One year ago today: July 29, 2018, the setup, not the business.
Five years ago today: July 29, 2014, gif annual coincidence.
Nine years ago today: July 29, 2010, deportation annual coincidence.
Random years ago today: July 29, 2009, and all for ten bucks.
You know what a tizzy is? It’s a dither, a flap, or a lather. And I’ve got one this morning. You see, I have the complete fixtures to connect one of the fancy sinks. On paper, it looks easy. Three steps to connect the drain, for example. Drill the hole, insert and fasten the tube, connect the water lines. The hesitancy is mine, because the pieces are so damn expensive I’m leery of making a dumb mistake. Are the directions easy due to assuming I know too much? Some of the pieces are plastic—I paid $140 and some pieces are plastic? The picture shows today’s progress, drawing your attention to the new, expensive, and now working GFCI outlets and the better mud job [than I usually manage]. I have to relearn how to do it every time. Yeah, the mud sticks to the wall, but not my memory.
In those days of limited special effects, it’s great to see a real 1977 Mustang (sigh) in perfect condition and they show footage of F-105 Starfighters, the boondoggle of the decade. A piece of crap with delta wings which made the airplane pancake when reduced to landing speed. It’s considered the grand-daddy of all military contractor kickback schemes. If I recall, when Germany finally said to the US, here, take them back, the message got through. Today, the Starfighter is history, but the corruption and pork-barreling carries on. There’re scenes of the helicopters and electronics of the day which are revealing on how little has changed since that time. Converting flashing lights from analog to digital may be an improvement, but it is hardly scientific advancement.
A well-made movie, necessarily more accurate than nostalgic repros of the past. The gas station scene with a pump jockey, clean restrooms, and a hand signal for the queers, that was classic. And subtleties that haven’t changed, like how the tunes on the car radio were the cheapest junk that could be licensed, think “New York, New York”. It’s ironic how many of these alien movies predicted the rise of the millennial class. You know, disconnected creatures whose view of the world is derived from watching black & white reruns at some seedy motel.
I’ve decided to reinforce the countertop, which takes another day for the glue to dry. Rather than a solid piece, it’s a series of splines under the existed top which just clear the space for the drawers. Once more, it is a treat to work with the right tools, though I could use some real training because I obvious solve construction problems with what I have on hand. That may not be optimum.
I’m amused. How much the work these days resembles memories I have of cabinet workshops. And the old adage you can never have enough clamps. Those are the splines just mentioned. When the counter is in place, it should be strong enough to stand on which, I think, should be the standard here. I’ve decided to go for a mock up of the sink and faucet before proceeding. I don’t want to drill any more holes than necessary. Also, when the time comes, this countertop can easily be replaced by a simple slab of marble, probably in half a day. For now, it’s polyurethane.
The bathroom door is becoming a fuss. That’s the one that has to swing open the opposite direction. Problem, it wore into the frame at the part of the house that was the worst for subsidence. I may have to get under the house and replace that worn joist before I get a bathroom door. And if I had more experience, I might have mounted that left-side receptacle somewhere else than where I might have to place the faucet.
Shooting gallery.
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Here is the mockup from start to finish. Wise move, it has already revealed a potential problem. The fixture that matches this sink stands 12” tall, which is 2” above the bottom swing of the planned medicine cabinet. With difficulty, the cabinet can be raised but more likely I’d buy a somewhat smaller cabinet. I sure did like the ones planned, so I’ll play with this a bit to see if I can make the clearances. Will we have running water by tomorrow? Could be. Depends on how much time I spend playing bass. And building laundry decks. I have around half the lumber hauled into place, which was not fun in the rain.
A good day, and as a reward, I read a chapter from the history book, the one I bought at the Olga Mall. Here’s some excerpts from this book. These are spread over two pages in the original, but presented here in the original order as paragraphs.
“Thoughtful Americans saw when the majority of people were sober, hard-working, and intelligent, they expected to work for what they got and respected others who worked and won rewards. But not all citizens were equally fair. Some from the first wanted all the privileges and honors without being willing to do the work that went with them. Many immigrants saw the prosperity in America but did not realize the hard work and performance of duty that won the prosperity.
They came to share in the prosperity without intending to share the work and sacrifice and honesty that made the prosperity possible. They cried very loud for the “rights” of the most privileged citizens, but they had no mind to pay for those rights by doing their duty. A lower standard of honest in government was one result of greater democracy in politics.
Another sad result of democracy was that a less highly trained and efficient class of men filled the public offices. Many voters accepted incompetent officials without objection, believing that “one man is as good as another” even in offices that require much special knowledge.
The book was published in 1933.
ADDENDUM
My music completion index today is 36.615%
The concentration on the new bathroom slows progress everywhere and that includes music. The completion index isn’t the only gauge, but it is my trusted measure of absolute progress. Any tennis players out there? Well, you know once you learn a new winning technique, you can’t unlearn it. You also know people who put in countless hours that never get any better. You know precisely what I mean.
Playing a tune 30 times “with intent” is not some random round number. It’s the result of hard years at the fretboard. The biggest fault is that it can’t determine quality. While after 30 iterations I can play anything, not all of it is up to my personal standards. Allow me to add, I’ve yet to meet a guitarist who can pass this drill, much less write it down and expose it to the world-wide shooting gallery.
So, can I elaborate on what today’s 36.615% means? Sure. I’ve played the chosen tunes a total of 703 times, and that’s played start to finish. Learning the individual parts is a separate and uncharted activity, you do whatever it takes. Only six of the 64 items are finished, another misleading stat. Two of them, “One More Last Chance” and “Calling Baton Rouge” are now powerhouses of my bass playing, where six weeks ago I‘d never heard of them.
[Author’s note: this might be why I am indifferent about Trump but support his work. Both of us are up against an entrenched establishment convinced they can dictate what the people want. Yet they are so collectively off the mark, they stifle innovation and hate anyone who exposes their shortcomings. And their greediness, their sluggishness, and their inability to even try anything new. They’ve sunk so much into being musical clones they don’t want change.]
Another 14 tunes are past the 50% mark, and another 22 are past 25%. And the following tunes I have not touched at all.
Need You Now
Watchtower
Shallow
Another element not on the chart is that once I get a tune musically, I scrape back over the recordings for nuances and grace notes. I am far more, listen closely, influenced by my perception of audience perception, than guitar players. Most of whom are convinced they are mind readers and any body who doesn’t like their song list has poor taste in music. For me, each note of each tune becomes precious and to be played as perfectly-sounding as possible. Even if it means errors.
Example? Listen to the last twenty seconds of “One More Last Chance”, Vince Gill. There’s a strange sound that isn’t the guitar, not a steel guitar, it is a slightly off-note sound at the beginning of every measure. Can you make that sound? I can. It isn’t real bass playing, but it is flashy and makes people look. Girl people. Band people. And I’m a veteran of standing ovations. I’d rather have money, but ovations will do.
