Only in barns
I got back on Tuesday night from upstate New York. We got as far as Lake George. My two cents are: It’s a beautiful place, however, it wasn’t all salt water taffy and shelling peanuts. No, no, no. My car Fyyffer, while not pouring out much white smoke anymore or leaking power steering fluid, is now leaking transmission fluid like a colander. It’s chugging about a third of a bottle every time I drive her. Calling on AAMCO® soon. (Just FYI, we spent about $85 on gas.) The other real bummer that happened was I fell down in the mud while it was pouring rain and we were setting up the DJ equipment in the reception barn. No chance of hitting on the catering staff after that.
The next day, we “took the cure” at the mineral baths at Saratoga Springs. S joked that the girl at the counter was the same girl from the 1930s when the place opened — some sort of mineral bath vampire. She didn’t even have to change her dress. Anyway, the water is a rust-brown color and effervescent and tastes like Alka-Seltzer®. Despite my snarks, it was very relaxing. I noticed later that my pee smelled a lot weirder than after asparagus so the osmosis really works somehow. Incidentally, “taking the cure,” used to be a euphemism for drying out or rehab but in quotes, I guess it means “something else.”
My friend is actually writing about the rest of the trip for the New York Post and I’ll be submitting photos (not that any will be published) so I’ll link to it when it’s time.
We visited Bill and family in Oak Hill where there will be a massive bluegrass festival in mid-July. I’m planning on going.
For my NYC friends, Friday night will be the last Soul Clinic at the Ding Dong Lounge. Be there!
Politics aside: Congrats to Obama. As Atrios notes, hardly anyone mentions the Iraq War when waxing stupid about why Clinton lost. No antiwar vote, no candidate Obama.
TomDispatch posts about a wacky new $80 billion Cyberwar program that would “allow the Air Force to fry any computer on Earth.” Crime doesn’t pay… unless you’re a politician or a military consultant.