good timing/carpe diem!

we don't have any immediate gigs... but what serendipitous timing! phil is w/his family, mark's w/silence club, randy's knee-deep in the good times, & my home in the mountains just closed!! went there yesterday to mt w/handyman, hope to go back today to see bout getting some paint on the walls, oh wow - can't believe i'm gonna live someplace so beautiful!... however, it's gonna take a bit to get in there since it's a super fixer-upper, to put it mildly, if i haven't said so already. the drive home last night from there was spectacular; the mountains & colors just make my heart swell.
pix to stir your imagination (do mine, anyway):
where i'd like to be:
how i'm feeling right now:
my bud & everyone else's: sacre bleu; carpe diem; hail hail rocknroll; wail, baby, wail!

wow.

at 1st, i thought this was the picnic where we'll play at noon, but then maybe it was hart pk, but i don't think it's either. still, what a shot. :) this morn i'm listening to NPR &the birds are singing joyously. my house is in escrow, the sun is shining, & later i get to see 100s of friends, then my little beautiful cousin, who is having her 1st communion. today is a good day, & may it be for you, as well.

evol.

- wasn't that the name of a sonic youth LP? on the front was this snarling, crawling monstrous chick... my brand of love's just backwards, & tho i've been snarling & monstrous in my time, i hope my brand of love's not. love in my estimation is noble, brave, kind, generous, heart-swelling, hormonal, obsessive, lascivious, perverse, etc. etc., but also awkward, oblique, bashful, stumbling, bumbling, stupefying, stupid-making: evol.
- my band practiced here tonight. stripped down, all sounded so grand & smart & fun & exciting... i want to record us next time we practice at my little place... yes, after i got over my pity party (the guys are much better musicians than am i), we sure had fun, i think. :) yes, this wkend we're playing a sober picnic... then markoni gets to go play the beerfest. priceless! from the sober drunks to the drunk drunks - what a capper! just goes to show reality trumps fantasy in the departments of interesting, weird, & funny. :)
- this past wkend, my sis & i did a 5k. i'll let her tell you about it, tho i'll say it was her 1st... here's a pic of us (from andy noise) w/my hair flying attractively. not. it sure was fun to share that experience w/my little sissy, tho. :)
- then sunday this man & i went to venice beach & saw the creature pictured. i said, "you are awesome!!!" & he replied placidly, "you have to take root before you can branch out..." on the sand, a crush of stoned youngsters & hippies & more were beating out a gigantic drum circle-dervish to celebrate "4/20," which you either dig ref to or do not. i didn't really, til the big man told me, cause in my old life, every day was 4/20.
- lastly, here's a pic that needs no explanation.

wop-bob-a-loo-wop a wop bam boom

music is love & friendship, passion & excitement, peace, catharsis, joy. and kicks!!!
without music, life wouldn't be worth a fig.

