Apparently one side of the group didn't get the "silly picture time" memo, but that's fine with me.
Also, here was my contribution: White Sangria! Well, it looks more like orange sangria here, but that's because it was filled with orange, peach and mango slices. Will have to make it again, it was a hit. Almost as much of a hit as lobster rolls.
There were some late night charades, games of croquet, water balloon fights, and for some reason horseshoe crab head massages. Don't ask me why.
And then the obligatory pictures of my niece, she's basically the best thing since Pop Tarts.
One for the ages. Back in Chicago, we had the 4th of July which as usual felt like we were under attack. I'm talking straight up war zone. For some reason Logan Square in particular will smell like gunpowder for days, and that whole weekend had the constant sound of explosions in the streets and alleys. You may think explosions is an exaggeration, but I kid you not, these booms were LOUD. Like setting off the car alarms down the entire street. It was nuts.
Then there was moving out of my old place. It was sad, I really loved that place and my roommates. But everyone went their separate ways, and I moved down the street. How convenient! Here's my new address in case anyone finds some Bill Mueller paraphernalia they'd like to get rid of.
2433 N Central Park Ave Apt 1
Chicago, IL 60647
My new apartment is sweet, it's big and beautiful and clean and my new roommate is a nurse so next time I get bit by a dog she'll probably give me stitches instead of letting me just cover it with a sock.
My buddy Gregg and I played a gig together a while back, it was mostly ambient, slow, noisy, spacey kind of stuff. Just two guitars, some pedals and his laptop. It was lots of fun, you should be able to hear our rehearsal here. The show was good, but the venue was super, super hot so I don't think we sounded as good/comfortable. I literally had sweat dripping down my face, it was gross.
Randomly by old pal Dean V Colpack made it through Chicago on his hitchhiking adventure. We had lots of fun eating good food, drinking cheap drinks and playing cribbage.
Last Friday my friend Charlie invited my to play guitar with him on piano and another guy on drums. We were the backup band for a semi-improvised comedy show called "Christmas in July." I'd never done anything like it before but it was lots of fun, definitely a by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of thing but I really enjoyed it.
Then comes the big news: Drew Thomases got married! My high school buddy/former movie co-writer/house painter/poker aficionado got hitched in Ithaca, NY to a lovely lady named Jocelyn. I had met her once before, but the wedding was just beautiful. I was able to catch up with him and some old Boston pals. The ceremony was the perfect length, the weather was gorgeous, the food was divine, the drinks were plentiful, and the dancing was out of this world. Unfortunately I have no pictures at my disposal but I will do my best to acquire some of the professional and non-professional variety so that you may understand it better. The best I can do right now is the bride and groom performing some strange ritual I have never seen before.
And that about wraps it up! I seem to have lapsed in my book reviews, so here is a quick summary. Granted some of these I read months ago but no one will notice.
Brief Encounters with Che Guevara: very cool stuff, stories are fascinating and take place all over the world.
War Dances: dark, funny, loved it as usual.
God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian: interesting vignettes about Vonnegut himself meeting famous people in heaven then coming back and writing down everything they said.
The Fall: not an easy read, but interesting nonetheless. No one told me it would be one guy talking the whole time!
The Fifth Column and Four Stories of the Spanish Civil War: I actually really liked Hemingway's only play, but apparently it got panned back in the day. No one writes a war story like he did.
The Toughest Indian in the World: clearly I can't get enough Sherman Alexie. Although his short story collections are blurring together in my head, they're all great. I swear!
Bluebeard: another beautiful Vonnegut look at modern art.
Come to Africa and Save Your Marriage: bleak is a good word to describe these short stories. People, relationships, cultures, society, it's all quite bleak. And really interesting.
And finally, Bricklayers Foundation is playing a show tomorrow night! We are performing at Moe's Tavern (I kid you not) with our friends the Mainliners, it should be a blast.
As for what my future holds, who knows? Maybe a trip to Madison, maybe a trip to New Orleans, maybe a trip to the moon! Don't rule it out.
