Another day...

 

Another concert.  Tonight at the Wild Horse Pass Casino, live and in-person: Tower of Power!

If you like R&B, soul, funk, and horn bands, these guys are one of the best. Originating in Oakland, CA, in 1968.  "That's a long time," you say, "Are there any original member left?"  Thanks for asking.  While the band is often known for its revolving door of lead singers, the band's founders, Emilio Castillo (saxophone, band leader) and Stephen "Doc" Kupka (baritone sax) have remained their constant.  The band is best known for their ultra-talented horn section.

Hopefully, I'll have more on this tomorrow.

 

Test... and Fail

 

I took the Burgman 200 out today, with a plan: test the DJI Mic 2 connecting wirelessly to the Insta360 X4 camera.  I had read that this connection would work.  I also read one review that said it wasn't great audio.  That is an exaggeration: the audio is awful; unintelligible.  The fault doesn't lay on the DJI microphone - having used it with other cameras (DJI and Sony), it does a fine job.  But, with this Insta360 X4, the audio is completely unusable.  Even though the VU line on the camera was good, there is major clipping with the audio.

Just like when a SpaceX rocket blows up (and the engineers say they "gathered good data"), I learned something valuable with this outing: the wireless connection to the Insta360 X4 camera is crap.

How bad is it?  Thanks for asking - it is this bad:

 

If a video has mediocre video, but good audio, it is watchable.  If it has great video, but bad audio, most people will click off of it right away.  If you didn't click on this video, I understand, because this has some pretty sucky audio.

But, it is a learning experience.  The smart way to get video with usable audio is with a different camera... but I will still be using the X4 for those fun panning shots - no way to get that with anything but a 360 camera. 

Lesson learned.

 

Styx

 

This is a "music week" for us.  It started on Tuesday, with playing out with Mark and Ron.  Wednesday night: Styx.  Friday night: Tower of Power.  Tuesday night: Chicago.

Last night, at the Celebrity Theater was Styx.  This has been one of our favorite bands since the 70s.  The band I played with in the 70s, Stinger, used to cover a lot of Styx songs.  For those not familiar, Styx features great harmonies, masterful hard-rocking guitar and keyboards.  They have gone through some personnel changes over the years, but the original sound remains.  They had a long list of hits through the 70s and 80s, and, in my opinion, it is beyond me that they have not been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  But, I digress.

Their show last night was outstanding...

 

The show opened with a singer/songwriter from Boston, accompanied by another guy on guitar...

 The music was good, but the crowd was here to see Styx.  The guy had an endearing presence, and seemed truly grateful to be making a living playing music.

The venue was packed - Styx is playing last night and tonight, both concerts sold out...

 Before any of the music started, a guy from Celebrity Theater came out, told the crowd about upcoming concerts (we'll be back here again on Tuesday for Chicago), then they auctioned off a guitar with signatures from Styx on it, proceeds going to St. Mary's Food Bank.  It sold for $12,000... to an obvious Styx fan... the opening bid was $1.

Celebrity Theater is an interesting venue: the stage is in the middle, and it rotates, making every seat in the place good.  While that crowd shot above looks huge, the seats furthest from the stage are only 75' away.  Seats are snug (think: airline coach), but it is only for a couple hours.  We did wander over, around, and down to wait in line to get Joan a T-shirt.

And then, nearly an hour after the advertised show time, Styx came on...

 They started with Grand Illusion, then played several of their hits.  Followed by the obligatory "new songs"... then back to more hits.

Tommy Shaw (above) and James Young (below) are the core guitar powerhouses in the band.  Their playing is truly awesome, and they both sound as good as ever (vocals and guitar).

 Lawrence Gowan (on keyboard and vocals, left above) replaced Dennis DeYoung about 30 years ago.  Not an easy position to come into, because DeYoung was the driving force for the band in the 70s and 80s, until "creative differences" split the band up for a while.  DeYoung wanted to take the band in "musical theater" direction, Tommy Shaw and James Young wanted to keep the band hard rocking.  Gowan does a good job in taking on the DeYoung personna on keyboards and flashy appearance.

At one point in the show, the PA went out... the band continued on, where you could hear mostly the drums.  No idea if that was planned or not, but they didn't miss a beat.

