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Thread: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

  1. #1
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    I can't believe I'm once again the first one to post a Sunday thread here. Maybe that's my purpose in life?

    In any event, the temps have been slightly lower this week due to the passing up the east coast of the tropical-storm-that-was-a-hurricane Isaias (which I believe is Isaiah translated into English). Lots of rain which held the heat in check, but it's summer, so it's been humid and warm, still.

    This past week I made a decision to go on vacation, coronavirus be d@mmed. I booked a flight and a hotel in Barbados for the first week in September. In doing so, I found out that it's dang near impossible to get there! I have to take a flight from the mid-Atlantic to Toronto, stay overnight, and then take a morning direct flight to Bridgetown. 21 hours for a six hour journey! Coming back is the same thing. Holy cow! Good thing I like Toronto!

    Not much on the plate today: go to the office, water the plants, check the mail, grab some carryout lunch from my favorite joint, watch some baseball, and play some guitar. I want to learn a new song, Voices on the Wind, a Little Feat song from their Let It Roll album.

    Speaking of guitars, I've decided to see if setting up my Martin OMC 15ME with some new strings and neck adjustment might turn it from being auction material into a keeper. I can't believe with all the positive reviews it gets that I'm somehow finding it lacking. Besides, I think I just hate selling guitars.

    Have a great Sunday everyone. Stay well!
    Striving to be ordinary

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    Forum Member Laker's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    Well, we have severe thunder storms moving through maybe 10 miles to the south of us and once they’ve passed we should have a nice Sunday until mid-afternoon when they start up again.My wife had her first round of chemo last week and seems to be doing OK with it (so far) so we’re hoping to get a little time in on the Harley before the storms move in again.

    Hope everone has a great Sunday and week!

  3. #3
    Forum Member gibsonjunkie's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    The area is still pretty beaten up from the storm. A lot of my town is still without power. The Electric Company (Eversource) is taking a lot of heat since they have neglected infrastructure upgrades and laid off most of their repair crews over the last few years, choosing instead to hire out-of-state contractors in emergencies. That didn't work out too well for them (or us) this time around. On top of that, last month they slipped in a rate increase (on the delivery side) that nearly doubled electric bills in the state. My bill was $587 last month. That's what you get when most utility legislation is written by utility company lobbyists. So this doesn't turn political, I'll refrain from continuing this... The cell towers mostly didn't have backup generators so a lot of them were dead and Comcast lost a lot of their infrastructure for the same reason. It's been a genuine Cluster-Frick!

    Another heat wave starts today - 90's predicted all week - again! I'm venturing to Home Depot this morning. The battery in my alarm system decided to die, so I need to pick up a new one. I also decided, since my deck floor is off that I could run an electric outlet to the far side of the deck without a lot of effort, so I'm going to go buy the parts I need to make that happen. One other new shortage - TREX decking - my floor won't be delivered until November! Well, at least it should be cool enough to work outside for more than an hour without needing to change my shirt.

    I've been having a lot of fun with my new Roland keyboard. I hadn't played much for a while, but I'm even finding a couple new songs in the process. The only real "training" I even had was organ lessons for a number of years when I was a kid - a lot of it is coming back to me. I haven't touched a guitar in over a week, though...

    Laker - prayers for your wife...

    Oldstrummer - I have spent a lifetime trying to find a Martin guitar that I liked, let alone loved. I was prepared numerous times to buy one if I bonded with it, but NEVER found one that I could pull the trigger on. so I get it! I'll stick with my Gibsons and Guilds.

    Have fun kiddies!
    "We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness." Mark Twain

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    Forum Member dirtdog's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    Just sitting on the back deck enjoying a coffee and some not so hot weather before the rain starts. Going to finish a concrete pour job I did yesterday (repair garage door threshold). Knock the forms away and backfill. Can do that while it’s raining.

    Then into the garage to replace the clutch on my motorcycle. Took a while for the parts to get here even though the retailer is only a 90 minute drive away. I may place a pickup order with them next time.

    with the motorcycle parked and having had some nice weather this past week, I pulled one of my pedal bikes out for some long road rides. Clocked 250km this last week alone. Next week is hot, sticky and rainy again so probably won’t have a repeat of that. My vacation leave is over so it’s back to work for me tomorrow.

