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Get off my LAWN! "Grumpy Old Farts"
- Thread starter B-string
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OK just one more from 1958 Big Al downing:
Short and sweet!
Yes, she retired about 10 years before I did. She is a RN. She loved doing patient care but hated all of the paperwork. When computerized charting came along, she decided to retire.
Early, in her career (first 8 years) she worked on an oncology wing. She used to go to funerals quite often. She then switched to labor and delivery and loved 99.9% of the patient care. The hospital she worked at also got the very tough cases like crack babies and other difficult stuff that would break her heart.
My wife retired too about the same time as me. After 43 years at various jobs Jobs in hospital work.
We went to different high schools together...
- Oct 22, 2015
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- 256,832
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- I am an affiliate for Ari Cap.
My body told me it was time to retire long before my mind told me it was time to retire.
- Oct 22, 2015
- 21,164
- 256,832
- Disclosures
- I am an affiliate for Ari Cap.
For me, finding a way to completely reinvent myself beyond the type case probably started with decompartmentalizing 
myself 
What it appears to me now is these years of work that follow "work" hey isn't this the place in this sentence where I grump? Sure, the payoff for all my work is probably work 
myself What it appears to me now is these years of work that follow "work" hey isn't this the place in this sentence where I grump? Sure, the payoff for all my work is probably work
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My wife and I met in the 5th grade. We were both in Mrs. Whitham’s class. We started dating when we were juniors in HS and got married just after I turned 23 and just before she turned 23. I married way up and completely outta my league.
Is there a quiz at the end of this?
- Oct 22, 2015
- 21,164
- 256,832
- Disclosures
- I am an affiliate for Ari Cap.
Worth at least a ticket to ride.
I vaguely remember doing some of this before, but here we go. Started on piano at age 7. The usual-Thompson books, etc. At about 14 y/o, my dad(a saxophonist/arranger-not his main gig)got me lessons with a jazz pianist who brought me into the world of lead sheets(fake book I)and chord symbols. Meanwhile, at ~11 y/o, I started with the 'squeak stick'[clarinet]for about a year, then switched to bass clarinet(YAY!)and the saxes, mostly tenor and baritone, which got me through junior and senior high plus 2 years in the All-Miami Youth Symphony.
In 1964 I joined the Navy after passing the audition for the Navy music program. This involved boot camp from 12/1/64 to ~ 2/12/65.(BOOO!)and playing in the recruit marching/ceremonial band. Then off to the USN music school-everybody has to go, not so much for music as the military part of being a sailor. In ~November of 65, 17 of us were formed into what was called a "Unit Band(#186)" to be assigned to some very large, gray boat-in our case USS Yorktown(CVS-10).
We left San Diego in early '66 for deployment in the Gulf of Tonkin, visiting ports in Japan(Yokosuka and Sasebo), The Philippines(Manila, Cebu, and Subic Bay/Olongapo), Thailand, and Hong Kong. During that cruise we played many "people to people" concerts for the locals at each port in addition to our shipboard duties.
We were back in San Diego for 6 months(6/66-12/66)doing shore based ceremonial stuff and then shipped out on the USS Hancock to Japan where we were flown to Subic Bay to join the USS Enterprise(CVAN-65)for another 6 month 'cruise'. During this time I bought a cheap-o Beatle Bass copy from one of the Filipino bands in Olongapo-I'd been interested in learning bass in, like, forever. It was a POS, but something to get started on, I guess.
After we returned stateside, I was assigned to the USN band in Charleston, SC, still officially on sax/clarinet. Our assigned UB/tuba player lived about 20 miles off base and didn't really wanna come in-or stay-to play a one hour O/Club cocktail party, so I worked with our very good piano man to do those gigs. I could watch over his shoulder, see and hear[I always had a good ear for bass]what he was playing, and provide bottom. At first, I was kinda 'oom-pah'-ish in my bass lines but as I got more comfortable with where the notes were on the neck, I got to be a little "fancier".
