I thought this was the end...

 

A near-death experience?  Oh, hell no.  Just one of those times when you're thinking "Just kill me now."

Yeah, another HOA board meeting last night.  It was supposed to be my last one.  The management company rep asked if I'd open the annual meeting the first week of March.  The meeting where the newly elected board members take over.

So, how was the meeting last night?  Thanks for asking... same shit, different day.  Two more significant items got tabled until the next meeting (the annual meeting).  One was due to vendors not getting us bids in time.  The other due to the same board member that drove 3 of us away.

There was a greatly watered down version of a Meet the Candidates during the time scheduled for the board meeting.  A half hour that ran long.  Candidates saying they want to work together and get the community more involved (yes, some of the same people that were particularly nasty on Facebook, but have deleted those posts).  Then we still had to wade through the rest of the meeting.

And the beat goes on.

 

Sunrise, Sunset...

 

If you said, "From the Broadway musical Fiddler On the Roof, 1964; made popular by Perry Como," you get 30 bonus points.  Partial credit will be given for any of those 3 key components.

I heard from my C-Dory buddy Harvey yesterday.  We are going to get together with him and his lady friend today.  Harvey was asking me about Arizona things and commented that he was told "there are some beautiful sunrises and sunsets here."  That is a fact.  It may be because of dust in the air at the horizon, which takes away from the thought of that beauty.

This morning, while taking Murph out after his breakfast, we were treated to this...

Technically before the sunrise, but quite pretty with the clouds being lit from below.

Murphy did not enjoy the scene as much as I did - a street sweeper came through the neighborhood, and he was not a fan of that different, and loud, noise.  He wasn't any happier about it when it came back the other way just a couple minutes later.  We did get him some good walking around, after.

And speaking of cats (and I frequently am): Murphy and Stella were not wild and crazy while I was getting their breakfast ready.  I know we are not beyond Thursday Morning Smackdown (or ANY morning or evening smackdown), but I am seeing an easing of "establishing dominance" - for the record, neither is coming out the victor, and neither is giving in.

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The kitty detente lasted a couple hours.  That's kind of a big deal.  As you might expect, little Stella broke the peace...

Murphy was on the highest level, chillin.  Stella jumped to the second level (above), then stood on her back legs (she is getting long) and bit him on the neck (below)...

 To his credit, Murph pretty much ignored her and she moved on.  Not sure where Stella is, but I need to check out her whereabouts.  ;-)

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We got to see Harvey and meet his lady friend Carol today.  They made that long drive from Florence.  A nice visit!

 Harvey sent me this one that he took with the 4 of us...

 

Sweetness Alert!

 

Jim, are you being sweet again?

Well, that is my natural state, but of course, I am talking about Murphy and Stella once again.  They were pretty wound up yesterday, but by evening, they were mellowing out.  Yep, the two of them napping together on the couch...

 Joan's perspective above, mine below...

 And, the moment I didn't catch the other night: Murphy grooming Stella...

 No biting.  No wrestling.  No slap fight.  Just sweetness.

How long does it last?  Thanks for asking - the napping was over a half hour.  The grooming, about 5 minutes.  Then, they just laid there.  Until Stella gets her 12th wind (we are WAY beyond a second wind), and then it's back to chasing and stalking.  Jumping and wrestling.  Their night-time meal and Stella will go to her catio and Murphy will head to bed with us.  Quiet again.

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Yesterday late afternoon, Murphy and I were out in the yard; he walked around to Steph and Dan's patio door, and...

 The door was open and Murphy and Tango visited through the screen.  These two haven't had as much time together since we adopted Stella.  Pretty sure I could follow the conversation...

"How's it going with your new little sister?"

"Chicks, man - they be crazy."

"You need to come visit more."

"Yeah, I'm going to work on that."

 

Size Matters...

 

I don't often give a "reader warning" regarding content.  This post is all about guitars.  Well, a little bit about buying an expensive guitar without having any comprehension regarding the specifications, specifically the size and scale length of a guitar that is advertised as being a 3/4 size.

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There was some discussion on my carbon fiber guitar forum this morning, with a participant asking about a McPherson Touring (a small CF acoustic guitar) vs an Emerald X20; trying to decide which one to buy.

Those are very different guitars, especially in size.  The discussion, as usual, talked about price.  The going price on a McPherson Touring is $2999.  Someone wrote "that is a lot of money for a small guitar."  I had to dust off my soap box.

 That is the Sable on the left, the Touring on the right.  ^^

My response to that price discussion:  "That said, I appreciate smaller guitars and not just for travel. My previous generation X7 is still one of my favorites... OK, you got me, they're all my favorites. But, I like the shorter scale. And the comfort. When people say that it sounds smaller... well, yeah: physics. But I've always found my smaller guitars are enough. And when plugged in, that isn't an issue.

And while we're on the subject of smaller guitars and cost... smaller doesn't necessarily mean it costs much less to produce. The labor is the same. The things you put on/in the guitar, like tuners and pick ups, are the same. The material difference is pretty minimal. I understand why quality guitars like McPherson or Emerald cost what they do. Yet, people expect a smaller guitar to be significantly less expensive.

Two years ago, you could by a new Touring for $2699 at pretty much any dealer. Today, they all seem to be around that $2999 mark. Inflation.  And a Sable is $3799. Carbon fiber material isn't cheap, but there isn't $800 worth of materials difference in those two guitars.

We used to own a photography studio. The difference in materials cost between a 5x7 and an 8x10 was about 30¢... but people expected the cost of the 5x7 to be half that of the 8x10. Perception. A friend of mine put it this way: "If I told you I just bought a Rembrandt painting, would you ask me 'What size?'."

