tlwwalker

Hand has been mending well. Physical therapy consists of squeezing a sponge a lot. Then I stretch the fingers a lot in a "praying" motion. Range of motion has improved a lot. Not back to perfect, but the choice for surgery was clearly the best route. I am playing guitar pain free and have no limitations other than my lack of talent. I am grateful that I can play as much as I like once again.

Madman Across the Water - Elton John Thick as a Brick - Jethro Tull Excellence from beginning to end. Very few LP's can achieve this.

I got a wireless guitar transmitter/receiver set. Got rid of the cord. Works great. Rechargeable. 8 hour play time on one charge. My weekly group jam is 3 hours. Also got a new digital metronome and the will to use it. That has proven revealing and frustrating so far. But I am told it will improve my play.

Gonna be 64 in March.

Update: Stitches (3) removed today. Range of motion increasing. Discomfort minimal. Full, forced extention of middle finger not quite there yet. I have been playing my electric guitar and having fun. Going back for final post op exam in 3 weeks. Next jam with my buddies is next week. I'll be ready .Treatment is switching from ice to heat. Eucerin cream to help heal the incision site. Prognosis is excellent. More after the New Year.

Recovery update: Proceedure done 4 days ago. Zero pain from proceedure. Hand wrapped in immobilizing splint for two days. That dressing was removed after 2 days. Three stitches in hand . They will be removed at day #10, next Friday. I have been moving the finger with me right hand. "Rolling" it with my right hand repeatedly. This is is the physical therapy the doctor has ordered. I actually played a few chords on my ES-335 last night. All is very promising. More later.

I had the surgery this morning. Prognosis is excellent. No discomfort after 5 hours. I will keep posting updates on recovery milestones.

The doctor's guitar (Not Doc's Guitar) is a custom Randy Wood (Savannah, GA) seven string acoustic electric with piezo pickup that sounds great. A doubled G string only- the way a 12 string is strung. Great sounding to play lots of open chords. He has a stratocaster of no geat note in the corner, but I have not seen him pick it up. The Randy Wood's is a one off by an artisan - only one is existance to our knowledge. That's pretty cool.

That is an awful, wonderful, miraculouse and inspiring story that I have never heard before. Thank you for your fine wishes.

Two years ago, I had my first bout of trigger finger in my index finger of my right hand. I am right handed. It affected my finger picking pretty badly. I got an orthopedic surgeon to examine me and he treated me with a cortisone shot. Ouch. But two weeks later I got relief and no recurrence since. Last April, trigger finger appeared in my middle finger of my left hand. Cotisone shot. Ouch. Relief until a month ago. Examined today. Scheduled for surgery to release the pulley in the left middle finger. Gonna get cut on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. And I am looking forward to this. Several weeks of recovery time are involved. Backstory on the doctor. Same guy repaired my left shoulder impingement 18 years ago. During the first cortisone shot (did I mention Ouch?) visit, we learned that we both play guitar as hobbyists. He had an upcoming gig featuring a Beatles revue. I have now jammed with him on four occasions, and we will again. Good to have a sympathetic, understanding doctor.

Dad worked for Texaco overseas until retirement in 1982 I was born in Cleveland, OH. Left after two weeks. Never been back. 1960-62 Lagos, Nigeria - no memories 1962 -1964 Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela - learned to swim 1964 -1969 Santiago, Chile - learned to ski 1969-1972 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic - learned SCUBA 1972-1978 San Salvador, El Salvador - learned to party 1978-1982 College in Greenville, SC, but visited parents living in Lima, Peru - learned to party more then Gloucester, VA, Macon, GA, and, for the last 35 years, Beaufort, SC - learned to work (and play guitar)

My beef is that Tuesday evening is my usual jam session. So, due to the holiday today, and the family activities of my fellow musicians, we are skipping tonight's session. Bummer. We will resume next Tuesday. But I'll be Jonesing 'til next Tuesday. Oh, and our two cats will be hiding inside during the noise.

Great lyrics for a song, Picker.

My first view of Nickel Creek was on Austin City Limits and I was vey impressed. I got their This Side CD and loved it. Around 2002 or 3 I saw them live in Savannah, Ga. I was mesmerized, but convinced the performance included looping or tracks. I could not belive that many notes were possible from the quartet on stage without some kind of electronic assistance. I saw them again a year later in the same place. I paid more careful attention and realized I was just wrong. I was in the presence of virtuosity. They shine individually and as an ensemble.

On my way to my music buddy's house for our weekly jam, he calls me to inform me of an electrical power outage at his place. He says there's daylight in the room and the beer is cold, so come on. I did. Him with his new Martin D-41 and me with my Gibson L-4A , we had a great time. We drilled down the two part harmonies on Falling In and Out of Love With You/Amie and Find the Cost of Freedom and Doctor My Eyes. . No electricity. Kitchen room reverb was great. Very sweet. Man, thats fun when you get it right! As much fun making music as ever. As darkness approached, he wanted to continue the session and offered to hook up a generator. As I helped, I suggested he check on his wife next door and offer to run a cord from the generator to where she was for her sake. He did so. I went back into the music room and resumed jamming, now with a functioning lamp, awaiting his return. Shortly he walked in with a big grin on his face and said "Good call". The wife had been across the way, watching through the blinds as darkness descended, as he and I started the generator and ran one cord into the music room. An envious stare, invisible to him. He dodged a bullet. We resumed the jam. His life would have been a lot worse had he not heeded my advice.

