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Watching the Olympics the last few days has me wondering if any of our Chordians have any stories about competing or winning athletic events in their past. I was never much of an athlete although I played baseball in high school and later played softball for several years. I was "deceptively slow" (actually slower than I looked) and was once told by a coach that if I was in a race they would have to use a calender instead of a stop watch. Later I became interested in paddle sports and was a competent, although not spectacular whitewater kayaker and spent around 15 years paddling class IV-V rivers until back problems began to affect my roll. I competed in canoe racing for a couple years and was fairly successful, winning every race I was in, including two "gold" medals at the Canoe and Kayak Invitational at the 1982 Worlds Fair. I guess that would have been the closest I ever got to an "Olympic moment". A shoulder injury in 1984 affected my racing (as well as my guitar playing) and I never won another race, although I did manage to a win couple 2nd and 3rd place trophies with my daughters in some local USCA adult/child division races.
Anyone else have any competitive athletic stories? Any high school or college sports heroes out there?
DE
Well at least you made it back in one piece Derek. I'm assuming you applied liberal amounts of alcohol to the injury (taken internally of course).
I decided to get my annual injury done before leaving for my next trip. Pulled something in my back while moving coolers and yaks around in the garage and spent 10 days on prescription steroids, pain killers and muscle relaxers. Back is feeling well enough now to spend 6 hours around a campfire last night picking music with members of 2 bluegrass bands. ( And consuming liberal doses of adult beverages just in case the pain came back). Jen and I are leaving Friday for 10 days in Florida visiting the oldest daughter and 3 grandkids, then return to spend a few days in Akron with our youngest daughter so we can be there when our newest grandson is born. On August 28th I leave for a two week canoe trip in the Boundary Waters. I haven't made any definite plans after that, although I'd like to get in a couple of multi-day trips on the New river this fall. This retirement gig is tough ............
DE
Those young Mizzone brothers tear it up don't they? I've heard they're hoping their little brother learns to play a doghouse bass. I'd be happy just to play anywhere close to their level.
DE
Congrats Bushy !!!! 43 years together deserves a celebration.
And thanks for the US Birthday wishes.
I had to decide whether to join the family for a get-together on the 4th (it's my bro-in-law's birthday and he has an annual party) or to accept an invitation to be one of the songwriters playing at the celebration at the McConnel Arts center in Worthington (about 50 miles north of me). Cold beer, good food and family won out (plus being on a stage in 95+ temps didn't sound very appealing).
DE
Just got our power back too. After Friday's storm there were crews working hard on Saturday just to open roads so electrical workers could assess the damage. The prediction is that some areas nearby may not get power back until next weekend. I understand the problem of restoring power down here in the hills where I live but even some areas near Columbus (50 miles north of me) may not be back until next Sunday.
The good news was that we still had water during the power outage. Not having electric was an inconvenience but it allowed me to make good use of some of my camping equipment for cooking, etc. Every evening we would bring in the solar powered lights that we have along our walks and flower beds and they provided enough light to move around the house. We also opened all the windows after dark which cooled the house down to about 75 before morning and then buttoned her up during the day. No air movement, but it stayed below 80 degrees in the house which felt great compared to the 95+ outside temps. After 2 days we had to empty the fridge and put everything on ice in coolers so once again the camping gear came in handy as I have 3 coolers between 70-100 quarts which I use on multi-day raft trips. I also got a lot of reading and guitar pickin' done and caught several smallmouth bass on a local stream yesterday while floating/cooling off.
Per the papers, the storm was classified as a "Derecho" or shear winds which covered a wide area. Winds reached 85 mph locally but I'm sure other areas were probably hit worse. Hope all is well with my fellow Chordians.
DE
Other than spending time with my family my 3 main pursuits are "boatin" (paddlers slang for whitewater paddling in yaks, canoes or rafts), chasing smallmouth bass in streams and picking/songwriting. Close behind comes camping, hiking, bicycle riding, reading historical novels and sampling various adult beverages. So far this month I've spent 7 nights camping, 9 days boating (7 of them with a fishing rod in the yak) and spending an hour or so nearly every day strumming a flattop. The songwriting has been suffering a little this month but I think every writer has periods like that.
