Light in a dark place

OK - I'll admit it. I don't know '90's music. I'm a child of the '70's, I worked in secular radio (and listened to a lot of music) in the '80's, but when it comes to the '90's, um...

Where did I put my Captain & Tennille Greatest Hits CD?...

So, what am I doing, playing such songs as "Wonderwall," "One," and "Walk On The Ocean" ? Doing what a bass player does, I guess. :-D My friend Jeremy Hoekstra, who is a fine singer/songwriter (and if you get a chance, you should really go hear him sometime - check his site for his schedule) asked me to play bass for those gigs where he wants a full band. Evidently, old dogs can be taught new tricks. :-D I play electric upright bass on those gigs, and it's a very nice sound along with Jeremy on acoustic guitar and his dad on drums. (his dad is a VERY good drummer!)

And so we play in coffee houses, and it's a blast. And, he's been asked a couple of times to play at The Break Room on Plainfield. Not exactly a coffee house. :-D And it's interesting to see how folks respond to his songs, where his faith is not shouted but rather strongly implied. And you can tell there's a difference in the music, and how it relates to people, and how it's received.

And for a while, a light comes into a dark place.

Just for the record...

Yes, I do have the new Harry Potter book.

Yes, I have read it.

Yes, I know which characters die.

No, I'm not going to tell you.

Yes, I do know how the book ends.

No, I'm not going to spill the beans on that either.

Yes, I certainly can understand that you're sick of all the Harry Hype.

No, I don't hope Harry was eaten by a hippogriff.

Yes, I do know what a hippogriff is.

No, I'm not going to explain it to you here.

Yes, I did enjoy the book - a lot.

Yes, I did read the ending first. And yes, that always gets a "comment" from Vicki.

Yes, Vicki is reading the book now.

And, yes, that's why I'm not saying anything about it.

Yes, we do have all 7 books. And all of them in audio form.

No, at this time we're not lending them out. Except to certain people who shall remain nameless.

Yes, I can understand why you would call me that name. And no, I don't blame you a bit.

Yes, I'm done with this. You can move on. :-D

Where we is at...

For those marginally interested in how we're doing these days...

- We're in the appeal process for bariatric surgery, trying to jump through the correct hoops so that the insurance company will smile upon us...

- Health-wise, things are tough. The depression seems to be hitting harder than ever, so my counselor and I are working through it, seeing what can be done. That makes it tough to get things done, even things that I love, so the world is pretty grey right now.

- Gig-wise, the bottom seems to have dropped out of my retirement community gigs. Not really sure why, but I'll use this time to work on the new CD. It's a matter of calling places, finding places to play, etc. And, I've discovered that promotion and calling places and such is really my weakest area. Not good for someone trying to do his own business. :-D

- Our 25th anniversary is coming up in a couple of weeks. Any big plans? Just trying to make sure the bills are paid and that we stay afloat for another month.

- Property-wise, no movement either on Mom's house or our farm.

- But, the new bike has been ordered! Hopefully sometime in September, it'll be ready. What we'd really like to do is to go out to Montana, see Vicki's brother and his family, and pick up the bike in person, seeing some sights on the way out and back. Don't know if that'll happen, but it'd be nice.

Things aren't bad these days, even though it seems like that. God is good, Vicki is amazing, and being able to work through these issues without worrying about holding down a job at the same time is good. I'm enjoying my 2-3 hours of voice work on WCSG per week, and trying to sort out the rest of life. God is indeed good, all the time.

Like a pitcher of cool water...

My last two gigs were refreshing to me... for two different reasons.

Friday the 13th, I played my electric upright with Jeremy Hoekstra. Just guitar, voice, and bass, all through my Bose system which gave it all a nice, intimate feel. And it was amazing - the way the two instruments interacted with Jeremy's voice over it all.

Don't get me wrong - I LOVE playing with a band, locking it down with a great drummer, and sitting in the pocket all night long. But it's also fun to have a conversation with just two instruments - the give and take of making the music, the punch of the guitar's rhythm, the subtle growl of the upright... very nice. (Vicki thought so too... :-D)

Saturday night, I played solo at Beanabox. Great night - not a ton of people there, but it was very nice. The best part - a dear friend who I haven't seen in QUITE a while came out to hear me play. And that was like a cold drink of water on a hot day. Refreshing to my spirit. We both read each other's blogs, so we know (on some level) what's going on in our lives, but to catch up a bit was great. And, let's face it - a blog can't deliver a hug. :-D

And that's why I love playing different places. Different experiences. Different opportunities to remember God's goodness and His faithfulness. Even if we don't speak of Him directly (although we usually do), He is present in our conversation, in our fellowship, and in my music.

And that is refreshing indeed. :-D

Is anybody else tired of the Beanabox Ad?

I'll move it to it's own thread... and put in a new random picture. :-D

That doesn't mean you shouldn't come on Saturday night, btw... :-D

What a little hope will do...

Just got back from doing voice work at WCSG. It feels amazing to be there again, even just for a couple of hours a week, although leaving the house tonight to "go to work" was a strange feeling. It's also alright to stop by the HKR studio - those wounds have finally healed, and life is moving on.

Really moving on. :-D Through some arrangements that I won't reveal here, something amazing is happening... I have a new bike on order. :-D It'll be customized for my weight and my size, taking into account my long torso and short legs, with a big ol' comfy recumbent seat, some VERY nice handlebars that'll put my hands at a better angle with no stress on my wrists, and a fairing to help me move through the wind better. Oh - and 26" wheels front and back for less rolling resistance. Altogether, it'll be a much better bike, designed from the ground up for me. God is so gracious, as are the people who made it possible. I realize it's an investment in keeping me around longer, and I'll do my part to make it that way.

Saw the orthopedic surgeon Thursday, to talk about knee replacement. It's inevitable, but he'd really like my weight down first, for many good reasons. He'll consider doing the replacement, especially if the road toward bariatric surgery looks to be a long one (like two years for example), but he'd like to see the timetable before making that decision.

In the meantime, he wants me to try a knee brace, to see if that'll give me less pain and more mobility right now. So, next week or so, I'm off to Mary Free Bed to have them do a casting and measurements for a knee brace. Then I return the next week for the fitting. We'll see how the right knee goes, and if it goes well, we'll consider one for my left knee also. If it'll give me some help so I can get out and move, I'm all for it. I can't ride very much at all right now, so some help in hitting the bike trail would be excellent. (I know the First Cov Bikers would love to have me back in the pack on the Rockford run!)

A little hope... a small change here and there, and who knows what can happen. God shows Himself in the small graces...