The Gobblers Knob

Have you ever had one of those weekends?  One of those weekends where you are sure that everyone else is jealous of you because it is painfully obvious to them that you are enjoying the kind of weekend that few, if any, married fathers with an infant child ever really get to revel in?  I had one of those my friends, and I fear that I might never again feel the shine or taste the nectar that I was so fortunate to bathe myself in this past Saturday and Sunday.  It’s easy to always give the generic answer of “oh, I had a good weekend” when someone asks.  Maybe you saw a great movie or the kiddo won his/her soccer game.  But to have the transcendent weekend of dreams that I had, it requires many, if not all, of your great loves revealing themselves to you in constant and unexpected ways.  After installing Tivo on Friday night (which I thought would be the high-point), I was ready for the late night feeding in a way that I hadn’t been before, TV-wise.  My Saturday began with me waking to the faint, slight groans of my 3 month old at 4 freakin’ 45 am!!  He slept through the night, which meant so did his Momma and Daddy!  I got up then and helped Tivo realize his full potential as I watched “Best Week Ever” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”  After that, the woman and I got ready and hit our fave breakfast place early as to avoid the rush of the yuppie brunch-brigade.  After getting home, the wife went to the store, while me and the runt hung at home.  So far, so normal, I know, but it gets better.  After watching the days English Soccer matches (I like it, sue me), my wife got home from running around and decided to catch a nap with the baby, who was ready for yet another nap.  It was at this juncture that I recognized an opening to really grab the weekend by the throat and make it work for me.  While my family relished its mid-day slumber, I ran to the convenience store in our neighborhood and bought a sixer of brews and a fat cigar. I sprinted home and mixed a mean margarita, clipped my Romeo y Julieta, grabbed a magazine and headed out to the porch where the 80 degree sun was keeping a safe and picturesque distance from the spot where I placed my drink to await the next sip.  Perfect weather, strong drink, stronger stogie and a sleeping baby had my afternoon looking the way I never thought it ever would again.  After finishing off the smoke, drink, and periodical, I found my baby and his momma wide awake.  After playing with my son a bit, I browsed a bit on-line, and lo and behold, Cindy from the Fine Line informed me that the one and only Gurf Morlix was playing for free down at Bill’s Records and Tapes. If you aren’t familiar with Morlix, you should be and probably are anyways.  Aside from being a fantastic singer-songwriter, he has been the producer for tons of artists from Steve Earle to Darrell Lee Rush to Lucinda Williams, he was even Williams’ band-leader for a while.  For him to do a free gig and for me to hear “Madeline’s Bones,” which he opened with, was a chance that I couldn’t pass up, as I was realizing that this day was quickly becoming a day of opportunity and carpe diem kind of stuff (thanks babe, you’re the best).  After getting home I figured I’d hang for a bit, smell the chili as it simmered before the big baseball play-off game (I’m a lifelong Red Sox fan, like the English Soccer, don’t ask). To make a long story long, my brother-in-law called, asked if I wanted to hit the bike trails with him before the game (I did), and he would show me a few pointers, seeing as I am a new mountain biker (term used loosely).  Beautiful weather still intact, we hit the trails and I hit the ground…hard…multiple times.  You may wonder how that adds to this magnificent weekend, but think about it.  Scars are cool.  The Outdoors are cool.  I experienced both.  After I somehow managed to crawl, unassisted, up the stairs, I grabbed a shower and then a bowl of my womans chili, clicked on the game and watched a Red Sox victory.  Perfect!  To add to that, Sunday was a junior version of Saturday:  the Cowboys won, I downed some beer, ate some left over chili (still really good), had a big nap (was up a bunch with the kiddo), and watched the Sox charge into the Series.  I may never again see the combination of quality time with family, cold drink, hot chili, live music, outdoor fun, fine smokes, sore bones, and all of my teams winning while basking in the glow of the summer/fall climate change.  It’s fine if I don’t, the quality time with my little boy will make for many more perfect weekends I’m sure.