Gowan did a solo thing on piano.  Chuck Panozzo (the original bass player) was brought out several times during the show; not sure if his bass was even on, since the other bass player (Gowan's younger brother) was there through the whole show.  One of the very cool things about "theater in the round" is the opportunity to see every angle - drummer Todd Sucherman is an animal on the drums (with Styx since 1997).  This is a good line-up.

 

The band came back for an encore, featuring Mr Roboto and Renegade.  It was a good hard-rocking concert, with an enthusiastic audience.

We have seen Styx several times before; first time in the 70s, in Rapid City, SD.  The next time was in the same venue (Rapid City Civic Center) in the 80s, when the band was promoting Mr Roboto.  I considered that time as the beginning of the end for the DeYoung era, which just seemed like weird rock theater to me.  Once Styx reformed with Gowan in place of DeYoung, the back was back to their hard rock, high harmonies roots.  This is the 4th time we've seen them, and the playing and vocals was as good as ever.

 

Ahead of Schedule...

 

First the weather, and then on to the news... it hit 90º in Phoenix yesterday.  It didn't seem unpleasantly hot.  But, of course, the local weather folks were quick to say that is "18º above normal, and the historical average for the first 90º day of the year is April 3rd."

We all know what is coming.

That said, it was a lovely morning today: 48º when I got up at 6:30, and the humidity was 29%.  It was almost pleasant when I took Murphy out after he had breakfast.

At 10:00, our weather station was showing 70º... time for one of the bikes to get some exercise.  That apparently means different things to each of us: Joan got some time on her exercise bike, I geared up and took the Xmax out for a ride.

The fuel gauge was down to 1/4 of a tank, so I planned to fuel up on the way home.  At 70º, I grabbed a motorcycle jacket with a liner, rather than mesh.  Yes, my blood has thinned.

This is a great time of the day to be out on the bike: very little traffic, and what traffic there was doesn't have that "commuter blues" attitude; at the 3 4-way stops on my way to the mountain roads, people weren't displaying that "Me First!" aggressiveness. 

I always enjoy time on the Xmax - it is fun in the twisties, well mannered on the highway, and gets good fuel mileage doing it all.

I stopped at the parking at the top to get a photo and a short video with the Xmax...

 It gave me a chance to play with the DJI Pocket 3 camera...

 We have a plan for the rest of the day: I'm taking Joan to Five Guys for burgers, I have "cat duty" next door to get my Grandcats "fed & med," then Joan and I are going to see Styx in concert tonight.  It's a grueling schedule, but we're up for it.

Desert Weather and Playing Out...

 

Yeah, I'm still a weather nerd.  Yeah, we live in the desert... blah, blah, blah.

I grabbed this photo on my way out to the hot tub last night...

 The weather station tells us what the temperature and humidity are outside and in different rooms in the house (the living room, the music room, the garage).  I direct your attention to the upper right corner of that display - that is the outdoor temperature at 8:37 pm: 67º.

"Pretty nice for the evening - in February," you say.  Look at the number below the temp... that is 1% humidity.  1%.  And some people wonder: why a carbon fiber guitar?  I can feel the moisture being sucked out of my body!  The humidity in the living room and the music room is 40% - that's really good for the desert.  We have a separate room humidifier in the music room for the well-being of my wood guitars.  The carbon fiber guitars don't care.

For humans, it is important to hydrate.  I think it is recommended that people drink 147 12-ounce glasses of water each day here in the desert.  Seriously, it's freakin' dry!

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Joan and I are heading out this morning for "the band's first gig."  I'll let you know how it goes.

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We are home from "the gig."  It went well.  This was my first time playing for something like this - it was for a memory care group; there are the caregivers and "the VIPs" (the adults with alzheimer's).  We played for the VIPs while the caregivers were in a meeting; later, the caregivers then joined us.  The crowd was receptive (good applause), and many of them singing along!  Towards the end (we went about an hour and 15 minutes), they were dancing and singing along.  It was pretty darn joyous.  Some of it reminded me of a scene in the movie Cocoon.

There are some differences and similarities from when Mark and I played out "back in the day."  Similarity: we were playing for people mostly our age; some younger or older, but "our people."  They were into the music.

