Rush!

Yes, I saw Rush again, last night, in Irvine. This time Lisa got to go, and we used the occasion of the show to have a leisurely drive up the Pacific Coast Highway between San Clemente and Laguna Beach.

In San Clemente a guy in traffic got me to roll down my window and asked if we were, in fact, on the Pacific Coast Highway, and if it would take him to Irvine. I told him we were, in fact, on PCH, and that even though we'd never taken this route, we believed it went to Irvine, as that's where we were headed. Even though the show wasn't for another five hours and we were probably only an hour away from Irvine, and Irvine's a city of almost 200K people and there are many reasons to go there that have nothing to do with Rush, he held up his Rush baseball hat with a questioning look, and then we hung devil's horns and screamed "RUSH!!!" at each other until traffic separated us.

The show was quite terrific. Of course. Even though the crowd was kinda lame. I mean, who sits during Neil Peart's drum solo? Who sits through "Natural Science," for crying out loud???!!

I did quite a bit of head banging, which aggravated my sore shoulder which I made sore last weak by sitting. I'd call this a sign of aging, only I've been doing stuff like this for decades.

The fact that I've been doing this for decades -- 21 years of Rush shows -- now that's a sign of age.

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On the way up we stopped at a very nice coffee joint in Dana Point, where I finished a draft of a proposal for two books. I used Scrivener for this, and I loved how easy it was to juggle notes, an outline, a synopsis for each of the two books, sample chapters, and be able to quickly display and reference the short story these books are based on. I might try to draft the first book this way. Assuming somebody buys the books.

So tired. Rush show was awesome, fun time had by all. Bought a tour shirt, my first since "Hold Your Fire" in 1988. That one was a flimsy, long, narrow tube with sleeves, like a t-shirt made for asparagus. This one is very much more shirt-like.

Since there was miraculously no traffic between San Diego and LA, I never once had to dip below 70mph and made it to Culver City with time to spare, which I used productively at a coffee joint to do some outlining-type stuff on the new novel.

In the news, a teacher is accused of wizardry for making a toothpick disappear.

I'll be heading up to LA to see Rush today with friends Todd and Lori. After the show, I will get back in my green Prizm and drive like the wind, straining the limits of machine and man.

I'd advise any gleaming alloy air-cars, two lanes wide and otherwise, to steer well clear of me.

Crappy phonecam footage of Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson joining the Foo Fighters on-stage last month to play YYZ. The footage is really crappy, and you have to sit through a tedious Taylor Hawkins drum solo before Geddy and Alex come on (Neil Peart is the only drummer who should be allowed solos), and Grohl must've been eating cold cuts backstage because he's nowhere to be seen, and there's an obnoxious guy screaming, "Holy shit! Holy fuck! OH MY GOD!" the whole time.

If I'd been there, I would have so totally been that guy.

(Geddy and Alex come on at the two-minute mark.)

Video showing a fan-built model of Neil Peart and his drum kit (circa "Grace Under Pressure"), made from whiskey bottle caps, tin can lids, and shishkabob skewers. I doff my tuque to the guy's craft and dedication.



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Commemorating another step in the process: Signing publishing contracts for Norse Code.

San Diego has a healthy microbrew scene, but as a beer drinking Rush fan, I'm very jealous of you Minnesotans.

Flat Earth Cygnus X-1

"This robust English style porter has an add (sic) twist, rye. Rye is used in making Canadian whiskey. It was created as a tribute to our favorite band - Rush. Cygnus X-1 has a creamy mocha chocolate flavor with a hint of spice. It has a slightly dry finish leaving you wanting more. English hops balance out this 6.5% ABV beer."

A friend of some friends of mine drew this cartoon, for which I am the perfect audience: A General Foods International Coffee Moment With Neil Peart

Humorous Rush shout-out from Steven Colbert (at about the 2:20 mark):

I have a black eye!

Only it's almost invisible. It's only slightly black, and I've got dark circles under my eyes anyway. It's from a ridge-hand I took across the face Tuesday night in sparring. I was hoping for a much blacker black eye.

Maybe I'll have more luck next time.

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I've got a Sunday deadline to finish my novel for the Blue Heaven workshop. About 7k or 8k or so left to go, consisting of Ragnarok and some denouement. I just did the battle between Loki and Heimdall in fewer than 50 words. I don't know if that's good or if it's lame cheating. I'm too tired to tell.

Today I'll be writing in airports and other interstitial places, and also the new Rush album totally kicks ass. I was kind of enh about it on the first two listens, but now it rocks. The bits and bytes must have moved around on my computer over night. It fills me with great rock happiness.

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My sparring has been shit this week. I say that not because I've been losing rounds (because there aren't really winners and losers in the way we spar at my school, unlike other systems in which points are scored and there are definite winners and losers), but because I've been sluggish and unimaginative in my rounds.

On the other hand, I've gotten Tiger Descends Golden Mountain memorized, and I'm not totally lost yet on Sea Dragon Cane. But the sparring? Suckage. If it keeps up I'll talk to my instructor. He'll probably recommend more Tai Chi and Chi Kung. He may make a believer out of me yet.

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Go Golden State! (Only not more than Go Suns!)