Stupid, careless people.

On Saturday, just as we were heading home from the market and other errands in SLC, we entered the freeway at 21st South and as suddenly as a ball flying at your head that you didn't know was being thrown at you, we saw a giant obstacle on I-15. As the cars in front of us parted--like Moses parting the Red Sea--I spotted it and yelled and L. responded as well as could be given the circumstances, which is to say that she didn't completely drive over the top of the whole thing which probably would have flipped the car and resulted in a total disaster BUT INSTEAD, L maneuvered quickly to only hit with the front left driver side bumper and we were lucky no one was behind us in the right hand lanes as she navigated to the right shoulder.

Except for some damage to the car (front bumper and ripped out tire well), we were all totally fine, including little Lucy who I was holding in my lap in the front seat.

Looking ahead to see who might be the culprit, we saw two 20-something clean cut guys walking back along the shoulder from their pick-up truck that held several other of the large obstacles (we later found out were enormous ottomans--and if I didn't hate oversized furniture before, I really do now). They nervously asked if we were ok and went back to talk to the Utah Highway Patrolman who was attempting to get the ottoman off the freeway to avoid further havoc for others. I was just so angry at their carelessness and seeming lack of understanding that what the did could have actually killed people, that I just glared back at them.

Stupidity is getting on a freeway and going (at least) 65 miles an hour with 6 enormous ottomans in a pick-up truck that are tied down with bungee cords, incurring a large fine with citation and having to pay for a rental car and body shop repair work, not to mention ruining everyone's Saturday afternoon.

Blogging Slackers & NYC trip

OK, so we've found ourselves way more busy than we intended for Summer 2008. It was, in fact, at the beginning of the summer supposed to be a relaxed-maybe-we'll-go-do- short-trips-to-the-Uintas- maybe-not kind of summer. We didn't anticipate a NYC trip (for L's work) or a California trip (for J's cousin's wedding) when we bought all our concert tickets, so the result has been a bit--for us anyway--like living like rock stars.

I think we have averaged at least 3 concerts a week since July. In August alone, we've seen Keb Mo, Ruthie Foster, and others up at the Snowbird Rock n Blues festival along with Wilco, KT Tunstall, and Broken Social Scene. We still have Bonnie Raitt and Neko Case left to go, not to mention Al Green, John Hiatt, and Joan Osborne in September. It has been a blast! But I think I'm looking forward to winter hibernation, or at least fall turtlenecks, more than I normally would.

Anyway, although we do have a fantastic California trip to blog about, I'll wait on that to review just briefly the NYC trip, during which I played and L worked. I spent a couple of nice unseasonably pleasant afternoons with old friends and wandered around a bit walking across the Brooklyn Bridge and to the Met. Fortunately, meals are mostly together and we like to find a gem now and then, so thanks for my cousin Andy who used to live in Brooklyn, our gem this time around was a place called Supper in the East Village. Although I know it might sound silly with all the choices there are in NYC, we actually went to this place twice, almost solely for the freshest mozarella we have ever eaten--a burrata mozarella imported twice weekly from Italy that practically fell apart on the plate but perfectly complemented all of the usual caprese salad ingredients--tomatoes, basil, olive oil, balsamic. In fact, this little appetizer actually cost more than either of our entrees, but it was completely worth it. Aside from the tasty food, the place had a great vibe and we definitely felt we were nearly living like locals eating there.