It's in!

Reminds me of the joke on the old Rosanne Show: she talked about honeymooning in the town of Izit... and she and Dan stayed at the Izit Inn.

Cut to the chase: the boat is in the water.  But, it has been a runnin' around kinda day.  No, we didn't get the run-around at the boat dealer: they took good care of us, and had our steering issue taken care of faster than we expected.

We were up early, and I got the boat ready for the road so we could be in Harlingen for our 9:00 am appointment.  It's about 45 miles away, and, as is our usual style, we were 10 minutes early.  At 9:00, I did the paperwork, and two service guys were right on it.  I was planning on changing the oil myself, but I asked, "Would you have time to get the oil changed, too?

"Yes, sir - we can do that."

While they were working on the boat, we went to the nearby Sam's Club.  Masks and gloves, and carefully staying 6' away from anyone else in the store.  I realized, this is the first time I've been in a store since we got home from Arizona.  We made a stop at the pharmacy, and stocked up on meat and wine (nothing else we needed).  Back to the Tracker dealer in Bass Pro... while we were looking at boat stuff, one of the service writers said, "Mr. Bathurst - we have your boat ready."

It had been one hour.  I appreciate the service here, because I am able to make an appointment and know they will get right on it (I always schedule a first thing in the morning time).  We pulled around to their service bay, hooked up the trailer, and made the 45 mile drive for home.

A gas war in Los Fresnos (about half way) resulted in us getting gas for $1.35/gallon.  The CR-V handles this light-weight boat, but the slab front on the boat makes for crappy mileage.

Back in Port Isabel, the install of new power poles and lines in town makes for slow going as the east-bound lanes have to merge into one... and at a place that there are no alternate back streets.  Our bridge was out while a tug and 3 barges went through.  Joan brought a cold lunch for us, in case we got held up with the boat... didn't need it there, but it hit the spot while waited the 20 minutes for the bridge.  We put the boat in the driveway, and I got it ready to launch.  We swapped the regular hitch for a stinger (gives us more reach to back the trailer into the water), hooked up the boat, and drove to the ramp.

Joan opened the gate at the ramp while I backed the boat almost in.  Our routine: I get on the boat while she backs it the rest of the way in.  I fire up the motor - test the steering (all good), and back off the trailer.  "See you at home!"  While I bring the boat around, Joan rinses the trailer, puts it in the driveway, and meets me at the dock to grab lines.  On the way from the ramp to our dock...

Unusual for me: I had butterflies in my stomach as I motored around.  I looked for dophins along the way, didn't see any.

Joan was back home faster than I could get there, so she swapped out the stinger hitch for the regular one.  I pulled up to the dock, she handled the lines on the front while I did the aft, and the boat is finally "home."

No, we didn't go for a ride.  Well, not in the boat.  In order to get our driveway back (so I can get the scoots out), the trailer needs to go back to our storage unit... which is about 6 miles from the same Sam's Club we were in this morning; different road, though.

Motorhome out, Joan swept while I backed the trailer in; she positioned the trailer while I pulled the motorhome back in.  We have this down.  Still, it takes a lot of running around.

Back towards home; even more traffic backed up thanks to the power pole construction.  By the time we pulled into the driveway, we both needed to just kick back.  Tomorrow is another day, and there may be some boating... but, today was go-go-go.  The take-away: the boat is in and ready to go.  :-)

I need to learn from Rufus: take time to chill...

He loves his "big chair."

It arrived.

The FedEx driver stopped at our driveway.  I waited for a bit for him to bring the new amp to the door, then put on some gloves and went out.  He was doing some paperwork while still in the driver's seat.  I asked if he had a package for me, and he confirmed the address.  He had a helper who was going to hand the box to me, and I said, "Just put it there on the driveway, and when you are back inside the truck, I'll get it."

"OK."

I opened the box outside, and Joan took the inner box out of that and wiped it down.  I cut open the seal and there it is... my new small amp.  It is surprisingly small... about the size of a 12-pack of soda.  Weighs about 9 pounds.

I took it into the music room and got ready to try it out.  First up: plugged in my Taylor T5, an electric guitar.  LOTS of different amp tones.  You can get some crunchy, boosted, high gain - all kinds of guitar tones, without having the volume at ear-bleeding levels!  I am impressed.

I played until my fingers were about wore out, then swapped guitars and gave it a go with my Emerald X10.  I tried acoustic and electric tones; it sounds like a dozen different amps, with effects (or without), and lots of EQ options.  I am even more impressed.

I tried a slightly crunch, bit of flanger on a reggae song... well, that was fun!  I set up my phone, plugged the Shure MV88+ that I've been using for videos and cranked this one out...

