Smells Like Kansas

Hello again folks. 

Sue keeps threatening to take over my blog one of these days, and if that ever happens (you know, with all that free time she has) you can hear more from the Good Doctor about how her classes are going and how she likes Newman. To me, it seems like a much better atmosphere than what she was subjected to at Stony Brook. She of course is very busy, but it seems that she's more supported and appreciated by the administration also. 

As for me, things have been picking up. I've found a group of musicians to jam with, I've started up a new MySpace page to post the new music I've been working on on my own, as well as some of my older tunes. If you want to check out some kind of weird electro stuff, go to my page www.myspace.com/germanate08, be my friend or something, whateva. 

I may even have a job lined up, but I don't want to jinx it so I'll talk more about that later.

 

As you can see, our apartment is starting to look more like a home. All we need is a couch and maybe another bookshelf or two. Speaking of couches, last weekend Sue and I drove three hours to Kansas City so we could visit the nearest Macy's and turn all of our gift cards into a brand new leather couch. Swanky!

Like this one, only in red. 

While we were there we checked out KC, had some chow and listened to some live Kansas 

City Blues at this neat, though touristy outdoor area featuring plenty of bar/restaurant type places that allow you to sit outside and watch the band while you drink or eat. Then it was off to Lawrence, the home of Kansas U, and that place is all it promised to be; jam packed with plenty of cool shops, coffee houses, music venues, record shops and hippies, everything a good college town should have. 

Too bad we live three hours away. But it's good to know it's within reach if we need to recharge our Northeast Liberal Elitism. Sorry, second time in as many blogs that I've gone for that joke. I promise I won't bring it up again until the next one. 

That brings us to this weekend and our phantasmagorical trip to

the KANSAS STATE FAIR! Woohoo! I haven't been to a fair this big

 probably ever, at least not since I was much younger. This shindig had everything: livestock auctions, chickens and bunnies, llamas, panels judging every conceivable category of animal, produce, flowers, herbs...uh, corn art. There was a huge sculpture made of butter, a chainsaw artist, alligator wrestling, pig races, deep-fried everything, hot beef sundae (you probably think I'm making this stuff up now, don't you?) every class of farm equipment 

you can imagine...oh and Country Music? Did someone ask for Country Music? Ooooh yeeaaah, more

 Country Crooners than you can throw hand grenades at! Oh I think they had

 hand grenades there too, along with tanks and machine guns, just for fun though. 

Unfortunately, it was a cool, damp, muddy

day, but the fair was hoppin' nonetheless and we had a good time. To say the least, it was a

cultural experience. I still don't like Country Music though. 

Autumn arrived with zero subtlety this week. Mother Nature takes Labor Day "The Official End of Summer" very seriously 'round these parts and dropped the temp. about thirty degrees in a few hours and there it's stayed since. Eagerly looking forward to the brutal winter everyone has been gleefully promising us. 

Oh, one last note on our cat, Sarafina, for those who've expressed concern.

She has recovered from the move swimmingly, and in fact seems happier than she's been in years. She actually has room to run, repeatedly, from one end of the apartment to the other, an activity that must have seemed pointless to her in the walk-in closet I called an apartment in Astoria, Queens. She is by far more playful than she's been in a while, so I'd say the move has been good for her. And here is photographic proof that she is up to no good I tell 'ya. 

Anyway, friends, loved ones, peeps, that's all until next time. Be well and we'll talk to you soon. 

Love , Sonny and Sue.