Workin' the cool

My sister Michele is coming into town today.  Yipee!  And we're all going to the Jazz Fest.  Which reminds me of a Jazz Fest memory:

Back in '08, we all went to the Jazz Fest.  I was all decked out on my grungified gear... combat boots, cut off jeans shorts, flannel shirt, shades, and my dragon doo-rag.  I had brought a book with me because, hey, I'm likely to get bored at a place where there are 10 different stages with bands playing and 5000 people dancing and drinking.  So, I'm sitting in a lawn chair, reading my book with people dancing all around me and the band blaring, looking just as cool as a cucumber, and I feel this tap on my shoulder.  A guy is standing there with a fancy schmancy camera, one of those film kinds with a long lens.  He says, "Hey man, I got some great shots of you.  I just wanted to say thanks!"

Wow!  I must have really been working the cool factor.

Later I was wandering around aimlessly, drinking a beer and exhuding cool, when Heather's mom pranced up to me, grabbed one of my hands and put another around me, and danced me in a circle to the music of the band that was playing on stage.  When she was done, she smiled this big tipsy smile, and said, "Thanks!"

That was the second time someone had just up and taken advantage of my cool factor that day.  Man, my ego was fit to be tied, I can tell you.

So, today, I'm gonna BRING THE COOL to the Jazz Fest.  Unlike last year when I just moped around and left after an hour.