You get today in the order it happened. First, some jackass on a cell phone got my favorite table at Kiss. When I got home, I surprised the hell out of myself. One of the reasons I don’t play lead is I don’t have the “brain” for it. I can’t imagine the little sequences that make up nice sounding fills. Well, following the directions in the new book, falling back on my understanding of piano triads, and adapting examples, I actually played an original lead break.And it was blues quality! I was able to create it in my mind as a medium tempo twelve-bar pattern played in the background. This insinuates the blues, given to analysis, is far, or at least much, more mathematical and mechanical than I expected. Straight away I sent this news to Trent with a brief outline of how I’d like to proceed. I lack the words to say how momentous I found this guitar event, I was “thinking” the lead break through and making it fit. Just you look out when that happens, world.
Mid-afternoon was an impromptu robotics meeting. Agt. M somehow squeezed some luxury bucket seats into the back of his little red car. Totally comfortable but with the legroom of Delta economy class. Today’s photo is a projection caddy he’s building, note the mixing board. I told you, everybody around me is now taking a second look at these devices as playback units. Robots are on hold until we can afford to not fail, that is, if we tried anything now, we’d run out of cash half way
Also, M is concerned that I’m obviously not happy. I didn’t think it showed, but he picked up that without being in a band, I have little social life. I explained that music is the only hobby that lasted the distance with me, and how it has become my only public leisure. Bingo is hardly a substitute. I declined his offer to go to church this evening, and we decided to bring the drill press here. We can’t do the precision drilling we need on the club workbench. So it is going on my desk.
As a reward for the guitar work, I scootered up to the sort of well-known Mango’s in Ft. Lauderdale. That’s a dusty, noisy, expensive town, but the best we’ve got. The coffee (decaf) was excellent, I had the house cole slaw, and the tab was less than $7, but add back $2 for the parking. I was the only single in the place, another reason I don’t care for S. Florida. I worked the crossword puzzle.
On the trip back home, I see that Wally has the old place up for sale. Hey, dude, you are never going to know which inquiry you get will be somebody working for me. Make sure you quote a low price, and remember, my offer of $9,000 cash is waiting for whenever you come to your senses. Cut your losses. Take my offer, cut your losses.
As I walk in the door, Cowboy Mike is on the line. Get this, he is suggesting we each do fifteen tunes and share a gig. Smug or not, I had to remind him that he rejected (virtually) the same plan when I proposed it five years ago. Nothing like a mile in my shoes, huh guys? He also misremembered that I fired him, forgetting the reason was that he did not learn my ten tunes while I had kept my bargain by learning his ten (twelve, actually). He didn’t know about that, but say, Mike, I learned them well enough to record them for you last week, didn’t I?
He only recalls for certain that I said he wasn’t good enough, but that’s memory since I never said any such thing. But this time, it’s his idea so maybe we can swing a deal. He also forgets I did play rhythm guitar to his tunes (as well as bass). I did not commit to anything, since I need to see him actually surpass that twelve song barrier he’s had for years. You need twenty to fake a gig; I told him I need to see him do twenty. Nor do I think he’s thoroughly considered the implications of playing slow music on the same stage after my act.
Next, I lined up the week and it will be busy. Monday I go to evening school, Tuesday morning is some recording work with Mike, and Thursday Trent indicates a solid interest in the blues lead work, plus he has a fancy guitar suitable for both playing and learning. Folks, we will be picking, not strumming. Watch close, we will be learning new tricks and the process can be as hilarious as the results. We also made tentative plans to attend Karaoke.
The Frenchies did it again. Disappeared the week before the hot weather arrived. Due to legal delays, I may be spending another dreaded summer in the Florida broiler. I’ve experienced both extremes, 40 below and 100 above. No matter how well insulated, at those temperatures, the walls of the building still radiate the heat or cold on the interior space. I can already feel the summer heat.
