Yesterday the temperature outside hit 80 degrees. Right now it is 63. It is November 7th. It should not be this warm.
I am taking advantage by opening some windows and letting the cats go wild. It’s too warm for this time of year though. It’s getting to the point where it’s alarming.
Today is going to be long and difficult. It’s 9:28am and I am already exhausted. Yippee, right?
I got home at about 12:20am this morning. I had a glass of water and went to sleep a little before 1:00. I woke up about 5:30. Yeah, I’m tired.
The show was fun. I think for the first time I may have seen Iron Maiden showing its age a little. We know the drummer had a minor stroke not long ago, and he’s let it be known that there are things that he used to be able to do that he is no longer physically able to do. Was that why the set was somewhat lacking in classics? Maybe. Was that why the band was… and I mean this in the most respectful way possible… somewhat less than tight? Probably not. I mean, as great as a live band as they are let us be frank with ourselves and admit that they were never really that tight. They always had their moments where things would lock in and the results would be spectacular, but over all? Yeah, they could be sloppy. Rhythmically, mostly. Tempos were always a little weird. Guitar leads and vocals would slide in and out of time here and there. These aren’t criticisms at all. Not at all. It’s just how they play. Always has been. It’s just that last night those moments seemed maybe a little more frequent and maybe a little more obvious. Vocally there were some struggles. Timing wise for the most part, but pitch wise too. Bruce is 66 years old. Over all he was amazing, as usual… he just wasn’t quite as perfect as he used to be.
Again, these are not complaints at all. Not even a little bit. They are just observations from a picky music school nerd who clearly loved every second of the show… and I clearly loved every second of the show. It was great.
The highlight for me was Fear of the Dark. I used to think I was the only one around who really dug that song, but the crowd went berserk when they played it. We were in the back row of the middle level and couldn’t see the stage at all if we stood up. Still, when Fear of the Dark started half of the people in front of us stood up and went nuts. I guess I’m not the only one who loves that particular song.
They only hit the first record (still my favorite) once. They played Iron Maiden… the song from the album of the same name from the band of the same name. It was one of those moments where the tempo was alarmingly slow, and Bruce let the crowd sing a lot of it. Totally understandable, but the second that Dave Murray started playing it, your humble narrator here was on cloud nine.
Now if he can also just get through the work day so he can get himself a little more sleep. Hang in there, tired people!
Nothing happened yesterday. I started work at about 5:30am, left at 1:00, did some errands, made dinner for my wife and screwed it up, then went to the Iron Maiden show in Worcester.
All in all a productive day, but nothing happened on the National Solo Album Month front. Hoping for better today.
We went to the rock and roll show tonight and saw some nice English kids play fast.
The cats keep asking me what comes next. Now what? They say.
I haven’t a fucking clue.
Later tonight I am going to get my frustrations out on some new wave of British heavy metal madness because it is still 1981.
I can practically smell your jealousy.
More than anything else, what I am feeling right now is just being mad at myself. Furious, even.
I had the audacity to actually feel a small amount of hope. Hope that we as a nation might be better than we were. What a fucking idiot.
Did I ever really think Kamala Harris was going to win this election? In our hate filled, racist, misogynistic cesspool of a nation? Probably not. Did I allow myself to hope that she’d win? Even for just a few minutes?
I did… like a fucking moron.
Look at me, acting like nothing happened. Just whistling past the fucking graveyard.
I added one more song last night. I’m up to five. They all have a complete form but currently are just midi bass and drums. No guitars, no lyrics, no vocals, no hope, no belief in a better future for our kids, just midi bass and drums.
It is after 8:00pm here in Massachusetts. 8:08pm to be exact.
That means the polls are closed. The voting in this year’s federal election has come to an end for my state.
I forget what year it was… 1992? 1996? I worked at the polls that year. My parents worked at the polls almost every year. My father, the super accountant, ran the ballot counting in our district. My mother was a ballot counter. For that one election, whichever year it was, my sister and I worked as ballot counters too. I was proud to do it. Hell, I was honored to do it.
I’m thinking about the folks doing those jobs now and I am feeling for them in a major way. I’ve heard of bomb threats and intimidation tactics in some battleground states. Because that’s what happens when you put a convicted felon and his nazi cult at the head of one of your two political parties. Stay safe out there, poll workers. Thank you for all of your hard work. Count those votes, and may the best woman win.
My wife said, “look at her… judging me.”
Don’t be judgmental, Robin. Be respectful.
