Appreciation

Sometimes I have to stop and think about things. Sometimes I suddenly really appreciate the fact that I am still young. It is not that I ever feel particularly old. However, given my age and my stage in life (just finishing my BA at 27) as of late I have more often found myself caught in a feeling of being old and stuck in a routine.

I guess it is a matter of perspective in entirety, but the perspective provided by nights such as these helps me to remember how fun it is to be 27. It helps me to remember that "these" are the days that I will look back at with fondness. (Although, one could hope that I will look back at all of my days with fondness...and since I have sole control over that, I suppose I will.)

I went out with Jacy and Jacob tonight. We got dinner and beers at Bear Tooth and then moved to Organic Oasis to hear the Flat Mountain Girls. Unfortunately they were very crowded and the acoustics were abysmal. It turned out OK...we moved downtown to Humpy's where it turned out they had a huge portion of the alley opened up and fenced off...with an outdoor stage, in celebration of their 13th anniversary.

It was fantastic. The clouds seemed to have all vacated the space above us, the cover band (BC Groove from Salt Lake) was not phenomenal, but was very danceable (accepting a few "artistic" but weird spins, such as starting to play a Steve Miller tune, and then turning it seamlessly into Shaggy and back) and enjoyable.

They played the Femmes: "Blister on the Sun" and two Dave Matthews tunes. Can't argue with that.

Dancing under the open and still brightly lit sky of downtown Anchorage, at midnight, I found myself once again reveling in the beauty and fantasticness (just roll with it) that is my home. And feeling the music, classic cover tunes though the may have been, coursing through me...it was simply fun and invigorating. Add a Fairweather IPA and a few Sockeye Red IPA's on top...and I remember what it is important to remember:

Live in the moment. Soak up the light, soak up the music. Appreciate where I am, who I am and what I am. It is good to be 27. It is good to get out with friends and have a good time. It is good to simply be. And to dance.

My drive home was equally enjoyable. At 1:00 a.m. I could see the vibrant pink and orange of our vague sunset in my mirrors. But more than that, I could see in bold and clear detail both Mt. Foraker and Mt. Denali crisp and huge basked in the waning light of this summer night.

It's a shame my camera batteries died at Humpy's... it would have been a perfect image to capture.

Oh, as a side note. I just saw myself on the channel 2 news. I looked like a gomer. I was carrying a water pitcher from inside my new places of employment to the deck outside while my manager was being interviewed about the new smoking ban. Weird.

Speaking of which, I may have to work there tomorrow. I'm supposed to call in at 10:30 (8 hours from now...not too bad I suppose) to see if they need me. Three days on the job, and so far, bizarrely, I really kind of love it. Time passes quickly, most of my coworkers seem like good to great people. I had my first full day of serving today...including a huge 2 hour bridal shower. Everything went pretty well. I think I'll keep them. :-)