I went to Lilith Fair!

Rachel, Omi & I escaped work around 2:30, gathered at Rachel & Jeremy's (along with Jeremy, Jim, and Omi's friend Monica), and zoomed (well, crawled) to Shoreline Ampitheatre. Parking was hell, but eventually we got where we wanted to be, spread blankets out on the nice lawn, unpacked our picnic baskets, and relaxed. Monica and Omi wandered around looking at things. Rachel and Jeremy read. Jim watched people. I leaned against Jim and occasionally read (Startide Rising by David Brin, which is so far just as good as everyone claims it is), and occasionally stared at people.

It was hot. Rachel and Jim and I all rolled up our shirt sleeves and complained some, and ate large amounts of the fresh fruit (plums, peaches, nectarines) that Jeremy had thoughtfully packed. A few trips were made down to the bottom of the ampitheatre, mostly to acquire lemonade and take bathroom breaks. The co-ed bathroom occasioned great amusement.

Eventually it got darker and cooler, and music started happening on the main stage. By the time it was too dark to read the Indigo Girls were playing, and I was standing on the blanket, leaning on Jim and swaying to the music and singing. Amusingly, Rachel and Omi were both singing as well. They played Galileo and Shame on You, and several other very fine songs, plus (extra-bonus Cera happiness), Joan Baez came out and sang Diamonds and Rust with Amy & Emily doing occasional harmony. I was in heaven.

Natalie Merchant performed next. She's a gorgeous woman with long heavy hair (I hope mine looks something like that when it gets mid-back) and a beautiful voice and clothes that I covet. All of that aside, her music was ... not very satisfying. I think it might grow on me well, and it was a pleasant experience, but I don't think I got much out of it. Then again, I rarely get much out music on the first hearing, other than a sense of whether or not I want to hear more of it. I'm happy to hear more of Natalie Merchant, so I guess it was a win.

Last was Sarah McLachlan. I thought her hair would be longer, probably due to the photographs in the Fumbling Towards Ecstasy CD insert, but as all my CDs are still packed I can't prove this. Anyway. Her voice is gorgeous, and she sang a few songs I really wanted to hear (Possession and Building a Mystery), but ... I don't know. I think I'd enjoy seeing her more in a smaller venue, or maybe after a shorter wait; by the time she came on the crowd energy had pretty much ebbed.

Of course, all of this may have also been because I was dead tired after sitting outside for eight hours.

Final rating: 8. Fun, enjoyable, definitely worth doing, plus added bonus of spending all day with friends.

Back from lunch. I went to the nearby fresh-produce place with people (Rachel, Omi, Vivek) and bought cherries, and then to the sandwich place with Vivek to acquire more solid food. I've successfully finished my sandwich and am eating cherries. Hopefully I'll manage not to devour the entire bag.

I have successfully coded, after what felt like a lifetime of staring blankly at my xemacs window and inwardly berating myself. I'm continuing to do so, between sentences, and am making a great deal of progress. Thank G-d. I was beginning to think that changing to development has been the biggest mistake of my life, as clearly I was the stupidest human being alive and couldn't code my way out of a paper bag. It's nice to be over that, although I assume the feeling will revisit me from time to time over the next few months. Imposter syndrome. Lucky me.

Back from going outside to stretch in the warm sun and chat. The sky is technicolour blue; I spent the entire time staring at it, and the contrast it makes with leaves and branches and rooftops. Is the sky usually this blue here? Did I forget while I was in LA? Have I just never noticed before?

Life has quite the tinge of unreality to it right now.