then I had to teach (subbing) for the next three mornings, and that was pain-full. I still wasn't sleeping well and was exhausted, with the slurred speech, slow movements and blank expression to prove it. I am amazed all the parents in the earliest classes liked me so much - inside, I was a wreck! Autopilot must have kicked in.

Jack, who's 3, made this awesome drawing on Thursday. He said "it's a tiger with a crazy tail and one REALLY long claw," which started the best conversation amongst the other 3-year olds I've ever heard. I'll post it soon.
5) I interviewed for a new job at my organization on Wednesday afternoon. It's a teensy bit of a step up in title, a bit of just a change. I had to ride my bike straight from our other location to the main location after teaching art, change into interview clothes, and get mentally prepared in about 30 minutes. It went OK. I am sure I'll find out Monday. I have no expectations.

6) That night I almost died of exhaustion, but S. came to the rescue because her friend R was coming over to give massages to S and BA, and they asked if I wanted one. HELL YES. I missed the show I was supposed to go to that night, a work thing, but it was worth it. My body was so wound up from the past few weeks and the past months of training, that the massage literally gave me new life. I fell asleep in full clothing when I got home.

Eric from Sebadoh rockin the mic. Jason and Lou rockin behind him. I was behind the camera in a state of bliss.
7) Last night was day 1 of Pitchfork, a usually awesome indie music fest that I've attended whenever I can, and I had 3-day tickets this year too, but I decided to sell them and go only for one night. It was a great decision. I saw one of my favorite bands ever from the early 90s (a theme, I know), Sebadoh, and then Public Enemy. Plus I hung with friends at their booth in the sale area. The rest of the bands this weekend weren't super exciting for me so I am glad I opted to have some me time instead.

8) This morning I rode through the POURING rain - all the way downtown - to meet my training group at a specialty "multisport" (triathlon) store. We had a workshop on bike maintenance (another theme, yes?) for the triathlon (what to do if you get a flat in the race, etc.) and then I bought $100 more worth of equipment (bike computer, fenders, CO2 flat fix thingies, a holster thing...) at our group 20% discount. We were supposed to do an open-water swim also, but the weather sucks (thunderstorms off and on) and I just don't want to today - that would mean another bike ride downtown.

9) I finally got rid of the car today. I was going to have it towed to S's garage for one month while I tried to sell it for junk and/or sue the woman who hit me, but after paying tickets, and insurance, and other b.s. this whole time, I caved when the tow truck driver offered to buy it for $100 cash, without the title. He towed it away and honestly, even though I've lost so much money in the whole thing, I am instantly happier.

I got all verklempt when I realized what I had just done and ran to get my camera for this last picture. There in the distance on the right goes the first and only car I've ever owned - north up Lincoln Ave. on the back of a red towtruck to her final resting place... Thanks for 10-1/2 years!
10) Tomorrow is the women's 5K race I signed up for. I haven't run at all recently but I am gonna try it. If nothing else, it's a gorgeous bike ride to the lakefront and it's early enough (7:30am) to be a great start to my day that doesn't take over the whole day. I'm excited! I wish Lois could run with me. The shirt for the race is cool. I am laying out the stuff for the morning now.

Foiled. Again.

The outfits of one of the bands I saw Saturday (the Neanderthals), drying out after their set, backstage.

This is the weekend of cancelling Poptart's plans, apparently.

Despite a massive hangover from Thursday night, I had a great lunch Friday with M, who it seems is for real moving to the neighborhood from the burbs (yea!!!). Then I worked, and then took off to walk Lois, shower and change, and maybe lie down for a few minutes for my "dinner and drinks" date - sushi, supposedly - with W. I did all that, and then he called at the appointed time, and he sounded as tired as I was, and he said he hurt his back sorta, and we talked on the phone for an hour and a half, and he cancelled the date and asked if I could change to the next night. (Nope.) So then we tentatively said we'd do something today. Hmmm. But, I had plans for today to go canoeing on the river with my friend R.



So it was a free Friday night, and I lay in bed for a couple hours petting Lois and then went to see my friend/former coworker Liam's band, The New Black, play at the Beat Kitchen at midnight, and it was fun. Liam moved to NY almost 2 years ago and this is the first time they've played since then, so it was excellent to see him. He was, in turn, really glad to see everyone who came out. It was a love-fest. (Sidenote: when people move to NY, they inevitably lose weight, I've noticed. Maybe I should consider it...)

Saturday was gorgeous. Walked Lois, put on my swimsuit and headed over to the pool for many eagerly anticipated laps, and damn if the pool wasn't CLOSED for some dumb cleaning emergency. It was way too hot for me to run, and I was really ready for a good long swim - I need the exercise! I was so mad that I said "THAT SUCKS!" kind of loudly on the way out of the fieldhouse. I felt like I was one of those people for a minute. Funny.



Instead, I took Lois to the dog beach, and was hoping to go in myself a little, but the lifeguards weren't letting people into the water because of high e coli in the water (ick!) so I let Lois risk it because she was loving it, as you can see. Then my friend R called me to say he was in a bike accident Thursday (he's OK, the cat probably isn't) and had to cancel canoeing for Sunday, and that it'd be too hot and gross to canoe anyway. Then it was time to go out to Fitzgeralds with my friend T for Exotica fest.



It was fun, interesting, some really good music and peoplewatching, but it was just Way. Too. Long. There were vendors selling vintage clothing and cool tiki accessories, and the food, from Wishbone, was great. Plus, natch, there were tiki drink specials, and everything came with a little paper umbrella in it. In a crazy, uncharacteristic in ALL respects for Poptart shopping moment, I spotted a great 1950s halter dress, tried it on, it fit like a glove, and since it was MADE for me, I purchased it for way too much money on the credit card I just put my digital camera on. Ugh. But honestly, vintage stuff almost never works for me, 50s dresses especially, and this dress is just - awesome. So after that initial magic moment, I was there, and on my feet, for 10 hours. And I love the surf guitar stuff...I can only take so much of it. Plus, my take on the tiki/surf/exotica fest people is that basically THEY ARE ALL MARRIED PEOPLE. So being me, like an alien in that crowd for too long, was - let's just say it - annoying.


Wall of vintage dressing music peeps - or as my old roommate used to call them, "the hair gang"

Luckily I did have a role, which was to be the handler/designated sane person for T, who was in charge of the Go-Go dancers, and it's her last hurrah with them, and she was, well, on a sort of binge of craziness. I think she had a good time. I had to dole out the drink tickets and be the voice of reason and drive her home and all that. It was good that I had something to do.



By the time the last band, a Los Straitjackets cover outfit from Indiana, was playing, I was cleaning out my purse and sitting outside, alone, trying to telepathically make the stage clock go faster and wondering what it would be like to be a rat and have everyone be bigger than you but also terrified of you.

SO. Now it's Sunday, and it's 95 degrees, and I taught my art class and cleaned up in time to FINALLY get in a fabulous, full hour swim!! Then I got online and found an email from W that he's cancelling aGAIN for today, because he's sick, and now I am free to lie here and moon about why I don't have anyone to lie here in the fan and do nothing with (well, besides Lois). I guess I'll have to keep dating to find him. Hmmph.

Maybe I'll go to a movie later. The cinema is always my backup true love, and rarely disappoints. I could always clean my place and do my bills, but then what will I have to freak out about as I try to sleep tonight and for the rest of the week?