all that's past is prologue...

For any number of reasons, life has been a lot lately. But this weekend I was also able to do some fun things! WICKED has long been on Beatrix's bucket list. Thanks to her, I had started to like the music, but I've never been able to get through the book so I was not is sure about the show. But we were given tickets to yesterday's matinee, so attended and loved it! Yes, a great show. But time with my daughter, seeing her enjoy it? Priceless. Today, I was given tickets to "A Scandalous West Wing Event with Joshua Malina" and attended with my friend Dan. It turned out to be a lot less about TWW and a lot more about Judaism — yes, I was I think the only gentle in attendance. Part discussion, part live taping of his podcast Chutzpod . But it was interesting, and sometimes very funny, and led to a really good discussion afterwards as we walked around the St. Kate's campus a little. Then we went to the final performance of Songs of Hope (tickets almost always free...

I think I might have to retire the term "pandemic projects." Because we are still in a pandemic — but it might be an always thing now. The projects I am going around the house(s) have slowed down. They, like covid, are just part of everyday life now. I seem to have run out of time to devote to them. Not to say that I think we have reached the "endemic" stage of covid yet, but that I just don't know what else to do except protect my family as I can and move ahead. So I ripped out the weedy front area at Summit and replaced the weeds with some giant marigolds I got off the neighborhood free board. (as usual, I forgot to take a photo, but you can get a sense from the background as to how bad it was.) And Patrick took pity on me trying to (badly) string up outdoor lights over the back deck and wound them cheerily around the deck umbrella instead. Small steps, but I'll take them. And continue to test frequently.

So our friends Emily and Robert are awesome at fixing situations (dare I say, even at the level of the great Patrick Rhone). When I came down with Covid Part Deux, and was tearful about missing Solo Vino's Rosé Fest, they sprung into action and suggested we do our own — which we did last weekend. Normally, I but my rosé at Solo Vino, but in this case I admit I just joined the WSJ Wine Club (ping me if you want a referral code) and got a full case, plus bonus bottles and tasting glasses and such, for less than $80 including shipping. "Chelimsky Catering" did the catering (after I blithely responded that "everything tastes good with rosé," somehow they did not trust that), and we ate like royalty. As for each bottle: We started with an incredible rosé champagne (that they brought, not a part of my case), to celebrate our respective capital campaigns. So good, and much better than the somewhat badly cellared Veuve Cliquot I put Colin through the day we closed on th...

This morning, we attended the March for Abortion Access at the state capitol. The last reproductive rights march I attended was in Washington, DC, where we drive all night down from Boston, marched, and then drove back. I can't believe we're still marching, and I would bet that people who protested before Roe was originally decided feel that, times 100. It was hot and crowded but people were supportive and we saw lots of people we knew (including a lot of Beatrix's friends). Tonight, my book club met — we had just read Crow After Roe by Robin Marty. We don't always talk about the book as much as we should, but this one got us going. I desperately want to leave a better world for my daughter, and I am not sure we are doing so.

So most people, reasonably enough, are confused as to why we live in two houses. My usual way of explaining it at this point is "Some people have cabins up north. Ours is just west...and a little closer." Which, often enough, makes some sense. But what really is the origin story? My parents bought 1358 Summit in 1965 for $19,879. They were the third family to own it; it was built for an older couple in 1918, then passed down to their kids, and then it had been sold as an early "flip" to a man named Jesse Brown who had basically repainted everything in army green and mustard yellow and resold it (good to know flip standards were not any higher then). At that point, my parents were cautioned that this was "not a good area," but they ignored that advice, and my mother doggedly hung onto the house after the divorce. So I've lived in the house literally all my life, and my family has owned the house for 57 of its 104-year lifespan. What 1358 Summit meant to...

I've been thinking of my work history in preparation for meeting with a career coach, and reflecting on the great bosses I've had in the past. My current boss, of course, is an absolute b*tch who works me hard and gives me relatively little time off (ahh, the joys of self-employment), so it's fun to look back. My first "wow they took a lot out of this check in payroll taxes" job was as house staff at The Ordway Theater when it opened. The uniforms were specifically sized for us, and for women the wrap-around skirt tended to gap as you walked back up the stairs, so we would hold the programs with our right arms and grasp the edge of our skirt with our left hand. My boss was John Work, who I've continued to know for years, and everyone who knows him knows his last name is appropriate. Though we could sit down, briefly, in the lobby by the auditorium door once the patrons were in, we had to stand immediately to help if someone exited the theater. Though the patro...

Started this morning meeting up for coffee with our friend Michael, who had moved to Rapid City last year.  I had a "Cardigan," thank you, Taylor Swift!) Hit Wall Drug: Then drove on to the Badlands. I was super-excited to share them with Patrick in particular, because I knew he would love them, and he did. Started with a herd of bison and some "rock sheep" and some great views. We drove the loop and did 3 shorter hikes. But it was hot (99 degrees!) and Beatrix was not feeling well, so after the "Window Trail" we headed to DQ and then the hotel (a surprisingly nice Super 8), with the hope of going out later. It was stormy in the afternoon, and then we headed to the "Badlands Saloon and Grille" (not a ton of choices here.) While we were there the storm amped up; the sign we read on one trail today said that the Badlands got 16" a year of rain, and it was clearly all tonight. There goes my bucket list item of a Night Sky event in a national pa...

There's nothing like a long drive day (about 12 hours with stops, from Glacier to Keystone, SD) to put things into perspective. Those days are always good for conversation, though, and Patrick did a great post about one such discussion. Yesterday at Glacier we saw several people, just hanging out at viewpoints in camp chairs, with a drink and a book. I was extremely jealous — to me time spent reading on vacation is perfect. I don't like to read in the car because it's not fair that Patrick can't (since he's driving), but I wanted to finish my book so bent that rule a little today. We stopped in Billings and had an amazing lunch at The Sassy Biscuit. While Patrick ran some errands, Beatrix and I hit a lovely vintage shop where she got a new dress, and an antique mall, and checked out some murals (It's really hard to pose with your foot up in the air). Multiple more hours of driving. We stopped for a surprisingly good dinner and some very sweet cocktails at Black...

Putting 2 posts in one to try to catch up! We left our (marginal) hotel in Missoula yesterday morning (but at least the roses outside were nice!) and headed to Garnet Ghost Town , which was a sleeper hit of the trip! It is about 40 minutes from Missoula (more on the way back because they closed the highway entrance, but hey...). It's up a long, rutted dirt road (and we took the alternate route back which was even more harrowing). But it was fascinating! Once a large quartz mining town, it was especially unusual for having a large number of families instead of just single male miners. But it still had 13 saloons, a blacksmith, a store, a hotel, several other businesses, and a very old west feel. It's been relaly well stabilized and reconstructed, and you could just wander around and explore. The store: An old miner's cabin I knew Elyse would love: Saloon: Blacksmith: The hotel is said to be haunted... Me in front of the "Hanifen" house — wonder if we're relate...