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Post by AlanC on Mar 5, 2024 12:39:25 GMT -5
I would bet that Don is busy helping someone somehow, and Doug is finding a way to stir the pot. Don was just too, too nice and made me feel like I was an uncaring oblivion. Doug will always be remembered by me for "Daddy was a deep sea diver" in the back room of the Ozone. There were some locals who were playing cards and one of them was so put out by the song that I thought he was going to go up there several times.
Both were unique and I was glad to have met them both.
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Post by AlanC on Feb 14, 2024 12:48:37 GMT -5
Might be time for a short update. I drop in most every day and peruse the highlights but don't feel inspired to add my $0.02.
Busy this AM. Our shower decided to start leaking and pouring water. I was able to get the faucet from behind the shower without too much damage and hope I can get the replacement in and shower stall patched without too much trouble.
Tomorrow will be the inaugural practice for the band that I have decided to start. The core will be the bass player and drummer for the band I was in with Jerry before his stroke. I have added two more friends: one for guitar and one for guitar, harmonica, keyboards, & drums if needed.
It will be a lot different from the previous band as it's focus was Jerry's guitar. This one will be vocal driven with lots of ballads and songs that I like and that think I can sing OK. I've never been in one that was under my control so we will see how it goes.
The setlists will have a good dose of classic country; a small selection of classic rock and really oldies from the '60s; a lot of modern country from Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Whiskey Meyers, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Cody Jinks, etc.
I have started adding a few more R&B tunes from Amos Lee, Ray Montagne (sp?), Lukas Nelson. I don't know how those will work but if the redhead likes them, it will probably be OK.
Anyway, gotta get to work, already late.
later
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Post by AlanC on Feb 14, 2024 12:31:53 GMT -5
Happy birthday, Joy. You are very aptly named as the world is a much better place with a beautiful soul like you in it. (Mark's OK too)
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Post by AlanC on Oct 8, 2023 11:55:39 GMT -5
What if, just for a while, we could go inside ourselves and imagine a world that was free of hatred and prejudice and revenge and war. Hold that vision in your mind for a while and imagine how good that would feel. It might seem so impossible and so pie-in-the-sky that it wouldn't be even worth the few minutes it would take up in your busy life.
But I don't believe it's a waste of time. I believe it's closer than we think and not only that; it's inevitable. We are not going to destroy ourselves. The collective consciousness of humanity is growing weary of war and conflict. When the tipping point is reached, it will happen.
We CAN recognize the spark of divinity in each other and let all the other stuff go. It's going to happen. We got this.
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Post by AlanC on Oct 5, 2023 8:19:27 GMT -5
The saying used to be "we need cheap labor." Now we just need labor. We have aged ourselves out of any reasonable hope to operate and produce what needs to be operated and produced. I work every day with folks who can barely speak English. I'm astounded at how they outwork me. Mexican immigrants operate every egg packing plant in the county, do most of the roofing and drywall, all the masonry work. We're only a town of 15,000 but the apartments and subdivisions I deliver mail to are almost exclusively Indian (the halls smell wonderfully of curry). Meanwhile the white American population is busting the seams of the retirement and nursing homes. They're all jammed to capacity and building more barns to store the old and in the way. 50 years of recreational sex and no reproduction is coming home to roost. We not only don't have a generation of producers, thinkers, and workers, we have a population ruled by the mental derangement caused by sex as mere recreation. I am probably deranged but I'm not trying to rule anyone. Attachments:
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Post by AlanC on Sept 28, 2023 8:24:39 GMT -5
I have not been in that position and I don't have that real decision facing me. That said, my opinion as to what I would do if faced with those options is as follows: I would not have the surgery. There are many downsides to having someone cut on you (hospitals, insurance, co-pays, recovery, pain, being immobilized for a period of time, blah, blah, blah) all for a projected 10% increase (possibly a WAG). It doesn't seem like much of an upside. My $0.02.
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Post by AlanC on Sept 24, 2023 5:37:04 GMT -5
Back in '05, during the lull as the eye of Katrina passed over us, the neighbors gathered in the street to check on each other. There was a seagull in our street oddly exhibiting their normal behavior of following the ebb and flow of the waves going up and and then back down the beach. In this case the occasional wind gust was blowing a puddle on the road and he was running ahead of the edge of water as it went one way and then turning around and chasing it back to the main puddle as the water receded when the gust settled down. In this case he was running to and fro for a few feet instead of the usual 20 or 30. As the wind changes direction after the eye, he was probably blown right back home in case you were worried about him.
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Post by AlanC on Sept 11, 2023 13:21:36 GMT -5
I finally got home after 1 AM thanks to American Airlines inability to keep a schedule even if it's not raining or snowing. They caused me to miss connections both coming and going because.... well I don't know why as they weren't weather or mechanical issues. Doesn't matter. I made it home with my guitar but I haven't opened up the soft case to check yet. I had a good time and enjoyed connecting with everyone again. Kinda busy today so I can't ruminate now. Laters
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Post by AlanC on Sept 1, 2023 12:46:10 GMT -5
I had to switch flights so I will be arriving at CID around 12:30 or so Thursday. Rather than read 8 pages (I am still at work) to find it, where & what was happening on Thursday afternoon? I need to call the CS and get me a room one of these days but have been procrastinating. I hope to pack light with a guitar and a backpack. Any early semi-reliable weather forecasts? I don't want to over or under dress as I get cold easily these days.
