Home body

Home body

Maybe it's 'cause I've been gone so much, and maybe I was just hungry for my own cooking. Whatever - I took the leftover-from-Thanksgiving mango Mom gave me and stir fried it into a curried chicken/mango/ginger/veggie delight. It was good. I even have leftovers. Hope they keep 'till I get back from Texas Friday night.

Monday I was on the road at 6:30am to drive up to Wisconsin. I way over estimated the drive time and got there a couple hours early. Chicago traffic wasn't a big a nightmare as I feared. After my meeting I drove an extra 20 minutes west to have dinner with my old friend Mike. We had a great time yaking, cooking and drinking wine. ("Remember Ben and Gordon digging for gold and devil's poop?") Met Ellen, his wife-to-be, and heard all about their vacation in Mexico last week. Mike's been retired just over a year, and what can I say? I'm jealous. They live right on the river, with a couple of canoes and kayaks perched just feet from the shore.

Drove part way home last night, got a cheap room for a couple of hours, and then started driving early to beat the morning traffic. Sailed through downtown Chicago in record time. Cars actually move at 6am! I made it home by about 10 and then took a couple hour nap.

Tomorrow night I'm off to Austin, Texas. I think I have some downtime after meetings all day Thursday, so I'll be looking for live music Thursday night. Alas, Friday night my Austin-based fiddle idol, Elana James, is playing up at Dallas at the same bar I saw Big Sandy and the Fly Right Boys last year. I won't be in Dallas Friday night.

But if you're in Goshen, come on down to Rachel's Bread for pizza and a beer Friday from 7 - 9pm. The Barn Owl String Band will be performing unplugged. Actually it is less a performance than a practice before we drive up to play for the Loaves & Fishes Benefit in Kalamazoo Saturday night. Hope to see you there.