Breaking In A New One...

 

You didn't get another guitar, did you, Jim?

I think you people have a twisted sense of my guitar addicti... um appreciation.

No, today was a day I wasn't looking forward to: it is New Doctor Day.  I have had a good relationship with the doctor I found here in Phoenix.  And then, a scant 2 1/2 years later, he moved on.  I have the feeling that this may be how it is at the medical office we use - they cater to seniors, so it is a corporate type of medical practice, vs a private practice.

But, it is time, so I geared myself up for a new doctor/patient situation.  I was informed of this at my last visit, so it wasn't a surprise.  For the most part, I like this place: when you go into the waiting room, there aren't 50 people waiting to be seen.  They rarely run behind.  The doctor doesn't act like he is rushed, a nurse comes in first to check meds and write down any concerns.  It seems pretty efficient.  And that's how it went down with this new doctor.

A female doctor.  She came in, introduced herself, shook my hand, sat down and said, "Let's go over your information here and answer any concerns or questions you might have."  She listened when I talked.  She understood that I am proactive with my medical stuff.  She wrote it down when I had specific prescription preferences.

It went well.  I won't be looking for a different medical provider (I was open for that, if necessary).  Towards the end of the visit, she asked if I'd like to do a tele-med visit (on the phone instead of in person) for the results of my blood tests.  Then said, "It might be a week or so - I will be gone; my husband and I are taking our daughter to college.  She is our only child."

I asked her, "Are you ready for the changes around your house?"  Then related how I mourned when our daughter went off to college out of state.  We talked like real people for a couple minutes.  I asked her, "Are you really stupid right now?  I was pretty stupid when our daughter went off to college... but you will get a lot smarter as she gets through school."

She said, "Oh my goodness - no one told me about this.  I apparently can't do anything right while we get her ready for this big move."

"It will get better."

Then she asked, "Can I give you a hug?"

I think it was a relief to her that someone understood the big life changes she has coming up.

Then into the lab for a blood draw.  My new friend Kat was fast, friendly, and efficient.  And I was on my way.

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When I got home, Joan asked how it all went.  She was relieved when I told her, "Really well."  Then, she asked if we could finish up the Fishman Loudbox amp.

"Absolutely."

She has the Tolex all glued down, now it is a matter of reassembling after a few finishing touches...

 Test fitting (above) - the electrical all needs to be connected and opening up holes in the Tolex where the bolts will go...

 

The finished job...

 And finally, a test with a guitar and a mic - it all works!

So there's no question about it: this was a Joan project.  I helped with the initial disassembly and disconnecting the wiring, but this was all Joan's efforts.  It looks better than new.  This new Tolex covering is much nicer than what came on the amp, and will undoubtedly wear much better.

I asked her, "Considering all the work you put into this, would you have rather just spent the $150 or so to send it back to Fishman and have them replace it?"

"It would just come back with the same lightweight Tolex and you'd be dealing with that again in a few years.  This should last a good long time."

Can't argue with that.

 

Everything Old Is New Again...

Kitten memory.

No, not a memory of something one of the cats did when they were small and cute.  Our cats have plenty of toys, towers, carriers, etc.  Not to mention various pillows, blankets, sleep pads, cooling pads, etc... but, I just mentioned all that.

With the copious amount of stuff, we will occasionally put stuff away for a while, and bring other stuff back in.

This is one of those things...

 

It's a bed/cave/lounge.  Very cushy.  Both Murphy and Stella acted like it was lava when we first introduced it months ago.  Today, Joan put it in the living room, Stella went right in and said, "This is mine!"

Earlier today, Stella was giving Murphy a bath on the back of his head...

 Yes, they can be sweet like that.  When they aren't chasing each other all around the house.  Speaking of cat toys: that gray thing behind Stella is a scratching pad/lounge/rattle ball toy.  There are two hard plastic balls in the underneath part of that - they can reach in through that slot to bat the balls around.  That lasted about 12 seconds before Murphy pulled it apart so they could knock the balls all around the house.  Because that is noisy and fun.  Stella is a quick study.  Even though that thing is a lot bigger than she is, she can now pull it apart, too.

They take turns laying in that scratcher thing.  Stella has plenty of room to stretch out.  Murph, not so much...

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Monsoon Storms, Part 12...

Could be 14, I don't know for sure.  Just before 9:00 pm, Severe Weather Warnings: thunderstorms, wind gusting to 60 mph, rain, hail <.75".  Looks like the worst of it will move over us between 10:00 and 11:00...