Some differences: back in the day, we had to memorize everything; today, we have iPads for our song lists and for "prompts" with lyrics and chords.  In our younger years, we'd finish up sometime before midnight, pack out gear, and find a truck stop that was open all night; for this gig, we finished up just before noon, packed out gear, and were done in time to get the lunch special at a nice restaurant.  ;-)

Back in the day, we played songs that were very current.  Today, we played songs that had been current 30 to 50 years ago... it is important that you "play to your audience."

The person putting this on asked if we'd come back.  She also said she knew there were restaurants and bars in the area that are looking for live music like what we were playing.  We smiled and thanked her... I don't think any of us are interesting in playing out in a bar these days... heck, I'm not too keen in driving after dark (yes, that's a joke).  All that said, the gear is smaller and lighter these days... and all of us were tired after hauling it in, setting up, tearing down, and hauling it out.  It took several trips in/out with folding wagons loaded with gear; Joan asked if there was anything we could have done without: "Nope, I think we used everything we brought."

Mark said, "I need to go home and take a nap."  I feel ya, brother.  ;-)

Joan took some photos...

 When I was playing out solo, I could go in with a guitar slung over one shoulder, the PA/amp, mic stand, mic, cords, and a guitar/vocal pedal in a rolling case.  One trip.  With 3 guys, it is more than 3 times the gear.

Even with all the schlepping, I think everyone involved had a good time.

A few snippets from the day (courtesy of Joan)...

 

 

Leash Time...

 

Rubina isn't the only one who is good on a leash... Murphy has been getting more leash time lately...

 We are doing his first morning outing on the leash.  He is well-behaved and, dare I say, more docile when on the leash.  In that image above, he is watching birds... while calmly sitting, as opposed to being in a "stalking" mode.

Rufus loved going out on his leash; Murphy accepts it.  He doesn't wait at the door to get his harness on, but once the harness is on, he waits to get the leash hooked up.  He enjoys being outside.

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One more rehearsal today with my music buds; this time with full equipment.  Yeah, more schlepping.  Tomorrow, we play out in front of actual people.

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Rehearsal went well.  Nice 3-part harmony.  I like playing with these guys.  Nobody needs to "be on a leash."  ;-)  Tired when I got home, but that was more about schlepping equipment and driving home in rush hour (when nobody is rushing).

Here's a couple clips Cindy took with her iPhone...

 This video is "unlisted," so it won't appear on YouTube rotation - you can click here to see it.

 

Guide Dogs for the Blind...

 

Regular readers here may know that our daughter Stephanie and son-in-law Dan have been puppy raisers for the Guide Dogs for the Blind organization.  It is a labor of love for them, a big commitment, and something they are passionate about.

Today, when Steph was about to take Rubina (their Guide Dog puppy) out for a walk, I asked if I could tag along and "interview" her about the role the puppy-raisers have in this organization.

This is nothing like the motorcycle, scooter, music, and travel videos I usually make.  I've never done an interview video, nor in a "walking about" situation.  I admire the passion Steph has for this and appreciate the opportunity to visit with her and have her share her experiences.

This is easily the most significant video I have made.  I put mics on both of us, but wanted this to be off-the-cuff; no rehearsal, and Steph didn't know what I was going to ask... 

We walked about a mile and a half, visiting along the way - then I went to work getting the video ready to be shown.  I hope you enjoy it.

 

Another Day Older...

 

but, not deeper in debt.  If you said, "Song done by Tennessee Ernie Ford in 1955, written by Merle Travis in 1946," you get 100 bonus points.  Yeah, I had to look up those dates.

Murphy is another day older.  He has no idea that jumping up on the wall was "a bad thing."  No, he is not a bad boy, but he is the first cat since Smoke who was allowed outside without being on a leash... and I don't know how I would retrieve him if he went over that wall.

Joan took him out on the leash yesterday, then let him spend some time in his catio.  I did take him out without the leash for a walk around the yard, but absolutely stayed RIGHT BY HIM.  He was confused about that.

Mornings are when he likes to run, so Joan insisted on the harness and leash when I took the furry boy out this morning.  He is like a different cat when on the leash: walked nice and stayed right by my side.  Seriously, he walked on the leash as well as any of our cats have.