Only scratching the surface of what that amp can do.

For some size perspective, the yellow thing on the table in front of me is the amp...

Never-Never Land...

From Peter Pan, Never-Never Land was a utopian place where childhood can last forever.  In Australia the isolated outback area was known as the Never Never Land, later shortened to the Never Never.  As in: the place you never never want to go.  Perspective.

I have been waiting for a new small amp (as in: guitar amplifier) to arrive.  It has been unavailable for months, but there have recently been retailers who have gotten in a small amount and then sold out immediately.  Immediately, as in: before I could get one.  I had my name on a list to be notified when Sweetwater got them in stock.  I got the e-mail while we were traveling home.  By the time I could respond to it that evening, they were sold out.  Next anticipated shipment: mid-June.

Then, two showed up on Amazon Prime.  (Joan was checking regularly)  She grabbed one... it showed an anticipated ship date of late May.  The next day, a vendor on Amazon showed 11 of them in stock, with no delay in shipping.  She cancelled the one on Prime and ordered one from that vendor.  Tracking showed that it shipped out that same day.  FedEx Ground.

It first showed the anticipated delivery of May 1st.  Then, it showed anticipated delivery of April 27th.  On the 27th, the tracking showed that the package was somewhere between the FedEx hub near Houston and the hub in the Rio Grande Valley.  Joan said, "It isn't going to make it today."

It didn't.  It went into "Delivery Pending," with no anticipated delivery date.  Never-Never Land.  Or, perhaps "Pending-Pending Land."  Same on the 28th.

This morning: those words I love to read: "On FedEx vehicle for delivery."  Living here, one must take that with a grain of salt.  Easy enough to do since we live on an island surrounded by salt water.  An island where FedEx drivers have been known to "not able to find address"... even though the houses here are numbered sequentially.  And the numbers are shown on the signs at every intersection.  And the same driver has delivered to our house many times before.

So... we'll see.

On a side note: Joan also ordered a bag/carrying case for the amp (yes, it is small).  It arrived; didn't go into Pending-Pending Land.  Well made and looks nice.  I may soon have something to put in it.  ;-)

Love Potion...

So, you're thinking that's how I got the Blonde?  I think she was captivated with my fashion sense... well, that and the guitar playing.

Here's another "stayin' at home" music video, inspired by my tie-dye shirt - from the 60s, the song Love Potion #9, by the Searchers...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fepWQJKNHi0&feature=youtu.be

-----------------

Dude - put down the recording stuff!  It is time for my supper...

A Blast From The Past...

No, not an oldies song.  Although, most of what I enjoy playing is definitely considered "oldies."  But, this is sorta guitar related.

Today, Joan was going through some closet drawers, in search of some fabric for making a couple more masks.  It is our intent to go on with life, not in fear, but with caution.  And for the near term, that means wearing a mask if can potentially come into contact with other people.

Back to the search: while going through one drawer, she said, "Look what I found!"  I was hoping it was a bag of $100 bills.  It wasn't.  But, it was something I had asked about earlier this year, before we went to Arizona: a particular shirt.  For full disclosure, I have more t-shirts than I can wear.  Every so often, we donate a stack.  I assumed this shirt had gone away.

Do you have shirts that commemorate moments in time: a concert, a vacation to a special place, a particular guitar brand?  OK, most people don't care about a particular guitar brand, all though for the life of me, I don't get that.  But, I digress.  This shirt came from early fall 2007.  We had been cruising in the Pacific Northwest in Wild Blue (Joan, Molly the boat cat, and me).  We stopped at Ganges, a small town on Salt Spring Island in the Gulf Islands, British Columbia, Canada.  There is a justifiably famous Saturday Market that brings in a crowd: there is fresh produce, baked goods, and hand crafted items.  More than just a typical farmers' market.

I found this...

A tie-dye shirt with a guitar image!  I had to have it.  Now, regular readers here have seen me in a few tie-die shirts over the years, but I am not really a tie-dye kinda guy.  I wear them more "ironically" rather than bringing back my hippie roots from the 60s.  This was the first tie-dye shirt I ever owned... and it has a guitar on it.

Here's a look back...

Hmmm; I had dark hair back then, and more of it.  Look behind me on the dock - that is the lovely Molly looking around to see if any dock neighbors could see me in that shirt.  ;-)  Many things have changed in 13 years.  This was on page 23... of 192 pages of "The Cruising Adventures of Wild Blue and Crew" on the C-Brats.

It has been a couple years since I've seen that shirt.  It brings back some good memories... just what some of those "special shirts" are supposed to do.

:-)

The best laid plans...

I had a plan: get the boat out of storage today.  I would call it a reasonable plan.  We drove out to our storage unit, pulled the motorhome out, got the boat ready to roll, and hooked up the trailer.

