learning thru repetition

   
               MONDAY 12/31/18 1:15PM--All the stuff I'm learning to do utilizing Google Docs (on my laptop) is the kinda stuff I have to keep doing or else I might forget how to do it...I imagine/hope that everything I'm doing on the laptop will be do-able on the tablet, when it finally arrives...
      4:38PM--went to Safeway, got pasta sauce, cheeses doo-dads and M&Ms...I feel as though I need 'em for the chocolate and/or the sugar...I left the M&Ms in the car; what Dianne doesn't know won't hurt her...she has been known to crave stuff--including, I think, cheese doo-dads...
       I think Dianne is getting company tomorrow, so I will likely go downstairs to the "Music Lab" and practice playing HERE COMES THE SUN on the acoustic--with a capo, of course...hopefully they won't hear that very well...I'm gonna ty to practice for as long as I can...we'll see...
         Still doing some testing… I mailed a Google document to my Gmail account successfully…
TUESDAY 1/1/19 8:53AM--probably NOT going to the Music Lab when Dianne's friend arrives; I've got stuff that I DVR'd that I can watch...several hours of stuff, in fact...
10:25AM--in fact, the friend might not even arrive until I'm taking my nap...if her arrival wakes me up (if?) then I'll go watch TV somewhere...
2PM--outta left field, Debbie AND Jeff are coming over...they could be here in about an hour...no mid-day nap for ME I guess...kinda stinks a bit...so I could be in bed tonight before 10PM...
4:50PM--they were here for about 90 minutes, but they're gone now...some TV schedules have gone out the window because it's New Year's Day...
WEDNESDAY 1/2/19 11PM--went to an OM in Olney...came very close to telling Angela how I feel about her, however that may be...dunno what's happening on Thursday...I imagine I'll stay home in the evening...
THURSDAY 1/3/19 10:21AM- on the other hand, if the tablet comes today, I will possibly go out to the OTWC  to test it out as a camera and/or an audio recording device... I DO believe it’s at the Gaithersburg/Rockville facility...
11:11AM--I don't have the energy to go to the OM in Damascus...I suspect Lou has done more solo sets than me, and I bet he's better at it--in some ways...if I go to the OTWC pretty much all I have to do is sit there listening...still have about three days, but I'm getting nervous about Sunday's gig...I think the Oz Revue opens the show...after which I can just hang out...allegedly the whole gig will last two hours (?) and that's OK by me...

into the 21st Century, belatedly

       SUNDAY 12/830/18 6:35PM--I'm getting a tablet; originally the idea was to store song lyrics--easier to carry than a fairly thick notebook...what *I* want it to do is cut and paste song lyrics into Microsoft Word and, if necessary, have them handy if the memory fails me...I'm not sure, but I might have to use Amazon's word processor (if there IS one) or whatever Google may have available, after I load Google Play...
             And for the first time, I asked SIRI, my iPhone's voice assistant a question and "she" answered it...I asked "her" to play a certain Springsteen song, but she picked a different one...I think that's because SIRI is connected to my iTunes Library, apparently even if I acquired the songs in a rather sneaky way, like SMART GIRLS by Brian Wilson...I DON'T think it's connected to Spotify, but I'll find out when I go upstairs to watch Star Trek...
7:30PM--I went to Google Docs, pushed some buttons and was somehow able to create a Word document outta the lyrics to BORN TO RUN, that I got from Google...well, actually I created a Google document and sent THAT to Google Docs...I think this means that filling the tablet with dozens of songs (lyric-wise) might be relatively easy...the procedures seem to be the same, only the final destination (tablet instead of laptop) has changed...I think I have to upload Google Play into the tablet first of all...I'm optimistic about that...
7:48PM--Lotsa tech advancement in the last hour...I forgot that it's Sunday, I have to record Star Trek before I can watch it...but SIRI did open Spotify instantly...wow, I'm blown away...
10PM--this might mean that, using SIRI I can listen to Music in the car w/o fiddling with the phone as much...
11PM--and now I have Google Docs on my phone, synced to my laptop...I'd like to think that almost anything I can do on the laptop, I can do on my iPhone...
MONDAY 12/31/18 7:30AM--so I did some editing on my phone and it showed up on the laptop...and  using the phone, I e-mailed it to Dianne...She just put Google Docs on HER phone and (I think) tablet...Actually, I don't think I'll need Microsoft Word on my tablet...
8:06AM--still learning stuff...I sure hope I can remember all of it...maybe I shouldn't, but I DO assume that all this stuff I'm doing on the laptop and/or phone will be do-able on the tablet...because the tablet is bigger than the phone, just about everything should be easier to do...
12:41PM--still messing around...I come up with an idea, then try to make it happen...so far I've been successful...
1PM--and everything is still going to the phone, I think...

a Xmas surprise and other stuff

TUESDAY 12/25/18 4AM-I didn’t expect the gig money until at least tomorrow, but it’s in my PayPal account now... I don’t think it will be in my Capital One checking account until Thursday, but at least I’ll have it...
5:52PM--I had some tech stuff I felt like I needed to do...it took awhile, like always...but it eventually got done...and after Thursday night it will be cyber trash...