i can shake a chicken in the middle of the room

- boy, last night's show at the branding iron was fun fun fun. :) 1st, phil & i met w/a couple opening a diner downtown at 19th & eye - they've got 45s glued along the tops of the walls all around the whole gigantic place! i looked @ most all (hundreds) & didn't see any that'd make a vinylphile cry if he/she saw it glued... we loaded in & then @ the last sec i had to speed home cause i'd forgotten to bring the plug for the PA head. ahhhh!!! then we played a (sort of) mellow little set bc it was early, & the crowd was very appreciative & happy & warm. by 2nd set we screwed it down quite a bit more & by 3rd set, robert tidwell was there screaming his mike ness versions of rockabilly tunes & phil even improvised a jazzy blues-billy thing when i left the floor to go answer a Q from an audience member & i so love riffing like that, tho i know sometimes it can be hair-raising, like when you don't know where the song's going next & just have to use your ear... all tight on the stage together, we cozied in & it felt swell to play together, like we were one unit rather than 4 separate souls.
- we met art byrom, who was really nice & complimentary, & i just loved how all the women in particular kept getting out to dance together, like the band & i were empowering them (i never really noticed a common theme running thru our songs - not just of sex, but of a certain independence) & several times i saw people singing along not just our covers, but w/MY ORIGINAL SONGS!!! - yes, looking @ me while i played & singing MY SONGS w/smiles on their faces... oh my gosh, that was too too cool!
- here's a pic from lovely angel of when i got on bass for a minute bc mark claimed he didn't know how to play johnny b. goode (i think he wanted to go burn one) - that bass was huge & heavy! but the pic's kind of cool. :) mark & phil were just hilarious throughout the show, what comedians. and the ladies really like phil, who always dresses up smart for the shows... he had some crazy running joke about chickens going all night & i realized we do two songs that mention them! i couldn't even sing "let's have a party" for the longest time bc i'd crack up when it comes to the line "i can shake a chicken in the middle of the room"... sometimes i still do laugh when i get there, but it's ok, it's all ok, we're sharing in the happiness of the room. :) next we need to add in the cramps' version of "chicken," tho i guess we'd have to do the dusk devils' version, since no one can well-imitate the cramps!!
- then we all went to zingo's & shared egg sandwich, biscuits, & country potatoes. i came home & everything went to crap. that morning had been so calm & peaceful, walking the labyrinth at st philip's & enjoying the lovely weather, & this morning's going to be good & beautiful & it's off to the drunk society where i'll be w/good good people, so life goes on til it doesn't, & then who knows what'll happen? ashes to ashes, dust to dust, make hay while sun shines, we must we must...

elaborations, fascinations, celebrations, admirations,

ok, so to explain the below pix:
1. dancing - those were from the al hendrix show we did w/al & token okies at ethel's. beforehand, phil & i practiced over at robt tidwell's beautiful italianate home in the country w/rt, franky kiplinger & kirby shropshire, who are mensches. then al came to town w/sweet wife laraine & we practiced again. the show was swell & fun & loaded w/bikers & al kept throwing me unannounced solos, prefacing each w/"here's jenny angel! jerry lee better watch out!" so then i'd choke real good, tho a few times i caught the right ideas & notes & it was kinda like flying, what exhilaration... mom, dad, angie & friends showed up, & one of my favorite persons on earth came in as we did "i push right over." that was really cool. al played well, super-rocking, even, &, of course, the phil was dressed to the nines. afterwards, he & i had really great ethel's hotdogs & fries & i am going to start him a fan club, mebbe... we dusk devils pretty much blew out the pa, tho not on purpose. am starting to think the piano, the mightiest instrument of all, is a formidable beast to pile on a pinche PA used only to 4 or 5 strings instruments... 88 keys pounding down like thunder, well, the PA is gonna be pretty much doomed sometimes...
2. ok, so then i  went snowshoeing again (only nearly fell to my death from the side of a steep snow-covered mountain this time; no injurious falls except when i tried to jump from bunk bed to king bed, forgetting i am decades beyond 10 years old, but @ least i didn't crack my head, like last time)... was eating in the dining hall & after the 1st taste looked @ each other in wonderment: this food was just spectacular!!! long story short, since i've gotta go to bed soon, is the chef somehow was talli counsel, the 1st african-american white house chef, chef for presidents carter, clinton, &, yes, obama. there he was, beaming broadly, chatting up the lodge-stayers, dressed in fine pressed black uniform that bore proudly the seal of the president of the united states! chef talli said he plans menus & travels w/the obama family when they go places on air force one. & he had cooked dinner!! all were eating a meal fit for a president! naturally, it was one of the most mouth-watering, scrumptious meals i've ever had: jumbo prawns, pesto ravioli, feta-stuffed lamb w/raspberry coulis, pumpkin-sweet potato pie, & even more than that - must pause to wipe drool from chin... how chef talli ended up cooking that night @ kings canyon's montecito lodge, well, i have no notion, only gratitude! (did i mention the food was free? included w/lodging? merciful heaven...)
3. ok, whiteboy james: he rocked the doubletree for pat evans' no stinkin' service charge blues series. his band was spectacular & james was so crazy fun & terrific! it kinda made me crazy, too, actually... after ending one exciting lead, scott abeyta weaved, panting, sweating, dazed, like he was gonna faint! the whole band was that much into the intense performance! the bakersfield audience was blown away, screaming for more. but james & the blues express left the stage, & pat declared, grinning, "i'd hate to follow that!" wbj & i chatted & bussed before & after the show; he is super-friendly & cute & funny & ingratiating & well-liked by many, many. i hope he comes back soon!! as i left, a large man grabbed my arm & enthused, "you guys need to open for them!!" i agree. that would be one fun, crazy-a** show, all right. :)
4. mi casa - i think i've gotten a place in frazier park, for the bottom line is that my choice @ this pt is breathe or die. the house is @ 5000 ft elevation. it's on a largish lot & backs up to national forest! you can stand in back & hear the wind rustling thru the trees! the house looks from the side like a hotel, which i really like, & has wrought iron railings, which reminds me of NOLA, so of course i'm in love w/the place, which to call a "fixer upper" would be a compliment. :) my family is horrified. restoring it will be my summer project. i can't wait! i love my house. from the second i saw it, i imagined how it will look when it gets some tender loving care. i had a vision! i'll fence the large yard & my doggies will come visit. i will listen to the trees. i will get calm. i will be able to breathe. :)
5. no pix on this, but am back to work. i missed so many of the kids so much while i was out, more than i even knew til i saw their sweet faces!!! i brought them lucky pennies w/a little note from me, thinking, they might not value these, but it feels right to give them out... the word's gotten round, & now lots of kids are coming in the library for their lucky pennies. one boy told me his penny fell on the floor; he went to pick it up & found 12 bucks. two came in today & told me, "the lucky pennies work! they brought us good luck! we won our soccer game!"
what could be better than stories like this? children big & small are the breath of life, the reason to keep trying, our future, our innocence & hope, & our joy.
time for bed! what a life! whatta whatta! mwah!

