Good-Byes Are Tough...

 

This post is another about "the neighbors"... or as you may know them: Steph and Dan.  Today, after work, they are headed to California.  Tomorrow is the day that Dicha goes back to the Guide Dog For The Blind campus for more intensive training on her journey to potentially be a Guide Dog.

She has been with them for over a year, so as you'd expect, they are very attached.  They do this good work raising a Guide Dog puppy, knowing that is isn't "a pet."  They put a lot of their time, effort, and money into the training and raising.  They attend weekly meetings and participate in Guide Dog group events. 

Dicha was just 8 weeks old when they first picked her up...

 A size comparison...

 And, currently...

 This, from Steph, written for the Guide Dog Newsletter...

 "In Spanish, la dicha means happiness, joy, or good fortune. It describes a deep sense of bliss or the lucky privilege of having something good happen. This name was a perfect choice for our girl! She finds joy in the little things and brings her big personality everywhere she goes. What a privilege it has been to watch her learn and mature. She is ready for this next step, and we are so excited to follow her journey!"

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Steph just sent me this photo...

 Yeah, that is Murphy nose to nose with Dicha... and he is bigger.

 

 

Kinda Eerie...

 

Like the canal?  No, that's "Erie," and nothing like that.  I got out on the scoot this morning.  It has been a while... it felt great.  Life got in the way: the cold, the root canal, and (of course) the miserable heat.  Today, the high is supposed to be in the 90s.  Well, 99º, and that is mostly psychological.  It was 87º when I got into the hot tub last night at 9:30.  That's a major drop in temperature, as most evenings it has still been in triple digits.

I was expecting a cooler morning.  Even better than I expected: it was 76º when I got up about 6:15.  That is a bonus.

The Burgman 200 is the most accessible right now.  One of these days, we'll rearrange in the garage and get the bikes back into diagonal parking so they are all accessible.

The Burgman fired right up - I geared up and headed out.  Traffic was light on my way east on the surface road.  I was surprised when I got to South Mountain Park and Preserve that there weren't a lot of cars in the parking lot.  Even more surprising: no vehicle traffic.  Not all the way up the mountain.  Nor coming back down - not a single car or pickup.  I passed about a dozen people on bicycles either direction.  One small motorcycle heading out of the Preserve as I was heading in.  I have written about light traffic before, but this was nada.

Considering that this is the coolest morning in the past couple months, I expected more people out enjoying this brief break in the heat.

I was careful on my ride up the mountain.  OK, to be fair, I am always careful.  But, I was expecting sand and gravel washed onto the road with the monsoon storms we've had (we actually got some precipitation at our house last night).  My expectations were correct.  Nothing terrible, but some sand across the road right at a couple tight curves.

A good ride.  And it felt like I had the road pretty much to myself.

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Here it comes...

A nasty cell with wind and rain coming at us.  We have been fortunate that the monsoon storms have mostly gone around us.  We are not going to get missed today.

Around 5:00, the first of the gust front ahead of the storm blew in - we were strapping down patio furniture covers, patio umbrellas, and the last thing was taking down our US flag... it was really flapping in the breeze while I was rolling it up.  

Then, the pounding rain...

 It came down solid for about 45 minutes.  The rain gutters we had installed did what they were designed to do, but we still have water pooling in the yard.  It will filter down, but the ground is hard here, so it takes time.  This is part of the reason why flash flooding is a concern all around Arizona.

On the bright side, we really need the moisture, and everything not under a cover received a thorough rinse courtesy of Mother Nature.  There is no doubt that there will be flooding in some parts of the Valley.  The weather has been very active the last couple weeks; reports each morning on the local news of damage around the Phoenix area.  The higher elevation parts of the state (north around Flagstaff and east along the Mogollon Rim - all over 7,000') have seen flooding.  A reason we haven't gone to those places for any get-aways in the van.

 

Cool Change...

 

If you said, "Little River Band, 1979," you get 10 bonus points.  If you said, "Another weather discussion?" you are correct, but no bonus points.

