Author: robertjames1971

I'm wicked tall.

First Time in Ages

I just did something that I don’t think I have done since before Covid came along and mussed everything up.

As previously mentioned, it’s snowing today. Not a lot. We have about an inch on the ground. We might get another inch on top of that, but by no means is today’s storm anything to be worried or upset about, other than the fact that snow is always a pain in the ass. We are New Englanders. This is nuttin’.

However, I needed to go out and do the grocery shopping. My wife has been eating super healthy lately and she was out of all of the healthy things she needed for lunch. I had to go out and restock so that she could have a good lunch. That means I had to go out to the store before the snow stopped. Not only that, I had to go out before the snow removal crews started working. In other words, I had to drive in the fresh, untreated snow.

As previously stated, that was not a big deal. There was enough snow to make the roads a little slippery, but not enough to cause any real troubles for an experienced snow-driver. It made me think though… when was the last time I went out before the plowing started? I can’t remember. It’s been a long, long time. The last time had to have been pre-Covid lockdown. There hasn’t been a time since then that I had to be somewhere bad enough that I couldn’t wait for at least the plows getting one whack in. The only thing I could think of that would have made me go out right away was if one of my parents were in the hospital. If that happened I must have blocked it out of my memory. There was the drive home from Vermont a few weeks ago… does that count? I think the side roads might not have been hit yet, but the main roads had. I don’t know.

So I guess all I did today was spiritually renew my New England Winter Driver ID card. Yeah. I can still drive in the snow. Yippee for me, babie.

Not Today

I was thinking of taking the new eBay camera out to shoot that long awaited test roll today. Maybe go to the Merrimack River or downtown or Forrest Lake. Anywhere, really.

Nope….

Not today. Friggin’ snow. Mother Nature just hates me, it’s obvious. I still have to go out and run a bunch of errands though. Friggin’ snow.

Live Music in 2025

My New Years resolutions speculations post from a few weeks ago included seeing more live music this year. I’ll use posts like this one to sort of take notes on shows that may be coming to my neck of the woods (or not) that I would like to try and work up the energy/courage to go see. We’ll see how this list develops over the course of the year.

  • Tsunami on March 23rd at the Crystal Ballroom in Somerville Theatre
    • Yes I want to see this show. Will I? I don’t know. Tickets are already on sale.
  • Throwing Muses
    • No US dates have been announced though there are shows on the books in Europe. If they play in the US you are probably going to have to chain me to a wall and lock me in a dungeon to keep me away.
  • Steven Wilson
    • No US dates have been announced though there are shows in Europe (a lot of them) and word is that US/North American shows are coming. I would like to see him but how badly I want to go depends on his next record, which comes out in March. If it’s really good, then I will try to see a show, assuming he plays in/around Boston.
  • Lizardfish
    • Duh

More to come as the year rolls on. I want 2025 to be a more musical year, but how badly do I want that? I’ll let you know as things develop.

Something I’m Thinking About

The RPM Challenge is about three weeks away. I’m thinking about what to do as far as guitar gear and I think I have an idea…

132/365

I would add a Crybaby wah pedal to this. It would be off the board to the right, but in the signal chain it would come after the Fuzzface and before the Dyna Comp. Pedal chain law requires a Fuzzface to come first. It’s an impedance thing. I’m not an electrical engineer so I don’t really get it, but it’s true. wah->Fuzzface sounds terrible. Fuzzface->wah sounds… okay.

I’ve wired this for power but I haven’t put velcro on the three new pedals. Outside of that and adding the Crybaby, I am all set to try this out… someday. Saturday? Sunday? Someday.

Guitar playing… I haven’t forgotten about you, my friend and favorite hobby and possibly unhealthy obsession. Just need to make some time.

As if I Needed Another Reason

I don’t need another reason to want to work from home more and work in the office less, but I have one. A good one.

There is something about the lighting and the mirror in the men’s room in the office that really points out how much grey there is in my hair. Especially around my temples and right above my ears. The grey hair really just leaps out at you.

Yeah, that’s a damn good reason to want to work from home more and work in the office less. As if I needed another reason, right?

Play

I didn’t have a chance to play any guitar last night. I didn’t blow off an opportunity, the opportunity just never arose.

This weekend? We’ll see. I need to start preparing my fingers for February’s album-in-a-month challenge. Also, hopefully the band will start practicing again. I have no calluses on my finger tips right now. It’s been almost two months since I’ve played a single note. It’s going to hurt when I start. That’s okay. I will survive. I will persist.

131/365

I’m thinking of downsizing the pedal board setup for February. Just to shake things up. We’ll have to see.

It’s time to start playing for real, Robert. Get to it.