One year ago today: October 10, 2020, Sparkie’s last days.
Five years ago today: October 10, 2016, analog type machine.
Nine years ago today: October 10, 2012, it’s always something.
Random years ago today: October 10, 2013, home-made relay box.
Day of rest, my eye. I was up in the attic twice before dawn and got the fan working again. It wasn’t the fan, but a piece of old wiring downstairs that has given me trouble before. I’d forgotten I tapped into it, thinking the new wiring to the appliance itself was probably not the cause. I’ll reroute that leg to the new subpanel soon. What a difference, the house is now cooler by ten degrees, or at least that much perceived. I have the new hanging birdfeeder inside the cage now in service, but so far the cardinals are ignoring it. You can make it out in this photo, the globe is half full of seed.
Pausing only for some boiled spuds and hard-boiled eggs, this chore was complete in time to move furniture and clear the path for moving the sofa (hide-a-bed) back into the bedroom. This blocks off an access hatch to one of my water supply pipes, so grant me some time here. In a spare moment, I measured the interior of the newly fixed interior of the white shed and there is a spot the china cabinet will fit. You see, it isn’t really a china cabinet but an amoire, a word I have never cared for.
It has taken so far six cups of coffee since noon y’day to mull over my role in this new band. Since I know if I’m ever taken seriously by history, bands and music will dominate some chapters, I tend to write down a lot of the things I’d normally forget. The original ad in Tennessee asked for a bass player who could play “classic country”, and I replied with a form letter. Send me your song list, if I know more than ten of the tunes, I’ll call you back. That’s what happened and I met the rhythm player who died two weeks ago. While it’s a tragic event, each band is different and this one will be complicated. I can tell.
If they propel me into it and I can front half the show, in my opinion that takes the brakes off what I do. These guys do a lot of talking between themselves. That means ease things along. How non-computer are these guys? They have not noticed the lead player runs a permanent ad on-line looking to play lead in a rock band. They all share that same fantasy, but this guy doesn’t stand a chance in that arena. Probably nobody wants to tell him. So, I have 20 days to get into shape. I don’t want another guitarist for reasons, but my taking on a situation like this is, musically speaking, near desperation to get back on stage.
The Southwest Airlines issue is being misreported. The left is saying they are protesting the company vaccine mandate. That’s crediting those employees with far too much sensitivity and intelligence. The fact is, once the company announced the deadline for the jab, thousands of employees knew the date they would be fired for non-compliance. So they are legally cashing in all their banked union hours and vacation time. This is more their speed. Use it or lose it.
Wyoming pronghorn migration.
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I’m nearing the end of “The Paris Detective” and it is a good read. Meaning I will cease comments on the plot. But indirectly, if anybody doubts the police would love to revert to medieval torture methods to extract confessions, you might enjoy the descriptions of “creative law enforcement”. This book also supports my theory that there are no new police methods, only an increase in coercion, entrapment, and harassment all now hidden by routine. It’s the same old strong-arm tactics now computerized. Notice there are few stats on how many suspects lives are ruined after a false “police investigation”?
Over to Winter Haven for some shopping, yessir, groceries have become a big ticket item. My entire month’s budget is gone already, though I did have to stock up on some long-term consumables. Right now there is ten pounds of chicken in the pot, including two quarters with the skin on for the hillbilly’s dogs. Did I mention, I’m losing another good neighbor, the guy who watched my place. He was renting and the landlady, who was living in a mansion across town, desided to downsize. I don’t know her, or maybe I do, but I’m not into elderly widows.
I’ve donated the old scooter to the hillbilly. I’m never going to see it run again on my own and he was mighty pleased to know it is in working order with clear title, etc. I don’t know it will do him much good but yes, he could license it and take it on the road. That’s the scooter, when new, that took me on my first trip to St. Augustine. Thirteen hours on the road, remember that fantastic adventure? I took the coast road averaging 45 mph and loved every mile.
In return, I’ll get the hillbilly to give me a hand moving the bigger pieces of furniture and the china cabinet. Hang on, chicken’s ready. I’ll be right back. I’m inside the smooth airconditioning again, watching a grade-B movie with an unusual plot. It’s a great premise, this lady who emcees a helpful hints show takes a Wyoming vacation, where she uses her skills to solve what at this point appears to be a murder. The acting is pretty bad and these days it’s a stretch to hear that old Indian accent. That’s two generations gone and buried so don’t hand me any Tonto talk.
I was hoping she’d solve the murder by asking people to call in with theories, but instead it’s about her helpful household tips and sidekick who does all the real work. Of course, all the important men in town have asked her out, but I don’t believe small Wyoming towns have all that many well-appointed piano bars, nor that the local sheriff is a jazz aficionado.
More on music. It’s dynamic and changing, you can’t say that about a lot of part-time jobs. The keyboard guy is the figurehead, although it was really the guitar player who died that was the creator of the band. Did I give the band any nicknames yet? Let me think, the keyboard guy looks like the preacher on many old movies, so let’s call him the Parson. See if I remember that. He called and reports a number of things. They are aware of the drummer and his errors, I stay out of it except to point out that on stage, I play things exactly as rehearsed. I foresee the drummer trying to take over by sheer volume and velocity.
The discussion was my vocals and the guitar player’s inability to play rhythm. I’ll work with him if he volunteers and becomes an avid student. I’m the guy who’s put complete beginners on stage in eight weeks, so if a man wants to learn the trade, I’m a seasoned teacher. But I do not babysit, or my fee is so high you don’t want me to babysit. Bookings. They have lost touch of how to do it effectively, but I now have the tacit go-ahead to find venues on my own. However, I will leave each final decision up to the others. I can’t wait around for holidays and special occasions, this band needs mileage now.
ADDENDUM
The radical left Democrats have a nightmare on their hands and his name is Trump. He pulled no punches in Iowa y’day. Biden has made it easy, just stand up and list his failures for the land nine months. He is toast, bearing in mind his party does not rely on any one person, they have his replacement lined up even if it isn’t the Kamel. I watched the rally and there have been some marked changes. The most obvious is there are no more paid agitators. Even far-left media known to inflate the numbers admit Biden’s approval is 31%. Trump called them out on that, asking if there were any Biden supporters in his crowd of 50,000. (With another 1.5 million watching on-line live.)
If there were, they kept their traps shut. The crowds are still not organized but they are definitely heating up. This cannot be much of a nerve tonic to the Democrats, who are increasingly operating from the gloomy atmosphere of DC these days. None of them strays far from their safe zones. It is past the point where they had to do something drastic. I suspect they are now about to do something insanely stupid. Their biggest shitstorm is their propaganda machine was only equipped to deal with political opponents, you know, the hoax/impeach/tax/Russia thing. They are stunned because their enemy is no longer political, but social.
