Resting puzzle hands with music
I never got around to blogging the last 2 ACPTs in detail (world's worst blogger!), and here we are on the eve of another one. I'm always a nervous wreck. My skills have eroded a bit with age (I have a big birthday next month), but with a few top people not coming this year, who knows what's possible? I encourage all A's and B's not to compete so victory can again be mine .
I always have some puzzle books going around the house (have completed several books I also need to blog about. Yeesh), but hadn't downloaded any online puzzles since last spring (oops). I learned that the Merl Reagle and Boston Globe puzzles now keep only one month of archives. So does the LA Times, but I can get those from uClick (paid subscription). I downloaded what I could but won't have time to do them all. I should be solving on paper, but I've done so many puzzles my hands hurt. Even the online puzzles hurt my hands (sucks to get old), and I'm wearing one of those wrist gloves. So I need a break.
My escape drug of choice has always been music, so I hit Rhapsody. I was thinking about my favorite female singer, Patti Austin, who was on Quincy Jones' wonderful "The Dude" album, so played that. I suddenly remembered hearing Patti singing "I.G.Y." on an obscure late-night show with David Sanborn, and Googling found the clip (1988). Then I found this great live version of "Razzmatazz". Oh, and there she is more recently at Quincy's 75th birthday concert. Why isn't this woman more famous? I always felt she could sing rings around Whitney (still sad about Whitney's death; such lost potential).
I was supposed to see Patti live at the Nokia a year or so ago, but she canceled due to illness. Turns out she's singing Friday at Carnegie Hall. Darn! Very tempting, but I already made tournament plans.
One of the Brothers Johnson was in the band on the "Razzmatazz" clip, so after the Patti festival, I listened to their greatest hits album (which I also own on CD). Love them! I always use "Stomp" to test speakers, headphones, etc.
I have more music-related bloggery (on the eve of Whitney's funeral, I saw Aretha live at Radio City!) but this entry is long enough so that'll have to wait.
I always have some puzzle books going around the house (have completed several books I also need to blog about. Yeesh), but hadn't downloaded any online puzzles since last spring (oops). I learned that the Merl Reagle and Boston Globe puzzles now keep only one month of archives. So does the LA Times, but I can get those from uClick (paid subscription). I downloaded what I could but won't have time to do them all. I should be solving on paper, but I've done so many puzzles my hands hurt. Even the online puzzles hurt my hands (sucks to get old), and I'm wearing one of those wrist gloves. So I need a break.
My escape drug of choice has always been music, so I hit Rhapsody. I was thinking about my favorite female singer, Patti Austin, who was on Quincy Jones' wonderful "The Dude" album, so played that. I suddenly remembered hearing Patti singing "I.G.Y." on an obscure late-night show with David Sanborn, and Googling found the clip (1988). Then I found this great live version of "Razzmatazz". Oh, and there she is more recently at Quincy's 75th birthday concert. Why isn't this woman more famous? I always felt she could sing rings around Whitney (still sad about Whitney's death; such lost potential).
I was supposed to see Patti live at the Nokia a year or so ago, but she canceled due to illness. Turns out she's singing Friday at Carnegie Hall. Darn! Very tempting, but I already made tournament plans.
One of the Brothers Johnson was in the band on the "Razzmatazz" clip, so after the Patti festival, I listened to their greatest hits album (which I also own on CD). Love them! I always use "Stomp" to test speakers, headphones, etc.
I have more music-related bloggery (on the eve of Whitney's funeral, I saw Aretha live at Radio City!) but this entry is long enough so that'll have to wait.