Cursed

After a series of misadventures over the past week, I finally wound up in the doctor's office today. I would've gone yesterday, but I left my insurance card at home in a pile of business and dentist cards. See, I've been cursed since last Friday. There's been rain soakings, bank overdraft penalties, rolling cherry stains on trousers, and finally, on Monday, my eye began to hurt. I wrote it off as simple case of sinuses run amok, but Wednesday morning I awoke to a full-blown, sweller of an eye infection. I look like somebody punched me in the face.

As it happened, my buddies The Strugglers came to town last night to play a show at the Warehouse Next Door. After several hot compresses, my eye looked presentable enough that I could forget about it and enjoy the night. The guys played a great show along with The Revival and Brandon Butler, who played with a full band of seering blues extraordinaires. I eventually forgot about the eye and became quite bold. One of my 20 year-old self's biggest idols, Ian Svenonius of The Makeup, walked through the door. Long story short, I eventually ended up getting to say a rather quick hello; he was really nice and smiled but he stared at my lame eye the entire second we were face to face. But you know? At least I still met the guy. Hopefully, we'll chat more next time, after I've healed up. I'm still stoked. That man profoundly changed my young mind and I will forever see him as America's closest answer to Mick Jagger. "Free Arthur Lee!" Fugazi's drummer was also there but I didn't get to meet him.

Randy, Jimbob and Lauren played one of my favorite Strugglers song, "On the Way to the Grave," which was written while I was sitting on our couch in Charlottesville. The Revival, who I first thought was good but a tad tedious, finally had a full accompanying band rather tha just Josh solo with his two huge amps and it was truly great. They played a cover of "Femme Fatale" with Josh's sister on violin, completely vulnerable and lush, just like the original but with his own twist. It's hard to imagine, but he managed to take a rock n roll cornerstone and make it his own. I'd never seen Brandon play before, but I really liked his set. Blistering blues followed by sparse alt-country with a few heavy honky-tonk rockers thrown in to make us dance. He's also a really nice guy and finely tattooed. I wish him nothing but luck on his new construction business. It was a good night.

Today, I finally felt like the curse was breaking. A few things happened today to change my luck:
1. A man was snoring so loudly in the waiting room that he woke himself up. Everyone laughed at him and he took it all in stride, making a little joke, and we all shared in one of those moments when complete strangers feel the slightest of bonds and ease for even a mere moment.
2. At the doctor's office, I checked off the box marked "+10 weight LOSS in past 6 months." When the nurse asked me how I lost the weight, I told her that I lost the weight by taking Kung Fu. I think I said Kung Fu at least 6 times in 30 seconds. "Well, this might sound strange, but I lost it by training in Kung Fu. My friend started doing Kung Fu and she got in great shape, so I started doing Kung Fu and the weight just melted off. I've been gaining a little back lately though because I haven't been going to the Kung Fu dojo as often and started eating cheese again." I still don't know what possessed me to say that but it brought a smile to my face.
3. At the pharmacy, this old man "couldn't get his wallet out of his pocket" so he asked the 23 year-old guy standing next to him to "help an old man out." Gross yet hilarious. I couldn't believe the guy dug it out for him. He reached into that old man's back pocket like a baskets of cobras, snatching it out so quickly that it flew from his hand to land several feet away. It's too bad the old man didn't have any popsicles.
4. I got some chicken mcnuggets for lunch. While in the McDonalds, this white guy jumped line in front of this black guy. The second guy, smiling, was like, "I know you think we all look alike but we people too. [To me:] Ain't that right, brotha? We people too." The cashier looked over at him and smiled, immediately throwing up the Black Power fist and saying "Amen, brother!" Turns out, this guy was the cashier's husband. Getting up to the front of the line, he says, "How you doin', suger? I've been waiting to get here all morning." She says, "Husband, you talkin' to me like we the only ones here." "Baby, to me, you are the only one here." You know that look of mischief wives get in their eyes sometimes? It blossomed.