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Thread: The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

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    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

    Sigh. I guess I gotta be the one again. Maybe no one is interested in a Sunday thread anymore? It's become a bit of a buoy for me these days, bobbing calmly away, indicating something -- in this case, the end, or beginning of another week.

    I had a stark reminder last night of how 2020 is a Twilight Zone kind of year. As if I needed another...!

    Baseball is a passion of mine, having played on a championship team as a youth. One of the few things my dad and I did together was go to baseball games.

    And then, the team left town. Twice, in fact. The old Washington Senators left to become first the Minnesota Twins, and then the Texas Rangers. And for decades, we were left with no home team. The Baltimore Orioles attempted to fill that role, and for some it worked, but I never took them on as "my" team.

    Then, miracle of miracles, the Montreal Expos became the Washington Nationals, and I had a team again. Fourteen years after they came to town, they won the World Series. The last time Washington had a baseball champion was in 1924!

    So, last night I was reminded of how whacky this year has become. I've gotten used to seeing people wearing masks, and the "social distancing" signs everywhere, but baseball this year just strikes me as being one long exhibition season. Last night I was treated to a "twi-night double-header" (to make up for a rained-out earlier game). And each game was only seven innings instead of nine, and the teams switched sides for the second, with the home team becoming the visitors and vice-versa. Designated hitters (in the National League), empty stands with cardboard cutouts, "crowd noise" piped through the PA system. OMG! And the quality of play? Uh...

    But I'll watch again today (I can't go to the games, sadly). A lot of the players are names I've never heard of before, but I love baseball. So, I'll watch. It's Sunday, and there's not much else to do.
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    Re: The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

    My sports passion is college football.

    I expect to be underwhelmed this year.

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    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

    My kids are coming for the day, and we'll grill out and talk, quiet fun. My son is based in Los Angeles, but because Mattel employees like my son are working from "home." He flew back to Memphis to stay at his fiancée's, a couple of hours from here. It's been a treat to see him regularly instead of 3 or 4 times a year.

    Fan that I am, I've been digging the deluxe package of McCartney's Flaming Pie album. I didn't really care for the album when it came out. I couldn't connect with any of it musically or lyrically. I haven't listened to it in years. Well, I gave it a good listen, and it is a very good album with some great songwriting.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

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    Re: The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

    Not a big sports fan - maybe the world series and the local team (Yard Goats) a couple times a year. I agree this is a strange year - for everything. I am starting a vacation - we were going to Maine next week, but the people we were staying with have a family emergency, so that got cancelled. I'll take the week to work on my deck and straighten out the music room. We cleared out a bunch of books from the basement - probably 38 bins worth of books - donated to Goodwill. I had wanted to build our living room into a library and have been schlepping them around for years, but finally came to the conclusion that it was never going to happen, and there were a lot of books that somebody could enjoy. Felt like I was losing a bunch of old friends, but it was time.
    "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 Don's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

    I've been watching F1 racing. It seemed normal until the race at Silverstones and there was no cheering when passes were made.

    Our local AAA minor league baseball team, the Pawtucket Red Sox, are moving to Worcester next year. This was supposed to be their last season here. Although I'm not a big sports fan, the stadium is less than 10 minutes from my house and I grew up going to games there. We were looking forward to a big send off. The Red Sox have been practicing there, but it's not open to the public.

    I'm going to hang some patio lights today and maybe play with the Dr. Z Nova some more.

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    Forum Member dirtdog's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

    Coffee.
    Rain.
    Chillin’


    The two sporting events I pay attention to are the Dakar Rally and the Tour de France. The Dakar was normal this year - well, normal considering it took place in Saudi Arabia this year after many years in South America and Africa before that. I didn’t even tune into TdF this year since it was all virtual. Boring!

    It was also supposed to be a Summer Olympics year this year. I miss that. Would normally be at the height of Olympic fever right now....

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    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

    big football fan here, not having much expectations that it will be happening. I mean it will start but I fully expect it to implode and get shut down. Too soon.

    looks to be a warm one today. Decided to use the laundry machines here at the building instead of driving to the laundromat. Have to do two loads here vs one there but 15 steps vs 10 drive won out.

    been playing a lot lately, working on Crazy Train again. This time I'm transcribing the notes to paper and getting them into my head, not just trying to match fret positions a la tabs. Then I recorded playing that transcription, double tracking and triple tracking it. I got the main riff written out. Looking forward to getting this one down.
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

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    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

    GJ - I hear you on the library thing. It has long been my fantasy to have my own libary/drawing room, where I'd retire to at evening to read, write, smoke and drink and ruminate upon the profound. No televisions although I'll probably have a computer.

