Last Thursday the usual suspects held a little goodbye party for Tangle Knitting Studio. It was a chance to laugh and cry and reminisce. And there may have been adult beverages involved. (Did you know, gentle reader, that there’s such a thing as blueberry vodka? And it’s not, actually, blue? Whodda thunk it.) And there was plenty of food, too. We’re not just a bunch of lushes.
I feel like I have lost something that can’t be replaced. But I know that Thursday Night Knitting will continue, in some way, in some place. I probably won’t be able to buy yarn at the same time, but the important thing is that I will still be able to see my knitbuds on a semi-regular basis. I’ll just have to plan to come with plenty of yarn. It can be done.
It’s not like I don’t have an extra project or two on the needles.
Thursday night was also the night before #1 Son took of for a whirlwind tour of Europe with his band. And it is whirlwind – 28 shows in 9 countries in 28 days. Thursday night, the plan was that #1 Son would drop his car off at my house around 9:30 PM and I would give him a ride back to his house. They had a ride to the airport arranged for Friday morning, so I would tell him goodbye when I dropped him off. But I will pick him up on his way back home next month. That was the plan. This is how the timeline actually worked out:
[10:00 PM]
#1 Son (on the phone): Hi, Mom. I have just a bit of running round still to do. I should be there really soon.
[10:30 PM]
#1 Son (on the phone): Hi, Mom. It’s taking me longer than I thought. A lot longer. I’ll be there as soon as I can. It’s probably going to be late, though.
Mom: It’s already kinda late.
#1 Son: I know. Sorry. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Lots of stuff to do. I’m leaving for Europe tomorrow!
Mom: I am aware of that. 😀
[Midnight]
#1 Son arrives home. He still has stuff to do, mostly involving my computer and printer. The Truck has usurped the place in front of my house again, so he parked in my driveway, but way over to the side so I might be able to squeeze out past it (I park in the garage).
[12:50 AM]
#1 Son is ready to leave. We hop into my car. I back out carefully, avoiding his car, and we’re off. His phone rings constantly. In between brief, monosyllabic phone conversations, he give me driving directions. Don’t go that way. Turn left here. Take the freeway north, then east.
[1:11 AM] – we are almost to #1 Son’s house
#1 Son: $#!&
Mom: What?
#1 Son: I left my guitar and the bass in my car. We have to go back.
Mom (looking for nearest freeway exit to turn car around): $#!&
#1 Son (to caller on phone): Yeah. I know your ride is leaving my house. Go ahead and go home and I’ll just have my mom drop your bass off at your house. [ed. note – that’s as far from #1 Son’s house as my house – only in the opposite direction]
[1:30] – we arrive back at my house
[1:32] – we leave again. (Take the freeway again only go past my house. Head east. I’ll tell you where to get off. No! Turn left here!) – guess who said that
[2:10] – we arrive at the bass player’s house (I have to think of a good name for him, suggestions welcome). I wait in the car while #1 Son and Bass Player have a long conversation including many gestures and pointing at a sheet of paper that has something #1 Son has written on it.
[2:20] – we leave Bass Player’s house
#1 Son: Get on the freeway.
Mom: No.
#1 Son: But it’s faster! We’ll have to go through downtown if you go this way!
Mom: It’s 2:30 in the morning. I’m incredibly tired. I don’t want to drive on the freeway. It won’t take that much longer.
#1 Son (to caller on phone): It’s going to take longer than I thought. My mom won’t take the freeway so we have to drive through downtown. It’s going to take forever. I’ll be there as soon as I can. [ed. note: it added less than 10 minutes to the trip]
[2:40] – we arrive at #1 Son’s house
#1 Son: It’s really late. I’ll probably just stay up all night ’cause I can sleep on the plane tomorrow.
Mom (wishing she had a plane to sleep on tomorrow): I love you. Have a wonderful time. Be safe. Come home safe.
#1 Son: I will, Mom. I love you!
[note: he called me last night from Germany. The tour is going well. He is having the time of his life. I’ve almost caught up on my sleep.]
Just call him TBP. That’s all they ever called the bass player in “That Thing You Do!”–he went through the whole movie without a name. And in the credits, it’s “Ethan Embry — T.B. Player.” 😀
1Remark from Michelle — Monday, 6/16/2008 @ 9:00 AM
(sigh)
I think somehow the most important part of this post is the loss of Tangle. Your #1 son is going to be fine…he may kill you in the process, but he’ll be fine!
I’m so sorry for your loss….but do KNIT ON!
2(((hugs)))
Remark from Knitnana — Monday, 6/16/2008 @ 11:23 AM
Gee. Your son sounds like a number of (not so)young people I know. I trust he knows he owes you big-time — and not for the first time, I suspect. Do get yourself a treat of some kind (it’s unlikely he’ll think to bring you one from Europe) — maybe some incredible yarn!
3Remark from Luise — Monday, 6/16/2008 @ 11:44 AM
ohh – I’m so sorry to read that Tangle closed. I would always visit there when I was visiting relatives in Lake Oswego – a couple of times a year.
What happened?
Sounds like your son is having a great time and will be fine!
4Remark from Ruthanne (in Seattle) — Tuesday, 6/17/2008 @ 2:08 PM
🙁
5What an emotional week you’ve had. Hope to see you at knit night tonight.
Remark from sharon — Wednesday, 6/18/2008 @ 12:19 PM
I can’t imagine what it must have been like to say farewell to Tangle. I hope you never have to experience anything like that ever again.
Kids are exhausting!! You need him to be on a whirlwind trip through 9 countries so that you can get some rest. 😆
6Remark from ~Kristie — Thursday, 6/19/2008 @ 7:03 PM
I am so sorry to hear about Tangle closing. I went there a few times when I was in Oregon on business. I had so much fun at the evening knits that I did my best to plan business trips around Thursday nights. I hope you find another place to fill the void – Becky
7Remark from Becky — Saturday, 6/28/2008 @ 10:18 PM