About Last Week

I know I’ve mentioned this before, how I tend to obsess over things like typos, spelling errors, and botched grammar (but not the Oxford comma. Never the Oxford comma) and how, on occasion, I’ll go back over and reread an older post and something glaring will jump out at me that I missed, despite proofreading these posts multiple times in a couple different formats. In fact, I’ve probably mentioned a few times over the years I’ve been doing this. Because I am, in fact, obsessed with not putting out a shoddy product.

I also know that I mentioned specifically that the subject last week might have been a little repetitive, but that I didn’t care since blah, blah, blah. Tbh, I still don’t and I stand by that statement fwiw.

Now, having said all that, the other day I happened to glance at the post that preceded last weeks post. It was dated August 27th and the post was titled Southernisms, in case you’ve forgotten. As I scrolled through the post, what to my wondering eyes should appear? No, not a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer. Rather, it was an introduction to a new feature wherein I tell you all about whatever musical selection I’ve got running around my brain whilst hammering away at the keyboard. You know, remarkably similar to the way I ended last weeks submission. At least it was a different band. I think I would’ve felt even dumber if I happened to be listening to the same one each time. Which brings to light something else of which I’ll need to keep track. *makes note to self not to repeat bands*

As I’ve said before, I’ll look for typos all the live-long day, and while some things might strike me as familiar, if I’m not overly concerned with repeating something I’ve written some time ago, that’s about the extent of it. But from one post to the next is a little bit closer than I care to leave things. Of course if I wrote things about stuff here more frequently, this probably wouldn’t happen, right Ray? Guilty as charged on that one.

So let me just go on the record here and apologize to you all for my carelessness. It left me pretty aggravated, I assure you, and I’ll try to make sure I don’t do dumb stuff like that again. Mea culpa. Mea maxima culpa. *skypoint to Dear Abby*

I’ve got an idea. instead of leaving you all with the bitter taste of me flubbing a relatively simple task, why don’t I leave you with a new feature I’ve been think about adding here? Sitting in a new coffeehouse in town (Bold Coffee Co.) with a little pre-concertgoing taste of American Aquarium. >insert sound of a record skipping here<

Since I pondered this one for a few days, the American Aquarium concert is now in the rear view mirror. B2 and I went up to The Ramkat in Winston Salem this past weekend to see AA with Tommy Prine as their opener. This is the second time we’ve seen Tommy Prine, and man he’s off to a good start on his career. As a songwriter it’s easy to see that he learned his chops from his Dad, the late, great John Prine and he seems pretty at ease on stage. This show was also a first in that, prior to Saturday, I’ve never sprung for a VIP upgrade to any of the shows I’ve gone to. So this entitled us to a pre-show picture with the band…

I give these guys a lot of credit for posing with a bunch of knuckleheads every night, lol

three acoustic songs from front man BJ Barham, followed by a little Q&A with him. We both enjoyed it quite a bit too. A small group, only nine of us, made for an even more intimate feel. One of the other guests asked him a question along the lines of “If you could hear any album again for the first time, which one would it be?” After a brief moment BJ put up In The Throes by John Moreland and it was such a good choice. He talked about how much respect he has for John as a songwriter and he’s spot on. I first heard/saw Moreland play in Memphis in 2018 and I was hooked. I’ve seen him I think three times since then, including last month at The Ramkat and he’s on the lineup for February at Haw River Ballroom (my favorite venue out here) and I already can’t wait. So, as I write up the rest of this “sorry I screwed up” post I’m listening to In The Throes and trying hard not to sing along here at the coffeehouse. I’ve mentioned before how sometimes I’ll read something and think to myself “you have no right calling what you do writing” and listening to John Moreland’s lyrics confirms to me that he is one of the people that makes me think that. He’s that good.

Imma leave this one a little short, there are other things I need to accomplish today. So in case I don’t get back here before, I wish you a joyful holiday, whichever one you may celebrate, and here’s to a peaceful, happy and healthy year to come.

Peace

Aaaaand I’m still retired.

Well, I have to admit, this has been pretty good so far.  My last day “on the books” was spent north of the Cheddar Curtain at a Ryan Adams concert in Madison and it was just outstanding.  Great concert going experience with excellent people.  And remember kids, live music is always better live.  Also, I highly recommend the venue; Breese Stevens Field, as a place to see live music.  They do it right there.  And I’m actually blasting the setlist through my headphones as I write (brief pause while I crank up the volume) today’s missive (And I wonder why I have hearing loss).

Well.  I was going to insert a lovely picture of the lovely concert here.  Instead after no less than 45 minutes of error messages and a fruitless search of Word Press’s site trying to find some way other than tagging onto someone else’s issues, I decided instead to use this space to launch a scathing, profanity-laced tirade, because, why not?

So, to the (expletive deleted) at (expletive deleted) Word Press; Listen you smug, self-satisfied (expletive deleted), YOU may feel an email is not the proper way to answer someone’s (expletive deleted) question, but I, in fact, feel it’s perfectly (expletive deleted) appropriate sometimes.  I thought your (expletive deleted) site was supposed to be (expletive deleted) user (expletive deleted) friendly.  Friendly?  My (expletive deleted)(expletive deleted)!!!  The main reason I chose to use your piece of (expletive deleted) site was that it was simple to use.  Simple to use.  I got your (expletive deleted) simple to use right (expletive deleted) here.  If your site is so simple to use, why then, if I did (expletive deleted) nothing, NOTHING, different on my end do I suddenly get (expletive deleted) HTTP (expletive deleted) error messages?  Explain that (expletive deleted).  Go ahead (expletive deleted), I’m (expletive deleted) waiting…

Ohhh that feels so much better.  Sometimes you just need to vent, amirite?

Despite some of the recent events (pour one out to a great dog) I’ve been through and some of the normal aggravations dealing with lenders/mortgage people/home inspections/insurance/getting ready to move a thousand miles away, I feel like I’m in a really good place right now.  Maybe the best I’ve been in a long time.  For a variety of reasons, most of which I won’t go into here, but if you know, you know.

So… you know…

Sorry, couldn’t help myself.

Anyway.  Yeah, I’m encountering a hurdle or two along the way, but nothing ridiculous. I think.  Probably nothing the folks that have gone before me haven’t experienced already.

Two cool, unrelated side notes; well only one to go on here, although after checking with the particulars involved I’d really like to put something up here about the other.  I’ll leave one as a teaser… But the one I can comment on now; a few months back, at one of our meetings for the AFFI Labor History Committee, I was asked by Jim Schrepfer (President of the Illinois Association of Retired Firefighters) if I’d like to write a column for the biannual (not biennial, I looked it up to make sure I had it right.  So back off grammar police wannabes) retired guy newsletter (not its real name) and, of course, I was thrilled at the offer.  Jim was happy with the result and I must say I was pretty pleased with the way it turned out too.  Maybe I’ll put it up here in a few months, I just feel like they should get a little exclusivity, you know?

Ok, I’ve frittered away enough of my day with this hot mess, time to find more mischief.

Peace.