Police Action

As is often the case, Xing Fu & I went to Annapolis last night. To see music--specifically, Graham Parker & the Rumour.  Good show--been a while since I listened to his stuff--like mid-80's.  We had a very nice evening & even Duke pulled out a win from Ohio State.  But that is only a very small fraction of this story....

When Xing Fu & I have stuff to do mid-week in the evening, I often take light rail to to meet him.  Saves me gas & the headache of the Baltimore Beltway & it is nice to sit & read my Nook uninterrupted instead of cursing out a bunch of stoopid drivers.  So I'm sitting there reading a good book, minding my own business, other than to hand the MTA transit police my ticket to show that yes, I did indeed purchase a light rail ticket.  All of a sudden I get a text from my son who is at home for the evening hopefully cooking himself dinner & doing his homework.  He is 15 & has been home by himself many, many times before.  The text reads, "Mom, I think we were just robbed."  OK, my heart just started beating out of my chest & I'm sure that my eyes were also bulging out of my head because what the flip can I do to help him stuck on the light rail at Lexington Mkt in the middle of downtown Baltimore??? I call him immediately & he proceeds to explain to me, rather calmly I might add, that he was downstairs in the house when he heard the front door crash open & a lot of running & someone (s)? clanging (his word) around upstairs making a lot of noise & then hearing them loudly run out, slamming the door behind them. He also explained that he yelled "HELLO!" numerous times & heard no response.  I immediately tell him to stay put downstairs because even though he thinks that they left, you never know.  I also told him to call the police & tell them to call him when they are outside the front door.  I then call Xing Fu to tell him what happened & thankfully he picks up right away. Xing Fu seemed far less concerned & asked me what could the police do if we were broken into?  I said, at least they could make sure that my kid was ok & that there wasn't anybody in the house & take a report of anything missing.  At this point I'm almost to my destination & say that I need to call back my kid & make sure he's ok.  He says that he's a little in shock & kinda upset but dealing.  I tell him to hang tight until the police arrive & then my call-waiting beeps.  All of this is happening on the light rail in front of about 20 other folk who I'm sure are enjoying the schadenfreude drama being played out in front of their eyes--poor mother with a house that was just robbed & a teenage son stuck in his room until the police arrive, which, since it's just a home invasion & they do not suspect that the perpetrators are still inside, so it is not considered a top of the list emergency & therefore they are not in any real hurry to get to our residence. And because my kid sounds like an adult man on the phone, the police don't know that he's still a kid & wouldn't be in any hurry anyway....

When I pick up the call, it is Xing Fu.  He tells me that he thinks it was his daughter who came in because she needed her work uniform.  She had apparently texted him earlier in the afternoon that she was dropping by.  Um, OK, that's fine, but HOW THE FREAK IS MY SON SUPPOSED TO KNOW THIS???? Especially if he called upstairs & no one answered & that Xing Fu's daughter apparently made a hell of a lot of noise when she did come in.  I might be a bit alarmed myself....lesson learned in blended family how-to manual:

If someone is going to drop by unexpectedly or unplanned, and it is certainly fine to do so, please make sure that the folks who might be in the house already know that they are coming. We can then avoid calling the police to our door & otherwise setting the neighbors' tongues wagging....

Music Madness

Big music weekend.  What was cool was that the music we saw was from opposite ends of the spectrum.

Friday night:

"Put it in the Dumpsta!"

All of the friends (BFF(A) & husband, BFF(J) & husband, myself & Xing Fu), went down to the 8X10 to listen to a New Orleans Funk band with a bunch of the Neville Brothers playing: Dumpstaphunk.  We also caught the tail-end of another great band from L.A. called Orgone.  Great horns.  We enjoyed the groove, danced a bunch, and then remembered that it was almost the beginning of Mardi Gras--(March 8th is Fat Tuesday)--even better.  It was a great time with the besties, even if we had to hike to BFF(J)'s hubby's car about 3 miles away...& me without my jacket.  


Saturday Night:

  We went to see a "semi-staged" production of The Magic Flute at the BSO.  Xing Fu had never been to the opera &  I thought that this might be a good intro as he loves Mozart (as do I) and that it was a bit condensed (narrator for the in-between bits) as opposed to the entire performance.  The leads wore costumes & it was actually quite humorous as they interacted with the narrator & at one point Papageno flirted with the conductor.  The Queen of the Night's second aria was just amazing--the skill needed for that particular piece--  After it was over, Xing Fu accused me of taking him to a chick flick---hardly--women are considered secondary supports & evil (Queen of the Night)--hardly a chick flick theme...ah well.  Regardless of his erroneous conclusions, we had a good time & met one of his friends from work afterward for dessert--finally had the flan & creme brulee we've been after.


I think Xing Fu said it best in the following email I received this morning: "Good friends, good music, good food, good times together."  Yup--my response was that we've enjoyed many such weekends & will have many more.

Listen To Your Usher

When you kissed my lips with my mouth so full of questions
My worried mind that you quiet
Place your hands on my face
Close my eyes and say
That love is a poor man's food
Don't prophesize
I could hold you in my arms
I could hold you forever
And I could hold you in my arms
I could hold you forever

From: Hold You In My Arms by Ray LaMontagne 

Merriweather Post Pavilion

Last night we went to see Ray LaMontagne & David Gray at Merriweather.  This was the last of the summer concert tickets that we had.  I guess now it's time to plan the fall series--I think it will include a few symphony performances as well--been ages since I went to the symphony--I used to go a ton when I lived in St. Louis--partially because of my job at the time & also because I do love classical music even if I don't listen to it that often anymore.  Anyway, last night's concert was a very different vibe from most of the others we've attended--Arcade Fire & Spoon being the last--currently Arcade Fire is at the top of the Indie chart & most folk already know how I feel about Spoon.  But these guys are more singer/songwriter types so a much mellower & even older crowd--no standing up in front of your seats & grooving to the music--everyone just sitting back & chilling.  But no less enjoyable--certainly both artists' songs speak to me--but this one just hit me last night more than hearing it on the radio on wtmd.  Xing Fu told me he wasn't quite sure which he enjoyed better but I think he preferred Ray LaMontagne over David Gray--just the type of instrumentation & arrangements is what I think may have appealed to him more.   I'm glad I've been able to expose him to new music--of course he always falls back on his old favorites but I hope he sees that there are many new artists out there who have great sounds to offer now as well.  Even so, the fact that we share a love of music is another reason why we work so well--I've always said that when I meet a man who I'd potentially date, I'd want to make sure that he was a sailor (or willing to learn) but also that he enjoyed listening to music of all types--needless to say, I'm not complaining now.


But it was an encounter with the usher nearby our seats that really got me to thinking--always a bad idea...  Xing Fu had told me that he's changed quite a bit--he said that he's much more open to talking to strangers when in the past he would never appear eager to do so.  I certainly noticed how he engaged with the usher--she was absolutely willing to have a lively convo--and then she told me to make sure that I spoiled him that evening.  It does seem that he's lightened up significantly since we first started & that he is happier--I'm glad that he is able to engage more fully with people--jumping in--it makes me happy to see that much more positive outlook on the world.  It is my understanding that being with the right person can make you a better person--I think I see that in myself as well. My friend, the Zen Cyclist told me that there is an edge off of me now--that I'm calmer & seem internally quieter--if there's less of an intensity about me then that is a good thing because sometimes I can be very over-the-top--if Xing Fu has helped me achieve this so much the better.   And perhaps I've influenced him in looking at life as half full--he seems to be exhibiting that more now & I did spoil him just as he always spoils me--as it ought to be but never expected & always appreciated.