I tried to see Tributosaurus this evening, but it was not to be. Never have I been so unable to find parking. Never have I been so disappointed to show up at the venue, well after the start time, to find it shoulder-to-shoulder with people, filled with smoke, with a line out the door. No thanks.
It's too bad, too, because they were Stevie Wonder tonight. I'm sure it was fun, but I'm too short and impatient (sometimes) to stand in a room for hours breathing nothing but smoke and other people's breath, and not be able to see the stage very well.
I have a bit less need to see music when I'm playing a fair bit. Considering I'm in somewhere between three and four bands at the moment, that's may have something to do with my not needing desperately to go to shows. (Although Jon's last night was really good.)
I have a good friend back in New Hampshire who is going through a very difficult time right now, and I'm thinking about her and her family all the time. Her dad is at the Maine Medical Center right now battling a potentially life-threatening illness. He has had similar trouble before, and has battled through it. He's tough, and I'm hoping they can beat this, because the guy is too young and too cool for anything else. Anyway, I'm thinking of you.
I'm also thinking of my great-grandmother, who is in hospital right now back home. She is in good shape, though, having made it through hip surgery. I've been looking for seeded raisins (that is, raisins with seeds in them) for her -- she had them growing up, but they're extremely hard to find now. I was hoping I could be the cool, big-city boy and find them here, send a big bag to her in the hospital. But I've had no luck so far. Maybe I should just send a card.
I ended up just coming home instead of running around trying to find more music. I made pumpkin bread and muffins instead, using a recipe my friend's mom uses. Back in high school, around Christmas, I was always raiding their freezer for pumpkin bread. When I started cooking on a more regular basis myself a little later, I got the recipe. This is my version, which is only different insofar as I'm giving it to you from memory.
Pumpkin Bread
(makes 2 loaves)
2 cups of flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup softened butter (I use vegetable oil instead now)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs (or just 2 egg whites)
16 oz canned pumpkin
Grease two bread pans, preheat the oven to 325.
In a small bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. I don't sift these (no sifter) -- I just mix them together with a fork. Set aside.
Beat together the butter and sugar until just blended. This is easiest with an electric mixer, but if you want not to wake up your wife and dog, a spoon will do.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat the whole thing until light and fluffy, or until you're sick of beating them. Beat in pumpkin.
On low speed, mix in the dry stuff.
Fill each pan with half the mixture. Bake about an hour, until a cake tester or knife comes up clean.
Eat. Love.