I sit at home this weekend with a slightly heavy heart. You see, halfway across the country, Phish is back and performing in Virgina, and I'm here in Illinois trying to convince teenagers to give up a Saturday morning to paint and build a set. (I managed to convince 4 to come -- and 2 of them aren't even in the cast of the show!) I love my job, but dammit -- I want to be at Hampton! (I should add that there was never even a remotely serious consideration on my part about going. Besides work, there was just no way I could afford the trip -- tickets, air fare, hotel . . . not on THIS teacher's salary!)Years ago, I would have been online reading the set lists and pouting like a baby and then trolling the discussion groups for a taper, hoping to land on a tape tree and get a 3rd or 4th generation copy of an audience recording. And I would have been happy with that.
Today, I sit here cozily in my living room as last night's show plays away on my laptop. Less than 8 hours after the band left the stage, I have it on my laptop. I sat this morning in my pajamas and felt the tears stream down my face as the crowd roared and the band launched into a lovely "Fluffhead."
If you had told me even two or three years ago that this would be possible, I would have laughed in your face. And yet here I am with not one but TWO copies of the show downloaded.
Thank you, Al Gore. Your internet is a true gift. Now, if you could get to work on that global warming thing, I'd be ever so appreciative.
5 comments:
A very long time ago I used to taunt my dear hubby that there was no useful information on the internet. A long time ago I ruefully realized that was no longer true, and shortly thereafter I ate my words. (And that was only when I realized I could do great product comparisons online and shop at home.) I'm going to add this post to my growing list of why the internet truly rocks!
AL GORE!! hahahaaaaa
I also love that we get to live vicariously through Deb's short, but telling, status updates. "Confirmed toast" says it all.
Yes, Debbi's facebook updates are priceless. It's the next best thing to being there -- having someone in there who's at least thinking of us a little.
I'm so happy for you. I mean, Phish means nothing to me, except that it brings you joy, which is pretty darn important in my book.
I feel the same way re: Internet joy about new episodes of Doctor Who though. Way back in my youth, I had to hope and pray that Iowa Public Television would get new episodes years after they came out or that Channel 47 - the PBS station in Peoria -- would be clear enough on a Friday night if there was a particular episode I wanted to see.
Now I can see the new episodes hours after they come out in the UK. And I have all 27 seasons of the original show saved on my PC's hard drive. If you had told me such things were possible back when we were at Knox, let alone when I was 11, I would have thought you were crazy.
Hey it's 72 degrees in March. Maybe we shouldn't write off this global warming thing so quickly.
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