long long long long time since blogging

am back to work! the kids are so swell. :) will fill this in later meanwhiles, here are pix...

the lost rocker

messiness & gratitudes

-while i was at sansum clinic, the weather in sb was perfect. i got to eat at some of my favorite restaurants like petrini's & cajun kitchen. mama enjoyed the hostel-like, reasonably-priced hotel, half residents on ssi, half europeans w/large backpacks, paper cranes covering the lobby ceiling, university bookstore volumes in the shelves. it rained like heck a few days. the stately library had an awesome book sale: sherman alexie, russian short stories, all for $1.50. the drs at sansum were, to a one, kindly & friendly, taking their time to assess me. i've never gotten such care from traditional medicine except one day prior, in bakersfield, from an endocrinologist whom i immediately liked, w/his humble sweater, patient air, & scuffed shoes. the problems between my ears already have been being treated for about one month; after one psychotic episode & meds adjustment, i can gratefully say that i feel like my old self, but w/o as much nervousness & disquiet... my sansum test results: perfect hearing; severe allergies (i knew that, but each person who walked in to observe my skin test saw my inflamed back & exclaimed, "boy, YOU'VE got some ALLERGIES!!"); sinus tests still out; & best of all, NO THYROID CANCER, tho one set of tests is still out.
there is much for which to be grateful. amor vincit omnia. amicitiae nostrae spero sempiternum fore! happy wkend, friends. :)

yurt, dome, or yome? & "you gotta dig a little deeper": the best movie in town's at the dollar theatre

have caught on fire w/house-hunting mania (quietly, tremblingly so, from my computer here)... what variety of properties the mtns have! have put 2 bids in in last 2 days... we'll see! meanwhile, for the property i hope to get, shall i add to it a yurt, dome, or yome? google these terms together, & fascinating sites on alternative dwellings come up... next, here are pix from my favorite movie of late. a magical valentine to nola rather than a glossing-over of jim crow & the plantation era, as have heard it described, it has wonderful vernacular joyful songs, inspired voice acting, beautiful color & animation, lovable characters, & of course, all set in new orleans, so the enamored & noble little firefly speaks gentle mumbly-mouthed cajun; the villain is basso purple-clad voodoo bad (his human disneyland imitators resemble esquerita or screamin jay, & how cool is that?); the gigantically happy bashful sidekick gator blows horn & is named after jordan, armstrong, or prima, take your pick; & the rescuer is a toe-cracking, cackling, gospel-singing little blind hoodoo lady named mama odie. the princess & the frog plays now in bakersfield at the dollar theatre - go see it, if you haven't! "dreams do come true in new orleans"... the city is pure enchantment, despite hardships; this movie celebrates that & i believe aids in the ongoing rebuild of the crescent city's spirit, as did the recent victory of the saints... hope you'll see it, or already have. :)