WEDNESDAY 12/26/18--the $80 I made playing with the worst band I've ever been in is now in my checking account...I'll take any good news I can get...somewhere Deborah Lynn Haines, if she's still alive, is turning 65 years old...I'm having trouble accepting that...of course *I* don't feel like 63 myself...I feel like about 43 years old, give or take a year or two...

THURSDAY 12/27/18 8:47AM--starting to get nervous about tonight, with about 12 hours to go before it actually starts...

11:08AM- hanging out at Sam’s Club with the roomie… After which, we’re going to check to see if the girls have been at the house yet… I believe we are scheduled to stop at Harris Teeter as well;

1PM--we had brunch at iHop...*I* came home, she went on to get the groceries...I wanna leave for the Three o'clock load-in at 2:30...probably just taking the amp...and MAYBE the gizmo...the brunchtime leftovers I might eat when I get home...or save it for breakfast tomorrow...

FRIDAY 5:05PM--came home from the 4th Thursday gig, ate my breakfast leftovers and was in bed by about 3AM...got outta bed at about 10AM...the next major event *I* see on the horizon is the visit from Sue and Mike on Sunday...

SATURDAY 12/29/18 9PM--kinda surprised I made it to 9PM...I guess the mini Milky Way™ bar has kicked in...so I might be up until 11PM...still slowly working my way thru the Jimmy Stewart bio...I'm up to 1942 or so, when Stewart began his stint in the Army...

I don't wanna change my Mind

            SATURDAY 12/22/18 1:16PM-- I just finished Lunch! I spent an hour and a half on the phone with Stoney...he says I should think about whether or not I really wanna leave the Combustibles...*I* think I really do...
       The roomie wants to go out--now...I don't...I'm willing to go out after my midday, which is starting shortly...she mentioned going by herself, but changed her Mind about that...
SUNDAY-so we’re taking the walk the roomie wanted to take, around Lakeforest Mall...
12:47PM-had Lunch at Ruby Tuesday’s, a cheeseburger for me...by the time we get home I’ll be ready for the midday...I feel kinda weird, like I’m invisible or not all here or something...
MONDAY CHRISTMAS EVE- well I was able to connect MY iPhone to the radio in Dianne’s car, which allows me to listen to MY Spotify music, and use the phone-maybe...don’t ask me how I did it, but I did it and I think that’s really cool...
6:12PM--still depressed...not yet looking forward to the 4th Thursday open mic at the OTWC...I've taken my first baby steps toward getting my homework done...
6:46PM--can't wait until Xmas is behind us...bored, depressed, etc.
7:48PM--no change...probably gonna go to bed after Star Trek, or continue reading the book I bought earlier today--a biography of actor Jimmy Stewart...it's probably my mood, but the book feels like slow going...
XMAS DAY 8:30AM--I've been up for about an hour already, mixed feelings about that...I don't think Dianne and I are going anywhere or doing much of anything...I'm perfectly fine with that...might have a relatively early Lunch...or not...still feeling down, so there's no Plan or Schedule...

a long day for BOTH of us

       WEDNESDAY 12/19/18 5:37PM--I had breakfast at about 9AM, didn't have Lunch and just had a Subway sub for Dinner...Dianne had her surgery...that's what took most of the day...somewhere around 2PM I had some Whoppers...they were sitting in a jar on the counter in the Dr.'s office...I think I had a total of 9 of 'em; they were the small ones...
                It's probably too soon to know for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if I have to stay home tomorrow night...of course a LOT can happen in 24 hours...As for tonight, I can't imagine still being up at 11PM...it's not often that I go a whole day w/o a midday nap, so I figure by then I will be VERY sleepy...I dunno when I'm even gonna broach the subject of my going out...I'll likely wait for Dianne to do that...
THURSDAY 12/20/18 9:15AM--I brought it up, she said OK...I'm going to go to CVS to buy a toy for tonight...that's the price of admission...LATER--the toy was on sale but still cost about $15 dollars...so far the best thing to happen today was me being able to find out when my appointment with Dr. Snow is w/o calling the Office...I checked the "Patient Portal" of the CPC website...Turns out I was right, it IS on January the 11th, at 10AM...
4:18PM--I was gonna check with Angela D. to see if she was coming to the OTWC tonight...then I realized, that would be pointless...so forget it...
11:59PM--had a good time at the OTWC...lotsa people there...it seemed like nearly every woman I've ever had a crush on since moving to G-burg was there...except Colleen, Angela D.and Jessica...

nothing happening yet, but...