No, I did not get a photo of him outside on the leash, but I did take one indoors when we got back - you can see his new harness (that goes well with his coloring)...

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More music.  Mark, Ron, and I will be playing out next week.  First time for me since Covid started.  We got in another rehearsal today, to run through the songs in our set list.  Not counting set up and a lunch break, it took us about 3 hours to get through an hour and 20 minutes worth of music.  We'll get one more rehearsal in before the gig (kind of a low-stress situation).  I'm just happy to be making music.

I borrowed a guitar from Ron so I could take my motorcycle.  Perfect weather for riding (upper 70s), but it is all city traffic to get to his house.  So, not fun riding, but it was riding.  I took a backpack (mic, iPad holder, folding guitar stand, XLR cables, iPad, shakers) and Joan packed me a small cooler (with drinks), so it still wasn't traveling light.  I did take a guitar along to Ron's house once last year... a lot of wind resistance.  Didn't feel like dealing with that today.  I got to play is 00-28 Martin; a nice guitar, but I definitely prefer the sound and feel of my Emeralds.  Very nice of Ron to let me use that guitar.

 

 

A Concern...

 

We have 6' concrete block walls around our property.  No, we're not worried about marauding hordes - this is very common in planned housing developments here in the Valley of the Sun.

Thanks to those walls, we have let Murphy be outside, under our watchful eyes, without being leashed.  I said, "That might have to change if he ever jumps to the top of the wall.  This morning, he made that leap.  Not over the wall, but to the top of it.  I approached him slowly, so it wouldn't spook him, then picked him up and carried him back inside.

No point in scolding him, because he is naturally curious - it's part of being a cat.  But, if he goes over the wall from Steph and Dan's yard, he could wind up in the yard of a neighbor... and me scaling the wall (and trespassing) would be the only way to bring him home.  I don't know that he would have the foresight to jump back to the top of the wall to come home.

And if he went over the wall from our yard, he could become coyote food.

While I was in the shower, Joan took him outside in his harness and on a leash.  He wasn't sure how to act... we only use the leash when away from the house, and I am the one at the other end of that leash.

After running some errands and having lunch out, I decided to let him be outside.  Unleashed.  And being watched VERY closely.  He isn't sure about that, either, but that's how this is going to go for a while.

 "Why are you so close, Dad?"  He made no sudden moves, but I still stayed close.  The boy can be fast... faster than any of our other cats.  And stealthy.  That can be a sneaky combination.  Not casting any dispersions.  Just the facts, ma'am.

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Apparently, today is National Love Your Pet Day.  I read that on the internet, so it must be true.  We have another similar celebration, called... every day.

 

The Sun and the Moon...

 

Well, kinda.  I ordered another lens (50-210mm) for my Sony camera - it was delivered yesterday.  I didn't have a chance to test it out, other than looking it over, last night.  This morning, while taking Murphy out, I put the lens through a few tests.

It was just before sunrise, so the moon was still out...

 I am impressed with how this lens does with a potentially tricky exposure.  This exposure was racked out to the longest focal length, and the relatively compact size of the lens made it easy to hand-hold for the exposure.  As always, I compress images here, but the detail is excellent at full resolution.

I then swung to the east to get a photo of the clouds over South Mountain being lit from the sun before it was up over the horizon...

 Good contrast and color.  This lens is a keeper.  Fast focusing.  A nice compliment to the Sony a6700 camera.

One final test: capturing a moving feline in the low light...

 Not his best angle, but the lens did a good job.  This gives me a compliment of lenses to use with the Sony camera.

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It's been a couple weeks since I got out on the Burgman 200 (the CTX has been getting more attention). Took care of that this afternoon.  Sunshine, high in the upper 70s... no camera (stills or video), just riding with some tunes in my ears.  February and March are when we used to come visit Steph and Dan here in the desert, when we lived in the Tropical Tip; yep, this is the good weather.  Into the 80s for the next week or so.

Some locals are moaning about it, saying "the heat" is coming too soon.  Mesh riding jacket and pants today - it was just right. 

Keep Playing That Rock 'n Roll...

