Weekend with the Dweez

Ah, another weekend gone. Hot days of riding all over town, carrying heavy things, walking a bike in to get another tire repaired, and relaxing evenings of soccer, SNL with the late George Carlin, and music.

Decided to record from 3 cassettees of every song I have written. 200 in all. Just guitar, drum machine and background rumble.

But to top the weekend, took a trip to Barnes and Noble. Had just been there last week, so not much had changed. Wasn't looking for anything in particular, but wandered into the movie section. Buy 2 get one free. OK, let's take a peek.

"What's this?"

"ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA"

I had just send the Dweez play his daddy's songs in the spring and was very impressed by the accuracy. The boy also has his dad's cherisma. The half grin like he knows the joke that all of us are missing.

So chuck down a couple of bucks and go home with the Dweeze.

Pop in the DVD, sit back with a cool drink and enjoy.

Recorded in Seattle (home of the mudshark), it is a fast paced, good sound (options of stereo or surround), tight cuts, and zooms to follow the action. And there is action. These boys and girls are enjoying themselves and the audience. And why not? They have rehearsed. Note for note they are dead on. Pop must be proud.

Haven't seen the second DVD yet, but the first one made me smile.

So I highly recommend you enjoy FZ's son continuing his father's Open Mind policy. Take a listen and enjoy.

Spend a little time with the Dweez. Keep the music alive. Music is the best.

Would you vote for this guy?

He may be the real change agent.

Smile

On my ride this morning, there was no people out. It was very quiet. Just the whiz of my tires on the pavement. It's almost spooky for a town this size to have no one awake at 6:00 a.m.

Then I saw a woman walking her dog. She just kept looking down and the dog plodded forward.

As I turned and went down Hanover I saw another person. A young jogger enjoying the coolness of the morning. With i Pod in had, she paced herself toward me.

And as we passed, she smiled. And it wasn't that "look at the funny old dude riding his bike". It was a pleasant smile. A smile that said "I acknowledge you and it's nice". A greeting smile. Just a happy smile.

A little further up the road, I passed another cyclist. A young woman with a back pack. She looked over and also smiled.

A smile can make a day. It started mine out right this morning.

When things get hectic this afternoon, I'll think of those two girls' smiles. I'll never know their names or probably ever see them again, but I'll remember their smiles.

Pass it on. Smile at someone today. 8^)

Routines

Everyone lives a routine. It's the habits that hold our world together.

Me?

5:00 - 6:00 a.m. Wake up at sunrise.

6:00 - 6:30 a.m. Get dressed (same clothes as yesterday), right shoe first, tie back the hair, grab a cap, put on glasses and go outside.

6:30 - 7:00 a.m. Strap on a helmet, gloves, backpack, walk up the alley to the street, judge the weather and the day, peddle to work.

7:00 - 7:30 a.m. Shower, brush teeth, shave, change clothes (professional look), and start the work day.

7:30 - 9:00 a.m. Check emails, get tea (green with jasmine, orange, and passionfruit), and iced water.

9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Work on clean up fileservers, backing up files, transferring files to online servers, troubleshooting, preflight, and other network stuff *

11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Get another cup of tea and water. Have a oats and honey crunch bar. Read the paper online.

11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. * More of the same, yet always different

1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Lunch. Usually soup, crackers and water. Check emails and Internet.

2:00 - 4:00 p.m. * with a little more rush for deadlines.

4:00 - 4:15 p.m. Another cup of tea and water.

4:15 - 5:00 p.m. Finish up the day. Pack up the back pack.

5:00 - 5: 30 p.m. Back to the basement to change back into street clothes and pack lockers. One with clothes, one with shampoo, soap, socks, underwear, shaving materials, and hairbrush.

5:30 - 6:00 p.m. Ride home. (Tonight in 97 degree heat)

6:00 - 7:00 p.m. Change bikes. Drink a bottle of water. Change the helmet to a cap. Take off the backpack and gloves. Ride to the grocery store to buy animal products, cleaning products, crappy chicken, and some sort of libation.

7:00 - 11:00 p.m. "News Hour" and other PBS shows in Mansland. Eat crappy chicken. Play music (either recorded or live). Computer = financial and music.

11:00 p.m. - 5:00 a.m. Sleep (unless the project is so interesting, it could last all night)

So one day, shake it up. Get out of the routine.
Go a different route. Start with the left shoe. Don't watch television.

But these are the usual sequence for a set of activities that are unvarying or boring repetitive.

It just another life.

Morning Conversation

The time is 6:00 a.m. I stand at the end of the alley, pack on my back, gloves and helmet strapped on. Already the temperature is warming as a haze fills the air from a fire 80 miles away. And so I start.

"Weeee!"

"Stop having so much fun going down this hill, we are just starting."

"OK, what do you want to talk about?"

"Don't know yet. It's too early. Haven't found the day's rhythm."

" What music shall we hear?"

"Rebecca by Flo and Eddie keeps coming to mind."

"Ree beck A Ohh Ohh!"

"Look at all the sprinklers."

"Yes and check the joggers, where did they all.... squirrel on the right."

"Got him."

"What about that girl..."

"Oh grow up and get over it."

"Yeah well.."

"Car behind us."

"Got him."

Pause at a stop light. Been in the zone so far.

"Listen."

"What is that?"

"Silence, with the occasional bird."

"Sweet."

"Let's go."

"It's nice out here in the morning with no one around."

"Yeah."

"And.... pant.... up.....pant....the....pant....Jefferson....pant....hill...."

"pant.... pant...."

"Pretty time and hardly broke a sweat."

"Re beck A...."

"Oh shut up, it's time for a shower."

and so it goes, just another life.

From a ShirtSleeve(cliff &/or joe, 1966)

I've been told it makes no difference how old, you are

It's not so sometime a girl ought to go, so far

You say, whose she

How old, she be

My God! she's young

Too young, for fun

I hope not,’cause I need some.

Here she comes, she looks so good, but yet, so young

You think you might make time with her that would be wrong.

You say, whose she

How old, she be

My God! She’s young

Too young, for fun

I hope not, ‘cause I need some.

She tries to make you think she's old, you know, she's not

But still you go along with her, for what she's got

You say, whose she

How old, she be

My God! she's young

Too young, for fun

I hope not, ‘cause I need some.

Dedicated to: Val, Vicki, Robin, Sindey, Dusty, Dabnet, etc.

How To ReachA Peachy Keen Beach (cliff &/or joe, 1966)

From this town I went away

I couldn't have stayed another day

I thought I'd go to the beach for fun

Lie in the sand soak up the sun

Now daytime there was quiet all right

But, ever more right were the nights

On a blanket with a girl

But, I had to return from that fabulous world

People thought we were strange

But, we're still just the same

The beach it has not changed us

From what we were

It's true I wore my hair kind of weird

My friend he even grew a beard

But me and my friend were just out to please

If it hadn't been for "Miss Cream cheese"

He and I would have been all right

But, as it is we stayed up all night

Leading a band, felt sort of woozy

Fifty kids demanding "Susie"

People thought we were strange

But, we're still just the same

The beach it has not changed us

From what we were

My girl said, "Why don't you take off your hat?

Oh, you were hiding that

Hair that hangs down on your back

Go right now and get it cut, jack!"

Our clothes we tried to wash to begin

We had to burn them in the end

But now we've fallen into line

Wearing Sunday suits singing "Sweet Adeline"

Dedicated to: Seashore State Park, 1966