- Blog Posting Drops Off
- Money From Ted
- Ferry Interesting
- Throat Almost Better
- Bike Fixed
- Bike Stolen
- Festival Gives Hope
- NOLA to Atlanta: 35 bucks
Blog Posting
I have recently slowed down in my blog posting.
I used to post almost (24 days per month) every day, if you were to remove from contention the Sundays when the library is closed.
I still have the Samsung laptop with the broken screen, hidden under the dock where the Natchez lands.
For a couple months the river was so high that I would have had to wade up to my knees over slippery rocks in order to get to the laptop; but, so would anybody else who might stumble across it if they moved the right rocks around...
It would be easier to blog more frequently if I ever come up with that solution in the form of a 65 dollar screen for the thing. .
Watered Down Content?
I also realize that posting every day might dilute the content of the blog; although I can usually find at least one incident to write about each day.
The converse is when I feel overwealmed by having to catch up on several days of posts; and feel that I am not doing some of the stories justice by doing Readers Digest Condensed versions of thme and not illustrating some of the details in which most of the humour, for example, might lie.
Android Solution
I am still trying to get the Android phone which Brian Hudson gave me; to connect up to a computer.
The library computers refuse to download the software which is on the Android which is used to connect it.
The idea (which Brian outlined to me) was that I would be able to post to my blog from just about anywhere and include photos taken on the spot.
It would make my stories more relevant and interesting to be able to do so. I might have to wait until the Samsung is fixed.
Ted Sends Money
I had just told him about how much of a struggle it can be here; and he wrote back "Will try to send you something," which was a pleasant surprise.
There is a fine line between telling things like they are and coming across as begging, when you text people things like "This really sucks," but Ted has a way of reading between the lines, and 50 bucks was waiting at the Western Union on Saturday.
Bike Fixed
I took the bus to the Wal-Mart ($3 round trip) and bought a new tube ($5), and a little pair of locking pliers ($2) and a couple wine coolers (3), and returned to the Quarter, where I found the bike still in the rack behind the swank hotel, fixed it, inflated the tire across the street in a garage, using an air hose which few people know about (Jesse, the grizzled old guitarist told me about it) and was on my way; able to save all kinds of time running between places.
Bike Stolen
I hadn't gotten a lock yet and so was being very vigilant of the bike while in the Quarter.
Even if I had gotten a lock, I don't think I would have manacled the thing to the fence which I lean it up against a mere 12 feet from where I sleep.
But, some time early this morning, it was taken from that very spot.
I lost my whole 15 dollar investment.
I thought I heard the distinctive sound a a bike which woke me up briefly before dawn, but assumed that it was Ron, the surfer, leaving on his own bike and I didn't stir...
I am starting to view these little spats of bad luck as little hints from the universe; suggesting that I go away from here for a while...
Atlanta
On July 5th, I will have my food card charged up; and will have the big music festival, the name of
You're a pretty good writer and are doing a far better job of blogging than I was doing.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, maybe because this computer's running Windows XP which is pretty old, Blogger won't let me make new posts so I decided to just stop trying.
Your photos are entertaining too.
Things are a shit storm where I am now, what with having to move out, becoming and staying sober (I was drinking heavily each night to "get to sleep") and somewhere in there trying to make a living and fit violin practice in. At least I will end up living in a nice house when the dust has settled.
Yeah, funny that I was walking towards the library tossing around ideas and composing a rough draft of what I am probably going to post here shortly; and I was having imaginary friends walking along with me and the subject matter changed with each person (ie if Tanya was reading it; I think it would lean towards clever humour; if the Lidgleys were reading it; it might deal more with human relationships etc.)
ReplyDeleteSo the challenge is to get past the "who is my audience" hangup and not write mediocre stuff because it has to be filtered through each readers preferences.
Essentially this means that a hilarious story complete with graphic details has to land upon my mothers front step each morning; folded over and lying face up...
So, the conclusion that I had just come to before burning one in the park behind the library and coming in here; was that I was only going to write to give myself enjoyment; and try to create stuff which is fun to read, using my own opinion as the guide; and of course the "enjoyment" which I get in reading/writing my own stuff (kind of like the guy who laughs at his own jokes; come to think of it...) that enjoyment will only be tempered by the occasional pang of consciousness that I might have rubbed a reader or two the wrong way; so to speak...
And, well I would suggest a speed course in violing where you basically put on a great piece of music; up pretty loud; and play along with it and use the exact body english of say a Tanya Huang (eyes closed and head turned skyward as if soaking in a glorious sun) and the most important thing: TRY very hard; take deep breaths and use force as if you are going to get the right note if it is the last thing you do..
I say this because I think an "intermediate" violinist has got himself a trade for life...
This is because; just like the horn bands of teenaged African Americans around the Quarter; one horn might just be playing 3 notes; over and over, but then the trombone next to him comes in on an off beat and holds (1) note for a while; and in between, a second horn is playing its own (2?) notes...
My point is that just by playing the simplest doe ray mee on a violin along with other musicians will add the timbre of the instrument to the mix and just make the band sound better; and you won't have to solo....
Be advised though, that the sight of a "fiddle" might remind some people of the last time they really got down to some fiddle player; and they might request the same...
Met a guy from Campbell California on the ferry yesterday, but will put the rest in my post...
It's so chaotic around here, not knowing if I'll have to put my stuff into a storage unit and beat feet. Ken, the guy I work for, wanted me to move into his (nice!) house at first, but his wife said No. Then, recently, she's had a chance to get to know me, talk with me for an hour or two several times, and she's decided I'm OK. She had to "filter" me because some of Ken's friends really are annoying.
ReplyDeleteBut, Ken's wife's sister is very ill, possibly dying as I type, and that may throw some extra drama into things.
Plus, I've realized that I'm an alcoholic. I've been drinking myself blotto each night "to go to sleep" and so I'm working on that, tapering off and then no more of the joy juice for me. I lived half of my life fine without it, and I'll live the rest of my life that way.
So between all of these things, violin's been taking a back seat. I agree with you, street performing is one job where you get paid the more you're digging it. You gotta "emote". And yeah, a half-decent violinist has a job for life.