A 20mph headwind on the way home.  Typical.  I filled up the gas tank on the way home, and we parked the boat in the driveway.  While Joan went in the house to fix some lunch, I started getting the boat ready to go back in the water.  I hooked the hose to the outboard flushing ears, turned on the water, and climbed up into the boat to fire it up - started right up and purred like a kitten.  Well, a really loud kitten, because the exhaust is muted by the water when the boat is in the water.  On land, it sounds more like a airplane with straight pipes.  But, the important take-away: it fired right up and ran fine.

I let it run for a while, then turned off the motor, climbed down and turned off the water.  One last thing to check: the steering.  With mechanical steering, I can generally pull the motor side to side by hand when standing by it.  It didn't budge.  I lube the steering bar once a month or so, and make sure it is turning smooth when we put the boat away.  It was.  This isn't the steering bar, so more than likely it is an issue with the SeaStar mechanical steering cable.

I guess we will find out if this is covered by our "10 year warranty".  The first the dealer can get me in is Thursday morning.  So, the dolphins will have to wait for a few days.

We did, however see a couple dolphins on our way out to our storage unit when we got stopped at the bridge to get off our island by a tug pushing 4 barges inbound for the Port of Brownsville.

The dolphins were right by that piling in the right center of the bottom photo.  No, not in that photo, but that's where we saw them.

Yeah, I miss seeing those dolphins.

--------------

As long as it's just sitting there...

It has been over 3 years since we had the pontoon bottom painted.  Living in the water while we're home, and going in and out of the water several times each year, I am pleased with that.  I was thinking I'd get the boat bottom painted again this season, but with all the "non-essential" stuff with the pandemic, we have stayed home.

Most of the wear in the bottom paint is right at the water line and at the back of the pontoons (where the afternoon sun gets to it)... I decided to get the bit of paint I had left and do a "touch up" on it in the driveway.    I didn't put it on thick, but it should help for the time we'll have it in the water.

An anniversary of sorts...

It has been one year since the new hip.  Want to see my scar?  ;-)

Well, it has been an interesting year.  I am in better physical shape than I have been in years.  Does it still hurt?  Yeah; not as bad, and it doesn't stop me from most activities.  Certainly, it is better than what I was dealing with before the surgery.  I don't need a cane; I can walk up and down steps alternating legs; I can walk pretty much as far as I want; I can ride my bike (bicycle) as far as I want.

If you had asked me three months in, I don't think I could have said I was better off.  By month 4, it was clear I was.

Getting out for a couple months last summer saved my sanity.  The riding we did in the Black Hills was the best ever.  It remains to be seen if that will happen for us again this year.

We got the boat back in the water when we got home.  Life seemed to be returning to normal.  Plenty of time with the dolphins...

Joan got a new scoot, a Yamaha Xmax, which broadened our riding.  The Vespa is still "hip friendly" for me.

More recording time with my long-time friend and music partner Mark.  Done long distance.  Steph and Dan visited here at Christmas.  Life really was back to normal.  In January, we geared up for heading to Arizona... time with Steph and Dan, helping in Steph's classroom, recording face-to-face with Mark while Joan and Cindy (Mark's wife) worked on quilting projects.

Then, the Corona Virus became a world pandemic...

We came back from Arizona a little early, as travel restrictions tightened down.

We settled back in at home... the key words here are "at home"... no non-essential travel, being able to go to the grocery store on even/odd days according to our license plate.  I got exercise by walking and riding my bicycle, keeping that hip limbered up.  Not much normal about life back in the Tropical Tip.

And Rufus?  Rufus is great...

He adapted to everything this year, but wonders why we are home "all the time."

Just looking back at this year.  Starting with the surgery... the surgeon said to me, "Most of the time it goes easy.  Sometimes, it is tough.  Sorry that yours was one of the tough ones."  That's a pretty decent description, but I have worked through it.  Just like the current pandemic situation... we're working through it.

Anti-social distancing...

I got out on the Vespa today.  Not one of those rides around town where you never get above 30mph, but a real ride.  Well, once I got off our island.  The bridge was out for a tug and barge to go through...

With the bridge back in, it was up the street a bit, then take a right and onto the causeway... 2 1/2 miles of bliss.  I didn't take a camera with me, so my phone is it, and there is no way to hold the phone for a photo while riding.  Description: the water was blue green and lovely.

Across the causeway and onto South Padre Island, there was a Police SUV at the first intersection, lights flashing.  They weren't stopping anyone - I'm assuming they were just making "a presence."  The county opened the beach today, on a limited basis:

If the beach is open, it means there must be a relaxation of the "essential travel only" order.

