Buzz is in da house (well, actually Paul’s ’cause that’s where the amp is).

With singing heart, I tell you that after a year long search, I have acquired an electric 12 string. He’s a solid body, glossy black, strung Rickenbacker style, and the action is so light I can play for an hour – bar chords even! – and his name is Buzz.  (The six string is Kehaar (cause it’s a Seagull, bonus points if you get the reference) and the mandolin is Edith).  Buzz sounds AWESOME and I’m very lucky that Craigslist Dude was downsizing his immense guitar collection.  Everything on board is super clean and all the bells and whistles work.

There are enough effects on board that I shouldn’t have to buy any additional gadgets for quite a while.  I followed Jim E’s advice about buying, and played for a while with the practice amp on, and once I had some volume, I got ze shivers.  I didn’t completely get into tune until I got it back to Paul’s so we could practice, and once it was completely tuned up, that was it, it’s love love love all the way down.

I left it at Paul’s ’cause he’s off today so he can mess around with it and I didn’t even let him touch it last night.  Mother’s Day SOUNDS VERY VERY DIFFERENT on an electric 12 string.  OMG.  I suspect I will be writing more tunes.

My transition to folk rocker is occurring!

Last night I dreamed I was at outdoor SF convention and the organizers had strung EVERY KNOWN SPACESHIP MODEL, some two meters long, above the audience at the bandshell.  I woke myself up going, Holy Ship!  where’s my cell phone camera!  and of course I was dreaming.

The TV show House came roaring back from it’s script battiness last night, and I’m very glad to see that.

Anyway, time for a shower and I’m off to work.  Oh, and I got a raise.  Yeah, this week’s turning out okay.

Fuck transparency

Hey, that’s not my feeling on the subject, it’s the Harper Governmentâ„¢’s.

Margot picked up a letter opener on Jeff’s desk in her mouth and then took it to the edge to drop it off to play with it.

She’s very slowly becoming more affectionate with me.  She’s learned to ask me to open the door, and she asks for treats and pets and to be played with (posturally – she doesn’t ‘talk’).  Eddie is also much more affectionate but he skitters away if he thinks I’m going to pick him up.

My dreams were cluttered and weird.

Seeing Katie this afternoon. I suspect I’ll be poorer by the time it’s over. but I only say that for humorous intent.  MSP says she owes them money, and maybe she does.

I sometimes wonder what John would think of these election shenanigans.

Birth and Death

I welcome Kaihan, born March 31, and a sweet little (my god, 9 lbs 5 oz) guy belonging to a coworker of mine.

I mourn the mysterious death of Debbie’s brother; I can’t provide any more details than that, but I really feel for the parents; losing a child is very, very hard.

I was sick yesterday.

Lulu becomes something else

Lulu is a traditional African American tune.  lulu

So now I’m gonna do what white folks do best and STEAL IT.  To write about a different minority (your mileage may vary) member.

I’ll sing of Chang Apana / who inspired Charlie Chan

He once took out his old bullwhip/and arrested 40 men x 2

He had a wife in China / in Honolulu too

But he supported both of them / as the honest thing to do x 2

(alternate verse –

Young wife in Honolulu / China wife was old

But he supported both of them / cause that was how he rolled x 2)

He never learned to read or write / but he was a mighty gent

And the only thing that could take him down / was an auto accident x 2

Houseboy and a cowboy / and a policeman too

I’m telling you there wasn’t much / Apana couldn’t do x 2

His loyalty a legend / and when he came to die

A woman that he once had served / was sitting by his side x 2

Hard and fierce and upright / he feared not work or pain

You know that we will never, ever/see his like again x 2

weekend’s over

Keith left at 1:45 after gaming, waking me up, and I didn’t get back to sleep until 5, which is not particularly helpful on a work night.  I will have to have a talk to him about that.

I have lots and lots of other things to talk about that are making me wildly crabby, but I won’t, because that’s the role of middle aged people in this culture.  We’re supposed to suck it up, carry on, and keep everything running smoothly for everyone else.

Hey hey my my Ai Wei Wei

One of the most brilliant and humane artists of this or any century is Ai Wei Wei.  I recently saw a documentary segment on Frontline about him and both Jeff and I were blown away at how amazing he is.  He’s being set up for a long jail sentence.

The church spring potluck was last night.  It went very well and in the end, as always, there was enuff fud.  I contributed two entrées, set up, clean up, butter, a starch dish and the Tapioca Song and I was exhausted when I got home.  Paul turned up for as much as he could stay for and contributed his best ever quinoa salad and home made bread.