tweedeedeedeedeedle-eedee / "the greatest wealth is health" (virgil)

- was surprised to find this video on youtube! it's the only one i've seen where i'm clearly reading words as i sing (taped to the piano) - now i know i need to smile more when i'm doing that! was happy, tho, to hear my voice problems at that time weren't too apparent.
-please watch & rate the video (if you like it, that is) :)
-another on youtube from that same night also is under sofein's videos... if you will, please watch & rate it, too (again, if you like it, that is...) :)

-speaking of sofein, was sposed to lunch w/him yesterday in frazier pk, where i went bc 1) had no doctor's appts yesterday; & 2) have concluded i must move from bakersfield before summer hits if i'm to continue to live... looking back on this blog, i realize i've been sick now for SIX YEARS (tho probably longer, since this blog only goes 5 or so)!! i've had to conclude my poor health is due to the filthy air here, unfortunately, since i do love so much about backwardsfield, tho it's like a bad relationship, as i've said, one you can't get rid of but sometimes surprises you by being a real good time... art is going thru bereavement following the recent passing a very dear friend, grief that expressed itself in his back, so staying home in his hollywood bed, he was able to rest & i was able to be super-busy w/realtors. i was delighted by the variety of properties in frazier park! - left w/a feeling of real excitement. ideally, w/a place there, i'll be close enough to bako to see family, loved ones, doggies, dusk devils (& maybe find a band in socal, too!) & still live in a place where i can jog, hike, maybe rest & find peace, but most importantly, GOOD HEALTH!!!!
- found out the other day too that i have a bona fide "other" health condition besides thyroid & sinus/allergy problems... it was sort of a shameful moment of realization, but now, like realizing & facing alcoholism, i can accept a solution. some say "there are no accidents"... i dunno bout that, but perhaps all this bad health news will lead to a better & happier life for me & those who care about me.
- i agree 100% w/the following: "in order to change, we must be sick & tired of being sick & tired" (unknown) or, put another way, "to goodness and wisdom we only make promises; pain we obey" (proust).
-a few more truths & jewels: "joy and temperance and repose / slam the door on the doctor's nose" (longfellow).
- "diseases of the soul are more dangerous and more numerous than those of the body" (cicero).
- "a good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book" (irish proverb).
- and lastly, for myself & for you, if this be your problem, too, i second that "mens sana in corpore sano" (your prayer must be for a sound mind in a sound body) (juvenal). rock, rock, rocknroll, the feeling is there, body & soul...

all plans for now are cancelled.

sorry if this inconveniences anyone. have a nice weekend.