I rode the Vespa up the island on the Padre Blvd (the main drag)... lots of places closed, including hotels and restaurants.  Everything looks good, but it is a startling lack of people.  I stopped on the main drag to take a photo...

On Gulf Blvd (the street that runs parallel to the beach), there were a few people walking, some on bicycles, a few in swimsuits.  Looking at one of the small beach access parking areas, no traffic.  Yet.

I expect people will start showing up.  Hopefully in a smart manner so things don't get locked down again.  I rode back across the causeway, through Port Isabel, and out past Laguna Vista...

Yeah, these photos look pretty similar, with no traffic.  There were quite a few people on motorcycles; almost all waved.  Being on a motorcycle or a scooter is a great way to socially distance.  Or, in my case of riding by myself: anti-socially distancing.

On my way back on the highway, I called Joan to see if she wanted to split a breakfast tortilla from Manuel's.  Those who know the area understand - this goes a long way towards feeling somewhat normal again.  Joe, the owner, came outside when I pulled up on the scoot.  I gave him my name and he went inside for a couple minutes... the grande-size tortilla was hot out of the kitchen.

Coming home from Manuel's, I turned at the Post Office.  There was a cute blonde chick in a Honda SUV in front of me.  We made eye-contact in her mirror.  I waved.  She waved back.  Chicks dig the Vespa.  Yes, it was Joan... she was on her way to the Post Office when I called.  Seems that someone is getting a cool cat quilt wall-hanging, as soon as Priority Mail can get it there.

The tortilla was delicious.

Back to our roots...

No, we aren't digging up a tree.

Mark wrote another song, and we've been working back and forth on it most of this week.  This one has a 70s Stones vibe to it... Mark started with this crunchy guitar part.  The lyrics are clever.  I think this is our best so far...

https://soundcloud.com/captainjimb/practically-factual

Mark on guitar, bass, keyboards, and vocals; Jim on guitar, drums, and vocals.  Let us know what you think, and feel free to share the link with folks who enjoy a rock tune.

A late start...

No, I am not talking about puberty.

Most mornings, when I get back from a bike (bicycle) ride and feeling parched, Joan has a plate of fruit ready for me... a refreshing way to start re-hydrating.  She had the fruit ready before I was ready to get out on the bike.  Then, after the fruit, I had a request for some music while Rufus gets brushed.  Then, breakfast.  It was 11:00 before I got out on my bike.

With that late start, it was already warmer than my earlier bike outings.  Way fewer people out and about, as well.  And, a different crowd than the earlier in the morning walkers... those I passed seemed to be grumpier than the early morning folks.  I said, "Good Morning!" to everyone I passed - only one person responded with the same.  That is definitely different from my earlier rides.  Or, maybe people are just getting pissy with all the staying at home?

Doesn't matter, I'm still going to wish them a good morning, 'cause I am a little ray of sunshine.  ;-)

We watched a Facebook Live presentation today - it was a sales video showcasing one of our local tourist businesses: Coastal Winds.  They sell all kinds of decor and gift items.  If you remember the dolphins and turtles on our wall by the door to the deck, those came from there.  I hope this gives this business a shot in the arm while they get ready to re-open.  There were a lot of good comments, and about 475 views by the time the presentation was done.  We will be buying something to support this local business.  Tomorrow, there will be another Facebook Live showing for Art*Sea, one of our favorite local shops.  I'm looking forward to that one, as well.  If you want to tune in, look at Port Isabel Texas on Facebook tomorrow at 2:00 (CDT).

Joan and I sat down and looked at some dates.  Any plan for going to Hart Ranch has to keep in mind when the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is - not for us going to the Rally, but for being able to get a site before everything is booked up.  According to the City of Sturgis, everything is a go for the Rally in August.  The expectations have been for a huge crowd (prior to the Corona Virus pandemic), since this is the 80th Rally.  Those numbers ending in "0" have been bigger ever since the 50th.

Nothing booked, but we are in negotiations... between Joan and me.

After that, it was time for another "Staying at Home" music video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNuuocIXfIU&feature=youtu.be

One small change in the wording, for Rufus.  See if you can find it.

A music day...

Joan was working on a quilting project.  I spent much of the day in my music room/studio.  This morning, I recorded a couple tracks on another song Mark wrote.  This one is rock 'n roll, with some witty lyrics.  He and I have trading ideas back and forth.  I sent the tracks on to him - looking forward to his finished vocal and keyboard track.  Mark also played the main guitar part in this one.  I will get it posted when it is done.

