Turn Down For What
We have officially reached a new milestone. My younger son was practicing with his band in his buddy’s garage, so they could have the door open, be physically distanced, and in general follow Covid-style health guidelines, like the responsible 14-and-15-year-olds they are. His buddy’s dad is in a band, and so has a complete drum kit and set-up, and since it is a garage, it is much cooler than my basement, which is also a practice area, given that we have drums and they are not a portable instrument.
The neighbours did not enjoy their free concert, as evidenced by the noise complaint lodged and the police showing up to shut them down. In the middle of the afternoon, no less! Did you know you can lodge a noise complaint at 2:00 in the afternoon? Neither did I!
Evidently the officer was very nice – my son, the drummer, was the one who had to talk to him – and “no fines will be pressed as it was their first offence.” I am trying VERY HARD to feel compassion for the individual who a) called the police instead of walking twenty steps to the garage to ask them to maybe lower the noise, and b) are that bothered by teens who are not getting into trouble but instead are making music together in the middle of the afternoon that they lodge complaints. Well. Some people are just generally unhappy and in the meantime, I guess practices will take place at my house, as the basement is quieter from the street and also my neighbours are very nice and would never complain.
After they got shut down they apparently went into the field and played golf with tennis balls, which seems to have more potential for damage than playing Stone Temple Pilot covers.
Where The Wild Things Are
Speaking of fields, there is a little green space behind my house. Longtime readers will remember it as the scene of the crime where we found Manny the Mannequin, and not infrequently, a passed-out individual. But not these days! These days it is the hangout of a gang of coyotes. Right behind my backyard, where my elderly dog spends his days. I guess this explains the decline in the wild jackrabbit population.
The Wolfie Dynasty
The older gentleman who lives across the alley and down – just down from the coyote hangout – had a wonderful golden retriever named Wolfie. Barkley, in his spoiled life and advanced age, doesn’t love all other dogs, but he and Wolfie were, insomuch as we can anthropomorphize a couple of dogs, friends. Sadly, Wolfie passed away this winter, but the gentleman has a new puppy now. A sweet golden retriever, and when I asked his name, he replied “Wolfie.”
I was speaking of this phenomenon to my husband, and he recalled, many years ago, that the gentleman had a German shepherd, and he thought that THAT dog’s name was also Wolfie. It turns out, upon questioning, that the current puppy is Wolfie Number Five. The gentleman has, he said, had a Wolfie since the Sixties.
It’s a dynasty of Wolfies! I guess the dogs wouldn’t know the difference anyway, and it sure would take away any confusion over calling the dog by its name.
Summer Breeze
As per usual when we get our 7-14 days of summer, there have been many complaints about the Heat, and Heat Warnings Are All In Effect, the Heat being defined as being 28-29 degrees Celsius with very little humidity. Heat Warning! Is the warning that you may get a little sweaty while walking around outside? Possibly.
Anyway, the complainers are now vindicated, as the weather has turned. In Calgary, when the weather turns, it TURNS. You can actually feel the fall-like chill in the air. The nights are very chilly and even the warm days have that fall feeling. Complainers, you got your way.
Why doesn’t it work that way when I complain about the cold? When I complain about the cold it doesn’t magically get warmer, we just get snow for another six months.
Before it turned, my husband actually had a day off work, my god, a day off, and he accompanied me and the boys on a 13.4 km, 900 metre elevation hike. It was a great day – and we did, in fact, get sweaty.
Note! As per my Favourite Things post, I wore my Routine deodorant and I was perfectly fresh-smelling even after that hike on a warm day.
Pandemic Reading
This was a fun reading week!
This was such a fun read. If we were going to a beach this year, I’d call it a Beach Read, but alas. It was a great Sunny Backyard Read. Part murder mystery, part detective story, part Scooby Doo, this also had a really good theme of body acceptance and the dangers of believing everything we see on social media. Plus, lots of fashion descriptions, which I am HERE FOR.
Ooooh, this was SO GOOD. It’s been a while since I read something that made me want to not do anything else at all, just read. Ooooh, I can’t say anything about this without spoiling it, so I won’t. Just. It’s so good.
