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  been in a sick haze for a while since finding out about gene t's death, me & thousands of other music lovers around the world, i think. there is such a ginormous hole now where the bada*s boogie-woogie pianist was...  i felt better recently learning that he had told friends he was ok & didn't want to be picked up, that he had a roommate & they'd decided to stay in their rooms to keep warm, that he wasn't alone, that ppl were in touch w/him, so sounds like he went to sleep & passed. so if he had lots & lots of blankets to wrap up in, maybe that wasn't such a terrible way to go. it's still a horrible loss for the music world & everyone who loved him, but since we all gotta go..

two wks ago i thought i was gonna go bc of my heart, which is what took gene. i actually had to go to the e.r., realizing in all my yrs on this planet, that was the 1st time i'd been in a hospital bed. it felt to be covered with memory foam, surprisingly comfy. after the initial shock of being told i'd had a "past heart attack," i decided to be observant & calm. the ppl at mercy southwest in bakersfield were very nice & the experience ended after only 7 or 8 hrs. they found nothing wrong w/my ticker after thorough testing, so i went home & james cared for me scrupulously for several days. and yesterday was my first followup & in upcoming wks will be tests, but overall it's a good thing bc i would rather do all that than find out too late something's wrong.

my friend tjarko had gone through it too, recently, but his good friends, late of the late great ronny dawson's band & much more, picked him up when he was freezing to death in his austin apt, after a major surgery, moreover. saved his life, maybe. in pain, freezing, he thanked them  & i do, too.  i am lucky to be healthy & so happy tjarko's friends helped him in his time of need.

i can't think of austin the same way anymore. the past 10 yrs have seen it turn into a pretty d**chey place compared to the funky little town of 30 yrs ago (when i first went there). but the recent storm, gene's death most likely due to it... i don't think i wanna go there for some time, music or no music. too many west LA folks there now, or those w/the west LA vibe.

anyways, i had such a long day today with my students being just wonderful all day, but i gotta get ahead with grading & planning so i can go to the heart doc tomorrow, so i worked late, got home, we had dinner, then james & i played some music. i've been playing every day because gene did. i need to play every day. i have the ability to play, so i need to maximize it. here is what my wonderful husband came up with, impromptu, as i play an albert ammon knock off. 

(I WILL POST THE VIDEO LATER! BYE FOR NOW!)