Hold on to what is good even if it is a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe even if it is a tree which stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do even if it is a long way from here.
Hold on to life even when it is easier letting go.
Hold on to my hand even when I have gone away from you.
- Pueblo Blessing
Saturday, Jun. 17, 2006 - 4:56 p.m.
WARNING!!!! if you know me personally, you may read my diary, but if you do, you take the chance of hearing things you don't want to know, misunderstanding what I've written and being hurt by it. If you are unsure if it is ok to read, save yourself and me the grief and heartache, and ask first!!! Please note that this is a DIARY, ie my subjective feelings, hearsay, suppositions, and outpourings of ranting of the moment. It does not represent objective news, the whole of what I think of a topic or someone, or even a thought-out representation of any of the above. Keep that in mind. Thanks. * Here is a Diary Etiquette Read Me.
Old Friends and New Guitars
Yes, yes I have been gone a long time again.
My good friend from university, pigeontoedguy, was here in town with his wife, who was at a medical conference. Yes, pigeontoedguy was smart enough to marry a doctor, being in the fine arts himself! OK, now he is in mediaarts, but whatever.
So I hadn't actually seen him since 1991, though we talk on the phone all the time. He lives down in California with said wife and his two kids. So I hung around with him all last week Sunday through Wed. Doing the tourist thing, coffeeshops, had them and artsyguy for dinner (homemade spanikopita howeveryouspellit, greek salad, brochettes) etc etc. And I was rushing to get a contract done for Thursday as well. So it was a busy time and no diaryland entries.
It is cool when someone visits from out of town: I actually check out my own city, instead of staying in the daily rut. Lots of construction, lots of new shops, some favorite places bit the dust... anyways, it was great to get out and about.
Besides that, things are going fine with artsyguy. No real fights lately, though I have started to put my foot down more when he is whiny about me. Why is it that people are so intolerant of things they do themselves (explain ad nauseum, tell stories to strangers in shops, leave things lying about, are negative about things, repeat anecdotes etc). Dang. I don't mind putting up with him doing things. But then when I do the same things and he complains about it, it feels really unfair and very hypocritical. And THEN I get annoyed. yay.
Anyhews, slept over several times the past week. Had him for breakfast today (I babysit some little kids last night) for pancakes with fresh mango and blackberries, and we actually "got it on". Dang. Wonders never cease.
Later in the morning he went to buy an accoustic base, so I went along, and was a bad girl (given the lack of real paying work, and the recent purchase of digital camera and doggy wheelchair)... and I shelled out for a guitar and case. I had wanted one for quite a long time (as well as myriad other things such as an upright piano hah), and was thinking of buying one in a pawn shop. But I didn't want to buy a guitar that was crap and waste my $$.
On artsyguy's advice I spent about $350cdn on a Norman guitar... made here in Quebec. It has a list price of over $500, so that's ok I guess. Apparently they are good solid basic guitars and stand up to our climate not so badly. I don't know a thing about guitars, but it seems nice. I got a B20 mini-jumbo. I have no idea what a "mini-jumbo" is, but it is a version of this B20 guitar. I like that it has a sort of semimat finish instead of shinarama. It sounds pretty nice I think.
I also got a Dickies brand case, which was more solid in materials and construction than the storebrand cases they had... and the only color they had was red, so red it is.
So I came home and took out the "learn guitar" books I bought around 1986, when I had a girlfriend who had a guitar and who taught me four chords and two songs. And I sat down with my new guitar and practiced for an hour or so. I learned the G, G7, C and D7 chords I think, and the notes EFG on the first string. It is pretty damn hard to get my softie little fingertips to press down the strings accurately: hard enough to stop it from vibrating, and precisely enough that I don't touch the next strings over. But after an hour I was pretty happy to think I can do at least something. Typing now, my fingertips feel like mincemeat, but what the hey!!
It would be totally cool if eventually I can play guitar... unlike the piano it is practical: you can carry it around, sit anywhere in the house or in the yard, take it to the park or to parties, have singalongs with friends or oneself. It costs less than a piano too.
Like I need another thing to do in my day... I haven't gotten my comic done today yet, and haven't been to the gym for a week, or the climbing gym for two weeks. Oh well.
but, it is so pretty... and artsyguy may teach me a song or two.
Here are some photos:
OK, tah for now!
cheers
me
wenchie
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previous meanderings - future past
Goodbye Michael. May your next life be kinder to you. - Thursday, Jun. 25, 2009
Taking Care of Your Cows - Thursday, Jun. 25, 2009
Saint Joseph robs the cradle and eats spaghetti - Sunday, Jun. 14, 2009
sticky notes and broken irises - Friday, Jun. 12, 2009
The FOODCOMMANDER - Monday, Jun. 08, 2009