It was only 86º when I took Murphy outside at 6:30 this morning.  When we came in, Joan was up and said, "It is only supposed to be 99º today."  Only.  Another monsoon storm is supposed to roll in this evening.  These storms are not massive in size like the hurricanes we used to watch for when we lived on the Gulf Coast.  Parts of the Valley here get damaging winds, rain, and hail, and other areas in the Valley get a light breeze.  The last 5 mornings, there have been reports on the local NBC channel showing damage and power outages.

Then, see the national news and reports on violent weather all over the country.  Reports from the Sturgis Rally showing hail that piled up like snow.  Tornadoes across the Midwest.  Heat alerts in much of the country.

And, here in Phoenix, it is going to be "cooler than normal."  I have music with Mark and the guys today; I am hoping to get home before the storms hit... people here don't know how to drive when it rains. 

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A good time with the music at Mark's house today.  Mark, Danny, Gil, and Carl were there.  Making music for the fun of it.  Danny brought pizza; Cindy provided cookies.  What's not to like?  ;-)

As we were picking a last song, Mark picked Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison.  I feel compelled to put on some sunglasses when doing anything by Roy; the sunglasses today were my Oakley Meta Vanguards.  No one here knew they had a camera built into the glasses - I demonstrated...

 Mark above; Danny, Gil, and Carl below...

 Cindy (Mark's wife) and Pat (Carl's wife) provided the applause...

 Yes, the lens on the camera is pretty wide angle.  But, handy!

 

 

Luke, I Am Your Father...

 

Darth Vader never actually says, "Luke, I am your Father," in the Empire Strikes Back.  The real line is, "No, I am your Father,"but people add "Luke" when quoting it to make the reference clear out of context. 

I say this line when Joan puts a long black cape over me when she is about to cut my hair.  I'm guessing she doesn't know why I say this.  I am further guessing she doesn't care.

But, today was haircut day for me.  Outside.  In the breeze.  There is always the qualifier: "No guarantees about how this will turn out with this wind."  (7 mph)  It always turns out fine.  I was due for a haircut - I believe it has been 7 years.  Or, perhaps, a month.  It will look better with my new cap, without hair sticking out around my ears.

The cape...

 

 

No, it doesn't look quite like that, but that is how I image myself.  There is no hood, and it is open in the back.  That doesn't stop me from doing the Darth Vader voice.

Semantic distinction.  In fashion, the word "cape" usually refers to a shorter garment and "cloak" to a full-length version of the different types of garment, though the two terms are sometimes used synonymously for full-length coverings.  Cape sounds cooler than cloak.  Unless, of course, we are talking about the "cloak of invisibility."  But, that is a different movie.

I believe the word you are now looking for is: nerd.

 

Singing In The Rain...

 

If you said, "The film from 1952, starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds - and the title song from that movie," you get 30 bonus points.  Mostly for being more of a geezer than I am.  ;-)

 

This particular post has nothing to do with me.  Steph and Dan went to see John Mellencamp in concert last night.  At an outdoor concert venue.  In August.  During monsoon season.

We got a text from her, saying "Lightning all around them."  I let her know that, checking radar, rain was coming their way.  A few minutes later: "We are soaked to the skin!"

The concert was stopped and attendees were told to "Shelter in place or go to your cars for safety."  There is a cover over the main seating, but a lot of open "in the grass" seating.  When the storm passed, Mellencamp came back on again.

I asked them this morning how the concert went.  "We felt like youngsters - most of the crowd was older than us."  They have seen Mellencamp in concert quite a few times in the past - he is one of Steph's favorites.

I did mention to her that "Mellencamp is older than me."  She had to look it up: yep, he is a year older than I am.

They both said that he was showing his age during the concert.  "Ahem - only a year older than I am."

Dan said, "You are a young 73; he is an old 74."  A life of rock 'n roll will do that to you.

 

Well, it's about time...

 

You got a new watch, Jim?  No, but thanks for asking.

The last few weeks have been less than productive.  First a cold, then a root canal, then two monsoon storms blew in and made for "hazardous" air quality.  Yeah, that's a thing.  The last several days have been 114º +/- with higher than normal humidity.  Swamp-Ass Season.

