Murphy and I were out on our early evening walk around the yard, just before sunset. He likes to get a walk in just before mealtime.
Well, since Joan was out in the yard much of the day, Murphy got to spend a good deal of time out there with her.
While Murph and I were walking, he saw his shadow...
I'm letting him go with that. If he shows up with a cool Batmobile, maybe he'll take me for a ride!
I think I may have misunderstood the assignment. Apparently, we are not bringing in a wayward woman to teach her how to behave in polite society?!
And, what do you know about how to behave in polite society, Jim? Very little, but thanks for asking. Um... don't do the "Pull my finger" bit. And a couple other things. But, I digress.
What I heard was: "We have some whore to culture things to do today." In actuality, it is: horticulture. Something to do with plants and stuff. So, not the same thing. I'm sure you can see my confusion.
For the last year, Joan has been tending to a bunch of desert plants. Not the flowering, bushy things that are in our front yard, thanks to the irrigation lines. Oh, Joan waters these things as needed, but they mostly seem like plants that will try to hurt you if you get too close. Her plan is: move them from pots in our courtyard out into the front side yard that is all gravel. Joan has arranged for a landscape guy to do this transplanting. And, yes, we did submit our plans to the Architectural Committee for approval. (Just got the "approved" letter yesterday evening.)
First order of business: put Murphy in his catio, since the gate is going to be open...
--------
A bit of sadness in the house this morning: Steph and Dan are taking Rubina to California, where they will be met by "The Puppy Truck", a truck and 5th wheel that will be taking dogs back to the main campus of Guide Dogs for the Blind. Rubina will be starting her next phase of training.
This is tough for them to say good-bye, but I equate it with your kid graduating from high school and then heads off to college. Well, without the tuition and other expenses. The emotions are mixed, but you have high hopes and pride for the difference they will make in the world. All the time and work you put into them will hopefully guide them. Yeah, pretty similar. And I still remember that feeling of my heart being yanked out... I feel for Steph and Dan.
They will be taking Rubina in their car. Overnight near the transfer point, then Rubina will take that ride with a group of other dogs about to take this next step, on to the Guide Dogs campus.
There may be some young puppies that will be riding back to Phoenix with them tomorrow.
In the meantime, I am in charge of the grand-kitties. Feeding, petting, snacks, more petting. Steph says it sets her at ease knowing I will take good care of her fur-babies. I think she just likes the fact that I send her photos of their kitties while in my care. This evening, we will probably take Murphy with us to their house and make sure everyone gets some people/kitty time.
No photos for their departure today... I got a bit misty-eyed. I have enjoyed Rubina, but I know this is a tough good-bye for Steph and Dan.
--------
Crank it up!
The patio umbrellas? Well, yeah - Joan was working out there with her plants, so I brought lunch: Mod Pizza. When I got back with the pizzas (hey, they are kinda small), she had soda poured and out on our patio tall table. Lunch under the umbrellas, lovely weather. We're enjoying it while we can - it is supposed to be in the upper 90s by next Thursday.
After lunch, I went into my music room and fired up the Marshall amp, plugged in my pedal board, and tried the set-up with a half dozen different guitars. Yes, my fingers are a bit sore (and there will be more playing tomorrow), but my ears are happy. I am feeling really good with this purchase.
--------
Desert Plant Wrap-Up...
The guy Joan had arranged to do the re-planting of the plants showed up. Scheduled for 3:00, he was here about 3:30 (ish). With a helper. Joan went over what plants she wanted and where, confirmed the price (after some discussion) and the guys went to work. The ground is hard - glad it was them digging the holes and not me... or Joan and me. They had it done in a bit over an hour, smoothed out all the gravel, and it looks like the plants belong there...
Definition: A personally owned automobile driven on a frequent basis for standard and mundane tasks. Alternate term: a grocery getter.
Wow, those make it sound boring. I've heard some motorcycle/scooter folks who have multiple bikes refer to the one they use most often to commute as the above definitions.
It works with other vehicles, too. If I had a better option for parking on our property, the van would be my daily driver. We do take it out when going further than to our local Fry's... like today, when we made a run to Sam's.
--------
I mentioned the Marshall amp I bought online. It was scheduled to arrive today "between 1:00 and 5:00 pm." Close. It showed up around 5:20. It was well-packed, wrapped in about 40' of bubble wrap. Good thing, because the UPS driver plopped it off the two-wheel cart like it was a bag of potting soil.
