Ooooo er! Out 'n' About

Is it coincidence or planned that two blogger chums (who I'm sure both owe me a pint in the real world) have both blogged about friends not going out enough when invited. Her Right Nastiness and Wee Don Kerr seem to share the same bitch about stay-at-home chums while they go out to watch (how do I say this politely?), um, exhibitions at certain clubs in the wee small hours.

I was quite taken with Dawn's argument about going out to see and do things as enhancing life and day jobs making us all miserable and tired. It's hardly scientific but I'm conscious that I'm walking much better after my week off, less pain and less limping and all I can think is that it's the result of relaxation and less stress. I didn't believe my back doctor at first when he talked about stress causing back pain but I can understand it, with muscles tensing and causing nerves to react. And if going out in the evening helps to reduce stress then it must relieve miscellaneous ailments that result from or are aggrevated by stress.

The other side of the coin is, of course, going out to things that others will enjoy as well. I'm going out on Friday night (and Saturday night, it has to be said) to see the magnificent Maximo Park but how many of my chums are going as well? Hhhmmmmm let me think... None.

And how many of you are seeing Buffy Sainte-Marie in concert on 18 June? O yes, c'mon, tell me, how many? None I bet. Me neither - yet! Buffy is playing her first concert in New York for ten years and I'm so tempted to go over and see her. She's playing at the Highline Ballroom and will, obviously, be excellent. The website doesn't seem to have a seating plan or allocate seat numbers when you book online so I'm not sure - I don't want to go all that way to sit in Row Z behind a pillar - so I've asked an NY chum to scope it out. I was hoping to go to New York later in the year but I don't have a problem with bringing it forward.

Incidentally, Vanguard is issuing a new Buffy record on 12 June in it's 'Visionary' series. I'm assuming it's a compilation but, you never know, there might be some previously unreleased material as 'extras'.

Coincidentally, I've just started reading 'Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee' by Dee Brown about 'how the west was won' from a Native American perspective. It's a book Buffy recommends people read (along with others) and I've finally got round to it. It's a harrowing read, based on official governmental and other archived papers from the 19th century, thoroughly researched and indexed, and makes for very uncomfortable - but compelling - reading.

Still, getting back to the original point, one ought to get out more. When's the next T.Rex gig, guys?