We haven't gotten out much.  This morning, I was determined to get out on two wheels... the choice today was the Lectric ebike.  I was feeling the need to move.

It was 94º when I left the house at 7:30.  The humidity was only around 20%.  So, hot and sweaty, but a good ride.  Photos, or it didn't happen...

 It was a good ride.  And then a soak in the hot tub to ease the aches.  ;-)

 

 

More Music...

 

... And Les(s) Nessman. 

If you said, "From the sit-com WKRP In Cinncinnati: what Johnny Fever would say when introducing reporter Les Nessman," you get 30 bonus points.

No reporters on this one - today was music day with Allan and his bunch.  I didn't get any photos, but all 6 of us were there.  Allan's "wee little sister" (that's how he described her.  Good description - I'm guessing she was about 4'10"... she looked up at me when I met her and said, "Goodness, you're really tall."

"I'm guessing from your perspective, most people are... tall is not a descriptor used with me.  But, thanks."

I had a good time making music with these guys today.  A completely different experience from the Brothers MIM or the Hip Replacements.

 

Another Day, Another Monsoon Storm...

 

Well, overnight.  Before going to bed, we checked the hourly forecasts: nothing of any significance.  Not the way it played out.  A dust storm overnight woke Joan up and she went out to take down the cover over the hot tub.  I didn't hear any of this until she came back into the bedroom.

Yesterday late afternoon, Joan hosed off the furniture and patio while I added some water to the hot tub.  Everything was covered with dust again this morning.  'Tis that time of year.  Fa-la-freakin'-la.

I did take Murphy outside this morning.  The dust doesn't seem to bother him.

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Hello, my friend...

Yes, I have friends here.  Many of them are music related.  Some are neighbors or HOA related.  But this friend is one who hasn't received much attention lately...

 

Yes, I am talking about the RoadTrek.  It has been weeks since we've even visited it.  With the monsoon storms we've had lately, I felt the need to go check on my friend.  As you can see from that windshield cover, that's the direction the wind has generally been coming from.  The covered storage keeps it out of the sun here, but there is no stopping the blowing dirt with these storms.

The RoadTrek could use a bath, but it has been hot and humid.  And, with no plan to go anywhere anytime soon, it doesn't make sense to clean it up, just so it can get dirty again.  The interior is nice and clean; batteries are in storage mode and are strong.  The tires have the right amount of air in them.  It is ready to go when we can come up with a place within a day's drive that isn't on fire, smokey, getting localized flooding, or is just too dang hot.  Seems the higher elevation places in the state have been getting rain.  Fun places like Laughlin or Palm Springs are even hotter than here.  

Still Crap Air Quality...

 

I took Murphy out this morning - we didn't stay out too long.  The visibility is better, but you can feel the grit in the air.  A Category 5 dust storm moved through the area early yesterday morning.

That said, cabin fever is setting in for the humans in our house - Joan asked if we could do lunch out.  I suggested it yesterday, but... nope.  I think we are both in for today.

In a response to a comment from Earl on yesterday's post, I mentioned that we have put off any short trips (3 to 5 days) because of smoke from wildfires, hot temperatures, and even localized flooding in a couple places we considered.

On the way to Mark's on Monday, I recorded some rambling with the Oakley Meta Vanguard Glasses.  Finally got around to uploading it today.  This is "unlisted," so this blog post is the only place you'll see this clip...

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NHD...

New Hat Day.  It pays to advertise - I have been seeing ads on Facebook for "vintage" hats/caps.  I've had a version of these from Taylor (Guitars).  I called it a "driving cap" rather than vintage.  Some call it a "flat cap."  This one is denim - casual, but goes with most apparel that I wear.  I like it...

 More stylish than a ball cap... for guys of a certain age.  :-)

 

 

The Heat Is On...

 

If you said, "Glenn Frey, 1984, from the album The Allnighter," you get 15 bonus points.

Yes, I am talking about the weather in the desert again.  I think this is day 16 of "Extreme Heat Warning"... I may have lost track.  Interestingly enough, the high today is supposed to be only (??) 109º.  I guess the warning is because the humidity is relatively high, as expected during monsoon season.