 

If you said, "Edgar Winter's White Trash, 1971," you get 40 bonus points.  Some of the lyrics: 

Keep playing that rock and roll
Keep doing what you've been told
Save your money up for when you get old
Got to keep playing that rock and roll

Well, I have the "get old" down pat.  ;-)  I may have to work on that "doing what you've been told" and the "saving up my money" parts.  Mark, Ron, and I are playing out next week.  We were invited to play for a Memory Care group, both patients and their care-givers (a once a month gathering).  It will be our first time playing out as a trio.  I haven't played in front of anyone since Covid (although there were a bunch of "stayin' home" music videos.

Today, we worked on fine-tuning a set list.  Fortunately for me, it was at our place, so I didn't have to drive (or deal with traffic).  I had equipment set up in my music room, trying to make it easy for everyone...

 My Bose PA, amps, microphones, and guitar options were ready before the guys got there.  Mark brought a couple of his guitars and a pedal board.  We spent about 4 hours rehearsing for what will likely be an hour or so of playing out.  Joining us today, as an "unbiased" set of ears, was Tom, another one of our music buddies.

 That's Tom on the right, Ron in the center, Mark on the left; I was sitting at that desk (where I do my recording).  I anticipated a couple hours... I missed that by a couple hours.  Still, a good time, and a purpose.

 

In the Morning Light...

 

Murph and I have a morning routine: after I get him fed, pills and meds distributed, and my hot chocolate drank, I take him outside.  We sit, we walk, he runs, I follow.

As the sun peeked over South Mountain...

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Slooooooooowww...

Joan asked me if I wanted to take her out for lunch.  "As a matter of fact, yes, I do.  Where would you like me to take you?"  She surprised me when she said, "The Old Spaghetti Factory."

A pleasant surprise.  I rescheduled a FaceTime call, and we were off (around 12:30).  Traffic was easy as we made our way downtown.  We had to wait "just a minute while we get a table set up" that turned into about 10 minutes.  Once seated, we waited another 15 minutes before the waitress came to our table.  It was a preview of what was to come.  While the food was good, it was about a two-hour lunch.  For spaghetti.  At a place where that is pretty much what they offer.  

It was kinda painful.  Good thing we weren't on a schedule.

 

Cat Patrol...

 

You signed Murphy up for the Neighborhood Watch?  No, but thanks for asking.

This morning, Steph came into our place... "My heart is sad."

Well, that's not a good opening line.  A lady in the neighborhood rang their doorbell and asked if they could keep an eye out for her kitty that got over the block wall around their yard.  A light colored calico named Confetti.

I told Steph, "Give me 5 minutes to get dressed and we can go out to look for the cat."  I met her, Dan, and Rubina, and we started our search; splitting up to cover more ground.

I have mentioned that it is "rural" just beyond the wall around our yard.  Unbeknownst to me, Dan took this photo as I was coming down the foothills of South Mountain...

 Yeah, it "falls off" pretty quick as you go south.  We covered a lot of ground, looking in scrub brush, under cars and along fence lines.  Once down the hill, I headed west; past a few places that are obviously not part of our zoning.  No sign of any cat.  I eventually made it down to the school that is about 3 blocks west of our house, then started east, again looking under cars and in any corner that might be a cat hiding place.  No sign.  I talked to a few people along the way, asking them to keep an eye out.  I had no idea of the woman's name, but I knew where her house is.  As I got closer to that house, Steph and Dan came up along the other side of the street.

"Did the lady get on any of our Neighborhood Facebook groups?" I asked.  Steph didn't know.  Since I was now right in front of that house, I went to the door to ask.  A gentleman answered the door, I asked if they had posted anything about their missing cat online, and he said...

"Oh, the cat came home."

Good to know!  Stephanie was relieved.  I was happy to not put my aching back through any more bending to look under cars.

While we weren't a part of the finding process, I'm glad for the happy ending.  And we did get some exercise on this lovely February morning.  I came home and hugged my Murphy.  He was very happy to see me... it's time for his lunch.  ;-)

 

Waffle House...

