Spotify

I don't like to shill for a company but I do like sharing what I discover that may be useful to my readers.

Today is Spotify the music cloud company. After trying it out I decided to go whole hog and pay for the premium service. Adding this give you the ability to move music to your phone and even play it offline. Also plays the music at a higher bitrate. On the computer software you can search and play nearly anything you can imagine. Spotify claims to have 13,000,000 songs available. I have been able to think of a few songs they didn't have but, it wasn't easy. Looking at the new releases listed in Rolling Stone, I was able to find the newest releases.  May be the end of my downloading days.

Ok, now I'm sold. I just found McCoy Tyner's "Fly with the Wind" and not only that but the original studio version. I've been look for this for years. Sold!!!

An out-of -town friend is coming for a visit shortly. Hope she stays a day or two.

Black Friday

Good morning friends,

Busy, busy. Had the annual get together at my house last night of high school friends who come back to town to visit their families for the holiday. I think this is the 5th year we've done this. At least this year I didn't wait until Thankgiving Day to find snacks for the guests.

Got a hit on my ad to sell the piano. She asked to come see it this morning but has not confirmed so I won't wait around. I once sold a piano the day before I moved and had hidden all the boxes in another room so the buyer wouldn't know and sold that day. So Shelly and I are heading out to shop for silly hats for my bald head. Yes, into the throws of Black Friday shopping.

I've had to the Mastertone 80/20's strings on the Santa Cruz guitar for about a week now. This is the 4th set I've tried, looking for just the right sound. I am delighted with these strings and shall declare the search over. Adding new songs to the list, "Closing Time" (supersonic), "Deep River Blues" (doc watson), "Carefree Highway" (gordan lightfoot), and "Learning to Fly" (foo fighters), among others. All great songs. I am enjoying playing more than ever. I'm in the guitar room by 9am each morning these days.

Better get ready to go.

Happy Thanksgiving!

ok, better.

Getting better. Saturday was Georgia football day. Beating Kentucky and clinching the SEC East title was most excellent. Go Dawgs!!

Sunday my friend Shelly came up to have breakfast at Toast. We then just wandered around campus, sharing our distaste for so many things. We met while we were both working at Lance Crackers. Even both of us leaving that employ, we've remained friends and have lunch about once a month. We are branching out this weekend when Shelly will help me in my search for hats for my bald head.

Some how I agreed to lunch with my step-mother and her twin sister, 2 hours later. Needless to say, I brought lunch home. The brother Eric comes over to watch the UNC basketball game, then Mexican as usual. Busy day for me.

Today hours with the HVAC repair guy and other errands. As the temperature rose above 70, dropped the top, and took a drive in the country.

Thanksgiving night, high school friends will meet here, 5th year in a row.

In the guitar room. Guitar of the day, Martin D-15.  Finally got the Pre-amp chained to the effects pedal, then the microphone into the voice correct and the vocal harmonizer, and all into the looper and then to the Amp and the sub. Loaded the recording software and used the new Snowball microphone to record a few songs. Listening back to practice is so helpful, especially help in my vocal phrasing. It is so hard to hear and evaluate my singing while singing, even amplified. I have such a long way to go ...

Found a new song to play, Closing Time by Semisonic. excellent.

rainy day

Good morning.

It's raining here today. Looks like it'll be raining all day. The Corgi's seem to know this and have sacked out for the morning. Today the rain is saying to me, play the guitar. Think I'll change the strings on the Yamaha LL26 today. I've started working on Doc Watson's, "Deep River Blues" and "St. James Infirmary."





I haven't been listening to the shortwave radio as much lately. Solar conditions are improving and it's time to get a better antenna up in the air. I've choosen one that should pull in the tropical bands. My existing antenna does not pull in the 60/90/120/160 meter bands very well. I believe it is not placed high enough. The new one will be hung 25 feet up (or as high as I can) and sloop downward to about 9 feet. I think I'll order it today. Then I'll need to the extra coax and fittings. Once I get everything together, I'll get the workmen next door to bring over a ladder and place the high end on the roof and the lower end to a nearby tree or pole.

Getting over the chemo is taking longer than I'd like. Maybe it'll be over by the weekend.

I have been remiss

Hi All,

Last Tuesday my mother came to visit and brought a friend who plays guitar. Angelo and I played for 2 hours. Close to the same age, we knew lots of the same song. Both being baritones made is challenging, each waiting for the other to take the harmony. It was great.