There is value in each size guitar. These days, my largest guitar is a Taylor 814. It gets less playing time than my other guitars. But, when I play it, I really appreciate the tone. But I pick up my X7 far more often than the 814; because it is more comfortable and I appreciate the smaller scale."

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The guy on that forum discussion received his Touring today.  He was not happy.  It was a demo (he got 10% off for that) and the strings were not in good shape (you can replace strings for $15 or less).  And, in his words: "The guitar was too small to be comfortable."  He took it back to a local Guitar Center (they accept returns from Guitar Center online purchases), and immediately ordered the larger McPherson guitar, the Sable.  I guess he didn't look at the specifications for the Touring.  Hey, it is a small guitar... but, it sounds much bigger than the size would have you believe.

I have played both of those McPherson models.  They are both very nice.  Between those two, I actually prefer the sound, feel, and playability of the smaller Touring model.  To each their own.

 

A Quiet Start To The Morning...

 

Happy Presidents Day!  I remember as a kid getting Lincoln's Birthday (Feb 12) and Washington's Birthday (Feb 22) off from school.  And, you learned something about each President when you did come back to school.  Now, it's just another "Monday off" and a reason for mattress sales.

It was a quiet start to the morning in our household.  While I was getting their breakfast ready, Murphy was sitting on the floor, watching TV.  Stella came over and sat beside him.  Nobody jumping or swatting or body slamming.  My phone (camera) was on the other side of the living room, so I couldn't get the photo.  Still, it made me smile.

After they ate, I took Murphy outside; that's part of the routine.  It was before sunrise, but the light was glowing in the southeast...

 I'd like to say it was quiet out there, but there is a townhome development being built to the east of us, about 1/4 mile away.  You hear the construction sounds while outside.  And the rooster at a nearby farm.

We walked around a bit.  Murphy wasn't ready to go back inside, but did look at Stella through the patio door...

 Chilly this morning, at 51º.  I was comfortable in a fleece jacket and a stocking cap.  A cooling trend over the next few days.

No plan for the day, other than meeting with a homeowner with questions later this afternoon.  My time on the HOA board is almost done - my last board meeting is this Thursday.  No, I won't miss it.

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Joan stacked up the big cat toys on the couch so I could vacuum.  That doesn't stop Stella from playing with them...

 So darn cute.

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No photos or video, so you'll have to trust me.  I got out on the CTX this afternoon.  It was great!  A lot of stuff working against me for getting out on that great bike this past month: and getting that gawd awful cold that messed up my lungs and equilibrium for a while was foremost.  I took the Burgman out last week, but the CTX is heavier and more powerful - I wanted to be sure I was up for it.

I don't know why I don't ride that great bike everywhere I go.  Well, probably because most of my running around these days is to music stuff, and it's hard to carry a guitar, an amp, a mic stand, a gear bag, and a comfortable stool all on a motorcycle. ;-)

But, did I mention: it's a great bike!

 

And, They're Off...

 

If you said, "What the announcer says as each horse race gets started," you get one bonus point.  "One? One stinkin' bonus point??"  Yeah - the easiest trivia question ever asked on this blog.

A short post today.  That "Peaceful, Easy Feeling" (who did that song?) from yesterday's blog with Murphy and Stella being so sweet - yeah, that didn't last into today.  More like: "Wild Thing."

If you said, "Peaceful, Easy Feeling is by the Eagles, 1972; and Wild Thing is by the Troggs, 1966," you get 4 more bonus points.

The cats are one giant ball of energy today.  Well, until they wear out...

 Little Stella napping.  She initially has more energy than Murphy, but he is bigger, stronger, and much more stamina.  

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It was just Stella in that photo above, because Murphy was in "time out."  When Joan let him out of the bedroom, he came into the living room with us.  He likes to nap on the couch, too...

 OK, that's pretty sweet, again.  You don't even see their switchblades.

 

This Is Not An Instagram Post...

 

The kitties made me gush last night...

 From my angle above, from Joan's angle below...

 Murphy and Stella together.  On one pad.  Laying next to Joan.  Peacefully.

I don't paint any "ideals" like you would see on Instagram.  Trying to wrangle these two can be like babysitting toddlers.  Toddlers with knives.  Early on, Murphy wasn't sure of this intruder.  Stella was sure that this big cat was always trying to kill her.

They went from mistrust and fear to trying to establish dominance.  Don't let their size fool you into thinking any of that was one-sided.  Murphy is much bigger and stronger.  Stella can fight like a street brawler.  It wasn't "Oh, aren't they sweet," but more like "Knock it off you two and go to your separate corners."  If they were close, somebody was swatting somebody... and getting it back.

I didn't say it out loud, but I wondered if we had the patience and stamina to handle a street-smart kitten and a young adult cat.  Then, last night, they laid side by side.  Peacefully.  For a short time, Murphy groomed Stella.  Or maybe he was just getting a taste before trying to eat her.  I hope I'm kidding.

Seriously, their "play" can get pretty rough.  That's why this peaceful moment last night gives us hope.  

This morning, they chased each other around for a bit, but not roughly.  I took Murphy outside while Stella watched from the patio door.  Back inside, they both got a Churu treat, which they ate face to face off a spatula.  Peacefully.  Neither of them is guarded about their food.  And right now, Stella is laying on that same pad on the couch, while Murphy is dozing on his Murphy chair by the patio door.

There is hope.  It has been seven weeks.  If we are going to be able to do some traveling in the RoadTrek, we have to know that these two can peacefully co-exist.  There isn't room to take a catio in the van.  And I really don't want to have to do a Jim and Murphy trip, leaving Joan and Stella at home.  Time will tell.

In the meantime, it was sweet and hopeful to see that these two can be nice together.  And, no slap-fight.