Stars and satellites and clouds. Everything tonight is floating. I am too so I hold your hand and up above the moon is rowing.

2005-07-18 at 10:41 p.m.

This is going to be long. Bring a snack. I’m writing everything down mostly for my benefit, so I can remember everything.

Josh Ritter was Friday night at Bluesfest in Ottawa. Kim couldn't come because she is off landscaping so my mom decided to come with me rather than waste a ticket. And then my dad figured he might as well come instead of stay home. So we went as a family.

I told them that they would love him. They didn’t believe me. I told my mom not two be surprised if Josh hugs her. Twice. She said nooooo!

Josh, with very short hair, and his band came on and started with ‘The Bad Actress’ which was very appropriate (‘Though her eyes are big as Canada / and the hips are South Australia / looking out on South America / I’m out here on the sea / and her heart ain’t where it ought to be’). He told us that he is “secretly Canadian” and that his first beer ever was Molson Ice (haha!).

See, his hair is short like this.

By the time the science song came up I had to leave my place on the wee little hill that we were sitting on to join the five other people at the barricade. Everyone else was on lawn chairs. It was odd. But anyway, I was standing in front of Dave Hingerty, the drummer. This is another example of how everything under the stars is somehow related to the Frames. He was their drummer for their first five years as a band. He kept smiling at me smiling at him and Josh, to a greater extent.

Dave Hingerty at right with Sam, who plays keyboards and the wurlitzer, at left.

Highlights included ‘Roll On’, ‘Kathleen’ (‘All the other girls here are stars. You are the northern lights’ always gets a cheer out of the Canadians), and ‘Other Side’ electric. Electric!!

There was an autograph session after the show so we decided to wait around until he got through everyone to get a little more time to talk. After 90 minutes we finally got to him. In the meanwhile Dave Hingerty walked up to the cd tent and then stood around looking lonely so I went to talk to him. Speaking to anyone with an Irish accent is always pleasant, especially when they were a member of the Frames and are non-conventionally attractive. I asked him various questions about them and you could see he thinking hmmm, should I tell her why I left the band? His answer confirmed something that I have expected for some time now. He told me that he didn’t get along with the singer. I’ve heard stories but this finally brought to light that my love for Glen Hansard has been somewhat misguided and that he may very well be a bit of an a-hole. Oh well.

Now Josh. Wow. First thing I did was give him a hug and then I introduced him to my mom and dad. He hugged my mom and shook my dad’s hand, who later said "He's a good man that Josh Ritter. Nice firm handshake". My mom asked him about the reservation in ‘Wings’ because she likes to be the official Mohawk embassador to everyone she meets. I had him sign my album cover of ‘Golden Age of Radio’ and he was very impressed that I had it and was happy when I told him that I played it on my mom’s old record player, the one that’s sound is just bad enough to make it authentic. He laughed and said that’s why he made it. I told him that I met him before in Toronto with my twin sister and he remembered, saying to himself “Identical.....yeah!.” Everyone always assumes were identical (it’s actually unconfirmed but if I had to guess I would say we are too).

At around this point my dad wandered off. My mom later told me that it was probably because Josh was too friendly to me and her. Haha, he was jealous! Anyway, Josh started talking about Canada and how it opened up a whole new world to him, etc. I suggested a train ride and he liked that idea very much. I told him that I came on the train from Toronto that morning (“What is that? Six hours?!”). Then I told him that my mom like the science song, that it was kind of like when I told her that I was going to take art history in university instead of forensic sciences. He understood and asked her if she got nervous. He asked me what I was focussing on, I told him the Italian Renaissance. He replied the same way he did last time he asked me that “Wow, there’s just so much symbolism in that”. Yes. Yes, there is.

And then it was picture time. There was after all still two people behind us waiting. They made friends with each other while they waited. Ok, this episode really needs an in-person demonstration or maybe a diagram but I’ll just try to describe it as best as I can. Let me first say this: I was internally school-girl giggling like you would not believe. Actually, I was probably giggling out loud. I can’t even remember.

So me and Josh are standing next to each other. He puts one arm around my shoulders while I put one of my arms around his waist. This is how we took the pictures last time I met him and how he usually does pictures with other people. He draws you very close, unlike some people. Then he put his free hand on the hand of my arm around his waist and kind of clasped it. Oh but no, this was not yet close enough. He then took that arm and joined it to the other one around my shoulders. And at this point I figured hey, Josh Ritter is here with his arms around me so I might as well take advantage. So I put both of my arms around his waist and then he goes "Oh, thank you!". Thank you for putting both my arms around you? Now, my mom was taking this picture and she didn’t really know how to work my camera. Plus, I had told her to take two. So, time spent in Josh Ritter’s arms: a solid two minutes.

After the pictures were taken he gave me a final hug (and he didn’t have to go far, it was actually like a squeeze where we were already standing). He asked me to say hi to Kim. He hugged my mom again and my dad was off somewhere holding my signed album cover. And what did Josh write, you ask.

‘Kristine! May all nights be as beautiful as you....Love, Josh Ritter”

(pictures later)

speaking at length + speaking in lines