I separated from the Navy in November '68 and came home to Miami and fairly quickly hooked up with a coupla local rock bands on either sax or bass, depending on what was needed.
From '70-'72, I played in a 'message' band doing jr. and sr. high school concerts, mostly on keys, sax, and flute.
After that, I joined a band(?)out of Kewanee, IL, on bass. It was a disaster on which I bailed pretty quickly.
Back in Miami, I again found work with local rock bands, including one very good 7-piece Chicago/BS&T group and one 10-piece Spanish Show Band. Neither lasted long. People didn't wanna pay that many musicians-even then.
I then got a contact to join a band playing standards and light rock. It was another short gig-1973 to 1985(!!), mostly 4-6 nights a week in Miami country clubs, restaurants, and hotels. Through that time my bass, sax, and flute chops steadily improved. This was pre touch of arthritis and tooth loss. We knew a ship(sp) load of songs, plus at the hotel, we had to read shows-w/o a rehearsal, just a 15 minute 'talk through' for a 45 minute show. Challenging.
All during this time, I had p/t truck driving gigs for "beer money". In '85, the music biz in Miami changed drastically, and I switched to f/t truck driving(18 wheelers)and p/t music-most Saturdays, some Fridays too.
I kept up that schedule 'til 2007 when I 'hung up' the driving gig and retired. I then found the original iteration of the band I currently work in-with a coupla personnel changes over the years. And still found occasion to play in a community concert band and a coupla big bands, which kept my reading skills fairly current.
That is, until this past March, when everything came to a screeching halt. We still get an occasional gig, but have lost ~60 that were booked but have been 86'ed.
Here's hoping 2021 doesn't suck as badly as 2020.
In 1964 I joined the Navy after passing the audition for the Navy music program. This involved boot camp from 12/1/64 to ~ 2/12/65.(BOOO!)and playing in the recruit marching/ceremonial band. Then off to the USN music school-everybody has to go, not so much for music as the military part of being a sailor. In ~November of 65, 17 of us were formed into what was called a "Unit Band(#186)" to be assigned to some very large, gray boat-in our case USS Yorktown(CVS-10).
We left San Diego in early '66 for deployment in the Gulf of Tonkin, visiting ports in Japan(Yokosuka and Sasebo), The Philippines(Manila, Cebu, and Subic Bay/Olongapo), Thailand, and Hong Kong. During that cruise we played many "people to people" concerts for the locals at each port in addition to our shipboard duties.
We were back in San Diego for 6 months(6/66-12/66)doing shore based ceremonial stuff and then shipped out on the USS Hancock to Japan where we were flown to Subic Bay to join the USS Enterprise(CVAN-65)for another 6 month 'cruise'. During this time I bought a cheap-o Beatle Bass copy from one of the Filipino bands in Olongapo-I'd been interested in learning bass in, like, forever. It was a POS, but something to get started on, I guess.
After we returned stateside, I was assigned to the USN band in Charleston, SC, still officially on sax/clarinet. Our assigned UB/tuba player lived about 20 miles off base and didn't really wanna come in-or stay-to play a one hour O/Club cocktail party, so I worked with our very good piano man to do those gigs. I could watch over his shoulder, see and hear[I always had a good ear for bass]what he was playing, and provide bottom. At first, I was kinda 'oom-pah'-ish in my bass lines but as I got more comfortable with where the notes were on the neck, I got to be a little "fancier".
I separated from the Navy in November '68 and came home to Miami and fairly quickly hooked up with a coupla local rock bands on either sax or bass, depending on what was needed.
From '70-'72, I played in a 'message' band doing jr. and sr. high school concerts, mostly on keys, sax, and flute.
After that, I joined a band(?)out of Kewanee, IL, on bass. It was a disaster on which I bailed pretty quickly.
Back in Miami, I again found work with local rock bands, including one very good 7-piece Chicago/BS&T group and one 10-piece Spanish Show Band. Neither lasted long. People didn't wanna pay that many musicians-even then.