     SATURDAY 12/15/18 5:12pm--not going out tonight...the rain has almost nothing to do with that...pretty sure I'm going to the SAW Xmas party...Not at all sure I'm gonna play there...and I'm not 100% sure I want to; it would be a major milestone, but I don't wanna be remembered as the worst performer there...and I'm pretty sure I would be...
               I'm finding it hard to remember what day it is...having mac & cheese for Dinner isn't gonna help with that, it's usually what I have on Sundays...I took a mid-morning nap before Lunch and slept soundly then took a midday nap after Lunch and slept just as soundly...The TWO Xanax I took yesterday may have something to do with that...nothing on TV for me that I know of...not that I've actually checked yet...there is a lotta stuff I recorded that I haven't seen yet...
SUNDAY 12/16/18 8:48PM--suddenly I had Band practice, so I missed the first two hours of the SAW Xmas Party...although Jay asked three times, I did NOT perform...and I don't yet regret that...I haven't yet met Eryn Michel, but I can say w/o reservation, she's, er, uh, super hot...as a writer? I dunno, but she can sing...
MONDAY- hanging out at Unique with Dianne… I have no intention whatsoever of buying anything; she said basically the same thing, but I expect she’ll find something that she absolutely has to have… I guess we’ll be having lunch out on the road somewhere... I hope we’ll be home by 2 o’clock if not sooner;  I keep thinking that the Combustibles’ gig is on Saturday; it is not-it’s on Friday... I hope Barry doesn’t forget to pick me up; I asked him about it at band practice last night...he said he would...I really want to leave the group, but there is some money to be made staying in it... so that makes me a prostitute, right?  I kept almost completely quiet about the bum notes and mistakes I heard at practice last night…
TUESDAY--suddenly about 15 minutes ago I got really sick...it's a miracle that I didn't throw up...but the other thing happened...I THINK I'm OK now...apparently stress can cause those kinda problems...

Saturday felt good to me

           SUNDAY 12/9/18 11PM--the SAW workshop went well enough, the gig with Ray was magical and today I recovered from the weekend itself...and I wrote a new song...I just took a Melatonin to help me sleep...gonna go to bed at 11:30...
        TUESDAY 12:41AM--went to the Monday night open mic at GYY...maybe I shouldn't have...came home, worked on MY songs...
     6:30PM--I think the BOOK MARKER is history...I posted what I think is my last blog entry..Whether or not I put it on my FB wall remains to be seen...
        The plan for tomorrow includes doing laundry and practicing for Agrodolcé...
WEDNESDAY 12/12/18 8:22AM--I think I'm taking some books to Unique today, maybe...considering how early the open mic starts, maybe I should wait until tomorrow...yeah, that's what I'm gonna do... practice will happen after the nap...
1PM--I've got $45 in my pocket and (if I wanna leave $100 alone) $40 in checking...that's $85 for seven days...I think I can live on that until next Wednesday morning...
3:16PM--of course I didn't sleep until 4PM...so I ran thru MMMM and BLUE XMAS...I'm getting a blister on my thumb...the things we do for our Art...I really do think that the neck of my acoustic is microscopically longer and microscopically LESS wide...playing an F# and a C# is easier than it was on the Crafter but the main riff behind MMMM was more pronounced and precise...still I don't regret buying the Fender...