DE
Waddaya mean baseball caps don't count? I've got over 40 in my closet (after giving more than 2 dozen to Goodwill 3 years ago) - I don't know how they accumulate, folks just give them to me. In my neck of the woods there are just two kinds - ball caps and "old man" hats. If they're good enough for a lot of bluegrass pickers and guys like Hag and Willie (before they got old and started wearing "old man" hats), they're good enough for me. If you wear any other type cap around my buddies you'll probably hear remarks about a new "sheriff wannabee" in town.......................
DE
When I was looking to find another guitar a few months back, I was seriously considering a 414. Like you, I prefer the pure acoustic version - no cutaway or electronics. The Grand Auditorium size coupled with ovangkol back and spruce top is a great combination. The ones I checked on ebay usually went around $800-$1000. There's a 1998 model currently at $810 with 3 days left. I've also seen others sold in the $600-$700 range but had issues like deep scratches, cracks, etc. If you can get it for $800 (or less) it should be a pretty decent deal IMHO.
DE
M.B. wrote:Zurf wrote:M.B. wrote:And my town has a library where I can check out books for free. And my dog, Petey, loves me. Don't you Petey?
Petey called. He says he likes it when you read the library books to him, but even if you don't you're still aces in his book. And also he wants you to learn Mr. Bojangles.
- Zurf
Zurf,
I looked up "Mr. Bojangles" on Youtube and Chordie--what a great song. When he sings about how Bojangle's dog died and he still misses him, it made me cry!! I'm practicing the chords, but it's hard to sing it without choking up a bit. Thanks for telling me about it.
Speaking of Petey, when I'm practicing guitar and he wants me to play with him, he comes in my room and jumps up and put his front paws on my knee and nudges the neck of my guitar with his nose. Then he wags his tail and and looks at me. If I don't stop playing, he starts to bark and whine until I do. His favorite thing is to go "smelling" in the woods--he'll walk for about ten feet, then spend a about minute sniffing something really interesting, then walk a little bit more, then sniff. Over and over. Did I mention that he's a beagle?
Here's one of my favorite dog songs M.B, although it made a lady cry one night when I played it around a campfire. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd3QV0lwMXk
DE
I was shocked too Zurf. Patty had emailed me about the Buckeye Smallmouth Rodeo I'm hosting next week and had hoped to get down for at least one day as she has attended all the other ones. I just got off the phone with Dave Rhoads who posted the info on RS this morning. He still doesn't know the specifics. I know she suffered from an extreme case of sleep apnea and perhaps it contributed to her passing. (MDs blamed on my father-in-laws death). I consulted Dave about maybe canceling the Rodeo but we both agreed she would want us to "go on with the party". We'll try to have some sort of short memorial for her Friday evening. She'll be missed by the community of smallie chasers and outdoor folks here in Ohio.
DE
Hey DJ, Dayton is only 75 miles from where I live near Chillicothe. You gonna be in the area long? Good luck with finding just the right axe for your bro.
DE
jerome.oneil wrote:mekidsmom wrote:Rule no. 2 - if it doesn't sound good, have another drink. 
This is right in line with whatever genius said "The more you drink, the better we sound."
The first time I used that line back in the early 80's, the bar I was playing at ran out of beer. (True story)
DE
How about "Beautiful" or "Softly" by Gordan Lightfoot
"My Sweet Lady" or "For Baby" (For Bobbie) by John Denver.
When Jen and I got married, all the songs played at our wedding (except the wedding march) were by John Denver.
DE
I was pickin' on the back porch yesterday evening and realized how many depressing songs are in my repertoire, and how many were written by Fred Eaglesmith. Here's a few more of his that I play:
The Rocket
Water in the Fuel
Bailin' Again
White Rose
John Deere B
Old John Deere
Here's a sample http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PivXXj-hJUM
Another depressing song I play is Tecumseh Valley written by Townes Van Zandt http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UthqmxQ1jjI
And here's an old classic Don Edwards song that has depressing lyrics but my grandkids like to hear me try to sing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGGEfl8GzK8
DE
M.B. wrote:It's not a depressing song, but the mashup of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" always makes me cry. I don't think I've ever been able to get through singing it without choking up. The line, "I see friends shaking hands/Saying 'How do you do?"/They're really saying/ 'I love you'" just knocks me down. I don't know why . . . I guess it's about how people don't always come right out and say how they really feel, but inside they've got this strong bond of love for one another.
