Courage!
OK, I'm done tinkering with the previous post, adding little bits and pictures every day.
Now, I have something truly important to report: the World's Ugliest Bathroom!
The picture doesn't do it justice. It's all mirrory and foliagey. Even the door.

Hey, it's New Jersey. Whadda ya expect?

No, I Don't Remember Guildford--What? Was There Something? Jog My Memory
If Blogger is still putting in extraneous space at the top of each post, I'll post some Fender frivolity. You know that Telecaster that belongs to Chris Funk (once again)? The one I insulted? [No link, I've embarrassed myself enough over that ill-spoken comment.] Well, his has little roses on it, but here's another that's finished almost the same way! Antiqua, or, as one Fender forum wag put it, "pukeburst."

Here's Funk's, far off, under Petra's violin. You can't really see the roses in this one.

Better view here:

I'm also curious as to exactly how many Teles Robyn has.
In the Storefront movie, he plays the black one. In the 1976-81 CD tray he has a white one. I've seen a blue woodgrain one and also a cream colored one with a humbucker at the neck spot. And a standard black and white one?


I also wonder about old Joe's. Yes, he had the famous one with the stickers, paint, scratches and rosewood fingerboard, but there's the "I may take a holiday" one, too. Doesn't that one have a maple neck? [Ed NO, it didn't, but there's also these other two.]



Then they can't be the same, right?

Here is an interesting discussion on the subject of Joe's guitars.

Pictures stolen from various websites.

White Man In Hammersmith
So, while I'm still NOT on vacation, I'm reading Joe Strummer and the Legend of The Clash, because Chris Salewicz's book STILL isn't out yet. I don't know if that means it's gotten bigger and better since it's been delayed three times, or that Luce didn't like it or it just sucked and needed a lot of rewrites. Kris Needs' book is pretty good, though.
So, I found a picture of Mescalero-era Joe on the web and made a drawing of it. The original has a nice clear shot of Joe's beloved, battered Tele.

While I've been on this Joe jag I went and found my condolence message from the day after we found out that Joe died (I got on the Guardian site very early that morning and it was all over that, then the American media got it a few hours later). A lot of nice people wrote a lot of nice things for Joe, for Luce, for the punters. I can't help but wonder what he might be doing now, if he'd gotten the chance to finish the tunes that became Streetcore (which I like very much, but I can't help but wonder). Perhaps a lifetime of speed, weed, and then ecstasy, not to mention smoking regular old cigarettes, really does take its toll? It's sad.
And yet Topper is still alive (but not well).

Why, Blogger, Why?
why are you doing this to me

There's This Nagging Suspicion That Won't Leave Me Alone Tonight, It's Just That Everything I Try To Do, Nothing Seems To Turn Out Right
STILL not on vacation, but in New Jersey.

I had a dream about chicken spines and necks for dinnner. I think it was at someone's house. I was trying not to be impolite, but I was never gonna eat that crap.

Give It To The Soft Boys
Smooth men, from cyclingnews. The Tour starts soon and this is all they can report? Bah!

Yesterday's cat comment referred also to Mo. I never knew how loud he is, but now that it's just us two boys in the house, I can tell. Quiet, you! Your incessant purring is getting picked up on the mic, plus there's hair all over the gear!

Did you know that there's a Joe Strummer Tribute sculpture at Glastonbury? At least it was there a couple summers ago when there was a big Joe thing.

Finicky Felines, Nuisance Rodents, etc.
What's that they say? When the cat's away, the mice will do their thing?
I have been drawing and playing. I even took over the living room.


What else do they say? Love will tear us apart again?

Best Of Times, Worst Of Times, etc.
Still NOT on vacation.

From some NIH website--
People prone to forming calcium oxalate stones may be asked by their doctor to cut back on certain foods if their urine contains an excess of oxalate:
beets
chocolate
coffee
cola
nuts
rhubarb
spinach
strawberries
tea
wheat bran
People should not give up or avoid eating these foods without talking to their doctor first. In most cases, these foods can be eaten in limited amounts.

I'm Not A Real Cyclist, But I Play One On TV
At the store late last night to get some much-needed supplies (half and half for coffee, beer, fruit roll-ups) since our family is away from home this week, I was wearing my new souvenir TdF shirt (thanks, Parisian Mom!). The checkout girl, in her best high school French, said, "Ooo, Tour da Frahnce? Were you in that?" Clearly she knows nothing of pro cycling. I replied with a polite laugh and a "No," then she said, "Maybe someday?" A guy can dream, can't he? It's little things like that that make a guy's day.


Despite appearances, we are not on vacation, I assure you.

Oh, and today my little brother gets older. He's still a cute little fella, though. I wonder if he's opened his super special gift yet? I'm being serious. It's really nice. And real. He better get it framed.

Wait Till You See The Statues In My Bathroom!

I am enjoying this big drawing thing. After this, I have yet another one in the works. I still haven't finished any but that "little" test one. But it's OK, that's why there's always a tomorrow. Unless, of course, there isn't, for a number of reasons.

"I Find Your Lack Of Faith Disturbing"
This may take a while. It's a lot of lines.

ISTR
Here's another pal's new CD.
Steve Goldberg. (I think he must have written that description on CDBaby. It sounds like him.) He will be someone I keep track of, as this youngster has great things ahead of him, judging by this first effort.

