Get off my LAWN! "Grumpy Old Farts"

[2tonic]

Too many old people to contend with.

Picture a long line of cars at a light. It turns green, the guy at the head of the line sits there, sits there, finally rolls through the intersection without touching the gas pedal. Then the second car sits and eventually decides to go through. The third car parks in anticipation of the light turning red.

Nobody has anywhere to go.

In this situation, you need to carry a bullhorn, through which you announce that it's "double coupon day" at Old Country Buffet, or Golden Corral, but only for three more hours.

 

[LBS-bass]

Whatever you do, never let the mark see you digging the hole!

I am so unhappy over this that I haven't been able to sleep yet, and it's 2AM, and I have to be up at 7.

 

[lowplaces]

In this situation, you need to carry a bullhorn, through which you announce that it's "double coupon day" at Old Country Buffet, or Golden Corral, but only for three more hours.

Hey !

One of those places would be a great choice for a grumpy old farts meet up

 

[beans-on-toast]

After a return engagement to diagnose the 'rattle' in the passenger door woofer in my ride, it was found to be toast - the glue holding the spider to the frame failed. The sub in the rear deck had succumbed to UV degradation, so I ended up with new speaks. FOCAL in front, and a Kicker sub in back. Worth every penny - it sounds better than new.

I've always liked Focal products. THey've branched out from studio monitors to car speakers. They build everything in-house. Very impressive technology.

 

[beans-on-toast]

I am so unhappy over this that I haven't been able to sleep yet, and it's 2AM, and I have to be up at 7.

I usually can't sleep after playing because I'm on an adrenalin rush. Life is too short to let a weak link in the band drag you down.

 

[GonePlaid]

Welp.

Today I got a nastygram from the city about not one but THREE violations on my property. The first is that danged laurel (see: last Saturday's entry in this thread). This is odd because I've really kept it corralled so it's not impeding the trash trucks. True, it needs a lot of work. If I were physically well, I could have it down to manageability over the course of a season. But I'm not, and my low bid is $4000. I don't have that, and it's ridiculous. But last the compliance guy told me, I was ok - and he was thrilled with my progress.

Second violation was the detritus from move-outs from the apartments across the alley. Huge turnover in those 16 units, and they just dump their crap. The compliance guy has been very helpful here at not holding me responsible. Technically speaking, if it's on my side of the alley, it's my problem. I've been very assertive about 'No it is not, and if you think I am trafficking in used bedbug-infested mattresses on a monthly basis, you are free to come into my home and be quickly disabused of that notion.'

Third violation was not having house numbers displayed on the alley. Uhh. One of their own photos very clearly shows... house numbers on my garage, clearly visible from the alley.

Now. The city is complaint-driven. Although it's possible the inspector was in the neighborhood and said 'Oh crud,' that's not likely what happened. My guess is that one set of parents decided to retaliate against me for 'getting into their business' with their kids. Didn't seem like it was going down that way at the time, but the timing seems a tad odd. The other possibility is that my neighbors have retaliated. They were parking like jerks (in my driveway, blocking my driveway, laughing at me and saying 'Nope!' when I asked them to not) and finally I got the city to paint lines in front of their house and yellow-zone around my driveway. They had a fit, including threatening to make me pay for a survey (ha!) to prove that my driveway was not on their property. More threats, including attorneys. None of it came to pass, which makes sense because there was nothing there. But maybe this is how they're going to stick it to me.

I'll never know what's up here, but it sucks. I'll write a letter, pushing back on this, but I doubt it'll help.

Wishing you good luck.

 

[GonePlaid]

Señor Sandman

Wonder if Les Paul ever heard him.

 

[GonePlaid]

Indeed it is warming up in NorCal. I did not drink chardonnay, but did have a glass of Zinfandel or whatever it was they poured when I said, "whatever decent red you've got," at the bar tonight. I think it was Zinfandel.

