SUNRISE - June 13, 2011

June 13, 2011 Sunrise 5:41 am
Welton Garden

"Do not wait; the TIME will never be "just right." Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along."  - Napoleon Hill

A new landmark in my life of epic proportions:

Lise and I have started playing music together!

We are learning to play "House of the Rising Sun" as a duo.  I am on electric bass and Lise is on violin.  It sounds pretty darned good.  I have an Internet metronome turned up to help me stay on the beat as my part calls for just one note per measure and I jump in too soon sometimes.

Very, very cool.  Sarah is learning guitar, so when she has her chords down - we will make it a trio.

In a few minutes I will be off to a 2 hour seat in the front row at the dentist office - oh joy.  The only person in the universe that probably won't help me bemoan my fate is my brother-n-law Peter who is enduring ten times that with his own dental issues.

Note to self: send salt-water Taffy (they live on a boat in S.F. Bay half the time) to him as a get-well gift.  If his jaw isn't wired shut - he just may crack a little smile.

rlw

SUNRISE - February 1, 2011

February 1, 2011 Sunrise 7:11 am

“Man has always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much...the wheel, New York, wars and so on...while all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time.

But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man...for precisely the same reason.” - Douglas Adams

Just got back from my electric bass lesson.  We are getting ready for my recital in April...Narrowing my set down to three songs.  Probably open with "Some Kind of Wonderful", followed by "House of the Rising Sun" and end with "I - IV - V Blues in A"-our version rocks starts slow and picks up speed. 

I figuratively float out of my guitar session.  I love it.  My teacher is instructing another student (a 37 year old pharmacist) on the same songs as  a drummer.  My teacher and his brother will play lead and rhythm guitars.


I had a good time tonight.  I had a really, really good time. I was a dolphin tonight.

Edie Brickell - Good Times, Bad Times

SUNRISE - January 26, 2011

January 27, 2011 - Sunrise 7:16 am

“No use thinking of the past for its gone, don't think of the future because it has to come, think of the present because that’s where you are”.   - Kazi Shams

Very foggy and cold this morning.  Has been this way all week.

I actually had a preliminary conversation about retiring today at my work.  Although it is a long way off: 2012 or 2013, it is yet another time capsule measurement.  Since I wish to maximize my retirement, I will need to finish the work years strong.  Added motivation for maximum income.

Started practicing tonight on my song set for my rock debut in April… will be the best three of these five songs:

“Smoke on the Water” -  Deep Purple

“I - IV - V in A – Blues ”  Traditional Blues Riff  (My favorite)

“Midnight Hour”   - Wilson Picket

“Baby, Please Don’t Go”  - Van Morrison

“House of the Rising Sun”  - Animals

Three months out and I NEED MORE TIME!! – HA.  Practice - Practice - Practice

“Use the present wisely; the future will get here soon enough.”  R.L. Welton

rlw