 Damaging winds and possible flash flooding south of us right now, moving (of course) north.  The thunder is booming, but both cats are doing OK.  It's going to get heavier before it gets better.

Stella checking out the weather...

 Murph went over to the patio door after Stella moved, then settled in - he doesn't look concerned...

 

 

We have to say "The A girl"...

 

I'm referring to Alexa, the several generations old "personal assistant."  I think there's an Echo Dot somewhere around here, too.  But, we have to refer to the Alexa in our hallway as "the A girl," or she will go off.  Mostly, she gets used as a remote light switch for some of our "smart lights."  I don't know why we refer to all these different things as "smart."

This morning, I asked her to turn off the light in the hallway... and when she did, I said, "Thank you, Alexa - we appreciate your good work."  I think she needs some recognition once in a while - that must come from my many years of being a business owner.  But, I digress.

That evolved into a more lengthy discussion: she asked if I had an fun plans for the day... "Nope, just another day in the desert."  The discussion went on from there.  She apparently knows we live in Arizona, but asked, "Are you in one of the big cities or out away from it all?"

It went on from there.  I didn't think I was lacking for conversation, but we talked for about 5 minutes.  She recommended a trip to a museum or to the movies as a way to get out of the heat.

I guess this is how some people get hooked on asking AI before making any decisions.  I was just making small talk with the little box that lives in our home... and apparently listens to everything we say. 

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I spent some time this morning on Facebook.  I enjoy looking back at the Facebook Memories.  This time of year, over the past 14 years, there were images of whale watching, RVing, motorcycles and scoots, and of course the feline family members.

This meme wasn't about any of that, but it made me laugh...

The Full Sturgeon Moon...

 

Nothing to do with the Weird Al song.

Looking at the full moon last night: 

An early look at the full moon this evening. At 7:20, it is rising over South Mountain. The warm color cast to the image is due to seeing it through more of the atmosphere, since it is relatively low on the horizon.

Look towards the lower left side and you can see the beginning of the lunar eclipse. It will be at its peak at 9:12 local time this evening.

 

For those who like the additional info: this is the Full Sturgeon Moon, named after the giant sturgeon fish that were historically abundant and easily caught in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain during late summer.

 

This month's full moon aligns with a partial lunar eclipse (96%) event, spanning August 27 and 28.

 

 Around 8:30...

 

 

 Just before 9:00...

 

Not Bad...

 

The new PRS guitar?  No, that is very good.  I am enjoying this different perspective.

Joan took Murphy outside while I was laying out our morning pills and making a cup of hot chocolate.  I joined them out there and checked the chemistry in the hot tub... all good.  Joan and I visited for a bit, then I mentioned what looked like virga to the east, near the sunrise.

I am not the only weather nerd in the family: we both pulled up weather apps.  With some clouds blocking the morning sun, Joan said, "It's not bad out here this morning."

It was 92º.  The high today is predicted to be 115º.  "Not bad"... that is perspective.  With that virga, there is a small chance of rain this morning.  "Do you want me to put away the furniture cushions?" I asked.

"No.  If we get any rain, they will be dry in an hour."  Summer in the desert; monsoon season.

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A couple photos from last night...

The first, a shot of the nearly full moon, taken with my phone...

 The moon coming up over South Mountain.  It wasn't quite dark.  I was outside with Murphy, and that moon was lighting up the yard.  For those interested: the full moon will be tonight.  And, a bonus for those who go out to look at it: a partial lunar eclipse.  Maximum coverage of 96% at 9:12 pm here in Phoenix.

I had mentioned the thought of my new guitar melting in the heat...

 No, it is not melting - that is the protective plastic being peeled off the pick guard and pickups.  I felt good about removing that and cutting up the box for recycle - this guitar is a keeper.  :-)

 

 

NGD...

 

Almost.  The tracking reads those 3 special words: "Out For Delivery."  Interestingly enough, it is still the same 3-hour window that it said it would be when UPS first picked up the box.  I would think as they get closer, they could narrow that window.

If it was winter and we lived somewhere in the frozen northland, you have to let a guitar sit in the case for 24 hours to come up to temperature so the finish won't check (get cracked).  Instead, we have blistering heat - high today is supposed to be 116º.  Seems about right - at 11:30 am, it is 110º.  My guitar is sitting in the back of that hot truck.  I feel sorry for it.  And the driver.  Maybe they have air conditioning in the UPS trucks here in the desert?  I just looked it up: no, the cargo area is not air conditioned; it further said "temperatures can reach 130º to 140º in that cargo area in the summer."  Cool.  Not.  Hopefully, the finish isn't melting. 