This afternoon, I went back to experimenting with the Shure MV88+ mic/video kit.  It has been a learning process, and I am enjoying it.  Today, the plan was to try using "the good side" of the camera... which means I can't see it when the camera is pointed at me.  Enter my Apple Watch - I can remotely start the video from the watch.  However, the Shure Movid video app doesn't have a Watch app, yet.  But, if you use the Movid video app to set up all the mic parameters, it holds those... so using that mic is functional, even without the app.  I can also see the cropping for the video camera on my watch.

I also got out the Bose S1 Pro (compact PA) and used the MV88+ mic close to that, utilizing the lightning connector extension cable Joan ordered for me.  I have been using a Fishman Loudbox Mini amp for the sound, because it was already set up and easy.  But, the Bose sounds significantly better.  So, several changes.

Here's the latest song, the whole version of the song I used on my initial test of the MV88+, David Loggins' Please Come To Boston...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-igieXV9vk&feature=youtu.be

Our boy is growing up...

Talking about Rufus.  He's the only other male in this household.  He understands that I am the Alpha male, but he does challenge that on occasion.  This morning, I was sitting in "the big chair"... it is Rufus's favorite place to lay down.  He did not try to oust me.  But, when I got up to use the potty, the chair was occupied when I got back.

We have other places to sit.  Frankly, I wasn't planning on going back to that chair, but it always cracks me up when he jumps up there as soon as I vacate.  Just to see how he would react, I said, "Rufus are you in my chair?"

This is the first time I recall that when I have spoken to him, I got no reaction.  Not an eye twitch, an ear movement, nor a tail flick.  Nothing.  I stepped right up to the chair and said, "Rufus?  Are you ignoring me?"

The answer was pretty apparent.  I put my face a few inches from his - "Rufus?  Are you ignoring me?"  No eye contact, no movement.  Joan and I both laughed.  While he's a sweet boy, he is also strong willed.  "Rufus?"  I was almost nose-to-nose with him.  He continued his gaze off to the side.

I know he hasn't been struck with Feline Sudden Deafness, because the word "chow" gets an immediate head snap, even if he is sound asleep.

My dear ol' Mother used to say, "You haven't really been ignored until you've been ignored by a cat."  And she was not a cat person... although she was always complimentary with Smoke, Molly, and Izzy.  I guess she was right.

Today, I got in touch with my inner self...

I swear, when this whole virus situation has passed, I'm never using single ply toilet paper again!

(rimshot)

Yeah, that's some crappy humor.

I got scammed today.  No, this isn't about a government check.  I was on the phone with Mark and went into my music room.  There was a bit of music discussion (he is writing another song), but mostly we just visited; nice to catch up.

When I came out of that room, Joan was nowhere to be found.  I assumed (correctly) that she was putting something away in our underneath storage area.  Rufus was stuck to me, a swirl of activity at my feet.  He was being vocal, too... what I was hearing: "Daddy, I need a snack!  My belly is empty!"  I got him a couple pellets of a digestion food that he likes.  It was enough to quiet him down.

When Joan came up from below, she had a few things for me to take to the garbage.  I put on my mask and gloves (you have to touch the door of the dumpster area) and headed out.  Rufus was wanting to go outside, but after getting into sandburs the other day, that is off the table now.  I did take him out on the deck where we had breakfast this morning.  But, I digress... Rufus meowed at Joan; she said, "I gave you a treat already!"

Yep, the furry boy got a treat from each of us.  He has learned how to "work the system."

----------

A couple Tuesday stay-at-home songs for you...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL4It1heX70&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh1uSA0yuzU&feature=youtu.be

Mixed signals...

Someone in our house said, "We are eating too much; we need to back off so we don't weigh 400 pounds at the end of this stay at home stuff."  Two hours later... "I made fresh cookies; chocolate chip for you, peanut butter for me..."  I don't question.

Remember the movie Escape From New York?  If you said, "1981, directed by John Carpenter, starring Kurt Russel," you get 75 bonus points.

Escape from Long Island isn't quite the same.  Especially considering this Long Island is in the Tropical Tip, not the Empire State.  I have concerns for the welfare of our scoots: it isn't good to let them sit; just doing my part to keep them in good shape.  I'm thoughtful that way.

I took the Xmax out first...

I was planning on just riding around our Island, but when it came time to take the last turn before heading out front gate, something inside my head said, "Go for it!"  Apparently, that something wasn't aware that I didn't have my wallet (and, thus my driver's license) with me.  Across the bridge and into town.  I rode around for a while, feeling the scoot enjoy fresh gas coursing through it's lines.  Well, OK, it is the same old gas that was in the tank, but it was moving through the fuel lines.  And, I was moving through the breeze.  It totally didn't suck.  I was following all the distancing rules and was wearing safety equipment: helmet, gloves, and a mask.