To add to the fun, the wind came up last night and the air is full of dirt.  Murphy likes to go out after his breakfast - I put on a mask to take him outside.  The mask to help filter the dirty air.  I had forgotten how unpleasant it is to wear a mask.

How bad is the air?  Thanks for asking; South Mountain is visible (but diffused), the Estrella Mountains to the west are not.  The Air Quality Index in Phoenix is 104.  I have no idea how that scale works, but 104 is in the Hazardous range.

So, that is fun.  Not.

 

Still Rock n' Roll To Me...

 

If you said, "Billy Joel, 1980, from the album Glass Houses," you get 15 bonus points.

Music at Mark's house on Monday.  With everyone having different travel/vacation schedules, we have permutations of the 7 of us, depending on who is available.  For this session, it was Mark, Danny, Carl, and me.  Carl brought lunch (Jersey Mike's), Cindy provided cookies.  We had a great time making music.  First opportunity I've had for using the new amp with the guys, and it sounds great.

Before we were done, I asked Cindy if she would take some photos of us playing - nothing particular, just some photos for each of us.  She did a fine job - here's the results...

 And some individual shots while we were playing...

 

A good time!  Cindy and Carl's wife Pat were a good audience for us.

 

A Bar Fight...

 

Are you starting trouble again, Jim?

No.  And, hey, it isn't always me starting things.  Last night, I had nothing to do with it.  As near as I can tell, Murphy and Stella got into a drunken brawl.  On our bed.  It extended to Joan's nightstand, where something went crashing to the floor.  I didn't know that Joan had a collection of empty beer cans (since neither of us drink beer), but that is what it sounded like.  Probably some kind of jewelry.  Whatever, it made a lot of noise.

The cats like to sleep by Joan.  Body heat?  Murphy goes for the legs, Stella is more about the torso.  It frequently "traps" Joan under the covers.  So, that is fun.

Then, about 4:48, the "Hugala, hugala" sound that precedes a cat spewing puke.  On our bed.  It was Murphy.  I swear he shoves his paw down his throat, just to make that gagging sound.  It is very effective in getting the humans up from a sound sleep.

When I got up for real, I discovered that Stella had overturned the rack that hold 3 food and water dishes.  That, too, is fun.  There were cat toys scattered about. 

I would say I am going to need a nap today, but I have music with Mark and the guys.  Yes, I am taking my new amp.  We'll have lunch and make some music.  Pretty sure there won't be time or space for a nap.

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Today will be 15 days in a row of "Extreme Heat Warning," with an expected high of 113º.   It was 94º at 6:15.  So, that's fun, too.

Mall Rats...

 

A vermin infestation?  Well, of sorts.

Friday evening, Steph came over to our house and asked if we wanted to have lunch out with them on Saturday.  "Sure!"  A discussion of when and where ensued and a decision was made: Cheesecake Factory at Chandler Fashion Mall.  On a Saturday.  We were going to meet there.

Joan saw that there was a WayFair Outlet not far from that mall and wanted to check it out.

Saturday, and we headed out at noon for a 2:00 meet-up at Cheesecake Factory.  The stop at the WayFair Outlet was underwhelming.  Joan didn't have anything particular in mind for going there, which was a good thing.  With over an hour to kill, I suggested we just to go the mall and get some walking in... in air conditioned comfort.

Apparently, a LOT of people had that same idea... we had to drive around to find a parking spot.  "Oh, crap - there are 3 cars in front of us as we go down this lane.  But fortunately, someone was pulling out just as we were coming up on it.  Only a block or two to walk in the 115º heat to get to the air conditioned mall.

Joan asked me, "Do you want to go to Scheel's?"

Not needing a thing, I said, "Sure!" 

This is a BIG Scheel's store.  How big?  Thanks for asking; big enough that they have a ferris wheel right in the store...

 And there was a line waiting to ride.  That image above is in the store, not in the main part of the mall.