 

I had proposed breakfast at Waffle House today last night with Steph and Dan.  So, this morning, we were off to the second closest Waffle House.  I've made the joke before that "Denny's is for people who like Waffle House, but don't know how to fight."  This particular Waffle House is what I would call... upscale.  Well, the Waffle House itself is pretty much like every other Waffle House, but it is in a nicer retail area.  And, I didn't feel like a fight would break out in the parking lot at any moment.  ;-)

There was a wait for a booth, but it was worth the wait.  One other upscale thing about Waffle House in general: a bit of sticker shock when the waitress gave us the bill... about $85 with the tip.  (A 50¢ per egg surcharge, by the way.)  That said, we all agreed it was a tasty meal, and plenty of food.

It set the tone for a good day.

Happy Valentine's Day...

 

I asked Joan if she would be my Valentine... she said, "Yes."  I'm not entirely sure what the commitment is with that arrangement.  She asked if I would take her to Home Depot this morning - this was after seeing a couple on the Today Show that met at Home Depot: the woman went there with the intent of "finding a guy."  Not sure if Joan is "shopping around," but she said she wanted to pick up some potting soil.  I will get her potting soil because I am a romantic that way.  Sorry, I didn't mean to get all mushy.

You will often hear that Valentine's Day was created by the flower, chocolate, and greeting card companies to build business for their products.  Now, you'll know the rest of the story...

What is the real story behind Valentine's Day?

 

The origins of Valentine's Day remain debated, with links to the Roman fertility festival Lupercalia and St. Valentine, a Christian martyr who allegedly performed secret marriages.  Over centuries, the holiday evolved, and by the 19th century, it became increasingly commercialised with mass-produced greeting cards. 

I love my Honey every day of the year, and try to let her know that.  Of course, forget it (or an anniversary) one year, and see how that plays out.  ;-)

 

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Suzie Homemaker...

Umm, shouldn't that be "Jimmy Homemaker"?  Yeah, probably.  Yesterday, I mentioned to Joan that someone on one of the Class B van groups that I belong to was thanking someone else in the group for recommending a particular brand and model of air fryer.

Now, I admit that I know nothing about air fryers.  Joan said, "We had one - never used it.  We gave it to the Animal Shelter thrift shop before we left Texas."  I had no idea.  But, it seems like a good idea in the van since we don't have an oven or a convection microwave (no way to bake anything).  Today, she presented me with that same make and model air fryer, delivered by Amazon.  Another advantage to living in the big city: next day delivery of most things on Amazon (same day, if you are in a real hurry).  I bought a camera lens on ebay yesterday - it won't be here for 5 or 6 days... apparently it is coming by covered wagon, but I digress.

I sat at the counter with the instructions and the air fryer...

 I'll be making steak and salmon for supper tonight... on the griddle, not on this.  But, I'm thinking it will be handy in the van.  Hopefully.

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Didn't work out for the griddle - windy and blowing dirt out there.  Time to try out the air fryer.  Joan made her salmon on the stove, here's how the steak looked...

 It was "numbers": time and temperature.  It had a good look to it, a bit of pink in the middle, yummy taste.  I'd call that first effort with the air fryer a success.

 

 

Evening Outing...

 

A full moon tonight.  The full moon in February was dubbed the "Snow Moon" due to the heavy snowfall typically seen this time of year, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac, which first began publishing names for full moons in the 1930s. 

No snow in the Phoenix area but the sky was mostly overcast tonight.  I "stalked" the moon, waiting for it to show its shiny self through thin areas in the clouds.  Different looks...

 None were a clear view of this month's full moon... but it made for some interesting viewing.

 

Morning Outing...

 

Murphy enjoys getting out first thing in the morning.  Well, usually after he has had his breakfast.  A cloudy day today, but Murph and I were enjoying some time at "the tall table"...

 Good eye contact with the furry boy.

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Later this afternoon, I took the van to Mark's place to run through a song list.  Just to pass the time while driving there, I took a few clips with the DJI Pocket 3 while underway...

 This was a test of the internal microphone.  Not the way we used it yesterday, with the DJI Mic 2 wireless microphones.  I just wanted to see how this camera's internal mic would do in the van.  This is another "unlisted" video clip, just a short test.  The audio is definitely better when using the wireless mic, but you have to give it a try to find out.  This little camera continues to impress.

 

Day-Tripping...

