Category: Music

One thing and another

I didn’t get as much done yesterday as I wanted to.  I did hear a piece of news that is still percolating through my system and making me very twitchy and uncomfortable, but it’s not something you go blabbing about if you want to stay friends.

I finally have a decent kitchen compost bucket; I’ve had my eye on it for a while and finally got over to Lee Valley (also bought Katie a decent kitchen knife, since as seems to be habitual in our family she didn’t have a decent one).   I also have a three instrument stand, which is good because I’ll finally be able to SEE all my instruments at once, and I got strings for the Octo.

A great blue heron just flew past my back door.  Due to habitat destruction in the lower mainland they are now nesting all over Burnaby around the lakes.  They used to have a huge rookery in Ladner but the farmer sold the land and all the trees were chopped down.  I’m seeing herons practically every day now.

Batch of biscotti is in the fridge preparatory to the first bake.  I owe Peggy big time so I will show up her place next with treetz.

I had dim sum with Katiekinder yesterday and I’m having something yummy with Sue today, as it’s been an age since I took her out for lunch.  I’m headed down to her place around noon.

After that I’m headed over to Paul’s place for some practicing.  This time we’re drawing up the set list FIRST.  The last session was incredibly frustrating, because the two of us just noodled like idiots.  When Cindy and I were practicing – and I wish that darlin’ woman would return my phone call, except I have a feeling that one of her kids has that phone – we had a set list and we worked the damned thing and even then we weren’t nearly rehearsed enough at the day.

So it’s on my list of things to do.  A Canonical Set List for Paul and Allegra.

I had a dreadful nights’ sleep, but I’m smoothly applying coffee.

I have written out The Wreck of the Margarita.  Also changed the words around.

Lists of lists

Yesterday:

Heaps of Stargate Atlantis, but also talking to the outplacementthingy and the HR gal at Schneider as it turns out I had NOT actually signed everything I was s’posed to, booking appointments, paying bills, getting programs to run properly with the new OS, hanging out with Keith and calling my mother.  Cause you cain’t call yer mother enuf.  I did not actually leave the house yesterday.  But I made cookies.  And cooked chicken and zucchini with black bean sauce over yakisoba noodles (Keith provided the sauce and noodles, I believe to nudge me to make something) and we had leftovers so that’s one less thing to disturb me today.

Today:

Gotta get Buzz set up properly and restrung.  Also buy more instrument stands, hopefully one of those threeway bluegrass ones for three different sized instruments.  Also I am tired of my tuner; I am going to get contact tuners because balancing that black box in my lap while trying to keep fretted instruments from sounding like the wailing of the damned is TOO DAMNED MUCH.  See how low my frustration tolerance is these days?  Ha.

The Grass.  This is exactly the kind of weather that makes grass tall, lush, and impossible to cut.  Lots of overcast and rain off and on with the occasional blinding sunshine.  Very, very occasional.  If it dries out the least bit I gotta do it before it attempts to eat east Burnaby.

Checking with Kathleen that we’ve paid the church rent and figuring out how much it is (it changes from month to month) if we haven’t yet for May. Also getting hold of Lady Miss D for an interview about what it’s like to bake / construct hors d’oevres for a living.  I will probably bake biscotti, it’s such a crappy day, heating up the kitchen with nice smells seems like a plan. I already made Granny’s recipe oatmeal cookies mit chocolate chips this morning for Jeff (I can’t eat them because le migraine keeps whacking me.  I’ve had scintillating scotoma every day for a week now… it’s fraking tiresome although late last week I got visuals I’ve never seen before; imagine rainbow coloured fish scales about two inches across at arms length dancing across your ENTIRE visual field – and it disappeared as fast as it came on thank goodness). I’ve also loaded the dishwasher, taken out the trash and played with Margot, who did not actually come in and cuddle this morning, darn. Her eyes are much less disgusting, the allergies must be lightening up somewhat.

Completely dejunking my head, a la Getting things Done.  I have a program (Thinking Rock) that helps with that.  Considering how many balls I’m going to have in the air for the next little while I need to marshall my time intelligently.

Deal with the exercise issue.  I’m completely on board with Lady Miss Banjola’s recent extremely useful and heartfelt rant about weight loss; what I am not on board with is actually stirring my stumps and getting enough exercise to overcome the fact that my weight is stressing my whole body.  IT AIN’T THE MASS IT’S THE MOTION.  Ahem. As in, the lack of it.

Booking the camping trip in the US in August.  Planning a circuit of the Island.  I have a strong urge to drive onto a ferry and go to Haida Gwaii, and precious little to stop me.

Just last week I was saying how I wasn’t going to go to Jericho any more because it’s so far on a school night.  Now I’m thinking I can do it every week for the whole summer!  Woot! So that may be my evening.

And soon the Dandy Warhols.

