kidney stones

Hi to you all.

I've been waylaid by a stone or two for the past few days. I have hardly left the house in more than a week. Quite painful and distracting. Hurts to even play my guitar. The pain isn't constant but often enough that keeps me from making plans as I never know when the more severe pain will hit. I've been researching diets again, but there seems to be almost no agreement between researchers. The worst part is trying out different diets because no one seems to know how long it takes to form a stone. Forming over possibly days, months or even years, makes it impossible to know what or what not to eat as without any time frame,and making researching even my own condition, impractical. Everyone does agree that drinking lots of water helps dilute the urine and in the case of existing stones, helps push them through. So I am pounding down the H2O.

So, I'm keeping up with the general news on several sites and reading as I can. An acquittance of mine just found out his cancer has returned. I'm presently research statistics on cancer returning and prognosis. Wow I'm finding myself having a strong emotion reaction to this news. I suppose I have been kind of repressing the thought that this could happen to me.

Well, storms and tornado warnings are heading this way and I better take out the puppies before it hits.

coolest product ever ...Audioengine AW1

I previously used a Linksys Music Bridge to get music from my computer to my stereo wirelessly. Well they never upgraded the firmware/software and finally I could not get the software to function on Win7. After an exhaustive search for a device that would just send the sound from my computer to my stereo without building another computer, or spending over $300 for a solution, this week I received my Audioengine AW1. Only $100 and no software to install. A transceiver and receiver operating on the 2.4 ghz band send the signal at (mp3) 340 bitrate. So it does not use your wireless router. The transceiver connects through usb, so it will work with any computer and any OS, as well as an iPod. The receiver end plugs into a AC power plug then a 1/4 mini jack into a RCA jacks into the amplifier or even into powered speakers. The devices are about 2" x 1.5."

Set up is, plug in the transceiver (tiny sound card built-in) to the computer usb port. Then plug in the receiver into a wall jack and the RCA jacks into the amplifier.  That's it.

It is the cheapest wireless solution I could find and it sounds great.

http://audioengineusa.com/Store/Audioengine-W1;jsessionid=5sQZMQLTGjW8PV4LpsQbn2LJDkp4kCzJdyHQSJ67H9QLrQyWq7rXW0cLGvjSRvSpJsvn1LQGQzhkCj6Cv4zd9HbCCTWGphdF1CPTtCvfYQ3rhlGz8pgMdqLzYvfCnLh8!-226019192

I'm getting some kind of bug

It started Saturday night with a headache and by Monday joint pain, tired and listless, today all that and a sore throat. It's been a long time since I felt sick. Whatever "crud" is going around, I got it.

Got the Elon and Charlotte photos edited and uploaded. I felt the Elon photos were too poor to post on the PGroove site. Device for transmitting music from computer to stereo should be here today. Must stagger to grocery store too.


<<< I'm here in here

another great weekend

Played on the Birdsnest front porch again on Saturday about noon, when it had warmed some outside. Not much foot traffic but I had a good time. I like performing and singing. Took the Yamaha this time and it is just a great guitar. Rusty and Billy were supposed to play but neither showed, so I played for about 90 minutes. Tooks the puppies for a long walk then got ready to head to Charlotte for the PGroove show.

It was an excellent show and the band played a lot of the older songs. The band didn't get started until 11:30pm and I stayed until the end and returned home around 2:30am. Happy as I could be.

While I was running around taking (297) photos, a young lady stopped me to express how much she had enjoyed my playing on Monday night. Not a quick enjoyed the music but she was quite emphatic and went on and on. She even said she took a picture of me playing. I had thought about skipping the next Monday but changed my mind and plan to go tomorrow night. I shall pick out 4 or 5 faster tunes, more geared towards audience and venue.

Posted the Elon pics and am presently working on the Neighborhood Theater show photos.

Monday, play at the Comet, Wednesday, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals at the Visualite, Thursday, PGroove in Asheville, and Saturday back at the Birdsnest for the open mic.

I am watching the foilage reports to find the right day to make a trip up NC 181 to Linville Gorge and the the Blue Ridge Parkway past Grandfather Mt. and on into Blowing Rock and back down NC 321. Right now it looks like early next week.

late night drive

Managed to make it to Elon for the PGroove show at the Fat Frogg last night. Once again the GPS give interesting information but not such great directions. Good show and lots of friends there. Lighting was awful and I only took a few pictures. Haven't downloaded them yet.

Got home around 2am during the storm but missed the worst of it. Drank so much coffee that I was up until 4am and awakened around 6:30 from weird and vivid dreams. Back to bed around 10am and up at 1pm.

Still downloading:

Obsession x availabilty x time = 199GB of music files.   23,551 Files, 1,544 Folders.

Now how to get them to play on my stereo as the Linksys Music Bridge refuses to work on OS7.

last few minutes of rest before ...

I drove down to Dilworth last night to join in the open mic night at the Comet Grill. Jason invited me and his band (Noises 10) did most of the playing. The played lots of fun covers. Jason is very good. Unfortunately for me, there wasn't enough light on the stage to read my music and the more anxious I felt, the worse my memory became. Self rated: D. I plan to play only upbeat and faster songs. Oh and take a light, lol. While I was there waiting I realized most of my favorite songs to play are slow and low key. Plugged in and stood to play during my practice time today and worked on faster bar songs. Thinking of Dylan's "Everybody Must Get Stoned."

I'll play the slower stuff at Summit Coffee in their open mic nights and at the Birdsnest. Several people stopped to compliment me on my playing last night. Which was nice.

