The Music Blog of the Infonistacrat!

Supposedly the Chinese said “May you live in interesting times”. There may be some doubt as to whether they really did or not, but there is no doubt I certainly live in interesting times! If you’ve read my posts from last week, you no doubt know a bit of what I’m talking about. If you didn’t, here is a brief summary. My daughter graduated from college this past weekend. It has been 20 years since I last saw my daughters mother, my ex, and let’s just say the last time we talked it wasn’t exactly pleasant. In fact, the last pleasant conversation we had together was probably early 1986, right before she told me she wanted a divorce. So this past weekend would be the first time in 20+ years we were in the same place at the same time.

Well, I have to say, it went a lot better than I thought it could ever possibly go. We got to the brunch/reception and found a place to sit for a bit. My wife, bless her hear and for all her bluster about not being nervous at all, was completely FREAKED OUT! Fortunately, we didn’t see the ex there. I called me daughter on her cell phone, and she came down to visit with us a bit before she has to go line up. My wife and I then went to grab some good seats. A few minutes, nerves got the better of her, so she decided to go for a little walk. A few minutes after she left, I spotted my ex across the way. Even though she’s only 5′ tall (we were an odd couple in high school…I’m almost 6′3″), you can’t miss her. She has the blondest hair I’ve ever run across. So it was obvious she was there, and I think it was obvious she saw me.

So my wife came back, and we sat and talked a bit, mainly me pointing her out, and Cindy trying to use the zoom lense on my camera to get a better look. We soon tired of that and the uncomfortable chair, so we got up and stood off to the side for a bit. Then it happened. Suddenly, there was my ex, not more than a foot away. Honestly, I didn’t even see her walk up! But boys and girls, there are few things more uncomfortable to a man than to have an ex and current wife standing face to face in your company!

Honestly, it went well. She was very kind, very magnanimous. We talk for a few minutes, and then she was gone. It was surreal, but at the same time bizzar-o world-like. It was like 20 years had come and gone in a flash. Remember when I said I had aged better? Well, if thats the case, it ain’t by much. She looked a lot like she did the first time I saw her in english class in 1981. Amazing. Then after the ceremony, I had a chance to talk to her again, one on one. This time, it was to exchange congratulations to each other, and to acknowledge that while her and I certainly didn’t get much right, we did manage to create an amazing, beautiful, talented daughter together. We laughed a little, and reminisced a little on how far we both have come since that english class so long ago. She told me about her other daughters, and I told her about mine. It was the conversation I had hoped for 20 years we could somehow have. And then it was over. I took some photos with my daughter, and then it was off to try to make my sisters graduation from Kent State University.

By the way, Mark Mothersbaugh spoke and got an honorary degree from Kent State, and I missed it! We couldn’t get there in time, but thats ok. As cool as it would have been to have seen him get that degree, it was infinitely better to see my girl get hers. All I could think was “Wasn’t it just yesterday I looks down at her in that crib for the first time? How the hell could she already be getting that diploma?” I hope everyone had half as great a weekend as I did!

1. Nirvana - I Hate Myself And Want To Die
2. Anthrax - Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun
3. Dialogue - Come To Butt-Head
4. Megadeath - 99 Ways to Die
5. Run-DMC - Bounce
6. Aerosmith - Deuces Are Wild
7. White Zombie - I Am Hell
8. Primus - Poetry And Prose
9. Sir Mix-A-Lot - Monsta Mack
10. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Search And Destroy
11. Jackyl - Mental Masturbation
12. Cher WBeavis & Butthead - I Got You Babe