Earth, Wind and Fire

I hope my readers had a good weekend. I had an excellent one, but shorter than usual because I had to work on Friday. Thursday night I did go to a birthday party for a six-year-old, and we all got glow sticks so I made some fun videos, and Travalon used his to "improve" his party hat.

Yesterday Travalon had to work, so I met Hockey Girl for coffee. Once Travalon got off of work, he and I went to the pyramid outside of Beaver Dam, which is a defunct restaurant (it closed nine years ago) that was called the Nile Club. We were very confused because currently it appears to be a church of some sort, and also people (who keep chickens) appear to be living there. Yet the restaurant sign is still up, and on top of that there is a "for sale" sign in front of it. So I can't really say what the pyramid's status is at the moment. Travalon and I went for a cold, windy hike at Horicon March, then in the evening we went to see my favorite band: Earth, Wind and Fire! The only thing I don't like about them is that they apparently eschew the Oxford comma in their name, and I am a big fan of the Oxford comma, so that I get twitchy not writing their name as Earth, Wind, and Fire. They were great even when they were just jamming on a Caribbean beat or playing the kalimba, but by the end, when they played their biggest hits, they had everyone on their feet. I was half-scared the Overture Center was going to come crashing down from all that dancing! What a fantastic show!

Today after Mass Travalon and I went to brunch with Cecil Markovitch, the Single B-Boy, and his mother. It was a sunny day, unlike yesterday, but almost as windy. Travalon and I went on three smaller hikes: on the boardwalk in De Forest, on the trails behind Madison Country Day School, and at a little park on Highway 19 that used to be a farm. Hockey Girl was on Meet the Press for a discussion about gun control, and Travalon and I had taped her appearance, so we all watched it, and she was dismayed at how much of what she said had been edited out. Of course the pretty young thing who had nothing of substance to say got a lot of time. We weren't sure if Hockey Girl was so edited because she is a little less polished, or if it is because of her conservative views. Who can say? I hate to be cynical, and either view is. After we dropped her off, Travalon and I had dinner at Banzo, and it was the first time I have ever seen it not packed. In fact, nobody else was there except the people who worked there. Wonderful for us, but not so good for them. Usually they are so popular...

Here are some pictures from this weekend. First is the wrapping job that Orange Tree Imports did. Isn't this just perfect for a six-year-old girl?

Next is the headgear Travalon created by merging his glow stick with his party hat.

This is a picture of the pyramid that used to be the Nile Club, taken by Travalon:

Speaking of pyramids, Earth, Wind and Fire have always been into them, and their stage looks a little like one:

After the concert, I found a strand of Mardi Gras beads, and I liked the way they looked with the necklace I was already wearing:

Finally, some videos of the glow sticks at the birthday party. I somehow filmed one in eerie, silent slow motion, but this blog won't let me upload that one so enjoy these instead.

Famous Hat