Catching Up (Labor Day Weekend) (& The Longest Post Ever, Ack.)

So we had my folks in town this past weekend; I had offered a Willie Nelson concert in desperate exchange for a Father's Day gift earlier this year and then couldn't quite figure out who I actually got the gift for- my mom (who knows all the lyrics), my dad (it's Willie!), me (I love live music of nearly any type- and at Red Rocks Amphitheater?  Well, go ahead and twist my arm...) or Husband's dad and his wife, who we brought along with too.  A gift for everyone!  Aw how nice; Mr. Nelson is a giver.

My parents arrived Thursday night for the long weekend, and it was the usual whirlwind of things to do. Relatives to see, people to visit, old (favorite) restaurants to hit up, especially since my mom lives in a small town in South Dakota with literally one restaurant and a Pizza Hut.  It was also Husband's birthday, so we had to work in a dinner at Shanahan's, too.

And can I just say- Denverites that have yet to go there?  I hiiiiighly recommend it.  I do steak houses rather begrudgingly, especially steak houses owned by a freakishly tan, beady-eyed ex-football coach, mostly because I don't eat steak (chicken for me!) and I've never been one to think that dropping an insane amount of money on food (chicken?) is worth it; but. It was seriously great.  Probably the best meal I've ever had, even.  The one chicken dish on the menu was awesome, the waist staff impeccable, and the live pianist busted out some Linus & Lucy, which always makes me happy.  Bonus points plus two. Kudos to you, pianist, or player of the piano as I prefer to say, because  what 12 year old girl wants to call herself a pee-ah-nist after a few years of piano lessons?  None that want to have friends and a normal social life, and especially not THIS one.  Got that, good.

Ba-da-da-da-bah Vince Guaraldi Trio!

(I also do steak houses rather begrudgingly because I am from South Dakota, after all, and it probably goes without saying that mom sat in confusion for a few minutes, trying to figure out why we were dressed up to go to this particular steak house, because the ones in South Dakota have dead animals pinned to the wall with a special $4.95 fillet. It is an odd concept, isn't it?)

(Also- Husband doesn't know it yet, but a black baby grand piano has been officially added to our remodel.  I'll just swap it for a few throw pillows orrrr something.)

On Saturday we did the Rialto Cafe/Impulse Comedy Theater downtown, which is one of my favorite things to do in Denver, and Sunday was the concert at Red Rocks.

It was the perfect evening for an outdoor show- warm, with a slight cool breeze.  And if you want a good people watching experience, a Willie Nelson concert is probably the best place to do it; young, old, young hippies, old hippies, and straight-laced conservative repubs with their padded stadium chairs in tow for a comfortable concert-watching experience.  They were all there, happy to be out and to be seeing a good show. 

The opening acts were great- Lukas Nelson ("Willie found one of his kids!" Husband's dad said gleefully) and a guy by the name Ryan Bingham, which yes- is the same name of George Clooney's character in Up In The Air.  Good call, readers!  But this was Ryan Bingham and The Dead Horses, so a slight difference I suppose, with dead horses and all. They both played sets full of gritty, bluesy, foot-tappin' goodness with a teensy bit of country twang- I can't do straight-up modern country, so I was happily appeased.

Willie was the best of all, though, at the age of 77 and rocking out with Trigger in hand, his sister Bobbie playing the piano, Lukas on back-up vocals and guitar.  There are two things in life that will make me randomly, uncontrollably cry- a reeeeally good workout (endorphins- shuddup!) and "I'll Fly Away", the old gospel song, and as Mr. Nelson preformed that blended a bit with Amazing Grace, I sat and looked out through the darkness to see Denver's city lights in the background, with the starry, twinkling night up above, I had the odd feeling that this would be the only time in my life I would ever see something as cool as this.  Especially given that it's already September again, and lately nothing very good has happened in September, it seems.

It was perfect.

Then we saw a stoned hippie angrily get booted from the concert while peppering us all in THE SPEECH of his LIFETIME with a tirade laced with a variety of f-bombs (who said hippies were passive and peaceful?) (and dude, we don't CARE that you were "just smoking weed at Willie Nelson", it was the "just smoking weed at Willie Nelson with your 4-year old son and newborn baby in tow while you wife got shitfaced drunk" that had us all a teensy bit worried, I suppose) (and the bucket hat perched on his head.  I really hated the bucket hat; nothing good ever comes of them), ate at the Waffle House, got pulled over and learned that my husband has really naturally watery eyes (excuse you, Mr. Officer!  I like those watery, soda-pop-drinking-eyes!), and crashed happily at home.

The end.

And a few really bad iphone pictures: 

(Is there any other kind?)

Pretty.  You can kinda see Denver in the background.

Husband! 

Hi mom, hi dad!

(Mr. Buckhat The Hippie is RIGHT THERRRE, son in tow)

 My Marcie sat, perched carefully in my lap, through the whole concert.  She loves some Willie.  And gangsta rap.  Are you surprised?  She is a strange juxtaposition of subtle-in-a-flashy sort of way, after all.

Lukas Nelson.  Or...a big blobby blur.

Ryan Bingham.  I was slightly concerned over his slight Justin Beiber hairdo, but Husband said The Old Mathematical Law Of The Beard and The Harmonica canceled it out.

Waffles after!

And for all of my fellow music junkies, some songs to listen to:

Whew.