May 20th, 2016

Mayad nga agahon! (“Good Morning” if you were on the island of Panay in the Philippines!!!)

Well, I hope and trust that everyone made it past the 13th ok. It has been an amazing time for me. I have had a number of friends and a relative or two reach out to me upon the occasion of my move. It was so nice to hear their voices. I consider myself an extremely wealthy man from the quantity and caliber of the friends that I have made along the way. Thank you all so much, life is so much more fun with a fine strong net of caring folks spotting for you!

My new nest (i.e old guy work area/writer’s desk/artist studio in left rear cover of the first floor of our house in CV) is coming together. BJ helped me schlep the glass top graphics table into my little space. I have my MAC all unpacked and spewing marginal wordage as we speak, so to speak. My saltwater fishtanks suffered a casualty of idiocy (the idiot cleaning the tank dropped the light in the water – not good for the light but the idiot managed to live to be dumb another day). Anyway, the new lighting is a new technological marvel that mimics oceans during daylight and moonlight..very cool for the old fart nest.

This week I learned some stuff:
• Drywall dust does not breathe well. Just making note to remember to buy those dust mask things before I tackle the garage.
• My friend Heide posted this interesting website on FB this week and I was checking it out and found a great active verb definition for the word “Silence” – The space between thinking and doing. If nothing else, that is a nice thought, doing stuff in that order, I mean – Thinking THEN doing. Many of us have done, then thought and the results frankly have been mixed usually without much silence at all. It seems like a very interesting global meditation site. I am just checking it out: http://www.amplifield.com

Website Update
• New Vocabulary quiz!

Painting Update:
• Got the table in the office. We will see if we can’t get a brush wet or a pencil dull.

Writing Update:
• Still digging out from the move. I am starting back on the final review next week as well

Weird-Stuff-O-Meter:
• Its official, “Unplugged Meatless Monday” has been postponed until next Monday by popular vote.
• People or Machines or Maybe hackers are “replying” on some of my UJT Posts in The Kitchen Drawer on the website!! Some are gibberish, Spanish, German, ED Products, Loans, but some seem almost related…
• I have a new favorite word – Resonance. For most of my life I actually ignored half of this word’s definition and now that I am officially an old fart I am moved by the beauty of its complete meaning. What is really weird is that I ignored different parts of the definition at different times and under different circumstances. Resonance is the the sound of being deep, full and reverberating AND it is the reenforcement of or elongation of sound by reflection by a surface or by the synchronous vibration of a neighboring object. A word that describes the beauty of a single sound and also how it is amplified, enriched as it is shared and becomes the sound of many. Hmm that entire meaning sounds like some of the teamwork I have enjoyed being part of in my salty past. Oh baby, we in some deep do do now 🙂
• Have you ever found yourself doing something that you have always done the same way for so long that its just automatic and to do it differently would seem unnatural. This week I was having English Muffin with my daughter Jess. I was on like automatic pilot, I took the toasted muffin, spread some butter on it and then put some Peanut butter on top.. and Jess said, “I love Peanut Butter on these but I never put butter on them too.” I looked at her like she was crazy!! I couldn’t contemplate them without the butter. I remembered that doing muffins this was one of Grandma Margaret special tricks that she used to make everything she cooked be a little special for us. I just came to think of it as the only way:) Well, I have also just done Strawberry Jam too but I have to have butter with that application too. Thanks Grandma …sorry Jess 🙂

Music Update:
This weeks musical selection has been enriched by my friends once again!! My old friend George, brought me something crazy special this week! First, he found YouTube video of a ‘78 or ’79 session in NYC that he played on with Richard T Bear and Johnnie Bolin. There are some cool shots of George playing Tommy’s Bolin’s Alvarez “Destroyer” with his hair all long and all. The sound quality ain’t great and I am sure that the camera person is much better now but it wonderful to see this capture of some great music by some very talented players. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsbsuE38Hf8

Another musical gift that George shared with me was introducing me to a truly great player that I had never heard of even though Carl Verheyen has been around the music business for over 40 years! He is just astounding in his virtuosity and the diversity of genres that he has mastered as a guitarist. I have included some of his songs this week but check out his website: http://www.carlverheyen.com/home/

My friend, Joe, checked in with some musical desert for this weeks selection! Joe told me about a new Venice album of song covers that just came out this week! Its called, “Brunch Buffet” and I will feature some samples from that serving line as well. It looks like we will also be heading up to Poway to do another Backyard Concert to hear Venice do it in person on the 18th of next month too. Anyway, there is some very special music for you all this week:

• Carl Verheyen Band – Floydian Slip — This is a tasty instrumental tidbit from their “Garage Sale” album.
• Venice – Keep on Tryin’ — Poco stole our harmony loving hearts even with Pure Prairie League, Seals and Crofts, Beach Boys and the others all doing their harmony things. Venice maybe the only band standing, who could cover a Poco tune without cracking.
• Carl Verheyen Band – My Back Pages — Another elder classic covered by a great band. Just listen to what Carl and the band do with this brilliant Dylan reprise and then you get past the intro into the sweetness of Carl’s voice.
• Venice – Looking For a Lady — The boys covered one of my very favorite Dan Fogelberg songs and they do it so well.
• James Taylor – Sweet Baby James – From the Vinyl!!! This one came up this week on the rotation and greeted me like an old friend. I have sung this song at so many different stages of my “adult” life – young fool, a serious and strong young man, new parent, middle aged world traveler and now finally old fool; And it still makes me smile.
• The Byrds – From a Distance — Most of you know that while I may be spiritual, I would not be considered religious but my roots in music include singing in choirs and believing the Christian songs that I once sung so sweetly as a young boy. Well, this Julie Gold song is at the edge of that genre but I think it is special enough to share here. Roger’s 12string is a good match to this tune.
• Tim Flannery – All the Things We Carry — This song seems like explaining obvious things that we forget from time to time and that are always good to hear.
• Carl Verheyen Band – Come Down Tonight — On top of being just an amazing piece of music, this song describes how friendship feels to me. I always feel invited and welcomed. Thank you all for that! This song just seemed like the right one to send you all off into your weekend.

That’s it… Do the best you can; Laugh every chance you get; And always remember … The best is yet to come!

As always, thank you for being my friend!

James