    In a way, the computer has taken the place of the library albeit not nearly the same thing. Mostly I want a room for uninterrupted pursuit of knowledge. It is far too easy to get distracted by the vacuity of the internet.

    In lieu of wooden bookcases floor to ceiling, with the sliding ladder, leather bound overstuffed chairs, oaken decor, green shaded reading lamps, I'd be happy to have a dedicated room for my guitar stuff, recording stuff and computer stuff all tastefully set up without looking like a mongolian clusterf**k. A man can dream, even if he needs to downgrade his expectations.
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

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    Forum Member gibsonjunkie's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by DanTheBluesMan View Post
    GJ - I hear you on the library thing. It has long been my fantasy to have my own libary/drawing room, where I'd retire to at evening to read, write, smoke and drink and ruminate upon the profound. No televisions although I'll probably have a computer.

    In a way, the computer has taken the place of the library albeit not nearly the same thing. Mostly I want a room for uninterrupted pursuit of knowledge. It is far too easy to get distracted by the vacuity of the internet.

    In lieu of wooden bookcases floor to ceiling, with the sliding ladder, leather bound overstuffed chairs, oaken decor, green shaded reading lamps, I'd be happy to have a dedicated room for my guitar stuff, recording stuff and computer stuff all tastefully set up without looking like a mongolian clusterf**k. A man can dream, even if he needs to downgrade his expectations.

    At least I have the music room - I guess I could take all the guitars off the walls and put in bookshelves - but the fact is I've read them all at least once - many numerous times and will probably not find time to read them again. It was time... I do have a ton of books on my kindle. Not the same aesthetics, but the words read the same.
    "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 blackonblack's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

    Where do I begin? Work has been stressful as the further I dig, the more I find out what a bad job our IT team did with an Enterprise deployment. Worse yet, one of my dogs went into pulmonary distress early (2am) Sat. Was touch and go for half the day. Doing better now, but certainly not well. Will have to transport him from ER to a hospital Monday. Issue is an enlarged heart that was compromising the lungs. No disease found yet. They figure it’s hereditary (unknown as he was a rescue). They do an echo there and see if the meds are helping the heart. He’ll come home then regardless. If the meds are working, he’ll get another 2 years it seems, maybe more (he’s 6.5). If not, we have already decided we’ll will stop his suffering at home in our arms. Life just sucks right now. The only upside is more musicians are becoming available at church and may be able to take a week off. I haven’t been able to really play for just myself or work on skills since COVID19 as I’ve been on basically every week.
    Mark

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    Re: The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

    Last night I finally had my first gig since the pandemic hit, at a local Country Club where the PGA Memorial Tournament is played. Great to play with my friends again, and just to be outdoors playing some fun music. The downside was that 90 percent of the members had no masks, and now paranoia is kicking in. They were never closer than 15 feet from the stage area, so, hopefully okay.

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    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

    I think the Sunday threads are still quite appreciated, most of us always replying to them.

    Lazy day here, watching Netflix with my fiancée.

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    Re: The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by pc View Post
    Last night I finally had my first gig since the pandemic hit, at a local Country Club where the PGA Memorial Tournament is played. Great to play with my friends again, and just to be outdoors playing some fun music. The downside was that 90 percent of the members had no masks, and now paranoia is kicking in. They were never closer than 15 feet from the stage area, so, hopefully okay.
    I have been exceptionally lackadaisical since all this, and all that it brought with it has happened. that said.....
    PC - I am SO glad to hear this! I have a couple under my belt as we move through......and each one has pumped life back into my soul! GOOD on YOU man! BTW - T-Bone is back in Columbius...........look for something as this moves through - I don't think he can stay underground forever!
    Kenny Belmont
    >:^{I)>

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    Re: The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

    I just got in the door from an afternoon gig on the outside patio at my friend’s sports complex. It was fun doing a duo with a very good friend and a couple of our guitar playing friends came and sat in so it was a great time.

    A bummer was my very good friend, Bluesman Bryan Lee, passed away this past week. I’ve known Bryan for 60 years and spent a good 15-20 of those years on stage with him in various bands he had. This was a song he did with Kenny Wayne Sheperd.



