Roller Coaster Weekend

What a roller coaster of a weekend.  I started down and went up only to close slightly ahead in heavy trading.  A near disaster just before the final bell jeopardized further gains.  Near losses reversed themselves, in some cases having an enormous impact on the entire weekend, only to be countered when what seemed to be blue chip investments inverted themselves completely.  In the end, I went to my mother's to grill hamburgers and asparagus and to eat blueberry pie.

Jim Linderman liked the pictures I sent him plenty, and he sent about a thousand viewer/readers my way from his Facebook page.  Most of them didn't hang around, though, and I don't think I can count on many of them coming back.  Still, the blog topped all previous records of attendance.  I got a good kick out of that.

I started Labor Day by sending friends and acquaintances a link to The Beach Boys Greatest Hits remastered on Youtube.  Here's the link for you, too.  I listened to it twice on what is unofficially that end of summer, once in the morning and again just now.  The mix on this is hollow and empty and quite intriguing if you listen closely.  It almost seems like a live version.  Anyway, I thought it good for the day.

So I sent it to Prodigal Girl, too, who is in Newport with what she calls her "fashion family."  She sent back pictures of her epic holiday there.  I felt like I'd been caught. . . I don't know, doing something stupid like farting and looking at Elvis paraphernalia.  I don't think I can write her any more.

Still, I found this weekend that my own hometown and the larger environs that surround it have gotten fairly interesting again.  There are lots of things going on that I didn't know about--restaurants, bars, lounges, bookstores and literary readings, cabarets with burlesque shows. . . .  I went out and found that there are pretty people here again, too.  I read that the area has the largest per capita gay population in the United States which surprised me to no end as I always thought that gay men had good taste.  But the good taste has come back, I guess.  I told this to my brunch companion who comes from a wealthy family and has a number of businesses, and even though he is a conservative republican, he said, "Good.  I like them.  They are good for business."

Of course he's right.  Lots of disposable income.

So I am more determined than ever to get a Vespa, if that makes any sense to you.  What I mean is that nothing is really very far from where I live and a Vespa would be fun and just fine.

But Goddamnit, I've got to lose some weight.

Fucking Newport.