What Once Was Lost...

..has now been found!

And yes, I had an awesome time!

Whew. I survived the weekend. Sure did. And it was a blast. Here is a short recap with pictures! Heeeehhhh!

I found out that my grandma definitely needs me around, but kinda likes me around too.


I found my Drunk that had been lost for about 2 months and 3 weeks. He came back to me at the Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band show. Of course this adorableness was before the debauchery started, and while we still had dates to take our pictures. (And don't pass by the little guy with his fancy mustache on the right. He was trouble!)


The show was just as expected, fabulous. Conor and his cronies immediately started playing new songs with the ferocity as if they were trying to heat the cold audience with their energy. The dynamics on the stage were almost too built-in, as if they were planned before the band's inception. But they weren't. At all. Conor never knew the Mystic Valley Band would come to be, or how it would work. He left on a trip to Mexico to write a solo album and ended up plucking friends out of their own lives to join him. This sort of patchwork assembly of the band makes me love it even more. Hearing the froggy and adorable Taylor Hollingsworth croak out a few songs was great. And I love watching Nate Walcott--a permanent fixture in any Oberst project--plinking on keyboards as he stares at the crowd, unfazed and expressionless if not a little perplexed. It was excellent. Bliss and pure innocent happiness.

I am not sure when I decided to let go of the reins. But I did. And, okay, sure, I did trip over Gina's lawn chairs and fall headfirst into mud to save the beer I had in one hand and the wine I had in the other... and I may have been wearing a white sweater when I went down. HARD. And I ate it, right there in front of about 100 people. And my date was SO embarrassed, he was like, "Really? This is really happening right now? Ugh." He was trying to help me up and I couldn't believe he was so composed. I would have been on the ground, laughing hysterically. He just helped me up and brushed me off a little, and looked at my once white sweater, now completely sprayed with red wine and Cutthroat. Sigh. I was still giggling.

The funniest part about the story is that Megan was with our friend a little ways away and she couldn't stop laughing because "someone had tripped over our lawn chairs." Silence. "It was Carly." Exponentially more laughter.

This is where things started getting a little starry. I do remember thinking, in the words of Matt Berninger, I'm on a good mixture, I don't want to waste it. And for awhile, it was perfect. The mixture of the sun reluctantly sliding behind the mountains, the dew from the rain lingering, and the lights on the stage... The mixture reminded me of warm, wet summer nights. Being on the grass with so many of my favorite people, having someone put their arms around you and love you in that moment, watching perhaps my favorite singer-songwriter ever, WITH a glass of wine AND a glass of beer. Ya, I can't beat that mixture. And I do not want to waste it. So... let's go sprint to the clubs and start dancing, being in photo shoots, drinking, and such. Because that was the pinnacle and we are on the downward spiral.

We had a great time. We really did. Dancing was super fun and although Cody ran from us at the end of the night, it was still a success. A long walk home, lesbian blankets, pot stickers, moldy pita quesadillas, the big white bowl you sit in, and more... it was sweet.

The next day we initiated Smokin' Sundays at the studio with pulled pork sandwiches so... sounds like a pretty good summer to me! Next Sunday: brisket. Yay!

A couple of other things I found this weekend:
1. My sister's old Bronco II. Ohhh, the memories. She's still on the road, folks! Yesssss.


2. An accidental softball picture for my heart throb companion:


Still Missing:
My car keys
My camera
My dignity

It's a start. I realize this is a disconnected entry, I really wanted to remember more about the mustaches and the gum throws... I guess I just wanted to convey the feeling of freedom and happiness we had running around and being with each other. It was nice. Hmmmm. I guess that's it. Rest in peace, beautiful white sweater..... Rest in peace.....

Beautiful White Sweater

Born 8:00 pm on Saturday. Loved whiskey, whiskey & red bull, whiskey, whiskey, wine, Cutthroat, red wine, Cutthroat, red wine, red wine, whiskey, vodka, blue shots, whiskey, beer, mud. Sometimes mud. Retired quietly with friends at Megan's house at 2:30 am. A good sport. Even though her colors changed, she didn't. We'll miss you.