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    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by gibsonjunkie View Post
    We cleared out a bunch of books from the basement - probably 38 bins worth of books - donated to Goodwill. I had wanted to build our living room into a library and have been schlepping them around for years, but finally came to the conclusion that it was never going to happen, and there were a lot of books that somebody could enjoy. Felt like I was losing a bunch of old friends, but it was time.
    As a literature prof for 30 years, I've amassed a good library. When I got this house 16 years ago, I made sure that there was enough room for my bookshelves. I turned down quite a few houses because they couldn't accommodate my library A few months before the rona, I was seriously considering moving back to my hometown, Nashville. I knew that I wouldn't be able to afford a place big enough for books and guitars. I was already thinking of what I would give away. I would have had to have gotten rid of about 1000 books. I was relieved when I decided not to move. When I quit my job 9 months ago, I had to bring two huge shelves worth home and buy move bookshelves. Last week, I spent four days removing every book, dusting, and then reorganizing them.

    I'm not bragging about my books--it's no different from a house builder who's amassed the tools he used for his work. I just get excited when I know somebody else loves books too. I picked out my oldest books the other day, from the late 1800s, and I just smelled them, and that reminded me of all the time I spent in the stacks of the universities I attended or did research in.

    I developed a love for Charles Dickens later in life, and I'd read four of his novels. When I got to Bleak House, I got hooked. So I bought 8 more of his books, and right now, I'm reading Little Dorrit for the first time. I've even started a very informal and smalllll bookclub on FB, reading Dorrit.

    When I look at my shelves, I've begun to look at the books and think, "Ok, I want to re-read this one before I die"--you guys know what it's like when you're getting old-ish or are already there.

    So, man, I'm sorry you had to get rid of those books. It's not an easy thing because when it's a good book, it becomes part of who you are and how you think and feel.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

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    Re: The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by Laker View Post
    I just got in the door from an afternoon gig on the outside patio at my friend’s sports complex. It was fun doing a duo with a very good friend and a couple of our guitar playing friends came and sat in so it was a great time.

    A bummer was my very good friend, Bluesman Bryan Lee, passed away this past week. I’ve known Bryan for 60 years and spent a good 15-20 of those years on stage with him in various bands he had. This was a song he did with Kenny Wayne Sheperd.


    Laker… we were playing a jam Friday night when we heard the news. We dedicated the rest of the night to Brian. I had a chance to open for him and worked Sound for him on 3 different shows. What an awesome guy tremendous player and a great spirit. I met his wife and a couple of different band members through the years. He left a great mark didn't he?
    Kenny Belmont
    >:^{I)>

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    Forum Member Laker's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by FrankJohnson View Post
    Laker… we were playing a jam Friday night when we heard the news. We dedicated the rest of the night to Brian. I had a chance to open for him and worked Sound for him on 3 different shows. What an awesome guy tremendous player and a great spirit. I met his wife and a couple of different band members through the years. He left a great mark didn't he?
    For the last few years I watched Bryan’s health deteriorate and was amazed that he was still occasionally touring. Last year he still played the ew Orleans Jazz Fest. Here’s the last time I was on stage playing bass with him around five years ago when he received a lifetime achievement award from Big City Rhythm and Blues magazine.

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    Re: The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by FrankJohnson View Post
    BTW - T-Bone is back in Columbius...........look for something as this moves through - I don't think he can stay underground forever!
    Oh that's awesome news! I'll keep a lookout.

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    Re: The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by dirtdog View Post
    Coffee.


    The two sporting events I pay attention to are the Dakar Rally and the Tour de France. The Dakar was normal this year - well, normal considering it took place in Saudi Arabia this year after many years in South America and Africa before that. I didn’t even tune into TdF this year since it was all virtual. Boring!
    But the Tour de France hasn't happened yet - there was a virtual thing that I have no idea what it was - but the real bikes real roads TdF is starting this weekend - the 28th, |I think. Pretty similar to usual, though 9 riders per team, (usually 10) and a limit to team personnel - |I think 25 total including directors, drivers, masseuses cooks and so on. Guessing some will be doing double duty this year. I have no idea what the deal with fans on the side of roads will be, especially near the finishes. And most especially the mountain ones - I'm especially thinking about the one a couple years ago where the crowds stopped the leading motorcycles, stopping the riders, and Froome's bike was run over and broken by a neutral service motorcycle. How are they going to keep those crowds apart, and away from the riders?
    ********************************
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    Forum Member gibsonjunkie's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by ch willie View Post
    As a literature prof for 30 years, I've amassed a good library. When I got this house 16 years ago, I made sure that there was enough room for my bookshelves. I turned down quite a few houses because they couldn't accommodate my library A few months before the rona, I was seriously considering moving back to my hometown, Nashville. I knew that I wouldn't be able to afford a place big enough for books and guitars. I was already thinking of what I would give away. I would have had to have gotten rid of about 1000 books. I was relieved when I decided not to move. When I quit my job 9 months ago, I had to bring two huge shelves worth home and buy move bookshelves. Last week, I spent four days removing every book, dusting, and then reorganizing them.

