New Feet for the Beast
Lots of errands today. The big one was getting an oil change and 4 new tires for the BMW. I have a 13-passenger Ford BMW. Well, it would sit 13 if I put 2 more benches back in the cargo area, but I really like that cargo area. Seating 7 in relative comfort is better. New windshield wipers too, high-tech silicon that should last a couple years. Just getting ready for the winter snows waiting in the shadows. The mountains behind my house already have a light dusting from Tuesday's storm. Damage just over $600.
And I finally picked up a copy of Beowulf at a used bookstore. The bookstore used to be in an old turn-of-the-19th-century brick office building and 20 years ago I used to spend Saturday afternoons going through the cellar, the basement, the sub-basement, and the tunnels that led out under the street, searching the stacks for treasures. They've moved to a new location about 2 years ago and I finally went in to check it out. It doesn't feel the same without orange and grapefruit boxes of paperbacks stacked in the narrow aisles. I actually found Beowulf within seconds of being directed to the Classics area. But, since there were having a 3 for $5, I spent another 40 minutes trying to find something by Eric Flint or Glen Cook or Terry Pratchett or any of the other 20 or so authors on my short list. I finally settled on "Boundary" by Erick Flint & Ryk E. Spoor and "Diaspora" by Greg Egan. I have several of Egan's books and Iook forward to this one. Just as soon as I finish "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell" by Susanna Clarke. Just as soon as I finish Beowulf. Damn.
I also stopped by our local DJ / Band specialty supply store. I bought my first guitar there about 15 years ago. Today I picked up a Eurorack Pro RX1202FX 12-input Mic/Line rack mixer. And five new vocal microphones and an instrument mic. And 6 stage quality boom stands. And cables. I also plan on picking up a couple of powered speakers and stands for performances. I don't know about the rest of the group, since they're 40 miles away, but where I live there are a couple of places next to the local Universities that offer stage space to perspiring artists. Damage done on the tech gear is another $600+ and another $700 when I go back to get the speakers next month. These are items the group wants to get and I figure I can pick them up now so we can start working on the next CD where we can each actually sing as a group, instead of singing into a single mic and then adding the tracks in.
Then I took SWIAR and younger daughter to see "Dispicable Me" at the dollar-and-a-half theater. AFterwards, off for Vietnamese Pho and then back home so SWIAR could go to bed. I'll post more about the noodle house at a later date.
I still have another song to work on. "Sodium Ghosts" is finished and I'll post that next. "Queen of Roses" is coming along nicely and I hope to have it finished in a day or two, AND I've started "Persephone," which should also be finished in a day or two. Plus, I need to color-code the cables and mics. And read Beowulf. Damn.
-- thus curseth paiyatamu
And I finally picked up a copy of Beowulf at a used bookstore. The bookstore used to be in an old turn-of-the-19th-century brick office building and 20 years ago I used to spend Saturday afternoons going through the cellar, the basement, the sub-basement, and the tunnels that led out under the street, searching the stacks for treasures. They've moved to a new location about 2 years ago and I finally went in to check it out. It doesn't feel the same without orange and grapefruit boxes of paperbacks stacked in the narrow aisles. I actually found Beowulf within seconds of being directed to the Classics area. But, since there were having a 3 for $5, I spent another 40 minutes trying to find something by Eric Flint or Glen Cook or Terry Pratchett or any of the other 20 or so authors on my short list. I finally settled on "Boundary" by Erick Flint & Ryk E. Spoor and "Diaspora" by Greg Egan. I have several of Egan's books and Iook forward to this one. Just as soon as I finish "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell" by Susanna Clarke. Just as soon as I finish Beowulf. Damn.
I also stopped by our local DJ / Band specialty supply store. I bought my first guitar there about 15 years ago. Today I picked up a Eurorack Pro RX1202FX 12-input Mic/Line rack mixer. And five new vocal microphones and an instrument mic. And 6 stage quality boom stands. And cables. I also plan on picking up a couple of powered speakers and stands for performances. I don't know about the rest of the group, since they're 40 miles away, but where I live there are a couple of places next to the local Universities that offer stage space to perspiring artists. Damage done on the tech gear is another $600+ and another $700 when I go back to get the speakers next month. These are items the group wants to get and I figure I can pick them up now so we can start working on the next CD where we can each actually sing as a group, instead of singing into a single mic and then adding the tracks in.
Then I took SWIAR and younger daughter to see "Dispicable Me" at the dollar-and-a-half theater. AFterwards, off for Vietnamese Pho and then back home so SWIAR could go to bed. I'll post more about the noodle house at a later date.
I still have another song to work on. "Sodium Ghosts" is finished and I'll post that next. "Queen of Roses" is coming along nicely and I hope to have it finished in a day or two, AND I've started "Persephone," which should also be finished in a day or two. Plus, I need to color-code the cables and mics. And read Beowulf. Damn.
-- thus curseth paiyatamu