I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity.
The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all.
Many people would sooner die than think; In fact, they do so
What I have been telling you, from alpha to omega, what is the one great thing the sigil taught me — that everything in life is miraculous. For the sigil taught me that it rests within the power of each of us to awaken at will from a dragging nightmare of life made up of unimportant tasks and tedious useless little habits, to see life as it really is, and to rejoice in its exquisite wonderfulness. If the sigil were proved to be the top of a tomato-can, it would not alter that big fact, nor my fixed faith. No Harrowby, the common names we call things by do not matter — except to show how very dull we are ...
August 07, 2013 - 11:15 a.m.
I have made a discovery, Wise Madness does not write itself. I try to help. I open word but it just sits there till I do the writing. Why isn't there an App to write blogs? I'm sure it could do a better job than me.
So here's my plan. I have to write multiple entries about Falcon Ridge while still living my life so I'm going to write concisely about what's going on now leaving out the usual fare of my commute and what I ate then go back to writing about the festival.
I thought I had plans with my sister Alison yesterday but she kept not getting back to me when I tried to figure out what we were doing. That's because she isn't even in the state. I don't know if she told me about this before I left for Falcon Ridge or forgot or if it is in the emails I have still not caught up on from when I was gone. I discovered her itinerary after waiting in my office for her for hours.
Last night I went to see the masterful Miss Tess. Would the terrific Miss Tess sound better? Oh right I'm supposed to be concise. This is going to be a struggle.
Tess was playing at the Bar 11 on 11th street. Bar shows never start on time and I planned on getting there just about 9:00 and wasn't thrown by being a little late. When I couldn't find the place because I'm an idiot I got a bit concerned but even when I got there ten minute late the show hadn't started.
I have never been there before and it's set up a bit odd. There is a nice back room but the table are shoved up right against the chairs so you can't sit on the side of the table where you face the stage. I took matters in my own hand and moved the table.
Then Tess and the Talkbacks came out and all was forgotten. I just came back from Falcon Ridge, I still had not caught up on my sleep. I was exhausted. But I couldn't miss the show. I heard tons of great music at the Festival but no one that sounds like Tess. If I want to hear music that sounds like Miss Tess I have to hear Miss Tess. It is simultaneously anachronous and modern. I don't want to say retro because that's common, a clich�.
Her music has swing. If you have to ask what swing is you'll never know. You feel it in your bones. Your body moves of its accord. Miss Tess would be banned by any self-respecting repressive government or religion. It is liberating.
I have not succeeded in getting my friends to see her. I'm never run into a friend at her shows. That must cease. You need to hear her. Yes you.
I could write far more but I'm trying to be concise.
Now let the computer screen get the wavy lines as we travel back to the distant days of last Thursday and I continue the saga of Falcon Ridge with the ride up there.
For three weeks before that I was filled with anxiety. I did not have anxiety; anxiety had me. Much of it was about Falcon Ridge. But when I woke up Thursday morning that was gone. I woke up early before my alarm. that gave me time to grab some breakfast in Penn Station before getting on my train to New Jersey. I'm not even going to rant about Jersey Transit even though it deserves it. I got to Waldwick, Got off the train. Looked for Brianne, she was my ride to the festival, and saw no one. I was alone. I did not have an anxiety attack. Falcon Ridge was working it's magic. She was in the store across the street. She drove by I stuck out my thumb and hitched a ride to Hillsdale New York. Honor was with Brianne. There was some miscommunication and she had taken the previous train. We headed back to Brianne's house where my gear was. We got almost all of it in the car. I bring lots of chairs for people to sit in at the Budgiedome. I like to think that I contribute something to the physical plant. And then we were off.
Brianne's radio doesn�t work so we had to settle for live music. Yes Honor is Honor Finnegan, Brianne and I are just that cool that we go up with one of the most talented musicians that I know. And I know a lot of musicians. Lucky for us Honor plays the ukulele, something small enough to fit in a crowded car. She played us a brand new song. Well OK she started it seven years ago or something but she just finished it and we were the first ones to hear it. OK we weren't but I told her to lie to us and tell us that we were so we'd feel special. So we were the first ones to hear it.