I then got a contact to join a band playing standards and light rock. It was another short gig-1973 to 1985(!!), mostly 4-6 nights a week in Miami country clubs, restaurants, and hotels. Through that time my bass, sax, and flute chops steadily improved. This was pre touch of arthritis and tooth loss. We knew a ship(sp) load of songs, plus at the hotel, we had to read shows-w/o a rehearsal, just a 15 minute 'talk through' for a 45 minute show. Challenging.
All during this time, I had p/t truck driving gigs for "beer money". In '85, the music biz in Miami changed drastically, and I switched to f/t truck driving(18 wheelers)and p/t music-most Saturdays, some Fridays too.
I kept up that schedule 'til 2007 when I 'hung up' the driving gig and retired. I then found the original iteration of the band I currently work in-with a coupla personnel changes over the years. And still found occasion to play in a community concert band and a coupla big bands, which kept my reading skills fairly current.
That is, until this past March, when everything came to a screeching halt. We still get an occasional gig, but have lost ~60 that were booked but have been 86'ed.
Here's hoping 2021 doesn't suck as badly as 2020.
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Me too, though my mind caught up to the idea real quick. Last day was February 13, 2013. I was still doing chemo then. I recommend retirement to anybody who'll listen. Mrs. Tango has been great. She's younger -- dunno why she picked such an old broken-down GOF -- and says she wants to work another 8-10 years.
- Oct 22, 2015
- 21,164
- 256,832
- Disclosures
- I am an affiliate for Ari Cap.
Squeak Stick.
I need to be able to remember that!
I need to be able to remember that!
Were it not for the beauty of my latest projects i'd be majorly grumpy. Gold Glitter Precision (8lb build) Solarez I Can't Believe It's not Lacquer
Car was in the shop last week (chunk of concrete on rural backroad, took out both rims)
My Workshop that I've been planning since September, the onsite build has been delayed 3 times.
GRRR:
I'm trying to make a go of being a builder, and I need the shelter!
Car was in the shop last week (chunk of concrete on rural backroad, took out both rims)
My Workshop that I've been planning since September, the onsite build has been delayed 3 times.
GRRR:
I'm trying to make a go of being a builder, and I need the shelter!
When I started on that, my dad called it the licorice stick. Then to alto clarinet until, like @GonePlaid , I switched to the main love, bass clarinet. Also the school's contrabass clarinet -- blech. My older cousin *gave* me her Selmer alto and tenor saxes when I was a high school sophomore, and I sold them a number of years later, to my everlasting regret. At least I know they went to good homes. Played the tenor in marching band.
- Oct 22, 2015
- 21,164
- 256,832
- Disclosures
- I am an affiliate for Ari Cap.
- Oct 22, 2015
- 21,164
- 256,832
- Disclosures
- I am an affiliate for Ari Cap.
I might have given up completely if I had to learn music theory on a B flat instrument. Or trumpet.
My high school actually had theory classes. First year was theory-theory and the second year was mainly conducting. I did both years, thinking New England Conservatory (as if). Never did music school, but a number of kids who did got to skip a year of theory there because of the high school classes. I still have my Walter Piston book, Harmony, from back then. That makes me sound like I should know lotsa theory, but no. Just enough to foul me up at inopportune moments.
I liked our school's contrabass clarinet. I played it some during my last year of hs. It was all metal-looked like plumbing. When I'd hit those last 2-3 bottom notes(F, E, Eb), the room vibrated-or so it seemed.
Before I tell my little ol' story about how I came to be the er, um, musician I am today, I'll just attach these little ol' musical snippets of where I am musically, today, probably somewhere between these extremes: Masterful or WTH is he doing! 
Bass Noodles #1367 and #1235 Copyright © 2016 Jeffrey P. Scott All rights reserved.
Bass Noodles #1367 and #1235 Copyright © 2016 Jeffrey P. Scott All rights reserved.
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