376

(8 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

I was bitten by a dog while running yesterday. Really just a flesh wound but blood was let and like an idiot I did not stop to consult with the owner to determine if the dog was current on its shots. In fact I had no idea who the owner was or where they lived.

I was at the apex of my run approximately 2.5 miles out with 2.5 miles to go (forward or backward). What did I do? I continued my run with one stop at Kroger to wash the blood off. When I got home I called my wife to tell her and she said I was an idiot for not finding out about the dog/owner. (She is right.) She also said I'd have to go to the emergency room which I did.

Thankfully the risk of rabies was virtually nil since the dog was clearly owned and loved and being walked by a teenage girl. So, I got a tetanus/diphtheria shot, dressed the wound, and a prescription for oral antibiotics.

My wife (well-connected in the local community) sent out a shotgun blast email using her prolific contact list and within an hour I received three phone calls asking how I was doing and one phone call with a lead on the dog. It turns out I know the owner of the dog - but apparently cannot recognize all their children. I called them to confirm the dog was up to date, etc.

The conversation started with, "Michelle? This is [   ]; I think I had a run-in with your dog." The mom and the daughter had been driving around looking for me. Unfortunately I am too swift of foot or maybe they missed me in Kroger. She was apologetic as was I.

Thirty-three years of running and this is the worst thing that ever happened to me. Well, one time I was struck by a 32oz. Big Gulp thrown from a moving car. The 30mph plus impact created a perfect circle bruise (from the bottom of the cup) on my right thigh not far from my sensitive area. It could have been much worse.

Note to self: Next time watch the Superbowl, it is much safer.

377

(6 replies, posted in Acoustic)

There's an imperial KOA on Ebay. I was watching it but not seriously. I just like the looks. I will heed Guitarpix advice: start running!

378

(6 replies, posted in Acoustic)

$440 sounds like a good deal. I owned a MM Blues 32 for a while. Nice guitar but I sold it due to GAS.

379

(27 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

this could be fun:

1975 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
1977 Chevrolet Camaro
1977 VW Rabbit
1986 VW Golf
1987 Mazda RX-7 Turbo II
1991 Chevrolet Silverado
1988 VW Scirocco 16V
1988 Honda Accord
1991 Ford Escort GT
1994 Honda Accord
1998 Ford Expedition (my bride's daily driver)
2001 Ford Taurus (my daily driver)
2003 Honda Pilot (family's "third" car in use by my daughter)

We are a NO PUSHROD family!

380

(27 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Zurf, you sorted out my tale correctly. Fired = new car, back in 2002.

Back to big gas-guzzling V8s: Anyone flip the top of the air cleaner over so you could hear the 4bbl howl when you floored it? The quadrajets were best for this. I loved doing that. of course I'd have to pop the hood (bonnet) on the way home to flip it back to the "normal" configuration.
dj

381

(27 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

I learned to drive in a 1975 Oldsmobile 98. A HUGE car with a 455 V8 and a 4 barrel Rochester Quadrajet carburetor. A veritable land yacht it DRANK gasoline. The 1970s oil embargo caused it to be sold for a smaller albeit still inefficient car. We also bought a 1974 ORANGE VW Super Beetle - a blast to drive!

great story! Follow my lead. hilarious. Hard not to lead with a trumpet.

383

(27 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

I am the original and only owner of my Taurus. I've had it since new. I did not buy it new...long story involving getting fired, etc. This past Monday, on the way to work, i watched the odometer roll from 199,999 to 200,000. I figured this warranted an injection of capital to keep her road-worthy and loved. So, this week, she will get a face lift with the new lights. I also bought two new 4-button OEM remotes (key fobs), i lost the two original ones. I got them off Amazon.com for $6.98 each. Ford wanted the entire checkbook!

Next: new floor mats and new front struts. Amazon has the latter @ $110 each already built up with the new springs installed. Delivered to my door! How can i shop anywhere else. All I really need is the strut upper bushings but for this price and while I'm in there i might as well replace the entire strut.
dj

p.s. this capital will put on hiatus any near-term guitar purchases so I'm back to playing what I have. Which is as it should be!

384

(10 replies, posted in Acoustic)

thistles,
I like your approach but when I try this all songs sound exactly like CCR's "Bad Moon Risin'" which is the only song I can actually half-way play:)
dj

385

(27 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

The word amazon conjures up images of the largest river on Earth or possibly a ubiquitous purveyor of books. But what does Amazon.com have to do with Johnny Cash?

We'll Amazon does sell books but they also sell auto parts, and a quite attractive prices too. I just purchased some replacement headlights for my Taurus for less than $100. This includes the whole headlamp assembly AND new lamps (bulbs to the average consumer). My car is a 2001 model and the headlights had developed "cataracts" in that they are so hazy one can "out drive" the lights with any speed above idle. So purchased new I have.

To answer the question I am sure is on your minds is yes I tried to buff the old lights to remove the cataracts. Unfortunately I was over zealous with my Dremel tool and all I managed to do was gouge the headlights and somehow impregnate the rubbing compound into the lens. Nice. Now my car looks like a tramp.