So, I have this music buddy I have been jamming with for 16 years. 15 yeas ago, his wife shows up at my office with a brand new Gibson Les Paul Supreme in black. She asks me if I think her husband would like it as a gift. I said he would. She gives it to him. Five years later she does exactly the same thing. This time it is a Gibson Hummingbird. For Christmas a month ago, she presents him with a new Martin D-41. Sheesh. Some guys have all the luck. He chose well when they married 35 years ago.

Some thoughts pop to mind: All marketing is lies. (that one has saved me a ton of money) A fool and his money are soon parted. Opportunity cost: everything you posess represents something foregone. How many hours did I have to work to buy that thing? Everyone has a different demand profile - we all have different tastes and resources.

So, this is my first attempt at posting an adio of my buddy and I. Zoom L-20 board. Three Sure SM-58's - one on the Fender Accoustasonic two on the vocals. Three separate tracks recorded at three separte times by overdubbing. Steep learning curve. I'm not embarassed......

Sixteen years ago I began playing guitar with Tim. Two acoustic guitars in a mancave with a pool table, bathroom, fridge for beer. He and I are very good friends and that is important to this tale. Tim has limited guitar skills and has not really progressed as quickly as I have. But he's my friend above all. Fast forward sixteen years and the room is now a fine live music space: drums (with plexi shield), PA, recording gear, sound absorbtion, carpets, multiple electric and acoustic amps with shields all miked up for recording. I play to have fun. Tim & I don't care if we play out. Two others are abivalent to for playing out. One is passionate about playing out. We had not played out since pre COVID. We played geezer rock too loud. The volume was starting to affent the fun factor. We gathered once a week to play and drink bee and have fun. Did I mention the importance of fun? Early June we played a gig at a bar for a private party. I HAD NO FUN! Hot as balls, played while sweating, we all played poorly, we were too loud (we were told twice). The crowd retreated to the air conditioned interior. We were told we could knock off early. Again I HAD NO FUN! The following week I told the guys I no longer wanted to play out until further notice. ....... With that, the guy who was passionate has vanished. One of the abivalent ones has vanished and the other said he would return when summer ends. Tim and I have not missed a beat. We have reverted to acoustic two part music. He has good harmonica skills. And, he has a great voice. Now that we can hear ourselves sing, we have both been able to hone our harmonizing skills. The gear is all set up. We use the recording gear to polish a song. I'm missing my three friends a little. But I am back to having FUN. Did I mention the importance of fun?

Last night our 5 piece group gathered for our weekly geezer rock session. We knew ahead of time we would be missing our drummer due to his family obligation. That's cool- it happens from time to time. Our bass player showed up with a surprise spare drummer in tow. Happily, he turned out to be one member's old neighborhood buddy he had not seen for 40 years. We started easy: The Weight, Can't You See, Take It Easy and progressed into Rikki Don't Lose That Number and American Girl, Just What I Needed, Running On Empty, and more.... We played abouth three hours of tunes - without repetitions. We're not looking to replace anyone : the camraderie and friendship of our group trumps all. But This dude was GOOD. Yeah, a few of the endings were a little ragged. But that was understandable in a first impression scenario. A different style was heard. We had a blast. Should our drummer be absent again, we know who to call.

Our five piece band plays the Allman Brothers' Blue Sky. Been trying to perfect it for years. There are two long solos, 36 bars each. Duane goes first, Dickie goes second. At the end of Dickie's solo, Duane rejoins and they harmonize until the beginning of the third verse. My buddy, Jeff, does the Duane part. I do Dickie's part. We usually do acceptably well. On ONE occasion I was particularly fluid as I ended my solo. I had my eyes closed and the tempo was PERFECT. Jeff joined me at the exact right time and we played that rapid duet to perfection. That's when I got the lump in my throat. My eyes watered and I was grinning ear to ear.. I only wish it would happen more often.

Last night, only three of our members of our five piece band could make it. With no bass nor drummer we went to vocals practice. With a Gibson Hummingbird and a Gibson L-4A EC providing the accompanyment, we worked through Wagon Wheel, Find the Cost of Freedom, Seven Bridges Road , Willin' and The Joker. We had multiple takes of each, concentrating on the three part harmonies found in each song. We recorded for self evaluation, which is a very humbling exercise. We were pleased with the results. It was a change from the louder fare we usually emit. A few cold ones. Much fun was had.

I spoke not of other countries.

We (USA collectively) did and continue to do horrendous things in those countries where I lived, and others. Economic exploitation of resources & populations has produced mixed results. One can point to both positive and negative results and outcomes. But be not deceived: We (USA collectively) have committed great sins, atrocities, war crimes and worse both privately and via government sanctioned behavior. I had classmates that were children of MilGroup & CIA in those countries. I had local friends who were the children of local high ranking military officers. We knew who was doing what. Just because WE pulled the strings and others did the work with plausible deniability does not absolve US of responsibility. Green Berets, School of the Americas , etc. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. Our collective hands are quite bloody. My point: It's not hard for me to understand the rancor foreigners hold against the USA.

I was raised as an American ex-pat in South America, the Carribean and Central America. I lived there for my first 18 years, visiting the USA for one month per year. I did not live in the USA until I went to college. I have a different view of the world as a result. People in the countries where I lived both envied the American life and resented the presence of Americans in their nations. They wanted to partake of the American culture and hated the affluence they witnessed the Americans posessing. Make no mistake: the American involvement in those countries was one of exploitation, an that cuts through everything that Americans do in those places. I am grateful and proud of being a citizen of the USA, but I have no trouble understanding the contempt foreigners have for Americans. Our behavior overseas is at times atrotious. Even as I refer to citizens of the USA as Americans, I remember that America includes both North & South. Yet we reserve the term for ourselves..... how arrogant.