I haven't walked around a mall in a long time.  I had heard that malls were dying - you wouldn't know that by the crowds of people.  There is a new SeaFood City in this mall, and there was a line waiting to get in the store.  This is a big mall, two levels.

 A rare break in the crowd in that image above; intentional, because I took it with my Oakley Meta Glasses.  We walked enough that I was ready to sit down for a bit; Joan found a sitting area that had a couple open chairs.  I texted Steph to let her know we were in the mall - we met them at the restaurant.  She had a reservation - you needed it if you didn't want to stand and wait.

The Cheesecake Factory has a pretty extensive menu... but I was there for the cheesecake.  Joan picked a cinnamon roll cheesecake that we shared.  Tasty!  Steph and Dan had a piece and took another one home... sharing that piece with Joan took care of my sugar intake for the week.  And so worth it.

Leaving, we joined the line of cars working to get out of the parking lot.  This mall seems to be alive and well.

 

No, I Didn't...

 

... forget to make a blog post yesterday and today. 

I took it easy for a couple days, recuperating from the root canal.  Today was much better.  Only 2 Extra Strength Tylenol as of 4:00 pm.

Not wanting to do much of anything outside; today's high was 115º.  Same thing for tomorrow.  We did make an excursion out for lunch, to the nearby In & Out Burger.  With me taking little bites and chewing on the "other side" of my mouth.

 Yes, that mediocre image was taken with my Oakley Meta glasses.  Joan was leaning in because I was whispering.

When we got home, I did take on one Honey-Do project: installing a keypad lock between Steph and Dan's house and ours.  There was a "double-key" deadbolt; Joan wanted a keypad so it can be locked or unlocked from either side without needing a key... making it like the rest of our exterior and garage doors.

 While I had the door open between our homes, there was a parade of cats going back and forth.  They have 3, we have 2... it felt like there were about 15 of 'em with all the coming and going.  Yes, everybody got a treat.

 

The Full Buck Moon...

 

The Full Moon names used by The Old Farmer’s Almanac come from a number of places, including Native American, colonial American, and European sources. Traditionally, each Full Moon name was applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred, not solely to the Full Moon.

The Full Moon in July is called the Buck Moon because the antlers of male deer (bucks) are in full-growth mode at this time. Bucks shed and regrow their antlers each year, producing a larger and more impressive set as the years go by. 

Several other names for this month’s Full Moon also reference animals, including Feather Moulting Moon (Cree) and Salmon Moon, a Tlingit term indicating when fish returned to the area and were ready to be harvested. 

Plants are also featured prominently in July’s Moon names. Some of our favorites are Berry Moon (Anishinaabe), Moon When the Chokecherries are Ripe (Dakota), Month of the Ripe Corn Moon (Cherokee), and Raspberry Moon (Algonquin, Ojibwe). 

Thunder Moon (Western Abenaki) and Halfway Summer Moon (Anishinaabe) are alternative variants that refer to the stormy weather and summer season. 

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OK, maybe more than you wanted to know about the naming, but here's what it looks like...

 The yellowish color is because I shot this as the moon was just coming up over South Mountain, so a lot of the atmosphere to shoot through.  As the moon gets higher, it will appear whiter and brighter.

Taken with Sony A6700 mirrorless camera with a 210mm lens, ISO 800, manual exposure: 1/1000th sec, F6.3. 

  

A Turn Down Day...

 

If you said, "The Cyrkle, 1966, from their album Red Rubber Ball," you get 20 bonus points.  Nothing on my mind... yeah, more lyrics from the song.

It was that kind of day; resting up after yesterday.  The Tylenol and Ibuprofen helped, but the jaw pain would come and go.  Mostly, it hung around.

I didn't leave the house... and I feel the cabin fever building.  Joan made us breakfast (soft: scrambled eggs).  Got a soak in the hot tub before the heat of the day really kicked in.  Joan got us some take out for lunch.  I fed the cats.  Late this afternoon, Joan asked if I felt up to playing some music for her... "Anything for my Honey," but I felt it in my jaw while singing (without much gusto).

Getting towards the end of the day, it feels like I'm getting beyond the hurting. 

