Three Weekends of RADICALKNESS!!!

So the past three weekends have been amazing! I have bonded with so many people. I have been flooded with the joy and beauty my friends bring to my world, I just had to share...

Three Weekends Ago...
We played the Fat Flake Festival. It was Josh's first show with us and it was really good, even though it was freezing. I am so glad they gave us a break to warm up. Brrr! Amanda and Cliff (or Chip as I have known him for over twenty years) came out to see it. It was so nice for them to travel all the way from Vernal to see me! I have never had a friend come out specifically to see a show before. I felt extremely special. We had great chats and drank tea, so fun. After the show everyone came over to my house for cake and ice cream. It was Ryan's birthday on that following Tuesday. He needed a little bit of Cavedoll love for his b-day. It was rad.

Two Weekends Ago...
The television died. Hooray!
Camden and I took the whole family to Body Worlds. It totally tripped me out. I was so giddy. I love anatomy and learning about the complexities of the body and mind. It is crazy how we are hunks of meat that are so diverse, so beautiful and so intricate. It is even more crazy that our emotions boil down to favorable or unfavorable chemical responses. (I am being extremely general of course.) But it was so cool. At the end of the tour people were given the opportunity to write a body secret anonymously that would hang on the window of the Leonardo for the duration of the exhibit. Some of them were extremely disturbing and other's were just hilarious. I wrote one too, but I will never, never tell what it was, never. Shhhh. It was so meaty rad.

Later that night I went over to Allison's and then from there we were going to the Urban to see Jeremy Enigk. Allison is so funny and she is so nice to laugh at all of my goofy stories, SHE has the best laugh, it kills me. It was really the first time she and I had hung out one on one for an extended period of time. Can you believe that? We couldn't either. We then met Josh at the Urban, he went there with Gerald Music kids. He was stuffed from dinner. He looked so cheerful and happy to be there. HE has the best smile, it totally kills me. We also met up with Gavin, blogger extraordinaire. He looked pleased and pleasant as usual. Oh the music was so perfect! It was so lovely to experience that with my friends, it was a real bonding experience for me. I felt instantly closer to them, and instantly like making music with them. Which we then did...Josh came over the next day and recorded guitar parts and Allison did her keyboard thing on a new song called "Vader." Everyone in the band thinks that this is their most favorite so far. It is/was sexy music rad!

This Weekend...
Well as you very well know, Thursday was Thanksgiving. I didn't have Monro this year, so we decided not to make a fuss on that day and do our family thing when he got home on Sunday (which we just did and it was nice, uh huh). Camden and I made tacos on Thursday and watched "Hancock." It was entertaining enough. Not usually my kind of movie, but it was funny. We recorded and recorded and recorded. On Friday we watched "Tropic Thunder," it was so weird, but so funny. It was completely over the top crazy, I felt insane just watching it. Anyway back to music... We have some pretty fun songs this time around, I am so excited to play the new ones. them.

Yesterday Allison came over after work and spiced up a few songs with her sugar. She is so talented and has a great ear. Josh came over again, bless him, after working out. He is such a trooper. He recorded more stuff that totally blew my mind. I love what he can do with that guitar, awesome. Then he and I went to Janet's to help her celebrate her birthday. After some convincing we went to a party at China Blue. Salt Lake parties of legend are held there, so I have been told since I have lived in this city. I had friends that went to their parties, but was never made it up myself. It was hilarious! I got pretty drunk. Drunker then when I was in Tulsa. Very few have seen me this "let loose," oh god it was fun. I totally needed it too. It is always good to let your mind go to see where you must follow it. I absolutely loved it. Janet and Josh were the best party mates and dance partners ever bitches eyeah! It was all too weird to completely describe, but I will try. There was a bunch of beautiful people there, all plumed and pretty. The walls were a covered in different murals every few feet and the air for a while was tinged with the smell of burnt cookies. A tree was almost set a blaze while someone was attempting to juggle with fire. Belly dancers moshed upstairs while Janet and I, once again, got the dance party started. We then went back to our spot in the front parlor, where it was mostly dark except for the spinning disco lights that happily danced over a cardboard cut out of our Lord Darth Vader, as he sported his blue metallic mullet wig and wrong color light saber (was I the only one that noticed his faux pas?). I felt very at home here. Janet, Josh and I chatted with every one that came through this funhouse. Everyone of them were gorgeous and entertaining. The party came to us. We WERE the party, as in the new Salt Lake legend that I am now trying to start. If you see a Cavedoll follow them, they know where the fun is. It was the most rad.

Ferociously HAPPY!!!

Elodie got her braces today. Woo-Hoo!!! The go up to her thigh and have a locking hinge. (Don't you love that word? Hinge.) When she is standing the lock slides into place and the braces support her knees so she can stand. After her fitting, I put her down in the elevator and she stood up happily holding onto the rail. She giggled as she saw us going up and up and up! She got a walker to help her get around. She was so excited, she even took a few small steps. I was seriously loosing my mind when she did it! There were three other families in the therapy room and I was totally making a fool out of myself, clapping, cheering, even some jumping up and down. It is so echoey in there, the whole hospital probably heard me freaking out. Joaquin was helping too. He was right there with me saying, "Come on baby, walk!"

I took this picture with my camera phone, so that is why it is not that great. She really took to the braces and the walker. I am sure she will dig this walker more than the pony one, because in that one she can't move the wheels as well. She was exploring and curious which is exactly what we want her to be. She didn't fuss or anything. I am so proud of her and thankful for what movement she has. I love going to Shriner's because it really helps put things in perspective. Today there where a lot of older kids in the orthotic department, most of them with much more serious issues than Elodie. Those kids and their families are such an inspiration to me. If they can do it, so can we, this is how it is and I am grateful.

That reminded me an annoying experience at Elodie's 18 month check up last week. Her regular doctor wasn't available so we went to the physician assistant. It was a routine sort of visit, nothing serious to discuss. She pretty much just needed to be measured and needed her shots. But the PA, insisted on being an a-hole and talking about whether I had fears that Elodie was going to be in a wheelchair all her life and not get any dates in high school. Pfft... Can you believe that? I mean sure, it is a concern, but I don't think or focus on it. I was more fearful that she had cancer or something deadly than whether or not she was going to be serious make out material in high school. Lame. Wheelchair or not, she is my daughter and I love her just the way she is, and her good friends will too. She is super cute, so I know that dates won't be a hard thing for her to come by. I was so pissed but I was respectful to the a-hole. Gah, some people. But he was pretty old, so I know he grew up when they used to throw disabled kids in institutions and forgot about them. I know some people have a problem with kids that aren't totally perfect, but I sure as hell don't, mine or anyone else's. It was so lame that a medical professional could be so clueless. My mama lion almost came out and scratched his face off. I guess I need to get used to that sort of ignorance. I don't mind answering questions, it is just the assumptions that boil me up inside. My Elodie is probably the smartest, most well adjusted kid I know, and I know that nothing is going to knock her down. Except maybe if she doesn't have her braces on and her brother pushes her over, then she will fall down. We must get used to that as well.