Well, I have not blogged in over  a week. I got decidedly sick last week, and it is still lingering. I missed some work days, and have just been laying reallllll low. I feel...ok...but just ok, no better.

The plan is to leave tomorrow morn and fly to Topeka and then drive back with Gretchan and Rory over the course of a week or so. We'll see some friends in Colorado Springs and then hop, skip and jump our way back to sweet Portland.

That's the end of my rock and roll adventures...this round anyway. I'll likely keep on writing when I am back. Though, be warned, this was written knowing Rory and Gretchan would read this. Rory won't read this now that we'll be back together...so...I may touch on some other topics...

Honestly, I listened to about 2 hours of music the last 4 days, all of iPod random. I was too down and out to actually get up and change things. But, here was my list before I got really sick:

Henry Rollins-Think Tank (spoken word)
Pearl Jam-vs.
Otis Redding/Jimi Hendrix-Historic Performances of the Monterey Pop Festival
Pearl Jam-Yield
Temple of the Dog-Temple of the Dog
Mother Love Bone-Apple
Alice in Chains-Facelift

It was strange. Today was not the hottest day we've had, but somehow it just felt so bad out there today. At Nike today, saw a coaching friend who works with USA Paralympic cycling...I walked up to the gym, and there he was. Weird.

Had a leisurely breakfast, hung out with Leo, then went to work. Listened to NPR this morning until I couldn't handle the news anymore. Then I put some rock on the stereo.

Did some laundry once I got home, washed my bike, played a bit of guitar.

My soundtrack today:

Spinal Tap-Motion Picture Soundtrack
Defiance-Out of the Ashes
Prince-Purple Rain
Ozzy Osbourne-The Ultimate Sin
The Who-Quadrophenia

...yesterday I just rested. Did a few minor thing around the house, but mostly played guitar and just hung around. Helped out with set-up at the Montavilla Farmers Market, and shopped.

Then...wow. Let me just start this next part of the story by saying that my stereo, while nice "consumer grade" is NOT "audiophile-level". My power amp is high-end late 80's JVC. I scrimped and saved and got it when I graduated high school. My CD player is a Goodwill special Sony 5-disc platter, my turntable an early 70's handbuilt Pioneer, and my speakers pioneer CS-911. The other matching JVC stuff I bought in 1989 is long burned out and gone. However, the amp has been a faithful, stable, strong friend that has been used countless hours and pushed hard. So....I have noticed some 'problems' with it's output lately. Bear in mind, I have been running it hard and long. Likely between Friday afternoon and Saturday it ran 20 hours. Not even counting Sunday...so...I was worried, but I needed a new Grado needle for my turntable, so I went to Fred's Sound of Music on Hawthorne. There, the sales guy drew a diagram for me to troubleshoot the system....

 So...this week will be the troubleshoot of the system. Also, we chatted about a new system...oh man...I am giddy with what can be had these days.

Also, the market manager, Amanda (who shall remain annonymous), and our friends Elaine and Paul (who shall also remain anonymous) were talking about my 'cat blog' talking about all the cat pictures I put up....so...no more cat pictures.hahaha I am going to act like they aren't around.

So, back to my day...after a bit of time at the stereo shop, I took some pics of the new bathroom paint.

Pleasant.

I also did some garden harvesting and cooking of the dinner...

 Course 1: Salad. Garden lettuce and cabbage salad from our yard. Simplicity Gardens tomatoes and Rose.

 Course 2: Kale salad with Simplicity Gardens garlic. Also has capers and raisins.

 Course 3: Our garden zucchini. Frog Meadow farms potatoes and carrots from...somewhere...I don't know.

Eaten while watching the documentary 'Pearl Jam: Twenty'. See the mid-90's look of Stone Gossard (L) and Jeff Ament (R).

Also, I finished some repairs to my Epiphone Dot. Got this super cheap a year or so ago from Guitar Crazy. Bob there sold it to me for less than $100, since it had all sorts of electrical issues. He knew I like to tinker...so...Finally got it all done. New pickups, new chrome parts to replace the ugly black ones...and...now...she...rocks. Sounds great, nice thick neck. So, we'll call it an Epiphone Dot 'CUSTOM'.

 ...and here's Leo...

 I forgot to mention in the blog that I had an epiphany of sorts while at work last week. I was folding some laundry, and I came up with the greatest band name ever. Here it is.

Well, that about sums up my day.

Here was my soundtrack:

New York Dolls-New York Dolls

The Police-Ghost in the Machine

Henry Rollins-The boxed Life (spoken word)

Pearl Jam-Twenty (soundtrack)

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers-Hypnotic Eye

Motley Crue-Shout at the Devil

Also I played guitar for about 2 hours. Just put the iPod on random and picked out songs to play with/learn. I think, with my trusty wah pedal, that I figured out the intro to "Let's Get it On" by Marvin Gaye.

Finalllllly stayed up lllllllllllate. Not rocking...as I should have been, but paining two coats of Yolo Water.07 on the bathroom. I started about 5 Friday night, and finished the second coat and the clean up around 1 am. Legit. Finished 3 beers and 1/2 bottle of Spanish Cava. But, the paint looks great. I am good at painting. Real steady handed and all.

Then this morning I awoke at 6:30 and was working at 7. Finished the bathroom (electric covers, moving things back in, pics on wall, etc), then....went straight to sealing the trim around the windows. I trimmed them myself years ago, but never sealed them. Until now. Currently, it is 8:06pm on Saturday. I finished about an hour ago. Took a couple breaks, played a bit o' guitar, ate...re-hydrated. Because it is hot and the house had to be opened up all day. Likely lost 8 pounds of sweat.

Big list o' records last night and today...

Pearl Jam-Backspacer
Bob Mould-District Line
Dead Kennedys-Give me Convenience or Give me Death
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers-Hypnotic Eye
Albert King-Born under a Bad Sign
Jack White-Lazaretto
Donnas-Get Skintight
Night Ranger-Dawn Patrol
Sugar-File Under: Easy Listening
Black Sabbath-Black Sabbath
Mike Watt-Contemplating the Engine Room
Pearl Jam-No Code

Also listened to the iPod on 'Hard Rock' genres for about 4 hours after I got sick of flipping vinyl...lotsa Maiden, Twisted Sister, Quiet Riot, Cinderella, Motley, G n R...epic