I Pity the Fool...

 

If you said, Mr T, made famous in the Rocky film as Clubber Lang and on the TV series The A Team," you get 10 bonus points.

Yes, today is April Fools - no prank planned for the blog today.  I was going to get a photo of the full moon last night (the Pink Moon), but Mother Nature had other plans: solid overcast.  The actual peak of the full moon happens at 7:12 pm today, but it would have looked full last night and will be full tonight.  Maybe the sky will clear by then.

It might seem like a prank, but there is more HOA board crap happening.  "I thought you were done with that, Jim?"  You thought correctly.  Until the board meeting Friday night at 7:00.  Friday at 7:00?  Do you think they were trying to make sure homeowners attend?  The main purpose of the meeting was for the board to elect officers.

Here is from a draft I prepared for a post on Monday, but didn't post it...

The problem is the same woman who made things miserable for the board last year.  She is a lawyer and will tell you that at every opportunity.  And how she went to one of the best law schools in the country.  And how she works 60 to 80 hours a week.  Nobody cares.

And now that people have seen the disruption this woman causes, it is apparent that it wasn't "the previous board" that was the problem.  It is that one person.  The same person who didn't turn in minutes, as her only job as secretary.  And fought me at every meeting when I publicly asked when we could expect the minutes.  The same woman who turns in her neighbors for what she perceives as CC&R violations.  The same woman who publicly complains about the landscaping company, and people who park on the street instead of using their driveway.  The same woman who said in a board meeting that "the board has the right to look inside people's garages" (to make sure that they are parking cars in there and not using them for storage).  The same woman who did not attend board training or committee training.  The same woman who actually voted on less than 10% of the Architectural Committee submissions... because she is "so busy," and then lied about that by saying I banned her from voting.

The new board met for the first time last Friday.  It was very apparent that they met in violation of Arizona Open Meeting Laws ahead of time and had rehearsed who they were going to nominate for president.  That person is another know-it-all and the husband of the other woman on the board last who was such a pain last year.  ("I've owned 19 homes and been the president of the HOA for all of them, and I know more about this stuff than any of you... blah, blah, blah.")  Yes, he was elected because we had 5 candidates for 4 board openings.

Fortunately, 3 of the new board members didn't follow the script, and elected someone else to be president; leaving the lawyer woman and the know-it-all pissed.  The lawyer woman demeaned the education and qualifications of the new president.  The few homeowners who were on the zoom meeting were not happy with the two trouble-makers.  When questioned about her past lack of performance, the lawyer woman lied and said, "Jim banned me from voting." During that meeting.  Lied right to their faces.

Now, I was pissed.  But, there was no way to comment during the meeting - no Open Comment portion.  But, since I am no longer on the board, I could take to Facebook to defend against the lie... and there are more people on that neighborhood Facebook group than then 27 people who were on the Zoom meeting.  The meeting ended abruptly, without finishing what was on the agenda.

Unfortunately, not a good first showing for the new board.  And they are aware.  There is a ground swell rising up against the lawyer woman.  Public calls for her to resign.  I can't imagine she would do that.  After all, (she thinks) she knows better than everyone else.  More drama.

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 Have you checked your Aura?

Jim, are you getting all new-age on us?  No, but thanks for asking.  I have made some changes in my music gear over the past year or so, including the addition of another acoustic amp and an electric amp.  Totally different tones.  I have also been reworking my pedal board, but considering usage based on electric and acoustic guitars.  Two of my guitars are hybrids: the Emerald Virtuo and the Taylor T5.  Both have electric pickups and piezo pickups (which are most often found on acoustic guitars).

I'm a bit torn: I like the way my electric guitars play, and the great variety of tones available, especially when using the Mooer GE150 effects pedal.  I love the tone of my acoustic guitars.  I've been doing some research to determine how to enhance that acoustic tone and how to get it to reproduce faithfully when amplified.  That research kept leading me to a pedal: the Fishman Aura Spectrum DI.  Fishman is a well-known name in acoustic amplification and pickups.

The Aura pedal is a bit pricey.  I looked for used.  I could get it used for $100 to $200 less than the price of new.  I had kinda settled in on one being sold by Musician's Friend/Guitar Center.  And then one popped up today at an even better price, in better condition, and includes the original box.

 It should be here in a week or so.

 

 

Sounds of Silence...

 

If you said, "Simon & Garfunkel, 1964," you get 5 bonus points.  Only 5??  This one may be the easiest music trivia question ever asked on this blog.