Done!

 

The root canal procedure.  It took a little longer than the endodontist anticipated - seems that this tooth has 3 roots (which I already knew), but it has 4 canals.  Yes, I am an over-achiever. 

This was better than the two previous root canals I've had, by a long shot.  The dentist and his assistant worked like a well-oiled machine.  There was very little talking between them, other than him asking for a particular millimeter drill bit and letting her know when he wanted suction.  It was confidence inspiring.

The only pain was during the last shot, into the roof of my mouth, to finish numbing the area, before the actual procedure.  Plenty of pressure during the procedure, but no real pain.  And, now that it is done, my jaw is aching - to be expected after having a block in there holding my mouth open for over an hour.

On the bright side: the crown is fine (they have to drill a hole in it to get to the roots).  It didn't crack and there was no other tooth issue underneath it.  They repaired and sealed the hole in the crown - it should not need any further treatment.

They sent me home with instructions: do not eat on that side for a week, but I can eat whatever I want.  Expect "discomfort" (that means: pain) for 3 to 4 days, with the pain being commensurate with the pre-procedure pain... which, in my case, was pretty darn nasty.  Take Tylenol and/or Ibuprofen for the pain.  Finish taking the antibiotics prescribed by my dentist.

Joan came along, in case I needed her to drive home.  That turned out to be a good decision - after being with my head lower than my body for an hour, I was a little woozy when I first got up out of the chair. 

Glad to have it done.

 

Security...

 

I have been accused of over-sharing.  I won't mention by whom.  So, anyway, I was in the bathroom this morning...

"No one wants to hear this, Jim."

Thank you for your input.  I think it is important to establish some background: we have had a cat in the family for 45 years now.  No, not the same cat - a series of cats.  Cats are curious by nature, and they have often followed us into the bathroom.  Anyone with a cat will confirm this.

That said, the two male cats we have had (Murphy, and before him: Rufus) have always provided "security" while I am in the bathroom.  They station themselves at the bathroom door, facing out, and making sure no one attacks me while I am in a vulnerable position.  When in the shower, they will usually move to right in front of the shower door, again facing out.

It obviously has been successful, as I have never been attacked while in the shower or on the toilet.  Still not over-sharing here.

So, while I was in the shower today, Murphy took his post, keeping me secure...

 At one point, he was joined by little Stella...

 I am happy to announce that it was another successful security mission.  Little Stella can be an instigator; she was trying to get Murphy to play/wrestle with her.  Staying with his duty, he batted at her.  I said, "Murphy, don't be rough with your sister."

To which he replied, "You like her best."

I reminded him that I tell Stella "No!" when she bites him on the ear.  And then I added, "My favorite is the one of you who is the best behaved at the time."  He wasn't so sure about that.  "You are both the favorite - you are my big handsome boy and she is my sweet little girl."

"OK, as long as I am the favorite favorite."

See, no over-sharing... even with a bathroom based post.

I love the smell of...

 

... root canal in the morning!  An appointment with the endodontist this morning.  If you aren't familiar, an endodontist is the person that specializes in root canals and other medieval torture procedures.  It is of Greek derivation, meaning: really expensive tooth stuff.

This is the guy my dentist said he would go to if he needed a root canal.  Easy to say when you don't need a root canal.  Damn, I seem to be saying "root canal" a bunch.

This is for a "consultation."  $200 to talk about what they're gonna do.  No idea if or when they're actually going to do something.  In the meantime: yeah, it still hurts.

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This morning's visit was just the consultation.  It all went as expected and they set me up with an appointment a couple weeks down the road to do the actual root canal.  I asked about being on a wait list and told them I could be flexible.

We were home by 9:45.  The endodontist's office called at 10:15 - they have a cancellation for tomorrow... "Would you like to take that appointment?"

"Absolutely!"  No point in dragging this out.  I am still on antibiotics, but healing - way better to get this over with sooner so I don't have to start over with the hurtin' again.  Hmm, that sounds like a country song... "Oh, baby, you make my heart hurt like a root canal."  I may be on to something.

 

 

Needed Rest...