Had a loooong and stressful rehearsal, which is what made me want to hit the bar. At the end of it I got a text that a couple we know was down the street, so we headed there.

Rehearsals are painful these days. We have a member who's probably not going to be with us for much longer but he doesn't know it yet. I hate when that sense of the inevitable starts to creep in and you know there's something needing to be done but no one wants to admit it. So rehearsal was not much fun.

We had a long rehearsal because we have three sets to play tomorrow. That will probably be fun to a degree, at least as much fun as you can have when you know your band is about to implode.

Yeah, that definitely sucks.

 

[LBS-bass]

Yeah, that definitely sucks.

Thanks. I had literally no sleep last night, three sets to play today in the heat, so it's going to be an interesting day. I've had this happen before, and I usually manage to get through the day okay. I do have jobs this evening to do, so no chance at sleep again until about 9pm. I expect I'll be ready by then.

I usually can't sleep after playing because I'm on an adrenalin rush. Life is too short to let a weak link in the band drag you down.

Yes, the adrenalin is a part of it, too, and it will serve me well this afternoon, thank goodness for that. As for the rest, we've been trying to work with these limitations for quite a while, and have really bent over backwards to try to make it work for this person but it's really obvious that nothing good is going to happen. So I guess we are at the point with it that there's no moving forward without making some big changes.

I was ready to walk six months ago but we recruited another player in the hope that it would help this person if someone else did most of the heavy lifting. Unfortunately he is still insisting on playing solos that he doesn't play well, and still not doing the work to learn the material properly, and not letting enough of the lifting be done by the other player. And so nobody is happy, least of all him, because he knows he's not able to keep up with the other players. I feel bad about it, I feel like we let it go on too long, and there's no painless way to deal with it.

Other than that, life isn't too bad. I'll be glad with this day is over!

 

[GonePlaid]

Thanks. I had literally no sleep last night, three sets to play today in the heat, so it's going to be an interesting day. I've had this happen before, and I usually manage to get through the day okay. I do have jobs this evening to do, so no chance at sleep again until about 9pm. I expect I'll be ready by then.




Yes, the adrenalin is a part of it, too, and it will serve me well this afternoon, thank goodness for that. As for the rest, we've been trying to work with these limitations for quite a while, and have really bent over backwards to try to make it work for this person but it's really obvious that nothing good is going to happen. So I guess we are at the point with it that there's no moving forward without making some big changes.

I was ready to walk six months ago but we recruited another player in the hope that it would help this person if someone else did most of the heavy lifting. Unfortunately he is still insisting on playing solos that he doesn't play well, and still not doing the work to learn the material properly, and not letting enough of the lifting be done by the other player. And so nobody is happy, least of all him, because he knows he's not able to keep up with the other players. I feel bad about it, I feel like we let it go on too long, and there's no painless way to deal with it.

Other than that, life isn't too bad. I'll be glad with this day is over!

I'm reminded of the numerous stories I've heard of 3 guitarists getting together, practicing, and eventually the least adept is told to buy a bass or go away.

 

[SoulReflection]

Hey !

One of those places would be a great choice for a grumpy old farts meet up

McDonald's is that place...

 

[LBS-bass]

Hey !

One of those places would be a great choice for a grumpy old farts meet up

You forgot Cracker Barrel.

 

[GonePlaid]

McDonald's is that place...

Around this area, it would be a mom-n-pop coffee and bagel shop/diner.

 

[LBS-bass]

Welp.

Today I got a nastygram from the city about not one but THREE violations on my property. The first is that danged laurel (see: last Saturday's entry in this thread). This is odd because I've really kept it corralled so it's not impeding the trash trucks. True, it needs a lot of work. If I were physically well, I could have it down to manageability over the course of a season. But I'm not, and my low bid is $4000. I don't have that, and it's ridiculous. But last the compliance guy told me, I was ok - and he was thrilled with my progress.