This silence was unusual for me.  A month or so ago, what got spilled into the phone charger that sits by my chair in the living room... it was only a matter of time that it was going to die.  Surprisingly, it held in there for this past month.  Until last night.  When I got up this morning, my phone was at 18%.  I checked the charger: the AirPods part of it was working fine; the adjustable light on it was equally fine; the most important part - the phone charger - wasn't charging.  I put my phone on a charger in the kitchen and moved on with my morning routine.

When it came time to take Murphy outside, I usually grab my phone and listen to podcasts or YouTube videos about RVs, electronic devices, bikes, or whatever else interests me at the moment.  Once in a while, I'll pull up the Hulu app to watch one of our local TV news shows.  I left the phone inside to be charged.

The wind is down today, so I put up a couple umbrellas to provide shade to the patio area.  Then sat down to keep an eye on Murphy.  Without a phone to provide sound, I was more aware of the sounds on the patio.  Mostly birds.  The occasional sound of a jet on approach to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.  There is also a small private airstrip community a mile or so from our house - no activity there this morning.

Speaking of aircraft activity: people in the northeast part of the Valley are up in arms that an airport in that area is seeing increased activity due to flight training being done there.  They built homes near an airport and are up in arms that there is airplane "noise."  Joan and I both appreciate "airplane noise" - probably due the time we owned airplanes.  I like the sound of different general aviation airplanes - I can tell the difference between a Lake Amphibian and a V-Tail Bonanza climbing out at the nearby private airstrip.  The airline activity on approach or departure from Sky Harbor is high enough that it is background sound.  Not intrusive at all.

But, this morning was different.  Almost "forced silence" since I left my phone inside to get charged.  Like most people these days, my phone is with me almost all the time.  Except overnight, where our phones stay in the living room.  I guess I feel the need for something to fill that silence most of the time.  But this morning, it was me, Murphy, and the birds.  No traffic sounds.  No construction sounds.  No YouTube telling me why I need this latest camera.  This ain't natural.  ;-)

 

Everyone Knows It's Windy...

 

If you said, "A line from the song Windy, by the Association, 1967," you get 15 bonus points.  If you said, "Another weather report?" you are right, but no bonus points.  A rare windy day here, with winds ESE @ 16 gusting to 30.  That makes for a lot of dirt in the air - the sunrise this morning wasn't particularly colorful, thanks to the blowing dirt...

 Shot with my phone.  Which meant I was the one who got to take Murphy outside first thing this morning.  First time in a couple days.  That's because I was up and Joan seems to be coming down with the same thing I have.

We were supposed to go to a ballgame this afternoon, between the Firefighters and the Texas Tailgaters - two teams in the Savannah Bananas Banana Ball League.  Steph got tickets for us - we let her know two days ago that I wasn't going to be feeling up to it... a really wise decision, considering the blowing dirt and the fact that I still feel like crap.

I did, however, get out of the house for a very short outing.  Joan was feeling like In & Out Burger for lunch, so I made a run to get it.  I know - life in the fast lane.  Well, the drive-up lane.  That was it - neither of us felt up to much else.

On the bright side: kitties...

 They are a definite bright spot.

Just Like Me...

 

 If you said, "Paul Revere & the Raiders, 1966," you get 15 bonus points.  If you asked, "What is like you?" I'm going to talk about the weather.

The high yesterday was 102º.  Apparently, that was my high temperature for the day, as well.  So, yeah, not a cold.  The flu?  Maybe.  There is some other crud going around and this may be in that "other crud" category.  Whatever it is, I am not a fan.  Zero stars - would not recommend.

I tend to get a bit goofy when I run a temperature... you're probably thinking "How would you know the difference?"  That's fair.  The worst symptom is it messes with my equilibrium, so I'm a bit less than steady on my feet.  Joan has been good support.  Literally, as in helping me walk; well, letting me lean on her when there isn't a countertop or wall close by.

It seems like this has been going on for a long time.  It's been two days.  Whatever it is, I hope it goes away as fast as it came on.  Seems like Joan and I have been trading some kind of infirmity back and forth since the first of the year.

 

Again??

 

I woke up this morning with a gawd-awful head cold.  No, I have no idea where it came from - somebody must have breathed on me.  And I was together with my music guys yesterday, and I, no doubt, breathed on somebody.  But, I felt fine yesterday.  This came on fast. 

 

While Joan ran to the store this morning (she drove, she didn't run - we don't run), I went back to bed.  About 5 minutes in, little Stella jumped up on the bed and walked on me, moving up from my legs to my back.  She weighs about the same as... air.  I barely felt her.  I poked my nose out from under the covers, and she came up and touched her nose against mine.  I love that.  And this was all her doing it.  No, Murphy does not do that - he likes being petted and will lay right next to you, but not on you, and no face-touching-face stuff.  I also loved it when Rufus would headbutt me me... although at times it was like getting punched in the jaw.  I digressed again.