So, one piece at a time, I keep the Taurus road-worthy and avoid a car payment.
dj

When I was a boy we camped all the time. At some point the guitar would show up and great fun was had. Although I enjoyed it then I did not appreciate it. Man, I wished I had shown an interest then. Those camping trips are some of my fondest memories.

My mom passed away in August and at the funeral I ran into an old neighbor I hadn't seen in 25+(?) years. He was one of the guitarists. I told him of the fond memories I had because he shared his guitar and music. He smiled. THE GIFT OF MUSIC INDEED!
dj

387

(9 replies, posted in Other string instruments)

good luck Zurf!

388

(12 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

At lunch with my two teenage kids today and they both mentioned they might want to learn the guitar! Three years of my cacophony may have had some ancillary benefits.

Any advice on approaching this further with them. Both have played instruments @ school and have much more talent than I do. My daughter is (almost) a professional-grade vocalist (classical). I am very excited at their interested as I've prayed for this since the beginning. I do not want to botch this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Standing by for wisdom please.
dj

Every forum I read there is always someone looking for a "campfire guitar". While I suspect it may be an excuse to purchase yet another guitar - not that there's anything wrong with that - our campgrounds must be full of music!

If a guitar is played in the woods with no one around, does it make noise?
dj

390

(16 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Whitewater,
You might try www.banjo.com. Their website might contain helpful information about banjos. They are an internet store but they do have a small showroom for locals and they just happen to be located about 15 minutes from my house. I have visited a few times to take a look at one of the few guitars they sell.
Good luck.

p.s. I thought banjo music was terrifying to white-water folks?
dj

391

(23 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Seagull 25th Anniversary Mahogany Spruce (2008).
I started playing later than most on this forum.

Actually I did buy a Takamine dreadnought back in 1983/4. Nice guitar from what I can remember. Wish I still had it. Likely sold for beer money.
dj

392

(4 replies, posted in Recording)

Garage Band. It should be on the device when you buy it. Very powerful but may require a teen-ager to use to its full potential. I have a MAC Book Air and I sue the software on it. Fun, but I can't really play and don't know much more about recording.

393

(6 replies, posted in Guitars and accessories)

Sorry i cannot help with the sound problem. But i did want to compliment on your choice of guitar: RK ROS-06. Fantastic!

394

(5 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

When i was a kid I wanted to be a taxidermist then a gunsmith. My dad talked me out of it. I became an electrical engineer but I was trapped in the body of a wanna-be writer. And now I am trying to learn to play the guitar.

easybeat,
Right on. I don't particularly like this music or this song but she is playing and I am watching. The fact she spared much expense on an affordable guitar makes the point all the more.

Like I said, like it or not, she is playing and hopefully she is happen doing so.

There are three kinds of people: those that make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened. She belongs to the first group.
dj

http://www.npr.org/event/music/14474530 … sk-concert

Her zeal and attitude offset the fact she's playing an affordable guitar. This is is about making music (like it or not) and not about what she's playing or how much it cost. For me, this is inspiring.

No axle-wrappage about abalone or wood, just music.
dj

http://www.npr.org/2012/01/05/144685834 … of-the-new

398

(5 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Goals for 2011
1. No guitar purchases
2. Learn ten songs

Results
1.Bought/held/sold approximately 12 guitars
2. Learned maybe 1-2 songs

Conclusion
I've made guitar transactions a priority instead of playing them.

I'm not sad or mad about this as I had a lot of fun but I do need to reassess my goals.

Thanks Chordie for being there. This forum is a lot of fun.
dj

399

(13 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

It turns out I DID look snazzy last night playing. My wife kept asking why I insisted on wearing my new clothes versus changing into my PJs. I told her I enjoyed looking sharp. She rolled her eyes.

Don't be fooled: I am contemplating a post-Christmas NGD.

400

(7 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

I am drawn to the sight of an acoustic guitar like iron to a magnet. Whether it's walking through an airport and seeing someone else carrying a guitar or while leafing through a magazine and catching a photograph of someone playing or holding one. Or even in movies and television shows, seeing one propped up in the background is of great interest to me. I try to discern make/model, etc and imagine the person who plays it. weird but it is a fascination for me.

A friend of my daughters showed up at the house a few nights ago with his guitar. It was in a nice HSC and appeared to be a 000 or jumbo body. I was entertaining family and could not conveniently break from the conversation to find out more and my curiosity was killing me. My daughter and her friends disappeared into the basement to practice for an open-mike night later that night. Unfortunately I couldn't hear them from where I was sitting nor could I break away. Oh, how I wanted to be a spectator downstairs...or later at the open-mike event but guest come first. Maybe next time.

They played three songs that night: Simon & Garfunkels "Sounds of Silence", something from Nickel Creek? and something else I was not familiar with.

But I digress. Anyone else have a morbid curiosity regarding guitars?
dj