…this year was based on old patent-medicine advertising, and billed the big event as an “arts festival and mind tonic.”
It was certainly an elixir for me. It may have helped me heal from my recent attack-of-some-sort.
I’d first gotten panicky Monday afternoon and early evening (8/25). Late that night, the real attack set in.
I didn’t fall asleep until after 3:30 a.m., and stayed passed out until nearly 2 p.m. Tuesday. Needless to say, I didn’t do much the rest of that day.
Wednesday, I stayed home and watched DVDs, then felt strong enough to go out for a couple of hours in the evening.
Thursday, all I did was go to the drug store and the grocery store. And I barely got that accomplished.
Then came Friday, day one of the ol’ B-shoot.
I didn’t know on Thursday night whether I’d be capable of going, or even of keeping my prearranged meeting with two friends beforehand. But I awoke Friday at a reasonable hour reasonably energetic, and was able to stick around on the Seattle Center grounds until about 20 minutes into Modest Mouse’s stadium set.
Saturday, I was a bit wearier, but managed to knock around the festival for four hours or so (during which I met, and received healthy wishes from, recent acquaintances John Poetzel and “tyd.” I went to the Two Bells for my longtime acquaintance Earl Brooks’s new alt-country band, but was too exhausted to stay to the end of the (quite good) opening act.
On Sunday I took things a little easier. I got to Belltown around 4:30, hung out with print MISC contributor Julian Fox (who’s had some medical exigencies of his own of late, sorry to say) at the Rendezvous, then finally got around to B-shooting after 6 p.m. I am so glad I was able to stay awake and alert past 10, so I could have the once-in-a-lifetime experience of sharing piano-bar meistro Howard Fulson’s final regular gig at Sorry Charlie’s.
Monday, I awoke feeling better than I’d felt all week. My left shoulder’s still sore in a few spots, but I could effectively use it to lift myself out of bed. After posting Sunday’s photos to the site, I went back to a full final day of B-shooting, including the rockin’ sounds of Ms. Led, the New Pornographers, and Wilco. It all culminated with an enjoyable evening in the stadium listening to the not-at-all-yet-a-nostalgia-band R.E.M. (Pix will be posted later Tuesday.) I wound up walking almost a mile of the road home, grateful for the warm starry (and Mars-y) night.
I’m seeing a doctor in a few days, and hope to have the past unpleasantness behind me for good. Thanks also to Kevin Jerbi and Claudio Todesco, who each emailed their best wishes.
More to come.