    I'm not bragging about my books--it's no different from a house builder who's amassed the tools he used for his work. I just get excited when I know somebody else loves books too. I picked out my oldest books the other day, from the late 1800s, and I just smelled them, and that reminded me of all the time I spent in the stacks of the universities I attended or did research in.

    I developed a love for Charles Dickens later in life, and I'd read four of his novels. When I got to Bleak House, I got hooked. So I bought 8 more of his books, and right now, I'm reading Little Dorrit for the first time. I've even started a very informal and smalllll bookclub on FB, reading Dorrit.

    When I look at my shelves, I've begun to look at the books and think, "Ok, I want to re-read this one before I die"--you guys know what it's like when you're getting old-ish or are already there.

    So, man, I'm sorry you had to get rid of those books. It's not an easy thing because when it's a good book, it becomes part of who you are and how you think and feel.
    I kept some of my more interesting books. At one time my dad was doing the plumbing renovations at a house directly across the street of Mark Twain's house in Hartford. There was a HUGE pile of books in the living room and they were going to throw out all of them - but they let me grab a couple boxes worth. No first edition Twain's, unfortunately, but some interesting books from the early 1900's. I also found a first edition Brett Harte in a used bookstore in St. Louis that I kept. I got rid of all my old textbooks except my music books - they were too good to chuck.
    Last edited by gibsonjunkie; 08-24-2020 at 02:43 PM.
    "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 23, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by jrgtr42 View Post
    But the Tour de France hasn't happened yet - there was a virtual thing that I have no idea what it was - but the real bikes real roads TdF is starting this weekend - the 28th, |I think. Pretty similar to usual, though 9 riders per team, (usually 10) and a limit to team personnel - |I think 25 total including directors, drivers, masseuses cooks and so on. Guessing some will be doing double duty this year. I have no idea what the deal with fans on the side of roads will be, especially near the finishes. And most especially the mountain ones - I'm especially thinking about the one a couple years ago where the crowds stopped the leading motorcycles, stopping the riders, and Froome's bike was run over and broken by a neutral service motorcycle. How are they going to keep those crowds apart, and away from the riders?
    Well, how about that! I just wrote it off and never paid attention. And it’s starting a month later than usual. I guess I’m not a true fan! But I know what I’ll be doing for the next few weeks!

  22. #22
    Forum Member jrgtr42's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by dirtdog View Post
    Well, how about that! I just wrote it off and never paid attention. And it’s starting a month later than usual. I guess I’m not a true fan! But I know what I’ll be doing for the next few weeks!
    CLoser to two months, really. It's interesting how many of the big names aren't riding - Froome for the biggest. it also appears to be one of the hardest routes in a long time. They didn't run a prologue, like usual, instead going right at it with a fairly tough stage. |I haven't had a chance to watch much yet. i hope to later on.
    ********************************
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  23. #23
    Forum Member dirtdog's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by jrgtr42 View Post
    CLoser to two months, really. It's interesting how many of the big names aren't riding - Froome for the biggest. it also appears to be one of the hardest routes in a long time. They didn't run a prologue, like usual, instead going right at it with a fairly tough stage. |I haven't had a chance to watch much yet. i hope to later on.
    Just watched Stage 2 highlights. Seems like the crowds are a *bit* thinner. Lots of spectators at the finish, somewhat closely packed, but most wearing masks. Couple of good crashes. Dramatic finish.

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    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by dirtdog View Post
    Just watched Stage 2 highlights. Seems like the crowds are a *bit* thinner. Lots of spectators at the finish, somewhat closely packed, but most wearing masks. Couple of good crashes. Dramatic finish.
    Wait, are we talking about the Tour de France or a Grand Prix?
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    Forum Member dirtdog's Avatar
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    Re: The Sunday Thread For August 23, 2020

    Quote Originally Posted by OldStrummer View Post
    Wait, are we talking about the Tour de France or a Grand Prix?
    haha!

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