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Category: Family
Dizzying Day
The funeral was lovely. I went to a post-funeral lunch and it was nice.
I then went to the hospital and within minutes of arriving my father was moved to a new room and I had to run out to help with something that suddenly came up at home.
It has been an insane day and it’s going to continue to be insane for the foreseeable future. My step daughter is here though, so that’s good news.
Random Thoughts
The last few days have put me into a prolonged, slow burning state of freak out. Fun.
My friend’s father passed away on Monday. My father went into the hospital on Tuesday. No details on either situation will be forthcoming. We just got clobbered by a thunderstorm which, it turns out, was rough enough to knock out the power in the hospital. The backup generators kicked in a second later, but woah.
I am planning to go to the hospital after work tonight. I need to make dinner first but then I’ll go for a quick visit before visiting hours end. Tomorrow morning is the funeral. I’ll go to the hospital afterwards. How’s that for a tough day? The last few days have been bad, but tomorrow… woah.
On less important (re: not important at all) topics, I have one more episode of The Umbrella Academy’s final season to watch. I strongly suspect that once I finish that final episode I will immediately start a rewatch of the entire series from season one episode one. I think that is going to happen.
Earlier today I was looking at Threads (the twitter alternative social network made by the same assholes who make instagram and bookfayce which begs the question why the fuck am I giving this new social network site the time of day) and I posted that musically speaking, today is a Porcupine Tree kinda day (from a mental health standpoint, of course… meaning heavy and complicated and confusing if you’re not paying close attention). TWELVE MINUTES LATER I got a notification that the Porcupine Tree instagram account had been ported to Threads. They haven’t posted anything yet but I guess I should say you’re welcome?
I don’t know what the dad situation is going to be like this weekend but I do know that Bellana, my step daughter, is coming over for a visit. All the bad, scary stuff going on feels a little more bearable when the kids come by. I am really looking forward to seeing how she did at her conference this week. I want all the sciency details.
Speaking of science, from a nutritional standpoint I screwed up yesterday. I spent the whole day at the hospital with Dad and when I left the house I forgot to take my pill case with me. I took my breakfast vitamin pills before I left, and took my lunch vitamin pills when I got home for dinner. I was going to take my dinner vitamin pills before I went to sleep, but I fell asleep earlier than expected and missed that dose. Dummy. Note to self: bring the friggin’ pill case tomorrow. Dumb ass.
What else? Word from the hospital this afternoon is that Dad is starting to show early signs of coming out of whatever was wrong. My fingers and toes and eyes are all firmly crossed. Again, I am not sharing details beyond a small hint of optimism. Enjoy it while you can.
Okay, Robert. Stop stressing and get back to work. You have stuff to do. Do it.
Out of the ER
No details will be shared at this time except to say that it’s nice to be out of the ER. I just wish he had a private room.
Stressing Out
After writing about my friend’s tough day without sharing any details, I am now finding myself writing about my own stressful day without sharing any details.
There is stuff going on. I am not going to say what. I just need to tell the universe that I am trying very hard not to freak out. Yes I am an old man yelling at clouds, but what’s a red head to do besides just hang in there and hope for the best?
Yeah, I know this post doesn’t make sense. Don’t worry about it. It’ll be okay.
Tough Day for My Friend
Mike, the bass player in my band, is probably my oldest friend. It was 1000 years ago or so, but I believe we met in 4th grade which was probably 1980 or ’81 or so? Somewhere around there.
I am not going to share details because it’s not my place, but his family is going through something right now and I just want to wish them all my best.
I am spinning one of my favorite records by Mike’s favorite band from our high school days right now in solidarity because I don’t know what else to do and I feel like I should do something even if it is some meaningless gesture.
ADDENDUM: Rather than say that Mike is the bass player in my band, I think it is probably more correct to say that I am the guitar player in his band.
A Day to Celebrate Me
Today, August 12th, is National Middle Child Day and it’s all about me.
Lisa, my sister, was born in 1968. I was born in 1971. John, my brother, was born in 1977.
I was the baby in the family for six whole years. Six. Whole. Years. Just long enough to really get used to it. Then, as the story goes, on the day I got on the school bus for my first day of kindergarten, as the bus pulled away my mother turned to my father and asked if they could have another baby. They did.