I have had precisely four beers since I ‘quit drinking’. What I have learned.  Alcohol makes me happy for about five minutes.  Then it irritates my bladder, fogs my thinking, prevents me from driving or leaving the house, screws up my nights’ sleep, makes my stomach hurt and gives me a mild to moderate feeling of wretched blankness the next morning which coffee can usually shake off.  So for the purposes of keeping tracking June 4 is now my official quit drinking date.  Unless it would be rude not to (a wake, toasting the bride and groom) I’m not going to consume alcohol any more.  Nothing bad has happened in its absence except I’m spending a sizable amount less (like, 200 dollars a month, which is not an inconsiderable amount).

 

So I decided to write a song about drinking tequila on Wreck Beach

Which is something I’ve done once and likely won’t do again.

It’s very Tijuana Brass-sounding.  I heart me the Tijuana Brass.

2020 says this is racist, trust me

If you’re drinking margaritas

you’re going to need tequila

and if you have tequila you’ve got tequila

you’re headed for some fun

but the one thing that you need

beside the gold tequila

is to feel the warm embrace

of the rays of the brilliant sun

 

And of course you know you will need some ice

and of course you know you will need some lime

frugal at twice the price

with a buzz that is most sublime

As you hear bask in the sighing breeze

and watch gaze as where the eagles soar

margaritas on Wreck Beach

your troubles are no more.

and from life you ask NOTHING MORE

 

SO 2020 says that this song went through some changes and I wrote a lovely tune with an instrumental break.

 

Evening at the Heritage

Mike, Rozo, Jeff, Katie and I consumed bevvies (I had one Carlsberg and you may all laugh, I feel quite hungover) and ate nommies and listed to live music last night at the Heritage.  Who’d’a thunk we’d actually gerroff our asses and go out someplace?

Also yesterday Katie K called me up having read my facebutt post on my unemployment.  People are being very civil to me about it and I’m finding it quite heartwarming.  We had a lovely long chat and how good to hear her voice.

Today I’m going to make more lists, practice my mandolin. watch some Stargate Atlantis episodes, drink coffee, commune with my cat by waving long stalks of grass in front of her face and commiserate with my daughter about how the first day of her 11 days off is such a sucky day, as we have “BEACH” on our list of things to do and the weather is uncooperative.  Also, trip to the Island at some point.  Also, shopping trip to the US possibly. (I don’t actually intend to buy anything but I can always provide the wheels.)

Christ, gas prices.

Upgraded the MacBook’s OS to Snow Leopard yesterday.  It was lengthy, but painless.  This will hopefully stop all of my various programs from saying I’m running an outdated version of things.  I can’t tell any difference but I suppose that’s the point.  Everything seems to be working okay.  I have to say I have been completely underwhelmed by the attitude of the MacStation employees when you walk into that store on Brighton…. their cold dead eyes, their complete lack of enthusiasm to see you.  Impressive tattoos, though.

I have a deep deep hankering for doubles today from D Roti Shak.  I will get some, but I think I’m also going to learn how.  It’s a fried bread chickpea sandwich, how hard could it be?

I also have a deep hankering for more cinnamon buns, so I suppose after the dishwasher quits swishing and clanking I should fire up the breadmaker.

Jeff enjoyed my foray into chocolate chip cookies, but my brain is not enjoying chocolate at the moment so the next cookies will be Granny’s oatmeal cookies so we can both have something to enjoy.  I am thinking of making them as refrigerator cookies so as to avoid having to cook a whole batch at once.

I introduced Miss Margot to Miss Kira yesterday morning. Margot came out to the front porch with me so I scooped her up and tossed her in the car.  She attempted to jump up on the extremely slippery dash, with comic results, and then settled into the passenger’s side footwell with nary a cry nor peep.  Kira was mewing like crazy as I came up to the door but it died in her throat when she saw Miss Margot, who dashed for the cat tree and then the entertainment system as likely places to hide.  I fed Kira and when I called Margot she came out from the entertainment center (working her way through a bunch of loose wires, which looked pretty funny) and I picked her up and took her to Kira who sniffed at her thoughtfully but didn’t fluff her tail or make any noise.  Margot growled like a watch ticking, so faint if I hadn’t been holding her I wouldn’t have noticed.  Then I stuffed her back in the car, she got back in the footwell, and seemed very relieved to be at home when next I popped the door open.  I find it interesting that she cries if she’s transported in a carrier, but not if she’s just in the car.

A good memory but inconsistent

Had to call Jeff at home to tell him to turn the coffee off……

More practicing.  Maybe I should just make that my morning thing for a couple of hours, I’ll be an expert in no time.  Sure … I … will.

Sent an email to a coworker that included the sig line “IN SPACE NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM THIS IS SPARTA” in response to him misspelling Spartanburg SC in a customer case.

Sigh.

Busy weekend

Helping Jerome with concrete this afternoon – hope to run into some friends as well.

Sucked it up and bought car insurance.  I am putting together a list of work on the car to justify my asking price. Paul also helped by sending me a nice pic of Ziva.

Put together a care package for Katie for her move (envelopes, stamps, etc.)  She’s been going nuts buying stuff. Dropped her off at work.  Happy sigh.

Tomorrow church AGM and for supper off to the John B to suck back some Shirley Temples (yes, I’m still not drinking) and pub grub and watch ….. the BLUUUUUUUUUUE MEEEEEEEEEEENIES.  Because I loves them, and Mike and Rozo may come, and Jeff said he’d go too.