 

Out in the Roadtrek today, a day-trip to Estrella Mountain Regional Park.  We've ridden by it on the scoots, but this is the first time going in (nice to have an annual pass).

Instead of a photo essay, here is a video...

 I wanted some more practice with using 2 mics with the DJI Action 4 and the Pocket 3 cameras.  The workflow went smooth.  Now, I will be the first to admit that there is nothing dramatic about this video, but I am trying to get faster with the video editing... on the outside chance we go somewhere and do something.  ;-)

We got home after 3:00, I didn't start messing with the video right away, and this was uploaded shortly after 5:00.  Relatively expeditious in video-editing terms.

I am happy with the field of view with the Pocket 3 through the windshield.  Driving and hand-holding the camera isn't ideal, but the camera did a fine job keeping the footage stable.  And using 2 mics into the Action 4 clamped to the driver's visor is a good perspective.  I'm ready to go somewhere!  ;-)

 

Going Bananas...

 

A photo essay of last night's Savannah Bananas vs the Party Animals baseball game.  Well, to be more accurate, this is Banana Ball, which is baseball, with some twists to keep it feeling faster paced and more entertainment-centric.  It is a timed game: 2 hours or 9 innings, whichever comes first.  That said, Dan drove, so we were there early (Steph set the departure time)... I think we were there 15 hours before the game started.  Yes, I am exaggerating - we got there at 4:00, the game started at 7:00.  The gates didn't open until 5:30, so we had an hour and a half of "pre-pre-game entertainment."

 Most of the people there were sporting "merch"... and they were buying more.  The four of us all had shirts and jerseys from last year's introduction to Banana Ball.  My buddy Mark fixed us up with 4 tickets last year... you have to belong to their K-Club to buy tickets (and they sell out every game); Steph registered and was selected to join their K-Club, so she was able to buy tickets.  She and Dan went to a game last week and to this game with us last night.  The Savannah Bananas and Party Animals were here in the Phoenix area for 5 games.

We watched the pre-pre-game entertainment.  They travel with their own "Pep Band"...

 At 5:30, we joined the masses heading into the gates and found our seats...

 Three rows back, right behind the Party Animals dugout, along the 3rd base line.  Only another hour and a half before the game starts... time for people to stand in line to buy more merch and ballpark food.  We didn't feel the need for more merch, but did get in line for food.  "Don't look at the price," I was told.  I looked.  I shouldn't have looked.  Just over $40 for a hot dog, 2 pretzels, and a soda.

The players took the field...

 The Party Animals mascot...

The first pitch...

 Yes, baseball playing does occur.  They also travel with their own cheerleaders: the Man-nanas...

 From a higher perspective...

 The 4 of us...

Phone lights...

 More baseball occurring...

 The Savannah Bananas won!

 No, it isn't rigged.  In this 5 game series, it was 2 to 2 before tonight's game.  While the players all "act up" while playing, the playing level is good.  Last year, I described it as: I went to a rave and a baseball game broke out.  It is high energy, and volume at the level of a rock concert.  You know you've been entertained as you walk back to your car.

 A sample of some video...

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Sunday Drivers...

Superbowl Sunday at that.  I tend to avoid going out on a scoot on the weekend, but I was feeling it today.  Obviously, so were a bunch of other people.  The weather here has been spectacular - today is supposed to be in the upper 70s for a high, partly cloudy.  By Wednesday of this next week, temps will be in the low 60s and increasing chances for precipitation.

People want to get out (while the getting is good).

I expected traffic on the fun, twisty roads.  Double whammy: a car from Minnesota on my way up the mountain, then behind a car from Wisconsin on the way down.  The car from Wisconsin stopped at a stop sign and waved me around.  I shook my head "no."  You can't see traffic coming from the right at this spot, and sure as excrement, 10 seconds after the woman waved me around, a truck came from the right and turned... I would have been in that lane if I had taken the go-around offer.

So, the riding wasn't "spirited," but it was still a good ride (on the CTX).  Back in time to still watch hours of pre-game stuff before the big game.

Joan has The Eagles, I'm pulling for The Chiefs.  OK, I'm watching for the commercials.  Sure don't care about Kendrick Lamar for the half-time show.