I saw three police vehicles pulling up to a stoplight at one intersection.  Staying cool, I turned, rode past them, and nodded.  I was probably smiling, too, but under a mask, who would know?  I came back to our island and swapped the Xmax for the Vespa...

It is interesting riding one right after the other.  I appreciate the differences: classic Italian styling vs modern Japanese design; upright riding position vs sporty; the feel of each: the Vespa feels smaller, the Xmax is bigger in every dimension.  But, both are a very satisfying ride.  Especially so when it seems like it has been too long.

Out on the Vespa, I only saw one Po-Po vehicle and no sign of an impending checkpoint.  I even stopped for a moment to take in the pretty water of the Laguna Madre...

Maybe a bit longer on the Vespa.  Yes, I play favorites.  ;-)

Happy Birthday, Annie...

Pete, the guy who built our house, is a friend of ours.  Today is his daughter's 14th birthday.  And, in the middle of this pandemic, she can't have any friends over to their house to help celebrate her day.  Our community is a lot of seasoned citizens, and it was suggested we do a drive-by parade for her.

At 9:00 this morning, we got in line...

And headed past Annie's house...

I didn't get a photo of Pete and Annie, doing that driving thing.  She had a big smile on her face... and that's a good way to start the day.

---------

Yesterday, while out on our walk, Rufus got into a bunch of cockleburs... it wasn't pretty.  The boy has long fur, and he had them on his tail, his belly, and even by his mouth.  He was very patient while Joan held him and I pulled out the burs; well, except a couple of them that I had to cut out.

This morning, when we got back from the Annie parade, Rufus got a thorough brushing...

Yes, I was thinking: "Rufus, let your Momma brush your belly..."  ;-)  He's a good boy.

Cave dwellers...

No, we haven't moved to a cave to escape the virus.  Or, for any other reason.

We have often kidded Steph about her propensity for cocooning in her living room with all the shades drawn, watching reruns of Friends on their huge TV.  A kitty or three on her lap.  It is her "happy place."

Joan was up late last night, programming apps and passwords into our new TV.  Starting mid-morning, we pulled the blinds in our living room and started sorting through the many viewing options.  I have a free year of Apple TV+ that I got with my new iPhone a couple months ago... I had never started the subscription.  No time like the present!

I sent Steph a text telling her about our darkened environment and ended with with: #Cave Dwellers.  Her reply: #MyPeople.  And, for the record, I have no idea about that whole hashtag (#) thing, but it sounded funny to me.

Also for the record, we designed this house with lots of windows and a 3 panel glass door our to the deck - all that light makes this small house feel more open.  Unless you want it dark.  ;-)

In spite of all this "stay at home" stuff, I don't think we'll make a practice out of being glued to the TV.  But, I do have an appreciation for the bigger size.  Now.

Rufus seemed to be enjoying the dark environment, snoozing soundly in "the big chair."  He almost slept through his lunch time, until Joan reminded us both that... "Did your bad Daddy forget your lunch?"  Not my fault: blame it on the new TV.  Or, the dark.  It didn't feel like lunch time when you couldn't tell it was daylight outside.

Another reason to stay inside...

Besides the Corona Virus.  We have talked about it for a while, and now both ready to do this... yeah, pick out a new TV.  We built this house in 2003, and had a lot of custom built-in cabinets; and an entertainment center in the living room, and a TV/chest of drawers in our bedroom.  The 2003 reference is significant, because... it was before flat screen TVs became affordable.  We had custom cabinets built for TVs that had "flat screens" but still had cathode ray tubes... yeah, those really deep TVs that became dinosaurs just a few years later.  Those same custom built-in cabinets meant we couldn't find current TVs that fit the space.  That left us with a 32" TV in the living room - the biggest flat screen that would fit the opening.

It took a while for us to come to the conclusion that we could utilize the space in front of the entertainment center, and still make it look reasonable.

Using the space we have between upper and lower cabinet doors, we picked out the TV we liked, and that would fit the space.  Joan ordered it from Best Buy, and they delivered it today...

Well, "delivered" in the sense that they brought it to our house.  With concerns about the Corona Virus, their new company policy will not let them enter anyone's house right now... so, they brought it close to our door.  Joan, wearing gloves and a mask, wiped down the box before we brought it inside.  We had also ordered an articulating arm mount for it from Amazon, and it arrived today.  Good timing.

While Joan took down everything related to the old TV (not that old), I started engineering a secure way to mount the TV.  I braced a side wall in the entertainment center, and mounted the main arm to that; it took some careful measuring to get the angles just right so the new TV would be centered and spaced properly.  Then, on to the brackets that mount on the back of the TV.