    @Old Strummer - that’s odd that you can get to Toronto by air for a non-essential trip. The CAN-US border is still locked down for at least another month. Given the way things are going in the US, I’d expect the border to remain locked down in September. The CAN-US agreement covering this is reviewed month by month.

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    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    I had a Martin D28H that I bought new back in ? '89? I was the only one in my group of guitar friends without an acoustic. I really wanted to love that guitar but I just didn't. Interestingly, the Yamaha I bought sight unseen just feels a lot more like 'my' guitar than the Martin ever did. I haven't played the Yamaha in a while, it's a cannon of a guitar and I'm trying to lull the neighbors into a sense of complacency before I spring it upon them,

    Another open house today, if I can get my eye drops in and clean up a bit before I join my brother. We're trying to find a property we can live in one side and rent the other.

    Had a hearing test this week, and for the first time ever i was told one of my ears wasn't doing as well as before. Oh, well I made it to 62 before that started happening. I've long protected my hearing, even though I love live music and concerts. When using loud equipment I made it a point to use protection, no point in wasting my hearing on 'junk' noise. I kind of wonder if all my walking facing traffic has exposed my right ear to greater decibel levels than the left since I don't wear any hearing protection while walking.

    *edit* The open house was a zoo. There were already 20 people ahead of us and we got there early. People were still pulling up as we left. 50-60 plus people trying to check out the property in a 2 hour window. As soon as you got within 3 feet of the door of the tenant's side of the building, you could smell the cigarette smoke. The place was disgusting. 3 bedrooms and 1 bath per side. It's probably going to go for 70-80 thousand over asking price, which I would never pay even if I could afford it. The clean up of that tenant side is going to be a major expense.
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

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    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    It’s Father’s Day here in Brazil.

    Spending the day with Sergio Sr. and my daughter. We had the most traditional Brazilian Sunday lunch: feijoada.

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    Forum Member vinyl's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by Sérgio View Post
    It’s Father’s Day here in Brazil.

    Spending the day with Sergio Sr. and my daughter. We had the most traditional Brazilian Sunday lunch: feijoada.
    Maybe we need a cooking thread here. Just sayin'. We're all trying to get through the pandemic. I'm guessing we all love food, regardless of if it's regular or organic or vegan or vegetarian. Perhaps a food thread would take our minds off all the other crap going on in the world.

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    Forum Member dirtdog's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by vinyl View Post
    Maybe we need a cooking thread here. Just sayin'. We're all trying to get through the pandemic. I'm guessing we all love food, regardless of if it's regular or organic or vegan or vegetarian. Perhaps a food thread would take our minds off all the other crap going on in the world.
    On another music forum I'm on, the coronavirus thread has been taken over by a debate on the merits of Hawaiian pizza. So, yeah, a cooking thread would work well!

    What in the world is a feijoada, @Sergio. I know I can google it, but I'd like to hear about it from an actual Brazilian!

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    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    We finished cleaning up from the storm today. I've got a pile of branches that won't go out until the town picks up yard waste in the fall.

    I'm still getting to know the Heritage H-535. It's a nice guitar- a huge step up from the ES-335 in tone and playability.

    We're going to Cape Cod for a few days tomorrow. I'm looking forward to relaxing on a private beach!

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    Forum Member blackonblack's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    Figure I’d chime in. Sunday’s always
    busy for me as I play services.
    Up at 5, load in at 7 for a 7:30 call time We’re all done by 12:30-1, then it’s load
    out and homewards.
    Ive had 2 weeks off this year; and since around COVID19, we’ve been shy bassists, so I’ve pretty much have been on bass. We can forego an electric guitar, but not a bass.
    Mark

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    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    Dan, hearing loss is inevitable. Fact.

    Your ears have little hairs (cilia) that line the inner and outer canals. Over time, the number of these hairs diminishes.

    I remember a few years ago when my stepchildren had the family gather around a computer and we went to a site (there are several) that emitted a tone that would increase (decrease?) in frequency until we were unable to hear it. This changed for the different ages (me, my wife, my daughter, my stepkids).

