So now it’s later. Sorry about that. I ended up with just a few free minutes the entire day yesterday before needing to crash. It was a morning of meetings, a race to get 40 minutes of exercise over lunch, a race back for some collaborative work in prep for another Thursday morning staff meeting presentation (part 2 of what started last last week), and then a meeting in the late afternoon that took me up to jam time in the Hollow Way, which went long, and after which I needed to do some work: some emails, a one-pager, edit a project proposal for a friend in California, and then it was 12:30a and the eyes squinted up, warning of impending snoozery, and I obeyed. I took a shower and was out on contact with the bed. I woke up naked and in the usual state, greatly pained at the physiology of it all. I cursed and grunted my way up into the shower again.

Here in the office now, and it’ll be another race around day. I don’t mind it. I’ll take the work wherever I can. A full plate is good for me so I don’t have too much idle time to over-think and self-analyze into oblivion.

Jam was good. Rob got a new guitar, a baby blue Fender Stratocaster, and it has a killer sound. It’s a cheap axe, and it sort of looks like a big glob when it’s in your lap, but it has a nice wail to it. Heavy fucker. Two single coil pickups with a heavily painted solid mahogany body and maple cap, lots of switches and tone selector nobs. I suppose it’s a bit twangy for me, for my ears I mean, but that’s part of what makes the Fender so legendary, and for certain grooves it’s perfect.

We had a fun time, though I think we all secretly missed the sax accompaniment we were so lucky to have last time. He’s coming back, by the way. He’s going to try for once a month if his schedule allows it. He said he doesn’t get the chance to play improvised licks in his other bands. They focus on songs. Up in Hollow Way, we focus on sounds. It’s basically an ongoing practice of total experimentation. Group experimentation can be great, and can lead to great things. Not at work, usually. But in Hollow Way, usually.

I was happy to get a text from a new friend I’ve mentioned before, the lead guitarist in a fairly legendary death metal band from Tampa (the birthplace of American death metal). We’ve gone to a few shows together here in town and we get along well. Anyway, he texted in the middle of Sunday night asking if he could crash at my place for a while– he needed to sort some things out with his living arrangement and relationship. I’ve met his girlfriend before, a 22 year old aspiring actress from Ohio. Very pretty. They started living together just a couple months after starting their thing. Seems risky to me, to put yourself in that situation so quickly. I suppose it’s romantic in a sense– the quick decisions made based on passion– and sometimes they work out. More often (by far, statistically) they do not and both people take a hard lesson to heart, holding it there for the rest of their lives. Sounds like a drag to me. I’d rather have people pass through my place than pass through other peoples’.  Why is that?

I’m also not the most romantic person. And if ever I tried to be, my inescapable goofiness probably prevents from happening whatever those romantic gestures are supposed to enable.

Back to the death metal guy, I’m not sure what their issues are, but when a man starts contact friends, new and old, in the middle of the night, asking for places to stay… well, that’s not a position I’d ever want to be in. Since I’ve gotten into a bit of real estate here in town and out in Coronado, I’d say the best thing about my whole situation right now is that I have options. Options are one of the most important things in life, and we always have them, though sometimes it might feel like we don’t.

OK better get on with things. Hope your Tuesday is  just as you need it to be. Let’s enjoy it.