Murphy apparently heard me tell Stella how sweet she is; came running and hopped up on the bed.  Murphy laying beside me, Stella laying on me... it was nice.  For almost 17 seconds.  When it once again turned into Thursday Morning Smackdown.

While trying to get them to break it up, my phone rang.  And I think we all know that cell phone ringing is the number one killer of cats.  Apparently, they thought so, and took off running.  It was my buddy Ron - he had some questions about band stuff.  I tried to have some answers... I went to my music room to pull some charts off the iPad and forward them to him.  Did my best to answer a few more questions.

So... I'm up now.  That's OK, it's time for some more cold meds - over the counter, so they probably don't do anything except make you feel like you are doing something.  Hopefully, this one won't hang on like that last crud from a month or so ago.

 

I got the music in me...

 

If you said, "The Kiki Dee Band, 1974," you get 25 bonus points.

I've had a lot of music going on the past week.  A week ago, it was music with the Hip Replacements at Mark's.  Then, Friday with Allan's group (totally different guys, different music).  Over the weekend and into Monday, I was restructuring my pedal board, working it around a different vocal harmonizer - I don't use that as much with Mark and the guys because we have either 4 or 5 vocalists, depending on the grouping.  Let me explain that...

Mark and I have played together in various bands since we were 15 years old.  About 10 years ago, he and I started making music again while Joan and I were spending a couple months each winter in Arizona.  Mark started volunteering at MIM (the world close Musical Instrument Museum) and met other people with similar interests.  That group grew into a collection of 5 guitar players; 6 when I would be in Arizona.  A friend of Mark's (an in-law of his sister's) from Iowa became the 7th.  We get together once every two weeks or so for the fun of it.

 

fA "sub-set" of that group is the Hip Replacements...

 We play out on occasion.  That is Ron on the left (percussion, guitar, mandolin, vocals), me (guitar and vocals), Mark (guitar and vocals), and Podge (bass and vocals).  Podge came to that group from another group that Mark was occasionally playing with - are you keeping track here?

The Hips rehearsed at Ron's house yesterday for an upcoming gig, learning a couple new songs.  And not today, it is the big group again at Mark's house.  That's 4 rehearsals or jams, plus the playing and vocals I did at home while dialing in the pedalboard.  That's a lot of playing and singing for these old fingers and vocal cords.  I feel it this morning.

There are ebbs and flows with the frequency of these get-togethers.  Last year, into November and early December, it seemed to be a lot.  Then, some time off around the holidays.  It is building up again right now, but will drop off during the summer, when the different players tend to get away from the desert heat.  I'm hoping to be a part of that "escaping" for some of this upcoming summer, considering the record-breaking heat we've already been experiencing here.  But, that's a whole 'nuther topic. 

Craw...

 

Yes, I am talking about gas prices again.  It is something that really sticks in my craw... and I'm not sure I even have a craw. 

Here's a definition: "Stick in the craw" (or "stick in one's craw") means to cause lasting bitterness, resentment, or annoyance. It describes something—a remark, event, or situation—that is difficult to accept, tolerate, or swallow because it feels wrong or unfair."

We are involved in an undeclared war (some call it a "war of choice") that will upend the global economy.  The President is saying that oil prices will "drop like a rock if Iran accepts the deal."  The deal?  This isn't a buying decision.  This whole situation is bazarre - the US thinks Putin is evil because he is bombing a sovereign nation, but we stand by while this US President does the same thing.

Politics aside, the price of gas nationwide has gone up 97¢ per gallon in the past month.  The price of gas in the Phoenix area has gone up $1.37 in the same time.  So, not are we higher to start with, the increase is even more.  The average price for a gallon of gas in the US is now $3.95, as reported by one of the networks this morning.  The gas station closest to us was $4.99 yesterday.

My scooter peeps are thinking this will be a turn-around for the downturn in scooter sales.  A typical 150cc scooter will get around 100 mpg.  Others in that group think that more people will turn to e-bikes rather than anything that uses gas.

My RV people are saying they are re-thinking plans for upcoming trips.  Class B RVs like our RoadTrek have been in a downturn for sales.  Some are thinking this current gas price situation may make some people think about trading in their bigger RVs that get 6 to 8 mpg for a Class B that gets 16 to 18 mpg.

Me?  I just lament for what this situation will do to the US and global economies.  Expect your dollar to buy less as the cost of everything increases.  Expect the stock market, which has been relying on consumer spending, to suffer.

I may need to get a bigger craw.