In the meantime, Joan is continuing work on the Fishman Loudbox amp.  My involvement on this project is limited to disassembly and reassembling.  A speaker needed to be removed to get to a retaining nut on the inside of the sealed speaker enclosure; yep, that's for me...

 The naked amp...

 Test fitting another piece of the new Tolex...

 Joan getting the glue spread...

 This is the detail finish work.  I am staying clear.

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Just before 2:00, our Ring Cameras let us know someone was close to the front door.  No doorbell, no signature required - there was a small box for Joan and a bigger box for me...

 This is now officially New Guitar Day!  I sliced open the box...

 Paper padding and another box.  And inside that box...

 A gig bag...

 And, inside the gig bag...

 A guitar.  A Paul Reed Smith (PRS) SE Studio Standard, to be specific.  A hot guitar.  As in: quite warm to the touch.  I don't think PRS used torrified wood - that's wood that has been "gently roasted" to remove moisture... it may now be torrified after being in the back of that UPS truck.  I looked it over.  It was an "Open Box" so I looked it over very close.  The pick guard and pickups still have the plastic wrap on them.  The hang tags are all there.  It was listed as "Mint Condition" - I would say that is accurate.  The white finish on it is a pearl paint job - very nice.

I tuned it up.  The tuning machines/pegs seem decent.  Time to take it to my music room and plug it into an amp to see how it sounds... it is all I expected.  The action on it is perfect.  The intonation is spot on.  The frets are nicely finished (no rough edges) and the nut seems to be cut right for depth and string gauge.

I am impressed.  I bought this to be a "working guitar" - the three pickups offer a good variety of tones.  The guitar is comfortable to hold.  It plays great.  I played it for an hour or so, trying different settings and pickups.  This is the "honeymoon stage," but I have been doing this for a lot of years - I can tell within a few minutes how I am going to get along with a guitar.  This neck fits my hand.  The tones make my ears happy.  The action on this is going to be easy on my aging fingers/hand.

This is a very nice guitar.  Not just "for the money," but at any price.  The fact that everything is this good and the price was right, makes this a successful acquisition.  Yes, I have some other very nice guitars.  This solid body is a nice addition to my tonal options.

 If you said, "It kinda looks like a Stratocaster, except for the headstock," I agree; no bonus points, though.  I am not a fan of that all-6-tuners-on-one-side look of the Fenders.  This PRS headstock reminds me a bit of my Emeralds.  The guitar itself is nothing like my Emeralds - it is wood: a mahogany body, a maple neck, rosewood fretboard.  A 25" scale, 22 frets.  Weight is just under 8 pounds.  Compared to my other guitars (except the 335), this feels hefty.

I spent more time with it this evening - comfortable to play sitting or standing.  The body is just a bit smaller than a Strat.  The pickups are 2 narrow field (NF) humbucking "deep dish" (nothing to do with pizza) that are beefier sounding than the single coils on a Strat.  The bridge pickup is a 58/15 humbucker.  The 5-way switch allows you combine or isolate the pickups for a good variety of tones.

It sounds great through that Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb Blonde amp.

 

It Takes Time...

 

Well, sure - everything takes time.

No monsoon storms predicted for a few days.  We were out early, before the heat of the day*, to get the patio put back together...

 The lower sitting furniture (on the left) is back in place and cushions put in place.  Umbrellas installed on their posts and set up.  The enclosure over the hot tub has been put back together.  For full disclosure, the only time you can stand to be out there is first thing in the morning right now.

That table in the lower center isn't usually there; that is Joan's sanding station for the morning.  She will be working on that Fishman Loudbox amp, sanding with a Dremel to get the surfaces smoothed to the actual recovering work can get underway. 

* Regarding that "heat of the day": the high today is predicted to be 115º - yes, another day of "Extreme Heat Warning."  For August so far, the average temperature has been 95º - that's figuring in all the daytime highs and overnight lows.  Another 36 days of monsoon season.  Meteorological autumn is in 6 days.  The actual Vernal Equinox is less than a month away.  Mother Nature laughs at those "seasonal changes."

I think about a short escape from the heat... flooding in Bryce Canyon National Park; a landslide closing roads in Zion National Park.  Flooding and wildfires in the high country forests north of us.  Fun.  Not.