Blue Angels…

At my cousin Jenny’s place in Chicago. Last night was fun…old friend Stefanie stopped in, as did Chris Capozzoli, who coincidentally was in town for Lollapalooza.  Shels and I played guitar into the night after the concert, and I promptly passed out in the futon til 9 am.

Drove over to Jen’s this morning, took a nice long shower and we went out for Indian food and caught up. She related to me stories of when we were in summer camp together..she was all of fifteen or so, and I was so wee, maybe 4..apparently she taught me my first curse words but made me swear not to tell anyone who told me. (Maybe the only secret I’ve been able to keep.)

We went off to Costco in Skokie, and bought much stuff for the concert tonight; I’m told 30 people have RSVPd!  I’m really excited. I can’t wait to meet my new cousin, Max Reuben. I mean, how cool is that name. It’s like the best Reuben ever. Like a sammich at the Carnegie Deli.

We got back to the house and began setting up for the party, and the Blue Angels streaked overhead. I was already feeling warm and fuzzy with happy family memories; Jenny and I had been talking about our relatives and all they’d gone through to get to this country from the horrors of Europe, and how both of us feel driven to follow our passions and make good on all they sacrificed for us (a good way to rationalize our type-A personalities..just kidding), when the Angels flew by…I recalled to Jenny that, just a month or so ago, my great-aunt passed away in New York, and as we were finishing the service out on Long Island, the Blue Angels flew over right then and there, six times. So having that happen made me smile, and think, all is right, and I’m doing what I’m meant to, and that,no matter how dark it may seem sometimes, I’ve got the promise of my ancestors behind me, and they are with me.