Not much to say the last few weeks, the knee is still fucked but just. I may paddle in the next few days, who knows.
I haven't been doing much of anything really, transitions and such.
The last half of '09 was pretty bad financially so I invested in a small distribution company about a month back.
Yeah, a job.
First one in almost 4 years.
But I was down to paying myself about 300.00 a month off the rentals we own and frankly, not even that will support my bad habits.
We have two empty houses right now and the local economy is so piss poor, we don't expect to rent them any time soon.
Since that is my discretionary income....
Oh well.
So I get up most days at 3 am, work by 4 am and home by 10 am.
Cool by me but....
I might fire myself and hire a guy to do the job...when Spring gets here.
I am not about money.
I am about time.
I love time.
Can't buy it.
Been rich, been poor.
Prefer poor with time.
In other news...
Jon has the mixes done for half of what we recorded way back in November.
Drum heavy I think but that's because he is the drummer and he did the mix.
Bastard.
We had Natalie come in and do some overdubs on the vocals but I don't think he has those up.
Here is a link to two tunes, haven't heard them myself as I tend to not dwell on the recent past. It's at Jon's myspace page so go there at your own risk.
I played the flutes, guitars and mandolin, no overdubs as I had two loopers going.
Besides, I have been playing so much lately...
But music or making music I mean, is temporary. I don't listen to anything beyond that moment. It's all been said and done any way.
My focus now is on the mandolin and mandobass with flute over dubs.
While I like playing guitar, I have never been much good at it.
Well ok, kind of good, in a Dicky Betts meets Ben Harper kind of way.
But lead and speed is not my thing.
Ambiance.
Forgettable.
Yeah.
For those who care..
I play a 1934 Stella guitar (made when Stella's were handcrafted in Jersey City), a 1961 Fender Strat that was my Fathers', a 1922 Gibson A mandolin (almost a Loar), a 1910 Gibson Mandobass (so fucking rare I paid 600.00 for this one AFTER it had been in a fire and then restored it).
My wood flutes are made by a friend in Ohio, custom for me.
I do have a few High Spirit flutes but they are stage only (they are in concert pitches)
I use Lee Oscars harps 'cuz you can rebuild them.
I use three different Djembe's, one I have played since 1980, another Djembe that came from a Gathering in NM and a small custom made drum I got from a local guy.
I use a few blocks and a 8' long rain stick on occasion.
I put all of this through a Boss RC 20XL looper, a Digitech Jamman looper, a Korg Toneworks PD4, SM 57's and 58's, finally going into an Anchor 3500 Liberty system I found at Goodwill....for 49.99. (retail is 2500.00!!!!11!!).
I use only reverb for effects and limit that to the flute work.
I trip on guitar players who search for the Holy Grail of tone, buy a '57 Les Paul..and then run the signal through pedals.
WTF? The tone they were after is gone when it hits that first effect box...trust me.
But then again, what do I know?
Not much.
Anyway, see ya, that's the news or lack of it.
Tomorrow is my 43rd Anniversary as a surfer.
Expect some kind of wistful post, longing for the good old days....right....