Thus I was no longer the baby, I was now the middle child and I suffered all of the slings and arrows of misfortunate that went along with it. My sister was always in charge of everything. My brother got away with everything. I was just there in the middle getting overlooked.
Fortunately, all these years later, I finally have a day that allows me to proudly embrace my middle childhood. Sure I am a screwed up mess of a human, but at least I get a whole day. What does it really mean to be a middle child? I haven’t a clue. Click the link and read about it there.
Unrelated, today is also apparently National Vinyl Record day. So not only did I get overshadowed by my smarter, funnier, better looking siblings… I also get overshadowed by vinyl records. Okay. I get it. That’s just how it is.
You know this is all sarcasm, right? I don’t have to explicitly spell that out for everyone, do I? Wait… I think I just did. Damn it.
Morning Music and a Quest
I screwed up my morning routine today and I don’t know how I am going to recover. No details needed, as they are neither important nor really noteworthy, but I did manage to straighten it out enough to get a couple of things done.
First things first, car music. I put vocals on four 50/90 challenge songs. I was hoping to get to five, but I didn’t have time to add another song. I didn’t do particularly well today, and a couple of the melodies were a bit more complicated than my no-talent self usually gets. We’ll see how it comes out when the songs are done.
After the car music was complete I went on a quest. My father asked me to bring him a newspaper. I had a paper route back in the 80’s. Long time ago. I tried to remember the last time I bought one… given that the newspaper industry is effectively dead and the fact that they still exist is laughable. The last time I bought one was… I think… 2007? When the Red Sox won the World Series I bought a Boston Globe. I think I did it in 2007. I know I did in 2004. Let’s just say it’s going on 20 years.
Where the hell do people buy newspapers? The one my father wanted isn’t one that you could ever regularly find near my home (we’re in Lawrence Eagle Tribune country and he wants a Lowell Sun). I went to my old home town, Tewksbury, thinking there were a couple of stores where I might be able to find one. The first store I went to does not carry newspapers anymore. Big surprise. The second… is now a dentist office. Again, not a surprise. I finally decided to just hit any grocery store or convenience store I saw and I found one.
Quest complete. Newspaper acquired.
Now some random pictures… just because…
Finally… cats.
Musical Friday Morning
It is Friday, at last. Every single day this week has tried to trick me into thinking it was Friday (there must be something wrong with my brain’s calendar function) but this time it’s real. This time it actually is Friday.
Insert the sound of an emphatic sigh of relief here.
The weekend is one 8.5 hour work day away. The best part? My step daughter is coming over tonight! She’s going to a work conference tomorrow and is stopping here on the way to it. We haven’t seen her in ages. I’m really looking forward to her visit.
Musically speaking? I played some guitar before work this morning. 50/90 progress. I put rhythm guitars on two songs and leads on one. I took a bunch of pictures with my Nikon. I had the 28mm lens on it for all but one. I swapped to the 40mm and took one more pic just to make sure it was working. It was. That lens is so much better than the 28mm. I’ll keep the 40 on there for a while. I really love that little sucker.
Here’s the one 40mm pic. It’s the choice for the photo a day thing for today.
Note the guitar case in the blurry background. That’s my other Les Paul. The one Jen got me for my 50th birthday. I’ll be swapping them out the next time I record guitars. The birthday Les Paul is the only one of my electric guitars that hasn’t made it onto a 50/90 track yet. That will change, probably tomorrow morning.
Now for a bunch of faux artsy pics with the 28mm lens.
Postponed Again
Band practice was once again postponed. It happened at just about the last minute. One of the guys had a family thing come up and had to take care of it. Unlike Genesis in 1974 our band understands that family comes first and no one said anything that was anything other than 100% supportive. Word on the street was that 1974 era Peter Gabriel was a little jealous.
Next time. We will play all the better next time. Seriously, I’ll have a capo so I can play that friggin’ Bryan Adams song without having to tune my guitar up a full step. Come on, Bryan Adams… a capo? Really? Just play the damn song in E like a real guitarist.
Inside the Red Head's Head 