I think Suzanne recommended this? Suzanne? Was it you? (HI SUZANNE). It was fascinating, all about children’s television as an educational medium and – spoiler alert! – how Elmo saved the day.
Have a great week, everyone! Rock on. xo
I’m glad no one ever called the cops on my teenage drummer. He practices (or he used to) in the basement, but you could hear it outside.
Sitting sweatily at my desk, with a big fan 6 inches from me, feeling a little jealous, but I know I’d miss summer if I had as little of it as you do. A happy medium would be nice.
It was NOT me, although I think someone recommended it to me on my blog?!? (HI!)
Also, to the other books you listed: ADDED to my ever-growing list of ebooks To Read. (On that list is also the Sesame Street book because I am A Slow Reader.)
I just finished The Blinds by Adam Sternbaugh and THAT was a good mystery-type book. I couldn’t put it down and in fact ignored my child much of this morning to finish it.
Those photos are beautiful and make me ACHE for the west. I usually get to visit in the summer and I can’t this year and I miss it SO MUCH.
Oooh! I’ll put that on my list! My huge, huge list…
Just a thought to help you understand why anyone would complain about kids playing music…there are many people who must sleep during the day. Our Son is a firefighter/paramedic, daughter-in-law is a nurse and husband law enforcement. All work shift work. I’m so sorry your boys were shut down but I can understand how it might be tough to sleep with a live band playing.
That’s a great point, Lorraine! My initial thought was maybe it was a mom with a baby…sadly it was neither, just an older gentleman who didn’t like their music. But lesson learned – practices will be in my house now as it’s much quieter in a muffled basement! Too bad the fellow didn’t just ask them to turn the volume down, but it makes for a good story for them!
Awe, that is too bad. It’s hard to have sympathy/empathy for someone who’s just cranky.
Favorite part: “…but he and Wolfie were, insomuch as we can anthropomorphize a couple of dogs, friends.”
I have known families who used the same name for dogs! I was going to say it baffles me, but I think that verb carries a negative vibe that is far from accurate. “Amazes” is closer, but because it’s too strong a verb, I think again it gives a potentially disapproving feel. It is more like it WONDERS me. That is, I would never have thought to reuse a pet name, and the idea fills me with a sort of wonder, and also causes me to wonder how that sort of thing comes about. I knew a family that kept naming the new dog Buddy. The dog’s name was always OFFICIALLY Buddy 3 or Buddy 4 or whatever, but known only as Buddy.
I did not know one could lodge a noise complaint during the day. Since that is the case, I am shocked no one has complained about the noise my family produces. We are a loud group. Glad the band has a backup option. And hope they are either really good, or that you have ear plugs. 😉
The dog name story is hilarious. I was worried for a minute that you were going to say Wolfie was attacked by coyotes. It reminds me of the sitcom when the three brothers were Daryl. “This is my brother Daryl, and this is my other brother Daryl.”
I always puzzle at how you read SO many books in such a short amount of time, and here you are stating that this book you could not put down -all you wanted to do was read- and here I assumed that must be all you typically have time for . . . even though I KNOW that is not the case. You are busy working out and baking and walking the dog and so on – how in the world do you read as much as you do? I have always been a slow reader. Green with envy here. I have come to rely on your recommendations for books and these sound great. I love Sesame Street. Look forward to checking that out. In a few months time, maybe.
I was going to fume about the person who called the cops because even if you have to sleep during the day, why not just ask instead of calling the cops? But everyone is right, we don’t know other people’s lives, so erring on the side of kindness is probably best. Still. Ugh. It just smacks of all teenagers getting painted with the same critical brush, and it annoys me. And the Wolfie thing? Similar to others here. I don’t disapprove. It’s efficient. It’s kind of sweet. Maybe he thinks that dog reincarnation movie is how things really work. I just checked by reading goal stats on goodreads. I am 18 books ahead of schedule, so I guess Covid is good for something. Just barely.
What the hell with the complainers? Kids having good clean fun and warm weather?!
Scary about the coyotes and funny about Wolfie x6, or was it x7?
Did I ever tell you about how my “older” younger brother learned how to play the drumset? He started during the week leading up to my grade 12 exams 😳🤪
He practiced by playing along to a song he liked.
I still get twitchy when I hear sunshine of my love.