Timing is everything

Sometimes you can really get lucky. I'm in Detroit, on a business trip, late on a Sunday afternoon. I've just spent the last three hours at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Every second week is free Ford Sundays, so I got to enjoy all the amazing painting and sculptures for nothing, sponsored by Ford Motor Company.  Got a few really good photos. 

The previous day someone had mentioned a cool jazz bar in town called Cliff Bells, so I drive the few blocks south, find a parking spot (also free), and walk around the corner. Three guys are standing just outside the bar talking intently about something.  I veer around them, peer through the glass in the front door, and hesitate a moment.  Someone walks by me, opens the door and enters, so I follow him and stand inside, adjusting for a minute to the change of light. It's a very upscale bar, mahogany bar tops, and stylish lighting set the scene. Tables are scattered around, and the place is bustling with staff running here and there organizing something.

I sit down at the bar and order a Vodka and Sprite.  I ask how much, but they say it's free. I assume it's some sort of promotion, first one to get you hooked or something. The band is practicing up on stage, and they sound pretty good, so I relax and listen. 5 guys, one singing, the others playing.  They are actually very good. I listen till they stop practicing. 

The head of the band comes over for a drink, and I strike up a conversation with him. He has a crazy hairstyle, and unusual clothes. Turns out he is an Italian artist, and music is his other love.  Often plays the saxophone. But tonite he and his band are playing a somewhat unconventional instrument.  They call themselves  iBand. They play iPads.  You would be amazed at the sounds you can make with them, especially as a group. He gives me his business card, thin, black, with this crazy looking pic on it.  Apparently he did the pic himself. 

The staff really are busy.  They are all wearing special black shirts.  Most have a pretend suit, vest and tie painted on them in black and white, even the girls.  Some have big easily read words on the front, like "Drinks", or "Meat", or "Seafood".

I get another drink, and don't ask about the money.  They don't ask me.  I wait around for ages, passing the time in texting and checking out the artist's website, crammed full of fluorescent pop style art with swirls and comic characters and flowers and hippie girls and all sorts of crazy stuff. (www.fluon.it)

Eventually lots of people turn up, and fill the place nearly to overflowing. I get another drink.  The waiters come around and start serving delicious hors d'oeuvres.  They offer me one after the other till I can't eat any more.

Obviously I have stumbled into some private event, and miraculously didn't get stopped at the entrance.  Once I had been there a while everyone assumed I belonged. I saw other people being turned away, looking very disappointed. 

About 8 a guy gets up and gives a short speech, and introduces the band. I find out the event is being run by Volkswagen. It's the media reception event for the motor show being held in Detroit this week. All the big company hob nobs are there, and all the big media companies have sent their best people to cover the event. I think the guy talking was the CEO or someone.

The band plays for an hour.  Everyone loves them. I change drinks and have a Baileys instead. They leave for an hour, and while they are away another band plays, this time with conventional instruments. They are pretty good too. Then iBand comes back and plays for another hour.  They get 2 encores. The Volkswagen elite are clapping and dancing and having a wonderful time. We all enjoy ourselves immensely.


I stagger out of the place after 11, and wander back to my hotel room. The 5 alcoholic drinks have had 6 hours to settle, so I don't weave all over the road too much. I fall asleep soon after getting back, still flabbergasted that split second timing had turned my probably boring evening into an entertainment-filled and memorable one. 

Dinner Dance

Jake looks absolutely smashing in his tuxedo, a white double-breasted jacket and a bubblegum pink vest, matching bow-tie, and hankie in his top pocket. He has been so psyched up for tonight's dinner dance at his 8th grade school.

I walk him in - everyone else is dressed up nice, but Jake has really kicked it up a notch compared to the others. All the guys compliment him on his clothes. But he gets even more compliments and wows and looks from the girls - they are obviously very impressed. The girls all look beautiful and way grown-up too, in their fancy party dresses and high heels and jewelry.

The school is set up to look like a cruise line, with portholes everywhere, and cabin numbers (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 - representing the upcoming high-school years), and signs pointing to the spa and pool and upper deck.

They all sit down and talk for a while, and then food is served. Included are strawberries, chocolate cake (that Jake eats way too much of) and lots of other things including a chocolate fountain!

Then they get to move into the gym, which has been set up as a disco, with loud music and flashing lights, and dance for the next two hours, having lots of fun.

Jake takes zillions of pictures and comes home so hyped up that it takes him over an hour to calm down before he can go to bed. He has enjoyed it immensely.

He looks so much older tonight, won't be long before he is off with a girlfriend going to parties in his own car.

Bad, bad, bad

Some days words are not enough to express it. Take a look at this:



And that's just the top layer. There is lots underneath. This is all the food that we found while looking through Jake and Charlotte's rooms today looking for her wallet that she can't find. Instead we find they have been stealing food and taking it upstairs to their rooms, smug and self-satisfied that mum and dad didn't know what they were doing.

Grounded for two weeks, no after school clubs, early bed-time. But its not enough. How do we get them to understand this is a bad idea...

Udderly Irresistable

Charlotte tonight told me a bed-time story, since I couldn't think of one to tell her. She made it up as she went along, which was surprising, as the whole thing fitted together quite well. Its quite short, and it went something like this:

There were once four animals, a horse, a dolphin, a rabbit and a cow. Each represented a different aspect of life.

The horse, majestic and free, represented the soul, proud and strong.
The dolphin, quick and playful, represented the mind, intelligent and creative.
The rabbit, cute and cuddly, represented the heart, emotional and compassionate.
The cow, slow but content, represented the stomach, empty, full, and everything in between.

One day the horse, the dolphin, the rabbit and the cow came together for a party. Everyone brought something to eat, that they might all share with each other.

The horse brought cookies, the epitome of soul food.
The dolphin brought bananas, food to enrich everyone's brain.
The rabbit brought candy, little valentine sweets to make everyone smile.

The cow didn't quite understand the whole concept of party food, being, as we said, a little on the slow side, but nevertheless brought something that seemed appropriate, at least to her. Although the others were not exactly impressed with her choice.

"Can you guess what it is dad?", asked Charlotte, stalling a while so she could make up the ending in her mind. "No Charlotte, I can't."

'C'mon, guess, please?"
          "Um, was it grass?"
"No."
          "I don't know, tell me Charlotte."

Charlotte thought for a moment more, and finished the story with one quick statement, that sort of summed the whole thing up in a nutshell.

The bright bovine brought a cowpie.

UBS Christmas Party

Drinks: 3 stars
Food: 2 stars
Desert: 5 stars
Atmosphere: 2 stars
Company: it isn't so much the people that are there, it is the people that aren't - none of the contractors are allowed to come, which is most of our team :(

No live band doesn't help either.

At least those raspberries and cream and Tiramisu taste delicious :)