Joan and I worked together to unroll and roll all the bubble wrap. And there it is - it is used, but looks to be in excellent condition. Digging further into the box, I expected to find a foot-switch pedal (to run the boost and an effects loop)... nope - no pedal.
I called the GuitarCenter.com number - they are actually quite efficient there: they knew who I was and that my amp had just been delivered. I explained the situation with no pedal and Ben (the guy at the other end of the conversation) said, "Let me give you the phone number from the store that sent that out - if they still have the pedal, they'll get it sent out to you."
"IF??" I called the store and didn't get an answer. I called back to the GC online number and got someone else besides Ben. This guy said, "I have your order pulled up and there is definitely supposed to be a pedal with that amp - it's right in the photo. I will contact the store and have them get it sent out to you." That's more satisfying than the "IF" from Ben.
I tried the store number again, someone answered, was very efficient, also, and said, "Let me get a manager for you - we'll get you taken care of." The manager came on, knew what was going on, and said, "Let me go down to the floor; can you hold for a minute or two?" Yep. She came back on, said, "I have your pedal in my hand, and we will get it over-night shipped to you, going out tomorrow. I'll e-mail you a tracking number."
People say a lot of crap about Guitar Center (OK, I have been one of those people), but they took care of me with this situation. I can see how the pedal could get moved from one amp to another and missed. But, they are making it right.
So, how's the amp? Thanks for asking. After getting off the phone, I plugged it in, grabbed my Virtuo (the reason I bought this amp), plugged it in and... it sounds great! I didn't crank it up much, but I could get everything from a delightful clean sound to some nice "crunch" (what Marshall amps are known for). It doesn't hurt that the Virtuo is designed to be a very versatile guitar.
Next up: I plugged my Emerald X10 into the Marshall. The X10 is an acoustic guitar that just happens to have an electric humbucking pickup and individual piezo pickup on each string. Generally speaking, acoustic guitars don't sound great in amps designed for electric guitars (that's why they invented acoustic amps). It took a few adjustments on the tone controls, but I can get a nice tone with this guitar, too. Winning!
This is the same model amp I used at my friend Allan's place, and those guys play loud. This little amp isn't going to fill a stadium with volume... I have majorly cut back on my stadium gigs, so it should be perfect for the playing I'm doing with my music buddies and give me that rich tube sound for recording. I'm looking forward to running it through its paces.
Joan reminded me: "Don't wear your fingers out tonight and tomorrow - you have about 3 hours of playing out to do on Saturday evening." She didn't seem overly concerned about that when I was playing for her and Murphy this morning. ;-)
I got together with Mark and the guys yesterday - a rehearsal more than a jam. I call this group The Brothers MIM, since volunteering at the Musical Instrument Museum is how they came together. Mark and I were playing together (sporadically) for years before that, when Joan and I would spend time in Arizona. And when Mark and I were in high school and college in our younger years. History.
We are scheduled to be playing out at a private party on Saturday. At Ron's house. The plan: The Brothers MIM will do a set, the Hip Replacements (Mark, Ron, Tom, and me) will do a set, then the big group for one more set. I think everyone is looking forward to it.
With 7 of us currently in the big group, it can be a bit like herding cats. We all work with our song charts on iPads, so it is mostly a matter of getting everyone to stop "noodling" on their guitars between songs so we can get the intended song started. Not sure when that became a thing, but it is a time-wasting habit, especially when the plan is to run through two sets worth of songs. Yesterday, I just sat back and watched while this was going on... I was determined to just have some fun.
A photo of 6 of us from a couple years ago...
What about these other guys you've played with a couple times? Thanks for asking. That is easy: I bring in a guitar... plug in and start playing. They have a well-equipped studio area in one guy's house, where everything stays set up. There are guitars, basses, drums, keyboards, and a PA... all set up. They even have a mic and stand ready for each of us. When we got together last Friday, I put an amp in the car, but didn't need to take it out... Allan, the guy who hosts, said, "There's a Marshall amp there that you can use if you want." No down-side to that. I took my Virtuo (Emerald electric guitar), and was delighted with the tone I was getting from that guitar and amp combination.