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Post by AlanC on Sept 1, 2023 10:56:44 GMT -5
I couldn't wait to get my Medicare and my cataract surgery to shed the glasses I have been burdened with since I was 9 or 10. My only regret is not getting the mono vision like I had with my contacts. I couldn't find anyone who had gotten the eyes done one for far and one for near so I went with both for distance. Now I have a hundred pair of 1.5 or 2.0 "cheaters" that I can never find scattered all over. I had to pay extra for it to be done with the new fancy automated laser. Cake, don't worry about it.
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Post by AlanC on Aug 28, 2023 8:10:25 GMT -5
A more careful reading of the missive before sending might have avoided the confusion, but then it wouldn't have been me... or something. Anyway, I will be flying with the only guitar I play these days: My Dad's notch head Fender box (that came with a heavy, hard vinyl covered case lined inside with bright yellow fake fur which I still use) that my mother bought him in 1971 or 72 for $150. The hard case is a beast so I will be flying with a soft one and a carryon. I didn't want to check a bag and space is limited so although I would like to bring the harmonizer, It requires two guitar cords and two mic cords and I didn't want to lug around a bag full of cables.
This is probably the first song I played with it and when I heard those harmonies move, I was hooked. I was slightly off pitch and had a bad timing hiccup but, focusing on the harmonizer, it did a great job.
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Post by AlanC on Aug 27, 2023 9:14:19 GMT -5
With a week to go, I guess I should ask if anyone wants me to bring anything special? I'll stop by Millstream and pick up some oddities from their brewing (now in cans instead of bottles). Maybe a few snacks from the Amana stores. Are there any special requests? Guitars someone wants to try out? Music gear (Mics, etc.)? Speak up now or it may not happen! I was thinking of bringing my TC Helicon Harmonizer. It needs an extra guitar & mic cable to be used. Space is limited as I am flying so I would need a little help there.
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Post by AlanC on Aug 11, 2023 12:18:08 GMT -5
Indeed, there is a fridge. I stored my beverages there on Saturday night, so they were still cold when I got back to the Cobblestone. And Russell, I don't think the Merc would be considered a public space? It's a private venue, and not technically open to the public on Friday night (although who would we turn away? Maybe the young woman who was very interested in talking to Bill last year - but I think we'd let her hang around as long as she wanted, too).
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Post by AlanC on Aug 9, 2023 8:14:49 GMT -5
I wasn’t referring to particular songs, just the overall sound and feel. Coach, I play very little of what I did with Jerry. I would joke that he was the talent and I was the eye candy. I would characterize that stuff as Americana with some classic rock thrown in. After his strokes, I didn't play anything for over 10 years. In 2019 we were parked in an Orlando area RV park and they had a fire pit where a guy brought his 12 string out and played a few. I picked it up, strummed a couple of chords, then gave it back. Later I found my dad's old Fender box that my mother bought him in 1971 or so under a bed in a spare room at my daughter's house. I brought it to the 5th wheel and started strumming around. I received some encouragement from some of the locals so I started playing again but without Jerry I stopped trying to flat pick or do anything but basic rhythm and focused on just singing. Now I just play what moves me and try to sing them as best I can. I have a pretty eclectic batch from 60s, a few classic rock types that don't require a lead break, mostly country. There is (IMHO) some pretty good country that they loosely call "Red Dirt Country"- coming out of Texas, of course: Cody Johnson, Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen (my latest infatuation), and others that I have mixed with the older country stuff. If someone doesn't like Country, they probably will not care for it but I can only do what I can do and I don't even try to play lead or fingerstyle anymore. I don't need the frustration . Looking forward to it. Love & Light, ya'll.
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Post by AlanC on Aug 7, 2023 12:08:33 GMT -5
He like moves his fingers around and stuff. I struggle with a walk down from G to Em.
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Post by AlanC on Aug 7, 2023 9:10:17 GMT -5
Wow! I guess it has been a while. Not only did I not remember having any DVR songs to "brush up", I didn't even know who he was. I went to YT to refresh myself in an attempt to regain those memories, but they didn't return. After listening to a few, I couldn't envision this version of myself doing any of them, so, sorry coach, probably not going to happen. I have a couple of Van Morrisons- best I can do. Peace.
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Post by AlanC on Aug 5, 2023 6:37:21 GMT -5
I am positively serene, my friend, and looking forward to seeing you in about a month.
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Post by AlanC on Aug 4, 2023 8:28:47 GMT -5
We have a tendency to over complicate things.
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Post by AlanC on Jul 20, 2023 14:38:41 GMT -5
Yeah. Bad on my part. The hiking trip was planned and booked last November. So long ago I lost track. . IJ without Mr. Alphabet, well dang.
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Post by AlanC on Jul 17, 2023 11:17:39 GMT -5
I will land at CID at 1600 hours, 09/07/23. I will probably secure lodgings at the Cobblestone until 09/10/23 at which time I will depart. Laters, I'm sorry I won't be there for many reasons. One is not getting to see my old friend Alan again. Yeah, that would have been fun. I have all sorts of music to play and all sorts of esoteric horseshit to blather.
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