I know what you mean M.B. As silly as it might sound, I always got a little choked up whenever I heard Alabama's song "Forty Hour Week" (For a livin') and think about the dignity of the hard, honest day's work so many people put in each day. I think the 1st verse sets the tone of the song:
"There are people in this country who work hard every day
Not for fame or fortune do they strive
But the fruits of their labor are worth more than their pay
And it's time a few of them were recognized"
DE
Got back last night from the Nelsonville Music Festival (Nelsonville, OH). 58 bands played over the 4 days. It was hot during the day but nights were pretty cold camping. My favorites were Woody Pines, Shovels & Rope and the Tillers. Also high on my list was Jorma Kaukonen, Andrew Bird, Todd Burge and Jordan O'Jordan. On Sunday morning the Ohio University Symphony Orchestra played a composition by Mark O'Conner that featured the violin and consisted of 13 movements representing the origin of folk music in Ireland, its traveling across the ocean to the New World, the journey of the music from New England down into the southern Appalachians and then on to Memphis, Chicago and Texas and the changes to the musical styles along the way. Well done and really fascinating. Also on Sunday the Flying Clouds of South Carolina (gospel group) had the crowd jumpin' and shoutin'. Did a little fireside jamming and picking in the late evenings but mostly just enjoyed hearing all the different bands and styles of music.
DE
jets60 wrote:Here are some good ones that well me up:
Wasted Days and Wasted Nights - Freddy Fender
Grace is gone - Dave Matthews Band
Christmas in Prison - John Prine
Xmas Prison Blues - Seasick Steve (Steve Wold)
Unwed Fathers - John Prine & Bobby Braddock
Lovesick Blues - Cliff Friend & Irving Mills - performed by Hank Williams Sr.
...and my favorite....and perhaps the most famous:
He Stopped Loving Her Today by George Jones
I am getting depressed just reading this list...oh yeah....Let's not forget "Danny Boy"
"He Stopped Loving Her Today" has got to be the best country song ever written Jeff. I saw George sing it at the Nelsonville Music Festival last year. His voice was shot but he still had the crowd screaming. Funny, although its one of my favorite songs, I've never tried playing it.
DE
There's nothing quite like sitting a round the dying coals of a campfire at 2:30 in the morning trading sad songs with other pickers.
Some of them that I play:
Everything That Glitters is Not Gold - Dan Seals
Darcy Farrow - John Denver (written by Gillette/Campbell)
Goodbye Again - John Denver
If We Make it Through December - Merle Haggard
Never Leave Harlan Alive - Darrell Scott
Thirty Years of Farming - Fred Eaglesmith
Alcohol and Pills - Fred Eaglesmith
He's a Good Dog - Fred Eaglesmith
Spooking the Horses - Fred Eaglesmith
Slip-Sliding Away - Paul Simon
The Boxer-Paul Simon
Hard Times - Dirty Ed
Home for the Holidays - Dirty Ed
If I were the Wind - Dirty Ed
Life's River - Dirty Ed
I could probably come up with a few more if I were sitting around a campfire and adult beverages were available ...............
DE
Why are blackberries red when they're green?
Or the one that floored one of my college professors when he asked if there were any questions after his lecture.............
If a donkey is called an ass
And a male sheep is called a ram
Why is a ram up the ass called a goose?
DE
I talked to Bo Crowder last night. I don't think he will be attending.
DE
bunbun wrote:I would like to go back to see the world before it was touched by humans to the extent it is now. Just where I live and work would be interesting to see 300 years, or 3000 years ago. What would look the same? could I pick out geographical landmarks to know exactly where I am? How much have we changed the geography? How little?
What did the mouth of the Colorado River look like 500 years ago? I have read that it was much different then as it is now since we take so much water from it. I live near a lake that is the the largest natural lake in Southern California: Lake Elsinore. When I was a kid I remember it would flood up to 20' and it would also become near-dry in the next few years. It does neither now as it has been "tamed". I would like to see it in it's flood stage and its drought stage.
How did Manhattan Island look prior to the arrival of the Europeans? What did it look like during colonial times?
That is stuff that interests me.
Good idea bunbun. The country used to be a vast wilderness. Now it's just half-vast................
DE
Join a French Voyageur expedition through the Great Lakes in the late 1600's
Watch the Continental Congress signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776
Travel with the Corps of Discovery 1804-1806
Attend a Rocky Mountain Rendezvous in the late 1820's
Follow the Army of the Potomac 1861-1865
Be a part of the Apollo 11 crew that landed on the moon in 1969
DE
Fred Eaglesmith, Scott Miller and my buddy Jeff Hartley
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