9:56 am - Tues 9/4/07
An All-Too-Brief Vacation

Where to start...?

In a few hours, I'll be heading back to L.A.

Last night, while having dinner with Mark and Jane, it hit me--I would really like another week or so here in Michigan (Particularly to spend more time with them, since much of the past four days has been spent seeing other people, like the Schuler Book folks, Tom & Mary, Kevin K., Dave M., and Kathy B.).

Now I'm regretting I wasn't more diligent about doing daily entries while I was here--I certainly had enough access to Jane's computer (Thank you Jane!), but less sleep and less time on my hands than back in La-La land--because each day could and should have been its own complete entry (I may end up doing that just the same).

But anyway...

The party Saturday night was the centerpiece of my visit, and I'm happy to say, it was a big success.

In the afternoon, Tom H. picked me up, and after stopping at Elderly Instruments so I could buy some new harmonicas, we went to his place, so he and Mary and I could work on the Elvis song we sang at their wedding ("Can't Help Falling In Love With You"), and Tom and I could practice "Steamroller", which is kind of a "signature" song of mine (Sorry JT, but it's my song now), then have lunch.

(I was very pleased with myself for coming up with this intro to "Steamroller"--"Mark and Jane don't know this, but I was a 'fly on the wall' when Mark proposed, and it sounded something like this...". The visual that comes to mind--of Mark proposing to Jane by singing "Steamroller", complete with harmonica solo--still cracks me up when I think about it.)

We did our songs early in the evening, and they both went over really well. I was pleased we'd gotten things off to an appropriately festive start.

(I'm running out of time here...)

After our songs, and toasts from Mark and Jane and a few other folks, the evening was basically about eating, hob-knobbing, and dancing (I thought the DJ was quite good, by the way).

I tend to fret about parties, worrying that I'll be bored and/or lonely, not know quite what to do with myself, etc.. But while there were some down moments, I mostly had quite a good time--there were a lot of people who wanted to know about what I'd been up to in LA (And to tell me what they'd been doing), and thanks mostly to Laura C. (And Jennifer E., towards the end of the evening), I danced enough to be happy on that front.

(One regret? I assumed I'd have time to talk to Bill H., but he and his wife Lee left quite early, before we did much more than say "Hello")

One odd thing about the party? I was the recipient of a lot of--what should I call it?--flirtatious energy.

I can't say who said what, because I don't know who's reading this and wouldn't want anyone to get in trouble, but I had women confessing old crushes, expressing regret for missed opportunities, and using me to make their husbands jealous.

(So what was the deal, I wonder? The thrill of my newfound "celebrity status"? The safety of knowing they could flirt, because I wasn't going to be staying around? I don't know, but it was a...novel experience.)

Well, I'll be writing much more about my too-brief Michigan vacation when I get back to LA, but right now, I have to hop in the shower, and get ready to go "Up, up, and way"...

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