Hey Jakey,

We just got back from Reno. Jesus God it's hot. We went to see the Maxfield Parrish exhibit at the Nevada Museum of Art. You were such a good boy. Not one meltdown or tantrum. I think you actually enjoyed yourself.

There might be *one* of you who reads this blog that may recall that my fascination with Maxfield Parrish began with a Moody Blues album cover back in the early '80s. Anyway, since then I've actually come to truly admire his work, and when I found out that the little backwater town of Reno was actually getting a whole Parrish exhibition, I got pretty excited.

Yeah, I know, Parrish's work encompasses a certain "cheese" factor, and actually displaying one in your home is tantamount to displaying Klimt's "The Kiss" or perhaps collecting Hummel figurines or showcasing a special edition Thomas Kinkaid over your sofa. But, as they say, "I don't know much about art--but I know what I like." And I like Maxfield Parrish, so sue me.



It was a pretty extensive collection, and the two or three "Wow! That's a famous painting!" paintings of his were there, including the one that inspired the aforementioned album cover, "Daybreak," that Parrish painted in 1922. The guy standing next to us was just as awestruck, whispering, "Gosh, ohmigosh, wow, that's really it, huh..." There were lots of gorgeous lithographs, but the actual oil paintings were the magical pieces.

If I actually believed in heaven (my inner jury is still out on that one...) I think it would look like a Parrish painting. All oranges and blues, right at that magic golden time of day: right after the sun has risen, or just before it sets. I think the most interesting parts of his paintings are the backgrounds, hyper-realistic, almost photographic clouds and skies and rocks and mountains, that beckon you far into the picture, past the pretty foreground figures, wanting to turn the corner and disappear into that magic, gold-and-blue, make-believe fantasy world.

I'm glad I re-thought my day, and actually took you along. I didn't know how you would behave, but you did fine. You and I bonded, and I think I reclaimed you as my own, which I have to do every once in a while, since you seem to see so much more of your daddy than you do of me. Afterwards, we went to Wild Oats and got a coupla slices of cheese pizza (I ate one and three-quarters, you finished off the balance), and some organic tea.

Here are the CD's I made you listen to today during the long drive up and back from Reno: the Gin Blossoms (their first and only good album), Wire Train (their last and arguably their best album) and Duran Duran's Greatest Hits. The only one that elicited any kind of response from you was Wire Train; you bopped along a little bit during the faster songs. And I swear, regarding Duran Duran, forever and ever until the day I die, whenever I hear the lyric "Don't say you're easy on me, you're about as easy as a nuclear war," out comes the pointy finger and the bop to the right. I'm nearly 40 years old now, and STILL I'm acting out the damn video from over 20 years ago. Stef, are ya with me?

Last week we went to visit your your daddy's folks in San Jose. The great-grandparents were in town from Arkansas, and a great-aunt and uncle drove in from Stockton, so it was a full house, and you were in your heyday, running around with your arms up in the air, demanding for anyone and everyone to pick you up. You're getting better with strangers. Better than I am, anyway. Great-grandparents scare me, just cuz they're so freakin' old and fragile, but once you get past that, they're actually kind of fun.

Great-grandpa Lester took your daddy and I out to lunch every day that we were there. He's so deaf, that its hard to hold a meaningful conversation with him, but once he gets talking, he's pretty interesting. He's 91 years old, so he's got a lot of stories in him. He moved out to California back in the mid-'30s, to be in the CCC (California Conservation Corps), and wound up staying. He got married out here, then moved back to Arkansas just relatively recently, back in the '80s. Apparently he doesn't like Arkansas, and would love to be back in California, but his wife won't hear of it. It's kind of sad, he kept saying, "Yup, I guess my traveling days are over..." He's a stately, southern-looking kind of gentleman, walks with a cane and wears a hat, kind of looks like Colonel Sanders.

You had a good time, even though we didn't have time to go to the beach. You probably like being around all sorts of relation way more than I do. Being around them is good for you.

Love ya, and I'll check in with you later...