procrastination sometimes comes from fear

WEDNESDAY 12/5/18 9:44AM--gonna try to re-enroll in Medicaid shortly...whatever happens, I'll  be glad when it's over with...
               So I made a couple phone calls, and got it done, quickly-in fact I allegedly got it done back in October… All that anxiety for nothing;  if I was up to it physically I would do the Snoopy dance... I might be in the recording lab after my nap; but I can’t guarantee that…I’ll  probably have pizza for dinner, one oughta be enough, right?
              Well, it has taken 37 years, but the stereotype regarding the Jewish people and their stinginess just came up this morning...I was happy when I left for CVS, but I'm not happy now...maybe the two Xanax I took will help...or not...The tension was broken, things are back to "normal"...
         3:25PM--I'm gonna go work in the basement shortly...things should be very different when I'm finished...
      4PM--things are only a little different...oh well...I ran outta energy very quickly, if I had any to begin with...because of the two Xanax I guess...could be in bed before 11PM...
THURSDAY 11:53am--I was in bed before 11PM and outta bed this morning by about 8:30 or so...I'm still probably gonna go to the open mic tonight...I wanna try to pay attention to the songwriters...if I can sit by myself that will be easier...
4:43 PM--I can hardly fucking wait until the roomie is all better...then she'll be running her own fucking errands...
FRIDAY 7:30AM--didn't sleep well at all, couldn't turn my Brain off...dunno when/if I'm gonna get a mid-day nap, the roomie has a Doctor's appointment at 1PM...we're leaving here at 12:10...what I'm doing and when is up to the grocery delivery people...
6:32PM--got the groceries at about 9:30 or so...had an early Lunch...got back home from Bethesda at about 2PM or so...the nap lasted almost two hours...
6:55PM should be in bed by 11PM...I ate (like almost always) TWO frozen Fettuccine Alfredo dinners...they feel quite heavy in my tummy...
SATURDAY--I WAS in bed by 11PM and slept until about 7AM...just killing time before I have an early Lunch and go to Rockville...yeah, I'm getting nervous...

so I didn't...but what about the future?

      SUNDAY 12/2/18 9:09AM--so I didn't go out last night...I'm OK with that...but what about next week? the mini Class Reunion? a gig with Ray? it's too soon to know...
        The restaurant where the reunion is being held is fancy and expensive--to ME anyway...I'll probably just get a cheeseburger...nothing wrong with that...I think I have to cross my fingers (again) in the hope that my car will make it to Glen Burnie and back...today is my last day of leisure, I've got lotsa stuff on my weekly TO DO list...not yet looking forward to the next few days...except maybe the GYY open mic Monday evening...
    7:36PM--starting to get anxious about stuff--Medicaid enrollment, the GYY open mic, the mini class reunion...the good news about the reunion is that it starts at 1PM and could be over by Sundown...gotta call Oz back, I think there's a gig at JVs on Jan 6th from 1:30 until 3:30...I thought I was gonna have to contact Cardiac Associates to find out what TIME my appointment is; then I discovered a text message on my phone...finally, something good happens...that's one less thing to worry about...
       MONDAY 8:50AM--there may be a problem re-enrolling with Medicaid...I think I let my coverage run out altogether...I really wanna get that phone call over with...but, because Mondays  are usually SO busy, according to the recorded voice I heard, I'll try again tomorrow...
       TUESDAY 7:50AM--for a bunch of reasons, I'm NOT going to my mini high school reunion...for one thing, there's SAW workshop in Rockville on Saturday...today, I feel like a (rookie) songwriter...of course a lot can happen between now and Saturday...but I hope it doesn't...typically, the person I most wanted to see at the reunion expressed regret that I wouldn't be there...I didn't really feel like a part of the group anyway...and because there may be band practice on Sunday, I might go see Ray on Saturday...
4PM--with all the stuff on my Mind (there's a lot) I made time to take on a DIY project...I'm finally getting rid of the broken up bookshelf...Hopefully. the trashmen will take it tomorrow...
6:00PM--thoughts are racing 'round my Brain...what I need to do at this time of the day is ignore them...most of 'em are related to Music, be it songwriting or recording (!) but they can and will wait...not that turning my Brain down is not gonna be easy--it never is...
10:15PM--so I DID manage to just sit around doing nothing this evening--after dealing with the trash that is...dunno when I'm going to bed, but I think it will be soon...

I wanna, I don't wanna I wanna I don't wanna

            SATURDAY 12/1/18 8:12AM--it's a big event tonight at the OTWC...the Crimestoppers are playing and (at least) two birthdays are being celebrated...Lenny's and Stoney's...I shouldn't want to go, but of course, I kinda do...If I don't, Sue might wonder where I was; I don't think Stoney will care...
                People say they don't care what others think, they do whatever the hell they wanna do...I wish I could be like that, but I don't think I can...So, if I go see the Crimestoppers, *I* feel a bit pathetic and I DO wonder what other people think--like, who is more pathetic? Me, Jeff or Arlene? *I* think, in order of the most pathetic first, I would say Jeff, Me, then Arlene...
           9AM--Stoney made some kinda snarky comment about the house band's performance of TALKING IN YOUR SLEEP, specifically the two guitar players--me and Butch...Fuck him, I'll stay home tonight...it's supposed to rain anyway...
 9:35AM--And Dianne doesn't want me to go...she may change her Mind but that doesn't mean I'll change mine...
5:16PM--starting to think about next week's mini Class of '73 gathering...I go back and forth on THAT too...