The big test: fitting it in place to see if the measurements all worked as planned...

Yep.  Joan plugged it in and we went through the process to pair it up with the wifi, the smart stuff, the cable box, and the tankless water heater.  Yeah, I'm kidding about the water heater - just wanted to see if you were paying attention.

After all that...

Our TV viewing has moved into the modern world: 55"... sitting in our chair or on the couch, if we turn off the lights, it feels like we are back in our younger years at the drive-in.  I'm not going to tell you about the necking.  Really - don't ask.

Rufus was a bit concerned about all the commotion... well, mostly he was concerned that Joan had moved his favorite toys that usually live right in front of the TV.  He relaxed when the toys all reappeared after cleaning up from this project.

The Rufus Song...

Rufus enjoys the music.  When I take a guitar down from the wall, he comes in and lays by my feet... "You may start the show now."

He especially likes it when I work his name into a song, which led to me writing this song just for him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6U-yEp9LjA&feature=youtu.be

The camera angle is a bit goofy in this, angled up towards me.  The cable that came with the MV88+ is just long enough to go from the mic to the iPhone, both on the same mount... I can't get the mic too far from the phone with that short cable.  So, to position the mic in a good spot on the amp, this is all I have for the video portion.  That will get back to normal when I get a lightning connection extension cable.

And you can tell everybody...

... this is Mark's song.

Mark wrote this song and sent me a scratch track with guitar and vocal.  I added drums, acoustic guitar, and a couple different harmony tracks.  He made a change in the guitar track, did a new lead vocal track, changed some words and phrasing, and added a keyboard track.  I did some tweaks on a final mix and...

https://soundcloud.com/captainjimb/stupid-isnt-funny

It is hard to put in a category... rock, a bit of protest, a message, and a dash of punk.  Very poignant lyrics.  Mark wanted to have a forward on the intent of the song...

“Our newest long-distance collaboration via Spire Studio. This is something different for us, an original song called, Stupid Isn’t Funny. I wrote most of it last week, came up with a basic idea for the melody, then uploaded a draft for Jim. Didn’t take him long to come back with several great ideas and we built it out from there. If you’re listening to it, count yourself among the first and probably the few who will hear it.

About the song. Some of you may think it’s about a certain individual. Not true at all. The idea came to me while listening to a science podcast that mentioned people destroying 5G cell towers, which they believed were the source of the Corona virus. (Really!) While I did seem to channel some of the protest songs from the 60-70’s, it really reflects (my) concern with the increasing dismissal of science, data, research, critical thinking and education in a world where we need brilliance more than ever. This song wasn’t intended to offend anyone and we hope no one takes it personally. Share this if you like, or not.

Please note there’s a couple f-bombs in the chorus. And if you’d like a copy of the chords and lyrics, let us know.”

The image is from when we were in Phoenix.  This collaboration is all long distance.  The music is from the heart.

Behind bars...

I have often said: "I am too pretty to go back to prison."

Yes, that's a joke... maybe just pretty enough?  Yes, another joke.  This "behind bars" thing isn't about me.  "Joan?" you ask.  Well, perhaps if she were to smother me in my sleep, but I'm here writing this, so that didn't happen.  Yet.

It was a comfortably cool morning here in the Tropical Tip... like 68º when I went out for a bike ride.  Odds are pretty good we aren't going to see that cool of a temperature until fall rolls around.  So, I was able to come back for my ride and not be a big ol' sweatball.  Joan and Rufus were out on the deck, and when I was putting my bike away, Rufus was apparently quite happy (and vocal) to see me...

From my vantage point on the dock, looking up at him on the deck, he looked like he was behind bars.  ;-)  He doesn't know his cat superpowers - he could easily escape the deck.  I guess he hasn't had a burning desire to do that.  Although, if you could have heard the bellering being emitted from the furry boy, you would think his need to get to his Daddy was urgent.  ;-)

I went in the house, cleaned up, and joined those two on the deck.  The morning sunshine had given way to clouds moving in from the west, but the temperature outside was still delightful.  Joan took this photo of me in one of my collection of guitar shirts...

This one reads: So many guitars, so little time.  I think I need to find one that says: So many guitars, so little talent.  I thought it was funny; Joan scoffed.  All these years of listening to my music has taken the edge off her ability to judge good guitar playing.  I am good with that.

We visited about our plans for the day: we're going to stay around the house.  I know: big surprise!  I will be visiting with Mark about any minor tweaks to a song of his we're working on.  He did the initial scratch track and sent it to me for my parts.  I added some tracks and sent it back to him.  He added more tracks and it was back in my court last night.  I made a couple mixing tweaks and now it is back to him for the final approval.  It's a more serious subject than our usual songs.  Powerful lyrics.  Almost a punk feel to it.  I will post it here when it's done.