Second violation was the detritus from move-outs from the apartments across the alley. Huge turnover in those 16 units, and they just dump their crap. The compliance guy has been very helpful here at not holding me responsible. Technically speaking, if it's on my side of the alley, it's my problem. I've been very assertive about 'No it is not, and if you think I am trafficking in used bedbug-infested mattresses on a monthly basis, you are free to come into my home and be quickly disabused of that notion.'

Third violation was not having house numbers displayed on the alley. Uhh. One of their own photos very clearly shows... house numbers on my garage, clearly visible from the alley.

Now. The city is complaint-driven. Although it's possible the inspector was in the neighborhood and said 'Oh crud,' that's not likely what happened. My guess is that one set of parents decided to retaliate against me for 'getting into their business' with their kids. Didn't seem like it was going down that way at the time, but the timing seems a tad odd. The other possibility is that my neighbors have retaliated. They were parking like jerks (in my driveway, blocking my driveway, laughing at me and saying 'Nope!' when I asked them to not) and finally I got the city to paint lines in front of their house and yellow-zone around my driveway. They had a fit, including threatening to make me pay for a survey (ha!) to prove that my driveway was not on their property. More threats, including attorneys. None of it came to pass, which makes sense because there was nothing there. But maybe this is how they're going to stick it to me.

I'll never know what's up here, but it sucks. I'll write a letter, pushing back on this, but I doubt it'll help.

Neighbor wars are awful because the resentments never stop. I'm sorry you're dealing with this and hope it gets resolved without costing you a lot of money and time.

 

[beans-on-toast]

Saturday Reprise

The evolution of rock, a touch of boogie-woogie and vegas swing. Cool early P-Bass in action.





Freddie Bell and the Bellboys - Wikipedia
They inspired Elvis to record Hound Dog. Bell was performing at the Sands casino-hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in the mid-1950s when Presley was just an opening act across the street at the New Frontier. Bell's upbeat covers, and perhaps his knee-wiggling dance moves, inspired Presley, Johnson said. "He loved Freddie's version," Johnson said. "He added new words and a better beat."

 

[G-Dog]

I'm reminded of the numerous stories I've heard of 3 guitarists getting together, practicing, and eventually the least adept [or most flexible] is told to buy a bass or go away.

Fixed it for you. As in . . .

.​

 

[GonePlaid]

Fixed it for you. As in . . .

View attachment 3556963
.​

Certainly not suggesting all bassists "evolved" in that way, but it seemed to be the case in the 60s. I was a decent section saxist until I found my true calling in 67 while in the Navy music program. Still played the horn(s) as a double for many years afterwards but bass is where my heart and head is at. Fooled with guitar for a very short time, but it never really 'grabbed' me like a bass does.

 

[beans-on-toast]

Fixed it for you. As in . . .

View attachment 3556963
.​

The little amp in front of McCartney is an Elpico. It was green. He still has it. Dave Davis of the Kinks used one with a razor slashed speaker to get distortion on You Really Got Me. The Selmer Truvoice was Harrison’s amp. Lennon plugged into it as well. It was the Stadium model. Good for a laugh there. It isn’t a bad sounding amp.

 

[LBS-bass]

Certainly not suggesting all bassists "evolved" in that way, but it seemed to be the case in the 60s. I was a decent section saxist until I found my true calling in 67 while in the Navy music program. Still played the horn(s) as a double for many years afterwards but bass is where my heart and head is at. Fooled with guitar for a very short time, but it never really 'grabbed' me like a bass does.

I wonder how many people started off knowing that they wanted to be bassists. I didn't. I dabbled in violin and piano but ended up working as a vocalist and that's what I was doing when I picked up the bass.

 

[steve_rolfeca]

Saturday Reprise

The evolution of rock, a touch of boogie-woogie and vegas swing. Cool early P-Bass in action.

Freddie Bell and the Bellboys - Wikipedia

I love the way extra horns magically appear and disappear during the second clip!