    Here's a site that you can use to tell you what your "ear age" is:
    https://playback.fm/hearing-test
    Striving to be ordinary

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    Forum Member gibsonjunkie's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by vinyl View Post
    Maybe we need a cooking thread here. Just sayin'. We're all trying to get through the pandemic. I'm guessing we all love food, regardless of if it's regular or organic or vegan or vegetarian. Perhaps a food thread would take our minds off all the other crap going on in the world.
    We cooked a couple rib-eyes last night that were to die for. Not sure why they were better than normal, but they were!!! Steak Nirvana!
    "We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness." Mark Twain

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    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by vinyl View Post
    Maybe we need a cooking thread here. Just sayin'. We're all trying to get through the pandemic. I'm guessing we all love food, regardless of if it's regular or organic or vegan or vegetarian. Perhaps a food thread would take our minds off all the other crap going on in the world.

    We do have one, though folks didn't seem to participate much back when I opened it...

    feel free to contribute and post your recipes!

    https://www.thefenderforum.com/forum...hlight=Kitchen

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    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by dirtdog View Post
    On another music forum I'm on, the coronavirus thread has been taken over by a debate on the merits of Hawaiian pizza. So, yeah, a cooking thread would work well!

    What in the world is a feijoada, @Sergio. I know I can google it, but I'd like to hear about it from an actual Brazilian!

    Feijoada is a stew of beans with sausage and pork. It is commonly prepared in Portuguese speaking countries, especially in Brazil, where it is also considered a national dish. However, the recipe differs slightly from one country to another. In Brazil it's made with black beans and lots of salted pork and bacon.

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    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by Sérgio View Post

    Feijoada is a stew of beans with sausage and pork. It is commonly prepared in Portuguese speaking countries, especially in Brazil, where it is also considered a national dish. However, the recipe differs slightly from one country to another. In Brazil it's made with black beans and lots of salted pork and bacon.
    That sounds awesome!

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    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by Don View Post
    That sounds awesome!

    It is not light food, but once you get used to it, it's delicious.

    It's also interesting to notice that the bean stew varies highly according to the culture of the country where it's made. In Brazil it is a dark and spicy stew of black beans, salted pork and sausage, in Portugal it is more often made with red or brown beans, beef, and tripes (they call it tripas à moda do Porto or Dobrada), in Cape Verde they call it Cachupa and it takes beans, corn, fish, beef and pork, and also vegetables.

  17. #17
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by Sérgio View Post
    It is not light food, but once you get used to it, it's delicious.

    It's also interesting to notice that the bean stew varies highly according to the culture of the country where it's made. In Brazil it is a dark and spicy stew of black beans, salted pork and sausage, in Portugal it is more often made with red or brown beans, beef, and tripes (they call it tripas à moda do Porto or Dobrada), in Cape Verde they call it Cachupa and it takes beans, corn, fish, beef and pork, and also vegetables.
    I'm Portuguese and love Portuguese food but seldom have it- my wife doesn't like it.

  18. #18
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by Don View Post
    I'm Portuguese and love Portuguese food but seldom have it- my wife doesn't like it.

    Yes, we're kinda "cousins", both of us being of Portuguese descent.

  19. #19
    Forum Member dirtdog's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by Sérgio View Post

    Feijoada is a stew of beans with sausage and pork. It is commonly prepared in Portuguese speaking countries, especially in Brazil, where it is also considered a national dish. However, the recipe differs slightly from one country to another. In Brazil it's made with black beans and lots of salted pork and bacon.
    delicious! I’d have a bowl (or plate?) if that!

  20. #20
    Forum Member dirtdog's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by OldStrummer View Post
    I
    This past week I made a decision to go on vacation, coronavirus be d@mmed. I booked a flight and a hotel in Barbados for the first week in September. In doing so, I found out that it's dang near impossible to get there! I have to take a flight from the mid-Atlantic to Toronto, stay overnight, and then take a morning direct flight to Bridgetown. 21 hours for a six hour journey! Coming back is the same thing. Holy cow! Good thing I like Toronto!

    !
    Just a heads up @ OldStrummer - Feds just announced today that the CAN-US border is closed until 21 September. That means if you are arriving at Toronto and attempt to clear customs and immigration, you'll be subject to a 14 day quarantine for each leg of the journey.

    Hopefully, you can just stay in the international terminal overnight and not have to seek admittance to Canada to travel on to Barbados (or try to find a hotel for the overnight stay).

    I'd be trying to find a route to MIA that then takes me direct to Barbados (3 hr flight from MIA) - avoiding Canada altogether.

    Good luck!

