Shift

I was in a bad mood during the morning and into the afternoon, so going to see The National and watch them play their brooding songs in concert seemed like a good fit for the day. (I had the ticket for months, so this wasn't a decision I made per my outlook this Monday.)

Once I settled in at the venue, the foulness lifted. I appreciated hearing a couple of Hall & Oates songs and "The Rain Song", one of my favorite Led Zeppelin songs, playing while waiting for the bands to take to the stage. I took some delight in being able to play "fecal" in a game of Words with Friends. Even though the parking meter hours and limit changed at my preferred spot for other Arena District events, I got satisfaction in finding another meter on a side street that let me still save a few bucks. Hey, you take the small victories where you can get them.

For that matter, opening act The Antlers were a pleasant surprise. I wasn't all that familiar with them, but I thought their 40-minute set did a good job of kicking off the evening of music. The National were very good for nearly two hours.

So the day ended better than it began. I suppose that's not a bad trade.