Just the one mix that I mentioned late last night. 41 songs down, nine to go. 82% complete. Lots of stuff to do today, including recovering from a terrible nights sleep. Not sure what I will have time for. We’ll see how it goes.
Author: robertjames1971
I'm wicked tall.
41 Songs Down
I was afraid I was going to get shut out on the ol’ 50/90 challenge today so I snuck in a mix before bed.
Yeah, it sounds terrible at times but I do sort of dig the song. A little at least.
Tomorrow Morning
My father had a ton of books in his apartment. Tons of them, literally (not literally, but figuratively). The public library in Tewksbury is taking book donations tomorrow morning. I have plans to go to Dad’s apartment, fill up some boxes with books, and take them to the library to donate.
It is going to be tough. I haven’t been to his place since before he went into the hospital. Jen, my wife, my rock, my savior, offered to go with me. I don’t want her and her bad back trying to lift anything, but I am eternally grateful that she will be there with me.
It’s going to be tough. It’s going to suck.
And We’re Off
The clock strikes 5:30pm.
I sign myself out of work.
And thus my week long staycation begins!
Oh, happy day!
So Close, Yet So Far
Today has been an okay work day for a last day before a vacation kind of day. I still have one hour and 42 minutes to go before said vacation, but I will get there.
I’m starting to sort of chomp at the bit though.
Today has been busy without being stressful. I have had a lot of things to do but none of them have been high pressure or high profile or anything like that. Just a bunch of administrative type things. The customers have been quiet so I have been able to focus on things that need to get done. I am thankful for that.
The Great Pink Floyd Reverse Order Playlist is now back to Animals from 1977. Great record with some absolutely outstanding guitar playing from David Gilmour.
Endless River – Complete
Division Bell – Complete
A Momentary Lapse of Reason – Complete
The Final Cut – Complete
The Wall – Complete
Animals – Currently playing track two, “Dogs”
Wish You Were Here – Up next
Dark Side of the Moon – On double deck but I probably won’t get to it today.
What else should I mention for the benefit of some future version of me looking back at Friday the 13th of September 2024 out of some sense of boredom or a this-day-in-history kinda thing?
The weather at the ocean for the next week looks excellent, according to the long range forecast I just checked. I think a sunrise photo session is a given. I hope to finish off a couple of rolls of film while I’m at it. I still have three rolls from Disney back in May that I have to get developed. I’d really like to spend a day in Boston if I can, but who knows if that will work out.
I am also going to my Dad’s place tomorrow morning to fill up a few boxes with books to donate to the public library in Tewksbury. They are having a donation drive tomorrow and they can have whatever they want from Dad’s book stash. If there is anything they won’t take (why?) I will bring them to Goodwill or something.
Those things, plus some music, plus spending a ton of time hanging out with the love of my life, plus helping the kids out with something next weekend… I think I have my staycation pretty much planned. 86 minutes to go until it starts.
Music Nook
Today’s photo a day pic comes from my iPhone early this morning as it’s a working in the office day for me. I snapped a couple of quickies of my cellar music nook… an area of the house that I hope to make serious use of during my staycation next week.
The Pink Floyd Records in Reverse Release Order playlist that I am celebrating today during work has just officially reached Roger Waters. Welcome to The Final Cut, kids.
Four hours and 33 minutes until vacation.
Friday the 13th
Oh no! Why didn’t anyone tell me today was Friday the 13th! I needed to prepare myself for the calendar date having no effect on the universe or anyone in it at all!
Okay. After listening to a playlist of all of David Gilmour’s solo records in reverse order yesterday, I created a playlist of all Pink Floyd records in reverse order to listen to today. The Endless River is rolling along.
Vacation is seven hours and 56 minutes away.
2024 50/90 Challenge Day 71/90
Vocals for two songs. Rhythm guitars for one. Lead guitars for one. That’s all.
I have next week off from work with no set plans. I wonder if I could have this whole thing wrapped up by the end of next week. Further… what if I try to sneak in an album in a day thing while I’m on vacation. That would be just crazy.
More Time Off
When we came home from vacation in… June? May? Early June, I think, we immediately planned another trip for the early fall. We were going to go to San Diego for a few days and then go to Los Angeles for a day or so and then come home. Just a massively huge, yet very short trip. We both booked time off from work and then right afterwards cancelled the whole thing in favor of another Florida trip in January.
We kept the vacation time on the books though. We thought maybe we’d go on a short trip somewhere closer to home. New York or the mountains in New Hampshire or something. Then as we got closer and closer to the start of the vacation time we started thinking about cancelling the time off and just waiting for the next big trip after the new year.
Then my father went into the hospital. Then my father passed away. Then we had the wake and the funeral. Now we’re down to one more work day before the start of the time off and there is no more talk of cancelling, despite having taken time off for my father. No. We’re going to have a staycation. We’re going to spend a week flaking on the living room couch watching Star Wars movies (Jen’s idea, not mine, I swear) and just ignoring civilization for a week.
I speak for myself when I say this, but I know Jen feels the same. I am not taking this time off from work because I want it. I am taking it because I need it. Physically and mentally. I need to shut down for a bit. I need to recharge my battery. I need to recover from the last month or so.
I have one work day left. Tomorrow is Friday. After that? One week’s worth of staycation. I am so ready for it. Give it to me, now.
One Track (Musical) Mind
This morning as I was starting the work day I made a playlist of David Gilmour solo records. First the five studio records in reverse order of release, then the two live records also in reverse order.
I have spent the entire work day listening to this playlist. I am on the 4th from last song on the first of the two live records (the Pompeii one). As I type this, David is wailing on Sorrow. It’s just friggin’ epic.
Listening to this guy play makes me want to play more. It makes me want to play better. It doesn’t quite make me feel young, but it’s weirdly in that ball park.
All of this and I haven’t listened to a single Pink Floyd record. Imagine how inspired I’d feel today if I was actually listening to the band that he’s famous for. Maybe I’ll do that tomorrow.
He is touring to support his new record. Sort of. There are US shows in Los Angeles and in New York. I looked into tickets for some of the Madison Square Garden shows. The best I saw were a smidge under $900 a ticket. Yikes! There are tickets for Hollywood Bowl shows for $99 a pop, but they would involve actually traveling from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and that will jack up the total price.
I think Mr Gilmour and I are going to miss each other on this trip. Sorry, David. I’ve seen him twice before. Both with post-Roger Waters Pink Floyd. The first of the two shows was the night of my Junior Prom. Yeah, I will never, ever regret skipping that prom experience to go and see Floyd. I mean, talk about no brainers.
I tell you what, if I hit the lottery this weekend I’ll take Jen and the kids (Harry is a big Pink Floyd fan) to shows at both Madison Square Garden in New York and The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. You know, to celebrate winning the lottery and stuff. Yeah, that’s the ticket.