We had written directions but I said I'd navigate. I can get to Falcon Ridge from Route 17 in my sleep. The problem is that I can't quite do it from the back seat. My instinct was to go across the Tappan Zee Bridge but the directions said to take 84, the Hamilton Fish bridge. I said I think that's exit 16, just watch for the sign. I couldn't watch for the signs, I was in the back seat. The conversation was very entertaining. Driving with Brianne and Honor is a fine way of spending a vacation. Honor gave the world premiere of a song. I lost track of time. Nobody saw the exit. We drove way past it. That all of a sudden hit me. I knew we had been driving far too long. I told everyone to look for the mile markings along the road. I know New Paltz is mile 75. Then we saw the sign for exit 23 or something like that. Fortunately it also said "Rip Van Winkle Bridge" and that's perfect. It's just a good to Falcon Ridge as any other. We got off, crossed the bridge and took route 23 to 22 to the festival. Or is it he other way around?
We checked in and went in search of Honor's camp. She didn't camp at the Budgiedome because she hates us. No it's because Paul smells. No it's because I snore. Well actually it's because she had friends elsewhere that set up her tent for her so it was all ready when she got there.
We then went in search of Gene who had the stake bag for my tent. I had left it in his garage when I picked my stuff up. While looking for him I ran into Jill. The Falcon Ridge hellos were started. I still wasn't sure where Gene and Isabel were camped when I was them walking over to us; Falcon Ridge magic. Well OK he knew I was there, I had called him, and he was looking for me.
Then we headed to the Budgiedome. The weather was getting threatening. I had told Honor and Brianne that they didn't have to worry about the weather because I assigned Paul the job of building a giant umbrella to cover the entire festival and I was sure he'd do it. I gave him the incentive of telling him I was coming up with cute girls. That should have been enough, right?
When we got to the dome I didn't see the umbrella. what I did see was a sky that looked like it was about to open up. Paul made some excuses about the umbrella. This will not look good on his performance review. What will look good is that Paul and Steve and I helped Brianne set up her tent then we all moved over to mine and set it up and this was done in record time. A few drops were falling before we finished but nothing got too wet. We took cover under the Budgiedome.
The Festival began in earnest. Talking under the Budgiedome is a big part of the festival. Walking over to visit my once a year family at the camp formerly known as the Steeple Tent is a big part of the festival. I have pretty much decided that in my mind we are one big camp. That way I don't feel so bad mooching their food and their hammock and whatever else isn't nailed down. Just think of Kramer walking in on Seinfeld. There was lots of talk about bacon. Not sure if that was the day but I told Sarah that after she dumps Drew I'm moving in with her because she has a lot of bacon in her fridge. When we live together we are going to make an entire refrigerator out of bacon and just peel off strips as we need them. I told Drew this when he arrived the next day. He understood. I said. "I always liked you Drew, this is just business."
Speaking of bacon I decided that bacon is better than Brianne but Brianne is better than everyone else in the world. I think that's an excellent assessment.
I'm at 1571 words and LORi hasn't even gotten back from the store and I haven't made it to the Family Stage where the Lounge Stage was held because of the rain. But I have to eat. There is bacon with my name on it and farm fresh eggs. Maybe one of these days I'll actually get to parts of the festival that people that aren't my close friends were at.
My therapist wanted to know why FRFF helped me so much. A great deal of it is that there are so many great people. Spending time with Brianne, Honor, Jill, Gene, Isabel, Paul, Steve, the soon to appear Lori, Joe, Emily, Sarah, Drew, Lizzie, Carolyn, and company works wonders. All that and bacon too.
I signed the Pro-Truth Pledge:
please hold me accountable.
Memories: Not that Horrid Song - May 29, 2018
Wise Madness is Now In Session - May 28, 2018
The NFL and the First Amendment - May 27, 2018
On The Road Again - May 26, 2018
Oliver the Three-Eyed Crow - May 25, 2018
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Horvendile August 07, 2013
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