A friend and I meet at a house to jam with some new people. My dad drops me off after a bit of a drive, and I am struck by the nearly identical nature of this house to the one I grew up in–even the outside colors are the same–though as I walk through the garage, I notice the concrete bricks along the foundation are differently patterned. The main floor of the house looks just like my own home from childhood as well, including even the addition we built on to our kitchen over ten years after constructing the house!
We go down to the basement (which looks completely different) to set up and meet our new musician friends: a brother and sister who seem a little straight-edge. I met them online recently because they, like me, enjoy listening to SwissGroove streaming radio, and a few of the cover songs we play sound like music fit for that station. I bring my percussion rig along but leave my congas and bongos at home as I didn’t quite know what to expect, but even with reduced equipment it takes me well into the first song to set up. I also bring my pipe, still half-packed, but decided these two were not into that at all and let it stay in the plastic bag of my belongings. After awhile I notice some advertising posters in the basement, and it seems like these people are members of the band Belle and Sebastian.
The house also boasts a collection of small, shaggy and annoying dogs. These dogs possess sharp claws and bad tempers and get upset very easily, becoming aggressive and latching on to your hand, leg, or anything else they grab. They seem to receive enough attention yet act as if they desperately need more. I cannot stand these dogs.
After jamming I sit in a couch, still in the basement, to watch a Yankees baseball game. I stay under a blanket to protect myself from dog attacks–with reasonable success until the game ends and their dad comes home. As he and I chat the dogs return, angrily jump on the couch and blanket, and proceed to bite, claw, and generally make life miserable.
I really hate these dogs.
Jacob Haqq-Misra
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