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    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    Thanks, @dirtdog. I booked a room in Toronto NEAR the airport, but this sounds like I'll have to cancel. I get a full refund at this point, so no loss. I did pay for the airfare already, so cancelling that may be more difficult. But I have time to research, so...
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    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    We just spent for days on Cape Cod. We stayed at a resort hotel on the beach and had either room service or beach side service for almost all of our meals. We laid in the sun and swan in the ocean. It was wonderful to "get away" even though it was just a two hour drive from home.

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    Forum Member dirtdog's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by OldStrummer View Post
    Thanks, @dirtdog. I booked a room in Toronto NEAR the airport, but this sounds like I'll have to cancel. I get a full refund at this point, so no loss. I did pay for the airfare already, so cancelling that may be more difficult. But I have time to research, so...
    no probs my friend. Just trying to save you a giant hassle. I’ve had my fair share of those travelling overseas!

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    Forum Member gibsonjunkie's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by Don View Post
    We just spent for days on Cape Cod. We stayed at a resort hotel on the beach and had either room service or beach side service for almost all of our meals. We laid in the sun and swan in the ocean. It was wonderful to "get away" even though it was just a two hour drive from home.
    We're going to visit friends in Saco, Maine in a week. Not much to do - but they live a block from the beach so we'll get beach time and he owns a Ferrari so I'll get some car time. Just getting away will be great - I haven't had a day off from work since Christmas.
    "We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness." Mark Twain

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    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by dirtdog View Post
    no probs my friend. Just trying to save you a giant hassle. I’ve had my fair share of those travelling overseas!

    Today, the Canadian government just extended their travel into and out of the country. After checking the Canadian Board of Health web site, I still couldn't find out if I would be allowed to stay in the airport; going to a hotel seems to be out. I'm waiting on a reply to my email, but I've canceled the hotel reservation.

    I'm actually moving to cancel the flight. I bought some insurance, but it may not apply; at best I'll get 85% of my fare back. I may lose it all.

    On a brighter note, I did find a cheaper, more direct flight two weeks later. No Canada involved; one stopover in Miami and that's it. I think I can change my hotel reservation in Barbados, so the trip isn't off. It's just gotten a lot more expensive. There goes that next guitar I was going to buy.
    Striving to be ordinary

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  26. #26
    Forum Member gibsonjunkie's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by OldStrummer View Post

    Today, the Canadian government just extended their travel into and out of the country. After checking the Canadian Board of Health web site, I still couldn't find out if I would be allowed to stay in the airport; going to a hotel seems to be out. I'm waiting on a reply to my email, but I've canceled the hotel reservation.

    I'm actually moving to cancel the flight. I bought some insurance, but it may not apply; at best I'll get 85% of my fare back. I may lose it all.

    On a brighter note, I did find a cheaper, more direct flight two weeks later. No Canada involved; one stopover in Miami and that's it. I think I can change my hotel reservation in Barbados, so the trip isn't off. It's just gotten a lot more expensive. There goes that next guitar I was going to buy.

    Better to get hit with this before you are on your way. My daughter was going to Barbados with a bunch of her friends (they were all turning 40 and wanted to do something to celebrate). They all drove to Kennedy Airport only for my daughter to find out that a Passport Card doesn't substitute for a real passport. I had to go pick her up and bring her home while all her friends went on the trip.
    "We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness." Mark Twain

  27. #27
    Forum Member dirtdog's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread for August 9, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by OldStrummer View Post

    Today, the Canadian government just extended their travel into and out of the country. After checking the Canadian Board of Health web site, I still couldn't find out if I would be allowed to stay in the airport; going to a hotel seems to be out. I'm waiting on a reply to my email, but I've canceled the hotel reservation.

    I'm actually moving to cancel the flight. I bought some insurance, but it may not apply; at best I'll get 85% of my fare back. I may lose it all.

    On a brighter note, I did find a cheaper, more direct flight two weeks later. No Canada involved; one stopover in Miami and that's it. I think I can change my hotel reservation in Barbados, so the trip isn't off. It's just gotten a lot more expensive. There goes that next guitar I was going to buy.
    All the info you need is at Transport Canada website (tc.gc.ca). PHAC wouldn’t have specific info for travellers. CBSA is also another relevant website to check. But in any case, I think you made the right call to avoid transiting through Canada. Save yourself a ton of uncertainty and hassle. I think you can get to MIA from Richmond VA direct? Probably saving yourself 12 hours of travel time as well?

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