24 Hours in Tucson

The last time I visited Tucson was in 2008, when I went to see The Hold Steady at the Rialto with my brother and friends. Three things of note:

*Buying Tad from the Hold Steady a shot of Jag at the Hotel Congress across the street, then feeling bad about it soon thereafter because he developed pancreatitis and couldn't drink anymore.

*Our friend Trevor tearing a poster for the show off the men's room wall so I'd have a souvenir. I still have it!

*Our friend Melissa fighting the worst hangover I've ever witnessed as we drove back to Tempe the next day. I should note it was August and the high temperature was roughly 149.

Mandy and I made a quick daytrip last Friday to see some high school friends of mine and stay at the aforementioned Hotel Congress. If you're not familiar, it's allegedly haunted, which is all the information Mandy needs to stay in any hotel, VRBO, abandoned mall, adult superstore, etc. We did not see any ghouls or apparitions, but we did chat with a member of the Magnolias, another band with Minnesota connections. He liked my shirt.

The area around the hotel felt bougie/North Loop-y, but in a college town way that is more our speed. Like they put Madison, Wisconsin in the Sonoran Desert. A special Midwest Excellence shoutout to Pueblo Vida Brewing Company for making a quality Czech lager and standing on business.

It also had the Ronstadt Transit Center, which I learned was not named solely after Tucson native Linda Ronstadt.

As for the high school friends, it's beyond gratifying to meet up with some people after a decade or so apart and pick up the conversation right where you left it. At heart, they're all Renville County Survivor Stories, now with the bonus heft of grown children, menopause, mortality, and other middle-age nonsense. I was lucky to grow up with Chris and Rebecca and even luckier to still be in touch with them.

Newsworthy

It feels like the rest of the country has moved on from the government's campaign of murder, kidnapping, and ethnic cleansing in Minnesota, which is still ongoing and still morally repulsive. We had the misfortune of traveling to the new shiny object, as Tucson is the home of the abducted Nancy Guthrie, mother of Today Show host Savannah Guthrie. The breaking news coverage is non-stop, even when the only update is the authorities erecting barricades by the missing woman's house.

Fortunately, the guy in charge of the investigation is chugging brewskis in Italy. I'm pretty sure she's not in the locker room with the Tkachuk brothers, dipshit.

Back to the Jungle

My internet friend Sam, who is an actual violist, has an update on Jungle Law's Lauren, the archer/attorney featured in Monday's newsletter:

Stu, it's very important to me that you know that I was this woman's camp counselor for like five summers at music nerd camp in rural Massachusetts.

She was always a very talented oboist! We played a pretty great Prokofiev quintet together. Haven't seen her in decades, but we stayed in touch on FB until she turned shockingly Trumpy.

Her little brother played bassoon. Nice kid, big into computers; co-created Kayak straight out of college, I believe.

I should note that, if you're a real woodwind head, you can download Lauren's oboe work at her personal website.

One More Thing

Trevor, who selflessly violated posted Rialto regulations to get me a rock show poster in 2008, is going through a health nightmare right now. If you have a little extra on hand to help his GoFundMe out, I know he and Erin and I would appreciate it.

See you tomorrow.