Turn Off That TV or You'll Rot Your Brain!

How many of you remember your mother saying that to you as a kid? I sure do. I believe the correct response was "Nuh uh".

So, I'm sleeping away last night, minding my own business, when I wake up because nature is calling. I recall that I was having a dream where I was having to gather up something that had gotten scattered around. I don't remember what or why. I do remember I was picking a little piece of paper off the outside of a jar with a pair of tweezers. There was nothing particularly interesting about it.

Then I realized I had fallen asleep with the tv on and turned to one of the music channels we get with our sattelite service. The song playing was The Who's "Who Are You?".

I wonder if I'm watching too much CSI. Maybe mom was right.

Two Weeks

It's only two weeks until my band is tentatively going to be making our demo record. The date depends on whether or not we hear back from the studio and they have time available on that day. I was worried that we aren't ready. After the rehearsal we had last night, I think we'll do fine. We went through our three songs several times and sounded pretty tight on all of them. We even time left over to work on a couple of other songs and have some fun. Picture a Grateful Dead concert. The songs just take on a life of their own. We did that last night. A three minute song lasted at least ten minutes. I don't know if an audience would appreciate it, but we sure enjoyed it. My fingers are sore today. It's a good kind of pain.

If anyone cares what is going on our demo, the current plan is:

Proud Mary
Stand By Me
Wicked Rain

Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes

Disclaimer: I have not verified this with Mrs. Dirpus, so I may be full of #$*%.

I have picked up some additional part time work for a couple of weeks and am working twelve hour days for that period. Mrs. Dirpus is working almost full time at the tax office in addition to her church committee work and everything else she does. I saw her from about 8:00 to 9:30 last night, before we went to bed. I got home about 6:00 and finished fixing the kid's dinner and helped with homework and such. I managed to crash on the sofa and watch the end of the Fiesta Bowl where Florida whomped on Ohio State.

As a side note, I think a case can now be made that USC should be the college football national champion.

While I was sitting there, I realized that I had managed to work all day, do all the other stuff, and I didn't feel grumpy. I had been able to help with homework without yelling. I rationally explained to one of the children that there was not a difference between suggesting they do a chore now, and telling them to do it "RIGHT NOW!"

I think my job change has made me a less stressed person. I'm probably just as tired but I think I am managing to not take it out on everyone.

Any corrections Mrs. Dirpus?

Change of Subject

All I seem to write about these days is job related. How boring! Let's try writing about something else today.

A friend of mine is a drummer in a band. He's been a drummer most of his life and has played with several bands. They aren't the make a hit record, tour the world, roll in money kind of bands. They are the play at a local club on the weekend, make a couple of hundred dollars kind of bands. He has a full time job and plays for fun.

I've been wanting to do the same type of thing for most of my life but haven't ever done anything to make it happen. Me not being a very good musician probably has something to do with it. The "Catch 22" thing is, you get better by playing with other people, and you can't play with other people until you play better.

So, I spent a few years playing guitar in my church band. We had three guitar players and I was the least accomplished. I decided we needed a bass player and bought one. I found out that I played guitar well enough to be able to play the bass halfway decently. After playing bass in the church band for a couple of years, my friend the drummer invited me to play with a group of people from his church that were going to be playing at a local coffee house. I ended up playing with them a couple of times before people moved and the band dissolved. It was one of the most exhilarating things I've ever done. I played sports for twenty years and it never felt like playing live music in front of people that had come to listen by choice.

A couple of months ago, my drummer friend called and told me he was in a new band. Their bass player had to leave because of some personal family issues, and my friend asked if I would be interested in auditioning. I ended up being invited to join the band and we are getting ready to record a demo record to give to club owners to try and get hired for weekend gigs. It looks like we are going into the studio sometime in February. I can't wait. I'm nervous and excited at the same time. I need to practice more.

I've been trying to decide on my "stage look". Mrs. Dirpus says not to forget that I still need to look appropriate for my day job, which is more of a suit and tie look. Maybe I'll have to forego the shaved head or purple spiked hair.