Children by the Millions/Wait for Brian Wilson (Happy Birthday, Mommy!)

After deciding not to go to Brian Wilson because it was too damn expensive, I managed to score a pair of tickets from work. Ryan and I went a few Thursdays ago, after several days of rain threatened to soak us to the bone at the outdoor venue. During a week that felt like everyone and everything was out to get me, nature, thankfully, cooperated.

I fretted that the evening would be a little too '57 Chevy, if you know what I mean--too many surf songs, not enough good stuff. But Brian delivered. His voice is a little thinner than it used to be, and he relies on backing vocalists more than he'd probably like to admit, but we got to see him sing all of Smile. And, freaking sap that I am, I totally wept when he played "God only knows."

I know I'm no good when it comes to coping in the face of tragedy. I've been thinking about this in the past several days, and as the 11th approaches. I'm sure you've done something--anything--and you're sick of reminders to donate. But in honor of my mom's birthday today, I made a donation to the Humane Society's Disaster Relief Fund. After all, my mom's the one who taught me to care.