NP: Chelsea v. Aston Villa (TV)

Well, my first day at the office in Chicago went better than the Cubbies'. Given how badly they got shellacked, maybe I need to stop considering the cosmic significance of starting the new job the same day as the home opener.

This is the second post-Wrigleyville opening day for me, and with the crummy weather on top of the loss of proximity, I didn't feel any of that baseball magic in the air. Which is sort of sad, because I miss that electricity. I don't miss the parking attendants with the bullhorns across the street, the ticket scalpers and peanut vendors under my window and the abject lack of automobile access before and after games, though.

Work went well. I'm very optimistic about both the company and my role in it, and no less than five other former RS.commers certainly helps. There were some particularly sluggish moments that may have had to do with getting home from the Diver gig around 2am last night, but just as well may have been part of the adjustment of getting up earlier and being responsible for general alertness all day for the first time in at least six months.

The best part about the gig last night, hands down, was the guy who called his mate in Ireland and held his phone up so he could hear us play "Champagne Supernova." I'm telling you, the Irish in Chicago love their Oasis, even if they're not exactly "their" Oasis.

Yesterday also featured an entirely pleasant Easter dinner at a friend of the roommate's. Ever since moving to Chicago, the holiday hasn't really registered for me. It's a family holiday, but not a "travel 800 miles to be with family holiday," so by and large, I just go about my business and get surprised when most businesses are closed. Might have been more fun that pleasant had I been partaking in any of the copious amounts of wine, but I stuck to my guns about staying dry in anticipation of the first day at work, seeing as how I knew I'd be out late.

That's the plan going forward with the music. I'm still taking weeknight gigs, but I'm going to cut down significantly, if not entirely, on the free beverages of an alcoholic nature that typically are included. Which I probably need to do anyway. Pants are feeling a little tight, for one. And last night I felt a bit better about my actual drumming, too, but a large part of that may have had to do with having played the night before, which seemed to help refresh my muscle memory. I'm clearly not practicing nearly as much as I should be. So, apologies to my visiting sister, as we better the night after she saw us.