happy vday blablabla & the axe falleth

- just finished a bunch of valentines for the kids at my school, tho i'm not there. could only recall them as a whole (about 100) by going into the online library program & selecting my top patrons, then going thru kids' names & trying to match w/faces. can't believe it's so difficult to remember after just a few wks away from school, but i guess that's typical of the state i'm in (not golden...)... my personal, prized valentines are universal monster ones my sister gave me one yr, but i never fill them out & give them away; i just keep them, which mebbe is valentine abuse, as having a drink & setting it down bc you're "starting to feel it" is alcohol abuse (well, just kidding, sort of...). here are a few valentines that are similar to mine; one i think's real pretty (the bride truly made the wrong choice).
- yesterday i got some bad health AND work news, sort of a double-whammy, but i spose all happens for a reason, be careful what you wish for, take your lumps & keep moving forward, as long you're not pushing up daisies, there's hope... but the poor kids; that's what kills me. at my school, these cuts (not that they had much before) leave them w/nearly zero enrichment, nearly zero for those who need it most. i'm too beat to get on the soapbox, but really, it's not just disheartening, but seemingly evil, or maybe more apt, callous & greedy, that the dedicated counselor; the talented clerk who organizes all the special school events & provides the extra niceties that make the school warm & inviting; & yo are cut by the district while (mama calls them) the "hallwalkers" & politicians downtown remain. my boss is a swell guy; i can only imagine how stressful this whole mess must be for him... :(
- i need to get to band practice. hope i can sing. either way, it'll be so swell to see the guys. :) in summation, the world keeps turning, & happy vday to all. may we all recall the many forms of love & not feel one bit lonely this time of yr... an article i read in a back issue of utne reader wrote of these wisdoms from a kenyan culture: love your community; trust your elders; don't fear death. these words to me speak of true love, a recipe for happy life. nuff for now.
- ps - the lost rocker, al hendrix, will be at the crystal palace fri & sat night around 930 pm, doing a mini-set w/the token okies, & i get to sit in, if buckaroo jim shaw will let me use his piano. so come on down, everyone!!!

LOOK AT THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1. go to this link: http://www.rockabilly.nl/
2. click on "Latest Additions"
3. click on the 2nd link, "Jenny Angel and the Dusk Devils"
thank you, memphis mike!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yes, receding hairlines are associated w/elevated testosterone levels... whiteboy & the lost rocker

well, i'm glad i'm a videonut today, cause look what i found!!!
whiteboy james & the blues express is coming to town fri march 26 as pt of pat evans' no stinkin' service charge blues series!! keep your eyes out for venue & ticket price... you will love this guy! the 2nd song below really flipped my ears, sounding like phil alvin fronting the paladins in their early days!!!! talk about teeth-gnashing pogoing laughing grinding intensely thrilling fun... yes, i will periodically on here remind you, dear reader, that the one & only whiteboy james will soon come to town, & w/any luck, the lost rocker al hendrix will be there that same wkend on his way to viva las vegas! more info as i get it. :)

WHITEBOY JAMES and the BLUES EXPRESS

LINE 9 BLUES REVIEW | MySpace Video

WHITEBOY JAMES AND THE BLUES EXPRESS

LINE 9 BLUES REVIEW | MySpace Video

the great dane & the great proboscis

it's been wks & i still really have no singing voice. have been babying it, hoping it comes back. dratted vocal chords!!! dratted insane snarling growling singing style!!! if i were a crooner, i'd be back at it by now!!
oh well.
yes, have been home a lot, so've been playing lots of piano. lots of classical, actually, trying to rebuild dexterity, also just for enjoyment, variety. forgot til these past wks about the many composers i really love! most recently: mussorgsky, faure, kabelevsky, brahms, tchaikovsky, the bach inventions, of course... then there are the czerny books; oh, how i loved czerny exercises when i was a kid! i think the repetition calmed my ocd tendencies, mebbe.
here are some videos i love, both sort of piano-related, from the great dane & the great proboscis (the latter is the only thespian i can think of who acts w/his nose).

favorite dog videos

-whistling puppy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHAshi4vdbg&feature=related
-"i love you": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXo3NFqkaRM&NR=1&feature=fvwp
-puppy falling asleep: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCYaw5tGYAs
-intelligent border collie puppy (roscoe is just as smart, tho not as trained): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf0Vr0MSdHg#watch-main-area
-this is what gusgus looked like when we came home on the plane from texas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yCulYWicQc

gratitudes

(in no order)
1. aunty rita is getting out of the hospital
2. drummer randy got out of the hospital
3. phil & mark, funny generous buds
4. beautiful clear blue skies above & snow-capped mountains surrounding this usually smog-choked valley
5. sister angie visiting & cheering me up
6. noble, kindly former spouse
8. amy the angel, squarely in my corner
9. friends of bill
10. the pic above: drummer randy smiling confidently :)

14 days of plague

this is getting really ridiculous. and probably dangerous. i hope the rx today will bring help. mama says i need to insist that they help me.
going to lie down.
may you be better than i am.