On the Fourth Day of 2025. . .

. . . the proposed morning routine went to hell in a hand basket. Last night’s gig was brutal on the body and I slept in until 9. I’ve had zero alcohol in two days, but all night the body was complaining and the sleep was mediocre. Get up. Dogs and coffee, breakfast. The stupidContinue reading “On the Fourth Day of 2025. . .”

On the Third Day of 2025. . .

. . . I rose again out of bed and came downstairs to begin the day. I found my way to the meditation cushion this morning, but circuitously and late. One of my projects for myself post retirement (going on the third straight year and still not yet mastered) is the development of a routine,Continue reading “On the Third Day of 2025. . .”

The Second Day of 2025. . .

. . . began early in the studio, recording some vocals for a SuperWave demo, a cover band I’ve been playing in over the last six months or so, a band that emerged from the ashes of another cover band that three of us had been with for quite some time–for one of us, nearlyContinue reading “The Second Day of 2025. . .”

The First Day of 2025. . .

. . . was spent doing all of the things (or most of the things) I love and want to do more of. To wit, a list: There could almost not be a more perfect day. I would have liked to have spent more time with my parter. But she was super engaged in herContinue reading “The First Day of 2025. . .”

With Just a Tinge of Shame, I Present My Guiltiest Musical Pleasure: Taylor Swift

I have been as surprised as anyone might be who knows anything about my musical tastes to discover that I like Taylor Swift. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not hard core. I own only two of her records on vinyl, the pandemic era mega-hit Folklore, and the 2024 record store day release of The Tortured Poets Department: TheContinue reading “With Just a Tinge of Shame, I Present My Guiltiest Musical Pleasure: Taylor Swift”

#539: 1434–Behind

So, my artist and musician friend Curtis Settino just had an exhibition of a sculpting project he’s been working on for a number of years. His sculptures are these mostly fantastical creatures, some standing just six or seven inches off the ground, others four or five feet tall, all representing the action or theme ofContinue reading “#539: 1434–Behind”

#535: Melt the Guns (Elton’s Version)

A deep cut from the Caribou album, I bet few of us remember that Elton John and Bernie Taupin, in 1974, wrote a song about a massshooting. As a kid, ten years old, the song terrified me. Even thoughI may not have been able to singit to you, I remembered the lyricsto “Ticking” up toContinue reading “#535: Melt the Guns (Elton’s Version)”

#521: Sonnet for Project MA

Over the last year and a half or so, I have rediscovered the joy of it, the making of music with a good friend, a friend I had not seen for twenty-five years. From three thousand miles away, he’d begin.He’d send me these tracks, a bass and a click, some keyboard flourishes, and I’d importthemContinue reading “#521: Sonnet for Project MA”

#506: The Seldom Seen Kid (a song by Elbow)

The Seldom Seen Kid It’s a song that I love but every time I hear itI have difficulty keeping it together. For the longest time I couldn’t even tell you what the song was about, but I knew how it made me feel– on the verge of shattering, I’d say, especially when I tried toContinue reading “#506: The Seldom Seen Kid (a song by Elbow)”

#498: I’m Going To Listen To Everything

One of these daysI’m going to listento everything in my collection, one recordafter another record, non-stop, until I getto the end, from A to Z, I won’t stop, until the last record album is played. I’ll allow myself to do other things, eat, walk dogs,and do household chores and the like, but there will beContinue reading “#498: I’m Going To Listen To Everything”