12:03 pm - Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2007
Trippin'
Sun 8/26/07 (5:33 p.m.)

Since my trip is coming up in mere days now, getting ready for it has been much on my mind.

There's really not that much to do, but I'm still managing to 1)feel anxious about it (Worrying that I'm going to forget something important), and 2)procrastinate over what I do need to do.

So what have I done?

1)I put a stop on my mail (Hadn't actually thought about that till I was at the post office to do something else--cause I don't get that much mail these days--but "better safe than sorry" and all that).

2)Bought a pair of sunglasses (For my "Can't Help Falling In Love" performance with Tom and Mary and whoever else we can get together who sang at the wedding way-back-when).

I may end up buying another pair, cause I'm not sure about the ones I bought--what I wanted were (knockoff) Ray-Ban "Wayfarer" style shades, but I didn't find them in either of my local drugstores, so I bought these huge "Solar Shield" glasses instead--the kind that fit over your glasses (Though I don't actually wear glasses)--because they amused me, and I thought they looked sort of "Late-Period Elvis" (For that same reason, I almost went with a ladies pair with rhinestones, but thought better of it; it's about the song and performing with people, after all, not about me "playin' the fool").

3)Got a haircut, cause I was looking pretty unkempt (I think yesterday's haircut was my second or third of the year, to give you some idea).

It's only been recently that I started thinking of this--my tendency to go a long time between haircuts--as a bad habit. But it is. If you look like a slob, that effects how people perceive you, and that's not the impression I want to make. It's just a thing I've fallen into from years of not having much money; it's been easy to fool myself into thinking I look "okay" when I really don't, and spend that money on other, "more important" things.

But anyway...

What do I need to do?

1)Get keys made, so Mark can come in and feed Kipper while I'm gone.

2)Get a new pair of running shoes (I think it's probably time to retire the ones I found on the sidewalk a couple years ago, when money was more of an issue than it is right now); I'm not looking to fool people into thinking I've "made it", but I do want to avoid looking like a homeless guy.

3)Think about what I want to pack for the trip, to A. see if I need anything I don't have, and B. Make sure any clothes I want to take are clean.

4)Decide how I'm getting to the airport--Am I going to drive myself, or take the Metro shuttle?--and plan accordingly.

I'm still certain I'm forgetting things, but I think I hit the most important stuff.

(Message to Mark N., if you're reading this--Are you and Lynda going to be around this coming weekend? M.E. is gone till after Labor Day, but I'd like to get together with you and any other available Schulerites--Particularly Holly and Rhoda--if possible.)

In additional to Jon Gindick videos, I've now started listening to Adam Gussow, who's another amazing player/teacher (I have to figure out the order of his videos, because he gets into some stuff that's beyond me at this point, though with those, it's just fun to listen to him play).

And just today, I checked out Jason Ricci, a younger guy who plays like nobody's business (The video I watched, for some reason, was one he made about "out of the box" harmonicas vs ones that have been "tweaked" for better performance. Something I guess you have to do quite often if you're serious about your playing).

It's been interesting...In general, while there's loads I don't know and can't do at this point, it actually seems possible that, with some effort, I could really become quite good (Maybe not as good as the guys I've just mentioned--I don't know if I have that many years left to live-- but much better than I am now). It doesn't seem like some impossible dream that I could become at least a good harmonica player, if I want to put the time into it.

But speaking of time, I gotta go...

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