Last week was redonkulous.

I'm pretty bad at blogging. I don't do it as much as I know I should. Or even as much as I think I should. But I'm determined to avoid letting last week slip past the "Here's the 4-1-1" blogosphere.

After coming off my first two days of teaching last Thursday and Friday, I booked it to Milwaukee to meet Fantasy Friendship starter Adam for a weekend full of shenanigans at PJ20, Pearl Jam's 20-year anniversary festival at Alpine Valley.

Saturday was a muddy cold mess. We arrived at Alpine Valley a little after 12 noon to be held captive in my car for almost 3 hours by rain, thunder, and lightning. We were quickly cursing ourselves for only bringing a 6-pack of Miller High Life. We made it last over conversations with co-worker friends of Adam: Chrissy and Patrick. Eventually the rain softened to a sporadic drizzle, and, equipped in yellow ponchos and old shoes, we ventured into the venue, hoping to stay as dry as possible. The true question of the day was how would Adam accomplish buying an event poster and keep it dry for the duration of the show?  We camped out on the lawn and after about 6 hours, my ankles felt as if they were shattered glass. I wanted to sit but the muddy ass wasn't worth the trade-off.  Sunday's weather was much better; although a little chillier, it stayed dry and even offered us quick glimpses of the sun throughout the afternoon. The vibe was definitely happier on Sunday; the rain seemingly dampened everyone's excitement on Saturday, including Pearl Jam's.

I enjoyed the openers but was a little disappointed that Pearl Jam elected to toss out the same bands and same time slots for two days straight. It gave everyone the opportunity to select one day to arrive early and see music and come later the opposite day, but I, for one, would have appreciated more music or different line-ups. (And, on a personal note, it felt really weird for me to be at a festival and not see one single DJ. Personally.) I liked Mudhoney based sheerly on the fact that I've always respected their role within the grunge and 90's alternative scene, although they did get a bit "screamy" at times. I'd seen Queens of the Stone Age once before, also at Alpine Valley (see August post on Rage Against the Machine), and I enjoyed their set enough to say that I've seen them three times now, and moderately enjoyed each opening set. The Strokes really wowed me. I'd always enjoyed their music, but never really "felt" it until Alpine Valley. Coincidentally, I'd also been reading about Julian Casablancas in Neil Strauss' "Everyone Loves You When You're Dead," a book full of interviews with celebrities. Notably, Casablancas is cited as Strauss' worst interview ever. He seems much more comfortable on stage, where he donned all black clothing and aviator sunglasses. Both days.

Pearl Jam was a lot of fun, if not a bit sentimental at times. They offered up two atypical PJ sets over the weekend, since both sets featured ultra-rarities, lots of guests, and Temple of the Dog mini-sets featuring Chris Cornell during the first encores. Because of the hectic switches and tempo shifts, the sets felt a bit more disjointed than normal. They definitely put a lot of thought into what they played and making this weekend an unforgettable one, especially for the hardcore fans who literally came from all over the world. In all my festival-going days, I've never encountered so many people at a show who speak different languages, including French, Spanish, German, and various Latin- and South American descents.  This was truly a big deal within the Pearl Jam community; witnessing the poster mayhem just shows you how rabidly obsessive Pearl Jam fans can be. Neil Young was heavily rumored and an obvious Sunday guest choice for Sunday, although it never came to fruition. (BTW, Adam indeed found a poster at an inner merch booth on Saturday, and subsequently found a UPS table set up that offered shipping for a nominal fee. He was promised his poster, dry and safe, would arrive at home on Thursday.)

I returned to Pulaski on Labor Day and tried to be as diligent toward lesson plans as possible. It was tough. I got my Tuesday planned out, stayed at school until 6:30 that night planning my next two days, and repeated the process on Wednesday.  Normally I'd be a little more on the ball, but not only did I spend my entire long weekend at Pearl Jam, but I was going to be at the season-opening Packers game against the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night.

On Thursday, I would meet my cousin Shaun and his friends Darren and Jeff around Lambeauville. Luckily, a new co-teacher was available to give me a ride to her house, whereabouts I would meet Shaun. It worked like a charm, and by 4:30 the four of us were entering the Lambeau area to the conclusion of Maroon 5's set. The NFL Network had a huge tent set up outside the stadium, and the entire east-facing side of the stadium was packed with tailgaters and a stage that Kid Rock was about to destroy. People were already passed out in the back of trucks.

We had a great time at the game, and what more could you ask for?  Two quick, opening scores from the Pack...a really close outcome (much closer than it should have been!), and a 109-yard kickoff return. For some reason, the two women next to us brought extra beverages back and gave them to us. There were funny characters surrounding us on all sides, including "the cheetah." I haven't quite decided if I should post a picture of the ferocious feline yet.

I eeked out a tired Friday at school and caught up on sleep (but not work) over the weekend. At least now I know I can escape for a weekend and stay out playing late on a weeknight and still make it through a week of teaching.