I cleaned about half of the kitchen and once I make that list and update the craigslist ad, I’m going to go back to doing that.

I can haz new.used guitar

His name is Smoky, and he’s an electric-acoustic cutaway with a built in tuner, made by Seagull.  I put desperately needed new strings on him, and he sounds lovely.  Got him for approximately half price, and there’s not a mark or fretwear on him.

Also, I solved an extremely irksome problem in Finale Songwriter this morning, so now I can continue working on writing tunes down.

The office move went well.  The only thing that got lost from my desk was a trash can and one of my stalwart coworkers bagged me one.  I thought I had a shitty deal in terms of location, but the proof of the seating plan is in the actual results, and in this case I declare myself pleased, and I’m glad they put the cacklers close together, because G. and I both cackle when we laugh.  Also, who the hell’s idea was it to leave our fax number on the floor above?  GawDAMM.

Jerome dropped by yesterday, and how awesome to see him!  Shannon’s expecting again, and of course my family can never be too big.  He was describing how Braden plays with the harmonica I gave him, which of course nearly made my heart ‘splode with joy.

Time to go put some more laundry away.  I can hear Jeff blasting shit in Skyrim.  Herewith Dara Korra’ti’s lovely song, Fuck You Skyrim.

 

 

 

As of yesterday, the story, homily and song are under Homilies to the left.

I can certainly describe the golden moments.

Dennis walking straight up to the hanging mOm made and examining it. The hanging was perfect, and what made me happy was figuring out IN ADVANCE how I was going to affix it to the podium without damaging anything.

The hanging did excite comment.  It ought to, it’s gorgeous.

Working with Rowan on sound and with Sally on aesthetics (I bought creamy orange tulips, which went magnificently with the hanging and which Sally took home after the service).

Rehearsing with Tom and Peggy and Sue.  Happy sigh.

Delivering the children’s story.  It was a little more challenging than normal but every child stayed attentive, which made me happy.

Cleaning up the trash off the front lawn of the church before the service.

MIKE AND ROZO came.  They liked it! First time either of them had been to church for Easter since their teens.

Jason helping with a service for the first time.

Marge and Jim joining us at church for the first time in ages.

Ralph hugging me and telling me it was a barn burner of a service.  Ralph is 95 and I cherish a word of praise from him most highly.

Dennis, eyes watering, embracing me after the service and being almost speechless, which is going some for Dennis.

Finding out Anita will be home from hospital by now.

Performing the song.  Man, I keep forgetting how much I enJOY singing with those folks.  I wish I could do it all day every day.  Honestly.

 

Homily all done

Now all that remains is for me to:

Take down the quilted hanging mOm made for Katie (it was either that or the labyrinth, which in some respects works better but colour wise works worse) to put on the podium.

Print out children’s story and homily,

Practice the song through a couple more times with Tom and Peggy once we get to church; Rowan already knows about the sound requirements as I remembered just before I lost consciousness last night to email him.  He has already emailed me back letting me know he’s hep.  Which he has to be, being a professional accordion player and all, not just Beacon’s sound guy.

Kill a few more trees and print out the music for anybody who wants it.

Get myself ritually clean (ha ha jk)

Pick out my Sabbath garment (something of suitable size and robustness for an occasion of this nature)

Get there about an hour early to do a nice leisurely shop for yummy treats and flowers for the service as I kinda want to splash out a bit.  After all there’s a good chance Mike and Rozo are coming (let’s just say that my enjoyment of the occasion will not be destroyed if they don’t come.)

After it’s all over I’m going to go visit some Beacon elders, or possibly just one elder, in hospital.  She fell and broke some ribs, poor doll; I phoned her spouse last night and commiserated with him briefly and found out that her loss is my gain; since she’s in the hospital right across the street from the church and her hubby, who would not otherwise have come to church if she’d been released already, will be at church tomorrow.  And I really shouldn’t have put it that way, but I enjoy preaching when they are there since they do appreciate my work.  Healing thoughts and energy your way, folks.  The other elder is waiting for transfer to a care facility, and is apparently a very hard case to go visit because she’s claiming to be imprisoned against her will, part of the whole ‘being unclear on your current role in life’s rich pageant’ gig that is part of being frail and demented elderly.  Dunno if I’m going to have the chops for that, but I can at least plan.

I didn’t visit her.

After that’s all done, come home for the very last SG1 (barring the movies) and hopefully something yummy for Easter Dinner.  I’ll be checking out what Thrifty’s has on offer for that score. I’m thinking roast beast, maybe something over the top like prime rib.  Or maybe one of those stuffed turkey breasts suitable for a small number of diners.  Or maybe I’ll just say screw it and take Jeff out for dinner.  He has fallen host to the Skyrim virus.

Speaking of which… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALbQQzePzt4&list=UUXoIFuHdVHm-Zp9umA2seRQ&index=1&feature=plcp

One of the best fan videos EVER and it’s mercifully short with great production values.

___________

Katie was here briefly last night and went out again (to see a movie with friends).  I didn’t enquire and she did not volunteer.