It stirred my GAS (Guitar or Gear Acquisition Syndrome). I mentioned it to Joan, she got online and found some options. That particular Marshall isn't made anymore, but a Guitar Center in California had a used one; supposed to be in good condition. I ordered it on Monday, and it should be here on Thursday. Another addition to my music room. I don't often play electric guitar with the MIM guys... but, I may make some changes there. No, I am not moving on from acoustic guitars. The Virtuo is easier on my aging hands. I didn't have an amp in my collection that really does that guitar justice. We'll see if this incoming Marshall does that.
If you said, " 'Zoom Zoom' refers to both a popular video conferencing platform and a brand message ('the love of motion experienced as a child') used by Mazda, starting in 2000," you get 30 bonus points. No, we are not getting a Mazda, although the Miata is a good looking 2-seater... so, that leaves the whole Zoom Meeting thing.
Two Zoom meetings today, then the Architectural Committee should be up and running. There are 14 projects waiting for votes from the rest of the committee; I will be glad when we can move through these requests, so homeowners can get on with their projects. I remember when we first moved into this house and went through submitting requests for things we were doing to finish off our yards, like the pergola and the Tuff Shed. We had a Building Committee that we had to go through when we lived in Texas, but our builder dealt with all of that. I can appreciate the angst while a homeowner waits to see if their project is approved.
It isn't like my approach is to green-light all projects, but as long as the projects follow the Design Guidelines, they should quickly move through the process. I am sure, looking at submission dates for requests, that some of these were held, waiting for this committee to get formed.
--------
In between Zoom meetings, some time outside with the furry boy, seeing how the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 does in slow motion...
Your music buds got a new promo photo? No, but thanks for asking. And, no, I haven't gotten back into the photography biz. A few days ago, Steph asked if I'd take a photo for her and Dan with Rubina. Rubina's time with them is growing short - she has progressed in her training and is ready to go back to the Guide Dogs for the Blind campus for more specific training.
Rubina is very much a good girl; smart, well-tempered, and adaptable. She is going to make a great Guide Dog companion that will change someone's life for the better. It is not easy for Steph and Dan to give her back - she has been a part of their everyday life for months.
Hopefully, it won't be long and they will be welcoming a 3rd Guide Dog puppy into their home.
In the meantime, I got out my Sony mirrorless camera to take some photos. Steph assured me, "This isn't a big deal - you can just use a phone if you want." I have not been out of the business so long that I don't appreciate the value of an image as "memory insurance."
We took the photos in their yard. Low key in the set up and flow of the shoot.
I am getting together with my new music friends, less than 5 minutes from our house. I wrote about this a couple weeks ago - not planning to change anything with Mark and the guys, this is in addition to that music group.
I may have mentioned that these guys play loud... I'll be bringing some molded ear plugs today. And an electric guitar rather than one of my acoustic/electrics. I am the oldest one of this bunch, where I am the youngest with Mark and the guys. The song choices are very different - these guys are more about jamming and a harder sound. I was a bit out of my element two weeks ago, but I'll be better prepared today.
Joan said to me, "You should probably wear one of your guitar shirts today."
"What?"
"Well, you want to fit in." I don't give much thought to fitting in. "How about your Tommy Emmanual shirt?"
"I'm not sure these guys would know who that is." (TE is an absolute kick-ass acoustic/electric player, btw) I pulled a Gruen Guitars t-shirt out of the drawer. Gruen is one of the premier guitar shops in the United States. And, if they don't know, I'll tell 'em. ;-)
--------
Today is Friday. I get my Architectural Committee requests reminder on Fridays. One new request came in, I got that approved, and all the rest of the requests are done for me, just waiting on the other committee members to get trained. That will happen on Monday. We should be ready to roll.
I got an e-mail yesterday from one of the other HOA board members - a neighbor had contacted her to ask why her Architectural Committee submission was taking so long... I just got it a few days ago, and voted on it right away. Unfortunately, the people hadn't looked at the Design Guidelines, so the request was going to be denied. The committee has 45 days to complete a review and vote - I hope to get that down to a week or less, but this particular request was submitted about 2 weeks ago, and this committee was just formed; so it had been waiting for that to happen. Timing. I wrote to the homeowners, explained the timing and suggested they resubmit after making a couple changes. Everybody happy. For now.