 

No, still not me.  I haven't slept good since this jaw thing.  But, I have a couple fine looking felines, and today it is Murphy's turn in the spotlight.  This handsome boy sleeps hard.  When he is really zonked, his mouth hangs open and his paws curl.

It's another "he said/she said" kinda thing.  Well, his photo and her photo kinda thing.  Joan's photo...

Yes, I want to run my hands through that luxuriously furry belly, but I don't want to disturb him. 

And, my close up photo...

 I wish I could sleep like that.

 

Still Flirty...

 

No, still not me.  After all the hurtin' posts, I was ready for some kitty content.  This evening, Stella was entertaining us with her flirty poses.  From Joan's phone...

 And from my phone...

 Such a little cutie!

 

Kickin In...

 

The antibiotic is doing its job: the jaw pain is less.  I had doubts yesterday.  In this day of instant gratification, I guess I expected similar with the pain relief.  Well, hope more than expectation.

It makes that wait I mentioned yesterday more bearable.

 

Waiting is the hardest part...

 

If you said, "Tom Petty, 1981, from the album Hard Promises," you get 15 bonus points.

If you read my response to Earl and Jeff from yesterday's post, that will kinda bring you up to date.  It was a tough night - the pain didn't allow for much sleep.  That's enough detail.

It will be a few days before the endodontist can get me in.  So, I'm guessing there won't be much to talk about between now and then.

When I have needed a root canal in the past, it happened during the visit to determine that I also needed a crown - get it all over at once.  Hopefully, while I'm waiting for this appointment, the antibiotics will kick in and ease the pain. 

Yeah, that hurts...

 

Now, what'd you do?

Thanks for the sympathy.  I didn't do nuthin'.  A couple days ago, I got a raging pain in my jaw.  I had this to a lesser degree last year, and the dentist showed me on Xrays that it was in inflammation in my sinus "tubes" that run through the jaw.  It went away.  This pain was showing no sign of easing up.

I took sinus meds; tried heat on my sinuses...

 Yeah, it's a look.  Didn't help.  I broke down and called the dentist's office.  With pain, they get you in right away.  More Xrays... "See this dark area right here?"  Yes.  "Did the pain come on fast and hard?"  Oh, hell yes.

"I think you're going to need a root canal."

Nobody wants to hear that.

 

How Low Can You Go...

 

You're doing the Limbo, Jimbo?

No, I am not, and don't call me Jimbo.  The Emerald X10 was in need of some new strings.  I had moved to 11s on my other acoustic guitars; guitar players will know what I am talking about - a short explanation for civilians: the gauge of the high E-string.  If that didn't answer anything for you, it is lighter than I have been using.  It's part of my move to making all my guitars easier for these old hands to play.

I decided to put 10s on the X10.  I had to hunt through my string inventory to come up with a set that was that light - fortunately, I had half of a 12-string set from when I put Nashville tuning on my X7.

I took the strings off one-by-one...

 I cleaned the fretboard and polished the frets while I had access to them.

The saddles on the X10 are adjustable.  I lowered them one-by-one...

 It is a balancing act: too low and the strings will buzz on the frets above them.  When I had it set as low as I could get it with no buzz, I called it good and snugged up the new strings.  Tuned them up to pitch.  Yep, that feels easier on the fingers and no buzz.  The neck has a truss rod, but it didn't need to be tweaked.  Good to go.

And just for fun, I played the X10 for a while through the new amp.  The X10 is an acoustic that has a humbucking pickup as well as individual piezos... the premise from Emerald on this guitar: an acoustic that can also be played like an electric.  It sounds decent through the Deluxe Reverb amp.

With that guitar done, I should be able to take some time off from guitar "tweaking."  Today was supposed to be a get together with the guys at Mark's house kinda music day, but I am still sneezing, snotting, and coughing, so I chose to stay away.  I was disappointed, because this will be the last chance to get together with Ron; he and his wife are heading to the Pacific Northwest until September (where it will definitely be cooler than here in Phoenix).  It's always a treat to get together with my music buddies, but better to not spread this fun cold crap around.