Started the 2nd round of chemo this week. Was feeling pretty good before, except for a tension headache that lasted three days. So far not so bad as last time. Certainly better prepared, with food, otc meds, my brother and his girlfriend Dawn staying with me and cooking. I'm not sleeping well, but hell we are talking about chemotherapy. Should be better soon, few days.

I'm becoming optimistic about this. Send good vibes.

Good morning world

Hello world.

I am enjoying a very quiet Saturday morning. Puppies wanted to go out before dawn (insert big yawn here). Naturally, having gone out and then been fed, both puppies are fast asleep on the floor. I'm a bit envious. Smetimes I wish I could understand what's going on in the minds of these two corgis. Two nights ago Skye decided to take off and went running down the street.  She made to the end of the block before I was able to coax her to come home. I have no idea where she was going and what she was thinking. Damn dog was just running down the street.

I'm continuing to feel better each day since the chemo. The next treatment is scheduled for later next week. I'm not too crazy about that, but at least I'm a bit more prepared and have an idea what to expect.

This morning I loaded the stat counter in order to see where my Internet traffic was originating. My blog seems to be most popular on the East Coast of the U.S., but there were many countries also listed. I'd like to welcome readers from Chile, Brazil,  the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Romania, Russia, India, Canada, Bulgaria, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, New Zealand, Switzerland Germany, Belgian, Thailand, the Netherlands, Taiwan, Japan, Mexico, Argentina, Portugal, Australia, Switzerland, and Denmark.

 This afternoon my Georgia Bulldogs will face-off against New Mexico for homecoming. I haven't checked the point spread yet but I feel sure Georgia will easily defeat New Mexico. South Carolina is playing much more challenging game and if they will lose my Bulldogs will be number one for the Eastern division.  Go Dawgs!! Woof, Woof.

Tonight one of my favorite bands is playing in Charlotte but I haven't been able to find anyone to accompany me and I'm a little concerned about going alone. I guess I'll see how I feel around nine the clock tonight and if I feel comfortable driving so far.

Well, I think it's time to finish this blog and go play the guitar. Today's blog was dictated using the Dragon speech-to-text software. Signing off.

hair falling out

Yesterday while in the shower, I found my hair beginning to fall out. I thought I'd keep it a little longer. Even the beard is falling at as well. So, I'm going to finish my coffee, shower, shave off what's left of the beard and go out for breakfast. Then I'll head to Norton's barber shop and ask them to shave my head. (last time I was there I wasn't too happy with my haircut.) I don't see how they can screw this up, lol.

Sadly I'm not one of those for whom baldness really works, I just look like I have no hair. I haven't  been clean shaven in too many years to count. My hair all fell out in the fall of 2008 after the radiation for the brain tumors. To everyone's surprise, most of my hair did grow back.

As I told a friend, "well at least I'll look like I have cancer and not having to explain why I'm so ill."

So, the speech to text app (Dragon) that I installed the other day works pretty well. I find the accuracy and correct spelling to be impressive. I think the hard part will be re-learning to dictate, which I did in my professional life. For no good reason I'm typing this rather than using the app.

Well, time to get shaving. Sadly I'll miss my beard. Hope after all the chemo that everything will start to grow back.

Bye hair, bye beard.

1:00pm

Back from the barber's shop and all the hair and beard is gone. Head is chilly. Need to buy hats. No pictures yet.

another day

November 1. Time marches on no matter what. As I get older, time passes more quickly. I was feeling better today, until I decided to go play the guitar. When I walk into the guitar room to play I look at my choices and grab the one that calls out. Today the Yairi WY-1-12 was calling the loudest. This is a 12 string guitar which requires stronger hand. I played for almost an hour and afterwards I my left side was sore, sore, sore. Broke out the old Doc Watson tune, "Deep River Blues."



Chelsey wrote back saying she would try to make it here for the PGroove show this Saturday. I would like this. Bet I can find the energy to make it to the show if properly inspired.


This is the 2006 Yairi WK-1-12. Handmade in Japan based on the original WK designed by Bob Weir. Sitka top and rosewood b/s makes is a bright and sparkly sound when strummed. I bought this guitar from a guy in California. It arrived with a couple of issues that my guitar tech was able to repair, but at a cost of over $200. My tech changed out the bridge and set the action and the difference in tone and volume was amazing. The 12 string guitar is fairly limited but when you need a 12 string you need a 12 string.