End of Year Report 2017

Another year and another 12 months of rain and wind and snow and heat and sunshine and cloudy and changing shadows and dancing trees has passed at Puppywoods.

·      10 trees cut down and removed.

·      Cut down and ground out a pile of Bamboo and ivy

·      Bird seed 4 lbs. @ approx. 6 a week = 4 x 6 x 52  = 1,248 lbs

·      Peanuts 12 oz (de-shelled and unsalted) x 7 x 52 = 273 lbs.

·      Blueberries @ 4,380 oz a year = 273.75 lbs.

·      BEER 16 oz x 12 x 7 x 52 = 69,888 oz = 546 gal. / 35 kegs

So what else did I do for 2017?

• Had my stove fixed for $ which required thinking and re-plugging after a power outage.

• Two tires replaced and annual pony check-up .

• Take down old fence and put up new fence in the rain but well done.

• Got 4 pairs of shoes (a lot of shoes for two feet).

• Got 5 new windows and the chimney patched. Seems if you feed these buggers they get mischievous.

• Moved all the guitars upstairs and broke two handles in the process.

• Cut up so much wood had to buy another circular saw.

• Also had a rug or two and an electric tiller delivered?

• Bought a hoe but soon realized it was not a big enough hoe so had to walk down to the hardware and buy another heavy duty hoe.

• My 8-year-old phone finally wore out from non-use so I had to get a new one and it was FREE!

• Poured a ton of root rot on the stumps in the yard but will tackle them in the spring.

• For my birthday, bought another guitar. Why? Got to do something special to reward myself sometimes.

• Had to get the electrical connection outside rewired after the grinder cut the cord.

• Transferred a bunch of music from cassette to CDs while clearing out old, tired and stretched tapes.

• Had a battle with the roaches and found they were coming from where the floorboards will be installed. I always win.

• Went to the 50^th high school reunion and was surprised how much I didn’t know about all these kids; then or now. Still it was a good reason to gather some old friends and walk through the halls where I wasted 3-years of my life.

• Got to enjoy the screened porch through the spring and summer nights.

• Got a bunch of ‘nimrodstudios’ t-shirts printed just for a whim. Now I really don’t need any more t-shirts.

• Wore out some more shorts that went into the ragbag.

• Went to a couple of concerts alone and found some new friends to join my party.

• Read some interesting comments on the 1,400+-blog posts but that is ‘Just Another Life’.

• Music for 2017:

Jethro Tull • The Shaggs • David Wilcox • Lewis Ross • Jeff Foxworthy • Tori Amos • Band Aid • The Electric Croude band • Tom Chaplin • Warren Zevon • B-52’s • the Beatles • Tom Waits • Susan Aston & Gary Chapman • The Smithereens • The Sandals • Neil Young • Schoolhouse Rock • The Piano Guys • Them • Julie Driscoll w/Brian Auger and the Trinity • The Animals • Talking Heads • Sufjan Stevens • Herbie Hancock • Robert Fripp • Frank Zappa • OrKestr Percussion • Tommy Tutone • Aretha Franklin • The Dubliners • Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes • Walk the Moon • David Bowie w/Laurie Anderson • Butthole Surfers • Courtney Barnett • Scheila Gonzalez • Grateful Dead • Brookyln Express • Aynsley Dunbar • John Hiatt • David Williams • Todd Rundgren • The Bobs • Ensemble Modern • R.E.M. • Black Sabbath • Max Richter • King Crimson • Ben Folds • Fats Domino • Jefferson Airplane • R.L. Burnside • The Hold Steady • Tash Sultana • Jimmy Herring • Sam Haug • Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band • Leon Redbone • Tom Petty • Peter, Paul & Mary • Billy Joel • Steppenwolf • Rolling Stones • The Doors • Hair • Mark Maysey • Eric Burton & the Animals • Frankie goes to Hollywood • Simon & Garfunkel • Donovan • Country Joe and the Fish • Dropkick Murphys • Bob Dylan & Joan Baez • The Swingle Singers • Don McLean • Lola Blomfled • The Darlings • Supertramp • KT Tunstall • Steely Dan • The Stooges • The Righteous Brothers • John Mayer • John Lennon • Del McCoury • Play for Change • Flo & Eddie • Bill Parsons • The Deep • The Band • Randy Newman • The Mothers of Invention • The Beach Boys • Voyager • Etta James • Emmylou Harris • Jr. Walker and the Allstars • Regina Spektor • Ike and Tina Turner • Vanilla Fudge • Little Feat • The Persuasions • Sylvan Esso • Doug Clark & the Hot Nuts • Dr. West’s Medicine Show • Eddie Cochran • Limp Bizkit • Carly Rae Jepsen • The Drifters • Robert Earl Keen • Joan Osborne • Kraftwerk • Was (Not Was) • Woody Guthrie • The Who • Eddie from Ohio • Lawrence Welk • Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn • Richard Thompson • Dawes • Paul Revere & the Raiders • The Haden Triplets • Joni Mitchell • Anaïs Mitchell & Jefferson Hamer • Ravi Shankar • The Hollies • Jack White • Fun • CSN • The Fugs • The Whiskey Gentrys • The Rutles • John Mayall • Tommi Eckart • Fountains of Wayne • Roger Daltry • The Flying Lizards • Chick Corea & Bobby McFerrin •  David Gilmour • Sheila Nicholls • Alan Holdsworth • Alison Krauss • Klaatu • Neil Innes • John Kay • Chuck Berry • Bishop Briggs • Velvet Underground & Nico • Elgar • Mike Batt • Henry Hall & his Orchestra • Danny Gatton • Carrie Newcomer • Todd Snider • Einstein on the Beach • Meryl Cadell • Led Zeppelin • Pentangle • Peter Gabriel • Keith Richards • John Prine • Elton John •

