September | 2017 | Auntie B's Wax

Archive for September, 2017

Remember the days when you could survive with little or no sleep? When staying up until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning didn’t faze you enough to prevent you from taking care of business the next day? Once I got into my thirties I couldn’t handle the late nights as well.

That’s kind of when my intense longing to retire came about. I thought to myself, when I retire I can keep any hours I want and not have to go to work the next day!

I trudged through a couple more decades working the day job, tending to the virtual paper chain I’d created to count down to retirement. I still had nights when I couldn’t sleep, but they were mostly due to hormones rather than partaking in fun.

Finally, at long last, I was able to retire at a relatively early age and I jumped into it saying, Yay! Now I can set my own schedule, be awake when I’m awake and sleep when I’m sleepy without having to answer to anyone!

I found out soon enough that answering to someone else wasn’t the problem. It’s the staying up all night. I just can’t do it without suffering severe consequences the next day whether I have to answer to someone or not. I’m not fond of shuffling around the house like a zombie, having no appetite, shaking like a leaf because I’ve been so high-strung for hours and hours.

However, sometimes the ends justify the means. This is to say that when I’m up all night I get things done. Quiet things as not to disturb the peacefully sleeping Husby. That mostly involves my retreating to Craftland armed with loads to do and something plugged into my ears for entertainment.

The clock says 2:45 a.m., but I was actually productive until around 5:00 a.m.

Yeah, it took me a day and a half to recover, but boy did I get some things done, and had loads of fun doing them! Mostly because I was plugged into Pandora, which played the music I used to listen to when I could stay up all night and not suffer consequences.

So, while Amadeus was rocking me I was having a wonderful time getting things done…and dancing!

Dancing With Myself (Another favorite song and pastime of mine.)

Oh yeah, the stuff I got done?

Lots and lots of candles!

I wouldn’t recommend all-nighters if you can help it, but take advantage of them if they crop up in your life. There’s plenty of time to act like an old lady/man the next day. And the day after.

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Free Concerts & Hollywood Star Sightings

Posted in Everyday, tagged Chris Mulkey, Jack Knife and the Sharps, Minnesota State Fair, music, video on September 15, 2017| 4 Comments »

Ok, just one more post about the Minnesota State Fair. Didn’t I say I’m usually in “fair mode” until at least a week after Labor Day, the day the fair ends? Yes, yes I did. Still in it, I guess.

Husby and I sat in on a free concert at the Ramberg Center (formerly known as the Ramberg Senior Center) at the fair to hear one of our all-time favorite bands, Jack Knife and the Sharps. As we’ve been going to the fair for a hundred years we can’t shake the “senior” out of the Ramberg Center building name. Interestingly, the gigs going on there are much to our liking. Am I now a senior? Has the Ramberg Center begun catering to other than seniors (aka people of my age)? All I know is the room was lined with white, wooden rocking chairs and Husby and I sat in two of them instead of the other park bench style other seating, waiting to hear one rockin’ band.

Jack Knife and the Sharps. Too bad that guy’s big head is in the shot. I did the best I could.

This three-piece band is as good as ever. Members have changed a bit over the years, but Ric Hollinger, lead, has been a constant for decades. He’s a boss.

Then, all of a sudden between songs some guy comes walking up the center aisle shouting about how great the band is. He looked so familiar. And why wouldn’t he? He’s a Hollywood star. Chris Mulkey. Don’t know him? Check out the photo and you’ll probably recognize him.

Chris Mulkey. That guy you instantly recognize but can’t quite place him. He’s usually a bad guy in the movies.

So Chris comes walking up the aisle and the band invites him to play. Come to find out Chris has (or had) a band himself. He’s a great musician as well as a great actor and producer. Oh what I wouldn’t do for so much talent.

Once we figured out who he was I had to take some pictures. Chris was great and was backed up by The Sharps fabulously.

Close to the end of his song he said through the mic that his the guitar was silent, and it was. Amplifier malfunction! Chris kept singing as Ric tried to reconnect the amp to the guitar with no success. The set thus ended.

Ric, gets up to the mic and says, “we have another amp in the truck. You know what that rhymes with…” The set was cut a little short, but was fabulous despite the technical difficulties. Chris played the room and shook some hands in the audience and disappeared into the crowd outside the building.

Yay for the Ramberg (Senior) Center for booking Jack Knife and the Sharps. The band is wonderful as ever, and having a special Hollywood guest star was an extra treat.

Did you see Chris Mulkey wandering around at the Minnesota State Fair this year?

Here’s a little taste of Jack Knife and the Sharps…