Joan has been doing some online learning with quilting stuff and will be back at the hands-on with a project.  She has learned a lot already this year; yes, before all this staying home.  For now...

And the furry boy is chillin'...

I think I will put his harness on him, and we'll get some outdoor time in.

Another day...

Another tune.

Joan went to the store this afternoon - I took the quiet-time to do another video with the Shure MV88+...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAgYjRqoXJ4&feature=youtu.be

A cover of another Jimmy Buffett song.  I don't play a lot of Buffett these days, but it just felt right, being on an island... in the Tropical Tip... and pretty much no where to go.

I guess we were fortunate yesterday, in that we didn't encounter a check point when we went to our storage unit.  They are out again.  It just may have been the route we took.

Rufus got some outdoor time again... I put on a mask to take him out for some "grass time."  No, he didn't wear a mask.  ;-)

Our county judge (think: one-man county commissioner rather than a judicial type judge) changed and clarified his emergency order again: "masks should be worn when in public, but are not required if you are out walking or running by yourself."  Hard to keep up, because it changes so often.

That was exciting...

We had just settled in bed last night.  Rufus wasn't in bed with us.  Then, all of a sudden, there was a commotion that sounded like a horse running over a wooden bridge, while kicking empty aluminum cans.  (Got the mental image of that?)

It wasn't a horse, but a big cat.  He is not a "chewer," but apparently Rufus managed to get the shoe lace on Joan's sneaker caught between his teeth.  In the "flight or fight" response, he chose flight.  He took off running at full speed, with the sneaker banging beside and behind him all along the way!  It hit the door, the walls, an end table, the entertainment center, another wall, vertical blinds, a kitchen chair, another wall, and then back into our bedroom... where he managed to dislodge the shoe lace.

Joan's first thought: "Go see if he peed anywhere!"  The boy covered quite a distance in a short time, so it took me a while to re-trace his track, going by what I could remember of the crashing sounds.  No puddles... OK, considering his velocity, no "spray pattern."  Back in the bedroom, I lifted him up on the bed so Joan could put him at ease - his heart was pounding, and he had that "What the Hell??!!" look on his face.  The boy has very expressive facial expressions.

It took a while to get him soothed.

Off the island...

Yes, it happened.  We made a break for it.  Well, we drove from our house, off the island, through town, and 38 miles to our storage unit, and got the motorhome out.  We needed to get the water out of the fresh water tank, the water heater, and the water lines; also, some things to put back in the coach; a few things to put in the storage unit.

The drive out was uneventful.  First time I've driven the car in 13 days.  As expected, not much traffic on the roads.  We played by the rules: we were both wearing our masks in the car.  We did not see any checkpoints where traffic was being stopped... that may have been just for this past holiday weekend.

I pulled the coach out and put some Sta-Bil in the fuel tank; engine and generator running, to get that stabilizer through the fuel lines.  Then, while Joan moved some stuff from the car to the motorhome, I went to the exterior shower to pump water out of the fresh water tank...

I estimated there was less than 10 gallons left in the tank when we got home, and that seemed about right while waiting for that showerhead to start spitting.  I emptied the water heater.  Ran the pump a bit more - the water system is good for a couple months rest for the coach.

I looked the boat over while we were out there... it seems sad, but otherwise in good shape.

There was about 3 seconds of discussion on whether we should run into Harlingen to pick up some food to go... that was voted down, and we headed for home.  Again, uneventful.  Well, if you don't count the 20 minute wait for one of those huge blades for a windmill electric generator that was blocking the road.  Those are a beast of a thing, and it seemed as though perhaps the truck driver had tried to make a turn onto a narrow side road.

Back into town, no one being stopped, and we drove back to our island.  At home, there were a few things to bring in.  As soon as we opened the door, Rufus made a dash out...

No, he isn't a flight risk - we knew he would go right to the closest grass and put his face in it.  Before we left, he said, "Are you people ever going to get out of here?"

When we got back, on his way out the door, he said, "I didn't think guys were ever coming back - I missed you SO much!"  And then he went to chomp on some grass.

Back inside, I had a couple new Spire Studio tracks from Mark and a message to let him know when we were back.  He and I visited on the phone for a while... yeah, that old-fashioned way of conversing, back before FaceTime.  ;-)  We talked about this song, other music, and how we're all doing.

When I got off the phone, I went to work on adding a couple tracks to what he sent.  We're doing our part to socially distance ourselves while working jointly on this song: only about 1,350 miles apart.  I added drums and acoustic guitar, then gave him a couple options for vocal harmony tracks.

I'll be anxious to see what he does with it.