 

• Books: 1 • Television Series: 0 • Reading: Beyond numbers

The rest of the year was spent with news of an opioid epidemic, wildfires, hurricanes, mass shootings, porch pirates and lots of politics filling the Internet and radio and television. If that wasn’t enough, everyone and their brother wanted to toss their opinions, judgments, bigotry and misogynic comments in. Thousands were fleeing pain and suffering and it was called migration. Immigrates not welcomed here? Sexual harassment allegations popped up suddenly with #MeToo pink hats and figures of fame fell like dominos. Statues erected to the losers were fought from both sides. While the legislators couldn’t decide on the flavor of the day, the courts and law enforcement were busy while localities tried to figure out how keep a delicate economy going and the war(s) drag on.

You say you want resolutions?

• 2018 Resolutions

There are only so many things I can control, so I will listen and read the ‘news’ but try to stay away from bellicose opinions. I’ve cut back on most of my appetite but maybe need to count calories – including comments. More greens and salads could become the daily diet. Those wild splurges of ice cream or cookies are done. Had enough of feeling blotted? The big challenge will be giving up the Silver Bullets. Habits (addictions?) are hard to break but there is little excuse to keep consuming this water as the prices keep rising. That means my other bad habits will have to be put aside for productive activity. These are the same promises we all make to ourselves the beginning of every year but they quickly fail. There is no one else to blame if I don’t (can’t/won’t) accomplish minimal goals. No gym time (learned my lesson there) but can walk more. The hardware store is just the right distance to walk and bring home a bucket of paint. At least that is the idea. Dust off those bathroom scales and put up those big mirrors to remind Santa only comes once a year. Plenty of indoor projects like painting, sanding, sweeping, mopping, scrubbing, scraping, hooks, dusting, banisters, rugs, vacuuming, 3-mo’ windows, floor polishing, and then home decoration and framing. Phew! That doesn’t include what will happen outside after the snow and ice melts. Will my battle with the bamboo win or just be at a truce until I can attack again? Pull up the rotten stumps or have the grinder back? Try out a new painter on a small project and put up some plastic wrap on the dormers to see how that would work on the entire house.

Will any of this happen; time will tell?

Maybe we will go to another war using the BIG BOMBS that might/might not work after 50 years?

Maybe get wiped out by natural disaster, mass shooting or politics?

Maybe a new form of chemistry will wipe us out or maybe some big rock from outer space will drop by leaving us to make oil like the other dinosaurs.

Maybe those rich folks with some extra cash in their pockets will tickle down and pull the country of discontents up by their bootstraps?

Maybe the politicians will listen to the people who elected them (or those who bought them?) and focus on taking care of potholes and homelessness?

Maybe the people will take to the streets and reclaim their rights?

Maybe the different warrior governmental agencies will squash the revolution? Maybe we can become a third world country?

Maybe someone will come out with some new good music?

Maybe there will be a good movie and good writing instead of constant retreads?

Maybe the creative minds will create something more useful than an app to tell us when to brush our teeth?

Maybe it is a new year. Take a deep breath and turn the page. Change a bad habit for a new good routine.

Can you do this?