Tomorrow night, PGroove in Elon, Friday, Grace Potter in Asheville, PGroove, Saturday in Charlotte.

great weekend

I'm glad to see the numbers of visitors here growing. I like sharing with the world.

Wonderful weekend.

Friday, lunch in Charlotte with Shelly.

Saturday

Breakfast with brother Eric and his new friend. She seems nice enough. We walked over to the Davidson College campus and listened to Billy and his band, Then home to play with the dogs. Around 1pm we head over to the Birdsnest to play at the open mic on the porch on Main Street. I played for an hour and a half, then Billy came down and played a few songs on my Yairi DYC-40.  A five year old made a request, for Dylan's "Knocking on Heaven's Door." Watched the Georgia game. Went to dinner with friends and hung afterwards with Billy (a different one) and Leslie. New strings for the Yairi before bed.

Sunday

Slept well and up early. Drove to Waxhaw to see my old friend Mike. A couple of weeks ago I felt that I should go down and see him, no idea why. We only had a few minutes as his wife wanted to go for a motorcycle ride. We agreed to try again in a couple of weeks.

Home to start house cleaning. My help was showing up at 4:30 and there were a few cleaning projects I had wanted to get done and of course, the pre-cleaning. Took the puppies for a walk. It was the best walk we've had. Skye was really a trooper and Russell was very obedient while off lease. We walked to and around campus. Can't believe I got up early, drove an hour, each way to see Mike,  made lunch and played with puppies, even brushing them, cleaning obsessively for 3 hours and then an hour walk with the puppies.

My house is so CLEAN!

Feeling so much better. Passing kidneys stones and experiencing such pain is very draining. Next week, I get my bridge repaired and a crown and the bill would be enough for a Gibson Dove guitar. Yes, the one I drooled over a few weeks ago. Maybe my dentist will buy the guitar, he can now afford it, lol. Unemployment office wants $2,300 back due to their accounting error. I appealed their decision and am waiting for their answer. After that first letter I received four more letter from the ESC. Two awarding me further umemployment and two more denying me employment. I had not applied. Boy are they raising the bar on incompetence.

Nobody came with a camera to shoot me so no pictures this time.

Set List:

Alice-in-chains (nutshell & got me wrong), chris knight (it ain't easy being me), lucinda williams (I can't let go). bob dylan (i shall be released), Alway look on the Bright Side of Life, Grateful Dead (black peter), gillian welsh (annabel), duncan shiek (barley breathing) and other stuff i can't recall right now.

This weeks shows:  PGroove in Elon on Wednesday, Grace Potter on Asheville on Friday, PGroove on Saturday in Charlotte.

Playing at the open Jam on Monday at the Comet (dilworth) with Jason and Saturday at the open mic at the Birdsnest in Davidson. Oh and UGA vs. Vandy. Big week.

Congrats Bulldogs on the win on yesterday. Go Dawgs!!!

Great story by Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7572601

starting slowly this morning

This past weekend I drove to Athens for the wedding celebration of Adam Perry and Conley Narozniak. My last trip to Athens was in my airplane, flying was way better, lol. But alas I am grounded from that life.

Friday:

Drive down with the top down and get sunburned on my face. Imagine that in October. Arriving later than I intended, I wander from the Hilton downtown and find a coffee show and plant myself at a table out front and watch the world go by and make phone calls back home. Sitting on Broad Street brings a flood of memories from my 7 years as a graduate student at UGA. Dinner at Amici Pizzeria. Back to the hotel for a little rest before heading to the New Earth Music Hall, a venue which unfortunately is nothing to write home about. Lingo was the headliner and with the opening acts starting later than scheduled, I have plently of time to hang out with friends in town for the wedding. Lingo gets to the stage around 12:15 and from the first song I find a real gem in this band. Alex has been asking me to get to a show for about 4 years, but they never get close. Fortune smiled and they are in Athens on Friday and I have my camera. I stay until I can no longer stay on my feet and head back to the hotel at 1:45am.

Saturday:

No way to block the sunlight from my easterly facing room and I am up around 8am. Off to breakfast at The Grill, a long time favorite.

<<<

I head to the campus bookstore on foot. A few new buildings but at least the bookstore is where I left it. I overhear a guy asking for directions to the same and I offer to escort hime down. Will is a GSU student who is transfering to UGA and looking for more of a traditional college experience, football, dorms and the like. I play tour guide until we arrive. More memories flooding in. I buy hats and t-shirts.

I've been walking for 3 hours when I get back to the room to chill, knowing it'll be another late night.  Another visit to the coffee shop and again to Amici's, figuring if I need late night food I can hit the Taco Stand. The hotel TV network is carrying the UGA-CSU game. One fumble and we lose, dropping to 4 straight loses. About 11pm I head out, getting lost once again and finally arrive at The Melting Point. An excellent set up of a barroom then a three story venue for watching the bands. The couple had chosen a salsa band who, while very good, would not have been my first choice, or second, or third, well you get the idea. I get to spend some time with the bride and groom and dozens of folks I do not get to see often. I had a great time and left just early enough to get to say goodbye to everyone before the crowd thins when I might miss some. Somehow it is past 1:30am. Long walk back in the cold, well cold to me, about 50 degrees.

Sunday, alarm set as to not oversleep my breakfast with and old friend at Mama's Boy restaurant, which was very good by the way. We stay there talking until noon when I head out for that long drive back Home. Mexican dinner with my brother and get the puppies back home.

Today. Photos from the Lingo show to process, emails to read and send. Rest.