Yes, I wrote the review at the bottom.
Buy it!

Who's The Fairest Of Them All?
Wow! I found the place that makes name and flag stickers like on pro racers' bikes! I can have the same sticker George Hincapie has, only without his name on it. This place also does custom paint and decal jobs...oh my!...I already did the guitars, so what's next, a bike? O M G. How cool would that be?
I can also order custom socks, and jerseys, but a single jersey is like over $100. Both of the latter places sell nice off the rack stuff, too, for good deals.

I came up with a new art thing. Large-scale versions of the weird little drawings I do. This is a test.

I could order up a bike that looks like one of my drawings.

If I had a spare $1,000 (plus the bike to put it on).

Stroke Your Monkey, Lazerlove5
My pal Brian Nupp has a new album and it's really good.
Here's what I wrote him as a mini-review:

Overall impressions: I felt like I had stumbled across some Nuggets-like hidden pop gems.
Very professional!
(When I mention other groups, it's as points of reference for me, and compliments, not complaints of derivativeness!)
Tracks--
Jennifer: fuzzy pop, circa 1979, London, nice!
Id: It's like the Beach Boys, Apples in Stereo, or mid 60s American pop, complete with offbeat lyrics, woohoo!
AP: Ooo, this has a sexy sound, and a cocky rhythm.
Grouch: Kinda like a Stevie-penned B+S song. Or maybe one of the less drunken Jazz Butcher tunes.
Flicker Mask: Nice, jumpy.
Lizard: Great cover! I like how things breakdown at the end. Why would the fegs not like it?
Lazerlove5: This is your Give It To The Soft Boys, then? Stroke your monkey? Oh my!
Still: Nice change of pace, a dreamy quality to it.
Mustache: Jazzy, silly(?), definitely fun, a show tune in search of a show.
Baldness: A surprisingly happy tune, despite the lyrics and subject matter! Is Bid bald? You don't seem to be...
Little Aliens: Seems to be a last song on the album, it has that vibe, which is not a bad thing, it's sort of a nice way to be let down..
You (with the acknowledged help, of course) did this?
Holy f****ing bravo!
Impressive! That's the bottom line.

If all goes well I should see him and his fine band perform these and other songs live next month.
You can buy the album here, and even preview the songs.

To Pretend To Be Happy Would Only Be Idiocy
Gabe is going to college already.
Well, it's some Honors Program, where they bus in all the smart kids to the college and they do little summer projects. Gabe's making comic books, and today he was mad, saying, "The teacher kept talking and I kept forgetting all my good ideas."
Sam sits around the house, fussing until his brother gets home.

Guitars: my newly remodeled cheapo has Elixir strings, which are like silk. I now know why people swear by them. Goodbye, D'Addario (and your Player's Points, which can be redeemed for trinkets if you pay exorbitant shipping rates--my free mug cost $7!). I've got a couple sets of EXPs to use on the old Washburn, then I'm done with them.

Bikes: even though it was 90+, I went out for 40 miles yesterday. On track for training, just a month behind. But on track. Let me stress that.

Cats: "Kittie porn." Lauran caught Mo posing like this. It begs the question, "Why?"

This Space For Rent
No guitars, no complaints about anything or anyone.
No bikes. No nothing.
Maybe tomorrow.

Drowning By Numbers

Letters, in my case.
I have to write a big fat article.
I'll get paid, but I have to finish it.
Stress!
(But I always wanted to get paid to write...)

Done And Done-er
Well, I did my little mod job. The sig turned out nice, the brown paint fade into the real finish could be smoother, but hey, it's nothing to lose any sleep over. There are some nearly invisible abrasions where I sanded the clear coat over the brown into the original clearcoat. The rubbing compound took them mostly out. I like it. The sticker looks cool, too.
It's unique! Like me.

"I Am Drunk With Meat"
That's what I said at my cousin's rehearsal dinner, when we finished up at that famous rib place in Cinci. I really felt that way. I'd just consumed so much meat that I felt light-headed, honestly. The waitress asked if I wanted some dessert. What? Cake? I hate cake. And brownies don't do it for me, either. Cookies I eat sometimes. Biscotti? OMG! Yes! Ice cream, not so much. But I do love fruit roll ups of all kinds.
I may have perfected ribs. Marinate in beer, beef bouillion, "Montreal Steak Seasoning," and garlic for 24 hours. Then, precook in the oven until they're mostly done, so that the grilling is for flavor, not to cook em (cuz that usually just dries em out and burns the outside). Then, grill with hickory chips included, if you got em. Rub on some sauce (not a lot) as they grill. Eat. Enjoy.

Ribs are my favorite meat.

I Thought That If You Had An Acoustic Guitar, Then It Meant That You Were A Protest Singer
I can smile about it now, but at the time it was terrible.
I am shocked, amazed and ashamed to discover that I have a latent hippy living inside me.
This is the soundhole sticker that I think I'm gonna use. It has that kind of antique-y, dreamy quality I wanted. It sorta reminds me of those blue and white china plates, with the fantastical landscapes. Plus, I dug out an extra vinyl stencil of my signature, so I'll put that on the headstock. No more Rogue.